when sign-ups for the speak up! project’s classes had opened, the three pillars of rap workshop had immediately caught his eye. it was the only one he was going to attend at first, before he decided to try his luck at beatboxing (and was then dragged to a dance class, and accidentally on purpose signed up for an aegyo class).
honestly, hangyul is exhausted by the time this final class is about to start. he’s made a fool of himself in front of a pretty celebrity, he’s danced like a fool, he’s spit on someone, he’s gotten into arguments—all in the span of three days. it’s almost more social interaction than he’s had since returning to korea three years ago. quite frankly, he’s glad it’s almost all over.
it’s not like hangyul is a rapper himself. he doesn’t necessarily need to know the three pillars of the art, and he’ll probably never put this knowledge to use. that doesn’t stop him from being, somehow, excited for the class.
it helps that his cousin is there, too. sometimes, it feels like naeun’s enthusiasm for rap rubs off on hangyul—his interest in the genre had developed well before he even met her, but it felt as if it had been amplified after their first encounter. maybe by her own dreams.
flow, delivery, and lyrical content. flow, the rhythm of the rap. delivery, the way one raps including pitch and rhyme. lyrical content, self explanatory.
hangyul jots all of this down in his new notebook, purchased specifically for this class. if he ever needs it once more (which he doubts, but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared for anything the future might bring), he can flip back through this.
the class passes with hangyul giving his full concentration and sincerity, mixed with the occasional conversation with naeun—banter, questions, and clarifications. it’s… oddly peaceful, he thinks. much better than his previous workshops. he can’t decide if it’s because he actually cares about this class, or it’s just his luck.
and maybe there’s a doodle of chojin’s name in the margins, but no one needs to know that.
(he’s still thinking about her? he needs to do something about this before exams).
hangyul, despite what most people believe, is still a teenager at heart. he may try to hide behind lab coats and goggles, scientific journals and long-winded equations, big words and an indifferent expression. in the end, he’s still a nineteen year old boy who signs up for a class just because a cute girl is advertised to be teaching it.
as someone who routinely conducts lab experiments, both for fun and for grades, hangyul should be more observant—and he is, in most cases. it’s just that… whoever this chojin girl is, she’s really fucking pretty.
now, hangyul has seen a lot of girls in his life, from all different kinds of countries. but chojin is something entirely different, with her cute smile and her cute nose and her pretty hair. it’s really distracting him from what the sign up sheet says, and all he knows is that he wants to see this beautiful girl more, in person, so he signs up for her class without another thought.
he’s not one for acting on impulses, and upon showing up for the class on friday afternoon, he understands why.
welcome to aegyo 101.
chojin is even cuter in person than in her pictures. he knows she’s doing it on purpose, that’s the whole point of the class after all, but he can’t bring himself to cringe even once when she’s speaking or doing those adorable actions. hangyul smiles the whole time, until he realizes he’s expected to do the same.
no fucking way. he does his best to stick to the edges of the class, keep all attention off himself. he’s not here to learn. he’s not here to make a fool of himself (even if that’s exactly what he does every time chojin comes remotely close to him and he flushes, all red-faced and shy and stuttering in response).
hangyul does the bare minimum, and only when chojin’s eyes are on him. he does not participate in the aegyo battle, and he certainly doesn’t stick after class to take pictures with chojin, no matter how badly he wants to. hangyul makes do with the signature on his phone case and all but bolts out of the room.
his face is still burning, and he has to get that under control before his next class in an hour. he was grateful he recognized no one in this class (not that he spared a glance at anyone other than the teacher, so he doesn’t actually know if this is true or not), but his next workshop is with yeji of all people. he can’t let her see him like this. but he also can’t stop thinking about chojin.
what was her group again? k.arma? he’s going to have to search them up later.
Regret. That’s all Céleste felt in the moment, but it’s not like a way out did she? With the awkward smile still plastered across her face, Céleste watched as the stranger wiped his spit off her arm. Her anger abated (a bit), she racked her mind for possible ways to apologize.
She was more than surprised to see that the stranger spoke French too.
“Oh. non non, c’est complètement ma faute d’avoir m’emporté… Désolée pour ça. Tu parles aussi le français? De ton accent viens-tu de la Suisse? [Oh, no no, it’s completely my fault for losing my temper… Sorry about that. You speak French too? Judging from your accent, are you from Switzerland?]”
Just about as she was to walk away from the situation, Céleste heard the latter mumble about something. “By the way, I heard that!” she yelled over her shoulder. Really, seeing the looks on the others’ faces, Céleste was sure she seemed crazy. Well, it’s not like that bothered her anyways.
Hearing the male’s proposal, Céleste smirked confidently at him. “Oh? Are you sure about that? I’m pretty sure I can wipe the floor if we had a battle right here.” She cocked her head to the side, blinking innocently at him. “Unless… you’re too scared? I’m Céleste by the way,” she struck her hand out for a handshake.
he can't help but raise his eyebrows in surprise. it's like the girl has done a complete 180 degrees, suddenly apologizing to him instead. it almost makes him even more embarrassed. almost. "it's... fine. i'm sorry, too."
admittedly, hangyul was never the best at french. he had a decent understanding of the language, and he could usually figure out what people were saying, but when he spoke it... well, he had been mocked a few times in school during his stay in switzerland. the stranger's words are enough to remind him—his accent, she says. she recognizes it correctly, but it's also enough to make hangyul hyperaware because what if she can hear something wrong with the accent, just like others in the past?
he switches back to korean, much more comfortable with this language now. "a little. and no, but i lived there for a few months."
hangyul bristles at the way her voice raises, scanning the room apprehensively. multiple pairs of eyes stare back at him (and her) in a mixture of irritation and interest. he bows his head as a general apology to the people he's disrupted, ready to return to his own individual practice, when the stranger speaks again.
a challenge. he hadn't exactly meant it that way, the words coming out of his mouth in pure annoyance before he could really stop himself. but now, with people watching them and the girl's hand reaching for his, hangyul knows he can't just say no. "i'm lee hangyul. please, céleste," he gestures between them. it probably comes off mockingly, though that's never his intention. "ladies first, the floor is yours."
songhee isn’t sure what she expected when urging for a conversation, but this certainly wasn’t even remotely near it– which shows, when round eyes grows bigger with surprise. while she’s somewhat used to being turned down, she is not necessarily used to being met by this kind of attitude, and she can’t say that she welcomes it. not now, not ever. as a social little butterfly, it has occurred to her, more than once, that not everyone is interested in small chats, but did he really have to be so irritable about it? the fact that she came off whiny doesn’t strike her.
actually, she meant to appear cute. an attempt obviously failed.
“wow~ no need to be so snarky about it.” sounds her comeback, which reveals that she took some offense to the sudden lecture– come to think of it, though… she didn’t ask to be taught, either. “besides, what’s up with the critique, huh? i only meant to start conversation, not to be addressed like i’m your student or something. which i’m not, mind you.” attending the class is very much her way of expanding her social network, to meet new friends and learn something as a mere bonus. that comes to her naturally, approaching people to hopefully befriend.
sometimes she attempts contact with the wrong person, however, this one seeming to be one who doesn’t make her aqcuaintance– which is fine enough, songhee doesn’t really mind– not that part, anyway. “it’s not like you’re doing so hot yourself either.” unnecessarily said and she knows it, for it comes out as a low mumble, but she can absolutely be a bit hot headed herself when feeling taken aback. she should have shut up, likely having ruined the class for both him and herself now. prone to mild catastrophic thinking, songhee sighs rather soundly.
at least for her own sake, songhee doesn’t feel like continuing right now, and rather observes everyone else attempting to learn beatboxing in an hour. ultimately, she didn’t find the class a whole lot of fun, probably because she tried to skip ahead– not necessarily to show off, not at all, but because she became a little bit too excited and wanted to try something else.
was he being snarky? hangyul certainly didn't think so. the girl asked him questions, and he simply replied to them with honesty. he knew she was trying more advanced techniques and that she seemed to be struggling with them, so was he supposed to ignore her when she turned to him to complain? or lie?
"i'm not your teacher," he agrees after staring at her face silently, mostly because he thinks teaching someone like this would be exhausting. tutoring high schoolers in science and math is much easier than teaching someone how to use their mouth to make weird sounds. "i was just trying to help. you looked like you were struggling, and i'm pretty sure you even expressed your frustration with that. sorry, i didn't mean to offend you or anything."
by the way, most people don't start a conversation with complaints—or at least, hangyul thinks they don't. he wants to say this, but he's already agitated her enough. it's glaringly obvious that the girl is offended, and he doesn't want to fight yet another stranger (is that all he's good at doing these days?)
he tries not to take offence at her jab. for one, hangyul knows she's just mad at him, and rightfully so. she's not exactly wrong, either, because hangyul can do the basics of beatboxing by now but he would never attempt advanced techniques like this stranger. he knows what he can and can't do.
hangyul sighs. "look, i really am sorry. i must be in a bad mood, probably took it out on you. i spat on someone earlier by accident, you know, so you're right. i'm not doing too well. maybe we could help each other out?"
yeji has quite a bit of time between her classes that she uses to go home and get into more dance-appropriate attire and get something to eat before she bids her parents a goodbye once again and heads back to where the classes are being held. but the moment hs gets to her and hangyul’s meeting spot, yeji knows something is up – and not because she’s particularly perceptive, but rather because hangyul refuses to take his eyes off his shoes and, from what yeji can see of it, his face is bright red.
“ what’s with your face ? ” yeji asks, ignoring hangyul’s question, once they finally have the time to speak and hangyul’s not absolutely avoiding looking at her. “ because you’ve looked like a tomato for like the entire time we’ve been here, and i, quite honestly, would like to know what caused you, of all people, to blush like a school girl. ” yeji says, crossing her arms over her chest. but, she decides that maybe she should acknowledge why she decided to drag hangyul along. although, could it really be considered dragging him here when he came here willingly ? probably not. “ hmm … probably for that reason, alone. ” yeji says with a nod. “ yeah, definitely because i wanted to watch you struggle because that’ll be the best part of this whole day. ” she says, smiling.
“ you do realize that’ll only make you look bad, right ? ” yeji points out with a chuckle. “ just because we’re in the same group doesn’t mean you don’t dance … and hey, i want to be able to watch you fail miserably, we can’t be in the same group ! ” she pouts. “ that idol guy was trained to dance like that, you know. ” she points out. “ that’s like, his job, i’m pretty sure. why are you so whiny, i thought that was my job ? ”
indignant, hangyul protests, "nothing is wrong with my face." but even as he says it, he knows it's not true. if he can feel his skin still tingling, he knows that anyone with two working eyes would be able to see the product of that heat—the colour—on his face. that knowledge, alone, is enough to make his face feel hotter, because fuck, yeji isn't as dumb as she comes across sometimes and was it really that obvious?
(a guy acts one time in a commercial and suddenly he thinks he can hide everything under a mask. no, he can't).
"you're a school girl," he shoots back lamely, his cheeks still flaring. it's like his entire personality has crumbled to the ground, in a smoking chojin-scented pile around his feet. chojin. he knows he can do better than an elementary school comeback, but it’s all that his mushy brain can come up with right now. that darn girl group member.
of course yeji had just wanted to see him make a fool of himself. hangyul doesn't know what else he should have expected. but what she says, makes sense; if he's in a group with exceptional dancers—which, not that he will ever admit it aloud, now that they're friends and not strangers, but yeji is kind of okay at dancing—then he will surely stand out. hangyul doesn't want that, but he also doesn't want to be forced to interact with more people who are probably just as excited about this class as yeji is, while he kind of just wants to escape already.
"you're a terrible person," hangyul decides. "and it's not whining, it's called asking questions." he thinks maybe his voice has inadvertently gotten deeper to protect his honour, because how dare yeji insinuate that he's being just as annoying as her on a regular day. that's just... that's just impossible! "what do idols even do, by the way? you say it's his job to... what, be so good at dancing that he can teach a dance class? do you teach classes then, or am i missing something?"
upon arriving to the workshop that day she glanced around to see if there were maybe any familiar faces before she finds him she hears his voice– the voice of her cousin and she smiles p at him bemused and brows lifted as he comments on her appearance, while she felt it was more surprising that he was there than herself, “yes i am,” she responds to him, completely unaware of the boy that had been interested in hangyul’s spot. naeun was after all more than happy to have her cousin next to her, instead of a complete stranger that would most likely… ask for her number at the end of the workshop.
“we are both here,” she muses in an excited tone, when she had seen the list of workshops this was one she was the most excited about– rap was something she loved to do, she mostly did it as a hobby but she also had a habit of staying out late and seeing the underground rappers in action. to be able to learn rap from someone else was new to her, if they knew what they were doing for the most part and this would be an excellent learning opportunity for her.
when hangyul questions her she blinks once, “i don’t have to know the three pillars of rap to be better than you,” she sticks out her tongue at the male, teasing him back.. she had known him for a while and was familiar with his ways, “but i do know them, or i think i do– people value different things don’t they?” nauen walked into the room and found a place to sit down, her eyes shifting around at the other people that also had entered, “this is a little exciting,” she mutters to herself, which might be silly to anyone else but hangyul but he should know how her family was when it came to music and how she had come up with a grand excuse.
“now i can tell my parents i was meeting you for lunch since you are here and it won’t be a complete lie.”
he should feel the need to stick his tongue out right back at naeun, maybe even pinch her cheeks, even if it's a little childish. but hangyul can't help but smile at the sight before him. his cousin seems really happy to be here, learning about something she loves. he momentarily wonders if everyone else in the room has similar dreams to his cousin, if he's the only idiot who's here just because he likes rap music a little bit.
hangyul ponders over what she says, and supposes it's true. if he's being honest himself, he hadn't even thought that there could be pillars for rapping. from what he knows about the topic—and clearly, it's not a lot—people just talk along to a rhythm, fast or slow. sure, there's lyricism, and that definitely needs to be acknowledged as a skill, but is there really more to rapping than the simplicities he had always assumed? could he keep up with everyone in this room? does he want to?
(the answer to the last one is a surprise. yes, he does want to. because it brings him all the excitement that he feels in a lab, but the rush is different, somehow. maybe because he’s not as good at rap as he is good at looking through a microscope. he doesn’t know if that makes it more or less fun in his head).
hangyul wonders, if naeun is indeed right, what his three pillars could be. what does he value? it's not a question than can be easily answered when one is still a novice, but that's what this class is for anyways. "what do you think they are, then? what do you value, oh great master of rap, lee naeun?"
he shouldn't be surprised with what she says next, and honestly, he isn't. "your parents don't know you're here?" his own family is oblivious to his whereabouts, but it's not like he would lie if they asked. he has nothing to hide. naeun on the other hand... "are you ever going to tell them? you know, about... everything?"
LEE HANGYUL at SUPERSTAR ROYAL COMMERCIAL SHOOTING !
hangyul doesn't sit around waiting for an email. he doesn't check his phone for a notification every few minutes, or refresh his inbox whenever he logs on to correspond with a professor. he goes about his life normally, almost as if the auditions never happened (because, if he's being honest, he kind of wishes they didn't. it's still embarrassing to remember).
but the email, it comes, and it only promises good news—or, he guesses it must be good news for the other people its been sent to, but for him it's more ambiguous. it signifies another day he has to waste, another day he could be studying or tutoring or in the school lab but he’s not.
he almost decides to ditch. as much as he had put in the effort to model for the photographer at the audition, it never meant he actually wanted to do so. hangyul simply didn't want to make a fool of himself. it's a stupid pride thing.
a stupid pride thing that landed him a role in a commercial for a game he's probably never going to play, he reminds himself.
a stupid pride thing that's giving him a little extra cash in his pocket for a new pair of headphones, he rethinks the situation.
a stupid pride thing that has him awake at 5 in the morning and on set by 6, playing a character who has no lines, he groans to himself.
a stupid pride thing that shatters his pride by having him be an extra in a scene that puts most of its focus on hwang yeji (and two boys he doesn't know, who he's not envious of, and who he doesn't particularly talk to).
at least naeun is there. he decides to stick by her side as much as he can, if not because it's an unusual and slightly uncomfortable occasion, and maybe because he's trying to avoid yeji. she's annoying, she's definitely never going to let him live this down, and she's annoying. (avoiding her isn't easy and it fails almost immediately. she's quite persistent, and has he mentioned annoying?).
it's not exactly hard—acting, that is. hangyul doubts this can even be considered acting when all he has to do is look vaguely interested in what's happening on the phone screen. it's slightly amusing that it's the two cousins who are simply fillers for the scene, who just follow directions and have no purpose whatsoever.
with the last take, a shot of everyone watching yeji fail and dispersing, hangyul's reaction isn't acting. it's not over-the-top frustration like some of the others who are acting; it's more subtle, a hint of indifference, and the smallest bit of disappointment. it's like a natural reaction he has whenever he is around hwang yeji, but this time, it works for the situation instead of just pissing her off.
hangyul is glad when recording wraps up. he's never thought that standing around for hours on end doing the bare minimum could be tiring, but sometimes (rarely) he is proven wrong. he doesn’t stick around for long after that. hangyul quickly bows to the staff (he prides himself on manners), and bids farewell to the few people he knows.
what a waste of time, he keeps thinking. i have to make up for it.
he finds himself in the school library shortly after, books spread across the table in front of him. in between the notes he jots down in his notebook, he can’t help but contradict his own thoughts. it wasn’t that bad.
beatboxing has always been one of those many things that eunbin would love to learn, which would honestly have been the coolest party trick to show off, but that she couldn’t actually be bothered to make an effort into picking up. not based on her own initiative, anyway. sure, one can argue that attending a class solely intended to teach the basics of beatboxing is her own initiative– still, it’s different from searching up and clicking a random video on youtube.
actually, it’s two completely differing things.
not really, but to eunbin it’s that way. she is a social person, she craves human contact while attempting new things, who she can fail miserably with, as much as master something with. it isn’t sufficient enough to her, searching the web, far from it. so here she is, present during an hour long course, one out of a small group– from her perspective, anyway. having asked the instructor about techniques other than the basics, eunbin is attempting a zipper sound.
too soon, far too soon. no, she doesn’t get it. yes, she sounds bloody annoying and yes, she looks stupid as heck. as does everyone else honestly, but they are at least all doing the same kick, snare and hi hat sounds. practice, practice, practice. it’s all she hear from the instructor and this is why she either learns something really quickly, or she doesn’t learn it at all, she is far too stubborn to practice what she finds boring, instead fast-pacing to the next step.
“ahhh, i can’t do this~” she whines after a while, turning to the person closest to her. “how are you doing with this? are you getting anywhere? it’s easy, people say. easy my ass!”
it's hard to focus on himself in this class when there's a handful of others making loud, obnoxious noises. it messes with his concentration, and he fumbles over the techniques he had mastered only minutes ago. hangyul has learned, however, to cover his mouth as he attempts each new sound—because he certainly won't be caught spitting all over another stranger, mind you—so no one can really notice if he's messing it up or if it's a creative decision. he's not going to correct them if they happen to believe the latter.
his concentration is once again broken (and just as he's getting the hang of it, too!) by the girl standing beside him, who looks and sounds like she could complain for the remainder of the class if he doesn't somehow help her out. hangyul has had enough social interaction for one day, but he’s not rude enough to completely ignore someone. most days.
"i have no idea what you're doing," he admits, rather blankly. hangyul regards her with an expression that matches his tone. "but i can do this because i'm working on the things we're actually supposed to work on."
he's not opposed to overeager students trying to excel. hangyul, himself, is one of those people who reads textbooks for the advanced classes, teaching himself concepts that are supposed to be learned in the final year of university. he doesn't mind it one bit, but he also thinks that if someone tries to get ahead of others, they should have the basics down and truly understand what they're trying to learn. getting ahead of one's self when they can't keep up is the single, most embarrassing thing anyone could do.
"you should take a step back," he says, but it's clear he doesn't mean it physically. "go back to the basics. this is a one hour class. you're never going to become a professional from just this, so don't get ahead of yourself while trying to show off. no one here is better than the other, anyways. we're all novices." hangyul nods, as if that will soften the blow of his words. "it is easy, as long as you work hard. and it will get easier with more time."
freestyle hip-hop dance workshop, dated may 29th, 2020.
there's about an hour between the two classes he had signed up for. this morning, hangyul had expected that he would be bored during that time, thought that maybe he'd ask to meet up with yeji before the second class that she had convinced him to accompany her to. now, he was glad he had done no such thing.
for most of the hour, hangyul was cooped up in the men's washroom. he was hunched over the sink, gripping the counters as water dripped from his chin. it felt like no matter how many times he splashed his face, or took calming deep breaths, or slapped his cheeks to get it together, his face was still the reddest he had ever seen it. every few seconds, he just kept thinking about chojin—her cute smile, the way she interacted with everyone in the class, how he'd missed his chance to get a picture with one of the prettiest girls he had ever laid eyes on. fuck.
his face is somehow still burning when he leaves for the hip hop class. hangyul keeps his head down as he manoeuvres the hallways, bumping into the odd stranger if they don’t skirt around him. when he finally meets yeji at their pre-determined spot and they head for the class together, hangyul remains completely silent the whole way, his eyes fixed on his shoes.
it's only when the instructors introduce themselves and inform them on what the class will be doing for the next two hours (two hours?!), he begins to grumble immediately to the girl beside him. "why did i let you bring me here... hwang yeji... i don't know how to dance!" the perpetual chojin-blush on his cheeks has faded into one that stems from a mixture of fear and irritation. he grips yeji's wrist, as if that'll fix everything. or maybe he's getting his revenge for all that she's put him through (is he still annoyed by the whole superstar royal thing? yes). "let's be in the same group later and you can do all the choreography. as for right now, well, how the hell did that idol guy move like that?"
ten minutes before the class starts, hangyul is already waiting outside the room. he passes the time by reading a particularly interesting scholarly article he had downloaded to his phone a few days ago (not for school, but for his own entertainment). when seven minutes pass and they're finally allowed in, he makes a mental note of where he was in the article and exits out. hangyul glances around the room and sighs in relief when he spots a familiar face. he heads straight for her side, ignoring a glare that comes from a suspicious-looking boy who was trying to snag the exact same spot as hangyul.
"oh, you're here." it doesn't come out as a question because of course naeun would be here. hangyul's remembers his cousin telling him about her interest in rap and idols. he's one of the lucky-enough members of their family to know, maybe because she trusts him or maybe because they share that interest—rap, that is. (hangyul couldn't care less about the idol industry, though he's been doing his research on k.arma after learning about their cute member who had led that horrifying class two days ago).
but even when it comes to rap, hangyul knows that naeun is more dedicated to the art than he is. for him, it's a hobby. it's for fun, when it's late at night and he lays in bed with his headphones in and raps along to the song, performing for the ceiling above him. in contrast, it seems like naeun actually wants a career out of this, but hangyul can't help but wonder...
"hey, if you're in this class, does that mean you don't already know the pillars of rap?" he raises both eyebrows in an attempt to tease his cousin, but the face he makes looks more judgemental, if anything. he hopes his tone conveys his true intentions. "i thought you were already better than me at rap but... perhaps not?"
Céleste checked her watch for the time. 12:58. Cool, she had a little under four minutes left to find that goddamn room. Four because she always made sure to keep her watch two minutes ahead to minimize this type of situation happening in the first place. Starting to get panicky, Céleste put aside her last remaining shred of dignity and ran like a madwoman around, trying to find room 254.
Huffing and puffing, she slammed over the door open. Too loud. Céleste quickly tiptoed her way to an empty chair near the front, trying to make up for her earlier lack of discretion. She hadn’t seemed to have missed much as the instructor quickly wrapped up his introduction. The small group quickly introduced themselves to each other and the lesson began.
Céleste understood fairly quickly how beatboxing worked, and the ways she could play around with the rhythm — she was a percussionist after all — but making the sounds was a whole other story. Sure, the basic snare and bass drums were easy enough to emulate, but crash cymbals? No thanks. Céleste was really regretting not having learnt a wind or brass instrument prior to this. Just as she was coming up to that conclusion, Céleste felt something wet land on her arm. Spit. Before she could completely register the situation, she had already started talking. “What the f*ck man?” Attempting to cover it up by continuing her tirade in French, Céleste continued, “Mais qu’est ce que tu fais là ? C’est tellement dégoûtant… As-tu un mouchoir ou quelque chose que je puisse essuyer mon bras avec? [What are you doing? It’s so disgusting… Do you have a tissue or something I can wipe my arm with?]” Tired and out of breath, Céleste smiled up at the offender, ignoring the questioning stares of everyone else around her.
beatboxing has never been on hangyul's radar before. he signs up for the class on a whim, and before it starts (literal minutes prior to it, when he's standing in the lobby and waiting for time to pass because hangyul is always at least ten minutes early), he watches a how-to video. it's just making a bunch of sounds with your mouth, isn't it? he thinks it seems easy enough.
hangyul learns, when introductions for the class are over and they've already begun the process, that beatboxing is more difficult than he initially thought. it's not impossible to learn, however, and he catches onto the basics within a few tries. he gets a little too absorbed in it once he knows what to do, and his enthusiasm manifests in the form of excess saliva that flies onto the person beside him; hangyul doesn't realize it until she's ranting at him.
it takes a while for the moment to sink in. hangyul alternates between staring at the spit on her skin—his spit—and her innocent smile that didn't match her tirade. with every second that passes, he can feel his ears grow hotter. he wants to apologize because, seriously, it's really disgusting to be spat on by a stranger, but he also wants to fire right back at her. hangyul's french isn't exactly fluent, but he knows enough to catch onto her agitation. she probably thinks he doesn't understand, and that's why she's smiling at him as if she hadn't sworn in a common language everyone knows just before her switch to french.
"je suis désolé... c'est ma première fois... [i'm sorry... this is my first time...]" hangyul tugs his sleeve over his fist and reaches out to wipe her arm clean, before retracting his arm back to his side quickly. "c'est juste un peu de broche. tu n'as pas besoin de paniquer. [it's just a little spit. you don't need to freak out.]" he turns away from her, glaring down at his hands as if they’re the ones who have put him in this situation. trust that if he could glare at his own mouth, he probably would.
he takes a page from the stranger's book and switches languages to english, mumbling, "it's not like i did it on purpose. kids are so weird these days." hangyul glances back at her with a sour face, but bows his head apologetically. two can play that game, he thinks. “maybe my spit is proof that i’m better at this than you. try to keep up.”
…. you text in PARAGRAPHS, sir
…. the only person i know who does that is my parents
…. but whatever, irrelevant
…. are you telling me that the way i text you is ANNOYING and INEFFICIENT
…. wow some friend you are ㅠㅠ i see where i stand
…. plus it makes you respond to my messages faster bc i send u 50
…. e-boy !! they’re like … these boys on the tiktok that like wear chains and …
…. here, this is easier [ linked attachment ]
…. not that i think you’re a tool, bc eboys ARE tools, BUT it’s more a fashion thing
…. ????? yes ????? i probably wouldn’t talk to you if i didn’t
…. that’s a lie, you don’t need to be cool for me to talk to you, i lit don’t care
…. BUT you are !! you’ve got like this … smoldering, mysterious guy schtick going on
…. girls would go crazy for you
…. okay you think i’m gonna judge you for having your ears pierced ??
…. honey it’s 2020, you do you no judgement here
…. ummmm do you have any experience like ? modeling ? i know you’re not a social media person so idk if that’s kinda your thing or if you just keep that pretty face to yourself
…. any interesting things you’ve done in general like ?? idk you win any competitions or smthing
「 ✉ ━━━━━━━ you have ( 17 ) new messages from Hwang Yeji ! 」
⌲ Yeji, I am your father.
⌲ I do, indeed, think the way you text is annoying and inefficient. It takes at least 0.48 seconds to press send, and you do it at least 7 times despite the topic of each message relating to the prior message. That takes up more time than pressing send once or twice per conversation. I also have to wait longer to receive your messages, as I want to make sure I get all of them before replying. Speaking of your ridiculous amount of messages, why is it only increasing with every reply I give you? My phone won’t stop vibrating and I am afraid it might even freeze at this point. Do you have enough money to get me a new phone if it stops working due to your incessant fingers, Hwang Yeji?
⌲ I do roll my eyes a lot, but I have never choked anyone nor do I own a chain to bite. I am sorry to say that I don’t think I ever want to become an “e-boy.” I think they’re smart with their layering of clothes, though. They must be really warm in the winter. But yes, I see that they act like enormous tools. Hammers, drills, screwdrivers... They all wish they could be e-boys.
⌲ I think you would talk to anyone and everyone. Whether that is because you’re nice or because you’re annoying is still pending. And you’re right. I do have girls going crazy for me. You should see the ones at my school. One time, someone tried to break into the science lab to leave a confession letter for me but I was already there working on an experiment. She screamed, ripped up the letter, and put it all in her mouth. It was kind of weird. I haven’t seen her around campus since.
⌲ Oh. I digressed, my apologies. I don’t have any experience modelling, unless you count school picture days. The photographers used to compliment my face but they also yelled at me for not smiling wide enough. I have won competitions of the science kind, but I believe you’re still talking about modelling so that would be a no. Why are you asking about modelling of all things? What kind of class survey is this?
hi everyone! below i’ve listed the speak up! workshops that hangyul will be attending plus a little bit about why he’d like to take the class, what he’ll be like, etc. he’s not going for too many classes because he’s mostly uninterested, and he’s not a very social person in the first place ;___; silly boy. but anyways! i’d love to get some stuff going asap ♡ if you’d like to plot, please message me on here or on twitter @ p1nkup !
may 29th
aegyo 101 with k.arma’s chojin ; [ @yeosangrk ]
hangyul has no idea what this workshop is, tbh. from the moment he saw the pretty girl who was in charge of the class, he was so distracted and drawn towards her that he only realized he had signed up for a fucking aegyo class ten minutes into the actual workshop. he’s going to be a flustered, blushing mess.
his friend yeji drags him to this workshop, despite the fact that hangyul only knows how to line dance from his middle school gym class. tragic. it’s going to be a mess of limbs and he’s probably still not over meeting that pretty girl (chojin) earlier.
may 30th
beatboxing for beginners ; [ @rkeunbin & @rkyoojimin ]
he signs up for this class on a whim because he thinks it’s kinda cool and it’s not too long. he’ll probably think it’s a little gross at first (all that spit!) but as soon as he gets the hang of it, you can’t stop him.
may 31st
three pillars of rap ; [ @rksungmin & @rklnaeun ]
this is the only workshop he’s really excited for and dedicated to, since he really enjoys rap music. it’s a perfect way to get him acquainted with rapping and ignite the passionate fire inside of him that leads him to the idol path! (so poetic)
hi everyone! below i’ve listed the speak up! workshops that hangyul will be attending plus a little bit about why he’d like to take the class, what he’ll be like, etc. he’s not going for too many classes because he’s mostly uninterested, and he’s not a very social person in the first place ;___; silly boy. but anyways! i’d love to get some stuff going asap ♡ if you’d like to plot, please message me on here or on twitter @ p1nkup !
may 29th
aegyo 101 with k.arma’s chojin ; [ @yeosangrk ]
hangyul has no idea what this workshop is, tbh. from the moment he saw the pretty girl who was in charge of the class, he was so distracted and drawn towards her that he only realized he had signed up for a fucking aegyo class ten minutes into the actual workshop. he’s going to be a flustered, blushing mess.
his friend yeji drags him to this workshop, despite the fact that hangyul only knows how to line dance from his middle school gym class. tragic. it’s going to be a mess of limbs and he’s probably still not over meeting that pretty girl (chojin) earlier.
may 30th
beatboxing for beginners ; [ @rkeunbin & @rkyoojimin ]
he signs up for this class on a whim because he thinks it’s kinda cool and it’s not too long. he’ll probably think it’s a little gross at first (all that spit!) but as soon as he gets the hang of it, you can’t stop him.
may 31st
three pillars of rap ; [ @rksungmin & @rklnaeun ]
this is the only workshop he’s really excited for and dedicated to, since he really enjoys rap music. it’s a perfect way to get him acquainted with rapping and ignite the passionate fire inside of him that leads him to the idol path! (so poetic)
LEE HANGYUL ; PURE CONCEPT for SUPERSTAR ROYAL AUDITION !
hangyul almost marks the email as spam. almost. he doesn't know what stops him from doing so, but after a moment of deliberation based solely on the title of the email, he opens it and reads through its contents.
superstar royal... what is that?
befuddled, he rereads the email at least three times, eyebrows furrowing deeper with every repeated scan of the words. an audition, concepts, a photoshoot—they're all words he knows but for some reason, none of it is making any sense to him when they’re put together.
he thinks they've got the wrong person, until he remembers the email is addressed to lee hangyul. then, he thinks that maybe this is some elaborate scam to get his money, without... actually... asking for any banking information...
hangyul fumbles with his laptop for a few seconds, his movements bogged down with confusion. finally, he manages to type something into the search bar, and the results flash across his screen almost immediately.
"much like kt’s game, ‘superstar royal’ will be free to play and feature all of your favorite artists from the company. fans will get to play every hit song from royal entertainment through a rhythm game and also collect cards featuring the artists. every week, players will battle each other in leagues to climb up the ranks and become the superstars of the game.
on their statement, royal commented they’ll also be holding auditions to help with promotions for the game. last year, idols, popular trainees, and lucky fans managed to all come together to film different commercials of superstar ktworld."
he knows of kt and royal entertainment. well, he doesn't know them by name, but he knows vaguely about idols and kpop and... and... that's the extent of his knowledge, actually. hangyul doesn't even know what rhythm games are, and he feels uncharacteristically stupid for perhaps the first time in his life.
none of this explains why he's being called in for an audition. if anything, after reading the article and a few wikipedia pages, he feels even more lost in this situation.
there's no other option, then. hangyul grabs his phone, presses on one of the few contacts he has saved, and presses the call button. she's his go-to for everything trendy and ridiculous, always has answers. he can count on her.
yeji tells him everything, starting from the game in question and ending with her fake class survey—a ruse to sign him up. hangyul can't even bring himself to be angry that she'd used his personal information in such a way, because yeji sounds excited to also participate in what is considered a big deal. somehow, he ends up agreeing to take the spectacle seriously, promises to do his best, and hangs up the phone feeling embarrassed.
turns out, he can only count on her to do stupid things.
* * *
the days leading up to the audition pass agonizingly slow. it's not that hangyul is nervous or excited. he doesn't particularly feel anything. he knows the moment is near, while a part of him wishes it wasn't. but april 30th comes with a loud reminder from his phone at precisely 7am, and hangyul rolls out of bed to reluctantly prepare for the day.
pure. he doesn't think the concept fits him, but it's the only one he truly understands (what the fuck is fresh? crush? they don't even come with descriptions!). hangyul's closet doesn't offer anything special so he wears a simple white shirt and jeans, and styles his hair with as little commitment as possible. he doesn't tell his parents where he's going or what he's doing as he leaves the house.
there are many familiar faces in the hallway, all waiting for their own turns. hangyul smiles at his cousin, offers a wave towards the girl who forced him into this mess, and briefly settles on someone who he had met at the bazar. he doesn’t bother approaching any of them, as they all seem occupied by one thing or another. everyone seems to have their own routine that they're practicing: listening to music, breathing slowly, chatting with each other. hangyul wonders, briefly, if these people have experience in these kinds of things—already, he's at a disadvantage (not that he wants to succeed, but it would be embarrassing to be turned away so quickly from something he didn't even want. it's a pride thing).
he makes small talk with a stranger before he's called in for his audition.
an array of props are presented to him, but hangyul doesn’t think too long about what to use. he grabs the first thing he sees and positions himself in front of the camera.
it’s embarrassing, to say the least. hangyul has no idea how to wield the prop or look pure. his poses are weak and influenced by whatever the photographer says, while his expressions are stiff and unnatural.
he’s not used to this; that’s his excuse for losing his composure so easily, for something so mindless. is modelling actually this hard, or is it just beginner’s nerves? (not that he’s nervous or anything. there are no butterflies in his stomach).
“try to loosen up,” the photographer advises. it’s easier said than done, and he can tell the worker is getting fed up.
still, hangyul nods as he absorbs those words. loosen up. if he can ace his tests and solve equations and conduct complicated experiments… no, hangyul refuses to let a modelling audition be the bane of his existence. he’ll never hear the end of it (from who? he asks himself. from himself, probably. and the science club if they ever find out).
rolling his shoulders back, hangyul takes a deep breath. his eyes flutter shut, and when they open once more, there’s a determined gleam in them. he’s gone about this thing all wrong. he’s trying too hard to achieve the results he wants, rather than keeping a steady mind and procedure to get the result that is naturally occurring.
that’s it.
“can i switch props?” his question is met with an irritated nod and he wanders back towards the prop table. in the back of his mind, hangyul knows time is ticking, dwindling down. he must have five minutes left over, at most. he needs to make the best of it (he doesn’t care! he doesn’t!).
he’s careful with his choice this time. hangyul reaches for the item that he feels most drawn to, rather than hastily grabbing for anything. he returns to the shoot and lets his body move on its own accord.
that’s better.
the next few minutes pass quicker than ever, and hangyul bows before exiting the room with his ears burning. it was fine while he was posing (had he disassociated or something?) but all of the initial awkwardness seems to be catching up to him with every step he takes. god, he needs to get away from here.
this was the first time she had seen her father so excited about something, ever since she had told her father about her interest in music and for whatever reason, naeun was dragged along with him to meet his brother and her cousin it makes her uncomfortable. her uncle had just arrived back in korea after having been in the us for a long time ( she doesn’t care to remember the details ), now she’s apparently to meet a cousin she barely remembers the face of.
it was not her ideal way to spend her time off school.
for her family’s sake she had put on a positive impression, like she always did when it was time for family gatherings– it was her job to look like the perfect little daughter, who got good grades and looked pretty. even if it made her uncomfortable to do so.
when her uncle calls for her she turns and looks in the direction of where the older male was standing, next to him– who she could guess was his son and her older cousin, she walks over to where they are standing and when his suggestion comes she wants to refuse, she does but she could feel her father staring at her– “yes of course uncle,” she smiles brightly at the two, her discomfort grows when he whispers into her ear and all she can do is chuckle and give the older a small glance.
she quietly follows the male to the hallway, somewhat happy about the situation– she could now escape outside instead of being stuck inside an unfamiliar home, she reacts to her cousin’s words and nods, “mhm i’m coming,” she quickly puts on her shoes and jacket, giving someone a tour around the city when she hasn’t been allowed to explore the city herself… it was bound to be an interesting journey for her.
naeun doesn’t wait for the older to open the door and opens it herself, “are you going or not?” she asks him, cocking a brow at him– it was a rather bold comment from her who was usually rather reserved but he seemed to want out as much as her.
there seems to be a stark contrast in his cousin's actions: the overly-polite girl who reacts to her uncle with positivity and a smile that has to be forced, and the sarcastic girl who almost feels like she's mocking him. hangyul catches the switch, but other than a vaguely surprised quirk of the eyebrows, he says nothing.
hangyul nods and brushes past her, descending the front steps and waiting for her at the bottom with his hands buried deep in his pockets. the fresh air feels strangely nice against his lungs as he inhales deeply, though still unfamiliar. he hasn't left the house much since returning to korea, maybe once or twice to the corner store for a bag of chips, but otherwise he's been entirely focused on settling into the new house and preparing himself for his final year of high school. even abroad, he spent most of his time indoors. maybe he should try and get out more often? new year new me or whatever.
"thanks for..." hangyul trails off, unsure of how to finish the sentence. for saving him from an awkward family function with people he barely remembers? how can he say that without pissing off his tour guide, who is definitely one of those aforementioned people he barely remembers. "for showing me around," he decides. "but i guess i'm also sorry that my dad is forcing you to do this."
a part of him wonders if her earlier reaction meant that naeun hadn't wanted to accompany him. hangyul wouldn't blame her for it (they're practically strangers) but he doesn't want to go back inside any time soon, so he asks, "where to first?"
it doesn’t look like its working, so she begins to resign herself to the fact that she’d have to look for someone else, possibly after getting yelled at for being pushy. but then he seems to freeze, and whatever he was about to say doesn’t leave his mouth.
she doesn’t know what exactly it is that she said to cause this complete 180 in attitude but she is most definitely pleased that he has changed his mind, making her day a thousand times easier. she gives him a smile and goes to give him the lipstick, doing her best to stop herself from laughing at the phrase ‘makeup stick’.
but then he stops, pulling his hand away. please don’t start arguing with me again she thinks but then he asks her to apply it. what is she gonna do? say no?
“okay, hold still.” she puts one of her hands underneath his chin to hold him steady and applies the lipstick, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. she pulls away, using the hand under his chin to tilt his head this way and that. “okay, now do this!” she points to her own mouth, pressing her lips together a few times to blot.
“i knew it’d look good.” she roots through her bag, pulling out the pocket mirror she keeps on her for makeup touchups, handing it over to him. “oh, i’m cheng xiao, by the way.”
hangyul's eyes go out of focus as he tries to stare down his own nose to see how the stranger applies the makeup to his lips. he can't see anything this way and, deciding that the strain on his eyes isn't worth it, he relaxes in her hold and stares at her instead. the way her forehead wrinkles, lines of concentration decorating her face, hangyul can't help but wonder if this how all girls look like when they put on makeup. he had never thought much of it before, but it seems more difficult than he originally believed—and this is only one, tiny part of a much larger routine. he knows, courtesy of his classmates' teasing during lectures, that it's the same face he has when he's doing equations, and suddenly, hangyul has a greater appreciation for the art.
he doesn't realize how close he was to the stranger just seconds ago, so lost in his appreciation, until she pulls away. his face flushes in a belated response as he watches her motions and attempts to mirror them. hangyul accidentally swipes his tongue across his coated lips and grimaces. what is this horrible taste? he spits dryly to rid his mouth of the flavour. "is it supposed to taste this bad? bleh!"
reluctantly, he accepts the pocket mirror and snaps it open to get a better look at himself. he feels ridiculous, really, but reminds himself that this is an experiment. like all others, he must be committed and see it through to the end. so, he peers silently at his reflection in the tiny mirror, examining the results. "don't you think the colour is too bright?" hangyul furrows his eyebrows; his lips stand out too much on his face. "i don't know how makeup works but that's what i think."
hangyul passes the mirror back to its owner. "cheng xiao. are you from china?" he switches to mandarin subconsciously, grateful that he hasn't completely forgotten the language despite being away from the country for so long. "i'm lee hangyul. nice to meet you."
