the trembling stars are twinkling

night, night, flying through the night sky as time time for the moon night i’m meeting you in my dreams

[idminyoungarchive-blog]

i’m just looking at you

[idminyoungarchive-blog]

idxwei‌:

Much like with every project, Wei brought tea for the entire crew. It was his way of being, well, him. He turned and was met with a face he had only seen from afar before. He cleared his throat. “Nice to meet you. I’m Wei. Pleased to be working with you.”

to be honest, minoyung had half been expecting wang wei to stumble into the studio at least ten minutes late with some shitty excuse. to have him arrive barely a minute after her, bringing tea for the staff, that left her confused and unsure what to expect. to make everything worse, it smelled like rather good tea and she was very tempted to nab some for herself. she didn’t though, not yet. instead she finished putting away her coat and tried to get her bearings before turning to face the new arrival.

has the other idol was her senior, a slight bow was considered the polite thing to do. minyoung went ahead and made the bow itself a bit longer than necessary, but not deeper. “i’m aurora’s heo minyoung. i’m honoured to be working with all of you today. please take care of me.” she’d planned to direct her greeting just towards wei, but changed it as she opened her mouth to be directed towards everyone instead. now that her predictions had been thrown completely off board, she didn’t feel comfortable interacting directly with the male idol.

minyoung always planned her conversations and meetings as closely as possible, down to every ‘subconscious’ gesture. of course she’d done the same for this recording, so now when one of the main actors was not following her script, she was desperately trying to buy time to write a new one. on the inside that was, of course. on the outside she was just staying on a appropriate distance from a mostly unfamiliar person. after all, last time she’d gotten familiar with a stranger there had been dating rumors. she was not in any mood to have a repeat of that.

taking a seat on a nearby chair, she smiled towards the person she presumed was the producer of the track. “is there anyone else we are waiting for? i’m excited to start recording. the demo that i got to listen to sounded very good.” anything to get the play back onto her terms.

[idminyoungarchive-blog]

in spring

[idminyoungarchive-blog]

idsohee‌:

even now, sohee couldn’t stop thinking if she’s practiced her dance enough, if she’s prepared enough for the performance in the next episode of dancing9. she got so lost in her thought as she walks, eventually running into someone who seems to be standing in front of her, and once she snaps back into reality and realizes what’s happening, sohee quickly apologizes to the girl. “oh my god, i’m so sorry! i wasn’t looking where i’m going…” she mutters, pulling her mask down to talk to the girl, only to realize that the girl is no stranger to her. “oh, aren’t you from aurora?” sohee recalls, tries to take a closer look at her features for confirmation. what’s her name again? “heo minyoung, right? you’re minyoung from aurora,” she says confidently, hopes that she doesn’t mess the name. “it’s so good to see you here! but really, i’m so sorry for suddenly bumping into you out of nowhere.” this time her lips curl into a smile.

it seems minyoung is not the only one lost in her own world, her own thoughts, as suddenly someone bumps into her. the cynical part of her expects tot urn and see a fan snap a quick picture, or even a snide comment (they gladly throw them at her online after all), and is thus very pleasantly surprise to see someone she vaguely recognizes. it says something about how much she’s studied the currently popular idol groups, not wanting a repeat of some... incidents at a party that will not be named, that she recognizes the idol despite the face mask and general attire. then again, the group formerly called jawbreaker is perhaps the only female group minyoung has followed and supported since even before she was a trainee.

kwon sohee, also known as say, is not her favourite within the group, though that doesn’t mean much given that minyoung will just respond in awkward laughter if asked the question. that said, sohee is one of the members that has been popping up in minyoung’s vision recently, as the now kjh employee somehow had the unfortunate luck how landing a fixed spot on the same show as a certain 1nferno member that will not be named. though honestly, minyoung suspects that she is way more upset than the her.oine member about it - after all the dancer is finally getting the attention and work she deserves, while the only reason minyoung is angry is because danny is on the same show.

drawn out from her thoughts about food and thrown into ramblings about the unfairness that was her public life at the moment, minyoung almost misses the fact that the other woman actually recognizes her, full name none the less. minyoung can barely say the same for her fellow midas idols after all. wishing for a face mask to hide her rapidly pinking cheeks, minyoung bashfully bows her head. “ah, senior is correct. i’m so happy, i’ve been a big fan of your group since your debut.” it feels awkward to address sohee by name, given that they just met, but unnie also feels to familiar. she doesn’t want to presume, to offend, and is instead caught in between coming off as to formal by using honorary suffixes and like she’s just pretending to know sohee by using informal suffixes but no name. there should really be a guide for this, taught to trainees - how to talk to your idol when you meet them without coming off as an awkward creep. clearing her throat, she tries for a relaxed smile, hoping the blush as faded as she looks up. “it’s fine - i was not paying attention. nothing broken, no one hurt, no apologizes needed.”

[idxjia-blog]

my ear’s candy

[idminyoungarchive-blog]

idxjia‌:

“I am really excited about this Minyoung. Do you think we practiced enough?” It was, admittedly, a tough squeeze between the debuting subunit and the fact that they belonged to different companies. Besides, though neither of them said it, their performances was going to cause tongues to wag. The song was hardly risque, but the dancing was a bit sexy and they would be getting well acquainted with each other’s hips during the whole choreography. Still, it would be nice to do a fun song for once. And the attention would be on her, which was a rarity in Nightmare. There weren’t exactly many lines for rappers in their group. “I am glad to be working with you. You’re incredibly talented.” She said it earnestly. She wanted to show her that there were no hard feelings, even if she and Danny were often linked together. Why wouldn’t Danny like her? She was all petite and beautiful. Feminine. Cute. Part of a popular girl group. Really, they would be perfect together. 

latin america, chile, is... just another stage really. the fact that minyoung has not visited any other places than the hotel, the venue, and the airport surely contributes to that but to be honest she’s not tempted to find out. instead she’s been practicing the six songs she’s scheduled to perform. she has a grand total of one song to change from her outfit for aurora to the one for her special stage, and she’s seriously tempted to find whoever arranged the setlist and give them a piece of her mind.

then again, the special stage is a bit unexpected. minyoung was honestly not expecting to be offered one, especially not a duet, but when the second name was revealed to her it all made sense. she doesn’t know much about nightmare’s jia, except for the fact that they both have been romantically linked to 1nferno’s danny. that is a probably why midas had been so eager to shove her into a romantic song with another girl - a way of poking fun at those that spread the rumors.

as for the performance itself, minyoung had no particular opinion. it wasn’t everything she’d ever wanted, but it wasn’t bad either. it just was, and that was that. probably something that would be brought up at variety shows later down the line in an effort to embarrass her. after all, the chorus had some... suggestive dance moves, which would have been scandalous if they were of the opposite gender, but now was honestly just fanservice. the sexiest dance minyoung had ever performed on camera was ‘push push’ for her audition to pro.j, so this would be a bit of a shake-up for her fans. whetever good or bad, that would have to be seen.

standing next to jia, she was focusing on recovering what little stamina she could before getting on stage again. the outfit switch had gone rather quick, since in the end they’d decided to leave the same accessories and choose, and just pull on another dress. with her mind still reeling in stress, it took her a second to process what jia had just said. “i think so. it’s more about stage presence, charisma, and chemistry than actual skills, this performance. we’ll do great.” shooting one of her rare grins at the other girl, she raised on of her legs to stretch the front of her thigh. trying to prevent lactic acid and all that.

“ah, it’s me who should be praising you. i’ll just be following your lead on the stage after all. concepts like this... they’re not my strength.” that was putting it mildly, really. originally minyoung had been feeling a weird sense of jealousy when she’d read about the rumors, but after looking up the other girl, she’d settled into a sensation of almost defeat. jia and danny fit together, in a weird way, both knowing what is like to be foreign in korea, both interested in creating music. and who would not want jia? she had such a presence, like a storm on the horizon. a woman, not a girl. someone here because for something other than fame and money. “i heard your solo, by the way. it’s amazing. i hope you release more songs sometime.” a request for a truce, a belated response to jia’s offering. it was almost true - the genre was not minyoung’s cup of tea, but she could still recognize good work.

[idminyoungarchive-blog]

meirongmm  백만 주셔서 감사합니다! 멋진 봄을 보자!

            ⇨  aurora_trans @meirongmm thank you for one million! let’s have a great spring!

           ⇨  timetimeoppa why did you delete the blossom post???

          ⇨   yingluokickingass when is midas getting you weibo?

[idxdaehyun-deactivated20220623]

catching up.

[idminyoungarchive-blog]

idxdaehyun‌:

“But, uh. Drinks, first. I’m not gonna touch any alcohol tonight, I clearly don’t need any to embarrass myself further, can you remind me of that?” Not that Daehyun was that much of a drinker to begin with, beer too bitter and fizzy for his liking and anything else he hadn’t really tried with having turned major of age rather recently. He started ambling towards where he’d last seen refreshments, hands interlaced behind his back and smiling at Minyoung. “I’m really sorry I haven’t been that great at staying in touch. No cell phone and all, you get me. But one of my classmates started playing Time for the Moon Night after class the other day and I thought of you guys! Have you… been okay? I mean, you’re busy, of course, you’re Aurora, but. You know. As okay as you could be?”

minyoung chuckled, and resisted the urge to reach out and link her arm with daehyun. it was something she did with people she knew well, and the bar for that was rather high when it came to men. after all, it was easier to get close to women given that the chance of her being romantically linked to them was close to none. hence why she’d gone ‘sure, why not’ instead of running straight out the door when it was suggested that she’d do a duet with nightmare’s jia. daehyun, despite being a largely unknown trainee and thus rather safe, was still a man and thus she started fiddling with one of her sleeves instead.

“the roof was my idea as well. it shouldn’t be too many people at this hour.” hopefully there was an elevator or something that went straight to the roof, because minyoung was not in the mood to hunt for that one staircase leading upwards. she glanced at daehyun’s body language, and made an educated guess - he wasn’t sure how to get there either. well, worst case scenario they would get lost and find some abandoned corridor that fulfilled the same purpose. 

the trainee’s rambling behavior was rather endearing, in a weird way. normally she’d no patience for those people, but given that he was her age, she felt a sense of camaraderie. “drinks are important. and yeah, no alcohol for me either. drunk me never have any good ideas.” following daehyun, minyoung tried very hard not to think back to the vague memories she had of the last after party she’d attended, the one she’d gotten blackout drunk. a repeat of that night was not something she needed or wanted. “don’t worry, don’t worry! i’ve been any better, have i?” her smile was small on her lips, but there was genuine happiness in her eyes. “it’s been fine. getting used to everything really. i... i miss my friends, i guess, but that’s the price of fame isn’ it?”

she was being honest to the point of surprising herself tonight, but daehyun made her very relaxed. he was close to her group mates after all, and hanging out with someone her own age tore her walls down like nothing else.

[lgcsarang-deactivated20221224]

hit the stage / jinkyong and minyoung

[idminyoungarchive-blog]

idjinkyong‌:

“so tell me, is being an idol like everything we talked about before?” as trainees, jinkyong had grand ideas. “more importantly, i hope the public likes our concept.” she was talking so much, but there had been a  lot on her mind, a lot she wanted to talk to minyoung about. and their concept, it had been a big one. co-ed concepts weren’t common and they could get a mixed response. “do i fit the concept enough is another big one. i think i can do it." 

chile was... something else. beyond the change in fucking up her skin and hair, the fact that she understood zero of that the locals where saying, even when they spoke english in an attempt to include her was frustrating. while others where roaming around during the little free time they had, seeing the sights and all that, minyoung honestly just wanted to hide in her hotel room until it was time to get on the plane back home. however, that didn’t match her image - public and private - so facing the world it was. thankfully there were some good things about this whole shitshow. one of them was her pro.logue group mate, and former fellow 99 entertainment trainee, jinkyong.

honestly minoyung wasn’t on the best terms with most trainees from her former company. mijung was understandably bitter, and hojun wasn’t someone she had been on good terms with in the first place. jinkyong however - oh, jinkyong was a breath of fresh air. the fact that they both ended up in the final group for the survival show probably helped keep their relationship positive, but there was also the fact that jinkyong understood why minyoung had up and left. she had been through the hell that produce project as well, faced that stupid rivalry the producers ha tried to create due to both of them being main vocal candidates for 99′s new group.

it was nice that their project group allowed them both to showcase their vocals, thus leaving that rivalry without a winner. yes, their relationship had been dragged through the mud and tested, but still came out strong. it wasn’t strange that minyoung immediately felt her tense shoulder’s react when she heard that familiar voice. “so they’re going with that concept in the end?” once the new group debuted, the public would probably understand more why minyoung said fuck no. a co-ed group was a daring pursuit, and one minyoung didn’t want to touch with a ten-foot pole. “you would fit any concept - you’re so versatile! not like me - sexy or girl crush and i look like someone’s little sister playing dress up.”

humming thoughtfully, she reached out to link her arm with jinkyong’s. “being an idol is... well, the only difference between a project group and a real group is that you don’t have an ending hanging over your head. the busy schedule, ads for this and that, everyone saying hi at first and ignoring you the next time you meet, that is all the same.” glancing at her friend, she couldn’t help but ask the question she’d hinted at many times. “are you sure this is the group for you? if you haven’t signed the contracts you can always look for something else. this concept is... risky. it may be difficult to promote and find brands that want you.”

[idminyoungarchive-blog]

i’m just looking at you

@idxwei​

singing a heartfelt breakup duet, complete with a fitting music video, with a complete stranger. that was the true idol experience, wasn’t it? minyoung truly did not have any high expectations for this collaboration, despite chain station’s good track record so far. in fact, her expectations where pretty abysmal. as a group, 1nferno was not her type at all. their music was so-so, general image not that interesting, and their fandom was just something she wanted to touch with a ten feet pole. sure, their popularity in china and the fact they had chinese members was something of note to her, but in the end the cons far outweighed the pros.

meeting moon daewon, and subsequently get match(es) out for her blood, and solidified her opinion of the group. thus, she was not looking forward to having to work with another member from that group. some preliminary research (bored googling in the car on the way to the studio) had showed that wang wei seemed like a much more responsible and sensible individual, but she knew better than to take public image at face value. after all, her image at the moment seemed to be some sort of a leech, attaching herself to a successful figure to gain more fame for herself. thankfully that image was easy to shake within the professional circle.

minyoung cared a lot about how she presented herself to her seniors. as a rookie by most standards, giving a good first impression could make or break a relationship. thus she’d made sure to arrive early to the studio with a box of varied breakfast pastries in her hand (better get some value out of the stress baking that had taken up her evening yesterday). food was usually a good way to endear yourself to staff. if not, hey, more for her.

the song itself looked rather good. midas had gotten a demo version alongside a mock-up of a music video script, so they could make an informed decision on what they were signing their employee up for. it was one of those “i’m crying but i’m wishing you the best” breakup songs, with a slightly silly, nostalgic yet sad video to watch that tone. it was perfect for the the image minyoung - and by extent midas - wanted to portray. sure, it would involve getting close to a male singer, but minyoung had thought it would be an established ballad singer or something along those lines. someone safe. instead she’d gotten wang wei, member of 1nferno and thus group mate with danny. how the hell that had slipped by midas she was not sure.

pushing those thoughts from her mind, she slipped into the studio, bowing politely to the staff members waiting inside. the box was quickly slipped from her hands once she shared its contents, leaving her free to take of her coat and look around the room, trying to see if she recognized anyone. she’d worked with umbrella tree corp once already, so there was a possibility.

[idminyoungarchive-blog]

+ interview prompt 2/3

location: conference room at midas media date: april 13th time: 02.47pm word count: 678

the second question is along the same lines, and more difficult. it’s a good question though, none of that ideal type bullshit, no redundant questions or plain rude stuff that would have had the interviewer kicked out of the building within seconds. “if you were given the chance, would you do it all again the same way?”

it’s a question that could refer to many things. in this context, it could mean either minyoung’s career or her life, or given her particular history, the move to midas. it’s to give the subject the opportunity to decide themselves what the question is asking for, and provide whichever answer they feel is appropriate. only a rookie ask for clarification, and while she has just debuted, minyoung is far from a rookie when it comes to these games the industry plays.

once again she pretends to think for a few seconds, and once again it’s a bluff. she has thought a lot about this question in particular, given the many twists and turns her life has taken. the accident, 99 ent, produce project, midas media, aurora, all of it. in the end the answer is both yes and no - despite everything, it has landed her in the the group she only dreamed being a part of. sure, she does not want to repeat that accident, who would, but it was what cut her contract short and gave her the opportunity to move to midas media. then again, if she could do it all again, would she still sign with 99 entertainment in the first place?

life is seldom easy and present only one answer. sure, joining midas directly would have saved her a lot of pain and smearing, but at the same time she would probably have been too late for the final cut to aurora, and neon is really not her cup of tea. all of these thoughts have already gone through her mind a thousand times though, so it’s easy to collect them and smile and the interviewer.

“yes, i would. well, perhaps not getting into an accident - for obvious reasons. at the same time though, it was that fact that made my contract with my previous company so short, and despite claims, i value my time there. it taught me a lot about the industry and what i want from my company. i made friends that i still treasure - and  am in contact with today.” she pauses for a second, as if thinking through it all again. “so i’m going to say yes. it has not been a pretty road for me so far, but it has gotten me to the place that wasn’t even a dream when i started training,, due to how far-fetched it seemed.”

leaning back in the chair, she watches as the interviewer quickly jolts some notes. probably visual stuff that the recording won’t be able to recall. in the meantime, minyoung toys with another thought - going another route entirely and join msg entertainment to eventually debut with mayday. it was an option back then, due to her love for caremel. in the end though, aurora is a much better option due to their popularity. mayday may end up going the same route as celeste if their popularity continues to grow at this rate, fall into the all too common trap of a cute group going for sex appeal to sell.

at the start minyoung considered trying to get added to celeste in some way - their concept was a bit too sugary sweet for her back then, but it was sure to mellow out with time, right? when the hop to sexy was made in 2018, she couldn’t throw herself at produce project quick enough. it was heaven’s summery beach appeal 2.0 and minyoung wanted nothing to do with that. no, if she could do it all again, she would do it the same way one again. well, maybe change some details - getting paired up with one male idol after another was starting to get on her nerves.

[springmood]

✧ god chose yeri ✧

[idolizenews]

MINYOUNG AND DANNY’S LOVE FOR PEPSI ‘BLOSSOM’S IN SPRING

1. [ +1,001, -123 ] Is this seriously an ad? ㅋㅋ Pepsi really went all out, it’s cute~ 2. [ +793, -71 ] I wouldn’t be surprised if their love blossomed for each other too ㅎㅎ  3. [ +436, -52 ] No but isn’t Midas being too brave?? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Jiyeon just had a scandal with someone, and now they keep letting Minyoung show her closeness with a rumored playboy?? Is MSG paying them to help clean his image or what ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

[idxdaehyun-deactivated20220623]

catching up.

[idminyoungarchive-blog]

idxdaehyun‌:

“I– uh. It’s okay if I steal you away for a bit, you’d tell me to my face if it weren’t, right? I know you’ve worked hard today and if I’m bothering you just tell me to go bother someone else or something. I won’t take it personally. I just also really hoped we could catch up a little bit.” He shrugged sheepishly. “It’s been a while since we’ve had the chance to sit down, after all.”

chile was really not minyoung’s scene. the change in climate has done nothing good for either her skin nor hair, but thankfully she’d planned for that. doesn’t make it completely fine, as it lengthened her morning and night routine both before and after the plane ride, but at least she hadn’t looked like shit on stage. having performed a total of six songs, probably the most of anyone except maybe the soloists. it had been stressful, swapping outfits, recovering stamina while not building up lactic acid, trying to not getting tangled in the mic pack, almost ripping her lobes while trying to change her earrings, and trying to not kill whatever trainee almost made her trip while jogging back to the stage entrance. 

and now it’s over. like all great things, it ends with a party. this time, she’s not getting blackout drunk, while also staying far, far away from any male idol that she could be linked to romantically. yoo daehyun - as a trainee - was thankfully not one of those. he’d been introduced to her through his connection with sieun and jiyeon. seeing he was a kjh trainee - jawbreaker and atlas’ company - she’d instantly been interested. most likely, he knew nothing about the topics she was curious about - jawbreaker’s next comeback, the next kjh group, other company projects - as she’d known next to nothing about what went on at 99 ent. hence, despite all the question bubbling on her tongue she’d chosen to ask none of them.

“it’s fine, i would be happy to get some quiet.” smiling slightly, minyoung does her best to infuse her tone with a sense of calm and certainty, none of which she actually feels. adrenaline hasn’t really wore off after all. “do you have a place in mind?” minyoung’s best idea was the roof, or maybe some lounge on a random floor. exploring the hotel had not been on top of her to-do list, or on it at all to be perfectly honest. she knew how to get to her room and the cafeteria - everything else was irrelevant.

[idminyoungarchive-blog]

in spring

@idsohee

every k-pop group has in kitchen in their dorm. how often it gets used though, well, that is an entirely different question. aurora’s kitchen is probably one of the more frequently used ones, given that minyoung will be dead an buried before she eats takeout when she has the time to make something herself. that is not the common mindset of idols as busy as aurora, but a healthy diet is a cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle. thus she finds herself in this rather niche grocery store once a week, slight disguise in place, browsing vegetables and fruits.

spring has finally gotten started, which means more sun, and less need for other sources of vitamin d. it also means that soon there’ll be more fresh, non-imported goods in the store, which is always nice. inspecting a lemon, minyoung feels a nostalgic feeling settle over her. in april last year she was still worried about her debut over at 99 entertainment, uncertain if their next group concept would be something for her. now she’s a debuted member of two groups, one of them being aurora, the leading girl group of the next generation. it’s fascinating how quickly things can change, both for the better and the worse.

right now, her schedule is slowing down, which is rather nice. it gives her time to enjoy the spring weather and recuperate after the hectic promotions. there are rumblings of a music show concert/showcase being announced soon though, which will mean a lot of preparations. however it’ll also give her a chance to meet with idols from other companies, while not blackout drunk this time. she adores most people at midas, but meeting some people her own age would be nice. the neon and trainee girls don’t really count, given that most of them hate her guts.

putting down the lemon in her cart, she goes on to pick up a bag of carrots and some spring onion. vegetables check, now where to next... looking over the different aisles, she goes through her mental shopping list, considering what she needs. there’s not a lot of people in there store at this hour, so she’s not blocking anyone by standing still. not that it would matter if that was the case - shopping is not something minyoung will ever rush through.

[idminyoungarchive-blog]

have you heard about her

+ interview prompt 1/3

location: conference room at midas media date: april 13th time: 02.30pm word count: 

her first interview since joining aurora. her first solo interview, not counting the pseudo-interviews from produce project. it’s yet another one of those things that most rookies find terrifying, but minyoung finds absolutely exhilarating. they’re sitting in one of midas’ many conference rooms, greetings and empty small talk out of the way. the reporter is setting up her equipment, and going through her notes. finally, there’s a sound of triumph, and the reporter turns towards minyoung.

“there we go! kang soljin, interviewing heo minyoung of aurora. today’s date is april thirteenth, time... two-thirty pm.” the reporter grins at minyoung, who smiles patiently. “let’s just get started then! first question - who is the single most influence person to your career? be it in a musical capacity or otherwise.” an important, but easy question. a good warm up. minyoung hums thoughtfully, makes her moments of consideration a show. she has cited diamant as her influence before, but this time they’re asking about a single person, which makes it a bit more difficult.

“i’m going to have to name two people, simply due to the fact that they way they influenced me are not comparable.” minyoung looks a bit hesitantly at the reporter, who nods. “first is kwon boah - the soloist. i’ve always striven for a very feminine, yet strong image, but not sexy, or ‘cool’. i’m not girl crush material. boa’s music and general style has been a strong inspiration, and influenced who i am today as an idol.” she pauses there, signlling that she’s moving on to the next person. 

“the second person is my old music teacher from middle school.” a nostalgic smile blooms on her lips - purely for show though. “middle school is a bit early to start pursuing your dream career one might say, but it is the time you start having an actual idea where you want to go in life. i didn’t have one. both of my siblings have always been so sure in their paths, and i felt so much pressure to be just as confident, even though i really wasn’t. i claimed to want to be a lot of things - doctor, lawyer, pilot, manager - but there was always a ‘but’ following after. being an idol was a rather sudden goal for me - really, i got hooked after watching a survival show with a friends - but at the time i felt that i wasn’t talented enough. i shared this with my music teacher, since she was the closest thing to an idol trainer in my mind, and she said ‘you have a beautiful voice though, minyoung, so don’t say you are not talent. and what is talent without hard work? you are among the hard-working students in my class, always looking to improve yourself. with that dedication, you could become anything you want! if that something is an idol, well, i’ll look forward to hearing your voice on the radio.’ and those words just struck a cord in me.”

minyoung laughed a bit, a soft sound. “those two are the people that i would say have influenced my career the most.” the reporter nodded, seemingly very satisfied with the answer. minyoung leaned back in her chair, giggling on the inside at the load of bollocks she’d just spouted. the real answer to that question was way too easy - herself. there was only one person in this world that had any notable influence over what she did and wanted, and that was herself. of course, that was not a good media answer.

[lgcsarang-deactivated20221224]

festival talks / minyoung & jinkyong

[idminyoungarchive-blog]

idjinkyong‌:

_

“your skin tone goes really nicely more daring hues.” minyoung’s tone was a bit absent, still fiddling with jinkyong’s hair. “not that this one does look amazing though! but in our group, the one that looks the best with stand out colours is you.” a tiny bit of embellishment, as some of the other girls would look gorgeous in certain colours, but in general the koala.t trainee was the one that rocked weird shades the best. minyoung wasn’t shy about admitting that dark brown was what looked best on her, though she really liked her current dark blonde. alas, couldn’t get everything in life.

“forcing yourself to be something you are not seldom goes well. your fans want you to grow, but they still want you - the jinkyong they got to know during the show.” minyoung’s smile was one of her most used ones - soft and kind, but not in a flirty way. finally letting go of the other’s hair, she hummed thoughtfully has she listened to jinkyong’s worries. they were common ones that many had voiced during the show, that minyoung herself had had before she got added to aurora. “well, the network wants to make as much profit as possible so they’ll have us promote as long as they can extend our contracts.” pro.logue was not the most successful group out there, but they had their niche. people - their fans - knew them, had followed them through the show, voted for them. there was a sense of investment that made you hesitate to walk away. it also had a j-pop flavour to it - most k-pop idols were distant, diamond perfect, but pro.logue seemed approachable, and had flaws made very obvious during the show.

“oh, that sounds exciting! can you tell me anything about it or is it all hush hush?” there were variety shows out there that took on trainees, especially those that already had some exposure. minyoung hadn’t heard anything about a new one though, nor any line-up changes in established ones. then again, she hadn’t paid much attention to such things recently, not when she could go on all kinds of shows as a member of aurora. “and i’ll be here all the way there! pro.logue reunions is a must!”

[idxdanny]

birthday cake

[idminyoungarchive-blog]

idxdanny‌:

It was a bad idea. Danny knew that before he even hit send. But, really, what other choice did he have? His group members were out, picking up food for his birthday dinner. They’d be gone for a little while longer. Their dorms were near the river, only a short walk away. He could slip out, see Minyoung, and be back before the other boys. No one would ever know he’d been gone at all. Danny didn’t wait for Minyoung’s reply before he started collecting his things. He grabbed a beanie and a face mask from his room before slipping on a large hoodie he’d stolen from Wei. Danny would be ready the moment Minyoung replied. There was no time to waste. 

neither midas or msg are companies known for giving their artists leeway, but given the hit their reputations would take if it would get out that they won’t let their idols celebrate their birthdays, it’s a given that that day is a bit of a freebie. that doesn’t mean to run out and meet up with an idol from another company, and of the opposite gender though, no, especially the latter part is a big no-no. normally minyoung would be firmly against doing this, especially given the rumors from new years, but there was also rumors about another female idol and danny that was pushed more. hence, she’s hoping this will fly under the radar.

han river works just fine. public yet not a place you go do actually do an acitvity, like a café or a park. they could meet, exchange a few words and a gift, then go their separate ways without it being weird. it is, for all intents and purposes, the best place given the situation. throwing a quick glance out the window, minyoung only hesitates for a few seconds before start to type her reply. the weather outside is what to be expected for the season, but it’ll give them both an excuse to be bundled up, faces covered.

[小白脸 ✉ that’s perfect! east or west bank? i’ll be in a checkered cape. ]

she’s alone in the dorms for now, thankfully, so she doesn’t have to make any excuses. she might meet someone on the way back though, so there’ll have to be an excuse. eh, there’s a bakery on the way - she can just buy some pastry and call it a snack run. pulling on the aforementioned cape - one of the coats she has not used during official schedules - she carefully shoves the wrapped gift into a textile bag, and grabs a small handbag as well. she considers a face mask for a bit, but given that the possibility of her leaving the building with her neck and lower face wrapped in warm scarf is null, it’s kinda pointless.

a hat, gloves, phone, and wallet. ready to go. as an afterthought she scribbles a note and leaves it on the table closest to the door, just so no once gets worried.

[lgcsarang-deactivated20221224]

festival talks / minyoung & jinkyong

[idminyoungarchive-blog]

idjinkyong‌:

“how are you feeling?” it must be hard, promoting in two groups. even when pro.logue had a break, it didn’t minyoung did. “let me know if you get tired and need a break! i’ll find a way to make it happen.” minyoung had been one of the girls she grew closer too during the show, someone that allowed her to see her own self-worth. “they haven’t been working you too hard right? i’ll do something about it.” her tone was playful, she knew she really couldn’t control things but if she could make it easier for minyoung, she would. 

rookie idols often spoke about how stressed and busy they felt during the first couple of promotions. it was the norm for companies to shove their new groups from on project to another in order to maximize their fame through pure exposure. after all, at the start it was not about fans, it was about being recognized. that was what made groups last beyond the first wave of hype, beyond the first wave of fans that would inevitably jump onto the next shiny thing when it appeared. thus, having a schedule crammed full with different activities was just a part of being a rookie, and stress a constant state of mind. minyoung adored it.

while she liked seeing her plans and manipulation blooming it flowers, sitting around waiting for it was not her cup of tea. constant action, moving to the beat of her drumming heart, that was what she wanted. now she had that in overwhelming doses, being a part of two groups, both of whom had ample schedules. the heighten supply of dopamine was probably why she was expressing herself in poetry, which really didn’t sound as nice as she’d thought it would. 

quickly slashing the that part of her mind, she looked up as she heard a familiar voice speaking - jinkyong. probably the only member of pro.logue she actually liked and respected. the problem with forming a group via a survival show was that during that show, you fought with everything you had to stay relevant, and getting close to others was not a part of that formula. hence, relationships between the final members would at least start out rather... strained. jinkyong was not a part of minoyung’s circle during the show itself, for the simple reason that minyoung knew the girl had potential, and thus didn’t want to have to fight over screen time with her. now, fawn though, now minyoung was more than happy to fawn all over the trainee.

“it looks good. the stylist did a great job - it compliments your eyes very nicely.” minyoung herself was sporting a dirty blonde, a sort of halfway thing between the blonde she’d had during the start of the show, and the brown from the second half. she wasn’t totally sure what to do with it once it started growing out - dye it or re-bleach it - but with idol drama operation team having started, it was fully possible that she would have to fix it up for yet another series of “promotions”, however fictional. she giggled a bit - debuting with new groups, gotta catch them all.

“thank you for the concern, but don’t worry about me.” she wandered over, pulling lightly at a lock of the other girl’s hair. mm, such nice quality. “i knew this was how it would go and planned accordingly.”

[archivedidjowi-blog]

rapport.

[idminyoungarchive-blog]

idjowi‌:

she twitches her nose lightly, scratches at the edge. “then when the cameras come in, we talk this all through again, only like we both came up with it oh so naturally because it’s the story of our hearts and whatever. the best lies have a kernel of truth, right?” 

minyoung’s impression of jowi is rapidly souring. sure, lying and putting on rose-coloured glasses is not healthy, but neither is tearing down all walls, even the protective ones, by sheer force. finding balance and compromises is what makes things go around, especially in showbiz. pushing down the urge to frown or snort at her senior, minyoung instead shifts her gaze away from jowi’s eyes and settles onto the bridge of her nose instead. much safer when speaking so brutally. “but there’s difference between outright lies and simple omission. unnie, please don’t think me rude for saying this, but i don’t agree with you. perhaps it’s just because we are different people formed by different experience’s but...” she hesitates for a second or two before continuing. “the person that was on produce project, the person that appears on variety shows, that is me. that is minyoung. the only difference is that it is the minyoung that meets the outside world rather than the minyoung that my friends see.”

the reality of it all is that jowi is not wrong, it’s simply that minyoung has pushed the concept of an idol image onto her everyday life. her “aj” is not just there on screen, it’s who she present to everyone she meets. her “jowi”, her true self, that is someone that lives deep inside her that even her family may never meet. a lonely exsistence, it may seem like, but for minyoung it’s practically bliss. sure, there are most that she wants to reveal herself as the wolf in sheep’s clothing, to laugh maniacally and scream at the fools around. however she also gains great pleasure from the idea of manipulating and fooling those around her. thus, the mask remains on her face, the sheep’s wool on her body, and she sits in conversations likes these and is an utter hypocrite.

she takes a deep breath, pushing a shaky smile onto her lips. jowi’s rant would be a bit scary to a rookie after all. “but i get your point, unnie. and i think you’re right about the whole company thing - but it’s not about music. it’s about feeling safe. i get that as an idol, you’ll get people hating you, that is fair. no one is liked by everyone. but when 99 entertainment didn’t do a thing about the people slandering me about my accident and trauma - “ her voice wobbles on the word trauma. “ - it just got too much. i wanted to know that my company would stand by me and punish those that spread malicious rumors. but it would be rather hypocritical for me to speak about this, so i won’t. i trust my company. if they think public opinion of me is getting too bad, they will tell me, and present a plan to handle it.” she smiles at jowi, a stronger smile this time.

“you can be both aj and jowi, but i’m just minyoung, and i’m happy with that. i do not wish to present a version of me that is not true to the world. but maybe i can be the anti-hero in this story.” she makes a vague hand-motion towards the staff moving around. “be that one with harsh rumors surrounding her, but really is soft on the inside.”