JEON JIWON was born on april 20th 2005 and is a contestant on the mnet survival show IDOL PLANET (boys ii planet) . she also participated in girls planet & i-land 2
ABOUT JIWON
overview
EPISODES
AFTER BP2
JIGGYU (yes it needs its own section)
â„ïž
STANTWT
TAGLIST:OPEN (write in the comments if you want to be in it!)
ASKS:OPEN (if you want to ask anything about jiwon pls ask im very open to questions đ€)
NOTES: this is my first time doing something like this so im still getting the hang of it!! This was very inspired by @b2p-meixing and other similar creators â€ïž also vote for Hengyu on mnet plus
hii just wanted to check cuz you said the 1st chap would be out in jan but i dont see it under chapters? so am i jst missing or?
but i hope youre doing ok and healthy
ive been really busy later and kind of forgot about this sorry :'( once im free ill try & publish it đ
note: italics is chinese, normal is korean, bold is english
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meixing hugged her care bear plushie close to her chest as she squinted her eyes open. it was mid morning, the sun shining down on the campus, and her alarm clock was blaring throughout the room without mercy. yumeki had told them practice would start a little later today, so the girl had finally allowed herself to sleep in, her eyes aching with tiredness as they fully opened.
the room remained dim, curtains drawn tight, while the sound of running water faintly filtered in from the bathroom. xinlong must have been up already, getting ready for his own practice. the steady rush of the shower was oddly comforting, a reminder that she was not alone in the quiet of the morning.
with a tired groan, meixing blindly reached over to her nightstand to silence the alarm. as she did so, the back of her hand brushed against something cold. she flinched and pulled back in mild shock, blinking as she focused her vision. sitting neatly on her side of the nightstand was an iced latte, condensation beading along the plastic cup.
after a moment of confused contemplation, she picked it up. meixing knew xinlong did not drink lattes, let alone iced ones, so whose could this be? she slowly turned the cup in her hand until the writing came into view.
iced vanilla latte with oat milk.
her exact order. that alone made her pause. it had to be meant for her, but the question lingered anyway. meixing sat up fully in bed and took a cautious sip, half afraid she had somehow misunderstood and grabbed something she shouldnât have. the familiar taste warmed her, waking her up slowly.
her thoughts were interrupted as the bathroom door swung open, releasing a wave of warm air. xinlong stepped into the room looking fresh and ready for the day ahead, hair still slightly damp, towel draped over his shoulder.
âwhere did this come from?â meixing asked before he could even set his things down, lifting the cup slightly in his direction.
a small smile flickered across xinlongâs lips before he answered. âhao-ge brought it by a little bit ago.â
meixing raised her eyebrows, genuinely surprised by the gesture. âoh?â she mumbled, absentmindedly rubbing her thumb along her care bearâs soft fur, the plushie close to her as she processed it.
âyeah,â xinlong said as he moved through the room, putting his dirty clothes away and grabbing his practice bag. âi think he got breakfast with anxin and kaiwenâŠmust have thought of you while he was out.â
the girl looked down at the drink in her hand, a faint smile slowly growing on her face. âthat was sweet of him.â
xinlong nodded in agreement and told her he was done in the bathroom if she needed to use it. meixing pushed herself out of bed, surprised by how well rested she felt compared to most mornings. she set the coffee back on the nightstand with care and gently placed her care bear on her pillow, smoothing its fur the way she always did before leaving.
she got ready for the day quickly, muscle memory guiding her through the familiar routine. by the time she met xinlong back in their room, she already felt refreshed, more awake than before. they left together, falling into step as they headed toward the practice rooms. it had quietly become their routine. even though they were on different teams, they always walked together, and meixing could feel herself growing much closer to xinlong than she was a few weeks ago.
meixing sipped on the coffee jiahao had gotten her for the entire walk, letting the cold drink wake her up fully. she finished it just as she and xinlong reached the practice rooms, dropping the cup of melted ice into a trash can before they split off. they were sure to wish each other a good practice like they usually did.Â
she practically skipped into her practice room, energy buzzing through her limbs. she caught chingyuâs eye as she passed and shot him a bright smile, which he returned just as happily, the exchange brief but sweet nonetheless.
her entire team was already on their side of the room when she reached them, spread out across the floor as they stretched and warmed up. meixing set her things down by the wall and slipped into place among them with ease, feeling ready, and strangely optimistic as the day began.
âthank you for the coffee.â she said quietly to jiahao as she slipped into the empty space beside him.
âhm?â he hummed, glancing over at her before the words registered. âno problem.â he replied with an easy smile, like it was something he didnât have to think twice about.
they fell into a comfortable silence after that, both of them moving in sync as they stretched and warmed up, bodies following the rhythm they had practiced many times before. neither of them noticed the knowing smirks suren and kaiwen exchanged behind their backs, eyes flicking between the two with barely contained amusement.
the tambourine team soon sank into practice with determination, yumeki guiding them with sharp focus and steady direction. the team had been doing well, and for the first time in days, meixing didnât feel like as much of a burden. she forced herself to stay locked in, counting beats and watching angles, refusing to let her gaze drift to the other side of the practice room.
once she fully settled back into her competition mindset, the choreography came to her quickly. even without the killing part, yumeki had given her a solid amount of time in the center, and the trust behind that choice didnât go unnoticed. it made her want to work harder, to prove that his belief in her was not misplaced.
theyâd barely gotten through another run when a producer stepped into the room and told them to move to a private practice space for a small evaluation. confused glances were exchanged immediately. the midpoint evaluation was supposed to be tomorrow, so none of them were sure what this could be.
meixing and suren ended up at the back of the line as they filed into the smaller room, only to stop short when they saw xiaoting standing inside, already watching them with a calm, assessing expression.
meixing smiled to herself at the sight. it had been a while since she had seen her, and xiaotingâs feedback always seemed to land in a way that actually helped. it made the nerves settle just a little.
the evaluation itself went well, but it wasnât without criticism. xiaoting pointed out that the killing part felt weak. from her perspective, kaiwen didnât stand out enough, and the moments lacked impact. it was something they would need to fix sooner rather than later.
the walk back to their practice room was noticeably quiet. yumeki walked a few steps ahead, clearly lost in thought as he tried to rework formations in his head. meixing glanced over at suren, noticing how silent heâd become. sheâd already clocked how often he ended up toward the back during their performance, and she worried he would be pushed back even farther now. the tension in his posture told her he was thinking the same thing.
without saying anything, she reached out and pulled him into a side hug as they walked, her arm firm and reassuring. it was a small gesture, but she hoped it was enough to remind him that he wasnât alone.
sadly, when they returned to the practice room, they werenât able to continue rehearsing. cameras had already been set up along their section of the room, lenses trained in the direction of the wall, and the staff instructed them to sit against the wall and wait for the like jennie team to come back from their own evaluation with xiaoting.
meixing slid down the wall between jiahao and kaiwen, legs stretching out in front of her as she settled in. suren chose that moment to sit directly in front of her, leaning back until his shoulders pressed against her chest. she huffed in mild annoyance at the sudden lack of personal space but didnât protest, instead looping her arms around his shoulders as they waited.
after harry june and his team finally entered the room, the staff members seated around the perimeter gathered their attention. they explained that the trainees would be playing a âclass takeover mini game.â they would go down the line and guess the character or person on the paper held up in front of them. whichever team managed to advance farther down the line would be declared the winner.
it was decided that the tambourine team would go first. meixing took a moment to glance at her teammates, reading the expressions on their faces. she had a feeling they were not likely to win, especially if the characters were mostly well known in korea.
when it was time to line up, meixing sat down between suren and jiahao. from across the room, she caught harryâs eye. they exchanged a small, almost unnoticeable smile before both of them looked away, the moment fleeting but still there.
the game began soon after. hanwen was skipped to even out the numbers, since the tambourine team had six members while like jennie only had five.
âmalatang!â yumeki said immediately when the first photo appeared, not missing a beat.
a new image was displayed in front of them for kaiwenâs turn, this one a picture of chunbae. âdog.â he answered after a brief pause. meixing looked over at him, half expecting the staff to interrupt and tell him he was wrong.
surprisingly, they didnât, and the turn passed to suren. âtteokbokki.â he said in an exaggerated, silly tone that made meixing let out a quiet giggle as she shifted and readied herself.
âspider-man!â she beamed when her photo came up, relief and excitement bubbling up at getting one she actually knew.
next to her, it was jiahaoâs turn, and this time, he faltered. a photo of master kinky appeared, and he froze, clearly unable to think of the name fast enough.
jiahao only smirked in response, completely unbothered by the mistake. more than anything, he seemed pleased to see her acting more like herself again, brighter and more playful.
just as meixing and the rest of her team stood to switch places with like jennie, hyunjun spoke up from the side.
âkaiwen got his wrong too.â he pointed out, having caught on to how vague kaiwenâs answer had been.
chingyu spoke up too. âyeah, he said dog.â
âgive us a break.â meixing mumbled as she reached chingyu, poking him in the side. he jumped and let out a short shriek, earning a few snickers from those nearby.
they settled back against the wall as like jennie took their turn, and suren immediately reclaimed his spot in front of meixing, resting comfortably against her like before. she barely reacted this time, already used to it.
harry june and his team ended up doing better than meixingâs team had. they managed to make it all the way down the line and back to chingyu in the middle before finally messing up.
âdo you wanna try one more time?â a staff member behind the cameras asked the tambourine team, the question immediately met with a chorus of eager yeses.
the staff then informed them that they would have to earn the opportunity to try again, needing like jennieâs approval.
âaegyo.â sangwon announced, teasing and unapologetic. meixing rolled her eyes so hard she thought they might get stuck. there was no way she was doing that.
harry june chimed in next. âuntil weâre satisfied.â he barely managed to bite back a smile when meixing shot him a dirty look in response.
luckily for her, the universe seemed to be on meixingâs side. everyone on her team unanimously nominated suren instead. he stood up from where he had been leaning against her and performed a popular dance in china, movements confident and playful. it earned no more than unimpressed looks from sangwon and harry june.
âalright, iâll show you this,â suren said, a new idea clearly forming. âjust a moment.â
meixing noticed him adjusting his foot inside his shoe and immediately knew what he was about to do. she clapped a hand over her mouth to contain her laughter, leaning slightly into jiahaoâs side as she watched suren prepare.
suren ended up doing exactly what meixing thought he would and imitated sangwonâs class evaluation test, sending his shoe flying clean off his foot in the process. the room erupted with laughter at the boyâs antics, everyone doubling over and leaning onto one another as they cackled at sangwonâs sheepish expression.
âhyung, how was that?â suren asked through his own laughter, breathless and clearly pleased with himself.
in utter defeat, sangwon sighed. âi liked it.â he admitted, an embarrassed smile tugging at his lips despite himself.
meixing jumped to her feet and gave her best friend a triumphant high five, relief and excitement rushing through her now that they had earned another chance.
in the end, though, it didnât matter. they still lost. kaiwen, unfortunately, didnât recognize the character he was given and caused them to lose on the third turn, his confusion obvious the moment the photo appeared.
âitâs okay,â meixing said afterward, quick to reassure him. âi didnât know it either.â she truly had no clue who that character was.
her words seemed to work. kaiwen broke into a bright smile and pulled her into a quick hug as the camera crew began filtering out of the room, the tension easing almost immediately. losing didnât feel like such a big deal anymore, especially since the prize was announced. junmin and his team ended up winning the opportunity to film extra content for youtube shorts, though junmin himself didnât look particularly thrilled by the prize. seeing that made it easier for meixing to shrug it off, letting the loss fade quietly to the back of her mind.
after a few more hours of practice, yumeki finally allowed them to call it a day. the other side of the practice room was already empty, harry having dismissed his own team a while ago, leaving the space unusually empty.
meixing gathered her things, slinging her bag over her shoulder as she headed for the door, only to slow her footsteps when she spotted jiahao standing nearby as if heâd been waiting.
âwanna walk back together?â he asked softly when she reached him.
meixing smiled up at him. âsure.â she replied easily, falling into step beside him without a second thought.
as they stepped outside, their conversation stayed low and unhurried, the kind that filled the space comfortably rather than demanding attention. they talked about small things, learning bits and pieces about each other. meixing told him about the book sheâd been reading recently, rambling a little as she explained the plot. jiahao listened intently, never interrupting, only nodding along and asking the occasional quiet question.
mid sentence, meixing suddenly went silent, her steps slowing as she caught an unfamiliar sound behind them.
jiahao noticed immediately. âwhat?â he asked, stopping as well.
meixing came to a full halt and whipped her head around. âwhat are you two doing?â
suren and kaiwen froze on the path behind them, wide eyed and stumbling over their words as if theyâd been caught doing something they definitely were not supposed to be doing.
âweâre going to see anxin.â kaiwen finally blurted out, the words rushed.
âanxin?â jiahao repeated, clearly skeptical.
âthis late?â meixing added, crossing her arms.
âwhat? we canât go see our friend?â suren shot back, immediately defensive.
both boys were obviously hiding something. normally, two star trainees going to the all star dorms wouldnât have raised any suspicion, but the way theyâd been trailing behind meixing and jiahao, whispering to each other like conspirators, made it impossible to ignore.
hands settling on her hips, meixing watched as suren and kaiwen suddenly sped up, cutting around her and jiahao to escape her narrowing gaze. within seconds, they disappeared around the corner.
âwhat the hell is up with them?â she muttered, glancing sideways at jiahao.
jiahao chuckled, shaking his head. âi donât know,â he said softly, ghosting a hand over her back to gently guide her forward again. âcome on.â
by the time they reached the dorms, the night had settled in fully. they parted ways at the door, exchanging quiet good nights before heading in opposite directions. jiahao took the stairs up toward his shared room with yumeki, while meixing turned toward the snack room, already thinking about what she might grab before calling it a night.
when she got to the snack room, she noticed that sangwon was the only one sitting there, perched at the small white table off to the side. she smiled at him as he looked up, grabbing a bag of chips for herself from the shelf. she was just about to leave when he spoke, his voice quiet.
âmei,â he said, hesitating as he caught her attention. âcan youâŠâ he trailed off, awkwardly gesturing toward his hands. he remembered her offer to do his nails, but asking still made him shy.
meixing understood immediately and nodded. âsure, let me go get my things.â she said sweetly, giving him a reassuring smile before leaving the snack room to head upstairs for her nail supplies.
a little out of breath from the climb, she pushed open the door to her shared room with xinlong and froze for a moment. xinlong, yunseo, arctic, and jaehyun were all sitting inside, chatting quietly.
her eyes widened briefly, but she quickly remembered how xinlong seemed to be a magnet for the younger trainees, just like she was.
âhey.â she greeted softly, setting her bag down on her side of the room.
she received a mix of helloâs in return, some confident, some more shy and barely above a whisper.
the conversation continued quietly behind her as she shuffled through her things, searching for what she would need for sangwon. after a few moments of digging, she finally found it. turning around, she jumped slightly when she saw yunseo standing there, holding something out.
âi made you this, noona.â he said quickly, pressing a small beaded necklace into her hand, his cheeks flushed bright red.
meixing, surprised by the sudden gift, couldnât help but smile warmly. she carefully slipped the necklace over her head. âwhen did you make this?â she asked softly.
âat school,â yunseo admitted, still blushing. âart class.â
meixing cooed quietly to herself at the adorable boy before thanking him and pulling him into a gentle hug.
âi made you one too!â jaehyun piped up from his spot on the floor, making meixing step back and turn to him. ââŠbut i lost it.â he looked down at the floor, embarrassed.
âthatâs okay.â meixing chuckled, ruffling his hair as she passed by him.
âi didnât make you anything.â arctic said bluntly, causing meixing to cackle at the honesty, reminding her far too much of herself.
she ruffled his hair anyway as she moved past, and then lightly messed up xinlongâs too for good measure. her roommate smacked her hand away, cheeks turning slightly red, but meixing paid him no mind, grinning as she continued to the door.
âwhere are you going?â xinlong asked as he watched her slip her shoes back on, a small box balanced in her hands.
âiâm gonna hang out with sangwon for a bit.â she replied casually. xinlong gave a small nod, understanding, but the other boys in the room exchanged mischievous smirks.
âoooooh.â they teased, and meixing was fairly certain she heard one of them making exaggerated kissing noises.
she paused at the door, coolly turning to face them one last time. âthatâs disgusting.â she deadpanned before stepping out, her ears catching xinlongâs mild reprimanding through the door behind her.
meixingâs shoulders shuddered as she thought about the younger boysâ insinuations, but she decided to let it slide. they were just kids, and teasing was practically their full-time job.
when she arrived back at the snack room, sangwon was sitting exactly where sheâd left him. she pulled out a chair and sat across from him, spreading her things across the small table between them.
âwhat do you want?â she asked, still glancing down at the box resting in her lap.
sangwon shrugged, his voice calm and trusting. âyou can do whatever you want.â
meixing grinned, a spark of excitement lighting up her features. she already knew exactly what she was going to do.
they spoke quietly as meixing carefully removed the old polish from sangwonâs nails and prepped them for the new design she planned to apply. he asked simple questions about her life back home, about her hobbies and her days outside of practice, and she responded happily, sharing small details with a soft smile.
the conversation shifted as she began applying the silver design to his short nails, the brush moving steadily over each fingertip.
âso,â meixing said, breaking the quiet between them, âis harry june okay?â
âyeah?â sangwon raised an eyebrow at the sudden question. he knew they were close, so why didnât she ask him directly? âwhy?â
âjust curious.â she replied, shrugging as she focused on her work, trying to ignore the quick beating of her heart.
âdid something happen between you two?â sangwon asked before he could stop himself. heâd noticed the glances they shared and remembered a few days ago when he and junmin had accidentally interrupted what now seemed like a serious conversation between them.
meixing shrugged again, her ears warming under her hair. ânot really.â she dropped his right hand and held out her hand for his left, which he gave her gently.
sangwon didnât look convinced, but he wisely chose not to press further.
âheâs good,â he said softly, his voice low between them. âsuper stressed, but good.â he tried to reassure the girl, hoping it would settle her.Â
meixing nodded, grateful to know he was doing okay, even if communication with him still felt impossible. so much was happening, yet it was oddly comforting to know that, in some ways, they were both in the same boat.
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note: italics is chinese, normal is korean, bold is english
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it wasnât long before the cameras were cut, and everyone was instructed to move into their private practice rooms, though two teams would be sharing each space.
meixing hadnât come up with any choreography to show yumeki. the thought sat heavy in her chest. she felt guilty, knowing her mind had been elsewhere and hating the idea of dragging her team down because of it. she followed behind kaiwen into the practice room, only to freeze the moment she realized who they would be sharing the space with.
the like jennie team.
harry june looked up almost immediately, his eyes finding hers across the room. his expression shifted with recognition, something desperate flickering there as he clearly wanted her attention, wanted to finally talk about what had happened between them. meixing sucked in a slow breath and forced her gaze away, her fingers curling at her sides. she wasnât ready to confront it yet, not here, not now.
luckily, no one seemed to notice the tension stretching quietly between them. everyone was too focused on clustering together, talking over one another as they threw out ideas and began piecing together choreography.
yumeki gathered the group and started showing them what he had managed to come up with during their planning period. suren quickly joined in, stepping forward to demonstrate a few of his own ideas with easy confidence. one by one, the others chimed in, offering suggestions or small adjustments until the routine began to take shape. everyone had at least one thing to contribute, except for meixing. she lingered off to the side, watching in silence. she was quietly grateful that no one pointed it out.
soon enough, they lined up in a rough formation in front of the mirror. meixing stood beside jiahao as yumeki began teaching them the choreography. she followed along well enough, keeping time and hitting the moves, but her heart clearly wasnât in it. the sharpness and energy she usually brought were missing, her movements slightly dulled. this time, yumeki noticed.
he stopped mid count and turned to face her, about to say something, but he didnât get the chance.
âletâs run it again.â jiahaoâs gentle voice cut through the room.
heâd been paying attention to meixing and her subdued attitude all day, noticing the way she withdrew without making a scene. he knew something was bothering her, even if she hadnât said a word. still, he trusted that she would tell him when she was ready, and he could tell she didnât need yumeki pressing her about it when she so clearly wanted to be left alone.
meixing caught jiahaoâs eye in the mirror and offered him a small, barely there smile. he returned it without hesitation, and luckily, yumeki dropped whatever he had been about to say altogether. they ran the choreography again, and this time meixing put more energy into it, even though it took more out of her than she expected.
for the next few hours, they continued planning and building the choreography for the mission. as time passed, meixing slowly became more helpful, chiming in with suggestions and adjustments when she could. part of it was focus, but another part was distraction. she wanted to keep her mind off the eyes she could feel on her every so often from the opposite side of the room.
eventually, yumeki called for a break. meixing immediately grabbed her water bottle, already turning toward the exit. she was about to bolt out of the practice room that was starting to feel far too small.
âdo mine too.â suren said when he noticed what she was doing, pushing his own bottle into her hands before she could protest.
meixing rolled her eyes but took it anyway, not bothering to argue. she speed walked out of the room, skimming past sangwon as she went, her steps quick and purposeful.
she let out a quiet sigh of relief when she reached the water fountain, the tension in her shoulders easing as soon as she was alone. for the first time in a while, it felt like she could breathe. she filled surenâs bottle first, then her own, watching the water rise. for a brief moment, she considered not screwing surenâs lid on all the way so it would spill on him later, but after a second of thought, she decided to spare him. just this once.
she turned around, bracing herself to head back to the practice room, when she stopped short.
harry june was walking toward her. he glanced over his shoulder every few steps, checking to make sure no one had followed him out and that nobody nearby could overhear them.
âhey.â he said quietly, fidgeting with the bracelets around his wrists, his nerves obvious in the small, restless movements.
meixing took a moment before answering. âhey.â she could barely bring herself to meet his eyes.
âcan we talk?â his voice was soft, careful, like he was afraid of scaring her away or making her think he was upset with her. he wasnât.
she nodded, and he gently guided her toward the side of the hallway so they wouldnât be standing in the middle of the walkway.
âleader?â meixing asked, pointing toward the sticker on his shirt in a small attempt to break the tension.
harry froze for a second before looking down, then let out a quiet chuckle when he realized what she meant. âyeah.â he nodded, biting his lip without thinking. the fact that she had noticed made him flustered, and a small part of him wondered if she was proud of him.
they fell into silence, the space between them heavy as both searched for the right words, each holding onto things they had been thinking about saying to each other.
âlook,â harry june finally spoke, his voice steadier than he felt. âmeixing, i-â
âharry!â a sudden voice echoed down the hall, loud enough to make them both jump.
they turned toward the interruption to see sangwon, junmin, and chingyu stumbling toward them, their presence breaking the moment completely.
âwhat are you doing? letâs go.â sangwon said, already ushering harry june back toward the practice room with a firm wave of his hand.
harry resisted, trying to get them to back off. âiâm busy.â he gestured toward the girl standing in front of him, but the message clearly didnât land.
âcome on, youâre our leader.â junmin laughed, completely oblivious to the situation.
harry opened his mouth to argue again, but this time meixing decided to speak up. âitâs fine,â she said softly, low enough that only he could hear. âwe can talk another time. you should focus on the mission.â
he hesitated, clearly unconvinced, his eyes searching her face as if looking for permission he didnât want to take. after a moment, he finally nodded and let sangwon and junmin guide him back toward the practice room. chingyu lingered behind, watching them go before turning his attention back to her.
âare you okay, noona?â he asked gently, having noticed the faint glossiness in her eyes.
meixing nodded, forcing the tears back before they could fall. âyeah, iâm okay.â
chingyu didnât push for more. instead, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, sensing that words werenât what she needed right then.
meixing hugged his taller frame tightly, surprised by how badly she had needed the contact. she closed her eyes, focusing on slowing her breathing, even if it was only for a few seconds.
she pulled away first, offering him a small, reassuring smile as she ushered him back toward the practice room. âcome on, before sangwon and junmin start yelling for you too.â she grabbed his hand and tugged him along.
when they re-entered the room, they split off to their respective sides, though not before chingyu gave her hand a gentle squeeze, a quiet attempt at comfort.
meixing tossed suren his water bottle, nearly hitting him square in the forehead, before moving back to the wall and steadying herself, ready to restart practice.
jiahao watched her quietly from his spot on the floor, anxinâs voice echoing faintly in his head. he pushed aside the strange fluttering in his chest as he stood and made his way over to her.
meixing noticed him approaching and looked up with curious eyes, absentmindedly spinning the rings around her fingers as she waited for him to speak.
meixing paused, her eyes widening just a little at the sudden invitation. âlike⊠just the two of us?â she asked, gesturing between them.
he shook his head, a light blush dusting his cheeks at her assumption. âno, anxin will come too.â it had been the younger boyâs idea, after all.
âoh.â understanding dawned on her face as she considered it for a moment. âsure, that sounds nice.â a small smile curved her lips.
jiahao smiled back, relief softening his expression, and guided her toward the center of the room as yumeki called them over to resume practice.
for the rest of the time she spent in the practice room that day, meixing felt a little lighter each time her eyes drifted toward jiahao. the thought of spending time with him and anxin gave her something to look forward to, and she hoped it would be enough to take her mind off everything else, even if only for a while.
after practice, she and jiahao walked back to the all star dorms together before splitting off to quickly change and meet up with anxin.
xinlong was nowhere to be seen when meixing stepped into their shared room. he was probably still in the practice room with his team, staying late to work on their performance.
meixing washed up and changed into something comfortable but still cute, wanting to feel nice after hours of sweating and rehearsing. her purple top paired with black pants contrasted well as she headed down the dorm stairs, her steps light, almost skipping, when she spotted jiahao waiting for her.
a smile spread across his face as soon as he saw her. her energy was noticeably brighter than it had been that morning, and he found himself quietly admiring the change.
meixing collected her phone from the staff member by the door and stood beside jiahao while they waited for anxin to come down. they talked in low voices, filling the time easily. jiahao never asked if she was okay, sensing that she had heard the question enough for one day. meixing noticed the omission, and she appreciated it more than he could have known.
âletâs go!â anxinâs voice rang out before he came into view, snapping the older two out of their conversation.
before meixing could fully register what was happening, anxin came bounding down the stairs and barreled straight into her, sending her stumbling backward. jiahao reacted on instinct, catching her by the waist to steady her before quickly pulling his hand away, always sure to be mindful and respectful.
âbe careful.â he gently scolded anxin, though a smile slipped through when he saw meixing laughing.
jiahao turned and opened the front door for them once he noticed anxin clinging to meixingâs side, something he tended to do whenever he was around her. the trio made their way to one of the company cars they were allowed to use whenever they left campus. both boys gestured for meixing to get in first. she slid into the back seat, fully expecting anxin to take the middle spot beside her. he didnât.
instead, anxin practically shoved jiahao into the car, forcing him into the middle seat. anxin hopped in after him with a wide grin, ignoring the confused looks from the two sitting next to him.
jiahao and anxin politely insisted that meixing order first. she didnât need to think twice before giving the sweet older woman at the counter her usual order: an iced vanilla latte with oat milk.
the woman smiled as she entered the order. âanything else?â she asked, her gaze moving between the three of them.
meixing was about to say no, not particularly wanting anything else, when anxin stepped forward and chimed in with his own order. right after him, jiahao added his as well.
meixing barely had time to reach for her purse before jiahao was already tapping his card against the machine, paying for all three.
âyou didnât have to do that.â she told him as they moved toward an empty table.
jiahao smirked slightly. âi donât mind.â he pulled out a chair for her before taking his own seat.
her cheeks warmed as she sat down at the small circular table, her jade bracelet around her wrist clinking softly against the surface.
âhao-ge always pays for me.â anxin beamed, looking over at the older boy with no shame.
âno i donât.â jiahao muttered shyly, his eyes dropping to the table.
meixing smiled at the exchange before lifting her gaze back to him. âwell, thank you.â she said quietly, her eyes lingering on jiahao just a moment longer than necessary.
he told her it was no problem, and the three of them slipped into easy conversation as they waited for their drinks. none of them brought up the mission or the competition like they had in the car. this was their time together, a small pocket of calm away from the stress hanging over their heads.
when jiahaoâs name was called, he stood up to grab their drinks. meixing rose with him out of instinct, but he gently waved her off, telling her he had it.
âwhat?â she asked anxin when she caught him smirking at her.
ânothing.â he shrugged innocently, though the hint of amusement lingered on his face.
meixing raised an eyebrow at him but chose to ignore it.
jiahao returned quickly, carefully setting the drinks down in front of them. he handed anxin his first before turning to meixing.
both meixing and anxin paused. meixingâs heart jumped unexpectedly at the nickname. no one had ever called her that before. she kept her expression neutral, deciding not to comment on it. she liked it, and she didnât want to risk making him think otherwise. she wanted him to keep saying it.
anxin was wise enough to stay quiet as well when jiahao sat back down, though he looked back and forth between the two of them. a knowing look passed over his face when he saw them both sporting pink cheeks, though neither of his older friends noticed.
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note: italics is chinese, normal is korean, bold is english
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meixingâs eyes struggled to open when she was awoken by xinlong gently shaking her shoulder. the tears she had cried the night before had dried on her cheeks, her skin feeling tight and uncomfortable, and the lingering heaviness in her chest made her feel even worse.
xinlong stepped back as she finally pushed herself upright, and the moment he looked at her properly, he noticed the sadness sitting plainly on her face. it was dull and tired, nothing like the usual spark she carried with her.
âare you okay?â he asked softly, resting a careful hand on her shoulder.
meixing didnât trust herself to speak. she was certain that if she opened her mouth, the tears would come all over again. instead, she nodded once, small and unconvincing, her thoughts spiraling as fear and confusion tangled together. she couldn't stop thinking about harry june, about the kiss and the terrible possibility that she had ruined something precious to her without meaning to.
xinlong withdrew his hand as meixing quietly slipped past him and into the bathroom to get ready for the day. he didnât follow or press her for answers, though the worry lingered on his face. whatever was weighing on her seemed heavy, and he didnât want to make it worse.
inside the bathroom, meixing moved slowly, dragging herself through each step of her routine. she avoided the mirror, only glancing at it when she absolutely had to, unwilling to meet her own swollen eyes for too long. by the time she stepped back into the room, anxin and jiahao had joined xinlong, the three of them speaking in low voices.
anxin immediately lit up when he saw her. he was on his feet in an instant, crossing the room with far too much energy for such an early hour.
âjiejie, are you ready?â he asked, barely able to contain his excitement over the reveal of their next mission.
meixing tried to return his enthusiasm with a smile, but it didnât quite reach her eyes. it faltered almost as soon as it formed, and she settled for a quiet nod as she bent down to slip on her shoes.
anxin noticed the difference in her right away, the way her movements were slower and her expression distant, but he chose not to ask yet. instead, he gently looped his arm through hers like he always did and opened the door for her. together, they headed toward the sound stage, with xinlong and jiahao falling in step behind them.
it was quiet as they walked, the early morning air feeling fresh on their skin. at some point, jiahaoâs long strides carried him forward until he was walking alongside meixing and anxin, closing the small gap that had formed between them.
âdid you sleep well?â jiahao asked softly, his voice low enough that it wouldnât carry. he had noticed it too, the way she seemed distant, like her thoughts were somewhere far from the campus they were moving through.
meixing shook her head, and for the first time that morning, she forced herself to speak. ânot really. i couldnât stop thinking about our friends.â it wasnât a complete lie, but it wasnât the whole truth either, and the words felt safe enough to say out loud.
âyeah,â jiahao murmured after a moment. âme too.â
after that, the conversation faded, leaving only the sound of their footsteps as they continued on. before long, they reached the studio where they would film and learn what their next mission would be, the familiar nerves beginning to settle in her stomach.
they were instructed to enter the room according to their rank, and after a brief moment of hesitation, anxin let go of meixingâs arm and went off to find sangwon. meixing watched him go for a second before turning to look for hengyu and zheyi.
it didnât take long to spot them, zheyiâs tall frame standing out easily among the others. meixing stepped into place between him and hengyu, offering them both a small, restrained smile as she settled in.
hengyu noticed right away how quiet she was, how different she felt from usual, but he said nothing. maybe she was still hurting over their former teammates, he reasoned, and he decided to give her space for now.
they were given the cue to file into the room, and soon they were all standing on the white risers in front of the boys2planet curtain they were growing far too familiar with. the space buzzed with quiet chatter, but meixing tuned it all out, her gaze unfocused as she stared into nothing in particular, her thoughts still tangled and restless.
she was pulled back to the present when the door opened, revealing jo yuri. the womanâs presence immediately caught her attention, graceful and composed, and meixing recognized her at once. she forced herself to listen as yuri began to speak, pushing her lingering worries aside. whatever she was feeling could wait. this was a competition.
ânow, revealing the second mission of boys2planet.â yuri announced. as she finished the sentence, the curtain behind her dropped, unveiling a wide display of covered songs with different positions written above them.
âboys2planetâs second class battle is a class position battle,â yuri continued. âfrom rap, dance, and vocal, youâll compete in whichever position youâre most confident in.â
meixingâs eyes were immediately drawn to the vocal and dance sections. she hoped sheâd be able to secure a place in either of them. her chest tightened with anticipation as she leaned more toward vocal, knowing she hadnât yet truly shown what she was capable of as a singer. dance was familiar and comfortable, her strongest skill, but there was something about the vocal position that pulled her in.
âin this class battle, all star and two star will team up to perform.â yuri added.
meixingâs heart jumped at the words. the thought of possibly being placed on a team with harry again sent a flicker of unease through her, and she wasnât sure if she was ready to face that so soon.
âbased on the results, your class will change.â
yuri went on to explain that all of the mission songs would be original compositions. at that, meixing silently prayed she wouldnât end up in a rap group, her anxiety spiking at the mere idea. then yuri announced the benefits. the overall winning team, chosen live by the star creators, would earn a chance to appear on m countdown and hold an online fan meeting.
meixing straightened instinctively, her focus sharpening. the opportunity felt too important to ignore. she wanted a chance to redeem herself, to prove what she could do, and this mission might be exactly that.
yuri also informed them that after this mission, all of the two star trainees would be eliminated. meixing felt her heart sink, dread washing over her as her thoughts immediately went to suren and his dangerously low rank. all she could do was hope that the star creators would finally see what she saw in him, recognize his talent, and keep him in the competition once the mission was over.
her focus drifted again as yuri began revealing the rap position songs. none of the titles rang a bell, and meixing barely registered them, silently crossing her fingers that she wouldnât be forced into that category.
when the vocal songs were unveiled, her attention snapped back into place. she scanned each title carefully, mentally cataloging her options. she didnât know breathe, so she dismissed it almost immediately without lingering on it.
when run to you by seventeen was revealed, meixing let out a small, startled gasp, quickly covering her mouth with her hand. seventeen was her favorite k-pop group, and she knew that song inside and out. confidence stirred in her chest as she imagined herself in that group, certain she could execute it well if she was given the opportunity.
queencard wasnât a bad option either. it didnât pull at her the same way, but she wouldnât be disappointed if she ended up assigned to it. rose blossom, however, was an immediate no. just like breathe, it was unfamiliar to her, and she didnât trust herself to learn it in such a short amount of time.
she kept her options open as yuri began pulling away the covers for the dance songs, though run to you continued to stand out in her mind more than anything else.
she knew right away that she didnât want bad. it wasnât really her vibe, and the concept didnât resonate with her at all. she vaguely heard harry june comment, âthat song is sexy,â and the words made her cheeks heat up instantly. meixing forced herself to push the thought away, pretending she hadnât heard him at all.
xxl wasnât terrible, but it didnât excite her either. she felt neutral toward it, nothing more. a genuine smile finally spread across her face that day when lalala was revealed, especially when xinlong dramatically dropped to the floor in reaction. she felt the same excitement he did. if she could choose a dance song, that would be her first pick. she had wanted to perform a stray kids song in the last mission but didnât get the chance, and this felt like the perfect opportunity.
she was mostly indifferent to like jennie. it was a strong, powerful song, but she had already seen some negative comments online about how she shared a name with the famous idol and was supposedly copying her. it was the usual nonsense from toxic stans, but meixing still worried that choosing the song might invite more hate than she was ready to deal with.
the final song revealed was tambourine and meixing didnât have any strong objections to it. it stood out as different from the rest and seemed like it would be the most fun to choreograph. she tucked it away as a solid backup option just as zheyi tapped her lightly on the shoulder.
âwhat song do you want?â he asked, curiosity clear in his voice.
ârun to you, if it doesnât become unavailable,â she replied without hesitation. âwhat about you?â
âi want lalala.â he said, speaking quietly over the hum of everyone else discussing their top choices.
meixing smirked and nodded, clearly approving. she knew zheyi would thrive in a cool concept like lalala. unfortunately, she was so focused on their conversation that she missed what was happening on her other side. woojin and hengyu both wanted run to you as well, and they would be choosing before her.
yuri began calling the all stars up one by one, following their rank order as they stepped forward to choose their songs. sangwon went straight to like jennie, which didnât surprise anyone in the room. it suited him perfectly, and everyone knew he would be more than successful with a concept like that. anxin was next. he faked everyone out by pretending to follow sangwon, hovering near like jennie for a moment before veering off and choosing breathe instead. meixing smiled softly and gave him a thumbs up from her spot, already excited to see what he would do with the ballad.
sanghyeon and leo quickly filled the all star slots for queencard, making it unavailable before meixing even had time to really consider it. geonwoo and xinlong both chose lalala soon after, leaving only one all star position left for the song.
after that, woojin stepped forward and chose run to you.
meixing felt her heart drop immediately. the feeling sank even deeper when hengyu stepped out from beside her and chose the same song, filling all of the all star spots and making it unavailable. the realization hit her all at once.
âoh shit.â she muttered under her breath, suddenly unsure of where she was supposed to go now. lalala was technically still an option, but zheyi had already told her how badly he wanted it, and she refused to take that away from him.
leejeong, standing just behind her, caught her silent dilemma, the frustration in her voice mirroring his own thoughts. âwhat?â he asked.
âhengyu took the one i wanted.â she admitted, her fingers anxiously twisting around the bracelet on her wrist. zheyi noticed immediately, giving her back a light, reassuring pat.
âyou should go to hot.â leejeong said quickly, clearly trying to convince as many people as possible to choose that song. he looked more worried about getting stuck there himself than anything else.
meixing stopped fidgeting and shot him a sharp look. âare you trying to sabotage me?â
leejeong laughed nervously, clearly a little intimidated by the smaller girl, and shook his head. âno, no.â
âyou should do like jennie.â he backpedaled, changing his opinion instantly. his panic made her laugh softly, not actually upset with him despite her frustration.
meixingâs attention snapped back to the front of the room when yuri called her name, the sound cutting cleanly through the noise and forcing her to finally make a decision.
she stepped forward slowly, stopping between the dance songs as she weighed her options. sangwon caught her eye and pointed to the open space beside him, a clear invitation to join him in like jennie.
âlike jennie?â
âmeixing and sangwon?â
âweâre doomed.â
the murmurs rippled through the room, and meixing lifted her hands to her cheeks in quiet distress, her gaze darting between sangwon and the still empty song next to him. she could play it safe by choosing like jennie, partnering with someone strong and practically guaranteeing a solid outcome. or she could take a risk, step into an empty unit, and trust that the right dancers would follow.
the seconds stretched as her thoughts raced. then, finally, she made her choice.
soft gasps filled the room as she climbed the steps and claimed the first all star spot in tambourine.
âsorry.â she murmured to sangwon as she passed him.
he only laughed lightly and shook his head. he had hoped she would choose his team, but there was no real disappointment in his expression. he knew just as well as everyone else that she would shine in tambourine too.
a few more trainees stepped forward to choose their songs, and meixing couldnât stop herself from cheering internally when yumeki came to stand beside her. the risk she had taken luckily paid off. having a well known choreographer on her team immediately eased some of the stress she had been carrying, the weight on her shoulders lifting just a little.
her excitement only grew when jiahao stepped forward next and joined tambourine as well. she bit down on her lip to keep from smiling too widely, not wanting to show just how relieved she felt. it wasnât just that he was an incredible dancer, but that he was someone she trusted, someone who made the uncertainty of the mission feel less overwhelming.
before long, the two star trainees were called up to compete for the remaining spots in each song. yuri started with like jennie, and harry june, junmin, hyunjun, and suren all stepped forward. there were only three spots available, which meant one of them wouldnât be picked. meixing felt a sharp pang of guilt as she caught herself hoping that suren wouldnât be chosen. she wanted him on her team more than anything for this mission.
as the four of them stood in front of sangwon and chingyu, meixing and harry june accidentally met each otherâs eyes. they both looked away almost immediately when they realized it. she couldnât help but notice how easy harryâs smile was, how bright and effortless his energy seemed. her thoughts drifted again. how was he able to act so normal when she felt so tangled inside her own head? everyone around her seemed to sense that something was wrong with her, yet he looked completely unbothered, like nothing weighed on him at all.
she didnât have time to sit with the thought. sangwon and chingyu made their choices, selecting junmin, harry june, and hyunjun for like jennie, leaving suren behind. before he could fully turn away, meixing quickly caught his attention and motioned for him to come over to her team. suren rolled his eyes in mock annoyance but nodded silently, agreeing to join her when tambourine would get called. jiahao noticed the exchange and let out a quiet laugh.
after some time, every team was finally formed, some trainees looking far more satisfied than others. tambourine ended up consisting of meixing, jiahao, yumeki, kaiwen, suren, and hanwen. seeing them standing together made meixing feel lighter than she had all morning. she felt confident in the team she had ended up in and their ability to do well in the mission.
soon after, the teams were split up so they could choose their leader and decide on killing parts. each group was also handed new practice shirts. for once, meixing didnât dread the fabric placed in her hands. the tambourine team received black numbered jerseys to wear over their white shirts, simple but sharp, and she slipped hers on without complaint.
âthis is cute, how shocking.â meixing murmured to herself as she pulled the jersey over her head, jiahao doing the same beside her.
the tambourine team quickly gathered on the steps, wasting no time before jumping into discussion about the mission. meixing sat quietly between suren and kaiwen, content to let the others take the lead while she listened.
âyouâre quiet.â suren observed softly, leaning in just enough that no one else could hear him.
meixing shrugged lightly. âjust thinking.â once again, it wasnât a complete lie.
suren let it go as yumeki spoke up, drawing everyoneâs attention. âpersonally, iâm looking forward to performing with people i havenât worked with yet.â he said. jiahao, suren, and meixing all nodded in agreement, the sentiment shared easily among them.
to her left, kaiwen tapped meixingâs arm, gesturing that he needed a translation. she smiled gently and leaned closer, quietly repeating yumekiâs words for him. across from them, jiahao did the same for hanwen, whispering translations under his breath. it was then that suren fully realized their entire group was made up of foreigners, five of them being from planet c and yumeki being from japan. communication wouldnât be easy, but there was a clear, unspoken determination among them to not let that become a weakness.
âwe should choose a leader. who wants to do it?â yumeki asked.
jiahao answered almost immediately. âi recommend yumeki. i only chose this team because youâre here.â
under normal circumstances, meixing would have teased him without mercy for saying something like that. but the joke never came. jiahao glanced over at her after he spoke, clearly expecting some kind of comment, and paused when she gave none.
it didnât take much discussion for the decision to be made. yumeki became their leader with little resistance, naturally stepping into the role. without wasting time, he moved them along, asking each of them to audition for the killing part as they officially began working as a team.
meixing watched the others go one by one, her mind racing to figure out what she should do for her audition. the ideas that usually came so easily refused to form, and when it was finally her turn, she gave her best effort, but it felt half-hearted. she wasnât really aiming for the killing part this time, and it showed in the way she moved.
when it came time to vote, meixing quietly chose jiahao and the result was a tie between him and kaiwen. she, suren, yumeki, and hanwen huddled behind them to discuss, and after a few moments of deliberation, they decided to give kaiwen the position. his face lit up with pure joy, and meixing felt a small smile tug at her lips, happy for him even as her own energy felt drained.
after that, the team split up slightly, each member slipping in the individual earbuds connected to the ipods they were given. they listened to tambourine on repeat, quietly brainstorming choreography ideas to show yumeki later. everyone around her seemed to be buzzing with creativity and energy.
meixing, however, felt her mind go completely blank. choreography usually came naturally to her, flowing easily from her imagination to her body, but now the confusion and guilt from the kiss with harry june weighed so heavily on her that she couldnât think of a single move.
she stood still, her gaze dropping to her white bracelet resting neatly next to her jade one. her eyes stung, and she fought to hold back the tears threatening to fall. she caught suren glancing at her and quickly shifted her focus, determined to appear composed, though her eyes kept wandering around the room, unable to settle.
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a/n: meixing is in her emo era this episode im sorry. also i didn't wanna make tambourine 4:2 so kaiwen is two star rn and meixing is replacing tatsuki
