minjun was glad his partner for the commercial filming was someone as cool as noeul. he had heard before from hyuk that the guy was super nice, but he was still unsure, as usual, since it was his typical reaction whenever he had to interact with someone from another group.
even if he was an idol for over a year, it was still nerve-wracking to face cameras and perform something that wasnât a dance routine or sing songs - most people didnât know, but minjun wasnât a gamerboy, he didnât play lots of games, but since he signed this contract, he had tried harder to familiarize himself with controls and games, not to make a fool off himself.Â
âiâm glad this isnât as hard as i thought itâd be.â he smiled at noeul as they played, showing off the game in front of them, but looking at the camera as he offered his scripted line, ending it with his characteristic grin.
the staff stopped them for a moment to make another set of adjustments and minjun took that time to talk to noeul again, âthank you again for being a great partner and guiding me hereâ
minjun stared and then crossed his arms, rolling his eyes so dramatically that even if he was wearing a cap and a mask, the people in front of him could definitely see what he did.
v&a were having the smallest break in seoul and after ignoring the majority of the messages his brother sent him, asking for a meeting, he felt ready enough to answer one of them.
what he didnât expect was that heâd be meeting not only his brother, but his mother as well.
to have a conversation with song yoona and not get irritated in the process was something minjun wasnât mentally prepared for. he had a faint idea why jimin had booked that meeting, and just the thought of it made his blood boil.
they wanted to talk about his relationship; he was so sure of it. because Jimin never got over the fact rowon chose someone else over him, he expected him to stay forever condemned to a failed relationship.
he never considered minjun as a changing factor.
âhello mother.â
minjun offered her a bow and sat down in front of the duo, and they were so similar and unnatural, minjun understood why jimin used to tease him in the past, saying he was adopted. of course, at the time, he meant that minjun wasnât talented like he was, but now the idol could accept that reality, if it really was true.
he didnât feel like he belonged there. he felt alive, colorful, and pretty, while his mother and brother looked like an old version of a failed family.
âcongratulations on your debut, minjun.â, her voice sounded sweet, but there was no warmth there; it was just protocol, like when you ask someone if theyâre well, when you meet them after a long time.
âitâs been two years.âÂ
jimin cleared his throat when he noticed the cold passing from minjun to their mother and interrupted any kind of awkward conversations.
âwe wanted to talk to you about something.â
âyou want to talk to me about rowon.â minjun interrupted jimin, noticing the air getting colder by the second. âyou couldnât just accept what i told you the last time we met, and now you brought mom here to try to convince me i need to change things about my life.â
âkang minjun, donât be disrespectful to your brother. he has only concerns aboutâŠâ his motherâs tone was firm and in any other moment of his life, minjun wouldâve flinched and shrank upon that tone.Â
but he wasnât that boy anymore.
âthe only concern jimin has is the fact iâm dating his ex for more than one year now. a scandal would look amazing for his career, since people would start hating me and comparing us, giving him more credit for being the good brother. iâm glad he decided to go complain to you and not sell the story to dispatch.â
âhow dare you talk to us like that?â her fist hitting the table made minjun flinch, but smirk at the same time - jimin remained silent, a shocked expression covering his face. âwe gave you nothing but -â
âbut crumbles, mother. for years, youâve given me crumbles of affection, attention, love, and dedication. i was never your first choice, and i grew up like that, i donât need you telling me what to do. because i told jimin i donât consider you my family anymore, you never cared about me, you never wanted me to succeed and if i did, you wanted it so it wouldnât overshadow jimin. letâs not pretend things here.â
he stood up. That conversation was a waste of time; he couldâve been doing so many other things instead of being there.
âi appreciate if you keep the information about my relationship away from the news outlets. if youâre genuine about caring for me, youâll forget i told you about it. i really hope you both can find happiness, just like i am happy.â
minjun didnât look back when he left the cafe, he didnât have anything to do with those people anymore, and he hoped that was the last time he spoke to them.
does anyone feel like having an event thread with minjun for the modelling contract (nintendo) event? he's in the yoshi and the mysterious book group. please like this and i shall drop a starter for you!
location: dance practice room
solo: wc, 178
music: enhypen - no way back
minjun loved to be inside a dance practice room, ever since he entered the legacy building for the first time. the whole atmosphere felt almost unreal, how it smelled, and all the noise coming from the traineesâ shoes and heavy breathing. it almost pulsed as an organ, and minjun lived for it.
but this time, everything was quiet; the only sound came from his shoes, and even his breathing sounded louder than he was used to.
there were many memories tied to those rooms, but now everything seemed to be fading slowly. Sometimes, he didnât feel as blessed as he thought he was, and the burden of carrying the title of an idol weighed on his shoulders.
he danced, though, as hard as he could; the piercing lyrics made his body work harder, push his limits, and he closed his eyes, unaware there was someone else there watching him. he didnât care; all minjun wanted was to chase away that feeling, one he didnât welcome around.
thereâs no way back now. He didnât want to stop. He couldnât.
location: dance practice room
solo: wc, 178
music: enhypen - no way back
minjun loved to be inside a dance practice room, ever since he entered the legacy building for the first time. the whole atmosphere felt almost unreal, how it smelled, and all the noise coming from the traineesâ shoes and heavy breathing. it almost pulsed as an organ, and minjun lived for it.
but this time, everything was quiet; the only sound came from his shoes, and even his breathing sounded louder than he was used to.
there were many memories tied to those rooms, but now everything seemed to be fading slowly. Sometimes, he didnât feel as blessed as he thought he was, and the burden of carrying the title of an idol weighed on his shoulders.
he danced, though, as hard as he could; the piercing lyrics made his body work harder, push his limits, and he closed his eyes, unaware there was someone else there watching him. he didnât care; all minjun wanted was to chase away that feeling, one he didnât welcome around.
thereâs no way back now. He didnât want to stop. He couldnât.
it shouldn't feel that shocking, and minjun shouldn't be that surprised by the news he just got. he had been working hard on lyrics, and to receive a response like the one he just got was exactly what he should have been expecting. Still, it made his hands shake, and his body reacted the same way it did when he got the news he was going to debut as an idol - mouth hanging open, heart racing, and sweaty palms.
âwow that's bigâ, he found himself saying, his head already thinking about his schedules and how he couldn't mess yet another chance, how in just a few years he managed to accomplish so much (and how secretly he owed that to leaving lots of baggage behind, namely his family).
âyou'll be performing in Los Angeles, minjunâ, his manager informed and he felt his cheeks burn, the anticipation for the event reaching crazy levels, as he could only nod a response; his mouth felt so dry, his tongue tasted like sandpaper.Â
when they were dismissed, as if that wasn't something so big it could change their lives forever, since it was a solo schedule, and they received positive feedback on their lyrics to the point it opened a door for them to perform with HARU, minjun still had to choose a song to perform.
He wanted something that could showcase his talent, make people remember him, and, at the same time, make people turn their eyes to his group as well. He wanted to take not only his name but V&A's name along with him.
awakening moment, solo 337 words
event: project tva 004
when minjun was given his mascot, there was no better reaction for him other than smile.
because he was a rogue, his mascot had the ability to find hidden objects and hidden clues, so he thought it would be super easy to navigate the mall in a short amount of time and help his group the best way he could.
Unfortunately, things were easier in his head than in action. first off, the mall was huge - not that he wasnât aware of that -, but when they had the whole place closed for them, the eerie feeling of solitude was just overwhelming, making him gasp for air from time to time as he used the escalators to climb to the higher floors.
deciding it would be easier to reach the top flood and then search for clues while climbing down, minjun was mesmerized when he entered one of the terraces and saw the amazing and exquisite garden there - it was beautiful, filled with exotic plants and flowers minjun never knew existed, and even if he did have a task to fill, he couldnât help but spend some moments just enjoying the place surrounding him.
wake up minjun, you need to win this thing.
shaking his head, he took a look at his mascot and smiled, âletâs do this, just help me outâ, he didnât know exactly how the mascot was going to help him out, but when he found an envelope with a riddle, he was excited ot open it and proceed to the next one.
this is fake, donât buy it.
âohhh, thatâs how this thing works then!â, he was excited when the message informed him that he had a fake clue in his hands, immediately dropping the envelope and searching for some more clues.
at the end of almost two and a half hours, minjun was tired of being led through so many wrong clues, but at least he had two right ones. it was time to gather his team and hopefully, win that whole thing.
when minjun finally arrived at the spot, he and jimin decided to meet, his brother was already waiting for him. he checked his watch and wasnât surprised to realize he wasnât late, the older man arrived earlier; his trained brain immediately formed the idea jimin was going to make some kind of comment about him getting there late.
but the comment never came, not when minjun greeted him with a respectful bow, nor when he sat down in front of him, placing two large bags with their food (fried chicken and tteokpokki) and beverages (iced americano) between them.
âi was surprised to get your text, asking for a meeting.â minjun was clearly in a defensive mode, but tried to hide it as much as he could, his mask covering most of his face, even if the late hours did most to cover their meeting.
jimin, on the other hand, was flaunting his face proudly, almost making minjun roll his eyes. obviously.
âyou shouldnât be so surprised. weâre siblings, of course iâd like to see you.â
âand this has nothing to do with my interview for the WKorea magazine?â his tone was filled with irony, his stare was hard, not giving any kind of breach for his brother to escape.
âtouchĂš.â minjun rolled his eyes at his brother's answer, and took a few moments to retrieve the boxes of food, handing his brother one cup of coffee.Â
he expected that to happen, but he hoped itâd take some time. he knew his words were going to cause some commotion, especially with his family, since most of his friends and groupmates already knew he wasnât in good terms with his family, mostly with his brother, for quite some time.
âwe could have been a great team, minjun. but you had to make things difficult.â
minjun laughed, rolling his eyes.
âwe could never be a good team, because youâd never want me standing there sharing the space with you. you donât want a teammate, dear brother. you want someone to be under you. and iâm not going to be this person.â
âwhy do you want to make everything so difficult, minjun? you always act like a kid!â
minjun sighed and smirked. jimin was clearly using the same tactic he used to when minjun was younger, trying to push his buttons, make him look like an immature man that couldnât be taken seriously. but what jimin didnât realize was that minjun wasnât falling for those tricks again; he no longer had those strings attached to his brother, so he couldnât harm him with those words anymore.
âhyung, with all due respect. if you donât have anything else to say, i should spend the rest of the night practicing,â he started to gather his things, but jiminâs voice startled him, keeping him seated.
âi called you to talk about rowon.â
minjun tensed. they never spoke about rowon, and he wasnât going to start now.
he opened his mouth to start talking and, for the first time, jimin used his hyung card, speaking louder, firmer, making minjun stare, crossing his arms in a defensive position.
âi believe i told you to stay away from him. youâre far too young and naive to believe everything that man tells you. heâs not good for you, heâs-..â
âheâs my boyfriend.â minjun interrupted jimin, already standing up; his brotherâs expression was a mixture of shock, surprise, and something minjun could explain asâŠanger? âiâd appreciate if you didnât speak of him when heâs not here.â
âboyfriend? are you insane? do you know what he can do to your career? to your future?â
âyes. iâm sure we both know what we can do to each otherâs careers, and to be honest, we donât give a fuck.â the words, when he spoke about rowon, came out easy and honest; he didnât have anything to hide, and minjun wanted to tell his brother about it for so long, it was just refreshing.
âminjun, for godâs sake! this is absurd!â jiminâs voice grew an octave and minjun smirked again.
âtext me again sometime in the future when the company finally allows me to move in to his apartment,â he adjusted the bag across his chest and then his mask, pointing to the forgotten food on the bench. âeat it well, hyung, the food was ordered especially for you. have a good night.â
it was definitely a good night, another step towards breaking free from his family.
gig opportunity 030 - solo
lyrics creation, word count 364
minjun always chose the most different places to start or finish his writing process, and this time was no different. instead of using the regular studio or even a dance practice room, he opted for the rooftop; obviously, it was dark and cold upstairs, but it was the only place he could find some comfort lately.
when it was given the task to write lyrics to haruâs upcoming project, and he learned v&a would have the privilege to contribute to that, he was beyond excited, but it was also a responsibility he felt weighing on his shoulders.
the first days, he couldnât come up with anything. The demo held such a nostalgic and romantic feel, and minjun, despite holding loving feelings inside him, couldnât come up with something interesting or even usable - in his opinion, everything he was writing either sounded rough or too cliche, nothing extraordinary or even good enough to suit haruâs standards.
the light at the end of the tunnel happened when he was upstairs, drinking coffee and just thinking too hard. âdamn this feels like an emergencyâ, when he heard an ambulance crossing the street in front of the legacy building.
blinking, minjun felt the first tingles on his fingers, the characteristic feeling of something happening, his brain pushing him to pick up his phone and open the notes. he didnât have his notebook, so that would have to do it.
âdoctor help me
itâs the lovemergencyâ
âit doesnât look bad, i guess. This could be a general idea.â, minjun spoke to himself, walking around the rooftop, cellphone in hand, as he thought about the demo he listened to over and over, thinking of how a rap part could fit what he just came up with, but then giving a second thought and also writing.
âand i give it all
yeah i would give it all
ìš ìŹêČ íë 걎Â
baby, ëëżìžê±žâ
humming to the new lyrics, minjun could feel his face split a smile, just as some of his tension left his shoulders. he just needed some adjustment and some opinion until he could show it to the ones he trusted.
Hopefully, his contribution would meet the standards.
i canât say i didnât try. i did. but things changed so much, you know. i think jimin thought i was still the same minjun who would idolize and trust everything he said. heâs still a model, but unlike the old me, heâs someone whose actions i would not follow.
iâm not going to make the same mistakes as he does, i could never turn my back on someone because i felt insecure about myself. because no matter what he says, he was insecure with me becoming an idol. i was a thread in the end, just like wonnie hyung warned me ages ago.
(i should really call him as soon as i finish here)
but our meeting was fine, surprisingly i wasnât scared or nervous; jimin doesnât trigger these emotions on me anymore. and i think he felt it, as soon as we met, he knew he was dealing with someone as mature as he was (even if heâs older than me.)
he wanted us to go back to what we used to be, but that old minjun is dead. iâm not the same boy who would blindly follow everything he told me, him, mom, and dad killed that boy during chuseok two years ago.
still, iâm not a bad person, i left the door open for him. whenever jimin wants to talk, to share things, to give advice, he can. it doesnât mean i will follow whatever he says, but it doesnât hurt to listen. i think.
now i need to talk to family, my real family. wonnie hyung is waiting for me.
itâs been quite some time since i last talked to you. i know itâs easy to find an excuse and say my job has been keeping me from doing everything, but you were always the thing i couldnât miss at all, the thing i needed to return whenever things got too stuck in life and when it was almost impossible to breathe.
but iâm coming here now because something changed with my family - and i mean the biological family (mom, dad, and jimin). thereâs not much of an update on mom and dad, but jimin reached out. i think someone talked about me to him, or he was asked about having an idol in the family. the exact reason doesnât matter, but he sent me a message and wanted us to talk. heâll be in LA at the same time weâll be there for our kcon concert, so he believes itâs a good opportunity for us to meet andâŠchat.
i dont really have anything to talk to him, i guess something broke between us, that bridge was burned to the ground, and no one showed up to repair the damage. At the same time iâm curious about it, i wanna know what he wants to tell me. i donât have hopes. not with them anymore. and itâs sad, even if theyâre family (on paper, at least).Â
i promise iâll update you as soon as we meet. guess youâll see me again from los angeles next.
yushin claps like a seal, excitedly at some of the rings hitting their targets. with each successful toss, it gets him hyped up more and more. "ha, no pressure, no pressure, riiight." seriously, if his biggest competition wasn't his own self, he might haev taken it personally, but he's happy that minjun is pulling the team up and that yushin just has to beat his own personal best. they're a team, not pvp or whatever that term is. ( yea clearly, dude doesn't game much. ) "okay, we have a few more rounds to try to hit fifteen points. otherwise we will be penalized.... you're pulling your weight so its time for me to shine now too," he says, more gusto than his actual 'skillset'.
he's being light-hearted about it all, but truly, truly- he doesn't want the embarrassment of a punishment. the longest ten minutes ever, possibly. so here he goes, with his first ring of the second set, eyes lasered in on his goal. the first one misses, and he cringes immediately. "we aren't going to get punished this time around!" after getting a few points in, yushin lets out a low breath, glad they're inching closer to their goal. "okay, we've got this. you'll get us to fifteen, no pressure. although we do have a third round after this too."
it was easy to act around yushin, he thought the other man would be so scary when he met him for the first time, just after his debut. but he was surprisingly surprised by the way the older man carried himself and the groupâs name; it was heartwarming, really, even if they didnât belong to the same unit.
at the end of the day, they were all v&a.
âi will be doing a little dance for you, no worries!â, minjun said doing his immediate dance, already celebrating yushinâs upcoming throws, his hits, not his misses. there was a competition happening, but they should also focus on something cooler, like showing the audience they had good teamwork and how they could have fun while fighting to not get penalized for their misses.
but minjun couldnât hide his face when yushin missed his first throw, but didnât stop doing his dance, clapping excitedly when he hit the target the next one. âyes, hyung! you did it!â
sticking out his tongue, minjun shook his head, and immediately laughed when he heard the mission thrown on his shoulders. âno pressure, right? letâs see if i can keep up with this.â
and maybe it was out of nervousness, but as soon as he threw his first ring, he missed his chance. he tried not to look disappointed, but it was written all over his face, âsorry hyung, iâll do better next time.â
if that had been a dynamic involving his groupmates, minjun wouldâve responded to that question in a sassier way, teasing his hyungs with jokes about them being too old and not understanding a simple task. they would throw jokes his way, and they would have a great time playing that game.
but he couldnât extend the same thing to someone from another group, someone he wasnât familiar with. the question was still reverberating inside his head as a bad joke, something that caught Minjun off guard, and he realized how different the cha siblings were; it was so easy to talk to sori, he remembered.
âwellâŠâ he wondered what would work better for them, but in the end, minjun just did what he always did during moments of tension (maybe they were taking that game too seriously?) - he showed what he meant. âtry doing this.â
minjun took one of the rings, aiming at one of their selected targets, but before he could throw it, he closed his eyes for a moment, sighing so deeply that he momentarily felt his ears closing, and there was no noise around him. then, as he exhaled, he threw the ring, granting them a point.
âit always works for me, hyung. it doesnât hurt to try. iâm sure weâll go great.â
hyoseop didnât have a lot of idol friends, and majority of the other idols on tva he had barely spoken to. heâd gotten quite close with kai and baekhyun, but the two ended up leaving, and just as he was getting closer with seyoon, he left too. the type zero members had always been the idols he was closest to, but as they left and left, it was difficult to get close to the other members.
he was familiar with the fabula members, being friends with minji, being soriâs sibling and having interacted with eunhye here and there, but most other idols in legacy, he was quite unfamiliar with. he hoped this show would gain him some new idol friends, because he surely needed that, someone besides his sister to talk about idol stuff with.
âah, okayâ he nods, before following, taking a deep breath, it doesnât help, and hyoseop kind of just feels like he looks stupid. âeh! you got itâ he immediately claps, a smile on his lips, almost more satisfied than had he done it himself. âokay, iâll take your adviceâ he nods, taking another deep breath and then throwing, landing it correctly on âletâs go!â he lifts his hand, signaling he wants a high five.
minjunâs smile was wide, as soon as he heard hyoseopâs celebratory cheer, and he didnât waste a second and just high-fived the type zero member, followed by a small dance, âyou did it, hyung! that was such a great throw!â, and he wasnât patronizing the older man, he really felt they did good and hyoseop had a chance at bringing points to their group.Â
he heard some staff members saying they looked silly, but in a positive way, and minjun wondered if their sudden chemistry would look good on camera when they aired the competition.Â
âshall we make a bet now? how are you with competition? of course, this would be just between usâ, minjun whispered, a half-tease, half-truth, giggling in between, âwe should definitely give the audience some content. the one with more points pays for the other an ice cream. what do you tell me, hyung?
it reminds him of those carnivals that he used to see on tv as a kid, where americans went to those massive summer festivals and fairs, and indulged in popcorn, crowds, and expensive games like this. he supposes he doesn't have to pay, or be around crowds, and there's no food right now, but they're playing one of the games. yushin's never actually attended many fairs here, nor has he indulged in any of the sideshow games since he was often too cheap to pay for games that he'd be guaranteed to lose at.
yushin hopes he doesn't lose here, but again, he's not particularly athletic in... ring toss. but maybe he would be... lucky? he glances to minjun as he waits his turn now. "take your time. i mean really, because if we miss, we lose ten minutes," the older vna member laughs. no pressure, yea. but seriously, he's hoping that minjun will hard carry the pair of them. as fun as variety is, yushin usually enjoys himself more than being massively competitive. although with the roster of games they'd been participating in, half of it has been luck based so far. this... well. it could be more based on skills.
itâs not hard for minjun to understand people now. he watches, observes, takes mental notes, and then acts upon the circumstances that are made necessary. just like dealing with one of his group mates, yushin.Â
being placed in different units sometimes sets them apart, and that could be something to create just the wrong environment, but minjun is an observer; he knows how to make things a little less tense and more fun for them.Â
heâs glad, for example, that his partner isnât as competitive as he is; not that he couldnât handle if Yushin were, but itâs easier for him to focus on his own performance, not exactly minding if things go wrong during that task.
âno pressure, right, hyung?â grabbing the rings, he throws them, and itâs not perfect, far from it, but he manages to hit the targets, getting them precious points. minjun smiles, not an arrogant one, but the cutesy kind, and makes a V sign, in celebration. âyouâre in good hands, hyung. itâs your turn now.â
minjun was definitely surprised. no, he was in shock; that would be a better definition for the feelings he was trying to hide while wearing his best poker face. cha hyoseop was praising his dancing? and was asking for advice? in which alternate universe did he land, and that was his new reality?
âs-sure! anything you want from the routine, let me know what you wanna do, iâd love to help, hyung.â his voice faltered a little when he answered, but he tried his best to look as cool as the guy in front of him; as a member of versus, they all had a reputation to keep.
hyoseop wanted to try the chorus. right. the hardest part indeed. minjun himself took most of his practice time with those lines, trying to get everything right together, instead of working on vocals first and then the choreography; his brain worked better that way, but he didnât know if the other man would follow the same routine.
âletâs do it. how do you wanna do it? practice lines and tempo first, and then add the choreo, or the other way around? what works the best for you?â
hyoseop still felt like he needed help with dance, even though heâd been an idol for a while, and a trainee for even longer, he still struggled a bit when it came to dance. sure, heâd gotten far, but he still looked at other idols and felt like he had long to go. he never asked for help with rap, he was confident with that, and knew how to practice by himself. but when it came to dance? he was willing to take advice from a dongsaeng.
âeh! iâm glad to hear youâre willing to help meâ he smiles to the other âyouâve been an idol for so shortly, but youâre still so talented at dance, i canât help, but be jealousâ he pouts, a short laugh following. it did feel a bit weird that hyoseop had to ask for help from someone who had been an idol for a lot shorter than him, but hey, he needed the help.
âah, i was thinking we practice the choreo first? but hey, youâre the boss! iâll follow your leadâ he smiles to the other.
when minjun thought life couldnât surprise him, it just slapped him in the face and told him he was just a silly boy with a long road ahead of him. to have someone like hyoseop to praise him and tell him he was jealous of his dancing was something so unexpected, he felt his knees tremble a little, followed by a nervous giggle.
âoh god, hyung, donât say that! iâm sure youâre just as good, i mean, iâve seen you since your debut, ok! you guys are great, iâm a big fan!â, he bowed down respectfully before they could move to find a spot in front of the mirror.
they had some practice to do, and minjun felt the weight of leading hyoseop through his dancing process - he found the routine of breaking the whole choreography into small, not sequential, and from easiest to hardest, the best way to cover it all perfectly. some people didnât like the way he did it, but in the end, it worked fine.
âokay, i think the opening lines, when weâre just walking to the start position, are the easiest parts, before dom and jazz hyungâs lines. we can start from there and stop before iseulâs lines. pre chorus will be covered in the end. trust me, itâs going to be okay. everything harder we can practice in the end. if itâs okay, iâll be singing and counting so we can see how you practiced, and then we'll do it together. how does it sound? confusing? okay? itâs my first time guiding a dance practice, iâm nervous!â, he laughed.
minjun always admired certain idols when he was a trainee. he used to spend most of his free time secretly watching their practice, trying to absorb everything he could during their boothcamps or training events when the idols were working as mentors.
so to work with them, especially when legacy decided to pull one of those events where all their groups would interact, was both challenging and exciting. he couldnât help being amazed by how professional everyone was handling the task to work on a brand new song in such a short amount of time, when most of them were also busy with comebacks.
when hyoseop spoke to him, minjun tried his best not to look alarmed or act like a fool - he shouldâve been used to being recognized by other idols when he was also one, but that always failed him.Â
âhi, hyung!â he bowed his greeting and smiled, as he looked around, at everyone else, and finally at the man in front of him. âeverything is going great. the song is a challenge for me as well. but i heard your rap lines, you were doing good!â but then he stopped for a moment, an idea crossing his mind. âwould you like to practice together?â
he could add that it would be such a dream to practice with a member of one of his favorite groups, but he didnât want to sound like a silly fanboy.
opportunities like these were nice for hyoseop, every idol was usually busy, so it was often difficult to find time to spend with idols that werenât in your group. he hadnât realized how little legacy idols he were friends with, while he knew the names of the people in this practice room, a lot of them he had barely spoken with before. it was nice to finally have time to spend with other idol friends, but it was also exciting to interact with the idols he hadnât given much time before.
âitâs exciting for me, i love trying new conceptsâ he smiles âand thank you, iâm glad they gave me the opportunity to rap in the song, i do quite enjoy rappingâ. rapping was his passion, and while over the years he had gotten better at singing, he still much preferred to rap in songs. âfor sures! as far as iâve seen, you seem to be a good dancer, itâd be nice to get a bit of advice from youâ. âwanna do the chorus together? it seems like the hardest part to meâ.
minjun was definitely surprised. no, he was in shock; that would be a better definition for the feelings he was trying to hide while wearing his best poker face. cha hyoseop was praising his dancing? and was asking for advice? in which alternate universe did he land, and that was his new reality?
âs-sure! anything you want from the routine, let me know what you wanna do, iâd love to help, hyung.â his voice faltered a little when he answered, but he tried his best to look as cool as the guy in front of him; as a member of versus, they all had a reputation to keep.
hyoseop wanted to try the chorus. right. the hardest part indeed. minjun himself took most of his practice time with those lines, trying to get everything right together, instead of working on vocals first and then the choreography; his brain worked better that way, but he didnât know if the other man would follow the same routine.
âletâs do it. how do you wanna do it? practice lines and tempo first, and then add the choreo, or the other way around? what works the best for you?â
title: put a ring on itpartner: @lgchyoseopevent: project tva 003
sometimes it was hard to notice, but minjun was used to competition. Having spent most of his life inside a pool, dealing with coaches and the weight of always delivering excellence in the form of new records and breaking them, gave him an eye for noticing when things were about to go wrong.
he noticed it first when hyoseop threw the first ring (and missed it) for their task, and he sighed deeply, trying to focus more or find something to blame for his performance. minjun wanted to talk to him, but since he wasnât close to the type zero member, even if they did interact during award ceremonies or promotions whenever their schedules clashed, he wasnât sure if his words would be well received.
in the end, minjun didnât want their performance to look poor; he didnât want to lose to anyone else, so if he could help the older man out, even if his words disappeared in thin air after a couple of seconds, he should try.
âhyung.â he started, shifting his weight from one foot to another, suddenly unsure about what he was going to say. âmaybe you should take a deep breath before throwing it again. weâre just getting started.â
hyoseop has never been particularly smart, his sister definitely got the brains, but being physical? hyoseop was always good at that. he used to be on the swimming team, along with on the volleyball team, and basically whatever sport he tries, heâs good at it. thatâs his thing, heâs good at being physical, which makes you question why heâs a bad dancer then, but ask him, and he wouldnât be able to answer.
but, since heâs so good at physical things, he has a tendency to become⊠competitive. even when he plays soccer or something else for fun, there comes out a really competitive side in him. and this tva variety show or whatever it was, it kept challenging his inner competitive side.
when he misses the ring, he almost bites his lip hard enough for it to bleed, luckily there's no blood, but ouch, his lip kind of hurts now. heâs not too familiar with his partner for this mission, he knows heâs an idol in versus, but that might be as far as his knowledge reaches. âtake a deep breath?â hyoseop stares at minjun, wide eyes, you can almost see the question mark on his face. âhow do i take a deep breath?âÂ
if that had been a dynamic involving his groupmates, minjun wouldâve responded to that question in a sassier way, teasing his hyungs with jokes about them being too old and not understanding a simple task. they would throw jokes his way, and they would have a great time playing that game.
but he couldnât extend the same thing to someone from another group, someone he wasnât familiar with. the question was still reverberating inside his head as a bad joke, something that caught Minjun off guard, and he realized how different the cha siblings were; it was so easy to talk to sori, he remembered.
âwellâŠâ he wondered what would work better for them, but in the end, minjun just did what he always did during moments of tension (maybe they were taking that game too seriously?) - he showed what he meant. âtry doing this.â
minjun took one of the rings, aiming at one of their selected targets, but before he could throw it, he closed his eyes for a moment, sighing so deeply that he momentarily felt his ears closing, and there was no noise around him. then, as he exhaled, he threw the ring, granting them a point.
âit always works for me, hyung. it doesnât hurt to try. iâm sure weâll go great.â
