i do me

난 나답게 더 빛나져

[lgcxminji]

q3 2024 plot call + tracker

hi everyone! this is going to be my main plot call/tracker for minji this trimester. i hit a bit of a low period last quarter in terms of plotting/writing so i'm looking to pick thing back up. please please please feel free to reach out to me to plot, especially non-event threads! i can be found here, on twt, or on discord (message me for my @). if you want me to reach out first, you can also like this post!

plots i'm looking for + ongoing threads are listed below the cut:

fabula mission

october preparations: @lgcsori true religion ootd: solo done!

lgc girls breaker

anyone thread: anybody! other thread: anybody who has not interacted with minji since jan 2023! solo: solo

gyeseung

backstory: solo pocket realm: anybody!

non-event

i'm definitely looking for more non-event threads for minji this quarter so PLEASE! reach out to me if you're looking for new threads for your muse. minji's a social butterfly and would love to interact with anybody and everybody :) undefeated: @lgcnabi

q2 rollover

these are the threads (that i can find/remember) that i believe are still going from q2. if you'd rather end it and start something new, just let me know! if there's one i didn't include here that you wanted to continue, please just remind me and i will definitely add it to my list :) sway to my beat: @lgcharu t.b.h: @lgcareum

[lgcsori]

lgcxminji

"i could ask the same about you," minji says. "you look good in every picture i've ever seen, promise!" minji thinks about the question herself though, pondering over what makes her take good pictures. of course, there are pictures she's taken that make her cringe, but since becoming an idol, she has regretted pictures she's taken less. so, she thinks "maybe it's the training?" she thinks back to the test shoots, the evaluations, the little trainee events she took pictures for. "legacy does make sure we get a lot of practice!" the girl nods. "three takes! there's no way we need longer than that unless something seriously goes wrong." she perks up at the thought of snacks, though. "that's a good motivator! maybe we should all go out for snacks later." speaking of, she's not sure when the others are arriving. "i'm sure they will," she reasons. "what time were we supposed to get here? i know i tried to come in pretty early."

“you’re too sweet” sori says, sending a smile the other’s way before taking a sip of her vitamin drink. while sori doesn’t care much for her looks, the countless of compliments on her looks has made her pretty sure she’s considered pretty. she’s unlike her brother when it comes to that, the man is very aware of his good looks, and he seems to care a lot about those said good looks. “sometimes it feels weird how many pictures of me is out there” she hums “people take pictures of me without i even realize they do it” she shrugs.

“let’s hope nothing goes wrong then! i’m pretty confident in the dance, i’ve practiced it quite a lot of times by now” she nods. “mmhm, snacks after all of this hard work sounds good! i could really use something with red bean right now” her stomach rumbles. “ah, when were we supposed to come? i always come in early, so i guess the two of us are probably just early?” she tilts her head to the side “there can’t possible be a lot of time before the others arrive too”.

[lgcxminji]

minji agrees, nodding along with sori's mention of photos she doesn't even know about. "i've seen pictures of myself where i don't even remember where they were taken," she laughs. "like this one time, i saw a picture of myself on the internet at... i think it was one of the fan concerts? and i didn't even remember i was in those performances."

"you're going to do well," minji confidently declares. "we're all good at dancing, so it shouldn't be too bad." she thinks about what to eat after the dance practice, and red bean sounds quite good. "there's that bakery down the street? don't they have red bean bread?" she thinks about what she's seen over there. "oh! and those really good twisted donuts too!"

the girl does wonder when the others are coming, but considering just how early she tends to arrive, it doesn't catch minji by surprise. "i came in super early this morning to get some extra practice in, so maybe that's why. i feel like i'm always really early!"

[lgcxminji]

just enough

minji is known to do far too much in general. too much chatter, too much practicing, too much shoving spicy food down her throat until her stomach feels ready to explode... so recently, she has been practicing the art of 'just enough.'

of course, 'just enough' looks a lot different for minji compared to others. to others, 'just enough' tends to look like doing the bare minimum and nothing more. for minji, it means only doing things for the time or amount she has prescribed for herself.

practice? she used to go until nearly 2am the next morning. now, she limits herself to staying until midnight; after that, she has to go home and get a full 7 hours of sleep.

chatter? she's been focusing a lot more on just saying what needs to be said, maybe something extra here and there but nothing that causes her to drone on for multiple minutes. this is a lot easier said than done, but she at least tries not to go on long tangents without letting whoever she's talking to respond.

spicy food? well... this is the hardest one. she loves spicy food, but she knows the consequences of eating so much of it. so, she limits herself to one meal with spicy food a day, rather than the two meals as she's been doing before. normal food might taste bland, but the last thing she needs is for her stomach to burn a hole through itself right before an important event.

she will continue to practice the art of 'just enough' until she has mastered a good balance between health, career, and happiness. perhaps this is her first real step into wellness.

[lgcsori]

lgcxminji

for minji, makeup had always just been part of her life. having been in the performing arts from a young age, she was always putting on makeup for a musical or a dance recital or whatever else she happened to be doing, even in elementary school. by the time she was in middle school, she was wearing light makeup daily, not because she had a particular interest in makeup or anything, but because it was just something she knew how to do and decided to do along with the other girls in her grade. "ah, really?" minji smiles, catching a glimpse of her face in the mirror. she has never been one to particularly study her own looks; after all, she spent most of her time playing characters, so she was used to not 'looking herself' anyways. but her skin is in pretty good condition (something minji does put effort into, as it's her duty as an idol). she might have some dark under eyes from staying up late at night, but it's nothing too noticeable; she also puts in effort to combat them as much as she can. "i might sweat mine off," she says. "i'm predicting at least three full-out takes, assuming everything goes perfectly all three takes." minji is no stranger to filming, and knows they tend to do multiple takes of anything, even if the first take was almost flawless; sometimes, the editors just like having options so they can put out the one that feels the most right. "but i think we should be done pretty quickly regardless," the girl reasons. "we must be at a point where we're comfortable with the choreography, if they're having us film the practice now without delays."

sori was still far from being the best at giving compliments, but she tried. it just didn’t come naturally to her for some reason, usually she’d have to force out a compliment. she was getting better at it though, and when she mentioned minji looked good without make up, she did genuinely mean it. “you’re so pretty, i don’t think i’ve ever seen an ugly picture of you… how do you do it?” she places her hands on her hips as she tilts her head to the side. sori though, has also always been told she’s pretty no matter what, she just doesn’t really care for such thing.

“three takes…” sori grows silent for a bit “good thing i like dancing” she adds. “i’ll buy some of my favourite snacks afterwards then, as a reward” she nods her head. “three takes isn’t too bad when i really think of it… so let’s go after three takes! i luckily think we’re a group of good dancers, so it should be easy, right?” she tilts her head to the side. “i at least feel confident in the dance” she shrugs, “do you think the others will  arrive soon?”.

[lgcxminji]

"i could ask the same about you," minji says. "you look good in every picture i've ever seen, promise!" minji thinks about the question herself though, pondering over what makes her take good pictures. of course, there are pictures she's taken that make her cringe, but since becoming an idol, she has regretted pictures she's taken less. so, she thinks "maybe it's the training?" she thinks back to the test shoots, the evaluations, the little trainee events she took pictures for. "legacy does make sure we get a lot of practice!"

the girl nods. "three takes! there's no way we need longer than that unless something seriously goes wrong." she perks up at the thought of snacks, though. "that's a good motivator! maybe we should all go out for snacks later." speaking of, she's not sure when the others are arriving. "i'm sure they will," she reasons. "what time were we supposed to get here? i know i tried to come in pretty early."

[lgcsori]

lgcxminji

minji gladly takes the vitamin drink, immediately uncapping it and taking a sip as she sits in a split on the ground. "you're right! this is where the dancing really counts, so i'll take all the vitamins I can get." she puts the bottle back down, then stretches forward in her split, feeling the slight pull on her hip muscles. she thinks about sori's words- the weirdness of filming in their 'natural' state, without heavy stage makeup or elaborate dancewear. minji, knowing she was filming today, did put on some very light makeup, nothing elaborate. just some mascara and a lip tint. however, it's still nowhere close to the flaw-covering glam they typically have on stage and in videos. despite not being in a 'perfect' state, minji still ends up replying "eh, i think i got used to it." after multiple years in the industry, it's second nature for her to notice cameras around at any point- prepared or not. "the fans won't mind anyways. anyone who says anything about it is probably just watching to hate in the first place."

sori didn’t care as much about her looks at her brother and dad, in that respect she was different and more like her mother. her brother and dad wore make up almost every time they went out, and the two were both big fans of working out. sori doesn’t think she’s ever even seen her mom in make up. it’s not that sori dislikes wearing make up, she loves getting her make up done, and she often does her make up herself, it’s just… not a priority for sori? she doesn’t mind going out without make up, besides, she usually isn’t lazy, but when it comes to her looks… perhaps she’s a bit lazy…

“i don’t dislike my face without make up, so who cares” she shrugs. “and you always look good minji, make up or not” she smiles to the other. “besides, if we did wear make up, we might just sweat it off anyway” she nods her head a bit. “do you think we’ll manage to get it in one take…? i feel like even if we do good on our first take, they might just make us do another take anyway”.

[lgcxminji]

for minji, makeup had always just been part of her life. having been in the performing arts from a young age, she was always putting on makeup for a musical or a dance recital or whatever else she happened to be doing, even in elementary school. by the time she was in middle school, she was wearing light makeup daily, not because she had a particular interest in makeup or anything, but because it was just something she knew how to do and decided to do along with the other girls in her grade.

"ah, really?" minji smiles, catching a glimpse of her face in the mirror. she has never been one to particularly study her own looks; after all, she spent most of her time playing characters, so she was used to not 'looking herself' anyways. but her skin is in pretty good condition (something minji does put effort into, as it's her duty as an idol). she might have some dark under eyes from staying up late at night, but it's nothing too noticeable; she also puts in effort to combat them as much as she can.

"i might sweat mine off," she says. "i'm predicting at least three full-out takes, assuming everything goes perfectly all three takes." minji is no stranger to filming, and knows they tend to do multiple takes of anything, even if the first take was almost flawless; sometimes, the editors just like having options so they can put out the one that feels the most right. "but i think we should be done pretty quickly regardless," the girl reasons. "we must be at a point where we're comfortable with the choreography, if they're having us film the practice now without delays."

[lgchyunhee]

”i wasn’t sure what you’d like! i think i went a little overboard,” hyunhee says with a chuckle. “but you can take whatever is left over back home to your members. i wouldn’t want this going to waste.”

“i’m glad you like the belts! my brand is focusing on accessories, and i think statement belts are coming back into style with the whole y2k revival. i think maybe next time i’ll add some more buckles. i like that they’re interchangeable, it saves you from having, like, 20 belts.” hyunhee laughs again before taking a sip of her drink. “easier to store, too!”

“ah, you’re right! let’s get into it,” she says while pushing over a stack of papers towards minji. “here’s the script. there’s a few lines where you talk, but it’s mostly to the camera and then the person you’re meeting at the end of the commercial. i’d like your input as well.” hyunhee looks up at the idol with a smile. “the concept is basically set, but if there’s anything you can think of that might add a little pizazz, we can work with that.”

[lgcxminji]

"that would be great!" minji loves the idea of bringing some back for the other members. and anyways, if the other members don't want them, minji will gladly keep the treats for herself too. however, she replies, "i'm sure the others would enjoy them." the girl smiles as she grabs another bite to eat.

"yes! i have so many belts," she confesses, "and they are such a hassle to keep up with. it's such a good idea to have interchangeable buckles!" rather than having so many belts, she's intrigued by the idea of just having one or two, with buckles she can change whenever she wants, and however she wants.

the idol leafs through the script as hyunhee hands it to her, quickly skimming through the storyline and general details of the commercial. "i like this idea!" she says. she thinks for a moment about it, and then asks, "what if the beginning was shot from the perspective of the phone, if that makes sense? like, maybe i'm taking selfies in my bed when the notification comes up at the top of the screen, so it appears like a notification at the top of your own phone! it might be a fun way to catch the attention of the younger generation that way."

[cherrylgc]

lgcxminji

"it is nice to be busy," minji declares. "it's part of why i decided i wanted to be an idol, since idols always have something to do. of course, i loved acting too, but considering i wanted to be a musical actress first and foremost, you usually have really long gaps between shows where you just have no work, and i felt like that'd be difficult to deal with." as much as she loves theatre, she's satisfied with doing it on the side, at least for now. "it does fly by so fast! hmm, let's see... what's the spiciest thing on their menu?" of course, minji goes for the spiciest thing. she scans down the list of chicken and lands on the classic spicy flavor. "this is what i'll try!" she says out loud, adding her order into the cart on the store's self-checkout system. "how about you, which flavor do you want?"

“yeah, i do quite enjoy being busy” she nods “now that i live alone… it can get a bit lonely to just stay at home by myself” she shrugs, “so i always try to stay busy, and if i have nothing on my schedule, i use the time on my friends or family” she smiles to the other. cherry should find a day though, to let it all out, rather than keeping herself so busy she can’t even think about it, she’s still heartbroken, the breakup hit her hard. “but musical actress, really? that’s cool, i don’t think i can do it” she shakes her head “i can’t really sing”.

“eh!? you’re going for the spiciest?” cherry looks briefly at minji in shock, before she turns back to look at the menu. “i want something mild so…” she points at it “i’d pick this one!” she says with a smile on her lips. “i do like spicy food, i’m just not the best at handling it… maybe i should work on my spice tolerance?” she hums. “are you sure you can handle the spiciest though, i’ve heard this place really goes all in with spice” she looks curiously at minji.

[lgcxminji]

"living alone has been lonely for me, too," minji notes. ever since the girls got their own units within the dorms, she hasn't had other members to talk to all the time, being an extrovert, that can be difficult to deal with. "i go to my grandma's restaurant some of the time, or somethings i just stick around at the company building instead. i think i just like being surrounded by people." she's surprised to hear cherry say she can't sing. "really?" she asks, clearly surprised. "i'm sure you're not that bad."

she nods in complete determination. "absolutely. i haven't found a spice level i haven't been able to tolerate yet. well..." she giggles, thinking about a few times where she did go for it, but it was probably a bad idea. "i want to try it at least once before i go down a level! i work backwards when it comes to spice." the girl taps both of the orders, and then immediately shoves her card into the card reader. "it's on me today!"

[lgchyunhee]

━━ model brands ◞ hyunny bts .· ( @lgcxminji )

surprisingly, the initial discussions with her team went off without a hitch. she’s never been the best at expressing herself, but for her brand’s newest collection, her creativity just started flowing. everything came together surprisingly well. with the model picked, it was time for hyunhee to sit down with her and discuss their plan of action.

the spread on the table is less now since it’s just the two of them, but there are still plenty of pastries to choose from. hyunhee had also contacted minji’s manager inquiring about what her favorite drink was so she could have that ready for her too. she’s halfway through a chocolate croissant when she hears a soft knock on the door.

“come in!” she yells, standing up from her seat. she waves excitedly as mini walks in, gesturing her to sit at the seat across from her. “please sit! we have lots to talk about so i made sure to get us snacks.” hyunhee takes her seat once again.

“oh! and before i forget this is for you,” she says pushing a box towards the idol. “everything from the newest collection plus a few extra things.”

[lgcxminji]

this isn't minji's first time modeling, but this one feels nice. she's modeling for someone she knew as a trainee. in fact, minji remembers their prior interaction in particular; the girl coming up to her with a kiss goodbye album, shyly asking for an autograph. therefore, this project was a special one.

the girl made sure to come to this initial meeting in top condition. despite being a night owl, she made sure to get a full night of rest the previous night, and also made sure to arrive at the building early. "hello," she greets other excitedly, entering the room with a bounce in her step. she takes the seat across from hyunhee, immediately eyeing all of the pastries in front of her. "wow! how will i ever choose?" she jokingly asks; of course, she will try them all at least once.

the idol graciously accepts the gifts as well, gawking at the belts she immediately sees as she opens the box. "these are so cute!" she pulls one out, then stands up and immediately holds them up to her jeans. while she has no way of seeing what it looks like, she shows them to hyunhee to see. "i'm going to be wearing these all the time. thank you!"

she sits back down, calming herself in order to get to business. "so, we should talk about the ad campaign, right? i might get too carried away if i keep looking at these belts..."

[lgcsori]

lgcxminji

dance practice hype

with the new comeback on the horizon, it meant there were many routine activities that needed to be filmed; and today, it was time to record the dance practice.¨ minji had dressed herself in a simple black outfit, one that she hoped would accentuate her lines and make herself look good while dancing. she had her hair tied up in a ponytail, a habit she'd held since her days in musical theatre dance classes. the girl excitedly bounced into the practice room, meeting sori inside." she smiles, plopping herself next to her and beginning to warm up, starting with a few lunges. "i was practicing in my dorm late last night, i was so excited! i want to make sure it's perfect, of course. how about you, do you think you're ready for the video?"

sori was ambivalent when it came to filming dance practice. dance surely was sori’s greatest skill, and she was very confident in it, still, having a camera film her made her a bit nervous, which makes no sense, because she’s not at all nervous when she’s performing live. perhaps she just hasn’t fully gotten used to being in front of cameras yet, it still feels… strange… unfamiliar? she doesn’t have a word for it, she just knows she still remains not the biggest fan of being filmed.

she’s wearing grey sweatpants, and a way too tight black shirt, looking in the mirror, she almost feels disgusted, not that her outfit looks bad, it just… looks like something her brother would wear… sure they’ve spent more time than usual lately, but that doesn't mean she’s becoming more like him, does it? ah well… who cares, sori is probably the only one noticing how striking similar her outfit is to what her brother wears.

sori nods at minji’s words “i feel prepared” she says, a slight smile showing up on her lips. “ah wait, give me a second!” the girl says before vanishing over to her bag, soon returning “here’s a vitamin drink” she says with a smile “we gotta keep ourselves healthy”. “it feels a bit weird there’s cameras in here when i look so… naked? i haven’t done my hair nor my make up…”.

[lgcxminji]

minji gladly takes the vitamin drink, immediately uncapping it and taking a sip as she sits in a split on the ground. "you're right! this is where the dancing really counts, so i'll take all the vitamins I can get." she puts the bottle back down, then stretches forward in her split, feeling the slight pull on her hip muscles.

she thinks about sori's words- the weirdness of filming in their 'natural' state, without heavy stage makeup or elaborate dancewear. minji, knowing she was filming today, did put on some very light makeup, nothing elaborate. just some mascara and a lip tint. however, it's still nowhere close to the flaw-covering glam they typically have on stage and in videos.

despite not being in a 'perfect' state, minji still ends up replying "eh, i think i got used to it." after multiple years in the industry, it's second nature for her to notice cameras around at any point- prepared or not. "the fans won't mind anyways. anyone who says anything about it is probably just watching to hate in the first place."

[lgcyoojin]

yoojin was aware minji didn’t exactly recognize him, or maybe she did, but not exactly from where. and that was completely okay; he found it interesting how idols were trained to act polite in those situations, and even if he put her in that awkward position, she acted just like a lady.

“i love this place, but i don’t think i’ve seen you here before!”, he offered her a smile, in between bites on the ramen. deciding to remove the white elephant in the room, he just explained, “i’m a legacy trainee. my name is yoojin.”

he normally wouldn’t go around telling people he was a trainee, but considering how the two of them shared that status, he didn’t think it’d be a problem. 

what was surprising was the fact that she was not only there at the restaurant, but also talking to him as if she worked there or used to help the owner. interesting.

“do you come here often?”, as soon as the words left his mouth, he wanted to hide under the table, because for god’s sake, yoojin, that sounded like the oldest/creepiest/cheapest pick up line ever.

[lgcxminji]

"hi, yoojin!" she says with another smile. "ah! i must have seen you at the company then. are you training to be an idol? or maybe an actor or model?" she's excited to meet a trainee, since after all, it's been a while since she's been one and she no longer has a ton of connections to hear about which trainees are getting ready for debut and such.

"i try to come in when i can," she smiles, completely oblivious to the awkwardness of his question. the idol is just happy to know a legacy trainee enjoys the restaurant. "after all, it is my grandma's ramen shop." she does try her best, though it's hard with all of her overseas schedules and domestic promotions. she tries her best, though, especially when her schedule is slower.

"so, what do you like to order here?" she asks excitedly.

[cherrylgc]

lgcxminji

"ah, yes, your youtube channel!" minji jumps a little, mentioning, "i watch it whenever i get the chance. usually in the car on the way to our schedules." she thinks back to the last season she watched, which was season 5. "i loved the one where you tried pole dancing with sarang-nim, it looked like so much fun!" minji also thinks back to martine corporation. having had a guest appearance in season 1, she definitely tuned into season 2, wondering what new was coming out of the story. it's unfortunate she couldn't appear as a guest again, but nonetheless, she was excited for both the new and returning cast of the series. "i think being busy can be a good thing," minji says. "i like it because it gives me something to focus on. i don't know what i'd do if i had nothing to do but sit around and wonder what i should do for the day." as she says this, the sign noting the chicken restaurant's new presence becomes clear. "oh! there it is!" she exclaims, her stride becoming a bit faster at the thought of finally getting to try this new restaurant out.

“eh! you do?" a bright smile shows up on cherry’s lips, and she can’t help but clap a little. it’s so exciting when people cherry knows watch her youtube channel, it feels like an achievement. cherry puts a lot of work into her youtube channel, coming up with ideas, filming it, editing it herself. her youtube career is still bigger than her acting career, cherry doesn’t mind it too much, she enjoys being a youtuber as well. “ah the pole dancing… it was much harder than i had expected”.

“i enjoy being busy at the moment, there’s too much stuff in my head, i need a distraction” she shakes her head. having martine corporations had really helped, cherry was constantly thinking about areum and the breakup, having something else to think about was nice. “it gets boring if there’s nothing to do anyway, i remember before i started landing acting gigs, i sat at home like: ‘what now?’". 

“eh? we’re already at the restaurant? time goes faster with good company, right?”.

[lgcxminji]

"it is nice to be busy," minji declares. "it's part of why i decided i wanted to be an idol, since idols always have something to do. of course, i loved acting too, but considering i wanted to be a musical actress first and foremost, you usually have really long gaps between shows where you just have no work, and i felt like that'd be difficult to deal with." as much as she loves theatre, she's satisfied with doing it on the side, at least for now.

"it does fly by so fast! hmm, let's see... what's the spiciest thing on their menu?" of course, minji goes for the spiciest thing. she scans down the list of chicken and lands on the classic spicy flavor. "this is what i'll try!" she says out loud, adding her order into the cart on the store's self-checkout system. "how about you, which flavor do you want?"

[lgcxminji]

dance practice hype

starter for @lgcsori

with the new comeback on the horizon, it meant there were many routine activities that needed to be filmed; and today, it was time to record the dance practice.

minji had dressed herself in a simple black outfit, one that she hoped would accentuate her lines and make herself look good while dancing. she had her hair tied up in a ponytail, a habit she'd held since her days in musical theatre dance classes.

the girl excitedly bounced into the practice room, meeting sori inside." she smiles, plopping herself next to her and beginning to warm up, starting with a few lunges. "i was practicing in my dorm late last night, i was so excited! i want to make sure it's perfect, of course. how about you, do you think you're ready for the video?"

[lgcxminji]

project wr audition

she sees it. she knows it's important. and yet nobody else in the room seems to notice it.

the girl sighs, knowing she's going to once again need to convince everyone she's the smartest in the room, despite being the youngest (and cutest). quite the annoying undertaking.

"just look at that painting," she notes with an eye roll. she points over to a painting on the wall, which appears to be a sunday afternoon on the island at la grande jatte by georges seurat. "this man is a well known art collector. surely, he knows this painting is not the original." the girl holds for confusion, before speaking up once again. "think about it, as a hardcore hello kitty collector, i'd easily be able to spot if her bow was on the wrong side, right? well- maybe not me specifically, but even someone that's not so -" she says, to blank stares in the room. "ugh, you- you get my point."

"so, look at this spot right here," the girl starts, pointing to a space right in front of a lake. "on the original painting, this is just negative space. but what do we see here? a little boy playing with marbles. how many marbles? six of them." the girl moves her pointer finger over to the middle of the canvas. "now look over here, a girl jumping rope. and if you look closely at her ankles, she only has one sock on." she finally moves over to probably the most recognizable subject of the painting. "now this is where i don't get how you all didn't see this sooner. look at the dogs. this woman is only supposed to have a dog and a monkey, but now there are two monkeys."

the girl skips over to the safe before anyone can question her, bends down, and enters a code, saying it out loud: "six... one... two." click! "and we're in..." she looks at the contents and immediately scoffs, "dang, i didn't know our suspect was so lame. just a note? what's the fun in that!? alright, now i'm bored, someone else should give this one a shot."

[lgclili]

a finger poised at her chin, lili runs the choreographies in her head for a moment before supposing on an answer. “i definitely struggled with the hip-hop aspect, i’m not too used to just letting my body flow in that way.” hip hop was both instinct and being clean and smooth. different from contemporary where it focused on emotional expression and tethered aspects from ballet; hip-hop had her stuck as she didn’t want to seem too forced but she also didn’t want to appear too flawed.

whether they wanted them to be individuals or a collective entity was also something she wanted to ask minji when it came to the choreography. “since it’s a team routine, i didn’t want to stand out too much but i was also wondering if you guys created the routine in mind for us to be one with each other or to be more free as if we were improvising rather than doing a practiced dance.” which would also lend to whether how relaxed lili would do the routine during the concert.

these were all aspects lili kept close to heart when portraying someone else’s ideas through dance.

“you can definitely tell a story was in play, i love how you guys also used colors to speak for you since it’s a actions speak louder than words sort of scenario, at least from what i saw.”

[lgcxminji]

minji nods as lili notes her struggles. it makes sense, considering how different hip-hop must be for many of the trainees and dancers who are used to different dance techniques. minji herself didn't train in hip-hop much as a kid, and it was something she ended up learning herself later in life. "i can understand why that's difficult," she says to lili, "since it's such a unique style of dance. but i think it makes for a great learning experience, at least i hope it does."

she thinks about the answer to that question. she's not sure herself- but ultimately she notes "while the overarching theme is love, in a way, it's about being free to love, right?" she thinks about the storyline, a bit like a romeo-and-juliet scenario, except nobody dies. "so i don't think it hurts if in some sections, things are as synchronized- i should bring that up with sori!" she smiles, thinking it's a great idea to have some sections where nobody is dancing quite the exact same, even if the general choreography is the same for all of them.

"oh! i'm so glad," the girl immediately smiles. "right, i thought the contrast of color would help the two sides stand out quite a bit. especially since we can't outright say anything." she loves the art of storytelling through dance, and the creative ways one can tell a story without words. "i'm so happy it's coming together so well. i bet it's going to look great on stage, don't you think?"

[lgcxminji]

oneart studio reflection

how did you feel preparing for this concert? were there any moments that surprised you about yourself?

"i learned that i'm interested in learning a lot more styles than just hip-hop and pop," she noted immediately. "working with sori, i got to experience some classical choreography. it's not something i tried much of before, and i think it was really fun. i'd like to learn more of it in the future."

how did you feel about the way your team collaborated on the performance?

"i thought it went really well!" minji said with a smile. "sori had a lot of good ideas when we started out, which was really helpful! from that first idea, we were able to come up with even more ideas about songs, choreography, and even the storyline to make the performance really special." she thinks back to when they were first planning the performance, picking songs and designing what the set would look like. "i think it was great that we got to create this together."

looking back, what did you learn about your own dancing or stage presence?

minji thinks long and hard about this one. "it makes me remember how much i love to dance." she thinks back to her days as a kid performing in musicals and dance recitals, and as an idol performing on stage. "yes, i'm dancing all the time- but usually it's not just about the dancing like it was for this project. it makes me want to keep dancing even more." the girl stops to think about her stage presence as well, thinking back to the contrast between this project and her normal idol career. "it also reminded me that dancing tells a story," she notes, "and how important it is to convey that story using your face, body language, and overall presence."

which part of your performance are you most proud of?

"i'm proud of how we were able to blend our such different dance styles together," the idol says, smiling as she remembers how well the two meshed together. "it can be hard to combine both classical and pop elements, but i think that worked out well, especially with the songs we chose." she loves how high horse turned out in particular, and mentions, "i think experimental projects like this are a great way to push our creative boundaries."

[lgclili]

lili is no model student, she doesn’t try to stand out nor beg for praise with pristinely scrumptious apples but there’s a little more on the line this time and lili would be damned to mess up this chance for lack of trying. so, she appeals to the inner court of her pride and does what lili usually never do. ( and yes, this may be the desperation talking ) she becomes an active participant in the class, when there’s a specific move that stumps her ( and little does mind you, but rather than take her rough and tumble ‘i’ll figure it out myself’ way ), she’s raising her hand — mimicking the move in the way she has misunderstood and awaits correction.

ostentatiously so that she is not surprised when minji wanders over after the lesson, and lili wonders if the impression of struggling student suit her as much as it did. with a soft, almost wry sigh, lili weighs her choices of an answer before deciding on, “better than i thought, there were a few kinks i couldn’t wrap my head around,” as was obvious during the lesson, “but we were able to work it out. i actually have been enjoying it, it’s been a while since i was able to immerse myself in a choreography.” she’s spent too long trying to polish her singing that dancing had taken a back burner in the last few years. “it makes me wonder how you guys were able to come up with the choreography.”

[lgcxminji]

minji thinks about lili's response, noting the both the struggles and the triumphs she shared. she wanted to make sure she knew what specific parts to work on during the next practices. so, she asks "was there anything specific about the choreography that was difficult?"

the idol laughs. "to be honest, a lot of it was sori's idea," she admitted. "she's the one who came up with the idea of using eyes, nose, lips and love scenario as songs. but i did particularly suggest high horse since i felt like it was a good way to tie both the genres and the story together." she thinks about whether any of the trainees caught onto that yet. "is that something you noticed? i was hoping it was a good decision..."

[lgcxminji]

strike a pose

minji underestimated how difficult it would be for her to try and pose with a person who isn't there.

she stands in front of the greenscreen, cameras ready to shoot, but she's still thinking of a pose. her mind goes through the possible poses- bust most involve her poking the person, or putting her arms around the person, or otherwise interacting in-person with the other.

suddenly, she has an idea. she asks the manager to join her in front of the greenscreen and to just stand next to her. no posing, just standing. minji uses this body double to find some pose ideas. for example, poking the manager's cheeks, pointing to her, doing a heart to her cheek, and other such poses.

finally, she decides on her four poses. the idol thanks the manager, and then repeats the poses again, this time just imagining that someone else is there with her. she provides the photographers and designers with multiple options, from options that involve no interaction with the invisible partner, to ones that would likely require them to use a lot of photoshopping in order to make work.

after taking the photos, she is ushered into another room and asked to design the frame and stickers. here, she has a much easier time. with it being valentines day and all, she chooses a light pink base with white sparkles around it. for the stickers, she also starts with the staples - a red heart, a pink heart, cupcakes, and chocolate. she then decides to add some personal flare: a sticker of michoco (her faboo) and a packet of sugar (to represent her solo song, sugarcoat).

finally, the girl writes her signature neatly at the bottom of the frame. she takes a few tries, just to make sure that the signature is the best she could make. she also does something she usually doesn't do- she adds a heart under the signature, right before where she prints her name in hangul. with that, she admires her work, excited to see how the fans will enjoy the frames and use them in their photobooth shoots.