˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

[lgcdom]

fuck paper straws, dom thought as he chewed on the cardboard end of one. this is the worst invention ever. whose brilliant idea was it anyway? politician ryu. definitely politician ryu. there's a reason father hates him. he pulled the straw up to swirl the chocolate bits—only for it to catch at the slits in the lid. seriously, fuck these straws!! who cares about the environment!!!

"... respectful and sweet ..."

nari was still talking about minjun. correction. she was still defending minjun. dom didn't get it. who in their right minds would defend their ex? better question: "why are you still friends with an ex?"

this was nari they were talking about. if minjun had broken her heart, she'd make his life a living hell and dom wouldn't hear the end of it. if she'd broken minjun's heart, then she wouldn't want anything to do with him because that chapter of her life was over. it didn't make any sense. there was something more that she wasn't letting on—

"what?"

dom didn't know much german, but he's sure that he'd caught the words date me. he stared at her through his sunglasses, his heart thundering in his ears as his brain worked over time to connect the dots. nari randomly bringing up her ex ... talking highly of him ... defending him ... then telling dom to date her ...

oh.

that must be it.

dom's fingers fell from the paper straw. a flicker of hurt crossed his eyes, mimicking the way his lips pressed into a line. his jaw was set, and he looked as rigid as ever.

"i'm not going to be your rebound," he said slowly, quietly, measuring out each syllable with great care to avoid letting on how hard her request punched him in the gut. had this been anyone else, dom would've spat fire at them for the audacity.

but this was nari.

he liked nari.

[lgcxnari]

nari didn’t realize he’d understood her until he spoke.

for a second, she just stared at him, the words not quite landing, as if her brain needed an extra moment to catch up with what she’d heard. “my… what?”

the confusion on her face was immediate and genuine. she had no idea what he was talking about suddenly. she’d mumbled so impulsively that she hadn’t fully registered what came out of her own mouth, let alone what he added right after. it just made no sense, in any reality, that dom could think even for a second that he could ever be a mere… 

“rebound?!”

her eyes widened, posture straightening as the meaning finally clicked in her mind. her lips were parted in disbelief, letting go of the straw she’d been biting on. a small chuckle escaped her, more incredulous than anything. she was stunned, to put it simply. what kind of alternate reality did dominic ahn live in?

“oppa, i wasn’t…” she paused, exhaling through her nose as she searched for the right way to explain without making it worse. a slight panic overcame her at first. the urgent need to correct his train of thought, to plead, to make sure he couldn’t be seriously thinking she was that kind of person. not to him, never to him. 

but then embarrassment took over, followed by annoyance. because didn’t he have ears to freaking listen to her? to understand from her tone that what happened with minjun was of so little significance that she didn’t care at all? that they remained friends because the feelings never really went beyond that, and that ‘dating’ had meant practically nothing?

no, of course. he had to misunderstand. had to make her look like a silly little girl incapable of making rational decisions. he was reacting exactly like she feared. like an overprotective brother. not like a… man.

“there’s nothing to rebound from,” she scoffed, looking at him like he suddenly grew three heads. “it didn’t even break my heart. it was just… something that happened?” she bit her lip, trying really hard to fight off the tears threatening to spill over. not because she was sad, exactly. well, maybe a little hurt. frustrated, too. embarrassed. “why are you being so mean? i… i only said that because…” she looked away, trying to come up with something plausible. something better than ‘i have had a massive crush on you for as long as i can remember and i don’t know what to do about it’. nothing comes to mind. “it’s fine, i get it. you don’t…” her nails dug into her palms.

[lgcmjun]

“i’m always overthinking, you know how i am. it’s too much information, people to please, goals to reach. i can’t…” he stopped talking when he got a pointed look from nari, shoulders relaxing a bit, familiarity hitting the two of them; again it was good to have her around, despite their history, minjun held good sentiments for her.

but he couldn’t stop trying to peek at this weird relationship between nari and dominic, of all people. it was such an odd combination, considering everything the guy did since he got to the dorms. it just didn’t make any sense, in his opinion, that a guy like him would be friends with such a sweet girl like nari.

“the guy hates me, apparently.” minjun shrugged his answer, making a face as he remembered everything dom did the past weeks - from their kitchen interaction, to him just acting as if on the edge and thinking all his members were the enemy. one thing was being overwhelming, another thing was to look like an insufferable person. “well, i think he hates everyone in the team. by the way, does he know about…us? like i said, he hates me.”

minjun was now with his arms crossed, trying to think if maybe he was just being dramatic;   maybe dominic was really scared, or overwhelmed like nari pointed out. she seemed to know him better than the entire versus team, but one thing was evident, “i think he only cares about akio, though.”

[lgcxnari]

nari listened with her chin resting in her palm, watching minjun talk himself in circles the way he sometimes did when his brain wouldn’t slow down. she couldn’t relate exactly, not really the anxious type, but since he was a friend, she had to show some support. “you can”, she said, voice a bit firm but still as gentle as she could muster. “you always think you can’t until you actually do it. that’s how you are where you are right now.”

she stopped there, not wanting to sound like she was scolding him for feeling how he felt. she just hated when people she liked felt some type of way about themselves, fighting the urge to grab them by the shoulders and shake them until they gained some confidence. but she had learned it wasn’t how that worked. the only thing she could do was… to listen, to be there. 

at the mention of dom “hating” him, she snorted before she could stop herself, quickly covering her mouth. “okay, sorry, it’s not funny. but also… it kind of is.” she shook her head, still amused but a bit more serious. “he doesn’t hate you. he just… looks like he does. that’s his default expression when he’s stressed. he gets all stiff and scary and looks like he wants to murder you.” her gaze darted away for a second, fondness sneaking in without her permission. “i’m sure he’ll… come around, if you guys are patient.”

when minjun asked about them, nari straightened up a little, suddenly alert of every shift in her facial expression. “he knows, i told him, otherwise it would’ve felt like i was… lying.” she could very well have chosen not to say anything, considering their relationship had been sweet but not exactly passionate or life-altering in terms of feelings. but perhaps the twisted part in her brain wanted to see how he’d react. 

she almost wanted to dismiss the akio comment, not really caring about the guy. “only akio? i don’t know about that.” she didn’t sound convinced, but since she wasn’t in their dorm, it was hard to claim it was one way or the other.

[lgcxnari]

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ silent disco

she slipped the bose headphones (pink, of course, to fit beautifully with her glinda costume) over her ears, and music floods in instantly. it started with loud techno, which she quickly changed to kpop before her head implodes. it felt weird, walking inside the maze and passing by other people jamming to music she couldn’t hear. she even found herself trying to guess which style they were listening to by the way they moved their body. 

she wandered around instead of truly committing to one booth in particular, her costume skirts swishing as she walked, though nobody could notice inside the maze. her little pink shoes sparkled with each step, and she waved her wand around as if she were giving blessings to passersby. it was funny, she thought, how fitting it felt. everyone expected her to be soft and graceful. and she was, smiling prettily to other trainees and artists.

inside her headphones, though? she was surrounded by her own chaos and noise.

she’d switched to power metal, headed to the r&b booth. the song playing would probably have given her mother a stroke, which was precisely why she was jamming to it without restraint. nobody could hear, nobody would know. she played some old school r&b next, finally letting herself move without worrying about how it looked. 

she explored the maze even deeper, switching channels on a whim every time she passed by a new booth. just trying new things, letting herself truly experiment with music. something she’d started doing since joining the company, but never without fear of judgement like this. everybody she met seemed like they were in their own little worlds, which emboldened her even more. 

she left the party earlier than she usually would have, though, since she ended up growing tired of not being able to chat with her friends. her mind was buzzing from the experience, but she needed to be away from her own head after a while.

[lgcxnari]

LOOK! IT'S GLINDA! — HALLOWEEN 2025

nari chose “no one mourns the wicked” as her green carpet song because not only is it glinda’s grand entrance in the story of wicked, but it’s the perfect contrast to glinda’s image. on the surface, she’s sparkling, polished, adored by all, but there’s so much more hidden beneath her shine. the song explores how easily people can turn someone into a symbol, for better or for worse, forgetting the complexity of who they really are. of course, she mainly chose to dress as glinda for the whimsy and for the pink, but there’s also something about that character that appeals to her and reminds her of herself. someone who never had to worry about the world outside of her bubble until she stepped out of it and realized just how much she still has to learn.

[lgcdom]

"what?" dom blurted before he could even stop himself. dated?? minjun?? a few years ago??? he frowned—tried not to, tried really hard not to—but his face couldn't settle on any other expression. really, though? minjun? what's so great about him? he's just some guy. sure, he's nice. but nari wasn't looking for nice.

... not that he knew what nari was looking for, but surely, nari would want more than nice. when they were kids making up scenarios and playing pretend, she was always the princess, the fairest in the land that had many stuffed animal suitors, and yet she always chose the prince or the knight in shining armour ( played by yours truly ) who wasn't always nice. at least, not to the other suitors.

but dom wasn't a prince. and minjun wasn't the giant teddy bear suitor that was his eternal enemy. still. minjun?? what??? it would've been fine ( he supposed ) if nari were more nonchalant about it, but he caught how her eyes darted away. and then how she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear like she always did when she was nervous—what was she nervous about, though? nari was rarely nervous.

unless.

unless.

she still had feelings for minjun.

..........

..................................

"i don't like him." he didn't even know the damn guy!!! never mind the fact that nari was trying to change the subject to his debut—who cared about his debut when there was a more pressing issue at play??? "you can do better." it sounded a little judgmental. okay, it sounded a lot judgmental, because he was judging her. what happened to flying to england to marry one of the princes there? ( totally not the reason dom studied there, by the way. that was a total coincidence. )

dom stared at her. a thousand fake scenarios of them together ran through his head like war flashbacks—them holding hands, them going on dates, them ki—GOD NO!!! he reeled back in his seat as if he had been struck by lighting. it damn near felt like it too.

he busied himself with his chocolate shake. tore at the napkin. put his sunglasses back on because he did not want her to stare deep into his soul and see how ... flustered? ... disappointed? ... heartbroken? he was.

"not that i can tell you who to date or not to date." casual, noncommittal. much better. "but seriously?" SWERVE!!!!

[lgcxnari]

nari had blinked at him, slow and disbelieving, as if he’d suddenly started speaking a foreign language. one moment she had been explaining (calmly, as casually as possible) that she and minjun had dated years ago, for a handful of months, both of them barely out of childhood. and the next, dom was staring at her like she’d confessed to a crime deserving of prison time. 

“what?” she echoed, brows furrowed as she tried to follow the dizzying turn his mood had taken. “oppa… it wasn’t serious. we were practically kids, it wasn’t–” she let out a breath, shaking her head as if suddenly deciding she should not be apologizing or justifying herself. “why are you acting like this?” but he kept going, as if he didn’t even hear her. each new line from him only deepened her confusion. ‘i don’t like him’. ‘you can do better’. he said it so firmly, so decisively, that she could only stare at him with a baffled expression on her face.

“you don’t like him? i can do better?” she repeated, the words sounding even more judgmental and wrong now that she was hearing them coming out of her mouth. “you don’t even know him! for the record, he was very respectful and sweet! she got defensive, not necessarily to defend minjun’s honor, at least not entirely. it was also to defend her own honor, because the way dom was speaking… it was as if she were some kind of airhead who couldn’t be trusted to make the right decision for herself. who did he think he was, acting all high and mighty like that? 

“it ended, we stayed friends, that was it! no need to make it such a big deal. and don't be mean to him!” she watched him tear at the napkin and drink the milkshake with urgency, his sunglasses suddenly back on as if he couldn’t even bear to look at her. it made her want to scream… or cry… or both. but mostly it made her feel… weird. she couldn’t shake off the part of herself that felt happy at the thought of him reacting strongly. if he didn’t care, that would be a worse sign, right? she just couldn’t be sure of his motive, and that’s what ticked her off. “don’t scold me like i’m a little kid.”

her cheeks puffed into a pout as she took a sip of her soda. “whydontyoudatemeifyouresoworried,” she muttered incoherently in broken german, crossing her arms. she didn’t want to glare at dom, so she avoided looking at him, instead letting her eyes flicker to the window.

[lgcmjun]

minjun wasn’t expecting any interruption that night, not when he chose that practice room especifically not to have any surprise visitors, as he tried to come up with something good to show his members the next day they met; with the new schedules for the end of the year, minjun was again feeling the weight on his shoulders make him stall, instead of moving forward.

but he couldn’t help a soft smile to spread when he heard nari coming inside, not even waiting for his permission, just like she always did. it was a welcomed interruption anyway, even if he did avoid her sometimes when he was at the company.

don’t get him wrong, he had nothing against her, on the contrary, nari was a sweet girl, they had a great time together when they dated. but minjun felt he acted badly towards her, even if he never meant it - his parents taught him to always be honest with people, and he felt he failed her on that. sure, things were now on those comfortable levels, but he felt something was still missing.

“i can’t seem to dance properly these days.” he found himself saying, looking at her through her reflection, before walking to where the sound equipment was and cutting the music off. “are the coaches making you rehearse until late again? it’s past curfew for you, isn’t it?”. 

he sat down in front of her, bringing along with him a water bottle for her, some cookies he had saved for resting moments like that. giving her both, minjun took that time to properly allow her words to sink in, finally raising a suspicious eyebrow at her, teasingly poking her shoes with his, “cheolie oppa?” minjun laughed at her horrified expression, it was good to talk to nari again, “your secret is safe with me, i mean, is there a secret at all for me to keep? c’mon tell me. that hyung is weird, i might say.”

[lgcxnari]

nari accepted the water and cookies with a grateful little hum, but left the cookies untouched. switching from ballet to modeling and idol training did nothing to improve her dieting habits. there were times where she indulged, but rarely, and never while she was at the company. “you can’t dance properly?” she echoed “you looked fine to me. maybe just… tired, or overthinking?” she tilted her head, studying minjun’s face. “you used to get like that sometimes before monthly evals, remember?”

his question about curfew earned him a guilty grimace, and she decided not to respond. technically, was there a curfew when it came to practice? it would be different if she were out partying, but she couldn’t remember the last time she got scolded for staying late at the company. 

nari had almost lowered her guard before minjun poked her shoe and repeated the nickname. her whole soul left her body as she felt her entire body flush, from her toes to the very tip of her head. “stop!” she hissed, her face crumpling in horror as she hid half her face behind the water bottle. “i’m not even supposed to call him that anymore.” he said it sounded cute when they were kids, but not so much anymore. ugh, what was she supposed to do? call him dominic? she’d rather have died.

“there’s no secret,” she said, peeking from behind the bottle, eyes squinted as if unsure whether she can trust minjun or not with any information at all. “… mostly.” she paused, putting the bottle down and holding minjun’s gaze, almost defiant, as if she wanted to prove that there really was nothing there. “it’s just… oppa’s debuting and he’s been…” she searched for the right word. “overwhelmed. pretending he isn’t.” judging by minjun’s reaction, dom seemed to have made a peculiar first impression.

then she added, more softly, more awkwardly: “so i thought… maybe you could just… keep an eye on him? not in a weird way! just…” she scrunched her nose. “he won’t let me fuss. but maybe he’ll let you?” she huffed a laugh as soon as she said it. “no, he probably won’t. he can look scary but i swear he’s really kind and thoughtful, he’s just not really good at showing it… ugh! forget it. forget i said anything! this is way too embarrassing… especially to you, of all people…” considering their history and all that, if that could be treated as such.

[lgcxruby]

ruby's eyes catch the way nari's cheeks change to a rosier shade. it's a subtle change, one that brings out a blush of her own. she wasn't the type to flatter, especially when it wasn't necessary, but it was a surreal moment to hear a work of her sang. it made it feel real, tangible. like something she could achieve if she really worked at it.

and nari brought it to life.

she peered at the line nari had pointed out, comparing how she always heard it in her head versus nari singing it. she nods. "i see what you mean. i'll see what i can do. maybe it's nothing more than a melody shift..." it was a good catch.

her fingers press against the fabric of her shirt, rubbing her chest at the thought of nari singing again. "ah, i'd get butterflies again. your singing is just too good," she says, mostly jokingly but understanding that there was a lot of truth to those words. she's not sure if she wants to dive into the feeling. "truthfully... i just... kind of stop. i don't go past this. i think it's because i was always scared to fail but hearing you...."

the words linger in the air for just a moment. ruby gives nari a smile. "thanks to you i think i could actually make a song. for real!" she looks down at her book. all of her songs, sitting in the draft space for so long. not a single one making it to final composition. how many would she be able to make?

"i can't wait to get my hands on my own studio." she bobbed her head excitedly. "then i'll really be unstoppable!"

[lgcxnari]

nari’s smile softened at the sight of ruby getting flustered, partly because it was cute, but also because it made her feel pride in her singing. she hesitated often between going down the modeling path or aiming for an idol career instead, and it was because being in a group would allow her to sing often. it was everything else that came with being an idol that she didn’t exactly feel passionate about. 

“i don’t think you’re giving yourself enough credit,” she admitted, leaning in just a little, as if sharing a secret. “the idea is already there, the feeling is there…” she paused, then huffed a tiny, crystalline laugh. “and butterflies are good, aren’t they?” she said, tone teasing but with a sincerity beneath it that she couldn’t hide as well . “it means i made you feel something.” that was nari’s goal when revealing her voice to the world. make people feel something. that, and being praised, of course.

when ruby mentioned her future studio, nari smiles. “you’re already so ambitious, i like that about you. you’ll be unstoppable for sure!” she had no doubt about that. with that much drive and talent already at her age? ruby would go places. “just make sure to remember whose voice you borrowed today when you need someone to sing the full version, hm?” she gave a playful wink, grabbing the small leather bag she brought with her. “let me offer you a drink! do you like coffee? tea? there’s this adorable place down the street.”

[lgcminseo]

"that would track!" minseo chuckles softly, knowing her mother's tendency to over-perfumerize was an impressive feat. she eyes the bag in her friend's hand curiously, wondering of the items it carried, but she knew her friend would unveil it in due time. "i would say rather than us feeling inferior, we should look forward to our social lives when we're their age, hm?" she couldn't foresee her life a week from now, not even a month. the thought of what she would be doing in a second or third arc of her life made her mind spin, and not in a comforting way. she was just a girl™ after all.

"what i dislike the most about the weather lately is how it changes within an hour. it can be warm enough for merely a sweater, and then suddenly you're wishing you had a scarf and gloves." she shakes her head, offering to grab the girl's jacket to put in the paneled closet near the entrance. her eyes light up at the reveal, playfully peeking into the girl's bag to check out her taste in sprinkles. she finds herself gravitating towards the candy eyes. "tea sounds like a lovely idea. are you more floral, or citrusy? i swear my tastebuds have changed. i can finally understand the floral teas, and the cup looks so pretty when it's loose leaf."

"we can look through the pantry as well!" she suggests, pulling one of the bar stools for her friend to sit while she searches through the coffee station for the tea bags. she pulls out the tins onto the counter along with the kettle by the handle. "sometimes, the chef leaves a surplus of baking items. i do like the candy eyes you brought. should we make silly monsters?"

[lgcxnari]

she doesn’t mind when minseo peeks into the bag. actually, she’s even a little excited for her friend to discover the ridiculous selection of items she brought. “i might have gone overboard,” she admits, her puffing her cheeks slightly. “but i couldn’t decide in advance what type of decorations we would wanna do! so i just got everything.”

while minseo lays out the tea tins, nari sits on the bar stool she’s offered. she finds herself tucking her hands between her knees to warm them up as she watches her friend work. “both are fine, but i like floral more though. maybe jasmine?” 

her gaze drifts around the kitchen, smiling at how familiar it feels to be there. a home similar to the one she grew up in, with a friend she’s come to cherish as well. she sometimes tend to take people for granted but with those closest to her, she tries to show how much she likes and values them. at least more than before. “silly monsters sound fun! i also want to make cute ghosts,” she says as she starts setting some decorations on the counter. “are you into the gory stuff?”

[lgcminnie]

baby got back┊˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

it started when minnie had playfully taught the girls part of the gnarly choreography. someone had gotten impressed with how well minnie managed to bounce it and suddenly minnie was teaching nari how to as well.

"simple stuff first. you need the basics down before you do different positions," she exhaled, knowing that this was going to be a workout. "get in like a light squatting position... yeah, back straight." minnie leads by example, of course, so nari could copy the form.

"we're going to focus in this area." she encircles her lower back area with her pointed finger. as she demonstrates the movements, her finger followers. "lower part only. lift and lower....lift and lower. just get that motion down first."

minnie had to start somewhere. just like nari, she was vaguely intimidated by the move. she would do it jokingly until a friend pointed out that she was kind of good at it. minnie became a little more interested and invested some time how to properly do it. now she was a bit of a menace about it.

the gnarly choreography had been really fun.

"you have a cute butt nari~ you should know how to use it!" minnie giggled. "you can even buy specific pants to help make it look even rounder."

throw it in a circle! @lgcxnari

[lgcxnari]

she felt absolutely ridiculous holding that position. not because the move itself was, but because she had convinced herself long ago that she just wasn’t meant for this type of dancing. she was a ballerina through and through, imprisoned behind a very rigid set of rules that she had a hard time getting out of. it had been, and still was, her biggest challenge as a kpop trainee. and part of why she didn’t think she could ever debut in an idol group. she wasn’t the first ballerina to transition into kpop, but perhaps she also still feared what her family would say.

still, she’d been fascinated by the way minnie moved so freely and so unapologetically. watching her was a treat, both for the eyes and for her own sense of freedom. she was growing into a young woman now, discovering herself, finally out of her parents’ grasp. so what if she wanted to feel a little sexier, or just let loose a little and have fun?

“unnie!” she whined softly in the middle of laughing, covering her face with both hands as her cheeks flushed. “you can’t just say that so casually!” she wanted to protest, say it wasn’t true, but that would be pointless. when she peeks through her fingers, she saw that minnie was still smiling, playful but encouraging. that sight alone made nari take a deep breath with a new resolve. if minnie could make this look fun and natural, she should at least try.

“okay, okay,” she muttered, positioning herself again. “lower back, right? lift and lower…” she moved carefully at first, almost robotically, like she was thinking too hard about very motion. her posture was perfect, as always, but maybe overly so. the telltale sign of a ballerina who was terrified of doing something inelegant. she caught sight of herself in the mirror and groaned, but refused to give up.

she tried to relax her shoulders a little bit, and add more rhythm into her movements. it was small, still a bit hesitant, but she caught it. that slight bounce. she immediately stopped, too excited to go on, and immediately grabbed minnie’s arm. “unnie, did you see?! i think i did it!”

[shinewithme]

LIZ 250122 아이브 버티기

[lgcdom]

"no one died, just— ... yeah." dom didn't know what else to say. his heart was doing a weird tumble. he chalked it up to nervousness. or excitement. or dread. the news had been eating him up, and he couldn't tell anyone other than those who received similar announcements. ( even then, they skirted around the word as if it were a jinx. ) but here was nari, speaking it into existence with a smile upon her lips, her words warm. dom felt strangely proud in the moment.

( it mirrored the same proud feelings from back then, when he would watch the venue entrances for nari's arrival so he could hurry over to help her down the stairs. his sisters teased him relentlessly about it, but dom didn't care. not when he was able to stand by nari's side. )

these feelings only dissipated when she dropped minjun's name. "yes," he confirmed. then he frowned, because it didn't seem like nari was looking for a confirmation. if anything, the way she trailed off at the end implied there was more that she wanted to say but— ... but what?

"what about him?" dom wasn't a true eterval; admittedly, he only really followed one member. still, minjun seemed like a nice kid. "did he do something i should be aware of?" his mother was a judge. his sister was a public defender. innocent before proven guilty had been beaten into him. but ... he trusted nari. and that scared him a little.

[lgcxnari]

nari stirred her drink with the straw as she tried to decide how to answer. she mentioned minjun in passing, but now that dom’s question hangs between them, she almost regrets saying anything. it felt embarrassing, somehow, to tell him how she knows of minjun. like she did something wrong.

her first instinct was to deflect. “do something?” she repeated, meeting his eyes briefly only to dart them down again. “no, not at all. he’s very sweet.” at least to her. she couldn’t testify for everybody else, but he’d never been anything but nice and respectful with her. a small laugh escaped her, meant to be light but sounding suspiciously nervous. she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. a very telling sign to anybody who knew her closely.

her throat suddenly felt dry, and she took a sip of her drink before going on. while she would very much have liked to brush the subject off and switch to something else, there was something in dom’s gaze that let her know it would come back up again eventually. he was debuting with minjun after all. wasn’t it better if she told him herself, rather than wait until he learned from someone else? not that it should have mattered, really. but to her, it did. it always did.

“a few years ago, we… dated, i guess.” she didn’t guess, she knew very well. it was admittedly one of her ‘longer’ relationships. a few months, though she couldn’t recall anymore how long exactly. it hadn’t been the life altering, heartbreaking romance she read about in novels. mostly sweet, safe, fun. they parted amicably, no big dramatic fight, neither left torn up about it. she hesitated before going on, searching for the right phrasing. “just wanted you to know, in case it was brought up, somehow.” she decided to leave the ‘take care of him’ for another time. 

her gaze drifted back to dom, studying his face again for a moment longer than she meant to. looking for what he wasn’t saying, what he kept buried as he so often did. she’d learned it was best not to pry too much, but to just be there when he was ready to talk. “you really are debuting…” she said softly, almost to herself. it was bittersweet. overwhelmed with pride at knowing his hard work was finally paying off, but sad that it meant they wouldn’t be having as many moments together anymore. she’d be sharing him with thousands of people. while it was selfish to want to keep him to herself, she couldn’t help feel some type of way about it.

[lgcminseo]

tooth ache

Admittedly, she had a much difficult time becoming close with the female trainees after she had debuted. It was the reason she had jumped at the opportunity to be a part of LGC Girls. At the time, she found it to be such a shame that @lgcxnari hadn't been able to join them, but she knew the girl's time would come with the perfect project for her. It was not a secret that she doted on the younger girl. At times, she felt like Nari was even more mature than her, but she had matured herself in the past year or so. However, her excuse had always hilariously been that their age difference was too minimal for it to be meaningful enough.

"Did you see my mother on the way in?" Minseo asks Nari, futilely holding onto the striking maple door. "She was excited that you would be visiting, but she had to prepare for some gala. I stopped listening, really." She admits with a soft laugh, not shying away to admit that she checked out mentally when it had to do with events she (luckily!) didn't have to attend. "Would you like a hot drink, or are you the brave type to drink something cold when the weather is less warm?"

[lgcxnari]

nari shook her head with a small laugh as she stepped out of her shoes to step into the seo household, immediately feeling at ease in a home that resembled her own. “no, i didn’t see her,” she said, glancing behind her as if minseo’s mother might suddenly be there. “i did smell her perfume though.” if she closed her eyes and focused, she could probably tell exactly which brand it was. expensive, no doubt. “i swear our mothers have better social lives than both of us combined…” she used to aspire to become them, although now, she was determined to follow her own path.

she’d always liked how easy it was to be around minseo. there was the familiarity of coming from a similar background, but none of the cold detachment. minseo acted sisterly without ever being patronizing, which nari appreciated very much. “something cold in this weather? i’m not built like that,” she teased with a laugh. she was already wearing three layers, and it wasn’t even winter yet. “definitely something warm, please! maybe tea?” 

she trailed after minseo toward the kitchen, carrying a little bag with her. “i brought some things, by the way. i figured we might as well go all out if we’re going to bake, right?” it was a mess of things, really. food coloring, sprinkles, candy eyes, and various ingredients to contribute to the cupcake recipes.

[lgcdom]

if an all boys boarding school taught him anything, it's to not trust anyone who utters the words you can trust me. but this was nari. he knew her from childhood, and he also knew where she lived. not that he would ever retaliate like that, but the thought did very much cross his mind. ( god, who was he? he never had doubts before, but with everything happening all at once, it felt like he was on the brink of losing it. )

dom took off his sunglasses, and it wasn't because nari pointed it out, but because he needed to rub his eyes—a bad habit. one of many. now with debut on the horizon, he was noticing all the little things he'd do that netizens would most definitely point out. "you know versus?" of course, nari knew versus. it was one of legacy's groups. she wouldn't be a very good trainee if she didn't.

his hand lowered. he now stared at her with bloodshot eyes, dark circles, and a tired look of a man who lost ten years of his life battling stress and insomnia. it was the worst he'd ever appeared in front of nari. if he wasn't so out of his head, he would've cared a lot more.

dom made a vague motion at himself. "i'm versus." that made more sense in his head, but he trusted nari to figure it out.

[lgcxnari]

for a moment, nari just blinked at him, trying to process his words. then her brows furrowed, a soft confusion passing across her face. “you’re… what?” she asked, thinking that he might be joking, because from the look on his face, he didn’t seem like someone about to announce good news. then again, it was dom they were talking about. she studied him closer: the dark circles under his eyes, the exhaustion visible all over his face, the way he’d said “i’m versus” like it was a confession he’d been waiting to speak out loud, and a huge burden to carry. 

her smile faltered into something more gentle, dropping the sarcasm she might have displayed otherwise to tease him. she knew when to pick and choose. “wait,” she said again, leaning forward across the small table as if about to whisper something highly confidential. “you’re mean you’re debuting? in versus?” a real smile formed this time. “oppa, that’s… huge! congratulations! from your tone, i thought someone had died…” her voice was warm, but there was still a hint of concern in her voice.

“you look like you haven’t slept in ages, but still… i’m proud of you! you’re happy… right?” she could never really tell when it came to him. he came back from england so... serious. like he carried the world on his shoulders. she paused for a moment, eyes dropping to her drink as she absently swirled the straw. then, trying to keep her tone light and casual, she added, “that means you’ll be in the same group as minjun…”

[lgcxnari]

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ nothing to lose

it was late, later than she’d planned to still be at the company, but she wasn’t really tired yet. when nari passed by one of the practice rooms and caught sight of a familiar figure inside, she hesitated in the doorway for a moment before knocking gently against the frame to signal her presence. “working overtime again?” she teased lightly as @lgcmjun looked in her direction. 

“mind if i sit for a bit?” of course, she didn’t wait for his approval before stepping inside. she was already walking over to the corner before he could answer, sinking down to the floor. she tucked her knees against her chest as if it hadn’t been months since their last real conversation. “you’re hard to catch these days,” she says. there was no emotion behind the words, merely a statement. he was an idol now, traveling the world, attending schedules. she was happy for him, sincerely. 

there was no tension between them, not anymore. whatever awkwardness had existed after their breakup had long dissolved into something comfortable. still, that night, nari found herself fidgeting with the hem of her shirt before she spoke again. “i heard about the new addition to your group,” she started casually, though her tone was just a little too deliberate. “cheolie op- i mean dom,” she corrected herself before pausing, looking at minjung with a careful look. “you’re going to take good care of him, right?” then, before he could read too much into it, she added, “and don’t tell him i said that. ever. i mean it!”

[lgcxruby]

ruby blushes, still unable to take compliments about her work especially when incomplete. "thank you," she says shyly, eyes lifting to the other when she mentions she can read music. ruby tries not to brag but having near perfect-pitch helps her with the creative process more than she'd like to admit. having her song come to life was nerve wracking. none of her songs made it past preliminary stages due to lack of equipment. here in legacy, everything was at her fingertips.

yet a year later she was still too scared to bring it to composition.

"okay, sounds like a plan." she sits patiently, listening to nari sing but not watching her as she does. her mind was on the lyrics, the sound. her brain was going a mile a minute but when her eyes lift to look at the other, everything stops.

it was like everything deafened and ruby suddenly couldn't keep track of where nari was in the short verse. to say her voice was heavenly felt like an understatement. nari was making the verse come alive and ruby was so grateful but also so very distracted with how peaceful nari looked as she sang. the dimple threatening to show every few words sung was what distracted ruby the most. nari was a painting, a mosaic, a carefully crafted creation met with the meticulous hands that were akin to ruby's: unwavering and diligent but not stopping until perfected. ruby was convinced nari was made special by the gods. that was the only explanation.

she had sat there dumbly for a few moments. shaking her head to physically get her mind straight got her right back on track. "that was, wow, that was great! it really was. i feel like that's exactly how i wanted it to be performed...."

but that doesn't mean it's the only way meant to be sung. "do you have any suggestions? anything that felt foreign to you? too rushed?"

[lgcxnari]

when ruby finally speaks, the nervousness in her tone makes nari’s lips curve into a gentle, amused smile. “you think so?” she says softly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear again (old habits die hard). there’s a light flush on her cheeks too,  not from shyness, but from the rush that comes after singing something that feels right. “i’m glad. it’s really beautiful, ruby. you writing doesn’t sound forced at all, just honest.”

she glances down at the lyrics again, tracing a fingertip along one of the lines. “hmm,” she murmurs, thinking aloud. “maybe here?” she points at a phrase near the middle, “this part could breathe a little more? it would give the listener a moment to feel what you just said before you move on.” when she looks back up, she’s smiling. “but honestly, that’s just me being picky,” she adds with a small laugh. “it’s your song, ruby. you tell me how you want it to feel, and i’ll follow your lead.” she’s not yet a songwriter herself, so she doesn’t quite know the process behind creating a song, let alone trying to bring it to life through another person. 

she leans back against the piano, her eyes still bright with encouragement. “you did a really good job,” she says sincerely. “ did you want me to try again?”

[lgcxruby]

ruby gives a valiant effort. the valiant effort in question was ruby swinging her arms, giving the impression that she was trying really really hard to run after daon. but he was simply too quick! ruby completes her rouse, huffing and puffing with her hands on her knees. "wow, daon! you're super fast. maybe faster than sonic!"

( kids liked sonic the hedgehog right? ever since the movie brought back the hype. )

daon was such a sweet kid, ruby didn't mind losing in the foot race. when she (finally) catches up, she gives daon a big hug. "you're so great! keep up the good work, super daon!" she lifts the curtains to allow daon in the booth first. she enters with nari after.

"you know, i always wanted a little brother myself. i never got to have one. my mom was one and done with me," ruby says with a sigh. "she always said life was perfect with just the 3 of us but all of my cousins were here in south korea. i was lonely. i feel pretty disconnected because i'm... a foreigner, you know? i don't relate to them as much." but she gives daon a loving gaze. "but hanging out with daon makes me feel like i do have a little brother. it's nice. he's a good kid."

of course her interactions with daon would be different than what nari experienced. ruby only got to have fun and play with the young boy. to actually experience the tantrums, the late nights, etc. that would be a lot different. but it wouldn't mean that ruby would love him any less.

"thanks for letting me join, nari."

[lgcxnari]

nari laughs softly while pretending to be catching her breath from jogging after them. “wow, you two were a blur! i think sonic might have some competition,” she says, reaching over to smooth daon’s hair, which has become messy from running so much. he looks up at her, his cheeks flushed but eyes sparkling, and she presses a quick kiss to his temple before he can wriggle away. he’s past the terrible two phase, but still likes to pretend to be a “big boy” when they’re out and about. it fills her with pride to see him become more independent, but she still likes the clingy side of him.

inside the booth, she sits to one side of daon, the cramped space filled with warmth. she listens to ruby’s words settle, her smile gentle but faltering a bit as she realizes that her friend is mistaken about how she’s related to daon. it’s not ruby’s fault of course. “i don’t know what it’s like to be an only child, but you’ll never be lonely as long we’re here! daon is lucky to have you around,” she says after a moment. “you’ve been really good to him.”

daon giggles at his own reflection on the screen, and nari reaches to press the photo booth button before the pause can stretch too long. the countdown starts (three, two, one) and nari leans in close, pulling the boy between them. “okay,you two,” she murmurs, smiling wide. “big smiles for the camera!” the flash goes off, capturing the three of them. and before they know it, daon is running out, forcing nari and ruby to walk out to keep an eye on him. she gives her friend a grateful smile when ruby thanks her. she should be the one thanking her instead. “there’s something i should tell you…” she bites her lower lip hesitantly, watching daon. “because i wouldn’t want you to think i’m lying. he’s actually my son.” she wants to go on, explain what happened, in case the judgement comes as if so often does. but she decides to trust ruby.

[lgcxnari]

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ chuseok holiday

here’s a set of headcanons detailing what nari might've been up to over the holiday

every year, chuseok at the kwon household turns into a semi-formal family event. her parents insist on hosting, which means the house is filled with aunts, uncles, and cousins before noon. the dining table becomes a battlefield of gossip (where do you think she got it from?) and unsolicited comments about everyone’s careers and love lives. nari is, as always, an attention grabber: praised for her beauty, her dancing, her “poise,” while her mother beams like she’s won a prize. she smiles politely, bows, and helps serve food, looking like a princess in her gorgeous hanbok. a perfect daughter through and through.

despite her mom’s insistence that she “needs to learn proper homemaking,” nari spends most of her kitchen time taste-testing dishes rather than actually cooking. she’s banned from making jeon after one memorable incident involving too much oil and a near fire. still, she loves being around her mom, humming along to old trot songs as they work. her mom doesn't usually cook, letting staff do it, but chuseok is different.

her niece and nephew are of course the light of her holiday. she spends hours playing peekaboo, feeding them, and taking aesthetic pictures of their matching hanbok outfits.

the day after the big family gathering, nari and her mother go to apgujeong and cheongdamn for "just a little look", which turns into a shopping spree of perfumes, handbags, and luxury clothing. nari enjoys the ritual much more than the items she ends up bringing home. it's been a tradition for almost as long as she can remember.

after everyone's gone to bed, nari and jaemin sit outside sharing snacks, talking about work, family and life. when taeyang joins, it turns into something nostalgic. stories about childhood, about sunwoo, and the way things used to be before he left way too soon. while part of it is of course sad, nari ends the night feeling grounded, and thankful for everything she still has, and how strong this tragedy made them despite the violence of it.