it felt lonely sometimes, if yoojin would be honest, even with all trainees coming and going, and the amount of classes, and their crazy practice schedules, it did feel lonely. he missed having more people around him, and he did make friends along the way, but most of them were now idols with a career and he didn't want to text them during an inappropriate time of the day just because he was bored.
and it was probably why he knocked on dorm's a door, waiting for the familiar face to show and greet him. yoojin didn't text @lgcdanny first, he just waited for him to open the door.
"hope you're as bored as I am." he offered the guy a smile, his laptop in one hand and a bag of sweet potato snack on top of it. "boys night?"
he has a little sister (actually, she’s 19, but still his baby sister)
he still teaches old ladies how to dance during his days off from legacy
he’s fully healed from an injury that almost took his ability to dance (and he still loves doing his acrobatics like there’s no tomorrow)
he’s investing more in his singing path than his rapping
is the biggest scared cat - if there’s someone needing help, he’s probably that person
hates loud noises that could be mistaken for gunshots, fireworks
YEAR END GOALS
get compliments on his solo projects, especially the ones he’s been working on
reach the debut level and get the chance to go to his dream group
have a dance collab with jiho
PREVIOUS APPEARANCES/PROJECTS
trainee showcase
lgc family 2k25
halloween 2k25
behind the spotlight
oneart studio dance concert
MOST MEMORABLE OR FAVORITE EVENT: for yoojin, the trainee showcase back in 2025 was his most memorable event, especially when they traveled abroad, and it was his first time going outside korea. he enjoyed being in every single country, but when in the UShe couldn’t help but enjoy it a little bit more - it was his dream place to visit, and having the chance to dance (and record a dance routine) all by himself on top of the brooklyn bridge was a dream come true.
Yoojin heard his name being called and he immediately thought that was his turn to make things happen, for real.
To make a good impression.
He had been following every instruction and advice, listening to tips, and creating his own way through the vocal classes he took, feeling confident enough to stand in front of the group of coaches and receive their feedback.
“how did you feel when working on your song, yoojin?”
It was a simple question, but yoojin felt so many emotions at the same time that it was hard to find the exact words to express himself and not sound like a sappy trainee. He could tell them about the way his throat hurt in between weeks because he had been forcing his tone to suit the song he chose, how he felt he was pushing his limits, just as some of the coaches instructed.
In the end, he just sighed and offered them a smile, one of his most genuine.
“accomplished. I won't lie saying it was easy because it wasn't, but I liked what I came up with. I hope it's satisfactory for you as well.”
he could see the coaches evaluating his words before they nodded and one of them just waved a hand, signaling for him to start.
the song he chose for his singing evaluation had a challenging tone, but yoojin decided to start with his original tone, the first verses in a lower tone, as he reached for the pre-chorus, he went higher, not a screeching sound, but some mid-falsetto that, in his head, sounded good, worth paying attention.
Even if there was some dancing involved, he didn't pay attention to that skill, he wanted to focus on his singing and how the coaches could rely and see him as a potential main vocalist or a lead vocalist one day.
When he finished his performance, there wasn’t, at first, any kind of joyful reaction, they were more talking among themselves before nodding.
“you're on the right path. thank you for showing your skills. you can call the next trainee for us, please”
yoojin knew from the beginning that when he decided to take his singing classes more seriously, some things were going to change. he could feel the pressure on his shoulders because being a vocalist meant he had more eyes on him; he could lead a group one day.
one thing was being a dancer or a rapper, where you gather attention, but it isn’t the main focus, unless you’re covering your part. when you’re a singer, a main vocal or even a lead vocal, it’s expected that you won’t miss a note, that you’ll carry your whole performance without any mistakes.
and that was exactly where yoojin wanted to be right now - he wanted the challenge, he wanted to be there, and carry performances and attention. he felt it was his time, and he wasn’t going to let that escape.
When they read the schedule of their trainee workshops, his smile was evident when intensive singing lessons were in their first week - he could hear a lot of trainees complaining, but yoojin was excited about it.
however, nothing prepared him for how intense that first week was. Normally, their practice hours would already be intense, with coaches giving them little room for mistakes, making them cover songs completely out of their comfort zone. but this workshop was beyond advanced - yoojin felt his vocal cords complain at the first two, non-resting hours of practice.
they had to cover a female soloist song, but not using their comfortable singing zone, but reaching closer to the original version. every note was being taken into consideration, and they could only move to the next part of the song if the coach felt they reached a minimal presentable level.
most of them, including yoojin, failed that first task, being told they weren’t good enough to be considered a singer, and even if yoojin did agree with the coach, because he just recently shifted his focus to singing, it was still unfair to be told that they weren’t supposed to sing the same as a female, not when their voices were so different.
“excuses. all you’re thinking of are excuses, i can hear your thoughts,” the coach said, making the trainees sigh. “take a 5-minute break, drink some water, and then return. this is just day one of hell week, i want you singing in your tone now. let’s see who’s really worth keeping in this class.”
during periods when sanghyun wasn’t busy with his solo gigs, he would try to squeeze in some time to visit friends he hadn’t seen in a long time who weren’t a part of legacy. it helped him during those times to remember how it feels being away from the spotlight, even for a brief moment. as he was about to head to a restaurant that one of his friends owned, he bumped into another individual.
“i’m sorry too.” he said out loud before he searched through his bag for some napkins. but as he was about to rummage through his belongings for one, he heard someone mention his name, which made him turn to get a better look at the other. “oh, hi. you’re… yoojin?” he asked with a bit of hesitation, mostly because ever since the dance concert was announced, he’s been trying to remember all of the trainees’ names. before he was about to apologize again for the accident, he had spotted a pack of napkins and handed it to yoojin.
“here, i hope that i didn’t stain your clothes.” he said out loud, before wondering for a moment where the other was headed to. sanghyun remembered seeing a dance academy nearby and thought about stopping by at some point, but never had the chance to do so. “uh–” he felt the pressure to continue the small talk before asking his next question. “are you going to legacy?”
it was hard for yoojin to act normal, even if he had been a trainee for so many years and interacted with a lot of idols on a daily basis, especially if it was someone he admired, like sanghyun.
his smile was ridiculously wide, just like his eyes, when the older man called him by his name, recognizing him. it made him feel a little better, to be seen as someone and not just a nameless face. “you remembered, hyung, that’s fantastic.”
taking the napkins, even if the accident had been caused by him, yoojin shook his head dismissively, thinking there was no way he could blame the other man for something he caused.
“thank you hyung, but no. i’m not going to legacy now”, he opened a smile, pointing to the building behind him. “i give some people dance classes, during my days off.” feeling a little brave, he shrugged, “would you like to check it out?”
he froze on the spot, he wasn’t expecting that person.
of all people yoojin avoided like the plague, meaning he tracked their moves and refrained from going to those same spots, was the man now standing in front of him, blocking his way from reaching the street.
the man who owned the company that ruined his life.
he felt his blood boil, and wanted nothing more than to punch him in the face and give him the hardest time of his life. because of him, Yoojin lost his parents, his life, his youth, and a career that was so brilliant and ahead of him that he could almost taste it.
everything that shitty company did to him, how they tricked him and his family, how they discarded him as trash when he wasn’t necessary anymore, when they made his injury a lost case, just another child star who lost its spark, was enough for him to take that step.
“can’t say i share the same feeling”, he bitterly replied, trying to pass by the man, who talked to him again.
“heard you’re in legacy now. it’s surprising they want you.”
yoojin noticed the man wanted to trigger him somehow, but he wasn’t going to give him the pleasure. “you surprise yourself a lot. i’m busy, excuse me.”
when the man realized yoojin wasn’t the shaky kid of ages ago, he just laughed, opening space for yoojin to walk by him. but as soon as the trainee passed by him, he just snarled a “do they know you’re damaged merch?”
now it was yoojin’s turn to laugh, even if he felt like he had the right to punch the man on the face and break his nose. “the only damaged thing i see here is your company. you went bankrupt, didn’t you?”
yoojin never waited to hear the man’s answer. he had a career in front of him, dreams he was going to fulfill.
"it's nice to meet you, yoojin," he says, letting an amused smile cross his lips at the thought that he guesses he doesn't have to introduce himself, based off of the trainee's reaction to him. it's still a bit weird, for him to think that he's famous. despite everything, he hasn't really been able to put together the famous lee jiho side of him and the just a normal guy lee jiho side of him.
he doesn't move out of the way, knowing he couldn't technically spoil his comeback by letting yoojin come into the practice room or something, but he doesn't close the door or anything. the last thing he needed was to accidentally come off as rude or something.
"oh," jiho says, surprised by the words from the younger and he allows himself to look sheepish, a hand coming up to rub at the nape of his neck in slight embarrassment at hearing words like that said so sincerely, and to his face.
"i'm honoured that you consider me an inspiration," he replies quickly, not wanting to drag out the moment or anything. "i was in your shoes one day too," he adds, looking a little amused. he knows it probably feels far away though. "so i hope i can help if you ever need it."
yoojin noticed the way something was cooking inside that practice room, and his fanboy side was beyond excited and curious to ask jiho about what he was practicing. but at the same time, he didn’t want to overstep and pose as a rude person, like so many so-called fans he had seen around.
not when things just started so good with the idol.
“i know, i’ve been following your career for some time, i’ve been watching you since i entered legacy, and to have someone so talented like you here is really inspirational.” he sounded almost like an infatuated person, but he was a little; however, he wanted jiho to understand there were times when his performance at a music show saved his day from being completely ruined.
offering him a smile, even if he did want to make that encounter last some more time, yoojin knew jiho was there for a reason, and he didn’t want to mess with his schedule even more. “i think you’re busy, and i’m taking too much of your time. maybe we could meet through another opportunity, when you’re not practicing?”
he felt like an idiot, waiting around the corner like a creepy stalker, trying not to look suspicious af. he could hear his sister’s voice playing in his head, teasingly (“you do look like a creep, oppa”), as he wondered for the thousandth time why he agreed with that in the first place.
maybe because lily was his only family member left. maybe because he liked having her smile and her hugs. and maybe because it looked like something so simple, he couldn’t really say no.
so yoojin decided to wait after overhearing a group of trainees commenting about some fabula members training that afternoon. it was a chance he didn’t want to miss, because their schedules hardly clashed. (“she’s my favorite, oppa!”, his sister’s voice played again).
and after some time, his efforts seemed to have been paid because he could see three members leaving a practice room, the last one being aster, the girl lily was a fan. he approached them politely and still unsure how to do that without looking like, again, a creep and an idiot. “excuse me, aster sunbaenin?”
sori doesn’t have a lot of friends nor does she speak with a lot of people, and it’s worsened since becoming an idol. she has the fabula members and old friends from school, but besides that, she doesn’t have a lot of friends. sori has never been good at making friends, and being an idol means she has less time for making friends and for having time with friends.
so she values her time with the fabula members, for not them, she would’ve most likely felt lonely. it’s nice to spend time with them, and it’s nice having someone to practice with.
practice is over, usually sori would stay longer, but her legs are giving up, and if she doesn’t stop now, she might be too weak to walk home. it takes her a bit longer than the others to gather her things, so she ends up being the last to leave. leaving the door and being ready to go home, she gets stopped in her steps. “ah, uh, that’s me” she nods her head, she’s not sure who she’s standing in front of her, so she tilts her head to the side, the other face still unfamiliar. “can i uh, help you?” she manages to ask.
well, the idol did stop, and even if it was visible that she was tired (and yoojin immediately had second thoughts about pushing his agenda), she looked friendly with her reaction, which made him immediately bow down and introduce himself to the trio in front of him.
“i’m choi yoojin, i’m a trainee”, he politely explained, returning to his original position and looking from one girl to the other, but keeping his stare on sori, offering her a tiny smile. “i know i might sound very unprofessional now, but i have a little sister at home who wouldn’t stop talking about how much she loves fabula, and you’re her favorite.”
yoojin then pulled a limited album edition, his sister got from the fanclub merchandise just when fabula debuted, and offered it to sori, still keeping a very shy posture, because he never had to go through that kind of interaction before (well, there was the time with jino, but that was completely different, mind you), “i was wondering if you could sign thing for her, it’d make her day. and i’m already sorry in advance”.
yoojin always tends to get nervous whenever the coaches want to do any kind of meeting. Sometimes it was almost as annoying as not learning the right dancing routine as fast as he should, considering he was a dance major.
this time, when he heard the announcement that they were going to join a dance concert, he could swear his heart skipped a beat. Of all of the news they could be getting lately, that was something that moved him, that made his blood boil with excitement and want; yoojin remembered the last time he felt that way - he had just received the news he was finally healed and that he had nothing to worry about, he still had a chance to be an idol, his dreams weren't over.
of course, this was ages ago, but the feeling still remained. hearing they had been chosen made him feel special, as someone who was finally noticed by the company.
he had many questions, but they were all answered during the meeting, just like the groups were going to be defined and which lines they were supposed to cover. he had been involved with many legacy events, but that one promised to be something bigger, better.
It was his chance, and yoojin didn't even flinch when they gave him his new training schedules - it looked crazier than he expected, but he couldn’t miss that chance; it was something that could change his life forever, put him in the spotlight, and finally make him shine.
“yoojin, are you ready for this?”, one of the trainees asked him, and he just smiled, that bright confidence back.
"I hope nobody would overhear if I say all mornings are rough." Some of their schedules had been crazy, and limiting their sleep rather painfully. The mantra he repeats to himself is that he's happy to be here. It is true. But wow, holy crap he's tired. "I thought I was a morning person but lately, it's been hard to wake up."
The amount of dancing felt like a marathon, because they didn't get to have a break in between all of the dances. Sweat became his best friend and sleeping at night... became a ritual of sorts. "I really enjoyed the three dances we get to do, but I think my body wants a whole week off to sleep."
"Is it just me for is it more restricting in these dance outfits to dance in than our usual practice clothes?"
"wake up?", yoojin felt himself laughing, but with no humor in his voice, because everything has been awful (not that he was going to openly complain about it, since they were supposed to endure that, and so much more that was coming their way, if they really wanted to live the idol life to the fullest), from the routine to the food, not to mention training. "I'd need to sleep in order to wake up. I don't even remember the last time I properly rested, but here I am.", he then smiled, more honestly now, not really wanting to make the air gloomy.
Yoojin took a moment to look and check Danny's outfit for practice that morning, and even if it looked bigger than his normal size, he understood what the other trainee meant - some of their moves would make it harder to be performed, and for dancers like them, well that could cause a problem in the future.
"all they care is for us to look pretty up onstage, it doesn't matter if we'll be able to give a good performance." Yoojin sighed, checking his outfit as well - he knew they gave him skinny clothes so he could do his acrobatics with no trouble, but the cropped top was slightly too much. "I mean, I'm almost naked. You look good."
The pause and hesitation they had before the director had to cue them in was hilarious, but it showed to their newness at all of it. Hey, he's been in a recording studio but for.... vocal lines. This isn't that much different. It's lines, but without the singing. That should make it easier, in theory. Thank goodness the company gave them training. And directors and leads that would understand that they were dealing with rookies here.
Ah well. A lack of confidence would only falter their growth here, and they were already under the spotlight, literally in the booth. Taking a deep breath, he thumbs at the line he's supposed to say. It's right there, it's not like it's improv.
Shooting Yoojin a big, albeit awkward grin, he clears his throat before going into his first line. "I wonder what I will find today? Maybe, something sweet around the corner." Danny knows there's supposed to be little animations in place, but without them actually being there, and having it be animated later, it was all just reading off a script or imagination's challenge.
danny’s grin served perfectly to break the ice and make things at least a little laid back and relaxed. sure, there was still some tension in the booth and with that project, since they put some expectation on the trainees’ shoulders, but at least they were having fun while recording.
i wonder if today is going to be that day. oh, hi, you’re here!, yoojin read his script lines, and even if it was made for something related to the snacks, people could also interpret it as someone going to a date or expecting to find a special someone. it was catchy and sweet, and he couldn’t wait to see how its animated version was going to be placed.
even if he wasn’t the best in acting, he surely was a performer, and focused on the task as if it were really as one would sing a song, or perform for an audience, with honesty and meaning.
looking at danny, he realized the other trainee was just as focused as yoojin was, and his reaction was to just show his fingers up, his way of showing him support.
it had been almost three long months of practice, and yoojin could say he was feeling drained. the tension of the upcoming concert finally hit everyone, and for them, the trainees, at least, things were about to explode at some point. he had witnessed a guy leaving practice in tears after a particular harsh piece of feedback, and a female trainee complaining about the length of their outfit.
he sighed deeply, his body requesting more rest and his brain demanding him to calm his nerves when he was about to enter the fitting room. they were on that stage now, to wear their outfits and then practice with them to see if any adjustments were needed.
“oh hey danny”, he was startled when his hand found another trainee’s instead of the doorknob; he looked as tense as yoojin himself. “rough morning?”
Danny never favoured himself much of an actor. This is how he felt every single time he had to join a workshop prior to being spat out for the project. Now he's in the recording studio along with the other trainees, and he supposes that makes him like an actor. Faking it until making it. Playing the part of... Something else other than a trainee. Alright, scratch that, maybe he was an actor after all.
"Okay, Yoojin, Danny, you're up next."
The truth is there's nothing he wouldn't do to cement whatever little status he has as a trainee. And there's also nothing he wouldn't do for a sweet treat. He remembers eating these wafers for years, though it's not necessarily a staple item. Anyway - not the point. He's here across from Yoojin now, as they step into the booth and he flashes a thumbs up! to the other trainee. "Ready when you are!"
yoojin was expecting directions, he wanted people to tell him what to do, to provide him a script he could follow because his brain, whenever he was touching unknown territory, worked better when he was given directions.
Looking to his side, he at least expected his partner to be someone with more skills than he was. but Danny looked legit lost in the woods, his big eyes didn't go unnoticed by yoojin when he offered him a smile, and even if they both now looked lost, at least they could bond over that.
Their lack of experience during an important task.
"I hope they tell us exactly what we have to do", yoojin smiled, his most friendly smile when he spoke softly, almost a whisper, leaning forward, closer to Danny, hoping his voice wasn't captured by the microphones inside the booth. "am I ready? No idea."
his chuckle might've worked as a cue because the director just told them to read the lines in front of him.
on days when it isn't too busy, minji likes to sit and spend time at her grandma's ramen shop. it's a nice place to unwind and sometimes pretend that she isn't actually an idol. not that she dislikes being an idol at all, but sometimes, she has to remember who she is, not who minji the idol is.
so, she spends this particular day at the ramen shop, sitting in a back table, eating her second bowl of ramen today, finishing up some work on her laptop. at first, she's not entirely sure who is waving to her. is he a fan? maybe someone from high school that she somehow forgot? but then, she remembers seeing this guy's face, somewhere... but where?
"hello," she cheerfully says regardless. "welcome in!" since the regulars generally know who she is, even if they're not fans of fabula, she tends to act like an employee sometimes, even if her grandma refuses to let her do any actual work. and in typical minji fashion, she notes rather boldly. "i've seen you before, haven't i?"
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.
after weeks of hard training nonstop, yoojin finally decided not to neglect his occasional students at the dance academy. he knew the owners didn’t expect him to be there every sunday, since he joined legacy, but his senior students still loved his classes and always asked for him, even if he couldn’t promise them he’d be there every weekend.
and that’s how he bumped into @lgcsanghyun on his way to the academy, holding a cup of coffee, a popular song blasting through his earphones, and a smile on his face.
“i’m sorry!”, he immediately said, only then frowning when he recognized the man in front of him. it was surprising seeing someone like him around that area - even if it was a popular one - but still, whoa. he remembered how popular he was among trainees, a legendary dancer who took the modelling path.
he hears the panic and laughs a little internally, not wanting to embarrass any of the trainees or anything. maybe he's a bit too serious and a bit too careful about his image—even within legacy—but it's probably better to be safe than sorry anyway.
he nods his head in response to the trainee's stuttered greeting, remembering suddenly also that it's likely someone who might look up to him. it's happened a few times before, with other trainees who had also clammed up in front of him, but jiho tends to forget that.
actually he tends to forget he's famous a lot, even when he's working on his upcoming comeback in rehearsal. this whole thing is still kinda crazy to him, even after all these years of being in the spotlight.
"oh?" he answers, laughing a little at the flush that rises up his neck in embarrassment. he's told this by fans all the time, but that's usually when he's all made up and in stage makeup and dressed cool. it doesn't happen very often when he has no makeup on and he's just in a t-shirt and joggers, and it still surprises him that there are people in this company that think he's quote unquote cool. it's really fun, actually.
"thank you," he says, looking pleased despite his initial shock at the praise. he takes a moment, thinking on what he should do. "are you training to become an idol ...?" he trails off, hoping that the trainee would offer up his name since he obviously knew jiho's.
yoojin was definitely surprised and felt like he was the luckiest guy in the building (at the moment), because there was no way he was in front of jiho himself and wasn’t making a complete fool of himself when the man was giving him some attention.
“i am” he answered when his brain stopped short-circuiting for a moment. “i’m yoojin, by the way.” he didn’t want to look too awkward, but that‘s exactly how he sounded.
taking a deep breath, yoojin noticed that perhaps jiho wasn’t going to shut him out if he decided to take a step inside, so he leaned against the doorframe, not exactly invading the practice room, but keeping himself close.
“you’re an inspiration for me, so excuse me if i look a little stunned by your presence here.” again, there was no way he wouldn’t tell jiho how much he admired him, and how he dreamed that one day they could interact more or maybe even become friends one day.
he felt like an idiot, waiting around the corner like a creepy stalker, trying not to look suspicious af. he could hear his sister’s voice playing in his head, teasingly (“you do look like a creep, oppa”), as he wondered for the thousandth time why he agreed with that in the first place.
maybe because lily was his only family member left. maybe because he liked having her smile and her hugs. and maybe because it looked like something so simple, he couldn’t really say no.
so yoojin decided to wait after overhearing a group of trainees commenting about some fabula members training that afternoon. it was a chance he didn’t want to miss, because their schedules hardly clashed. (“she’s my favorite, oppa!”, his sister’s voice played again).
and after some time, his efforts seemed to have been paid because he could see three members leaving a practice room, the last one being aster, the girl lily was a fan. he approached them politely and still unsure how to do that without looking like, again, a creep and an idiot. “excuse me, aster sunbaenin?”
