엄지척.mp3

kmg / seventeen.

[mingdo]

chaeyeon.

ever since the beginning of produce 101, relaxing had become a luxury she could no longer afford. the girls moved into the dorm in december of 2015 (not to mention the fact that her group had debuted in september of that same year), so it had been over ten months since she was granted a proper break and kept away from the public’s eye. regardless, chaeyeon was rarely ever one to complain, and in this particular case, she simply could not. a majority of the girls in i.o.i had it the same, and the thought of the countless number of trainees that would do anything to be in her position right now made her bite her tongue every time she even thought of doing so. 

but that didn’t change the very obvious fact that such a lifestyle was draining, both mentally and physically. nor did the fact that she always seemed to fall short of something help her withering mindset which had only gotten worse as she became the butt of criticism and controversy. now, with yet another promotion dawning upon them in less than a week, it all seemed to have taken a toll on the female. thus, instead of complying with her usual routine of heading to the practice room, she remains tucked under her sheets with her cellphone in hand, seemingly endless scrolling coming to a halt as she comes across a particular name in her list of contacts. 

[ KKT: 김민규 ] mingyu-yah.. are you busy? [ KKT: 김민규 ] i wanna go for a drive.

[ KKT: 채연이 ] ㅎㅎ who told you i could drive? [ KKT: 채연이 ] but ah, i was just packing up. i leave for hong kong in the morning.

a lie. he does leave for hong kong early the next morning, but he wasn’t exactly packing. in fact, he should’ve been done gathering his things for the trip hours ago but a sudden lethargic mood settled over him late afternoon and didn’t seem to wear off for the remainder of the day. he found himself sprawled against the dorm’s floor with his head propped conveniently against the edge of his inadequately loaded suitcase, phone held high in order to read and respond to the messages.

[ KKT: 채연이 ] are you allowed to go out anyway? 

back space, delete. she wouldn’t be messaging him with the proposition if she hadn’t already settled upon the plan; it registers to him fortunately quicker than his thumb could hit the return key. his mind rifts through possible scenarios now; the likelihood of returning home with enough time to continue packing appeared unfavourable to him (and the odds of being scolded by a manager significantly more enthusiastic in contrast) but the idea of a relaxing drive before his hectic foreign schedules kicked off was engaging enough to have him succumb to her idea.

[ KKT: 채연이 ] i’ll get the car from a hyung of mine. meet me at the back of your building? where those huge garbage bins are. give me 30 minutes. [ KKT: 채연이 ] it’s a black kia, by the way. don’t get into a stranger’s car. ㅋㅋㅋ

[mingdo]

❝Do you mind?❞ // Thank you for the follow.

“oh, nah. go ahead.” having just gotten done with the water dispenser anyway, mingyu is quick to step aside in order to allow the (seemingly) parched male his turn at it. all the while, he raises the newly filled styrofoam cup up to his lips, stopping shortly as he finds that he can only get about two gulps down before the sound of water bubbling to a stop distracts him. 

oh, shi— he had finished the last bit of water that the machine had to offer, and the realization has him feeling guilty; a sheepish, apologetic curve of his lips forming to reflect it. he could just turn on his heels, act like he hadn’t realized the issue at all, and make his merry way down the corridor with his thirst selfishly quenched, but he doesn’t. instead, his hand extends itself out, reluctantly offering the half-filled cup over.

“my bad. you… want some or…?” 

[mingdo]

[ ! ] @deerluda liked for a starter (closed).

“it was in the middle of the night, and i was really young. i could’ve been dreaming, but to this day i still swear it was a ghost.” his hand raises to the left side of his chest to exemplify just how serious he was about the telling. “and let me tell you, it wasn’t anything like how the movies make it seem. it looked like a person except the features were just a little blurred.” his eyes widen, hoping he comes across sincerely. “i’m not kidding!”

[mingdo]

[ ! ] @97miguri liked for a starter (closed).

[ sms — rude_mina™ ] excuse me…. did you take my chips? [ sms ] you were eyeing them earlier. don’t think i didn’t notice. ㅡㅡ [ sms ] you took my chips……………. ㅅㅂ [ sms ] untrustworthy as ever 

[mingdo]

[ ! ] @jinsoots liked for a starter (closed).

what do you mean i can’t adopt you? ( ` his eyes lower down onto the small girl, his expression as serious as he can muster up without breaking out into a grin. ) c’mooon, let me. you could totally pass as my daughter. i have snacks and stuff, too.

[mingdo]

[ ! ] @ysvh liked for a starter (closed).

“how about the bride of chucky?” mingyu wasn’t the most creative person, so he really had to rack his brain for ideas when people came to him for suggestions on halloween costumes. “because, see, everyone regards you as a doll, right? add an evil twist to that and there you go!” he pauses, afraid that the lack of reaction he’s receiving from the female means she wasn’t fond of the idea. “… you’ve already thought of that, haven’t you?”

[mingdo]

[ ! ] @myouiari liked for a starter (closed).

“i know, comeback jitters can be really intense.” with how busy his schedules were, mingyu didn’t usually find time to engage in nice, casual conversation with other groups, so he took advantage of being granted a few moments to speak to the girl group member before his group headed on stage.

“with your past two songs being so popular, i’m sure there’s a lot weighting on you girls. but then again, you’re twice. something tells me you could come out with three minutes and thirty seconds of just mumbling and everyone would love it.”

[mingdo]

[ ! ] @sooco liked for a starter (closed).

“ah, shit.” he squeezes his wounded hand into a fist in hopes of slowing down the bleeding (or perhaps that was making the blood rush quicker, he couldn’t tell) as he curses under his breath. he didn’t see the sharp edge of the clothing rack placed in the hallway when he was recklessly swinging his arms about, and now he had a gnarly gash across his palm to remind him to be more diligent about his movements.

“noona.” he calls to a lady he assumes to be one of his coordination assistants. “i need a bandaid. or something to wrap this in so i don’t bleed onto my clothes...” only when he lifts his head up to get a good glance at her does he realize he hasn’t been talking to who he’d thought it was, bowing his head down in apology. “oh, uh, sorry. i thought you were someone else.”

[mingdo]

[ ! ] @mevqi liked for a starter (closed).

you know that american song ‘hey mickey’ from that really popular movie? every time i see you, i catch myself singing along to it. mickey, meiqi... ( ` he breaks into a grin, the smile soon releasing a quiet laugh with a hand waving in a dismissive manner. ) ah, useless fact. 

[mingdo]

( @jngchae ) 

“it’ll be worth it, unnie, i promise! c’mooooon. go make yourself look presentable!” cue her trademark puppy dog eyes and jieqiong has the elder female wrapped right around her finger. chaeyeon was well aware of how this exchange would transpire before it even began; why did she bother resisting in the first place? she had a soft spot for loved ones, members included, of course. jieqiong seemed to know just the right tricks to get her to agree to something she wouldn’t usually opt to do on her own. convincing her would have been even easier had it not been for the harrowing voice of her coach constantly taunting her about staying thin. she tries her best to brush off the thought as she heads towards the closet. 

( keep reading. ) 

As a child, the calling of his name indicated pending trouble, perhaps punishment (on a good day, it only meant dinner was ready) and in recent years, the calling of his name has become an adoring, praising act as fans filled buildings, cheering in his team’s favour. Yet never has the mention of his name served as such a source of... relief. Relief; that’s what he was feeling. He felt exempt of the burden of having to explain why she was left alone with a stranger. Released of being reduced to a creep for using her teammate as bait to reel her into the streets much past sunset. He felt relieved, mostly because she remembered him, and suddenly the idea of salvaging their friendship no longer seemed impractical.

Mingyu only laughs at her acknowledgement. A stupid, throaty cackle that almost sounds like he’s choking more than laughing. He hopes that the mask over his mouth would grant him forgiveness by disguising the sound into something a little more tasteful but luck isn’t usually on his side. He finishes with an audible sigh, knowing he should say something now — any moment would be great — but he glues his eyes onto the skewers being prepared, busying himself by fishing into his pocket for his wallet. 

Trading a bill for the two skewers once prompted, he hands one over to Chaeyeon with a short ‘here you go’ sounding over the exchange. His eyes turn back to the older woman, stammering as she reaches her hand out for change. He takes it politely, nonetheless, putting himself in a comprising situation with one hand occupied with the skewer and the other holding the change, unable to efficiently place the money back into his wallet. He opts to slide the mask covering his mouth down to settle on his chin, holding the skewer of food by biting into the top rice cake. If there’s a God, this rice cake will not slip off the stick and send the rest of the snack onto the ground.

“Ah, okay.” He says when he’s situated, turning towards a random direction with steps slow enough to allow her to follow. Now is still as good of a time as ever to speak up on his reason for the random reunion, but he bites into the gelatinous treat instead. He can almost hear the taunting of his members over his own chewing; you’re here with her and you’re still not saying anything? Yah, are you a fool or what? And that prompts him to swallow down, probably quicker than he should have, and speak up above the sound of cars and faint music playing from the passing shops.

“I don’t want you to think I’m doing this because you’re a big star now… or anything. I’ve been wanting to do this since you debuted but I never got the chance, I guess. It might sound silly but I thought if I don’t do it now then you’ll forget about me— ah. Not… hold on, that sounds super cheesy.” A hand raises to rub at his nape, fingers tracing up to scratch uselessly at his jaw.

“I don’t mean to sound like a scene from a sappy movie, I swear. Hah. But you know, any longer and too many years would’ve passed. Memories grow weak with time. I couldn’t let this pass us by. I just thought it was crazy that we both became idols. How weird of a coincidence is that? I don’t know anyone else from my childhood that ended up on this path. I thought, hey, maybe there’s a reason. Maybe we’re meant to be best buds… Or at least friends. I don’t know. And my members, they were teasing me every time I’d mention that I knew you. I wasn’t bragging about you, but—…”

He’s rambling. Again.

“But yeah, it’s… it’s really nice to see you.”

[mingdo]

[ ! ] @keidoscope liked for a starter (accepting).

“So, what do you think about all those clowns in America?” Mingyu was skeptical of bringing up the subject, he knew some people carried a serious fear for the theatrical characters (he was beginning to develop one too, to be honest) and wanted to tread on careful grounds as to not elicit an unpleasant reaction. There were probably over a million other things he could bring up to stimulate small talk, but this had been the last thing he heard on the news that morning and subsequently, the first thing that came to mind. “You think people over here will start messing around in clown costumes too?”

[mingdo]

[ ! ] @ieuijin liked for a starter (accepting).

[ sms — 의진 누나 ] noona ㅠㅠㅠㅠ just wanted to apologize for bumping into you again... it looked like it hurt ㅠㅠ [ sms ] let me make it up to you with coffee or something sometime?? [ sms ] oh by the way i got your number from a hyung of mine ㅎㅎㅎ it’s mingyu! from svt! [ sms ] i should’ve started with that......

[mingdo]

[ ! ] @kinogon liked for a starter (accepting).

Alright, man. ( ` he leans in close, voice lowered into a hush as he cracks his knuckles, making it seem as if he’s about to reveal the biggest secret. ) The number one rule of being an idol is sleep. Frickin’ sleep. In the car going somewhere? Sleep. Waiting for your turn on stage? Sleep. Standing in a McDonald’s line waiting for your order to be taken? Sleep. Sleep anywhere and everywhere you can because it’s gonna be a rarity, I’m telling ya. 

[mingdo]

[ ! ] @naenu liked for a starter (accepting).

More than a year after debut and several cycles of promotions later, Mingyu still couldn’t seem to effectively maneuver his way through the grand broadcast stations he and his group stopped by so often. One corridor would only lead into another and the signs meant to help with the route seemed to only be sending him in circles. His own poor sense of direction was accounted for, this much he knew, but he couldn’t seem to grasp why a figure had been following behind him on his journey through the maze. 

When he turns to look behind him, ready to address the individual, he recognizes the female as a senior in the industry and dips his head into a bow to greet her accordingly.

“Sorry, but— are you following me? ‘Cause if you are, uh, bad idea.”

[mingdo]

— starter call!

If you could go ahead and give this post a like, I’ll be sure to either get a starter going or drop a little something in your inbox. Yeah? Yeah. 

[mingdo]

“I cleared my schedule to spend all day with you.”

“And it’s gonna be super worth it. Listen.” He sets his phone down in front of the two of them, eager to show off the application he has opened on the device. “It says that it can pick up supernatural vibes or something. I’m trying to figure out if my childhood cat comes to visit me. Be a good sport, noona.”

[mingdo]

— @jngchae

“If you know her, then why don’t you talk to her?”

Yeah, well, geez. If it was that simple then she’d be on the phone right now helping me prove you wrong, wouldn’t she? As much as the snarky remark sits on his tongue, tempted to spit back to the older bandmate, he’s quiet and resorts to a cheeky eye-roll instead.

They were kids. Sure, he remembers her, but who’s to say he’d be met with the same grace? Imagine the many faces she’s come across since his, the new memories she’s made, the new relationships she’s built— then imagine the awkwardness that would overtake the atmosphere if he approached her and all he could find on her face in return was the contortion of her features as they melted down into just pure, utter confusion. Yikes.

By the same token, his curiosity was beginning to consume him. He wanted to know the likelihood of her remembering him, too. Was it just sheer coincidence that they ended up on the same path in life— and wouldn’t he just be a fool to not take advantage of the situation when fate has dealt them a hand like this?

It was those daunting thoughts that had brought him out to the busy streets of Seoul on this night, a quarter to eleven; his back leaned up against the side of the street vendor trolley, heels kicking into the cemented ground almost anxiously. He was lucky enough to get Jieqiong to comply to his plans. Exchanging a promise of having no ill intentions, ensuring that he certainly wasn’t using her as a way to be set up with the other female seemed like a good deal to him. His mind momentarily ponders on why he hadn’t thought of getting Jieqiong’s help with this earlier, then a brief second is dedicated to reminding himself that he owes her one, a big one, but then his attention is immediately diverted back to the task at hand when mid-thought, his eyes focus on a pair of small figures approaching.

Chaeyeon is smaller and paler than she appears on television, he notes as she’s brought closer to him, yet much taller than he last remembers her to be. Jieqiong says something and he finds himself nodding although he’s not entirely processing the words, then the youngest turns away, leaving the two old mates standing in front of a vendor with a polite older woman ready to take an order.

He doesn’t know if her taste as changed in the last five years, and he has no idea whether this is still her go-to order, but he speaks up with a confidence that makes it seem like he has all the assurance in the world.

“Hi, uh. Two fried rice cake skewers, please.” He pauses, briefly, to sneak a glance down to the young lady stood by his side. “If that’s alright with you.”