stardust.

[rkjxy]

seesaw,

rkness​:

vanessa shakes her head, eyes focused on her food as she gets herself ready to dig in. “ah, no worries! i would have eaten first too, honestly.” she snorts, leaning her body over to bumb gently against the other girl. “no worries, baby~” she sings in english, smiling to herself. the food tastes as good as it looked, and she hums as she eats; she’s quiet for a moment, enjoying her food. when joy responds to her, vanesssa pauses, setting down her utensils and sipping at her water in the meantime.

she lets out a soft gasp, an ooh leaving her as she caps the bottle and sits up straighter. “we should! like a group dinner. that would be fun– pass it off as a big bonding experience.” the idea is a wonderful wone. she hopes they’ll be able to do it sometime– maybe they can start now. eyebrows furrowing, she takes another bite and her hand hovers over her mouth as an idea hits her. waiting until she’s finished chewing, she gestures wildly with her other hand. “oh, oh! maybe i if i tell kiwoong oppa i’m buying– i’ll get the most expensive meat. maybe he’ll be lenient on us if we bribe him with good food…” she trails her voice off in a whisper, eyes flickering around for their manager in question.

joy laughs as she nods her head. proceeding to turn her attention back to her food, she enjoys the few bites she takes before she went ahead to explain. “my mom just used to always tell me to wait for the people that i share the table with before i eat.” be respectful, be polite are words she always used to hear growing up. “but i don’t think she knew how hard that is when you’re actually really hungry.” and when you’ve been working nonstop over the last few hours, all decorum will go out of the window once you have your food with you.

the younger is pleased with the reaction she was able to elicit from the older. vanessa’s excitement makes her own grow double as she smiles proudly. “it would be nice if we can do it at our building’s rooftop or something and we can set up the place nicely. like a picnic!” just with more privacy. it would like their own little party. they rarely ever get to do something adventurous as a group. it would be nice if they can turn this into a tradition—one they can look back on in the future with absolute fondness. “i don’t think he can say no that.” she laughs. “we’ve seen his taste in food and i have faith we can bribe him with expensive meat.” 

[rkjxy]

♚ happily ever after ;

rksohee​:

sohee finds herself chuckling. “maybe one day we can go to italy and you can try it. then you’ll be able to turn to me and tell me how bad my cooking was.” she was joking, of course, but she would definitely love to travel with k.arma members. especially to places she’s been. it would be a different experience with her members by her side.

“oh wow i remember rome,” she adds wistfully. she hadn’t been in rome in years. literally. she thinks the last time she was in italy was probably 2010. gosh….such a long time ago. she probably has photos somewhere. but thinking about the time makes her miss travelling. she thinks the last place she was in was paris back in 2016. even that was some time ago. maybe she should travel soon. travelling would probably mend her heart.

sohee hums in agreement as she puts the cover on the noodles to allow them to thaw and boil. “yeah. i used to travel a lot more when i was younger.” on plans for different events, fashion week, photoshoots….she couldn’t believe she lived that way. her life seems entirely different now. it’s almost like that was an entirely different person. “i want to be able to travel with everyone. it would be cool to travel because of work, like because we’re having a world tour or are going to be in a spread of an international magazine.” she remembers those days.

“gosh it’s been so long since….it feels like it was forever ago.” she looks up at joy. “the last time i was in rome i was like fourteen.” she laughs. it was probably before her birthday too. “i can’t believe it.” though the more she thinks about it, maybe visiting europe again would fill her with a sense of nostalgia. then maybe she wouldn’t be so fixated on her heart.

she sighs. if only.

“i hope so.” she sighs but immediately recovers with a laugh once she understood what she just said. “but not to tell you how bad your cooking was! just for us to travel and eat really yummy food.” the younger giggles.

conversations like this reminds her how in their group, it’s the two of them who share the bond of having grown up in europe. it seems that there are so many places they have similarly been to before; separate but comparable experiences they can reminisce over with a great amount of nostalgia. “i really miss europe sometimes.” she smiles. she’s been living in seoul for nearly ten years now and everything here is so different. there are really moments where she misses her old life, despite her contentment in this new one.

“me too! my parents would usually take me along when they have business trips.” oh, to be a child and completely uncaring of the world around you. “what’s your favourite place you’ve been to?” joy asks the older curiously. she nods her head in agreement, a hopeful look passing across her features. “right? it would be so amazing if we can do all that. i know idols go overseas to film variety shows too where they just do a bunch of touristy stuff. i’d love to be able to do that.” to relax all while producing content for the fans sounds like the best way to hit two birds with one stone.

“it’s really crazy how time feels like it passes by slowly yet quickly at the same time.” she supposes this is really what happens when you’re too occupied with one thing. in their case, it was training and their eventual debut. glancing at the other, joy’s brows furrow together in worry. “unnie, is everything alright?” she asks, subtly noticing the fluctuation in sohee’s emotions since she had gone out of the bedroom to join her. “are you okay?”

[rknetizens]

* // [ NEWS ] SBS ANNOUNCES UPCOMING NEW DRAMA

RUNNING MAN came out today with a new edition of their popular couple races. The guests of the day included CONVEX’s HYUN and K.ARMA’s KIL. While the cast and guests tried to figure out and stop the secret couple from winning, Hyun and Somin, they ended up victorious. Hyun is currently promoting with his group and their latest release of ‘DON’T WANNA CRY’. Kil recently became one of the ambassadors for skin care brand LABIOTTE.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ? SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS HERE ! // *

[rkjxy]

──── k.arma september 2020 schedule   ╳   running man solo appearance   ❞

her deductive skills were barely there and she’s been told one too many times that she believes in certain things with barely a dubious glance. with the premise of today’s episode, she thinks it would be entertaining to see herself fail miserably at guessing.

nevertheless, joy thinks she would have a lot of fun. she has been in the show before albeit this time would be the first where she was invited to go alone. the last time, she remembers having a lot of fun and laughing every chance she gets. although seeing as she’s representing k.arma just by herself, she thinks she would have to step up her performance. maybe through this she would be able to establish a variety persona for herself and manage to snag more invitations for the rest of the group.

“hello!” she greets the other cast members brightly as she stepped out of the second door, being introduced before the last guest. surprisingly, she was no longer asked to introduce herself. the members all treated her as if she was a show regular and allowed her to find her place within the semi-circle comfortably. pleasantries were exchanged and there’s a smile on her face the entire time. convex’s hyun was introduced last and as the hosts play around with each other, she watches the exchange with absolute entertainment. it feels like watching the show at home but infinitely better because the events are unfolding right before her eyes. 

the mechanics of the game were revealed as well as their secret mission at the start. she’s very giddy as she explains how she was able to successfully ask three of the cast members to sign an autograph without their knowing that it was her. unfortunately, she wasn’t able to do it for everyone and so she was still given a low card. as she enters the third car with much insistence, her team members were assembled. 

“then the secret couple can be somin unnie and hyun-ssi.” was a comment she makes while they were talking inside the car, a statement thrown off the wind without actual evidence. the rest of the car ride was filled with more conversation until they finally arrived at the destination.

the recording continued.

joy feels a bit sad watching the other groups eat such a bountiful lunch while hers ended up eating a bowl of rice and seaweed. “if kil dances on behalf of the team, please give us raw beef.” one of her team members says and she perks up, immediately standing up for the opportunity to be given better food. “all of us including me would be embarrassed.” she says as she takes her place. when they start giving her a random a capella beat, she dances to the chorus of dolls. she tries not to laugh but the embarrassment of dancing to their song without the proper music made her hung her head forward anyway. still, she was rewarded for her efforts and they were given marinated shrimp. “thank you for the food.”

after the food, they continue with the next game. as they were quizzed about love, she tries her best to answer even though her answers were always seemingly falling short. suddenly, a question from one of the cast members took her off guard. “kill-ssi, how do long do you think it will take you to forget someone?” her mind immediately goes into overdrive and the first word that spilled from her lips, they make fun of her. 

“she claims she hasn’t met anyone so she has nothing to say.”

joy can only laugh but moves not to deny or affirm anything that they say. instead, she thinks about her response for a second before confidently coming up with one.

“i’d say i will tell you in five years.”

“your contract ends in five years?” 

“yes, my contract ends in five years.” she laughs.

“that was smart.” 

the game moves forward. there were more bantering between the regular cast members, attempts from her end to answer, a question their team finally got correct, and a game that they surprisingly won. 

after that portion wraps up, they all went to the university grounds to gather students. as they attempt to finish their task, she cannot help but laugh out loud as she watches two of the students slip an elastic band from their feet all the way to their waist. the most hilarious part of it, though, was when she offered to help the female student when her band was stuck by her hips. using a shoed foot, she had to accidentally touch her bottom to drag the band upwards. the entire time, she was laughing out loud; collapsing on the floor as the gravity of what she had to do and the funny commentaries from kwangsoo made it difficult for her to gather her wits. she apologised to the girl, bowing low on the floor despite her laughters barely going away. “i’m so sorry!” she laughs. “i’m so sorry, thank you so much.” there were tears in her eyes by the time she’s calmed down. she wipes them away delicately but the memory of what happened still makes her titter. 

yet just as she thought she’s done full on laughing, a more hilarious scene unfolds before her. as kwangsoo rubs his bottom with another to student to speed up the task, she can’t help but jump around as she laughs. when they all finish successfully, she cheers along with everyone else.

they play more games as everyone reconvened in the university grounds until finally, it was time to figure out who the secret couple were. her guesses were heejin and kwangsoo but she isn’t very confident about it. it was hard to suspect when there are hardly any hints for her to look at. although she managed to find one in a dressing room. as she bumps into three other members during her quest, she runs away from everyone when it starts getting confusing. 

minutes later, the race starts narrowing down and after the first and second trial, more people were eliminated from the race yet they still can’t figure out who was the other half of the secret couple. more deliberations were discussed and she’s quietly deciphering everything that was being said. reacting only when necessary and fulfilling her voting end.

when jihyo was voted by the majority to be the other half of the at the secret couple, she can’t help but express her disappointment having voted somin. “no, it’s somin unnie!” she says, sliding lower on her chair as she watches jihyo approach the stage. when it was revealed that she wasn’t the female in the couple, she stands up from her seat and cries: “i told you it wasn’t her!” while she’s sad that they didn’t win, she cheered for the winning pair as they close the show.

the recording ends without fuss. joy makes sure to express her gratitude towards every single person who worked with her that day. she leaves the set exhausted but incredibly happy. she had a lot of fun and hopes to be able to come back again in the future.

[rkjxy]

* 우리 집에 왜 왔니 ,

rkpcy​:

“does it?” he asks, feigning innocence at the idea of being a bad snack server if he ate it all, head quirking to one side, eyes wide and innocent like a puppy, lower lip jutting out in just the slightest manner, a formidable pout. in all honesty, he’s not really a snacks kind of person—at least, not as much as he used to be—so he doesn’t really think he’d be able to eat that much anyway, but he’s also not the type to not share, but it’s always fun to pretend. he laughs it off, scratching at the back of his neck like he’s embarrassed at the thought of it, bowing at a staff member who coincidentally passes by with snacks at the moment, eyeing him with jokingly wary eyes. “i guess that’s why they don’t let me bring in the snacks, huh?”

when she shoves him playfully, he stumbles several steps backward, grabbing at the area she’d touched as if she’d just shot him there, just like he’d seen so many times in all those action films he’d watched. he remains hunched over, knees bent as if he’s about to keel over and die, his dramatics at its finest. “huk!! have you been working out?” he asks, purposefully straining his voice, falling to one knee to up the ante a little. but he can’t just do things a little; he has to go all out, and eventually he crumples to the ground on his stomach, limbs splayed out as if he has lost the ability to hold himself up. “a–all you had to do…” he begins, reaching out toward her, voice raspy as if he’s on his very last breath. “was say no….”

his voice fades away and he forces his eyes to lose focus before he respectfully passes away in his death scene. he only breaks character when she begins doubting herself, and he springs back up to his feet with lightning speed, shaking his head and wagging a finger at her. “hey, don’t be like that,” he says, making his way back to her side to flick her on the forehead. “they won’t get tired. how could they? k.arma is the best!” he gives her two thumbs up and a wide grin, only for it to falter when she once again refuses to call him her favorite. “this is blasphemy! everything i’ve known is a lie!” he’s back to his usual dramatics, clutching at his chest. “how could you do this to me? who has taken my place in your heart?”

the younger nods her head with resolution as if the matter they’re discussing is of absolute importance. “yes, you really can’t be. i think it’s good judgment on their part that they made you the host instead of a snack server.” there was probably no point to such a conversation but she enjoys the triviality of it. often, she’s engaged in thought provoking exchanges and situations where she has to consider multiple things at the same time before she can even say something. it was a nice exchange to be able to say everything without it having to make any sense at all. it reminds her of the childlike energy she missed out on because she had to grow up so quickly. it was comforting to realise that even at twenty-two, she’s still capable of playing.

watching him stumble over made her laugh out loud. the amusement still settling comfortably over her as she reacts to his showcase of dramatics. “wow! who knew all these years of gym time had paid off?” she giggles. he was truly such a character and spending time with the older outside of company walls makes her incredibly grateful that they chose her out of seven other members to appear in this show. joy misses the daily interactions and the friendships she’s made as a trainee. it makes her happy to know that even if sometime had passed, the bond she had forged with them may never change. “of course i can’t just say no. i had to do something to really get the point across, you know? nothing beats the power of words and actions combined!” 

she laughs at him again before looking away, glancing at the mirror for a moment before he brings her back to the present by flicking a finger on her forehead. “ow.” she mumbles with a frown, rubbing the small point her index finger even though it wasn’t really painful. he really was like an older brother. “i don’t want to doubt their loyalty but you never know! still, i hope they all think the way you do and believe that we’re going to be the best forever.” she smiles, her spirits already lifted. even if only a small crop of people would remain in a few years time, she would still be infinitely grateful. “tsk, tsk, this is why you shouldn’t assume things.” she says after a laugh, shaking her head. “it’s yeji, of course! she’s my favourite because i think she’s great. i’m sorry that you were dethroned but it was bound to happen.”

[rkjxy]

imyourjoy i hope everyone had a wonderful chuseok 🍂🧡  i spent mine very peacefully and rested well because @yericlipse and i had so much fun ~ now i’m ready to take on the rest of the year! let’s make the last few months count, okay? 🥰

view all comments  1 MINUTE AGO

[rkjxy]

seasons change

rkdoyeon​:

doyeon knows that her words of encouragement come from her own arrogance and pink colored world, but that’s the only thing she could say at the moment to someone she adored and wanted to see happy. on the other hand, despite her beliefs that everything would turn out well if you chased what you wanted, she also knew that taking risks was not as simple and wouldn’t always give you the best endings, but girls like them were probably considered lucky for having what they do. “that’s right! so say yes to the things you want to experience and you will figure out how to deal with the rest later.” she smiles, hoping she wasn’t a total lunatic for believing in such things.

however, listening to joy, she grows more and more confident in it because they had this type of group that she could only dream of, not because of their success but because of their members. when she first joined trc and was sent straight to the debut project, she had a lot of worries about that, but destiny gave her the best girls to become her family and she knew that they would grow stronger through their ups and downs if they were together. “yeah, we’re all in this together~” she singsongs playfully, but it hits her that maybe it was time to be honest with all of them about her secret. it’s weird now because it’s been two years, but talking to joy about it gives her confidence. “we are like seven sisters, so it will be hard to take us down.” she grins widely. 

and when all the doubts become less of a problem, doyeon is happy to just tease the other and listen about her blooming new love interest. between the two of them, they could talk about anything and it felt really nice. “right… i guess i wouldn’t be able to do something like this even if i wanted. my song would sound really cheesy,” she throws her head back, laughing. “how was the song like?” she wonders, because it could be something romantic like a ballad or even hiphop. she would ask to listen to it because her curiosity had no limits, but it sounded personal, so she decided to keep the request to herself. “well, he did this much, so i guess it’s coming sooner or later,” she shrugs, then winks playfully at joy. “me? no no!” the youngest shakes her head with a laugh. “i don’t know if this is a myth or not, but i’m okay without numbers in my sandwich. i’d rather set up our members with cute idols!” she admits.

from the onset, it seems that a life where they can both experience normal things while balancing a flourishing career under public scrutiny seems like an incredibly unachievable feat. there are a lot of sacrifices they have to make and at this point, thinking about what she should prioritise was like second nature. she knew she would always choose her career first; there was no question about it. however, she feels like she should be allowed to live a semblance of normalcy too. she’s a young adult and isn’t this time in her life the perfect opportunity to get lost in feelings? she wonders if she’ll ever get to indulge it. “i’ll make sure to remember it.” she smiles. “take things one day at a time, right?” 

it was a very good advice seeing as things are already overwhelming enough as it is. it would do her wonderfully if she were to constantly remind herself to always take things one day at a time. maybe then she wouldn’t feel as though her entire life is made up of problems just waiting to happen. releasing a sigh of equal parts relief and astonishment, she looks at the younger girl with disbelief shining behind her eyes. “it’s crazy when you think about it because weren’t we all just strangers to each other at one point?” she thinks about the first time she had met each one of them, how friendly she tries to be and how trivial the conversations were. it was such a far cry from where they are today. “now look at us! we’re inseparable and can talk to each other about anything. i’m so proud of it.”

she laughs along with the doyeon, shaking her head as she jumps on the opportunity to encourage her. “hey, if you want to make one as a present for your boyfriend, i don’t think it would be so bad if it’s going to be cheesy. i’m sure he’d like it!” and such is the power of a beautiful romance—you have someone to appreciate you for all the moments in between. “it was pretty and surprisingly, it revealed a lot about his feelings. the instrumental was really good though. i wish i had a copy but he played it on his phone.” but she can still remember how great the song was and how it has the potential to make it into an album tracklist if he so wishes. joy can only laugh at the insinuation that a proper confession may happen soon. who knows? still, she wouldn’t want to hold her breath out for it. there’s a lot of things already occupying her mind. “right? i can’t even imagine eating my sandwich peacefully and then suddenly getting a slip of paper to chew on.” she giggles. 

[rkjxy]

the return back to you

rktaehyng​:

at the end of the day, taehyung really believed it was in sooyoung’s best interest that she find someone else, someone better. look at what they’d both become — well, what one of them became — and what one didn’t. taehyung had the chance years ago to keep her in his life, and instead, decided to just off and go. and now, here they were, sooyoung standing before him even more so gorgeous in person than she was in all of her photos. he’d seen some of her fantaken photos on the internet from the budding fansites but never could find justice as to just how truly beautiful she actually was without seeing her in person (or maybe he would remain forever smitten). 

his mind floods with the endless questions he wants to ask her in this moment. everything suddenly feels so temporary in a coffee shop anyways — who’s to say she isn’t in a rush now? on a schedule? meeting a new secret boyfriend that the public wouldn’t hear about for years? god, it felt awful. he wanted to know everything going on in her life now that she’d made it. i’m so proud of you, he tells her in his imagination. for everything you’ve done. 

taehyung thought he’d been swept off his feet the first time he heard sooyoung speak to him in years, but it’s really the second time that sends a heavy PANG! directly to his heart. he’s still staring, still at a loss at what exactly the universe thinks it’s doing right now by dangling some sort of lost potential before his very eyes. he never considered himself a bad person, but was what he did to her really enough to warrant this sort of fate?

“w-wait — no, no,” he stammers like the idiot he always has before her, tripping over his own two feet and his brain unable to piece together a coherent sentence. whatever, he knows this is ridiculous now. but the one thing taehyung has learned is that sooyoung has been worth everything to him — even after all these years.

and letting her go a second time is just something he couldn’t let himself live with.

“w-were you planning to stay? even just for a little bit?” he talks in short fragments as the cpu of his brain goes into overdrive to do everything in its power to get taehyung to just say something — get her to stay. he hadn’t even noticed that he’d instinctually lifted an arm up to potentially block her path to walk around him. 

“i know of course you’re probably super busy now, which i totally get, but, um,” he licks his lips as his eyes falter from her face to the floor, and back up again. he’s still trying to process that this conversation is really even happening. “whatever time you have, sooyoung-ah. it’s been a really long time.”

she looks at life prospectively. she always had. she was hardly the type of person who dwells upon the events of the past. joy never thinks to put herself through such challenge because the past often carries within it burdens she would rather not carry towards her future. often moving forward and only looking back to reflect as she remembers her motivations. yet as a living, breathing figure of her past suddenly mobilises right before her very eyes, it seems that she cannot adhere to her earlier principle. why does she struggle to step away now, when it has not stopped her before? what is so terribly different from this coffee shop and him, and years ago with her doorstep and him?

still, she forces herself. as she steps away—her feet feeling as though it is dragging itself through a pile of heavy weighted sand—he puts a stop to her efforts. and by the gods above, if she doesn’t absolutely question the way her shoulders relaxed and her sprits thumped with anticipation; she thinks she’s positively losing her mind. 

joy glances down at the arm that he has outstretched to block her from leaving, and back at him again. “um,” she starts, biting down on her lower lip as she thinks. “i mean, technically, not really. i was planning to just grab a cup and go.” was her honest answer because truthfully, being so out in the open unnerves her now. even this little interaction is making the tiny hairs on her arms rise—but perhaps that has more to do with his presence than over the prospect of being photographed in public against her will. 

officially throwing away all rationality that already seemed to be hanging on for dear life, she continues. “but if you wanted to catch up, i have time.” she smiles. “just maybe not here? i think we’ve already attracted enough attention.” 

she cradles the cup of iced coffee within the palms of her hand, the coldness tethering her to the reality of her choosing. it was probably not an intelligent idea to very willingly opt to hang out with not just your ex boyfriend, but your first love, your first everything. taehyung was such a significant part of her life and it seems that no matter the distance between them, he would always take up that space. perhaps this is why she just cannot deny him that easily; something still tethers them together.

“i could go with exploring haebangchon. maybe we can find new socks for you along the way.” she says, instinctively reaching out to pull her hat lower as she prepares to go outside. maybe exploration is not such the best idea but if she gets caught, why does it matter? at most, they’re just strangers reconciling what they know of each other from the past, to what stands in front of them at present.

[rksejeong]

Help!

@rkjxy

Pulling double duty like this was rather tiring, more so than Sejeong had thought it would be when she signed up for the role.  She really hadn’t counted on them preparing another comeback so quickly so to be told that she’d need to work on that while shooting her drama had come as a surprise, but she knew she’d have to make the best of her time, often foregoing sleep so she could practice.

Today was one of the lucky days where she was only needed on set for part of the day, so she was able to meet up with the other girls and join them in practicing.  Seeing everything that they had learned already made her feel a bit lost, especially with the dance choreography.  Seeing an opportunity, she turned to Joy for some assistance.  “You know I’m bad at this normally, but only being here half the time, I think I’m even worse, if possible.  Is this part like this?”  she attempted to do the part they were learning “Or like this?” she does it again, neither one quite right.

[rkjxy]

as expected, the choreography wasn’t a complicated piece that needs to take days in order for her to comprehend. if anything, it was probably simpler than some of their previous releases. joy supposes it had something to do with the less exuberant nature of the song. after all, there needs to be more focus on the attitude that comes with the performance; less on the complexity of movements and more on the flair.

“it wasn’t bad at all.” joy replies affirmingly as soon as sejeong turns to her. seeing as she was now close to being able to perfect the choreography based on her self-imposed standards, she’s more than willing to extend a helping hand. even if she weren’t, she would always take the time to help them anyway. joy watches carefully and made quick comparisons before choosing the second one. “that one, for sure. maybe try extending your arm a little to really get a good feel of it.” she smiles. “if it still doesn’t seem right, focus on your arms first before you do the leg movement too.”

[rkjxy]

──── k.arma september 2020 schedule   ╳   birthday fan meeting   ❞

she’s a bundle of nerves, excitement, and happiness on her way to the fan meeting venue. her heart thundering beneath her ribcage as she hears the bustle of movement from the other side of the stage; a permanent smile seemingly fixed on her lips as the noises of the fifty people who she would be meeting that day heightens her energy. it’s so exhilarating. the event hasn’t even started yet, but she feeds off of their energy already.

this must truly what if feels like to know you’re doing exactly what you’re meant to.

truthfully, she doesn’t know what to expect. while she had prepared a few things to make the event more interactive, she still couldn’t possibly gauge how they will respond to it. joy can only hope that they would enjoy the things she had arranged and that it wouldn’t be subpar to their expectations. she wants more than anything for them to have fun and to really celebrate such a special occasion with her. after all, this might be the only time within the year where she can intimately gather with them like this.

when the event starts, she walks up to the stage with the happiest smile, a hand above her chest in an attempt to calm her racing heart. the cheers from their fans were loud, it didn’t even feel like there were only fifty of them there. just seeing them in front of her, their faces as clear as day makes her heart full already. this was the best birthday gift she could have ever hoped for.

“hello everyone! i’m k.arma’s kil, thank you so much for being here today.” was her introduction, the microphone clutched tightly in her hands. “how are you? did you miss me?” she asks with a teasing smile, a laugh escaping from her lips as a booming chorus of “yes!” was heard from the audience. “ah, i missed you all too. i can’t wait to meet everyone on stage again but this is really fun too, right? i’m so happy that i’m given the chance to spend my birthday with everyone. i’m very grateful that you’re here with me today.” she says with utmost sincerity, a sparkle of fondness shining within her brown eyes.

the first few minutes of the hour begins with more chatter from her end. she shares little anecdotes about how she spent the morning of her birthday; the presents she’s received from the members, the breakfast she shared with doyeon, and the subsequent excitement as she prepares for the event. it felt like talking to an old friend but even better because their animated reactions kept on making her laugh throughout. 

suddenly, the staff brought out a two-tiered fondant cake with lit candles carefully adorned on top of it. “wow, it’s time to blow the candles now?” she says in surprise, walking closer towards the cake. as soon as she finished speaking, the crowd erupted into a birthday song. as they sing for her, she sways and claps along, eyes on them the entire time. as soon as they were done, she thanks them with a polite bow and moves to blow the cake but not before closing her eyes to make a wish. 

i hope we always get to build happy memories.

finally, she blows the candles as the fans cheered once again. “thank you, thank you.” she says with a smile. “i will tell you guys what i wished for but i don’t want to jinx it so i’ll just keep it to myself for now.” she laughs despite their whines. afterward, she took pictures with the cake and chattered some more. at one point, she gave in to a request to dance a portion of their latest release as she danced the killing part.

for the next portion, the staff pulled out a large resume card which she hoped they can utilise for the fans to get to know her better. joy feels that there’s still so much of her that they don’t know, even though it’s already been more than a year since she debuted. the segment took a few minutes to finish. in it, she talked about her favourite nickname “joy is my english name and pretty much everyone i know call me as that!”; a special talent, “i can memorise a choreography just by watching it.”; and other smaller information such as where she was born, what languages she knows how to speak, and what are her hobbies.  

the childhood section may seem like it would be more revealing but it’s honestly facets of her life which she doesn’t mind sharing. in there, she talks about her strengths and weaknesses. what she loved to do as a child where she talked about how much performing means to her even at a young age. she also mentioned her first memory of seoul, which was a childhood vacation where all she did was eat hotteok and mandu as how she felt an instant connection for the city even though it was her first time ever being there.

the last few moments of the fan meeting would be where she gets to interact with all of the attendees one-by-one for a short period of time. as they all file a line to approach her, she’s surprised at the many different faces she’s greeted by. they were all so courteous and wonderful. one of the more memorable people, a young man who introduced himself as pj, told her quite nicely how she’s even more breathtaking in real life to which she can only laugh. he looked very excited to meet her and this energy was rubbing off on her, as evidenced by her grin and the adoring look she’s giving him. before he’s asked to move, what made their interaction even more significant to her memory was the note he slid towards her. “my friend told me to give this to you, and he'd kill me if you didn't read it. 99% sure you know him!” he says, and with a look of surprise she quickly masks, she thanks him generously before waving goodbye.

another significant interaction was when she was offered a large ring. as soon as she sees it, she laughs boisterously. “oh my gosh!” was her reaction, eyes wide as she accepts the large ring. “thank you! this is so pretty. i’ll put it through my arm to keep it safe.” she gushes, smiling at the man whose name she gathered was dowhan. the big ring rests comfortably on her wrist, acting as a bracelet. she kept it on there until the entire event was over.

soon enough, it was time to say goodbye. “thank you so much again for coming to my birthday party. i hope that we’ll always get to spend such wonderful time together like this. i had the best birthday ever!” she speaks with utmost happiness. “thank you for all your support. please look forward to seeing k.arma in the future, we love you all dearly!” with that final message, she goes around the entirety of the stage waving at every corner she can reach.

she leaves the venue and arrives home with the fullest heart. it had truly been the best birthday ever and she can’t wait to always spend her special days like this—surrounded by love and appreciation.

[rkjxy]

the return back to you

rktaehyng​:

i must be on televison, he thinks. he wants to pull his eyes away and search the room; find the hidden cameras or the undercover actors that are surrounding them and stop his foot like a child and tell them “that’s not funny!” — that would all be too much of a cruel joke to play on him. again, the universe begins to feel staged as it had the last time taehyung had seen the female at her doorstep, years ago. he wondered if the moon and stars and all that astrophysics mumbo jumbo he’d never bothered to go to university and learn for himself really were the forces pulling himself back to her again. it couldn’t be. mercuery wasn’t in retrograde.

instead of pulling his eyes away, he’s lost in hers, as he had always found himself. he always would be like this — even taehyung couldn’t disagree with himself about it. no amount of time or distance would ever be able to change how he felt for her, even down to his core. he’d grown so accustomed to seeing her face on computer and smartphone screens that seeing her in the flesh once more had literally knocked the wind out of him.

“it is,” he doesn’t hesitate a moment to agree with her entirely. taehyung hasn’t blinked, hasn’t moved a single muscle since she’d reached down to pick up the spilled paper cup. people around him awkwardly try to maneuver their ways around him and the puddle at his feet. he still can’t move. his brain isn’t processing any of this fast enough for him to think rationally.

it’s the thought that the words she speak now are for him and him only — maybe her absence really did make his heart grow fonder. god, he was such an idiot for letting her go. sooyoung really was the most beautiful and talented person he’d ever had the chance to meet (did he deserve having her, though?), and here she was now, living the very dream she’d conveyed to him years ago that back then sounded so inconceivable.

he always knew she’d make it to this point, but he hated himself for not finishing the journey with her.

taehyung still has no words, no reaction even to her smile because the cpu in his brain is running short and he can only feel his heart badgering against his ribcage and the warm coffee slowly seeping its way through the bottom soles of his feet into his socks. a barista comes, but even when she begins to mop around him, taehyung only then remembers he needs to breathe. “ … sooyoung,” he finally breathes, heavily, his shoulders falling as the weight of her name coming from him falls from his lips. he takes a long pause, seemingly trying to catch his breath. he suddenly feels like he’s run an entire marathon. “… my socks are wet.”

she feels suddenly self aware. not just of the few glances they have been receiving, but of the memories from the last time they met face to face. how she had felt so despondently sad at seeing him return when she had been certain she was already used to not seeing him again. of a time before then when she was struggling to come to terms with the fact that he was gone from her world and the tears that came and went. joy still believes that her decision to turn him away when he appeared at her doorstep nearly four years ago was for the best. she needed that time to focus on herself; to build the dream she came here for. yet she cannot help but think about the what ifs. 

especially now when he stands before her and she’s in a much better place.

she’s worried her presence is making him uncomfortable. after all, she had not been exactly too kind the last time they met. he had not reacted much except but to stare, did not even return her smile. joy looks away for a second, feeling heavily scrutinised under his gaze but figures if there’s anyone between them who had the power to act naturally, it would be her. so she finds the courage to look back, after she smiles apologetically at the staff cleaning up the mess. when she hears him speak for the first time in awhile, her damned heart had the audacity to skip a formidable beat.

“maybe you should go get a new pair of socks.” she finds her voice, a soft kindness devoid of her usual exuberance. “unless you want to get a new cup of coffee first.” it had to be because no one calls her sooyoung anymore. he was the only one who called her like so, and hearing him call her with such familiarity made her nervous. it has to be because of that.

now that he doesn’t look as if a ghost had reappeared right before his eyes ( truthfully, she might as well be ), she finally has the chance to take a look at him. taehyung looks good; better than the last time she remembers. he always is, her subconscious decides for her. for that, she had to agree. the curls does something to make him look mature, his features better defined—he had grown up. she wonders for a brief moment what she could possibly look like in his eyes. would he think she looks great, just as much as she did for him?

she doesn’t know what to do next and that was the most confusing part. the rational side of her brain tells her to go before the few eyes around them turns suspicious. after all, she has what she needs. yet the other side tells her to stay, maybe ask him to catch up. but is there really anything to talk about? she thinks. in the end, she decides to follow rational thought even if a part of herself begins to argue. “i should go. i guess i’ll see you around and i’m sorry about your socks.” she smiles.

[rkjxy]

rktaehyng​:

( sms : ???? ) of course he did, if he didn’t, they would have taken him back in the ship they came here in ( sms : ???? ) wow so nothing will happen if i send you this??? 😏 ( sms : ???? ) [ img_attachment.png ] ( sms : ???? ) Ναι, έχει πολλά χέλια. θα θέλατε να δείτε το magnum dong μου; ( sms : ???? ) wait shit i don’t think that translated right fuck ( sms : ???? ) didn’t write it down??? how else should i tell u??? ( sms : ???? ) so i guess this means next time you have a fan meeting ur gonna get me a vip backstage pass, right sooyoung-ah??

📱   CONTACT    ━    👽 — good. i don’t want the agency to take him back i think he’s great! — nothing! 🤣 — except that i’ll ignore it and ask you to send pictures of your foot somewhere else!! — what are you saying!!!!! i’ll pretend i didn’t just read you talking about a magnum dong  — ahhh, i wish i have the power to give out vip passes :(( — but sadly, my only advice would be to just buy an album next time so you can join our fan meeting 😆

[rkjxy]

@rksejeong

Backdated September 2nd, 2020

Sejeong thinks that maybe next year, they should hold a big birthday party in between the two of them when it comes to her and Joy’s birthdays only being just a day over a week apart, but this year, she’s working late on her drama.  

Wanting to do something special for her younger friend, she had made arrangements for a package to be delivered to her mom’s apartment so she could swing by when she got done filming.  She knew she might be gone even before Joy would awake on her actual birthday, so she sneaks into Joy’s room, placing her gift to the birthday girl on the desk where she could see it.  A nice wooden box filled with a variety of essential oils and a diffuser.  On top she left a card for her with a message “My dear Sooyoungie~ I just know you’re going to have a great birthday and I hope my gift is something you’ll like!  It’s supposed to be super relaxing and we both know we could use more of that, right?  I hope to see you on your special day, hopefully shooting won’t take too long, but either way, I just want you to know how special you are!  Love, Sejeong”

after waking up to doyeon’s morning surprise, she’s left in the room to get ready for breakfast. the whirlwind of gift giving, opening, and other moments of gratitude had left her mind feeling slightly all over the place. that and the lack of nourishment needed for her to function properly. 

it took sometime to catch sight of the contents on top of her desk but as soon as she does, she wastes no time in approaching it. she opens the card first, a huge smile immediately lifting the corners of her lips as she reads sejeong’s unmistakable handwriting. as soon as she’s done reading, she puts the card inside a box filled with intimate mementos and very excitedly, sets out to inspect her new diffuser set. she’s heard so many good things about diffusing oils and checks every scent that the older female got for her. throughout that time, it seems that her smile had become a permanent fixture as she already deliberates upon what scent she’ll try out first later. before she leaves the room, she makes sure to send sejeong a message to express her gratitude.

📱   CONTACT    ━   세정💖 — thank you so so much for the present, unnie!!  — i love it 🥺  i’ve been wanting to get one for forever! you read my mind 😆 — i’ll see you later, ok? have fun and take care at filming~

[rkjxy]

@rkdoyeon​

she wakes up with the warm sunlight invading their room through the curtains, rolling out of bed right away, feeling energetic to start the day like the early bird she is. it only takes looking at her still asleep roommate to remember what day it is: september 3rd, joy’s birthday. smiling fondly, the youngest of the group tip toes across the room not to wake up the sleeping beauty and decides to start her morning routine and then go buy flowers and delicious things to eat for breakfast since it was a special day (and she can’t cook to save her life).

with everything prepared, she returns to their shared bedroom and puts a small box containing a fun macaron kit and a scented candle over joy’s bed. taking a seat on her own, doyeon quietly waits for the other to wake up, drinking a cup of green tea and using the free time to reply to some text messages and e-mails that have been asking for her attention for days. “ah, good morning unnie! happy birthday to you~” she singsongs happily, moving to the other’s bed to hug her properly. it’s one of the few moments that the clingy maknae inside her pops out, but she loves joy a lot and it can’t be helped. sitting up, she reaches for the flowers and the gift. “i got these for you!” the girl announces with a smile. “the sunflowers reminded me of you.” 

admittedly, she had stayed up late that night seeing people write her birthday messages as soon as september third struck the midnight hour. while she cannot reply to the greetings she’d seen on twitter and instagram, she does read as much as she can with an absolutely grateful heart. it’s easy to get lost in the day-to-day but these little reminders that she’s appreciated by the people who loves them is a good way to reconnect her with her purpose.

it was no surprise to her when she awakes a little bit later than her usual, her senses immediately hyperaware of the warmth that emanates through the window and the feeling that she’s the only half awake person in the room. as soon as she sits up, she’s surprised by doyeon’s singing voice and she laughs merrily at the beautiful wake up call. “thank you so much!” she says adoringly, returning the younger’s hug tightly. “look at you already looking like you’re ready to head out to a photoshoot while i’m still here with my hair a tangled mess.” joy laughs, reaching up to fix her long strands with her fingers. “awww, thank you. this is so pretty!” she says as soon as she receives the presents. when she opens the small box, she takes out the pieces inside with a bright smile. reaching out for the other’s hand, she squeezes it in silent gratitude. “thank you. i love it all!”

[rkjxy]

@rkness dated ; september 3rd, 2020

while joy is busy at her birthday fanmeet, vanessa has time to finally tug out the shopping bag she had tucked away for the girl’s present. she had seen it when they were out and about shopping, tucked away as a later thought only for her to return between practice and schedules to pick it up. it’s a simple little handbag, one that vanessa thinks will be easy to match with the plethora of joy’s wardrobe.

she tucks it into a white gift bag, topped off with a yellow bow; there’s tissue paper messily thrown and tucked around the purse inside (noel’s always been better at gift wrapping, vanessa thinks tissue paper should be given a crash course on how to use!). she tucks it away to be given to the girl later on, when they’re all (or at least a majority of them) are home.

it’s later, well into the night when vanessa manages to grab the bag from her hiding place under her bed. she’s on her way out of the bedroom and into the hall to find joy, only to jump with a yelp when she nearly knocks into the birthday girl in the hallway. “oh my god, i’m sorry,” she laughs, free hand held to her chest. “just the birthday girl i was looking for, here!” she steps back and holds out the gift bag, a sheepish grin on her face. “for you!”

the day went off as beautifully as she imagined it to. waking up to all sorts of surprises on your birthday is the kind of pleasure she always looks forward to experiencing. her birthdays were always a special affair even when she was still a child but now, the appreciation she has for it has grown tenfold. there’s truly something about being able to share this day with everyone else that makes it extraordinary.

she’s spent after a day’s worth of activities, responding to messages, and answering calls. yet even with an influx of activity shoved in one day, she couldn’t have felt more alive. the birthday party she has spent with their fans was amazing. joy feels even closer to them now and if she could do such events every week, she would.

the newly turned twenty-three year old doesn’t really expect much else upon her arrival back home, except maybe for some food and cake shared with the members. she’s ready to gather them all out when she suddenly bumps into one. “hello!” she laughs, playing witness to vanessa’s surprise. as a bag was thrusted in front of her, shock immediately crosses her features but a big grin splays across her lips. “you didn’t have to!” she says, nevertheless accepting the gift before reaching out to hug her leader. “but thank you so much! i appreciate it.”

[rkjxy]

@rkwendy

[ Outgoing: Bundle of Joy ]

- Happy birthday, you beautiful human!  - Do you have any idea how hard it is to get tickets to your birthday fan meeting?!   - Good luck finding my present among the fan gifts you received this year ㅎㅎㅎㅎ

📱   CONTACT    ━    wannie💫💖 — thank you so much wendy-ah!!! 🥺💕 — noooo you didn’t have to get tickets!! i would have personally gone to you 😘 — i’ll look for it right away!! thank you again!!  — i miss youu and i hope we get to meet soon! ❤️

[rkjxy]

rktaehyng​:

( sms: ???? ) hello yes you’ve reached the right person in charge ( sms: ???? ) we were concerned the message wouldn’t get through to you in time, ms. park. we’re happy to hear you’ve received our message well. ( sms: ???? ) u know google translate really comes in handy sometimes ( sms: ???? ) i think the bigger question here is how are you going to keep someone from reading these texts?? ( sms: ???? ) χαρούμενα γενέθλια, sooyoung-ah σας έχω πει ποτέ ότι το hovercraft μου είναι γεμάτο χέλια;

📱   CONTACT    ━    👽 — you have to commend your messenger he did a really good job! — really?? i still doubt it  — they don’t actually look into my phone you know — even if they did there’s nothing to see anyway so!!! — what?? your hovercraft has eels?? — but thank you so much!!! 😊 it’s better when you didn’t write it down 😛