“There was a saying that a man's true character was revealed in defeat. I thought it was also revealed in victory.” 20. OC muse for rookieskrp. Please read character information and rules before interacting, thank you!
“I just need some time to recover” she finally finishes. It was news to her as well. Tzuyu didn’t consider coming back and attempting to get signed. She hadn’t considered abandoning her dream either. The last two months had been mostly limbo. The conversation with Kyungsoo was as revealing to him as it was to her. She speeds her pace a little big and calls over her shoulder. “How are you feeling?” shifting the focus for a moment, lest she spill all her feelings to Kyungsoo in the middle of the run.
“Alright.” Never fault someone for wanting recovery time. “But don’t take too long, for the sake of your fans. What was it that guy wrote...something like I am crying every day waiting for Tzuyu’s next upload?” He was teasing and it would have worked better if his voice was raised above his usual monotone.
She picked up in pace, so he followed suit. At the higher speed, talking was more difficult for Kyungsoo, so he kept his mouth shut and simply gave her a thumbs up when she asked how he was feeling. Since he was getting on the stage in a bit, he couldn’t afford to get tired.
“Go on without me, Tzuyu.” He instructed to the girl who still looked perfectly energetic. “I’ll see you at the finish line.”
The dumbass friend who convinced Kyungsoo to show up for Zombie night had conveniently gotten himself lost during transit and won’t be showing up for another hour. This meant, for the next 60 minutes, Kyungsoo either had to find someone else to converse with or just wander around himself. Under normal circumstances, he loved being alone. This, however, was something else.
One of the zombies approached him, prompting Kyungsoo to turn. The fake zombie was played by a small woman, who shrank back at Kyungsoo’s extra demonic (fuelled by his friend’s idiocy) gaze. Realizing he was being a dick to an innocent woman, Kyungsoo gave a sign and decided to participate in the event. He turned around and ran, prompting the zombie lady to chase in her sluggish monster way.
Kyungsoo shook her off without any issues, but he also managed to bump into someone during his escape. “Oh, Kikwang, right?” Funny thing - they both participated in the survival show but never actually spoke to each other. He couldn’t tell what the other’s costume was about, but it looked very...sports anime. “Do Kyungsoo,” he introduced, just in case the guy forgot. “Police officer.” Yes, he figured he should also talk about his lame outfit. It was nothing creative but hey, he had the costume already and didn’t mind taking it out of the bedroom for once.
Her heart drops and she remembers to keep her breathing steady. In through her nose and out through her mouth. She shakes her head lightly “I don’t really sing anymore.” It was a simple reply. She hadn’t actually sang anything since emerging from her depressive state. Her youtube channel was basically abandoned. Tzuyu had just barely found the strength to start living as normally as she used to. Sure, she loved music but she was terrified of rejection.
Kyungsoo glanced over, trying to study the girl’s expression. It was strange, seeing Tzuyu so unhappy. When they first met, she was vibrant, happy and full of life. Pretty dress, perfumed hair, everything a young lady her age should be. Look at her now, and the alarming thing was, it’s only been a few months.
He’s seen this type of thing happen before and, well, never knew what to say to comfort people.
“That’s a shame because you have a beautiful voice.” Ernest compliment, it was the least he could do considering the circumstances. “I think it would make a lot of people happy if you were to sing again. You had fans, you know, from the youtube channel...” He turned his eyes back on the road ahead. “When I looked up one of your videos a few days ago, I saw some people wondering when your next upload would be.”
“That said,” he continued after a moment of pause. “What makes you happy is most important. So, Tzuyu, do whatever feels right.” Although a wise person once said we never grow from doing what makes us comfortable so Kyungsoo, following that advice, was always the type to push.
“i just genuinely wanted to compliment you and maybe get some tips from you, but now that i am actually in front of you speaking, it feels rash. do you want me to leave you alone?” chaewon hangs back a bit, hand on her purse for comfort, as she bites at her lip. she wants to give him the out, because she did chase after him, and she still feels mortified - impulsive decisions often lead to drastic outcomes, right?
Kyungsoo glanced up, dark eyes thoughtful. Indeed, her action was rash and if they met a few weeks ago, perhaps the answer would have been yes, leave me alone. He was, after all, uncomfortable in social circumstances and enjoyed his time spent solo. Today, however, he had willingly put himself in a crowd of people for the purpose of entertaining them and technically, she listened to him and wanted to compliment him.
To be recognized for his singing skill, which was something he didn’t know he had until recently...well, it made him happy. For someone who had just willingly busked for the first (technically second if you count that one a long time ago) time, there was no greater honour than what she had just given him.
Besides, the girl was pretty. The blush on her cheeks made her look cute and he always had a soft spot for that type. “Don’t be sorry. I wasn’t a singer until a few weeks ago either. This is a really weird leap, from business student to singing on television.” He put down the guitar case so he could offer her his hand. “Do Kyungsoo, nice to meet you. I appreciate the compliment because there is still a part of me that doesn’t really know what I am doing.” Strange, because Kyungsoo had trouble admitting weakness in most situations, yet he this time it felt natural.
He really was changing. God knows if it’s for the better.
“Your name?” He prompted when the girl didn’t respond right away. She really was flustered, wasn’t she?
“How are you holding up?” she asks back, this is the most Kyungsoo had ever initiated with anyone to her knowledge. So, she was trying to give the same energy-or as much as she could, back.
“A good hobby,” he commented. Much better than obsessing over video games or out partying until two, which some young people her age enjoyed. “Beneficial in the long run.” Kyungsoo paused there, realizing what he was sounding like as he shook his head with a smile. “Sorry, didn’t mean to sound like a grandpa. Sometimes I think Bin is right, I really did age too fast.” Perhaps that was why he often felt so out of place with this world of vibrant energies.
“I am doing fine, trying to run at a steady pace so I won’t be too out of breath to sing later.” He gesture towards the stage with his chin as they ran past the general area. “Yeah, I am hopping on there later. Going to try to go for a quick shower first so I don’t stink.” He highly doubted anyone could smell him regardless, but his sense of responsibility refused presenting himself like a slob, even when there was nobody to impress.
Actually, wrong, his parents would be watching.
“See the couple over there? My parents.” Kyungsoo pointed towards his folks, who were resting on the grass field and his dad was massaging his mom’s leg. “They wanted to hear a song, so I agreed.” Though of course, he wanted to do it too. “What about you? I would like to hear you sing again.”
They lived in a small world. Kyungsoo hadn’t expected to see a familiar face on the running course but hey, it would be rude to not say hello.
“Hey,” he greeted, short and simple as always. They were in the second half of the 10k and he suspected the only reason he saw Tzuyu just now was because the girl was quite a bit ahead of him for the first half of the run. Maybe she decided to slow down and conserve energy, or maybe she just wanted to take her time. Either way, it didn’t matter. “You look like you are holding up well.” Kyungsoo gave her a quick once over to assess her situation and indeed, she looked great - glowing, in fact.
“Never knew you were a runner,” he commented. Look at him, being all social and actually making conversations.
This was Kyungsoo’s kind of event. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. Sure, he may be a stone faced hardass on the inside, but on the surface level, Kyungsoo liked keeping his reputation spotless. A few gentle words of encouragement, maybe some hours of volunteer work or even simpler, a check deposited into a donation box. All of those things he didn’t mind hanging over to a charity event in exchange for some good karma.
Having ran the 10k at a steady pace, Kyungsoo stepped away from the course feeling tired but not quite as ready to die on his feet like some of these other people were. His success rode on his ability to remain calm and go at a pace he was comfortable with. Only idiots wasted all of the energy in the beginning for a 10k run when perseverance was clearly the key.
Sadly, his mother was one of those over excited individuals. She did the couple run with Kyungsoo’s dad and poor father Do had to half carry her across the finish line because she spent herself wilding during the first five minutes. Still, Kyungsoo had nothing but fondness for her as he patted her on the head once she made it past the finish line. It wasn’t a very son like gesture, but their family dynamic had always been like that. Kyungsoo’s dad was quiet and he was overly mature for his age so his mom ended up being the cute one of the family who got all the extra pampering.
There was just enough time to get less gross for the busking event. Yes, he was going to sing again. The survival show made him interested in singing and he was treating it like a hobby. Singing on a stage, well, it was addictive so he figured this was a good opportunity to feed that desire. He got changed pretty quickly, going from bright green and joggers to his usual button-down and jeans combination. He put on the same baby blue shirt he wore to see Sehun at that coffee shop. It was for...a bit of extra luck, he supposed.
Kyungsoo chose a song called Hann for his performance. His face was bare of makeup, there were no special lights or decoration on the stage. No fog machine, no confetti, just a guy with a microphone singing. In a way, he felt quite content with this - it felt natural. His mother was the most attentive audience member and cheered embarrassingly loudly even before he started. Thankfully, papa Do was able to calm her down and give Kyungsoo a silent thumbs up to show his fatherly support.
The song was not supposed to be a happy one, but Kyungsoo found himself smiling as he began.
Do you remember, you remember, remember what you said?
hello friends, this is rkkyungsoo’s first character update!
first of all, i would like to thank everyone who’s supported him as a character and wrote with me in the past few months. i joined in the middle of february which means we are half-a-year in.
secondly, i am sad to announce that i will be doing a cleanse and hereby dropping all of my active threads (unless i msg you privately). for my thread drops, i usually use the ‘it happened’ card which means though we didn’t finish the scene, we carry on ic as if we did. for example, if your character and mine were getting into a fight about something and i drop the thread, we carry on ic that it happened. this is so my unfinished past threads can continue to be used for future role plays.
the reason i decided to do a cleanse is because i wanted a fresh start! below the cut, i have his story in rookies so far and some of the connections he made if you are interested in having a look.
‹ SOME OF THE STUFF THAT HAPPENED ›
tw; bike accident, car accident, obsession, mentions of hook up
got ran over by @rkpcy‘s bike and ended up becoming friends somehow after a week of hang out (?). thanks for being a good cooking slave, chanyeol.
became a proud cat dad after picking up a maine coon kitty with @minjoork, cousin of his cousin moon bin. kyungsoo quite likes minju and promised to buy her something pretty for her graduation in a few months.
@rkmb was his least favourite cousin but one he had trouble shaking off. they always attended the same parties due to their grandfather’s influence and moon bin has an unhealthy obsession with both his roomba and his cat. the one time he tried to teach moon bin how to drive ended with someone getting ran over (okay, more like bumped gently into but still!) and since then, kyungsoo hadn’t tried again. somehow they ended up in the same team for mga 5 too, great.
tutored @rkchoutzuyu and @rkjulia
@rkxkjd is his childhood friend and one of the few people he really respects. it is jongdae who inspired him to sing
still really obsessed with @rkohsehun and this feeling is unlikely to go away. he first became interested in sehun when they were introduced to each other as teenagers. his obsession grew strong and upon finding out, his parents sent him to china to cool off. he returned, not expecting to ever see sehun again but fate had different plans. now they’ve become friends and sehun even came over for a sleepover thinking he is the cutest hyung ever. where do they go from here?
been having chaotic hook ups with @rktaeil. first they nearly get caught by moon bin, then they did stuff at mga 5 audition site...yeah. they’ll probably keep hooking up as really good friends. this is a very healthy relationship.
auditioned for mga 5 and made it to the final episode. was named top three vocalist in the early rounds, the team he was in won semi-finals and was placed second for finals.
got a lot of friends out of mga 5, actually and did his first street performance. kyungsoo developed interest in music and is now a semi-decent dancer too.
@rkella is his luxe bias
I SOMEHOW GOT STAMINA DONE FOR HIM SO FAAAAST?
‹ FUTURE PLANS ›
while kyungsoo became intrigued by the entertainment industry and was content with the competition results, he is unlikely to ever participate in another survivor show. he will continue in his pursuit of becoming a filthy rich ceo.
mun note; i still don’t feel very connected to the rookies community and will likely become one of those people that hop event to event because that’s the only way i can feel engaged. i am very much uncomfortable asking for threads with trainees/idols still because they don’t gain points interacting with regular rookies. therefore, unless i know for sure you would like to write with kyungsoo and don’t mind that he is giving you nothing, i will focus most of my threads with fellow rookies.
with his character design and my current state of mind, i am no longer interested in getting him signed/join the trainee system. i am, however, still hoping to develop him as a person and hope you guys will continue to help me with that! once again, thank you for a great six months.
“I’m preparing to compete here. I’m Nakamoto Yuta!” He introduces when he reaches for the waiting controllers, the game sitting on the menu screen. When he peered over at the other male once more, his nose crinkled. Did he know him? Had they met in a club once? Had Yuta slept with him before? None of those felt like the answer. Messily he tugged his red hair back, securing it with a hair tie. He didn’t want it getting in the way while he played. “Are you competing?”
Introductions. Great, this person was more friendly than he expected. “My name is Do Kyungsoo,” he offered in response as it was polite. The guy was giving him a look but Kyungsoo couldn’t quite identify what it was. Was this guy...checking him out? Strange. Then again, though, the mall was a pretty common place to pick up people so maybe he shouldn’t be too surprised.
Also, maybe Yuta was just puzzled by his outfit. Hardly anyone else was in full on formal wear so Kyungsoo stood out like a sore thumb. “I was at a funeral,” he said, well aware that death wasn’t the best conversation starter. “Yeah, let’s just play.” He got his hands on the controller, pressing down some of the buttons out of curiosity. “And sure, I can enter to compete, why not. Wouldn’t be the first time I spontaneously threw myself into a competition.” The last one took him pretty far too.
“Do you know if they offer any prizes for winning?” Just in case there were extra incentives. Even a piece of candy would be better than nothing.
The girl he approached looked up, wide-eyed and slightly alarmed by his request. Kyungsoo supposed he shouldn’t be surprised considering he looked super out of place among the happy gamers in this mall. First of all, he was in the Gangnum district to attend a funeral, which meant he was in a full on suit complete with polished leather loafers and bangs pushed back by strong hair gel. The rest of the population in this area were in casual clothing, quite a few rocking some colours as well. In hindsight, maybe he should have just started the damn game by himself but this song seemed to work better with more people.
If he was going to dance again, he might as well try to make it look good.
Thankfully, the girl did end up standing and joining his side. He nodded for her to choose the song because he actually had no idea how to operate the machine. A few minutes of watching other gamers, however, informed him of the rules. He just needed to follow the dancers on the screen and try to obtain a high score.
The song she chose...Bum bum tam tam, had a very up beat intro. He frowned, even as he started following along. Some people were watching, a few laughing at Kyungsoo’s expression. He did look ridiculous, dancing to such a song in full formal wear with a serious face. The song itself was a lot easier than anything he did for the MGAs but damn, these trousers he had on were tight. Really not meant for jumping or hip movements.
Their stars climbed steadily and the little ping sounds they made felt encouraging.
When the song was finished, Kyungsoo ditched the scene even as the chaotic crowd called for an encore. Screw them, he had a hungry cat waiting at home.
This was yet another beautiful accident. He was in the Gangnum district and happened to walk into the mall. Since the last time he followed the whims it got him on television and put through some interesting stuff, Kyungsoo decided to give spontaneity another shot.
He was staring blankly at all the games that were being offered, trying to decide which one to try his hands at. He wasn’t a gamer and in fact, never played anything other than solitaries on the computer. Even social games he only played stuff like poker and werewolf, which were very different from what was going on here.
A hand tapped him on the shoulder and Kyungsoo turned. Someone was offering to teach him to play how to play the game that he was staring at. Apparently, uh, Fifa. Soccer on computer instead of real life? Sure. He did actually play soccer back in high school but was pretty sure that won’t help him in this game. “Sure, I would appreciate the help.” Why not give it a shot. Who knows, maybe they’ll discover next that he was secretly good at video games too.
as he walked away, jisun couldn’t help but want to ask him a few questions. to her, he was an unknown face. perhaps they had matching interests, or he was a trainee, or perhaps, just an unknown indie musician that she knew nothing of. but she couldn’t help but wonder, at least, to get a name. where did he go? spotting the tail end of him with the guitar case, she tried to jog after him, before tapping him on the shoulder. “sorry, sorry! i hope i’m not bothering you. i was just hoping to get your name?” she stopped to catch her breath, considering he had the head start. “i think it’s great that you were able to perform alone in front of everyone. i don’t have the guts to do that yet!”
He turned at the tap on his shoulder, half expecting to see his cousin’s grin or Heejin’s apologetic smile. The entire Royal team was chaotic and while he did his best to avoid them, somehow all of them ended up witnessing his street performance. With his cheeks still slightly warm from getting exposed, Kyungsoo sighed of relief when he realized it was an unfamiliar face and the rest of his team were nowhere to be seen.
“Oh, um, my name is Do Kyungsoo.” He didn’t introduce himself because he didn’t want to...use this street performance as a way to increase his popularity or whatever. This was more for his own comfort than anything else. “I think I recognize you,” he said, briefly looking past the young woman speaking to him to the tiny dot that was her friend. This was the one who was with Miss Strappy Heels earlier, wasn’t it?
“I am not as brave as you think,” he responded, smiling ruefully. Crowds were rough for him, which was precisely why he decided to take his lunch break to the streets. “Being around too many people actually stresses me out but, have to practice because there will be a live audience for the finale.” He didn’t reveal the exact number because he couldn’t remember if the episode actually announced it.
Her expression didn’t change and that was when he realized she might not know what he was talking about. “Oh, you are not watching MGA 5.” Well, that was embarrassing. He saw her friend filming and assumed she knew him from the show. To be honest, he didn’t see any other reason why anyone would feel the desire to capture him with a camera. That white heeled girl straight up ran towards him too...if it wasn’t for the MGA, then did she just...film him because...love at first sight? He looked like a friend of hers? Hmm.
No, he was going too far down the k-drama plotline.
“Yet. You are a singer too?” Kyungsoo caught onto the keyword at the end of her sentence. “It’s not actually so bad, or maybe I was just lucky to get a nice crowd.”
“Ghost hyung…” he called out to the other, voice definitely not bearing the enthusiasm from earlier and his head hanging. “There… has to be some kind of mistake, right…?”
“Such a long face,” he said, placing his hands around Eric’s face and giving those still baby fat plumped cheeks a gentle squeeze. “There is no mistake, kiddo, you and I just got kicked in the face.” Figuratively speaking, of course. Actual physical assault they could sue to get compensation for, but this, well, there was no real lawyer who would take on a case about crushed ego.
“We are going to take it like strong men, however, and not let ourselves feel too bad about this. This is not the worst situation in the world, it is not as if we’ve been diagnosed with terminal illnesses and are on our way to the graves.” Again with the morbidity, but this time, Kyungsoo was deliberately doing it to make Eric laugh. It worked last time, after all.
Wrinkling his nose, Kyungsoo searched in his heart for words of comfort for the baby of the recently disbanded Team Royal of MGA 5. “We were winners of the semi-finals and runner up for the finale. While no contracts were extended to you on that stage, I have no doubt your talent had been well noted by the CEOs. You are really young and there will always be more opportunities in the future. Who knows, maybe you’ll even get a phone call from So Jiseob tonight after he realizes he’s missing out.” He smiled softly to show he was not entirely serious. The chance of that happening was not likely but hey, never say never, right?
“Becoming a trainee young can be a sh-crappy thing too. You have less time to go out, less time to spend with family. Might even have to hide a girlfriend if you ever get one and can’t go out for a late-night snack run like we are going to in a few minutes.” Yes, he was taking Eric out for treats and Suwoong can come along since he needed the ride anyway.
Life is to be lived, not controlled; and humanity is won by continuing to play in face of certain defeat.
Lights faded and the stage that had been burning with passion became coldly silent. “Well,” he said, in a matter-of-fact voice. “Congratulations, Suwoong, you’ve defeated me as you’ve always wanted.” So why were his cousin’s eyes not gleaming with the victory? Kyungsoo lowered his lashes and did not push because deep inside, he understood the reason perfectly.
He congratulated the winners and those who were signed with the various companies. He patted Heejin on the shoulder and gave Eric a hug along with a promise to talk if the other ever needed it. He had never been great at comforting people, but if this stage taught him anything, it was the fact it was never too late to learn.
If he could push himself out of his comfort zone and socialize with strangers. If he could become a half-decent dancer with barely any past experience with the sheer power of tenacity. If a whim could drive him through a national competition and bring him close to the top, to the point where he performed in front of 3000 people. Well then, what was there to be ashamed of?
Every performance must come to an end and before the curtains shut, you take a bow. You might have stumbled, you might have stuttered, there were likely many things you wish you could have changed or done better. This, however, you must not falter on. You should stand with your back straight and your head held high. You do not crumble, you do not shatter and instead, you bite back your disappointment and take your defeat with grace.
Today, those who loved and supported Kyungsoo in the audience might have sighed, saddened by the fact he did not reach all the way to the top. Success, however, was rarely achieved on the first try and determination was the one key behind every true victory. The term unachievable did not exist in Do Kyungsoo’s dictionary and the next time, he will have the crowd cheering over his triumph.
Once safely tucked away from the public’s eyes, with a tightly shut door as his defense, he pressed his forehead against the wall, shut his eyes and let go of the breath he had been holding. The sound of his exhale sounded choked but when his eyes opened again only seconds later, they were calm. And when he walked out of the door, he was once again the Kyungsoo those around him recognized. Little guy, big attitude, that must not and will never change.
So long as he wanted it, he will find a way to get it. That had always been his motto in life. So, ladies and gentlemen, don’t count Kyungsoo out too quickly just yet. The performances may be finished, but this show isn’t over.
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