sigma.

You see, some people are born with a piece of night inside, and that hollow place can never be filled—not with all the good food or sunshine in the world. That emptiness cannot be banished, and so some days we wake with the feeling of the wind blowing through, and we must simply endure it.

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daehyunvld​:

Nodding, he agreed with his friend’s assumption. The whole thing seemed like a fun little thing to try out once, just to see how the fans will respond to it. He couldn’t imagine a weird superhero concept becoming something Mon:star would have to stick to long-term; at least he really hoped that wouldn’t be the case. “Imagine if we did have to stick with it too, that would be a disaster. Maybe I would have to enlist early.” Daehyun was obviously just joking, but there were certainly a lot of concepts and songs he would prefer for his group to perform instead of the upcoming one.

“If you put it like that .. I guess we do have more variety than I remembered. For some reason I tend to block out memories of some songs and concepts– maybe because my mind is still telling me they’re too embarrassing to remember.” In all honesty, there was not a single song Daehyun was ashamed of– they all shaped Mon:star to be the group they were today. Being embarrassed by an era was natural, especially after having been debuted for as long as he was, but he tried not to be. “Oh, I keep forgetting you’re such a busy and important person sometimes.” Seungyong was always doing something and Daehyun often found himself wondering how he managed all of that. “Hey, I’m not that much of a complainer!”

“I mean, if it sells—” He’d never known Daehyun to be someone willing to leave an opportunity to make cash unused, but he could understand the hesitancy with which he was approaching the concept, and Seungyong felt himself strongly agreeing with his general stance on it. “Who knows what that’d open up. You’ve had the Star Wars collab and everything, maybe they’ll do something with that.” His lips curled in a way that was closer to a smirk than a smile. “At least enlisting is an option for you, to get out of any unpleasantness. You’re planning to push it off for now?”

“They’re your youthful mistakes. Own up.” Not that Seungyong was one to talk, since he’d been keeping busy blocking out everything he’d done between moving in with his father and graduating school; it had been an ugly, if fun, time of his life, that he wouldn’t want to repeat. “I cringe every time I think about our debut, but at least the song was halfway decent, looking back.” It had been so long that now everything about it felt dated, and not in a good, charming way; a few more years down the line, and his view would shift. “You don’t forget I’m busy.” Seungyong always was, to a point where he was often told that he was overworked. “And you do complain a lot, but it’s fine. We get along anyway.”

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vldhamin​:

It was more about not knowing when everything would be over. They had been working on this comeback for months, and then they would probably promote for about a month, it felt like he wouldn’t have any free time until next year. “Yeah, but once it’s done, I’ll go back to my basement life. The idea of it isn’t so bad.” He was mostly joking; while he missed sleeping in, he didn’t miss doing absolutely nothing but staying at home and pretending the world outside didn’t exist. His mood had improved quite a lot in the past couple of months, it wouldn’t be fair to go back to that. “It’s part of the experience. Eating out is one of my favorite parts of going out of the country to promote.” Or on tour, but it hadn’t happened for Mon:star in quite a long while. “I’ll make it for you the night you return.” Yet, he couldn’t help but feel happy to know Seungyong missed his cooking.

Seungyong seemed relaxed, and it was a very good look on him. It had Hamin smiling as he stared at the phone for a moment before retuning his attention to the stew on the stove. “I better accept it, I have no choice.” It was nice though, knowing that at least Areum cared about Seungyong that much. He liked seeing the people he loved together, like a family. “Oh. There is this retro Mario hoodie I was going to order online, but if you can find it over there, that would be great. I’ll send you the picture later. I imagine Minho wants to see the new Lego line.” He had read about it, and of course knew the Particle maknae would be all over that. “You’re in Japan and I cannot believe we’re missing the rainy days cuddles.” It would stop raining soon and he would run out of excuse to get them to cuddle with him.

“You can be my live-in cook. You won’t need to chip in with the rent or anything.” The past few weeks had been good for Hamin – having something to do had obviously lifted his spirits, and Seungyong didn’t wish for him to go back to the state he’d been in months ago, when he’d been doing little outside of moping and hanging out with seniors in his area. The cooking was truly the only positive that had come out of that, aside from Hamin’s renewed determination to get off his ass and do something with his free time. “Eating out is nice one or twice, but not when it’s all you’re doing. I miss being able to eat the way I want, when I want.” And it didn’t exactly help his appetite, knowing he’d have to make himself presentable and risk someone spotting him every time he wanted to eat something substantial outside of a hotel room. “Only if you’re free that night. We might get back really late, I wouldn’t want you to wait up too long.”

Seungyong pulled a pillow down to rest his upper body on it, watching Hamin move out of the frame and back in as he finished whatever he was making. For a moment, he toyed with the thought of turning on the TV for background noise – maybe there’d be a game on to watch – but he discarded the idea in favour or staring at his screen. “I’ll look for it. Your size or bigger?” Something that sat loose on Hamin’s shoulders would likely be gigantic, but he could understand the comfort of wearing oversized. “I don’t know why he wanted to go, just that he does, so we’ll be going. It’s fine, though – you might miss rainy days cuddles, but it’s getting colder, so.”

[seungyongarchive]

vldhamin​:

Maybe, but he still thought the baby looked like his parents. Or maybe it was part of a collective hallucination where all of them had unconsciously agreed on it, but that was too ridiculous to even mention it. “It’s the angle, I think. I haven’t seen the baby in person, pictures only. Dada wanted me to see that he doesn’t look like an alien anymore, that he never did, but she was too excited about it.” But, when was she not? “You know, Areum and Aera were the cutest babies. And I’m not saying this because they are my sisters, but because they truly were.” Well, maybe he was just biased.

That sounded like a good idea, they could pick a date and get everything ready. Seungyong knew Dada just as well as Hamin did, there was no doubt he would get a cake she would absolutely love. “I’m sure that if we tell her we’re just meeting for dinner, she won’t ask any questions and won’t even think it’s because of her birthday.” It would be nice to surprise her, especially since they hadn’t met up in a while, all the three of them. “I think they’ll miss seeing the girls just as much as I will, but spending time together just the three of us will be nice.” They weren’t used to it, always trying to have Jeon family reunions with the five of them, but it was nice when Hamin got to talk with his parents. “Yeah, your right. I think that if my mom isn’t around, I’ll just let the nurses have it. They always call me handsome, you know? They’re right.”

“Maybe she put a snapchat baby filter over it. Smoothed out all the redness and wrinkles so it looks like it’s plucked straight from a commercial.” He tone was dry, but Hamin would know that he was joking; the baby had been out of the womb for long enough for his skin to have calmed down some. “Dada and I are in agreement that he was ugly and looked very much like an alien, so you’re outnumbered. And since I’ve known Woojun since he taught me how to crawl, I think I should be considered an unbiased source.” He snorted; Areum and Aera had likely been cute, but he could imagine they’d also been loud, and Hamin had been young, too. “I’m glad they’ve tricked you into thinking that; you’ve been whipped ever since you laid eyes on them.”

“If we mention it casually, yeah.” Knowing Hamin, he’d somehow tip her off by either overexplaining, or being too dismissive; he had a truly awful pokerface, and Dahye had the uncanny ability of seeing right through both of them. “Take it from me – being an only child isn’t nice. They’ll only have you to grill.” Not that he thought Hamin’s parents would do that, but Seungyong had often wished that there had been someone with him at the dinner table to divert attention. There was nothing that could be done about that, though. “Yeah, they are.”

[seungyongarchive]

vlddahye​:

Sleeping and eating was all she did whenever she had days off now, since they didn’t happen as often as they used to, and she made the most of them recharging. “It’s not so bad, you should join us one day.” Lazy days were a gift, especially in a world like theirs. “I really don’t mind the movie, he just really wants us to go together. I think it’s sweet how excited he is about it.” The movie would probably be cute and funny, and she liked watching cartoons. She only doubted that he would find late night showings for a cartoon, but Hamin had made the impossible possible before, and reason why she didn’t even ask what he was planning. He would tell them when the time came.

“He will probably order something delicious and then decide to make it himself the next week.” He would also love going out for dinner to somewhere fancy, since it wasn’t something they usually did, and sometimes changes were good. “You know how he is; once he likes something, he does everything he can to do it right.” And they got amazing food out of it, which was always the best bonus. “That would be great. Maybe if we find a date before Mon:star starts promoting, we can make it happen soon.” If not they would probably have to wait until promotions were over, but there was always a risk that Particle would be busy again by then. “Can you imagine the face he’ll make when he realizes we’re taking him out for dinner? I’d love to see that.”

“Maybe I should.” Seungyong doubted he could join her in napping the day away; he couldn’t stay inactive that long, and he couldn’t stand dozing when he could be doing something else, but he wouldn’t mind reading while she slept next to him, or otherwise entertaining himself with a movie of some sort. He hadn’t spent a lazy day with her in a long time, mostly because those didn’t exist in his life at this point: when he was too exhausted for anything else, he just crashed. “As long as you two are happy…” That wasn’t to say he thought he couldn’t enjoy himself, but having Hamin laugh next to him would certainly elevate the experience.

“If he can replicate it, that’s good for both of us, so no complaints there. There’s this piece of advice I read somewhere – get what you wouldn’t be able to make yourself at home when you’re eating out? Because of time constraints or whatever.” He flopped down on the bed, then remembered why he’d been standing in the first place, and reached down to fish for his shirt, pulling it over his head with a wiggle he was glad she wouldn’t be able to see with the way his phone was angled. “So that’s what we should do. Take him some place where they serve stuff he wouldn’t be able to make at home. Knowing him, he’d take it as a challenge, but it’d still be more special.” He shifted up on his elbow to look down at the screen. “If everything goes well, you will.”

[seungyongarchive]

vldminho​:

He sighed softly when Seungyong joined him in the bed, more than happy to stay there until the food arrived. There was so much he could say about this situation, but none of it made sense. They had been happy for a few months and then, out of nowhere, Xion had decided it wasn’t what he wanted. Part of him wondered if Yuntian had found someone else, someone he liked more, and he hadn’t wanted to tell Minho so he didn’t hurt his feelings. He supposed it didn’t matter anymore.

“I wanted to,” he admitted in a very small voice. “But it was too late and I didn’t want to wake you up.” In reality, he had been afraid that his hyung wouldn’t be alone and that he would interrupt something he wasn’t meant to. And he hadn’t known how to explain what had happened because it had been too confusing and still was, but at least now he had made his peace with it. Minho closed his eyes and leaned into the comforting touch. “Do you think it’s a good idea? He sounded very sure about it. What if he found someone else? I want him to be happy, even if it isn’t with me.” It still hurt, but he couldn’t force Yuntian to be with him if that wasn’t what he wanted.

He rested the bottom of his mug against Minho’s shoulder; he made for a decent table that way, and since it was unlikely he’d move anytime soon, there was no danger of his coffee spilling while he made himself comfortable. “You know it’s never too late with me,” he gently chided, combing Minho’s hair back with his fingertips. It was the truth; Seungyong usually stayed up late because he had trouble falling asleep, and because he tended to lose track of time when occupied with work or a good book. That Hamin had been over during said night could go unmentioned, especially since Seungyong’s friend had already seen Minho in a similar state only a few months ago and said nothing.

“If he’s with someone else now, he’ll tell you.” They’d been best friends for as long as Seungyong had known Minho; Xion wouldn’t stop speaking to him because of miscommunication, at least not after the storm had calmed some. “Maybe some time apart will do you good, but you should talk to him when you’re back. Until then, there’s no use worrying – maybe he just didn’t know what to do with himself. And if not, then you deserve better.”

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vldsaeun​:

Saeun hoped they turned thirty and still were part of their group, but that wasn’t going to happen unless they explored different concepts that kept their fans interested, because there would be a time when the same old thing would become boring. If the members themselves were done with it, who knew if some of their fans were as well. Thinking about it always made her feel like she was doing something wrong, as if she were ungrateful for complaining about their concepts when she at least had the chance to get on the stage when there were so many people still waiting for debut. There were other and better things to focus on anyway. “If you show me your schedule and I check mine, I’ll see if there’s the chance. I would really love it. It’s been a while. I don’t think I’ll be that lucky though. But I’ll be cheering for you!” And she didn’t think she would be allowed, since her going to see Particle in the middle of Iota promotions could just start rumors without any sense and that was the last thing she wanted or needed right now.

It was a nice thought. There were so many things she could do if she was allowed to, but she also had to think of Iota first. Doing solo stuff had been fun and she had enjoyed it, something she would like to do for the longest time. Yet she was a leader first, and those eight girls counted on her, she should focus on that before anything else. “Going somewhere would be nice. Jeju was fun. And I don’t mean July, but when we went together. I would like to go somewhere nice, get a house all to myself, and just explore. I think that’s something I would like to do.” She nodded. It was too much already. “Do you want to get some coffee after this?”

There likely wouldn’t be a chance, especially knowing the way their management worked and that promoting at the same time and in the same place would be counterproductive for all of them, but there was no need to mention that to her, not since she already knew how that tended to work, so he nodded in assent. “I’ll text you once I know the details. They haven’t been exactly forthcoming; I don’t know anything about the hotel either, yet, but to be entirely fair, I also haven’t been asking that much.” At this point in his career, he’d learnt to roll with the punches, and the accommodation they’d stay in for a few nights wasn’t something he felt he needed to care about anymore.

“July was kind of awful, but I agree.” Their trip in February had felt nice; private, mostly, and overall relaxing because it hadn’t been that hot, either. For once, he’d felt disconnected from idol life, and although they’d hidden behind masks and hoods when they went to get groceries, he still felt overall normal. “We had plans for that, didn’t we? We just need to find the right time to set them in motion.” They only rarely had enough free time at once that travelling would be feasible, and when they did, one of them was bound to be exhausted. But now that the holiday season was over, at least attractions wouldn’t be crawling with tourists. “Yeah, let’s. Did you need anything else for your place? While we’re here, I mean.”

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vldxi​:

just as his car bad it past the gate, xi put in the code to close it again. if it was a different day, she would’ve just climbed it and called it a day. it also didn’t take long for her to catch up. running a little more than she walked. once she made it to the car all she needed to do was quickly grab her bag. “no store front by the airport, i’m running it right out of my house. we already have security-ish, and it’s a comfortable place. a little remodel of some un-used rooms and i think i’d be good, what do you say? want me to my business partner?” 

once she had everything corrected and put away, she made her way to the front door. “welcome to my home, slash store-front.” with that, she pushed open the door and let seungyong in, closing it behind them. “i’d say we’d head to the living room first but you sort of walk right into it.” and it a huge, in fact, the place was pretty big it’s-self. seeing as it did host an entire family at one point. “just toss yourself wherever and i’ll show you the kitchen area.” 

she needed a few moments to get her things in order, so seungyong used that time to pull his hood over his head; the rain was coming down heavy on the windshield and he wasn’t looking forward to the sprint towards the front door, but it should be doable within a few moments as long as he didn’t slip or otherwise messed up. “i think near the airport would be lucrative. it’d be on the way home, right? although you do already have this place, so that’d just be an option of expansion. i’m not completely sure i’m fit to be any kind of business partner, but i’d certainly invest in your venture.”

he waited until she was walking towards the front door, then ducked out of the vehicle, slamming the door shut before following after her. as expected he got wet, but it wasn’t as bad as he’d feared, and he slipped inside the house when she invited him in. “my mum’s place is like this, too.” huge and open-plan for the most part, at least considering the location. before setting foot further into the space, he slipped out of his shoes. “lead the way.”

[seungyongarchive]

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daehyunvld​:

Seungyong’s words made sense; Daehyun himself had not completed his military service yet, he hadn’t really had the time to do it. He knew a lot of his friends did their services before their debut but with him debuting at the mere age of eighteen, there had not been enough time for that. Logically speaking, he still had about two years until he was forced to leave for his service but that was something he tried not to think about too often. Who knew what the world would look like then– maybe Mon:star will already have disbanded. That future was something he didn’t necessarily hope for but the group would be nearly ten years old by the time he was going to enlist.

“You’re right. Maybe I should mention it soon.” He never really took part in new concept discussions; he was used to just lean back and do whatever was asked of him. Daehyun believed in their leader enough to let him do and suggest whatever, barely ever participating in the discussion himself. “I hope it won’t stick long-term. I think it’s just a one-time thing, to test the waters and bring out something new. The older a group gets, the more people want to see something new. I feel like we don’t really have a big variety of concepts in our discography, it all just ties in together.” Which was probably a good thing, but he understood why some people have gotten somewhat bored with it. “We don’t need a plan to get back, we’ll always end up home anyway. Even if we have to walk all the way back.”

Daehyun should; nothing could come of it when nobody spoke up, and testing the waters might be worth it, especially when there was no risk involved. Seungyong didn’t care too much about their own concepts himself – they’d moved past the things he’d barely been able to tolerate, and if the fans were happy, at least they were doing their job right at this point. Besides, his own styling had never been overly outrageous the way some others’ could be, and he usually got away with fading into the backgrounds with their choreographies, anyway; they very rarely did cute stuff, too. All in all, the past few months had been a huge win in those terms.

“There’s no way it will. They’ll try to bring in some fresh air with it, maybe appeal to a different demographic, and then switch back to what you’ve been doing.” Of course, he could be entirely wrong in his assessment, but he truly couldn’t imagine it sticking. “You’ve got a variety, though. I mean—you’ve covered aliens, a school concept, sports, organised crime—I’m unsure what more people could ask for. We’ve had a lot less variation than that.” Not that he was complaining, but he had never noticed a lack of variance with Mon:star’s releases. Perhaps he was just biased, though. “No, we absolutely do need a plan. I’ve got obligations here, if we don’t get back in time—and besides, a walk that long? You’d start complaining.”

[seungyongarchive]

vldyeseul​:

repay? she likes to think of gratitude in the only form she’s known — the form of keeping curiosities to herself, pocketed away into her own corner of the world. and in that way, yeseul becomes a neighbor in sweet smiles and quick hellos and goodbyes — a mutual benefit, she thinks. “not really — being sick gives you the humbling sense of loneliness, not the whole beneficiary kind. and i think that’s the appeal of it. we can only wait and see what fate has in store for me, while i attend to my atlas duties in the meantime.” her eyes flutter into a quick brush of a wink at the last sentiment, a glimmer of laughter hinted inside her voice.

“pitied is a harsh word, don’t you think? let them enjoy picking and choosing the way they want to have fun with life — you never know, that satisfaction could be something we’re just blind to,” yeseul sets a light shrug past her shoulders, hands already seizing a fork. “a moral obligation once again is assuming i have a conscious. i’m known as the devil walking around in heels, too busy for morals.” or just too molded by the effects of time mangling the vulnerable warmth she once held, but she’s let go of that girl long in the past to give a second thought. “well, gym buff — don’t work yourself out too much. you wouldn’t want your fits to rip on stage now, would you?” 

they will not agree on this, but they completely agree so very rarely that seungyong shrugs it off. in sickness, at least the physical kind, he seeks company – he doesn’t like to imagine himself with a fever too high to do anything himself without feeling faint, and having to take care of his needs in the process. too much, and perhaps this is a part of his upbringing that still echoes within him, could happen; were he to pass out in the shower, nobody would know until the next day. mental health is entirely different, and he would understand her point there although he knows there’s nothing conductive about isolation. “you’re longing for days off; that’s all i’m taking away from this. perhaps somewhere in solitude?”

“there are no harsh words, really.” only harsh realities, but he wouldn’t want to ponder on those on a night so clear. “and it’s a satisfaction i’ll gladly stay blind to, if that’s what it is.” he reaches for his wine, takes a sip, then tears bread into pieces to chew on. “what you are known as is not what you are, and besides, even you have a moral compass; it might just not be mass-production. i’m sure there are plenty of things you care about.” even if those limits aren’t often pushed, he’s always known yeseul to have set beliefs. “i don’t think i could ever get to that level of definition; my body doesn’t agree with it. i do believe that our stylists could compensate, though.”

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vldhamin​:

At this point it wasn’t being over prepared, it felt like they didn’t have a date for it and kept pushing it back. It didn’t matter, he still got to spend time with his members, and this way they would be ready for whenever it dropped. Besides, it was nice to have something to do. “I’m not sure. Hyunsik released a solo project, so it makes sense that the comeback isn’t happening soon after.” Which was good, he was happy for Hyunsik and didn’t mind waiting for them to comeback as a whole group. He looked at the phone and smile when he saw Seungyong making himself comfortable in the bed. “How’s the food? Missing mine already?”

He took the chopped veggies to the pot and added them to the stew, sighing at the smell. If this didn’t wake up Dada, then he was absolutely sure that nothing would. “That sounds good. You look rested, it’s nice.” He pouted a little as he focused on reading the recipe on the book. “That’s because they like you better. You know what Areum said the other day? That you were her favorite. I was hurt, let me tell you. I know that you’re cooler, but hey, where’s the respect? At least it’s you, so I don’t mind sharing their love with you.” He reached up to get the vinegar. “I went to check on your place the other day, everything’s fine.”

“Makes sense, with the other plans, too. It’s bound to happen next month, isn’t it? You’ll be so busy.” Seungyong had no idea what Particle would be doing, but he was sure that they’d be kept on their toes as well; there would probably be something in store for Halloween at the very least. He slipped his hand beneath his shirt to scratch at an itchy spot at his side, then turned over with a groan at the mention of Hamin’s food. “I mean, yeah—eating out all the time has just been making me feel kind of greasy. And the food is good, as was to be expected, but it’s just not what I’d eat normally. I want your stew back.” It wasn’t all that bad – he’d had a lot of delicious things over the past few weeks – but he missed the things he’d come to associate with home.

“I won’t be able to sleep tonight, but it was worth it.” He’d seized his chance when he’d felt sleepy and turned off all alarms; in the process, he’d only woken up around midday, much later than he’d usually prefer, and had then spent a few hours working out. As far as that went, it had been a good day, and he’d felt stress falling off his shoulders when he’d returned to his room. “I’m glad you’re accepting cold, hard facts now. Hey, did you want something from the Nintendo store? Minho wanted to go tomorrow.”

[seungyongarchive]

vldhamin​:

Hamin couldn’t help but laugh. “He isn’t. He looks like his mom.” And Danbi was very pretty, so it meant the baby was also pretty. But he hadn’t seen him in person, just pictures Dada had on her phone to prove the baby didn’t look like an alien anymore. He was used to babies, since he had been nine when the twins had been born and he had looked after them to help their parents, he just had a weakness for them. The twins had been the prettiest babies, they would never be more prettier babies than them. They had never looked like aliens. If he were a cat, he was sure he would be purring by now, happily letting Seungyong to do as he pleased.

“No, but I can cook dinner, we can get a nice cake. She’ll be busy promoting when she comes back and you’ll be away, so maybe when we all get to be together under the same roof, something like that would be nice.” They could go out to have dinner somewhere nice, but that depended if they had the energy for it. He got distracted for a moment with the game, trying not to close his eyes at how comfortable he felt. “I’m thinking that since none of you will be around for a while, I’ll cook for my parents, maybe make lunch for my mom and Dada’s dad one day. There’s no point in practicing if I won’t get any constructive criticism.” Dada’s day wouldn’t give any, but he knew her mother would gladly told him if it wasn’t as good.

“No, he really doesn’t. You’re imagining things.” Seungyong truly couldn’t see it, and if he tried to interpret the babies’ features somehow, he could pretend that he looked a little like his dad. “Hamin, I know you’re biased, but babies just don’t look very nice. Toddlers, maybe, but not at this stage.” He hadn’t actually seen the baby in a while, too busy with work, but it wasn’t like he’d suddenly grown out of the phase where he was just… gazing about at best. Imagining the workload put into keeping him alive was too much stress for him to even consider; Woojun might argue that his job was no better, but at least Seungyong could take a break from that if he really needed it. At least in theory.

“I’ll get the cake if you’re cooking.” He ordered with the same bakery his mother had also frequented, and they hadn’t once let him down; besides, he knew well enough what Dahye liked, and if Hamin was already decided on putting work into the affair, it was the least Seungyong could do. “It’d be nice to catch up, if we can make the timing of it work. We just have to catch her unaware so she doesn’t guess we want to celebrate.” She didn’t like making a big deal out of it; he could understand that, but Seungyong still wanted her to have fun. “Your parents will probably be happy about it, especially if they get to spend time with you. Wouldn’t Dada’s dad be a bit awkward if she’s not around for it?” He’d only met the man in passing, due to busy schedules on both ends, but had also never sought to rectify that.

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vlddahye​:

Dada laughed and looked at her sleeping dog. “It’s still early and he likes sleeping all day. I took a nap earlier when I came back home, so I’ll be up for a while.” Promotions were always a crazy time, she got sleep whenever she could, and she was glad that she didn’t have anything to do the next morning. “Are we sure we trust his judgement? For all we know, we’ll end up watching the new Scooby Doo movie.” And not because Hamin was trying to be funny, but because it was something that he would genuinely want to see. Her own Netflix history and recommendations were a mess because of him. But being honest, she also didn’t mind watching whatever Hamin decided on, more than happy to let him do whatever he wanted. “That would be nice, I think he’ll like that. I’ll have more time after the promotions are over, and I’m looking forward to it.”

Bomi walked into the room and tried to get onto the bed, and while he had grown up quite a bit, he was still too short for it. Once she picked him up and let him go to bother Anju, she began braiding her hair. “We can go to Star City Seoul one day, it’s such a nice place; private, good food, and the view is great at night. All of us, I mean. Hamin would appreciate it. He always cooks, anyway, one day that he doesn’t won’t affect him much.” Having an excuse to wear something nice and go out with her favorite guys was all she needed to survive those weeks of promotions.

“You’re one and the same, aren’t you? All about sleeping and eating.” There was a saying about that, but Seungyong couldn’t quite recall it; and it wasn’t like it was entirely truthful, but Dahye certainly had made a habit of falling asleep on his couch, so he felt justified in saying it. “If we end up watching the new Scooby Doo movie, I’m sure we’ll have plenty to talk about, and to also tease him about it for years.” And if Hamin was happy because of something he’d suggested, who was he to deny him that? It was all the same to Seungyong anyway, and Hamin wouldn’t drag them to watch something neither of them would enjoy at all; he wasn’t that kind of man, and it wasn’t like Dahye, too, couldn’t enjoy something that was entirely ridiculous.

Seungyong had been there before, but it had been a long time, and it wasn’t a place tainted with any memories, so he shrugged, easily acquiescing. “Yeah, we could do that. Hamin wouldn’t know what to do with himself.” But Hamin rarely did, and it was fun to watch him flounder sometimes. “He’s really gotten obsessed for someone who couldn’t cook at all a few months ago. You think I should make reservations? He wouldn’t say no, but I think it might be a nice surprise.”

[seungyongarchive]

vldminho​:

He nodded and reached for the phone to order in Japanese, the one he had been studying on their free time. He had also been working on a song, but it was going nowhere since he hadn’t been in the right mood to do so. When he ended the call, he returned to curl up on the bed under his blanket, looking at his hyung as the older moved around the room. It reminded him of the times when they lived in the dorms together and he would sneak into his bed, finding comfort in jut being around the older when sleeping was difficult for him.

It was confusing, he couldn’t think of a reason why the relationship didn’t work, but he respected Xion’s decision and hadn’t contacted him since them. “He said we shouldn’t this anymore, that being friends is better for us. I don’t really understand what went wrong, he didn’t say much. He asked me to leave his place and go back to mine.” It had hurt, picking all his belongings so late at night and driving himself back home, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. He hadn’t wanted to upset Xion and it had been too late to call Seungyong. “I guess it’s over for good this time.”

It was clear that Minho wouldn’t move from the bed anytime soon, so Seungyong picked up his mug and his phone to set both down on the bedside table and crawl into bed beside him, tugging on the blanket until it was loose enough for him to slip beneath. The younger man was a perfect picture of misery, with the way he was curled up so tightly, and there was really nothing that could be done about it, beyond tugging him closer with an arm around his waist.

“You could’ve come to my place.” It was odd, that Minho hadn’t come to him; perhaps Seungyong had gotten too used to it over the years, but knowing that the other had kept quiet on something so monumental didn’t sit well with him. He reached for the mug, took a sip, and threaded his fingers through Minho’s hair. “I think you should give him space. Talk when you get back.” Because if they didn’t, knowing them, both would just end up moping; and while Seungyong had firmly chosen a side in this, he wouldn’t want to see Minho sad, or Xion regretful.

[seungyongarchive]

vldsaeun​:

Saeun wouldn’t say she was having fun. It was too childish, not only the concept but also the style and even the choreography was just too cute for her liking. She supposed it was fine for the maknae line, they were young and didn’t mind it, but Saeun wasn’t that comfortable anymore. “It’s fine, I guess. It’s expected from us, and it fits for a Japanese release. I get why Summit is doing this, but even Naeun has been complaining about it.” Some of the girls had expressed their dislike, but there wasn’t much they could do about it. “You’re promoting my favorite song though, I wish I could go see you at least once.” It had been her favorite era, and while she didn’t know if the concept would be the same, that she hoped it would, Saeun knew she would still love it.

It wasn’t the work load, that it was a lot and she would like to take some off time after the drama wrapped up, but there was other reasons why she would like to go out of the country. “The drama is over, in a few months my time in Inkiyago will run out as well, and then I’ll only have Iota to worry about again. I don’t think I’ll get the chance to act again any time soon and, with Happy being released, I might not get the chance to work in any solo releasing until next year. I’m doing my best right now and then I’ll hopefully have time to rest soon.” Two different duvets would do, and she picked a white one with purple flowers and a soft blue one, carrying them those herself.

Naeun, as far as Seungyong knew – and he’d met up with her a few times at this point, so he felt that he was at a point where he could have an opinion on her without it being unfounded – could complain about most things, and he wasn’t surprised that she, too, would be annoyed because of the cute concept. On the other hand, he was unsure she knew what she wanted herself, so perhaps she wasn’t the best judge of that. “You’ll be rid of it eventually; they can’t keep doing the same concept with you when some of you start hitting thirty, and the moment it stops selling they’ll need to adjust, too.” But sometimes there was nothing they could do about concepts – Seungyong could understand that, because he’d been unhappy with theirs, too, for a while. “Who knows? If we’re very lucky, maybe you can see us perform at some point.” It was highly unlikely, though, and he wouldn’t count on it happening.

“That’s what you think now, but a lot can happen in a few months. Maybe you’ll get cast for another drama or movie, or you’ll get a lot of brand deals.” Work was a constant for her as much as for him, and he was sure there’d be some way that could be found to keep her busy. “Maybe you can take a vacation or something, though, as a group. If you don’t end up touring, that is. Are you done with this?” He gestured towards her sheets.

[seungyongarchive]

daehyunvld​:

As soon as he remembered what Particle was doing in 2013, he couldn’t help but let out a laugh. Both of their debuts had been quite something but in the end both had proven to be very successful — Daehyun didn’t know what it was about them that their fans found enticing all those years ago, but it didn’t matter. It worked for them and that was the only thing that truly counted right now. The respective eras had been embarrassing and were a pain to remember but they were humble beginnings and they probably wouldn’t be where they were at now if it hadn’t been for the fans that stuck around from the start.

“Anything was cooler than the high school thing you were doing. I mean, I was eighteen and fresh out of high school when you debuted but it still was quite something, even for me.” The concept had done well since a lot of their fans were still in high school, he mused. It made sense. “I don’t know if I could, but I wouldn’t be opposed to try. I hope we’ll get a few more mature concepts in the future, I don’t think anyone would have something against it. The group seems like they’d have fun and I’m sure the fans would enjoy it as well, no doubt.” Nodding, he smiled gently at the other. “Sure, I’d like that. I don’t know what we’d do but I’m sure we could think of something fun when the time comes.”

“At least I guess it appealed to the youth…?” Seungyong wasn’t entirely sure if that was even the truth, but if it wasn’t, it was a comforting enough lie. “I mean, it fit over half of the group, but it felt kind of alienating. Especially after I had done my time with the army, it just seemed a bit too long ago.” He had, mentally, closed that chapter of his life, and to have it used as a concept had felt uncalled for; but now, they were way past that, so he couldn’t exactly complain anymore. Not when Daehyun had just complimented what they were doing most recently, and when he himself didn’t mind the styling all that much.

“There’s no harm in mentioning it. If something comes of it, that’s a win, and if nothing happens, you’re not losing anything either.” There was no real reason to deny this; not when they were all grown up enough to pull it off. “We’re all seniors now, if you don’t do that kind of stuff, who will? Your next release, I don’t see that sticking long-term.” He shifted back until he could lean against the beanbag, and watched as Minho on screen was replaced by a newly debuted group. “If we’ve got free time at the same time, we’ll figure it out. Could make it spontaneous, too, as long as we have a way to get back.”

[seungyongarchive]

mielvld​:

closed for @vldseungyong / hongdae / early evening, september 21st

the evening was warm with an edge of cooler airs, telling of the fact that summer was finally coming to an end, that the perpetual heat of seoul that could warm and cool, but that always remained molten at its core, was finally leaving them. 

daniel puts his hand to seungyong’s lower back as they leave the venue. in a crowd of patrons leaving after the show’s end, the only way to avoid getting separated to is to stay close, and once they reach the sidewalk dan steps away. after a couple of hours indoors, the outdoor air feels refreshing in his lungs and against his skin, even if the lingering heat from the concert makes him shiver and his skin break out in goosebumps.

he sneezes.

“ ah, seungyong. what should we do next ? are you hungry ? i’m starving. ” he’s not sure if seungyong wants to go home already, but dan knows that the particle leader isn’t shy about his own wants and needs; if seungyong is tired and wants to end their playdate, he will say so. still, dan hasn’t gotten to spend time with seungyong — excluding company-mandated “ vacations ” — in ages, and his desire for this evening to not be over yet is apparent in the way he’s carrying himself on the balls of his feet, the pleading look in his eyes.

it isn’t all that often that seungyong gets to go out and feel, well, normal; and he knows neither of them are, with caps pulled down and masks firmly in place, but the high he’s experiencing as dan guides him out of the building is reminiscent of times that passed years ago, when there was nothing but him and the performance he was watching in a dingy club.

once they’re out of the crowd of people leaving, he zips up his jacket. beneath fabric, seungyong is wearing a smile that’s exhilarated and his eyes crinkle in turn as he meets dan’s. he reaches up, pushes his hair back more firmly before adjusting his headwear, and realises that he, too, isn’t ready for the night to be over, not when he feels like it might be one to remember.

“yeah,” he starts, then clears his throat because his voice came out a little too scratchy on the first try, “let’s eat.” it’s not that he has much of an appetite, but he’s looking forward to getting the chance to talk a little more than they’ve been able to recently, preferably somewhere a little private without much risk of someone overhearing them. seungyong leads them away from people mingling in front of the entrance, but waits for dan to catch up to him before falling into his regular rhythm. “we should do this more often.”