It’s time for our fourth task! Please note that tasks are not required, but encouraged, and are only to inspire character development and activity. The specific tasks are under the cut this time since it’s a lengthier task than usual due to its nature!
The task this time is partially an OOC task assigned by the admin for development purposes and, for the first time, also an IC task assigned by the companies to each muse. The task will be focused on causes important to your muse and your muse being assigned to do charity or volunteer work. Each company has passed the message to the manager of each group and soloist that they would like the company’s idols to do some image boosting and personality maintenance by doing charity/volunteer work. Not all instances will necessarily be publicized, as that would make the image boosting component too obvious and some particularly political causes may not be ones the company wants to publicly align themselves with, but charming even one fellow volunteer can turn someone into a fan. If you do want to pursue a plot involving mediaplaying the requirements of this task, please clear it with the admin first!
Idols are encouraged to do this during September, as it is the month hosting International Day of Charity on September 5th, but they may do it in October if schedules don’t allow anything earlier, or, if absolutely necessary, you may backdate it to a past date. Out of character, though, all completions of the task must still be done by the end of the month as stated below. If you’re looking for people to thread with to complete the second part of the task, you can post in the fmdcall tag so that people can find it!
Be sure to tag any completions of this task with #fmdtask004 so the admin can verify them with a like!
Write a headcanon or self-para explaining a cause or a few causes important to your muse. This does not have to correlate with the actual cause of their charity or volunteer work they complete for the task, and is instead a task aimed at developing your muse’s values and priorities. This does not necessarily have to be through the lens of completing charity work, but you should keep the overall task in mind. You can address a few different causes in the one headcanon or self-para as long as you give sufficient detail on each. A headcanon or self-para of 400-700 words will count for two points or a headcanon or self-para of 700+ words will count for three points, not counting toward your monthly limit of either. This part of the task can only be completed for points once per muse.
Write a self-para or thread of your muse doing company-encouraged charity or volunteer work. You may collect points for this up to two times, but each must be for a different instance of charity or volunteer work. This can be something like volunteering at a soup kitchen, shelter, or hospital, or volunteering to talk at a school against bullying. It could also be something like reading to kids at a local library or running a marathon for a good cause. A self-para needs to be 400+ words and a thread needs to have at least three posts from each muse involved. Threads for the task must be started before the task ends, but as long as they pass the required number of replies, the points can be collected after the end of the task. Each one of these will count for two points. Self-paras for this task do not count toward your monthly limit.
Complete this interview in-character. This interview will be assumed to be filmed as part of a PSA campaign released in conjunction with popular celebrities to encourage giving back to the community. Assume your muse is on camera, but that their answers will only make the final cut if they fit the campaign’s agenda. Completion of the interview will count for two points and will not count toward your monthly limit of self-paras if you choose to write it in that form.
A total of nine points is available for this task for each muse.
This task runs from 12AM EDT Saturday, September 15, until 11:59PM EDT Sunday, September 30.
"do i have to?" he asks his manager one last time. "don't act like a child jaewon, it's just an interview." the older male responds. it’s always just another interview but jaewon is bone tired of them, it isn't like a single sincere comment will make it past his lips, every last one of his responses so meticulously trained through hours upon hours of media training. so what’s the point? why bother let him say anything at all? "as if anyone even buys any of this bullshit." he mutters under his breath, earning him another pointed look from his manager but before jaewon can be told him off for his choice of words the door opens, a woman informing them they were ready for the interview. his manager flashes him one last completely artificial smile before reminding him: "don't forget to smile jaewon, and be sincere."
what do you think one person can do to make the world a better place?
the very first question already had jaewon wishing this whole mess was over, a numb headache creeping into his head as he searched for the most bland, obvious answer his mind could bring up. "i think every change starts with a person themselves." it took jaewon everything to not cringe at how empty his own words were, so painfully cliche to his own ear. truly, he wasn't saying anything different than all those before him. "no one changes the entire world overnight, change happens on a small scale, by deciding to make a difference yourself and inspiring other's to do the same."
how do you personally want to make the world a better place?
i don't, the world can crash and burn for all i fucking care, it's fucking doomed anyway. but of course, he can't say that out loud, instead, his eyes flash briefly to where his manager is standing and jaewon scratches his neck as he pretends to think about the question. "i want to use my platform for something good. i know not everyone has a voice and i'm sure most of them have a whole lot more important things to say than me so i'd like to use my voice to get their messages across."
do you feel like you’ve done something to better the world?
the question almost draws a sharp, cynical laugh from jaewon. the world? a better place? because of him? as if for the past 24 years he had not ruined literally everything he touched. this had to be a fucking joke. what did they want from him here? to pretend he was some type of good person? wasn't that just the biggest lie ever. "i mean i really hope i did." the answer is a cop out and he knows it but jaewon doesn't think he can claim he's a good person in front of a camera and make it sound believable. "most importantly, i hope i can do more good in the future."
what is the importance of giving back?
"as a community, it's our job to take care of each other." he nods lightly to back up his own statement like he actually believes a word he says, like they are anything else than pretty, empty words. "we're all responsible for each other and if we can help someone else out, why wouldn't we? we all need a little help from time to time don't we? so we shouldn't hesitate to extend that same help to other's, a small gesture can mean a lot."
what is one cause you want to encourage your fans to contribute to?
again, his eyes flash to his manager, who mouths a quiet 'last question' back to him and it would have made jaewon sigh in relief had he not hated this question so much. also, he was still on camera, but that was a secondary concern. "i-" he hesitates for a second. the thing is, he doesn't want to tell his fans to do anything, who is he to decide what causes should matter to them or not? who is he to pretend he's on some moral high ground that allows him to preach on what causes are better than others. "i don't know." he can feels his manager glare holes into him at this point. "i think i'd rather encourage them to contribute to a cause that they are passionate about, that they feel they do the most good with." if they didn't like that answer, they could always just cut it. and his manager could go on about him evading questions for the rest of the day for all he cared, it wasn't like jaewon ever listened.
date: september 2018.
character(s) involved: chorong; an official who’s assisting on the volunteering & hayun; an elderly woman that duri has assisted before.
about: duri has no problem with volunteering; it’s something that he does often without even being prompted by bc entertainment to do so. he decides to volunteer as an action officer (someone who goes to an elderly person’s home and assists them in tasks like changing light bulbs, cleaning, shopping, and etc) after some time of no longer doing it and stumbles upon a good friend, hayun, who he’s assisted before.
trigger warnings: n/a.
word count: 2,357
Volunteering was something that Duri always enjoyed doing, whenever he had the free time and energy to conduct it, it was something that easily got done. There was something that was incredibly rewarding about doing it. Even seeing the smiles on people’s faces as he helped, that was enough to make Duri’s whole day, even his whole month. Nothing really needed to prompt Duri to go do such a thing, considering he’s been volunteering since he was a teenager. Truly, he didn’t need to be prompted by BC Entertainment to go and so something that he was already doing in his free time.
The sun was shining, the days still warm, but were slightly fading into cooler days as the days passed by. He woke up that early morning, feeling refreshed from his slumber; something that Duri didn’t often feel. He had quietly gotten out of bed, doing his best to make his own bed as quietly as he possibly could. After he finished and was satisfied with the finished product, he crept out of the bedroom to make his way to the bathroom, where he’d freshen up for the day. He took a quick shower, full of steam to open up the pores, before he’d wash his face with his endless skincare routine, brush his teeth, then do his hair. He was making good time for when he had to show up to the police station for his volunteering duties for the day. There was still enough time for some form of breakfast and coffee; coffee was the most important. That was for, well, after he managed to creep back into his room to grab a change of clothes to change into for the day.
After spending enough time beautifying himself, he had finally made his way down the steps to have the first bite to eat for the day; though, he still did things quietly as he wasn’t sure who was awake, who was still asleep, and what was going to echo through the whole dorm. He went simple this morning, a simple meal of toast, some form of fruit, and coffee. It was something quick to eat and he did just that, reading through Instagram, and other things that he had consumed the meal fit for a king. He was quick with it, but not too quick; it wasn’t worth getting indigestion or a stomachache from eating too quickly. He was still making good time, but Duri was always the type of person that wanted to get places incredibly early. Nonetheless, he got him from his seat, collecting his dishes, before washing them by hand, and drying them. He proceeded to wipe down the counters before he’d finally make his way to the door to put shoes on his feet, and go out the door. A hat, sunglasses, and mask over his mouth to conceal his identity from those around him.
It was a bit of a trek to the police station, but it wasn’t something that Duri really minded. He enjoyed talking long walks and taking his time, especially when the weather was nice. He liked to avoid having to sit in cars for as long as possible; he couldn’t make it any more obvious how much he wasn’t a fan of being in a car. He was still working on that though, it was fine when he was the passenger to someone that he trusted, he didn’t feel so nervous or on edge. Trying to get behind the wheel was also a whole other story that he was avoiding; there was no need for that nor did he want to explain how he would felt trying to get behind the wheel. That’s why he only had an ID and not a driver’s license. But, that was not a topic that was current, that would be for another day, another time.
He arrived early; typical of Park Duri, he was always early. He made his way to the office, a very familiar place that he’s seen multiple times over with the times he had volunteered as an action officer. He knocked upon the door softly, before told to come in. “Ah, Duri!” The man shouted from behind the desk. A soft smile lingers against Duri’s lips, “Hello,” he greets with a bow. “Come in, come in. It’s been a long while since you’ve been here,” He says, before Duri steps in and shuts the door behind him. “I’ve been meaning to come back, but my schedule is very busy between everything else. So, I’m sorry for just coming back now,” Duri responded back. “Aigoo, don’t worry about it. I was just excited to hear you were volunteering as an action officer again after a long while. I never thought I’d be speaking to someone’s manager on the phone,” the officer laughs, shaking his head, before sitting down at the table. “Sit, sit,” he says to Duri, before Duri follows such and sits down at the table. “We’re just waiting on Chorong who will be going with you today,” he explains. Duri nods before the two of them would just sit there in the room catching up like a pair of old friends. It wouldn’t be long till Chorong had entered the room, which Duri would stand up to greet her and introduce himself.
With a brightly colored vest, he was excited, to say the least, after finding out that they’d be going to see Hayun, an old woman whom Duri has met times before while volunteering as an action officer. They had become some form of friends, finding things that the two had bonded over. She was someone that he had a lot of fun with and was happy to be able to put a smile upon her face. Chorong and Duri had gotten to the front door of her apartment, before Chorong had knocked upon the door. The two had continued their conversations as if it was nothing before the door was opened and a very happy Hayun was on the other side. “Duri-ah! Aigoo, it’s been so long! How are you?” She said, like an excited grannie who was seeing their grandchild after a while. “I’m good! How are you? Sorry for only visiting now, I’ve been pretty busy,” he said. “Don’t worry about it, I’m just glad you’re finally here,” she said, before she let in Chorong and Duri into her apartment. There was a conversation between Hayun and Chorong that Duri didn’t hear because he was focused on the pictures that Hayun had around, since she had added new ones to her collection. There’s a soft smile that sat against his lips as he looked. He turned to Hayun and Chorong a few moments later as they had finished up their conversation with one another.
“Is there anything you want me to do, grandmother Hayun?” He questioned. “Ah, I really need to go shopping for groceries and some new clothes items. But, can you change the lightbulb in the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom?” She asked, before Duri nodded his head. “Yes, no problem!” He said, before he moved to grab the lightbulbs and start doing what needed to be done. Chorong would be given the chore of cleaning a few things that Hayun was unable to do. The ceilings weren’t much higher than Duri was tall, so it was a simple fix for him. He opened them up, before removing the light bulb that sat in there, and replacing it with a brand new one. After switching and placing the thing back on, he’d switch the light on to double check that it did indeed work. He’d spend about ten minutes changing lights out carefully, before riding of the bulbs carefully and placing back what he didn’t use where Hayun had kept things. Then he was quick to assist Chorong in the task that she was doing. Things were looking good and it was nice to see Hayun happy that she was receiving help.
They’d spend the next hour or so out and about, picking up the things that Hayun needed. She had insisted on coming along, saying that it would be nice to get out with the two, and how she wasn’t so nervous to go out considering she had the two with her. They had helped her pick out some clothing that she had needed, as well as helped her shop for food for her apartment. Though, what they didn’t know was she was also gathering stuff for a meal that she was going to make them before they would leave for the day. As they walked along, they came along a bakery, Duri’s eyes looking towards the cakes that were on display. “Keep heading back, I’ll catch up!” He said to the two of them, before he would enter the shop. He purchased a cake, one that he knew was Hayun’s favorite, considering she had mentioned it a few times before. After leaving the bakery, he’d move quickly to catch up with the two of them, the cake in a bag hidden upon the other bags that he was carrying. They had finally made it back to her apartment, before they would work to put things together. “Can you both help me make something before you leave?” She asked, before they would both agree. “We’re going to make a meal to share before you leave because I want to make sure you ate and use this as a thank,” she said, before she’d get to telling them what to do like she was the head chef in a fancy restaurant in some kind of fancy hotel. He kind of chuckled, before he worked on chopping things up for the meal that she had decided on. “Ah, cooking together, this is so nice,” she said in a sing-song voice as she stood at the stove, stirring together ingredients in a sizzling pan.
They talked and laughed, having a good time spending time together. It was like a meeting between old time friends, who was catching up, and just had a good time together as friends. They managed to treat each other like family, but that just seemed to be the people that they were. Chorong was someone that was quickly becoming a friend of Duri’s after spending the day together, plus she was someone that had spent time with Hayun in the past as well. Soon, they’d sit down for the meal with side dishes and all, Hayun really going out for them. They had sat and ate, talking over their meal. It was a normal conversation about life and things going on, Hayun always taking an interest in the things that Duri does.
“My granddaughters are always so jealous that I get to hang out with a member of Knight,” she said, it was something that she would always say and giggle about because she loved to rub it in their faces. They’d probably take a picture together again later so Hayun could once again, show it off to the grandchildren like she liked to.
Though, there was one thing that had managed to hit Duri like a ton of bricks. While they were talking, she’d ask him one question. “How are you, Duri? Are you okay? I know you told me about a few things…” she said, looking upon him. He wasn’t excepting it, but he nodded his head to her question. “Ah, I’m good, I’m good! You don’t have to worry about that,” he said, a soft smile on his lips. Why was that such an easy thing to lie about? How could he lie to Hayun and his new friend, Chorong. Maybe it was just because he didn’t want anyone to worry, especially Hayun in her older age.
Nonetheless, they continued eating, before Duri had gotten up. “I have one more thing that we still have time for before Chorong-ah and I have to leave!” he stated, before he would move quickly to get it. He pulled out a cake, placing it on the table. “Grannie Hayun’s favorite cake!” He said, a giggle leaving his lips. “Aigoo, what’s this for?” She said, before reaching over the table and grabbing his cheeks, “Whoever marries you is going to be so lucky! Do you have anyone? I should set you up, I know a lot of people!” she said, excitement lacing in her tone. He laughed, his head shaking. “I know it’s your birthday soon and I wanted to celebrate it because it’s going to be awhile till we see each other again because the end of the year is coming up, which becomes pretty busy for me schedule wise. And no, no there’s no need to set me up!” He giggled once more, shaking his head, before they’d celebrate with cake, Hayun’s favorite cake. They’d clean up once they were finished, drying the dishes, and putting them away.
“It was so nice today, thank you for coming today to help me out and spend time with me,” she said, a grin upon her face. It was obvious why Hayun would constantly sign up for people to come to volunteer at her place, she just loved people. There was a lot the two had shared in common. “Hold on! Just one picture!” She said, before grabbing her phone to take a picture with him. “Okay, okay! Go now!” She said, before Duri and Chorong would nod after putting their shoes on. “Thank you, grandma,” they’d both say. “If you need anything ever, just call me! If I don’t answer at first, I’ll call you back as soon as I can!” he said, the smile still against his lips. “Okay, we’ll be going first.” Duri and Chorong would make their way back to the police station, just so Duri could finish up anything that was needed for after the volunteer work, as well as to return the brightly colored vest that he had on. He bowed to them, thanking them, and went on his way with the paper he could hand to his manager to show that he had accomplished what BC Entertainment wanted him to.
sohee’s lack of incline to do charity work was almost genetic, her mother even when she was circling around the pageant scene and taking acting roles never bothered to do any charity work on the side and her father was always hesitant to donate any money with an already generally good public image along with his low-key nature, he didn’t see the need to. she grew up inherently discouraged to do any charity work, her mother was usually insistent on spending her spare moments doing her best to improve her pageant skills and her acting skills, and her mother had a very ‘you have to make it on your own’ mentality, despite the fact that she had a cushy upbringing and had exactly no hand in making her situation her own, it’s not difficult to make your own way as a pageant circuit runner and b-list actress when you have connections – and sohee followed suit, though disheartened with her upbringing, she does feel as if she does somewhat deserve the things she has, or more so deserves good things despite not helping others. with never having to have had any help inherently, she doesn’t feel as if she has to give any and is disillusioned at the idea of helping people when she thinks more of what she can do for herself.
her first experience of volunteer work was when she was around sixteen, and her friend, a trainee at the time, chanmi, asked her to go along with her. under any regular circumstance, she wouldn’t go but she and chanmi had been especially close before chanmi left gold star media so she agreed to go solely on the basis that chanmi said that it would mean a lot to her. she and chanmi went to a homeless shelter where they helped out with distributing meals and cooking them for the patrons. chanmi had been doing this for a while, infrequently with school and training taking up the vast majority of her time with a passion that sohee could never match, while sohee was almost repulsed by the experience. the experience was frankly a shock for her, with her upper class upbringing, she had never really intermingled with people from a different social class than her, especially since her family didn’t want to do so. she would consider her first experience of charity almost a wholly bad experience based solely on her own actions – sohee almost completely refused to integrate herself with the people helping out, let alone the people that she was meant to be helping, instead she did the bare minimum before making excuses to her friend so that she could leave early. she vowed to herself (childishly) that she wouldn’t do it again. and she’s stayed true to her words, she (un)reverently turned down all of chanmi’s further offers to go with her.
sohee is genuinely almost completely ignorant to charity causes, anything that would be even remotely relatable to her (depression, lgbt+ issues) is completely shrouded in her view by the lack of acknowledgment of her own issues. though a cause that she is enthusiastic about despite her general lack of impulse to do anything charitable out of her own volition (more so now as opposed to when she was younger she is more leaning towards too self-centered to think about charity work, as opposed to being against charity all together) is animal rights. she never particularly grew up with any pets, but animal rights are something that everyone can get behind and sohee is included in that. if asked, she would actively encourage people to adopt rescue animals as opposed to buying purebred animals – due to many things such as genetic diseases and the other health issues associated with breeding same breed animals – to try and get more animals out of shelters. when she is able to move out of the dorm, she hopes that she’ll be able to adopt a few rescue dogs and cats and actually have the time to take care of them (though she doubts that) herself. if she was given the choice, she would say that her preferred volunteer task would be to go to an animal shelter and help out, if not solely to look at the animals.
The moment she heard about the interview she had to film for the campaign about charity and volunteer work – giving back to the community – she grimaced. They had already booked her for the interview, though, so there really was no escaping it. She is no stranger to donating to charity and doing volunteer work; her earlier career and image was built upon a title which would have her naturally embrace a giving and compassionate persona for the public. While the charity work and the volunteer work she had done were not in any way against her own beliefs, it still didn’t feel genuine coming from her because she was never the one who initiated it. The work had already been done for her; the research into what kind of charity it was, what the money was going to, what they would gain from her doing volunteer work and so on. All she needed to do was to give her stamp of permission and her name and face would be used as they pleased. Lyra doesn’t imagine answering the questions would be easy when she didn’t know what she was standing for up until very recently. How does she answer these questions without being a total hypocrite? Finally taking a seat in front of the camera, she puts on her most professional smile as the red light shines. Any hint of hesitation vanishes as she immerses herself in the interview.
What do you think one person can do to make the world a better place?
Be compassionate. “I think by being curious and interested about the world and what happens around the world because there’s always something happening. You could start small too; just being aware of your own community and the events that are happening and how it is contributing to shape our society. Everyone is different, and so everyone has something unique to contribute to make the world a better place. It doesn’t have to be something on a big scale from the beginning; you could always start small and work your way up. You can always start with yourself.”
How do you personally want to make the world a better place?
By being upfront and honest about what I believe in and what I stand for. “I want to contribute to the world by doing what I currently do best – creating music. If my music, in one way or another, could somehow comfort even one person in this world or help someone through a though time in their life I would be content. I would also like to use my art to raise awareness about topics and messages that are important to me. People might think that art is unconventional and therefore useless but I think it’s just another way of reaching out to people.”
Do you feel like you’ve done something to better the world?
Not really. Not yet anyways. “I hope that I have, in one way or another. When talking to my fans I hear their stories about how my music has helped them through some challenges in their lives. Hearing about how people are being touched by my music and can relate to them is my small yet important contribution to the world. Throughout my career I’ve also donated to a variety of charities and done some volunteer work. As long as there are causes to support and work to do I’ll continue to contribute in any way I can.”
What is the importance of giving back?
What goes around comes around, no? “We live in this world where we are so used to just take and take from everything – from nature, from animals, from the communities.” From each other. “So I guess, in a way, to make things go around it is important to give back to the community.” There’s a short pause as she mulls over what to say next, and how she should word it. “In giving back there’s also a chance for you to improve on what already exists. Everything changes with time and as we live and experience all sorts of things, we can use that to improve our society and how it works.”
What is one cause you want to encourage your fans to contribute to?
Empowering women, and get rid of the misogyny and sexism (although the latter might be a long stretch.) “I think rather than having me encouraging my fans to just contribute to any cause, I would want them to do research and find a cause that they are really passionate about. There are so many different causes that exist in this world and for different purposes, and I wouldn’t want to just tell them what to do and what to believe without giving them a chance to critically think about it themselves.” Nodding her head slightly she breathes in before continuing. “If there is a will to learn I believe we’re capable of changing the things that needs to be changed in order to create a society that is safe and healthy for everyone to live in. It’s probably very idealistic though, now that I think about it,” she lets out a soft, almost embarrassed chuckle but quickly wraps up the interview. “But I like to believe that today’s youth is capable of very amazing things.”
as far as volunteering went, taking care of animals wasn’t the worst. her company harping down her ear about how she had to go out and do charity work was the only influence on her rolling out of bed that morning, she’d never thought of doing it on her own terms and there wasn’t a reason in her mind why she should have - after all, time during schedules was meant for resting, not busting over to clean someone’s bedpan (or whatever she imagined people that had volunteered at hospitals were doing). it was good p.r., but the benefits were completely outweighed by sohee’s need to complain at every turn. at least she wasn’t alone, and hana didn’t seem to be thrilled about being there either. but, at least the animals were adorable. “some of these little dudes are so tiny,” she hummed, holding up a kitten, “i’m scared if i keep picking them up i’m eventually going to break one, kind of terrifying really.”
“are you ready, minjae-ssi?” the finishing touches to his makeup are dabbed on by his stylists before the lights begin to settle on his face, making him appear bright and lively. for this to be an up-close and personal interview, it wasn’t very authentic. under the shining lights, the performer was ironically becoming uncomfortable as this time, all the attention was directed to him. he was mars' leader - this should be natural, right? no. without a stray hair to fix, a shirt to adjust, or a jacket to button? minjae was completely awkward. without mars, without dancing, without a stage? he was just a shy 27-year-old with a camera down his throat.
“hi, i’m-” the overly-dramatic gestures from his manager command him to project his voice. “hi, i’m jae of mars,” he repeats, this time voice louder and with a smile. “i’m here to answer some questions on how to be the best person you possibly can be.”
“what do you think one person can do to make the world a better place?”
“well,” he starts, genuinely pondering the question for a minute before proceeding. “i think the most important part for people to understand is, it’s not just all the big things you do that count. you know...that show on tv?” he has a point, but obviously it’s being made too slow for the liking of his onlookers. making an effort to speed up, he skips the endless searching in his brain for the title. “anyways, the ones where they give the needy a mansion and a million dollars, stuff like that? well, it’s not always about that, you know? hugs, are free. compliments, are free. use what you do have to give to a person, and i think that’s all you need to start changing the world.”
“how do you personally want to make the world a better place?”
great. the part he was dreading - talking about himself. it seemed self-centered to practically ask someone all about how they felt when this was about helping others, but as long has he got his point across. “i’d like to make the world a better place mostly through the environment.” he’s sure the comment wouldn’t come off as a shock to his friends, but potentially was to his fans, since the topic of nature was one often too dull to mention in interviews. “i don’t think we realize it, but i think protecting the environment is most important because it protects the earth, as well as our emotional and physical health. therefore, i really enjoy looking out for mother nature, because it will definitely make the world a better place.”
“do you feel like you’ve done something to better the world?”
“mm, yes. well….um….i like to...garden.” he can practically feel the impatience in the room, but he can’t help it. filler words are his specialty. “i like to plant stuff, all kinds of things. fruits, vegetables, flowers,” true happiness emits from minjae’s glistening eyes as he begins to talk about something he’s actually passionate about. “by doing it organically, i like to think i’m doing better off than i would if i bought that processed stuff from stores. also...reusable bags, thrifting, reducing waste, all those things save resources. thankfully korea requires recycling, but i think everyone should go green. that’s what i strive for, and what i’ll fight to achieve so that the world becomes better.”
“what is the importance of giving back?”
“i don’t think we realize it but we just take so much. from ourselves, from each other, from the earth...we just take and we take until there’s nothing left.” saying it out loud, he instantly thinks of all the companies he’s been surrounded with for the past five years, and how they’ve practically drained every ounce of energy from their idols. did i just call out the companies? that certainly wasn’t intentional. “i believe that making a conscious decision to recognize this, and give back what you get is important because it keeps you aware and appreciative. if we give back for everything we take, only then do we realize how much is given to us on a daily basis.”
“what is one cause you want to encourage your fans to contribute to?”
“uh, ahjussi...how can i just...tell them what to do?” he asks shyly, peering over to the figure behind the cameraman who’d asked him. their face shows clear agitation with minjae, clearly anticipating wrapping the interview up. twirling his fingers, the older man simply gestures for the vocalist to speed up, but he doesn’t budge. “no, really. i don’t want you to... plant a flower, because jae from mars told you to. i want you to do something you love,” he confesses, turning his attention back to the camera. “if you want to hold a protest, do it!” okay, dial it back, minjae. you’re still on camera. “i mean...i’m just kidding. don’t get hurt,” he adds, flustered at his sudden rush of adrenaline. “anyways, i feel like you all should choose something you just...really love. mm, that’s what i think.”
“...was that any good?” he asks, looking up sheepishly just as the editor groans. “minjae-ssi, i have to cut so much of your mumbling and stuttering from this. please just make this easier and close out the interview.” the snap is unexpected, but minjae’s too frazzled to say anything about it. “ah, i’m sorry…” he replies shakily, bowing in his seat in apology to the frustrated man. however, like magic, his grin reappears as he prepares for the closing.
“i’m jae of mars, and this has been...five questions with jae.” he totally made the name up on the spot, and hoped it wouldn’t cause any copyright infringement. “thank you for spending time with me, let’s see each other again soon!”
a smile, a wave, and then he disappears into the abyss, signaling the end of the clip.
Daisuke loved kids. Growing up as the youngest in his immediate family, he didn’t get the chance to be around kids younger than him all too often, only during special occasions and holidays when he went with his parents and siblings to visit their extended family. His younger cousins loved him. They spent their time crawling all over his tall form, hanging off of his arms and legs while he walked around. While he did think that was cute and endearing, it got tiresome after a while. Luckily for him, he was sent to spend time with kids but he wouldn’t be doing it alone.
He didn’t know much about Jaewon, apart from the fact that he was in Unity and he was a rapper. They never really had many reasons to hang out with one another, this being the first time that they were actually formally introduced. He bowed his head slightly in greeting. “Nice to meet you, I’m Daisuke.” He held out his hand for the other to shake, trying his best to not appear as awkward as he felt. Meeting new people was always a challenge for him, mostly because he felt as though all of the hard work he had gone into bettering his Korean went out the window and he sounded like a bumbling idiot. “Are you excited to meet the children?” He asked, trying to make conversation.
