KANG MINHYUK, better known as MAX, is the MAIN DANCER AND RAPPER of ORIGIN under GOLD STAR MEDIA. He was born on FEBRUARY 16, 1996. He looks a little like MARK LEE OF NCT.
CHARACTER INFORMATION
faceclaim: lee minhyung (mark), member of nct
legal name: kang minhyuk (maximilian)
stage name: Max
pronouns: he/him
birth date: 19th February 1996
hometown: Frankfurt, Germany.
position: main dancer and rapper of origin
claims:none
BIOGRAPHY
triggers: negative self-image, inferior complex, underaged use of drugs (I’m bad with triggers omg I hope this is okay)
there wasn’t much to say about the lanky boy kang minhyuk. he grew up in a normal neighbourhood, being raised in a normal family while living a normal life. the one peculiar (exciting) thing to tell was perhaps the fact he was born and grew up in frankfurt, germany and picked up the name maximilian (short max) during his youth there.
but that was about it. he wasn’t the standout son of the family. the younger of two brothers max had normal grades, normal friends and normal troubles as any teenboy would have. it was his brother who excelled in about everything he did, naturally leading to his parents focusing their hopes and expectations onto his shoulders while little max was just… there. never not loved but also never the center of attention in the family he was left to do whatever he wanted (as long as it was legal of course) and the boy had no trouble following that.
(no, he did not count the one time his teachers almost caught them smoking weed behind the gym in 8th grade and if anyone asked him, he’d deny it vigorously.)
all in all max was the kind of guy who solely got out of being bullied because he looked good and carried himself with a casual friendliness that made anyone instantly want to be his friend instead.
who would have thought that it was exactly that next-door nice guy aura what got him street-casted as he was visiting his grandparents during his annual summer vacation in seoul? faced with a rather ground breaking decision to make that would turn his whole life upside down, the 15 year old male decided to take the leap when it looked like for once he got recognized for something his brother didn’t surpass him in. always finding solace in dancing and performing, max saw no harm in trying to reach for the stars in his own way, happy to be given this kind of opportunity and determined to work hard and make the most out of this experience.
always the happy go lucky kind of guy he fell on his face more than once when the struggle to adjust to the korean school system wasn’t as easy as he expected, especially not while attempting to juggle fitting his life style to that of a trainee. quickly his circle of friends decimated, contact to his family grew spare and hunched over in between other male trainees he shed tears about missing home and missing his freedom. but he was an idealist above everything else and saw that only as another challenge necessary to be overcome on his path to growing up and growing into a successful artist.
thus he was enthralled when he made it into origin, torn between relief to finally be outstanding and good enough for something while feeling bad for all those left behind. especially during the first months he was plagued with thinking that they deserved his spot so much more than he himself did but it only left him fueled to give additional +50% to his already tireless efforts.
his mentally stretched itself throughout his career, always eager to place the others first and let them have majority of the spotlight while max was solely grateful to even be a part of this amazing journey. thankful to each and every single of his fans and supporters, he more often than not felt overwhelmed when they along with his members attempted to give him more room to shine and only tentatively accepted the one or other opportunity to take the spotlight for himself.
he’s always been a paradox in itself; shining so brilliantly but never comfortable to claim the center of attention, made to be an ace but content to only focus on the things he was interested and already skilled in. max was ambitious in everything he did but never eager to get praised or receive recognition for his efforts. he solely loved to push himself for the sake of growing and the fact he got to do that with 6 amazing boys by his side, who grew to be almost more of a family than his own flesh and blood, is something he couldn’t feel more grateful for.
210503-210608: youth of may (kim myunghee, go minsi role) - 35 points
2109xx: marie claire korea, solo cover - 15 points
211112-220101: the red sleeve (sung deokim, lee seyoung role) - 35 points
2202xx: w korea, inside spread - 10 points
biography
triggers: terminal illness (cancer)
hyojung gets told of the meaning behind her name early on. how her mother, a high school history teacher, was so ecstatic to have a daughter after a son and that she had names picked out early on. she’s named at a historical princess. not too well known but a princess nevertheless, and hyojung’s treated as one as well.
life takes hyojung’s mother away from her way too early and after years of battling with breast cancer, she’s gone from the jung’s. that doesn’t stop hyojung’s father from stepping up as the sole parental figure, and despite being a government civil worker, he does everything he can for his children.
ultimately, what that means for hyojung is vocal lessons. her own father has always struck the strings of his guitar for his children, and hyojung’s brother was quick to catch on and grow instrument skills of his own. hyojung wasn’t so lucky in that aspect, but she took after her mother in having a beautiful voice. they would sit in the living room altogether and hold their own mini concerts with, of course, hyojung in the center. she was their princess after all.
she never imagined becoming an idol. the experience came to her out of the blue. one day, she’s attending vocal lessons at an academy—something she begged her dad for—and the next, she finds herself at a gold star media audition. having never heard of the company before, she was certain it would be a scam, but when she gets offered a trainee contract and steps into the building, she’s made to accept reality.
trainee life is a blur for her especially since it doesn’t last all that long. she debuts and selene’s treated like the next big thing after garlic bread. as the youngest, she’s made to play the image of someone she’s not. told to smile a little more, crack some childish jokes, play up to the cameras and so on. nothing she terribly minds, but she knows that it isn’t who she really is.
and maybe it’s because of her own subdued personality, but she doesn’t get a lot of individual gigs early on in her career. she’s more comfortable with group appearances anyway. what really strikes her, however, is acting. hyojung thinks she’s been doing it since her debut anyway so might as well try it out, right? surprisingly, she enjoys it a little more than she expected herself to and her first drama is moderately big hit. people begin to recognize her beyond her own group.
before hyojung knows it, seven years pass and it’s time for contract renewals. she can’t even remember everything that’s happened in the past seven years. what she can remember, however, is that this is all she knows how to do. having become a trainee at fifteen and then debuting at sixteen, she’s not aware of anything else she could possibly so so she signs the contract renewal, signing herself up for a lifetime of this job. gold star promises to be more open to her desires with gigs and she’s inclined to believe them.
immediately, she drops the cute youngest act because it was exactly that: an act. however, she forgets that the act is all people know of her which means she becomes the subject to people claiming that she’s changed. how she’s caught the actress disease because of one mildly successful drama. how seven years in the industry seems to have destroyed the spirit in her. it’s like people have forgotten that it’s completely legal to grow up.
as gold star promised, the doors she once thought were closed begin to open up for her in terms of opportunities. she continues to act, gaining an image for herself as an actress. it’s, once again, a bit limiting, but it’s more comfortable than what she was made to act as back when she was sixteen.
recently, she’s just wrapped up a historical drama that sky rockets her name towards the general public. she starts being referenced to as the historical drama princess, and it makes her smile because of the connection it gives her to her mother. it’s almost as if she’s come full circle.
image & career
debuting at quite a young age, it wasn’t too hard to shape hyojung up to be the baby of the group. she didn’t do too bad living up to that title either. she’d be a little rowdier, a little louder, a little cuter. the energizer, the happy pill as fans would be quick to name her. to both the public and her fans, she’s made to be an idol that’s easy to digest.
however, debuting early also means growing up in the eyes of the public. she thinks it’s impossible to expect an individual to act the same way in their teenage years and their 20′s. yet, people seem to have expected the impossible from her. hyojung mellows down because she’s naturally matured with her age, and she begins to act in a way that’s closer to her usual self. however, that seems to be difficult to understand for some people, and she’s given the side eye for how she seems to have changed. it’s almost as if she’s not allowed to grow up.
in more recent years, it’s been easier to catch jung hyojung, the actress, and the shift in image that came with the new title. the roles offer to all seem to fall under the same umbrella. she excels in romance dramas, especially the historical ones, and it gives her a different image from selene’s youngest, hyojung. instead, she’s now molded to fit the image of the lovely, romantic actress jung hyojung. while it’s a little closer to who she naturally is, it still isn’t completely her. it also doesn’t stop the same people from claiming that she’s changed from her debut though now they add on the claim that she’s caught the actress disease. whatever that means.
nevertheless, she’s an idol who’s now twelve years into her career, but she’s never once slacked off on stage. despite a stubborn group of people who are determined to frame her as abandoning her idol career, she still knows how to perform on stage. perhaps not the most eye-catching, but hyojung firmly believes that she’s never done anything to taint selene’s image both on-stage or off. she knows how to be charismatic to fit with the group’s concept, and she also knows how to play up the sweet, romantic image that her acting gigs build up for her. the public sees both sides of her, and she’d claim that they’re both her.
future
as she’s mostly found success as an actress, acting is where hyojung’s focus will be for the most part. it’s where she’s the most desired and have proven herself to be good at, especially with historical dramas. the red sleeve was a massive hit, and it’s gotten her to a spot where she’s beginning to be respected. additionally, it’s allowed her to slowly shed off that image of being just an idol actress. at the moment, her career mostly consists of successful historical dramas but not so successful modern day dramas. that’s something that hyojung would like to change because as much as she loves historical dramas and the connection it gives her to her mother, it’d be better to establish herself as an all-rounder actress and not an actress that excels in only one genre. however, that’s not always up to her as roles are usually offered first and even if she goes out to an audition, they usually see her within a certain mold. it’d be nice to be able to crack that though it isn’t hyojung’s biggest worry or anything. it’s simply a desire that she has. she doesn’t think it’d be too terrible to continue living the life of a romantic actress for a couple more years.
in addition to acting, hyojung’s sought out after as a model for brands and magazines. these are also pretty restricted when it comes to the overall imaging, but she would like to venture further out in this scope as well. she’s not really a high fashion model, but she can still pull her weight. she also misses being a radio host because it felt like a nice way to connect to listeners and be a little more honest, considering that both being an idol and an actress doesn’t allow a lot of leeway on being open to people. it’s not a major priority but if the opportunity comes, she’d like to go back and host another radio show.
jihoon was part of a creative family. his parents, his grandparents, they were all part of something related to arts. it was only natural for him to follow their footsteps.
there were many options he could have taken - theater, dance, tv, the list goes on. anything jihoon wanted to give a go, he could, thanks to his family and their connections. however, there was something no one in his family had done. become an idol. in reality, this dream came out of 12 year old jihoon’s mouth at a rather nice dinner with his parents. he doesn’t even remember their reactions in all honesty.
however, what his parents were good at was never forgetting anything their kid said or did. good or bad. what did was their take on this dream their one and only son had? ship him to his grandparents in south korea like an amazon prime package, so that jihoon could be able to achieve this goal of his. he was only fourteen when that happen, and to this very day, he doesn’t know how his parents actually agreed to this. truth to be told, he had forgotten to some extend that he ever told them he wanted to be an idol. he didn’t back down, he decided to go with it. what could go wrong?
on the contrary, there was a lot that went wrong. starting for the fact of the huge culture shock, the language barrier and accent at times, well, most of the times. it was a challenge that jihoon never really knew how to back down, it wasn’t even a when. the stubbornness to prove himself to his parents was his main driving force. he never was the type to complain either, so he just sucked it up and moved forward. it was all he had to do, along with some blood, sweat and tears.
lucky for him, he found himself signed to gold star entertainment not long after. it was actually long after that, but to jihoon, time was a construct either way. it was pretty big step to his dream in his opinion. it’s was not an easy step or flight of stairs, but he made his way through training. there were many many things that happened while he was a trainee. he remembers most of the sleepless nights spend training, the early mornings that were filled with school work and repeating it. for quite a few years as well, it didn’t come as a surprise, jihoon did make quite the transformation during his trainee days.
as someone who had as an only skill to be a dancer, through pure spite, jihoon worked hard enough to be able to land the position of lead rapper and a little bit of vocalist here and there. not quite the trajectory change if you asked him. he managed to somehow balance it out. he didn’t mind it, really, he enjoyed it a lot even.
as the years went by from debut, jihoon found out a weird love for variety shows and enjoyed them a bit more than he really admits.
a lot was still the same. he still has his moments when he is quiet, blunt, opinionated character he was when he joined the company. however, over the years, including before and after debut, jihoon had manages to get out of his shell. he wouldn't have it any other way.
image
the plan behind his image was simple, a huge push on duality. jihoon had always been the quiet, blunt type who really didn't keep his thoughts to himself. however, over the top expression, perfect timings of words and being able to take handle the short end of the stick when it comes to jokes started this image. it was indeed hard, to get the hang of it, in the beginning being labeled by a part of the public as rather fake, too over the top, forced and obviously acted out. however, that didn't stop the company and staff to push the narrative.
fake it till you make it has been jihoon's motto since his debut days. practice made perfect and it didn't take long for those words to not be such a popular opinion. it eased the pressure off his shoulders, but schedules didn't stop and it got even more easier. a few permanent roles on variety shows, showing more of himself during fan events, behind the scenes. people eventually started to believe he really had that natural duality. it was almost a relieve for jihoon, but he didn't slack one bit to keep up that image for the sake of catalyst and himself.
110903: model in tokyo girls collection runway show: 20 points
1305XX: solo magazine cover for 1st look magazine: 15 points
1410??: model in doii s/s 2015 runway show: 10 points
1506XX: one magazine spread : 10 points
171110: im mira in heart blackened: 30 points
180321-180517: lee jian in my mister: 40 points
170901-180301: puma brand ambassador : 30 points
180302-180902: puma brand ambassador : 30 points
1809: model (jessica jung) in dolce & gabbana milan s/s 2019 runway show: 20 points
190530: kim kijung in parasite: 30 points
200237-200516: yeo dakyung in world of the married: 40 points\
200303: paris f/w 2020 fashion week louis vuitton show attendance: 15 points
biography
triggers: -
before her birth, a fortune teller had sat in front of an intrigued mother-to-be and a skeptical father-to-be and told them that mirae was the perfect name for the child growing in baek yuna’s womb, who had a golden future in front of her.
like most childhoods, mirae’s was a mix of joy and sorrow. the hwang family struggled desperately to make ends meet with a second mouth to feed, but it couldn’t dim the bright eyes of their daughter as she watched her dad holed up in the corner of the living room, creating a story of his own, or peaking from behind the doorway to watch her mom weaving a needle masterfully through fabric.
she was an observer in her youth, quiet but bright. she understood more than she let on, so there were times the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. she’d heard the shouting when she was supposed to be in bed. more often than not, it was her mother spitting harsh words at her father for his barely-there contribution to the family’s finances. self-published stories and unpaid band performances at locals bars did little to put food on the table.
mirae loved both of her parents, but her father’s joy was far more contagious, so she was drawn to him, the flame to her moth. she’d come home lugging a worn backpack after classes and, the days he was home, she’d sit down with him and watch over his shoulder as he did whatever he’d been drawn to that day, be it crafting a new world in his journal or humming one of his favorite songs.
despite her best efforts to remain studious and focused on a career path toward becoming a doctor or a lawyer or something she could use to support her family, mirae began to sneak glances at the celebrities on tv in their glamorous outfits and models in fashion magazines. she wanted to be doing that, not holing herself up in a library for years upon years so she could spend all of her waking hours inside the drab walls of a hospital.
they were doing exactly what she wanted to do, but not what she was supposed to do.
the first holes in the studious, well-defined plan laid out for the hwang children by their mother came when one of mirae’s friends began to teach her choreography from her dance class every day at lunch. mirae’s family couldn’t afford to put mirae in any lessons herself, but she became dedicated to learning by proxy through her friend. it became an invaluable reprieve from studies and a tense home life.
she began to thrift clothes and fix them up to sell them for a profit in hopes of paying for dance lessons of her own, but she was becoming old enough to see just how badly her family was struggling, and much of her earnings wound up mysteriously appearing in the pockets of her mother’s coat instead.
in 2008, mirae was scouted on the streets of daegu by a modeling company. at fourteen, she was tall for her age in a way that got her teased for being gangly in school, but had caught the modeling scout’s attention. she was given a business card and a suggestion to call them to discuss her future.
over the next days, she did all the research into the company and the modeling industry that she could. she had a feeling it was her big break.
over dinner, she blurted out the news. the supportive smile on her dad’s face was a calm contrast to the shock and upset on her mother’s. it took days of arguments that she often wasn’t even a part of before her mom conceded to considering letting her become a model trainee for a short time as long as she kept her grades at the top of her class. by now, mirae had a younger sister and money was even tighter, and a daughter getting work, even if it was modeling, might bring them a little bit of extra money.
a few more weeks of tension and disagreement within the hwang household that mirae did her best to shield her sister from and she found herself sitting in a meeting room with her dad, a fresh white contract laid out on the desk in front of her.
this was the start of everything, she swore to herself.
a few weeks later, she moved into her grandparents’ run-down apartment in seoul so that she could begin preparing to become a model. changing schools and starting anew in a new city was a challenge, but one she was willing to take on headfirst for the chance to make something of herself. if she was lucky, maybe she could even bring money home to her family when all was said and done.
training to become a model was a brand new experience for mirae, but as time ticked on, she had yet to step on a professional runway or onto set for a photo shoot that had a wider audience than one neighborhood and all she was doing was draining her family’s resources. she watched girls she’d come to know climb the ranks to international runways and editorials in famous magazines, while she only heard empty promises.
the eighteen months of her model trainee contract came and went and she had no real choice but to leave her modeling dreams behind. the agency bid her adieu, but on her way out, a staff member mentioned auditions for a new company coming up soon. they were looking for models, but idols, too, they’d pointed out. you’ve got that spark, but it’s better for a stage than a runway. at the time, it’d been heartbreaking, but, scared to go back home with nothing to show for it and curious, she was attending the company audition only a few weeks later.
and she made it.
she’d showed up as a modeling hopeful, but the staff member at her old company apparently hadn’t been the only one who saw idol potential in her. instead of an offer to become a model, they asked if she could sing or dance on the spot. she had, thankful she had an informal dance background and could hold a note despite a lack of training, and she’d gotten an offer to become an idol trainee only a few days later. she’d wanted to be a model, but without a company and her mom nagging her to come back home and stop wasting her grandparents’ resources, mirae had little choice.
it was a brand new company under a figure she knew well, bang sunyoung, but she tried her hardest as trainee despite being one of the first to sign to them. she’d had no formal training in singing, and she started thanking her lucky stars when it turned out she had more than just a naturally good sense of pitch. the dancing she’d learned from her friend in her childhood more than paid off as well, even if it was awkward to be learning the technical basics with trainees who weren’t under consideration as dancers in a future group. being naturally talented in the musical and performing arts was one thing, but she took to the top ranks of her peers within gold star must faster than she had in her old company and mirae began to stand out instead of doing well enough to blend in. she became one of the top dancing trainees once she’d settled into training and despite having little formal training before entering the company, but she blossomed into a strong contender for the main dancer of the company’s first group.
she pushed her potential to the brink and in the end she did debut as the main dancer and lead vocal of gold star’s first new girl group. she cried in front of everyone at their debut showcase. it wasn’t a dream she’d had for any more than a year, but it’d become her last hope. the tears continued into the dressing room after the show, overwhelmed with the show of support and the rush of getting to stand on stage.
her dad had attended the showcase, while her mom had insisted she couldn’t afford to close up shop. “she would have loved to see you shining up there, mirae,” her dad had reassured her, but mirae wasn’t so sure that was true.
she had no idea that they were keeping the end of their marriage from her until months later.
selene found success right off the bat with their debut song. at first, she was met with praise for her proportions and natural charisma and gold star even took advantage of her modeling skillset, booking her runways and photo spreads once selene had solidified and entered their second year. she wasn’t taken as seriously as she wanted to be for having the same training as rookie models. because of debuting as an idol, it was assumed she’d had the jobs through little else than fame and long legs.
when she entered the world of acting seven years post-debut, she was more blatantly told to know her place. her performance was considered decently acted by critics, but it didn’t stop the public from receiving her as warmly as any idol, which was to say not all that well. she found a love of playing a role other than selene member, though, and her breakout came when she was cast in her second project. the movie became a global and critical success and for some time, it was the hottest piece of media around. the popularity opened her up to more criticism, but more fans as well. she was being recognized as an actress with a name for herself in addition to an idol, though the idol label never seemed to fail to preclude her job as an actor.
as more attention fell on her, her history began to be dug up and criticized. her outspokenness about what mattered to her became shameless or bitchiness or radical feminism. some fans decided they no longer had interest in supporting her. men’s sites took to calling her a dirty feminist and, as a consequence, of course, a raging bitch, but a few men on the internet weren’t enough to end a career and the burn of the spotlight didn’t reduce her to ashes.
her first lead role was another hit, though this time not on such a global scale. in the role of a mistress, some took it as a reflection of her personal self, but, for the most part, the role allowed her to prove her acting prowess further. she continued to balance acting and modeling and being an idol, refusing to ever choose one over the others when asked, and she learned to hold the title of idol-actor with pride, just as she came to learn to appreciate that people were talking about it, whether it be good or bad.
eleven years into her career and mirae has stopped caring all that much about what people assume of her or project onto her. the little girl who’d grown up observing in silence had grown into a woman determined not to so easily back down from the challenge of territory unventured.
image
after eleven years in the industry, mirae has grown into herself. though she’s also fit into selene’s image like a glove with her girl crush looks and confidence on stage, pursing a career of her own and making a name for herself outside of selene has crafted her a more individualized image.
these days, she’s known for her popularity with the women of south korea in particular, and after parasite’s success she gained attention for abroad as well. she’s seen as confident and capable and independent; the kind of girl all girls dream of being. she’s willing to push boundaries, which appeals to the younger generation, but when she’s put in a nice dress and trotted out on a red carpet, she’s pretty enough to grandmas to fawn over and wish for granddaughter-in-laws like. outspoken feminism and a sometimes blunt personality has gotten her some hate from certain online men’s groups, but she’s still charismatic enough to earn male attention and is perceived as rather popular with them for the aura she carries.
most fans will cite mirae’s ability to shapeshift on stage and in front of the camera with enviable ease as what made them fall for her. she embodies an ideal, a goddess in the form of a modern woman, who can make the perfect expression to get all eyes on her.
200501: lyrics (english version), melody on catalyst’s high way to heaven — +24 points
210123: lyrics, melody on cloud’s “hug” — +22 points
210625: partial melody and partial arrangement on ultraviolet’s “ddu-du ddu-du” (7+7 = 14)
biography
triggers: underage drinking tw, smoking tw
he never falls in love with the golden spoon in his mouth. not when his first cries are heard inside seoul’s heart, and not when he’s already turned his back far from the family that he dissociates himself from.
it’s easy to be a chung. easy to walk in the patterns of what’s strung across all the paths lined up, marching along to the rhythm of money flowing through. at least, that’s what his father tells him when he’s old enough to comprehend what his family’s world entails.
his mother preps him from an early age — from the elementary years comes cross-continental schooling, ‘studying abroad’ in a boarding school that gives him his roots. it’s here where he learns his first love of boom bap inside the gridwork of the large cemented cities. it’s the first time he finds himself jotting down words and making it flow against the rudimentary taps of his roommate’s knuckles. it’s a first lesson in learning how to create music.
when he’s back in korea, it’s another break. it’s filled with monotony, the lessons of back and forth scheduled lessons. from piano to art classes, all the way down to math and chinese lessons. he’s booked, heavier than a nine to five office worker on overdrive — that is, if he’d ever attend his lessons.
tardiness comes key when he slips out of class, skips a few lessons. stumbles down the cyphers of hongdae where it become evident he’s no longer a rich boy looking in. he trades in the designer goods of gucci and burberry for some run-down second hand jerseys and a pair of us levis that leave his frame drowning from the drapery of oversized clothes. it feels like home. it feels comforting. it feels unlike the rich boy he’s expected to be, lost in the music of loose limbs falling freely to the sounds of music.
(he learns to freestyle early on, the group of b-boyers next to the line of rappers).
it’s here where life lessons are taught. how to puff a cigarette chest heavy, let the smoke linger in your mouth before blowing out. how to pour in the first few shots of soju, just so it reaches 6.5 when the bottle’s done, and how to distinguish bars from rhymes to expedite a sweet flow that hits. with hyungs years older, festering inside the makeshift studio space and the endless struggle — it’s here he makes a home for himself, and here that the sharks call him “haon.”
first comes the hints of cigarette smoke lingering inbetween the threads of his ragged clothes, and second comes the calls from the irate teachers calling his bluff. and last comes, when he’s caught red-handed with a mic in his hand, spitting bars inside a musty club, underaged and shit drunk. his mom catches him, suddenly — haon becomes stripped away and what’s left is gyujeong.
call it a taste of teenage rebellion or a late case of middle school blues — he raises ire. let’s the jagged edges created by the detailing of the underground scene come to life. a rage of thrown chairs and slurred slews, a middle finger up to the parents with nothing more than a backpack full of his favorite worn in t-shirts, his phone, and a set of headphones. nowhere to go, he resorts back to the only place he’s called his home — the clubs.
he’s a doe-boy, young and looking. too young to notice that he’s got a natural penchant for music or that his easy flow of rhyme boasts something that catches the eye of a recruiter behind the auditions for some shitty rap program.
(he doesn’t audition for the program, he ends up auditioning for the company instead when they promise some independence and freedom, lost in his family home).
it’s here they give him an offer to train.
it’s here he sells his soul.
—
selling your soul goes a little like this: pretending to give a shit on stage, as the cameras roll to pick up every small reaction. fighting tooth to tooth, nail to nail — no alternative when it's cross company competitions, and you're given a chance to reveal your ten seconds for public consumption.
little do the fans give a shit about each hardened dance move shot angle to angle, nor is it assuaged by the signs in the crowd. it all draws down to one thing: his looks. enough that gold star wins, and platinum becomes the crown fastened onto his head when 'debut' becomes a reality.
-
platinum is all but promises, but what do you know when you’re barely eighteen still underage pulled string by string of the company. the concept? out of his realm, he’s lost and out of place — the fans know, he knows. still, he sucks it up underneath the grit of his breath, and continues on because where else does have left to go?
it all goes to shit the second interest in him peeks, and there’s recognition of the skeletons he keeps himself hinged to.
idol A was an underaged drinker, caught smoking in a club — that idol’s haon.
it gets reprimanded when he’s caught on strict order underneath gold star — a hawk eye reception, leaving him on house arrest. no solo schedules, and no solo opinions. the less the public sees, the better. at least, the remedy doesn’t soothe all the broken fragments of his past when scandal two happens a year later.
idol A rumored to be dating idol B — idol A’s haon.
another rumor, this time unrestrained by the lack of evidence and the company’s hush hush. let it blow over, and they’ll forget — too bad the relationship was already a facade to begin with.
idol A caught stumbling out of a pub, running curse words with another customer
they catch him red handed, his face turned a shade of crimson from the one too many droplets of alcohol scathing his throat. he coughs it up to what the public makes of him by now — a beloved group, with one sore thumb of a member. yet, now when the pictures surface, it does nothing more that force his lips wide in a cheeky smile — it might have been his happiest moment of his career.
funny, how he’s no longer human and now subject to public scrutiny.
funny, how this sets the pace for the years to come.
image
haon’s image is often the ‘sore thumb’ or ‘bad egg’ of the group. however, it ends up being oddly neutral by the general public / platinum fans. on one hand, there are always the haters who say that his scandals have brought the group down a bit but other hand there are fans who say that his scandals are minuscule and that everyone is human and has dabbled in vices due to curiosities. as a result, haon has remained relatively under the radar till 2021 — this is gold star’s restraint on haon as a ‘punishment’ and partially in hopes for the public to have forgotten about his past deeds.
haon’s general audience / fan base is based on the girls who consider him a bad guy. it’s the alluring nature of someone who seems really bad on pen and paper, yet when you see his off-moments where he’s not paying attention to the camera or doing things absentmindedly on v-live, fans see his softness. it’s the real emphasis on the softness that has the public confused as to whether the scandals and rumors are true.
as he hasn’t been in any recent scandals, the general public looks at him with good spirits similarly to how they oversee the group. they like seeing him in the group, and he makes a weird time for variety with his often weird surprise expressions and uncanny ability to always have a ‘deer in headlights’ look — which also adds to the thought that he can’t be a bad guy after all.
they see him as an artistic guy, well dressed. pretty elusive to the public since he’s been mia all these years — this in turn adds to the fashionista factor with his clothing line and his deal with chanel.
his popularity within group is weak at best, as platinum fans opt for the other members instead of ‘stanning’ him. however, with non-platinum fans, often times lots of non-fans are fans of haon because of what he brings to the table.
established career claims:
20150323: single-episode variety guesting on hello counselor (5 points)
20160904: single-episode variety guesting on problematic man (5 points)
20170529: solo ost: fight for my way, good morning by kassy (10 points)
20181114: partial claim on an in-group b-side: about love, lyrics and melody (10 points)
20181114: single-episode variety guesting on let’s eat dinner together (5 points)
20181221: solo ost: sky castle, comma by wax (10 points)
20190222: solo ost: touch your heart, what if love by wendy (10 points)
20190406: single-episode variety guesting on knowing bros (5 points)
20191129: partial claim on an in-group b-side: butterflies, lyrics and melody (10 points)
20200605: partial claim on an in-company b-side: love me now by catalyst, lyrics and melody (20 points)
20200618: full claim on an in-group b-side: lp, lyrics (10 points)
20200819: full claim on an in-group b-side: eyes locked, hands locked, lyrics (10 points)
20201222: full claim on an in-group b-side: remember forever, lyrics (10 points)
20201122: single-episode variety guesting: running man (5 points)
TOTAL: 125 points / 125 available
biography
triggers: mentions of implied racism
although she was born in england, there was a part of suji that was always confused as to whether she truly belonged there or not. while she liked to believe that she lived in a civilized society, she wasn’t a stranger to pointed fingers and hushed whispers behind her back about how she just seemed different. upon looking in the mirror, she could see why they would think this way, and so she kept to herself most of the time, enjoying the little amount of friends she could make.
perhaps it was because of the exclusion she felt from her peers, but she felt herself feeling closer to her actual roots, although she knew absolutely nothing about korea except the fact that it was the country her parents were from. sure, she could speak good enough korean to hold conversations, but she couldn’t go out and call herself korean either.
her life flips around on a trip to korea—one that was only taken because she practically begged her parents—where she’s shopping and approached by a scouting agent. he claims to be from some company called gold star and upon listing out their artists, she could maybe recognize a few names here and there, but she wasn’t too familiar with the entertainment industry.
however, she believes it’s a good opportunity to connect to a place she may actually be able to call home. her parents are disapproving at first as they would rather have her walk a safe path near them, but they let her go when they see the sincerity in their daughter’s eyes.
from there, the four years she spends training goes by with ups and downs. it takes a while for her to be able to speak more than basic conversational korean, and she has never danced before in her life so that was a struggle. but she loved it. she loved every moment of it.
by the time she debuts with her korean name of suji, she’s feeling more alive. it finally feels like there’s a place for her in this world. although she’s still advertised as being from britain all the time and asked to speak english during the oddest moments, she isn’t too fazed.
to this day, she’s never really lost that spark she had since she stepped in korea. the idol life can be daunting and there’s times where she feels absolutely way too exhausted to even move another step, but she loves music. she’s fallen in love with the way the stage lights feel and she knows there’s no other job in the world that’ll give her fans who gift her with unconditional love and support.
now, she’s even more determined to grow musically. there’s still so much for her to learn and since equinox has signed their second contract with gold star, there seems to be a long and bright road in front of her as an artist.
it’s like she finally found a place she belongs.
image
right off the bat, gold star isn’t shy of marketing suji as the smart girl from overseas. they make her talk about her musical skills that range from all different kinds of instruments and her phenomenal singing that landed her the main vocalist spot in equinox to begin with. whenever she stars in any type of show, she’s asked to speak in english so everybody can hear her intellectual sounding british accent. in the beginning, it’s something that bothered suji but now that she’s seven years into her career, she’s no longer bothered by the box that gold star has put her in. every idol has an image to keep up, and she’s accepted that her’s is to be the girl with the brains and looks that everybody wants but can’t always achieve. within the fandom, she’s not exactly the fan favorite. if people were to ask solstice who their bias was, suji probably wouldn’t be the first answer. however, she comes close to being everybody’s third or fourth. she’s constantly seen being professional in any kind of setting and there’s not a single stage that she can be seen being lazy with. in other words, she’s very likeable but she doesn’t exactly stand out. that doesn’t stop her from being sweet to anybody who says they’re an equinox fan since she adores the group so much. overall, suji would probably be described as the brainy, sweet main vocalist of equinox by the general public.
established career claims: member of equinox — 125 points starting off *+ 10 ECP from restructuring tasks
20180801 to 20190201 — six month domestic brand ambassador for chamisul: 20 points
20181101 to 20190501 — six month luxury brand ambassador for burberry: 25 points
20181114 — partial lyrics and partial melody on equinox’s kingdom come: 10 points
20191222 — partial lyrics, and partial melody on equinox’s psycho: 20 points
20190501 - 20200501 — one year domestic luxury brand ambassador for chanel: 35 points
2020xxxx — popular nickname, human luxury: 25 points
TOTAL: 135
biography
triggers: small mention of bullying tw.
she grew up a quiet soul, not a baby that would cry but a baby that would simply sit in silence waiting for the attention of her parents. this trend would continue as she grew older, being told from a young age on how to act or how to be. seo minjung was the daughter of seo jitae, a diplomat. her first words were ‘thank you’ and ‘please’ - the art of polite manners and mastering small talk, it all came so easy to the girl from a young age. she needed to provide the semblance of a put together female, knowing how to feign the smiles that would melt the hearts at official correspondences. what was personality when everything was so meticulously instructed from a young age?
there’s no times to socialise or meet friends; she only knows the world of temporary encounters. her father’s job pushes her outside of her comfort zone, moving back and forth between seoul and every other diplomatic city in the united states every 3 years. (still, she considers boston her homebase in the states). it provides the stability of her thought, the thought that she isn’t one to be accepted anywhere. seoul, she’s too americanized, not able to formulate words that the other kids are mastering. america, she’s too koreanized, her slight accent peeking through her words as she fails to concoct sentences that match those of her peers. she’s teased, constantly ridiculed for her inability to master any language - making her a black sheep in a field of lions.
the black sheep dies soon after, emerging a dark monster encroaching her body. she lashes back, biting harder than ever with her scathing words. she throws her phone, allowing the freedom of rebellion to encompass her. she fights back with her words, using the power of sarcasm and morbid humor to disguise her loneliness. it’s enough to elicit laughs from the crowd, making the children flock to her as the - psycho of the classroom. she doesn’t mind this title, no. she revels in it, knowing that this manipulation is the way to coerce these hapless souls into accepting her differences. crude jokes and morbid humor all enticed with her AB type personality, where her up and down mood swings seem uncontrollable. nobody knows how she’ll react next - will it be a fit of anger or a fit of giggles?
her father soon finds out about her rebellion, scolding her for her wrongdoings. she shrugs it off because in the end, it’ll all be forgotten the moment he forces them to move again. it’s during this period that she finds solace in her ipod, listening to the tunes of dbsk, super junior, h.o.t, fink.l, and s.e.s. singing along to the songs, and dancing in her temporary bedrooms, she finds a place where she’s comfortable - no eyes that are there to chide her or ridicule her, or laugh along with her. she’s free from it all.
her last stint is when her father uproots their family back to america - she’s fifteen. entrapped in the walls of teenage rebellion, she lashes out once more - throwing her books around, screaming with tears streaming down the milkiness of her cheeks. she doesn’t want to, no. she demands not to leave. where she saw herself living this miserable life, her father was a logical one knowing well that his daughter was too far off from entering SKY in korea, and not leveled to achieve the ivy’s in America.
he proposes an offer. she doesn’t protest this decision, instead falling victim to the youthful innocence that sees this as the best option. no more moving, and no more ridicule from everyone around her, so she practices. she practices her best, vying for a spot as a trainee with the deadline of her parent’s move coming closer to the horizon. to her surprise, she gets love calls from many different agencies albeit it was based on her looks rather than her own talents. it doesn’t phase her, and she readily accepts. after all - she’s been trained and primed for far too long not to feel anything from the criticisms of others.
her life as a trainee is a hard one, being ridiculed once more by the girls that didn’t warm up to the idea of a new face. still, she maintains the semblance of being the nice one, the polite one that knows how to warm up the insecure faces of each individual. it earns her title of being nice, but boring - the status quo of her life.
soon after, she gets news that she’s about to debut, but everything seemed to all mesh so well to the patterns that collided with her childhood. everything is like a move, shuffling between the us and korea - only this time it’s an end of training and a grand entrance into the spotlight, where the eyes are all on her and the blank faces behind a computer screen are the ones ridiculing and chiding her. it’s okay. why? because she has the politician smile numbing her.
debuting doesn’t become simple when three years passes. the girls around her being more of a nuisance. an itch that crawls ten layers underneath her skin — she learns to regret. praised for her looks, a lacklaster talent hidden in the background. so, she resorts to art — the thing that’s always held certain in times of unrest.
she shares glimpses and pieces, weird constructs of lines and images juxtaposed to the screen. it gets met with the question marks and crash of hate — gold star tells her no, and she obliges. realizing the force of stability in her life just becomes pummeled by the public’s discretion.
too bad, she also learns to stop giving a shit.
her days come in wielded words, a solo career that pounces praise for her looks and voids itself of any music. she no longer knows what she wants, and now — she merely waits for more games of three to pass by.
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minjung’s image is very focused on looking put together most times on stage — the regal, diplomat daughter. before red flavor, she was overlooked but the introduction of the song brought her newfound attention where the public started loving her. she’s been criticized for her wonky art work, but that blows over because of what anti’s call “pretty privilege” and what fans call “her 4D personality.” for the most part, the public used to dislike her and pin her as the ‘useless’ member, but over the years, she’s shown her skills in not only music but also modeling. her consistent partnership with dior and chamisul has shown fans that she ‘must be good to work with’ if the big brands keep hiring her. she’s marketed in a ‘cutie/sexy’ image, similar to joy in red velvet. she shines in equinox’s brighter concepts as well as suiting their darker concepts, which fans like to point out she’s human equinox. girls use her as references to their ‘wannabe’ as she’s cool and chic, smart witted with her words on variety where boys just want to date her because she exudes this regal elegance naturally. the public has mixed feelings on her on a whole, though in recent years due to her brand deals and solo music ventures they’ve warmed up to accept her as just the odd ball one with some weird mysterious charm.
YOO GYURI, better known as HUI, is the MAKNAE AND MAIN VOCAL of SILHOUETTE under GOLD STAR MEDIA. She was born on JANUARY 1, 1994. She looks a little like PARK SOOYOUNG (JOY) OF RED VELVET.
CHARACTER INFORMATION
faceclaim: park sooyoung (joy), member of red velvet
legal name: yoo gyuri
stage name: hui
pronouns: she/her
birth date: 1 january 1994
hometown: seoul, south korea
position: maknae, main vocal of silhouette
claims:
2012 supporting role as seol hanna in to the beautiful you (drama)
2015 lead role as ma ilyoung in coin locker girl (film)
2017 lead role as choi aera in fight for my way (drama)
ost for fight for my way (drama) - ryu jihyun’s night is gone again
ost for because this is my first life (drama) - ryu jihyun’s tomorrow
ost for wednesday 3:30 pm (drama) - an yeseul’s i just want to
2019 lead role as go haeri in vagabond (drama)
ost for vagabond (drama) - baek a yeon’s hello my lover
2020 ost for 18 again (drama) - sohyang’s hello
ost for true beauty (drama) - yuju’s i’m in the mood for dancing
BIOGRAPHY
triggers: -
her career is an accident, every single bit of it.
rewind.
press > play.
yoo gyuri is born in seoul. her home is modest and warm, it’s quiet and soft. her mother sings and it sounds like butterflies and a summer breeze. her father sings and it sounds like going to yangjae stream to catch fireflies, butterflies, and grasshoppers. she grows up with a song in her heart, she lives without fear. she’s round cheeks and strangely mysterious eyes, an intent and curious stare that unsettles those she focuses in on. they laugh nervously, little tittering sounds as they tell her she’s such a precocious little thing. so insightful.
when she was born she was everything her parents wanted: beautiful since a young age, talented, and sickening sweet. the long awaited birth of their only daughter brought a happiness that shed a small speck of light in what otherwise would have been a consuming darkness. tireless effort and patience were the tools of her parent’s trade and they applied this to yoo gyuri as well. born to two singers - artists, they preferred to be called - it was no surprise when the small girl began singing before she could speak. figuratively, of course. they are gentle, but firm, and poured their expectations into the young girl relentlessly. they did not mean to fill her to the point of bursting, but this is what happened, regardless.
what was a natural gift is quickly turned into a power when her parents trade the extra math lessons for vocal ones, the arts for dance. even as a child, the pressure is insurmountable. her voice continues to improve, her range growing, her appearance matching the soft and soulful nature of her music.
fastforward.
yoo gyuri is thirteen the first time a vocal trainer tells her parents, specifically, what makes her special. what makes her voice better. it’s not technique or precision. it’s not even her range, really. it’s the power that comes out of such a small girl. it’s the emotion. “she sings like she’s lived a thousand years,” her trainer told her parents one day. “like she’s lived a thousand heartbreaks.”
when yoo gyuri auditions for a small company, she’s a slight thing, in stature and in age. thirteen years old but her voice soars powerful and pure, a heart wrenching quality to it that covers for breathiness, for unsupported notes, for the roughened lack of polish that comes with years of singing in her bedroom without any proper training.
fastforward.
even if the company is small, a little run down, often time is asking for money from their own trainees because they aren’t able to rake it in themselves - still she sings. and in the blink of an eye, two years pass. with not a debut in sight, with the small company still five feet under ground in debt, her contract expires and her parents small speck of light in the darkness is shut out. there is no giving up, that much is clear. there will be more auditions, there will be other companies.
her big break comes in the form of a training contract with gold star media. a new company, but one that screams of promise, founded by one of the most famous women in south korea. her parents knuckles turn white when they hold onto her the day of her audition, begging her to make it. she vows to herself that this time it’ll work out, she’ll debut.
fastforward.
pressure tells her she shouldn’t bother with being an idol. she’s not skinny enough, her dancing is mediocre at best. they probably have better singers. prettier girls, more typical looks. she’s self defeating. her boss brings her along to lessons, she’s in the shadowing phase of her program, learning through experience. the woman seems to be particularly smug today, a secretive smile in the corner of her lips. she wonders why.
she finds out.
opening her mouth to sing in front of the girls is intimidating - they’re idol trainees, after all. but gyuri is confident only, perhaps, in her voice.
fastforward.
it goes to her head. she takes to the idol life like a fish returned to water. she lives and breathes it. she likes their songs, the choreography is easier and easier as she’s pushed to practicing until she’s worn to the bone. a strict diet takes care of the baby fat.
and then -
pause.
they put her in a drama. a stupid, silly, role that means nothing. she’s good enough though, and people like her face. that’s most of what matters these days. she gets another offer, and now she’s got a taste for it. she’s alright with it, at least. she wants to sing, sure. she wants the stage, true. but she’s no dancer, and she’s got a shelf life. she knows how it goes for women in this industry.
of course, there is the typical criticism that always flocks in when an idol attempts to color themself as an actress. yoo gyuri might think herself special enough to escape the same treatment, but she isn’t. it is second nature to hear, read, comb through thousands of comments that speak on her voice, her looks, and now her acting. idols should know their place. she should know her place. she’s a good singer but what business does she have in trying to act? she bites her tongue, holds back wanting to scream.
perhaps it’s selfish, to want to be praised in both fields and yet she continues. there are year, or years, gaps in between, of course. she might think herself an actress but she will always be an idol first. silhouette is top priority and if she ever forgets it, the troll comments will remind her. as the years pass, she continues to do both jobs with high regards to each one.
fastforward.
she wants more. she wants roles that speak to her, she wants something serious. she wants a solo, more, she wants to make music. and she’s made a name for herself in acting, so they say maybe. maybe we’ll bring it out later. focus on what’s selling, for right now. and she does. she doesn’t know how long she’ll be spread thin, like this. she doesn’t know even if her opinion will matter in the end, or if it will, as it so often does, come down to what the public sees and knows of her, what the company presents to them.
like she’s learned from a young age, she tightens her grasp and holds on.
