pairing: edyth x jeonghan, mentions of other members & carats
dont wanna cry era
genre: humor, slice of life
wc: 800ish, short and sweet!
“Hi, everyone!” Edyth waved at the camera, eagerly waiting for people to enter the live. She glanced over at her own phone screen, looking through some of the comments.
“Where is your headband from? Oh! My headband is actually a gift! Yun got it for me on Christmas.”
She answered a few more questions before clapping her hands, signifying the beginning of the actual liveshow.
“Good morning, everyone! Or, I guess it could be night where you are… anyways! It’s morning here and since I mentioned being recently into cooking, I was thinking I could do a little bit of a cooking vlive with you guys!”
The obvious excitement in her voice was enjoyable to watch and many carats expressed liking the idea of the stream.
“Since it is morning, I plan on making pancakes from scratch. None of the members are awake yet, so hopefully I’ll be done by the time they wake up!”
Edyth took her time reading through a recipe that she had found online, showing the ingredients to the viewers as she went. Soon enough, she had put all of her dry ingredients in one bowl and her wet ingredients in another. She planned using a hand mixer in order to get the batter done quicker. She plugged it in and placed it in the bowl.
“Why am I kind of nervous to do this?” Edyth asked carats. She chuckled nervously, then taking a deep breath, she finally turned it on. The batter immediately flies everywhere and Edyth lets out a scream before shutting the mixer off again. She’s frozen, with her mouth open and wide eyes flickering from the comments that are flying past her screen, the mixer still in her hand, now dripping with unmixed batter, and the batter now sticking to the counters and even the wall.
“What happened?”
Edyth whips her head at a person off screen like a deer caught in the headlights. Despite his raspy morning voice, carats are able to tell that it’s Jeonghan that has walked in on Edyth’s mess..
She pouts and puts down the bowl and mixer, “Did I wake you up? I’m sorry.” She is just now remembering how much of a light sleeper Jeonghan is and how she should have done this on the other floor where she wouldn’t have woken any of the light sleepers.
Jeonghan carefully steps over some batter that has splattered onto the kitchen floor. He shakes his head at Edyth, “How could I have not woken up when you're ruining our kitchen.” He chuckles when Edyths frown deepens, “I’m just kidding, I’ve been awake for a while but got worried when I heard you scream. I just wanted to make sure that nothing happened. Are you making breakfast?”
“Yea. Say hello to carats!”
Jeonghan waves at the phone. “Why don’t you clean the mess you’ve made and I’ll finish mixing this for you.”
The two get to work, Edyth whips down the counters and the floor while Jeonghan finishes mixing the batter, without getting it everywhere. They tear open a bag of chocolate chips. Edyth giggles as she adds them to the batter, trying her best to keep them away from Jeonghan, who was not so sneakily eating them. Soon enough, they’re taking turns pouring the batter onto a pan and flipping them.
It isn’t much later that they’ve moved to the living room, sitting cross legged in front of their table and with plated pancakes waiting to be eaten.
“Okay!” Edyth claps in excitement, “You take the first bite.”
Jeonghan laughs at her bubbliness. He’s still chuckling when he brings a fork up to his mouth and takes the first bite. He suddenly quiets down and his facial expression stills before seemingly recovering.
“What was that?” Edyth asks.
“What was what?”
Edyth points a finger at him, “I saw your face change! Do they suck?”
“No, no.” Jeonghan denies, his hands waving in front of him. “Sure, they’re not the best, but they’re….” He trails off, not being able to come up with an adjective to positively describe the food without lying. Edyth hits Jeonghan on the arm and they laugh.
“You eat it,” Jeonghan says.
Edyth reaches for her utensils and cuts herself a piece, shooting Jeonghan a dirty look, “I bet it’s good, you’re just messing with me.”
Jeonghan laughs when she finally puts the first bite in her mouth. She chews slowly, as if trying to make up her mind on what to think of their creation. “It’s good?” Jeonghan teases.
The two of them decide to scrap the pancakes all together and instead of trying to make themselves breakfast, they chat with carats as they sip on their coffees. Soon enough, members start to wake up, each of them being offered a bite from their failed pancakes, and each of them spitting it out. Jeonghan and Edyth can only giggle as they watch their members suffer the same way they did.
As the stream comes to an end, Edyth thanks Jeonghan for making their morning fun and carats for sharing their morning with them. The two of them share a knowing look when Dk is the last member to enter the kitchen and is intrigued by the pancakes sitting on the counter.
pairings: nix x yun, chae, dk, mentions of jihoon and other members
genre: slice of life
era: predebut, green practice room era
word count: 2.1k
a/n: since this is predebut, the girls use their first names since they haven't gotten stage names yet
warnings: feelings of insecurities and awkward conversations
The bright green walls that held the giant group of trainees were giving Nariko a headache. She scanned the crowded space, observing trainees practice dance choreographies while others did the same vocal run over and over again. It was only her second week as a Pledis trainee, yet doubts started to plague her. Was this all worth it?
Her gaze wandered through the room, finally her eyes settled on a glowing red light settled in the top corner of the room. The knowledge that anyone could be watching her every move, live, sent shivers down her spine. Nariko was still getting used to the people around her only speaking Korean, how was she supposed to get used to being in the public eye all of the time?
Nariko’s attention is abruptly pulled back as a cluster of trainees approach her. For whatever reason, she noticed that many of the juniors were drawn to her. When Samuel, the youngest of the group, reached for her hand and tried pulling her up, she felt discomfort mingled with gratitude.
“Come practice with us, Nariko!” Seungkwan says, his voice warm but insistent. “Sooyun said she’d teach us the new choreography for the monthly test.”
Nariko hesitates, a part of her was urging her to retreat into the safety of being alone. Yet, a part of her longed for connection, to be part of the group of trainees she often saw laughing together and supporting one another. With shaky hands, she allows Samuel to guide her up.
“Okay,” she murmurs softly, her voice barely audible above the chatter going on in the room. “Thanks, guys. I’ll try my best.”
As they make their way to the front of the room, near the mirrors, Nariko watches Sooyun speak animatedly with Chaewon. Of course, all of the trainees had been nice to her so far, but she couldn’t shake off the feeling of being an outsider looking in. While everyone had introduced themselves to her, some even making an effort to learn some phrases in Japanese, it was evident that most trainees had already formed tight-knit groups, leaving her to be on her own.
Sooyun and Chaewon, the only other girls, seemed to have their own separate roles. Sooyun was often by herself, working on choreography with Soonyoung, or sometimes even trailing after Jihoon. Meanwhile, Chaewon was usually fulfilling the older sister role, helping the younger trainees with anything and everything, leaving little time for personal connections beyond her circle of 95 liners.
Chaewon joins the group of trainees, leaving Sooyun to lead the makeshift practice. The tone of the practice is rather lighthearted, as many of the trainees talk as they are led through stretches and new people join their practice. Nariko notices that Chaewon is standing in the back, finally on her own. She takes a deep breath, trying to work up the courage to approach her, but is disappointed when she sees Jeonghan approach her.
During the practice, Nariko puts all of her energy into learning the choreography, determined to prove herself. She notices how a lot of the trainees watch her, but is unable to tell if they are impressed by her dancing or see her as competition. Their gazes are a bit unsettling, but she does her best to ignore them and focus on dancing.
Nariko has a background in traditional dance, so she had trouble adjusting her dance style to fit Sooyuns hip hop style. She attempts a turn repeatedly, trying to make it seem less fluid. Nariko grunts in disappointment as she watches herself in the mirror.
“Woah. You’re a really good dancer.” The trainee to the left of her says. His voice cuts through her concentration and startles her. Nariko turns in surprise to look at him… she vaguely remembers him introducing himself as Seokmin. “Can you help me with the turn? I keep falling over.”
His question once again catches her off guard. “Thank you,” she responds, a shy smile growing on her lips. “I can help you. Do you mind doing it again? So I can watch?”
Seokmin does the turn a few times, seemingly falling in a new direction every time. Nariko nods in understanding, “You’re putting all of your weight on your heel and you lose balance. Try it again on your toes.”
Seokmin follows her instruction, this time doing the turn on his toes. He still tilts a bit to the side, but at least he is no longer falling over himself. “That worked! Thank you so much!” He sends Nariko a large grin and excitedly does the spin again, no longer having issues with it.
“Of course. Once you're used to putting more of your weight forward, you don’t have to go on your toes, Sooyun doesn’t.”
Seokmin nods in understanding. The two of them keep talking as practice continues and by the end of it, Seokmin has showered her with compliments, unknowingly lifting her spirits.
After the practice session ends, Nariko says bye to Seokmin before getting ready to leave. However, before she can slip away unnoticed, Sooyun approaches her, a smile on her face, despite clearly being tired from leading practice.
“Hey, Nariko, I saw you at practice helping Seokmin, thanks!” Sooyun says, her tone friendly. Her gratitude perplexes her, prompting Nariko to question the unexpected gratitude.
“Why are you thanking me?” Nariko asks.
“Seokmin can be kind of shy, so asking for help can be hard sometimes. Whenever I lead practice, I feel bad I can’t help him at the moment.” Although Nariko wasn’t sure she really understood the depth of what Sooyun was saying, her understanding of the Korean language was okay, she seemed to understand that small acts of kindness were often appreciated amongst the trainees.
Their conversation comes to a lull, as neither girl really knows what to say. Sooyun’s gaze drifts to Chaewon standing near the exit of the room, prompting her to extend an invitation.
“Do you want to grab a drink with us? With Chaewon and me, I mean,” Sooyun explains. “We were thinking of trying out that new bubble tea down the street. Chaewon said it was her treat.”
Surprised by the invitation, Nariko hesitates a bit before nodding yes. Sooyun cheers in excitement before grabbing her arm and pulling her in Chaewons direction.
“Look who’s joining us!”
Chaewon looks visibly stunned by the news, but only for a second before she’s grinning,“You’re really coming?”
Nariko nods again, feeling a bit shy as the center of attention, but excited by the idea of being included as one of the girls.
As the three of them made their way to the bubble tea shop, ignoring the whining from the boys that wanted to tag along, Nariko found herself smiling as she watched Sooyun and Chaewon interact more closely. The constant banter between the two of them was amusing and she found herself laughing along. Despite the pang of envy she felt at their effortless friendship, Nariko can’t help but to feel grateful for the opportunity to spend time with them outside of practice.
Inside the boba shop, the atmosphere was quite infectious, filled with the scent of sweet drinks and light hearted music. Chaewon and Sooyun eagerly place their orders, barely breaking their conversation. Nariko stands a bit behind them, not really knowing when to come up to give her own order.
Luckily, Chaewon notices her and turns a bit towards her. “Come on, Nariko, what flavor are you getting?” she asks, flashing a reassuring smile.
Nariko steps forward, mustering her own smile as she places her own order. The three soon settle into a booth, Nariko facing the other two, and as they drink and chat, the awkwardness that once surrounded them starts to fade away. They exchange stories from their childhood and from training. The two girls try their best not to pry too much about Nariko's private life, noticing that she was giving short, straightforward answers, but quickly got into the rhythm of asking each other funny questions.
“So,” Sooyun says in a sing-songy voice, “Do you have a crush on anyone?”
Nariko cocks her head to the side, confused by her choice in words, “Why would I want to crush someone? That sounds mean.”
Chaewon and Sooyun laugh. “That’s not what she means,” Chaewon explains, “Crushing on someone means liking them romantically, she’s asking if you find anyone cute.”
“Oh.” Nariko ponders the question for a while, before shaking her head, “No, not really.”
Sooyun gasps in shock, “Really? Not even a little bit?”
Nariko feels herself flush in embarrassment at Sooyun’s surprise. She shifts a bit in her seat and plays with the end of her sleeves, suddenly self-conscious under this line of questioning.
“No, not really,” she repeats, her voice quiet but firm.
Chaewon slaps Sooyuns arm, scolding her. “Hey, not everyone is boy crazy like you. Maybe you’d know all the lyrics to that song we’ve been practicing if you didn’t spend all of your time thinking about boys.”
Sooyun whines, trying to hide the tinting in her cheeks, “Chae that’s not fair! How could you say that?”
Nariko cocks her head to the side, “Do you have a crush on someone?”
Chaewon smiles as she realizes that Nariko is attempting to use the new word she just learned and laughs as Sooyun becomes even more flustered by her question. Nariko can’t help feeling some satisfaction from turning the tables on Sooyun. She watches in amusement as Chaewon teases a squirming Sooyun.
“Chae, that’s not fair!” Sooyun protests, attempting to deflect attention away from herself.
Chaewon continues to laugh at Sooyun’s expense, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. “Sorry, Sooyunnie, but you set yourself up for that one,” she teases, earning a playful glare from her friend.
Nariko has been watching their back-and-forth bantering before asking, “Who do you have a crush on?”
Sooyun adverts her gaze, debating if this was something she wanted to share, if it was worth the teasing she would probably receive from the girls in the future. She mumbles her answer, almost hoping that they wouldn’t hear her, “It’s Hansol… and Channie.”
“Both of them!” Chaewon exclaims. Her and Nariko exchange amused glances, barely containing their laughter at the younger girl’s admission. “Ooo, Sooyunnie’s got a double crush!” Chaewon teases, unable to stop herself from reaching over and pinching Sooyuns cheeks, despite her attempts at swatting her hand away.
“Whatever,” Sooyun says dryly, unimpressed by their shenanigans. Yet, the hint of a smile tugs at the corners of her lips. Suddenly, her eyes light up, remembering something. “Narkio, Jihoon is totally into you!”
Nariko’s eyes widen in surprise at Sooyun’s unexpected announcement, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. She opens her mouth to respond, but before she can utter a word, Chaewon chimes in.
“Ooh, please spill, Sooyunnie.” Chaewon teases, her curiosity piqued. “What makes you think he likes her? I don’t think they've even properly spoken.” She turns to Nariko for confirmation, and receives it in a nod.
Sooyun leans back with a satisfied grin, enjoying the reactions she received from her revelation. “Are you kidding? Whenever they’re in the same room, he’s staring at you with heart eyes.”
Nariko’s eyes widen in surprise, her mind racing to find a response. She had never even considered having a crush on any of the other trainees, and even less if someone was into her. Despite her lack of romantic interest, she knows the importance of handling these situations delicately.
“Really?” Nariko says, her tone light but non-committal. “I hadn’t noticed.”
Chaewon eyes her, trying to read her reaction, “Jihoon can be shy, so if he does like you, I wouldn’t be surprised if you haven’t noticed.”
Nariko offers a small, understanding nod. “Yeah, that’s true. I’ll keep an eye out, I guess.”
Sooyun can’t stop herself from prying into Nariko’s thoughts, “You don’t think he’s cute at all? You wouldn’t want to date him?”
Nariko pauses, carefully considering her response. “Well, he’s nice and all… but I don’t really see him that way. I’m still getting used to training, you know?” She offers a tentative smile, hoping to express her sincerity.
Chaewon and Sooyun are quick to agree with her, and Nariko feels a wave of relief wash over her. She’s grateful for their reassurance and for not pushing her to pursue a romantic relationship.
Despite the many moments of awkwardness, Nariko finds herself enjoying her time with the other girls. They finish their drinks before walking back to the dorms together. Maybe, she thinks, if she got to know everyone else the way she gotten to know Chaewon and Sooyun, she could find herself enjoying being a trainee. The thought fills her with a newfound sense of optimism as they laugh and talk on their way back home.
