sôft

kim yujin. 김유진. twenty-four.

[lgcdongha]

trinkets.

time is of the essence. dongha has the dates of his sisters’ birthdays memorized in his head. and even when he’s distracted, he makes sure to set a yearly reminder whenever it approaches and on d-day itself. training has been taking a huge chunk of his free time lately, and while he still has enough time to catch up if he wants to prepare from now, he still doesn’t know what to give his sister, yunha.

the obvious solution is to make something from scratch, yunha would love a crocheted gift—but what? it’s why he’s enlisting a friend like @yujinlgc for help!

“it’s not that i have no ideas on what to give her,” dongha starts, wiggling his finger as if to dismiss that idea immediately. “it’s just that i don’t want to give her repeat gifts. last year i gave her a scarf—which she loved by the way!—but now i have no clue what to give her.”

he hums, looking through a few patterns online, head pressed against the desk in front of them. “would i be copyright claimed if i make a sanrio amigurumi?”

[yujinlgc]

Loop after loop. Stitch after stitch. Yujin knew from muscle memory what to do when entering a new project, especially one she had worked on a couple of times. It's why she could gaze at her friend while working on a new blanket for the dorms. It brightened her whole day whenever someone indulged in the hobbies she had been interested in so many years ago. Having such things in common was rare, and she was happy when Dongha came to her.

With a soft hum, she nodded, glancing down at her progress. "no i understand, i sometimes run into those issues when i want to be original." she reassured him. "i think it's nice that you're even putting so much thought into her gift." yujin was no stranger on handcrafting the things she gifted to others. It felt way more special than simply buying something.

"I don't think so! I would love to see you make that. It's been a while since I've tried, and that was at the beginning of this year." That's right, when she made a special someone a corgi amigurumi. How much time do you have if you were to make that?"

[ivelizs]

perfeccion

[yujinlgc]

Now playing ᐢ. .ᐢ˖ ࣪ . the fifth season for @lgcareum

fanning herself, yujin knew spring was among them but it was starting to feel like the previews of a hotter summer. she was happy to have made the decision to cut a bit of her hair to make it lighter for this warmer weather; it was becoming one of the best decisions of her life.

"if this is how it's going to feel in the summer, super hot and muggy, then i don’t know if i'm actually ready for such a heat wave."

and it wasn't even the season to wear shorts and skirt, so yujin was totally screwed right now as sweat ran down the back of her neck. holding up her blonde hair, yujin glanced over at her friend as they entered a boba shop. "i can't believe how far we've come together. especially you! i've been waiting for the day you would finally be placed somewhere you truly fit. now i can peacefully cheer you on, maybe i should get a lightstick."

yujin knew it was getting old, always reflecting on their past, but she still had moments of awe. where she couldn't believe they were living this life. you could say she was pleased to share this with her friends.

"let me treat you, especially since I've been cancelling on you lately, which I'm so sorry for again." she finally dropped her hand away from her hair, feeling the coolness of the store.

[lgcyura]

previous reply.

yura gins once yujin agrees to going through the choreo a bit before the rest arrive and continues her stretching routine so they can start in earnest quickly once they're both sufficiently warmed up. the conversation before then is welcome as well, since it all feels kind of relaxed in ways that their schedule lately hasn't really allowed for much of. they were basically on the go, being shepherded from one place to another and back again, it didn't really feel like they had time to just talk and not have to think about what's next on the list of places they needed to be. today was a day purposely set aside for their new unit to practice, with nothing else planned.

"you too?" yura asks with a knowing smile before laughing as she moves on to some arm stretches. "i'm excited as well; i never thought they would debut an official unit like this if i'm being honest with you," she admits. "and that i'd be included in it." or that she'd be made leader which was something she's not sure if she was excited about or not. there eight of them after all so there's no guarantee that she would've been selected, not to mention why would they ever need a different leader when ichika's been doing well as crystallis' already?

she was still trying to figure out why honestly, considering ichika was in the unit too. even though they had explained that she was made leader because of her experience being in all the crystallis sub-units so far, yura didn't understand why she had to take up the position at all in the first place; those unit songs were all one-offs so far and while she wouldn't rule out any of them returning for future releases, there wasn't much to do as a whole unit for them other than recording the songs and practicing them whenever they were set to perform it somewhere. after that, the unit was basically finished.

so when yujin asks if she's excited about it, yura is silent for a few moments as she considers her answer. she doesn't forget to keep stretching, however, even if she's feeling unsure about the question. at least this comes naturally to her without thinking which admittedly does keep her grounded in a way. "hmm... i'm more confused than anything but i'm determined to do my best," she settles on saying after contemplation, looking over at yujin with a smile, then letting out a little laugh. "i hope i don't let any of you down!" she finishes warming up then, all her limbs feeling just how she likes them when she's about to spend a lot of time dancing. "are you good to start?"

[yujinlgc]

it was a rare moment to get yura by herself like this. of course, this wasn't the first time they had a conversation, but it did feel like some sort of wall was down between the two as they stood together in this room. yujin was a patient woman, only pushing little by little when she saw the opening. the mission was harder with her newest leader, but the blonde wouldn't give up. today's practice was going to be a good one, all because she was having a moment of peace with yura.

"it really is an honor to be selected to debut in this unit, it's so exciting because it feels like i'm going through the motions all over again from when i joined crystallis." focusing on stretching out her back, yujin took her time lifting her arms above her head, taking calming breaths. "you sound really shocked that you were included, which i don't understand why you wouldn't be included. you're our dazzling dancer."

much better a dancer than yujin ever was, but she was improving and knew she was much better than she was when she was training. it has always been the one skill she focused on the most in her final years as a trainee. now, she could keep up at least and felt like an equal. But these thoughts would never slip past her lips. she wasn't one to self-sabotage herself anymore into thinking she didn't deserve stuff.

closing her eyes for a moment to get the thoughts out of her head, she focused back on stretching before dropping her arms to her side. "i think you'll do just fine as the shiny, new leader. you have the qualities for it and care about us doing our best. of course, i'm sure there's more qualities to add that makes the managers pick but... i could never understand them." yujin let out a breathy laugh, shaking her head. "let's start. and please don't be afraid to point things out to me."

[yujinlgc]

Now playing ᐢ. .ᐢ˖ ࣪ . swimming? for @lgcmilan

the blue hues cascaded along yujin's features as she stood closely at the large glass display, eyes focused on the jellyfish slowly swimming past her. there was something eerie about aquariums. she couldn't really put her finger on it, but the setting just created goosebumps along her skin as she clutched the jean jacket dangling from her crossed arms. from the tiniest fish to the largest whales and sharks, yujin never wanted to look away from the beauty of it all, yet felt quite sad about their lifestyles.

the silence filling their surroundings with soft murmurs was all yujin could hear as she let out a long exhale. one she didn't know she was holding.

"do you ever wonder what they feel like being trapped in here?" she whispered, eyes glancing in milan's direction. "or do they even know what life is supposed to be like outside of this glass?"

from yujin's knowledge, most, if not all, of the creatures were sick and not capable of being out in the wild. But it still made her heart hurt for them. "If we really want to get deep, don't idols remind you of animals behind a glass?" The corner of her lips slightly quirked up in amusement.

[koreantunes]

Visit Original Link

샤이니 (SHINee) - All Day All Night

[yujinlgc]

Now playing ᐢ. .ᐢ˖ ࣪ . good times for @lgcminseo

"surpise!" yujin's hand gently covered minseo's eyes when she caught the other idol lingering in the halls of legacy.

she couldn't remember the last time she actually spoke to minseo. has it already been a couple of months since they were in the same room together? the blonde knew this lifestyle would be hard to keep up with everyone, but she still tried her best to be available. though, this was way easier said than done. not everyone's schedule matched up, and she knew that Nova was probably preparing for another comeback right about now.

before she let the other guess who it was, yujin moved to her side with a bright smile. "i'm so happy to see you, how long has it been?"

"are you free? i want to catch up with you... but i get it if you're not, this was brought up on you so suddenly." yujin averted her gaze shyly for a moment, embarrassed by her childish actions that might have startled minseo more than excited her.

[yujinlgc]

Now playing ᐢ. .ᐢ˖ ࣪ . break the silence for @lgceunhye

"do you ever wonder what our lives will be like in ten years? "

yujin wasn't even at a stage in her life, let alone her career, where she could think about where she would be in the next ten years. living in the moment as an idol is all she can do. moving up in this industry and making a name for herself, so how could she think so far ahead when she was finally growing comfortable?

though her curiosity didn't stop when it came to others. even if it's already been almost two years since yujin debuted, she still felt like a baby giraffe learning to walk and navigate. yujin started to wonder when she would get out of this phase and allow herself to fully be happy.

but that was neither here nor there. for now, she wanted to know what eunhye was thinking about for her future.

"it's always amazing to me when I see idols i admire still in the industry working, even long after their groups have packed up and disbanded." slowly stirring her tea, yujin placed the spoon on her napkin. "would you want to keep going after celebrating another big anniversary?

[lgclili]

EYE OF THE STORM     ୨୧    @yujinlgc     / backdated !

it was an ill-kept secret that lili was rotten to the core. sure, she liked to think of herself as a better, bigger person when it came to most things but even the ugly head of jealousy was hard to hide. 

harder to hide when one of her close friends — at least, closer than most — had just debuted before her. 

yujin deserved it, of course she did, she worked harder than anyone she knew but that couldn’t — wouldn’t — stop lili from secretly wishing for her despair, her downfall, because deep down that was just how vile her heart was — how despicable her ambition had ruined her. but it wasn’t like it was yujin’s fault that lili was left behind — falling through the cracks so far below to not even be considered — no, it wasn’t yujin’s fault at all.

and yet, that wouldn’t — couldn’t — stop lili from blaming her. 

but like any bigger, better person, lili was trying her best to keep it hidden; smiling when she sees her friend at her debut showcase. grinning and bearing it when she sees her friend’s face all over her social media. she was the bigger and better person, but lili was seething through it all.

very much so as she sits beside her so-called friend and listens, with bated breath, as the other vented about struggling with her new-found fame, god — it was taking everything within her from rolling her eyes, livid at what she was hearing. 

“so,” lili deadpans, about a word or two from being fed up, trying to simmer her anger as she gnaws at the straw of her matcha latte. “what do you want me to say, yujin?”

[yujinlgc]

yujin knew how lucky she was to be in this position after failing future dreams. the doom she felt in her chest the following week was unsettling, and she started to prepare what she would do if she couldn't debut. she had trained for so many years that not debuting on that show had felt like all her hard work was starting to slip through her fingers.

to debut into crystallis, there was a new set of pressure on her shoulders, and yujin felt it from the managers and the fans, who probably weren't so pleased with the latest additions to the group. for the rest of her career, she will play catch-up with the other girls and constantly prove her worth, that she has every right to be there on that stage.

these words shamelessly slipped from the blonde's mouth to her friend, lili. she didn't want to complain or seem ungrateful, but there was something still so unsettling about her placement now. it would take time for her to get used to everything, to being an idol and in a group that was already so well established. there was always going to be some sort of struggle in this journey, but as long as she was able to get this off her chest, yujin would feel better.

well, she thought she would feel better if the tone shift didn't make yujin fidget in her seat. there was a small smile that tightened on her lip. maybe she was thinking way too much into this.

"ah, nothing... i think it was just something i needed to share with someone i trust. you work so hard to get to this point, and you never realize the amount of pressure set on you to be perfect."

[yujinlgc]

❀ With work slowing down and my muse finally back in a good place, I would love to offer up Yujin for any and all new interactions! So, like this for a random starter if you're interested ｡ﾟ( ﾟஇ‸இﾟ)ﾟ｡

[lgcyuxi]

Yujin's assessment was a far kinder one than Yuxi gave herself. She was a realist and made no habit of being harsher than warranted — she simply held herself to a higher standard. Her obstinance, arrogance, zeal: they hardly made a convincing combination in personal matters even as they made her excel in others. The paranoia of exposing her vulnerabilities, all laid bare and ready for exploitation, was likely the greatest lesson she learned from her family. Heavy as duties and obligations may be, she had only herself to rely on. She herself was the only constant variable of her life.

She left that unsaid.

Instead, "I don't make a habit of regretting." Eyes flickering about before settling on the space over Yujin's left shoulder, she dropped the tools from her hands and laced her fingers together, sighing as she did so. "So no, I hold no regrets about my actions."

She's long accepted that she couldn't love, not in the way other people deserved to be loved, but what Yuxi knew was this: she loved with her entire being — searingly, suffocatingly, all-consumingly — with her everything and more, even if it was only for an impossible ideal. Therein lay the crux of the issue: she the never satisfied and Yunxi the content. "He's far better a person than I, that is my only regret"

[yujinlgc]

The smile yujin wanted to present was a lot sadder than she wanted to give. It was almost like she was looking at a reflection of her older self or maybe the person she kept locked away tightly. Love was always something she fantasized about, dreamt about, even because it fascinated her to the point of no return. It had gotten to a point where yujin allowed the vulnerability to be released for her love to work for others. a big mistake, letting others in so easily. But none of this would be something she'd want to share with Yuxi; what good will it do when the outlooks of relationships are so different in her eyes?

So instead, she said, "good. I wouldn't regret it either. Your bravery is something I can admire, and even though your punishment felt really unfair, it's good you stand by your actions... or else all of that would have been for nothing." She didn't look at her member; she kept her eyes on the work before her. yujin wouldn't dare share these thoughts with anyone other than Yuxi because she trusted her.

"What makes you think you're not a good person who deserves whatever happiness you're keeping yourself from? Relationship-wise, of course." Attaching the clasp to her bracelet, she placed it down and looked at Yuxi with furrowed eyebrows. "Tell me more... if you're comfortable."

[lgcichika]

classic

@yujinlgc

The stream has been going on for a little while at this point, at least well past the point where the girls have greeted people and confirmed on all ends that people can hear and see them, though the comments have yet to slow down. It’s part of the course when idols do lives, but given this is just staring Ichika and Yujin, there are a bit more comments inquiring about the two of them with a few sprinklings asking about the non-Beryl members. There are a few fans in the comments reminding the askers that the series of lives is just for the sub-group members again and again. Because of that, Ichika doesn’t bother to answer the question herself…again and again. 

“If you could have any other hair color what would have chosen?” Ichika reads one of the comments carefully, throwing a glance at Yujin while she considers. “Do you mean for this comeback, or in general?” She hums a bit in thought. “I had pink hair once back in my LGC Japan days and I thought that was really cute. I wouldn’t mind that again, or maybe something like purple or silver.” She turns a bit more to look at Yujin. “Would you ever give up your blonde hair? I feel like you’ve been blonde even before your debut.”

[yujinlgc]

Yujin knew the stream would go on for a few hours, and the excitement was already among the fans, keeping the chat flowing without a pause. She didn't mind it, but the social aspects could be draining as the minutes ticked by and the same questions were asked. The blonde was grateful to be placed with Ichika, someone who could steer this live better than she ever could.

Being in Beryl was a learning experience for her, just like everything else in her career. She wasn't expecting to be in a sub-unit, and it was still shocking to sit here and speak about a newer group she was so lucky to be in. Yujin stayed humbled; everything about her life was exciting, and she didn't want to lose this feeling, even though she was fighting back a yawn.

"Oh?" She had perked up at the question. A slow smile had spread across her lips, her body adjusting in her seat with better posture as she became more alert than usual. The hair conversation was always intriguing to her. "My first year as a trainee, I did have my natural dark brown hair. But once my second year started, I went blonde and never went back. I think it's become my trademark," she laughs, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "I don’t know how I would feel seeing myself with darker hair now, but I would like to experiment with some color."

[lgcjino]

the sight of yujin on her way to the cashier has him shaking his head — she looked almost overjoyed at his admittance of defeat; a reaction much similar to ones he received any time he and his sister, jiah, were in the same situation. and oddly enough, it garnered the same results: jino surrendering to his sister and whatever she had said. he should have known better, yujin was like a sister to him — such proposals were likely to garner the same conclusions.

at the remark, jino gives yujin a thoughtful glance, turning his gaze from her to his card and back at the cashier — did the trio have some kind of unspoken agreement? “how generous we talking?” jino didn’t mind — but he also wanted to note that his card was not one of those chaebol ‘free for all’ black cards so highly depicted in the dramas, he was not  that fortunate.

“y’know what — they deserve it, after all the noise we caused over this mugwort drink.” another defeat to be signed to the books, he thinks as he makes a grab for the muffin, “what muffin did you get me?”

[yujinlgc]

"I hope you like chocolate chip muffins. I figured we could enjoy them after you ordered such a horrendous drink." she pushed her hair back behind her shoulder. It was never a dull moment with Jino or even Jiah if she was lucky to have them in the same room together. She always left smiling, even when she won some nonexistent argument with him.

Pulling her drink from the tray and sneaking a small piece of her muffin, yujin was now a happy woman who got exactly what she wanted today — a free drink. She would never fully ask someone to buy her anything; she hated the act of it, but not with Jinn. If anything, she deserved this little treat. "Ah, nothing crazy. like ten bucks? She's working hard back there, and I think she's alone, too. It's the least I can do for going up there a second time."

"Maybe next time, we don't try new things the first round... who knows who could have been around to hear you pretending that such a drink was good," she scoffs, a playful smile on her lips before sipping her coffee. "It really pained me to see that acting."

[lgcsomin]

"oh my god, i love polaroids," she says, beaming at the older crystallis member. she's been meaning to get her hands on a polaroid printer, considering she always forgets to bring her polaroid camera with her when she goes places. she also always forgets to buy films, so there's not really a way to use her polaroid either, if she's honest.

she glances at the food again and wonders if maybe she should buy something from behind the counter rather than the ones that were out in the open, making a soft sound in her indecision. it's always hard when it's a new cafe where she doesn't know what she already likes there, and she decides she'll come back for it.

"honestly, go ahead," somin grins, pleased with her decision. "we can always get more drinks if we want to, right?"

[yujinlgc]

"really? have you ever thought about processing your own film in a darkroom? I've been meaning to find a studio to get my hands on some old film." yujin had always wondered where life would take her if she wasn't in her current position. photography had always been a special hobby for her, looking back on memories and reflecting. and now? she wants to go a little deeper into the process and learn something new. "you're free to join me if that sparks your interest." she sends somin a playful wink.

yujin decided to pick up a smaller plate and grab one of the pastries that did catch her eye. "maybe we can split this..." she muttered, looking up at the menu again to make any last-minute decisions on her drink choice. call her picky, but she wanted to make sure money was not wasted on something either didn't like.

"that's why i always go for a smaller drink," she said. "if you want to try a sip of mine just to taste test, I wouldn't care." after all, she wanted this to be an enjoyable moment of finding new places to recommend to others later down the line.

[lgcyura]

previous reply.

yura laughs with the other, glad that yujin was willing to go along with her comment. while she didn't have intentions of running practice like a drill sergeant since she's aware of how crystallis works (and they're no slackers when it comes to performing so she genuinely had little doubt that they wouldn't put their all into this unit), old habits die hard and yura knew that sometimes, she could be demanding and strict if something wasn't working out. she tried to keep this fact in mind and be more understanding over the years but she could never let something slide if it compromised their stage so it wouldn't be unrealistic if any of them were to dislike that side of her when it surfaced.

obviously, her worries about that were at its height when yuxi and yujin were first added because they were such mysteries to her initially but it's been long enough that yura's seen how hard they worked despite the circumstances, and now they're just as much of a crystallis member as any of them were in her opinion. she's still learning new things about them even now though, like how yujin apparently learned the choreography faster than usual.

she raises her eyebrows, surprised, unable to hide her real reaction but she doesn't mean it negatively. even yura knew that everyone learned at different paces and just because someone took a longer time to remember a choreo, it didn't mean they were bad or incapable of doing it; it was just that: they needed more time and that's okay. yujin seemed to be one such person but since she never really held them back despite that, yura didn't find herself annoyed or frustrated with the other. plus, because yura was always willing and ready to stay after practice (or in their free time) if any of the members asked, it didn't bother her if someone was falling behind and needed extra help.

"can we run through it once then before the others get here? i want to go over it myself too, since i've only been learning it by myself before today," she admits but that's probably not surprising either. after all, yura wanted to make sure she had the entire dance memorized before their first group practice so she could help the others if they needed it. "honestly, i just can't wait to see it come together when we all perform it," yura grins as she stands up and finishes her stretches.

[yujinlgc]

the thing about yujin, she took her job seriously. she worked her ass off for five years as a trainee to get here, even if the path was a long and draining one. she didn't want to somehow fall behind just because she finally debuted. the pressure was already there when she was told that she would be joining crystallis, a ground already so well established. so that meant she had to be faster in her approach to practice. the blonde wanted to blend in, like she was meant to be there.

now, she has been given the chance to be in a subunit. it was the time to show a new side of herself, given that this was a 'fresh' start for her in a newer part of the group that didn't exist before. learning the song was no biggie for her, it was always the dance routines that took her longer to grasp, and the moment they all received the video with the choreography, yujin took it upon herself to use up every bit of her free time learning it. or at least, she got the steps down, but now she wanted to clean it up with the encouragement of her other members.

"of course! i've also only practiced by myself too, so we can point anything that we haven't caught ourselves." she beamed, joining yura at her side and starting a few stretches. "i was so excited about today, i didn't really get to sleep that much." she admitted bashfully. This was the process she enjoyed the most, the behind the scenes of it all that the fans normally don't see. they were all here to perfect their crafts so everyone could feel rewarded.

"are you excited about being the leader?"

[lgcsoyoun]

Soyoun hums. Yujin being fluent as well makes things a lot easier to work with. At least she can code-switch at will without feeling self-conscious or having to watch her words. Being bilingual is a struggle. Although she's most comfortable with Korean, Soyoun consciously uses English and Japanese to stay sharp in those languages as well.

"Where do I begin?" Soyoun playfully hums. As a kid, she had to learn early on what the words for "scammer" and "fake goods" were in English and Japanese, given her tendency to impulsively shop for art materials and fabric. "I had to learn whether I was being scammed at an early age," she says with a laugh. "I learned how to read the words for "fake", "scam", and "blacklist" early on because those were what I encountered the most when reading online reviews. This was when my go-to brand for washi paper and paint didn't open their Korea branch yet."

Switching positions to something more comfortable and won't get blood in the wrong body parts, Soyoun continues her story. "I also had to learn the numbers and prices early on, so I knew whether the sellers were purposely jacking up their prices because I was a foreigner. By the time I was 12, I got decent enough to the point that I knew the money changer in Osaka was trying to cheat my dad out of a few extra yen, so I called him a scammer in both Tokyo dialect and Kansai-ben." She lets out a laugh at that. "I like to think it worked since it got the money changer to give my dad the missing money."

[yujinlgc]

it was clear as day that yujin loved a good story time. her body had perked up, and all cleaning came to a halt as she gave soyoun her undivided attention. it wasn't every day that she got to speak on such random terms with the girls unless she was found in weird positions, like today.

"you know," she started after the other was done with her story, shaking her head in disbelief at some people. it's really sad to see this happening to other foreigners. "i've never had to experience this, thankfully, but I heard this happens a lot in Japan because of the high tourism traffic." yujin fiddled with the crumbled up paper on the ground, rolling it gently back and forth.

"oh, did your dad ever scold you after leaving the booth? i feel like i would get in so much trouble if i spoke up to an elder, even if you were saving him a lot of money." she laughed, pushing her hair back behind her shoulder. "it's really impressive that you learned that at such a young age, I'm only two years into my lessons and i feel like there's so much more i have to learn." that includes learning a certain someone's dialect so she could peacefully communicate with their family members. "i actually have a question for you, it's completely random, so warning." yujin smiled. "what got you into art?"

[bleackpink]

rosé for dazed