𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐂 𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍.

“us as a couple? wouldn’t you feel offended?” he questioned, raising an eyebrow at the female’s response. scandals were something that were to be avoided, at least that was the statement lamented to him by gold star. after seeing countless bad press, tormenting the other idol groups, he vowed that he would never get caught up with one simply because it was considered ‘bad’. jeonghoon looked at the female who was sitting in front of him, giving her a helpful smile. it wasn’t often that he was put into a situation where he was the sunbae, lecturing on the do’s and donts, but he did have a clear distinction on what was right and wrong. “were you okay after the hospital stint? how much were you overworked to land yourself in the hospital?” he narrowed his eyes, his voice still heavy with worry. exhaustion took its toll on everyone in the industry, despite nobody being able to actually voice that they were tired. it was another aspect that made him peeved with the industry.

“do you want to get burgers and beer? i mean… do you like burgers and beer more than sweets?” he continued on with his questions. it seemed like each statement was met with a question of his, as he had been told numerous times that it was a method to carry a casual conversation. jeonghoon had only hoped that it was enough to prevent the girl from getting offended or exasperated with their light talk. with the touch of her words, her statement that she was just excited to get the chance to hangout with him, he tilted his head in curiosity. “you wanted to hang out with me?” he was taken aback - it wasn’t often that he got that statement. afterall, why would anyone want to hang out with someone that was labeled a robot? “why would you want to hangout with me? i’m pretty boring, or at least that’s what I’ve been told.”

❝ to be honest, i’m not sure i’d have much reason to be offended, ❞ bada admitted, failing to see whatever logic jeonghoon was trying to offer her. ❝ sure —— i think it’d be kind of annoying that people would immediately jump to conclusions & assume we’re an item, but at the same time, i don’t think i’d mind being tied to someone i think is pretty cool. ❞ she continued, hoping that her words weren’t seen as forward or corny. ❝ i’m not perfect, & sometimes comments do bother me, but for the most part, i try my hardest to just not... read them ?? i feel like it makes the most sense not to give them attention, & not only that, but so what if i do get a boyfriend someday ?? it’s bound to happen —– maybe a small scandal regarding who i date will help ease my fans into the idea ?? ❞ as always, bada was almost painfully optimistic. though, in today’s world, especially in the industry she worked in, making light of situations such as the one they discussed was extremely necessary if any amount of sanity was to be kept. however, the second he inquired about her recent stay at the hospital, she shrugged her shoulders —— taking a deep breath in order to collect her thoughts. the subject, in general, was still sensitive to her, but she knew that pushing it away for too long would only make her fear it even more. so, she saw this as some sort of opportunity to confront it. hopefully speaking of those past events wouldn’t cause any sort of anxious reaction to follow suit. she had no idea how jeonghoon would handle that.

there was only one problem with vegan food and pastries for julie, and that was the fact that they were extremely seldom gluten free. a lot of substitutes used in vegan dishes contained gluten, and formulating something that was not for mass production was often very expensive. thus, vegan cafés like this was something julie loved in theory, but couldn’t justify visiting. she is not here alone though. she does not have the heart to break these facts to bada, so she just continues smiling.

“that sounds delicious! i think i will stick too my coffee and tea though - thicker cold drinks has just never vibed with me,” she says, tapping her fingers over her lips as she scours the offerings. any pastry is most likely a bust - too much risk of cross-contamination. she reads the small signs declaring the general contents of each snack. towards the very end of the top row, there are two selections that proclaim themselves ‘gluten-free!’ with bold letters. julie’s face lights up.

she should not be surprised really. places that cater to niche diets often strive to include other niche diets if possible. not that julie’s diet is on the same spectrum as a vegan one - it is certainly not by choice after all. “i’ll have one of each of those, i think,” she proclaims and points at the corner, “and a cup of tea.” she is not ordering yet, simply declaring what she wants. bada is the regular here after all - it is more polite to have her put in their order.

the delicate aroma of the pastries present within pan honesta wrapped around her, & it only made her decision making skills much more complicated than they already were. typically, bada was incredibly indecisive. if she was provided with many choices & tasked with just selecting one, it never ended quickly & easily. so, in a sense, she was glad that julie was taking her time to decide on which desserts she wanted to indulge in. they were indulging themselves, after all, so their selections needed to be perfect in order to feel worthwhile. a reasonably short time later, she was told of what her cohort wanted, & when she made up her mind, she politely ordered from the counter—remembering to order a beverage so the two of them could sit down for awhile. it was a peculiar rule this café put in place that she abided by each, & every, time. then, bada guided the two of them to an empty table in the corner; perfect for privacy. ❝ it’s strange—if you want to sit inside, it’s mandatory that you order some sort of drink. have you ever been to a place like that ?? ❞

This wasn’t the first time he’d been put in such an uncomfortable situation, and it certainly wasn’t that bada’s presence was completely overbearing.. Instead, it was the culmination of everything - his own inability to leave his house, inability to socialize and the slight chance that someone would spot the two together only to misconstrue the entire story. He allowed the crisp sweet smells of the bakery to fill his mouth, feeling his body relax and his mind unravel. “It’s not about boundaries,” he began, the quietness still lingering heavily at the ends of his words. “It’s about what happens if someone sees us like this - they’ll think we’re dating or something - you don’t want a scandal… It’s always too harsh on females than not enough on males.” although he had never gotten entangled in the chaos of the media world, he was well aware of the brutality that was lain on females during a dating scandal - it was the vice of sexism that still reigned strongly in the country. “I think everything is too harsh on you guys anyways. Like why do you have to refrain from eating sweets when I get to do it all the time? Who cares if you gain a few pounds, you look cuter and healthier,” he shrugged. Jeonghoon was often quiet, very scarce with the words he chose. however, the moment he saw injustice in the world, he couldn’t help but berate the standards that seemed so obtuse.

His gaze peered onto Bada, her response eliciting somewhat of a light hearted chuckle out of the boy. “Next time let’s eat burgers and beer, that’s what I’m into lately,” he suggested. The male figured that the bakery was in enough isolation to ease up on his apprehensive mood, and the last thing he wanted was for the nice friend to feel unwelcome at her own  invitation. “I’m not grumpy,” he replied, running his hands through his own hair. “You should know by now that I’m not very good at talking? I don’t ever go out - today is probably the first time in weeks that I left my house..”

at the other’s words, bada couldn’t help but almost swoon; his supposed protectiveness over her, & her reputation, only going onto show her that, despite his flaws, jeonghoon was still a gentleman at heart. what he lacked in social skills was made up for with a good soul. maybe he had a hard time communicating how he felt, but that didn’t mean that he was a bad person, no. rough around the edges, sure, but nowhere near bad. she didn’t want to put too much stock into it, but she had a feeling that he was someone she’d be compatible with. never in her life would she force a narrative that [ at present ] only existed in her mind, but the notion did intrigue her. ❝ what ?? is this your way of saying that you wouldn’t want to be seen with me in a romantic light ?? ❞ she teased, standing close enough to him that she was able to nudge him with her elbow. ❝ i understand. i guess i’m just, like, still pretty dumb when it comes to tons of negative press. i’ve never really had a scandal... well, in my career, that is. ❞ it seemed lame, but it was true. ❝ closest one i got was when i went to the hospital for exhaustion, then returned & had to take it easy for awhile. promotions were so brutal, but i mean, they’re over now, so i’m hoping to just move on... ❞ oh, but it wasn’t that simple, & it never would be. jeonghoon was definitely correct in that the public was a lot harder on the woman in the industry. in a lot of ways, she & her members weren’t allowed to be tired, or low on energy, without being accused of being ❛ lazy ❜ or ❛ untalented. ❜ it was a tragic truth that she’s learned now, but she’s adamant on not allowing negativity to ruin her.

jeonghoon didn’t even know why he was there in the first place, finding it out of his comfort zone to agree to go to lunch with a female, nonetheless someone he hadn’t even known for that long. however, he figured that it would’ve been somewhat beneficial for him to step out of his usual loner demeanor, giving him more practice to socialize with others. with the touch of bada’s arm around his, he grimaced his eyebrows allowing his blaring glare to pry upon the female. he took his fingers, gently unraveling her grasp only to step to take a step away from her. “i know i’m older than you, but you can’t just touch people like that randomly. it’s an invasion of personal space,” he said, focusing his eyes back at the bakery. “also, you’re talking to someone who eats three burgers a day.. health isn’t my priority,” he shrugged his shoulders, allowing the female to take the seat against the wall while his manners took over and he sat in the seat across from her. “we can half pay each, how’s that sound?” he suggested, giving her a feigned smile.

it was a delicate balance to strike, to look inconspicuous without drawing attention to himself for trying too hard to go unnoticed and ash hoped he was succeeding. it’d been four years to the month now since he’d learned exactly how dangerous being seen with female idols in public was and a good two and a half years since he’d had to deal with rumors. he needed to learn to get over the tense feeling in his gut if he so much stepped foot into a public place with a woman, so he’d agreed to check out the bakery bada had mentioned and prayed it wasn’t busy.

“no, i don’t feel like i get out much lately,” ash confessed, “so i haven’t been to most of the trendy places anymore.” he tried new places still, but he nearly always got his food delivered so that he didn’t have to leave the comfort of his studio.

if bada was going for healthy, a bakery probably wasn’t the best choice regardless of their ideology, but ash didn’t say that. he was the last person to discourage some sweet tooth indulgence. “i’ll pay, i insist. what kind of senior would i be if i let you do it?” he wasn’t sure of the state of 7ROPHY’s debt, but covering both of their bills wouldn’t be a problem for him. “instead, since you invited me, how about you tell me what’s good here? you can pay in your wisdom,” he cracked with a grin.

unlike a majority of her seniors, bada had a specific naïveté about her, & it wasn’t a common thing to possess in the world of idols. yes, she’s been the subject of mistreatment, & negative comments online, & so forth, but she didn’t necessarily let her very public identity [ & image ] get in the way of how she enjoyed to live her life. there were limitations, of course, but she’d never been one that was too fond of strict behavior. she was born with silver spoons in her mouth, after all—she wasn’t used to being bossed around. was it dangerous for her to be wandering about with a high profile male idol ?? she knew the answer, & she knew that there was a target on her back, but she refused to acknowledge it. he was just a boy, anyhow. so what if she’s embroiled in a scandal because she was seen out with him ?? people have survived far, far worse in the form of slanderous headlines & biased articles in this industry.

that, though, didn’t mean she wasn’t sensitive to ash’s issues. he [ & the rest of knight ] had dealt with their fair share of negative press, & he may have been more worried about it than she was. so, in an effort to disguise herself more, bada reached into her handbag & pulled out a plain, black ball cap; her hands then working to place it on her head until it felt properly placed. that ought to conceal her identity further. ❝ oh, i wouldn’t worry about that too much—the city is still very much the same since we started working full-time. ❞ she mused, offering a lighthearted simper. ❝ i’m just strangely obsessed with finding new cafés & restaurants to try out. a few years ago, it was more like i was window shopping. we weren’t making a whole lot of money back then, so i never thought i’d be able to afford treats, but things have definitely changed for the better. ❞ a smile graced her features, & she sighed as her train of thought became derailed.

femme fatale wasn’t performing at the fact music awards. outside of brand showcases and concerts, they had not performed much outside of their comeback. it was rather sad actually. award shows and joint concerts was excellent place to mingle with a wide array of other idols. julie really misses that. she is looking forward to their comeback for that reason, not because of a very welcome addition to their tiny discography. that is welcome as well, of course. after their numerous concerts with the same songs over and over again, she is desperate for something new to perform.

with a gap her schedule, julie had thus decided to hunt down another idol to hang out with. seo bada is her junior in terms of age, but senior in terms of debut. that is a rather common occurrence, and julie is never sure how to approach it. unless it is on camera, she prefers not to address people physically younger than her with unnie or oppa, unless they have at least five more years of experience. for that reason she tends to avoid people who try to be her senior, with a few exceptions.

“no, i haven’t. it’s so cute!” julie gushes, looking over the bakery’s interior, “and that’s so cool. i wish more places offered more vegan options.” she is not vegan herself, but she is a firm believer of choice. it is also always fun to try new versions of pastries. “do you have any recommendations?” she asks the other idol.

despite endless rumors of disbandment during the earlier part of her career, 7rophy hasn’t had a huge break in promotions, or new muse releases. back then, their future as a group looked grim, but they were able to make it work enough to be put back on the map. now, their fanbase had grown, & their concepts had stopped being incredibly sporadic, so now, they were more palatable even to casual listeners. it was a new state of grace for her & her members, but that didn’t mean they could afford to slow down now. if anything, this was a really important era for them, & they needed to keep up the momentum. however, while similar to a degree, both she & julie’s groups couldn’t be more different when it came to the opinions of the public. femme fatale had an explosive debut, & a lucrative career in both domestic & international markets afterwards. though, that much exposure has been put on hold due to the low amount of tracks that the gold star idols have released. yes, all of their comebacks have been wildly successful, but at what cost ?? she wonders how her cohort feels about the stagnancy in her career, especially as far as music is concerned, but she’s never wanted to bring it up in cause it brings the mood down. so, for now, she strives to focus on the positives—hoping that eating desserts & drinking smoothies would suffice.

With the free time that Jaesun and the rest of the members of Origin were allowed coming to a close because of rehearsals for The Fact Music Awards, the maknae didn’t have much free time on his hands. Of course because of his group’s popularity, they were expected to have a performance that went above and beyond that of the other groups that were performing. That wasn’t what he wanted though, he hated how the public, especially Origin’s fans, would put them against other artists. In order to get away from it all and just relax a little bit, he accepted Bada’s offer to come along with him to some bakery. He gently unwrapped her arm from around him - not to be rude, but more for her protection than anything. He didn’t want anyone to see them and God knows that a lot of Genesis would make her life hell. “No, I’ve never been before. It’s my first time.” He nodded his head. “What would you recommend? And I suppose you’re right.. Vegan is healthy. Supposedly.” Jaesun looked at her, shaking his head. “No, it’s my treat. I got it.”

brief synopsis, gangnam, pan honesta. feb 2020 — 02:00 p.m. kst. feel free to assume connections !