illuminate.

no one liked being sick, especially in the summer. everything just felt a lot worse compared to whenever yuma got sick during the colder months. despite being the oldest in his group, it was the only time he allowed himself to whine or complain about things. his aunt often calling him a big baby whenever he came down with something. which yuma of course couldn’t deny. just as he was about to pick one, he heard a voice from the side of him. 

it took yuma a few moments to notice who it was, immediately bowing to the other idol. “yes yes, i know who you are.” he mumbled, placing option one back onto the shelf. “thank you for the suggestion, i’m sure this one will be perfect.”

jaekyung’s not too surprised when the other idol bows— the seniority system’s been pretty well ingrained in them, he has to say, but he can’t help but look around in alarm. the last thing he wants is to be recognized in the middle of a grocery store, considering he’s right in front of the medicine section. he’s fresh out of aspirin, and with decipher wrapping up promotions, he needs a lot of it. but he’s happy he can help someone else.

        he was truly just minding his own business currently. he sat in the corner of where they were currently waiting on a chair, knees up to his chest, and feet off the floor, cuddling his rather large, tall build into the chair. he scrolled through his phone, liking pictures, and giggling at dog videos. he probably should of at least waited till they got to the dressing room to get into that position. that was until he heard his hyung call out to him in a bit of a sharp sound. he looked up, raising his eyebrow slightly. he placed his phone down, before he got himself out of how he currently had himself situated. he got to his feet. 

he gasped a bit on his way over, hearing a bark from the messenger bag. he new the bark and the bark could only come from one person. that person was queen elizabark. he had finally got to jaekyung, quickly at that, to see what exactly was up. he was a little curious as to why he had her in a messenger bag; but, he wasn’t going to exactly question it either. 

hanbit nodded his head at his words. he thinks upon it for a few moments. before it goes to ask which tactic he should use, “hyung, should i go for the bathroom tactic where i make them help but to find a bathroom? or should i go for the charlie horse tactic?” he questioned. maybe the charlie horse tactic wouldn’t be that believable, but it could be worth a shot. 

jaekyung knew he could count on hanbit. he sighs in relief when the younger man agrees, almost immediately, to help jaekyung get the dog to safety. this is perhaps the riskiest thing he’s ever done, and if he gets caught, there are bound to be consequences— but really, what is bc going to do? kick the decipher leader out of decipher? he’s had a bad case of Senior Idol Syndrome for a while now, but if it lets him do things like sneak queen elizabark on set, he’s willing to leave it unacknowledged.

he’s unaware of how shady he probably looks when he huddles closer to his friend, narrowed eyes shifting around the room as he keeps one hand in his messenger bag. if one didn’t know better, it would seem like jaekyung’s ready to pull out a weapon— but jaekyung, of course, has more honorable intentions than that as he listens to hanbit list off ideas.

hi hello! i’m officially off hiatus and really excited to get back into the game uwu since i’ve been gone so long, i’m gonna go ahead and message all the new acceptances to say hello and get back to plotting on jin and jaekyung! also for any new members, i’ve typed up a lil thing for jin/jaek below the cut for plotting purposes, come hmu! c:

“HEY, HANBIT.” jaekyung hisses from across the room. he admittedly looks pretty shady from where he’s standing, a messenger bag slung securely across his body. he looks around before motioning frantically for hanbit to come join him, he knows himself well, it’s been so long since his last variety show appearance that he’s well aware he’ll be exhausted afterward. it doesn’t help that today they’re filming for idol room, which is pretty much one of the most popular and energetic variety shows out there. so he brought a little bit of courage. in the form of a friend. a friend who’s a dog.

queen elizabark gives a woof! from his messenger bag and he hushes her. she’s a very good dog, in his opinion, for being able to relax in his bag; as big as it is (he bought it for the sole purpose of sneaking her into the studio), it’s a little cramped for her, and she’s just grown out of the puppy phase. jaekyung whispers conspiratorially (with every bit of seriousness) to his friend. 

IT’S IMPOSSIBLE FOR JAEKYUNG TO GO ANYWHERE without fingers pointed at him and the crushing weight of judgment aimed carefully. he’d been so hopeful— yesterday, he’d tried going out to buy groceries when his phone had pinged with a notification that another article had been published about him. the headline was, of course, about the newest scandal— and this time, jaekyung is the target. he’d gone home after that, too humiliated even to show his face to the cashier at the register.

before the bullying scandal, jaekyung hadn’t had much sympathy for those who’d had bad press about them. he’s too trusting, after all, and believed much of it to be true— torn between trusting the media and trusting his fellow idols, he’d wrongly chosen the media— until he was the one under the microscope. he can only batter down and wait for the storm to pass, and thankfully, he has his group to keep him company while he does that . . . and he’s got taesung to help keep the rain away. taesung’s pretty much taken on the role of acting leader so jaekyung doesn’t have to talk so much, since when jaekyung talks, well, somebody’s bound to hyperanalyze it as some newfound evidence. but taesung being acting leader has its downsides.

    It was good to be back on the stage after so long, minho grinned as he turned to answer Jaekyung when he found himself in a deadlock, barely moving his face to look at Jaekyung laughing at his actions “Hyung you are messing with my good looks” He was joking of course, the laughter and the bright smile on his face gave it away “I’m going to bite you if you don’t let go” He poked his side while licked his lips to prove that he would do such thing just like when he was just a kid, feeling like being in a throw back in time. 

“Of course, or I was until someone messed with my hair“ it was a playful come back to his words. “Well I liked tell me quite a lot, it was a good comeback and a different sound but the older ones are clasic!  I think they will be happy once they see us on the stage hyung.” He was serious until his grandmother was in the conversation, making him laugh loudly “Yeah yeah, how could I forgot your face is everywhere in her house! By the way how do you feel about a blind date with the grandaughter of her friend? She has praised you so much that now they are trying to set you up!” He chuckled, it might seem like a joke but it was half true, so far she hadn’t offered him blind dates, yet. 

“your hair looks fine, minho. don’t you worry— the fangirls will still love you. and yeah, tell me really is a new sound, isn’t it?” jaekyung nods solemnly, before snapping his hand away from minho.

“yah! think about biting me and you’re dead. we don’t tolerate violence in this household. this is why your grandmother stans me more than you.” jaekyung can’t help the grin that breaks his face— they probably look like idiots, playing around as jaekyung dodges the snapping teeth of his groupmate, but he can’t bring himself to care. he’s on a high with the anticipation toward another performance, and he’s got the experience necessary to let his hair down a little bit. he’d feel bad for using his seniority as an excuse to mess around in the way a rookie idol might not be forgiven if it didn’t mean he got to get closer to his group member.

“ARE YOU READY, MINHO?” jaekyung’s got a shit-eating grin plastered across his face as he sneaks up behind his groupmate and catches him in a headlock, ruffling his hair with vigorous enthusiasm. it feels like it’s been too long since he’s led the troops into battle (read: performed with his group onstage), even though they’ve been relatively busy with comeback preparations and whatnot. jaekyung himself has been busy enjoying the summer sun— dressed in khaki shorts, reflective sunglasses, and an unbuttoned aloha shirt while sporting a margarita in one hand, he’d look like a tacky tourist if his face wasn’t so well-known. but he’s long since put down his drink in favor of preparations for the stage.

THAT’S HOW LONG IT TAKES FOR JAEKYUNG TO BE REALLY, TRULY CONTENT. how long it takes for him to accept himself, to learn the meaning of true self esteem. it’s not a measure of fame, or a measure of fortune— it’s about the mark he makes on the world around him, and jaekyung’s pleased to say he made a good one.

his time with decipher is one he never intends to forget (and really, it’s not time that he can forget). but it’s time that ends on a painful note, at least for him— it ends with a bang and a scream and a crash and blood everywhere, on an icy winter day eight years after 2018. the stage lights are focused on his group members’ horrified faces, and the fans’ screams seem to be his reminder to feel pain— he can’t bring himself to look up at his friends, or lift his hand to where something warm trickles down his head, or catch air where he can’t seem to, or glance down at where his leg doesn’t seem to really be a leg but rather a twisted, oddly-angled mass of blood and bone.

JAEKYUNG’S REALLY NOT USED to having to get places in a hurry— alright, that’s a lie. for the first seven or so years of his career he had to rush around like a chicken with its head cut off, but recently, he’s been given the leeway to meander happily through his life from one schedule to the next without being worried about anything too problematic. but today’s different, apparently, because it’s about as hectic as his schedule’s been since their last comeback. one of his group members had forgotten something at his house, and he knew he wouldn’t be seeing that member for a while— jaekyung had found the item in question whilst cleaning the house that morning and had swiftly rushed to go catch his friend to deliver the item in question.

but luck is rarely on jaekyung’s side. hoping he’d find his groupmate at the bc entertainment building was a bust, and so he’s rushing now to get to a taxi before his groupmate is gone. in his haste, jaekyung rounds the corner, and collides right into a body. the coffee that had been in jaekyung’s opposite hand spills all over the person, and jaekyung practically chokes.

he doesn’t particularly care that the other person is a junior. he backs up and bows profusely, all thoughts of his groupmate forgotten.