— take out the world with one bite.

“you’re welcome of course.” jiyoo let out a small giggle, “i still it’s crush worthy.” you had to have some type of dedication to truly do this everyday. even if it was something that chaeyeon had to work towards. “you’re inspiring at the very least.” jiyoo just wasn’t sure if those words hit home for her. a small groan left her mouth and jiyoo pulled herself up. “i’ll try my best.” that was all she could offer. she did brighten up at the mention of smoothies. “now, that is something i can get down with. i’ll do wild berry and banana. that sounds good.” 

“there there, look how the lying has turned into flattery. i see you, girl.” she chuckled, unable to prevent her cheeks from getting a new rosy color. “inspiring? hardly. i’m just truly trying to stay alive and live my life peacefully. it’s the little things that help me in the long run. just like running, writing, or playing my guitar.” she spoke truthfully, for a change, willing to give a little glimpse into her life. “i’m glad. and of course. that sounds like a lovely combination. shall we, my lady?”

“i’m happy that i could make you happy.” at least someone got something out of the day, did she? jynx needed to figure out how to breathe first. “wow unnie, i think i have a crush.” everything chaeyeon said she did, sounded amazing. it was inspiring, a total girl crush. and jynx? she couldn’t live up to it, at least now she could finally breathe properly. “but everyday? i don’t think i could do this everyday. i won’t say a much, maybe once a week…until i can do more.” but she didn’t think she’d ever do more than that. “a smoothie sounds good…and i don’t know…uh? no grease…no rice in the morning? i’m not sure because i’ve never cared too much.” a small laugh left her mouth at that. 

“thank you, that’s all i have to say,” and she meant it. every word. “please, now you’re just lying. besides, i didn’t always have a life like this. i used to be pretty lazy and i had a really unhealthy lifestyle, but in the end i did manage to find some balance. that helped make life more tolerable,” she never talked too much about her past, hiding it with utmost precision, hoping that one day she could completely forget. “yes every day. it’s going to be so fun, just trust me. it won’t be hard and i’ll make sure to adapt the route to a complete beginning, so you really have no reason to worry. but let’s go get those smoothies. the one with blueberry and banana is my favorite. it really keeps me energized. i just try to avoid those with artificial sugar in them. or any sort of sugar. it’s really bad for the your health.”

“thanks for running lines with me.” rina stepped back to let her fellow idol into her house closing the door behind them. “i got us some drinks and snacks..” she really wasn’t hungry, not often enough. “but if you want to order something, we can.” she’d be willing to foot the bill at least, even if rina opted out of getting some food herself. quickly, she lead them through until they made it a sort of open air living room, filled to the brim with plants. 

“make yourself comfortable.” rina herself sat down on of the wicker chairs, picking up one of the scripts. “it’s a horror movie, we’re set to film soon and i want to get a head start on getting my character down.” it might not be a huge production but it was important enough to her. “i will pay you for your time in money or food or a gift, whichever you’d like.”

“you’re welcome, but really it’s no bother,” the brunette reminded, giving the other a reassuring smile. “i would love a drink. non-alcoholic of course. as for food, i’ll have to turn down your offer. i really am not hungry,” chaeyeon explained as she followed the other into the living area, impressed by the amount of plants present in the room. “yes, sure,” following the girl’s words, she sat down and began to listen. “oh a horror movie? well that’s different from what i’m used to. but i still did a lot of acting back when i was younger so it’s worth the practice at least. besides, you really don’t have to pay me. i’m here to help. that’s it.”

she was a dancer yes but no one could say she was alethic. it was boredom, pure boredom that inspired her to do this. and quickly, jynx realized that she was more happy to not do this and she could taste the regret. at least it was a nice day out. that being said, jynx didn’t complain until they were finally finished. even if they weren’t far from her apartment, as soon as the run was over she flopped down on the closet bench and allowed herself to relax a little more. 

“why..why did i suggest a run.” the words came out once she finally caught her breath. “why did you agree?” though, she wasn’t complaining that much. just, why did anyone agree to her crazy ideas? “i think that was enough to cover my runs for the next month, how about a late -but healthy- breakfast on me.” food, food is what would comfort her right now. 

“don’t be like that! i’m so glad you suggested it,” she noted, more than content with the idea of finally having a running partner. “i agreed because i go for a run each morning. it’s probably my favorite part of the day. i barely sleep, then i wake up early and go for at least a 7 kilometer run if i have the time for it. i put my headphones in, forget about the rest of the world and just run while the crisp air keeps me cool,” other than that, it was also a good and, for a change, healthy way to stay fit and slim without putting yourself in danger. “for the next month? don’t be silly. we must go for a run again tomorrow — and i don’t really eat breakfast that often. i’d rather have a smoothie. but what exactly do you mean by ‘healthy breakfast?’” 

sleep was something that haneul wanted but rarely got these days. falling asleep whenever she had the time had became an impossible task, so she resorted to filling her time by doing  mundane things until she could fall asleep. she had already finished an entire book, so the rest of her night would be filled with quiet tasks as to not disturb her roommate. she’s sorting out her nail polishes when her phone rings with an unknown number on the screen. the first thing that she’s ready to do is answer and demand the person tell her how they got her number, but she’s briefly interrupted with a simple suggestion.  

“alright?” she wasn’t too sure how to feel about talking to an unknown person or the fact that this unknown person had her phone number. “I was about to start painting my toenails. Do you want to give me a random color?” 

bad idea. the number one ingredient in the special life of moon chaeyeon and while in most cases, it took her days, months and sometimes even years to realize her mistake, at this very moment she knew it right away. for a few seconds she remained frozen, contemplating whether or not to just hang up and forget this ever happened. her social anxiety would most definitely thank her, but then the voice on the other side asked a question and she found herself thinking. 

but without much thinking, she dialed a random number, only for it to be a non-existent phone number, and then another, and another, each time a different set of the most random numbers. until she finally heard a familiar sound. it miraculously worked and it was enough to keep her entertained and someone was even foolish enough to answer it.

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄: apartment. 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍: early in feb. 𝐖𝐇𝐎: anyone. 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓: helping jiyoung make valentines day chocolates from scratch. 😭

       he cherished displays like this. with all of the silliness he got into it might come as a surprise (probably did) to some (correct word: most) that he was a heartfelt person who put in serious effort. chewing his lip and bobbing up and down on his feet, hands on the counter, “are you sure it’s supposed to be in there for that long?” the person who came to help him, his savior. someone who knew how to read instructions without getting distracted by cat memes or putting in salt when the recipe counted for sugar (he hoped), he owes them everything right now.

      “if it’s messed up, this will be my third attempt gone wrong.” the first few attempts he was alone. this time (more wisely) he asked for help. “thank you for coming to help me by the way. i would have been handing out skittles instead of homemade chocolate if i was the one making it. it just it has to be our secret that you helped me. i’ll credit you some other way.” jiyoung’s diligent grin pulls double duty (mischief and gratitude). valentines day, the holiday for suckers, and here he is, the biggest sucker of them all.

“well that’s what the instructions on the internet said. i’m not the best at this, i’m willing to admit, but the smell is really nice, so we must we doing something right.” as much as she wanted to hide in shame, she couldn’t deny the fact that her cooking and baking skills were mediocre at best, and that they only recently improved due to dojun’s presence in her life. he was the one that should’ve been here, not her.

he huffed a little embarrassedly at her words, a hum of self satisfaction passing through his lips as he mumbled slightly out of sheepishness, letting out a nervous laugh at her words as he shifted slightly, careful not to overly jostle chaeyeon in his arms, a tender smile spreading over his lips at the sight of her melting gently into his embrace. “i know you can take care of yourself..its just..well, i just wanted to pamper you for a good moment, that’s all.” his cheeks tint with colour as he ducked his head slightly in embarrassment. his shoes click against the polished tiles as he blinked down at her, eyes tracing the contours of her features affectionately as she pressed her frame into his. “somehow, i always feel as though i’d like to protect you forever, even though i do know that you are more than capable of taking good care of yourself, you know? maybe its a part of guilt, maybe its something else but, what remains i guess is the fact that i’d rather let myself suffer first than put you through anything similar to whatever happened in the past.” 

his grip tightens around her frame as his lips set softly into a gentle but pursed line, placing her carefully down on the sofa in the changing room he had described. 

“i thought i should be the one that’s telling you that. that you’re just something that i couldn’t ever ask for more.” he admits. “who knew that you’d beat me to the line first?” his fingers brush aside her hair, almost meticulous as he gently arranged her hair to tuck behind her ears. “next time i swear i’m going to be the first one to say something cheesy but meaningful to you, instead of the other way around.” he hummed, offering chaeyeon a cheeky little wink as he settled himself next to her, slinging an arm around her shoulder delicately. “and too reiterate your words just now, i think, that you’re the perfect body pillow.” 

“ — and i know, all of it. but we can’t live in the past, dojun. because i already love you, more than you can imagine, and i hope that for just one night we can be free,” without the weight of the past upon their chests. for once, maybe she could breathe freely. “do you think that i’ll leave you? is that what troubles you and keeps you concerned? because you’re always talking about the concept of forever  — and it doesn’t exist. life is unpredictable, cruel, but sometimes, it can be beautiful too. and i won’t leave you. that i promise. we’ve always been together. since the day we met. and even with all the heartbreaks and distance and misunderstandings between us, we were together. it’s just that we didn’t know it at that time. i’m always going to be with you. it’s just the life i was destined to live,” was it all just theatrics? or perhaps a wild hunch? whatever it was, she believed this wasn’t just a coincidence. maybe they had hated each other in a past life with fierce passion. so now they were destined to spend it together.

“well that was a short walk,” she commented as she found herself on the couch, hands reaching for his in her hair. “you know, dojun, not everything in life has to be a competition. you don’t have to keep striving for greater heights. let me have my moment because you’re aware of just how bad i am at this. but i’m not just talking about myself here. you need to show more compassion towards other people. basically i’m trying to tell you that you should treat others in the same way that you want to be treated. and i’m  telling you this not because i hate you, but because i love you,” it was a soft plea followed by her leaving an even softer kiss upon his forehead, “very very much.”

her sweet words and her arms around his neck was everything that dojun thought he could ever ask for, a soft smile sneaking its way up his lips as he nuzzled her lightly with a hum, burying his face into her neck a little shyly, before gently steering her away from prying eyes that could possibly remain on the backstage. as soon as they were out of sight, a fullblown grin spread widely across his lips, and dojun poked her cheek lightly, eyes swimming with affection as he leant forward and peck her lips lightly. 

“i mean…of course with me around, you’re going to be nothing but fine. the last thing that i’d ever want to do is to somehow hurt you. you’re a little too precious for me to want something bad to happen to you. now that no one is here to disturb us, want me to carry you all the way back to the changing room or something?” his eyes flickered ever so lightly with the mildest concern, watching the slight swell in her legs from standing in heels and dancing in them, huffing a little as he scooped her up in his arms grandly. “you know what, heck care what people are gonna say. i’m just gonna carry you back before you hurt your legs.” he nagged, grumbling like a nanny as he bent down to pick her up in his arms, glancing up at her slightly for her permission. “everyone else is a bit too busy to really notice, especially since i’ve checked out this side well, and it actually does lead to a very nice, little changing room. “what do you think?” 

“you’re really exaggerating at moment, dojun. i know it's a famous trait of yours, but i’m fine — trust me,” she laughed to herself, and thought how much he meant to her, but unlike like him, she rarely ever said or did something to display her emotions. learning, she’s still learning, trying to catch up with all the knowledge she’s lost over the years; love, life, friendships, heavy subjects to say the least, some never truly learn, but she wished to believe there was still hope for her. “please, jun, you don’t have to carry me. i’m not a child. i can walk on my own, and you know me, i’ve been walking in heels since, well since forever? my calves and feet are used to it. besides, i do care about what people are going to say. we’re supposed to be professional and we’re also supposed to be doing our jobs,” but the smile never left her face, growing wider the more he talked and nagged, giving her an offer that she simply didn’t want to refuse. wicked but also a fair game. “oh all right, how can i say no to you? but if you don’t mind, i think i’ll take a little nap. you’re just so...” melting gradually in his embrace, she trailed off as she did her best to find the right word to describe him. “you’re just so soft to touch. and you’re so incredibly warm. you’re like the perfect pillow. i could never ask for more.”

at the backstage of gayo daejeon after pre-recording , with @fmdxchaeyeon

it was times like these that dojun wondered if the alien managers ever tired of his constant, disappearing acts. in short, he could honestly care less for alien, mostly because he thought that their group was on the steady rise to a ironic downfall after they had forced him to reluctantly sign that lawsuit, resulting in severe losses (in his own perhaps, skewered personal opinion), that had affected the trajectory and route of alien’s long lasting life in a harsh industry like this. but the real reason behind his disappearing acts was less of a rational and logical one, instead leaning more towards the romantic notion of things, since as always–he was back here once again, perhaps within the span of fifteen minutes or so, checking upon chaeyeon in the backstage. 

“chae!” his eyes are bright as he spies her a good distance away, hiding his tall frame behind one of the boxes for the sound equipment as he beckoned towards her, a slightly cheeky smile dancing upon his lips as he practically vibrates with excitement upon seeing her, even though they had been pretty much apart from each other for what was just a mere fifteen minutes. “come here, come here!” he beckoned towards her, grinning widely like a cheeky child that had just managed to pull off a prank and deceive everybody. “i’m back to see you again.” he stated importantly, ignoring the sound of his managers some distance away calling for him as he peeked out from behind the equipment box and gave chaeyeon what could be seen as an affectionately simple smile, teeth in a wide grin and eyes creased estatically as he drummed his fingers against the box like a mini little drumroll. “ surprise!!” he chuckled softly, irises softening with adoration as he watched her every move, gently brushing aside a few stray strands of her hair that had come away during her pre-recording stage. “ aren’t you happy to see me again?” 

if it weren’t for her high heels that seemed to have been made of pins and needles and her tight black dress that kept on stealing the air out of her lugs and turning her skin red, the night would’ve been perfect. but it hurt, hurt to stand and walk, and even talk while having to maintain a strict posture and the always presentable smile on her face. nevertheless, chaeyeon was a champion in her own way, battling her problems with utmost persistence and calmness, keeping the entire thing to herself. others didn’t have to hear her cry and complain, and truthfully, she didn’t even want to bother dojun with it, not when both of them were lost in all the rush and madness of the backstage, but he just kept on coming back, popping here and there every fifteen minutes or so. “dojun! of course you’re back, i didn’t even notice that you were gone,” she noted with a teasing grin as she slowly made her way towards him. “you’re my surprise? of course you are. what have i done to deserve this surpri — ” she paused, allowing him to finish the readjustment of her loose hair strands.  “always. just like i was happy to see you fifteen minutes ago. i’m just so — ” unable to find the right words, she leaned on him for some support, trying to give her poor feet a few moments of rest.  “i’m good. totally fine now that you’re here.” 

with: open  date: 31st december  location: new years eve party 

eunbyeol is waiting for the fireworks. it’s always the thing that she looks forward to most when it comes to her birthdays. it’s her first birthday where she hasn’t been able to speak to her family ( she would call but she’s been too busy with the preparations for debut and filming ), and it’d be her last birthday as a trainee. it’s a bittersweet feeling; but as she looks up into the dark sky and waits for the fireworks to go off, she couldn’t think of a better way to say goodbye to her trainee years. her day had been spent behind the scenes at the concert, the rush of excitement that she had felt listening to the crowd has still yet to wear off.

“do you make new years resolutions?” she asks, turning to the figure sitting beside her. she’s not normally one to make new year’s resolutions, she never sticks to them anyway so why waste her time. but she figures that she may as well listen to other peoples ideas and appropriate them if they sound good. “i don’t have any yet and there’s only like… 10 minutes left of 2020.”

it was frightening as much as it was breathtaking to watch with a flute of champagne in her hands; the vastness of the ocean, the never-ending blackness mixed with the darkest shades of blue. she tried not to look too much or often, hypnotized by the ocean’s siren song and just when she needed a distraction, it came into view in a shape of a young girl asking a question that perhaps demanded proper thinking. “no, not that i can remember. they’re just always so unrealistic and out of reach. a few years ago, i even stopped making wishes. it’s not something i’m proud of, but at least i don’t end up disappointing myself too much.”

it is beyond difficult for ara to work up the motivation to even begin thinking of what would be any good to make for the culture complex contest. still, she’d been given a week-long vacation, so she felt that she shouldn’t squander it by wasting her days away watching netflix shows she’s already seen. so here she stood, in her basically brand new kitchen that she hadn’t even used yet.

“making food with no dairy is honestly more stress than it’s worth.” she grimaces, searching through the cookbook that she has lying open on the countertop, but coming away with nothing that sounds any good or doesn’t take hours and hours of prep work. she glances over to the other person in the kitchen with her. “doesn’t really help that i can’t cook either. you got any ideas?”

“well are you lactose intolerant? because i don’t see a reason to avoid dairy if you’re not. or are you just trying to level up your master chef skills?” instead of relying on just one book, she pulled out her phone and started searching for best recipes that didn’t include dairy. “my cooking skills are practically non-existent, but i've been recently trying to work on that. it’s never too late to learn anything,” her toxic relationship with food was her biggest enemy, one that she was trying her hardest to defeat and despite her low expectations, she was indeed making an excellent progress.  “what about a salad? they’re extra healthy and good for our bodies. or perhaps a fruit smoothie with almond milk? to me it sounds like a decent start.”

“yeah that’s totally it. i hate you so much that i purposefully torture myself by making myself get out of bed just to hang out with you outside our schedules.” sohee jokingly agreed. she assumed that chaeyeon knew it was far from the truth, as she was painfully obvious when she didn’t like someone. “it’s fine, you can laugh. it’s not like they’re necessarily wrong, because i do the bare minimum.” she smiled as started to walk over to where the dress was located. “noted. for you, i’ll agree to the idea of wearing a dress. and thank you? is that something that warrants a thank you? i’m not sure but take it anyway. there was a compliment in there after all.”

“while you’re at it, you can sing me one of the songs we’ve released as the icing on the cake. bonus points if you pick a song i have writing credits on. do that and i promise i’ll pretend to not know you the next time i see you.” the older woman laughed as she attempted to clap while holding items in her hands. “that’s what i love to hear! only tell me bad things about me because i’ll only hear them as compliments.” sohee nods as  “i mean, we are regular people… that just also happen to be in the public eye… but you can’t possibly get more boring than me. i’m pretty sure i live like i’m the oldest in the group by a few centuries.”

“well taking into consideration all the things that you’ve just said, i think it’s safe to assume that you don’t actually hate me. forgive me for saying this sohee, but i’m genuinely surprised. i didn’t see that coming at all,” she clasped her hands together, feigning slight shock and surprise. “the most important thing is that you’re not in fact broke and that you can buy yourself anything that you want. it’s just a shame that you don’t know how to spend your money,” another tease and it obviously seemed to be working as she watched sohee get closer and closer to the stunning dress.  “for me and for gold star. i don’t know, but i do think that you’re pretty. i’d date you in a heartbeat, based on your looks. if we weren’t group mates of course.” 

“for the first time in a long time, i cannot come up with an excuse. i’m trying my best to come up with a reason for why i forgot you came along, but my mind is blank. i have nothing at all. let’s just agree that i talk to myself so much that for a moment you slipped my mind.” sohee laughed at the younger’s reaction to her mistake. it was honestly something that sohee would do. “but my usual style and or image? hm… i’d say my style is pretty casual. can appear to be borderline broke most of the time according to what a fan said. i’d trust that comment over my own thoughts about my fashion sense.” she didn’t know much about fashion, which was probably why stylists never let sohee have her way. it was never something she really cared about.

“you know, the basics like how much i mean to you and how you can’t live without me. or anything i’d love to hear really.” sohee grimaced at the thought of chaeyeon actually doing that and backtracked immediately. “kidding, if you ever said any of that i might have to leave you here. you can tell me anything except how you feel about me because i don’t want to hear anything in that category. oh! i’m sure you’ve heard about my mission to acquire unnie’s couch. maybe tell me something like any hobbies or activities you’ve picked up so that i can be inspired and do something other than try to take her couch. ” 

“you hate me. it’s official. you actually hate me. that’s the real reason!” the brunette jokingly accused, knowing that at certain times in the past she must’ve been desperate for attention, even quite unlikable, but those days were long past them, showcasing a true sign of growth. “borderline broke? that’s pretty funny, forgive me for laughing. but why don’t you try mixing it up a little? like, look at that beautiful purple dress over there, next to the shoes on display? it’d be so cute with matching thigh-high leather black boots and a little black purse. maybe you could even add some accessories, like a simple silver watch, and it would still be casual but trendy. i think you’d be so pretty.”

“ don’t put yourself down.” she knows how intimate everything is with regards to infidelity and cheating when it comes to chaeyeon, especially with her and dojun. “mistakes in youth only mean to educate you so that your path in the future can be all the more smoother. plus,” she pulls herself up, almost airy as she raises a brow. “your boyfriend did the same thing too.”  she grumbled, obviously unhappy with the male that the younger girl was dating. “did he even apologise for what he did? i bet he didn’t.” she turns to look at chaeyeon, a faint sigh passing through her lips. “but i know you love him, and honestly, to me, that’s all that matters. as long as he makes you happy, i think i can deal with him…even though at times i really really want to whip out a feather duster, chase him down the hallway and smack his butt with it.” chaeyeon lights up when she talks about the things that she loves–youngjoo can’t help but think to herself as she watches the younger girl turn slightly embarrassed at her own admission, squealing with a little coo as she reached over the push chaeyeon’s cheeks together. “you are so cute when you’re embarrassed! but like you said, you both wanted this. so now that you know what happened before was terrible, i know that you’ll both do better this time. you’re incredibly lucky, chae–to have someone so willing to chase after you.” her hands drop from the younger girls cheeks as she flops back onto the couch to delicately sigh, jostling a little as she pulled her arms from chaeyeon’s hug to reciprocate the physical intimacy.

“listen.”  she chuckled, shaking her head as the younger girl muttered something about their group mate. “ we’re only perfect, because you and sohee are perfect too. we fit like cogs in a machine only because we chose too cooperate and eventually like each other, thought granted, sohee was an amazing work to get used to.”  she grunted, passing a hand over her face. “i’m still haunted by her floor inducing tantrums. anyway–"she laughed, raising a brow. ” about restaurants–how about chinese takeout? that’s a restaurant, isn’t it?“

“yeah, whatever, i don’t really want to talk about it because it’s not that important at the moment. you always find a way to make things about me, but that’s not what i want. forget i even said anything. i was just curious about your life,” she concluded with a dismissive wave of her hand and really there was nothing worth discussing there. the entire thing was complicated, probably irrational and to most people even absurd,  but to her at least it meant more than she could describe with actual words. “next time i ask you about your love life, don’t switch the subject and don’t focus on mine. it’s just rude, joo,” despite her chuckles, she meant it, hoping that the older girl would actually listen to her.  “like cogs in a machine? yeah, right. a really bad machine. you know, you obviously have a tendency to make things better than they really are. even if it’s just with your words, you’ll always find a way to make things positive or charming or romantic. sometimes i think that you only look at the world through rose-colored glasses and for that i at times envy you. however, about sohee’s tantrums... i don’t know what to tell you. i thought that she was pretty stupid back then for doing that,” yet of course her views and outlooks shifted over time, showing chaeyeon just how superficial and hateful she had been. “sure? it’s not really fancy, but if that’s what you want, then i’m fine with it too.”

suwei felt like a princess. and growing up she always did, because in her parents' eyes she was a princess. or at least their princess. but in her ball gown and mask she felt like a real princess from a fairytale on her way to the ball to meet her prince charming. she stood out in the garden listening to the music from the main room filter out. the sounds of the orchestra made her want to dance.

it was quite out in the garden until it wasn’t. an unsuspecting person was walking by. she stopped them as they approached her. “you wouldn’t happen to know how to dance?” and by dance she meant slow dance. it seemed the right thing to do in the garden dressed up in her gown with the sounds of the orchestra flitting through the air.

.・゜゜・☽ ｏｐｅｎ ┊ huiseon was by no means graceful. but she also wasn’t klutzy. she liked to think she fell in the inbetween like most people. it was however uncharacteristic of her to trip on thin air.

she was happy to be at the party. it wasn’t like they had a choice. they were required to make an appearance and stay. she enjoyed parties. she was walking into the lobby when she stumbled falling onto the floor face down. some people fall gracefully, but huiseon wasn’t so lucky. she made her way to get up when she felt someone behind. she turned around to come face to face with whoever saw her embarrassing fall. “hi. just checking out the floor. making sure the floor is sturdy.” she said with an awkward smile trying to hide her embarrassment.