foodie

chaeyeon doesn't just have a minute, she has at least forty-five seconds, because this kind of thing is her lifeblood. she's been sitting, scrolling deep into an online sale for platform mary janes she absolutely doesn't need (but needs), when suzu drops next to her with the kind of energy that feels contagious. "oh my god, yes," she blurts before he even finishes. her phone's already tossed aside, thumb tapping idly against her thigh as she leans in close enough to peek at the laptop screen. "wait, wait, lemme set the scene properly. am i listening like... your potential future number one fan, or like... evil producer with dark glasses and a million-won studio?" she punctuates that last bit with exaggerated air quotes, eyes wide and bright, unlike her.

he was thrown off for just a moment, not expecting such an enthusiastic response. that suited his mood well though, he didn't have to any lingering guilt about possibly interrupting someone's day. not that there would be that much guilt. at her question, he thought about it for a moment as he pulled up the songs. "maybe both?" though, he hopped that he wouldn't turn into a evil producer. "mainly, just improving on my skill, you never know what will happen in the future."

"consider it done." his thoughts turned to space, "i'm torn. i'd love to capture of photos but i don't actually want to go into it. i'm not brave enough. the best feeling is knowing my feet are firmly planted on the ground." something about the vastness of it was daunting and thinking about it, he felt the same about the ocean. it was fun to be in but the depths of it...that was another thing entirely.

"space can be terrifying." avery agreed with a little laugh, his eyes lighting up in amusement as he peered at suzu, glad that the other male seemed excited at the prospect of finding some flowers. he would have to pat himself on the back later for not being terrified at socializing and offering his opinion, maybe with more practice he'd be able to be a changed man or something. 

thankfully, there wasn't much prep to the whole grabbing snacks. his aunt made it easy for him and he sent up another silent thank you the lady that had helped him through various points in his life. he reminded himself to thank her in person too.

the fabric metaphor was nice, it fit perfectly. too perfectly. so perfectly that suzu couldn't help but smile. "with that, you've helped to improve my mood." distracted him enough from his own family matters that he could toss everything to the back of his mind with a smile. "i'll take care of that laundry another day." no days if he truly had his way but he would never truly let go parents, not while his aunt was around at least.

minah looks like she's weighing up the offer, but it looks more like she's trying to see if the ceiling tiles are about to fall on her. "a big lunch? what are you, eighty? that's not gossip raw money, that's… that's retirement-home bribery... deal. you want the good stuff, ususally you've got to offer something worth the trauma but you're so cute i can't help it. next time: think free taxi rides. unlimited chicken skewers. i dunno. lunch barely get deodorant scandals." she scratches at her sleeve, then, with a sigh so overblown it could collapse a tent, she shrugs. "fine. starter course it is. heard one of the vocal coaches had a proper meltdown in the bogs last week. apparently someone told her she was teaching like it was still 1998 and she had a fit. which, to be fair, might explain why half of us sound like a dial-up modem when we warm up? where are the vocal coaches?”

seeing as food was one of his main joys of life, suzu was very offended that the offer wasn't good enough. it could be seen on his face, the confusion and hurt. which quickly went away when minah did offer some of the good gossip she had heard. "i don't know how much i can up the offer but lunch, anywhere you want, on me and anytime. even if i'm not having it with you." a deal that he would personally kill for. as far as the vocals, "maybe's that's hydra's personal touch. standing out from the competition and all of that." then his mind wondered to the trainee who said it. "do you think….saying something like that…do you get a warning or should i checking rosters to see who isn't here to find out which trainee was brave enough to voice those thoughts?"

minah just leans heavier into the frame, one sneaker balanced precariously against the other, like she's half-tempted to topple over and let the moment take care of itself. the kid's smile is back, looser now, and she files it away, proof that he can resurface even after he's drowned himself in parental static. good. hydra won't eat him alive. "fabric's stubborn like that," she says, as though she's some laundrette philosopher, voice bone-dry, almost bored. "leave it long enough in the basket and it starts growing new problems. mildew. moth holes. you know, the glamorous stuff." her eyes narrow a little, not with judgement but something closer to mischief. ok, so she enjoys skewering metaphors. sue her.

the fabric metaphor was nice, it fit perfectly. too perfectly. so perfectly that suzu couldn't help but smile. "with that, you've helped to improve my mood." distracted him enough from his own family matters that he could toss everything to the back of his mind with a smile. "i'll take care of that laundry another day." no days if he truly had his way but he would never truly let go parents, not while his aunt was around at least.

suzu smiled at the compliment, even if it was more so meant for his aunt. "if you don't get to meet her today, i'll let her know that you said so. but she truly is kind, i wouldn't have been able to take this step without her support." when he told his parents about taking the step in becoming a trainee, he couldn't have done it without her confidence. suzu grabbed a drink himself, taking a look around his room. what did he want to show off?

"please do let her know." avery offered softly, lips curling upwards into a slight smile as he peered at suzu; his eyes barely left the pictures and albums, staring intently, he wondered how it would be like if he could take pictures of the stars, the dark night would be overwhelming, it would cover its beauty, and he had never managed to find the right settings when it came to such things. maybe he could ask his friend.

"consider it done." his thoughts turned to space, "i'm torn. i'd love to capture of photos but i don't actually want to go into it. i'm not brave enough. the best feeling is knowing my feet are firmly planted on the ground." something about the vastness of it was daunting and thinking about it, he felt the same about the ocean. it was fun to be in but the depths of it...that was another thing entirely.

like for a random starter

minah doesn't mean to be there at all. she's just orbiting around, the way she always is when practice runs out of oxygen and she has to escape before someone notices she's got nothing left in her lungs. the door's half-open and she's never been the kind of girl to pretend she doesn't look when the universe tilts something in her line of sight. so she catches it, the frayed edges of his voice, the kind of break you only hear when someone thinks no one else is listening. it doesn't shock her, not really. everybody's got a version of themselves they only let out in borrowed rooms.

alive. that was one way to put it. and it was enough to raise a small smile to his lips. "i am alive, if not a little irritated but alive." well, he was way more than a little irritated but it wasn't anything that would kill him. the way she took it relaxed him enough to let the tension leave his shoulders. "normally, i could wait for two am but i stupidly thought to make the call." they couldn't accuse him of being unfilial. "but i think it's going to be a while before i touch that fabric again."

seungho cracks a grin at that, lopsided, the kind that makes it impossible to tell if he's laughing with suzu or at him. he drags a hand over his face, but the corners of his mouth don't drop. "average isn't a crime. i'm pretty average," he says, low, "but don't undersell yourself either. you ever hear the way people talk when you walk out of a room? trust me, bro, nobody's calling you average. they're all just pissed you look like you woke up from a shampoo commercial." he kicks a leg over the side of the bed, finally sitting up, hair falling into his eyes. grabs his hoodie off the floor, shrugs it on without much care for the zipper.

seungho was interesting in a way that suzu smiling. he wiggled his eyebrows, "what are they saying about me when i walk out of the room? i've never paid much attention to my ego but i wouldn't mind using a boost." though, he doubts there are whispers about how crazy hot he was. if anything, maybe his smile. he wasn't vain but he knew that was his winning feature. "shampoo commercial?" suzu ran his hands through his hair, pretending he was in one. "maybe that'll happen after debut...for you...one of those silent fashion ad's where you just look charismatically into the camera, bonus points if it's back and white." it just felt like it fit.

living with a legend no one's heard of (yet) —

it was just one of those days, training was over. he had some time to relax and no plans. suzu was the type of guy who liked to have something going, be it taking a walk or just organizing things. but he was also aware that this didn't get to happen often. still, nothing came to mind and he found himself wandering outside for a bit before he finally settled on returning to their dorm.

"have your parents been able to come around since?" avery asked after a while, watching suzu as he moved around in his room, he stayed still, not daring to be too touchy, or curious, he knew when to make himself small, but he also knew that he was welcomed, and he wouldn't ever take advantage of that sort of thing. instead, he sat comfortably at the edge of the bed, grabbing his long legs, and hugging them to his chest, his chin rested on top of his knees, peering at his friend through the thick lenses of his glasses. "my mother was... somewhat accepting. things have been hard since..." he paused, not daring to utter the next words, instead, he offered, "my father's accident... she has been supportive, though. i think she just wants me to be happy."

at his question, suzu gave him a sad smile. "they still haven't. i've showed them that i've had this dream since i was a kid and i've been trying to prove it to them sense...." he trailed off. a sigh left his mouth. "they considered my training and any classes as something i just had fun with. not be taken serious as a career." he wished it would be different, "i doubt that they would support me even if i was to debut and hit big." he knew he wasn't the only person that didn't have supportive parents but it still stung.

kentaro doesn't look up at first. he's halfway through scrolling his phone, pretending he isn't rereading the same message thread from three nights ago. but then he catches the tone, the way suzu says "when you have a second" like he’s trying to soften the weight of needing help. so he exhales through his nose, tosses his phone onto the table face-down like that'll make him focus better, and leans over without bothering to shift his chair.

"yes, i've been stuck on this for days." there is a slight hint of a pout in suzu's tone but he's too bright of a person to truly let a pout show. instead he leaned back as he listened to the other's feedback. one version had bite and another version had flow. to be fair, suzu hadn't whittled down everything when it came to the song. he always started with lyrics and followed with the rest. he wouldn't really know which one he wanted more until music was put to it.

it was a foreign affair to be over at someone's place, someone who was a friend. he should be proud of himself for stepping outside of his comfort zone further, but he couldn't help but to feel out of place, like he hadn't belonged. he supposed it would be a feeling he would struggle with for a while, but- he had to admit the kindness in which he was greeted, the warmth, it was nice.

suzu smiled at the compliment, even if it was more so meant for his aunt. "if you don't get to meet her today, i'll let her know that you said so. but she truly is kind, i wouldn't have been able to take this step without her support." when he told his parents about taking the step in becoming a trainee, he couldn't have done it without her confidence. suzu grabbed a drink himself, taking a look around his room. what did he want to show off?