noise.

it’s a bit... strange to practice it with others at first. insoo was used to practicing it with his grandma when the accent didn’t make him self-conscious. he was never blind to his beginnings, and when the other side of the family wasn’t exactly the most welcoming, he’d come to terms that learning the language wouldn’t do much (if anything at all) when he hadn’t been born into the culture. his grandmother was unlike them though, and at the end of the day, she made up for all the dirty looks the other side offered. 

in any case, he was decent, but not the best. he had that advantage to his aid, considering his grandma and dad were japanese (obviously, foster parents who ended up adopting him- not his biological ones); he could pick up the details and nuances a lot better, so technically he did not have to do more than the minimum which was required for them in the band path. regardless, insoo thought he could always improve. and if he was being given more tutelage than what his grandma (who was rather old and not too up to date with the language) offered, he’d take what he could get. 

>seojinnie

normally i would be into it but   i really miss you, so.

insoo huffed as his friend nudged him with his foot, tugging his leg playfully. he put up his best puppy-eyed look he could muster, “waiting for you to return home.” said insoo with a pout. chuckling right after from the excitement, unable to contain himself any longer. he pushed himself up with his feet and turned towards his backpack, unzipping it and producing a bandana. ‘first before you see it, i want you to put this on.” he said with the wide-eyed trust of a child, hoping seojin wouldn’t be too hesitant considering their friendship could be as wholesome and as full of mischief as two non-blood-related siblings could be. “hurry, hurry!” insisted insoo, jumping lightly in the same spot as he watched the other with bright-eyed expectation. 

he was... nervous. fortunately, his muscle memory did most of the work and to figure out the kinks and twists wasn't that much of an issue when he had the ease of experience. it wasn't the best, it was somewhat plain because when he thought of adding details, he was scared he would ruin the look of it. after all, it was meant to display, not to be a showcase itself. once he painted and put the last varnish coat on it to make it last, he stashed it in the middle of his room because well- moving it around was too much of an issue, and then to hide it would be another. luckily, his roommates were far too busy to care, and though his manager did frown at it at first; once he explained the reason behind it, he was all for it and even helped him to orchestrate the whole thing.

he only hoped @lgcseojin would like it.

he waited until a day he was busy enough he wouldn't be at the dorm until late. then, he texted him to make sure they both met at the same time before he happened to open his door.

you almost there? i want to show you something.

impatient that he wouldn't make on time, he waited instead outside his door (though knowing full well the combination, he sat still.)

i will be here.

he sent a picture of him in his hoodie, waiting at his best friend's apartment doorstep.

it's... quiet. insoo can't help but to push the fringe of his bangs with a huff in boredom. he had met up with danny to hone in his dancing and overall skills (and sure, also to fool around but he wasn't about to admit that) but being someone used to having something to do, after a while it came to a hush (mainly because both were exhausted and second, clearly too unfocused after a long while of trying to sabotage each other.) but he wasn't going down without a fight, he had plenty of ideas up his sleeve (most which could be potentially illegal in korea) however none safe enough to put to the test... yet.

he's not quite sure if he started it (or danny did, their wavelengths tend to align too often), but before he realizes it they're neck and neck with rock, paper, scissors, and it's becoming glaringly obvious they share the same brain cell (that with how it's a draw at most turns.) so, when insoo gets this glint in his eye (which, hear him out, it's not always despite what others may think), there's very little that could deter him to blurt out whatever stupid idea his brain came up with.

some updates about his character (fc change) and other minor things and thoughts. not necessary to read for those that don't interact with him and/or hajoon but if you're curious.... 👁👄👁

spark of magic

the requirements for this task in particular is quite interesting, to say the least. he did find it a little odd that legacy didn’t host their very own special secret santa, considering how they always go all out for every occasion, only for it to be revealed that they’re going to do exactly that—just the band path, with their very own secret santa event. hyunbin doesn’t have the best planned surprises, usually they’ll come out as pranks more than gifts. that being said, he does want to get closer to the others who are pursuing the same path as he is. so, he pondered over what special present he could give.

( @lgcinsoo ) is the person he should prepare a special event for. he knows that insoo loves the drums, and has a liking for rock and alternative music. hyunbin wants to do something a little different though, branch out to something else that isn’t music. they’ll have plenty of time to dive deep into music when their band debuts (and he believes it will, soon). luckily, he came across the perfect gift by coincidence.

“hyung, hyung, hyung!” hyunbin repeats over and over as he runs up to the other, a big grin on his face. “are you free? there’s this show i really want to go to but the friend who was supposed to come with me cancelled last minute—can you please come with me? i promise you’ll have a good time!” he keeps it vague on purpose, wanting to hold some sort of element of surprise. wouldn’t it be much more fun that way?

it’s been somewhat of a wild ride. Insoo can’t say his week has been the best, to be honest. He’s trying though, pushing through all the things hes been thrown at with recently his grandmother falling ill and now having to take more than his mind can handle. In any case, she’s been getting better so he’s been making time little by little to get back to the grind and focus on what he wants to do. At the end of the day, the smallest things, the good things are what he wants to focus on.

baking shenanigans.

[..]

 “can i trust you to get all of the utensils we need while i prepare how much we need for the ingredients?” sehoon asks teasingly, one eyebrow raised slightly in an amused way. he could be a bit funny when he wanted to be.

all of the ingredients on the counter, he heads over and spreads them out, opening each and looking at the measurements. “how long do you think we’ll be here baking for? i’m going to guess for at least six hours. if we don’t mess up somehow.” he chuckles, corners of his eyes creasing as he does. just then, he remembers about the aprons and spins around, grabbing onto the two provided and spins back around. “catch!” he lightly throws an apron over to insoo, throwing his on over his clothes then heads to the sink to wash his hands. “are we making chocolate chip ones?” 

it goes without saying: insoo had his own way to be persuasive. his friendship with sehoon had taken a bit of time to establish. granted, insoo was anything but not persistent; no matter how many hints and clues the other threw his way, he had stuck through like gum on his hair and wouldn’t let go unless he chopped it off (which, figuratively, would be a lot more effort than necessary.) so, once he secured his place as a friend, and someone worthy of his time; insoo did not hesitate to jump the gun and cling to sehoon once again for his dear life. if anything, it was a nice reprieve from all the sport events that he had participated. insoo was quite athletic himself, enough that his instructors back in the day would mourn their loss whenever insoo decided to stick to the arts rather than physical activities. 

he still made time to keep in shape, because if anything he had energy to spare no matter how little he slept. however, baking had been one of the things he’d become adamant in getting good at (and following after, of course, cooking.) however, it hasn’t been that long since he last nearly burned the kitchen in an attempt of making pasta (how he’d pulled that out, we will never know.) but it’s been certainly long enough that he’d practiced his skills and managed to showcase everyone his perfectly done flan on his last v-live. this time, he was just as prepared. 

“yes, sir!” he made a playful salute motion in response, gathering the spoons, spatulas and what not, orderly placing them on the counter as to not lose sight of them. “have hope, sehoon! i think the longest we may end up waiting for will be the baking time but- other than that it should be just fine to make a small batch first... just in case.” he said with a chuckle, reaching over to ruffle his friend’s hair and managing to catch just in time the flying items up in the air. he hung it over his shoulder and then gestured to his friend to come near, “can you help me tie it up?” he aske dwith a pout. “let’s ! i brought a few different toppings too in case you wanted something else as well, some shaping pans, and other molds for the cookie dough. “ added insoo enthusiastically, “what’s your favorite type of cookie, sehoonie?”

in the name of the moon!

[..]

her head turns, eyelashes blinking once, twice – she doesn’t recognize who @lgcinsoo is. the situation catches her off guard, however, any grace slipping from her posture when she accidentally manages to actually trip over her own foot, loses all footing and balance. and it’s in this second that she can feel herself fall, breath trapped in her lungs. how embarrassing to trip in front of a stranger. 

it’s not surprising that in the least expected moments; when he’s meant to take a message from the outside world, perhaps of enlightenment or something along the lines of god speaking to him. insoo is literally listening to some random late 00′s pop song that nobody listens to anymore, humming it under his breath as he spaces out in the middle of the hall. it’s strange, how the light just suddenly hits a girl passing by across from him, and he gets this sudden sense of deja vu and it’s hard for him to look away. long before he’s thinking about it, his hands are reaching out, his body propelling itself to catch her; a single arm encircling her waist and pushing her against him as they both cinematically end up falling from the sheer strength of the adrenaline hero-induced moment. 

[..]

he’s beaming when insoo starts patting his head in an affectionate manner. he’s never one to shy away from such gestures, not afraid to admit that he likes being treated that way. “oh, of course! i can’t say i’m the best teacher, really… but i’ll do my best for you!” to hyunbin, it felt as if he had been playing all his life. “i messed around with the piano ever since i was in elementary school, wasn’t good at it, but it was just fun. i think i started getting good when i was in middle school. what about you, hyung?” 

feeling a little bit too.. happy that he was being praised, insoo tried not to show it-- but it was hard, considering his smile grew wider by the minute (he was hoping he wasn’t looking like a maniac, the joker had nothing on him now as she spoke with his dongsaeng.) “you’re too sweet.” said insoo, reaching out once again to ruffle his hair and then pinch his cheek affectionately. “come, hyung wants to give you a hug?” it was a given, he couldn’t just not show his own love without a bit of touching. he hoped hyunbin wouldn’t think of it weird, or worse, creepy. “also, don’t say im the coolest in front of seojin, he will never let you hear the end of it.” he chuckled, shaking his head at how his friend would scoff. after all, whether separate or together, both had the knack to appear younger than they really were, with their children-like scuffles often getting glares from their manager. “let’s teach each other soon, once this is all over. yes?” said insoo, eyes bright and hopeful. 

plug in, baby.

[..]

“I’m just practicin’ again is all.” He held up his phone, unplugging the chord from the headphone jack. “Also, was monitoring our stages to make sure everything looked tight.” Seojin was never one to be so meticulous when it came to appearances. Not for himself. However, when it came to needing to look cohesive as a team, he became hyperfocused on ensuring the performance ran smoothly. There could be one or two hairs out of place. He didn’t expect them to be perfect by any means.

“Why are you bouncing all around? We have another show soon, y’know.” // 

trying to quiet the energy he had began to build up, he settled down just enough to join his friend where he was. though it wasn’t long before he grabbed his drumsticks from the back of his jeans and started to twirl them between his fingers, balancing them on his nose and so forth as he spoke with his friend. “and how do you think we’ve been doing?” he asked. considering that his talk with charlie earlier had given him a confidence boost, not to mention a much needed comfort he had craved ever since they started this journey (for a simple as it was, her words had held all the affection needed to simmer down his nerves). he didn’t mind much if his response ended up harsher than expected. he would take it like a champ, as per usual, only this time probably less to heart behind close doors. 

of all things, this was the least of them that he had looked forward to. there was nothing bad about it, really. he just got nervous in front of authorities sometimes. he put up a strong front and bravado, and the hat of a fool only to make it seem like he wasn’t. but there was something so unnerving by their top honcho of the band, mihi, that insoo always had a hard time to shake off. when she sat across from him to discuss their future plans, and then awaited for his own perspective of this, he paused a little too long for her liking (or so, he thought- he didn’t actually know, insoo was not a mind reader but clearly it did love to fill in the gaps.) 

“uh, well-” think quick, han insoo. what do you want to do in the future, aside from band stuff? he could lie about it, clearly. honestly speaking, he had never thought he’d make it this far. the whole idea had been slow from the begenning, and though he was getting old, it’s not like he was that old to not be able to manage other jobs - something different than being a band trainee. he had considered before, around the time he joined, to be an idol. but the idea, no matter how tempting it was (with all the additional attention he would get and boost to his own confidence), would not figure a hundred percent inside him. it wouldn’t be convincing enough. he was good at making music, or so he thought (A bit) but he still needed a long way to go. so what should he do? 

(,,,,)

“my shift ends in a little under a half an hour. if you don’t mind me smelling like coffee we can get food right after that.” he hopes insoo doesn’t mind at all, because yohan is excited himself. sure insoo had invited him to hang out before but it had always been a theoretical thing a we should hang out one day, it would be fun but then insoo would leave the shop and yohan would be left behind to wonder what that would be like. but he doesn’t have to wonder anymore, instead it’s actually going to happen and yohan is buzzing with energy. “do you mind waiting? can we head over together? it’s okay if we can’t, if you want to give me the address i can meet you there.” 

grinning from ear to ear to himself, unable to contain the excitement, insoo reaches over to ruffle and mess with yohan’s hair as he agrees to his suggestion. he hadn’t planned much - as insoo was not a planner in the slightest, preferred to go with the flow of situations and in this particular subject, when it came to teetering between the edge of not knowing the state of his friendship with another person, he was even more so despite the fact that he probably shouldn’t have been. after all, what if he said no? shouldn’t he have had a plan b? or c? or d? - and thus when things went unexpectedly good, he merely hopped he’d find his away along his path. 

in this manner, he placed his money on the table and said, “then, don’t mind if i wait, and also smell like coffee- i really like it anyway.” he said without a shame, even going as far as sniffing himself and then without much of a warning, pulling on yohan’s sleeve to confirm whether they both smelled about the same or something else. “you smell good, yohan!” he laughed, eyes crinkling in delight as he realized this was the case. “though i can also smell a bit of laundry detergent...” he commented casually as he let go of him, and grabbed his drink. 

look past blinding lights

 ( … )

the distraught was starting to disappear as calmness seeped in. she had to ease herself cautiously in the comforting silence as it gnawed her skin. there was one too many times that she had become too comfortable in the blissfulness of everything peaceful. until it started to create this wall around her, leading her to unintentionally distance herself from others in fear that they might see what was hidden behind it. “don’t mind if do then,” she continues, making an effort not to let her dark clouds hover around their members too. “you’re amazing at what you do, insoo, i don’t think the band will be the same if you’re not there.”

feeling incredibly grateful, if anything he’s suddenly so stupidly touched that he has to avert his gaze and look anywhere else but at her face when she says that it wouldn’t be the same without him. insoo, out of fear that he’s tearing up because well- isn’t it sort of silly? that those words of validation would mean so much to him? - he can’t handle it; he glances at the nearest reflection of him and finds out that luckily, his eyes hadn’t betrayed him just yet, before he decides to meet her gaze. though, unfortunately, his choked up voice after the fact as well as his features - he wears his heart on his sleeve, and at this time it wouldnt be more evident by the show of furrowed brows, pursed lips, and overall countenance that says ‘if you say one more word im either gonna start sobbing or run away’ - are a dead giveaway of what he wanted to hide. 

so, he takes a few moments to compose himself, if anything to sound less sentimental than he should be. “whether you believe it or not, i also feel the same way. you’ve accomplished so much, from what i heard.” he says in return. it wasn’t until recently that he had gone out of the shadows - of the countless gigs and side-jobs he’d taken in order to pay the bills and debt that his deceased father had left that was nowhere near close to disappearing - and re-evaluated his choices as he took part in something more serious than anything else he had. it is then that he realized just who he was surrounding himself with, and in particular, the talent that he couldn’t help but both envy and be proud of despite the distance that was yet to diminish more than a few centimeters everytime they interacted (it felt like miles long for him, who often craved to be as close to the hip to anyone he cared about.) 

miscommunication ♥ 

                                                              [..]

               “how rude! please watch where you going, no one should be running in halls–” it would have been fine if bingbing ranted in korea yet it seems she instantly spoke in her mother tongue which would be most confusing for fellow korean. doesn’t matter the fact she wasn’t paying attention, the other person should be aware of other people existences. it is true she can be right ice princess at times but she only demands respects from others nothing less. // 

pissing a random stranger for being an airhead wasn’t news for insoo; if anything, though not a common enough occurrence to expect it, he knew he could be relatively unaware of his sourrings at times if he was specifically focused on something. normally thriving when multitasking, he was human, and in those chances of fated errors, he found it easier to apologize and move on- for the most part. but as insoo noticed who he had accidentally bumped into, he realized it couldn’t have worsened the situation more than it should (or so he hoped.) picking up her book from the ground, he dusted it off carefully and handed it to her with an apologetic smile. 

round one

[..]

“hyung, you’re so cool!” he says, genuine clear in the way he’s almost squeaking. “you know, i wanted to pick up the drums at one point, but i didn’t have a good teacher. and i always thought i need to perfect one thing before jumping onto the next—but, well, i kind of regret it now, looking back.” he lets out a short huff, arms crossed. “i don’t know whether you’ll have time to teach me since we’re on tour, but maybe in the future? pretty please?”

he’s using his pleading voice, pitch higher than usual as he closes in on insoo with a pout. according to statistics and research, he’s twice more irresistible this way (or that’s what he’d like to think, hyunbin doesn’t know whether he gives off a very cute aura, unlike his friends). 

insoo isn’t not used to an audience- rather- it’s more that he isn’t aware of it, at least not mindfully. without getting into too many details, his inferiority complex had made his sense of consciousness about others somewhat warped. unless it involves people he’s keen of - in specific, those he considers his friends and/or loved ones - whatever task he may part take-in, he usually does so in a focused manner. 

perhaps, this was the reason why he didn’t always have a consistent result when he was in acting school, his motivation, connection and overall personal emotional stance at the time would influence a lot his performance. however, when it came to the drums, he never faltered. if it was a movement, like dancing, and it involved his body and energy- he got so lost into himself it always took him off guard if someone said things like that- “--what?” insoo nearly tripped on thin air, catching himself right on time before he made a fool of himself. he blushed lightly as an awkward chuckle slipped past his lips. “uhm, i’m okay i mean- there’s more experienced people than me and-” he answered quickly, flustered beyond words that he couldn’t help but stutter half of his response. 

there’s plenty of instances where insoo could have backed off. he had a lot of time to think about this. it all started with a dare, which soon turned into a challenge that he couldn’t back out from because he had recently taken on the mission to learn to eat better. mostly, it was in part because he realized that after relying so long on his friends for their food had become too shameless of him (says someone with zero awareness) but also because the tours, and the stress had started to get to him.

it did not help that at the end of the day, he couldn’t just about spend money on food if it was cheaper to make it.

so, he did his reasearch, and despite distracting himself like crazy in the middle of it, practice paid off. and for once, he could proudly present something he was decent at, and required zero cooking skills whatsoever. he gave the list of the ingredients to the staff, and when the cameras started rolling, he felt oddly.. relieved rather than nervous.

he would not mess up this time. 

“hey everyone! how’s it been?” insoo started cheerfully as he pushed his sleeves up. “ i know last time we spoke, i said i couldn't cook, let alone bake.” he said sheepishly, trying and failing to not appear embarrassed by his own statement. “but one of my goals for this upcoming year is to get good at it, and be a lot more independent from others in this case. I want to be able to cook and bake for my loved ones.” if anything that was his main goal. he wanted to be the type to be relied on, and not the opposite. plus, he figured this would get him more friends too. 

“but i know it’s not an easy thing to do if you’re not naturally good at it. However, i know practice makes perfect.” raising his arms in a cheering gesture, he clenched his fists. “so, everyone, i’m going to teach how how to make a no bake flan that should take you fifteen minutes to do, and that even if you’re not good at cooking, it’ll be easy.” and thus, insoo began the process of it. first, he started by melting sugar in a small souce pan, stirring along to make sure it melted evenly. “once it melts, “ he explained. “and you see no lumps, kind of like this-” he showed the camera, “you can add water, but be careful because it’s hot and we want no accidents.” he chuckled as he mentioned this, knowing his reputation of lighting up on fire any kitchen if he tried this before (and honestly, he had nearly done so twice in the past, if it wasn’t because he had supervision.)

feeling oddly proud, he proceeded with the next step, pouring it into the bottom of a bundt pan. “then you will put this in a fridge or freezer, let it harden up.” then, insoo began doing the gelatin, and afterwards preparing to heat up the milk until it dissolved. he poured everything inside a blender,  added the following ingredients; condensed milk, table cream, vanilla extract and the gelatine inside for the flan batter. finally, he placed the end product into the fridge. “so, now, you let this chill for 6 hours at least or overnight, and the next day, it’ll look something like this.” he said as he took out a flan he’d previously made himself, ready to be flipped onto a plate (which he demonstrated at the same time.