second best

for once, yura doesn't feel that out of place when it comes to the nintendo contract. at first, she definitely did as she very rarely played games unless dragged into it (read: by somin) but since trying out animal crossing before, she's played a bit more over time. granted, it still wasn't much since she only had time if she wasn't busy and she had to be in the mood to play too but it was a cute, relaxing game to wind down with. however, that was enough for her to not dread showing up to promotional filming for the switch 2 and a new game though which she'll take as a win - even if she doesn't really know what's going on completely yet. "hm?" she lets out a hum, turning her eyes away from the papers she was looking at that outlined what they would be filming today and all that. spotting sori, yura's face brightens and she smiles. "oh, hi! it's been a while huh?" her smile widens and she makes room for the other to join her in the chairs that were set up for resting. "um, it looks like it's just recently released so i haven't had a chance to play it, no," she admits, a bit sheepish, before her voice turns uncertain as she tries to recall the details she had gathered today. "from what i've heard and read though, it's kind of like animal crossing and pokemon combined? so it sounds cute! at least for the photoshoot and cf, we probably don't need to be that knowledgeable about the game though... right?"

sori wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about nintendo games, while she’d played mario kart with eunhye before and briefly played animal crossing, that’s as much as she knows. it does feel a bit weird modeling for someone she’s so… unfamiliar? unknowledgeable? about. but sori had modelled for things before, things she didn’t know that much about, so it couldn’t be too hard, right? she knows her dad is jealous of her because of this gig, he’s a big and famous model, yet she gets to model for nintendo before him, and she’s not even really a model.

"i could ask the same about you," minji says. "you look good in every picture i've ever seen, promise!" minji thinks about the question herself though, pondering over what makes her take good pictures. of course, there are pictures she's taken that make her cringe, but since becoming an idol, she has regretted pictures she's taken less. so, she thinks "maybe it's the training?" she thinks back to the test shoots, the evaluations, the little trainee events she took pictures for. "legacy does make sure we get a lot of practice!" the girl nods. "three takes! there's no way we need longer than that unless something seriously goes wrong." she perks up at the thought of snacks, though. "that's a good motivator! maybe we should all go out for snacks later." speaking of, she's not sure when the others are arriving. "i'm sure they will," she reasons. "what time were we supposed to get here? i know i tried to come in pretty early."

“you’re too sweet” sori says, sending a smile the other’s way before taking a sip of her vitamin drink. while sori doesn’t care much for her looks, the countless of compliments on her looks has made her pretty sure she’s considered pretty. she’s unlike her brother when it comes to that, the man is very aware of his good looks, and he seems to care a lot about those said good looks. “sometimes it feels weird how many pictures of me is out there” she hums “people take pictures of me without i even realize they do it” she shrugs.

"you need to let go of the past's hand, so you can catch the hand of the future"

...

eunhye shook her head as she admitted, “not really, i didn’t really play video games when i was younger. we couldn’t afford them, but once my oldest brother had his first full-time job, he bought a gaming console for the rest of us. i didn’t play video games as much during that time because of school, training life, or it was at my other brother’s place. it wasn’t until the switch came out that i had my own gaming console and played more.” she remembered the days when she would play various multiplayer games as a way to bond with her siblings. “back then i only played because my siblings always needed another player to join them. it’s the perk of having multiple siblings; you can always ask one of them to be your teammate instead of asking a friend.” turning towards sori, eunhye briefly explained, “yup, the first one is always the easiest one, while the last one is the hardest. but you press “a” to accelerate and “b” to use the brakes. the left stick lets you turn and “zl” is to use the items. then “zr” should be the drift button!” she knew that there were extra controls and mechanics depending on the controller, but with the race starting, eunhye knew that it was best to give only the basics and hope that sori would understand it after a bit of time.  as soon as the race began, eunhye focused mostly on the screen as she checked every so often what place she was or where she was on the map. “oof– there are three players ahead throwing bananas at each other.” she described as if she was a race commentator. “you might have to be careful of bowser; that player has been using items on other racers.” she suggested right before she saw her kart colliding with a red shell. “...like me.” eunhye chuckled as she tried to recover from the attack.

“ah, it was the same for me, we couldn’t afford such thing” she shakes her head, “but it makes me appreciate how far i’ve come, for a wii to be too expensive, to my brother and dad buying me a nintendo switch”. sometimes it still didn’t feel entirely real. she used to work in the restaurant along with handling school work, she didn’t have the money to buy whatever she wanted, or anything really, they were just making it day after day. now her family has gotten so far, sori and hyoseop being successful idols, her dad being a famous model, her mom’s restaurant doing much better. she doesn’t want to take for granted what she has now, because she knows how it is to have nothing.

for minji, makeup had always just been part of her life. having been in the performing arts from a young age, she was always putting on makeup for a musical or a dance recital or whatever else she happened to be doing, even in elementary school. by the time she was in middle school, she was wearing light makeup daily, not because she had a particular interest in makeup or anything, but because it was just something she knew how to do and decided to do along with the other girls in her grade. "ah, really?" minji smiles, catching a glimpse of her face in the mirror. she has never been one to particularly study her own looks; after all, she spent most of her time playing characters, so she was used to not 'looking herself' anyways. but her skin is in pretty good condition (something minji does put effort into, as it's her duty as an idol). she might have some dark under eyes from staying up late at night, but it's nothing too noticeable; she also puts in effort to combat them as much as she can. "i might sweat mine off," she says. "i'm predicting at least three full-out takes, assuming everything goes perfectly all three takes." minji is no stranger to filming, and knows they tend to do multiple takes of anything, even if the first take was almost flawless; sometimes, the editors just like having options so they can put out the one that feels the most right. "but i think we should be done pretty quickly regardless," the girl reasons. "we must be at a point where we're comfortable with the choreography, if they're having us film the practice now without delays."

sori was still far from being the best at giving compliments, but she tried. it just didn’t come naturally to her for some reason, usually she’d have to force out a compliment. she was getting better at it though, and when she mentioned minji looked good without make up, she did genuinely mean it. “you’re so pretty, i don’t think i’ve ever seen an ugly picture of you… how do you do it?” she places her hands on her hips as she tilts her head to the side. sori though, has also always been told she’s pretty no matter what, she just doesn’t really care for such thing.

eunhye pouted right after she heard sori’s words. “if i get eaten, the fabelles will be my witnesses!” she retorted playfully, knowing that they were both joking. smiling widely at sori, she asked, “would you let me join fabula’s maknae line as an honorary member? i like to think being the youngest in my family is proof enough!” eunhye believed all those years of being the youngest had paid off, making it easy for her to slip into the maknae role without feeling embarrassed, even when acting overly cute. it was something that the fans were always charmed by, especially since fabula was known more for their girl crush, confident image. she laughed belatedly, realizing the potential downside of “joining” the maknae line. “then again, maybe i’m better off not being part of it. i can still make use of my unnie privileges.” eunhye teased, even if she rarely did, believing that everyone was equal to her, regardless of age or status. looking at sori’s bunny ears again, she requested, “since you’re a bunny, you should give me— er, us, a good bunny impersonation!”

sori shakes her head “the fabelles wouldn’t snitch on me” she says playfully. sori hums for a bit “you want to join the maknae line with me and minji?” she looks curiously at eunhye “i’d have to talk with minji… but personally i vote yes” she chuckles. “we’re both the youngest sibling, so i think we understand each other well” she nods her head. being in the maknae line felt so bizarre, yet perfect at the same time. 

...

while sori had managed to be an idol for quite a bit of time now, she still felt rather… awkward when filming cfs. standing in front of the camera was still not sori’s strongest trait. and while her dad was a successful model, and had countless of times tried to give her advice, sori remained awkward and shy in front of the camera. she’s sure it’ll change someday… maybe… hopefully? but for now, she’ll just attempt her best to get through it.

“yeah, a living skeleton!” eunhye nodded her head several times, relieved to know that sori had a better way of describing the character she had chosen. “it is a bit creepy, but somehow i find that a bit endearing about this character. but you’re right though, not as cute as baby mario.” she laughed as she looked at the vehicle choices quickly.  a few seconds passed before eunhye came to the conclusion that she would pick the first one she saw. “the first one! it’s easier for me to pick the first one instead since it’s suited for all players usually.” after choosing their vehicles, eunhye reasoned as she passed through the menu, confirming the choices they agreed on earlier. “i’ve been told that since each part of the kart has different stats, it helps the player when driving. for instance, you could pick a heavy kart to block collisions from another player, but the downside to it is that you tend to move at a much slower speed. or you could pick the fastest kart, but sacrifice getting hit and pushed to the side easily by the heavier kart. those are the things the veteran players think of when choosing their karts.” after she was done with her explanation, eunhye noticed that it was time for them to start the race. “oh! it’s race time.” she smiled as she shifted her focus back on their screen. “good luck!” eunhye added soon after, excited to see how their first race would turn out.

“ah it seems like there’s a lot to get to know about this game…” she nods her head a bit “i suppose with time i’ll find out which car suits my playing method best” she shrugs “for now i’ll just go with whatever i find cutest though” she chuckles. sori doesn’t exactly expect much from herself, and she’s pretty sure she won’t be good in the beginning, no matter what vehicle she picks. “did you play this growing up?” she looks at eunhye. she would’ve loved to have played this growing up, but they were probably too poor, and then when her dad got money, he left with her brother.

name cha sori stage name aster birthday august 15th, 2002 birthplace anyang, south korea blood type b zodiac sign leo favorite motto “a journey of a thousand miles, starts with a single step”

random facts 

she’s the sister to type zero’s “cha hyoseop”

she speaks three languages: english, korean & japanese

knows how to play the guitar

is allergic to pineapple

known for making really good pancakes

year end goals 

hosting a music show

modeling for a fried chicken brand

improve dance skills

minji gladly takes the vitamin drink, immediately uncapping it and taking a sip as she sits in a split on the ground. "you're right! this is where the dancing really counts, so i'll take all the vitamins I can get." she puts the bottle back down, then stretches forward in her split, feeling the slight pull on her hip muscles. she thinks about sori's words- the weirdness of filming in their 'natural' state, without heavy stage makeup or elaborate dancewear. minji, knowing she was filming today, did put on some very light makeup, nothing elaborate. just some mascara and a lip tint. however, it's still nowhere close to the flaw-covering glam they typically have on stage and in videos. despite not being in a 'perfect' state, minji still ends up replying "eh, i think i got used to it." after multiple years in the industry, it's second nature for her to notice cameras around at any point- prepared or not. "the fans won't mind anyways. anyone who says anything about it is probably just watching to hate in the first place."

sori didn’t care as much about her looks at her brother and dad, in that respect she was different and more like her mother. her brother and dad wore make up almost every time they went out, and the two were both big fans of working out. sori doesn’t think she’s ever even seen her mom in make up. it’s not that sori dislikes wearing make up, she loves getting her make up done, and she often does her make up herself, it’s just… not a priority for sori? she doesn’t mind going out without make up, besides, she usually isn’t lazy, but when it comes to her looks… perhaps she’s a bit lazy…

no matter how many fansigns eunhye attended, she always enjoyed them. some fans were familiar faces she’d seen countless times before, while others were people she barely knew but still wanted to leave with a memorable experience.  as the staff members rearranged the tables and seats, eunhye did her best to juggle her usual leader responsibilities while interacting with the fans around her. with so many people trying to get her attention at once, though, her focus scattered between conversations. because of that, she was surprised when she felt something placed on her head, followed by a familiar voice. “huh?” eunhye blinked in confusion, wondering what sori had done before her eyes landed on the other’s bunny ears. a laugh slipped out of her immediately. “you’re the cute one!” she protested, pointing at the ears before tugging lightly at the hat on her own head to see that it was a fish hat. “i’m glad that rabbits are herbivores. i don’t want to be eaten by sorikki!” eunhye joked as she scrunched her nose in mock horror.  “i think i’m going to keep calling you sorikki until the fansign ends. it’s cute,” she added with a smile. “it’s a mix of sori and tokki.” even as she spoke, eunhye was already trying to think of ways to help sori feel more comfortable without letting the fans notice anything was wrong. to match the silly mood with her hat, eunhye puffed out her cheeks and puckered her lips into an exaggerated fish impression. turning her body slowly towards sori, she asked, “how would you rate my fish impression?”

fansigns were a weird concept in sori’s head, standing on stage answering questions and interacting with her members, then sitting on a chair to talk to fans, but it was still enjoyable though, sori liked it. she’d never been the most social, always struggled with making friends, so interacting with fans didn’t exactly come natural to her. she still tried her best of course, to smile and happily listen to her fans, because they truly meant the world to her, she just struggled with showing that.

“oh yeah! for sure!” eunhye responded with confidence. “fans tend to like all sides of us, or at least what is presented to the public. obviously they wouldn’t really like someone who is rude or disrespectful, but if it’s something like them not being good at something, they’ll find it charming and cute that their bias is someone who has flaws too.” she’s seen her fair share of moments similar to what she had described (and also experienced a few for herself). “confidence doesn’t come from experience alone—it comes from believing in yourself too. if you trust that you can win, you just might surprise yourself!” she said with reassurance as she shared a bit of her mindset whenever she tried something new (and once she got out of the initial surprise phase). chuckling at sori’s reaction, eunhye watched as sori picked her character before going back to where her cursor was. “i’m picking this one! it’s called dry bones, they’re um…how should i explain it…” eunhye realized that explaining what they were to someone who might not know could possibly be an interesting moment. “the opposite of that one.” she vaguely began describing while pointing to the turtle that looked similar, which was the koopa troopa. “it’s just they’re the skeletal version.” clearing her throat, eunhye quickly clicked on her chosen character before switching to the vehicles option. “i think after picking the vehicle, it’ll ask us to confirm if everything is correct so we can start the race afterwards.” she noticed that there were so many vehicle options to choose from, but ended up choosing whatever was the first one available to make it easier for her. “for the veteran players, they have their own preferences for the go-karts since each one has advantages and disadvantages. but usually whatever comes up first is a good option for players!”

“eh, really?” she pouts “i still don’t like showing the things i’m bad at though…” she lets out a sigh. it’s always been sori’s goal to be the best at everything, and usually she is the best at everything, so it feels so weird when there’s something in the world she isn’t the best at. she has these high standards for herself, and perhaps she just assumes everybody else has these high standards for her as well. “flaws too you say” she hums “maybe it’s not the end of the world to let them see me do stuff i’m not good at… i’d still prefer showing off the things i’m good at though”.

...

dance practice hype

with the new comeback on the horizon, it meant there were many routine activities that needed to be filmed; and today, it was time to record the dance practice.¨ minji had dressed herself in a simple black outfit, one that she hoped would accentuate her lines and make herself look good while dancing. she had her hair tied up in a ponytail, a habit she'd held since her days in musical theatre dance classes. the girl excitedly bounced into the practice room, meeting sori inside." she smiles, plopping herself next to her and beginning to warm up, starting with a few lunges. "i was practicing in my dorm late last night, i was so excited! i want to make sure it's perfect, of course. how about you, do you think you're ready for the video?"

sori was ambivalent when it came to filming dance practice. dance surely was sori’s greatest skill, and she was very confident in it, still, having a camera film her made her a bit nervous, which makes no sense, because she’s not at all nervous when she’s performing live. perhaps she just hasn’t fully gotten used to being in front of cameras yet, it still feels… strange… unfamiliar? she doesn’t have a word for it, she just knows she still remains not the biggest fan of being filmed.

she’s wearing grey sweatpants, and a way too tight black shirt, looking in the mirror, she almost feels disgusted, not that her outfit looks bad, it just… looks like something her brother would wear… sure they’ve spent more time than usual lately, but that doesn't mean she’s becoming more like him, does it? ah well… who cares, sori is probably the only one noticing how striking similar her outfit is to what her brother wears.