jiu knew better than to expect normalcy right off the bat. nothing had been truly normal since the accident, since his life—like the car he was in—was flipped upside down, tumbled around like an alligator in a death roll. being in a practice room again felt like a blessing in itself. it was certainly closer to normal than the last year spent in and out of hospitals and specialists' offices, countless scans and new exercises and relearning how to use his body which had once come so naturally to him.
now, in a room with a mirrored wall and music playing, it should feel like coming home, slipping into a familiar skin and once again becoming the person he was over a year ago. but like an old shirt in the back of the closet, the fit isn't exactly what he remembered it was. it's a little tight in some places, a little uncomfortable in ways he doesn't remember it being. certainly physically, he's still not as strong as he was before. but emotionally too—he can tell some of the staff, and even his members, tip toe around the knee-shaped elephant in the room. no one speaks of it, but its presence is there all the same. it's in the choreography they're learning, the way it's a little less intense than the routines of two years ago. jiu doesn't say anything. he doesn't want to admit that he might still be holding everyone back.
dwelling on such thoughts has never suited the young man though. he forgets them quickly enough, channeling his focus instead to the way he sharpens one move and softens the next, repeating the tricky parts until they make perfect sense and enjoying the dull ache of well-worked muscles that he hasn't felt in quite some time. sweat drips down his back from his effort, though jiu has always been one to sweat in excess. it's a little annoying, but he's gotten used to it over the years.
a break is called and jiu gulps down water enthusiastically in an attempt to cool his body from the inside out. he notices, of course, the way gyumin wanders over like he hadn't been trying to make eye contact with jiu for half the practice anyway. jiu knows the other man wants to talk, that he's probably been eager for quite some time. it brings a smile to his lips as gyumin's train of thought derails as soon as it's given the opportunity to leave the station. truly an impressive fumble that jiu will have to find a way to tease him for later. "are you sure? you didn't just want to stand near me and admire my pretty face?" he jokes, flashing teeth when he grins. gyumin's question sounds more like an excuse to start a conversation than anything, and jiu happily obliges. "of course they will," he asserts without a moment of hesitation or consideration. "probably in the next couple of years, when we start enlisting in the military. someone's gotta keep the lights on in here after all."
"we probably won't be sharing practice rooms though. they'll have their own room and we'll have ours. so it's not like we'll have to reserve time in here or anything." he pauses to consider for just a moment. "my money's on a girl group. but what do i know?"
"...admire your—" gyumin blinks, balking at the idea of that being his reason. he has half a mind to scoff and say look at this guy, but gyumin's also not a total liar (at least not to the hiraeth members). "i mean, i do that regardless. doesn't matter if i'm talking to you or not," he gestures vaguely between the two of them. "and i definitely don't need to be standing this close for that. being this close is dangerous for those kinds of activities." the admission comes a bit too matter-of-factly to be entirely written off as a joke, especially with the way his expression remained deadpan. "but still, you could've at least given me a little more credit." a small pout settles on his face. "i'd be way smoother than that if that were my reason."
perhaps he should've thought a little harder about how that might've come across, but it's not like he cares. unfortunately, gyumin has been living without a sense of shame since debut. after promoting cat & dog, it took a lot more to embarrass him.
"anyway," he says a little too quickly, "i had my money on it happening before our first contract ended. i figured they'd want to play it safe in case one of us didn't want to renew, but…" he gives a small shrug. "we saw how that turned out. one year into the renewal and it's still just us." he had also thought they'd debut one last year, but gyumin opts to keep that to himself.
"okay, i'll be honest. maybe the real reason is selfish. i like being the only group they have to focus on. that and maybe i just don't want more competition for the lounge areas." a beat passes as he gives the thought more consideration before immediately scrunching his nose in distaste. "actually, maybe i should just be grateful we don't have to share a practice room with every adagio artist. imagining that many people fighting over a room is already making me nauseous."
"but you're probably right. chrome center's next group is probably going to be a girl group. maybe they'll even dust off thenext and do another season so that we can pay it forward as alumni. and then dream or apex center's next group will be a boy group, and someone online will call us geriatric even though we're only in our twenties." he pauses just long enough to reconsider his own words. "...actually, maybe i just cursed them into debuting a girl group too. the exact opposite of whatever i predict usually ends up happening. one of these days i have to be right, though. statistically, it has to happen."
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training ground
with: @kim-jiu
at: adagio label's practice room
he's certain jiu has to be getting annoyed by how many times gyumin's been caught looking at him.
his eyes just seemed to wander in jiu's direction every few minutes, whether it was through the practice room mirror or by outright turning his head during a break. gyumin couldn't really help himself. even though it had been months since his return, it was still a little surreal seeing jiu back in the practice room with them after last year. if anyone asked gyumin—which no one did, by the way—performing as a four was unnatural. maybe it wouldn't have been as noticeable if they had over ten members in the group, but even gyumin couldn't convince himself of that. jiu is such a big part of hiraeth that no matter how many members the group consisted of, his absence would've been felt.
he hasn't asked jiu how he personally felt about their choreography this comeback, and he probably never would unless it was just them two in the room. bringing it up in front of others felt unfair to jiu, even if the others in question were their groupmates. the last thing gyumin wanted to do was corner jiu and force him to answer a question that he may not want to answer. still, a part of him couldn't help but feel relieved that their choreography had eased up a little since jiu's return. in gyumin's humble opinion, hiraeth had spent years proving what they were capable of and their body of work should speak for itself by now. then again, gyumin had a feeling he'd be eating those words sooner rather than later.
at the next break, gyumin was practically itching to talk to jiu. there'd been a million things running through his head over the past hour, but the moment he wandered over with his water bottle and settled beside the older, his mind went completely blank.
"hyung," he paused, frowning at himself as he searched for literally anything to follow it up with. "...give me a second. i promise i had an actual reason for coming over here." after a few moments of staring at the floor, it was if someone had finally flipped a switch in his brain. "okay, i remembered. do you think chrome center is ever going to debut another group? i was just thinking about how we've been the only artists here since our debut, even though there's always been chrome center trainees. i know it's foolish to think it's going to stay that way forever but..." he trailed off, absentmindedly twisting the cap of his water bottle. "i don't know, it's just hard to picture us sharing the practice rooms after eight years."
want to know what songs hiraeth's gyumin's been listening to? take a look through his lynklist and the stories behind each track he selected!
TRACK 1. TOMORROW by AXIS
GYUMIN'S ORIGINAL SUBMISSION
"i've never shared this before, but this was the song that made me a fan of axis. it released around the time i became a trainee, and i remember feeling completely overwhelmed by the change in environment. i don't think anything could've prepared me for that adjustment period i went through. i was fourteen, and i thought every mistake meant i was one step closer to being sent home. but i found this song, and it was a huge comfort for me. seriously, this could be considered one of the major reasons why i continued chasing my dreams after feeling like i wasn't capable. now, whenever i listen to the song, it reminds me of the younger version of myself me who was trying his best every single day to debut. i think he'd be really happy to see where i am today."
COMPANY REVISION
"i've never shared this before, but i believe this was the song that made me a fan. it came out around the same time i became a trainee, and i was having a hard time back then. its message about continuing to move forward and chase after your dreams even when it's difficult did a lot for me when i needed it the most. because of that, this song will always hold a special place in my heart.
now, whenever "tomorrow" comes on, i can't help but think about the younger version of myself who was putting his all it training so that i'd debut."
TRACK 2. THIRSTY by CALLISTA
"callista has a lot of gems in their discography, actually. i had a difficult time choosing one, but i think this one fit the vibe of my lynklist the best. whenever i listen to this song, i always end up romanticizing the connections we make with other people.
everyone has things they only tell the people they're closest to, habits that nobody notices, or stories that explain why they are the way they are. i think the process of slowly getting to know someone is really beautiful. maybe i'm just nosy, but i've always believed the most interesting parts of a person aren't the things you can learn about them right away. learning the parts that take time and trust to be revealled is. i guess you could say i'm someone who's always thirsty to know people a little better. i like asking questions, listening to stories, and learning about people. i think that's why i love this song so much."
TRACK 3. DREAMER by HIRAETH
"it's so hard to pick one of our songs as my favorite. i don't think i've ever given the same song whn asked that. if a song is one of ours, it's extremely likely that i loved it long before we released it. however, dreamer has to be in the top ten for me. when i first read the lyrics for this song, i remember thinking that i would've listened to this a lot when i was younger. i don't think i fully would've been able to connect with the song back then like i do now, but it's the kind of song that got me through training and hiraeth's rookie years.
there's a lot of lines in the song that resonates with me, and that's why i wanted to include this song specifically. i don't think i'll ever stop being a dreamer, and honestly, i don't want to. being a dreamer is how i ended up where i am in life. i hope there's always a part of me that's chasing after something that feels just a little out of reach. i think that's the version of myself i want to hold onto for as long as i can."
TRACK 4. NIGHT POEM by ORIGIN
"this song reminds me of those moments where you end up talking with someone late into the night, way later than you intended. the topic of the conversation doesn't even matter. sometimes you're laughing about something ridiculous that happened, and other times you're having serious talks about dreams, fears, or memories you've never shared before. then you look at the clock and realize that you should've been asleep hours ago. i think some of my favorite memories with the members happened like that, and i really treasure those moments. that's what i think about instead when i listen to "night poem." it's also just a really good song to have playing in the background. i highly recommend giving it a listen at night whenever you get the chance."
TRACK 5. LIT RIGHT NOW by KATZE
"it feels like i'm just sharing my nighttime playlist now, but i feel like this song is a little different from the other songs i've picked. a lot of the songs on this lynklist have been songs that comfort me or make me think, but that's not all i listen to. whenever i'm nervous about a performance, or having one of those difficult days, i put on music that reminds me to get out of my own head for a while. this is one of those songs. i don't know if i suddenly become the coolest person in the world while it's playing, but it gets me in a good mood."
TRACK 6. TOXIC by KATZE
"this is another song on my nighttime playlist. i really enjoy listening to when it comes on. compared to the other songs on this list, i don't connect with the story it's telling at all. regardless, i just think it's a really good song.
but if i do stop and think about it, it always ends up making me think about how complex the relationship between people can be, and how, most of the time, only the people involved will ever fully understand them. i think that's beautiful in its own way. the fact that no two relationships are ever exactly the same is one of the reasons i like meeting new people so much. every person has the potential to bring out a different side of you and teach you something about yourself that you may have not learned otherwise."
TRACK 7. TALK by EVERLAST
"sometimes the hardest conversations are the ones we know we need to have. honest communication is so important whether it's with your family, your friends, or someone you love. it may be a little naive to think this, but i think a lot of misunderstandings and problems can be solved or on the way to being fixed by sitting down and talking to each other.
it's also a really easy song to listen to. to absolutely no one's surprise, this is also on my nighttime playlist. i find myself playing it pretty often, and i end up singing along every time it comes on. maybe i'll do a cover of it someday."
TRACK 8. FILTER by AXIS
GYUMIN'S ORIGINAL SUBMISSION
"one of the things i often think about is how every person probably knows a different version of me. those only know me from my performances as a member of hiraeth likely view me differently than those who watched the variety content i've been in. and both of those groups view me differently than those who may have only seen me through lives or lynk dms that float around online. but i don't think any of that is a fake version of me. rather, it's specific parts of my personality that comes out depending on where i am and who i'm with. i'm different around my mom than i am around the members. i'm different with my friends than i am with someone i'm meeting for the first time. i'm different with haven than i am with staff. and i think that's just a natural part of being human.
but i cannot deny that sometimes the changes are a deliberate choice so that people keep their attention on me. as an idol, a part of my job is understanding the people watching me and knowing which parts of myself to bring forward. and that's why i've always used "filter" to describe myself. though i know all of it is me, i still adjust who i am to suit the taste of thse who view me. sometimes i wonder what version of me feels the most like… me? i've constantly been discovering new versions of myself to show to the world, and i don't know if there's actually a correct answer to that question. i feel like all of them are equally real because, at the end of the day, it's still me. the action to adjust to the preferenes of whoever i'm with is so inherent that it's hard to know if something i'm doing is truly something i'd do or if it'd was influenced.
either way, i really love this song. i love a lot of songs by axis, but it was only right i included the song i use to describe myself! it's also impossible for me to sit still whenever this song comes on. if i've ever been causght absentmindedly dancing in the practice room, there's a pretty good chance this was playing in my head."
COMPANY REVISION
"i really love this song. i love a lot of songs by axis, but it only felt right to include the one song i always use to describe myself. i've always described myself with "filter" because i've spent so much of my life discovering new sides of myself to share with the world. sometimes i wonder which one feels the most like me, but then i remind myself that every version, or every "filter," i've ever shown came from the same person: me. it's also impossible for me to sit still whenever this song comes on. if anyone's ever caught me absentmindedly dancing around the practice room, there's a pretty good chance this was the song playing in my head."
TRACK 9. DEAR ECLIPSE by WONDER
"i think "dear eclipse" is a really good song that paints a beautiful picture. this may come as a surprise to no one since i've recommended this song a lot since its release, but it's one of my favorites from wonder. i don't think i've ever skipped "dear eclipse" whenever it played. tif someone asked me to steal one song from wonder for hiraeth, this would definitely be my answer.
i think it sounds best at night or on a long drive. if you end up liking it after listening, you have to let me know so i can feel a little justified for recommending it as often as i do."
TRACK 10. MY TIME by AXIS
GYUMIN'S ORIGINAL SUBMISSION
"if "filter" is how i view myself on the outside, "my time" is how i view myself on the inside. i became a trainee at fourteen, trained for a bit over two years, and debuted at seventeen. sometimes it feels like i've been forced to grow up too fast, but a part of me feels like i haven't aged past the day i became a trainee. it's a weird contradiction to live, i know. i don't know if i have any better way to explain it.
i don't think i've lived a normal life since the day i was born. i don't know exactly what others consider normal, but i've missed out on experiencing a lot of really ordinary things that everyone else my age had. but i never felt like i was missing out because this is my normal. this life was what i wanted after all. back then, i would've picked the practice room over nearly anything else, and for the most part, i still would.
but i'm older, and sometimes i catch myself wondering about the what ifs. i'll never know what the version of me that didn't pursue music would've looked like. would i have been quieter? more confident? less anxious? would i have made a lot of friends? i can't even conjure up an idea of what that kind of life looks like since music is part of my soul. no matter what, i would've ended up in the exact same place anyway.
i think that's part of why this song has always resoated with me. they say comparison is the thief of joy, but it's hard to ignore how differently time seems to move for everyone else. some people just seem so put together, while i've spent so much of my teenage years and early twenties trying to become someone worthy of debuting that i don't know if i ever actually stopped to figure out who i was outside of being an idol.
but i don't think i'd change anything if someone gave me the chance. i love my members, and i genuinely can't imagine doing anything else. as i said earlier, i just think there are parts of me that are still fourteen years old, hoping to be good enough. maybe everyone carries around a younger version of themselves like that? that's kind of an awkward question to ask, actually. yeah. anyway, i really love this song."
COMPANY REVISION
"similar to "filter," i've always felt really connected to this song. i became a trainee when i was fourteen, but i've been pursuing music long before that. when i look back on those years, i realize my life was a little different than most, and that a lot of the experiences people think of as "normal" weren't something i had for myself. but i never felt like i was missing out on anything because this was always the life i wanted. music is such an essential part of who i am that i don't think it's possible for me to have chosen anything else. i always would've found my way back to music somehow.
this song is a good reminder that everyone's journey unfolds at a different pace. my teenage years and early twenties were spent working toward my dream, and while that may have caused my life to look different from a lot of people's, i think it's made me appreciate every step that brought me here a lot more. and i wouldn't change any of it. i love haven, i love my members, i love music, and i love what i do everyday.
Lee Gyumin (이규민) is a member of the South Korean boy group HIRAETH under Adagio Label.
Stage / Birth Name: Lee Gyumin (이규민)
Birthday: July 30, 2001
Zodiac Sign: Leo
Chinese Zodiac Sign: Snake
Height: 179 cm (5’10.5″)
Weight: —
Blood Type: A
MBTI Type: ISFJ
Representative Emoji: 💫
Facts From Gyumin:
– He was born in Busan, South Korea.
– Nicknames: Gyu, Min, Puppy, Sunshine
– Education: Hanlim Multi Art School (Practical Dance Department)
– He auditioned for Apex Entertainment after his mom's encouragement, and joined the company in 2015.
– Gyumin wasn't a fan of K-pop until after he was a trainee.
– He wants to learn all languages to interact with international fans.
– His favorite HIRAETH song to perform is "always the next one."
– He really likes the ocean and rainy days.
– His favorite color is light blue.
– His favorite music genres are R&B and pop.
– Gyumin feels most like himself when his hair is dyed.
– He wore glasses for years because he was afraid of getting LASIK surgery, but finally underwent the procedure in 2025.
– If he didn’t become a singer, he would have become an outlaw a florist.
– A song he would use to describe himself is AXIS' Filter.
– His motto is: “Every day is a chance to become better than you were yesterday.”
– Gyumin’s ideal type: someone who is passionate and can also match his energy.
hi, it's teddy (s/h) here again, but with lee gyumin, hiraeth's main vocalist, lead dancer, and sub rapper. i can't do anything but apologize, but like with aeri, i have nothing to offer you all but my honest heart and thoughts about gyumin. information about him and some plot ideas under the read more. if you'd like to plot, leave a ♥ and i'll msg you!
born and raised in busan. primarly grew up under the care of a single mother. because of his absent father, he developed a tendency to measure his worth through the attention and affection of others. he likes being liked and he likes being remembered. it's part of the reason why he became an idol. he likes knowing people are looking at him. while he genuinely enjoys his job, there's also a small part of him that's always worried about what happens to him when people stop eventually stop.
his mother was his entire world for roughly 6 years of his life that he remembers, following after her and taking after every single thing his mother did. that's how he got into single and music. all of her favorite artists became his, ad his love for singing came from her. to this day, he considers his mom his best friend and is very protective over her. haven don't really know much about his family situation since he doesn't talk about it, but they are aware of his close bond with his mother.
as he was growing and entering his teen years, he kind of exploded and was just angry with his father. but since his father wasn't around, his mother took most of th blame. their arguments were one-sided, and it led to gyumin declaring he wanted to become an idol so that he could get far, far away from her.
then he moves to seoul and trains under apex entertainment and quickly learns how much he took for granted. wanted to quit several times but he was scared he wouldn't be accepted back home. one tearful phone call with him mom reassured him that no matter what he chose to do, she'd support him. he could stay, or he could come home. regardless, she'd still be proud of him. that day reignited a sense of purpose for gyumin, seeing as he was pursuing his own mother's dream of performing on stage.
gyumin's incredibly people-oriented and thrives when surrounded by others. but he's also the type to change himself to match the vibe of the people he's around. it's a perk for his job, but it does serious damage to any potential friendships since it's hard to know if they know the "real" gyumin at all.
he's known for being funny because he's expressive and reactive, and most of his variety opportunities stem from that and his unique way of thinking. he doesn't have a single ounce of shame in his body, which is perfect for variety content but sometimes it's borderline concerning. there's something seriously wrong with him (i say this lovingly), and it is highly likely a study will be conducted on his brain in the future.
he really enjoys playing into fans' wishes and seeing their reactions. everytime one of his fancalls his the timeline, it's like the entire world has to take a deep breath. i envision stan tweets about them to be like this one. and don't forget that one time he approached fans who followed him outside of his official schedule. he had been reprimanded by adagio for that one and he says he swears he learned his lesson... but it's better to keep both eyes on him rather than just one.
though he'd never admit it or show it, gyumin's surprisingly sensitive. he often worries about disappointing people, and occasionally needs reassurance that the people he cares about actually want him around. but he'll never ask for it.
he's sometimes hot and cold with people who know him personally. he'll switch between sending messages every single day to sudddenly nothing. it's similar with in-person conversation. try not to take it too personal, he just has moments where he worries he's being too much and will suddenly pull back or go quieter than usual.
he struggles to sit in silence, and absolutely will be the one to fill it. forbid anyone is stuck on the adagio elevator with him or happens to be in the same room as him.
he dislikes being ignored a lot more than he dislikes being disliked. he can live with being disliked since he realistically knows that not everyone will like him. that doesn't mean he likes being disliked, though.
he hates feeling lonely. will do anything to avoid feeling that, and if his friends are unavailable he will turn to the fans. the "GYUMIN started their live" notification that appears when he should be sleeping haunts all haven. rumor has it that hiraeth's translating accounts hate it when he goes live because 1. he's never on for a short time and 2. it seems like he never runs out of anything to talk about. yes, he is the type to go on live for hours just to sing.
plot ideas
childhood friends? gyumin grew up in busan before moving to become a trainee at fourteen. maybe they remember the clingy kid who followed his mother everywhere or the angry teenager who argued with her.
hiraeth members: anyone who was pitted against him in thenext, ex-roommate, someone he got along with extremely well, etc etc.
friends he made throughout the years. despite having i in his mbti, he's fairly sociable and likes talking.
maybe some people who don't like him? could be multiple reasons for this honestly, but maybe one is that he makes everything seem like a performance.
close friends. you know, ones that he actually tries not to ghost when he feels like he's bothering them. the type to get voice notes when he doesn't want to go live.
a thing 1 and thing 2 situation where bad ideas become even worse ideas whenever the two of them are together.
axis member that he publicly admires... not like it was by choice.
on the flip side, the axis member that exposed him. gyumin's been praying on your downfall since this moment /j.
other idols he may potentially look up to or admire?
someone who brings out his competitive side. gyumin generally doesn't care much, but if you push the right buttoms he'll be determined to win.
i'm open to many more ideas beyond these. feel free to throw any at me in dms!
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