#aceflw

Miyoung had always wanted to be a singer and dancer; being inspired by her mother in the 80s who was known for her powerful trot songs. Seeing past videos of her mother made her want to perform on the stage, and soon her mother gave her singing lessons from when she was a little girl which was the start of her sweet voice. However, most people noticed the similarities of Miyoung and her mother, with several companies wanting Miyoung to be a child model in CFs and clothing products. The CFs introduced her to a few of the other kids in the commercials who were interested in dancing, and Miyoung found it slightly more thrilling than singing.

She was a model until she was fifteen, where Miyoung decided to audition at ACE Entertainment as a dancer singer to try and see if she had had the skills to be an artist. At first she wanted to be a solo artist like her mother; but soon being around the other trainees once she got into the company, Miyoung soon discovered that she preferred to be in a group, and the training of becoming the visual and lead dancer in Myriad soon began.

Born on May 15th, 1995, Yeonhee is the third child in the family with two older sisters. Born in Busan, South Korea, Yeonhee’s family soon moved England where her mother’s career flourished. Her father is a humble businessman who works a normal nine to five job while her mother is a ballerina, scouted to join The Royal Ballet shortly after Yeonhee’s birth. Coming from a line of ballerinas, it was only natural for Yeonhee to take up the dance too.

At a young age of three, Yeonhee started practicing alongside her older sisters. Their maternal grandmother (a popular ex-ballerina in Seoul with her own ballet school) was their personal teacher (she lived with them for a few years in England). Ever since Yeonhee started, her grandmother never believed that she was born with talents for ballet and instead, focused more on making her two older sisters prima ballerina material. Still, Yeonhee persevered with the dance, hoping that her grandmother would one day recognise her hard work. At six, Yeonhee picked up the piano too, having classes in school.

For about ten years, the Moon family lived in England before Yeonhee’s mother finally retired from ballet, teaching at her own mother’s ballet school. Yeonhee’s mother and grandmother often argued over whether or not Yeonhee should still pursue a career in ballet despite the girl being just eleven. Her mother insisted that Yeonhee’s hard work would carry her but her grandmother still firmly believed that Yeonhee was not born for ballet.

Now back in Korea, Yeonhee was finding it hard to make friends because her Korean was not fluent and when she did speak, she spoke with an accent. The kids in her class would make fun of her, resulting in Yeonhee spending most of her school time sitting by herself quietly. Even in ballet classes, because Yeonhee had been learning from her grandmother and mother, she was far too advanced for classes meant for students her age and was instead, placed in an older class where she was still the outcast for being younger than everyone else.

It was Yeonhee’s oldest sister who comforted the youngest. She told her not to work herself too hard and that she should never work to earn recognition from just one person. She also told Yeonhee that ballet was not the only option because she could see that while Yeonhee loved the dance, she had no passion for it. And just because their mother wanted all three daughters to pursue a career in ballet did not mean that she should follow after their mother’s footsteps.

Since then, Yeonhee took a step back from ballet. Instead of intensively training like her sisters, she went to class twice a week and started to focus more on her piano playing. It was clear that Yeonhee was more interested in music than ballet at this point. Yeonhee’s sister was the one who looked into entertainments for her, taking her to auditions. When Yeonhee was rejected from several entertainments, it was also her older sister who comforted her. But when she was accepted into ACE at the age of thirteen, her sister was the happiest.

On November 17th, 1995, in America, Nuri was born to loving parents Lee Himchan and Jisoo. As an only child, he was spoiled all throughout his younger years. He never wanted for anything and he was so incredibly happy. As he grew, he became more and more interested in performing. It all began when he was given a starring role in the play his class was doing. He danced, sang, and wowed the audience with his moves. It was magical for him and he told his parents that he wanted nothing more than to be on stage. Because of this, his parents decided to enroll him into both dancing and singing classes. Thus, the path to becoming an idol opened up to him.

It was during the time he was visiting his grandparents on his mother’s side of the family. He saw an advertisement for ACE Entertainment and his interest was instantly piqued. Being only fourteen, he asked his parents about their opinion on him auditioning and was hardly surprised when they gave their blessing. While his father stayed in America to continue providing for the family, his mother moved to Korea for the time being while he was a trainee so he could at least know that he had her support and, if he ever decided to quit, have her physically there for him to hold him.

Considering the fact that his parents had put him in the best dancing class in his area, his training was far less grueling than it would have been if he’d not been in the classes prior. Although it was still difficult in its own way, Nuri refused to give up because he knew his parents were rooting for him and disappointing them was the last thing he ever wanted to do. Unfortunately, his father would never get to see the day his son would debut.

His father’s death was one of the hardest hurdles he had to get over during the training period. He was given a small break for a short period of time to mourn the loss. He’d even debated on if he should return or not because he didn’t want to leave his mother behind to chase a dream that might not even come true. However, his mother and his grandparents all encouraged him to return and work extra hard for his father’s sake.

For some people, their story doesn't start with themselves. Pom Seongha's story, in particular, starts with his mother.

Living a life of her own mother's design, she remained in an unhappy marriage as a squandered intelligence who frequently yearned for something more. She captured the attention of many men that reacted poorly to the ring on her finger. The worst of these men--or perhaps the best--was a Japanese billionaire, sitting in wait for the throne of his father's business. He frequently wrote to her, waxing poetic about how he wished she would leave her husband and be with a real man.

It wasn't until a pregnancy test read positive that she took action. She knew the child belonged to her abusive husband, as she had never slept with another man, but she couldn't stand the thought of raising a baby around someone that left her bruised. She hurriedly wrote back to the man who claimed to be in love, and in the dead of night, standing at three weeks pregnant, she escaped to Yokohama.

For the first four months, it seemed as though this placement would be a better alternative. Despite having a marital affair, this man truly seemed as though he wanted to treat her kindly, and when he told her that he loved her, she believed him. It wasn't until five months to the day that she realized he had assumed the child belonged to him, considering how early into her pregnancy she had been when she first arrived. Uncomfortable with continuing this delusion of his, she told him the truth.

Then on, their situation changed. She suggested they claim and raise the child as their own, but he was already paranoid about losing his position in his father's company if anyone discovered he was sleeping with a married woman-- and a Korean one, at that. He insisted the child's existence remain a secret.

And so, the world in which Pom Seongha was born into left him vastly isolated, even from his mother. Handled with utmost care by highly paid sitters, and receiving academic guidance from strict tutors, for the first seven years of his life, Seongha was rarely allowed outside of the mansion grounds. Having come to the conclusion that this life was no better for her son, his mother stole a great sum of money from her self-proclaimed saviour and fled back to Korea with Seongha, determined to raise him by herself.

Still in adolescence, sudden exposure to the outside world simultaneously terrified and interested Seongha. His mother was hesitant about integrating him with the public school system, especially with his difficulties in grasping the language; growing up in Yokohama, the rare instances in which he was heard using Korean that his mother taught him had been met with harsh punishment. Even after Seongha was in his mother's company, in the safety of Korea, it took another year before he felt comfortable speaking Korean aloud, and had limited vocabulary in comparison to other children his age. While his Korean was years behind, the rest of his academia was years ahead due to his upbringing, making it all the more complicated to find a class placement for him. Additionally, his mother found relocating cities every two years necessary to ensure their safety. The easiest option for continuing Seongha's schooling was to enroll him for an online, international school.

At fourteen, Seongha found himself with a high school diploma and was able to speak conversational Korean. It was at this point in time he and his mother were living in the lush suburbs of southeastern Seoul, and after changing locations so frequently in Seongha's age, his mother at last deemed this location safe for them to stay.

Still tentative in tackling a large campus setting at his age, they found other ways to help Seongha adjust to interacting with individuals, such as attending dance classes at the nearest studio, joining the local choir, and getting involved with one of the Buddhist temples. Naturally, music and spiritual belief had a huge impact on Seongha's life, as it offered him both sociability and the chance to grow.

Rather than fear being seen by many people, performing became something he couldn't get enough of. He found ways to turn even the smallest of gestures into something grandiose and romantic. Many found themselves drawn to the innocence and showmanship of his person, including a talent agent from ACE Entertainment.

His mother encouraged the path of an idol for her multi-talented son; she deemed them safe from both her estranged husband and her ex-lover, but believed putting Seongha in the public eye could possibly be the safest place for them if they were no longer to remain entirely in hiding. That way, on the offchance either of her previous romantic affairs attempted to hurt her or her son, people would be more readily able to dismiss their stories as truth. How often did people try to threaten or spread rumours about idols? Often enough for the truth to be covered as easily.

Being in the trainee program from fifteen onwards continued to help Seongha adjust from his former life of solitude. After he debuted with Knockout!, he enjoyed living under the guise of Gatsby, a persona inspired by the enigmatic literary figure that served, in its own, as a form of protecting Seongha while onstage in front of fans.

During Knockout!'s lawsuit, Seongha avoided the stress by helping the trainees with learning dance. It was his patience and composure that initially landed him his role in his group, and these traits were emphasized moreso in his time away. When promotions resumed, his unchanged presence made it all the more seamless a transition.

Born in a small Japanese village, into a very traditional Japanese family who are very religious and looked after the shrines in the village she lived in, Yuki was brought up well and politely. When she was younger, she was trained to be a shrine maiden, but she didn’t really like it. Or more so, she didn’t really have a knack for it. It didn’t capture her interest enough for her to focus on it.

As she grew, Her parents made sure that she knew they wanted her to continue their work when she was older, but she always wanted to venture. She wanted to model eventually, and her parents disapproved, thinking it was vain and disrespectful. But she went against her parents and went into it anyway at the age of 12

Her first Modeling agency was really pushy. Made her do things she didn’t want to. Things that a normal 12 year old girl should not be asked about. So immediately, when her parents found out, they withdrew her from that company, trying to deter her from the modeling. When she was 16 she was scouted by an ACE agent and offered to join the main ACE office in Korea and Model there. At that point, her parents had thought she would have given up by now on her modeling and they told her that they were not going to support her if she continued. Unfortunately she wanted to further her career and she decided to go alone, losing contact with her parents.

There isn’t a tale more woeful than that of Juliet and her Romeo. Oh wait, there is. The tale of Robin is too woeful. It’s the tale of heartbreak and pain and suffering. It’s the tale where there is no bad guy and life just sucks.

Robin, a taken stage name of one Oh Jinseok, means new beginnings and effectively that was what Jinseok was going for.

Oh Jinseok was born in August of 1995 to a circus couple. His mother and father were trapeze artists and every night they flew into the air. Jinseok was encouraged to do the same and he did. At the age of four, he joined his parents as part of their trapeze act. He loved the feeling of flying through the air like a plane. They were known as the Fantastic Os. He loved being a part of the circus. There was just something freeing about it.

However that happiness didn’t last long. When he was six, at a show that he wasn’t allowed to be in because he was sick, the trapeze wire broke and his parents fell. There was no safety net. Since Jinseok didn’t have any living relatives, he was sent to a group home.

There the children made his life hell by teasing and bullying him for being a circus freak. He was alone. The adults ignored him and even families didn’t want him.

There was nothing left for him, so he began dancing. There was something about dancing that reminded him of the circus. The freedom to move. He was still a gymnast so he ended up adding flips and freestyling. At the age of ten, he was adopted.

But the family who adopted him looked perfect on paper and in public. In private, Jinseok was abused, physically, sexually and emotionally. He was forced to do things he didn’t want to and he wanted to escape but he couldn’t. Dance and music became his escape and even then he was punished for singing too loud or having his music on too loud or bothering them in general.

He couldn’t take it anymore and he ran away when he was 14. He was going to end everything. Nothing was worth it. Choir saved him. He heard a choir singing and the 14 year old made his way there.

He began singing with the choir and resumed dancing again but this time, he danced for money on the street. When he had ran away, his adoptive parents sold everything of his and he had nothing left. He was homeless.

At the age of 15, in March of 2011, he auditioned for Ace. He had nothing left to lose. He was sleeping on benches and looked ragged but he had his talent and a bracelet from his mother. He was accepted and he was so happy. He was going to get a room and he was going to be able to get food.

When he joined Knockout though, he realized that he wasn’t going to be the main dancer even though he had talent. They put him as a vocalist. No. It was not supposed to be like this.

growing up, kwanghyok had never caused a problem for his parents. he had studied hard, his older brother had already taken many of the hardships of being the child to first time parents, he had taken a liking to video games, but even with the hours he spent on the computer playing, he managed to keep his grades up and help his parents with chores. they never had a compliant with how he was to anyone, and no one ever complained about him—except that one time he got into fight with some boys outside a pc room, something about not wanting to play with a girl. beyond that, it’s a simple childhood. they get by.

he mom finds out first, after looking online and seeing him going by him and using a name other than seulki, but she doesn’t react like he expects. he reacts more harshly than she does, kicking her out of his room and screaming to stay out of his things with an echo of ‘i don’t want to talk about it!’ and it goes like that for days. his mom trying to talk about it while runs up to his room. kwanghyok can’t imagine she would understand. but after a month, she finally gets him alone in the house and they talk.

they talk about his mom dating a girl and about him maybe liking girls—'if this is about liking girls, you don’t have to be a boy to like them!’ 'no, no. boys, i like boys.'—and they talk about when it first started—'i didn’t even like being called a girl when i was little.'—and everything in between and beyond that. he gets his mom doesn’t really understand it, he expect her to find out so soon, but when she did find out he didn’t think she would understand it in seconds. he didn’t understand himself at first, so he expected his family to take time.

what he doesn’t expect though, is when they finally tell his dad and brother—two years later, at fourteen—the reaction his dad has. his brother is confused, and his reaction isn’t perfect, but it’s nothing in comparison to the way his dad tells he and his brother both to go upstairs.

kwanghyok hadn’t ever been one to listen, staring down from the stairs. there is so much yelling, and then there is hitting—until he is running to stop his father, getting caught in the cross-fire and taking a hit to his own face as he yells back. he wishes he had the strength or the voice or the height or anything to puff out at his dad, to scare him, but instead he’s pushed aside easily.

the next morning, the house is quiet with his brother and dad gone, he and his mom curled together on the couch away from the rooms they share with the runaways, going upstairs to find half of the rooms missing.

they have to move into a smaller place without his dad’s paycheck, but his mom finds a job, and he gets one during the summer and seasonal times. things are fine again, and there is no mention of his dad or brother. even going to the same school as his older brother, he’s so far away from him at all times. they don’t even look at each other. and the next year, he graduates. life is quiet, he cuts his hair short with the possibility of his brother outing him gone. he wears skirts less, and almost stops wearing makeup completely.

in his last year of school, he meets a boy he likes. the prettiest person he’s ever seen. he doesn’t push his luck with him, he doesn’t say anything until he’s one month out of school and six foot deep in the hole he’d dug for himself, his phone full of pictures of him, polaroids overflowing from their stack on his desk, and the guy half on top of him. 

thinking back, he can’t blame him for running out. you date someone for months, and you only mention being something different than they expect after you’ve had sex. he’s not even sure what he was thinking coming out like that, but when the guy never calls back, he at least learns a lesson about treating things like that better than he did.

but it pushes him away from focus on his love life, and into a focus on his future. he needs a real job, that’s for sure. and automatically finds himself attracted to the idea of being a celebrity. his mom supports him, but all together doesn’t like the idea—he can tell when she’s lying by now. it isn’t long until reality catches up with his dream, and having to call himself anything but a boy or live in fear of someone finding out he wasn’t always known by kwanghyok all sits too heavy on his chest.

so the idol dream is short lived, but he finds himself still attracted to the lifestyle and the people. and when he finds out ace entertainment is looking for a photographer a few months later, he goes for the chance of working next to the same people who fascinate him.