#chrintro

RUNDOWN

TRIGGER & CONTENT WARNINGS: physical abuse, underage drug/alcohol consumption, (attempted) suicide (lmk if you want a redacted summary!) 

BASICS — born and raised in busan up until the tender age of seventeen, when he was sent (“exiled”) to seoul to live with his aunt and uncle and attend hannam. the catalyst was a rebellious phase turned lifestyle (a lot of really reckless decisions involving drugs, alcohol, vandalism, swiping money from the tithes & offerings, u name it) and his parents deciding they a) didn’t want to deal with that and b) didn’t want that to reflect on their reputations. he’s been in seoul ever since and has never stayed in busan for longer than a couple of days.

ON RELIGION & FAITH — the only son of the head pastor of a well-known megachurch in busan, yuhwan was raised under the strict and watchful eye of his obsessive parents! he’s not religious anymore by any means, but faith (or his lack thereof) has shaped a huge part of his mentality. his lack of belief in a higher power is the foundation of his ‘if i have the confidence to own up to the potential consequences of my actions, then i’ll do whatever i want to’ mindset. he’s not going to be discouraged by a god that doesn’t exist! 

ON SEOUL — hates it. yep. he hates seoul, but he doesn’t really have the drive to try to find somewhere he does like because he hates busan too. when he was sent to live with his aunt and uncle, he was treated pretty poorly (still flinches when people raise their hand at him), like a glorified punching bag. hannam wasn’t any better, and the military was nice in the way prison cells might be. he hates cramped things and the only decent jogging path he knows runs him right by the bridge he almost jumped off of after his military service ended so. you know. you win some, you lose some. 

ON HANNAM — hated it. yep. straight up hated it. he was pretty good about being friendly around virtually anyone who held his attention for more than a couple of seconds, but yuhwan hates the idea of hierarchies! finds them downright stifling, and he doesn’t like the idea of being placed in a box, etc. hannam felt like an oppressive social pyramid and he thought that kinda sucked so as friendly as he was on the outside, he had zero interest in making friends and has probably only willingly kept in touch with a handful of people since graduating. 

ON GOSSIPS, RUMORS, AND SECRETS — he’s a tabloid writer. once a regular editor for a small newspaper, he gave that up and decided to sacrifice his morals for a higher paycheck. he blames his mom because she, as the pastor’s wife, had a lot of access to juicy gossip and liked to tell yuhwan about it. yuhwan’s probably the least trustworthy person he knows. he’s careful to keep the secrets of people he cares about, but as it turns out, he doesn’t really care about that many people. he’s friendly, open to listening, and honestly not that bad at giving advice etc., but be on your guard. wouldn’t want your dirty laundry to be aired out for the world to see, after all. 

ON THE PRESENT — he’s minding his own business. really. like i said, he’s probably kept in touch with some people, but otherwise he’s not really interested in the busy lives of almost-strangers unless they’re going to get him a bonus on his next paycheck. yuhwan very much so marches to the beat of his own drum. he doesn’t care much about the world around him and only cares when it inconveniences him. like a kite without a string, he’s floating wherever the fuck the wind’s going to take him!

ON HIS SECRET — after graduating from high school, and then university, and then finishing military service, yuhwan thought he might literally lose his fucking mind if he didn’t set himself free in one way or another. ultimately, he decides he won’t be able to coexist in peace with his parents unless they change. and because they won’t change of their own volition, he submits an anonymous tip about his father’s embezzlement of church funds. in the end, it doesn’t destroy his dad’s legacy or anything; the church is still up and running—but it’s an ordeal that takes months, years of being humbled by the weight of the world. he doesn’t feel bad about it. his mom gossips less and his dad’s less of an asshole, after all. makes family gatherings that much more bearable when they’re all tired of existing!

CONNECTIONS

BEST FRIEND — just one. no dramatic childhood friends story or anything like that. just one person he actually really genuinely sincereeeeeely liked from hannam that didn’t take any effort or slow build to figure out. probably the only person he really trusts in this big, bad city. you’ve got a huge weapon in your hands! he’s not used to putting this much trust in others. (+1000 if in a two-day relationship that ended terribly. ‘i would never date you again, but i’ll still die for u’ kinda vibes) 

HANNAM FRIENDS — there won’t be many, but! anyone? anyone?? he was a friendly, easygoing person (still is, tbh) during his hannam days, but was definitely a free spirit who did whatever he wanted. if you could keep up with his pace, then he might have liked your company. he’s not a fan of overly serious people unless they have the patience of a saint! (trust me, you’ll need it.) 

HANNAM... NOT FRIENDS — he’s not so conscious of his surroundings as to have enemies himself, but he definitely did get pushed around for a little while when he was first getting settled. and he’s also definitely spoken out of turn and said some rude shit (not on purpose) (he just doesn’t have a filter) here and there. want to hate his guts? please do. negative energy’s welcome in this house!

COUSIN — a similar-aged cousin, also the child of the aunt and uncle yuhwan absolutely fucking abhors. they might have a contentious relationship. might even be a positive one. either way, they lived under the same roof for a few years! 

TABLOID VICTIM — got a little fame to your name? have a nasty scandal you didn’t want to get out? well, now it’s out. and sensationalized, too! maybe you know it’s him who leaked it (and wrote the article, while we’re at it). maybe you don’t! 

BUSAN BUDDIES — and i use the word ‘buddies’ loosely. grow up in busan? have religious parents? religious yourself maybe? well, maybe you bumped into each other then. yuhwan had the reputation of being a prim and proper pastor’s son, amiable and cheerful and so so devoted, up until he was suddenly sent to seoul. all of his bad habits and reckless adventures were largely done behind his parents’ backs (until he got caught, at least!)—you know of them? partake in them, maybe? or maybe you didn’t know, and you’re wondering why the fuck he came to seoul in the first place

- yul was born in seoul, sk on may 20, 1995 - his father is a famous politician and his mother is a lawyer so their family has always been highly associated with socialites and whatnot - he has an older brother who he had a good relationship growing up with - of his family, yul is the easiest to approach with his friendly and cheerful nature considering that his family (especially his parents) are known for being cold and intimidating - yul flies through high school with flying colors while getting into just the right amount of trouble every now and then to have memorable years - before yul graduates high school, his brother goes on to join his mother at her law firm and that's where things start to change for him - his parents were never ones to show their love and affection openly, but after their legacy is secured with his brother to inherit it all they kind of stop caring about him in general - of course the love is still clearly there, they just don't invest as much time or attention into him anymore - yul figures that instead of get sad about it and derail, it's a free pass to go on and live his life however he wants - after graduation, he immediately enlists to complete his duty before planning to leave the country with no return - once he completes his enlistment, yul chooses one of the schools abroad in the uk that he had his eye on and leaves without a look back - his parents keep him set up financially, sending him more than enough money each month to help him with whatever he needs - with lots of hard work, yul finds himself graduating early with a job already lined up for him with a fantastic pay - soon enough, yul's earning more than enough and building up a reputation to rival his parents in his own field - the bank account that his parents send money to is forgotten with no interest as his parents done to him - a year after his graduation, the girl that yul has been in love with ever since coming to the uk asks him for a favor - despite knowing that it's always been one-sided and that she'll never see him the way he does, yul agrees to help her because that's just how insanely in love he is with her - she reveals that she's pregnant and it's too late to choose otherwise, then asks him to take the child once she gives birth without further reasoning other than wanting a normal life and for the baby to have a better one than she can offer - there's really no hesitation from yul's end and agrees to take the child under the condition that he leave the country completely - so even though yul had plans to never return to korea, it's the only place he knows to go to start over with baby shia - at 23, yul goes back and starts raising shia alone with his job as a data analyst that allows him to work from home for her sake - three years later and yul couldn't be happier with where he's at and having shia in his life

small relationship ideas (more detailed ideas on plots page linked above!)

lim junseo is an only child raised by parents who struggled a lot, but wanted the best for him. they sacrificed their time and wellbeing to work two jobs so he could go to a good school. the goal was for him to get amazing grades so he could further his education, however he absolutely did not do that .... oop. his mission at school was to fit in, and be popular and liked. No One would know about his real home life if he could help it. however, this kind of turned into an obsession with him being the centre of attention and ( seemingly ) rich and popular. he cant be poor if he fits in with the rich kids, right ?

maybe there was a period of his life where he would steal nice clothes so his friends could see him with nice things. but you can’t prove it.

now that he’s an adult he’s somewhat of a social media influencer using the coat tails he’s ridden for pictures for his instagram. there’s definitely an image he’s worked really hard to create for himself, one where he seems wealthy with a lavish lifestyle. it’s kiiiiind of true but also kind of not. he has money but only because he relies on those he escorts to pay for things for him, rather than spending what he earns. his parents think he's studying ... ha 

he’s a lil obnoxious and a lil self absorbed but he means well. he kind of inserts himself into places he’s not needed because whether he’s needed or not is irrelevant, because he assumes he’s always wanted. not to mention he cannot stand people ignoring him. ( if he pisses you off ,,,, there’s some fuel for u lmfao ). big head, big heart, means something but says something else because his mouth moves quicker than his brain. just leo things really xoxo.

basic stats

full name: kang khai

pronouns: he/him

dob and age: 01 / 09 / 97, 23 years old

birthplace: seoul, sk

class of: 2015

occupation: mma fighter, welterweight champion

secret: (pm_19) purposely injured their teammate to win the spot in a professional sports team, accidentally started a fire that burnt down a few houses when they were a child.

tldr of his bio — tw: brief mentions of violence, arson, bullying

was raised like a normal kid, didn’t really know his family was into the spicy mafia business until later on in his life. as a kid, he was very nice and soft spoken. very wholesome, very good kid.

as he got older, his father (mostly), intended to have him be the backup to his older brother in the case that the older brother died out of nowhere, the kang’s would still have a backup plan. 

at first, he was chill with the idea but as he gradually got older he came to hate the idea of being a backup solely because he was born at later point.

got bullied at school and accidentally set the kid’s house on fire, from there started to stand up for himself and got into some fights. 

was trained to not show weakness, to be brutal because it runs in the family business. eventually, it actually becomes his personality and around this time, hones his skills to become the best mma fighter there ever was. 

kept getting pulled away from his passion to be the best mma fighter because of the family ‘business’ and the whole ‘training to be backup’ thing. grew bitter and resented the family lifestyle, but also really enjoyed the perks of getting away with being entangled with the legal system.

his mma mentor said there can only be one kid who makes it, so what does he do? he beats the shit out of the other kid his mentor is teaching and the kid ends up wheelchair bound. gets to be the best mma fighter and is also the moment where he azula slips.

is mentally downward spiralling but tries to keep it together in the name of love, just kidding, in the name of not showing weakness 🤠 

helloooo everyone and welcome to aera’s life !!! my name’s keith ( she/her, gmt+8 ) and i’m very excited to be here !! i have under this little intro message a tl;dr of aera’s biography and i also plan to add in some plots over here as soon as i can. if you’d like to work something out for our muses please like this post so that i can come to you for plotting !! other than that, here goes miss shin aera out to slither her way into your life !! 

born in 1996 to a technology tycoon and hedge fund investor, and a neurosurgeon.

her parents’ marriage was one of convenience and never love. what started off as friendship ended up being the worst relationship that either of them had ever known. 

hence, aera’s childhood was very isolating. aside from the fact that her parents never bonded as a result of their strained marriage, they were both extremely busy people what with her father and his business, and her mom and her patients.

her dad never really liked her anyway because he wanted a son instead of a daughter. her mother on the other hand, loved her enough to spend time with her but once she got a little bit difficult ( as most kids are ), she was quick to hand her off. 

it took awhile but in turn, aera understood that her parents only ever wanted to be around her when she’s being pleasant. once she had half a mind to pretend, she would always put her best self forward every time her parents are around. her nannies perhaps had a million horror stories to talk about when it comes to raising her as her tantrums and crocodile tears only made appearances around them.

so yes, her nightmarish fake personality of being an absolute sweetheart was born out her desperate need to please her parents. knowing then that she could get whatever she wanted should she smile and speak at the right moment was simultaneously the best, and worst thing she had ever learned.

ff at eleven years old, her parents finally separated. aera chose to live with her father until high school because she saw how happy her mom was living independently ( her one selfish act her entire life!! never again!! )

about a year after their divorce was finalised, her father remarried a younger former model. she was nice and all but aera hated her.

her dad’s second marriage resulted in two kids; a son and a daughter. because her father finally had the child he originally wanted, aera was basically forgotten. just in time to move in with her mother and start studying at hannam high school !!! 

in school, she was known as the nice, sweet girl. despite her family’s riches, she wasn’t outlandish and was known to be humble and approachable. she’s supportive, studies hard, and is involved in various organisations for personal growth and because she wanted to help. she talks without an air of pomp and always seems to be just about ready to drop everything whenever someone needs her.

in reality, she does all of that to hide the fact that she’s merely collecting alliances and people to “help” so that she can use their gratitude to her advantage when the time comes. doing so makes her feel important and to a neglected child there’s truly nothing better than that !!

so she probably has a lot of surface level friendships and her closest ones were probably a product of “i know your secret, you know mine now we’re stuck together protecting each other’s back”.

she graduated from snu with a degree in business administration. shortly after, she started her own events planning business using her trust fund money for capital and used her family connections ( and the ones she’s built from school and those who felt indebted to her ) to gain high society clients as a way to market her business.

in no time, her events business was flourishing and that’s where she’s been keeping herself busy for the last couple of years !!

didn’t quite have a silver spoon growing up, but she was comfortably middle class with no clue that she & her mum were her dad’s second family

absolutely the prettiest girl on the playground with an ego to match, a little entitled & expecting only good things for herself, because that was just how the world seemed to work for her

until her dad’s actual wife burst into their house when she was 14 & things went to shit, yknow

somin ends up being bribed with a scholarship to hannam to keep her mouth shut, with her dad thinking she’d be an easy to manipulate dumbass

she decides to take that over being known as an illegitimate daughter, but unfortunately it’s never enough & somin starts blackmailing suggesting how her dad can make her life happy enough that she won’t feel the need to divulge his secret. she’s still not happy enough yet

so the story goes that she’s self-made, single-mum family, scholar & entrepreneur etc

in reality, she’s getting a bit bored with how easy everything has been. she starts a band (retro rosy) because she thinks it’s low stakes enough that it doesn’t matter if she fails at it, so she doesn’t get her dad to pull any strings

she’s kinda enjoying this whole “reaping the rewards of your efforts” thing? wow

v deep down somin’s hurt by what happened with her dad but is absolutely not addressing any of that! also kinda salty & interacts with all these rich kids as some kind of validation that she would have been a perfectly good legitimate daughter

personality wise, she’s a mixed bag. her image matters a lot to her, not in the sense that she wants to be known as nice, but as capable. #girlboss shit. taken too many shortcuts to be truly cutthroat & a little too bitter to be soft. a perfectionist who doesn’t want to risk failing, so she relies on her safety net a bit too much, even if it’s unfulfilling. 

& that’s where we’re at with somin now! i’m open to ideas and any kinda development for her, so pls come plot with me hehe :)

plot ideas!

retro rosy band members please

her half-sibling! someone around her age? but to be plotted in more depth

the one person, maybe childhood friend who knows who her dad is

neighbours, both friendly or antagonistic

someone who works with her father and has their suspicions

fellow scholars of hannam

friends, classmates, enemies from hannam or university

going for a fortune telling together and haha, that sure was a weird thing to say…?

music producer/composer for retro rosy

longstanding tgif shenanigans

you actually work hard? you believe in effort? disgusting. she’s jealous.

she believes in finders keepers, unluckily for someone who’s lost a very precious thing