#npcs !

NAKAMURA KARIN (also known as SHIN HANEUL or RIN) is a Korean-Japanese idol trainee, dancer, and model. Born on April 18th, 2004, Karin was born and raised in Osaka, Japan. She's the eldest of two siblings, with a brother that is two years younger than she is. Her father is the chairman of a medium sized flour milling company, while her mother is a former teen actress (who was rather successful) and interior designer. Growing up, Karin didn't show much interest in an entertainment career, but she was pushed to model as a hobby by her mother. She began modeling at the age of eight, and her occasional modeling career would continue well into her trainee years. Karin also had a few minor acting roles here and there through her career as a model, mainly in Japanese dramas.

In 2017, shortly after her thirteenth birthday, Karin and her family traveled to Korea for vacation. There, she learned about the girl groups Twice and Girls' Generation, and she fell in love with dance and the idea of becoming an idol. After returning home, Karin's parents noticed their daughter's new interest, and they agreed to let her take dance classes. Karin was trained in various genres of dance, from modern and ballet to hip hop and more "K-pop" style choreography. She was noted for her intense dedication and quick learning skills, and she improved as a dancer rather quickly.

After a year of taking classes, Karin was scouted by JYP Entertainment at one of her academy's showcases. Although she initially found the company intimidating, she eventually went through with their offer to audition, and to her surprise, she made it through and thus, she became a trainee. Karin was known for her visuals among her fellow trainees, and her looks caused JYP to push her as a model. She appeared in various campaigns, CFs, and was even a spokesmodel for Smart Uniform and Etude House. Of course, she was also known for her dance skills, and by the end of 2018, she was a part of the debut lineup that would go on to become ITZY. Despite training with the members for months and growing close to Lia and Chaeryeong, Karin was unfortunately cut from ITZY's lineup in January—just a month before the group's debut—as the company felt she wasn't ready.

As a result, Karin left JYP and joined Source Music, not wanting to give up on her dream of debuting. While resuming her training at Source, her photos suddenly became popular on Korean blogs, and Karin quickly became known as an ulzzang. She didn't really do anything with this title, though, wanting to focus more on her training. In late 2021, two years after transferring companies, Karin was added to the lineup for Source's upcoming girl group, LE SSERAFIM. Karin worked harder than ever, convinced that she was ready to debut now. However, months before the group's debut, Karin was unexpectedly removed from the lineup alongside another trainee. Her chance at debuting was ripped from her a second time, and although Karin was initially depressed and wanted to go back home to Osaka, she decided to hold out hope and remain at Source.

After two more years of training, the company didn't know what to do with Karin. They wanted to debut her as a soloist, but Karin didn't. Now, at twenty years old and after five years of training, she felt as if she was running out of time. Thankfully, Dreamquest came knocking on Source Music's door, and they knew exactly which trainee to send.

Karin isn't sure if Dreamquest will help her debut, but after two failed attempts at doing so, she just hopes that she won't add a third, as she knows this might be her last chance. Will the show finally help her achieve a five-year-old dream, or will she finally have to throw in the towel? Only time will tell.

go check out dreamquest ! — @dreamquest ♡

the kids are alright // the north manchester estate kids

from top left:

𝙅𝘼𝘾𝙆 𝙏𝙐𝙍𝙉𝙀𝙍 (26) / owns and operates a restaurant in new york city with his wife. has a three year old and a two bedroom apartment. hasn't returned to manchester in five years.

𝙅𝘼𝙈𝙄𝙀 𝙏𝘼𝙍𝙏𝙏 (25) / midfielder for afc richmond, kind of a big deal.

𝙏𝙊𝙈𝙈𝙔 𝙐𝙒𝙀𝙍𝘼 (25) / law school student, on his way to becoming north manchester's premier public defender. man united supporter. brilliant, genius. honey.

JASON DAY-FUJIWARA is a Japanese-English actor, visual artist, videographer, businessman, and semi-retired model. Born on January 4th, 1997, Jason began his career as a child actor and model in 2004, and his earliest jobs came in the form of Abercrombie campaigns and print advertisements for Burberry and Chloe. His acting debut didn't come until 2005, in which he had a supporting role in a British soap opera. Prior to his breakthrough, Jason became a prominent young TV actor in England, and his popularity led him to a role in the 2011 Disney film, Lemonade Mouth.

In 2014, Jason was one of two co-stars in the film Sister. The film was an international success, and it won him a Young Hollywood Award, a Saturn Award, and even his first Golden Globe. Sister saw recognition at the Academy Awards, and won the GLAAD Media Award for Best Outstanding Film. The film's success catapulted Jason into semi-stardom in the United States, and he found his way into an Emmy-nominated television film later that year. In 2016, however, he would be transformed into an established actor seemingly overnight.

Jason would secure the role of Jess (later Jax) Takeda in Stranger Things, and his character's subsequent popularity turned him into a beloved actor. As a result, he's since achieved roles in major productions such as Squid Game, The Power of the Dog, Dune, Fast X, the Knives Out trilogy, Scream, Mad Max: Furiosa, Succession, Bridgerton, and Shiai—the latter of which garnered him a Best Actor nomination at the 2024 Academy Awards.

In addition to his booming acting career, Jason also has a booming modeling career. In 2013, he signed a contract with IMG Models, and a year later, he was sent to Paris and London to make his Fashion Week debuts. In between 2014 and 2016, he was seen as a rising star within the modeling world, booking shows and campaigns for the likes of Valentino, Alexander Wang, and Louis Vuitton. Jason's career as a model came to a rather abrupt end in 2016, though, when he announced that he would be taking an indefinite hiatus from modeling. The hiatus would thankfully end six years later, when he returned to the runway for Paris Fashion Week in 2022. Now, he's an ambassador for Celine, Hermès, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, and Saint Laurent's "L'Homme" fragrance, and is the first male ambassador for SK-II. Additionally, Jason also happens to be the founder and CEO of Day Media Corp, a gallery and media company, mainly for photography and videography. Founding the company in 2021, it has gone on to be immensely successful.

In 2018, Jason came out as a demiboy, changing his name from Jocelyn Charlene Day to Jason Day-Fujiwara. In his post, he expressed his feelings of gender dysphoria and confusing attraction to women, which he had been feeling for over two years at that point (which was also one of the reasons he decided to step back from modeling). Three years later, he would publicly come out as a transgender man, citing his then-girlfriend for giving him the courage to do so. Since then, Jason has been a staunch activist for the LGBT community and other marginalized groups, regularly speaking at charity events and making frequent appearances at Pride.

In 2019, Jason met his future wife, Aikawa Chouka (also known as Love). Meeting during the table reading before the production of Stranger Things' third season, the two clicked instantly due to their shared Japanese heritage and similar social standing (as Jason's father—Jonathan Day—is the president of the Day Banking Group, while his mother is a wealthy heiress and cast member of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills). Interestingly enough, they also attended the same Swiss private school at the same time, and their mothers were very familiar with each other. They became immensely close over the next two years, to the point where a relationship between their characters on Stranger Things was written in due to their intense chemistry, and by 2021, the internet was beginning to notice just how close they were. Everyone's suspicions were confirmed on Valentine's Day of that year, when both Jason and Chouka confirmed their relationship on Instagram. The world couldn't have been happier, and they've since gone on to become an iconic couple, even tying the knot in 2024. Their lavish Italian wedding has gone down as the "wedding of the decade."

Now, Jason has cemented himself as a beloved celebrity, becoming known as one of the best and most popular actors of the modern age. With his string of iconic roles, activism, booming business, and aesthetically pleasing Instagram feed, it doesn't look like Jason will be going away anytime soon (especially since he's married to Chouka).

childhood (1997-2006)

GEORGIE CARTER (née BOLTON) - mother. a nurse. the only person who has been by jamie's side since the day he was born, who would answer his calls no matter what, even if it was three in the morning and their relationship was strained (and there were times their relationship was strained. from when jamie was 14-16, they barely spoke, and when jamie was on loan at richmond, his habits of calling her up nearly died). he makes sure to talk to her at least once a week, even if it's just to ask how she's doing. georgie has an older brother, though jamie has never met him, nor her parents - she was effectively disowned when they found out that she was pregnant with james tartt's baby at 17. she's always told jamie that he's all she needs. jamie will admit to being a mummy's boy. georgie will always be one of his top priorities.

JAMES TARTT SR. - father. named jamie after himself, then fucked off. only started coming around again once jamie had been recruited by the manchester city academy when jamie was 9. once he started coming back around, he was physically, mentally, and emotionally abusive towards jamie. jamie, in turn, took that anger and internalized it, using james as a fuel to his fire. everything he ever did, he did to piss james off. now, as an adult, jamie is grateful for that rage, because it got him to where he is now, but he still hates the guy. the two things he has to say to him, that he'll always have to say to him, are thank you, and fuck you. fuck you, for everything you ever did to me. i was a child, i never deserved that. thank you, for pushing me to get to where i am today. jamie has not heard from him in over a year - he reached out to him after richmond beat city during jamie's second season on contract with richmond, his third season with the team overall, though he has yet to hear back.

TOMMY UWERA - childhood best friend. tommy lived next door to jamie the whole time they were growing up. it was tommy's parents who told georgie about the rec football league that they'd signed tommy up for when georgie asked if they knew of any. it was tommy that jamie was talking to when a man city scout met with georgie about jamie joining their program. if you asked jamie, tommy should've been scouted, too. tommy was the first one to see jamie's roy poster, and while tommy wouldn't let him live down being a fan of a southern football team (tommy had always been a supporter of united, to jamie's dismay), he never treated jamie any differently because of what he assumed were jamie's not-so-heterosexual feelings for the footballer on his wall. jamie loves him and considers him his first true brother. tommy made it all the way through school, got good marks on his gcses, and went to university. now, he's in law school in manchester, and jamie and he text at least once a week.

JACK TURNER - childhood best friend. if jamie and tommy ever had a third person with them, you could bet that it would be jack. jamie would still have considered jack one of his best friends, though jack and jamie were never as close as tommy and jamie were. jack moved to america when they were 20, jamie losing touch with him after that - what with the time difference and jamie's busy schedule with city -- as far as jamie knows, jack is married with at least one kid now.

YASHVI PATEL - first crush. yashvi lived on the other side of jamie's house - tommy to the left, yashvi to the right. directly across from their houses was a brick wall, with a white sign telling the children of the council estate no ball playing. but jamie never listened, and tommy never listened, and yashvi certainly never listened. if there was one person in that whole neighborhood that could keep up with jamie, it was yashvi, and, sometimes, he admitted, she outplayed him. his crush on her was almost embarrassing - georgie would tease him playfully for it frequently. around the same time that jamie was recruited for city's academy, yashvi was recruited as a forward for united women's academy. their careers ran parallel to each other the whole time they were growing into their boots, but, as soon as united's women's team reestablished in 2018, yashvi got her call up, and actually made the starting xi in their first year. jamie hates united, but he has a soft spot for their women's team. you won't see him in united red (he'd rather die than put on those kits), but he'll go to old trafford when they play there to cheer yashvi on. she's played for england women, as well, and jamie is genuinely proud to see her succeed, even if his crush on her died years prior.

academy days (2006-2014)

HENRY SMITH (left wing) // LIAM MURRAY (right wing) // CONOR DAVIES (centre back) // MAX FITZPATRICK (holding mid) - academy teammates. zava fans. gave jamie plenty of shit for being a kent fan. he looked forward to spending time with them, because anything was better than the posh pricks he went to school with, but he would never have considered them his best friends. made a bet with them after his call up to city proper, when they were still on the u21 elite squad, leading to jamie getting his tattoo that says arm in chinese on his arm. all of them were released by city, and only liam was picked up by another team - he currently plays right wing for southampton.

DAISY BIRCH - first (willing) time, jamie tried sneaking her into the house. georgie knew what was going on. jamie was sixteen. she lived a couple of blocks away from him (in reality, it was much further than jamie processed, but he never minded the walk) and they'd met through mutual neighborhood friends. he hasn't seen her since he went professional, though jamie wasn't sure if that's because he'd gotten a house of his own with his paycheck and he was too busy to be hanging out around his mum's house anymore, or if it's because she moved.

SIMON CARTER - georgie met simon when simon injured himself in a baking accident and had to go to a&e. he was flustered the whole time she was taking care of him, and she told him that she hoped whatever he was baking was worth the trip out. the next day, simon came back to the hospital georgie works at with a tray full of danishes and a grin on his face. after that, he started coming around with lunch for her frequently, and they were going on dates, though jamie was disconnected from georgie at the time. he could tell that simon made her happy, and he wasn't surprised when he proposed, and when they got married, jamie was in the wedding with them, sixteen and mad at the world, but, for a day, he allowed himself some joy, happy to see that his mum finally found someone who deserved her, someone who made her happy.

man city (2015-2019/20)

PADDY O'GARA (centre back, 5) - jamie's only friend on city. he's about as old as roy is, and won more caps for ireland than jamie can count. he took jamie under his wing, welcomed jamie back when his loan was cancelled, would sit beside jamie at film and pass forward to him on the pitch. he was like an older brother to jamie, and jamie truly adores him to this day. paddy retired between the 2020-21 season and the 2021-22 season. jamie sent him a text congratulating him on an amazing career, and he plans on visiting him in ireland during the off-season. [ aidan turner fc ]

BASTIEN DE VILLARDI (captain, forward, 10) - de villardi and jamie got off on the wrong foot from the day jamie set foot in city's dressing room for the first time. jamie was 17, cocky, and knew he was better than mostly everyone in the room. de villardi was the captain and he couldn't have that kind of attitude around, even if jamie was, technically, great. he made sure to put jamie down at every opportunity that he got - tartt, set up the cones. tartt, get me a towel. tartt, where's the water? and jamie developed a massive inferiority complex around him - and the rest of the team that laughed along.

PHILIP HENDRICK (striker, 9) - jamie had no problem with hendrick. he was a good total football style striker, someone pep clearly wanted jamie to learn from. sure, hendrick laughed along with de villardi's jokes, but jamie did his best to learn from him, to pass to him on the pitch, to take after him, in some ways. jamie's father was a massive fan of his before jamie got his call up, and when jamie was at richmond - city's goalscorer was a legend in manchester. but, when jamie got his call up, hendrick was the only thing - in james' mind - standing between jamie and time on the pitch, jamie and the number 9. hendrick transferred to aston villa between the 2020-21 season and the 2021-22 season. jamie has no hard feelings against him.

DANTHONY CARVALHO (lust conquers all) - jamie was into him from the moment he got to set. he didn't do anything about it, obviously, not with all of those cameras on him. jamie was a prick to him during filming, because it was the only way he knew how to manage his own feelings. danthony won the whole season, in the end. since then, though, jamie's reached out to apologize, and danthony seems well enough - jamie watched the whole season of lust conquers all that he was called back to be on.

AMY ROWE (lust conquers all) - she was jamie's easy target during lust conquers all. she clearly wanted him from the start, and who was he to say no to someone who was fit and wanted him? she was dull, though - nothing like keeley, nothing like any girl he'd ever want to do anything more with than shag, but he knew how the game worked, knew how to make people invested in him, so he slept with her a few times, including once in the bathroom of the house, and then proposed. of course, that didn't work, and jamie got kicked off of the show the next week, immediately retracting his proposal and saying that he was just playing a game - because he was. he doesn't know what she's up to these days, and doesn't really care.

richmond era (2019/20-present)

JEREMIE - jamie doesn't even honestly know that his name is jeremie. on a trip to paris during the off season between s2 and s3, jamie hooked up with a man for the first time. he had no clue who jamie was, they could barely understand each other -- if jamie had no experience with richard's accent he probably would've been shit out of luck when it came to understanding him, but they made it work, jamie had a good time, and it solidified what he already knew about himself - he wasn't just bisexual in concept, but he was in practice, too.