Lgc:wc005 - Blog Posts

fun was not the word that could explain her mood but she supposes it was the best way to … levy the anguish that was swirling inside her. if she had expected anyone to stop her, such a feat goes without notice, their presence easily slipping through the doors like sand between ones fingers; quick, hard to hold onto and without fail, easy to miss. 

lili knew she would hear no end of it later but she didn’t care about that, at least not now.

for the remainder of her birthday, lili wanted it to be about her.

and rather than wallow at home, moping about another failed birthday, she mulls jisoo’s suggestion with a tilt of her head; bracing the new year’s cold with a quick tug of her jacket around her shoulders. “what do you have in mind?” the night was still young but — it was the beginning of the new year, what were the odds somewhere had room to accommodate them?

it really didn't feel like a birthday dinner at all, and it makes jisoo think that they ought to rewind a few days and have had a mutual celebration instead. it's not too late, considering how its going. belated never hurt anyone ( well, on paper. but with lili, it could always play out to be a different story ) but anything seems to be better than this. the whole event was decorated as a farce for lili's birthday but the charade did not match. the memo was missed. and no birthday cake even!

jisoo is dressed for the occasion but the celebratory part seems to be amiss as he sat for majority of the eve, legs crossed and observant at the lack of anything truly happening. trying to stay quiet through the droll of speeches, there was only so many bathroom and water breaks he could take while not ditching his friend's side.

"yes, time does fly when you're.... having fun." he clears his throat, glancing at his watch. "i think it is time to head out. if you'll excuse us," his family did have a dog, settling perfectly at home with his parents, but it would be well-suited as an excuse if anyone asked for proof of photos. he hadn't brought anything with him that wasn't already on his body, lest his coat so with that in hand, he is already on tailspin on the way out. he prefers to have lili go ahead of him, in case anyone starts asking about why they were leaving so early, or that they not ought to go.

only when they're out of earshot, and sight and having turned the corner, jisoo glances at lili fully first before opening his mouth again. a conversation with her at times could be described as standing in the middle of a fork. which way to go? "would you rather head home or be on autopilot and we still end up celebrating your birthday a little more quietly between the two of us? we're already out and dressed for it."

“you have a point there,” she murmurs quietly, fingers tapping mindlessly at the desk they were seated at.

“don’t forget there’s also to, too and two. oh! and complement and compliment. it’s honestly insane.” her english as a second language class had been hell growing up; if she had been asami’s shoes, she would have thrown her hands up and called it a day but alas, here they both were, suffering through english. fortunate for lili, she liked learning languages; unfortunately for lili, it was fueled by her need to succeed and to prove others wrong for doubting her and her lovely intellect. 

“english is full of things that sound the same but are spelled different, it’s dumb but … it’s english.” she says as if that would help asami's predicament at all. it didn't but lili truly didn't know what else to say, "you know what you need is a break! should we go for lattes?"

Asami smiles satisfied with herself for pulling that reaction out of Lili. She shrugs, "As far as you know, I might only be able to count up to ten and know how to ask for directions to the bathroom. When I got to Korea, that was all I knew for like a month. Oh, and also colors!" Asami points her finger up like she made a discovery at the addition of that last piece of information.

She could feel her head starting to hum with the foreshadow of a headache. Learning new things that didn't require her moving often left that little impression in her. "It makes no sense. The best way to keep us from saying idiotic things is by not being able to say them at all," she says with a little pout and a sigh, but then she deflates, "I understand how this is important, since it's a easier language for most people to follow abroad, but doesn't change the fact that is so confusing," Asami points at the screen where she is seeing interesting language facts where the words 'they’re, their and there' are all side by side, "These all sound exactly the same."

lili immediately raises her fingers to form an ‘x’ in rejection. “no, no — just brunette and maybe layers, but no bangs.” lili was firm with her likes and her dislikes and she absolutely disliked the idea of bangs on herself. 

“yea, it’s kinda crazy. but i guess expected since we’re not like debuted official just training official? at least we get exposure through the company instagram.” like a pebble in an ocean, lili surmises. “better than nothing,” she adds at the end even if it was closer to nothing than anything else on her end.

nodding, her hand pushes the tray further towards kyoka with a smile, “はいー めしあがれ.” her japanese had somehow gotten better to a fault, enough for casual remarks but still not well enough to hold a lengthy conversation. 

Kyoka cocks her head to the side and blinks. Fair enough, Lili does look great as a brunette and she makes sure to say as much. Very mindful, very demure, she nods approvingly. Hey, maybe she should consider going brunette too someday, "With bangs too maybe, what do you think?" she asks, grabbing the tip of her hair to illustrate her vision.

She shrugs, the idea clearly not bothering her that much. "Everyone I really know is here or they're back home still and I'm not allowed to talk about them." She was definitely forgetting a lot of other people around her, but then again, she never made enough of an impression for people to really notice her anyways. "Can you believe we're not allowed in any social media, not even from fans posting about random meetings?"

And does she want Lili's potatoes, of course she does. Kyoka never turns down free food and she's also almost always kind of hungry anyways. Her piling up on the potatoes onto her plate is her response, and it's only right before she takes her first bite that she remembers to thank Lili, "I do, いただきます!!" head bobbing as she spoke.

oh, he was infuriating.

behind his smile, lili knew he was enjoying every second of this — that darling devil of a man was truly cruel. how dare he play her when he knew she could do nothing but smile through it — oh, the earful he was going to get after the cameras turn off was going to be a big one.

her eyes roll, this is the one thing she can’t help, when he denies her hint — a pout already forming on her plump lips as she takes the ski poles from him. “fine, be that way, i guess i’ll just have to wait to be dazzled.”

she shakes her head, trying — but purposely failing — to keep her laugh from spilling from her cheeks as she shuffles forward, “it’s only a bunny slope, you should get down with no worries! just keep yours in front of you and your knees slightly bent!”

lili makes her first ride down with ease — a practiced simplicity that comes with experience. a bunny hill was always the best for beginners. it was barely even a hill, if lili thought of it, not even too far from where she sees minkyu riding, shortly after her.

This is fun. This is so much fun.

Minkyu isn’t mischievous by nature - not really - but there’s something endlessly entertaining about doing all the things he knows Lili isn’t particularly fond of, without the usual fear of being scolded. After all, she can’t exactly bark at him like she normally would, not with the cameras rolling. And that? That makes it even more fun.

( Though he’s well aware he won’t hear the end of it once filming wraps. )

He grins, proud, as Lili tells him he did well with the skis. But instead of accepting the praise, he lifts a single gloved hand, wiggling his pointer finger in playful denial. “No, no. You’re not getting any information out of me! A surprise is only a real surprise if the receiver is completely clueless.” His smile stretches wide, a chuckle slipping between his words.

What she doesn’t know is that he’s actually prepared two surprises. But that’s for him to know and her to find out.

“I can promise you, though: it’ll leave you speeeeeechless.”

That cheeky little grin of his makes another appearance as he hands her the ski poles, then secures the straps of his own around his wrists. “Alrightie, lead the way, Miss Ski Princess! I’ll be following closely and trying not to fall on my butt.”

“mm, who knows. it would have been more interesting if she had thrown the chocolates in his face.” she says in passing, the melodramatics was lost on her. 

it was unfortunate that lili’s attention span was as flighty as she was but once something sparked her interest, she was like a dog with a bone. minyoung’s unexpected confession has her dropping the page her fingers were currently fiddling with — brow arched, lips parted in what could only be seen as surprise. 

“you’ve never — like never ever?” now, how could that be? then she finds herself doing damage control — righting her appalled face with what she hopes appears as a gentle, reassuring smile. “nooo — of course not, it doesn’t mean anything. maybe they just haven’t found the right time, or the right chocolate!” yea, that had to be it — then the guilt sets in for lying, “or well, is there anyone you’re interested in? or who are interested in you? does has to be someone. people these days even give friendly chocolate, it doesn’t always have to be romantic.” 

minyoung looked up at the sound of her name being called. she smiled sweetly over at lili, who wanted to perform something to wow the crowd. minnie's advice of doing something she has fun with wasn't very good, it seems, as the other was still pouring over the song list. "i'm down for any song! i mean i just did eternal sunshine with junyi. want to do another english song?"

minnie wasn't nearly as observant as lili was. whenever she was in public, lili's eyes were always watching, observing, taking note. minnie didn't really look unless it was something truly interesting. by then, lili would have already clocked what was going on.

she hums, eyes shifting to the scene lili describes with mild interest. lili found it to be a bust but minnie was instantly interested. "oh wow. do you think maybe they have a fling? isn't it super bold to offer chocolates at a company event like this? or maybe is that super genius because it looks like all the other chocolates here?"

when the questioning was transferred over to herself, minyoung blushed deeply. her eyes suddenly became glued to the karaoke book. "i uhm....i've never received chocolates before...." the confession makes her feel a little pathetic. nearly twenty-three years old and she couldn't recall a single time where someone chose her as an object of affection during this time of year. "i mean...i guess it's not that big of a deal, right? i always thought it was kind of... unfortunate that i've never gotten any but it doesn't mean anything...right? right?"

VALENTINE INTERLUDE     ୨୧     @lgcjunyi     /     her throat was dying, after belting out to wicked’s naughty high note — broken glasses withstanding — she needed to rest. she had just given the room the best they’ve ever heard — to lili’s standards — and what she wanted was a reward for her efforts.

beelining to junyi’s side, she sits next to the younger girl, reaching for an empty glass to fill with the pink punch that was going around. the reward she wished to be collected lay at the other’s tongue: “i’m parched — how’d your white day go?” cut to the chase; lili wanted details! “some guy gave me the grossest flower arrangements, yellow daisies! do i look like a yellow daisy type of person?” 

PIECE OF ME     ୨୧     @lgcminnie     /     “miiiiiiiiinnie,” lili practically whines as she’s pouring over the karaoke book; the song she had wanted to sing after her grand slam of a performance of wicked’s defying gravity was no where to be found. it had torn her hopes of one-upping such a performance that lili wanted a little pick-me-up. and what better than to be the nosy little bee that she was known and hated loved for. “did you pick a song yet? i can’t find the one i wanted to sing.” 

honestly, it was probably in a different book. 

taking a sip of her drink, lili glances around the room — taking in the sights, the stares, and the oh la la : did her eyes deceive her or did someone just get chocolates a day late? very interesting.

“did you see that! i think he just handed her some chocolates,” lili whispers behind a not so subtle hand, dropping it almost immediately when the scene disperses before it can really lead to well, anything — how disappointing. “well, that was a bust. oh right, how was white day for you? did you get any chocolates? someone gave me matcha ones that tasted like grass.” it was gross and yet, out of the kindness of her heart, lili regifted it to the janitor this morning.

“was that so hard?” lili was no professional but she wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with the game. she had to do something on those thirteen hour flights from los angeles. sure, lili was probably being a little too forceful in her approach but what better way to show the gameplay than to test out each and every action extended to them. “how many did you end up collecting? i have a couple in my pockets, i think we can make you a flimsy net like the one i have!”

cycling through the equipment in her pockets, each one showing up with a flourish until she settles on the flimsy net that she wanted to show him. “like this one! and if we find a stone we can make an axe!”

the novelty of the game had died on her long ago but for someone like hyuk, it might be interesting since it appeared he had never played this game before.  

“this still looks so shady”, hyuk replied, eyes focused on how lili was playing and she looked skilled enough with her console, while he looked super awkward. he also didn’t know why he acted so defensive about it - it was just a game! - and people watching them would probably enjoy them being like that. “but okay, i will trust you”

in the next few moments, he pressed the controls like lil instructed, shaking a few trees around, but unlike her, he didn’t get a leaf, only fruits and branches. that game looked innocent enough and he was starting to like it.

“now what we do with all of this?”, he asked, his character collecting a branch, then returning to some random point on the screen.

“christ,” lili curses under her breath, fingers running through her hair as she steps back. she was thankful — no, relieved — when she sees the other open her eyes to a blurry haze. she was alive — there was no need for cpr that lili did not know heads or tails of or 119. shit, should she still call them just in case? the girl did look like she needed some type of medical attention. “are you sure, you looked like … kinda two steps to heaven?”

watching the other nearly stumble, lili sighs; hands on her hips, brows furrowed before shaking her head. a hand raised to stop the other, if not extend a hand to stabilize her. “no, no — it’s okay. i was going to use it but you don’t look so good, you should stay. rest, maybe go to the infirmary? does this happen often?” 

One moment, she was studying her form in the mirror, checking the angle of her leg as she pointed it towards ceiling. The next moment, she was looking into the eyes of a girl she recognized but was not overly familiar with and completely soaked.

Junyi was not alarmed - this was, unfortunately, a common enough occurrence.

"I am alright," she whispered reassuringly, bringing a hand up to sweep across her wet bangs. People did not typically use water to wake her up; they most often opted for shaking and shouting. Junyi wasn't sure if she preferred this method more.

Regardless.

"Thank you for your help. Apologies if I alarmed you." She smiled despite the circumstances and sat herself up slowly. "I must have overheated. Or something." Her doctors in China informed her that she had a problem with her qi, and that was why she experienced these moments of weakness. It's been improving, but not quickly enough.

"Are you here for the practice room?" Junyi glanced at the clock. "Sorry. I'll get going now." She reached for her towel in the corner to wipe her face. Must have moved too fast, because she nearly fell over again.

the problem with lili was her ego.

in this business, it proved to be her make it or break it point and for lili, she could not sacrifice herself to the masses just for a few laughs — it was below her. she loved herself far too much to make herself look dumb just to receive her awaited fifteen minutes of fame. no — she was far too talented for such a thing.

( at least, that was how lili often viewed variety-dols ; sacrificing their sanity in exchange for the automated laugh machine, it was something lili could never bring herself to do )

thankfully, she found a kindred spirit in rua — her tears ( there were no tears ) and complaints not falling on deaf ears as someone who shared lili’s very same sentiments. if anything, if lili wanted to be funny — she would find her dry humor fanatics on her own; unfortunately, dry humor did not make for amusing national entertainment. 

she looks to rua then, almost begrudgingly saying do i have to before nodding, tossing her notebook to the floor and straightening up where she had been slouched — appalling lack of poise aside — lili had been stressed out over this workshop.

“wait, wait, wait — have you already decided what skill you’re going to do? ugh — i can only go so far as using korean as my second language as funny but i don’t know what skill i have other than that and that can’t be called a skill, could it?” maybe she was overthinking it, overstressing — the workshops of the past hadn’t been this hard. lili had put her head into it and ran through it with the determination of a bull. this, this, couldn’t be handled with the same ease.

take a chance ʚ♥ɞ

་ ⸼ ⸒ ✴ a closed workshop starter for @lgclili、

rua honestly had some doubts about her variety potential; she didn't see herself as particularly funny, naturally or otherwise, nor was she super willing to make a fool of herself in the name of entertainment if it came down to that. sure, she could be sociable and wouldn't shy away from conversing with someone older or more senior than her in the industry but the possibility of still being boring is very real.

however, she supposes that's exactly why she was put into this workshop to begin with - to change that. was she improving though? rua wasn't quite sure but at least she wasn't alone. she looks over at lili next to her and finds it funny that they're practicing for their final evaluation together because it was like the blind leading the blind. they were trying, don't get them wrong, but nothing felt right and neither of them felt confident enough about their variety talent to point themselves in the right direction.

"okay, maybe we need to try pretending we're in a specific variety show?" rua suggests, plopping on to the floor of a practice room they had managed to reserve and grabbing her water bottle nearby to take a drink from. even if they weren't dancing, rua has to admit that she feels most comfortable here, as opposed to using something like a meeting room or elsewhere to practice. "one of us can pretend to be a mc and the other a guest, and then we'll switch roles?"

“and chance you going deaf from hearing my screams all day? no, i think you chose wisely. plus, i like your ears.” her free hand reaches out to tug on an exposed lobe that wasn’t hidden by the helmet, fingertips lingering — as if relishing the heat that emitted from what was notably the warmest place on the body outside of one’s armpits but there was a hell of a chance that lili was going to shove her hands into his pits on national television. 

a brow crooks at his suggestive remarks — “a surprise? theres more? was this not all of it?”

oh, how lili loathed surprises — but her smile says otherwise; relaying a contrasted emotion: one of genuine confusion. “what could you have possibly prepared —“ she catches herself as she watches his feet shuffle into the skiis. sure, they were on a date but lili still wanted them to be safe — ski accidents were no joke!

( minkyu had to give her this — it might be the only time lili cared for someone’s well-being that wasn’t her own )

“yes! that looks about right,” she does the same, clicking her boots into place before turning to him, “so what’s this surprise down there, don’t i get a hint of some kind?”

if she had to bear with a surprise, she should at least get some clues to spark her interest.

Holding hands. Oh. They’re edging closer and closer to becoming the ultimate picture of an ultra-cute date couple - sweeter than any romance anime Minkyu has ever watched. It doesn’t feel unnatural, even if the physical closeness is new. They’re friends, after all. Regardless, he enjoys it, a soft smile tugging at his lips as his hand gently clasps hers in return.

“Luckily, while my skiing skills are lacking, I’m not afraid of heights at all,” he muses, a thoughtful hum escaping him. “Maybe I should’ve chosen an amusement park with the tallest roller coasters instead.” He laughs at the thought, lighthearted and easy.

Before long, their stop approaches, and they step off the chair lift. Ever the gentleman, Minkyu helps her down before guiding her to where they’ll get their skis ready. The air is much crisper up here, and when he glances at her, he notices the cold hasn’t left her unaffected.

“Your cheeks are so cute when they turn red like that.” he remarks with a grin before pressing his gloved hands gently to her chilled skin, offering a bit of warmth. “There’s hot chocolate waiting for us down there - aaaaaand maybe a little something special I’ve prepared as a reward for making it down in one piece.”

With that, he finally lets go, turning his focus to the skis. “We just step in until it clicks, right?”

PITY PARTY: PARTY OF 1 ୨୧ @lgcjisoo / BACKDATED (010125)

the humiliation burns.

and yet, lili would rather wear the flaw like a bright red ‘a’ a la scarlet letter. if hester prynne could be prosecuted for the shame of adultery, could lili’s crime be considered of that multitude?

what had been her crime again?

ah right — existing, was it?

on the eve of her birthday, for what lili had thought was to be her birthday dinner — she had invited jisoo on the pretense of such — they gathered around a long mahogany table : filled with food, left untouched ; conversation, guided by the xu matriach, none other than lili’s grandmother ; and people lili could not place or fathom to know.

was this truly her birthday dinner?

her grandmother had introduced it as so and yet, despite the first sentence starting and ending with lili — everything that followed had nothing to do with the girl who was at the cusp of turning twenty-four that night. and she was floored, utterly embarrassed and speechless at the obvious display of neglect. 

was she supposed to sit here, look pretty and take this disrespect? the way her grandmother stares her down from across the table is a clear answer.

an obvious one that lili finds she doesn’t want to listen to — grabbing her purse, she tugs on jisoo’s sleeve, slamming her heels to the ground as she stands. “let’s go, we still have to pick up your dog from the daycare, right?”

she lies through her teeth — thinking on her feet for some semblance of an excuse only to find the piss-poorest one, and yet her eyes flash a demand for jisoo to get his ass out of that chair. 

FAINTING SPELLS     ୨୧     @lgcjunyi   /   on most days, lili could hardly care about the rigidity of hierarchy and its subsequent rules as outlined by said order. but today was not most days — lili had checked the list once, twice, three times and it has definitely passed the reservation time! 

it was her turn to use the practice room — and the last thing lili liked was when her time was wasted, especially on a day before her beloved day off. starting the week strong could only be graced with ending the week just as strongly, and unfortunately, in order for that to happen, she had to finish practice. that is, if her patience didn’t wear off as thinly as it was starting to.

looking through the rooms until she comes across the one she had reserved, she peeks into the window — finding it oddly quiet — huh? was it not in use?

opening the door, she’s shocked to find the collapsed girl inside, buffering as she stares, wide-eyed at the girl sprawled in the middle of the room — fuck, was she breathing? did she need cpr? 

how did that go again? 

scrambling to her feet, lili does the first thing that comes to mind, reaching for her water bottle, she dumps it on the girl, that should wake her up, right?

other than a keratin treatment, lili would be aghast to have a lick of bleach touch her virgin hair. her fingers reach for her unsplit ends with a testing eye before flicking the hair over her shoulder, “i would,” kyoka was right, lili would look good in pink — as she looks good in anything — her ego was showing. “but i’d rather not, i love being brunette.” 

it would probably lili’s only boring flaw — the fact that she had never wanted nor ever would want to dye her hair another color. 

“people can be such antis,” and in their line of work there were many of those. not that lili was a good person, herself, but she was far from a 일진 of the likes that were constantly getting thrown around in media these days. “try not to hang around those bad apples, okay?” 

her chopsticks tap her silver tray, glancing at what she had leftover on it ; "do you want my potatoes?"

She tucks a strand of her hair behind at the unexpected compliment. "If I have the money one day," Kyoka solemnly begins, "I want to dye my hair pink and green, like a strawberry." And then she promptly hides her face behind her hands at that declaration, mumbling something about pineapples again. Once she's recovered from her own words, Kyoka adds, "But I bet you'd look super super pretty in pink too!"

Nodding along to Lili's words, Kyoka takes the time to finish off the rest of her plate. "One person in your school who hates you and-" she collides her fists together into an explosion to illustrate her point.

"Yup! Everyone had stage names too, so that technically our real identities are private." She shrugs. "But the entrance exams are all posted anyways and people can guess age orders based off stories so it's not that helpful." Besides, all the academy girls knew each other, so really, everything was an open secret.

“yes, c’mon — a, press a!” lili urges. yet, at his reluctance, she can only playfully roll her eyes, “alright, i’ll show you how it’s done.”

it was a gamble, doing so, having her character run across the screen towards one of the other trees — she presses the ‘a’ button, showing her character shake the tree in succession only for a green leaf to slowly drift to the ground. “see! you get cool rewards if you shake the trees.” pocketing the item, she uses the joycon to drag her character back down the screen.

returning back to where his character was standing, lili once again suggests for him to try it. “since i got a leaf — it’s probably some type of furniture. if you shake it, we’ll probably get some money!” 

it would be even better if it wasn’t money, but this lili neglects to say.

it was really a miracle that he got a contract since he pretty much didn’t know anything about those games he had been playing during the halloween party. Still, he played his part well, which led hyuk to that exact moment, when he was paired up with lili to play games and have the most fun of it.

looking to the side whenever she laughed at his ridiculous attempt to make his character go from one side to the other onscreen, hyuk went from his grumpy mode (because he hated losing to anything), to kind of chill, taking that opportunity to bond more with people and make the brand more interested on him. “press a, you said?”, he looked to the side, offering her a friendly smile, but trying to find any deceit in her eyes, “you press it first so i know you’re not trying to kill my kid out there!”

“it’s okay,” she pipes up, appearing as happy as one could be given the circumstances, “that’s what you have me for, right?”

they’re lines straight out of a drama. of the thousands she’s been fed over her teenage years, lili knows how to play the role: of some love-smitten girl, gently brushed by the fate of a first love. that’s what the producers want, right? an innocent love to be hailed and rallied for over the netizen forums — lili can only hope that the bite of minkyu’s fans isn’t too cruel once this episode airs.

the magic words leave his lips and for the first time that day, lili’s smile turns genuine — for the one thing to truly brighten her day would be those four words. lili was far from a simple girl — but the moment those words reach her ears, she can feel the tips of them burn red, suddenly flustered, as if not expecting them.

( because, really, they were far from what she thought she’d be hearing that day )

“save the flattery for later, romeo. i haven’t gotten you down the hill yet.” she laughs, beaming when her helmet gets fitted snugly beneath her chin. 

they pass the first hurdle — safely getting onto the chair lift — with flying colors. 

if lili was honest, she had been nervous, and lili was seldom nervous. but she had been, for this : having seen others fail getting on the chair lift catastrophically over the years, she had prayed that today would not end up like so and thankfully her worries went unanswered.

now seated, sailing in the air on the lift — feet dangling from several feet above the ground — she felt a weight was lifted. that was possibly the hardest part of the mountain, in her opinion. learning and teaching couldn’t be so bad in comparison, at least that is what lili thinks. 

“you’re not afraid of heights, are you?”  her hand, gently grasped in his, gives it a light squeeze as she points to the the tiny slope they were nearing, “our stop is almost here!” 

Oh. Oh.

He can already hear it — the soft, romantic music the production team will overlay the moment this scene airs. The moment she pulls him back, the moment their eyes meet as she carefully places the helmet on his head; it’s straight out of a romance anime, he’s sure of it.

He barely registers the soft click of the security snap before he realizes he’s been holding his breath. His lips part, and there’s a flicker of bashfulness in his smile. “Ah, thank you. I guess it’s pretty obvious I’ve never skied before.”

His laugh is as soft as his smile, warm despite the cold. And then, before he can think too hard about it, he reaches for her helmet in return. His fingers graze her jaw as he secures the straps beneath her chin, and his touch lingers for just a second longer than necessary.

“You look really pretty, by the way.” The words leave him easily, without hesitation, entirely sincere when he brushes a strand gently out of her face. He grins then, eyes crinkling at the corners, and reaches up to gently push her goggles to rest on top of her helmet before doing the same with his own.

“We’re ready now, right?” This time, when he extends his hand toward her, he doesn’t just offer it — he takes hers, his gloved fingers wrapping around her own with quiet confidence. “Let's go, let's go! I need to see the ski princess in action.”

it’s an act, she tells herself.

it’s all an act and all the world’s a stage — lili knows this.

it’s easier to remember when she knows minkyu is doing it on purpose because as much as she knows him, he knows her all too well and it would be a little too easy to reveal her cracked charade to the nation.

“let’s hope you’ll say the same after the lesson.”

her smile stays soft — the grind in her teeth hidden behind a gentle curve of fulls lips and a flutter of eyelashes, a bat here; another there. the picture of enthrallment, as if minkyu’s charm had truly had her smitten until her insides fluttered — or churned, whatever best describes the millisecond of queasiness she feels as he finishes off her laces. 

( is this how it felt to be the eye of someone’s unparalleled attention? )

“hold on, minkyu-ssi!” she laughs, the fingers that had slyly wrapped his pull him back; reaching for the helmets they had left by their feet at the bench — “don’t forget your helmet,” by first instinct, lili would have held the helmet to minkyu for him to take — but through helpful pressured guidance of the cameras all around him, she, instead, steps towards him and carefully places the helmet on his head; toying with the straps to secure it firmly beneath his chin, “let’s not get hurt today, okay?”

Oh, he knows. He knows all too well that Lili is quietly fuming over his decision to choose skiing. He knows her well enough to be certain that, under normal circumstances, she would be scolding him right now, perhaps even nagging just a little.

But that’s precisely what makes this so amusing. Watching her tuck away that sharp tongue of hers, replacing it with the angelic, patient, and ever-so-loving demeanor she wants the cameras to capture; it’s a performance in itself. A carefully crafted image, all in favor of being adored by viewers.

“I am in luck indeed,” he finally responds when she mentions that she knows how to ski. His eyes crinkle at the corners, and he grins up at her with a sweetness so genuine it could melt the iciest of hearts. That look; the one he knows makes fans weak, the one he always has when he’s with those he cherishes. Complete attention, unwavering devotion, as if nothing else in the world exists but the person in front of him.

In this moment, the cameras fade into the background. His focus is solely on easing Lili into her ski boots, hands grazing her legs only when necessary, careful and respectful, like the kind gentleman he is. “I couldn’t imagine a better teacher than you.”

This may be a show, but to Minkyu, it’s something more. It’s a challenge they set for each other: a playful game of who could outdo the other in delivering the most heart-fluttering, drama-worthy moments. Yet, as the minutes pass, he finds himself forgetting the game entirely, instead surrendering to his natural instinct to romanticize every fleeting moment.

He doesn’t miss the subtle squeeze on his shoulder. If anything, it makes his smile soften, a flicker of something almost bashful in his expression.

Shifting to sit beside her, he quickly secures his own boots, giving them a firm pat before meeting her gaze again. “I’m all good, thank you.” And then, he rises, extending his hand to her, fingers curling just slightly in invitation.

“Shall we?” He nods toward the slope. “I can’t wait to see the skiing princess in action with my very own eyes.”

lili’s face immediately morphs into one of disagreement, head shaking as her thoughts disappear from the task at hand. she was too pretty to be thinking so hard for whatever reason, “to you — maybe. you’ve got the type of face that could suit any hair color.” an unexpected compliment, but a truthful one nonetheless.

“like i can understand a member or two but a whole group is insane, especially with how nosy people can be.” there was a far chance that news of the changed birthdays wouldn’t have broken by morning, especially in today’s digital age. “that’s so weird though, birth years? that’s just asking for creeps to take advantage —“ she shudders, “i don’t even want to think about it, how gross.” 

Kyoka shrugs it off, her thoughts already elsewhere. She doesn't remember seeing anyone around with green hair so she guesses they're probably in another training group outside of the languages, where she's too focused on squinting at the material to notice the other people around anyways. "Green is a nice color," she adds, rather unhelpfully.

A glint in her eyes appear as Kyoka recognizes a fellow forum scavenger. "I've heard about that," she said with an impression of a blasé attitude. (It probably isn't very convincing.) "We used to hide our birth years, but it was easier to hide without social media. People were still able to guess, though, I wonder how that worked with the whole group.".

BUBBLEGUM LI.LI     ୨୧     @lgchyuk / lili loves games.

but these games, they’re not quite her speed — a little too carefree, a little too slow; results pending rather than immediate, the easygoing nature a far cry from the devil’s advocate propositions she plays in  her daily life. and yet, here she is, pretty little thumbs twiddling the joystick of the nintendo switch joy con as she makes her character — some villager with neon teal hair and pink eyes who the staff had aptly named after herself — run after hyuk with a net. 

and … she may be having a little too much fun — all shown through the way she smiles and laughs, hand hitting his shoulder each time she’s able to hit him with a net. but enough of that — the real joy has yet to come, “okay, so we have to shake trees to get special items. it could be like money or furniture, or like the pink fruits we saw earlier.” she sets her controller down as she explains, pointing out the basic map layout where the trees were all huddled towards the horizon; her character inching a little farther back as she urges him to move forward. “so, go on — just shake them, press ‘a’.”

there are days when lili is a little too into her head — these days include the times she’s stressed before a monthly evaluation, chipping a nail, mascara running when the tears just can’t stop, the impending doom that her birthday is coming a little too soon, and right before a big date. 

she isn’t one to third wheel, but she is lili and selfishness was just something her friend and her latest boyfriend was going to have to deal with unless they’d rather spend the rest of their date watching her fall into a spiral of nerves ( because lili nervous was never a good sign ). what she didn’t expect was the consequence of such selfishness would lead them to dumping lili on the first ride they could find and running off to leave her to her demise.

lili: 0, disco pang pang: 1

it was safe to say that lili had no idea what she was in for as she was herded onto the contraption; feeling somewhat like cattle being wrangled onto the back of a truck. the unease from the structural integrity of the ride intensified the feeling tenfold especially when she heard the creaks and the whirrs as it started up — and suddenly she was being knocked from her seat; manicured hands reaching out for nothing but air as she feels her body afloat.

once this was over, she was going to murder her friend — that’s if she survives this.

while her screams were muffled by her mask, there was nothing that could hide the horror in her eyes as she finds herself jostled higher and higher with each rough jerk of the ride; hands scrambling to grab whatever she could as she feels herself fly from one part of the ride to another until fingertips brush against a shirt — from there she’s holding on for dear life, “don’t you dare let me go!” nearly crying into the stranger’s neck as she does so.

⸻ WHEN WE DISCO ( @lgclili )

Sunday - cheat day - was the one day of the week Byeongkwan could do whatever he wanted. Lounge around the trainee dorms in his underwear all morning? Check. Spend an hour at his favorite record store? Absolutely. Go on blind dates? If the stars aligned ( translation, if one of his friends made a very convincing powerpoint presentation and managed to successful send her buddies off to meet somewhere in Incheon - ). But most importantly, he could eat whatever the hell he wanted. This usually meant sampling every street food stall within arm's reach in the hour leading up to said... alignment.

Sure, he was supposed to be on some strict diet, dedicated to maximizing gym time or whatever. But what his personal trainer didn't know wouldn't hurt him...

See, the problem was his trainer did know ( How? Was he psychic? Have a sixth sense for Byeongkwan slacking off?! ), and he seemed to have made it his life mission to catch the trainee in the act - mid inhale of three odeng skewers shoved into one bite.

"Oh, shit."

The smart move would've been to accept his fate ( 500 push ups and stair sprints until he saw stars - ), but instead Byeongkwan made the executive decision to dodge. One day he might appreciate having someone so invested in his fitness, but today was not that day. So, he took off. Left, right, then a slide through a group of pedestrians, all while cursing his choice of sneakers. Somehow, he ended up in a line of college students waiting for a turn on the Disco Pang Pang ride. No one batted an eye at the random guy in a hoodie, mask, and oversized shades ( the pinnacle of subtlety ) sliding into their group as they filed onto the ride.

Settling into his seat, he nodded along to their small talk, murmuring something vaguely enthusiastic. His attention, though, was fixed on the man standing below, arms crossed and glaring. Byeongkwan lowered his shades, wiggling his eyebrows before leaning back smugly. He'd rather endure three hours spinning on this thing than -

"Woah. Is it always this fast?!" he sputtered, scrambling to grip one of the guardrails as the ride jerked to life, tossing its passengers like ragdolls.

she laughs — an actual, loud-mouthed, almost snorting laugh — a laugh lili almost never lets anyone hear; and maybe it’s because of asami’s audacity or was it her comedic timing? or maybe, asami was actually that funny.

“you did not just learn that, shut up.” she teases, shoulder nudging the others as she shakes her head, nose crinkled and all at the playfulness of asami’s english. 

lili nods, understandably so to asami’s distress. when she had first arrived in america and had been placed into their special esl ( english as a second language ) classes at school, it was as if all her teachers were speaking an alien tongue — but now, after years of living and breathing the language and still being told it wasn’t enough ( hence why she was currently taking the english class ), well … it was quite the accurate statement: english was just so wrong. 

and yet, it was still considered one of the most important of languages to learn. 

that was some weird westernized level of thinking.

“you’re so right — but hey, on the bright side, at least they don’t need us to be completely fluent … just conversational? or like … maybe enough so that we don’t say … controversial things?” which, in hindsight, maybe learning a new language only opened them up to the vulnerability of saying something wrong …. well, that was for the company to handle.

When Asami was attributed with the task to learn English as fast as she could for the duration of the month, she won't lie, she was stressed. She doesn't know exactly why she never invested in learning English, to be honest, especially with how the company seemed to be investing in the western market as of lately, but after learning Korean in such a short time, and having Japanese to back her up as well, Asami didn't pick up any language books and focused in other things.

Now it's coming to bite her in the ass.

Though one must admit, trying to learn literally anything while feeling pressured? It isn't the best method. The teacher is nice enough, and Asami has been trying to focus, but when Lili interrupts her, it's like the first deep breath she takes of all evening, "The book's on the table," she says cheekily in English what she learned years ago when she was still in school, "English was one of my worst subjects when I was in school, I didn't think I'd need to revise those times years later," Asami admits with a sigh. "Korean was much easier to pick up, to be honest, now I'm struggling again with a language that makes very little sense."

“it’s —“ a pause, her finger dangles in mid-air as she tries to find the name among her memories — fuck, now would be the worse time to admit she was bad at names, wouldn’t it? “it’s — she was in our korean language lesson yesterday … she dyed her hair that really odd color of green.” it was ash blonde but after swimming in a chlorinated pool …. yikes.

“what’s her name again —“ it was literally on the tip of her tongue, which was now bitten between her teeth as she tries harder to come up with the name. fuck, was anyone else this forgetful?

“faking their birthday?” now that kyoka mentions it —  “didn’t a company make their whole girlgroup fake their birthdays to match some type of group concept?” she could have sworn she saw something pass through the netizen forums about such a thing.

Damn, she really needs to get with the times it seems. Kyoka didn’t realize there was a 04/04/04 birthday in the Legacy population. “Who? That birthday doesn’t ring a bell for me, not right now at least.”

It’s a shame though, that they’re apparently just missing out on 03/03/03. Kyoka thinks it would’ve been funnier if they had a consecutive series of those birthdays, and she says at much. “Imagine if they put us all in the same group,” she adds between mouthfuls, “Too bad about the missing 03/03/03. But no one’s stopping anyone from faking their birthday I guess.” She has no idea about how that works logistically, but hey, it’s the thought that counts. Or so she thinks.

the date lottery is far from lili’s reality — if anything, it’s her very own acting reel that she needs to polish up. and lili ain’t no actor — but what she is is competitive. so, she plays the show like how she plays her most precious, most interesting of games.

the more she can make the viewers believe that she’s falling for minkyu and his charistmatic charms — and vice versa — the more rewards she hopes to reap. ( whatever rewards may that be —  it keeps things interesting ) at any rate — from the subtle twinkle she spies in minkyu’s gaze; an unspoken agreement seems to form extended from their previous verbal wager — at least they’re on the same page.

“you’ve never skiied before?” the declaration would have otherwise bothered lili — why else would we be at the slopes if you don’t know how to ski? but she remains patient, calming that irritating little devil in her in favor for the calm and tranquil persona she was trying to portray; her brows furrow in a gentle confusion before her lips form a precious smile, almost amused at the thought.

“well, you’re in luck. my grandma has brought me to the slopes almost every winter without fail,” her grandmother had brought her once and left her to fend for herself with strict russian instructors. “so you could say i got a lifetime of snowledge.” kill her — kill her now. her smile brightening despite the cringy dialogue, trying not to laugh at her own demise as she looks to minkyu.

“i’ve been told i’m a good teacher, too.”

no one has ever — on this earth — told her such a thing.

her surprise is paused — a slow lift of the brow as she watches minkyu descend upon one knee. “thank you.” settling onto the seat, she quickly undoing her moon boots in favor of the ski boots that minkyu helps her into. a hand reaches out gently to hold his shoulder to still her movements as she digs her feet, one after the other, into each boot; making sure they’re properly in and not loose. leaning close to inspect her shoes, she turns her chin to look at minkyu, the hand at his shoulder squeezes it lightly, in kind, as her smile is practically beaming. “they fit perfectly, shall i help you with yours?”

From the very beginning of their fake dating experience, one thing Minkyu has been consistently grateful for how effortlessly Lili aligns with his vision of what to portray: the perfect blend of sweet, romantic gestures designed to set hearts fluttering, both among the fans and the ever-adoring staff.

“Well, well,” he muses, a playful lilt in his voice as he sweeps a hand through the crisp winter air, guiding her past the entrance gate toward the ski rental. “You and I, my dearest Lili, are about to embark on our very own ski adventure, from way up there,” he points toward the towering peak of the slope, “all the way back down here.” The distant echoes of laughter and excited chatter from other skiers weave into the moment, painting a picture of a perfect winter wonderland.

He exhales, a chuckle escaping as he admits, “I have to be honest... coming from Busan, where the sun is king, I’ve never actually been skiing before.” His confession is lighthearted, almost sheepish, as they step into the rental shop, where an employee has conveniently already prepared skis in their sizes.

But rather than simply handing Lili her pair, Minkyu’s expression softens. With an easy grace, he gestures for her to take a seat on the wooden bench before lowering himself onto one knee. His usual bravado gives way to something gentler; his voice quieter now, almost intimate.

“Let me help you put them on.” he says, fingertips brushing against the bindings with care. Because even if this is all for show, he’s determined to make it feel real.

“oh — funny running into you here.” she teases, as if the date had not been arranged weeks beforehand, all the way down to notable cue cards and scripted points to follow — a sure fire way to kill the romance ( not that there was any to begin with ( but the audience didn’t know that )) that was afoot. her own hand rises above her head in an enthusiastic wave, much unlike herself. once a year, she realizes, she’s become accustomed to donning a shell of herself for people to impress — she hadn’t realized that such a time would come as soon as late winter. 

( lili had thought she could hibernate her woes until early spring at least but alas )

trekking through the snow in her snow boots, the picture of snow bunny princess in her pristine white gear and matching fur hat, lili is almost thankful she doesn’t fall face first into the sleet as she finally meets him at the entrance.

her eyes bounce around them, in absolute awe of the scene that’s set before them — maybe if she wasn’t thankful for eating shit, she was thankful for minkyu and his bright ideas because this was beautiful - breaktaking, really.

“so,” she sidles up to his side, linking one puffer-clothed arm with his for (1) stability and (2) she can already hear the cooing from the staff. “what surprise am i in store for today?” lili hated surprises but she was willing to make an exception for minkyu ( and the cameras ) ; eyes twinkling in anticipation. 

skiing into your heart.

He’s been waiting for this moment for what feels like forever. Standing in front of the cameras for the new season of Date Lottery is a project Minkyu has anticipated the most—the kind of opportunity that speaks to his inner romantic and his unwavering love for all things cheesy and cute. If there was ever a show that suited him perfectly, it was this one.

And while his luck in love off-camera may not be anything to brag about, at least for the next few hours, he can pretend he’s the luckiest man alive. What makes it even better? He’s been paired with @lgclili again—a relief, really, because she wouldn’t have heard the end of his whining had she picked someone else this season.

Dressed head to toe in a sleek ski ensemble, the baby blue color making him stand out against the snowy backdrop, his ski goggles rest neatly atop his head. “Ahh, I’m so excited. So excited.” The cameras are already rolling, catching every second of his anticipation as he waits for Lili’s grand entrance.

And the moment he spots her, his entire face lights up—the grin that spreads across his lips as genuine as the sparkle in his brown eyes. "Ah, there she is!" His voice carries over the crisp winter air as he waves, practically bouncing on his feet. "Lilissi! Over hereee!"

for what it’s worth, lili finds kyoka and her random bursts of word vomit amusing — and since it didn’t take much, mere silence had triggered today’s bout, lili didn’t quite mind listening. (read: keep her entertained throughout her otherwise mundane day full of practices and lessons)

so, whilst picking at her food — she had taken a good two-three big bites before deciding she was already bored with what she had ordered and wished she ordered something else — she looks up at the sudden rush that kyoka takes when gulping her water. “now that you mention it,” lili pauses, letting her eyes wander to the surroundings of the company’s cafeteria scene, frowning when who she’s looking for is no where in sight. “i think there’s someone who’s 04/04/04, but no 03/03/03…”

౨ৎ lupin iii with @lgclili

They're eating lunch (for whatever reason, Kyoka still hasn't figured out why herself it just happened) together in silence when suddenly she brightens at a realization. She whips her head to face the older trainee, a I-don't-have-anything-of-value-to-say-but-I-somehow-think-it-is-of-value expression on her face.

She quickly swallows her food, chugging a mouthful of water to better rinse it down before she speaks. "Your birthday is 01/01/01." She then points at herself. "My birthday is 02/02/02." Brilliant observation, Kyoka. "Is there anyone around with a 03/03/03 birthday? That would be neat, I think."

sweet was hardly a word one would use to describe lili but maybe the christmas season had made her into a new person — at least until the carols stopped being sung. (or maybe she was trying to prevent a coal addition in her stocking this year, who really knew what went on inside that gorgeous head of hers)

with a satisfied grin, lili picks up another box — lifting its top to make sure the contents inside matched up with what had been on their lists before starting again with its corners crisp, edges ironed out and ribbons tied; it was a wrapper’s trifecta. something that obviously came with much well-earned practice from all the ‘i’m sorry, please forgive me for being a bitch’ gifts; surely such a thing had put her to work on perfecting her craft.

lili couldn’t agree more — and that was saying something as someone who usually loved spending hours on end in the practice room; thinking the youth center could be her solace had never crossed her mind and yet, here she was — enjoying her time at the youth center. “yeah, it’s definitely a nice change of pace?” lili wasn’t burnt out but there wasn’t any harm in doing something different every now and then; was she evolving — the girl who loathed change? “how is practice going for you, anyways? you’re performing something for the concert, right?”

“you flatter me. it’s hardly professional,” the pristine bow says otherwise but the words are almost automatic — a false sense of humility that never really suited lili falls from her lips and even though she, emi and the world probably know she’s the furthest thing from humble, lili relishes in the compliment. “just a little extra, sure, but it’s christmas. and i’m kind of in a giving mood.”

and lili leaves the reasoning at that.

once she’s secured the ribbon to the box, she makes quick work on pulling the bow into it’s shape and finishing it by curling its ends for the final spiral. “and it’s done!” probably her best accomplishment of the year, but who was really counting.

placing the gift with the rest, she looks to emi and at her own array of dressed up gifts and smiles, “and you were saying i was professional — yours are exactly like the ones i pick up at the department stores for the holidays all crisp corners and all.” the kids probably wouldn't care for the effort — already imagining them ripping the pretty wrapping to shreds — but lili had always appreciated anything pretty, especially when they were gifts.

she smiles — probably her most genuine one that week; brow raising in expectation at his suggestion. “why — you’re not offering, are you?” lili has half the mind of accepting if that were the case, but maybe once (or twice or — how many times has she used him for such an occasion? she’s lost count at this point)

“oh, really, now?” her fist fits gingerly beneath her jaw, leaning in upon intrigue at his observations of the day — the retelling of an otherwise boring meeting spruced up at the mention of his mother. “tell me all about it.” eyes sparkling at the promise of something juicy for her eager ears to feast on — gossip, though unsightly, always had its merits in making her feel better, especially on the days her grandmother not-so-subtly ditches her. “how did she look — no, what did she say?”

call it an act of rebellion or a battle of wills — or maybe lili was just tired of playing the role of the ‘woe is thou’ and wounded — but the second she found out her grandmother had once again cancelled on her once again, lili was done playing a facade that was barely holding on by a thread. tape and plaster could do little to hold up what once was, such tools were futile to what true care and attention could do. unfortunately, lili knew such a thing — so, maybe in hindsight, it was better to shed these masks rather than cling to their rugged shards.

abandoning her role to play, sitting there to listen to a meeting that had nothing to do with her except play appearances was not how she wanted to waste her free time. the downfall of her crude decree of renouncing these responsibilities were that they had to fall on someone …. and sadly, that someone had to be yutai.

when she arrives, she comes with a consolation — or was it a perceived condolence? — in tow, a box of chocolates she had picked up in cheongdam on her way over. ducking into the fluorescence of the convenience store, she taps him on the shoulder with a passing hand; nearly missing his cup of ramen as she drops the dressed up chocolatier tote onto the counter. “as a thank you for your service today.”

it was lili’s best way of apologizing, even if an apology would never leave her glossed lips. ( it’s like they say, better than nothing, right? )

HOW TO SAY I’M BORED BUT LIKE REALLY, REALLY BORED? lili knows english but apparently not the english that matters — @lgcasami

strangely enough, despite living in america — namely the palm-tree lined yards of bel air — for nine years, lili still considers english her second language; even if she confuses her mandarin more than her los angeles-accented english, she stills tells herself that she’s far more fluent in her mother-tongue than any other language she learns after the fact. and perhaps that is why she’s now stuck here, in english class, relearning grammar structures and how english really makes no fucking sense but here they are — still learning it for the sake of western advancement.

( a part of her wonders why she didn’t just take japanese lessons again, at least she’d be learning something worth her while )

it is with these thoughts that she looks to asami. good ol’ asami, always there to take her mind of the boring present and the relentlessly annoying english grammar system that makes no sense whatsoever. “so, did you learn anything new today?” she asks, actually curious if anyone else had listened to the lesson and had not dazed off like she had. “or are you regretting taking english and wished you took korean instead?”