touring the cosmos

Spontaneity had landed them in Osaka for the weekend. He had been pestering Hyunsoo to escape Seoul with him for months, but their conflicting schedules had kept them tethered to the areas surrounding his dorm, or his best-friend's apartment. It wasn't rare for him to need a change of atmosphere. Seoul was beginning to suffocate him and he hoped the weekend could alleviate that unnerving feeling. He desperately craved to ignore his responsibilities, to lose himself in a crowd and embrace the comforting feeling of anonymity.

Currently, he stood in a railway car, fingers curling tightly around the grab handle with the intent of avoiding falling on a nearby passenger's lap. He sways with the movement, leaning away from the direction of the braking train when it reaches a new stop. His mask was firmly on his face, pulling it down briefly to playfully stick his tongue at Hyunsoo. It was later in the night, which was indicated by the sparse amount of passengers in their railway car. He was going to try his best to be respectful and adhere to public transportation etiquette, but he couldn't fully restrain himself from being himself.

The two of them were in search for a late-night snack, or 'second dinner' like Noeul preferred to call it. His attention shifts momentarily to the elderly passenger leaving the railway car, only leaving a couple near the other door and a group of teenagers too occupied with their phones to care about what Noeul was doing. He turns to face his bestfriend, miming his best interpretation of a hungry gorilla. He finds himself unable to stifle the laugh that escapes past his lips, pulling up his mask as a wide smile forms on his lips.

@hyunsoolgc

“Have you even asked her how old her granddaughter is?” He questions, amusement spilling out in a soft laugh. There was no denying that his friend had a lot of attributes playing in his favor, but he was questioning her judgment for wanting to introduce her granddaughter to Byeongkwan. His friend repelled anything potentially serious. He had never dived deeper and their current setting didn’t seem appropriate to have a deep conversation. Was that even possible between the two of them before one of them switches to a more light-hearted topic? “Should I start prepping my speech? Actually, I want to host your wedding, hyung. Seojin would definitely the best man since he has the best sense out of all of us.” 

He waves his hand at the offering, reaching for it soon after he does so when he realizes that the gloves were now oily. Besides, using his shirt should be too embarrassing as an adult, right? He roughly wipes his face, leaving it over the lower part of his mouth to blow it off and watch it fall not too far away from his thigh. “No, we’re not corny people.” He turns away to face towards a wall, blinking away the moisture left on his eyelashes. “So spicy, or too much pepper, hm?” 

He leans forward to stare into the box of fried chicken in search of the most appetizing looking piece. He preferred to shift his attention on eating rather than the speaking about his thoughts running through his mind. It gets difficult to swallow when his friend speaks up. “Behind?” He tilts his head, relaxing his posture to slump forward and lean his forearms on his thighs. “Not by choice, hyung. I think we would have all preferred our reality to be different, but I feel a sense of relief that we’re all moving forward— in different directions, but no one is being left behind per se.” 

He releases a soft groan, tossing the bones into the top of the box to discard later before dropping onto his back to stare at the ceiling above them. “What are you looking forward to when we debut? Do you think it’ll feel different than when we did Spring Boys?” He asks Byeongkwan, removing his gloves and placing them above his napkin. “Should we run away now?” 

( NOEUL )

"Do you think they'll let us write something behind the paneling before they remodel?" He crumples the wipes, placing them on top of one of the container lids. "Something cryptic, or like 'The Leftovers.'" He stifles a laugh, slipping on the plastic gloves his fingers to reach out for the perfect, meaty piece. He feels the warmth flood his face, moisture forming on his lashes. He reaches up to wipe at one of his eyes with the back of his hand, albeit too late as a tear rolls down his cheek and over the corner of his jaw. "Shit." Who cries over fried chicken? He feigns a cough, turning away from BK. "Is this spicier than last time?"

"Hey now, it's not gossiping," he retorts with a click of his tongue. "She knows how much we love this place... Besides, she's gotta know where we're gonna start practicing next just in case it's ever bring-your-granddaughter-to-work day, y'know." A nonexistent employee holiday that the custodian has yet to acknowledge, despite how often she mentions wanting to introduce the two.

The idea of leaving their mark behind brings a playful smirk to his face, though. "Maybe? I always did wanna paint in here..." He starts to draw in the air with his own gloved hand, imagining a giant hidden mural behind the blank wall of the practice room. ( Though with his drawing skills, it wouldn't be much to look at... )

"Dude, it's not even sp - " he glances over and frowns. Byeongkwan has always had a complicated relationship with emotions, even his own. Over the years, he's developed various coping mechanisms to manage them, but seeing Noeul's tears now throws him off balance. Just the sight of the younger trainee crying has him internally panicking. Mayday, mayday - he notices a pile of random boxes in the corner, among which a stray roll of toilet paper catches his eye. Better than nothing?

He stands and shuffles towards it, hoping to help in the only way he can think of now, until his foot snags on something caught between a chair leg and a box. He tucks the toilet paper under his arm and kneels to see what it is - a leather jacket. He feels a sudden pang in his chest as he glances back at Noeul.

Dragging his feet, he returns to where Noeul is sitting, plops down beside him on the floor, and drapes the jacket over his shoulders. "What if we wrote Leftovers Forever, added our signatures or something? Is that too corny?" he suggests with a snort, trying to lighten the mood. He snatches a few squares off the roll and offers them with a sigh. "It's, uh... Bittersweet, yeah? Almost feels like... we're leaving something behind..."

NEWKIDSNEWDREAMS ⋮ PERFORMANCES 

SHOW US YOUR BEST ⋮ KAI’s DOMINO 

When it came to performing, Noeul is the type of person that acts on instinct rather than waste his time overthinking, but for this mission, he had a dilemma. He wanted to challenge himself to partially sing for the mission. To the coaches and the fans that knew of him from his official projects, he undeniably was a rapper and a dancer. He knew that the smartest decision was not to stray too far from what he did best, but he fervently wanted to show a different side of himself. Singing still terrified him, which seemed counterintuitive for someone that so desperately wanted to become an idol. ( Was it too late to become gagman? He supposes that would be a short-lived career for him. ) After shuffling through several playlists, he kept coming back to the song that suited his voice the best. It wasn’t technically out of his range and showcased the duality of his voice, which was similar to the original artist. He considered the choreography to be no-frills, full control and awareness required to showcase each move cleanly. There was no room to play off any mistakes. Stamina and confidence were key. 

DREAM PERFORMANCE ⋮ NCT U’s MISFIT

His song of choice for his dream performance was a no-brainer. He had seethed with envy when he heard the cypher-like song released a few years back. It referenced the era of rap that interwove rock-elements into their music, which he had always fascinated him. He had always preferred in your face instrumentals with an addictive hook that the audience couldn’t help to sing along with the performers. Prior to signing on as a trainee, he had never thought to be a rapper. It was a skill he had no prior knowledge, but he loved the creative freedom that it offered him and the moment he was given the task to informally write a rap verse, he was hooked! Unsurprisingly, the lyrics speak to him on a visceral level and what he hopes NKND can become in the future. Rather than fitting into a mold, he wants the group to boldly set their own standard and anyone against it can get out of their way. 

NEWKIDSNEWDREAMS ⋮ PROFILE 

It still didn’t feel real that he had been chosen to be part of a debut lineup. He had conflicting feelings about the announcement, but nonetheless, there was a level of excitement bubbling inside of him. He wanted to block out the rest and focus solely on living in the moment, especially when the chosen trainees were expected to shoot content. It shouldn’t be too difficult to showcase a genuine representation of himself. 

“Between dancing, singing, rapping, producing and lyrics writing, which skill do you want to be recognized for?” 

“None.” He blurts out, interlocking his fingers over his knee. He tilts his head, glancing at nothing in particular over the camera. “I’m not trying to be difficult… Why should I pick one over the other?” He straightens his posture, corner of his lips lifting upwards into a smirk. “I like to think of myself as a blank canvas. I’m still a work in progress. I don’t want to box myself into someone that colors within the lines. I suppose that I could draw over the first reiteration and the next—“ He pauses, realizing that he was rambling instead of answering the question. “I’ve never aspired to be someone that was good at one skill. If I could do it all—No, if I want to do it all, I will and you can hold me accountable. I’ve grown a lot since I first became a trainee. I’d like to think my skills are on par with each other and the rest are a work in progress. I don’t like to see myself as only a dancer, or only a rapper. For now, I have to accept that those would be the labels given to me as a rookie artist, but in the future, I’m confident I will stand in front of you as a multifaceted artist.” 

“Which role would you ideally like to have in the final lineup?”

“I don’t want to limit myself. Are roles necessary?” He questions with a soft laugh, making direct eye contact with the camera. “I should be bold, right? I don’t think anyone expects anything different from me. I want to have the center position.” He proclaims with a firm nod, smile lingering on his lips. “Typically, the role goes to a vocalist, but I’ve never limited myself to what’s the norm. I want to shake the industry, not participate in the game everyone else plays.” He unlocks his fingers, lifting his arms in a shrugging motion. “For the past two years, I’ve actively been seizing all the opportunities that have been presented to the trainees as opposed to being satisfied with sitting on the sidelines. I’ve proven to not only be a dependable performer on and off stage, but I will never be satisfied by my performance. I have always strived to be better than my last performance.” He bites on the inside of his cheek, exhaling softly soon after to continue answering the question. “It’s not a position of vanity for me. It’s a delicate balance of displaying consistency, grasping the concept of the song, and still prioritizing teamwork. At the end of the day, we’re still a team and no position is more important than the other, but I’d like if it all my hard work would amount to something, y’know?”  Before the next question is presented, he interjects: “I would like to throw my bid for leader too.” He blurts out, stifling a laugh. “I have not always been a rule follower. I tend to bend them if there is any leeway, but isn’t that the fault of the rule maker rather than the rule breaker?” Was he making any sense? He could see the amusement in the staff member’s face. “I have matured a lot since I joined as a trainee. I know when to listen and when to speak up. I believe a group with powerful personalities requires a type of leader that isn’t passive in nature, but rather someone that can adapt, deliver results, and be willing to think of the overall harmony of the team.” 

“On which other youtube show would you like to appear?”

“All of them?” He responds, adjusting his posture and beaming a smile at the camera. “I’ve been a host of two shows so far. It’s not easy…” It wasn’t a brag. He still felt like he was lacking as a host. He had avoided looking at the comments for a reason. For him, he was willing to learn by doing and observing, which he felt like it was a more valuable way of learning. “I’m really interested to see how other shows work behind the scenes and each host is so unique...” He trails off for a moment, resting his hand on his thigh. “There is a lot to learn! That’s how I see it. I believe it’ll be fun to showcase our group dynamic around someone else and of course, see the members personality shine too. If I had to list the shows, I would say that I would love to be on Idol Human Theater, K-Star Next Door, Workman, MMTG, and Halmyungsoo.”

“What’s your ideal concept?”

“My ideal concept would entail music that has a strong DNA of all of our members. Ideally, I would love for each member to shape the music we perform whether that is through producing, composing, or choreographing. Although, I know that not everyone is interested in contributing that way, but if we’re able to have a say that would be ideal for me. I think that’s the distinction between an artist and an idol.” He wasn’t mincing his words. Perhaps, he should have been more careful, knowing his words could be twisted into a different meaning, but he wanted to be honest. He didn’t want to be a performer that only performed other people’s music or vision, which he would still respect if any else felt fulfilled by it. “I want our music to connect with the audience, and for us to leave a lasting impression. I find all of the current members to be quite charming, full of wit, and some are more chaotic than others, but I think our synergy will be really fun and our music should showcase that too. I want to prove that our group can do it all… Maybe, I’m being too ambitious, but I believe in the members that we can strive to be a group that is more than capable of forging our own path. I want us to be bold.” 

“Is there a concept that wouldn’t suit you?”

“I’d like to think of myself as versatile. I don’t think there is a concept that I wouldn’t be able to present, but in terms of enjoying it…” He softly laughs, slightly shaking his head while figuring out how to be careful with the rest of his response. “It would have to cute and fresh, right? I don’t think anyone wants to see me doing aegyo. I feel like if we had to a concept like that it would have to be quirky, or the cuter members would have to be at the front. That’s me being a team player!” 

“As an idol, what do you want to achieve?”

“World domination?” He snorts, crossing his arms over his chest. “Instead of thinking like an idol, I want to see it from a perspective of someone whose first love is music. Awards and nominations are important… I’ll be grateful and honored to receive them, but I don’t want that to be the measurement of our success. I want to always feel proud by the end of every day, which might be difficult to do.” Lately, he had been feeling like he was running of time, chasing after an impossible dream. He was a bit closer than he was last year, but why did the starting line seemed so far away? “I don’t want to ever fall out of love with music. I want to connect with our fans whether we have a million or one. If I’m allowed to dream, I want to have a defining song in my career, but I think that will be far in the future. If you still want a direct answer, I want a stadium tour and I want to become a full member of KOMCA.” 

“Is there anything you would like your group to be known for?”

“I meant it when I said I want us to be bold— with our music and the way we carry ourselves. I want us to always be unapologetically ourselves on stage and off stage.” He adjusts his posture, sitting up straighter with a smile brightening his features. “I want everyone to expect the unexpected from us. I would love for all our members to be able to branch out and promote our group with our heads held high. Technically, I think it would be fun to be seen as a self-produce group known for our variety skills and shocking stage presence, and high-intensity choreography. ‘Everything but the kitchen sink’ kind of deal?” He releases a soft laugh, playing with the sleeve of his sweater. “I believe we will succeed in fulfilling our dreams. I hope that you can follow along and enjoy the bumpy ride along the way.” 

"What? Your baggy jeans hiding your chicken legs?" He stares at his friend with amusement glinting in his eyes, blatantly ignoring the specks of dirt on his face. He fights the urge to lean down and use the sleeve of his friend's shirt to wipe his face clean. He wasn't a total monster without manners. Besides, there were cameras around and he knows better than to act his unrestrained self in front of staff. He wipes his face with his fingers, wrinkling his nose in disgust. He really hoped that it was solely wet dirt and not anything expel from the back side of his new friends. He rubs the palms of his hands together, patting his friend's back with one of his hands.

Ah, shit.

He flashes Byeongkwan a totally innocent smile, slowly retreating and stepping around Yeol to gain some distance. His lips part in shock when the scene in front of him unfolds in slow motion. "In their defense, your sneakers were bound to get dirty. I'll help you find a hose and clean them off before we head back." He offers the rest of the orbs he had managed to gather to Yeol on the fly as a parting gift, affectionately running his hand down the sheep's neck. "Live a long life, Yeol!"

He's about to take off into another sprint into the crowd of sheep when Noeul's question gives him pause. "Hey! These legs are for dancing and looking good in baggy jeans - " he emphasizes by striking a goofy pose with one leg extending to the side, gesturing to his pants with a flourish. "Not chasing thieves! Talking to you, fluffy!" He points another accusatory finger at the culprit who pays no mind to the disgruntled trainee.

Byeongkwan shuffles over to join Noeul and Yeol, brushing off a bit of dust from the younger's shoulder. "At this rate I'm going to be borrowing some wool for a new one..." Noeul's new friend bleats in response and he holds up his hands defensively. "Hey, fair is fair! Tell your buddy to give me my jacket back! Besides... You guys have more than enough to share -" He reaches out to the sheep to pet another passing behind them, but it quickens its pace to avoid his hand.

He's not sure what's worse. The fact that he was seriously discussing his plight with a sheep, or the fact that none of them seemed to like him very much. Either way, he was feeling both cold and a bit dejected. At least the sheep that had taken his jacket had already seemed to lose interest ( it wasn't all that tasty after all ), abandoning it in huddle. "Finally..." he mutters, heading towards it until he feels a squish under his sneaker. "What the f -" He's suddenly reminded of the presence of cameras and bites his tongue.

Welp, that's gross.

"Dude," he groans. "I just cleaned these!"

DAEBAK SHIDAE ANNOUNCES POST ENLISTMENT PLANS; TO SET UP THEIR OWN AGENCY

Finally, the countdown to popular idol group, DAEBAK SHIDAE, military enlistment's completion has begun! Back in 2023 the 6 members of the group enlisted at the same time, and their hiatus has since then left a void felt throughout the industry. For several months now, the public and industry insiders alike have been very interested in the group's future.

Today, on APRIL 1, a LEGACY entertainment spokesperson has confirmed that the 6 members of the group would not renew their contract with the company. but do not fret; the company and the group's ties will not be broken! It has been announced that CHOI DAEHYUN will set up a new SUB-LABEL under the company where the group and the 5 other members will be moved! This new sub-label, named USGEN ENTERTAINMENT, is set to function similarly to LGC Agency.

USGEN ENT.'s has been set up by DBSD with the goal of supporting its talents into setting today's trends artistically. With this in mind, the label has also revealed to be working on a successor to DBSD to be introduced to the public through the project NEWKIDS NEWDREAMS.

We look forward to future updates and news of USGEN ENT., DBSD and NKND.

[ + / - ] OMG DBSD IS FINALLY COMING BACK!! [ + / - ] another sublabel? this is just lgc being greedy af i bet. they gave this to dbsd to continue on milking them and nothing less lmao

#LGCENT #DBSD #USGEN #NKND

"Ooh..." He barely mumbles audibly, attention fixated on the pastries offered by his mentor. He felt like a child being offered an afternoon snack with the slight hope that he would behave. He thought his days of studying were long gone after graduating, but he had come to realize that learning never stopped even within the pristine walls of the LGC building. He didn't know what his future had in store for him, but he knew that simply observing the way Jinseo carried himself in and out of his mentorship role, or interacted with the trainees was a valuable lesson itself. "Which one should I choose?"

Would he be in Jinseo's position one day, mentoring others with all the experience he had gained from interacting with people like him? He had been grateful to Jinyoung too. He so badly wanted to jokingly request if he could be adopted into the family, but he had yet to befriended Jinseo. He picks up the milk bread filled with sweet red bean paste, splitting it in half to eat with passable manners. "Is it difficult to be in charge of your own brand?" He questions, wiping his lower lip with the napkin he had picked up the pastry. "Do you get any help, or push back at all for your ideas?"

"It did help!" He exclaims with a firm nod, corner of his lips tugging upwards into a firm smile. "I've been using the trick with tongue twisters-" He pauses, placing down his pastry on another napkin to turn his attention to the script in front of him. He fights off the urge to doodle on the page, directly above the assigned character's name. He flashes him another smile before clearing his throat to begin delivering the first few lines off the page in a much more calmer approach than his usual hyperactive demeanor.

Among his four trainees, Jinseo had hoped that Noeul wouldn't give him any white hairs. So far, he is right in that assessment, as Noeul isn't going out of his way to make Jinseo snort out his lunch on purpose. But Noeul is still an interesting character, as all his mini-F4 are. Not that Jinseo would admit it, but he's grown fond of all four trainees under his tutelage, and he is determined to make them succeed and prove their mettle once they face the trainee coaches to show off what they learned. After all, it's also Jinseo's pride and credibility as a mentor at stake here.

In Noeul's case, it's more of an issue of pronouncing his words clearly that they have to work on. Although not an idol himself, Jinseo has learned a few idol tricks that helped with his pronunciation, especially after he had to brush up on his Korean to get it up to standard when he first joined Legacy after spending most of his life abroad. He hopes it helped Noeul as it did with him back then.

"Of course I'll always make time for you," Jinseo says with a smile once he's settled in the room. "You guys are my top priority now." He hands Noeul a bottle of water and some pastries. "My week? I've been busy. Top secret information to do with Elysium, but it was productive. I'll tell you guys about it at a future group session when I can." Jinseo shrugs, gesturing for Noeul to get a pastry. "But how about you? Was the pen trick helpful? Let's see if there are any changes from the last time." Jinseo hands Noeul a pen and one of his old Bullet Inquiry scripts. "I know it's a drama script, but we're working on enunciation as well as your acting today, so I figured this would help. Take Zhengyu first, then I'll do Taejun, obviously." He chuckles.

fadeaway

Noeul felt hesitant when he was instructed to pick an item out of his mentor's magical box of sorts. Had another trainee not gone before him, he would have assumed their mentor was playing a prank on the trainees, but he knew that Jinseo took his mentorship role seriously and he was a facing a legitimate evaluation. No fuzzy critters, or an unknown slimy consistency. He sticks his hand into the box, rummaging through the items. Some of them were obvious, and others were a toss-up. He opts for the bigger bag inside the box, pulling the item out with curiosity etched over his brow.

A bag of coffee beans.

How was he supposed to act out a scene without any props? He had no crutch to fall on... Ah, wasn't that the challenge after all? He should have went for something easier like a chicken, a drink, or the sleek perfume bottle. He was someone that most likely benefited from less intake of caffeine rather than more. He was absolutely clueless about coffee. In fact, he actually despised coffee. Here, he was staring at a bag of coffee and his mind was blank.

He wanted to laugh at his predicament. Instead, he focuses on the psychedelic colors of the printed label on the coffee bag. He concocts a concise background story of a coffee farm from a faraway planet utilizing techniques beyond their humanly comprehension to produce coffee capable of tasting like the sourest, or sweetest memory stored in the mind.

One sip and discover the bittersweet taste of nostalgia.

vanity

He spent an ungodly amount of time in front of a mirror. At times, Noeul allows his mind to wander, especially when he wanted to procrastinate on a task and today was a day like any other. He should have been practicing his pronunciation with the methods his mentor had suggested. Instead, he was questioning what the average time spent in front of the mirror was for a person not in the entertainment industry. He was certain that he had exceeded the lifetime average of the common citizen.

He couldn't evade a mirrored surface for too long in the building even if he wanted to challenge himself. Perhaps, a blindfold would be a way to best his self-imposed challenge... ( No, he wasn't serious. ) He spent long hours practicing in front of a mirror as a trainee, which had led him to a peculiar ritual of practicing choreographies without looking at the mirror once he felt confident in executing them. He had caught on early on that if he wanted to be a skilled performer, modeling and acting were skills that he would have to hone for the rest of his career.

It was too noticeable when a performer relied heavily on the same set of expressions without any variations, or a turn off if the expressions were exaggerated for the concept. He had to hold himself to a higher standard than his role models, and the day someone claimed he was fucking boring on stage would be the day he would have to retire. ( Yes, he was serious. ) He could acknowledge that he was a prideful person, overly critical of himself, and stubborn beyond reason. However, vain wouldn't be an attribute that anyone could assign to him.

His alarm goes off in front of him, fingers rushing to stop the triggering noise. He should focus on the task at hand. He leans closer to the mirror to stare at the list of tongue twisters printed with black ink, roughly patting his cheeks with his hands.

"Focus, Han Noeul."

hear me out

"Yeol!" He blurts out, corner of his lips tugging upwards into a full smile, skin dimpling directly above his cheeks. "My favorite moment of the day had to be cheeky Yeol and his friends trying to steal Byeongkwan's sweater. Who knew sheep could be so mischievous? I wonder if the sheep found it hideous..." A soft laugh escapes his lips and he shifts on the bench, resting one hand on the wooden seat. He figures that there was a slim chance his interview would make it in the final edit. He would cross his fingers and if necessary, he will think about finding refuge afterwards. Act first, think afterwards was his motto for the weekend. "-...That could be it, right?"

"Or, we were such easy targets for a prank... I heard sheep are good at remembering faces. I hope Yeol and his friends remember us fondly." His fingers find a knot in the wood, circling over it with his thumb while he continues rambling on. He tilts his head, briefly eyeing the moth above the camera equipment. He softly hums before continuing to answer the question, visible pout interwoven through his speech. "I guess that I shouldn't feel offended if Yeol doesn't remember me. It'll be hard to pick him out of a lineup."

"I can't stop smiling..." He reaches up to pinch his cheeks, feeling his facial muscles tense underneath his own touch. Maybe, he shouldn't have the carbonated drink. "I didn't know Byeongkwan could be that clumsy. He looked like a foal learning to walk fresh out of the womb." His comparison makes him snort, fully knowing that Byeongkwan would get his revenge if his interview aired. "I wasn't much help either, but Yeol could make it on the national soccer team. I've never met a defensive player like him on the court."

"Now that I think about it... Our group isn't that different from Yeol and his friends." He answers the following question with a firm nod, biting on the inside of his cheek to keep himself from laughing. "We're motivated through our stomachs. Our weekend revolved around gathering food or cooking it." He counts with his fingers, keeping his hand visible in the frame. "There were no winners or losers. In fact, I will boldly say that everyone was a valuable player this weekend. It was fun seeing everyone's personality shine through and I think that despite us being divided into teams, we all worked together to keep up the lively atmosphere. I'll cherish the memories we made together."

"Ah, I'm out of time..." He rises to his feet, shuffling forward to get up close and personal with the camera. "Until next time! Bye, bye~"

"Ah, really? Is that something you're looking to obtain in the future?" He questions, curiosity etched above his brow when he makes eye contact with the model. "I got frustrated about a year ago and decided to challenge myself to get my license." He releases a soft laugh, shaking his head at the thought that a regular adult task could be seen as a challenge, and not a life skill albeit a privileged one. He recalls the tense moments inside his mother's car, which despite being a fast learner, his mother had barely any trust on him behind a wheel. "I would suggest to avoid having friends or family members help you learn if you're interested."

He reaches for the brick separator, pulling apart a small section he had assembled too tightly. If he had to choose a con about the hobby, the pain in his fingertips would be one. "It's really stressful having someone braking in the passenger seat..." He pauses, softly exhaling from the surprising force needed to remove one of the last pieces. "But you're right, I've never seen one in person." He tilts his head almost as if he is sifting through his questionable memory. "I think the last time I saw a Vespa was during the White Lotus, but it's a must if you're watching a movie located in Southern Europe. Somewhere warm and with sea air."

although she misses having her own show, hyunhee admits that being a guest requires far less work. from featuring on cherry's podcast, to noeul's shows, she's had a great time so far. she enjoys being able to lay back and let someone else lead the way, and she always enjoys being able to try new things, like building legos.

there a certain clumsiness that accompanies hyunhee as she tries to build the set that noeul picked for them. some of the blocks don't fit the way she hoped, even though they might if she just stuck to the instructions. she's always been one to jump head first into things.

"no, actually, i don't have my license," she confesses to noeul, lifting her gaze from the mess in front of her. "i'm so used to taking a taxi, or having someone from the company drive me," hyunhee's always been more of a passenger princess anyways. "what about you?" she asks, tilting her head.

"i know how to ride a bike, though," hyunhee perks up with a smile. "but i think you're right, this is totally different. i've only seen these in movies, i don't think i've ever seen one in person."

"It is distracting!" Noeul exclaims a bit too loudly, but he was elated that someone agreed with him. He had watched a few tennis matches with his brother, but the pairing of the grunts and the nonstop reporting of the sport journalists caused his mind to go haywire. "I feel like I would be focusing on remembering to grunt when hitting the tennis ball rather than swinging like I should." He confesses with a soft laugh, consecutively missing two tennis balls from the machine and a third barely making it past the machine with a sad springing motion towards the wall.

"Is that your attitude towards most sports, or do you prefer sports like golf or archery?" Bowling almost slipped past his lips as a third option, but he couldn't picture Yuxi in the local bowling alley flinging bowling balls to a set of pins. Her demeanor was far too elegant from a polite observation and Yuxi being a Crystallis member wasn't clouding his judgment. She carried herself different from most people he encountered on a daily basis. "Water aerobics?" He offers in a teasing tone, corner of his mouth tugging upwards into a smirk.

Yuxi stared at the tennis ball machine. The tennis ball machine, to the best of its abilities, stared right back at her. She hated racket sports and didn't know what possessed her to volunteer for this episode. At least she had Noeul next to her, who seemed even more at loss than her. An impressive feat, considering the last time she tried tennis was in primary, where she then promptly decided to swear off the sport.

"I don't," she replied coolly, "if anything I find it a waste of energy and a distraction." She also wasn't enthusiastic about the thought of running about an open court like some caveman, which, upon further thought, was probably the main reason for that dislike. "I have many friends who do play, but I'm afraid that I'm rather the type to enjoy spectating far more than participating myself."

"Ah..." He nods his head in swift agreement with her suggestion, excitedly clasping his hands in front of him. It was a wholesome competition, one that he probably wouldn't be a sore loser by the end of it. He was tempted to pull one of the cupcakes closer and nibble on a small piece of the fluffy cake. Perhaps, he shouldn't have skipped lunch before shooting the episode. He was afraid that his stomach will start grumbling in protest. "I might need you to promise to not laugh at my creations. I don't think I have the steadiest of hands."

"It might be different, but only because it's a 3D art form. It might help you with coming up with a simplified version of your idea, right?" He offers, unsure if he was being helpful at all. "I'm not too sure." He confesses with a sheepish laugh, eyeing the the red coloring. Perhaps, he could create a passable rose on top of his cupcake. Would it be too much red dye? He bites on the inside of his cheek, preventing himself from rambling about food dye and insects. Why was that the first thing that popped into his mind rather than useful ideas? "As a kid, did you color between the lines, Gyuri?"

It wouldn't shock anyone that he never favored realistic renditions on his coloring pages, but rather would have arguments for his unconventional color schemes. Who said a zebra couldn't be lime green? "Would you do the honors and start our stopwatch?" He motions to the stopwatch the two of them had been using previously while baking their batter. "Fifteen minutes should be enough, right? I'll let you decide!"

contrary to what might be popular belief, her icier visuals often cause for hesitance and apprehension, gyuri has quite the sweet tooth— breads of all kinds, smooth puddings, and sugary treats, vices she surely couldn't see herself living without ( not if she could help it ). when she'd first been approached, the prospect of featuring as a guest on an episode of noeuls newest show, she'd been thrilled once the days plans had been revealed. it'd been far too long since she'd last been able to bake anything from scratch, especially now that she was no longer a trainee, so the thought of passing up this opportunity hadn't crossed her mind for a moment. fun aside, the idea of getting to know the older boy a bit better seemed to be a positive one. from what little she knew, he was nice.

for the most part, save for a few of her strawberry-based duds that'd failed to properly rise while in the oven, gyuri thinks they've done a great job so far.

"oh, both of those ideas could be really cute," she begins, brows furrowing in thought. using a slightly damp, clean cloth to gently wipe her hands, gyuri eyes the table before them. "maybe we could . . . try our hand at one animal and one flower each— make it into a little art competition to make things exciting." already, ideas begin to fill her mind. "i would say i'm an ok artist, nothing crazy— i did love my coloring books as a kid, is that any different from this?"

"Hyung, why do you even have long legs?!" He retorts back, unable to suppress the laughter that slips past his parted lips at the scene in front of him. He scrambles back to his feet, reaching down to affectionately tickle under Yeol's chin as if the sheep hadn't betrayed him seconds ago. He could feel the wetness on his sweatpants, but there were more pressing matters like saving Byeongkwan's sweater from becoming lunch.

Truthfully, he was more afraid for the mischievous sheep than the sweater. He didn't want to end up at the nearby veterinary hospital explaining that his friend had let his guard down around their new wooly friends. "Hey, you!" He directly points at the sheep despite the better plan being for him to sneak up on them, but hindsight is 20/20 and the man hadn't visited an optometrist since he graduated high school. "Spring is still chilly and our friend over there needs his sweater, hm? You definitely don't need one..."

"What do you say we exchange the sweater for some delicious forb..." He plucks a nearby flower, offering it while advancing towards the sheep in hopes of cornering it. How many people were needed to capture a single sheep? It turns out the answer was more than two humans and one sheep. Technically, Yeol shouldn't count since he was more than happy becoming his shadow and was not helpful at all. Yeol's friend quickly escapes from his grasp, kicking dirt towards his face and using their nearby friends to block his path. "I think it's their sweater now, hyung.."

Byeongkwan had no qualms with the countryside. Being out in nature, breathing in that crisp morning air tinged with that strong barnyard aroma, filled him with a sense of nostalgia. Memories of visiting his grandfather who never really could adjust to city life and preferred spending their weekends out at the farm where he used to work. Those evenings spent running around with his counsins and coming home covered in mud just to drive his mother up the wall.

Although he's so far removed from that life ( and wouldn't dream of messing up his brand new sneakers ), he finds himself sitting back and enjoying the experience. Well, most of the experience. "Hm - ? Woah, woah, woah!"

His eyes widen as his jacket is so rudely nabbed by the wooly creature, scrambling to chase after it. "Not cool, dude!" Despite the long strides he takes, he can't seem to catch up with the wily animal, watching in disbelief as it drags the garment towards Noeul. "Catch him before he tries to eat it or something!" he pleads, resting a hand against the fence as he struggles to catch his breath.

"I really don't care for your accusatory tone, Jo Eunwoo." He huffs out a soft disgruntled noise, fingers twitching to retaliate by mussing up his friend's hair, but he wanted to continue shooting with two working ones. "Shouldn't you be thanking me?" He switches their position, standing behind him once again to gather his hair with delicate fingers, focusing on the sides rather than the entire of his friend's ridiculously soft hair. "Gotham... Isn't that going too far? Sometimes, fate requires a little nudge to end with a favorable result. Besides, when have I ever been passive, hm? I don't like sitting on the sidelines."

He squeezes the man's shoulders, unable to stop himself from impulsively shaking him like a soju bottle. Too bad there was no adult beverages to enjoy after a long day of shooting. He lovingly pats his friend's head before dashing off in a hasty escape towards the bathroom to thoroughly wash his hands. Cooking wasn't his forté, but he knew how to hold a knife and a few cutting techniques he had picked up this past year. He would steer away from the meat and save the entire group from food poisoning.

He returns to Eunwoo side, wiggling his clean fingers at the man. "Where should we start? Peeling or... chopping?" He playfully uses his hands to 'chop' the air near his friend's bicep. "Should we—" He pauses, biting on the inside of his cheek. Perhaps, cannibalism jokes were not appropriate for the setting. "Huh, did we even decide as a group on what we should make?" He raises his voice a bit, eyeing the mini clusters of trainees in his group still inside the kitchen before returning to make eye contact with Eunwoo.

to be fair, eunwoo is quite ambivalent about the whole ordeal. and ambivalent is too strong of a word even; simply, he doesn't care about the outcome. cooking, cleaning, who cares? as the true neutral that he is, he doesn't feel too strongly about losing or winning (unless we're talking about soccer). some artists are called human insertnameofthebrand, he's the human 'it is what it is'. his lack of care isn't equal to desinterest however. otherwise, he wouldn't have picked up on noeul's... peculiar behavior. it's the only way he can put it. in fact, his friend is so suspicious that he's tempted to ask if there's a secret mafia. a saboteur, who needs to be unmasked to win a special prize. but speaking up is more of hassle and let things unfold.

in the end, he's been right to keep his mouth shut; no mafia, just noeul being... no, it's not even noeul being noeul. and from the way noeul is acting, he knows that eunwoo is onto him. but why then? even if noeul seems to thrive in chaos, losing on purpose, just for the thrill of it makes no sense. no... there has to be someting else. he's about to throw a nonchalent agreement to the other boy's question when he speaks again. then it clicks.

eunwoo spins on himself, finally facing the culprit. "you!" it's so out of pocket, so noeul that he has to laugh. "you didn't want to clean that much?" he asks in disbelief, keeping his voice low. why is he even in disbelief actually? noeul definitely would go out of his way to lose a game to avoid a tasks he doesn't wanna do. "you're like a villain straight of gotham, i sweat to god" he continues, still whispering, forgetting that the mics on them would still catch their exchange

rollin'

He had looked forward to shooting the episode with Hyunhee. Admittedly, he had watched all of the episodes of her show. His only gripe with hosting his own was that he couldn't guest on any other show. Her show had been entertaining and uniquely hers. Perhaps, he should have asked her to teach him magic tricks instead, but he was hoping the activity was enjoyable to Hyunhee. He had chosen the Vespa 125 lego set, which came with a helmet, basket, and flower bouquet.

He had been sold by the details of the engine and the ability to steer directions, but he didn't account for the detailed manual instructions that required his undivided attention. He wanted to skip around, or fast forward to admire the final result. Due to the time constraints, the two of them had jumped into a divide and conquer plan, but their conversation was helping him keep on track. "Do you drive, Hyunhee?" He asks, lifting his gaze from the mess he had created while ripping apart his bag of lego components. "I think it would be fun to drive a Vespa in the summer, but it's quite different than a bike... That's probably the closest thing I can compare it too and it's still not the same."

@lgchyunhee