girlsfest | Round 2: Idolverse

Entry tags:

2023,
idolverse

Round 2: Idolverse

Prompts should be based around a scenario related to being an idol. But it doesn't have to be possible in real life!

Canon compliant (could have happened in real life)
Canon divergent (things started out the same but details will change)
Future fic (could happen in the future)
Alternate universe (idol/non-idol, different group entirely, etc)

Example:

Characters/Ship: SNSD Jessica/Taeyeon
Tags: future fic

Prompt: set after taeyeon’s retirement and they’ve both taken a step back from the public eye. taeyeon goes to san francisco for a solo holiday (sightseeing, to visit a good friend, or maybe something else draws her there) and bumps into jessica unexpectedly (bonus if it’s at a club or a bar lol)

Click here to view the fest rules.

RULES

You are not required to have a Dreamwidth account to participate. There are no signups necessary. You may post anonymously if you want.
There will be 4 rounds of this fest and 1 round will be opened each week of the fest. Rounds will be left open for fills and comments, so there is no deadline for participating.
Prompts do not have to be claimed before you write them, and they can be filled by more than one person.
There is no minimum or maximum word count for fills. In the spirit of the fest, we encourage you to write shorter works!
Users are allowed to crosspost their fic on any other site, such as AO3. However, we ask that when possible, writers post the text of their fills as a reply to the prompt and include a link to an AO3 post if they choose to do so, instead of just linking to an AO3 post in their comment. This helps keep discussion in our community!
Feel free to subscribe and join the comm to keep track of updates and view them on your reading page.

CONTENT
Prompts and fills have to center around K-pop girl group member(s). This includes:

All active and former girl group members
Female soloists
Female members in co-ed groups
Any female idol or trainee affiliated with K-pop (e.g. GP999 contestants, AKB48 members who featured in Produce48)
Slash, gen, het, and trans works are all accepted as long as they involve at least one girl group member

PROMPTING

To prompt, reply to a round post and copy the following template in.

It will look like this when empty:

Characters/Ship:
Tags:

Prompt:

Fill out the form with your prompt. You can also write in "Any" to give the writer freedom to choose their own. For example:

Characters/Ship: aespa, karina/any
Tags: canon compliant, no major character death

Prompt: Karina falls for another trainee as a coping mechanism. It's not supposed to last, so she doesn't treat the relationship like it will.

FILLING

To post a fill, post a comment reply to the prompt you wrote for and copy the following template in. Title your comment with [FILL] followed by the title of your ficlet.

It will look like this once filled out:

[FILL] still I fall

Characters/Ship: Aespa Winter/Karina
Tags: idolverse, predebut, shared trauma
Permission to Remix: Please ask
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Content of fill here...

Please provide content warnings for Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, and Underage as well as NSFW/explicit content.

REMIXES

You are welcome to remix fics that the original author has approved for remixing. A remix is a work directly or indirectly inspired by another work.

To post a remix, post a comment reply to the comment you remixed and copy the following template in with your info. Title your comment with [REMIX] followed by the title of your remix.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Characters/Ship: red velvet irene/aespa karina
Tags: leaderism, canon compliant, op i hope i didnt butcher your prompt too much
Permission to Remix: Yes
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Joohyun does not play to lose.

It started out harmless as it is: a game for fun, for enjoyment. She figured people wouldn’t exactly be enthralled to watch a game where the players are indifferent about winning or losing, so Joohyun runs along.

A small reality show game for a free meal or the fastest one to memorize the new choreography for an early leave.

It was never the meal nor the early pass; Joohyun can get it herself, she can wait—never had any problem with being the last one to leave the room. She was never intrigued by something she could get and choose herself when given by someone in a set of rules. In the end she will share that meal with Seulgi, Seungwan, Sooyoung, and Yerim, and will go practice with them again tomorrow.

What is it but a game, one Joohyun found a gratifying aftermath from the win itself.

The one she found joy in seeing Yerim laughter pitched, Seulgi and Seungwan watching with accustomed gaze, and Sooyoung all with a defeated smile on her lips, a win that is by far Joohyun’s favorite kind: how is it you always win, unnie, I’ll get you the next time!, the words crawl under her skin as she laughs, keen to draw out that same smile again.

This is the first insight, clear enough for Joohyun to take into her hands and unfold easily around them. These are the small times that linger only enough to make her feel more like Bae Joohyun and less like Irene, the leader of Red Velvet.

This is Bae Joohyun taking a step back to sneak behind you.

However, this.

This is something she doesn’t really want a part in.

Joohyun knows people will talk—is already talking: oh, they’re both leaders, they’re both the oldest, they’re both visual, they share the same sign. Then, Irene disappears and starts becoming ‘too’: Karina sings and raps, too; Karina dances very well, too, oh, she did a cover of Naughty as well; Karina likes using fabric softener, too; Karina takes care of her members, too.

It’s not nice, of course, to hear yourself being compared. Joohyun has heard things, many kinds—she thinks she shouldn’t feel too bad about this, but it still feels discomforting to somehow see yourself in a sentence very much meant for someone else.

Karina bows politely in front of her, definitely taller and leaner, there’s a shy smile on her face.

I think she’s a fan of you, unnie, fans said her profile picture used to be you, Seungwan said the other day.

Suddenly, Joohyun feels a little too old for this. She still remembers her trainee days, the early days of her making. Before Red Velvet and before Irene. There must be a before for Karina, too, she wonders what it's like. What is it she left or hid behind to reach this point, what kind of words she had to listen to up to this point.

Joohyun holds her hair back as she bows, mouth lifting into a small smile.

Joohyun takes pride in taking care of others and considers herself good at it. It makes her feel valuable, in a sick kind of way, to see the people she loves eat the food she prepared or wear the clothes she carefully ironed or listen tentatively in what she has to say, or even something as childish as pulling a prank on her.

She’s needed, after all.

And then, like a formidable foe she cannot avoid, there’s also their heartfelt gathering or something.

Joohyun finds it easy to listen to other’s burdens, but she’s never been one to blatantly confess hers. Though she figures a pretty face with a stone cold expression and a sense of duty above all else doesn’t leave much for question. Perhaps it’s because she’s used to people viewing her as above or untouchable, efficient and cold blooded.

These girls don't look at her like that, Joohyun knows that well enough. But it doesn’t help making this less frail, as if this all wouldn’t shatter if she ever let herself walk on it—be seen more than what she lets on.

“Unnie, don’t you have anything to say?”

The fact remains that Irene manages only to stay afloat with Joohyun pretending she's nearly as strong as everyone around her thinks her to be. I’m fine, she tells herself. It’s true as long as she lets it be.

“No,” Joohyun answers. “Not really.”

End of the year comes around, and somehow she’s in a practice room again.

They’re going through a new choreography, it’s light in comparison to whatever Red Velvet is usually given. But she finds it a little distracting now, to keep track of the vastly different ways a practice room can sound when there are her, her group, and another group in it.

Joohyun catches Karina in the mirror, and it goes without saying that she is very pretty and definitely dances very well. Joohyun likes to think she can handle pretty faces, at least enough to know that all these unknown feelings she has have to do with something else.

“Okay, we’re done for today! Let’s see it again tomorrow.”

Everyone sits down, gathers their stuff and shares small talks as they go. Joohyun drinks her water, watching everyone. From the mirror, she sees Karina cleaning up the sound control bench. She looks like she could use some help, maybe from Joohyun. Or not—it doesn’t matter, she’s already walking.

“Loud, aren’t they?” Joohyun begins, helping her tidy the equipment.

“Yes, extremely,” Karina replies with half a laugh, quickly getting all the wires before Joohyun could get it. “I didn’t know Wendy unnie and Joy unnie would click so well with our Ning and Winter, it’s very fun to watch.”

Joohyun doesn’t miss the title put after their names. “They get crazier the more tired they are.”

“Ah, I know that,” Karina says, and the smile on her face is one Joohyun could see herself in for the first time. It feels uncanny, almost. “Our Ning-ie does that, too, it’s like a virus when she starts laughing.”

There’s a time and place to let someone else speak for you, this is one of those times she doesn’t feel too bad about it. Perhaps, in the end, this is all Joohyun has ever wanted to picture.

They chatter away again, idle conversation while Joohyun gets her bag and stands there between the light switch and Karina, it’s as though she’s certain of what lies ahead: Karina will walk out and Joohyun will do her usual part.

“Oh, you can get going, sunbae,” Karina says suddenly, her hand gesturing to the light switch. “I’ll get the lights.”

And it’s so weird. Joohyun just nods, fumbling her bag as she walks out the door and watches whilst Karina takes out more leftover trash and turns the light off. The light illuminates her face slowly as she gets closer to the door.

“You don’t have to…” The words die on her tongue when Joohyun holds out the cup holder for her to take.

“It’s just coffee.” Joohyun replies, she sounds like she’s trying to be stern, but it comes out much too soft for that. It’s courtesy, right? She used to receive small appreciation like this, too.

“Then we’ll drink this well.” Karina takes the holder carefully, proceeds to smile at it like she’s never seen anything quite so fascinating before. It’s just coffee. “Thank you sunbae-nim.”

“Unnie is fine.”

“Really?” Joohyun nods. What she doesn’t say: you were fine calling Seungwan and Sooyoung with unnie, what difference is there with me?

“Then, Jimin is fine, too,” she says, and perhaps she heard how elated herself was and backtracks, “if it’s not too much, of course—!”

There’s no time to second guess this.

“Then, Jimin.”

“There is so much work, huh.”

The sun was half down when they entered the dorm, but now it’s already purpling with nightfall when she returns from her shower. Joohyun is sitting on the edge of the sofa when Seungwan sits next to her, lighting a candle on the table.

“It’s nearing year end, after all.”

“Right, somehow I can never get used to this,” Seungwan sighs, her head resting on the cushion. “Felt like something might sneak behind us.”

Something—someone already is, Joohyun thinks.

“I can hear your mind ticking,” Seungwan states, “You will say you need my help or something.”

“Stop.” You’re getting too good at reading us, is left unsaid. “Give me your brownie recipe.”

“For who?”

“For me.”

“No, who are you making it for?”

“...The hoobaes,” Seungwan looks delighted by her find, and far be it for Joohyun to enjoy any teasing she’s about to get. She tries her best now not to look ridiculous at least. “Maybe one for you, too, if you could just give me the list.”

“Irene unnie!” Joohyun lifts her head and there it is, Karina with the rest of Aespa just there next to her. She knows how this goes. “Thank you, unnie, the brownies were delicious.”

The last part of the music video they had to film was the pajama party. Karina is there in a twintail and a jacket far too big on her.

She really is pretty, Joohyun thinks.

“Was it really?”

All of them reply in a mixture of a nod, thumbs up, yeah, yes, it’s the best ever.

This is how Bae Joohyun loses: “I can make you another one.”

“No, it’s okay!” Ningning joins in. “It must be too much work for you.”

“Hardly,” Joohyun brushes it off, not missing the way Yerim laughs loudly at something Seungwan was telling her in the corner. “I’ll make you a different one next time.”

“Then we’ll get unnie something nice, too, next time.”

Jimin is looking at her with a bright smile and the timing is just right for one of the LED lights to hit her face, making her shriek. Joohyun laughs.

OP here, and OMG you did perfect! <3 This is totally what I was looking for! Your characterization of Irene is so good and the line This is Bae Joohyun taking a step back to sneak behind you. line is FFFFFF amazing! I found Irene and Karina chatting about their members like mothers talking about their kids to be so heartwarming and tender. <3
In short, I love this so much. Thank you for writing it <3

A very nice and enjoyable read, thank you!

forever obsessed with leaderisms!! i find something so oddly fascinating in the relationship between senior/junior groups relationships in the same company, especially ggs, and you did it justice completely! absolutely loved the gentle shift of how joohyun views jimin <3

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Round 2: Idolverse

[FILL] i see the light (no need to turn a blind eye)

Re: [FILL] i see the light (no need to turn a blind eye)

Re: [FILL] i see the light (no need to turn a blind eye)

Re: [FILL] i see the light (no need to turn a blind eye)