lgclili

Latest Posts by lgclili

“would it be so bad if i said i didn’t mind a kfc,” now who was she and what had she done with xu lili? the girl who complained about the smell of fried chicken oil and how it would induce a zillion and one underground pimples by morning seemed to be nowhere to be seen. “at least they would welcome our presence.” 

would they make a cake out of chicken legs if she mentioned that it was her birthday?

“yea —“ her eyes drift to her heels, “for sure, definitely not dressed for anything outdoorsy. let’s also not climb any hills, i don’t think my body can take any more stress.” she knows seoul is made up of nothing but hills but if anything, it was a subtle yet desperate plea for a taxi ride rather than slumming it in the subway.

her steps begin to slow as she thinks over the options more seriously, feeling the chill in the air as she suddenly comes to a stop and is not incensed by the warmth from walking. “mmm, i’d say warm and cozy. anything but cold, please.”

"we can make it work, even if its..." jisoo side eyes lili, "a hole in the wall." at this point, most things truly were closed around this time, but he's sure there were some homely mom and pop shops, or businesses that knew they could take advantage of these days, where everyone else had off. "i promise, i am not dragging you to KFC or anything that defaults in that direction." that would make it even more of an unhappy birthday now, wouldn't it?

"but you didn't even have a birthday cake... we're going to have to remedy that." hopefully it didn't mean him baking one but if it had to happen. if his eye does a slight twitch, jisoo doesn't comment.

"not to be completely lacking adventure, it is not about me and i'd rather not completely misguide it so would you prefer something warm, or cold, relaxing... cozy, or random and," heaven forbid, "i am not going to give you the option of outdoorsy because a, we aren't dressed for it and b, i'd rather us not end up sick."

୨୧     SPRING CLEANING     :     1B

WHEN SOMEONE WRONGS YOU, DO YOU RESPOND WITH REVENGE OR FORGIVENESS?

“revenge. it’s simple: you do me wrong, you need to be punished. forgiveness is for fools who are much too kind and … well … forgiving. it’s a fool’s errand to be anything but vengeful when someone does you dirty. they need to learn a special lesson as to why they shouldn’t have wronged you in the first place and i’ll happily teach that to them.”

WHAT ARE YOU MOST AFRAID OF?

“truth serum?” lili groans, ready to bite her words out of her own mouth, “love. being loved, not being loved, having love and somehow fucking that up because i’m apparently unlovable. also being forgotten … or i guess, unknown works too. is that exchangeable with fame? because in that case i’ll take fame over love. i’d rather be known than forgotten. and since i can’t be loved, i’d fear being unknown more than anything else.”

HOW MUCH DO YOU CARE WHAT PEOPLE THINK ABOUT YOU?

“if i cared what anyone else thought, do you think i’d walk around with this proud, nasty attitude?” no, probably not. “i don’t care, but i suppose, saying so would make you think that i do care but i swear i don’t. sure, it hurts my feelings, deeeeeeeep down, but feelings are fleeting, i’ll get over it once i buy a new bag or some new shoes.”

WHAT IS AT THE TOP OF YOUR PROFESSIONAL BUCKET LIST?

“getting out of this hell hole of ambiguity they call being a ‘trainee’. i want to be famous, but not for being famous, i want my fame to be because i’m good at something. so, i suppose, right now, you can say at the top of my professional bucket list is for me to debut. what comes after that, well … maybe some modeling, acting? the world is … like they say, my oyster.”

there were many things lili should be right now:

encouraging, sympathetic — even more, empathetic — a good pillar of support to a friend who was going through something that lili could only understand at surface level.

what lili should not be right now is bitter.

but her little green friend sits high on her shoulder, on a pedestal of envy that could not be toppled with something as heartfelt as ‘being a good friend’. no, lili had never been a good friend — even when she tried her hardest, at her core, she was a selfish friend who was also ambitious to a fault. so, when she sees someone else who had something that she wanted and could never get — well, something had to give.

unfortunately, lili was not a giving person.

( at least not in that way )

yujin was only being honest. and any good, trustworthy friend should be considerate to the other’s feelings. but was there anything lili could say to remedy the situation that didn’t sound so … volatile? nothing seemed to come to mind, everything that nearly dripped from her lips felt like a slap to the face waiting to happen. 

so, instead, she sighs when yujin regresses and instantly she feels a pang of guilt shoot right into her gut at how she had nearly bit the other's head off, but before she could stop herself and lessen the blow; her ugly head reared itself again, “so, you got everything you could have ever wanted, yujin, the pressure should have been expected as a trade off to debuting, right?”

there was always a give and take with these things — fame wasn’t given to the weak. "wasn’t this why we spent all this time training so that we wouldn’t break under this type of pressure?"

yujin knew how lucky she was to be in this position after failing future dreams. the doom she felt in her chest the following week was unsettling, and she started to prepare what she would do if she couldn't debut. she had trained for so many years that not debuting on that show had felt like all her hard work was starting to slip through her fingers.

to debut into crystallis, there was a new set of pressure on her shoulders, and yujin felt it from the managers and the fans, who probably weren't so pleased with the latest additions to the group. for the rest of her career, she will play catch-up with the other girls and constantly prove her worth, that she has every right to be there on that stage.

these words shamelessly slipped from the blonde's mouth to her friend, lili. she didn't want to complain or seem ungrateful, but there was something still so unsettling about her placement now. it would take time for her to get used to everything, to being an idol and in a group that was already so well established. there was always going to be some sort of struggle in this journey, but as long as she was able to get this off her chest, yujin would feel better.

well, she thought she would feel better if the tone shift didn't make yujin fidget in her seat. there was a small smile that tightened on her lip. maybe she was thinking way too much into this.

"ah, nothing... i think it was just something i needed to share with someone i trust. you work so hard to get to this point, and you never realize the amount of pressure set on you to be perfect."

she waits at the bottom with bated breath — it was barely a hump but still! lili was allowed to have her reservations, especially when minkyu says it’s his first time skiing! lili was not a worrisome person but she would not have filming be halted over something that could have easily been prevented.

“slow down, ski bunny, we don’t want you melting the mountain.” her giggles are muffled by her gloves.

“but a higher one?” she’s amused by his eagerness but she nods, nonetheless. “alright, i think we can do another after this, let’s see if that little hill wasn’t some fluke, alright?”

she’s thankful to be back in the lodge after an afternoon of skiing — it had been fun but the cold had started to get to her. her skii clothes while fashionable were not exactly the most functional to wear on the slopes and after an hour of being out on the mountains, the chills had started to seep into her bones.

walking beside minkyu, she pokes at his side, once more eager for a hint to the surprises he had teased earlier. “so, what’s next? a hot air balloon to whisk us to some snow getaway?”

They say the bunny hill is the easiest, but Minkyu’s legs clearly didn’t get the memo. The moment his skis tilt forward and gravity takes over, his knees wobble like jelly, his balance teetering on a razor’s edge. Clutching the ski poles with the desperation of a man holding onto life itself, he hurtles downhill - not so much skiing as he is surviving.

What takes mere seconds feels like a slow-motion lifetime, but somehow, miraculously, he makes it to the bottom. No falls, no dramatic wipeouts, just a slightly chaotic descent ending in a wobbly slide to her side. He’s anything but graceful, especially compared to her serene glide, but he’s in one piece, and that’s what matters.

“Phew! Not too bad, huh?” he grins, striking an exaggerated victory pose, chin tilted high in mock pride. It only takes a second before he dissolves into laughter, the tension melting from his shoulders.

Then he looks at her, really looks, and the admiration in his eyes softens his smile. “You looked like a gliding princess up there,” he says earnestly, voice warm. “Seriously. So pretty.” And he means every word. “Let’s go to a higher one next,” he says, his grin widening. “I’m all warmed up now!”

the poke on the nose cause a ripple effect: a wrinkle of that very nose, a soft slap to the hand and a scoff all at once. “you’re no fun, at least give me hope that there’s someone.” her eyes roll, body deflating into one of resignation at the thought that minyoung had little to no prospects to analyze or gush over. “let’s forget the track record, hm — you’re not some race horse! there has to be someone.like now, anyone here you’d call eye candy? crush worthy at least?”

lili’s own eyes take a gander at the selection at their disposal; from the trainees currently pouring over the karaoke stand to the others that loitered around the free food supplied by the company; even lili might have to admit that there may be slim pickings these days.

“tch,” her tongue clicks, head shaking. “i guess he’s already a lost cause because ‘smart’ is probably the last thing i’d use to describe him.” 

"that's what i thought. i guess i was just too unattainable." it's disheartening to think but minnie genuinely wasn't interested in any of the boys that asked her out. two of the five that have ever asked her were boys she didn't even know existed. one was from a different school. how was she supposed to get into a relationship when men were asking so brashly?

she knows lili was being nice but the truth is, despite her confidence, it seems like guys just...glossed over her. she was fun to banter with but that's all she was: fun. when was someone going to get serious?

being that it was lili, minyoung should have anticipated that the other would cling to the specifics of her verbiage. not really gives leeway to a maybe, which implies that there's something there to investigate. and lili latched on in a heartbeat. aish, minnie keep your big mouth shut sometimes, eh?

"it meaaaans," minnie drawls, her finger twirling in circles at the other as she speaks. "that i'm not even on the radar. so there's nothing to even talk about!" the twirling stops towards the end of her statement, with minnie poking the other on the nose. "boop! all forgotten. there's nothing to know about. nothing will ever come of it anyways. especially with my track record."

her eyebrows lift but a part of her feels like that's all lili was willing to divulge. "well if he were smarter he'd do better." is all she leaves it as, allowing the other to have some things to herself.

lili could only agree. animal crossing had always been advertised as an easy going slice of life type of game — no hard level, no cheat codes — that is until the new game on the switch had completely changed up the way they played and instead of being a mayor or a random villager of some honky-tonk town, you were now stranded on a base island with all the workings to make it your own. it had taken lili a long week to fully understand the mechanics but after that, everything was like clockwork — so, in kind, she could see where hyuk’s wariness of the game came from.

though, it did not stop her from wanting to push him into a pitfall. 

glancing at the screen, lili counts the branches that have fallen out of hyuk’s pockets and frowns, there was enough … but she was tempted to see him get stung by bees. it was all in the name of entertainment, anyways! hyuk would surely understand, right?

right!

“mm, i think we should try a couple more trees. maybe we can get some more coins.” she supplies, in what is a helpful tone, trying to disguise her need for amusement with a considerate grace.

“i think it looks easier than i thought”, hyuk found himself saying, slowly his suspicious aura fading, giving place to a more comfortable and trustworthy person; he could admit it was hard for him to open up immediately to people, especially when he was playing an important role, as a trainee contracted to work for an important brand. “i guess it helps when the joystick fits this good in my hands, don’t you agree?”

he didn’t really remember the last time he played games in a videogame, his parents ensured he could have everything he wanted, but he never thought about that, not when they all looked so expensive. so hyuk played the part of pretending he knew what he was doing and absorbed what people around him did, so he could still be a part of the cool kids gang.

“a stone for an axe? axes look important, maybe we should try to find it then.” he replied, scavenging his pockets, emptying them to show it to lili’s character. “this is what i have, do you think it’s enough for a net or should i shake more trees?”

୨୧ .  莉莉 ✽ PLOT CALL _ q2

lili needs someone she hasn't interacted with ever!!! so, if you need someone as well and have never threaded with lili before please like this post and i'll drop a message in your ims ~

under the cut are some roll over plots i took from my previous plot call!

our muses are at a local BBQ  &  your muse accidentally trips and knocks lili’s plate on the ground  /  spills wine (soda, water, etc)  on lili ( ofc lili is livid because this was rtw susan fang! )

your muse found a pet and asks lili if its her to which she responds “ew, fur is so 2000s” but begrudgingly ( from the goodness of her heart ) helps you find the owner of this lost pet; includes lili grimacing at the pup slobbering all over lili

catching lili leaving the dorm in her face mask because she thinks no one will recognize her and her gorgeousness as she picks up a sweet treat at a convenience store

practice room confessions

୨୧     THE DECISION     :     DATE LOTTERY # 2025

going into her decisions, lili had half the mind to deny minkyu another date — how dare he try to one up her in front of millions!

least of all with surprises that he knew lili hated!

( the act of surprise, not the gift from a surprise — never a gift )

it would show him that she was not one to be trifled with! she was miffed! absolutely horrified! ( she says this but was she really — had it really been so bad — no, she was just upset over nothing because her flair of dramatics could only handle so much all while under the guise of her public persona )

and minkyu — that sneaky little devil! — knew that lili could never deny him on national television. so, she follows the narrative — playing the role of some awe-struck, lovesick fool who had the time of her life laughing along to minkyu’s cute little quips and his gab and gall for surprise.

seated, legs crossed primly at the ankles as she’s asked those three special words: “will you continue (again)?”

and ( like the drama queen she was ) just like that, she’s smiling; all teeth — grin shining bright as a little blush dusts along the apples of her cheeks as if just the thought of another date had her sheepish ( as if! but the role was far more important than the cringe of it all ); that seeing minkyu again after such a wonderful date would only overjoy her.

( god, she was going to give minkyu a piece of her mind once this was all over )

“it was such a good date, minkyu-씨 could have chosen anything else but he thought to do something he had never done and i liked it, it was very … courageous of him.” thankfully, it stopped at courageous and didn’t turn to anything worse. lili was not someone you should have as your emergency contact. “i really wasn’t expecting the ice cream tower surprise — how it was even made is even more crazy.” it truly defied gravity and lili was not sure how they got through it the way they did.

“if i could, i’d say,” a thoughtful and suspenseful pause for effect. “the adventure should continue, yes.”

however, the second these cameras turn off, minkyu was getting a second helping of a smackdown. 

“well, yes, of course.” but this wasn’t about her! giving her friend a narrowed look, she shakes her head. “god, guys are such cowards. being ‘untouchable’,” her fingers rise to use the appropriate and rather dramatic air quotes, “should not stop them from trying to treat you! boys love the unattainable, they chase it — it should have gotten you even more than chocolates; like flowers, a car, maybe even a building.” she’s miffed, obviously boys had lost their touch for pining. “it’s like in their dna to want what they can’t have.” 

lili would know, she’s made it her life’s mission to be chased but never caught.

“ah, but that’s the challenge to expect to be rejected and still try, y’know?” she frowns, pushing the other’s shoulder with a slight nudge before settling in her seat with a huff, obviously disgruntled at minyoung’s lack of love life drama. “no — not really? which is it? not no? not not really? so that means there’s a possibility of a someone?” suddenly, she’s interested all over again.

then she rolls her eyes, fingers flicking her hair over her shoulder, “he wishes but that’s for your ears only.” her eyes glance around at their surroundings. 

minnie chokes back a laugh. lili would always prefer a show rather than something subtle. but she was right, it would've been far more entertaining had it turned out she threw them in his face. or even better, an argument.

lili's reaction makes the colour on minnie's cheeks deepen. it was something to be embarrassed about! lili's surprise says it all. it's definitely strange for a girl not nto receive something. the most minnie has ever received were nervous confessions (and a reputation of being untouchable).

"yeaaah, i guess," minnie replies, unconvinced. it read on her face. minnie was grimacing. "you've must've gotten tons! i had a reputation in school for being untouchable. the boys would expect to get rejected..." at the mention of someone she's interested she kind of laughs. (despite a name flashing in her mind for a brief moment.) "uh, no, not really. what about you? you surely have someone you're fond of, hmm?"

EYE OF THE STORM     ୨୧    @yujinlgc     / backdated !

it was an ill-kept secret that lili was rotten to the core. sure, she liked to think of herself as a better, bigger person when it came to most things but even the ugly head of jealousy was hard to hide. 

harder to hide when one of her close friends — at least, closer than most — had just debuted before her. 

yujin deserved it, of course she did, she worked harder than anyone she knew but that couldn’t — wouldn’t — stop lili from secretly wishing for her despair, her downfall, because deep down that was just how vile her heart was — how despicable her ambition had ruined her. but it wasn’t like it was yujin’s fault that lili was left behind — falling through the cracks so far below to not even be considered — no, it wasn’t yujin’s fault at all.

and yet, that wouldn’t — couldn’t — stop lili from blaming her. 

but like any bigger, better person, lili was trying her best to keep it hidden; smiling when she sees her friend at her debut showcase. grinning and bearing it when she sees her friend’s face all over her social media. she was the bigger and better person, but lili was seething through it all.

very much so as she sits beside her so-called friend and listens, with bated breath, as the other vented about struggling with her new-found fame, god — it was taking everything within her from rolling her eyes, livid at what she was hearing. 

“so,” lili deadpans, about a word or two from being fed up, trying to simmer her anger as she gnaws at the straw of her matcha latte. “what do you want me to say, yujin?”

@LGCENT just posted a photo!

soaking up the springtime sunshine

#lgctrainees #lgcent #xulili

rua is so sweet, offering solutions to problems lili was probably making bigger than they actually were. it’s to a point that lili felt the need to further whine, arms winding around the other, almost leaning on her, as she groans — the workshop had been fun but the evaluation was truly going to be the death to her and her creativity (and she severely lacked in that department), “ughhhhhh, why can’t we just go on shows together — i wish this evaluation was a paired thing, at least, if you were by my side i wouldn’t feel as weird about making a fool of myself.”

and it was the truth.

looking dumb by herself was one thing — but doing it together, at least it shaved off some of the embarrassment.

then she pauses, pulling back to give rua a look. “please tell me you are not seriously thinking of stuffing your mouth full of marshmallows on national television as a form of entertainment.” she frowns, shaking her head, rua was much too good for this industry. “if i can be cool, you can be cool too.” 

rua had a point, she could just be super competitive and witty and cool in that way but did lili want her public persona to be that of a cool girl? hadn’t she wanted to be someone so far off from her regular persona a la double life? 

་ ⸼ ⸒ ✴ previously、

rua pauses drinking the water and blinks at lili's words for a moment before slowly nodding. "i think, anyways...?" she caps her bottle and places it next to her before thinking. "astrid sunbae seemed to think me being able to fit a lot of big marshmallows in my mouth was a good talent but i have a hard time calling it a special skill, you know?" it felt a bit silly to, honestly, but she supposes that is probably expected when it comes to variety shows. "i might just go with that," she shrugs, still a bit unsure herself. at the same time, it's not like she had many other potential skills she could use that would also be possibly entertaining.

"i guess anything can be turned into a special skill or talent, in a way," rua says after hearing lili's concerns and mulling them over, trying to recall what she had learned from the workshop and how you can find surprise so-called 'talents' from the most minor and random things. "like how did me being bored one day and deciding to try stuffing my mouth with marshmallows after seeing the chubby bunny challenge becoming a trend become something i could use for a variety show?" rua laughs because she never would've guessed that random moment would come in handy at a time like this.

an idea suddenly hits her at that moment though and she sits up straighter like something had physically struck her. "oh! but you're a good dancer right? that could be your talent too! it doesn't always have to be something funny... you could just be cool, too?"

it's then that she remembers something else from the workshops and decides to bring it up just in case it might help the other. "you could also just go the route of being witty and clever, and bantering with the cast and other guests on a show, instead of just focusing on a specific skill to show off... or maybe just being super competitive if its a show or segment with missions and games," rua suggests as she mentally goes down the list of shows she's watched in the past and what she's fund personally entertaining while watching them.

୨୧     W     :     FINDING YOUR INNER VARIETY STAR   _   2

WHAT DID YOU CONSIDER THE EASIEST & HARDEST PART OF THE WORKSHOP?

“to be funny.” lili wasn’t funny at least when she tried to be — funny had to be an instinctive trait, one that came easy for them, but lili wasn’t like that. “don’t get me wrong, i’m funny, but not when i want to be — at least that’s what people say.” people tell her she’s funny but lili didn’t think so, if anything, she believed she was a far cry from it.

HOW WOULD YOU RATE YOUR OVERALL SATISFACTION WITH THE WORKSHOP?

“out of ten?” lili thinks on it, pausing for a moment before, nodding her head, satisfied with what she’s come up with, “i’d say ten. astrid 선배님 had a lot to share and tried her best to make us comfortable.” and when lili said she tried, she really did try — but it wasn’t enough for lili to cross her boundaries and her ego, unfortunately. at the ripe age of twenty-four, lili was already set in stone and could not (rather, would not) compromise herself in the name of variety. and maybe that had been her downfall from the beginning.

WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN A FOLLOW-UP WORKSHOP ON THE SAME TOPIC?

should she be honest — would it look bad on her if she was? or should she lie? she was good at that — through her teeth, tongue to cheek, a gentle, slow breath before she says what’s exactly on her mind: “no, i think i’m just not suited for variety, at least, if i were to go by myself. i feel like i’m a go with the flow, rely on people i know type of variety person but if i was just the individual guest? i don’t think i’m funny enough for that — or i suppose, it just depends on the type of variety. gags and the like, please refrain from recommending me.” was that a bit much? maybe but lili had to draw the line somewhere. this workshop had proved that this was not the line of work she wanted to be associated with.

୨୧     W     :     FINDING YOUR INNER VARIETY STAR   _   1

lili and silly — though a cute little rhyme — had never been remotely said in the same sentence. nor should they ever because lili was not silly — not funny in the way people found comedians a laugh; not inviting or a ray of sunshine that was often seen in variety-dols these days; the funny bone had surely skipped her, in some way or form.

in short: lili is no variety star.

sure, she can crack a joke; murmur a hmm and nod her pretty head at any question come her way, but variety was it’s own beast. and lili had no interest of taming it. it was fine to watch on a boring saturday morning, but comedy and variety had never been her strong suit.

so how she had landed a spot in the workshop is beyond her — but she enjoys it, learning new tricks of the trade had never been boring to her. they are all things she can recall from shows she’s seen in the past but had never once thought to reiterate or replicate, because she knows, despite all this fro and fray, she will not become the variety star they’re looking for, not when her worst fear was looking stupid in front of thousands — no, millions on national television.

(dreams of millions laughing at her for voice cracking was a close second but such things should not be thought into the universe, lili thinks)

it’s uneasy, stepping out of her oh-so-comfortable comfort zone. but at least astrid is nice and her voice is soothing to listen to and her tips are fun and inviting; so lili keeps them in mind, writing them in her notebook with her cute and pink gel pen thinking that a fun color only suited such a fun activity. sealing them in her mind for a rainy day — if that rainy day ever came. 

@LGCENT just posted a photo!

first snow fall of the year! did your wish come true? 

#lgctrainees #lgcent #xulili

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?"

@LGCENT just posted a photo!

take me on a date to see nemo 🩵

#lgctrainees #lgcent #xulili

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.