#sphere

rkluna‌: 

i do, rachel says, and luna finds it hard to believe, even after her explanation. she mostly thinks rachel is just saying it to try and put any animosity behind her, and while she can’t really blame her for that attitude, she wants her to understand. she wants the rachel, shortly after she arrived in sphere again, that seemed so annoyedby luna’s lingering resentment, to know that her feelings aren’t ridiculous. they’re rooted in reason, and more than rachel can probably imagine. 

she sighs though, ducking her head, nodding, glad they’re at least in agreement on the current state of their relationship. she eyes rachel’s extended hand skeptically– meets her eyes so she knows she still doesn’t fully buy any of this. she doesn’t believe rachel is here to stay; she thinks so much of rachel will have a tendency to take flight, and that she’ll never outgrow it. she’s sure rachel will grow bored of sphere again soon enough and consider picking up and leaving, luna’s opinion never taken into account, and it’s because of that that she keeps her guard up. part of luna wants to believe her, though. she rolls her eyes, and takes rachel’s hand, giving it a firm shake before letting it go. “if you go back on that promise we’re going to be in a worse place than ever,” she practically threatens. it’ll be good, next time rachel considers quitting, for her to keep it in mind.

“if i go back on that promise feel free to murder me yourself,” rachel laughs, though she knows luna’s weighty words aren’t joking. it’s a relief though, to be one step closer to rebuilding a bridge she burnt down so long ago- even if luna doesn’t fully trust her again, yet. more than baek jiyoung, rachel wants to prove to luna that things are different this time, on more levels than either of them can probably imagine, and that even though there’s no changing the past, she wants a future with her, with eve, and with the company too.

she half sighs, and scoots her chair closer to luna’s, back to a mildly somber tone. “i am sorry, luna.” and it’s true, because despite luna’s willingness to try again, she knows its on less lenient terms, thin ice if anything. but it’s a start, and she’ll take what she can get, though beggars can’t be choosers. “what are you working on now?

rkssoojin‌: 

“i feel like it’s pretty emotional.” she had only heard the song and then she found the english lyrics, it took some time learning even those. it was easy to guess the mood so she could perform it. a slow moody beat, it sounded sad and wistful. it wasn’t until she got her friend to translate that she really understood it.

“i know that…i just get so..anxious performing in front of people. it’s fine when i’m with a group or with my friends, but alone…” soojin didn’t need to anymore. she didn’t do her best on her own and thrived when she had been with her group. “i’m working on it..the show was a good way to start seriously improving.” 

at soojin’s admittance of being nervous, rachel offers a sympathetic smile. not everyone was made to do things solo, and it took a certain baseline confidence to be able to do so. “performing alone forces you to make up for the lack of other voices,” she offers, “being in a group is more comfortable because you can hide during vocals you’re not so sure about.”

at mention of the mgas, rachel again can’t help but be thankful that she’s never been around for it. never felt the need to compete in that way. “the show was definitely valuable experience, i’m sure.” she laughs, “it helps give you a bit stronger mentally, and have better nerves.” and that much she knew to be true, “i’m sure you’ll do great.”

rkssoojin‌:

“thanks for listening.” it had been the first words that came out of her mouth once they ducked into one of the recording studios. she wasn’t sure if she should tat on the sunbae to rachel now. it felt weird but those were company dynamics right? either way. she wanted to see if training had improved her skills a singer in the months she had been here. there was no better to way to show it than to do some busking but she wanted to be prepared. 

she had practiced enough by herself. now she wanted to sing in front of a other person before she took the streets. it would help learn to have confidence when she was by herself. “thanks for listening to me..the song i’m thinking about doing is called love lies.” 

“oh it’s no problem” rachel replies easily, partially still on a bit of a high since soojin asked for her own review. it’s understandable in a way, but more confusing than anything. (maybe she wanted to hear from another dancer, rather than one of the other girls more classically trained in singing, she thinks.)

her brows raise at the song title, unfamiliar to her, but intriguing. “ah, it sounds like it will be emotional already,” she teases, taking a seat. “don’t forget that part of performing is your displays of emotion too, you have to fully sell it.” she would know, after busking herself for a year, and the fake niceties played while modelling. 

rkxeve‌:  

eve walks as close to rachel as she can without making either of them fall over. the warmth of the other’s body next to hers is welcome in this chill, but soon enough they’re walking inside through one of the courtyard’s several doors, and eve relaxes a bit, giving rachel a bit more space without moving away completely. “ah, central heating…” she sighs, bringing her thermos up to her lips once more. 

she turns slightly to look at rachel’s expression when her voice changes, and she sees sadness there. “what’s wrong with the apartment?” she asks bluntly, though her voice is quiet. she thinks she can figure it out based on what apparently happened with her and the convex member kibum back in april, but she wants to hear what rachel has to say about it. this is kind of eve’s way of seeing how much rachel trusts her – or rather, how much she’s willing to open up to her. eve knows that rachel trusts her, but she also suspects that rachel sees her like a little sister, someone who needs to be protected. eve wants to know just how much rachel wants to keep from her for the sake of eve’s feelings, and perhaps at the cost of her own. 

“oh,” eve’s question gives her pause, enough time to allow her brain to think of responses that sound better than ‘it’s still a sore subject’ or ‘nothing’. she knows eve’s inquiry comes from a place of concern, and the younger’s always been that way, but still, it feels uncomfortable to open up to many people- something she’s still learning to get over and accept. 

“it’s just that.. hmm…” rachel isn’t sure how to respond but with honesty, though she’s wary of what eve might say, if she might disprove, though her rationale tells her differently. “it’s just a burden for now.. .i think.” she confesses, though she smiles sheepishly afterwards, “i think i’m still kind of adjusting, living outside of it, you know?” not a lie and not a complete truth, but the most comfortable way she can express how she’s feeling lately, and she can only hope eve understands.

rkjinkis‌:  

_{jinki likes the notifications from his family. it makes him feel.. safe. that this is one part of the world where he can peel his layers away and be reminded that this is home. he’s not yet realised that a variation of home could be the dorms, despite his efforts to make it for everyone else, he still struggles quietly with that concept. so when jinki can go home or be reminded of his actual home, he fully embraces the idea with open arms.}

_{he hangs up his jacket when he enters, and it’s upon removing his shoes he’s attacked by three little rascals. ahyoung’s dog appears to be blending in well with katsu and donkatsu, so he’s relieved that nothing has been torn up or broken. then again, he’s pretty sure his family wouldn’t tell him because he’s the epitome of a worry wort. “did you also find those missing honey chips? i swear, i left them in my guitar case..” that sly grin is mirrored onto his face as he wraps an arm around her, briefly pulling her in for a tight hug. “missed you too, by the way. and i ordered more honey chips— they’ll arrive tuesday. bless you, amazon gods.”}  

_{at the sight of a glaring cat, jinki just has to pull away and scoop up maverick. family had to be met, and the pets sure were family. “did you annoy them all when i was gone, huh? did you? when rachel debuts, you’re going to have to annoy her so much, she wouldn’t want to leave.” after a few moments of ear rubs, he decides to briefly pop into the kitchen and give his mom a back hug and his (step)dad a fist bump. he missed her. he missed this entire family. knowing not to bother his parents any further, he decides to return and drape over the couch dramatically.}

_{“ohhh, i missed this.” he admits earnestly, peaking up from his spot to smile at rachel. “i really did.”}

at the mention of honey chips, rachel hushes more than quickly, though her silence doesn’t stop the half-sneaky grin in response. “well maybe you shouldn’t leave them in such irresponsible places,” she retorts, “you’re going to make katsu more chubby,” a half whine of upset follows, though she returns jinki’s hug just as tightly. 

having a familiar presence (and someone to distract their parents from asking rachel the same question in twenty different ways) is a relief and a comfort all in one- even if it’s going to be short lived. she watches as jinki makes his way around all the pets before finding their parents in the kitchen, and laughs when maverick meows in protest when he realizes his petting session is over. 

“i know you did,” she chirps, pushing his legs over so she can sit. “and you won’t in about two hours when you get the same ten questions about whether you’re eating enough or doing laundry like you’re supposed to, i’m sure.” rachel teases, though she knows that jinki is doing well, as well as he can with the life changes at least. “mom already complains that you guys are being worked too hard. just wait until you’re more popular.”

                                               ✧  ━━━  ( @rkohsehun )

taeyong has always been a fan of isac  — not so much a fan of the athleticspart, but more so the interactions of idols together, idols with their fans, idols by themselves. it’s all just basically a glorified gym class with most of the current lineup of k-pop idols  — it’s pretty exciting to watch, admittedly, and it’s even morefun to be included in the year’s lineup of stars.

he doesn’t remember whether he had the choice to enter the events he wanted or if he was chosen for the events he’s doing. he doesn’t remember filling out an interest form or having a talk with either their manager or anyone else, but he doesn’t mind that the events he’s in. he’s not the best at competitive e-gaming, but he’ll try his best for pubg  — he’ll probably just run around the map trying to be the last one standing by default. as for aerobics, he feels like he’s got this in the bag  — after all, he gets to flex his flexibility and his dancing chops, which is always welcome.

what taeyong is most excited for, however, doesn’t have anything to do with the sports at all. “sehun-ah, sehun-ah,” taeyong jogs over to his groupmates, who’re all clustered around with other idols as the events roll on  — it truly doesfeel like a gym class, looking at it on the floor. “wanna take a walk around the stadium while this event is going on? i see consta over there, do you wanna go over and do something?” he places his hand on the younger’s shoulder, and he smiles brightly.

HIGH DESERT

seonghwark​:

“i can admit, my brain switched to vacation as soon as we landed.” he laughed a bit, coming to the music video shooting reminded him of why they were there. it did confirm that he wanted to take the chance to come back just for fun one day. maybe in spring or fall, when it wasn’t too hot or cold. ( because he could only guess how cold it would get based on how hot it got. )

“yeah, swimming.” seonghwa nodded his head a few times. ( maybe he was the only one who thought of it. ) “after being out here for so long, a good shower and a swim in the pool should make everything better.” he nodded his head a few times, as if he was pretty happy with his idea. “want to take a swim with me?” he could invite the other members if he wanted, “i’m going to go as soon as we get back.” 

vacation — if only. maybe someday in the future they can come back notfor work, but for purely relaxation purposes. what he would give to walk down hollywood boulevard with his members without having to worry about practicing for something later on in the day. “i understand that, i just want to go to the beach or something and relax, but you know, we’ll probably do that at the pool since it’s the next best thing!”

seonghwa’s right — a nice shower and relaxing dip in the pool can do wonders for him right now. he’s not the best swimmer, and likens himself to a cat in terms of getting wet, but sometimes it’s much needed. “sure, i’ll join you! it might be what my body needs right now, after all the sweating in the desert i just did.” he laughs, sighing. “can’t remember the last time i went swimming, to be honest! can’t wait!”

HIGH DESERT

seonghwark​:

he didn’t think it was too bad when got there, traveling from the airport to the hotel. or even walking around. it hadn’t prepared him for hot it would feel when the came to film. he did think he was taking it pretty well. he tried to come off that way at least, trying not to respond too positively to the mini-fan that been given to him. for a moment, seonghwa considered that he was spoiled in korea, it didn’t feel like this. 

“i honestly don’t think i can.” seonghwa muttered back to taeyong. he was pretty happy to keep this to a visit type thing.  “though, when the dust creeps up in korea..” that could be bad as well. “head aside, are you have fun?” he still enjoyed it, he enjoyed it a lot. “if we have time, when we get back to the hotel, i want to swim.” 

taeyong takes a deep breath in — in all honesty, the oxygen he intakes doesn’t feel as clean as it does in korea, which must be why he has this hidden intuition that he’s going to get verybad allergies along with the summer heat. all in a day’s work, he guesses. “i’m having fun, yeah! other than it being super hot… it’s exciting that we’re here, even if it isn’t reallya vacation, the location alone makes it feel like it’s a vacation.” taeyong briefly thinks over the prospect of living in california once again — but his life is a bit too preoccupied for any of that, so he stops.

“swim?” he parrots, tilting his head — he doesn’t know why it didn’t occur to him that the hotel had a pool. of course, they would have a pool. taeyong’s just been buzzing around like a bee, he hasn’t noticed. but a dip in the pool doessound great in this sweltering weather. “that sounds so great, actually… summer time calls for a swim in the pool, wherever you are!”

                                                ✧  ━━━  ( @seungcheolrk )

taeyong doesn’t remember what time of the night he ended up falling asleep. he doesn’t usually stay up because of his thoughts, because of nerves, but this time, it had been different. maybe it’s because he’s so excited to show everyone yet another new side of convex — this is something that they haven’t done before, and it’s something that taeyong considers to be their best era of music and stylings yet. this is exactlyup his alley, and combined with the fact that this is the first comeback after the additions, taeyong’s felt like this is the most important comeback that they’ll ever have. it’s probably not true, but he’s manifesting his energy into this viewpoint.

so it’s no surprise, to him at least, that he’s falling asleep during breakfast — on the first day of promotions, no less. he thinks to himself, maybehe’s gotten at most three hours of sleep. he doesn’t even count that as sleep, more like a long nap. he’s waiting patiently for an iced americano, any kind of caffeination to get that energy for performing later. taeyong takes a bite out of his food, closes his eyes, and slumps against the nearest member’s shoulder — which just so happens to be seungcheol. he sighs, chewing his mouthful absent-mindedly. he waits for a bit to speak, he can’t be talking with his mouth completely filled to the brim.

“mm ~ i’m so tired…” taeyong muses, “i couldn’t sleep, i was so excited for today!”

                                                 ✧  ━━━  ( @rkharu​)

the very firstcomeback with convex’s new lineup. taeyong hasn’t felt this nervous since his own first comeback, he can’t imagine what the newer members must feel like. even to him, though, it feels like there’s a lot on the line, like there’s something that the boys have something to prove again — that despite it all, they’re stillgoing to come out on top, they’re stillthat force to be reckoned with. sure, there may have been bumps in the road, and sure, they’ve seen a reallybumpy road so far, but taeyong still thinks that convex is a strong group.

he wants to check in with the members, even if it’s just a moment in passing, just to gauge how everyone’s feeling. they’re coming back in days, and taeyong feels like he’s running around headless trying to get his bearings together. he recollects himself for the sake of the others, he doesn’t need anyone to be anymore stressed out ( if that’s the case ) by seeing him freak out.

they’ve just arrived back at home, and the members start to do their own things, retreating back to rooms or occupying the kitchen space for a quick bite. taeyong finds jaehyun in his room, and he knocks his hand against the door frame. “hey there, jaehyun, mind if i come in?” he’s already easing his way into the room. “how’d you feel about practice today?”

━━━━━━━ don’t wanna cry mv wrap-up ( * : ) ࿐ ࿔*:･
( :LAX ✈️ IIA)

they’ve finally wrapped up filming, and convex is heading back to korea — taeyong sits in his seat, claiming a spot next to the window so he can stare wistfully out of it, like the main character at the end of a coming-of-age film.

it’s not much of a joke — it’s completely serious. reflecting back on his brief time back in his home state of california, as he looks out into the pacific ocean from the comfort of a korean air flight back to seoul, taeyong feels a rush of emotions course through his body. feeling the summer sun warm his skin once again had brought back memories that he completely forgot about, the good andbad times. he remembers the summer vacations he would take with his family, preferring to drive down to take in every single view worth seeing down the coast — stuffy eight-hour drives in a cramped car made better by looking out the window, staring at how the waves of the ocean crash against the coastline, just as he’s doing now.

he’s changed since then — for the better, he hopes.

taeyong looks to the window opposite from his own, on the other side of the plane — he can somewhat see the expanse of los angeles getting smaller and smaller in the distance. the screen in front of him displays the estimated time of arrival, and he mentally braces himself for a ten-plus hour flight. he has his hood up, a pillow wrapped around his neck — some of his members are already asleep, and he decides against taking embarrassing photos of them to maybe post on the fancafe. he’s not done reflecting just yet — mischief can come later, maybe nine hours into the flight, when he’s had his own nap.

the flight reminds him of the flight he took when he moved to korea — he had sat right next to the window back then also, almost an entire decade ago. weird to think that it’s almost been ten years since he’s moved to korea and foundhimself, found what he’s supposed to be doing after being so lost — that it’s been almost been ten years since he’s been back in the states and feltthat lost. sounds cliché, but he’s glad that he’s come back and is leaving a completely different person than before.

ten years ago, he was alone — he remembers looking out of the window, afraid of what was to come but ready to start anew, to have agency over his own life, to feellike he belongs somewhere that isn’tthere. he couldn’t have predicted anyof this to happen to him, that he would even get a shot at a dream that seemed so far away.

now, he’s living that dream, surrounded by people who make him feel like he belongs somewhere, like he knows what he’s supposed to be doing in life instead of having to search with no result. he looks around once more and sees brothers — family members whose presence he’ll always cherish, who he shares memories with, both new andold.

taeyong closes his eyes, thinking back to how he felt back in the desert — the harsh summer sun beat down on them, the rigorous nature of having to be completely synchronized while withstanding the elements. he felt strong enough to endure it, because he knows that he has people to support him if he ever falls down. he had tried his best not to falter —  and that’s the difference of him ten years ago and him now. he wouldn’t have tried as hard, he would have given up.

he falls asleep looking at the ocean, continuing to think about how much this trip really meant to him, what this all really means to him. maybe this is what he needed — he didn’t know he needed this, but maybe this is what he needed.

sweet treat,

rkxroyal​:

woohyun refuses to let a birthday pass without doing something. whether it’s spending hours over a letter with all the words he can muster or a simple little gift– he always has to do something. he appreciates his friends, his family, and convex is in both of those departments. so naturally, he has to do something. the cupcakes are something so small to him– and he’s already been making mental notes on what to do for the next gift giving opportunity.

“i did,” woohyun beams, nodding his head with a wide grin. he waits until taeyong has stood before he continues his gentle tugging of the other into the kitchen, looking around as if they were going to get caught. he hums, shaking his head, shooting taeyong a sweet smile. “i probably shouldn’t have, but…” he trails off, ushering taeyong in the direction of the kitchen in his excitement. “…i think something sweet on your birthday is always nice. rewarding. you made it through another year!”

a thought crosses his mind, and he stops suddenly. turning his attention to taeyong, his eyes are wide a bit, a pout beginning to build on his mouth. “i didn’t get candles.” he says, his tone a little sad, though the smile is still on his face. “i completely forgot. hope you don’t mind?”

taeyong has always found woohyun’s presence in and of itself comforting and inviting — almost as if he’s constantly receiving a warm hug whenever he’s around. and to him, it’s the littlest things that the older does that make the most of an impact on him. woohyun’s humbleness of it all enhances it, makes it feel genuine and out of the greatest corner of his heart. taeyong wants to be like that, he wants to exude that kind of energy to the younger members — or just to anyonefor that matter.

“you’re right, hyung — i made it to my mid-20s, that’s an extremely important occasion that hasto be celebrated.” he chuckles, stands from his seat, and obediently scurries into the kitchen, looking around the room curiously. he tries to sniff out what kind of treats woohyun has procured for him, but he can’t make it out. perhaps it’s for the best, he likes surprises anyways.

he raises his eyebrows, then shakes his head, chuckling and cradling woohyun’s face gently. “it’s okay, hyung, you’re doing so much for me already! i don’t mind at all ~” he lets go of the older’s cheeks and smiles sincerely. “as long as it came from your heart, that’s all that matters to me!”

hometown glory

sangyeonrk​:

“yeah, you’re not just a regular person anymore. you’re convex’s main vocal, taeyong-ie hyung! although, i’m not sure how popular convex is overseas. do you?” he can’t even imagine being recognized in korea, so he can barely imagine being recognized in another country for that matter. he wonders what it’s like to be essentially unknown and a nobody and years later to come back and be somebody. an idol at that. 

“santa monica?” the words are foreign to sangyeon but he tests it out for himself, liking the way it sounds. “i would feel bad if i’m too tourist-y but this is my first time here after all.” with a pout on his lips, he tries to mull over what he wants to do most without appearing too out of place. “i think the pier sounds fun! what kinds of stuff can we do on it?”

sangyeon nods eagerly. “i’m not sure what i wanna buy yet but if i see something that catches my eye, i’ll let you know immediately! my family told me if i don’t bring anything back for them, i’ll get disowned in a heartbeat.” plus, he also wants to find something for haknyeon just because he misses his boyfriend. 

not a regular person anymore — he’s convex’s main vocal now. it’s still jarring to think about, but taeyong doesn’t dwell on it anymore. he hasto get used to hearing it, better sooner than later.

he hasn’t thought about convex’s popularity outside of korea — not that he doesn’t believe that they have fans internationally, more like he doesn’t know at what scale. “hm, i don’t really know how popular convex is in other countries! i mean, k-pop is getting pretty big in america nowadays, so i don’t think it’s a long shot to say that we could be popular here right now!” maybe he should check on twitter or something, that always seems like a great indicator of how many international fans there are.

taeyong smiles — english is an incredibly weird language with too many unfamiliar sounds to someone from korea, so he’s always patient in other peoples’ pronunciation. “you have to do all the tourist-y stuff the first time you’re here so that when you go to more local spots, you can act all cool and experienced!” he chuckles — he thinks it’s an approach that many people like to use when they travel. “the pier has a lot of cool trinkets that people sell, there are people busking, there are amusement park rides… there are lots of fun things to do!”

“oh, i do know that people sell these leather bracelets that are popular with couples here! you know, if that’s your thing,” taeyong winks, “there are shirts and stuff like that too, so there’s plenty of choices!”

                                                  ✧  ━━━  ( @seonghwark​)

taeyong tries his hardest to force himself notto sweat as much — there are nodeserts in korea, at least to his knowledge, and he’s been away from california far too long for his skin to recognize the dry heat. at least it isn’t humid like it is in korea, thenit would be the worst time of his life. he’s thankful that the stylist put them all in more breathable, loose linen shirts, otherwise he would have truly been done for. there is, of course, cold water at request and mini handheld fans to keep the boys feeling as cool as possible. they’re still dancing their very hardest, and their choreography is hard, so any steps that he needs to take to cool him off is very much welcome.

it’s a godsend — the fan especially. there are occasional gusts of strong wind that blow air that does feel good in the moment, but they also kick up some dirt and sand — the air is also warm in the dry summer heat. with the mini fans, taeyong can easily target any part of his face that needs any cooling, with minimal effort from the staff to touch him up afterward. they take a short break, standing on the side as the crew adjusts some parts of equipment for whatever reason. taeyong saunters up to seonghwa and sighs, patting a napkin against his own neck as he uses his other hand to point his fan under his blonde fringe. “summer in the desert is no joke — can you imagine if korea had deserts? a humid desert…”

hometown glory

sangyeonrk​:

once he’s satisfied with the pictures, sangyeon starts smiling as he scrolls through the pictures sent in their group chat. he remembers to save them to his own phone as well. “thanks hyung, you’re the best!” after pocketing his phone and looking around some more, he briefly wonders what it would have been like had he not been born in seoul and instead was born elsewhere. 

“is being here the same as before or is it different since you’re older now and well, an idol?” he doesn’t know how long taeyong lived here before but after being away for awhile, one is bound to become a little bit homesick. sangyeon feels that even now and he could easily visit his family in an hour so he can’t imagine what it’d be like for someone in another country. 

he stretches his arms out towards the sky and loves the feeling of the sun on his skin. “what should we do now with the free time we have, hyung? i wanna do so much here but i don’t think that’s possible.” jutting his lips out in a pout, he tries to think of what he wants to see at least but he has no clue. “take the lead, hyung! you know more things around here than i do.”

taeyong makes sure to save the best picture as his contact picture for sangyeon — his members are lucky that he’s not the type to save embarrassing selfies of them as contact pictures. he reckons that maybe hyun or jace do something like that, he’s never seen their contact lists before but he bets the health of his hair that that’s indeed the case. however, taeyong is alsothe kind of person to constantly gush about how good-looking his members are — like a mother would do. insufferable sometimes, but loving nonetheless.

“no, i don’t think it’s the same now — and that’s a good thing!” taeyong says earnestly — he hasn’t been to the states at all for a long time, and much has changed. taeyong’s all for the change, though — everything seems so much more advanced now, efficient.”like… it’s weird that i’m back and people recognize me as something when before i was a regular person.” not to say he’s nota regular person, but he’s definitely not treated like a regular person anymore — whether he likes it or not. and he likes it, most of the time. it’s just something that he isn’t quite sure he’ll ever really get used to.

taeyong takes a quick glance at the street signs, eyes narrowing as he reads from lengths away. good thing he has his contacts in. “ we’re in santa monica, so the beach is nearby — there’s also just a lot of things to see when you walk that way. we can even go on the pier if you like!” he wraps an arm around the younger’s shoulder — thankful that they’re around the same height for him to be comfortably doing this. “if you see something you wanna get on the way there, i’ll get it for you! just let me know ~”

hometown glory

sangyeonrk​:

starter for @rktaeyong 

sangyeon had never flown on a plane before, let alone left the country. his first trip and it was to los angeles to film their comeback music video. experiencing all these firsts was overwhelming at the beginning but it was so worth it in the end. 

he can barely contain his excitement the whole time. like a kid in a candy shop, sangyeon wanted to see everything that la had to offer. of course, that would be physically impossible in one day but he can try for a few things, right? 

tugging on taeyong’s sleeve, sangyeon pointed towards a palm tree. “i can’t believe that’s a real palm tree! an actual los angeles palm tree! hyung, quick, take a photo of me standing next to it!”

taeyong’s eyes had been fixated outside his seat window well before they landed in california — it’s been a long time since he’s seen the view, the way that the coast curves in, how he can see the great expanse of big cities next to huge mountains and wildnerness. so much open space in comparison to korea, he feels like he can breatheagain. he makes note not to actuallytake in a deep breath as they touch down, though, because he knows that he’s too used to korea’s much cleaner air and doesn’t want to choke on the smog that lingers around.

taeyong laughs endearingly at sangyeon — he feels like he himself should be more excited to be here, but he just chalks that up to being somewhat of a local. he remembers walking down streets similar to these, and palm trees are constant images engrained in his memory. taeyong remembers acting like when he first saw how greenkorea’s plants are — so he understands sangyeon’s enthusiasm.

“okay, okay, i’ll take one with my phone,” he says, digging his phone out of his pocket and snapping a carefully positioned picture of sangyeon with as many palm trees he can fit in the background, “i’ll send it to the group chat so the others can see how handsome you are, sangyeon-ah.” taeyong laughs once more, then sighs contently. “the weather’s really nice — ah, i’ve missed this place so much.”