ROOK VOCAL : HIRO

Who are you inside?
 

PERSONALITY TRAITS : "I'm one of a kind, I'm just one of those guys." Ambitious, Debonair, Pleasant, Fair, Socialable, Knowledgeable :: ENFJ :: Vain, Demanding, Impatient, Gullible, Loquacious, Mature.

PERSONALITY :　Hiro is a pretty typical stereotype of film as well: The Pretty Boy Next Door. He's sweet, he's nice, and it's not hard to see that the guy has good looks. In his case, he's the opposite of his sister when it comes to ambitions: Having an ultimate goal only encourages him, and he keeps this in check and doesn't let it consume his every action. He has the all encompassing "debonair" trait of charm, class, and confidence. Hiro is certainly a charmer and is quite confident in all his abilities. Hiro's entire character is just... pleasant. He's comfortable to be around, and it's hard not to like him at first meeting. He's just a pleasant personality, warm and polite to everyone he meets. Hiro is as neutral as Switzerald, and if there's discourse or disagreement among the group, he's sure to be the one to settle it so that everyone leaves feeling like they were heard and that it was fair. He has a very strong sense of justice and tends to follow it when in doubt. Along with being a pleasant boy, he's also quite socialable. Despite his 'cool' appearance, he's not like others who has that image who keeps to themselves. He's very much one to go out and do and be, which makes him a popular friend among the industry and the group itself. Hiro knows a lot of things, through school or simply his own curiosity and readings that he does in his spare time. He's by no means considered intelligence, just knowledgable about seemingly random things and in advice. 

It's not hard to see that he's attractive, and boy does he know it, so there's no need to inflate his ego and vainity anymore than it already is. He thinks he might even be more attractive than King's Visual (but don't tell him that) and enjoys the attention his outwardly appearance gives him. Hiro can be a little demanding, wanting a lot of things and only a few people meeting these crazy demands. He likes having things all in his way, and if someone can't give him that... he just huffs and pouts, disappointed but not upset. Not only does he like having his things, he likes having them on his time too. Sometimes he just can't comprehend that other people have their own lives and schedules and aren't just background characters in his life. Despite this, Hiro is very easy to trick and to convince of otherwise his original beliefs, which can be fun for pranking, but also a terrible disadvantage since he's also a foreigner. A lot of mean pranks were played on him in his trainee days because of this trait. If there's something that Hiro can do, it's talk... and talk.... and talk... and talk. There's a lot of talking coming from his mouth, about all subjects -- it's hard to get him to shut up too. He just has a lot of thoughts and no filter so they come straight from his brain to verbal -- and not all of these thoughts should be verbalized. His mouth can be his deathwish at times. With all of these, you can think that he's childish, but he's quite the opposite. He's very mature for his age, and with that, he has little time for immature or childish antics. He can even come across as cold to those who don't know him better.

BACKGROUND :　From a rather wealthy family, Hiro was the youngest of the Ueno clan. Strict in religion and lovers of music, Hiro was in the Catholic choir in his chapel for much of his life. He lived peacefully in Sendai-shi, celebrating the Tanabata Festival, the Pageant of Starlight in the winter, and the city watched him grow up from a young boy to a young man. He attended a private all-boys academy, studying and keeping himself in choir all the while, taking every opportunity for music and the like. At school, he was fairly popular -- nice, just the right amount of affectionate with friends, good-looking, and while he grades weren't exceptional, his charisma was plenty to ensure he wasn't picked last for anything. So, yeah, he was a little more than spoiled. What everyone told him, though, was to look at becoming an idol. "You're so good looking and are so talented, it'd be perfect~" And he wasn't too fond of the idea, but he decided to watch some videos anyways. At first, the only things he found were the Japanese girl group concepts -- something he wasn't interested in for obvious reasons, and moved on to Korean girl groups, called AOA Black. The fact that they played instruments was pretty interesting, he'd give them that, but still... no, not really his thing. And then he found it -- LEDApple. An idol band. That sparked some major interest, but he was still in school, so he promised to finish out his mandatory education before moving on to his next era.

Graduation in Japan was not in his cards, it seemed, because his teacher had recommended him for a summer program in Seoul. He was accepted and that summer went for a lifechanging experience. He was in awe at the whole Hallyu culture that was starting to pick up speed, and found himself in Myeongdong and other popular places for Korean Pop. And that's where it happened. He was street-casted by none other than JYP. He accepted the invitation, and passed the audition after a grueling two day audition experience. He trained at JYP for almost two years, before leaving and after a six month hiatus, joined KT Entertainment.

TRIVIA :

▸ Likes:
- Sweets; He LOVES cake, ice cream, chocolate, sweet drinks, etc. 
- Play Time; Free time is the BEST time, it means he can go to a playground and just be a kid again for a while.
- Vareity; Despite his 'cool' appearance, Hiro loves being silly and being able to interact with CHECKMATE and the ROOK members and show off their bond. He's a good variety member to have.
- Dance ; Being Nyx's best friend, he has picked up some moves -- he's not the best, but it's pretty impressive for a boy who usually stands on stage with his guitar instead of dancing.
- Debating; Boy likes to talk, boy definitely likes being CHALLENGED to talk. 
▸ Dislikes:
- Pranks; After being picked on for a while in training... he's not fond of practical jokes, even the well intended ones. Unless he's in on it. Then he's okay with it.
- Jealousy; He's sUPER chill and doesn't see why jealousy is a thing, especially in kdramas. "She's gonna have male friends, even male family members... Why be so possessive? I don't think that's healthy."
- Couple Items; Going off of the jealousy thing, he's not fond of the overly PDA, couple outfits kind of couples. The most he'd do, in a serious realtionship, is matching accessories like rings or earrings or the like. 
- Oranges; ???? You got me here, Hiro just hates the fruit and refuses to eat it. Even Nyx can't get him to eat it.
- Dirty Clothes; Living with boys is fine -- until LAUNDRY PILES UP OH MY GOD DO YOUR LAUNDRY. He hates dirty clothes. The rest of the dorm could be a pig sty for all he cares, as long as everyone's clothes are CLEAN. 
▸ Habbits:
- Stress Cleaning; When a comeback is nye, expect his dorm to be s p o t l e s s. Hiro stress cleans and is very thorough with it. He finds it relaxing ot be in a clean, neat enviroment when metaphorically things are piling up.
- Guitar Chords; When he's sitting, fans notice that his hands will sometimes go into guitar chord placements, as if he's playing in his head.
- Squinting; While he totally claims to have good eyesight, he squints a lot to read and should really have an eye exam.
- Snaps; He snaps to agree to things like it's a poetry slam. He gets on people's nerves with it. 
- Sleep Position; Boy he's flexible as hell, and when he's asleep, he can wake up with his limbs in strange positions like hey arm how'd you get behind my head and why is my left leg crossed over this way huh.
▸ Hobbies:
- Yoga; Reasons to attend yoga class: It's good for your health and you mIGHT run into Hiro. He's very aware that his form of working out isn't very "manly" in society, but he's certainly happy with it and boy does he look good doing it too.
- Origami; Folding paper is another calming thing for him to do in down times. He knows lots of little intricate designs and enjoys making them for anyone who asks.
- Soccer; 
- Covers; He just learns all of these songs by popular groups on his guitar and plays them randomly during breaks in rehearsal. 
- Photography; Memory isn't the most dependable thing, he finds, so he takes pictures of important moments and of important people. 
▸ Other:
- Gets called "Bruce Wayne" bc he's rich and his stage name is HIRO LIKE HERO GET IT. Is compared to EXO's Suho.
- F L E X I B L E. Like BTS' Jimin, he's able to do splits. 
- Wants to be friends with pretty much anyone and everyone. He's known to wander off in variety/music shows that has other groups promoting on so he can go talk to them. 
- Give him homemade sushi and he's in love with you. 
- He has like five rolls of undeveloped film in a box underneath his bed -- he doesn't know why he doesn't go out and get it developed, but it just doesn't feel right. He ends up adding a roll every once in a while, when "the time isn't right for these to be shown."
- Admires BTS' Rap Monster, Eric Nam, SVT's Joshua and Woozi, basically any idol who's ever played an instrument. As for Rap Monster? "I'm just a fan. I really like him." 
- Super superstitious, believes in ghosts and the like. Makes it even easier to play tricks on him.
- He's the guy who works really closely with their stylists/concept people, because he's genuinely interested in fashion (thanks to mom and sister). 
- Very much a feminist and equal rights advocate -- His sister (and Ji-u) are very passionate about these sort of things, and he can see why. He tries to make sure that he's respectful of everyone.
 

Who matters to you?

RELATIONSHIPS :
 

▸ Dad — Ueno Tadashi (53) / Lawyer / Strict, Generous, Wise. / 7 out of 10
Tadashi was a busy man, but that didn't mean he didn't attempt to make time for his kids. He loved his family, but also loved his work, and tried his hardest to balance the two. It was something that Hiro definitely admired, and strives to be like that even now. Tadashi wasn't exactly keen on his son going into the music industry, though, and when he accepted to be a trainee before graduating, it didn't help his dislike for his son's new career path. However, Hiro is still his son, and while Tadashi would like him to finish school first, he supports him as best he can.

▸ Sister — Ueno Hikari (26) / Fashion Major at ESMOD JAPAN / Risk-taking, Joyful, Absent-minded. / 8 out of 10
Hiro's sister is... basically a younger version of his mother, and to him, that's okay. Hikari's busy with school, following her mother's career path, but she will ALWAYS make time for her little brother. While he was in training, she was the person he'd miss most and seek out through video calls or texts, craving to speak in Japanese or even jsut see a familiar, kind face after a hard day in the practice room. Nyx reminds him of Hikari a bit, with their bright nature and headstrong tendencies, which is probably why they bonded so quickly. Hikari is the msot supportive of her brother's career, and frequently comments to him about designing their next concept and stage outfits for all of CHECKMATE's subunits. 

▸ Mother — Miyamoto Chiasa (48) / Fashion Magazine Editor / Blunt, Frivolous, Dedicated. / 7 out of 10
Dad was busy, and so was mom. It's probably why Hiro is so close with his older sister: that was really the only person he say a lot of and regularly, too. Chiasa is a bright personality, always supportive and a little spoiled, for sure. But she works hard and wants to be there and tell her kids to do what they want. When Hiro left (and stayed) in South Korea, sure, she was a little upset due to the distance between her and her baby, however, she's proud that he found something he loved and is sticking with it. She and Hikari tease Hiro about coming in and designing CHECKMATE's concepts, albums, etc. 

▸ Best Friend —  Moon Ji-u (22) / Checkmate, Female Bishop Member / Adventureous, Spoiled, Forgiving. / 9 out of 10
In the unforgiving practice room, full of people willing to trick and make fun of those who were at a disadvantage, if only to get ahead, Hiro felt like he wasn't going to get anywhere or make any friends. But then this little dancer appeared, and the way she just... existed drew him to her, feeling a sense of familiarity, comparing her to his sister and mother back home. Ji-u proved to be a very good friend, sticking with him, helping him where he lacked, and he did the same. They really depended on each other, and where known as an inseperable duo, even rumored to be dating. Even though they both see each other as siblings, people still tend to think that.

▸ Groupmates — ROOK/CHECKMATE members (varied) / varied / certain levels of crazy / depending.
These boys and girls are the people he trained with the most, and he gets along with all of them (usually, also depending on who's chosen c: ) 

▸ "Rival" — Jackson Wang (22) / Idol - GOT7 / Outgoing, Talkative, Competitive. / 6 out of 10.
Jackson and Hiro weren't exactly rivals, persay, but during Hiro's time at JYP, he and Jackson were compared a lot, being very similar in many ways. They were on friendly terms, for sure, but at the end of the day, it's really about who can be the better trainee to be picked for their debut. When Hiro left the company, Jackson couldn't help but feel bad about it, he felt like he was being too competitive and drove someone who was really, really good out of the industry for good. Hiro holds no hard feelings, after all, it was his decision to leave, and admits to wanting to connect with Jackson again. 

Why do you matter?

SUB-UNIT & POSITION:　♖ ROOK : VOCAL (Main Vocal, Back-Up Guitarist)
 

TALENT TWINS : INCLUDE LINK TO AT LEAST ONE PEROFORMANCE/SONG

▸ Singing Twin: GENERATIONS' Alan Shirahama / 1 (long, shaggy blonde hair) | 2 (shorter black hair, pushed up from forehead) 
▸ Dancing Twin: Super Junior M's Zhoumi / 1
▸ Rapping Twin: (required for only rappers)
▸ Guitarist Twin: Day6's Jay Park / 1 | 2

TRAINGING :

▸ JYP : June 2009 - June 2011 ; KT Entertainment : January 2012 - present day. Total trainee time: 7 years.
As a foreign kid, he was really lucky to be picked up by JYP. JYP was a pretty open-minded, caring company for trainees of any descent, and Hiro was happy here. However, he wasn't the best at dancing and was criticized constantly for it. He had a beautiful voice, and could play instruments wonderfully, and made a few friends in a mini band called 'Live5' - and while that was pretty good for a while, Hiro found himself deadending at this company, he couldn't find the right resources to help him grow as a musician. So he discussed it with JYP and his teachers, and they decided that once his two year contract was up, he left with fond farewells and high recommendations from JYP to other companies, when he was ready. While he was taking his small hiatus, he was really looking for who he was as a person, as a musician, and overall what he wanted out of a company. 

Six months passed and he found himself getting offers from other big name companies and small comapnies alike. Hiro knew that with JYP's recommendation, he could be picky about what company he decided to go into, and so he was. He'd tour the companies, ask the trainees what they thought, and all were the same: They liked it, the instructors were nice, etc., but when he brought up the idea of an actually band, they confessed that they didn't know anything about any kind of plans to debut a band-based group. So, disappointed, he'd leave. Then he came across an offer from KS Entertainment, and it seemed routine, his touring, and since he was one of the first round of trainees auditioning/touring the company, he was able to talk to instructors and once again, brought up the possibility of becoming an member of an idol band. 

"Playing instruments? You're exactly what we're looking for." He remembered them saying, and immediately he knew this was where he was going to be.

His actual trainee life, from being a foreigner, wasn't exactly well, fun. Some of the Korean trainees made fun of the way he pronounced words, or played tricks on him because he was gulliable. He didn't have many friends in KS Entertainment, only the other few foreigners that managed to stick with the trainee life of a new company. Then, a year into his trainee life, he was introduced to a spunky Korean beauty named Ji-u, and suddenly he had a best friend. She reminded him so much of his sister and mother, the people he missed the most, and she loved the stability and genuine friendliness he offered. They decided to stick together, and were known as an inseperable duo, each helping where the other lacked (Ji-u with her vocals, Hiro with his dancing).

With their hard work and dedication, they managed to impress instructors and the CEO enough to be selected as potentials for CHECKMATE, KS Entertainment's first large unit group.

PRE-DEBUT :

▸ Background 'dancer' in JJ Project : Bounce (2012)
▸ This Christmas : JYP Nation Project (2010)
▸ 5LIVE member (2010-2011) , never officially debuted.

SCANDALS :

▸ JUNE 2014  - KS Ent Trainee HIRO, former JYP trainee, mocking new rookie group GOT7? | true | He thought 'Girls, Girls, Girls' was  a TERRIBLE debut song and expressed that he thought the lyrics were ist.
It's true, he did express these thoughts on social media, and when netizens went digging, they found him a former JYP trainee, and mocked him, saying he was jealous of GOT7's debut, that he must've been passed over for the opportunity and he left in fury. However, he retaliated, stating, 'Being in a dancing idol group is very hard, however, even JYP himself will tell you that's not what I became an idol to do. I wanted to play my music, but I do have a deep respect for those (including GOT7) that have made it into the idol boy group concept, because I can not do it. I only mock the song and the poor choice of lyrics, not the members of the group. I don't think that a song that speaks of girls as objects or as boy-crazy and hormone drunken people is a good debut look. I wish GOT7 better success in their future tracks.' 

Questions from the CEO

WHY DID YOU PICK KS ENT.-OR TO BE AN IDOL AT ALL? : 

▸ "Well, I love music, but I hadn't completely planned on pursuing a career until later in life, but it seemed that life wanted me here. I was casted by JYP, but left due to wanting to focus on finishing school for my parents, and then returned -- I was also casted by a talent scout for KS Ent. I chose this company because I was recruited based on my playing and singing ability, not just my looks. While I am handsome *grins* it was nice for someone to solely want me for my talent."

IF YOU COULD PICK ANOTHER SUB-UNIT, WHICH WOULD IT BE AND WHY? : 

▸ "God, if I could, I'd try out for King, you know? They have awesome dances, but I'm not nearly as good as they are, even with Nyx being my best friend *laughs* Guess I'll have to train harder, huh? I'll become King's new visual, just wait!" 

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE CEO HAND SELECTING KNIGHT'S MEMBERS? : 

▸ "Good luck! *when asked to explain, his smile widens* I mean, have you seen the talent in our large group? To try and select the cream of the crop -- it's like going to your favorite place in the world and being told to pick an absolute favorite spot. Pretty impossible, but our CEO must know what he's looking for, right?"

CHECKMATE WILL BE KS' FIRST GROUP, YOUR THOUGHTS AND/OR FEELINGS? : 

▸ "I can't wait for all our debuts. Everyone else should be too! I know it's a little...*pauses to find the word in Korean* unconventional, our concept, but I think fans all over the world will like it!

ANY OTHER ACTIVITIES YOU'D LIKE TO DO IN THE FUTURE (ACTING, VARIETY, MUSICALS, ETC.)? : 

▸ "Variety and acting, I think would work well! I'd have to take more acting lessons, of course, but variety is definitely my thing. I'd like to be a permanent MC on something like After School Club, where I can interact with a lot of people at once! Huh? *when asked about solo opportunities* As strange as it seems, I don't really want one. Not that I don't think I could do it, but it's not my thing, really. I prefer being able to have others around me."

HOW WOULD YOU TREAT YOUR HOOBAE/KOHAI? : 

▸ "*jokingly* Bow to me! *bursts into laughter* I'm kidding, I'm kidding! As the youngest in my own family, I'm used to being babied a little, but as one of the older members in Checkmate/Rook, I've learned to look out for my kohai. So really, I'd just make sure they were having a good time and help them relax! Performing and doing what you love is fun and shouldn't be too stressful!" 

ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO SAY? : 

▸ "Please don't only look for Rook, but also my other CHECKMATE members, we're quite full of surprises and I think you'll enjoy the music very much! *smiles, winks* Ugh, I hate winking! *covers face and laughs* Nyx told me it'd be a good idea, but it was just cheesy, right? Let's not show that, okay?"

smile_for_roo : Rye

LAST WORDS :　fINALLY HIRO IS HERE AND COMPLETE OKAY HERE HE IS LEMME FIX UP NYX NOW BYYYE
PASSWORD :　"Annyeonghasaeyo, I'm your hero, naeun Hiro-immida!" : Duet/Collab/Duet2 : Im Jaebum

SCENE REQUESTS : 

▸ Faith/Hiro interactions tbh, because I'm TRASH.
▸ ROOK having to dance on Weekly Idol and they'r elike "bUT WE DON'T DANCE" too bad children you gotta
▸ King Visual and Hiro having an ongoing 'competition' (really it's just them being vain af) about who's the most handsome in CHECKMATE ; polls are taken, contests are had and no one really gets it but those two
▸ GOT7, DAY6 + Hiro reunion ; I think it'd be really interesting to see if Hiro would even consider Jackson feeling bad about him leaving JYP. 
▸ Hiro losing a rock paper scissors punishment thing and having to dance a 'y' dance with Nyx and being totally shown up by her because she's also extra af
 

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