personality traits 

(+): courteous, compassionate, earnest, forgiving, modest
(=): awkward, frugal, impressionable, mellow, quiet
(-): antisocial, bland, cowardly, indecisive, insecure

personality

"Is there anything I can do to help? If I can be of any use please let me know I'd really like to help if I can."
Umiko was raised to have good manners and to be respectful to everyone, no matter how they may act themselves, so she's courteous to others. Even if a person is a jerk she'll still bow and thank them for their time before leaving to go back about her business. She was taught that her actions and words were a reflection of herself and she doesn't want to be seen as a nasty person for being mean despite someone else starting it, and has made a point to always take the high road. It should come as no surprise then that she's compassionate beyond belief. Umiko has a big heart, though she doesn't always show it, and tries her best to be there for those closest to her or any stray animal she finds during her walks. Umiko loves helping others and is always more than happy when she's actually of some assistance. She's also very earnest and sincere. Once she decides on something she'll do everything she can to make sure she doesn't fail, and become a disappointment to her family and herself. She takes her goals seriously, and isn't one to give up on them when things get tough. 

"Oh uh manager-san do you think we could, um.... Nevermind I'm sorry to bother you."
Umiko is extremely forgiving. It can almost be seen as a flaw than a strength but it also means that she's not one to hold a grudge. Someone could call her a nasty name and then storm off in a fit of rage and she wouldn't even think twice about forgiving them knowing that it was just a rough day and they didn't mean it. She feels that life is too short to be carrying hard feelings for someone who did wrong, because in the end they'll only hold her down. She's emmensely modest and has a hard time taking too many compliments. She has skill however she says "there's always someone better and if you get too confident you'll be left behind." Umiko lives by this and always reminds herself that even though she's good she's not the best, and to always give credit where credit is due. Sadly though this child is about as awkward as they come. Someone gives her many compliments? She'll become flustered as can be and trips over her words. Anything can make her embarrassed and turn a crazy shade of red, which then only makes her act more nervous. 

"No no no! That brand is much too expensive! If we get this one it's so much cheaper and we can get more."
There are two times when Umiko will speak up, one is usually when she's singing so it doesn't really count, and two when it comes to saving money. She's super frugal and will do extensive research on different brands and the quality hoping to find something similar for a much cheaper price. She really hates to spend money, and keeps a strict budget and allowance herself writing everything down in a notebook to keep track of everything. When it comes to everyone paying the same share it's always left up to Umiko to figure it out becaus they know she'll make sure its actually equal. She though quite impressionable and is the main target of harmless pranks because she's the most likely to fall for them and her surprised face is too cute not to see over and over again. She also takes takes it the best and laughs off once she's been clued in although she always has to ask others just to be sure she's not being tricked again. Umi is about as mellow as they come most of the time, and has a calming demeanor around her. She likes to be laid back and tries to not stress about too much all at once, no matter how much it doesn't work in certain situations. She's real low-matience and doesn't require much to be happy, no seriously give her a candy bar and she's good. 

"You want me to talk more? I thought I was talking enough already... I'll do my best.."
Umiko is quiet, and really makes a point of staying quiet. It's not that she doesn't like talking to people, because she does truly people and it's the best way to learn something, but she's worried that she'll make a fool out of herself, not being completely fluent in Korean. The last thing she would want to do is offend someone accidently by messing up words and pronounciations so she chooses to stay quiet to avoid that. However it's because of this that Umiko comes across as antisocial and cold because she doesn't really go and put herself out there when it comes to strangers and is usually hanging in the back giving polite bows when she passes by someone who greets her. It's not really that she's antisocial and hates people but she is scared by strangers and really doesn't want to offend them by opening . Some would describe Umiko as bland and boring because she doesn't do much on her own and is usually just sitting there smiling and nodding along with the conversation. She really doesn't like being seen this way but she's not sure about how to put herself out there since it's just so scary, so she just accepts it. 

"Are you sure it was okay? Are you really really sure? I don't think I did that great and I even messed up my last note. Do you think everyone noticed?"
Umiko is a huge coward, the girl jumps at literally everything. She'll be making toast, forget about it in the toaster and when it pops out will let out a dolphin scream, and then turn red in total embarrassment because she screamed at a toaster. She's the kind of girl who'll jump at her own shadow when she's not paying attention, it always makes for a fun time and interesting stories for everyone but Umiko of course. She'd do anything not let those go public. She's also so indecisive it's annoying. Asking her for her opinion is like waiting for paint to dry on the wall. She takes forever, and asks to ask everyone because she's worried of someone not liking her choice. She's been the deciding vote for going out to eat many times and the others always end up flipping a coin since she just cannot pick. Even if everyone says they're okay with whatever she decideds Umiko just cannot do it still overthinking it to an extreme level. She has a lot of insecurities, and always, always need confirmation that she's doing a good job. She hates that she's so insecure about herself, but she can't ever figure out how to back it better. This also makes her really nervous, and scared about being judged. 
 

background

Iwakura Umiko was born and raised in the port city of Kobe Japan on September 24, 2000. Both of her parents worked as accountants for major companies, but when she was born her mother decided that she would quit and become a mom full time. Her dad made enough to support them but they were still very careful when it came to money and made a point of saving up whever they could. Growing up like this Umiko grew up very money conscious and unlike most kids who spent their money on video games, and anime merchandise, she saved hers ever since she was small, and when she turned ten started paying for her own music and vocal lessons. She always loved to sing, even as a small girl, and it helped her out when it came to her awkwardness with her classmates. Singing became Umiko's safe haven, when she was singing she wasn't worrying about everything under the sun or overthinking all of the decisions she made, since she was nervous since childhood, but when she sang it was almost as if she became a different person. Instead of the usual shy smile she had, it was replaced with a true bright and happy one that her mother loved seeing so much. 

Umiko spent more time studying and going to her lessons rather than hang out with classmates or watch tv. She heard talk about Japanese idols and how cute they were from the kids in her class and from the little bit that she did watch on tv, but she had never really checked it out since she really didn't feel like it was meant for her, as she was more into classical music. However that all changed when her baby sister was born on March 1, 2009. As Reiko grew older she was obsessed with J-pop loving the happy tunes and pretty colors, which meant that Umiko who was often home with little Reiko also watched them more often and it soon became a bigger part of her life. The more she watched and looked up on J-pop it soon brought her into the ever growing world of K-pop. She was really into the older groups like H.O.T and Sechs Kies, but also liked the more modern groups as well. Her and Reiko would run around the house dancing like fools and singing their favorite songs at the top of their lungs having a great ole time. 

However through all of this Umiko had never thought about becoming an idol herself, always saying she wasn't good enough and didn't have the right kind of outgoing personality that she figured all idols had to have. She was fine with watching them on tv and going to her usual voice lessons. She went on for years like this but when her family moved to Tokyo in 2008 because of her father getting a new job did her asperations begin to change ever so slightly. It was only because living in the large city that she had more chances to see these performers live. Concerts were everywhere, and since she could spend her allowance how she wanted and had been saving up for since she was small she could easily afford to buy a ticket. During one of these concerts Umiko saw the genuine fun that the artist was having, and it lit a fire deep within her. Despite her insecurties and how she felt she didn't fit the idol type she still wanted to try because if she could enjoy herself half as much as these people were then it was worth it. Even though she was terrified that she could end up being hated, she really wanted to try and step out of her comfortable box and branch out. She didn't want to end up regretting not doing anything but studying in school and playing board games with her little sister. 

The only thing was that she had no idea about becoming an idol. She didn't really like the idea of being a J-Pop idol because to her they only seemed to do the same thing over and over where as K-Pop idols switched it up with each comeback and Umiko really liked that. She stuck to that idea, and it was exactly what she wanted to do in her idol career. Now there were two problems, one was convincing her parents, and two how in the world was she going to get over to another country. As it turned out two was sorted out quickly in late 2013 SM was holding open auditions for anyone to go and try out. But her parents weren't okay with the idea of their 13 year old girl going to another country especially when she's still in school and her education is always a number one prioty. Umiko was crushed when her parents had said no, and for the first time she decided to disobey them and go to the audition anyway. Honestly speaking she wasn't expecting to be accepted, so it was extremely surprising when she passed all rounds, but then she remembered that she didn't tell her parents and had to go face the music. It was an emotional affair in the Iwakura household as neither side wanted to back down. Her parents eventually gave in because they had never seen their oldest child so stubborn about something. 

But that only led to more problems since she had no way of staying over in Korea, and the question about how she would continue her education. They didn't just want to move everything when her father was just getting a raise in his company and didn't know if the move would be the best thing for Reiko, who really loved her school and friends, so they came to a compromise. Her father and Reiko would stay in Tokyo while her mother and herself moved to Seoul. It was tough since her mother had been out of the work force for so long but she found a job and an apartment close enough to the company after many visits. They lived modestly so that they could afford trips back and forth keeping close contact with her father and sister. She felt bad since she had in a way split up her family, but was grateful and more determined to show them that they weren't making a decision they would all regret in the end. Transferring schools was a relatively painless task, and she picked up Korean okay enough though she still had some trouble getting accustomed to it. In 2014 she was offically signed to SM Entertainment.

trivia

Likes
— Family (they are her everything)
— Singing (her most favorite hobby)
— Ramen (it's easy and cheap)
— Stuffed animals (gah they're just so cute)
— Baking (she loves making desserts, especially when others eat and enjoy them)
— Sleeping in (because it's so nice)
— Card games (when on the road they're fun to play)
— Fruit (so sweet and delious)
— Red Velvet (all of their songs are so catchy)
— Being helpful (she loves helping others)

Dislikes
— Bugs (they always sneak up and scare her)
— Shadows (again they spook her)
— Hurting someone's feelings (she'll feel like the worst person in the world)
— Excerising (she's not good at it but knows it's a necessary evil)
— Being looked down on (it's not a good feeling)
— Flying (scared of heights)
— Spending too much time on her phone (she doesn't want to be rude to others)
— Waking up too early (sleeping is so nice)
— Making pronunication mistakes (it really bugs her)
— Being so scared (she wishes she could be brave but doesn't know how)

Trivia
— Adds san to the end of everyone's name. she's trying to use the korean words but it's a tough habit to beat. 
— Absolutely loves bubble tea, it's her favorite drink. 
— Goes to Hanlim Multi Art School, the same as Red Velvet Yeri
— Is allergic to chocolate and hates every second of it
— Will cling to whoever is next to her when on a plane 
— Yells in Japanese when she's surprised 
— Plays with her hair when she's nervous
— Is really good in school, and excels in studying
— Actually really likes cleaning, it's a good way to relax 
— Sleeps with a stuffed bear on her bed that she's had since she was a baby
— Is also really good at knitting and likes to knit the other members cute beanies and scarves
— Has an instagram account FOF_Umi only because Seoyeon convinced to make one 
— Sleeps like a rock, and will sometimes snore
— Listens to piano pieces before going to bed to relax her 
— Isn't the best dancer but can hold her own
— Favorite K-Pop groups are SHINee, BTS, and Sistar
— Isn't really good with spicy food 
— Loves loves loves sushi 
— Always tries to talk to her sister every night 
— Lives for pastel colors 
— Doesn't see much of her dad, and has become a little awkward with him although she still loves him

relationships

— Mother • Iwakura Satchiko (FC: Miki Nakatani) / 41 / Accountant / Smart, Outgoing, Perfectionist, Resentful / 7/10
Umiko is beyond grateful for all the sacifices that her mother and father had made for her. During her trainee years she couldn't bring herself to show anything other than happy and excited so she didn't worry her mom. Now that she's about to debut her mother is starting to spend more of her free time back in Japan, which Umiko doesn't mind although it does make her a bit sad. 



— Baby Sister • Iwakura Reiko (FC: Konomi Watanabe) / 8 / Elementary Student / Bright, Loud, Spoiled, Optimistic / 10/10
Umiko absolutely adores her younger sister and would do just about anything for her. Even if it means letting herself be called squid-chan by everyone who learns of the stupid nickname. She always buys her a stuffed animal or girf of some sort on the places that she stops at. She also makes a point to call her whenever she can so they can talk and she can hear Reiko go on and on about how excited she was that her sister was going to be an idol. 


— Friend • Haechan / 16 / Idol  / Funloving, Easygoing, Obnoxious, Foolish / 9/10
Haechan was Umiko's first friend when moving to Korea and started training at SM. He was there when she was seriously starting to doubt herself as well as her skill, and was there as support during the rougher parts of her trainee period. Ever since then they've been close often messaging one another, though Umiko only does it when she's having a hard time and he's able to pick her back up and make her laugh. (see love interest section for more)


— '00 Squad Member 1 • Lee Minyoung / 16 / Main Dancer, Main Rapper / Hardworking, Logical, Petty, Passive / 7/10
Since they're the same age these two get along pretty well and Umiko really likes how bright the other girl is, since she's still a little awkward. Even though they don't have too much in common, they somehow manage to find something to talk about when together. 


— '00 Squad Member 2 • Huan Renjun / 16 / NCT Idol /  Quiet, Easygoing, Forgetful, Gullible / 8/10
Next to Haechan and Minyoung, Renjun is Umi's closest friend. His quiet nature is the perfect addition to hers and so she's not really as awkward because she's more comfortable with him. It also helps that he'll let her hide behind him when the others try to use her as a mobile arm rest. 


— '00 Squad Member 3 • Na Jaemin / 16 / NCT Idol /  Loud, Playful, Crazy / 7/10
Jaemin and Umi aren't the closest, unless you count him constantly trying to rest his arm on her head, but they get along alright. She finds his agruments with Haechan and Minyoung hilarious and is often seen laughing at them for being stupid. 

Plotline Chenle (Renjun)
Persona The Enchanting Turtle (her voice and smile has the power to enchant the fans however she's still awkard at heart and has been dubbed FOF's loveable turtle by the fans as well now just add the two together)
Years of training 2 years SM Entertainment

Trainee Life

Umiko had a really hard time adjusting to trainee life. She didn't think that it would be difficult or how compettive it would be, and she had thought about quitting several times during her two years. She would be scolded for being too quiet and not speaking up enough. It was also during this time that she was in the process of learning Korean and didn't actually understand a lot of what they were telling her. She never told her mother how much she was suffering since she made so many sacrifices and it wasn't fair for her to voice out her worries because she wanted this. She thought about quitting and almost did once if not for Haechan who was there and helped her out when she needed it the most. 

Talent twins

— Vocal; April Chaewon (OMG Seunghee)
— Dance; WJSN Dawon (April Chaewon)
— OMG Binnie (variety and laugh)
 

Pre debut

— n/a

Post debut/scandals

maybe a solo or duet with another main vocal 

last comment I'm back~! I couldn't help but make another app when I found Kanna and had to use her as a faceclaim.

scene requets

Umiko screaming while making toast for everyone one morning waking them up ruining the surprise breakfast

password 
Girls Day Twinkle 
GFriend Me Gusta Tu
OMG Lier