♫ RE:VIVE'S SYKO DREAMS OF RISING HIGH
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basics
ahn jihyun
24/ 2nd may 1996
seoul
seoul
korean
korean
NCT JAEHYUN
SEventeen mingyu
appearance and style
What he usually looks like:
What the stylists keep doing to him (and he hates it):
When Jihyun enters a room, you feel the presence of God. Okay, just kidding, but for real: he looks heavenly handsome. In a sence, that he could have just jumped straight out of a K-drama and that certain looks originate in exactly that: his very famous actor parents. His mother, Lee Daehee, has been known as the traditional Korean beauty for ages and his father, Ahn Saeyoung, is still known as the Korean George Clooney.
But that's Jihyun, not SYKO. SYKO is wild, SYKO is flamboyant crazy. Buns, grills, dreads, there's nothing SYKO didn't sport during concerts, MVs and such.
Meeting Jihyun on- an off-stage is like meeting two completely different people. For some reason, Jihyun always gets the worst and weirdest make-overs. He doesn't understand why the stylists go to super eccentric, extremely outstanding with his looks all the time, but when he wants to feel like a decent human being, he always gets to look like a peacock. Some people are extremely shocked when they find Jihyun in his everyday wear and are surprised by how handsome he actually looks. When he got to perform in a rather casual wear, he almost shed tears... and instantly gained a ton of new fans (and a ton of shade because a part of his former fandom accused him of not being authentic anymore - look at the irony).
What the stylists keep doing to him (and he hates it):
When Jihyun enters a room, you feel the presence of God. Okay, just kidding, but for real: he looks heavenly handsome. In a sence, that he could have just jumped straight out of a K-drama and that certain looks originate in exactly that: his very famous actor parents. His mother, Lee Daehee, has been known as the traditional Korean beauty for ages and his father, Ahn Saeyoung, is still known as the Korean George Clooney.
But that's Jihyun, not SYKO. SYKO is wild, SYKO is flamboyant crazy. Buns, grills, dreads, there's nothing SYKO didn't sport during concerts, MVs and such.
Meeting Jihyun on- an off-stage is like meeting two completely different people. For some reason, Jihyun always gets the worst and weirdest make-overs. He doesn't understand why the stylists go to super eccentric, extremely outstanding with his looks all the time, but when he wants to feel like a decent human being, he always gets to look like a peacock. Some people are extremely shocked when they find Jihyun in his everyday wear and are surprised by how handsome he actually looks. When he got to perform in a rather casual wear, he almost shed tears... and instantly gained a ton of new fans (and a ton of shade because a part of his former fandom accused him of not being authentic anymore - look at the irony).
#184cm #75kg
personality
Fans know their beloved SYKO (read "Psycho"). The very SYKO that is charismatic, very extra and demands the entire stage for himself. They think he is an artist, very different from the rest, not sticking to the conservative view of the old entertainment industry, maybe even a pioneer. Haters see the exact opposite: a reckless person, focused on himself entirely; greedy, arrogant and a skirt chaser. There's so many rumours about him, so many assumptions made, so many scandals he allegedly was part of, but one thing the fans all know is this: SYKO lives and breathes music and being an idol.
But that's SYKO and SYKO is not Jihyun. SYKO is a stage persona that the entertainment found suiting for Jihyun. They partly were right because Jihyun manages to excel in his acting, but for a fact, Jihyun is very different from SYKO. You don't believe me? Then let me introduce him to you:
Not all talk... but talk all day
Ask anyone else how they are and you'll get the answer "Fine" even if this very morning their spouse left them, their bank went bust and their favourite dog breathed its last. If you meet Jihyun in the street and are thoughtless enough to ask him how things are, he will stop, take one or two deep breaths, and start to tell you in torrid detail. He will list all his ills, and what happened when he followed the doctor's advice; you will learn how he feels today; you will be told how his brother is doing, and what his parents had to say when they telephoned last night. Never, ever ask Jihyun how things are - that is, unless you are truly interested in wheter or not his bowels moved this morning.
Forewarned; Jihyun the fatalist
Jihyun is convinced that life is lika a zebra: a white stripe is always followed by a black one. Not only does every cloud have a silver lining, but every silver lining must have its clouds. Thus, when things are fine Jihyun is absolutely certain this will not be for long and that matters are bound to change for the worse. Similarly, if you've found yourself in a hole, you know that sooner or later you'll get out of it.
From such a philosophy there follows an important corollary. There is no need to waste your time trying to crawl out of the hole if you're destined to stay there for a while. You only need to sit tight and wait for the wind to change and everything will gradually get back to normal. You just can't escape from fate.
How Jihyun sees himself
Ask Jihyun how he sees himself and the answer will reflect the mood he is in. And since for 23 hours a day he feels blue, the answer will probably be that he is the unluckiest and unhappiest guy possible, that things were much better before he debuted. After that he will fall upon your chest and wash it with sweet tears. Yet, in a happier mood, he will probably say that his life is the best he could have and without his career it would go to pieces. "My life is so special" he will tell you in a low voice trembling with emotion. Certainly it's special. Very special. In fact, half this specialness would be quite enough.
A feeling of togetherness
Jihyun's most characteristic feature is that he has this deep need of togetherness. Imagine thousands of seals sunning themselves on a vast rock, so closely pressed against each other that it looks as if it is one big, black, gleaming beast. This is it, the togetherness Jihyun wants. Once you understand this, you understand what runs through Jihyun's head, for there is hardly anything he may say or do that does not encompass this precious quality of togetherness. It's a powerful force, the only one that will help you to survive in the long, hard course of being an idol.Jihyun has never lived well, he might say, and life without the helpful shoulder of those in the same situation is unthinkable.
As a result, Jihyun loves crowds. He would be devastated if one day he woke up to find that crowds had disappeared. A choosy person will stop in dismay at the door of an overcrowded bus, and may even give it a miss. Jihyun might prefer more comfort, but the sight of a packed interior will never stop him from attacking it ironically. He will energetically elbow his way on to the vehicle in which people are already packed like sawdust in Winnie-the-Pooh's round tummy (who knows when the next bus ill drive?). Once in, he will promptly ignore all the people who are squeezing the life out of him, and settle himself down comfortably on his neigbour's corns, and may even manage to produce his mobile from his overcoat and start playing with it. Don't believe him if he coomplains of having to use an overcrowded vehicle.
Romantic at heart
Scratch Jihyun, and you will find a romantic. Jihyun's romanticism is invincible, insuperable, unsinkable and unreasoning. Jihyun sees havoc all around, sighs and looks hopefully round the corner: there must be success and happiness for all near at hand - it says so in the newspaper. The harder the life, the stronger the romantic. Jihyun thinks that if a man works according to his abilities, tommorow or the day after he will receive according to the amount of labour donated to the common pot, and then everyone will get material and spiritual goods according to their needs...
So what, if everyone think his love is doomed, if he just puts enough work and effort, he'll get rewarded, nonetheless. At least he believes so.
A predisposition to patience
Another characteristic of Jihyun is his patience or better said a predisposition to long-suffering resignation till things get - or maybe don't get - better. Jihyun's patience appears inexhaustible. He is capable of waiting and hoping for the best under conditions that would seem unbearable for almost any other person. Deep down he believes that toil and patience will overcome anything.
To have and have not
Jihyun does not place much value on money. To have money is much better than to go without. On the other hand, though poverty is a great nuisance, to have a lot of money is very bad form. Honest people cannot have a lot of money, not unless they are pop stars or tennis players. Nor should you ever boast that you have money; it is much better to complain that you cannot last from payday to payday without borrowing a few Won from someone else. If you earn very little, there is absolutely nothing wrong in letting others know how little, you earn, because admitting that you are grossly underpaid says only that your employer did not understand what a priceless acquisition he made when he hired you. It is not demeaning to earn little - the blame falls on the head of the person who is exploiting you.
Jihyun is ready to help others even if he knows that the person he is helping could help themself.
Let it be said that the others hate this trait of him since he's from a very rich family and never faced the trouble of lacking money to pay your monthly rent etc. He still means it and wouldn't take his words back if he was ever faced with poverty.
Manners
To say that Jihyun doesn't have manners is to do him an injustice. He does have some, it's just that they are different. Where an over-polite person will probably say "Would you be so kind as to do it in such a way that the window should find itself open?" and a casual Korean will limit himself to "Would you mind opening the window please?", Jihyun will say no more than a curt "Open the window, please" which saves a lot of time and effort. What constitutes proper behaviour is a soft voice, a quiet gait, and clothes that are not too loud. There is no reticence about expressing your feelings in public; for instance, if you are displeased with the service in a shop or restaurant, you can tell the shop assistant or the waiter exactly what you think of them, their relatives, their in-laws, their habits and their ual bias. But fist fighting in public is not approved, so when it happens there will always be Jihyun who will pull the protagonists apart. In return, Jihyun may even start a fight in the expectation that someone will stop him, too. "Hold me, people, before I spread this son-of-a-gun against the wall!"
Oh, those bad habits...
On the whole, Jihyun goes for quantity. Especially when it comes to food. He is a hearty eater and his favourite for sure are soups. Soup is an absolute must. If there is no soup, then it's not a meal, it's a snack. Jihyun demands large platefuls of hot soup, cooked with cabbage, carrots, onions and a huge chunk of meet arrogantly displayed in the middle of the dish and a generous portion of sesame oil. Having to stick to diets always is a nightmare to him, but luckily there's something else to appease him. And it's something even better thann eating.
Drinking is much more important to Jihyun than eating. And his favorite drink is vodka. He'd certainly prefer to be paid in vodka than in Won because vodka may be drunk the moment he gets his hands on it without the tedious procedure of going to a liqour store, to say nothing of having to explain to the company staffs where the money went.
Vodka is also the chief tool in starting a conversation to him. Do not forget to take along a bottle when going to visit Jihyun. If you sit at the table across from him, look him in the eye and say nothing, he will suspect you making a pass at him. But once a bottle appears between you, mutual understanding is immediately established. If there is one thing Jihyun hates more than anything else, it is drinking alone. (This is only seen at the last stage on the road to delirium tremens.) A sober Jihyun will always look for company when he feels a dire need to wet his whistle. Scores of bars in every corner of Seoul provide the perfect place to sit, to drink, to smoke, to dance and, with luck, to punch a nose or two. The normal number of people taking part in a drinking session is three. There are serious reasons for this. Firstly, it's cheaper, since some will not always have enough money for an entire bottle. Secondly, there are approximately three big glassfuls of vodka in a half-litre bottle, and as a rule one glass is sufficient to help you feel carefree and merry. Thirdly, it is so much more interesting to have an animated discussion when there are three of you. Lastly, who will make peace if two of you get engaged in a discussion too heated for words alone?
Vodka plays such an important role in Jihyun's life that he'll express concern and sympathy if you refuse a glass or two, because the only thing it can mean is that you ae seriously ill. If you do not care for vodka, the only acceptable excuse will be that you have an ulcer or cancer.
But that's SYKO and SYKO is not Jihyun. SYKO is a stage persona that the entertainment found suiting for Jihyun. They partly were right because Jihyun manages to excel in his acting, but for a fact, Jihyun is very different from SYKO. You don't believe me? Then let me introduce him to you:
Not all talk... but talk all day
Ask anyone else how they are and you'll get the answer "Fine" even if this very morning their spouse left them, their bank went bust and their favourite dog breathed its last. If you meet Jihyun in the street and are thoughtless enough to ask him how things are, he will stop, take one or two deep breaths, and start to tell you in torrid detail. He will list all his ills, and what happened when he followed the doctor's advice; you will learn how he feels today; you will be told how his brother is doing, and what his parents had to say when they telephoned last night. Never, ever ask Jihyun how things are - that is, unless you are truly interested in wheter or not his bowels moved this morning.
Forewarned; Jihyun the fatalist
Jihyun is convinced that life is lika a zebra: a white stripe is always followed by a black one. Not only does every cloud have a silver lining, but every silver lining must have its clouds. Thus, when things are fine Jihyun is absolutely certain this will not be for long and that matters are bound to change for the worse. Similarly, if you've found yourself in a hole, you know that sooner or later you'll get out of it.
From such a philosophy there follows an important corollary. There is no need to waste your time trying to crawl out of the hole if you're destined to stay there for a while. You only need to sit tight and wait for the wind to change and everything will gradually get back to normal. You just can't escape from fate.
How Jihyun sees himself
Ask Jihyun how he sees himself and the answer will reflect the mood he is in. And since for 23 hours a day he feels blue, the answer will probably be that he is the unluckiest and unhappiest guy possible, that things were much better before he debuted. After that he will fall upon your chest and wash it with sweet tears. Yet, in a happier mood, he will probably say that his life is the best he could have and without his career it would go to pieces. "My life is so special" he will tell you in a low voice trembling with emotion. Certainly it's special. Very special. In fact, half this specialness would be quite enough.
A feeling of togetherness
Jihyun's most characteristic feature is that he has this deep need of togetherness. Imagine thousands of seals sunning themselves on a vast rock, so closely pressed against each other that it looks as if it is one big, black, gleaming beast. This is it, the togetherness Jihyun wants. Once you understand this, you understand what runs through Jihyun's head, for there is hardly anything he may say or do that does not encompass this precious quality of togetherness. It's a powerful force, the only one that will help you to survive in the long, hard course of being an idol.Jihyun has never lived well, he might say, and life without the helpful shoulder of those in the same situation is unthinkable.
As a result, Jihyun loves crowds. He would be devastated if one day he woke up to find that crowds had disappeared. A choosy person will stop in dismay at the door of an overcrowded bus, and may even give it a miss. Jihyun might prefer more comfort, but the sight of a packed interior will never stop him from attacking it ironically. He will energetically elbow his way on to the vehicle in which people are already packed like sawdust in Winnie-the-Pooh's round tummy (who knows when the next bus ill drive?). Once in, he will promptly ignore all the people who are squeezing the life out of him, and settle himself down comfortably on his neigbour's corns, and may even manage to produce his mobile from his overcoat and start playing with it. Don't believe him if he coomplains of having to use an overcrowded vehicle.
Romantic at heart
Scratch Jihyun, and you will find a romantic. Jihyun's romanticism is invincible, insuperable, unsinkable and unreasoning. Jihyun sees havoc all around, sighs and looks hopefully round the corner: there must be success and happiness for all near at hand - it says so in the newspaper. The harder the life, the stronger the romantic. Jihyun thinks that if a man works according to his abilities, tommorow or the day after he will receive according to the amount of labour donated to the common pot, and then everyone will get material and spiritual goods according to their needs...
So what, if everyone think his love is doomed, if he just puts enough work and effort, he'll get rewarded, nonetheless. At least he believes so.
A predisposition to patience
Another characteristic of Jihyun is his patience or better said a predisposition to long-suffering resignation till things get - or maybe don't get - better. Jihyun's patience appears inexhaustible. He is capable of waiting and hoping for the best under conditions that would seem unbearable for almost any other person. Deep down he believes that toil and patience will overcome anything.
To have and have not
Jihyun does not place much value on money. To have money is much better than to go without. On the other hand, though poverty is a great nuisance, to have a lot of money is very bad form. Honest people cannot have a lot of money, not unless they are pop stars or tennis players. Nor should you ever boast that you have money; it is much better to complain that you cannot last from payday to payday without borrowing a few Won from someone else. If you earn very little, there is absolutely nothing wrong in letting others know how little, you earn, because admitting that you are grossly underpaid says only that your employer did not understand what a priceless acquisition he made when he hired you. It is not demeaning to earn little - the blame falls on the head of the person who is exploiting you.
Jihyun is ready to help others even if he knows that the person he is helping could help themself.
Let it be said that the others hate this trait of him since he's from a very rich family and never faced the trouble of lacking money to pay your monthly rent etc. He still means it and wouldn't take his words back if he was ever faced with poverty.
Manners
To say that Jihyun doesn't have manners is to do him an injustice. He does have some, it's just that they are different. Where an over-polite person will probably say "Would you be so kind as to do it in such a way that the window should find itself open?" and a casual Korean will limit himself to "Would you mind opening the window please?", Jihyun will say no more than a curt "Open the window, please" which saves a lot of time and effort. What constitutes proper behaviour is a soft voice, a quiet gait, and clothes that are not too loud. There is no reticence about expressing your feelings in public; for instance, if you are displeased with the service in a shop or restaurant, you can tell the shop assistant or the waiter exactly what you think of them, their relatives, their in-laws, their habits and their ual bias. But fist fighting in public is not approved, so when it happens there will always be Jihyun who will pull the protagonists apart. In return, Jihyun may even start a fight in the expectation that someone will stop him, too. "Hold me, people, before I spread this son-of-a-gun against the wall!"
Oh, those bad habits...
On the whole, Jihyun goes for quantity. Especially when it comes to food. He is a hearty eater and his favourite for sure are soups. Soup is an absolute must. If there is no soup, then it's not a meal, it's a snack. Jihyun demands large platefuls of hot soup, cooked with cabbage, carrots, onions and a huge chunk of meet arrogantly displayed in the middle of the dish and a generous portion of sesame oil. Having to stick to diets always is a nightmare to him, but luckily there's something else to appease him. And it's something even better thann eating.
Drinking is much more important to Jihyun than eating. And his favorite drink is vodka. He'd certainly prefer to be paid in vodka than in Won because vodka may be drunk the moment he gets his hands on it without the tedious procedure of going to a liqour store, to say nothing of having to explain to the company staffs where the money went.
Vodka is also the chief tool in starting a conversation to him. Do not forget to take along a bottle when going to visit Jihyun. If you sit at the table across from him, look him in the eye and say nothing, he will suspect you making a pass at him. But once a bottle appears between you, mutual understanding is immediately established. If there is one thing Jihyun hates more than anything else, it is drinking alone. (This is only seen at the last stage on the road to delirium tremens.) A sober Jihyun will always look for company when he feels a dire need to wet his whistle. Scores of bars in every corner of Seoul provide the perfect place to sit, to drink, to smoke, to dance and, with luck, to punch a nose or two. The normal number of people taking part in a drinking session is three. There are serious reasons for this. Firstly, it's cheaper, since some will not always have enough money for an entire bottle. Secondly, there are approximately three big glassfuls of vodka in a half-litre bottle, and as a rule one glass is sufficient to help you feel carefree and merry. Thirdly, it is so much more interesting to have an animated discussion when there are three of you. Lastly, who will make peace if two of you get engaged in a discussion too heated for words alone?
Vodka plays such an important role in Jihyun's life that he'll express concern and sympathy if you refuse a glass or two, because the only thing it can mean is that you ae seriously ill. If you do not care for vodka, the only acceptable excuse will be that you have an ulcer or cancer.
#sykoisnotjihyun
pre-debut history
Born into the industry
As already mentioned, Jihyun was born as the 2nd son of a famous couple within the industry. His parents always were out to work while their kids had to visit a load of extra classes, learning everything needed to become a successful part of the Korean entertainment industry as well. Jihyun's 7 years older brother Jaehwan early debuted as a singer and reached the expected fame. Instead of becoming a soloist, too, Jihyun was signed under HR Ent with the premise to debute in a group which was justified with making a difference between the two brothers whereas there was always the risk that someone else stood out more than he did. There was much more than being an idol before his actual career took off, however. Remember this cute little boy that kept popping up in so many commercials? That was very probably Jihyun as his parents kept pulling on strings to have their kids star in multiple commercials even before signing under any company.
Being trainee feels like holidays
Even though a lot of trainees complain about how harsh and exhausting trainee life is, to Jihyun it was the best time he had. Ignore all the training sessions, the super tight schedules and strict lessons. What mattered to him was that for the first time he kept being around the same people for a much longer time than before. Hopping from one class to another without being able to really make friends always drained Jihyun. Trainee life enabled him to make friends for the first thim. Thus, he looks back at his trainee life as the best time ever.
The difference between brothers
Jihyun was trained to be a triple threat. Dancing? Check. Rapping? Double check. Singing? Check, but his brother is better. Period. Thus, a way to keep the brothers different was needed and HR decided to push Jihyun more towards rapping. They wanted to brand him as someone apart from his brother. Nobody would stan a Jaehwan rip-off after all. At first, Jihyun was opposed to it, prefering to sing rather than rap but soon accepted his "fate" and directed all of his energy into honing those rapping skills.
As already mentioned, Jihyun was born as the 2nd son of a famous couple within the industry. His parents always were out to work while their kids had to visit a load of extra classes, learning everything needed to become a successful part of the Korean entertainment industry as well. Jihyun's 7 years older brother Jaehwan early debuted as a singer and reached the expected fame. Instead of becoming a soloist, too, Jihyun was signed under HR Ent with the premise to debute in a group which was justified with making a difference between the two brothers whereas there was always the risk that someone else stood out more than he did. There was much more than being an idol before his actual career took off, however. Remember this cute little boy that kept popping up in so many commercials? That was very probably Jihyun as his parents kept pulling on strings to have their kids star in multiple commercials even before signing under any company.
Being trainee feels like holidays
Even though a lot of trainees complain about how harsh and exhausting trainee life is, to Jihyun it was the best time he had. Ignore all the training sessions, the super tight schedules and strict lessons. What mattered to him was that for the first time he kept being around the same people for a much longer time than before. Hopping from one class to another without being able to really make friends always drained Jihyun. Trainee life enabled him to make friends for the first thim. Thus, he looks back at his trainee life as the best time ever.
The difference between brothers
Jihyun was trained to be a triple threat. Dancing? Check. Rapping? Double check. Singing? Check, but his brother is better. Period. Thus, a way to keep the brothers different was needed and HR decided to push Jihyun more towards rapping. They wanted to brand him as someone apart from his brother. Nobody would stan a Jaehwan rip-off after all. At first, Jihyun was opposed to it, prefering to sing rather than rap but soon accepted his "fate" and directed all of his energy into honing those rapping skills.
idol history
Debut
Jihyun debuted at the age of only 15 and time passed like crazy, he can't even remember having a real childhood at this point. He must have done something damn right during that time, still, because there have been so many fans thirsting for this baby to become legal. To him it felt weird and up until now he keeps throwing shade at older fans calling him "Oppa".
Being together with his group was what mattered most to him even though he always felt pressured when he entered a stage and for some reason deep inside he always knew that the entertainment world wasn't what he wanted. He was good at what he was doing, years of forced training made sure of that, but it never really was what he yearned for. And it hit Jihyun like a brick stone when his group started to fall apart. The bond among the members got lost somewhere on the way and with scandals overwhelming the group left and right, he lost the little bit of fun he had during his career like he did with his connection to the others.
Some of the scandals surfacing also included Jihyun for some reason. People were suddenly calling him a ist, a dirty pig that only cared for himself and who to hook up with next, some even went as far as to call him racist. None of those accusations were actually true but he had to apologize for every little bit and ask for forgiveness. It hurt him a lot that some people were hostile and mean enough to accuse him of things he never did or say, things which were made up by the media or falsely interpreted by some individuals, things that the entertainment made him do, intending it to be a joke (imagine the black face scandal with EXO Chen). It all started when some paparazzi caught him smoke and drink and what started as a flap of a butterfly turned into a tornado that caused Jihyun emotional damage he barely managed to drown with his beloved vodka. Luckily, most of his fandom was forgiving.
Ridin' Solo
When RE:VIVE started to fall apart, the company tried to find a way to limit the damages and offered Jihyun to debut solo because his fandom was one of the biggest among all members. Once again he felt pressured, being too young to find an explanation for everything and a way out of the misery. He didn't know what to do if he had to exit the entertainment industry, all his life he had been doing nothing but prepare and be an idol. Feeling lost, he agreed and a very bumpy debut as a rapper happened for him. Whereas the songs he had priorly featured in became somewhat of a succes, his very own debut as a soloist was frowned upon and laughed at. Nobody took him being a "Tough Cookie" seriously, plus once again people were accusing him of things he didn't intend (like accusing him of being homophobic or wearing inappropriate clothing). Hard work and and his very endurance to keep going no matter what helped him establish himself nonetheless to the point where he became a known name in the Korean music industry.
Jihyun debuted at the age of only 15 and time passed like crazy, he can't even remember having a real childhood at this point. He must have done something damn right during that time, still, because there have been so many fans thirsting for this baby to become legal. To him it felt weird and up until now he keeps throwing shade at older fans calling him "Oppa".
Being together with his group was what mattered most to him even though he always felt pressured when he entered a stage and for some reason deep inside he always knew that the entertainment world wasn't what he wanted. He was good at what he was doing, years of forced training made sure of that, but it never really was what he yearned for. And it hit Jihyun like a brick stone when his group started to fall apart. The bond among the members got lost somewhere on the way and with scandals overwhelming the group left and right, he lost the little bit of fun he had during his career like he did with his connection to the others.
Some of the scandals surfacing also included Jihyun for some reason. People were suddenly calling him a ist, a dirty pig that only cared for himself and who to hook up with next, some even went as far as to call him racist. None of those accusations were actually true but he had to apologize for every little bit and ask for forgiveness. It hurt him a lot that some people were hostile and mean enough to accuse him of things he never did or say, things which were made up by the media or falsely interpreted by some individuals, things that the entertainment made him do, intending it to be a joke (imagine the black face scandal with EXO Chen). It all started when some paparazzi caught him smoke and drink and what started as a flap of a butterfly turned into a tornado that caused Jihyun emotional damage he barely managed to drown with his beloved vodka. Luckily, most of his fandom was forgiving.
Ridin' Solo
When RE:VIVE started to fall apart, the company tried to find a way to limit the damages and offered Jihyun to debut solo because his fandom was one of the biggest among all members. Once again he felt pressured, being too young to find an explanation for everything and a way out of the misery. He didn't know what to do if he had to exit the entertainment industry, all his life he had been doing nothing but prepare and be an idol. Feeling lost, he agreed and a very bumpy debut as a rapper happened for him. Whereas the songs he had priorly featured in became somewhat of a succes, his very own debut as a soloist was frowned upon and laughed at. Nobody took him being a "Tough Cookie" seriously, plus once again people were accusing him of things he didn't intend (like accusing him of being homophobic or wearing inappropriate clothing). Hard work and and his very endurance to keep going no matter what helped him establish himself nonetheless to the point where he became a known name in the Korean music industry.
idol life
Everyone in South Korea knows SYKO. His songs keep running up and down in most stores, other artists are trying to get him to colaborate with him and he has die-hard fans in the K-Pop, but also K-Hip-Hop nieche. He appears on a lot of shows, may it be a guest, a judge, a producer, he's been through it all at this point. He is gifted and polished in what he does, has always been. But he is so absolutely tired and sick of the industry, desperately awaiting the day he's allowed to enlist and finally leave the group, settle down, get married and have a merry life with all the money he has already accumulated.
There is this everlasting fear, nonetheless. The fear of losing everything the moment he drops out. Will he be able to survive outside of the industry? Will he lose his beloved ones if he turns his back to them? It doesn't help that a lot of people are looking up to him and some even count on him earning enough to enrich them.
Jihyun is caught. Caught in this vicious cycle. 1st world problems some may say. How dare a person like him who has it all to complain about anything. There's so many people working themselves off to reach the very position he's in right now.
He has freedom to produce his own songs. He has freedom to live a life without worrying about money ever. He has millions of fans adoring him. He even dates in secrecy.
Yet, he's caught. Caught by that damn persona SYKO that won't let him go, a persona that everyone expects him to embody. It drives him crazy and sometimes the only peace he finds is with his dear friend vodka.
There is this everlasting fear, nonetheless. The fear of losing everything the moment he drops out. Will he be able to survive outside of the industry? Will he lose his beloved ones if he turns his back to them? It doesn't help that a lot of people are looking up to him and some even count on him earning enough to enrich them.
Jihyun is caught. Caught in this vicious cycle. 1st world problems some may say. How dare a person like him who has it all to complain about anything. There's so many people working themselves off to reach the very position he's in right now.
He has freedom to produce his own songs. He has freedom to live a life without worrying about money ever. He has millions of fans adoring him. He even dates in secrecy.
Yet, he's caught. Caught by that damn persona SYKO that won't let him go, a persona that everyone expects him to embody. It drives him crazy and sometimes the only peace he finds is with his dear friend vodka.
idol/trainee profile
Syko
FotG/Triple threat
(main talent rapping tho)
(main talent rapping tho)
Zico
training years at hr: 4 years
group members
Moon Haseon I Apollo
The relationship between Jihyun and Apollo is... difficult. Jihyun thinks they're good with each other but then again they clash because Jihyun's very direct way of speaking may come of as overly insensitive and his criticism might then be interpreted as offense. Then again Apollo has his moment of enjoying triggering Jihyun's anger to the point where Jihyun gets physical and is about to punch Apollo in the face if nobody holds him back. While the very next day everything seems forgiven and forgotten to Jihyun, a more emotionally vulnerable Apollo might not think alike. Ever since there have been homophobic accusations against Jihyun their relationship got even more complicated. Jihyun thinks that everyone should believe him after he apologized and explained the situation publicly, but sometimes there's this something in Apollo's eyes which Jihyun can't quite make sense off.
Son Sunhwa
Jihyun has mixed feelings when it comes to Sunhwa. Pre-enlistment they got along pretty well. When Sunhwa enlisted, all Jihyun felt was jealousy. He wanted to enlist, too, drop out and live his life. Unfortunately, he missed that train, but he never resented Sunhwa for leaving the group despite his leaving breaking the group even more apart. When Sunhwa returned, Jihyun felt happy, having a known face back. At the same time he doesn't understand why Sunhwa would do the idol torture to himself again. It's weird and evokes so many questions in Jihyun: Did Sunhwa try to leave but didn't make it in the outside world and thus had to come back? Will it be the same for him? Can he still leave now that Sunhwa has come back or would that be an move? After all, he doesn't want to leave anyone hanging... Seeing Sunhwa now makes him feel nauseous of the bad mixture of happiness, fear and unbelievably heavy pressure.
Sean Jung
Before the Haseon ordeal, Sean was the amazing hyung Jihyun was adoring. They got along amazingly well and Sean was one of the reasons Jihyun finally felt at home. The moment he changed, their relationship changed too, even to the point that Sean and Jihyun ended up in a physical fight and it took the company's security to get them apart from one another because the other members weren't able to hold them back. Jihyun still feels anger towards Sean and how he took out his anger on everyone else.
The relationship between Jihyun and Apollo is... difficult. Jihyun thinks they're good with each other but then again they clash because Jihyun's very direct way of speaking may come of as overly insensitive and his criticism might then be interpreted as offense. Then again Apollo has his moment of enjoying triggering Jihyun's anger to the point where Jihyun gets physical and is about to punch Apollo in the face if nobody holds him back. While the very next day everything seems forgiven and forgotten to Jihyun, a more emotionally vulnerable Apollo might not think alike. Ever since there have been homophobic accusations against Jihyun their relationship got even more complicated. Jihyun thinks that everyone should believe him after he apologized and explained the situation publicly, but sometimes there's this something in Apollo's eyes which Jihyun can't quite make sense off.
Son Sunhwa
Jihyun has mixed feelings when it comes to Sunhwa. Pre-enlistment they got along pretty well. When Sunhwa enlisted, all Jihyun felt was jealousy. He wanted to enlist, too, drop out and live his life. Unfortunately, he missed that train, but he never resented Sunhwa for leaving the group despite his leaving breaking the group even more apart. When Sunhwa returned, Jihyun felt happy, having a known face back. At the same time he doesn't understand why Sunhwa would do the idol torture to himself again. It's weird and evokes so many questions in Jihyun: Did Sunhwa try to leave but didn't make it in the outside world and thus had to come back? Will it be the same for him? Can he still leave now that Sunhwa has come back or would that be an move? After all, he doesn't want to leave anyone hanging... Seeing Sunhwa now makes him feel nauseous of the bad mixture of happiness, fear and unbelievably heavy pressure.
Sean Jung
Before the Haseon ordeal, Sean was the amazing hyung Jihyun was adoring. They got along amazingly well and Sean was one of the reasons Jihyun finally felt at home. The moment he changed, their relationship changed too, even to the point that Sean and Jihyun ended up in a physical fight and it took the company's security to get them apart from one another because the other members weren't able to hold them back. Jihyun still feels anger towards Sean and how he took out his anger on everyone else.
relationships
The parents I Ahn Saeyoung & Lee Daehee
Famous actors, around age 50 now. They worked as actors all their life and are extremely well-known. They're still staring in Korean blockbusters and drama series and sometimes even serve as faces for big commercial campaigns run by huge companies. Naturally, they expected their kids to follow their footsteps, basically pressuring them into doing so. Since the older of the brothers started to show his love for music early on, they decided to let their sons go through the entire idol package education, thinking they left them enough freedom to choose their paths because they didn't pressure them into being actors.
The brother I Ahn Jaehwan (fc/twin: K.Will)
In comparison to Jihyun, Jaehwan loves his life as a musician. He had the advantage to be born first, so when he told his parents that he loved music sooooooo much as a little kid, the thought turning their sons into idols would be the best decision being made. While Jaehwan more or less chose to be a singer, Jihyun got kinda dragged along. The brothers get along pretty well. Jihyun always gets mad at people comparing them, still. Especially, since a lot of those comparisons that people tried to avoid caused him to be pushed into various directions he didn't originally wanted to go.
Jaehwan is overall a very relaxed person, enjoying every bit of his career and also being very supportive. When the rumors and scandals hit Jihyun's life, he kept calling to check on Jihyun. Publicly, he distanced himself from his brother, to avoid his own reputation to be dragged done, however.
They never had a colaboration during their careers. Some say it's because Jaehwan never wanted to be musically associated to his brother, others claim it's because they were signed under rival companies. In reality, the reason was that their music taste differed too much and they could never produce a song that both of them felt absolutely content with.
Famous actors, around age 50 now. They worked as actors all their life and are extremely well-known. They're still staring in Korean blockbusters and drama series and sometimes even serve as faces for big commercial campaigns run by huge companies. Naturally, they expected their kids to follow their footsteps, basically pressuring them into doing so. Since the older of the brothers started to show his love for music early on, they decided to let their sons go through the entire idol package education, thinking they left them enough freedom to choose their paths because they didn't pressure them into being actors.
The brother I Ahn Jaehwan (fc/twin: K.Will)
In comparison to Jihyun, Jaehwan loves his life as a musician. He had the advantage to be born first, so when he told his parents that he loved music sooooooo much as a little kid, the thought turning their sons into idols would be the best decision being made. While Jaehwan more or less chose to be a singer, Jihyun got kinda dragged along. The brothers get along pretty well. Jihyun always gets mad at people comparing them, still. Especially, since a lot of those comparisons that people tried to avoid caused him to be pushed into various directions he didn't originally wanted to go.
Jaehwan is overall a very relaxed person, enjoying every bit of his career and also being very supportive. When the rumors and scandals hit Jihyun's life, he kept calling to check on Jihyun. Publicly, he distanced himself from his brother, to avoid his own reputation to be dragged done, however.
They never had a colaboration during their careers. Some say it's because Jaehwan never wanted to be musically associated to his brother, others claim it's because they were signed under rival companies. In reality, the reason was that their music taste differed too much and they could never produce a song that both of them felt absolutely content with.
trivia
- He smokes and drinks excessively which stirred a lot of uproar when fans first caught on his bad habits.
- Jihyun strongly believes in fate, destiny and the purpose of every individual during their lifetime: if a brick drops on your head, such is, then, your fate; if it misses a few inches, well, it is not your fate to get it. Next time maybe.
- It is not surprising that Jihyun can change from being the life and soul of the company, clinking glasses and getting more outspoken by the hour, to a pitiful, maudlin figure who sobs over his drink and tortures himself about the meaning of life.
- String Pulling: Due to his family background he has a lot fo connections to important people in the industry, he also made a lot of connections throughout his solo career and knows how valuable those strings are.
- Signs of superstition: Jihyun is superstitious. A black cat crossing your path cannot be ignored; be careful to spill salt or break a mirror; if you're toing to an examination, don't forget to slip a coin into your shoe...
- The ruler of the roost: In his family, men freely surrender to the more educated, more cultured, more intelligent, more hard-working, less hard-drinking . If the husband is the head of the family, the wife is the neck, dictating which way the head will look. His mother and grandmother had always been the ones to tell the male Ahn family members what to do - and so Jihyun naturally applies this to his very own romantic relationship as well.
- To Jihyun, visiting a bath-house is not so much about hygiene as sheer sensual delight, the greatest pleasure possible in this world and the next. It's a place to sit and sweat, to drink beer and talk politics, to relax, to play card games and to collect your thoughts. In a Korean bath-house the steam room is equivalent to a medieval torture chamber. You sweat there, you are mercilessly dehydrated and if you want to make things even better for Jihyun, beat him with a besom made of leafy birch or better still oak twigs. When he then drops unconscious to the floor in a heap, throw a bucket of ice-cold water over is lifeless but still steaming body. This is a signal that he is supposed to get up and walk, on shaky legs, into the washroom where he sluices his body down and then goes to the cooler sitting-room where he may enjoy a beer or discuss politics with other masochists.
- Jihyun strongly believes in fate, destiny and the purpose of every individual during their lifetime: if a brick drops on your head, such is, then, your fate; if it misses a few inches, well, it is not your fate to get it. Next time maybe.
- It is not surprising that Jihyun can change from being the life and soul of the company, clinking glasses and getting more outspoken by the hour, to a pitiful, maudlin figure who sobs over his drink and tortures himself about the meaning of life.
- String Pulling: Due to his family background he has a lot fo connections to important people in the industry, he also made a lot of connections throughout his solo career and knows how valuable those strings are.
- Signs of superstition: Jihyun is superstitious. A black cat crossing your path cannot be ignored; be careful to spill salt or break a mirror; if you're toing to an examination, don't forget to slip a coin into your shoe...
- The ruler of the roost: In his family, men freely surrender to the more educated, more cultured, more intelligent, more hard-working, less hard-drinking . If the husband is the head of the family, the wife is the neck, dictating which way the head will look. His mother and grandmother had always been the ones to tell the male Ahn family members what to do - and so Jihyun naturally applies this to his very own romantic relationship as well.
- To Jihyun, visiting a bath-house is not so much about hygiene as sheer sensual delight, the greatest pleasure possible in this world and the next. It's a place to sit and sweat, to drink beer and talk politics, to relax, to play card games and to collect your thoughts. In a Korean bath-house the steam room is equivalent to a medieval torture chamber. You sweat there, you are mercilessly dehydrated and if you want to make things even better for Jihyun, beat him with a besom made of leafy birch or better still oak twigs. When he then drops unconscious to the floor in a heap, throw a bucket of ice-cold water over is lifeless but still steaming body. This is a signal that he is supposed to get up and walk, on shaky legs, into the washroom where he sluices his body down and then goes to the cooler sitting-room where he may enjoy a beer or discuss politics with other masochists.
love interest
Lee Riyeon
23
HR trainee
love story
Just by chance Jihyun and Riyeon happened to get to know each other. It was one of those nights she managed to convince her fellow trainee mates to sneak out with her to enjoy some fast food, when they bumped into Jihyun who was outside the company building, smoking right next to the backdoor and trying not to yell into his phone.
The trainees recognized him immediately and were ready to disappointedly walk back into the building, if it wasn't for Riyeon's charm works on Jihyun coaxing him into joining rather than blowing the whistle on them. And thus a beautiful friendship developed with those two rule breakers hanging out many nights to enjoy chicken and beer (and vodka) together.
What started as a friendship turned into much more when rumors around Jihyun dating a popular girlgroup member popped up and Riyeon kept pushing him to tell her it's not true. When he didn't tell her straight that the rumors were false, Riyeon got pretty upset and started arguing which Jihyun answered to with a simple "I don't know why you're so upset, I thought we were dating all along" and the issue was off the table.
There were plenty of things Riyeon needed to get used to when she officially started dating Jihyun:
1. He's very direct. There's no tiptoing around feelings, not a lot of playing nice.
2. Jihyun keeps doing very old-fashioned romantic things and constantly buys her flowers for no reason.
3. He is very assertive. He loves making decisions and won't have any problems making them for her, too (but will back off if she's making her desires vocal).
4. He insists on paying EVERYTHING. The moment Riyeon mentions that she likes something, he buys it, too. She sees it, she likes it, she wants it, he buys it.
5. He drinks A LOT and drinks for whatever he can think of. Like "Cheers for what a nice weather we had today!" It also takes a lot to get him drunk.
6. He will go out of his way to protect her. Even if it means fighting. Actually, most likely when it involves fighting.
The way he behaves in their relationship makes it very difficult to stay put and not make it public but due to Riyeon's wish to debut, he's trying his best to not push through with his own wishes too much. He can be very insensitive however, not seeing that what ruins her potential career doesn't affect him too much. There's a lot of potential for drama in this relationship.
The trainees recognized him immediately and were ready to disappointedly walk back into the building, if it wasn't for Riyeon's charm works on Jihyun coaxing him into joining rather than blowing the whistle on them. And thus a beautiful friendship developed with those two rule breakers hanging out many nights to enjoy chicken and beer (and vodka) together.
What started as a friendship turned into much more when rumors around Jihyun dating a popular girlgroup member popped up and Riyeon kept pushing him to tell her it's not true. When he didn't tell her straight that the rumors were false, Riyeon got pretty upset and started arguing which Jihyun answered to with a simple "I don't know why you're so upset, I thought we were dating all along" and the issue was off the table.
There were plenty of things Riyeon needed to get used to when she officially started dating Jihyun:
1. He's very direct. There's no tiptoing around feelings, not a lot of playing nice.
2. Jihyun keeps doing very old-fashioned romantic things and constantly buys her flowers for no reason.
3. He is very assertive. He loves making decisions and won't have any problems making them for her, too (but will back off if she's making her desires vocal).
4. He insists on paying EVERYTHING. The moment Riyeon mentions that she likes something, he buys it, too. She sees it, she likes it, she wants it, he buys it.
5. He drinks A LOT and drinks for whatever he can think of. Like "Cheers for what a nice weather we had today!" It also takes a lot to get him drunk.
6. He will go out of his way to protect her. Even if it means fighting. Actually, most likely when it involves fighting.
The way he behaves in their relationship makes it very difficult to stay put and not make it public but due to Riyeon's wish to debut, he's trying his best to not push through with his own wishes too much. He can be very insensitive however, not seeing that what ruins her potential career doesn't affect him too much. There's a lot of potential for drama in this relationship.
the problems
There's a bunch of reasons this couple ends up fighting a lot and to be honest, with their expectations of the near future being so different, chances are more that they'll break up than last. They still manage to push their relationship's expiration date further away every time it knocks on their door.
Reasons why they start fighting (again):
- Riyeon wants to be an idol, Jihyun wants to drop out.
While Riyeon can't wait to debut, all Jihyun wants to do is drop out. Whenever she mentions how desperately she wants to perform on stages, be loved by fans and all the idol things idols do, Jihyun rolls his eyes, sighs and lets out a frustrating "You don't even knooooooooow what this life is all about!"
- Riyeon wants to be an idol, Jihyun wants to marry and have kids soon.
While Riyeon dreams of being an idol, Jihyun dreams of being a husband and dad. Whenever he sees a happy couple or parents with their kids and especially babies, he goes ham. He'll ask Riyeon what ring she wants, what dress she wants, what cake she wants, where she wants to get married, how many kids she wants, if she wants a big garden, how the dining room should look like, if she rather has a puppy or a cat, and the list never ends.
He can be very pushy in this matter and make Riyeon feel very uncomfortable at times.
- Riyeon wants to be an idol, period.
Jihyun lived through various ups and downs, he had crazy stalkers sitting in his washing mashine and angry haters sending him masses of "Please go and die" messages, he had to starve himself, work his off, fell unconscious from exhaustion, suffered insomnia from all the stress and maintained a rather unhealthy lifestyle. He doesn't understand how ANYONE would want to be an idol (and holds a huge grudge against his parents for pushing him into this life).
Reasons why they start fighting (again):
- Riyeon wants to be an idol, Jihyun wants to drop out.
While Riyeon can't wait to debut, all Jihyun wants to do is drop out. Whenever she mentions how desperately she wants to perform on stages, be loved by fans and all the idol things idols do, Jihyun rolls his eyes, sighs and lets out a frustrating "You don't even knooooooooow what this life is all about!"
- Riyeon wants to be an idol, Jihyun wants to marry and have kids soon.
While Riyeon dreams of being an idol, Jihyun dreams of being a husband and dad. Whenever he sees a happy couple or parents with their kids and especially babies, he goes ham. He'll ask Riyeon what ring she wants, what dress she wants, what cake she wants, where she wants to get married, how many kids she wants, if she wants a big garden, how the dining room should look like, if she rather has a puppy or a cat, and the list never ends.
He can be very pushy in this matter and make Riyeon feel very uncomfortable at times.
- Riyeon wants to be an idol, period.
Jihyun lived through various ups and downs, he had crazy stalkers sitting in his washing mashine and angry haters sending him masses of "Please go and die" messages, he had to starve himself, work his off, fell unconscious from exhaustion, suffered insomnia from all the stress and maintained a rather unhealthy lifestyle. He doesn't understand how ANYONE would want to be an idol (and holds a huge grudge against his parents for pushing him into this life).
re:vive_(syKO)ahn jihyun.txt
X
Ahn Jihyun has everything. Looks, talent and a sucessful career as a solo singer after the last fragments of his idol group seem to fall apart. However, being an idol has never been his own choice. The pressure of his top-class entertainment family is weighing heavily on his shoulders and with so many people relying on him still bringing in the big bucks, he feels as if there's no way he can escape when all he wants to do is leave the industry.
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