POSITIVE: Gregarious, Fearless, Resilient, Energetic, Kind

NEUTRAL: Sensitive, Sentimental, Soft-Hearted

NEGATIVE: Tempermental, Fiery, Attention-Seeking, Impatient, Anxious

There was a time when Haeseong's former classmates and trainees might have scoffed if you asked them about Haeseong. 

"Seo? He's that fool in the corner. A real pushover."

"Haeseong does anything you ask of him. You should ask him to buy you lunch: he'll do it."

"There is no way he's going to make it as an idol. He doesn't have the temperment."

And they would have been right. From about the time of gradeschool all the way until just before joining Prism, Haeseong was just that: a pushover who did everything asked of him. A real people pleaser. Hopelessly optimistic and just happy to be with others who shared the same goals as him. He was a pet who just wanted a "good boy!" and he'd be satisfied.

You'd not recognize the person in front of you today as that same cheerful, but reserved, kid from back then. And Haeseong would really like to keep it that way.

Haeseong has always been a friendly person. He's easy to make friends and find anything to talk about. Ask anyone around him currently. Actually, just ask him yourself. He'll gladly talk to you about himself. Haeseong speaks big: big thoughts, big ideas, big ambitions. There is nothing he doesn't think he can do honestly. He takes the idea of, "Challenge accepted. Hold my soju," to a very literal level. And if he gets knocked down while trying to take on this challenge? You'll get a laugh, and the bruised and bleeding Haeseong is back on his feet teling you it's just a scratch. Haeseong rolls with the punches and can take quite a bit of figurative abuse physically and mentally *insert gif of America's * before calling it quits. Is it a bit dumb that he really should know when to back down? Probably. But he seemingly doesn't know the word "give up". He can literal keep doing it all day when others might give up.  Ain't nobody got time to hold still. Things need to fall into place, make sense, and it needs to happen now.

However, because of this, he is terribly prone to coming off as moody, hot and then cold, his mood shifting in an instant from being happy to being angry and ready to fight. He's a creature of strong emotions, despite him stating otherwise, and often acts on those first before giving it much thought. Haeseong is not the type to tiptoe around a problem or gently alter it. No sir. Haeseong will fight right through it, fire around him be damned. While he is quick to anger, he is equally quick to let it go. Hot and cold, just like that. He's not so obstinate to not listen to reason...though he likes to portray himself as being this fiery warrior who takes no prisoners. Get out of his way!...but not really, because-

-despite a rather loud and fearles exterior, Haeseong is kind. He's considerate of people around him, and nothing pisses him off more than apathy. No one is not worth keeping in consideration. You may not like Haeseong, and he may not like you, but he'll be damned if he lets you get walked all over. He may be loud and demanding, but those quiet moments when you just need someone there? It may surprise some that Haeseong will just plop down next to someone and sit quietly. It's so contrary to the normally brash youth. Just as easily as he will turn to anger and boisterous actions, he is just as likely to feel sadness and retrospection. Living in his emotions doesn't just apply to his more fiery feelings. Haeseong is willing to listen and talk if needed. Really, he still can't tell people no if they need something. It's terribly easy to play on his heartstrings. He used to be so happy to just be helpful, needed, and wanted. As long as everyone else is having a good time, he should be too? However-

-the Green-eyed monster is the creature that haunts Haeseong's nightmares. In the back of his mind, Haeseong thinks he's the biggest imposter of them all. He watches the others, and the voice tells him, "You see that Seo Haeseong? You are nowhere near their caliber. One day they'll realize it too. And off onto the street they'll send you. The group doesn't need you. Not really." Haeseong wants to be good enough. He HAS to be good enough. That brief moment of envy just eat away at the self confindence he tries to portray. At any moment, someone is going to notice that he isn't worth something to them. And they'll drop him. Just like everyone else has. The moment he lets that big personality down, someone is going to see the crybaby he actually is and then they will-!

No, no, bad thoughts! The anxiety is slowly eating at him. If Haeseong is speaking just a bit louder, angrier, or maybe seemingly hanging onto any little thing that makes him happy: it's him trying so hard to keep you, them, anyone from knowing he is not nearly as fearless as he tries to make himself seem. If he's moving fast, it's because he's swallowing his wanting to cry. He doesn't WANT to talk about his feelings, alright? That silly, dumb, sensitive kid is the one that was dropped. He doesn't want to talk about it.

He really should.

Let's begin our story with a marriage gone completely wrong. Song Siwon met Seo Hongbin, and one drunken mistake later found Siwon pregnant. Both afraid of what this might mean for their family, the quickly married. Since both of their families were well off, the story they told was that this was an arranged marriage. But everyone really knew the truth.

That's how Haeseong was brought into the world. To be fair to his parents, they were forced into a marriage neither really wanted, but understood their options were limited when it meant keeping up appearances. Any real ambition either had to be put onto the back burner. So you might be able to understand that Haeseong, the literal embodiment of their failed dreams, wasn't exactly loved by either of his parents. While his parents were amicable to each other (and maybe even grew to love each other), Haeseong was always an after thought. They relied on their housekeepers to mind him when he was young. He was never mistreated, but they rarely invested too much time in him as he turned out to be a well behaved child. They never had cause to worry over him too much.

This began the cycle of Haeseong trying to gain their attention and affection. The only thing Haeseong wanted was for them to pay attention to him in some fashion. As a child, he would try his best to give them pictures, show them tricks, do well in school, all sorts of things to get them to acknowledge an accommplisment. He just wanted them to take pride in him. 

"Ah. Thank you." and into the trash the picture would go later as it was clutter.

"Very good." said flatly as his father wasn't really paying that close of attention.

"Do better and go to university." said his mother after a cursory glance at the grades.

For Haeseong, nothing seemed to be quite enough for them. While they were never cruel, and did show him a little affection from time to time, Haeseong knew they were never going to be satisfied. How could he complain though right? He had friends who were struggling financially, or from broken homes, or some that didn't have parents at all. And yet...

It was never enough.

So then Haeseong, one day, hears his mom talking about the "talented, amazing" boys she saw on TV. This was EXO. When he asked her who her favorite was, she excitedly sat with him to tell him about them. They were amazing, interesting, talented...everything he wasn't. At 14, Haeseong asked to join a dance club in his school, which then turned into asking for some vocal lessons. His parents were actually very happy to let him do these things on the condition he maintain his grades and schoolwork with his hobbies. They had no way of knowing that in 2017, he'd decide he needed to take the next step and become a trainee.

2017 and OUI has taken on trainees. This includes Haeseong who proved to be capable as a dancer and could carry a bit of note. He leaves Gwangju to live in Seoul with a small stipend from his parents. They don't join him or try to stop him, though they do check in on him from time to time. They weren't worried since their boy was capable and would keep himself out of trouble. In their own, weird way, they figured letting their teenager be an adult on his own was the right thing to do for him.  

However, what they really needed? Someone who could rap. Haeseong found himself now urged and trained on being a rapper. Haeseong never had an interest in that at the time, but okay, sure, he'd do it. The company wanted him to do it, so it made sense for him to do so! So he focused on being a better rapper. Granted, he was a idol rapper and wouldn't be winning any SMTM in any way, but he did well for what it was. He even began diving more into the more well known rappers to try and learn. It was for the greater good, and Haeseong knew if he was diligent enough he would somehow succeed and impress.

When P101 happened, he was disaapointed he wasn't sent to represent OUI along with two of his seniors, Donghan and Daehyeon, but accepted thart maybe he just wasn't up to the caliber he needed to be yet. This was fine! He'd listen to what he was told and begin working harder. And then...other rainees came and went to other survival shows. He saw friends going on to being part of these shows, gaining recognition, debuting in project groups...he kept being told he wasn't quite ready. And enter Kim Yohan, good looking and terribly talented, and they sent him, brand new, to P101 X. Haeseong had really tried his damndest to be in that lineup. Hell, online rumors who were looking at who OUI would send actually named him at one point as a possibility...and yet, he wasn't sent. He must be lacking. Haeseong kept his head high and continued to train and work harder, putting schooling on hold as he tried to keep up.

But finally...FINALLY, in late 2019, he had some good news. With how well Donghan and Yohan did, OUI was finally ready to debut their own group. Yohan would be busy in X1, so that narrowed the field of trainees down. And then he was added to the lineup to debut. And he was going to debut with some of his favorite people? Fantastic! He and 4 others were lined up. They had profiles ready made and he even recorded a teaser video to be posted.

And then, X1 came to an abrupt end. And then he's pulled aside and told he was being removed from the lineup. Come to find out, from a less than sympathetic coordinator, OUI never thought he had the charisma or gumption to really be an idol. But they didn't exactly have a ton of trainees. And even without charisma, he was skilled enough to fill the slot. Since Yohan would be in X1 for 5 years, they couldn't wait that long. He, alongside more well known and recognized trainees from other survival shows, would debut and he would fill in the empty slot for a neat, odd number of members. Well, that was before Yohan returned and then they acquired Seokwa. 

Haeseong was no longer needed. What was he bringing to the table exactly when they had visuals and talent AND recognition all bundled up? Nothing. He wa told he had nothing to offer, and OUI would be terminating his contract. He officially left OUI in February of 2020.

Left alone, Haeseong didnt know what to do with himself. He'd stopped university for this. He put his life on pause for this. He was so, so close to living the dream, even if for just a moment. Now what was he going to do? Had his parents not given him a stipend and an offer for him to just get his mandatory service done so he could move on to uni afterwards, he'd have probably curled up and never left his bed. The only thought in his mind was "How could I be so worthless and naive?" Thankfully, Haeseong only had to live this for a few months. Someone from OUI, sent his promo vid to Prism. Soon, Haeseong received an invitation to meet and audition for Prism. That's how he found himself with Prism and with one more chance.

He never wants to be that weak person again that cried and stayed at home in the dark. He refuse to be tossed out like nothing again. Just a placeholder until someone better comes along. Not this time. Never again.

- Has a habit of biting his knuckles when anxious. Also tends to rub or bite his lips, a nervous habit, and has often smudged or ruined makeup because if it.

- Some fans mention he has nice hands, including pretty nail beds. He does pride himself on this observation a bit, but also is self-conscious of the scar on his left wrist, so he tends to wear wristbands, watches, and such on that hand to hide it.

- Absolutely cannot stomach raw seafood. Oysters sashimi, anything of the sort. He will visibly grow nauseous. Also, he's allergic to it so eating it WILL make him sick. He wins because they can't just say he's a picky eater.

- The KING of bad puns and dad jokes. He makes the entire group groan and throw things at him, but he gets a kick out of it all the same!

- Most likely to probably cry during a Pixar or Disney Movie *Damn you UP/MOANA/INSERT MOVIE NAME HERE!!*.

- Will probably cry a little if they ever win a music show too come to think of it.

- Just crying and always trying to hide or deny it.

- Very cognizant of his satoori and dialect, and usually speaks in Seoul dialect unless he gets excited or upset. Calling him out on it will either upset or embarass him immensely.

- He's used to living alone, so he tends to be very tidy and can cook quick, easy meals very well. His specialty is fried rice and he can literally make the best ramen.

- His ideal type is simply: someone who he can cook with. He keeps the answer simple and explains it as, "if you can cook with someone, you can do anything with them. People who aren't capatible can't do that."

- If you asked him uality, he will default to saying straight because he doesn't really know what else to say. In actuality, he's closer to being panual as he can honestly, if he is being honest with himself, say he's felt attraction to all sorts and hasn't really labled it. He'd honestly just like to love someone...now, who or what that person is will be interesting. tl;dr: he hasn't really thought about what he actually is much.

(I didn't call out every member of WEi for this section since I'm, not sure how often they might feature. Also! No FC for the parents unless I just find a generic couple from a kdrama ^^;; BUT I can add them if you need them!)

Mom/Dad : The relationship between Haeseong and his parents is...complicated. Sometimes it's hard to tell if they actually consider Haeseong a child. For much of his life, they really sort of treated him like a small adult. They provided for him, even went to his school when a kid bullied him to raise hell once they found out. Anything he needed, they made sure he had. They interviewed and checked any caretakers very carefully. As far as they were aware, they were being the best parents they could be. Currently, even though their initial marriage was one of neccessity, they have grown to love each other. They are affectionate and considerate to each other...something Haeseong rarely sees towards himself from them. But then he remembers the good things they do, and he tells himself not to blame them...

To their credit, they aren't bad people. Haeseong was just such an easy kid, they didn't think they needed to be mindful of him. Plus, they weren't ready to be parents at the time. They think they have been blessed with a good child so they wouldn't need to worry about him. But, selfishly, they forget to look deeper and miss the hints that something is wrong. They also are very proud of him, and do talk about him to their friends when he performs. His mom even keeps some of his photocards to show off quietly. They just...don't really express this to him. If they actually knew the mental torment he was under, especially now as more matured adults themselves, they'd be appalled at themselves. But no one has really told them...yet. There is room for this to be fixed. The question is: will they ever realize it?

They are also in for a shock then the literal CEO of Prism one day calls them, and tells them she's proud of their son and they should be too. And that he;s going through a rough time, and if they could talk with him? That...stuns them a bit. Maybe enough for them to reach out and finally talk?
 

WEi : Former Labelmates/Friends : There was a time when Haeseong would have called these fellas friends ansd brothers. In particular, he was close to Daehyeon and Donghan, and they treated him like a little brother, often treating him out to meals and just training together. He was cheering them on throughout all of Produce 101, even though he was not selected to go. He got along well with Yongha and Junseo as well. Seokwa and Yohan are a different thing altogether. It's terribly complicated. These were the 2 who came in and destroyed the ground uner him. Maybe if Yohan has been with X1, he wouldn't have replaced him. Maybe if Seokwa wouldn't have joined OUI, he would have debuted with WEi. But as it stands, they did, the others watched it happen, and Haeseong hates everything about it all.

The issue is despite the anger and resentment Haeseong claims to feel, he can't find it in himself to direct it at any of them for very long. HE was the one who cut contact with Donghan and Daehyeon despite them trying to keep in touch with him after he was let go from the company. HE was the one who wasn't good enough to stay. And if he had stayed, doesn't that mean someone else would have gone instead? Again, HE wasn't good enough, so that would have meant someone better would have been cut, right...?

All in all, Haeseong talks a tough game when they come up. He'd make them and OUI regret ever losing him/letting him go. But in reality? If he ever sees them, his anxiety rears up and he can barely breathe. He can barely look them in the eye. and he has to fight to not run the other way. He really should grow a backbone and accept that what happened wasn't personal. He can still be friendly with them, maybe even meet with them like he used to for a meal or even send them a fun meme. But Haeseong is so stuck in his own head... it'd be amazing/crazy if he somehow actually befriended Yohan or Seokwa actually...not that he has the nerve to at the moment...

Choi Yunbin: "Fight me, Choi." - Haeseong to Yunbin. Fire and Ice. Something between the two of them never quite gelled from the get go. There is a certain contrast between them that just doen't ever seem to find middle ground. Haeseong shouts and yells loud, Yunbin tells him to be quiet and sit down because he's annoying. Haeseong presents himself as he is, Yunbin is more calculated. Haeseong doesn't try to be something he's not (LIES), Yunbin seems diseingenous to him. Yunbin is calm and quietly telling him he is obnoxious and over the top. Haeseong tells him to stop being a pretentious prick and get off his high horse. Somewhere in the stars, it was written they were not destined to be friends. It is very hard for these two to be on screen together and not practically scowl. Mido has chided them more than once and warned them prior to performance or filming (or rather, she shoots Yunbin a glance and outright tells Haeseong to "behave"). 

And yet, if you take away some of the surface level things, are they really that different? Both want success, both lost out on being in a group, both have something to prove... They really have quite a bit in common. Both are essentially healing from rejection of some form, and learning how to navigate a world where their prior dreams and aspirations were ripped from under them. If only they could somehow rally together for once and NOT try to kill each other. That'd be nice. They could be the sort of relationship that is about balance, each of them on one end. Complete opposites, but with a deeper understanding and appreciation of their flaw and strengths. (I geuinely think it would be entertaining if it ends up they get to know each other the best just through observation because KNOW THY ENEMY or if they rallied to protect another groupmate or something similar to foster understanding and friendship between them. They'd be a scary pair if someone tried to mess with a mutual and they both just unleashed on their victim imho)


Won Junhan: "Hey, hey! What is a pirate's favorite letter, hyung?" - Haeseong to Junhan, about to tell him a dad joke to make the manager laugh, roll his eyes, or both!. To say that Junhan was pleasantly surprised by Haeseong is an understatement. Haeseong had a repuation in Prism for being loud and a bit of a handful because of it. However, Junhan finds that Haeseong is actually quite well behave and self-sufficient. Haeseong doesn't want to add to Junhan's annoyance, so he tries to not be too troublesome. It's something both managers realize about Haeseong before many others do: Haeseong talks a bigger game with a bark worse than his bite. Heck, Haeseong will even go out of his way to keep Junhan caffeinated or tell him a joke if it will help his mood.

Junhan sees in Haeseong, pretty early on, a kid who is trying to be something he's not. And while all idols put on a front, he sees Haeseong put on that front even when not in front of a camera. He never tells Haeseong this in front of anyone, but he will and does pull Haeseong aside to check in with him, usually with an added, "Are you sure you're okay with things? How are you feeling, really?" Haeseong begins viewing Junhan as something of an older brother, and that relationship and comfort helps Haeseong to be more willing to embrace the sensitive person he actually is. 

Also, Junhan says he hates Haeseong's ad jokes, but he secretly likes them.
 

Hwang Mido: "I'm not angry/sad/mad/insertemotionaloutburst!" - Haeseong to Mido. Mido is a sister/sibling figure Haeseong never had. While he doesn't expect much from her except to be their manager, he finds her caution and looking out for their image rather comforting. "Noona, noona!" is often something he'll sing to her while asking if he can do something he already knows she's going to say no to. While he's a bit of a spitfire at times, he eally does defer to Mido in most things and will listen to her to calm down or similar when she tells him. 

Mido sometimes catches on that there is something not quite genuine in the way Haeseong projects himself, and is also one of the people quick to call him out when his emotional state gets a little erratic and tempermental. He finds he can open up to her eventually over others for a while, and she ends up confidant (first unwilling and then willing). In fact, even if it sometimes looks like he is going to push her patience, he will always generally acquice to her direction. To Mido' credit, she recogizes he defers to her and is usually willing to be helpful, older sister figure to him. As such, they become fairly close. Some people accuse Haeseong of having a crush on her, but he will quickly make a face and just retch. That's literally his sister, ew, gross.

STAGE NAME: Haeseong
POSITIONS: Lead Rapper, Vocal
TALENT TWIN(S): Kim Yohan (WEi)

PAST EXPERIENCE(S): Haeseong started off with some private vocal lessons when he was young (around 15ish), but they weren't terribly intense. Likewise, he joined dance clubs in school to learn further around the same time. His goals was to be as impressive as an idol, so it wasn't like he focused too strongly on anything in particular. He was trying to be moderately impressive enough to get into a company and THEN he would train his heart out. He also began training to be an idol rapper after joining OUI, putting some of the dance aspects on backburner. He would have told you he was far more confident in his vocals back in the day, but due to being told otherwise, he's more confident in his rapping now.

TRAINEE LIFE: He joined Prism close to the end of 2020 (November). Someone from OUI took some pity on Haeseong and forwarded his information to Prism. At the time, Haeseong was in a spiral of self-doubt, and he was really considering just enlisting to get it over with and figure it out from there. 

He passed and Prism took him on. However, he changed his tune from quiet diligence to fierce, fiery tenacity. He wasn't the meek boy from OUI this time. Haeseong was told he wasn't memorable? Well now he would make sure every trainee and trainer at Prism knew him, even if it was just as the loud kid in the back. This seemed to work. He was a newer trainee, but he quickly gained a bit of popularity for his eagerness and willingness to cooperate and back-up his fellow trainees. It was honestly a great thing for him to feel like he was appreciated, even a little. It definitely helped his confidence, and that showed as his showmanship and stage presence improved because if it.

And yet, in the back of his mind is that little voice that laughed at him and called him an imposter that no one would really like if they knew him back in OUI. He tries so hard to shush it and push it away, instead of listening to it and maybe understanding where it was coming from. Deny until it goes away is his way of existing.

Along with the knowledge he was deemed 'good enough' to debut at one time and his improved skills, he was pulled aside one day to be told he'd be debuting. He shouted and whooped and yelled in triumph!!

He waited until he was alone in the bathroom to cry in relief.

MEDIA PRESENCE: Out of the trainees who ended up debuting in OUI, Haeseong has little presense. It's not that he was unknown. He is a known OUI trainee, and was even guessed as possibly being part of Produce. But once he was kicked from the lineup and from OUI, any details of him were scraped and removed. It takes some hardcore fans to finally dig up Haeseong's previous trainee time as it was kept on the downlow to minimize any impact it might have once he joined Prism and Vesper. There is unreleased memos that listed him as a member of OUIboys and WEi, but those were never published.

He doesn't have an Insta currently, and generally doesn't have a social media presence until later in Vesper's debut when he finally is allowed to open his own Insta account.

HEADLINES: 

Clip of Former OUI Trainee Seo Haeseong released: while any of his presence was erased from most official OUI channels, someone released or leaked the original profile video of him for OUIBOYS that was recorded prior to him being kicked. It was never posted or anything, so it comes as a surprise as him being a former OUI trainee is not highly advertised. Once it is, the fandom of both Vesper and WeI begin deep diving a bit more, and putting pieces together. It's a rough time for him when it happens, especially when the following happens...

Haeseong of Vesper Doesn't Like Kim Yohan? : In a moment of weakness, when sharing a stage together, Haeseong casts what some people screengrab as him scowling or glaring at him. Okay, maybe he was a little, but it really wasn't his fault. It's a moment when he lets his emotion take over a moment. If anything, this headline might lead to him reconnecting with former labelmates to try and sort things out? Or just cause him more anxiety as he DEFINITELY needs more of that...ha.

Rumors speculate that Haeseong is dating Vesper's Manager: "Oh. My. God. WHY?!!" Okay, this is debunked quickly, as it is completely untrue and the evidence is stupid. But it would make for a hilarious moment that's completely ridiculous.

CAREER ASPIRATIONS: Haeseong begins realizing that what he excels at is listening. Being a mentor and trainer for future trainees is definitely on the table for him. He is actually quite terrified of standing alone on a stage, so a solo release at least once and it doing well? It would shatter his world in the best way possible. Also being a future MC or guest on a show would be amazing in that it allows him to grow away from music since he is not always the most musically inclined of the group.

Eventaully, acting is definitely on the table for him.