Kino's Playlist

 

Oh My Girl -  Nonstop
Oh My Girl - Windy Day
Oh My Girl - Secret Garden
Oh My Girl - SSFWL
Oh My Girl - Remember Me
Oh My Girl - Twilight
Oh My Girl - Closer
Gfriend - Mago
StayC - Beautiful Monster

StayC - Yung Luv

StayC - Slow Down

Billlie - GingaMingaYo

Billlie - RING ma Bell

SVT - Rock With You

Itzy - Loco
Ateez - Let’s Get Together
TXT - 9 And 3 Quarters (Run Away)
TXT - Thursday’s Child
TXT - Crown

NAME. Bae Kino

OTHER NAMES. Kaden Bae; his English name, given to him by one of Levi's sister's (probably Jen, because he asked very nicely and she was hard pressed to say no because it's Kino and let's be real, most everyone is whipped anyway)

 

NICKNAMES.  

 

♖ Kiki ; a cute nickname, one used mostly by family (Yubin in particular) and the members, though fans are quick to pick up on it after catching Levi using it

 

♖ Kikipuff ; another cute nickname, one coined by KNG’s fans after the reveal of “Kiki” and after a video of Kino being adorable as a fansign event and puffing up his cheeks goes viral within the fandom; other explanations are because of how “fluffy” he sometimes appears (like his hair). This is also used by the members (affectionately), Yubin (because she can), and sometimes even Oh My Girl when schedules overlap (when they wanna be menaces).

 

♖ Ki-Nope/Ki-NO ; coined by international fans and English-speaking residents of Korea as a play on his name and for his playful and childish reactions and how distressingly over the top some of them can be when he sometimes “nopes” out of a situation. Later, much later, this takes on a double meaning and is used when Kino does something otherwise distressing and fans want to be the ones to nope right out of the situation. ie: Kino flirting, Kino being vaguely y or a tease. (To which fans promptly scream and “Ki-NO” or “Ki-NOPE!”/”I’m Ki-NOPING right out of here” Kino know exactly what you're saying and he finds it hilarious enough to push those buttons when he's feeling particularly ornery.)

 

♖ Pup-Ki ; another nicknames coined by the fans, but used frequently by the members and even the others in Big Hit, including staff and fellow trainees. This is largely because of Kino’s an energetic and exuberant puppy-like human, and he always seems to be in motion  and eager for love and attention.

 

BIRTHDATE. April 7, 2000

BIRTHPLACE. Chuncheon, Gangwon, South Korea

HOMETOWN.  Seoul, South Korea

ETHNICITY.  Korean

NATIONALITY.  Korean

LANGUAGES. . 

 

♖ Korean ; fluent; native language

 

♖ Japanese ; int. conversational; At the time of debut, Kino’s fluent enough to handle intermediate conversations and could probably hold his own in a conversation, and certainly enough for singing and pronunciation. He started learning phrases and ket words midway through middle school because of an interest in anime and manga. After signing with Big Hit, he decided to really put his all into learning the language to communicate with fans in the future – because Japan is a common marketplace for companies to target after a group is established in Korea.

 

♖ English ; conversational; At the time of debut, Kino’s English skill is close to his skill in Japanese, largely because of constant exposure to Levi and other idols and trainees within Big Hit (like BTS’s RM and some of the staff). He’d been exposed to English in school and before becoming a trainee, but it wasn’t until becoming a trainee that Kino began to really dive into the language. His skill level is closer to just beyond basic conversations. He can probably hold his own in most conversations with a little backup, but can also fall back on circumlocution to explain a topic whose vocabulary might escape him. He also has no problem seeking out Levi and “hyung, what’s this word?”

 

♖ sign language ; basic; He can sign the alphabet, common words and phrases, and a couple words more keyed to the life of being an idol. He learned the alphabet on his own in school, but only learned some of the words and phrases from other trainees, books, and staff (and eventually more from fans) after becoming a trainee. It’ll never be his best skill or language by any means, but it’s a fun skill and a pleasant surprise for HoH fans when he introduces himself in Korean and sign at fansigns, concerts, and events.

 

ORIENTATION.  demiual, demiromantic

 

FACECLAIM.  Theo (P1Harmony)

BACKUP.  Hongjoong (Ateez), Jiung (P1Harmony), 

 

HEIGHT.  170 cms

WEIGHT.  53 kgs

 

APPEARANCE.  At 170 cm and 53 kg, Kino is around average height for a boy of his age, but is just below average as far as weight goes. But with his slender build and an almost willowy frame, that lack of mass isn't something that most people notice immediately. In fact, people are more likely to comment on how boyish he appears, how cute, over just about everything else. and truthfully, Kino doesn't mind. He appreciates when people do worry about his weight, or lack thereof, but it gets a little exhausting trying to explain that he just doesn't gain weight easily and he’s always on the move to burn energy.

Kino has a number of well-faded scars on his knees from a busy adolescence, and a few others on his arms and hands from an automobile accident when he was a child. Additionally, his earlobes are pierced twice each.

 

STYLE.  Kino has a fondness for clothing that is more fitting than not, preferring articles like skinny jeans and t-shirts as opposed to baggy jeans and...baggy anything, really. (The only exception to this being his hoodies, which are typically 2 sizes too big, because he likes them large, soft, and comfortable.) Around the dorm, Kino can sometimes be seen in shirts or even sweats that are a size or two too big, but never in public and only rarely at practices. He'll wear anything the stylists put him in without complaint, but that doesn't mean he'll like it and that he won't strip out of it the first chance he gets.

 

Running shoes and sneakers are a staple in his wardrobe (he doesn't like converse, thanks), as are caps/snapbacks and accessories like rings, and earrings. Even chokers have snuck their way into his accessories (he initially stole some of Yubin’s, but ultimately decided he liked how pretty they looked on him.) Like with his clothing, Kino prefers accessories and jewelry that are form-fitting or, at the very least, don't leave much room for someone or something to catch onto it.

"You are only here for one moment, and it last for exactly one lifetime."

 

PERSONALITY TRAITS. 

 

confident, optimistic/hopeful, passionate, charming

mischievous, competitive, honest, unpredictable

independent, impulsive, impatient, stubborn

Aries. ENFP. Hufflepuff, Instinct, Airbender, Dauntless. 

 

ELABORATION. 

 

confident : One of the first things a person might notice upon meeting Kino is that he possesses an innate sense of confidence and poise. On the stage, doing what he loves to do, Kino shines, and he knows it. When placed in his element, Kino does his job, and he does it well, not just performing, but having fun while making a statement and a connection with those around him.

 

passionate : Tying in very close to his confidence nad where it stems from, Kino possesses a passion for what he does. Heloves music —rapping, singing, dancing, producing, he loves it all — andthat love for what he does is present in everything he does. When he’s rapping, or singing, or dancing, or when Kino is just messing around on or off camera, he loves what he does. With that passion, that drive, it’s hard not to push himself to bigger and better things all while enjoying the ride there.

 

charming : Going hand in hand with both his confidence and his passion, Kino has a distinct charm about him that demands you not just like him, but that you enjoy things to least half as much as he does. Maybe it’s because Kino does enjoy himself so thoroughly when performing, or because he interjects so much of himself into his performances. Maybe it’s just because he is his sister’s brother, and he’s had time to see Yubin in action and learn from her efforts. Regardless of the why, Kino has a way about himself that demands not just attention, but some sort of participation and engagement by those watching.

 

optimistic : Part of the reason why Kino has been dubbed the “playful” member of kng, Kino has the eternal optimism and enthusiasm of a child. He’s hopeful almost to a fault, refusing to consider anything bad about a person or situation until the very end simply because he wants to believe that there’s some good to be had somewhere no matter the situation. Kino’s been screwed over before, and on more than one occasion, and yet he still adamantly believes in the inherent good of people and situations.

 

mischievous : An other reason as to why he's dubbed as the group’s most “playful” member, it’s no wonder that Kino is considered by both himself and the others members as mischievous. He’s quick to crack jokes and make fun, and while this isn’t normally a huge deal, it does cause the occasional issue — most often for their poor, tired leader, or for their equally tired manager. While Kino aims to keep the mood high and lively by making puns, telling jokes, and poking fun at the situation or the other members, he does sometimes cross a line. He rarely intends to, of course,  but that doesn’t matter when he’s hurt or upset someone with his attitude.

 

honest : honesty is a virtue, or something like that. You’ll be hard-pressed to find someone that doesn’t want honesty over a lie in most general situations. The only problem with this is that Kino doesn’t always know when to keep a lid on his honesty. In the kindest way possible, it’s not honest to the point of being blunt or an , or honest in the way that he spills his guts when it comes to secrets, but he does struggle with the timing and saying the right thing at the right time. Like telling a member “they’re just not that into you” or even “well that ” after their bias/crush walks away with little more than a smile. This can be good, of course. He’s prone to random compliments when they’re deserved, and he’s nothing but sweet with the fans, but the members... Sometimes the members hear more than they want to.

 

unpredictable : Kino also struggles with following the rules. And laid-out plans like a schedule. And sometimes when behaving in a socially conventional way. He is, in a word, unpredictable. He doesn’t mind following the rules, but it they’re dumb or ridiculous, he’s going to want to break them. (This can usually be averted via the use of distraction.) And when it comes to wanting to deviate from schedule.... Well, sometimes that just can’t be helped. A lot of the time, Kino has rhyme and reason for what he does — like stopping in the middle of the airport or on the sidewalk in order to greet fans or sign something — but sometimes it’s just because he’s impulsive or impatient and doesn’t want to wait or do whatever’s being asked of him.

 

competitive : A little healthy competition never hurt anyone, right? Right. But Kino can, on occasion, take that competition to an unhealthy level. He sets goals for himself, gives himself someone to work toward, something to work toward, and it’s good. It’s good to a point because a little bit of healthy competition pushes him to better himself and his skills. But too much, and Kino will push himself past that point into more dangerous or hazardous territory.

 

independent : Independent to a fault, Kino struggles with letting people close enough to him to see when he’s struggling or when he needs help. And sometimes he does need help. He’s so young, just barely an adult, and Kino was forced to grow up quicker than many in order to accommodate for his time as a trainee. He’s given up his youth to pursue this career as an idol, and he’s left some things behind as a result, forced to grow and stand up for himself and find his own way with less help.

 

stubborn : Like an ox that doesn’t want to be moved, Kino is impossibly stubborn. He’s reluctant to change in particular, particularly change he himself doesn’t initiate. But more than just resistant to change, Kino is simply willful and headstrong. He has a way he likes to do things, a way he likes things done, and a set manner in which he thinks and behaves. When it comes to a battle of wills, Kino doesn’t like to back down, even when he’s going up against Levi, or their manager, or even their company.

 

impatient : Patience is a virtue, and Kino...doesn’t have it. At least, not much of it. He’s a big person when it comes to instant gratification, and as the baby of his family and also the baby of the group, it’s not like he has to wait for something for long. His siblings, Yubin’s group mates, KNG, the company staff — if someone has met Kino, they’re likely whipped and wrapped around his pinky finger, and they struggle to say no to him. So his restraint and patience? Minimal at best. He doesn’t like to wait, and he’s not a big fan of going slow and taking his time. He’s restless, shown how he’s always on the move, and he’s easily provoked into both acting and, unfortunately, acting out. More often than not, this is what gets Kino into the biggest trouble with their manager: his inability to sit still, to sit quietly, to behave. Kino just doesn’t have it in him. (And poor Levi just has to suffer and baby Kino-sit.

 

impulsive : His age really shows in how ridiculously impulsive Kino is. Going hand in hand with his impatience, Kino has a big problem when it comes to thinking things through. He’s young and hasty, and while that spontaneity can be a great thing that works in his favor — when running tandem with his passion, for example, and how it works to make him better, or when he’s pushing himself to make their fans smile — it also works against him. He doesn’t think enough before he acts. Or sometimes, when coupled with his honest nature, when he speaks. He says the wrong things, does the wrong things, doesn’t think before running out to greet fans, or staying up late to practice more when he has an early morning. He needs to think these things through more, but.... Well, he is still just a kid, one forced to grow up before his time.

 

BACKGROUND. ...  

 

2000 - 2004

 

Kino is born on April 7, 2000, in Chuncheon, Gangwon, South Korea. His closest older sibling, Yubin, is only three years older than him. But from then on, the two are close. He also has two older older siblings — another sister, born in 1995, and an older brother born in 1996. But Kino isn’t half as close to them as he is to Yubin. 

As a baby (and through much of his infant and toddler years), Kino has no sense of object permeance and cries whenever Yubin leaves the room. This causes a number of problems for the family, because Yubin does had school and takes up other activities as she ages, but the problem is solved, however temporarily, by allowing the two to room together.

 

2005 - 2007

 

Yubin's pretty face, childish charm, and determination earns her more and more minor acting roles. Precocious five-year-old Kino is forced to come to terms with the fact that Yubin continues to exist, even when out of his line of sight. Still, to cope with her being gone, Kino asks to be enrolled in lessons similar to her to her. Despite their family being largely sports-oriented, Kino wants to impress Yubin, so he takes up activities similar to her own. While he’s always enjoyed soccer and taekwondo, and continues to enjoy the latter, he’s excited to start piano lessons, and has high hopes that by the time Yubin finished her show, he’ll be good enough to play for her while she sings something for their parents. But piano isn't enough. By the end of the year, Kino is also taking guitar and violin lessons. Somehow — luckily, if you ask their parents — it keeps Kino busy.

2008

 

Kino is eight years old when, in the dead of winter, he and his mother are involved in an auto accident. Kino no longer remembers where they were going or why. He thinks they were on their way to see Yubin on a set where she was acting, but his memory just isn’t there now. 

 

It happened quickly, but in a strange sort of slow motion. Kino can't bring himself to forget the way his mother lost control of their vehicle on a patch of ice. They narrowly miss hitting another car. Seconds later, though it feels like much longer, their car comes to a sudden and painful stop. Flung against his seatbelt and the backseat, and having hit his head during the loss of control, Kino passes out. When he comes to, he's on a stretcher being carried away from the scene, and he can see what had happened. 

 

Their car had hit a tree, and the tree was the only thing that had stopped him and his mother from plowing down an embankment. Hitting that tree had likely saved them both. Kino's mother walks away with little more than bruises. Kino suffers a concussion and a couple cuts on his hands and arms sustained while he was being pulled from the wreck. It could have been worse. They were lucky. Even so, it takes Kino a long time before he can climb back into a car without something to dull his anxiety.

 

2010 - 2012

 

The family moves to Seoul to be closer to Yubin's work, where she's actively acting and modeling under YG entertainment. Kino misses her a ridiculous amount, especially after losing everything he'd come to be familiar with. But in the end, it's okay. To cope with Yubin being away (what feels like) all the time, Kino asks to be enrolled in new classes. Considered skilled enough in guitar and piano — albeit much less so in violin — Kino begins taking dance lessons and later vocal lessons. 

In a way, it distracts him. But it also makes him feel closer to Yubin despite the distance, even though she's more into acting and modeling.

 

2013

 

2013 sees the debut of BTS, History, LC9, and Topp Dogg. Although none of them immediately make it big, they all catch Kino’s eye for various reasons. At fourteen years old, Kino comes to the realization that despite his age, he has a passion, one that could take him places if he worked hard enough and wanted hard enough.

 

2014

 

Although 2013 was a big year for Kino, 2014 is much more so. A number of groups debut this year, catching Kino's eyes again and convincing him that he can do it: he can become an idol if he works hard enough and wants it enough. His age isn't a problem — BTS’s' maknae hadn't even been 16 at his debut. Berry Good's maknae had been the same way. And all across the board, more and more group maknaes are young — fifteen to seventeen years old. Kino may only be fifteen, but there are others that are chasing their dreams, and Kino... Kino wants to chase his dreams, too. 

In 2014, Yubin is also accepted into WM Media and begins training to be an idol. Although Kino had been aware of his sister's dream to perform, the sudden shift from acting and modeling takes him by surprise. Still, it only adds fuel to his fire. After all, he’s Yubin’s biggest fan and number one supporter: if Yubin can do it, so can he.

 

2015

 

Oh! My Girl, Yubin's group, debuts in April.. And Kino could never be happier or more proud of his sister. He begins trying in more earnest to find a company for himself. He initially approches The Big Three in search of open audition dates -- believing that to be the easiest place to start -- before seeking out the smaller companies.

 

2016

 

After being rejected by YG Entertainment for a conflicting style, and being rejected by SM Entertainment for what Kino largely thinks is because he simply wasn't “pretty” enough -- both in late 2015 -- Kino auditions at Big Hit Entertainment, home of the already impressive BTS, and is accepted into the trainee program. It's something of a fanboy experience for Kino, who is now training under the same company as not only one of his bias groups, but one of the groups that really made him want to be an idol.

 

2017

 

KNG's lineup is declared. Miraculously — somehow, unbelievably — Kino is in that lineup.

 

 

LIKES. Oh My Girl, anime & manga, cats, dogs, furry critters in general, cats, winter & cooler/cold weather, comfortable clothing, coffee, BTS, (later) TXT, salty snacks, learning new dances (particularly girl groups)

 

DISLIKES. Dislikes: summer, heat, socks, riding in automobile sof any kind, soda, spiders, (big) birds, horror movies, swans

 

HABITS. walking around the dorm barely clothed (in shorts/boxers and a tanktop) even in the dead of winter, playing with his earrings and/or rings, running a hand through his hair, wrinkling his nose (most often when thinking or displeased), rubbing/playing with a guitar pic (usually kept hidden in one of his pockets) 

 

HOBBIES. drawing, collecting foreign currency/coins, listening to music, playing piano & teaching new songs (particularly kpop!), collecting cat plushies 

 

FEARS. automobiles, clowns, spiders

 

SPECIAL TALENTS. 

♖ Kino learns new dances super quick! While he's not as detailed about it as Levi or [Beauty], he can get the basic foot/leg and hand/arm work down within a single viewing of a video. By the third watch, he's pretty much good to go and is starting to memorize the more intricate things. 

♖ Kino can play guitar, violin, and piano to varying levels of skill, though he's competent on all three. (Violin is the most rusty, but he can certainly act the playing part in an mv. He's retained the most skill in piano and is always happy to show it off.)

♖ Kino knows a number of card tricks, and is always happy to pull them out at just about any occasion. 

 

SOCIAL MEDIA. 

 

♖ @officialkng (twt/insta, official): Kino prefers the instagram account more than the twt, just because he likes taking pictures and documenting things. A cute cat? Picture! A fat, fuzzy bumble bee at a flower? Picture! Levi pulling his hair out because the choreo needs changed? Picture! Yuen lowkey dead inside because Dream and Kino are watching Howl’s Moving Castle for the 3rd time this week? Picture! Kino likes to include cute captions and quotes when he does it, and he essentially uses the group’s instragram (at least until he gets his own) to leave uplifting messages and pictures to brighten Queens’ days. Twt is used for similar (nefarious!) purposes, but it’s more with selcas and “official” KNG stuff. Twt pictures are often captions with much shorter anecdotes and sometimes cute little greetings and reminders for Queen to take care of themselves. Luckily, Twitter’s character limit keeps Kino’s words brief.

♖ @kng.joker (IG, official): Eventually, maybe after a year or so? Kino gets his own instagram. (Probably because the staff are tired of 6 posts over the course of a single day, all of the same cute dog outside the company building.) Once Kino gets his own insta, he treats it as he did KNG’s insta, really. His activity on KNG’s official dies down a little bit, but only to the point that he’s not taking 3 out of every 4 pictures on the feed. He still regularly posts things there though. And Kino’s always careful not to post the same picture to both accounts unless he’s been asked to by staff, or it’s a really nice picture. (Like Burglar, looking cute as heck in a pumpkin costume at Halloween. Or in the middle of April.)

 

♖ @baebaeki (IG, personal, private): Not every picture goes out to the fans, of course. Some.... Well, some are just for Kino and his loved ones. This account is private, must be approved to follow/see the pictures, and the only people Kino approves are close friends and family. And some Big Hit people. But this account is strictly for the memories, for the pictures he won’t share with the world because they’re his. (Like the first time he comes home to find Burglar curled up on Yuen’s chest, both snoozing and relaxed. Or a shot of the first venue KNG perform in, per cocnert, all the seats empty and lights up.)

 

TRIVIA. 

♖ favorite color: gold, sapphire, emerald
♖ favorite food: apples, hotteok, ramyun
♖ least fave food: sundae sausage, sausage in general
♖ favorite drink: melon juices & boba
♖ favorite sound: laughter
♖ favorite smell: savory food cooking
♖ favorite word: hello

♖ favorite/lucky number: 7
♖ favorite animal: cats
♖ How does he take his coffee? He likes some coffee with his sugar and creamer/milk. That is to say, he likes sweet coffee. Warm is preferred, but he’ll take it cold/over ice, too. But if it’s cold, it definitely has to be sweet.
♖ Although Yubin was a child actress, Kino never really showed much interest in acting. He’s always been interested in music and the entertainment industry, but not so much in the acting aspect of it. He takes a greater interest in acting after joining Big Hit, however, inspired by how theatrical BTS’ mvs are (and later KNG’s, and TXT’s.)
♖ Kino has been an extra on more than a couple mv sets while at Big Hit.
♖ He loves Disney movies. His favorites are Lilo & Stitch, Tarzan, and Big Hero 6. He knows all the lyrics to the songs in Tarzan. 
♖ LOVES Studio Ghibli movies. His favorite is Howl’s Moving Castle. Second favorite is probably Kiki’s Delivery Service.
♖ Once the fans learn about his love for cats, they start bringing cat things (like cat ear headbands and tiny figurines) and plushies to fanmeets. Some will ship the items to the company addressed to him, but most bring them to fanmeets so they can get pictures of the way Kino lights up. His favorites are the plushies, of course, because he can cuddle them.
♖ When Kino gets duplicates of plushies, he donates them to orphanages and children organizations. This is done at the request of his fans. He’ll also sign the tags and give them back to the fans if they ask.
♖ His favorite groups are BTS, Oh My Girl (obviously!), Seventeen, and (later) Ateez, TXT, StayC, Itzy, Billlie, and Stray Kids.
♖ His biases are Suga, Mimi (and of course Yubin!), Hoshi, Wooyoung, Kai, [name], Chaeryeong, Tsuki, and Felix.
♖ He can play piano, guitar, and violin. He stays pretty well-practiced on piano and guitar, but less so on violin. He can, however, still properly hold and pretend to play the violin. So if a performance or KNG mv, or even a Big Hit MV ever calls for someone playing an instrument...Kino’s your boy.
♖ He’s a big Game of Thrones fan.
♖ He’s a big fan of history in general, really.
♖ He can’t sleep if he doesn’t have Jiji with him.
♖ He uses a sleep/eye mask when he sleeps at night to keep things dark.
♖ He collects scented lotions. Florals -- white flowers and honeysuckle-based are his favorites
♖ Kino knows a number of different card tricks of varying skill levels. He taught himself a few in the months after the car accident  because it gave him something to (hyper) focus on to distract himself.

 

KINO PLEASE - aka  KINO SAYS!

 

Kino: Oh just so you know, it's very muggy outside
Levi:
Levi: Kino, I swear, if I step outside and all of our mugs are on the front lawn...
Kino: *sips coffee from bowl*

 

***

 

Kino: Is letting someone win at chess sapioual bottoming?
Yuen: Does anyone in this godforsaken group ever think before they speak?

 

***

 

Hyesung, driving Kino and Yuen: So how was your day?
Kino: We almost got surprise adopted!
Hyesung: What?
Yuen: We almost got kidnapped.
Kino: Oh, okay.
Kino: *slams on the breaks* WAIT WHAT?!

 

***

 

Kino: Physically, yes, I could fight a bird. But emotionally? Imagine the toll.

 

***

 

Hyesung, in a meeting with KNG: My policy is if you see something, say something.
Kino: I saw a squirrel in a tree today!
Hyesung, with the tone of someone who is used to Kino: Outstanding.
Hyesung: This is what I’m talking about people.

 

 

 

STAGENAME. Joker 

PERSONA.  The Ace Maknae ; Kino's the baby of KNG, true, and also the babie, but he's also well-rounded and essentially acts as an ace up KNG's and Big Hit/Hybe's sleeve.

 

PLOTLINE. Sun

POSITION. lead dancer, (lead) rapper, vocalist, maknae

 

ADDITIONAL ROLES. 

choreography : Kino enjoys hanging out in the practice studio helping Levi work out the specifics and intricacies of the group's choreography, whether it be learning steps and reporting how difficult they might be for the others to memorize or bouncing ideas off of each other and hammering out the steps. Kino enjoys being in the studio dancing with Levi and...well, anyone else, really.

variety/MC-ing : Kino is precious and considered a treasure of Big Hit/Hybe, and it doesn't take long at all for the industry to essentially fall in love with him. Female idols think he's adorable, male idols think he's cute in the little brother kind of way, and idols in general think he's talented for his age. He is a treasure, but more than that, he's also charming and personable, and it helps to make him an absolute delight to have on variety shows. Eventually, that also leads into Kino joining a music show as an MC for a few months. (If this happens to fall sometime before a major comeback for KNG, well, Big Hit just shceduled things well, that's all.)

lyricism : Like any rapper worth their salt, Kino is determined to write his own verses and contribute to the writing of KNG songs whenever possible. He takes pointers whenever possible from [Sakura], and betters himself and his writing at every possible opportunity.

 

MEMBER COLOR. goldenrod   #DAA520  

FANCLUB. Ace(s) 에이스

 

TALENT TWINS.... 

rap   Hongjoong (Ateez) : 

dance   Mingi (Ateez) : 

vocal   Seonghwa (Ateez) : 

speech   Hongjoong (Ateez): 
variety   here : 

 

TRAINING YEARS.  ~1.5 years [January 2016 - present]

 

TRAINEE BACKGROUND. 

 

Kino’s trainee life was, in a word, easy. But in another word -- in several words -- it was so much harder than he had ever anticipated. A childhood spent immersed in music and physical activity gave Kino a leg up on some of the trainees that hadn’t been working at it for as long. But on the flip side, it was so much harder. Kino isn’t naive, not by any means, but he was unprepared for how cut-throat the life of a trainee is. You either fight hard to show your skills and make it, or you don’t fight hard enough and you get cut. If that means sabotaging another trainee’s chances to make yourself look better, well... some will. Kino never did, but there were some trainees that attempted to so such things to him, and to those that he’d befriended and taken to. The trainee life at Big Hit was hard, harder than Kino expected, but it paid off in the long run. Especially after KNG’s lineup was announced and he found himself among the selected few.

 

His previous experiences and lessons from his childhood made vocal lessons come easy to him, but it quickly became apparent that Kino would never be a main vocalist. He was good, stable and capable of holding his own, but far from the greatest or the most stand out. But that was okay, because it gave Kino the chance to develop a previously undiscovered passion and talent for rapping. With practice, Kino's rap skills became good enough to not only get a pass from their teacher, but to eventually even get a nod from his company sunbaes: the famous rapline of BTS. Dancing was hard, though. Despite taking dance lessons as a child, they didn't quite compare to the struggle of being somewhat out of practice and being forced to learn dance routines. After all, idol dancing is a different breed compared to modern or contemporary dance often found in most dance studios. Still, it gave Kino something to work today, points to reach to better himself.

 

PREDEBUT EXPERIENCES. 

2016: 

♖ Backup dancer in BTS’s Fire mv and many of the subsequent live stages where backup dancers were used, and the MAMA 2016 stage as a backup dancer actively performing on the b-stage

 

2017: 

♖ Backup dancer in BTS’s Not Today mv and many of the subsequent Not Today live stages.
♖ backup dancer/etc during the The Wings Tour in Feb 2017 at the Seoul shows (if timeline fits, can also add the SA shows in Mar & US shows in Mar/Apr)

 

BIG HIT BOYS PROJECT. 

 

♖ Kino ends up collecting several unofficial nicknames including "Sweaterpaws" (because he's prone to wearing oversized pullovers or hoodies in his dance vids and he ends up with sweaterpaws), "Howdy" (because more than once, he greeted Levi with a chirped "howdy" probably unironically), and "Happy Feet" (because Kino is a dancer, and he's prone to getting the wiggles, and anyone that knows Kino knows that he likes to dance and be in near-constant motion, and yes this is also likely unironic). These nicknames can totally follow him after KNG's debut, that'd be cute af

♖ But his official nickname? Blue Boy. Like Levi was known as The Pink One due to his love for pink, Kino loves blue, and he often wore either the same hoodie (a distressed, faded blue), or he would find some other blue article to wear. 

♖ His project videos were fairly varied, consisting of a good mix of vocal and dance stuff. His rap skills weren't ever strictly highlighted and usually came out in the various vocal covers he performed, usually unexpectedly.

♖ Kino came into Big Hit too late to do much in the way of backup dancing/mv filler work, but some eagle eyed fans after the project's started in 2017 do realize they recognize him and go back to find various mvs and stages and whatnot where Kino appeared for BTS' Fire and Not Today int he dancers.

♖ Fans suspected early on that Kino would be one of the youngest in the group.

♖ Fans also expected early on that Kino would be on the dance line and maybe vocal line, due to the number of dance and vocal things he released or participated in. Fans weren't exactly wrong.

 

FUTURE EXPERIENCES. 

 

♖ Dance collab challenges with literally anyone he can when those come around in 2021-22 because he's a big fanboy, and if he can ever get even half a chance to fanboy, you know he's going to. (top choices: Oh My Girl, TXT, SVT) [ex: 1, 2]

♖ The Story Never Ends cover

♖ hhh

♖ hhh

 

HEADLINES. 

 

♖ KNG's Joker the younger brother of Oh My Girl's Binnie? ;; Set early in their career (thus Binnie instead of Yubin of course), cause Kino obviously wouldn't hide this at all, he's a proud Miracle and he adores all of Oh My Girl, but especially Yubin.