Lee Hyeontae  |    이현태    |  Hyeontae

personality 

INFP-A, Waterbender, Ravenclaw, Erudite, Mystic
Aries-Taurus cusp

passionate, hard-working, responsible, observant, stable
impulsive, gentle, emotional, honest, curious
stubborn, impatient, reserved, quiet, moody

passionate, hard-working, driven

Hyeontae loves to dance and sing. He loves to be on stage, to perform, to burn bright, to be. It’s his thing, the moment and time when he feels happiest and most secure in who and what he is. So yeah, he works hard. He works hard. But he loves it, and it’s obvious. Hyeontae gives his all in each and every performance, going hard every time just because that’s how he works, no matter how he’s feeling or what’s happening. It pushes him further than many of his peers dare to go, demanding bigger and better things from him, and Hyeontae strives to always be able to hit that next level. It’s hard, but it’s worth it.

perfectionist, practical

No matter how hard Hyeontae works -- and oh, he works hard -- there comes a point where he knows he won’t be able to be “better” than he is. He’s good, yes, and with the potential to be more, but there comes the eventual point where he won’t be able to be better without overdoing it. He’s a perfectionist, he works hard to make all the little details amazing and stand out so that he stands out, but Hyeontae also knows that nothing is perfect. He accepts that. He’s practical about it. But...he’s still going to push himself as much as he humanly can.

reserved, quiet, shy, stoic

Hyeontae is very much the quiet sort, more prone to sitting back and watching chaos unfold rather than being a part of it. (Though that doesn’t mean he won’t join in on occasion, or be a part of it.) He’s reticent, taking care to avoid revealing his thoughts and feelings until 1) he deems they’re worthy to be shared, 2) he doesn’t think they’ll cause problems for those around him, or 3) he think they need to be shared. He’s not the best around people he’s unfamiliar with, either. With people Hyeontae is comfortable with, those he’s known for a few months or more, then he’s good. Comfortable. But until he’s comfortable, he’s more likely to take a step back and watch safely from a distance.

honest, considerate

Hyeontae is very considerate of the people around him. Their feelings, their thoughts, their desires. While he doesn’t necessarily give into those wants, he’ll take those things into consideration before he does whatever it is that he feels is best in the situation. Hyeontae is also honest when it comes to...pretty much everything. While he may not initially reveal his thoughts on whatever matter is at hand, he’s always honest about it. Usually he’s tactful about it, careful and ever-considerate, but sometimes he’s a little more blunt and to the point because he understands the necessity of making his point.

responsible, rational, stable, gentle

While Hyeontae has never been much of a leader, he’s also the furthest thing from a casual follower. If anything, Hyeontae would prefer to be seen as an advisor. As one of the more assertive (read as: non-turbulent, stable) personalities in the program, Hyeontae tries to be a voice of reason to the offers. He offers advice when the others come to him, and to Liam and Ian when they’re in need of a gentle shoulder and kind word. He’d do the same with Hua, too, but...honestly, Hua hardly needs the help in controlling Hail. (Though should he ever be the one in need of a kind word and shoulder to lean upon, Hyeontae would never turn him away.) Even so, he’s more prone to advising, because the role of a leader is asking too much from someone like him, and he’s never been very good at being a straight up follower.

observant, intuitive, studious, curious

When it comes to the little things, Hyeontae is quick to pick up on them. That observant nature manifests in many way -- kind words to those that need it most, cool water in hand to pass over during dance practices, granola bars in the bag he brings with him to practice. But it also shows in the attention to detail that Hyeontae pays to his practices, to his dancing, to his lines in the songs. All the little things, it shows. He studies the world around him, and all the people, and he uses that knowledge and his unyielding desire to know more to his advantage.

stubborn, impatient, impulsive

But Hyeontae also has a hot streak. Fiery, some might even say. He’s stubborn and, at times, bordering on recalcitrant. He has no particular fondness for people in positions of authority, though Hyeontae does make exceptions for those that have won his respect. Hyoyeon and Heechul are among those exceptions, as are Sam, Jisoo, and Kijeong. Even the Japanese staff and their co-director, Takashi, though Hyeontae rarely interacts with them. He draws the line at grudging respect for Madame Kang. But he’s also impulsive (though more in his personal life than in his trainee life). Hyeontae doesn’t like to wait for things, sometimes forging ahead in dance or vocal practice even when the others have left for the day, muddling through things on his own because he doesn’t always know how to stop or when to back down.

emotional, moody, withdrawn

But when worse comes to worst, when the people around him push too hard, Hyeontae can and sometimes does fall apart. He’s only human, and despite having a decent childhood and upbringing despite the issues within his family, he’s still prone to days when even the smallest of things are too much. He’s not fragile, per se, but he….feels. He feels, very intensely, very deeply, wholly and completely. He either feels everything or nothing, with no in between, and with how hard it is for him to open up about himself and the things around him, Hyeontae almost prefers feeling everything. At least then those around him always have an idea of what they’re dealing with. But with those emotions, with emoting, comes the occasional mood, where Hyeontae may bounce between wanting attention and wanting to be left alone, wanting affection and wanting to avoid any and all touch. (In these moments, it’s best to summon Ian or Liam, simply because Liam has known Hyeontae for a long time, and because Ian is too good and too soft for this world, and Hyeontae can’t not be soft in return.)

background

On April 19, 1999, Hyeontae was born one month premature to Lee Taeshik and Im Sooan. His mother, Sooan, was a small woman to begin with, but the pregnancy with Hyeontae had taken a toll on her. Aside from the usual issues revolving around prematurity, including a heart murmur that doctors were /convinced/ was going to give Hyeontae grief for the rest of his life, Sooan also suffered from a particularly harsh case of post-partum depression. The two combined meant that Sooan spent the first couple months of Hyeontae’s life in the hospital, in part to be closer to her baby as he recovered, but in part for her own health and safety.

Hyeontae was eventually welcomed home by his father and by three older siblings – two older sisters, and an older brother. Taeyeon, Sooyoung, and Minhyun, respectively, were thrilled to have the baby in the house, and despite not being quite old enough to be left to babysit alone, they did everything they could to make their parents lives easier. (Which, really, was the best thing for them to do, as Sooan never really recovered – physically or mentally – from Hyeontae’s birth.)

In October of 2002, Sooan was rushed to the hospital. Three months premature – too early to be safe, too early to survive – Sooan went into labor. Her fifth and final child – a baby girl – was stillborn. Although Hyeontae didn’t know it at the time, it was then that his relationship with his mother would begin to sour. (But in his defense, her relationship with all of her children would begin to sour then as well.)

The next few years passed quickly. Hyeontae spent a lot of time in the care of his older siblings. Taeshik, a construction worker that took on extra jobs for bonus income, was always away from home and at work, and after her last pregnancy’s failure, Sooan never really recovered enough to be a firm presence in her children’s lives. After several months of therapy and recovery, she did eventually return to work, a secretary in an office building a few blocks from the family’s apartment, but more often than not, she checked out by the time she returned home for the day. It meant that more and more often, Taeyeon or Sooyoung, or occasionally Minhyun, were left in charge of their youngest brother.

When Sooyoung was left in charge, it meant a lot of time listening to music in her room, working on homework together and pestering Minhyun with questions. And when Minhyun was in charge, it meant a lot of time in front of the tv, watching all the songs he so often heard while the siblings were camped out in Sooyoung’s room. So really, it was his siblings and their appreciation for music (and the lazy babysitting mechanism of a tv and music shows) that Hyeontae had to thank for his fascination with not just music in general, but the entire concept of being an idol.

But it was thanks to Taeyeon, his eldest sister and his favorite, that Hyeontae discovered not just singing, but dance.

Suffering from the cruel clutches of stage fright, Taeyeon knew she would never have any sort of career on stage, much less life the glamorous life of an idol, but that didn’t stop her from falling in love with singing and dancing. And when Hyeontae found himself left to Taeyeon’s tender mercies, he often found her learning whatever new song had just been released. By the tender age of eight, Hyeontae began learning those dances with her. And unlike his eldest sister, Hyeontae held no such reservations about being into the limelight.

Hyeontae took to dance in particular like a fish to water, learning every choreography that Taeyeon could teach him as easily as breathing. He wasn’t the most amazing dancer at first. He was unrefined, a gem in the rough, but it was his dedication to the act, his determination to keep to it, that made him good and helped him get better.

Over the years that followed, Hyeontae maintained a careful balance with his siblings, listening to and learning the songs with Sooyoung, watching and studying the performances with Minhyun, and then hashing out the dances and leanring them with Taeyeon. And around all of that, he went to school, maintained his grades, helped with chores.

In 2015, at sixteen years old, Hyeontae began auditioning for entertainment companies. With his skills, he figured he’d have it easy enough. Even so, it took nearly a year before a company finally accepted Hyeontae as a trainee, seeing the potential within the boy.

In early March of 2016, Hyeontae joined SM Entertainment.

LIKES

△ autumn, faery tales, Greek myth, reading, origami, fresh fruit, grape and strawberry flavored things, anime and manga, plants, birds, SNS, Thunder, MLSM, Hail, NRG, cooking, dance & performance shows (like Hit The Stage and Kingdom/Queendom), early mornings, NCT, Taemin, Kai, Hyoyeon, Ateez, Everglow, Monsta X, Dreamcatcher, dancers in general

DISLIKES 

△ winter, being too cold, being too warm, artificial blue raspberry flavoring, blue raspberry in general tbh, super spicy foods, super bland foods, lack of structure, laziness, endings (in movies/shows/books) that aren’t fitting or are rushed/lazy

HABITS 

△ rubbing his knuckles, adjusting and spinning his rings, dragging a hand through his hair, humming, 

HOBBIES 

△ origami, tending to his bamboo and cactus plants, reading (particularly poetry and books in English or Japanese)*, watching anime, cookies and trying new recipes

FEARS 

△ failure
△ letting down his team, the fans, and those that believe in him (especially his siblings)
△ disappointing himself
△ more?

QUOTES

△ optional 
▸ can be catch phrases or those tumblr meme formats to get a good idea of the character
▸ as many as you'd like

trivia 

△ favorite food: kimbap, japchae, stirfry
△ favorite drink: green tea
△ favorite ice cream: butter pecan
△ favorite number: 13
△ favorite word: querencia
△ favorite color: deep sky blue 
△ favorite animal: birds
△ favorite flower: orchids
△ favorite sound: the ocean
△ favorite season: winter
△ favorite artist(s): SNS, Taemin, NCT, Ateez, Everglow, Dreamcatcher
△ personal IG, Youtube, & Twitter: lhnt
△ ideal type: here
△ favorite Sourz song: As If Its Your Last
△ favorite Sweetz song: Wannabe
△ favorite SNS song: More and More & Dance the Night Away
△ favorite Thunder song: Fire & Dimple
△ favorite Hail song: Crown & Shining Stars
△ favorite MLSM song: Boy**
△ favorite Tarot song: Infinity
△ favorite Gems song: Suki to Iwasetai
△ here
△ *Hyeontae’s favorite thing to read is poetry, and at any point, he’ll have a book with him to peruse through while sitting in the dressing room or waiting for a stylist. He also keeps another book beside his bed or tucked under his pillow. He also likes to read English and Japanese books in order to keep his language skills sharp. It makes his comprehension rate high and helps to increase his vocabulary.
△ Boy may be his favorite song by MLSM, but No Air is a very close second. And if they ever get to promote it, 
△ He’s more of a tea person than a coffee person, and he generally drinks hot tea in the morning. Hyeontae will, however, start the coffee pot for the other members while he’s drinking his tea and waking up.
△ Ready Steady Go by L’Arc en Ciel would definitely be his anime theme song if he had one, which is hilarious because it’s not really Hyeontae's style of music.
△ His favorite anime is 7 Deadly Sins. He likes all fantasy anime, though. He also enjoys the usual anime movie studios, like Studio Ghibli and movies by Makoto Shinkai.
△ His favorite authors are Rupi Kaur and Haruki Murakami.
△ Hyeontae wouldn't mind doing solo stuff eventually, but he has no real desire to strike out on his own and go it alone. He'd rather have people there to support and lean upon, people to share the burden of being an idol with, than try to handle the burden all alone. 
△ He wouldn't mind releasing original solo stuff in a few years though, like 2021 into 2022 at the earliest, especially if other members are doing solo projects and things of their own. He doesn't want to take attention away from the group because the group is his priority.
△ Hyeontae has mild anxiety, and while it's not common for him to have anxiety or panic attacks, if he is overwhelmed, he will begin to shut down and will need to leave a situation. If people are yelling or being overly derrogatory or cruel, or if someone goes out of their way to target him specifically. Being attacked emotionally is what will generally overwhelm him.
△ optional 

VIBES 

Ready Steady Go ✦ Go The Distance ✦ Sanctuary ✦ Animal ✦ Learning to Fly
Limitless ✦ La Di Da ✦ Answer ✦ Boca ✦ Blood Sweat & Tears ✦ More
Underwater ✦ Colors ✦ Find You ✦ A Song Written Easily ✦ Mixtape #3

TRAINING 

△ [ Mar 2016 - May 2016 : regular trainee program ]  

Initially, despite Hyeontae’s skill in both dance and vocal work, he’s only slotted into the regular trainee courses. At the time, he’s still a student, so it works well enough for him, allowing Hyeontae to continue his schooling on top of as much of the trainee workload as he can get away with. Initially it’s a lot to get used to, but Hyeontae finds a particular joy and catharsis in the challenge of adjusting. But even then, it doesn’t take too long before he finds himself not just keeping up, but finally excelling.

△ [ May 2016 - Apr 2018 : SM Rookies ]  

Hyeontae’s next challenge begins just a couple months later when, out of the blue, the Rookies program director sits in on one of his practices. Within just a couple days, Hyeontae’s slotted into the Rookie program. He makes friends with the other trainees easily enough, but many of them are too busy to pay him much mind. A handful of them are preparing for debut, and others are otherwise distracted or involved in projects. Still, he does make some friends, people that come and go all too soon.

During this time, Hyeontae turns to honing his dance skills, watching video after video of the other dancers in SM, the ones renowned for their skill and prowess on stage. 

During the end of this time, trainees come and go, and some even return. Those that do are haggard and...strange, tired in a way that seems mercilessly heavy. They walk on eggshells around each other, sharing glances, tired looks, watching members of the staff like they expect reprimands, watching fellow trainees like they expect an onslaught of questions.

It’s strange, but Hyeontae keeps quiet and keeps watch.

△ [ mid Apr 2018 - present : SLJK program ]  

Hyeontae’s most important challenge begins in April of 2018. Although the SLJK program isnt’ exactly common knowledge, it’s also not the secret the upper levels of management want it to be, with more and more trainees taking nothing of those that come and go and don’t return. Word of the program is passed among the trainees in whispers, like a secret they’re afraid to share, or like anything louder might summon something unspeakable (or shatter it entirely).

April 19, 2018 rolls around. It’s Hyeontae’s birthday, but he knows better than to expect anything. After two other birthdays in the program, it’s just another day for him, a day spent practicing and perfecting a choreography he was expecting to perform at an upcoming evaluation. And then Sam, one of the occasional dance instructors and a choreographer under the company, comes looking for him.

He’s excited in a way that Hyeontae is unfamiliar with, but his excitement is contagious, and by the time Sam has led him from the Rookies building and into another, where the floors are still shiny and new, and the hallways unmarked and still clean-smelling, Hyeontae is almost as excited as Sam is. (He doesn’t know why, but he’s willing to go along with it. Out of all the staff members that Hyeontae admires, Sam is top tier, and his excitement is often easily contageous.)

At long last, Sam knocks at a door to one side of the hall, waiting for only a moment before he pushes the door open and steps inside. After a moment, Sam gestures for Hyeontae to follow.

Inside stands a small squadron of trainees. A squadron, Hyeontae thinks, because they’re standing in a formation that looks reminiscent of a some sort of military exercise, but is obviously some sort of dance formation. Hyeontae recognizes some of them, and he knows they recognize him, too. A few of them had been in the Rookies program with him over the years, all of them having eventually disappeared. Hyeontae supposes he knows why now.

And in the corner, staring at Sam in a way that makes Hyeontae shift in discomfort, a figure that Hyeontae knows from the whispers that weren’t, the stories that never got told: Madame Kang.

“I’ve brought you another great dancer for the program!” Sam’s voice is proud, and Hyeontae shifts from foot to foot in confusion, glancing between Sam, the woman he’d called Madame Kang, and the trainees. He can’t see all of their faces, but he recognized those he can see. Hana, Sora, Kazuki. And others still, ones he doesn’t recognize.

Madame Kang looks somewhat exasperated, looking between Sam and Hyeontae for a long moment before he turns to the boys. There’s an unspoken commend there, and then one toward the back that Hyeontae doesn’t recognize turns and murmurs a “take five, guys.”

The trainees, for the most part, scatter, some escaping out the door, others clustering around the far edges of the room like the expect some sort of a show. The one that had spoken lingers, as do a number of others, hanging in a cluster near the back of the room. 

Then, Madame Kang smiles, a cold, cutting thing. Hyeontae would rather liken it to the grin of a eldritch creature or a shark than that of an older woman, but. She looks human enough. “Show me what you’ve brought me, Sam. We don’t have all day.”

Sam turns back to Hyeontae then, his smile encouraging now more than that frenetic excitement of before. “Show her your evaluation piece, Tae.”

From around Sam, Hyeontae can see Madame Kang’s expresison pinch. “You know I don’t like evaluation pieces. That’s not a true measure of ability. That’s a measure of time spent in practice.”

“Not this one,” Sam says immediately, turning with a winning smile. “Practice makes perfect, but it takes a damn good dancer to cover Taemin. Doesn’t it?”

Hyeontae can see the moment it clicks, the exact moment that something in Madame Kang’s mind latches onto the offered information and runs with it. He can see it, because she smiles that shark-like smile, all gleaming intent and savage edges. “Alright,” she says then. “Show me what you’ve got.”

Sam doesn’t hesitate to take over the sound system in the room, swiping through the songs on his phone until he finds what he’s looking for.

By then, Hyeontae is in position. When Sam sees him, ready and prepared, he hits play, and the already quiet room falls silent as the intro to Taemin’s Move fills the room.

Hyeontae closes his eyes and lets go.

He comes back to himself when the song shuts off, staring blankly at the crowd that has assembled, including the huddled trainees from before, the a couple of which seem particularly pleased with his performance. 

Someone begins clapping, a slow, steady sound, and when Hyeontae turns, he finds it’s Madame Kang. She stops when he meets her eyes, but the smile she wears now is more calculating than predatory. “Even if that’s all you can do, it’s enough for now. He’s a keeper, Sam. Good job. Do what you need to do. I expect to see him with the others by the end of the week. Put him in your high-intensity lessons as well.”

THE IDOL 

   MLSM CHOREOGRAPHER / THUNDER CHOREOGRAPHER  

   POSITION    main dancer + lead vocalist | #MSLM #THUNDER

▸ talent twin(s)

   --   DANCE   Hwanwoong Oneus  [ ex ]  [ ex ]

    Hyeontae is arguably an excellent singer, and he nearly went for the vocal line within the program. But then Liam deferred to rapping, and a dance slot opened up and... Well. Hyeontae loves to sing, but his passion... Dance is his passion. Dance is the one time and place where Hyeontae truly feels free, and freedom that is clearly visible whenever he takes to the forefront of things. He’s a joy to watch on stage, whether it’s a freestyle, or a cover, the choreography for one of the group’s songs, or an original choreography. For the most part, Hyeontae has a refined, effortless grace to his dancing, so he often comes across as if he’s having fun and enjoying himself, something that many dancers will chalk up to a well-constructed confidence that’s been built upon a solid foundation of practice. He’s also technically finesse, though that tends to show more in his personal  (like Sunmi’s Lalalay or Taemin’s Move or Criminal) that are posted during the program and after debut, simply because groups don’t focus on technicality so much as the overall picture, and soloists have more freedom and ability to focus on the little details. 

   --  VOCAL   Chan Ace  [ ex ]  [ ex ]

    Hyeontae could have been one of the vocal focused trainees had he not desired to pursue dance instead, choosing to focus on the area that made him feel most confident and happy when performing. But even so, Hyeontae’s still an excellent vocalist, and during his time in the SLJK program, he’s taken care to continue honing his voice. While his range isn’t the widest compared to vocal-focused individuals, he does have a sizable range for a baritone, shifting between his head and chest voice with ease (though it’s easy enough to hear when Hyeontae is in a range he’s comfortable with). His tone is largely even and smooth, showcasing a continued mastery of his abilities, though it’s not unheard of for Hyeontae to delve into a more gritty sound when the song calls for it (like in the style of a more rock or rough song). While his mastery of foreign language is limited, native speakers will be hard-pressed to find issues with his pronounciation during covers and performances because of the time and effort Hyeontae puts into practicing.

   --   RAP   Seoho Oneus  [ ex ]

    After dancing and singing for as long as Hyoentae has, and after years of lsitening to such a wide variety of music, (and, of course, the intense nature of skill refinement in the SLjK program), it's inevitable for Hyeontae to have developed some kind of affinity for rapping. While he'll never swing in and steal the show with his raps, and he'll never usurp Liam on stage, he's....decent. He can carry himself in cover songs and during the part switches that groups inevitably promise their fans for a song's win. 

   --   VARIETY   Hwanwoong Oneus (for the dancing!) ; While Hyeontae is one of the quieter individuals in the program and doesn’t exactly just throw hismelf into the center of attention like Keiko, Sora, or even Hana, Hyeontae has absolutely no problem with throwing his hat into the ring when games of random dance (or singing) begin. 9 times out of 10, Hyeontae knows the dance, regardless of the group’s gender, number of members, and other contributing factors. If it can be danced to, he probably knows the dance (though, like everyone does, he has his favorites). He’s a little more hesitant with vocal games, but only because he feels more free when dancing than he does while singing. Still, if you ask any of the members of MLSM who is most likely to be the first out of their seat to dance to a random dance play of Girls Generation, SNS, or Gems, you can bet Hyeontae’s name will be one of the first to come up. He’s also good with memory games, games of logic and deduction/observation, and random trivia. (In short, Hyeontae is the one person you absolutely want on your team. 9 times out of 10, if he doesn’t know the answer, no one is going to know.)

   --   SPEECH   Chan ACE ; [ ex ]

    Hyeontae has a bit of a lower, softer voice. When speaking in English or Japanese, it's generally a bit higher and more slow as he thinks through his words before he speaks.

   --   FLEXIBILITY   Hwanwoong Oneus ; Look, all you need to know is that he’s a limber, bendy, flexible . I mean, have you seen Hwanwoong dance? Boy aint got a single bone, istfg.

△ backup plot: Thunder triple threat (vocal & dance: Ace Jun, rap: Skz Hyunjin)

▸ TRAINING TRIVIA

△    nicknames    Hyeontae is known by a number of different names within the program aside from his own and his number. Doll is a popular one, as are Dollface and Cuteface, largely because Hyeontae is pretty like a doll and has a very cute face. These are used more by international fans, but the Korean fans use similar translations. Bird and Songbird are also fairly common; even though they started initially among the staff and trainees, the fans quickly pick up on the fond nicknames and take them as their own. Jiminy Cricket is another nickname Hyeontae earns; the cricket is Pinocchio’s sidekick and voice of reason, and Hyeontae is often seen as something of a voice of reason among the MLSM and Thunder boys. Rafiki is another nickname bestowed to Hyeontae. Rafiki is very wise, but also playful and something of a trickster, resorting to riddles and round-about methods to teach others the lessons they need to learn, and because Hyeontae is seen as an advisor and occasionally playfully chaotic as well, fans find the name befitting of him. 
△    --- line    As a dancer in the SLJK program, he’s prone to joining in the dance line’s antics. And as a vocalist, he joins in the vocalist line's antics on occasion, too, though usually when they’re a little less chaotic and loud. His Japanese is good enough that he can also join any of the Japanese trainees in their antics or conversations. And then he’s also generally on the parent/responsible adult squad with the likes of Liam, Ian, and Hua. 
△    dancer    Hyeontae was, in fact, almost slotted into the vocal line instead of dance. And as such, he's fairly close with most of the vocal-focused trainees as well. But because dance was where he felt most secure -- the most himself that he could be -- a fellow trainee (Liam) ended up switching from dance to a different focus so Hyeontae could stay as a dance focus. 
 △    team    Hyeontae has pretty much always been on the Thunder team. After a few months in the program, in an effort to balance the teams and their abilities, he was briefly switched to the Hail team (and was welcomed by Hua and company with open arms), but it didn't take long for Hyeontae to be switched back to Thunder because 1) he was an outstanding dancer and it was around then that the Powers That Be decided Thunder's concept would be more performance based, and 2) Thunder was pretty chaotic, and it was decided that Thunder needed another level head to help Liam and Ian keep things running.
△    advisor    As such, Hyeontae is not a leader per se (and for heaven's sake, he would never want that kind of power or responsibility, don't you even think about putting that on his shoulders), but he does like being able to offer advice and feel like his words have merit. He may not be the oldest or the most skilled (though he is one of the team's choreographers), but he is one of the more level-headed members, and one more prone to being calm, rational, and stable in any given situation. (Though, as fans quickly notice, Hyeontae...does have something of a wild side, particularly when paired with the more chaotic individuals.)
△    vocalist    It doesn't take long for fans to notice that Hyeontae has the chops to be a vocalist. He has an excellent voice, and while he does enjoy singing and messing around with the vocal line of Thunder and Hail (or SNS, Gems, or Tarot, if he has half a chance), he primarily sticks to dancing. At some point, fans stir up enough of a fuss that Hyeontae admits in an interview/vlive/whatever that he was almost on the vocal line, but that he loved dancing more. Still, after that, he does try to participate in more vocal things.
△    mlsm    Of the MLSM boys, Hyeontae is closest to Liam, Ian, and Hua. Hua is fairly calm and level headed himself, as is Liam. But Liam is also protective and stable, and Ian makes everyone feel welcome and wanted, and his open, approachable nature is no joke. 
△    sns    Of SNS, Hyeontae is closest to Hana and Sora. Though Sora is louder and they’re both a bit too sociable and excitable, Hana’s more oddball and somewhat thoughtful nature and Sora’s own curious and confident nature help to put Hyeontae at ease. Not only that, but they’re both hard-working, honest, and genuine -- though Sora is perhaps more blunt about it -- and those are traits Hyeontae fiercely values. Alternatively, he’s not a big fan of Marelaine. She scares him. Too loud, too bold, too much flirting. In short: terrifying.
△    japan    Because Tarot and Gems are more Japan based and their training was a bit more seperated after they were put into training groups, Hyeontae doesn’t have as much of an opinion on them. But of those he met in the SLJK program before the seperation really happened or the Rookie program before that, he’s closer to Kazuki, Kira, and Hikaru. Kaz has a similar personality to Hana, which makes him easy to understand and approach. And Kira and Hikaru are simply more calm, more stable personalities. Alternatively, Keiko is kind of scary because she’s so bouncy and cheerful. And Cam is a weird middle ground. He’s chill, which Hyeontae likes, but he’s so unstructured that it’s a bit bewildering.
△    japanese    Hyeontae’s knowledge of Japanese makes conversing with the Japanese trainees easy enough. Granted, his language skills have taken a boost since joining SM, but even at the start of his training, it was easy for him to talk to SM’s Japanese trainees and artists and work as something of a translator and in-between. 

.

birds of a feather flocking together

Lee Taeshik & Im Sooan, parents, ~5/10

Hyeontae loves his parents. He does. But for most of his youth, Sooan sort of...checked out. It wasn’t that she didn’t love him, it was more that she just couldn’t deal with it. Nearly losing one child, and then losing a second, the post-partum depression, all of it. She never outright neglected them, never abused them verbally or physically, but she just wasn’t there enough. Still, Hyeontae yearns to earn her affection and attention, to know that she’s proud of him and of what he’s become. 

Similarly, Hyeontae loves his father. Taeshik worked hard to provide for his family, to give them food to eat, water to drink, a roof over their heads. Hyeontae missed not having him around as a child, but it was also something Hyeontae didn’t necessarily know well enough to miss in the first place. His siblings knew, and his siblings missed it, but Hyeontae had never truly known the prescence of his parents, so he didn’t miss his absent father as much.

As such, Hyeontae’s relationship with his parents is somewhat strained. They did agree to let him become a trainee at SM (rather, Taeshik agreed, though he was....quite confused....) but Hyeontae knows they’d prefer if he go back to school for something he can actually make a solid future and career out of.
 

Lee Taeyeon, biggest sister, 25 (94 liner),  9/10

Taeyeon has always been more than just Hyeontae’s older sister. With their own mother fairly absent, Taeyeon’s been more like a mother to all of her siblings, finding a careful balancing act between the gentle love of a mother and the tough love of an older sister. Regardless of how she gave it, she did always give Hyeontae all the love he ever needed or wanted, even when he didn’t know he needed or wanted it. But Taeyeon also introduced Hyeontae to song and dance, to performing, something he’ll always be grateful for. When he has time off, or when has phone priviledges, it’s always Taeyeon he calls first. Right now, Taeyeon is working full time, bouncing between a waitressing job and a handful of design and styling classes picked to work toward her eventual major. She wants to go into the industry, but more in the behind the scenes stuff, like makeup, hair, and styling. When Hyeontae has time, he lets her practice on him.

Lee Sooyoung, bigger sister, 23 (96 liner), 8/10

Closer in age to Hyeontae than Taeyeon, Sooyoung has always been more of a sister than adult figure, thankfully. But even then, it was always Sooyoung that did the more adulty things in the long run. Ridiculously academically inclined, she was the one Hyeontae (and Minhyun and Taeyeon) all went to for help with homework and school stuff. She couldn’t be trusted with too many of the more practical matters, like chores and cooking, but she could make sure bills and whatnot got paid if their parents were ever too busy or just absent. Sooyoung is the one Hyeontae is more likely to go to if he needs sound, practical advice. Additionally, despite never being tested officially, the siblings all assume her IQ is fairly high, like close to genius level. Sooyoung is currently on full scholarship at university, pursuing a degree in business.

Lee Minhyun, big brother, 22 (97 liner), 7/10

Closest to Hyeontae in age and the only other boy in the group, one might think Hyeontae and Minhyun woudl be closest. The truth of the matter, however, is that Minhyun is very much the extrovert to Hyeontae’s introvert, and while they got along well enough, they simply had different interests and priorities in life. While Hyonetae began exploring the possibility of being an idol, a career in singing and dancing, Minhyun began looking more toward a career in something that allowed him to interact with people. Older now, and wiser, more aware of their differences, the two are better at setting aside their differences and finding common ground, meeting each other halfway during their brief meetings and phone calls. Their style of conversaiton is more along the lines of a spam of text messages and falling out of touch for days at a time (mutually, because Minhyun is also a full time student). Minhyun’s ideal career is to be a teacher, preferably on the elementary level somewhere, and he’s currently working part-time at a convenience store to suppliment his income, as he’s at school mostly on scholarship.

Madame Kang & Takashi Sato, directors & bosses, 4/10

Hyeontae’s relationship is Madame Kang is a working relationship. In the more basic and simple form, she scares him. She unnerves him. She’s quick to judge and he has an air about her than makes him uneasy. He’s not scared per se, but she does unnerve him in a way that he really doesn’t like, so Hyeontae generally aims to avoid being seen by her unless he has something excellent to show her as a reminder that he deserves his spot in the program. He’s also careful to never be caught slacking off, because he knwos now why those trainees that returned to the general training/SM Rookies program always looks so bone-deep weary.

As for Hyeontae’s relationship wit Takashi, it’s also working, and one built upon a foundation of respect.Because Takashi is more forgiving and morekind, he’s a favorite among all the trainees, and Hyeontae is no exception. Hyeontae’s never really put into the portion of the program that would place him into Takashi’s care, but the fact remains that for how little they do interact, their relationship is good.

Heechul & Hyoyeon, mentors, 7/10

Hyeontae has  alot of respect for both Heechul and Hyoyeon, not just because of their status within the program as mentors and creative directors, but because of their years in the industry. He respects them as his seniors, and he looks up to them for all their years in the life and how much they’ve accomplished for themselves, their group, and the company. He admires Heechul’s honesty and strives to emulate it. But he also admires Hyoyeon’s drive, and he counts her as one of his greatest idols.

Momo's kids! trainees

Liam [10/10] : Liam is the person Hyeontae considers himself closest to out of all of the trainees, male and female alike. He’s a bit stubborn, and emotionally constipated on the best of days, but he cares fiercely for his friends and loved ones. But he’s also the perfect balance of ambitious and supportive, bouncing between motivating himself and those around him. He’s Hyeontae’s favorite for that reason, for always giving him a reason to work hard and be better. Hyeontae is thrilled to be slotted into the Thunder unit with Liam, and Liam is probably the member Hyeontae clings to most often. (Though Ian is probably right there in second.)

Hana [9/10] : Hana is a good balance of energy and calm, for the most part anyway, and Hyeontae finds her to be one of the safer members of SNS to be around. While he likes and treasures Sora’s energy, Hana’s is less chaotic good and more sincere and genuine. She’s not one to lie or front, she’s very “heart on her sleeve” and he appreciates being able to understand her even if sometimes he’s only on the same page and not on the same paragraph or sentence. He values the way she buckles down and works hard, her passion, but also the way she thinks and works through things. It’s incredibly refreshing.

Cameron [7/10] : Cameron has a very chill and easy-going nature, and Hyeontae appreciates how easy it is to exist around him. But sometimes existing isn’t enough. For Hyeontae, getting to the program and maining his place within it, it’s not something he accomplished by existing. No, Hyeontae has had to work hard and continue to prove himself. So Hyeontae has some issues with Cam’s more lax nature. He prefers it when Cam is stubborn and ambitious in the same way Liam is. At least then Hyeontae knows how to handle it. Hyeontae likes Cam, he does, but unless Cam’s pulling a Liam, then Hyeontae needs at leats one other person there as a buffer with them.

Keiko [7/10] : Keiko’s a marvel to behold, but also somewhat scary because of her energy and enthusiasm. Hyeontae isn’t entirely comprehensive of the AKB student program she came from, through he does understand the differences of the Japanese and Korean industries. And while he doesn’t intend to be mean, he sometimes struggles with the Japanese concept of “debut, have fun, get good” versus the Korean system’s “debut great; become greater.” Still, he admires her energy, her resolve and her fun-loving energy. It’s just...scary, too.

Kazuki [8/10] : For many of the same reasons that Hyeontae likes Hana, he also adores Kaz. Kaz is easy-going in the same way that Cam is, which can be a bit disconcerting, but he’s also charming and curious, and bound by a particular brand of logic that is both a bit off the wall and entirely too understandable. Like with Hana, the way that he thinks is refreshing. And his tendency to keep to himself makes him good company because Kaz doesn’t need to fill the silence with idle chatter, nor does he need another to fill it. His tendency to lack focus and zone out and be challenging sometimes, and annoying, but Hyeontae usually doesn’t mind working around it.
 

my kids, yo! trainees

Sora [8/10] : yo

Kira [9/10] : la

Hikaru [9/10] : di

Tyler [8/10] : da

Tori [7/10] : la

Lucien [9/10] : di

Saetbyeol [8/10] : da

collabs? hit me uppp

collabs? hit me uppp

personality  

i hope it's cute

honestly, I hope it's cute too.

originally, was supposed to be Saeran, but not entirely sure who it is now.
Cloud Ariel might not be turning in the same apps as before, aside from Ian.
So I'll come back to this when I find out definitively,
and I'll love story it up from there!

 

love story 

give me the feels

* feel free to add couple trivia and etc

the sky's the limit

last words Annnnd like Sora, Hyeontae is done except for his love interest stuff! Cloud Ariel and I were initially going to ship Hyeontae and Saeran again, but I dont' know if she's still okay with that, or if she intends to even finish him. So that's kind of on the backburner.

scene request 

△    #LIAN    Hyeontae thirdwheeling poor Lian and just "sighs extra loud" but he quietly encourages them and helps to wrangle the others to give them time to destress sometimes.
△    "i'm out"    Something happens at the MLSM dorm, and Hyeontae bails, "heck all you s, I'm out" and he goes to hide with SNS, cue knocking on the dorm door and someone intimidating answering and he jsut doesn't gaf for once and "can I stay here? I might actually hop on a bus and skrrt skrrt my way home if I have to stay in the MLSM dorm"
△    siblings    Hyeontae getting to spend time with his siblings! even if it's just like a video chat and showing them part of a practice or something. knowing they're proud of him, happy with his happiness, that's what he desires the most.

password  

[  Boy With A Star #2  ] -- Although the cover is Hyeontae's vocal twin, the original is a better option for a solo/digital release because it's "official" even though Hyuk's voice isn't the most amazing, it's such a good song and would allow for some powerful ballad time uwu

[  Paranoia  ] -- Powerful dancing, vocal work, and rap. Definitely the kind of solo I can see Hyeontae doing eventually. (Like, in 2-3 years. Definitely not until after MLSM, Thunder, and Hail are prettyw ell-established. Mostly cause he doesn't necessarily want to go solo in the industry. (See trivia for details.)

[  Gravity  ] -- Definitely see Hyeontae attempting a more vocally-focused and emotionally-charged solo sometime after Paranoia, something in a different league than Boy With a Star. Gravity would be good for that, especially if it's something he works on after he starts to develop feelings for Saeran or whomever.

[  To My Bed  ] -- dance cover for the official MLSM or Thunder channel? Yes?

[  Fools  ] -- another dance cover for the channel, but maybe it's joke as like a freestyle after practice one day, and Sam or maybe Liam and Ian are there and they record it and "i know this is a freestyle but we should post this!" "wat" "too late, we're posting it!"

[  dance stuff  ] -- actually, most of these could work for the "i know you're freestyling, but let's put this on youtube" "wat" and then some of them (specifically the SM covers) could be good for more official covers!

[  Dance Monkey & Stage Break #1, #2, #3 ] -- Could be shared postdebut, and it's comprised of the more dance focused members of MLSM, or maybe it's the Thunder crew but when one of them is absent for some reason? Since Oneus did some of these during Covid times when comebacks were more uncommon, it would be cool if this is one of the ways Thunder/MLSM provide fans with content during Covid!