AEON : The Scandalous : Donghyun
personality
once upon a time:
confident, passionate, energetic, curious, hardworking
what life turned him into:
self centered and cocky, disillusioned, hedonist, crass, callous
donghyun is a walking cry for help.
He used to be an endearing young boy. he had that self-confident you can only find in teenagers, he was cool, had an opinion on anything and could turn anything into a harmless joke. Life was a wonder, he never said no to anything it gave him, and he was always enthuastic to discover more. he knew however that luck needed a little push, and working for what he wanted never scared him. On the contrary, the journey was just as important as the destination for him.
Life had just begun and his future was there for the taking. Until it slipped out of his hand.
The death of the father he idolized, and the last words he left him broke donghyun inside. he hasn't been the same since then. All the traits that used to make him an appreciated boy gradually turned sour. Instead of being confident, Donghyun became cocky and self-centered. Instead of being passionate, and loving life and everything it has to offer, he became disillusioned and callous. Instead of being curious and experiencing new things, Donghyun became an hedonist focused on the things he liked and is only interested in things that could give him pleasure.
every morning, he wakes up with one question in mind :
what am I ing doing with my life?
if you want to understand donghyun, you have to know how he thinks. And that boy thinks life is meaningless. He'll never be important, he'll never impact people's life like his father did. He's nothing. First the group wasn't successful, but now that it is, he's the least popular. When is he going to accept the signs that he's a useless piece of , who selfishly insists on singing because he just likes to and who doesn't actually impact the world in anyway so he might as well die ? The answer is "probably never" because donghyun is too much of a wuss to even pinch himself, so let alone kill himself, and he's too much of a coward to actually quit and get his life back in order. really, donghyun doesn't have much to live for lately. no family, no goals, no worth. if it wasn't for aeon, the guys and their schedules, he would never get out of bed. but he does, because being an idol gives him something to do with his days. No aeon would just drive him crazy. therefore he's desperate for the group to be well known. and he's making sure people talk about them. so he acts out. so he's scandalous. sue him. there's no such thing as bad publicity.
besides, scandals are fun. behaving badly is fun. it actually makes him feel something. thrills. there's no better rush than waiting for people's reactions. he's a troll in his heart. he starts arguments, makes bold statement to provoke an emotional reaction in other people. he can be quite savage and insensitive to people's feelings. especially since he has a foul mouth. so what. does that bother your pristine ears, you -eating ing ? If he has something to say, donghyun is not the type to beat around the bush. he'll tell you, and he'll tell you straight to your face. Scientists have proven that people with foul mouth are usually more honest than most. Donghyun is a living example of that theory. Science, .
this kind of personality makes it hard to get along with him. but he can't help it, chaos amuses him. there are not much things that do anymore. It prompts him to be restless in his search for distractions. he lives and behaves so as to get as much pleasure out of life as possible, because if life is going to screw him, he should make the most of it along the way. his belief is that the most important thing is to enjoy himself, no matter who he offends while doing so. he's going to enjoy the ride as long as he can. he's going to squeeze all the good things out of his current life and when there is nothing left, he'll improvise. he's good at that (or that's what he believes anyway).
you may say that donghyun is self-destructive and you might not be too far off. especially when you see how he behaves whenever someone tries to reach out to him.
you
donghyun refuses any kind of help. he vigourously keeps people at bay, because what good would come out of him finally letting everything out? Mental breakdown that's what. and he'd rather stay a sane and (relatively speaking) functionning human being, thank you very much.
I don't need your pity
also he would hate being indebted to someone. he doesn't want to owe people for letting them see him weak. what kind of weirdo would he be if he was grateful for letting people see him at his lowest. It's freaking insane. It's like thanking them for kicking you when you're down. come on.
I'm not your charity case
besides if people need to feel better about themselves, they should go visit children at the hospital. he's not there so people can fool themselves into thinking they're being nice. He won't play along the charade so they can feel better about themselves.
so off
it's not like he's actively trying to hurt people. he's not that petty. He's just too much of a devil-may-care. and maybe a bit too impulsive too. so yeah, when he has an urge, he acts on it. he flirts with people on tv, he shamelessly makes bold innuendos one after the other when he feels like it, no matter the situation, he loses control of his foul mouth from time to time, he doesn't pay as much attention as he's supposed to and has to improvise on the spot because hey, he's still being paid to be entertaining after all. because yes, although he's mostly detached about everything in the world, he still takes his job as an idol seriously. he restrains himself whenever there's a camera around. instead he smiles, he jokes, and he acts as y as he can. he can't afford to get fired after all. Now that he has only this to live for, donghyun makes everything he can so he can be a "good" idol. he pays a particular attention to always being entertaining when the camera is on him, and he oversells the "y" image. he becomes incarnate. He clearly overcompensate. it's not easy to know what he's overcompensating, but everyone can see he tries too hard at being a hot, he throws off his shirt any chance he has, he bites his lips way too much, and he has perfected the ardent eyes.
and every night, he falls asleep wondering to himself :
what the hell was that today?
because at the end of the day, donghyun knows he's acting like an . maybe he's not even allowed to put "acting" here, he's just an nowadays.
background
Chilhood
donghyun was born in seoul, raised in seoul and probably will die in seoul. his family has lived here for generation, and he's not about to let that tradition die. the meeting of his parents is worthy of its own romance movie. kyunghee, his mother, forgot to turn off her stove and let the pot on it before going out to buy some more groceries. it took longer than she planned and when she came back, her kitchen was on fire. she immediately called 119 and the firefighters were on their way. while they evacuated her floor and fought to bring down the flames, one of them stayed by her side to calm her down and tell her how things were going to go after the fire was down. let say that although the flames were gone, the sparks weren't. kyunghee and her firefighter, youngho, started dating very soon after that incident. their love was passionate, fiery and they couldn't get enough of each other. and then adulthood came knocking and responsabilities piled up. the appartment they moved in together was too expensive for their salaries, they used a lot of their savings in their wedding, and a child was on the way. money was the source of their problem, but not the only subject of their fights. because no matter what movies try to make you think, people who are too different don't always lasT.
donghyun's first four years were punctuated by intense screaming and fighting between his parents. he used to cry all the time because of that, until he unfortunately got used to it and started staying calm throughout the shouts. when he was four, his parents got divorced, and his mother moved abroad when her company offered her a job in tokyo.
since then it has just been him and his father. well, just him really. his father being a firefighter required him to work at odd hours. he didn't have a fixed schedule, and was often called back to work during his time off. donghyun didn't mind. his father was saving people. that was sooo cool. he used to brag about it all the time at school. when the other kids mocked him for not having a mom, he'd tell them he didn't need one because his father was a superhero, and what exactly did their father do? eventually, they outgrew their cruel phase, and the children turned into teenagers.
teenage years
his teenager years were the besT. taking his father as his role model, donghyun worked hard for what he wanted. he was a good student, appreciated by his peer for his sense of humor and his easy confidence, and his popularity only went up when he started singing during school events. he discovered his passion for singing rather late. he always sung to himself when he was home alone, so the silence wouldn't be so deafening, but that was just a habit he had. he didn't think about it. but then when he was 13, he heard the most beautiful song. R.E.M - Everybody hurts. the vocals, the haunting melody and the lyrics telling you to not give up echoed deep in him for some reason. starting then, Donghyun dreamed of being a singer. he practiced a lot, joined clubs, took classes to get better at singing. he even learned how to play the guitar.
at 15, he joined this no name agency, helix. he didn't really try out for the big name companies, as he was afraid they'd debut him in a boyband. he thought he had better chance at a solo career in a small company, where he would build a name and then leave for a bigger agency. training was okay, even though he never put too much effort in dancing. it wasn't worth the effort, he was going to be a solo singer! he compromised though: he would continue the dancing training, but he would start leaning how to play drums, as it's been a long dream of his.
aeon
yeah, that didn't last long. when he was told he was to debut in aeon, donghyun just stared. as much as he wanted to scream "hell no!", there were a lot of things to take into account. turning it down could mean being kicked out. turning it down would mean waiting longer to get money, which he was starting to need as he didn't want to burden his father for too long. turning it down would mean no debut. and let's be real, donghyun wanted fame. he wanted to be admired and loved. and if he debuted in a boyband, he could always start a solo career later on. it was just a mean to an end. so donghyun accepted and went along with what the company told him.
their debut in 2010 received mixed reactions, but donghyun was hopeful. and then they flopped. and they flopped. and they flopped. and they flopped. and aeon abandonned them. some of the other members wanted to produce the group themselves. donghyun decided to give a hand with the composition of the song. it was always a hobby of his, ever since he started learning the guitar. to compose it, donghyun started learning the basics on how to play the piano, and mostly worked with the help of other members who were musically gifted. it was a great learning experience, and donghyun enjoyed himself a lot.
but then again, as if it was aeon's curse, it flopped. and it felt like the beginning of the end. the deserter left. they all started to focus on their own life. chanhee started doing auditions. oh and his father died.
donghyun can't say he wasn't expecting it. his father fell ill a year into aeon's debut. and the doctors had been very clear from the start : there was no healing from it. the lung cancer was already too advanced. they gave him a little more than a year. and oh how accurate were they. youngo died in 2012. donghyun feels guilty because he almost was relieved at that point. taking care of his father during his last months had been a terrible experience. not only was it torture to see him go from a healthy and buffy man to a weak and too-thin-it-makes-you-cringe shadow of that man, but his weakened state influenced his personality. youngho became execrable, and grumpy, and jugdmental. he was stuck in the couch, or in his bed on bad days, and all he did was watch tv. he was very demanding of donghyun, always berating him when he was late. indeed, donghyun moved back to their apparment after the promotion for tic toc ended mid-2011 so he could take care of his father. he made sure he took his pills, helped him with his toilette, bought him his groceries, made his meals, and took him to his chemotherapy. it was demanding and time consuming. the time he didn't spend with aeon, he spent taking care of his father. donghyun slept very little during those months.
so yeah, as though he feels like a monster for thinking it, his father passing aways was a relief. or would have been if his last words hadn't struck him in the heart. His father, his hero, always told him to follow his dreams. so he did. how was he supposed to know that some dreams were better than others?
youngho stares right in his son's eyes, with a slight frown. "where... did i go wrong with you?"
"...what?"
"i just don't know" the older man mutters while his eyes take a distant look.
donghyun chuckles weakly, confused. "Dad, what are you talking about?"
"i wonder what i did to have such a failure as my son"
"..."
"You've done nothing with your life" youngho breathes with difficulty before coughing slightly in his hand.
donghyun finally moves from his deer caught in the headlights stance, and takes a desperate tone. "Not yet. but I'm following my dream, just like you did, dad"
youngho's face twists into a furious expression. "My dream was saving lives! Yours is fooling around on a stage while being eyeed by thousands of teenagers!" he goes into a coughing fit before calmly adding. "you don't make any contribution to society"
donghyun ran out of the hospital room. it was the last time he saw his father alive. he received a phone call from the nurses two hours later. they had been trying to get a hold of him for an hour now, but he didn't hear it, too focused on the bluring roads as he sped on his motorbike. they told him his father had passed away. that he fell asleep and din't wake up. that he probably didn't even felt it. donghyun thanked them, told them he would come back in the evening to procede with the administrative stuff and hung up. he spent a long time looking at the sea. he thought long about his father's words. as much as he depised them, there was some truth there. becoming an idol was a vanity driven goal, subpar to what his father had spent his life doing. how could he have even thought they could compare? donghyun almost decided to quit that night. but he didn't. because what else was there? he spent years now working to pursue entertaining. what other skills did he possess? he could bring nothing to society. his life was wasted. he was useless. he meant nothing.
so donghyun drove back late into the evening. he went through the formalities robotically. didn't think, didn't care, just went along with everything that was required of him. his grandparents having passed away and his mother wanting nothing to do with youngho anymore, he had to arrange the funeral by himself. he didn't tell a thing to the other guys, nor to helix. it wasn't their business. they didn't even know his father has been sick in the first place. it was his burden to bear.
the funeral was simple. he sang R.E.M "everybody hurts". people cried.
he didn't.
Fame
chanhee became famous. and it changed everything. helix suddenly remembered they existed. the members flocked back to the dorm, him included. it wasn't for the money anymore, what with the inheritance and him selling the appartment he was loaded, at least for a few years. it wasn't for the love anymore, what was there to love in him? except his body perhaps. when donghyun came back to the group, he hit the gym like no one else. if he was selling himself, might as well make those teenage girls drool.
as much as he loved the other guys, he wasn't as thrilled as some of the others about aeon's comeback. he wasn't disappointed either. he was just there. numb. ready to comply with any directions he was given, anything that could use up his time. progressively, donghyun became more alive. but not in a good way. focused on his numbness and the scarce left over pain, he stopped looking out for anyone that wasn't himself. Living in a world of pleasure became his goal. he started partying, drinking, smoking, even gambling, and had his faire share of girls. fame made all of those even more thrilling. it was easier to get girls, easier to open the door of vip clubrooms... although his lifestyle can be pretty excessive, he's always been careful to keep it moderate enough so it wouldn't interfere in his idol career. as mentionned several times, being an idol is what gives him things to do. actual, concrete stuff.
when they shot to fame, he went all out with this lifestyle, but as time passed he calmed down a little. fame seemed here to stay, the guys provided him stability and schedules never ran out. but as the contract expiration date is approaching, and success seems to start to slip out of their fingers, donghyun is facing his old demons again, and he seems just about to spin out of control yet again.
as everyone knows, aeon has had quite the miraculous success story! it is nothing if not inspiring. when you debut, did you ever guess that you would become so popular?
donghyun displays a big smile. "Well I certainly hoped so! that's the dream, isn't it?" he chuckles for a few seconds before sobering up. "I'm really grateful to be where we're at right now. the guys really deserve it. they all worked hard! ...I Kinda feel bad for them, having to watch me being a natural and all" he jokes lightheartedly, but means it a little in reality.
Ah but the road wasn't easy, was it? what was it like for you when your group had nothing?
"it hasn't been the easiest journey, but I'm glad our hardships can inspire people. people has to follow their dreams, you know? if we can be part of the reason they pluck up their courage to take that leap, then I'm happy and proud."
I'm not responsible for their fall though. it's not like all dreams can be achieved. and most of them are shallows anyway. not worth following, really.
"but really, having to go through that, having nothing and fearfully waiting the disbandment that looked like it was coming..." donghyun trails off. "it was rough and distressing. it really makes you discover a whole new side of yourself."
a whole new side indeed.
"I feel like I left chilhood and truly became an adult back then. Fortunately, I'm the fun kind of adult" he winks at the camera and sends a kiss.
there were rumors that some of you got part time jobs or studied or trained all day in the hopes of getting better. how did you spend the time when you had hardly any schedules at all?
"I trained a lot" donghyun disregards his previous claim about being a natural. in fact, he did train, but mostly he spent that time depressed and then recklessly trying to have fun anyway he could.
"I was really focused on aeon and trying to be the best i could so the group could have more chance of becoming successful. you can't just try something if you're not going to give it your 100%, you know? Never half- two things. whole- one thing" he nods and crosses his arms with exaggerated solemnity.
also, i didn't have to work because there are upsides to having your father die. Like the inheritance. Yay.
thankfully everything turned around in the end. how did you feel about your sudden increase in popularity?
"It was amazing!" donghyun grins widely. "Like a dream come true for all of us."
more like a welcomed distraction. I could finally function again instead of going through the motion with no meaning. here's to hoping the hype lives.
was it difficult to adjust for you? so suddenly going from almost unknown to have a mass of fans?
"the suddenly having fans thing was.. it was different. but a good kind of different. I love all of them so much I wish I could meet them all. that's the reason for me going out to clubs, you know? you can write that" he points to the interviewer's notes, a mischievous smile on his lips.
i think I adjusted perfectly. at least I used our new found fame, that's better than shying away from it, right?
of course that popularity opened doors for you too. did you end up doing any solo work or branching out into other areas? or did you stay focused on the group?
"actually I've been taking a few composition classes, and I've been practicing my music instruments, but apart from that, no I haven't really been branching out. aeon is life, yo!" donghyun makes the aeon hand sign at the camera. "but to be honest, I have this project someday to compose my own solo album and get it out there. there's nothing concrete yet though, so we'll just have to see".
how do you feel about the restof the group? did your shared harships bring you closer or did fame push you away from them?
"I love all of them. I'm just full of love, you know?" donghyun laughs. "they've been my rock through all of it. our hardships definetly brought us closer together."
not really. but success did.
"I can't imagine my future without aeon. I owe them so much, it just feels wrong thinking of a life without them. Somehow, someway, they're going to be part of my life, I just know it."
unless there's a sucessful solo career waiting for me. It's not like I don't like them, I do. but I have to brace myself for aeon's end, because it is going to end someday. and between them and a busy life, I have to choose a busy life.
thank you so much for this candid interview. do you have any last words for your fans?
"Sure!" donghyun smiles at the interviewer before turning fully to the camera. his expression turns humble, and there's no trace of his previous mischievousness in his voice.
"I know I've been a burden sometimes to the group. I understand you not liking me because of it. but I want to thank all of you. because although you could have hated me, you've tolerated my screw-ups. although you could have stopped supporting aeon because of my foolishness, you've stood strong and backed us up. you've been a source of inspiration throughout the years, your dedication, your support, your love is what make us move forwarD. I hope we still have a long journey together because... these past few years have been the best of my life. and I'm selfish that way" he chuckles at the last bit.
ugh, the things I do for fame.
father : choi youngho : 47 (at time of death) : firefighter
youngho was brave. he was courageous. he was kind and nice. he was a modern day superman. athough for him to be superman, you'd have to discard his fiery personality, his temper, his passion. youngho was a man of action, who lived his life day by day, who craved the rush of going into danger and who couldn't deal with a plain ordinary life.
youngho was his son's idol. donghyun craved to be like his father. he had a big impact on him. both good and bad, as it been explained in the background. now everything that reminds him of his father, every good memories he had, have turned bittersweet. nothing feels the same.
mother : lee kyunghee : 51 (in 2017) : head of the marketing department
kyunghee is ambitious. sHe knows what she wants, thinks long about how to get it, and does anything to archieve her goal. sHe's very resourceful. sHe's a smart woman who managed to get where she is by herself so it goes without saying. sHe's determined, or rather she's stubborn and doesn't give up easily. sHe also have a hard time admitting she's wrong, because she's prideful.
kyunghee moved abroad when donghyun was very young. he didn't get to see her a lot when he was just a child. when he was a teenager, he decided to get in contact again, and he tried visiting her on school holidays. that's how he met her new husband, and her daughter. but he never managed to create a link with any of them. they were strangers. he just felt like he didn't belong and quickly enough he stopped visiting.
nowadays, kyunghee's not family. she's an obligation. because of their blood relation and the judgy society that is south korea, he has a duty to visit her on the korean Lunar new year, and be with her when she comes to korea for chuseok. he also sends her a card for her birthday. but that's about it.
likes
- the group
mostly because it gives him something to do
- his body
-
- pizza
- hugs (but it's a secret)
dislikes
- pain
- his impopularity
- life
- ice cream
it's too cold. and he hates brainfreeze.
- being on his own (it's also a secret. he hates life, and doesn't care about people, ok?!)
habits
- manspreading
who knows why? maybe he's unconsciously trying to make himself more imposing or to mark his territory?
- biting/ his lips
he thinks it's y.
- he has a conversational tic : he adds "you know?" at the end of his sentences a lot when he speaks specifically to one person.
hobbies
- watching tv slouched on the couch
- riding his motorbike until his mind clears
he also does it to run away from his troubles or his responsabilities when they're getting too much for him to handle.
- going out to party
- going to the gym
he works out a lot to be able to compete with youngbae's body
- gambling
fears
- spiders
he's deadly afraid of them, and shrieks like a girl when he sees one. he then refuses to do anything until the spider is dead or has been moved outside.
- flying
he's afraid of taking the plane, but still has to if he wants to visit his mother, or later for their activities abroad. he usually takes sleeping pills so he's knocked out for the duration of the flight.
- Needles
really donghyun hates pain, he's not even able to pinch himself. needles are just the devil incarnate for him, because it actually pierces his skin!!
other facts
- he's in a one-sided competition with the leader about who's the iest. obviously fans think he's no match for youngbae and believe he's just desperately looking for attention.
- Donghyun could be a good cook, but he hates using knives that are too sharp, so he sticks to easy dishes. they're delicious easy dishes though.
- he smokes, but only when he parties. but he parties a lot. and alcohol follows suit. he drinks too much and always comes home wasted after a night out. he's not the kind of friend who will take care of you. he's always going to be the one who needs being taken care of.
- he changes hairstyle a lot. especially the color of his hair.
- donghyun likes gambling because of the rush of excitement. he used to be constantly broke after squandering his inheritance money, but as years passed and donghyun eased up on his lifestyle, his funds became more stable.
- he's pretty good at hiding his real personality and his bad habits to the public, but mishaps happen hence his reputation of being scandalous.
- he also makes scandals on purpose whenever he feels the group's renown is dropping down.
- his impopularity mostly comes from him trying too hard to be popular, and his numerous scandals.
- he plays the guitar, drums and piano. although he plays the guitar wonderfully, and can hold his own with the piano, he's still not very brilliant at drums although he keeps working hard.
donghyun's sanity is closely linked to aeon being successful. not only does it force 5 guys to stick with him, providing him stability, but it also occupies his time. giving him too much free time is just asking for troubles.
he doesn't like helix because he thinks the agency isn't using them to their full potential.he also has a solo career in mind, but he's too afraid to just take a leap and do it, because if it's not successful, then he's screwed. so his current ideal plan would be to get away from helix but with the other guys. anyway, he'll stick to aeon and goes along with anything they decide. can't afford otherwise.
dob: 04/13/1995
occupation: newly employed at choi hyeran's coffee shop (2017)
personality:
inyoung is a casual person. she doesn't worry much and prefers having fun, even though she wouldn't purposely push a problem away and enjoy herself instead. sHe just can't say no to entertainment when an opportunity arises. and sHe's often the one creating the opportunity. inyoung is a bit hyperactive, she has to busy her mind and is always searching for something fun to do. When there's nothing to do, she turns into motherhen mode and starts taking care of her loved ones. if you receive a phonecall from her, you might want to take an hour out of your schedule and prepare yourself for the onslaught of questions, advices and nosey-ness that accompanies it.
sHe's naturally friendly, yet she doesn't let anyone step on her. her temper, which is rarely seen because she prefers settling problems calmly, can be deadly. sHe's really very hard to anger, but once her anger explodes, no one can escape from it. sHe hauls anyone whom she can spot, and blames them for an anterior behavior or any tiny details she can think of. It's just that when she's angry, she has to blow off some steam, otherwise she would cut herself off from others for several days to calm down.
But it's very rare. she's a very casual person, it really doesn't take much to make her happy. sHe's down-to-earth. inyoung likes when things are easy.
love story:
inyoung and donghyun met in Choi hyeran's coffee in early 2017, when they were all trying to decided what to do with the expiration of their contracts coming up. donghyun headed out to hyeran's coffee shop because he wanted to talk to chanhee about it but couldn't get a hold of him. he figured he was hanging out with his girlfriend. he was right. which means they weren't at the coffee shop, obviously. inyoung was the one who told him, in between taking orders and preparing the drinks. he saw she was struggling, but she mostly seemed worried when she looked back to the storage place. when he saw several unopened boxes through the partially opened door, he figured she had to store the newly arrived products, but she was struggling with the massive arrivals of clients. so he just headead for the storage place, under her protests, and started filing the products.
when the client line thinned out, she joined him and they finished in record time. she offered him coffee as thanks, and he drank it by the counter so he could keep talking to her, being careful to keep his hat covering most of his face to clients ordering.
ending:
I'd like their relationship to have an open ending. I didn't develop her much because I don't want Donghyun to have a love interest during the story. I'd rather they meet in the final chapter and then it's up to the reader to figure out how their relationship is going to turn out. I want it to end on a hopeful note, without diving into it.
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