“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars and change the world.”

Waterbender ✩ Dauntless ✩ Instinct ✩ GryffinPuff ✩ Lawful Neutral ✩ INFP-T

 

personality traits 

hard-worker, creative, open-minded, persosnable
altruistic, observant, honest, idealistic
self-conscious, private, hyper-critical, sensitive

personality

hard-worker, hyper-critical

“Ten, eleven-- …where’s Jisoo?”
“Practicing, probably.”
“Still?”
“Yeah. He said he was having trouble with the footwork during the bridge, wanted to stay behind to work on the timing.”
“….typical Jisoo. He’s been practicing long enough. I’ll go grab him. Just sit tight and keep the kids in the van.”

From the very beginning, Jisoo has been a hard-worker, determined to prove himelf not just to those around him -- his peers and fellow trainees, the trainers, his labelmates -- but to the people that had supported him from the beginning: his mother and father, his younger sisters, and his older sister, Sieun, leader of SM Entertainment’s prostigeous GJSN. Following in Sieun’s footsteps has been everything Jisoo has ever wanted for as far back as he can remember. It’s always been his dream to be a singer, a performer. He would never be a dancer, not like her, but he could sing and work hard to prove himself. And so he did. Upon acceptance into the company, Jisoo worked hard to prove himself, first as a regular trainee, and then harder still to keep his place within the ranks of the SLJK-B program. Post-debut, he’s known in Paradox for his singing ability, but he refuses to be the weak link, putting in the hours necessary to be viewed as the team captain that he is. He’ll never be on Sam’s team, but that doesn’t mean he can’t put in that extra effort.

On the other hand, Jisoo is often unnecessarily critical. And not even so much of his unit, but of himself. Yes, when his boys are lagging behind, he’ll criticism them, but always gently, with care and with encouragement to follow. There’s always ways to improve, and ways to better their addition to Paradox’s music production, but Jisoo is careful to be as positive about thing as possible. They’ve made it this far under Madame Kang’s scathing scrutiny, they don’t need his own on top of that. But as the saying goes, Jisoo is his own worst critic, harder on himself than he’ll ever be on any of the other Paradox boys – even his own team. He’s careful to learn their limits, but he’s not so good with his own. And like with his elder sister, “good” often just isn’t good enough, prompting Jisoo to push until his exhaustion is bone deep and his weariness shows in not just how he holds himself, but in his thousand-yard gaze, the expression of someone that no longer knows for sure where he’s supposed to be or what he’s supposed to be doing.

open-minded, personable

“Have you seen Jisoo?”
“Ah…yeah. Yeah, this morning. I think he went to work on one of the new songs with the other captains. Why, did you need him for something?”
“No! No, I just… I wanted to thank him, is all. I was really missing home yesterday, and-- …he just....gives really good hugs.”

If one is asked to describe Jisoo, one of the first things to come to mind will be his open demeanor and his willingness to accept any and all exactly as they are. Now, that’s not to say that if there are major issues, he won’t try to push them into better habits – looking at you, Koji, with your flirt-with-everything-on-two-legs habit – but more so that Jisoo accepts people. You’re gay? “Congratulations.” An alien? “Welcome to Earth!” Trans? “What pronouns do you prefer?” He’s a very, very good boy, and he tries hard to always not just give off the impression that he’s going to accept you as you are, but that you’re welcome to be yourself around him, that he won’t judge you for being whoever (or whatever) you are.

Like his sister, and despite being more introverted, Jisoo is an incredibly personable individual. He gets along with just about everyone, and he always has something nice to say to everyone, from the company’s senior groups to the SM Rookies, from the underpaid managers to the unpaid interns. Jisoo takes the time to learn everyone’s names, and while he won’t expressly seek someone out just to say hello (after all, the SLJK-B boys don’t get out of their training building all that often), he always has a smile and greeting to offer when they do happen to cross paths. It also makes him something of a favorite among the trainees, because they know that when they need a kind shoulder or miss home, or when they just want someone to smile and remind them their hard work will pay off, Jisoo is there. Jisoo is /always/ there, offering everything he can.

observant, honest

“What are you doing?”
“Oh— I, uh. …nothing.”
“It doesn’t look like nothing.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Okay. Then if you’re not doing anything, you might want to work on your evaluation piece.”
“…”
“I noticed you were still struggling with the turn, and the others have already moved on to the verse after the chorus. If you’re not careful, Hyoyeon will start picking on you in front of Madame Kang instead of just in front of us, and you’ve worked too hard to give up now.”
“….do you know where Koji is?”
“Probably being dramatic somewhere. But I just saw Sam heading into one of the practice rooms. Want me to come with you? I could use the practice, too.”
“…yeah. Yeah, thanks.”

It’s gotta be a family trait or something, the ability to see and somehow know, because like Sieun, Jisoo has an uncanny ability to see all the pieces and somehow put the puzzle together. Maybe it comes from years of following in Sieun’s footsteps and helping to raise their younger sisters in the absence of their hard-working parents, at having to see when they’re struggling because they hate putting additional pressure on their elder siblings and their parents when everyone is already so busy with their own lives. Or maybe it’s because Jisoo’s just good at it, at listening and seeing, and understanding. Whatever the reason is, Jisoo is observant. But more than just the good things, he sees the bad and troublesome, too. He sees when the boys of Paradox are struggling and he knows when he needs to step in with a gentle smile and a guiding hand. But he also sees the lingering touches and wistful smiles, the grit teeth and the tense shoulders, and all the other little things that can spell trouble.

In these such cases, Jisoo’s penchant for honesty can be a bit troublesome itself. If someone asks him something (or about something), he’s not going to lie to them. That’s just how Jisoo is – he doesn’t like to lie unless he has a damn good reason for it. And he’s not going to sugarcoat his words when he does it. (Though, he will tell someone all the things they’re doing well when he offers his criticism.) His honesty is blunt, but not brutally or cruelly so. That refusal to lie doesn’t always do him any favors. Sometimes the advice he offers is advice they don’t necessarily want to hear – to work harder, to let go of a relationship. But sometimes it’s exactly what someone needs in order to better themselves, and at least they know it’s something Jisoo means in the best way possible. And, in that same way, they know that’s one of the ways he’s trying to look out for them.

creative

“What are you working on, Jiji?”
“Music. A song.”
“Well, yeah, I figured. Why?”
“Inspiration hit. I couldn’t just ignore it.”
“It’s late. The others are in bed. You should be, too.”
“I’ll go soon. Promise. I just...need to get this melody down.”
“....alright. Soon, okay?”
“Yeah. Just give me a minute and I'll go to bed. I think I've...almost got it....”

For the first few years of Jisoo’s life, he was convinced he was going to be an artist (and, for a brief couple of years, an architect). The boy loves to draw, and he has a thing about buildings in particular. In fact, it’s not uncommon to find Jisoo watching art or architecture videos in his downtime or before bed. But after Jisoo decided to pursue being an idol, that creativity was channeled into a different direction. Jisoo began pouring himself into lyrics and melodies, songs he’d hum to his younger sisters, words scrawled into countless notebooks that he’d take to and from school with him. But still, it wasn’t until Jisoo joined SM and began to take classes on how to focus his creativity that he began to produce the basics of good music. Even now, Jisoo still creates -- art, music (though the music might be viewed as a given, considering the nature of Paradox).

altruistic, idealistic

“What sets Paradox apart from other idol groups? That’s just it. We’re not an idol group. We’re artists. We write our own lyrics and raps and we compose and produce our own songs. Our dance team, led by Sam and Koji, designs the choreographies for our songs. We’re not just an idol group because we’re self-producing. Our company will help us actually record, produce, and promote the album, but we’re the ones that put all of the work into it’s physical creation. Every song we create and produce is our own, born of our blood, sweat, and tears. Each and every one of us has sacrificed to make it to this point. We’re the best of the best, and we’re leading the new generation of artists under SM Entertainment. That’s what sets us apart.”

Jisoo is kind. Too kind. Too giving. He’s good at it. A lot of what he does, he does for those around him. He tries hard to help the people around him, the boys of Paradox, the girls of GJSN. But his boys especially. Hours -- days -- slaving over songs, practicing until his feet ache, being the shoulder to lean on and to cry on, a hug for the lonely, comforting words for the upset, and a port in the storm when things are tough and the tough need to keep going. It’s good to give. But Jisoo will often cross the line, giving too much, too freely, forgetting to think of himself and forgetting to ask for what he needs, too. Being selfless is good. But there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. And Jisoo will fail before he lets his team fail.

He believes in the best of people, another trait he shares with his sister. She raised him that way, to expect the best of people (and to give them a second chance, should they fail). It sets him up for hard battles sometimes, when Jisoo puts too much faith into an ideal or a person, expecting them to prove him right only to be proven wrong. It didn’t take long to learn which people were worth it and which weren’t -- in fact, Jisoo learned that quickly, learned who deserved his faith anad his tireless optimism -- but he isn’t perfect. And his belief that everyone’s worked hard to make it to this point, to the SLJK-B program, to debut with Paradox... He’s too optimistic sometimes. Too idealistic. It’s just a matter of time until he learns that not everyone made it through hard work alone, and not everyone has his -- or Paradox’s -- best interests at heart.

private, sensitive

“Ji? ...Jiji? Jisoo, look at me.”
“...mm?”
“....Ji, are you okay?”
“.....yeah. I’m okay.”
“You don’t look okay.”
“I’m okay.”
“You don’t sound okay.”
“...I’m okay.”
“Ji. Jisoo. You don’t have to lie to me.”
“......just...give me a minute. I’ll be okay.”

Sieun was a trainee for a couple years before Jisoo auditioned and was accepted at SM as a trainee. During those years when she struggled at FNC before being passed over, and then the time the followed after she joined SM, Jisoo learned some very important lessons about privacy. And the fact of the matter is that trainees don’t have any except what they make for themselves. It was a lesson he learned again after joining SM.The only privacy he was given was what he created for himself. Specifically, his secrets, and only the secrets he didn’t breathe a word of to anyone else, were the only things that remained private and his own. Anything he told the other trainees eventually slipped to someone else, whether because of loose lips or big ears listening in. And so Jisoo learned that if there was anything he didn’t wanted shared among the other SLJK members, he had best keep it to himself. (Or, at the very least, make sure it was only Sieun he was speaking to.) His reluctance to open up to others has lended to Jisoo being acknowledged as a reticent and shy individual. And really, he doesn’t mind. 

Jisoo’s more introverted nature and his tendency to be critical of himself and his abilities has made him careful of the words around him. While he’s developed a thick skin as a trainee, a necessity to withstands Madame Kang’s barbed compliments and skewering insults, he’s still sensitive to comments, especially those of his peers. He knows, of course, that Madame Kang, Heechul, and Hyoyeon are meant to better him as an artist, and he knows that he has to take their comments to heart without letting them drown him. The problems come from his peers, fellow members of the SLJK program (now GJSN and Paradox), the regular trainees and ex SLJK members, and the Rookies program that he was pulled from. Jisoo is aware of the competition between their groups. He knows that it’s friendly on many levels, that their competiton is meant to better them all.  But he also knows that there’s no way to avoid the fact that the boys of Paradox, once they debut, will be set against NCT. They may not promote at the same time nd they may avoid that direct confrontation between the boys and their fans, but only a fool would see the competition as strictly friendly. The comments from NCT, offhand and passing as they might be, and anything he sees from their fans -- and fans of other artists -- about their music, their choreo, their everything... It will cut deep. 

self-conscious

“That was...awful.”
“Man, it was brutal. Did you hear the way Madame Kang ripped into him?”
“I know he didn’t sound amazing today, but he’s sick. He didn’t speak at all today just so he could save his voice for the performance.”
“He didn’t sleep last night, either. I had to go to the bathroom and he was tossing and turning in his bed. Koji said he caught Jisoo in the bathroom at like four, too.”
“Yeah... ....did you see the way he slumped when Madame Kang rounded on him?”
“...yeah. Calling him talentless was a bit over the top. Looked like he was waiting for the floor to swallow him alive so she wouldn’t see him crying.”
“Woah, woah, woah, wait. Jisoo was crying?”
“Sure looked like he was about to.”
“That’s....not good. We should....probably tell someone.”
“.....yeah.”

But perhaps Jisoo’s biggest fault as an individual is how utterly lacking in confidence he can be. He knows he’s good -- he was pulled for the SLJK-B program, after all. He debuts with Paradox, he’s the captain of the vocal team, and he has one of the heaviest hands in the creation of their songs and lyrics.... But. But he lacks a stable confidence in himself, and therein lies all of the fault in....everything, really. No matter where Jisoo is, how good he’s feeling, how high, and mighty, and seemingly unshakeable. All it takes is a single well-delivered comment to shake him. Hurtful comments from fans and netizens, scathing commentary from Madame Kang, even a sideway comment from one of the boys of Paradox can do it. And then begins the long process of building himself back up again. 

“You had this expression on your face, like you weren’t quite sure you were supposed to be on Earth.”

background

• [ 1996 ] Jeon Jisoo is born on December 5, 1996, to Jeon Jiwon and Lee Sohyun. He’s their second-born, and his older sister, Sieun, immediately takes a liking to him. At this stage, his parents have been together for a couple years now, and the backlash of their marriage has subsided somewhat. But even so, their parents don’t come around to meet their new grandchild, not initially. So the family remains a happy collection of four.

• [ 2000 ] Jisoo is three when the twin, Sumin and Sora, are born on May 30. While he’s too young to be of any real assistance to Sieun or the sitters they’re eventually left with while their parets are at work, he does what he can to stay out of trouble and otherwise be a good child.

• [ 2003 ] Siryung, the third and final younger sister -- and the fifth child to the family -- is born on November 1, barely a month before Jisoo’s seventh birthday. Siryung is preamtureand weak, and as a resuslt, there’s a stretch of time that Sohyun has to spend at the hospital with her, leaving Jisoo and the twins in Sieun’s care. During this time, Sieun takes over the babysitting for her parents, but Jisoo is her right hand man and second in command at all times. (Not that it says much, because Jisoo is also the second eldest, and she can’t very well appoint only one of the twins as he second in command.) Still, as her second, Jisoo helps Sieun get the twins ready in the mornings, usually by helping prepare their breakfasts and lunches while  Sieun gets them dressed and ready. After school, while Sieun learns songs and dances to entertain, Jisoo buses them with arts and crafts and different art-focused activities. At night, Jisoo gets them into the routine of a couple episodes of some anime or another, and a short story or chapter of some book before bed.

• [ 2004 ] When his mother and youngest sister finally come home in January, the family’s lives alter ever so slightly as Sohyun begins working from home to spend more time with her children. Sieun and Jisoo hurry home after school every day so they can help in their own ways -- Sieun more with the actual caregiving and Jisoo more with the cooking and cleaning, and with keeping the twins distracted in order to allow Sieun a little time to herself here and there. When Sieun decides to show off what she’s taught herself, Jisoo is all for it and helps to set up stages for her to perform on with blanket backdrops and stuffed animal audiences around himself and the twins. Years pass in thiss way. And maybe it’s a little selfish, but it isn’t long before Jisoo is struck by the stars in her eyes when she dances for them, struck by the exhilaration on her face when she finishes a dance and he knows as well as she does that she’s done it right. He’d do anything to let Sieun keep that happiness.

• [ 2008 ] This year marks another drastic change in the famiy’s lifestyle. After a couple years of tiptoing around the possibility of the idea, the mere concept of such a dream, Sieun ends up enrolled first in dance lessons, and then in vocal lessons a year or so later. Jisoo is all of twelve years old, but with Sieun busy pursuing what he knows is her dream -- even before she herself knows, because how could he not see the way she lit up from the inside? -- Jisoo brings himself to take on more responsibility at home. He takes over a number of Sieun’s duties, such as helping the girls with their homework, helping his mother to cook and prepare lunches, and setting up thier baths (though he does draw a line there, much to their amusement). Jisoo also gets the girls more involved in anime, reading, and languages, and the four of them watch through a couple episodes of an anime each night and read a chapter of a book together. To amke it fair, they rotate the choice after every completed season or book, so everyone gets a turn. And in turn, it helps to boost Jisoo’s language skills, giving him something to bond with Sieun over as she comes to the conclusison that yes, performing, being an idol, is what she wants.

• [ 2010 ] This is the year that Sieun begins her company search in earnest. It’s also the year that Sieun is gone more and more often from home, leaving Jisoo with the girls and a hole to fill in their hearts. At night, sometimes reading just isn’t enough, and more often than not, Jisoso finds himself singing soft lullabyes to them until they begin to drift. But with a limited repertoire of songs, Jisoo has to sstart hunting down more. Luckily, he has a way with melodies, and by watching many of the same programs Sieun had watched while learning her dances, he begins picking up new songs to sing, too.

• [ 2011 ] Much like Sieun, however, it’s just a matter of time until Jisoo gets the idea into hiss head that maybe he, too, might want to be an idol. He’s still young of course -- he’s barely even fifteen, he still has so much school to do -- but the thought of spsending his life making music, performing and singing, of bringing joy and relaxation and happiness to people... It’s a hard concept to ignore. But Jisoo also knows that Sieun... Well, Sieun’s not home much. And when she is, she’s tired and distressed because her company isn’t the best, and they don’t take care of her like they should. He’s not susprised when he doesn’t make the lineup for FNC’s girl group AoA, but he does know to offer Sieun words of comfort and how there’s something better waiting for her. he just has to find it. But she will. He knows she will.

• [ 2013 ] In April, after a couple months of trying to figure herself out, Sieun joins SM as regular trainee. At the time, Jisoo cheers her on, knowing that of all the companies it could have been, SM was the best choice. It was the company whose artists had really paved the way for her dream, introducing her to the idea of performing and singing. Her idols were there, and her dreams were, too. And with Sieun taken care of, the eventuality of her dream back on her horizon, Jisoo follows in her footsteps and approaches their younger sisters to talk. When they give their support, Jisoo approaches their parents next, laying out his hopes and desires for them. After all of Sieun’s time struggling in FNC, their parents aren’t thrilled with the idea of having a second child in the industry under some form of contract, but they also know that Jisoo has a good head on his shoulders, and that he’s not going to just jump into something blindly. A week or so later, Jisoo starts on vocal lessons of his own and begins trying to teach himself dances from the tv program like Sieun had. (And if he has to text her on occasion, asking for pointers, she’s only too happy to help.)

• [ 2015 ] Sieun seems to just completely disappear in summer of 2015. While the girls worry, Sohyun assures Jisoo that it’s something to do with her training, and that Sieun will call them at the end of the week to tell them all about it. Except she doesn’t. Tell them, that is. Sieun smiles, a smile Jisoo can hear over the phone, and “mum’s the word, Jiji.” Jisoo takes it as the clue that it is, the clue that Sieun is preparing for something big, and he’s ridiculously happy for her. And in return, Sieun is ridiculously happy for Jisoo some weeks later when, at an open audition in late November of 2015, Jisoo is added to SM’s trainee roster just in time to celebrate his 19th birthday. (Sieun even manages to sneak out to see him. It’s just for a moment, though, and from the sweat on her brow and the brightness of her eyes, Jisoo suspects that she’s probably snuck away from a practice, and he wonders who she’s managed to bribe the assistance of.) [tbh it’s probably Youngmi and either Hwayoung or Suna]

• [ 2016 ] For all of four months, Jisoo is a regular trainee under the company, slotted into the Roookies program like all the others in his situation. But Jisoo is both smart and observant, and he sees the way trainees just disappear now and again for what seems to be no reason at all after the start of the new year, including several of the really good ones. He has his supicions (if there’s a girl project, surely there’s a male counterpart somewhere in the works, too, that’s one of The Rules) but Jisoo can’t prove anything. At least, not until, in late March, he, too, is pulled frmo the Rookies program for this project. (He’s relieved, once there, to see some many of the trainees that had so abruptly disappeared from the other program. He’s even more so when he crosses paths with his sister later that day and he realizes that he’s truly not alone any more.)

 

“There is freedom waiting for you,
On the breezes of the sky,
And you ask ‘What if I fall?’
Oh but darling,
What if you fly?”

training

— Jisoo joins SM Entertainment in late November 2015, literally days before his nineteenth birthday. 

Almost immediately, Jisoo is slotted into the SM Rookies program with a handful of other trainee hopefuls. As the younger brother to longtime trainee Sieun, Jisoo quickly becomes not just a topic of conversation, but one of /the/ trainees to meet. Sieun has built a legacy for herself, and Jisoo doesn't realize what exactly that means until one of the other rookies, Yuta explains that Sieun is part of a top secret program created by Madame Kang, and that her involvment began right when the program itself did. She was sone of the first in, and the other rookies think that she can take it all the way. It’s then that Jisoo first hears of the SLJK program.

Jisoo is accepted into SM primarily for his vocal skills, though he is told that his budding work with lyrics and melodies is a nice bonus. His dancing needs work, but there’s a raw talent there that the audition panel could clearly see. He’s expected to work hard, so he does. Being an idol is his dream, and that’s a good motivator, but living up to Sieun’s legacy is another, and both combined finds Jisoo putting in all the extra time in the practice and training rooms as he can. If he’s not singing, he’s dancing. If he’s not dancing, he’s singing. If he’s not singing or dancing, he’s “taking a breather” and scribbling away in his notebook or picking out a melody on a keyboard and adding notes to that notebook.

Over the months that follow, he shows marked progress with both his vocal and dance work, something the other trainees see and comment on and something that even the trainers compliment him on. He’s getting attention, and with that attention comes pressure to succeed and do better. Jisoo spends more time practicing, training, polishing his abilities. He almost misses when one of the rookies abruptly disappears from the program without a word.

But then another goes, and a third, two more, a regular trainee here and another there. Jisoo can’t prove anything, and he definitely can’t get anything out fo the staff he asks (he knows better than to ask his fellow trainees), but he has his suspicions. After all, if there’s a girl version of the project, there’s gotta be a boy version, either active or in the works. But nothing is confirmed, not until late March 2016. At that point, Jisoo is pulled for a meeting with the terrifying Madame Kang, and he’s informed that he’s been added to the program. And in the same breath, he’s told to work hard, or he’ll be cut. So Jisoo does. He does work hard.

(And he’s beyond relieved when, first day of practice with the SLJK-B group, he sees the famiiar faces of all the boys that had disappeared from the Rookies and regular trianing program.)

[bonus: A couple days after his addition to the program, he runs into Sieun in the halls between lessons and cries while he hugs her. At this point, he probably hasn’t actively seen her since before she was added to the program. Some of the SLJK kids witness. Some turn it into a joke (#SieunsBaby) but others are touched by the fact that Jisoo is following in her footsteps.]

[bonus #2: Jisoo doesn’t kno for sure, but he believes that depsite only being a trainee for a few months, he was added to the program because: 1) he was showing some leaderly qualities like Sieun, 2) vocal ability, 3) his creative/composing/writing ability. And because he’s self conscious of how little he trained before the program, he tries to work extra hard to help the other trainees and to just become better himself at every posssible chance.]

talent twins

— [ vocal captain ] lead vocal + lyricist [bu: sub-captain/main vocalist #1

— vocal twin : San [ x x x ] [bu: Jun x x ] Jisoo hasn’t been training as long as some of the other guys, but you can tell from his techninque and the sound of his voice when he sings that he’s worked hard to make up for it. He projects well both when singing normally and when dancing -- an excellent quality for an idol to have -- and he has a fairly stable sound to his voice when dancing. In short, Jisoo is one of those guys that you’ll never catch lip syncing to the music of you remove the audio. Main 1 and Main 2 are stronger, of course, and arguably better, but they haven’t had the same burden on their shoulders that Jisoo has (after all, their sisters aren’t the leader, vocalist, and dancer of GJSN). And from an objective standpoint, while they might sound better, he performs better hwile singing. He still has room to grow and improve, and he knows that (and he never forgets it), but he’s still young. He’s getting better.

— dance twin - San [ x x x ] [bu: Hongjoong x x ] Jisoo isn’t a dancer. It’s one of the first things he’ll tell you. He’s not his sister, he can’t move like Sieun does. And he’ll never compare to Sam and Koji when it comes to technical and fluidity. Can't even really par with Lead 1 and Lead 2. But he’s a good dancer. He works hard and he pours every ounce of everything into the choreography when he performs. As the hip and cool kids of Paradox put it, Jisoo goes hard. He may not be his sister, but he sure can’t let her down. Besides that, his passion for performing, for singing and spreading music, gives him an edge when dancing that the others just can’t touch. Jisoo gets into it and he goes for it, and Geokkulo absolutely eat it up. They make it a point in comment on their videos and at fansigns to gush about his expressions and how into it he is, how incredible his stsage presence is in general, but especially when he's dancing. (The running joke among the fans is that if the dance unit had to add a fifth member, it would be Jisoo.)

— rap twin - Lee Know [ x x ] Look, there's a reason Jisoo isn't on the rap squad. Rapping is a skill he picked up over the years, but it's not one that he's worked to hone in that time. When vocal unit need a rapper for one of their songs, Jisoo is happy to lend his talent to that. Or when the rap unit want to collab and he ends up with rap lines. 

— flexibility twin - San [ x x also refer back to the dance videos yep tyvm]

[bu: Kihyun! but the others stay the same?]

scandals 

— [20xx? post GJSN debut, pre Paradox]
technically he's involved in that "wtf is dating GJSN's Sieun??!" thing where he's caught at a cafe wth her and she's like "yes this is my brother isn't he precious" on GJSN's twitter. which is still a thing that should totally happen, but since I'm actually writing this with him as a trainee now.... They get permissison to go out, it's a free day or them both, or it's a free day/no schedules for Sieun and Jisoo is on a break from lessons or something. So after Dispatch/AKP/Kboo/etc blows it up, to clear up the "scandal" Sieun gets permission from Madame Kang to reveal that it's her brother and Madame Kang basically "that's fine, but no mention of him being in the SLJK-B program." so since Jisoo will have briefly been in SM Rookies, some sharp-eyed fans might recognize him, but more do after that because Sieun does her whole "this is my baby brother, isn't he cute? he wants to be an idol, too! please support him if he debuts, okay?" and fans eat it up. except some fans... some eagle-eyed fans are "wait. he was in SM. he's still in SM. but not the Rookies. is he debuting soon?" and it quietly hyped for SM doing /something/ but they assume he's in a new NCT unit or something. (and then Paradox does their predebut stuff)

— [20xx] Paradox's Jay wants to go solo?
FALSE. During some interview or Vlive another, and probably after AAO hasn't promoted for a little while (probbaly post the G: W/NV repackage from PRDX I mean these boys literally go nonstop), something Jisoo says is mistranslated and misconstrued. He makes a comment about how he's been staying busy and working on a bunch of solo songs and it's meant to be that he's hinting that he's helping produce solo songs for the individual members of Paradox (and maybe the GJSN girls too!), but whoever is translating and subbing the live misconstrues and it's presented as he's working on solo songs....for himself. It goes over about as well as you'd expect. Fans fight, some arguing that Jisoo can't see himself as a soloist (he can't) and that he can't see himself without Paradox (he also can't), and that the translation is wrong. Other fans argue that if he went solo he'd have more of a chance to show off his stuff and that if he wants a solo debut eventually (like many vocalists do), then he should get one. Eventually, SM gets involved. They release a statement. It's formal and hoity toity and obnoxious in the way that most official statements are. And in a sibsequent Vlive, Jisoo is there and he promptly explains "I would like to release more solo songs in the future, and I am working on some for myself for future albums, but I'm also working on songs for the Paradox memebrs, and for our sister group, GJSN." And that settles that.

— [20xx; whenever fits] Paradox Jay dating GJSN member! here's proof!
FALSE. Every group as close as GJSN and Paradox are will get a scandal like this eventually, and Jisoo doesn't exactly mind? He's not interested in them, after all. They're like sisters to them. And even if he could consider it without feeling like he was dating a sister, Sieun might actually kill him. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Jisoo is working on solo/project/group songs for GJSN and he gets caught meeting up with the girls to discuss business. Except it doesn't look like business. It looks like Jisoo going out for a coffee with one of the girls...and girl that is definitely not Sieun (who, at this point, has obviously had the "dudes it's my brother not my boyfriend??" scandal, so fans know it's not her). But it's one of the girls (oh my god let it be Youngmi or Hyejin or one of the girls that has an established love interest that knows he sees them as a sister, so later they can "dude, you're dating my girlfriend? how could you? i thought we were bros!" "I-- I'm not dati-- wait what") ANYWAY it's a GJSN girl, fans know it. Cue the photos on social media, Distpatch has better ones, high quality ones, but in response to fans putting blurry versisons online, SM issues a statement saying they're not dating and that anyone cauhgt spreading false information will be prosecuted. A month or so later, the song is released for SM Station or on the girls' album and the girls probably go live first and that girl in particular sighs and "Jisoo produced my song. besides, he's like my brother." "and he's scared of Sieun" "all the boys are scared of Sieun" "this is true" and that's that.

— [20xx; whenever fits, but after he falls hard for Sam] Fans worried about Paradox's Jay after they listen to Paradox's new album
TRUE FALSE. Unlike most of the previous scandals, this is more of a headline, one written by fans for fans (though it does eventually gain tractionon clickbait sites like akp/kboo, though the article title is /drastically/ different. meaningless is released as a bside, probably on an AAO album, and the fans immediately notice when the album's track list is released that Jisoo is the only name on the song. Written, produced, composed, all of it. So they're excited. And then the album drops, and they listen, and suddenly they're scared because the song is so emotionally heavy. To fans, it's a warning sign. It doesn't take long for social media to blow up about it. One day, fans start posting about how Jisoo's been off some days, on the way to schedules and at those schedules, on vlives and at fansigns. Like yeah, he smiles for the fans and interacts and everything, and he's generally kind of quiet anyway, but he's /quiet/ and it stsrikes them as wrong. And fans are just. Concerned. They're all so concerned. Some take to social media and start tagging the Paradox social accounts in cute things because they know Jisoo stalks the account. Others start up tags on twt that trend for days at a time. Eventually, Jisoo ends up on a vlive with a few of the Paradox guys or he posts a random update on twitter or ig, casually asking fans how they like the song and telling them that he wrote it because he was trying to reach people feeling down and hopeless, and that his next song will have an uplifitng message for them to explain that even when you're down, it always getts better, so don't give up. (What Jisoo doesn't tell them is that he was feeling that way, down and hopeless, hurt, alone, losing direction. The song was for himself, his way of exercising the hurt in his heart so he could finally start to move on from it, and that maybe he'd sat one the song for  a few comebacks before submitting it to be added to the tracklist, which is how the fans find so much evidence of him being down and out. And the guys are worried, too, of course, but the hardest part about being an idol is lying about when the people around you are hurting. The younguns spend more time with Jisoo, holding his hands, hugging, cuddling, clinging contantly, and the other captains task the  vocalsubcaptain with keeping an eye on him with them, to let them know if he gets down like that again. ....just in case. They can't afford to lose Jisoso like so many other idols have been lost. Up to you whether Sam has an idea that it's partially his fault.) #WeLoveYouJisoo #GeokkuloLoveJay

— tbs bc I'm uncreative and scandals are hard. i just. i don't think he'd get in trouble much unless it's accidental? so tbd

 

“To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best day and night to make you like everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight and never stop fighting.”

 

likes

— classical music, choral music, literally all the music, Oh My Girl, Dreamcatcher, Disney movies, composing, writing lyrics, reading poetry, hot tea, disaster movies, horror movies, summer, cuddling, freshs fruit

dislikes

— articifial grape flavoring (it tastes like purple >: ), coffee, energy drinks, mangos, bees, wasps, spiders, anythign that stings/bites, planes, clowns, being too cold

HABITS

— picking at his fingernils, biting his lip, wrinkling his nose (especially when thinking), blinking slowly/zoning out/tuning people out when he's thinking particularly hard (usually about something music related), washing dishes*, dancing/running**

HOBBIES

— collecting Beanie Boos, cooking, drawing, watching art videos on YuTube, reading poetry (mostly in English, though he enjoys Korean and Japanese too), listening to muic

FEARS

— failure, Madame Kang, disappointing the boys of Paradox (or his family), being abandoned/left behind

SPECIAL TALENTS

— playing piano, drawing, he has a really good memory for numbers (ie. all the members birthdays....in order by birth month/day and in order by birth year, etc), those jump scare videos & people scare additions (he doesn't scare easily

Jisoo's playlists!

♪ ♫ general — 5 Seconds of Summer's Youngblood, Marshmello & Bastille's Happier, Avicii's Broken Arrows, Alessia Clare's I'm Yours, Bella Thorne's Walk With Me (aka Charlie's Song),  Owl City’s Vanilla Twilight, Ryan Star’s Brand New Day, Ryan Star’s Unbreak, Ryan Star’s Losing Your Memory, Sleeping At Last’s Saturn, Raign's Knocking on Heaven's Door, Avicii's Forever Yours, 

♪ ♫ anime — Goose House's Hikaru Nara, LiSA's Unlasting, DAI’s Fukai Mori, LiSA’s ADAMAS, LiSA’s Crossing Field, UVERworld’s Odd Future, UVERworld’s Touch Off

♪ ♫ instrumental/choral — Mark Summer's Julie-O, Eric Whitacre’s Fly to Paradise, Whitacre’s Seal Lullaby, Ludovico Einaudi’s Nuvole Bianche, Ludovico Einaudi's I Giorni

 

“You’re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.”

 

trivia

— favorite food: dried fruit pieces/chips/etc, chicken fried rice, bulgogi
— favorite drink: sweetened tea (cold), mint tea (warm)
— favorite ice cream: butter pecan
— favorite number: 13 (ironically, this was his favorite number long before Paradox was a thing, and now it's even more so his favorite/lucky number)
— favorite word: halcyon
— favorite color: deep blue 
— favorite animal: owls
— favorite flower: jasmine or sunflowers
— favorite sound: the  ocean
— favorite season: autumn
— favorite artist(s): Oh My Girl, Dreamcatcher, NCT, GJSN, Reverse team, P_R_D_X, 
— favorite songs: see playlists
— personal IG, Youtube, & Twitter: jsoosings96
— ideal type: Jisoo likes to say he doesn't have an ideal type. But when pressed for an answer, he'll eventually smile and, "Someone that makes me want to be a better verison of myself." He's always very careful not to use pronouns, because he wants all fans to feel included.***
— favorite Paradox song: Don't Wanna Cry
— favorite P_R_D_X song: From Zero
— favorite A_A_O song: Violet
— favorite vocal unit song: Habit
— favorite rap unit song: Check In
— favorite dance unit song: Lilili Yabbay
— favorite Reverse team song: Dramarama
— favorite Upside team song: All Night
— *Sometimes Jisoo needs to think, and sometimes he just can't get away, so he heads into the kitchen, shoes everyone out, makes himself some spearmint tea, and starts washing dishes. Best thing to do is leave him alone for 10-15 minutes, then send in either Sam, Rap Cap'n, or Voc Subcap'n to check on him. At that point, Jisoo generally puts them to work drying and putting away the dishes, and talks through whatever he's thinking so hard about.
— **If washing dishes doesn't work or doesn't give him enough time to think (or on the off chance that he's actually really angry rather than pensive), he'll excuse himself to go practice (dancing, usually an old choreo or something he learned on his own time) or to exercise (aka run/job).
— He's not allowed to have coffee. Jisoo explains it as something like a mild allergy, but basically drinking more than a sip or two of actual coffee will give him an upset stomach and make him jittery. He can handle almost half a can of the Starbuck energy drink coffees, but even then, it's not worth how jittery he gets. 
— Jisoo has a single Beanie Boo that he sleeps with every night. It's the medium-sized verison of it (and he has the smaller actually in his collection.) Although its given name is Yago, Jisoo has renamed it Blue.
— He collects the smaller versions of the BEanie Boos. When fans find out, they think it's precious.
— He auditioned at SM with the snngs Lucifier (for his dance), and Kyuhyun's A Million Pieces (vocal). Eventually, fans ask about is audition video and he explains that he chose A Million Pieces because it had been released so recently and Jisoo wanted to show his vocal abilities, and Lucifer because it was the first time boy groups were really seen as being more than just pretty faces. It was Lucifer and it's complicated dance that had boy groups in particular being seen for their dance abilities.
— Jisoo is a HUGE Oh My Girl fanboy. Like, he's stanned them since debut. He actually knows all the dances. He adores them. If he ever met them in person... Well, he might ask Seunghee semi-seriously to marry him (she's his bias) (not that he'd get away with marriage, oh no, Sieun would shut that down in a heartbeat)
— He's also a huge Dreamcatcher fan because he's an anime and manga nerd and they basically have that vibe to their music. 
— ***This is part of why he adores Dreamcatcher. Their songs, save for their covers (and even then they generally don't change gender pronouns because they are QUEENS), are all gender neutral, allowing all fans and listeners to feel included. It's made Jisoo want to do the same thing, and it's made him conscious of how he responds, so that all fans that are listening will feel like it applies to them.
— If you think he doesn't corner Yuta one day and stare at him until Yuta gets uncomfortable, you'd be wrong. And if you think Jisoo doesn't threaten vague harm if Yuta breaks his sister's heart, you'd also be wrong. (Not that anyone would ever be able to pin it on him. He's a good boi uwu and he loves his big sister.)
— Since he's on the Upside▼ squad, he hypes them a lot, but dude he hypes tf out of the Reverse team. Like, that's kind of the genre of music he really enjoys, you know? Stuck and Beautiful were his jams, so you know he hypes the hell out of that group when they promote their songs, or when they release b-sides on the group/'s albums.
— Same with P_R_D_X. Jisoo may primarily end up on A_A_O's albums in their unit, but P_R_D_X releases a lot fo music that he really vibes with, so you can bet he hypes stf out of them, too.
— Sieun is trying to teach him how to play the guitar. They don't have enough time together, so he's also learning from the internet. Someone in Paradox, take pity on this boy and help him.
— When Paradox end up on flights to wherever, Jisoo absolutely has to have a window seat. If he doesn't, he gets motion sick. Even if he can't see anything out the window but clouds, he has to be able to look out the window, or he will literally spend his entire time in the bathroom. (Or drugged. He needs the window or he needs to be drugged until he sleeps through the entire flight.) 
— Like Sieun, Jisoo is also allergic to mangos, though his allergy isn't uite as bad.
— Unlike Sieun, Jisoo is severely allergic to bee and wasp stings. And if one stings him, you better be prepared to rush his to the hospital.
— Whenever the boys have to go out anywhere for shows or to record MVs, Jisoo makes sure to bring a bag with stuff for the kids to do (like books, a deck of cards, etc) while they wait so they stay busy and out of the way. But in that bag, he also has an epipen for himself. The managers know its there, as to the other captains. Just in case.
— Sieun raised him to avoid swearing, so you knwo that if Jisoo actually swears, some Actual is about to go down 
— Jisoo likes to collect lotions and candles. His favorites are the summery scents and those with spearmint in them (like B&BW's Stress Relief)
— here

Jisoo said/did what?

— "Sam? Sam, there's-- dammit Sam."
— "Don't worry, okay? You can do this."
— "I believe in you."
— [insert random positive/uplifting quote]
— "I'm okay."
— "No, Koji." / "Koji, no."
— “Have you heard P_R_D_X’s new song, [songname]? Isn’t it amazing?!”
— “Their comeback song this time is amazing!” (“You always say that, Jisoo.” “And I always mean it!”)
— [insert hYPE]
— [insert repeated humming of a released song or an unreleased/in-production song]
— go crazy,

 

“Sometimes people are beautiful. Not in looks. Not in what they say. Just in what they are.”

 

relationships

  

— [ beloved parents ] • Jeon Jiwon & Lee Sohyun  // 50 & 44 // 7/10

Jiwon and Sohyun were always fairly busy when Jisoo was younger and still at home, but Jisoo knows that being a parent and supporting five children is a hard task. And now more so than ever before, as Jisoo helps to co-parent a squad of eleven other boys and his coparent/leader, he understands the hardship and he appreciates everything they’ve done for him and his sisters over the years. He’s just grateful now that they support him and Sieun both. After he starts getting his paychecks, he starts sending some home for his parents and for his sisters.

  

— [ favorite sister ] • Jeon Sieun // leader of GJSN // 24 // 9/10

Sieun is... Well,  Sieun is the best big sister that Jisoo could ever ask for, and he makes it obvious how much he loves and adores her. It’s because of her -- her support, her early praise and exposing Jisoo to music and dance when they were children -- that gave Jisoo the idea to pursue being an idol. When Sieun eventually joined SM Entertainment, that was when Jisoo chose follow her to the company, unafraid of being compared to her. They had their own strengths, after all, and he worked hard to be able to join her. Training in the SLJK program was hard, but the two bonded over it, with Sieun often offering Jisoo tips and tricks she’d discovered over the years as a trainee to better himself and his skills. And then, as idols, they remain close, talking often, whenever they have a chance, and leaving text messages for each other when they don’t.

Down the line, when Jisoo’s emotional and mental health plummets, Sieun is one of the first people to notice, despite being outside of the group, and she’s also one fo the first to reach out to him in her own way. (And when that doesn’t work, she reaches out to the boys of Paradox instead.)

  

— [ treasured sisters ] • Jeon Sumin, Sora, & Siryung // 18 & 15 // 9/10

Jisoo has a fierce and deeply-rooted love for his sisters. He stayed with them even after Sieun left to begin training at FNC, and while she initially switched to SM Entertainment. He helped his parents raise them in a way that Sieun just wasn’t around for and, as a result, their bond runs a little deeper. He’s also closer in age to them. Sora, ever a dreamer, is considering being an idol. She has the voice for it, like Jisoo, but she’s also got the skill to dance like Sieun. But she also wants to act and model. She’s beautiful and talented, and no mater why she chooses, Jisoo can’t wait to support her. Sumin, her twin, has always wanted to be a cop or go into some sort of justice field. At the present, she’s thinking about going to university for psychology and eventually going into criminal justice. And Siryung, precious, baby Siryung, the sweet social butterfly that she is, wants to be a teacher. Jisoo talks with them whenever he can, and his free time to be on his phone during his time as a trainee is usually spent calling or texting them.

  

— [ the princesses ] • GJSN // 8/10

As the female half of the SLJK program, Jisoo’s closer wth the girls of GJSN than he is with any of the other females in SM Entertainment. On top of that, he made it a point to get  to know them when possible because they were Sieun’s girls, and she was so very proud of all of them. Jisoo has his favorites, of course, the ones he gets along with better than the others or the ones that have a little bit more of his heart, but he truly does love them all. 

Though if he had to point out his favorites (if you plied him just right...) Sieun (of course), Youngmi (for always having a smile and kind word to say), Ai (for always being her own sort of beautiful and being happy as herself), Suna (actual baby), Hyejin (soff mom to Sieun’s cool dad tendencies). Additionally, in Jisoo’s phone, GJSN are currently saved in his phone as Disney princesses. 

Sieun [Moana], Hyejin [Snow White], Ai [Mulan], Youngmi [Rapunzel], Yeram [Pocahontas], Soojung [Belle], Jian [Elsa], Ines [tbd], Marelaine [Megara], Hwayoung [Merida], Suna [Alice], Jiyeong [Tinkerbell??]

  

— [ the kings ] • Paradox // 9/10

The boys of Paradox are a mess, but they’re Jisoo’s mess, and he loves them with a ferocity that is unmatched. He’s protective over them, sometimes quietly like he is with the GJSN girls, but sometimes much louder and more direct. But because Jisoo also sends more time with the boys, because they live and practice and create together, he’s allowed to show them more love and attention, and thus is able to shower them with more praise and do more to boost their confidence.

Again, Jisoo has his favorites. But this time he sure won’t be saying anything about it to anyone. (But if you’re not blind, you might be able to guess.)

Like their better half, Jisoo has a selection of cute and funny nicknames in his phone for  the Paradox boys: characters from the musical CATS (the original broadway version, not the new version) [to be updated]

  

— [ Mungojerrie, captain ] • Sam // member of Paradox, dance team captain // 9/10

Sam is... Sam is special. And Jisoo’s relationship is Sam is special. Sam was the first trainee Jisoo met. And, as a result, Sam is the one that Jisoo felt closest to for a long time, especially after his addition to the SLJK-B program. He was one of the older trainees in the group, an outstanding dancer (and therefore someone Jisoo felt comfortable approach about his own inadequacy), and a good vocalist. He was good company when practicing, provided he wasn’t running the boys through their paces during dance practice (like the savage the younger trainees sometimes called him), and he was just...good company in general. A shoulder to lean on when Jisoo was tired, a comforting word when Jisoo began to doubt, and a smile whenever Jisoo was down. Sam has always had a spot in Jisoo’s heart. And in return, to thank him, Jisoo has done his best to keep Sam and Koji and all the boys out of trouble -- Sam and Koji in particular -- as well as taking care to steer Sam clear of the usual glass hazards.

  

— [ Rum Tum Tugger, trouble ] • Koji // member of Paradox, dance team subcaptain // 7/10

Koji is, for all intents and purposes, chaos and mess in human form. When he says  hew ants something, he generally actually wants something else. When he gets that something else...maybe he actually wanted that first thing. He’s like a petulant cat, one known to push objects off a counter or table in full sight of their human just to be a troll. He’s chaotic and a mess, not in an evil way, but certainly in a way that drives those around him crazy. For the most part, Jisoo takes him in stride. When Koji flirts, Jisoo flirts back. When Koji pushes, Jisoo pushes back. It’s like a game to the Japanese male, and with years of caring for three very loud, personable young women, Jisoo’s learned how to handle one loud, saucy boy. And when Koji isn’t getting his flirt game on, or encouraging the youngsters of Paradox to set things on fire, or otherwise causing mayhem and mischief, he and Jisoo get along decently well. But when he is... Well, he’s probably Public Enemy Number 1, and Jisoo’s good at handling that

  

— [ Pouncival, soff beb ] • Keumsan // member of Paradox, dance unit // 9/10 

Keumsan and Jisoo are very similar in a lot of ways. And, as such, he’s one of Jiso’s favorite memebrs of Paradox. Normally, Jisoo is the one that everyone goes to when they’re feeling lonely or down and out. And he doesn’t mind it, really. It’s nice to be needed and wanted. But sometimes Jisoo is lonely and homesick, too. In those instances, he tends to gravitate toward Keumsan in search of tactile affection and reassurance. Addiitonally, in general instances, Keumsan is the one Jisoo often gravitates toward in public, because Keuman is young and sweet and doesn’t mind when Jisoo pets his hair or holds his hand, or hugs him from behind and waddles around with him. At the dorm, this means a lot of the afore mentioned affections and the addition of cuddling. (It’s also not uncommon for Keumsan to climb into Jisoo’s bed in the middle of the night.)

  

— [ Victoria, entire babie ] • Sol // member of Paradox, dance unit weak link // 8/10 

Sol is a babie, an entire babie, and Jisoo absolutely adores him. He’s so, so young, so innocent and naive to the world of the industry, and he reminds Jisoo of his younger sister, Siryung, because of his age. But in spite of Sol’s young age, he really does have a talent. He’s funny and cute, genuine in a way that only young people can be. Sol’s very energetic and playful, reminiscent of an oversized puppy, and similar in that when he’s bored....sometimes he gets into trouble. Luckily, Sam and the dance team tend to keep him busy. And when they aren’t, Jisoo is quick to steal Sol to help him in the kitchen or to dance with him, or do...whatever else it is that Jisoo can find for them to do. Sol’s just a youngun and a big ol’ baby, an entire babie, and absoely Jisoo’s baby. Aware that Sol is the dance team’s weak link, Jisoo will sometimes stay behind to dance with him on group stuff so he doesn’t feel alone, because Jisoo can always use the practice and sometimes it’s easier when you’re not going at it alone.

  

— [ Mistoffelees, actual sunshine ] • Yonggeun (Apollo) // member of Paradox, rap unit subcaptain // 9/10

Yonggeun is a bright and cheerful individual, and someone that Jisoo took an immediate liking to as soon as he was added to the  SLJK-B program. His friendly and playful nature made him good with the younger Paradox members, but his optimism and cheery demeanor made him one of Jisoo’s favorites, too. Plus how he liked to encourage Jisoo’s tactile tendencies. Definitely a bonus. Yonggeun has a tendency to look up to Jisoo, much to his flustered surprise and delight, and Jisoo does what he can do help Yonggeun whenever he needs it. And because of Yonggeun’s creative abilities, he’s one of the people Jisoo most often invites into the studio to hear his opinion of the music he’s been working on (solo and group work) before he offers it to the rest of the group.

  

— [ Tumblebrutus, grumpy ] • Byungwoo (Mystic) • member of Paradox, rap team weak link // 7/10

Byungwoo is hard to describe. So in turn, it’s  hard to describe Jisoo’s relationship with him. Jisoo has a deep respect for Byungwoo, for how he left behind what he knew (esport gaming) in order to pursue being an idol. It had to have been difficult, in more ways than Jisoo could ever imagine, and he’s always quick to tell Byungwoo when he’s doing well, and to offer little tips here and there when he sees something that Byungwoo might be able to better. Jisoo knows Byungwoo is the weak link of the rap team, and as such, he has a soft spot in his heart for the male. 

  

— [ Admetus?, co-commander ] • Kihyuk (Kiha) • member of Paradox, vocal team subcaptain // 8/10

Kihyuk and Jisoo heads at times, due largely to their differing attitudes and personalities. but for the most part, the two get along well. Kihyuk is charming and loyal, protective of their team an their group. But he’s also competitite and arrogant, and his tendency to dig into the affairs of others doesn’t always end way. Especially with Jisoo, who is a private individual. but for the most part, Kihyuk is the balancing force Jisoo needs as his subcaptain. His ability to emphathize with those around them and his opinionated nature make him good yo go to when Jisoo need someone to tell him not just what he needs to hear, but how he needs to hear it. And his competitive nature makes Kihyuk one of the driving forces when Jisoo is feeling unmotivated. 

  

— [ Coricopat, the best behaved one ] • Natsuya • member of Paradox, vocalist // 8/10

Natsuya is perhaps the member that Jisoo gets along with best. Despite his age, he has a level head, and he's not just kind, but thoughtful. He cares for those around him, particularly the members of Paradox and especially the vocal unit. Jisoo enjoys curling up with him, and all the cuddles and tactile affection. (An extra bonus is that they end up in the subunits together a lot, and they're both in Upsidedown, so much cuddling to be had.) One of his favorite things to do with Natsuya is steal him to help in the kitchen when Jisoo is making dinner (when and if Jisoo can boot dormmom Mingyu out.)+

  

— [ Tantomile, the quiet one ] • Geumwoo (Geum) // member of Paradox, vocal team weaklink // 6/10

The first thing that Jisoo will say about Geum is that he’s a hardworker. The second is that he’s almost too hard of a worker. He pushes himself in ways that Jisoo is unfortunately familiar with, and ways sthat aren’t often healthy. But Jisoo understands. Geum is the vocal team’s weak link, but Jisoo doesn’t understand why. He’s a good vocalist. Initially, he was untrained, and he had a very raw sound to him, but he was passionate and the sound was emotional and real. Geum wants this, to be a singer, a performer, and Jisoo can understand that all too well. And sometimes... Sometimes you suffer through the worst hardships in order to follow your dreams. Sometimes those dreams are all you have. Jisoo knows that, and in that way, Geum has a special place in his heart. s the vocal captain, Jisoo goes out of his way to help Geum when and how he can. But sometimes... Sometimes it just feels like he’s falling short somewhere.

[Initially, Jisoo and Geum aren’t terribly close. Geum is quiet and solemn and keeps to himself, and Jisoo is also private and quiet unless he’s parenting the kids. But the two eventually bond over music, over their insecurities, over how they’ll go to any lengths for their dreams. And about a year or so into debut, their closeness is more at like a 8/10.]

  

— [ the regent ] • Madame Kang // ~40s // boss lady // ~5

Madame Kang is... Well, to put it simply, she’s terrifying. And Jisoo knows that she’s supposed to be terrifying. That’s how she keeps such a rigid control over the SLJK project. That’s how the weeds out the best trainees from those that could do better. But that doesn’t make Jisoo feel any better. And even though she added him to the program only a couple months after it began, and even though she’s never pulled him from the program despite his shortcomings in both his vocal and dance abilities, he still...worries. He worries, and he’s particularly worried whenever she singles him out for an extra dose of criticism.

 

  

— [ the mentors] • Hyoyeon & Heechul // members of SJ & SNSD, mentors // ~6/10

Jisoo has an, admittedly, odd relationship with Hyoyeon and Heechul.

On one hand, Jisoo thinks Heechul is a bit of a vodka aunt, always sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong, fingers in too many pies, always stirring up drama where they don’t need any damn drama stirred. But on the other hand, Heechul is honest and not necesarily kind, but at least genuine when he speaks to the program. He does right by them when he can, and aims to soften Madame Kang’s words and cruelties when he can’t, and Jisoo appreciates the fact that Heechul cares enough to be their voice for them. Heechul is the reason their dating ban is so short, and he’s probably one of the reasons they have as much freedom as they do, and certainly a reason that they can get away with some of their  weirder songs and concepts. Jisoo appreciates him. ....but he also definitely doesn’t want Heechul vodka aunt-ing anywhere near him, thanks very much.

And Hyoyeon is... Well, as one of the team’s mentors, she’s hard on them. But she’s not cruel about it. Just strict. Better than anyone else, Hyoyeon knows what SM looks for in a dancer, and the boys of Paradox all kind of need help in that aspect. In order to meet SM’s standards, they need all the help they can get. Jisoo appreciates Hyoyeon’s help when it comes to his dance, but he also appreciates her wisdom when it comes to singing, too. It’s not easy to get a compliment out of Hyoyeon, so Jisoo always holds it dear when manages to get anything positive out of her.

  

— [ dorm mother ] • Dong Mingyu // 27 // dorm mom // 7/10

Mingyu is basically Paradox’s dorm mom, and also kind of their actual mom, or at least their mom away from home. Jisoo looks upon him as more like an older brother than a mom, but Mingyu doesn’t seem to mind. He also doesn’t mind when Jisoo helps out in the kitchen, cooking the food and wahsing the dishes. Even though it’s technically Mingyu’s job, sometimes Jisoo likes being able to do something to distract himself. It’s also a way that he’ll sometimes bounce ideas off of Mingyu, or talk through some of the things that bother him that eh can’t discuss with the younger boys.

  

— [ bad cop ] • Cho Eric // 28 // road manager & bad cop // 5/10

Manager Eric is, in short, the bad cop. He’s the one that’s strict with Paradox, and the one that essentially disciplines them and does all the things that the boys moan and groan about. He’s the strict one, the hard one. Jisoo respects his ability to stay hardened to Paradox’s shenannigans, but even then, he’s not Jisoo’s favorite person. But Jisoo respects him nonetheless.

  

— [ dude bro ] • Danny Kim // 27 // road manager &  questionable cop // 8/10

Jisoo first met Danny at the gym when Danny was tasked with testing all of the boys and seeing where they needed to improve their physical health and strength. He’s later tasked with being another of the road managers, and their security guard, and their translator, and a number of other things.  It means the boys end up spending a lot of time with him. Ironically, he strikes Jisoo as a bit like an older Sam, which means Jisoo is immediately taken with him, finding comfort in his dumb jokes and his easy-going nature. (But at the same time, was distressed to sometimes feel like he had another child to watch while Paradox was on schedules. At least Danny didn’t share Sam’s habit of running into glass doors.)

  

— [ chaos ] • NCT // labelmates // 6/10

Jisoo only trained with the boys of NCT for a short period before he was pulled from the Rookies program and added to the SLSJK-B lineup. And most of the time he did spend with them, he spent with the vocal line. They were nice enough to him, they knew his sister, and they knew that she’d find them if they bullied her kid brother (not that they would, but the threat was absolutely there). But the fact remained that Jisoo was only one of the SM Rookies for a few months before Madame Kang stole him away.
During that time, Jisoo became moderately close to Jaehyun, Doyoung, and Johnny, largely because the first two were vocalists and because the latter treated Jisoo like a sibling in Sieun’s stead. On the rare days that the boys get to interact with the Rookies and those that haave debuted in NCT, Jisoo can usually be found hanging around Doyoung and Jaehyun, or Johnny and whoever he’s with. Over time, he’s gotten closer to the other NCT boys, particularly the dancers (whom he likes to watch), the other vocalists (especially when they can trade tips), and the Dreamies (because they’re his sister’s ages).

 

 

“Don’t you think it’s better to be extremely happy for a short while, even if you lose it, than to be just okay for your whole life?”

 

what would you add to the paradox team?

— The question is a simple one, and yet it feels loaded somehow. Had Madame Kang thought up these questions as a test? Jisoo wouldn’t put it past her. After a moment, the male smiles. “I add a solid voice to Paradox. I may not be one of the main vocalists right now, but I have the ability to be in the future if I continue to work toward it. I also bring a creative drive to the team in for form of my ability to produce and compose. I’ve assisted in the production of every song on our debut album, some more than others, and I have a number of songs already done and ready to be approved for later projects.” Jisoo pauses then, tilting his head thoughtfully before his smile widens. “I also have excellent hype skills. No one will hype Paradox and its members like I will.”

what are you confident in? what do you lack?

— “I’m confident in my voice,” Jisoo says immediately, without missing a beat. “And I’m confident in my team. We are Paradox, and we are the best of the best that SM Entertainment has to offer. We create, produce, compose all of our own music. We choreograph our songs ourselves. Our units and individual members all assist in some aspect or another when it comes to the production of our final product. So that’s my strength, alongside my voice and my producing ability. My strength comes in the form of my confidence in them.” His expression flickers a little, then falls, sheepish. “I’m not the best rapper. I can do a liner two at a time if a unit song calls for it, but I’ll never be asked to join a rap unit cypher or anything.”

which seniors do you look up to? why?

— “All of the seniors have contributed in some way or another,” he says safter a moment, thoughtful. “But I suppose my inisal desire to be an idol was triggered by performances by Super Junior, TVXQ, and Shinee. My sister was into female groups like SNS  and Brown Eyed Girls, but for me, it was SM Entertainment’s senior boy groups that really got to me. They were the ones that showed me it was possible to entertain and bring joy to the public while doing what I loved. In recent years, the debut of Exo and NCT just reiterated that belief. I won’t say that I want to be just like them, but I do want Paradox to be the sort of group that children can watch on music shows and think, ‘I would love to do that too’.”

where do you see yourself in ten years?

— Ten years is a long way off. Jisoo almost says that, too, frustrated and amused, but at the same time, he knows that groups are staying around longer and longer, surviving the five nad seven year curses and well on their way to a decade anniversary. And Jisoo knows like he knows his own name, Paradox will be able to do that, too. So really, it’s not all that farfetched. “In ten years, I see myself still doing this. I see myself producing and performing. I think in ten years, Paradox will be a world-wide name, we’ll be touring the world, stopping indozens of countries and cities, meeting hundred of thousands of fans, and sharing the music that we’ve created. I think, in ten years, we’ll still be here, doing what we do, doing what we love, and setting the bar ever higher for all the groups that have to follow us.”

 

 

 

 

last comment Hi, I needed a reason to use this gif of Minho looking lost and damaged. I'll be honest when I say that sef-conscious isn't the word I wanted in the persosnality section, but I couldn't find the one I really wanted?? at least, nothing that was only a word or two long and sounded right. Not even unconfident fit right and kdjalklad I'm honestly so bothered by this one word not being THE word and >: I'm very many angry frowny faces. also the number of times my fingers accidentally typed Paradoz instead of Paradox, if I had a dollar, I'd probably be filthy rich. And uh. I divided the bottom part into two sections, one for actual song suggestions/solo projects for Jiso, and one for me spamming you with Paradox and GJSN group and collab ideas because I'm trash

solo projects / songs

— solo ideas, choreographies, acting, whatever <3
— Euphoria [bside?] [bonus; a concert stage, and Sam or Koji has designed the choreo]
— A Song For You [SM Station? or solo song; ft. Paradox rapper]
— Way Back Home [SM Station; members of GJSN and Paradox feature in the video (like Jian and maybe Youngmi are the main girls? and Sam the performing dude, but all the members are in there somewhere and fans play iSpy for weeks to try to find them all)] this release also garners a lot of attention and eventually Jisoo releases a version featuring an English-speaking member of Paradox, and an acoustic version.
— Stay Here [SM Station/bside]
— Heart is Beating [OST; replacing Gaho]
— Tomorrow Today [SM Station, duet with the sub captain?]
— Take Me Away [bside, vocal duet #2 ftw, again sub captain?]
— Different [SM station or bside, features a GJSN member (maybe Jian?)]; after this mv is released he's heavily shipped with this girl so all the Paradox guys joke about it (this is made better if she's interested in one of the NCT guys and he's just "blinks slowly but she....doesn't like me that way why are you like this--") but also Jisoo getting to show off his rap a little bit alongside his singing uwu
— Meaningless [bside; this song is the one mentioned in the scandals section! so please refer back to that for more details uwu]
— Toward Tomorrow [bside, ft Paradox boy]; this song is the follow up to Meaningless, and it really does put everyones' minds at ease. bonus points if Jisoo approaches Sam about being in the duet with him. triple the points if this is after Jisoo tells Sam about how he feels and this is when Sam  either returns it and they're happy together or Jisoo has told Sam that he wants to put aside his feelings so they can still be friends and Sam agrees to the duet as a show of good faith]
— Heaven [SM station? ft. Youngmi bc fite me Koji] released during the summer, cause it's such a summer song, contributes to Jisoo's "Girlfriend Stealer/Collector" nickname uwu
— 
— 

solo projects / songs

— solo ideas, choreographies, acting, whatever <3
— Vocal unit cover 5SoS's Youngblood (L to R - m 1 & 2, Jisoo, l 2 & 3)
— Vocal unit also cover 5SoS's Easier (L to R - l 2 or 3, m 1 & 2, Jisoo, l 2 or 3)
— actually wait can I just... all of ACE's vocal covers and vocal practices, literally all of them
— all the dance covers too (& special stages too!)
— Millenasia's Be The Future (but with GJSN and Paradox peeps)
— SVT did an acousic live series and you need it [bonus #1 bonus #2]
— okay but part switching and holidayyyy (what do you mean it's released in march? they are chaos. this is normal shenanigans or someone lost a bet)
_{— whispers you could add Home to the discography because it's beautiful and the sign language choreo is a work of art}
— sharing this literally because i can, because favorite 
— I already mentioned Underwater (which is my favorite MX ballad bside, like I would actually kill to get a good ot7 live performance of that song AND NOW I NEVER WILL) but I also humbly submit Destroyer! | bonus points if Jisoo is heavily involved with these songs and their concept/composing/production bc I have ideas for Underwater as you saw uwu [bonus Underwater live that made me cry ugly tears, but could also be used as a surprise vocal or other 5 member unit stage at a future concert!]
— Gravity [leader unit or weak link unit song (bc I'm trash for the weak links getting to show off how far they've come); primarily Jisoo's work because he made it for them as like a susrprise gift]
— Maze of Memories on a Paradox/PRDX album, and most of the boys get to say screw the haters and showcase they're all good rappers and have hella talent
— remember when I said Shownu was part of a special stage? I found it uwu
— special Paradox/GJSN special stage yes/yes? uwu
— have i mentioned this stage yet? I'm mentioning it again yo--
— more Paradox/GJSN stages uwu (just imagine Sam getting to dance with Sieun, all of dance line getting to show off, but #dadship getting to show off their chemistry ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) )
— also this stage where the boys and girls collab uwu (ft Sieun screaming off stage about whoever is dancing Trooublemaker with her girl bonus points for Koji/Youngmi and she's just "dON'T DO ANYTHING UNTOWARD I WILL SEE YOU CLUCK CLUCK")
— I should have linked this in Sieun's app but I just thought about it and lkdjf.dkjfs but the GJSN girls covering this as a special stage-- (prob Jian, Marelain, Sieun, and...Ines is the lead dancer but dude, imagine Youngmi as girl #4 because she's older and a little more mature and Koji just losing it when he sees hello I have a torturing Koji agenda)
— I Like That (orig. Lee Jinhyuk) solo for a rapper or dancer bb? Jinhyuk's originally a rapper (from Up10tion!!) and the song has a lot of rap and hip hop vibes
— Like A Star (orig. Wooseok & Kuanlin) for a rapping duo
— Soul (orig. H&D) bside for two vocal unit boys
— Unfamiliar (orig. H&D) bside, maybe weak link vocalist and rapper? bc Jisoo loves the weak links fight me]
— Suffering For Love (orig. Eden) SM station for a main vocalist, maybe featuring Jian or Marelaine as the dancer in the video?
— Winter Night (orig. Samuel) bside for a vocalist
— Wait (orig. Samuel) bside for vocal subcap?
— JBJ95 stuff for a vocalist/rap duo! esp. Spark it's such a pretty song uwu, Home, Awake
— Fresh Air (orig. Spax) for one of the younger members (ft. a youngun from GJSN, maybe Suna?)
— vocal unit release a mini album of their own, each member with their own solo song as well as other collabs and full unit songs! Moondance, More, Rose Scent Kiss, Break Up, yes they're all Ab6ix yes I used inspiration about a vocal unit album from their solo song ep don't mind me
— Color Eye (also Ab6ix but totally more of a rap focused solo)
— KARD discography! (highlights: You In Me, Oh Nana, Hola Hola, Red Moon, Bomb Bomb, Trust Me ver a, Trust Me ver b); maybe with Sam & the rap captain and two ofey wou   the dance/vocal girls in GJSN? (with a random vocalist addition for Oh Nana [bonus Oh Nana!!])
— covering Mamamoo ftw uwu

password Broken Arrows is the song I eventually decided upon. I'm Yours is pretty accurate, too, though, in that Jisoo doesn't exactly ask to trip into love, and he didn't exactly anticipate how it would change him. And Happier is also fairly accirate down the road when he decides that in order for everyone to be happy, he's willing to give up his feelings for certain dumb cute jock.