+ kind, attentive, natural leader, gentlemanly, likeable, empathetic
- coward, selfish, insecure, riddled with guilt, conservative/traditionalist

On paper Junjae is a perfectly respectable leader. He's well-mannered, he's respectable, he's instantly likeable, and he seems perfectly able to thread that needle of friend and boss that a good kpop leader demands. He honestly seems like an upstanding guy, something of a boy next door, the sweet and gentle second lead. Junjae laughs with the guys while also gentle maneuvering them into the direction of the door so the manager won't have an aneurism at them being 2 minutes late at the photoshoot location again. He jokes around while also making sure all the mics are properly secured, manages to both seem totally part of the group while also giving a rousing speech to quiet the rookie nerves before their first music show. He's attentive, he's sweet, he's a total bro who knows when to turn a blind eye to tomfoolery and when it's time to get their together. After all he's had all of the experience to learn.

He's a bit of a conservative thinker though in the most positive way such a thing is possible. More going out of his way to hold doors open for women and giving away his jacket when girls with far too short skirts have to sit without a blanket or insisting to pay for dates to an uncomfortable degree even though he doesn't have a penny to his name and less being a bigot. Junjae grew up with ideas of what being a gentleman entailed and how one should treat women which isn't really a good thing in the way that it creates this strong divide between how he'd treat menfolk and womenfolk but isn't in any way malicious. He just has some unlearning to do.

He also grew up with the notion that men shouldn't show feelings and certainly not moist feelings which tied in well with his already existing base of cowardice into a man who will not tell you he's hurting and will tell himself that it's because he's a man and men don't show feelings while very conveniently grasping it as an excuse not to let anyone know about the he's done. He will bravely weather these issues alone that he has singlehanded created for himself and everyone else, isn't he brave? Isn't he a real man? Is this what toxic masculinity was created for all along? A shield for weak men to hide behind so they don't have to face the bodies they leave behind?

And Junjae is absolutely a weak man. He is a coward convinced he is a monster but not convinced enough to actually do anything about it. The guilt of what he did to his first ducklings eats away at him. He's a monster, he's thrown them under the bus, they relied on him and they loved him and he pushed them away as soon as something better came along. And he did, make no mistake he absolutely did. He chose himself over them. But that is not the real sin here. One might find it understandable that, when on a sinking ship and presented with a life jacket that is only offered to you, that one might choose to save himself and not go down with the ship. Debates can be had about the nature of this sin, but the real undisputable one is when Junjae did it without being able to face them himself. This perfect handsome likeable kdrama lead just packed his bags while his charges weren't there and slipped out of their life like a slippery eel though saying this is unfair to eels who actually do have a very long backbone. He couldn't do it, he couldn't face them and so he just didn't. And now it eats and eats and eats at him.

Were he to see his former group members in a hallway he would run to the other side of the building. Would anyone ask him about them he would change the topic so fast the resulting friction could power the entire city of Seoul. 

Junjae is the most loathsome of sinners. He's not a bad guy, really, he's just a bad guy. He seems so perfect from afar, probably seems so perfect from close-up too. All handsome smiles and easy jokes and oh he's so easy to talk to, just don't look to deep into his eyes, there are bodies buried there and they haunt him.

He's very naturally empathetic which made him such a good leader in 7TOP. He was able to understand and navigate the emotions and moods of the team quite well and definitely prevented several bouts of manslaughter amongst his team. But of course that was then when he still believed in himself and his own morality. Now there is a block, he is afraid of reaching out and doing the things he used to do because he doesn't feel like he deserves the same closeness and friendship and bonds that he had before.

He hadn't intended on becoming leader again, it was something he'd wanted to avoid at all cost actually. He didn't want that responsibility again, didn't want to be depended on again. Unfortunately he's just such a natural damned leader, he radiates a security he did not feel. They don't know what a failure he is. They don't know what he's done. If they did they wouldn't look at him like that ever again. 

Junjae is from a very poor background, something he still struggles to come to terms and still influences his decisions to this day. Growing up has been a struggle of barely enough food, of a deadbeat dad who was as much trouble when he was around as when he wasn't, of a mom who has working multiple jobs and the best meal of the day being the school lunch. He doesn't talk about his upbringing much, mostly out of shame. He experienced severe bullying for their socioeconomic status, as well as the general shaming that is part and parcel with being on bottom rung of society. When asked he will smile and pretend to be your perfectly normal middle class kid and quickly change the topic. We don't talk about what hurts.

It was our national hero IU who shoed Junjae that idolhood could be a way out of what would otherwise be a life of stagnation. He was 15 when he saw an interview of her talking about growing up poor and getting scammed and making it anyway. It was possible to find a better life for himself. He'd never be able to afford any but the shabbiest of local schools post-secondary school, it wasn't like he'd ever be able to make much of himself. When you're this low in the dumps upward mobility is only for the lucky. Junjae wanted to try being lucky.
 

BECOMING A TRAINEE
 

He auditioned for 2 years before someone gave him a chance. One problem was that he couldn't afford to travel much and Seoul was on the other side of the country. The other problem was that his handsome face was his only asset. Auditioning Junjae knew nothing about singing or dancing. He could sing simple songs pleasantly and could dance not at all. And then a country he had never heard about called High Top Entertainment was conducting auditions in Busan. Junjae was 18, this close to graduating and having to figure out other options but figured he'd do one more audition, and he got in.

He was the oldest of the High Top boys (and surprisingly it really wasn't a scam!) but also the least experienced. They put the boys in a basement apartment, all cramped in one room, while the company didn't even have the money to afford training but Junjae didn't mind. The apartment was actually a step up from where he grew up, lucky him! And the other boys were insanely talented they didn't need any trainers. Taewon taught him how to dance and Daeho taught him how to sing and Junjae showed his natural leader skills by taking them all under his wing like they were his little brothers. He was an only child but somehow he didn't feel complete until he had 6 younger brothers.

He worked part-time at a cafe the entire time (the company wasn't exactly, eh, paying for expenses like sustainance) and trained any hours he wasn't. They struggled together, they worked together, they laughed and they cried. They were family.

Junjae was far from the perfect leader, there are many moments he regrets now but they were family and he would do anything for them.

Or so he thought.

Almost everything, as time told.
 

DEBUT
 

And then after all the training they finally debuted! After years of late night whispers, dreams across a café countertop, moments where everything felt futile, moments where all he wanted to do was beak down and cry it finally happened. They were debuting. This was it, he was going to be a star. Who cared that the company was sketch and that nobody had any hype for them? These were his boys and they were the most talented people he had ever known and Junjae had no doubt that they would knock it out of the park.

They didn't.

The song was great. The dance was synced. The Daeho was primed and ready. It didn't work. They sold about 8k albums. It was fine, he told them. Most groups didn't get instant fame, working for it would just make it sweeter when they finally got there. And did you hear those fanchants? Sure they were soft but they were there!! He doled out platitutes where he could and they went back to their hushed dreams and hopeful whispers in the dark.

The comeback came swiftly and everything went right back into motion. An even better song, an even better dance, there was no way this wouldn't work. Did you hear that sax??? There was no way this wouldn't work. It didn't work.

It was months before they were given the chance to do their third comeback. Months of doubt, of barely holding it together, but Junjae did it. He held them together. He told them what they wanted to hear, told them it would be okay, told them it would work out. Told himself that it would work out. If you say it enough time you believe it, right? Nearly an entire year went by, May to November, until they were told they were getting the chance for  third comeback.

It did not work.

They all went back to life as trainees. Practicing with uncertainty. They got a schedule here and there, a festival to perform at, one time they got a special stage on The Show. Management would tell them to prepare for a comeback and two weeks in pull the plug as the investors deserted them. Junjae went back to working at the café to pay for their living expenses. Yunhyuk and Kibum took on part-time jobs as well. 

They were not giving up. Junjae made sure they knew this. It was just a bump in the road of their journey. Later when they'd made it the fans would use this to say how much they deserved it, to know that they suffered but made it to the top anyway. They filmed and uploaded cover videos, they worked their asses off. If you say it enough times you believe it, right?
 

RE-DEBUT
 

I guess not.

One fateful November day the café was empty. Junjae was cleaning the tables and singing. He didn't notice there was a person still sitting in the corner typing away on her laptop.

Hwang Mido was just doing her work, typing up emails and enjoying an americano near Prism's headquarters. The singing was a little annoying at first but she was interested when she saw the handsome face attached to the mediocre but pleasant voice. She also got the feeling she knew him from somewhere.

Turned out Hwang Mido's niece was rather fond of some nugu group's song Complete, the song Junjae had been singing. It's the kind of stupid coincidence that changes a life. Turned out Junjae was lucky after all. She asked if she'd seen him somewhere, he alluded to 7TOP, she assumed not entirely unreasonably that he'd left the group since here he was waiting tables. She offered him a business card and asked if he wouldn't consider auditioning. He'd fit their type perfectly, she was sure.

He was a ing coward. He did not correct her.

He was a ing coward. He didn't even tell them in person that he was leaving. He couldn't do it, he couldn't face them. He just terminated his contract with the CEO and packed while they were practicing.

- He secretly prefers 7TOP's music to VESPER's. He will stream 7TOP's songs like a fangirl with the power of god and fandom on her side, as if an extra 500 streams on Melon could buy his guilt but unfortunately for Junjae this is not the Catholic church. 

- While not directly bigoted or malevolently homophobic, Junjae is a straight man raised in a homophobic country and is deeply uncomfortable with the subject and certainly the imagery. He is a straight man of the times and culture. The kind of awkward dad who's trying way too hard to understand and accomodate while also screaming inside in confusion kind of deal.

- Hyuntaek tried to round out the holy trio of wise men to make Junjae an idol by teaching him how to rap. It lasted all but a day before Hyuntaek declared him hopeless. He can do like real basic idol rap think Minho-level (bless his soul) but even that is a stretch. He can talk somewhat rhythmically but do not ask more of him please.

- He is an excellent seamster, he's had to mend his clothes since like forever and he's gotten quite good at sewing up holes or altering for weight changes or something just altering cheap thrift store clothes that didn't quite fit.

(Faces aren't really important to me for side characters and for the 7TOP guys it's best not to pick any now I think lest they conflict with applicants, but if they're important for you or you anticipate using photos I can rack my brain)

7TOP BOYS:

Kim Taewon, 1999 - Taewon is the second oldest of the bunch, he is the best dancer and second-best rapper. Taewon was the first trainee recruited by High Top and the first to witness what Junjae called "dancing". He has spent many many hours getting drilled by an increasingly frustrated Taewon until he could follow whatever choreo Taewon had set out for him and then the whole process started again for the next choreo. Junjae owes him everything for his ability to not fall over his own feet anymore.

If the group decides the next leader by age, Taewon is the one who will be replacing Junjae. Junjae hopes they don't go by age, Taewon does his best but he doesn't have a lot of patience for the group's shenanigans and Junjae has spent as much leader energy on talking down Taewon from manslaughter as he has on keeping the others practicing.


Lee Yunhyuk - 2000 - Lee Yunhyuk is what Junjae would consider the steadiest members and he hopes the group will choose Yunhyuk to lead them after Junjae. Yunhyuk is the most mature of them, aside from Junjae of course but- well Junjae isn't there anymore is he?

Yunhyuk used to be his right hand man, Junjae has many fond memories of coffee runs together, or Yunhyuk doing his homework in the café where Junjae worked so he'd have company and when there weren't any customers they would dream about debut together. They would put their heads together over illegal unpaid for honey toast and dream about what it would be like to stand on stage, what songs they would get, what outfits they would wear, how the fans would chant their names. Junjae and Yunhyuk made castles in the sky with their heads in the clouds.

If Junjae had to choose, Yunhyuk is the one he was closest with and the one he misses most after the ravine between them opens up.


Noh Kibum - 2000 -  Ahh Kibum, the problem child. He was the last to join them and the one most angry and betrayed at the circumstances of their company's neglect. The first time Kibum came to the dorms with his suitcase he walked right back out again. Junjae had to coax him back in and stop him from marching right back up to the company and shredding the contract he'd just signed. Kibum was always the loudest and most outspoken of them. The loudest to argue but also the loudest to defend.

He once got into a physical fight with *insert idol from another character's ex-group* in the men's bathroom at Show Champion for looking down at the group during We Must Love promotions and the makeup artist had to give them all fake y injuries to match his black eye. Then as soon as they had entered the van to go back to the dorms they'd all burst into uncontrollable laughter and there, too, Kibum had been the loudest.

Junjae wouldn't want to run into Kibum in a men's bathroom now. 
 

Kim Daeho - 2001 - Daeho can do anything you ask of him, main vocal and great dancers and charismatic center. He suffered with imposter syndrome which Junjae kept at bay with a constant influx of deserved praise. Performance-wise Daeho was the star, if he was feeling good he would shine brighter than anyone else that night, the trick was always keeping his (to Junjae entirely inexplicable) insecurities at bay.

Daeho taught Junjae how to sing when Junjae didn't even know what a scale was when he came into High Top. Junjae remembers they'd get shooed out of the dorm or their practice room because Junjae was singing so horribly so they would go the nearby park and sing there while disregarding curious stares and pained winces. He'd also remember the first time he'd sang a song well, actually well, in this so horribly awkwardly public place and getting an applause from the passersby who had stopped to listen. His very first public performance. They'd actually gotten some money as if they'd been busking and spent it getting a convenience store buffet to celebrate.
 

Jang Hyuntaek - 2001 - Ahh Hyuntaek, so young yet he'd already trained at 2 other companies, one of big 3 and he would never let anyone forget it. He walked into High Top with his head held high like they should all be kissing his feet that he should grace them with his presence and his rap skill. In truth Junjae knew Hyuntaek felt humiliated to have gone from YG to Starship to this dump all in the span of 4 years.

Junjae knew to feed Hyuntaek's ego when he needed it and diffuse any fights between him and Taewoo or Kibum that that arrogance started. Hyuntaek needs to feel like it was worth it and Junjae was ready to tell him. Because it would be worth it. At the end of long days of sweat and harsh criticism the group would sit in the dorm with their probably illegal beers (no not you Minhyuk) and talk about how it would all be worth it, about how they would show that bastard of a CEO and show any who dared call them nugu. Nobody would say it as loudly as Hyuntaek.

But it wasn't worth it. And they didn't show "them". And Junjae left him.
 

Lee Minhyuk - 2003 - Junjae has nothing but respect for Minhyuk. He has nothing but respect for any of his boys but especially Minhyuk who joined them when he was just 13 years old but never made any complaints or did anything but work his hardest toward their dream. Seeing Minhyuk for the first time made Junjae panic to hell and back. He was doing a fantastic job being an older brother, but this came a bit too close to raising a kid, he was thirteen years old for sakes!! Junjae almost went to the CEO and demanded Minhyuk be removed. But nobody wanted this more than Minhyuk.

Junjae tried to take extra good care of Minhyuk, make sure he or Taewon never asked more of Minhyuk than they had the right to ask a pre-teen. He didn't always do right by him, god knows Junjae wasn't a perfect leader by any means. There were days when practice before an evaluation or before debut went on so long and Minhyuk was left doing homework until the small hours of the night. He never told Junjae, always snuck out in the night to sit in the cold stairway at 2AM to finish as much homework as he could get away with. Junjae pretended not to know for the sake of Minhyuk's pride and then kicked himself for letting it happen again. And then it always happened again.

It dawns on him now that he won't even get to see Minhyuk graduate.

--

Junjae misses all of them so ing much.


To prove that fate loves its cruel jokes, Junjae joining Prism was probably the best thing that could happen to the group. With VESPER's high profile debut (I'm assuming) and Junjae getting some attention for his visuals, enough eyeballs looked back to 7TOP with curiosity for an investor to finally be found to fund their fourth comeback. If it will be enough will be up to you, dear author.

STAGE NAME: Junjae
POSITIONS: Leader, lead vocal, dance
TALENT TWIN: Hongseok (Pentagon) aka not naturally talented but has trained his voice to be decent and can keep up with (most) choreo but otherwise he'll never stand out with his talent

PAST EXPERIENCE(S): Debuted in the group 7TOP (you know what they say about naming your group by the number of members...)

Dec 2018 - On / Off

May 2019 - Complete

Jan 2020 - We Must Love

(discography based on ONF)

TRAINEE LIFE: 

Joined Prism October 2020

He joined quite late into the development of the group and there was likely some tension with a group that had already gotten used to potential leaders and lineups. He certainly didn't join with the intention of becoming leader again, but if there was another member acting in this role, Junjae just really can't help but step in where needed and be his dumb natural leader self. It's likely that, if not initially designated as leader, management would have appointed him such upon seeing him in action.

Training at a real company with an actual budget would have definitely been a change-up for Junjae. Would you look at that, actual vocal/dance/rap trainers! He could be taught by actual teachers as opposed to s having to fill in for the role! There would also be higher expectations than for a nugu group and some adjusting for him there as well. 

And then there's the fact that the members of VESPER are likely to be the... rowdier sort than those of 7TOP. Egos to wrestle under control and members with more industry trauma. Definitely all sorts of challenges. PLUS Junjae's own trauma which sees him reluctant to bond with his new members in case something like what happened to his previous group (aka what he did) happens here again while being in conflict with his natural tendency to pull people under his wing and like being able to bond with a frog he sees on the side of the road. Lots of potential for conflict~

MEDIA PRESENCE: Look, listen. Being perceived was kind of their whole issue to begin with. The handful of extremely loyal fans that nugu groups always seem to garner might be torn between supporting him and spurning him though and oh there are going to be so many rumours and eyes upon exactly how he and the group interact by both Vesper fans and 7TOP fans which you can make ever worse by making 7TOP actually mildly successful post Junjae's departure if you wanna go full him up (which I fully support). 

HEADLINES: I leave this all up to you I think there is absolutely enough potential here. But I think his character can work just as well with some low level rumours about the lack of interactions between him and 7TOP and then just seeming like this perfect guy and his secrets only spulling to the guys.

CAREER ASPIRATIONS: Honeslty Junjae just wants to be rich and self-sufficient but he would definitely eye an acting career if offered. I think he would be one of those idol actors who is cast a lot because he's super handsome but isn't like the best actor. But everyone always tells him he looks like one and also he knows that acting is a much more stable career than being an idol is (esp a male idol) so he would definitely see the value in building up his own fanbase outside of the group which would then make him feel like oodles of guilt again and oh this will FUN