the basics.

the GIRL.

 taurus sun ⊹ libra moon ⊹ pisces rising ⊹ isfp ⊹ 1w9 

NOW PLAYING 
aespa,  LUCID DREAM 
 

chu yuji remembers a time when she was in elementary school and the whole class was doing a "who's most likely to" game as a fun way to pass the time between classes. her homeroom teacher would point out a student and the whole class would clamor to give their thoughts, wonbin would definitely be an astronaut! chaeyi is most likely to be a chef for sure! and then the teacher called out yuji and the class grew quiet. what would chu yuji do? the girl didn't stand out to them as being a shoe in for anything. she is fairly pretty, but in a cutesy way- so modeling was a no go. her grades weren't the best, so that ruled out a bunch of options. her classmates couldn't even offer up any hobbies as they didn't even know what yuji was into- she never said.

I FEEL LIKE I'M MISSING SOMETHING, i feel like i'm lost in consciousness and dreams.

yuji remembers that day so vividly, a memory that tends to come to the surface on sleepless nights. it reminds her that without singing, she doesn't really have anything- she wants the glitz and glamour, but her visual is too cute to be taken seriously (much to her chagrin) so she doesn't bother; after all, yuji is someone that sees herself through everyone else. she perceives what others would think of her and criticizes herself for it, often times unwarranted. this kind of thinking tends to bring her down, the singer far too sensitive for her own good.

this is why yuji tends to be a private person; if you didn't ask, she won't tell you. even if you do ask, she'll probably talk her way around the question unless you're someone she really trusts. this is just her way of protecting herself against attacks that haven't even happened and probably wouldn't have. sometimes this shield of hers can be self-destructive, as she tends to jump ship from opportunities before they even happen as a way to prevent herself from getting hurt if it fails. despite how it comes across, yuji isn't always this impulsive; in fact she's very reliable as a friend and would help anyone of her loved ones succeed, in a weird way it's almost like she values their success over her own.

one could say yuji is an amazing friend- while she tends to be private with strangers she can't help but be sincere to those she holds close, finding it near impossible to lie to them in any way. her ability to feel empathy makes yuji a comfort to be around, her gentle nature on full display as she holds you close and listens to your woes. however, yuji is not the best at holding her loved ones accountable- if they're in the wrong in a certain situation, she'll just want to coddle them and tell them that everything will be alright.

if you're on her bad side, it's a whole other story; yuji is very stubborn and won't give you the time of day to plead your case. it's very frustrating because yuji is mature and capable of handling things in a healthier way, she just... chooses not to when it comes to her own problems. once again yuji prefers to use her maturity to help others and not herself, as the girl is often the mediator when it comes to arguments between friends and group mates. you'll hardly ever see her in arguments though, yuji is not a fan of confrontation and will run away when the problem is between her and someone else.

thankfully this is something she doesn't need to worry about often as yuji appears fairly easygoing- even if she's sensitive or stressed on the inside, she'll push it down to appear more laidback. she's not a stickler for huge responsibilities, knowing they'll get done eventually and focusing on going with the flow instead (it's no wonder her students love her!) yuji may not excel at many things besides singing and dancing, but she does have a creative mind. she owes a lot of it to her lucid dreams providing an endless stream of fantastical material to work with. she's always thinking of a colorful dream she had the night before and was dying for some sort of medium to express it, after becoming an idol trainee she got into writing lyrics and thankfully it fell right into place.
 

WITHOUT KNOWING THE DIRECTION, this dream continues without an end...

so, who is chu yuji? she is someone that doesn't seek attention but when it is put on her, she handles it with an endearing charm; a smile on her face while you speak to her about your own passions and realize she hasn't said anything about herself. a girl who tends to forget things too easily and needs to write important things on her palm with pen so she can be always reminded. she is someone that finds her voice the most when she is singing it; she is yuji just as much as she is lyra, a puzzle that is still being put together.

trivias 

 EXTRA  

⊹ her favorite color is periwinkle. 
⊹ yuji's signature scent is daisy by marc jacobs, a perfume with notes of strawberry, violets & vanilla. typically she can't afford it but thankfully her mom gifts her a bottle every christmas. 
⊹ it's not surprising given how bad yuji is at remembering most things, but she is especially bad at remembering birthdays. 
⊹ as mentioned in her personality, yuji writes lyrics that are based on her dreams- she has a tiny notebook that she keeps in her purse + a notebook on her nightstand so that she can always be ready to jot inspirations down.
⊹ because she relies on her lucid dreams so much for creativity, her insomnia stresses yuji out- after all, how can you dream when you don't sleep? when she does finally fall asleep, her dreams tend to be more potent- almost as if her body is saying "wow, nice of you to finally join us, we have a lot to catch up on!" 
⊹ if you asked yuji what animal she'd want to represent her, she'd say a deer. if you asked pop girls, they'd probably say hamster.
⊹ her favorite flowers are tulips.
⊹ after spending some time getting to know her group mates, yuji decides to make them all matching beaded bracelets in each of their favorite colors. she'd love to take a picture of all their hands in a circle wearing them and post it on sns!
⊹ yuji is a girl's girl. she's never fought a girl over a man and doesn't plan to, and although she's quite lenient with everyone she especially gives into girls easier, even if they've done wrong. the personification of "i believe in women's rights & also believe in women's wrongs."
⊹ yuji is and will forever be a 2nd gen girl group stan, most of her playlists contain 4minute, 2ne1, kara, sistar + all the other girlies that ruled that era. she doesn't get sick of old k-pop.
⊹ while pop is her favorite genre, indie is a close second. she loves artists like cherry coke & cults.
⊹ as far as sns goes, she has an instagram  @YOOCHUU_98  that she posts on fairly often, typically her feed is 30% selfies, 30% scenery, 20% photos of the other pop girls members and finally 20% promo of pop girls & subunit comebacks. she likes to watch tiktoks but only has a burner account, she'd only post on the pop girls official tiktok and not very often.
⊹ more to come!

THE Story.

OF HOW AN UNREMARKABLE GIRL FOUND HER CALLING
 

chu yuji's aunt likened the girl to a mayflower because of the month she was born in; a beautiful spring day in may. it was just her mother, mo kyungmi and yuji's aunt kyuri in the delivery room that day; her father, chu gitaek was nowhere in sight. this is not a sob story however, it's just a fact of life that yuji has grown accustomed to. she couldn't meet him even if she wanted, as the man died in america before yuji was old enough to even remember an encounter between them. yuji didn't know much about the man, kyungmi didn't like talking about him; she only told yuji that he died doing the one thing he cared about in life; chasing his dream.

perhaps his death affected her more than she thought, as yuji had a tricky relationship with dreams; actual dreams & the dreams you chase in real life. her dreams while asleep were so vivid to the point of being creepy which often led to nightmares. it only came to a stop when one night, during a very intense dream, yuji realized she was in fact dreaming and gained the ability to control it; just like that, yuji conquered her sleep dreams. that still left the other kind of dreams to nag her constantly.

she just didn't know what to do with her future. growing up, yuji always felt torn between two worlds; without a father in the picture she only had her stern, no-nonsense mother and her dramatic, over the top aunt. her grades weren't anything to write home about, leaving her feeling disconnected from her intelligent mom. likewise, yuji wasn't as flamboyant as her aunt and didn't relate to her much either; yuji did feel more comfortable around her aunt though, as the older woman didn't hold any expectations over her like her mother tended to do. because of how busy kyungmi was as a lawyer, yuji spent most of her time that wasn't in school with her aunt.

kyuri would tell yuji stories of her days in theatre, in big productions like the ones you would see on broadway. it was always fascinating to yuji but not exactly something she saw for herself. kyuri, whom retired from musicals and instead teaches classical vocals to pay the bills, convinced her neice to learn some vocal techniques from her. kyuri could tell yuji had a pretty voice given all the times she caught the young girl singing to the radio; perhaps it was a bit selfish, but kyuri knew yuji had the potential to be great and she would be damned if she let all that potential go to waste.

begrudgingly yuji relented and at age 10, she started receiving vocal training from her aunt whenever she wasn't in school. despite yuji's initial hesitance, she fell in love with singing. the younger girl never felt like she had a voice; never wanting to share it too much for fear of rejection. singing made her feel important, like what she was saying had actual worth; for the first time in her life, young yuji allowed herself to dream of a future where she could sing like this forever.

a year later at age 11, yuji heard a song on the radio that would stick with her for a long time; "la cha ta" by f(x). it didn't take long for the young girl to become a certified fan, one of many at her school who fell in love with sm's girl group. late at night, when she would be singing along to their songs instead of sleeping, she dared to imagine herself doing the very thing those girls were doing. surprisingly, yuji could see it for herself... but could she actually follow through?

not one to take risks, yuji battled around with this idea in her mind. what if i fail and it's a train-wreck? but aunt kyuri says my voice is spectacular! but what if i'm just not pretty enough? a thought like a speeding train would eventually hit her as if she was stranded on the tracks; the thought that her father died chasing a dream that never happened for him. would yuji have the same fate?

the year was 2011 and after battling with that realization for two years, yuji begged her aunt to take her to an sm entertainment audition though honestly, kyuri didn't need much convincing. they decided to keep it a secret from her mom for the moment. the time eventually came when yuji was standing in front of sm's toughest critics, nervously fidgeting with her clothes as she sang f(x)'s "beautiful goodbye" as best as she could. when it was over, yuji could see it on their faces; she wasn't going to make it. sure, there was absolutely no indication of rejection on their faces but she was sure of it! she rushed to grab all of her things and leave; before running into someone with an obvious fake mustache on. huh?

there, in the hallway of sm entertainment, yuji ran into an adult woman with a trench coat and a fake mustache that was trying hard to pretend that she wasn't listening in on auditions; probably because it was surely illegal. this woman told yuji that her voice was amazing and would be better suited at the company she worked at; quickly she pulled out a business card for bighit entertainment. it was a company that yuji hadn't heard of, but they must've been desperate if they were trying to poach potentials from big 3 companies. "please consider giving us a call. we could really use more trainees like you. we could use more trainees period."

maybe it was fate. yuji never ended up hearing from sm entertainment, as far as she was aware. she had, however, given bighit entertainment a call. that trainee sniper must have put in a good word, as yuji didn't even have to audition; she was accepted as a trainee. given the nugu status of the company, yuji had her reservations of going; but given how this all fell in to place, she felt like it would be foolish to waste this opportunity. and so, in the summer of 2011, the dream begins. and um, mom, there's something i have to tell you...
 

 HOVER 

THE POP.

PLOTLINE the early.

POSITION main vocalist, lead dancer.

Stage name 
with a voice as ethereal as yuji's, it only made sense that her stage name be just as fantastical to match. it seemed natural to choose  LYRA , the feminine version of lyre from the greek myth of orpheus. the lyre (harp) that orpheus played was said to be "so beautiful it could move all animals, trees, and even the gods themselves." just like yuji's voice. though if you ask her, yuji loves that it is also the name of a constellation. other associations include music, harmony, the night sky.

VOCAL 
as a singer yuji is very stable- as the lead dancer, she often sang while practicing her dancing and yes, she also did the infamous bighit technique of running on a treadmill while singing to gain stamina. she's a very emotive singer, songs with deep meanings work well with the emotions she's able to push out of her voice. she has a great higher register and does the best in that range, but can handle lower ranges as well. as a trainee she was well-known for her high notes and breath support. just like any human, she has weaknesses too; her vocal color can sound a bit nasally, especially after continued strain. she's known for her high notes when they go well, but when they don't they sound shrill and forced. she hesitates on falsettos, fearing the outcome if she can't land it, so instead will go higher in range. her lower register can sound breathy if she's not properly supporting it. some would say she's similar to choi yuna. 

DANCE 
while dancing was not her original passion, it only makes sense that her skills grew after years and years of training. it's very easy for yuji to learn a dance and execute it routinely, but that's really all it is; routine. her energy can be fairly inconsistent, every fancam of hers will look different depending on her mood and mental state the day of the performance. her insomnia has also hindered her dancing as a night with no sleep will leave yuji looking sluggish on stage. however, she's lead for a reason; when it's a good day it really shows, she's executing every move with energy + with her musicality aided by her singing ability she looks like she's riding the beat instead of simply following it. think winter from  AESPA 

RAP 
rap is something she only learned because she was a bighit trainee in the past when they were still hiphop focused; if it was up to her, she wouldn't have bothered because yuji is not a rapper by any means. the only times she raps is if the song is rap-heavy and she needs to in order to have lines in the first place. most comparable to luda or yeoreum from  COSMIC GIRLS  at least a plus side is that she's fairly well-rounded like her senior group, bts.

sTRENGTHS 

⊹  RELATABILITY  yuji feels like a regular girl that was plucked from the street and put on the stage. when most idols feel like gods & goddesses, yuji provides a comfort that resonates with fans. even though she doesn't speak the most during interviews, when she does her charm keeps her afloat in a way that endears whoever is listening. she's like jin from bts in the sense that she keeps her life private (or tries to anyway) while still appealing to fans.
⊹  TEAM WORK  you never have to worry about fights when it comes to yuji, as the girl is usually the one solving them in the first place. she's great at boosting morale when the girls aren't getting along or having a rough time. her mediating skills come in handy when dealing with higher ups from hybe, even if she's scared less of getting in trouble. the only downside is if she's told a girl wasn't doing great in a specific area, she'll keep it a secret to avoid hurting her feelings.

and of course, vocals.

WEAKNESSES 

⊹  STAGE PRESENCE  it's very conditional with her. if she's feeling good, the presence comes naturally but usually only when it's her part in the song. otherwise, her face tends to be blank and void of emotion when preforming. 
⊹  TOO EASYGOING  yuji doesn't hold weight in if a performance is perfectly executed and on point. she thinks the vibes are most important, if each girl is having fun preforming- she also noticed this is what fans respond to a lot, even though netizens may not approve. this is why she tends to prefer tours and concerts as she isn't worried for once what someone will say. 

her insomnia is also a great weakness that she will need to seek help with to reform. she also hesitates to take risks, but i'd love to see yuji grow and take chances as deep down i know she wants to, given the fact that yearns to be in mix or replay. 

TRAINEE YEARS 

⊹  BIGHIT ENTERTAINMENT  2011-2014.
⊹  SOURCE MUSIC  2014-2015.
⊹  CUBE ENTERTAINMENT  2015-2018.
⊹  BIGHIT MUSIC  november 2021- present.

for a grand total of 7 years + 5 months. 

THE BIGHIT EXCLUSIVE
 

being a trainee in bighit's struggle era was certainly... something. to be fair, the company seemed to be on the rise since their near-bankruptcy in 2007 but still basically using cooked spaghetti as ropes to keep them afloat. yuji helped a lot of trainees with food as her mom (who wasn't all too pleased about yuji being a trainee but relented when nagged by her sister) gave her a decent allowance. speaking of trainees, yuji got along fairly well with most of them. given that it's a competitive environment it wasn't always sunshine and rainbows, but living the way they did (packed like sardines in a small dorm) left little time for bullying.

yuji was able to hone her already skilled vocal talents while learning dance for the first time as well as rap. due to her being classically vocal trained, yuji had to learn some different techniques to match her voice to the modern k-pop sound, it wasn't that difficult to transition to that route though. she was able to vibe with dancing pretty well, but rap not so much. bighit certainly wasn't perfect but given the size of the company, everyone knew each other and it felt like a camaraderie instead of an ultra-strict idol machine.

yuji remembers watching glam debut, the envy seeping in but shaking it off before she let it get to her. they seemed to start off really well, so it was surprising when trinity left the group in 2012. everyone was chattering about if she would get replaced, but yuji didn't think it was likely. however, she found herself being called to office one day after training where she was asked about the possibility of her replacing trinity. yuji was so excited, she could hardly contain herself. she was getting to debut so soon? the excitement was short-lived, however, as her mother called and scolded them for considering yuji when she was so young. she loved her mother but betrayed couldn't even begin to describe what yuji felt (even if her mom might have had a point). goodbye to debut possibility number one.

maybe it was for the best though, because of the great glam disaster of 2014.

THE SHORT-LIVED SOURCE MUSIC STORY
 

yuji's emotions were already all over the place when she was transferred to source music, for reasons you'll eventually read (see the one & only) and this move certainly didn't help. now she was with all new people, she missed her friends that didn't transfer and the teachers in bighit dearly and had a hard time vibing with the staff at source music. looking back, it was definitely yuji's fault for being stubborn and not giving it a proper chance. she only lasted a year here before she was poached by a cube entertainment scout and decide to cut her tries with source music. it was only until after it was all said and done when yuji learned she had been considered for a new girl group they were debuting- hello gfriend, goodbye to debut possibility number two.

THE CUBE CHRONICLES 
 

cube is a show, it's not a secret to anyone. however, yuji found herself having a lot of fun there. she found a great friend in miyeon and even reunited with a few girls that used to be bighit trainees. her vocals were only getting better and her dancing improved the 3 years she spent training at cube. she got in her first and only girl-fight when she accidentally ate a girl's gimbap she had been saving "i swear i didn't know it was yours!" but it's something she laughed about afterwards.

there is one downside, one that started back in the bighit days and was only growing worse. yuji was always a difficult sleeper thanks to her old nightmares, but when she became a trainee it became nearly impossible due to the stress and crazy schedules. she had such little time to sleep that when she would finally fall asleep, it would be time to wake up. it was in 2018 when she realized she has insomnia. however, as a trainee who could be replaced easily, yuji kept this to herself and didn't let on that she was struggling. it wasn't all bad though; during her three years at cube is when yuji found most of her hobbies; being introduced to stardew valley by a friend and being gifted a bead-bracelet making set as a birthday gift.

murmurs of a new girl group being formed started to swirl and yuji was on the edge of her seat; is now finally the time? she and her friend miyeon held hands and blabbered all night about what they were gonna do when they debut. yuji loved her friend so much; she smiled with truly happy tears when she watched her debut. even though she's unsure if she was even considered for (g)i-dle, yuji still said goodbye to debut possibility number three.

INTERMISSION: DREAM OR REALITY
 

yuji got the overwhelming sense that she wasn't going to debut ever, that being an idol just wasn't in the cards for her. she eventually left cube not long after idle's debut and wallowed for a long time. she mourned the death of her dream, taking a while before she finally came to terms with it. her journey is over. she assisted her aunt with her vocal clients for awhile, which gave her the idea; if i can't be an idol myself, surely i can help others become one? it seemed to fit for the girl that was happy to see other's succeed. she applied at numerous entertainment companies, and lo and behold, the only reply was from her former nemesis- source music.

she wanted to start her career fast so she swallowed her hesitance and started working with source music in 2019 as a vocal coach in training. she shadowed the same vocal coach she had back when yuji was a trainee there; after growing more mature yuji realized how unfairly she treated source music and it's staff and made amends with her former vocal coach, whom laughed it off. eventually when yuji was able to hold her own as a teacher she got promoted to a full blown coach in 2020 and starting training her own students. it was a little iffy at first as yuji struggled to hold her students accountable; something the kids loved if we're being honest. however, yuji truly started to love her job and she became one of the favorite vocal coaches.

nothing could have ever prepared her for the phone call she got in 2021.

bighit music wanted her back? a guaranteed debut this time? there's no way. there is simply no way. yuji was finally okay, she said goodbye to that dream of hers and they have the nerve to do this now? she hung up on them.

however, if there's one thing yuji learned about bighit back in 2011 that still rings true today, they're very persistent. yuji kept ignoring their calls or would answer and hang up. she won't let them throw her off balance again. it wasn't until a late night call with miyeon, when the older girl said "but yuji, when you close your eyes and sing, do you still picture yourself on a stage? do you still imagine the cheers, even long after you've stopped singing? if the answer is yes, you already know what your heart wants you to do."

yuji, cursing miyeon for her wisdom, would answer the next call.

THE BIGHIT EXCLUSIVE, THE ELUSIVE SEQUEL
 

there was nothing more weird going from a teacher back to a student. it felt wrong especially when she would run into trainees that she used to teach, like eunchae or mary. it was a huge adjustment to get back into the trainee mindset, she'd argue the 5 months she spent training again in bighit music was way more difficult than her past 7 years of training. for the sole reason of getting herself pumped up to be doing this bull again. thankfully vocals were a breeze while the dancing was a little rusty at first, however her 7 previous years of experience kicked in fairly soon. the budget difference was definitely something to get used to, hybe's wealth seeming egregious but yuji was also relieved that these kids don't have to live in squalor like she had to back in her old bighit days.

the fact that she was debuting for real this time didn't even garner her much excitement; it seemed fake to her. it felt like there was eventually going to be something that pulled the rug out from under her before saying "ha! you really thought it was it this time?" for that reason, yuji didn't let herself feel anything regarding the debut.

there was one question that wouldn't stop bothering her during these 5 months; just why was bighit so adamant with getting yuji? she saw so many talented female vocalist during her time training, and yet they fought so hard for such a girl that is unremarkable when you take away her voice? something felt weird about it and she wanted to know who fought for her so vehemently.

FUTURE ACTIVITIES

⊹  A SOLO CAREER  with the potential for her to grow into someone that is willing to try new things, yuji could very well venture into a solo career. she'd be inspired by son gain and sunmi, creating catchy music but also having a cohesive theme with storytelling in her albums. not only that, she'd be inspired to embrace sensuality when she never felt like she could before. a potential discography twin would be kwon eunbi. 
⊹  A MENTOR  if cast on a survival show yuji would not favor the position of judge, but she could definitely thrive as a mentor with her gentle and caring personality. she'll grow to be more stern with her mentees as opposed to the way she was with her students when she was a vocal coach. 

SUB GROUPS 

⊹ yuji would want to be in mix or replay mostly because she wants to prove herself and be rid of her hesitance. nabi would be a comfort zone for her, but now that she has another chance of being an idol she wants to be taken seriously as one. deep down, is she really ready though?

the one and only.

NOW PLAYING 
steve lacy,  BAD HABIT 

chu yuji had heard of jeon jungkook- not only did they become trainees at bighit the same year, but the story of jungkook choosing bighit over 7 bigger agencies was whispered all around the bighit building. was he out of his mind? why would he choose this place? maybe it was for similar reasons as she, subconsciously yuji feared rejection from the bigger companies and felt bighit was a "safer" option- though it turns out jungkook just had a crush on kim namjoon yuji doesn't blame him for that to be honest.

the two didn't actually meet personally until the winter of 2011. despite bighit not allowing trainees of the opposite to mingle, they did encourage lots of practice- so when trainees offered to stay at the building and practice at night while the managers all went back to the dorms, it was a free pass to meet up in the dance rooms and hang out. the only ones in the building besides the trainees were a few security guards who were usually easy to get around. during these nights is when games of rock, paper, scissors were played to determine who would get the snacks for everyone.

on this particular night yuji lost. she was a bit fed up to be honest, as one particular security guard almost caught her walking out and she had to dive behind some desks which didn't feel great. at the convenience store one of their dance teachers was shopping around so yuji had to hide in the isles trying to dodge him until he left- so at this point yuji wanted to toss the snacks at those greedy hyenas and go take a nap somewhere.

on her way back to the dance practice room where everyone was waiting for her, yuji heard a noise. she paused, bags of snacks clutched in her hands as she listened- it sounded like crying. she stepped closer to one of the empty practice rooms where the sound seemed to be coming from and peeked in, a boy was sat on the ground toward the back- it looked like jeon jungkook. the boy was known to be shy and didn't usually hang out with everyone on nights like these, choosing instead to actually practice. it wasn't odd to see him alone, but it was odd that he was crying.

the sound tugged at yuji's heart strings. despite being a caring person, she hesitated approaching those she doesn't know- however, deep down it didn't feel right to leave him like this. she opened the door and took a few hesitant steps in, the sound of the bags alerting jungkook to the new presence.

"hey, can i sit with you for a bit? i don't feel like going back to all the noise right now." yuji asked quietly, a small smile on her face. jungkook, who's mind was on high alert due to a girl talking to him, stared like a deer in headlights for a moment before tentatively nodding. yuji's smile grew wider, increasing her steps to reach the boy before sitting down next to him. she handed him one of the snacks from the bag before taking one for herself.

"jungkook, right? what's on your mind?" she asked softly before munching on her chips. he was silent for a minute, starring at the snack she gave him in awe (was that a blush on his cheeks?) before snapping back to reality and answering her question. "i was just... missing my family. that's why i was... you know..." yuji noticed the drying tears on his cheeks, confirming her initial assessment of the situation.

"ah. where are you from?" yuji figured the best thing to do was to try and get his mind off of it- there's only so many words of comfort that she could say that wouldn't feel like comfort at all, just hollow expressions because in the end, there's nothing they could do to change it- they were trainees, they had to be away from their families.

"oh, uh, busan." jungkook muttered, chewing on a pepero stick. his face grew warmer when yuji looked at him excitedly, a spark in her eye. "oh wow, really? can you say something in satoori please?" bewildered, jungkook shook his head. "c'mon, please? i love how gyeongsang-do sounds!" yuji pleads. having her look at him directly for so long made him so flustered, he looked at the ground instead of her and huffed. "maybe if i get another snack?" he says, surprisingly cheeky.

the two banter for a bit that night before yuji decided to rejoin the other trainees. she turned back after approaching the door to leave, shooting jungkook a smile. "my name is yuji by the way." that night started an unlikely friendship that only continued to grow; yuji really felt for jungkook, she understand and related to his shyness that prevented him from making deep connections with anyone outside of his upcoming group. jungkook craved the comfort yuji provided, the feeling different from his future group mates though he couldn't pin-point why.

after all, they were just 12 & 13- so young to be in this crazy industry, too young to understand why the older trainees would tease the two when they were seen together. what's so funny about it? they didn't get it, but all they really understood is that they liked spending time together. jungkook was prone to crying due to stress or missing his family- during those times he'd reach out to yuji, who wouldn't hesitate to comfort him and take his mind off of it. she started telling him stories of her weird lucid dreams, loving the sparkle in his eyes when she would go on about the crazy details.

"what's wrong, bambi eyes?" yuji would ask in the empty dance room she pulled jungkook into after seeing his melancholic expression. "just thinking too much again... like usual." he'd answer, the two sitting down. "hm. do you wanna hear about my dream last night?" the boy would nod eagerly, subconsciously sitting closer the girl which would no doubt make him blush if he realized it.

"well, i started off being in some weird american city- i think new york? i realized i was dreaming when i looked down and saw i had 7 fingers-"

"7 fingers!?"

"yeah! that's when i made a giant cat plush appear to start destroying the city like godzilla. i wanted to be the superhero and save everyone..."

of course it wasn't just yuji's stories that brought them together, as they grew closer jungkook managed to find his voice and wanted to talk about anything and everything. yuji avoided getting too personal at first, but it grew impossible to resist those doe eyes. soon they were talking about each other's secrets and hardships, their thoughts on their futures and the things they hoped for. they realized they both loved disney movies and would huddle in an empty dance room to watch one together on their phone.

a milestone in their friendship came in the summer of 2012. it was decided that both of them would be the lead dancers in their future groups and because of that, bighit wanted them to focus on further improving their dance by traveling to los angeles and receiving training there. it was the first time flying for both of them, but either couldn't imagine having a better trip-partner than each other.

despite training separately, both were able to have fun together outside of lessons and explore los angeles. jungkook was becoming cheekier by the day and would tease yuji often, taking pictures of himself when she'd ask him to take pictures of her by a los angeles landmark, sneaking bites of her food and snacks when she wasn't looking or grabbing one of her belongings and holding it above his head (the kid was getting taller super fast, and yuji... wasn't).

however he never went overboard- never went out of his way to hurt yuji's feelings. for this reason his antics made her laugh instead of upset her. some of the other boy trainees didn't understand when they went overboard, but jungkook was different... something that made her heart speed up when she thought about it too long. that trip to los angeles made their already close friendship even closer, if that was even possible.

by the time 2013 rolled around, jungkook had a revelation after talking with his group mates about yuji- something that was an often occurrence because of how much jungkook mentioned the girl. "it sounds like you have a crush on her, dude." oh my god, he had a crush on his best friend. this revelation made his heart race and his palms sweaty, but it wasn't for a bad reason- it all made sense to him actually. yuji was so important to him, in his young mind he couldn't imagine loving anyone but her.

jungkook wanted to confess- a surprisingly bold move for him, but there's nothing quite as intense as your first love. yuji on the other hand had her revelation about her feelings awhile ago- when one of the other trainees snatched a drink from her hand without even saying thank you, it almost made yuji cry- jungkook had noticed and went over to her, throwing his arm around her shoulder and remarking how that trainee looked like a toad. it was usually yuji that did most of the coddling in their friendship, having that energy reversed made her mind spiral; oh my god, i like jungkook.

unlike jungkook, this thought only made yuji scared- he was her first best friend ever. she can't imagine what would happen if it all went wrong- if jungkook rejected her, if he laughed in her face. maybe deep down yuji knew that the boy would never do that to her- but she just couldn't acknowledge it. as if to add salt to the wound, jungkook happily told her that bangtan would be debuting in june. while excited for her best friend, she couldn't help but let her mind wander to stormy thoughts; he's not gonna have time for me anymore. he's going to be living his dream and i'd only hold him back. he'll meet a more glamorous idol girl.

yuji saw jungkook practicing late one night, preparing for his debut no doubt. she walked in, handing him a bottle of water with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. jungkook knew something was off, but he wasn't sure what. "yuji? are you okay?" the girl nodded. "yeah... i just... i'm so happy for you debuting, but..." as usual, yuji struggled to open up her thoughts. jungkook looked at her patiently, which only made her heart break more. "i just hope you won't forget about me, is all."

"are you crazy!?" jungkook exclaims, quickly shaking his head. he'd been wondering for ages now when the perfect time to confess was, should he do it now? "yuji, i don't think i could forget you even if i wanted to. and of course, i don't want to! if anything, i..." jungkook trailed off, his face growing warm. he was building himself up to it, this big moment he daydreamed about for months.

a part of yuji possibly knew- even if she didn't consciously. however, yuji can't allow herself to have nice things- can't allow herself to accept something that would end in disaster- it had to end in disaster, there was no way it wouldn't. the golden boy and the unremarkable girl can't work. before jungkook could finish his sentence, she bolted.

things became awkward after that. jungkook couldn't help but take that as a rejection. even if he hadn't gotten a chance to actually verbalize his feelings, it seemed clear as day to him that yuji wasn't interested. why would she be? he noticed how close she and jimin had gotten. he couldn't help but bitterly think that yuji was falling for the older man. jimin is smoother than he is, more caring than he is. he'd sneer a bit to himself when yuji wold talk about jimin.

yuji tried to distance herself from jungkook as time went on, wanting the eventual heartbreak to just be over already; it wasn't hard to do given how busy bangtan's schedule was. by the time 2014 came around, jungkook barely had time to breath- but despite his jealousy, he just couldn't let yuji go- he tried to see her when he was able to catch a break.

their friendship was near broken- barely being held on by a thread. eventually that thread would break and cause everything to fall apart. in the dorm jungkook heard jimin on his phone talking to yuji, asking her about her day, if she'd slept, if she'd eaten- if i had been like that more, would she love me instead? the next day at bighit, jungkook saw them chatting a bit before a manager could see them fraternizing. yuji had the nerve to look at jungkook with a small smile, as if she wasn't happy to see him there. she wasn't- not for reasons jungkook believed. seeing jungkook made her heart race, made her daydream about things she can't have.

"i didn't realize how close you and jimin are." jungkook snapped when the older male walked away. yuji blinked, his tone immediately hitting her where it hurts. "what is that supposed to mean?" jungkook looked down before scoffing at the floor. "it means i'm done- i won't stand in the way of you and him. enjoy each other."

yuji couldn't retort- she wanted to yell what are you talking about?! i'm in love with you! but she just stood there frozen as her heart lay in shards around her. maybe this was the best, she thought later as she sobbed in a supply closet. this was gonna happen eventually, it might as well happen now.

as if her fragile emotions hadn't been through the ringer enough, bighit decided female trainees were too much of a risk and had yuji packing her bags to go to source music.

over the years it got easier for yuji to take her mind off of jungkook. she got updates every once in awhile from jimin, eventually her heart wouldn't break at the mention of his name every time. likewise jungkook would get yuji-updates through his hyung, who couldn't help but feel for the girl whenever he heard of another debut opportunity fall through for her.

after more time passes, yuji found herself looking at the hybe building close by source music as she goes to work and wonders what jungkook thinks about, what he's into these days- if he gave his heart to someone else.

I WISH I KNEW, i wish i knew you wanted me...
 

as he grew up, jungkook realized how immature he handled everything- he should've just spoke to yuji instead of flying off the handle, he should have worked harder to keep the girl who made him feel like he can breathe when there was chaos in his life, even as just a friend. because of the status of his group, jungkook had access to a lot of things others wouldn't- eventually he learned that bighit music was going to debut a girl group, on their own instead of partnering with another company this time.

he figured this would be his chance to at least make it up to yuji, even if she'll never know it was him- he walked into that office and rallied hard for chu yuji to be added to the lineup. he knew she was a vocal teacher now, for source music- however, he knew how hard yuji tried to debut and figured it was still her true dream. he wanted to make it happen for her, now matter how hard it takes- growing up yuji supported jungkook with everything and he wanted to do the same for her, even if he wouldn't get the credit.

after accepting that phone call and finding herself back as a trainee, yuji would always enter hybe cautiously, fearing that one day she'll run into jungkook. could she handle an interaction maturely? sure, but she doesn't want to. it would be better if she just minded her business- how foolish a thought that was.

it was almost like fate wanted to have a laugh, as one night when yuji was leaving the recoding booth she ran into jeon jungkook himself. all those years did wonders for jungkook- he looked so grown now, so strong, tall and covered with tattoos. it felt like a dagger in her heart when she noticed that those bambi eyes stayed the same.

jungkook felt like he was punched in the gut. that girl he towered over so easily years ago was a woman now- she's so beautiful. "yuji..." he breathed, breaking the silence which snapped yuji back to reality and had her turning on her heel and zooming away. "what the... wait!" jungkook sputtered, able to catch up to yuji quite easily. "stupid long legs..." yuji muttered as he appeared in front of her, the exclamation making him smirk in amusement.

the sight of that simper was making her mind do backflips- why does yuji feel 14 again? "what?" yuji huffed, not dripping with as much attitude as she'd like. "it's been awhile... if you'd let me, i'd really love to catch up with you. i hate how everything ended between us." jungkook spoke with so much sincerity that it made yuji tear up. she wiped them before jungkook could notice and shrugged. "i don't know, jungkook..."

the older male paused for a bit before snapping his fingers and asking for her phone. yuji furrowed her brows, wondering what she should do, before realizing she's still weak for those eyes. she handed it over and watched as he entered his number in before handing it back. "there. now there's no pressure, just reach out if you'd like. i'll see you around." jungkook smiled and walked off, leaving yuji stunned with how mature jungkook grew to be.

she looked in her contacts and noticed he saved his number under the name wall-e. instantly a memory popped into her head of the two watching wall-e when they were in los angeles, jungkook excitedly saying i'm kind of like your wall-e, right? you're always looking out for me like eve. the tears that yuji tried to hold back earlier started cascading down her cheeks.

yuji pondering what she should do constantly, not even mentioning this to miyeon as no doubt the older girl would encourage her to meet up with jungkook because of how hot he is. it was only after a phone call with jimin that made yuji closer to a decision. "he's always been asking about you, yuji. for years now, women have come into his life and gone just as fast, he's always asked me about you at the end of it all."

jimin didn't know the full story of what happened between his two friends, as jungkook didn't like to talk about it. he only heard from yuji's side of the story, that she used to have a crush on him but she ruined everything. he wanted two of the people he holds closest to reunite and become close, knowing that both of them had feelings even if jungkook never told him so (it was basically obvious to everyone except for themselves.)

they didn't have time to meet up, but yuji started texting jungkook. just a little here and there, before both would be laying in their bed smiling down at their phones until 3am. yuji can't believe how jungkook had changed- still mischievous but more caring and protective now, always making sure yuji was okay and asking if he needed to beat anyone up for her. it made her a bit conscious as she really didn't think she changed all that much over the years. maybe it was time to....

jungkook on the other hand felt all his emotions from years ago come back. it was the way her soft voice sounded on the phone when he'd call, the way she offered to make him a soup when he wasn't feeling well, the way she'd tell a joke with not much confidence until jungkook started laughing, a look of victory on her face. he loved everything about her to this day, and probably always will.

one particular night yuji was struggling to sleep as usual, when jungkook facetimed- something he started to feeling comfortable doing as they got closer again despite yuji feeling a bit insecure with no makeup. he a bit before he noticed how glazed over her eyes looked. "you, okay ba- yuji?" he'd ask worriedly. too zoned out to noticed the slip-up, yuji would shrug. "i just haven't slept in two days, but it's okay."

"... that is not okay, yuji."

she'd scoff and set the phone by by her pillow as she laid on it, sending him a deadpan look. despite the expression on her face, jungkook felt so endeared by how snuggled up she looked. "keep laying there, i'll help." yuji blinked. "huh?"

jungkook opened his mouth and started singing softly- a lullaby meant for yuji and yuji only. she belatedly noticed it was iu's "ending scene." her emotions were a rollercoaster, these lyrics hit too close to home... if she had been a bit more awake, she'd get emotional or blush, or both. instead yuji finally felt sleep coming on for the first time in so long... the only thought in her mind being i never fell out of love with him, did i?

jungkook would wake up the next morning with a dead phone battery and a dumb grin on his face. it would still be stuck there even as he entered the hybe building with jimin. "is this yuji related? actually, i don't even need to ask." jimin would retort, referring to the younger's silly expression. jungkook laughs shyly, pushing his shoulder playfully.

"i just can't believe she's back in my life again... no offense but i'm so happy you two never dated." jimin would blink before looking at the younger with a confused expression. "huh? why would we date?" jungkook shrugged, remembering the day he ruined everything with yuji. "weren't you two in love? i didn't handle it very well, and i regret it now, but i'm ready to make it up to her."

"oh my god. are you stupid? you thought she was in love with me? what do you mean you didn't handle it well?" jungkook didn't like where this was going, not prepared for having his entire worldview shattered. however he went on to tell jimin about that day, his fists clenching as he recalled how hurt yuji looked.

"i could seriously drop-kick you for handling it like that- though of course yuji is no better... - jungkook, everyone knew you guys only had eyes for each other. well, i guess not everyone- you were so young, i get why your emotions flew off the handle but now that you two are older i think you need to talk." jungkook knew his hyung was right, but he was still dealing with the spiral in his mind realizing just how wrong he was about it. a talk needed to happen, but would it just end badly again? jungkook didn't want to risk losing yuji after just getting her back.

sometime later yuji will be working with kwon about pop girls business, before she'll eventually mutter out the question she had been wondering since pop girls became her future. "why did you guys pick me, anyway?" kwon would laugh and shake his head, making yuji raise her eyebrow, looking at him like 'what's so funny?'

"oh my god, you really don't know? i figured jungkook would tell you, aren't you close?" yuji felt her breath stop. "what?"

kwon rolled his eyes a bit. "he rallied so hard for you to join this group, how could you not know?"

yuji wasn't sure how to process this. on one hand, she did truly love her job as a vocal coach. she often missed it and wondered if giving it up was the right decision. on the other hand, once the possibility of debuting became acutally realized, she felt an excitement she hadn't let herself feel in so long- a relief of knowing her dream will finally happen. and it all leads back to jungkook. why did he do this?
 

jungkook ran over like his life depended on it, for sure thinking that yuji was in trouble and rationalizing how he'd get out of prison for throwing hands. when he entered the dance practice room to just see yuji standing there, his head tilted to the side in confusion. "what's up, jiji?"

standing in a dance practice room with him again, albeit a nicer one than bighit's old building, made her feel like a kid again. yuji cleared his throat. "i loved my job before... i finally came to terms with everything, did so much mental work to finally be okay with not debuting only to... just, why did you do it?"

jungkook was confused for only a second before realizing what she was asking him, causing his while body to freeze up. he didn't know how she found out, he didn't even tell bangtan. "yuji... i really ed up when we were younger. you did so much for me back then, i was always taking but didn't give as much as i should've. i just wanted to help you for once."

yuji was speechless, her heart was beating so fast it sounded like someone was drumming in her ears. after she didn't say anything, jungkook decided to step forward and just come clean. "back then, i thought... i thought you were in love with jimin. i couldn't handle it, i couldn't stomach that thought because... i was in love with you. i still am. i'm so sorry for how everything went down. i replayed in my head constantly over these years, just wishing i could take it back."

"jungkook..." yuji began, trying to find her words. how can one speak when finding out the person you've loved for years always loved you too? that everything that happened didn't even have to go down that way? she felt like a fool. "you don't have to be sorry. i think i knew- and my mind was made up before you even got to say it. i didn't deserve to hear it so i ran away like an idiot. i'm sorry. i shouldn't have avoided you either, it was wrong of me to do that to you."

jungkook felt himself get angry, not at the love of his life but her words. "yuji, you deserve everything good. we were both young and didn't know what we were doing, we barely even knew what love was. nobody is perfect, but you're always looking out for everyone and not yourself. i want to be there for you. i want it to be my turn to take care of you now, if you'll let me?"

luna note. and this is where i leave the steering wheel in your hands! i'm down for whatever you want to throw their way.

last words.

comments/suggestions 
i'm so happy to finally bring yuji to you! she's been in the works for so long. i also just remembered that you used taeyeon as a face for one of the staff, right as i finished this app... oop. i saw in the cheatsheet that you mentioned it's okay to use hybe artists as faces for our characters so i'm hoping with that logic it's okay to have taeyeon here. if not i can totally change her to a different idol. i also wasn't sure when bighit started planning pop girl's lineup, i figured nearing the end of 2021 would be the latest which is why i had yuji come back in november 2021, but do let me know if that's not what you had in mind! + for yuji's love story, the events that take place after yuji rejoins hybe's bighit can happen at any timeframe, i tried not to be too specific with the timeline & dates or if it was debut or predebut so that it can go at the pace you deem fit! also, if yuji is chosen i will add some staff to her relationships; i just really wanted to turn her in right away sdhfjhf anyway, i can't wait to read about the pop girlies regardless! :D

scene suggestions 

⊹ some of yuji's lyrics are rejected, which reminds yuji that this isn't the bighit she remembers- it's hybe now, a company focused on success over creative freedom. it makes yuji feel like she's not taken seriously as an artist.
⊹ yuji having to be a mediator between kwon and eunbi when the two start going at it, lol.
⊹ jungkook texting yuji this picture and saying 'lol remember this', the two reminiscing over memories of that day in los angeles; like the actor inside the lisa costume spinning so fast that the hair on the costume smacked jungkook in the head. 
⊹ there's a deadline coming up for a pop girls comeback and yuji is supposed to turn lyrics in, but she didn't get much sleep and when she did, she didn't dream. she has to force herself to get the lyrics out and then she finally realizes she doesn't have to have those dreams to be creative, it's always been inside of her.
⊹ more as i think of them!

⊹  POTENTIAL HEADLINES & SCANDALS 

⊹ pop girls' lyra passed out during music bank earlier today. true. any time frame. yuji didn't get enough sleep the past few nights, though typically idols can manage with lack of sleep it was finally catching up with her. although there is no cure for insomnia this finally inspired her to at least seek out better ways to manage it.
⊹ txt's yeonjun rumored to be dating pop girls' lyra? see "photo evidence." false. any time frame. this is just another one of those interactions between idols that are way too blown out of proportion- lyra was happy to see her labelmates at an award show and happily greeted all of them, though fans only pictured the interaction between yeonjun and spread them around. hybe swiftly released a statement shutting it down, though the idols still received hate.
⊹ [breaking] jungkook of bts reveals that he is in a relationship, asks fans to respect their privacy this depends on where you take yuji & jungkook, if they do end up dating i can picture jungkook taking the plunge of being one of the first idols to reveal his relationship as a step towards making it more normal in the idol industry. he'll try and keep the identity of his girlfriend a secret but it'll eventually be obvious that it is lyra from pop girls. hybe will lose their minds as jungkook does this on his own volition and the stocks start to plummet, attacks start towards not just yuji but pop girls as a whole & other hybe artists. this is quite huge so totally regard it as just a suggestion.

TITLE + B-SIDES suggestions 

⊹  POP GIRLS  bazooka, gwsn. oopsy, weki meki. lucid dream, aespa. feel good,  fromis_9. boogie up, last sequence, yalla, wjsn.

⊹  NABI  d-day, cool, weki meki. devil, no, meow meow, clc. moon, everglow. get it, pristin v. rumor, produce 48. not shy, itzy. girls, nature.
⊹  REPLAY  lady, exid. look, kingdom come, red velvet. the interpretation of dreams, gwsn. iron boy, the paradise, weki meki. woowoo, dia. uh-oh, (g)i-dle. rewind, wonder girls. where are you? clc.
⊹  MIX  black widow, pristin. starry night, gwsn. any aespa title tbh. black dress, clc. zoo, red velvet. oh my god, (g)i-dle. pantomime, wjsn. icy, itzy. limbo, nature.

if allowed, yuji would have writing credits on bazooka, lucid dream, meow meow, devil, girls, kingdom come, the interpretation of dreams, zoo, oh my god & pantomime. in general her lyrics could be useful for any mix songs given how odd they can be.