The Pitfalls of 平野絵里恵
hirano, erie.
now playing,
AUTOMATIC
utada hikaru
utada hikaru
◁
♬
▷
personality
esfj, sanguine-melancholic, 6w7, ravenclaw, neutral good
friendly, creative, observant, open-minded, overextended, uncaring, distant, restless
One of the first things that people will notice in Erie is the way in which she carries herself. It’s the kind of look that will pull people in and invite them to be her friends. Or if not friends, then at least someone who’s on good terms with her. She carries a conversation just fine, throwing in a humorous comment on two, able to lighten the atmosphere when things get a tad too serious. But more importantly, nothing that she says or does sounds too practised or rehearsed. She seems like she’s always at ease.
That feeling of ease is especially apparent when she’s b with ideas. That’s because she has discovered something (in her constant state of observation) that inspires her to make a work out of it. Even the most mundane of things also has potential for a story to be told, and that belief she has explains her creativity. There’s always a certain look in her eyes, a sense of captivation in the happenings around her, which includes the desire to discover what makes people so special. And that’s not to mention her openness to new experiences or people’s opinions. She’s cool with developing pretty much any idea thrown at her, except when it’s downright stupid.
But this has toned down over time.
That’s not to say that her optimism and hope had fizzled out entirely, because she still views things with a sense of wonder. But she’d be lying if she gradually accumulated disappointment over a period of time, most notably after she started out on her journey to being a K-pop idol. This especially comes after knowing who would be a part of Elysium together with her. Of course, she understands that there’s a need to toughen up and not everyone will like her. But people being this unfriendly and being unwilling to hear things out (like Kim Somang, for instance)? That’s something that she’s gradually coming round to, as much as she dislikes it.
It’s not like she didn’t try, either. She’ll always be friendly and be ready to help, but it stings when she’s the only person who’s actively putting in the effort in the hopes that things will get better. But maybe it’s much better for her in the long run to conserve her own energy instead of trying so hard that she runs herself to the ground for no good reason.
Some people say that you don’t want Erie as an enemy. It’s not exactly wrong to put things that way, because she’s genuinely interested in people and will never hurt anyone for no good reason. Plus, she’s far from scary. However, she can stop listening to someone at the drop of the hat, preferring to invest her time elsewhere. This earned her some criticism for not caring enough. But have they ever tried stepping in her shoes and seeing how difficult it is to be in her position, to constantly be the person inspiring hope even when everything seems bleak?
Her belief that things will eventually be okay is something that will always stay with her. But it doesn’t really help reduce her dislike of needing to get involved when things come crashing down, especially when she isn’t causing the downfall. Yet, she’s the one that people place the most trust in to resolve a situation, and of course she wouldn’t say no when her help is needed. She does wish that she wasn’t always the one trying to hold on for the sake of everyone, that there will be someone there who can actually do something to, hopefully, lend her a hand. Or if not, a hug will be more than enough.
friendly, creative, observant, open-minded, overextended, uncaring, distant, restless
That feeling of ease is especially apparent when she’s b with ideas. That’s because she has discovered something (in her constant state of observation) that inspires her to make a work out of it. Even the most mundane of things also has potential for a story to be told, and that belief she has explains her creativity. There’s always a certain look in her eyes, a sense of captivation in the happenings around her, which includes the desire to discover what makes people so special. And that’s not to mention her openness to new experiences or people’s opinions. She’s cool with developing pretty much any idea thrown at her, except when it’s downright stupid.
But this has toned down over time.
That’s not to say that her optimism and hope had fizzled out entirely, because she still views things with a sense of wonder. But she’d be lying if she gradually accumulated disappointment over a period of time, most notably after she started out on her journey to being a K-pop idol. This especially comes after knowing who would be a part of Elysium together with her. Of course, she understands that there’s a need to toughen up and not everyone will like her. But people being this unfriendly and being unwilling to hear things out (like Kim Somang, for instance)? That’s something that she’s gradually coming round to, as much as she dislikes it.
It’s not like she didn’t try, either. She’ll always be friendly and be ready to help, but it stings when she’s the only person who’s actively putting in the effort in the hopes that things will get better. But maybe it’s much better for her in the long run to conserve her own energy instead of trying so hard that she runs herself to the ground for no good reason.
Some people say that you don’t want Erie as an enemy. It’s not exactly wrong to put things that way, because she’s genuinely interested in people and will never hurt anyone for no good reason. Plus, she’s far from scary. However, she can stop listening to someone at the drop of the hat, preferring to invest her time elsewhere. This earned her some criticism for not caring enough. But have they ever tried stepping in her shoes and seeing how difficult it is to be in her position, to constantly be the person inspiring hope even when everything seems bleak?
Her belief that things will eventually be okay is something that will always stay with her. But it doesn’t really help reduce her dislike of needing to get involved when things come crashing down, especially when she isn’t causing the downfall. Yet, she’s the one that people place the most trust in to resolve a situation, and of course she wouldn’t say no when her help is needed. She does wish that she wasn’t always the one trying to hold on for the sake of everyone, that there will be someone there who can actually do something to, hopefully, lend her a hand. Or if not, a hug will be more than enough.
likes
dislikes
hobbies
habits
trivia
ballads they’re especially great to listen to at night or on a rainy day, as long as they’re not too quiet. Her favourite ballads, interestingly, are mostly sung by Mandopop singers.
cats she used to be a dog person when she was younger. But maybe it’s because her host family owns a cat that she gradually found them cuter and more relatable, especially when they’re snuggling in bed and making themselves comfortable.
earrings to Erie, jewellery is one of the best avenues to show one’s style and personality. Among jewellery, she likes shopping for earrings the most, usually going for designs with gemstones in them. She also shops for ear cuffs, too.
fruity scents they’re an absolute pleasure to smell, especially peach. It’s for this reason that when buying scents, soaps and hand sanitisers, she tends to go for those with a fruity scent to them.
high-waisted bottoms they accentuate her legs and make them look longer than they are, and are perfect to pair with cropped tops. Enough said.
sashimi she especially likes the freshness sashimi has. Her favourite is the classic salmon sashimi, and she treats herself to a pack of them every now and then.
stickers she especially likes stickers with cute illustrations on them. Later on, she’ll also get herself involved in designing and making her own stickers.
cats she used to be a dog person when she was younger. But maybe it’s because her host family owns a cat that she gradually found them cuter and more relatable, especially when they’re snuggling in bed and making themselves comfortable.
earrings to Erie, jewellery is one of the best avenues to show one’s style and personality. Among jewellery, she likes shopping for earrings the most, usually going for designs with gemstones in them. She also shops for ear cuffs, too.
fruity scents they’re an absolute pleasure to smell, especially peach. It’s for this reason that when buying scents, soaps and hand sanitisers, she tends to go for those with a fruity scent to them.
high-waisted bottoms they accentuate her legs and make them look longer than they are, and are perfect to pair with cropped tops. Enough said.
sashimi she especially likes the freshness sashimi has. Her favourite is the classic salmon sashimi, and she treats herself to a pack of them every now and then.
stickers she especially likes stickers with cute illustrations on them. Later on, she’ll also get herself involved in designing and making her own stickers.
beating around the bush if there’s something you want to say, just say it. She hates wasting time over guessing what someone’s trying to say.
cheese they tend to make her feel bloated, and cheesy or creamy pasta is the absolute worst.
doing the dishes having to scrub out food remains from plates, especially when she wasn’t the one making the mess? Yeah, it’s not the most fun thing in the world.
mint chocolate chip ice cream no matter how much people try to tell her how refreshing mint is when paired with chocolate, it’ll still taste like toothpaste to her.
pizza the main issue for her is how greasy pizzas are. She wouldn’t mind having a slice (with Hawaiian pizza being her favourite), but she will not have anything beyond that.
racism unfortunately, as few and far between they are, she has experienced harassment (mostly verbal) for being Japanese when she was living in Australia and in South Korea. She gets incredibly upset when anyone is disrespected on the basis of their race, and will not hesitate to call anyone out for it, as subtle as they may be.
spiral notebooks her handwriting and illustrations tend to get wonky near the spine, thanks to the spiral nature of the binder. As such, she only goes for stitch bound notebooks.
cheese they tend to make her feel bloated, and cheesy or creamy pasta is the absolute worst.
doing the dishes having to scrub out food remains from plates, especially when she wasn’t the one making the mess? Yeah, it’s not the most fun thing in the world.
mint chocolate chip ice cream no matter how much people try to tell her how refreshing mint is when paired with chocolate, it’ll still taste like toothpaste to her.
pizza the main issue for her is how greasy pizzas are. She wouldn’t mind having a slice (with Hawaiian pizza being her favourite), but she will not have anything beyond that.
racism unfortunately, as few and far between they are, she has experienced harassment (mostly verbal) for being Japanese when she was living in Australia and in South Korea. She gets incredibly upset when anyone is disrespected on the basis of their race, and will not hesitate to call anyone out for it, as subtle as they may be.
spiral notebooks her handwriting and illustrations tend to get wonky near the spine, thanks to the spiral nature of the binder. As such, she only goes for stitch bound notebooks.
drawing it’s one of her go-to things she does when she’s bored or she’s feeling down. Her drawings can range from doodles to detailed drawings, and she’s done digital drawings as well.
listening to music while she listens to a relatively wide range of music, her favourites would have to be ballads.
journalling although she slightly prefers drawing as compared to writing, she makes it a point to write every day, and review her entries to see how far she’s come.
listening to music while she listens to a relatively wide range of music, her favourites would have to be ballads.
journalling although she slightly prefers drawing as compared to writing, she makes it a point to write every day, and review her entries to see how far she’s come.
doodling this is her go-to activity when she’s stressed and needs an outlet to vent her frustrations.
jogging to be precise, she goes for a jog every morning before training or going somewhere according to her schedule.
jogging to be precise, she goes for a jog every morning before training or going somewhere according to her schedule.
— Erie is pronounced as eh-ri-eh in Japanese, whereas it’ll be pronounced as ee-ri or eh-ri in English. Regardless of whether her name is pronounced the Japanese way or the English way, she’ll respond to both.
— She does not enjoy exercising or working out in general. She also doesn’t enjoy jogging that much, but because Sean often drags her to jog with him in the mornings, she’s since made it a habit of doing so even after moving to South Korea.
— Her journal consists of doodles and writing the happenings of a day in point form, because she’s far too lazy to write in full sentences. Besides, there’s no one reading her journal anyway, why would she need to write as though she’s doing an essay?
— She studied in Brisbane until Year 10, leaving school upon becoming a trainee at JYP Entertainment. She transferred to Hanlim Multi Art School, graduating in 2020.
— She is orignally left-handed, but due to a lack of equipment favouring left-handers, she later learned to write and do tasks using her right hand. She’s ambidextrous, but generally prefers using her left hand over her right, unless it’s absolutely necessary to use her right hand.
— Her audition songs for JYP Entertainment and Arthouse Media are Taylor Swift’s Clean and Lee Hi's Hold My Hand, respectively.
— She would like to help design things for Elysium, like album covers or merchandise.
— She has done illustrations of several people, including her brother and several members of Elysium, and will make sure to ask them for their permission before drawing them. When drawing people, she makes it a point to lean more towards cartoon styles instead of looking super realistic.
— Among the Elysium members, she’s voted as the best cook, as she will cook for the entire group when she has the time to do so, and when she does, it’s pretty delicious.
— While she's generally careful with her spendings, she can occasionally end up overspending on stationery like stickers, notebooks, pencils and pens. As such, either someone will remind her what stationery she said she's planned on buying, or she needs to exercise self-control.
— She has a public Instagram account @erieehirano, which was previously deactivated when she became a trainee and all predebut posts archived, and a private Discord account @hirahira_e used for chatting with her friends.
— She does not enjoy exercising or working out in general. She also doesn’t enjoy jogging that much, but because Sean often drags her to jog with him in the mornings, she’s since made it a habit of doing so even after moving to South Korea.
— Her journal consists of doodles and writing the happenings of a day in point form, because she’s far too lazy to write in full sentences. Besides, there’s no one reading her journal anyway, why would she need to write as though she’s doing an essay?
— She studied in Brisbane until Year 10, leaving school upon becoming a trainee at JYP Entertainment. She transferred to Hanlim Multi Art School, graduating in 2020.
— She is orignally left-handed, but due to a lack of equipment favouring left-handers, she later learned to write and do tasks using her right hand. She’s ambidextrous, but generally prefers using her left hand over her right, unless it’s absolutely necessary to use her right hand.
— Her audition songs for JYP Entertainment and Arthouse Media are Taylor Swift’s Clean and Lee Hi's Hold My Hand, respectively.
— She would like to help design things for Elysium, like album covers or merchandise.
— She has done illustrations of several people, including her brother and several members of Elysium, and will make sure to ask them for their permission before drawing them. When drawing people, she makes it a point to lean more towards cartoon styles instead of looking super realistic.
— Among the Elysium members, she’s voted as the best cook, as she will cook for the entire group when she has the time to do so, and when she does, it’s pretty delicious.
— While she's generally careful with her spendings, she can occasionally end up overspending on stationery like stickers, notebooks, pencils and pens. As such, either someone will remind her what stationery she said she's planned on buying, or she needs to exercise self-control.
— She has a public Instagram account @erieehirano, which was previously deactivated when she became a trainee and all predebut posts archived, and a private Discord account @hirahira_e used for chatting with her friends.
name Hirano Erie 平野絵里恵
other names
birth date May 14, 2000
age at debut 20
birth place Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
hometown
ethnicity Japanese
nationality
languages
face claim Hinata, XG
back up Rio, NiziU
measurements 168 cm, 53 kg
appearance
With her height, she’s quite easily one of the tallest members of Elysium. Aside from that, her facial features are what allows her to stand out from the crowd.
To put it simply, she has a regal air to her. Perhaps it is her upturned, slight cat-like eyes or her defined nose or her diamond-shaped face that gives off such an impression. However, that does not make her cold; instead, it draws people in, and her smile is that cherry on top. Needless to say, it can be agreed (especially among her fans) that she would make a great model, if she wasn’t an idol.
She changes her hair colour relatively often, part of the reason being to fit into Elysium’s concepts better. However, she is careful to ensure that she doesn’t bleach her hair too often and damage her hair as a result. She currently has two lobe piercings on each ear, and a few years into her debut, she’ll eventually get some tattoos- two butterflies on her left upper arm and the words c’est la vie on her right middle back.
appearance
Classic is elegance. At least, that’s how the Hiranos view fashion. Having grown up with such an ideology, Erie is not one who dresses up according to what’s trending at the moment. Instead, you can find clothing like mini dresses, turtlenecks, trousers, skirts, T-shirts and jeans in her closet. Colours-wise, they must be easy to pair, so she mainly goes for neutral colours like white, cream, blue, brown and black. Perhaps she’ll buy prints like mini polka dots or plaid or houndstooth or gingham if she really likes them.
Another important part of her clothing is the quality. As such, she rarely shops at fast fashion outlets, instead preferring clothing that isn’t necessarily designer, but will at least not fall apart after just a year or two and not end up in the bin because it’s no longer in season. Consequently, she doesn’t buy clothes often, but she will make sure she wears them frequently in order to justify the money she spent on them.
other names
erie hirano because her given name, Erie, is also an English name, many people spell her name as such instead of Hirano Erie. She doesn’t mind it too much, given that her parents wanted to give her a name that can pass off as an English one and not have to come up with her own. So Erie serves as both her Japanese and English name.
jeon hyeri 전혜리 her Korean name given by Arthouse Media, and is rarely ever used for official purposes. Since Hirano is arguably closest in meaning to Jeon when Kanji and Hanja are taken into account, her Korean surname is as such. As for Hyeri, it’s part of her given name when it’s transliterated into Hangul.
nicknames
jeon hyeri 전혜리 her Korean name given by Arthouse Media, and is rarely ever used for official purposes. Since Hirano is arguably closest in meaning to Jeon when Kanji and Hanja are taken into account, her Korean surname is as such. As for Hyeri, it’s part of her given name when it’s transliterated into Hangul.
eri エリ, rie リエ nicknames that her family uses when calling her.
riri リリ a cuter variation of her name, given by none other than her own brother, Sean. Because of how special this name is to her, she only allows a select few to call her as such, including her brother and close friends.
artist erie 아루티스테 에리에 this nickname came about due to her drawings and illustrations, some of which is done on the spot. As such, she has been widely praised among Elysium’s fans for being good in drawing. Even after Elysium’s disbandment, her fans still occasionally refer to her with his nickname.
riri リリ a cuter variation of her name, given by none other than her own brother, Sean. Because of how special this name is to her, she only allows a select few to call her as such, including her brother and close friends.
artist erie 아루티스테 에리에 this nickname came about due to her drawings and illustrations, some of which is done on the spot. As such, she has been widely praised among Elysium’s fans for being good in drawing. Even after Elysium’s disbandment, her fans still occasionally refer to her with his nickname.
age at debut 20
hometown
— Meguro, Tokyo, Japan (2000–2010)
— Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (2010–present)
— Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (2010–present)
nationality
— Japanese (2000–2025)
— Australian (2025–present)
— Australian (2025–present)
japanese 90% fluent. While she grew up speaking the language, she doesn’t speak in Japanese as often following her move to Australia, she continues to speak the language when talking to her parents and takes language classes. Her fluency has since dropped over the years, though she can still read, write and speak well in Japanese for the most part.
english 90% fluent. Though she has taken English classes back in Japan, it is only when she moved to Australia that her mastery of the language increased dramatically. She now virtually sounds like a native speaker, and has a slight Australian accent to boot.
korean 70% fluent. For Erie, picking up Korean wasn’t exactly the easiest to her, and she struggled to understand the language during the first few months she was a trainee. However, with hard work and practice, her Korean language abilities steadily improved, though she still faces occasional troubles over vocabulary and phrasing. She is still taking Korean language classes even after she made her debut, because she and Arthouse Media knows that she still has more to learn.
mandarin 70% fluent. Because she stayed with a Chinese host family who spoke Mandarin at home, she gradually picked up bits and pieces of the language, even speaking it with her host family and fellow neighbours who were Chinese. Her proficiency in the language certainly surprised her language teachers in JYP Entertainment and Arthouse Media, and it’ll be a great asset when it comes to communicating with Mandarin-speaking fans.
english 90% fluent. Though she has taken English classes back in Japan, it is only when she moved to Australia that her mastery of the language increased dramatically. She now virtually sounds like a native speaker, and has a slight Australian accent to boot.
korean 70% fluent. For Erie, picking up Korean wasn’t exactly the easiest to her, and she struggled to understand the language during the first few months she was a trainee. However, with hard work and practice, her Korean language abilities steadily improved, though she still faces occasional troubles over vocabulary and phrasing. She is still taking Korean language classes even after she made her debut, because she and Arthouse Media knows that she still has more to learn.
mandarin 70% fluent. Because she stayed with a Chinese host family who spoke Mandarin at home, she gradually picked up bits and pieces of the language, even speaking it with her host family and fellow neighbours who were Chinese. Her proficiency in the language certainly surprised her language teachers in JYP Entertainment and Arthouse Media, and it’ll be a great asset when it comes to communicating with Mandarin-speaking fans.
back up Rio, NiziU
With her height, she’s quite easily one of the tallest members of Elysium. Aside from that, her facial features are what allows her to stand out from the crowd.
To put it simply, she has a regal air to her. Perhaps it is her upturned, slight cat-like eyes or her defined nose or her diamond-shaped face that gives off such an impression. However, that does not make her cold; instead, it draws people in, and her smile is that cherry on top. Needless to say, it can be agreed (especially among her fans) that she would make a great model, if she wasn’t an idol.
She changes her hair colour relatively often, part of the reason being to fit into Elysium’s concepts better. However, she is careful to ensure that she doesn’t bleach her hair too often and damage her hair as a result. She currently has two lobe piercings on each ear, and a few years into her debut, she’ll eventually get some tattoos- two butterflies on her left upper arm and the words c’est la vie on her right middle back.
Classic is elegance. At least, that’s how the Hiranos view fashion. Having grown up with such an ideology, Erie is not one who dresses up according to what’s trending at the moment. Instead, you can find clothing like mini dresses, turtlenecks, trousers, skirts, T-shirts and jeans in her closet. Colours-wise, they must be easy to pair, so she mainly goes for neutral colours like white, cream, blue, brown and black. Perhaps she’ll buy prints like mini polka dots or plaid or houndstooth or gingham if she really likes them.
Another important part of her clothing is the quality. As such, she rarely shops at fast fashion outlets, instead preferring clothing that isn’t necessarily designer, but will at least not fall apart after just a year or two and not end up in the bin because it’s no longer in season. Consequently, she doesn’t buy clothes often, but she will make sure she wears them frequently in order to justify the money she spent on them.
background
2000–2009: the beginning
If you ask Erie, she’ll say that she’s incredibly fortunate to be born to parents who have progressed well in their careers and have enough money and resources to provide herself and her brother, Sean, a comfortable life. Indeed, her life has been smooth sailing, being able to attend kindergarten and elementary school without having to worry much about anything.
Given that her family is part of the upper middle class, Erie’s not immune to the occasional dislike from her fellow classmates, thinking that being rich equates to having a nasty personality. And if this is all she sees her as, then by all means. Her parents have taught her that people will only choose to see what they want to see, and as long as she isn’t hurting anyone, why does she need to change herself to suit their tastes?
Erie wouldn’t call her life in Japan as boring, but it wouldn’t be the most exciting part of her life, either. When she was 9, her parents brought Sean and her to Brisbane on a holiday. When they asked the both of them if they liked Brisbane and wanted to stay, they said yes without hesitation. Little did they realise, Mr and Mrs Hirano had the thought of sending their children overseas for their studies, so that they could expand their horizons. Them liking Brisbane just helped assure them that they were making a good decision.
2010–2015: the move
A year later, Erie and Sean were sent to study in Brisbane, and lived with a Chinese host family. She definitely enjoyed her time in Brisbane and being able to interact with people from various races, which, admittedly, was a completely different experience back in Japan.
But what really stood out to her was forming an a capella group, Strictly Notes, together with several classmates when she was a Year 8 student. Going to her friends’ houses was a weekly occurrence, where they would arrange covers of pop tunes and practise singing and harmonising with each other. Eventually, word got out, especially after they competed in the school's talent show, and they soon were invited to perform for various events held by their school.
She had to admit that being part of an a capella group was so much fun, it only sparked her interest in singing and performing, and perhaps even making it her career.
2016–present: the dream
JYP Entertainment announced to be holding auditions in several Australian cities, and, luckily for Erie, Brisbane is one of them.
That might just be a great opportunity to be discovered by an entertainment company and even make a living out of singing! So when she went for their auditions and advanced to the next round (read: going through yet another screening in South Korea), she was over the moon.
Her parents, ever so supportive, accompanied her to South Korea for the second round of auditions. She would later learn that she was 1 out of the 3 candidates offered a contract by the company, out of the 3500 people who had auditioned in Australia.
If being a trainee under JYP Entertainment means that she’s one step closer to achieving her dreams of being a singer, then she’ll take it.
If you ask Erie, she’ll say that she’s incredibly fortunate to be born to parents who have progressed well in their careers and have enough money and resources to provide herself and her brother, Sean, a comfortable life. Indeed, her life has been smooth sailing, being able to attend kindergarten and elementary school without having to worry much about anything.
Given that her family is part of the upper middle class, Erie’s not immune to the occasional dislike from her fellow classmates, thinking that being rich equates to having a nasty personality. And if this is all she sees her as, then by all means. Her parents have taught her that people will only choose to see what they want to see, and as long as she isn’t hurting anyone, why does she need to change herself to suit their tastes?
Erie wouldn’t call her life in Japan as boring, but it wouldn’t be the most exciting part of her life, either. When she was 9, her parents brought Sean and her to Brisbane on a holiday. When they asked the both of them if they liked Brisbane and wanted to stay, they said yes without hesitation. Little did they realise, Mr and Mrs Hirano had the thought of sending their children overseas for their studies, so that they could expand their horizons. Them liking Brisbane just helped assure them that they were making a good decision.
A year later, Erie and Sean were sent to study in Brisbane, and lived with a Chinese host family. She definitely enjoyed her time in Brisbane and being able to interact with people from various races, which, admittedly, was a completely different experience back in Japan.
But what really stood out to her was forming an a capella group, Strictly Notes, together with several classmates when she was a Year 8 student. Going to her friends’ houses was a weekly occurrence, where they would arrange covers of pop tunes and practise singing and harmonising with each other. Eventually, word got out, especially after they competed in the school's talent show, and they soon were invited to perform for various events held by their school.
She had to admit that being part of an a capella group was so much fun, it only sparked her interest in singing and performing, and perhaps even making it her career.
JYP Entertainment announced to be holding auditions in several Australian cities, and, luckily for Erie, Brisbane is one of them.
That might just be a great opportunity to be discovered by an entertainment company and even make a living out of singing! So when she went for their auditions and advanced to the next round (read: going through yet another screening in South Korea), she was over the moon.
Her parents, ever so supportive, accompanied her to South Korea for the second round of auditions. She would later learn that she was 1 out of the 3 candidates offered a contract by the company, out of the 3500 people who had auditioned in Australia.
If being a trainee under JYP Entertainment means that she’s one step closer to achieving her dreams of being a singer, then she’ll take it.
name Hirano Sean 平野翔音
age (birth year) 22 (1998)
occupation Co-founder of Atlas
relationship Older brother
face claim Kawanishi Takumi, JO1
When Mr and Mrs Hirano are not around, Sean is the one looking out for Erie. That’s not to say that they always get along smoothly, since they get into the occasional arguments or deliberately annoy each other, but they know that they can never stay mad at each other for too long.
Sean has a penchant for pulling Erie into the things he’s asked to do, but Erie doesn’t mind it too much, seeing it as a time when she bonds with her brother (and even gets into trouble with him). As such, although they won’t say that they’re particularly close, they’re on good terms and will readily share about recent happenings or the things that made them laugh.
Even after Erie moved to South Korea to become a trainee and Sean went to study at the University of Melbourne, the both of them still make it a point to message each other often and chat at least once a week. She was absolutely delighted to hear that Sean, together with Shaun and another friend they met in university, set up an digital lifestyle publication called Atlas. If she wasn’t already gearing up for debut in Elysium, she most likely would’ve worked full-time as an illustrator for Atlas. And when she decides to return to Brisbane and work for Atlas, he’ll definitely welcome her with open arms. As for Sean, Erie knows that she can count on him to show his support for Elysium.
age (birth year) 22 (1998)
occupation Co-founder of Atlas
relationship Older brother
face claim Kawanishi Takumi, JO1
Sean has a penchant for pulling Erie into the things he’s asked to do, but Erie doesn’t mind it too much, seeing it as a time when she bonds with her brother (and even gets into trouble with him). As such, although they won’t say that they’re particularly close, they’re on good terms and will readily share about recent happenings or the things that made them laugh.
Even after Erie moved to South Korea to become a trainee and Sean went to study at the University of Melbourne, the both of them still make it a point to message each other often and chat at least once a week. She was absolutely delighted to hear that Sean, together with Shaun and another friend they met in university, set up an digital lifestyle publication called Atlas. If she wasn’t already gearing up for debut in Elysium, she most likely would’ve worked full-time as an illustrator for Atlas. And when she decides to return to Brisbane and work for Atlas, he’ll definitely welcome her with open arms. As for Sean, Erie knows that she can count on him to show his support for Elysium.
name Shaun Wang, Wang Yixuan 王以轩
age (birth year) 22 (1998)
occupation Co-founder of Atlas
relationship Close friend
face claim Jackson Yee, TFBoys
It definitely helped that Erie’s host family in Brisbane had a son that’s close to both Sean’s and her age. Shaun took up the job of showing the both of them around and teaching them how to live like a local, because it helped them to settle into Australia much faster than she had anticipated. It’s also only a matter of time before Erie grew close to him, since they live under the same roof.
To be completely honest, Erie finds it a little easier to confide in Shaun as compared to her own brother. Perhaps it’s because Shaun does not have familial relations to her, so she can see things more objectively through a third person’s perspective. As such, he became quite the go-to when she’s struggling with homework or she could use a listening ear or she needs some advice. In return, Erie promises to be there for her friend and support him to the best of her ability.
If there’s anything that Erie admires in Shaun, it’s his creativeness in finding solutions or sailing in uncharted waters, which mostly resulted in further success for Atlas. She hopes that she can be as spontaneous as Shaun is, although it probably won’t come as easy for her. On a completely different note, to avoid confusion between Shaun and her own brother, she addresses Shaun as Shaun W or his full name, Shaun Wang.
age (birth year) 22 (1998)
occupation Co-founder of Atlas
relationship Close friend
face claim Jackson Yee, TFBoys
To be completely honest, Erie finds it a little easier to confide in Shaun as compared to her own brother. Perhaps it’s because Shaun does not have familial relations to her, so she can see things more objectively through a third person’s perspective. As such, he became quite the go-to when she’s struggling with homework or she could use a listening ear or she needs some advice. In return, Erie promises to be there for her friend and support him to the best of her ability.
If there’s anything that Erie admires in Shaun, it’s his creativeness in finding solutions or sailing in uncharted waters, which mostly resulted in further success for Atlas. She hopes that she can be as spontaneous as Shaun is, although it probably won’t come as easy for her. On a completely different note, to avoid confusion between Shaun and her own brother, she addresses Shaun as Shaun W or his full name, Shaun Wang.
name Kim Somang 김소망
age (birth year) 16 (2004)
occupation Member of Elysium
relationship Bandmate
For the most part, Erie is friendly to Somang, despite finding her frustrating. Because even though Erie is open-minded and will hear Somang out, Somang will insist on her own opinions and doing things her way, even when she’s gotten her facts completely wrong or her way is clearly not the best way to do things. In Erie’s own opinion, it’s stupid that she’s so irritated by Somang’s tendency to criticise popular things. But it doesn’t stop from giving her the impression of Somang trying so hard to be special, almost like a pick me girl would. For instance, Somang occasionally calls the singers that Erie listens to regularly as overrated. Like seriously? It’s such an insult to the likes of Radwimps or Yoasobi or Taylor Swift or Jay Chou, who didn’t get popular for nothing.
Add Somang’s inability to listen to others, especially when she doesn’t know better, Erie has sort of given up trying to get closer to her, so their relationship did not progress beyond being members of the same group.
On Somang’s end, she doesn’t like Erie much either, though that’s probably her lack of awareness and immaturity talking. And also that she’ll have to admit, unfortunately, that Erie is right all along.
age (birth year) 16 (2004)
occupation Member of Elysium
relationship Bandmate
Add Somang’s inability to listen to others, especially when she doesn’t know better, Erie has sort of given up trying to get closer to her, so their relationship did not progress beyond being members of the same group.
On Somang’s end, she doesn’t like Erie much either, though that’s probably her lack of awareness and immaturity talking. And also that she’ll have to admit, unfortunately, that Erie is right all along.
name Pyxis
age (birth year) 18-22 (1998-2002)
relationship Friends, close acquaintances
To Erie, Pyxis is quite the mishmash of members and personalities, but of course, this works to the group’s advantage. It is because the members are so distinct, it adds a certain charm to them.
Up to now, Erie finds Euichan a bit intimidating, especially because of his grumpiness and not sugarcoating his words, especially his pessimistic outlook on the K-pop industry. But it’s precisely because he’s never afraid to speak his mind that she has a lot of respect for him, and that’s not to mention that he’s also very skilled at what he does. Even she can’t help but laugh at his dark humour at times.
She’s clearly the closest to Noah. Maybe it’s because they lived in the US and Australia respectively, that they’re a bit more similar in the way they interact with others. She finds his carefreeness and cheekiness a breath of fresh air, especially with how intense people can be in the K-pop industry. Although Erie is not as close to Noah as Euichan is, they hang out rather often.
On the other hand, she’s not as close to Hanoong despite the both of them being the same age. But that’s also because out of all the Pyxis members, she sees him around the least. So they already don’t have many opportunities to interact with each other, and he’s very quiet around her too. But they’re always polite to each other whenever they meet, and Hanoong is also happy to share a tip or two when it comes to singing.
To Erie, Park Shin is like a younger brother, and his sass, which she absolutely loves, is the icing on the cake. She also likes how he marches to the beat of his own drum and doesn’t care very much what others have to say about him. With how they see each other pretty often and hang out from time to time, Park Shin’s easily the member she’s second closest to. Though Park Shin finds Erie lowkey embarrassing when she treats him like he’s her kid brother, he doesn’t mind it too much.
age (birth year) 18-22 (1998-2002)
relationship Friends, close acquaintances
Up to now, Erie finds Euichan a bit intimidating, especially because of his grumpiness and not sugarcoating his words, especially his pessimistic outlook on the K-pop industry. But it’s precisely because he’s never afraid to speak his mind that she has a lot of respect for him, and that’s not to mention that he’s also very skilled at what he does. Even she can’t help but laugh at his dark humour at times.
She’s clearly the closest to Noah. Maybe it’s because they lived in the US and Australia respectively, that they’re a bit more similar in the way they interact with others. She finds his carefreeness and cheekiness a breath of fresh air, especially with how intense people can be in the K-pop industry. Although Erie is not as close to Noah as Euichan is, they hang out rather often.
On the other hand, she’s not as close to Hanoong despite the both of them being the same age. But that’s also because out of all the Pyxis members, she sees him around the least. So they already don’t have many opportunities to interact with each other, and he’s very quiet around her too. But they’re always polite to each other whenever they meet, and Hanoong is also happy to share a tip or two when it comes to singing.
To Erie, Park Shin is like a younger brother, and his sass, which she absolutely loves, is the icing on the cake. She also likes how he marches to the beat of his own drum and doesn’t care very much what others have to say about him. With how they see each other pretty often and hang out from time to time, Park Shin’s easily the member she’s second closest to. Though Park Shin finds Erie lowkey embarrassing when she treats him like he’s her kid brother, he doesn’t mind it too much.
name Strictly Notes
age (birth year) 19-21 (1999-2001)
relationship Friends
Strictly Notes is an a cappella group originally composed of Amelia Kingston, Charles Tran, Chris Landon, Sarah Reyes, Zavier Bey-Andersen and Erie herself. Amelia, Chris and Sarah were in the same class, and when encouraged to sign up for the school’s talent show, that’s when the final three members were roped in. For Erie, it’s because Charles, her schoolmate the same academic year as her, asked if she wanted to give the talent show a try, that she got a spot in Strictly Notes.
The group was aware that Erie wanted to take her singing up a notch, and were supportive of her leaving the group to become a trainee at JYP Entertainment. They continued to keep in touch over the years, and Erie shared their joy when the group became so successful, they had gotten signed to a label in October 2019 and have since then released original songs.
Since so many years have passed and they’re singers through different means, she wouldn’t say she’s as close to them now, despite talking to Charles rather frequently. However, she does listen to their songs and posts their songs on Instagram from time to time, and likewise for Strictly Notes with Elysium and their songs. She would also love to be able to meet up with them face to face if she’s able to fly back to Australia to visit her family and friends.
age (birth year) 19-21 (1999-2001)
relationship Friends
The group was aware that Erie wanted to take her singing up a notch, and were supportive of her leaving the group to become a trainee at JYP Entertainment. They continued to keep in touch over the years, and Erie shared their joy when the group became so successful, they had gotten signed to a label in October 2019 and have since then released original songs.
Since so many years have passed and they’re singers through different means, she wouldn’t say she’s as close to them now, despite talking to Charles rather frequently. However, she does listen to their songs and posts their songs on Instagram from time to time, and likewise for Strictly Notes with Elysium and their songs. She would also love to be able to meet up with them face to face if she’s able to fly back to Australia to visit her family and friends.
name ITZY
age (birth year) 17-20 (2000-2003)
relationship Friends, close acquaintances
As Erie’s training period under JYP Entertainment overlaps with those of the ITZY members, she would have talked to them, trained with them or been placed in the same groups as them for evaluation. Out of the ITZY members, she’s closest to Yeji and Lia, the former because of how she often approaches Erie to have a chat or practise together, and the latter due to their shared experience of living in English-speaking countries and similar personalities. She’s also relatively close to Ryujin, finding the younger girl really cool, and Yuna, with how outgoing she is and her enthusiasm. She finds it harder to get along with Chaeryeong, finding the younger girl somewhat reserved, but that’s not to say that she’s on bad terms with her.
Even though Erie failed to be selected for ITZY and later left JYP Entertainment, she continued to keep in touch with the ITZY members. She occasionally meets up with them outside of their schedules (with Lia being the member she most frequently has dinner with), and whenever they happen to meet backstage, they’re always polite to one another.
age (birth year) 17-20 (2000-2003)
relationship Friends, close acquaintances
Even though Erie failed to be selected for ITZY and later left JYP Entertainment, she continued to keep in touch with the ITZY members. She occasionally meets up with them outside of their schedules (with Lia being the member she most frequently has dinner with), and whenever they happen to meet backstage, they’re always polite to one another.
name NMIXX
age (birth year) 14-18 (2002-2006)
relationship Friends, close acquaintances
Most of the NMIXX members also trained in JYP Entertainment alongside Erie. She’s easily the closest to Lily, because they’re both from Australia and can thus relate to each other the best, and interestingly, they prefer to speak to each other in English over Korean. It’s also for this reason why Lily was rather upset when Erie chose to depart from JYP Entertainment, though she eventually came round to this decision. She’s also quite close to Jinni, who entered JYP Entertainment around the same time as she did, and even Haewon, who entered the company much later than she did. She finds it a little difficult to interact with Bae, Jiwoo and Kyujin, especially with how young the latter two are, though they get along very well. As Sullyoon joined JYP Entertainment after Erie left, they did not know about each other at all, though they’re always friendly to each other despite being virtually strangers.
Like the ITZY members, Erie hangs out with the NMIXX members too, even making plans with Lily to go back and visit Australia together someday when NMIXX and Elysium are not planning to make a comeback for some time. Even though Jinni will depart from NMIXX, Erie will always continue to support both NMIXX and Jinni’s (or rather, Jini) solo career, and chat with them backstage.
age (birth year) 14-18 (2002-2006)
relationship Friends, close acquaintances
Like the ITZY members, Erie hangs out with the NMIXX members too, even making plans with Lily to go back and visit Australia together someday when NMIXX and Elysium are not planning to make a comeback for some time. Even though Jinni will depart from NMIXX, Erie will always continue to support both NMIXX and Jinni’s (or rather, Jini) solo career, and chat with them backstage.
name here
age (birth year) here
occupation here
relationship here
face claim here
relationship
age (birth year) here
occupation here
relationship here
face claim here
stage name erie 에리에. Because Erie is a completely unique stage name (that is, within the context of K-pop), it makes complete sense to go with it, and with the Japanese pronunciation of the name for that matter.
position Lead vocalist, lead dancer
talent twin Yujin, IVE
years of training
trainee life
When Erie first became a trainee at JYP Entertainment in August 2016, the first thing she realised was how friendly and humble everyone was. Which is a good thing, because she later found out just how tough training is. Not only did Erie have to pick up dancing from scratch, she also was into a bunch of other classes, like language classes, acting classes, and even modelling classes (because idols are expected to look good, regardless of camera quality or angle). Needless to say, Erie struggled a lot from the start. And South Korea’s culture, which was completely opposite to the Australian culture that she’s gotten so accustomed to, did nothing to help.
But she did eventually push through the training, through hard work and discovering art (thanks to JYP Entertainment’s art therapy sessions) as a reliable mean to work out her feelings. Scoldings and criticism lessened over time, and it turned out that on top of being at least a lead vocalist, she also had the makings of a lead dancer, too. If she continues to improve, then perhaps she might be part of JYP Entertainment's next girl group.
With whispers of the company evaluating hopefuls for this said girl group, everyone seemed to work harder in an attempt to stand out among the rest. Everyone was still friendly to each other, of course, but she clearly felt the atmosphere at JYP Entertainment becoming increasingly tense over time, and she wasn’t sure what to do about it.
Ultimately, she was passed over for ITZY. Erie felt regretful, of course. But there’s a part of her that felt relieved. As much as she liked the trainees and even the artists at JYP Entertainment, there was something quite missing, that perhaps she wasn’t what the company was looking for, that she doesn’t fit their image very well. So, she left in June 2019 upon expiration of her trainee contract.
She later auditioned for a handful of companies, choosing smaller-scale companies so that she didn’t have to deal with the pressures of larger and more prestigious companies. She heard back from two of them- Play M Entertainment and Arthouse Media. After doing even further research on both companies and their artists, she ultimately picked Arthouse Media. Not to say that Play M Entertainment isn’t good, but Arthouse Media simply appealed to her more strongly, especially when it comes to their groups’ concepts.
She later joined Arthouse Media as a trainee in October 2019.
Training at Arthouse Media was much less stressful on her, though that’s also because they have less trainees, and therefore less competition in fighting for a spot in the company’s upcoming groups. Given that Erie had prior experience as a trainee, she was pretty much ranked near the top when it comes to Arthouse Media’s trainee evaluations every time. So now the key is to polish her skills even further and make sure that she doesn’t regress.
When the time came for Arthouse Media to announce who made it to the lineup of Elysium, no one was surprised when Erie was included in the list, despite having only trained for several months. She’s aware that she’s not friends with some trainees who were also chosen to be part of Elysium, but hopefully everyone will be able to put aside their differences and work towards the same goal of being a great girl group with much to offer, despite coming from a smaller company.
Or might that be too much to ask for?
position Lead vocalist, lead dancer
talent twin Yujin, IVE
— JYP Entertainment (2016–2019)
— Arthouse Media (2019–2020)
— Arthouse Media (2019–2020)
When Erie first became a trainee at JYP Entertainment in August 2016, the first thing she realised was how friendly and humble everyone was. Which is a good thing, because she later found out just how tough training is. Not only did Erie have to pick up dancing from scratch, she also was into a bunch of other classes, like language classes, acting classes, and even modelling classes (because idols are expected to look good, regardless of camera quality or angle). Needless to say, Erie struggled a lot from the start. And South Korea’s culture, which was completely opposite to the Australian culture that she’s gotten so accustomed to, did nothing to help.
But she did eventually push through the training, through hard work and discovering art (thanks to JYP Entertainment’s art therapy sessions) as a reliable mean to work out her feelings. Scoldings and criticism lessened over time, and it turned out that on top of being at least a lead vocalist, she also had the makings of a lead dancer, too. If she continues to improve, then perhaps she might be part of JYP Entertainment's next girl group.
With whispers of the company evaluating hopefuls for this said girl group, everyone seemed to work harder in an attempt to stand out among the rest. Everyone was still friendly to each other, of course, but she clearly felt the atmosphere at JYP Entertainment becoming increasingly tense over time, and she wasn’t sure what to do about it.
Ultimately, she was passed over for ITZY. Erie felt regretful, of course. But there’s a part of her that felt relieved. As much as she liked the trainees and even the artists at JYP Entertainment, there was something quite missing, that perhaps she wasn’t what the company was looking for, that she doesn’t fit their image very well. So, she left in June 2019 upon expiration of her trainee contract.
She later auditioned for a handful of companies, choosing smaller-scale companies so that she didn’t have to deal with the pressures of larger and more prestigious companies. She heard back from two of them- Play M Entertainment and Arthouse Media. After doing even further research on both companies and their artists, she ultimately picked Arthouse Media. Not to say that Play M Entertainment isn’t good, but Arthouse Media simply appealed to her more strongly, especially when it comes to their groups’ concepts.
She later joined Arthouse Media as a trainee in October 2019.
Training at Arthouse Media was much less stressful on her, though that’s also because they have less trainees, and therefore less competition in fighting for a spot in the company’s upcoming groups. Given that Erie had prior experience as a trainee, she was pretty much ranked near the top when it comes to Arthouse Media’s trainee evaluations every time. So now the key is to polish her skills even further and make sure that she doesn’t regress.
When the time came for Arthouse Media to announce who made it to the lineup of Elysium, no one was surprised when Erie was included in the list, despite having only trained for several months. She’s aware that she’s not friends with some trainees who were also chosen to be part of Elysium, but hopefully everyone will be able to put aside their differences and work towards the same goal of being a great girl group with much to offer, despite coming from a smaller company.
Or might that be too much to ask for?
elysium
strengths
During her time as a trainee, she’s known for being able to remain relatively vocally stable even when dancing to intense choreography (although that says more about her stamina rather than her ability to sing). She’s quick to pick up on choreography, in the sense where despite not being able to execute it perfectly, she has an awareness of what needs to be done. Her singing has also been noted to have a sense of huskiness to it, which makes her especially great for singing low notes.
She’s also noted to be kind, ready to give a helping hand to trainees who are struggling, especially choreography-wise. She’s also noted for being polite to everyone, and tends to respond the quickest when someone needs assistance, thus earning her praise from seniors in the K-pop industry and fans alike. Her ability to remain calm even when things go wrong means that she’s often described as the member that can be relied on the most.
She’s also known for her humour, especially through remarks that she makes. Some of these remarks are actually unintentional, which only helps make them even funnier.
weaknesses
Although she carries herself well, be it on variety shows or interviews, she wouldn’t say she’s always comfortable around the hosts of such shows. When she’s uncomfortable by the comments they make or the questions they ask, especially questions that are irrelevant or intrude on her own private life or that of others, she’ll voice her discomfort in a rather direct manner. This can be wrongly interpreted by some as being disrespectful, when she’s just being very clear about her boundaries.
On the other hand, others might take offense at her joking remarks, even when she doesn’t mean to insult anyone. As such, she will make it obvious when she’s joking and her words are not to be taken seriously. However, if what she says is offensive, she won’t hesitate to apologise for it and not repeat the same mistake.
Because of her calmness, it can be difficult to elicit reactions from her. As such, she’s not exactly a popular choice when it comes to variety shows. Which she’s okay with, actually, because she has no intentions to be some variety show queen.
If people really have to pick at her skills, idol-wise, it’ll be that she is lacking as a rapper. She agrees with them, because she finds her raps (whenever she raps, which seldom happens) relatively one-note. Others would say that she struggles to hit high notes, or that her dancing abilities are confined to that of girl group idol dances, therefore she noticeably struggles with dances outside of an idol context. Which again, people aren’t wrong. She knows that she can still improve on her singing and dancing, so she attends singing and dancing classes, even when Elysium isn’t preparing for a comeback anytime soon.
During her time as a trainee, she’s known for being able to remain relatively vocally stable even when dancing to intense choreography (although that says more about her stamina rather than her ability to sing). She’s quick to pick up on choreography, in the sense where despite not being able to execute it perfectly, she has an awareness of what needs to be done. Her singing has also been noted to have a sense of huskiness to it, which makes her especially great for singing low notes.
She’s also noted to be kind, ready to give a helping hand to trainees who are struggling, especially choreography-wise. She’s also noted for being polite to everyone, and tends to respond the quickest when someone needs assistance, thus earning her praise from seniors in the K-pop industry and fans alike. Her ability to remain calm even when things go wrong means that she’s often described as the member that can be relied on the most.
She’s also known for her humour, especially through remarks that she makes. Some of these remarks are actually unintentional, which only helps make them even funnier.
Although she carries herself well, be it on variety shows or interviews, she wouldn’t say she’s always comfortable around the hosts of such shows. When she’s uncomfortable by the comments they make or the questions they ask, especially questions that are irrelevant or intrude on her own private life or that of others, she’ll voice her discomfort in a rather direct manner. This can be wrongly interpreted by some as being disrespectful, when she’s just being very clear about her boundaries.
On the other hand, others might take offense at her joking remarks, even when she doesn’t mean to insult anyone. As such, she will make it obvious when she’s joking and her words are not to be taken seriously. However, if what she says is offensive, she won’t hesitate to apologise for it and not repeat the same mistake.
Because of her calmness, it can be difficult to elicit reactions from her. As such, she’s not exactly a popular choice when it comes to variety shows. Which she’s okay with, actually, because she has no intentions to be some variety show queen.
If people really have to pick at her skills, idol-wise, it’ll be that she is lacking as a rapper. She agrees with them, because she finds her raps (whenever she raps, which seldom happens) relatively one-note. Others would say that she struggles to hit high notes, or that her dancing abilities are confined to that of girl group idol dances, therefore she noticeably struggles with dances outside of an idol context. Which again, people aren’t wrong. She knows that she can still improve on her singing and dancing, so she attends singing and dancing classes, even when Elysium isn’t preparing for a comeback anytime soon.
name Bryce Kim, Kim Jihyun 김지현
birth date January 3, 1998
face claim Haknyeon, TBZ
personality
enfp, sanguine-phlegmatic, 6w5, hufflepuff, neutral good
Everyone knows Bryce to be a very friendly person who’s always up to talk to someone and make themselves feel at home. Add being extremely helpful to that, and you have someone who is always ready to support other people when needed, going all out especially for the people he deeply cares about. What’s there not to like about him?
The problem is that he’s always kind to others, but not nearly as kind to himself. For instance, he tends to let emotions get the best of him. It is especially a problem when it’s over something negative, like criticism or being excluded. Because he risks taking something personally. Or when he tries so hard, that he ends up overworking himself until he realises that it’s time to take a step back.
But no matter how devastated he has been, he’ll always manage to find his way back to his usual self. Even if that’ll take a long time, or that he will forgive but ultimately never forget. Perhaps it’s because he has been shaped by the things he’s experienced thus far, he will gradually realise that there wasn’t ever a need to carry so much worry, especially those that weren’t his to begin with. That will eventually help him begin to let them go, more so after deciding to leave the K-pop industry behind entirely.
love story
The both of them first met in 2016, two months after Erie joined JYP Entertainment as a trainee. And Bryce was the one who made the first move.
“Hi, I’m Kim Jihyun, but you can also call me Bryce or even V.”
“Hi, I’m Hirano Erie. I’m kind of still new here, so please take care of me well,” she replied, giving him a small smile.
“Definitely,” he said, grinning. “Which country do you come from?”
“I’m born in Japan, and I’ve lived in Australia since I was 10.”
“Cool!” he exclaimed. “I was born in New Zealand, but I’ve lived in Australia for a while. You don’t mind if I speak in English sometimes, do you? There aren’t many Aussies or Kiwis around here, and it’s always great meeting them around here.”
“By all means,” she said with a chuckle. “Maybe we can become closer that way.”
True to what Erie had said, the both of them did become close to each other, to the point where they can comfortably call themselves good friends. Because they don’t share similar training schedules, they tend to meet each other when getting dinner, or sometimes even hang out around the practice rooms.
Erie later learned that a male predebut team was formed, its members specially selected by a fellow Aussie and long-time trainee, Bang Chan. She would also learn that Bryce, one of Bang Chan’s closest friends in the company, was not selected to be part of this team.
She had seen how crushed he was to hear that, more so when Bang Chan felt that he did not suit the predebut team’s image. Or how he avoided being around the predebut team’s members for a while. So Erie tried her best to keep him company, talking to him and reminding him how well he was doing.
Of course, Bang Chan knew about this, so he thanked her for keeping Bryce company when he couldn’t.
“That’s what friends are for, right?” she said reassuringly. “I hope that the both of you won’t end things on a bad note.”
When Erie decided to leave JYP Entertainment, Bryce was there to show her support, telling her that he’ll try to keep in contact with her even when she’s not around anymore. And she reminded him that with ITZY having made their debut, it’s only a matter of time they pick trainees to form their next boy group. Given how he’s one of the top performing male trainees in the company, he’d definitely stand a good chance of being chosen.
He shared Erie’s excitement when he found out that she had joined Arthouse Media, and would be debuting in a group called Elysium in July 2020. Even though she had less time to meet him in person like she used to, she made it a point to message him everyday, even calling once every week or two.
She was there when Bryce found out that his wait would be in vain. He’s not getting any younger and a boy group under JYP Entertainment was nowhere near in sight. So she supported his decision to leave the company in order to audition for an upcoming show called Boys Planet.
She was just as happy to hear that Bang Chan had a long talk with Bryce when the latter left JYP Entertainment, and the latter had already moved on from the disappointment of being passed over for Stray Kids many months ago. The both of them had also continued to keep in contact with each other.
Erie had watched every episode of Boys Planet, while getting as many people to vote for Bryce as possible. Yet, he ranked 12th place in the final episode, failing to secure a spot in ZEROBASEONE.
Needless to say, she felt awful.
She later received a text message from him the following morning, asking to meet at their usual spot.
When she arrived, she saw a lone figure sitting on the bench, so she sat down beside him, ready to give him some encouraging words.
But before she could say anything, she felt a weight on her shoulder, and could hear him sobbing.
So she instead wrapped her arm around him, rubbing his shoulder gently every now and then, not saying a single word until Bryce is ready to talk.
Some time later, Bryce came to the conclusion that perhaps he’s not meant for the idol life, and decided to give up being a K-pop idol completely. Erie suggested he gives himself a much needed rest after working so hard for the past few years, like going back to New Zealand to visit his family and friends, or even visit Australia or somewhere else.
And so he did. He later opened his own Instagram account, uploading videos and photos of himself travelling to various places in New Zealand and Australia. The fact that he was a former JYP Entertainment trainee and a highly popular Boys Planet contestant only helped boost his follower count even further, on top of people genuinely interested in his content. So by the end of 2023, he amassed 70k followers on his account.
Sean was looking to expand Atlas, and branching out into Youtube was one of his plans. Erie informed Bryce about this, so he decided to move to Brisbane and help set up their Youtube channel.
“Your man looks a lot happier now,” Sean said on one of their video calls.
“For the last time, he's not my man!” Erie replied sharply. “But as you said, maybe he's a lot happier than he was back in South Korea as a trainee.”
When Elysium ultimately disbanded in 2027, Erie decided to part ways with Arthouse Media and return to Australia. She took up an illustrator job under Atlas, while also enrolling as a Media and Digital Cultures student under the University of Queensland.
And of course, Bryce couldn’t be happier to see one of his closest friends working for the same company as he is.
“You’re a sight for sore eyes,” he said, as Erie leaned in to give him a hug.
It is clear as day that with the years they’ve known each other, Erie and Bryce are pretty much each other’s best friends. And that’s a very comfortable position to be in.
But to other people, like Sean or Shaun, or even Erie’s former bandmates she kept in touch with, they seem more like soulmates instead of being just best friends.
Whether or not Erie or Bryce realises it, it’s a question that’s up in the air. If they do realise it, will they do something about it? Only time will tell.
birth date January 3, 1998
face claim Haknyeon, TBZ
The problem is that he’s always kind to others, but not nearly as kind to himself. For instance, he tends to let emotions get the best of him. It is especially a problem when it’s over something negative, like criticism or being excluded. Because he risks taking something personally. Or when he tries so hard, that he ends up overworking himself until he realises that it’s time to take a step back.
But no matter how devastated he has been, he’ll always manage to find his way back to his usual self. Even if that’ll take a long time, or that he will forgive but ultimately never forget. Perhaps it’s because he has been shaped by the things he’s experienced thus far, he will gradually realise that there wasn’t ever a need to carry so much worry, especially those that weren’t his to begin with. That will eventually help him begin to let them go, more so after deciding to leave the K-pop industry behind entirely.
The both of them first met in 2016, two months after Erie joined JYP Entertainment as a trainee. And Bryce was the one who made the first move.
“Hi, I’m Kim Jihyun, but you can also call me Bryce or even V.”
“Hi, I’m Hirano Erie. I’m kind of still new here, so please take care of me well,” she replied, giving him a small smile.
“Definitely,” he said, grinning. “Which country do you come from?”
“I’m born in Japan, and I’ve lived in Australia since I was 10.”
“Cool!” he exclaimed. “I was born in New Zealand, but I’ve lived in Australia for a while. You don’t mind if I speak in English sometimes, do you? There aren’t many Aussies or Kiwis around here, and it’s always great meeting them around here.”
“By all means,” she said with a chuckle. “Maybe we can become closer that way.”
True to what Erie had said, the both of them did become close to each other, to the point where they can comfortably call themselves good friends. Because they don’t share similar training schedules, they tend to meet each other when getting dinner, or sometimes even hang out around the practice rooms.
Erie later learned that a male predebut team was formed, its members specially selected by a fellow Aussie and long-time trainee, Bang Chan. She would also learn that Bryce, one of Bang Chan’s closest friends in the company, was not selected to be part of this team.
She had seen how crushed he was to hear that, more so when Bang Chan felt that he did not suit the predebut team’s image. Or how he avoided being around the predebut team’s members for a while. So Erie tried her best to keep him company, talking to him and reminding him how well he was doing.
Of course, Bang Chan knew about this, so he thanked her for keeping Bryce company when he couldn’t.
“That’s what friends are for, right?” she said reassuringly. “I hope that the both of you won’t end things on a bad note.”
When Erie decided to leave JYP Entertainment, Bryce was there to show her support, telling her that he’ll try to keep in contact with her even when she’s not around anymore. And she reminded him that with ITZY having made their debut, it’s only a matter of time they pick trainees to form their next boy group. Given how he’s one of the top performing male trainees in the company, he’d definitely stand a good chance of being chosen.
He shared Erie’s excitement when he found out that she had joined Arthouse Media, and would be debuting in a group called Elysium in July 2020. Even though she had less time to meet him in person like she used to, she made it a point to message him everyday, even calling once every week or two.
She was there when Bryce found out that his wait would be in vain. He’s not getting any younger and a boy group under JYP Entertainment was nowhere near in sight. So she supported his decision to leave the company in order to audition for an upcoming show called Boys Planet.
She was just as happy to hear that Bang Chan had a long talk with Bryce when the latter left JYP Entertainment, and the latter had already moved on from the disappointment of being passed over for Stray Kids many months ago. The both of them had also continued to keep in contact with each other.
Erie had watched every episode of Boys Planet, while getting as many people to vote for Bryce as possible. Yet, he ranked 12th place in the final episode, failing to secure a spot in ZEROBASEONE.
Needless to say, she felt awful.
She later received a text message from him the following morning, asking to meet at their usual spot.
When she arrived, she saw a lone figure sitting on the bench, so she sat down beside him, ready to give him some encouraging words.
But before she could say anything, she felt a weight on her shoulder, and could hear him sobbing.
So she instead wrapped her arm around him, rubbing his shoulder gently every now and then, not saying a single word until Bryce is ready to talk.
Some time later, Bryce came to the conclusion that perhaps he’s not meant for the idol life, and decided to give up being a K-pop idol completely. Erie suggested he gives himself a much needed rest after working so hard for the past few years, like going back to New Zealand to visit his family and friends, or even visit Australia or somewhere else.
And so he did. He later opened his own Instagram account, uploading videos and photos of himself travelling to various places in New Zealand and Australia. The fact that he was a former JYP Entertainment trainee and a highly popular Boys Planet contestant only helped boost his follower count even further, on top of people genuinely interested in his content. So by the end of 2023, he amassed 70k followers on his account.
Sean was looking to expand Atlas, and branching out into Youtube was one of his plans. Erie informed Bryce about this, so he decided to move to Brisbane and help set up their Youtube channel.
“Your man looks a lot happier now,” Sean said on one of their video calls.
“For the last time, he's not my man!” Erie replied sharply. “But as you said, maybe he's a lot happier than he was back in South Korea as a trainee.”
When Elysium ultimately disbanded in 2027, Erie decided to part ways with Arthouse Media and return to Australia. She took up an illustrator job under Atlas, while also enrolling as a Media and Digital Cultures student under the University of Queensland.
And of course, Bryce couldn’t be happier to see one of his closest friends working for the same company as he is.
“You’re a sight for sore eyes,” he said, as Erie leaned in to give him a hug.
It is clear as day that with the years they’ve known each other, Erie and Bryce are pretty much each other’s best friends. And that’s a very comfortable position to be in.
But to other people, like Sean or Shaun, or even Erie’s former bandmates she kept in touch with, they seem more like soulmates instead of being just best friends.
Whether or not Erie or Bryce realises it, it’s a question that’s up in the air. If they do realise it, will they do something about it? Only time will tell.
bryce
kim
kim
his trivia
their trivia
— Bryce is half-Korean, half-Chinese.
— His nickname, V, originates from the fact that Bryce and V have the same starting character in Hangul, 브 (beu). In fact, most of his friends don’t call him Bryce or Jihyun, they mainly refer to him as V.
— He was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, but has lived in Sydney, Australia from the age of 8 to 13.
— Due to the extended period of time he lived in South Korea, he’s become quite rusty in Mandarin, but he’s slowly regaining his proficiency in Mandarin following his return to New Zealand.
— He has two siblings- an older sister of 3 years, and a younger sister of 2 years.
— He entered JYP Entertainment as a trainee in February 2015, and left the company in November 2021.
— While at JYP Entertainment, he specialised in dance, but was also trained to be a vocalist.
— Having eaten Korean food almost every day as a K-pop trainee, he did not eat any Korean food for two months upon his return to New Zealand.
— He mainly uses Canva and Capcut when editing photos and videos on his Instagram account. He’s still learning how to use cameras and software such as Photoshop and Final Cut Pro due to the nature of his work, and he’s hoping that he’ll get better at it someday.
— His Instagram account is @v_bybrycekim.
— He has no plans to pursue tertiary education at the moment.
— Among JYP Entertainment’s artists, he’s closest to the members of Stray Kids. Following his departure from JYP Entertainment, they still continue to keep in contact, even meeting up in person when they come to Australia for a visit.
— His nickname, V, originates from the fact that Bryce and V have the same starting character in Hangul, 브 (beu). In fact, most of his friends don’t call him Bryce or Jihyun, they mainly refer to him as V.
— He was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, but has lived in Sydney, Australia from the age of 8 to 13.
— Due to the extended period of time he lived in South Korea, he’s become quite rusty in Mandarin, but he’s slowly regaining his proficiency in Mandarin following his return to New Zealand.
— He has two siblings- an older sister of 3 years, and a younger sister of 2 years.
— He entered JYP Entertainment as a trainee in February 2015, and left the company in November 2021.
— While at JYP Entertainment, he specialised in dance, but was also trained to be a vocalist.
— Having eaten Korean food almost every day as a K-pop trainee, he did not eat any Korean food for two months upon his return to New Zealand.
— He mainly uses Canva and Capcut when editing photos and videos on his Instagram account. He’s still learning how to use cameras and software such as Photoshop and Final Cut Pro due to the nature of his work, and he’s hoping that he’ll get better at it someday.
— His Instagram account is @v_bybrycekim.
— He has no plans to pursue tertiary education at the moment.
— Among JYP Entertainment’s artists, he’s closest to the members of Stray Kids. Following his departure from JYP Entertainment, they still continue to keep in contact, even meeting up in person when they come to Australia for a visit.
— Whenever Bryce needs someone to do illustrations for his videos, Erie will be the first person he calls for help.
— Whenever Bryce or Erie is in need of help or advice, you can count on the both of them to try providing it to each other as soon as possible.
— At present, Bryce is saved in Erie’s phone as V, while Erie is saved in Bryce’s phone as Riri.
— When someone asks about their relationship with each other, their default response will be “We’re good friends”.
— They share songs they’re listening to and playlists with each other.
— Despite his dislike of roller coaster rides, Bryce wouldn’t mind getting dragged to sit in one by Erie.
— Erie will sometimes join Bryce in gaming sessions, despite needing Bryce to teach her how to use the different parts of the game console every time they play.
— As both of their love languages are physical touch, expect a lot of hugging, nudging, hitting the arm or lying on each other’s shoulders.
— Whenever Bryce or Erie is in need of help or advice, you can count on the both of them to try providing it to each other as soon as possible.
— At present, Bryce is saved in Erie’s phone as V, while Erie is saved in Bryce’s phone as Riri.
— When someone asks about their relationship with each other, their default response will be “We’re good friends”.
— They share songs they’re listening to and playlists with each other.
— Despite his dislike of roller coaster rides, Bryce wouldn’t mind getting dragged to sit in one by Erie.
— Erie will sometimes join Bryce in gaming sessions, despite needing Bryce to teach her how to use the different parts of the game console every time they play.
— As both of their love languages are physical touch, expect a lot of hugging, nudging, hitting the arm or lying on each other’s shoulders.
moonjellyfish. ningning. 3/10.
do
don't
suggestions
anything else
I honestly feel that the more I wrote the app, the worse my writing got, haha. Still, I hope that this wasn’t too shabby, and Erie was an enjoyable read! Please let me know if there’s anything to clarify, edit or add on, and if I need to provide face claims for some of the characters in the app (e.g. Strictly Notes), I’ll be happy to do so.
Other than that, good luck with the story!
— I definitely can see Erie eventually realising following Elysium’s disbandment, she wants to close the chapter of being a K-pop idol, due to difficulties she faced in the K-pop industry or with Elysium or with Arthouse Media. This will lead her to want to do something else instead. As such, she’ll eventually return to Australia to pursue art and illustration instead, and perhaps even release music on the side (and maybe even featuring Bryce in her songs).
— I don’t foresee her being friends with everyone in Elysium. She’ll likely be closer to some and more distant with others (Somang being part of the latter). However, she doesn’t hate anyone, and will still try her best to help her fellow members in need. She’ll even keep in contact with some of them after disbandment.
— I’d also love to see Erie and Sean sibling moments if possible! But of course, if that isn’t important or relevant to the story, I’m completely fine if you choose not to include that.
— I don’t foresee her being friends with everyone in Elysium. She’ll likely be closer to some and more distant with others (Somang being part of the latter). However, she doesn’t hate anyone, and will still try her best to help her fellow members in need. She’ll even keep in contact with some of them after disbandment.
— I’d also love to see Erie and Sean sibling moments if possible! But of course, if that isn’t important or relevant to the story, I’m completely fine if you choose not to include that.
— Don't have Erie be an to others! She likely will lose some of her optimism over the years as a K-pop idol and member of Elysium, but she’ll still try her best to remain calm and be polite to others.
— I honestly see Erie as someone who could potentially be the leader of Elysium, or being someone who needs to step in when things get out of hand or do damage control. But of course, this is entirely up to you to decide where you want to take her.
— Depending on how much Arthouse Media gives creative control to its artists, I can foresee Erie doing up illustrations for Elysium’s album covers or merchandise! But I’m also okay if she’s unable to do so if Arthouse Media restricts the group’s creative control. And if so, this can be a potential conflict between Erie and her company.
— I chose not to give an ending to Erie’s and Bryce’s love story, so you can decide if they eventually get together or still remain close friends! I’m fine either way.
— Given that Erie and Somang aren’t entirely on good terms with each other, I can see that she might be quite upset when Somang decides to reveal everything that happened during their time with Elysium, because it’s possible that Somang paints Erie in a somewhat negative light. How she reacts exactly to the stories or what she does about it is entirely up to you, and I give you full reins in deciding if Erie’s and Somang’s relationship improves or they just remain as they were during Elysium’s disbandment.
— Depending on how much Arthouse Media gives creative control to its artists, I can foresee Erie doing up illustrations for Elysium’s album covers or merchandise! But I’m also okay if she’s unable to do so if Arthouse Media restricts the group’s creative control. And if so, this can be a potential conflict between Erie and her company.
— I chose not to give an ending to Erie’s and Bryce’s love story, so you can decide if they eventually get together or still remain close friends! I’m fine either way.
— Given that Erie and Somang aren’t entirely on good terms with each other, I can see that she might be quite upset when Somang decides to reveal everything that happened during their time with Elysium, because it’s possible that Somang paints Erie in a somewhat negative light. How she reacts exactly to the stories or what she does about it is entirely up to you, and I give you full reins in deciding if Erie’s and Somang’s relationship improves or they just remain as they were during Elysium’s disbandment.
I honestly feel that the more I wrote the app, the worse my writing got, haha. Still, I hope that this wasn’t too shabby, and Erie was an enjoyable read! Please let me know if there’s anything to clarify, edit or add on, and if I need to provide face claims for some of the characters in the app (e.g. Strictly Notes), I’ll be happy to do so.
Other than that, good luck with the story!
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