〈 EXO // PROJECT IRIS AND HERA ↷ Choi Jinkyong

〈 EXO // PROJECT IRIS AND HERA

CHOI JINKYONG

midnight_fantasy | 4/5 | midnight

BIRTH NAME / Choi Jinkyong.

NICKNAME(S) / Kyongie, Joyce (English name).

DOB & AGE / May 23rd, 1992 & 21.

ETHNICITY / Korean.

BIRTH PLACE / Bucheon, South Korea.

HOME TOWN / Bucheon, South Korea.

LANGUAGES / Korean (fluent), Mandarin (basic).

ULZZANG / Eun Gyeong.

LINKS / ▲▼▲▼▲

BACK UP ULZZANG / Park Jihyun.

LINKS / ▲▼▲▼▲

STYLE / For Jinkyong, fashion is something that she tends not to worry too much about since stylists usually pick her clothing for her. When she is able to wear whatever she wants, she wears something comfortable rather than fashionable as she knows that she is going to have to change her clothing some time that day anyway. She usually goes for plain long-sleeved shirts and skinny jeans, along with colourful sneakers. With airport fashion, she tends to wear a trench coat atop her clothing as she usually feels cold in planes. Jinkyong always has a tote bag with her to put things in that help pass the time during long hours doing nothing (book, iPod, etc.).

HEIGHT & WEIGHT / 165 cm & 48 kg.

OTHERS / Jinkyong has earlobe piercings; no other piercings or tattoos adorn her body. She has freckles along her arms that she dislikes, thus she usually doesn't wear t-shirts or tank tops when she is going outside. The freckles are normally covered up , thanks to the help of makeup artists.

SHORT BIO / There isn't a lot that fans know of Choi Jinkyong, as specific details about her life in Bucheon, where she was born and raised, are kept hush-hush. Although, photos of her 'predebut' era have been leaked, but only a picture or two of her in a school yearbook or with friends. It is known that she has parents and a brother living in Bucheon still, though it is anyone's guess as to who they are. Due to the vague family life given out to the public, many speculate that Jinkyong wants to keep her family from having to deal with EXO's popularity or that there are tensions between her and her family members. Fans and the media can only guess between the two, however. There is also knowledge that she became a trainee when she was seventeen, has had small appearances in music videos prior to her debut, and likes to dabble in acting.

QUOTE / "You have to really be courageous about your instincts and your ideas. Otherwise you'll just knuckle under, and things that might have been memorable will be lost."—Francis Ford Coppola.

PERSONALITY / For most of her life, Jinkyong has learnt that being hard-working tends to pay off and so she is not a stranger to this. Often times she has had to work for something she has wanted—and work without fail. This has often led to countless sleepness nights and isolation, something that she has now gotten used to. Nevertheless, Jinkyong is a caring person who enjoys being in the company of others; she tends to, at times, be clingy when it comes to friends whenever possible, sometimes annoyingly so. But she is a quiet individual vocally (ironically enough, considering that she is a vocalist), one who works tirelessly and doesn't speak a word of it to anyone. She stays in the shadows when away from the camera and fans for the most part when in group situations, though does chime in with a joke or something along those lines if she manages to string together coherent words in time.

Having been a trainee for four years, Jinkyong has grown to become image-conscious, meaning that she tends to care about how she looks in front of others more than she used to. Jinkyong always makes sure to thoroughly use creams and lotion on her body and always washes her face in the mornings and at night. Not only this but she makes sure not to step out of line when talking and always thinks carefully before she speaks. A perfectionist, she hates slacking off or not practising more than 'necessary' and tends to focus on her dancing a lot, believing it to be her weakest talent. Because of this, it also means that she is sensitive and struggles to handle criticism well, as she always takes it to heart and beats herself up over it. Furthermore, Jinkyong can get overly concerned about her image and what people, especially fans, think of her. Because of this, when things get really difficult, she becomes clingier than usual and tries to find someone in the large group she can go to, to get her mind off things. This is the only time she is willing to be truly exposed and vulnerable and so this side of her isn't shown to the members often, being the intrapersonal person that she is.

To add, while Jinkyong attempts to be humble, that is not who she is. She takes pride in her vocal ability and enjoys being in the spotlight as she is rather expressive about her talents. She secretly wishes to shine, to be singled out from a group—and no, this does not mean that she wants to be seen as the visual or more important than her fellow members. Though she thinks of it sometimes, Jinkyong knows that she is not a special snowflake or anything along those lines; there have been people like her before and there will be people like her after in the entertainment industry. Jinkyong is replaceable, expendable, and this constant thought is something that keeps her from having her head too bloated and becoming too egotistical. But this does not mean that she doesn't often think of expressing her individuality, for she believes that being self-confident (on a healthy level) is vastly important—especially for an idol that won't be kept in the addictive spotlight forever. Hence, she resolves to treat every moment on stage as if it is her last, giving every performance her all and trying to better herself as a person and as a member of a popular group.

BACKGROUND / Jinkyong grew up in a respectable household where only perfection was acceptable. This meant acceptable behaviour, acceptable grades, and acceptable futures. In her parents' conservative eyes, their children could only have respected jobs and nothing else. Due to this, Jinkyong was rather quiet about her love for singing, which her parents believed to be simply a hobby on the side and thus it was ignored for most of her life. The girl had a lot of pressure on her at this time as her parents only agreed to enrole her for singing classes as long as she got straight A's and nothing less, meaning that most of her time, like most Asian children, was spent studying fiercely while also trying to juggle her social life as well as her love for singing. It was difficult and tiring, and often Jinkyong would find herself unable to even hang out a little with friends, which meant that she never really had kids her age to talk to. At her singing classes (that was orchestrated more like choir), however, she was rather talkative and found herself in a class that was tight-knit; everyone looked after everyone and there were usually no serious squabbles or fights.

But there came a time when Jinkyong just knew that her passion for singing could not be hidden from her parents any longer. This was around her last years in high school, when she was sixteen years of age and had been discovered by an SM Entertainment talent scout when actually managing to find some time to hang out with her friends near a local park. Jinkyong knew in her heart that this was an opportunity that she must not let go, for she would deeply regret it if she did. With hopes and dreams in her heart, with her worry at an all-time high, she carefully approached her father one day after lunch with the business card that the talent scout had given her. Part of her had a feeling that her parents would not take the news well at all, especially given the fact that they had their sights set on university for her where she would no doubt become a lawyer or doctor or something along those lines. But she went to them anyway, because this was a dream she had been secretly chasing after all of her young, teenage life.

Her fears became a reality. Her parents were furious, her father the angriest she had ever seen him. For days, they fought over the difficult decision, and things were not looking good whatsoever. While Jinkyong's brother, Jinsang, tried to help her out, her parents heard no word of it. That is, until her father became so angered by it all that he gave her a choice: she could audition for SM Entertainment...but only if she moved to Seoul and lived there with a close relative. They would not send her money, would not help her any way whatsoever, and would not contact her until she became a trainee or moved back home after being rejected. It was either this or she could stay home and never speak of such a silly request again. It was rather obvious that her parents did not have high hopes for her, knowing the entertainment business to be messy and difficult to get into. But Jinkyong decided to take this ultimatum and moved promptly to Seoul, staying there and getting a part-time job. She made as much money as she could, making sure to pay 'rent' to the close relative she lived with (her aunt from her mother's side), as a way to prove to her parents that she could be independent in spite of what they believed. When auditions for potential trainees began, Jinkyong participated in them and, after various test recordings and performances, she signed with the company and successfully became a trainee.

TRIVIA /

LIKES:

Chocolates—It's her guilty pleasure; she tends to sneak them in, in spite of the diets SM has her on

Comedy movies—She loves laughing, and thus she enjoys movies that make her laugh, no matter how cheesy

Music—This is a given, considering the fact that she joined the entertainment industry as a singer (she likes most, if not all, genres)

Skinship/physically touching people—She feels comforted by having someone close, though only those she is familar with

Sleeping in—Being an idol, sleep is something valuable and not given often, and though she is too used to it, she enjoys her beauty sleep

Being in an airplane—Travelling is fun, and so is watching movies, reading, talking with members, or sleeping; thus, being on a plane is an enjoyable experience

DISLIKES:

Dieting—As an avid food lover, this is her worst nightmare

Untidy living quarters—You could say that she is slightly OCD as she hates waddling through filth; expect her to clean up if no one else does

Being scolded/yelled at—She dislikes having loud, scathing words directed at her and it reminds her of days spent arguing with her parents

Thinking of the past—She often times gets homesick, missing her family and old friends

Loneliness—Time spent being immensely drowned in textbooks, moving to Seoul and the years of being a trainee have triggered this dislike

Learning Mandarin—After all, learning a language is difficult and taxing, especially if you have to juggle being an idol as well

HABITS:

Kisses her teeth when bored

Hums when cleaning around the dorm

Runs a hand through her hair when stressed

Rubs her eyelids when she is upset and/or about to cry

OTHER TRIVIA:

Has difficulty picking up new choreography

Spends most of her practice time strengthening her dancing

Enjoys making light-hearted bets (how long it will take Person A to confess to Person B, etc.)

Will often keep quiet and not talk to preserve her voice for an upcoming stage

A bit of a germaphobe; dislikes uncleanliness of any kind, sharing her food/drinks, and so forth

When competing in something, she puts all of her effort into it; gets sulky/emotional if having lost due to this

Easily gets second-hand embarrassment when watching the other members do something embarrassing or awkward

Annoyed by her height because it's difficult for her to see from behind others; wishes she was taller

In front of the camera/fans, Jinkyong has to act like she is a talkative, social person, and this is something she secretly dislikes to do; she hates being 'fake'

Very light sleeper; is able to wake up at the slightest noise, thus hates it when members snore, go to the washroom in the middle of the night, etc.

Despises watching or reading horror tales/movies around night time as she gets paranoid when it's dark

Near the end of her trainee years, Jinkyong dated another trainee but ended up breaking things off as they hardly made time for one another

FAMILY /

Choi Dongmin | 48 | Dentist | Father | Perfectionist, short-tempered, opinionated, and self-confident

Choi Heawoo | 46 | Housewife | Mother | Intellectual, withdrawn, intuitive, and image-conscious

Choi Jinsang | 24 | University student | Brother | Stubborn, smart, supportive, and empathetic

FRIENDS /

Park Micha | 21 | Choreographer | Hard-working, outgoing, self-absorbed, and helpful

Do Kyungsoo | 20 | Main vocal | Conservative, imaginative, competitive, and motherly

Huang Zitao | 20 | Maknae | Quiet, thoughtful, clingy, and sensitive

RIVAL /

Zhang "Lay" Yixing | 20 | Lead dancer | Driven, generous, aloof, and reserved

KIM "KAI" JONGIN

LOVE INTEREST / Kim "Kai" Jongin.

BACK UP LOVE INTEREST / Wu "Kris" Yifan.

HISTORY / Jongin and Jinkyong met during their trainee years. It was around the time Jinkyong was afraid that she may never debut, around the time she strained her voice and her body as a way to perhaps be able to finally get her chance. These two would every now and then get paired up since Jongin excelled in dancing and Jinkyong...not so much. He was a good teacher as he would always help her with her form and, after some time of being paired up, encouraged her to continue practicing and getting better.

With time, they grew closer, and sometimes would even go and get something to eat together, talking about their past, how they became trainees under SM, and so forth. They weren't particularly close but were fond enough of one another. For some time, Jinkyong even harboured a small crush on him, though was too focused on trying to better her skills than act upon it. Although, even if she wasn't sidetracked, she believed that there was no way she would be able to have and keep a boyfriend with her hectic lifestyle, especially having broken up with her boyfriend who had also been a trainee.

After some time, they grew apart and did their own thing until they were confirmed to be in EXO, where they met once more, much to their surprise.

RELATIONSHIP / During the trainee period, Jongin and Jinkyong were friendly. though their 'relationship' so to speak was iffy. They weren't exactly friends but they weren't acquaintances, either. The only time they properly talked was whenever they were paired up or when they eventually began to tentatively hang out a little, though they only talked about being a trainee and kept the conversation light. There were usually silences between conversations but it was always pleasant; both of them regarded one another highly for their talents and enjoyed time spent together.

Currently, they are more closer and can certainly call one another friends. However, this doesn't mean that they are all that close. Due to their similar nature of generally being quiet unless they have something to say, Jongin and Jinkyong don't usually say much to one another, especially when in a group setting with the other members. They often will help one another out or cheer the other person on when they are practicing or something along those lines, but that is really it. They respect one another and believe each other to be amazing individuals, glad that they are in the same group, but they only divulge this type of information when prompted to on interviews and such.

STAGE NAME / Jinkyong.

TRAINEE HISTORY / Jinkyong had been a trainee for around four years, give or take. The first year had been scary for her, especially since she was in Seoul, a new place filled with people she did not know, and thus her time was mostly spent in solitude and working on her vocals and dancing. It was her dancing that was the most difficult for her to master, concerning the fact that she had no idea how to even do a simple body roll without messing it up. As trainee period was competitive and scary, Jinkyong often had found herself crying in the comforting arms of her aunt or in a random dance studio as she attempted to master a new dance that she was taught. There were a few times where she was made fun of due to her dancing, making it a sore spot for her, and also further alienating her from other trainees. But singing was when she truly shined. Jinkyong showed a lot of promise whenever she sang, something she was rather confident about, but she also knew that it was best to not get too cocky. She would often practice and try to master higher pitches, which at times caused her to slack a little on her dancing. It was difficult for her to try and juggle them both at the same time while she also had a part-time job and school to worry about completing, but with some time and practice, she managed to find a way to balance them all somewhat comfortably.

Things were much more easier after she completed high school. But Jinkyong began to get scared and paranoid as time went on. It was about three years since she had been signed under SM and yet there was no sign of her getting into a group and finally, properly debuting. Her mother had suddenly begun to talk to her via phone call, though instead of finally supporting her, she would constantly be asking her when she was going to debut and, when Jinkyong had no answer, to come back home as obviously she would not be becoming an idol any time soon. This made her a bit desperate and afraid of whether her mother was right or not, practicing even more fiercely than before. This meant less time for sleep and more time to sing and dance until ached and her feet trembled with every step she took. At this point, she met a few people who she talked to every now and then between practice time and whatnot (this was also when she met Jongin), though she wasn't particularly close to anyone. Her aunt eventually caught on to what was going on regarding Jinkyong and her obsession with getting better so she could debut earlier and forced her to stop her perfectionistic ways. Because of her aunt's worrying, Jinkyong decided to tone it down more, but was delighted to show off the fact that her dancing had gotten better.

PERSONA / The Reserved Perfectionist.

COUNTERPART / Kim "Chen" Jongdae.

POWER & BADGE / Self-Duplication/Cloning ▲

SPECIALTY / Power vocals (voice can reach rather high pitches).

VOCALS / ▲
DANCING / ▲

REQUESTS /

Jinkyong finds Jongin learning new choreography after everyone else has left the SM building to go home. They decide to stay up together and Jongin finds himself helping Jinkyong out with her dancing once more, much like he used to when they were trainees. They end up taking breaks every now and then to talk while sipping water. Both of them can't help but wonder to themselves why they hadn't used the fact that they are in the same group to interact more.

Jongin's waist is acting up at the airport and Jinkyong helps him out by allowing him to rest some of his weight on her until another member (Sehun, Joonmyun?) comes to take over for Jinkyong.

At an interview or show, the boys and girls in EXO have to choose who they would like to have as a boyfriend/girlfriend within the group. Jongin and Jinkyong end up picking one another and, much to their embarrassment, are forced by the MC/s and perhaps even some of the members to elaborate on why. (They could talk about how alike they are, how they respect one another, how they know one another from trainee years, etc.)

Jinsang, her brother, contacts Jinkyong on her cell phone some time at night. She talks to him for a bit, the atmosphere somewhat awkward but light, and ends up unable to sleep afterwards. She finds herself in the kitchen, sitting lost in thought, until someone enters (depending on the living situation, it could be one of the chosen girls or Kyungsoo/Tao/another boy) and they end up listening to her talk about her life before becoming a trainee.

Another applicant and Jinkyong are shipped together due their personalities and interactions, becoming a rather popular 'couple' among the fan base (because yuri ships are always relevant and the EXO boys can't have all the fun with their 235694+ ships).

When Jongin finally comes to accept his feelings for Jinkyong, they have difficulty getting together as Jinkyong firmly believes that it is impossible for them to due to their idol status.

SUGGESTIONS / I'm terrible with song selections or suggestions in general, to be honest, as I feel that the story will probably run smoothly without me trying to add my insight. But I suppose, generally, that it would be interesting for the story to get the aspect of idol life down? After all, there is a lot of work involved and it's difficult to keep track of relationships outside of the group (and even within the group since there are 24 of them), as well as not having enough time for a proper love life. I could see this playing a big part in the boys and girls' lives, especially regarding love interests and the like. I would also love some parts in which the 12 girls interact with one another, to build upon their relationships and show how they manage with different personalities, talents, and the like? But I'm sure these suggestions are something you've already thought about to some degree, so... /falls dramatically to floor and cries

QUESTIONS & COMMENTS / I hope you aren't too turned off by Jongin and Jinkyong's lack of relationship! I felt that it would interesting to see them develop as people and as a couple in your story, hence me keeping it short and sweet with them being simply professional. Plus, there are 24 people in a group now, so obviously there will be people who aren't as close but have to keep up appearances in front of the fans and say that all of them are very close and know one another well. And I can imagine a really sweet, give-and-take relationship forming between these two if this app is (surprisingly) picked.

Also, concerning placing Lay as a rival, I feel that it has less to do with his personality and more just the fact that he is such a great dancer. Jinkyong is a woman who likes to better herself so I could see her mentally piting herself against him to try and fruitlessly reach him when it comes to dancing.

AsianFanfics

〈 EXO // PROJECT IRIS AND HERA ↷ Choi Jinkyong

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