Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

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Jenny is the female lead of this story. She is a 22-year-old K-pop idol in a 5-member group called TEMPUS.

TEMPUS has an EraShift concept, where the members shift through musical eras and vibes from different decades - like the '90s, 2000s, and modern times.

The group name TEMPUS comes from the Latin word for "time." Their fanbase name is ERAS.

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Members:

Park Jenny, age 22 (England-raised Korean) - Main Vocalist / Lead Rapper / Lead Dancer / Centre

Saito Mina, age 21 (Japanese) - Main Dancer / Vocalist

Vongchai Narin, age 20 (Thai) - Maknae / Lead Rapper / Dancer

Kim Sora, age 23 (Korean) - Leader / Lead Vocalist / Visual / Sub Rapper

Lee Haerin, age 22 (Australian-raised Korean) - Main Rapper / Lead Dancer / Sub Vocalist

TEMPUS is a global group due to their international members and strong language skills. Now for a depth introduction to each member:

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Park Jenny

Looks: Dark brown long hair, medium brown eyes, athletic slim body, 162 cm (5'4)

Signature Style: Chic and elegant, but casual at times

Born in Korea, Jenny lived there until age 9 before moving to London with her parents for better opportunities. She quickly adapted, becoming fluent in English while already knowing Korean; and is currently learning Japanese. Excelling in music and art, Jenny took piano, singing, and dance lessons as hobbies. Her original plan was to study music at university.

The summer before the start of university, Jenny took a trip to Korea with her parents and two younger sisters. She was scouted by BeLift and JYPE on the street. Inspired, she told her parents she wanted to become a trainee and one day debut. With their support, she moved alone across the world at 18 to chase her dreams, debuting at age 19 under BeLift. To feel less lonely, Jenny brought her family cat with her, a cute tuxedo girl named mochi.

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Saito Mina

Looks: Pastel pink medium-length hair, deep dark brown eyes, 166 cm (5'5)

Signature Style: Playful and colourful

Born and raised in Osaka, Mina grew up loving J-pop and Western pop stars. She started dancing competitively as a child, dreaming of becoming a J-pop star. Fluent in Japanese and Korean, but still working on her English. Mina auditioned for multiple companies, including Korean ones, and was accepted by BeLift.

*J-pop- Japanese pop

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Vongchai Narin

Looks: Long black hair with bangs, soft dark brown eyes, 167 cm (5'5)

Signature Style: Minimalistic and classy

From Bangkok, Narin grew up listening to soulful R&B and ballads. Fluent in Thai, Korean, and English, she has a gentle but confident aura, making her the perfect maknae. Encouraged by her parents to pursue her passion, she became a BeLift trainee. She is very close to her Thai heritage and loves to share her culture with the world.

*Maknae- a Korean word referring to "the youngest" member

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Kim Sora

Looks: Light purple bob, brown eyes, 163 cm (5'4)

Signature Style: Bold and fun

Sora grew up in Seoul admiring K-pop idols and attending concerts. She took piano lessons as a child and often sang at home. Encouraged by her friends, she auditioned for agencies and was accepted by BeLift.

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Lee Haerin

Looks: Light brown long hair, brown eyes, 160cm (5'3)

Signature Style: Edgy and layered streetwear

Born in Sydney to Korean immigrant parents, Haerin is fluent in English and Korean. She grew up immersed in K-pop and Western hip-hop/rap culture. Performing in school talent shows built her stage confidence. After auditioning from Australia and being accepted by BeLift, she returned to Korea, overcoming the challenges of adapting to a new environment.

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Jake is the male lead of this story. He is a 22-year-old K-pop idol in a 7-member group called ENHYPEN.

ENHYPEN has a vampire concept, exploring themes of darkness, temptation, and transformation. Their storyline reflects awakening and discovering one's true self through mysterious and supernatural elements of vampires.

They are under BeLift and their fanbase name is ENGENE.

Their newest comeback being DESIRE : UNLEASH.

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Members:

Jake (Sim Jae-yun), age 22 ((Australian-raised Korean) - Lead Vocalist / Lead Dancer / Centre

Yang Jungwon, age 21 (Korean) - Leader / Lead Vocalist / Lead Dancer

Lee Heeseung, age 23 (Korean) - Main Vocalist / Lead Dancer

Jay (Park Jong-seong), age 22 (American-raised Korean) - Lead Rapper / Lead Dancer / Vocalist

Sunghoon Park, age 22 (Korean) - Lead Dancer / Vocalist / Visual

Sunoo Kim, age 21 (Korean) - Main Vocalist

Ni-ki (Nishimura Riki), age 19 (Japanese) - Main Dancer / Vocalist / Maknae

ENHYPEN is popular internationally and was formed under a survival show called I-Land. Now for a depth introduction to each member:

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Jake (Sim Jae-yun)

Jake is Australian-Korean, born in Australia and raised in Sydney. He trained for two years before debuting. Known for his warm personality, striking visuals, and versatile skills in singing and dancing, Jake is often praised for his bright energy and international appeal. His multicultural background helps him connect with a global fanbase.

Jake is also admired for his kindness and hardworking nature, balancing school and training before debut. He is one of Enhypen's lead vocalists and lead dancers, adding dynamic energy to the group's performances and embodying the group's youthful, vibrant spirit.

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Yang Jungwon

Jungwon is the youngest K-pop leader, known for his strong leadership and stage presence. He trained for about a year before debuting with Enhypen. His charisma and dedication earned him fans worldwide despite his young age.

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Lee Heeseung

Heeseung trained for over four years before debuting. Known for his powerful vocals and versatile dance skills, he often mentors other members. He was a trainee at Big Hit and experienced multiple pre-debut evaluations, showing resilience and passion.

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Jay (Park Jong-seong)

Jay is bilingual, fluent in English and Korean, born and raised in the U.S. He's known for his confident rapping and charming personality. Jay trained for over three years and brings a cool, charismatic vibe to Enhypen.

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Park Sunghoon

Sunghoon was a competitive figure skater before becoming an idol. He gave up skating to pursue music and dancing. His grace and stage presence come from years on the ice. Sunghoon is admired for his visuals and hardworking attitude.

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Kim Sunoo

Sunoo is known for his bright and cheerful personality. He trained for about 18 months and is praised for his strong vocals and charming stage presence. He connects well with fans through his sincere and lively energy.

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Ni-ki (Nishimura Riki)

Ni-ki is the youngest member and the main dancer of ENHYPEN. Born in Japan, he moved to Korea to pursue his dream. Known for his exceptional dance skills, Ni-ki impresses fans with his sharp moves and dedication despite his young age.

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Chapter Text

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[Early June, 2025]

Seoul, South Korea

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The night air is fractured with blinding white lightning flashes cutting through the dark night light. Cameras click in rapid bursts; the sound mimicking a machine gun.

Shouts explode from every direction, echoing through the chilly night. Screams so loud they can be heard from within the HYBE building.

A guarded figure appears. She is the main attraction. A black shadow surrounded by men almost twice her size.

She's swallowed in all black; hood up, cap low, mask tight, but the crowd already knows who it is. They always know.

It's Park Jenny.

She takes a deep breath before stepping into the darkness that waits beyond the glass doors as they open with hesitation.

Staff: MOVE! MOVE! MAKE SPACE!

The command barely cuts through the chaos. A bodyguard shoves an arm out, but the wall of people presses tighter. Jenny's shoulder slams into someone's camera. A hand grazes her arm, another shoves from behind. Her chest tightens. Air feels thin.

The sasaengs are screaming her name, their voices sharp and impactful.

*Sasaeng- a Korean word referring to an extremely obsessive K-pop fan, often stalking and invading the idol's privacy.

Sasaeng: JENNY, HOW COULD YOU?! ERAS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THE ONLY ONES IN YOUR HEART!

Eras: HOW CAN YOU BETRAY US?! DO WE MEAN NOTHING TO YOU?!

Somewhere in the chaos, a hater's voice cuts through, filled with venom.

Hater: Ugly rat. Bet he's glad you left England. That's why he dumped you.

Jenny ducks her head lower, the brim of her cap barely shielding her from the blinding flashes. The shoving gets worse; the air feels hot and sharp in her throat.

She counts her breaths.

One.

Two.

Three.

Each inhale stolen by another shout, another flash, another body pressing too close.

It's like drowning on dry land.

The walk to the car feels endless and embarrassing. Like a walk of shame. Her shaky foot slips on the curb as she attempts to enter the vehicle. Her body sways side to side from the pushing, yet she somehow folds herself into a seat, encouraged by a push coming from behind.

Her manager drops in front of her seconds later.

Another slam. And then... silence.
Like someone switched on noise cancellation.

Manager: Ugh, finally, we escaped that crowd.

The manager sits across from Jenny, their knees almost touching because of the cramped rear-facing seats.

Manager: Aren't you going to say anything? You do realise you're the reason we're in this mess. All because you couldn't keep your private life hidden.

Jenny's head slightly lifts, locking eyes.

Jenny: So it's my fault some obsessive sasaengs found an old college Instagram account with pictures of a boyfriend I'm not even with anymore? We broke up the second I decided to move here. I gave up the life I had to come to Korea, to chase a dream... and now it's my fault I'm getting death threats? Crowds swarming me? People trying to hurt me?

Manager: Stop being immature, Jenny. You signed a contract. That account should have been deleted, no matter how long ago it was. Your contract says no unsupervised social media, and that's that.

Jenny: Can I live one fucking day without being ripped apart online for existing? Even if I never dated, they would have found something else to hate me for.

Her voice drops, the anger dissolving into something smaller.

Jenny: The only difference now... is that even my own fans hate me.

The manager doesn't sugarcoat it.

Manager: Yeah, Jenny. You're screwed.

Jenny swallows hard.

Jenny: I just can't believe a relationship I had years ago could destroy everything I've worked for.

Manager: It's not just your career. It's the group. One scandal can ruin all of you. Idols are supposed to belong to the fans, give them their fantasy, their attention. The second they think you've betrayed that, they'll turn.

A sigh. The manager pauses to think of a way to lighten the mood.

Manager: The company will do some damage control by releasing a statement today. You should write a handwritten apology letter to the fans. It won't fix it, but... best case, you take a break until it dies down.

Jenny hesitates.

Jenny: And worst case?

Manager: You're out of the group.

Something in her chest sinks. Her throat tightens. She looks away as tears form. All those years. All the training. Every sleepless night. The endless sacrifices. She sees it all slipping away.

Manager: I hope it doesn't come to that, Jenny, I really do. But the company, the group, we can't risk everything over a mistake.

Jenny: Is it really such a crime to date?

She looks up at him through wet lashes. Her vision slightly blurry.

Manager: To a normal person? No. But you're not a normal person. Not here. Hide it better, or my advice... don't date at all.

Jenny gives the smallest nod, accepting that this is part of the job, but the ache in her chest lingers. The truth had spilled into the world like poison, twisting her fans against her. She glances out the window as the car pulls away, the street slowly clearing now that the bodyguards have forced the crowd back.

Jenny spots the vans parked outside the company. Words dragged in red and black slashes across the panels: "Slut!" "Traitor!" "Kill yourself whore."

Her gaze sticks to them until the manager notices.

Manager: Keep your head down. Don't give them another photo.

She obeys, though she knows it's not just about the photos. He doesn't want her reading the threats.

One boyfriend, she thinks bitterly. One normal teenage relationship... and now this.

Barely audible, she mutters to herself:

Jenny: I'll never date again. Not while I'm an idol.