057.
Super Junior '05 comes to an end quietly and with a small concert for the most dedicated fans. ELFs they call themselves, and even Jungsu has to smile at that through his tears. Ever Lasting Friends, not fans, and that makes all the difference.
Maybe things would be different if Super Junior had never meant to be generational, maybe more of them would be famous, maybe they'd get more airing time, more CFs, more popularity and fans, but this is the way life works.
Jungsu goes on to host a radio show with Hyukjae, hoping that his voice is enough for the fans to remember him with. The role's small, merely a stepping stone for new groups from their company and he doesn't even feel like a sunbae. But he's learnt to be happy even as he aches for the camera and the variety shows he watches like a guilty pleasure.
Heechul goes into acting like he always wanted to, getting a small part as a supporting character's brother who gets like, five lines, but the next one's better along with a CF. He gets a free phone out of the deal and a supporting character role, the evil love interest. On and on the offers come, some he wishes he can reject and others he wonders if they were tailored for him.
Han Geng gets the group he always dreams of - becomes a leader of a group specifically tailored to him. They take China by storm, and though he only has a few people he can comfortably call without any suffix, it's still nice to realise a dream.
Youngwoon takes the chance to get his two years of service over with, returning in late 2008. He gets to guest on Sukira, though, and they teasingly test him on all the boyband names that have debutted since his absence, and he stutters and then curses them both on national radio.
Donghee fades into the background, becoming a choreographer for SM and he doesn't mind it. He wonders if he was ever meant to be an idol when he clearly doesn't have the body for it, but it doesn't matter anymore because he's found the life for him, along with the partner to spend the rest of his life with.
Jongwoon takes more vocal lessons because he knows that if he's satisfied with where he's at, then he'll never get better. A year later, they decide to debut him in a vocal group with Ryeowook and someone from Super Junior '06; Kyuhyun. He gets along with Ryeowook easily, since they have spent a year together, but Kyuhyun he's a bit more cautious around, until Kyuhyun snaps and tells him, "Yes, you're my hyung but until you act like I'm your dongsaeng, I won't acknowledge you as my sunbae."
Sungmin goes into acting as well, but the musical circuit since he has the voice for it. It isn't amazing like Jongwoon's was, but he can reach the notes when he tries and he's learnt to make the notes without sounding like he's dying. The more obscure side of acting means he gets less fans and only the truly dedicated ones even have a clue of which musical he's currently training for, but that's okay with him. A band of stalkers wasn't what he wanted anyway.
Beside the radio show with Jungsu, Hyukjae dedicates his sudden free time to choreographing and forms a small dance group with some trainees. They admire him in the first few sessions before he reminds them his debut wasn't really a debut, just a year in the limelight and he doesn't possess anymore grace or charisma as compared to pre-debut.
Donghae debuts in another group, a pop group where he's the leader which really does not make sense. Hyukjae makes sure to call him once a week to tell him this, but then lists how many requests he gets for Donghae's song, and he grins. Training is harder than it was for Super Junior '05 and the schedule is so much tighter with less room to breathe, but he was made for socialising and he loves meeting everyone onstage again.
Siwon becomes a model for a brief time, both on catwalks and for photoshoots before he gets an offer for a drama. At the advice of his girlfriend, he takes it and finds out that maybe this was the path for him.
Aside from KRY with Jongwoon and Kyuhyun, Ryeowook gets a surprising amount of free time. He spends it composing and wonders if maybe this was what he was meant to do, rather than singing, as two of those songs get chosen for Super Junior '08's debut album.
Kibum gets a supporting acting role -- almost too good for a newbie. This turns out to be depressingly true as he never gets the spotlight, always a supporting character, and decides to use the extra time to go back to studying.
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In another world, Kyuhyun might have known Jungsu and Hyukjae more than the times he's guested on Sukira, might've known Donghae aside from the brief bows he's exchanged on stage, and might've known Ryeowook and Jongwoon aside form KRY. But Super Junior '05 started and ended, as did Super Junior '06 and Super Junior '07, so Kyuhyun takes this as fate and wonders if he'll ever get to sing a solo.
In another world, Zhou Mi might've been part of a large boyband with an unfathomable fanbase that possessed a strange liking for the number 13. He might've beenpart of a band with four Chinese illiterate bandmates and one who knew more Yum Cha dishes than he knew ever existed. But let's face it; in reality, Zhou Mi enjoys the MC-ing offers he gets in China and hte pretty duets he gets to sing with Zhang Li Yin.
In another world, Henry might've lived in China and South Korea for so long he was physically homesick and forgot the English word for "waiter." He might've been teased for his chubby cheeks on national television and obtained a Japanese sweet as a nickname. But the truth will be the truth, and that's the name Henry Lau is an urban legend except for his classmates at Berklee.
Maybe things would be different if Super Junior had never meant to be generational, maybe more of them would be famous, maybe they'd get more airing time, more CFs, more popularity and fans, but this is the way life works.
Jungsu goes on to host a radio show with Hyukjae, hoping that his voice is enough for the fans to remember him with. The role's small, merely a stepping stone for new groups from their company and he doesn't even feel like a sunbae. But he's learnt to be happy even as he aches for the camera and the variety shows he watches like a guilty pleasure.
Heechul goes into acting like he always wanted to, getting a small part as a supporting character's brother who gets like, five lines, but the next one's better along with a CF. He gets a free phone out of the deal and a supporting character role, the evil love interest. On and on the offers come, some he wishes he can reject and others he wonders if they were tailored for him.
Han Geng gets the group he always dreams of - becomes a leader of a group specifically tailored to him. They take China by storm, and though he only has a few people he can comfortably call without any suffix, it's still nice to realise a dream.
Youngwoon takes the chance to get his two years of service over with, returning in late 2008. He gets to guest on Sukira, though, and they teasingly test him on all the boyband names that have debutted since his absence, and he stutters and then curses them both on national radio.
Donghee fades into the background, becoming a choreographer for SM and he doesn't mind it. He wonders if he was ever meant to be an idol when he clearly doesn't have the body for it, but it doesn't matter anymore because he's found the life for him, along with the partner to spend the rest of his life with.
Jongwoon takes more vocal lessons because he knows that if he's satisfied with where he's at, then he'll never get better. A year later, they decide to debut him in a vocal group with Ryeowook and someone from Super Junior '06; Kyuhyun. He gets along with Ryeowook easily, since they have spent a year together, but Kyuhyun he's a bit more cautious around, until Kyuhyun snaps and tells him, "Yes, you're my hyung but until you act like I'm your dongsaeng, I won't acknowledge you as my sunbae."
Sungmin goes into acting as well, but the musical circuit since he has the voice for it. It isn't amazing like Jongwoon's was, but he can reach the notes when he tries and he's learnt to make the notes without sounding like he's dying. The more obscure side of acting means he gets less fans and only the truly dedicated ones even have a clue of which musical he's currently training for, but that's okay with him. A band of stalkers wasn't what he wanted anyway.
Beside the radio show with Jungsu, Hyukjae dedicates his sudden free time to choreographing and forms a small dance group with some trainees. They admire him in the first few sessions before he reminds them his debut wasn't really a debut, just a year in the limelight and he doesn't possess anymore grace or charisma as compared to pre-debut.
Donghae debuts in another group, a pop group where he's the leader which really does not make sense. Hyukjae makes sure to call him once a week to tell him this, but then lists how many requests he gets for Donghae's song, and he grins. Training is harder than it was for Super Junior '05 and the schedule is so much tighter with less room to breathe, but he was made for socialising and he loves meeting everyone onstage again.
Siwon becomes a model for a brief time, both on catwalks and for photoshoots before he gets an offer for a drama. At the advice of his girlfriend, he takes it and finds out that maybe this was the path for him.
Aside from KRY with Jongwoon and Kyuhyun, Ryeowook gets a surprising amount of free time. He spends it composing and wonders if maybe this was what he was meant to do, rather than singing, as two of those songs get chosen for Super Junior '08's debut album.
Kibum gets a supporting acting role -- almost too good for a newbie. This turns out to be depressingly true as he never gets the spotlight, always a supporting character, and decides to use the extra time to go back to studying.
-
In another world, Kyuhyun might have known Jungsu and Hyukjae more than the times he's guested on Sukira, might've known Donghae aside from the brief bows he's exchanged on stage, and might've known Ryeowook and Jongwoon aside form KRY. But Super Junior '05 started and ended, as did Super Junior '06 and Super Junior '07, so Kyuhyun takes this as fate and wonders if he'll ever get to sing a solo.
In another world, Zhou Mi might've been part of a large boyband with an unfathomable fanbase that possessed a strange liking for the number 13. He might've beenpart of a band with four Chinese illiterate bandmates and one who knew more Yum Cha dishes than he knew ever existed. But let's face it; in reality, Zhou Mi enjoys the MC-ing offers he gets in China and hte pretty duets he gets to sing with Zhang Li Yin.
In another world, Henry might've lived in China and South Korea for so long he was physically homesick and forgot the English word for "waiter." He might've been teased for his chubby cheeks on national television and obtained a Japanese sweet as a nickname. But the truth will be the truth, and that's the name Henry Lau is an urban legend except for his classmates at Berklee.