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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#201: K-popular

South Korean girl group Blackpink recently made history by becoming the first Asian act to headline Coachella, performing in front of over 125,000 people (and millions more tuning in via live stream). This isn’t the first “Korean Wave” (or Hallyu) to reach foreign shores; before Blackpink and BTS there was PSY with “Gangnam Style” and groups like BIGBANG and SHINee, to name just a few. Now we’re on to a 4th generation of idols taking over social media with dance challenges and catchy tunes.

K-pop is a fascinating universe with some of the most dedicated (and at times overbearing) fans in the world. Like all things, it comes with the good and the bad. Behind the uplifting messages, the discipline, and the talent also lies a high-pressure industry, one which has sparked debates about artist exploitation and the price people are willing to pay for fame. This week's prompts are inspired by K-pop, its fans, and the dizzying highs and lows of megastardom.

This week's prompts

Set your story at a large entertainment venue, after the show has ended, amongst the discarded plastic cups and confetti.

Adults – 53 stories

Write a story from the point of view of a “sasaeng” (an obsessive fan).

Character – 34 stories

Write a story about someone who has put “Blood Sweat & Tears” into getting where they are — only to question whether it was worth it.

Angst – 47 stories

Write a story inspired by SHINee’s “Ring Ding Dong”, where someone can’t get a song out of their head no matter how hard they try.

Funny – 16 stories

Write about someone who has always done something as part of a group, and is now starting to set out solo, or vice versa.

Character – 20 stories

Stories

“The World On A Pedestal” by Jed Cope

Submitted to Contest #201

He is totally amazing! He really is. I’m not just saying this. I mean, I know I am biased because I am his number one fan. I still find that funny. Of course I am his number one fan. I was there from the very beginning. I’ve been there every step of the way. No one knows him like I do. No one has shared his struggles and his pain. No one has seen what I have seen. It may have been a short road to the stardom and fame he so richly deserves, but it wasn’t always like that for him and I know. I know in a way th...

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“Stunt Double ” by Mitchell Kaye

Submitted to Contest #201

The barista cradled a stainless steel pitcher, balancing it under the steam wand. When she felt the sides of the pitcher get warm, indicating the fat in the whole milk had broken down allowing air to enter and microfoam to bubble up, she poured it over two fresh shots of espresso and handed it off. “And for you?”She looked up at me for the first time and I asked for a large flat white. She smiled and tilted her head, “And. uh. your name?” “Arny” The barista let out a giggle, “ok, Arny, your coffee will be out in a m...

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“The Tiger, The Leopard, The Rabbit” by Matthew Keoki Miller

Submitted to Contest #201

Hyun-Joo gnashed on her left fingernails, a nervous tick her mother had tried to beat out of her, when the teapot whistled in readiness. She slid across the linoleum to the stovetop in two strides and clicked off the gas. When she was a teenager, that sense of motion, the unbalance, and the chance she might slip and crack her head open on an edge, were irresistible. Her day-to-day life had been so crushingly uneventful that she savored these fleeting rushes. Now, she only sought one thrill. She lifted the pot and tipped the hot water into ...

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“Ji Hyun the Sasaeng” by Michael Nguyen

Submitted to Contest #201

YEDOH ENTERTAINMENT HEADQUARTERS PRACTICE ROOM - Seoul, South Korea. THE MEMBERS:STACY - the beautiful young oneYERI - the maknae, still a teenager and very smallYE RIM - the old leader, 36, but still beautifulWENDY - the quiet, talented foreigner from JapanWendy is about to take a bite of kimchi when the manager smacks the chopsticks out of her hands.MANAGERNot until this current schedule is completed.WENDYWhen will that be?MANAGERAnother three weeks, but if things go well we’ll push the promotions right into next year.She looks l...

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“What it Means to be Your Fan ” by Mia Marie

Submitted to Contest #201

I am roused from my 10 a.m. slumber by the sound of a phone notification going off. Fuzzy dreams of black wavy hair and crinkled-eye smiles still linger in my head as I reach for my phone on my shelf. My initial thought is not that it could be you because I haven't heard from you in days. Although, who else could it be? My only friend is someone I've known since fifth grade, who is now 25 years old and married. She only reaches out to me once every two months through random Instagram messages from her favorite cat lover account to let me kno...

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“Blood Before the Crown” by Jordyn Garante

Submitted to Contest #201

The night before her coronation, Azumi Shu dreamt of her father. The dream was that of memory, the day her father was crowned as Ginza's King, one of the Four Rulers of Shuyze. Even now, as she gazed at herself in the mirror, she could still see him sitting on the throne, that citrine-encrusted golden crown fused into the bone above his brows. The dried blood that had streamed down his temples mere minutes before. She'd watched on as he'd sworn the oath proudly, watched him uphold his promise to protect the people of Ginza ...

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“Desolation: Jenny's Story” by Jinelle Doobay

Submitted to Contest #201

Warning: themes of death, blood, mental health, and sadness.Based off of a true storyJennifer was exhausted. Her mood was one of melancholy, swallowing her whole. She didn’t understand why she woke up again. Every day was the same, the copious amounts of homework that piled up every time she thought it would be the end and the constant yelling of her teachers."Why are we still here? Just to suffer?"She slaved over her English project that was worth 45% of her final mark for over 72 hours. She hadn't eaten, slept or seen the light of day for ...

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“The Grind (Coffee and Otherwise)” by Leah Haberman

Submitted to Contest #201

The owner refuses to put any signs out. He wants everyone to be a regular, committed to finding really good coffee which I guess is cool and all. It means lots of regulars, familiar faces, and consistent orders. It also means fewer tips. Alas. Mega-lawyer man, also known as Alex, comes in at 6:45 every morning. He’s fully presentable which should be a crime at this time of day. Today he’s wearing a light gray suit and blue undershirt. The last time I wore a suit was to my cousin’s funeral. That one I borrowed from a friend so it did...

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“Let sleeping dreams lie” by Zoe Perditus

Submitted to Contest #201

I was seventeen when I started bargaining with the years of my life. It started with a choice. Law in the Netherlands, or Classics in Rome. The latter was my dream. I kept a box in my bedroom. Cardboard, from Ikea, tucked under the cherry brown coffee table. I had spent a year filling it with things I would bring. Orange candles shaped like pumpkins, for my first October in Rome. A meal planner with a notepad to be used for grocery lists. It was orange, matching the candles. There was a magnet on the back. I would have stuck it to the fridge...

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“Kpop Fantasy, Mpop Reality” by Ian James

Submitted to Contest #201

"Koyuki, nice voice but no soul. An idol? I've seen amateurs do better at karaoke nights," the stern lady in the plaid and cap spat out. This scene, ripped from a documentary I saw four years back, has seared its way into my memory. It showcased a young Japanese hopeful trying to crack into Kpop, forever reshaping my understanding of the business. In my younger years, Kpop was my religion. I worshipped at the altar of GOT7 in secondary school and pledged my loyalty to Blackpink upon their arrival. I drowned in K-dramas, bled money on mercha...

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“Sunglasses ” by Ksenija Rubež

Submitted to Contest #201

*this story contains some swear words, violent thoughts, a brief description of a one-night stand* I scream out loud. The best of the best. I am on top. Sealed. The belt around my waist. My corner lifts me up in the air. My family in the cage with me. The title unified they say. Not that I ever cared about titles, scores, or records. I was always the champ. Everything about me is champ-like. I walk back to the locker. People. So many of them. I seem to be sound isolated. I keep my hands raised. Flashes. Constant flashes. I seem to...

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“Blood Sweat & Tears” by Jacob Warren

Submitted to Contest #201

Kerrigan, short and stocky, stood on the orange, clay road in the middle of rolling, green farmland. He wore a simple tunic and leggings, the ones he could move the most freely in, and rested a hand on the hilt of the single edged sword at his side. He could see his home village in the distance, miles away. Bo-Himmon, tall and broad, was about two hundred paces away. When he was close enough, the two would fight to the death. It was a sad and morbid eventuality on that crisp, spring day, but Bo-Himmon had tarnished Kerrigan’s honor b...

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“The Captains Speech ” by Andy Mac

Submitted to Contest #201

The Captains Speech “Though many a Ship Captain have fought for their crew Tasted the smoke and steel of battle It is the select few in command That bring them home are the ones that will remain truly immortal” Admiral Donald Reeves Former Captain of the Star Cruiser "Leviathan" 2156 AD Those words were written over a hundred years ago. And to this day, in the theaters we created in our age. They still remain true. The words were engraved in a plaque below the great Commandant's portrait in the Captain's office aboard...

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“Task failed successfully ” by Arya Farewell

Submitted to Contest #201

Have you ever had a friend tell you a song is stuck in their head? How bad can it be? You think to yourself. Until one day, it happens to you too. At first, it’s not a problem. When it pops up in your head, you brush it off getting on with what you’re doing. But for days, it continues echoing in your ears, disturbs you while you’re doing any simple task. It pops up when you’re at a job interview, or when you’re trying to fall asleep. For the love of God, you cannot stop hearing it play on loop in your head. It drives you crazy. The people ar...

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“Second Plan” by Brandon Alexander

Submitted to Contest #201

November 2021That night... I casually went out to a bar for a drink, I ordered a beer, not my favorite bar but I switch bars every once in a while to increase my chances with girls.I'm looking around and I don't see too much of a chance and I also need to mention that I suck at this.I took a few sips, enjoying my beer and it wasn't long before a lady wearing a cowgirl hat approached me from my right and asked if the seat was available.I said "Yes, it's all yours".Usually this is the part where I begin to overthink, I think I'm pretty good at...

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$250

Prize money

170

Contest entries

94

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jun 09, 2023 EST

Won by Chris Miller 🏆

Title: The Bequest

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

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