Kim Cho Yeop is one of the science fiction writers in the Korean literary world to watch right now. Her meeting with HYBE for the fourth installment of HYBE Original Story might appear out of the left field. But upon closer inspection we recognize the natural progression of events. HYBE has already published three original story content : one each for BTS, ENHYPEN, and TOMORROW X TOGETHER. These are “7FATES: CHAKHO,” “DARK MOON : THE BLOOD ALTAR,” and “The Star Seekers,” respectively. The fourth HYBE Original Story is “Crimson Heart”. It contains the message behind LE SSERAFIM’s music and its connection to the members’ origin stories, told as a fantasy adventure. Kim Cho Yeop contributed the Prologue to “Crimson Heart”. It is a companion story to LE SSERAFIM’s second mini-album “ANTIFRAGILE” released on October 17th. Kim shared with us the special creative process that gave birth to this chapter of the HYBE Original Story.

HYBE : Was there a specific reason behind accepting the collaboration offer to write the Prologue for the HYBE Original Story “Crimson Heart”?

KIM : What struck me first after reading the synopsis of the story and the concept was how it was clearly part of the adventure animation tradition which I grew up watching and loved. I particularly liked that it was a “girls’ story.” If “Crimson Heart” itself is a classic adventure epic, then the Prologue – for which I was approached by HYBE – tells of the lives the girls had in a safe yet highly controlled urban community before embarking upon the quest in “Crimson Heart”. I must admit I am partial to characters who question the givens of the safe world they live in to trigger their growth. Also, working on established characters and not having to create anew the world and its characters felt like a stimulating and novel challenge. The established character profiles and storyline sent to me were so well done that my mind was rearing to begin building on those premises. 

HYBE : What was the collaboration process like for this “Crimson Heart” project?

KIM : After the drafts and treatments made a few rounds between me and HYBE, I sent the finished final draft this spring, after which there were a few more adjustments following some feedback. 
 

HYBE : Was there anything during this “Crimson Heart” Prologue collaboration that particularly required your attention in a way that was different from your other creative processes? What about it was similar to your previous work and writing process?

KIM : It was important to have a keen awareness of when I was veering away from the established plotline, the major narrative components, and the character premises. This required much imaginative exploring to discover how I could safely add to the story. In “Crimson Heart,” the characters are indeed the heart of the story. I took great care not to make changes to them and reproduce them as faithfully as possible in my story. The dialogue and actions were examined closely and reviewed multiple times. I paid particular attention to the chemistry between the girls. Since the Prologue’s story takes place before the main adventure, there’s still this awkwardness to their relationships. They are not yet friends, there’s a lot to learn about each other, but through it all there is this real recognition of having met kindred spirits. I tried to really capture that delicate tango of emotions. And what about this project that was similar to my previous works? Well, there are these questions that I feel the great majority of humans all grapple with, and those I try to touch upon in this Prologue, as I have done in all my stories previously. I’ll unpack it later on, but suffice to say that discovering how the central theme of “Crimson Heart” overlapped greatly with these human questions made the project that much more of a joy to work on.

HYBE : If in the “Crimson Heart” we see fearless girls setting off on an adventure of personal discovery, what other unique traits of these girls do we get to see in the Prologue? Please give us an introduction of the characters in the Prologue.

KIM : Joann, Senna, Yozeh, and Dahvi are the four girls in the Prologue of “Crimson Heart”. Every character has her own distinct personality, but there is one thing that ties them together: the feeling that they somehow do not fully belong to the city of Refugia. Certainly they have grown up in this city, but there is this lingering feeling that they are outsiders. Naturally, the world outside Refugia intrigues them, and eventually they begin harboring doubts about the city. Lacking the courage, yet, to make a clean break and leave, the girls were spending their days trying to make sense of this nagging anxiety. Then something happens. What I tried to show is the process of change that can catalyze a group of average, normal girls who struggle with doubt and fear, into taking on a mysterious quest. If in “Crimson Heart” itself we get to meet the girls more fully formed, more proactive and adventurous, then the Prologue shows the girls taking that definitive first leap towards growth and transformation. 

HYBE : “Crimson Heart” unfolds across a wide range of plot devices, time and place, characters, and narrative parameters. Were there any that particularly inspired you, or influenced you in a memorable way?

KIM : As much as I could, I tried to depend solely on the original synopsis and the “story bible” – pre-established storytelling parameters. For instance, this Prologue brings up specific places such as a museum, urban green space, or reveals that there are no live animals in Refugia, that migrant smuggling occurs, or that the city has walls the citizens are not well aware of. Each one of these can be found in the story bible or the synopsis. I carefully read through the synopsis many times so that I had absorbed every detail. These nuggets of ideas were then expanded into fuller story arcs.

HYBE : Over the multi-episode Prologue, you took certain foundational plot components and fully developed them. It would be interesting to know about the central message running through all these episodes and how they eventually fold into “Crimson Heart”.

KIM : “Is a safe space truly safe for all?” “At the end of the day, which is better, to defend an insulated space, or change the nature of the environment surrounding it?” These were the questions I intended to serve as the story’s throughline. Yes, there are multiple episodes, but I would also recommend considering them as fitting together as a mid-length novel. 

HYBE : Is there a specific phrase or dialogue in the Prologue which you are particularly attached to?

KIM : “I need to act not as the granddaughter of Kim, but as my own self. I do not want to pretend I didn’t see the child.” In “Crimson Heart,” Senna is the granddaughter of the founder of Refugia, Kim. She feels obligated to uphold the values of her grandmother. But when Senna experiences a certain event in the Prologue, it leads into a pivotal scene where she decides to be not only “Kim’s granddaughter, but also her own self.” Though not perfect, I personally found this progression memorable as it manages to capture an important moment of character development in a short sequence. And if I were to include one more, it is a character interview within the story. It contains the dialogue, “If, perhaps, we are able to boldly face the walls that our imagination is held captive by, if we realize there’s a great world beyond, how would our lives change? 

HYBE : This Prologue comes before the official launch of the HYBE Original Story, “Crimson Heart”. How will it help the audience better understand and enjoy that main story?

KIM : I would love it if the Prologue could help the readers better understand the growth trajectories of the girls in “Crimson Heart”. Each girl comes from a different background with a unique family history, and a distinct set of experiences. They are incredibly three-dimensional characters who do not overlap in any way. The main quest will certainly show a steady evolution, but having insight into the characters’ past and how that influences who they are would add yet another layer of fascinating depth to the overall journey. 

HYBE : The “Crimson Heart” Prologue, a collaboration between two rising artists, is greatly anticipated by fans of your previous work and LE SSERAFIM fans alike. Do you have any pointers for readers awaiting the Prologue? 

KIM : To fans of my previous work, I would like to describe the Prologue as a surprise gift of a story that paints with a different palette : vivid tones that resonate with the eager sincerity of youth. LE SSERAFIM debuted this year and is making waves and stealing hearts. They have certainly stolen mine and I am delighted for our collaboration. I imagined that the members are really living this intrepid, fearless lives somewhere in one of the many parallel universes out there, and if LE SSERAFIM fans experience the Prologue as a short and sweet foray into such an alternative reality, I would feel incredibly gratified.