the first step.
jeong bora's audition to axis labels, june 2025.
bora can't lie to herself: she feels like a bundle of nerves again walking to the seocho training facility. she can't help but worry as she heads off because there's a voice in the back of her mind that makes her feel like something will go wrong on the way there; like her maps app will end up sending her the wrong way and she'll end up lost.
luckily for her, she manages to make it there (and with 10 minutes to spare!) without any accidents happening.
"good morning!" bora returns the greeting with a bright smile and a matching smile on her face. "i'm great, how are you doing today?" her cheerful customer service voice is in full effect as she turns the question back onto the interviewers like she would any regular coming into la ciel.
being asked to sing a song in particular does make bora's eyes widen slightly. she won the competition for rapping specifically, so her singing being tested did both surprise and worry her. she's never felt like her singing was great, even if she's slightly improved in the past few years with training.
"oh, alright! um, i'll be singing uncover by seulgi, then." placing her hand over her heart, trying to steady it from the way it was already pounding before she started to sing. she felt picking a song from seulgi was a bit ambitious (even if it didn't have anything particularly harsh like high notes) for someone who's still hesitant about her singing, but maybe the panel would view her choice positively.
"listen to your heart, don't be afraid to let them show," bora couldn't help the slight smile coming to her face as she sung the lyrics, even though her other hand was tapping nervously at her thigh at the same time.
not to mention she wasn't looking at the panelists either; she doesn't have the same confidence in singing that she does in rapping or even dancing, so she knew that if she were looking at them while they judged and wrote down notes about her, she definitely would've messed up somehow. “uncover, uncover your mind.”
after she finished, bora let out a quick, soft sigh in relief, before giving a small bow to them. "thank you!" she's not sure how the interviewers felt about her singing, but she felt like she did alright.
“why do you want to be an idol? how would it help you?”
bora fixed her glasses and hair after standing back up straight from her bow, mulling the question over in her mind for a moment. she knew the real and original reason she had: to get money she wouldn't typically see in her lifetime, to support her father and the cafe. but that's obviously not a reason she could give them.
"mmm... have you ever felt kind of powerless in your own life?" she can't help but laugh a little after asking the question back to the panelists, waving her hands for a moment. “wait, that sounds way worse than what i actually mean! let me explain!”
"to make a long story quick, when i was younger, i lost... someone really important to me, and i couldn't really do anything to save her or bring her back. obviously, it was a really sad time for me and my family." her foot taps on the floor as she recalls her mother's passing, though she manages to keep her eyes straight on the judges. “but one day... i found out about idols when i was in middle school.”
she remembers the day she decided to become an idol clearly; not a song that changed her life, not a performance where she met eyes with one of the singers on stage, no. one of the rare times her and her father decided to have a trip to the mall after they moved to seoul, she saw it.
an advertisement for a popular idol group at the time, with the members as ambassadors for a skincare brand at olive young. the way the girls inside of the store were excitedly buying the lineup, each item based off of a specific member.
all a young bora could think about was, with her eyes reflecting the store's bright lights: i wonder how much money they get when someone buys this...?
but in the present, bora smiles softly and nods to herself, “i guess, like a lot of people, they gave me hope too! so, if i could become one myself, i think it could help me by... helping out other younger people in a similar position to me. i'd like to give them hope, too.”
“say that no one in your life is supportive of your dreams to be an idol, what will you do?”
"would it be kinda awkward to say i've gone through that already?" bora grins a little, twiddling her thumbs to keep her hands busy from tapping. “my dad, actually. he supports me now, though!”
she glances away as she speaks, “back then, i... honestly didn't really care that he disapproved. i still went out of my way to train on my own and learn dances that i saw were popular, even if he felt like i should give up it. and if the same happened again one day, i think i'd still do the same thing.”
“what if this audition results in a rejection for you? will you give up on your dreams?”
"well... i would be pretty upset about it, to be honest!" bora runs her hand through her hair, letting out a weak giggle. she wouldn't want to think about that happening, she's determined for this to be the attempt that works out, but it does make sense to ask what'd she do if it isn't.
“even then, i would still keep trying to become an idol. maybe i wasn't good enough this time, but in my next attempt i would show a better version of myself. i think that's one of the biggest thing i want to strive for even if i fall again, growing more and more each time no matter what.”
“have you written any rap verses before? what inspired you to write them?”
"i have, actually!" bora perks up a bit, her eyes shining again now. as shy as she is about sharing with her lyrics with others, being a writer is definitely one of the biggest skills that could help her in this audition; she'd be silly to not mention it. “i've been writing my own verses since i was in high school.”
she hums in thought at their next question, her body finally relaxed enough to stop tapping at something. her art is always one of the few things she can depend on to comfort her. “honestly, nothing and everything. sometimes i get inspired by emotions, like fear or happiness, or by events that happen to me, like when i'm at work!”
"i think... at least to me, you can find art anywhere, even when you're not looking. and you can be inspired to create even more art, if that makes sense! and that's how i feel when it comes to writing my lyrics." she smiles, giving the interviewers a small nod, feeling sure in her answer.
“what’s your favourite thing about performing on stage?”
"i would have to say... i mean, really, just the feeling of it all." not only recalling her own experiences performing in front of others with shaking hands and an anxious mind worrying of something going wrong, but also the fun she's had playing up the lyrics and knowing when the audience sees you too. “just knowing that, even for a few minutes, you have the attention of everyone in the room, and you can make their week by giving a really good performance for them.”
she blinks once the interviewers tell her that's all before nodding and smiling again. "oh, alright! thank you again for your time and for having me!" she gives them one more quick bow and wave before exiting the room.
"oh my god i can't believe i just got through that." leaning against the wall outside of the facility, bora gasped out in shock at the fact that she didn't get too nervous during the audition.
but she got through it, and tomorrow, june 15th, is her birthday. she's going to buy soju and her favorite spicy, cheap ramen to celebrate, regardless of how the outcome of the audition.
