my name's machi, i'm a minor and use they/she/he pronouns. i currently identity as queer. i'm jewish. i'm a kpop fan and am semi active on this hell site mainly to do some creative writing !
hey! so, since you turned off messages from blogs you dont follow and unfollowed me, @solsticene i’m gonna need you to delete all the pieces you have with my writing in it and that include any of my ocs even just in passing or in reference. take out any mentions of them, and stop using serim because at the end of the day, he was mine to begin with.
howdy gamers welcome to unraveling : speedrun edition. bullet points, dice rolling, and wheelofnames are sponsoring this stream. the entirety of the quartet cover challenge ft judging and elimination.
the contestants all roll on in to their designated practice rooms to meet their mentors and also decide what cover they'll be doing.
on team han, kang hyun suggests doing a deepdive song since they have a member right there in the flesh to teach them. ash bae tears up in the confessional about it but is relieved when that's knocked off the table. me too king
that team is all sitting twiddling their thumbs until han has enough and is like each of u rn show me what you can do. has a moment of staring into the camera like why did god punish me in this way
eventually, despite the criticisms (ash bae is scared. duri is having a time. kang hyun is grateful and woocheol really doesn't care) they end up talking about a concept and end up with something fun but not over the top sugary sweet. and thus block b's her is chosen
pan over to team willow who had a somehow even worse time choosing a song. ash lim wanted sexy. minsoo also wanted sexy. sanghoon wanted to look cool, that's it and hanrae didn't care what concept but didn't want sexy for the pure fact that ash lim and minsoo wanted it.
willow notes that the team is strong on vocals and rap, so there we go. btob's pray.
ash lim wished there was a song with a better dance and sanghoon was disappointed in the room that he wouldn't get to show the judges his dance skill
hanrae scoffs. rattlesnake sound effect.
team yuri on the other hand is having a great time. she brought snacks. she runs a little icebreaker game. it's cute. twitter went wild with the feelies over this lil team
pentagon's shine was instantly suggested by minhee, and no one was opposed! they're all cute and know that theres plenty of room to flex their well-rounded skillsets.
tension between yunseo and minhee because they are both talented rappers. but only one can get the iconic opening bit
jumin is the one that brought that up. trying to start a little beef and the editors respect him for that.
jinsung meanwhile is like. you know what i'm just gonna eat snacks with yuri and watch <3
finally in team kaeo. there certainly is a vibe in that room. his hoodie is not zipped up. it never will be.
talk about what song, exo comes to mind and kaeo's like i think it'd be fun to do kokobop to play to crow/yikyung's bright intros, but also not too bright to accomodate doyeon and zihao
uh oh besties. guess which group didn't get a contestant who's a solid rapper? you guessed correct
kaeo clowns them for it when he brought it up in the first place. it's fun. most of their bit is worrying about that and not so much formations
yikyung kinda wants to die in there and goes to spy on team i'll be your man and is a little bit like heyyyy can i join your team. hanrae tells him to choke
sanghoon is like ok sure king what are yall covering but changes his mind pretty quickly
anyways. practice happens, montage. fun moments include how many times do we see hanrae/woocheol rolling their eyes? who cries the most? spot the undone shoelace, contestants falling off screen and the others pointing and laughing.
fancam of willow simply breathing and watching her team. i posted it WITH the sparkly filter.
performance time
team pray / i'll be your man is up first. use of stage fog, crumbled buildings, broken chandeliers. you know the vibe. dark red and black velvet suits. sickly victorian boy makeup.
hanrae does well he's a singer. he sings. does not mess up. he shows that he can, indeed, dance.
sanghoon is the star of the stage. he got down to business and does his ceo proud showing his vocals and embracing the concept.
ash lim is cool. you can tell he's suited to dark concepts. does not mess up, goes about his rap parts well but he's there just lookin sexy.
minsoo shows a hint that maybe he learned something in his years and years of training. but he performs at the same level as ash lim: not the star or the flop.
their combined scores : 16.25 / 20
next up is team han performing block b's her. it's a fun set. think of got7's just right with a little more grunge. think some guitars, elvis/50s rock vibes but still bright. their outfits coordinate with some grease inspirations, it's a lot of fun with painted leather jackets and sleek hair
kang hyun sang his little heart out, if bb's taeil saw him he'd be so proud. i'm proud.
woocheol aces his dance break but was his mic on? yes. did we hear him? no.
duri is the star of this team: his expressions and how he stylized his vocals shone you could not tell this man is a trainee.
ash bae delivers his raps well but up until the last bit of the song, the confidence isn't there. hes trying to look like he's having fun, but the poor kid is visibly anxious.
their combined scores: 15.75 / 20
third up to bat is team yuri with shine. oh this set is so cute: styled after a board game where the contestants are the player pieces. dice a rollin'. primary colors. checkerboard patterns. overalls. rosy cheeks and colorful freckles. the best styled stage yes i am biased.
jinsung does okay, kind of stands out like a sore thumb due to his height but he does his best and you can see his efforts
yunseo with the first voice crack of the show proper. he recovers from it and plays it off with a smile, but for the rest of his song his lines aren't quite up to par as the pre voice crack.
jumin is having a great time on the stage: it perfectly suits his vibe. he messes up a few dance steps but he's good at covering it up with improvisation. smiley boy privilege
minhee...there is a line of people outside of his ceo's office with pitchforks. why is it 2021 and he isn't debuted. the winks, the making the rap his own. oh, the smiles.
their combined scores: 16.75 / 20
last up is team kaeo with kokobop. there's a tropical feel, but like an atlantis themed waterpark the boys washed up on. hawaiian prints, orange/yellow/red makeup and lots of highlight. they look dirty but in the fun n flirty kind of way. beaded shell jewelry. no ca with the hair!
zihao commands the center when hes in there and is a real dance anchor. probably putting in a lil bit more work than with his actual group. a lil shaky on the vocals tho
doyeon is no longer taemin lite cover artist, he is doyeon the performer, but he does still seem to have no sense of personal style when it comes to how he sings/dances.
crow is the surprising one who carries the raps of the song. his high voice is the opposite of the original, but he turns it into something charming and playful as he flies between that and his sung lines. wink king.
yikyung fought for his life and won. makes the exo vocalists proud: he did some of the rap lines and was visibly nervous compared to crow, but the mentioned helped him play it off well enough.
their combined scores: 16.25 / 20
with all of the performances done, the judges have a little chit chat. and then once they tally up their scores and criticisms, it's team han on the chopping block and up to grimm about who has to fight for their lives to stay in the competition.
he announces that the battle will be...
kang hyun and woocheol vs. jinsung and yunseo. at the end of it, one of the pairs will end up walking out of the competition.
it's revealed that they were asked to prepare a performance of seventeen's clap. one team on the left of the stage, one team on the right. a curtain down the middle so they cannot compare to one another.
the other contestants are now in the audience seats to watch the smackdown.
it's a close battle: the peanut gallery in confessionals are divided with many favoring jinsung and yunseo
but the peanut gallery...ends up wrong. the judges deem that kang hyun and woocheol would be staying in the competition. which means that jinsung and yunseo would be leaving.
peanut gallery imagines here, but many are like well. kang hyun bodied those vocals as expected.
[ america's next top model style group pic with jinsung and yunseo fading out ]
the kids all head back to their dorms and are chatting here and there about the elimination. cut to credits when the announcement dings that rune is there for a message
roll credits
then a preview of the next episode which shows some interpersonal drama, some clownery and reactions of the contestants to hearing two original songs they'd be split to perform next
The second team, coached by Han and made up of soulmates Kang Hyun & Woocheol along with Ash Bae & Duri put on a performance of Block B's HER for the Quartet Cover Challenge !
In which eight pairs of soulmates meet, the dorms, the mentors, and the first official challenge are revealed... a short lil episode to set the scene!!
“I get off stage, fresh from the critique and the staff tell me where to go,” says Yikyung, rubbing the back of his neck. “No rest.”
Yikyung walks backstage, towards a door labeled as a dressing room with a worn number on it. He briefly looks over his shoulder at the staff who urge him forward and he opens the door without knocking.
The opened door reveals what’s normally in a dressing room: a lit mirror with a counter, a clothes rack, and a mounted television screen to monitor the stage… and on one of the stools in front of the mirror there sits a boy who is small, but fills up the entire room.
“Hii!,” exclaims the figure, and the screen shifts to a brief clip of his performance: it’s none other than FYWLD’s Crow, still smiling brightly as he hops off of the stool to greet him. “I’m Crow! We’re soulmates, the staff said so, I felt like I was sitting there for like forever with no one to talk to!”
“Shin Yikyung,” returns the pink haired boy with a bow.
“This’ll be so fun– Can I hug you?”
For the first time in the confessional, there are two people with their names at the bottom as the first official pair of soulmates: Crow and Yikyung. The former hasn’t dropped his bright smile since he stepped onto set, while the other has hardly emoted at all.
“Crow was…” starts Yikyung. “A lot to take in at once.”
The boy next to him simply grins, scrunching up his nose and bumping Yikyung’s shoulder with his own. “I had my work cut out for me~”
********
In another room sits Ash Bae, the Angelico trainee. He sits languidly on the loveseat, still reeling from the critique he got: the camera flashes back to the commentary he received about his lackluster confidence and stage presence.
“I was…” he releases a long held breath, clear worry passing over his soft features. “Going through it, you can say. I’m not used to working alone, so the prospect of a teammate…I needed it.”
Ash’s posture immediately straightens when there’s a knock on the door: he looks at the cameraman as if to say ‘do I answer it?’ but he doesn’t have time before it opens with a well timed pan to the entrant’s performance. The mystery man is none other than Cheong Duri, who exploded with ambitious energy from the start to the finish of his performance.
“Hi, I’m Duri! It’s good to meet you!,” the confident trainee smiles and bows at Ash as he scrambles up to greet him.
“I’m Ash.” He bows politely and the two shake hands before a silence falls between them.
“So, do you think we’ll get a challenge right off the bat? Or do you think they’ll let us eat first?,” asks Duri, perching on the arm of the loveseat.
“I hope not.” Ash rubs the back of his neck, but decides to follow suit and sit back down.
“We talked a little bit, right?,” asks Duri in the confessional next to Ash with their names on the graphics. The second boy smiles a little bit and nods before Duri looks back to the camera. “Our criticisms were opposites.”
“Yin and Yang,” Ash adds. “I…hope we can help each other balance out.”
********
When Kang Hyun enters the dressing room, he finds his greeting of “Hello, I’m Kang Hyun” floating in the air before disappearing into the void. He looks to the camera before panning to the other figure in the room, his eyes not rising from the screen of the phone in his lap.
“I didn’t really…care, to be honest.” says Woocheol in the confessional, slowly blinking. “I think I can get done whatever on my own…without the ‘soulmate’ concept.”
“I got in the room and the tension, immediately–” Kang Hyun emotes a bit with his hands. “It got me worried, I’ll say that”
Woocheol remains seated with Kang Hyun leaning against the counter before the mirror, picking at his cuticles. Over the scene, there’s a tumbleweed edited over the screen along with a low whistle of wind.
Cut to the confessional, and it’s a similar scene with Kang Hyun putting on a brave smile with a blank slate on Woocheol’s face.
“I think we were both shaken up from the evaluations,” he reasons to himself with a nod. “Once we get going, I hope we’ll do better than the others, right, Woocheol?”
“I guess.” Woocheol shrugs, and even that isn’t fully committed.
********
Somewhere else, there’s a more spirited meeting of soulmates going on. Inside are two contestants already chattering away as if they aren’t being filmed. The graphics on screen accentuate this as the camera zooms in on the door and passes in.
On the left is Son Sanghoon, eyes wide as he animatedly chatters on with Kang Minsoo, completely enraveled in their own conversation so much that they don’t give the cameras much to work with until they appear in the confessional with a name card to match.
“Minsoo-hyung trained for ten years,” states Sanghoon as if he’s reading off of a profile with a pause, to which Sanghoon’s eyebrows raise to wait and see if what’s said is anything less than respectful. “That’s…three times as much training as I have.”
“But you’re from SM, their program is no joke.”
“Heh, you wouldn't be wrong!”
They both look past the camera with similar expressions.
“I think we’ll get along great!” Minsoo is enthusiastic, looking fondly at the younger trainee. “He reminds me of some of our younger members, I’ll look after Sanghoon well!”
“I’ll focus on teaching this guy to dance,” Sanghoon adds with a half laugh, waving his hands as an almost-joking apology.
********
“I’m really proud of my performance,” Minhee says confidently. “It was a relief to get it over with, I’ll tell ya that.” He lets out a quick laugh. “I was looking forward to not flying by the seat of my pants solo, though.”
Minhee is seen checking out the mirror, making sure he doesn’t look like a mess from his performance earlier. Not a thread is out of place, though, and he contentedly leans against the counter and sips his water, flashing a smile at the cameras when the door creaks open.
“Wang Jumin!? No way!” He’s beaming as the other contestant closes the door behind him like a deer in headlights. Jumin has a smile, but it’s more of a nervous smile of someone in a new situation. “It's so good to meet you– I’m Kim Minhee!”
“Your performance was so cool!,” Jumin blurts out, bowing and going in for a polite side hug.
“Mine? Did you see yours?”
Minhee and Jumin appear as another happy pairing in the confessional: they both have a gleam in their eye and the real challenges have yet to begin.
“I was worried I’d get paired with someone who–” Jumin rolls his lips with a pause. “Half asses everything. I was so relieved to see you in the room.”
“Hey, I think I’m the lucky one here– I got the Produce dancing king!” Minhee extends his hand for a high five, which Jumin meets. His eyes return to the cameras. “We’re ready to let everyone eat our dust.”
********
The camera journey takes a turn into another room where Yunseo bites the inside of his cheek when the door to his waiting room opens and Jinsung enters. The two exchange the usual polite greetings and bows, but the tension of the competition has risen.
“To be honest, I’ve never heard of his group.” Yunseo blinks a few times. “I didn’t remember what they were called…I think it started with a …b, maybe?”
The scene jumps to that where both Jinsung and Yunseo are in the confessional together. They aren’t sitting in a way that shows dislike, but there isn’t much warmth between the newly coupled soulmates. Jinsung is twiddling his thumbs in his lap, and Yunseo is fighting the urge to cross his arms over his chest.
“Being around new people is awkward for everyone, I think.” Yunseo looks over at Jinsung, urging him to speak at least a little bit.
“I was still rattled from my evaluation. I was so close to just running out of there to go hide.”
“Yeah.”
********
“Hey.”
“Hi.”
The second tumbleweed of the night appears as the next two soulmates meet their match. Both of the contestants, Doyeon and Zihao, look more than uncertain of one another until the latter is the first to speak up.
“You did the Taemin cover, right?” Doyeon nods and Zihao offers a small smile. “I think it went well.”
“...Could you tell the judges that?”
“If you’ll go kick my ass in the past for only dancing in front of them.”
With that, the discomfort in the room seems to fade, if even just by a pinch as the two dancers brush past some of the less than positive criticisms they faced from the judges’ panel minutes ago. And just like that in the pattern of the six soulmate sets before them: they both are sitting with posture expected of dancers, but they aren’t bristling at the other’s company.
“I think…we have just about any dance challenge covered.” Doyeon shifts in his seat with the admission.
“We haven’t known each other that long, but Doyeon is a lot less annoying than my groupmates outside of here,” says Zihao without faltering for half a beat.
“What if they’re watching?”
“I stand by what I said.”
********
With the final pairing and none left to the viewers’ imagination, Ash Lim can be seen half sitting on the counter of the dressing room, coolly running his fingers through his air, eyes not once leaving the mirror. In fact, the mirror is how he first sees the doorway revealing his soulmate.
His calm expression doesn’t change much save for a twitch of the lips upon catching sight of none other than the first contestant to appear: the moody power-vocal Hanrae.
“Well hello there,” Ash says as he finally turns around.
“Oh my god.” Hanrae sighs, rubbing his temples.
Jumpcut to the confessional with Ash and Hanrae was a newly formed couple of soulmates. Ash looks as confident as ever, even relaxed in his pose whereas Hanrae’s arms are crossed tightly over his chest.
“I can say that we’re probably one of the better looking teams, no?,” asks Ash, turning himself slightly towards Hanrae.
“...We’ll see, if you stop choreographing mic drops.”
“Says you who doesn’t dance.”
“Whatever.”
********
It’s a realtor’s dream when the forms are revealed: side by side are mirroring shots that are like visual tours of where the contestants will be living between two dorms. Each dorm has a standard living and dining space connected to a small kitchen.
Just as well, each dorm has four bedrooms and two bathrooms: it’s shown that each bedroom door will have placards that detail that the soulmates will not only be working and appearing together, but they will be living together, too.
Inside each bedroom are two beds, two dressers, two nightstands, and one closet. For every two bedrooms, there is a full bathroom with a double sink and mirror, though these clearly are not assigned. The view winds back out to the living room area, where there are large flat screen televisions mounted on the walls: graphics at the bottom of the screen reveal these will be used not only to help the contestants unwind, but to reveal announcements when not on the set proper.
And just in time, the dorm rosters are revealed: in the first dorm are Yikyung and Crow, Minhee and Jumin, Ash Lim and Hanrae, and Kang Hyun and Woocheol.
In the second dorm are Jinsung and Yunseo, Ash Bae and Duri, Doyeon and Zihao, and Minsoo and Sanghoon.
Shown in a montage of split screen are the contestants moving in…but there’s no time to rest after lugging in their luggage because a loud chime sounds and the view goes to what the trainees see on the television screens.
There he is once again, Rune smiling bright.
“Hello Unravelers! Welcome to your home, you’ve been given the tour and shown around, right?” he asks as if he isn’t being recorded and not in a live call. “I hope you settle in well and get some rest after today, because I’m here to announce your first challenge. Are you ready?”
Unheard by Rune are several contestants in each group answering him, others still scrambling into the living room so they won’t miss out on anything.
“...I heard all yes-es! Everyone…your first challenge is the Quartet Cover Challenge. By random draw, you and your soulmate have been put in groups of four to perform a cover for the judges. What you choose to cover…is up to you. I bet you’re curious about the teams, no?”
All the contestants are aflutter, looking amongst themselves.
“I won’t be announcing them, in fact, you haven’t met your mentors yet, have you? I’ll let them show you. Until next time, it’s been your blue moon, Rune!”
“You’ve been marked by the witch!” A girl walks into frame, her dark hair gathered into a high ponytail. She waves with both hands and smiles. “Hello, I’m Willow of FIER! Minsoo, Sanghoon, Ash, and Hanrae…you’re my team! Let’s ace this challenge!”
“Hello, it’s DeepDive!” A handsome man with glowing skin is the only figure in the center of the frame, radiating a both calm and stern aura. “I’m Han, and for the first challenge, I’ll be working with Kang Hyun, Woocheol, Ash Bae, and Duri. Keep in mind that I can spot a mistake before you make them~”
“It’s your most colorful dessert~” A second girl bounces into frame, cheeks dotted with glitter freckles. “I’m Yuri of SNS! My team is Minhee, Jumin, Jinsung and Yunseo! I can’t wait to meet you all!”
“Filling in the empty space!” The last trainee is another pretty man with silvery blonde hair. “It’s me, Kaeo of neroism! If your names are Doyeon, Zihao, Yikyung, and Crow…then you’re with me, kids~”
And with the announcements over, reality sinks in that even with the help of their seniors…the Unravelers aren’t about to have it any easier than before.
Blue Marble Creative has released a choreography video featuring all sixteen Unraveling trainees performing the show's theme song, "Only One". Grimm noted the decision to release the theme song outside of the episode would allow viewers and judges to really get to know each contestant's performing style up close after a taste of all sixteen working as a unit.
Due to their high scores, contestants Minhee, Jumin, and Crow are the centers for the theme with the latter holding the position in the ending pose. Following the broadcast of the next episode, the Unraveling contestants will be performing "Only One" on Music Bank.
in which all sixteen contestants are introduced and are brought under the watchful eye of the judging panel. but what they don't know is that this is just the beginning. // NOTE ... the small italics represent talking head confessionals!
It’s a pretty stage, jutting out like the waxing gibbous moon, orbited by the crescent semi circle of the judges panel. The light has a red cast against the sleek black marble of the judges’ table decorated with microphones and name plaques buzzing with LED lights yet to be turned on. The whole set up is reminiscent of a classical theater complete with heavy red velvet curtains trimmed in bronze and gold. But beyond the judges’ table…is nothing. It’s black and echoing with whispers of ghosts waiting for intermission to be over.
A single spotlight enters, and the camera follows the figure in the middle of it until he reaches center stage. The man is pretty, with tousled dark hair and regalia suited for opening night at the theater: he holds a microphone in his hand and a stack of cards rimmed in gold leaf in the other. Anyone who’s in tune can recognize him even before he opens his mouth into a wide grin full of pearly, sharp teeth.
“Good evening everyone. Take your seats, because the show is about to begin! Welcome to the opening night of UNRAVELING! My name is Rune, and I’ll be your beloved host, captain, maestro, and emcee as we open this journey up until the bitter, bloody end when we finally meet Unravel.” He winks. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe~”
“You and I won’t be walking into the darkness alone. Shall I introduce you to our panel of very important people, our judges?” Rune’s question is answered and the camera pans towards the empty space where rows upon rows of pretty red chairs sit unused. A second spotlight shines down on a person walking towards the stage.
His hair is long, jet black, and half-pinned up to let a few pieces frame his face where dark eyebrows sit above a pointed nose. He’s dressed head to toe in black, complete with painted nails that gives more of a funeral gone fashion runway than anything.
“My name is Grimm.” He sits up straight in front of the backdrop of the red curtain as a graphic slides across the bottom of the screen. “I’m a singer, songwriter, artist, and creative director here at Blue Marble Creative. As the man of the hour in charge of Unravel…I want nothing less than perfection for my second group.”
“I’ll be looking for members who can fit the concept and won’t let me down. I’m very picky, notoriously so– I hand picked each neroism member on my own. I’ll accept nothing less than those who deserve to debut.”
Grimm sits down in the second chair from the left, and the LED screen before him lights up with his name. He nods towards Rune in greeting, and the emcee smiles.
“Lovely night, isn’t it, Grimm?” asks Rune.
“Nice night for the grand opening of the show. Let’s hope it meets my expectations.”
The spotlight dissolves and reappears on the other side of the theater as the next judge appears. He’s tall with sun-kissed skin that’s brought out by the cream colored shirt he wears beneath the black and gold pinstripe jacket. He moves with such an easygoing grace until he gets to the table. Then, he falters for a moment before taking the seat farthest on the left next to Grimm.
“Hi, I’m Jules.” says the boy with an accompanying graphic. “I’m the main rapper and a producer for the boy group VERS…I like dogs, I like swimming, and I like music.” He pauses for several beats, looking beyond the camera until a small “ah” leaves him.
“I watch a lot of survival shows. I’ve seen all of them, probably, and UNRAVELING seems unlike any of them. I’m also unlike any judge from those other shows, too… So many… but seriously. I’ve attended trainee evaluations at APX for years. I can tell the difference between critique and just…” he throws his hands up. “Y’know?I'm not here to waste someone's time as long as they don't waste mine. It's simple, but I want to encourage growth in contestants who are willing to put the time and effort in."
“Jules,” says Rune, and the second judge’s head snaps to attention. “What are you looking forward to the most tonight?”
“The most? I’d like to see some real potential,” begins Jules, nodding as if he’s convincing himself of his words. “Contestants who could be ready to debut by the time we’re done with them.”
A third pass of the spotlight reveals the first female judge as she weaves through the seats, light radiating off the shimmer of the sapphire gown and the capelet that hangs off her shoulders as she approaches the judges’ table. Her hair is shiny and jet black, matching the silk gloves that fold under her chin when she makes herself comfortable next to Grimm.
“Hello everyone, I’m SE4SONS’ coldest season, Winter!” Yui says in a cheery tone, waving with a bright smile like the sun reflecting off fresh snow. “I’m our group’s main dancer and vocalist…you’ve totally seen me in another group or on other survival shows.”
She smiles again, tilting her head to the side.
“I’d rather die than talk about all of that, so,” she shoots the camera a double thumbs up, settling into a calmer smile with a nod. “...I like judging people. I feel like some judges are on high horses. I want to be a fair judge who helps others improve. Plus…I like fixing boys’ dancing. Have you seen some of them lately?” She shivers for effect.
“It just got chilly,” says Rune, bowing his head. “Do you need to borrow a coat, Winter?”
“That depends, are you here to show us your dancing, Rune? Your jacket looks nice~”
Rune grins. “Definitely later, I have another job to do right now. Hopefully we’ll see enough dancing today~ Let’s meet our last judge for opening night.”
As if on a perfectly timed queue, the spotlight reveals the form of another tall man, dressed in a red so dark it looks black until the light shines upon the fabric. He moves with purpose, almost a step or two ahead of the spotlight until he takes a seat next to Yui. Just like before, the graphic on screen and the name placed in front of him lights up in red.
“Hello, I’m Youngjun of Resurgence!” He bows his head towards the camera. “I’ve been an idol since 2017 as a soloist–” Youngjun gives a corny smile. “I won a ‘Honey Vocals’ award in the same year that I debuted…and I’ve been a part of the Resurgence project since early 2021.”
“I’m very passionate about everything it takes to be an idol. I’m also…very protective of the truly talented people in the industry. We deserve to be taken seriously, and as a judge, I think it’s my job to weed out those who don’t live up to the standard of what it means to really be an idol.”
“Wow, a man in red.” Rune bows his head in greeting. “A man in red with perspective as a soloist and a group-dol, thank you for joining us!”
“Thanks for having me, Mister Rune.”
“Is there anything you expect to see tonight?,” asks Rune.
“I’m keeping the bar low,” Youngjun replies with a gentle shrug. “I hope these guys surprise me and show some real talent and passion.”
“The gang’s all here for tonight,” Rune says professionally, gesturing towards the fifth seat. “Our fifth judge will be fashionably late, as she’s our woman on the inside who will also oversee the practice our contestants have as well as being a judge after opening night.”
“Aw,” pouts Yui. “I’d have loved a spy mission.”
“You’ll all love her.” Rune winks at the camera. “I fear she’ll be the sweetest and most colorful judge we’ll ever see…but that’s enough spoilers, isn’t it~ Let’s raise the curtains and meet our players!”
The camera cuts to the stage as the curtains rise before cutting out to the first contestant of the night, sitting in front of a black curtain: the graphic at the lower part of the screen reveals his name as he speaks.
“Hey,” says the boy plainly. His face and features are pointed beneath curtain bangs that frame the sides of his face that he pushes back over his ears. “I’m Choi Hanrae, and I’m a trainee at Solstice Entertainment…” he stares at the camera blankly. “Obviously, I’m here to debut...after not making into three debut teams, I’m here as… basically a trainee war veteran, or take it as a sign to give up on this sh-stuff if I don’t make the cut.”
[ CHECK OUT HANRAE’S PERFORMANCE HERE ]
He approaches the mic stand wrapped in a long piece of silk slowly. Hanrae's fingers tremble slightly before one finds purchase on the microphone itself and the other hand weaves into the patterned waves. Hanrae takes in a deep breath as the music starts with a low hum of a cello arrangement. The light in the room dissipates into a single spotlight that catches the dust in the air.
"When you were here before," he sings slowly, softly into the mic. "Couldn't look you in the eye." It becomes clear that he's doing a vocal cover of a slowed down, rearranged version of Radiohead's "Creep". As the song progresses, Hanrae's nerves seem to dissolve as he keeps putting more and more emotion into each word of the song despite some of his English pronunciation perhaps needing a bit of work. The evidence of Hanrae being a Solstice Entertainment trainee grows and grows with his pitch and control over his voice: this only spills over at the climax of each breathed out word of "run" until the final where he soars into a long, sustained high note.
It isn't until the music drops out at the end outside of a few piano keys that Hanrae's voice warbles with emotion in the outro, his eyes shining with emotion not thought possible by his deadpan demeanor and a final "What the hell am I doin' here?" that fades into the end of his performance, leaving Hanrae, the judges, and silence.
“Well, it's definitely a good start I suppose,” says Youngjun, breaking the silence after looking down at his paper, laying the contents of his hand down on the surface before him. "I really don't have much to say about your singing, but I'm just curious as to why you didn't show anything but your vocal talent. Can you not dance?"
“Exactly,” Jules cuts in. “You’ve been training for…seven years, it says here? I would expect a performance that's more encompassing of your skills as an idol, and I think I speak for the whole panel when I say not dancing was a poor choice. Your vocals really are great and I did genuinely enjoy listening to you—especially during the bridge, goddamn—but with seven years spent as a trainee, I expect a full package. You choosing to only sing makes me think you haven't debuted because you can't dance, and I'm sure that's not what you were going for."
“You have a pretty voice,” says Yui, who’s countenance has changed completely since when Hanrae introduced himself. “You have potential if you put emotions into your performance…pity points with sob stories won’t get you far…and if you want to be an idol, you need to show you can at least do a two step. Something.”
Grimm nods, setting down his pen and making eye contact with the trainee before speaking.
“I know the Solstice trainees well, I work with you all and your vocal trainer. I know you can sing, but my fellow judges are right. If you want to be a ballad singer, you’re all set. But this is an idol show, Hanrae, and I want to see you prove that you deserve to debut. As an idol.”
“Next time, show us your dancing, or you’re probably going home~” adds Yui.
The four red lit panels light up in accordance with graphics on screen that show the judges’ scores for Hanrae.
“Pity points? Sob story my ass.” The boy blinks slowly, staring past the camera and crossing his arms. “And I’m the one with the sob story? Have they seen themselves?”
“The premise is interesting. I think this is a good opportunity to interact with others." The second boy, identified as Utopia’s Wu Ziaho, pauses for a minute, "And honestly, I need a break from my current group." He admits, shrugging.
"Hello! My name is Zihao. I'm the main dancer of the group Utopia." The idol bows his head towards the judges.
[ CHECK OUT ZIAHAO’S PERFORMANCE HERE ]
Zihao takes in a breath as he takes center stage: with the lack of a microphone on his body, he's deciding to do a dance performance for the judges' initial evaluation. He drops into a crouch before the infamous intro to NCT 127's "Superhuman" plays over the audio system.
Zihao, himself, seems almost like the title of the song with how well practiced his movements are. The memorization and hours of learning how to move each and every muscle comes into play as he flies through the song with the ability no main dancer could turn his nose up at. Once the song is over, he stands poised and confident at the center of the stage, catching his breath when the judges are already rolling into their commentary.
“You’re a debuted idol. Your skills should go past the main dancer position it says on your profile…call me old fashioned, but musicality is a huge part of a performance. In groups that debuted at the same time as me, even the main dancers can sing. The bar is high and just having one skill and stage presence isn’t going to carry you to the finish line, you know? Do you really want to give anyone ammo that you were rigged into your group?”
Zihao blinks and narrows his eyes, clearly holding his breath.
"So, I'm seeing a common theme with these performances and we're only two in," Youngjun pushes out a sigh. "While it wasn't objectively bad you have to remember what you're auditioning for. You have to show multiple sides of yourself instead of just one. Can you sing? Rap? Idols these days have to have many talents or you'll be eaten alive."
“You’re very pretty and can dance…But can you sing?,” asks Grimm. The others look at him to continue, but he doesn’t: his tone suggests he doesn’t want Zihao to answer in words.
“...anyways, I think you’re an amazing dancer. You’re well above a lot of your peers, trust me,” Yui says with a soft smile that reflects onto Zihao’s visage. “You killed it, and if I have one critique for you, it’s just try not to look dead behind the eyes. The industry needs more dancers like you.”
“It was rough, but it’s nothing I’m not used to.” Zihao says calmly, appearing almost un-phased. “They haven’t heard of a teaser and they’ve all debuted, too, apparently. You don’t just show all your cards at the start.”
“Hi, my name is Sanghoon and I’m from Daegu, South Korea.” Says the boy politely. “The idea of debuting makes me nervous, but I wanted to see if I had what it takes to debut with Unravel."
The judges look between themselves with Jules commenting that he’s a cute kid as the others flip to a new page in their notebooks, ready for the third contestant of the night to begin his performance.
[ CHECK OUT SANGHOON’S PERFORMANCE HERE ]
Lacking a mic, the little stretch Sanghoon does is an indication that he's performing a solely dance cover. SHINee's "Don't Call Me" crackles over the audio system and the trainee launches into his dance with only a quick glance at the judges as if used to watching himself perform in the mirror.
Sanghoon's isolations are well practiced as is how he travels across the stage to follow the song: his training is clear despite the obvious nerves in his shaking eyes that fades, if only just to an extent, by the time the last eight count is a thing of the past and his performance is over. Yet, he still smiles out at the judges when their evaluation begins.
“Well…I can tell you’re a trainee.” Yui says, pushing her notebook away from her. “To be honest, your footwork is why I’m not giving you a two. You picked a hard dance to cover and you’ll never be Taemin if you don’t learn to dance more fluidly. Keep it up like this and you’ll need a chiropractor by twenty three.”
"It was bland." Youngjun says resolutely, immediately following Yui. "It wasn't anything special nor does it make me want to see more of you."
“Promoting SM as a trainee and covering your sunbae, I’m sure that’s making your company proud. Your expressions were spot on and you maintained your energy through the performance…but–” Jules’ mouth hangs open before he can say one more syllable.
“It says here that your specialty is singing.” says Grimm, glancing up from the papers. “Why didn’t you sing? You come from a company that specializes in singers, say you’re a good singer and yet here you are. Dancing.”
“...There's no second chances in Jules-town, so your score is finalized. However, I do want to hear you sing." Jules adds. The others look at him and seem to agree. “You know the song, right? Sing any part you’d like. Just a piece of the verse or the chorus.”
Sanghoon goes to sing, but his voice breaks on the first note and it looks like he might cry as the nerves have a constrictor-grip on his throat. To the side of the stage, Rune looks sympathetic, but the judges and editors don’t share the same mindset as the scores are put forth.
“I completely screwed up,” admits Sanghoon, a tissue balled up in his hands. “I’ll just have to work harder to prove myself ahead, I guess.”
“Hi. I’m heartthrob Ash, bet you’ve heard of me already~ This isn’t exactly my first rodeo in survival shows! If you haven’t, I'm the lead dancer and rapper of Niteshade, a group representing the seven deadly sins. mine’s lust and that tells you enough about me. Unravel your sin with me.” He’s well-spoken, delivering his smooth lines in a husky but humble tone before subtly winking at the camera.
"Hello!" says the well poised boy, bowing in front of the judges. "My name is Ash, and I'm a member of the group Niteshade. "Today, I'll be performing especially for all of you because this is an opportunity I just can't pass up for me or my group."
[ CHECK OUT ASH’S PERFORMANCE HERE ]
Armed with a hand mic, the well versed idol doesn't take time or prisoners as he launches into a medley of WOODZ' "Feel Like" and "Hijack". While he may hold positions in the group as a dancer or a rapper or a vocalist, it's evident what Ash specializes in, and that specialty is charisma. Ash is someone who knows what he's doing: he even makes dropping the mic look cool and planned as the rest of his showcase that ends with none other than one of his infamous smoldering looks right into the center of the judging panel's eyes. Even without the music, his confidence is unwavering.
"Alright, that's more like it." Youngjun doesn't crack a smile. "I was wondering if we'd see something worth watching today and you definitely brought your all to the table. I think you're very charismatic and you seem really comfortable on stage. You also showed us many facets of yourself and could hold our attention. This was a good performance."
“You’re so cool. I’ve heard of your group name, and it, and you as a person and performer are really cool,” comments Yui. “Anyone else and I’d have called the dancing lazy. But you have the presence and the other talents to balance it out.”
"Okay 'male version of Venus' let's get into it," Jules starts, sending the man in front of him a glance. "You've got confidence, which is good. Clearly made your performance a lot more enjoyable. However, you definitely stumbled into the pit-trap of thinking you can stand there and look hot and have that be enough. It's not. You pulled through vocally, and yeah, I was genuinely impressed. You use your vocal tone well, especially when rapping. It's nice to see you use your voice stylistically like that. I expected a lot worse after you left out any performance based weaknesses in your profile, I guess that was my bad. But you're a lead dancer too? Right? So why was there so much standing around? I want to see something that can prove your dancing skill next time."
“Ash, you’re not a bad performer at all. This wasn’t a bad performance but…” Grimm takes an extended pause. “I’ve seen it from you with Niteshade. This isn’t anything that shows you separate from them. You’re talented, but you haven’t shown me why you should be here and not any other member of your group. Give us more than cool sexy.”
Ash nods, coolly and watches as each of his scores are revealed.
“No clue why Grimm is…like that.” Ash says, settling into a smirk. “But if anyone can win him over, it’s me. He’ll be begging me to be in this group next time.”
"Hello, I'm Kang Hyun! Some people would probably recognize me as a leading contestant on Produce 101 back in 2017," says Hyun confidently. "I thought a second chance at a reality show could be a good opportunity for me to finally debut!"
"Since my company is not planning on debuting any groups soon, I thought a second chance at a reality show could be a good opportunity for me to finally debut! I also think the show's concept is very interesting, cool and is exactly what this industry needs as it is different than any other reality show... I'm very curious to see how it plays out."
[ CHECK OUT KANG HYUN’S PERFORMANCE HERE ]
Kang Hyun clears his throat with the hand mic firmly in his grip and the song starts, recognizable as "기대" by Na Yoonkwon. The trainee looks out at the judges when he begins singing, honey ringing in their ears over the instrumental accompaniment over the speakers. He'd been practicing day in and out since his days in Produce and though there are a few points where he seems almost unsure of his voice, Hyun corrects himself and continues with a sense of honesty, an earnest performance all the way until the last note passes through his lips.
“You’ve worked hard since Produce, haven’t you?” asks Grimm. Kang Hyun nods and the judge’s expression seems to soften as he looks at his notes again. “You’ve got the technique and the tone down, but there were some moments where it didn’t feel like you truly believed you could hit those notes. Work on your confidence, and it’ll get you far.
"You have a beautiful voice and it shows that your vocal training has served you well. Good job,” states Youngjun, going fluidly with the commentary from Grimm, showing that the two power vocalists are satisfied.
"Kang Hyun, yo! I was such a big fan of you on Produce. Actually devastated when you didn't get in. I'm actually so glad to see Osten let you out of the basement," Jules puts a hand over his mouth and looks around suddenly. "Is this allowed? Cause y'all should edit this out, I'm being so unprofessional," he laughs. "Let me get Business Jules out."
Jules takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. When he opens them, he seems a lot calmer. "Business Jules here to say I appreciated the opportunity to hear your voice live, because it's great. You showed a good number of vocal tricks that kept me interested, even though I hate a ballad, and your tone is very compelling. To add to that, I'm not even mad you chose a ballad cause I genuinely enjoyed it so much. But, you're making me reiterate my point on dance. Please. Add some choreography. I'm tired of having to say this.”
Yui rolls her eyes at the prior judges and barely hides that she was all but yawning during the performance.
“How did you lead on Produce…was every performance you gave this boring? Were you rigged in an out?,” she asks, folding her hands and staring him down. “Idols are supposed to sing and dance, where’s the theatrics?...I won’t give you a score until you show me you can dance. Play the music. Give me a freestyle.”
A modern, poppy instrumental plays over the sound system and Kang Hyun obeys Yui while having a white-knuckled grip on the microphone. He tries his best, he really does considering the circumstance, but it still leaves Yui stone faced as she purses her lips and mutters under her breath before adding her score to end Kang Hyun’s evaluation.
“I wasn’t prepared to freestyle. Give me choreography and I’ll be fine, but freestyles…” Kang Hyun tenses. “Not my strongest suit. At least they didn’t ask me to rap.”
"Hello everyone! I'm Ash! I've been training under Angelico for three years now. I was a member of a band called 4oceans, which was under the label, but the group...dissolved," Ash says, trying to mask the sadness in his voice. "I want to show everyone I'm ready to debut and to learn as much as I can so I can be...the best Ash I can be."
“It would also be fun to work with established idols in the industry, learn more about the industry, and get feedback from judges. It will prep me for my debut or show everyone that I am ready to debut. I don't see any negative in at least trying,” he says, smiling sheepishly at the camera.
[ CHECK OUT ASH’S PERFORMANCE HERE ]
The music to his song starts, causing him to casually sway to the beat, letting himself get a bit more comfortable before lifting the mic up and beginning to rap. He doesn't do any dancing, just walks around as he begins singing, staying still when he has to his hit his high notes. He's smiling, seemingly having a good time as he sings the rest of his song, smiling brightly towards the cameras and judges.
"Thank you!" The boy says sweetly before running,, same bright smile on his face, obviously proud of his performance before he’s herded back onto the stage by a Rune with a gentle hand on his shoulders. Though red in the face, Ash maintains his sweet expression before the panel.
"4oceans? Are you serious?" Jules asks wide eyed. "Y'alls disbandment hurt me personally. Glad you stuck out the music industry though. Would've been a shame to lose you to a cubicle or whatever. Performance wise, I was a little underwhelmed. You're confident in your voice, which is great to see, because you're a great singer and an even better rapper. You're also the 6th contestant here who hasn't chosen to sing and dance at the same time. I'm glad you were enjoying yourself, but you're lucky your voice took up the stage. Performing is about purpose, and you wandering around felt very 'I'm anxious and don't know what to do with my body'. Practice your movements next time. Not just your voice."
“Ash Ash Ash…you’re really good at self sabotage, you know that? I’ve seen what you can do and this…feels like you’ve regressed past your training. I thought you wanted to be an idol, not some kid at karaoke who doesn’t want to be there. I thought you’d blow me away and yet…here we are,” Yui says with a wistful sigh, twirling a lock of hair around her finger without a single note on her papers for him.
"God, that was impressive." Youngjun says, shaking his head. "I've never seen a rapper with so little charisma and stage presence. You need to make yourself likable and be sure that you can hold the attention of an audience before you step on that stage."
“This isn’t the performance of an idol to me.” Grimm shakes his head, tilting to the side. “A shame to hear about your band, you’re clearly a musician. I’m no rapper but that…just made me feel sad. Is being an idol, not an indie singer really what you want to do? Trust yourself and show it to us next time.”
Ash’s smile doesn’t reach his eyes by the end when his scores pop up across the screen.
“I didn’t expect them to be so harsh,” Ash says. “Everyone at the company liked it. They had to have been told to be so mean from the get go, right?”
"Keep up! It’s Hi-Class!” Minhee introduces with a clap, bowing with bright smile. "Nice to meet you, I'm Hi-Classes double top pick, Minhee! Woo!" The boy cheers, shaking his fits with a cute sound before clearing his throat.
"The reason I'm here...Promotion. I believe my debut is coming soon and this show would be a great opportunity to show my talents to the world," Minhee explains eloquently with a nod, his hands behind his back. "I also love a good competition"
"Today I will be performing an original song called 'Bird Song' and a dance my friend helped me make," Minhee says with a nod, smiling when he mentions his friend as he brings the mic up to his lips.
[ CHECK OUT MINHEE’S PERFORMANCE HERE ]
Minhee's performance is energetic and clean, his years of training obvious by his breath control and how he hits his moves with precision. He's obviously had stage experience by his facial expressions and charisma while performing. When the song ends, the boy cheers happily, clapping for himself alongside clapping that could be heard off stage, clearly coming from Rune and Jules.. Minhee bows again, waving happily.
"Thank you! Hope you enjoyed!"
"Minhee, Minhee, Minhee," Jules says slowly as he shakes his head. "Debut coming soon? If Angelico doesn't make it happen in six months, call me. I know people. You're standing at the top of my ranking right now, perfect 10. Breaking my streak of telling people to sing AND dance because you did both. Very very well. So everybody look at Minhee, cause he's where I expect you guys. I didn't expect an original song, and definitely not something that good. And you choreographed it too? Absolutely insane. The thing I'm the most impressed about is the fact you managed to rap, and rap well without breath issues or missed beats, while doing very active choreo. That takes a lot of skill. I struggle with it frequently and I've been a paid idol for 4 years. You're killing it. Keep it up."
"It was clean." Youngjun says. "More so in the way of a cheerleader. Some of the moves you do look extremely unflattering for your body, so you might want to monitor your performance before you perform next time."
“I’m no dancer, but I agree with Youngjun,” confesses Grimm. “You show you take your training to heart, and it’s more about developing a personal style in your performance. Otherwise, I look forward to seeing more of what you can do if you can rap and perhaps even sing that well with any kind of dance thrown at you.”
“This is the standard for trainees who are ready to debut, for real.” Yui is certain in her words with a grin. “I wasn’t expecting much, I don’t set the bar too high for you guys, but you have me on Team Minhee. Cheerleader or not, you’re a star who’s truly meant for this. Great work, Minhee!”
Minhee doesn’t say anything in the confessional. It’s just the sun shining out on his face as he shyly but excitedly celebrates the best evaluation of the night thus far
"Hello, I'm Youn Woocheol and I'm from Daegu." says the pretty boy plainly, with a bit of an attitude.
"Honestly? I'm here because my CEO told me to...he thinks I can benefit from the experience."
Woocheol does a cover of "Move" by Taemin. It's...good; a solid, YouTuber-quality cover. He clearly knows the choreography and has watched many a mirrored dance practice, but there’s not much flair as the dance ends and what proves to be a second part of his evaluation begins.
Woocheol then sings some of "나에게 돌아와 (Come Back To Me)" by ELEKTRO and it's fairly obvious that the song choice was because it's an easy song to sing well. His voice is stable, but it's quiet and has little substance. At this point, it's abundantly clear that Tastemaker purchased his contract from a modeling agency so he could debut in an upcoming group. And it's not exactly a bad move; he definitely has the look, but the talent…doesn’t read as well across the judges’ faces as they begin their commentary, especially following the performance prior.
“Is this a prank?” asks Yui. “Grimm, is this a prank?”
Grimm looks at her with a single eyebrow raised after the two of the exchanging several looks throughout the night so far. He shakes his head with a silent “no”, and encourages her to continue.
“You’re a model on a survival show for trained singers, rappers, and dancers. How long have you trained?”
“Three months,” Grimm says from his notes before Woocheol can say anything.
“Three months?! This isn’t an educational program, we’re not here to teach you the basics of how to be an idol. You’re here to debut…did your CEO give you the wrong address? This isn’t Korea’s Next Top Model and pretty won’t get you far here. If you wanted to float by on a pretty face, there’s plenty of other places you could have gone.
"You clearly need more practice. I don't think you should be here at all, it's a smack in the face to the people who have worked to be here. You didn't take any chances with anything and you didn't show us anything that would actually make us want to see more of you." Youngjun doesn’t take the time to even look Woocheol in the eye.
"Why would you split up the singing and the dancing? It's a waste of my time, as well as four other judges and every fellow contestant, if you choose to perform two songs. This industry moves too quickly for you to need two songs to demonstrate your talent. And I'm frankly very annoyed that neither one of them was very interesting. You have some talent, but you severely lack passion in your work. It feels like being here is a waste of your own time and not just everybody else's. If that's the case, I recommend you drop out now."
In spite of his whispering with Yui, Grimm is taciturn as he leans back in his chair and stares at Woocheol. He takes the other judges’ words before speaking.
“If you don’t want to be here, leave. Don’t waste my time. Don’t waste the judges’ time. If you thought that was your best work, you’re insulting yourself, you’re insulting me by thinking I’d ever accept someone who has no heart for performing or even talent that they’re proud to show into my group. You’re lucky I don’t send you home right here and now. If you don’t show drastic improvement by the next time we see you…I hope you have your things packed.” He writes one more note and the scores are revealed for Woocheol.
“I hope my CEO sees this,” Woocheol comments, flipping his hair. “This was all the CEO’s idea and more of his problem than mine.”
***************
"Hello, I'm Mun Doyeon." The boy gives a shallow bow and sits there, absolutely silent, hands clasped in his lap. Somebody behind the camera clears their throat loudly. Doyeon's eyes flick over to them but he doesn't say anything. "I'm a trainee under APX Entertainment who likes to sing and dance. I'm a huge fan of Grimm's work, so when it was announced that Blue Marble was creating a group, I desperately wanted to get in."
Doyeon hasn’t had a moment of calm since he walked on set. It’s mostly been a feeling of starstruck awe. It’s astounding that he’s been a trainee for seven years and never set foot somewhere like this. It’s his first time on a stage that’s lit and decorated to fit a theme and he almost can’t contain the amount of excitement bubbling up in his stomach. He’s spent the last ten years watching idols perform in spaces like this, but this is his first time feeling like he’s an idol himself; dressed to the nines and ready to perform. This is where he wants to be. This is what he’s been working for. And right now, there’s nothing in his way from finally getting to do exactly what he’s dreamed.
His stomach hurts a little bit, not uncommon, and definitely less to do with anxiety and more to do with anticipation. The music still hasn’t started and Doyeon is impatient. The faster today goes by, the closer his next performance will become, and hopefully, many more after. Maybe he repressed it, maybe this created a spark, but Doyeon feels competitive here. Ready to fight tooth and nail to stay on stage. He’s missed two openings, he won’t miss this one. And maybe he doesn’t deserve to win, but after all the bullshit he’s had to trudge through to get here, Doyeon feels he deserves at least a few stages. A couple chances to enjoy the warm glow of the stage lights. And maybe, just maybe, a debut at the end of it all.
[ CHECK OUT DOYEON’S PERFORMANCE HERE ]
He doesn’t miss a beat when the music starts, easily sliding into the notes he’s practiced until his voice went out and it hurt to say his own name. Doyeon knows his body and the way it moves. Remembers every step exactly how Taemin did it. Remembers every note exactly how Taemin sang it. A perfect copy of someone else. And it doesn’t make Doyeon feel as good as he thought it would. He definitely looks better than he feels, but maybe the judges can tell just how little confidence Doyeon has in himself as an individual. Everybody loves Lee Taemin, but not Mun Doyeon. So what is he supposed to do when it’s just Mun Doyeon? Like it is now? Just him. Alone. On stage. Copying someone else. What a joke.
He finishes strong, just like Taemin does, looking up to the sky with his hand out. But the stage ends there and Doyeon didn’t think past the performance, so he just stands stock still, hands clasped in front of him, before bowing a perfect 90 degrees. Then he tries to leave the stage as fast as he possibly can while still maintaining a "walk" instead of a full on sprint, but like Ash before, he’s ushered back to the center by MC Rune who mouths kind words at him before the judges open their mouths.
Youngjun rolls his eyes. "I actually hate when you all cover Taemin." He shrugs. "It doesn't make you look good, it makes you pale in comparison to the original. However I did like your energy, but I'd really like to see something different. Everyone does Taemin because Taemin's good and popular. But that doesn't show your talent in my opinion. I think you could've done better."
“If you’re gonna do a Taemin cover, you should at least be half as confident as he is. That’s what makes him a true performer,” says Yui. “You can emulate his moves well, but the fact that you don’t have confidence or individuality is why you’re still a trainee and not an idol. If you don’t learn to be yourself and stick to it…you’re gonna be in the basement forever and won’t be missed when the world sees this.”
"Doyeon, I get you're nervous, but if you try and avoid feedback again, I'm gonna figure out how to boot you off this show. You literally can't be an idol if you can't stand on stage. But hey! I'm happy to see you on stage instead of in a studio! And you made good use of it! You looked good! You've improved on breath control since the last time we talked, that's for sure, and the fact that you performed a song called Sexuality in front of people says something about your confidence. Moaning was a little much, but good job, bud." Jules is beaming at the trainee he’s watched over for years.
“Jules, you said Doyeon trained for six years, correct?,” asks Grimm, to which Jules nods.
“Six years?!” exclaims Yui, her soul leaving her body through her eyes as she scribbles something out on her notepad.
“Six years is more than enough time to develop a personal style. I’ve seen trainees with half of your training time who have more flair than you do. If you want to be a Taemin cover artist, you’d get a ten. But I think you can do better if you put faith in yourself. I want to see Mun Doyeon next time, not a department store Taemin.”
Doyeon shifts from foot to foot as his scores are dropped in red.
“I tried. I tried. I did, oh my God, Grimm saw me.” Doyeon fusses, running his hands through his hair.
************************
"Hello, guys, I'm everyone's favorite maknae, Jinsung from Point of View." He finishes his group greeting eagerly. "I'm here 'cause...Why the hell not. Seemed pretty cool. The concept is nice."
[ CHECK OUT JINSUNG’S PERFORMANCE HERE ]
Another trainee without a mic as he gets into position, Jinsung makes it clear he's here to perform a dance cover. Where he begins at the back of the stage, facing away from the judges, Jinsung explodes with energy as one ought to if covering GOT7's "Hard Carry". Jinsung's moves are sharp and powerful as he's not holding back nearly as much as he did showing his intentions on the show when introducing himself to the judges. It's all energy and fire up until he ends the cover standing center stage, staring out into the panel as he catches his breath.
"Just dancing?" Youngjun lets the papers in his hand fall to the desk. "I have nothing to say."
“You did…okay. Not the worst dance I’ve seen tonight, but you’re not consistent at all,” Yui rests her cheek on her palm. “I’m bored because there was no singing. You’re literally trying to be an idol, the entire gig is singing and dancing. Do both next time, or warn me so I can take a nap.
"For the record: I hate this song and I hate this choreography.” Jules rubs his temples. “You dug yourself a grave with this choice. There was nothing about this performance that made me want to enjoy it. You were incredibly stiff and somehow made this choreo look even less dynamic than usual. And that's difficult. On top of that, you didn't even sing. I expect so much better from someone already in the industry."
“You debuted in 2018 and trained for three years before that and this is all you have to show?” asks Grimm. “I’m no dancer, but you made it look hard and that’s not a good thing. Sing next time if you want to do well here. That’s all.”
“I thought I did okay but…” Jinsung bites his lip. “I could have picked a different song, I guess..I should have rapped, too.”
********************
"Hello, I'm Wang Jumin under VELOCITY Entertainment!" the boy smiles and bows at the judges. "After getting played by Mnet on Produce 101, I want a second chance."
Jules and Yui perk up at another Produce contestant, simmering down from the prior contestant’s showcase.
[ CHECK OUT JUMIN’S PERFORMANCE HERE ]
The boy's glance out at the judges oozes confidence and a drive to redeem himself, or at least prove himself as more than just a Produce 101 survivor. Jumin's face betrays the bright, flirty nature of the song he's both singing and dancing to: TEN's "Paint Me Naked". However, he soon catches himself and focuses in on the moment of the performance, casting bright smiles towards the judges along with the key points of the choreography to deliver a performance that outdid all of his own on the previous survival program.
"I really enjoyed this. I just want to say in general, being able to work with ex-survival show trainees like yourself is really a treat. Seeing the level of improvement that produce helped foster is really cool. This performance was easily one of the best from today. It was full of your energy, which can be incredibly difficult in a cover, but makes them so much more enjoyable. I don't want to be the guy who's just like 'wow loved the vibe' but yeah. Wow. Loved the vibe. Your expressions and energy just really complimented the song and choreo."
"I really liked this one." Youngjun says, leaning forward on his elbows. "I like the flirty nature of your stage and the song choice really suited your vocal range and colour. You seemed very much in your element. Well done."
“This guy’s got the it boy factor,” Yui says with the stars in her eyes, looking between the other judges before looking back towards Jumin. “I love Ten, and I hope he sees your cover because you did it well. The other boys covering Taemin wish they could do what you just did. I can’t wait to see you outdo yourself next time.”
“I had a good time watching your performance,” Grimm states. “You have a natural charisma and know your style and voice and didn’t choose a cover to be flashy, you chose something that suits you. I’m glad MNet missed out on you, because it means you’re here and can make them regret it.”
“I had a really good time up there,” Jumin cheers. “It feels good to perform for people again.”
*************************
"I'm Minsoo, Dreamology's leader, visual and vocalist!" He smiles brightly at the judges from the center of the stage. "I'm here because...I'm looking forward to try new things, and meet new people!"
[ CHECK OUT MINSOO’S PERFORMANCE HERE ]
The instrumental doesn't stand a chance before Minsoo's noted husky voice sounds clearly over the head-worn mic he dons standing alone on the stage. Minsoo's song choice of Kang Daniel's "Who U Are", on one hand, shows how aware he is of his tone of voice with a song that's well suited to his range.
On the other, despite Minsoo showing off that he is indeed a trained idol...dance is not his strongest suit, especially when he's not with his group or with a backup dancer in sight. He doesn't let this show in his expressions, keeping up his façade until the last beat drops away.
“Your footwork was good but…that’s about it. I was bored.” Yui says, crossing her arms and rolling her neck, exchanging a sideways glance with Grimm. “I’m not shocked I haven’t heard of your group because I’d get bored if your group was like you. I’d change the channel or close the video. Give me something exciting or go home.”
“Kang Minsoo, you trained for ten years and this is all you have to show?,” Grimm asks, looking Minsoo up and down. “Find some stage presence or your trainee and idol debt is nothing more than flushing money down the toilet.”
"First off, I like your vocal tone and I think you utilized it really well. You know how to play to your strengths, which I think is one of the most important things post debut. However, you left this stage feeling really empty. I know you were pretending to have confidence in your dance abilities, but trust me when I say I saw through that in a second,” Jules comments, doing the ‘I’m watching you’ motion with his fingers. “Your expressions need work, as does your energy, especially when you're performing solo. I can sum most of your issues up to the fact you've debuted in a group, so start working backwards. You're the only one here. Act like you want to win."
"So, some things to note is that you definitely need to work on your dancing." Youngjun says, noting to himself how awkward the boy looked as he performed the choreography. "But you did a good job picking a song that suits your vocal range. I would work on your dance though, you know people actually have to watch you perform, right? You can't just bring something so odd-looking out on stage like that. Do better next time."
“Oof,” Minsoo says, rubbing the back of his neck. “Just..oof.”
**********************************
"Hello, I'm Cheong Duri and I'm a five year trainee at outcast entertainment." Duri smiles, shifting from foot to foot.
"I've been a trainee for so long that I really feel like being on a show like this is one of the only ways that I can actually show who i am and get a taste at actually debuting"
[ CHECK OUT DURI’S PERFORMANCE HERE ]
The second WOODZ cover of the night comes from Cheong Duri doing a rendition of "Bump Bump". He hits every beat of the dance with enthusiasm that can only come from a trainee who's so tired of being locked away in his company's practice room, starving for debut. Some parts of his performance lack polish, but there's not an inch of space to deny how much Duri is feeling the song: his energy radiates that he's happy to be here and able to perform and finally be seen.
“Thank you for being here, Duri.” Grimm shuffles his papers and looks back up at the stage. “I can tell you’re still a trainee, but you have potential. And more importantly, you clearly want to be here and have drive. Work hard to polish your skills and you might have a real shot at debuting here.”
"Right," Youngjun says, nodding along. "That was a performance. You definitely have the energy of someone really ambitious, but that doesn't mean you have talent. High spirits and charisma will really only get you so far. Ambition isn't enough."
"You clearly want to be here, which is really great for us as a judging panel. I think some of you guys, especially those of you who've debuted, should be acting more like Duri. This business is 99% about attitude. Anyway, Duri, I am taking points off only because you're not quite there yet, but you have a lot of potential. Don't lose whatever love you have performing and you'll get there eventually. Learn fast enough and you'll definitely find yourself in Unravel. I did want to ask if you've ever thought about rapping? I know you said you were confident in your vocals, but your rap part was one of the best ones I've heard today and I want to see what else you can do with that."
“I’m so happy right now,” Yuri cheers. “You’re so cute, the song is cute, your dance is clean. It was refreshing to see. I hope you stick around for awhile~”
“I knew that this would be intimidating but,” Duri lets out a ‘whew’. “The challenge is really starting now.
********************
"Not what I seem, all that you dream! It's FYWLD's crow, Crow!" calls the boy, bowing with a wide, toothy smile. "We just debuted this year and are busy, but like, hey I can take on a lot without becoming unraveled and a rookie like me can use all the promo he can get!"
[ CHECK OUT CROW’S PERFORMANCE HERE ]
Standing in the middle of the stage, Crow looks especially tiny in the oversized button up he wears coupled with a distressed pair of jeans and bright aqua blue sneakers. He starts singing at just about the same time as the music kicks in: though rearranged a bit, he's doing a cover of IU's "Ah Puh". Crow doesn't need to talk further as he dives headfirst into the song that has been put together to suit the personality of the boy happily singing, making eye contact with the judges and grooving along to the melody.
Crow has no evidence of planned choreography with the song: he mimes swimming and the "diving man" dance as he sings, preferring to show off a fun image instead of the strict practice of an experienced idol. However, he has evidence of a vocal trainer with the works as he easily slides between breathily sung lyrics to higher belts without an speck of strain shown on his face. There is a hint of a lisp that comes through at some points of the song, though it's hard to tell if it's intentional to show how he, unlike the concept of his group, can be bright and cute, or if that's just a lil thing that happens to Crow sometimes with certain sounds. Regardless, Crow's smile doesn't falter for a second, even when the song ends and he throws finger hearts at each and every judge on the panel.
"You're really cute," Youngjun deadpans. "You have a really nice stage presence and you have a beautiful vocal range, but I'd really like to see you dance at some point too-- actually dance and not freestyle. Well done."
“Oh my god, you’re so cute!,” exclaims Yui, putting her hands up to her cheeks. “You’re so cute and have a pretty voice, but I wish you danced–” the others seem to agree with her. “Can you do a freestyle for us right now?”
Crow beams as he starts doing a little dance, shamelessly throwing more finger hearts and smiles out to the judges. A main dancer he absolutely is not, but he’s aware of his body and the energy that works for him. And that energy is bright and cute.
“I wanna keep this dude in my pocket,” says Jules, to which Yui leans over with a “right?” and a smile that hasn’t faded from her expression.
"I think you had one of the most well rounded stages, despite the lack of proper choreography. You have a lot of confidence, and that very clearly translates into your vocal prowess as well as the space you take up as a performance. Even with the minimal dance, you filled the stage, and you filled it with good vibes.” Jules remarks, looking away from his papers. “You're very playful and while I'd like to see more of that, I also really want to see how you fit in other concepts. I know Feywild decently enough to say you do well in that environment, but show me more Crow as an individual because I really like what I saw today."
“You’re a Solstice boy, and I know you can sing. I work with your group and have seen you with them. You can pull off a FYWLD performance, but not every other FYWLD member can perform like you just did now,” Grimm says gently. “Keep up the good work and show us that you can match any concept thrown at you, and I have no doubts you can make it very far here.”
“I’m proud of myself~” coos Crow. “Inse are you seeing this? I’m doing better than you would have~ Hehe.”
*********************
“Hello, my name is Choi Yunseo!” Yunseo cheered, waving with a charming smile. I want to compete in Unraveling because I feel like this is my final chance after training for...six years now."
“I’ll be performing Boca by Dreamcatcher.” Yunseo simply answered, adjusting his in-ear’s so that he would be able to hear the music more loudly, hoping that would drown out his fears. He accepted a head-set from the staff gracefully, walking back to his starting spot after putting it on.
[ CHECK OUT YUNSEO’S PERFORMANCE HERE ]
Yunseo closed his eyes, forcing himself to ground himself, taking in three deep breaths to calm himself down, and thankfully, it had worked. He opened his eyes, nodding to symbolize that he was ready for his performance.
As soon as the music started, it was like Yunseo was a whole different person, he wasn’t nervous and stumbling over his words like he was before, he was singing clearly and stable, so everyone in the room could hear his vocals. As soon as he got to Dami’s famous rap part, that’s when he started shining. Confidence was oozing in his dance moves and in his voice, and while there was one spot he stumbled in, he quickly recovered and didn’t let it ruin his performance. Once the first chorus ended, he got into his ending pose, and even sent out a finger heart and his lovely smile to the camera for an ending fairy.
"You chose a great song for this competition and it is a performance I know I'll be remembering for the entire show run. You have a really great sense when it comes to being able to show off your skills. Vocals were solid, rap was even more solid. Choosing to cover Dreamcatcher really let you show off all of that, so I hope you're proud. I'm glad the slip up didn't ruin the vibe, but it was a slip up. Don't get so invested you can't remember where to put your feet." Jules shoots Yunseo a double thumbs up.
“This is how you be a boy and do a girl group cover, and with an ending fairy? You know what you’re doing,” Yui says, genuine in her compliments. “This is how a trainee of almost ten years should perform like…and you’re better than some of the debuted idols we’ve seen who trained just as long and have worked for more than a year. This is what I’ve waited to see from some of these guys.”
"You obviously didn't practice enough. Training for as long as you have? Six years? Doesn't that alone make you feel bad? Training for six years and unable to get through an important performance without a slip up. It's crucial that you work harder to practice. You can't take breaks when you're a trainee, you have to go until you collapse and even then it still may not be enough. Do better." Youngjun looks for his watch, not having the time to sugar coat for the trainee.
“We all make mistakes, and my score comes from how you didn’t let a stumble ruin your performance, even if it felt…like it was more for the show and less for expressing your passion towards debuting” says Grimm, making Youngjun side eye him. “However, if you’ve trained for as long as you have, you need to perfect anything you show to the public and that’s just before you debut. Muscle memory is a thing, yes? Learn it and you’ll do even better as a performer.”
“Are my hands still shaking?” asks Yunseo. They are still shaking. “That was such an adrenaline rush, wow.”
*****************
"Hello, I'm Shin Yikyung, a trainee under APX Entertainment," the boy says, running a hand through his faded pink hair. When asked why he's here, he answers very simply. "I want to debut."
[ CHECK OUT YIKYUNG’S PERFORMANCE HERE ]
Yikyung can feel the weight of the mic as he brings it up to his lips. “I arranged this myself.” He says into it, the unexpected voice from the speakers startling even Rune by the stage. It’s hard not to let slip a smile and Yikyung’s glad his face still in hidden by the dark. He’s excited to perform. After all, he has been stuck in a basement for the last three years with busking on the weekends and evaluations being the only time he’s gotten to do what he loves. Perform. And even then, they always ask for something outside Yikyung’s interests and the busking never quite draws a big enough crowd. But here? There’s an audience and an opening for Yikyung to prove his talent. It’s only a plus that he has a deep well of pride for his audition song. APX told him to stop doing this almost two years ago, but he’s missed arranging covers. Missed playing all the instruments and recording harmonies. Missed doing the one thing he knew he was good at.
Yikyung is more than ready when the lights come up and the tingle of joy he gets from the opening notes of the song he worked on for nights at a time, making sure everything was perfect. And everything is. He’s kept his vocal chords well rested, drank at least two cups of throat coat every day for the past week, been practicing his breath control, rigidly kept his volume low. He’s ready to prove himself as a singer worthy of the judge’s attention, and with how things are going, he’s sure praise will come from their lips with ease.
When he hits the high note, adrenaline sparks through him, but he’s confident, so confident—and he’s never sounded better. Yikyung can’t help the grin that slips through as he breezes through the last chorus, excitedly adding bits of the choreography as he hits the instrumental section at the very end. He probably looks dumb, but the high note sounded so good, he doesn’t care. His ending sounds incredible and he praises himself because of how well the prerecorded harmonies sound mixed with his live vocals. The song finishes, his vocals fade, but the grin on his face stays strong and bright, a testament to his inner satisfaction.
"You arranged this?" Youngjun's eyes dart up and back down at his papers. "I can tell." He quirks up an eyebrow and smirks slowly. "Do you not have producers at your company who can do it for you?"
“The label does,” inserts Jules. “But this is all he ever performs, so no one is willing to do it for him.” He clears his throat and starts his own critique.
"Yah. Shin Yikyung. Are you kidding me?" Jules says, a nasty scowl on his face as he taps his pen up against the counter. "This is what you're bringing to the competition? This is what you're so proud of? Just how long are you going to stay stuck? Huh? Because if I tell you to branch out from self arranged vocal covers, you do. What you don't do is bring a self arranged vocal cover to a survival show that I'm judging. I don't think I've ever been this disappointed in a trainee. Wake up, Yikyung. You can't be an idol if you're too stubborn to gain new skills."
Yui and Grimm look between the others before Grimm waives away the opportunity to speak first after Youngjun and Jules’ criticism.
“Did we watch the same stage?,” asks Yui. “You’re such a good singer and put a lot of thought into this performance for us. You arranged it yourself and worked hard, even if you didn’t dance I can see your potential. Do you think you can do a freestyle to Feel Special for us? If not, it’s okay, I just want to see your dancing abilities more.”
Grimm hides a small laugh behind his hand as Youngjun and Jules hard blink at her. Yikyung blushes and does a few moves to the song, to which Yui claps her hands together as Grimm begins his critique.
“You’re a talented singer, but I had to give you the score I did after hearing feedback from Jules and Youngjun. If you want to stick to your comfort zone, being an idol isn’t for you. Have faith in the teams arranging songs and faith in yourself when you don’t have control over a song. Let it go or we’ll have to let you go, alright?”
“Well. The judges showed their taste levels,” comments Yikyung, rolling his eyes.
“ ━━ ◤ NEXT TIME …
The contestants have all been introduced and evaluated by the judges. Now it’s time to meet their soulmates. Who can fly chained to another and who will fall? Find out next time on UNRAVELING!
Are there any trainees you think would be interesting to see paired up? Predictions? Send them here !
“ ━━ ◤NOTE !!
Thank you to all the creators who submitted their OCs and helped with this! Thank you for being so patient with me and sticking around for this!
hyunjoo was born to a big family filled with artists, she is the youngest of 5 children (alongside her twin brother). when she was about 2 years old, the family moved to japan after the father - who's a successful photographer and painter - was offered a job there, after falling in love with the country the parents decided to extend their stay and move their life over to japan. while her siblings mostly took after their father and pursued the arts of photography and paintings, hyunjoo was very similar to her mother who used to be a ballet dancer, she took a liking to dance and started to attend a professional dance studio at 7 years old.
when she was about 14 years old, hyunjoo was scouted by a representative of pledis ent and went through an audition which she's passed. after signing a contract with the company, hyunjoo moved back to sk with her mother and twin brother as the rest of the family decided to stay in japan. she debuted in 2017 as a member of pristin under the stage name "ruan", following their disbandment hyunjoo decided to stay under pledis and not terminate her contract, she still has hopes to re-debut as an idol but only the future will tell if she'll succeed.
yechan was born to a wealthy family in seoul, the parents own a few high tech companies. as his older brother (by 12 years) became a great lawyer, yechan was expected to follow his steps and be as rich and successful as the rest of the family. however, he never felt like he belonged to that world, from a young age he was interested in the arts and loved to dance. being a very loud, bright and energetic person he never fit in with his family members. when he decided to drop out of school, his parents cut all contact with him completely.
yechan decided to pursue his passion to dance and at 17 years old joined a famous dance crew in seoul under the name "charlie", inspired by the comedian charlie chaplin. when he was recognized as an amazing dancer in the industry, kpop companies started to request him to be a backup dancer in performances of many different groups, he was asked to be a mentor at a few survival shows (one of them being produce 48), he even started choreographing for groups and soloists. some of the most famous idols yechan worked with are seventeen, exo, nct, the boyz, chungha and even iz*one.
YECHAN HAS BEEN ADOPTED !! (by lee @alternate-dreamscape)
adrian was born in new york to a single mother. his mother worked multiple jobs to pay the bills and put food on the table, they have a bit of a rocky relationship since they didn't get to have much time together over the years. adrian grew up feeling pretty lonely, he immersed himself in music to make up for what was missing in his life, he learned how to play the guitar and started getting interested in various music genres, mainly hip hop and r&b.
when he was about 16 years old he decided to audition to a few kpop companies that were having global auditions at the time, he was accepted by jype and moved to sk shortly after. in 2017, he went on the second season of produce 101 and placed 9th in the final episode. after wanna one disbanded, adrian decided to terminate his contract with jype and look for another music label, it was announced mid-2019 that he decided to sign with the black label, he debuted as a soloist in february 2020.
seoryeong is a former member of exid under the stage name risa, she's been with the group since debut up to 2015 when she injured her knee resulting in her not being able to dance anymore. seoryeong had always produced and wrote songs for her group, after she officially left the group she took a break from the industry for about 3 years, then she decided to become a full time producer. the most successful songs she's done are bad boy + psycho by red velvet, i can't stop me by twice, you calling my name by got7 and love shot by exo.
SEORYEONG IS UP FOR ADOPTION ! PLS ASK THRU DMS :3
