i came. i saw. i made it awkward.

[bexmatt]

= ice cream? i scream.

That looked disgusting, whatever that is Sungjae doesn’t really want to taste it, not at all. This was Taeil’s idea, when Sungjae said he had never even heard of whatever an ice-cream is before then Taeil suggested to take him out to try it. In the beginning he had actually been close to what might seem like… excited? Or at least curious, somewhat that kind of emotion, something which Sungjae rarely ever is, so this had been a special case, but… now that he sees what ice-cream actually is he kind of just wants to go home. Maybe he should’ve guesses it in the name ‘ice cream’, but… it sounded like something delicious not… a cold thing that will melt over your fingers and end up on your clothes, at least that’s what it seems like from the kids beside them.

He looks at the older, would it be rude if he asked to go home, if he asked if they should just buy something else? This thing doesn’t look healthy, it looks like it’ll ruin Sungjae’s diet, will father get mad if he figures out about this, will he? “Hyung…” he starts his sentence off with, still not having finished thinking about what to say, “maybe…”. “Maybe…” he looks at the kids beside them again, this isn’t a good idea, this isn’t a good idea, this isn’t—

“won’t this be too expensive? I don’t know if I have the money for this hyung”, and so that’s what he ends up spitting out, son of billionaire tells he doesn’t have enough money for ice cream, eh.

@rktaeil​

[rktaeil-blog]

taeil finds it baffling that someone like sungjae, for how old that he looks like, had never tried ice cream in his life. it’s a dessert he remembers his family enjoying back when he was a kid, so what, in the other’s family’s right mind, were they thinking never exposing their kid to a simple sugary treat like ice cream? of course taeil isn’t going to let that sit by him, not when they’re friends, and he took him to an ice cream parlor so that he could try it once and for all.

maybe the best thing would be for him to try out vanilla out of all the flavors they had, maybe he could have also taken him to the convenience store so he could pick out a simple but popular ice cream bar that taeil himself would go to whenever he felt the craving for something cold. but no, he decides on bringing him to baskin robbins, where the quality of their ice cream is decent enough that they service thousands of people each and every day. 

“hm?” he raises, but then dismisses him with a waved hand after hearing his concern. “don’t worry about paying for it. it’s pretty cheap, but  i was going to treat you to it anyway.” he flashes a smile to him, beckoning him over to the array in their freezer and the large tubs of different flavors. “i’d say we should go the safe route and give you something like vanilla or chocolate, unless you want to go with the more controversial one: mint chocolate chip.”

[rktaeil-blog]

🥘 leisure

there was so much he could do on his free days during chuseok. since he had worked one day at the studio for a couple who really couldn’t wait until that weekend, he was rewarded with the next day off as the other assistants took his place. maybe this was a little well-deserved, although with the other personal projects he usually piled up in between, there was no better way than to work on them now.

taeil would like to call himself a seemingly predictable guy, seeing as he’d usually seen with camera, with food, or with both. he wasn’t going home late into the night that he found himself at the market looking for different food to buy.there was a dish that he had been curious to make, something that took more time than what was available to him and with higher skill than his own. the only way to overcome it was to just try it, so he bought what he needed and carried it with him back to the apartment. 

he did wonder what his roommate would think about it if she came home and smelled /something/ coming from the kitchen (but also keeping her worry free, when he double and triple checked on his phone that he was only using ingredients that wouldn’t harm the cats. it was really an adjustment that he had to make when he first moved in). would she also be curious about what it tasted like? 

the shopping was done, the food was on the table, and the plastics were discarded in the trash can. taeil then put on his apron, cleaned everything he was going to use, and first started to work on what he needed to prepare.

[rktaeil-blog]

4,119 likes moon.tea how do you like to eat your apples? candied? with peanut butter? caramel? something else? i like mine with peanut butter. . . #foodstagram #apples #macro

[rktaeil-blog]

🕺 joyful

the convention is bigger than he expected it to be, but that just means more for him to look around and observe. these kinds of games aren’t really taeil’s style, but he could appreciate the artwork that the developers put into it. videos and animations work because they generally are frame by frame pictures anyway, so it astounds him by how people have the knowledge to make these characters move with a push of a button. 

the games he would usually ever play are of the mobile variety, something that is easy and fun and didn’t involve too much action and platforming from him. he enjoys the relaxing kind, growing stuff and then making money, planting something only for him to get back to it at a later time during the day to collect them. that is the extent to his kind of ‘gaming’ and he wouldn’t even consider that gaming to begin with. there is also the fact that he happened to be an extra for a rhythm game, but there had been no playing involved for him during that day either.

speaking of rhythm, the game that catches his eye the most is this dancing game with motion capture and everything. he watches how the players are mimicking the moves on the screen and he can’t happen to peel his eyes away. the others around him look like they had the same feeling as he did. taeil doesn’t think he would try it himself, he’s not that good of a dancer himself, but he would appreciate the ones who are and showing it now.

[rksunwoo-blog]

— photographer’s eye

[rktaeil-blog]

rksunwoo‌:

Sunwoo smiles at the question, nodding. There was a touch of shyness in his expression at being caught out, and he swallowed down his nervousness. “Yes, more painter than photographer,” he confesses, attempting to make light of how useless he was with the expensive camera that he had. But he was thankful that the other seemed to understand his sentiment in doing such activities himself. “Exactly. I.. I like to know how it feels, as much as how it looks. I want to put that in when I’m painting, so when people see the painting, they will feel it.. too?” His confidence shrunk as he spoke, and he stepped onto the next thing to find his footing. “I’m wondering too, I hope it will come out well. Maybe I’ll need your help with it too.”

Listening to the other male explain how he begun to learn how to use the camera, made Sunwoo feel less useless about his own skills. It might have been more effective, if Sunwoo hadn’t owned the camera for so long and had taken time to begin to study them on his own. “Wow… There’s so much. You remember all that? From the top of your head?” He was in awe at the ability the stranger had at knowing how each function would affect the detail of the photograph. There was no chance that he would be about to recount all of those things without blinking or fumbling. “You’re really amazing,” Sunwoo compliments with a smile, sincerity in his voice, and then feeling a little abashed at how he’d said such a thing – not to mention, he was taking up this poor persons time. He hoped that it was beneficial to them as much as him.

Once Taeil secured the bubble blower, Sunwoo grins happily at the thought that they were getting closer to success with their mission. “Yes, that sounds good. They might.. end up popping them or something,” he agrees, glancing around them to see where all the children were, and searching for a nice quiet space. It was best to get where the kids wouldn’t be. “We should look away from the food with sugar in it, or the games. Near where they’re selling coffee maybe? Children can’t have coffee?”

while he expressed his camera knowledge to the other, he doesn’t expect him to be so surprised when hearing about the features. this kind of information has become second nature to taeil considering the few years he’s taken it up as a career. one would say that he had only scratched the surface having that memorized, and he would agree with this when there’s still so much that he’s still yet to learn about the craft.

“i remember it because i use these functions a lot. and maybe when i got my first dslr, i also played a lot with the numbers to see the different effects its had.” he nods back to the other with a smile. “it’s helped a lot doing that, obviously. it’ll surely help us to see what’s best to capture the money shot.” ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ his mind wanders off to saying following his words. but in all honesty to taeil, if he can profit off of his pictures without losing his integrity, he finds no problem with it. 

to sunwoo’s next suggestion of their location, he surveys the area first, deeming it alright, then walks over to the spot to find a good angle to aim the camera. “the best view is this way.” he turns his body so that it’s still facing the lawn, his back towards the street and the bustling city; the colors reflecting off of that were too light and he prefers this time to find colors more contrasting. “before we get started with this, i’m the kind of photographer who usually goes for looking at things close up. so did you have a certain composition in mind for your pictures?”

[rkhwayoung-blog-deactivated2022]

pose pose, flash;

[rktaeil-blog]

rkhwayoung‌:

Hwayoung wasn’t big into smiling and so acting normal meant she wouldn’t offer any poses or smile at the camera. It was easy to do. The hardest part was to pretend that he wasn’t there and then again, she smiled maybe once, thinking about the situation and how strange it was. She chuckles a bit when it seems like he was done. When he asks if she’d like to see them, she simply nods. She considers herself some kind of amateur photographer(with her phone) but she works her angles often so she can get the best pictures for Instagram. She was a good judge when it came to things that would gain popularity.

“I think those are good.” She says “you have a good eye-not just because you saw me.” She thinks back to the pictures, to think about any thing she might have noticed that he needed to change. Surely he knew about lighting and that kind of thing. “I think you’ll do well-actually, if you don’t mind…What are the pictures for?” she never did ask before letting some stranger have her image.

Depending on his answer, she could use his services every once in a while. Instagram seemed like an investment or business to her at this point. She loved taking pictures even the ones she pretends are what they aren’t for likes. Who needed to know?

taeil is satisfied after getting her approval for the pictures too. if she didn’t like them, it would be water under the bridge, although maybe he would use some persuasion for her to think otherwise. it is still a surprise to him that she had said yes in the first place.

“oh…!” he exclaims, realizing now that they hadn’t really talked about his reasoning for his pictures. with carrying a dslr camera around, people will definitely have their own line of thoughts. shoot first, talk later, he supposes. “well the pictures that i took before were for my blog. i write blogs about restaurants and post pictures of food on my instagram. i’m here to write about them.” he nods with a smile. 

“but this is a hobby of mine. i actually work as an apprentice at a photography studio.” he winks subtly at her, and taps back down to his camera. “so when an aesthetic scene shows up in front of me, i have to take it.”

[rktaeil-blog]

4,292 likes moon.tea where do you stand on the whole mint chocolate chip ice cream discussion? it’s one of my top ten flavors, personally. i like the refreshing taste first and biting into the thin chocolate pieces that comes after. but maybe that’s just me who likes mint-flavored things in general.

.

.

#foodstagram #icecream #mintchocochip #macro

[rktaeil-blog]

🍵 over drinks

[rktaeil-blog]

rkcoco‌:

Something had lately been on her mind. Jangmi, Coco’s best friend had not long ago suggested something, suggested that Coco should join the MGAs. The career of becoming an idol had crossed her mind once or twice in the past but Coco had always rather wanted to be an actor, and thus she joined an actor school. But Coco’s interest in gymnastics and acrobatics had lately turned into an interest in dance too, and surprisingly she wasn’t as bad a dancer as she thought she was. Jangmi believed Coco was the best dancer to ever walk on this earth and was determined that Coco needed to join the MGAs because without no doubt she would win. Coco had thought much about it, in a way she did want to join, but normally she was very timid and shy, joining alone seemed scary, and hence the idea of making someone else join too had occurred to her.

Taeil just like many others is a friend that Coco has gained through social media and texting, and when one or the other suggested meeting she decided that he was the one to become her target, she would make him join the MGAs. She had been lost in her own thoughts so when suddenly he spoke she flinched for a second out of shock, and then she turned to him with a smile. “I listen to music every now and then, in the past it wasn’t much my interest but lately I’ve started liking music more”. For a second she keeps quiet at his next question, interested in the idol life? Is she that? Isn’t she just interested in dancing? Singing isn’t really her thing, and rapping is absolutely not something she’s good at, but in a way she’s interested in the idol life, isn’t she? Secretly she would like to become an idol so she could fulfill her dreams of dancing for the rest of his life. “I don’t know if I’m interested in the idol life, a bit maybe?”

She nods at his words, Taeil is quite right, the MGAs isn’t anything special, there are lots of shows like the MGAs, the MGAs is just a bigger show than others. “Yeah you’re right, there is a lot of shows like that. Have you ever thought of joining an elimination show?”

taeil hums back at the other’s response. it’s normal for people to just listen to music all around them, but he figures there are only a handful of them who would actually claim that they ‘listen to music.’ “what genre have you been interested in lately?” he inquires further; he wouldn’t consider himself as one of those who would list this as a hobby, though he is always open to hear and try the things his friends like to do. 

the idol life, for one, keeping up with their favorite people and what the companies have been up to, was one such hobby of his. and yes he did consider it a hobby when it took time, effort, and sometimes money to do. this is something he’s not ashamed to admit enjoying. she’z? chichi? luxe? eclipse? he would be able to tell someone each of their title tracks. so he simply comments “the celebrity life really is something else, huh? not only that, but seeing what people do to get to that point.” before taking a sip of his drink and listening to her speak. 

“joining an elimination show? not at all,” he says so matter-of-factly that he can’t help but laugh at himself. “i’m not a performer. i can’t sing, i can’t dance, and that’s what you need to get into one of those companies. well, usually. i’m not against it because it is an art form, but it’s an art form that i’m not serious in dipping my toes in. leave my dancing to girl group songs.” his hands fly around as animatedly at his words before they rest on his phone pinging with notifications. he doesn’t unlock it fully, but rather looks at the bubble icon that pops up on his screen. “i saw the news about that big global audition starting soon. i had friends who were on it last year, but i never really asked them whether or not they thought it was worth being on it though.”

[rkhwayoung-blog-deactivated2022]

pose pose, flash;

[rktaeil-blog]

rkhwayoung‌:

The remark was meant to divert the guy’s gaze. He was staring to long and it was making her uncomfortable. However, Hwayoung wasn’t expecting the reaction. He actually asked if it was okay to photograph her. She wasn’t one to get the most attention when it a crowd, Hwayoung said she thought she was beautiful but there was no evidence in her day to day life that would suggest it was real. She had started to feel like each time she said it, it was to convince herself. There was a warmth in her chest from being flattered like that. She was actually taken aback. Without much more than that her face softened, and she glanced at the camera. “Oh!  I suppose so, yea.”

No one had ever gained favor with Hwayoung so easily. Though, this guy would never know. She awkwardly looks back towards the cue and then at the man with the camera. “Is there anything I should do or should I just…stay as I was?” Who knew what the pictures were for? Hwayoung just felt good to have been picked out of a crowd like that. A part of her almost wanted to be cocky as usual but something about this moment felt so genuine that she let herself feel good about it without putting up her walls so high.

“just act natural while looking this way is okay.” taeil thinks that if he does ask the young woman to pretend like he’s not there, it would be easier said than done, then the magic of the picture would fade into little tiny pieces right before his eyes and would lose its meaning for his initial vision. now that he has her attention, different ideas pop in his head on what he can do with this. 

he knows he doesn’t want to take up too much of her time, having been interrupted while waiting in line, so he plans for only a few quick snaps and then back to his own business. he takes a step to a free space close to him to try out a different angle to get her into the frame and the nice decoration in the background. “you don’t have to smile big or anything.” and he starts taking her pictures. 

once those few finishes, he looks at the previews again and deems them fit to use, looking up back towards the woman with a smile. “would you like to see them?” the composition has her in the forefront, slightly off center to make way for the background details too. with the small frame, it’s difficult to see if there are any imperfections, but he knows how to edit them out when he gets home. he fips through each preview to show her the different expressions he managed to capture, then switches his screen off to save battery. “what do you think?”

[rkkyungsoo]

‹ happy birthday. ›

@rktaeil

They’ve hooked up enough to have mastered the art of communication. Words were no longer necessary and a single look was enough to get Taeil following. Kyungsoo kept his steps at a casual pace, just because the hallways still had plenty of people. Thankfully, this was a school, and multiple bathrooms were available for this conversation. He chose one that was quieter and was happy to see it actually empty when they walked in.

“Happy birthday,” he said with a smile, having recalled the date earlier when he saw Taeil in the line. “I am surprised to see you, never thought you’d be one for idolhood.” Then again, the other should be equally surprised to see him. Kyungsoo was as far from an idol as an ice cube was to candy. “I was going to ask you to come over this weekend.” His eyes, which had drifted towards the ground just a second ago, came back up to meet Taeil’s. There was implication in his invitation, but of course, the other must have known the moment he started following him.

The bathroom was still blissfully quiet and the audition break just began. All of the stress he experienced today made Kyungsoo feel more recklessness than usual. “How brave are you feeling?” He asked, gently pushing the other against the wall. “Your birthday present have to wait until the weekend, but I can give you a kiss now.”

[rktaeil-blog]

it’s amazement on his face that kyungsoo remembers his birthday when he thinks he’s only mentioned it in passing. there’s no significance that it holds to him aside from he and his brother sharing it, but not much else. no special parties, no planned outings--it’s like any other day in taeil’s mind. but if it’s getting kyungsoo to lead him to the bathrooms with subtle hints of something happening, he might just let it slide this time. 

to his comment, taeil merely shrugs nonchalantly when he’s as laid back about this auditions as he seems. “i’m not here seriously. a friend of mine kind of dared me to try out for it and i intended to follow through with it.” he crosses his arms loosely in front of him, eyes not drifting away from the other’s. “what’s your reason then?” he challenges. from their pillow talks, he doesn’t think kyungsoo had also considered this life seriously either, although people usually prove to be unpredictable with their choices.

his arms loosen when he feels his back meeting the wall, and a smile slowly appears on his face when he likes where this is going. “oh? you have a present for me?” he laughs softly, hands finding his way to rest on kyungsoo’s hips. “i’ll take whatever you want to give me. i like your surprises.”

[rktaeil-blog]

- mga5 callback interview -

this is a setup that taeil doesn’t find too familiar; the part where he’s actually the one sitting in the chair, especially when he’s usually part of the staff bustling about and retrieving equipment for the producers. he closes his eyes and makes light conversation with the makeup artist touching up his features for a more flattering finish, giving them a smile and a compliment for their work. he sits up straight and looks towards the producer with the clipboard, showing that he’s ready to receive the questions.

how did you feel when you received the news of the callback? 

“the first thought i had was ‘there must be some kind of mistake,’” he exclaimed. he gestures in the air like he’s reading on a computer screen as he further explains.”i went over the list multiple times to make sure it was actually me. i didn’t think i did something that impressive to really get a callback, so i still doubted i should be here when i sat down with everyone else.” he continues to reenact his thoughts, leaning forward and looking left and right. “i thought ‘this isn’t a mistake.’ ‘the staff isn’t going to kick me out, right?’ ‘i can stay?’ like that.” 

what did you think when the judges were revealed? 

“honestly…” “i’ve seen some other seasons of the mgas, so i think i would have been more surprised if they weren’t going to be the ones sitting in the judges seats. but i do have to say… katie lee-nim and so jisub-nim…  wow... “ he gasps in awe, a smile on his face as he puts his thumbs up. “are you sure they’re real people? i know so jisub-nim was a model before, but he just looks even better in person.” 

how did you think you did?

he sits up straight again and thinks shortly with a small hum. “i did my best and played with my strengths. i don’t regret what i did, and i had fun with it.” 

where there any performances that you liked? 

“everyone tried. some were better than others. i’m more particular to the upbeat songs than the serious ones or ballads.” he gives a single nod. “i have a lot of friends here today, so i’d have to say that i like theirs.”

Is there anyone you are certain will be eliminated today?

“me.” taeil answers in a heartbeat. there’s a pause to let that answer sink in before he laughs from how ridiculous it may sound. “i’ll have to say. it’s fun being here around so many good looking and talented people. i’m not about to lie and say that i think i’ll make it to the end. if i do… i think the judges might be confusing me for another moon taeil who can sing beautifully,” he adds with another laugh.

[rktaeil-blog]

- mga5 callback recording - 

performance song: super junior d&e -  촉이와 (Can You Feel It?)

well. that’s an unexpected turn of events. 

taeil had been just about ready to put the mas behind him when he found out about his callbacks. he’s sure that his audition wasn’t one of the greatest. hell, maybe not even in the top 50%, so he wonders what decisions went through the staffs’ minds when they wanted him back. 

so, as a one-trick pony, he grinds his ideas hard to figure out what he should be doing next; sure, he didn’t expect to get chosen, but it’s not like he’s not gonna go to it. 

maybe there’s something that was more his style, nothing that’s too hard or complicated. he knows that there are idols out there who are more definitely known for their variety skills than their talent in singing or dancing, albeit they didn’t start off that way, but who knows, maybe he can use his improvisation skills to his advantage right from the start. super junior, for instance, is one of those groups in question. and upon this realization, his next performance idea falls comes down like a blessing from the sky. 

here he is now, sitting next to his new friend hoseok, talking before the cameras roll and being pleasantly surprised that he’s also someone else who enjoys photography. he’s pleasantly surprised hearing his name and seeing guanheng behind him, explaining to his friend jokingly that he feels like it’s some kind of mistake that he’s here as well, bu still wishes him a good luck. 

he’s gotta say, a lot of contestants here know how to sing and dance really well, and there’s no doubt in his mind that they would be making it far. the talent that he sees makes taeil look at the performers in awe, his mouth agape impressed by what they’re able to do and continues to be a good sportsman by putting up a smile all the way through. he feels a camaraderie with these strangers around him as they cheer loudly and applaud, looking at each other and commenting on how impressed they were from what they just witnessed. 

once it’s taeil’s turn on standby, he excuses himself in his seat and shows the ones wishing him good luck a thumbs up. 

taeil holds the microphone in his left hand, lax on his side until he gets the go ahead. he stands with his weight to one side and his arms crossed in front of him. he taps his foot and bobs his head at the beginning of the old-sounding start.. then came the melody of upbeat tracks, background whistling, and trot vibes. 

the lyrics sound like a conversation to the audience, and taeil plays around with this idea with his exaggerated hand gestures, eye contact with the audience, pointing to them as if he’s addressing them and patting his chest along with the words saying they’re all friends. he doesn’t exactly follow the same tone as the song itself, questions sounding more like questions, and happy statements sounding like someone who’s high on life. rapping can be fun, and it’s a hell of a lot easier than singing to him. 

right before the chorus as the music drops and slowly builds up, taeil crouches down, swaying from one side to the other along with the beat, he’s not about to pull anything fancy dance-wise since he really doesn’t have anything up his sleeve for that. 

with such a catchy song and a simple dance during the chorus, taeil thinks its bound to get some others in the audience to dance along with him if they also know of it. he’s not about to pretend like he belongs here within the high ranks. he knows that he isn’t and he’s at a great disadvantage, but as long as he’s entertaining, he thinks that will be his saving grace. after all, what he lacks in talent, he certainly makes up in enthusiasm.

[rkhwayoung-blog-deactivated2022]

pose pose, flash;

starter for @rktaeil​

Work was hard, especially when it was busy and times for lunch got cut. Hwayoung spent all day waiting for work to dwindle so she could go get some food. It never did. It was the end of the day and she was finally getting the chance to go get some food. Thankfully, her mother chose that day to pay her credit card debt and Hwayoung was going to start treating herself by going somewhere fancy to eat. Of course, she wasn’t on the list or anyone important enough to skip the line at any restaurant in Gangnam so instead she had to stand in the cue with everyone else. It was a bit embarrassing but she knew that one day those same places will be begging her to eat there for free so they could get a bit of publicity and notoriety. Still, it wasn’t like waiting at a line at a fast food restaurant. The place was still fancy and quite a bit of money which meant that she was still showing off a bit just by being seen there.

The cue starts to move and out of the corner of her eye, Hwayoung notices something that she hadn’t before. There was someone staring at her. She tries to keep her eyes forward, but she can’t help but notice it. It’s a strange feeling and she tries to ignore it. Did she know this guy? Curiously, she looks over and stares back for a moment before decided that she didn’t know this guy and she’d like for him to stop strangely staring at her. “Hey!” she calls out to him “Take a picture it’ll last longer.” She heard that in a movie and had always wanted to try it out. She didn’t even know that the chance would present itself but there she was.

[rktaeil-blog]

at this point in his life, he really should be thinking about his job at the studio and if he really wants to keep it. with the money he gets from his instagram account and his current living situation, it’s been easier for him to save his money to buy the things that are really important to him. and that so happens to be camera bodies and new lenses. upgrading his equipment has definitely boosted his follower count and offers for advertising.

he can’t be any more excited trying out one of hs new babies at this restaurant once getting the owner’s permission. he sits at one of the corners, a chair holding all of his bags while walking around and snaps the details he notices. that’s when he sees the woman, in all her captivating glory, as he stares at her features amazed at how naturally her full lips curve. there is no subtlety in his admiration, he supposes, when she also looks back at him from prolonged exposure.

taeil will take what she says as her verbal consent if she really granted it, but her body language didn’t so much as give him that she was being completely serious with it. the tone of her voice maybe also taking on a sarcastic twist, which also had been very easy to pick up on. for any normal person, the assertiveness would make someone immediately look away, getting the message that their gaze was at least slightly uncomfortable. yes, the message has been received, but taeil has chosen to ignore it.

so he looks to the woman in inquiry, pointing down to the camera in his hand and replies back to her. “is it really okay if i do?” he knows a good opportunity when he sees one, and this had just opened its doors for him. at least he hopes.

[rktaeil-blog]

✋ loop de loop

- mga5 special talent - 

there is a completely different community that the photographer is involved in, but with his current passions taking up the forefront of his lifestyle, he hadn’t picked up the hobby as seriously as he had before. one of his little instruments still made it with him wherever he went, mostly as something to entertain himself with when his phone ran out of battery and he wasn’t in a crowded area. still, he did become a little rusty at it considering current circumstances.

“oh, for one of my personal talents, i can handle a yo-yo pretty well.” the toy was a staple of many elementary kid’s lives at one point or another, but after that, it seemed like it was too juvenile as a hobby to pick up when one was older. at least that’s how the trend went. his family never really had enough money to have the liberty to buy him and his brother all the toys they ever wanted, so he learned to work with what he already had and grew to become a lot more advanced in his yo-yo techniques.

he thinks about how ironic it is now that fidget spinners have made it into the scene just a couple years ago, a must-have toy that everyone seemed to have in their possession, something that was easier to use and highly entertaining. the intentions of inventing the product is admirable, but honestly had also been argued over when there are many who don’t use it for its intended purpose. okay, so sue taeil for also buying one as well, but his true passion still lies in the toy he had in his pocket.

the yo-yo is simply round, a bright neon green and fits comfortably in his hand. he readies the string and checks it one more time before throwing. “i’ll start with a basic trick. you’ve probably heard of ‘rock the baby.’” while the yo-yo spins, taeil gathers the string in his hands until he has shaped a triangle, and swings the yo-yo right in the middle of it. he releases his hold seconds after to retrieve it back in his hands. “and there are more complicated tricks like this one…” throwing it again, he makes a diamond shape with the string drawing in the middle. with a slight tug on his upper hand, the yo-yo bounces from one side of the diamond to the other without losing its spin, and once again releasing it for the string to gather in the yo-yo and roll right back into his hand.

the last thing he decides to show the judges is a series of tricks in quick succession, tugging at the string and looping it multiple times around the yo-yo. it also flies and boomerangs back close to his face without him flinching, wrapping it around his deft fingers in a display of his talent. after all of that, it still is able to roll back up the string and finish as perfectly as it started, and taeil can’t help the satisfied smile of him pulling that off.

[rktaeil-blog]

🎙️ nobody but

- mga5 second performance skill - 

taeil had been prepared to spend the rest of the day at the school when he assumed that the program had received hundreds of applicants. he couldn’t make it on their first day because of his work schedule, but somehow managed to free the second day off to be here. it was the hour they were leaving when one of his co-workers reminded him of his birthday, surprised that he was going to spend it all day at the auditions.

it might have been his birthday, but that fact had never held much significance for him aside from being a year older on all of his forms. this audition is an experience to say the least, an entertaining one at that when he’s forced to think on his feet in different ways than he’s used to. the only thing he had really planned and practiced for was for the rap (which wasn’t the greatest but at least he didn’t let forgetting stop him). now in this twist of fate, the judges had now asked him to show off he knew knows how to do something aside from rap. so they want him to dance?

so much for his earlier thought about his one-off dancing thought.

taeil still doesn’t back away from the question, an idea already coming to his head on what he wanted to do. “do you perhaps…” he starts, not having the song on his phone, but knowing it had been a popular enough song that it could be easily searched for. “have ‘nobody’ by ham? i can dance to that.”

admittedly, it is one of his most danced to songs while he was growing up; the retro feeling and the catchy beat. in the interview he had beforehand when he mentioned that he wanted to wear costumes? this scenario would have been the perfect time for hm to have something to wear. the concept of the original music video with the members starting off as backup dancers with glittering dresses and gloves that went up to their elbows was really something he would have loved to get behind if he could.

the moment that the song started, his hips and arms started moving with muscle memory, back to the days when he was in elementary school watching and mimicking the group performing this song on music shows. he might not be singing, but his lips were still moving and syncing to the words. there might have been some mistakes in this performance as well, but the sentimental value and his passion for the song itself was still there. thankfully they didn’t ask him to sing during this, or else that would have been something else to laugh over.

[rktaeil-blog]

🎼 ‘til you make it

- mga5 main skill -

performance song: epik high - fly

if there’s something taeil knows about rapping, it’s that most people would be impressed on how many words he could accurately pronounce within the beat. it’s the easiest thing he can do for a performance honestly, when he knows himself that he’s not the best singer there is. he doesn’t think he can even consider himself a singer, that’s how bad he thinks he is.

his same thoughts had also went to his dancing; sure he is good at mimicking girl dances, but aside from that, he couldn’t claim any great skill he’s mastered himself. these talents are more of a party trick than a hobby, a one-off thing that friends would repeatedly ask him to do again because of how amusing it is. there is a thing about expanding his repertoire, but when it comes to dancing, there is only so much choreography that is easy enough for him to follow.

why is he putting himself out there again, honestly? oh right, because he can’t exactly half-ass a form he filled out on the internet without showing his talents seeing how well he can do.

as he stands in front of the judges, he’d like to mentally thank his roommate indirectly for influencing his decisions even just a little, such as what he’s seen of her on these survival shows. he wishes he can be half as fierce as her in front of the cameras, but taeil thinks he has enough confidence in faking it that something interesting can happen as he’s about to perform for the judges.

the music starts, and he waits for his cue to start rapping. getting into the mood of it also changes taeil’s posture to something more slouched and relaxed. if it hadn’t been for his constant visits to noraebang to sight read the characters coming by, taeil thinks he would have a much harder time spitting out each syllable and making sense out of it. he visualizes as if the lyrics are on the screen right in front of him, the characters highlighting as fast as fast as he should be saying them.

his timing is on point, which is the only time he’d credit his ear for perfection. however, there is also something about the way he raps that doesn’t exude the exact passion as the artists in the original song. it’s lacking in feeling, but also sometimes the lyrics when he forgets where in the verse he’s at. when that happens, he doesn’t exactly stop, but continues on with his own lyrics, expressing that he’s forgotten the words and is just saying things to fill in the space until the chorus but still following the original rhythm and tone.

but music cuts off when the judges hear enough of his performance and dismiss him from the room. he thanks them for his time and walks out, curious to know if they were entertained by his performance. well, if they don’t give him points for remembering the words, he sure would love a bonus on his style.  

[rktaeil-blog]

🎼 transparent

- mga5 interview -

“i’m moon taeil, 21 years old, from seoul.” this was for a dare. there was no way that the staff and the producers would really let him onto the show for real if he actually says that. yet here taeil is, being whisked away to one room onto the next to determine his worthiness to compete with the others. the drawback to this though certainly meant a drive that taeil lacks for the occasion; that love of performing, dancing or singing or what have they that made them want to be in front of the cameras so much. his motivation for being here probably isn’t on the same level as the others, but since he’s here, he figured he should still make the most of it.

besides, it’s not like he thinks he’s going to make it all the way to the end.

“i have a friend who challenged me to sign up for the auditions and come here. can’t say that i’m really desperate to be an idol.” lucky for them, taeil has no shame talking about his true motivation for being here, but neither is he shy to be in front of or behind the cameras. whatever happens, whatever gets broadcasted, he will be confident and open enough to accept it. after all, he’d prefer to be transparent about everything than making himself look like a liar. “but if i had to choose a reason for me to become an idol, it’s because i’d want to wear the most extraordinary costumes for performances like how lady gaga does it. or, for something more local, norazo. i don’t think i wrote them down on my application though.” mainly because he’d just thought about it on the spot. he smiles, satisfied. “it still rings true.”