it's a little too empty for a soloist on his own, the walls usually filled by the laughter and shouts of groupmates trying to amp one another up before staff is guiding them to the stage, with all the lights and the cameras that are also too familiar. dante would say that he grew up in this room but that would be a lie; bit boys never had the budget nor the fandom to warrant appearing on any music show actually broadcasted on television. they were lucky to even appear on youtube shows with a fraction of the audience.
he should be grateful; his career fell into his lap through little effort of his own. he doesn't have to think about any of the hard questions like what do i wear? or what should i eat? or even who do i want to be? it's all decided for him, every movement and gesture as choreographed as the song he's preparing to perform today. he's a mythical being, he's your favorite manhwa's male lead, he's whatever the fuck he needs to be to get you to listen to his music (which he doesn't write, another decision he doesn't have to make) and follow him on social media. he's nothing at all and he has no right to complain about it.
dante stifles a yawn, tears pricking the edges of his eyes that he blinks rapidly to keep from ruining the makeup so dutifully applied by his staff. he didn't sleep much last night; he doesn't sleep much most nights. he's hungry, but he's trying to trim the excess fat from his belly so he can't eat. he's a battery that's been running on empty for far too long, way past its intended expiration, yet he doesn't know how to do anything except continue down this godforsaken path.
boo hoo, he can hear the critics in his ear already. you're famous, you're rich, you get paid to play dress up and sing a song. i don't feel bad for you. dante doesn't pity himself either. well, maybe just a little. maybe when he remembers how he used to be excited, how he used to love the way his muscles would ache yet did nothing to dull the sense of accomplishment when perfecting something new. maybe when he sees his bare face in the mirror, cheeks hollow and eyes dark, and remembers when his face used to be painted in a smile that used to reach his eyes. he mourns the person he used to be. and yet he deserves all of this, he deserves to suffer. this is his divine punishment for his selfishness, for his disloyalty to the boys who used to walk this path with him: he has everything he ever wanted and yet he can never feel happiness again. dante hardly feels anything at all. except anger. the anger never goes away.
his hands itch to run down his face with a long sigh, to soothe himself through physical touch and the means of his own body. but doing so would smudge his makeup and frustrate the stylist and dante's not trying to make everyone else's life harder, he really isn't. he knows he does. he knows the few friends he has left worry about him. he wishes they would give up on him too because he doesn't want to hurt them anymore. dante is the only person who shoulders this curse and yet he finds himself inflicting his pain on those who matter most to him every day. maybe it's part of his penance, an ever ongoing punishment.
"dante, you're up next," a staff member knocks on the door as they summon him backstage. without a word the man stands, robotic as he crosses the room to follow them out the door. he'll put on his show, he'll smile for the camera. and then he'll return to this room, where even rookies hardly dare to greet him anymore and stare at the whitewashed walls, and accept his divine punishment as unchangeable as the sun rising each morning and setting at night.
trc entertainment. his first reaction is disbelief; this has to be a mistake, or a prank, or something. he didn’t even write trc down as one of the companies he’d like to get into, never mind the fact that it’s notoriously difficult to catch the casting directors’ eyes for a company with their reputation. woong can’t think of anything remotely special about his interview (though to be honest, he can’t remember many details of his interview at all; it’s become an anxious blur in his memory).
if it had been sphere, he would’ve called daniel. nova, haknyeon. even kt entertainment he might’ve called ian if only because he knows he used to take dance lessons from one of their trainees. but trc? he can’t wrap his head around it, and putting it into words seems far too difficult.
so he doesn’t.
there’s only a handful of days to prepare anything before the audition is supposed to take place. that alone sends woong into an anxious flurry, a moment where he realizes that all of the careful cuts and edits of the videos he makes for fun will not be able to help him when it comes to a few staff members and a camera that will not ignore all of his mistakes. he’s not good enough at anything; his singing experience is confined almost entirely to letting his voice get lost among the congregation of his church, dance just a few scattered classes that he’s never been remotely consistent at. drum set, sure, but no one likes jazz, the genre he’s most proficient at, and it’s not going to make him look like a good choice for a trainee.
he throws himself into rehearsals, not stopping to even think about if he really wants this, if this is a path he really wants to take. he knows that if he stops to think about it, he’ll realize that he can’t possible be both a trainee and a law student. they’re not remotely compatible careers. he’ll have to think about why he changed his undergrad major from pre-law to liberal arts, about how much fun he has cursing at an overworked laptop that just can’t handle the rendering and exports on the videos he makes. he’ll have to think that his ambitions might be changing, and that in some ways he’s failed his younger self and his mother, betraying their interests for his own.
it’s when he walks up to the trc building, ready to push through the doors and walk in to this audition, that all of those un-thought thoughts finally come crashing down on him.
nerves first found him in transit, though easily enough brushed off as pre-audition jitters. he’s had them before, trying out for select jazz band (he made it in), and that one time he sang in public (he’s still not sure he’d ever do that again). they build. woong realizes he’s underrehearsed. he forgets the lyrics while reviewing the song in his head, plugs in his headphones to listen to it again only to realize he’s been singing a portion of it wrong this whole time. oh no, not good. he hums to himself, still too self-conscious to sing even under his breath on public transit. every time he goes through it, it sounds worse, more wrong.
woong realizes he’s starting to freak out. he takes a deep breath.
by the time he’s in the shadow of the entertainment powerhouse’s headquarters, he can’t remember his song at all. it’s like a stopper has been pulled, like a dam broke and everything is crashing down on him all at once. woong stands there, staring up at the iconic sign. he’s seen it a thousand times before, living in this city. he’s seen it on tv even more. but standing in front of it, knowing he has a path waiting for him inside (though how far that will go he doesn’t know), adds an extra level of fear and awe.
he sees girls, giggling, hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite idols as they linger outside of the building. he sees who he can only assume are trainees looking dead on their feet as they shuffle back to work, back to chipping away at themselves until they’re masterpieces. he sees himself in the reflection of well-cleaned glass.
trc is a lot of pressure, even for not being guaranteed a contract. it’s the highest standard; they’ll eat you alive. woong hesitates for a long time outside of the building. he was early, he has time to linger.
maybe it’s the heat and the sun, the nerves, the way that his brain has gotten so loud that he’s not even sure what thoughts are his own anymore. the sidewalk feels a little less solid under his feet, his head a little less firmly attached to his shoulders. and then the pressure finds a home in his stomach, sitting heavily, churning up what’s left of a sparse breakfast.
it’s all woong can do to get to a patch of landscaping before his insides turn out; there was no hope of making it to a toilet. the busy street sounds so quiet around him, the ringing in his ears unbearable as he vomits his heart onto mulch and pavement. he feels eyes on him, girls watching him in horror and disgust, passersby breaking their gate to gawk at the young man getting sick on the street. he feels so many eyes, he feels them itch and burn and judge him without even knowing his name. his eyes are red, his nose is runny. he doesn’t quite realize he’s crying until his stomach manages to settle, when he knows that the wetness on his face wasn’t caused only by hot bile.
he tries to walk away at first, but it soon turns into a run. anything to get away from this scene, to get away from the eyes. he runs until his lungs burn, pushing past sidewalk pedestrians and ducking his head low so no one can see the tears on his face. he runs until he can no longer breathe, when he collapses with his back against the cool stone of a building, when desperate breathes are punctuated by ragged tears. at least here it’s quiet; there’s no one on the street to witness this incredible breakdown.
in a few minutes he’ll steady his breathing. he’ll pick himself up, take inventory of his person, hop on a bus and go home. he’ll never mention the audition he never went to to anyone, and those hours of practice will be put to better use for a very carefully edited cover for his little channel another day. but he’ll remember this failure no matter how hard he’ll try to forget it ever happened. a little voice in his head will tell him he wasn’t ready. a louder voice will echo it: what if you’re never ready?
SHE MAKES UP HER OWN RULES AND NEVER LOOKS BACK
• HAN JEONGHA REHEARSING & PERFORMING AT FUTURE DREAMS
there is no glamor in this moment. she paces, hands on her hips to keep her chest loose and open, breathing hard as the music comes to a close. it will loop and play through again if she let it, but the woman pauses it for now. hours into practice, the back of her shirt wet with sweat, her lungs sore from the way she pushes them. jeongha is just fine and in shape, her regular cardio routine isn’t far off from this, but there’s a sort of urgency to the way she practices now.
time is so short. the weeks they are given are not a long time to learn and perfect a whole choreography and songs to match. everyone is competition at this point, no one can be trusted to be considered an ally. after all, they face the judges alone. it may be safely from the other side of a camera and screen, but it’s still just one shot. one take. for better or for worse, when it comes time to show what they’ve learned, she has to be the best of them.
she counts her blessings where she can find them. they record alone, no need to take the extra time to sync her every move to an entire group’s. she’s comfortable in any concept, confident enough in her body and her ability to move it and adapt to the four songs they’re given to learn. oh, of course she has her favorites, but in the end it doesn’t really matter. fresh and teen crush may not suit a woman well settled into her twenties, but she knows how to manage her expressions, how to play doe-eyed and innocent when the situation calls for it. and she knows how to be fierce, a preferred look on her face, how to turn her expression sharp and threatening. and somewhere in between. fun, a touch innocent, almost confident. switching between all of them so quickly is a touch difficult, but jeongha can manage anything. she has to.
her thumb mashes against the play button, starting the song again. she’s had enough time to catch her breath and gather her thoughts, and she returns to her practice diligently.
jeongha doesn’t mind being out of breath, not at first. she goes ten times harder, practices each song a hundred times in a row. it’s cardio and she’s building hers up so when it’s time to add her voice to the dance, she’ll be more than prepared. it’s how she’s always approached practice and learning new performances and it hasn’t let her down too hard up until now.
the day comes to record, and jeongha doesn’t even try to school the smile off her face. her bones ache in the most pleasant way, a dull burn that reminds her of how hard she’s worked, how thoroughly she’s prepared herself. she wears the pain like a badge of honor, like a crown on her head an an elaborate mantle on her shoulders. it’s not so bad that it will hurt her performance, not if she warms up properly (which she is always sure to do).
her turn is called. she spots the red light of a recording camera, waits for the staff’s signal. she smiles that same confident smile she wore on her first appearance, bows with her introduction, and takes her stance for the music to start.
⭐️MGA 5 EPISODE 3
↪ perfoming romanticism by leo with @rkjeonghxn
outfit inspiration: x x
line distribution & times: x
it’s always easier to move on to the next round when there are a lot of contestant. the fewer they become and the harder the choices will be for the five ceos. there’s undoubtedly a lot of raw talent in this room, some maybe more polished than others, some mostly relying on their popularity and star factor. the latter can’t be downplayed of course, as there’s no reason to have skill in the first place if people aren’t interested in you or want to follow you. still, it’s always a little annoying to see such people get by with minimal talent.
soon after jinyoung returned to his seat following his interview, the entire set falls silent. everyone’s eyes are glued to the judging panel, waiting for the dreaded moment when they will announce the results. his newly found acquaintance changbin is nominated as the top rapper, which comes to no surprise to jinyoung, but it’s choi minho who takes the win. unlike a lot of people here, jinyoung doesn’t feel any type of way for that guy. despite his best friend being in convex, he knows very little about the group and what kind of drama happened that led to the rapper’s departure. he’s not a hater nor is he a fan, and although he didn’t dislike his performance, he wouldn’t have gave him the win either.
he keeps a straight face throughout the eliminations, just quietly wishing not to be on that list when the singer’s turn comes. the top 3 dancers are called to the stage, and he recognizes hwang yeji from that one day at the hospital. they haven’t spoken since and he wishes her well. she’s a pretty good dancer despite her young age, but so is lee chaeryeong. as for suwoong, well, it’s not a question of talent really, but more his personality that jinyoung can’t quite figure out. he’s satisfied with yeji’s win, just as he is satisfied with heejin’s win later on. there was a slight disappointment about not making the top 3 but then again, he still believes he performed the best he could. for someone as obsessed with perfect as he is, it’s hard to accept average results, but he’s a good sport. heejin, as he’s noted multiple times already, is a very good singer. he wonders if she can dance well too, because if she does then she’s almost guaranteed to go to the end. her looks are very idol-like, not to mention she’s young.
joohyun was probably the most surprising elimination for jinyoung. he knew she made a mistake, they all did, and it’s unexpectedly fair that they wouldn’t favor her due to her past participations and already established level of popularity. she’s one of the known contestants here that everyone talks about to the point where jinyoung also knows about it, and even if don’t want to show bias, maybe he thought they would show more leniency towards someone they know, and he now stands corrected. there is no second chance in this competition, and no room for weakness.
he applauds heejin’s win with a proud smile, and it’s probably the first time anyone will have caught him looking so pleased since the very first audition. he’s also happy for sihyeon who’s finally been recognized for her talent. it’s kind of funny how some of those who changed categories managed to survive unlike those who truly wanted to show their best skill. in hindsight, it was pretty clever of them to do so and jinyoung wonders if this was calculated on their part. he doubts so for daniel, who probably just innocently wanted to show another side of himself. but that’s if he’s still the same person he knew all those years ago in busan. maybe he’s changed, like jinyoung did.
he doesn’t care much for the following eliminations, as nobody he knows has been sent home. instead, he pays close attention to what is said next. they are to be paired off in duos and present a neat performance showing not only talent but also teamwork. and it’s probably what he dreads most as of now. it’s not as easy for him to get along with people as much as he’d like, and depending on who he ends up with, this assignment might be his first real challenge. he doesn’t necessarily want to be with a friend, however, because it doesn’t always mean it will lead to a good performance. he ends up with yoon jeonghan.
they’re not friends per say, but they do know of each other and have worked together in the past on musical productions. jinyoung is very enthusiastic at the idea of performing with someone who has talents and tastes similar to his, but it can also be an obstacle in the end. they can’t put up something too expected. it’ll be boring to watch for everyone.
that’s the subject they talk about when they first meet up for practice. “since they know we’re both passionate about musicals, i don’t think we should choose that type of song. what do you think?” he asks jeonghan who promptly agrees. they’re both aware they need to showcase something different, more creative and challenging. something that will throw the judges off, hopefully in a good way. they spend a while just searching online, or scrolling down their playlists in order to find the perfect fit. and after going through several choices, they finally decide on romanticism by leo. the key is to make all the right changes to the choreography and harmonies so it looks and sounds as if it was meant for two people instead of just one. they need to be in complete unison, and not just seem like two individuals performing the same song at the same time.
their first practice consists of making these arrangements and going through them a couple times to see if they fit well, and deciding on the parts they’ll each sing. they both agree to practice on their own whenever they have free time, then meet together every day for several hours so they can put it all together. it just won’t work if they both work separately.
while jinyoung criticizes a lot, he’s also very open to criticism himself. as long as it’s nothing insulting, he believes this is the only way one will grow, and not with fake praises. if he sucked, he wants to know. if he does one movement wrong, he wants to know so he can fix it. if jeonghan feels it would be better if they switched one part because it sounds off, he’ll be open to the idea. what he finds exhausting is those who are too scared to make any kind of negative comment, or who take everything too personal. they’re impossible to work it, not to mention annoying. it’s all meant to enhance the performance. the judges won’t chose the best out of the two of them. so either they win together, or fail together. it doesn’t matter if one sings five seconds more, as long as it makes the whole thing better.
it’s surprisingly easy to work with jeonghan, and jinyoung comes home at night almost with a spring in his step, telling mina about how practice is going with a lot more details than usual. he’s optimistic, hopeful. if it were to suddenly come crashing down....
the two men sit next to each other, and jinyoung can’t help but notice there’s so few of them compared to the first episode. sixty chairs have disappeared since then. he remains exactly like the second episode, face stoic as he watched the first few duos perform on stage. the only moments he stops being a statue is in-between performances, as he leans over to jeonghan and whispers things inaudible to cameras, about what he liked and didn’t like.
yugyeom goes before with him, with a contestant called do kyungsoo, and he honestly has no idea what to expect when they first start. it seems like they managed to use each other’s strength and make up for the other’s weakness quite well, and jinyoung hopes it’s enough for them to make it through. some of the duos make unexpected yet good pairs, and some match so well it’s almost boring. he wonders if this will be the case for jeonghan and him, although they didn’t go for a musical number. are their skills too similar? but it’s not like they can suddenly pretend one of them can rap either, so there’s nothing they can do about it if they were put together.
they go near the end, with only three duos left after them. they both bring a chair to the center of the stage and sit on them after introducing themselves. the original artist has a very specific way of dancing, that makes every movement look smooth but not sloppy, and sensual but not sexual. there’s a fine line they can’t cross, and jinyoung does feel like they got in down after hours and hours of practice. jeonghan starts off the song with his first lines.
In my mind you’re my lord,
the reality is not close enough
You’re my one
You’re my one
jinyoung parts his legs in a swift motion as the dance obliges, and because there are no backdancers, instead of gesturing to his empty side, he briefly cups jeonghan’s chin instead, making it one of a several modifications to the original choreography. it’s not hard to imagine he’s singing to his girlfriend right now, and wishing she was the one dancing with him. jeonghan and him aren’t exactly flirting together, their actions more inclined to the audience, but there still needs to be a connection between them, a sensuality that can be felt all the way to the very back of the studio.
I see through your body,
The sign that gets my sensitivity wet
Your eyes are chasing after my movement
As if saying come after you
in the middle of this verse they both stand up, leaving their chairs behind for the time being. the way they arranged this part suits the lyrics well. it’s as if they’re also chasing each other, delivering their lines back and forth like one echoes the other, and as jeonghan finishes it, jinyoung prepares for the chorus. two minutes isn’t long at all, and after this they’re jumping straight to the bridge so the transition isn’t too cut and dry.
Dive-in for me at this moment,
make me shiver one time
Romanticism in our world
together now
Let’s feel it romantically, together now
the dance gets more intense and demanding, but they’ve arranged for them to sing half of it together, harmonizing each other. jinyoung’s gaze is piercing, and he has fun flirting with the crowd. there are a lot of parts in this song where they rub their chest, their face or roll their hips, and there’s a risk to make it look cheap and very cringe-worthy if they’re not careful, so they made sure to tell the other whenever it was too much, or not enough. they want to mesmerize the audience, not turn it off.
Piece of you for just one moment
Feel me from now on
Let’s feel it sensually, together now
Girl you know I’m watching you
together now
they had to cut the last chorus in half to fit in the time requirement, but in the end it doesn’t really matter since they jump next into the other half which is kind of a nice follow-up and uses the same lyrics. they sing most of it together, dancing in sync.
PART TWO of a REWARD SOLO for PROMOTION TO SECOND-IN-COMMAND
tw: death, branding, mutilation
“To prove that you would die for the gang and more importantly, for me, I had to get a little creative. Because I can’t make you die for me… That’d be fucking nuts. You can’t work for me if you’re dead, can you? I also considered making you cut off your hand or some crazy shit like that but… It’d be messy, and then it’d make you vulnerable and you still might die on me, then all of this drawn out shit will have been for nothing. But! I can’t just sit here and do nothing! One of our very own was a god damn traitor and I have got to make sure that doesn’t happen again. I need someone who is willing to fight for me, not someone who is looking to take me down. Whether it’s because you’re loyal to someone else, or because you want to be on top…” He pauses, a smile forming on his lips though the laughter that accompanies it is full of venom. It’s sarcastic and laced with annoyance, as if the very thought filled him with anger. “Because let me get one thing straight real quick… No one is taking my place.” By the time he finished his statement, the smile was gone and his expression was cold and stern. However, in the blink of an eye, he had bounced back and once again wore a smile and seemed to be playful, finding everything to be much funnier than it actually was. “So then it hit me… A good, old-fashioned branding. Because who the fuck would want to walk around with a Hydrus brand if they weren’t dedicated to Hydrus? Not to mention, it’ll show me that you’re willing to sacrifice something for me, and you’re willing to endure intense pain for me. It shows me where you stand without me having to kill you! A total fucking win-win situation right here. Now, let me just say, I considered telling you that we were going to do it somewhere really visible, like your face. But damn, you’re just too fucking attractive for that. I mean… No one would want to mess with you, that’s for sure! You’d look scary as shit, but that’s not what we’re going to do. I’ll tell you what… You choose.”
The warehouse floor is wet with blood.
The bodies of the men Jongsuk executed still lay where they fell on the cold concrete before him, forgotten the moment that the gunshots finished echoing from the steel walls. The crowd around him is restless now, excited from the bloodshed and eager for more. Drifter’s betrayal has wound the members of Hydrus into a frenzy. Spilling the traitor’s blood hasn’t satisfied their lust for revenge, and this execution only incited that bloodlust further.
If Jongsuk isn’t careful, his body could very well join the others on the warehouse floor before the night’s end.
He’s all too aware of Woobin and the others scattered throughout the crowd, watching the events unfold with narrow eyes and stiff shoulders. Should things turn south, they certainly won’t be going down without a fight.
Jongsuk doesn’t believe for a moment that the executions are the only test that King has in store for him tonight.
He isn’t disappointed.
The crowd rallies as King announces his decision to prove Jongsuk’s loyalty with a branding. Their cheers do little to help the uneasy curl in Jongsuk’s stomach at the announcement. It isn’t dread or fear settling in-- not really. He’s been hurt worse for less.
The thought of this many people seeing him vulnerable, though.
That thought makes him a little ill.
He isn’t about to back down, though. Lifting his chin, he gives King a lazy grin. “I get to choose, huh?” he says, pretending to mull over his options rather than balk at the branding as so many of the men gathered surely thought he would. After a moment, he tilts his head to bare his neck. “How about right here?”
Just in case the implication wasn’t clear enough, he even taps a finger against the bared column of his neck.
It’s nowhere near the reaction that King half-expected to receive from Dante, but he was also aware that his hopeful soon-to-be Second-in-Command was someone that didn’t scare easily. King loved that. A mixture of surprise and amusement overcame him and was visible from his expression, a huge grin forming on his lips. “Holy shit. You’re one ballsy son of a bitch, Dante. I give you the chance to choose… and you go straight for the jugular— literally!”
The crowd grows rowdy again.
This little show may be a public display of Jongsuk’s loyalty to King, but that doesn’t mean that Jongsuk will let these people see him bow.
He’ll serve his King-- he’ll just do it his way.
“You’re fucking nuts and that’s one of the main reasons I wanted you to be in this position. Somehow, you never disappoint.” He pauses, staring at the other male for several moments before quietly chuckling and stepping away to retrieve the iron. “Well, let’s stop bullshitting around and get this done.”
As King nears with the red-hot brand, Jongsuk is sure to hold the older man’s gaze until the leader stands directly before him. After a loaded pause, he tilts his head and bares his neck for King once more.
His eyes only close as the brand nears his skin.
The pain of the searing metal meeting his flesh is blinding. Jongsuk’s eyes clench shut tighter as he fights back the urge to scream, refusing to give the crowd the show they so desperately seek. His teeth grind tightly together as a sharp hiss tears its way past them, but it’s the only sound he allows, the only concession. His hands curl into tight fists at his sides.
It’s over in a moment, but it feels so much longer.
The pain only surges once the brand is removed from his skin. As air hits the seared flesh of his neck, the pain flares, morphs into a new kind of agony that Jongsuk is careful to keep smoothed from his expression. His jaw remains tight, but he forces himself to open his eyes once more, to raise his chin and meet King’s gaze unflinchingly.
The leader thought that Dante would have passed out from the pain. Hell, maybe he was even a little disappointed that he didn’t. However, above all of that, he was impressed and incredibly proud. The smile that he’s almost always wearing grows wider as he slightly shakes his head in disbelief. “Wow.” The single word is dramatically and softly exclaimed, filled with awe. “You took that like an absolute champ. What a fucking badass… I still can’t believe that you chose your neck. I almost want to ask that you don’t try speaking… Actually, I will… You don’t need to say anything, just listen. I want everyone to listen.” With his last sentence, his voice is raised as he addresses the entirety of the gang that is gathered around them. “Dante has just proven to us all that he’s loyal, respectful, tough as shit, and probably a little insane… Which I think is incredible. Not only did he accept my terms in an instant without putting up a fight, but he did so fearlessly, and perhaps even a little cockily… And I fucking love that. So, I don’t think I need to tell you all that this is the new Second-in-Command, because I think he’s fucking proven that shit on his own.” Once he finishes, he returns his attention to Dante and beckons for a medic. “We’ll take care of that for you. Welcome to the top, killer. I have a lot of expectations… But I don’t think you’ll let me down.” He pauses, his expression turning sterner as his entire body stiffens. “Don’t prove me wrong.”
-.✦･｡ﾟ━━━━ jung eunji ft. kim jungeun
┆performing holler by tts
names are called. first, names of people who won't be returning for the next filming. eunji holds her breath, squeezes the hands of both boys sitting to her left and right. they can't be so lucky, right? not all of them can continue, no matter how talented and beautiful the woman knows all of her friends are.
it turns out that she's correct in that assumption. but it's not the hands she's holding that she has to let go of.
tearfully, eunji reaches past jeonghan to hug joohyun, careful of her injury, but desperate to hold her nonetheless. guilt eats at her gut, a cold memory of staring down yet another camera lens and confessing to an interviewer that she hopes joohyun will be eliminated to give her time to recover. now that her wish has come true, eunji would do anything to take it back. joohyun is the best of them, one of the strongest and definitely one of the most talented. eunji can't help but feel that she's taking the place that should have belonged to her friend, especially after both of them had chosen dancing as their skill.
she knows it's not a good bye forever, they'll have dinner as a friend group that night, but it hurts nonetheless. the staff aren't too patient, finally asking the eliminated trainees to leave the building. the remainder stay to be briefed on the next mission.
names are called again, this time in pairs. junhee is the first to leave their little squad, paired with a sharp-eyed girl that eunji only vaguely recognizes as the dancer who had performed before her. she wishes him good luck, but there's an ache of wistfulness in her chest all the same. it would have been nice to be able to perform with him. she hears daniel's name next, and watches as he's paired with another girl. eunji bites her tongue and drops her gaze. she has nothing nice to say about daniel these days; she just hopes that girl will be okay.
finally, she hears her own name, and that of a girl she recognizes as one of the many dancers vying for a spot in this competition. she greets the girl politely, introducing herself even though they've already heard their names from the staff calling them out. of eunji's many faults, one of them has become shyness. she's quiet with the girl at first, only sharing questions and answers that are relevant to their performance. what skills are you comfortable showing? can you sing? what sort of music do you like to dance to?
but it's through those distant questions that she starts to open up. soon there's laughter shared between them, the eye-widening moment when they both have the same suggestion about their performance at the same time. their teamwork prospers from there, each meeting in jungeun's mother's studio becoming more and more of a joy.
"even our names have good teamwork," eunji jokes as they take a break during practice. "kim jungeun and jung eunji."
they decide to both sing and dance, but they're smart enough to play to their strengths. eunji's the stronger singer, so she takes the greater bulk of the adlibs and challenging lines. in return, jungeun gets her own short solo in the dance break. it's balanced, it's fair, and eunji thinks they're looking and sounding great by the time they get to the performance.
duos are called up one by one and the anticipation builds in the woman's gut. it's the cameras, as always. she hasn't gotten comfortable in front of them yet. when it's their turn to perform, it's all eunji can do to ignore the lenses that fixate on her and her partner so stubbornly. if she looks into that cold glass eye, she's sure that she'll stumble, forget her words, or some other equally damning mistake. it wouldn't be fair to jungeun to mess up like that now, not when both of their progress in this show depends on each other.
so she avoids the cameras altogether. she performs for the judges instead, making eye contact with each and every ceo watching them. she performs to the audience of other entertainment hopefuls, gesturing out at them as if this were her own concert. she performs to jungeun, her partner in crime, smiling at the girl she shares the stage with.
as the some comes to a close, they turn their backs to the audience, hands finding each others hips like they had started in the beginning and mics lowered to their sides. eunji lets out a little laugh, breathless as she comes off of the high from the stage. its out of their hands now. they've done everything they could do to prove they deserve to stay in this show.
MGA SEASON 5
CALLBACKS
PARK JUNHEE PERFORMING SUCKER
{ 00:00 - 01:58 }
receiving a callback to the mgas himself had been surprising enough, but finding out that both jeonghan, eunji, and sihyeon had too was enough to make junhee question. he was definitely thankful, but what were the odds all of them had made it into the show? his suspicions are confirmed when everyone is informed that this is just a callback- he knows as well as jeonghan and even eunji, just because you get a callback, doesn’t mean it’s in the bag. theatre had taught them all that much.
still he prepares as if it is his, rehearsing as if they were training again, running through exercises that he hadn’t done in almost five years. his voice is still just as in shape as ever, kept in check and ever improving thanks to finding a home in musical theatre itself. singing was easily his best skill, and, well, the charisma that came with it was just natural. there’s an aspect to his skillset that gives him an edge, puts him as one in a group of few (if the rumors of returning contestants were true) that are already comfortable onstage. and as a former idol, it lends itself an even better benefit.
but it still doesn’t calm the nerves inside his chest as he steps up to the center, called upon by so jisub to show his selected talent. “hello,” he bows, “diamond’s ace-” he cuts himself off with a little laugh and bows again, though with a very present red flush thanks to his own embarrassment. “park junhee. i will be singing for you today.” he swallows and offers another charming smile, stepping back to mentally count himself off, shaking off his earlier fumble.
the song he ended up settling on is one that shows off his comfort with his skills, ability to deliver higher notes than some while still remaining stable. junhee starts off strong with ease, quickly slipping in to the mindset of performing and forgetting his own mistake merely seconds ago. there’s an easy and upbeat beat to follow that makes it easy for junhee to follow, engage the other contestants with his stand mic as he moves with it, grinning.
i’m a sucker for you. and the you is directed, maybe a little intentionally, towards the girl he sits next to, the song kept a secret up until this point purely for this purpose. he catches eunji’s eyes when the beat drops to call for handclaps, mic gripped in one hand as he makes a half turn toward the other contestants on other side. (if there was one thing he liked to think he was good at, it was sharing the energy when he performed.) his voice rings out as a one-man band, but for junhee, it’s easy- carrying the stage as a soloist wasn’t something he specifically trained for, but his group had been the one chosen (instead of eunji’s he thinks sadly) to go on the few music shows that would allow them in, and it’s not strange to him.
there’s an ease with which he commands the stage, partially improved upon thanks to jeonghan’s own rubbing-off on him, and its’ evident in the way he’s not afraid to sway, to move or to headbang on the chorus when it picks back up again because stillness kills a performance more than anything. (you could sing terribly but still put on a good show, everyone knew that.)
“it’s true. i’m a sucker for you.” he ends with a wink towards where the ceos, their judges for the day, sit. bowing smoothly and returning to his seat.
