June Evaluation - Sphere Entertainment
Collaboration Evaluation
Song: Q&A by H.Lee ft CONVEX’s Phyrme, Jinwook and Sehun [Moonbok covering Sehun’s parts]
Performing with: @rkharuto, @yuzurk and @chrxsrk
There’s a certain kind of nervousness that comes with being the one to open the song during a performance. Add in the fact that they’re covering two of their biggest seniors’ song and Moonbok is a bundle of nerves as they enter the room for the monthly ritual of evaluations.
But where once the nervousness would have made him skittish and prone to errors, it’s an electric kind of feeling. Even more than last month, Moonbok is eager to prove that he can pull something like this off and show Sphere that they were right to sign him.
It’s almost enough to distract from the weird atmosphere that he’s felt within the group over the last few weeks. Almost. While Haruto seemed to have perked up a little over the last few days, Moonbok still can’t tell whether or not it’s an act. And of course there’s Yuzu and her very un-Yuzu-like behaviour.
They had been too busy doing a last minute rehearsal of the song for Moonbok to even say a real hello to the younger girl and he’s barely able to get a proper look at the younger girl before the music comes on. And then he forces all thoughts of the others’ (and his own) turmoils as he launches into the song.
Yeah Just stop acting like
you didn’t hear me or
yo seoro maebeon deutneun
dung mareul dollyeodae
Girl I know wassup on your mind
Stop fronting and tell me
I, I, I want you
Baby I, I, I want you
Baby I, I, I want you
neoreul tteoollil ttaemada got me singing
How ironic for him to rap about knowing what was on a person’s mind when he’d been constantly wondering about what the others’ were worrying about. It’s a thought that’s only in in mind for a split second before it’s shoved away again, Moonbok’s attention going on having to rap in English and not mangle the pronunciation while he was at it. While he is competent in English, his pronunciation is still not perfect and rapping in it is a little more difficult than simply speaking.
All things considered, the performance goes off well, with Haruto rapping well (in actuality, Moonbok almost can’t believe this is the same kid that nearly broke his neck at the MGAs last summer), while Chris and Yuzu’s vocals play off each other almost perfectly. As he raps his second part, Moonbok can’t help but feel thankful that he joined this particular group. Because no matter what was going on with each of them internally, they were able to shift it aside to pull off a smooth performance. So much so, that he can’t help but grin as their performance comes to an end. In his humble opinion, Moonbok thinks they’ve done their seniors justice.
(Though when they’re dismissed, Yuzu disappears before Moonbok can speak to her yet again and he can’t help but worry.)
May Evaluation - Sphere Entertainment
Inter-company Company; Sphere Boys vs TRC Boys (Team 1)
Song: Egotistic (Remix) [line distribution, video reference]
Performing with: @rksungmin, @danielxrk and @chrxsrk
Now that Daniel’s mentioned it, Moonbok can’t really get the thought of this evaluation being a ‘light’ version of the MGAs. 10 teams vying for the attention and praise of the CEOs of the Big Five. Thankfully, there seems to be no threat of elimination this time round, so the stomach churning nervousness isn’t there any mores. (He’s still nervous, of course. But nothing like back then.)
That doesn’t mean Moonbok intends to lose.
Of course, he never intended on losing during the MGAs either. But as their group is called forward, he firmly pushes any thoughts out of the competition of his head. Making their way to the stage, he smiles easily at the judges, laughing internally at the thought that they must be sick of him appearing in front of them like this. He even manages to not avoid Hyun Bin’s glance. (Mostly.)
Then the music starts and they fall into their roles. It had taken them less than a day to decide on CONVEX’s version of Egoistic, with Chris and Daniel adding their own twists to the song. While Moonbok felt a little guilty in not being able to contribute to the actual arrangement of their piece, Sungmin promised him he was doing the group a huge favour by taking a vocalist position instead of a rapping one.
(Personally, however, Moonbok still thinks that Sungmin is too harsh on himself.)
But you become the center anyway.
But you shouldn’t do whatever you want.
And Moonbok has to admit, he enjoys it much more than he’d thought. And even compared to when they’d all worked together at the start of the year, this performance felt even better than that one. As though they’d become more in tuned with each other and their strengths and weaknesses. (In fact, he almost regrets the fact that they don’t have to dance for this performance. Almost)
I wanna do whatever I want.
As he sings the song’s final line and their performance comes to an end, Moonbok is grinning and he pushes his hair back from his face. Hopefully, they’ve done enough to win, but even if they haven’t, it’ll just be a disappointment.
Because he’s not going anywhere. Not for a long time to come.
April Evaluation - Sphere Entertainment
Dance Practice Fakeout Eval
Song: C.R.A.Z.Y to Me, In
Performing with: @rkyoona and npc trainees
It was lot easier for Moonbok to focus on this month’s evaluation than it had been for last month’s. Maybe because it was only one performance instead of two. Or maybe just being able to hang out with Yoona and get his feelings out in the open than let them overwhelm him again. Either way, when the day of the evaluation comes, he’s quietly confident in their performance.
Not that the month had been easy, that is. Yoona had picked a choreography he wasn’t familiar with and it had taken more time than Moonbok would have liked to become competent at it. At times like that, he tried to keep Taeyeon’s advice in mind, that he was still learning and it was ok to make mistakes, but it was hard. Thankfully, while Yoona didn’t let him slack off or wallow in his depression, she kept encouraging him and eventually he managed to get the dance down completely.
Standing in line with the group for the mow monthly ritual, Moonbok exchanges a smile with his cousin and the other trainees as they prepare for the signal to start the performance. A lock of hair falls in front of his face and Moonbok groans internally as he reaches up to fix his ponytail, missing what one of the coaches is saying. A shame, because maybe then he’d have been better prepared for what’s about to happen.
On instinct, as the music plays, Moonbok starts the dance he’d been learning for the last month, only to stop dead in his tracks as he realizes that the music is not what should be playing. His expression is one of utter confusion as the sound of ‘Me, In’ reaches his ears, and at first he must think it’s a mistake. But one look at Yoona and the other trainees’ expression, along with the bemused expression of the coaches make him realize that this ‘mistake’ was part of the evaluation all along.
He’s mortified.
Hastily, Moonbok tries to get back in sync with the others, but in his panic, he can’t stop himself from fumbling his moves. Thankfully, before he can get overwhelmed, he remembers Yoona’s encouragement from before. A second’s pause before he begins dancing again, and despite his brain screaming at him that he’s doing the wrong dance (Did ‘Me, In’ ever have an official dance routine to begin with?), he manages to finish the performance without any more glaring errors.
It doesn’t stop him feeling utterly humiliated, though. He’s upset at the coaches for playing them like this, and even more upset at himself for panicking like he did and making a show of the group. When Yoona comes up behind him and wraps her arms around him, Moonbok sighs and leans against her, resting his chin on her elbow as they chat about anything except the evaluation.
There’s no point on dwelling on it, after all. What happened, happened, and he just needs to do better next month.
JANUARY EVALUATION - SPHERE ENTERTAINMENT
Sphere Boys Performance team with: @danielxrk, @rksungmin, @rkdoyoung, @rkkhg and @chrxsrk
Performing: Poison - VAV
Center Distribution
Outfit: x
To say Moonbok had been looking forward to this month’s evaluation would be an understatement. After the slight let down of his first evaluation’s theme, he is excited to finally be able to perform for the coaches and show that he is (hopefully) making progress from when he’d been signed.
Moonbok wasn’t surprised when he’d been assigned to the performance group for the evaluation, after all, he’d be the one of the first people to acknowledge that dancing and general stage persona were one of his weaker skills, and he was grateful for the opportunity to get intensive training on it. What did surprise him was who else was placed in the group; namely Daniel, Sungmin, Doyoung, Chan and Hyunggu. While he was still getting to know some of them, he was a little bewildered as to why the likes of Hyunggu or Sungmin were considered ‘lacking’ in the performance department. He decides it doesn’t matter, the Sphere coaches (probably) know best, right?
After the camp, which even Moonbok had to admit was absolutely grueling, and days of practice both by himself and with the group, the day of the evaluation finally arrives and Moonbok waits with the others for their turn to be called in. He can just about stop himself from fidgeting with nervous excitement; as it is he plays with the pins in his hair until he feels (hopes) that they’re tight enough to keep his hair out of his face while he dances.
“Alright guys. Good luck.” he murmurs encouragingly as they’re called into the room where the coaches are waiting. As he gets into position, an unwelcome memory makes itself known in his mind, causing him to frown a little. It’s nothing much, just a brief flashback to the 4th season of the MGAs and the performance of Before the Dawn, where he’d had a small center position.
‘Don’t be an idiot.’ he sternly tells himself, breathing out slowly as the group holds the position in anticipation of the music starting. ‘That was then, this is now. You’ve improved since then. Besides, the disaster happened when you weren’t in the center, remember?’
Probably not the best train of thought, but before Moonbok can dwell on it, the music starts and he forcibly pushes out all thoughts, focusing only on the performance. And, to his relief, there’s no disaster this time.
When his center positions come up, Moonbok tries to emulate the charismatic and self-assured movements of the original performer, though with less of the perceived arrogance. It’s a delicate balance, and Moonbok isn’t entirely sure he’s gotten it completely right, (is smirking instead of staying serious arrogant or not?), he’s at least able to move the to correct position at the correct time and not bump into anyone or trip over his own feet. That, at least, he takes pride in.
As their evaluation is dance based as opposed to vocal based, they don’t sing and rap themselves, something Moonbok is a little disappointed about. Though, for his sake, it’s probably for the best at this stage. As it is, he lip-synchs anyways, using it to his advantage when in the center.
It feels as though they’ve barely begun when the performance comes to the end and as they assume their final positions, Moonbok allows himself a smile.
