sure this was different compared to doing performances but seojun was actually thankful for that. his mind need a chance to relax instead of focusing on trying to perfect a dance as well as sing. this little sports day was needed and even if he wasn’t the most athletic, he was enjoying himself a ton. he couldn’t say how well his team was doing but at least he was trying everything he got the chance to. he always had the mindset to try anything once at least.
now though, they were taking a break and just enjoying themselves with a bit of food and getting to chat with one another before another fun activity would start. sure he could just relax with one of his team members but he decided that he wanted to sit with someone else this time. he instantly saw noel though and made his way over to the other male. once he settled beside him, he flashes the other male a bright smile.
“seems you’ve been doing well out there. i’m glad we’ve gotten this little break before the finale.” he speaks before stretching his back some. “my flexibility with dance doesn’t seem to come in handy here.” he chuckles as he looks amongst the other before turning his face back to noel. “i’m still not over the fact that we got to meet cherish though. if someone told my younger self that would happen, he’d not believe it at all.” he couldn’t help but still have that on his mind and knew it would stay there for as long as possible. he already had gotten a few texts from friends back home about it which made him laugh when he read them after getting home after a few long days of practice.
it’s the day of the concert and live finale. while in real-time the attendees are allowed in to find their seats and fight for the best spot in the standing area near the stage, the intro to next gen plays on television screens across the country. RHEE JIAN’s smiling face greets thousands of households as clips from last week remind the audience of the stakes.
“the contestants who end up in the top three positions based on a combination of audience votes and judges’ evaluations will be offered a trainee contract to any company they choose,” her voice is heard over clips of the various contestants rehearsing, performing, and laughing together; a reminder of everything leading up to the big finale this week. “the runner-ups will be offered contracts to one of the three companies. so everyone, do your best! we look forward to seeing you on stage!”
a badge in the top left corner of the screen reminds everyone that this episode is being broadcasted live. a loud cheer fills the auditorium as jian steps onto the stage, waving to NEXT GEN fans as she takes a spot in the center of the stage.
“it’s my pleasure to welcome you to the season finale of NEXT GEN,” she pauses as another cheer goes up. “as we begin today’s show, i want to remind everyone that your vote matters. if you haven’t already, please download the mnet NEXT GEN Vote app onto your mobile device. instructions for how to vote for your favorite contestant will be outlined on the screen. live voting will open immediately following the final performance and remain active for twenty minutes. the results of the competition will be decided by a combination of the judges’ scores and the audience votes.”
a qr code link to the app store and instructions on how to download the app are played on the television screen; in the concert hall, they’re shown on the large screens on either side of the stage that jian stands on.
“now, it’s my pleasure to introduce to you for the final time gracing the NEXT GEN stage, our company representatives who are judging this competition! please welcome YUNA, representing LIME ENTERTAINMENT; SEO RAN, ceo of SR MEDIA; and YOON JIHUN, ceo of STUDIO DELTA!”
the judges appear from some previously unseen door one by one as they’re announced, each waving to the crowd and smiling as they take their seats. as they get settled, the crowd also quiets.
“our contestants are battling it out for a trainee contract with one of the three companies represented here today,” jian reminds the crowd and builds the hype for the competition to come, “as representatives for the next generation of kpop, your votes will help shape the futures of three of the biggest companies in the industry.”
“shall we get started?” she breaks out into a wide grin as a wild cacophony of screams and applause erupts from the crowd in front of her. of course, they’ve all waited weeks for this moment. “then let’s welcome all of our remaining contestants to the stage!”
the lights dim as jian exits the stage and an impossibly louder roar sounds from the crowd. after a moment of silence, the opening notes of my turn can be heard playing and the lights change, purple in honor of the branding of the show. the introduction plays on repeat over and over until the silhouettes of the contestants finally appear on stage, earning another enthusiastic round of cheers, and finally the bright lights are raised as the first performance of the night begins.
as they had been during the mcountdown filming, SEO JUNHO and MOON SAEA are once again in center stage. positions have been shifted a bit since other contestants have left the show yet still there’s noted improvement among all of the contestants since their first performance as a large group. it’s clear that the past several weeks of trainee bootcamp, so to speak, has really helped the idol wannabes hone their skills.
my turn comes to an end and the contestants hold their finishing poses for a moment before breaking to greet the audience, smiling, waving, and throwing hearts to the fans who have been supporting them all this time. finally, the faceless viewers are real, tangible people in front of them. it may be an awe-inspiring moment for all of the contestants.
with a few final waves, the contestants retreat backstage as jian once again takes control of the event. “can we get another round of applause for all of our next gen participants?” she barely has to ask the crowd before they’re once again screaming their approval and enthusiasm. “thank you, thank you. it’s been a long journey to make it to this point in the competition. there’s been many ups and downs along the road and we had to say goodbye to so many of our friends who couldn’t be here with us tonight. the contestants who remain should be proud to stand on this stage. it’s a huge testament to their skills and potential to continue to grow in this industry.”
it’s clear, however, that the audience has no interest in being lectured to about the skills of their favorite contestants. of course not. the producers know this, and that would be why they’ve prepared a vcr to play while the first performance gets dressed and ready backstage.
“before we welcome our first performance, REALIZE TEAM, to the stage, we have a quick announcement to make regarding one team member, SATO KOU. due to personal circumstances, kou has withdrawn from the competition. realize team is performing as a four-member group today.”
disappointed murmurs from kou fans in the audience echo around the venue. however, they’re quickly replaced by excited chatter as the screen once again shows a practice room with four contestants rehearsing their never before seen original song for the competition.
traveling back in time to the days leading up to the concert, CAMERON and NAYOUNG sit on opposite ends of a small practice room during a break in their lessons. “well, call us the princess switch,” cameron jokes, though nayoung doesn’t seem to take it very well at first. why would she? cameron rubbing in her face that he had soared in the judges’ ranks while she fell so dramatically can’t come across all that nicely.
“funny,” nayoung responds, clearly not finding it funny at all.
somehow, though, cameron salvages the situation. “i think we’re going to switch again is what i mean,” he explains. though nayoung remains somewhat unconvinced, she at least looks a little less annoyed with her company.
“i honestly… gave up for a while. i’m mad at myself for that.” nayoung sits in the interview room, sharing her story to the cameras in her calm, matter of fact way. “but i won’t give up this time, even if i fail. i will become a trainee again one way or another, and i have the next gen judges and producers to thank for believing in me so i would believe in myself again.”
cameron, a former idol to nayoung’s former trainee experience, opens up as well in his interview. “this was all i really knew for a period of my life and it was something i expected to be doing for many more years. having a taste of it again, i don’t think i’ll ever not miss it.”
“i know my opinion isn’t the one that counts here, but i think you’re going to place well.” the scene returns to the practice room where cameron gives a little extra confidence to nayoung. “people like to see a fighter, they don’t like boring people.”
all nayoung says in reply is “we’ll see.”
another time, another place, another reunion from the first episode comes back to the screen. JUNHO and NOEL hadn’t had the best start, but it’s clear that both are on a better path now. it’s noel who extends the olive branch first, swearing to the other, “jun, i promise i’ll take this seriously, so let’s promise to make a good performance.”
“you’d better,” despite the half-threat, junho’s arm is wrapped around the other man’s neck rather playfully. “you’d done well so far, though. I’m proud of you. let’s both keep doing well to the very end, yeah?”
junho’s interview interrupts their heartwarming scene for a moment, adding a little context to his earlier actions and highlighting the personal growth he’s had throughout next gen. “i think learning to work in a team was really hard,” he explains, “i’ve always been an independent person, and i was a little impatient and short-tempered at first, but i think the show has really helped me work on that, and i think now i actually really enjoy working with other people.”
“i’ve gotten scolded a lot,” noel’s turn in front of the camera interrupts junho from going any deeper into thought. “i had kind of just guessed i’d be going home soon, but somehow i didn’t, somehow i really made it to the finals.”
back in the practice room, the pair are already getting to work. “so what would you suggest we begin with first? learning the choreography or our lines?” noel asks.
“let’s get the lines down first.”
it’s clear that this team was particularly motivated to do a good job.
the vcr comes to a close and again, the lights on stage turn on and reveal the four teammates ready to begin their performance. perhaps nayoung stands out at first, the only woman among three other men. the rhythmic song is admittedly better suited for a boy group than a girl group or co-ed performance, but somehow she manages to blend in well with the boys. the attention she draws to herself is only for the right reasons. the entire team works well together, their weeks of practice paying off as the song finally comes to a close and they take their final poses, the cameras capturing each ending fairy shot dutifully as the fans scream their approval.
as the crowd begins to settle, the judges lean forward in their seats, each ready to give their final words of wisdom to the trainee wannabes before them.
yuna is the first to speak, holding her microphone to her lips and waiting for the audience to quiet before she begins. “first of all, i want to congratulate you and everyone backstage for making it to the final episode of next gen.” she pauses as the crowd cheers once again. “nayoung, is it hard being the only girl on stage?” she smiles sympathetically, perhaps knowing better than most what it’s like to be a one-woman show. “you did well today. we were glad to see you work so well with a team when the odds were likely against you. thank you for listening to our advice. and thank your teammates as well for complimenting you so nicely. you all did a fantastic job.
“noel,” ran smiles in a way that betrays none of her actual thoughts, “you’ve grown a lot during these last few weeks. have you noticed? the first time you stood in front of us, we had to scold you for not taking this seriously. i’m glad we did. ever since then, you’ve improved leaps and bounds. congratulations. cameron, you had a lot less to learn than noel did. but you’ve been a reliable presence for your fellow contestants. your teammates should thank you for being someone they don’t have to worry about. goodness knows that can be difficult to find.”
the crowd roars again and though he looks a bit annoyed, jihun has to wait for a lull before he can speak. “junho,” he addresses the contestant directly, “i want to compliment you on your thoroughness. you’ve been a particularly dedicated performer this entire competition. that’s why we made you a center for my turn. we saw how you practiced everything for this stage, even changing outfits between songs. no one else would have thought of that. your professionalism is to be admired.”
“oh, and noel,” jihun adds, “thank you for noticing we’re not losers.” the judges and audience all laugh together.
as the contestants are dismissed from the stage, jian appears again to introduce the next team. “our next performance is HUG TEAM,” jian announces. fans of the contestants in the first performance give their wildest cheers. “let’s take a look at how they’ve prepared for tonight,”
the huge monitors on stage change from a close-up of jian’s face to a wide shot of a practice room. for the viewers at home, the television screen is filled with the same scene rather than a recording of the stage. the team is shown learning their song, recording the vocals, and perfecting the choreography together. but nerves get to them nonetheless. how could they not with the final results upon them?
but the long competition seems to have taken its toll on the contestants. SARANG is seen cozying up to SEOJUN during a break in rehearsal, both taking a moment to catch their breath and recharge amid the pressure to push themselves to their physical and mental limits.
“what are you listening to?” sarang asks rather innocently, bonding with all of his teammates right up until the last moment. “was it ‘hug’ or something else?”
“it’s something else. i was actually listening to a song by vertex. their song fighting got my attention,” seojun responds.
a moment later, he’s seen in the interview room, smiling, nearly laughing, as he recounts the events of their practice. “getting to know sarang was nice. i hope we get to keep in touch after this. i wouldn’t mind being his friend.”
the scene changes and seojun is still in the practice room, but now it’s HANEUL who joins him. “i want to show the best side of me during the finale,” haneul says to his friend, holding up a fist to encourage them both as he monitors his own practice on a screen in front of him.
“i know you’ll do just that. each performance you’ve been doing has been amazing hannie,” seojun gushes in response.
it’s haneul’s turn in the interview room and chemistry seems to be the name of the game for this team. “i’m glad the audience voted the way they did ... i’ll forever be grateful they let me compete with seojun instead of against him.” clips of the pair throughout the series plays as he finishes his sentence. they’re truly best friend goals, as far as the editors of the show are concerned.
but it’s not all friendship and sunshine. the competition before them is ever nearing the finale and nerves have gotten to some of the contestants DOHYUN and RENYI share a practice room, bantering back and forth before the atmosphere suddenly becomes somewhat serious.
“how’s it going?” dohyun is the one to ask the question first.
renyi plays it off lightheartedly, acting as if the question did not register with him at all, however there’s a certain intentionality to the lilt in his voice, the way he distracts himself by monitoring his rehearsal recording instead of dwelling on the question. “don’t ask me that,” is all he says, quickly turning the question back to dohyun instead, “how are you feeling about your parts?”
“good actually. well, so far,” the other young man responds.
“i'm really proud of my group,” dohyun in the interview room takes over the screen, “i think i did well, but i'm only as good as we are as a team. we all had something to show and what we brought worked well off of each other."
a few more clips of hug team practicing all together play across the screen in an emotional montage before slowly fading to black. a moment later, the lights come up on the stage and the team is there in person, waiting for the music to start and their performance to begin.
hug is a warm, playful sort of song that suits the members of this team. intentionally or not, each and every one of them seems fully immersed in their role and it’s clear that their hard work has paid off as they sing, dance, and rap to this song that has never been performed on stage by any other artist before. the camera pays attention to haneul in particular during his rap part— do the judges and audience remember when j-yoon instructed him not to worry about rap? he certainly has proved the guest judge wrong now.
as the song comes to a close, the audience lets out a wild cheer with screams of each member’s name combining into a garbled mess of unintelligible syllables. the audience seems to have been wooed by the cutesy performance and as the cameras pan to the judges for their reactions, their faces are filled with bright smiles.
yuna is again the first to speak, picking up her microphone and waiting for the audience to quiet before she begins. “you’ve all grown so much since we first saw your audition tapes. renyi, dohyun, you two have picked up the basics of dance and performance so well during your time here. sarang, you continue to impress us with your ability to command the stage. and haneul and seojun… you were adept performers coming into the competition and we’ve been so pleased to see you grow even more. this is our final episode, so i don’t have much critique left to give. bravo, everyone. you’ve done well!”
her statement is punctuated by the enthusiastic agreement of a noisy crowd. jihun is the next to pick up his microphone, though he actually shushes the audience rather than wait for his turn as yuna had. “let me speak,” he jokes with the crowd. a few laughs can be heard in response. “yuna said it all very well. you’ve all grown so much in a very short time. it makes it difficult for us to make the final decision. i will say, i know our audience chose this song for you all, but i’m not sure it suits all of your personalities very well. sarang and renyi suited this concept best, in my opinion. i would’ve liked to see dohyun, seojun, and haneul take on something a bit stronger… but never mind, that was out of our control. you all did well. great job.”
another loud cheer goes up from the crowd before ran is given the opportunity to give her final words to the team in front of her. “what is left to say?” she smiles warmly at hug team. “were you perfect? no. but you’re not debuting tomorrow, we don’t expect perfection even now. what’s great to see is how well you all perform in front of an audience. i think you all actually shine brighter in front of a crowd, though i know how nerve-wracking that can be. i have to say sarang really stood out in this performance. the concept suits you, as jihun said, but you also seem to have a natural ability to charm an audience. it’s something we love to see in sr media.” she smiles to herself as if in thought and the crowd takes the pause as an opportunity to cheer again. “you’ve all done a fantastic job. i can’t wait to see the results.”
“please give another round of applause to hug team,” jian asks the audience, who are more than happy to oblige as the contestants give one final greeting to the judges and crowd before exiting the stage.
there’s only one team left to perform and perhaps its the knowledge that the show is coming to an end soon, or maybe the contestants in this team are among the most beloved among fans, but there’s a certain tension in the air as jian prepares to announce the final team.
“before our last performance,” she smiles at the muffled groans of disappointment in the audience, “we’d like to remind everyone to make sure you have the voting app downloaded. and again, we’d like to thank everyone for the love you’ve shown all of the contestants, judges, coaches, staff, and myself throughout next gen. it’s thanks to you that we’re here in front of you performing like this today.”
after one final cheer, it’s time to introduce the final group. “now, without any more delay, please welcome TALES OF THE UNUSUAL TEAM!”
a loud cheer sounds from the crowd but just like with the other groups, the contestants do not immediately appear on stage. rather the lights dim and the screens give an inside view to the preparation that this team underwent for the performance today.
the scene opens on a practice room where JINYOUNG and JOOMI rehearse the song together, over and over again. perhaps it comes as a surprise, but the contestant known for his dance skills is the one making repeated mistakes, asking his practice partner to run it again with him over and over until both look like they’re about to collapse. when they finally take a break, it’s only by joomi’s request.
“hey, stop for a sec,” joomi rests a hand on jinyoung’s shoulder. the man flinches away from the contact. “are you alright?”
“i need to get this right,” is the only response that jinyoung has, a note of desperation in his voice. has the pressure of the competition gotten to him? how long has it been since he’s last taken a break?
“i’m hoping some of jinyoung and i’s luck last episode carried into this performance with saea and hyejin,” joomi explains to the cameras. it doesn’t look like jinyoung’s having very much luck right now, though. “i haven’t really had anyone support me like this before, so i didn’t know what to do about any of it. but in the end, i figured, ‘okay, i’m here, so many people want me to do well, so i’ll try not to disappoint them.’”
back in the practice room, it’s not joomi doing anything disappointing. jinyoung is visibly frustrated, likely with himself, and joomi offers the same sort of support he’s so grateful for from everyone else. “okay. you’re not going to get it right like this. you’re really stressed out and frustrated, so you’re going to have trouble focusing, and i think you’re going to keep making mistakes.”
jinyoung relents, accepting the fact that he needs to rest in order to improve. joomi offers him water.
in another practice room at a different time, the girls, SAEA and HYEJIN take a break of their own. their practice seems to be going much more productively and in their downtime, the girls discuss the stage.
“i was thinking red contacts maybe … but then i came across these white ones?” saea shows hyejin her phone and the screen cuts to clips of idols in other performances who have worn colored contacts similar to the girl’s idea. “maybe some of us have a pair, and some of us only have one? i think it would fit with vibe and theme of our song right?”
“ooo, red and white ones would be too perfect,” hyejin coos at the younger girl’s ideas, clearly very supportive of her teammate and friend. “they’d give off that creepiness we want. it will work perfectly for our song.”
the scene cuts to a beaming hyejin in the interview room, still buzzing with excitement. “the visuals and outfits we decided to go for were way too perfect. i’m forever thankful that saea had such great ideas,” she gushes. “staying in the character i wanted to convey for the performance was a bit hard.”
saea, on the other hand, almost seems too excited about getting into character, her enthusiasm rubbing off on her practice partner. “maybe we could do some bloody makeup … is that too much?”
“we’ll have to see what else they’d let us do for our concepts,” hyejin responds practically. how intense will this team’s performance actually get?
the audience will find out very shortly as the screens fade to black and the performers appear on stage bathed in red light. the first notes of the song begin and it’s clear that the four members of this team have completely immersed themselves in their roles; the cursed circus vibes of the song come through not just in the composition and choreography, but in the expressions on the performers’ faces. they smile with wide eyes, ingenuine and exaggerated by contact lenses it’s enough to send a shiver down even the bravest man’s spine. even jinyoung, who had been so uneasy in practice, seems to be dancing as if in a daze.
the song finally comes to a close and a humongous cheer from the crowd doesn’t seem to want to fade as each member smiles at the camera and waves to the audience in front of them. they know this is the last stage of next gen; perhaps they’re just loathe to say good bye to the show that has occupied their evenings for so many weeks.
eventually, the screams do die down long enough for jihun to pick up his microphone and speak. “that was… terrifying,” there’s a chuckle that runs through the crowd as jihun himself smiles. “as it should have been. i think ran will have a lot of good things to say about you all. but i have to be honest, i was a little disappointed. jinyoung, i feel like we didn’t see your best performance today. considering this is the finale, i can’t help but feel a bit let down. joomi, i know you had no say in this song, but i feel like i didn’t get to see you showcase your strongest skill, your voice. but that’s on the audience.” as may be expected, jihun’s comments are met with loud boos of disagreement.
“ignore him,” ran rolls her eyes before smiling more warmly at the contestants in front of her. “he was right about one thing, though. i do have a lot of good things to say. to miss saea in particular, i want to congratulate you for getting involved in the visual direction of your performance. i don’t know if the stylists had anything planned before you approached them, but the contacts and makeup really suited this concept. great job.”
yuna again waits for the cheers to quiet before speaking, directly to hyejin now. “congratulations on making it to the finale and being one of three young women left in the competition,” she smiles at the girl. “you’re a solid performer, hyejin, and we’ve appreciated seeing you come out of your shell during this competition. i still feel like we haven’t seen your full potential, though. don’t get me wrong, you’ve done an excellent job, but i just feel like you have more to give. i’m not sure what’s holding that back.”
the audience can’t seem to decide whether to boo at yuna as well or to cheer for the compliments she gave hyejin, but the chance to respond is taken away from them as jian once again commands their attention. “can we get another round of applause for all of our contestants?” she requests, and the crowd enthusiastically responds.
all of the contestants are welcomed back to the stage and everyone knows what this means; it’s time for the final results. how nervous they must all be as they watch as the judges whisper and discuss amongst themselves. it is their companies that will be signing the contracts, after all, and as much a business decision as it is a fun reality show. at the same time, jian announces that voting is open and the monitors are filled with instructions on how to vote. a hushed murmur falls over the venue, eerily quiet as the fans in the audience furiously vote for their favorites and the judges decide their own rankings amongst themselves.
even when the voting ends, an extra few minutes to factor in how they affect the judges’ scores and who the winners will be has yet to be calculated. in that time, the contestants on stage have a few moments to interact with the crowd.
finally, the music in the background changes and the lighting becomes rather intense, focusing in on jian as she holds a very important envelope in her hands. “i have the results of the next gen finale in my hand here,” she tells the crowd. they scream in response.
“before i read this, can we take a moment to give a big round of applause for our judges, including our guest judges and coaches throughout the series?” at her request, the audience lets out a huge roar of gratitude. “and thanks to the staff as well who have made this event and every episode a possibility,” another roar, “and thank you to mnet for producing this series.” again, they roar on command.
finally, jian seems to run out of ways to delay the results.
“we’ll start by announcing the grand prize winners. as a reminder, these three contestants have been offered a contract to all of the three companies represented here and may choose to join any one as a trainee.”
it’s the moment of truth, the final results that all contestants have been working for since first sending in their audition tapes months ago. the tension in the venue is thick enough to cut with a knife as participants and audience members alike wait with the utmost apprehension.
“our third-place winner, offered a contract to any of the three companies is… ZHOU RENYI!”
the cameras focus in on ren’s face as the crowd roars their approval and excitement. when it finally dies down, jian prepares for the next winner.
“in second place, offered a contract to any of the three companies is… LEE SEOJUN!”
another winner, another loud cheer, perhaps slightly louder than the last. the cameras focus on seojun, but they also glance at the other contestants who are undoubtedly wondering who the first-place winner and final recipient of any contract they desire will be.
“and in first place, the conqueror of next gen, with a contract to any company of their choice is… YEOM SARANG!”
the loudest cheer yet goes up for first place and the contestants take the time to hug and congratulate one another. before the runners up and remainder of the rankings are revealed, the judges speak up once more.
“congratulations to all three of you. you’ll be very successful no matter what company you choose. of course, i’m hoping to see you in our practice rooms,” jihun smiles at the winners, “make your decisions carefully. this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
“from this point, we’ll count down to our final ranks,” jian explains to the audience. “in fourth place, and offered a contract to lime entertainment, please congratulate SEO JUNHO!”
yuna smiles at the contestant offered a contract to her company as the crowd cheers again.
“in fifth place, with a contract offer for studio delta, MIN HYEJIN!”
the ceo leans back in his chair and smiles at hyejin as the crowd roars their approval of her award.
“in sixth place, offered a contract to sr media, MOON SAEA!”
ran stands and waves her hands to cheer along with the crowd, obviously excited to have saea as part of her company, should she accept the contract.
“in seventh place, with an offer from studio delta, PARK DOHYUN!”
again, jihun nods his approval along with the shouts of the audience, pleased with his decision to sign dohyun.
“in eighth place, offered a spot in sr media, LEE NAYOUNG!”
just as before, ran reacts enthusiastically by getting out of her seat and smiling as she waves her hands.
“our ninth place winner is the final contestant to be offered a contract on next gen,” the mood suddenly turns rather somber again as the remaining contestants suddenly feel the pressure of the final spot being filled. not everyone can win, there has to be some losers, but after so much hard word it’s undoubtedly so bitter to miss out at this point.
“i quickly want to say that we did want to give all of you a chance,” ran picks up her microphone quickly, unable to keep silent with all of the disappointment before her. “but it just wasn’t a good fit at this time. we all truly hope that you continue to improve your skills so we can see you on stage again soon. there will be other opportunities in the future.”
“in ninth place, with an offer from lime entertainment,” jian takes a breath, nervous herself as she reads off the final name, “LEE NOEL!”
the crowd cheers for noel’s victory, though the remaining contestants know that this is where their road ends for now. jian doesn’t draw the rankings out any further and instead announces tenth, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth place in rapid succession one after the other; CAMERON, JOOMI, HANEUL, and JINYOUNG.
“congratulations to all of the winners,” jian wraps up the results, smiling to the soon to be trainees. “and thank you again to everyone who has supported next gen.”
the show and program reaches its close, the final good byes said on stage among the new trainees and eliminated finalists and written thanks scrolling across the bottom third of the screen.
the episode opens with a long pan of the goyang sports complex and a few quick shots of the various participants as they prepare for a day of fun and games. the teams are introduced to the audience one member at a time, first with TEAM A, each member receiving a solo zoom of their faces as they’re introduced, followed by the members of TEAM B.
“we have a competitive group of contestants,” RHEE JIAN remarks, taking up her hosting duties today dressed in a purple tracksuit that matches NEXT GEN’s branding colors rather well. whether the wardrobe choice is intentional or a coincidence is never revealed, let alone discussed on camera. “some who look very athletically talented,” the cameras focus on MOON CAMERON, SEO JUNHO, and LEE NAYOUNG in particular, “and others who… don’t seem to enjoy sports as much,” there’s a laugh in jian’s voice while this time the cameras focus on YEOM SARANG, SATO KOU, and JUNG JOOMI.
as the episode progresses, the viewer is taken through the journey of the sports day. while it’s all fun and games, points are earned by the teams as they complete each event. they remain in close standings as they enter the final game, name tag, and it’s a fierce competition that brings out the fighting spirits in many of the contestants. ultimately, TEAM A is announced the winner of the day. their prize? bragging rights, mostly, though they’re also surprised by a barbeque dinner prepared with help from the staff. TEAM B is given ramyun as a consolation prize and the winning team can choose to share their dinner with them if desired.
ultimately, the day ends as a good bonding experience between all of the contestants, even those on different teams for the day. they’ve all faced similar struggles throughout the competition and the music in the background changes to something soft and sentimental. between scenes of the contestants eating, playing, practicing, and making friends with one another, their voices are heard speaking heartfelt messages.
“i wasn’t prepared for how hard this would be, for how much i needed to put into it, and putting my everything into this has tired me out,” LEE NOEL’s voice is heard, “it’s been difficult finding energy, it feels like my days keep repeating themselves, like it’s the same every day, with a new song sometimes. “i hope that with the energy you give me i can continue practicing hard, hard so i can improve, so i can show everyone that i deserve this, so i can show myself that i deserve this.”
CHO HANEUL is heard next, his letter overlaid with clips of him and seojun, his best friend. “we’ve been through thick and thin together, and whenever i felt unsure, i knew that i could do it since you were there. thank you for being my pillar and thank you for being there and thank you for being my best friend. let’s continue to support each other always and go through the finale and come out successful.”
in perfect response, LEE SEOJUN’s letter is to haneul, and is read next: “i know you’ll do well and deserve the best no matter if you think otherwise at times. i’ll be supporting you just like i know you’ll be supporting me.”
“i know at times i can come across as cold,” PARK DOHYUN’s clips show him slowly becoming friends with the other contestants on the show as his voice his heard over the images. “i don’t speak a lot and maybe it’s hard to befriend me, but they have all included me in their own ways and I can’t be more thankful for that.” it’s heartwarming to see a shy, almost stand-offish contestant become so beloved by his teammates.
it may be unexpected given her performance on the program so far but a vulnerable side of LEE NAYOUNG is shown on screen as she also reads her letter aloud. “i thought, after my last contract was terminated, that my life was over,” she confesses aloud, “it felt like coming back to what…i was supposed to be doing? i feel like i’m learning so much. i feel like i’m returning to my old self again, but maybe better.”
“for as long as i’ve been alive, you’ve been there to hold my hand whenever i was in need of support.” YEOM SARANG speaks next, “i know it hasn’t always been easy for you, and for us, but there’s nothing i want more than to help you carry the weight you’ve been sustaining all alone; to support you like you always support me.” he doesn’t cry, but the emotion in his voice is tangible even without the viewer seeing his face as he reads, just the clips of him working hard in practice and progressing through the show.
“it’s been hard, hasn’t it?” says MOON JINYOUNG, “not just for me, but you too. you’ve had to work hard too. harder than me, maybe. at least i’ve been chasing my dream. thank you for letting me do this. i’m afraid that when i blink i’ll wake up and it will have never happened. i’ve met so many of my heroes and so many new friends. i’ve learned so much. i don’t think i could ever regret this, even though it hasn’t always been easy.” there’s the vague sense that he might be holding back, that he’s not truly comfortable expressing deep feelings publicly, but the sentiment comes across nonetheless.
“i dedicate this letter to my sister seoyoon who’s back home in australia,” says MIN HYEJIN, a clip of her misty-eyed as she reads her letter aloud briefly appearing on screen before that too is taken over by clips of her progress throughout the show. “i miss you so much and wish i had the chance to come see you. it’s been too long. i love you unnie! thank you again for always being there to show me support no matter what i tried to do. i wouldn’t be here trying to pursue my dream again without you.”
ZHOU RENYI clears his throat once before his voice takes over. “don’t laugh, ok?” he requests before continuing, “somehow i’ve made it this far. sometimes i still don’t really understand where i am, or how i got here. i never thought i’d be sitting here, doing anything like this. i guess what i really have to say is thank you for supporting me. i’m trying my best here, and i don’t know if anything is going to come of it, but you’re like a brother to me, and honestly, i probably wouldn’t be here, on this planet still, without you.”
“i’m sure you’re surprised you made it this far, right?” SEO JUNHO speaks next, “we both know how much more room there is to grow. but i believe in you. i believe you can do it this time. remember what we always say? never give up, never back down. make sure people always remember seo junho.”
MOON SAEA speaks next, the compilation emphasizing clips of her with her brother, cameron, despite her letter being written to someone else. “i want you to know that i’m here now. i’ve succeeded in making it this far on next gen.” there’s a defiance to her words that contrasts the sappiness of some of the previous letters. “i’ll make you believe that i can make it as a dancer, and as a performer again.”
“like most families, we don’t always agree the same or have the same opinions,” MOON CAMERON naturally is heard next, the compilation naturally flowing to focus on him more than his sister. “i can’t thank my parents without thanking my sister as well. I am lucky to have her by my side. she is a pillar for me and keeps me going because I would never want to disappoint her or mom and dad. if i want the best for them, i have to also try my hardest.”
finally, JUNG JOOMI reads his letter to himself. “you’ve come a long way in a few months. you went from not caring what happened to wanting to make the people that believed in you proud, determined to do your very best. you sang notes you didn’t know you could. people like you. most days that’s still hard to believe, but some days it’s not, and there are a lot more of those days now than there were before.” the young man’s shuddering breath and the way he holds back his tears is heard as the scene changes to joomi in the interview room, reading his letter. it’s the final clip of this compilation. “thank you for not giving up.”
the screen fades to black and a moment of silence is left for the viewer to absorb and process the emotions of all of the contestants who shared their heartfelt messages. a short message fades into view: thank you to you, the viewer, for supporting all of the contestants in their journey.
finally, the scene changes back to jian on the next gen stage. “the next episode will be our finale,” she announces, presumably in front of all of the contestants remaining. “you’ll be performing one of three original songs chosen for you by our viewers. let’s reveal the teams now.”
member by member, the three teams are revealed to the viewer with a short clip of the demo tracks to remind everyone what they voted on.
“this is your last shot at impressing not just the judges, but also the audience who will be voting for you and helping to decide the winners,” jian cautious the contestants, “work hard and put on your best possible performance. the contestants who end up in the top three positions based on a combination of audience votes and judges’ evaluations will be offered a trainee contract to any company they choose.”
“that’s not to say that no one else will be offered a contract either,” she advises them, “the runner-ups will be offered contracts to one of the three companies. so everyone, do your best! we look forward to seeing you on stage!”
with that, my turn begins playing and the episode comes to a close.
During this journey with next gen, I think I need to send the biggest thanks and gratitude to my family. Like most families, we don’t always agree the same or have the same opinions- but they’ve supported me nonetheless. I know my parents worked very hard for our family and I can’t imagine the sacrifices and choices they had to make for me to be here today. I am so lucky to have grown with continuous support for my own choices whether it was when I decided to join clubs at school, learn piano, or to travel for my dreams.
I can’t thank my parents without thanking my sister as well. I am lucky to have her by my side. Even outside of her directly supporting, she is a pillar for me and keeps me going because I would never want to disappoint her or mom and dad. If I want the best for them, I have to also try my hardest. And I can do that with all of them in my life.
And lastly, I’m writing to thank myself. There were times I wanted to give up, times I did give up, and yet I am still here today, fighting for the same dream.
when next gen asks them to write letters, nayoung isn’t sure who to write to.
sure, she could write to her mother, who is likely watching nayoung on next gen like a hawk with her own success depending on it. her mother wants her to be successful. that’s all she’s ever really cared about, especially when she couldn’t find success herself.
her dad, on the other hand, still back in colorado...he wanted her to be successful too, but in a way that was softer. she spent years resenting him, after he injured his hands and lost his job as a surgeon, their family losing the money that came with his lucrative job. that injury meant her figure skating career down the drain, but...
the first survival show she was on, when she made it to the live finale and was eliminated, her dad was the one that called her and told her he was proud of her even though she lost.
she could write to herself, and tell herself she’s doing well, but she feels like she owes something to her dad. besides, with her recent choices in line distributions putting her near the bottom of the rankings, she figures it’s time she take a break from being so self-centered.
when she sits down, letter in hand, it’s one to her dad.
“dear dad,” she begins. “are you watching? we actually haven’t talked in a while. if you’re not watching, maybe i’ll send this to you later...but dad, i’m on tv! again,” she laughs a little. “i thought, after my last contract was terminated, that my life was over...but i saw the advertisements for next gen, and i prepared an audition even though i wasn’t sure i would submit it. i submitted it, though, and they chose me among thousands of people to be on the show. it took some getting used to; being in front of cameras and performing again, but at the same time, it felt like coming back to what...i was supposed to be doing? i had a bit of a rough start, or a start that wasn’t...very memorable. i tried to prove myself for the center challenge, and rose in the ranks, but didn’t reach the heights i wanted to.”
“when i reached first place, it was actually very unexpected. it was during a rap challenge, of all things. i was so happy. i dropped pretty far this past round, but...i feel like i’m learning so much. i feel like i’m returning to my old self again, but maybe better? i think my skills are coming back to me really quickly, and i’m improving here, and i might also be having more fun? i have friends on this show with me, and other people i want to see succeed. it’s a good feeling.”
“i haven’t seen you in a while. maybe, after the show is over, i’ll facetime you or something, no matter what happens. thank you for your support, and teaching me how to love music. i hope i can keep making you proud. love, nayoung.”
dear sister,
moon jinyoung writes and reads a letter for his sister, moon sooyoung, for next gen
jinyoung has never been much of an academic. he freely admits that he probably should never have even graduated high school with the abysmal state his classwork and test grades were in. he thought that he would never have to write another essay ever again, let alone read his shitty work in front of the class (or cameras, in this case), and yet... here he is. a notebook balanced on his lap as he sits on the stool, trying to remain cool and calm despite being asked to pour his heart out for the world to see.
he prefers to keep his secrets. moon jinyoung grew up knowing better than to rely on anyone else and the world taught him to keep his vulnerabilities hidden away, close to his chest where no one could get at them. he wonders if he’s the weird one, if no one else had any apprehension about the task that was given to them. but there was no denying it. the best he could do is keep it vague, to say the things that he knows the show wants to hear instead of what he really feels. maybe it will come across as fake. he’s not sure that he actually cares.
“i wrote this to my sister, sooyoung,” he explains as he straightens the paper in front of him, smoothing the top page of the notebook with a hand as he prepares to read. he takes a deep breath. “um, she’s the most important person in my life,” he doesn’t want to tell the world his tragic backstory. not yet.
the young man clears his throat one last time before he begins to read.
“dear sooyoung,” he wets his lips with his tongue; is he too visibly uncomfortable with all of these nervous tics? “it’s been hard, hasn’t it? not just for me, but you too. i know i’m waking you up when i’m leaving to film early in the morning and when i come home from set late at night. you’ve had to work hard too. harder than me, maybe. at least i’ve been chasing my dream. thank you for letting me do this.”
he really wouldn’t be here without sooyoung picking up extra hours at the salon, forgoing his portion of the rent while his job at the studio is put on hold for this opportunity. she’s a saint, an absolute legend. jinyoung is sure that the long days and the empty apartment wore on her too. he’s lucky to have a sister who supports him not just with words, but with everything she has.
“i think i’ve been doing well. i’m improving every day, i feel myself getting closer to my dream. i hope it comes true. this has been an incredible experience and i’m afraid that when i blink i’ll wake up and it will have never happened. i’ve met so many of my heroes and so many new friends. i’ve learned so much. i don’t think i could ever regret this, even though it hasn’t always been easy.”
jinyoung is loathe to expose too much weakness. he doesn’t dare delve any farther into his own struggles than that, or even to reveal any more about his personal life on camera. he shifts in his seat, suddenly hit with a new was of mild discomfort.
“keep cheering for me. i’ll see you soon. love, jinyoung,” he finishes reading his letter and looks up, making eye contact with the camera. jinyoung sighs. “well, that’s done with,” he breathes quietly, steadying the unwelcome nerves as best as he can. “sorry it was short. my sister and i aren’t really the sentimental type, usually.”
𝐀𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐋, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑
Jun reflects on the sports day…
𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓: 562 words
Another interview, another chance to think back on what had occurred. Jun’s beginning to like these interviews. Thinking back over everything makes it easier to remember later on, when he wants to recall fond memories. He’s ready, and he thinks he might be getting better at this—more relaxed as time goes on and figures out how best to word what he wants to say. He’s not got much to say that could be misconstrued this time, anyway. Not when he enjoyed the sports day more than anyone else, probably. Jun readies himself, straightening his posture and looks at the interviewer beside the camera, watching as she shuffles papers and takes a sip of water. He does the same, just to make sure his voice sounds clear. Then, they begin.
“So, did you enjoy the sports day? What game was the most fun?”
Easy. “I think I enjoyed it more than anyone else, frankly. I love sports. I love keeping active and staying on the move. The more I tire myself out in a day, the better I sleep, and I love a good nights sleep. Who doesn’t, right? As for my favourite game... I think dodgeball. I’ve always loved it, and I’m good at it. Name tag was great fun, but I’m loyal to my favourite game, and I think I showed my skills off quite nicely.” He’d enjoyed every second their relaxation day, running and jumping and leaping and bending, not to mention all the laughing he’d done during Name Tag.
“What part of today was most relaxing as you head toward the finale?”
“Honestly, spending more time just having fun with people I’ve grown really close to over the past few weeks. Not everyone is still here, and I’m still dealing with that, missing them, feeling guilt over not doing more for them. It’s tough, but this sports day helped me take my mind off all the burdensome aspects of the show, and how anxious I am about the finale, and what it may hold. Being able to just spend one day really just having fun all together was exactly what I needed.”
"Are you worried about the finale?”
“Of course I am, I think everyone is. Obviously I want to do well. I want my ranking to go back up. I’ve been steadily dropping in the past couple weeks... and it’s hard to watch that and keep my morale up. But this is the last chance to show I can do it, that I can get back that number one spot. I got there once, so I can do it again.”
“When you wrote your letter, did you have anyone else in mind that you thought about writing to?”
“I decided to write to myself because, while I have some people I’d have liked to write to, like my best friend, the things I would say to him are probably a bit too soppy to air on television. I didn’t want to ruin my tough-guy image with the kind of things I’d write to him. He’s my rock, though, and I couldn’t have made it through this show without him. But yeah, I wrote to myself because I think I needed to talk to myself and recenter myself for the finale. To remind myself of my goals and what I need to focus on. Now that I’m so close.”
doing another interview again, seojun felt a bit bittersweet. he knew this would be one of the last times he’d be in here. it would be missed at least from him. it had become apart of his routine along with all the practicing and performing. he wasn’t going to cry over it but deep down he knew he’d reminisce about it later on when he got to go back to what he considered normal. Though his normal routine was always dancing whenever he had a chance while taking breaks to spend with friends and his cat but he couldn’t get enough of it.
what game was the most fun?
seojun knew he wasn’t an athlete in the slightest but he enjoyed himself the whole time during every game he participated in. his only athletic things he did was ice skating but he didn’t think that gave him much leeway at all with any of this. “name tag was the most fun. i’m surprised i took someone’s tag and got away without being chased down or cornered.” he chuckles as he remembers the look on the other’s face as he dashed off with it. “i even ran into haneul as well, which was a relief. i thought i would have been caught again before getting the chance to hide.” it calmed his beating heart then and he wasn’t against having a chance to be beside his best friend. the flirt though he didn’t wanna mention, knowing he’d become a stuttering mess during this interview.
what part of today was most the relaxing/reinvigorating?
“getting to cheer on my team during the relay was the most relaxing.” he knew he didn’t participate in that event but he cheered on the few teammates who did. he felt he could run but with other watching, he seemed to have mishaps at times that he didn’t want shown on tv. “it was nice getting to keep hyping them up to do their best and just watch them do their best. i was proud no matter the outcome.” it was true and he appreciated how hard everyone did during the sports day.
what was it that you discussed there with noel during a little break there?
“we were catching up about last episode as well as making plans to spend time together after. he likes seeing dance so i’m all for inviting him to do more often.” he smiles slightly as he recalls everything that they got to talk about. noel was another close friend and if he got the chance to be beside him more, he wasn’t against it at all.
are you worried about the finale?
“i am. i wanna take everything that i’ve learned and make the finale the best it can be. i know that will be a lot but i’m up for the challenge.” he gives a bright smile, a determined look in his eyes. “if anything i wanna be able to stand out as well as get to show my best performance at the end of the day. i want the judges to see that everything they’ve been saying is sticking and helping me improve for the better to make my final performance memorable in a good way.”
sure he knew he didn’t stand out during the last episode but he was ready to do so this time and make sure his team got the best turn out. he was a fast learner and was going to use his skills to make this the best way to end next gen. the perfectionist in him wasn’t going to expect anything less.
