On Saturday, July 21st, an announcement is posted on Royal Entertainment’s official website detailing the requirements for anyone interested in special audience entry into Luxe’s debut showcase on July 30th. With a limited 3000 audience member capacity, those who would like to attend the showcase must arrive promptly at Jangchung Arena by 6:30PM. The gates will officially open at that time and will close before the show begins at 8PM. Latecomers will not be allowed entry, with or without a ticket.
Tickets will cost 16K KRW each and can be bought online on Royal’s official ticketing website starting July 25th, at midnight. Alternatively, tickets can be bought in person at the Arena on the 30th and will be distributed there only on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Lastly, members of Luxe have been given four free tickets each, to be given to family or friends of their choice. These tickets are special, as they not only allow entry into the concert but serve as MVP passes for backstage access after the performance concludes. An informal meet-and-greet will be held a half-hour after the show finishes, and those given these special passes will be allowed to greet the Luxe members for an hour after the show. Drinks and food will be provided for the meet-and-greet gathering, free of charge.
like most nights, she’s barely able to keep her eyes closed. within the long hours, the fading of night to day, she listens well to the way seolhyun’s rustling on the other side of her stills and wanes. jihyun’s glad she’s not the only one restless as the day of their debut nears. in just a few hours they’d have to wake and prepare.
and in a blink of an eye, it comes too soon. just a second ago, she had thought she was lying, sleepless in her bed -- fingers folded over the comforter as she watched dizzying blotches be made along their ceiling. the next she was standing backstage, getting mic-ed and fussed over because of how the button on her microphone pack wasn’t snapping in.
it was all happen too fast, was she even ready?
in the back of her mind, her worries tumble in. did her cousins, jeno and hyunjoon, get to the venue alright -- did sunmi end up coming? did rome manage to? was all her rehearsing enough? what if her voice cracked? or worse -- what if she tripped during the change in formations. they were all fears whose realizations had come startlingly too clear moments before the beginning.
they had gone through the pre-showcase conference as smoothly as it could have went. she replied as polite and as honestly as she could without giving away too much. she evaded the dating questions with ease, ‘ah, dating? i don’t really have much time for that -- i have too much love for my fans for a personal relationship.’ sparking laughter more than she should have -- probably winking a little too much, flirting far too often with her fans. but alas, it was all done with -- what could she do now that it was over.
jihyun tries to breath, once through the nose and the rest out between plump lips, wetten by a nervous tongue. this was an opportunity of a lifetime and it had come all too soon.
it was time.
she can feel her tears prickling at the corners of her eyes and it takes all her might to not cry then and there. didn’t she promise them she’d keep her tears for after the showcase? for after their debut stage on the music programs they were to head over to? she had so many promises up her sleeve and a world of expectations on her shoulders, they were so many and in them, jihyun found herself faltering. teeth digging deep into the red of her bottom lip, coloring it white.
she was going to be strong, she was the leader -- she didn’t have any other choice.
they gather together, huddled so closely jihyun could feel their heat. so close, she wondered if they could hear the erratic beating of her troublesome heart. or was it painstakingly clear on her face how absolutely terrified she was feeling? it was like no other -- an emotion that raked her entire being, something, quite honestly, jihyun had never once felt before.
this was different. she wanted to have only one beginning -- and today, it would be it.
today was the day -- they were finally going to make their debut: and it terrified her.
she gulps as shoulders brush against hers, and she’s closing her eyes tight. had she ever felt such a fear like she did now?
jihyun was practically shaking, a slight buzz in her step as she looks around at the others -- each face an emotion varying from her own. a mixture of excitement, adrenaline, and nerve-wracking volumes were raging among them. another buzz to add to her already intoxicated state.
she was the leader -- she should say something right? somewhere, somehow she finds her voice. a cough spilling from parted lips as she musters up a smile in the midst of her nerves. jihyun doesn’t even know where to start. “can you believe it, guys?”
“we’re finally here.” she almost whispers but it’s louder in her ears than ever. it’s repetitive, rewinding itself over and over again as she stumbles over her next words and the tears are in her throat again. “we all practiced so hard for the past seven months, and even more before that. we all want this, and today is the day we take what’s ours.” her voice softens, eyes downcast as she tries to repress the tears from coming once more -- they’re there, threatening to breach but she keeps her foot down, hands tightening around eunae’s as a precaution. “i am so happy it’s you guys that are standing beside me because there’s no way i could have made it through the last few months without any of you by my side.” her laughter smothers her voice, enough that eyes go thin and her lips spread far too wide that her hands tighten around the others’ tighter, harder to keep her ingrained on reality. hands loosen so they can loop around the other’s shoulders in another form of attachment as she glances from left to right, each face now drawn on the very back of her hand, for the next six years -- they were luxe.
“we did it!” she squeals in a way that’s oddly reminiscent of that old legally blonde character, elle woods and it has her shaking her head -- and her nerves -- because of it.
“today, tonight, tomorrow -- we’re luxe, and we’re going to motherfucking shine so bright -- they’re not going to have any choice but to look away.” she hushes the curse on her lips and smiles just as bright; shaky fingers raking through her hair before she momentarily realizes she had messed up the muse the stylists had made for her. she feels seolhyun’s fingers combing it back into place and jihyun’s hip habitually bumps into hers in thanks before her eyes graze the others once more, admiration shining so proudly in obsidian black. a magnification of their emotions spilling out of her in words flowing too quickly and perhaps a bit too breathlessly.
“luxe is love, luxe is life.” she laughs, quoting that one wretched shrek reference.
and in her laughter, their arms close around one another -- the hug making it harder to breath and she finds herself more light-headed than she already was. it lasts a second longer before they’re parting and moving towards the stage, pitch black and blind to their surroundings as the actual static of the audience fills in the silence that had invaded her eardrums.
it was now ( nevers no longer applied ) .
she squeezes eunae’s hand, again, a little reminder to keep herself grounded before finally letting go. she needed it -- to keep herself from floating too high into the sky, willing gravity to take it’s course over her body despite the flighty feeling turning in her stomach.
but where was the harm in flying so close to the sun? luxe would be her wings.
( hadn’t she always wanted to fly? )
it was time for her to take flight -- fingers hover over her ear monitor as she hears the music start up. it’s her personal favorite, 아슬해, that gets the ball rolling and jihyun can’t have it any other way.
the roar of applause, the crowd, themselves, is far larger, louder than she had expected. then it hits her, they were all there to see them, luxe -- the new girls on the block. they were all anticipating what they had to offer. and it was jihyun’s own determination that egged her on -- she didn’t want to disappoint.
the song is over faster than she’d like. the spotlight is hot, blistering on stage but jihyun can’t help feeling lighter than air as she takes the mic in her hands and bows almost immediately before rising, her signature ‘v’ sign flying close to her eyes as she winks at the crowd, “hello, i’m luxe’s cheri. goddess of the moon.” unlike the others, jihyun found herself struggling more -- wondering what title she could take up. it was probably more unrealistic on her part -- calling herself the moon goddess but soohyun had eased her into it.
( “you're the moon goddess!” soohyun had said, “a warrior protecting love and justice!” smile spilling over the screen during one of their daily facetime sessions. )
she liked to think she was keeping a part of soohyun with her as she took the moniker by name, plastered it onto her identity as a part of herself. she had always wanted soohyun beside her, at this moment, perhaps -- from this, she could be.
jihyun turns over the microphone as they begin picking favorites -- different songs rolling off of different tongues. her own favorite spoken finding a mate to bond over in the minutes they do so. jihyun can’t help but laugh as she smiles over at their youngest. “like xayah, mine is definitely thrilling. it just has that something. and it’s so different than our title that it really shows off our versatility, in a way. but i also love is still falls the rain, i think it’s a song a lot of people can relate to when they’re heartbroken and missing someone.”
still falls the rain is no other word but somber, yet it holds its notes in melancholy -- a sinking feeling of sadness, bittersweet tragedy that jihyun knows she should feel nostalgic to. but it doesn’t hold a candle to today, those feelings were once a part of her but as the song ends and her voice fades, so do those feelings. she lets go of her past to welcome her future. that was all she needed to think about today.
when the topic of memories comes about, jihyun finds herself fiddling with her thumbs in anticipation -- not that she was eager to share stories, intimate and affectionate as they all were with one another, moreso that she wasn’t sure which would be appropriate because of how intimate and affectionate they were with one another behind closed doors.
( also the fact that it spoke volumes on how loud they were when they were out of earshot from their company building and only had their manager to stop them )
“i think a lot of our memories revolve around food because a lot of us,” she eyes the girls pointedly, “love food. but another memory, and forgive that it is once again, about food -- is when seolhyun and seoyoung were trying to get us to eat a little more healthily. they tried to replace our rice with cauliflower! and of course, a lot of us -- having been so used to rice as being ... well, grains, were so shocked and refused to eat it. also because, well -- rice is rice, why would you want to change a good thing? it was to a point where we just had to say veto it. there was also the brownie incident -- and that also didn’t go very well ... let’s just say, i don’t think avocados and i are friends anymore.”
“and that time we all went to the bath house together but --” she presses a finger to her lips, a teasing grin on her lips. “i think you guys have heard enough of our adventures.”
the leader, fingers toying with the ends of her dark hair, leaves the rest for their imagination -- and slightly pales as she wonders if she’s left a little too much to be imagined. it’s something she dwells on more than she should, yet finds slipping through her fingers as she’s ushered away from the stage to prepare for their last act -- their title song.
the nerves from before are long gone because in just a few short minutes, the night would be over and jihyun would say that they had finally -- fucking finally -- debuted.
so, the breath departs from red lips when she hears dawon’s voice sound around the hall and a smile easily splits lips apart in a way that could only be from pride. the motions she’s practiced day in and day out the past seven months begin -- muscle memory taking over more than anything as she presses her fingers against the mic taped to her cheek.
when she flies to the center her grin is almost immediate, crystal white as she sings -- fingers all the more ready to press into her cheek as she belts out note after note, the harmonized backtracking she hears urge further. the added support all she needs as she sings the words that are more than memorized, they’re a part of her daily repertoire these days. she couldn’t even speak without thinking of the words in the song.
jihyun can feel the adrenaline beneath her fingertips, through her veins, raging against her beating heart. it was almost over.
˟ ✦ —————— I’M FEELING IT, I FEEL GOOD
the start of the beginning, she thinks as she’s breathing hard when the song fades and the lights fade from spotlights to gleam over the stage as a whole.
as they stand at the end, her tears are again at the corners of her eyes. and she’s at the last of her wits to keep them from falling, she’s emotional -- far too much to be controlled as she holds the microphone in her hands. her small, shaking hands that quiver at each word she speaks.
“thank you so much for coming to our debut showcase! please anticipate more from luxe as we continue our journey as idols. listen to luv game, please buy our album and stream happily! we’re extremely thankful everyone came out to see us and we’ll do our absolute best to never let you down. we’d like to thank everyone for coming to see us, to noh jihoon sunbaenim for helping us with mc-ing for this very special event, to our staff and managers for sticking with us and continuing to do so and most importantly, to our ceo, so jisub sajangnim, for believing in us and wholeheartedly entrusting us the title of luxe. we could only shine so bright because of your faith in us, thank you so much.” she bows, her hand on her heart; feeling the heavy thumps beneath the pads of clammy fingertips. her breathing growing even heavier as she feels the tremble in her lips. “from the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much, again. and please get home safely. bye, for now ~ !”
when it was all said and done, as the lights on the stage finally give out and they’re behind curtains do the tears fall and all jihyun wants are for strong arms to wrap tight -- never let me go -- around her.
LUXE 💎 SIXTH EVALUATION
debut showcase!
july 30, 2018
4:55 pm.
while looking at her reflection in the mirror, eunae can barely recognize herself. where has her tomboyish image gone to? all she sees is this tall, pretty girl in a dress just like the ones her mother always dreamed of putting on her. but she doesn’t feel very in sync with that girl, as if it’s not her own body she’s looking at. when she thinks of herself, eunae pictures how she looked at seventeen when she first came to korea. blonde, tomboyish, cheeks still chubby from the remnants of childhood. but that’s not what she’s seeing right now and it shocks her. she became a woman, simple as that.
she looks at the other girls with a mix of excitement and pride. they all look sublime, but her gaze lingers on sona in particular. the girl looks banging but of course that’s just her biased opinion. “is it me or it’s getting hot in here?” she whispers playfully as she walks right by, nudging her side before standing in line as they prepare to go up on stage for the press conference. they practiced a multitude of questions but of course there isn’t a definite way to know which ones are gonna pop out. she doesn’t doubt royal has some control over it, but they still have to be on their toes.
and up they go, six goddesses greeting the mortals in front of them.
6:00pm-7:00pm.
she’s definitely back in her element this time, wearing tight-fitted black pants and a crop top of the same color. it compliments her figure nicely and makes her even taller than she already is. her hair is tied up in a complex ponytail and french braids and she looks fierce as hell with her makeup on. a girl’s got hype herself up, doesn’t she? and it’s not just her, they all look extremely different than they did earlier. all in dark colors, all in feminine yet very badass clothing. the stylist did a very good job of highlighting each one of their personalities and in a way it even suits the goddess title they chose for themselves.
her nerves start acting up as she looks at each minute go by. she’s restless, even more than usual and the hairstylist has to remind her multiple times not to move or else it’ll take even longer to get her ready. while it’s easier said than done, she manages to stay still long enough for them to finish and soon she’s left to be nervous on her own, with only the other girls as support.
she thinks of her family who have bought their tickets long ago online. her dad, her mom, her two sisters, her brother joey. and she thinks of the four special people she gave her mvp tickets to. yoohyeon, her best friend and probably biggest fan to this day. lisa, her dearest other half during royal survival. bambam, her cousin and the one person that can keep up with her energy and sense of humor. and last but not least, her brother yien. the one person she wanted most to come see her. the one person she wants to impress, and make proud. he’s already been her model, her hero. despite what he thinks he’s worthy of every bit of love that she can possibly give him. and she wants to show him that she worked hard and stuck to something besides soccer for the first time in her life. that she’s found a new passion.
the clock ticks, and the showcase grows nearer.
8pm.
after a heartfelt and emotional speech from their leader cheri, the girls all pull each other into a tight hug. eunae isn’t sure if she ever wants to let go because then it’ll mean the showcase is actually happening, that they’re going on stage and facing the three THOUSAND people who bought a ticket. there are for sure a lot of their loved ones inside the venue, but also strangers. complete strangers who found them interesting enough to spend hard-earned money on a ticket. it’s beyond her wildest imagination and god knows her imagination is wild already.
“let’s do this girls!” xayah calls out joyfully, right hand currently crushed by tiny but powerful cheri. there’s no going back now, they’re debuting. they’re doing this and they will kill it because that’s what they’ve been training and waiting for all these months.
they’re finally about the experience the results of their hard work. and not only theirs, but all of the staff at royal who participated in this debut. she can’t wait to see the reactions, to see where it’ll bring them. the future looks bright right now, so bright it’s almost blinding.
the first vcr starts to play and the girls get ready. the first song performed is not their title track, but what’s probably the most sensual one out of the album. at first listen she wasn’t a big fan of dangerous, just because it’s not her cup of tea and what she thinks she does best. but working alongside members like ella, cheri, sona, yena and celine, she was bound to actually improve her level of sexiness on stage. yoo jaekyung told her to exploit the strength and that’s her intensity. she’s intense in everything she does, from her gaze to her movements and that’s what sets her apart. she’s learned how to regulate it, tone it down during certain parts and go all out for others and that advice actually helped her accept that she can, in fact, be sexy.
luv me comes next and it’s such a contrast. it’s still in tune with the rest of the songs but there’s a definite quirkiness to it that eunae likes. i feel good remains her favorite to this day and it’ll never change but the choreography is so light-hearted and fun that the pleasure they have on stage can be felt by the audience. there isn’t one person who isn’t smiling right now.
for a while she tries to find her friends and family in the crowd, but the lighting makes it pretty difficult to see anything at all so she gives up quickly and focuses on what she needs to do instead. once luv me is over noh jihoon steps in, applauded by the crowd and the girls greet him, still breathing heavily from their earlier performance. from this moment forward she’s not jo eunae, nor is she bekah tuan. “i’m xayah, goddess of fire!” and there it is, her official stage name and title. they said to choose wisely but she didn’t have to think much before she settled on this one. it not only is a perfect match with xayah but it’s also her zodiac element, and just a word that describes her well in general. she’s always been told that there’s fire inside her, to not let it consume her. well, she never did and instead tamed it, which led her to where she is tonight. in front of all these people, greeting them as luxe’s main rapper xayah.
when asked their impressions of the songs, eunae replies honestly. “i didn’t like dangerous at first, not because it’s not a good song, because it is! but because i didn’t think it was my style, especially the dance. but in the end i think it became one of my favorites! i think it’s no surprise that i’m a little less into ballads but i’m glad we get to show multiple sides. i feel good if my favorite song because it’s upbeat and fun, like me,” she laughs before continuing, “but that’s not all there is to me, and also to us as a group. we get to hear cheri eonnie, celine eonnie and sona’s gorgeous vocals in still falls the rain so just for that it’s worth it, please anticipate the performance later!”
and with that she let others speak, either nodding or humming in agreement when they said something that warranted a reaction but otherwise trying not to cut anyone. that’s what she’s practiced the most throughout the public speaking lessons, because she’s usually the type to just butt in whenever she feels like saying something. however that’s not how it works in a formal setting like this one and it looks rude (so they said).
with that portion done, they prepare for still falls the rain and without you and eunae feels so very alive. she almost wishes this could go on forever, like that one evaluation she did back then as a trc trainee.
but it’s soon over and they’re back with noh jihoon, sitting on the stools provided by the staff so they may rest and take a small sip of water. and while she didn’t feel like stopping the music earlier, this game actually sounds fun and she tries to think of the best anecdote to share while the first name is being picked. when he turn comes she grins, brings the microphone to her lips and doesn’t speak right away. “there’s one thing...” she begins mysteriously, as if daring the other members to guess what she’s about to say. “that happened with all of us, right? we were really hungry one night but we can’t order any good food so we called chicken delivery in secret. but they’d find out if the delivery man came in through the door so he tied the box on a shoelace and we pulled it through the window!” she starts laughing and so does everyone else. “and since we thought of ella eonnie too, we made sure to get a salad on the side...” she shoots a playful glance at the older, since they never cease to tease her about her much too healthy and balanced diet. “but did i have to talk about debut?” she looks a bit taken aback. “then i would say my favorite memory is the one we’re making right now, with all of you. i don’t think i’ll ever forget it. thanks for being here, really!”
and with that the segment goes on until they all leave the stage and prepare for i feel good while the music video plays. the music video. it feels so official now that they see it live, now that they know everyone will be reacting to it. she can’t even believe they’ve finally reached that point. back in december, when the group was formed, they didn’t even know when they would debut. it might as well have taken a year yet here they are already.
they cheer themselves up again before going for the final kill with i feel good. it’s the most important performance of the night. it’s their debut song, the one the nation is going to hear either a lot or not at all depending on how well they do. if they perform well, if they catch people’s attention then maybe the video will be shared and it’ll gain momentum. and so she gives every last bit of energy left in her body.
they deliver, she thinks. probably more than they ever did before.
9:30pm.
as they greet the crowd one last time, the lights fade and it’s over just as quickly as it began. eunae finds herself backstage with the other members, preparing to receive their four guests. she wishes all of her family could be there but there’s a lot more than just four so yien and bambam will do for today. they’re both well aware of what she’s doing through, or at least what she went through so they understand more than anyone else the thrill of it all. and there’s lisa too with who she shares so many memories from royal survival. and yoohyeon, her brightest supporter who can experience what it’s like behind the scenes. she’s just happy to have them, and promptly introduces everyone to the other luxe members and even the staff members she crosses paths with along the way.
〈 ★ 〉LUXE - DEBUT SHOWCASE - JULY 30TH, 2018
↳ with luxe ( xayah, ella, cheri, celine, yena )
↳ songs: luv game - line distributions
her heart feels as though it might beat out of her chest at any given moment. this is it, she thinks to herself. the moment i’ve dreamt of for years. it still feels all too surreal, the idea that she’s standing on stage about to actually debut still feeling like a far away dream. only this is her reality, something that she’s worked so hard to achieve — it’s everything that she’s wanted for so long. she draws in a deep breath, unable to resist as her lips form a radiant smile, knowing that her dreams are about to come true. this is it.
I’m feelin’ it. And I feel good~
5pm.
the first thing she notices is just how beautiful each of them look. personally, she’s a big fan of their outfits, reveling in just how pretty she feels. she spends time appreciating each member’s appearance, though her gaze lingers on eunae in particular. she isn’t used to seeing her dressed this way; maybe that’s why she finds herself fixated on her, finding it almost impossible to look away for even a moment — she just isn’t used to it, she supposes.
she manages to make it through the press conference without saying anything particularly damning — meaning she’s off to a good start (thanks, refresher courses). if it’s any indication of how the rest of her day is going to play out, dawon knows that everything is going to work out perfectly. now isn’t the time for mistakes; it’s time to show all of korea just how powerful of a group luxe has grown to be, that they’re a force to be reckoned with.
6pm-7pm.
she absentmindedly allows her eyes to flicker shut as the stylist works on her hair, something that’s become a habit of hers in recent months. it helps her thoughts to slow down, allowing dawon to feel something that resembles peace before their big moment. she tries not to worry about what lays ahead, instead focusing on just how much they’ve practiced, attempting to reassure herself that everything’s going to be perfect.
once again, she’s impressed with what has to be one of her favorite hairstyles. “aah, you’re so good at this...” she compliments the stylist as she admires herself in the mirror, unable to resist the excited smile that takes over her lips. her outfit is just as beautiful, and she’s overjoyed by the way it compliments her — it feels like the perfect debut look, and it’s impossible not to feel beautiful as she gazes at herself in the mirror. sona’s much prettier than dawon ever was, she thinks to herself, a subtle chuckle escaping her.
she grows increasingly anxious as each second passes by, heart racing each time she dwells on the fact that their debut is less than an hour away. for as long as she can remember, it’s been something to look forward to — something distant that never felt all too real. but this is as real as it gets, and she’s going to have to face it head on — she still hasn’t wrapped her mind around it yet, but, with enough time, she thinks it’s something she can adjust to.
only a few minutes now.
8pm.
the vcr comes to a close, and, after a brief introduction, it’s finally time to perform.
i was born for this, she thinks, praying that she’ll be able to hold onto her confidence.
after xayah finishes her first rap in dangerous, it’s finally dawon’s turn to sing. it’s her first chance since royal survival to show her voice to the world, a feeling that she’ll never get tired of.
너는 늘 이렇게 떠날 듯 말듯해
날 한걸음 또 한걸음 밀어내
이렇게 점점 날 더 어지럽게 해
이 미로 미로 미로 미로 속에 갇힌 난
it’s easily her favorite song on the album — not only does she enjoy just how much she gets to sing, but she also appreciates how well the song suits her. it’s a song that she fell in love with from the moment she heard it, instantly making its way into her heart. she only hopes that the public will love it just as much.
너는 아니라고 하지만
내게 보이는 너의 모습들이
너는 나를 쉽게 흔들리게 해
가까워진듯 더 멀어지게 해
또 난 아슬아슬하게
the bridge she shares with jihyun is unquestionably the most powerful part of the song — deep down, she knows it’ll be enough to leave a considerable impression on anyone listening. there’s no denying that the two main vocalists sound great together.
너는 늘 이렇게 떠날 듯 말듯해
날 한걸음 또 한걸음 밀어내
이렇게 점점 날 더 어지럽게 해
이 미로 미로 미로 미로 속에 갇힌 난
as the last chorus brings the song to a close, sona tries her best to savor the moment. it’s hard to believe that she’s actually standing here performing in front of three-thousand people. even now, it feels like more of a dream than anything else. she scans the crowd, trying to spot whatever family and friends have shown up to support her, but it’s almost impossible to see anyone due to the lighting. at least i’ll seem them after the showcase.
luv me soon begins to play, and, while it isn’t dawon’s favorite song on the album, she still feels nothing but love towards it.
Oh do you love me love me love me boy
Do you love me love me love me boy
나 얼마나 사랑해 어서 빨리 말해 머리 굴리지 말고
for dawon, the song passes by rather quickly, perhaps due to just how much she enjoyed performing it. this already feels like the best night of her life, and it’s not even close to being over yet.
over these last few weeks, she’s given a lot of thought towards how she wants to be seen by the public — sona wants her title to be something that represents her, a word that's synonymous with her identity. she wants to choose something that means something to her, something that’s always meant something to her. and, after thinking for what felt like a lifetime, she had finally settled on just what she was looking for. to them, she isn’t just dawon anymore. no, she’s finally grown into something more. “i’m sona, goddess of song!” she greets the crowd, a radiant smile still glued to her features.
“i love each of the songs on the album, but if i had to pick a favorite..." she pauses, acting as if she’s thinking for a moment so that the decision doesn’t seem too easy. “i think it’d have to be dangerous! it’s a song that i really love to listen to, and i think it suits us as a group well. it just has such a pretty sound to it, you know? i just love it.”
as the first mc portion comes to an end, they prepare to perform once more. this time they’re showcasing still falls the rain, another of sona’s favorite tracks from the album. it’s a song that suits her voice well, she thinks, and she’s grateful that they’re able to show many different sides of luxe as a whole throughout the album.
비가 내린 후엔 슬퍼지는 밤엔
널 부르다 혼자 아프죠
as they prepare to perform without u, sona begins to notice a pattern: she considers every song on the album to be one of her favorite songs from the album — it’s a far cry groups that actually go so far as to dislike their debut albums and songs. for that, sona’s grateful, having never been a fan of performing songs that she isn’t passionate about.
I’m OK baby I’m freakin’ good good without you
I’m gonna good good good without you boy
Without you boy without you oh~ oh~
[insert emo paragraph of the second mc portion ft. any story involving eunae here bc i don’t have time to finish writing it before midnight in like ten minutes]
she watches in awe as the music video plays, the final product revealing itself to be more than she could have dreamed of. everything about it just seems so perfect, though maybe she is a little biased. once again, time seems to fly by, and the music video soon draws to a close. now it’s time for them to gear up for the most important performance of the night.
her heart feels as though it might beat out of her chest at any given moment. this is it, she thinks to herself. the moment i’ve dreamt of for years. it still feels all too surreal, the idea that she’s standing on stage about to actually debut still feeling like a far away dream. only this is her reality, something that she’s worked so hard to achieve — it’s everything that she’s wanted for so long. she draws in a deep breath, unable to resist as her lips form a radiant smile, knowing that her dreams are about to come true. this is it.
I’m feelin’ it. And I feel good~
the first note is possibly her most important line in the song — sona puts as much passion into as she possibly can, hoping to put on the most unforgettable show of the night. no one will think of her as ‘unforgettable’ after this.
she loses herself in the performance, cherishing every second of it. they’re each doing so well, and she can tell just by looking at them that they deserve to be here. she feels nothing but pride for her teammates, overjoyed that they’ve each made it this far.
Now I feel good 기분 좋아
오늘은 다시 오지 않아 baby
나와 지금 기분 좋아 지금이
아니면 안돼
I feel good good good tonight
다시 한번 더 I feel good
as the song finally draws to a close, sona finds herself overwhelmed with emotions — visibly vulnerable for the first time on stage as her eyes fill up with tears. they’re tears of joy, she thinks, the subtle smile that graces her lips hopefully doing enough to show it.
days of practicing her facial expressions and poses were finally going to pay off – well, she hoped they would. it was more than likely that they’d have to take a few more than a professional should. jihyun was by no means a conventional model, but she tried her best to be comfortable in front of the camera. it wasn’t the most foreign of situations.
and as their days were numbered, she would have to get used to cameras being shoved in her face twenty-four-seven. today was no exception as lights flashed and the shutter sounds of the automatic machineries burst from around her.
she’s seated in the makeup room, awaiting her turn in front of the camera. oblivious to her surroundings, jihyun lets her lips run – the hum of one of their songs, specifically luv me, toying with her tongue as she spaces out. she barely notices the camera hovering in the corner of the room as one of the staff sweeps blush along her cheekbones. it’s when her eyes rise to look herself over in the mirror that they narrow in on the lens and she squeaks in surprise, turning around immediately with a laugh. “yah! i didn’t see you there, speak up will you?”
“what were you singing, jih– cheri-sshi?” the staff asks her. the leader’s laughter stills, fading as she slips out of her seat to bend in front of the camera; a finger pressed to her lips.
“shh, don’t say a word of what you just heard! that song’s still a secret.”
“if you can’t reveal it – can you at least tell us whether it’s your favorite song on the album?”
a smile teases her lips open, fingers tapping her chin as she thinks through their tracklist. was it her favorite? perhaps, though – she was probably being biased – a lot of the songs on their album were good. “it’s one of my favorites, but if i had to choose – 아슬해 is definitely my favorite! not because it’s sultry, but … it’s just a sad love song with a catchy chorus, i think everyone would like. it’s definitely not a dance song like our title but it’s also got it’s charm.”
then, jihyun hears her name from outside and straightens up immediately, “oh! it’s my turn,“ with a salute, she’s slipping away from the len’s view – rounding the corner just as the staff resets the lights and equipment. a ribbon handed her way as she steps towards the lavender backdrop.
the call of the photographer a little mute in her ears as she goes from one pose to another; the long, pink ribbon looped around her wrist. she makes the most of such a flimsy prop. it wasn’t conventional – but neither was she, and trying to think of her toes had become something she was more akin to these days.
so without further fussing, she continues to run the ribbon along smooth skin; even going as far as taking it in between her teeth as she smiles bright, one eye shut for the camera in what she supposes is a charismatic wink.
it’s only when she’s behind the camera and away from the blaring of bright, heated lights that she actually sees the fruit of her work beneath the warm, white lights. beads of sweat dabbed away with a towel, she scans the screen before her – gazing at her pictures being shown, filtered through in order to pick the best ones.
she barely notices the camera picking up her every move from the other side. they were probably gathering behind the scenes footage, she quips before her eyes glance back to the computer screen, pointing at one that had been taken in failure. her eyes crossed, mid-blink cheri stares back at her and the laughter is instantaneous as it bubbles from her lips. she notices the rest of the staff trying to muffle their laughter at seeing such a goofy candid and she can’t help but agree, exclaiming between the bouts of laughter, “oh my god, please keep this one. it’s the best!” a hand rises from her pockets to nab her cell phone to steal a quick picture, “i need to keep this. just one, please!” she says before hiding the device away, silently reminding herself to send the photo to rome later on when they were in the comforts of their dorm.
it’s when she turns that she realizes the camera is there again, following her every move wordlessly. her head shakes, a chuckle leaving her lips as she points at the camera as if passing over the aha! i see you again telepathically.
“you seem to be in a good mood, cheri-sshi? are you that excited about your debut?”
her usual shrug poised at her shoulders but it doesn’t follow the deliver, instead it’s more of a shaking as another laugh is bundled at the tip of her tongue and a hand is trying its hardest to conceal it. “you could say that,” then she raises her hand in a come hither notion before she reveals her cell phone and the picture she had just taken. “look how ridiculous i look!” she exclaims, swiping through the pictures until she shows the one that had been mistakenly captured.
“but don’t worry,” jihyun flips her hair, a teasing ‘v’ sign held beneath her chin, “i’m also here, you’re fantastically beautiful leader, cheri.” she says, giving her best model pose that lasts a second less than it should before she’s recoiling back in laughter. hands and head shaking as she dodges away from the camera’s view.
“i’m kidding!” the question is back in her ears, repeated for her to answer honestly and she calms with a breath. blinking this time, the girl, in question, ponders the question more seriously.
“i’m so excited. all of us are, we’ve worked so hard this year leading up to this and we can’t wait to show everyone just how much we’ve grown since royal survival.” her nose crinkles in affirmation, her mole dancing as she does. then a finger points at the camera, acknowledging the lens as her audience, “hey, everyone there – are you ready for us?”
she doesn’t wait for an answer before she’s turning away, walking back towards the set – another step and she’s glancing over her shoulder. in the distance, she’s whirling around another ‘v’ sign in her hands as laughter is heard faintly.
17 days before debut. the girls have already started the countdown at the dorm and even though every day brings them a little bit closer to their dream, for eunae time never passes quickly enough. she’s excited and impatient to begin this adventure alongside her group mates and to see what the future holds. she’s usually not someone who dwells on the past or pays much attention to the future, enjoying herself more in the ‘right here, right now’ moments. but this big of an event is not something you can just brush off and wait for like a behaved little girl.
her heart is racing when they get to the venue of the photoshoot but it’s not her nerves. it’s just the insane amount of coffee she ingested before coming here. it’s honestly a whole new world opening before her because she never needed anything to boost her energy levels even just a few months ago. she used to be called kt’s red bull for a reason. her battery never seemed to run out. but not anymore. all the sleepless nights, the harsh dieting and training have transformed her into a caffeine monster. she’s probably never looking back at this point because starting from july 30 it will only get worse.
some of them are immediately sent to hair and makeup while others get styled first. eunae is in the latter group, standing still (or at least as still as she possibly can) as the coordi is all over her body parts. it’s a good thing she isn’t shy in situations like these because having someone put their hands on you for so long isn’t exactly the best feeling in the world. she ends up in an ivory gucci swimsuit and almost laughs at the irony of it. she might be rich but she’s never, ever been into high-end, luxury brands like this one. not that she’s never bought extremely expensive items but gucci is definitely at the bottom of her list when it comes to clothing and accessories. it’s just so... not her style. glancing at her reflection in the mirror, though, she can’t help but think it does look good on her this time around, especially when paired with the simple crème-colored jeans.
a lifetime or two later, she finds herself with long, wavy hair, obnoxious earrings and a golden, sparkly beret. looking at the rest of the girls she realizes why she was given that particular outfit. out of all of them, she does look the least feminine. and it’s not in a bad way at all, because her outfit still perfectly highlights her figure, but she can’t picture herself wearing any of the other girls’ clothes. at least not the way they were matched.
while she’s monitoring sona’s photoshoot from the sidelines, she’s finally approached by that producer. she’d seen him pass by a couple times and talk to yena so it doesn’t come off as too much of a surprise. “there’s soooo much to prepare but i still wish debut day would come sooner! mixed feelings, as you would call it? i think all of the tracks on our debut album will show a different side of our group, but for me i’d say our title song is definitely the one that suits me best! it’s got a lot of energy, and it just makes you feel good when you listen to it...” she laughs, wiggling her eyebrows in a funny way while looking at the camera. as bad as it is, she’s still proud of her little hint and is still smiling once her name is called to the set. time to ace that photoshoot (or not).
even now, it’s still almost impossible to process; in less than three weeks, dawon will finally achieve her debut as an idol, something she’s yearned for as long as she can remember. while the girls are each dealing with their anticipation in different ways, dawon likes to believe that there’s a certain amount of shared excitement between them — or maybe she’s just imagining things, allowing her own excitement to get the best of her (she doubts it, however, considering just how long each of them have worked towards this).
before they can debut, however, there are still a few more things left to take care of on the agenda, but perhaps the one dawon’s the most excited for is the vcr photoshoot. once upon a time, she hadn’t considered modeling to be her forte; but now, it’s easily one of the things she looks forward to the most when it comes to an idol’s lifestyle. during the supernova new year photoshoot last year, she learned just how much she enjoyed modeling, and, at the risk of sounding conceited, she’d even say that she’s become somewhat good at it.
initially, she isn’t sure what to make of the outfit chosen for her — or at least, she isn’t sure what to make of the pants. they’re enough to catch her off guard, her expression shifting to one of subtle confusion, making it somewhat obvious that it’s not in the very least what she expected. the more her gaze lingers on the outfit as a whole, however, the fonder of it she becomes; it’s an outfit she expects to pull off well, even despite the surprise factor.
dawon spends ten minutes in front of the photographer, striking a wide variety poses all the while. the glittery, silver microphone might just be the greatest prop she could have asked for, and she tries her best to make the most of it. she spends the duration of the session trying to show off a fun yet elegant side of her personality, purposely avoiding anything that could give off an overly cute impression. while there’s nothing wrong with being seen as cute, she doesn’t feel that it’s who she really is — making this an opportunity to show off a more authentic and personal side of herself.
the interview portion that follows requires a bit more thought, but dawon still promises herself that she’ll continue to respond as genuinely as possible. she hums when asked about her impressions of the album and excitement leading up to debut, quickly gathering her thoughts before speaking. “the album, in my opinion, is... mm... a lot of fun. especially the title track! it’s music i’d listen to even if it wasn’t coming from luxe. and overall, i think it does a really good job at showing our strengths as a group? there’s a nice variety of songs, so i think there will be something for almost everyone to enjoy! it really exceeded my expectations.
“but when it comes to the excitement leading up to debut... aah, i don’t actually know what to say,” she admits, amused laughter spilling from within her as she raises a hand to cover her mouth. “it’s still so hard to believe that any of this is real. like, is this really happening? are we really debuting? i ask myself those questions a lot. sometimes i wonder if this is just some long, insanely realistic dream that i’ll be waking up from soon,” she jokes, another soft laugh escaping her. “but i hope that doesn’t happen! waking up from something like this would be an actual nightmare.
“we’ve all worked so hard up to this point, so to know that all of that hard work is soon going to pay off is just... incredible. words can’t describe how grateful i am to be a part of this.”
At last, the month of July has arrived and that means the final preparations for debut are underway! Royal’s CEO is hard to spot these days, as busy as he is with the MGAs and networking to make Luxe’s debut a success, but nevertheless So Jiseob’s influence remains strong over every aspect of these last debut preparations. When the girls are gathered at the end of the day’s lessons on Thursday, it is Jo Soonyang who greets and updates the girls on what else there is left to do before the showcase date.
Aside from the live performances that will be done on stage, Soonyang informs the girls that there will be an MC portion to the event (hosted by Noh Jihoon, who has graciously agreed to do so) as well as a special VCR that will play during the showcase. As such, the next few weeks will be spent preparing for the MC “game” portion as well as filming for the short VCR that will entertain the fans at the finale of the showcase.
The showcase event will take place on July 30th, at the Jangchung Arena in Seoul. Doors will open to the exclusive fan audience at 6:30PM and the show will begin promptly at 8PM. Details for being a part of the fan audience in attendance will follow in a later announcement this month.
The schedule for that night is as follows:
5PM: Pre-showcase Press Conference
Prior to the showcase, the girls will sit down with reporters to talk about the release of their debut album. As rehearsed in the previous month’s evaluation, questions and answers will be exchanged between the press and the girls until 6PM.
Wardrobe: Luxe members will be attired in neat dresses such as these. Hairstyles will also be relaxed (i.e. loose over the shoulders, pinned up, etc.) and makeup pretty, but simple.
6 - 7PM: Styling
After the conclusion of the press conference, the girls will head backstage of the arena to get their hair and makeup done for the show. Select your name below to access your chosen hairstyle and outfit for the night. You will wear this look from the start of the showcase until the end of the night, with touch-ups available backstage throughout.
CHERI (outfit, hair); ELLA (outfit, hair); CELINE (outfit, hair); YENA (outfit, hair); SONA (outfit, hair); XAYAH (outfit, hair)
8 - 9:30PM: Debut Showcase
VCR #1 plays, highlighting clips of Royal Survival and introducing the girls by their stage names (duration: 1:00)
First song performance: 아슬해 (Dangerous)
Second song performance: Luv Me
MC portion - part 1: Noh Jihoon will walk out and greet the audience. The girls will first introduce themselves as group, then individually take the mic to introduce themselves. (ex. “Hello, I’m Sona… Luxe’s xx!”) You may do any kind of aegyo (or none at all) at this time. The personal introduction section is up to you! Afterwards, Noh Jihoon will introduce the album, “Luv Game” via a prepared script. Each track on the album will be listed out and the girls will be encouraged to talk about their impressions of each song. If anyone has a favorite of the tracks, say it here!
Third song performance: “Still Falls the Rain”
Fourth song performance: “Without U”
MC portion - part 2: Stools are brought out so the girls may sit and rest as Noh Jihoon takes over MC’ing again. You will play a game this time, where the girls pull each other’s names out of a hat. The girl whose name is called must share her favorite memory of this whole process, whether it’s winning Royal Survival, getting to debut in Luxe, getting her stage name, filming the music video, etc. You may talk for as long as 3-4 minutes each, sharing whatever stories you’d like to about your experience thus far. This is the opportunity for the audience to fall in love with you, so make it memorable!
The girls will exit the stage as VCR #2 plays on screen.
“I Feel Good” debut music video will play.
Girls will return to the stage for the fifth song performance: “I Feel Good”
MC portion - part 3: The girls will introduce themselves as group one last time as they bid goodbye to the audience. Encourage fans to buy the album and thank Noh Jihoon as the MC and the hardworking staff who has helped Luxe to debut!
For this month, begin brainstorming the stories you would like to share during the MC portions, as well as rehearsing your introduction. As members of Luxe, this introduction line is specific to the group concept of ‘goddesses’ so you will be allowed to choose the ‘goddess’ title you wish. Example: “Sona, the goddess of song!” This name will stick to you for the entirety of your career, so make sure it is something you sincerely like!
Additionally, on July 13th, the girls will be asked to film for VCR #2, which will be a combination modeling shoot (the stills of which will be included in the album jacket release) and backstage interview. For this modeling shoot, the girls will be placed in front of a lavender backdrop and will pose with various props for the camera. The photographer will film each girl for ten minutes and will ask for different poses during the duration. Be creative with this and have fun! The mini concepts for this VCR are:
CHERI: pose with a long string pink ribbon; outfit.
ELLA: pose with a fake, long-stemmed yellow rose; outfit
SONA: pose with a glittery, silver microphone; outfit.
YENA: pose with a plastic, strawberry ice cream cone; outfit.
CELINE: pose with a plastic, rainbow lollipop; outfit.
XAYAH: pose with a plastic, old-school stereo; outfit.
For the “interview” portion of this VCR, a skeleton staff and producer will catch each girl behind the scenes and ask her about her impressions of the album and her excitement leading up to debut. You may answer this question with as few or as many words as you like. Clips from this casual interview will be included along with clips of the modeling portion (filmed separately from the photographer who is actually taking the photos.)
Write one 300+ words solo about filming/interviewing for the modeling portion of the VCR for +3 CHARISMA POINTS, +1WK MODELING ACHIEVEMENT and +2 DEBUT POINTS. Write one 300+ words solo about any part of the debut showcase for +3 POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE AS YOU WISH, +1WK RELEVANT ACHIEVEMENT, and +2 DEBUT POINTS. The tag for this evaluation will be #luxe:juleval and posts should be up by midnight EST at the end of July 31st.
LUXE JULY EVALUATION (for the Aug 1 verification form)
VCR PHOTOSHOOT/INTERVIEW
PROOF OF ACTIVITY: [ x ]
+3 CHARISMA POINTS
+1WK MODELING ACHIEVEMENT (NUMBER OF TIMES TAKEN + CURRENT LEVEL)
+2 DEBUT POINTS
NEW DEBUT POINTS TOTAL:
DEBUT SHOWCASE
SOLO: [ x ]
+3 CHARISMA POINTS
+1WK RELEVANT ACHIEVEMENT (NUMBER OF TIMES TAKEN + CURRENT LEVEL)
+2 DEBUT POINTS
NEW DEBUT POINTS TOTAL:
Congratulations! By the end of July 30th, Luxe will be Rookies’s very first group to enter into the debuted idol tier.
