it had been a hard thing to do, not dolling herself up. the last time bok caught her with her make up off she had wanted to faint. but he liked it. even the little mole she had kept hidden. but today was a causal enough event. he'd be coming over and they'd eat and hang out. it was a better option than hanging around in the city. no one knew where she lived, it was a pretty safe bet. she even managed to set the table although the food on it had been take she ordered. set to arrive just a bit before he did.
and then when he did arrive, then a rush of doubt and jihyo ran off to her bed room. so moonbok was greeted to a funny sight when the door opened. you couldn't see her face. in fact, she tossed a hoodie on and pulled tight. the only thing visible was a bit of her nose and her lips. but it would do.
"come in inside!" she could barely see but jihyo managed to close the door behind him. "i didn't have time to do my make up but the food is here and it's hot."
the hard part was over with, thank god. all that was left were the interviews, and to tingyan, that was the most fun part. while she intended on showing her personality, she was fairly certain the interview would have some sort of impact on her success throughout the show, so she was careful with her words. so after a few minutes rather impatiently waiting on the interviewer, she's asked if she's ready to begin. smiling at the woman, she nodded, encouraging her to begin asking the series of questions. "sure! let's get to it."
"alright, welcome to the interview! could you introduce yourself, please?"
tingyan was immensely grateful for a much friendlier interviewer than she'd been provided with last time, smiling in agreement as she began. "of course. my name is chong tingyan and i'm a university student and model from shanghai, china! i'm not a princess - but i'm this season's queen!" putting her hands in the form of a crown over her head, she can't help but laugh. the statement is a little silly and boastful at best, but it's her way of getting her name stuck in the judges' head.
"how did you feel when you received the news of the callback?"
"ah..." she doesn't want to mention the fact that she laughed, although being true it didn't sound good from an outside perspective. "i was in shock! there were...so many people at the first auditions? ah, it was crazy..." her eyes become faraway, returning to the hectic day she'd first came in to show her talents. it seemed like it was just a few hours ago - and now here she was, at the second round. even though there were still many contestants, more had been cut already, and it hadn't even passed the first interview. tingyan couldn't help but wonder what that meant for her, and how many of the people she'd grown to like would be leaving soon. if she would be leaving soon. but there was no time for such negativity. so she concludes with a "i'm so ecstatic to be here! i can't wait to show even more of myself to you all."
"how was it seeing the set for the first time?"
"it was so beautiful! really, i got excited before anything had even started," she confesses, covering her mouth as she lets out a laugh. did they expect anyone to say anything but good things? "really, i used to watch the show all the time when i lived in shanghai. i always was fangirling over the contestants - i was quite a big fan of season 2!" she figures bringing it back to her childhood sounds a little humbling, not so focused on her confidence now and more on the teen she once was. "when i walked on set, i felt like i was really a teenager again, living out my dream! i was so nervous, i could barely speak!"
"what did you think when the judges were revealed?"
i expected it? she almost says, the mga fanatic aware of the judge's appearance. however, her casual bluntness she's used to displaying won't work this time, so she decides to focus on the excitement she got from it. "i thought i was nervous before they walked in?" exhaling, she looks to the sky, hands pressed to her cheeks. "oh my gosh, it got so much more intense! i know everyone else felt it too. that's when it got really quiet, like we were all fighting for our lives." in a way they were, but instead of their lives, each was battling for the most screentime and a chance to win a contract. "i noticed hyun bin-ssi looked really handsome," she notes, immediately regretting the statement as her cheeks turn red and she covered her face. didn't everyone, though? the statement was a result of both her flirty tendencies and hope to get nova's attention, but it wasn't exactly supposed to say it out loud. falling over into a fit of giggles, the girl waves her hands, as if to ask the other to forget she said anything. "unnie...could we cut that part out, please?"
"how do you think you did?"
truthfully? she doesn't know. the audience seemed fairly please, but, as always the judges had kept their poker face up for the majority of the time there. it was hard to read them, especially when she was so reluctant to look them in their eyes, but one thing was for certain . "i had a lot of fun," she says truthfully, thinking back on the fun song shift. "i think i did very well! i tried my best to show my confidence, enthusiasm, and skill!" she lists each, counting them off with her hand. "it was different, and my goal was to gain their attention by switching things up. it worked well to me!" her subconscious tells her to die down the boasting, so she flips the script by lessening her praise on herself. "but of course, there were a lot of great competitors. i'm looking forward to seeing what the judges thought and how they can help me in the future!" she's sure to put the thought of her remaining in the competition at the front of her mind, knowing better than to seem pessimistic on camera. if she wanted something, she had to speak it into existence.
"did anyone stand out to you?"
"mm, of course! there was moonbok ( @moonbokrk ) ," she says, the name sticking with her. many others did as well, as she'd tried her very best to retain them in case an interview such as this was initiated. she wanted to be a queen, but not careless, after all. she's sure other mentioned him as well, if not for anything for his desirable hair. "i remember seeing him at the first auditions! i mean, of course his hair is beautiful - i want it so bad!" she laughed, twirling her own curled strands. "but aside from that, i didn't expect him to rap! it was really nice." she sits silent for a moment, thinking over other performers that she felt were nice. "to be so young, hohyeon ( @rkhyeon ) seemed very confident in himself and his skills. i think he'll have no trouble getting used to the competitive atmosphere."
"were there any performances you liked?"
"oh, a lot!" really, she hadn't been paying attention the first half due to crazy nerves, but she won't let that slip out. of course, being a very opinionated person, sharing her thoughts is in her veins, and it shows in the way she sits up with excitement. after all, they're asking a girl who used to have a mga opinions blog - what did they expect? "well....yoorim's ( @rkaisha ) performance was really good! or was her name aisha...? i think she goes by both. anyways, she was such a bada-" she stops herself before the curse can properly exit her mouth, her claim of a graceful queen ringing at the back of her mind. "she was very cool, i genuinely enjoyed watching her perfomance." tapping her fake nails on each other, she tries her best t think of the others she watched. a certain face popped in her head, the younger so eager to support everyone during performances she can't help but support him. "there was also youngjae ( @ericxrk )! he had a lot of enthusiasm, and i have to say, i was really surprised his performance was that good." it's not intentionally a diss, but for such a childish personality it was hard for her to take him seriously as a performer. he'd obviously proved her wrong.
"were there any performances you didn’t like?"
"ah....that's a little rude to answer, right?" scratching her ear, she feigns remorse, but on the inside she's living for this. there'd been a few performances which had been a little underwhelming and she was never afraid to say so....unless it may affect her results. so she spoke carefully, saying her opinion but gentler than she may have otherwise. "i think yewon ( @rkumji ) could have performed a little more confidently. of course, everyone makes mistakes but...what matters is recovering from them. i don't think she did that as well as she could have." to be fair, tingyan's skills weren't top tier, but the way the interviewer looks expectantly proves they were looking for more than a few words to spice up this seasons drama. alright, alright. whatever gets more screentime. "i'd also say vernon ( @rkchwev )?" she says hesitantly. "he was good, don't get me wrong, but the performance was lacking something...maybe fun?" it sounds bad, but it was really the only way she could put it. "i like fun, excitement, all that. it seemed to lack those, which sometimes can be more important than talent."
"what did you think of kyulkyung's performance?"
"jieqiong ( @rkkyul )?" she asks, the second name being the one she remembered in her mind. "it was...good?" she asks, confusion etching her features as she wonders why they'd center the attention on her. she wonders if it's because of their shared hometown, both hailing from shanghai. "she was good! that performance was totally something i'd do," she says, wondering if they were trying to start some sort of rivalry. if anything, foreign muses needed to stick together, so she decided against slandering her. "when she took of the pointe shoes? ah, i was really shocked! i'd be excited to see what she has prepared in the future."
"is there anyone you are certain will move onto the next phase of the mgas?"
"for sure! there's chan ( @rkchris ) - even if i saw some who were better skill wise, he's very creative and shows a lot of promise! i'd imagine they'd want to keep him around. and maybe....haruto ( @rkharuto )?" more than anything, he crosses her mind because he'd looked a little pitiful to her, like a lost puppy as he wandered around the auditions. he was still so little, but more than anything tingyan hoped he'd win the judges favor. “and yuzu ( @yuzurk )? who could forget about her! she has enough confidence to last a lifetime, she may even be able to compete with me! idol material for sure.” when the interviewer coughs to say tingyan’s said more than enough, she blushes and nods in understanding. “alright, that’s all for me! don’t forget about your mga queen - miss chong tingyan!”
when it’s her turn, she walks calmly to the room. this was the easy part. all she needed to do was sit in a chair, act pretty, and share her opinions. none of those things were hard for nakyung to do. they re-touch her makeup and she’s thankful for it, saying so when the artist leaves her. the interviewer tells it’s about to start and she nods in understanding. her lips smoothly transition into a smile.
“ how did you feel when you received the news of the callback? “
“oh…” she starts. her hands automatically appear into the frame, holding each other as if the girl had just come out of a fairytale. that was what princesses did, wasn’t it? “i was really scared i wasn’t going to make it. i showed an image i think people wouldn’t quite associate with me, and it worked out! it gave me the confidence to show what i did today. it was tough to choose something, and i really wanted to do ‘genie’ by chichi, but i thought this performance would be more interesting for the phase we’re in.”
“ how do you think you did? “
“i think i did well!” nakyung says with confidence but her voice is chipper, trying not to fall too much into her cocky side at the first given chance. “i wasn’t too sure if singing while dancing would be the best option for me, but it worked out in the end! i think… if i had only danced to the song, it wouldn’t have been the same. i wanted to show my charms but also that i’m not here only for that. i really want to be an idol in the future, so i’d like to convince the judges that i’d be able to take that role if they take me on this ride.”
“ what did you think when the judges were revealed? “
“my first thought…” she looks off, thinking back to what felt like were ages ago but was still vivid in her memories. the girl isn’t sure if she’ll ever be able to forget this day in her life. “the first thought i had was ‘wow, they’re so pretty’.” she chuckles. “people say everyone looks better in real life but it’s a bit unfair just how good looking they all are… especially katie lee. i really want to be like her one day. she’s my role model.”
“ were there any performances you liked? “
“yes, of course!” her mind starts working, trying to separate each of the 99 other performances into their own thing instead of one big ball of confusion. so many sang, so many danced, so many rapped… there was a list of instruments used, too, but that didn’t automatically mean they all did well. “i think it’s important to be creative in shows like these. if you’re going to cover a song you must do better than only a simple cover or else the audience may just overlook you.”
she talks as if she is experienced in the area, and she is but as a spectator. nakyung was a grade a fan, and she knew exactly what other people like her would be looking for. “there was na jaemin who covered a song by brave girls. he used a remixed version which was very interesting to watch. it’s a very popular song that people covered many times before, so the fact he changed it in such a cool way really made him stand out to me.”
“there was eunji, too, who performed ‘woman’ by boa. even if she did just that, it is a very powerful song, and when she was just walking at the start of the song it was very enchanting and she has the talent to back it up, too.” nakyung nods, trying to think of any other performance she enjoyed. “there was also a foreign person, kokoro, who decided to perform ‘into the new world’. whoever likes chichi is someone i should like, and the fact she chose this song out of all the others really made it interesting. she really fits the image, too, i believe.”
getting out of the cover zone, nakyung tries to think of any other thing that caught her eyes. “that other kid, too, naruto? i feel like everybody is going to mention him, but his performance was very interesting. i had never seen anything like that before and i was very impressed. i just wonder if he has any other skills than that. if he passes this round, he won’t be able to survive only on skating all the time.”
“apart from him, there was another boy that was very adorable. i think his name was seungmin? he said he’d like to show a fiery side of him just like his red hair or something like that. his song was very calm, though, but it was a very nice mashup. maybe he should dye his hair blue next time, or another color like that.”
“ were there any performances you didn’t like? “
“well, i think there were performances no one really liked who missed a step or forgot their lyrics.” nakyung shrugs, not wanting to give them any attention. “not that i necessarily dislike their performance, but i really don’t understand what all these previous contestants are doing here. i honestly don’t think i can even name them all… there’s daniel, moonbok, joohyun… and isn’t this her third time already? i think… there are other people out there who could be using this opportunity, you know? they are probably here only for rating and it’s kind of sad to see, really. and if one of them win, wouldn’t that be bad? i think this should be banned for future seasons. if the companies would like to sign them i’m sure they know where to find them.”
“ that will be all for today. you can return to your seat. “
“thank you!” she bows to the interviewer and other staff present before leaving the room.
daniel @kdaniel98 • 5d
tiger jk nodded after i performed an original rap
↷ ⇄ ♡
daniel @kdaniel98 • 5d
i also didn’t necessarily apologize for my skill level. when i did it, it was because i was afraid people would be upset by my rap, but i guess i covered a variety there, huh ㅋ i think them taking my apology the way they did was warranted, too
↷ ⇄ ♡
daniel @kdaniel98 • 5d
thank you for the support. even though i’m lacking, i’ll keep working to show you better sides of kang daniel
↷ ⇄ ♡
daniel @kdaniel98 • 5d
i also want to ask everyone to support jang moonbok in his future endeavors. he’s someone whose talent i admire, and i hope he goes far no matter what he decides to do. @JMVOK95 let’s meet again!
⁺ 𝗠𝗡𝗘𝗧𝗚𝗟𝗢𝗕𝗔𝗟𝗔𝗨𝗗𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦❺ THE CALLBACKS ━━ 𝖳𝖧𝖤𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪
● ● ● ━━━━━━━━━━ 신유나 › " 𝟻𝟶𝟺𝟷 " ₊
the performances end ceremoniously and like school children, they’re guided one by one into a single room. it doesn’t take a genius to know why they’re doing this and very much like last time, yuna follows obediently; fingers running through her hair as she smiles once she passes the threshold.
can you say i’m ready for my closeup?
𝗤 ⟨ YOU’VE ONLY DONE DANCE PERFORMANCES AS
YOUR MAIN SKILL, WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO
KEEP YOUR MAIN SKILL AS ‘SINGING’ ⟩ !
she sighs, it was a hard decision but yuna only had one thing to say about it. she didn’t want to dwell on it, nor did she want to give away that she had been heavily stressed about the decision. “i just wanted ariana grande sunbaenim to notice me, to show her i did my best for her song.”
𝗤 ⟨ WHO STOOD OUT TO YOU IN YOUR CATEGORY?
WHAT ABOUT THE OTHERS ⟩ !
“in my category?” she stares at the camera, “it’s tough to say. if i’m being honest,” there’s a pause -- and i’m always honest, she’s about to say. “i don’t think there was anyone who stood out in my category, aside from myself. everyone did what they were expected to do and nothing was memorable, per say. harsh, i know but if i thought i could do better, everyone else should be set to that same precedent.” she shrugs.
“in the other categories though, i do have a few favorites, yes.”
“i think @moonbokrk improved the most, shockingly. i said he could do better and he did just that this week. i actually liked his version of ‘til i die’ because i love the original so it was nice to know that he didn’t butcher it. because it could have easily go sideways, y’know.” she clicks her tongue, arms crossed.
at this point, even if she thought her cousin did very well -- there was no way she was going to say that to his face, perhaps saying it to a camera would be better. “@rkkhg oppa? his performance was better than last week by a very slight margin. i guess telling him i know he can do better must have made him work harder. who knows, it’s still not his full potential, though. he needs to stop holding back.”
“any more?” they have the audacity to ask her,
but she smiles, shaking her head, “no, that’s it.”
𝗤 ⟨ WAS THERE ANYONE YOU DIDN’T THINK WAS
UP TO PAR TO WHAT YOU EXPECTED OF THEM?
WHO WAS THE WORST OF THE NIGHT ⟩ !
it’s her favorite part. the ones she didn’t think made the cut. and as always, yuna had quite the list. “@rkkyg? i think he’s hyunggu oppa’s friend and as much as i wanted to like the dance, it was too much for my taste. too all over the place, too ... the appeal that i know lc9 jun sunbaenim has. that sensual appeal?” but who was she to talk, she was still a teenager who knew little to none of that. “it seemed more sexual to me. unless that was what he was going for? but honestly, i do give him a little bit of props -- a little bit -- because jun sunbaenim’s songs are hard and for him to tackle it, yeah, he gets a little bit of my respect.”
“@jungeunxrk was a trainwreck. even her dye job couldn’t help her performance,” she shakes her head. sometimes a good hairflip made for good editing but the way the lighting shown on the other girl’s hair, it made yuna bite back a cringe; her own fingers twirling around the ends of her dark, virgin locks. “it’s harsh and yeah, sounds mean. but really? that was not what i expected from her. ”
“ah, @rkheejin? i guess it suits her -- she seems like that type.” they ask her ‘what type?’ and yuna has to hold herself back from laughing, “y’know, a try hard.” she sniffs. it was quite hypocritical of her to say when, really, yuna was the biggest try-hard she knew. but she wasn’t going to say that to the cameras -- of course not. “no, but it seemed like she was trying too hard to be something she wasn’t and that’s why i can’t say she did her best. the song was a nice choice; better than last week, but, from what she showed last week to this -- you’d think there’s that expectation of getting better but instead of that i just felt like it was too unnatural.”
𝗤 ⟨ IS THERE ANYONE YOU THINK WILL MOVE
ONTO THE NEXT PHASE OF THE MGAS ⟩ !
“did you see @rkyeji‘s performance? it was so emotional. the dance was really beautiful. i thought i was in a movie or something. i hope she gets to go on to the next phase.” she did almost cry during the performance, whether it was the song or the way yeji had moved -- it had really sparked something in yuna. bittersweet because as much as yuna loved her friend, she felt that slight spark of jealousy, would yuna ever be perceived like that? would anything she do be as beautiful?
“even @ryujinrk‘s dance was really good. i’m not really into the song, because ed sheeran’s songs are usually so slow but ryujin made it work for her performance and it actually made me really like the song, weirdly enough? and i’m not saying that because she’s one of my closest friends. she’s crazy talented, if you can’t see that -- maybe you need to go get your eyes checked.”
“i think she was one of the people i said lacked something last week -- what was her name?” she frowns, picking her brain as she tries to recall the numerous performances and the names that had suddenly been lost on her mind. “uh ... i think it was @rksihyeon? usually slow songs don’t catch my ears, like i said, but i guess the way she sang it made me stop and listen. especially since i didn’t think a lot of people in my category did very well, she had a little something. this time i actually listened, whatever she didn’t have last week -- i saw it in her this week.” she smiles, “maybe she’ll make it through again on that.”
𝗘𝗡𝗗 𝘘 ⟨ THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME ⟩ !
“thank you so much!” she says, a breath of relief departing her as she leaves the room. while not a friendly face, yuna walks her path back to her seat; ready to wait idly for the results to come.
“ And suddenly you know it’s time to start something new ”
The worst possible outcome would be that he didn’t even make it back to the MGAs this year. Eric had always been a young man of great confidence, but even someone like him might take a dent from rejection after rejection and failure following more failure. Had he been denied from the very get-go he might honestly have felt his world collide yet again as he was still getting back on top after his argument with his brother. There was no bad blood left between them anymore, but Eric was still jealous of the other’s trainee position and that only meant that he had to work doubly hard to make up for lost time.
But he also knew that he couldn’t just do whatever he pleased anymore. So far he had gone through life with the mindset that as long as he did what he wanted to the world was going to bend down to his feet and accept it, but that had not exactly brought him very far. It was time to step back, take a look at his experiences and evaluate what could possibly have left him with rejection thus far. His age was something he supposed, but that was not exactly something he could do anything about. Yet again he found himself amongst many adults when he went to the designated venue for the audition. There was a fear that they were going to cut him off because he was too young and inexperienced again, but the only thing Eric could do about that was to believe in himself and not let his worries show. Prove them that even someone so young could make a name for himself.
What he actually could do something about was his performance choice. In the last season he had simply stuck to one side of his abilities for that was what he knew best. Even for the triple threat challenge he had stuck to female artists. He thought it was enough to expand his repetoire with hip hop, but alas. Eric liked to tell himself that it was because his heart hadn’t been in it enough, but as expected the sourness of the aftermath still remained within him and he greatly regretted the outcome and not trying his best. At the time he had thought only TRC had been accepting auditions. He was a fool.
This time he wasn’t going to make any mistakes. If anyone saw him as a cute boy who was jumping around a bit to girl group songs he was about to wreck that image completely. Heavy eye makeup in dark colours already hinted the theme of his song choice, and if that wasn’t good enough, the harness he had acquired for the occasion would also give the image of a dark and more mature concept than he had ever shown before. If any of the judges actually took his previous performances into consideration or even remembered him, this moment was to blow them away. Hopefully at least. He’d do his absolute best and if this wasn’t enough, what even would be?
To his surprise Eric spotted many a familiar face at the venue -- Moonbok’s long hair was impossible not to take notice of, and wasn’t that Jisung over there? These bastards hadn’t even told him that they were auditioning, but then again Eric himself supposed that he hadn’t told anyone either. Not because he had any fear of the outcome but because it was more fun to keep it as a surprise. But he was still upset! He himself was excused; they weren’t. That was just how it worked!
Unfortunately they were rushed in before Eric could really get a chance to talk to any of them, but he figured he’d just hit them up later. Easily forgotten were his hyungs as the excitement built up within him the closer he got to the stage, and the moment he stepped out he could hear gasps and murmur around him: the cause clear the moment he locked eyes with the five CEOs of Korea’s biggest entertainment industries. Honestly he wasn’t too surprised -- he himself couldn’t remember how early they got involved last year, but shouldn’t it have been obvious that they would appear sooner rather than later? Well, he supposed that some people might feel extra pressure performing before them, but in the end it was no different in concept -- it was still doing a performance, get judged for it and evaluated. Pretty simple if you asked him.
Getting seated it didn’t last long before the first contestant was called to stage and the young teen could immediately feel the rush of anticipation as it all began. There was just something about watching people do their best up close that was incredibly exciting and that he could never get enough of. And he couldn’t wait for his own turn. Everyone’s eyes on him as he took the stage for two minutes and made it his own. But for now it was time to let others shine, and certainly they did.
Seeing another kid he knew the face of slide across the stage on skates had Eric almost cheer his lungs out in pure amazement. The return was not quite as elegant however, and Eric gave a loud gasp followed by a brief laughter as Haruto fell off stage. He then turned to tug the sleeve of the person seated next to him once the younger hopeful person had made his way back to his seat. “That was so cool, wasn’t it?!” he beamed at the older male even though he had never met him before and had no idea what his name was. As the other was called in later he would come to know him as ‘Suwoong’.
With every performance Eric clapped and cooed enthusiastically as if he simply couldn’t cease to be amazed, and finally his own name was called. Going to the middle of the stage, he gave a nod to all five individual judges before speaking. Always make sure to greet his seniors he thought. “My name is Sohn Youngjae, and you might remember me from my brief appearance on last season. If you don’t though, I’m gonna make sure you definitely will this time!” It might be a pretentious claim, but Eric was dead serious and he was definitely not going to hold anything back. Once the tyre screeches of his backing track sounded Eric began his performance.
It’s killing me, once again
Your traces remain
And they torture me
It’s killing me
I turned around like you’re a stranger
But why am I so lonely?
The song was so far from anything he would usually listen to and like. He barely ever listened to boy groups, and when he did, it was songs with a much softer and brighter concept. Something like this was so far away from his repertoire as anything could be, but that didn’t matter. He would take even this song that was so foreign to him and make it his own.
I thought I’d be indifferent about breaking up
But there’s one habit of yours that I have
Not being able to throw things away
Foolishly, these feelings remain
Something that feels like regret
Opposite from you who is doing great
I’m half dead
I didn’t know the weight of this break up
I was selfish, I ignored your tears
Barely even knowing what love was, Eric was only just recently starting to realise what it meant to have a crush on someone. What it meant to have feelings for someone. And the difference between a celebrity crush and an actual tangible crush. Something like a breakup was still so far away and so foreign a concept that he couldn’t really conceive the feelings behind it, but all he could do was act his way out of it through his use of tone. It had been an absolute pain recording the song beforehand with his voice as the backing just in case he had to lipsync or even just for basic support considering he had to both sing and dance. He wasn’t a professional, he needed to take everything into consideration to keep himself stable.
It’s killing me, once again
Your traces remain
And they torture me
It’s killing me
I turned around like you’re a stranger
But why am I so lonely?
Killing me
As the dance break after the chorus came up, for some reason a single girl popped into his mind. Come to think of it, not even Lily knew that he was going to be here today, did she? He couldn’t wait to see her reaction to his performance once it aired in television (if it even would, he had no idea how much of this would even air when it came down to it) and for a moment an involuntary smile appeared on his face that was quickly replaced with the stern expression that he had tried to maintain for the sake of capturing the mood of the song. As he thought of her, he suddenly started to imagine how it would feel if these lyrics had been about her, and somehow the thought didn’t sit quite well with him. It bothered him and he couldn’t quite understand why it did so. He tried to shrug it off as the chorus came to a close and the next part came up, for this was something he needed his full focus for.
Freedom and new relationships
But behind that is an empty heart
On this dark night, I’m alone again
This isn’t right
Her existence is such a big part of my world
I try but I can’t take her out of it
Once I did take her off, I broke down
But I can’t tell myself to be ready to die
So it’s killing me
Eric could easily have skipped the rap part. He wasn’t by any means a strong rapper although he had practiced a lot and definitely got better. Honestly speaking it would probably have been more profitable for him if he didn’t include it, but he wanted to challenge himself and show a different image from thus far. The fact that it was a more melodic rap than anything else had made it easier, but flow was still a very important thing, and it was hard to keep his mind on that at the same time as his dancing. Even more so was it difficult when he was so used to dancing with a more feminine touch to suddenly switch to masculine movements, but he had a long time to prepare considering he already had an idea how things were going to progress. There was not a lot left of the song now that he had finished the rap more or less successfully.
I didn’t know the weight of this break up
I was selfish, I ignored your tears
As the music came to a close Eric sang a last “it’s killing me” and placed both hands over his throat as the choreography dictated. For a brief moment he simply stood there, chest heaving for breath now that it was over and done with. Immediately after he broke into a big smile and sent a victory sign off to the nearest camera he could spot before he jumped back to his seat with skipping steps. He had been in doubt of whether it had really been a good idea to perform something so far from his league, but now that it was actually over and done with it did feel quite good. He had done his best, and if nothing came out of it, he would definitely be disappointed.
Returning, Eric yet again returned to his seat mate and almost shook the stranger’s arm in his simple inability to control his joy. “Did you see me hyung? Hyung, wasn’t I totally cool?! I did it! I’m so happy!” He didn’t have much time to celebrate however as another familiar name was called, Moonbok stepping up to the stage to give his performance and Eric’s attention was immediately directed back to the show itself and his own attempt was already long pushed to the background with what was happening on stage taking all of his focus. “Yasssss!” he yelled eagerly as Moonbok stepped down, soon after followed by Jisung who seemed to be a wreck of nerves. “LET’S GET THIS BREAD JISUNGIE HYUNG!” he yelled at the other without thinking about it, and only afterwards did he realise how weird his sentence was and brought a mouth to his hand in an attempt to silence himself.
There was simply all too much happening at once for a young boy who just wanted to show support for those around him.
k.yeos … hello! long time no see, once again, this is my one in a blue moon post haha. this time, i’m here to announce that i will once again be participating in the mnet global auditions-- please look out for me, #5019. to those who supported me last year, and even those who didn’t, please watch out for me kindly.
additionally, please show love and support for my friends: #5012 jang moonbok, #5026 kim sia, and #5039 seo changbin.
i’ll be sure to show as much as i can this time, i promise. thank you! - kang yeosang ♡
Im Yoona had tried to forget how much she had completely screwed up her audition. There was nothing she could do now anyway. It was finished and done, and she had to move on. Yoona did and continued about her life as normal.
Until now.
Yoona was in class when she received the email from the mga staff. She was lost for words. She was shocked and confused. She was sure she had screwed up, but apparently not. She had obviously done enough to make it to the top 100 and she was happy.
Once she could move again, Yoona quietly packed up her belongings and left the classroom, trying not to disturb everyone. She had to go home and prepare. She was already behind in preparation as she never expected to make it this far. Looks like she had to work hard.
Yoona had messaged everyone she knew telling them that she made it through. She was certain that her cousin had made it in. Her stepsister, she was sure, had also made it in. She wondered if any of the girls she had met during the audition day had succeeded. Her roommate also auditioned and Yoona wondered if she made it as well. She would have to ask them later.
The actress still had some time until the callbacks and she would focus all her time and energy in practicing and preparing. She had to work out what she was going to do and how she was going to perform. Would she sing, or would she do something completely different? It seemed like Yoona would have to do some trial and errors before she could decide.
It had taken some time but Yoona had finally decided on what to perform and how to perform it. You can never go wrong with what you know, and what Im Yoona knows best is musical theatre and singing, and that is what Yoona was going to do.
The day finally arrived and Yoona was freaking the fuck out. She was already stressing, and the day had barely started. She had woken up early so she could choose the right outfit and do her makeup perfectly. She had to look her best as well as sound her best. It had taken some time, but Yoona was finally ready.
Arriving at the filming location, Yoona froze outside. The actress couldn’t believe it. This was happening. This was real.
Her cousin Moonbok had to practically force her inside the building as she couldn’t move. The realisation had hit her, and her nerves were locking her body in place. If it wasn’t for her cousin she would probably still be there at the end of the day. It took some deep breaths before Yoona could finally move her body and walk alongside her cousin. They waited in line, signed in, and then found their seats. the stage looked amazing and the seats were crowded. Yoona held her cousin’s hand in support. She usually suffered from nerves before a performance, but this was next level. This was her dream.
The introductions began and Yoona squeezed Moonbok’s hand harder, practically breaking it. She was both excited and nervous. When the CEOs were introduced, Yoona’s eyes widened in surprise and excitement. Now they were going to be judged by the big five? Is it too late to run away? She let out some deep breaths as she listened to the CEOs and the performances. It was all surreal and something she had never expected to experience. If only she could make it through.
She enjoyed being the audience and watching the other performers. They were so talented, and she felt uneasy. She looked around to see if she could spot anyone she knew. Her eyes fell on her stepsister and her roommate, as well as some faces she remembers from the auditions. She waved and grinned at the girl from the group she had met on audition day. She was happy that at least some made it through. There were new faces that she was intrigued by and she made a note to talk to them later.
When her name was finally called, Yoona stood and straightened out her outfit. She smiled at her cousin before she made her way to the stage. She was too busy focused on not being nervous that she misjudged the steps and somehow managed to trip up them. She quickly stood and ignored how red her face was. She let out an embarrassed chuckle and made her way to the centre of the stage. She wanted to cover her face out of embarrassment.
She bowed politely and smiled brightly. ❝ My name is Im Yoona. I’m 25. I come from Gyeongju. I’m a student and a musical theatre actress. It’s an honour to be here. ❞ Yoona took a deep breath as she began.
I am the very model of a modern Major-General,
I've information vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights historical
From Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical;
I'm very well acquainted, too, with matters mathematical,
I understand equations, both the simple and quadratical,
About binomial theorem I'm teeming with a lot o' news,
With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse.
This song was fast and hard to sing. It had taken her some time to perfect, but she had finally done it. It was a fun and fast song and took a lot of breath control. She sang as best she could and moved about the stage happily.
I'm very good at integral and differential calculus;
I know the scientific names of beings animalculous:
In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I am the very model of a modern Major-General. In fact, when I know what is meant by "mamelon" and "ravelin",
When I can tell at sight a Mauser rifle from a javelin
The last two lines were slower and were key in building up to the high point. She had taken parts from the full song and changed them slightly. She smiled as she sang and allowed herself to fill the role. She took a big breath. The hardest part was to come.
In fact, when I know what is meant by "mamelon" and "ravelin",
When I can tell at sight a Mauser rifle from a javelin,
When such affairs as sorties and surprises I'm more wary at,
And when I know precisely what is meant by "commissariat",
When I have learnt what progress has been made in modern gunnery,
When I know more of tactics than a novice in a nunnery--
In short, when I've a smattering of elemental strategy,
You'll say a better Major-General has never rode a horse. For my military knowledge, though I'm plucky and adventury,
Has only been brought down to the beginning of the century;
But still, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I am the very model of a modern Major-General.
This was the fastest part of the song and the one that is easy to mess. She hoped that even though it wasn’t the most vocally challenging she could do, it was still enough to impress. The sheer speed of the song, she hoped, was enough. Her confidence and stage presence increased as she neared the end of the song. She ended on a high and grinned at everyone. She bowed once again and rushed back to her cousin, practically sliding into her chair. Now, she could focus on enjoying what was left of the performances.
