it felt unbelievable to her that she was once again sitting in this situation-- being interviewed like this while waiting for the results. she felt blessed to be in this positon, as she sat down she had no idea what kind of questions they could ask but the had a feeling still-- when the staff member opened their mouth, the first question had her looking conflicted.
what did you think of the results last week?
“last week,” her eyes shifted as she remembered how jeongin had gotten eliminated, “i was filled with many different emotions, jeongin got eliminated but me and daniel oppa made it, so i was happy and sad at the same time,” yeji nodded slowly, “i feel blessed ot be in this position again-- but seing eliminations happen, was hard regardless of how close i was with everyone.”
who do you think is the best under each skill?
after yeji had managed to gather her emotions from the previous question she lifted her gaze and listened to the interviewer, “the best? under each skill?” yeji’s eyes widened, this could be a controversial topic-- “oh, i think that lee chaeryeong’s dancing ability is really good, i was impressed and she’s so young too. so i think her for the girls, for the males-- isn’t taeyang oppa impressive? his choreos are so good, i had to pick my jaw up from the floor.” yeji chuckled and smiled-- call her biased but to her, out of the boys taeyang was the best dancer. “for rappers-- i have to mention changbin oppa-- he’s so confident when he raps and he has a lot of swag, doesn’t he?” yeji did want to mention hansol as well-- but she didn’t want to give anyone the opportunity to connect them. he was so happy about going through-- having a goal, yeji didn’t want to be an obstacle, “for the females... choi yoona? her rap was really powerful? i didn’t thinkt that a girl could have that aura while rapping, honestly.” yeji grabbed her chin between her index finger and thumb, thinking about who to pick for vocals-- “there are so many good vocals, ahhh... i think jeon heejin’s voice and yuri’s voice, they are nice, hyojin and kyungsoo for the males for sure.”
were there any performances you liked?
yeji felt like she had talked for a long time already when talking about who she thought were best under each skill, now she got to talk about the performances she liked-- “well, let me talk to you about kyungsoo’s performance of toxic-- i didn’t know i needed that until he sang it and his voice. so good,” yeji nodded excitedly, “also-- taeyang oppa, of course-- i should stop talking about him already i know but-- have you seen him dance? his performance this time was good, all around the world good!” yeji pondered for a couple of more seconds, “also yuri’s performance-- i’m glad i bugged her about applying, her voice is really out here like that.”
there was a moment of silence before she suddenly opened her mouth again before the next question could pop out, "ryujinnie's performance, it was really charming and different from what she usually does. its nice to see her challenge herself like that.”
is there anyone that disappointed you today?
it was another sensitive topic-- yeji had made a couple of notes to herself and well, “the one that danced to psy’s daddy-- suwoong ssi? i liked his performance but-- having fun is important but he isn’t showing how good he is. he’s showing how much fun he has? i wonder if he can dance or if he is taking it as a joke,” yeji felt pensive thinking about it, “i wish he had shown his serious side, the other contestants are taking this seriously after all.”
he expected this as it had happened with the first episode. though knowing of the interview did not mean he would prepare of anything. it’s not like he could know what they want to ask though he has a vague idea. figuring it would follow along the lines of what they asked the first time.
he’s not worried or anything--as in the first episode none of the interviews seemed to be shown in their entirety. they were all edited, of course, so he supposes he should watch to make sure he can’t be edited badly but.
well yugyeom doesn’t care much.
What did you think of the results last week?
”last week?” he parrots part of the question, a small smirk forming as he answers. “expected.” and for a brief moment he debates on not following through with anything else. leaving them with a vague response. but... thats not really his style--plus he can’t miss the chance to talk himself up.
“it was the first episode so there was bound to be a lot of people who don’t have what it takes just yet. i’ve been dancing for years so i didn’t really think i would get cut first round.” he says calmly, shrugging a little. it really looks as if he fully expected the outcome from last week. comfortable in his own abilities to perform and keep the judges attention.
“i’d been more surprised if i hadn’t made it.”
Who do you think is the best under each skill?
“i’m not really the best to critique singing or rapping. in the last few months i’ve gotten into rapping but i don’t have a lot of the technical talk down.” he admits, brows furrowing as he tries to think about how he would want to answer this one. thinking about the performances he had actively paid attention to and that stuck in his mind long enough to be able to talk about right now.
“in singing i’d have to say PARK JINYOUNG.” and that was out of complete bias. “he really knows how to capture attention when he sings. it’s hard to not watch and always leaves me wanting to hear more. i was really impressed with his performances both this time and from last week.” he smiles a bit thinking about his hyung. loving the fact they both made it to this episode. he hopes they go far on here together--that maybe they get to work together on the show at some point.
“for rapping...” he pauses, one particular performance flashing in his mind. it had surprised him a lot to see her last week. so much so he hadn’t know how to react--what to say. he still hasn’t approached her and he’s kind of hoping he never has. their relationship had been... okay... he loved her, he really had. but at the time.. at the time he was so messed up. all he feels now is apologetic to her. “CHOI YOONA... or bella. she rapped everyone else under the table. her performances have always felt so powerful. i think she’s someone to keep an eye on for sure.”
his smirk formed again though. “as for dancing.” he chuckles. “i want to say myself, of course. its only natural to think yourself the best. but KANG HYUNGGU is giving me a run for my money. did you see how smoothly he transitioned from swalla to TT. i had major whiplash! but he did it so well, and it really worked with is performance!” yes he is taking this chance to gush about his best friend but who’s really surprised? his smile wide as he recounts the younger dancers performance. “i love seeing him dance and i really think he’s the best dancer here--tied with me, of course.”
How do you think you did?
“i think i did great.” confident and cocky, that’s how yugyeom likes to roll. whats the point of changing this about himself now? he could have tried for that humble route--that i’ll keep working hard to be better---but why would he want to do that? he already spent the whole first episode talking himself up. might as well keep goin.
and its not like he doesn’t think this about himself anyway. he is confident.
“i was a bit tired today--late night from practicing and work. but even not being at full power today i still made that stage mine.” he admits to being tired, wondering if that could get him more brownie points. kim yugyeom performed that well despite being exhausted. “i felt like the stage itself didnt want me to walk off when i was done. i know i didn’t want to. especially not when i felt so good about the performance. that kind of feeling... that feeling stays with you.”
Were there any performances you liked?
he nods without a moment of hesitation but surprisingly it’s not hyunggu who he names first. “i really enjoyed TAKADA KENTA. his dancing was really impressive and i like the energy he has when he performs. i enjoyed watching him a lot--someone i think i’d like to see more of. he has a nice presence.”
“also LEE SUWOONG. that guy...that guy....” he breaks off with a laugh. “that guy really knows how to make his performances amusing. i was surprised to see him go up with that song choice but... it worked for him. and i enjoyed watching it.” he chuckles more. “yah, suwoong hyung are you going to use funny songs the whole season?”
Were there any performances you didn’t like?
he takes a moment to think before answering this one even though he already has a performance in mind that hadn’t sat well with him. “yeah... KANG DANIEL’s performance was... lacking this time.” he says slowly, partly wondering if he should hold back from saying all that he thinks. but well--they did ask. and yugyeom isn’t one to sugar coat himself.
“he was a singer last week right? i thought he sang really well--he lacks appeal in my opinion. not really someone i would care much to see perform, but his voice was really nice and i think he could develop into a solid performer. but...” he makes a confused face. keeping his tone light so that it doesn’t sound like he’s just outright attacking daniel. “why... i’m not sure why he decided to switch to rap. personally for me... his performance really dropped. i think he should have stayed with singing...”
What did you think of KIM MYUNGSOO’s performance?
“thats the guy who did the tvxq song right? why did i fall in love with you?” he questioned and continued when he got a nod. “ah he was so good... that was such a good song choice first of all--but then he covered it so well. his vocals were really nice. plus he didn’t seem too uncomfortable on stage--not that i could tell.” he smiled, seeming to have genuinely enjoyed myungsoo stage. “like i said i don’t know much about the technicals with singing but i wouldn’t mind hearing him sing again.”
“and he was sooo handsome.” his expression becomes wistful as if he were wishing to be that good looking. “a face made really well, like he really captured my eye before he sang and then i was really impressed hearing his voice.”
Is there anyone you are certain will move onto the next phase of the MGAs?
“myself.” he starts and the interviewer really shouldn’t have been surprised with this answer considering his track record when it comes to self confidence. “i’m comfortable with my performance today and confident i showed that i’m able to dance in more than one style. i want them to know i’m versatile. the next step is to show i can improve--which i believe i also showed a bit of on this stage today.” he chuckles to himself.
“also hyunggu, of course.” he grins, picturing his best friend who he actually didn’t talk about all that much today. “i think it’d be weird if we didn’t make it to the next round. at least this early on. we’re both solid dancers and i know hyunggu made an impression today. im still blown away.”
Is there anyone you are certain will be eliminated today?
“i wouldn’t say there’s anyone i’m certain will be eliminated...” he trails off slowly, picturing some of the performances in his mind. and he knows who he wants to say but he feels a bit bad. he already spoke down about daniel earlier in this interview. but he does think that daniel could bite the bullet this time. especially because of his change in performance skill--but then again that could also work in his favor. ceos see it as proof daniel is able to adapt---then theres the whole fact that this isn’t daniel’s first show.
his expression had shifted to one of distaste. and he realizes he’s being so hard on daniel because he doesn’t like him which is not justified but he doesn’t care. “i think anything could happen.”
MGA: SEASON FIVE, ‘19!
episode zero ⇢ the callback
part one: dancing + singing, chi chi’s “into the new world”
the fromis_9 edition ( 0:00 - 1:55 )
kokoro stares at the email sitting in her inbox with utter disbelief. and for a good while, too. she is hesitant to click on it, still so absorbed by the text in the title and what it is she’s reading. but she somehow manages to convince herself to actually delve a little deeper and read the actual email, rather than the title ten times over. and so she does, once and then twice before going back over it a third time. is this what she thinks it is? is this really a ... callback notice? it couldn’t be that, no ... why would they contact kokoro for a callback? she furrows her brows, reading the email again. she’s tempted to forward the email to yuri to ask if she’s reading it correctly. maybe yuri would then tell her that this is more so a thanks for trying notice. that would settle her nerves, kokoro knows she’s looking way too far into this. and after forwarding it to yuri, turns out this wasn’t a scam or a prank of sorts. kokoro had read this entirely correctly. it really was a callback.
and kokoro was invited.
it really felt like only yesterday that kokoro had began to contemplate auditioning for the show.
it only felt like yesterday that kokoro had began contemplating on auditioning for the show; night after night of going back and forth on a dream she thought she had left behind when she moved to seoul. the first audition had come and gone in an absolute blur, and somehow no one had really gotten suspicious about kokoro’s whereabouts on that very day. and now here she was, at an actual television set, with two of her best friends. bright lights hanging overhead and large, expensive cameras directed towards her and the rest of the contestants. kokoro sits upright in her chair, bright eyed, doing her best to survey her surroundings. she follows the prompts given to her by staff members and producers carefully, knowing there is no room for mistakes. this is going to be going to air, on actual live television. kokoro totally lets the fact that her mother or her step-sister might see this, and if she does think it, she pushes it to the back of her mind. for now. she’s sitting with yuri and yuqi, feeling less nervous about performing in front of a large crowd, but she can’t help but wonder who the panel of judges will be made up of.
kokoro ends up finding a lot of familiar faces amidst the crowd of contestants around herself, yuri and yuqi. she finds yoona, her dance dance revolution companion and jeongin, the k.arma fan from the showcase she went to a month or two back. she even happens across the boy from the royal cafe who ended up wearing her hot chocolate, a memory she would much rather forget. she hopes and prays that he doesn’t look back and catch sight of her. kokoro would of never of taken him for someone like her, a hopeful of sorts, someone looking to break into the industry. he seemed too ... cool for that. but everyone was here for their own reason, as basic or complex as it may be. and who was kokoro to judge? she was here for her own reason, albeit generic. there are hushed whispers and questions about who is going to be sitting on the panel for this round, and some people offer up guesses while others keep their lips sealed in anticipation. the 100 chairs have been filled by contestants, eagerly waiting for their chance to shine.
and then their questions have been answered. appearing from out of nowhere, or so it seems, is the ceos of the five, top companies in south korea, trc entertainment, kt entertainment, sphere entertainment, royal entertainment and nova entertainment. the reaction is positive, kokoro is guessing that a lot of people are losing their minds right now, although some people are probably dreading the fact that the ceos are getting involved so early in the competition. and no one’s fate has been set in stone. kokoro’s reaction is a mixture of surprise and excitement. she realises that she’s never seen the ceos up close before, or actually ever. everyone looks so big and famous, kokoro isn’t too sure that they’re all worthy to be sitting in the same room as these people.
the callback process begins as one would expect. one by one, each contestant is called forward to show off their skills. they have two minutes to impress the judges and ignite fear in their fellow contestants before returning to their seat and so on. that was the jist of things, or that’s at least what kokoro understood after the first two people had gone forward. she pulls at the hem of her skirt. she knows that from here on out, her charms and cuteness alone aren’t going to get her very far and kokoro starts to understand that maybe she’s not cut out for this sort of stuff. the other contestants are really good dancers, really good singers and really good rappers, almost brimming on trainee or idol level good. kokoro though, hasn’t ever really had any formal training. she’s taken some dance classes and she was in school choir. her parents were never really big on her joining an academy to perfect her skills, well, her father was persistent that kokoro do what make her happy. her mother on the other hand, she was adamant about kokoro doing well in school and with her studies. having had her father absent during her teenage years, it’s easy to see the path kokoro had followed. the path free of any hopes and dreams she had.
“and next up, we have ... kato kokoro.”
amidst her thoughts, kokoro’s name is called. she’s rather startled, looking across to the panel of judges, spotting katie lee, holding a microphone. it was a woman’s voice in introduced her, so it must of been katie lee. kokoro smiles, getting to her feet before making her way down to the front of the stage, being careful to not step any toes or trip on anything. because that would be very kokoro of her and typical, especially since this was going to be aired on television. she pulls her skirt straight before falling into a polite bow, holding it for a moment before standing upright once again. brushing both of her twin tails back over her shoulder, she looks towards each of the ceos with a bright smile. “hello everyone!” she says enthusiastically, waving both of her hands either side of her face. “my name is kato kokoro, please take care of me.” she doesn’t let on to what it is she’s performing today, and she hasn’t any intentions. the opening notes of the song will do all the talking for her. into the new world, by the nation’s girl group, chi chi. kokoro had heard that it was a song of importance to young people in south korea, a song of hope.
it was a song she had heard prior to coming to south korea, it was just one of those songs that transcended languages and touched her heart. and that’s what she wants to do today, give a performance that is full of heart. an idol to kokoro is someone who brings others joy through song and dance. they may not necessarily be the best, but when they dance, they give their all. their passion shows. although kokoro is fearful that she may not be as skilled as some of the other contestants in terms of technique or skill, she knows that she has the ability to out do them in one aspect; in heart. she knows, standing there, center stage that this routine will be full of it.
and the song begins to play. it’s familiar to everyone in the room. it’s a song that everyone knows the words to, even kokoro. admittedly, she hesitated upon choosing a korean song to sing at her callback, but she needs to prove that she’s competent with the language. maybe not so much with interviews and general speaking, but with singing. she wants to prove something to herself. she stands there, hands gently folded behind her back as she looks out towards the panel of judges. as the beat drops, kokoro’s smile widens and she nods her head, moving forward into the choreography seamlessly. for a song that is over ten years old, it’s aged very well.
i want to tell you, even though the sad times have already past. close your eyes and feel my moved heart, my gaze at you.
don’t wait for a special miracle, there’s a tough road in front of us, with unknowable an unknowable future and obstacles, i won’t change. i can’t give up.
kokoro’s voice is soft, her accent present. however, thankfully the tone of the song works with her, rather than against her. the beginning of the song is much more forgiving and kokoro knows she doesn’t have the vocal chords to challenge the end of the song with the high notes and the adlibs. she isn’t out here to butcher a korean classic. a part of kokoro can’t help but wonder if she really is good enough, strong enough to withhold the idol industry of korea. perhaps they aren’t interested in heart; performances that are wholesome and meaningful. perhaps they really do only believe in the best of the best. she knows too well that she isn’t the best dancer, nor the best vocalist but kokoro makes sure that she hits every single dance move, sharp and precise, as though this is dance dance revolution and she’s out to hit her highest score yet. even despite the foreign words flowing from kokoro’s mouth, something about this feels so normal to her.
protect me with an unchanged love, also my wounded heart. looking in your eyes, no words are needed, time has stopped.
the song builds ever so slowly, inching towards the chorus. and as the song builds up, so does kokoro’s energy. the chorus hits and kokoro quite literally jumps into it, her smile becomes bigger and brighter. this is the feeling she chases, the feeling she so desperately wants others to feel. when people hear the music they love, they should want to get up onto their feet to dance and sing along. she wonders if the other contestants, or even the ceos themselves are surprised by her song choice ... or perhaps it was a given that she, the foreigner, would perform a classic like into the new world? into the new world was a right of passage for so many girl groups in korea, so why couldn’t it be a right of passage for a hopeful like herself?
i love you, just like this. the longed end of wandering, i leave behind this world’s unending sadness.
in the many unknowable paths, i follow a dim light. it’s something we’ll do together to the end, into my new world.
she is no longer fearful of the outcome of this callback. whether she goes beyond her wildest dreams or falters right here, right now; she has come to realise that she is grateful for one thing; the opportunity to feel again, to feel this happy, this confident and this comfortable whilst dancing and singing to a song like such. the song cuts short before the dance break, which kokoro would of happily performed, only doing so would of pushed her over the two minute mark. pushing her hand outwards to her side she sings the final words of the chorus; it’s something we’ll do together to the end, into my new world. before finishing as she started, hands laced together behind her back. her chest rises and falls ever so slightly, she’s ashamed to admit she’s out of breath. but perhaps not so much from the singing and dancing itself, but from the excitement and the emotion she’s feeling right now. and not even then does her smile falter. it’s kokoro’s one constant. she gracefully falls into a bow, her twin tails becoming curtains, blacking out her vision for a moment before she straightens herself up, brushing them back behind her shoulders. she looks around at the other contestants and the ceos one last time, wanting desperately to savour this moment. it could be the last time she sees a stage like this ...
he’s struck by a vivid sense of deja-vu when he’s led back into a familiar room, this time with less fumbling and worrying that he’s done something terribly wrong or broken a rule. bowing politely at the cameraman and the staff member that posed as the interviewer, hyojin smiles at them shyly, still a little offset by his burst of emotion during his performance.
what did you think of the results last week?
making a thoughtful noise, hyojin says, “i was... a little surprised, actually. i didn’t expect to get so much spotlight and praise from the ceos, but i’m really grateful. i’ll try my best to meet the expectations i’ve been given.” smiling a little sadly, he adds, “and... a few friends of mine didn’t make it, like seungminnie. i’m regretful because of that, but i hope that he’s doing well now, and still trying his best at what he likes.”
who do you think is the best under each skill?
“the best?” furrowing his brows, hyojin wonders briefly if he should just say what he thinks right off the bat, and decides that it wouldn’t hut to do so. “i think... for singing... heejin-ssi? her voice is really emotional and she chooses good songs, and i really think she’s very good. definitely the best. as for dancing or rapping, i don’t know a lot but... jungeun seems pretty good? for rapping, i think... yoona? that’s her name, right? the one who performed professional.”
how do you think you did?
“oh... it’s a bit embarrassing but i think i did my best.” laughing quietly to himself, he looks a bit into the distance, nodding. “i got a bit emotional at the end thinking about... the past... so i think i could have done better. but i hope at least that some people enjoyed.”
were there any performances you liked?
“i really liked jooyoung’s performance, but i might be biased. there’s also seunghunie -- we have a similar music taste, so i think he chose a song that really came after my heart. oh! and sakura’s rap was very swaggy, of course.” the word sounds awkward rolling off of his tongue, but it sounds more like a silly fumble than anything else that he tries to laugh off. “and sungwoonie-squall hyung! he’s so good at singing, his voice just makes your jaw drop.” on the same note, a face pops up in his mind, and hyojin adds, “although, i was surprised daniel-ssi rapped, because i heard he’s a good singer. his rapping is good, though! i liked the original lyrics.”
he’s a little surprised at the shortness of the interview this time around, but maybe he’s just gotten used to it. either way, hyojin feels a sense of relief washing over him at the realization that all he had to do now was wait for the results.
|| ✧ –––– sophie looks around the studio curiously. she’s never been inside such a professional one, her experiences limited to recording songs in her bedroom with her shitty phone recorder and that one time she recorded with a friend who had a decent enough mic in their basement. she’s excited to be here, but at the same time she’s a bit scared. what if she fucks it up? what if she touches something and deletes everything? what if her voice is actually not what they want and they find someone else? with a small shake of her head, sophie rids it of the thoughts and focuses on the excitement and the opportunity.
she finally spots the only person she knows here and walks up to her with a wide smile. “hey bella!” there’s an inherent cheeriness in her voice, as always, the other’s english name rolling easily off her tongue. as nervous as she is about this, she’s happy to get to collaborate with someone else, specially a rapper. sophie has always looked up to people who know how to rap – she can barely string a sentence together that makes sense and pronounce it in an understandable way, rapping seems like speaking russian to her.
“so, shall we do this?” she asks the other girl. “fair warning, i have no idea what i’m doing so you may need to give me, like, baby instructions, but i’ll try my best,” she finishes her mini monologue with an eager smile.
…. i mean … they had their reasons
…. i just didn’t think deleted !!
…. i thought that maybe i could re- deleted !!
…. i’m scared to go back to the stud- deleted !!
…. what have i done deleted !!
…. i’m fine, i mean i was just doing it for fun, not really a big deal ~
…. but hey !! why don’t we go out for drinks sometime soon ??
…. i mean, my schedule’s kinda cleared up for some time ㅋㅋㅋ
…. we should spend a weekend clubbing again
…. as long as i don’t end up passed out in your bathroom again, that is ㅋㅋㅋ
# 💬 › BELLA ❤️. › SMS › RECEIVED !
— ✉ › 06:01 › well their reasons suck ass
— ✉ › 06:01 › regardless, you’re the best.
— ✉ › 06:02 › omfg
— ✉ › 06:03 › let’s go we gotta show you off
— ✉ › 06:03 › and THAT WAS ONE TIME
his interview had just finished and he was slowly making his way back to his seat. half debating on taking a restroom break just because the option was there. after filming for so long he wanted nothing more than to not be forced back into that seat again even though he knows they’re getting close to being done. it’s as he’s losing himself to his thoughts that he fails to notice someone else in the hallway until shes almost directly in front of him. then he takes notices.
oh shit. his eyes widen and he makes a rather impressive impression of a deer in headlights as he gazes at her. someone he had been hoping to avoid the entire time they are on mga together even though he knows that idea is ridiculous. that he can’t continue to ignore her existence because even the mere idea of it was implausible and impractical. but a man could hope, right? he could hope to not meet her fact to fact because the last time they were fact to fact he was piss drunk and making both his and her life a living hell. he could hope because as he looks at her now he only feels regret. he only feels apologetic.
he doesn’t say anything, or well. he tries to but his mouth opens and nothing comes out. so he merely snaps it closed and continued to give her this caught off guard stare he has been since he noticed her in the hall with him.
