come to think of it, tiger jk probably wouldn’t appreciate what jordan was planning, but the way the american saw it, what the ceo didn’t know wasn’t going to hurt him.
what he needed for his latest experiment idea was a high quality microphone he could never afford on his own paycheck. and no better place to get one than an entertainment company. though he didn’t exactly want to ask to borrow one because he doubted very much he would actually be allowed. so, he was simply planning on sneaking one out of the building, filming his video, and bringing it back before anyone even noticed it was missing. though anyone who currently came across him could probably tell he was planning something as he hovered around the recording booths. what he needed was an extra pair of eyes.
“hey, chaeryeong, hey,” he quickly spotted the other trainee, making a beeline towards her with his best ‘i’m not up to anything bad i promise’ expression on. “can i borrow you for just a sec? won’t take long. you don’t even have to do anything. just stand here and keep an eye out for me. please?”
⭐️MGA 5 EPISODE 3
↪ perfoming romanticism by leo with @rkjeonghxn
outfit inspiration: x x
line distribution & times: x
it’s always easier to move on to the next round when there are a lot of contestant. the fewer they become and the harder the choices will be for the five ceos. there’s undoubtedly a lot of raw talent in this room, some maybe more polished than others, some mostly relying on their popularity and star factor. the latter can’t be downplayed of course, as there’s no reason to have skill in the first place if people aren’t interested in you or want to follow you. still, it’s always a little annoying to see such people get by with minimal talent.
soon after jinyoung returned to his seat following his interview, the entire set falls silent. everyone’s eyes are glued to the judging panel, waiting for the dreaded moment when they will announce the results. his newly found acquaintance changbin is nominated as the top rapper, which comes to no surprise to jinyoung, but it’s choi minho who takes the win. unlike a lot of people here, jinyoung doesn’t feel any type of way for that guy. despite his best friend being in convex, he knows very little about the group and what kind of drama happened that led to the rapper’s departure. he’s not a hater nor is he a fan, and although he didn’t dislike his performance, he wouldn’t have gave him the win either.
he keeps a straight face throughout the eliminations, just quietly wishing not to be on that list when the singer’s turn comes. the top 3 dancers are called to the stage, and he recognizes hwang yeji from that one day at the hospital. they haven’t spoken since and he wishes her well. she’s a pretty good dancer despite her young age, but so is lee chaeryeong. as for suwoong, well, it’s not a question of talent really, but more his personality that jinyoung can’t quite figure out. he’s satisfied with yeji’s win, just as he is satisfied with heejin’s win later on. there was a slight disappointment about not making the top 3 but then again, he still believes he performed the best he could. for someone as obsessed with perfect as he is, it’s hard to accept average results, but he’s a good sport. heejin, as he’s noted multiple times already, is a very good singer. he wonders if she can dance well too, because if she does then she’s almost guaranteed to go to the end. her looks are very idol-like, not to mention she’s young.
joohyun was probably the most surprising elimination for jinyoung. he knew she made a mistake, they all did, and it’s unexpectedly fair that they wouldn’t favor her due to her past participations and already established level of popularity. she’s one of the known contestants here that everyone talks about to the point where jinyoung also knows about it, and even if don’t want to show bias, maybe he thought they would show more leniency towards someone they know, and he now stands corrected. there is no second chance in this competition, and no room for weakness.
he applauds heejin’s win with a proud smile, and it’s probably the first time anyone will have caught him looking so pleased since the very first audition. he’s also happy for sihyeon who’s finally been recognized for her talent. it’s kind of funny how some of those who changed categories managed to survive unlike those who truly wanted to show their best skill. in hindsight, it was pretty clever of them to do so and jinyoung wonders if this was calculated on their part. he doubts so for daniel, who probably just innocently wanted to show another side of himself. but that’s if he’s still the same person he knew all those years ago in busan. maybe he’s changed, like jinyoung did.
he doesn’t care much for the following eliminations, as nobody he knows has been sent home. instead, he pays close attention to what is said next. they are to be paired off in duos and present a neat performance showing not only talent but also teamwork. and it’s probably what he dreads most as of now. it’s not as easy for him to get along with people as much as he’d like, and depending on who he ends up with, this assignment might be his first real challenge. he doesn’t necessarily want to be with a friend, however, because it doesn’t always mean it will lead to a good performance. he ends up with yoon jeonghan.
they’re not friends per say, but they do know of each other and have worked together in the past on musical productions. jinyoung is very enthusiastic at the idea of performing with someone who has talents and tastes similar to his, but it can also be an obstacle in the end. they can’t put up something too expected. it’ll be boring to watch for everyone.
that’s the subject they talk about when they first meet up for practice. “since they know we’re both passionate about musicals, i don’t think we should choose that type of song. what do you think?” he asks jeonghan who promptly agrees. they’re both aware they need to showcase something different, more creative and challenging. something that will throw the judges off, hopefully in a good way. they spend a while just searching online, or scrolling down their playlists in order to find the perfect fit. and after going through several choices, they finally decide on romanticism by leo. the key is to make all the right changes to the choreography and harmonies so it looks and sounds as if it was meant for two people instead of just one. they need to be in complete unison, and not just seem like two individuals performing the same song at the same time.
their first practice consists of making these arrangements and going through them a couple times to see if they fit well, and deciding on the parts they’ll each sing. they both agree to practice on their own whenever they have free time, then meet together every day for several hours so they can put it all together. it just won’t work if they both work separately.
while jinyoung criticizes a lot, he’s also very open to criticism himself. as long as it’s nothing insulting, he believes this is the only way one will grow, and not with fake praises. if he sucked, he wants to know. if he does one movement wrong, he wants to know so he can fix it. if jeonghan feels it would be better if they switched one part because it sounds off, he’ll be open to the idea. what he finds exhausting is those who are too scared to make any kind of negative comment, or who take everything too personal. they’re impossible to work it, not to mention annoying. it’s all meant to enhance the performance. the judges won’t chose the best out of the two of them. so either they win together, or fail together. it doesn’t matter if one sings five seconds more, as long as it makes the whole thing better.
it’s surprisingly easy to work with jeonghan, and jinyoung comes home at night almost with a spring in his step, telling mina about how practice is going with a lot more details than usual. he’s optimistic, hopeful. if it were to suddenly come crashing down....
the two men sit next to each other, and jinyoung can’t help but notice there’s so few of them compared to the first episode. sixty chairs have disappeared since then. he remains exactly like the second episode, face stoic as he watched the first few duos perform on stage. the only moments he stops being a statue is in-between performances, as he leans over to jeonghan and whispers things inaudible to cameras, about what he liked and didn’t like.
yugyeom goes before with him, with a contestant called do kyungsoo, and he honestly has no idea what to expect when they first start. it seems like they managed to use each other’s strength and make up for the other’s weakness quite well, and jinyoung hopes it’s enough for them to make it through. some of the duos make unexpected yet good pairs, and some match so well it’s almost boring. he wonders if this will be the case for jeonghan and him, although they didn’t go for a musical number. are their skills too similar? but it’s not like they can suddenly pretend one of them can rap either, so there’s nothing they can do about it if they were put together.
they go near the end, with only three duos left after them. they both bring a chair to the center of the stage and sit on them after introducing themselves. the original artist has a very specific way of dancing, that makes every movement look smooth but not sloppy, and sensual but not sexual. there’s a fine line they can’t cross, and jinyoung does feel like they got in down after hours and hours of practice. jeonghan starts off the song with his first lines.
In my mind you’re my lord,
the reality is not close enough
You’re my one
You’re my one
jinyoung parts his legs in a swift motion as the dance obliges, and because there are no backdancers, instead of gesturing to his empty side, he briefly cups jeonghan’s chin instead, making it one of a several modifications to the original choreography. it’s not hard to imagine he’s singing to his girlfriend right now, and wishing she was the one dancing with him. jeonghan and him aren’t exactly flirting together, their actions more inclined to the audience, but there still needs to be a connection between them, a sensuality that can be felt all the way to the very back of the studio.
I see through your body,
The sign that gets my sensitivity wet
Your eyes are chasing after my movement
As if saying come after you
in the middle of this verse they both stand up, leaving their chairs behind for the time being. the way they arranged this part suits the lyrics well. it’s as if they’re also chasing each other, delivering their lines back and forth like one echoes the other, and as jeonghan finishes it, jinyoung prepares for the chorus. two minutes isn’t long at all, and after this they’re jumping straight to the bridge so the transition isn’t too cut and dry.
Dive-in for me at this moment,
make me shiver one time
Romanticism in our world
together now
Let’s feel it romantically, together now
the dance gets more intense and demanding, but they’ve arranged for them to sing half of it together, harmonizing each other. jinyoung’s gaze is piercing, and he has fun flirting with the crowd. there are a lot of parts in this song where they rub their chest, their face or roll their hips, and there’s a risk to make it look cheap and very cringe-worthy if they’re not careful, so they made sure to tell the other whenever it was too much, or not enough. they want to mesmerize the audience, not turn it off.
Piece of you for just one moment
Feel me from now on
Let’s feel it sensually, together now
Girl you know I’m watching you
together now
they had to cut the last chorus in half to fit in the time requirement, but in the end it doesn’t really matter since they jump next into the other half which is kind of a nice follow-up and uses the same lyrics. they sing most of it together, dancing in sync.
▰▰▰▰▰▰ MNET GLOBAL AUDITIONS, SEASON 5 ˟ EP. 6 PERFORMANCE ▰▰▰▰▰▰
over a month in and they’re here: semi-finals. it’s a joke, right? this could all be a pipe dream. okay, two more seconds and he’s gonna wake up from a deep sleep with dabin sitting on his chest and slapping his face because according to one of the youngest of kill.u.strate, that’s the only way to wake someone up. he can’t wait for the day dabin gets a serious girlfriend and minho’s gonna rub that sentence in his face. dabin’s too similar to him— he just hasn’t heard the siren call yet.
he still can’t believe it, a month has come and gone, and he thought he wasn’t gonna make it past day 0. because the comments are right. sure, the rumor isn’t confirmed but it’s true— he left convex because he chose his girlfriend. he chose her over them and that won’t go away. no matter who he receives support from, even if they’re members of convex, he knows it’s too late. the ink has stained his ledger. coming onto the show, he pretended it would be a blank slate but he knows it’s far from it. his decision put him right back in the public eye and he’d be a liar to say he doesn’t enjoy being on stage again. he’d be a liar to say he’d be fine in the end. mijoo, his father, seik, everyone dear to him told him not to act like it was nothing, like he was okay, and the more honest he is about his own feelings the more scared he is.
being put on the trc team reminds him of his triple threat audition, how he said let it go but he’s the one still holding on. he’s the one thinking about that phone call with his sister, how she called again this week and the one thing he couldn’t hold onto in that moment was himself.
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ PAUSE, REWIND ⭯
›› 7월 29일 , I KNOW WHEN THAT HOTLINE BLING 📱
[ TW: MENTION OF INJURY, IMPLIED PANIC ATTACK, *CAPTAIN AMERICA V/O* LANGUAGE ]
“i think you should quit.”
it’s not the first time he’s heard those words coming from his sister’s lips, not the first time she’s said it since he signed up for the mgas again, not the first time he’s sat with his back to the wall in his apartment, the waning moonlight the only source of light in the room as he sighs, head thunking against drywall as he leaves her unanswered. he wishes the time difference was greater, that his sister didn’t work in an industry where she’s awake at the same hours of him, ironically working as late as early morning. usually, it ends the same way. usually, it’s him once again telling her “i don’t know what you want me to say, han.”
an echo because of how empty the room is, because he’s isolated himself for the nth time. because he used to think he was lonely in nova because of the competitiveness but it was also him. a large part of it falls on him, on how he let everything get into his head while giving off the impression there is nothing in his head, no substance to his mind and soul when really he carries it all on his shoulders.
maybe that’s what happened to his shoulder in the past. it wasn’t just because he wasn’t letting himself properly heal for the sake of being signed, for continuing to dance, to live the lifestyle he kept up with. it was because he kept all that tension up there too, gloom in his headspace until it clouded his judgment. that was what turned his vision to black and white.
“are you listening to me?”
a deep sigh. in, out. “yeah.”
“are you sighing at me? you’re lucky i—”
he tunes her out and it’s unlike him. choi minho, who grew up being told that he should listen to every word a woman has to say, every word any person has to say because their opinion is important. it’s theirs, it has merit, it ought’a be heard but this? this? he doesn’t want to hear it again. over and over again, his sister is always right. she can do no wrong.
it’s out of love. he knows that, he knows this, so why is it so hard? his sister who he’s admired for so long even if she thinks that he prefers jake. his sister, who was the first one to show up to one of his dance competitions and scream til she lost her voice so he wouldn’t be sad that his parents couldn’t come, that their father refused to come even though he could, even though he was the only parent in the country at the time. his sister came, holding chris’ hand and insisting he couldn’t let go no matter how embarrassing it is. that’s how she is. headstrong, protective, because he’s not the only one who had to grow up at a young age.
if anyone knows about carrying weight on their shoulders, it’s her.
he realizes, that’s why it’s difficult. he doesn’t know how to tell her that she doesn’t understand when she’s tried the hardest in their whole family to understand him as far back as he could remember.
“—members are coaches and olivia. are you fucking kidding me, mason? you can’t tell me you’re not making goo-goo ga-ga eyes at her like the lovesick fool that you are. i’veseen you.”
hands rubbing over his face, he feels the pressure in his chest, how it rises up his throat and lodges itself right there until he can’t breathe. again, inhale, exhale.
come on, one more time. inhale, exhale.
you can do it, he tells himself, in and out—
shit, fuck.
no, he can’t and the way he struggles sounds like forced chuckling. it feels like it could be if he pulled it off, if he pulled off making it sound like he was just laughing, because it must be a joke. he is the joke and, who knows, maybe that clown wig really foreshadowed the rest of his future on the show.
everything his sister says, he already knows. he thought it, felt it, wanted to run from it for a moment because it was overwhelming.
but why, why, just why does he have to hear this from his sister? his brother’s flight is due in a few hours and he’s going with the guys to pick him up. as soon as chris got the confirmation that he could see the show live, he booked the flight. chris is happy for him, for moving onto the next round, regardless of who showed up on that stage as coaches. actually, part of him thinks chris didn’t realize at first, that he doesn’t care because mason says it’s alright.
it comes with being the youngest, he knows that’s why chris wouldn’t do it but it’s right up hannah’s alley but he just— if he could just breathe.
“stop.” his voice is soft, raw, doesn’t sound like him at all. she asks what and all he hears is her saying “i think you should quit” and the reasons she listed on replay. worse than the it’s a small world song and he thinks he’s seconds away from pulling his hair out.
he couldn’t do it. couldn’t listen to her telling him that he’s being stupid again, that he’s setting himself up to fail, that he’s walking right into their trap, that they keep bringing up convex for this moment, for the moment two convex members come out as coaches and he goes from being in the sphere practice rooms to the trc team.
arguments form in his mind but he can’t get them out, like if they really wanted to fuck with him, he’d be on the nova team with sunmi and wendy, who he trained with before debuting in convex. if they really wanted to fuck with him, if they really knew, if sphere did know who he’s dating, he could find out this way, right? what crueler move than to put him in his girlfriend’s team. but he’s not. he’s not so it can’t be, right? having to ask these questions upset him and he could ignore them, keep them buried or toss them out of his mind because he knows better but hannah makes them stick.
her reasons, his rebuttals, they’re stuck, trapped in his mouth as he tries swallowing his pride to just make it through this call so hannah can say her piece and he can be content with the fact that he tried, that he does what he’s been taught to do, that he listened instead of dismissing her thoughts.
but this doesn’t feel right.
it doesn’t feel right, to feel like this because of a loved one. his sister tells him this because she’s concerned, because she loves him, but fuck he forgot how much love can hurt when he’s been sheltered since the moment mijoo first said she likes him and then when she said she loves him. sheltered until the moment he was asked to give her name and he hurt everyone around him. sheltered because he thought he was safe and he spends every week thinking he’s not despite what others say. other contestants, netizens, his friends. being labeled as a supposed golden boy, as a favorite when he knows a lot of it is probably because his participation alone causes drama and invites competitiveness.
another case of damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t.
every week opens him up to comparison, to judgment, to the possibility of elimination, to the reminder that he’s much older now, that he’s older than… all of the contestants left? probably— it opens him up to someone saying if they can keep up with him, if they can beat him, what kind of idol was he? what was the real reason he’s no longer in convex? it’s an exaggeration, more likely, but he knows it’s there, that some contestants see him as the one to beat and then what? what’s next for both of them? for all of them?
what’s next— that’s what his sister doesn’t touch on and she should. that’s an answer he definitely doesn’t have right now. he just wants to know right now, he wants to know that stage, standing in front of all five ceos again, hearing the audience, knowing he hasmore to him, that he can change, that he can grow again and it could work this time. he might make less mistakes along the way this time.
he hears it again, you should quit, and he has the answer. he’s held onto it for years, kept it to himself like some sacred treasure. it’s validation. when he came to seoul, when he moved his whole life for the chance to be on stage, the mgas gave him validation and he could be too desperate for it after having to leave convex but so what?
she’s seen his performance for the skill battle— the one time he could say it without feeling choked up like he is now.
don’t know why i’m pathetic and don’t have nerve.
he doesn’t want to be like that anymore. he doesn’t care in the end if they’re going to make a fool of him. this is for him. this is for mijoo. this is for everyone who believes in him. everything else is just noise. he wants to keep showing that he’s more than what he’s being called, he want his sister to believe he’s still on the show because ofhis performance.
“please, hannah… i need you to trust that i know what i’m doing.”
he has to grow up sometime, handle his own battles, and she needs to let him.
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ PRESS PLAY, BACK TO THE SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING
●●●●●● LAST WEEK, ON THE FOURTH EPISODE OF MGA S5 — 7월 25일 ●●●●●●
those words are weaved with his name again, along with kyul’s and heejin’s, but he doesn’t feel as happy as he wants to be. because top three isn’t the same as number one and he feels guilt settling on his skin the more his feelings unfurl— truthfully, he is happy but he’s happy for nakyung because she won without him, because she proved she is more than her partner, and he feels so fucking relieved when it’s not his burden to bear or he shouldn’t take it on. it is his burden, he thinks, but he shouldn’t let it affect him now, he shouldn’t let it affect his current teammates. because he’s sorry to them, he’s sorry that maybe they thought they’ll get the win because he’s there but they didn’t.
still, he hugs them when they’re told they’re top three, smiles fondly at how kyul and heejin hold hands, and he wants to protect him the same way he wanted to protect nakyung but he can’t. he can’t worry for them at the same time while they’re also each other’s competition and then there’s seunghun. he wants to see seunghun reach the finals too. he wants themall to reach the finals but, even then, there’s a chance none of them could win and he comes to another realization: is he really sorry to them or is he sorry to himself too? is he covering for the fact that he wants to win, wants to stay at number one, but feels ashamed that people think he shouldn’t even be here? he can’t continue to hide his shame or his greed in his fondness for them and so when he talks to both of them after the filming, he apologizes but there’s no welling of his eyes like he’d done when facing seunghun next week.
no, he needs to stay strong, especially after seeing the coaches.
he can’t think about it, he shouldn’t. instead, he places more rules on himself like no looking at his girlfriend even if it’s been months now since he held her, since he got to be with her, since she was this close. she stands closer to jinki and jinwook than to him and he closes his eyes for a second, hears the siren call competing with the background music of convex’s debut song.
he can’t be like this. he can’t. not when he chose this again, to put her through this, to put them through this, he can’t waver when he’s so close. he swears he’ll make it back to standing on the same stage as them again.
standing outside the trc building, he’s unable to take the first few steps closer just like the week before when he was outside sphere. this time, it’s for different reasons. this time, it’s a team he’s working with. this time, they all know at least one person will be eliminated no matter what and he worries he’ll step in there and it’ll be peak competitive hours. what if he walks in and they look at him like he’s poison? he’s choi minho, must be moving onto the finals right? wrong, he wants to tell them all they’re wrong, that he feels the need to fight for his right to be there as much as they do, but that’s not for his team. that’s something he should tell the camera, the audience, something he ought to say to everyone and not just his team who haven’t done anything wrong to him yet.
dinner the night before seemed good. some were shy and some were more outgoing. he’s used to that, feels like he does well in those situations, especially when they’re at the restaurant he used to work at, with his old boss proudly serving them himself and telling stories about how minho was a mess when he started there. he thinks he did a helluva better than his old boss says but he wouldn’t fight with him either, minho adores the old man too much, is fond of him like a genuine uncle, and it makes him more comfortable to be there, to be with his new team for the week. they’re all dancers from what he remembers and while that should be his first hint they’ll be amazing, he knows there’s a chance they could clash over it too.
he’s wrapped up in his thoughts again, standing there at an ungodly hour because he couldn’t sleep and the last thing he expects is for seik and dabin to show up again.
“you guys are like ticks.”
“shit, who peed into your cheerios this morning?”
“it’s barely morning,” seik grimaces, stifling a yawn with his arm before stretching his arms above his head. “when do you sleep?”
“he doesn’t,” dabin says, less jokingly than both minho and seik expect, both looking at him. the youngest shrugs and kicks a stone on the sidewalk. “he did this last week too. it’s like we gotta hold his hand so he goes inside. what would you do without us?” his cheekiness comes back as swiftly as it disappeared for a moment and minho rolls his eyes, reaching out to push dabin away from him.
“i know what i said before,” seik starts off. “but i don’t wanna see you shaking in your boots all the time. you’re making us look bad.”
“yeah, as the official rep of kill.u.strate—”
“woah, woah, woah, who said i’m the official rep?”
“we voted.”
“without me there.”
“same difference.”
he’s laughing and looking up at the sky. the sun’ll rise within the hour, he’s guessing. sunrises and sunsets hit differently now.
“can you go in now since you laughed?”
“we didn’t bring jae so there’s no clown wig in your bag this time.”
“i know it’s there.” there’s a hushed damn from dabin’s direction and minho rolls his eyes once more. “you guys didn’t have to come.”
“you’d do the same.”
“you did the same.”
minho doesn’t look at either of them, knows what they’re referring to and he thinks it’s pointless to bring up now. he made his choice, didn’t go to that starbright audition. yeah, he could’ve maybe signed with nova earlier than he did the first time but who knows if he would’ve made it in anyway? what if it wouldn’t change the outcome and where he is now? who he is now?
all he knows is that he has family and friends who love him and he’d be damned if he doesn’t go in there trying to make more friends despite the competition because he thinks they do or will resent him. it’s not like him. he tells himself this again and decides to go, clapping a hand on both their shoulders before he walks off.
“hyung!” dabin calls out to him and minho knows it like clockwork, turning with a smile and pounding a closed fist against his chest before pointing back. isn’t he letting mnet back into his head every day at this point?
he’d been right about some parts, that there would be a disagreement but it comes down more to their song choice than the choreography or anything else, which is surprising to him. surprising but it feels great too. at least he knows they’re all passionate about it, all have their own opinion, and all want this to work, to work together.
the song is one he thinks of as fun and he enjoys those kind of performances the most. it’s fun but the choreography from the peeks he takes at yeji and hyunggu when they’re working on it while he, ryujin, and chaeryeong work on their raps, reworking and rewriting it to be their own, to be personal, makes him grin because he thinks they might not all have the same styles but they see eye to eye on what the choreography should be for a song like this. that’s all he can ask for, all he wants, and it’s more fun when they work on everything together, the pieces falling in place in a way dancers and choreographers can best communicate: throughmovement.
from icebreakers to shared food to drinks, he thinks little by little they’re becoming more of a team, more of a maybe somewhat dysfunctional family because they’re not all particularly close but he could see it getting there. maybe if they could have more time, maybe if they didn’t have to deal with that looming elimination over their heads despite how well they do.
working with the coaches is different for him and he senses a kind of hesitation or pause when it comes to him. he understands. he’d be the same way at first but he’s also the type to let something go in a second, to brush things off like that, especially the past. minho’s been doing that for so long that he doesn’t think of how it doesn’t necessarily work the same for others so he’s patient, happy when they talk to him without honorifics, without hesitation, and he expresses his appreciation of all of them, as coaches and on the mgas before. age, status, whatever, he thinks he has a chance to learn from anyone at least once in his life.
●●●●●● NEXT ON STAGE, WE ARE YOUR ANTIDOTE, EP. 5 — 8월 1일 ●●●●●●
their introduction is one he thinks of as cheeky as their performance will be. it’s another dance battle, he realizes, but he hopes the other aspects will make up for it the way they used those differences to help chaeryeong feel comfortable about doing a song by the same artist as her performance the week before.
the set-up is different this week and he has a sense of nostalgia for being able to see everyone in the same room at once, to watch the stage live and mere feet away, when it’s only been a week. it’s like post-concert depression, he’ll call it post-stage depression and chuckle at how he’ll miss filming for the show and it’s not even the last episode yet.
outfits coordinated, choreography perfected, and lyrics memorized, he tries to walk onto the stage last so he can see them all just before they get up there, so he can smile wistfully at how he wishes they had more time: to get to know each other, to work on more songs, to explore all the styles each of them have and learn from each other all over again. he wishes they’ll have another chance to do this again.
nostalgia doesn’t suit the song and after their intros, he changes, he becomes the dancer he was born to be. the performer he’s hoping to continue to be from here on out.
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ WHIPLASH ♫
CHOREOGRAPHY IS SELF-CREATED BY HYUNGGU AND YEJI W/ GROUP CONTRIBUTIONS // ALL RAPS ARE SELF-WRITTEN BY EACH RAPPER // * DENOTES CHANGED LYRICS
NOTE: THE GESTURES & EXPRESSIONS IN VIDEO ARE SIMILAR IF NOT WRITTEN !
he takes the first rap verse, the theme of male vs female dance battle hinted at in their formation, in the color of their clothes, in the choreography, and he wouldn’t tell anyone but he thinks the girls’ choreography has the most impact. he’s the more impressed by it, not because the first part isn’t as great, but because of their formation changes and how theylook performing it. he could imagine them promoting as a group and that alone makes him feel like they’re all getting there, like one of them doesn’t have to go home and they can all move on together. it’d be ideal but it’s also more naive than he wants.
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
EVERY WEEK, EVERY THURSDAY*
복잡해진 마음, 숨을 내쉰다*
I GET MIXED FEELINGS AS I BREATHE OUT
오늘 뭐 실수는 없었었나*
DID I MAKE ANY MISTAKES TODAY?
관객들의 표정은 어땠던가*
HOW DID THE AUDIENCE SEEM?
그래도 행복해 난 이런 내가 돼서*
I’M HAPPY WITH WHO I’VE BECOME
그 때 만약 오지 않았다면 PHONE CALL
형 부모 세게 품에 안고나서 떴지 “아르바*”
IT WOULD’VE BEEN DANGEROUS IF NOT FOR THAT PHONE CALL
I LEFT MY PART-TIME JOB
어느새 나는 너의 옆
여긴 더 위에서 움직일 공간이 많으니깐
SAID GOODBYE TO MY PARENTS AND MY BROTHER
SUDDENLY, I’M NEXT TO YOU
어서 올라와 GIRL
SO COME ON GIRL
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
his lyrics cater to the story of his journey on the mgas, for all the contestants who have everything riding on this too. as ryujin joins in with him on certain lines, he feels more adrenaline coursing through his veins.
dancing like this, rapping like this again, it’s different than his previous performances. he’s part of a team again.
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
전진 끝없이 달리네 꿈을 향해*
I KEEP RUNNING TOWARDS MY DREAMS
점점 날 비워가네 언제까지 내 것일*
I START TO LET MYSELF GO
순 없어 큰 박수갈채가*
THE THUNDERING APPLAUSE, I CAN’T OWN IT FOREVER
이런 내게 말을 해, 뻔뻔히*
I TELL MYSELF SHAMELESSLY
니 목소릴 높여 더 멀리*
RAISE YOUR VOICE HIGHER
영원한 관객은 없대도*
EVEN IF THE ATTENTION ISN’T FOREVER
난 계속 갈거야, 계속 랩 할거야*
I’LL KEEP GOING, I’LL KEEP RAPPING
오늘의 나로 영원하고파*
I WANT TO STAY THIS WAY FOR LIFE
영원히 예능인이고 싶어 난 AH*
I WANT TO BE AN ENTERTAINER FOR LIFE
▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀
the girls take over and he can feel the surge of energy on the stage. even as they move into the dance battle, there’s electricity between them. currents running from one person to the next, almost too chaotic until chaeryeong brings them back together, as she did in practice. it’s poetic how they managed to work it in.
SHORTY GIVE ME WHIP-WHIPLASH
this is it. it’s becoming a pattern, how he says this every week. it’s right. this feels right, and he can take that back to his sister the next time she calls.
no, the next time she calls, he’ll make sure there’s no way she could tell him to quit now. this is his journey.
yang.ji02 i will smile even if it hurts! i’m sorry to everyone who believed in me, i will do better next time. please support #5011, #5017, #5028, #5030, #5033, #5039, #5041, they’re my picks~ i’m sad that so many of my friends were eliminated... but they did their best and i will always support them!
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.”
( TRIOS ROUND )
feat. LEE CHAERYEONG and PARK WOOJIN
— @rkchaeryeong & @rkpwj
♡ FIRE TRUCK ♡
she doesn’t end up in the top 3 this time but it’s what she expected. her partner left much to desire this time around so nakyung could only pray they wouldn’t end up in the bottom end which meant sending both of them home. that’d be extremely embarrassing and a level of humiliation the girl wasn’t sure she’d be able to handle. had her been eliminated that day, it’d mean the win last episode was solely minho’s, but she proved them wrong. she was just as much part of that duo as he was.
sitting now between chaeryeong and woojin put her in a weird spot. they’d eliminate the weakest member between the worst ranking trios and she isn’t too sure where she’s standing. chaeryeong had already been repeatedly complimented for her skills by the judges themselves, and even nakyung was aired leaving good comments for woojin’s performances. she’d really rather not risk it. they better all work hard and stay safe instead of playing to figure out who the judges already got tired of.
from way before she even joined the show, nakyung had ideas she’d like to use for different situations. none of them quite fit this situation. they didn’t really have a main vocalist so any idea that required a bit more power had to be thrown away. all of her girlish fantasies were also turn into dust due to woojin being the third name called. there was no time to be upset, however. they were all dancers and that meant they could easily grab attention if they wanted to. part of the results came with voting, and maybe they could even charm some of the judges too along the way.
chaeryeong is the one who suggests the song, and while at first, the other two weren’t too sure about it, it’s what they agreed on. it was already originally under three minutes so they didn’t need to cut it and not only did it have a good amount of rap for chaeryeong to show off, the dance was intense enough for all of them to keep up with and make a good show out of it. nakyung had barely shown any rap on the previous episode, but she was assigned some more proper ones this week. it was still the ones done by the members who don’t normally rap so she should be able to keep it up.
with a song titled ‘fire truck,’ their group name came easily: firefighters. their catchphrase: we’ll burn the stage. no one seemed to see what was wrong with it until a few minutes later when they realize firefighters normally put out the fires. the three still decided to keep it. maybe it’d be a bit funny.
it still pisses her off that, out of all the five companies, they had landed on royal grounds. nakyung had always been very vocal about her dislike towards the company on her stan account and if the staff didn’t know about it then it was probably a good sign. she just couldn’t stand the fact that luxe could possibly be under the same roof as her but somewhere higher, probably. her only wish was that they’d change things around like last year and nakyung’s presence there would only be limited to a week.
she wasn't quite sure what to feel when it came to sharing a room until the two groups were put up to the test. it had all started nicely with them simply introducing each other and being friendly. it's what she would have expected of people who knew there were cameras around them. it's only when they all have their songs chosen that it really becomes trouble. gone were the memories of offering each other snacks with a proper smile on their face.
the other group's song is about just as loud as theirs and that means the air gets messy if they're both playing at the same time. from what she saw on tv, or from her impressions of him on the set, suwoong wasn't a bad guy. maybe a bit too loud but it was doing him good in terms of popularity so nakyung wasn't going to be the one to stop him. yet, with the two together in a room, things became difficult. when he turned up his song, nakyung was the one who turned theirs even louder. she should be able to listen to her own song while practicing, right?
it pisses her off by the second time he does it and the pissed off look on her face that she'd normally try not showing to the public could be more easily seen. it was different going prepared for a day of filming and being provoked in the middle of practice. suwoong should have known better, too. even with her young age, nakyung wasn't surprised by the immaturity of certain boys. when he offers some help she still smiles, thankful, and listens to his words. it's probably the same situation to him, that is all on the surface.
it's more refreshing to go out with her own teammates. it's easier to get to know two other people she had to work together with than adding three others nakyung shouldn't really bother about until further notice. she's the one who suggests going out for shopping. she is a girl of fashion and it never really got brought up before apart from her coat-throwing tendencies (thank you suwoong?) so she wants to make sure at least her teammates know about it and hop along. woojin doesn't look as interest as the girls, but it's cool of him to go anyway.
she helps them choose outfits that match both the concept and each other. some of the official clothes worn by the artists were a bit doubtful so she believes she played it safe and perhaps even a bit cooler than some stage outfits out there. they decide to stop for food after and it's the one time they can actually talk about something that isn't practice-related. the three don't know each other well enough to talk about fears and regrets, but anything new is refreshing to her, at least. from funny stories of their past to interesting facts that came up to mind, they made themselves comfortable. returning to the practice room, the air felt much more clear and practicing each movement didn't feel as hard anymore. for someone stubborn like her, asking for help here and there didn't come as that much of a challenge either.
*·—————
they're told to sit side by side as they did with duos before. this time they're second to last and she's unsure if that's good or not. since their song has such a strong presence it could actually be good to stick to the judges' minds. maybe it'd even make the following group sound worse by comparison.
with each episode having fewer performances nakyung is bound to pay more attention to them. there are only three episodes left with this one included which meant surviving this round they went straight to the semi-finals. anyone in that room could be serious competition and she isn't ready to lose quite yet. she had won one challenge already so all that was left to do was go for the big prize.
when they call their name, the three contestants make their way to the center of the stage which is slightly modified but not too much. the greeting they decided on may not make too much sense, but hopefully, they could manage to get some attention with it. "we'll burn the stage! hello, we are the firefighters!" nakyung bows to the judges in front of them who always look so damn serious. she wonders if they'll have a stronger eye on her due to her using a few of their songs last week, which means she also hopes she'll do better this time around an make them proud.
they take their initial positions with their back to the front of the stage. they had planned a strong start and nakyung is ready to deliver it.
GET IT LIFTED!
they all shout in unison, showing only the first of their cards. it gives them power right at the start, and if their obnoxious of a song wouldn’t be enough to grab some attention then maybe this could make some sleepy eyes focus.
chaeryeong is the first to start as their main rapper. this is one of the parts she had practiced the most to perfect. while the other girl is busy being the center of the stage, nakyung and woojin need to work on the floor. if she did anything loosely then it’d be much more visible than just messing up a hand movement. while it is complex, it’s also at the very start. she’s well-rested and her moves come out clean before it’s her time to take over.
Don’t try to get out of it
I don’t like lukewarm moods, no thanks
My back seat is shaking, getting hot
After I burn it up, we get lit
due to the nature of the song, she’s given rap portions. she doesn’t mind it, personally. if anything, it could only help her image. from a cute girl maybe nakyung could finally get some points towards her versatility which is something she had already shown up to this stage and she wants to keep on showing it until the end of the show if they let her. thankfully, the girl already comes equipped with cocky expressions in her portfolio. she doesn’t want no lukewarm moods that the previous performances had put on the set. instead, she’ll make sure this performance will be her best so far.
woojin had shown no problem having fewer lines, so the ones that classified as singing were all given to him. nakyung and chaeryeong stay in position and deliver strong movements to accompany his part. she had worked hard for this. the last thing she wanted was for her to disappear in this performance instead of showing what she really got. maybe her teammates were all great performances but she was one too.
the chorus of the song is a dance break. none of them could really do what the original artist could, so that meant they were all a little bit modified to fit their set of skills. she thinks it’s for the better. they got to show something that they can do other than failing at following the original. just like the start of the song had gone, chaeryeong starts by rapping her part before nakyung hops in.
Just hold up
If you keep pushing, you’ll get hurt, get higher
It’s hot as a rocket
This place is about to explode in 10 seconds
she walks forward swiftly, taking on the front and center of the stage. nakyung follows the movements precisely which are mainly making sure her arms are at the correct angle before stepping to the side. the format of the song remains the same, but she thinks it always feels a little bit different. the chorus by itself already brings something new to the table. it’s longer and with a new vocal line on top of it. even if by now she should be feeling some level of tired—maybe from the constant spotlight against the top of their heads—she keeps on going with the intenseness she had started with. it’s probably the adrenaline.
the song slows down only briefly to accommodate the bridge. the girls dance behind woojin to allow him getting the proper attention. it’s right after it that comes the final dance break, but, just like they had done for others, things changed a little bit from the original.
DANCE MY PARTY PEOPLE!
they scream together once again, leading towards the final portion.
the trio split the end into three parts and distributed it between the three of them. since they were all dancers, each got to choreograph their own solo dance performance at the end of the song. although nakyung had never really thought of choreographing things herself before the start of this show, her partnership with minho during the first round of duos really gave her the confidence to do it, and she’s glad she gets to do it again.
when they’re each done with their part, they repeat the final movement of the original song, lowering themselves to the sudden silence of what was once loud music. she holds her position until one of her teammates decides to move and thanks the judges before returning to her seat. nakyung’s really proud of what they got to do and she honestly believes they won’t go to the bottom. she’d get to shine again, she’s sure of it.
-.✦･｡ﾟMGA season 5: episode 3, outfit
performing rhythm power “bond girl” with @rksakura (lyrics + line distribution)
While Ryujin experienced some unexpected stress after the recodring of episode two she has somehow managed to pull herself together, the fact that she’s paired with Sakura is enough to bring the spark back into her and combined with their song chocie, Ryujin is utterly ecstatic. It didn’t take long for them to come to an agreement, being friends from before sure did help but that isn’t necessarily the only reason that things went so smoothly for them. Practicing for their stage was nothing but fun and good times, their personalities fitting so perfectly together that it almost doesn’t feel like they are prepping for a competition at all.
At least to Ryujin.
As she’s rapping for the next mission Ryujin find that she can practice everywhere, even while they are making props for their introduction and while they are out shopping for their matching outfits. Having decided to wear a classy all black outfit Ryujin has settled with a simple pair of pants with a blazer and a cropped top, finished off with brightly white shoes. She wonder if the judges will know the reference when she bring a self-made props to the stage, while Sakura is making her own take on the head Ryujin wanted to go with the original as Primary has made a presence in the original music video for Bond Girl.
Surely the judges will know, right?
Although Ryujin has signed up as a dancer she definitely has experience in rapping, she was meant to debut as Amarante’s rapper after all as well as practicing tecniques on her own time just for fun. So needless to say, she isn’t nervous about this particular stage. Just by practices she know that she and Sakura will make a great performance as their dynamic is excellent, if others won’t enjoy their stage she will honestly be surprised. Perhaps she is biased though, to their song choice as she absolutely love it and think that it was such a bop, as well as to her friendship with Sakura. That the two of them got paired, it was honestly just perfect.
Having arrived and found her assigned seat, Ryujin sit next to Sakura on the set. They are by those who perform lastly but she doesn’t mind, if anything she’s so excited to perform that she could wish that they were first. It might be better to be towards the end, however, so that they do not risk being forgotten by others should they have a more preferred stage. Theirs will be a whole lot of fun however, Ryujin is absolutely sure of that. She hold onto Sakura’s hand whilst watching others, for support to the other and strength to herself. Watching all the others on the stage makes her even more excited, she just want it to be their turn.
She watch especially close when Kyungsoo perform with Yugyeom, Yeji with Junhee, Heejin with Daniel, Chaeryeong with Joohyuk and Olivia with Youngjae. All of those pairs hold at least one of her friends, who she honestly is so proud of for coming this far along with her. Occasionally she lean in to Sakura, revealing thoughts around the different performances. Ryujin is surprised when she sees that Kyungsoo is dancing, not so much when Yeji sings because she has already seen that live in person when she managed to talk the other into an open mic together. Pair after pair set foot on the stage and eventually, it’s their turn to shine and boy, will they shine today.
“Next up is... #5033 Miyawaki Sakura and #5040 Shin Ryujin.”
Microphone in hand and box on her head, Ryujin walk towards the center with Sakura by her side who wears her very own personalised box. As it’s only for reference they remove what’s covering their heads after a respectful bow towards the audience, then placing it somewhere where they won’t stand in their way during the presentation. “I’m Shin Ryujin,” she say firstly, and wait for the other to state her name. “And we have prepared something fun for you today. Please enjoy.” Having cut the song to fit their time frame it starts off rather abruptly but they are well prepared, Sakura being the first one out to rap her verse.
Ryujin stands just behind her but out of the way, it’s the elder’s time to shine. She emphasise some of the ending words to make a wholesome performance, dancing dorkily whenever she isn’t joining in. It’s obvious that Ryujin is comfortable on the stage, even when sharing it as it’s something she has practiced before. Not quite like this, obviously, but the experience come in handy nonetheless. She twirl in the background, hands doing their own things, and she bites down on her lip out of pure excitement. Sakura is nailing her part, and it’s just too fun being a part of a stage with her friend performing such a feel-good song like Bond Girl.
The moves that she has during this performance is completely different from the dances that’s been shown so far but honestly, Ryujin isn’t trying to show how good she is right now. She just want to have fun, and dance dorkily however her body decides to move. Once, she pretend to hide behind Sakura only to pop out and rap a word in choir before she continue to goof around whilst the other finish off her verse. Ryujin slides into the center as she take over the spotlight, Hanzoo’s part is short but important to build up to the refrain. Originally it leads up for Zion.T to sing but none of them are singers, so they leave that to the instrumental.
왜 내 집 주소 묻는데 AHA
아 왜 너 내 주민번호 묻는데 UH-uH
내 대답은 No woah 징그럽게 달라붙지 마
Girl, WOAH! 본드걸 ! 그만 끈적거려 너
She nails the part easily, if Hanzoo can pull it off without being a singer then Ryujin can as well with her deep voice. In the refrain they dance briefly but synchronised, both coming in to voice “BOND GIRL” while pointing at the audience with a finger gun. To fit the time frame they had to cut the refrain short so abruptly but fittingly, Ryujin move straight into Geegoin’s verse and she deliver it effortlessly. She has so much fun being in center, being backed up by Sakura who is doing her own thing behind her, much like what she did when the other was in the spotlight. Their dynamic on stage together is seamless, and accurate. Neither stealing time from the other.
난 제임스 본드, 이유 좀 묻지 말고
10미터 사정거리 필시 유지하고
미심쩍으니 내 옆구리 데우지 말고
나에게 떨어져 나 뜬구름 잡게 하지 말고
너 이뻐 그런데 왜 내가 좋니?
아무래도 딱 내 눈엔 심심풀이로 하는 놀이
다단계 아니지? 바란 게 내 맘이
아니라면 당장 가줘 제발
From time to time she glance out in the audience, Ryujin want to connect to them and show that she performs for them all and not just the judges. A smile is present throughout most of the stage, only sometimes she’s looking serious or focused but that’s an obvious act. Using the techique she often does by thinking of the next sentence right away, she easily deliver what she’s assigned to rap, all the while continuing her fun little dance moves. And so, it’s Sakura who does Hanzoo’s part. Ryujin encourage the bridge by throwing out some ‘UOH’s and ‘YEAH’s before they roll into the last refrain. Jumping back as the refrain start, they begin to dance again like before, choiring ‘BOND GIRL’.
When the song ends they finish off with each their strong pose, Ryujin looking serious for just one moment before she break her composure and grin broadly like throughout the stage. She couldn’t possibly be happier with the outcome, looking over at Sakura with a ‘we did it’ look in her eyes. Bowing down in front of the judges once more, she then grab a hold of her Primary look alike box and skip off the stage with the elder.
every episode of this show was really starting to just merge together. do a performance with a stranger, come into this familiar room and answer the same sort of questions over and over again with very little deviation. at least it helped with knowing what sort of thing to expect, hohyeon had long stopped worrying about the interviews at this point. he didn’t even really thought they mattered, just a way for the viewers at home to get into everyone’s heads and know what they were really thinking. that was, if people were actually being completely honest. because being total jackass about everyone even if you thought it was the truth was probably not a good idea.
there was a grin on his face as he sauntered in front of the camera, “guess who’s back, back again.” and he did have some hope after his performance that he would be back again once again and his whole journey would end right here and right now. because that would really suck and completely ruin his mood.
he took a moment to get comfortable in his seat, almost resting his hands behind his head with an easy grin, but hyeon eventually decided against that idea. instead he simply slouched, kicking his long legs out in front of him as he gazed at the camera and the interviewer standing just behind it. “alright,” he announced once he finally felt comfortable in his seat, “you can start asking your questions now. hohyeon’s mind is open for business.” the words were accompanied with a large toothy grin.
“how was working with hyejoo this week? was it any different to last week?”
hohyeon just smiled at the mention of his new partner for the week. “both weeks came with their different challenges,” even he had to admit that he hadn’t been completely easy working with the older rapper. “but it was great to work with her. i really felt that, by the end of the week, we were a proper team and i am confident that we could continue to work well together. all it took was some time to get to know each other properly and find out what we were capable of doing.” but once they had that settled, it had been pretty easy for them to get along and to work together to come up with a good performance. if there was one thing he had to hand this train-wreck of a competition, it was that it was a good opportunity to make friends.
“how did you feel about the results from last week?”
a scoff left his mouth as his lips curved into a slight frown, slowly folding his arms in front of his chest, “you mean the exact same results from the week before? not surprising in the slightest.” it was quite clear this whole competition was rigged at this point and there absolutely no sense of ‘fairness’ to be seen. but he had accepted that and was more concerned about how far he could actually make it in this competition if the results kept turning out like they did. “of course i would have liked to be named in the top three, i feel as though yuri and i were up there,” he had felt as though he and yuri had been one of the best. but apparently not.
“but it doesn’t really matter, that was last week,” he continued with a firm nod of his head, “i have worked hard to show you a better rapper hohyeon and i hope that the ceo’s saw that.” it was all he really wanted, just a little bit of recognition for the hard work he had been putting in. because if the performance he had just put wasn’t enough, then hohyeon didn’t really know what would be good enough for them to finally admit he was worth of being one of the top performers.
“what about those who were eliminated? who do you think will be coming back?”
the question caused the boy to pause for just a moment. he couldn’t even really remember who had been eliminated in the first place to even be able to answer the question. but he was quick to cover up the fact he couldn’t even remember, just putting on an easy smile and a small shrug of his shoulder. “i couldn’t really tell you,” he admitted, “i think it’s anyone’s game. but i will be interested in seeing who get’s a second chance.”
“okay, moving on to this week. how do you think you did?”
and there it was, the same question he had been getting ever single week. and every single week he felt as though the answer barely changed. why would he ever think that he had done poorly? of course, some people might actually be that self-pitying to admit that they thought they had done awfully, but hohyeon saw no reason to think that. he had enjoyed the performance and was confident that he and olivia had done well enough to at least secure a place in the next round and avoid elimination. even if the competition was getting tough now.
“we avoided any mistakes and did it just how we practised it,” which was good as he did know it could have gone very different, “so i can’t really complain. i’m happy with it, i think we both showed our skills and proved our abilities.” if they didn’t have any talent or ability what so ever, then he supposed they would have never made it this far in the first place. “all i can really hope for is that we make it into the top 3!” the last part was finished with a small laugh, though the words were completely truthful. one top 3 finish, he would be happy with that.
“and what about the other pairs? were there any performances you liked this week?”
as time went on, hohyeon had learned to pay just a little more attention to the other performances for just this question. he smiled easily, “i thought that yugyeom and youngjae were really creative! i liked their performance a lot and thought they pulled it off well. and also kyulkyung and suwoong,” he cut off to fan himself a little with a hand before stopping with a small laugh, “that was really quite a performance. i don’t think i could have ever pulled off something like that. so really, props for them for doing it. they had some great charisma and it really showed with a really good performance.”
in fact, he would even say he was a little intimidated by them and he could almost safely say that both those performances were top tier and best of the week worthy. and he would like to say his own performance with olivia was up there, but now he was sitting there and thinking about it? he wasn’t so sure about it.
“i also have to compliment changbin and yeji,” he added with a small smile and a nod of his head, “also my old partner yuri and her new partner chaeryeong did well as well.” though he wouldn’t quite say that they were as good as the first two pairs he had mentioned, but he had enjoyed watching and listening to them.
“who do you think will be sent home this week?”
he sighed a little, he really did hate this question simply because he didn’t want to look really awful. “as we move along, people are really stepping up their game,” he spoke slowly, carefully picking his words to avoid saying something hurtful, “it is very clear to me that everyone still in has some serious talent and i know this is going to be a tough competition. but everyone can’t make it through, it’s why this is a competition.” maybe he was rambling a little and giving a rather roundabout answer to a simple question, but the teenager simply thought it was the best way to answer it.
“so, i couldn’t really say who will be sent home,” he finished with words which might come as a surprise, accompanying them with a small smile and a shrug of his shoulder, “everyone deserves to be here and i think everyone deserves to make it thought. of course that won’t happen unless the ceo’s decide to be really nice to us for a week.” he laughed again, shaking his head at the simple thought of there being no eliminations. that was not going to happen.
