#RKLISA

[rkjisoo]

plastic flutes,

@rklisa tw: alcohol !

this was such a welcome distraction. as the cool breeze of the summer air fans her hair, she wonders for a brief moment why they do not do this that often. there was so much delight to be taken out of just peacefully hanging out, body lounged carelessly in a soft blanket, a littler of good food surrounding them, and the best type of live entertainment. even the chatter of the people around them does very little to deter her good spirits. after all, they did manage to find a semi-secluded spot and so the noise wasn’t all that bad.

then she remembers their training schedule and the amount of work it took the both of them to prepare this spread and suddenly, she thinks going on a picnic is better off as a once in a few months thing.

“let’s serve this champagne now while it’s still cold.” she says a little giddily, taking out their choice of beverage from the bag. the plastic flutes were not quite as fancy as the glass ones they have back home but given the precarious environment, it would have to do. “hold the flutes, i’ll pop it.” jisoo directs her companion, a conspiratorial smile on her lips. after many years of doing this, she’s already quite the professional. in just seconds, she was able to open the bottle without much fuss. the pop of the cork coming off bringing a triumphant smile to her lips. “oh, that’s a beauty.” she says as she pours one glass, then another. “cheers to being able to take a break.”

[kihyxnrk]

☽ ; the great outdoors

@rklisa

only the power of god and anime is keeping him from complaining about the heat right now, and he doesn’t even believe in god and hardly watches any anime. he almost regrets wearing the all black ensemble that lisa had picked out for him to wear, but even if he’d chosen his own outfit for the day, the chances are high that he’d still be wearing the same color, soaking up all the sunlight that’s left, and all the heat along with it.

at least the food is going to be good, and that will be in no part thanks to either of them. he’d joked about not wanting to die when lisa had mentioned they should buy food instead of packing some to bring since she couldn’t cook, but the fact of the matter is that he isn’t that great a cook either, but it’s always more fun to take a jab at her than to admit his own faults.

the smell on its own is enough to make a man salivate, but the person in front of them is taking forever to order and drooling is not a good look on anyone, so he refrains, fanning himself with a folded up piece of paper as a distraction. “hey, why don’t you go find a place for us to sit,” he suggests to lisa, looking around the park. he says it more like it’s an order, but it’s also a discreet way to pay for her food without the hassle of an argument. “just tell me what you want and i’ll order for you.”

[memoriesofyccjungrk]

▫︎ ▪︎  ━ 하르츠 EVALUATION PREPARATION

sua – makes sense.

she doesn’t know if it’s because of her talk with lisa or yena or so jisub for that matter, but gahyeon’s a little less disappointed this month. sua makes sense, especially as the first member of the girl crush subunit, gahyeon isn’t sure of anyone else who would be able to start them off so gracefully. in her eyes, although she hadn’t known sua for long, or that well for the matter, deserved it in gahyeon’s eyes – and she was more than happy to clap and congratulate the older girl on her confirmation.

anxiety still surmounted when she realized that there were only four spots left, and no one really knew where juyeon was going to end up, either. with sua’s confirmation, there was either one or two spots left in the girl crush unit, and then their fates would be basically unknown. as far as gahyeon knew, no one knew what sphere was planning on for the next and final unit, but gahyeon got the feeling she wouldn’t want to be a part of it anyway. it was … strange, thinking about it. that it felt as though the next two months were her last chances of actually making it.

and gahyeon guesses she’s still conflicted. she doesn’t know what the future’s going to bring, but she does know if she gets the opportunity to leave royal, she’d miss them dearly. she doesn’t know if this is what she wants, but she knows that she has to see it out until the end no matter what. as uncertain as she continues to feel about it all, gahyeon knows that the right thing will happen, no matter what. she had to trust the process.

so, she falls into a routine. things are hard, and honestly – as months go on there feels like there’s even more pressure. how couldn’t there be ? with only four spots unconfirmed, there’s a lot riding on this for everyone. of course it wouldn’t be the end of the world not to be confirmed but … honestly, gahyeon doesn’t know how to feel about not debuting alongside yena. she guesses that’s what keeps her going most – the chance to get to debut with her best friend. that was their plan all along, right ? now, she was the one who had to keep up her end of the bargain. so, gahyeon keeps working – and working hard. sua’s still there to keep a watchful eye from time to time as she prepares for her own solo as well, plus gahyeon keeps herself open to the other girls as much as possible. she helps with learning and perfecting choreography, gives advice on lines and solos, and makes sure to surround herself with the comfort of the other girls in the project.

the first two months were hell because she tried to isolate herself, but that wasn’t what this was about. even though she wasn’t completely open about what she was going through, she was still keeping herself open to the other girls and letting them help her … even if they didn’t realize it. she felt comfortable and strangely okay this month, where she hadn’t been sure in the past.

as things gear up throughout the month, gahyeon feels that familiar anxiety as evaluation time creeps close and close. overall, though, she fears she’s falling into the monotony of evaluations that she’d had before. every month was the same thing already, and gahyeon doesn’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing, and understands why. it’s just her falling back into a routine. she doesn’t hate it – not yet, she’s still enjoying her time. but there’s a thought late at night that loomed above her, pointing out that she’d get bored of this soon. she was already getting numb to the anxiety – but she had to keep going. for now, she’d settle into this strange place she was put in and keep working. if it got bad, she’d talk to someone.

she wasn’t sure who – the only people she at the moment feels comfortable talking to have bigger things to worry about … but she’d figure it out when they got there.

for now, she feels okay about everything. going into evaluations, she’s confident she knows her parts and the choreographies like the back of her hand. she’s prepared for whatever sphere decides to throw at them, as well. or perhaps it’s her trying to not have expectations about what’s to come – because she’s tired of being disappointed.

[rkserim]

wasting time

starter for @rklisa 

“noona, noona, noona!” serim’s waving his arm as he flags lisa down in the hallway of royal entertainment. once he stops before her, there’s a big and bright grin on his face. “hi, i missed you.” anybody who didn’t know serim and walked in to hear him say that might think he was being completely sincere. he scrunches his face and laughs it off like nothing. 

“i wanted to update you on how training’s been since I started.” serim’s still got a smile on his face before he checks their surroundings and leans in closer. “i hate it, hehe.” the training wasn’t bad. it was good. definitely worthwhile. serim likes all the things he gets to do and use, too, like the gym equipment and royal’s rooftop terrace is beautiful. other than that, he doesn’t care much for anything else. “so as my noona and sunbae here, you should treat me to something because i’m suffering~”

[rkrose]

           2020 ♡ MAY EVALUATION        why so lonely ∘ wonder girls h.a.m 

rose is weighed down by a guitar, slung across her shoulder. for once, she’s enthused and bright eyed. the month of may had come to a close and it’s pending evaluation was about to begin. it’s no secret that the feelings between the royal girls and their thoughts on the evaluation are mixed. some are excited while others are excited for it to all be over. and it wasn’t to say that this month hadn’t been challenging, because it had been. but everyone had done their best to work together and reach out when they needed it. it wasn’t easy being out of one’s element, rose knew that for a fact. dancers felt unsettled sitting for a whole song and not being able to move their body. rose felt secure with her guitar in her grasp, a luxury she had stripped from her some while ago.

the girls assemble and find their places for their evaluation, sitting together in somewhat of a half moon shape. rose’s guitar occupies her lap while yuzu manages her cajon, a newer instrument for her but one she managed to pick up rather successfully. yuzu counts them in, down from four and the two of them set the pace for their performance, playing an acoustic rendition of h.a.m’s iconic song, why so lonely. jiwoo opens the song with her sweet vocals. rose taps her head and foot to the beat, keeping herself in check with yuzu. her eyes drift between the coaches and the other girls, and obviously to the instrument in her hands. and before rose knows it, it’s her turn.

baby why i’m so lonely, i’m so desperate, but you’re not. baby no, my heart, i don’t know when you will leave me.

the chorus isn’t difficult for rose to sing, it’s definitely within her range. it comes easy to her. her voice is clear, but soft and sweet. it’s somewhat of a relief that she’s left with the chorus because for a whole song she can focus on doing what she really loves. not that playing guitar involved much focus because rose could play with her eyes closed. she listens to the other girls sing and rap, and rose can’t help but feel overwhelmingly proud. to think that some of the girls were so hesitant and uncertain about this evaluation, and now look at them. rose was starting to think that they might actually have it in the bag to win this thing if they keep it up. 

they run through another couple of verses, followed by rose’s chorus again. she begins to feel excitement brewing in her gut for gahyeon’s rap verses, knowing how hard she and lisa worked to perfect them. rose wonders how lisa is holding up, is this it? is this enough to win it. and even if it’s not enough to win the grand prize, some time away from the crazed, hysteria of seocho and the entertainment world, at least they proved to themselves that they can do just about anything. it made rose certain of one thing. if she was gonna stick it out, it was gonna be with them.

[rkmb]

it’s a date !

        moon bin is about to throw a fit.  this month has been awful! for him, mostly because of the sudden drop in temperatures, but also because he feels overworked.  too overworked!  they’re killing him!

        “---it’s legal murder!”  he exclaims, flopping down on the training room floor.  “practicing for nearly fourteen hours a day.  they’re just wearing us down so our brains will all turn to mush, and then they’ll be able to control us!  wahh, can you imagine?  me, a royal zombie?”

        he tilts his head back a bit to look at @rklisa, his lower lip jutting out in an ever-familiar binnie pout.

        “we deserve a break.”  and then suddenly, a brilliant idea comes to mind:  “let’s do a weekend trip to busan.  we can go to the beach, and order milmyeon for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”  and for once, they wouldn’t have to hide!  or well, maybe hide a little . . since they’re both public trainees, and surely the last mga season is still fresh on everyone’s mind.

[rkyooa]

one step, two step.

as much as shiah didn’t want to use training as a crutch to deal with everything going on and distract herself from... all of her emotions and feelings and junk, here she was, throwing herself hardcore into dance training. if anything was a safe haven, it was dance. it was her strongest skill as a performer, and the easiest thing for her to fall into as a safety net when things went rough. 

it was pretty expected for shiah to find lisa in the dance studios. she had noticed the other was working on her dance skills, and honestly? lisa was a pretty damn good dancer. their relationship hadn’t been the smoothest, but shiah had held a respect for her work ethic the entire time she had known her, and it only grew each time she saw her or worked with her. 

she shoots the other girl a friendly smile as she walks into the studio. “hey, what’re you working on?” it was casual, slightly curious. shiah didn’t want to come as desperate for a distraction. what she was dealing with right now wasn’t lisa’s problem. if anything, shiah was just hoping for a nice, pleasant time with a fellow trainee. they had collaborated before too, so shiah was genuinely interested to see what lisa had been cooking up recently for dance training. 

@rklisa 

[rkkyul]

190718 MGA SEASON 5 + EPISODE FOUR +  #5050 FEATURING : LEE SUWOONG ⟨ ━━ ❀ ° PART ONE: PERFORMANCE, CLOSE ( 0:00 - 1:50 ) ⟩ 

when she envisioned her and suwoong up onstage, nothing but perfection stared back at her. they were too similar and got along perfectly; could they have chosen a duo more suited for one another? words could not describe the anticipation that followed the pairing announcement for the upcoming episode - the moment that ZHOU JIEQIONG & LEE SUWOONG sounded throughout the set confirmed a match made in heaven. the following week would be even easier than the past, something she had not thought possible after woojin proving to be a impressive partner last week. 

however, the woman was quickly proved horribly wrong.

"are you sure you’re okay with this?” the day following episode three’s filming, the two were quick to get to work. song selection and choreography already picked out and modified to suit them, saturday meant practice, practice and more practice. the choreography they had chosen proved to be a bit too intimate for close friends and met some quick changes, but suwoong still seemed a bit off. 

the jokester she knew was oddly serious - causing worry to blossom in the pit of her stomach. they both had the choreography down but the feeling just wasn’t there, and suwoong didn’t seem like he was either. “i told you, it’s okay if you would rather do something else.” a pout slowly plumped her lips, trying her best to pull whatever she could out of her partner. kyulkyung knew he had hesitations when they were making choreography decisions, the thought of being close to another while being with lisa no doubt weighing heavy on his mind. 

she understood, she really did. she just wished he’d let them work it out instead of replying with constant it’s fine! and i’m okay’s from a man who was clearly anything but fine.

she couldn’t focus on anything they were doing - all the movements numb to a woman too focused on suwoong to worry about anything else. they met on the show before their pairing and seemed to get along just fine. kyulkyung was excited to work with someone she knew and even dared to consider a friend. but it was hard to enjoy anything when everything just felt so strained. she neared the point of frustration when they would move, dance around one another and it felt like nothing - just useless movements without any meaning or effort. their performance looked lazy in the studio’s mirror, so dull that fear began to move into her chest. 

maybe this was a sign that her mga story was finally over.

the thought of putting something on stage that she wasn’t happy with left a bad taste in her mouth. they weren’t doing the routine justice by just running through the motions mindlessly, weren’t treating each other right by leaving things the way they were. she hated being on edge during practice, loathed the dread she felt when watching the choreography through the mirror.  kyulkyung didn’t want to leave especially like this - they were both too talented to allow this to get the best of them. 

                                                                       ❀ 

moday seemed to be going a bit different, the pair leaving to get ice cream halfway through practice per suwoong’s request. "we're using your dance studio, so it's only fair!!" kyulkyung didn’t mind the trip really - this was the first time suwoong seemed normal since friday and honestly, it was a relief. did she sense a change of heart? “i guess it’s okay... only if i can get sprinkles?” sprinkles solved any problem, that she was convinced of.

"so i showed some of my friends the routine, and they all said it was too shameless. they were asking 'suwoong-ah, why did you choose something so sensual?' and 'hyung, isn't this too inappropriate? what if there are kids watching the mgas?' as if this is any more inappropriate than jinyoung-ssi's performance last week!!"  kyulkyung could only listen to suwoong who had appeared to fly off on a tangent - eyes wide as she licked her sweet treat quickly, careful to avoid a sticky mess as her tongue moved along the cone’s edges. 

she began to wonder how long he had been thinking of this and honestly, she was little worried on where it was leading. his friends had good points and she quietly cursed them if they had managed to make him even more uneasy.  "i also talked to lisa. she understands it's just for the performance. but even then... lately, i've been acting weird. distracted. i kept thinking 'ah, is this too much?' and 'what if lisa's secretly mad? how can i make it up to her?' and i thought really reallyyyy hard about it, talked to a few people, including my dumb cousin! and in the end... i agree with them." 

this is it. he’s gonna quit. kyulkyung held her breath as suwoong spoke - trying to keep an understanding, calm outlook on things but oh, it was so hard. serious suwoong was scary and she’d come to decide she didn’t like this side of him very much. the woman most definitely preferred smiles and laughs to what their week had been so far. at this point, kyulkyung herself was almost ready to give up, but not without feeling like pure shit. 

if she had just pushed for a different routine, they wouldn’t be in this position. she should’ve just dropped the topic and went with something more light hearted and upbeat.

kyulkyung just couldn’t help the part of her that craved something different - a routine that was sure to catch everyone’s eye; a routine that could start episode four with a BANG! and leave overs wondering how they could follow it. the vicious beating of her heart almost muted the sound of suwoong’s voice, but she did her best to listen, even if it wasn’t something she wanted to hear.

"i've been unfair to you, jieqiong-ah. you've worked hard these last two days, but i haven't been giving my best. so from today onward, i will do better. everyone understands it's just a performance, and that this is competition, so it'll be okay." 

oh. 

kyulkyung dropped her head in relief, letting out the largest breath that expelled every worry that had built up over the past few days. "really, i intend to give it my all, so it'll be super intense and shameless! but don't fall for me, okay? my heart belongs to lisa only!!" the suwoong kyulkyung had grown to adore was back - his shoulders less stiff, worries that darkened his expressions gone with his new promise. 

she laughed partly in relief, the other half at his request. “oh, me falling for you should be the least of your worries.” the woman raised her head to shoot her partner a grin, amusement lacing her tone as she finally relaxed for the first time that week. “this week proved you’re too high maintenance for me - she has nothing to worry about. trust me.”

and for the first time since they had been partnered up, kyulkyung genuinely felt like they actually had a chance.

                                                                        ❀

walking onto set, she feels confident - chin up, seemingly relaxed beside suwoong. maybe it was the darker makeup and black clothes, but she felt like she was on top of the world. “oh my god. i’m so excited, aren’t you?” the woman couldn’t help the excitement that built up when her eyes fell upon the stage, jumping up and down on her toes before pulling the other along. kyulkyung couldn’t to show everyone what they had put together, but more importantly she couldn’t wait to get up on that stage.

“you better not chicken out now, it’s too late.” when the pair found their seats, she immediately turned towards the man, her eyes wide and for once, serious - hoping to scare suwoong into compliance but ultimately only making her eyeballs hurt. she batted mascara soaked lashes, her bright lips pulling to a smile after accepting that zhou jieqiong could not be scary. “but for real, that number one spot is ours. so bring it.” 

kyulkyung was allowed to be greedy after the hell they went through at the beginning of the week - it was impossible not to. suwoong had managed to pull it together so quickly after their heart to heart. hour long practices felt like minutes and finally they were enjoying themselves. she felt like they deserved a reward for the sole fact that they made it through the week.

she’s relieved that they’re first this week after the wait from last week. kyulkyung shoots a thumbs up to her partner as they rise from their seats, leaving their shoes to wait for their return in their seats, bare feet lead them to the stage - anticipation growing with each cool step. the silk of her blindfold is crisp in her gasp, ankles locked together as she leans into a boy before their audience. 

“hello!” suwoong and kyulkyung greet in chinese, a smile gracing her bright lips as pearly whites peek out behind the color. two of the brightest contestants stand beside one another clad in nothing but silk and black, personalities so unlike dullness of their attire. her pink hair is so bright compared to her clothing - the pretty flush of her cheeks complimenting the bright hue nicely. “contestant #5050, zhou jieqiong here!” a wave to the camera and a smile like no other is delivered by a woman so anxious to begin.

introductions and explanations flow into setting up for their performance. the two sit with their backs pressed against one another, silk sliding against silk as they lean back into one another - blindfolds masking dark eyes and ripping them of once cheery exteriors.she’s facing the back of the stage while her head hangs between her shoulders. the music begins - soft but loud on the otherwise silent set. 

oh damn, oh damn, oh damn i'm so perplexed with just one breath, i'm locked in

like a deep breath, kyulkyung comes to life behind her partner - chin turning up towards the ceiling as her fingers crawl up her bare legs. their movements are slow then quick, soft then sharp. calculated and collected, they face each other despite their obscured vision, bare feet and palms moving carrying them around one another.

the two were more similar than they originally thought. peppy exteriors with high energy and exciting performances, they looked to thrill their audience in a different way this time. experience in ballet hid behind their motive. they wanted to do something different but not to them - they wanted impact but a skilled one. what was more perfect than this?

but now, but now somehow my words roll off my tongue right onto your lips, oh

i know, i know you know you're scared your heart, your mind, your soul, your body, yeah

in hopes of making the pair more comfortable with the choreography, they switched up a bit of the routine. adding some personal touches and meaning, instead of suwoong lowering himself over her body, their hands linked - halfway pulling kyulkyung up but instead she crumbles back to the ground. 

oh man, oh man i am like you so i want proof i'm what you're feeling 

their performance is vastly different than what the practice room had seen. for the first days, they were lazy, emotionless, rolling through meaningless movements. they both had ballet experience, both knew how important it was to act when you were dancing or else it loses its meaning. acting without words, that’s how she classified ballet. and with a routine like this, not necessarily ballet but a take on modern dance, these skills were needed - something they were missing at first.

but things were clearly different now, the dancers connected as they moved elegantly across the stage. this week taught excellent lessons to them both, how to work and overcome issues in order to deliver a noteworthy performance. being adaptable and professional were key characteristics to being a good performer, and she’s damn proud of where they ended up.

they won't, they won't, they won't be careful but i guess that you don't know me

'cause if i want you, then  want you, babe ain't going backwards, won't ask for space 'cause space was just a word made up by someone who's afraid to get too... 

CLOSE  ‧ ‧ ‧  the song carried into the chorus, kyulkyung stepping back to run and jump into suwoong’s arms. arms holding herself above his head, the woman collapsed and let herself become enveloped in his arms before pushing him away. the look of agony was apparent on her face, hands curling up to crumble in soft, pink curls. this was her favorite part, the climax of the entire routine where everything just essentially builds up before exploding. 

close, ooh oh, so close, ooh i want you close, ooh 'cause space was just a word made up by someone who's afraid to get close, ooh

the music is loud and their once soft, gentle movements turn into ones of power. the stage is alive and constantly in motion - kyulkyung feelings as if they’re the only people in the room as they cycle through the choreography. there’s no romance, no feelings just the emotion of a song and friends desperate for their survival. they were telling a story, stamping the tale across the stage with practiced precision. the feeling of accomplishment was overwhelming, engulfing the woman who was once overridden with fear and panic. now she felt nothing but satisfaction and pride.

they slide into their own movements, choreography the pair had deemed too sensual for the show shimmered down to ones of a slow burn. kyulkyung remains on her knees, sliding up and down and letting her hands in her hair as suwoong mirrors her stance facing the judges. the two turn towards one another before beginning to crawl - dramatic movements pulling them towards one another before they’re linking hands.

oh, so close, ooh i want you close, ooh oh, I want you close, that close ain't close enough, no

the song is ending as suwoong pulls kyulkyung closer, the two rising while her head falls to rest on his shoulder. there’s a pause as the music fades, hands that were once clasped becoming out of reach as the partner’s part ways. kyulkyung’s pulling herself out the song’s trance when they loop back around to give a final bow, practically jumping with joy as they exit the stage together. 

“did we actually pull that out?” she whispers giddy to suwoong, smiling ear to ear as they return to their seats.

( she can only hope everyone else enjoyed it as much as she did. )

[rklino]

starcatcher,

@rklisa

yoongi's learned a lot of things about the other trainees as the days pass this month. he's learned which songs of other royal artists others prefer, learned who can act on command and who cannot-- and a bunch of other neat tricks the other trainees can do. despite the fast-paced work load that's been given to them for the evaluation and the overwhelming amount of things yoongi isn't good at for this month, he's still attempting to enjoy himself at least a little bit.

like now, his head is tilted, and he's watching lisa move in her free time. it's an interesting sort of...dance, he thinks. he doesn't really recognize it, but he's still interested, curious as to what she could be working on. during break, he meanders over to her, one hand shoved into his pocket as he watches her for a long moment. he gathers his thoughts together, teeth worrying his lower lip as he taps a finger on his leg idly.

"hey, lisa." he calls out, offering a small smile. "what...what're ya workin' on?" his brows pinch and furrow, head cocked to the side. he exhales sharply, blowing out strands of hair that dangle in his eyesight. "is-- is that for the...evaluation?" he asks dumbly, swallowing thickly as he flushes a bit at how the question sounds.

[rkrosememories]

♡ SEPTEMBER EVALUATION, 19! performing ⇢ say yes, by punch & loco ( featuring lisa ) “i want to tell you my heart with the blowing wind, love is true.” 

yet another month had passed them by, just like that. without thought, rose swears that january was only yesterday. but there they were, at the end of september, moving forward into the last three months o the year. it’s yet again another evaluation, as it usually is at the end of every month and there’s yet another theme or genre to tackle, ample opportunity to work with new people or familiar faces. in rose’s case, she’s found herself with lisa, which is perfect. it had been so long since the two of them had performed anything, perhaps the previous evaluation was only the beginning for them. september had rolled around, and the two had found themselves in a group once more, to rose’s delight. rose hadn’t any problems performing with lisa, although she had a feeling that he beginning of this evaluation might be a little hard to get moving. given the theme of ost and all. they weren’t usually dance, or rap friendly and most were ballads. it was going to be a blood battle to try and snag up one of the rap orientated tracks for sure. this was yet another rose friendly evaluation, and she was grateful. although she had come to enjoy the long hours of dancing and singing to perfection for evaluations, a part of rose still longed for the chance to sit back and just sing, without the theatrics.

so they manage to find themselves with a song. it’s divided rather nicely, with decent rapping and vocal sections for both lisa and rose, just how it should be. it’s a rather cheesy, upbeat song from a popular television drama that aired a few years back. it’s bright and isn’t exactly the image the two of them were going for, but it’s all they’ve got. rose almost feels a little strange attempting to go for something so ... simple. it feels unfamiliar to go back to something so stripped back and bare, when she’s been so used to being theatrical and precise with everything, especially when it came to evaluations. it was so hard to get rose to let go of her guitar when she firstly signed to royal and now it’s rare to see her with it. she does long for the opportunity to perform with it on the regular, but she doesn’t like her chances and she has come to accept it. 

both lisa and rose perform together well, bouncing off of one another. rose finds herself grooving to the beat while lisa raps, her foot subconsciously tapping on the rung of the stool she sits upon. she had contemplated bringing forth her guitar for this performance but decided against it, fearful that it might distract from not only her own singing, but lisa’s rapping; which she wanted to be a clear focus in their performance. after all, rose had her chance to shine during the chorus. rose’s voice is clear and sharp, a smile peaks through as she continues to sings. she keeps her eye contact between the coaches in front of her and lisa at her side, moving between them naturally. it’s safe to say that while this wasn’t a show stopping number, it was still executed to the best of their abilities. and besides, what could be better than sitting down with your best friend to just sing a song about love? nothing. well, almost nothing. 

[rkjisoo]

it’s a cruel summer,

@rklisa

she eyes the pool disdainfully, nose upturned, and lips pulled low in what is starting to appear as a permanent frown. it can be said that summer is not her favorite season of the year. the constant sweating even when you’re just casually standing and the humid air makes it too uncomfortable for her to enjoy. the only consolation to this godforsaken two long months would be the fashion. the dresses are cute but then again, that’s just it. 

“how long are we supposed to stay in this party?” she asks her friend as they manoeuvre around the space, trying not to get their clothes wet. they performed nearly a half hour ago and she had assumed they would be free to leave. the glare she had received from one of their coaches when she was inching her way towards the exit made it perfectly clear that she can’t just leave that easily. “i’m getting old for these type of occasions.” 

taking a sip from her glass of fruit punch, she sighs in disappointment. “this punch isn’t even spiked. how am i supposed to pretend that i’m enjoying this?” she should be grateful. this event seemed like a perfectly good idea to relax after a whirlwind of performances. but truthfully, she would rather just stay home. nothing beats getting food delivery for dinner, a cup of tea, and laying down on the soft cushion of her bed after a tiresome work day. “what do you think we can do in the meantime?” 

[rkmg]

flickering moves.

♦ trainee starter for @rklisa !

after being in royal for nearly a year, mingyu always felt insecure that he didn’t make more of an effort to form stronger bonds. even though he wasn’t hugely on board with the entire bonding trip happening later in the month, he did briefly find himself wondering if it was for the best. he has interacted with and seen these other trainees every single day for so long, so his inability to reach out was the only thing holding him back from feeling closer to more of these familiar people. that’s why he was finally making an effort, without the help of the strange weekend getaway that would be happening later on. he wanted to feel like he was doing this on his own  because he wanted to instead of feeling forced to.

it took him a while to actually approach the girl and express his interest in getting help with dancing, but he was really pleasantly surprised once he worked up the courage. he remembered her from royal survival, so he already knew about her before even joining the company, which almost made him feel like... he was getting help from someone several leagues above him. he didn’t voice that, but he kept thinking it. it made him happy, honestly, because she seemed so willing to assist that he didn’t know why he was ever nervous to begin with. “i’ve shown a lot of improvement over last year... but i still have so much to learn. i see some people dancing and doing really impressive choreography and i think about how much i’d like to be able to do that, too... but i sort of doubt that i will ever become good enough.”

[memoriesofyccjungrk]

say so.

a closed starter for @rklisa​

it wasn’t often that gahyeon got to actually go out with her friends anymore, especially because of their absolutely insane schedules half the time. but every once in awhile, she tried to figure out how to situate herself and decide that she needed to stop being such a homebody when it came to times she wasn’t in practice. she needed to start making a life outside training, and even if she was with a friend that trained with her, but that didn’t mean lisa wasn’t still her friend. they were colleagues, but gahyeon chooses to believe that all her fellow trainees were also her friends.

thus why they were wandering the streets of seoul. it wasn’t too late, after all their schedule ended around eight today, and the seasons were starting to change. it wasn’t nearly as cold as it had ben before, and gahyeon could finally bear to skip on wearing a heavy coat during the day. “ i’m surprised the weather’s so nice ... ” gahyeon murmurs, smiling. “ for once we’re not freezing walking around the city. ” she says as they make their way down the sidewalk. “ how are things going ? i feel like, with the whole s-pop thing, you’re always busy. ” she pouts. “ everyone’s so busy and i’m just ... ” she sighs, then shrugs. “ how’s it all going ? ” she asks, smiling over at lisa. “ you’re perfect for the job, i think. ”

[rkserim]

flyer seven.

— paper scraps for @rklisa​

checking himself out through his phone’s camera, serim tries to find the perfect angle for a selfie. he’s realized that since signing a contract and joining royal, he isn’t allowed to say anything about that on his social media. which ultimately sucks because park serim is a social media fiend. 

when he finds someone walking past him, he quickly shoves his phone into his back pocket and reaches for a flyer. “hey beautiful, you look like you could use a flyer~ it’s for royal entertainment. exciting, right?” and yet his voice does not sound excited for enthusiastic about it. “anything and everything you need to know regarding royal all in one sheet of paper. how convenient is that, am i right?”

[rkrose]

deep blue eyes.

♡ ╎ @rklisa ;

gone was her dream evaluation, as was their weekend away in busan. it was back to reality for rose and the other girls, and onto yet another evaluation. although this time round, it wasn’t so much at rose’s speed. in her own head, she perceived herself as a weak dancer, which was hardly the case. it wasn’t like she hated dancing, she just liked singing a lot better. she felt like she was in her element with singing, like she didn’t need to be too careful. dancing on the other hand meant she had to be one hundred and ten percent focused to ensure she wouldn’t slip up.

june was here. they were almost mid year. how had this year gone by so quickly? in another six months, rose would be making the big decision of whether she wanted to sign that contract or not. on the case that they actually give it to her. rose glances across to lisa’s reflection in the studio. she was grateful to be paired with both lisa and jisoo for yet another evaluation, it always put her mind at ease knowing she had them to lean on if need be.

“this is a bit more up your alley, right?” rose asks, taking a swing from her drink bottle as they put a pause on the next section of the routine. “i’m just grateful we won that weekend away, if i’m being honest.” she says with a smile. 

[rksora]

❤      ━━━━━━━━━    BON BON CHOCOLAT   ┊   𝐀𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐋​ ◞  EVAL 

                  ❪  follow the light that is even more blinding  ∙∙∙  ❫  

it’s unfamiliar territory. picture this: park jiwon stepping out of her comfort zone. ( and so early on in her trainee career, it was ... interesting, to say the least ) but here she is, an unknowing duckling a gaggle of boisterous trainees, all uncertain of what’s to come. in the minutes to come, jiwon finds herself smack-dab in one of the scenes of her favorite movie genres. right before the jump scare -- the thundering, ominous music, the slow-crawl of the camera, the dim of lights and then the scare. it comes like a thunderous assault of nerves and panic as everyone scrambles around the auditorium, grabbing arms and limbs with no real game-plan in sight. 

jiwon becomes the instigator as she fights tooth and nail for survival. what was the use of being a wallflower when the evaluation for the month could only be deemed something of the dog eat dog variety? 

just how was jiwon supposed to ‘catch’ this so-called eye?

this is how she comes to find herself, momo, chungha, seulgi, lisa and saerom in a single group; sitting in their row, waiting for what’s to come. while taking initiative is always the smartest thing to do, it’s where jiwon fails -- she’s no leader, she was never meant to take ‘charge’ and be the voice of the people. hell, jiwon barely had a voice for herself. who was she to voice opinions and thoughts so freely to people she barely even knew?

and then there was the unforeseeable complications: apparently, they were all dancers. 

it was like the devil had planned and laughed at their fate, they were all dancers; a gaggle of fools with the best feet to match. jiwon hadn’t been a trainee for long but she was sure this couldn’t be what training entailed -- this was a hardship jiwon didn’t sign up for.

she wasn’t a leader, she didn’t know how to handle this.

that’s why surprise comes second when they’re handing out parts, dishing out what they all believed they were best at and when it comes to jiwon: when she’s asked if she can sing, hesitance comes first with surprise a ringing second. sing? there was no way.

but really, who was jiwon to say no? she wasn’t a leader, but she also didn’t have the backbone to oppose. 

in the end, she practices. while jiwon can’t say her entire heart is into it, she’s full of nerves and unease, she does her best to keep up with the lines and the beat of the song. she isn’t a born singer and ( barely ) six months of training can only do so much and while she tries to tell herself that the song isn’t a hard song ( the dancing was a doozy trying to memorize all the steps and counts but she got it in the end ), she can’t help but get hung up over the lines. 

of course they’re no main vocal -- she can only offer her condolences to seulgi who seemed just as unsure of her part as jiwon did -- but, like everything jiwon was unsure of, there was no way she could do this confidently.

dancing? yes -- sure, obviously faking confidence was easier when dancing could become muscle memory and exhausted into bone. the dance is more girl-crush than she had expected. it didn’t look hard, too. and while it was definitely something one of her teammates back at the dance club would have liked, jiwon was more impartial -- if it got her through this month’s evaluations scotch-free, why not?

singing, on the other hand -- didn’t that take real skill?

the end of the month comes faster than she feared. she’s gripped by the turn of the clock and how april quickly fades to the last day. she’s worrying about it all the way to seocho, shedding her coat as they’re told to file into the auditorium before being dispersed into their individual rooms. 

she despairs for the minute they’re given as camera equipment is tinkered and the men who stand behind them quiet down. the lights are bright along the crowns of their heads and jiwon can feel her sweat begin to swelter at her palms. 

when the music starts: she can only hope for the best.

her voice rising from her throat the moment her limbs meet the floor and she’s smiling at the camera that’s directed her way. it’s blinking red eye a smile away --

                                                          ❪  go up to the sky ∙∙∙  ❫