#rkjeongin

[rkyuna]

⁺   𝗠𝗡𝗘𝗧𝗚𝗟𝗢𝗕𝗔𝗟𝗔𝗨𝗗𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦❺ THE CALLBACKS   ━━  𝖳𝖧𝖤𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪

                              ●  ●  ●   ━━━━━━━━━━   신유나   ₊

interviews always have her on her nerves. sometimes she doesn’t know what to say, and other times -- she says too much. but this time, armored with ammunition of the latest performances, yuna has a lot to say. 

                       𝗤   ⟨  A CALLBACK, THAT MUST HAVE BEEN EXCITING.                                   HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU GOT THE EMAIL  ⟩  !

she comes off more casual than she was -- a little more cool, dusting off the bright smile from earlier with one of ease and nonchalance. even though just days before she had been panicked and manic over not seeing the email ( because it had been slotted in her dark social folder rather than her primary folder -- stupid gmail ), she wasn’t going to come off eager. no, she wanted to come off cool and collected. a level-headed girl who just wanted fame, fortune, and lots and lots of fans. that was level-headed, right? “it was to be expected. i had a really good feeling about my audition up until the end so i wasn’t really afraid i wasn’t going to make it. being in front of the judges, today, though, did get me a little ...” she pauses, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks as she reveals a little too much, the confidence withering away as the excitement of being on stage in front of all those famous ceos became more than apparent on her young face. “speechless? it was really cool to be in front of someone as amazing as baek jiyoung.”

             𝗤   ⟨  SO, WE GOT A QUOTE FROM YOUR COUSIN, @rkkhg,                            AND HE SAID THAT HE HATED YOUR PERFORMANCE.                                    DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT THAT?                                        DO YOU BELIEVE YOUR PERFORMANCE BAD  ⟩  !

that motherfucker. yuna immediately feels her muscles tighten as she tries to calm the twitch she feels starts to tremble along her eyebrow. “hyunggu oppa said that?” she says through a tensed grin, all the while keeping her smile intact despite the fact that she can immediately feel her blood boil. “oh, my cousin -- he’s so, so, so funny.” and yuna laughs for good measure ; trying not to grit her teeth as she passes off a roll of her eyes with a blink, instead. “such a comedian. but no --” her grin relaxes, rolling her shoulders back as she looks dead on to the camera. “ i don’t believe my performance was bad. sure, it could have been better but can’t you say that for a majority of the other performances here?” yuna shrugs, “i believe i gave them something original. and that alone makes it better than that same majority of other performances.”

                                 𝗤   ⟨  I SEE. SO OF THE MAJORITY, WHICH WERE                                                          THE ONES THAT YOU DIDN’T LIKE  ⟩  !

“there was one guy -- i forget his name, i think it was h - h- something ... @rkharuto? he was hilarious. when he finished his stage, he fell on the floor. i felt so bad for him -- especially after that performance. man, i thought his performance was really cool but i guess off skates he’s not as smooth. and i mean, he ... skated and this is a competition scouting for idols ... like, how do those two even correlate? if you wanted to skate, you should’ve joined the x games, kiddo.” she shakes her head, fingers tapping along her arms as she keeps them crossed against her chest. 

“as for my cousin -- he says that i was terrible. he should recheck his prescription because his performance wasn’t all that either. oppa has to do so much better if he thinks that was impressive.  he’s a great dancer, i know it and i’m sure he knows it but we all also know that he sucked.” yuna shrugs, as if ready to tick another one off her list as she continues on.

she laughs, a little, at least -- “i also didn’t know they still allowed grandpas into the competition. isn’t @rkmason like prehistoric at this point? sure, he’s also a good dancer but don’t you think you should give it a rest, 할비. sure, i liked his song and sure he’s good looking but -- eh, eh.” she stares, another finger down. 

“and c’mon, the callbacks are supposed to be exciting but some people were just so boring. like that @rkheejin chick, news-flash! that song is so overplayed back in the states, and the acoustic-cute girl singing about unrequited love is really last season.” she sniffs, as if ready to cry for the actual sadness she felt for her. heejin was cute, super cute but if yuna was being honest. she might’ve stifled a yawn here and there. 

there was another girl, the moment she had set eyes on her, yuna had felt ill. her hair, oh lord -- why would anyone do that to themselves. “kim @jungeunxrk?” yuna scoffs, “two words. botched dye-job. i honestly don’t know how anyone could concentrate on her performance when she came in looking like she over-fried her hair. bleached blonde, more like botched blonde.” she says the last sentence in english. “oh, but we’re supposed to talk about their performance ... i guess she was nice.” 

“ @rkjeongin is a friend of mine and i honestly was rooting for him.” honestly meaning slightly and rooting for him aka secretly plotting his demise. ( she’s half-kidding, but still ) “and i mean, props for doing a girl group song but jeongin, please, if you’re going to do a girl group song, don’t butcher the dance moves. i do hope he makes it on, though, even if he did do ... that.” she even has the audacity to spare a embarrassed smile on his behalf.

the interviewer stares at her, as if begging her to be down and yuna just shakes her head; already knocking down another finger. “@rksuwoong, love korean culture and props to you for being ‘edgy’ and ‘lost in the times’ and all but trot is dead. end of story.”

there was one guy, though. that she couldn’t have helped but be jealous over. and who was shin yuna if not for the petty, little brat that she was -- and her jealousy had obviously tided over when she finally came to mention him. unfortunately, it was all because she enjoyed his song too well, that she couldn’t help but criticize it. “@moonbokrk, song choice -- bleh. rapping? eh. i mean, could have done better but did he? you answer that, yourself.”

“ @rksihyeon i was actually expecting better. she has the face that you’d think has it but her performance didn’t do it for me. it ... lacked something? i don’t know. can’t put my finger on it, though. nice try, though, she’s pretty, at least.” she nods. another one bite the dust, she whispers to herself. 

she could have cracked her knuckles and she still wouldn’t be done with her list. “and there’s that @rkchris -- i felt like he was trying to be edgy but also indie and like tough? but vulnerable? and it was just too much, like dude ... be simple ..., you’re doing too much.” 

“when i heard the starting tune, i was so ready to fangirl, i love akmu. unfortunately, can’t say the same about @rkumji who sang the song though.”

“and i guess that was just a few people you could say i don’t think will make it.” she wrinkles her nose. 

                              𝗤   ⟨  AND THE REST? WHICH STOOD OUT TO YOU  ⟩  !

“who i think you should root for are definitely kim @rkyeji and shin @ryujinrk. their performances, by far, were the best of the night.” yes, she’s being biased. no, she did not care one bit. shin yuna was a firm believer that since she was amazing, so were her friends and there was no doubt in her mind that when she had seen, first hand, her friends’ performances, she couldn’t be prouder. if she could, she would’ve thrown her shoes at them as celebratory cheers.

“there was one guy that i think did well too,” oddly enough, yuna did have a few compliments to spare. “i think his name was @ericxrk, the one who did ikon’s killing me. his dance break was pretty nice. i enjoyed it.” 

                                                  𝗘𝗡𝗗 𝘘   ⟨  THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME  ⟩ !

“thank you for taking care of me!” she says almost immediately, a bow slung along the way as she’s thanked and the lights shut off and she feels the heat from those lights fade from her cheeks. fingers brush against tendrils as she flips her hair, turning on her heel. another interview down the shoot. 

[rkyeji]

#5011 & interview  mentioned: @rkkyungsoo, @rkchaeryeong, @rktaeyang, @rkxbin, @rkbclla, @hyojinrk @rkheejin, @rkjeongin, @rksuwoong, @rkchwev, @ryujinrk​

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.” 

[rkjibeom]

MGA5 CALLBACK PERFORMANCE Singing Let Me Love You Mashup by Kiana Lede ; ( 0:10 - 2:05 )

Honestly, if anybody ever told Seungmin he’d make it for the MGAs callback, he would’ve just laughed it off and acted like it was nothing. Of course, that was merely joking around. The fact that it became a reality was a little disconcerting. He received the notification of the next step via e-mail and he just couldn’t believe his eyes.

He had so many people to tell, but he didn’t want to jinx anything whatsoever so he kept it to himself. In this short time frame, Seungmin mentally prepared and practiced with his whole heart on the line. With the address given to them for the recording, Seungmin traveled to the location. Since Seungmin and Changbin are roommates, they decided to go together.

“Binnie… this is so crazy. I can’t believe we’re really doing this. Like actually doing the MGAs. It’s insane.” He held onto his roommate’s hand as he found their way to the studio where the recording would take place.

Immediately upon arrival, Seungmin ran into Jeongin and excitedly dragged him over to everyone else including Jisung and Chan which they sat amongst each other. “This is so nerve-wracking, Innie… I hope we do well today.” He gripped the younger’s hand and squeezed for a little bit of reassurance -- more for himself than anything.

Seungmin quietly watches as other contestants pile into the studio and find themselves a seat among the hundred of chairs available. He notices a presence next to him sit down but doesn’t make much of it. It’s not until the voice speaks up. “Man, I’m nervous, how about you?”

Seungmin doesn’t even think twice before an automatic reply leaves his mouth. “Ugh, honestly, same.” He pauses for another second before he turns his head and that’s when it hits him like a goddamn train by letting out an audible gasp. His brother with the widest shit-eating grin on his face looking at him. Staring at him. Sitting right next to him. His mouth hangs slightly open and Seungmin is just absolutely shocked that his eyes widen considerably.

“Why are you here? Does mom know you’re doing this?” He starts blinking rapidly because he’s just so confused. Why was his brother here of all places? At auditions for the MGAs? It’s shaking him a lot just to see the older.

Seungmin blinks and looks to the other side of Jooyoung and finds his cousin, Hyojin, sitting near them too. Wow, it’s like a family reunion. “H-hyojin hyung? You’re auditioning for the MGAs too?” Shaking his head, he turns back to Jooyoung.

“Hyung… since when did you even like to perform? Do you sing or something?” Seungmin’s expression of confusion and shock slowly leaves his face as it turns colder. “Why didn’t you tell me you were auditioning? Nevermind, it’s not like you tell me anything anyways.”

Seungmin bites out that last harsh statement before turning away. The awkward silence between them is almost unbearable and he feels bad so he sighs before uttering one last thing to Jooyoung. “Good luck…”

For the rest of the waiting time, Seungmin faces towards Jeongin and Jisung and smiles as much as he can in hopes they don’t ask him anything. It’s hard pretending but he can’t let his brother being here affect him and his performance.

Finally, after all the contestants are settled and nestled into their respective seats, they reveal the judges who turn out to be the 5 CEOs of the big companies out right now. Seungmin stared in awe and clapped on cue, of course. He’s not surprised to see them considering they were here last season, but it’s nice. Although, since they’re the judges for this, it makes the performances seem scarier than normal. Something about this either being his last performance on stage or the beginning really unsettled Seungmin’s stomach. Naturally, he tries to will the nervous feelings down but he can’t really help it.

After the hundred of them give their performances, the CEOs will convene together to discuss who moves on and who doesn’t. Seungmin’s afraid of not making it. He’s afraid that his friends will get to hop to the next level and he’ll be left behind. This was different from last year when he managed to score an audience pass to watch some performances for MGA4. He dreamt about standing on stage and now that it’s so close and within reach, he’ll do whatever it takes to make it.

Seungmin exhales deeply and unclenches the fists that rested on his lap. He couldn’t let this get to him. Not now of all days. He had to relax or else his downfall will come sooner than later. One by one, contestants will be called to stand on stage and perform in front of everyone. Thankfully, he’s not called first and he watches with rapt attention at each contestant’s performance. Some are really eye-catching for sure and some he was okay with. There wasn’t anybody truly bad. Not like he could judge anyways. His performance might not be the best either.

Up next is a girl that catches Seungmin’s immediate attention. She’s pretty and looks mean -- like she could step on you and you would end up apologizing for getting in her way. Da-dum, da-dum. Seungmin flushes and clears his throat to will away the brush. Goddamn, this wasn’t some dating show for goodness sake. He’s so enarmored already and watching her performance that Seungmin notices when she turns to face the other contestants. He swears she winked at him. Him of all people. Or at least in his general direction. Either way, Seungmin flushed again and tried to watch the rest of it without embarrassing himself.

A couple more people went and it finally became Seungmin’s turn. With a smile towards his friends, his feet brought him on stage before the judges or the CEOs rather. Being requested to introduce himself, Seungmin smiled politely as his eyes crinkled with mirth. Bowing towards them, he stood back up straight and beamed. 

“Hello and what’s up! I’m 18 year old Kim Seungmin from Seoul.” He points to his red hair and laughs. “Just like my red hair, I hope to show you all my firery passion on this very stage.”

He was ready to get into position until he heard some cheering and hooting from the contestant section and he knows Jooyoung’s voice more than anything and he flushed only slightly before trying to ignore it and focus on his performance.

With a nod of his head and the microphone in hand, he got into position. He quickly looked towards the direction of his friends briefly and wished they could hold his hand or something. He even glanced over at his brother, Jooyoung, and was surprised to see the older with the utmost attention on him. It made him feel shy but maybe just a tad braver. He wanted to show Jooyoung what he was capable of and what he had missed out on for the years he was gone.

Taking a deep breath again, Seungmin let the music filter in before lifting up the microphone to his lips and started singing.

I used to believe We were burnin' on the edge of somethin' beautiful Somethin' beautiful Sellin' a dream Smoke and mirrors keep us waiting on a miracle On a miracle Say, go through the darkest of days Heaven's a heartbreak away Never let me down, never let me down

It’s an English song because Seungmin feels very comfortable doing a cover like that. It’s actually a mashup of Justin Bieber’s Let Me Love you, Mario’s Let Me Love You and Ne-Yo’s Let Me Love You. Overall, it’s a slower mashup rendition of the three faster paced songs. But Seungmin likes to think that it matches quite nicely with a slower tempo. He’s not here to play any games.

Don't you give up, nah-nah-nah I won't give up, nah-nah-nah Let me love you Let me

Seungmin doesn’t move around much on stage. His performance wasn’t meant to be that flashy or showy. He wanted to showcase his vocals off more than anything.

Should let me love you Let me be the one to Give you everything you want and need The good love and protection Make me your selection Show you the way love's supposed to be

One hand on the mic and the other hand resting where his heart is and singing with his whole damn chest. Seungmin needed to bare everything out. In front of himself, his brother, his friends, the CEOs. He didn’t want to be that same shy boy who was terrified of standing on stage. He was different now. He knew he had what it took to be an MGA winner. He just had to make it.

Girl let me love you And I will love you Until you learn to love yourself Girl let me love you I know you are trouble Don't be afraid, girl let me help

Seungmin locked eyes with each and every CEO glancing at them briefly before looking elsewhere. Lifting his hand off his chest, he brought it up so he was holding the microphone with both hands.

Much as you blame yourself, you can't be blamed for the way that you feel

Surprisingly enough, Seungmin’s voice is a lot more melodic and honey-like than he originally lets on. He looks like a handsome and dandy kind of boy but doesn’t seem like he offers much. But when he sings, it’s a different side of him that people ought to know and hear. He wants to let his voice be heard as much as possible.

Girl let me love you And I will love you Until you learn to love yourself Don't you give up, nah-nah-nah I won't give up, nah-nah-nah Let me love you

The end of the song slowed down once again but he sang in such a gently sweet voice that matched with the aesthetic of the song. Maybe his voice wasn’t as good as other people’s choices. It was slower and you had to really be able to command the attention of everyone in the room. He wanted that more than anything. When he sang the last line, Seungmin slowly let down the mic from his lips and exhaled out in relief that that part was over. It all rest in the CEOs hands now.

Quickly bowing profusely at the CEOs and thanking them for listening and watching his performance, Seungmin managed his way back to his seat. He grabbed onto Jisung’s hand first and squeezed tight before making it back to his seat. He shut his eyes closed and immediately his hand found Jeongin’s to hold in the meantime. It was certainly an experience and he couldn’t help it how his hands were shaking considerably now. He’s thankful to have stayed strong during his performance but now he could maybe breathe just a little more and get the jitters out of him.

[rkjulia]

MGA: SEASON FIVE, ‘19! episode zero ⇢ the callback part one: dancing + singing, chi chi’s “into the new world”           the fromis_9 edition ( 0:00 - 1:55 )

kokoro stares at the email sitting in her inbox with utter disbelief. and for a good while, too. she is hesitant to click on it, still so absorbed by the text in the title and what it is she’s reading. but she somehow manages to convince herself to actually delve a little deeper and read the actual email, rather than the title ten times over. and so she does, once and then twice before going back over it a third time. is this what she thinks it is? is this really a ... callback notice? it couldn’t be that, no ... why would they contact kokoro for a callback? she furrows her brows, reading the email again. she’s tempted to forward the email to yuri to ask if she’s reading it correctly. maybe yuri would then tell her that this is more so a thanks for trying notice. that would settle her nerves, kokoro knows she’s looking way too far into this. and after forwarding it to yuri, turns out this wasn’t a scam or a prank of sorts. kokoro had read this entirely correctly. it really was a callback.

and kokoro was invited.

it really felt like only yesterday that kokoro had began to contemplate auditioning for the show. 

it only felt like yesterday that kokoro had began contemplating on auditioning for the show; night after night of going back and forth on a dream she thought she had left behind when she moved to seoul. the first audition had come and gone in an absolute blur, and somehow no one had really gotten suspicious about kokoro’s whereabouts on that very day. and now here she was, at an actual television set, with two of her best friends. bright lights hanging overhead and large, expensive cameras directed towards her and the rest of the contestants. kokoro sits upright in her chair, bright eyed, doing her best to survey her surroundings. she follows the prompts given to her by staff members and producers carefully, knowing there is no room for mistakes. this is going to be going to air, on actual live television. kokoro totally lets the fact that her mother or her step-sister might see this, and if she does think it, she pushes it to the back of her mind. for now. she’s sitting with yuri and yuqi, feeling less nervous about performing in front of a large crowd, but she can’t help but wonder who the panel of judges will be made up of.

kokoro ends up finding a lot of familiar faces amidst the crowd of contestants around herself, yuri and yuqi. she finds yoona, her dance dance revolution companion and jeongin, the k.arma fan from the showcase she went to a month or two back. she even happens across the boy from the royal cafe who ended up wearing her hot chocolate, a memory she would much rather forget. she hopes and prays that he doesn’t look back and catch sight of her. kokoro would of never of taken him for someone like her, a hopeful of sorts, someone looking to break into the industry. he seemed too ... cool for that. but everyone was here for their own reason, as basic or complex as it may be. and who was kokoro to judge? she was here for her own reason, albeit generic. there are hushed whispers and questions about who is going to be sitting on the panel for this round, and some people offer up guesses while others keep their lips sealed in anticipation. the 100 chairs have been filled by contestants, eagerly waiting for their chance to shine.

and then their questions have been answered. appearing from out of nowhere, or so it seems, is the ceos of the five, top companies in south korea, trc entertainment, kt entertainment, sphere entertainment, royal entertainment and nova entertainment. the reaction is positive, kokoro is guessing that a lot of people are losing their minds right now, although some people are probably dreading the fact that the ceos are getting involved so early in the competition. and no one’s fate has been set in stone. kokoro’s reaction is a mixture of surprise and excitement. she realises that she’s never seen the ceos up close before, or actually ever. everyone looks so big and famous, kokoro isn’t too sure that they’re all worthy to be sitting in the same room as these people. 

the callback process begins as one would expect. one by one, each contestant is called forward to show off their skills. they have two minutes to impress the judges and ignite fear in their fellow contestants before returning to their seat and so on. that was the jist of things, or that’s at least what kokoro understood after the first two people had gone forward. she pulls at the hem of her skirt. she knows that from here on out, her charms and cuteness alone aren’t going to get her very far and kokoro starts to understand that maybe she’s not cut out for this sort of stuff. the other contestants are really good dancers, really good singers and really good rappers, almost brimming on trainee or idol level good. kokoro though, hasn’t ever really had any formal training. she’s taken some dance classes and she was in school choir. her parents were never really big on her joining an academy to perfect her skills, well, her father was persistent that kokoro do what make her happy. her mother on the other hand, she was adamant about kokoro doing well in school and with her studies. having had her father absent during her teenage years, it’s easy to see the path kokoro had followed. the path free of any hopes and dreams she had.

     “and next up, we have ... kato kokoro.”

amidst her thoughts, kokoro’s name is called. she’s rather startled, looking across to the panel of judges, spotting katie lee, holding a microphone. it was a woman’s voice in introduced her, so it must of been katie lee. kokoro smiles, getting to her feet before making her way down to the front of the stage, being careful to not step any toes or trip on anything. because that would be very kokoro of her and typical, especially since this was going to be aired on television. she pulls her skirt straight before falling into a polite bow, holding it for a moment before standing upright once again. brushing both of her twin tails back over her shoulder, she looks towards each of the ceos with a bright smile. “hello everyone!” she says enthusiastically, waving both of her hands either side of her face. “my name is kato kokoro, please take care of me.” she doesn’t let on to what it is she’s performing today, and she hasn’t any intentions. the opening notes of the song will do all the talking for her. into the new world, by the nation’s girl group, chi chi. kokoro had heard that it was a song of importance to young people in south korea, a song of hope. 

it was a song she had heard prior to coming to south korea, it was just one of those songs that transcended languages and touched her heart. and that’s what she wants to do today, give a performance that is full of heart. an idol to kokoro is someone who brings others joy through song and dance. they may not necessarily be the best, but when they dance, they give their all. their passion shows. although kokoro is fearful that she may not be as skilled as some of the other contestants in terms of technique or skill, she knows that she has the ability to out do them in one aspect; in heart. she knows, standing there, center stage that this routine will be full of it.

and the song begins to play. it’s familiar to everyone in the room. it’s a song that everyone knows the words to, even kokoro. admittedly, she hesitated upon choosing a korean song to sing at her callback, but she needs to prove that she’s competent with the language. maybe not so much with interviews and general speaking, but with singing. she wants to prove something to herself. she stands there, hands gently folded behind her back as she looks out towards the panel of judges. as the beat drops, kokoro’s smile widens and she nods her head, moving forward into the choreography seamlessly. for a song that is over ten years old, it’s aged very well.

i want to tell you, even though the sad times have already past. close your eyes and feel my moved heart, my gaze at you.

don’t wait for a special miracle, there’s a tough road in front of us, with unknowable an unknowable future and obstacles, i won’t change. i can’t give up. 

kokoro’s voice is soft, her accent present. however, thankfully the tone of the song works with her, rather than against her. the beginning of the song is much more forgiving and kokoro knows she doesn’t have the vocal chords to challenge the end of the song with the high notes and the adlibs. she isn’t out here to butcher a korean classic. a part of kokoro can’t help but wonder if she really is good enough, strong enough to withhold the idol industry of korea. perhaps they aren’t interested in heart; performances that are wholesome and meaningful. perhaps they really do only believe in the best of the best. she knows too well that she isn’t the best dancer, nor the best vocalist but kokoro makes sure that she hits every single dance move, sharp and precise, as though this is dance dance revolution and she’s out to hit her highest score yet. even despite the foreign words flowing from kokoro’s mouth, something about this feels so normal to her.

protect me with an unchanged love, also my wounded heart. looking in your eyes, no words are needed, time has stopped. 

the song builds ever so slowly, inching towards the chorus. and as the song builds up, so does kokoro’s energy. the chorus hits and kokoro quite literally jumps into it, her smile becomes bigger and brighter. this is the feeling she chases, the feeling she so desperately wants others to feel. when people hear the music they love, they should want to get up onto their feet to dance and sing along. she wonders if the other contestants, or even the ceos themselves are surprised by her song choice ... or perhaps it was a given that she, the foreigner, would perform a classic like into the new world? into the new world was a right of passage for so many girl groups in korea, so why couldn’t it be a right of passage for a hopeful like herself?

i love you, just like this. the longed end of wandering, i leave behind this world’s unending sadness. 

in the many unknowable paths, i follow a dim light. it’s something we’ll do together to the end, into my new world.

she is no longer fearful of the outcome of this callback. whether she goes beyond her wildest dreams or falters right here, right now; she has come to realise that she is grateful for one thing; the opportunity to feel again, to feel this happy, this confident and this comfortable whilst dancing and singing to a song like such. the song cuts short before the dance break, which kokoro would of happily performed, only doing so would of pushed her over the two minute mark. pushing her hand outwards to her side she sings the final words of the chorus; it’s something we’ll do together to the end, into my new world. before finishing as she started, hands laced together behind her back. her chest rises and falls ever so slightly, she’s ashamed to admit she’s out of breath. but perhaps not so much from the singing and dancing itself, but from the excitement and the emotion she’s feeling right now. and not even then does her smile falter. it’s kokoro’s one constant. she gracefully falls into a bow, her twin tails becoming curtains, blacking out her vision for a moment before she straightens herself up, brushing them back behind her shoulders. she looks around at the other contestants and the ceos one last time, wanting desperately to savour this moment. it could be the last time she sees a stage like this ...

     or it could be the beginning of something new.

[danielxrk]

✞  WHY DID YOU CHOOSE RAPPING OVER SINGING? *  

it's shades of last week's episode: the waiting following performances, the sitting, the idle talk to pass the time, the slooow working through of the interviews. daniel feels more exhausted than last week, maybe due to the sheer energy level of his performance today or two weeks of preparation catching up to him now. either way, he sits with his hood on as he waits, nearly falling asleep in his chair, absently worried about how this bodes for his future. finally it's his turn, and he shakes off any weariness.

when he sits in front of the interviewer, it's with drowsy eyes, and he blinks at the camera.

"everything okay?" the interviewer asks, and daniel feels bad-- laughs almost dismissively.

"yeah!" he chirps, trying to perk up. "i just...fell asleep for a little while. i think i'm still waking up. but the interview will energize me!" he isn't entirely sure he means that, but he hopes it's true, and hopes it translates well on camera even more.

"what did you think of the results last week?" comes the next question.

truthfully, daniel already forgets them, but he doesn't know how to word that in a way that isn't awful. here and present daniel wouldn't know how to say this, let alone daniel that was asleep ten minutes ago, so he just blinks for a while, and his silence is probably telling. "i was glad to make it through," he settles on, words slow, and he considers whether to be honest or not. "i'm glad my members did too." he remembers something then-- something he can actually say, thankfully. "my cousin jeongin got eliminated, and i would've liked to see him go farther. otherwise, i didn't really know the contestants that got eliminated, and i don't really remember much of their performances, sadly." maybe that's why they got eliminated. "unless i'm forgetting someone!" he adds on, return of his usual enthusiasm. "i'm sorry!"

"how do you feel after filming for this episode?"

well it's not really over, is it, considering he's still in this interview? that's not the point though; he knows. "tired," he admits, and he laughs. "i think my performance wore me out. it was way more adrenaline than i expected, and more...active? i didn't think i would be running all over the stage like that, and i've done similar for longer at empty enigma shows, but something about all of it together, and the preparation leading up to it, and watching everyone's performances was a lot. i know this is only the start though, so if i make it further, i'll have to do better."

"how do you think your performance went?"

"i had fun," he says first with a grin, and he wants to say that's what's most important, but in this competition, he knows better. it's important, nonetheless. beyond that...? "i know i'm lacking when it comes to rap. i'm lacking in a lot of things, and i knew i had to make up for that by doing something that showed off what i think i'm best at, and that's writing lyrics. i think i showed off a unique performance, and some people will like that, and some people won't..." his voice trails off. that's not even touching on the fact that his lyrics will probably be controversial. "i tried to have fun with it, even though i don't believe a lot of what i rapped. i felt like if i was going to rap, i needed to do it with confidence, otherwise i was better off not doing it at all. i think my breathing could've been better, and that my tone and...dynamics could be better? but i think i could've done worse, and i hope it was an engaging performance, at least. if it made people feel something, i think i did what i came here to do." a pause, and a troubled expression. "i just hope i didn't upset anyone too much?" but he ends up smiling. "i guess i have to deal wit the consequences if i want to write a rap like that, huh?"

"why did you choose rapping over singing?"

ah yes, that question. he should've seen it coming, and really, he did. maybe they overheard is comment to sungwoon when he was questioned the same last week. "i didn't think i could compete wit the singers," he says simply. "it's not that i thought i could really compete with the rappers either, but i thought with less of them, i might have a better chance. at the very least, i could show off a skill i haven't brought to the stage yet on the mgas, which was appealing. i got eliminated last year during the round where all we had to do was show our best skills, because it was clear how weak my singing was compared to the others. i've improved, but i know that could still happen again, and i...don't want it to. if i'm going to get eliminated this round, i want it to be differently, and to know i showed everything i could before i left." it's always a common theme: showing everything he can, because nothing is guaranteed.

"any thoughts on the performances?"

"the empty enigma members did well," he begins with a grin, and although he means it, he's pretty sure that's not why they're asking, and not what they want to hear. "i'll talk about someone else, i promise," he assures. "i liked yena's performance," he says. "i don't think she's the strongest singer, but she was still compelling regardless, and when i watched her, i thought 'i hope i can do that too.' it was inspiring in a way. "hyunggu's mashup performance was...interesting," and he laughs. "i'm not entirely sure how to feel about it, but i think he did a good job. he showed his versatility too, so i respect him for that." on the other hand, there were the more unfortunate performances, or one he can think of in particular. "i think joohyun's was the most painful to watch, if only because i know she's capable of better than that. i wanted her to show off her skills."

"you were grimacing watching joohyun before she even stumbled. why is that?"

this catches him off guard. he falls silent for a moment, and deliberates over how to answer. he could say something about not liking the performance, but he probably already ruined that opportunity for himself, even if he wanted to go down that route. his real options were to say something about how hard the routine looked, and claim to be worried for her-- not a lie, really --or to admit the truth, and leak something he wasn't sure joohyun wanted to risk being aired for all of south korea to see. in the end, he knows joohyun wouldn't want him to lie for him, and also knows this might not be aired. aside from that, tiger jk knows about her injury, which means the other judges likely do as well. "joohyun is injured, actually," he admits, voice quiet, eyes downcast, not settled on the camera. he still isn't sure if it's the right decision. "so i was worried for her while i was watching. i wanted her to make it through safely so badly, and i'm glad worse didn't happen but it's still...a shame."

"how are you feeling about the upcoming results?"

"nervous," he laughs on impulse, nervous. "i want all of empty enigma to make it through, but i know with each round, the likelihood of that gets smaller and smaller. i have a lot of friends left here now too, so i feel like no matter what happens, it'll be upsetting," and if he's being honest? "i think i have a real chance of being eliminated, too. i guess it depends on whether the judges are willing to look past where i lack in rapping to the other qualities i showed." he doesn't know if they will be, and if he does make it, he doesn't know if he'll deserve it.

[rksohee]

➥ cyj 🐰 (@sotokki): 1day ago

#QUEENCHOJINDAY trending just for me? i’m speechless. thank you guys for making this an amazing birthday! i 💜 u!~~~

💬 reply ↻ retweet ♡ favourite ⋯ more

[novaent]

WATCH THE MINI-CONCERT LIVE!

The five lucky muses who’ll get to attend the mini-concert on Sunday, the 28th, are the ones listed below.

@rkchoutzuyu

@joohyunrk

@rkjeongin

@hobirk

@rknak

Thank you to all who participated and good luck next time!

[rkyuna]

                   INSTAGRAM   ━━━   ・    ・      +    @Y03NA ・

as one of the generation z babies, yuna has lived in the digital age since she was predisposed to toy cell phones and laptops. as one of the more popular social media platforms, she gained a following back in california through funny vines and tik tok videos hence the large follower count. these days she’s archived most of those posts and allocated the rest of her recent postings as a pseudo teenage jetsetter as she hopped the pond from o.c. to seoul. 

frequent sightings on her instagram include: @jinsoulrk​, @ryujinrk​, @rkyeji​, and @rkjeongin​. 

[rkyeji]

                              hwang yeji & the interview mentioned ; @rktaeyang, @rkyuri, @rkchwev, @ryujinrk, @danielxrk, @rkjeongin, @rksuwoong, @rkkhg, @rkkyg, @rkchoutzuyu

an interview portion, it would be a nice way to pass the time while the judges made the important decision of who to send through to the next round and who would stay. yeji hoped her friends would make it and herself of course but so far– at least she tried out for the mgas this year, last year she was a by stander and she couldn’t even watch it.

when it was her time she walked into the room, smiling nervously at the staff that was there– wondering what kind of questions they would give her– yeji sat down, her lips trembling a little as she rested her against the back of the chair.

“how did you feel when you recieved the news of the callback?”

yeji remebered the feeling– “i was excited i felt stressed becuse i had to come up with another dance routine in a short amount of time,” she nodded, “i think it turned out alright in the end– i had a lot of fun dancing in front of the five judges– ceos.”

“what did you think when they were revealed?”

it was a natural question to follow up after she mentioned them first, “first of all i was stunned because its my first time seeing them– then second i thought both ms. katie lee and baek jiyoung were amazing, two women in the middle of these men– katie lee is as pretty as the pictures and hyun bin is as handsome as ever? how is that even possible?”

“any performances you liked today? who do you think will go through to next phase?”

it was impossible for her to pick just one and she hoped that wasn’t what they expected her to do, “yoo taeyang– he dances so well, how could he not go through? also jo yuri, her voice is so fresh and nice to listen too, she shines when she’s on stage.” yeji smile slightly, “there is also uh, this rapper– his name was chwe hansol… sshi? he looked like he was made for stage as well and his rap was better than i expected,” yeji wans’t lying– she knew he suited the spotlight form his past but she had never really heard or seen him rap. it made the older male even more charming and during his performance she simply couldn’t keep her eyes off him, shamelessly staring– “also doesn’t he look like that american actor?? leonardo dicaprio– i think the judges are gonna pick him for sure.” yeji thought for a couple more seconds– “then there is ryujinnie~ she’s my friend and i know she is a good dancer and pretty, so why woudln’t they want her as well.”

“you are related to kang daniel and yang jeongin, how did you think their performances went?”

upuntil now it had just felt like they had generic questions but when they suddenly asked about her cousins she wrinkled her nose– “ah jeonginnie and daniel oppa? i think daniel oppa showed an improved version of himself, from last year– i hope he makes it and as for jeongin, he’s a good singer and i think they would regret it if they didn’t let him through.”

“what about you and your performance?”

yeji hesitated for a little, “i don’t want to toot my own horn but i think i did well– there were so many talented people here today so i don’t think i did better–” yeji knew she was one of the more powerful dancers, after watching everyone, she knew but it wasn’t something she wanted to say outloud– “i hope the judges see something in me, if i get through i’ll show them even more.”

“is there a contestant that caught your attention?”

with all her heart she wanted to mention hansol again-- but she stopped herself, instead she thought about it thoroughly, “i think... what was his name... uh, the one that performed a trot version of lc9′s ring ding dong-- his performance was different, so it caught my attention. also i liked the performances of yugyeom ssi and kang hyunggyu ssi, they danced really well. also jeong heejin ssi’s performance struck me, her voice was surprisingly soothing. not to mention she’s beautiful?” yeji nodded slowly, “oh and tzuyu un... ssi,” correcting herself before continuing, “was really ethereal when she performed, the song suited her.”

when she finished the interview portion she walked out-- sighing softly as she realized she could have mentioned so many more but there were so many performances, the recornding had been going on for hours already and she could barley rememeber the earliest ones. yeji walked to find her seat again-- her feat tapping with nervous excitement.

[rkjibeom]

heart for 2

starter for @rkjeongin​

seungmin feels like a really bad hyung. ever since he and his friends had been eliminated from the competition early on, he had been moping around. he was too busy in his own feelings that he thinks he neglected jeongin and that’s one of the last things he ever wants to do to the younger. they could have been comforting each other if anything instead of seungmin going off on his own to deal with things. now that he’s finally found himself grounded, he feels like he should make it up to jeongin. 

he decides to drag jeongin to hang out at the coex mall. a little window shopping sounds fun and there’s also the movies if they wanted to check something out or maybe they’ll even go to the aquarium, too. seungmin looks at his watch and starts jogging faster to reach the meeting place he told jeongin to be at. when he sees a familiar tuft of hair, seungmin picks up speed to tackle the younger into a tight hug. “innie! i missed you!”

[rkjulia]

PLAYBOY.

💌 @rkjeongin​

kokoro had initially been content with waiting in line by herself while yerin and her friends went to the bathroom before grabbing something to eat, she wasn’t hungry. but they disappeared over an hour ago and kokoro is starting to think that they might not be coming back. well, not back to be with her at least, maybe they’ve found a better place in line. honestly, kokoro feels a bit out of place, she’s surrounded by people who are super excited for the showcase. she hears the names of the members pop up in conversation around her, that’s all she can understand. it’s not to say that she isn’t excited, because she is. even if kokoro doesn’t know a lot about the group, k.arma seems to be really cool and this was kokoro’s first live music experience in korea. her first k-pop event. she was just hopeful that maybe she would be sharing it with someone else rather than going at it alone. it seemed as though that was the way the night was going.

her step-father insisted that yerin pick up another ticket for kokoro, so that they could go to the showcase together. as a bonding experience. kokoro was excited to tag along, but it seemed as though yerin had different ideas. kokoro had even dressed up for the night, switching out her pastel wardrobe for a red plaid skirt, black top and platformed combat boots. heck, she even put her hair up in a singular ponytail instead of the usual two she went for. it’s safe to say that maybe she looks a little uncomfortable standing in line. one hand is occupied by her ticket, which she holds patiently while the other holds her phone and two photocards she had been given earlier. she looks down at her phone to check the time, seeing if it lined up with the time on her ticket. seemed as though she had a while to wait before they started letting people in. 

maybe she could talk to people, that seemed to be a thing that people did while waiting in line at a concert. what was the harm in that? the thing was, where was she to start?

[danielxrk]

             ✞ ACOUSTIC + ENG VER *     CHASE ME

given his experience, you'd think daniel would know how this goes; really, he does. he'll blame it on the mental state his singing audition put him in, a little more zoned out than usual which, to be fair can be...mild to moderately zoned out. that's why he forgets that he actually has to stay in this room to show off his special skill, and nearly walks out until the interviewer calls him back with a, "we aren't done yet!"

his face flushes, but he laughs at himself regardless. "oh," he remarks dumbly, scratching at the back of his neck. "right!" thankfully, he brought his trusty guitar along with him regardless, too.

last year, this part of the audition was where he felt most in his element-- tucked away behind an instrument, something he knew he had the slightest right to be confident in. this year, he at least has that again, but the confidence ends here. he went into preparations for this day with determination to show how far he's come in the past year, but he just couldn't escape his ultimate lack of skill. he could show his own growth, but compared to others, how much was that, really?

he tried to find other talents to showcase for this portion; he really did, but most of what he included on his form wasn't something he could bring with him here, unless he pulled up some greek on his phone and read it aloud to the interviewer. he doubted anyone would be able to verify his authenticity in that. it also seemed unauthentic to himself, too, even if it would've better set him apart from the crowd than what he's prepared in actuality. the simple truth is that he just isn't daniel without an instrument. that's how his journey with music started, and if he doesn't bring that with him here, it feels like a certain kind of betrayal, even if everyone on the mgas already knows what he can do. (that's part of why he wanted to do something different, too.)

he wanted to bring his bass this year, just to shake things up, but he heard something about portable instruments, and while he could bring the bass itself, the amp would be a little more of an issue. he has a quote unquote "portable bass amp" that would've still been hard to justify bringing-- could've maybe found a lighter one to buy just for the occasion at the sacrifice of sound quality, but by that point, he was probably better off spending the time and effort on a guitar performance instead. that was what he did, even when finding out sungwoon was going to play electric guitar made him second guess. he got to play the bass on last year's season of the mgas too, in what was surely his most memorable (and favorite) performance he had the privilege of participating in, so he could only hope everyone else remembered that from him, too.

daniel still knew he needed to bring his special skill to a higher level to prove his improvement over last year; just another guitar performance to match countless others in this building wouldn't cut it, at least not for him. he never considered himself particularly competitive or ambitious, and maybe it's not that, more just a desperation to prove himself worthy of the stage, still-- to prove himself worthy of what he's lost for something he didn't even consider a dream a year and a half ago.

so he planned to add a more recently developed skill on top of guitar, and perhaps the one he's most confident in aside from the bass: writing lyrics. but wait, there's more: english, if he hadn't made that clear from his song choices when left to his own devices up to this point. the lyrics are more of an english translation to the rare kpop song he's grown to like than original lyrics, scrawled together a few days before the audition when he decided he wasn't doing quite enough, but his own influences are there, nonetheless.

yet as he sits, guitar in his lap, he second-guesses. the guitar arrangement he planned was intended to just be guitar, not accompanied by his voice, to show off his skill and the guitar's ability to stand on its own, and he isn't so sure if he should sing the english lyrics he prepared after all. maybe there's not anything so wrong with an instrument alone; maybe he has something to prove here, too-- that this by itself can be good enough.

"i'm going to play a kpop song i like," he says regardless, because that much is true no matter what he decides in the next (approximately) ten seconds. "it's by eclipse," and he flashes a smile, and his fingers fall to the strings.

the flow of the intro is easy, and in that moment, he decides if he doesn't show everything he prepared here, he'd be doing a disservice to himself. he isn't guaranteed more than this, and if he doesn't make it any farther, he wants to know he showed everything he has, and so he sings.

i refuse to look at you this time i just want something to thrill my mind i'm so bored of the dreams thought up by empty people

originally, he picked the song just because he likes it, and because he never chose a kpop song of his own volition before. daniel's repertoire of kpop is still limited, even after last season of the mgas expanded his horizons; he never really listened to any of the artists he covered after the fact, but jeongin introduced him to some of his favorite rookie groups and he took a liking to eclipse quickly thanks to the night side of their concept. he didn't realize the lyrics were applicable to anything in his life until he really got a good look at them. now, he sees it as a sort of ode to his alter ego, cameo, and in this moment, he realizes he doesn't know what will happen to him after this.

yesterday it was a thriller what scene shall i cause today? think i'm going to do something to cause outrage

he ends the last line with a strum of all the strings, and the beat in his head picks up, a lead up to the explosive chorus of the original, though it'll be more subdued in this version. the next lines are the most difficult, and in that way, risky, given his short practice time with this compared to the song he prepared for the official vocal portion of his audition. he doesn't think about it in favor of losing himself to the strings and maybe, just maybe, trusting in his voice, however it may be.

i'll sneak out in the dead of this dark night and jump into your dreams so sleep tight just like the fireworks bursting, i'll always surprise you

he knew he couldn't match up to haseul's vocals, so he dropped the baby of the original, choosing to play it on the guitar instead of trying to reach the note. as he sings it, he gives the hint of a smile, something edging on a smirk, maybe because he made it through without any glaring blunders, or maybe because it's his favorite line-- one he hopes to embody throughout this competition.

hear me shout the quiet world will suddenly become loud can you stop it now? can you stop it now?

there's a pause here, between the end of the buildup and the beginning of this chorus, and it's here he decides to let his voice drop and the guitar shine through wholeheartedly. the chorus is his opportunity to show the best of his skill with the instrument, and always contained lyrics he didn't quite like the flow of, so it seems like a good compromise, and it's one he's satisfied with as soon as he plays the first few chords. it's amazing how much more at ease he feels as soon as he does-- something familiar, and the curve of his lips isn't from anything now other than the joy of being back in his element and loving what he does, even if the guitar wasn't his first home. his fingers flit across strings, and finally, it feels like he really has something to show.

it ends too quickly, but when it does, he looks up and beams.

[woojinrk-blog]

With @rkjeongin

Woojin’s smiling as he leaves the venue with Jisung and some of the others. It’s a bit sad, and Woojin feels silly for saying the things he did only to get eliminated. Perhaps he was too confident? Perhaps he really didn’t do as well as he thought? Ah, well. It’s bittersweet. Despite being eliminated, Woojin still has that rush of adrenaline pumping through his system, and it makes him want to just practice harder, practice more. He needs to.

Jisung and Woojin split to go their separate ways, leaving the latter to walk home with Jeongin since they live closer. Now that they’re more alone and not surrounded by all the people leaving the building, Woojin takes a glance over at the boy to see him crying. A frown tugs on his lips, and he wraps an arm around his childhood friend’s shoulders and gently pulls him in against his side. He hates seeing any of his friends cry, especially this one. Jeongin’s too young, he doesn’t need this kind of stress.

“Hey now, don’t cry. I’m proud of you, kiddo.” Woojin’s free hand comes up to wipe at the tears from one eyes, offering him a smile. “Come home with me, Jisung should be back later and we can all eat together tonight. You could invite Seungmin-ah as well? Until then, I’ll be right by your side, okay?”

[rksohee]

@rkjeongin replied to your photo:

yang.ji02: noona is so pretty ;u; congratulations on your debut, let's only walk the flower path from now on!!

k_cyj: ah, you’re all my flowers! i can’t step on you~~~ but thank you!! we will work hard for you!

[rkevent]

WATCH THE FINALE OF THE MGA SEASON 5 LIVE!

The ten lucky muses who’ll get to attend the recording of the seventh episode on Saturday, the 10th, are the ones listed below. They’re free to comment about the performances before the official airing of the episode, but no pictures/videos should be shared before it.

@rkfelix

@rkxminhee

@rkjinwook

@rkhyunjoon

@rkkyul

@rkjeongin

@rkxsungwoon

@yuzurk

@rkrose

@rkwyatt

Thank you to all who participated and good luck next time!

[rkyeji]

#5011 ♚ @ hwangyj

it’s jeongin’s birthday! @ yang.ji02 my baby cousin, who is like a brother to me! i hope you have a wonderful day, i’m sorry i can’t be there to celebrate it because i’m the mgas! i’ll give you the present i have for you later but i hope you will like it! this kid is one of my favorite people! i love love love him! 💖