#rkkenta

[rksecretsanta2019]

Merry Christmas to @rkkenta                           | from @rkbyunbaek

takada kenta … … . rockstar by night, sleeping in a coffin by day since 1821

[danielxrk]

     ✞ ED SHEERAN (+ ORIGINAL RAP) *   ANTISOCIAL       ( you know that i'll be back, terminator of the 8-track )

he tells woojin first.

 his hands shake when he texts him and he's afraid, even though he knows woojin won't be mad about this (he won't, will he? why would he be mad?)

 he knows woojin won't be mad about this. he talked to woojin-- finally told him some of what plagued his mind ever since he and kenta received their contracts on that stage in front of a live audience, and ever since daniel bawled his eyes out in front of a live audience. he told him how bad he felt for leaving him and kenta alone after getting them into the mgas in the first place, how he wished he could've been better so he could've joined them. ironically, woojin essentially told daniel his own motto: nothing was guaranteed, even if they did win. still, daniel vowed to work hard to follow he and kenta into their new world, and after some hesitance and skepticism, woojin told him to do it.

 so he has been, with woojin's permission, and now he has an audition to make it into the company he might've had their team won-- had all of them gotten contracts like trc's team did when they won (aside from minho, of course.)

 he finally wants it. he wants it so badly that he's even been working on his dancing, just a little. he is so tired of his life as it is. he doesn't want to make coffee and study economics every day, bass guitar and lyrics in the memo app on his phone the only thing to save him. even with practicing his dancing, however, he wondered how much of himself he needed to sacrifice for a company to want him, and if it would be worth it. he wondered if they would scoff at his guitar like the public did, and force him into a group that dances like they did on the mgas. he wondered if there was any chance at all that a company might want him for what he will always want in the end: a band.

 he came to terms with the fact that the answer to his last question would always be no; he decided it was worth it anyway. he could be anyone they wanted him to be, as he said in his very first interview for the mgas, before he discovered who he really was as a musician (as a person) over the course of the show, even if they didn't want him to. he had to be anyone they wanted him to be, and he could do it if it meant being with kenta and woojin again. (he tried not to think about how that essentially meant leaving minhyun and sungwoon behind. he tried not to think about the fact that they didn't want to become trainees, and that regardless of his dreams, they would never reunite on a stage again. he tried not to still have hope.)

 and then comes the empty enigma halloween cover, uploaded to daniel's youtube channel what he thought was under the radar in case kenta and woojin got in trouble for performing with the rest of the band in any way. then comes the call. then comes the we saw the recent video cover you posted on youtube and think you may fit the profile we’re looking for. then comes the audition.

 he scheduled the audition, all ecstatic and giddy. all he did in their cover was play bass and harmonize, as he always did in empty enigma. sphere wanted him because of something he did with empty enigma. maybe sphere wanted him for who he actually was, if that was what made them think he fit what they were looking for.

 but then comes you knew who i was on the mgas. why did you try to erase empty enigma and then do this? why did you make me think none of you could ever want me unless i was someone different?

 he tells woojin first. he tells jinwook second.

 truthfully, the potential of working on songs with jinwook is a dream. just being able to see him regularly feels something like a blessing, or it would be, since he hasn't succeeded yet. he feels lucky enough that he has the number of a convex member, let alone jinwook's, and that he actually wants to talk to him, but texting him isn't the same as talking to him in person, and the reliable and comforting presence he provided during the turbulence of the mgas.

 woojin and jinwook are more than enough reason to want to join a company, as is what he knows of sphere's schedule from his coaches. he was always torn between sphere and nova, and for as grateful he is, there's a little disappointment, too. maybe there will always be a part of him that wants to prove himself to hyun bin. maybe there will always be a part of him that wants to join kenta and haknyeon, his two very best friends, in their company.

 he tries not to think about it, and instead, focuses on preparing for his sphere audition-- but first, he has to tell kenta, sungwoon and minhyun.

 his feet trace the familiar way from his apartment to theirs around the time that kenta and woojin's schedules end, more because he wants to wish woojin a happy birthday in person and maybe give him an awkward hug than to share the news about his audition. he told woojin he wouldn't tell the others until tomorrow. daniel's ability to act and lie went significantly downhill now that he doesn't need to hide everything about himself, and woojin-- who didn't even really bother to lie about empty enigma in the first place --is even worse. naturally, they catch on to something being out of the ordinary, and it's minhyun that asks: "what's wrong?"

 "nothing!" daniel chirps, and he grins, but minhyun doesn't buy it, of course. "nothing is wrong," and his smile stays in place, this time sincere. he looks over at woojin, as if for approval, and woojin just stares back at him, offering no help whatsoever, so daniel inhales deeply before he says, words tumbling out quickly, one after another, "sphere gave me an audition because of the teeth cover."

 they're happy for him, kenta especially, but they all share his sentiments: why now? sungwoon seems the angriest on his behalf, even though he tries to hide it, and daniel isn't so stupid to think that's all there is to it. for now, he doesn't mention it. they all encourage him to go, no matter how they may really feel, and daniel smiles. suddenly, tears come to his eyes when he does, entirely out of the blue, entirely unexplained.

 maybe it's because if he makes it, it'll be the end of another chapter. maybe it's because he's afraid minhyun and sungwoon feel the same way daniel felt standing as the only empty enigma member on that finale stage without a contract. maybe's it's because it's only in this moment that he realizes he doesn't know why sphere picked him and not them. it's like they're back to daniel and his band, even as the frontman carrying their vocals, and minhyun with his voice good enough to be a lead singer himself. (maybe it's because a company wanting him again after a year just means that much.)

 he gets started on selecting a song right away, knowing how long it took him to settle on one for his nova audition this time last year, and how much he ended up regretting the one he selected for the next year. he knows he has to choose wisely, and there are several options he comes up with quickly.

 the easiest-- and perhaps wisest --route is to choose something already uploaded to his youtube channel or soundcloud. it would be something he already practiced, and he could pick the one he received the best feedback on, hoping whoever judged his audition would feel the same way. but is daniel one to take the easiest route? likely not.

 there is a certain song: one he intended to perform at the green ribbon festival before he and songhee decided to do a collaboration for it instead. it's a song he held back thus far, not posting anywhere because he felt self-conscious of it. it isn't because he thinks it's bad, but because the lyrical content and meaning behind it embarrasses him. it's the first song he wrote that's akin to a love song. he wrote it while sungwoon was in japan following the mgas; he played the guitar part for kenta, and minhyun likely heard enough of it when daniel hung out at their apartment, working on it, just so minhyun wouldn't be alone. in the end, he is proud of it, and it might be time for it to finally reach the ears of a real audience. maybe.

 another that might be appropriate: youngblood by five seconds of summer. it's the song daniel almost performed a year ago for his nova audition, practiced alongside the way i am by charlie puth until daniel eventually decided on the latter. it seems fitting now, after getting noticed for performing another five seconds of summer song, and maybe this way, he can put one what if to rest. maybe.

 those are the safe options-- the logical, rational options. of course, daniel still seeks out more. he could sing a worship song and throw it back to his first ever audition, and give god some more glory like he said he would in his prayer before the finale of the mgas. there are a few of those he's been wanting to cover (and one he already has.)

 he's been wanting to cover some of ed sheeran's collaboration album too, wanting to round up some mga friends to join him in the songs, but he hasn't gotten around to it between midterms and mild to moderate social anxiety. he could turn one of those into a solo song and maybe show off some of the range to his talents.

 god, he doesn't even really know if he wants to sing or rap yet.

 what matters most is what he wants to convey through this audition. who does he want to be?

 on sunday, follow church service, he prays, and he asks god that question and more.

 hi god. the past few days have been kind of crazy. thank you for the audition, first of all, even if i'm still confused about it, and what you really want for me. i guess that's not really mine to know, is it? i guess i'll find out.

 i think that's all i want to pray about today. you know i have a ton else going on that i need your help on, but i want to make sure i really focus on this and make sure i’m with you on it since it’s so important. this could really change my entire life.

 there’s a part of me that’s still scared. i don’t think i really like change at all, even when it’s good for me, and there’s been so much in the past year. it’s kind of crazy to think about. most of it has been good, and i’ve liked it, but…i don’t know about empty enigma breaking up. that might be a change that i never understand. i think kenta is happy as a trainee, but i don’t know if woojin is, and i don’t know what you’re doing with all of that sadness. i think i prayed, before the mga finale, like the only two options were me becoming a trainee and empty enigma breaking up or none of us getting contracts so we could all go back to the band. i think, even though i didn’t want to accept it, that i might understand why you did it. i think you still wanted me to be able to write and perform my own music, but didn’t want me to be cameo anymore. cameo wasn’t really the personification of jesus that i’m supposed to be, was he? i still don’t know if i’m doing such a good job of that as daniel. i understand why you did it, but i still don’t like it yet, so i guess i pray that…you would get me there.

 this audition might be a way of doing that, i think. it kind of feels like it, but you know…nothing is guaranteed. i think i keep saying that because i need to believe it more than anyone. i’m too optimistic and always get my hopes up, but at the same time, i always doubt and am always anxious about everything. how can i be both of those things at once? how can i feel like i might be good enough to get a contract this time, and be afraid everything will be ruined at the same time?

 i think i got off topic. honestly, i don’t really know what to ask anymore, after all of this. i think just for help. there’s a lot i don’t understand about why you’ve given me this now, and why you did in the way you did. if i thought it was cruel for sphere to give me an audition because of an empty enigma cover after breaking us as a band, then i must think you’re cruel for giving it to me too. i’m grateful, but…i’m also confused. it’s a little painful, too, but it’s nice to know baek jiyoung wanted me, and it’s nice that it’s sphere. i’ll trust you on why it’s sphere and not nova, and believe that if i get in, that’s just where you want me to be.

 if i don’t get in, it’ll mean you want me somewhere else, right? that’s easy enough now, but i think if i fail again i’ll be really upset, so i’ll pray that you make me okay with whatever result i get, and that i accept whatever your will is for me in this.

 i do pray that your will would be to let me get a contract from this…i think. i always feel stupid praying and asking to change your will, but that can happen, right? maybe? i know you’re supposed to listen to us, but…okay, right, i won’t get into that. focus.

 i really want to become a trainee for kenta and woojin, especially after i told woojin i would do my best to. at the same time, there’s part of me that doesn’t want to, because i’ll miss my friends. it’s not just sungwoon and minhyun i’d be leaving behind, but songhee and jungmo too, and all of the friends i made on the mgas that didn’t get signed, and everyone in between. then again, that seems kind of dramatic. it’s not like i’m moving to another country or anything, i’m just going to get really busy if i become a trainee. i’ll get off at a regular time for a job on the weekends, and i’ll still be able to hang out with everyone, even if it’s not as much. now that i’ve thought about it like that, i think it’s okay to want this. i think i want to become a trainee for me too.

 so yeah, i pray that i would, and that if you don’t want me to be now, or i’m still not ready, that…i would fail, i guess? i know whatever happens will be for the best in the end, even if it really sucks, so i’ll just trust that in the end.

 yeah, with all of that out the way, please help me prepare for this audition. i don’t really know what to perform and since i actually care about the result of this, i’m nervous. i want to pick the right song, both to show off my abilities so they like me, and to represent who i really am, and to be something i like. please help me do all of that, and i also pray that i would do well, and that this wouldn’t haunt me like my nova audition did, no matter what happens.

 i think that’s it? yeah, thank you for listening. i pray all of this in jesus’s name. amen.

 he waffles on song choices a while more, but finally settles on one on monday, which is much later than he wanted, but it’s fine! in the end, he chooses antisocial by ed sheeran. he wanted to show off an original song, and then he wanted to show off his rapping, and then—

 he decides he’ll write another original rap for the second verse where travis scott originally rap-sings (what do you classify that as, anyway?) this time, he does it in english, and it comes just as quickly as it did during the skill round of the mgas when he did the same. it was his favorite round of the mgas across the whole show. this is the way to show off his singing, his rapping, and his creativity. hopefully, it’ll show how his confidence has grown, too, since the song has a little spunk. he won’t be apologizing to the judges before he begins this time.

 as the days pass, and the audition comes nearer and nearer, he gets the slightest hint of cold feet. he keeps thinking about how much this feels like choosing, kenta and woojin vs sungwoon and minhyun, and the fact that he’s choosing the side he is makes him feel sick. he already owes sungwoon so much better than he’s given him until now. he owes sungwoon better than not even being able to call him his boyfriend, and still getting flustered when anyone calls what are obviously dates by that name. he definitely owes him better than taking away from their relationship, and how desperately he wants to figure it out.

 “if i get in, i’ll still come over every weekend,” he says, holding both of sungwoon’s hands in his own as they sit on the sofa—the sofa where daniel told him he loved him the first time and sungwoon didn’t get it, very important to note –and daniel kisses him. when he pulls away, he smiles. “i’ll come see you even when i’m tired.”

 in the end, it doesn’t come down to kenta or woojin, or sungwoon or minhyun, but to daniel, and what he needs. for the first time in his life, he stops sacrificing himself for everyone else.

 he steps into the audition room with a smile on his face, and immediately starts to tune his trusty guitar. he introduces himself easily, and they soon tell him to begin, so he does. (now, he’s only a little nervous.)

 Friday night and I'm ridin' solo When I touch down, keep it on the low-low I don't mess with your energy No photos So antisocial, but I don't care You’re lucky I’m not gonna smoke here Got a bottle in my hand, bring more though Got my hat low, don't talk to me

 he gets a little in touch with his cameo roots. despite his hair still being a certain (different) shade of silver, he hasn’t in a while. it’s confidence an old daniel never had, and that the current daniel only has because he realized he was cameo too, and that as much as he wanted cameo, he didn’t really need him anymore. god wouldn’t have taken away cameo’s medium if he did. cameo and past daniel were two very different people, but none of them were really daniel. it was the daniel made in the image of his parents, and the daniel that needed to rebel against that. now, he’s a very different person, too: a combination of both with a little something extra.

 really, that’s what this song is about for daniel.

 he changes the original line don’t give a damn i’m gonna smoke here so he doesn’t swear, if that matters, and so those judging him don’t worry that he smokes. he didn’t change any of the lines about drinking, though…hmm…it’s okay, he changed the entire second verse, which was worse.

 his guitar arrangement shifts, a little softer, but more difficult too, a build up as he sings:

 I've been down, give me some space You don't know what's in my brain Music loud, easin' my pain

this is pure daniel, cameo shelved, even though cameo was the medium in which music eased daniel’s pain. that’s what empty enigma was for daniel in the year and a half he was part of the band, but these lines are true for him now, too. he’s been down since the end of the mgas, but he’s put every free second and all of his heart into music since. he’s written and arranged so many songs, he’s sweat in dance studios, he’s worked on new instruments all for this.

 his guitar builds up, then explodes into the chorus, and daniel smiles as he sings it and strums. maybe he should be playing a tougher character, but he doesn’t really want to. he’s sure sphere will make him who they want to be once he’s in their company. before then, he wants them to want him for who he really is.

 Don't touch me, don't touch me, don't touch me I came to vibe, yeah On something, on something, on something I wanna riot Don't touch me, don't touch me, don't touch me I came to vibe, yeah Won't let nothing come in between me and the night

 it’s still confident, and a promise that he’s a different daniel than he was during the mgas. truthfully, maybe he wasn’t ready back then. the daniel of the mgas didn’t know what he wanted, and even though he put everything he had into his performances, it was just to perform—without any end goal in mind. he didn’t really want a contract then. he only started that journey to garner attention for his band and show off the talents of his bandmates, so maybe it was only fitting that the mgas tore the band apart as they did. band’s talents: shown off, karma: delivered. now, he gets to show off his own talents again, this time, as a daniel that knows exactly what he wants.

 that’s how he can sing the chorus with the feeling that he can. it’s not fake fake confidence, at least not right now. he came here to perform and show what he can do—to enjoy himself, and to prove himself. if they don’t want him here, he won’t give up. by offering him an audition, they already proved to him he had reason to hope in this.

 the next talent he gets to show comes up, and it’s his original rap. he still plays his guitar as he begins (which is pretty hard, mind you. he spent the most time this week making sure he could do both simultaneously.)

 if you don't have something nice to say don't say anything at all

my mama used to tell me; just stayed quiet by default

 it’s true. he’s surprised it took him as little time as it did to start speaking his own mind. at the same time, he’s still trying to tell his own thoughts apart from hers. he’s still trying to develop his own opinions, and his own habits, and to embrace that she wasn’t always right—that he didn’t have to be who she wanted him to be, or the person he thought might make her happy. it didn’t stop him from trying. he knows now that he could never be that; she would never truly be happy with anyone. she would keep poking and prodding and criticizing no matter what he did.

 he still loves her. he just can’t live for anymore, and that’s exactly what he used to do. she tried to raise him in the lord—to bring him up according to only the oppressive, rigid teachings of the bible –and yet he only knows now that the only person he can safely live for, and the only one that he should live for, is jesus. he’s learned so much more with a little distance.

 he sings now, a reference to the beginning of the song, even if it’s not in the original:

 so antisocial and i'm not prepared

with a personality that's not theirs

 to his dad’s credit, he’s been better now that daniel is no longer under the reign of his mother. his dad actually helped him get furniture for his apartment, likely without his mother’s knowledge. given that daniel’s grandmother is his favorite member of the family (well, maybe tied with mina), and she’s the other of his father, it makes sense.

 even if he doesn’t mind having part of his mother’s personality, the fact that he still doesn’t know exactly who he is is true. he goes back to rapping.

 i'm trying to be honest for the first time in my life

so i see the finale every time i close my eyes

 he spent so much of his life concealing and deceiving. he would never admit to doing anything wrong to his mother, only telling the truth when he thought she might expose his lie. he remembers lying about what he did with his friends, even at an early age—studying, he would say, despite them actually playing video games.

 his grandest lie, however, was empty enigma. keeping the band a secret was his grandest lie, going so far as to concoct a twin brother as an excuse for why empty enigma’s bassist resembled him so much when anyone asked.

 in a way, his personality for most of his life was a lie, too. since getting out of his mother’s clutches, he’s been trying to be more sincere, so it’s only fair that he is here too, and he confesses how much the finale has haunted him to the very people he represented during it. he wonders if they’re disappointed, even now, that sphere’s team finished fourth instead of finishing first. even now, with this new opportunity, daniel thinks he still is.

 he’s here, however, and he does have this new opportunity. it’s kicked up his determination anew, so that’s not the note he ends the rap on. he smiles again, a little cheeky.

  and if you cut me now because you think that i still lack

you know that i'll be back, terminator of the 8-track

 he hopes they don’t cut him again, but it’s a resolve to both them and himself that he won’t give up. he’ll be back knocking on sphere’s door, eager for retribution, just like he wants to at nova’s for turning him down a year ago. (it’s also a fun reference to the terminator movies, and his strength, and yes, to mark’s rap in jopping.)

  his guitar built up once again, to the repeat of the chorus, and the final part of his audition song.

 Don't touch me, don't touch me, don't touch me I came to vibe, yeah On something, on something, on something I wanna riot Don't touch me, don't touch me, don't touch me I came to vibe, yeah Won't let nothing come in between me and the night

 he smiles again after he ends, and does his best to bow to the panel even with a guitar slung across his shoulders. “thank you!���

 nothing is guaranteed. he knows that, and he likes to think no matter what happens, he’ll be okay. nothing is guaranteed, but more than that, he wants to think he’s finally done enough.

[woongxrk]

you again.

@rkkenta

he wouldn’t call himself an overachiever exactly, but woong has been quite dedicated to his education for almost his teenaged and adult life. he owes his mother that much, the sacrifices she made to make sure he stayed in his private school education and the promises of good law school recommendations if he can only keep his average up now. when he got less than an A+ on a test, he immediately asked his professor if there were any extra credit opportunities.

and that’s how he finds himself as an unpaid peer tutor for korean as a second language.

the information he’s given about his pupil is limited, just that they’re from japan and they want to improve their korean. it’s so vague, but woong figures he can try to understand exactly what they might mean by that. improve pronunciation? learn better vocabulary for their workplace or in classes? he also worries, distantly, that they may not be able to communicate at all. what if they don’t know any korean? hopefully know the same amount of broken english that woong does, because he certainly doesn’t expect a japanese student to speak french.

they have a study room in the campus library assigned to them, a quiet space to study for the next hour to half hour (depending on what they both can handle for the first meeting), where they can be uninterrupted by other miscellaneous library noise. woong arrives first, taking his time to organize worksheets and papers that he’s prepared out on the table. he’s in the middle of fretting that what he has will be too easy or too hard for his student when the door opens. he looks up, a polite professional smile on his face that drops immediately when he recognizes his pupil’s face.

“what are you doing here?”

[rkxsungwoon-blog]

hahawoon.97 • following

hello everyone! this is former mga contest #5008, ha sungwoon! feels like it’s been a really long journey so far, but it’s only episode four ㅎㅎ i’m grateful once again to have had the opportunity to participate in another season of the mgas. it’s been a rewarding experience despite everything! i’m sorry to everyone who was disappointed by my performance and my careless mistake during my final episode. i will be reflecting on this and hopefully show a better side of myself from now on. i know this is a lot to ask, but i hope you’ll support me in the future as well. 

but in the meantime! please give #5045 TAKADA KENTA, #5038 PARK WOOJIN, and #5017 KANG DANIEL a lot of love! they’re all hardworking, dedicated, and talented individuals... i can no longer take care of them, so i hope you’ll do so in my stead ㅠㅠ please be sure to support JUNG EUNJI in all her future activities too! she’s seriously talented and i wish i could’ve given her a better result. still, eunji, fighting! kenta, fighting! woojin, fighting! daniel, fighting! ❤️

♥ like 💬 comment ⌚ just now

[rkzhengting]

kun0101  the competition for the mgas looks tough this year ㅋㅋ sending good luck to xuxi #5047, kenta #5045 ( look for someone with pink hair! ), vernon #5006, yeosang #5019, and kyungsoo #5007 !  加油 !  (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و

[rkseung]

190801 INSTAGRAM LIVE  +  @SSEUNGJ…   ❤️ ⟨  ━━  ✖   ⋮    TODAY’S TOPIC: MGA 5 EPISODE 6 LIVE   ⟩

                                            JOINING YOUR LIVE BROADCAST !

she’s done up nice to just be watching a performance - makeup done as precisely as ever as she’s holding up her phone. dark eyes follow the movements of her bright nails clicking up a storm on her phone. seungyeon pulls the camera up, making sure she’s looking camera ready before flipping over to instagram - clicking on the live button as she starts up today’s adventure.

“okay so... anyone have any guesses as to where i am?’ she’s grinning as she speaks, trying to stall a bit while waiting for people to join in. the woman is probably a bit annoying, the way she’s watching nothing but her phone screen, pushing through swarms of people undoubtedly as excited as she is. “finally, someone got it right. welcome to the mga lives!!”

her lively tone draws attention but she ignores the stares, instead taking it upon herself to find a slightly less crowded area up against one of the gates - showing everyone the empty stage behind her with a cheeky grin. “i can’t share much or take pictures, but i’ll give you all the details later. see ya.” she blows the camera a kiss before sending those viewing a quick wave, closing out of instagram and shoving her phone into her back pocket. she knew she’d have lots to talk about later. 

                                                ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━      

when the woman opens up instagram once again, she’s walking to some restaurant to wait for the uber she called just a few moments ago. seungyeon appears a lot less peppy then she had before - just smiling and greeting whoever joined. “okay so this episode highkey sucked.”

and that isn’t entirely a lie. 

“well... the performances didn’t but i hate that we have to see some people go. talented people!! when they still have some deadbeats up onstage!! it’s frustrating really.” she sighs, rolling her eyes and pushing a hand back through her tangled locks. “that one group.... nova i think it was? yeah, not my favorite surprisingly. i’m not giving anything, but i think i found my soulmate.”

for the first time since her broadcast began, seungyeon is genuinely smiling. “hmmm KENTA his name was? yea, that’s wifey right there.” and since she decided to use that phrase to describe him, she really hopes no one who knows him will tell him this. that would just simply be too much to handle, and ruin his nonexistent image of her. “i also think SEUNGHUN did great this episode, but i suppose i’m a bit biased. those two please stay!!”

“and ahhh YEJI, that’s my girl right there. people who have the audacity to call her bossy can’t handle a strong, talented woman. and that’s the truth.” yeji, being one of seungyeon’s top picks, was hard to ignore - her group did pretty well. 

달콤한 너의 말보단 솔직한 게 필요해 shorty give me whip-whiplash shorty give me whip-whiplash

seungyeon can’t help but the sing the lyrics a bit herself, winking at the camera before continuing. “there’s your sneak peak for the episode, that’s all i can tell you!”

[rkminhyun]

                                   MGA SEASON FIVE     ∙       skills performance

                                        𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝘄𝗼     :     𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄

                   @danielxrk  /  @rkxsungwoon  /  @rkpwj  /  @rkkenta  /  @rksuwoong                                                                              @jungeunxrk  /  @rkpjy

what did you think of the results last week?

      “shock,  maybe?”  he scratches his cheek whilst in thought,  chuckle on his lips.  “my friends made it through,  and that’s what mattered most to me,  though i held much belief in them till the end.  i think their talent shines through in the best of the ways,  and all their performances to date have only emphasized that.”  a pointed glance in his direction puts him into thought and he realizes he failed to talk about the one person they were probably most curious about in the moment  --  himself.  “though i was satisfied with what i showed,  i can’t deny i wasn’t a little surprised when they called my name,  nevertheless.  pleasantly however!”

and how do you think you did today?

      “today, hmm...”  he trails off,  brows furrowing slightly as he composes his thoughts.  it’s a question he expected,  of course it is,  but he gives himself the moment anyways,  a second to showcase a humbleness he perhaps doesn’t need regardless.  he shrugs slightly,  making a ‘who knows?’ hand gesture.  “i did what i set out to do,  and that’s the best i can ask of myself,  is it not?  no matter the results,  i’m . . . proud of myself.”

what did you think of empty enigma’s performances?

      “oh god,”  he starts off with a laugh,  the corners of his eyes crinkling in amusement.  where does he even begin?  “daniel’s stood out to me the most this time around  --  he took a chance and relied on the creativity that flows untethered in his veins,  and i respect that.  plus,  i think he did exactly what he set out to do,  show us he’s a man of many talents while entertaining the audience in the process.”  the pride is undoubtedly transparent,  and he moves on before the tips of his ears can flush the way they’re known to.  

      “sungwoon . . . he never disappoints,  and i’m sure everyone would agree all things considered.  woojin,  i’d also say the same for.  his dancing is inspiring,  and quite captivating to watch and i was enthralled with his performance every step of the way.”  he pauses for a moment,  in thought.  

      “kenta’s been a little more of a mystery  --  the talent is undeniable,  but seeing it on a stage like the mgas is a whole other experience.  i’m proud of him.”  he smiles,  soft but sure,  awaiting the next question as if he hadn’t just gushed about his closest friends for however long.

were there any performances you liked?  anyone else?

      “hmm...  you’re bent on making me think, huh?”  he pats his lips with one of his hands,  showing off the image of someone deep in thought.  “there’s a bunch really  --  kim jungeun,  park jinyoung,  lee suwoong,  i suppose.”  he holds back a smile at the last one,  failing to divulge into details but instead hopes he falls back on a more mysterious-vibe.  “too many to pick from really.”

is there anyone you are certain will move onto the next phase of the MGAs?

      “is it contradictory to say everyone?”  he rubs at the back of his neck as he speaks,  sheepish in tone.  “i believe in my bandmates the most  --  but i’m inclined to mention suwoong here too.  his charisma is . . . uncanny,  as i’m sure many would say,  and he can turn just about anything into an entertainment piece of work.”  the amusement shines clear in the way he sighs almost inaudibly before shaking his head slightly,  and grinning despite himself.  he’s sure the said male will never let him live it down if this gets aired,  and he’s almost ready to cross his fingers to hope for the very opposite. 

is there anyone you are certain will be eliminated today?

       he simply shrugs and offers a smile disclosing nothing.  “we’ll just have to see to find that out,  now won’t we?”

[rkkyg]

MNET GLOBAL AUDITIONS ; episode 2 interview 

              contestant #5027

he expected this as it had happened with the first episode. though knowing of the interview did not mean he would prepare of anything. it’s not like he could know what they want to ask though he has a vague idea. figuring it would follow along the lines of what they asked the first time. 

he’s not worried or anything--as in the first episode none of the interviews seemed to be shown in their entirety. they were all edited, of course, so he supposes he should watch to make sure he can’t be edited badly but. 

well yugyeom doesn’t care much.

What did you think of the results last week?

”last week?” he parrots part of the question, a small smirk forming as he answers. “expected.” and for a brief moment he debates on not following through with anything else. leaving them with a vague response. but... thats not really his style--plus he can’t miss the chance to talk himself up. 

“it was the first episode so there was bound to be a lot of people who don’t have what it takes just yet. i’ve been dancing for years so i didn’t really think i would get cut first round.” he says calmly, shrugging a little. it really looks as if he fully expected the outcome from last week. comfortable in his own abilities to perform and keep the judges attention. 

“i’d been more surprised if i hadn’t made it.”  

Who do you think is the best under each skill?

“i’m not really the best to critique singing or rapping. in the last few months i’ve gotten into rapping but i don’t have a lot of the technical talk down.” he admits, brows furrowing as he tries to think about how he would want to answer this one. thinking about the performances he had actively paid attention to and that stuck in his mind long enough to be able to talk about right now. 

“in singing i’d have to say PARK JINYOUNG.” and that was out of complete bias. “he really knows how to capture attention when he sings. it’s hard to not watch and always leaves me wanting to hear more. i was really impressed with his performances both this time and from last week.” he smiles a bit thinking about his hyung. loving the fact they both made it to this episode. he hopes they go far on here together--that maybe they get to work together on the show at some point. 

“for rapping...” he pauses, one particular performance flashing in his mind. it had surprised him a lot to see her last week. so much so he hadn’t know how to react--what to say. he still hasn’t approached her and he’s kind of hoping he never has. their relationship had been... okay... he loved her, he really had. but at the time.. at the time he was so messed up. all he feels now is apologetic to her. “CHOI YOONA... or bella. she rapped everyone else under the table. her performances have always felt so powerful. i think she’s someone to keep an eye on for sure.” 

his smirk formed again though. “as for dancing.” he chuckles. “i want to say myself, of course. its only natural to think yourself the best. but KANG HYUNGGU is giving me a run for my money. did you see how smoothly he transitioned from swalla to TT. i had major whiplash! but he did it so well, and it really worked with is performance!” yes he is taking this chance to gush about his best friend but who’s really surprised? his smile wide as he recounts the younger dancers performance. “i love seeing him dance and i really think he’s the best dancer here--tied with me, of course.” 

How do you think you did?

“i think i did great.” confident and cocky, that’s how yugyeom likes to roll. whats the point of changing this about himself now? he could have tried for that humble route--that i’ll keep working hard to be better---but why would he want to do that? he already spent the whole first episode talking himself up. might as well keep goin.

and its not like he doesn’t think this about himself anyway. he is confident. 

“i was a bit tired today--late night from practicing and work. but even not being at full power today i still made that stage mine.” he admits to being tired, wondering if that could get him more brownie points. kim yugyeom performed that well despite being exhausted. “i felt like the stage itself didnt want me to walk off when i was done. i know i didn’t want to. especially not when i felt so good about the performance. that kind of feeling... that feeling stays with you.” 

Were there any performances you liked?

he nods without a moment of hesitation but surprisingly it’s not hyunggu who he names first. “i really enjoyed TAKADA KENTA. his dancing was really impressive and i like the energy he has when he performs. i enjoyed watching him a lot--someone i think i’d like to see more of. he has a nice presence.” 

“also LEE SUWOONG. that guy...that guy....” he breaks off with a laugh. “that guy really knows how to make his performances amusing. i was surprised to see him go up with that song choice but... it worked for him. and i enjoyed watching it.” he chuckles more. “yah, suwoong hyung are you going to use funny songs the whole season?” 

Were there any performances you didn’t like?

he takes a moment to think before answering this one even though he already has a performance in mind that hadn’t sat well with him. “yeah... KANG DANIEL’s performance was... lacking this time.” he says slowly, partly wondering if he should hold back from saying all that he thinks. but well--they did ask. and yugyeom isn’t one to sugar coat himself.

“he was a singer last week right? i thought he sang really well--he lacks appeal in my opinion. not really someone i would care much to see perform, but his voice was really nice and i think he could develop into a solid performer. but...” he makes a confused face. keeping his tone light so that it doesn’t sound like he’s just outright attacking daniel. “why... i’m not sure why he decided to switch to rap. personally for me... his performance really dropped. i think he should have stayed with singing...” 

What did you think of  KIM MYUNGSOO’s performance?

“thats the guy who did the tvxq song right? why did i fall in love with you?” he questioned and continued when he got a nod. “ah he was so good... that was such a good song choice first of all--but then he covered it so well. his vocals were really nice. plus he didn’t seem too uncomfortable on stage--not that i could tell.” he smiled, seeming to have genuinely enjoyed myungsoo stage. “like i said i don’t know much about the technicals with singing but i wouldn’t mind hearing him sing again.” 

“and he was sooo handsome.” his expression becomes wistful as if he were wishing to be that good looking. “a face made really well, like he really captured my eye before he sang and then i was really impressed hearing his voice.” 

Is there anyone you are certain will move onto the next phase of the MGAs?

“myself.” he starts and the interviewer really shouldn’t have been surprised with this answer considering his track record when it comes to self confidence. “i’m comfortable with my performance today and confident i showed that i’m able to dance in more than one style. i want them to know i’m versatile. the next step is to show i can improve--which i believe i also showed a bit of on this stage today.” he chuckles to himself. 

“also hyunggu, of course.” he grins, picturing his best friend who he actually didn’t talk about all that much today. “i think it’d be weird if we didn’t make it to the next round. at least this early on. we’re both solid dancers and i know hyunggu made an impression today. im still blown away.” 

Is there anyone you are certain will be eliminated today?

“i wouldn’t say there’s anyone i’m certain will be eliminated...” he trails off slowly, picturing some of the performances in his mind. and he knows who he wants to say but he feels a bit bad. he already spoke down about daniel earlier in this interview. but he does think that daniel could bite the bullet this time. especially because of his change in performance skill--but then again that could also work in his favor. ceos see it as proof daniel is able to adapt---then theres the whole fact that this isn’t daniel’s first show. 

his expression had shifted to one of distaste. and he realizes he’s being so hard on daniel because he doesn’t like him which is not justified but he doesn’t care. “i think anything could happen.” 

[rkpjy]

⭐️MGA 5 EPISODE 5 ↪ JINIELJI performing Love Shot by EXO performance details: x outfit: x

“so, please, welcome our returning contestants to the stage!”

for the first time since the beginning of this competition, jinyoung walks on stage with a bright, assumed smile as he bows to everyone applauding him and jackson. the other two teams did very well, and he doesn't doubt it was a close call. minhyun and jeonghan did, after all, perform a similar type of vocal-heavy song. as usual, it's hard to say what made the judges lean in their direction but jinyoung will satisfy himself with the bare minimum of knowing they did better. he knows this will create two very different reactions. those who believe they were unjustifiably eliminated and very happy to see them come back, and those who would rather have seen one of the other contestants step on that stage. jinyoung knows the idea of it isn't exactly fair, not only to the two duos going home today but all of the others who didn't even have a chance to redeem themselves.

but it's part of the game jinyoung has agreed to play and until the end, he will keep his head held high and refuse to let anybody dictate whether or not he deserves to be here. after losing everything and returning triumphant, he thinks he doesn't have anything more to lose. so he'll work hard, and prove them they were right in giving him a second chance. jinyoung hugs jackson out of pure excitement and emotion. he could not have asked for a better partner to pull this off, both complementing each other perfectly. jinyoung notices yugyeom's happy reaction, too, as well as sia's. they both seem ecstatic by his comeback and the singer goes to them as soon as he is allowed to, pulling his roommate into a warm embrace. he rarely lets his emotions show like this but today is a special occasion. he congratulates sia for her deserved first place, curious to see if she will maintain this top spot for episodes to come. it's always difficult to know what goes through the judges' mind. hopefully neither of them disappoint them later on. but if they did, it wouldn't be for a lack of skill.

the idea of trios is a bit underwhelming. this season promised a ton of surprises, never seen before events and so far, it feels a bit repetitive. but having a third person can also spice things up, challenge them, and allow and even more diversity of talents to shine on stage at the same time. it's easy to stand out in a duo, but the more people join the party, the more some will fade into the background. three is still a rather small number, not to mention they have three minutes this time to make sure everyone gets enough spotlight.

exchanging information with daniel and yeji goes relatively well. there's something about daniel's expression that leaves jinyoung puzzled, not sure if he's acting like this out of sheer awkwardness or because he's unhappy about the pairings. either way, they have no choice but to work together. he doesn't think more of it until the next day when they all come to nova for their first practice. jinyoung has mixed feelings about coming back here. the halls are familiar, but he's an outsider now, no longer part of this family. all of the trainees he trained with, save for a few, are preparing for debut. so if he were to come back, which he doesn't wish, it wouldn't be the same at all.

he enters with yeji who got here same time he did, and they settle into the practice room together. he thinks he knows where he recognizes her from, but does not see the importance of pointing it out. it won't help their performance in any way, and it's not like their meeting had meaning in the first place. she seems a lot more focused and determined than he would have imagined, too. maybe he had that preconception because of her younger age, but it is soon thrown out the window. clearly she is here to fight for first place, same as him. jinyoung greets the members of the other team as they arrive, too, but doesn't go out of his way to meddle with them. they're not enemies, of course, but they are rivals, and he doesn't know any of them personally. it's almost a blessing to him. as much as he likes his friends, they could potentially be a distraction.

they start looking up songs together. jinyoung doesn't have a set idea on what he wishes to do this week, as it's better to discuss these things as a team. they all have ideas, and he doesn't claim his to be better or more deserving. he won't however, go along with everything they suggest, and won't be scared to speak up if he disagrees. if they all have the same open-mindedness and involvment, no one should be left bitter or unsatisfied.

daniel finally joins them, and they exchange a small greeting, but the atmosphere is just as gloomy as it was yesterday during filming. it's quite obvious that something is off with daniel. jinyoung hasn't had the chance to spend time with him in pretty much forever, the last time when they were both children in busan, but from what he's seen, daniel is a friendly guy. not today, though. it's hard to really describe how uncomfortable the situation is, but he knows yeji feels it too. he decides not to pay too much attention to it right away. maybe daniel will put himself together and leave whatever negative feelings he has behind so they can do what they're here to do.

it doesn't go that way, however.

“daniel? are you listening? we need your opinion on this.” jinyoung says. he's not irritated (yet) but doesn't want to waste time coddling anyone here. he's the big brother often enough in his every day life without the need to be one here. at least not during practice. they can vent however they want outside of this building, but as soon as they step inside they should all put their game faces on.

daniel is caught off guard, confirming that he indeed wasn't paying any attention to whatever jinyoung and yeji were saying, and that reaction alone is bad enough, but what comes out of his mouth next... "i just don't have any ideas yet."  daniel responds quietly. now if jinyoung was not annoyed because, he definitely is now. "you don't have a single idea?" yeji retorts. "we need your input on this, oppa." the girl is right. jinyoung, looking at her, nods approvingly before turning to daniel. "for now you don't even need ideas, we just want to know what you think of these songs." jinyoung sounds like he's losing patience, though still very poised in appearance. "it's really not that hard." is this a hint of annoyance finally peeking through? either way, it's enough for daniel to apologize a few times, but it doesn't convince jinyoung. he doesn't care about an apology if the younger's behavior doesn't change.

and then they get a small explanation. daniel mentions his friends, and that he's not at his best right now. it doesn't take a genius to connect the dots. so that's what it's all about. his friends being eliminated? jinyoung feels his body tense up. the annoyance turns into anger. the audacity the boy has to come in here with a pitiful face on, whining about his friends after jinyoung himself had to fight to come back in this darned competition. not to mention they all, so far, lost someone they cared about. are empty enigma members some superior friends that losing them means the world ended or something? he glares at daniel, not a single of trace of compassion visible on his face. "if you give up now you realize you’re proving everyone right? that you were here just for your band and that without them you can’t cope?” he knows he sounds harsh but honestly, he doesn't care. if that's what it takes to snap daniel out of this pity party he's throwing himself, jinyoung will gladly take the blame.

yeji, to his surprise, takes his side. since they're cousins he thought maybe she would think he went too far, but he really is starting to respect her drive. she adds that he will feel better if he knows he did his best to help, to which jinyoung agrees. now, whether they managed to pull daniel out of his daze, he's not sure yet but they at least succeed in having him participate more actively. they finally decide on exo as an artist, hesitating between love shot and another song. now, jinyoung isn't exactly a fan of this group but it's a team effort, and it can't always be about his own music taste. it also fits the kind of concept they were aiming for. something charismatic and groovy, which love shot is perfect for especially if they rearrange it to a slower pace.

daniel finally votes for love shot, not before being an indecisive burden - much to jinyoung's despair - and it's time to advance to the next stage. they now need to decide if they will just perform the song as it is, or if they will make appropriate changes where need be in order to highlight each of their strengths. daniel quickly mentions that he's not a good dancer, a detail already known by both jinyoung and yeji, but the older points out that while a singing and rapping performance would not be a bother to him, it might come as a slight disadvantage to yeji. not because she cannot do anything else, but as a team they should at least show that they can dance what jinyoung sees as a simple choreography. the chorus especially is not very hard to master from what he's seen earlier.

yeji takes a small break to get water now that they've decided on a song, leaving a very awkward daniel and jinyoung alone together. or, almost alone if they take into account the other team going about their business on the other side of the room. jinyoung wonders if there's tension among them too, but so far no one has raised their voice. lucky.

"you're still quiet," jinyoung points out. granted, he's being quiet too right now, but so far daniel hasn't been participating a lot. it should be give and take, not just taking. daniel assures him that it's because he was thinking of the performance, to which the singer gives him the benefit of the doubt. he's not here to insult daniel. he doesn't want to fight him, but he doesn't have any desire to be nice when the other looks like he wants to be anywhere else but here. that alone is, frankly, more insulting than anything jinyoung has said so far. "so, what were you thinking then?" he pushes daniel to talk, hoping it will finally work, hoping they'll finally get some meat around the dry bone he's been since the beginning.

he does share he feels as if dancing would only highlight his weakness instead of his strengths, which jinyoung can understand. but there's always a way to include dancing somehow. he doesn't think they can avoid it, at least not for the entire performance. when daniel mentions that it would eliminate him, jinyoung almost points out it seems like it's exactly what he wants. with the way he's been acting, it's clear that daniel's heart and mind are with his departed friends instead of with them. instead, he just replies "then what would your rather show?" and although a little dry, it's a valid question. if he doesn't want to dance, what does he want to do? it's up to him to convince them, not the opposite.

but instead of a substantial answer, all jinyoung gets is yet another 'i'm a poor, pitiful, untalented boy who can't do anything so it doesn't matter if we lose i'll just go home to my little band.' or well, that's exactly how he hears it despite not being daniel's own words. he says he doesn't have anything to show, that it'll be exactly what eric said. and honestly, jinyoung barely has any idea what he's referring to. probably a comment sohn youngjae made in his interview, or to him personally. but jinyoung did hear bribes about some people questioning empty enigma's motives to be in the competition. which he paid no attention to until... today.

his busan dialect comes out when he speaks up, clear evidence of his growing anger. whenever he gets too upset, he drops the seoul speech unconsciously. “and you think the little kid has something better to show? take what he said and use it. fight, don’t just stand there and let him and all the others decide who you are. because i’m honestly starting to believe them,” he wishes he didn't have to be this hard on him, but jinyoung has had enough of the moping around and self-loathing. they have a job to do and he will be damned if they end up in bottom five and are sent home because daniel spent the entire week crying his friends. unless they die, he better pull himself together and stop looking so defeated.

daniel retorts that jinyoung doesn't know who he is. alright, fine, maybe he doesn't. the memories he kept of daniel happened more than ten years ago. the man standing before him is not the little boy he used to know. the little boy who gave jinyoung no chance to know who he is, because he left without leaving an address. and quite honestly, jinyoung had not thought about him in a very, very long time until he saw him perform on stage a couple weeks back. and the humiliation he felt when it took daniel this long to recognize him what not one of a rational adult. it was the betrayed child inside of him coming back to hate daniel for what he did, despite it not being his fault.

they're not friends anymore, he thinks. they just remember being friends, and that means nothing. certainly not to daniel who is too busy thinking of his band members to see what's in front of him: his very own cousin, and his childhood friend who wanted nothing more than to work alongside him and win this round. so no, he has no idea who daniel is. because so far all daniel has shown is how weak-willed he is. and that's not something jinyoung wants in a friend.

“if you want to show you’re your own person, it’s time to prove it. you’re creative and good-looking; put these assets to work. show us who you are.” he insists on the last few words. he has nothing personal against daniel. the adult jinyoung does not resent him for leaving back then. he understands. but he will not accept any more of this circus show. and yeji's voice can be heard in unison with his own, pushing daniel into a corner. now he has a choice. he's with them, or against them.

"did you improve since last year at all?" now hopefully this will set daniel off. jinyoung doesn't mind if he upsets him. at least it will make daniel feel something, react, interact, instead of just stand there and wait for the sky to fall on them so he can run home. yeji, done with their banter, wonders out loud if they're each to diss each other or practice. her reasoning, while valid, doesn't take jinyoung's motivation into account. he doesn't want to diss daniel for the sake of dissing him. he wants to break this never-ending cycle of self-pity. daniel will want to defend himself, at least he hopes, and by doing so will list the things he's good at. and if it doesn't serve as a reminder that he did, in fact, improve and has the potential to go even further if he allows himself to... jinyoung will believe he's a lost cause.

“did you already perfect the entire dance choreo oppa? is that why you are acting like this? AT LEAST SPEAK KOREAN IF YOU ARE GONNA FIGHT.” the first half of yeji's intervention makes perfect sense, though a little harsh (jinyoung obviously can't say anything about that), but the second half leaves him confused. what in the world is she talking about? "we are speaking korean!" the boys reply in unison. was it yeji's masterplan to have them finally agree on something? but it does serve to ease the growing tension a little bit.

“you can do this, and prove everyone wrong, but to be able to, you need to believe in yourself, and you need to participate,”  jinyoung has calmed down, and so has daniel. he holds the younger's shoulders, shaking him up a little. daniel finally agrees, and soon enough jinyoung asks for a hug so they can settle this argument once and for all. he really wishes daniel won't resent him for all of this, but if it serves as fuel to get him through this week it will be worth it. jinyoung doesn't mind being disliked if they can put on a great show in the end.

they finally gather in a circle, giving the songs a few listens and each of them giving opinions on how they could arrange it. they all agree that daniel has a musician's mind, and therefore would be able to work on the instrumental. jinyoung, who's trained in singing, can make sure the harmonies and line distribution suits all of their vocal tones and match well together. finally, yeji can work on the choreography. they decide that each of them will get a small highlighted solo that will focus on their main strength. daniel will get a guitar solo in the beginning and yeji will have a dance break during the first chorus, and jinyoung will sing the bridge acapella, to transition into the original song for the final chorus where they'll dance.

every practice until sunday is mostly dedicated to making all of these rearrangements, and each of them focus on their task at hand. jinyoung is quite happy to see daniel put so much effort. he still feels... distant, but they're on friendly speaking terms for the most part. they do practice a bit here and there, mostly for each of them to confirm if it's working out or not, for example jinyoung has yeji sing some of the lines to make sure her vocals match them. she did ask not to underestimate her, and while it's not his goal to do so, he wants to make sure it sounds the best it can.

starting from monday, they go into very intensive practice. the whole performance is pieced together and there's no time left for any argument. yeji is a very strict teacher, which jinyoung appreciates. he has no trouble following the simplified choreography, but daniel does encounter some issues. he's stiff, unsynchronized, and prone to apologizing profusely every time he messes up even if it disrupts the practice. yeji sets things straight and, starting from then, things go rather smoothly. it's funny, however, being in the same room as the other team at all times. they're both quite aware of what the others are up to, and the heavy breathing from the other team has jinyoung crack up his very first joke of the week. "is it the other team or just daniel dying?" it's not very funny. jinyoung is a serious person, but it does make daniel laugh at least - as well as kenta from the other side of the room. - and the younger says "both", refererring to his own exhaustion.

he doesn't not interact with the other team a lot. kenta is a bit weird, always doing something random whenever jinyoung looks his way, to the point where he wonders if it's on purpose to annoy him. jungeun seems to have quite the spunky personality, a bit like yeji, and hansol, well... all he really notices about him is that yeji seems to like him. now whether they know each other or not, he can't really tell, but there's an unspoken tension he can't quite figure out the nature of.

every time he can afford to go home, his girlfriend is there waiting for him, listening to his long, tired rants about how the week has been going. she is the best support he could hope for: giving him massages, encouraging him, even joining on the complaints he has about daniel's past behavior. they're both happy that he turned himself around though, and things are much better now. jinyoung feels like the performance is really coming together into something good, that they'll be able to present proudly comes thursday.

he finds himself sitting next to daniel once they get to the set the day of the recording. funny, how they started out this round ready to jump at each other's throat and now they have nothing but support for each other. they're a team after all, and jinyoung has to admit daniel did work hard once he snapped out of his sadness. it's not to say they've been the best friends, but they found that maybe they still have things in common despite years apart, and there's a potential to reconnect after the show is over. unless jinyoung goes home this week.

they watch the first teams, and jinyoung can't help but notice that the quality of the performances is ever growing. he doesn't fear for his own. they worked hard, and they put together something very creative that will set them apart. now the only thing left is to find out if the same few people will find their way to the top again, or fall down to make place for others.

he gives daniel's thigh occasional pats of encouragement, hoping to ease the other's nervousness should there be any. he doubts there isn't. despite his efforts, daniel still has some issues with dancing, and it won't magically go away. but he has enough charisma to make the audience forget about his flaws, if he uses it to his advantage and doesn't overthink. "you got this, alright?" he tells him right as the team before them step off stage. he leans over to look at yeji, too. "we all got this." they're a perfect combination of skills, and all they need to do is convince the judges.

they get in position in the center of the stage, jinyoung standing on the left (from a judge's perspective), then daniel and yeji respectively. after signaling each other with a glance, they all exclaim "we are the love shot!" at once, jinyoung immediately continuing with the syllable of his name "jin-" as the other two says theirs to form "jinielji!" and they end it with a gun pose, yeji and jinyoung turning their backs on daniel. he's never cringed more in his life, but it's part of what he needs to do as a team. sacrificing his dignity being one of them, fighting daniel the other.

daniel starts it off with his guitar solo, and leaves it behind once he's done as he's decided earlier this week after a change of heart. jinyoung was quite happy with that decision, treating it as daniel's way of wanting to prove everyone wrong. he's capable of more than just hide behind a prop. the instrumental kicks in to accompany their voices, and jinyoung readies himself.

Aiming at each other, to the point it's freezing hearing your voice, sounding so sharp I'm only filled with thoughts that leave me breathless Oh oh oh oh oh Aye Aye 

it’s the type of melody that instead of having people on their feet dancing, has them groove their head to the beat instead, and really pay attention to the vocals and lyrics instead of just the flashy aspect. jinyoung was actually surprised at how meaningful the lyrics were once he really heard them instead of being distracted by the choreography. of course, they want to end it with a bang, so the sensual dancing will come... later on. it’s definitely different from what he did with jackson. while emotional, it was all about power and soul. this week is about soul, also, but they’re going for a different vibe.

It's the love shot

jinyoung smirks, and aims the gun formed by his hand at the camera. the focus soon switches to yeji, who takes center stage while the boys move farther apart so she has all the space she needs to dance. looking at her, he’s proud. not a big brother’s pride, but a teammate’s pride. she worked hard, often overshadowed by jinyoung and daniel’s bickering, and clearly came out victorious. 

It’s the love shot

It's getting twisted, love and hate Our beautiful memories Are dyed in white Fading bit by bit

jinyoung can’t help but look briefly at daniel while singing. he didn’t really think of it during practice, but remembering everything that went on between them, including their childhood, it seems weirdly appropriate of his current feelings towards him. they clearly care for each other, but the sense of unfamiliarity after years apart makes it hard to really connect again, or remember why they even were friends in the first place. they both changed into different people, for one, jinyoung being a lot more serious than he used to be as a child. 

People come and people go You and I standing still in this world Slowly growing used to our dulled feeling

right before the bridge, the music slowly fades out, briefly pauses, and jinyoung’s voice resonates in the studio, smooth and clear. 

clearly, the song is about romantic love, but jinyoung is very happily in a relationship right now, and therefore does not relate to the love and hate aspect when he thinks of mina. instead he thinks of his lost friendship with daniel, and how yeji was caught in-between, and also forced to be harsher than she intended to. he wonders how they feel about the whole thing. but the more he means the words and the better his singing will be, so their faces don’t leave jinyoung’s mind until the very end of the bridge. yeji and daniel share the next part, as the original instrumental of the song starts playing, but they’re not dancing yet.

It's the love shot

jinyoung looks at the judges, putting his hand to his throat as the choreography dictates. the chorus hits harder this time around, and they were going for the surprise effect even if some of the viewers might have expected it. he hopes the trick worked, and that it will surprise them so close to the end. they sing all the ‘na na na’s together, with adlibs done mostly by jinyoung but some by yeji too. they chose an easier part of the choreography but it is, after all, the most iconic version that most people remember when they think of love shot. jinyoung can only hope it looks as good as the last few times they practiced it, but he believes in the other two. he can’t say with conviction that he has put aside all of the annoyance he felt over the course of this week, but for now he’s forgotten all of it for the sake of the performance. they need to stand strong together, and daniel doing the last ‘it’s the love shot’ with all of them making the ending pose together goes to show they all managed to get through it undefeated (for the most part).

[rkharuto]

❛ flyer four

@rkkenta

time flew by when you were having fun, unluckily for haruto, he was not having any fun in the slightest. standing around in the cold and handing out flyers and having to talk to people was not a fun activity. maybe it was for someone who considered themselves a ‘people person’, but he was most certainly not one of those people. he was more of a ‘i don’t want to talk and would like to be left alone please’ person. unfortunately, kt hadn’t decided to take that into consideration when they handed him this bundle of flyers and told him to go out into the streets to hand them out. 

already he was running out of things to say to people to try and get them to take one, his limited knowledge of korean really coming to bite him in the ass. if only he paid more attention to his language lessons. “excuse me!” at least he was finding it marginally easier to start talking to people than when he had first started, but only marginally. “free flyer?” he sounded somewhat hopeful as he held one out, trying to use the ‘cute innocent’ look he had become rather proficient at. 

[rksakura]

🔊: gogobebe ( lyrics + lines ) | 👚 trio performance with 💖 sakura, yuri, & xuxi! mentions: @rkmason​, @rkxkikwang​, @rkchoutzuyu​, @rkkenta​, @hyojinrk​, & @rkkyungsoo​

tw: anxiety!

the more the merrier, the better. this theme's featuring three bodies instead of two, which feels like a small group performance. which gets sakura pumped up, eager to work harder so that she holds up to the team. signs of trepidation flow through her though, that seems to be on every episode that she feels the tension itching but she can only focus her intent on having fun to come up with a piece with her new group! eliminations are inevitable every round, there's no point in wasting time dwelling on a circumstance bound to happen as written out by the judges based on impressions and several opinions.

she spends her days in the practise studio, working more and more on to pick up her vocals as she wasn't only going to rap this time. there are moments when she sits down and ponders thoroughly that she should've pressed on with her choir lessons but she'd already found a strong drive for rapping and its unique elements. she truly admires yuri and xuxi for being such hard-working individuals, the pace that they go through pushing themselves through it all, she lets the two know that she appreciates all of their hard-working whether through statements or gestures.

still, there's not a moment when she doesn't think about her friends or the fact any of the two other than herself have the potential to be eliminated. that's how it usually goes, right? rather, there are remnants of favouritism from the judges but she'd like not to trap herself within her own mind. the thoughts aren't on the brighter side so sakura shakes her head away as it'd only shuddered her, render her swelling with nervousness and going back to where she'd been so hesitant to reveal her face to the public before she'd reach this breaking point, blooming with confidence and becoming a better performer comes from trial and error!

not too long ago, just about a year. those were the days when she'd only discover that she'd been comfortable enough to put her musical content out in the world through the form of social media but never going out of her way to actually audition. this isn't the first time that she did it but she'd take every opportunity she could find to attend them in hopes to expand her knowledge and throughout, meet all sorts of other people that shared the same interest: a passion for music. it was a promise she'd carry out for tzuyu and kikwang, even gray that she'd enter. the truth is, she didn't expect herself to make it here. all the way to episode five but tonight, that could be changed. if she comes down to that fate, at least she knew that she did her best at the end of the day. that she sang, rap, and danced her heart out.

the building has such a warm atmosphere to it, maybe it's the fact that she isn't daunted and everyone has been nothing but kind souls to sakura. she'd do her best to return the gesture by putting out the same matter, with smiles and greetings. small meetings during lunches and small talks. she loves the friendliness and lightheartedness that flows through the room when she's listening to music or moving her body to a beat of the song. it doesn't feel forced, nobody hates one another or feels like strangers. this is the specific kind of environment that she aims to surround herself with all the time.

she hadn't met xuxi prior to this, but left a great impression with his performance on the last episode! she'd gotten to know him a bit more, exchanging contact information and numbers so that she didn't lose track of a new friend that she'd been excited to meet and even have the honour to work with him on the stage, alongside yuri. seeing the girl who she shares a cordial friendship with off-the-set and have dorky adventures with yena ( which sakura still wishes even now that she'd be here with them ), she's just glad to see her friends really.

tweaks are made with the choreography and dividing the lyrics out to three people, originally four and she finds herself having to dance, rap, and sing at the same time. she has to take some time at home to polish her vocals and breath stability whilst dancing. she'd have a small rap part given to her as both xuxi and yuri are strong vocalists. she believes that the only factor she found intimidating was the capabilities they had as vocalists with remarkable techniques and unforgettable charisma. she couldn't be on that level but her dreams are coming true slowly, she's grateful to even step on the trc building which is her dream company. it piqued her interest right off the bat when she came to south korean soil a year ago.

the outfit choice came down to light-colored suits. sakura could use a cool outfit to keep in her closet to use for another occasion. she had a good day shopping with the two. shopping's a favourite hobby of her's but she didn't like to overindulge unless she needs to. she'd have a horrible history in the past with using her debit card, her parents were from wealth but she didn't like to present that side about her upfront. at least, she's doing better with handling money now.

it's not long until the big day hits. her alarm sets off, she rises up from her bed with messy, untidy hair. sakura finds that it's easier to pack her items in her backpack and change her outfit in the bathroom. but with a suit, it's a tad bit complicated and she tries to pack the items carefully so that the condition doesn't look worn out with wrinkles all over. the clothing's covered with plastic so that nothing stains the high-quality item. she takes a small apple and banana with her for a small breakfast, starting off her day. the time comes up when it's time for her to go filming. she sets out to her designated destination, entering the building and greeting familiar faces. she'd arrive here early to see the others perform as she liked to stay longer even though she could have gone home, it was way better to see performances in person. being there physically, right at the moment is more exciting than seeing it on a flat-screen.

she spots mason, he's one of the first few to perform up. before he sets on that stage, sakura wanted to wish him luck and let him know that he's got this. kyungsoo's there as well, she walks up to him and greets him a hello, waving her hand and smiling at the male. first, she was speaking english with mason and korean with kyungsoo then she switches over to japanese with kenta, yelling out "頑張ってください "! ( ganbatte kudasai ; translation: good luck! ). then, she sets out to find the chairs are and finds yuri immediately. heyaaa!" she hugs her friend briefly before pulling away to sit down on her assigned seat. hyojin is someone she couldn’t forget to visit! she wants to make sure she gives him the best wishes.

once she hears their names being called up, that's when she knows she has to stand up from her seat and have an upbeat smile on her face! she introduces herself along with the others on the stage, bowing politely prior to letting the background music play. she finds a state of reassurance and relaxation when she releases some distressed sighs and takes a couple of deep breaths. she can sense the pressure already from the eyes. she's facing the judges and looks down on the ground then back up. in a moment of deep thought, she takes the few seconds to thank her goddess, amaterasu and says her prayers. 

the tempo starts playing, the sound's ebullient and uplifting. the dance isn't exactly difficult to tag along with, just sultry in some segments but she can work with the theme and calibrate herself. xuxi starts with the first line and it's a nice sound to it. yuri then sings with her angelic voice. she's grinning and jamming to the song energetically, sakura moves to the centre and delivers her rap portion of the song. she doesn't have a hard time pronouncing the korean as the lines were short, her flow is smooth and clean. her australian accent can be heard when rapping in english words.

야야 하루아침에 내가 변한 건 아냐 별거 아닌 거에 의미 갖지 마 인마 괜한 ANTIPATHY 등 떠민 적 없지 아이고 아이고 BUTTERFLY 그냥 잔을 부딪쳐 짠

she's got a lot of zeal. getting a good night's rest, her sleeping schedule has been better this week than the recent month that has gone by. she's cluttered with piles of schoolwork on the side, there's also the aquarium volunteer work that she's been doing for her internship. she's managed to take a couple days off from the volunteer work instead of being there five days a week, it was down to two as of the moment. she's astonished at the high notes that yuri and xuxi are able to reach. she's skipping on the stage with a curve on her lips and her eyes forming to a crescent shape. she switches in between the formations, staying on the side and drops a small line. 

DROP DROP DROP

she moves to the sound of the beat, primarily a drum-based noise and she's quick to pick up on it, moving her body as she prepares to transition over to singing. while she may not belt out notes and do runs and riffs, sakura could hold a note and tune with the sound of her voice, soft and airy, also lighthearted. she doesn't want to hold any of the others back sakura can show her own shining charisma with her charms!

너와 나의 MIX AND MATCH 빼지 말고 DRUNKEN

고고베베

sakura forms in a line with xuxi and yuri, in the center and winks at the camera cutely, with a cheeky grin on her face as she finds the meaning in the song that the best thing to do is enjoy living in the moment. she has minor levels of anxiety and which is what contributed to her being afraid to go on the stage and presence left unknown in the music industry until she found people who helped find out the possibilities of her blooming talents! being with xuxi and yuri gives her that sentiment, she'll remember being on the stage with her friends.

LOOK UP THE HERE FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS 난 나의 피사체 무시해 잔소린 음소거 CLICK CLICK 삑 이렇다저렇다 가타부타 꼭 말 많은 애들이 먼저 영화에선 DIE해 SO RAISE 자기애

she places her hand on her hip, following through the choreography and raps one more time. her rapping style has cuteness but is also chic, she's trying to go for more of a sassy and chic vibe! from the genres, she's experimented with being on the mnet global auditions made her a capable and versatile rapper. she'd been discouraged in the past that she couldn't rap cause her sound wasn't suited for rapping or she didn't fit the "criteria" but that didn't stop sakura, she views it as empowerment to continue to pursue what she wanted to do and develop her skills in rapping. xuxi takes over singing and his deep voice is a smooth transition from her rap.

 DROP DROP DROP

너와 나의 MIX AND MATCH 빼지 말고 DRUNKEN

she sings the best she can, the lines aren't very hard either. xuxi and yuri are in charge of belting and harmonies, she's responsible for rapping and the rendition of the piece came out lovely. she's learned a thing or two about harmonizing in groups, breath control's essential to singing, just as much as rapping relies on that too. together, all of the three dance and sing! her favourite part about the song is the beat. she moves her hips, swaying them and her hand gestures are lively!

고고베베

sakura sings her line and then continues to jam to the sound of yuri's sweet voice. 

NINE / SIX SIX NINETEEN NINE / SIX 고고베베

her pre-recorded voice is louder than her rapping out loud, ringers and she breaks into several poses before stretching her leg out as part of the dance. then, pulls herself back up and continues rapping while holding the microphone carefully. xuxi and yuri are singing in between lines after.

너와 나의 MIX AND MATCH 빼지 말고 DRUNKEN

the song was coming to an end soon, that was her last line and it was short and simple. the korean words in this song weren't hard for sakura to memorise either, she got them within an 'or two. she grins and holds up a peace sign as she enjoys the last half thirty seconds she has on the stage before the next trio comes up! running her fingers through her hair, she skips and dances happily. the formation of the choreography was adjusted to make it three instead of four! she sings one more time, harmonising with yuri and xuxi. lastly, she makes a pose prior to the song being cut.

it's ended.

she takes a bow and thanks the contestants and judges for their time, waving both hands in the air to say her goodbye and leaves off with a smile on her face. she'll definitely stay longer until the show ends to see how everything else turns out. it's better to be safe than sorry anyway. it seems that this day, the nervousness is rising back up once she's not on that stage anymore. music is a source of peace for sakura, helping her when she feels that there's a strain in her feelings or when everything else didn't feel right. the fire is growing in this competition, sakura didn't want to feed into it. the best weapon is to smile!

[rkwendy]

MGA S5: Team Polaris Meet CEO Seungwan | SOLO

Meeting and coaching team Nova solo for MGA S5

When Wendy was told she’d be a coach for the latest season of the MGAs, she had been ecstatic. After all, she has always wanted to give back to the competition that helped change the course of the rest of her life. She also wants to be someone the contestants can lean on in times of need. They all share this common experience of competing for that contract under the scrutiny of the entire county — rather, the entire world — watching them. Wendy had gotten in trouble for cheering for the contestants who went to the Nova building last time. It’s nice to know that she has permission from the producers this year. 

When she saw the final picks from Team Nova, she had been disappointed to see that not all her picks had been chosen. Though she may have had to refrain from laughing when she saw that Jackson, a good friend of hers, was among the contestants she was going to be coaching. 

Back then, she swore she wasn’t going to be as harsh as Ricky oppa; however, she found herself being stricter and having higher standards than ever. Wendy’s not going to lie. During the first run-through, she and Sunmi unni had actually exchanged horrified glances at how much practice the team needed. To make matters worse (in Wendy’s opinion), majority of their team needs to go through a singing boot camp. 

“Alright, listen!” Wendy says as she gets their attention when she drops by to check on Team Nova’s progress. “I noticed how you’re all just vocalizing as a vocal warm-up before you start practicing,” she says. “That’s great, but before you even think of making a sound, you also have to prepare the muscles that you’ll be using to make those sounds.” She does her best to sound cheerful as she looks each of them in the eye. 

“You want to start with moving your tongue around your mouth, as if you’re stretching it. Your tongue is a muscle too, so it needs the workout.” Wendy says as she gestures to her mouth area. She waits for them to follow her instructions before she continues talking. “While doing that, it’s also good if you massage around your vocal chords.” She demonstrates by massaging her own vocal chords. Something that she’s overlooked for herself suddenly occurs to her. “Ah right, it will hurt for some of you…” Her eyes dart among the five members of Team Nova until her eyes land on two people in particular. “Yewon! Changbin! Come here please.” As the two weaker vocalists of the team, Wendy decided to pay them extra attention. There’s no way they’ll be at par with Jackson and Seunghun in a week’s time, but she will make sure these two can stay on-pitch within a week. 

She tries controlling her laughter as she massages Changbin’s vocal chords. He’s looking at her as though she was murdering him. She almost feels bad, but she knows her vocal coaches went harder with her when she first arrived at Nova. “I’m not even applying a lot of pressure,” she says with a slight chuckle. “You need to relax. I’m not out here to murder you.” She genuinely feels bad, but someone has to do it. “If it hurts there, you’re probably very tense when you sing,” she says as she looks at him with some pity. The vocal chord massages do hurt, after all. After a little more time, Wendy decides to take pity on him and stop. “Keep massaging where I did it, okay?” 

Another issue Wendy had noticed was how unstable the team was when they sang and danced at the same time. With a song choice like theirs, they were going to go down if they didn’t do something about that fast. She decides to teach them another trick up her sleeve. 

“I noticed you guys could use some help with stability,” she says. She won’t name any names, but they probably already know who they are. “I know it’s not something many of you have naturally, so we’re going to fix that. See, breathing techniques for when you’re standing still are very different from when you sing and dance. Trust me, your future selves will thank me for this once Sunmi unni comes in.” She pauses as she looks at each of them straight in the eye. “Here’s what we’ll do. Go down on a planking position and sing ‘Run’ for two minutes.” When no one says anything, she continues talking. “It will demonstrate how your muscles are supposed to work while you sing.” 

In the middle of the week, Wendy decides to shake things up. “Run in laps around the training room as you sing,” she says without any emotion on her face. She’s aware of how bizarre that sounds, but it will have to do. “I’m not joking, you guys. This is to help you guys be able to get used to simultaneously moving and singing without going out of breath. Now, run!” She blows the whistle she brought with her to show that she really meant business. She also didn’t hesitate to call out anyone who was going off-key as they ran. “Sing it like you would on stage!” she shouts as they run past her. “Make yourselves get used to it.” 

There have been some improvements as the days passed, but apparently, there are some things that need a bit of fine-tuning. She goes over things with those who come for individual consulting after all three of them give their comments. She’s always willing to help anyone who asks. Seunghun, in particular, is someone she wants to help improve. She had believed in him and his potential. The fact he was willing to learn after she pointed out his mistakes improved her opinion of him even more. “You’re an amazing singer, Seunghun. There’s no doubting that,” she says after he asks her to clarify her point from rehearsals earlier. “That’s the reason I chose you for Nova. But the problem was that you were trying too hard to vocally stand out.” She looks at her notes before continuing, just to make sure she’s still on track. “You’re probably so used to singing solo, so you’re probably not sure how you’ll fit in with a team. And all the more, this is a survival competition, so I understand the pressure of needing to stand out all the time.” 

She makes sure he’s still with her before talking again. “But this is also a team performance, so balance is very important. You don’t have to go so hard at every line you sing. There are some parts where you just have to take it easy. You have to know which parts call for being the entree and when to be the side dish.” 

Wendy allows him to take it all in. It is a lot for someone who hasn’t been through any idol training, but Wendy just wants each of them to learn as much as they can from the experience. 

“I know you’ll figure it out. I believe in you, Seunghun.” She then holds up the lyric sheet. “Want me to sing with you? Just to figure it out?” 

As the rest of the days go, Wendy watches the team improve with help from Sunmi unni, Sungyeol oppa, and herself. Every day after each coaching session ends, she’s excited to go back to the dorm and gossip about the MGA contestants with the rest of the AND*ROMA girls. She would have loved to go tell Hugo, but he’s out of the country doing God knows what. Wendy hopes that the people representing Team Nova learned as much as they can from Sunmi unni, Sungyeol oppa, and herself. After all, it’s not every day that they get to share their knowledge and experience. All three of them have done what they could — technique training, motivation, torture, encouragement… You name it, all three of them have probably done it. All that remains is that the contestants are able to do well on stage.

“Team Nova, I’m counting on you.”

[danielxrk]

𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒉 —— empty enigma’s first album * ( 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 ) ( 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗯𝗲 ) ( 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 ) ( 𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻 ) ( 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 )

released may 4th, 2019 alongside music video for lead single “immortal”, “between fear and faith” is a metalcore album, and the band’s first since beginning in 2015. cameo was brought on as bassist for the group in 2017, replacing their former member, and joining vocalist squall, lead guitarist alpha, and drummer brand. rhythm guitarist reign is their most recent addition, making his debut in the band on this album. all members of the band feature on at least one song on the album, joining squall as vocalists. investigation into the bands’ true identities has proved fruitless thus far. for now they remain mysterious, with only a select few knowing the truth (unknown at the time of release: they would all reveal their identities on the fifth season of the mgas)

𝗑 𝗌𝗊𝗎𝖺𝗅𝗅 (𝗌𝗎𝗇𝗀𝗐𝗈𝗈𝗇) 𝖻𝗋𝖺𝗇𝖽 (𝗐𝗈𝗈𝗃𝗂𝗇) 𝖺𝗅𝗉𝗁𝖺 (𝗄𝖾𝗇𝗍𝖺)                       𝖼𝖺𝗆𝖾𝗈 (𝖽𝖺𝗇𝗂𝖾𝗅) 𝗋𝖾𝗂𝗀𝗇 (𝗆𝗂𝗇𝗁𝗒𝗎𝗇) ( all songs co-produced by heunjeok )

╬═ 1. immortal (lead single)

written by: squall, cameo, alpha, brand, reign & heunjeok lead vocals: squall drums: brand bass guitar: cameo lead guitar: alpha rhythm guitar: reign

╬═ 2. ways to disappear 

written by: cameo, alpha & heunjeok lead vocals: squall drums: brand bass guitar: cameo lead guitar: alpha rhythm guitar: reign

╬═ 3. find yourself

written by: squall, cameo, brand, apha & heunjeok  lead vocals: squall drums: brand bass guitar: cameo lead guitar: alpha rhythm guitar: reign keyboard: squall

╬═ 4. deadly conversations

written by: squall & heunjeok lead vocals: squall drums: brand bass guitar: cameo lead guitar: alpha rhythm guitar: reign piano: squall

╬═ 5. sleepless in phoenix

written by: squall, cameo, brand & heunjeok  lead vocals: squall drums: brand bass guitar: cameo lead guitar: alpha rhythm guitar: reign keyboard: squall

╬═ 6. the realest

written by: cameo, alpha & heunjeok lead vocals: squall rough vocals: cameo drums: brand bass guitar: cameo lead guitar: alpha rhythm guitar: reign keyboard: squall

╬═ 7. this light i hold

written by: alpha, reign, cameo, brand & heunjeok lead vocals: squall rough vocals: alpha drums: brand bass guitar: cameo lead guitar: alpha rhythm guitar: reign keyboard: squall

╬═ 8. g.o.a.t.

written by: brand, alpha & heunjeok drums: brand bass guitar: cameo guitar: alpha guitar: reign keyboard: squall

╬═ 9. high & low (**second single)

written by: squall, brand, alpha & heunjeok  lead vocals: squall vocals: reign & brand drums: brand bass guitar: cameo lead guitar: alpha rhythm guitar: reign keyboard: squall

╬═ 10. the bomb dot com v2

written by: cameo, brand, alpha & heunjeok lead vocals: squall drums: brand bass guitar: cameo lead guitar: alpha rhythm guitar: reign

╬═ 11. stay still

written by: alpha, reign & heunjeok   lead vocals: squall drums: brand bass guitar: cameo lead guitar: alpha rhythm guitar: reign piano: squall

╬═ 12. dancing with demons

written by: squall, brand, alpha & heunjeok  lead vocals: squall drums: brand bass guitar: cameo lead guitar: alpha rhythm guitar: reign keyboard: squall

╬═ 13. condition // comatose

written by: alpha, reigh & heunjeok  lead vocals: squall drums: brand bass guitar: cameo lead guitar: alpha rhythm guitar: reign keyboard: squall

╬═ 14. sakura blues

written by: cameo, alpha & heunjeok lead vocals: squall drums: brand bass guitar: cameo lead guitar: alpha rhythm guitar: reign keyboard: squall

╬═ 15. starving for friends

written by: cameo & heunjeok lead vocals: squall vocals: cameo drums: brand bass guitar: cameo lead guitar: alpha rhythm guitar: reign

╬═ winter everywhere (hidden track on starving for friends)

written by: squall, reign, alpha & heunjeok  lead vocals: squall vocals: reign drums: brand bass guitar: cameo acoustic guitar: reign electric guitar: alpha

THANKS TO

SQUALL

it’s been a long time coming. 

 empty enigma started as a dream—with a different group of people. if you’ve been with us since the beginning, you probably remember. frankly, we sucked back then; we were just were just a bunch of guys who thought we could do whatever the fuck we wanted without knowing shit about what it was that we wanted to do. we fought, we failed, and eventually most of us just left after that, because fuck tenacity, right? 

 i don’t think about the old empty enigma much anymore. i don’t even know if i can call that—whatever it was—empty enigma. so much of this band is what our current members have made it. alpha, the first addition to the group, who impressed me from the beginning with his sick guitar skills and continues to impress me every day with how amazing of a person and performer he is. brand, who i could almost be convinced to share the spotlight with (kidding, it’s mine) and who i know i can always trust to have my back whether musically or otherwise. cameo, who was supposed to be a temporary fix and ended up sticking around—well, you know how i feel about you already, right? you’re the reason for and the inspiration behind one-third of the album. take that however you will. i do know none of this would’ve been possible without you, so i’m glad you’re permanently ours. our newest member, reign, who stepped up to help us out of a tight spot, who i sometimes unfairly butt heads with because i’m not used to sharing—i’ll work on it. all of you are empty enigma, and without you, i’d be nothing. all this? would be nothing. i owe you guys a lot, maybe more than i’ll ever admit, but for right now i just want to thank you for coming on this journey with me. here’s to many more albums.

i also want to thank my grandparents for raising me, and my little sister for being a pillar of support. and my best friend, heunjeok, who produced all the good parts of this album (well, aside from me)—love and miss you, buddy. thank you to all our fans as well, whether you stuck with us through thick or thin or are new here. if all works out we’ll have plenty of chances to perform for you again. if it doesn’t, it’s been a wild ride. kidding, you can’t get rid of me that easily. i’ll be squall till the end, so let’s meet again!

ALPHA

thank you to the breakfast sandwich i had this morning, it was really tasty. oh and also to the lunch reign bought for us on the day we recorded most of these songs... this album was brought to you by FULL ENIGMA and reign's FAT wallet!

 ...i'm being glared at and i guess that means i should actually write something nice about the members so here: hi empty enigma, you're sexy  cameo, brand, squall, reign and heunjeok, your alpha is proud of you!! this album is literally the coolest thing ever created and i know each of us is going places. (specifically, out to dinner hopefully? i made myself hungry...) 

and lastly, thank you to burger king; you made me who i am today. i'm sorry that all of my sad songs are about you - i'll write you a pretty song one day too, i promise! あなたのことは決して忘れない. i miss you.

BRAND

thanks--you know i mean it.

CAMEO

first of all, i need to thank god for working everything out so we would all end up here, which feels like at least some kind of miracle. it’s a miracle that we’re still together at the very least-- i’m just kidding, i would stay with this band forever if i could.

thank you to squall, brand, alpha and reign for being not only the best band in the world, but the best friends. thank you to heunjeok for his hard work and all of his help ironing out our messy tracks, and to my old friends who taught me bass, and alpha for teaching me guitar (and being the first person in this band i ever met, and one of the best people i’ve ever met) because without that i would’ve never been a part of this. thank you to everyone for letting me join the band, and for the fans that accepted me as a member, whether that was from the start along the way, and thank you for waiting for us through our hiatus. thank you to reign for killing it on this album without being with us for long, and for taking care of everyone so well, and to brand for making my songs better, and for always putting up with me. i’m glad squall didn’t give up on this thing and saw it through in all of its iterations, and i need to thank him for making the stage feel like home for me even when i wasn’t sure i had a place in the band or on stage at all. i'm grateful for all of the help everyone gave me on this album: writing lyrics with me and listening to my ideas and building on them-- for brand and alpha’s knack for composition, and for being willing to help me get the hang of it too. also thankful that i’m a quick learner, but that’s not as important as the rest.

thank you to my parents for raising me well and not supporting me doing music so i would know how much this really meant to me, and so i could take the fire that lit in me and put it into this album. thank you to everyone these songs are about, and proving that every experience can be good for something in the end. i’m really proud of how this album turned out, and it feels good to finally share it with everyone. i hope you enjoy it.

REIGN

honour. n.  [COUNTABLE] something you do that you are proud of.

i believe the word about sums up my feelings on the whole project,  the heavy feeling in my chest i can only describe as a sense of pride.  i have not been with the band for long,  not really in the retrospect of things,  but empty enigma in its entirety represents something wholesome to me.

it is home.

the appreciation i carry is one i can’t begin to phrase;  for the process,  for the support,  and especially for the other members,  who welcomed me with open arms.  the journey as reign has been a relatively new one,  but it’s one i will hold dear for the rest of my life.  

individual acknowledgements to everyone involved  –  to alpha,  who has been by my side since the beginning,  always there to help even if i struggle asking for it.  to brand,  my number one till the very end,  you’ll always be my favourite of the bunch.  to cameo,  who does everything with his whole heart on the line,  always inspiring me.  to heunjeok,  who once proposed a perplexing question i never got around to answering  –  you asked what music is to me.  perhaps the answer is you.  to squall,  who has challenged me to do more every day since we first met,  i’m better for it.  to the fans,  nothing would be possible without you.  

                                                                                                                                       * all songs written in korean ic; songs in playlist used only as reference                                                                                       ** high & low will be released as a follow-up single alongside its music video after mga season 5 ends

[rkxsungwoon-blog]

sungwoon @hahawoon97 • 36m

it’s been so hard to keep this a big secret, but! i went to watch the mga5 finale live! it was a bit weird to be there but not on stage, to be honest. i went into this competition with the intention to see myself up there tonight in the finale. it didn’t happen (obviously...) but i’m lucky i was given the chance to support my friends anyway. sometimes mnet can be kind ㅋㅋ

‹  💬  ◦  ↻   ◦   ♡  ◦  ✉   ›

sungwoon @hahawoon97 • 35m

speaking of friends! i also want to take this chance to publicly congratulate them and acknowledge all their hard work. please forgive my spamming ^_^;;

‹  💬  ◦  ↻   ◦   ♡  ◦  ✉   ›

sungwoon @hahawoon97 • 29m

kenta, i’m seriously floored by all the growth i saw from you throughout this season. every time i think i know you, you end up surprising me (in good ways) by busting out a new talent. i’m proud of all the hard work and commitment you put in, and even though you didn’t win, i think you proved yourself out there! you’ll always be an amazing performer and i’m glad more people got to see that

‹  💬  ◦  ↻   ◦   ♡  ◦  ✉   ›

sungwoon @hahawoon97 • 28m

you know i’m your fan for life, right?

‹  💬  ◦  ↻   ◦   ♡  ◦  ✉   ›

sungwoon @hahawoon97 • 20m

woojin, from the minute i first saw you dance, i knew you were something special (still can’t believe you hid that from us for so long). i’ve seen how much mental and physical effort you put into all your performances and i’m glad even a little bit of that was recognized. i know i usually hog the stage when we perform together, but i think from now on, you’re going to be the shining star between the two of us! 

‹  💬  ◦  ↻   ◦   ♡  ◦  ✉   ›

sungwoon @hahawoon97 • 19m

please don’t forget me when you’re famous ㅠㅠ

‹  💬  ◦  ↻   ◦   ♡  ◦  ✉   ›

sungwoon @hahawoon97 • 12m

daniel, i never really know what you say to you - shocking, huh? i think... firstly, i’m sorry i couldn’t be by your side throughout this journey. i really wanted to, especially since we went through this together last year, and it sucks that things didn’t work out the same way. but i’ve always been supporting you from the sidelines. i feel awful that you had to endure so much and i wish i could’ve just... taken some of that heat off you

‹  💬  ◦  ↻   ◦   ♡  ◦  ✉   ›

sungwoon @hahawoon97 • 7m

but this isn’t about regrets. not really. i’m in awe of the way you pushed through all the criticisms, all the negativity, all the truly awful crap. i always knew you were hardworking (and stubborn), but you really kept at it and kept getting better with every week. you’re an inspiration to me and so many other people now. i know this isn’t the result you wanted, but you’ll get there one day. i believe in you. i always will

‹  💬  ◦  ↻   ◦   ♡  ◦  ✉   ›

sungwoon @hahawoon97 • 6m

i love you ^^

‹  💬  ◦  ↻   ◦   ♡  ◦  ✉   ›

sungwoon @hahawoon97 • 2m

congratulations to everyone else who participated in the mgas and to the winning team! i gotta say, trc’s victory took me by surprise, but it was well deserved. it’s been a seriously cool experience to be involved in the show overall, whether as a participant or a viewer. i’m looking forward to following everyone’s careers from now on

‹  💬  ◦  ↻   ◦   ♡  ◦  ✉   ›

sungwoon @hahawoon97 • 1m

✌️ this is sungwoon signing off for tonight!

‹  💬  ◦  ↻   ◦   ♡  ◦  ✉   ›

[rkkyul]

190711 MGA SEASON 5  +  EPISODE THREE   +   CONTESTANT #5050   ⟨  ━━  ❀ °    PART ONE: INTERVIEW   ⟩  

MENTIONED: @hobirk, @rkpwj, @rkxminkyung, @yewonxrk, @rkheejin, @danielxrk, @rkmason, @rknak, @rktaeyang, @rkkenta, @rkjeonghxn​, @rkpjy

kyulkyung finds herself in a private room yet again - relaxing back into her seat as makeup artists touch-up the glossy skin of her face, the woman coughing as she inhales a cloud of setting powder before swatting the hands away without thinking. coughing, the staff members watch her ( probably annoyed that she’s wasting their time ) but moving back in with brushes and sponges. although inhaling an unhealthy amount of powder is not on her list of favorite things about the mgas, she could definitely say she could get used to having her makeup done for her. 

she knows the drill at this point, knows to adjust her posture and make herself not look so exhausted in front of the camera. at this point during the day, the adrenaline from performing has died down and all that’s left is weariness and undoubtedly hunger. 

oh, she couldn’t wait to get a burger after this. 

despite the exhaustion of her day weighing on her shoulders, kyulkyung can’t help but look forward to one of her favorite parts of filming days: the interview.

WELCOME BACK, LET’S GET STARTED?

nodding her head, kyulkyung let her signature smile swim onto her lips - eyes on the blinking light of the camera before they settle on the lens. the interviewer begins to speak and dark orbs snap in their direction, crossing her legs and placing her hands on her knee as she awaited the first question.

Q & A    CONGRATULATIONS ON MAKING IT TO EPISODE THREE - WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION TO LAST WEEK’S ELIMINATIONS?

“well, i was definitely excited! but pretty disappointed, and scared, you know - i was pretty much a mess.” the woman laughs, “i was excited to continue and move on, but scared because i know this just gets worse. and well, i was just disappointed to see some contestants go. i mean, JUNG HOSEOK should’ve been safe - he was pretty good, wasn’t he?!”

Q & A    HOW DID IT FEEL WORKING WITH ANOTHER CONTESTANT THIS WEEK? 

“excuse my language, but i was so. freaking. excited.” when it came to working with other dancers, there was nothing the woman loved more. to learn and work with someone who was just as good ( if not better ) than yourself, that was just a treat in its own. not to mention how fun it is to perform in the end. “i love working with other dancers, and PARK WOOJIN and i worked really good together. he’s a cute and talented kid.”

Q & A    HOW DO YOU THINK YOUR AND WOOJIN’S PERFORMANCE WENT? ARE YOU SATISFIED?

“in the end, i think we pulled it off pretty well.” perhaps she was a bit biased, but she couldn’t help herself. “it was stressful preparing at times because you don’t want to be the reason you two lose, you know? and choreographing the routine made the week fun, but it definitely added some stress. but i don’t think we could’ve done any better - i mean, did you see us up there?”

Q & A    THIS WEEK’S DUO CHALLENGE IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE’VE SEEN SO FAR THIS SEASON. WERE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO ANYONE’S PERFORMANCE IN PARTICULAR? 

“KIM MINKYUNG’S” the woman replied instantly, nodding her head as if agreeing with her own words. “her and CHOI YEWON were grouped together, and i just thought it would be interesting to see her working with someone else. she’s got such a stage presence on her own so i had a hard time imagining her in a duet.”

Q & A    WE’RE SURE YOU HAD SOME FAVORITE PERFORMANCES TODAY, WERE THERE ANY THAT DIDN’T MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS?

“honestly, i think i can actually say no to this.” this week had to top all performances this season, filled with a day full of new looks, performances, and expectations set. after seeing what everyone is capable of especially in a situation such as this, kyulkyung’s nerves were stimulated once again.”rather than those who didn’t meet expectations, YOON JEONGHAN and PARK JINYOUNG exceeded anything i could’ve expected. like, wow i was pleasantly surprised.”

Q & A    WHAT PAIRING SHOCKED YOU THE MOST?

“hmmm i think i’d have to say JEON HEEJIN and KANG DANIEL. they’re both super talented, but their images are so different in my opinion. heejin is just so small and cute and you want to adopt her and daniel is like... her dad? wait - can you cut that out please?”

Q & A    WHICH DUOS DO YOU THINK WILL ADVANCE TODAY?

“this is really hard to say this time around because i don’t know what the judges are looking for.” she wanted to say everyone, but she knew that was unrealistic. some teams would set foot on the mga stage for the last time - this was a competition and it’s one of the hardest things she’s done. “going off popularity, i think i would say CHOI MINHO and LEE NAKYUNG will advance, probably KANG DANIEL and JEON HEEJIN too. but i really think YOO TAEYANG and TADAKA KENTA did great this week.”

Q & A    AND WHO DO YOU THINK WILL BE SAYING GOODBYE?

“ahhh once again, i don’t know.” she bites down on her lip, gnawing on the flesh nervously. “as much as i would love to say no one, i know there will be people eliminated and at this point, it’s really hard to say. so yea, let’s pass on this!”

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. THAT’S ALL FOR TODAY.

the woman stood and thanked the staff members, bowing and shaking hands as she went. another day, another interview. and now she’s ready for that burger.

[rkchwev-blog]

retro future - triple h  outfit | line distribution dance: ( 00:06 - 2:40 ; 3:00 - 3:20 )

there was a lot about everything leading up to this performance that put vernon at unease.

it all began on the first day. just from hearing the names of the two that he was going to work with, he could already sense the danger that this would put him in if he was to not be careful. he was paired with two amazing dancers. there would be no getting out of it this week.

he was going to have to dance.

that was something that never left the back of his mind. he was going to be put in a position that he was not totally comfortable in and depending on how well he did could potentially send him home if they ended up in the bottom three. if he had thought that he was nervous about the previous performances, he could really feel his anxiety building up now. even though kenta seemed like a really nice guy -- if not a bit exuberant -- and jungeun seemed more down to earth, vernon knew right away that he was going to be on alert the entire week. 

it was going to get exhausting and fast especially in that practice room.

from the very first day, vernon knew that there were going to be problems.

he and kenta had arrived early but even earlier before them was jungeun who was ready and raring to get to nova it seemed because she aspired to be a part of the company and vernon could see right away just what a distraction working in the room with another team would pose. he’d heard so much about kenta and his bandmates being inseparable the entire competition and from the hug that kenta near sprinted into just to go see daniel, vernon could already see the very first steps towards a lack of focus. maybe he was extra sensitive but he knew how crucial this all was and he couldn’t help but to worry right off the bat.

plus there was yeji.

daniel was her cousin, sure, but this jinyoung guy... he’d seen him perform and he did well and he knew yeji could be so damn friendly sometimes and he knew just trying to keep his eyes off of her was going to prove to be yet another challenge he would have to take into consideration while practicing here.

why couldn’t they just have had their own practice rooms?

but he controlled his face, the years of lead acting experience paying off as he wore a complacent and cordial smile to greet the others, his eyes pausing very briefly on each of them as he did not allow himself to stare at her for too long. he couldn’t avoid the cameras and with them recording everything, he didn’t have the energy to try to pretend that what he felt wasn’t there because what he felt for her was so goddamn strong that it was suffocating and now that he knew for sure that she was also his, he felt like his heart would explode every time he looked at her. so he would make every effort to avoid the other team, not just for his own sanity, but to keep kenta focused.

their first talks about the song seemed to go really well and though there weren’t too many that he was familiar with when it came to song that could suit them all that also wouldn’t be something that would stifle them or be overly complicated for him, jungeun’s suggestion sparked something within all of them that instantly put them on the same page. something chic. something charismatic. something sexy. it was something that he was sure he could pull off no problem and from kenta’s exclamations, he was sure the other male felt comfortable as well. though it was her song choice, jungeun did express concern about the sexiness of the song being something she wasn’t used to, he expressed confidence that she would be able to do it with some practice.

especially after he saw the dance. they would definitely need chemistry to pull that off but even above that he saw that he would need a lot of practice but he had a met a team that worked well together despite differences. they were great dancers but he couldn’t dance to the same degree despite all of his nightly dance lessons throughout the week. kenta could sing pretty decently but his english wasn’t what the song needed. jungeun had the power of her voice but the rap parts she needed to emphasize she was lacking. he helped them just as much as they helped him and he helped himself as well.

the dance was nothing for them. it was still kind of surprising seeing two dancers pick up choreography that easily and being able to execute it with such precision and comfort that it kind of ignited something within him. he didn’t want to be the one to hold them back during the performance. the rap he was in charge of was quite frankly light work fro him. it was about the delivery and he had confidence that there was not a single bone in his body that would ever lead him to fuck up on his delivery. it was what he specialized in. so the majority of his practice was spent on the dance. whether he was practicing with kenta who had even learned parts of jungeun’s moves to assist with his practices or practicing with jungeun herself while kenta was off at his morning classes, vernon threw himself completely into the dance and he was sharply focused upon it, repeating his routine over endlessly in the mirror at every opportunity he got. he even worked with his dance teacher at the hagwon to tighten moves that he was not comfortable with or was struggling to execute as neatly as they needed to be particularly in the dance breaks before linking back up with the other two and trying to match what he learned with them so that they could dance in sync.

his limbs were heavy and his muscles were on fire but he didn’t give up... even with all the distractions. kenta just spent so much time goofing off it felt.. even during their practices together he would joke and laugh about or overexaggerate and vernon knew it was to make him feel more comfortable but it was simply a personality difference. they expressed their outgoing ways totally differently and kenta’s energy that was bursting at the seams was admittedly hard for vernon to keep his patience with. but he contained it for the sake of the team. he smiled to appease the other male so as not to ruin his mood like that jinyoung guy seemed to keep doing but when the three of them were focusing on their performance in the mirror, vernon couldn’t help but notice the way kenta seemed to turn his head to the other team any time criticism was tossed daniel’s way. it was getting to be too much. it wasn’t like daniel was a child or something. maybe this was what people were talking about when it came to these band members... but he tried not to think about that. despite this... kenta had been a big help.

what did not help was the night was unable to get out of work. catering they said but they had him working delivery as usual and though he desperately wanted to leave that night and return to practice with the other two, he was trapped waiting for any orders to come into the restaurant. so he practiced on his own. in the mirror in the break room, he took the lessons that he filmed with his teacher and the pointers that kenta had given and did his best to focus solely on the dance breaks. they were what he felt was the most important as they felt much like the climax of the song since the chorus was relatively laid back. when they were all able to meet back up again and kenta announced his singing lesson from sungwoon -- yet another band member -- it was clear they were working their bodies to the bone.

he didn’t know why jungeun had started to laugh. she had started looking really tired and extremely exhausted lately. it was what prompted him to bring food to practice for them to eat and for everyone else in the room so as not to seem rude but... her laughter startled him. but it was a laughter that he knew the closer he looked at her. it was just so much. she was struggling with the sexiness of the song. they hadn’t even heard kenta sing and, well, kenta always seemed so distracted... and this fucking dance. he knew the moves but his body just had to keep up with two amazing dancers. what the fuck was he even doing dancing like this anyways? his own laughter started, his hands coming up through his hair, head shaking as he just gave way to the exhaustion he was feeling. soon kenta joined in and. it was like they were laughing together but they weren’t and it sounded like laughter but it wasn’t. it took a while for it die down and when it did, vernon gathered himself and looked at the only two people who truly knew the boat that they were in.

“you guys wanna catch a movie?”

the perfect way to destress. it was amazing being able to relax if not just for a few hours, kenta suggesting shopping for their outfits -- an activity they all loved to do -- so that they stayed productive and vernon made it a point to bring up his sponsors as well for any clothing or accessories they might need that they couldn’t find. it was a very enjoyable trip. he felt as if he got to know a lot more about the two of them and the more comfortable he got with them the more he started to abandon the sense of dread that seemed to pile up. his muscles didn’t even seem to hurt that bad anymore and what he was understanding as kenta being overexuberant was just his personality and though vernon accepted it, he still felt the need to speak on it while things were going good.

and so he did.

he didn’t want kenta to feel awkward and after the time they spent together, he was hoping that kenta would understand where he was coming from with his frustrations. he didn’t want to start their newly invigorated practice off with his complaints about everything so he waited to see if the behavior would fix itself but things only seemed to escalate. kenta had that lost puppy look in his eyes again whenever he looked at daniel and jungeun who usually stayed quiet on the other teams apparent problem member spoke up to daniel as well and honestly... vernon was getting real sick of it.

this was time to practice and they did not have time to keep wasting on daniel.

no one understood how hard it was for him to ignore yeji. he’d never done that a day in his life. not even when they were fighting did he ignore her. he couldn’t. it was damn near physically impossible. he would look over on occasion to the other team and comment on their progress during their small breaks to use that as an excuse to see her. he could hear her voice growing immensely frustrated with daniel. maybe that also triggered him. he was upsetting her. and then kenta. and now jungeun. and this fucking dance--

he separated jungeun and her comments from daniel if not for her own image but for his own sanity and though kenta seemed relieved, he was vernons next target.

“we really need you to focus. this is getting out of hand, don’t you think? i can understand the jokes and the tricks and all that other stuff. it’s good for morale. but its only good for morale when there aren’t other things to focus on. you just seem way too distracted by whats going on over there because of daniel and your team is over here. it’s really becoming too much, kenta. daniel isn’t a child.”

maybe he was harsh but there was no way they could continue practice in this manner. not any practice that would be conducive to what they had to get done. he was perfecting his moves and moving in sync with the others as he found comfort in his dance, the muscle relief patches on his calves and biceps a clear indicator of how he was pushing his body to be able to do this and so he needed to have the same commitment from his team members.

and he was happy to see this.

jungeun seemed refreshed, the way she tackled her part coming far more happily to her and as he kept up with the dance, working hard to exercise the precision he had been practicing but keeping it loose as he had learned from kenta and his teacher, and finally they could hear kenta singing. it started to come together. their practices turned from silent dances to the music to full on live performances in preparation for the real thing. his rap was easy to practice, the gritty and stylized voice he was to use not too different from his usual rapping style and so though he had to add a huskier bass to it, he was not out of his comfort zone in his own lines allowing him to be himself as he truly wished to be. jungeun had worked on the parts they practiced together and her voice was definitely getting there as she had to drop some of the pop elements to give a more raw side and well kenta’s voice definitely pleased him after the singing lesson he got from sungwoon. they were really pulling it together.

practice started to become fun.

their chemistry began to work now that they were on the same page and while jungeun was able to find her sexiness, they were much more in sync in radiating the electricity that the original singers portrayed, the entire song groovy and sexy and just a general song that got you up and moving whether you knew that you were dancing to it or not. he kept up with them. kenta sang with no issues. jungeun shone as the sole female.

they could do this, he was finally totally confident.

--

it really felt like it had been such a long road and even beneath his stage clothes now he still wore the muscle relief patches on his calves and they moved from his forearms to his biceps to instead focus on a different area, the comfort of his clothes and the strain he put on his muscles to make this dance work something he was fortunate enough to stretch out before their performance so that he could feel at ease. he wasn’t worried about his rap. he never was. it was a part of him. and now... he finally wasn’t worried about his dance. in fact... he was really starting to like this dancing shit.

“hello, we’re triple threat!”

their greeting rang out that they had practiced, his usual greeting forgone for the sake of the team and he wore a smile as he couldn’t help his usual comment before the performance. “it’s about to funky.”

he took his position as he was so very used to grabbing at this point, front and center, his head starting off down at first until the first beats of the music brought him to life. if there was one thing he felt more comfortable doing than rapping, it was acting. it was what he spent a good portion of his life doing and with lead role experience came a comfort in portraying who he was to be in front of the camera. charisma came to him naturally and what he was skilled in doing was concentrating it. though they had practiced the whispering and moans jokingly at times, these would set the mood for the song and it came from enunciation and an in-your-face sexy charisma. he had never been someone to profess being insecure about his looks.

he knew he was good looking and it was time to really push that with his newly acquired skillset.

his head rolled with ease as he leaned on kenta, his elbow rested upon the others shoulder, his eyes smoldering as he found the camera -- something he was starting to be able to notice in the red dots on the cameras mounted around the stage -- and he wore a smile that was particularly devoid of the innocence he had shown with sia. a hand pressed into his pocket, he stepped forward with pressuring confidence, his fist hitting the air on each beat before he jumped into position, his hand rested on his groin as he rocked his shoulder powerfully to his lyrics. the start of the song set the mood and he needed it to be strong coming from him. 

his legs alternated sharply, the muscles from his practice and his years on bmx giving him the ability to attain the strength to do so before his arm swung round and the thrust was exhaled with the same intensity as the ad-lib he was in charge of, his head falling back only just so as he sucked the air in to release before he slid out of his position on the side. his words were concentrated, the whispers filled with a sexual tension that translated well with his deeper voice, his intent to draw the listener into the world that he was now living in. jungeun took over the center and he focused on the same sexy ease that he had practiced for so long, keeping the precision as tight as he could to match the others as he could feel the muscles he had strained in order to achieve the sharpness needed moving beneath the hidden relief patches.

he’d worked for this and it showed.

he rocked his chest forward in deep rolls before he stood back up, reclaiming his spot in the center as though it were his for the taking, the others hands coming upon his body as he repeated his lines and visibly let his chest rise and fall treated with the same sticky temptation directed to all of those that listened, not a moment given to them that his eyes weren’t positively scorching during that entire segment. he was much more comfortable being sexy than he was being cute and it definitely stood out. he posed behind kenta as he had his moment to shine as well, his eyes cast down to the ground as he noted the seriousness with which the other male took his part now which was so different from their practices. he was grateful. and the way jungeun owned her sexiness as she strutted about the stage, projecting her voice as the only female voice in the entire song... he was definitely proud.

he rolled his neck behind the other male, his hand coming up as he turned the direct finger and the direct eye contact out towards the crowd, stepping with dauntless confidence towards the center, his lines coming out with his trademark precision despite the slightly different enunciation on the need to keep the words tight yet bendy as they melded into the melody which was very groovy and loose. he hit his moves just as he had practiced. leg, hand, hand, chest. the deep breathing of his chest exaggerated for the visible effect before in the beat in between his next lines he swung his leg in to face the crowd sideways, two jumps and another swing of his foot in twirling his hand round the other before his arm came up to press his finger to his mouth as he rolled into a body roll that extended down his taller frame.

he could feel himself remembering the moves as though he were back in the dance practice studio in nova and in his hagwon, a certainty about his moves as though he were beside his dance coach or kenta instilling a confidence in him to execute them even if they might not have been as professionally done as kenta or his coach but that was what made the dance his own. not everyone danced the same and after countless hours of looking at himself in the mirror he knew for sure that he when he found the camera again, his profile shown off as mischievous sexiness entered his eyes, the same chic look on his face unwavering, he knew that his expressions were on point. 

he quickly took his spot to give jungeun the center, her voice ringing out from behind him as he clasped his hands in front of him, head down slightly, his gaze rising again as he jumped back to come in tighter to kenta as he could hear jungeun approaching from behind him, his hand and eyes rising as though looking at phone that he held that she promptly discarded of. he turned and moved in sync with kenta, the quick tightness of the moves certainly felt as what he had worked at in the muscles beneath his calves relief patches drew tight to attain what he needed to keep up with the other, the second half of their small duet easier as he snapped each pumping motion of his arms, allowing him to release and slide into the next move, his pose snatched as he let the tension release. the rocking footwork was not too different from what he executed with sia except instead of forward, he moved to the side to get to his position, kentas energy something that he fed off of as he could feel the fun in the song that they all had felt which gave the chic raise of his brow that he gave the cameras a playful arch to it from behind the other as his hands clapped. the playfulness all but disappeared as the sexy charisma entered his eyes once more, his arm coming out as he spoke his lines as a half whisper / half growl on the emphasis of sexy, his foot snapping as he looked at the camera directly, walking off to his spot, spinning off round kenta who he made brief eye contact with.

the chorus was by far the easiest part of the dance, the simple confident and charismatic rocking of their hips unashamed as his arms swung in the simple yet fun groove of the song, the lyrics repeating with only pauses allowed for the adlibs that he also was a part of, his head tilted back slightly as he looked down the at the judges instead of the camera, his hands coming forward as he snapped them into place after jungeuns line, a smirk coming upon his features as their feet alternated. his arms swung round into each other as they spun, his body rolling as he took over his adlib, beckoning the camera with his fingers before falling back into the chorus. they moved as one and performed the lyrics as one, their sync shining the most in the chorus as they all came back together for the second verse.

jungeuns arms came up as he turned his eyes towards her, a hand coming to her shoulder blades very lightly, the chemistry they had worked so hard to attain while kenta was out something that was now of the most importance to be portrayed. he rolled out of her hold, his lyrics taut as he let his profile shine in his body roll before he turned his gaze fearlessly to the camera, taking his grooving steps forward to his position, leaning into the slow arch as he and kenta practiced, jungeun spinning free to claim the stage as her own. he spun up into his position to face her from the distance, starting into the more enunciated dance moves as though he were a predator taunted by its prey, his enunciation matching the words as he rapped them with deep tension that suited the song, the same eyes he wore at the beginning of the song focused solely on her as he circled round, crouching down just to rise with her as her body roll lifted them both, his eyes moving to look at the back of her head so as not to stare at her body as he conveyed a barely tempered desire for her as though he’d devour her where she stood, letting her lead him for a few steps before he was turned back to his own position for the pre-chorus, his leg rocking with the released tension that had built up from his moves with jungeun as he delivered his line following kentas.

they moved into position again with one another, syncing up once more and as he danced his moves which were similar to those in the very beginning that he had as his first solo, his eyes snatched up the camera once more and they were cast into the chorus once more. the same way he had performed it before a clear indicator that he had practiced it that way hundreds of times at this as it was near identical except this time he moved forward at the end for the infamous dance break.

this called for a precision that he had worked at in the mirrors at work, in the mirrors at the hagwon with his coach, with kenta, with jungeun, on his own. he knew that these upcoming parts would be the ones that would make or break them and show the hard work he was willing to put in for the performance and he wasn’t going to let that go to waste. it wouldn’t look as professional as kenta or jungeun but he had worked damn hard to make sure he didn’t miss a beat and he matched their execution in energy. he let jungeun come forward as he and kenta took their steps back, the ease that he was able to pull of the moves solely thanks to the work of so many people and tireless hours of practice when and wherever he could, the swaying of their hips not unlike that of the chorus as he snapped his fingers out before they spun into the final dance break that would work the muscles that were now being tended to.

but he never let it show. as kentas arm came up around his shoulder and their voices carried into the second breakdown, their bodies rocking with thorough enjoyment as they grooved to the song, he could genuinely feel it as he let a smile shine through as he met kenta’s eyes because even if the others energy had been a lot during practice, it really helped to energize and motivate him on the stage so even though his muscles might be tired lately, he let himself go into the last chorus as he and jungeun took over the final repeating notes, kenta’s voice coming above theirs for the more prominent lyrics. his shoulders rocked and his head snapped, his hair slightly messing as the beat dropped and the dance really started to pick up. seeing both of them so up close working their hardest motivated him to work his hardest and though he could feel it as his calves would tighten and loosen with the moves and his biceps stretched to extend his arms to the same extent that they did, the adrenaline he felt was far too much for him to show the aches or even feel them as he belted out the talking lyrics with jungeun, his arm rolling confidently as he rolled into the move to turn his body round, his body dropping slightly with the beat as they all found their position for the final pose, the last bit of execution in sync as they had worked for it. and maybe his chest rose and fell a lot harder than theirs did and maybe he could now feel the soreness of his calves and a slight new soreness in his thighs but what he didn’t feel was the anxiety that he had felt going into this.

this dancing shit was really fun.