#rkmga5duos

[rkevent]

It’s a brand new weekend and a brand new episode of the Mnet Global Auditions. It’s already the third one and, for the first time in years, the show brings back the duo challenges to check what the contestants have to show for themselves when they’re with someone else. Some of the more memorable performances from the previous episode get a second to shine as small cuts appear on the screen before the public is reminded of who was sent some. In a survival show, not all will survive.

“What were your thoughts on last week’s episode?” The interviewer starts asking the contestants. “I thought my heart was about to explode. No, seriously!” LEE SUWOONG lays a hand over his chest and feigns exasperation. “I was terrified,” CHWE HANSOL comments. “I really thought that it was the end of the road for me. The fact I’m still here… I’m grateful for it every day.”

It’s CHOI MINHO’s face on the screen now. “I think there’s a lot of talent on the show this season and it’s amazing that the judges can narrow down the top 3.” HWANG YEJI appears next. “Getting told by Tiger JK himself that I am a good dancer- made me really happy and honored, honestly, I never imagined that I would be mentioned in the top performances. Let alone chosen the best dancer?” She nods her head. “I was confident that I wasn’t going to be grouped in with those who were eliminated,” JEON HEEJIN says, “but I wasn’t expecting to be picked as the best that day- like, not at all. I can only hope to keep meeting their expectations as we go forward.”

The camera spins around the set, showing the small modifications for the new episode. The contestants are all seated next to their partners and, as majestically as always, the CEOs make their way to their seat, officially starting the episode. From one of the corners, a judge picks up his microphone.

“Let’s bring the first performance of the day, please.” Hyun Bin asks and a camera zooms in on the duo sitting in the furthest corner. It’s pixelated, but it’s clear that one is a tall man and the other is a much smaller girl. The two make their way to the stage, and their identities can be confirmed. “CHOI MINHO checking in,” the man says with a grin. “I’m LEE NAKYUNG! Please watch us nicely!” 

There’s a couch prepared for them and the girl is the one to lay down on it while the man chooses to lay on the floor. Before the song can start, the screen shows Minho in his interview. “How was it working with your partner?” They ask him, and he opens a wide grin. “Nakyung is the best. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner for the duo stage.” And then it’s the girl’s turn on the interview. She places a hand on her chest, her eyes shooting up while she smiles. “Ah, I really…” She looks back to the front where the camera is. “I’ve been a big fan of Convex since before their debut so this is… this was really something to me!”

They focus on her face while she’s laying down before showing Minho again on the floor. The audio around them is of someone leaving, closing the door behind them, and then driving off. The man takes on the role of a dog and goes pester Nakyung, the cat. At the start, their performance is cute and theatrical, incrementing their animal’s behavior to the dance. Suddenly, instead of running to the other’s arms, the girl pretends to hit him in the face. With this, the song takes a complete turn to something more energetic and the duo truly gets to show off what they got. In the end, however, had left at the start of the song comes back, and Minho drops his partner on the floor before laying down as he had at the start. To pay him back, Nakyung steps on his stomach before reclaiming her spot on the sofa. 

It all ends as it had started, and the man appears again on the screen for some final comments. “We got to show different sides of us. Doesn’t Nakyung make a cute cat? I hope we get to work together again someday.” And the girl appears again, adding her own thoughts. “I hope that if there are more group opportunities in this season, that they pair him with someone else. I think most contestants could really learn a lot from working with him, just like I did.” Before they can call out the next duo, the camera shows the two in their seat once again. “I think we did well,” she’s the one to whisper to him.

“I enjoyed their performance a lot,” PARK WOOJIN says, “and I think that kinda routine needs good teamwork to pull off.” He stares blankly at the camera before continuing. “From an audience’s standpoint at least, it was just enjoyable to watch.”

The second duo to perform is two girls who make their way to the stage together. On their way there, KIM MINKYUNG gives CHOI YEWON an encouraging pat on the back. For their introduction, the two speak in unison. “Hello, we are Minwon.” Then, they move on to their personal introductions. “I’m Yewon the cutie rapper,” she says her words as cute as possible before winking at the judges. “I’m… just Minkyung, but I’ve never received any complaints!” The other jokes and then both move to get in their positions.

Choosing a song from Global Icon meant that you needed the charisma to make it work, and both girls show no problem with it. Yewon is in charge of the rap, and Minkyung is in charge of singing, and the dance isn’t too hard for both of them to follow along. If that wasn’t enough, the dance break is given to their cute rapper who shows off the skill she decided to move away from the last episode. She does her moves cleanly before stopping with a hand on her hip and a smug look on her face.

Once the song ends, the two share a hug before leaving the stage. Soon it was time for another pair. CHOI YOONA and WANG JACKSON take on the stage, and before they get to introduce themselves, the man appears seated for his interview. “Oh, I really enjoyed working with Yoona! She’s a really nice person and she’s also dedicated.” The girl also gets her turn. “Jackson's a sweetheart,” she says smiling. “We got along great — I think I got lucky getting paired up with him.” 

She’s the one to open up the stage, the rapper in their duo. Their standing side by side, holding to one of each other’s hands. They get close a lot during their performance. There are times when one will cup the other’s face, while others when someone will touch the other’s nose, or pull them closer together. Therefore, the dance choreography is saved mostly for the chorus. It’s nothing too challenging, probably to fit their skills. Overall, it’s clear that they’re having fun from start to end. The performance ends with finger hearts that are aimed at the judges up on their seats. They hurry off the stage when they're done, but their faces appear again for some final thoughts.

“I think it was easier to work with one person, rather than a group?” Jackson comments. “Last year… there were a lot of opinions, and a lot of tension, but when it’s only me and her, it’s really easy and fun to work. We can only hope we delivered a good performance.” Yoona is shown as well. “Is it okay if I say I think we did well? Jackson and I wanted to do something fun and upbeat, we wanted to enjoy ourselves onstage — and I think we did. I did, at least.” She says, smiling.

Two more make their way to the assigned spot on the floor. The girl makes sure to give herself a proper introduction. Waving both hands, she grins brightly. “Do you see me? I’m SIA KIM!” When the camera moves over to her partner, CHWE HANSOL, he’s smiling. “Hey, I’m Vernon. Hopefully, this gets you thinking about your first love in the best of ways.” While they get ready to start, the boy appears somewhere else. “How was it like working with your duo?” They ask him.

“With Sia? She’s amazing.” He says without hesitation. “It was like two peas in a pod. Our heads were always in the same space.” Sia gets to share her thoughts as well. “I was a little nervous at first? I’d never met him before. We ended up working well together, actually! I helped to pick a song that I thought was good for both of our skills. We just really complemented each other, I think.” And so the lighting changes to accommodate their performance.

The girl is the one who starts by singing. Instead of going with a complete cover of their chosen song, they do some of the smaller movements so that it fits their own skills. The colors of their outfits match as if they’re a real couple and their voices work together to show their puppy love story. It’s during the chorus that they truly make use of the original choreography. It isn’t too hard to keep up with and it matches their skills well while they have fun. In the end, Sia rests her head against Vernon’s and looks out to the cameras, her hands lifted up to show a pair of finger hearts. “How do you think you did?” It’s the boy on the screen again being asked questions.

“I mean… isn’t that for the judges to tell me?” He scratches his head lightly before they move on to his partner. “I think we managed to show a bright side of ourselves today, and it was really fun to work with Vernon. Either way, I won’t have regrets but I’ll… cross my fingers. I think it’s all I can do.” HWANG YEJI appears to share her thoughts. “Chwe Hansol’s performance with Sia really had me captivated when I watched. They looked like a couple in love, right?” She smiles.

Followed by them, is two boys this time: DO KYUNGSOO and KIM YUGYEOM. They introduce themselves briefly before getting ready to perform. The two wore plaid shirts, but Yugyeom had a beret on his head, while Kyungsoo simple let his hair messy. “I will admit, I’m a pretty shy person.” Kyungsoo is the one to say it in his interview. “So I was nervous about the fact we were going to work in pairs.” Yugyeom seemed to have shared some of these thoughts as well. “I was nervous at first, you know? He’s a singer who I haven’t seen any dancing from. We both went into this unsure of what to expect. A singer and dancer paired who can’t do the other skills? Talk about a work in progress.” He laughs a bit at his joke.

When their performance starts, though, it’s clear that they plan on showing all of the skills they own. They’re both dancing, and they’re both singing, even if there was a claim that they weren’t good at each other’s skills. At some point in the chorus, Kyungsoo walks forward and shows the palm of his hand. On it is a red heart taped right at the center, and the boy shakes his hand excitedly before returning to the rest of the choreography. Once the chorus is over, Yugyeom puts in more energy on his dance, showing what he got. The ending pose is a heart that the two make together. “This was the most difficult performance for me to date,” Kyungsoo says. “I haven’t danced much in the past and it was hard. I think it is important to keep challenging yourself. One does not grow by staying comfortable.”

Yugyeom says the last few words. “I think we really came together as a good team.” LEE NAKYUNG appears to comment. “Kyungsoo didn’t have the skills to keep up with Yugyeom and it didn’t feel like they had harmony at all. Kyungsoo’s performance last week was so creative and eye-catching… I’m sure it was Yugyeom’s fault, though. I don’t even remember his performances, at that. I doubt he’ll make it far, and if he brings Kyungsoo down with him then that’ll be a shame, really. I liked him.”

The camera zooms in on HA SUNGWOON as he wipes his palms against his tights. “Nervous?” He asks the one beside him, his partner for the week. NA JAEMIN looks over to him and smiles a bit, humming as he nods his head slightly. “It’s now or never, though…” It’s the first of the two who takes on the interview. “I only vaguely knew of Jaemin in previous rounds,” he admits. “When our pairing was first announced I was pretty anxious. I didn’t know if we’d be able to work well or not. And admittedly, some of my fears were valid — I mean, we definitely clashed in the beginning. We both have strong opinions and we’re stubborn not to back down.”

Returning to the two on their seats, their names are the ones called. Sungwoon gives his partner a double thumbs up and a smile. “Let’s get it done!” They make their way to the stage, and start off with introductions. “We’re your lucky stars, Sungwoon and Jaemin.” Sungwoon is the one to finish it. “We’ll be performing with our own spin, courtesy of Jaemin. We hope you enjoy!” They choose to perform a rearranged version of a song originally performed by a female vocalist. The change in keys makes it easier for him to sing it, and while he does so, Sungwoon looks Jaemin’s way from time to time. The rapper gets to show off his skills in a long verse, and after their performance is done, the two share a one-armed hug. 

After them comes what could be considered one of the more unusual combos. HWANG MINHYUN and SONG YUQI stand on the stage together as partners for this week’s mission. “I had fun,” the male admits in his interview. “I wasn’t sure what to expect when the names were called, but we got along well, and I think it translates well in our performance.” They take their seats on the stage this time, Minhyun holding onto his guitar. He gives her a nod before he starts playing.

They chose an acoustic version of a group song and, while he plays, Yuqi moves her head around waiting for the cue to her first lines. While the lyrics are gloomy, they try to keep the melody somewhat upbeat. They change glances throughout the song and move their bodies along to the rhythm. After they’re done and have to leave the stage, the two hug each other. “I’m so proud!” Yuqi tells him. “No matter what…” the girl holds onto his hand. “You’re amazing.” And so they show the man back in his interview. “I’ll be cheering her on for the indefinite future. You can count on me, Yuqi,” he says to the camera with a thumbs up.

“I could’ve done better, shown more of myself maybe, and I have some regrets looking back. It was nice to be able to play on stage.” KANG DANIEL appears on the screen next. “I really liked Minhyun and Yuqi’s performance. Their arrangement was really nice, and I thought it showed off their styles well. They’re both really strong and it was… a bit graceful? Elegant.”

This time is for HWANG YEJI and PARK JUNHEE to take over the stage. “Junhee oppa has been amazing,” the girl nods in her interview. “He has a great voice and is very underappreciated. He is in the same boat as Minho… not as known maybe but he’s amazing as well.” Junhee introduces himself first, followed by the girl. “Today, I want to show another side of myself.” She looks over to her partner who nods her way, and just like that they’re ready to perform.

The boy starts in the center singing acapella. After his first four lines, the song starts to play, and Yeji appears from behind him. She starts to sing as well, this time also dancing along to her words. Even with their song being in English, the duo does a good job at it, expressing the strong feelings that came with the musical song. When they finish, the two are standing side by side. Junhee swings an arm around the girl’s shoulder as they bow, and then exit. “I’m so proud of you,” he says to her. “We did well, didn’t we?” The girl chuckles, this time back in her interview. “I don’t think I can talk about how thankful I am to Junhee oppa. Thanks to him and my hard work I can say that I’m proud of myself.”

“Yeji had a lot of confidence when she walked on that stage,” DO KYUNGSOO comments on the performance. “I think that helped with her performance. Honest, I think she might win this whole thing.”

The next few names are called: JEON HEEJIN and KANG DANIEL. The boy looks over at the one beside him and gives her a grin. “Let’s do this.” He slings his bass over his shoulder as he stands up, and the scene cut to show him in his interview. “Heejin is great. She’s younger than me, but I admire her a lot. She’s self-assured and knows she’s meant to stand on stage, and she is. I was really scared of her at first,” he admits with a laugh. “Just because she- she won the title of best singer! And that’s entirely justified!”

“Working with others has never been an issue with me,” the starts on her own interview. “But I will say I do tend to perform better when I’m able to do exactly what it is I want to do- no one knows your strengths and weaknesses as best as you do.” They both stand on the stage, each with a different instrument. While Daniel chose his bass, Heejin carries an electric guitar. Just as worthy of the title given to her, the girl starts off by singing. The duo also decides on changing a more popular song into a dance remix, making it their own. While Daniel sings as well, the boy is also given some rap to perform as he did in the previous episode. Their voices eventually echo around the room, finishing off strongly. “I’m really proud of this,” the boy is the one to say it.

“I feel like this is where I really shine. I’ve put ‘instruments’ as my main skill on my MGA form for two years ago,” he laughs. SOHN YOUNGJAE appears on the screen. “If I remember right, Daniel hyung was involved in a band remix last year as well… Doesn’t it feel like a repeat? Honestly, I can’t help but wonder what he’s doing in a competition like this. Him and the rest of the band guys as well. I mean are they trying to become idols or do they just want to promote themselves? If they’re just here to promote their band… I think they should have let people who actually want to be here have a chance instead.”

“Let’s do this,” LEE HOHYEON mutters under his breath, sending a small nod towards JO YURI, his partner. Once on the stage, they take care of introducing themselves. “Hello, we are Riot!” The boy continues alone. “I’m Riot’s cool rapper, Lee Hohyeon.” And the girl finishes it off. “Hello, I am Riot’s main vocalist — Jo Yuri.” She smiles and waves towards the judges. “Please enjoy our performance.” Before they can actually start it off, it’s time to show some of the boy’s interview first. “I have to admit, it wasn’t easy at first.”

He lets out a small laugh. “We really didn’t hit it off on the right foot. But we managed to make it work and with a lot of hard work.” The cameras are back on the stage, focusing on each of their faces before their chosen song starts to play. “I want to see you all moving in those seats.” Hohyeon starts by looking at the CEOs before turning towards the other contestants. Yuri is the one who starts singing, voice deeper than what she had shown before. While the girl is in charge of reaching each pitch, the boy takes on the rap. When their gazes meet, they smile. During the chorus, the duo decides on following the choreography which is simple but adds a little extra to the whole performance.

They bow in thanks at the end of their performance before returning to their seats. Yuri gets her moment, too. “I was honestly surprised that we ended up working together. Plus, we definitely killed that stage, so uh…” she shrugs. 

The next performance is by two girls, KIM JUNGEUN and JUNG EUNJI. “We’re Kimjungeunji,” Jungeun says in the safety of her interview, not in front of everyone else. “I haven’t shown much of my singing yet but she encouraged me to do my best.” But then a rather different question is asked. “So, did Shin Yuna’s comment about your dye get to you?” The girl who, now, has brown hair rolls her eyes and the scene is perfectly cut to show one from the previous episode. “Jungeun was a trainwreck.” One of the eliminated contestants, SHIN YUNA, says in the black-and-white filter. “Even her dye job couldn’t help her performance.” Back to the present, Jungeun comments about it. “Well, it seems to have helped. I’m here still,” the girl states. “She isn’t. Maybe she should have dyed her hair blonde, so she could stay in the competition.”

On the stage, both Jungeun and Eunji stand with their back to the camera, a hand on each other’s hips. With the start of the song, the girls turn around, and Jungeun is the one who starts singing, something she hadn’t shown before. They dance throughout the song, but it’s after the end of the chorus that things get serious. There’s a switch on the song, and what’s happening is a dance break which incorporated many aspects such as floor choreographies, wacking, and tons of hair-flipping. When Jungeun attempts a high note, Eunji joins her soon after, showing off her own set of abilities.

“It was a perfect remix to showcase their vocal talent.” CHOI MINHO says. “I think I was hooked the whole performance.”

Next up is a couple of boys, KANG HYUNGGU and SEO CHANGBIN. “How was it like working with your duo?” They ask Changbin first. “Oh, with Ggu - I mean, Hyunggu-ssi?” He laughs awkwardly at his response. “Please cut that first part out.” It’s on his partner’s interview that the other’s supposed mistake makes some sense. “I was surprised that I was partnered with Changbin, actually,” Hyunggu says. “I didn’t think that out of all the people here that I would be paired with someone that I’ve known for most of my life?” He grins then cups his mouth, leaning closer to the camera. “Binnie-ssi, I know you like to pretend you don’t know who I am, but we both know it’s a lie.”

They are each standing on their spots before their introduction. Hyunggu starts by screaming, running, and then doing a cartwheel, before hopping into Changbin’s arms. “The floor is on fire!” His partner replies appropriately. “It’s okay, I’ll freeze the floor, then.” Changbin spins, pretending to get rid of the lava and sets down the other boy back on his feet. “Hello, we are fire and ice!” They properly get into position this around, waiting for their song to start. It starts off with them both singing together. There’s a choreography that goes along with it and they start together with it as well. While Changbin raps, Hyunggu stands to the side, adlibbing and moving his hands to the beat. The dancer eventually gets his own chance to shine with a dance break of his own.

After being done, they high five each other before sitting down.

“Prepared, hyung?” KIM SEUNGHUN asks the one beside him, KIM HYOJIN. “I’m as prepared as I could be,” the other replies. It’s their turn on the stage, and they stand there together before introducing themselves. “Hello, we’re Spicy Pork! I’m Kim Hyojin,” he says. “And I’m Kim Seughun!” The other says. “Like our team name and our hair colors,” Hyojin gestures at their head, his with a red color and the other with ash brown. “We’ll make sure to burn the stage with our spiciness!”

Before they can start their performance, Hyojin appears in his interview. “It was like a dream,” he laughs. “Have you seen Seunghunnie? He’s handsome, tall, good at singing, charismatic - wow. He’s like my soulmate. I love you, Seunghunnie.” The boy flashes a finger heart to the camera and the other side of this romance, Seunghun, also gets to add his own thoughts. “I call him my soulmate,” he can’t help but cringe. “I’m embarrassed!” The boy hides his face behind his hands, laughing at himself. “Hyung, I love you!” he ends it with a playful and exaggerated tone.

The moment the instrumental starts, the two begin to sing in harmony. They carry fiercer, more serious expressions than the ones they were showing off before. It’s a rock remix of a more recent song that plays, and they have to live up to the part. The playful duo of soulmates has a new intense gaze to show off. Their tones are different but they don’t crash. They harmonize for the high note and then intercalate. When it finally comes to an end, they hold their charismatic poses before leaving the stage.

The next duo walks over to the stage, LEE CHAERYEONG, and NAM JOOHYUK. “To the top, we’ll be iconic!” The two say at the same time before introducing themselves individually. “How was it like working with your duo?” They ask the male of the group, Joohyuk. “Honestly, a bit daunting,” he admits. “I mean, you know at the end of the day you’re working not just for yourself anymore but for someone else’s dreams too. But I’m insanely grateful to be paired up with Chaeryeong-ssi. She was amazing to work with and she’s one of the most talented contestants around.”

They smile at each other before the start of their chosen song. It’s a popular song even these days, proven by the fact they had chosen it. The two manage to carry the skills to execute it properly, Joohyun with singing, and Chaeryeong with rapping. Having ranked as one of the Top 3 in dancing the week before, she also manages to show off in that area, even if the choreography isn’t the hardest for someone like that. Once they’re done, the girl gets to share some words from her interview as well. “It was very interesting to work with a complete stranger, but I think we worked together well and created a really nice performance. It was also really nice to show everyone on stage!”

Two more appear for their turn. It’s LEE SUWOONG and WONG YUKHEI wearing matching outfits. “Prepare for trouble,” Suwoong starts. “And make it double,” Yukhei continues, both of them pointing to the camera. “I’m Lee Suwoong,” the first one introduces himself by pointing a thumb to his chest. “And I’m Wong Yukhei!” Just as it often goes, there’s a break for comments, this time starting with a few words from Suwoong’s interview. “It’s like we’re platonic soulmates! At first, I was a little intimidated, because he’s tall and handsome, but he’s easy to talk to and doesn’t get stressed at all!” An image of his partner appears on the screen, a heart matching the ones on their matching shirts floating around him.

Yukhei appears after him. “I hope we can remain friends.” The heartbreaks, but the boy continues to speak. “He’s a fun guy and I think we go well together. It was sort of like working with an old friend.” And so they’re back on the stage, a bench appearing behind them. Yukhei starts off by singing first. Suwoong brushes his chin, and this wouldn’t be the only romantic moment between the two of them. They take a few steps back, sitting on the bench. When Suwoong begins to sing, the two hold up a sign with ‘I ❤ U’ written on it and then pretend to kiss behind it. They dance together, and the romantic duet carries on like that. It ends with them sitting back on the bench and a hand heart.

Taking a bit of a twist in the performances so far, two beings walk to the stage. They both have boxes on their heads as they bow down and then finally take them off, revealing their identity. It’s MIYAWAKI SAKURA and SHIN RYUJIN. “How was it like working with Sakura?” They ask the other member of the duo. “It was honestly the best thing that has happened to me in this show so far!” Ryujin says. “I enjoyed my time with her the whole time and whether we were practicing, out shopping for our outfits or making our cute boxes I had a pleasant time.”

The song they chose is fun and different. Both girls get to show off their rapping skills, starting with Sakura, and then eventually getting to Ryujin on the second half. When it’s the chorus and instrumental is what takes over their performance, the two girls dance together in a dorky, goofy way, feeling the rhythm of the song. It’s silly but refreshing. When they’re done, Sakura appears in her interview. “She really complimented my style of rapping, she has a deep voice that meshes with my soft voice!” She giggles softly, placing her hand over her mouth.

“Ryujin and Sakura were both cute. DO KYUNGSOO comments. “I appreciated the change from regular hard rap songs.” HWANG YEJI also has thoughts to share. “I doubt anyone imagined two girls to pull that off so well. It was like made for them and they had fun on stage. It was contagious.”

After the two girls, come two men. There are only three duos left, and with the boys come two chairs to the top of the stage as well. They introduce themselves as PARK JINYOUNG and YOON JEONGHAN. They each take a seat but, right before the song starts, it cuts to Jinyoung’s face. “We worked on musicals together in the past. I looked forward to being with him on stage once more,” he pauses. “I think we connected easily and shared ideas that strayed away from our main comfort zone. We took a risk. He made taking that leap a lot easier.”

Back to the stage, the song starts to play, and the two follow the same choreography, except mirrored. Jeonghan is the first one to sing. The dance is sensual but not sexual, and the two try to keep it like that. Without the presence of backup dancers like in the original choreography, they are bound to use each other instead. Jinyoung cups Jeonghan’s chin, one of the changes needed to be made for them to fit. They stand up from their seat and the dance gets more intense while they harmonize together. Their expressions follow the concept of the song with intense gazes and grins. With its end, Jeonghan appears in his interview as well. “I’m very happy with the stage Jinyoung and I put on. I don’t think I could’ve had a more suitable partner.”

With each performance closer to an end, the next duo is composed of PARK WOOJIN and ZHOU JIEQIONG. “I hope I don’t embarrass you up here.” She grins, elbowing her partner as they rise from their seats. “Let’s have fun, yeah?” And to that, the boy replies with a “yeah.” They are up on the stage now, and the girl is the one who starts them off by speaking in Chinese. “Hello!” She greets. “We’re the Cuties.” As she says this, the look on Woojin’s face is of pure regret. “We spent the week choreographing this ourselves so we hope you all love it!”

The look on Jieqiong’s face is of excitement during her interview, though. “I was so. freaking. excited.” She says. “I love working with other dancers, and Park Woojin and I worked really good together. He’s a cute and a talented kid.” Woojin shares his thoughts right after. “Her talent for choreographing is really cool. I’m grateful to her for guiding me along. I know I must’ve been a bit of a drag,” he chuckles nervously, rubbing at the back of his neck. Back on the stage, the two are crouched next to each other, side by side while the song starts to play around them.

They interact with each other, which is a notable amount, just as much as they do with the audience at the start. The choreography starts strong, and that carries along as the song progresses. They aren’t scared to get close to each other either, but it all stays in the lines of playfulness. The fun and upbeat song seems to be a good pick and one that matches the name of their group with their dance. Even at the end, they get to play a bit, following the fading music.

“They did a great job.” LEE NAKYUNG comments. “There was a lot of interaction between the two of them. They didn’t worry with getting close and I think that helped make it very refreshing.”

When it’s time for the next duo, SON HYEJOO giggles as SOHN YOUNGJAE offers his hand for her to take. They link hands and sway between them on their way to the stage. They bow dramatically before the start of their introduction. The girl introduces him first. “Give it up for our main boy, Sohn Youngjae!” And then he is the one to introduce her. “And this is Son Hyejoo, AKA Olivia in the house! Together we are Sons of Anarchy!” The team name is a pun on both of their surnames. “Please take care of us!”

The girl takes her position on the floor and the boy remains standing. With the start of the song, the two start stretching and yawning. When Youngjae lays down, Hyejoo sits up and starts to rap. Youngjae had his lines to sing, and then jumps into the chorus, both figuratively and literally. The original choreography that served for nine people was adjusted to fit only the two of them. When the song ends, the two of them fall to the ground dramatically. “Noona is a really cool person, don’t you think?” The boy says in his interview. “I think girls who rap are totally awesome!”

Hyejoo speaks a bit as well. “I’m really pleased with how this week turned out. I think we were able to show a different side of us.”

The final performance arrives. “It’s nice to see you again!” TAKADA KENTA greets with his partner, YOO TAEYANG, by his side. “We are Taiyo. It means ‘sun’ in Japanese, which is our name because we’ll be burning you up today.” The other boy wraps up their introduction. “Please enjoy our stage.” They face away from the judges, prepared to start.

Kenta starts it off by walking away, turning around and walking towards the judges this time as Taeyang comes rolling in beside him. They move around each other, following the same routine but giving each of them the chance at the spotlight. Taeyang gets his time to dance alone, followed by Kenta’s turn. They reach toward the judges, making a gesture with their hands. For the last piece of the song, they dance next to each other, but with their movements mirrored. In the end, they stand back to back in the middle of the stage. “I think that we did good,” Taeyang comments with a few small nods. “I think we complement each other well.”

“I think, um…” Kenta says in front of the camera. “We were really sexy. That’s all I can think about.” LEE SUWOONG appears again. “When you look at them… you don’t really think ‘sexy.’ Taeyang is always too serious, and Kenta’s cute. I told them to show off their abs during this part, but they didn’t listen!” SON HYEJOO has some thoughts to share as well. “I really enjoyed the powerful dance duo. I think it’s the perfect opportunity to watch these amazing dancers both of who have their own styles within the same category come together and produce something that sharp and precise.”

Bringing an end to the performances, the camera pans over the judges slowly before Tiger JK picks up his microphone. “There were a total of 20 duos, and you were all judged as a package, not individually. All of you gave your best here today. Even so, we’ve come to an agreement that some did better, and some did worse.”

“Who do you think is the most likely to make it to the next round?” The interviewer asks. “I mean, isn’t it kinda obvious?” JO YURI comments. “I feel like everyone who placed first in their skill will. Other than that, it’s a game of chance, really.” DO KYUNGSOO adds his own thoughts as well. “I think SUWOONG and YUKHEI had great energy together.” He puts an emphasis on the last word. “I really thought they looked like a couple.”

LEE HOHYEON comes next. “Also…” he chews on his bottom lip. “I do think it’s a little unfair. Of course, Mason is going to be one of the best. He was previously a debuted idol and had proper trainee training. How is everyone else supposed to compete with that?” CHWE HANSOL appears on the screen this time. “People keep mentioning Minho having been in Convex before makes the playing field unequal but wouldn’t it be held to a higher standard for him competing with rookies when he already debuted? He had expectations that had to be met and now he has to exceed those plus the expectations of others here too. Plus his fanbase is no joke. Even I am a fan of Convex.”

The screen shows the set again, this time slowly coming closer to the judges. It was time.

“We’ll start off today,” Tiger JK continues, “by announcing the top 3 performances.” The camera shows the contestants this time, all of them probably wondering if it’s their name that will be called. “I’d like to invite to the stage three duos. These are CHOI MINHO and LEE NAKYUNG, CHWE HANSOL and SIA KIM, and LEE SUWOONG and WONG YUKHEI.” The man nods slowly as the top best contestants of the week make their way to the stage. On each of the duos, one half was part of the top 3 on the previous week, each for a different category.

With all of them lined up, the man proceeds with his speech. “All of you showed that you could not shie on your own, but that you could also complement each other well. The six of you managed to show your own skills, as well as highlight that of your partner and deliver a good performance. However, only one of you can be considered the best of the week.” He takes a pause, staring at the contestants below him before he shares what’s on his mind. “The best duo of the week is… CHOI MINHO and LEE NAKYUNG.”

The man nods again, the corner of his lips only raising slightly. “You did not only show off your abilities regarding performance skills, but you put on a creative performance. While the two of you are very different, you managed to come together and use that to your advantage.” His gaze moves to the other contestants on the stage. “Of course, the four of you also did a great job. Congratulations to all of you.”

With the end of the announcement, all were looking forward to, it was time to break the news people were trying to avoid. Another judge picks up his microphone getting ready to speak.

“Unfortunately, not everyone can win.” So Jisub nods, scanning the room with narrow eyes. “Just like last week, there will be eliminations today. You were all evaluated on your performance as a duo and, because of that, we’ll be eliminating both members that took part in the performance.” This was already known information but that the CEO makes sure to remind everyone of. “While last time 10 contestants had to go home, this time it’ll be 6 of you. This means that from the 20 duos here today, 3 will be eliminated.”

The camera pans over some of the contestants' reactions before returning to the judge. “And the first duo to leave us is…” The usual tense song that plays exactly in moments like these gets stronger, everyone in the room nervous to know who it’ll be. “PARK JINYOUNG and YOON JEONGHAN.” So Jisub nods in their direction. “While you two seemed to have worked well together and complimented each other, I think you just complimented in a way that made you both seem mediocre. You’re both talented individually, but it felt like your performance overall wasn’t as great as we had expected it to be. We hope that, in the future, you’ll find something that works best for you.”

Jisub looks down once he’s done, confirming who is next that he needs to call. “The second duo to leave us is… CHOI YOONA and WANG JACKSON.” The screen shows some of the random reactions from the other contestants. “While it was clear that you were having fun on the stage, there are more factors to a good performance than that which, of course, you didn’t get to reach. You can’t just do what you like because you like it, but it needs to be something good, too. We may have had some expectations for you so, this was truly a shame.”

And so there can only be one elimination left. “The last duo to leave us today is… HWANG MINHYUN and SONG YUQI.” If the last duo could have been considered a surprise, this is at least a little bit harder to believe. “Considering Yuqi was one of the top contestants on her skill last week, this was a tough choice to make, but one we all agreed with. We could see that your previous stages could be considered a bit different from the other, and we were looking forward to seeing what you could come up with. It’s safe to say that wasn’t what we expected and also not better than it, either. It’s a shame that the result had to be this, but it’s what it must be.”

When the man finishes speaking, someone else picks up the microphone. This is usually the time they congratulate the ones who passed and say goodbye to the ones that are gone, but Katie Lee says something instead. “Except… this may not be the end of your road just yet.”

To see all the of this season’s contestants, click here!

And now, let’s see what’s in store for our fourth episode!

After the announcement of the latest eliminations, those who moved on to the next challenge were once again organized in duos, but this time with different partners. Both of the people involved should show at least one of their performance skills. The theme is to impress and to manage to show your colors even when sharing the stage with someone else. A list of the duos can be found below:

#5050 - ZHOU JIEQIONG #5032 - LEE SUWOONG

#5048 - YOO TAEYANG #5035 - NAM JOOHYUK

#5047 - WONG YUKHEI #5038 - PARK WOOJIN

#5045 - TAKADA KENTA #5033 - MIYAWAKI SAKURA

#5043 - SON HYEJOO #5029 - LEE HOHYEON

#5042 - SOHN YOUNGJAE #5027 - KIM YUGYEOM

#5040 - SHIN RYUJIN #5026 - KIM, SIA

#5039 - SEO CHANGBIN #5011 - HWANG YEJI

#5037 - PARK JUNHEE #5023 - KIM MINKYUNG

#5034 - NA JAEMIN #5013 - JEON HEEJIN

#5030 - LEE NAKYUNG #5022 - KIM JUNGEUN

#5028 - LEE CHAERYEONG #5014 - JO YURI

#5025 - KIM SEUNGHUN #5002 - CHOI MINHO

#5020 - KIM HYOJIN #5017 - KANG DANIEL

#5018 - KANG HYUNGGU #5007 - DO KYUNGSOO

#5015 - JUNG EUNJI #5008 - HA SUNGWOON

#5006 - CHWE HANSOL #5004 - CHOI YEWON

Eliminations will be made in duos which means that if a performance is considered sub-par, both contestants will be eliminated. Therefore, make sure to work well together and choose something that fits the two people involved. Or not! Take your risks if you’d like to.

The twist this time seems to be that those eliminated on this episode may still have another stage to show what they got. Those six people were organized into three new duos and will arrive earlier than the rest for the recording of their part of the episode. Only one duo will be allowed to return. After the results are announced to them, they’re allowed to wait backstage where a TV can be found and watch the rest of the recording. Those who don’t get a chance back on the show will only be allowed to leave after the other contestants are already on set to avoid breaking the surprise that’ll be the revelation of the returning duo at the end of the episode. Both of the people involved should show at least one of their performance skills. The theme is to impress and to manage to show your colors even when sharing the stage with someone else. A list of the duos can be found below:

#5049 - YOON JEONGHAN #5010 - HWANG MINHYUN

#5046 - WANG JACKSON #5036 - PARK JINYOUNG

#5044 - SONG YUQI #5005 - CHOI YOONA

All contestants are supposed to make their own way to the recording studio prepared specially for this episode. The set will be the same as last round and will look something close to this. On each side, 18 chairs will be prepared for the contestants to sit on and watch each other’s performances. The duos should sit together and, to ensure so, the seats have been marked with their numbers. Starting from the first chair on the left and going all the way to the last one on the right, the numbers will follow the list of duos found above. There will be an empty pair of chairs which are to be taken at the end recording with the announcement of the returning duo. Just because most eyes will be on the performance doesn’t mean no one will be paying attention to you. A set of cameras will have their lenses ready to capture any sort of interesting reaction from those watching (beware of the evil editing) while a couple more will allow different angles of the main performance to be captured.

Sitting on the higher ground, much more comfortable chairs are lined in front of the stage — five in total. This is where the CEOs of each big company will be sitting to make sure only the most captivating contestants will continue their journey to make this the best season yet.

                          Tune in next Saturday, the 20th, for our fourth episode!

MGA Season 5 episode four preview: It’s the second week of duo performances, and things couldn’t be more interesting! Will the contestants get to work well with new people, or will this be their new demise? If your favorite contestant got eliminated on the last episode, will they manage to come back? Tune in next week to find out!

[ All of the performances were aired in their entirety. Cuts from the show itself were uploaded to Mnets’s Official Youtube Channel. ]

If you made it this far, either if you were eliminated on this episode or not, you may add +3 POINTS IN A PERFORMANCE SKILL to your points tally. Make sure to link back to this post for verification.

Contestants have until midnight EST at the end of Friday, the 19th, to post their 200+ words solos about the duos challenge in front of the CEOs. Please tag all related posts with #rkmga5 and #rkmga5duos2. They’ll have two minutes to perform their chosen skill to capture the attention of the CEOs (as long as it doesn’t break any laws). Good luck! Song choices should be submitted to the rkevent inbox. Two duos performing the same song will not be allowed and this will be chosen on a first come first serve basis. This applies to the returning duos as well.

After the last performance is done, the CEOs will leave to discuss their thoughts privately. While this happens, the contestants will be taken one by one into a small room to be interviewed on their thoughts of the current state of things. They will be asked a variety of questions and some may be included in the list found below! Feel free to come up with your own questions if you think they can be fitting.

What did you think of the results last week?

How was it like working with your duo?

How do you think you did?

Were there any performances you liked?

Were there any performances you didn’t like?

What did you think of ___’s performance?

Which duo do you think complemented each other the most?

Was there anyone you think that brought their partner down?

Who from those eliminated last episode do you think will return?

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

Is there anyone you are certain will be eliminated today?

Once they’re done, they’ll be taken back to their seat to wait, or may go to the bathroom if needed.

You may also write an extra 200+ words solo about your muse’s interview, as explained above, to also be posted until midnight EST at the end of Friday, the 19th. For doing so, you may earn +2 CHARISMA OR CREATIVITY POINTS and these can be added to your points tally as soon as it is posted. Please tag all related posts with #rkmga5 and #rkmga5duos2. Please link this post as verification.

[rkpjy]

⭐️MGA 5 EPISODE 3 ↪ perfoming romanticism by leo with @rkjeonghxn outfit inspiration: x  x line distribution & times: x 

it’s always easier to move on to the next round when there are a lot of contestant. the fewer they become and the harder the choices will be for the five ceos. there’s undoubtedly a lot of raw talent in this room, some maybe more polished than others, some mostly relying on their popularity and star factor. the latter can’t be downplayed of course, as there’s no reason to have skill in the first place if people aren’t interested in you or want to follow you. still, it’s always a little annoying to see such people get by with minimal talent.

soon after jinyoung returned to his seat following his interview, the entire set falls silent. everyone’s eyes are glued to the judging panel, waiting for the dreaded moment when they will announce the results. his newly found acquaintance changbin is nominated as the top rapper, which comes to no surprise to jinyoung, but it’s choi minho who takes the win. unlike a lot of people here, jinyoung doesn’t feel any type of way for that guy. despite his best friend being in convex, he knows very little about the group and what kind of drama happened that led to the rapper’s departure. he’s not a hater nor is he a fan, and although he didn’t dislike his performance, he wouldn’t have gave him the win either.

he keeps a straight face throughout the eliminations, just quietly wishing not to be on that list when the singer’s turn comes. the top 3 dancers are called to the stage, and he recognizes hwang yeji from that one day at the hospital. they haven’t spoken since and he wishes her well. she’s a pretty good dancer despite her young age, but so is lee chaeryeong. as for suwoong, well, it’s not a question of talent really, but more his personality that jinyoung can’t quite figure out. he’s satisfied with yeji’s win, just as he is satisfied with heejin’s win later on. there was a slight disappointment about not making the top 3 but then again, he still believes he performed the best he could. for someone as obsessed with perfect as he is, it’s hard to accept average results, but he’s a good sport. heejin, as he’s noted multiple times already, is a very good singer. he wonders if she can dance well too, because if she does then she’s almost guaranteed to go to the end. her looks are very idol-like, not to mention she’s young.

joohyun was probably the most surprising elimination for jinyoung. he knew she made a mistake, they all did, and it’s unexpectedly fair that they wouldn’t favor her due to her past participations and already established level of popularity. she’s one of the known contestants here that everyone talks about to the point where jinyoung also knows about it, and even if don’t want to show bias, maybe he thought they would show more leniency towards someone they know, and he now stands corrected. there is no second chance in this competition, and no room for weakness.

he applauds heejin’s win with a proud smile, and it’s probably the first time anyone will have caught him looking so pleased since the very first audition. he’s also happy for sihyeon who’s finally been recognized for her talent. it’s kind of funny how some of those who changed categories managed to survive unlike those who truly wanted to show their best skill. in hindsight, it was pretty clever of them to do so and jinyoung wonders if this was calculated on their part. he doubts so for daniel, who probably just innocently wanted to show another side of himself. but that’s if he’s still the same person he knew all those years ago in busan. maybe he’s changed, like jinyoung did.

he doesn’t care much for the following eliminations, as nobody he knows has been sent home. instead, he pays close attention to what is said next. they are to be paired off in duos and present a neat performance showing not only talent but also teamwork. and it’s probably what he dreads most as of now. it’s not as easy for him to get along with people as much as he’d like, and depending on who he ends up with, this assignment might be his first real challenge. he doesn’t necessarily want to be with a friend, however, because it doesn’t always mean it will lead to a good performance. he ends up with yoon jeonghan.

they’re not friends per say, but they do know of each other and have worked together in the past on musical productions. jinyoung is very enthusiastic at the idea of performing with someone who has talents and tastes similar to his, but it can also be an obstacle in the end. they can’t put up something too expected. it’ll be boring to watch for everyone.

that’s the subject they talk about when they first meet up for practice. “since they know we’re both passionate about musicals, i don’t think we should choose that type of song. what do you think?” he asks jeonghan who promptly agrees. they’re both aware they need to showcase something different, more creative and challenging. something that will throw the judges off, hopefully in a good way. they spend a while just searching online, or scrolling down their playlists in order to find the perfect fit. and after going through several choices, they finally decide on romanticism by leo. the key is to make all the right changes to the choreography and harmonies so it looks and sounds as if it was meant for two people instead of just one. they need to be in complete unison, and not just seem like two individuals performing the same song at the same time.

their first practice consists of making these arrangements and going through them a couple times to see if they fit well, and deciding on the parts they’ll each sing. they both agree to practice on their own whenever they have free time, then meet together every day for several hours so they can put it all together. it just won’t work if they both work separately.

while jinyoung criticizes a lot, he’s also very open to criticism himself. as long as it’s nothing insulting, he believes this is the only way one will grow, and not with fake praises. if he sucked, he wants to know. if he does one movement wrong, he wants to know so he can fix it. if jeonghan feels it would be better if they switched one part because it sounds off, he’ll be open to the idea. what he finds exhausting is those who are too scared to make any kind of negative comment, or who take everything too personal. they’re impossible to work it, not to mention annoying. it’s all meant to enhance the performance. the judges won’t chose the best out of the two of them. so either they win together, or fail together. it doesn’t matter if one sings five seconds more, as long as it makes the whole thing better.

it’s surprisingly easy to work with jeonghan, and jinyoung comes home at night almost with a spring in his step, telling mina about how practice is going with a lot more details than usual. he’s optimistic, hopeful. if it were to suddenly come crashing down....

the two men sit next to each other, and jinyoung can’t help but notice there’s so few of them compared to the first episode. sixty chairs have disappeared since then. he remains exactly like the second episode, face stoic as he watched the first few duos perform on stage. the only moments he stops being a statue is in-between performances, as he leans over to jeonghan and whispers things inaudible to cameras, about what he liked and didn’t like.

yugyeom goes before with him, with a contestant called do kyungsoo, and he honestly has no idea what to expect when they first start. it seems like they managed to use each other’s strength and make up for the other’s weakness quite well, and jinyoung hopes it’s enough for them to make it through. some of the duos make unexpected yet good pairs, and some match so well it’s almost boring. he wonders if this will be the case for jeonghan and him, although they didn’t go for a musical number. are their skills too similar? but it’s not like they can suddenly pretend one of them can rap either, so there’s nothing they can do about it if they were put together.

they go near the end, with only three duos left after them. they both bring a chair to the center of the stage and sit on them after introducing themselves. the original artist has a very specific way of dancing, that makes every movement look smooth but not sloppy, and sensual but not sexual. there’s a fine line they can’t cross, and jinyoung does feel like they got in down after hours and hours of practice. jeonghan starts off the song with his first lines.

In my mind you’re my lord, the reality is not close enough You’re my one You’re my one

jinyoung parts his legs in a swift motion as the dance obliges, and because there are no backdancers, instead of gesturing to his empty side, he briefly cups jeonghan’s chin instead, making it one of a several modifications to the original choreography. it’s not hard to imagine he’s singing to his girlfriend right now, and wishing she was the one dancing with him. jeonghan and him aren’t exactly flirting together, their actions more inclined to the audience, but there still needs to be a connection between them, a sensuality that can be felt all the way to the very back of the studio. I see through your body, The sign that gets my sensitivity wet Your eyes are chasing after my movement As if saying come after you

in the middle of this verse they both stand up, leaving their chairs behind for the time being. the way they arranged this part suits the lyrics well. it’s as if they’re also chasing each other, delivering their lines back and forth like one echoes the other, and as jeonghan finishes it, jinyoung prepares for the chorus. two minutes isn’t long at all, and after this they’re jumping straight to the bridge so the transition isn’t too cut and dry. Dive-in for me at this moment, make me shiver one time Romanticism in our world together now Let’s feel it romantically, together now

the dance gets more intense and demanding, but they’ve arranged for them to sing half of it together, harmonizing each other. jinyoung’s gaze is piercing, and he has fun flirting with the crowd. there are a lot of parts in this song where they rub their chest, their face or roll their hips, and there’s a risk to make it look cheap and very cringe-worthy if they’re not careful, so they made sure to tell the other whenever it was too much, or not enough. they want to mesmerize the audience, not turn it off.  Piece of you for just one moment Feel me from now on

Let’s feel it sensually, together now Girl you know I’m watching you together now

they had to cut the last chorus in half to fit in the time requirement, but in the end it doesn’t really matter since they jump next into the other half which is kind of a nice follow-up and uses the same lyrics. they sing most of it together, dancing in sync.

together now.

[rknak]

                    *·—————   𝕄𝔾𝔸 SEASON 5 !!

                                                      ( DUOS INTERVIEW )                       ♡   mentioned: @rkheejin; @rkyeji; @rkmason; @rkchwev;                             @rksihyeon; @rkkyg; @rkkyungsoo; @rkkhg; @rkxbin;                             @danielxrk; @rkpwj; @rkkyul; @jungeunxrk; @rkeunji  ♡

she sits quietly on the usual seat. it’s easy to get used to things like this, or at least it is to her. nakyung had spent enough times in her room fantasizing over being interviewed once she was rich and famous, and now she got to do it even before then. maybe things were working out of order, but the girl is sure that one day all of her dreams will come true.

“ hello, again. “

nakyung had been sitting quietly so far, although the signs of high energy were noticeable on certain parts of her body. her legs were constantly moving and there was a proper smile on her face — one better than her usual ones. “hello!”

“ what did you think of the results last week? “

“wow…” it’s how she starts off. nakyung brings herself back, touching her back on the chair. it was surprisingly comfortable. “i really… didn’t think i was going to make it, and i didn’t think some other people were going to make it either. the results really came as a surprise. while some eliminations were unfortunate i don’t think the judges were unfair. they are the ones with real experience here and i wouldn’t be the one to go against them. i might have been the third-worst, or maybe i was the fourth-best, but whatever they decided they must be right about it. plus, with voting taking a role, you can’t really expect only the pure talent to stay. you need something else.”

she nods to her words before continuing. “i think the top 3 were decided well, too. while HEEJIN’s performance wasn’t interesting at all on the first week, she managed to show new colors of herself, and she has the talent to back it up. YEJI, while I think she’s a very good dancer, I don’t think she showed the best she could last time. after all, this isn’t a dance competition. i would have expected something more exciting for tv. and then, of course, there was MINHO, too.” nakyung smiles again at the mention of his name. “there is no question that he is a true performer. it’s not just skill that you need. you really need an attitude and an aura, and he has all of that. it’s really inspiring to see someone like him from so close.”

“ and he was your partner this week, right? how was it like working with him? “

the girl brings her hands up to her chest, eyes shooting up to try and think where exactly she could start. “ah, i really…” she looks back to front to where the camera is. “i’ve been a big fan of convex since before their debut so this… this was really something to me! ever since the start, he’s been very kind to me. he made sure i was comfortable with everything and even asked for my input for the choreography. even if i consider myself a dancer… i had never tried choreographing before. i knew my skills would never reach that of his, but he helped me each step of the way, really. we agreed on the concept together, and from then on it’s been each day better.”

“i even took one of my convex albums to him on our first meeting.” she stops briefly to chuckle. “thankfully he was very okay with it or else it would get awkward really fast for us. he signed it for me and it’ll now be one of my most prized possessions. i think… well, i hope that if there are more group opportunities in the future in this season, that they pair him with someone else. i think most contestants could really learn a lot from working with him, just like i did. i don’t think we’ll be eliminated but i feel like this is the episode i learned from the most.”

“ did you pay attention in any other performances? “

“yes, of course!” the girl nods. “we were the first to go so we got to watch the rest of the contestants afterward.”

“CHWE HANSOL and SIA KIM really complimented each other well, i think. they knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses and managed to use them well. neither of them was advertised as a dancer, and the few they decided to show were simple and fun. and it looked like they were having fun together. they complimented each other well and i can see them moving on, or at least i hope so.” she nods.

“hm…” she tries to think of what she could talk about next. “honestly, KIM YUGYEOM and DO KYUNGSOO’s performance was very… boring? kyungsoo didn’t have the skills to keep up with yugyeom and it didn’t feel like they had a harmony at all. kyungsoo’s performance last episode was so creative and eye-catching… i’m sure it was yugyeom’s fault, though. he was the dancer in charge so i’m guessing he was the one who prepared that. honestly, he should look for a career somewhere else. i don’t even remember his previous performances, at that. i doubt he’ll make it far, and if he brings kyungsoo down with him then that’ll be a shame, really. i liked him”

“i think KANG HYUNGGU and SEO CHANGBIN’s performance was very energetic, but nothing close to hansol and sia’s. hyunggu isn’t a decent singer and changbin very well outshone him. he was in the top 3 last week for a reason and i think that reason is clear. the choreography didn’t feel too hard for changbin, though, so i can give him that at least. and their song pick was good.”

nakyung lets out a heavy sigh as she remembers something else. “i liked JEON HEEJIN’s performance, unfortunately. it was a nice remix and she performed it well, as expected. it’s just obvious that they had to play instruments in it, though. KANG DANIEL was her duo and i don’t know why he’s still rapping. i was sure he only did it last time for the sake of saving himself and i calmed myself before coming sure that i wouldn’t have to listen to that again. why wouldn’t he play the bass? it helps mask the talent that isn’t there. he’s lucky they have the constant surprise factor that is heejin who can play an electric guitar and sound good while doing it. this isn’t a band competition which is probably what he’s used to. i mean, he did the same thing last season and this time he actually brought his whole band. at some point, he’ll need to stop using the same card and i hope that is soon because we’re all getting tired of it.”

“i also mentioned him before… it’s one of daniel’s friends.” her face lets go of some of the bitter expression before continuing. “PARK WOOJIN’s performance was really nice. it was with… ZHOU… yeah… they did a great job. there was a lot of interaction between the two of them. since they choreographed it themselves, too, i think it makes it even better. they didn’t worry with getting close and i think that helped make it very refreshing. i think their name was… ‘cuties’?” she chuckles a bit. “i wouldn’t have classified woojin like that before but his image really brightens when he dances. if the performers are having fun it is an easy thing to notice and i think they did a good job of relaying on that image.”

“there was also…” nakyung bites at her lower lip. she needs to actually consider this before continuing which, at some point, the girl would have found ridiculous, but now she can’t help but feel anger at her, well, friend. “KIM JUNGEUN’s performance with JUNG EUNJI. it felt right up jungeun’s alley to me. we were friends before the competition started. chichi is my weakness and they managed to make it even more powerful of a performance than the original song already was. they are both amazing dancers but, let’s face it, eunji was clearly the better singer. they should have given jungeun only the easier lines. it really took away from the performance a bit to me. they clearly took in their strengths but trusted each other too much when it comes to weaknesses. if they’re gone next week we’ll know whose fault it was.”

[rkhyeon-blog]

contestant #5029 - lee hohyeon duo performance with @rkyuri​ K/DA - POP/STARS (0:00-0:56, 1:20-2:19) line distribution

he had made it through yet another elimination. of course he had, hohyeon didn’t have much of a doubt he was going to make it through. and while he had been slightly pressed by the idea that they didn’t think he was one of the best rappers, it was a darn sight better than being one of the worst. but now he had made it through it came the new challenge and with it a vocalist he was going to have to put up with for a whole week. 

easier said than done when he hardly... liked vocalists very much. the whole time he always thought they stole all the spotlight away from rappers. everyone seemed to think they were more impressive and that simply annoyed him. and now he was expected to pair up and work with one. he knew it wasn’t going to be easy, and he had been right about that. 

hohyeon would have much preferred to be paired up with a dancer, or even another rapper, but no, they had paired him up with a vocalist. it had been pretty hard going at first, the problem of coming up with a song the both of them actually liked and wanted to perform together. hohyeon had eventually mentioned pop/stars mostly because it was what he had been listening to on repeat for awhile. it was quite a surprise that yuri actually took to the idea after listening to the song herself. so, now there they were after a week of some arguments, some tears and a lot of sweat and hard work ready to put this all together in front of the ceos and the remaining contestants. 

it was ever so slightly nerve wracking to know that it wasn’t going to be all down to him this week. if yuri didn’t perform well enough, then the both of them could end up being sent home. they needed to put on a good performance, get the crowd involved and impress everyone. not that hohyeon was worrying very much about him managing to do that, but he couldn’t help but side eye yuri as they found their seats and sat down next to each other. 

‘rocky’ was downplaying how the week had currently gone for the two of them. first it was the song choice, then it was the fact hyeon had somehow gotten her to agree to dancing with the chorus. and that had taken a lot of effort on his part. the girl was not a dancer. sure, she could get the basics steps and it wasn’t like she had two left feet or anything like that, but she was not on the same level as him and it was clear. luckily, the choreography was pretty simple, nothing too pressing and it had only taken him about an hour to get it down. the rest of his time was trying to get it in yuri’s head as well. 

well, he had done his best, there was not much else he could do about it now. either they were going to sink or swim in this performance. all the sixteen year old could really hope was that they had both put in enough work to actually pull this off. 

already he was slouching in his seat somewhat, one arm hooked over the back of his chair as he watched the stage. it was a slightly different setup to last week. not that he really thought it made much of a difference, so long as everyone could see them perform and no one ended up falling off the stage or tripping on air, then it would be fine. why should he be worried about a change of scenery, anyway? 

only when it was their turn to be called up to the stage did the boy straighten up in his chair. this was their moment and he couldn’t put this performance off any more. it was time to see if they actually could work together and make it through this in one piece and not have a falling out on stage. now that would be one of the worst things to happen and up there with forgetting his lines or forgetting a step. and there was no chance he was letting himself mess up and be sent home, not after making it this far in the competition. 

not that the third episode was all that far, really. but hey, it was better than being eliminated before even making it past the audition stage. 

“let’s do this,” he muttered under his breath, sending a small nod towards yuri as he stood himself up from his seat and made his way towards the stage. as per usual, all the eyes on him was hardly bothered him in the slightest, easily switching over to his ‘nice boy’ persona with a bright smile. it was something he had gotten rather good at over the course of this competition, the ceos and audience would hardly like him half as much if he was more like the ‘real’ him. that him was rude and brash and a little bit of an asshole. no, it was probably better if he died all that down and acted nicer and friendlier to everyone. lay off the snappy comments and judgemental looks. 

once he was sanding in the middle of the stage, the confidence came back to him, easily relaxing his shoulders as he grinned at the judges. that stage was where he belong and this performance was simply going to blow everyone away. it was a popular song, a proper headbanger and he would be surprised if everyone could just sit still and listen to it. especially with what he was planning on telling everyone. 

“hello, we are riot!” he spoke in unison with the girl beside him, the smile on his face the whole time as he cleared his throat again, “i’m riot’s cool rapper, lee hohyeon.” 

but now they had got the intro over and done with, the time to start was now. this was going to be fun, he could already tell, the tingle in his fingers before he started to perform, the confident look in his eye as he looked over towards his partner. yeah, they were going to do this and become instant fan favourites. this was going to be the performance of the whole episode. 

as soon as the music started he was moving, bringing the mic close to his lips, “i want to see you all moving in those seats.” he stared at the ceos for just a moment before turning towards the other contestants, a slight smirk on his face as he looked at them. they better get into this, it was going to be even more fun if everyone had a good time and actually got into the performance instead of just sitting there and being boring about it. 

you know who it is coming ’round again you want a dose of this right now it’s riot uh!

he hadn’t even really started rapping yet and he was already getting into the performance, feeling every note as he held the mic close to his mouth. but not close enough that they could hear him breathing, obviously.

i’m a goddess with a blade 소리쳐봐 내 이름 잊지 못하게 loud loud loud loud i could take it to the top 절대 멈추지 못해 내가 끝내주는 bad gal gal gal

he didn’t bother changing the lyrics so that they were male gender, he didn’t see the point in it. instead he rapped with confidence, a flame burning in his heart and determination in his eyes. they were going to own the stage and proved they deserved to go further in this competition. hohyeon would like to think they were talented enough to go all the way to the finals and walk away with a contract. that was the dream and what he was aiming for. 

though he wasn’t a fan of vocalists, he did have to admit that yuri was clearly talented. as she started singing after his short verse he had a smile on his face. trying to hype her up and keep the crowd hyped up as well. this room was their own personal concert and he was going to make sure that everyone was watching and everyone was paying attention to them. when yuri sang the words to keep their eyes on her, hohyeon raised two fingers, pointed them towards the crowd before pointing them back to himself. eyes on them, not on the person sitting next to them or even the ceo’s. 

they had decided to cut the song, removing the first chorus. so it cut straight to his next rap part, by hohyeon was prepared for this. he should be after knowing the song off by heart after listening to it so much before this competition even started. and then the week of going over and over and over just to make sure they were completely prepared to put on the best performance they possibly could when the time came for that. 

hey! you ready for this? lessgo! see 언제든지 내 모습 magic 단 한 번에 내가 잡어 절대 기죽지 않지 uh! pow pow 네가 뭘 알아 견딜 수 없어, 원해도 원하는 게 얼굴에 보여 i’m trouble and you’re wanting it i’m so cold when i move that way you gonna be so blown I’m the realest in the game uh!

he was rapping at the other contestants, voice almost a challenge if they listened to the lyrics, feet moving him about the stage like he owned it. he even managing to send a grin over towards his partner as he kept up the flow and the rhythm of the verse. this was a duo performance, after all and he didn’t want to try and outshine his partner. they were in this together, and while he still might not be the biggest fan of that, it was better they work together than against each other. while this was still a competition, for this round they were on the same team and they were both going to make it through. as a team. 

the grin on on his face the whole time, really taking the time to appreciate the vocals of his partner. he did have to admit that this was a good song choice, better than some simple duet they could have gone with instead. he was quite sure no one would have expected this sort of performance, but hyeon did love surprising people. and he was sure this was going to be memorable to everyone watching. and if it did end up that they ended up being sent home at the end of this well... at least they went out on a high. 

but it was getting towards the chorus again and hyeon was already moving into position besides the older and shorter girl. just before it really went into the chorus he did send her a small wink of encouragement. they had practised this and he was confident that she was going to completely nail this choreography. they were k/da incarnate, they were going to own this stage and show everyone right here and right now that they could dance as well as put on a good performance. 

right on cue his body started moving to the music, only using one arm to do the choreo as the other kept the microphone steady in front of his mouth so he could say the words at the same time. considerate the whole time of yuri, trying to stay in key with her and not trying to overpower her own voice. this chorus was mostly a joint performance. they were a team and they were going to finish as a team. 

down down down down down down they could try but we’re gonna wear the crown

his hands made a crown on his head, the grin still on his head as he let yuri shine again for a single line before they were back singing together. keeping up the movement at the same time. hohyeon wasn’t bothered about the girl messing up, he was confident that she wasn’t going to do that. not after how much he had helped her out. 

round round round round round round wish you luck but you’re not bringing us down

the lyrics were incredibly empowering. this was them challenging the rest of the room. give your best, but you can’t compete and bring them down. and good luck to anyone who tried to outshine them. this stage was theirs and they were not going to be giving it up without a fight. 

but the song was coming to an end now and he only had one more line to worry about, focusing on just his body for a moment as he danced as yuri brought them towards the finale. only a couple more dance steps left, moving light on his feet right next to the older girl as they both spoke out the last line of the song. 

down down down down

and that was that. hohyeon held the ending pose, standing right next to yuri, a large grin on his face and chest heaving slightly from the effort. but the teenager didn’t even feel tired, no, he was still hyped up after that performance. they had really gone out there and done that and he did have to say he was proud, of the both of them. from the less than friendly and rocky start at the beginning to cleanly pulling off that performance. and he liked to think they were not the only ones who had some fun. he could just hope that the ceo’s saw their talent and really hoped that the other contestants had enjoyed it as well and really did consider them as strong competition. they were not two people you could just walk over and get away with it. 

“thank you,” he breathed out as he faced the ceo’s at the front completely, bowing to them, the grin never leaving his face as he leaned over to nudge the girl standing next to him slightly. he was still smiling the whole time as they left the stage and headed back towards their seats and sat once again. 

hohyeon looked over towards the other girl sitting next to them. they really had come a long way from the beginning of last week, and he didn’t see her as an enemy anymore. no, they were more than that. that performance and pulled them together, and quite surprisingly, he was actually happy about that. so he smiled simply  at her before leaning over and offering out a single hand, “friends?” 

she could take the offer or she could turn him down, but either way, hohyeon didn’t really mind. she had helped him see that not all vocalists were bad and they could share a stage with a rapper and actually work together. it had just been childish of him before to think that they couldn’t. and it was not a mistake he was going to make in the future if they ended up making it further in this competition. 

but he was confident and quite satisfied that yeah, they had put on a show. 

[ryujinrk]

-.✦･｡ﾟMGA season 5: episode 3, outfit              performing rhythm power “bond girl” with @rksakura (lyrics + line distribution)

While Ryujin experienced some unexpected stress after the recodring of episode two she has somehow managed to pull herself together, the fact that she’s paired with Sakura is enough to bring the spark back into her and combined with their song chocie, Ryujin is utterly ecstatic. It didn’t take long for them to come to an agreement, being friends from before sure did help but that isn’t necessarily the only reason that things went so smoothly for them. Practicing for their stage was nothing but fun and good times, their personalities fitting so perfectly together that it almost doesn’t feel like they are prepping for a competition at all. 

   At least to Ryujin.

As she’s rapping for the next mission Ryujin find that she can practice everywhere, even while they are making props for their introduction and while they are out shopping for their matching outfits. Having decided to wear a classy all black outfit Ryujin has settled with a simple pair of pants with a blazer and a cropped top, finished off with brightly white shoes. She wonder if the judges will know the reference when she bring a self-made props to the stage, while Sakura is making her own take on the head Ryujin wanted to go with the original as Primary has made a presence in the original music video for Bond Girl. 

   Surely the judges will know, right?

Although Ryujin has signed up as a dancer she definitely has experience in rapping, she was meant to debut as Amarante’s rapper after all as well as practicing tecniques on her own time just for fun. So needless to say, she isn’t nervous about this particular stage. Just by practices she know that she and Sakura will make a great performance as their dynamic is excellent, if others won’t enjoy their stage she will honestly be surprised. Perhaps she is biased though, to their song choice as she absolutely love it and think that it was such a bop, as well as to her friendship with Sakura. That the two of them got paired, it was honestly just perfect.

Having arrived and found her assigned seat, Ryujin sit next to Sakura on the set. They are by those who perform lastly but she doesn’t mind, if anything she’s so excited to perform that she could wish that they were first. It might be better to be towards the end, however, so that they do not risk being forgotten by others should they have a more preferred stage. Theirs will be a whole lot of fun however, Ryujin is absolutely sure of that. She hold onto Sakura’s hand whilst watching others, for support to the other and strength to herself. Watching all the others on the stage makes her even more excited, she just want it to be their turn.

She watch especially close when Kyungsoo perform with Yugyeom, Yeji with Junhee, Heejin with Daniel, Chaeryeong with Joohyuk and Olivia with Youngjae. All of those pairs hold at least one of her friends, who she honestly is so proud of for coming this far along with her. Occasionally she lean in to Sakura, revealing thoughts around the different performances. Ryujin is surprised when she sees that Kyungsoo is dancing, not so much when Yeji sings because she has already seen that live in person when she managed to talk the other into an open mic together. Pair after pair set foot on the stage and eventually, it’s their turn to shine and boy, will they shine today.

“Next up is... #5033 Miyawaki Sakura and #5040 Shin Ryujin.”

Microphone in hand and box on her head, Ryujin walk towards the center with Sakura by her side who wears her very own personalised box. As it’s only for reference they remove what’s covering their heads after a respectful bow towards the audience, then placing it somewhere where they won’t stand in their way during the presentation. “I’m Shin Ryujin,” she say firstly, and wait for the other to state her name. “And we have prepared something fun for you today. Please enjoy.” Having cut the song to fit their time frame it starts off rather abruptly but they are well prepared, Sakura being the first one out to rap her verse. 

Ryujin stands just behind her but out of the way, it’s the elder’s time to shine. She emphasise some of the ending words to make a wholesome performance, dancing dorkily whenever she isn’t joining in. It’s obvious that Ryujin is comfortable on the stage, even when sharing it as it’s something she has practiced before. Not quite like this, obviously, but the experience come in handy nonetheless. She twirl in the background, hands doing their own things, and she bites down on her lip out of pure excitement. Sakura is nailing her part, and it’s just too fun being a part of a stage with her friend performing such a feel-good song like Bond Girl.

The moves that she has during this performance is completely different from the dances that’s been shown so far but honestly, Ryujin isn’t trying to show how good she is right now. She just want to have fun, and dance dorkily however her body decides to move. Once, she pretend to hide behind Sakura only to pop out and rap a word in choir before she continue to goof around whilst the other finish off her verse. Ryujin slides into the center as she take over the spotlight, Hanzoo’s part is short but important to build up to the refrain. Originally it leads up for Zion.T to sing but none of them are singers, so they leave that to the instrumental.

왜 내 �� 주소 묻는데 AHA 아 왜 너 내 주민번호 묻는데 UH-uH 내 대답은 No woah 징그럽게 달라붙지 마 Girl, WOAH! 본드걸 ! 그만 끈적거려 너

She nails the part easily, if Hanzoo can pull it off without being a singer then Ryujin can as well with her deep voice. In the refrain they dance briefly but synchronised, both coming in to voice “BOND GIRL” while pointing at the audience with a finger gun. To fit the time frame they had to cut the refrain short so abruptly but fittingly, Ryujin move straight into Geegoin’s verse and she deliver it effortlessly. She has so much fun being in center, being backed up by Sakura who is doing her own thing behind her, much like what she did when the other was in the spotlight. Their dynamic on stage together is seamless, and accurate. Neither stealing time from the other.

난 제임스 본드, 이유 좀 묻지 말고 10미터 사정거리 필시 유지하고 미심쩍으니 내 옆구리 데우지 말고 나에게 떨어져 나 뜬구름 잡게 하지 말고 너 이뻐 그런데 왜 내가 좋니? 아무래도 딱 내 눈엔 심심풀이로 하는 놀이 다단계 아니지? 바란 게 내 맘이 아니라면 당장 가줘 제발 

From time to time she glance out in the audience, Ryujin want to connect to them and show that she performs for them all and not just the judges. A smile is present throughout most of the stage, only sometimes she’s looking serious or focused but that’s an obvious act. Using the techique she often does by thinking of the next sentence right away, she easily deliver what she’s assigned to rap, all the while continuing her fun little dance moves. And so, it’s Sakura who does Hanzoo’s part. Ryujin encourage the bridge by throwing out some ‘UOH’s and ‘YEAH’s before they roll into the last refrain. Jumping back as the refrain start, they begin to dance again like before, choiring ‘BOND GIRL’.

When the song ends they finish off with each their strong pose, Ryujin looking serious for just one moment before she break her composure and grin broadly like throughout the stage. She couldn’t possibly be happier with the outcome, looking over at Sakura with a ‘we did it’ look in her eyes. Bowing down in front of the judges once more, she then grab a hold of her Primary look alike box and skip off the stage with the elder. 

[rkyeji]

#5011 & interview mentioned:  @rksuwoong, @rkapril, @junheerk, @ryujinrk, @rkchwev, @rkheejin, @danielxrk, @rktaeyang, @rksuwoong

it was already time for the interview– all the performances had gone by so fast and yeji really felt the number of contestants shrinking. there were stand out performances for her. however now– she smiled widely at the staff member that was interviewing her this time as she sat down across from the person.

“how do you feel about the results from last week?”

of course she’d get a question like this but yeji smiled– “for my own results? getting told by tiger jk himself that i am a good dancer– made me really happy and honored, honestly, i never imagined that i would be mentioned in the top performances. let alone chosen as the best dancer?” yeji nodded her head, “the eliminations made me frown– seeing seoyeon be eliminated was not the cup of tea that i wanted.” yeji did wonder why some got eliminated and why some got to stay, then again the judges probably had a view of what they wanted.

"how was it working with park junhee?"

her lips pursed slightly while she thought of her answer, “junhee oppa has been amazing,” she nods excitedly, “he has a great voice and is very underappreciated, he is in the same boat as minho... not as known maybe but he's amazing as well, i feel incredibly to to work with him. he taught me how to manage my breath while dancing and how to keep it stable as well. i really practiced hard, i don't want his hard work to go to wastes. i truly hope the judges enjoyed our performance as much as we did making it."

"how do you think you did?"

after their performance yeji felt happy, the only kind of professional singing yeji had done was a couple of open mics on the street and when she did the triple threat audition, yeji felt happy with the whole.

"we did well, didn't we?" she chuckled jokingly, "i don't think i can talk about how thankful i am to junhee oppa. his patience with me and my inexperience, compared to him at least, really makes him the mvp this round in my eyes. thanks to him and my hard work i can say, that i’m proud of myself."

“were there any performances you liked?”

"ryujin’s and sakura’s performance was so good, i doubt anyone imagined two girls to pull that off so well, it was like made for them and they had fun on stage. it was contagious,.” yeji had a handful of other performances that she wanted to mention as well, "chwe hansol's performance with sia, really had me captivated when i watched, they looked like a couple in love right?" she smiled, even though she knew the truth, "taeyang oppa's stage as well, energetic and fun. heejin sshi and daniel oppa's performance, they gave us a nice rendition of don't recall-- i appreciated it grately." there were so many performances she wanted to mention-- "i think kyungsoo oppa's performance with his partner was nice, it was different from what he had shown so far."

"lee suwoong had many things to say about you in his interview, do you have anything you want to say to him?"

yeji couldn't help but chuckle, it was amusing to her how the older male took her words so negatively, even though they weren't too offensive. regardless-- "suwoong sshi?" she put an emphasis on the formality, they weren't close at all but somehow they had ended up looking like rivals in the previous episode with clips of their interviews being aired back to back. something told her that the formality might frustrate him, he seemed like the type-- but to yeji it was ll in good fun at this point, "honestly-- this week, i was impressed with him and his performance. he brought something new to the table and i'm not talking about the singing-- he worked hard, i think he looked cool. but don't tell him i said that," she playfully put her index finger over her lips, "shh--" she chuckled and like that her interview ended.

[rkxsungwoon-blog]

☆ MGA5 EPISODE THREE; JULY 11 #5008 HA SUNGWOON ; FT. NA JAEMIN ( duos ) performance: easy by wheein ft. sik-k ( rearranged ) ( 0:07 - 2:07 ) ; line distribution

he’d never precisely forgotten how nerve-wracking waiting for the results of each round of the mgas could be, but sungwoon is still surprised by the sheer depth of his anxiety as they await the judges’ pronouncements. too much is at stake; he’s worrying for four peoples’ survival instead of just two. maybe he’s doomed to feel this twisted up and scared for as long as the rest of his friends are in this competition alongside him, but he’s willing to endure it if it means they can stick together for a while longer.

though idly, sungwoon wonders if it would be easier if he were eliminated and watching the episode air in the comfort of his home. would he feel this nervous, this jittery as the ceos announce names—some of them familiar, some not—of those who won’t continue on in each category? would he feel sick looking at the faces of those who’ll be leaving today, guilt threatening to eat him up because he made it when they didn’t? would that be better?

(his heart says no, he’s meant to be here).

beneath mild disappointment that none of empty enigma placed in the top 3 of their individual skill categories is immense relief that neither were they bad enough to be cut at this stage in the competition. daniel’s survival is the most important of them all. despite his early switch from singing to rapping, sungwoon couldn’t shake the worry that this might be it—but it’s the switch that saved him, in all likelihood. sungwoon commends daniel for realizing he’d have a better chance at making it through doing something he was confident in, as opposed to the very skill that got him eliminated last time.

joohyun’s elimination hurts, even if it’s not entirely unexpected. the stumble was costly, and though sungwoon doesn’t like it, the judges’ assessment is fair. he just hopes she isn’t taking it too badly. it’s sobering to realize that the previous season’s contestants are beginning to drop one by one as well; he wonders if it’s a matter of overall skills not being up to par or just a lack of improvement. or is it simpler still—a lack of star power? sungwoon can’t tell, and that worries him.

but with the announcement of the next episode’s mission, he’s forced to switch gears. duos, he thinks, squaring his shoulders. different from last year, sure, but not bad. he can work with duos. part of him can’t help but hope that he gets paired with one of his friends, but that would be… vastly unfair. woojin and kenta deserve better than his dance skills, but sungwoon thinks he could do something exciting with minhyun or daniel. they’ve worked together enough that sungwoon trusts them.

of course, the universe isn’t that kind. sungwoon gets paired with na jaemin instead. he knows very little about the kid himself—and he is a kid, as if sungwoon wasn’t feeling old enough in this competition already—or what he’s capable of, though he remembers jaemin performing an original song he enjoyed. their introduction is a bit awkward and formal, but they eventually settle on a time and place to meet the next day to plan their performance without much trouble.

sungwoon doesn’t know what to expect out of their partnership, but he hopes at the very least, they’ll pull together a performance to be proud of.

-

the awkwardness persists.

jaemin has a makeshift studio they can practice in, which sungwoon is grateful for. he’d offer the empty enigma practice space were it not for the possibility one of the others might be using it as well. it hits him for the first time that—well, he’s competing against his friends, that whatever he and jaemin put together is a secret only the two of them should be privy to. anyone else discovering what they’re planning to perform could give them a potential edge in the competition—or at the very least, screw sungwoon and jaemin over.

(sungwoon trusts his friends would not resort to sabotage. he does. but he’s also competitive as fuck—there’s no we in a competition).

so he heads to the address jaemin provided after his shift at the pastry shop is over, armed with a box of leftover goodies, also known as whatever they didn’t sell that sungwoon could rescue from his coworkers’ clutches. he’s hoping the food will break the ice somewhat between them. who doesn’t love a good pastry? but he figures out soon enough that expecting a couple of (admittedly delicious) fruit tarts to set the stage for them to work well together is being overly optimistic.

jaemin isn’t rude or arrogant or a dozen other horror stories wrapped up in a deceptively benign package. he’s just a little on the quiet side. sungwoon can manage quiet—he’s lived with woojin for long enough that he knows how to curb his own exuberance to match the energy. however, jaemin also doesn’t fuck around when it comes to music. their first argument (professional disagreement?) happens because of their wildly opposing opinions, and neither jaemin nor sungwoon are willing to back down. 

stubbornness runs through sungwoon’s veins in spades, sure. he’s less used to dealing with it in other people. while they eventually compromise and come to an agreement regarding their performance, sungwoon ends up under the impression that jaemin hates him for the first couple of days of the week.

and—truthfully, sungwoon isn’t the easiest person to work with either. he knows from the album prep that he can be a bit much, but it comes from a place of passion. jaemin is the same way; sungwoon can see it in his eyes when they practice together, and in the care he takes while working on the arrangement for their song. it’s admirable, and recognizing that jaemin cares just as much as he does finally bridges the gap between them and puts them on the same page.

jaemin is a good musician in every sense of the word. sungwoon wishes he had even half of his talent. he may not know a lot about rap, but even he can tell jaemin is skilled. and when it comes to rearrangements and remixes of songs, sungwoon can see how much thought and effort he puts into every single one. it’s not mindless playing around for him. the fact that jaemin is just as invested in perfecting their performance as he is gives sungwoon hope for the round.

they keep in close contact until filming, practicing together every single day. jaemin sends him snippets of revisions he’s made to their arrangement constantly, sometimes tiny things sungwoon can only hear after putting all his focus into listening, but every bit of it is important in ensuring they’re prepared for d-day.

by the end of it, sungwoon is, to his surprise, pleased to have been paired with jaemin in the end. the experience may not have been smooth sailing all around, but he feels like he’s learned a lot from his partner in the short time they’ve worked together. they’ve reached a good point, not only in their teamwork but in their performance as well, and he prays their synergy will shine through on stage.

-

seats are assigned for the day’s filming. sungwoon is both relieved and disappointed; he was hoping to sit with his friends and feels a little lost at the idea of not being able to lean over to whisper his comments into their ears or slip his hand in one of theirs when the nerves get too bad. but—at least he’s away from the distracting presence of those around him in the last round.

minhyun is still near enough that sungwoon throws him a quick smile as he takes his seat next to jaemin and surreptitiously wipes his clammy palms on the underneath his thighs. “nervous?” he asks, attempting to look unconcerned. it comes out as more of a grimace instead, but jaemin seems alright in sungwoon’s eyes.

it’s… odd to think how unused to singing with other people he still is. how unused to sharing the spotlight he is. squall is larger than life by necessity; he eats up the stage by himself. sungwoon is not an explosive, expanding, all consuming star. he wants to be someone who enhances others, who shares his glow rather than devouring everything in sight. but jaemin is a star on his own, and they’ve worked so hard this past week to ensure they work in tandem and not against each other. sungwoon has to believe they’ll perform equally as well today.

the competition is fierce this round. they’re sixth to perform, but the people before them pull off some truly spectacular stages that have sungwoon applauding hard enough to turn his palms red. when it’s finally their turn to get up there, he gives jaemin a double thumbs up and a smile brimming with confidence he doesn’t fully possess. “let’s get it done!” sungwoon chirps. it’s their time to shine.

they’d decided to coordinate their outfits for the performance because appearances matter, and they stand together as a polished duo up on stage. their introduction is similarly polished and cheerful—“we’re your lucky stars, sungwoon and jaemin!” as sungwoon goes on to explain, “jaemin is the brains of our team, which makes me the brawn.” a grin dances on his lips as he lifts one arm and flexes (well, makes an attempt) to punctuate his sentence. “brawn-to-be, i guess.” letting his arm fall back to his side, he continues. “we’ll be performing easy by wheein—but with our own spin, courtesy of jaemin. we hope you enjoy!”

sungwoon emphatically believes in giving credit where it’s due, and jaemin deserves that much even though it’s cumbersome to say. he gives the younger boy and encouraging smile as they take their places and the first notes of their pre-recorded acoustic rearrangement fill the stage.

sungwoon raises the mic to his lips and vocalizes for the first part, letting the vibe of the song flow through him. it’s a little more playful than his usual fare, almost cheeky in its lightheartedness. the words are both meant to be taken seriously and yet not at the same time; he feels like it’s meant to be an admonition, though not a stern one. it’s like when you try to tell someone something important but so so with a smile or a just kidding! at the end, as if naked, frank honesty is terrifying. and it is, most of the time.

넌 다른 생각할 때 그 표정이 너무 뻔해 난 다 알 수가 있어 it’s not an ordinary day

눈치가 빠르지 않더라도 넌 너무 알기 쉽게 보여주니 잔인하네

날 긴장하게 만드는 예민함도 가슴을 찌르는 너의 솔직함도 왜 내게만 해당 돼 it’s too unfair

initially, he was a little unsure about singing a song originally meant for a female vocalist, but sungwoon knows he won’t get anywhere without taking some sort of a risk. but they’ve rearranged it into a male key, though it’s still not entirely easy to sing. sungwoon is confident enough in his abilities that he’s not scared of attempting it by any means. he knows he can pull it off.

i’m not easy 난 그런 거 싫어해 좋게 맞춰준 거지 널 더 좋아한 거지 이미 내 마음도 변해가네 너에게 가둬둔 날 꺼내 벗어날래

he makes eye contact with jaemin as he sings, naturally turning towards him during the chorus, taking the opportunity to ad lib some high notes and dip into his falsetto as the occasion arises. they play well off each other, their synergy coming across in the ease with which sungwoon gives way to jaemin’s rap verse following the chorus—he sings it’s not easy right at the judges, then shifts to let jaemin have his turn in the spotlight.

too late too late you’re so stupid stupid no way no way it’s not easy

sungwoon’s head bops along to jaemin’s verse. his delivery is smooth and works well with the song; neither of them overpower the other during their parts. most importantly, in his opinion, they’re having fun performing together. the whole song is a labour of love, from their rocky beginnings to their comfort with each other now. he wants to show that progress, that growth from nothing into the duo they are now. he feels like he and jaemin have been performing together for longer than merely a week; they navigate the stage well together, their energies matching, and their facial expressions on point as they interact with and react to one another up there. 

i’m not easy 난 그런 거 싫어해 좋게 맞춰준 거지 널 더 좋아한 거지  이미 내 마음도 변해가네 너에게 가둬둔 날 꺼내 벗어날래

it falls to sungwoon to end the song with a refrain of the chorus. it’s his final chance to demonstrate his skills, so he builds up into a powerful high note before softening his voice, almost trailing off on the last line so his voice fades out along with the notes of the song. in that moment, he hopes more than anything that both he and jaemin survive this round. sungwoon isn’t sure anymore about who deserves to survive and who doesn’t—not after last week—but what he wants is for them move forward. he doesn’t want to be the reason jaemin’s mga dreams come to a premature end. 

because it’s sink or swim together—and sungwoon will doggy paddle to the shore with jaemin in tow if he has to. 

once they’re off the stage, sungwoon pulls jaemin into a one armed hug. “it’s been great working with you,” he says sincerely, his voice hoarse with the effort of keeping his emotions at bay. “and if we don’t—uh, no. we will pull through.” if he says it out loud enough, maybe he’ll even convince himself of it. "i just wanted to say that you’re my rapper one-pick from now on,” he continues. "and i hope we get the chance to perform again together. let's meet in the finale, yeah?" 

sungwoon's still dreaming big, but he takes comfort in the knowledge that jaemin has the skills to make it. and if nothing else, he's glad he got the opportunity to learn that much. 

[rkmason]

     ▰▰▰▰▰▰ MNET GLOBAL AUDITIONS, SEASON 5 ˟ EP 3 INTERVIEW ▰▰▰▰▰▰

this session might be the one he’s most excited for because he has a few more clear favorites out of the performances and there’s less to be overwhelmed with at the same time. it’s hard to remember sitting through 100 performances and 50 but 20? somehow, he can manage. at least, he hopes so. that and it’s good timing because he doesn’t know how nakyung isn’t getting tired of how much he toys around with her cat ears in the short transitions between one performance to another. if he was her, he probably would’ve swatted the hand away a few times— or not, it’s actually pretty fun even if the headband felt too small on his own head when he tried them on earlier, gesturing for her to take a picture with him. he’d say her patience makes her better suited as the cat after all, even if she’s not as irritable by him as she pretends to be on stage. 

▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ Q .  what did you think of the results last week?

he wonders if he’s supposed to talk about how they had baek jiyoung out of all the judges give the results and it shows on his face that he’s been stunned by the first question. damn, first strike. after the advice he’d given dabin the first week, why is he slipping now? but he thinks he has some leeway, that it’s forgivable, because his former ceo was, is, and will always be one of the most influential women in his life. it’s fact, no doubts about it. “i think there’s a lot of talent on the show this season and it’s amazing that the judges can narrow down the top 3. i’m not envious. i think i’d give everyone a title like those teachers that give every kid an award.” 

▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ Q .  how was it working with your partner? 

his eyes go wide and it’s nearly impossible that his grin can go wider but it does and he nods his head as he looks to the side, as if she’s there but he has no clue if she’s still in her seat, in the bathroom, or talking with friends. “nakyung is the best. i couldn’t have asked for a better partner for the duo stage. i think her and i work really well together and i hope we get to work together again some day. doesn’t have to be dancing or anything too serious. i think her and i will genuinely be friends after this. ah, i haven’t told her yet though. mind keeping it a secret?” 

▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ Q .  thoughts on your performance?

"we got to show different sides of us. a more animalistic side,” he jokes, knowing it doesn’t sound perfectly innocent to put it that way but it isn’t, they aren’t. the whole performance itself plays on mischief and essentially going crazy while the humans aren’t home. to him, it reminds him of childhood, of goofing around with his siblings, of rushing to fix everything when you hear a familiar rev of an engine and then the sound of it cutting off when it’s parked, not to mention, he remembers running to make rice because he forgot to do it when he was texted to hours ago. pretty sure that gets them all when both parents are out and the kids are left to prepare. he can’t be the only one. “doesn’t nakyung make a cute cat? we both worked really hard on the choreography to give an entertaining stage so i hope people enjoy it.” 

▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ Q .  favorite performances?  

"we’re back at it again, huh?” minho chuckles, clapping his hands together as he sits up, “sakura and ryujin. they do well as girl crush rappers. tiger jk sajangnim must have their eye on them, right? come on, weren’t they paired up together on purpose to see their chemistry? k.arma debuted so...” he laughs, shaking his head a little and crossing his arms. “ah... i really liked the holler performance. it was a perfect remix to showcase their vocal talent. i think i was hooked the whole time and heejin and daniel’s remix too... i wouldn’t have expected it and i think that makes both performances memorable.” some are memorable for a much different reason, a slight variation in choreography, intentional or not, that any decent dancer would notice for the boy with luv performance and he thinks of how there was one performance with a short rap towards the end, how it seemed to give the other partner more time and more of the spotlight. but it’s not his place to say anything because he thinks their choreography really lets nakyung shine— he likes that it does, she’s the main inspiration for it anyway. it’s only right. then, some songs didn’t seem so... appropriate. no jay park song ever really is right? except the obvious rare few. “woojin and kyul had great chemistry together. their dance was fun to watch from start to end. i sound biased again, don’t i? the dancing performances have a special place in my heart,” he gives a cheeky grin, tapping his chest. wouldn’t be him if he doesn’t say at least one cheesy line today. not that he’d tell but he’s still sad he doesn’t have a pun for his contestant number. he’ll let that sit for another day. 

PROFILE / SKILLS / AUDITION / EPISODE 1 / EPISODE 2 ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ EP. 3: PERFORMANCE / INTERVIEW

[rkevent]

For convenience, here is a list of songs chosen for our MGA5 duos challenge so far!

TWIT by Hwasa

REWRITE THE STARS by The Greatest Showman Cast

ROMANTICISM by Leo

DON’T RECALL by KARD

BOY WITH LUV by BTS

LIVE by Ravi ft. Chungha

I’M YOURS by Jason Mraz + DOWN IN THE DM by DJ Flex 

POP/STARS by K/DA

V by Jay Park

OFTEN by The Weeknd 

SCHOOL LIFE by STRAY KIDS

AWAKE by JBJ95

PERFECT by Ed Sheeran

TOY by Block B

BOND GIRL by Rhythm Power

HOLLER by TTS

LOVE SCENARIO by iKon

EASY by Wheein ft. Sik-K

BOUT YOU by Super Junior D&E

[rkpjy]

⭐️MGA 5 EPISODE 3 ↪ interview: @rkkyg, @rkkyungsoo, @rksihyeon, @rkchwev, @rkheejin, @rksuwoong, @rkxuxi, @ericxrk, @rkxsnh

he can manage disappointment and failure on his own, but he really hates having his fate depend on someone else, and having theirs depend on him. no matter which way this goes, of they make it or are sent home, jinyoung will not regret having worked with jeonghan. however, he feels uncomfortable with their futures being linked together. it was up to them until the moment they stepped off stage and now it lies in the hands on the five judges. when he's taken to a separate room for yet another interview, jinyoung feels relaxed. there's a sense of familiarity now, not only with the process but with the people in charge. it's easier to confide then.

"so jinyoung, how did you feel about this week's assignment?"

he notices the hint of amusement in the other's voice, and he wonders why. "do i not seem like a team player?" he asks with a small laugh. "let's say i had my doubts at first, because i apprehended to know who i would be working with. in the end i got lucky."

"lucky? i take it practice went well with your partner?"

"jeonghan and i were not exactly friends, it would be more accurate to say acquaintances, because we worked on musicals together in the past. he's very talented, passionate and a dedicated performer. so i looked forward to being with him on stage once more." he pauses. "i think we connected easily, and shared ideas that strayed away from our main comfort zone. we could've chosen a song from the greastest showman or les misérables, but we took another direction and i'm quite happy with that." it's not meant to be a diss to junhee. they're friends, and he does not criticize his choices, but rather explaining his own train of thought. "we took a risk, and that really isn't something i've always been comfortable doing. he made taking the leap a lot easier."

"are there any duos who caught your attention, whether positively or negatively?"

"well, i must say i enjoyed seeing suwoong and yukhei take on this style of dance. it's a rather slow song, and dancing to this type of beat isn't as easy as it looks. i thought they pulled it off well, and honestly, it made me see suwoong in a different light than before. i also liked jeon heejin's performance, as usual." there's a chuckle from the interviewer. "yes, i know, it almost sounds like i'm becoming her fan. but it's just the way she carries herself with confidence, but can also express vulnerability so well. i guess it brings out my protective instincts. it was fun to see yugyeom and kyungsoo challenge themselves too, one with singing and the other with dancing. it can be risky of course, but no one grows without lifting the bar up higher. i trust yugyeom to work his hardest and not regret anything, too. i'm proud of him no matter what." and there goes the big brother attitude again. "sihyeon and hansol tried something different too, i feel like she's really finding herself as an artist and i hope the judges let her stay until the end to prove how good she's grown to be."  he knows he's been naming a lot of people, but there's another duo that caught his attention. "youngjae and hyejoo were... cute." he'll leave it as that. there's no animosity in his voice, but he really doesn't know how else to describe it.

"there weren't any you disliked, then?"

"not particularly, no. there were some that did not stand out at all, however, but i will let the viewers decide that for themselves."

[rksakura]

🔊: bond girl ( lyrics + lines ) duo performance with 💖 sakura miyawaki & shin ryujin! trigger warnings: anxiety. mentions: @rkkyungsoo,@rkmason, @ryujinrk, @hyojinrk

the show was brewing into a much competitive scene which shakes sakura as she doesn’t cope up with competition too well. it feels like this was a proposition against her bubbly demeanour! other than the occasional burst of tension that gets to her, she’d rather deal with that than lose any of her friends, all because of the spotlight. in truth, sakura loves her friends. when she hears about the duos being featured, she couldn’t ask for anyone else really. she’s happy it’s shin ryujin, a good friend of hers! this meant no competition, it feels of a fun collaboration.

she’d gotten along perfectly with the girl, sakura’s fond of her energy so she loved the practises in the sessions. it was full of smiles, joy, and wonderful vibes so she has nothing to complain about. zero. if anything, she doted being around ryujin! she’d even ask her to pick out the outfits and the best part about it, shopping! sakura likes shopping as hangouts, something she didn’t mind doing at all. she eventually decided that going together in the same outfits made it easier. the choice of her outfit was a white crop top, covered by a black blazer and black pants, wearing white sneakers to piece it together. matchies! she mentioned earlier ago to ryujin with a bright smile.

not only shopping, but she decided to go all out with the masks and decorate them to her heart’s content. how fun, she truly enjoys expressing her creativity. she went with a silly gudetama mask that she drew. sakura was an artist, being able to draw well with a unique style to the outlines and details. she also had precision but it didn’t take much out of her to make her own mask. at least this way, she can be relieved of any restlessness that’s been resting in her because of the elimination process that’s taking up next. there are better times in the heat of the situation, gradually spreading.

the performance due date was coming up closer, sakura’s garnered a lot of confidence to make it through and she’s sure she can nail this. she wakes up in a good mood, goes through her session to clean up and pack the outfit for bond girl in a bag to bring with her to the building. she’s dressed in her usual casual attire, a black ¾ baseball t-shirt, dark blue denim skinny jeans, and the white sneakers she doesn’t have to change out for later. thank god for saved time!

she makes sure to say hello to everyone she can get to, mason, kyungsoo, yuri, and hyojin. they were up next before her turn was up. once it is, sakura ensures that she’ll deliver a charismatic and enjoyable performance to the crowd. she’ll surely have an amazing time being able to rap on the stage with a change of flow! she wants to show a different enigma to the cast. in spite of her voice told that she wasn’t able to be a rapper by a couple, she took that as advice to become a versatile rapper and adapt. she’d also picked up this tip from her mentors.

prior to her hitting the stage, she doesn’t forget to change into her stage attire. she’ll switch back to her usual outfit later, storing her items in a secure place. sakura sits next to ryujin and squeezes the girls hand, sitting back and watching the other performers. she feels a hint of security built around her, excitement enters as well as she’s eager to perform the song. once she’s called by last and first name along with ryujin, she stands up and heads to the stage. she’s remembered to take deep breaths before rapping, it’s surprisingly relaxing.

before the song plays, she makes sure to take a polite bow as she’s wearing the mask, next to ryujin. the lyrics include a lot of korean, sakura stayed up for a day to perfect this masterpiece! she notices that there are some english words, so that’ll come in handy for her. she’d say it’s worth it as it’s her drive for music that doesn’t make her give up. she’ll keep pushing through even at her tired states. she brings in her flow and can provide an entertaining performance today! one that the judges will ( hopefully ) like.

난 제임스 본드, 이유는 묻지말고 i’m james bond, do not ask me why 안전거리를 확보 앞뒤 간격 유지하고 keep a safe distance 독자적인 행동들은 다 금지 내 속 태우지 말고

ryujin’s charismatic and enigmatic deep voice compliments sakura’s sweet and soft high-pitched voice, the raps are full of a nice blend. she’s dancing kind of goofy, it’s pretty silly but refreshing. at least, she doesn’t have to wear herself out. to her, music came in all forms, shapes, and sizes. sakura didn’t always have to show her ‘swag’ or any of her cutesy raps, she wanted to change the ways each episode to entertain. also, that she’s a well-rounded performer.

do not burn your own actions 치명적인 매력, 착한 미소 뒤로 숨지 말고 do not hide behind a deadly charm, good smile uh, 본드걸, 뭔가 냄새가 나 uh, bond girl,  i smell something 남자 없어도 잘 사는 넌 왜 면허도 없는 날 꼬시나 you do not have a man, you live well. why do you have no license? 싹 떨어져 내 맘에 붙지 말고 sprout away, do not stick to my heart 보기보다 순결하다고 나 i am more innocent than i am

she watches ryujin perform, delivering each line flawlessly. she applauds ryujin on the stage, empowering the other girl in the spotlight! sakura wasn’t one to fight for it, she wanted this to be fair as ryujin is her friend after all. she’s smiling underneath the mask that she’s wearing which isn’t too hot at all to her shock. though, the building did have proper air conditioning in this midst of the summer. she could’ve chosen to sing the singing part but decides not to as she doesn’t want to strain her voice and use it up. she wants to focus on the feel of her rap. sakura throws in some rapper adlibs in between the song!

then, it was time to show off the last few lines before the song ends. sakura’s caught up between the dancing and rapping, nothing was overwhelming her as she didn’t find this a hard routine to follow. she’s bringing such an energetic vibe on stage, sakura’s made sure to do that. she holds the microphone firmly to her mouth and starts rapping again.

왜 내 집 주소 묻는데 why do you ask my home address 아 왜 너 내 주민번호 묻는데 oh, why do you ask my resident number 내 대답은 no woah 징그럽게 달라붙지 마 my answer is no woah 본드걸 ! bond girl!

there’s never a moment when sakura doesn’t smile on stage, she’s done that for so much of her performances and will keep showing her pearly teeth on stage! she bows politely with ryujin on stage, thanking the judges and contestants for their time. she also tells ryujin that she did a good job! she nailed that performance. sakura takes off the stage, holding the box in her hand as she packs the rest of the stuff in her bag in the break room.

[rkdaehwi]

DUOS PERFORMANCE PART II : INTERVIEW

MGA5 contestant #5042 Sohn Youngjae Mentioning: @rkxsnh, @rksihyeon, @rkchwev, @danielxrk Outfit

“ In the end we only regret the chances we didn’t take ”

Being amongst the last people to perform there wasn’t a long waiting time in between the end of the performances and the interview he almost thought mandatory by now. Wouldn’t it get kind of boring quick if they didn’t switch things up a bit soon? Eric believed there was only so much content creatable from the same people talking about each other, and in the end the same names were going to get repeated over and over again as Mnet favoured people. He himself had sort of experienced that last week when his words about Kyungsoo had been twisted into something positive. Certainly he didn’t mind the guy at all, but it upset him that they were trying to create a sense of admiration that wasn’t there anymore. Thus he had very determinedly decided not to comment on his performance today. Perhaps he was being bratty, but that was fine by him.

It was time to start, and Eric found himself comfortable before the camera as the first question was asked.

How do you think you did today?

Honestly he had some feelings on that matter and he cocked his head and gave a smile. “Personally I think we did really well,” he began, and it was a genuine sentiment. “Olivia noona mentioned that she had a lot more parts than me, but I don’t see the problem. If anything they might agree with her and think that I should have sung more, but I don’t really think so!” Placing his hands in between his legs on the chair, he swung his feet back and forth. “I mean, I’m not here for my vocals you know. I’m a dancer so if they say that I should have sung more that kind of defeats the purpose doesn’t it?”

You were paired with Son Hyejoo. How was it to work together?

A big smile appeared on his face at the question. “It was brilliant!” he immediately beamed. “Noona is a really cool person don’t you think? I think girls who rap are totally awesome!” Excitement aside, he bit his bottom lip a slight bit in contemplation. “Honestly I was a bit worried though. Neither of us are really big front runners in this so it’s not like we have an assured chance for victory. If you ask people they probably wouldn’t even know who we are so if anything... I guess I just want to be remembered.” He had been a nobody for too long and desperately wanted to change that fact. Eric was a person with a very huge ego, and the fact that reality didn’t match up to it wasn’t something he enjoyed.

“I was also worried about having to work together with someone I don’t really know. I mean what if we really couldn’t get along? What if we made no progress at all? Stuff like that. So I was really relieved at how easily things went!” A hand fell upon his chest as he drew a breath. And I’m glad I got someone who’s like around my own age. I mean I have nothing against working together with someone who’s old but it’s just easier to talk to someone like Olivia noona you know?”

What did you think of the performances this week?

Giving a nod in acknowledgement of the question, he thought back for a bit. “I think Sia noona and Hansol hyung had a really really pretty performance. I don’t really know what exactly it was that drew me in, but I just? Liked it I guess? I know that’s not a very good reasoning, but I think they did a very good job together!” As for performances he wasn’t too keen on he also had some, but as he wasn’t a professional it felt a bit unfair to call someone else’s work ‘messy’, especially when they were probably trying their best. There was one thing though he had to mention, not because he thought it was a bad thing necessarily, but because it had struck his mind.

“If I remember right, Daniel hyung was involved in a band remix last year as well... I think he got a lot of success with it last time, but doesn’t it feel kind of like a repeat? Honestly I can’t help but wonder what he’s doing in a competition like this. Him and the rest of his band guys as well. I mean are they trying to become idols or do they just want to promote themselves? I can’t figure it out.” A complicated expression of thought appeared on his face. “I think that something like getting scouted would probably split up their band right?” He knew from his brother’s schedule that it wasn’t a kind one allowing for a lot of free time so there probably wouldn’t be time to keep up any such activities. “If they’re just here to promote their band... I think they should have let people who actually want to be here have a chance instead.”

Thank you.

[xrkeunji-blog]

                              -.✦･｡ﾟ━━━━ jung eunji ft. kim jungeun                                                                          ┆performing holler by tts

names are called. first, names of people who won't be returning for the next filming. eunji holds her breath, squeezes the hands of both boys sitting to her left and right. they can't be so lucky, right? not all of them can continue, no matter how talented and beautiful the woman knows all of her friends are.

it turns out that she's correct in that assumption. but it's not the hands she's holding that she has to let go of.

tearfully, eunji reaches past jeonghan to hug joohyun, careful of her injury, but desperate to hold her nonetheless. guilt eats at her gut, a cold memory of staring down yet another camera lens and confessing to an interviewer that she hopes joohyun will be eliminated to give her time to recover. now that her wish has come true, eunji would do anything to take it back. joohyun is the best of them, one of the strongest and definitely one of the most talented. eunji can't help but feel that she's taking the place that should have belonged to her friend, especially after both of them had chosen dancing as their skill.

she knows it's not a good bye forever, they'll have dinner as a friend group that night, but it hurts nonetheless. the staff aren't too patient, finally asking the eliminated trainees to leave the building. the remainder stay to be briefed on the next mission.

names are called again, this time in pairs. junhee is the first to leave their little squad, paired with a sharp-eyed girl that eunji only vaguely recognizes as the dancer who had performed before her. she wishes him good luck, but there's an ache of wistfulness in her chest all the same. it would have been nice to be able to perform with him. she hears daniel's name next, and watches as he's paired with another girl. eunji bites her tongue and drops her gaze. she has nothing nice to say about daniel these days; she just hopes that girl will be okay.

finally, she hears her own name, and that of a girl she recognizes as one of the many dancers vying for a spot in this competition. she greets the girl politely, introducing herself even though they've already heard their names from the staff calling them out. of eunji's many faults, one of them has become shyness. she's quiet with the girl at first, only sharing questions and answers that are relevant to their performance. what skills are you comfortable showing? can you sing? what sort of music do you like to dance to?

but it's through those distant questions that she starts to open up. soon there's laughter shared between them, the eye-widening moment when they both have the same suggestion about their performance at the same time. their teamwork prospers from there, each meeting in jungeun's mother's studio becoming more and more of a joy.

"even our names have good teamwork," eunji jokes as they take a break during practice. "kim jungeun and jung eunji."

they decide to both sing and dance, but they're smart enough to play to their strengths. eunji's the stronger singer, so she takes the greater bulk of the adlibs and challenging lines. in return, jungeun gets her own short solo in the dance break. it's balanced, it's fair, and eunji thinks they're looking and sounding great by the time they get to the performance.

duos are called up one by one and the anticipation builds in the woman's gut. it's the cameras, as always. she hasn't gotten comfortable in front of them yet. when it's their turn to perform, it's all eunji can do to ignore the lenses that fixate on her and her partner so stubbornly. if she looks into that cold glass eye, she's sure that she'll stumble, forget her words, or some other equally damning mistake. it wouldn't be fair to jungeun to mess up like that now, not when both of their progress in this show depends on each other.

so she avoids the cameras altogether. she performs for the judges instead, making eye contact with each and every ceo watching them. she performs to the audience of other entertainment hopefuls, gesturing out at them as if this were her own concert. she performs to jungeun, her partner in crime, smiling at the girl she shares the stage with.

as the some comes to a close, they turn their backs to the audience, hands finding each others hips like they had started in the beginning and mics lowered to their sides. eunji lets out a little laugh, breathless as she comes off of the high from the stage. its out of their hands now. they've done everything they could do to prove they deserve to stay in this show.

[rkheejin]

‧ ₊ ˚ ♡ episode three interview!           • • • mentioned— @danielxrk , @jungeunxrk , @rkeunji , @rksihyeon , @rkchwev , @rkyq , @rkminhyun , @rkpjy & @rkjeonghxn

     the wait isn't as unbearable as it had once been, the air teeming with idle chatter as staff members called individuals for their regular post-performance interviews, and heejin finds herself the calmest she's ever been since this season started— it's easy to get the hang of things the longer she's there, experience building up higher and higher, cushioning former doubts and curiosity. she sees no point in harboring fears towards something to normal at this point, and more than anything, she's eager to share her thoughts.

     they were far enough in by now for her to have more of a proper read on people, personalities easier to decern, inner thoughts inferred based on actions and reactions. by no means did heejin feel she was an expert in people ( if this was any other scenario, she wouldn't give a damn about others thoughts or actions— aside from those she held close to her heart, she was only ever worried about herself ), but she felt she had enough sense to read at least the most basic gestures for what they could mean.

     briefly, her eyes wander the room, but when daniel speaks up for the first real time since they'd arrived, heejin finds her attention solely on him, eyes widening slightly, her brows quirking up ever so slightly in prompted question. he's not looking back, but that's ok— he doesn't need to.

     i think we’ll be okay.

     her gaze grows softer, letting her eyes leave his frame, and instead, looking towards the stage, just as he was. it feels as if he's speaking more for his own sake rather than hers, words so small and far away as if he was still trying to convince himself that they did well. it makes heejin break out into a smile, albeit a small one, but a smile nonetheless.

     she holds her tongue, letting him empty his thoughts out to her— she would have her time to speak, and once he's done, she doesn't stop herself from letting her own thoughts free.

     "we did excellently," she doesn't even try to be modest about it, voice quiet enough for only him to hear, but her tone is just as confident as the glint in her eyes, and she hopes it's enough for him to feel the same. she doesn't pull away as he moves to take her hand, instead, meeting him halfway— as they shake, his own words striking her, she decides daniel is someone special. "i'm....sad we won't be working together anymore, oppa. but, maybe we'll work together again sometime in the future— you know, if you're ever in need of a female vocalist or something."

     her words a jokingly said, a grin to match growing. but deep down, regardless of whatever he'd need, she hopes he knows she'd be glad to hang out again no matter the request.

     it's not long after that that she hears her name being called by staff, and as she finds herself sat before familiar cameras, her makeup being given quick touch-ups, she can feel her shoulders relax as she settles into her chair and waits for her questions.

     they start off as they always did, and heejin finds no difficulty in answering.

❝ JEON HEEJIN, WELCOME BACK FOR ANOTHER WEEK— WE'RE SURE THE RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK LEFT YOU SHOCKED. HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN PICKED AT THE BEST IN YOUR CATEGORY? ❞

     "i was confident that i wasn't going to be grouped in with those who were eliminated, but i wasn't expecting to be picked as the best that day— like, not at all," her words come steadily, a gentle laugh leaving her as she finishes. "even now, just thinking back to it....it was a major shock. i was happy— i am happy— to know that the judges liked me as much as they did, that they were able to see how much i had to give. i can only hope to continue meeting their expectations as we go forward...i'm determined to keep my place at the top as long as i can." her lips form a coy smile, eyes crinkling in her own delight.

❝ FROM WHAT YOU SHOWED TODAY, YOU MAY HAVE A GOOD CHANCE AT DOING JUST THAT— TELL US, WHAT WAS IT LIKE WORKING WITH A PARTNER FOR THIS ROUND? ❞

     she takes a second to collect thoughts, wanting to word herself just right. "working with others has never been an issue with me, but i will say i do tend to perform better when i'm able to do exactly what it is i want to do— no one knows your strengths and weakness' as best as you do, so it was a little worrying thinking that we wouldn't be able to properly come up with something that'd suit us both, especially with how different we are." she nods her head along as she speaks, eyes looking off to the side for a brief moment before she's looking back towards the camera. "but...it was fun. DANIEL oppa is a very creative and talented person, and now that we've performed, i'm glad it was him i was paired with. i'm not sure i'd have done as well with anyone else here."

❝ SO, YOU AND DANIEL WERE ABLE TO GET ALONG WELL? ❞

     "we were! of course, it was a bit awkward at first— we didn't know one another before this, and i could tell he was a bit intimidated by me, so having to get familiar enough with each other while also trying to collaborate was a little weird," she speaks, brows furrowing slightly. "once we started talking and throwing around ideas, though, it became easy very fast. he was open to hearing my opinions. just as i was open to hearing his, and we were able to come up with something that matched us both— if we ever have the chance, i would be happy to perform together again."

❝ WERE THERE ANY OTHER PERFORMANCES YOU LIKED? ANY DUOS YOU FELT WERE ABLE TO COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER WELL? ❞

     "JUNGEUN and EUNJI-ssi performed as well and energetically as i pictured they would— they're both amazing dancers, so i was expecting them to do something along that line, but they also did really well vocally. i think it's good that they were able to pull it off so well, but i think that's in part to them probably being able to work well together, so i liked them a lot— also, can i just say JUNGEUN never told me she was dying her hair darker, so when she first got on stage, i was completely shocked!" heejin adds in that last sentence purely as a way of joking, eyes wide as a hand coming up to cover her mouth as she laughs.

     "other duos that i enjoyed watching.....SIA and VERNON-ssi. they seemed very animated while they were are on stage— they played off of each other nicely, so watching them up there together made me feel good. their voices were also nice together, so i think they also did well. i also really liked the version of toy that YUQI-ssi and MINHYUN-ssi performed, maybe because it's something i could see myself performing. YUQI has a very pleasant tone to her voice when rapping, and the acoustics accompanying MINHYUN-sii as he sang were pretty, so overall, i liked them as well. lastly, for now....JINYOUNG and JEONGHAN-sii were a surprising duo, and their performance even more so— but, even though it seemed different for them, at least from what i've seen from them so far, i think they also did well. JINYOUNG has always does well with his performances, in my opinion, and now is no different."

     looking up briefly, she gives a gentle hum before bringing her eyes back towards the camera. "i liked others as well, but i don't want to ramble on for too long." she smiles, and her last question is asked.

❝ WHAT ABOUT ANY PERFORMANCES YOU DIDN'T LIKE, OR DUOS YOU FELT WEREN'T THAT GOOD TOGETHER? ❞

     her brows furrow gently in thought before she gives a gentle shrug. "honestly, pinpointing performances that were bad or didn't work is getting harder every episode— sure, some aren't really my style or don't catch my attention, but i really don't think there were any today that i can honestly say i disliked or hated." her face is neutral, another shrug given, and as she wraps up her interview, heejin is sure to give a polite bow as thanks.

     making her way back to her seat, she feels good— just as she always did.

[ryujinrk]

-.✦･｡ﾟMGA season 5: episode 3              post performance interview              mentioned: @rkyuna, @rksakura, @rkyeji, @junheerk, @rkchwev, @rksihyeon

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE RESULTS LAST WEEK?

Ryujin is tired of sitting still already and shifts in her seat, also partly due to the fact that she is not entirely happy with the results last week. Having made it through to the next phase there’s some people that she think have been sent home, who shouldn’t have been. “I was sad to see SHIN YUNA going home, maybe I’m biased since she is my friend but as her friend I know she has a lot to offer. I hope that she will get other chances to shine.” In her opinion there are other contestants who should have been let go but she decide against speaking her mind about that. 

HOW WAS IT LIKE WORKING WITH SAKURA?

Moving onto the next question Ryujin suddenly beams again, her collaboration with Sakura for this week’s recording has been such an amazing time and she can’t wait to tell about it. “It was honestly the best thing that has happened to me in this show so far! I enjoyed my time with her the whole time and whether we were practicing, out shopping for our outfits or making our cute boxes I had a pleasant time.” She nods enthusiastically, smiling broadly. “I think we worked well together, as you probably understand already,” she chuckles, “there were absolutely no issues.”

HOW DO YOU THINK YOU DID?

Pouting slightly as she sometimes does whilst in thought, Ryujin think back not only on her own performance but everyone elses. “I think that Sakura and I did quite good, our dynamic felt very sincere and the way she complimented me, and I her, felt satisfying and smooth. I want to say it might be one of my more favourable stages so far, I had so much fun.” 

WERE THERE ANY PERFORMANCES YOU LIKED?

If Ryujin could be honest she would say that she didn’t enjoy very many stages this week but in the end, that’s not something she opts to say out loud. All of the contestants that are still in this competition are definitely talented but the choices were underwhelming in her opinion, though it could be due to the fact that she is incredibly biased towards her own performance with Sakura and that to the point where nobody seemed to match up with them. Ryujin hope that the judges are as pleased with their stage as she is herself. “I’m pretty sure that it’s expected when I say I liked YEJI unnie’s performance with PARK JUNHEE, it was refreshing to see unnie sing on the stage today because I think that she has much potential in that area as well as dancing. I also think that Junhee did great, they were a good pair together. Hmm, and I enjoyed HANSOL CHWE and KIM SIHYEON also. Their stage was cute.”

[rkminhyun]

                                    MGA SEASON FIVE     ∙       duos performance

                                      𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲     :     𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄

               @danielxrk  /  @rkpwj  /  @rkyq  /  @rksuwoong  /  @jungeunxrk  /  @rkmason                                                            @joohyunrk  /  @rkeunji  /  @rkkyul  

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE RESULTS LAST WEEK?

         he offers a tiny shrug.  “i wasn’t necessarily attached to any of them,  so i don’t have strong feelings towards the results?  of course,  i’m glad i survived the round and so did my friends,  and i’d like to get to know the other contestants more,  but it is what it is.  however,  concerning eliminations,  hmm . . .”  he taps his fingers on his knee as he thinks.  “i think BAE JOOHYUN’s fate was disappointing for many,  but perhaps a relief for those that saw her as competition.  hoping the best for those that have left the show though,  they did what they could.”  

        “moving on to top picks,  i think CHOI MINHO was an obvious choice,  fact of the matter is he’s talented,  we all know it.  i’ve worked with SONG YUQI now and i see quite a bit of potential in her,  which can serve as fulfilling the criteria for the top three position she was given.  and then we have a different top three contestant,  LEE SUWOONG,”  here he lets a smile slip past as he rubs his chin to look further in thought,  “i’m a little biased,  i’ll admit,  but i’m positive anyone can see he’s deserving of it.  he’s always been talented and as his friend,  it feels satisfying seeing him being recognized for it,  and the . . . entertainment he’s sure to provide the audience.  other than that?  i have no thoughts.”  he leans back in his seat,  taking a breather.

WELL,  THEN RIDDLE US THIS  --  WHAT WAS IT LIKE WORKING WITH YOUR DUO?

        “i had fun,”  he admits,  after a moment of contemplative silence.  “i wasn’t sure what to expect when the names were called,  but the experience was  --  would it be haughty of me to say  easy ?  we got along well,  and i think it translates well in our performance.  yuqi reminds me of my little sister actually,”  tone turning a little sheepish,  “i’ll be cheering her on for the indefinite future. you can count on me,  yuqi,”  he says to the camera with a thumbs up,  ignoring the flare of embarrassment rising inside him at the fact this probably wouldn’t even be aired.  whatever.

AND HOW DO YOU THINK YOU DID THIS WEEK?

        he makes a few hand gestures,  searching for the right words for how he was feeling.  “alright?  i could’ve done better,  shown more of myself maybe,  and i have some regrets looking back,  but overall?  i’m also content with what my partner and i did put together,  and it was nice being able to play on stage and show a part of me many haven’t seen.”

TELL US,  WHICH PERFORMANCES DID YOU LIKE BEST?  

        “well  --  PARK WOOJIN and ZHOU JIEQIONG’s  was quite charming to see,  cute even.”  a flicker of amusement illuminates his expression,  before he hums in thought.   “as well as the MIYAWAKI SAKURA and SHIN RYUJIN duo, oh!  and  JUNG EUNJI and KIM JUNGEUN --  i found myself moving along to the beat while watching them perform.  though,  the same could apply for YOON JEONGHAN and PARK JINYOUNG . . .”  he takes a deep sigh then,  pouting slightly despite his usual levels of composure.  “it’s hard  --  everyone’s good and only getting better.”

IS THERE ANYONE YOU’RE CERTAIN WILL MOVE ONTO THE NEXT PHASE OF THE MGAs?

        “i’d like to say any of the duos i mentioned liking best earlier,  but perhaps i’m inclined towards CHOI MINHO and LEE NAKYUNG,  KANG DANIEL and JEON HEEJIN,  and hmmm . . .  LEE SUWOONG and WONG YUKHEI?  haha,  just some guesses!  we’ll have to see.”

IS THERE ANYONE YOU’RE SURE WILL BE ELIMINATED TODAY?

        “with the abundance of talent around,  i would joke about it being me but,”  he thinks of yuqi then and how desperately he wants to remain with his friends,  the pressure he feels ever-growing,  “i believe in my partner.  plus,  eliminations are a little wild,  you  . . . never know.  may the best duos win.”