#be:ngs2ep5

on the top left corner of the screen, sits a badge that reminds everyone watching that this episode is being broadcasted live. after a momentary pause, claps and cheers resonate throughout the auditorium as jian finally shows herself on stage, greeting the NEXT GEN supporters with waves and smiles, taking her place in the center of the stage. 

“welcome, everyone, to the finale of NEXT GEN’s second season!” she announces, awaiting for the next round of applause to end before she moves on. “don’t forget, your vote matters. please download the Mnet NEXT GEN Voting app onto your mobile device, if you haven’t already. on the screen, you can find instructions on how to vote for your favorite contestant! now, please be patient! live voting will open once the final performance comes to an end, remaining open for a total of twenty minutes. remember that, okay?” the crowd responds, and jian continues. “as mentioned before, the results of this competition will be decided by a combination of audience votes as well as the judges’ scores.”

after jian’s detailed explanation, the television screen shows a qr code link to the app store, along with instructions on how to download the app. it’s shown in the concert hall too, plastered on the large screens standing on either side of the stage.

“now, without further ado, it’s my pleasure to introduce you—for one last time—to the NEXT GEN stage, our company representatives… our lovely judges! please welcome YUNA, representing LIME ENTERTAINMENT; SEO RAN, ceo of SR MEDIA; and YOON JIHUN, ceo of STUDIO DELTA!”

with that, the judges come in, passing through a door that was hidden earlier once they’re announced. each one of them addresses the crowd with a smile and a wave, taking their seats afterwards. once they’ve settled into their seats, the crowd quiets down too.

“one last reminder! the contestants you’ll see on stage today are all battling it out for a trainee contract with one of three companies represented here today!” jian exclaims, triggering another round of cheers as the crowd gets hyped up for the competition. “which means, your votes will help shape the futures of three of the largest companies in our k-pop industry.”

she flashes the audience and the cameras a bright grin. “shall we get this show on the road?” she asks, causing another racket of screams and shouts to flourish. the answer is obvious, based on the automatic reaction of excitement. “in that case, let’s welcome all of our remaining contestants to the stage!”

jian leaves the stage for the moment, the lights dimming as she makes her exit. then, the intro of do better can be heard throughout the auditorium, followed by the change of the lights; a purple tint. as the introduction plays itself over and over, silhouettes of the remaining contestants are shown on stage. and thus, the audience erupts into another burst of cheers. each contestant greet their supporters with smiles; now they’ve seen the faces of those who have been backing them up all this time. it’s all the more real now, a grander stage than most of them have ever experienced, no doubt. surely, they can’t afford to give this energetic crowd any less.

after a moment on stage and a few final waves, the contestants return backstage, being replaced by jian. “another round of applause, for all of our next gen participants, please!” it doesn’t take long for the crowd to respond, enthusiastic and thrilled to witness what’s about to come. “thank you, everyone. this competition has been a rollercoaster, hasn’t it? although there has been many ups and downs, as well as unexpected turns, the contestants who remains should feel a sense of pride—they’ve made it so far, haven’t they? they’re brimming with talent, they have their future in this industry.”

that being said, the audience are clearly more interested in the performances itself. so, jian continues on, “now, let’s give it up for our first performing team!” as they wait for the first round of performers to get dressed, a vcr begins to play, playing on the big screens showcasing a practice room. this 5-person group make up the STARRY DREAM TEAM, who will be the first to perform.

they flashback in time, stopping at a certain point before the day of the concert. STEVIE, one of the darlings of this season, is seen on screen with SARANG, his mentor for this round, and the winner of last season. “do you think it’s kinda corny?” stevie asks, sounding a little embarrassed. “maybe i’m just shy. an inner monologue and my baby pics for everyone to witness?” it looks like stevie is describing an idea for the stage, but what’s with the lack of confidence? that doesn’t seem like the stevie everyone has come to know!

“what i like about this performance is that, as i said, everyone can relate to it,” like always, sarang remains encouraging. “we all have dreams, and we all want them to come true. the people watching seeing you as a baby, and then now performing on-stage, feel hopeful when they see how far you've come.” he follows that up with a question, “can i ask why this embarrasses you?”

“you know how turtles retract back into their shell when they get scared? it kinda makes me feel like that. i know it sounds stupid,” stevie concludes, a smile on his face, despite having said something a little self-deprecating. it’s the final episode, after all—are the nerves getting to stevie? fans whisper among themselves, worried for their favorite contestant.

they don’t dwell on that for too long, of course—how stevie ends up faring, will certainly be answered during the performance itself. instead, the screen switches to another pair: stevie stands alongside HYUNKI, who poses an unexpected question once they’ve caught up with their breaths from rehearsing their choreography, “did you ever think when you moved that this is where you’d end up?” are the members of this team feeling rather sentimental? that only makes sense, because they’re about to reach the end of their journey on next gen.

“i don't think i ever considered like...an idol in my future at all. but hey, things change. what about you?” stevie returns the question, the camera panning over to hyunki as the audience awaits hyunki’s answer.

“i knew i wanted to perform, but i wasn't sure how that would manifest yet. so maybe a little? if that makes sense,” hyunki admits.

“you're good at performing. maybe you really were just born for it.” stevie teases his teammate. “and well, now look at us! life comes at you fast.” it’s clear that the two are getting along, which is refreshing, remembering how the last episode ended on such a tense note in terms of teammates getting along.

despite stevie’s encouragement towards hyunki, the next scene shows hyunki looking a bit more serious, concentrated, going over his lines with SEOJUN. he looks unsure of himself, a cause for concern. “what are your initial thoughts?” hyunki asks his mentor, eager for feedback.

seojun is gentle when he speaks, a notable trait of his as coach. “make sure your voice is clear when it comes to the words and make your lines the best they can be. it will help you stand out,” seojun comments.

“i can do all that,” hyunki responds, nodding—perhaps, in a way, trying to convince himself. “i'll make sure to keep practicing until it gets better,” he assures. but what could have gotten hyunki’s confidence to sway, even if for a moment? as the invisible question lingers in everyone’s minds, a familiar voice starts playing in the background: “did you get complacent just because we gave you a good ranking a couple of times? don’t forget that hangyeol has been first place twice now. you may have been our male center, but you don’t have that much room to fall back on your laurels.” it’s the voice of the one and only studio delta ceo, jihun, who had much to say about the qualities hyunki lacked, compared to another contestant. the crowd reacts almost immediately, ahhs and boos as they watch the cilp.

it dies down though, when it fades to another scene, picturing hyunki with HANGYEOL, the aforementioned pair of rivals. or… not? “jang hyunki?” hangyeol calls out, polite, voice soft, not a hint of rivalry in his bones. “it’s me… i come bearing a peace offering…”

hyunki seems surprised. “this is nice, thank you, but why?”

“i know we're both dancers, and we're used to...cutthroat environments. but it didn't feel right going into the finals and working together without extending some kindness,” hangyeol explains himself, extending what seems to be an invisible olive branch in the form of a gift. “it's lemon, i think. i hope you like citrus. whatever happens this week, i hope we can be friends.” but then hangyeol’s tone changes, obviously an act, meant to flair up what sounds ridiculous to him; their makeshift rivalry. “if we have to be rivals for a few more days, so be it.” he winks at hyunki for good measure.

“this is gorgeous, i almost don't want to ruin it by eating. thank you, hangyeol,” hyunki seems touched by the act. “i really hope we can be friends, too.” hyunki is smiling, tucking away the treat box safely to the side. the crowd cheers, happy to see a new friendship blossoming, murmuring amongst themselves about how cute it is (and perhaps disapproving of jihun's words from the previous performance now).

with that interaction ending on a heartwarming note, the screen flips to a different pair—this time, it’s JUEUN and TOUMA, their first time on screen. “i’m starting to feel like eevee,” jueun says with a chuckle. those among the audience who understood the reference, followed along. “do you mind listening to it and telling me how it sounds? i feel like i’m reaching the note, but i probably need more power behind it, since it comes at the climax of the song.”

the audience whispers amongst themselves, wondering what note is so significant that it requires jueun’s utmost attention. a text on screen explains exactly what jueun is talking about: this time, the members are allowed to choose which of them are assigned with the high note of the song; a highlighted moment, all the more pressure. despite this burden of responsibility, jueun seems to be accepting the role with ease.

“it really feels like i've done almost everything i could as a performer during next gen,” jueun comments during her own scene, sitting in the familiar interview room. “dancing, rapping and now singing a high note. if i were to compare next gen to a game, it feels like i've finished every single quest!”

it returns to the practice room. “of course! i'd love to. it makes me feel a bit special too, getting to hear it firsthand before the audience does.” touma is smiling at his teammate, offering his support.

“for now, i'm just trying to get the note down itself. i feel like i need a little more support. like i can reach the note, but i'm not sure if it sounds powerful enough.” jueun sings the high note, but it’s muted for the audience—as usual, it’s saved for the performance itself. the crowd is a little disappointed, wanting a spoiler, but the producers aren’t going to give them any.

“i think you’ll do just fine! you pulled off everything last time to my knowledge. weren’t you also kind of new to rapping? but you did so well rapping in your previous team! i’m sure the exact same thing will happen with this high note,” touma continues to encourage, never letting up with his compliments. “maybe you can position your head a bit? i read that if you point your chin down, it can help you reach a higher note with more ease,” he suggests. whether jueun accomplishes what she has set out to do though, remains a mystery for now.

jueun isn’t only focused on that note, though. naturally, there are more lines than just that one high note. now that they’re at the end of the road, they’ll have to make sure everything is up to standard. stevie returns to the screen alongside jueun this time, lyric sheet in hand. he stands up, taking in a deep breath before he proceeds to sing: “if i reach out my hand a little more, somehow i think i can reach it.” after taking a sip of his bottle, stevie repeats his lines. then, he analyzes himself, “i think my beginning sounds a little weird, but i can't tell if it's just because i don't have the music leading me there.”

jueun seems to agree. “i agree. the beginning is a little shaky, and i feel like if you aren't focused enough, you might just end up missing the first note.” she looks down at her own lyric sheet. “okay, do you mind listening to me this time? i don't want to mess up this beginning because it's the start of this whole performance.”

“it’s kind of exciting, it’s giving trustfall energy.” stevie comments, taking over the screen with hangyeol this time. “and then we all lift our hands up at the same moment, i think that’s pretty nice.” the two dancers are working on their steps.

“don’t drop me, ok stevie?” hangyeol’s accent seem to peek out a little, even more so as he continues on. “how do you say ‘don’t drop me’ in english?”

“oh. uh, don’t drop me,” stevie says with more ease, answering hangyeol’s question. “i won’t let you fall, i promise!”

“do not deurop me stevie park!” hangyeol echoes, which brings about a laugh from the audience watching, endeared by how well the teammates are getting along.

the team members are working on their technical skills, brushing up what isn’t familiar to them. on the other side though, there seems to be someone who’s struggling with something more interpersonal; their mindset. touma’s unreadable expression is what’s pictured in the frame. he speaks, letting out a glimpse of his thoughts. “i think... my stage presence is kind of lacking, right now.” he says, honest. “changing that so late in the game significantly doesn't feel realistic, but i don't want to drag my team down either. i'd hope to at least... match them? be balanced? i want to at least be able to stand alone so my teammates don't have to worry about me.”

as it slowly zooms out of touma’s complicated expression, it is revealed that he has been talking to sarang this entire time, one of his mentors. sarang seems to be taking in each word that touma has said, considering his words very carefully before he proceeds with his advice. “can i ask you something? when you perform, do you feel confident? like, when the lights hit you, and you're in the center, do you feel powerful and in control, or do you feel unsure?”

“now that you bring it up, i think the most confident i've been throughout this entire show was during my audition. and it just started... getting chipped away,” touma says aloud, clearly deflated from the pressures. it’s bound to happen though, especially now that they’ve reached the final episode.

whatever wisdom sarang bestowed upon touma, is not shown in the vcr itself. instead, touma is seen with hyunki next. “even if you happen to hate everything about this song, you can't let the audience know that,” hyunki says to touma. another sound in the background plays: “you looked like you were fighting the concept more than you were living it,” yuna had said, a critique that touma seems to be thinking about now.

“there's seniors who had admitted to not being the biggest fans of some of their own songs, right? but you can't tell when they perform. we just have to find a way to get you there, or at least working towards that,” hyunki continues.

touma lets out a sigh, “i thought i hid it pretty well. i was having fun doing puzzle eventually, especially because we had a fun premise, but that still doesn't exude... sexiness. i do like our concept this time though,” touma reassures.

“what's something to makes you happy, but won't distract you too much?” hyunki asks afterwards.

touma doesn’t take too long to find his answer. “what makes me happy... dancing, i suppose.”

“liking the concept is a great start! we can work with that!” hyunki replies, happy to have found some footing. that seems to be what they’ll be working on once again, like they had in their previous team.

speaking of concepts, jueun is seen once more going over the concept with sarang. a fitting choice, seeing sarang’s status as sr media trainee. “the song is very mellow and dreamy, and it's definitely hopeful; both things are true. it's sort of like when you're a kid and you're in your bedroom late at night, and you're looking out of the window and wishing on stars in the sky… there's no one there but you, the moon, and her stars. it's like you're telling her secrets." as sarang goes on, not only is he painting a picture for jueun on screen, he’s also giving hints as to what the audience can expect in this performance.

“i'll try to keep that in mind while i perform. how do you think that should be delivered when it comes to expressions? i feel like expressing that dreaminess without making it look exaggerated is the most difficult,” jueun remarks, clearly concerned for the performance ahead. there is no reassurance from sarang’s end though, instead that is where the vcr ends, leaving an air of mystery.

after a moment of silence, the lights on stage turn on once again. STARRY DREAM TEAM stands atop the stage in their outfits, ready to begin their live performance. jueun, the only girl in the team, opens up the song with her lines; albeit, this isn’t anything new to her. the message of the song is clear, a dream above their heads, reaching out for what seems to be the unattainable sky—and each member embodies that idea to the best of their abilities. stevie comes up right after, moving into position with fluidity; as expected of this dancer! the crowd seems to think. he makes room for touma to slide into place, bringing that same sense of fluidity into the choreography. hyunki, too, keeps up with the momentum.

it continues on, the cameras giving a moment to each contestant. everyone portrays a soft expression, wistful but hopeful and determined. hangyeol, in particular, makes a point to enforce eye contact not with just the camera, but also his teammates. the bridge approaches steadily, but the members are ready for it, having practiced with their all in the aforementioned few days. the lift seems to be the highlight of the song, not to be beaten by jueun’s high note though—the contestant belting it out for the audience to hear and witness. hyunki and touma sing their last lines, closing the song with ease. hangyeol steps forward slowly, moving into position, once again locking eyes with the camera. they all finish with their ending poses; a sentimental end to an emotional performance. it makes one wonder—have they reached their dreams? are they on the right path? every member gets their ending fairy shot, fans screaming in excitement as the first performance comes to a close. it takes a while for the hype to die down, the names of each member screamed out pointedly. there’s a few sniffles among the crowd too, no doubt brought about by the team members.

once the audience starts to quiet down, the judges begin to impart the members with their final thoughts.

“ah, there’s more pressure for even us being in front of a live audience, isn’t there?” begins, smiling at her fellow judges before sending the same expression to the contestants waiting for the critique on stage. “how are you feeling after seeing the first performance, jihun?”

studio delta’s ceo, notoriously strict as he is, seems to be putting on his best behavior with so many eyes on them. “why are you asking me and not ran?” he accuses his fellow judge, though there’s a smile on his lips betraying the lighthearted nature of his commentary so far. “i’m having a great time. you know i’m hard on them to bring out their full potential, but it’s not like there’s going to be another episode after this. i can be a little nicer.”

“is that so?” ran smiles, “i’ll believe it when i see it. but enough about us, i’m sure team starry dream is impatient enough now.”

“that’s right,” yuna draws the attention back to the team in front of them. “where should we start? well, i suppose overall, you may have had a bit of an advantage with the song you were given by the audience. starry dream is a perfect fit for the finale isn’t it?” she glances to her fellow judges, who nod their agreement. murmurs of approval grumble through the live audience as well. “and i think that’s why it might have been easier for you all to tap into your emotions with this performance. even touma seemed to be more comfortable with this concept.” she flashes the contestant in question a reassuring smile.

ran makes a point to stretch around in her seat, looking around at the crowds of fans surrounding the stage. “i think i heard a few sniffles in the crowd during the performance,” she observes. “ah, there-” the cameras zoom in on a young fan with tears blurring her eyes “-someone please give her a tissue! and share with your neighbors around you if you see anyone in need. starry dream is surprisingly emotional despite being an upbeat song, especially in the context of the finale. but being able to connect so intensely with the audience? that’s an amazing accomplishment for sure.”

“that should be expected though, shouldn’t it?” jihun purses his lips together. “some of the highest ranking contestants in the competition were all in this team. i mean, hyunki and hangyeol have both placed first at different points in the competition. steven is the most experienced contestant of anyone. if they didn’t put on a good performance, i would have had a lot more to say.” 

the two female judges can’t help but give jihun a look that communicates what they cannot say: we know.

“stevie,” jihun continues, addressing the contestant directly, “you’ve continued to improve not just since the last time we saw you, but throughout this season as well. while i maintain that you lacked maturity in the previous season, you’ve certainly reinvented yourself this year. i hope that you continue this trend of growth. it’ll serve you well going forward. if you make it farther.” as always, the judges are careful not to reveal too much so early in the show.

“i also want to congratulate jueun,” ran reveals with a smile, “we’ve thrown a lot at you in these last several weeks, haven’t we? and yet you always managed to pull through and put on an amazing performance with a smile on your face. i’m sure you complained and probably cursed us behind our backs but you never let it show on stage. your professionalism and talent is better than some idol groups currently promoting.”

“and where would we be without our rivals, hyunki and hangyeol?” yuna smiles, “though, that was all manufactured by jihun, wasn’t it? i’m glad that the both of you didn’t let his goading get to you and were able to become friends. competition can bring out the best in us, but it can also bring out our worst. you both did excellently to not let the pressure get to you or break your composure, even when studio delta’s ceo was doing his best to make it difficult. congratulations on another successful performance, both of you.”

“there’s not much we can say any of you did wrong,” ran continues. “it’s our last episode together. you’ve all grown immensely over the last several weeks and it’s been our pleasure to help you grow. of course you’re not perfect, but next gen was always about testing your potential. you’ve all proven that to us by now.”

“but we can’t sign all of you,” jihun brings in the reality check. “it’s not healthy for a company to bring in too much new blood at once and frankly, not everyone is going to be cut out for our training programs long-term at this time. but we’ll make those decisions later, after we’ve seen the rest of the performances.”

“in the meantime, please be proud of everything you’ve accomplished and the performance you’ve given,” yuna instructs the contestants. “celebrate your victories backstage. we’ll see you again soon.”

starry dream team is gracefully dismissed from the stage.

the contestants begin to step down from the stage, returning to the back. jian steps forward once more, ready to introduce the next team. “our next performance is ANTI-HERO TEAM!” she takes a moment to let the audience cheer, before moving forward. “i wonder how they prepared for tonight. let’s take a look!”

as the close-up of jian’s face fades away within the scope of the huge monitors, it is replaced by a shot of the practice room. the first two members shown are ARA and YUWOL, seemingly getting themselves ready for… something? the two of them have grim expressions on their faces, what could be so challenging for the both of them? 

it doesn’t remain a mystery for too long. “so a series of burpees and then a quick rest period, and repeat. somehow it sounds easy, but i think it'll be anything but,” ara speaks as she’s tying her shoelaces. it’s serious, for the two of them. “should we do this together or alternate?” she asks her partner for the day.

“i think we can just do it together,” yuwol answers. then, he asks, “okay, you ready?”

“no,” ara responds as she starts getting into position. “but i have to be ready. i can do this, we can do this,” she assures the both of them, even though she’s wailing. she reaches her fist, offering a fist bump in an attempt to pump the both of them up. as yuwol is getting into position himself, he doesn’t leave ara hanging, bumping their fists together. it’s a cute display of friendship, and the audience coos. “we 'simply' need to complete the set, then we'll catch our breath for a quick break and see about the second set. alright?”

“you’re right, all we need to do is complete one set,” yuwol is quick to answer.

“ok, let’s go… three… two… one…” ara counts down, and they begin—it looks like the two of them are working on their stamina, back to basics. once they’re done, the two of them are trying to catch their breaths. it’s just the first set, so they seem to be fine so far. “okay… that… that wasn’t too bad. right? thirty second break then onto the second set?”

“yeah, definitely need that thirty second break,” yuwol replies in between breaths. the camera zooms in on both their lightly flushed faces, a rather comedic image. a significant portion of the audience laughs. but as the camera zooms out into a wider shot of the practice room, it’s clear the two of them are still determined to continue with their exercise, knowing it’d be fruitful.

it seems that the members of ANTI-HERO TEAM are polishing the basics, which is nothing surprising. now that they’re in the finale, their basics must be perfect, after all. CHAERIN, in particular, is focusing on just that with all the members. she puts emphasis on their technical skills, seen in the way she’s coaching everyone. the first person she’s seen working with on screen though, is JIAYI.

“you’re both the opening and ending of this song, jiayi!” chaerin notes aloud, seemingly excited for the contestant. “the lines aren’t much, but they are pretty important. i’m sure you’ll do fine, but just make sure to keep that in mind.”

“i am! i’m excited about it,” jiayi smiles, not pressured by her assigned lines. “i’ve been working on my expressions during those parts. i want to make sure my face doesn’t look too… bland.”

“i think it’s be hard for you to look bland,” chaerin comments, but doesn’t completely wave off jiayi’s concerns. “was there anything other than your expressions you found yourself struggling with?”

“obviously i’ve been working on improving my vocals. but i’d like to hear your thoughts on how i sing,” jiayi tells chaerin. “if that’s okay, of course.” the two of them continue to work on the vocal aspect of the song, although they aren’t the only one to do so.

DOHYUN also helped the members with their vocals. in this scene though, ara and jiayi had left already, perhaps to work on other things. yuwol, on the other hand, had just arrived. “tea?” dohyun offered as yuwol steps into the room.

“i’d like that, thank you. i hope you don’t mind me rambling as you make our tea,” yuwol says, half a warning. but then again, surely dohyun has no reason to refuse. yuwol continues on. “the feedback i had gotten about my vocals was that i relied too much on stylization. honestly, i didn’t realize that was the case until it was pointed out to me. they might be right. how do i… tone it down?” yuwol asks, seeking dohyun’s more expert guidance.

“what’s your background in singing?” dohyun decides to start with that, searching for more information. “i think going over the basics and technique will help with that, so we can start there.”

“i had some training back then, but mostly as an opera singer. my parents kinda put me into anything classical music related until something hits. that ended up being violin, so i didn't continue my professional training. i do still sing for the choir though, occasionally. at church, i mean,” yuwol describes. “i think i know the basics, at the top of my head. but linking it to the performance and the dance—yeah, i can see why i ended up relying on stylization.”

that seems to be enough information for dohyun to work with; the pair begin to work on yuwol’s lines, going over them.

singing isn’t the only thing yuwol is focusing on though, seeing as how he was called out for another aspect of his technical skills. chaerin comes on screen yet again, it’s her turn to work with yuwol. the contestant had been going through his parts of the choreography for chaerin to comment on. “how much do you stretch before you begin dancing? your moves look a little choppy, and i think a good place to start would be to warm up your body a bit more before you begin working on the choreography,” chaerin says.

“i've done some of the stretching exercises you've shown me before. should i do more?” yuwol is looking at himself in the mirror, sweat on his forehead. he seems to be taking a moment to analyze himself, pointing out what’s missing and what went wrong. “i might be... struggling with balancing everything. performing, keeping my facial expression in mind, reaching my notes when it comes to singing... and then, dancing. i was more fluid when i performed cake. thanks to you, that is. but with nonstop, i was too focused on... living the concept. on my face, minding my gestures... how i should perform. that may be why... my technical performance skills suffered a bit.”

chaerin seems to understand, but first she says, “that was all you. anybody can give out advice, but not everybody can embody it.” she keeps going, though. “that sounds like something everybody goes through, though. i remember struggling to find a balance between everything as well. just keep in mind that, at the end of the day, your skills are really what matters. you want to get the basics down because without that, no matter how hard you try to pull off a concept, it won't work out. you've probably heard this way too many times by this point, but try to focus on your singing and dancing first. repeat it over and over again until your body and mind has memorized everything and then move onto the other aspects of the performance.” as expected of a lime entertainment trainee, her words ring true, a perfect representation of the company she is signed to.

yuwol sits in the interview room for a moment on screen. then, the interviewer asks him a question: “how do you feel about the idol life now?” at that, yuwol laughs. “i think it's nice. it was obvious, wasn't it? how little i knew about this side. but it's fun, performing like this was fun. i didn't realize i'd find myself captivated by this life, but i was. and honestly? dancing is starting to become a hobby of mine. i hope to pick it back up, even if i don't get signed through this show.”

the screen comes back to the practice room. “that's true. i suppose... if i get the routine down, as well as my lines, the concept would come as second nature? we'll be using a silk cloth as a prop too,” yuwol muses aloud, which has the audience murmuring to one another. a silk cloth? how would that look? there is no answer at this time. “thank you, again, for watching over me. let me try rehearsing my parts in the chorus, tell me if something is out of place,” yuwol requests, before going over the choreography once more.

the audience are still caught up on the mention of a silk cloth. luckily, their curiosity can be somewhat satiated as the camera flits towards the next pair. the two of them are holding the silk cloth in question—will this be part of the performance? a prop?

“i think the dynamic of the team was nice,” jiayi’s voice can be heard as the scene in the practice room keeps playing. “we all had good energy and worked hard towards making our performance a notable one. i'm glad that i could finally meet ara, as i've had my eye on her for a while.”

“you know, i did rhythmic gymnastics growing up. this isn’t the same, obviously, but it reminded me of the ribbons we used to use for the performances and stuff. i’m glad we get to use such pretty props for the finale,” jiayi remarks, excited at the idea.

“i grazed the gymnastic route, but i ended up going into dance instead as a kid. but i can respect that- it probably helps a lot with this choreography.” it seems the two have something in common to discuss! “i haven’t used this before so if you had some recommendations or suggestions for the technique, for maneuvering the cloth so we are all in sync…. i want our lines to be crisp and clean.” after making that statement, ara attempts to whip the cloth. “what do you think? too much?”

jiayi, on the other hand, runs her fingers along the strip of fabric. “i think controlling the cloth will be difficult as sometimes it can have a mind of it's own. try to think of it as an extension of your arm, not a separate entity.”

ara seems impressed by the comment, eager to put it into practice. so, she does. “okay, let me try it and see if it is better... wait. that looks better, right? or was that a fluke. let me try it a few more times so its not merely a coincidence.” she incorporates that into a part of her dance next, with better results—although it’s mostly cropped out, so as to surprise the audience for later. “oh, we better try to do it in sync too. let’s…. try it in a line so we can see how it lines up when it is in the air.” it sounds like a complicated maneuver, the image hangs in the air, leaving people to wonder how it’ll look on the stage itself.

chaerin is seen on screen once more, ever the active coach. “how are you feeling about this song, ara? there isn't anything for you to watch or listen to beforehand other than the demos.”

“i know. i.... want to do the song justice, and its nice that we aren't focusing too much on the creativity aspect, but that means we have to do our best because it comes down to how well we execute the song as a whole.” the contestant sounds slightly troubled. “i want to start off the song with good energy and keep it heightened throughout the entire performance. but i also don't want it to seem unnatural or like i am not trying. why is the balance so difficult when trying to finesse everything? i don't know if i have the leader mentality there, but i am game for helping everyone in the group. collaboration. communication....”

listening to everything patiently, chaerin waits a moment until ara finished before speaking up. “that's what performing is all about. finding the right balance of everything. let's take it one step at a time, okay? first, make sure you have the song and choreography down to a t. at this point in the competition, it's going to be even more obvious if you're lacking in the most basic aspects of a performance. then we can work on putting your own flair into the performance. how does that sound?” it’s similar to the advice that she had given yuwol earlier. 

“that's true. i don't want to rush myself and go a few steps forward or backwards, all because the potential anxiety of the finale is here.” it’s a statement that the other contestants can certainly sympathize with, the stakes are higher because it’s the finale after all. ara’s worries aren’t unfounded.

the next clip shows ara in the interview room. a disembodied voice asks: “what was the greatest challenge during this mission?” ara contemplates for a second, before continuing with her answer, “that this was not a cover, but that we could make it our own. it is a privilege and honor, but also a challenge to tackle. i hope that as a unit, we were able to encompass all of the members as fitting this concept and song as our own. so that in the future when anyone performs this song again, they'll think back to this performance instead and remember us." 

eventually, the screen fades to black after a few more scenes of the team practicing together along with their mentors are played. the audience are left with bated breaths before the lights come up on stage once more, shining upon the ANTI-HERO TEAM, taking their positions as they wait for the music to begin.

powerful, elegant and poised. eye-catching, alluring. those are all terms that can be used to describe the song assigned to this team. there’s certainly many powerful moments, emphasized by the edm music in the background, giving a more thrilling and bewitching aura throughout the entire performance. each team member seem to embody all that is required to carry such a tense song. it opens with jiayi, incorporating the silk cloth as she dances, waving it around with the practiced grace and flexibility that she has had since her days as a gymnast. the others don’t fall behind though, it’s clear that they’ve practiced together to gracefully twirl and twist the prop they had in hand.

expressions is key to a song like this, and the members aren’t lacking on that regard either. even as ara is lifted into the air by her two teammates, she manages to keep an air of allure and mystery, eye contact with both judges and audience. yuwol, who has been praised for his acting before, is back in his element of a more thrilling song choice. he, too, fixes the camera with a gaze that’s intense, mysterious, and enticing. there’s an emphasis on his eyes, along with a confident curl to the corner of his lips. all the members have managed to convey the concept of the song through not only facial expressions, but their gestures and movements as well. the choreography remains clean and crisp as the performance progresses, coming to an end with jiayi’s lines once more. one last flip of the cloths, and then it’s over. the members make use of the silk cloth in their ending fairy poses, and the cameras made sure to take a shot of each one of them. neither one of them step out of character, until it’s truly the end of the performance.

the song closes, and the audience cheers with much enthusiasm, shouting out every member’s name. it was silence up to this point—did the thrilling and tense vibes of the performance shine through? it must have, because the audience are impressed. the camera pans towards the judges, awaiting their commentary.

ran is the first to speak this time, smiling into the microphone and at her fellow judges as she speaks. “anti-hero has a very different vibe than starry dream, doesn’t it? we planned for this, but seeing the performances back to back really puts it into perspective, doesn’t it?”

“it does,” yuna agrees. “while team starry dream had the advantage of a perfect thematic song, anti-hero had props incorporated into their choreography. it made for a very eye-catching stage and presented a new challenge to our contestants for their final performance. but i think they did well?” she poses it as a question, waiting for the audience to roar their approval. she smiles; of course an idol would know how to work the crowd. “you all did well,” she addresses the contestants directly now, “learning a completely original song from scratch is nothing to sneeze at. where your seniors can advise you on how to better perform existing songs, even they might be at a loss for how to show something unique. i think you had the appropriate power throughout the performance and really made us believe that you were anti-heroes here to change the world.”

“i think it’s the details i was most impressed with,” ran adds, “right down to how you ended the performance, incorporating your props into your final poses. there wasn’t a single movement or expression that looked out of place on anyone. would you say that your final performance here was the best you’ve ever run through the song? because i would absolutely believe it. i’m not sure how it could be better.” she smiles warmly, clearly impressed with the performance.

jihun, as reluctant as he is to ever give compliments, even manages a smile. “to be honest, i thought you all would struggle with the props. only one of you really had experience with something like this, right? it’s not easy to learn a new skill on the fly. but you proved me wrong. your adaptability and ability to learn quickly should be commended.”

“yuwol, i can tell that you focused a lot on improving your fundamentals. i think this was the strongest performance you’ve given us to date, and i want to make sure you knew that we noticed,” yuna addresses the contestant individually, “you’ve always done well at taking our criticism to heart and acting on it, which is an incredibly valuable trait as a trainee and an idol. your classical music background helps with that, doesn’t it?” 

she doesn’t really wait for an answer; instead she’s interrupted by jihun. “ara as well. you’ve done well throughout this competition but you especially shined in this performance. you’re a decent singer and a better dancer and those skills have only improved during your time training with us. your stage presence as well continues to impress. i know not everyone agrees with me, but i don’t believe that’s a skill that can be taught, it’s a raw, natural talent. congratulations.” high praise from the strictest judge, to be sure.

“jiayi has also continued to impress,” ran points out, “your stage presence and confidence might be some of the best in the competition and your skills have continued to improve throughout your time with us. we were right to trust you with opening the song as well as closing it; you know how to make an impression. ah, deciding the final results is going to be difficult!” the woman exclaims.

“thank you for another amazing performance. we’ll see you at the end of the program.” jihun dismisses the team from the stage.

the show is nearing its end. one team remains, and the tensions are rising higher than ever. perhaps because once this performance concludes, the season would have run its course; finally. a few of the fans seem disgruntled by this fact too, awaiting jian’s announcement.

“before we proceed with our last performance of the night—and of next gen season two, in general,” she takes a pause, hearing the herd of sullen groans of the crowd, although the smile doesn’t fade away from her face. “we’d like to take a second to remind everyone, including those of you at home, to make sure you have the voting app downloaded! once again, thank you for the love and support you’ve shown all of us—contestants, judges, mentors and coaches, staff, and myself, throughout the entirety of this season. without all of you, we wouldn’t be here today, performing for you!”

one final cheer, one last hurrah—and then, it’s time for the final group to make its appearance. “i don’t want to keep you all waiting, so… allow me to introduce to you, BANG TEAM!”

even though the show is on its last leg, this being the last group to perform, the crowd’s passion and energy have yet to die down. that being said, the contestants don’t immediately take up the stage. just as usual, the focus is pulled towards the two large screens first and foremost, showing a rather detailed glimpse into the team’s preparation for tonight’s performance.

but instead of showing members of the team itself, not even the mentors—what sits in the middle of the screen is an empty jar. it’s sat atop a table, no explanation whatsoever. eventually though, the camera starts panning out, and finally faces of two of the BANG TEAM members can be seen. it’s INHO and JAEYOUNG.

“oh, great.” jaeyoung speaks up first, eyes focused on the jar placed in the center of the practice room. “i didn’t think she’d actually do it.” who is she? whose idea was this mysterious jar? what was it for? the audience seem to be asking those questions, and jaeyoung at least answers one of those questions. “i mean i don’t really swear as much as you and siwoo probably do. but it's also a filter jar? i have no idea how that's supposed to work.” sure, that’s an explanation, but there’s still an air of confusion among the audience. “i wonder how weird this must look to the curious viewers,” jaeyoung says aloud, which is funny now—considering the live audience are hearing this too, just as curious. “do you think we can last a day without putting anything in this jar?”

inho doesn’t seem as surprised as jaeyoung is though, having fully expected this. “hey,” inho swats jaeyoung’s arm, most likely because jaeyoung had called him out on the swearing. there’s no malice between the two though, they’re clearly getting along well, everything said in jest. “i can, i’m a grown adult capable of self-control. you? doubt it.”

jaeyoung laughs, followed by a scandalous gasp that’s clearly fake. “what are you trying to say? that i'm childish? a.... brat?” he turns to inho. “okay, i'm determined to keep this jar empty today!” he imitates a fighting! gesture. “i’m also an adult, after all. twenty…ish of age!” jaeyoung announces, which only causes the crowd to laugh in unison. after all, he isn’t making a very convincing adult in the moment.

inho seems to share that same sentiment. “twenty…ish? you sure about that adult statement?” the crowd erupts into another bout of chuckles and giggles.

once again, the camera zooms in closer onto the jar. only this time, it doesn’t stay empty for long. suddenly, there’s 10,000 won placed into it. did jaeyoung fail after all? no, that doesn’t seem to be the case, because as the camera zooms back out, the hand that had put the money in was SIWOO’s, not jaeyoung’s.

“i’m putting this in here, because i don't want to waste my time walking back and forth when i could spend it focusing on practice,” siwoo explains to inho. “better safe than sorry. are you going to put any in advance?”

“no? i don't have extra money to waste. i'm just not gonna do anything to require money be put in at all,” inho replies. “are you planning to do something wild that requires you to put the money in the jar now that  you have?” inho questions, it didn’t feel right. 

“not really. i mean i’d rather not. i have a tendency to be a little self deprecating though, and i didn’t feel like wasting time going back and forth putting in the money. so just in case.” siwoo began stretching as he speaks. “i do hope i get it right this time, though. we need to make sure we win,” he smiles, turning to inho.

inho nods, understanding. “i do that too sometimes. it's something we both need to work on.” inho joins siwoo on stretching, getting ready for practice. “we need to work hard.” 

there’s no verbal answer to who exactly came up with the jar, but the next scene switches to the face of a familiar mentor; pointed, sharp, someone who doesn’t mince her words—NAYOUNG. ah, perhaps it was her? that seems to be the correct assumption (after all, who else would it be but her?), seeing as she’s about to bring about another idea to the team.

as the camera pans out from nayoung’s stern expression, there’s the visual image of the entirety of BANG TEAM, mentors included, sitting around in a large circle. for a moment, the camera simply flips between the expressions of each member, a rather tense atmosphere in the air. notably, siwoo and JIHYUN, who pointedly had a rather strained relationship in the previous team, are seated next to one another. even more surprisingly, jaeyoung and REN ended up side-by-side as well. was this on purpose? it doesn’t seem like it, because the text on the screen explains that the seating arrangement was chosen at random. and yet, it seems to fit all too perfectly. as the camera returns to nayoung’s face, it lingers for a moment too long in silence, as if questioning whether she had a hand in making the arrangements.

but what is this circle for, anyway? nayoung doesn’t waste any more time in answering that question. “okay, let's go left in the circle. say something nice about the person to your left, and share something you're proud of yourself for related to next gen,” she simultaneously reminds the members and explains the activity to the audience. “i'll start. i'm proud that i was able to help two teams take first place this season. and of the team members, of course.” nayoung is demonstrating first. next, it looks like she’ll be saying something nice about jihyun. i like that jihyun is good at handling criticism and applying it quickly, even if it's hard to hear. okay, your turn,” nayoung says, referring to jihyun.

for a moment, it cuts to nayoung in the interview room. “i believe siwoo and jihyun have problems with one another, and then…we saw what happened between jaeyoung and ren last episode. siwoo and ren have problems too, i believe. tensions were high and it carried into our practice time. it was hard for everyone to be in sync and actually perform as a team, at least in my opinion, so i tried to do something about it.” as she speaks, a few cuts from the previous episodes shows the strange interaction between siwoo and jihyun as well as the altercation between jaeyoung and ren. nayoung had mentioned something brewing between siwoo and ren though—was there no footage of that? no, there doesn’t seem to be any. 

either way, the exercise continues on. it’s jihyun’s turn. he takes a moment to think of something to say, when it comes to being proud of himself. however, he does come up with something. “i’m proud of stepping outside my comfort zone. despite how i look, it’s really hard for me to ask around for help but i managed to do that with almost everyone in my last team.” but now, he has to say something nice about siwoo. “siwoo is really great at tying ties. yes, that’s it~…. ah, of course i’m just kidding!” in the corner of the screen, a small clip of siwoo putting a tie on jihyun is being played. “i really like how outspoken you are. you’re honest and have the courage to say what’s on your mind, i admire that part of you. your turn, siwoo.”

once again, the camera focuses on siwoo’s face, trying to catch his expression. from siwoo’s side, it begins with a laugh. “haha, thanks jihyun. i've been told that i can be a little blunt, so i'm glad that you appreciate it. you're really such a great person.” as siwoo starts speaking, laughter can be heard in the background—in the corner of the screen, jaeyoung is pictured, the culprit behind the laughter. was there something funny in the things siwoo is saying? jaeyoung doesn’t explain himself though, instead siwoo continues speaking. “i'm... proud of... trying something new. i never really thought of myself as someone who'd perform on stage like this so, uh. yeah. i'm proud of myself for having made it this far actually. haha.”

once siwoo turns his attention to inho, it seems to be a lot easier for him. “i think inho's a good singer. when i first saw him, i didn't think he'd have the lungs to reach those notes but he does. you look really cool when you sing.”

before it continues onto the team building exercise, the scene changes for a moment, this time focused between inho and ren—since siwoo had mentioned inho’s talents in singing, that must be what this clip will be about. a text on screen explains that for this team, inho is the one tasked with the high note after approval from ren. inho finishes a run for ren to hear, singing as he moves to the choreography. “so, what do you think?” he asks ren.

“it’s good,” ren replies with a relatively neutral expression and a leveled tone. “make sure you're not straining on the high note. i know you're out of breath toward the end, but you don't want to hurt yourself. if you need to, you can probably step out of the choreo a few moves sooner. our seniors do it all the time.” ren goes through his notes, before adding another layer to his advice. “when you're singing with the other members, watch your tone. you can stylize your featured moments all you want, but standing out in group moments, vocally, can be something singers like you and me  get called out for. it's something i'm still working on too, to be honest.”

inho takes that advice without complaint, repeating them. “don't strain, possibly step out sooner or work on breath control, got it. yeah, i will keep that in mind.”

the scene returns to the team building exercise, the clip adding more weight to siwoo’s compliment towards inho. the camera catches inho’s reaction to that, which is a small smile, although it’s followed by an amused look directed at the way siwoo had formulated the compliment itself. nonetheless, inho accept the compliment. “why thank you siwoo.” that signifies the end of siwoo’s turn, and the start of inho’s. “something i'm proud of is also being able to step out of my comfort zone, try new things, and end up getting to this point in the competition. i wasn't actually the one who signed myself up for the audition, it was my friends. the only reason i showed up was with their very....relentless, encouragement. i'm happy i did though. i hadn't considered being an idol before but now it's something i've put a lot of thought into and realize i enjoy.”

inho turns to his left, where jaeyoung sits. “oh, jaeyoung…” his tone is teasing at first, but it does shift into something genuine. “i admire your determination and ability to have fun. you weren't kidding when you said you were an enigma, and i enjoy getting to watch it unfold.”

“woah, i wasn’t expecting that! usually, that's the trait people loathe from me.” jaeyoung is laughing once more, and the camera switches for a second to nayoung’s expression—if looks could kill, then nayoung’s glare directed towards jaeyoung surely would. but jaeyoung doesn’t pay it any mind, because it’s his turn to speak now.

“i'm really proud of what i did in my don't call me team, even if we didn't win. that retro mad max concept was really fun to do too, and that's the first time i got along with.. literally every person i was talking to. i never made that many positive connections in one sitting.” no one seems surprised by this face though. but most of the audience aren’t exactly eager to listen to jaeyoung dissect himself—instead, they’re wondering what jaeyoung would say about ren, silence permeating in the air.

jaeyoung turns to ren with a smile. “you're talented. when you're actually mentoring us i can tell that you have a good voice too. it's obvious you're gifted, but you clearly also polished your skills to reach that level. so, yeah, i guess that's what i'd list down. it's not like we got to sit down and talk for me to know more about you. or the better side of your personality.”

now, the cameras focus is on ren, who has his eyes locked onto siwoo for most of the exercise, the latter not returning that same energy. in fact, siwoo doesn’t spare ren so much as a glance. visibly, ren’s eyes had narrowed, surprisingly not from jaeyoung’s words though. as jaeyoung speaks his piece, ren’s scowl seem to slowly ease away—only for a moment. because jaeyoung’s words still carry unpleasant implications, whether he meant it or not. still, ren takes it well; perhaps the more mature of the two. “thanks. it's mostly practice. listening when my mentors tell me how to improve. staying humble. keeping my ego in check.” it’s obvious that he’s speaking about jaeyoung, but jaeyoung doesn’t exactly react, letting ren talk. on the other hand, it’s nayoung who reacts, looking a little disappointed at ren’s words.

ren turns away from jaeyoung then, speaking to seira next. “seira-ssi, i admire your determination. it can be really discouraging when the powerful people you look up to look you in the eye and tell you everything you need to change in front of the world. it'd be really easy to give up in the face of that. a lot of people do. but you haven't yet, and that's really what'll keep you going here.” belatedly, he adds something he’s proud of, like it’s an afterthought. “oh. i forgot my thing. um. i guess i'm proud of that in myself too. i've had a lot of people tell me i'd never amount to anything. including myself. but i'm here anyway. so. yeah.”

now, ren’s turn is over, so the camera switches to seira, her expression captured in the middle of the frame. ren’s words seem to make seira emotional, a single tear in the corner of her eyes. “ah ren-ssi, you’re too nice,” she says. “i really needed to hear that, getting scolded so much by the judges have been hard, but i won’t give up!” as the camera lingered on her face, the judges’ words can be heard in the background: “your expressions were inconsistent with the vibes of the performance, your performance itself seemed stiff and robotic, and you keep saying you’ll improve your skills and yet we hardly see a difference from when you first started this competition. i know you worked hard, but it seems that you lack focus and direction,” yuna critiques. jihun speaks next, “your team trusted you with this role and i’m not sure why when you’ve proved to us over and over again that you can’t stand on stage without leaning on someone else for support. it’s fine to work in a team, but what are you actually good at?” a pause, but the judges’ voice keep playing. “i don’t know whether it’s a maturity issue, a skill issue, or if you just don’t have the talent at this point. i hate to be harsh, but you have to understand that we’re late in the competition. everything matters more now. you lack focus in tackling your weaknesses and your performance suffered for it.”

the live audience, perhaps feeling something for seira, begin to chant boos. they’re momentarily distracted though as the scene changes once more, the highlighted pair of this scene being seira and nayoung. 

“nayoung!” she sends her familiar mentor a smile. “would you wanna go over the dance with me?”

nayoung, who has spent a majority of her time coaching seira, respond accordingly. “sure,” she nods. “do you want to go over the whole thing, or is there a specific part you want to work on?”

“i wanted to practice the parts where i stand in center, i figured those parts might be crucial to show the judges i’m better than last place.” she gives a nods, “if that’s fine with you? or do you thinking starting from the start would be better?”

“good idea. let's run through your center parts by themselves a few times and then you can try going through the entire routine? making sure you have enough stamina to get through all of your center parts strongly is important, and we'll only know how you're doing there when you perform the whole song.” nayoung heads over to her laptop, skimming through until she finds seira’s first center part. “let's start at the beginning of the chorus.” it looks like nayoung is spending a lot of time with seira, and only seira.

back to the team building, it’s still seira’s turn. “i think i’m just proud of myself for coming this far, for working so hard, i’ve never worked this hard before, and though it’s draining, i’m surviving,” she claps herself on the shoulder. “nayoung… you’re really an amazing coach, not only are you talented in every field, you’ve been so nice to me, helping me whenever i need with whatever i need, you got great leader abilities, and i’m very thankful to have met you and for you to never have given up on me.”

eventually, the camera comes back to nayoung. first, she thanks seira, before fixing a stern look in jaeyoung’s direction. “is this funny? is this a game to you? you made it to the finale. this performance is going to change your lives. you have a team relying on you to do well. i know you will put the work in, but if you don't approach this with the proper attitude you are going to negatively impact everyone on this team.” but she doesn’t stop at just jaeyoung, eyes flicking towards siwoo now. “and you, are you two happy with being the mean girls of next gen? that's the reputation you're going to have, especially if korea sees some of the behavior and attitude coming from you that i have. do you want to be hated? is that why you're on this show?” a text comes on screen, saying the words: ice princess nayoung is back! the audience seem both petrified and astonished by the display.

“if you have problems with your teammates, i suggest you work it out as soon as possible. if you need to scream at each other and don't want to do it on camera, fine. find somewhere you can. i would say i will pay for you to eat a meal together and talk it out but those of you this applies to can afford that more than i can,” she adds, perhaps throwing jabs at the members who are more financially well-off. she does continue with the activity, though. but she decides to attach another point. “if you feel inclined to apologize or share a grievance, now might be a good time to do so. i hope you know i'm not doing this to be cruel.”

after nayoung’s outburst, the exercise carries on. just like before, nayoung is the first to demonstrate. “i agree with what ren said about seira. she never gives up and doesn't let heavy criticism break her where many others might have. it takes a strength that not everyone has.” it seems they’ll be saying something nice to the person on the other side, this time. “my challenge… i think, maybe, investing so much in other people and thinking of ways to help them. for most of my life, i focused mainly on myself and improving myself, so it's been an adjustment.” looking towards jihyun, she hands over the turn.

jihyun does, starting off with his challenge first. “i think i’m pretty good, not the best but… above average at the least. even so, when performing don’t call me, i faded into the background. that was really tough. it was hard trying to shine. even now, i still find it difficult. i don’t know if i can still pull it off for this performance, but thanks to nayoung-san, i know how it feels like to shine on stage now. you’re good with constructive criticism, getting straight to the point and tackling the main issue. even now, your words are exactly what we need for the team. it’s not something anyone can do, so i think you’re really amazing for that.” after all, nayoung was the one who gave jihyun advice when he performed puzzle. 

the screen flickers to the interview room, with jihyun in the middle. “i watched my older performances. i cringed a lot. who was this odd fellow? i felt shameful watching it, and i had to watch it until the end. there were so many things i didn’t like about it — but here’s where i can say that because i didn’t like it, i know that i improved. watching puzzle was more bearable. for this, i’m grateful to everyone i worked with. my teammates and the coaches, and of course the judges. everyone’s words, advices and criticism shaped me into who i am today as a performer.”

back to the practice room, he doesn’t stop there. on the other hand, it’s jihyun who kickstarts the apologies. “siwoo, i’m sorry if i looked like i was mocking you earlier… i really wasn’t. i was being honest about it and had no underlying intentions. i hope you’ll forgive me for that.” for some reason, jihyun resembles that of a kicked puppy—whether that is an act or not though, is ultimately up to the viewers and siwoo to decide.

siwoo is the focus of the camera yet again. “nothing to forgive you for. i wasn't even mad, i thought it was funny,” siwoo replies. was it genuine? was it an act? who’s to say. siwoo seems to think for a moment, clearly struggling to find something nice to say for the man sitting beside him. “you're someone who's very likeable. you're kind without even trying, and that's something that i've always struggled with. i think it's nice... being able to see that in you. and i'm sorry if it seemed like i had... any animosity towards you. i just wanted to get to know you better.” siwoo seems to be bearing his heart out for jihyun, maybe there is truth in what he’s saying? either way, it feels honest, and jihyun seems to take all that siwoo is saying without any grievances.

but will that be all, between jihyun and siwoo?

regardless of whether either of jihyun’s or siwoo’s speeches proved to be truthful, the screen flits towards another scene, although it still features the same pair. siwoo is approaching jihyun, perhaps having realized his mistakes for holding onto a grudge. nayoung’s words must have knocked some sense into him. “jihyun. let’s watch a movie together when you’re free. i think… it’d be nice to get to know each other.” he’s holding out his phone to jihyun, perhaps showing what movies are playing currently for the both of them to watch.

“a movie date? that’s new… you can pick any of them, i’m not too familiar with these movies… there’s nothing in particular that i dislike…” jihyun seems to be accepting of siwoo’s proposal, scrolling through siwoo’s phone. until, he gets distracted. “now, what’s this?”

siwoo seems embarrassed, like jihyun had just discovered a part of himself that he’d rather kept hidden. maybe that’s a good thing? will the two be on better footing now? “i was doing some light reading. you’ve never read this? it’s pretty popular. it’s about… this guy that falls in love with the person that he has to kill. something like that, it’s kind of cliche, but it’s really well written.” the audience seemed to be surprised, finding a new side of siwoo.

jihyun whispers something to siwoo, but the cameras don’t catch it. either way, jihyun is still listening to whatever siwoo has to say—are they really getting along better now? “alright, alright. i understand now, you could send me the link, i’ll read it after this performance is over.” they’re exchanging kakaotalks now.

once again, the scene changes, this time to siwoo in the interview room, revealing what happened after the clip that was shown. “i invited him out for a movie and we... did in fact hang out afterwards, and bonded. we became a lot more comfortable with one another and it's easy to work with him. i was being honest when i said that i thought he's always been someone likeable and kind. we took some selcas together, but i'm sorry, i don't think i'll be sharing them. i want to keep them to myself,” siwoo teases the audience, which seems to work; they are reacting.

an unprecedented development, even as the screen switches back to the team building exercise. there’s still one more round to complete, after all. but perhaps everyone will be at ease now, knowing that the two members did work out their grievances, albeit in an unconventional way.

it continues where it was left off; siwoo’s turn. “a challenge i face… i think most of you know that before this i've never danced in my life. i still struggle with it, i think. the feeling i get before going up on stage is still new to me, so i'm never too sure how to cope with it. if it translates badly into how i interact with some of you, i apologize for that too. who’s next?”

inho picks it back up easily. the man was unfortunately placed between jaeyoung and siwoo, the two problematic children at the moment. even then, inho continues the activity with no qualms. “one of my biggest challenges on next gen was dancing and learning choreography. i've never been a dancer either in my life, so it was a difficult step at the beginning, on top of being able to sing at the same time. i think i've improved a lot but i still will continue to work on that.”

he turns to siwoo afterwards, thinking of something nice to say. “siwoo, while your honesty sometimes gets you in trouble, i like how honest and upfront you are about what's on your mind.”

and now, it’s back to jaeyoung. he wastes no time, sitting up-right now as he speaks. “let me correct something. this show was never a game to me. but i figured a team bonding exercise meant you can share a few laughs with the people you're trying to bond with. or is it supposed to always be tense like this? i'm sorry, though. for laughing.” an apology, that seems sincere. as much as it could be, from someone like jaeyoung.

naturally, he doesn’t stop there. “my challenge... i guess it was working with others? i've never had to do that before, really. earlier in the show, i was called out for being too intense. now though, i'm not serious enough. the latter—i'm pretty used to. it didn't matter how a few people thought of me as long as i know i'm serious, but idols are all about image, aren't they? so that's obviously something i have to work on.” he’s opening up, just a bit; although, who’s to say whether it’s genuine or not?

a short montage plays: of ren’s outburst, of inho calling jaeyoung an enigma, of nayoung’s earlier rant just a few minutes ago directed jaeyoung’s way. it stops, ending on a scene between jihyun and jaeyoung now. a strange pair, they’ve never interacted before this after all. it’s jihyun that speaks first, “i’ve been meaning to ask you… what do you think about the song? you know i’m going to be doing the adlibs for these parts, but i’ll like to know your opinion. you have a good eye for things like this.”

jaeyoung blinks, as if surprised that jihyun is taking his abilities seriously, enough to ask for his opinion about something. jaeyoung doesn’t miss a beat, already reviewing jihyun’s previous performance. “i remember you doing adlibs in your previous performance too, actually. to my recollection, you did pretty good!” jaeyoung grabs a lyric sheet, already focusing on jihyun’s parts. “honestly, i think you'll be doing fine. what are you worrying about? harmonizing? if you're worried, we can break down your runs and try it slowly first.” as he’s humming, he lifts his fingers like he’s pressing keys on a keyboard. “this would be easier if i had a keyboard. oh, we should move rooms!”

the scene ends just like that—a short glimpse; maybe jaeyoung is serious about music, after all? jihyun, being one of the first few to take him seriously.

but it flips back to the team bonding activity, where jaeyoung is tasked to compliment inho. “i like your voice, you're always hitting your notes. i think your voice would fit perfectly with an alternative rock song! that, and you kinda give off strong big brother vibes. i like that too.”

that isn’t where he stops, however. once again, he addresses ren, this time giving his mentor a full look. he takes a moment, before he speaks. “earlier i said it's not like we got to sit down and talk for me to know more about you. i'm not opposed to it or anything. but let's be real, we'd probably suck at talking. so, i don't know. we should just play a song together? that would probably be a better bonding experience.”

what might have been a heartwarming moment, turns a little sour as the ren’s face takes up the screen. ren is rubbing his hands over his own face, letting them stay there even as his turn comes up. “we don't suck at talking, you just suck at listening.” something seems to have snapped inside of ren, because he continues on. “okay, can i be honest?” finally, everyone in the room—and the audience—can see ren’s facial expression as his hands drop from his face. “actually, what am i saying? yeah, i'm a coach too, i can speak freely too.”

first, ren turns to jaeyoung. “yes, jaeyoung, you talk too much, and you don't actually hear people when they're trying to talk to you, but at least you're good. no one can pretend you aren't. and i don't just mean at performing. there's a part of you deep down that wants to shut up and listen for once. with that sort of effort, yeah, maybe i could see you working well with us at delta.” ren sounds exasperated, like it’s killing him to admit that jaeyoung is good—but surely that isn’t it, right?

that isn’t the worst of it. ren has more to say, but not to jaeyoung. his expression changes, overtaken by a fury that feels much too personal, further fueled by his own words. all this, for siwoo. “but you, i still don't know what you're doing here. i don't know how you've made it this far when there are people who have gone home who would've been leagues better for this team. you're still treating this entire thing like- like you're some king and we're wasting your time as your lowly subjects by making you reflect on what you bring to the table. which is what, exactly? you just admitted you don't know how to be nice to people. do you understand that that's insane? and if you don't make some kind of effort to make genuine connections, the rest of this team is going to perform circles around you and leave you in the dust.”

once again, the question remains: what happened? why did ren react that way? murmurs and whispers fill the auditorium. throughout next gen, there had been no notable interaction between siwoo and ren, not so much as a passing conversation. but, there is a clip of siwoo and ren interacting during preparation for this performance. before cutting back to the team building exercise, that interaction is what’s being played.

siwoo enters the practice room, sheet in hand, looking for nayoung. instead, he finds ren in the room. “oh, ren, do you know where nayoung is? i was hoping i could get some pointers from her.”

ren’s expression seems unreadable the moment siwoo enters the room, but there is no explanation for such a reaction. was it warranted? on the other hand, siwoo remains amiable. “she's in a one-on-one with seira,” ren informs. another text flashes in the bottom of the screen: is nayoung just coaching seira now? after a pause though, ren offers help. “why? is there something you need help with?”

“oh, i see. thanks,” was siwoo’s simple reply. but since ren is offering a hand, siwoo continues. “i wanted some pointers about rapping, i feel like all i've been doing is speed talking without any rhythm to guide me. this song is all about rhythm, and i've got a duo part with jay that we're trying to match up together.”

at that, ren stays quiet, only for a bit. but for comparison, two clips play simultaneously: one of ren with inho, the other of ren with seira. with the two of them, ren was quick to help—even though seira was asking for pointers on dance, the skillset that ren isn’t widely known for. with siwoo though, there seems to be some sort of hesitance. but where does it come from?

ren does manage to comment. “you should treat it like singing. just because there aren't any written notes doesn't mean it isn't musical. there are still important moments of emphasis, and percussion, and inflection. otherwise it will just sound like you're talking without actually saying anything.”

before this team building, everything seems to be fine between the two of them, minus some strange behavior from ren’s side. but there’s nothing to indicate an outburst like this would happen from ren.

the team building exercise continues, though. because it has to. the camera returns to ren, voice now less intense. “unless it was just—more camera time you were after, in which case: congratulations, ryu siwoo. you did it.”

awkwardly, ren mentions his challenge. “my biggest challenge has been... finding the balance between being a good coach and being a good trainee...and still keeping track of who i am and who i want to be, as an artist. and a person. ...sorry. seira?”

poor seira, the one who had to follow through with an unexpected explosion. the auditorium is silent, confused, unsure how this would affect the performance as a whole. what just happened? is this truly the finale? were the tensions that high? the camera zeroes in on seira, looking just as confused after what had transpired.

eventually though, she’s looking at ren with a smile. “i think you’re really good at what you’re doing, i find you talented in anything you do, and i’m really thankful you’ve been willing to help me.” she moves on, most likely because she has to. “well, an obvious challenge is how i placed last twice, it hurt my pride a lot, but i won’t let it get to me. it’s hard, but not the end of the world.” seira’s positivity feels like a contrast to the atmosphere of the room, which is slightly concerning.

but of course, now that seira’s turn has come to an end, so has the entire exercise as a whole—that means anyone can speak up.

siwoo’s face is what the cameras focus on next, his surprised expression, clearly having not anticipated a sudden attack to his entire character, especially from someone who he had little to no interaction with on camera. he doesn’t hijack seira’s turn entirely before speaking up though. he still decides to compliment her. “you're doing a good job, seira. and you're right, it's not the end of the world. you're talented, and you've taught me a lot about rapping too.”

but now, it’s obvious that siwoo will be directly addressing everything ren had said about him. for a moment, the screen catches a glimpse of nayoung’s reaction—she doesn’t say anything, keeping to her position. looks like she’ll allow this confrontation, whether good or bad.

“but... sorry, ren, that felt... a little uncalled for. i understand where you're coming from, but it sounded like you're just personally announcing to the world that you hate me more than anything constructive. and we've barely interacted before this. i've never spoken to you except for when i asked for advice on how to improve my rap. we were never on the same team either.” for all that had been said, siwoo keeps his voice leveled and even, not a hint of rage in sight. instead, he sounds hurt? “this was supposed to be a bonding exercise and i think we've all done pretty well so far opening up to each other. i know i'm lagging behind the others, i know that very well. but there's a difference between being honest with constructive criticism, and just trying to hurt someone's feelings.”

siwoo doesn’t let up there though, defending himself. “i get along well with this team. i like them, i've worked with multiple members before and i'm excited to perform with them. and now it's gone all uncomfortable here because you've decided to go off on another contestant. is that the real reason you're on next gen? to fulfill some sort of superiority complex? going around picking on contestants? because the rest of us are here to fulfill a dream. you're supposed to be our coach, but lately it feels like you pick fights with us more than you help us, is that your way of being a good coach, ren?” in that moment, another clip flashes on screen, the words siwoo had uttered sounded eerily familiar: “what are we to you, exactly? just tools for you to prove your worth? your second chance to show you-know-who that you deserved your prize last season? a trophy for you to present to your ceo as a 'hey-i-did-this-please-keep-me’ thing? our lives are the ones on the line, and here you are plastering your failure onto all of us. waiting for one of us to mess up, maybe. i don’t know. you know yourself best. if you can’t handle the pressure of coaching, of training, of failing to do all that—why did you sign up?” it’s jaeyoung’s speech, back from his argument with ren in the previous episode.

unlike jaeyoung though, siwoo ends his words with an apology. “i'm sorry if i stepped out of line, but i genuinely don't know what i've done to you to warrant so much hate, or why you've decided to come for my personality when we've never spoken personally before. but if you do have an issue with me, then i'd prefer it if you approached me one-to-one about it, rather than use a team bonding exercise as an opportunity to tear my character down. if whatever you said came from a place of concern for the team, then i'll listen to your advice well.” then, he turns to his teammates. “i'm sorry for that guys, but still, let's do our best. we've got a few more days ahead of us, and we have to win.”

“you think i think i'm superior to you? i'm not stupid. i have to wake up every day and remind myself i'm not inferior to you,” ren fights back, emotional, unable to contain himself. but why? no one really knows. “the only thing that separates me from the rest of you is opportunity, and a piece of paper with my name on it. and i know that. i'm not entitled to any of this. i have to work so hard, every single day, and when someone gives me something i have to fix about myself, i listen to them.”

but ren drops a statement, which causes another stir. “and to pretend like we've never spoken to each other once?” a text appears on the top of the screen, in between siwoo and ren: do they know each other?

siwoo doesn’t seem to recognize him. as the strained atmosphere lingers, siwoo’s voice can be heard in the background. “actually, we haven't really interacted that much. before this round, i don't think i've ever spoken to him. even during this round, i didn't really work as closely with him... so his words... they did surprise me.”

“i’m sorry everyone,” ren adds. “i'm taking up your practice time with this, and every minute counts. you should all do your best and listen to nayoung.”

and it’s nayoung who concludes this exercise. “okay,” nayoung sighs. “thank you for your honesty and vulnerability, everyone. if this inspired anyone to have some harder conversations, i'll encourage you to speak to one another privately - away from the cameras, if possible. in the meantime, let's take another five minute break, then get back to practice. hopefully now that we know each other a little better performing as a group will look more natural.”

she stands up from the circle, allowing the rest to disperse.

after such a tense scene, the crowd is silent, unable to make any comment. as each person returns to their usual rehearsals, the screen momentarily shows siwoo again, in the interview room. “i'm sure he has his reasons. but i would be lying if i said his words weren't hurtful. did i seem like i thought that i was better than everyone else? was i pulling my team down? those thoughts ran through my head in that moment. was that the sort of image i had to someone that i never worked with...? i was trying to be as honest as possible during the team bonding session – about my flaws and what i was proud of,” siwoo looks hurt. “but even that… when he said that i didn't deserve to be here, honestly it felt very demoralizing. hearing that from a coach too, someone that might even be a colleague in the future if i'm lucky enough... i was already aware that i was lagging behind... but to hear it like that... that i was so terrible at what i was doing, even when i was trying my best... especially from a coach... i thought to myself... ah... am i that unlikeable? ah... will i never be good enough, no matter how hard i try? do i have to give up on this dream? i wish he would've chosen a less public space to try and tear me down. it almost felt like he was humiliating me... on purpose.”

perhaps the crowd doesn’t know what to think now. that might’ve been quite the unfortunate place to end things, carry on with the performance—but even after the vcr fades to black, there’s still more.

the screen lights back up, beginning at a practice room, where siwoo is standing alone. that is, until someone announces his presence. “hey, loser!” it’s jaeyoung, sliding up to siwoo without a single worry. “look at you, game face on. what’s got you so worked up?” he asks, despite everything that has happened during the exercise prior.

instead of answering, siwoo is frowning. “i thought you’d be busy with your new best friend, aren’t you going to ask him for help?” that being said, siwoo continues speaking, a bit of honesty seeping through his words. “you came at the right time. i was just practicing my lines. i can’t keep relying on my face. you got any ideas for our part?” siwoo lifts his sleeve up, but doesn’t explain why. another text flashes: does he just let jaeyoung write on his arm or something?

jaeyoung doesn’t take what siwoo is offering, instead using this moment to tackle siwoo instead. siwoo reacts fast, arms snaking around jaeyoung’s waist to keep him steady. “are you jealous, ryu siwoo?” jaeyoung questions, teasing. “come on, i only have one best friend. and he's finally breaking a sweat, for once! you care about the show now, huh? you look better like this.”

“i think i'm getting greedier,” siwoo admits. “i really want to win this time.”

jaeyoung rolls off soon enough, showing his teammate his lyric sheets filled with notes and scribbles. “actually, since it's us, i'm pretty sure our chemistry and synergy would show itself on stage. but we should probably practice the moments where we switch centers.”

“we do work well together, i think it'd be cool if we had a little fun with it, like we always do. it's almost like we're throwing lines at each other, like a conversation.” all of a sudden, siwoo is laughing; freely, too. he lifts his hand up to rub his thumb against the space between jaeyoung’s eyebrows. “you're taking this really seriously too, huh? relax, your notes are good, they always are.”

there’s a smile on jaeyoung’s face, but it’s not quite as soft as siwoo’s is—it’s conceited and mischievous, and he’s swatting siwoo’s hand off. “you look better when you’re greedy. i think that would make you look good on stage, actually. you just have to be confident that you’ll get whatever it is you desire, on top of polishing the technical skills that is.” jaeyoung moves his arm, only to pull down siwoo’s rolled up sleeve. “you’re the only one who can tell i’m being serious. maybe i should find a way to fix my brain instead.”

“yeah, you're right. after everything... it feels nice to have someone believe in me.” siwoo is laughing again. “of course i can, it's obvious. you've always taken music seriously. you and your headphones. nothing's wrong with your brain, idiot. i think it's good to write things down. i kind of get it now. you know, i've gotten into the habit of writing stuff down too. makes me feel like you when i do this. and yet, people still…” a frame of ren’s face appears on screen for a few seconds; angered.

but it dissipates as siwoo reaches out to pat jaeyoung on the head. “i do hope we can win though, i think it’d be great if i could win this with my best friend.”

the same disembodied voice from the interviews asks a question: “you seemed to be getting closer to siwoo.” instead of jaeyoung’s face, as people might have expected, it’s jihyun in the interview room. “siwoo’s trying, and he really tried. his dark circles are horrendous without makeup on. once he’s decided on something, he never stops. despite what people say about him, he’s actually really nice. he’s just awkward with expressing it, but he also expresses his kindness in a different way. you just have to get closer to him, talk to him a couple of times; then you’ll know. he’s sincerely trying his best.”

the next scene does feature jaeyoung though, in the same room that jihyun had been. “despite my failing memory, i pay attention, you know! inho's been working on his choreography, and he practiced really hard for his high note. jihyun's also doing his best, we practiced his runs together. seira's working on a lot of things, i see her having one-on-one sessions with nayoung. siwoo... people find this hard to believe, but he is taking this seriously. he'd been rehearsing his rap over and over, until his throat is sore.” the interviewer asks about his mentors next, which jaeyoung doesn’t mind answering. “nayoung made some points, i don't hold a grudge against her or anything. and ren, too. he said that i was good, that no one can pretend i wasn't. that's a pretty high compliment coming from him, right? even though we started off on the wrong foot.”

“anyone you’re hoping to get signed with?” the interviewer questions. jaeyoung answers easily. “i don't really think we'd be picked up by the same company even if we do get signed, because we're kinda different. but, siwoo. he might not be everyone's choice, but i want to see him signed. not just because he's my friend... but because, contrary to popular belief, he has been working hard.” he pauses to laugh. “besides, i love an underdog story. someone you don't expect to win, winning. things like that.”

this time, it’s seira who sits in the interview room. “i think the hardest part about this time was that i know when this performance is over, the show is over, there’s no more performances to show and prove you’ve improved, there’s no more chances, this is my last chance, and i have to work extra hard for my last time. this show… it all went by so fast.”

even though there’s a heavy load to unpack from what was shown on screen earlier, the audience can agree with that sentiment—a lot has happened, there’s more than to what meets the eye. but the show must go on! finally, the screen turns dark. the performers of BANG TEAM gather on stage; expressions confident, no hint of any sort of conflict prior. maybe that’s the case after all, the team members themselves have shown to be getting along. but will their chemistry survive the stage?

the opening of the song is in jihyun’s hands. he gets into position along with the others, flashing a confident gaze to the audience, head tilted to the side with his tongue peeking out ever so slightly. the rest of the team seem to be echoing that energy too, aggressive and powerful. perhaps all that tension was successfully channeled through this performance, a song that’s rough. everyone is playing their part, owning the choreography with a fierce attitude. however, no one is clashing. assertive, in-control.

the three rappers give it their all too, with jaeyoung rolling his shoulder off, eyes locked onto the cameras as his lips stretch to a playful smirk. playing off of jihyun’s energy, he bites onto his own glove—a show of confidence. siwoo follows suit, eyes moving from the cameras to the live audience. as he raps his lines, it sounds passionate, practiced with gestures and smiles. the two in particular bounce their energies off of one another, heating each other up. seira doesn’t lag behind though, smirking into the camera, obviously assured and confident in her rapping skills. but the high note—that goes to inho, who executed his lines and dance moves accordingly. he hits the note, no voice cracks, and seamlessly falls back into choreography.

it’s a heart-pumping performance, with interactions between members. the song eventually comes to an end, with the members making their ending poses. the crowd cheers, roaring out screams and shouts—matching the feral energy that the performers had shown them. the camera focuses on each member, allowing them to pose and bask in their last glory. this is, after all, the last performance of this season.

once the adrenaline has shimmered down, so do the cheers. now, the judges can make their comments.

there’s a moment of quiet where even the audience is quiet, anticipating what the judges will say about the vcr of the tense practice sessions and then the performance itself. finally, it’s jihun who speaks first.

“i think something that many fans tend to forget is that idols and trainees are just human too, at the end of the day.” he doesn’t seem angry yet, though he’s certainly choosing his words carefully. “they get tired, they lose their temper, and sometimes they fight. it happens. but more important than what the fight is about, or who was wrong or right, is the ability to put that behind you and deliver a good performance regardless of what goes on behind the scenes. somehow, you managed to pull it off. even if your coaches weren’t necessarily helping.” jihun doesn’t call anyone out in particular, but the entire audience saw the same clips he did. of course he’s not necessarily happy, but he keeps those thoughts to himself for now.

“you did do well to embody this concept. bang is a… well, it’s in the title, isn’t it?” ran tries to cut the tension in the room with a more lighthearted review. “it’s an explosive song. it’s powerful, it’s strong. i think it was perfect, in a way, that it was a song that was easy to channel your frustrations into. that’s the power of music, isn’t it? it helps us feel something, or get our feelings out, or communicate with each other better. i feel that this entire team learned important lessons about teamwork and communication this round and it ultimately helped to create a better performance.”

yuna purses her lips in thought for a moment before sharing her thoughts as well. “honestly, if we hadn’t seen the struggles you went through during your practice sessions, i would have thought that your synergy on stage was because of good chemistry behind the scenes. it just shows that sometimes there’s much more than meets the eye! regardless, i have to compliment you all on how you played off of each other with this performance. acknowledging the fellow members in your team helps to draw the audience in more, it shows confidence in yourself and each other and is attractive to a fan. good job, despite all the challenges.”

ran speaks again, this time addressing a contestant directly. “it was hard, wasn’t it seira?” she asks kindly, her smile more sympathetic as she speaks to the girl. “being in a team with all boys couldn’t have been easy and i know this competition has been hard for you as a whole. you’re very resilient. not many could endure everything you have and still stand here with their heads held high. no matter what the results are, i hope you are still proud of yourself and everything you’ve accomplished.”

“jaeyoung, we’ve been hard on you at times too, haven’t we?” jihun addresses the young man. “i think it was worth it, though. you’ve changed from the person you were when you first auditioned for next gen and i would say it’s for the better. your skills have grown and your ability to listen to others around you and correct the things about yourself that would hold you back.” 

“if anyone has been a true class act at taking and applying critique, it’s inho,” yuna continues. “you’ve survived this far in the competition by being graceful under pressure and listening to what we asked of you. and your voice, you’re certainly a talented singer and i’m certain that you’ll have a very successful career regardless of the results of this show.”

jihun speaks again, his attention now focused on siwoo. “you came into this competition not very good at anything, didn’t you?” he calls out the contestant on his utter lack of ability early in the competition. “but you’ve also grown a lot. i still think you could use a larger helping of humility, but that will come with time and maturity. you’re too old to be acting like a spoiled child, you know that, right? but you’re probably the most improved contestant on this season. i’ll give you that.”

finally, ran smiles at jihyun again. “did you ever think that you’d be standing here at the finale?” she asks him, perhaps marveling herself that the competition is already at its end. “you’ve become an excellent performer over your time with us on next gen, jihyun. you’re a talented performer and a joy to see on stage. ah, i wish we had another performance to look forward to after this! it’s a shame that this is the end.”

with their final thoughts shared, the judges announce a short break to be taken where they must deliberate on the final results of this last episode of next gen. jian and the entirety of the remaining contestants are called up to the stage where they greet the fans while the judges exit to discuss in private who to sign, who to award the win to, and how to wrap up this season of the show.

they return after a short time away, taking their seats again and waiting for the crowd’s cheers to quiet before yuna picks up the microphone to speak.

“to be honest, this has to be both the easiest and the hardest performance for us to judge. on one hand, performing a completely unique song means there’s no one for us to compare your performance to. on the other, it makes your technical skills and fundamentals all the more important. at this stage, the finale, you’ve been learning under our instructors and special mentors for several weeks and have more or less already been treated like trainees. even as a debuted idol with all the experience i have, i’ve never stopped learning. so, regardless of the decisions made today, i hope you all continue to pursue your dreams and never stop chasing after personal growth and improvement.”

“furthermore,” jihun adds, “we have to take into account your entire performance throughout the show up to this point. some of you gave your best performance ever tonight, but we can’t make our final decisions based on one performance alone. we’re considering how you performed, reacted to criticism, and improved throughout the duration of next gen. and how we think you’ll be able to continue to improve under our training programs.”

“this is not an easy decision to make,” ran assures them. “as much as we want to sign every one of you– you wouldn’t still be here if we didn’t –it’s just not feasible for our company to take on so many new trainees at once. but that doesn’t mean that this is the end of the road for anyone who doesn’t sign a contract tonight. i’m sure this is not the last we’ve seen of any of you, even if it’s where we must part ways in our journeys for the time being.”

“without further ado,” jihun gestures to jian, “our emcee is holding the results of season two of next gen in her hands.”

all attention is drawn in on jian, who doesn’t seem to feel the pressure in the slightest as she smiles at the audience and at that contestants gathered around her, desperate to hear their fates.

“before i reveal the results, let’s give one more big round of applause for our judges, including our special coaches throughout the series?” she pauses for the audience to respond with a loud cheer as requested. “and thank you again to the staff who have made this event and every episode a possibility,” she pauses for another cheer from the crowd, “and thank you to mnet for producing this series.” again, they roar on command.

finally, with no reasons to delay the results any further, jian peels open the envelope in her hands.

“first, we’ll reveal the grand prize winners. these top three contestants will be offered an open contract to any of the three companies represented on next gen and may choose to join any one as a trainee.”

the tension in the venue is thick enough to cut with a knife as the contestants and audience alike eagerly await the results written on the cards in jian’s hands. this is it; every drop of blood, sweat, and tears has lead up to this moment. 

“our third-place winner, offered a contract to any of the three companies is… CHOI HANGYEOL!”

the cameras focus in on hangyeol’s face, his fans loudly screaming their approval and excitement for his win. jian pauses to let the cheer die down before she continues.

“in second place, offered a contract to any of the three companies is… KIM ARA!”

again, the fans in the crowd let out a raucous cheer as they congratulate their favorite on her success and the promise that they’ll see her on stage again someday soon. the cameras capture ara’s expression as jian again waits for the crowd to die down. after all, the ultimate first-place winner will be announced next.

“and in first place, our overall winner of season two of next gen, with a contract to any company of their choice is… PARK STEVEN!”

the crowd is beside itself as the largest cheer yet goes up to celebrate stevie’s win. what an underdog story; eliminated early last season only to win first place the very next year. he may be the last contestant to receive an open offer from all three companies, but there’s more contracts to be announced and the crowd eventually settles to find out what will come next.

it’s ran, not jian, who speaks next. “congratulations to all of you,” she smiles at the winners, “of course all three of us hope that you’ll choose our individual companies. i can promise you that you’ll be successful no matter what you choose and we’ll be delighted to have you. you’ve earned this, especially you, stevie.” she spares an extra smile to the first place winner.

“from this point, we’ll count down to our final ranks,” jian explains to the audience. “in fourth place, and offered a contract to SR MEDIA, please congratulate JANG HYUNKI!”

ran offers a new smile to the contestant offered a contract to her company as the crowd cheers again.

“in fifth place, with a contract offer for STUDIO DELTA, SONG JIAYI!”

the ceo leans back in his chair lazily as the crowd roars their approval. he nods approvingly at jiayi.

“in sixth place, offered a contract to SR MEDIA, HAN JUEUN!”

ran beams brightly at the young woman as the crowd cheers yet again.

“in seventh place, with an offer from STUDIO DELTA, SONG JAEYOUNG!”

again, jihun nods his approval along with the shouts of the audience, pleased with his decision.

“in eighth place, offered a spot in LIME ENTERTAINMENT, RYU SIWOO!”

for the first contestant that lime entertainment signed, yuna stands and waves her hand at the audience as they cheer for siwoo.

“our ninth place winner is the final contestant to be offered a contract on next gen,” the mood in the venue suddenly shifts as the remaining contestants feel the tension of the final spot being revealed. of course not everyone can win, as has been explained to them before, but after so much hard work it’s painful to miss out after getting so far.

“in ninth place, with an offer from LIME ENTERTAINMENT,” jian takes a breath, perhaps nervous herself as she reads off the final name, “RYEO JIHYUN!”

the crowd cheers for jihyun’s victory, though the remaining contestants know that this is where their road ends for now. jian doesn’t draw the rankings out any further and instead announces tenth, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth place in rapid succession one after the other; YUWOL, INHO, SEIRA, TOUMA, and YEJUN in that order.

“i’m sorry that this is where our journey with you ends for now,” yuna tells the contestants going home without an offer from any company. “it was a hard decision for us, but ultimately we have a duty to our companies and it wasn’t a good fit at this time. i hope that you all continue to practice and pursue music and we’ll see you again someday, much like stevie made us eat our words by his appearance on this season.

“congratulations to all of the winners,” jian wraps up the results, smiling to the soon to be trainees. “and thank you again to everyone who has supported next gen.”