congrats on surviving episode three of next gen! updated rankings can be found here.
for participating in the auditions and appearing in the third episode of NEXT GEN, all wannabes who submitted their participation may collect points as outlined on this spreadsheet. points were awarded based on the writing requirements submitted and the optional extra threads. no verification is required; you may link back to this post on your spreadsheets.
for the next episode of NEXT GEN, all participants will be divided into three teams, this time with no additional splits into A or B. the three teams will be performing existing songs in the wannabe canon, one with a cute/bright concept, one with a elegant/sexy concept, and one with a teen crush concept. the winning team will receive immunity from elimination while the members of the two remaining teams will have to rely on the judges not to be sent home. the teams and their assigned songs can be found below. the teams will all be practicing in designated practice rooms at the AXIS training building. independent practice will be expected of them between lessons and participants are welcome to work together with their teams to rehearse.
note that these songs are not considered original in the wannabe universe and belong to unofficial npc senior artists.
once again, coaches are not to inform the creative process but to leave those decisions up to the contestants theyâre advising. instead, they should act as mentors and answer questions and provide guidance in shaping the contestantsâ visions. coaches will NOT be performing alongside the contestants this time around.
the teams and performances for episode four are as follows:
CUTE/BRIGHT: OH MY GIRL - NONSTOP
coach: lee seojun and park dohyun
han yuwol
hwang jingren
han jueun
choi hangyeol
hwang yejun
ELEGANT/SEXY: SF9 - PUZZLE
coach: lee nayoung and lee chaerin
asakura touma
kim ara
jang hyunki
ryu siwoo
ito seira
ryeo jihyun
TEEN CRUSH: CRAVITY - ADRENALINE
coach: zhou renyi and yeom sarang
song jaeyoung
ryu inho
song jiayi
stevie park
yamamoto kaito
NOTE: donât worry too much about line distributions! youâre welcome to establish them with your team independently so long as everyone agrees with them but this is entirely optional. same with dance groups regarding center distributions.
TASK:
this event is for next gen participants and coaches only. part 4 will run until may 3 at 11:59pm. any solos posted after the deadline will not be considered. please send in your submission before this deadline.
please use the hashtag #BE:NGS2P4 for all posts relating to this part of the event.
please write at least one 4-post thread with another participant or coach in your team preparing for the mission. NOTE: this task may be completed multiple times.
please write a 300+ word solo about your museâs performance in front of the three judges
OPTIONAL: please write a 200+ word solo about your muse reflecting on their preparation and their performance in front of the judges. this should be treated as a verbal interview. what was the greatest challenge during this mission? was there another participant who was especially helpful? do they feel confident in their performance? etc.Â
NOTE THAT THE WRITING TASKS FOR THIS EVENT ARE NOT OPTIONAL UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. POINTS WILL BE AWARDED IN THE NEXT UPDATE.
please keep in mind that all threads and solos should be written with the assumption that cameras are on the participants at all times.
when youâve completed these tasks, please send the following form to our events blog:
SUBMISSION TITLE: MUSE NAME - NEXT GEN S2 EP 4
preparation: link to thread *may be completed multiple times; please include multiple links if so
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"that melody felt a little off. can you try that again?'
with a raised brow, chaerin watched as siwoo went over the little vocal lines he had. it was understandable seeing he was more of a rapper and dancer within this group, but she knew that the judges wouldn't want to hear him going flat in the one vocal line he did have.
"the alibi shouldn't be cut off so early. you need to carry it out into your next line," she commented with a single nod, hoping he understood what she was talking about. it wasn't a difficult line at all, but it still had a melody to it, and she wanted that to be obvious when siwoo sang.
now that they were this far into the competition, she was aware that even the smallest mistake could be a reason for the judges to consider elimination. the best of the best were now left and fighting for the remaining spots, and she would hate to see one of her groupmates be eliminated with this next round.
kaito thought that he would have been one of the three that got kicked from the show, so the moment that he was told that he'd be staying he couldn't help but feel a bit shocked over the results. he knows he still has a lot to work on, and a long way to go, but there's a part of him that can't help but also be proud of himself for still improving as quickly as he had during the previous two episodes.
as they're practicing the song they had been given, adrenalin to be exact, he keeps an eye on the others as they dance to the choreography. he can't help it, it's just a habit he's grown to have over the years from not only dancing with his friends back in japan, but also teaching dance here in korea as well. only once they've run through the choreography (for what felt like the millionth time by now) does he approach @bexstevie with a warm smile. "hey, you're stevie. right?" he pauses to get some sort of confirmation before finally continuing. "i'm kaito, or kai for short. do you wanna, by chance, practice together so we can sort of 'judge' each other and help one another out a bit?"
it was at least a start to making connections... right?
working on choreography is fun, for the most part. jay didn't do enough of that in the previous mission, as much as he wanted to. then again, there was already so much going on with the concept they had, putting too much into the choreography might've been overkill. this time around though, his new team agreed on a dance break as their intro. he thinks it fits the theme, as long as they keep the choreography fun and... bouncy, for a lack of a better term.
another thing that's funny is being put in the same team as someone who was technically his opponent in the episode prior, like @bexstevie. jay isn't bitterânot reallyâbecause his team got compliments too, but still. he isn't one to dimiss someone else's talents when it's right there in front of his face. stevie is good at what he does, a capable dancer too.
"so the point of this dance break is to highlight jiayi as the one everyone has a crush on, right?" he starts, recalling their discussion when brainstorming for the concept. "i'm guessing she'll take the center spot during the introduction, then? that'd make the most sense. like we're introducing her to the audience."
dropping so much in ranks had scared seira a bit. sheâd made it to top five, just to drop to the very bottom, she was lucky she hadnât been eliminated. it feared her a bit, felt like since her rank was so low, she was closer to elimination. she didnât want to be eliminated, this show had suddenly become so important to her, this was a second chance, if she didnât make it, then what? did she need to give up the idol dream forever? she refused that, she would prove she deserved to be here. she came in early, stayed late, continued her practicing at home even.
seira has never had much confidence when it comes to dance, but sheâs figured, if she wants to stay in the show, then she has to begin having confidence in the things she does. she decides to help a fellow member on her team with the dance, itâll hopefully grow her confidence in dance, and maybe itâll give her some leader skills. âhmmm, for that part, it looks like youâre not moving your arms fast enough? youâre having great facial expressions though, and you fit the vibe well, i might have you help me with facial expressionsâ she shows the other a smile.
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it only makes sense that the concept evaluation episode opens with a flurry of brightly colored scenes, clips from the performances yet to appear as the editors reintroduce the viewer to NEXT GEN and do better playing in the background. a short recap of RHEE JIAN announcing the concept evaluation plays and the teams and coaches are displayed to the audience one by one. finally, when all of the refreshers are over and done with, the new content begins.
three judges take their seats at the usual table across from the stage. the room is quiet save for the few staff members milling around in preparation for the performances, the contestants somewhere backstage beyond their sight and safe from critique for now.
âSEO RAN,â YOON JIHUN is the first to speak to his fellow ceo, âitâs a little odd that we gave the contestants a concept evaluation but not a single one is performing a SR MEDIA groupâs song. are you not confident in your own artistsâ selections?â he grins slyly, perhaps trying to start something.
ran, to her credit, only smiles in return. âitâs a favor to the contestants, actually,â she clarifies, âour groups have such clear, well-defined concepts for most of their releases that it can be hard to separate the song from the music video or stage performances you remember and come up with something new. it wouldnât be fair to try to judge them on something thatâs difficult even for seasoned professionals. instead, we gave them songs that had a certain vibe, but not as set in stone in terms of memorable visuals and creative direction. itâs almost a blank canvas for them to work on, in a sense.â
âi understand what you mean,â YUNA nods along. âno matter how good you are, people will always compare you to the original when youâre performing a cover. the more beloved a song is, the harder it is for anyone else to do it justice.â
âexactly. not that any of these songs arenât great tunes in their own right, but theyâre easier to handle than A.MAZE or WONDERLAND,â ran confirms.
âso why organize the groups the way we did?â jihun is clearly reading off a cue card, moving the conversation forward in the way the writers and editors want them to.
âwell, some of them are obvious,â ran flips through cards with each contestantâs face printed on them, laying them out on the desk in front of them. âJUEUN, for example, has excellent confidence on stage that makes her look like sheâs having fun no matter what sheâs performing. the cute and bright concept leans well into that. and SIWOO is just clearly born for the elegant concept. STEVEN, on the other hand, probably would have suited the cute concept as well but i think he needs to be challenged more than someone like siwoo does and he has potential for other concepts in him as well.â
âwhen weâre putting together a group, theyâre very rarely doing one concept for their entire careers,â jihun points out.
âexactly, which is why some contestants needed to be introduced to a different facet of themselves,â ran smiles. âwe may be surprised by some of them.â
âare we ready to begin?â a voice from the production staff calls out, and the judges collect their contestant cards to save for rankings later.Â
a scene of all teams are gathered up on stage around emcee jian plays before fading into the first practice room scenes.
"the judges told us how modifying the choreography could express the storyline we're attempting to tell better," YUWOL muses aloud to HANGYEOL as the NONSTOP team begins preparations for their first performance together. "but to be honest, i'm not the best when it comes to that."
âthatâs why iâm here!â hangyeol assures his teammate. and who would dare to doubt the shining star of the season? hangyeolâs confidence is nowhere near unfounded; perhaps his teammates feel better just having him and his good luck nearby. maybe it would be easy to dislike him out of jealousy or resentment, but the man has a rather cute disposition, throwing his hands in the air exuberantly as he volunteers his help to the team.
after a moment of stretching, hangyeol stands and walks over to the sound system while explaining his ideology to yuwol. ââthe first step is to find whatâs special and unique about the way your own body moves. weâre in a carnival, right? so letâs move through the room as if it is a carnival, but then take everything you do and heighten it by, like, thirty percent!â
âiâve never been to a carnival before,â yuwol confesses and a record scratch is played as hangyeolâs jaw drops.
âreally? never?! yuwol! we have to change that!â it doesnât deter hangyeol though, who effortlessly links his arm through yuwolâs as if guiding him through an imaginary carnival in the practice room. âi just think everyone should get the chance to ride a ferris wheel and eat cotton candy at least once in their lives! next time thereâs a carnival in seoul, iâll have to take you. how does that sound?â
âpretend youâre surrounded by all sorts of lights, and colors, and smells. and you have all day to experience every single one with the person you care about the most,â hangyeol continues, describing the event in detail in lieu of yuwolâs personal experiences with one. âi know it might seem a little absurd at first, but trust me, itâll help.â
âi struggled with dance at first, but⌠nowadays, itâs actually rather fun,â yuwol explains in the interview room, his scene with hangyeol cut short by his own words. âactually, coming up with ideas for the stage was also exciting. these are all rather new to me, so iâm surprised at myself too. that iâm able to enjoy the process this much.â
looks like that isnât the only new thing being done. the scene shifts, showing yuwol and jueun in front of one of the training room mirrors. jueun makes a face, puffing her cheeks, confident in her cuteness; coming off natural. "come on, i want you to look in the mirror with me and pretend like you're on a date and trying to make your partner smile or something,â she tells yuwol, who seems to be having a harder time making the same facial expressions.
yuwol hums, seeming to be in thought. eventually, like jueun had done earlier, yuwol puffs his cheeks, pouting, imitating his teammate. itâs his first attempt, thatâs for sure. âokay⌠how was that?â
jueun giggles in turn. âwell, itâs definitely better than what you were doing before,â jueun approves.
âhow did you feel when you saw that your ranking had dropped so much?â a disembodied voice asks jueun, now the only focus of the camera in the interview room. âi knew it could happen at any moment, since this is a competition show, after all. however, i was still a little shocked. however, it motivated me to work even harder to show the judges that i still had a lot more to show them.â
what is it that sheâs eager to show the judges? this time, jueun and hangyeol are back on screen, going over their rap lines together. âlook at us being the main rappers of the group,â jueun says, nudging hangyeolâs side with her elbow. hangyeol seems to share the enthusiasm, not without expressing some of his struggles.
âwhy does this feel like itâs harder than singing?â hangyeol questions, although the pair continue to work on their lines. "the professionals make it look so effortless. and here i am, sounding like i'm about to perform a hip-hop remix of the three bears." hangyeol sounds rather distraught, but jueun remains positive still.
âit will not sound like a hip-hop remix of the three bears,â she reassures her companion. â"i've been tapping my pen along to the beat to make sure i don't fall behind since the rhythm seems to be the most important thing in a rap," jueun suggests as a method of practice.
that seems to give hangyeol some sort of epiphany. âoh! Iâve seen something online- thisth-â hangyeol takes his own pen and sets it firmly between his teeth, âthis is supposedsh to help with your pronunshiation.â itâs a rather comedic scenario, the camera lingering on hangyeolâs hilarious display for added effect.
most of the team members seem to be new to rapping as a whole. JINGREN is pictured practicing his lines with jueun as well, despite having lesser rapping verses. "it's a safe place here. did you want to practice the rap parts with me? so that we can get comfortable before the song before we split up the lines so that we can take any part that we possibly get,â jingren suggests, motivated to work on a new skill. âi am willing to give rap a try, especially since it seems like i haven't quite found my direction with something specific yet."
âhow about we listen to the original a few times on repeat first so we get the basic rhythm down?â jueun says in turn, eager to start rehearsing as well.Â
âi really didn't know if i had it in me to rap, but i was willing to try,â jingrenâs voiceover from his interview plays over the scene of the two practicing their lines. âthe song had quite a few rap parts, and while it was divided between a few of us, i'd never rapped before other than during karaoke."
âguess we will all have to pick up some slack since i donât think anyone in our group is particularly a fantastic rapper. but itâs not possible to cut these key parts of the song out,â jingren summarizes, determined.
despite all the hardwork the team is displaying, thereâs a few shared moments where they can breathe and relax. YEJUN is seen approaching hangyeol. âcongratulations!â yejun exclaims, a tender smile on his face. âi know we barely have any time for it, but your second first place should be celebrated. iâll do something better if you get a hat trick.â the moment is sweet, cute and bright, funnily enough a contender for the concept the team had been assigned. yejun is handing something over to hangyeol, presumably a congratulatory gift.
hangyeol seems to appreciate the gesture, expressing his gratitude from the way he takes the vitamin drink and bowing slightly. âthank you, yejun. thatâs so kind. i only feel like i have to workâŚeven harder now. maybe even harder than before. iâm afraid one of these days i may run out of âhardâ to work.â
yejun rebuts that, almost immediately. "you deserve this, you're amazing,â he reassures, notably gentle. âiâll be your voice teacher if you be my dance teacher,â yejun adds, not forgetting what theyâre here for.
âyouâre too nice to me, hwang yejun,â hangyeol tells the other off lightly, although itâs obvious he doesnât mean it. âbut itâs a deal.â
overall, the team seem to be working well together, working on what they know they lack. but where are the coaches?
the scene changes again, this time showing DOHYUN and yuwol separated by a makeshift desk. dohyun is holding a camera directed at the contestant as he is practicing something, a little bit lost in thought. a short clip plays taken from the previous episodes, where jihun had snapped: âiâve never been more humiliated by a studio delta team in my life.â that, of course, referencing dohyunâs team at the time. is that what dohyun has been thinking about?
âand, like that. thatâs what i had in mind⌠what do you think?â yuwol asks, which seems to bring dohyun out of his haze. the audience doesnât get to see what exactly yuwol is asking dohyunâs opinion for, that will be saved for the performance later. but whatever it was, dohyun is reacting positively.
âi think.. youâre going to end up with a million new fans and a million other grandmothers wanting you as a grandson- i would call that a success,â dohyun replies as he ends the recording, encouraging and supportive.
âdo you have faith in us?â yuwol asks next, and the frame closes in on dohyunâs face, searching for a specific reaction. as if implying, would the same unfortunate occurrence happen again with dohyunâs new team? that unasked question doesnât receive an answer.
âyou were at the mercy of the teams we gave you,â jihunâs voice can be heard once more, playing as the screen zeroes in on dohyunâs face. will this time be different? perhaps, there is a glimmer of hope. there is no verbal answer from dohyun at this time, however.
maybe that answer will show itself in the teamâs performance.
the team of five enter the stage wearing matching outfits of a pastel color scheme, showcasing a certain theme. while the stage is still dimly lit, it can be seen that certain corners of the stage have different mini sets, keeping the audience guessing what they could be. but then the set fades away, the camera is instead being greeted by jingrenâs face as the music begins.
the lens pans down, showing jingrenâs hand linked with the cameramanâsâor in this case, the audienceâand leading them towards the stage. jingrenâs smile is beaming, taking the audience towards the set, which seems to be a mini carnival with booths and DIY date spots.
the other three have already taken their positions, and the performance begins.
it becomes apparent that the team will be moving across the mini sets, having their own date moment with the camera (a.k.a the audience who are watching). yejunâs is up next, seemingly going through an array of mirrors. the camera âtripsâ, but yejun is quick to rush over to his date, concerned as he helps his date regain their feet. the singing goes on, yejun hitting his notes despite multitasking with his acting. even adds a sigh of relief when he notices his date is okay, pointing to a mirror with a laugh.Â
as one person gets the spotlight, the others become supporting characters. even though theyâre moving from set to set, they maintain the same flare of choreography, modified to fit their elaborate stage.
as yuwolâs rap verse approaches, the camera shifts to a different point of view, carefully taken to another set. this time, itâs a wooden stand colored pink with the sign âkissing boothâ plastered on top. the contestant on the other side of the booth is yuwol. heâs holding a lip balm, uncapping it as the audience continues to watch. yuwol acts nervous with the way he bites his lip and steals glances at the camera. using his finger, he swipes the lip balm on his own lips before pretending to apply it onto his dateâs. he doesnât kiss his date though, despite the name of the booth, he lifts his face up and allows it to disappear out of frame, leaving the audience to wonder what exactly yuwol had done. either way, heâs giggling as if heâs teasing.
the song continues on, the team returning back to formation as they move towards the next set: hangyeolâs. heâd be delivering this scene along with his rap verse too. his moment is centered around a snack booth, hangyeol leading the camera towards the booth. a cake is then served which hangyeol takes advantage of, taking a forkful of whipped cream and holding it up to the lens mischievously, acting flirtatious. some of that whipped cream remains on the tip of his nose, followed by a finger coming from behind the camera to wipe the whipped cream away. the scene ends with hangyeolâs blush.
the last individual moment of the stage focuses on a faux photobooth, which is jueunâs time to shine. jueun pulls off a few poses alongside the camera, as if sheâs actually taking photos, singing her lines accordingly all the while. itâs a cute and intimate moment, jueun being playful with her company. that is, until the rest of the team âphotobombosâ the photos and poses with jueun and her date.
âiâd just like to say that i gave it my all, and this was all really fun,â jueunâs voice from the interview room plays as the camera focuses on the group, all with smiles on their faces.
the performance goes on, and with jueun taking charge of the last line, she gives the camera a nice wink for her ending pose.
a round of applause can be heard from the judges, before the contestants get ready for their critique.
ran is the first to pick up her microphone; this is her companyâs challenge after all. âfirst, i want to congratulate you all on a successful performance. i could feel your earnesty in trying to put on a unique, memorable performance and i want to be sure you all know that your efforts didnât go unnoticed. you were the only team without a representative from sr media helping you, so please know weâll take that into account as we review this stage.â
âas a whole, it was a very charming performance,â ran continues to smile. âit was sweet how you were able to highlight each member of your team and stay within the theme you chose. however, i donât think it was very far off from the original performance and came off a bit⌠amateur-ish? which i suppose is to be expected, especially since you lacked guidance.â
she seems to shoot a look at DOHYUN and SEOJUN, who were notably absent from the preparation clips. however, neither trainee being from her company, she decides to simply let it be.
yuna takes over instead: âwhile concepts and acting may be sr mediaâs specialty, lime entertainment also dabbles quite a bit in using stages and storylines to enhance our performances. iâm surprised that seojun didnât take a more active part in helping to plan your performance. coaches, please remember that itâs your responsibility to support our contestants. we may not be able to eliminate you from the competition, but these contestants are your responsibility. please do not take it lightly.â
the woman sighs before continuing on: âin any case, i do have to agree with ran. the performance was cute and charming, but seemed a bit disorganized at times. like you were trying to fit too much into a short time. itâs easy to let ideas get ahead of you, but it should have been on your coaches to help rein them in and refine them.â
âdohyun, youâre not going to regain my favor by disappearing into the background. youâre still representing studio delta in a competition, so i expect to see a little more effort from you in the final round.â yoon jihun crosses his arms and scowls unhappily. he may not be shouting with the same rancor as he had the previous round, but his disappointment is palpable. ânonstop team, you did well to support yourselves despite the lack of effort from your coaches. i feel like that should be praised more than yuna and ran have mentioned so far; youâre all just beginners, babies really. you had to learn how to walk on your own while everyone else was getting better support. i want to commend you for your effort; you did well with the resources provided.â
âand HANGYEOL,â jihun continues, now moving onto individual critiques, âit was rather brave of you to take on so many rap parts when it seems to be a relatively new skill to you. youâre a great performer so you were able to pull it off decently enough, but it was clear that itâs really not your strongest talent. i canât quite say you let your team down, but i donât think you did them any favors.â
âyou helped your team with the choreography changes, right?â yuna pipes up, âonce again, youâre showing us that youâre an excellent leader. leveraging your talents with the areas your team needs to improve was good. youâre a great dancer, weâre frankly running out of ways to say that, but youâre also a good teacher which is much harder to find in a show like this.â
âi think we did well to put you in this concept,â ran smiles warmly, clearly harboring a soft spot for this particular contestant. âyou have a lovely smile, you know. your stage presence is strong enough that even with simple choreography, you still shine. you adapt well to different concepts and thatâs something we look for at sr media; being able to be a diverse performer as well.â
âgreat job, hangyeol,â jihun congratulates the contestant once more before the judges fix their attention on the next member of the team, YUWOLâs face taking over the screen.
âiâll admit, i didnât have very high expectations for you with this concept,â jihun begins again, his frown more contemplative than antagonistic for once. âyouâre a bit⌠well, you were put in this team since we didnât think anything else would suit you very well. you surprised us, yuwol. who knew you had it in you? maybe you should consider acting as a career.â the man laughs.
âjihun is laughing, but i would genuinely suggest the same thing,â ran takes over. âyou performed your part well and we could tell that you put a particular amount of effort into selling this concept. half of the road to success is hard work and practice and you certainly gave your best effort with this challenge. honestly, iâm almost sorry that we wonât be seeing this stage ever again. you did well.â
yuna picks up her microphone next, her expression a bit complicated. âi agree with jihun and ran that you performed this concept beyond our expectations, however i want to caution you to not neglect your performance skills as well. youâre still a bit awkward when youâre dancing simple steps. at this point in the competition, iâd like to see a little more improvement in that area. your voice is nice, but i want to warn you not to neglect your fundamentals and fall into the habit of relying on stylization instead of basic ability. overall, you gave us a good performance. but as we reach the end of this competition, you would do better if you tried to be great.â
âthank you, yuwol,â ran finishes the feedback before turning to the next contestant.
YEJUN is the next focus of the judges who waste no time in giving him feedback.
âare you getting more comfortable, yejun?â jihun asks, âyouâre not trembling on stage this time. i think itâs the first time weâve seen you actually smile.â is that teasing in the harsh judgeâs voice? the camera zooms into jihunâs face, which actually has a smile on it, before panning to yejunâs expression in return. âif all it took was asking you to act cute, we would have done that ages ago. you seem harder on yourself than even i would be, so i donât think i can tell you anything about your performance that you donât already know. i just hope that you donât lose this spark, whatever it is.â
âis that a compliment from jihun?â ranâs eyes widen in mock-surprise, a wide smile on her face. âin any case, i have to agree that you looked much more at ease, like you were actually enjoying the performance this time. you played cute pretty well, i think you have a good face for the concept overall, but when youâre able to smile you really light up the stage. did it help to have friends on your team this time? while itâs important to be able to get along with whoever is on your future teams or debut units, having familiar faces can help ease a transition. iâm glad we were able to unlock a new side of you with this performance.â
yuna smiles as well. âyouâre a talented singer, yejun,â she points out, âand youâre becoming a better performer too throughout this show. itâs been a genuine pleasure to watch your growth. singing is something you love, right?â the camera turns to yejun again for his response. âme too. itâs that passion that got me to debut, and then to all the success iâve had since then. i hope youâre able to hold onto that through the rest of next gen and whatever comes after.â yuna smiles once more before the camera abandons yejun for now.
âiâd like to point out how JUEUN shined on this stage,â ran beams brightly as she compliments the girl, âyour confidence on stage was almost unmatched and this concept suits you almost perfectly. honestly, i donât even have much to say since thereâs hardly anything to critique this time.â
âi wouldnât say that,â jihun disagrees; of course he would always be able to find something negative even among an overwhelmingly positive situation. âif anything, i would just caution you to be mindful of your groupmates. you were just on the edge of out-performing half of this team, which is good for you in this competition but if you debut in a group someday, being able to work seamlessly together will be important. it could also make your teammates look worse than they actually are and put you at risk for elimination, if youâre not careful. but like ran said, this concept suited you well. youâll probably be fine.â
yuna ponders over her response for a moment before finally speaking up. âyou said that youâd work harder and you had more to show us. talk is fine, but what iâm most impressed with is that you actually put your money where your mouth is, so to speak. you put on an amazing performance that made us all regret dropping you down in the ranks last week, if the other judges agree?â yuna looks over at ran and jihun, who both nod their confirmation of the statement. âwell done. itâs no easy feat to do exactly what was promised when it comes to performances like this.â
âJINGREN,â yuna turns her attention to the next contestant, âit was⌠brave of you to attempt to learn to rap in just a few days of practice. the parts you were assigned werenât particularly difficult so you were able to pull it off, but i canât help but think itâs a bit of a shame⌠you were awkward and it showed to the point it took away from the entire groupâs performance. i think thatâs why it came across as amateur-ish in some parts, because you didnât have the ability to sell the performance with confidence.â
âyouâre in a team of talented performers this time, jingren,â ran continues, her voice soft and kind despite the criticism coming from her lips. âunfortunately, that can make it even harder to stand out as a performer yourself. i think you did well with the concept overall, you were rather cute, but as yuna said⌠your performance skills werenât up to par with the parts you chose.â
âjingren, iâll be honest with you,â jihun sits forward in his seat, leaning against the table with a rather grim expression on his face. âif nonstop team doesnât win this battle, youâre likely to be the member we eliminate. the competition is too tight at this point to be too forgiving with poor performance skills. if youâre a singer, you should sing. why try to pick up rap at this point? it was poor strategy that, again, should have been caught by your coaches. if you have to blame someone for this, blame them.â
the camera zooms in closely on jingrenâs expression before the entire team is dismissed from the stage, jianâs bright smile taking over as she announces the next performance will be PUZZLE.
as the PUZZLE team prepares for their stage, the scene shifts to the individual who has been told would embody this elegant and sexy concept the most. SIWOO is seen⌠practicing how to put a tie on? strangely enough, instead of attempting it on himself, heâs doing so around JIHYUNâs neck instead. unlike the previous teamâs harmonious chemistry, there seems to be a more tense air between these two. the contrast is made evident.
âdo you know how to be elegant?â siwoo asks, not without what seems to be annoyance.
âiâve taken etiquette lessons as a child, so elegance should come naturally to me,â jihyun answers, somewhat unfazed despite how long siwoo is taking to put on the tie.
âyou needed lessons to learn etiquette?â the question slips out of siwoo as if itâs a challenge, or a pointed and directed attack, as subtle as it may be. what has siwoo so bothered? could it be because of their similar circumstances and background?
it looks like siwoo isnât the only one feeling rather irritated, because it cuts to jihyun speaking in a manner thatâs different than his usual self, as if provoking the other. âtell me more about it, partner in crime. siwoo-ya~?â
the scene remains unresolved, instead switching to siwoo in the interview room. âit seemed like you had some sort of tension with jihyun?â the same disembodied voice asks.
siwoo doesnât seem to respond much at all, and there seems to be a glimpse of displeasure in his face as the name is brought up. âahâŚâ is all he says, before the scene changes once more to jihyun in the interview room.
âwe were happily bantering with each other. siwoo is kinda fun to tease. we were forced to hold hands at some point to get along⌠but i dont think itâs that big of a conflict?â jihyun answers instead of siwoo, but not giving a lot of explanation for what had transpired.
thankfully, the other teammates seem to be getting along well. HYUNKI and TOUMA are tasked to edit the choreography to suit the concept they have in mind. hyunki is sitting on the floor. âtwo teams,â hyunki mentions as he nodsâwhat could that mean? is this team being split into two? no answer is given at this time, instead hyunki continues on. âalmost like a battle? we could have moments where we change the formations⌠angled to face each other, but still be looking towards the judges?â
touma is quick to agree, grinning at his teammate. these two working well together, different from the pair before. âyeah, thatâs a good pitch! and the battle commencing would be the best time to finally combine the teams and make one formation. SEIRA could be in the center, and thatâs when the reveal happens?â the reveal mentioned is never explained in detail, leaving the audience with a moment of anticipation for what this team had cooked up.
hyunki takes up what he and touma came up with to CHAERIN. âif iâm understanding correctly, youâre saying the formation for this part will be different from the original because of the storyline youâve created, right?â chaerin asks for confirmation, tablet in hand.
âthatâs exactly right, adjusting some of the dance seemed like a great way to help highlight the idea of their being these two separate factions within the group.â hyunki seems confident, but open to feedback from someone clearly more experienced.
âi understand the point of it, but i think you should keep in mind that it may be hard to catch your breath if youâre moving around the stage too much,â chaerin verbalizes her concerns, which hyunki takes in stride.
âtouma and i practiced it some with the two of us, and it was alright, but i can see how it might be difficult with the full team. it would be an easy fix though! but thank you for the feedback on this,â hyunki responds, happy to accommodate his coachâs feedback. whether they managed to rework the choreography to satisfy chaerinâs expectations is unclear, though. thereâs an underlying concern whether the team can manage the demanding choreography.
perhaps the audience is concerned now, as the camera switches to seira and siwoo, who had struggled with dancing in previous episodes. the two of them are seen practicing together. surprisingly, in spite of seiraâs lack of confidence in her dance skills before, sheâs giving her teammate advice. âfor that part, it looks like youâre not moving your arms fast enough?â she remarks. âyouâre having great facial expressions though, and you fit the vibe well, i might have you help me with facial expressions.â
that advice seems to work for siwoo, repeating the steps according to seiraâs feedback. âthanks seira,â he smiles. âfor facial expressions, i think about how no one else can pull off looking like me⌠but me.â
âso⌠i should just act really confident?â she asks with her head tilted. that seems to be the theme surrounding seira for this episode, because in the next scene she is asking NAYOUNG something related to her confidence as well.
âhow do you seem so confident when you perform?âseira asks as sheâs stuffing a riceball into her mouth, with her coach in front of her. âit always looks like i lack confidenceâŚâ she expresses, clearly worried.
âi think confidence comes with practice,â nayoung says, providing guidance. âif you donât feel confident, you can think of it likeâŚplaying the role of someone confident. itâs also helpful to justâŚpretend to be confident to yourself, too.â
as seira takes a bite out of her kimbap, she follows up with another question. âif i pretend to be confident enough, will i eventually turn confident?â
instead of that question being answered by nayoung, it cuts to nayoung in the interview room. âdid you have any worries giving seira such a large role, considering sheâs currently ranked last?â the mysterious interviewer questions, although it isnât expanded on what exactly seiraâs role is, leaving suspense for the performance later on.
âwe realize itâs a risk, but chaerin and i were in agreement that seira deserved the opportunity to prove sheâs better than the rank she received. she, and everyone else, worked really hard. i hope those efforts are evident in the performance, and that the judges can see it.â nayoung speaks realistically and to the point, simultaneously invested in her teamâs growth but also coming off professional, able to separate emotions from work. perhaps itâs a trait others would appreciate in a coach.
and just what does seira do with this significant role of hers, propelling her to the center of the storyline?
with a seed of doubt planted, it cuts once more to a montage of seira struggling with the concept itself alongside different teammates: with ARA she says, âfor this part, could you help me with facial expressions?â to jihyun she says, âthe concept, itâs one iâve never done before, so iâm a bit unsure about my facial expressions, maybe you could help with that?â to hyunki she says, âfor this part, would it fit better if i tried to look serious or sexy?â to touma she says, âiâve never really done a concept like this before.â
can seira live up to her coachesâ expectations?
for now, it focuses on the first scene, showing a clip of seira and ara practicing together, lighthearted and eager to improve. âwhy not let me take a breather, and iâll watch you run through this part and i can give you a few tips?â ara proposes, resting against the mirror.
âlook for the small things too, theyâre also important,â seira requests with a giggle.
araâs voice can be heard as the pair continue with their practice. âwhile helping seira with expressions and dance, it also helped me out greatly too. it is true what they say, that teaching something is also one of the best methods of knowing your own material.â
when it comes to workshopping characters, ara and hyunki seem to be having a blast discussing them. âi think i might want to go the angle of a little sneaky myself, a bit mysterious and lurking myself, in some movements if possible,â ara tells her teammate, clearly having put a lot of thought into who she will be portraying. âhave you gotten close to finalizing what you want to do for your character?â
âi think so, not that youâll know much about my character, seeing as youâll never catch me,â hyunki teases, dropping hints to the audience what character dynamics would be at play on stage.
ara is also working with jihyun when it comes to perfecting dynamics on stage. âdo you want this? why donât you come get it and be lured in by my trap?â jihyun provokes his teammate, holding a phone to his chest like itâs a precious item.
âi wonât perish in your trap⌠even if it is tempting to get caught up in the lure,â ara replies with determination. it seems the members are enjoying themselves when it comes to the process of building their characters.
but not everyone is breezing through this. touma is seen with jihyun, seeking his fellow contestant for a reason. âyouâre all about elegance and⌠sexiness. any tips on how to⌠be both of those things on stage?â
it looks like jihyun almost laughs, but doesnât. instead, jihyun starts explaining by taking toumaâs hand. âeveryone perceives sexiness differently. play it cool, know how to gaze into their eyes and then smile at the right momentâ jihyun gently traces a finger across toumaâs palm. âwhen you do this quickly, itâs not sexy at all⌠but when you do it slowly, youâre bound to feel something tingly.â that seems to make something click in touma. just like jihyun had flustered stevie in the previous episodeâa clip in the corner shows stevieâs reaction from episode three once again as this scene unfoldsâjihyun had succeeded in flustering touma as well.
touma seems to be whispering something into jihyunâs ear afterwards, but nothing can be inferred from that short conversation. whatever it was, it got jihyun to laugh; completely different from his interaction with siwoo.
even with his confidence when it came to teaching touma about the vibes of the concept, jihyun isnât without his own qualms. he seems confused, at wits end even, as heâs seeking some sort of clarity from nayoung. âis there something in me that isnât shining like the others?â itâs a heavy question, albeit slightly cryptic.
nayoung keeps it honest and blunt, like always. âi think you're a little bit forgettable right now. you just really need to look at it as your time to shine. for now...just perform like it's the last chance you'll get to. hopefully it's not, but if it was, you'd want to give it everything you have and make sure you leave everyone something to remember you by.â
nayoung isnât just working with jihyun, though. the scene briefly cuts to her working with siwoo, rubbing his shoulders with what seems to be newfound determination, a refreshing state of siwooâs considering his previously lacking attitude and motivation. âour team has good dancers⌠i donât want to fade into the background.â is he finally taking this competition seriously?
âtheir main issue, in my opinion, is mostly justâŚbelieving theyâre capable, opposed to their actual skills.â nayoungâs voice is heard as her scenes with the two boys play. â i think they lacked most when it came to confidence. all of that to say, by the time performance day came, i had the utmost confidence in them.â
chaerin is now the focus of the interview room. âi have personally seen each and every one of you do your best for this performance.â a short clips cuts in, showing chaerin working with touma and siwoo on their singing. âeven if things donât work out exactly how you want it to, just know that somebody knows that you have put your all into it.â she does a little fighting gesture, chuckling.
with each team member working desperately on what they lack, eager to prove themselves to the judges and climb the ranksâhow will this performance fare?
thereâs no need to wait any longer, as the team members ready themselves for their performance. but instead of opening with the faces of all the contestants, it starts with three of the contestants staring at a makeshift police board, analyzing. touma, ara and seira have taken the role of detectives, which means the other three (siwoo, hyunki, jihyun) have been appointed criminals.
âwhen we were contemplating the elegant and sexy concept and how it worked with the song itself, we all pretty quickly decided on the idea of criminals and detectives, with one of the detectives actually being another criminal.â hyunkiâs voice can be heard as the performance continues, explaining the concept. âwe wanted to play with the lyrics that speak about solving puzzle. so the criminals are art thieves who stole a piece of puzzle art, and are leaving small clues along the way for the detectives to follow. they also are confused because the criminals leave the playing cards as a calling card, one for each suit, but they donât know which criminal represents the diamond, until the end,â he explained, referencing to seiraâs reveal.â
the detectives are the only ones visible on stage for the moment, looking at pictures of several art pieces along with images of the three known criminals decorated with their card suits. however, there is one card suit with no corresponding criminal. this seems to be important, but before the audience can start speculating the detectives begin their routine, with seiraâs lines being the opener.
so this is the division of teams that hyunki had mentioned, itâs also clear that theyâve included a modified version of the choreography. one that gives the vision of chasing and dodging, a game of cat and mouse. thereâs a certain âcatch me if you canâ aura throughout this performance, with jihyun provoking touma through glances and gestures, as well as siwooâs eyes finding the camera with a teasing smile, as if daring the audience to look for him. hyunki, too, continued to escape the detectiveâs grasp. the three criminals remain cocky and confident.
siwoo is seen with the rest of the criminals on the other side of the stage, dropping a large puzzle piece that seems to be taken in as evidence. once siwooâs first verse closes, the six members come together for a complete formation. this must be the battle that hyunki and touma had discussed prior, where the detectives and criminals are facing one another. a few more puzzle pieces are dropped for the detectives to find, and the song continues on.
at jihyunâs climatic line, the bgm starts to fade out and the puzzle is once again highlighted, the object of the crime. there are two puzzle pieces missing. in this moment, seira takes her detective jacket off and reveals her a diamond attached to her outfit, putting the missing pieces into the puzzleâwhich is one of the next gen logo. with this, it is concluded that seira had been an undercover criminal this entire time, which must be what nayoung had been referring to during her interview.
the formation returns to six once more, everyone performing the last chorus completed with jihyunâs adlibs. itâs a dramatic scene of triumph and betrayal, a neat closure to a tense storyline.
after applause dies down, the team gathers themselves for their critique.
âdid you know that i love crime shows?â ranâs smile is wide as she prepares to review puzzle teamâs performance. âso this concept was a real treat for me! you pulled off the detective and criminal concept elegantly, which can be difficult to do considering itâs so easily confused with the childrenâs game. and tying the title of the song, âpuzzleâ, into your performance by leaving puzzles and clues for the detectives to follow⌠it was a very nice touch. whose idea was that? nayoung, did you help with that?â ran asks her trainee, clearly approving regardless of who takes credit. âand the grand reveal at the end⌠oh, i just love it. i felt like i was watching a movie, it was fantastic.â
âwhere nonstop team came across as a high school theatre performance, puzzle team looked more prepared for broadway,â jihun points out, ânothing against the production value our stage teams put together, and maybe the concepts themselves lent to the difference, but there was clearly more refinement from this team. having an active representative from sr media no doubt helped your performance, which nonstop team also lacked. ah, itâs a shame that we only have one team to compare with, so far,â he sighs, âbut you certainly sold us elegance and sexiness.â
yuna sits forward in her seat a bit before delivering her first round of critique of this team. âconceptually, it wasnât that different from A.MAZEâs sherlock,â yuna points out, the creativity not totally as unique as the others seemed to make it out to be. âbut you added new layers to the story that werenât told before. the playing cards, the heist, the grand reveal⌠even if you took inspiration from another sr media group, you were still able to make the concept your own, which is impressive in its own right. congratulations on a successful performance, i think as a whole youâve impressed all three of us.â
âexcept TOUMA,â yuna continues into individual critiques immediately, âi think you were in your head too much with this performance. you looked like you were fighting the concept more than you were living it, especially in the first part of the performance. the only time your expressions were believable was during your exchange with jihyun. your tone was flat, your dancing was too methodical, and the immersion was broken whenever i was watching you. you did seem to improve your vocals though, so good job on that.â
yunaâs curt review is followed up by ran, who addresses the contestants a little more gently. âyou werenât very comfortable being sexy, were you touma?â she asks, the camera zooming in on toumaâs reaction before she continues. âwe wanted to challenge you with this concept and⌠well, you were definitely challenged. maybe we pushed a bit too hard. is there another concept you would have preferred?â again, the camera waits for toumaâs reaction. âyou did well despite the hardships and i want to commend you for giving it your best without giving up.â
âat least youâre singing better now,â jihun remarks, his words far from soft and gentle as ranâs had been. âas long as we see improvement, we know weâre putting you down the right path. maybe this wasnât your favorite concept, but you have to trust us a bit more that we know what weâre doing and embrace change more quickly. you did alright. not great, but itâs passable. you didnât let your team down.â thatâs the closest one can get to a compliment from jihun.
âARA,â jihun turns his attention to the girl once his evaluation of touma is complete, âyou seem to be balancing the desire to stand out with the need to support your team. itâs not an easy happy medium to figure out. in fact, itâs one of the hardest things even our trainees have to navigate. these people are your competition, but theyâre also your key to the next phase in your career. how do you address that?â he pauses as the camera pans down the puzzle team lineup. âi think you found that balance this time. i could see your ambition, but you didnât sell out your team to climb to the top. kudos, or whatever.â
âit wonât kill you to give a compliment every now and then,â ran swats jihunâs arm lightly, though she turns to ara with a smile. âara, you played your part to perfection,â ran praises the girl warmly, âyou stood out in a good way, as one of the most comfortable people on stage so far tonight. but, as jihun said, not in a way that made the rest of your team look bad. you were clearly giving this performance your all, which is exactly what we want to see from every contestant at this stage in the competition. itâs only their own fault if they donât, at this point.â
âyouâre a good singer and even better dancer,â yuna compliments the girl, âand i think we were all pleasantly surprised by how well you adopted this concept and absolutely owned the stage. you gave us a good performance. honestly, i donât really have many notes here for you. if anything, just watch your energy to make sure itâs consistent throughout your performance. itâs okay to be tired at the end.â
âgreat job, ara,â ran congratulates the contestant one more time.
âHYUNKI⌠you disappeared into this performance, a little bit,â yuna comments, looking down at something written in front of her before she continues. âyou didnât really have many lines. why was that? the song is a bit rap-heavy, sure, but were you really so content not to give it a shot just to give yourself more time in center stage? you should be a little greedier. this is a competition, donât forget.â
âyunaâs right,â jihun frowns. âwere you really satisfied with the parts you were given? i like to see a little more ambition out of my trainees, especially in the later stages of a competition. did you get complacent just because we gave you a good ranking a couple of times? donât forget that hangyeol has been first place twice now. you may have been our male center, but you donât have that much room to fall back on your laurels.â of course the rivalry manufactured early in the season comes back to haunt the contestants now. of course jihun would be the one to bring it up.
ran chooses her words carefully before continuing the critique. âyour brand of sexy was a bit⌠unlikable, at times,â she admits, seemingly unable to find the right words. âcocky can be charming, or sometimes itâs just boastful and loud. i think your performance fell into the second half, i wasnât as charmed with you as i was with some of your teammates. itâs okay to do things outside of your own comfort zone, but i thought you would handle this concept better.â
âhangyeol would have,â jihun butts in, again bringing up the rivalry. ran doesnât respond.
the camera watches hyunkiâs expression for a moment before turning to the next contestant to face the judgesâ criticism, RYU SIWOO.
âsiwoo, did you finally wake up and join us?â jihun almost laughs as he addresses the contestant. âdonât think we didnât notice your apathy in the early rounds, especially compared to how much you seemed to care about this performance now. were you frustrated? did you want to do better? good. thatâs what we want to see. if you didnât, weâd have to send you home by now. we knew you had it in you.â he almost seems smug, as if this discovery was something that jihun himself was responsible for and not siwooâs own decision to lock in on this competition.
âas expected, this was your concept,â ran beams. âyou fit sexy well⌠your looks help, but your demeanor and expressions during this performance looked so natural. you liked it too, didnât you?â she teases lightly, a bright smile on her lips as she compliments the contestant. âi think this was our best performance from you yet, siwoo. keep it up and i canât wait to see what youâll show us next time.â
yuna presses her lips together in a tight smile. âjihun and ran have praised you for this concept, so i feel itâs my responsibility to point out that your performance skills still arenât quite up to par. you know this, donât you? you can cover it up with stage presence and good looks to some extent, but it wonât last forever. siwoo, i hope you continue to take this seriously and show us an even better performance next time. now that you seem more focused, iâll look forward to how much you can grow.â
âspeaking of growth,â ran moves on, âcan we talk about JIHYUNâs stage presence? to be honest, at the start of this competition, you looked rather⌠robotic on stage, jihyun. but this performance⌠whew!â ran fans herself with her hand as if cooling herself off. âyou certainly figured out how to embrace sexy! we knew you had it in you, weâre just glad to see it come out by the time you stood on stage. excellent work.â
âwere you really provoking touma on stage?â jihun smiles, amused at what he had witnessed on stage. âi donât know whatâs going on between you two, but weâve noticed that you seem to be more competitive with each other than the other contestants. it worked well for this performance and you didnât sacrifice teamwork for whatever it is between you two. sometimes rivalry can bring out the best in both parties. keep at it.â
âthis was our best performance from you yet,â yuna smiles, and then glances sideways at ran. âand iâll admit, i was rather captivated by your performance tonight as well. iâm not sure thereâs a girl watching at home who didnât fall for you a little bit!â she laughs, not at all embarrassed; this is the job of an idol after all. âyou sing well, youâre dancing better every episode, and you finally found your confidence on stage. if you can bring that same energy to the finale, youâll be a hard opponent to beat. great job.â
next to face the attention of the judges is SEIRA, and as yuna picks up the microphone she doesnât look too happy about what she has to say. âseira,â she sighs, pausing for a moment before deciding how to continue. âyou know the phrase âfake it until you make it,â right? we can tell youâre still faking it and havenât made it yet.â
yuna shakes her head. âi donât know where to begin. you had the most important role in this concept and yet you didnât seem special at all on stage. your expressions were inconsistent with the vibes of the performance, your performance itself seemed stiff and robotic, and you keep saying youâll 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.â
âitâs disappointing, to be honest,â jihun also looks unhappy, though thatâs not uncommon. âyour team trusted you with this role and iâm not sure why when youâve proved to us over and over again that you canât stand on stage without leaning on someone else for support. itâs fine to work in a team, but what are you actually good at? if even you canât confidently say anything, how are we supposed to believe you have any ability? you should be doing better by now. thank your team, since they carried you once again.â
ran purses her lips together. she doesnât want to be as harsh as jihun, but something has to be said. âi donât think you were ready for this performance,â she sighs. âi donât know whether itâs a maturity issue, a skill issue, or if you just donât have the talent at this point. i hate to be harsh, but you have to understand that weâre late in the competition. everything matters more now. you lack focus in tackling your weaknesses and your performance suffered for it. iâm sorry, seira. if your team doesnât take first place, youâre in serious danger.â
the camera zooms in close on seiraâs face, now the second contestant of the night to receive a similar critique. itâll all come down to the final judgements at the end of the episode. puzzle team is dismissed from the stage shortly afterward.
before how practice had gone for the ADRENALINE team is shown on screen, thereâs the sound of a loud bang of a door cutting in, along with intelligible noises of what seems to be a heated conversation. glimpses of balled fists and shaky hands flit across the screen, followed by murmurs and whispers indiscernible behind the restroom door. just what had happened amongst these team members?
leaving that for later, the camera focuses on INHO and JAEYOUNG, talking about their concept ahead. it seems that the two of them are working on their characters. âdo you consider yourself a nerd?â inho asks his companion. it sounds like a random question, a completely different vibe from the preview that was shown earlier.Â
âi consider myself an enigma,â jaeyoung doesnât flinch as he says it, uttered with utmost conviction. but he follows that up with a more appropriate answer. â if i had to say⌠i guess iâd be the nerd spitting random facts and talking incessantly because iâm socially awkward and spend most of my days buried in books.â why are they talking about nerds, exactly? could this be part of their concept? âyou can be the musical nerd. theatre kid vibes, maybe,â jaeyoung urges, giving his teammate suggestions.
âi donât think i have ever identified myself with the concept of âteen crushâ or 'brightâ, both of those were ones i knew i would find myself being more uncomfortable with.â inho is seen in the interview room, speaking on his thoughts about the concept he was given. âas we practiced i found myself becoming more and more comfortable with the concept and the storyline.â
âisnât that you everyday?â inho asks first with an obvious teasing cadence, itâs clear that the two of them have a friendly relationship now, inho listening to jaeyoungâs ramblings with patience. âthe music nerd, though, that makes sense for me i think.â luckily, it seems inho is finding his footing even with a concept that he doesnât seem to be as excited about at first.
jaeyoung seem to be helping others feel in touch with their inner nerdiness, seeing as heâs also talking to KAITO. âhave you thought about what cool thing you want to do to impress the popular cheerleader?â he asks, immediately following that up with another question. âactually, do you think i look nerdy enough as is?â
kaito doesnât seem to mind, answering the questions in succession. âiâm stuck on either bringing a guitar, âfailingâ to dance, or even just straight up tripping and making myself look like a fool,â the last idea being said in jest. âyou look great. what do you think about me?â kaito returns the question, pushing up the glasses heâs wearing.
âit suits you. not all nerds wear glasses though. should we add braces to the costume?â jaeyoung adds on, although itâs clear in the way he said it that itâs not a genuine suggestion.
it seems kaito and inho share the same sentiment when it comes to the concept of teen crush, holding the belief that itâs far from their area of expertise. perhaps because theyâre aware of this, theyâre discussing their preparations for their future role and how they feel about it. âso, do you think youâre ready to go up there and show how ânerdyâ we can be?â kaito asks in a joking manner, gesturing to their attires laterâalthough, the audience doesnât get to see it just yet. âi wonder if i should have just dressed this comfortably when i was in school.â he tilts his head, as if heâs trying to be cute in that moment.
âready as iâll ever be,â inho responds, seeming amused at kaitoâs cutesy act. âcomfortable was always better if we didnât have to wear uniforms, but you might wanna work on the aegyo,â he says, teasing his teammate.
âi donât think i was actually made for the whole 'aegyoâ thing, but if i somehow manage to make it to the very end⌠well iâll do my best to show the best aegyo at the finale just for you.â itâs an optimistic promise that kaito is making, hopefully that statement becomes true.
on the other side, stevie and JIAYI can be seen working on the choreography. âwhat do you think about this?â stevie showcases a few moves to jiayi, seeking her approval and commentary. âlooks kinda powerful? maybe? might fit with the drop.â
âi like that it follows the beat drop,â jiayi compliments. âwhat if we continue that trend throughout the rest of the dance intro?â she hands out her own idea, contributing.
âi think itâll flow nice. we could add a few transitions too⌠maybe take turns on each side? so theyâd have to pan from side to side? two on the side, then one in the middle to bring it all forward? that could lean towards the end of the intro, if anything.â he speaks as he repeats his motions. âwhat do you think? am i cooking here?â stevie cracks a joke, grinning.
jiayi is on board. âa panorama of the team. instead of an ending fairy, weâll have a beginning fairy!â whether a âbeginning fairyâ will happen or not, will only be shown during the performance itself.
inho seems to be taking on an older sibling figure in this team, helping both stevie and jiayi with their concerns vocal-wise. first, the screen features inho and stevie. âwhat can i lend my ear for?â inho tells stevie, always willing to help, patient when he speaks and guides a teammate.
âi think iâm good with the tone, but i think my breath control could use a little workâŚâ stevie admits.
âshow me what you got so far, and weâll figure out what we can do to get you a bit steadier. i struggled with that when i was younger,â inho replies, turning his full attention towards stevie. before that scene can be resolved though, it cuts to inho and jiayi instead, working on vocals once more.
âhow have you felt about our run throughs so far?â inho asks when he walks over to jiayi. âi think our pitch sounds good together.â
"i thought at first, maybe the harmonies would sound better if it were you and another one of the boys singing this part, but i think it's contrasting in a good way. it adds another layer of . . . depth?" jiayi seems confused at her own wording, but inho is capable of understanding her.
âit definitely adds nice layers as we are winding down the song. sure, me and one of the boys would sound great together iâm sure, but i like it as the two of us.â inho confirms, hopefully putting jiayi at ease. perhaps inho is gifted as a coach, too? or is this because he is familiar with the role of an older sibling?
that being said, the coaches arenât sitting idly by either. SARANG, with skills in stage presence and performance, is guiding stevie in the right direction with expressions and the like. âi think itâd be fun to do like, some audience eye contactâ throw out some more cheeky grins. more personality? that kind of thing. what do you think?â stevie seems eager for a dash of sarangâs wisdom.
âi think thatâs perfect, and i think you have the natural ability to know when to milk those moments, and when to lean away from them,â sarang notes. âdefinitely keep your expressions varied through the ending, but when you strike your final pose, find your camera, and shine; treat that lens as if itâs your favorite person in the world and show it all the love you can!â itâs a helpful imagery, one that stevie seems to understand.
âi think i can do that. i just have to settle on what expression iâd wanna make,â stevie concludes, seemingly thinking about what he should do.
as stevie continues to rehearses in front of sarangâs watchful eyes, stevie can be heard speaking throughout the clip. âi thought it was fun. our song choice helpedâ it calls for bright and upbeat, and itâs hard not to be when youâre singing along, yâknow?â although his face canât be seen at the moment, itâs obvious that stevie is smiling as he talks. âand everyone was super involved, i feel. there was a lot that we could do with it, but i think weâre all happy with what we ended up with.â
once again, the unseen interviewer poses a question. âyou think? were there any disagreements in the creative process?â
itâs then that the screen switches to stevie in his interview room, capturing the nervous look on his face and the shaken laugh. âi meanâŚa little? i think we all can agree tensions are a littleâŚcrazy with how things went last episode. a little probably carried over those first few days.â
finally, thereâs a shot of RENYI in frame, accompanied by the voice of jihun in his moment of anger. it plays in the background as ren is closely observing one of the contestants. ârenyi, i hope this was an oversight on your part and not an intentional contingency plan for teammates you preferred,â is one of the lines being replayed. âi would have thought that the studio delta teams would have blown everyone out of the water, and yet iâm sitting here and a lime entertainment team is the most unique rendition weâve seen so far. arenât you a little bit embarrassed?â jihunâs voice can be heard yet again, almost haunting.
thereâs a few cuts on screen as jihunâs voice continues, particularly of ren paying extra attention to little details, every small mistake like the next tick to a bomb. stevie in particular seems to have noticed, on edge, almost like he expected ren to snap at one point. but stevie isnât the one gracing renâs attention. itâs jaeyoung, the contestant that ren is currently watching.
after splitting off into individual practice, jaeyoung had been dancing, until something seems to have popped into his head. he pauses for a moment, walking over to his bag to take out a pen, scribbling something into his palm. unfortunately, that is the last straw for ren. âthe winner of this battle is team a, but only because we canât have two losers,â jihunâs voice plays once more as ren stands up, approaching jaeyoung, asking whoever is nearby to shut down the music.
âdo you think because you got a bit of praise last time you can do whatever you want now?â even though heâs spouting harsh words, it seems as if itâs almost against his own will. and yet, it continues to spill out of him. âlook around. everyone else here was ranked higher than you, and yet youâre practicing the least. is this a joke to you? because for some of us, this is a future. maybe the only future we know. and if you arenât taking this seriously, you should leave now.â the words are eerily familiar to the things jihun had said before, whether ren noticed or not though is up to interpretation.
before jaeyoung gives his responds, the scene cuts to jaeyoung in the interview room instead. âi take every comment and feedback thatâs given to me seriously. i will respond accordingly, too.â jaeyoung puts on what looks like a diplomatic smile, something that he hadnât done before throughout the show. âi have nothing else to say hereâeverything i needed to say, has already been conveyed to whoever needs to hear it. thatâs all.â
the scene returns to the confrontation, with jaeyoung wearing that same smile he had in the interview room. itâs almost jarring, uncanny. âthank you for your feedback, i appreciate it. earlier too, i appreciated that you steered our concept in the right direction.â itâs clear he tried to make it sound genuine and polite, but it doesnât come off that way. âi know youâve been paying extra close attention to me in particular since we finished discussing our concept,â itâs a subtle shade and jab from jaeyoungâs part. itâs revealed then that what jaeyoung had written were things related to the stage, plans and ideas that he had been thinking about for his own part. âiâve been racking my head wondering what iâve been doing wrong, realized working with a team meant compromises. itâs why i waited until individual practices to actually start brainstorming so i donât hinder joint practice.â
when jaeyoung lifts his gaze towards renâs, it almost feels like a challenge, despite his smile thereâs clearly a fury in there that he canât contain. âwhat 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-meâ 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 donât know. you know yourself best. if you canât handle the pressure of coaching, of training, of failing to do all thatâwhy did you sign up?â itâs a long-winded speech, only fueling the rising tension between both parties. he looks frustrated, perhaps he realized that arguing with one of last seasonâs winners wasnât a very good idea?
of course, ren doesnât take too kindly to thatâthatâs to be expected, he almost seems to crumble and break. whether from the pressure as whole or jaeyoungâs words, only ren knows. âdo you know that every day, when you go home after filming, we go back to training? that not only do i have to make sure youâre good enough, but i have to make sure iâm not getting worse too? that at any moment, on any day, it doesnât matter how long iâve trained, someone can decide i donât have what it takes? nobody here is guaranteed anything. not you. not me. not anybody. iâm grateful to be here every day, even if itâs with someone like you. you should act like it.â ren sounds tired, the stress reaching its peak.
but that seems to be the end of it, for now. the rest of the group is staring at the pair, the cameras still pointed at them. itâs an uncomfortable situation, where only silence permeates. eventually though, ren speaks up. âi need a break, iâll leave first.â
the only one who follows after the trainee is sarang. the two enter the restroom, and thatâs when the clip ends. compared to dohyun, who had gone through the same brutal criticism, it doesnât seem like ren has a lot of faith in his team.
there is no conclusion to this fight, really. instead, stevieâs voice can be heard again. âi think iâm being more hopeful, than anything. but i guess, yeah. i am pretty confident with what weâve done. i think everyone worked hard on itâ tirelessly, too. maybe thatâs why.â a hopeful lilt, despite what had been shown previously.
with that, the teamâs performance is slated to begin.
the setting of the stage is a classroom, with the contestants wearing outfits corresponding to their characters. which, in this case, are a bunch of nerdsâexcept for jiayi, tasked with the role of being the popular cheerleader that everyone is head over heels for and fighting over. as she passes by, the boys act like lovesick fools vying for her attention, following her like a bunch of ducks. each nerd brings out something cool to impress her: stevie doing a trick with his skateboard, inho with his electric guitar, jaeyoung with his small board with difficult math equations.
they all fall into formation for a dance break intro, focused on introducing jiayi as everyoneâs crush, highlighting her like the sea parting as she walks on.
jaeyoungâs voice can be heard playing in the background as the dance intro continues. âi think we did pretty well. we worked together and created something fun to watch! my favourite part was working on the dance intro.â itâs shown to be a self-choreographed dance intro, with contributions from stevie, kaito and jaeyoung, something original that they had done for this stage.
the choreography starts off rather simple, but slowly begins to progress as the melody makes a change. it builds up as it goes on, eventually dropping into adrenaline. this team is taking the romantic comedy route with their storyline. everyone seems confident in their performance, with hints of cheeky smiles and boyish attitudes. thereâs also a chemistry of rivals mixed in, tensions and heat rising as they compete for the hand of the popular cheerleader. thereâs a few petty glances and looks, particularly from jaeyoung, but it seems in sync.
stevie gives a wink, as jiayi smoothly glides to the front. the ending slowly approaches, everyone looking like they have a good time. they strike their ending pose, before it turns to another brief skit. each nerd looks at jiayi with expectations, begging her to choose. instead, jiayi acts unimpressed, choosing no one and confidently walking off. the boys act distraught, thereâs even a small yell of âwait! give me a chance!â in the midst of it all. stevie lags behind for a moment, throwing some of the confetti in the air before laughing and continuing with the chase.
after a moment of applause, the team returns to their positions on stage, awaiting their critiques.
âit was cute!â ran laughs into her microphone, her expression bright at first before it fades into a more serious look. âbut your concept wasnât cute, it was teen crush. i couldnât help but feel that you missed the mark just a bit. teen crush is supposed to be the enviable kids, the popular students who exude confidence and invite others to be like them. i canât help but think that only jiayi really fit that role in your performance. the rest felt a bit.. comedic. it didnât suit the image we asked you to portray.â
âlike ran said, the performance was enjoyable, but that doesnât mean that we think it checked the boxes we assigned to you. teen crush is a tricky concept, itâs a bit vague compared to âsexyâ or âcuteâ like the other teams, but groups like our PRIZM have set an example of what it should look like,â yuna sighs. âthere was also tension on the team that bled into the performance, wasnât there? itâs fine, teams fight sometimes, but you have to put that behind you before stepping on stage.â
where yuna seemed unwilling to call out any particular contestant, jihun has no such reservations. âRENYI,â he frowns, though it doesnât seem to be directed at the trainee behind some of the drama. âi wish DOHYUN had half the fight you do. you should be upset after i tell you youâre doing something wrong. and then you should fix it. you took steps to improve and to help your team, even if they didnât want to hear what you had to say. dohyun disappeared.â
jihun shakes his head. âas for the performance itself, iâm surprised that a sr media trainee would let this group stray so far from the concept they were assigned. surely you knew the difference, right?â he looks directly at sarang, though he doesnât scold someone elseâs trainee any more. thatâs not jihunâs place, after all.
âas we said, JIAYI was the only contestant who we felt fit the teen crush concept,â ran kicks off the individual critiques on a high note, at least. âit makes sense since she was the object of everyoneâs affections and the literal âcrushâ everyone was interested in, but why couldnât the rest of the team be lessâŚâ
âlosers?â jihun suggests when ran struggles to find the words. she shoots him a glare but seems to accept that description.
âyour confidence definitely shined during this performance,â ran commends the girl, âgood job for not letting the boys take over or bully you into the background. you were the star and you played your role well. great job, jiayi.â
âyour expressions were especially good this time,â yuna praises the girl as well, âa little bit of cheekiness fit the role really well and made you very charming to watch. the boys didnât know what was coming, did they?â she laughs. âas ran said, your role was the most âteen crushâ role on the entire team. itâs just a shame you had to sell the concept all by yourself; thatâs too much even to ask a more experienced idol group. you should have all worked together to build the concept, but thatâs not your fault. great job.â
âi can see why none of the boys impressed you,â jihun almost laughs himself. âthey didnât impress us either. you did, however. whatever the fate of adrenaline team may be, youâll be safe. your performance ensured that.â
while the judges had nothing but high praise for jiayi, itâs not such the case for KAITO.
âhonestly, i donât even know what to say,â yuna sighs, flipping through the papers in front of her as if searching for some sort of comment on the young manâs performance. âyou completely disappeared on stage, as if you were never even there. at this stage in the competition, thatâs not acceptable. you know that, right?â
âsheâs right,â jihun agrees, his expression significantly darker than it had been when talking to jiayi. âyou didnât show up at all, kaito. are you taking this competition seriously? do you want to be here? itâs too late to replace you now, but at least it makes our decision easier should someone from this team have to be eliminated tonight.â
ran folds her hands in front of her, clearly unhappy about having to lay down the law with another contestant. âyouâve done well in the competition to make it this far, but your past performances donât count toward what you showed us tonight. whatever happens⌠just understand that we gave you every opportunity we could.â
a deep sigh passes through all of the judges, trying to shake off the tension before they turn their attention to the next contestant.Â
âJAEYOUNG,â jihun begins, âdid you really have to fight with renyi?â however, he doesnât seem that upset. âwas that the only way to make you wake up on stage? you were dancing like you had something to prove for the first time. this might have been your best performance yet. and while weâve critiqued the overall concept, you played the competitive part of your character well. but thatâs about it.â he straightens his papers in front of him. ârivalry is a good motivator, as i said before, but youâd be wise to listen to your seniors too. they do know what theyâre talking about.â
âas jihun said, you played your role well,â ran takes over before the tension can mount any more. âthere was a fierceness to your competition for jiayiâs heart that the others lacked. while nerds arenât really the best suited for the concept we asked for, your character seemed to be the closest. you were focused and confident this time and it came across well on stage.â
yuna picks up her microphone last. âif i had one criticism, itâd be that your skills seem a bit⌠average. you did well with this performance as far as your character work went, but it didnât quite translate to the way you sang and danced. like, your face had a good expression, but your body language lacked a bit. you performed cleanly, but too cleanly, if you understand what i mean.â
âthank you for your performance, jaeyoung,â ran smiles once more.
âINHO,â ran kicks off the next contestantâs critique, âdo you not like the concept we assigned you?â she waits for a response, the slightest frown on a normally warm and happy face. âeven if you hated it, i wish you had been a little more enthusiastic on stage. unfortunately, your feelings about this song and concept showed in your performance and impacted your ability to tell the story. we know youâre not actually interested in jiayi, but it was your responsibility to make us forget that for at least a minute. you failed, in that regard.â
yuna sighs as she picks up her microphone. âunfortunately, itâs not just your acting performance that suffers when you dislike a song or concept so much. youâre a better performer than we saw tonight. you can sing and dance better than what we saw. even if you hate it, you should put your energy into pretending otherwise. you owe it to your team to leave your ego at the door when you walk into this competition. youâre all at the same level, you know that right? youâre not better than them for thinking youâre too mature for the teen crush concept.â
âmore than that, itâs disrespectful to us, the judges, who assigned your teams,â jihun frowns. âas we said, we chose concepts we thought would fit each contestant or challenge you to put on the best possible performance. do you not trust us to know what weâre doing? do you think you know better?â jihun stares down the contestant, waiting for an apology before continuing. âyou should be worried about your rank tonight.â he warns.
âSTEVEN, on the other hand,â jihun changes his attention to the final contestant on the team, âlived and breathed the concept, didnât you?â a slight smile appears on the manâs face, the smallest sign of approval of the contestant before him. âwere you a nerd in school? you almost played the part too well,â he laughs, almost mockingly if it werenât for the way he had praised stevie before. âyou looked like you were having fun on stage, which suits the concept. if you hadnât gone for a nerd concept, i think you would have suited teen crush even better than jiayi.â
âcan you show us the skateboard thing again?â ran beams brightly, enthralled by stevieâs performance. âi hadnât seen anyone do that on stage before! while i do think you were a bit more cute than teen crush, i think it was more of the fault of the character you were assigned rather than your own performance. itâs alright to be a bit of a loser, but you have to be an endearing loser. you fit that role well, great job on this performance.â
âbesides the fact that you acted well,â yuna takes over, âyour dancing was also the best on your team. you seemed to feel the music move through you and had a great natural groove. honestly, i kept finding my eyes landing on you during the performance in a good way; i was having fun watching you perform. great job, steven. youâve really grown a lot.â yuna smiles.
with all performances concluded, all three teams return to the stage with jian standing in the middle of them. âafter much deliberation, the judges have come to a decision on which team is the winner of the concept evaluation,â she holds up a folded card, the results written inside and hidden from view. âthe team in first place and safe from any elimination is⌠PUZZLE TEAM!â
a moment for celebration and congratulations is shared before the contestants calm down again. puzzle team leaves the stage for the moment, all members safe, while NONSTOP and ADRENALINE teams will be losing members.
âweâll start with our last place team, ADRENALINE,â jian announces. âJAEYOUNG, JIAYI, STEVIE, please step forward.â as the three contestants step forward, spotlights shining down on them, the music suddenly turns intense. âthe three of you are⌠safe! please return back stage for the moment while eliminations are decided.â the three teammates say a quick good bye to the remainder of their team before disappearing backstage. only KAITO and INHO are left.
âone of you will be going home,â jian tells them. âunfortunately, the contestant weâll be saying good bye to is⌠KAITO.â
âkaito, you just didnât make an impression on us at all with this performance, so we had to let you go. we hope that you continue to improve your abilities and we see you on stage again someday,â ran informs the eliminated contestant, an unhappy expression on her face as if she didnât really want to eliminate anyone at all. alas, rules are rules.
a moment for good byes is given before both contestants return backstage, where a camera captures the tearful moments with the entirety of adrenaline team saying good bye to their eliminated teammate. the moment is only a few seconds and yet still seems too long before the scene returns to the stage where nonstop team awaits the same fate.
âJINGREN and YUWOL, please step forward,â jian asks them. âthe two of you are⌠NOT SAFE.â the remainder of the contestants are dismissed backstage again as the two bottom ranked members of nonstop team are left alone with jian to announce their fate.
âdo you have any final words for our viewers?â jian asks the two, giving them each a moment to speak before she returns to the task at hand. âiâm sorry to say that the final contestant leaving us tonight is⌠JINGREN.â
âjingren, you had the unfortunate coincidence of just being the lowest ranking person on an otherwise very talented team,â yuna explains. âit was a hard decision to make, please believe us. unfortunately, someone had to go home and the others on your team out-performed you in this one particular performance. youâre still very much a talented individual and we have no doubt that this is not the last weâll see from you.â
as with adrenaline team, nonstop team is given time backstage to say goodbye to their eliminated teammate.
with the eliminations complete, all contestants are brought back to the stage to see the rankings and reveal the next episode.
âthe next episode will be our LIVE FINALE,â jian announces, âyou will all be performing original songs, never before seen or heard on any stage, all in front of a live audience of next gen fans! the fans have voted for what songs theyâd like each of you to perform, so letâs see our teams for the finale!â
the screen changes to the lineup of each team, a short snipped of the song assigned to them playing as the names appear on screen.
âthe top three ranked contestants will be offered a contract from any company of their choosing,â jian explains the stakes again to the contestants, âwith the runner-ups receiving a contract from one of the three companies, should they want to sign them. this final performance will decide your fate, so please prepare diligently! weâll see you LIVE on the next episode!â
do better plays louder in the background before the credits begin to play on screen.
hwang yejun performs nonstop for next gen season 2
cute and bright, is that it? yejun's still not quite sure if he's convincing enough, but from the moment he sets eyes on their cotton-candy-colored stage, he thinks it's going to be okay anyway. they've really thought this through, haven't they? it was never going to be enough to simply perform the same thing as the original; adding the twist of a first date at a carnival surely will make their performance stand out. he tugs on his outfit, suddenly hot and trying to find a little extra breathing room among the pastel colors. he knows he's just nervous.
dress rehearsal helps get some of the jitters out. yejun knows by now that no matter how hard they practice, it still feels different when they're in costume, under stage lights, with a fresh coat of makeup on their faces. he almost feels like a real idol in these moments except for the fact that he's pretty sure idols don't get this many butterflies in their stomach every single time they step on stage. he's not sure if it's anxiety or excitement though both are just a different form of anticipation.
perhaps it's because he's still fighting his nerves that he finds himself messing up a key moment in their final practice. it's yejun's responsibility to take his "date" (see: the cameraman) through a house of mirrors, catching the love interest's hand when they stumble. it's a bit cringey, maybe, to flirt with the camera and provide that "point of view" experience for the viewers at home, but it should be cute, right? what's absolutely not supposed to happen is yejun being the one to eat dirt instead, and yet that's what happens as he trips over the feet on one of the mirrors and the staff acting as the cameraman reaches out for him instead.
yejun can't help but laugh, though it's not a jovial sound at all. it's high and anxious, bordering hysterics as he tries to squash down the overwhelming sense of dread. "but that was still cute!" the staff member tries to insist while trying to calm him down. yejun can only shake his head; that's not good enough, he needs to be perfect for the sake of this team.
losing his mind certainly won't help them either, though. as they wrap up their final practice, yejun excuses himself to the restroom. a moment alone, that's all he needs. he's grateful no one else is hiding away in a stall when he comes in and that it's quieter in here than it is in their backstage waiting rooms. he closes his eyes and breathes in deeply once, twice, three times. you've got this, he tells himself silently. yejun had never been much of a believer in meditation or manifestation before, but it can't hurt to give it a try now. at least in the meantime, it gives him something else to focus on and believe in; it helps him recenter his mind so he can move forward instead of dwelling on a mistake.
he's back with the others before they have too much of a chance to miss him, a stylist fussing with his hair and makeup one more time before she loses the contestants to the stage for the final time. yejun sits still and patient, still breathing quietly in the moments when he feels another wave of anxiety coming on. of course, the peace only lasts for so long before nonstop group is being called up to the stage.
yejun's eyes search across the faces of his team, trying to gauge how they're all feeling in this moment as a way to reassure himself that they're all ready for this. he finds hangyeol and he can't help but feel some of that tension bleed away; surely they'll be okay. they've all done their best, after all.
they take their starting positions, yejun glancing around once again and sending a smile to anyone whose eye he happens to catch. he tries not to betray his own nerves; he's the one who said he's not an actor, yet here his is acting like he's meant to be here, like he's allowed to stand on this stage with better performers than himself and convince the judges that he's just as bright and cute as they seem to think he is. he takes one more deep breath. he can do this; no one will be going home from nonstop team today.
it's easy to get into the music as the song starts to play, a smile finding its way to yejun's face immediately. the bright, bouncy nature of the melody tickles his brain in just the right way and yejun has always been able to lose himself into music more easily than not. he's glad he made this realization when he did; it wasn't so much about acting as it was channeling the song through his movement and expressions.
and speaking of movement, he doesn't trip this time. the camera does though, as planned, and yejun's brow furrows in concern as he reaches over, acting as if he's helping his date regain their feet with both hands. he looks over them worriedly, singing as he goes, before ultimately deciding they're okay and breathing a huge sigh of relief with a smile. he points out a funky mirror and laughs as his part concludes, somehow able to find his character easily when it counts.
it's a fun performance. he feels his heart flutter a bit, as if this is truly a first love, as he watches the others perform their solo moments as well. maybe his heart flips a little harder for hangyeol's dessert scene; hangyeol should have been treated to a pure love like this all along. but there's hardly any time to think about that, not when yejun's doing his best to sing in a key that's a little bit higher than he might have originally suggested. thanks to careful practice, he manages to hit his notes anyway.
what was the greatest challenge during this mission?
"the acting portion of the challenge was new to me. we didn't utilize that enough last round. but i know it's best not to hold onto regrets and move forward with growth and a renewed energy to the challenge this time around. i focused on meshing acting into performing because i didn't want to also compromise on the dance in any way. so that was interesting to learn the expressions differently. to fully immerse myself into the role and a character that i made up for puzzle."
was there another participant who was especially helpful?
"my run through with some of the members really helped with building character. but surprisingly, while helping seira with expressions and dance, it also helped me out greatly too. it is true what they say, that teaching something is also one of the best methods of knowing your own material. or however that... saying goes." ara smiles softly, grateful to her team members.
do they feel confident in their performance?
"i really do. i attempt to put my best performance down every time. this could be the last time i dance in next gen, but i want to know that i did it with no regrets." she nods resolutely, completely serious. "i am happy with my performance in the competition so far, and i hope i have showed my growth with each time on the stage."