sphere.

truth be told, haknyeon’s never actually thought much about sphere. other than the fact that he knows of a few trainees there; he’s never actually considered sphere a company he’d be drawn to. not that he’d have much of a choice anyway. still, the building itself is a sight to behold. 

he stands in front of the building for a good few seconds, before letting out a deep breath. “here we go,” he breathes to himself, before he’s led to a practice room. 

the whole idea of teams –– or well, working in them –– wasn’t something completely foreign to haknyeon. he was after all, in a dance crew and most of the time that involved a lot of exchange of ideas. that with the added fact that his highschool life literally revolved around group projects and haknyeon’s own social personality, makes this challenge something he’s actually looking forward to. 

“noona,” he smiles when he sees sana. “i’m glad you’re on our team! it’s nice to see a familiar face,” haknyeon’s known sana for a while now, and despite being a few years younger than her, he stands a whole 12cm taller than the older girl. he laughs and gives her a high five. “i can’t wait for us to work together.”

they decide on rose as the leader, and haknyeon finds her the best choice, really. she’s got a background as a dance instructor and could perhaps lead the team best. 

“a 2011 song,” one of them says and it takes some thinking and a lot of talking before they finally decide on a classic. the boys. haknyeon, is more than happy with the song choice. he doesn’t mind that it’s a girl group song, if anything he’s happier with the fact that it’s a girl group song. there are a lot of sides of him that he’d like to showcase; and a song like the boys, he thought, would be able to show off how much more versatile he could be.

the choreography isn’t too tough –– at least, not completely to haknyeon. the formation though, is something that he finds himself looking over a few times. being in a dance crew had it’s benefits. aside from a way to let off stress and meet new people, it came with haknyeon’s added ability to catch onto movements fast. he watches the video a few times, over and over as he works on the dance of the boys.

the line distribution too has haknyeon front and center at the very start of the song and he wants to look fierce wants to grab the attention of everyone, to make them hyped for his team. and while it doesn’t take too long for him to learn the choreography of the song, there’s still the issue of the team coming together to perform it. one person alone doing well wouldn’t look good for the team’s overall image; which was quite honestly what worried him.

it was a team performance, and he wanted the team to do well; the last thing he’d want was to bring them down. while he was confident with his dancing in some aspects, there came the rapping parts as well. though, before he’d even ventured into dancing, haknyeon used to be more fond of rapping –– had even attempted to rap during his last few auditions before the mgas. this time, this time he’ll show them how much he’s improved.

the practice rooms are made available 24/7, which is great because haknyeon makes sure to utilize it. and he’s not the only. there in the practice room is yongsun as well, working as hard as ever on the choreography. it’s more of an open secret that yongsun isn’t the best at dancing, especially so in a group full of people that mostly specialized in dance. so to see her practicing over and over again is heart warming. “you’re doing great noona,” he gives her a thumbs up before his attention is diverted to his lines and his bottle. 

“ppyeosokbuteo,” he mouths the words, trying to enunciate them as clearly as possible when he feels a hand on his shoulder. he turns around to see none other than yongsun, looking at him.

“uhm –– could you maybe help me with this?” she asks, “i don’t fully –– understand, how this dance works –– i am not a very good dancer, so if you weren’t too busy, maybe you could help me?”

“of course,” he smiles. and he’s actually glad that she’s approached him for help. “i’ll help you out noona, don’t worry about it,” he puts his bottle aside before he focuses all his attention to the girl. “could you show me a little bit of what you know so far? i’ll help you dance like a pro by the end of this!”

haknyeon stares at yongsun intensely as she dances, trying his best to pick up on her movement; her strong parts and the parts that weren’t as strong, parts that he’d like to help her improve on. he bites on his lower lip as she dances and while he’s trying to be as serious as he can, there’s a little smile that escapes his lips as he watches her –– she’s adorable, really, even if she’s older than him. her hardworking attitude is adorable.

“mmm, okay noona,” he begins and he stands beside her as he guides her to face the mirror. “you’ve got the choreography down, which is great! but you don’t have enough control on your body. when you’re dancing, try to act as though you’re hitting something with your arms,” he gives her a demonstration before he moves to slowly lift her arms at an angle. “the angle of your arms and legs changes everything,” he adds. “hands like this, and legs like this.”

they spend the next few hours like so, with the both of them running through the choreography again. “oh and noona,” haknyeon says, “be confident. you’re a great singer and you’ll shine on the stage. believe in your dance, the team and i have got you.”

getting along with the team, he finds, isn’t hard at all. he gets closer to the older girls easily, they share laughter and moments together and he even finds himself joking around with doyeon often –– the both of them similar in age. they’ve all worked hard, he’s watched them work hard, and he wants to see them win.

to say he’s nervous would be an understatement. he’s performing in front of a live audience of 1000 people. that’s a lot more people than he’s used to. haknyeon probably doesn’t even know 1000 people. 

rose comes up to him and puts a hand on his shoulder, assuring him that everything’ll be okay. and he smiles at her gesture, she’s right. they’ve worked hard for this. “you all look great,” he finds himself saying to his teammates and they truly do, their outfits stand out and haknyeon’s amazed at his teams ability to coordinate this.

they’re called on stage as the second to perform and haknyeon does a little jump backstage before he walks out. “b-bring the boys out!” they all say together, and haknyeon makes sure to put on his brightest smile. “hello! we are milkshake!” he touches at the crown on his head, each of them have their own crowns but haknyeon feels a little more confident in his. it feels like a form of group solidarity.

he looks at the crowd and literally beams when he finds a signboard with his name on it, he’ll do well. he has to.

the moment they get into position, haknyeon changes the glint in his eyes. he’s made to stand at the center during the start of the performance, through the first few lines. he focuses on the performance, and tunes out the nervousness he’d felt before.

geobi naseo shijakjocha an hae bwattamyeon geudaen tudeoldaeji mara jom ( if you haven’t even started because you’re scared then stop complaining )

“chichi,” his hands go to his waist, eyes sharp as he says out the word. next are his legs as they synchronise with his teammates to the choreography of the song.

jujeohamyeon gihweneun modu neoreul bikyeo ga gaseum pyeogo nawa bwara jom  ( if you hesitate, opportunities will pass by you so open your heart and come out )

“t.r.x. bring the boys out,” he lifts his brows, looking confident as his body moves along to the memorised choreography. “we bring the boys out, we bring the boys out, yeah,” he walks outwards, towards the front of the stage during these lines, confident as he does so. b-bring the boys out, he puts a hand on his chin and winks with a slight smirk on his face.

the line, he thought, felt fitting. after all, haknyeon was the only boy on the team and they were quite literally bringing a boy out. 

he moves on to the next formation and the first verse begins. he moves like he’s practiced nights for, immerses himself in the choreography and the feel of the song. there’s a lot of posing during this part, and haknyeon does so as he says his lines –– albeit, in this portion, short. “get up,” he says, lifting his brows once more, “that’s funny.”

the song continues and he can tell his teammates are trying their best as well. the chorus hits and haknyeon lifts his hands up as they walk to the front of the stage, in sync. fierce, he needs to look fierce and confident.

“ wipungdo dangdanghaji ppyeossokbuteo neon weollae meotjeosseo you know the girls ( you are majestic and strong you were always cool you know the girls ) ”

it’s his part, a short rap segment, and he walks forward once more. eyes are on him and he delivers his lines, with his lips curved upwards slightly for an added effect. he puts his hand on his chest at the lines ‘ you are majestic and strong ’. and at the words ‘ you know the girls ’ he lifts his thumbs to point at his teammates, before he winks. “b-bring the boys out.” 

the song continues on and haknyeon moves to his formation, dances as he’s practiced, confident and fully enjoying the song and performing with his team. he feels himself on the stage, feels the eyes of the audience looking at him, cheering their team on, and he feeds off of that energy.

he has a line in the chorus where he’s front and center again and he makes sure to deliver it strongly. “jeon segega neoreul jumokae (the entire world is focusing on you),” and yeah, it felt like that. 

and then, the beat drop.

they all fall onto the floor, leg stretched out. haknyeon does so smoothly, as he waits for rose to say her lines before he stands up, walks confidently to the front of the stage as he raps out his part.

“ sesang namjadeuriyeo nan No. 1 jihyereul juneun Athena, check this out ( i will lead you, come out the boys of the world, i’m No. 1 ) ”

before he delved deeper into the world of dance, haknyeon had always been fond of rap. he’d been a rapper before he’d truly fell for dance and he still loved rapping. perhaps with a more rap heavy song, he could’ve showcased a little more, but he takes these lines that he has to show them what he can do. that he’s more than just a dancer with a pretty face and a big name sister. 

the stage is his to control at that moment and he does so, lifts a finger to show that he’s number one. “check this out!” 

it’s rose’s lines again before it goes to him.

“ geudaero jjuk ganeun geoya Keep up Milkshake Generation, we don’t stop ( just keep going like that, keep up Milkshake Generation, we don’t stop ) ”

he wags his finger to the crowd as he steps up and he feels like he’s having the time of his life right about now. haknyeon changes the word “girls generation” to milkshake generation because now the stage was theirs to own and he felt like he was doing so. 

they continue dancing, formations constantly changing, movement constantly sharp. before the last chorus, he gets on his knees before he stands up at the lines, ‘girls bring the boys out’.

the last chorus comes and he lifts his arms, eyes sharp and confident. and just like how he’d had some of the opening lines, he has some of the ending lines as well.

he steps up towards the front of the stage, completely in his zone, completely ready and confident.

“ sesangeul ikkeul namja meotjin yeojadeul yeogi moyeora you know the girls ( all the boys who will lead the world all the awesome girls, gather here you know the girls ) ” 

like he’s calling for them he lifts his hand, turns to the camera and with his finger, as though beckoning for them to come over and join him and milkshake. 

b-bring the boys out.

they all pose at the end of the song, and haknyeon feels high on performance, if that’s even a way to describe a feeling. they stay in their pose and haknyeon, finally takes in everything. he takes in the cheers, the audience and the fact that he’d just performed with his team in front of a thousand people. ha, he’d did it.

He knows where he stands in the competition as a whole. After all a quick search of his name bring up nothing relating to the MGAs. Just a few articles here and there about past boxing matches and one result about a Wonshik in Jeju who won seven million won in the lottery. As nice as that all was, it wasn't nearly helpful giving the situation.  He had no fans, no comments, not even any antis bashing his appearance or skills. He was just another contestant floating under the radar, waiting for his turn to be eliminated. 

Despite his dismay, Wonshik was not one to give up.  He decides to make the most of his time in the competition and give it his all no matter what. Starting when the members of team E meet up for the first time.

Their first meeting happens on Friday after the initial episode. All five of them huddled in a tight circle in the middle of the TRC practice room. He remembers each of their performances, a testament to how talented each of them was, and as they go around an introduce themselves. He thinks that they could really get along well with each other. They spend the rest of the evening getting to know each other and trying to figure out how to make their different personalities mesh. 

Saturday is their first day of official practice. The team doesn't spend too much time choosing a song. Officially setting on Block B's 2011 single 'Tell Them' an upbeat hip-hop and rap heavy song that Wonshik believes would be perfect to catch the attention of the crowd and the judges. With the group comprised of mainly dancers and rappers, it was an easy choice to make to show off their best talents. 

From there they begin to divide up the parts. Minho and Mingyu get the majority of the rap parts. A fair choice seeing as how they were the two strongest rappers in the team. Hyunjung is, of course, chosen as the main vocalist, possessing the best voice in the group. With Yoojung following next she is the obvious choice for the main dancer position and talented enough to handle some of the rap parts, and then there was Wonshik.

 He was in a peculiar position in the team. He had shown that he was a decent dancer from his initial audition, but in comparison to Yoojung, he was extremely lacking. He could rap, but they already had two great rappers with experience and better skills than him. The only position left was to be the supporting vocalist to Hyunjung, and singing was not something that he did often. he's nervous that it's the wrong choice that he's going to fuck everything up but the roles are decided and the parts are divided up. The rest of Saturday is spent practicing and rehearsing their respective parts.

Sunday was a day dedicated to Choreography much to his relief. Dancing was something he was comfortable with, something that he enjoyed and a whole day spent doing something he loved was heaven in his book. The hours were long, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't sweat through a shirt or two, but they were also rewarding. Moving to the music and being able to input his thoughts on what moves to do an which to omit was his favorite part of the competition so far. 

On Monday they begin their full rehearsal with vocals and choreography and choose their leader and though he was the oldest Hyunjung was the obvious choice for the role. She was smart and efficient, and she leads the team with both compassion and smarts.  She was also open to opposing input which he was more than happy to provide. 

it's much the same the next few days of practice. With vocals and Chorography being the focus and by the end of the week they had created one cohesive team.

Friday comes far too fast for the male's liking. It felt like only yesterday the five members of team E were huddled together in a practice room trying to figure out each other's strengths and choose parts. Now they were headed for the big stage. They had to appeal to the judges, and an anonymous audience, as to why they should stay in the competition and the thought was nerve wracking, but he believes they’re ready. Or as they could be. They had spent every waking minute in the practice room adhering to a strict schedule, and if they can't rock the house with all the practice, they had gotten in the last week they never would.

As the group huddles around each other backstage, the fact that he had made it past the second episode really settles in on him. He had it all set in his mind that he would be going home, but here he was standing next to 4 people who were prepared to go out on that stage and give it all they had. He was determined to do the same. He would not be the weak link.

When their turn arrives Hyunjung huddles the group together for one last pep talk. He had never been one for sappy words, but right there at that moment, those words were exactly what he needed to hear. A smile crosses his face as he adds his hands into the middle pile on top of his groupmates and the simultaneous battle cry of their team name gave him the surge of energy that he needed.

As the Quintet walks out on the stage, Wonshik can feel his heart beating in triple time. He's nervous. but a glance at the rest of Team dream.e fills him with determination for whats to come. They were here and all they had to do was perform. The rest was out of their hands. 

"Yo, do you want to dream? We are dream.e." He follows along with his members placing his palms together and tucking them between his cheek and shoulder to symbolize sleep. He grins as the members begin their introductions and as his turn comes he takes a step forward. "Hello, I'm the resident one punch man of dream.e Kim Wonshik" He shows off a few punches, putting as much power into them as he could, before taking a step back and letting the remaining members introduce themselves. 

With their greeting over the members take their spots on the stage, and for a moment everything is hushed. Then the music starts. In an instant, the whole team turns around in tandem and starts dancing. Wonshik is all smiles as he dances to beat.  

His parts are few, and for that he's thankful. He didn't have to worry too much about making a mistake since his early parts rarely lasted longer than a few beats and they were more or less the same line repeated. It was the last verse that he was the most worried about. He had never ad-libbed before this week and to have to do it while their best singer was singing the climax to the song was a lot of pressure. He had to make sure he sounded good while also making sure not to drown her out or throw her off.  Easier said than done.

As his first part comes, Wonshik steps forward, winking at the Mingyu, as he takes the center spot from the younger male. He inhales and begins to sing his section, his eyes locking with the crowd.

Hey 거기서뭐해

그만숨어 man 정말 어쩔래 (어 어 어)

As his part comes to an end, he moves out of the way to make space for Minho in the center, reclaiming his spot in the back as he picks up the dance where it left off. The song continues and as each of his parts begins he sings each of them with everything he has. He knows this may be the last time he steps foot on the stage and he’s determined to leave his mark 

He barely realizes the song is coming to an end until two verses before the finale and a verse away from his ad-libs. he braced himself as the song moved forward. singing his small part once again.

Hey 거기서뭐해

그만숨어 man 정말 어쩔래 (어 어 어)

 He watches as Hyunjung takes her spot in the center and as she begins to sing he starts his ad-libs. He moves the mic up to his lips and places his index finger in his ear to keep the right note. He’s surprised by how good he sounds, for not being much of a singer. His voice is stable and he has to admit that his voice and Hyunjung’s sound pretty great together.

He’s in the groove of the song as he sings the finale. His voice is strong and confident and his moves crispe. this was the last thing the crowd would see before the next team entered and he was determined to make it memorable.  

가서 전해 모습을 버리고

Your body jumping 꾸물거리지 말라고 (

가서 전해 한번 부딪혀보자고

You're jumping jumping

Asthe song ends, they strike the last poses , and the Dream.e team walk off the stage, Wonshik stands in stunned silence. The performance had gone so much better than he had expected. They were a well-oiled machine and worked effortlessly together. Each person contributing their all. He smiles as the team rushes into a group hug and he's happy that he's had the oppurtunity to spend this last week with these 4 extremly talented people. 

He'd like to think they're all going to survive the next episode. That maybe there were no weak links in the chain after all. That maybe they could all keep going to the finals. That they had what it took to steal thet number one spot. But ultimatly that was left in the hands of the judges. All he had now at that moment were these four people and the sound of applause ringing in his ear. 

he feels bad at introductions. he recognizes chungha as the person who sat next to him, but nothing more. his injury kept him from really paying attention to the performances, whereas she had such high praise. “ah, thank you,” he responds, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. this really makes him wish he’d paid more attention.

the others, he not familiar with either. except the kid who almost got kicked off, of course. guk’s not one to hold something like that against someone, so he doesn’t feel that daniel’s going to bring them down, although jeongguk’s immediately aware he’ll have to work with him a lot for the dance part of whatever song they do. yongguk and youngjae also need the work, but jeongguk’s more than happy to help. he rather enjoys teaching dance, and taking the lead on things like this.

which is why he’s sorely disappointed when he’s not voted to be their leader, despite being eager and vocal about it. the idea of age and respect being directly correlated is something he’s never believed in, so when daniel mentions feeling weird about jeongguk as leader because they’re the same age, he frowns. this is something he said to yoongi only recently, the thought tugging at his chest because yoongi was being so— stubborn. he doesn’t have the time to be angry, or yell at daniel. he’s still a bit broken up over his and yoongi’s fight, so he’s honestly lost a bit of that angry streak, willing to just submit and let things happen.

he smiles a bit, when chungha brings him off to the side to talk to him about it. “thank you, again,” it’s a bit bittersweet, but he’ll accept being a bit of a co-captain, if that’s all he can get.

so, he makes sure he teaches the others well when they’re at practice, alongside chungha. jeongguk’s clear and helpful, correcting each of them as he needs to do so. it’s not a hard dance, really, but he’s also more experienced than the other boys, so he can’t judge them if they’re having trouble. especially youngjae, but jeongguk could be patient.

jeongguk also had to be more patient with himself, taking the steps a bit slower until he could find a mostly comfortable way to get them done. still, it seems like it wasn’t just yoongi who’d seen the bruising. the injury made it into the episode as well, and yongguk says something to him a couple times about it. he usually gives him a thumbs up and a smile, trying to keep everyone from worrying. he has to do well despite the injury.

when the day of recording comes, he remembers chungha’s advice for the dance, and how their charisma would be the key to the performance. jeongguk’s never really had a problem with that, slipping into whatever role he needed to to fit the dance he was doing. still, it’s a good reminder.

as the performance starts, he does just that. it’s a while before his part even comes, and it’s incredibly short, compared to the others, but he slips into the persona easily, eyes dark and seductive as he dances around chungha. the moves are a bit small, and compact, so he widens them a bit in his solo parts. there’s a moment where he makes a display of biting his lip, and staring directly at a camera through his bangs. there’s also the singing part he has to manage, and the ‘ooh’s and ‘aah’s in between lines.

he comes back to stand in front of chungha, and continues on with the lyrics. when her hands come around to his chest, he fits his hands over hers, sliding them to his hips and then holding one hand as she steps away. their fingers separate, making a little exaggerated moment where their only holding each other by their pinky fingers before they let go.

then, he’s back into his little dance at her side, until the high note comes. he was worried about this. yoongi says he’s a good singer, but really, he’s never sang before this year.

i never, never stop 멈출 수 없어

he’s surprised that he holds it quite well, matching with chungha until it ends, and then he’s slipping off the stage as youngjae takes the stage instead.

on the FIRST DAY, jei thinks she’s right to have the desire to quit because all they encounter are problems.

not in the way that they interact, really - as much as jei dislikes the idea of being thrust into a group of boys she doesn’t know, they’re really not all that bad.  but it’s more in the way that the group is made up.  they don’t have a rapper, and literally no one but her can dance.  it’s a team of vocals in a world that requires more than that, and she knows better than to assume that they’ll just slide by because someone can hit a high note.  for now though, those problems seem to be pushed aside in lieu of deciding a group name, and icebreakers for “ team spirit” or something of the like.

jei committed to this, so she involves herself in their games but in the meantime, she’s thinking of everything that needs to be done.  choosing chaos’ fiction as a song was as good of a choice as they could get, but there’s more work to do than not and she’s still not sure how they’ll get by with only a single dancer on the team.  they’re already cutting out all of the rapping because none of them can rap to save their lives only to add in a dance break with an instrumental recorded by sungwoon, junhoe, and minhyuk.  which also means it’s up to her to make a choreography that’s better suited to the group, which means it’s up to her to deal with more than half of the creativity.

it’s the first time she’s put together a stage at all, let alone on her own.  but the group is counting on her, even if it’s only in her mind.

wrapped in her thoughts like this, she almost misses the way that they slide into trying to decide a group name for themselves until she hears ... the bobs.  her voice is deadly serious when she says, “ there is no way that i’m going to be a bob.  pick something else.”  it distracts her for a moment from thinking of the stage itself, becoming more active in the group activity.  she knows that their name has to be impactful, and one to be remembered.  the bobs, the jacks - jei and the boyz - these just won’t cut it.

“ you have to think about what you want to show.” she says finally, pulling her knees to her chest and staring around at all of them.  donghyun pipes up quietly when he says something dynamic, and being the youngest of their group, she can almost understand why he’s so quiet.  but it’s a good idea, and generally everyone agrees on dynamic - with a q, just to sound cool, in sungwoon’s words.

she relents, and goes back to thinking.  compromise is an important part of team building.  jei learned that a long time ago.

by the THIRD DAY, it’s time for a group meeting.  she’s been coming to the practice room late at night and spending most of the daylight hours in kt with the four boys, and although at first she thinks that it probably would have been better for her to quit, maybe they’re not so bad.  junhoe has gotten stressed, she’s seen it in his face and the way he looks at her when she makes him run through the choreography again, and again until he gets it right.  but even if she’s asked him to talk about it, he told her it’s just getting to him, that it’ll be fine.  since then, there’s been less and less problems as time goes on.  all the boys have expressed struggle with the fact that they have to dance but - .. they’ve still been doing their best, and that’s all that jei can ask of them at this point.  

but they still have some things to decide on - the leader, the introduction.  little things that jei doesn’t think matters much when there’s still so much work to do to make things perfect, but still need to be hammered down regardless.

she only feels responsibility on her shoulders when the other boys suggest that she should be the leader, considering all the work she’s been putting into the choreography to help them along and make them shine regardless of their ability.  it takes a moment for her to respond to it, staring at them - because now the feelings of making sure that they’ll succeed has only ever multiplied now that she’s been named their leader.  now that she’s someone for them to follow, it’ll be on her if something goes wrong and one of them is eliminated.

so she’ll just have to make sure that this doesn’t happen.  we’ll just have to show a performance worthy of number one.  this is her thought process.

which begins with introductions.  jei’s never really been one for the cutesy introductions that everyone on this show makes, with sungwoon’s tiny giant comment whizzing around somewhere like a fly that makes her crinkle her nose or any number of the other attention grabbing tactics from different contestants she’s seen through the second episode.  all to her that matters is that the audience knows who she is, who they are - what’s so wrong about just saying your name?

apparently, she’s wrong on that.  apparently, she needs to quote unquote, “ work on her brand.”  jei scoffs and says that her face is her brand, but it still unsettles her just a little to know that she has to cater every part of herself to people who don’t really matter to her in the long run.  this show is just a show to her, it’s not something to win when there are more people than her who want it.  taking the advice is a hard pill to swallow, but she puts it aside for now in lieu of deciding a group introduction instead.

it’s something simple enough, a little triangle made with their hands held in front of their chests while they each bark their team name in unison.  “ do we really want to show off a sign of the illuminati?” she mumbles, eyes sweeping the boys after donghyun mentions that they could be if that’s what their symbol is.  they all seem amused enough, though, and jei takes it that she’s been out voted on this too.  it’s not so much a problem as a worry of her own - after all, she has money.  no one here seems to know that, though, and it’s not something she’ll announce on air like that daughter of the innisfree ceo.  but as leader, it’s jei’s responsibility to explain their choice in team name before she introduces herself - of which she still has to decide a way to catch the audience’s attention.

she still doesn’t know why it matters much.  after all, the team comes before her.  they always have.

THE NIGHT BEFORE the performance, jei makes sure to treat the boys to a good dinner.  maybe their little games of team spirit have gotten to her though she won’t admit to growing soft for them, but she still thinks it’s a good idea to boost morale.  as a leader.  after all, everyone has had a tiring week - learning so much, about music and dance and each other.  to think that it will come to a close tomorrow seems both far away and too close at the same time.

as they eat, jei deflects the more personal questions, like if she can afford this or how she’s feeling right now.  in truth, she still doesn’t really know how she feels, but there’s still the desire in her to make sure that they succeed - she is always full of cryptic answers when she simply says, “ i have enough money.” she doesn’t feel the need to put her family business on air, especially when the cameras are probably swallowing everything they’re doing right now. “ and i’ll be able to tell you better how i feel if we come in first.”

there’s a pause and jei looks around at the four of them.  “ i don’t think there will be a group like us.” she finally says, a rare but thin smile gracing her lips.

it’s just a moment of peace.  a calm before the storm.

when THE FILMING BEGINS, jei still isn’t sure how she feels besides the confidence that her team will show a performance that will surprise everyone in the audience - and hopefully the ceos, too.  it would be good if their hard work for this week is recognized, and if it isn’t, she’d rather be the one sent home.  after all, she’s the one who put together most of it - it wouldn’t be the fault of the boys for listening to her.

the truth is, jei doesn’t believe that they’ve worked much harder than anyone else sitting here and watching these stages, but she does believe they’ve managed to produce something a little more different in comparison.  though she says nothing amidst the chatter of her group when others go before them, jei’s still watching.  she’s still keeping an eye out - after all, these groups are all of their competition.

she doesn’t admit to herself that even within the group, they’re all competing against each other, too.  with the way that the week has gone, it really doesn’t feel that way at all.

they go through the teams one by one, but they’re the second to last to perform.  this doesn’t bother her much, but she’s sure that it would leave anxiety dancing in the stomachs of those without much confidence, who watch all the bright contestants shining in their element before them.  but she knows that they’re not in a place of worry, because they’ve prepared.  they’ve come ready to dominate the stage, in their own ways.

when team h is finally called for standby, jei mumbles a few words of praise and encouragement that she won’t allow the cameras to hear as much as they likely tried.  after all, there are no secrets on a show like the mgas, but with enough practice, there are a few quiet moments.  it’s a blessing in disguise considering the show is just so loud.

and then, it’s their time to shine.  jei leads the boys, throwing her eyes over the audience though she can’t quite make out any of their faces since it’s bright onstage, but dark amongst the seats.  their introduction is the simple triangle, still - she wonders just how many comments about the illuminati she’s going to end up reading after this episode airs.  when she’s allowed to speak, she does - “ as a team, we chose our name because we wanted to show a sound and a stage that always changes so it will catch your eye.  i’m team dynamiq’s leader, #4011 kim jinhee - and i need no introduction, because my dance is my brand.” 

saying those words aloud feels just a little silly, but at least it’s something.  her eyes trail to the team as they each introduce themselves and then it’s time for it - the actual stage.  the performance.  what they’ve spent this entire week preparing for.

without any rappers, they’ve had to be a little more creative with the song itself; cutting and rearranging and adding little bits here and there.  somewhere along the line, it was suggested that they add an instrumental at the beginning to make up for the lack of a rapper and the idea that some of the boys would be the ones recording the instrumental was set in place.  they decided on tchaikovsky’s romeo and juliet fantasy overture, for its bleak, yet hopeful sound.  here is where jei makes her grand entrance - the boys are off to the side sitting or standing around a table, while she has a small dance break.

the dress flows and brushes along the skin of her calves as she moves along in time with the music - thirty seconds isn’t very long, but it can feel like a lifetime as a solo dancer.  all eyes are watching her on stage as she lays the scene - a lonely girl, dependent on the magic within her to bring her statues to life.

another reason they chose to start with an instrumental is to allow for shock value.  when no one knows what song they’ll really be performing, it’ll surprise the audience as they hear the first notes of their beloved classic start to play.  hopefully it’s the reaction that they’re hoping for as fiction starts to sound out through the speakers.  somehow, she was the one that landed with the first lines of the song as well, which helped to play out more of her dance solo. 

i still can’t forget you i still can’t trust everything even today i can’t send you away like this.

the song itself is one that speaks to her in a number of ways, but none that she’d ever speak aloud.  the stage is made up of cold lighting and gentle fog, until the actual story begins.  her job as the main character of this stage is to give the boys life as they each go through their parts.  first it’s donghyun, then it’s sungwoon and on down the line until they’re all standing a little ways away from the table so none of the less inclined dancers have the chance at bumping into it.  

each of the boys were meant to simulate shedding their statuesque statures through jerky movements - easy enough, when none of the group has much experience in dancing and still showing the story through the dance.  when the final chorus comes around, substituting the final rap, there’s a beat or two of silence before junhoe starts to sing.  they couldn’t completely cut out the original choreography, and here is where they all dance together, as one - the iconic dance for fiction, with jei at front center.

but it’s all in vain, as the next line she sings expresses hopelessness.

right now i’m writing such a happy story but it is all just a wish still

this tells the audience there won’t be a happy ending.  as each of the boys sing their final lines, they freeze, turning back to the stone that they once were.  jei’s face expresses confusion, concern - her body turning with her back to the audience to see each of the boys frozen in their positions.  she backs up a few steps and falls to the ground despairingly as she sings her final line - 

there is no end

preparations went by fairly quick and in his opinion, rather smoothly. their team was a bit of a odd ball compared to the rest - their styles and looks so different it was hard to imagine them all paired together. but their teamwork proved to be fairly decent. team d chose kyungri as their leader quite easily and where jeno was more of a follower than a leader, his week proved to be pretty chill for him. not to mention they were training at NOVA and while it was not his first choice in company, it was certainly one of his favorites.

before the dawn was a dance centric song, something that jeno found relief in during practice. he picked up the choreography with time - not too fast but he made sure it wasn’t to the point where he was holding the others back. jeno was a dancer, he shouldn’t have trouble with keeping up - the boy had been complimented countless times on his impeccable ability to pick up choreography quickly. but before the dawn was a challenging dance, even more so when performed live.

it was enchanting how flawlessly myname performed the song; jeno had never really paid that close attention to how challenging the song was and they made it look effortless. they were sporting that classic dark 2011 look and although jeno almost wanted to laugh at the hairstyles and outfits, it was almost impossible not to admire how good they looked performing. 

now all they had to do was do exactly the same.

jeno tapped his foot impatiently against the floor, eyes never leaving the television screen before them. he watches team c move across the stage  - their rather alluring performance beckoning for some whistles and cheering from the waiting room, jeno hollering occasionally for their sexy performance. the boy was nervous but oh did he love watching the performances from the other teams. 

it was easy to lose track of time; his attention constantly being held by the television showcasing the stages before theirs. but as time approached, jeno found himself becoming anxious, ready to get up onstage before his nerves got to him.

he was lucky they weren’t too far down the list - being the fourth to perform allowed some relaxation time to enjoy the other teams as well as not having the pressure of being first. when their time came, jeno’s anxious tapping from his leg slowly died down into the fidgeting of his fingers - playing with the hem of his black shirt before trailing down to his belt loops. “we got this!” slinging his arm over his nearest team member’s shoulder, he passed them a smile and gave their shoulder a reassuring squeeze. 

he prayed they would do well.

the group led themselves to the stage - mics in hand as they moved to stand in a line, taking turns giving short introductions to the audience. “wassup everyone, i’m team dream’s eye smile, lee jeno!” the boy pauses for a moment, smiling wide - allowing the audience to take in his words before continuing. “i hope you enjoy our performance today!” pulling the mic away from his lips, he relaxes and waits for the others to finish their intros - rocking back on his heels and allowing his eyes to take in the audience eagerly watching their every mood.

it wasn’t long before they were preparing to begin their stage, everyone moving into their beginning positions as the music started up. choreography started right off the bat, his team members moving about the stage just as they had practiced countless times before. admittedly, picking up the choreography aspects for some was more difficult than others. jeno himself proved to be having some trouble at first but that only made him that much more willing to help anyone who was struggling. after all, before the dawn was no easy task.

their performance was no doubt far from perfect - it was the first time most of them had ever performed live while having to sing or rap at the same time. jeno struggled with his breathing the most during the middle, but the fact that most of his lines were sung with everyone else was reassuring - hopefully masking his shortcomings as to not mess up the song. he slowed down his movements as both the scorpion and his rap solo approached, wanting to make sure each were impactful and powerful as they were what he focused most on. if you fucked up the scorpion move, the whole performance loses its effect - at least that was jeno’s mindset.

the boy was breathless as their stage came to a close, the music dying out and cheers erupting from the audience. jeno’s face lit up, heart warming and ears perking at such a sound.

yes, this is the life, the sound that he craved. 

As soon as he started to meet them, he knew that he was lucky to be placed in team e. The others seemed just as passionate about this as he was, plus they were all fairly easy to get along with. He was drawn to both of his female teammates the quickest, though he wasn’t entirely sure why that was. However, he soon began speaking to Wonshik as well, and he could tell that Minho was just a fun presence to be around. Not only did he want to win for himself, but he wanted to win for them, too. They deserve this so much, so he was going to do everything in his power to not let them down. If he worked hard, hopefully they would be able to pull this off... he had a lot of faith and high hopes for team e... which was soon referred to as dream.e, which he really loved a lot.

Another thing that he really loved a lot was the song that they were going to do. It was one of his favorite groups, so he was filled with so much happiness when they decided on Tell Them. This probably meant that he would get to have the lines (or, some of them, at least) of one of his top favorite idols, which made him feel a lot more at ease about all of this. If he was familiar with the rap that he’d be doing, perhaps it wouldn’t take as long for him to perfect this.

Dividing the lines was fairly easy given they all had their different strengths, and Mingyu ended up with some of his favorite verses in the song. He knew that he would have to put in a lot of practice if he wanted to be able to do all of the choreography and refrain from messing up any of his lines, but he had a good feeling that he would get there. He knew that slacking off was not an option, so he prepared himself to work and work until he can’t physically do so anymore. Even though exhaustion would overtake him and sweat would cause his hair to mat to his forehead and clothing to stick to his skin, it was something that he was going to need to do.

They stopped going home almost as soon as their meetings began. The TRC practice room was available to them twenty-four/seven, so they definitely ended up taking advantage of that. Sleep was scarce, though when it happened, it was always in small bursts for Mingyu. He wasn’t comfortable here, but he knew this was for this best. It was so unfamiliar, and although he was growing closer to those he was surrounded by, they still weren’t his family. After getting so used to sleeping in a comfortable bed, wrapped in the arms of the boy that he loves the most in this world, this was a huge step down. He would try to be quiet so that the others could get what rest they needed, but he was pretty sure that he was experiencing a form of homesickness.

Every thought that played through his mind told him that he should leave the room, try to make a call to Won or his mother, though he never did. His reasoning? He didn’t want to worry them. They would be better off believing that he was resting well, eating well, and having the time of his life. Won surely had enough on his plate, having to deal with his own team and performance, so he didn’t need something like this to cloud his mind. Mingyu would overcome this in no time, though he feared that it would have lingered in his loved ones’ heads and hearts.

The days were easier than the late nights. Well, sometimes, anyway. Running through choreography was fun, especially once he started seeing improvement in his moves. That didn’t actually begin until he had help from Hyunjung, though. She was wonderful and great at assisting him, taking the time and having the patience to pinpoint just what he was struggling with. Her advice was some that he would really need to remember... he was too in his head. He needed to just allow his individuality to show. This dance, she reminded him, is meant for that. She was the team leader... she was practically born for it, he thought. Mingyu hoped that one day, the girl would be debuting in a group that would become extremely successful, representing them as their leader, too. He knew that she would be great for them.

Yoojung offering to buy him food at extremely late hours was another memory that he would cherish. She did a good job of taking care of him, though he hoped he would be able to return the favor eventually. She deserves all of the good things in life, so he hopes she receives that. He wants to see her win this thing, too. He wants to see all of his team win... They were great people who he genuinely hoped would get what they want out of this world.

Every day was business. Whether they were doing dry runs of the choreography, doing full rehearsals, fixing synchronization errors, or discussing their stage outfits, they always had something that needed to be done. (Speaking of the outfits, though, Mingyu actually really liked them. He was one of them in overalls, though he didn’t have it all the way on. The top of his was bunched around his waist, serving as only pants, and he wore a long-sleeved shirt that he had pushed up to his elbows... The only thing he could have lived without were the boots, but they weren’t that bad. Perhaps just not his style.)

The actual stage rehearsal made everything feel so real. Obviously, he knew that it was real even before that, but he nearly forgot how nerve-wracking it can be to be on stage and preparing to perform. Usually, it’s also exhilarating, too, but those feelings typically don’t show up until there’s a crowd with their eyes fixed on him. Later that day, there would be... he looked forward to it, yet he also dreaded it all at once. It was a really strange feeling.

Once it was finally time and the other teams were on stage, his heart rate sped up so fast he was afraid that the thing would beat right out of his chest. His stomach seemed to be doing somersaults and his breathing was a bit harsher than it typically was. It was only the anticipation that made him feel this way. He had a good feeling that once it was their turn and he was on stage, he would feel a bit more in his element. He always felt so free when actually performing, though it was a bit terrifying that he would need to be dancing along with his rapping, and he had his team members to keep in mind, too.

Hyunjung getting all of them to huddle together did start to melt his worries away, her energy doing a great job of rubbing off on him. He was beginning to get pumped with her, a smile forming on his face as he nodded a bit once she said she was proud of them. He was proud, too. They were going to do really well... he had a great feeling about them. He placed his hand on top of hers and, on her count, chanted their team name and pumped his hand into the air. Now... it was time for them to head out there, and all he had were high hopes.

Finally, they were on stage and it was time for introductions. Hyunjung started it out with “yo, do you like to dream?” and the rest chimed in with their, “dream.e!” as they placed their hands between their head and shoulder as if they were sleeping. Then, they had to individually announce themselves and who they were, though some of them left him laughing. He wasn’t going to cut up the same way, but it was amusing to see his teammates do so. He simply said, “I’m dream.e’s creative rapper, Kim Mingyu.” He wasn’t loud or showy... just straightforward. Though, his quiet nature (though he hopes is also charming) soon would be overridden by how energetic he can be when actually rapping and performing.

Mingyu! D.R.E.A.M is bang 무거운 눈커플 떼 Move up 즐겨두돼 trouble make 얼음땡!

As soon as he begins, he feigns so much confidence that he might have even fooled himself. He didn’t seem shy, nor quiet, he just seemed like a boy who was doing what he loved and having the time of his life. Which... that wasn’t a lie. This was an incredibly wonderful time, and he wasn’t allowed to get too lost in thought. He didn’t need to think about his lines, nor his dance moves, he just had to allow muscle memory to do its job while he enjoys his time on stage.

정적은 우리의 역적 걱정 조바심 하늘에 던져 Jump up!

Having the lines that he really wanted does do wonders for him as well, he thinks. Considering he was happy with the song, happy with his lines, happy with the dance, and happy with his members... he was able to smile and present himself in a way that he wanted everyone to see and know him for. He wanted them to realize that this is something that he was passionate about and he also wanted them to see that he worked well with a team. If anything, he might work better with a team than he does alone. That’s because he enjoys the company of others so much and loves knowing that he has to do his best for them... if someone is relying on him, it always pushes him to do so much better, in his opinion. It’s because of how much he values others compared to himself, probably. Though, he’s getting better about that (well... trying to).

나와 새장안에서 발을 동동굴려 바닥에 달력에 숫자들을 빨갛게 발단에서 절정에 다닿게

They worked together well. This team, despite being put together randomly, was a really good fit. In a way, he felt sad that he wouldn’t get to continue performing with them. He hoped that there would be more stages such as this one, and hoped that he would be lucky enough to work with some of them again. Even if they don’t get to do anything on the show together, maybe they can keep in contact and do some sort of cover together later. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but these people and how well they were doing filled him with an immense amount of joy.

언제까지 등돌리고 벽에다대고 하소연 할꺼야 엑스트라 인생 잘해봤자 조연 It's exciting just do your thing 때는 지금이니까 숨겨둔 끼를 선보여

Mingyu felt proud of himself. Back when he was still struggling to learn the choreo, he didn’t think he would be able to do as well as the others. He thought that all of them would probably outshine him, though that didn’t appear to be what was happening now. Actually, he thought they all complemented one another. No one was outshined, in his own personal opinion, since they all had important parts that would do well for them. He really wanted them to win, though even if they didn’t manage to, he still felt like they would stand out to those watching.

쩌렁쩌렁

He didn’t have many more lines in the song, though it was only about half way over. Considering most of his lines were in the first half, during the second half he didn’t have as much to worry about. Instead of having to think about lines and nailing each move, he could keep a clear mind and have fun while dancing around with the others.

이제 날개를 편때 삐뚤어져봐 오늘만큼만 쌓인것들 다 털어내 털어내

Once it was getting closer to the end, he found himself a little disappointed. He hoped that the song would magically grow in length and that they’d have more time to enjoy themselves on stage. All he knew was that he wanted to continue doing this. He hoped that giving his everything would pay off, since he wasn’t ready to stop experiencing this just yet. He wanted to carry on to the next round so he could do his best again, perform again, and make himself and others happy again. Later, he would know the verdict. He just really wanted it to be a good one.

You must up!

He had the very last line of the song, which felt impressive and bittersweet. It was over, so he found himself questioning everything. Did he do his best? Was this going to be enough? He had plenty of faith in his team, but soon it would be the moment of truth. He liked to believe that they did so well that they would all have wonderful feedback, he just hoped there weren’t any slip-ups that no one managed to catch. Everything was going to work out... he knew that much. He just hoped it would benefit all of dream.e, as well as Won... 

Speaking of which, he still had his performance to view. It would be on a screen and not as good as watching him in person, but he still felt so much excitement. That’s when he realized that his boyfriend had just witnessed him perform, too... he hoped he liked it. He wanted him to feel proud of him... he hoped that he saw that all of the time away was worth it. They can overcome anything, right? Deal with hard situations and make the best of it? Look at the bright side? If this is the life that they wanted, then they’d have to be strong enough... he wouldn’t let any of this break him, and he was determined to keep it from breaking Won, too. They could do this, couldn’t they?

The answer is yes.