#rkmga5skill

You’re welcomed by the same set as the week before, contestants walking inside like small ants with the sped up effect. Unlike before, however, there are half the chairs from before. Some of the contestants stop at the start and take a moment to decide where to go before moving along. SOHN YOUNGJAE stands behind one of the many, staring at it as he appears to be seriously contemplating something. The boy glances around, and then lifts the chair, walking away with it. He puts it down in a more faraway place, away from the other chairs, and the hurriedly returns to the one he had claimed as his.

As the other seats got taken, soon enough the options would run out. CHOI YENA is the unlucky contestant standing still and looking for a chair she’d never find. “My chair is gone!” The girl exclaims, but no one seems to know where it’s gone. The only help WANG JACKSON offers her is that she could sit on his lap, but instead, SON HYEJOO is the one to pull her closer and Yena ends up using the girl’s lap as her seat. “Woah, such charisma…”

The fun times are quickly taken on a stop when the CEOs make their way to the five big chairs waiting for them. As they’re greeted by the remaining contestants, the cameras give each of their faces a moment to shine on the screen.

“Welcome, all, to the second episode of the Mnet Global Auditions!” Hyun Bin is the one to give the announcement. “Today’s challenge revolves around each of your main skill of choice. This means that singers, dancers, and rappers will have each other as your rivals. Eliminations will be made at the end and will take out each of the weakest members of each skill group. So, let’s start!”

With the brief introduction and reminder, the camera moves away from the CEO and welcomes the viewers to the latest episode of the MGAs!

The first one to show up is one of the male contestants who clearly came dressed for the occasion. DO KYUNGSOO bows and introduces himself, the pair of glasses sitting on his nose not being there on the previews week. Its reasoning becomes clear soon enough. As the famous song he had chosen starts to play, the man gets into a sexier character than it would have been expected to him. He takes off his glasses and throws it over his shoulder. When the camera zooms in on it, the thing is clearly broken. The rest of the performance is about just as interesting as its start, and, before he ends, the boy takes his glasses from the floor and puts it back on his face. “I hope I didn’t scare anyone but I was trying really hard to get in character,” Kyungsoo says in his interview. “These will be on sale as ‘Do Kyungsoo’s smashed glasses during MGAs 5 performance’. I was thinking about charging an insane amount of money.”

Soon appears a pretty girl who came prepared with a signature introduction. “Do you see me? I’m SIA KIM!” She’s another singer, and one who decided to decided to bring a keyboard with her. “I’ll be performing a song that I wrote today about a friend from my childhood.” It’s an emotional song, and as she sings, the girl eventually closes her eyes, pouring every type of emotion into her words. She’s also talented with the instrument, which makes up her full performance. The one after her is someone you’ve already seen, CHOI YENA.

The girl who always gets herself in trouble walks to the center of the stage to start her performance. “Today I wanna aim to make y’all have sweet dreams and feel super relaxed from listenin’ to my smooth vocals!” Her song choice is something relaxing and smooth, just as the girl had described. She eventually puts her hand up in the air, asking people to sway their hands while she sings. Following by comes HEO YURIM. Her song of choice is the one from a movie and she tries to pour her emotions into it. She ends with a smile. “Thank you.”

“I really hope we get some good dance performances.” Katie Lee whispers over to Tiger JK, who nods. “I hope so too.” And in comes the first dancer of the night, BAE JOOHYUN, who is called on stage next. She starts powerfully, grabbing the audience’s attention with her energetic moves. However, there’s a sudden change in everyone’s face as she visibly stumbles when landing from a jump. The girl manages to finish her performance, but tears prick at her eyes as she steps off the stage and returns to her seat. From the other side of the stage, it’s KANG DANIEL who hugs and comforts her. “You did the best you could.” And the girl hugs him back. “Thank you.”

KANG DANIEL appears seated for his interview. “You were grimacing watching JOOHYUN before she even stumbled. Why was that?” He looks surprised but replies anyway. “Joohyun is injured, actually, so I was worried for her while I was watching. It’s still… a shame.”

Next, HWANG YEJI appears with her signature high ponytail, introducing herself briefly. “I’m Hwang Yeji, please enjoy,” she smiles, bowing in the panel’s direction. Once again, the girl puts on a powerful performance. Just as strongly as her song blasts through the entire set, she makes her movements big and precise, passing on the emotions her performance would require.

“Hello again, I’m PARK WOOJIN,” the next contestant introduces himself. “Thank you for the opportunity to stand on this stage again.” The song starts fast and the choreography follows the fast rhythm. It allows him to show the best that he’s got, a smile appearing in the middle of his performance and aimed right at the camera. His well-executed upbeat routine doesn’t let anyone feel bored. “PARK WOOJIN is a very good dancer.” LEE NAKYUNG shares her thoughts on the performance. “At first, I thought they were giving him screentime because he was part of the DANIEL, SUNGWOON, and friends, but he can actually hold his ground.”

The next dancer to appear is KIM YUGYEOM. “Oh, it is Jun’s.” Katie Lee doesn’t fail to recognize the song from one of her senior artists and looks a bit skeptical. It’s a tough act to follow, and they’d all keep strong eyes on him. His choice was bold, but the expression on the CEO’s face is unreadable to any impression. SHIN RYUJIN’s choice this time contrasts with the previous one, allowing the girl to show a different side. Her movements are smooth, and she manages to follow the beats well.

“I think that maybe Yeji is the most technically talented, but Ryujin she has that stage presence, you know?” CHOI YOONA adds her own thoughts to the table.

The first rapper of the episode takes on the stage. She’s been talked a lot before, and this was the time to prove her worth. “I’m CHOI YOONA — and I’ll be performing a song I’ve written and produced — and remixed for this very show. I hope you enjoy.” Just as before, the girl gets to show off her skills, both in rapping and in songwriting. There’s a good flow, and she finishes her performance successfully. After her is a boy who starts off with strong energy.

“Hello,” he greets with a polite bow. “LEE HOHYEON present and ready to go!” The boy brings his feet together and gives the CEO a salute. While he performed, he couldn’t stand still. He was either doing gestures with his free hand or bouncing on his feet. Hohyeon managed to show off his fast rapping skills, probably impressing some of the people at home. And so another boy takes on the floor. NA JAEMIN starts by whistling, which gathers some attention. His lyrics are lyrical and filled with wordplay, mostly talking about himself.

Returning to the vocalists, HA SUNGWOON is the one next. “Hello! This is the still-growing sprout Ha Sungwoon!” He says his introduction cheerfully. “I hope you enjoy my performance.” It’s a pretty ballad and also a complete contrast to the performances that had just aired. While it starts calm and controlled, the boy eventually gets to show off his vocals as the song progresses further.

Another singer arrives, ready to introduce himself. “Hello, again I’m KIM HYOJIN with the healing voice.” He smiles, clearly trying to hold back a slight laugh. “Today, I’ll confidently perform a song standing up. I hope you enjoy and find comfort in this song like I do.” Hyojin plays the keyboard during his performance, singing softly and soothingly into the microphone. He wipes away a little at the corner of his eyes when he’s done, bowing before leaving.

HWANG MINHYUN walks to the stage. “Thank you for having me back,” and he smiles. “That’s better than before, right?” Hyun Bin comments to his fellow CEOs. A quick flashback shows the same man on the stage from last week, ready to say his introduction. “Hello, I’m Hwang Minhyun, and I hope everyone remembers to recycle on the daily.” In return, Hyun Bin is the one to comment in the past as well. “What did he just say?” Back to the current episode, Minhyun starts to perform his chosen song. It’s a slow and charming song, fitting for a guy like him.

It’s KANG HYUNGGU’s turn next, who manages to show off his skills with an american song until his song fades out and something seems wrong, leaving both the panel and the dancer with a confused frown on their faces. It’s proven to be part of his plans when they are surprised by the popular song from Tooice “TT”, showing a different side of him. “It’s ya boy Eric Sohn ready to dance. Please take good care of me!” SOHN YOUNGJAE introduces himself, making a V sign before his eyes with his fingers. He also performs a popular girl group song, mixing gymnastics with the original choreography.

JUNG EUNJI lays down to start, closing her eyes. When the music plays, she sits up immediately. She surprises bringing different elements to her performance and good facial expressions. It’s a story that she’s telling except completely through the power of dance. In the end, she lays back down again, the same position as she had started.

“YO!” The loud greeting comes from LEE SUWOONG. "Ah, sorry ‘bout that. But hi everyone. It’s me again, Lee Suwoong, contestant #5032. It’s a bit intimidating to go after everyone that just went, but I will do my best, so please remember me.” After his unique performance last week, everyone seems curious to know what he would bring to the table tonight. His decision to dance to a Psy’s song adds a humorous tone to his performance. Once he’s done, Yeji appears during her interview. “I liked his performance but– having fun is important but he isn’t showing how good he is. He’s showing how much fun he has? I wonder if he can dance or if he is taking it as a joke,” Yeji felt pensive thinking about it.

"Of course, I’m taking this seriously.” The boy says in his own interview. “It would be an insult to the other contestants if I wasn't.” He tilts his head slightly. "I think it’s important to enjoy yourself, even if you’re doing something difficult. That’s how we make it through things, right? So just because i’m having fun, that doesn’t mean I’m not working as hard. Besides!“  He breaks into a grin. "If you stress too much over these things, you’ll get wrinkles quicker! You wouldn’t want wrinkles, right? They’ll age you ten years. So don’t stress, okay.”

A girl walks from her seat to the stage. It’s CHOI YEWON, and when she reaches the center, there’s a new flashback to the week before. A staff member announces that those who want to may change their categories for the coming episode. So the screen splits into three, showing CHOI YEWON, SON HYEJOO, and KANG DANIEL, with the categories they changed from hovering over their head. The two girls went from dancers to rappers, while Daniel left singing to go for rap as well.

“Why did you leave the dancing category?” They ask Yewon. “Well,” she hesitates at first. “The dance field was so… saturated? Like there were just so many people, and I realized I was just another tiny fish trying to stand out in a pond. I just thought my chances were very slim. It made sense to switch to an unfamiliar skill with less competition.” Daniel is the one who appears next. “I don’t think I could compete with the singers,” he puts it simply. “It’s not that I thought I could really compete with the rappers either, but I thought that with less of them, I might have a better chance. I got eliminated last year during the round where we had to show our best skills. I know that could still happen again, and I… don’t want it to.”

And so CHOI YEWON is back on the stage again, trying to make her change worth it. “Hello, judges!” She offers a cute wave. “I am so happy to be back. This week I plan to dazzle you with my rapping ability. I hope you all enjoy it.” She starts by walking around the stage while the song starts before throwing a heart sign up towards the judges. It’s a song that matches her image, and also allows her to show off her skills. SON HYEJOO goes next, the second of the ones who switched. It’s apparently a self-made song and she promotes it well.

The last of the three arrive, KANG DANIEL. “I’m Kang Daniel,” he introduces himself. “And I’ll be rapping for you. Ah- you already know that” he laughs at himself. “This is an original rap, and I… apologize in advance.” Baek Jiyoung turns to Tiger JK to say something. “Oh, original?” And the man slowly shakes his head. “He already said not to expect much.” And then the song starts, and the boy raps. The lyrics are direct and easy to understand if you’re only a person watching at home. He ends his stages successfully, and Tiger JK simply nods as he walks the stage.

“It’s not my place to judge,” PARK JINYOUNG says in his interview, “but I just wish KANG DANIEL used his clever writing skills for something else. I’m not sure if he’s a dancer, a singer or a rapper yet and his performance didn’t convince me.”

Her name sounds across the room, and when the camera zooms in, SHIN YUNA stands up and flips her hair, marching down to the stage and waving at the camera. “Hello, again. Please take care of me!” She sings to a popular american song. The girl also manages to fit in a rather quick dance move, playing with different strengths. A man goes after her, NAM JOOHYUK. It’s a self-written song, putting as much emotion as he can onto the performance.

YOON JEONGHAN walks to the center of the stage to perform his song. It’s a slow, interesting song, and it allows him to show off his singing abilities. He’s followed by KIM MYUNGSOO, who prepares for something most won’t be prepared for. “Today I’m planning on doing something a bit different.” He starts by simply singing, placing a hand over his chest. The lyrics of the song are in japanese, and most wouldn’t be able to understand it. In the middle of his performance, he collapses to his knees, eyes close as he tried to reach the high notes. When he stands up again, there were tears freely flowing down his cheeks. He bows to his audience once he’s done.

“Hello, I’m contestant #5025, KIM SEUNGHUN.” He bows to the panel with a soft grin. “I’ve prepared an emotional song to perform, so I hope you enjoy it.” The boy sits on a chair and prepares himself for his performance. It’s a known song, famous with covers done by many. As the song goes on, his voice gets more powerful, and he stands up. He shows off his voice before sitting back down again, finishing his song.

It’s time for a dancer to take over the stage. This time, she had no coat to hide her outfit. “Hello, I’m the 18-year-old LEE NAKYUNG and I’ll be dancing for you today! Thank you for having me.” Instead of surprising people with her outfit of choice, the girl uses a prop in the form of a fabric, using it as she dances. A few moments in, though, and she throws it away. “Does she need to throw everything away?” So Jisub questions it, and a short flashback shows her previous performance with her throwing her coat away. The girl dances along to what she prepared successfully, and, once she’s done, needs to crouch down and pick up the fabric she had thrown earlier.

The next contestant takes off her shoes before stepping on stage. It’s KIM JUNGEUN, who decides to show off a lyrical choreography, her expression taking a huge part in her performance. She acts as if she’s lost, following the feelings of the song. It’s at the end that she smiles, bringing in some hip-hop elements along with the song’s distorted voice. And then she ends her routine on the floor. “Jungeun was a trainwreck.” SHIN YUNA decides to add her own thoughts. “Even her dye job couldn’t help her performance.”

LEE CHAERYEONG’s choice to cover a summery song, also by Tooice, refreshes the judges after another batch of performances. Her cute summer dress helps settle the mood. Even if girl group choreography weren’t famous for being hard, if you were a good dancer, then you’d know how to make a good performance out of anything if you truly wanted. The girl executes it well and doesn’t crush their expectations. The sunny vibe stays in the atmosphere a little longer as TAKADA KENTA performs his calming and bright routine. He starts by simply standing there and, just when the time is right, he does a ‘nose flick’ right towards the camera. There’s quite a bit of footwork, but the boy manages to execute it well.

It’s KANG YEOSANG’s turn, and he takes the microphone given to him. “I’ll be performing original lyrics and a remixed arrangement.” And she does as said, delivering what he had prepared. He paces back and forth across the stage with a firm tone and unbothered expression. It’s JANG MOONBOK who goes after him. “Please watch over me.” He asks. While he moves a little, he doesn’t take the microphone from the stand and paces back and forward as he sees fit. The boy holds his position when he’s done and then bows before he leaves.

The rapper who appears next stands at the center of the stage, waiting for his music to start. CHOI MINHO had prepared a self-written rap, and this was the time to perform it. It’s powerful and in many different ways emotional. The lyrics are just as powerfully personal, and anyone who knew who he is would probably feel something inside of themselves, be it positive or not. When he’s done, the man places the mic back on the stand, bows deeply, and then leaves. “I wanted to be honest,” Minho says in his interview. “I think I did that. This time, I hope to show more of what I didn’t in the past.”

Coming up next is someone with a bit of a different image. JEON HEEJIN is the next one to challenge, the same girl who had softly played her guitar in the first episode. “Hello, it’s nice to see you all again. Please enjoy this performance just as much as you enjoyed my last performance.” Unlike her previous stage, uses of a less girly image. Her expressions changes accordingly as the song carries on. Even with a change, the girl manages to show off her powerful vocals well and leaves the stage proud of herself.

After her is another girl, someone else who was known for her vocals. “Hello again,” JO YURI greets. “I hope you all enjoy my performance.” A smile curls the corners of her lips as she sings. Her voice grows as the song grows, belting out the longer notes. It’s yet another musical tune that she’s chosen, and she uses it well to show what she’s got. When she’s done, her expressions return to what they’re used to, and the girl returns to her seat.

KIM JOOYOUNG goes next, another singer. “Hey, what’s up? It’s me, ya boi, Kim Jooyoung. I intend to show a different side of me today. I hope you like this side, too.” The song starts with mostly adlibs, allowing the man to show what he’s got. Once he’s done, it’s LEE SEOYEON’s turn. She shuffles on her feet after introducing herself, waiting for her song to start. It’s a song in english with the tone of a ballad. The girl finishes her song successfully, and it’s time for the next person to go. 

The next contestant bows to the judges before starting his song. PARK JINYOUNG’s song starts very slowly, and he sings the first part acapella, hand on the microphone instead of the guitar now strapped around him. From the chorus, he starts to play the instrument, also moving his head along to the beat. When the song ends, he takes a deep breath and then goes back to his seat.

Last but not least, the remaining dancers walk up to the stage. First, they show YOO TAEYANG with his energetic routine. His moves are sharp yet smooth at the same time. He keeps a grin throughout the entire time, even during the hardest of the footwork. The highlight is how he ends everything with a b-boy stance on his one hand, holding it until the song fade into an end. 

“Hello, again!” She greets in Chinese, smiling brightly at the camera before her gaze crawls up to the individual faces of the judges. “This is ZHOU JIEQIONG, and I hope you enjoy what i’ve put together!” The one who had done ballet last time, she pops against the beat precisely this time around, gliding across the floor when needed. With a powerful routine, she proves she can fit different concepts and images. She’s out of breath when she ends, her signature smile following after.

Next, come the last few rappers of the round. CHWE HANSOL starts them off. “This song… really came to mean a lot to me and I hope you all understand this feeling. Freedom. Thank you for giving me that.” He goes through the lyrics naturally since, after all, he wrote them. It’s MIYAWAKI SAKURA who follows. She puts up two fingers to show off a ‘peace’ sign as she introduces herself. “I’ll be showing you guys something else!” The song goes at a faster pace and a high tempo. She’s jumping on the stage, smiling but with a serious expression.

“This is SEO CHANGBIN again. I prepared a more intense performance this time, so I hope you listen closely.” He starts his song pronouncing the words clearly, even if these are in english. The song keeps with a fast pace, and Changbin keeps up with the rhythm of the wordplays that require a bit of technique. He gestures throughout the song as well, following the song. By the end, the song gets even quicker, but he manages to complete it successfully.

The final rapper steps up for the challenge. “Hello again everyone! It’s SONG YUQI again,” she says cheerfully with a smile. “Please watch me well!” When the song starts, she immediately moves, bobbing to the beat. She’s also not scared to move around the stage and make use of it. The song is fun and charismatic. Once the girl is done, she takes a bow and thanks the CEOs before leaving.

Onto the last stretch, comes the last contestants and also the final few singers. PARK JUNHEE goes ahead first. He sings with measured breaths a song that fits his voice well. The tall WONG YUKHEI goes next, bowing to the judges with a bright smile. During the intro of his song, the boy does something behind his back which leads to the revelation of his floaty pants that stop midway down his calf, below which he has long socks. His shirt is the print of a man’s bare chest and abs. His song of choice is highly unexpected, but he does a good job of singing it while he uses a stick as a sword around the stage. “I don’t know what happened but I was entertained.” Tiger JK admits.

“Hello, it’s number 5046, JACKSON WANG.” With that, his smile widens. The original song that was sung by a trio had to be sung by only one man, and he makes it work. He goes a bit higher than he usually goes. With that, the song finishes, and Jackson bows, smiling widely yet again. “Thank you!” And so it’s the last of them all, KIM MINKYUNG. It’s the ballad version of a classic and her voice has power as she sings through it. She stands still, simply singing her song of choice. Minkyung drags the last note out until her two minutes are up, and then she gives another now before stepping from the stage to find her seat.

“Who do you think did the best under each skill?” SOHN YOUNGJAE is the first one to appear. “I have to comment on DO KYUNGSOO! That performance was interesting to say the least.” A girl shows up next, MIYAWAKI SAKURA. “HYOJIN has a pretty voice too, I can’t forget about him.” SIA KIM shares her opinions as well. “I think CHAERYEONG-ssi would probably be one of the better ones.”

KIM SEUNGHUN appears on the screen. “First, I want to say the girls are really cool. They are doing amazing! I’d say YURI. Mm, YEJI is an outstanding dancer and as for rappers, girls too! YOONA is the best. You know… I told you… the girls are the best!” Seunghun gives a thumbs up to the camera with a sheepish smile on his face. “Fighting!”

With every performance over with, Hyun Bin is the one to pick up his microphone and kickstart what is about to be the end. 

“Congratulations to all of you who managed to get this far. From the initial 100, you were the contestants we saw the most potential during the first episode.” The man pauses for a moment before continuing. “Today, however, some of you will have to leave the competition for good. Separated between singers, dancers, and rappers, only the best in these categories will get to move on.” When he’s done, a different voice starts to speak. It’s Baek Jiyoung at the other end of the table. “Today, we’ll start with the rappers.”

Tense music starts to play as the camera gives a second for each of the contestants under the category to appear on the screen. “Before eliminations are due, we’d like to call the top 3 of the category onto the stage. Please, CHOI MINHO, SEO CHANGBIN, and SONG YUQI, join us on the stage.” With editing magic, the three are already standing at the center as the other contestants clap for them on the sides. “From the performances today, we all came into agreement that the three of you delivered the best when it comes to rapping, but only one of you will get the title of the best. And that person is…” The woman’s head moves in slow motion to meet the contender’s eyes. “CHOI MINHO. You have more experience than most here, and it was clear to see when you were up on the stage today. You’re not only a good rapper, but also a good performer. It’s good to see you on the stage again.” She gives him a smile, and the scene changes to a new empty stage so that she may continue with the following announcements.

“And now, to eliminations.” The tense music returns, reminding people that there aren’t only good results in times like these. All of those under the category, except for the top 3, make their way to the stage, leaving only an empty space at the front. “From the 13 rappers that performed today, we decided that 2 of them will be eliminated.” Jiyoung pauses and, even if she hadn’t, the screen takes its time showing reactions from the different contestants. “The first person to go home today is… KANG YEOSANG.”

The man is made to walk to the front of the group. “We believe… we saw a better performance of you last week. Compared to the others, it got boring very quickly. While we do appreciate original lyrics, a performance must be more captivating than that. We wish you the best of luck in the future.” While the others clap, the camera focuses on the woman’s face once again. “And the second person to be eliminated today is… JANG MOONBOK.”

He’s also sent to the front, standing beside Yeosang. “Your performance followed the same line as he did. We weren’t sure if you thought you were already safe for this week, but you didn’t get to show much of your skills at all. This fell right below our line of expectations, so you’ll have to go home today.” She nods along to her words and, with this, the first part of the eliminations were completed. “Congratulations to the rest of you. You’ve all shown a good performance, and we’ll be seeing you again next week.”

The next person to pick up the microphone is Tiger Jk, the one sitting beside Baek Jiyoung. “Now, we’ll move onto the dancers.” As the stage gets emptied again, the man prepares himself to call new people onto it. “From all of your performances today, we’ve chosen three that we agreed were the best under this category. Please come to the stage HWANG YEJI, LEE CHAERYEONG, and LEE SUWOONG.” As they make their way to where they’re told, some of the other contestants cheer for them.

“All three of you put on great performances, but one of you was the best. We’ve agreed that this person is… HWANG YEJI.” The man nods with a simple smile on his lips. “You’re not only a good dancer on itself, but you also use your expressions well and manages to pass on the feelings of the song. Congratulations.” He nods again, but this time his smile isn’t there anymore, a sign of what’s to come. “From the 16 contestants under the dancer category, 2 of them will be eliminated.” It’s the same number as the last category, and people may be wondering how many will be eliminated from the last one.

Like magic, the dancer contestants stand on the stage, except for the top 3. “The first dancer to be eliminated today is… BAE JOOHYUN.” He looks directly at her as she walks to the front before continuing. “It’s clear that you made a mistake and, to be part of this, we can only allow those who did well to move on and, well, you didn’t. We look for contestants that are reliable, and if everybody else had the time to practice then so did you. So, today is the end of the line for you.”

Tiger JK lowers his head to look at his notes before proceeding. “The second dancer to be eliminated today is… JUNG HOSEOK.” He waits for the boy to walk to the front before continuing. “The choreography you chose seemed very complex and also too complex for you. While you have high energy with you, there’s no point in having that if you can’t deliver what you promised as a dancer. Since this challenge is all about skill, you’ll have to go home today.”

With this, the CEO puts his microphone down so that the next one can proceed with the process. It’s So Jisub, ready to deliver the last batch of news regarding this week’s episode. “The last category was the one regarding singers. This was the one with the most contestants involved, so it was a tougher job for us to choose who was the best. But, we’d like to call the top 3 contestants up to the stage: DO KYUNGSOO, JEON HEEJIN, and SIA KIM.” The three contestants make their way to the center, all eyes on them, and teh man continues speaking.

“You all showed impressive performances, but the one we chose as the best was… JEON HEEJIN.” The man nods in her direction. “You managed to show a very different image of yourself this week and when doing so it didn’t make your performance any weaker. To be a flexible performer is a special asset not every single has and that will be usual to you. Apart from that, of course, you have a great voice and managed to impress us. Congratulations.”

Jisub gives each of the the three singer a nod in their direction and then proceeds to the next part of the process. “In total, at the end of this episode, there’ll be 10 eliminations. This means that from the 21 singers today, unlike the other categories, 6 contestants will leave the show. Since there were more of you, to balance this out, more of you will be eliminated as well. Those who changed categories managed to survive this round, but, had some of them not done so, they could have been sent home today. In turn, some of the people who were and will be eliminated might have had another chance.”

The camera pans over the three contestants who changed their categories: CHOI YEWON, KANG DANIEL, and SON HYEJOO, their change choices hovering over their head. “Now, we’ll head onto the final eliminations of the episode.” And just like that, the 18 remaining singers make their way to the stage, the empty space at the front waiting to be filled. “The first two singers to be eliminated are… KIM JOOYOUNG and LEE SEOYEON.” The two make their way to the front at the same time, the staff trying not to waste too much time going through 6 different announcements.

“Both of you showed a lack of skill that we could associate with practice. This means that had you receive more appropriate classes, perhaps, you would have sounded better. It felt like you were trying too much to sing your lines rather than singing them. That’s why you’ll be going home today.” The man nods in your general direction before taking a look at his notes. “The next singers to be eliminated are… KIM MYUNGSOO and CHOI YENA.”

Jisub for them as well. “As for Myungsoo, while we do appreciate when people try to pass on the emotion of a song, at some point you cross that line and go a little overboard. It’s one thing to act, or express those feelings, and another is to lose yourself to the song. Your performance was mostly remembered as that than your actual voice which, of course, also had to suffer through the performance. And Yena, your voice was nothing much that would leave us impressed. Since your song choice was very simple too, we agreed that there were a lot of other singers that had done better, so we chose to let you go.”

The man twists his head for a second, contemplating on the final results he was about to deliver. “And the last two contestants to be eliminated today from the show are… HEO YURIM and SHIN YUNA. Both of you lacked in skill as well. Your song choices may have been a bit too bold, especially for Yuna. There’s still a lot for you two to grow as singers before you can make a name for yourselves. I’d recommed for you to keep working hard if this is your dream, but now your MGA path has come to its end.”

Once he’s done, the camera pans over the set once again, this time the scene showing that those eliminated had left the set with only their chairs left as a memory. The last of the five picks up her microphone, Katie Lee, with one of her famous smirks on her face. “Congratulations to all the contestants who managed to move on to the next challenge! This only means that there are new hurdles to go through and that we won’t stop until a winner is decided. There’s no time to rest, so let’s get onto our next mission, shall we?”

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

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

Now that the contestants managed to prove their worth in this competition, it’s time to move on to the next challenge of the season. For this round, contestants will be separated into duos and will be told to prepare a performance together to perform next week. Both of the people involved should show at least one of their performance skills. The theme is to impress and to manage to show your colors even when sharing the stage with someone else. A list of the duos can be found below:

#5002 - CHOI MINHO #5030 - LEE NAKYUNG

#5004 - CHOI YEWON #5023 - KIM MINKYUNG

#5005 - CHOI YOONA #5046 - WANG, JACKSON

#5006 - CHWE HANSOL #5026 - KIM, SIA

#5007 - DO KYUNGSOO #5027 - KIM YUGYEOM

#5008 - HA SUNGWOON #5034 - NA JAEMIN

#5010 - HWANG MINHYUN #5044 - SONG YUQI

#5011 - HWANG YEJI #5037 - PARK JUNHEE

#5013 - JEON HEEJIN #5017 - KANG DANIEL

#5014 - JO YURI #5029 - LEE HOHYEON

#5015 - JUNG EUNJI #5022 - KIM JUNGEUN

#5018 - KANG HYUNGGU #5039 - SEO CHANGBIN

#5020 - KIM HYOJIN #5025 - KIM SEUNGHUN

#5028 - LEE CHAERYEONG #5035 - NAM JOOHYUK

#5032 - LEE SUWOONG #5047 - WONG YUKHEI

#5033 - MIYAWAKI SAKURA #5040 - SHIN RYUJIN

#5036 - PARK JINYOUNG #5049 - YOON JEONGHAN

#5038 - PARK WOOJIN #5050 - ZHOU JIEQIONG

#5042 - SOHN YOUNGJAE #5043 - SON HYEJOO

#5045 - TAKADA KENTA #5048 - YOO TAEYANG

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

All contestants are supposed to make their own way to the recording studio prepared specially for this episode. The set will be modified for this new round and will look something close to this. On each side, 20 chairs will be prepared for the contestants to sit on and watch each other’s performances. The duos should sit together and, to ensure so, the seats have been marked with their numbers. Starting from the first chair on the left and going all the way to the last one on the right, the numbers will follow the list of duos found above. Just because most eyes will be on the performance doesn’t mean no one will be paying attention to you. A set of cameras will have their lenses ready to capture any sort of interesting reaction from those watching (beware of the evil editing) while a couple more will allow different angles of the main performance to be captured.

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

                          Tune in next Saturday, the 13th, for our third episode!

MGA Season 5 episode three preview: Now that their skills have passed the test, it’s a battle of the greatest to go up to the number one spot. To get there, however, they must pass through the new wave of challenges prepared for this season. The duos are back, and the pairing is as unexpected as ever! Will your favorites movie on, or will they be brought down by their own partners?

[ None of the performance were aired in their entirity. Cuts from the show itself were uploaded to Mnets’s Officil Youtube Channel, but the full performances cannot be found else. ]

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

Contestants have until midnight EST at the end of Friday, the 12th, to post their 200+ words solos about the duos challenge in front of the CEOs. Please tag all related posts with #rkmga5 and #rkmga5duos. They’ll have two minutes to perform their chosen skill to capture the attention of the CEOs (as long as it doesn’t break any laws). Good luck! Song choices should be submitted to the rkevent inbox. Two duos performing the same song will not be allowed and this will be chosen on a first come first serve basis.

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

What did you think of the results last week?

How was it like working with your duo?

How do you think you did?

Were there any performances you liked?

Were there any performances you didn’t like?

What did you think of ___’s performance?

Which duo do you think complemented each other the most?

Was there anyone you think that brought their partner down?

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

Is there anyone you are certain will be eliminated today?

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

his palms are sweaty and he still isn’t done using the same tired ass joke about eminem and 8 mile, as if he focuses on it to keep his own spirits up instead. maybe he needs to. because he heard about how his appearance was edited, how it looked, how he seemed too casual for someone coming back after debuting once already, acting like he didn’t leave two companies by now. patting his hands on his pants, he takes another deep breath, looks around for a familiar face.

when she walks in, sakura comes by to greet him and he feels calmer, sated, relaxed again for a moment because seeing sakura reminds him of seeing his little brother again, makes him feel as if he’s seeing his own little sister. he hugs her back, gives her wishes of good luck and affirmation that she’ll do great but saying that to her, seeing the chairs surrounding them remind him this is a competition and it could come down to them in the rapping category. she’s someone he wouldn’t want to go against because he’d feel weakened by it and it reminds him of the conversations he’s had since they left the set last week.

▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀  PAUSE, REWIND ⭯

“hey dabin—”

“not right now, hyung.”

“oh, okay. yeah, later then.”

he’d stopped by the apartment dabin shared with seik and it didn’t feel like home the way it used to a few years ago before he moved where he is now. it didn’t feel like he could crash on their sofa again and wake up to seik scolding dabin for not telling him when they ran out of something in the kitchen again. everything had its own routine back then, when things were simpler, but not anymore.

seik walks out of his room, hair messy after waking up from his nap because of a particular door slam. “he still upset?”

“…yeah.”

“he’ll get over it.”

“feels different this time.”

“maybe he’s jealous.”

“what?”

chuckling, seik quirks his brows, pouring himself a glass of water and sitting on the edge of the kitchen table. he looks more amused than minho thinks anyone should be when his friends are at odds like this. his exasperation only grows as seik doesn’t speak just yet, taking sips until he finishes, accented by the loud ahh he lets out, the clink of the glass in the sink the only sound until minho’s patience wears out.

“come on, man. explain yourself.”

“you didn’t make the same offer.”

brows furrowing, his face twists in confusion as he follows seik to the living room. “what offer?”

“to give your spot to him.” this time, he’s the one who goes silent and all he can manage is wetting his lips, eyes widening every once in a while before returning to their previous state, just more hesitant in expression.

“i get it.” seik’s voice is softer this time, almost apologetic, the past coming back to him too. “but to dabin… the hyung he followed for so long, the one he defends every time…”

“yeah.” minho doesn’t sound like himself when he says it, nodding his head, fists clenched at his side, and, instead of going to dabin’s room, he leaves the apartment quietly.

going to the only other place he knows as well, the other place he’s as comfortable in on his own, he goes to the dance studio they rent for Kill.U.Strate. it’s empty today, not in as much use as before when they practically lived there now that the guys’ projects began to split off, and he lays there. eyes closed, hands folded on his stomach, legs crossed at his ankles, he just lays there.

he doesn’t have any answers for his family, for his friends, and the joy that he found after finding out he moved on, after getting that call from mijoo when she watched the episode air and hearing her cry because of him again but for a good reason, that joy is slipping from his fingers again. he doesn’t know what to say to kikwang either when he comes into the practice room and he’s sitting up, letting out a slight groan because he’d been in that position for too long. the smallest things could affect your back and posture after all. he should’ve been more careful.

not much has to be said and he’s glad kikwang is a good enough friend to join him, to talk like things are normal, and to not skip a beat when minho asks, “do you wish i could give you my spot on the show?”

“i meant what i texted you. i want you to win this season, hyung.” they spend some time in the practice room just hanging out, dancing a little, before kikwang says it’s all his so he can prepare for the next episode filming. he can’t get a protest out in time before kikwang’s gone and he’s running his fingers through his hair, sighing as he looks around, the room only seeming more glum when he’s alone.

there’s no progress when the door opens an hour later and the last person he expected to come in walks through. there’s a cap over his head, shielding half his face, but minho would recognize him anywhere. sure, some of his friends remind him of his younger brother but, on days like this, dabin pretty much is minho’s little brother and he’s gesturing for him to come over. the hug is brief and dabin sighs as he stands in front of the older.

“i don’t want you to give me your spot.”

“i know.”

“so if y— wait… you know?”

“yeah.”

“seik told you.” dabin gets the same answer and he inhales sharply, exhales slowly. “i thought that’s why you left the apartment without saying anything. i thought you were gonna go…”

the thought is there even if the sentence is left hanging, words dabin doesn’t seem to want to say, and minho shakes his head as he puts a hand on dabin’s shoulder. “i care about ya as much as i did jaebum back then but… i’m not planning on giving my spot up for anyone this time.”

“okay.”

“you jus’ sayin’ that or are you okay with it?”

“i’m good.”

narrowing his eyes, he wraps an arm around dabin’s neck, pulling him closer. “so… you thought it meant i like jaebum more than you?”

“hyung.”

▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ PRESS PLAY, BACK TO THE SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING

finding a seat proves more difficult than he thought it would be and when more people settle in, minho realizes he needs to figure out what he’s doing soon. although he could sit near sakura and talk to her, he knows she’s there with friends and that he’d end up distracted. besides, when people were still convinced he broke his contract for dating without his own confirmation, he doesn’t want to add fuel to the fire. instead, he goes another route, ends up recognizing someone from their performance last time and how he liked their vibe.

so he’s standing near them, calling out and going, “hey do you have ig? let me add you” because he’s thought of the first face-to-face impression he wants to make and is committed to it as stupid as it is. the name is given to him and he types it in as quickly as he was told, opening the messages and sending him one.

can i slide into that seat next to you like i slid into ur dms

the laugh he gets is enough of an answer for him to sit down with a proud grin, laughing at himself. even if he told himself not to brush everything off, to not laugh everything off, there are some moments that ought’a be like this. his instagram is distinguishable enough to him as he gets comfy in his new seat and this time he’s the one that bursts into laughter when ian says to him, “anyone ever tell you that you’re a thirst trap?” definitely not the first time and minho shares that sentiment before opening his phone to look at ian’s posts too. it was a good distraction in the meantime but when it appears all the sears are filled, he feels the nerves building up again, his thoughts wander and they go back further than he should let them.

he had a wounded ego years ago. thought too much of himself and his future and yet not enough. a dream to be someone of influence but not decisive enough to follow through, ill-educated about life in general. there are days he still doesn’t feel ready but no one wants to know about that. at least, that’s what he’s told himself for years. no one wants a gloomy gus. no one wants to hang out with the weird kid in the back sulking over the lack of acknowledgment by his father. no one wants to be the friend of someone who dwells too much in the past instead of making sure every moment is a good time. that was the lesson he insisted on from a young age. on days that his brother was too busy, that her sister was annoyed by everything, days when his mother was too tired to cook, days that his little brother whines for someone to play with, he knew what his role was. a mood-maker, a mood-lifter.

the performances he gave years ago were bits and pieces of him, scraps sewn together by a beginner. this song feels more complex, more complete, each thread and stitch made by someone more honest with himself. because it’s okay not to feel like the best sometimes. because he told the audience back then not to let anyone convince them otherwise and ignored that the person who told him that most was himself; the one that convinced him he wasn’t the best he could be was always him.

his mother called him the same night he’d talked to kikwang and dabin in the practice room and his mind is still hazy, he can’t think coherently about a song or anything. whether he should dance or not, but just before that hung up that day, his mother said something he’s brought with him today, on his mind, in his heart, lyrics dancing around in his head, ready to spill from a thirsty mouth— thirsty to tell the truth, to put his truth out there. “don’t keep everything inside.”

when he first heard about the comments, was told about them, read them himself, he thought he should just let it go, push his heart back into its proper place when it lodged itself in his throat. two minutes, two minutes to show who he is again, and answer the concerns that’d been brought up. answers, answers, answers.

in school, we’re taught the same. find the right answer. every time, find the right answer but he doesn’t follow that. rules in black and white, but he operates in shades of gray. that’s how he finds his next song. a simple beat, but lyrics with a powerful message. this isn’t for his ex-group members, for his parents, for his siblings, for his girlfriend, or for his friends. this is for his own clarity by letting his heart purge. instead of layering it with band-aids, wrapping it to be kept safe, he lets his heart bleed onto the page. he adds color to his own world.

                   ●●●●●●      NEXT ON STAGE, CHOI MINHO,  EP. 2 — 7월 4일      ●●●●●●

one more time today, his hands are sweaty. no eminem joke. it doesn’t even cross his mind because his heart is climbing, racing as it tries to scale his throat, and he swallows thickly, wills himself to breathe.

shit, just breathe.

▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ 탓 BLAME ♫ SELF-WRITTEN TIME STAMPS    ( IN ORDER )   0:20 to 1:10   /   1:20 to 1:26   /   1:48 to 2:15   /   3:02 to 3:29   NOTE: his gestures and expressions are similar to that of vinxen’s in the video if not written !

▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ 난 이 늪에 있어 난 이 늪에 있어 I’M IN THIS SWAMP, I’M IN THIS SWAMP

모두가 날 내려다보는 이 늪에 있어 I’M IN THIS SWAMP WHERE EVERYBODY IS LOOKING DOWN

넌 내 옆에 있어 주기를 바랬던 마음 I JUST WISHED YOU WERE NEXT TO ME

아직 선명히 남아있어 등 돌리던 날 BUT IT’S STILL VERY CLEAR, THE DAY YOU BETRAYED (ME)

나 혼자 늪에 있어 혼자 늪에 있어 I’M ALONE IN THIS SWAMP, ALONE IN THIS SWAMP

저 네티즌가 날 비웃고 하늘 날고 있어 THESE NETIZENS* ARE MAKING FUN OF ME, FLYING UP HIGH

난 알고 있어 애초에 알고 있었어 I KNEW IT, I KNEW IT FROM THE BEGINNING

흐려져가는 시야를 탓하고 있어 I BLAME (IT ON) MY BLURRY VISION ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀

nothing confirmed, but it’s easier to believe anything that way, isn’t it? it didn’t matter if sphere spared him the scandal, spared the group the scandal, it would follow him and being lonely has to be about his love life. his age. the audacity he has to come back. how he should be giving other people a shot. he’s seen it all and instead of letting it go, he wears it on his sleeve. he lets the weight of his own guilt show instead of hiding it away with i’m okay and i’m gonna do me like he’s been saying since he walked out of the company one last time.

he stops pretending that he wasn’t hurt by the fact that he did know who outed his relationship, that he did know who wanted to see him fall.

▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ 난 이 늪에 있어 난 이 늪에 있어 I’M IN THIS SWAMP, I’M IN THIS SWAMP

아주 더럽고도 추잡한 이 늪에 있어 I’M IN THIS SWAMP FULL OF TRASH*

냄새도 못 맡을 정도로 떨어져 멀리 GO AWAY SO YOU CAN’T SMELL ME

보이지도 않니 손에 미세한 떨림 CAN’T YOU SEE MY FINGERS SHAKING

넌 변해있어 많이 변해있어 YOU CHANGED A LOT, YOU CHANGED A LOT

나란 그늘을 치우니 안색이 밝아졌어 AS I REMOVED MY SHADE FROM YOU, YOU LOOKED OKAY

위로 혹은 악연으로 포장해낸 것들이 PLEASE BLAME ME FOR WHAT HAPPENED

내 탓이라고 말해줘 제발 EVEN THOUGH IT LOOKS LIKE MISFORTUNE ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀

when he left, he told himself he was laying in the bed he made and it’s why as he raps, he can’t make eye contact, can’t look directly at anyone. he’s avoiding people and it was a tell-tale sign that he wasn’t okay, a sign he ignored for months because he kept busy, said he didn’t see people as often because he was working but it was more than that. he didn’t know how to feel.

it was still his fault in the end. still because of him that he had to leave. reckless, stupid, all the insults he had for himself in high school chase him to this stage again, try to stain the page with spilled ink, with trash, but he holds the pen, keeps it held high the same way he holds onto the microphone.

the news article said he chose to depart from the group. it was right. he just didn’t know how far back the decision was that sealed his fate.

▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ [NEW HANGUL PENDING] THOUGHT IT WAS UNFAIR THAT NO MATTER HOW HARD

[NEW HANGUL PENDING] TRAINEES AND IDOLS DO, IT’S NOT ENOUGH

확실히 압살하고자 아빠 손 벌려 잡은 지하방에서 손꼽아 기다리고 있어 FOR MY COMPLETE VICTORY, I WAIT IN THE ROOM I BOUGHT WITH THE MONEY MY DAD GAVE ME

난 기대치를 두 배로 올려 I DOUBLE MY EXPECTATIONS

그래야 상실감이 거대해지니까 SO I CAN DISAPPOINT BADLY

그래야 사람이 더 초라해지니까 SO I CAN FEEL MORE MISERABLE

그래야 내가 정말 간절해지니까 SO I AM MORE DESPERATE

아니 얼마나 더 간절해야 합니까 NO, HOW CAN I LOOK EVEN MORE DESPERATE?

박수 갈채는 누굴 위한 겁니까 WHO IS THE APPLAUSE FOR ?

대학에 가라는 아버지 말을 웃어넘기고 대충 끄덕거린 나는 불효자 되는 겁니까? I LAUGHED AND NODDED AT MY DAD* WHEN HE SAID I SHOULD GO TO UNIVERSITY*, AND DOES THAT MAKE ME A BAD SON? ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀

there’s so much in life that was given to him and nearly everything left unsaid. how miserable he was about the competitive lifestyle when he was in nova, how he felt left out at times but pretended he was fine. the truth about how he felt when how he told his friends he didn’t mind that they were moving onto bigger and better projects without him, how his family was living their lives without him, how he was missing everything, how he couldn’t see his girlfriend for months, how he felt like life was still being decided for him and he had no clue what the hell he was doing.

he goes here and there, only says no sometimes, and none of it feels right because he’s not saying a damn thing. underneath everything else, underneath the rules he follows, the routine he keeps to, the predictable patterns he lives by, he let himself be defined by black and white, then wondered why he was unhappy living without color, without doing whatever he could to paint everything himself.

▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ 주변에 대입해 그런진 몰라도   I THINK I MESSED* UP MY OWN LIFE

볼수록 뭣같이 느껴져서 MAYBE BECAUSE I COMPARE MY LIFE WITH THE OTHERS

내가 날 가둬둔 상황이 위안이 돼 BLAMING MYSELF FOR EVERYTHING COMFORTS ME

아직 말해줄 게 많아서 BECAUSE I STILL HAVE A LOT TO SAY

모르겠네 사람들이 피해 보인 탓 DON’T KNOW WHY I STARTED TO AVOID* PEOPLE

몰라 내가 이 노래를 불러버린 탓 DON’T KNOW WHY I STARTED SINGING THIS SONG

몰라 내가 한심하고 어이 없는 탓 DON’T KNOW WHY I AM PATHETIC AND DON’T HAVE NERVE*

몰라 내가 여러 기회들을 날린 탓 DON’T KNOW WHY I BLEW MY CHANCES AWAY ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀

it could’ve started years ago, when he found out things about his past, when he didn’t get into trc on his first audition, when he was rejected the first time by mijoo, when he fought with seik for the first time about being an idol. every time he didn’t take a call from his brother. every time he let himself go this way or that way during training without any real aim or purpose. he did this to himself. that must be why he ended up in rap unit instead of dance unit in convex. his roots are no longer his and he’s not seen as a dancer. training made him a rapper and he secretly let it make him miserable instead of embracing it like he does now, his voice wrecked with emotion as he starts to yell. the peak of the song and he puts the mic stand behind him, mic in his hand as he shouts.

▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ 모르겠네 사람들이 피해 보인 탓 DON’T KNOW WHY I STARTED TO AVOID* PEOPLE

몰라 내가 이 노래를 불러버린 탓 DON’T KNOW WHY I STARTED SINGING THIS SONG

몰라 내가 한심하고 어이 없는 탓 DON’T KNOW WHY I AM PATHETIC AND DON’T HAVE NERVE*

몰라 내가 여러 기회들을 날린 탓 DON’T KNOW WHY I BLEW MY CHANCES AWAY ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀

he’s social. friendly. a moodmaker. he tells himself this again. everything that made him come as far as he did, all the positive traits he showed off and every negative thing he hid. that’s what he considers different this season. he’ll show all of it. he’ll lay it all out so that he can finally be himself too, so he can leave and be a performer again instead of just going through the motions, filling whatever spot he needs to. the stage feels covered in color, his yells were red, his tears were blue, and when he places the mic back on the stand, bowing deeply, he makes sure to take those colors, his favorite colors, with him, so that his heart doesn’t just bleed but heals.

so, welcome back, sungwoon. you’ve managed to survive the first cut, but what did you think of the results last week otherwise?

ah. he expected this one. cutting fifty people from the competition at one time is a lot. of course they’d be asked about it. “i didn’t expect there to be quite as many eliminations from the beginning, so it was a little nerve-wracking, to be honest.” sungwoon is grateful his friends survived alongside him, but admitting as much might sound like rubbing salt in the wounds of people who were separated from their friends.

he decides to keep it neutral. “all my predictions for who would make it to the next round came true, though! well, except one.” poor chan. sungwoon really thought he was good, but his opinion doesn’t count for much when it comes to rap. “i guess that disqualifies me as a psychic? unless i make sure to include a disclaimer that there’s a 16% error margin on all predictions?” he laughs, embarrassed as he realizes his mental math might be a little off. “actually, don’t fact check me on that number.” math isn’t his strong suit, but he refuses to be make a fool of himself over numbers on national tv.

shaking his head slightly, he taps his fingers against his knee in thought. “it was disappointing to see so many talented people go home,” sungwoon adds slowly. “but it’s a competition and, well, i have to believe the ceos made the decisions they did for a reason.” they clearly know what they’re doing, and it’s not for him to question them yet. 

how did you feel when you realized you were through to the next round?

“i was relieved, mostly,” sungwoon admits readily. a sigh escapes his lips as he thinks back to the moment his name was called—he’d felt weak and weightless at the same time, even more so when the others made it through safely. sungwoon would like to say he never had any doubts, but that isn’t entirely true. there’s always room for doubt. “i would’ve been mortified to get eliminated so early in the competition.” honestly, he’d be equally mortified to get eliminated now, but it feels unnecessary to add that into his answer. “it also felt right, you know?” he continues with a sheepish smile. “i felt acknowledged by the judges, and that went a long way towards boosting my confidence for today’s performance!”

many people have expressed concern about the number of previous mga contestants participating in this season. as one of the people highlighted as a former contestant during the episode, how does the backlash make you feel?

well, this is one he didn’t expect. of course sungwoon is aware of the backlash—the previous episode literally broadcast one of the contestants’ thoughts on the subject, and the netizens seem united in the opinion that this year has too many old faces. and as one of the old faces, his opinion on the subject should be pretty clear: it sucks, and he doesn’t agree that just because they’ve been on the show before, they have no place on it now. he’s not sure why the interviewers would ask this, unless they’re hoping he gives them something juicy to air? sungwoon is determined to avoid that trap, to think carefully over his response before he gives it.

honesty is the best way to play this, in his opinion. “it’s not the greatest, i’ll admit.” wringing his hands together, he shoots the interviewer a distracted, what can you do, kind of smile before raking his fingers through his hair. “i think it’s disingenuous to act like being on the show one year means we can never come back or to claim we’ve used up our one and only chance. it’s not like we stopped dreaming just because it didn’t work out the first time.” for many, including sungwoon, participating in the mgas increased his desire to stand up on stage.

“i also believe people might be under the impression that we’ve had tons of opportunities for success following the show last year?” being on tv might’ve brought a little bit of localized fame for a brief period of time last year, but all that is gone now, leaving old contestants as forgotten relics of a different time. “but i can tell you that’s not really true—personally, at least. no companies were looking to sign me, and i didn’t have any other prospects.” a bitter pill to swallow, but there it is! he chuckles and rubs the back of his neck. “compared to a lot of other competitions, the mgas are accessible, so yeah, i gave them a shot again, but because this might be the only way i ever make it. i’m sure others feel the same way.”

god, he said a lot more than he intended to. sungwoon takes a deep breath and shakes his head, forcing a smile he hopes looks natural. “if the new contestants are worried about facing the old ones, well, a little healthy competition never hurt anyone, right?”

i see. moving on, how do you think you did this week?

“like i said, i’m never satisfied.” he feels like this will be a familiar refrain if this question continues to come up again, but it continues to be true. he needs the persistent buzz under his skin, the nagging voice that tells him he can do better. it drives sungwoon to improve, and that’s worth the temporary discomfort. still, his feelings towards today’s stage is largely positive overall. “i know my performance wasn’t as exciting as some of the others. that’s always the risk when you do a ballad, right?” sungwoon was well aware of it from the beginning. “and for once i didn’t play an instrument. that was nerve-wracking, let me tell you.”

he straightens up in his seat. “but i wanted the focus to be on my voice today.” no bells and whistles, just sungwoon showing the judges what he’s capable of. “so i chose to sing a korean song, one that ended up becoming pretty personal for me. i think… i did all i could up on the stage, and i hope it resonated with everyone who listened. that’s all i can really ask for.”

who do you think is the best under each skill?

oh, now that’s an interesting question. sungwoon wouldn’t have been able to answer it last week due to the sheer number of people performing, but after watching the episode and sitting through today’s stages, sungwoon is in a better position to judge the rest of the contestants. the interviewer catches the grin spreading across his face and asks him if he’s thinking of naming himself, to which sungwoon responds “oh, no. no,” with a laugh. he wouldn’t dream of it. “i’ll try not to name only empty enigma members either, but you can’t blame me if a few slip in.”

for singers… sungwoon feels like quite a few of them are strong. this is the only category he feels qualified to talk about at length, in any case. “i think heejin is a strong singer, maybe the strongest in the competition. i enjoy her vocal color, and i think her voice is powerful. she has a strong stage presence too, so i definitely think she’s someone to watch for.” he wants to mention a few other singers as well, but he’s determined to keep his picks to one each this time. or… maybe two. two picks, maximum. “hyojin too! he sang one of my favorite day6 songs, and his range is insane. i can’t wait to hear more from him.”

dancers are harder to comment on; sungwoon doesn’t know enough (or feels confident enough) to choose the best in this category. “uh, i think i’m only qualified to talk about who i liked the best, so take all this with a grain of salt.” he probably shouldn’t say park woojin, but the first name that comes out of his mouth is—”park woojin, for sure. though to be clear, i would pick him even if we weren’t friends. his performance was powerful and captivating—i think he’s easily the best dancer here.” he wants to mention kenta as well, but he doesn’t want to come off as too biased either. “i also think yugyeom is a good dancer. i don’t know how i feel about him in general, but i won’t deny talent when i see it.”

rappers are possibly harder to talk about than dancers, so sungwoon takes his time running through the list of performances before answering. “i think the number of female rappers in the competition this year are pretty cool, so i’d have to pick one of them. sakura, maybe? i was surprised by her performance, but in a good way.” his second choice is so obvious, sungwoon wonders if he even has to state it out loud. “and mason, obviously. he’s a good rapper, maybe one of the best, but that’s a given.”

were there any performances you liked?

sungwoon hates questions like these, mostly because he never has enough time to mention everyone he wants to. just saying ‘all of them’ would save a lot of time, but he’s pretty sure that isn’t allowed. also, it’s not truthful either. there are performances he definitely didn’t enjoy. the question is about ones he did, however, and sungwoon runs through the ones he remembers well enough in his mind before blurting out the first one that stayed with him. “daniel’s!” wait, that really isn’t going to help him sound less biased. his face warms and he scratches his cheek while rushing to gather his thoughts. “okay, honestly. i know he’s not the best of the rappers, but he wrote his own rap and the lyrical content was straight fire. his performance had me hyped up. how can i not mention it?”

aside from daniel, there are a few others he wants to mention. “eunji’s dance was… i know i mentioned her last week as a talented singer, but she’s a phenomenal dancer as well. her performance was really powerful and compelling. park jinyoung—i liked his voice, and i thought his song choice was very appropriate for his tone. personally, he’s one to watch for me as well.” pausing, sungwoon leans back in his chair and rubs his chin in thought. “yeji? i thought she did a great job too—really, a lot of the girls have been killing it this year. i wish i could mention them all because they deserve it.”

were there any you didn’t like?

“guys, seriously,” he laughs, letting his arms fall to his sides. “have people answered this?” how many have taken the bait and actually said something negative about their fellow contestants? the interviewer won’t answer that for him, so sungwoon is left wondering when he should bite or not. maybe he should, but gently? “there were a couple of performances i was let down by,” he admits. “kyungsoo, for one. i really enjoy his voice, but i wasn’t sold on his song choice, so i think that colored my opinion of his performance.” toxic isn’t a choice he’d make personally, and while he respects it, sungwoon isn’t sure it’s appropriate for this stage of the competition. “i also enjoyed suwoong’s performance last week, but not as much this week… i don’t know, i think he could’ve taken it a bit more seriously?” sungwoon shrugs. “they’re both good performers; just not my cup of tea.”

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

“is it time for sungwoon the psychic’s predictions again?” he taps his forehead, thought he’s… not exactly sure why. “uh, well, i think everyone i mentioned as the best of their categories will go through. special shout out to mason, because he’s going all the way to the finale! mark my words.” he doesn’t know if he has any solid picks outside of those. “yuri? she has a powerful voice and the necessary star power.” hm, maybe that’s all? no, wait, he remembers one of the dancers leaving an impression and struggles to pronounce her name properly. “jieqiong? she’s pretty and talented; i would expect her to go through.” sungwoon figures he’d better stop there—or he’ll end up naming half the contestants in the competition. “let’s see how many of these work out! remember, 16% error rate!”

is there anyone you are certain will be eliminated today?

“my third eye broke; i can’t answer that,” sungwoon says, completely straight faced. several moments pass before his expression cracks into a distant smile. “no, seriously—i’m not sure what criteria the judges are basing their assessments on, so i can’t answer. you’d think it would be straightforward, but someone who’s average in a skill can get far based on their sheer charisma and stage presence, right? so i think it could be anyone’s game.” he won’t speculate further; it’s not his place. and he’s worried that if he does start to consider who might be eliminated, a few familiar names could potentially pop into mind.

that’s all for now. thank you!

“thank you! you’ve worked hard.” sungwoon rises and bows to the interviewer and the staff before returning to his seat. he steals a bottle of water from one of the empty enigma members and polishes it off with a cheeky smile. “i need this, guys. i talked a lot,” he complains when they ask. when do you not? someone answers, and sungwoon glares at them playfully before promising to buy another bottle during their break. it’s much easier to stick to smiles and lighthearted conversation before eliminations, and sungwoon does his best to keep the atmosphere cheery.

what did you think of the results last week?

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

and how do you think you did today?

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

what did you think of empty enigma’s performances?

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

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

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

were there any performances you liked?  anyone else?

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

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

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

is there anyone you are certain will be eliminated today?

it felt unbelievable to her that she was once again sitting in this situation-- being interviewed like this while waiting for the results. she felt blessed to be in this positon, as she sat down she had no idea what kind of questions they could ask but the had a feeling still-- when the staff member opened their mouth, the first question had her looking conflicted.

what did you think of the results last week?

“last week,” her eyes shifted as she remembered how jeongin had gotten eliminated, “i was filled with many different emotions, jeongin got eliminated but me and daniel oppa made it, so i was happy and sad at the same time,” yeji nodded slowly, “i feel blessed ot be in this position again-- but seing eliminations happen, was hard regardless of how close i was with everyone.”

who do you think is the best under each skill?

after yeji had managed to gather her emotions from the previous question she lifted her gaze and listened to the interviewer, “the best? under each skill?” yeji’s eyes widened, this could be a controversial topic-- “oh, i think that lee chaeryeong’s dancing ability is really good, i was impressed and she’s so young too. so i think her for the girls, for the males-- isn’t taeyang oppa impressive? his choreos are so good, i had to pick my jaw up from the floor.” yeji chuckled and smiled-- call her biased but to her, out of the boys taeyang was the best dancer. “for rappers-- i have to mention changbin oppa-- he’s so confident when he raps and he has a lot of swag, doesn’t he?” yeji did want to mention hansol as well-- but she didn’t want to give anyone the opportunity to connect them. he was so happy about going through-- having a goal, yeji didn’t want to be an obstacle, “for the females... choi yoona? her rap was really powerful? i didn’t thinkt that a girl could have that aura while rapping, honestly.” yeji grabbed her chin between her index finger and thumb, thinking about who to pick for vocals-- “there are so many good vocals, ahhh... i think jeon heejin’s voice and yuri’s voice, they are nice, hyojin and kyungsoo for the males for sure.”

were there any performances you liked?

yeji felt like she had talked for a long time already when talking about who she thought were best under each skill, now she got to talk about the performances she liked-- “well, let me talk to you about kyungsoo’s performance of toxic-- i didn’t know i needed that until he sang it and his voice. so good,” yeji nodded excitedly, “also-- taeyang oppa, of course-- i should stop talking about him already i know but-- have you seen him dance? his performance this time was good, all around the world good!” yeji pondered for a couple of more seconds, “also yuri’s performance-- i’m glad i bugged her about applying, her voice is really out here like that.”

there was a moment of silence before she suddenly opened her mouth again before the next question could pop out, "ryujinnie's performance, it was really charming and different from what she usually does. its nice to see her challenge herself like that.”

is there anyone that disappointed you today?

jaemin finds himself being lead to yet another room. he peers inside the room, a small smile clinging at the corner of his lips, he already has a feeling how the interview was going to go this time. after the performance, with the adrenaline still coursing through him, he was sort of... chattier than usual. his filter was still -- sort of up, but he felt like he would be more open to answer questions and maybe say names this time around. and with that in mind, he sits comfortably before the staff that were there. "you look like you're in a good mood, jaemin-ssi!" the observation makes him laugh lightly, only to hold himself back, hands moving up to motion that he was not. "i always am, pd-nim... i think expressive would be a better word for it?" he says it with somewhat a serious expression before a smile breaks on his face and chuckle follows after.

"what did you think of the results last week?" the smile on his lips grows. "i'm... really happy that i made it." was his immediate response, but he continues on with "but also confused because there were really talented people who had to leave, it would have been interesting to see them perform some more..." he could see how speechless and amused the staff were getting, probably because he was being straight forward right from the very first question. "and who do you think is best under each skill?" jaemin leans back, looking up, chin resting over his fingers as he hummed, organizing his thoughts before his eyes shifts back to the camera. "you're really going to keep doing this until you hear me say someone's name, aren't you?" he smiles to himself and shakes his head. "alright then, don't say i didn't warn you... i am feeling expressive today." the remark makes the others smile, and jaemin resumes to go over his picks.

"everyone has their own distinct sound... so best is actually subjective". if there was anything he's learned from his years in sopa, it was that everyone is good... in their own way. it took a while for him to get used to hearing the word good and great being handed to others when he was used to the dichotomy of the right way and wrong way in science. "jeon heejin and kim hyojin’s voices have this certain quality to it. it would be interesting to hear a duet from those two, maybe i should write a love song for them to sing?" he trails off nodding a bit, already thinking of a melody for the said duet. then, he brings himself back to the conversation, "there's also kim minkyung and park jinyoung who are also vocalists to watch out for."

"there were a lot of really great rappers this season too," he starts, getting comfortable in his seat. "flow and delivery were good. but there was just something missing for others?" he sees the interest brewing in the pd's face, and jaemin was feeling playful enough to play into it. some do find his bluntness to be funny, but he has to be careful about it this time. "there are rappers that have a lot of potential, lot of room to improve skill-wise. but their stage presence is just explosive. they have this vibe that makes you look." he continues, still being careful with his words, trying to put it as positively as he could. "for a rapper, i think it's not just about skill... also about your presence. taking those two things into consideration, i'd say we should expecting great performances from miyawaki sakura. jang moonbok and chwe hansol, of course. and you know... that girl sitting next to me? song yuqi. she's... also really interesting, i look forward to her performances."

"i'm not a very good dancer myself, but lee suwoong and sohn youngjae were both great. and for the girls..." he looks up at the staff, smiling and then sighing, "here's what you've been waiting for, you're going to edit this weirdly, i can tell." the comment makes them laugh again, and jaemin was getting more and more encouraged to speak up because of the positive response. maybe he wasn't so bad at conversations after all? "i think shin ryujin-ssi has the whole package. she's stunning, talented, and her stage presence is just... she's just..." he knew the bias was showing, and he was not completely explaining why he was saying those things. he has been a fan, and he just couldn't help himself. "she's great, and that's that." he wraps up quickly before moving on. "there's also hwang yeji, lee chaeryoung, and we can't forget about bae joohyun."

"you went easy on me this time," he narrows his eyes as he crossed his arms. "i know you have harder questions, pd-nim." with that he receives what he has asked for. "were there any performances you didn't like then, jaemin-ssi?" it makes him laugh and cover his face, but he laughs it off and proceeds, "there were some that i'm... not so sure about? better song choices should have been made, something within their range, or something that suits their voice. i'm sure they have a reason that they chose the songs they performed but it just doesn't work." it was perhaps the most unfiltered answer he had given at the interview, but the honesty doesn't make him worried about this going against him.

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

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

well yugyeom doesn’t care much.

What did you think of the results last week?

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

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

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

Who do you think is the best under each skill?

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

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

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

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

How do you think you did?

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

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

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

Were there any performances you liked?

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

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

Were there any performances you didn’t like?

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

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

What did you think of  KIM MYUNGSOO’s performance?

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

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

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

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

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

Is there anyone you are certain will be eliminated today?

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

“You got quite emotional during today’s performance, is everything alright?”

Myungsoo nodded, his smile not falling from his face quite yet. He had expected this question and already prepared a response in his head. “Yes, I am fine. I felt bad that I got so emotional at the end that I was actually crying but I was honestly just really immersed in the emotions of the song. This week, I really wanted to try and focus on those honest emotions and hope that the audience could relate to my performance, but it seems I got too emotional... That’s why I apologized at the end!”

“What did you think of the results last week?”

He bit his lip, looking into the camera with widened eyes, “I actually was so shocked when I saw I had made it into the next round! There are so many talented people in this competition and even though I am trying my best, I feel like it really isn’t enough. I am so thankful that the judges saw something in me and allowed me to continue on to the next week.”

“Who do you think is the best under each skill?”

Myungsoo’s face blanked slightly, trying to recall anybody’s name who had even performed today under each skill. He just decided to blurt out the first name of any performer that came to mind during their respective category. “Ah, well... I guess let’s start under singing first which is my skill and the toughest competition... I think that Yena has a very pretty voice and it’s super relaxing, plus she’s really charismatic. As for rappers, I thought that Sakura’s performance was actually super cool, I liked the sound of her accent that carried through and she had a nice flow. And for dancers, Kenta’s performance stood out the most to me just because he had a lot of cool and unique dance moves.”

“We see you are alone a lot, do you have any friends competing?”

He blinked rapidly, not expecting to get asked this question at all. Myungsoo scratched his head and wanted to choose his answer carefully, but wound up just being honest. “If I’m being honest, I don’t have any friends in this competition. There are some people that I am familiar with, yes, but we’re not friends.” Myungsoo shook his hands in front of him back and forth and shook his head cutely as if he was trying to say ‘no’ to something, “It’s not that I don’t want to make friends! I’m just kind of awkward when it comes to new people and it’s hard for me to approach them first... and nobody has tried to make friends with me yet. That’s all.” His voice got very quiet when he said ‘That’s all’ looking into the camera like he was a lost puppy.

“How do you think you did?”

Myungsoo smiled, happy to be getting back on script, “I think I performed to the best of my ability. Last week I said I wanted to get more emotional and I was able to accomplish that. Even if I go home after today, I performed with no regrets and that’s what matters the most to me!” 

Finishing the interview, Myungsoo bowed to the staff and slowly returned back to his seat. He knew the cameras weren’t rolling, so he felt alright to rock his legs back and forth and bite his nails, his eyes darting around to all the people around him. He felt so small even though he knew he was one of the oldest contestants there; he kept worrying what people were thinking about him and what they were saying about him. Would anybody even mention him in their interviews? ‘Of course they won’t’ Myungsoo thought bitterly, feeling tears well up in his eyes involuntarily, ‘They’ll mention their friends and family members they are competing with. Nobody will even remember my performance.’

He could almost feel a panic attack coming on, closing his eyes and focusing on breathing and trying to will down his rapid heartbeat. ‘Not here, please not here’ Myungsoo willed away the anxiety as best as he could but he decided to run up to the staff and feign needing to use the bathroom. He had to get away and hide in the stall for a bit again, he had to be alone just for a moment.