#rkaug17eval

[seungcheolrk]

remix.

@rkbyunbaek

initially, seungcheol had been worried about this month’s evaluation. working with people he hasn’t had prior contact with is, in short, kind of terrifying. of course, it’s worked out well in the past, and he does have to meet people through some kind of interaction, but that’s the problem. seungcheol’s never been good at approaching people first; first impressions aren’t his strong point. stuttering his way through an introduction to someone who likely lost interest in what he had to say after he stretched his name out for a lengthy eight seconds more than it should take to clearly pronounce, isn’t exactly the most confidence building experience. but what would happen if he couldn’t find enough courage to approach someone quickly after the announcement? everyone would already have partners and he’d fail the evaluation before he’d even begun— a shame, really, after he did so well proving himself last month (at what cost?) that he’d fall to his knees at the thought of talking to people first. 

still, it seems someone spares him, and he’s not sure how word got to baekhyun of who he is, but he’s incredibly grateful. so much so is obvious in the smile stretching his lips as he enters the practice room, bowing in greeting. “h-hi. s-s-sorry if I, uh— kept you w-waiting.” 

[rksona]

★ — august evaluation, 2017 ;

🎼 love line — hyorin, bumkey, jooyoung — ft. @tenrk & @jaehyunrk

as the month was drawing to a close, dawon tried not to think about the questions she still didn’t know the answers to. for what felt like the first time in her life, she had absolutely no idea of what to do—no idea of which way to go. she wishes that there were a way for her to glimpse into her own future, even if only to learn if she’d have any regrets that she’d hold down the road. she knows that it’s impossible, and she knows that she’ll never have all the answers—so maybe it’s for the best if she tries not to dwell on any of it.

pairing up with jaehyun and ten had proved to be a great choice. in dawon’s opinion, not only were they both extremely talented, but easy to work with as well. she’d even go so far as to say that their song choice was close to perfect, as she thought it suited each of them rather well. she was still slightly nervous, however, and despite doing well in practice, she can’t help but worry over whether or not she’d make a mistake during the actual evaluation.

Oh~ (Hey) Say you are mine (Yes you are) I’ll be on line 지금 니 마음을 말해줘 I never lie about my mind 듣고 싶은 그 말을 말해줘

the fact that she’s starting the song makes her slightly nervous, but she’s determined not to let her teammates down. she tries to remember her street performance days earlier, when she was able to perform freely without the constant worry of being evaluated—it had been so fun, and she had enjoyed it with her entire being. if she could only get into that mindset, maybe, just maybe, she could enjoy this performance just as much.

Baby, I’m on line Get on my love line 너는 지금 어때 니가 좀 말해봐 We got a love line We got a love line 내가 널 부를 땐 넌 어딨는거야

the others did a great job of harmonizing, in dawon’s opinion, and it was more than enough to give her a temporary confidence boost. while they were only just beginning, they were off to a good start—if they could do this well for the rest of the performance, she’s certain that they could each walk away knowing that they had done a great job. while doing well in a single evaluation may be a small victory, dawon was willing to take it.

난 너만의 radio 들어줄래 나의 stereo 우리 둘만의 story goes 그냥 듣고 있어 돌려 말을 하지마 누가 듣던지 말해봐 나랑 뭐 하고 싶어 Our love line

for a moment, jaehyun looks to her and smiles, and it confirmed what she already knew—they were doing a good job, and, most importantly, they were having fun while doing it. until recently, it had been so long since she had genuinely enjoyed a performance, and she can only hope that this is a sign of great things to come. they made a good team, she thinks, and their voices complimented each other well. she offers ten a smile of her own, hoping that her teammates felt as good about the performance as she did.

흔들리지마 (no never) 나만 바라봐 (들리니 내 마음)

as he sings, dawon realizes that she’s a big fan of jaehyun’s vocals—she’s slightly disappointed that they hadn’t collaborated sooner (though that could easily be attributed to the fact that they hadn’t known each other for very long). maybe the three of them could cover something again in the future, or maybe it was just wishful thinking—only time would tell, but she hopes that they’ll collaborate again someday. ten and jaehyun both seemed very talented, and it was an honor to work with them just this once.

Baby, I’m on line (On line~) Get on my love line (Love line~) 너는 지금 어때 (Oh baby) 니가 좀 말해봐 (내게 좀 말해봐) We got a love line We got a love line 내가 널 부를 땐 (부를 땐) 넌 어딨는거야

she’s relieved that she was able to focus on practicing for this performance in peace. the month of august had been rather complicated, and her thoughts never remained focused on one subject for long (much to her discontent). she absolutely despised having so many life-changing decisions looming over her, and her constant struggle of coping with jiae’s departure only made things that much more confusing. arranging the performance had proved to be a much-needed distraction when she needed it most, and she’s more than pleased with the people she was able to work alongside.

그냥 듣고 있어 나랑 뭐 하고 싶어 Our love line

she’s nodding, a genuine smile present on her lips as she continued to get into the music. it’s somewhat sad knowing that it’d be over soon, though she can’t bring herself to feel too much disappointment; at least they were enjoying it while it lasted (she was, at least). besides, at least she wouldn’t have to worry about potentially making a mistake once it was over and done with.

Baby, I’m on line (Oh~) Get on my love line 너는 지금 어때 (어때) 니가 좀 말해봐 (Baby tell me) We got a love line We got a love line (Oh we got a love~) 내가 널 부를 땐 넌 어딨는거야 (Ma babe)

why couldn’t things always be this way? she had so much to think about, so much to do—yet, for whatever reason, she was able to temporarily forget her problems as she was able to do what she loved, singing. maybe it’s the positive energy she receives from her teammates, or maybe it’s her newfound confidence that things will work out for the better—she honestly isn’t sure, but she can only hope that the confidence will last.

난 너만의 radio 들어줄래 나의 stereo 우리 둘만의 story goes 그냥 듣고 있어 돌려 말을 하지마 누가 듣던지 말해봐 나랑 뭐 하고 싶어 Our love line

as the song finally approaches its end, dawon finds herself smiling. she’s pleased with their performance, and she can only hope that her jaehyun and ten felt the same way. it was the small victory that she had sought after, and, although several stressful events lied in the near future, she allows herself to enjoy this moment for as long as it lasted.

maybe things would be okay.

[rktaeyong]

﹍﹍﹍﹍﹍ where u at my luv ! now playing . . . rumor ! kard AUGUST evaluations feat. @rksohee​, @rkxsooyoung​, @rkseokjin​

interpersonal communications wasn’t always taeyong’s strong suit.

professional networking is a skill that comes with age, gets better with age -- like fine wine, aged cheese. he’s no stranger to it, definitely. what with his family’s dealings in both medicine and law, networking and communication was and still is key. there’s no doubt in his mind that he could have been successful had he gone that route, pursued being a surgeon or something.

but being an idol. hell, even being a trainee is something else entirely.

constant contact and small talk with others, constant surveillance under watchful eyes to make sure that everything’s clean -- professional.

he sighs -- but smiles right as the music starts, right as the part decided for him comes crashing into reality.

what do i do? i can’t acknowledge this how you easily forgot me and are so happy it’s too cruel, you’re a cruel woman i never knew this till now, i’ve been deceived

it’s a price to pay to give away some of his personal freedoms. but he would do it and give it up twice more to achieve his dream. while others might think that signing the dotted line on a binding contract might be so suffocating, taeyong thinks that signing is just a formality when he’s been so committed to making his dreams happen already for as long as he can remember.

it makes no difference to him. now he’s official. at he’s not worrying about the next opportunity he’ll get to put himself forward. at least, not for the same reason as before.

i haven’t forgotten you yet whatever i do, your smile won’t get erased there’s no way, this doesn’t make sense i wanna believe that they saw wrong

he realizes that he hasn’t rapped in so long, that his voice has been getting used to vocal warmups instead of the ache he gets in his head trying to get rhythms and flows in his head.

it’s refreshing, reminds him of himself in the near past. he remembers how enthusiastic he was, how absolutely set he was on being a rapper. the thought is sad, somewhat.

but he knows that now, he’s getting serious about his career. now, he’s thinking of the future ahead of him while still fondly looking back into the past. now, he’s training to be something big, someone that is just radiating with talent to fill.

he’s still a triple threat in his own book, in his own right.

it’s all a lie, i’ve never done that even though I try so hard i can’t forget these feelings to leave my phone background as an old photo of us it’s a waste of real love

he’s learned from the once strangers that he met during the course of the evaluation that realism and goals need to be achievable -- that sometimes you need to age and mature like fine wine, like aged cheese. being both the youngest in age and youngest in status as a trainee gave him a bit more excitement, a bit more swing in his step.

and of course, there’s nothing wrong with that. it’s lucky that he still has, he’ll still treasure being excited for monthly evaluations, for training, for dancing until his sides hurt, for getting vocal warmups stuck in his head after hours of practice.

he’ll treasure that. and he’ll treasure the wealth of knowledge from more established trainees.

he feels like he’s going to need them in the near future.

[yutark]

august evals

okay guys! especially trainees! i’m trying to make a list of what trainees need a partner for august evals, to make it a bit easier than looking through the whole dash to find someone, or not knowing someone will do another or someone being missed, if we have a list, i thought it might be easier. so first! let me know if your trainee needs someone, i’ll put them on the list and second, if your muse has one already, but could do another, we can put you on the list as well.

the only information i need is, trainee name, company and any notes you want to add, like if they have one but will do another, or if they have a group idea.

< LIST >

[tenrkarchive]

♚ AUGUST EVALUATIONS place: the seoul zoo outfit: red on red members: @jaehyunrk & @rkdawon

                             … performing LOVE LINE by HYORIN, JOOYOUNG & BUMKEY

to say ten was nervous would be a massive understatement. of course, having his best friend there with him on stage helped a little bit, but at the same time, it was jaehyun, and ten knew that jaehyun had an amazing voice. from hearing dawon during the times they’d gone over the song together he knew she was insanely talented as well, leaving him as the weakest link. 

unlike before he was signed to trc, ten’s got some faith in his own voice, having been complimented on his tone and control by the vocal coach during his vocal training. that isn’t to say that he’s confident - if anything it’s the opposite still. he doesn’t think he has an amazing voice, at least not yet, which he worries will let jaehyun and dawon down slightly.

he knows the lyrics, and he thinks he’s got a good ear for harmonising, but it’s purely the fact that he doesn’t think his voice is really strong enough to hold up beside two incredible vocalists. so over the past month he’s practised harder than he’s ever practised before - something in him still feels a tightness at the thought of letting jaehyun down, and he can’t help but hate that part of him.

ten likes the song, and he likes his lines, yet as the day of the evaluation approaches his nerves tighten and tighten until they feel as though they’re strangling him. it takes a full hour to get himself to a calmer state on the day of the evaluation, and he feels like cursing at himself for getting to worried about it. it’s not a particularly difficult song; no hard high notes or incredible strength needed in his voice, yet he’s more nervous than he’s been before for an evaluation.

not because he thinks he’ll mess up, but because he doesn’t want to let jaehyun down. he doesn’t want to be so clearly the worst singer among them - he wants to stand out in his own way, but it seems so impossible when seated beside two of the best trainee singers he knows.

once on the stage ten introduces himself last, bowing low to the audience and throwing out a bright smile and simply giving himself a second to take in the feeling of being on stage again.

it does the trick.

seating himself beside jaehyun and dawon he holds the mic firmly in his hands, looking between them and smiling reassuringly before the music starts, and their performance is underway. 

it starts with his softer adlibs and harmonisation, complementing dawon’s voice. 

“hey... yes you are... 말해줘 ...  I never lie about my mind,”

then the chorus starts and ten finds himself excited for how the audience will react to all three of their voices harmonising.

“on line… love line... 어때… love line… love line… 부를 땐,”

ten taps his knee and sways slightly to the beat as jaehyun and dawon’s voices blend beautifully, and it’s hard not to get distracted just listening to them - they really do sound great together. but soon it’s his turn to sing with dawon and he wonders whether their voices sound as nice together as jaehyun’s and dawon’s do.

돌려 말을 하지마 누가 듣던지 말해봐 나랑 뭐 하고 싶어 our love line

( don’t beat around the bush just tell me, who will hear? what do you want to do with me our love line )  

the focus falls onto jaehyun alone, his voice standing out so beautifully it reminds ten of the reasons he once felt more for him that simply friendship - it still stings to think about, but not as badly as it used to, he’s moved past that part of his life, and he can appreciate jaehyun’s voice without it bringing back painful memories.

but then it’s right back to ten fitting in his voice around dawon’s, making sure he stand out, but not so much that he drowns out the other voices. 

“no never...  들리니 내 마음 ...  니가 없인 이제 내가 아닌 날,”

then the chorus once more with jaehyun’s voice standing out prettily beside ten’s and dawon’s. 

the bridge comes in once more and ten takes that moment to glance out over the audience and smile a small smile before he fits right back into the song alongside dawon’s powerful vocals.

돌려 말을 하지마 누가 듣던지 말해봐 나랑 뭐 하고 싶어 our love line

( don’t beat around the bush just tell me, who will hear? what do you want to do with me our love line )

then it’s ten’s favourite part, where he harmonises with jaehyun’s voice, the differences clear, but ten thinks it makes both voices stand out, ten’s soft, while jaehyun’s is stronger, almost hard, but not quite.

no matter where you are (you are) 어디에 있던지 (ma baby) 널 만질 순 없어도 (Yeah) still I’m here with you i can feel you (anytime) (tell me) 한번 더 말해줘 날 간지럽혔던 목소리로

( no matter where you are (you are) wherever you are (ma baby) although I can’t touch you (yeah) still I’m here with you i can feel you (anytime) (tell me) Tell me again in the voice that tickled my heart )

his voice, though soft, he thinks, maybe compliments the song and it’s groovy vibe. it’s something almost unexpected, yet not jarring in it’s unusual aspect. his voice is fit for backing others up, yet he’s not quite sure how well he’d do singing alone yet, which is why having jaehyun and dawon alongside him helps boost his confidence, the worry of disappointing them fading fast as the song nears its end.

돌려 말을 하지마 누가 듣던지 말해봐 나랑 뭐 하고 싶어 our love line ( don’t beat around the bush just tell me, who will hear? what do you want to do with me our love line )

on last time through the bridge and the song comes to and end, leaving ten grinning brightly, the thrill of performing now settled in his bones and leaving him perfectly content. it went well, he thinks, looking out over the audience, his eyes shining with glee.

[rkahnso]

Rumour // August Eval

OUTFIT: 1 HAIR/MAKEUP: 1 SONG/DANCE: 1 FEATURING: Seokjin, Taeyong, Sooyoung

the month was long but it wasn’t unpleasant. she made three new friends by the end of the month. it was nice to get to know her group better. everyone was gentle, encouraging out of her shell that she’s regressed into in the recent months.

if sohee had to guess, she’d say this evaluation was a lesson on working with others. she always supposed it would be easier to “trade” trainees when all five majors companies are under the same larger company. she could only imagine that it meant that they might be swapped across companies for debuts. it was a way to force people to be more open to those they’re not used to. the newfound flexibility was nice. sohee and her group didn’t really have trouble getting along.

it makes her wonder if others had any difficulties. although she doesn’t think anyone really would – other people were able to choose who they were working with. regardless, sohee doesn’t regret her group mates. in fact, she feels rather close to them.

the division of parts was easy. their strengths were clear from the get-go. they played off each other the best they could to fill the gaps in performance capabilities to make up for it. extra dance practises, more vocal practises and a lot of attention to coordination. the dance was a good co-ed song but it took quite some practise. they weren’t who sohee was used to – she was less likely to be as outspoken as she would be with anyone from trc.

to say the very least, getting dressed that day for the performance was exciting. being with people she wouldn’t normally perform with made this feel a bit realer in a sense. they looks cohesive like a unit dressed in a similar theme. of course they weren’t perfect (how could they be with only a month of practise?) but sohee wasn’t unashamed of their skill level.

being on the spot with people you’re not used to is a bit awkward to moving around with. spacial awareness is always a bit off. they were no longer awkward together, at the very least. they weren’t exactly in unison. they weren’t the image of perfection. but they improved a lot.

there was some nervousness with singing live – there always was, really. it’s not that she feared that she would bomb the performance; it was more so that she was nervous to always fall subpar. she wasn’t sure how the judging went with a lot of these evaluations. not a lot of feedback was given (and she swore the only people ever allowed to spectate evaluations were the most emotionally void people ever).

did they care? maybe not. but sohee always tried her best.

it wasn’t a difficult song on the sole definition of vocal range. it was pretty standard. but combining it was a little bit difficult. she won’t shy away from admitting some breathy lyrics on her end. in all, she wasn’t disappointed with herself or her temporary group.

it felt nice to finally smile again.

[rkjinwook]

             ● SPHERE EVALUATION:  난 멈추지 않는다  :  I WON’T STOP              SAM KIM & KWON JINAH   KIM JINWOOK  &  LEE JIHYUN

what i am now is not myself

summer months are traditionally lazy but have this year been defined by tension. long july nights fumbling with choreography. jinri’s broken wrist. a night in the emergency room. false brightness buzzing through the phone lines to soothe his parents. facing his failures and re-enrolling in classes. jinri and luna in constant turmoil, jinwook helpless to ease their decisions. above all else, there is restlessness.

seolhyun is auditioning too, and jegal seoyoung, and who knows else from all of the faces he’s grown accustomed to greeting in the hallways every afternoon. the first new girl group in years, from any of the five companies under samsung. so much change on the horizon.

we start everything all over again

jihyun is a blessing, and at the same time brings a sense of finality to this bubble ready to burst. it’s her last evaluation before the royal survival show begins — why do they always meet at the endings? since the mgas last year, they’ve hardly interacted at all — not nearly enough compared to how fondly jinwook still remembers his half-week stint under royal entertainment and coach jihyun’s guidance.

regret that can’t be taken back, let’s get it together

he regrets not reaching out sooner, and more often. she’s just as lovely to work with as he recalls. laughter often fills their practice times as they pass the rap lines between themselves, before their unanimous decision to cut the part entirely. in retrospect, it feels an honor to spend this precious time with her.

the weight of the guitar in his lap, jinwook on a stool in front of a panel of familiar instructors, he looks to meet jihyun’s eyes. her perch mirrors his, and he smiles as he taps a count against his guitar. the song is fitting, not only by arrangement — two singers and two guitarists, jihyun’s vocals stronger than his, jinwook picking up the trickier instrumental riffs — but in sentiment as well. something melancholic, regretful. something purposeful and resolute.

is jinwook happy here? it’s something he asks himself regularly, and maybe that is a telling sign in itself. at the least, he’s become comfortable and perhaps complacent as a trainee. with so many lives shifting around him, it feels in his best interest hold steady, be consistent. it’s what he’s best at. but he’s beginning to think 'progressing’ is a better descriptor: everyone progressing around him and jinwook static, stuck in old habits and old paths of thought.

he’s never been sure how to go about fixing this, but he senses change on his horizon, a bubble about to burst. it starts like this — they take one step forward:

we cannot finish like this here.

[rkjieqiong-blog]

                                 a secret party   ♬   #rkaug17eval

                                  i’m losing control                                   what’s wrong with me?                                   hurry hurry boy                                   i want you                                                   

                                ♥       (  team  &  @seolhyunrk  @rkeunae  @jihoonrk  @rkkaeun  )

jieqiong finally, finally had the honor of working with none other than the eunae. and she must say, she likes her way more than her mother - but that wasn’t exactly much to say.

the group she had fit into wasn’t hard to work with, a rather diverse and talent group of individuals jieqiong’s sad to say she’s just now had the pleasure of meeting. the girl was glad she didn’t end up getting stuck with anyone else - this month’s evaluations could’ve gone a lot worse. but she’s glad to say it was going pretty well despite them not being too familiar with one another.

they all had agreed to focus more on the dancing of brave girl’s hush rather than the singing. there was no rap, which could be difficult for the ones who based more in that category. but they had decided to split up the lines evenly and help each other out. wasn’t that what a team was for?

when it came down to the day of their performance, jieqiong was absolutely bouncing in excitement.

the white sheets completed the choreography ( she was always a sucker for props ) and the heels gave that extra push to make the whole performance that much better. talented dancers in heels? now that’s a show.

the group got into their positions for the start of the song, jieqiong rocking back and forth on the edge of her heels as she felt both nerves and excitement coarse through her. she took a deep breath, adjusting her mic before whispering words of luck to the others - quieting just as the music began.

sum soriga deullyeo yeah

[rkbyunbaek]

royal evaluation, august 2k17;

new connections; feat. ★ sphere’s choi seungcheol ♫ f(x) — all mine ( acoustic version )

it's been about a year since baekhyun's joined royal entertainment;

a full year since he got scouted by the company that threw him away only a few months prior during the mnet global auditions, showing him that despite those slip-ups he had they still not only wanted him but deemed him good enough, talented enough to be a part of them. a full year of entirely new obstacles, challenges and experiences – baekhyun suddenly having to deal with feelings he's never felt before, with fears and insecurities he didn't even know were hidden inside of him.

a full year of baekhyun trying his best to 'filter himself' and walking head on to face every struggle coming his way, to hop over every single challenge ( maybe, not with ease but somehow, at least ). sometimes, it feels like all he's done since starting practice is to fight; against his anxiety, against the doubts that would too many times hold him down, hold him back.

but at the end of the day it was all worth it, all the tears and sweat and worries because it made him grow into a different person. at the end of the day baekhyun's glad that he's still belongs to royal and that he made it through all of this, determined to use this second year to convince them all over again why it was their best decision to give him a contract.

and when his eyes flicker over to seungcheol next to him and watch him reaching for his acoustic guitar, baekhyun thinks that it's one hell of a good start.

my heart isn’t acting like i want the sound of my heartbeat gets faster

his fingers curl around the microphone in his hand, grip tightening but not because he's nervous, not because being on stage gives him the chills like it usually does but because he's more than just ready for all of this, every fiber of his body itching with the desire to sing. baekhyun's excited, looking forward to this performance, this collaboration because even now, after working together for almost an entire month, he doesn't regret choosing seungcheol. he doesn't regret approaching him in the middle of the hallway.

actually, he thinks it was one of his best decisions.

( he's never had a real problem with talking to strangers, after all. )

not only did he gain an awesome new friend, someone so soft and positive to match his overbearing personality and bring him back down to earth when needed, someone with the same passion for girl groups and making music, but he also managed to challenge himself into doing something entirely new, diving into something he's never done before.

and it's been a great experience to be guided by seungcheol's knowledge, to watch him create.

if he's being honest, baekhyun's still amazed that he managed to keep the freshness, the cheerfulness of the song despite striping it off it's heavy beat, switching it out to be only accompanied by his guitar. almost like magic. what amazes him even more, though, is that he actually helped out with that, seungcheol involving him, asking him for ideas at any given chance; it made him nervous, unsure but he ended up with satisfaction and pride.

yeah, they created all of this together.

it's a thought that causes the corners of baekhyun's lips to easily curl up into a smile, his gaze still glued to the boy sitting on the other stool while he finally starts to strum the strings of his guitar, leading into the intro of their song, starting their performance. another thing that baekhyun's taken from this evaluation, from working with seungcheol is that he definitely wants to pick up how to learn the guitar too, by the way, and baekhyun thinks, maybe, he should be more thankful for the company's attempts at pushing all of them out of their comfort zones.

[rkxroyal]

AUGUST EVALUATION ✨       nam woohyun & tuan yien performing beautiful liar 

things are getting easier everyday. things aren’t so hard to do, his mind is a little bit more clear-- the slump still hits him from time to time but it’s not as hard to ignore, not as hard to suffer through. training helps, it helps keep his mind off of it. 

this time around, the evaluation isn’t hard to do either. he’s back in his element, back into the comfort of something he’s confident in. yien’s been a blessing to work with, and it’s been smooth sailing. despite the slight hiccup with his throat being sore (nothing tea and honey couldn’t fix), everything has been great and woohyun feels great. 

“let’s do our best.” he beams at the other boy before they perform. the kind words and hope, he wants to express to yien the best he can. woohyun trusts yien, and in turn-- after all the hard work they’ve put through with this, the long days and nights of practice, he hopes yien does too.

“this is a beautiful lie,” woohyun starts, voice soft. “my last lie. even if it hurts to death i am hiding myself under a mask for you.” he lowers the microphone, stepping back to give the attention yien, nodding his head to the beat. his expression is schooled into the proper one for the feeling of the song, a somber one as his eyes flutter shut, loosing himself into the lyrics and yien’s voice. 

lifting up the microphone to harmonize, and he lets his voice reign through. “i’m letting go of your rightly held hands, but my heart is still the same; but i’ll let you go. i’m letting go of your hands, but my heart is still the same.” yien finishes the verse with his rap as woohyun inhales, throat catching as he coughs lightly, gathering composure and continuing.

“this is a beautiful lie. my last lie. even if it hurts to death, i am hiding myself under a mask for you.” his voice isn’t as light as he’d like, and it cracks at the beginning but woohyun has done this multiple times before. he doesn’t let the concern show, keeps his expression perfected as he continues. “it’s alright if you leave me. i want you to be happy. oh i’m, i’m a beautiful, i’m a beautiful liar.”

his hand lifts to his throat, massaging it as he clears it as quietly as he can as yien continues. his tongue swipes across his lips, sniffling as he rakes a hand through his hair to calm his nerves. 

“i won’t hang onto you. i will smile. this is me, don’t hesitate anymore. leave me--” he blends into the chorus immediately, and his voice sounds better this time around; there are no hiccups, but woohyun is hoping that everything else settles perfectly. 

the next harmonization comes, and woohyun waits with the microphone perched at his mouth patiently. “it’s time for me to give you the last bits of my heart. the fact that we loved it beautiful.” yien’s voice fades out and woohyun continues. “me with iron shackles on my legs is more like me than ever before.” 

the song is haunting. woohyun almost resonates to it, but he tries not to focus on it. his fingers twitch around the microphone. 

“it’s a beautiful pain, letting you go. i have to kill myself inside. swallow my tears-- and put on a smiling mask.” a relatable song indeed. “i feel so relieved now. please don’t worry about me. oh i’m, i’m a beautiful-- no a cowardly liar.”

[seungcheolrk]

● SPHERE AUGUST EVALUATION: BRANCHING OUT !

ALL MINE (ACOUSTIC VER) — F(X) ( WITH ROYAL ENT’S BAEKHYUN )

after july’s evaluation, sphere could’ve asked him to cartwheel a full route of the seocho building this month and seungcheol would have sighed with relief. thankfully, they don’t, however, though seungcheol notes that the task they do give him initially feels of the same difficulty level. 

talking to new people is a skill seungcheol should really be making sure he improves on given that the idol life is equal parts communicating with everyone you see as it is actually performing. fans, show hosts, backstage staff; seungcheol would be coming into constant contact with unfamiliar people and whilst still a trainee is the best time to master that — or at least, get to a point where he perhaps doesn’t stutter every time. now, out of the public eye, he can afford to mess up a little (within reason). once he debuts, or even once the samsung ads air and he’s a public trainee, people will be watching and a seemingly unapproachable and uncooperative idol isn’t likely to get anywhere (and it’d be a great shame, since seungcheol is neither of those things). 

말이 맘대로 안돼 내 맘을 따라 잡을 수 없어 

he assumes it can only be the world repaying him for the work he put in last month (and the price he paid for it) when baekhyun approaches him.

their collaboration is something mostly new to seungcheol and his excitement to finally perform it begins to outweigh his nerves towards the end of the month. truthfully, he expected to worry endlessly about carrying baekhyun’s success on his shoulders like he did in every collaborative performance, especially those where they choose to work together, but as they progress through converting the strong edm beat to the soft acoustic, he finds he focuses less on failure and more on success. 

like last month, it’s a challenge, and that’s exactly what seungcheol feels he needs — albeit this one is much, much more achievable. 

널 내 품에 안고 dive

it comes as a surprise to him once it’s all done and they’re playing it through from beginning to end for the first time, that the song actually sounds quite natural in acoustic form. since the original is so different, he imagined the vocals would feel disconnected and they’d have to look at changing it further, but it’s not even close. that doesn’t subtract from how difficult it had been to convert in the first place, though, but seungcheol’s honestly quite glad it’s ready to practice at that point, because he has to balance two performances this month, plus a well overdue monthly cover... at least no one can say I don’t work hard, he muses, right? 

he plays gently, as not to overpower baekhyun’s voice or bring attention away from the sweetness of it. if baekhyun’s friendliness had awed him, then his voice leaves him speechless. seungcheol knows the other trainees are talented; each and every single one of them has to be in some way, shape or form to be here at all, but he sometimes forgets just quite how impressive they all are, especially outside sphere, always hiding away in his protective bubble alone. at first, it scares him — can I keep up with him? do his voice justice? — but after a while, like everything else this evaluation, it becomes more an honour he isn’t prepared to mess up or miss out on. 

so he doesn’t.

(for the most part, anyway.)

(무지개도) (저 바다도) (햇살까지) oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, all mine

all mine 온 세상이

his throat is fully healed from his cold and his body from the beating it’d taken against the stage floor, but he still stays reasonably still, swaying only slightly as he plays and keeping his voice stable and soft. it’s lucky, really, that it had only taken a couple weeks, with as much rest as he could possibly fit in and plenty of fluids, for him to recover. he doesn’t know what he would have done if he’d have still been sick come the end of the month— he doesn’t know what sphere would do. it’s not a crime to skip an evaluation, but he doesn’t want to find out what comes of it. (though he imagines it’s probably just a stern lecture about dedication and the cost of keeping a trainee, which sounds like the opposite of fun. at that point, he’d rather just sneeze his way through a performance.) 

(꿈의 그림) (my heart)

a lot of his lines are necessary, to fill in the gaps where baekhyun can’t sing two different voices at the same time, but seungcheol still thinks he’s been given too much. with his guitar strap over his shoulder, he would’ve been content just taking the rap and the necessary backing vocals, but he also didn’t want to come across uncommitted either. it had been a dilemma at first, but he soon embraces it. as much as he wants baekhyun to shine, his partner likely wants him to, too. it doesn’t reflect well on either of them if the performance is unbalanced. 

(and truthfully, he really loves his small chorus lines and harmonising with the older. it’s not often that he gets to harmonise with anyone but himself, so it’s nice to remind himself that he can actually do that from time to time. it seems silly, but he performs alone so much that he forgets how useful he has the potential to be in certain collaborations— or maybe that’s just plain, old insecurities. either way, it’s warming to rediscover each time.) 

이 순간 보여지는 모든 환상이 내 거라고

so far, his performance is clean. he’s focusing mostly on himself, on timing his vocals perfectly and playing the backing without fault for baekhyun to follow with ease — just like they practiced. but, he knows that’ll catch him out soon; it’s always misplaced focus that does.

난 네 손을 잡고 fly

the chorus arrives before he knows it and in truth, his stumble is barely noticeable, especially after re-imagining the song, but that doesn’t stop his cheeks from flushing a delicate pink as he transitions into the rap. 

(흰 구름도) (이 바람도) (향기까지) oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, all mine

oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, all mine

oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, all mine

he starts the verse late— only a few beats, and it’s probably the best time to mess up, if he has to at all. with years of practice, he fits back into the normal beat with ease, prays it hadn’t been obvious that his priority had been the guitar. maybe he should’ve recorded a backing track in the studio, then he could’ve added extra instruments, but it feels more authentic like this. is that what they wanted? right now, he can’t really afford to think about it. 

상상했던 사랑인 거죠 하늘 위 바다 끝 어딜 보아도 알록 달록 아름다워 도무지 난 눈을 뗄 수가 없죠 꿈에서도 펼치게 밤새 설레설레 잠도 못 들게

thankfully, the rest of the performance continues without any more slip ups. a bright smile and sheer determination (and also a little of that fear of failure that he had, until now, avoided) get him through to the end of the song, his fingers shaking as the room falls to silence. gently, he bows his head in thanks. 

all mine, all mine, all mine oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, all mine

(꿈의 그림) (my heart)

oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, all mine

one down, one to go. 

[rksona]

★ — august evaluation, 2017 ;

🎼 cause of u — jevice — ft. @rksica

despite just how stressful it had been to focus on so different many things over the course of the month, dawon’s oddly satisfied with how everything worked out. for once, her battles were solely limited to those fought in her own mind, and she hadn’t been forced to push her body beyond its limit. aside from her daily dance lessons at nova (which had been rather rough during the first few days of the month), she had managed to allow herself to get the rest that she needed to allow her ankle to properly heal.

she tried not to let her depressing thoughts hinder her from making the most of her month. dawon’s glad to have had the chance to branch out to a few of the trainees from other companies, and spending time in their company to arrange the performances had proved to be a much-needed distraction from the thoughts that she didn’t want to deal with. she only wished the same could be said about the song choice, which, as much as she loved it, the lyrics certainly hit too close to home.

사랑이라고 그대를 사랑이라고 부르고 싶었었는데 용기가 없었어 나는

jessica was outstanding. dawon admired her voice, constantly finding herself experiencing awe simply by being in her presence. she’s honored to have been given the opportunity to perform with such a talented vocalist, and, deep down, she hopes that this won’t be their last time performing together. even if it was, however, dawon hopes that she’ll be presented with the chance to hear sic sing later down the road once she’s debuted.

Come on u 사랑해 이말이 Come on u 목까지 차올라 Cause of u 큰소리로 외쳐 Cause on u 마음속으로만 Cause of you loving u 나에게 말해줘

each time she listened to the song, each time they had practiced it—dawon always found her thoughts returning to jiae (not that she was surprised at this point). her ex-best friend had been on her mind a lot lately, especially following hoseok’s unofficial moving out; there was something about the empty apartment that left her yearning for the days of laughter and fun that she had shared with jiae, making old wounds new again as she remembered their future together that would never come to be.

때로는 아프고 때로는 눈물만 흐르고 때로는 심장이 멎은 듯 멀리서 그대만 바라봐

even now, she can’t help but wonder how different things would be if she had confessed her true feelings. would it have given her a reason to stay, or would it have only caused her to leave that much faster? it’s silly, dawon thinks, to assume that it would have kept jiae at her side—there was no way a girl like that would fall for someone like dawon, right? as much as dawon likes to reassure herself that nothing would have changed, as much as she likes to believe that her feelings were hers alone, she still can’t help but wonder—what if?

너뿐이라고 내맘이 너뿐이라고 이렇게 너만이라고 혼자서 불러봐

she shouldn’t be thinking of this, not now—but she can’t help it. she smiles in sic’s direction, hopefully making it known that she was enjoying the performance (which she certainly was, despite her saddening thoughts). thinking about jiae made her sad, that much was expected, but she doesn’t allow it to stop her from enjoying herself. they were doing a good job, in dawon’s opinion, and she finds herself feeling proud of her newfound ability to control her emotions.

지금 말해버리면 그대를 못볼까봐서 그러면 나는 더 이상 살수가 없어 Cause of you loving u 나에게 말해줘

if only there were a way for her to turn back time. she’d do anything for a chance to see jiae again, even if only for a little while, just so that she could make peace with what happened. she knows it’s impossible, however. the girl had moved to another country entirely, undoubtedly living the life that she had always wanted. she didn’t need dawon anymore, that much was obvious; dawon only wishes that she was able to move on so easily.

하루종일 니생각에 아무것도 못해 이런맘이 커지고 커져서 그대앞에서 작게만 느껴지는 나

she tries to push these thoughts aside, enjoying the performance for everything that it was. the two of them made a good team, she thinks, and she continues to hope for a future collaborate between the two of them. not only was sic a pleasure to perform with, but a pleasure to spend time with as well; arranging the cover had proved to be almost as fun as performing it.

내눈엔 자꾸 너만 보여 내맘엔 오직 너만 살아

the song would soon be drawing to a close, and dawon would be lying to say that she wasn’t disappointed. for the first time in quite some time, she was consistently enjoying herself across each of her performances, and it was definitely something that she could get used to. she hopes that this streak will continue, carrying into months to come, though she’s not sure how much confidence she has in the matter.

그러면 나는 더 이상 살수가 없어 cause of u loving u 나에게 말해줘

once the song is finally over, she smiles at sic once more. they had done a good job, she thinks, and she’s more than happy with the way things had turned out. truthfully, she had almost forgotten that they were being evaluated at all; she had managed to lose herself in the music, each moment spent singing from the heart.

it was a feeling that she could get used to.

[jaehyunrk]

––––––––––– baby i’m on line, get on my love line. AUGUST EVALUATIONS FEAT. @rkdawon & @tenrk ; hyorin, bumkey, jooyoung love line.

he’s glad that he finds himself teaming up with ten and dawon. ten isn’t any stranger to him; the both of them go way back in high school and it’s comforting actually having someone you’re close with performing with you. and dawon’s voice had been breathtaking, jaehyun already a self-proclaimed stan the moment he heard her sing. so the team, he thinks, is pretty solid.

things, thankfully, don’t go as badly as they did back when he had to perform lucifer. there’s no need to worry about a terrifyingly difficult choreography this time around and jaehyun can do what he’s most comfortable doing –– singing.

they go through a few songs here and there before they finally decide on one. love line. it has a bit of a hip-hop r&b vibe to it and while admittedly, jaehyun’s never performed a song like this (usually sticking to ballads), he’s more than excited to give it a go. it’s something new and fresh and jaehyun’s always been up for a little challenge.

on the day of the evaluation, jaehyun’s fairly confident –– at least a lot more so than he had been during the previous evaluations. and he’s sure he has to give credit to this surge of confidence from dawon’s voice as well. her voice was amazing, that much jaehyun already knew, but hearing it live and being in a team with a voice like that... jaehyun was awed.

“i’m royal entertainment’s, jung jaehyun,” he introduces himself before he bows.

    and music cue.

the song starts with a strong beat followed by some humming. dawon takes the lead, the first one to sing and jaehyun nods along, his body falling into the rhythm of the song. 

as soon as the chorus/hook of the song hits, jaehyun adds in to harmonize.

“on line... love line.. 어때... love line... love line... 부를 땐,” he harmonizes.

it’s time for his short little ‘duet’ with dawon and he thinks, quite honestly, that their voices blend in pretty well.

난 너만의 radio 들어줄래 나의 stereo 우리 둘만의 story goes 그냥 듣고 있어 ( i’m a radio only for you will you listen to my stereo for the two of us, story goes just listen )

there’s a groove to this song that jaehyun particularly likes and it’s easy to get into the feel of it. he turns to dawon and smiles, they’re a team after all and teams work together.

and then the focus shifts to ten and dawon instead before it returns back to him.

say you are mine i’ll be on line 들려도 듣고 싶은 니 목소리 흔들리지마 나만 바라봐 ( say you are mine i’ll be on line your voice is what i want to hear don’t be weak look only at me )

there’s a lot more technique needed for this song, after all it’s not exactly a ballad and it’s still new to jaehyun. but he’d like to believe that he’s able to carry it out in an... acceptable fashion.

there’s a lot of switch in this song, especially between the two boys but it’s probably what adds flavour to it –– that you won’t get too bored listening to the same voice over and over again. it’s got a variety, jaehyun thinks.

the next chorus has jaehyun trying new things again, his voice harmonizing with dawon’s in the background as he attempts to add some flair to this song.

난 너만의 radio 들어줄래 나의 stereo 우리 둘만의 story goes 그냥 듣고 있어 ( i’m a radio only for you will you listen to my stereo for the two of us, story goes just listen )

he repeats the bridge, little smirk already making it’s way across his lips before the focus once more shifts to him and ten this time around.

no matter where you are (you are) 어디에 있던지 (ma baby) 널 만질 순 없어도 (yeah) still I’m here with you ( no matter where you are (you are) wherever you are (ma baby) although i can’t touch you (yeah) still i’m here with you )

his voice is more mellow now as he attempts to match the song’s vibe. and being an idol was about this –– the need to have a versatile voice after all.

as they sing the chorus jaehyun adds on to the adlibs as they’ve practiced.

난 너만의 radio 들어줄래 나의 stereo 우리 둘만의 story goes 그냥 듣고 있어 ( i’m a radio only for you will you listen to my stereo for the two of us, story goes just listen )

the song comes to a close with the last repeat of the bridge and the moment the song stops jaehyun feels this adrenaline in him. he’ll probably never get tired of performing.

[rkrosememories]

╰ °✧ august evaluations — so far away ( original ) by park chaeyoung ft. @rksungho

                   “so far away. if i have a dream, if i have a dream that flies away.”

rose bottles up everything that she feels these days, stowing it away somewhere deep in her heart for a rainy day. and then, she’ll either use it to her advantage or let it destroy her on a night where she’s at her worst. that’s just the way things went. of late, she’s been keeping her mouth shut, not at all being open about her feelings or her plan of direction, and maybe it’s best this way, or safest this way. come august, weights have been placed down upon her delicate shoulders, and dealing with the evaluations and survival show, deciding if this is the call that she wants or has to make. and in the midst of it, as it expected, she breaks down and those feelings kept away all come flooding out, in both the form of a breakdown and as a song, and it’s only best that she writes this song with someone like him, her best friend.

a song says things that spoken words can’t really say, so working on this piece with sungho has been nothing but a blessing for rose. it’s hard to know him at times, he’s so hot headed and reserved yet day by day, rose wonders to herself if she’s chipping away to find out who he truly is. he’s been there for her through thick and thin, it only makes senses that something like this becomes of them. the two had been working on an original song for some time, and come august evaluations, rose threw forth the suggestion of them actually performing it. so they put their heads together, spent night after night perfecting their verses, creating the beat and running through it again and again. when rose wasn’t in the dance studio, she was writing and recording, revising and planning. if this was going to be her last evaluation, forever or a while, she wanted it to be a memorable one.

rose is constantly overcome with stress of late, she’s agitated and tense and finds it difficult to breathe and keep herself composed. she apologies to people for being short with them, promising that she’ll change come the end of the month, once evaluations and the auditions are done. so somehow, here she is, sitting before her coaches in seocho, sungho at her side. her grip on the microphone tightens, as do the muscles in her stomach. but she settles back and listens to sungho pour out feelings in the form of a rap, and rose feels each and every word. she nods her head along to the music gently, and the sudden realisation that this is their song becomes very real all of a sudden. a sense of pride overcomes her momentarily.

it sucks when you don’t have anything you want to do, i know it’s pathetic to not have something as common as a dream, i know. you said to do as i’m told, that it would all be fine when i go to university. i’m the asshole for believing those words, i live because i can’t die.

give me some drinks, i want to get drunk today. please don’t stop me. anything will be fine, alcohol is luxury for a bitch, i can’t stand being sober. everyone else is running, why am i the only one here? everyone else is running, why am i the only one here? everyone else is running, why am i the only one here?

and then it’s her turn. her lines are simple, quaint; more or less there to break up the hard hitting verses that sungho is rapping. but there is nothing wrong with simplicity, for the chorus makes just as much sense and it says just as much. well, perhaps that’s a lie. rose sings gently, sincerely, and that grip on the microphone loosens up at last and that she’s thankful for.

so far away, if i have a dream, if i have a dream that flies away. don’t fall away, yeah. if i have a dream, if i have a dream that flies away.

likely one of her favourite verses, rose adds in soft adlibs here and there when necessary. this evaluation in a way has been easy on her in terms of singing, or showing off talent; but it takes a lot out of her to settle back and listen to their story, their feelings being poured out before these trainers, who are probably taken back by what they are hearing. at least she hopes so.

dream. i will be there for your creation until the end of your life. dream. wherever you might be, it will be lenient. dream. you will fully bloom after all the hardships. dream. though your beginnings my be humble, may the end be prosperous.

as they delve deeper into the story, rose feels her stomach twist and churn a little more. maybe it’s nerves, but the sense of pride for the both of them and their creation that they’ve managed to grow and work at for months on end, that overcomes everything.

yeah fuck. i live because i can’t die. nothing is more miserable and lonely than not having something you want to do. the only thing everyone around me says is to come to my senses. i try to vent out my anger but the only one here with me is me. so what’s the point of venting? every morning, it’s terrifying to open my eyes, it’s terrifying to breath.

my friends, even my family are getting further away. as time goes by, i’m becoming more impatient. the feeling of being on my own, i am on my own right now, i want everything to disappear. like this, the world throws me away. in that moment i’m getting father away from the sky, i’m falling.

and it’s her moment again, so she sings. her eyes are likely misty, rose feels as though she could be capable of crying any moment now. a lot of work went into this, a lot. 

so far away, if i have a dream, if i have a dream that flies away. don’t fall away, yeah. if i have a dream, if i have a dream that flies away. 

dream. i will be there for your creation until the end of your life. dream. wherever you might be, it will be lenient. dream. you will fully bloom after all the hardships. dream. though your beginnings my be humble, may the end be prosperous. 

so far away, if i have a dream, if i have a dream that flies away. don’t fall away, yeah. if i have a dream, if i have a dream that flies away.

dream. i will be there for your creation until the end of your life. dream. wherever you might be, it will be lenient. dream. you will fully bloom after all the hardships. dream. though your beginnings my be humble, may the end be prosperous.

and it’s now that she’s reminded of the tattoo on the underside of her arm, something of which she had done in the process of creating this song with sungho. the lyric of first love resonated with her so deeply, she couldn’t resist; rose had to have that be apart of her. 

so far away. first love. so far away, first love. so far away, first love. so far away, first love. so far away, don’t fall away. so far away, don’t fall away.

as the song comes to a close, rose glances across to sungho with a gentle smile. and she’s beyond thankful that she had the opportunity to share this moment with him, her best friend.

[rkdayoung-blog]

                                  bad girls do it right   ♬   #rkaug17eval

                                  baby, hold me till i e x p l o d e                                   stop thinking, what’s so hard about this?                                   kiss me like it’s a lie                                   as if i’m your last love                                                     

                                 ♥       (  team  &  @rkjinri  @rksoohyun @rkyeri  &  look  )

training got easier, days went by faster, her greed growing with every second she spent under trc’s influence. dayoung supposed she should be worried - thing were going well ( something that always came with a price ). it was the end of august and the girl felt the best she had in awhile. evaluations weren’t as stressful as the last and things had managed to calm down at home, well for the most part at least.

this time around, she would be able to show a better, new side of herself. dayoung was excited to stay the least.

dayoung played with the ends of her braids as the group situated themselves before the panel. they filed into a line and she took her place at the front - head cast down and hands falling from her hair to her side. quickly she whispered words of encouragement to the girls behind her, falling silent before jumping into the first few movements as blackpink’s as if it’s your last started up.

♪ ~ little bit of that little bit of this little bit of that gimme gimme gimme gimme little bit of that ~ ♪ 

this style was different than what she had shown in her first evaluation, a more charismatic and charming performance than her second. she was cute, softer and more cutesy songs typically suited her well; it wasn’t a challenge for im dayoung to tug at your heartstrings dancing to a chi chi or she’z song. so this was definitely a change for her. 

not to mention the fact she had taken on the roll as the group’s rapper.

♪ ~ 마지막처럼 마-마-마지막처럼 마지막 밤인 것처럼 love 마지막처럼 마-마-마지막처럼 내일 따윈 없는 것처럼 ~ ♪

the trainee craved a challenge - wanting to be that triple threat good enough to beat anyone out. now this was certainly an easy start, especially considering the beat nor the lyrics were that complicated. she performed her lines with confidence, the english lyrics falling from her lips with such familiarity it filled her movements with pride.   

♪ ~ uh imma fall in love baby you gon finna catch me uh give you all of this baby call me pretty and nasty cause we gonna get it my love you can bet it on black we gon double the stack on them whoa! i be the bonnie and you be my clyde we ride or die xs and os ~ ♪ 

the beat of the song allowed fun choreography, a fact dayoung was grateful for in the hours they spent practicing it. the dance called for four performers and thus resulted in minimal confusing formation changes ( unlike those she had done before ). the girls weren’t forced so close together so her movements came unrestricted and comfortable.

♪ ~ 마지막처럼 마-마-마지막처럼 마지막 밤인 것처럼 love 마지막처럼 마-마-마지막처럼 내일 따윈 없는 것처럼 ~ ♪

the song was drawing to its end - dayoung making sure to show with was enjoying her performance with smiling and continuous eye contact with the panel. she was certainly not the best rapper nor dancer ( although she’d much like to believe the latter was true ) but she was surrounded with talented trainees who she had naturally grown comfortable with. 

the four finished their performance, the song fading out as the girl’s breaths filled the room. dayoung waited a moment before bowing, apologizing profusely when one of her braids swung and hit one of the other girls in face. oops?

[rkxayah]

« HUSH HUSH HUSH BABY » kt 💜 august evaluation 2017 performing hush by miss a brave girls ft. @seolhyunrk, @jihoonrk, @rkkaeun, @rkjieqiong

she would never have made it through alive without jihoon. he's been her savior for this evaluation, gracefully accepting to give her multiple lessons about how to walk in high heels without twisting her ankle or falling face flat on the stage. he not only did that, but also helped her embrace a part of her femininity she always thought just wasn't cut out for her personality. as tall as she is, eunae has never found heels very practical and prefers flats or sneakers in general, but she has to admit that heels d advantage her figure by a great margin. her outfit looks on point today and she can barely recognize herself when she looks in the mirror.

damn.

after mastering the heels, the most difficult part was definitely her singing lines. she was almost glad she didn't have to rap for this eval, or all she would've done is complain about the sexy choreography and how her movements, once again, looked too sharp when they began practice. now that she thinks about it, she has no idea why she even agreed to do this. it's completely out of her element, but jieqiong proved herself extremely convincing. the sphere trainee is right after all, if she wants to become a good performer, eunae has to branch out and explore areas she's less comfortable in. it'll help her learn and hopefully improve. but wasn't the whole dancing in heels part already enough suffering for the month? now she not only has to sing, but look sensual while doing it.

she pulls through, not wanting to let the team down, and practices relentlessly for the short amount of time they got. seolhyun and her are also busy on the side preparing for the royal survival show. the audition tape deadline is getting close and most of eunae's energy is put into it. however, she doesn't want to disappoint her coaches who believe in her, and her teammates who are counting on her.

thankfully, she only gets a few lines and can concentrate more on the dance. the vocals aren't really the highlight of this song anyway and it's all about the visuals and the atmosphere of it all. if they can impress the panel, it'll be through the dance first and foremost.

they get in formation behind the white sheets and eunae breathes in deeply, trying to remember the advice given by the other trainees. she isn't used to intently seducing someone using body movements, but she's seen enough music videos and dancers to picture how it goes. she has to keep her gestures fluid, swing her hips side to side when walking but not too much. she doesn't want it to look silly or overdone. seems like a hassle more than anything else and she wonders how the others do it with such ease.