behyunki

[behyunki]

waterbomb was a fun event in the midst of his continued adjustment to balancing school and training. hyunki's time with friends had been severely limited, which was one of the hardest parts of the transition. though, it helped one of his closet friends in sarang, and other new found friends were surrounding him now. made it all the easier.

hearing sarang's whisper comment, hyunki playfully swatted at the other male's arm with a giggle. like it wasn't a thought that would have crossed his own mind without the other's input. "this might hve been made for us," hyunki teased in return, still.

this wasn't the first time hyunki had been to waterbomb, he'd gone in years past with friends. attending with sarang was a new experience, especially in the middle of sarang's current heartache. it was fun to joke around when training, but that was very different from what they could do when given free reign of their time.

"ohhh! yes! yes! see where he is!" hyunki agreed once hearing the idea of inviting hangyeol along to dance with them. since their faux forced rivalry, and eventual olive branch, hyunki found he very much enjoyed the other, and their budding friendship.

waterbomb is the perfect escape from his problems, and though it's only temporary, he's so grateful that it arrived when it did. life hasn't been easy lately, and though sarang is ever the optimist, it's been hard for him to maintain his usually luminous demeanor lately. smiles are replaced with wistful expressions, and he's painted over in shades of blue as opposed to rose and blush, but for right now, he's forcing himself to feel better. within him is still an aching heart, but he hopes that the mighty splashes of water and the summer sunshine revive his spirits.

what makes all of this better is that he's glued to the side of one of his best friends, jang hyunki. if there are any sources of light in his life right now, hyunki is definitely one of them, as well as hangyeol, and jay, and everyone else whose had the patience to listen to him whine, or help put a smile back on his face, or offer sage advice, now that he's been in the pits of heartbreak. all in all, this day is set up for success, and he's ready to lean into it with all of his weight.

when he's asked how he feels about the dance, he smiles over to hyunki; nodding his head toward him. "i think it's perfect for you and me," sarang begins, leaning his face closer to hyunki's so he can whisper. "we both experts at moving our hips, after all, and that's basically all this is." an impish laugh escapes him, all in good fun.

"do you think we should have hangyeol do this with us? i can text him and see where he's at? imagine the power that the three of us combined in this video. putting sr media's name on everyone's lips..." the idea hits him and it makes perfect sense, but he'd understand of hyunki wanted it to just be the two of them. they've got a faux twin brand to uphold. "what do you think?"

[behyunki]

hyunki and @sarangbe team up for the waterbomb challenge

hyunki had wondered what would come of his social media once he became a trainee, if he'd be allowed to post as normal or if it'd be taken from him. it was nice knowing he still got to have all his accounts, he'd worked hard on building the following he had prior to next gen. now, sure, he had to be cautious nowadays since it wasn't a secret he was a trainee but he could do that.

at least that was his claim as he stood next to sarang in their matching short shorts. nothing too short, everything was covered. still, the two were having fun.

"how do you feel about the dance?" hyunki asked sarang, wanting to ensure the other felt good before they attempted to film anything. sarang was good at the visuals and presentation, hyunki was good at the dancing. an amazing duo for social media, really.

luckily, the challenge was simple, and easy to teach if necessary.

[behyunki]

hyunki prepared for his scene with jueun

one of the first questions that crossed hyunki's mind as him and jueun agreed to partner up for a scene was whether or not someone would take him being straight seriously. out of all the emotion in this break up, it felt like hyunki being into women was the most unbelievable.

the entire scene was interesting from start to finish. the break up was a lot and he still wasn't entirely sure why this couple was separating. the scene was sad and emotional-fueled, to say the least, as the girl broke up with him on his birthday.

it didn't help that hyunki wouldn't identify acting as one of his favorite things in the world. in reality, he'd probably put it at the very bottom of his list of favorite skills to work on. sure, he acted all the time with dancing and performances, it was just a part of the art. however, when dance got taken out of the equation, he never desired to do acting independently.

the first run throughs were rough. quickly hyunki realized he memorized body movement much quicker than lines on page. eventually, he got those down. but there was more. he had to had emotion and body language and make it believable.

one of the staff mentioned thinking of his worst break up or sadness moment in life. there hadn't been any difficult break ups thus far in his life, so now here he was, thinking about all the emotion he had bottled up inside of himself when his family moved countries. even then, he wasn't nearly as sad as he was scared and confused.

having jueun as his partner was helpful, she was much better at acting than he was. also, he was comfortable with her. all that didn't make this process easier but it aided.

"i promise i'm capable of doing this," he swore to her for what felt like the millionth time as he glanced over the script briefly as they tried to run lines without it.

this would be a long bootcamp.

[behyunki]

it was nice hearing that hyunki wasn't the only one who wasn't a huge fan of acting. out of the variety of skills they had to work on, hyunki felt like he could confidently say this was his least favorite. as chaerin spoke about the previous bootcamp being about songwriting, he felt like that wouldn't have been enjoyable either. maybe he was just picky and needed to be more open-minded to developing different skills.

"hopefully the next one will be something i like," he mentioned initially, before adding on, "but i definitely learned from this. so that's good to have!" the more the merrier and all of that stuff. a lot of this experience was about learning anyway, it was what he signed up for as a trainee, he was training. he needed all this if he was going to move forward with this field.

"it's not my favorite either," chaerin confesses with a scrunch of her nose. she has a plate of food in her hand but only because she wouldn't know what to do with her hands otherwise. they had set up this celebration so people could network, but with how busy she had been in the past couple of months, she's not sure if that's what she wants to do right now.

considering how exhausted she is, she can't imagine how hyunki is feeling, seeing how he had to actually compete on the show. "they're a nice way to really delve into a single skill. the last one was on songwriting, and i really enjoyed that one. it opened my eyes to a lot of things. not saying that this one didn't, but i didn't find myself having as much fun."

she stopped herself from sharing too much because she didn't want to discourage a new trainee. "however, even if i didn't enjoy it too much, they are very helpful. i'm pretty sure the little acting i learned throughout the two weeks will help once i have to stand on stage."

[behyunki]

the acting bootcamp was an unconventional start to his trainee journey, to say the least. of course, it was in addition to everything else that was going on, but they really threw the next gen contestants into the deep end with it all.

"i..." hyunki started as if he would going to provide a productive answer, but he couldn't come up with an answer for her. "i really don't know. i'm not the best person to ask for that."

the scene was a lot, to say the least. it helped being with jueun, at least he was comfortable with her. "maybe eyedrops of sorts? or think of something super sad? i'm not sure..."

although this all felt very new to her, jueun was pretty excited. sure, she would've preferred to start with some singing and dancing lessons, so she can officially begin to learn those skills. however, this was still fun.

plus, being partnered with hyunki made it even more fun. "how do people even cry on cue?" she questioned with a frown on her face as she looked down at the script. for this scene, she was supposed to be crying and almost half-yelling while also looking composed at the same time. it was pretty complex for someone who was trying out acting for the first time.

"i mean, i think i can mimic some of the facial expressions, but the crying is what's going to be a big problem. do you think i'll get some natural tears if i just never blink or something?" jueun let out another scoff as she shook her head a few times. she believes she'll get it down by the time they have to act out the scene, but she felt pretty lost for now.

[behyunki]

this is the closet thing to a break hyunki feels like he is going to get anytime soon. vacation time or off days weren't exactly common with training, from what he heard. so relaxed networking events would have to do the trick for now.

luckily, he was born with the gift of gab, hyunki could talk to anyone whenever he wanted and make fast friends. many people asked him about the competition show, some asked about his hometown once figuring out he was american. the conversations were really simple.

even if stevie chose a different company than the one hyunki had been offered a contract through, it was nice knowing he'd still see his friend around during events like this. "they were gnarly," hyunki nodded in agreement. it was a lot of work to get to where they were now. "i'm good! still adjusting to everything. but it's been nice. how about you?"

with the performances out of the way and all that's left is networking, stevie feels like he can finally relax a bit, even if its only for a moment. he doesn't have to worry about training or looking at scripts and the workshops because it's finally done.

it's a celebration, in a sense. much more chill and lax and professional for sure, but stevie celebrates in the most subtle and relaxed way he can, which is helping himself to the refreshments. quickly, because he pauses in between every sip and bite with a conversation he smiles and laughs his way through.

and it goes swimmingly, stevie thinks. he catches up with a few other trainees and greets the staff with a stiff posture and nervous grin and everything is chill. easy peasy!

he's swallowing down his nth snack of the night, straightening up and hurrying to wipe his face when he sees movement from the peripheral of his eye. like clockwork, he turns to greet, smile already on his face-- but then he registers it's hyunki, and it gets even wider.

"hey," he greets in english easily, nudging back with a laugh. "fancy seeing you here," he jokes, snorting to himself. his shoulders droop with a sigh, nodding his head. "i feel like these weeks after next gen were crazy." learning things he's never had to learn before, learning new environments and having to work in a consistent time crunch. "but we're here now! how's it been for you?" stevie asks, curious.

[behyunki]

after how grueling next gen's practice schedule was, and everything that went into this acting bootcamp, hyunki wondered how the new normal day to day schedule would feel. it might be relaxing in comparison to it all. or maybe he'd feel like he was in nex gen all over again. it was hard to say right now.

nevertheless, he was ready for all the activities to slow down for a little bit. he'd spent weeks on edge, wondering what was next with next gen, and then he immediately turned his attention to this bootcamp. just showing up to train sounded like a cake walk in comparison to it all. it also made him wonder if he'd feel that way if he were to debut one day. would he always be waking for the few and far between moments where he didn't have to do anything?

"acting isn't my favorite," hyunki didn't hesitate to admit to the older woman next to him. chaerin was kind to him through next gen, even if she only coached him briefly. "it was alright though. how do you feel about these bootcamps?"

✦ * · ˚ @behyunki

although the bootcamp only lasted for two weeks, it felt so much longer. perhaps it's because there was so much involved and the number of lectures she found herself participating in, but it seems that they spent almost a month on their acting.

needless to say, chaerin was kind of glad it was over, and she was looking forward to returning to her regular training schedule. jumping from one big activity, aka next gen, to another major event like this acting bootcamp was a lot, and so going back to what she was used to would almost feel relaxing.

"did you enjoy your first trainee bootcamp?" chaerin turned her head to take a glance at hyunki. just a few weeks ago, he was a contestant and she was a special coach, but now they both stood here as trainees. whenever she saw a contestant from next gen who had become a trainee, she felt a little proud even though she hadn't done much for them.

[behyunki]

hyunki and @bexstevie reunite at the end of camp

life had been a whirlwind since the end of next gen, to say the least. there wasn't really a break between the finale, signing officially, and beginning his new daily routine of training. it hadn't helped that there was an acting camp going on right as all the new trainees were joining in on the fun.

outside of what was necessary for dancing, acting on its own wasn't hyunki's favorite but the scenes he'd gotten involved in were fun, to say the least, and he enjoyed working with his partners. now, he hoped to let loose just a little as the camp was coming to an end and they were all gathered in this auditorium.

they were supposed to be networking, but it was tiring and difficult to be pulled into constant conversation with people you didn't know. hyunki had stepped aside to collect a drink, letting his eyes scan over the crowd. when they landed on a familiar figure, he smiled, and before he knew it, his feet were caring him towards the other male. "hey stranger," hyunki greeted, naturally falling into his native language, gently nudging stevie with his shoulder. "i feel like i haven't seen you in a while."

[behyunki]

it still felt so surreal that he was a trainee. hyunki was exhausted still, but also on cloud nine. it only got all the more better. since sr media signed him, he got to see his best friend every day. on top of that, he was with jueun. even if he didn't win next gen, great things were happening still for him.

they all seemed to be joining at a good time, seeing as the ink had barely dried before they were being told about a new acting bootcamp. while he loved performing and putting a show on when he stood on a stage, hyunki wasn't huge into acting as a whole. once more, his partner being someone so familiar was helpful.

hyunki quickly shook his head, "no never," he informed her. "this is very dramatic, even for me," he tagged on jokingly, along with a giggle. "apparently our facial expression exercises made them think we'd be great for the dramatics."

✦ . ˚ — @behyunki

it's only been a few days since jueun's actually become a trainee, but it seems she's joined right when they were having a bootcamp. while she's admired the actors and actresses seen on screen, she wasn't sure if she ever dreamed of becoming one. of course, it looked fun, and she likes to think that if she were to debut, she'd love to jump into the scene. however, it all seemed too soon.

maybe that's why she's a little relieved when her and hyunki are paired up to act out a scene. everything's so new but hyunki isn't. he's someone she's comfortable around, which means adjusting will be a lot easier. looking down at the script they're given, she scrunches her nose together upon reading the lines.

"i don't think i've ever broken up with someone like this before," she says with a scoff before reading through the lines. "have you ever had such a dramatic break up before?" jueun turns the question back to hyunki before letting out a soft chuckle.

[behyunki]

hyunki reacts to the final rankings of next gen and becoming a trainee

the moment hangyeol was announced in third place, hyunki felt it in his bones he wouldn't be in the top three. there had only been one time in the five episodes he placed above the other male, and it was barely. even if he knew that the previous season, there were multiple other contestants who would be offered a contract, it wasn't fun to not win.

now he had to figure out where he actually was in the rankings.

after slipping so far down the previous week, he was expecting the worse, he wouldn't be signed at all. hyunki wasn't sure what he'd do if that did become reality. sure, he'd continue teaching and going to school, return to his regular life, but deep down he'd feel haunted by his own failure.

his hands were behind his back as he stood waiting, gnawing on his bottom lip, fingers fidgeting away. really he was trying to stay calm and not start rocking on his feet. “from this point, we’ll count down to our final ranks. in fourth place, and offered a contract to sr media, please congratulate jang hyunki!”

it took him a moment to register that his own name had been announced, having fully expected to have to wait until the end of the line. but when he did, hyunki was shocked.

deciphering how he was feeling exactly was difficult. he was shocked, of course, but he was also excited and relived. fourth wasn't bad. sr media actually wanted him. a company chose him. sure it wasn't top three but he could live with this.

hyunki's eyes immediately hunted for his family in the crowd, a wide smile spreading on his face seeing both of his mother's tearing up and looking so proud, his brother and sister grinning. they were possibly more excited than he was.

it was surreal when he was given the actual contract to sign later. hyunki wondered how he would finish school but he'd figure it out at that point, if he decided to finish at all. it was difficult to decide if he would fully commit to this new life and leave everything else in the dust. there were lots of things to figure out still.

one thing hyunki knew now was his future was with sr media and becoming an idol trainee.

next goal: debut.

[behyunki]

— COMPANY NOTICE

JANG HYUNKI has joined sr media as of JUNE 5, 2024.

he is on a full contract which expires JUNE 5, 2025.

[behyunki]

hyunki almost turned down the invitation. sure, the team won, that was cool, but it didn't change the fact that his name was at the bottom. suddenly a lot of the anxiety from the auditions was settling back in and filling in all available space within him, and then some. ultimately he said yes because alcohol would help him forget those feelings.

maybe it would be fun to spend time hanging out with siwoo too.

the other man was handsome, to say the least. it was something no one could deny him on the season. it was hard not to look nd linger maybe. hyunki swore he was being subtle. he didn't even know if siwoo was into guys.

yet, here they were.

it was safe to say that hyunki didn't often seek out alcohol. he enjoyed it, liked going out with his friends, but the alcohol wasn't something he required for fun. it was a good way to not pay attention to your worries though. "the audience? maybe. the judges...not so much," hyunki responded in his native language, falling back into it easily. he tries to ignore the way siwoo's hand stays on his chest. it was nothing. they were drunk. "it was a gorgeous brooch..."

celebration after episode 4 of next gen. starter for @behyunki

he's drunk – on both happiness and alcohol. it's the first time his team has won something, the first time he's received some sort of praise on next gen. and it isn't like siwoo's unfamiliar with praise ( growing up the way he had, he was surrounded by it. though whether they were genuine or not, would be a different story ). still, the feeling of winning... of being looked at, it felt good.

it had started off as him inviting hyunki over for some celebratory drinks, nothing too fancy. a simple; "we should head over to my place, as a celebration." but it would have been a lie if siwoo said that he hadn't noticed the glances, the subtle stares – it would have been a lie if siwoo had said that he'd never reciprocated. that he didn't find something fun in the way he let his hands linger a little longer on hyunki, anticipating what kind of reaction the boy would give.

it's cruel, on siwoo's part. but it's fun too – and siwoo's always been one for fun.

this time though, he's genuine in his invitation for a few drinks. really, siwoo isn't the type to make friends quickly, yet he'd been able to form a friendship with hyunki easily. still, he finds his cheeks going red, tipsy from the alcohol that he'd been pouring. "hyunki," he says, and he's leaning closer to the boy, "do you think you did a good job capturing the hearts of the audience?" he says in english, his accent peeking through again. "i think we chose a good brooch for you," gently, he taps hyunki's chest, allowing his hands to stay there a little longer than necessary.

[behyunki]

hyunki does his last next gen interview

god he wasn't going to miss this. he had just caught his breath and was still a little sweaty as they all got ushered backstage for the interview portion that followed every time they were on stage. he was use to the routine, going to the spot without guidance and waiting until the cue was given for the first question.

how do it feel knowing this is your last interview?

"crazy!" hyunki really couldn't believe the show was ending. "it feels like the competition flew by, honestly. but i feel like myself and many others grew so much in that short time. i'm excited to see how it all turns out!"

speaking of turn outs, how did you feel about your song and the performance?

"i really enjoyed this song," he began, speaking honestly. "it's different than what i've gotten to show the judges so far from the previous groups i was in, and it's nice to show off different parts of myself like that." hopefully they liked this side of him. "as for the performance, i'm really proud of the team and how well we did. we all worked hard to show our absolute best for the las performance."

last question, do you have anything you want to say to the viewers at home?

"thank you to all of you who have tuned in and watched the show, and also to those who shared love and support for me throughout this show. it means the world to me. i hope i was able to do you proud! i'm looking forward to the future!"

[behyunki]

from the moment hyunki felt sarang, their friendship had been so silly and easy. they were so similar and enjoyed many of the same things, and just got along so well. it was honestly perfect. even if hyunki had been in south korea for many years by then, he hadn't had a friendship near as close as the one he did with sarang. hyunki couldn't help but giggle a bit at the antics of his best friend.

"you better not," hyunki teased. he never minded sharing. though he was a little shocked to hear sarang almost begin to mention one of his boyfriends, even if he didn't show it on his face in that moment. hyunki wondered how hard that would be as an idol, hiding parts of yourself away from the public. it was probably one of the hardest parts. "yeah it's been hard getting all the usual chores done."

hyunki smiled shyly at the compliments on his dance sarang was giving him, always happy to hear the positive comments on his dancing. "i really hope i can help the team with that," hyunki mentioned. then there was sarang's challenge. he couldn't think about it too much. hyunki followed the instructions, doing the first thing to popped into his head.

the instant that hyunki gives him some sass, sarang scrunches his nose at him and sticks out his tongue; playful, as per usual. whenever they get together, it's hard for them not to tease or taunt one another. it's something that sarang's always been fond of when it comes to his friendship with hyunki. there's a lightness to it, an effervescence, that reminds him of cider or soda. sweet, but with a pop. it's his favorite.

"don't worry, i'm not going to steal your signature scent," he teases back, nudging hyunki's shoulder gently with his own. "i just need a little spritz of something delicious until i can get my hands on mine. i feel bad sending al..." before he continues forward with his comment, he pauses; realizing that he's becoming to casual with his speech and his life while cameras are present. "...we've just been working so hard that i haven't found the time to head to the store."

that was a close call. he'd hate to talk about his romantic home-life with two other men while recording for next gen. no one's ready for that yet. instead, he watches as his comrade wanders over to his bag to retrieve his bottle of cologne, and once it's in his position, sarang surrounds himself in a delicate cloud of its mist; feeling much better after some much-needed aromatherapy. "mmm, thank you. you're the best. you already knew that, though."

tempted to lean in and give his friend a peck on the cheek, sarang chooses to refrain; moving onto the ideas he had. "you're such a strong and powerful performer, but i think your background in more lyrical and contemporary dance styles gives you a leg up here. you could even help the team out, too!" sarang begins, licking over his lips in thought. "you understand when to slow things down and make them more emotional, and you know when to speed things up, too. we've already been working on your facials, which have only gotten better, and with a song like this, you can really show off your progress."

taking a pace back, sarang crosses his arms over his chest; cheeky. "show me your best dreamy, soft, and romantic expression. don't think too hard, just do it."

[behyunki]

hyunki and the team perform "starry dream" and compete on next gen for the last time | line distribution

after so much hard work, it felt weird but fulfilling to be at the end of the competition. none of them knew the outcome and how they'd rank, who would all be offered contracts afterwards even if they didn't end up in first place. the nervousness of waiting and anticipating still had some time to linger though before they would know any results.

the way last episode went wasn't ideal, by far. hyunki was coming in towards the bottom of the ranks. he felt like it was the first episode all over again, and he was determined not to end at the bottom. all this work was done for him to get signed at the end of the show, not go home empty handed.

even if he didn't have many lines, hyunki worked hard to make sure they were perfect. he felt least confident in his singing, so he made sure to take time with seojun to run the line until he felt confident. he also took time with a coach to work on his rap line too. the last thing he wanted was to make himself sound stupid on the last episode.

the dance he was less worried about, that was what hyunki loved the most. still, as the judges made sure to share, they were no where near a point where they could rest on laurels. hyunki has fallen off his routine of coming early and staying late but he made sure to be stricter with himself and his routine for this last episode.

even if he was adhering to a significantly stricter routine, something about this round felt easy. hyunki was surrounded by his friends. there was sarang, who was his closet friend in the world, was a coach and the two finally got to spend some time working together. then there was jueun and stevie, who he knew he enjoyed working with prior to the show, and touma who he knew he worked well with from previous teams. then hangyeol, who the show seemed determined to out against each other, that hyunki felt like he could end up being good friends with at the end of this all. he felt so comfortable with everyone around him.

"starry dream" was so different from all the other songs he'd been a part of, and hyunki was excited to show something new to the judges. the song was dreamy and youthful, and while he loved songs like "pink venom", he felt he fit this concept well. the lyrics were so appropriate as well. they were all living their dreams. it would have been cute if they had gotten to do little snippets speaking of their dreams at the beginning of the performance, but production said no to them.

on the day on the performance, hyunki felt comfortable in the outfit, it was slightly flowy and watched the dreamy and youthfulness of the song. the nerves were buzzing around inside of him as he ran through the dance and lines in his head. he wanted this to be as close to perfection as he could.

his family was in the live audience watching as well: both his moms, his twin brother, and sister. he wanted to make them proud. so he couldn't be giving any half-assed performance. he was focused.

jang hyunki could shine bright, and he was going to show the judges that, dammit.

when it was time for the team to report to the stage, hyunki followed his teammates out onto the next gen stage for their final performance. it was crazy thinking back to when they were all performing "do better" together not too long ago. now this was the last time.

hyunki took a deep breath as they got in formation and the song started. the song was one he enjoyed performing. with ease he moved through the choreography, feeling confident in his movements. sarang was right, his background in contemporary dance did help him more than he realized.

since the judges didn't approve of his previous facial expressions and vibe to the song, hyunki ensured to work with the team on those, making sure he was on a better track. his face shifted and moved as was appropriate for the song, keeping everything light and airy appropriate.

the lines were what he was most nervous of. hyunki rapped first, and he felt good about that. it was his strongest skill, he felt, after dancing. he had no issues with that. the line he sung, he made sure to take time with seojun to ensure he didn't sound terrible. hyunki even got to a point where he felt good about the line, and when he was able to execute that on stage in front of the judges, he felt such elation inside.

before he knew it, the song was winding down, and then to a complete stop. next gen was over basically, after they got their results. he couldn't believe it. looking back, everything felt like a whirlwind. hyunki had no idea that if he would soon be reporting to a company every day or if he'd go back to his normal life.

would his dreams become a reality?

[behyunki]

it was sad to say the one of the first things that crossed hyunki's mind was how jihun would find a way to immediately start comparing hyunki to hangyeol. he didn't need any prompting to do so before, and now the two would be next to each other. it might as well be their judge's wet dream. alas, that thought got wiped from his mind quickly as hangyeol had a gift.

"i love lemon," hyunki shared as he took in the treat. "this is gorgeous, i almost don't want to ruin it by eating. thank you, hangyeol," he took moment to sincerely thank the other male. they hadn't interacted really this season, the rivalry was very one-sided on the judges' part. "i really hope we can be friends, too."

this was really all unexpected. hyunki didn't expect hangyeol to offer an olive branch, even if things were perfectly fine between the two of them. the wink and nudge-esque comment regarding their fake rivarly made hyunki smile and giggle. "only for a few more days though," he agreed. "i can't be inviting my rival over for a homecooked meal, that would be very strange." hyunki didn't have something to repay hangyeol's kindness now but that could be arranged.

"yes, please! i would love that!" hyunki smiled, going to tuck away his treat box safely to the side so they could do just that.

hangyeol stepped into the room, not revealing his surprise for his teammate until the door slipped close behind him. he smiled, moving from behind his back a small cake box, its lid open to show off a personal cake, cream-colored fondant topped by a small bouquet of frosted white daisies and a canary yellow sugar bow. he'd had to sneak out of bed before dawn to pick up the order, careful not to wake yejun on his way, but all things considered, it felt worth it.

"i know we're both dancers, and we're used to...cutthroat environments. but it didn't feel right going into the finals and working together without extending some kindness."

once he was sure hyunki had a secure grasp of the box, hangyeol released it, shrugging his bag off his shoulder and letting it hang by a strap in the crook of his elbow.

"it's lemon, i think. i hope you like citrus," and then, after a warm, gracious chuckle, "whatever happens this week, i hope we can be friends."

he glimpsed, hanging over both of their heads, a not-so-hidden camera in the top right corner of the room and sighed. yes, this is what idol life was about, every personal and interpersonal interaction being marketed as a part of a person's brand. but he was genuinely interested in becoming closer to hyunki, and found himself wary of the possibility that even this vulnerable, intimate moment might be twisted and shaped into something else entirely to fit whatever unspoken narrative had been written for them this time.

"but, i guess," he added, raising his voice in an exaggerated conceding, obviously and comically fabricated for their viewers at home, "if we have to be rivals for a few more days, so be it."

his eyes glint in harmless mischief and a matching smile curls his lips, punctuated by a wink in hyunki's direction that seems to say three can play at that game, no?

"do you mind if i join you? we could run the whole thing together."

[behyunki]

jueun wasn't wrong. there had been undoubtable barriers along the way, but many of them were finding ways to keep going through it all. of course, it was up to the judges and all they could was show their best, but that was still fighting to keep the dreams alive. "the message of the song is really nice," hyunki agreed with a nod as he ran through the lyrics in his head. "i think the favorite of the season for me, personally."

any vocal talents had never really been in the cards for hyunki until next gen came along. he auditioned with only a dance afterall. it wasn't until he showed up and was working on "do better" that he was really exploring his vocal range and abilities. it was wild thinking about how that factored into his goals now when previously it wouldn't have crossed his mind once.

hyunki chuckled a bit with her, amused by his friend's joke. "i'm sure you will," he told her sincerely with a smile on his face, "studio delta or not, anyone would be lucky to have you." honestly hyunki couldn't say where he wanted to go. he thought studio delta was appealing himself but jihun had made it clear he didn't like hyunki, especially if hangyeol was an option. sadly he couldn't openly comment about how he would have gone with the same company if not for that man. "i'm not sure. i see benefits in being signed to any of them potentially. i've gone back and forth of where i would like to end up if i got to pick."

"well, it's talking about dreams and everything. like reaching for them and how no storm or wave will stop them from reaching that dream. i feel like that's how our journey on next gen has been." jueun didn't mean for this conversation to turn so sentimental, but looking back at everything so far, she's rather proud of the journey she and everybody else has been on.

for her, this was her first time being on stage after all the pageants she participated in as a child. she had believed that she no longer loved standing on the stage, but next gen proved that that wasn't true. it was more like she disliked the fact that she was no longer able to shine as much as she used to, mostly thanks to her mother's distasteful comments when she stopped winning first all the time.

"i'm really hoping that anybody takes me up," she confesses with a soft laugh. jueun doesn't think she's in a spot to be having a preference, especially knowing how the show's editing worked. one of the judges might make a comment if she showed favoritism toward one place. "but i was the biggest fan of darl!ng growing up, so it'd be nice if i could step in their shoes at studio delta. how about you?"