[before the year ends]
seasonal fics : 除夕 (chú xī) / lunar new year's eve edition
paring: various!hwasan men x gn!reader
summary: things that happen on the last day of the year.
characters: chung myung (can be read as both pbss and mhdd) // chung mun // chung jin // tang bo // tang gunak // jang ilso // jin hyeon // lee songbaek // jin geumryong // baek cheon
author's note: my personal music recommendations for the day are lovers in seoul by off the menu , hot potato by n.flying , coconut love by seoulmoon , mercury by bye bye badman and t + tik tak tok by silica gel feat. So!YoON! (doing this for fun because my other hobby is looking for new music and putting them in a playlist partly because one of my teenage dreams was to open up a cd shop in an art street or own a music-vinyl brunch cafe by the seaside ugggh but you need money like do you know how expensive seaside properties are in singapore!!! i don't have that cash!!! so i have to work!!!! fuck!!!!)
CHUNG MYUNG doesn't like to be cooped up indoors during the festive period. so that afternoon he slipped out to visit the next town over, hearing about their night market and looking forward to getting drunk off his rocker before returning home. only to come face-to-face with you. to his credit he tried to divert your attention to slip away with a bold-faced lie but to be honest, he isn't very good at that. he ends up letting you tag along to buy your silence. which wasn't that bad of a decision — he found himself enjoying the private time he had with you more than he'd expected, like walking through the markets with pinkies interlocked, visiting taverns and teahouses getting mistaken for a couple to get discounts, even the passionate drunken kisses you both shared on the inn balcony which left him quite dazed. when he gets back he would have to have a talk with you about what happened here. though right now he's a little preoccupied with leaving marks all up your neck, hands under your clothes going to places he probably shouldn't, revelling in your embarrassment a little too much. thank goodness he had the foresight to rent out a room to stay in so the both of you could do whatever you wanted in here to the heart's content all night long.
CHUNG MUN watches as you scurry around the sect grounds checking in on the workers who were all preparing for the banquet that was to be held over the new year. as the sect leader he shouldn't interrupt another elder's duties, but as your husband he wanted you to pay attention to him too — it was new years eve and your spouse can't even ask for some alone time with you? you were so cruel, was this how he was to spend the last day of the year? he sighed and turned back to his papers, finishing up with his own work until it was finally time for bed. you met him in the front of your shared house, he finds himself cracking a smile when you bury your face into his chest, he walks you over to sit together on the bench, where you plop your head down on his lap, very much like a certain youngest, pouring your heart out on the annoyances that you've faced today so what has your dear husband have in mind to reward their hardworking partner? the man only chuckles at your ranting, running his fingers until you fell asleep, carrying your tired body to tuck you in bed. he looks over at your peaceful form one more time, kisses your hand and leaves for his own quarters to retire for the night.
CHUNG JIN had been pulled out from under the pile of books he's buried under to take a day off at the behest of the other elders and disciples. not knowing what to do, he hovers around your side, not really wanting to go down the mountain without a solid plan. you thought he looked a little like a lost sparrow then, so you let him stay around as you went about your day. he aided you with small tasks here and there — wasn't he supposed to be on break? old habits die hard, you supposed. he ended up helping you finish your job earlier than intended, bringing the leftovers from the kitchen along, the two of you headed down the forested path at the back of the mountain to wile away the rest of the afternoon as you ate the food and engaged in small talk about nothing in particular. the sun felt warm on your skin, and as it began to set, the sounds of the flowing stream nearby lulled the two elders into a dreamless sleep.
TANG BO stifled a laugh as he looked at your sorry state. only an idiot falls sick on new year's eve — was what he'd told you. you wanted to strangle him right then and there, never mind that he was your husband. he offered to nurse you for the day, supposedly from the kindness of his heart. bullshit. this guy had something up his sleeve, you were so sure of it. but whatever you thought he'd do never happened. your husband truly did take care of you that whole day. he'd wipe off your cold sweat, change towels, feed you food and medication on time, among other things. you thought he'd turn over a new leaf and was just about to praise him when he snickers at you again. maybe you should get sick more often, you're so much nicer when you're quiet like this. too bad for him your fingers were faster as you shove them up his nose to choke him in retaliation. fortune favours the just. the next morning you woke up feeling good as new — your fever had gone away just in time to celebrate the new year. your husband, on the other hand, didn't seem to be doing too well, seemingly catching your cold from yesterday. hmph, serves him right for teasing you like that.
TANG GUNAK could not catch a break even on new year's eve. there was always work to do, the world did not stop on holidays, after all. you slipped into the room quietly with refreshments in hand, hoping to get him to take a short break from his paperwork. the man had sharp ears — recognising the weighted rhythm of your footsteps even as you were on the far end of the hallway. he sets down his brush, getting up to greet you. my love, he'd call out softly, expertly placing away the tray in your hands. you laugh as he pulls you into his embrace, his face burrowing into your shoulder. you try to hug him back with as much vigour you could muster, pulling away just so you could place a few pecks on his face. it wasn't a very long break, but he was grateful for it nonetheless. he sipped on the tea you brewed, listening to your excited recounting of a new novel you had been reading. new years was a time to give thanks for the blessings in life, and he was more than thankful for the way your shoulder felt pressed against his arm as you two sat side by side.
JANG ILSO cared little for the festivities. he wasn't in the mood for any banquet, or party or whatever loud activity. he had been itching to do something, but he couldn't pinpoint what he wanted to do and the idea of going outside annoyed him. you didn't really know, nor cared to find out about your employer's stormy tantrum going on right at that moment. unfortunately for you, you were one of his go-to people to piss off and annoy whenever he wanted to cause trouble. your boss was a temperamental man, and you always walked on eggshells around him. little did you know that you were third on his list of people he liked, so in the off chance that you did piss him off, he wasn't going to get rid of you. not that soon or quickly anyways. he barged into your office with attendants trailing behind him with boxes of drinks, food and entertainment for that evening. he was here to bother you, if you so kindly didn't mind. most of what happened was blurry — you only remembered drinking the sweet wine, going down far too easily, possibly knocking over papers and ink all over your desk and then passing out. the next time you came to, you were in a guest bedroom near your boss' own. the hangover medicine and new clothes already laid out on the table for you. there was no way you had created a moment that your boss could hold over your head as blackmail. no, you detested the teasing that was sure to come from him in the coming year.
JIN HYEON had been out on an errand on behalf of the elders, and finally, he was going back to wudang just in time for new years. he stops by the small diner in the town next door, he often had his meals here whenever he's going out, outwardly he said it's because he liked the lotus root soup with pork ribs served with warm rice. in reality, he just wanted to find a chance to talk to you, the owner — a familiar face he had known since both of you were mere apprentices. though now you had taken over the restaurant your adoptive grandfather had left behind for you while he had risen up to the rank of a second-grade disciple. the diner was small, and the business was decent enough to make ends meet, but it wasn't so busy that you didn't have time to sit across him to have a short chat before he headed off. you asked him if he would stay and visit the night market this year. he shook his head sadly, feeling bad that he was turning down your offer yet again. you shook your disappointment off, opting to change the topic. the hour passed far too quickly, and he had to report back to the elders before night fall. you walk him towards the door, just as the wind picks up from where your back was turned, pushing you into his chest. the man takes the opportunity to pull you a little closer, accidentally placing a peck on your forehead. you didn't think he'd be this affectionate today but who cared? it was new years eve and it's been a while since he had walked you home. maybe next year you could ask him again to come with you to the night market.
LEE SONGBAEK had gone to his hometown for the new year celebrations. he had been given permission by the elders to do so, along with a good majority of the other disciples. things had been really quiet back in the sect with nobody really wanting to do anything with them. speaking of which, he hadn't seen his family in years by now, and he wondered how they were all doing. he didn't plan to spend too much time — have dinner, catch up, stay overnight and leave the next morning. he didn't expect to see that you would also be in his house, helping out with the new year's eve dinner. he could smell the dough and sesame paste drying out in the sun for the tang-yuan they'd all have later. actually, he thinks most of the village was congregated at his house. the disciples who had tagged along with him were a little taken aback at the size of the crowd, much to his embarrassment. he didn't think his village would be so stoked to have him back on new years with his sect brothers. you slipped out of the kitchen to greet him as the elders fussed over the boys that had come to visit. he leans over to greet you, feeling a small smile pull at his lips when you tousle his hair. his original plan might have been a little thwarted, but since you were here, he didn't really mind. ah, when he goes back to the sect, he should ask if the tailor was accepting any apprentices — if he were, and you came over, he might see you around more often in the coming year.
JIN GEUMRYONG wished he was anywhere else but here right now. but, as the eldest and prodigal son he should behave appropriately. he slips out of the banquet hall at the first opportunity, making shoddy excuses like needing to go to the restroom. he finds a spot in the quietest part of the estate, taking a moment to collect himself from the incessant social interaction he's had the whole day. soft footsteps approach him — really? he feels annoyed, but tries to reign back his distaste when he sees your smiling face beaming at him. go away. he tells you, not in the mood to deal with whatever you were about to drag him into. please? you'd beg, your hand pulling at his arm to get him on his feet. there was something you wanted to show him, and if he didn't go with you now, he was going to miss it! the man agreed reluctantly, letting you take him to the lake behind the hills. the night sky was clear and he could see every sparkling star in the sky. you sit on a fallen log, seemingly waiting for something to happen. he sits right by you, choosing not to question your actions. and then — there it was. the stars fell from the sky one after another, painting the night in long white painter's lines. he'd never seen anything like this in his life thus far, and he might not ever see it again. but it didn't matter. when you asked, doesn't it look amazing? he could only hum, unable to take his eyes off you all while your gaze was turned to the spectacle in the skies.
BAEK CHEON, for the life of him, can't decide which tassel he wanted to buy and ended up just getting a roll of thread in plum-blossom pink to make one on his own. the handiwork was clumsy, clearly amateurish with the bronze coin woven into the accessory. it certainly resembled the shape of a tassel — if you didn't look at the finer details too closely and for too long. you could see him look embarrassed at the quality and was already regretting giving it to you. but how could you not want his sincere gift? you loved it, flaws and all, because it was from him and you wanted to be reminded of the idea that this perfectionist still could make mistakes. you pull him down for a kiss. and then another. and another, until you were peppering his whole face in kisses because your heart couldn't handle this gap in his personality. your poor love, look at how red his face had become. he didn't know whether to be happy that you liked his gift this much, or feel shy at the public show of affection in a place where everyone in the sect could possibly see? you can't help but snicker mischievously as you skipped away from the scene — leaving the poor boy in a flustered mess.
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Boys Planet, Episode 3 Recap, Part 1
This review will conclude the signal test and the level reassignment, and cover the team selection. Let's do it!
Let's skip past the previews and teasers and go to 3:10 for more signal song tests.
First up is 3 star Seo Won, who is in NINE.i and auditioned with Attention. He walks in to the judging rooms and LipJ seems unprofessionally glad to see him. He starts his performance and honestly is super charming. He gestures to his name tag when the lyrics say "name" and I mean, sure, literal hand gestures worked for Evan Hanson so why not. He concludes with such a cute ending fairy that LipJ screams out loud. Then he scurries out, muttering, “That was so fun!” I love to see that, because so many of these trainees seem to hate to perform, leaving me wondering why they want to be performers. The judges decide to promote him to 4 stars, so good for you, Seo Won!
Next up is my little cousin and noted yeller Kum Jun Hyeon (the subtitles use a different transliteration). He starts with a silent yell (to save his throat) and then does a good performance, with on key, if slightly over-forceful, singing. When he's done, he asks Solji if he's changed and she says yes. The judges say he’s improved and give him 4 stars. He’s happy about it.
Next is blue-haired Park Hanbin from The Real. He does well, even if his singing a bit pitchy for my taste. He returns to the trainees and then kind of obnoxiously tells them, “why waste my breath? Of course I got All Star.” He was just joking around, I'm sure, but I feel like people won’t like that…? In the midst of his joy, we keep cutting to members of the Korean Kick It team -- sickly baby Han Yu Jin and mop headed Kim Gyu Vin. They look miserable.
Next is Mun Jung Hyeon, the raspy rapper from The Real. He sounds pretty breathy in his vocals, but they’re on key, and he is charming. The judges upgrade him to 4 star, and I’m really glad. I feel like that whole team deserved to be 4 stars all along.
Next is Le Ye Dam, who did that amazing audition to Gambler. He’s just good at everything. He keeps his 4 star status, and bounces off the floor like a cricket in his joy.
Next is sweetheart Keita from Ciipher/Conduct Zero. I think he still needs a bit of vocal training for some of the lower notes, actually, but the higher notes he does well with.
Kim Gyu Vin is next, and he doesn’t want to be judged by Master Baek, one of the psycho dance teachers. I am deliberately not learning their names because I genuinely dislike them, quite intensely. Seeing Gyu Vin walk into the room -- it’s like I’m seeing an abused kid confront his abuser. I know Korean culture is different and stuff but these trainees are so young and the dance teachers are so cruel, so needlessly cruel. I don’t see any value in behaving this way. I’m not that invested in whether or not this one teenager gets to debut or not, but I am invested in this one human being’s mental health. His voice cracked a few times when he was performing, and he just seemed deflated. The same kid who put 7 star stickers on his nametag when he came in was just ready to give up. I find this very sad. The judges demote him to 3 stars, which seems fair based on his performance, but this is one of those situations in which the observer changes the observed.
Next is Ji Yun Seo, the leader of the Kick It team. He seems to stumble on the vocals a lot, and apparently his dancing is bad. I blame the choreography, because I think they all look dumb doing this stupid choreo. Anyway, they demote him too, to 3 stars.
Next is Yoo Seung Eon, also from Kick It. He seems terrified and his voice is raw. He also gets sent to 3 stars.
Finally, it’s sickly Han Yu Jin, talking again about how sick and feverish he was. His hyungs took care of him, but when he was talking about how sick he was in his confessional, someone should have intervened and sent him to get some medical care. Jesus FUCK. Of course his performance isn’t fabulous and he gets demoted too. So the whole Kick It team gets sent down to 3 stars. I don't know if it's deserved or not, but I do know it's messed up.
After that, the judges say that the signal test is over -- but it’s not totally over. They seem to have realized after the fact that having two different judging panels wasn’t the fairest method. So, as far as I can tell, the judging panel who didn’t watch the original test reviewed the video tape and then they discussed it more to be fair.
The trainees find out that some of them are going to be re-reassigned, and they're so on edge and miserable that the news hardly affects them anymore.
Zhang Hao, the auburn haired Yuehua leader, says in his halting but excellent Korean that he’ll accept it if his 4 stars gets taken away. He’s so humble -- it seems genuine, too. Mun Jung Hyeon, the raspy rapper from The Real who I find quite charming, represents the other end of the spectrum -- please don’t take my 4 star away! Oh Sung Min, aka Jerome in T01, isn’t above hoping he’ll get promoted to 4 stars.
The judges announce that Park Min Seok (The Real), Jeon Ho Yeong (Love Scenario), Lim Joon Seo (one of the two boys who came in first), and Yoon Jong Woo (the guy who pretended to kiss Ji Woo) have all been demoted to 1 star. Most had been 2 stars; for Yoon Jong Woo, that’s extra rough, since he started the day as a 3 star.
Kim Min Hyuk from Lullaby interviews, “they started naming us one by one, and then we all got demoted.” That’s confusing because he himself didn’t get demoted; in fact, he’s wearing a 2 star jersey but is listed as a 3-star, so he must have been promoted. Good for him!
After that, they finally get to poor sexy Jellyfish Park Gunwook -- he got All Star! Good for him. Also, they decide to promote Seok Matthew to All star too! Good for him, too.
14:13 Signal Song Filming
We're at the filming for the Signal Song. It's one of those big pyramid stages, and naturally the All stars are at the top, and the 0 stars are on the ground. One person on the ground among the 0 stars is overalls Ollie from Yuehua, who has dropped from 3 stars to 0 stars. Oh no! Yuehua kids are not great at learning choreo, I guess. The 0 stars want to be on the stage so badly they just want to tap their feet on it, or touch it with their fingers. Aww. Ma Jing Xing, the handsomest one from Reveal, interviews that he really practiced so much. Bak Do Ha (blue house) interviews that they won’t be seen on the ground. And in their cluster of Chinese speakers on the ground, Wang Yan Hong (Hot) and Ollie agree that they’ll have to prove themselves from the bottom.
Then the center with the Killing Part gets lifted all the way up on the top stage. Who could the center be? We know it’s either Nation’s sweetheart Sung Han Bin or auburn haired Zhang Hao. (Seems that each contingent voted for their own center.) Who could have won between K and G? Of course it was K, so Hanbin will be the center.
At 17:45, it's time for filming! The boys all clean up well and look like "real idols." LipJ is filming this on her phone, as if it’s not… being filmed. I do kind of love how she cheers on the 0 stars, though.
I still don’t understand the whole thing with the Signal Song. Do people watch it? I don’t. I’m not sure I’ve ever sat all the way through any of the Signal Songs. But it seems important to the trainees. Maybe it’s popular in Korea.
Anyway, more stuff about how to vote -- feel free to skip ahead, to...
20:39 Hanging Out
The boys all seem to be wearing matching pajamas -- some are kind of a light leaf green (I think that’s the Korean trainees) and some are white with little red dots (I think that’s the global trainees). It’s never addressed or even acknowledged, but there they are, in matching pajamas we've never seen before. They look like nice pajamas, though. I wonder if they’re available for purchase at a store near me?
The boys are just hanging out having a fun time, totally and completely unaware of the cameras, just doing what they would always do.
A few boys are playing a word game, and they keep cheerfully screwing over Lee Yedam (Gambler).
Meanwhile, Keita is holding Korean lessons with some of the Japanese trainees. How cute is this shit? I love it.
His students include Takuto, Haru (he’s the blonde one), and I think Kei from Conduct Zero.
Others hang out singing, and Kim Hwan Hee from Up10tion comes in to sing with them. The captions imply that he’s drunk, but I doubt that he really is -- where would they get alcohol?
Others enjoy eating. Wow! Kpop trainees. They’re just like the rest of us.
Others are exercising, and the camera zooms in on their butts as they do squats, and I’m not sure whose butt that is and if it belongs to a minor or not so I’m just not screencapping it. You do you, MNET, but I’ll be over here.
As the night wears on, Lee Ye Dam waxes philosophical. “You shouldn’t just be good at singing and dancing here,” he says. But we don’t get to hear what else he thinks you need to do. Other trainees are also thinking about how long they’ve been training. Lee Dong Yeol, better known (maybe) as Xiao in Up10tion, says, “I’ve been doing this for seven years. The moment I thought, what if I can’t get on stage, that’s when I thought I should figure out a way.” Aww.
Oh Sung Min, “Jerome” from T01, says, “I thought I was the only one with stories.” Oh, that’s so sad. We don’t really know what he had been talking about, but I know that the T01 trainees went through some really abusive stuff. I know that no one on this earth is owed a life in show business, but the Kpop industry can be really cruel.
They get ready for sleep, some of them clutching large stuffies (strong approval on that), some wearing masks to bed, (maybe it helps prevent snoring?), and some with their jersey ready to go in the morning. That yellow one-star jersey says Choi Yujin on it; he was a member of NuNu NaNa and was originally assessed as 3 stars. Awww.
25:30 Team Making and Song Selection
The next day, they’re brought into a room with two middle school chorus risers in it, and the trainees soon realize that their names, and a number, are written on the risers where they’re each meant to stand, on the riser for their group (K versus G).
For example, Choi Yujin’s name is shown with the number 18. Ma Jing Xing, the handsomest one from Reveal, is number 10. Na Kamden is 35. But the lowest numbers in the very front don’t have names on them, and some trainees can’t find their names. Whatever could it mean????
But, as Lee Dong Yeol, better known (maybe) as Xiao in Up10tion, notices, some trainees’ names are missing. And mysteriously, they’re the most popular trainees and/or the ones that have already debuted -- like Dong Yeol himself, Kim Ji Woo (Mr. Sexy BL), Oh Sung Min (“Jerome”), Nation’s sweetheart Sung Han Bin, and Mirotic’s highly ranked Lee Seung Hwan. Whatever shall they do?
The doors creak open and the boys freak the fuck out. SOMEONE IS WALKING IN? Through the DOOR????!?!?1?!
Oh, Seo Won has put magenta stripes in his hair. Looks cool.
Anyway, it’s the most handsome man in the world, Hwang Min Hyun, a man so handsome he walks through a soft glowing mist at all times.
The show wants you to remember him from Wanna One, but I think of him as a member of Nu’est.
The boys have chills from how handsome he is! He notes that he has been through a survival show like they have (Produce 101 Season 2), and Hui remembers appearing on that show as a master -- but now MinHyun is the master, and Hui feels emotional about that.
That’s a blonde Hui, with HyunA and E’Dawn/Dawn. The three of them used to be in a special group called Triple H -- check out their song Retro Future. You can skip the rest of this paragraph if you already know about this, but E’Dawn was in Pentagon with Hui too, and HyunA was a soloist. Then people found out that E’Dawn and HyunA had been dating for a long time, and there was a dumb pointless scandal and E’Dawn and HyunA were kicked out of Cube agency and Pentagon suffered and E’Dawn and HyunA suffered and there’s no more TripleH, so I hope you’re all happy now, Cube.
Having Hui as a trainee when he obviously has so much talent and skill as a producer and songwriter and really should be a master or vocal trainer or producer or something, it makes me livid. It’s still stupid and wrong.
Anyway.
We find out that a fancam of the Signal Song performance of each trainee was posted on Youtube, and that the numbers the trainees have just now been given represents their rank in terms of their fancam views. Park Han Bin, with the blue hair, is ranked 19, and interviews that he’s disappointed he wasn’t closer to the top, but he looks fairly happy. We also find out that the trainees who don’t know their numbers yet are in the top 9. And here is that top 9 in order:
Hui
Kim Ji Woo
Seong Hanbin
Lee Da Eul
Lee Seung Hwan
Han Yoo Jin
Cha Woong Gi
Oh Seong Min
Lee Dong Yeol
When Lee Da Eul is announced 4th, Kim Min Seoung (from Nu Nu Na Na) interviews, “He’s not necessarily the best one. So I think he made it to the top with his charm.” It must be kind of galling to have trained for years and worked on your skills, and then get beaten by a kid with almost no skills who just… is cute.
Hui is asked how he feels about placing first, and he says, “It made me realize that many people support me,” and bows humbly.
Then we hear about the top 9 for G-group, and there are some surprises!
Dang Hong Hai
Anthonny
Keita
Hiroto
Cong
Jay
Zhang Hao
Ricky
Seok Matthew
Zhang Hao is a little disappointed to have been only 7th, and Na Kamden interviews that he is surprised too. Kamden doesn’t seem to be wearing that pearl necklace anymore, at least in his interview. Maybe it’s tucked under his shirt.
When Dang Hong Hai is announced as number 1, he can barely believe it. Everyone else is a bit surprised too, including Hui.
I had to try to figure out why he won, so I watched the fancam. I guess I don’t really get it, but that’s ok. This comment on the Youtube video seems to summarize the appeal: “Although his dance might not be the best, but I watch his fancam literally everyday because his facial expressions and the vibe he give is just WOW amazing…..this song suits him so well and I’m looking forward to his performance in the show! Fighting!!!!” Also, people seem to like his face visuals. Hey, I never know who will be considered good looking in kpop; I remind you that I think the most handsome member of Exo is probably Chen, so I seem to be out of step with other people. So I can’t comment either way. It’s also worth noting that in some pre-show ranking thing I saw, Hong Hai was ranked 3rd, so I guess it’s not crazy that he would have done well at this point. He’s currently ranked 29, so I guess we’ll see what happens. It would be cool to see more Southeast Asians in Kpop!
Jang Yeo Jun, a GBTB performer who recently dropped from 3 to 2 stars and from 51th to 60th in ranking -- he’s the one who ended up completely breaking down on the phone to his mother last episode -- is excited for his first mission. Me too! I think Yeo Jun is a good dancer, for what it’s worth.
The first mission is a K vrs G group battle.
No one seems all that happy about it.
Anthonny is a study in aggravation.
Even the K-group trainees aren’t thrilled.
I think they want it to not be about K vrs G any more, and I don’t blame them. They all probably have friends in the other group and they’re probably sick of being segregated.
Hey, look, it’s Toui! He finally got better from being sick, and I guess he moved up to 1 star. Good for him. He’s ranked 93rd, but you never know, I guess.
Winnie interviews that he’s ready for the challenge, and oh gosh, I hope he changes that hair color soon. It does him no favors.
It’s pretty standard issue kind of challenge. Each of seven songs will be performed twice, once by a K-group team and once by a G-group team. The audience will vote for the one it liked better, and the winning team will get a benefit.
During the reaction, we can see that Chen Liang, one of the God’s Menu performers, has dropped from 2 stars to 0 stars, and is currently wearing an eye patch. Poor guy. Han Seo Bin, one of the Freak rappers, is wearing a scarf around his neck, maybe to keep his throat warm. We also see that he has dropped from 4 stars to 3.
I was initially confused as to the benefit rules, so here is what Minhyun says:
“To the team that won by getting more votes from Star Creators, 100,000 points will be awarded. After combining each team’s scores, the group that got the higher score will be given 10,000 extra benefit points.” So “team” means “team performing a particular song” and “group” means K-group versus G-group.
I might be proven wrong on this, but it really seems like a foregone conclusion that K-group will win. Here is my reasoning. (1) The K trainees are generally more skilled, as a group. (2) The G trainees will have a harder time learning the lyrics to the songs, even if they already kind of know the tunes. (3) K trainees all share a language and culture, while G trainees will have serious communication issues and cultural differences, leading to more difficult teamwork.
I’d be irritated about that 10,000 point benefit being primed for the K-group to have, but I know that 10,000 points won’t really do much. It would be enough to change the outcome for someone who would have one or two spots below the cutoff point, but it won’t save anyone in the basement of the rankings.
The boys know that, so the producers poke them with a cattle prod (I assume) to get them to say things like this:
The look on Ji Yoon Seo’s face here cracks me up.
Also, one team will get to perform on M countdown, which they all are very excited to do.
The theme for the songs is “million selling groups.” As Minhyun reveals each song, the boys react as if that group has just walked in the room. Here are the songs:
Seventeen -- Very Nice
Exo - Love Me Right
BTS - Danger
NCT Dream - Hot Sauce
Wanna One - Burn It Up
Stray Kids - Back Door
Black Pink - Kill This Love
Lee Da Eul (the shy ham) doesn’t remember Danger, so Lee Seung Hwan (Mirotic) sings a little.
Minhyun says that Burn It Up -- a song he performed as a member of Wanna One -- is really difficult. I suspect that will be important.
Cai Jin Xin (Reveal) says, in English, “That’s my favorite song!” when Back Door is announced.
Krystian jumps up and down when Kill This Love is revealed, and Haruto starts doing the choreo.
Minhyun says that currently, K group has 47 trainees to G-group’s 48, so to… make it fair…??... they’re setting Kill This Love aside as the song that will have a different number of trainees. K group will perform it with 5, and G-group with 6. I guess the idea is that at least you know what you’re getting into if you purposefully choose Kill This Love.
If you do the math, you’ll see that all the other groups will have 7 members each. The trainees with the highest rankings in the fancam views will get to choose their teammates.
Jung Min Gyu, the red house, is sort of resigned to the fact that no one will pick him; Han Yu Seop, a Jellyfish trainee with low ranking, says he’s in a tough spot.
Keita explains what’s going on to Anthonny, using Korean to do so, which is odd since they both speak Japanese, but I guess that since they’re using Korean so much all day every day it’s just easier to stay in that language.
37:00 The team making starts
Hui gets to pick first.
Lim Jun Seo, who walked in first that day with Lee Da Eul and who has dropped from 2 stars to 1 star, interviews that he was sort of hoping that maybe Hui would pick him. Aww. My little cousin and noted yeller Kum Jun Hyeon jokes in his confessional that he didn’t want to get picked right away, but the editors see eye contact.
Lee Seung Hwan from Mirotic, who has worked his way up to 3 stars, also wants to get picked. I mean, to be fair, they all do. Every single one of them.
Hui picks Nation’s sweetheart Sung Han Bin first, and who can blame him? That’s who I would have picked first too, I think, and besides, I think they kind of know each other from being at Cube.
Keita mutters to Anthonny, in Korean, “Even the whole Group G can’t compete with those two.” Aww.
Then Hui picks exactly the person I would have picked second - Lee Ye Dam, who did that fantastic audition with Gambler. I was muttering it at my computer screen and then it happened! He’s so happy, and the other trainees nod as if to say, of course. Then Lee Jeong Hyeon, who auditioned with The Real and who, despite his 3 star status, is fairly low ranked. Everyone is really surprised at that, including him! But every team needs a good rapper. Then Oh Seong Min (“Jerome”), who is not who I would have picked at all, but ok.
After that, it’s Han Seo Bin, who auditioned with Freak -- another rapper. His friend, Park Ji Hoo, who first met Hui when Hui stole the first place seat, and who also auditioned with Freak, tries to be happy for his friend but is heartbroken and jealous. That must feel just awful.
Hui’s final pick is the mop haired Kim Gyu Vin, from Kick It, and that’s a decent choice.
Taken together, this is a pretty strong team. I think Hui didn’t want to pick any noted vocalists since he wanted to make sure to have main vocal on lock.
Dang Hong Hai now gets to choose his team, and he chooses Anthonny first, which Anthonny seems to have expected, but also is glad about. Then Jay, then Wumuti -- who is a strong vocalist. Then, just after Haruto semi-jokingly suggests they need a good dancer, and why not himself?, Hong Hai picks him!
Haruto is pretty happy about it.
Hong Hai also picked Thai idol Winnie, Haru from Maniac, and one more, though I’m not sure who yet.
Now it’s time for sexy BL Kim Ji Woo to pick a team, and he picks golden maknae/formerly sickly baby Han Yoo Jin first; then he picks one of my faves, the excellent vocalist from The Real, Kim Tae Rae, whose hair is not quite as floppy as it once was, and whose jersey has one more star on it! Well deserved, Tae Rae! After that, he picks the underappreciated Ji Yoon Seo from Kick It, who seems profoundly grateful.
Aww, look how happy Red House Jung Min Gyu is for him!
When Yoon Seo runs up to his new team, you can see that my little cousin and noted screamer Kum Jun Hyeon is already there. More MNET shenanigans. And the last pick is Yoon Jong Woo, who is the guy who pretended to kiss Ji Woong that time, and who has dropped from 3 stars to 1. I think they’re genuinely good friends and that was a friend move, and/or maybe it’s just to continue the BL storyline….? I prefer to think the former.
At 42:44, it’s time for good egg Keita to pick a team. (Incidentally, give Blind by Ciipher a chance -- I threw it on my playlist and I like it more and more as I listen to it.) Keita’s first pick is of course Canada’s pride, Seok Matthew. Next is Wang Zi Hao, the krumper; then auburn haired center Zhang Hao -- good call. He calls Min at some point, though we don’t see it happen (Thai Min performed “Glitch Mode” with Anthonny and Haruto) and then declares that his team is complete. Everyone freaks out -- it means that he’s choosing “Kill This Love” for his team. Nice, Keita! And no one wants to go up against them.
Blue haired Park Han Bin is bummed, because he wanted to do KTL but not if it means going up against this team of all 3 and 4 star trainees.
Lee Hwan Hee, the vocalist from Up10tion, interviews, “I really wanted to avoid that team. Just that team!” Oh, subtle editing MNET. I wonder if he’s going to have to go up against them or not?
Lee Da Eul is up next to pick a team, and he chooses:
Jeon Woo Seok -2 stars, had been 0; ranked 72; Criminal (barefoot)
Jung I Chan - 2 stars all the way; ranked 55th; Mirotic (also, he was on I-Land)
Kim Min Hyuk - 3 stars, had been 2; ranked 82; Lullaby
Choi Ji Ho - 2 stars all the way; ranked 58; Mmmmh
Lee Seung Hwan - 3 stars, had been 2; ranked 16; Mirotic
Lim Jun Seo - 1 star, had been 2; ranked 21; Replay
He explains that he wanted to pick those who had been kind to him when he was trying so hard to learn the choreography for the Signal Song, as a way of showing his gratitude to them. I get it, and it’s so sweet, but I’m not sure if creating a team of mostly 2 stars is setting any of them up for a win. Still, they don’t have any 0 stars, and maybe they’ll present a sort of uniform team with a matching vibe that might look nice all together. Also, maybe Da Eul knows that he can shed a little of his popularity onto them, by letting the world know that these are the people who were kind to him?
Side note: I am so glad to see that Jeon Woo Seok has been raised to 2 stars. I think it was horrible of the judges to put him in 0 stars for his performance of Criminal. It was…. Ok, I’ll say it: it was a crime.
From here, the show moves into lightening round. We see a brief glimpse of a team featuring Cong; another with Red House Jung Min Gyu, another with Ricky and Krystian; another with Park Hanbin and Bak Do Ha. Dong Keon is the chooser for whatever team he’s on.
Sexy Jellyfish Park Gunwook is the only 4 star who hasn’t been called yet, and people are surprised. He’s a 4-star, and an all ‘rounder, and relatively popular. I theorize that perhaps he’s a bit, for lack of a better word, “bossy”? That’s a good thing and a bad thing, you know? I’m not criticizing him or anything. I suffer from the same affliction.
So now there’s some MNET editing shenanigans. Lee Hwan Hee, the excellent vocalist from Up10tion who hasn’t really been showing his excellence and has fallen down to 1-star, gets called up as the next most popular trainee who hasn’t already been chosen. He picks his team, and only AFTER he picks the team do we find out what exactly has been going on. Essentially, what happened is this: While the Global trainees were picking their team, Park Gunwook sussed out that Lee Hwan Hee was the next one to be called to pick a team. Gunwook also knew that so far, no one had stopped at just 5 trainees, which meant that either this team, or the next, would have to do Kill This Love, going up against a very strong G team. Gunwook made a plan: Hwanhee would pick certain trainees, including Gunwook and two of his teammates from Jellyfish and GBTB, and they would do Kill This Love. It was a way of controlling their fate, at least a little.
He and his fellow Jellyfish pressure Hwanhee into agreeing to the plan, even though Hwanhee didn’t initially want to do that song at all.
“To be honest, I can’t dance,” Hwanhee says.
“That’s ok,” Gunwook says. "You can hide behind me."
So, per the plan, in addition to our sexy Jellyfish, Hwanhee picks:
Hong Keon Hee: He’s 18, he auditioned with Nunu Nana, and while he’s ranked pretty low (he’s at 87th place) and overtly ignored by MNET editors, he has been a 3 star trainee the whole time. Most likely, Gunwook probably got to know his skills when they were three stars together.
Han Yoo Seop and Jang Yeo Joon: Both Jellyfish trainees, they both used to be in 3 stars and have fallen to 2 stars. Gunwook probably knows and trusts their skills, and besides, he didn’t want to leave his teammates behind. Aww.
The trainees are all hyped up about this face off, and Ji Yoon Seo (who was so happy to be picked earlier) says, “With these members, it’s already over.” I’m genuinely not sure which team he thinks will win.
Minhyun asks Hwanhee how it came to pass that Hwanhee picked 3 Jellyfish trainees, and that’s when we see a flashback showing Gunwook’s machinations. Hey, I approve. Gunwook’s like a general in the midst of war. I think I have to stop calling him Sexy Jellyfish and start calling him General Gunwook.
And then, those not chosen were the official leftovers teams.
Jeon Ho Young, who auditioned with Love Scenario, says he was “a bit disappointed.”
Dong Dong, from team Tiger Inside, says, “I felt abandoned, maybe? I’m embarrassed.”
I always feel so bad for the leftovers.
At 48:35, Minhyun announces that the teams have to pick their songs, and then there’s a pointless sequence I’m not going to bother to recap, in which they pick their songs. Highest ranks choose first, I guess to prevent injuries, so the leftover teams will also get the leftover song. After the teams pick their song, they go the room for that song. Whoever gets there first inevitably hides and jumps out to scare whoever gets there second, and everyone overplays their reactions to get camera time. Hilarious, never been done!
Here’s all that’s really of note:
It is kind of funny that Hui’s team (of first chosen K-trainees) ends up facing off against Hong Hai’s team (of first chosen G-trainees), since both choose Love Me Right.
We see that the charming Dance Captain of the No Stars, Oujo, has risen up to 2-stars! Yay!
The K-group of leftovers gets stuck with Burn It Up, which is apparently the most difficult song. It’s known for the part where Kang Daniel shows his abs. So, this happens, when a staff member is interviewing poor Park Gwan Young from Lullaby:
And from 54:50 on, we’re heading into practice territory, so that's enough for this recap.
What I've done is I've created a main post for episodes 3-4 and all the various performances. If you click on that, it'll give a general description of the whole mission. enjoy!
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