EPISODE 9

After a brief intro and a flash of the logo, Do or Die returns to the studio where it left off last week. As always there is Yeonhee standing before the two teams who actually got to perform the week before. 

"Good evening once again," Yeonhee says into the camera. "And welcome back to Do or Die. It is time again to find out who is going home tonight. Who we will, regrettably, have to say goodbye to."

The camera pans over the two teams, both of which look united. The third team, the one who had been unable to perform, is absent altogether. 

"Last week we had two thrilling performances," Yeonhee says. "Unfortunately, as with every week, someone will have to be eliminated."

The camera pans over the two teams. Seowoo keeps his head up but it's easy to tell that he's nervous. In he same team Jaemin is also visibly scared. They're not as united as the other team, they look too awkward for that, Daebak tries to offer some support while Yeonin simply looks his own awkward self.

"From team To My Love," Yeonhee starts, checking her cue card. "Daebak, please step forward."

Daebak looks absolutely terrified as he steps forward. The scene switches to his interview section and Daebak looks seriously upset. "I don't want to go yet," he says. "But not like this."

The other team is visibly a unit. They glance at each other during Yeonhee's dramatic pause, and they're nervous alright, but there is a sense of support there as well. Jeongha squeezes the shoulders of both Inho and Yoonshik, who both return the gesture with an equally awkward nod. Changui is looking troubled but a nudge from Hugo quickly bring the smile back to his face. It's forced, but it's there. 

"For team Be Happy," Yeonhee says it with a smile. "Ah, it's Yoonshik, please step forward." 

Yoonshik just nods and joins Daebak. No frills. 

"Honestly, it was about time," Yoonshik says in his interview section. "I'm surprised I haven't been up for elimination sooner honestly. I mean I'm glad I haven't been but I was can't say I didn't expect it."

"Everything hangs in the balance of immunity," Yeonhee says back on the stage. "Which team managed to impress the audience the most with their performance? Was it team To My Love with their sweet ode to me," Yeonhee winks at Yeonin who immediately turns red. Yeonhee laughs "oh that never gets old. I mean, of course, with their spectacular vocal performance? Or was it Be Happy with their infectiously fun song, produced by themselves? This is such a tough one, I wouldn't know who to vote for myself!"

Yeonhee opens the envelope. "Ah, it was incredibly close, the winning team won by only a single vote! Congratulations Be Happy, Yoonshik you may rejoin your team. That means Daebak, I'm sorry, this will be the end of the road for you."

Both teams look shocked, even Yoonshik looks surprised as he gets back to his team who's there to congratulate him.

"I really thought I was a goner," Yoonshik says in his interview. "Like I just said, I was surprised I lasted this long to begin with. It was shocking that Daebak was the one slated to go instead."

Back on the stage the camera pans over the other members of his team. Jaemin looks ready to burst into tears as usual while Yeonin looks majorly conflicted. He bites his lip with a frown.

On the other team Hyuk looks shocked and unsure. He looks like he wants to approach Daebak but a glance at the cameras holds him back. 

"Please make your way off the stage Daebak," Yeonhee says gently as Daebak remains frozen, a look of panic clear on his face. 

"Wait," Yeonin says as he steps forward. 

Yeonhee is obviously caught off guard by the interruption. "Yes Yeonin?"

Yeonin clears his throat. "Wait. I'm the one who pushed them into this performance, if anyone should go it's me."

Yeonhee glances at Seona, unsure of how to proceed. "You want to be eliminated in his place? You got the most votes in your team Yeonin."

"Hyung no," Jaemin says. He reaches out for him just as Yeonin takes another step forward and joins Daebak. 

Yeonin is quiet for a moment, seeming to contemplate things, while a hushed silence falls over the studio. Then he nods. "Yes. I would like to be eliminated in his place. I have failed him as a leader and it should be me."

Yeonhee glances back at Seona again, who gives a small nod. She turns back to Yeonin. "If that's your decision then we must respect that." 

Daebak doesn't seem to comprehend what's happening, he looks confused from one party to the other as he's herded back in line with the rest of his team.

Yeonin bows to the rest of his team. "I'm sorry for failing you," he says. "And all of you, please remember to properly warm up your vocal chords before practice and before a performance."

He then bows even deeper to the judges. "Thank you so much for having me on your show. It was an honour." 

With a last bow Yeonin makes his way off the stage, leaving a silent stage behind.

"I was so shocked!" Jeongha says in his interview. "I didn't imagine anyone would volunteer to leave! Or if it was allowed at all!" 

The scene shifts to Jaemin sitting for his interview. He's incredibly upset "It's not right," he says. "With everything that Yeonin hyung did for us- did for me. It's not right for him to leave like that!" 

"It's okay," Yeonin tells the interviewer. "I made my choice. I was never made for the idol life and competing on this show taught me that plain. I will go home content knowing that I helped some of them become better vocalists."

Back on the stage Yeonhee is the one to break the silence. "That was... an eventful evening. I won't keep you longer, I'm sure you are all as shocked as I am. Go on back to the dorm, preparations for the next performance start tomorrow morning."

The contestants file out in various states of shock and tears. Yeonin's departure triggered the full waterworks from Jaemin. while Hugo pats him on the back, rubbing away a tear of his own. Daebak is also crying, finally having realized what exactly has been happening, and Hyuk is comforting him a little awkwardly. Seowoo looks downright angry as he gets out, caught shooting a glare at Daebak. Inho simply herds the rest of his team, but even he looks a little uneasy with the way the night as unfolded. 

 

       

The following morning the mood is grim in the practice room. None of them feel much like celebrating and there isn't a lot of chatter either. Even the judges seem a little more severe as they enter the room. All except Cipher of course.

"Good morning everyone!" he says brightly as he saunters in. "Boy have we got a challenge for you!" He's positively glowing with glee as he rubs his hands together in excitement.

"First there is the matter of ranking," Carver says, shooting an annoyed look at Cipher. "Three of you were unable to perform last week due to.... unforeseen circumstances. Thus we are unable to rank you, considering you may have improved, or not. You shall remain unranked for this week."

Carver then proceeds to hand out the rankings of the vocalists. "Changui, you are fourth, though your vocals are getting better, you simply did not compare to the other vocalists." Changui just shrugs and receives the pin.

"Seowoo, you improved a significant amount last week and I am very happy with your progress, third rank is yours." Seowoo actually looks a little proud at the positive comment as he receives his pin, sticking it to his shirt with a rare smile. 

"Yoonshik, you also impressed me with your performance last week. You are a very good performer, but sometimes  your sincerity is lacking. With Be Happy you showed us that you are capable of sincere enjoyment in your craft, not just professionalism, and it impressed all of us." Yoonshik looks pleased as he pins the ranking to his shirt.

"Jaemin," Carver starts. "Last week's performance did not rectify all the issues with your technique, but you improved in leaps and bounds in just one performance. I'm proud of you. You managed a serious harmony line for the first time in the show and showed us why you are main vocalist material. Congratulations on your top rank." Jaemin is glowing as he receives the praises, pinning the #1 to his shirt for the first time in the program. 

Next up is Kangho. "Due to Halli's unfortunate absence of this round of ranking, for me the ranking is rather straight forward. Hugo, you work hard and while you're certainly not the best dancer, you have always demonstrated that with a good work ethic you can handle what is thrown at you. Hyuk, I see you coming into your own more and more this competition. I'm told you had a hand in the choreography this week?"

Hyuk shakes his head. "Oh no I just suggested a thing here and there it was Yoonshik who put it all together!"

"It was good work from both of you.  I'm really proud of your progress especially, Hyuk." Kangho hands him the #2 pin. 

"Daebak, although you didn't dance, we both know that out of the three of you you're hands down the best dancers so you shall keep the #1 pin." 

Next Cipher steps up. “There's only two ranks to give for me,” he says, obviously impatient to get this over with. He tosses a pin at Inho, who was ready for Cipher's usual catch antics. “Inho my dude, that rap was pathetic but it was also everything I had never seen from you. You enjoyed yourself up there, that's right I saw you cracking up you can't hide that from me, without being ashamed. Was that your most eloquent and thoughtful rap? Hell no. But it was exactly what the song required. Catch.”

Jeongha’s  mouth falls open when he realized that it was the #2 pin that Cipher had tossed at Inho. He points at himself and mouths me?

“Jeongha,  Jeongha,  Jeongha,” Cipher says with much glee. “I'm impressed. That's a solid song you pulled out of your -- there. For that alone you deserve this.”

“Oh stop,” Jeongha says. “That old thing?  It wasn't that good’”

Cipher raises his eyebrows. “You want the pin or not?”

“Yes!” Jeongha says quickly.  “Yes please.”

“It wasn't the most impressive rapping I've seen on the show, your intonation still leaves something to be desired, but your work on the song itself earned you this,” Cipher tosses the pin at Jeongha. As he pins it to his shirt he exchanges a grin with Inho, who mouths a quick congrats.

“Can we-?” Cipher starts before he's cut off by Carver.

“So for this challenge you're going to be performing completely new songs,” Carver says.

“Our songs!” Cipher interrupts. 

“As Cipher just blurted out, you will be split into two teams, each of which will perform an original. One of them was written by me, the other by Cipher.”

“And I will provide the choreography,” Kangho says a lot more gently than Cipher before him.  

“With this we will gauge how well you work in an idol environment.  Previously you have been allowed to create your own performance, and sometimes even your own songs, and handle things like line division yourself. This time everything will be decided for you. It's the final test to see if you deserve to be here. At the end of this challenge two of you will be eliminated.”

“And no immunity either,” Cipher chimes in. “This is every would be idol for himself. Either you prove to the audience that you deserve to be here or you're out.”

There's some nervousness among the contestants.  Inho and Hanjin both look the most concerned, glancing at each other.

“That being said: Jaemin, Halli, Ted, Hugo, and Changui, you're with me,” Carver says.

“The rest of you are with me,” Cipher says. 

 

     

The five that make up carver's team are gathered around him in one of the production booths. This one's a little different from the ones the contestants have been using. Instead of being empty aside from the equipment and a chair or two, this room is filled with personal touches. Sticky notes with reminders and lists, various stacks of paper, one absurdly cute pop figure of some kind of grey raptor alien. This room is obviously someone's territory, and in the midst of it all is Carver in front of the computer. Around him the five members of his team are waiting for him to start.

"The song I've prepared for you is a flower boy concept," he explains. Halli visibly grimaces when he says it. "It was chosen both to test your viability as idols as well as test your weaknesses," Carver continues, looking straight at Halli. "I know this concept doesn't sit easy with all of you, but this very well might be a concept you have to execute as the future flagship group of Fringe Entertainment."

Carver presses play and lets the team listen to the song he's made. It's indeed very flower boy, all wholesome, which sits better with some of the team and not so well with others. Halli doesn't really like what he's hearing and he's an open book, but Changui is jamming along with a grin. Hugo nods along to the beat with smiling eyes but it's impossible to tell if he's being ironic or not while Ted is impossible to read as ever. Jaemin looks like he's not sure what to make of it all, but when it ends he nods in approval. 

"The lines have been divided as follows," Carver says as he hands out the lyrics sheets. "There shouldn't really be any surprises. Jaemin is main vocal, Ted is rapper, you three are anything in between. Ted, you have been appointed leader. All of you go practice your lines and we'll record in 4 hours."

"It's a really nice song," Jaemin says in his interview. "Sweet." He laughs. "Pun unintended."

The group disperses to practice the song. Ted goes off to write the lyrics of his rap while Halli approaches Jaemin. "Hey, hyung," he starts.

"Huh? Oh Halli?" Jaemin looks a little confused. "Can I help you with something?"

"Yes actually!" Halli says. "I was going to ask Yeonin hyung to help me with my singing but... you know..."

"Yeah," Jaemin says sadly. "I can help you with your technique if you want. I'm not as good as Yeonin was but I suppose I'm the next back thing."

"I'm glad you finally got your together, hyung," Halli says. "You've got a banging voice but honestly I would've kicked your for stubbornly endangering your groups like that, that was pretty rude dude."

Jaemin lifts his eyebrows. "Do you want me to help you or not?"

"Whoops, yes! Yes I do!"

Jaemin sighs. "Come on then."

The two set off to practice while Ted is working on his rap in the hallway. He paces back and forth before writing something in a notepad, crumbling it up, and starting to pace again.

"You're gonna make the cameraman dizzy if you keep doing that," Changui says in slightly accented English as he peeks out of the practice room. 

Ted sighs in frustration. "Cipher keeps telling me I need to be more sincere in my rap, and less forgettable, but how can I do that with a song like this?"

"Do you want help?" Changui asks. 

Ted shakes his head. "No I need to do this myself. It's my test."

The image fast-forwards to later that evening. The team is sitting in the cafetaria eating their dinner. The camera briefly pans over the tables. The contestants have separated into their teams, though Jaemin has turned around in his seat and is talking animatedly with Hyuk while Daebak is concentrating and actually managing to eat with his chopsticks. Curiously both Hugo and Changui are absent.

The door to the cafeteria opens and Hugo looks in, scanning the room. "Hey has anyone seen Changui?" he asks.

"Not since practice," Ted says. "He said he'd join dinner later and never did, come to think of it." Ted frowns, he obviously hadn't noticed Changui's absense. "Why? You can't find him?"

Hugo shakes his head. "His things are gone from the room." He looks legitimately worries and a little haphazard. 

"Wait what," Ted gets up too while the others just watch as he rushes out the door with Hugo in tow. "Do you have any idea where he might have gone?"

Hugo shakes his head. 'He's not gone yet," he says. "I asked the producers if he'd collected his things and he hasn't. He's gotta be around here somewhere."

Cameras installed around the dorms and in the hallways show Hugo and Ted looking for Changui, but Changui seems nowhere to be found. Then Hugo paces for a minute in the hallways, not sure what to do, before he seems to get an epiphany and rushes up to the top floor and off screen.

"He just disappeared," Ted says in his interview. "We were really worried about him. There was no lead up to this at all either I had no idea he was having so many doubts until he packed his things. Thankfully Hugo was able to find him on the roof."

"Yeah I was worried about him," Hugo says in his interview. "But what happened to him is his business. I found him on the roof and we had a good talk. Then he came back. That's all you need to know."

The other 4 have gone back to practice when Changui opens the door and peeks in. "Hey guys," he says sheepishly.

"Hey," Ted says. He turns off the music. There is an obvious awkward tension in the room. "You doing okay?"

"Yeah," Changui says. "Yeah I'm doing okay. Sorry for worrying you. And missing all those practices and stuff. And, well, basically everything? Kind of?"
  Halli rolls his eyes but Jaemin smiles warmly. "It's all good."

"Come on, let's run through things from the top," Ted says and turns the music back on, and like that the awkward atmosphere is gone. 

The scene switches to a day later. It's late at night and Changui is the only one left in the practice room. He's working hard practicing, trying to really get the steps down. The dance isn't very hard and he doesn't seem to be struggling but he's still working tirelessly. 

The door opens and Ted looks in. He's surprised when he sees who's inside. "Changui?" 

"Oh! Hey!" Changui's surprised at the interruption too and goes to turn off the music. "What are you doing here? Didn't you go to bed an hour ago?"

"Couldn't sleep," Ted says, responding in English too. "My rap has been nagging me so I figured I'd be of more use if I actually worked on it. What are  you doing? You never practice late at night."

Changui shrugs. "It's been brought to my attention that I'm holding the group