Last week the 53 trainees chosen by the National Producers were revealed, it is time that they are put to the test!

The episode starts with the trainees walking into the familiar gym where they had previous decided on the battle teams. They’re all wearing new clothes, white shirts with a pink crown on it, far from the colourful grade-based shirts they had worn before. From now on everyone is equal once more.

“I wonder what we’ll be doing now,” Tanaka Yuki (Sony Japan) whispers in Japanese to Gong Sohyun (Urban Works).

“We’ll find out soon,” Sohyun whispers back.

The trainees assemble on a tiered platform according to rank. Choi Bitna stands on the floor up front as the undisputed #1 while the rest of the top 9 stands on the first tier, and the others stand on the three tiers behind them.

The door opens again and Chanhee peeks in. Then he gasps. “Oh am I in the right room? I’m looking for the recording of Produce 99 but everyone here is way too beautiful I must have stumbled into Korea’s Next Top Model!”

There are mass groans and giggles coming from the girls. “Too greasy!!!” Song Liling (YNB) is buryng her face in her hands.

Chanhee grins and takes General MC Position #4 in front of the girls. “Helloooo, I hope you’re all excited to start the next round! Most of you probably know by now but it is time to tests your skills a little more specifically. It’s time for the position evaluations!”

There is the customary applauding from the girls, with Lucy letting out a big fat WOOT.

“Trainee Gong Sohyun!” Chanhee calls out, and the camera focuses on the girl at the far right of the farthest tier. “You were #53 last ranking, barely holding on to as spot in this competition.”

Sohyun nods. “I’m going to do my best to show the National Producers that I deserve to be here,” she says. “I want to show them that I’m a good singer and would be a boon to the final group if they let me.”

“Bold words!” Chanhee grins. “Today all the votes have been reset so it doesn’t matter if you’re #1 like Choi Bitna or #53 like Gong Sohyun, everyone has an equal chance of making it through to the next round. Speaking of! Trainee Go Yoonseo, what rank were you?”

“I was #37,” Yoonseo says.

“If that’s your rank next elimination round, you would be eliminated,” Chanhee says. “Only the top 36 will make it through to the next round. Seventeen of you will not be staying with us, so do your best and show the National Producers exactly why you deserve to stay in the competition.”

“So, Position Evaluations!” The light tone is back as Chanhee grins in excitement himself. “You will each choose the position you’d want to have for debut! The vocalists and rappers will perform together and are responsible for the arrangement of the song and the lyrics of the rap. The dancers will be responsible for creating their own choreography.

“And of course there’s no evaluation without a benefit, is there? Whoever is first place of their song will receive 10.000 votes.” The gasps of the girls are cut short as Chenhee continues. “But that’s not all! The person with the most votes overall in the Dance/Rap category and Dance category will get a whooping 100.000 votes!”

“For real?!” Woo Reni (SidusHQ) asks in her interview. “Doesn’t that just guarantee a win?”

“I will do anything to get that benefit,” Choi Juyeon (BNM) says, before glancing guiltily at the camera. “I probably shouldn’t say that, should I?”

“Without further ado,” let’s see about the song, shall we?” Chanhee gives a wide sweep with his arm and the camera finds a wall with song signs attached to it.

Vocal/Rap:

Big Bang - Flower Road (4)

BLACKPINK - Stay (4)

Heize - Don't Know You (4)

BT - Truth Untold (4)

BoA - Merry Chri (6)


Dance:

Beyoncé – Yoncé (4)

Jax Jones - Instruction (6)

Taylor Swift - Look What You Made Me Do (5)

Lil Mix - Touch (5)

The girls gasp at the songs and chatters erupts amongst their ranks. Ito Chiyo nudges Yuki. “Look, it’s BTS!”

Taeri gasps. “Yoncé!”

“This year the vocalists and rappers will choose a song together,” Chanhee says. “Do you all see the number behind the song? That indicates how many girls can perform that song. As soon as that number is filled, you won’t be able to pick the song anymore. Who do you think the first person to pick her song will be?”

“#1!” the girls shout back.

Chanhee grins. “Nope! #12, trainee Han Moonae, will pick her song first.”

“Wait, does that mean all the good songs will be gone by the time we’re up?” Im Mosu (Starship) whispers to Girim.

“Don’t worry,” Chanhee says. “You will get to choose your song later after the #12 to #53 have chosen their songs, regardless of if they have been filled up or not. Don’t worry we don’t forget our top 9.

“So, Han Moonae,” Chanhee gestures to the song. “Take your pick!”

Moonae steps forward and bobs up and down on her toes, peering at the options available.”I’m going for… BTS’ Truth Untold!” She hurries forward and stands in front of the sign.

“Trainee #13, Amano Midori, you’re up!”

Midori steps forward too and calmly regards the songs. “I pick…” she says. “Instruction.”

“Aaah your Korean got so good!” Chanhee says.

Midori smiles. “Thank you!”

“I really liked performing U-Go-Girl,” Midori says. “I… eh... wanted to try something a little y again.”

“What about Yoncé?” a staff members asks off-screen while Midori leans forward, eyes big, to hear.

It takes her a moment to process and her eyes widen as she shakes her head. “Noooo, that’s too much!”

One by one more girls choose their songs. Dohee picks Flower Road, Haeun is the first to pick Yoncé, Haesung joins Moonae on Truth Untold, and Kyungmi and Inree both follow each other going for Stay.

One by one the songs are filled up, too. Go Yoonseo (FNC) takes the last spot in Yoncé and the sign is turned around, revealing a greyed out name plate while Taeri sighes sadly.  Woo Reni (SidusHQ) takes the last spot on Look What You Made Me Do while Ito Chiyo round out Truth Untold.

Kang Chaerin (Leon) looks pained when the BTS team’s sign is turned around but instead has to content with Flower Road.

“I really wanted to do the Truth Untold,” Kang Chaerin says in her interview. “If only I’d ranked just a little higher!”

“Going for the Japanese song would be the easy way out,” Chiyo says. “We’re going to be promoting in both Korea and Japan right? So let me show you that I can sing in Korean too.”

Gong Sohyun is shown nervously biting her lip while more and more songs close up. Don't Know You, Merry Chri, and Flower Road quickly follow until Touch and Stay are the only songs left. She looks nervously as Kim Saebom and Moon Soomi take dance positions and lets out a breath of relief when she can take a vocal position in Blackpink’s Stay.

“And now it’s time for #1 to #11 to choose,” Chanhee says. “And what will happen when they choose a song, you might think. Aren’t all the spots already filled? When a ranking trainee picks a song they will boot out the lowest ranking trainee in that team who will then be pushed to a new song.”

Staff are shown bringing in two new stands, one saying Vocal/Rap (5) and another saying Dance (6). Neither of them show the actual song they’ll be doing, that remains a mystery.

”It’s so cruel!” Sohyun says. “I just got a song I like and now I’m going to be removed anyway?!”

“Independent trainee Choi Bitna, please step forward,” Chanhee says. “Our very own #1, is there a song you particularly like?”

Choi Bitna steps forward with a smile. “I’m debating between Big Bang and Blackpink,” she says. Sohyun and Haneul glance at each other, each the one who would be booted out. “My decision is… Blackpink’s Stay.”

Sohyun sighs sadly and moves over to the vocal reject song.

Next up is Hwang Jiho, who doesn't even hesitate before picking Yoncé, kicking Ha Bada (EM) out.

“Aaah, shoot!” Bada says, smile still on her face regardless. She scooches over to the dance team

“I'm going for the dance position,” Jung Gaeul (SM) says.

“I just wanted to show a different side of me,” Gaeul says to the interviewer. “People probably expect me to go for a vocal position but I must always keep people on their toes. Keeps life interesting!”

“I will go for Yoncé,” she says.

Yoonseo actually smiles when she's booted out and joins Bada in the reject dance team, giving her a little high five.

“I'm so sorry Saebom,” Girim says, taking her place in Touch.

Min Hwari (Cube) paces back and forth in front of the vocal side. She looks like she's made a decision, stops in front of Flower Road, changes her mind and paces again.

“Are you okay, Hwari?” Chanhee asks with a laugh.  Giggles ring through the clusters of girls as well.

“No!” Hwari says in distress.

“Just pick one!” Rachel (Too Media) blurts out.

“Okay,” Hwari nods, though it's uncertain whether the nod is for Rachel, Chanhee, or just for herself. She glances at all the songs one more time. “I choose Heize.”

“That's not what I meant!” Rachel protests as she's moved out of her group and made to join Saebom and Sohyun in the mystery vocal position.

“Trainee Kim Yeeun,” Chanhee calls out. “Come pick your song.”

Yeeun steps up, back straight as a board and eyes confident. “I’m going for a dance position,” she says.

“Aren’t you a vocal trainee?” Chanhee asks, cocking his head in curiosity.

“I’m branching out,” Yeeun says. “I choose Touch.”

“That means Moon Soomi, please leave the Touch team and take your position in your new team,” Chanhee says. Soomi sighs sadly and takes her spot in the dance team.

Sunisa (Plan A) steps up and quickly choose Merry Chri, pushing Choi Juyeon (BNM) out to the mystery vocal song. Lucy steps up next, who smiles apologetically. “I’m sorry Yona,” she says. “But Sunisa here I come!”

“I was not only a fan of anything Korean growing up, I was also a pretty serious weeaboo,” Lucy says rather proudly in her interview. “My years singing along to Utada Hikaru have finally paid off, I’ll show you how well I can sing in Japanese!”

Ji Yona (MLD) nods, lip trembling as she holds in tears.

“Oh no!” Lucy looks horrified. “I’m so sorry- I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s okay.” Yona sniffs and rubs the tears from her eyes before joining the mystery vocal team.

“I feel so bad now,” Lucy says. “Can I still switch?”

“I wasn’t sad about unnie pushing me out,” Yona says in her interview. “I was sad about the situation. I really wish I had ranked higher so I could have done Merry Chri, it’s my mom’s favourite song.”

“And like that the vocal position has been closed off,” Chanhee says as Yona takes the 5th spot. “Anyone who’s pushed out will have to take a dance position.”

“There’s three more girls to go,” Chanhee says. “You’re almost safe, those of you at the edge. Im Mosu, are you picking dance or vocal?”

“Vocal,” she says a little apologetically. Whoever she picks will have to dance. “Flower Road!” She points at the group standing in front of it.

Haneul steps forward, face fallen and filled with bummer as she walks over to the dance team.

“Joke’s on everyone else!” She says in her interview. “I’m a good dancer too, I’ll show you!”

Lexi comes forward next. “You’re going for dance, I assume?” Chanhee asks.

“Of course,” Lexi says. “I will take Look What You Made Me Do.” She takes her place in the line, kicking Yong Jisun (WM) out.

“Last girl! Ming Fen, as the #11 you get to take the final choice, do you go with vocal or dance?”

“Dance,” Fen says, voice soft but decisive. “I would like to go with Look What You Made Me Do.”

“It’s a very girl crush song,” she says. “I want to show another side of me and I think I will get to looks tough and cool with this song.”

“Now that everyone is sorted, let’s find out what the extra songs are, shall we?” Chanhee says. “Sohyun, Yoonseo, turn the sign around and reveal your songs!”
 

Justin Bieber - Let Me Love You (5)

Fitz and the Tantrums - HandClap (6)

“It’s… an English song…” Kim Saebom (Urban Works) cringes. “I’m not very good at English…”

“I really like HandClap!” Go Yoonseo (FNC) grins. She claps to herself. “This is gonna be great.”

“And thus and song selection is complete,” Chanhee says. “Go forth and practice practice practice, and I will see you girls on stage!”

Vocal/Rap:

Big Bang - Flower Road

BLACKPINK - Stay

Heize - Don't Know You

BTS - Truth Untold

BoA - Merry Chri

Justin Bieber - Let Me Love You

Dance:

Beyoncé – Yoncé

Jax Jones - Instruction

Taylor Swift - Look What You Made Me Do

Lil Mix - Touch

Fitz and the Tantrums - HandClap

~*~
 

And then it is judgment day. The camera follows heaps of fans standing in line until they’re allowed into the venue. Most of them are holding banners of some kind with their faves on it.

“Hwari, let’s debut!!” A girl with her own pink hair says, holding an even pinker sign. “Pink forever!!”

“Moonae fighting!!!” A group of fans shout in unison, waving bright red banners with her face on it.

Another group shoves their Gaeul banners into the camera. “Here comes debut, Gaeul!!” they chant.

Behind them a man with an Areum banners shouts. “AREUM MARRY ME!!”

The venue is bigger than the one before as the fans pile into the studio. Just like before, these are the National Producers who will decide the fates of the contestants.

Which trainees will get the 100k bonus votes?

“Hello hello hello!” Chanhee walks onto the stage with his signature charismatic smile on and ready. “Welcome back, National Producers, it’s great to see you again! It is time for the Position Evaluation, you know how that goes right? Haven’t you seen both previous seasons?” The crowd screams their assent. “The position evaluation is divided between the Vocal and Rap position and the Dance position. Now for the voting, you will be voting per individual trainee. For each girl you will decide if you think she did a good job in her position or not. The trainee with the most votes each team will receive a benefit.

“Now that we have the boring stuff out of the way, are you ready to meet your girls?”

More screams of the audience answer that question loud and clear.

“SUNISAILOVEYOU!!!” one fan screams.

Chanhee bursts out laughing. “And I’m sure Sunisa loves you too! Now the first evaluation tonight will be a vocal and rap evaluation. How did the trainees rearrange the song and write the raps? Let’s find out! This song has a special place in the hearts of many people, and nobody can dispute the effect the group had on the Korean hip hop scene. The song… is Big Bang’s Flower Road!”

Lee Juri, Kang Chaerin, Kim Dohee, and Im Mosu come onto the stage, each wearing fancy dresses.

“One, two, three…” Juri counts down.

The girls all bow and speak in unison. “Hello! We are the Nation’s Flower Girls! Here to warm your hearts and souls and guide you down the flower path!”

“Kim Dohee, I hear you’re going to show us your rap,” Chanhee says. “Weren’t you the main vocalists last time?”

Dohee laughs. “I was!” she says. “But originally trained as a rapper! I can finally show you my real skill.”

“You mean your previous skills were fake?!” Chanhee asks, mock surprised.

“No! I didn’t-” Dohee stops herself and buries her face in her hands. “I don’t know!”

Chanhee grins. “I look forward to seeing your real skill in action, how about you?” he asks the audience and they shout ‘yes’ back. “It’s time to sit back and enjoy the performance, but first of course, we must see exactly how they managed to get here.”

~*~
 

The scene shifts to a week ago, where Juri, Mosu, Dohee, and Kang Chaerin are sitting in a circle in front of the Flower Road sign. Chaerin casts sideways glances at the others. “For the position evaluations, center is main vocal, right?”

“Or rapper, whichever is more prominent,” Juri says. The leader sticker on her shirt is easy to see now that her hair as been cut to shoulder length.

Chaerin awkwardly raises her hand. “I would like to be the center.”

“I want to sing a lot too,” Mosu says. “Main or lead, I really want to show off what I can do.”

“It’s a boy group song, it can’t be that high,” Mosu says. “I think I can show my skills as well as main vocalist here as Chaerin unnie.”

“Kang Chaerin should be the main vocal,” Juri says. “But you can be the second fiddle, I think we can split the chorus between you and it will amount to about the same amount of lines. I don’t mind getting fewer lines, and I can arrange the song, no problem.”

“Unnie has so much experience with music,” Dohee says. “I think we’re really lucky to have her in the team. I can sing and dance and rap, but I don’t know anything about practical music beyond that.”

Then it’s time for the mentor evaluations. All of the rap and vocal trainees are in the same practice room, with Eunha, Woosung, and Hana all present to give feedback. They go over the song once and the group is having trouble with the low notes.

Eunha and Woosung glance at each other. “Why don’t you raise it a key?” Eunha asks. “Let’s give it a shot.” They sing again, but with the raised key Mosu has a lot of trouble reaching the higher notes.

“Why are you giving your whole team a disadvantage to suit one member?” Woosung asks. “What kind of teamwork is that? Juri, why don’t you try Mosu’s part on the higher key.”

Juri tries it with her higher voice.

“Juri, you sound a lot brighter,” Woosung says. “I think it sounds a lot better when you sing it, you should switch positions with Mosu.”

Mosu looks down towards the ground, a forced smile still on her face but obviously trying to contain her emotions.

Mosu lets out a deep sigh in her interview. “I’ve been told a lot that my voice isn’t suitable for girl group songs,” Mosu says in her interview. “That’s why I wanted to try and be main vocal for a boy group song, but then I can’t do that either.” She smiles but her lip is quivering and she brushes tears from her eyes. “It’s okay. I can- I can try harder.”

There is a strong tension in the room when they reconvene. “I want to-” Mosu blurts out before stopping herself. She swallows and squares her shoulders. “I want to keep trying,” she says.

Kang Chaerin glances at the others a little helplessly.

“It was really hard to speak up for me,” she says in her interview. “I didn’t want to tell her no but I also couldn’t help but feel that we had to think for our team first and the individual later. She had her shot and if Juri unnie sounded better then Juri unnie should get those lines.”

“We should think about the team first,” Juri says, and next to her Chaerin nods, looking relieved someone else said it and all she had to do was back it up. “But I also think that we should play to our strengths. If Kang Chaerin and I have trouble with the lower notes then you with your naturally lower voice will do well. Logically, this time going with the trainers’ suggestions should benefit us all.”

“I agree,” Chaerin says as if it had been her idea all along.

Mosu’s shoulders slump. “Fine,” she says. Her customary smile waves only for a second before she picks herself up again. “I’m just going to have to sound so good with my few lines that everyone will forget all about you.”

“Hey we’re a team!” Kang Chaerin protests.

Juri lets out a short laugh, just a small burst of sound, and all three of the girls stare at Juri with mouths agape. “What?” Juri asks, stoic face back in place.

“Did you just…” Dohee starts.

“Laugh? Yes,” Juri says. “I thought Mosu’s ambition was funny and a little charming.”

“Thanks?” Mosu says. “I think?”

~*~
 

Back on the stage the girls get ready with their microphones to put on a show.

Im Mosu (Dahyun / hort white dress);  Lee Juri  (Eunha / pink dress);
Kang Chaerin (Bomi / ponytail);  Kim Dahee (Moonbyul / suit); 
 

The trainers watch the performance from back stage in their own little room. “Juri sounded really nice,” Woosung says. “I’m glad they switched the lines.”

“Dohee is a surprisingly good rapper,” Hana says. “She stole the performance for me.”

In another room the rest of the trainees are all sitting together and watching too and they scream when the team on stage take their final poses. “Who knew Dohee could rap like that?” Ji Yona (MLD) says with a big smile.

“She’s originally a rapper,” Choi Seulgi (WM) says. “I still don’t know how she managed to become main vocal last time.”

~*~

 

Dohee and Mosu smile with relief as they get off stage and make their way to the result announcement room, exactly the same room as during the previous evaluations but now with one sofa less. They sit down, all visibly nervous except for Juri.

“Aaah, I’m not ready!” Mosu covers her eyes with her hands and peeks through. Next to her Dohee is fidgeting with her jacket and Kang Chaerin is biting her lip but Juri just sits upright and stares right at the screen with no fear.

“We performed,” Juri says. “It’s done, all we can do now is see the results.” She hasn’t even finished the sentence before the screen in front of them turns on and a countdown appears.

5...

4...

3...

2...

1...

“Ranking?!” Mosu blurts out. “Do we not get to see how many votes we got?!”

“They’re keeping us in the dark so we and the audience can’t guess who’s going to win the 100k advantage,” Juri says matter-of-factly, not taking her eyes off the screen and the little 4 after her name.

Dohee looks stunned. “Again?” she all but whispers.

“I can’t believe I’m first again!” Dohee says with a big smile in her interview. “Honestly having my skills confirmed twice in a row feels so validating.”

“I have to work harder,” Mosu says. “I will come out on top once, I have to! I don’t work this hard to be #2, you know.” She says it with a wink, still carrying that forever cheer.

“I’m glad I’m not last but…” Chaerin looks down on the ground. “I’m the center… ah it’s disappointing…”

Mosu throws her arm around Dohee. “You have to become #1 now,” she says. “There’s no other way, I won’t accept it.”

A slight smile plays at Juri’s lips. “You have to bring honour to the family,” she says.

“I will,” Dohee says. “I’ll become #1 for the team.”
 

~*~

 

“You know what season is coming up real fast, right?” Chanhee grins. “The next team will make you feel like it’s Christmas Time, come onto the stage, Merry Chri team!”

The girls come on stage dressed in poofy white dresses and red ribbon accents.

“We’re here to give you that warm feeling of Christmas light and Christmas love,” Song Liling says.

“We are Heart To Heart!” The girls say in unison with a bow before each taking a heart pose.

“So Tanaka Yuki, what’s it like being back in Korea? Are you familiar with the language yet?” Chanhee asks.

“I missed you!” Yuki says in her shaky Korean. “I love you!” The crowd screams in answer and Yuki glows at the attention.

“Aaaah she’s so charming, it truly goes from her heart to yours, doesn’t it?” Chanhee asks and the crowd screams. “In fact, this is a very multicultural team. We have Sunisa representing Thailand, Lucy representing New Zealand, Liling representing Hong Kong, and Yuki representing Japan. It’s almost a true kpop group isn’t it? Did you have any problems communicating?”

“Liling and I can speak both Korean and English very well,” Sunisa says. “So even when communicating in Korean wasn’t possible we could still find a middle ground with English and Yuki helped us a lot with our Japanese, but both Yuki’s and Lucy’s Korean has improved a lot!”

“Hellooo!” Lucy says and basks at the cheers the crown returns.

“Do you hear how loud that is?” Yikwang asks the other trainers in their little room. “She must be really popular!”

“My heart is your heart!” Lucy says in that slightly wooden memorized kind of way. “My dream is your dream, please help me achieve. I love Korea!!” More crazy cheers and she laughs with pure joy at the attention.

“I don’t think anyone can give a better intro than that, can they?” Chanhee asks. “I’m all but grabbing my phone to vote for all of them right now! While they get ready to give you their best performance, let’s see how the preparation went for them, shall we?”

~*~
 

Their journey starts right at the vocal evaluation where the group is singing the song. Sungsook is main vocal while Miyoung takes the subvocal 1 position and Sunisa is subvocal 2. The group sings will and Sungsook leads them through what must be carefully practiced harmonies.

“Miyoung,” Eunha starts and Miyoung looks nervous at being addressed, but Eunha is smiling. “Didn’t you say that you wanted to surpass Sungsook as a main vocalist?”

Miyoung grows a glowing read. “N-no I-” she glances at Sungsook and laughs at her own foolishness. “I think I have a way to go before I can rival unnie.”
“I think you’re on the right track,” Eunha says. “Both of you sound very well together.”

Miyoung glows at the compliment. “It’s all thanks to Yeeun unnie and Sungsook unnie!” she says modestly but it’s easy to see she’s taken pride in the compliments and Liling rubs her shoulder with a proud smile herself.

“I have nothing to add to this,” Woosung says. “Your teamwork is excellent, your voices compliment each other very well, and I look forward to seeing your performance.”

“Sunisa, you have nice singing voice,” Eunha says.

“Thank you!” Sunisa smiles too. Really, the whole team is beaming at the rain of compliments.

“I think our teamwork is so good because we try not to think of it as a competition between ourselves but with everyone else,” Liling says in her interview. “After all, if we all do really well then the audience might think we all did a good job! Plus we all just really get along.”

To prove it there is a montage of them working hard and getting along, from sitting in the small soundproof cubicles to harmonizing late at night when all of them are already in bed and giggling when a very disharmonic snore from Miyoung cuts through.

Then there’s a scene in the morning of the dormroom. Sunisa is laying in bed, probably delaying having to get up, while Lucy is sleepily singing Merry Chri while she brushes her hair, and she sounds quite good. Sunisa jolts upright at the sound.

Sunisa gasps. “Lucy, I didn’t know you could sing like that!”

“Like what?” Lucy looks confused, probably wondering if she’s not understanding something in Korean.

“Really well!” Sunisa says. “Sing that again!”

Lucy sings again and Sunisa just grows more excited. “Hey, crazy idea but… do you want subvocal 2?”

Lucy’s eyes widen. “What? Really? But… those are your lines?!”

“It’s okay. I think you would sound really good singing them,” Sunisa says. She laughs when Lucy her head like a lost puppy. “Take them,” she says, using simpler language. “They’re yours.”

Lucy’s eyes widen a far as they physically can and she all but tackles Sunisa into a hug. “Thank you unnie!!”

“I think, so far, Lucy is known for being a pretty but untalented girl,” Sunisa says. “She’s such a fun and positive and great person and I don’t want her to be known as the talentless girl with the great personality, I want everyone to know that she really can sing! Even if that means I get a few less lines.”

Then it’s time for the dress rehearsal the day before the performances and Lucy sings Sunisa’s lines. She’s a little shaky, it’s obvious she has a very nice tone but little training, but she sounds charming.

“Weren’t those Sunisa’s lines?” Eunha asks Hana.

“They were but… Lucy is doing really well.” Hana sounds completely flabbergasted at the suggestion of Lucy doing a well as she is.

“Lucy,” Eunha addresses her when they’ve finished singing through the song. Lucy looks very nervous, twisting the hem of her poofy white dress. “Did you switch lines with Sunisa?”

Lucy nods. “I did.”

“Very well done,” Eunha says. “Your tone suits the song perfectly.”

Lucy lets out a breath of a relief. “Thank you so much!”

“All of you did very well, I’m very impressed!” Eunha continues. “Yuki, I didn’t know you could sing so charmingly and Miyoung you’re steadily improving.”

~*~
 

And then the girls are sitting on stage in their dresses, and it is show time!

Im Sungsook (Park Haeyoon / red bow around neck);   Jang Miyoung (Yoon Haesol / red bow in hair); Lucy King (Kim Nayoung /  lil crown pin); Sunisa (Kim Sohee / braid);
Song Liling (Aramaki Misaki / leftmost girl); Tanaka Yuki (Sato Minami / off-shoulders dress)

It is completely silent in the trainee room when the team is performing. Siryung has her hands over as tears stream down her cheek and behind her Hwari is trying furiously to rub away tears before they fall too.

Even in the trainer’s room, Woosung is doing his best to not be spotted with tears while Yikwang just laughs as he rubs his away. “That was fantastic!” he says.

“Sungsook is a fantastic vocalist,” Eunha agrees. “But I was very impressed with Lucy too!”

Yoonjung nods. “We knew Sungsook was a great singer, but Lucy was a pleasant surprise."

~*~
 

It is completely silent in the trainee room when the team is performing. Siryung has her hands over as tears stream down her cheek and behind her Hwari is trying furiously to rub away tears before they fall too.

Even in the trainer’s room, Woosung is doing his best to not be spotted with tears while Yikwang just laughs as he rubs his away. “That was fantastic!” he says.

“Sungsook is a fantastic vocalist,” Eunha agrees. “But I was very impressed with Lucy too!”

Yoonjung nods. “We knew Sungsook was a great singer, but Lucy was really surprising!”

~*~
 

The trainees stream into the result announcement room, jittery with nerves.

“I loathe this part,” Miyoung complains. She covers her eyes with her hands. “Just tell me when everything has been announced!

Meanwhile Lucy cling to Sunisa for dear life. “What if they hated it?” she whispers. “What if I’m last?!”

“It’s okay.” Sunisa gently pets Lucy’s hair. “You tried your best.”

The screen turns on and some of the girls let out a scream in surprise while Miyoung peeks through her fingers.

5...

4...

3...

2...

1...

“Ah!” Miyoung says with clear disappointment as she looks at the screen.

“Unnie!” Lucy throws her arms around Sungsook. “Congratulations!”

“You too,” Sungsook says with a grin. She gives Yuki a little hug too, who smiles widely.

Sungsook’s smile is wide in her interview session. “I’m so relieved I got first place! I really feel like the National Producers have acknowledged my voice and I hope for the sake of the pride of my team members that I manage to snag that big benefit.”

“I don’t think I’ve seen Sungsook this happy for the whole week,” Liling laughs. “She deserves her pride for this one.”

“I thought I was going to be last place for sure, but I’m third!” Yuki glows. “Aaaah, I’m so happy!!”

In contrast Miyoung’s face has fallen in her own interview. “I’m not even second place to Sungsook now,” she says sadly. “I’m fourth…”

~*~

“For our next performance we’re going get some very sick and y electro beats, are you ready for that?” Chanhee grins when the audience screams their approval. “And who else but Queen Bey to provide them for us. Yoncé team, come on up here!”

Gaeul, Siryung, Kayeon, and Jiho are dressed in tight black outfits as they come on stage, waving at the audience as it scream for them.

“Hello we are Body Line!” They say together while each of them does a y pose that highlights exactly those body lines.

“Jung Gaeul,” Chanhee calls out. “You were the main vocal last evaluation and now you’re dancing!”

“I am!” Gaeul says with a big smile. “I want to show the National Producers how versatile I am, I want to appeal to the National Producers as a dancer this time, and I’m very good at being y.” She blows a kiss and the audience goes wild.

“All of us are on the older side,” Jiho addresses the audience directly. “We will show you exactly what kind of performance that maturity can bring. Look forward to it!”

“I know I do,” Chanhee says. “Let’s take a look behind the scenes first, shall we?”

~*~

Siryung, Gaeul, Haeun, and Jiho are sitting together in their designated practice room, a tablet in the middle playing Yoncé. The others cast some real side-eye at Haeun

“I’ve already shown the national producers my voice,” Haeun says in her interview. “I thought it would be a good idea to show my moves as well! To show how multi-faceted I can be as a performer.”

“So…” Siryung says. “How are we going to decide center?”

“Who wants to compete for center?” Jiho asks. She’s the one who was selected leader. All four hands go up. Jiho lets out a breathy laugh. “Of course.”

“I have to be center,” Siryung says in her interview. “I don’t think I’ll survive another round if I’m not. I was already denied once… I really have to be center.”

“I know that I have… limitations,” Jiho says in her own confessional. “I can’t sing very well anymore, but I can dance. If I don’t get center now I don’t think I can have another shot.”

“I wasn’t greedy for center before because of Naekkoya,” Gaeul says. “But I think I haven’t convinced the National Producers of what I’m really capable of yet, I don’t think they’ve really seen all of my charms and I would love the opportunity to show them.”

“None of us have been center before,” Haeun says. “We’re all thirsty for it, at least we’re honest about it.”

Each of them lip syncs a part of the chorus, adding the best facials they can. Jiho looks charismatic, Haeun looks fierce, Gaeul looks charming with her signature smile, and Siryung looks pretty if a little awkward.

“Now write who you would pick for center,” Jiho hands out slips of paper and pencils. “Don’t pick yourself!”

When all is done they hand the slips of paper to Jiho who fumbles them around and grabs the first one. She unfirls it and holds it out to the camera. “Han Siryung, 1!” The next one is for Jung Gaeul, who smiles happily. Then there’s another for Siryung, and a final one for Jiho. “Our center is Siryung!” she announces.

“I finally get to be center!” Siryung beams, showing off the center sticker on her shirt.

 “Aaaah…” Jiho looks a little resentful. “I’m the best dancer… it really hurt my pride that I wasn’t picked for center in a dance evaluation…”

“Okay so, we should all work on choreography, we all have very different things to offer I think,” Jiho says. “What if we all work on moves and then we can put it all together after?”

The other girl agree and each go off to listen to the song and find their own personal style to convey.

Then the dance evaluation comes along. All the dance teams watch while Gaeul, Siryung, Jiho, and Haeun get in front of the judges.

“How far have you gotten?” Bae Yoonjung asks.

“We’ve choreographed everything,” Jiho says.

“Already?” Candy smiles. “Ah, you’re impressive. Show us what you’ve got!”

Yoncé starts and the girls start dancing and… it’s very individual. It’s like each girl is trying to outdo the other with her yness and closeups of the girls from the other teams watching show cringes and frowns.

“I was really looking forward to seeing the Yoncé team,” Go Yoonseo (FNC) says. “They have some of the best dancers on their team but man it was really uncomfortable to watch, it was like they were dance-fighting. This isn’t a dance-off this is a team effort!”

Yoonjung’s face is dark too. “Did all of you choreograph this on your own?” she asks. “It looks like none of you were in the same room.”

Yikwang nods. “It really looks like everyone just danced their own dance and you happen to be in the same room together dancing to the same song.”

“Who’s the center?” Candy asks.

Siryung holds up her hand reluctantly.

“Oh really?” Candy’s surprise is damning enough.

“I couldn’t tell,” Yoonjung says. “I couldn’t even tell there was a center to begin with. I really don’t have much good to say about this.”

“There were way too many things going on at once,” Yikwang says. “I didn’t know where to look, I feel like  haven’t actually seen any one person’s talent because it was so chaotic. There are so many talented girls in this team and I don’t think I saw any of that.”

When the evaluation is over the team slumps together in the practice room. “What are we going to do?” Siryung asks.

“We’re going to scrap everything and start again of course,” Haeun says.

“I knew doing it all individually was a horrible idea,” Haeun says in her interview. “That’s not how you choreograph for a group, but the leader said so and I didn’t argue and that’s on me. At least we have the time to set it right.”

“We should take the best parts of each of our ideas and make it more cohesive,” Gaeul says. “That way we don’t have to do everything from scratch. If we just take the good parts and apply it to everyone instead of each doing our thing and trying to figure out how to make it connect, that should be a good and cohesive choreography, right?”

“I agree with Gaeul,” Siryung says. “We’ll lose minimum work that way!”

The team get to work a they put their head and their move together in an attempt to salvage the dance. They’re shown working hard through the night as they opt for unity with shared moment in the center.

~*~

And now they make their way onto the stage, it’s showtime!

Park Haeun (Rose / );  Han Siryung (Jisoo / purple hair); 
Hwang Jiho (Lisa / ); Jung Gaeul (Jennie / long pant); 

 

In the backstage trainee room Girim has her hands over Yona’s eyes as her own jaw is all the way down.

“That was a lot better,” Yoonjung says with a single little nod.

Eunha is fanning herself. “It was certainly y!”

“Oh my gosh, Haeun!” Fen says, expression both awe and surprise.

~*~

The atmosphere is tense when the girls enter the result announcement room and take their seats on the little sofa.

“One of us has to get the big benefit, right?” Gaeul says as they wait for their results.

“I really hope so!” Siryung says, fidgeting with nerves. She reaches out for Gaeul’s to hold.

“Here we go!” Haeun grins as the screen comes to life.

5...

4...

3...

2...

1...

Jiho stares at her ‘4’ in disbelief while Siryung just nods sadly. Gaeul is grinning while Haeun looks pleased too.

“I’m one of the best dancers here,” Jiho say in her interview. “I- yeah my pride was hurt. I mean Haeun is a vocalist! I didn’t know how this could have been possible. This evaluation was supposed to me my time to shine but everything just passed me by!”

“I should have known this would happen.” Siryung rub tears from her eyes. “I gave so much of my center time away… was I even really center? Apparently not.”

 “I won!” Gaeul beams. “I really hope I get the benefit, for the sake of my team. And who knows, maybe we’re 1, 2 , 3, and 4 overall? That’s possible, right?”

“I’m fine with my ranking,” Haeun says. “I’m in this team with great dancers, I really didn’t think I was going to win this, but I’m really happy that the National Producers acknowledged my skills, now they know that I can both sing and dance and I really liked this performance a lot.” She grins. “I look forward to whatever side of myself I can show off next round!”

~*~

“This name alone sets the hearts of many kpop fans aflame!” Chanhee says back on the stage. “Who oh who could that be? Why, none other than BTS of course! Here with emotional pop ballad are the trainees who chose Truth Untold!”

Chiyo, Moonae, Sora, and Haesung each come on stage dressed in lacy black dresses. “Hello we are Autumn Feelings!” they say in unison.

“We’re here to deliver those autumn feelings of orange leaves and lonely rainy nights,” Moonae explains. “Please let our version of Truth Untold heal you.”

“Ito Chiyo,” Chanhee says. “I hear that you have quite an image reversal for us, you only rapped in Peekaboo, but you’re a true vocalist now?”

“Yes!” Chiyo says. “I learned much from Woosung sungsaengnim,” she says. “Much much! Please look forward to it!”

“I hear this is your first foray as a leader, Han Moonae,” Chanhee seques to the next in the group.

“It is,” Moonae says. “I worked hard to do right by them.”

“You did!” Haesung pulls her into a hug and Sora and Chiyo join.

“Why don’t we take a look and see how you did,” Chanhee says.

~*~ 
 

The girls are sitting on the floor of the gym, right under the sign for the Truth Untold, and they’re a little awkward together.

“Who wants to be the leader?” Haesung asks.

Awkward glances are exchanged and nobody volunteers. The silence stretches and stretches and stretches until- “I can try,” Moonae says. She looks like she regrets it the moment she volunteers.

“I’ve never lead anyone before,” Moonae says in her interview, and for once she’s not the perfect image of poise as she fidgets with her hands. One might even think she looks scared, if it’s possible for Han Moonae to look scared. “ I don’t know how to lead! How do I take responsibility for others?? They could do anything!” She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and squares her shoulders. “Someone has to do it and I will.” All the insecurities in her voice have gone. “And I will do it well. You will do it well, Moonae.”

“So as my first act of leader, who wants to be center?” Moonae asks. “Should we maybe have everyone try and pick whoever suits it more?”

The four of them take a crack at it. Chiyo has that typical nasal jpop sound, Sora doesn’t even really try since her voice is so weak, Haesung has a deeper and more indie voice, and Moonae’s voice is high and clear if a little thing.  Out of all of them Moonae is the only one who has that kpop sound and she looks surprised when the others pick her. “Really, me?”

Haesung nods. “I think it would suit the song to have a higher voice sing it,” she says.

Moonae moves her hair to show that her leader sticker is accompanied by a center sticker. “I have a lot of responsibility to this team now. I have to achieve.”

The vocal evaluation starts and Moonae looks very nervous before they start, she keeps throwing anxious glances at the others even before they have tried anything, and her anxiety seems to be founded. Chiyo is having a hard time with her notes. Her voice is very nasal and unsupported. The rest if the girls do alright, Sora is worse but has far less lines and Haesung has her rich lower tone that contrasts Moonae's thin and high one for better or worse, but Chiyo stands out like a sore thumb.

“Has anyone ever taught you how to sing?” Woosung asks.

Chiyo shakes her head. “We don't get singing classes,” she says in Japanese, presumably with a translator present.

“Since most of the singing lines are shared in Nogizaka46, none of us got classes from the company. Some of us got private classes for the chance to get more lines but in the end being able to dance in formation is much more important than singing,” Chiyo explains in her interview. “I can't afford private lessons so… this is just me.”

“Okay, let's fix that.” Woosung gets up from behind the keyboard and moves to the opposite wall, squatting down with his back against the wall as if he’s sitting on an invisible chair. “Come here and stand like this.”

Chiyo looks sceptical but she does what he asks, squatting against the wall next to him.

“Now make a sound,” he says.

She opens and lets out an “Aaaah”.

“Do you feel the strength in your core?” he asks and pushes down on her stomach while she sings. “You shouldn’t sing like that. When I press down on your tummy it should be like ah- ah- ah-.” He makes big movement and mimes where he can so she can understand better. “Sing with this,” he indicates her tummy. “Not with this,” he points just at her chest area. “Try it!”

She does and what comes out is a much fuller sound. Her own eyes widen in shock. “Woah! Was that me?? It sounds so much better!”

“It's a miracle!” Chiyo continues her interview. “It feels like I'm singing so much freer now and it was so easy!”

There's a shot of them practicing together and as soon as Chiyo feels herself falling into the same pattern she repeats what Woosung taught her as the rest of the team laughs at her silly posture and expressions.

“I finally felt like I wasn't an imposter here, like I can truly belong here.” Chiyo smiles and bows at the camera. “Thank you National Producers for letting me be here,” she says it in her best Korean.

There’s a switch to the dress rehearsal, the team is sitting on stage in their dresses and singing their song and Chiyo sounds great.

“Is that Chiyo?” Candy asks with an astonished smile.

Woosung smiles with obvious pride. “She really took the training to heart.”

“She did!” Eunha says. “They all sound very good.”

~*~
 

The group huddles backstage before their performance. “Just as we practiced,” Moonae says, still appearing nervous and fretting. “Chiyo remember your breathing, Haesung don’t be too soft on the intro, Sora remember where you come in-”

Haesung smiles. “We either have it or we don’t,” she says, putting a hand onto Moonae’s shoulders. “Let’s do this.”

Moonae slowly breathes out and nods. “Okay. Let’s do this.”

Han Moonae (Jang Gyuri / second seat), Ryu Haesung (Takeuchi Miyu / frilly white collar)
Ito Chiyo (Miyazaki Miho / ponytail), Takayami Sora (Iwatate Saho/ low ponytail),

 

“Wooow!” The other trainees cheer when the song finished.

“I had goosebumps!” Taeri says, rubbing her arms.

The trainers are all grinning and glowing too, and Eunha rub a tear from her eye. “They did so well!” Yikwang says. “Chiyo especially, she really grew into an artist this week.”

Woosung nods. “She really nailed it.”

“Did you see Moonae teared up?” Candy asks. “The pressure must have been a lot for her.”

Indeed Moonae collapses into tears as soon as she’s off the stage, making an attempt to hide from the camera but of course the camera finds her.

“Oh no Moonae!” Haesung kneels down next to her and Sora and Chiyo soon follow in trying to soothe their sobbing leader.

Moonae still looks embarrassed in her interview. “Ah I really don’t like crying in front of people-” She takes a long breath and gathers her wits. “I was just so relieved that everything went so well… I’m really so so proud of my team.”

~*~
 

Moonae is still drying her cheeks when the team enters the result announcement room. “I hate this so much!” Chiyo says to Sora.

“Me too it’s so cruel,” Sora agrees.

The whole team is holding hands, waiting for the results to show. “Whatever happens, we did a good job,” Haesung says.

Moonae nods very solemnly. “We did.” And just then the screen turns on.

5...

4...

3...

2...

1...

Chiyo gasps. “Me?!” she asks, pointing at the screen.

“That’s you!” Haesung answers, trying to keep a cheerful and supportive tone but her eyes never leave the screen. is smiling but her eyes frown.

“I’m happy for Chiyo but…” Haesung looks down at her hands in her lap.

“As main vocalist my pride is hurt,” Moonae says, indicating her own 2nd place. “But as a leader I’m really proud of Chiyo.” For a moment a look of pure astonishment crosses her face before she shakes her head and a smile replaces it. “I don’t think I could have asked for a better team to lead but… never again please, it was so stressful!”

~*~