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#rknov17eval
tenrkarchive · 6 years
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` QUESTION TIME .
@seungcheolrk
he sits on the practise room floor after training’s ended, legs crossed with his hands on his knees, eyes trained on seungcheol opposite him. they’ve not talked a lot since the group got put together, other than some words exchanged here and there and a little small talk. ten’s gathered that seungcheol is rather more timid than most other members of the group, and he can’t understand how someone so seemingly sweet could be best friends with the angry elf jihoon. 
“have you thought of what they might ask yet? how truthful do we have to be? if they ask about our darkest, deepest secrets do we have to tell them?” tapping his index finger against his bottom lip for a moment he watches seungcheol, then hurriedly spins to open his backpack and tug out his little pack of banana milk bottles, sliding one over to seungcheol and taking one for himself. 
“this is the drink of kings, hyung.” ten figures if seungcheol doesn’t like banana milk, that could explain why he’s so timid - he doesn’t have the strength of the best drink out there running through him.
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rkpcy · 6 years
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* twenty questions ,
@romexrk
(/fingers drum against oak and the ankle of one foot rests on the knee of the other. his expression is pensive, almost as if he’s contemplating the meaning of life and existence. his eyes peer into the soul of his fellow trainee in front of him, brows furrowed and his lips are pressed into a hard, taut line. one would think he’d utter a question that would throw rome into existential crisis, but as soon as he opens his mouth, he’s sure rome would never come to expect that again) how much lube... (/he starts out, and even he knows this crosses the line of inapprorpiate, completely demolishes it as he races off into no man’s land, top down, throwing cash out of a money bag) how much lube do you think you would need before you can stick an entire turkey into your ass? (/at this point, it’s obvious that chanyeol is not taking this seriously one bit, but he tries to salvage it, if just a tiny bit) i mean, existentially speaking. (/it doesn’t make sense, and he’s well aware, but he manages to keep a straight face for the time being, though with every passing second, the urge to laugh grows exponentially. hey, you never know what these interviewers will ask, right?)
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rkjinwook · 6 years
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                  out of our members, i would want to switch bodies with oh sehun,                   who is really tall... that’s because i’m one of the shortest members,                   so even just once, i want to be tall and experience the air up there.
                         — KIM JINWOOK, MOCK INTERVIEW, 30 NOV 2017 —
he hadn’t been lying when he’d told baekhyun he was nervous. it’s only natural for his mind to wander; it’s not a far leap for his brain to skip ahead and see that this evaluation is not just practice. it’s real, concrete preparation. in a matter of months, it won’t be his coaches scrutinizing his words; the whole world could have access to them — and this is as nerve-wracking as it is exhilarating.
the same could be said for any one of his evaluations going forward, though ( and really, every minute of observed practice time since the day the group was announced ). any time he blunders through a dance workshop. any time his voice cracks on a high note. behind the closed doors of sphere, some coaches are harsh — but the public will be harsher.
it’s too easy to spiral into dangerous thoughts from there: wouldn’t it be crushing to fail an evaluation that plays right into his personality strengths? jinwook would rather not find out. before he enters the interview room, he takes a moment to rein himself in.
reset. he shakes his head like a wet puppy dog, both hands slapping lightly against his cheeks. mind clear. it’s just practice. he repeats it to himself again, and the second time, he sticks with the sentiment, snorting at his dramatic worries. it’s just practice, no matter what happens in the future.
introduce yourself and your position.
it’s an immediate relief, the way he manages to perk himself up as soon as he sees that familiar red LED unblinking before at him. the smile that spreads across jinwook’s face feels natural, despite his heart pounding loud enough for the mic to hear.
“hello! i’m kim jinwook, convex’s sunshine vocalist!” jinwook bows to the camera, expression bright, a rookie smile. there’s a brief moment of hesitation as he decides whether to do an extended version. his eyes shift to his coach, who gives no hints, and jinwook hums, continuing. “i got the name sunshine because i smile so much. i’m twenty-two years old and i’m from jeju.”
you’re originally from jeju, but we heard that you moved to seoul just to become an idol?
“ah,” jinwook says, “i originally moved to seoul to attend university here! that was about two years ago, but i’ve wanted to be an idol ever since high school.” he nods, eager to support the question’s implications of his passion, despite his rebuttal. “so as soon as i got to the city, i pursued my dream as often as i could. i participated in the mgas, season three in--” he tilts his head, misremembering the dates for a split-moment, “--the spring of 2016. i also attended some auditions for other companies, but i am so happy that my dreams can come true in sphere!”
jinwook’s attention shifts to his coach, then, instead of the camera lens. there’s sincerity behind the twinkling eyes and cheesy smile. “really, i am so grateful to baek jiyoung and all of my coaches from my trainee period~”
we’d love to hear more about your time as a trainee. you trained for over a year. what were some of your hardships?
“it’s easy to complain, but my trainee period was short compared to some of the other members. my dancing skills in particular are still lacking, and i feel regretful to hold the team back.” he nods to himself, electing to not delve into the grittier details. “i’ll never stop training to improve, so even though we’ve debuted, i do not consider my training complete just yet.”
“also, because of the long hours, i was not able to go home at all since becoming a trainee.” jinwook tilts his head, remembering his long winter hardships. this year, he resolves, things will be much different. this year, there is shining stardom at the end of the winter tunnel. december starts tomorrow, but he doesn’t feel hopeless at all.
“we have a lot of members in our team with faraway families,” he adds. “so i feel thankful to have my members as a strong support system here in seoul.”
of course, hopefully you can see your family again soon.
“of course. my family actually attended our debut showcase!” as the words leave his mouth, ljinwook suddenly brightens at the idea, his hands lifting to clasp in front of him. maybe debuting will finally convince them to make the trip to the seoul for him. he hasn’t seen anyone in more than a year.
“yes,” he continues, rolling on, “my parents, my two younger siblings, and my grandmother all came to see me. the whole family.” it’s a bit of improvisation, but not unrealistic. he’s not sure if there is amusement or disdain lurking behind his neutral coach’s gaze. still, he can’t help completing the brief fantasy. “for my grandmother, she was born and raised in jeju. coming to my debut was her very first time leaving the island in her whole life, so it was really special for me, and for my whole family.”
right, we know that your family influenced your musical interests quite a bit. can you tell us about any other musical inspirations?
“aside from my family... there are so many, it’s hard to choose.” jinwook chuckles a bit, relieved at the not-so-subtle nudge back to idol-related topics. dwelling too long on family matters may have strayed into emotional territory — perfect to frame his backstory in an idol reality show, but probably not necessary for a mock interview like this.
“i’d like to mention nell, first, and second, our company seniors royal pirates. as an aspiring musician and composer, i really admire these bands.”
“and growing up, my favorite idol groups,” admits jinwook, allowing sheepish mischief into his eyes, “were chi chi and brave girls.”
no further comment necessary. he leans back against his chair, feeling himself relax more into his usual self with every question. talking easily about himself and bantering with his fake, unresponsive mc, jinwook regains confidence in himself that he’s been lacking lately. he hopes his coaches will see the difference, too.
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seungcheolrk · 6 years
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● SPHERE NOVEMBER EVALUATION: INTERROGATION !
NOVEMBER 30TH, 2017 A MOCK INTERVIEW
he’s almost embarrassed to admit how nervous he is for the end of the month— perhaps more so than he has been for an evaluation in a long time, if ever. after all, it’s no secret that talking is not seungcheol’s forte. 
it has to be said, however, that amongst all the nerves is a building excitement. the particularly appropriate challenge for this month’s stressful final day only serves as a reminder of what’s to come — endless grilling from the public, perfecting answers to questions he should never have to expect and, thus, of course, debut. momentarily, his mind wanders to his million curiosities about how it’ll all unfold, but he doesn’t allow it to stray too far, since they’re about to start and seungcheol already knows that actually listening is the most important part of an interview. 
his coach makes himself comfortable in the seat opposite him, prepared with questions hidden to seungcheol’s eye. ( though, admittedly, as tempting as it might be, seungcheol is far too scared of being caught to have even tried sneaking a peek. ) anything could be written on those papers, and whilst seungcheol doesn’t think he’s ever done anything to be challenged on in an unanswerable question, it doesn’t hurt to anticipate the worst. he’ll either get what he expected or be pleasantly surprised to be spared; isn’t that foolproof? he supposes he’ll find out. 
“please introduce yourself.” 
easy enough, he thinks. “h-hello! I’m s.coups, o-one of convex’s m-main rappers.” he hesitates to playfully add ‘dancing black hole’, but quickly decides against it. it’s difficult to get his tone across when he’s stumbling over his words like this and he’d rather not be misinterpreted. still, he knows he can’t leave it at that — it’s far too plain, tells the coach nothing about him as a person or a performer. he inwardly cringes as he considers his trainee title as a last resort after he’s left too long of a pause between answers, but the moment has passed before he can think of anything else. 
“we hear you’re ‘sphere’s scaredy cat’. where did this come from?” 
he supposes it’s wishful thinking to think he’ll ever escape it. he doesn’t mind it too much; after all, he gave himself the name. he just doesn’t want it to be his only identity after debut. he’s much more than a scaredy cat, really. “I get st-startled v-very easily.” he breathes out a weak chuckle. “l-loud noises, mostly, so y-you can imagine w-what it’s l-like for me living in a d-dorm of th-thirteen.” speculation, of course, but he doesn’t think it’ll be far off the truth. 
“it’s becoming expected now for rappers to write their own lyrics. you don’t. why?” 
he sucks in a deep breath. “for a long time, I’ve been p-passionate about making rap more acc-accessible to all. I w-want to rid the industry of th-this idea that you ha-have you have an extensive b-background in underground r-rapping to be a rapper. o-of course, if you h-have that, that’s great, b-b-b-but— I think it discourages a lot of y-young people from pursuing rap.” his eyes widen in panic, wondering if he’s perhaps talking too much or even sounding judgemental to those who have that experience under their belt. of course, he doesn’t mean any harm by his comments; he can’t help that his own experiences with underground rappers has so often been sour. “I want to be a g-great idol rapper, so I c-can inspire mo-more future idols to feel c-confident in their skills.”
“we heard that you sang for your audition, though. if rap is so important to you, why did you sing?” 
“singing is important to me, too.” he answers evenly, the first sentence to come out free of trembles. maybe it’s because it feels like an attack, like he can’t be passionate about more than one thing, like he’s being accused of being unfocused, indecisive. “I’m v-versatile musically. rap is my f-focus, but I have a lot of tr-tricks up my sleeve I h-hope to show more as time passes. at the time, I had o-only singing publicly for a f-few months, so it fe-felt right to h-honour that new e-era of my life.” 
“you also sing monthly on your youtube channel, right? can you tell us more about that? we’re all curious who WZ is.” 
he laughs heartily, a soft pink dusting his cheeks. he wonders if they truly feel as if they’re catching him out here; as if he’s going to stumble ( not too much of a stretch to believe ) over an excuse for ‘WZ’s identity, but the real truth is— “WZ is convex’s shortest lead dancer, lee jihoon!” it’s rather noticeable how his stutter drops immediately at the mention of his best friend, and even more obvious how his features light up and his shoulders relax. his hands hidden under the table have stopped rubbing against one another, instead animatedly gesturing as he speaks. “we share a love for gfriend’s music, so I decided to dedicate the first cover of my monthly project to him. it’s also one of the two videos I showed him when I told him about the channel and my past with singing, so it has a lot of sentimental value.” his eyes curve as he pauses for a few beats. “my monthly project started as a way to ensure I uploaded semi-regularly on that channel,” and a way to keep sane through the rollercoaster that was 2016, he bites his tongue, “but it’s also now a testament to my growth both musically and personally over the past— wow, almost two years. you can see how I’ve matured from the early days, writing out raps to avoid bringing my two worlds together, to now. there’s so much more vibrancy in my covers now, even if I do have to record them late at night after training.” he chuckles, running a hand through his hair, hoping his blush isn’t too obvious. 
“speaking of jihoon, you two seem to be close. you’ve both posted about each other on instagram and you speak very fondly of him.” 
“jihoon and I have been best friends for almost four years. we’re— kind of opposites in a lot of ways and that’s why we work so well together. jihoon’s helped me through a lot, and he’s helped me to get closer with the other convex boys, whether he realises it or not.” he has a proud grin on his gentle features as he thinks to the endless encouragement the younger gives him, the unconditional support and patience. he nods softly. “it’s through his friendship that I’ve grown more confident in myself and learnt to take risks. where he is brave, I am cowardly, and where I am gentle, he can be unintentionally sharp. he has an attention to detail I don’t, and I have a nagging voice he sometimes needs. we’re always helping one another grow to be better and better versions of ourselves.” he hums quietly. “I have lots to learn from every member of convex; charisma from hyun, dance from the performance unit—” he pales, realising he’d uttered the word he’d been trying to avoid. 
“it’s no secret that dance isn’t your strong point. in a predebut performance in july, you fell a lot. do you think you’ve improved since then?” 
they really don’t hold back, he thinks, blinking once, twice, before he snaps back to reality. july is still a month he doesn’t really enjoy looking back on, and that much must be obvious, or he doubts they’d have honed in on it specifically. “I d-definitely still have a long way to go,” he admits, “but it’s something my interest in is growing in ra-rapidly. I’ve been working on it a lot recently, so please anticipate my next stage! you’ll see!” he smiles brightly, sighing inwardly in relief. 
“you didn’t take the college entrance exams, correct? so if you weren’t an idol, what would you be doing?” 
“music.” he answers immediately, not a moment of hesitation. “being an idol is the path th-through music that I want more than anything, but it’s not the only path. I have an interest in classical music, too, and a particularly strong interest in movie scores. my family also own a music store, so I would find a way to be part of music somehow.” he nods, adding quietly, “it’s my destiny.” 
“why do you think you deserve to debut?” 
“hard work, dedication and passion; just like everyone else. everyone deserves to debut if their heart is in it.” it’s probably not the answer he should be giving. maybe he should be selling himself, talking about how he alone has worked hard and how baek jiyoung deems him ready and he feels it in his bones, too, that this is the right time, but it’s not in his nature. he knows idols are supposed to lie from time to time— white lies for the sake of image aren’t foreign to him, but had he or had he not worked so hard to rid himself of that? to be honest? he doesn’t think he has a personality that’s particularly un-idol-friendly, so maybe he’s reasonably safe. maybe his white lies can be about ideal types and how easy he is to wake up in the morning. we’ll see, he thinks. 
“finally, what are your goals for the future? do you want to have a solo career on the side one day? perhaps acting or modelling? radio hosting?” 
“my only goal is to continue to better myself for fans and for the other boys; to be the best performer I can each and every time I step on stage, and never to give up or falter. I want to help convex grow to being a highly respected name; a group that is known for their charms and performance skills. anything beyond that, solo activities, modelling contracts, for myself alone are bonuses.” still, he laughs softly as he adds, “that being said, I’d really love to go on king of masked singer, or something similar, one day.” 
once he’s finished talking and the coach clicks the lid shut on his pen, he breathes a sigh of relief. he doesn’t doubt that he’ll launch into a full analysis of his performance in a few minutes, once he’s organised his criticisms into a more natural order, but for now, he can’t say he doesn’t expect the obvious, “you definitely need to work on that stutter,” that fills the stifling silence. 
“I’m w-w-working on it.” 
the coach doesn’t make eye contact as he adds, “and to think you considered yourself a contender as a leader with it.” he bites his bottom lip nervously, hands returning to rubbing against one another under the table. it’s not a statement he’s undeserving of and perhaps that’s why it stings so much more than he expects at first, digging into his confidence and dragging it into the ground. he wants to argue, clarify that he didn’t explicitly name himself for it, he simply laid everything on the table, said he’d do anything because he would— if it meant pleasing everyone, he’d do it— but it’s not worth it. he has to develop a thick skin, anyway, right? then comments like this ( and worse ) won’t hurt so much after debut. 
he can see it now: convex’s black hole, convex’s unlucky number 13. he chews through the skin.
his pride was fun while it lasted, at least.
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rkwendy · 6 years
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Tell Me Everything | Joy
@rkjxy
Wendy may have experience with interviews, but she’s definitely got less experience as a trainee compared with some of her friends. She’s happy with the pace she’s going right now, in terms of training. She smiles at the friendly face sitting across her from the table. It’s been too long since they got to spend time together like this. They’re all busy trainees, preparing for debut and improving their skills. 
“Joy, you’ve gotten so much prettier from the last time we met,” she croons at one of her best friends. This month’s evaluation is an excuse for them to catch up, while preparing themselves for possibly the weirdest questions reporters and show hosts will throw their way. Reading off a fake cue card, Wendy smirks as she reads her first question. “How has this round of promotions been so far? And what was it like preparing for this comeback?” 
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rksungho · 6 years
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can i copy your notes?
@rkyeri
yeri sits with him at lunch sometimes. he used to ignore her, used to tell her to buzz off and insist that she was annoying, but at some point her company became welcomed rather than loathed, anticipated in a fond way rather than dreaded. her stubborn insistence on being friendly with him had paid off, though sungho still hold up the pretext of being mildly annoyed by her if only for the sake of consistency.
he seeks her out this time though. there’s few people in kt he’s on good terms with still, even now that he’s trying so hard to keep his temper mellow and not to start any new problems, and yeri is one of them. he might never tell her he’s grateful for her kind approach to dealing with him, but he feels that way all the same.
“did you take notes from that lecture?” he flips open a notebook to a page that starts with a couple recognizable words that grow increasingly difficult to read as they go on, eventually devolving into a series of unintelligible scribbles. “i, uh.. i dozed off part way through and i need all the help i can get for this evaluation,” sungho has the shame to look embarrassed, his ears feeling warm and flushed as he looks at his illegible notes instead of at yeri.
he prays that she stayed awake better than he did. he doesn’t know who else he could go to for help.
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rktaeyong · 6 years
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#rkeval ﹍ mock interview ₊˚.༄ ʚ ––––––– ・゚○ ┊ mockterview ┈ 171130 !
taeyong would say that in terms of keeping himself composed in spaces where it’s required of him to keep calm and professional, he’s got it down to an art. he might have not been in debate team, he might not have been interviewed in front of thousands of people, but he would say that while he’s not used to being the center of attention, he’s definitely good at appearing to be the center of attention.
not to sound so self-centered and whatnot -- because he’s really not, he’s always apologizing in spite of himself, which is a bad habit that he recognizes he shouldn’t do as often. but he feels like this evaluation is on the easier side of the spectrum -- that’s for damn sure. they don’t have him running around picking up weights or flying over the moon, so that’s a plus to him. he figures that if he’s going to be doing this endlessly for his career path, he should be good at it -- and with all the practice and experience that he’s had in addition to training, he feels like he’s got this in the bag. but he’s sure that he comes of as confident, never cocky.
please introduce yourself and your position in the group.
his posture straightens immediately, and he offers a small yet friendly smile to the coaches, who seem to be not phased by this persona of him. it’s not phasing taeyong, though, who just keeps smiling before he continues. “hello everyone, my name is lee taeyong, and i’m one of the lead vocalists! please take care of me and our group,” he starts, flashing his pearly whites, “i’m also an english interpreter for the group! some of our members can speak multiple languages including english, which is great because it allows us to have a sizable international fanbase as well!”
you said you were an english interpreter of the group as well? can you say something to your fans in english?
he laughs -- nodding immediately after. the most comfortable that taeyong is is when he’s speaking in english -- it is, after all, his native tongue, and while korean is indeed is mother tongue ( he remembers the times where he’s been told by numerous relatives that he needs not be so american and brush up on korean -- needless to say, he has brushed up ), there’s nothing like speaking in the first language that he learned. “hello everybody, thank you for all the love and support that you have given us, we really appreciate it and we’re super thankful for you! we love you too!” and just for added effect, he includes a cheeky little arm heart to top it off.
when did you move to korea and where did you move from? your korean sounds really good for someone who wasn’t born here!
his origins always are a great topic to talk about -- he’s immensely proud of being from the bay area of california, he could talk about it forever. “thank you, even though i’m korean, i’m always looking to improve on the language!” he nods, then continues, “i’m originally from san francisco, california! i lived there until i was about ten years old internationally, then i moved to korea to try to become an idol, and here we are!”
who are some of your biggest inspirations?
“hm, that’s a very good question...” he taps his chin in thought for a few seconds before continuing, “of course, my sphere sunbaes are all huge inspirations for me -- actually, taeyang sunbaenim from chaos is one of biggest inspirations, not only because he’s really talented and a good leader and hyung figure, but also because his name is similar to mine!” he laughs -- he hopes all of the charisma is dripping through.
you said you were a lead vocalist? can you give us a sample of your voice?
taeyong’s not the most confident for the first time in the interview -- he somewhat hesitates, before biting his bottom lip through his smile and nodding sheepishly, “ah, yes! i’m still training very hard to get to a better level, but here it goes!” he sings a line from the chorus of officially missing you by tamia -- while it isn’t a korean song, he feels like it suits his voice the best. he bows to the clapping that is happening in his head and smiles once more. “thank you!”
can you give us the most charming point about yourself?
this question is the question that he’s been dying to answer -- he doesn’t like to brag, but he’s been called cute and adorable numerous times before ( nevermind that most of that was probably from yuta ) and he firmly believes in these two qualities to be his most defining trait. “i would definitely say my aegyo! i have a natural kind of aegyo, i would say.” he nods, then flashes a peace sign and wink towards the coaches -- he hopes there’s not any repercussions for that.
thank you for your answers!
he tries to be super cliche but -- “no, thank you for the great questions!”
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rkkangjoon · 6 years
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//mock interview nov’17 eval  |  skj solo
He sat face to face to the mentor who told him to pretend that they didn’t know each other. Task was to reply to the questions, trying to be as concrete as possible without damaging his own image. Kang Joon had no idea how to remain himself without saying things he might not mean. Sounded hard. The other male began rustling with his stack of papers before lifting his voice, as if he was a reporter to get to know about him.
Please introduce yourself before we are starting with the questions.
Kang Joon lifted himself up from his seat and bowed, smiling brightly. “Hello, I am Royal’s White Lotus Seo Kang Joon. Pleased to meet you.”
Q1.“Your real name isn’t Seo Kang Joon, it is Lee Seunghwan instead. So what’s the reason behind your stage name Seo Kang Joon?”
He hummed, most people didn’t even knew Seo Kang Joon wasn’t his real name. He often introduced himself as Lee Seunghwan but rather liked it to be called Kang Joon. Most people called him Kang Joon anyways, there were just few like his grandmother or his cousin or his ex who called him by his birthname. “Well, there is a sunbaenim who is called Lee Seunghwan…. I felt like I couldn’t dare to become an idol while holding into this name without the pressure to surpass him. At the same time I was afraid to dirty his good name if I were to fail. That’s the only reason. I am not ungrateful towards my late parents, and I will never forget the name they gave me. ”
Q2. “Please name 3 things that describe you the best.”
He leaned back, before replying. “Spectrum, cheesy & cheeky.” The male’s lips formed into a wide grin. “I may look innocent, but there is much more to learn about me, so I guess spectrum is a good word to choose. There are a variety of sides to learn about me. I am a hopeless romantic and sometimes even I found myself pretty cheesy.” The mere grin turned into laughter. “And people often tell me I’m bold because I tend to do things differently from what you would expect.”
Q3. "What do you think about Royal Survival? Who is your favorite and why?"
This was one of the questions he had expected, since the show was drawing Royal Ent. into the focus of citizens right now. The male straigthened his limbs and his back, a hand tabbing on the table between the two of them. "Well, actually there are quite a few people I am cheering on. But if you ask me to choose one favorite it would be definitely be Elly. She is one of my closest friends, so I know about her skills and talents. I think people should just focus her because of that, nothing else.”
Q4. " How was it for you to co-host the Survival show? Is hosting one of the things you want to do as idol?
Nodding in agreement, Kang Joon replied: "I was pretty nervous but at the end of the day I was glad I received the chance to host the show. The Royal show represents our female trainees, so Baekhyun and me could remind Korea about Royal's male trainees as well. It was a good experience and a great opportunity! I would definitely host again, if I received another chance. But acting and modeling are something I want to do as Idol as well." He was thankful for the chance, and he needed to make sure to thank Jisub sunbaenim later.
Q5. “If you have to choose: Who is the most handsome and who the most beautiful among Royal trainees?”
Seemed like a question to provoke him, he thought. “How do you choose the fairest flower in a Royal Garden?” He returned the question with a cheeky smile. “I think our visual line is pretty strong among other companies, and I actually don’t think there is someone who is better looking than the other. But if you want me to choose, I think Baekhyun is easy on the eyes... When I was next to him on stage, I couldn’t take my eyes of his side profile. He has cheekbones one could be envious of... and still has this pure charm that pulls one closer to him and his adorable smile.” Kang Joon nodded. On the other hand he was facing a dilemma, when he was about to choose a pretty female. If he were to follow his guts he would have definitely called out for Rose, but there was no way he could actually do that considering the two of them could easily get under fire again. And choosing Dahye he also had somewhat of a special bond to, and whose beauty he personally adored almost as much as his exgirlfriend’s, would possibly cause a stir as well. Either way, it was troubling for him and the choosen female. “And for the females... I vote for Elly once again!” He shortly said, it was obvious the two of them were close friends, so there was no way one could misunderstand their relationship. “Her mature looks make her stand out, it’s something one has to be born with.”
Q6. “Talking of Baekhyun... During your participation at the MGAs there was a scandal regarding same sex love. Please tell us your thoughts on controversial topics such as homosexuality.”
The question stabbed him right into the chest, as he knew how Korea was a very traditional nation and this kind of topic was a bit of a taboo. Maybe it would be better to stay low, swallowing down his opinion. But that would mean to deny his true self, even though Kang Joon wanted to show the world who he really was. “I’m not against it. I rather support it. And I hope there will be a day, when South Korea can support and accept same sex love as well.” He was bisexual after all, so how could he ever hate on those who loved the same gender? He himself had experienced it before.  “I don’t believe anyone has the right to intervene the love of two humans. Whoever you love, it’s still love.”
Q7. “Does that mean you would date a man?”
He blinked, perplexed after hearing the mentor’s question. He couldn’t really believe what he just heard, the other man was much more pushy than he expected him to be. “Life is busy enough, even without dating.” Kang Joon replied, mistrustful gazing at the other’s eyes. The male wouldn’t give him a chance to be alarmed about Kang Joon’s relationship status, unlike at the beginning of his trainingship. He had learned from his mistakes. “And please refrain from sounding disgusted by that thought, it’s nothing bad.” A dangerous glint flickered in his amber coloured eyes.
Q8. “Fine... Then please tell me what kind of concept do you hope to debut with?”
Brushing through his light brown hair, he averted his amber coloured gaze for a short moment in order to collect his words. Kang Joon wouldn’t show his anger about the rudeness from the older man. This wasn’t the time. “It would be awesome to debut in a co-ed group, if you ask me.” He laughed a fake smile. He had no idea what he was actually talking about since he had never really thought about a group concept before. “Having to balance between female and male aspects we wouldn’t do too strong or too cute concepts I believe… I rather feel like we could pursue a deeper concept, which tells stories to the listeners instead of only capturing them with alluring looks or ear-catching melodies.” Kang Joon was suprised about himself for sounding self-confident and prepared, but he supposed his improvising skills weren’t as bad as he thought.
Q9. “And if you could choose trainees from all companies, who would you want to create a co-ed group with?”
“Oh that’s a easy question. I would love to be with my friends because I know we could enjoy ourselves while having the strongest teamwork. They are like my family, so I believe we would be the coolest gang out there!” Excited he blurred out, without trying to make him sound calmer and more elaborate. “KT has Aron and Gary, those would be my male buddies. Aron could be the talented allround pretty boy, while Gary would be the calm big brother with mad dog rapping skills. And if Elly wouldn’t win the Survival show, even though I am most certain she will, she would be the strong and cool female counterpart to him, independent and in charge of the sexy charm. Since there are three males we would need two more girls and there won’t be better choices than Sphere’s Minhee and Nova’s Wendy. The two of them have bubbly personalities, as Minhee is super attentive and caring and Wendy is gentle and kind and sweet to everyone. Also their charming harmony would serve the vocal parts of our group well. And I for my part would be the dumb visual who could take care of acting and variety.” His eyes glinted in excitement, when he imagined things. The mentor blinked before nodding in agreement. “Oh! And other choices for a group would be Rose, Dahye, Soohyun, Jihyun and Yooa… wait…” The male cover his eyes with one hand, while cackling. “This isn’t a co-ed group anymore… I suppose I could try be part of a girlgroup as well.” He joked which made the mentor laughing out as well before telling Kang Joon to move on to the next question.
Q10. “What kind of advice would you give new trainees coming in to your company?”
The male scratched his chin, before looking right into his mentors eyes again. “They should think about a flower name beforehand.” Kang Joon laughed about his own answer, as he remembered how he had struggled to find a good flower name for quite some time. “And please enjoy the stay here.”
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rkevent · 6 years
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Good promotion is one of the most important contributing factors for success in the idol world. While good music, talent and appearance play a key role, they won’t mean anything if they can’t be shared with the public and leave a good impression. During promotions, idols are asked to explain their latest release wherever they go, followed by random questions about both their professional and personal lives. No matter how prepared one can be, there will always be a question you didn’t prepare for, and keeping a smile on your face is key while you try to come up with the best answer.
This month, trainees will be taught how to act during interviews and the best ways to promote both their music and themselves. A special lecture will be given by a guest MC, Shin Hyungmin, for all trainees to participate in. It’ll take place on three different days - the 20th, the 21st and the 22nd - so everyone will get a chance to watch it at a good time without making the Seocho theater too crowded. Tips for a good interview will be given and trainees are encouraged to take notes because, on November 30th, they’ll have to go through a solo interview with their coaches. The questions asked won’t be shared beforehand to observe how the trainees will act on the spot. Remember: in interviews, especially in the K-pop industry, honesty isn’t always the best policy. It’s all about image. That’s what trainees will be evaluated on; it’s better to make mistakes now, with only your coaches as witness, than cause a scandal when you debut, after all.
In order to collect +2 DEBUT POINTS and +2 POINTS TO DISTRIBUTE AS YOU WISH, write a four-post thread or a 250+ words solo about your muse preparing themselves for their interview. This can take place during the special lecture or on their free time. For +2 DEBUT POINTS, +3 CHARISMA POINTS and +1WK RELEVANT ACHIEVEMENT, write a 250+ words solo about your muse’s mock interview experience on the last day of the month. Please tag all of your posts with #rknov17eval and have them up by midnight EST at the end of November 30th, 2017. Threads may be continued after the deadline, but points can no longer be collected if the requirements are met after November 30th.
Most questions in the interview will be asked as if the trainee already debuted, but some may be more along the lines of what you’d hear on a show such as Royal Survival. You’re free to come up with your own questions for the mock interview solo, but if you need some guidance, here are some examples of what instructors may say during the interview portion:
You just released your debut/comeback song. Say a few words about it.
How do you feel about your company’s style of music?
What’s your position in the group? Aside from your position, what special talents do you think you have? (Feel free to demonstrate.)
Rank your group members according to visual ranking.
You were a trainee for [insert training time here.] Was it difficult? (Depending on the training time, questions may vary; “Why do you think you debuted so quickly?” vs “Did you ever want to give up?”)
Idol schedules are quite difficult. How many hours of sleep do you get per night? How often do you get to see your family? Did you enjoy chuseok?
Why do you think you deserve to debut?
On variety shows and in interviews, idols are often asked to elaborate on  all sorts of things: what they were spotted doing recently, something they said on social media or on another show, someone they mentioned knowing, etc. Trainees’ instructors know them and their lives well, so feel free to get specific! Questions like “you took a picture with [insert other trainee here] and posted it on Instagram. How do you know them?” Even questions about hypothetical scenarios that haven’t happened are fair game for the instructors, for example: “Your airport fashion last week caused quite the buzz (this can be negative or positive.) Did you style yourself?”
NOVEMBER EVALUATION (for the December 6 verification form)
[ link to thread or solo about the experience ] +2 ___ POINTS +2 DEBUT POINTS NEW DEBUT POINTS TOTAL:
[ link to the interview solo ]
+1WK RELEVANT ACHIEVEMENT (NUMBER OF TIMES TAKEN AND CURRENT TOTAL) +3 CHARISMA POINTS +2 DEBUT POINTS NEW DEBUT POINTS TOTAL:
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xrkdoyoung · 6 years
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november evaluation ↳ mock interview 
dokyeom doesn’t bat an eye when he’s called for his turn to do his mock interview. instead, he walks on in with a smile on his face as calm and collected as he could force himself to be. he bows his head towards his coach before taking a seat. 
as far as the other trainees go, he knows he’s one of the lowkey ones, preferring to stay under the radar. nothing really stands out from him, but right now, dokyeom plans to wow them with his newfound interview skills. at least, that’s what he wants to happen. if anything, he just wants to get on the radar of the trainers and coaches so they know he even exists. but he supposes it’s one step at a time. 
“all right, let’s begin right away.”
dokyeom nods his head and opens his mouth to speak. “hello there, my name is lee seokmin, otherwise known as dokyeom.” he bows his head slightly before continuing. “i’m the handsome one with a voice like a choir of a thousand angels and a smile to rival the sun.” for emphasis, he smiles brightly, crescent eyes becoming more prominent. by now, he’s feeling much more relaxed and he hopes it stays that way. 
you seem to have a lot of prior experience before joining trc. can you tell us more about that?
“ahhh, yes. i was a contestant on the kt & royal contest. that was fun! singing on stage is always a good time. i was also the winner of samsung c&t’s modeling contest, so i have both performance and modeling experiences. and then i did trc’s triple threat challenge and despite not winning, it was a great time regardless.” failure here and there is inevitable, but dokyeom’s found that because of him never giving up, it lets people feel sympathy for him and see his determination. 
you’re a vocalist, correct? have you ever thought about a solo career?
dokyeom just laughs, a hand coming up to cover his mouth. “honestly, i have thought about the potential for a solo career but maybe not until much later. i’d rather stay in a group anyways because it’s more fun to sing and dance with others than being alone.”
so what sets you apart from all the others? why do you think you deserve to debut? what’s so special about lee seokmin?
ahhh, this question. even when he practiced interview skills, this one question still eludes him. it’s hard to gauge what makes himself so special and why he deserves it. a lot of people deserve to debut. 
“well, for one thing, my perseverance is something admirable. i never know when to quit honestly and i’ll keep going for as long as i can. when i’m on stage, it’s like a flip switches one. i’m typically timid and shy offstage, but when i’m up there with all eyes on me and the lights shining down, i feel such a rush of adrenaline. it’s crazy how i change immediately and perform like it’s meant for me.” dokyeom affirmatively nods his head. “i think that’s why i’m different compared to others and why i deserve to debut.”
trc is known as being a hip hop label. compared to your company’s style of music, what’s your favorite? what genre would you like to try out?
“hip hop is life here at trc. everybody’s so good at moving and dancing and just feeling the rhythm. i’m very average, but if given the chance, i’d love to showcase my ballad skills. i’ve been told i’m really good at singing with emotional, so hopefully i get that chance.”
finally, what advice can you give to others chasing after their dreams?
dokyeom grins. “first rule is to never give up. never ever. even if you fall down seven times, you gotta get back up eight more times. second is to go all in. put your entire body and passion into what you’re doing. if you’re going to sing, then sing your heart out. if you wanna dance, then dance until the soles of your shoes are ruined.” it’s true. you have to want it and even if you think you don’t, you might regret it later on. “most importantly, just be happy and try your best.”
the coach nods their head and finishes writing whatever it is they thought of his interview. dokyeom doesn’t know, but he thinks he did well enough. “that concludes our interview, thank you.” dokyeom nods his head and bows goodbye and smiles as he’s leaving. “thank you.”
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rkbyunbaek · 6 years
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royal evaluation, november 2k17;
mock interview ; ✨ get your answers ready
{  tw - vague mentions of anxiety & internalized homophobia }
he’s nervous;
almost too nervous for a staged situation that’s not going to actually happen to him for a while. he’s not going to debut any time soon -- baekhyun let that opportunity slip past his fingers already --, won’t have any interviews about his debut and the group he’s in but he knows that practice is still important. that he has to be prepared for those moments that might come in the future because the few interview’s he’s had during the mgas definitely weren’t enough practice ( and he didn’t do that well on them, anyways ). it doesn’t make his nerves disappear, though.
baekhyun still finds himself wishing back his old self. the one before he signed at royal that wouldn’t choke up over something like this, that wouldn’t feel like running away from certain questions and, instead, look forward to them with a confident posture and an assured smile.
“hide your hands underneath the table or stop pulling around on your sleeves. it doesn’t make a good impression when everyone will be able to see how nervous you are.”
miss choi’s words almost startle him, baekhyun’s gaze darting down to his fingers that play around with the hem of his sweater, pulling absently at the fabric. he didn’t even notice what he’s doing, lost in his thoughts, his feelings and he quickly puts them onto his lap, hiding them away from his coach’s sight.
“remember that as well, will you?” she says, voice as stern and face as professionally unreadable as always, “then, shall we start?”
she doesn’t even ask if he’s ready and baekhyun only swallows, nodding his head lightly.
please introduce yourself and tell us about your position in the group.
she told him that the best way to go at this is to have a character, someone he wants to be and to be seen as -- to have a certain personality ready to help him out but also to keep him in line, to prevent any slip ups.
baekhyun has no idea what kind of personality he wants to have, couldn’t think of anything besides wanting to be himself. ( the way he used to be before joining royal, before the mgas. ) so, he just tries to smile, tries to look friendly and open and approachable. “hello, i’m baekhyun,” he starts, one hand coming up from underneath the table to make a v-sign next to his face, “and i’m royal boy’s leader and main vocal.”
leader.
where did that come from?
i heard that every trainee gets assigned to their very own kind of flower once they enter the company. which flower was picked for you after you got signed into royal?
“every trainee can choose for themselves which flower they want to have. which they want to be.” he smiles. “i’m royal’s bouvardia.”
and why did you pick this flower?
baekhyun almost snorts at the question because the answer is pretty much obvious. “because it fits me well, of course.” he slips a chuckle, trying to time it right. “my fellow trainees back then suggested it, actually. i went with it because the bouvardia stands for ‘enthusiasm’. it means going for your dreams with huge joy and enthusiasm. doesn’t it sound like me?” another laugh comes from him. “i’ve always been something like a moodmaker around the other trainees and, now, my members. always acting cute and making fun of myself to cheer them up. i want all that energy inside me to rub off them and for them to be happy and well rested.”
don’t you think this clashes a little with your role as leader in the group?
“i… i don’t think it does. as a leader you don’t have to necessarily be stern and serious. it’s important to be responsible and to be able to take a step back so your members can shine. i think being a moodmaker and leader goes very well together because my members happiness is my priority. i can be there for them when they need me, i can give them advice but i can also cheer them up and make them laugh.”
baekhyun’s surprised at the words coming from him. he sounds so mature and it’s kind of weird.
“despite being very social and enjoying to be around others, i’ve always been a very competitive person. i used to be very greedy so my teamwork was lacking. but with the older trainees leaving one by one,” sadness seeps through his voice at the recent events that still gnaw away at him, “i  got into the position of supporting the newer ones and got very comfortable with this kind of role. a year ago i couldn’t have imagined to be the leader of royal boy’s but now…. now i’m honored.”
how does it feel to be the leader and the main vocal? it’s two very important roles that bring a lot of responsibility with them. is it burdensome sometimes?
“no, it’s not.” he shakes his head immediately. “it is a huge responsibility indeed. but like i said, i’m honored to be in the position of the leader and even more that i was also allowed to show my passion for singing. if there’s something negative to say about it it’s only that… sometimes it can get a little conflicting. i mentioned before that as a leader i think one of my tasks is to make my members shine and stand out but as main vocal i take some of that spotlight for myself at the same time. i also think that i still have a lot to learn both as leader and a vocalist.”
“but i’m glad that my members support me as well. i’m not the only main vocal in the group so we can share some of the responsibility as well. i’m happy that i can grow together with them. please watch us well.”
you’re known for being a social butterfly and maintaining a lot of friendships with different artists in the industry. who are you the closest to?
the question makes him giddy and upset at the same time. he could’ve had this interview as a member of convex, as a part of it. “it has to be the two members of convex, yixing and jinwook.” baekhyun forces a fond smile onto his lips. “they’re both my best friends and i’ve known them for quite a while.”
“yixing and i actually went to school together back then when we both were still living in china. we’ve been close since the moment we spoke to each other the first time and nothing managed to tear us apart until this day.” it hurts, saying that when he’s been avoiding yixing way too much these past months. “and jinwook. we both participated in the mgas. we got friends pretty fast after all the members of ‘team royal’ went to eat dinner together. we also went to the same university.”
speaking of the mgas. you’ve been in a scandal back then, and embroiled in rumors. is there anything you wish to address about this?
this is what baekhyun’s been afraid of.
his body tenses and he stays silent, fingers curling harshly into the fabric covering his thighs. no, i don’t want to address anything, is what’s about to spill past his lips but he bites it back. the possibility that he’ll get questions about that once he actually debuts is there -- he can’t run from it.
he has to keep the act up.
“yes,” baekhyun’s mouth feels too dry, “i regret a lot when it comes to this matter. i feel sorry that those who supported me throughout the competition thought that my attention was in the wrong places.” he falls silent again, thinking of what to say next. he doesn’t know, he has no idea. and it makes him panic.
miss choi continues to look at him in expectation.
seems like he has to say more about it. “i understand now why viewers got the wrong impression of seolhyun and i. we’ve always shared a close friendship ever since we were young. her cousin lived in the same apartment building as i and we all used to play a lot when we were kids until i moved away. we carelessly showed that bond without thinking about how others could interpret it and—“
his tongue peeks past his lips to wet them nervously.
“about the rumors.” his fingers shake. “i— uhm, i’m very regretful towards this as well. for joking around too freely with a close friend without thinking the consequences my words could have. on social media of all things. i didn’t handle this well. but they’re— they’re not true and—” baekhyun’s eyes dart away from his coach, falling down into his lap. “they’ve never been true and it—” they weren’t. they never were. he’s not— he’s never been. baekhyun changed; he has a girlfriend now.
“we’re going to stop here.”
damn.
“you definitely have to prepare better for these kinds of questions,” is all miss choi says and baekhyun closes his eyes, releasing a shaky breath. his mind is still racing, his chest tight. it went so well but, now, he fucked it all up. well done, baekhyun.
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rklandon · 6 years
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                      《 ZHANG YIXING ★》 IF YOU CAN’T BEAT THEM, JOIN THEM
he comes prepared for his interview, props in his backpack that he sets on the table after getting permission to get a few things out because if he’s going to pretend this is a real interview, yixing wants to go all out. craft supplies borrowed from a former student of his when he used to tutor in chinese, he hands some blank paper to his coach, asking him to join in. it’s not fair if yixing’s the only one trying to decorate something for the fans, right? seeing his coach’s face is priceless too and he grins effortlessly, one of his best in months. he shines, beams with sunshine, and it’s a different side of him he hasn’t let loose as often as he used to but this is him, this is who he wants to be. yixing wants to radiate love, to dazzle those who watch him, but he’s good with charming them too.
“so, come here often?” he says before his coach could get a question in edgewise and he’s chuckling as he stamps the edge of the card with hearts. “i’m here everyday, getting ready for whatever mission baek jiyoung-sajangnim wants to throw our way. as convex leader, i want her to know we’re on our toes, ready to rock n roll,” he jokes, leaning back and pretending to do a guitar riff. “a lot of our members can play the guitar, did you know that? we’re all exuding with charm and talent. exuding is right, yes?”
his korean isn’t fully developed yet but he’s been trying to study more because of something like this. the word kiss and love is written out in big block letters and he holds it up for his coach to see. “can i send my fans this much love?, look it jumps off the page, my beating heart,” he makes heartbeat sounds as he moves the paper to simulate a pulse.
a pause.
“too cheesy?”
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rkmason · 6 years
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                      SPHERE ENTERTAINMENT NOVEMBER EVAL: #RKNOV17EVAL                                 THE TRUTH IS RARELY PURE AND NEVER SIMPLE
The question he’s been dreading is bound to come up here and answering one of the coaches is different from telling a fellow trainee or a convex member.
You used to be in Nova. What happened?
He didn’t know where to begin. it’s not easy saying that he didn’t feel like... well, like himself when he was there. Instead, he felt like a more muted version of himself. Tepid water when he used to be a hurricane under water. Anything would’ve been better than what he let himself become. Baek Jiyoung was right, He didn’t stand out there. As much as he wants to deny it, she was right. Nothing he could do could compare to the experience of the others so he fell into the background, blended in when he wanted to stand out. A dancer in a company of dancers and now he’s a rapper, a rap unit leader. Truth be told, he wasn’t sure he was finding his place completely in Sphere too. It appeared things were coming around full circle until he was told that.
Wetting his lips, he leans forward, elbows resting on his knees as he speaks, hand movements coming naturally. He’s a active speaker, what can he do. “You know, I said it in my video a few years ago about it being a personal decision for me to not accept Sphere’s offer after the MGAs and it became a personal decision later to accept it. You could say Sphere and I have come full circle since then,” he can’t avoid the pun when it’s there. It’ll sound perfect in real interviews. “I still appreciate everything Hyunbin sajangnim did for me and I’ll be forever grateful he took a chance on me but my path brought me to Sphere and Convex in the end. It wasn’t about anything in particular happening but what is the best for all of us. Don’t you think I’m doing well in Convex? Someone’s gotta keep Yien and Yixing in line, yeah?”
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rkxiao · 6 years
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november evaluation, 2017
                                                                     M O C K   I N T E R V I E W
the fact they couldn’t know what questions they’d ask was a little bit troublesome, but that’s how things worked in the debuted life. she had to deal with it. thankfully, cheng xiao had grown out of her nervousness. she used to be nervous just by looking at someone, but the girl couldn’t have been calmer while waiting for unknown questions to hit her. in some way, she was actually excited about it. the wait was tremendously boring; days passed by as any other. sitting in that chair, staring at her coach while she waited for him to be ready - that was true excitement.
“nervous?” he started shuffling his notes. maybe he was looking for something, maybe it was the first time he saw them - she wouldn’t know. “nope.” the gathering of paper on his lap was probably the entire content of her evaluation, but the man had only really bothered to organize them on the spot. weirdly typical. “don’t embarrass me, please.” she gave him a smile, hiding her eyes with her cheeks. “well, isn’t that our job?”
[ PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND YOUR POSITION IN THE GROUP ]
xiao straightened her back and gave him one of her idol smiles. “hello, my name is cheng xiao and i’m the main rapper.” that was something rather tough to spit. trc was known for having strong rappers, and they had yubin there way before they even knew xiao existed. still, it was nothing more than a mock interview. she hadn’t debuted yet, and no one really knew when it’d actually happen. maybe they’d debut yubin first and then she’d get to be the main rapper of her own group. still, she already knew all of the current trainees, and not debuting with them wasn’t a very enjoyable thought.
“i’m also the chinese interpreter.” xiao couldn’t help but let out a quick giggle. “some of our members speak english too, but im their go-to chinese speaker. maybe my name didn’t give it away, but...” she leaned in a bit closer, cupping one side of her mouth with a hand. “i’m chinese.”
[ WHAT SPECIAL TALENTS DO YOU HAVE? ]
it was like a flashback slapped her on the face. she should have noticed earlier how much it all reminded her of the mgas, but it only really hit her then. xiao grew up not having special talents, and people often joked about it. still, it was all people liked to ask for in the idol industry. she had struggled for a long time while staring at her form trying to come up with anything that could be considered a talent. it couldn’t just be something that you were good at, but something that people would remember. “well, let me show you.”
she started by opening her mouth, a finger helping making it wider. slowly but surely, xiao started pushing her hand between her lips, and before long her entire fist sat in her mouth. as a finishing touch a ‘ta-da!’ tried making its way out, but it ended up sounding more like ‘tfda-da’. xiao freed her hand soon after, not wanting to keep herself in that position. “i’m also great at peeling fruit. and i can do a bit of tumbling.” the girl shrugged. “nothing as impressive.”
[ HOW WAS IT LIKE COMING TO SEOUL AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE? DID YOU EVER FEEL LONELY? ]
while he continued with the questions xiao dried her hand with a towel he had so kindly provided. “well, i was thirteen which isn’t that young of an age.” moving before you even knew how to speak sounded better than moving when you were thirteen, actually. she had already lived more than two full hands worth of years only to start living in a place where she didn’t know the people or the language. thankfully the second part wasn’t much of a struggle, but socializing with the unknown continued as a problem for a long time.
“it was definitely weird. i had never traveled to anywhere outside of china before, so completely moving to south korea was a very weird experience.” she really only remembered not remembering. the entire process of airport and flying was blank inside her head. there was still a clear image of the guard telling her to walk past the metal detector twice, but it was probably just because it was incredibly scary. “i couldn’t really speak the language which was quite a challenge. if watching a movie from a different country is weird try living in one.”
one of her fingers moved her bangs around, trying not to make the answer too dense. “i had a hard time fitting in because i was always a very quiet child, but at least at home, i had my family with me. we used to speak a lot in mandarin back then so it wasn’t too different, but now we’ve been talking more in korean, even when it’s just us in our house.”
[ WERE THERE ANY TRAINEES/ANYONE THAT HELPED YOU THROUGH THIS PERIOD? ]
“joy was definitely a life saver.” unlike the airport situation, her first day in trc was perfectly engraved on her skull. the fear of everything and the feeling of being lost had never been as strong as on that day. “she was one of the first people who welcomed me to trc and, as weird as that sounds, she found me drinking juice in a bathroom.” xiao was extremely embarrassed about that, but it was a funny story to tell people. it made them want to simply know why, which prompted her to keep talking about it. that sounded exactly like what an interview needed. “orange juice always made me feel calm, and since it was my first day i really needed to appease my nerves.”
xiao could have mentioned a lot of the trainees, but she didn’t want it to get repetitive. “i did have some friends who helped me settle in south korea in general. one of them i had actually met back in china, and we got to meet again here in seoul.” xuanyi wasn’t too much of a constant in her life anymore, but ignoring her completely wouldn’t have made much sense. each friendship left a mark on you, and the younger had that effect on anyone. “the other one is actually korean, but... also speaks mandarin, so it connected both of my worlds that needed connection.” she knew how dating scandals worked, and to mention she had a male friend could be enough to damage entire reputations. baekhyun was still of great help, but their friendship would be kept a secret.
[ COULD YOU RANK YOUR GROUP MEMBERS ACCORDING TO VISUAL RANKING? ]
her head dropped to one side, unsure of what would be the best answer to that. “i could…” whenever she watched the groups she liked refusing even a single attempt it got her rather upset. it was nice to see how other people portrayed attractiveness, but when someone placed her favorite as last it could also easily make her sad. “i could make a top three if you’d like?” that sounded like a good middle term.
“first place would definitely be joy. maybe i’m getting my feelings mixed with this answer, but she’s one of the most gorgeous people i’ve ever met.” and it was no lie. cheng xiao admired the other in many ways, and her physical appearance was one of them. “i think for second place… everyone else?” she combusted into laughter, a hand flying in front of her mouth to hide behind. it was a harder task than she had previously thought, but a first place was better than no ranking at all. “so joy is first, then i’d be somewhere in the bottom ranks, for sure. my groupmates are all very pretty.”
[ WHO IN YOUR GROUP WOULD YOU WANT TO DO A SUB-UNIT WITH? ]
it was funny because they had already thought about it. they talked about it. the two girls didn’t seem to be anywhere close to debuting but far away dreams were already taking over their heads. “i’d love to be in a sub-unit with dayoung.” they had been good friends even before trc, so the fact they ended up in the same company must have been some sort of sign from the stars. “we’re very close friends and also the two youngest in our group. since trc was always known for its strong image i think having a cute sub-unit would be a great idea.”
she nodded along to her own words, agreeing with everything she said. “two-membered sub-units happened already, but if they want something bigger i’d gladly accept joy into our special gathering. it’d be the full maknae line sub-unit. no one would stop us.”
[ CAN YOU PLEASE DO THE OPPA YA SONG FOR YOUR FRIENDS? ]
somehow she knew it wasn’t part of the script. her eyes stared deadly into her coach's eyes, but the man looked as serious as ever. cheng xiao tried to recompose her image, but it was still a little bit shaken by the sudden request. unlike a lot of the trainees she had met, the girl had no problem with cute concepts. if trc decided to go crazy and debut them with one of those she wouldn’t be the one complaining about it. yet somehow the oppa ya song was going just a little bit too far.
“give me a second.” xiao covered her face with both of her hands, breathing behind them to try creating a stable connection between her and her soul. she’d need it. “oppa ya.” she moved her hands away, but as soon as she saw her coach again the connection was immediately broken. a few more lines managed to leave her mouth, but the girl eventually accepted defeat. “i’m sorry. that was the best i could do.”
[ YOU’RE DONE. ]
“i am.”
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kibumrk · 6 years
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interview with a dancer.
NOVEMBER EVALUATION : MOCK INTERVIEW
kibum has long since moved past being nervous for evaluations, and it’s hardly different in the new company. he’s actually glad to get the chance to practice interviews, especially with convex’s debut rapidly approaching. he likes to think that he has a bit of experience with this kind of thing already -- he spent most of his time in dream high learning professional development skills and interacting directly with producers and directors of the show, and hosting gave him the chance to be in the spotlight in a slightly different way alongside the main actors. 
however, that was three years ago now, and he knows he’s out of practice. he’s also never answered questions about his potential debut, never known for sure who he would debut with. now that he has the position of unit leader and the name of convex attached to him, he knows there’s more pressure on him to do well than there ever has been before. he supposes that’s the purpose of this evaluation, though -- to get them accustomed to the pressure and help them learn how to answer any kind of questions on the fly. 
there are two instructors in the room kibum is sent to for the evaluation, and he recognizes them by sight but doesn’t know them well yet. he bows as he walks in, feeling that familiar pang for royal, where he knew every coach after so long spent training in the company. “hello, kibum-sshi,” says the female instructor, as the male fiddles with the camera in the room. “i’m coach choi, a singing coach here. i’ll be interviewing you today.”
it takes a few minutes for the cameraman to be ready, and while they wait coach choi smiles encouragingly at kibum. “don’t be nervous,” she says, clearly noticing his insistent fidgeting with his clothes. “it’ll be over before you know it.”
the camera is ready before kibum can respond, and as it starts rolling he positions himself differently in his seat as they told him to in the lecture -- shoulders back, head up, hands folded in his lap. his heart still pounds too hard in his chest -- there are all kinds of things she could ask that would make him stumble, that could be incredibly dangerous, and he takes a moment to pray to whatever might care to help him that this just goes smoothly.
before he can even finish the thought, the questions begin. 
you were a public trainee in royal, right? what made you decide to switch to sphere after so long in royal?
he’d braced himself for this question -- it’s the most obvious one, the elephant in the room. the answer, by now, is practiced, and he responds easily, a natural smile on his face. “i needed to chase this opportunity. sphere called for male trainees to audition for a potential debut, and with royal preparing a new girl group as we speak, i didn’t think they’d be ready to debut me anytime soon. i had to take the opportunity, you know? especially with my age.”
was the decision to leave hard, after being in royal for more than three years?
“yes, of course it was,” he says, and he doesn’t have to force the sad smile that comes to his face. “i left a lot of good friends behind in royal, and it’s always hard to leave somewhere familiar, you know? but sometimes we have to face hard changes in order to get to where we want to go, even if it hurts.” he pauses for a second, and when the interviewer nods for him to go on, he continues, figuring he may as well go all-in if he’s going to show his deep wisdom. “change is always hard, and can often be painful, but i’ve always been willing to do a lot for my dreams.”
despite leaving friends behind in royal, how do you feel about your group members in convex? do you like them? is there anyone you think you won’t get along well with?
“oh, they’re all great!” kibum says immediately, sitting up straighter and visibly brightening after the sad tone of the last question. “i didn’t know a lot of them before coming to sphere, so i’m still getting to know them all, but they all seem really nice. i don’t think i’ll have problems with any of them really -- we’ve all gotten along really well so far. i can’t wait to get to know them all better, though. i’m sure it’ll be really fun working and living with them all.”
is there anyone in convex you get along with better than the others? or, to phrase it differently, if you could date any of the other convex members, who would you date?
kibum laughs immediately -- this question comes up all the time on variety shows, and he hums to himself as he taps his chin, playing up the struggle of thinking about it. “they’re all really great,” he says honestly. “and we’re really a group of visuals, so it’s hard to decide! i think woohyun-hyung and i would make a good couple. or jonghyun-ah, since we’re the same age.” he grins as the interviewer laughs, and the mood is light as they move on to the next question. 
though you’re fairly new to sphere, you gained a leadership position in convex. why do you think baek jiyoung gave this to you?
“i can’t really say,” he says honestly, raising a hand reflexively to run through his hair and stopping it halfway, instead using it to gesture a little as he continues before lowering it. “that was all up to baek jiyoung-sajangnim, but if i had to guess i’d say it was because of my long training period and my experience with leadership workshops. i’m really thankful for her giving me the leadership role, and it just makes me more motivated to get to know the other members of convex so that i can lead them properly.
you tweeted the other day a link to a kt video, but you’ve never trained at kt. do you know taemin, the trainee from the video? 
“yeah, he’s my best friend!” kibum replies with an enthusiastic nod. “we’ve known each other for years, since way before either of us ever even thought about becoming trainees. i know it’s weird for a sphere trainee to post support for a kt promotion, but i couldn’t not do it. we’re really close, and i was so excited to see that kt’s starting to promote him. it feels like we’re both moving forward in our dreams at the same time, so i’m really excited. i’d love to be able to stand on the same stage as him, even if we’re not in the same group.”
last question, kibum, and then we’ll go. what’s your ideal type of girl?
the instructor’s eyes are twinkling, and kibum knows that the lighthearted test hides another one, and it fills kibum with a wave of dread. he makes sure it doesn’t show, though, instead laughing good-naturedly at the unexpected question. “ah, i don’t usually think about this kind of thing,” he says, actually allowing himself to rub the back of his neck this time, because the display of nerves works for this question. he doesn’t mention that the reason he’s never thought about it is because he’s only ever had feelings for one girl, and that before that his ideal type wasn’t in girls at all. 
he lowers his hand, biting his lip a little as he thinks. “i think....someone who isn’t afraid to be herself, no matter what anyone says. i would get along with that kind of person well, because that’s the kind of person i’ve always tried to be.” he nods as he finishes, focusing entirely on making sure the smile on his lips isn’t fond, because he knows he just described rachel. 
he thinks he succeeds, and once the camera isn’t rolling he stands and bows again to the coach. “you did well, kibum-sshi,” she says. “you may go.” he bows once more to her and then to the cameraman before he leaves, thinking that it could have been a lot worse, but that that felt like way longer than just five minutes. 
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rkhongjoong · 6 years
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              ▆▆▆▆▆▆                 `          NOVEMBER EVALUATIONS   ___                                                                                                                       。。。      m  o  c  k     i  n  t  e  r  v  i  e  w
all the trainees he’s ever talked to make the evaluations at the end of the month out to be some sort of horror movie where everyone dies at the end.  jinseok thinks otherwise.
especially for this month’s evaluation; an interview is practically what he does best - he gets to talk, and he gets to talk a lot.  for someone who is known for his charms and making people smile, considering it’s what landed him in nova’s audition rooms in the first place, he thinks this will be almost easy.  he thinks almost, because he’s sure that there will be something up his instructor’s sleeve that will be tricky.  it’ll make him think on his toes, but again - jinseok has the charm.  he can pull this off.
right?
SO WE HEAR YOU’RE THE BIRD OF PARADISE IN THE ROYAL GARDEN.  WHY SUCH AN EXTRAVAGANT FLOWER?
he wouldn’t say the flower is .. extravagant.  not when he takes the meaning into account, because it suits him perfectly.  perhaps it’s because of the name of the flower itself, or even the bright look of it. still, the way the question is worded doesn’t dissuage him; jinseok rocks in his seat - the picture of perfect energy.  “ the bird of paradise is a special flower with a positive energy.” he explains vividly, with bright eyes and a chipper tone.  “ it gives you the wings of freedom to go where you please.  to find happiness in both successes and failures, because they help you grow.  i thought it was a lot like me, so even if it might be ... showy, i think i’m a positive person.  i always want to find the happiness in everything.”
YOU GREW UP AS THE CHILD OF SOME LOCAL CELEBRITIES, RIGHT? WHAT WAS THAT LIKE FOR YOU?
" oh, you know already?” that was perhaps the wrong opening line, but jinseok looks pleased nonetheless.  royal probably knows a lot more about him than he realizes, but still - he loves to talk about his parents, the way they met and how they came together.  it’s the story of how he came to be, how his brother and his sister all grew up in the warmth of parents who loved each other more than anything in the world.  how his parents came together and were labelled soulmates by a large number of the viewership on their show.  he grins.  “ my parents were on this reality dating show awhile back - it wasn’t very popular, so it only had one season but they were the most popular couple.  i think it’s my mom’s fault though, she was super cute and really pretty back then.  she’s still pretty now, but -” he pauses, wondering if he’s going off on a tangent.  “ anyway, they got together and they were known as the only success story of the show.”
now, he thinks.  how does he explain his childhood? something so sweet and warm that he wishes he could go back to? “ my sister and my twin, we all ... grew up with people watching us.  it wasn’t that weird because we got used to it, but i know some kids have it rough.  maybe it’s because my parents weren’t high tier celebs or something, but we were always the favourites in the neighbourhood i guess.  it kind of shaped us, you know? having that attention, it molded us and made us into better people.  people who wanted to give back, or entertain somehow.  so i guess it is an important part of me.  i love my parents, and i love who they were and are.  they’ve been helping us with our dreams even just by being who they are.”
SO LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR GROUP.   LOTS OF FOCUS LIES ON YOU AS THE MOOD MAKER AND THE MAIN RAPPER.  HAVE YOU EVER FELT PRESSURED OR TIRED?
pressure? burdened? tired? never heard of her.
of course, he can’t say that aloud without the instructor raising a brow.  he’s got to maintain some level of professionalism - this isn’t a youtube video or an insta livestream anymore.  “ i wouldn’t say that.  there are times when everyone feels a little worn down, but i think that’s when you have to rely on your group to pick you back up.  i help to pick everyone up when they’re feeling down, and you know, they can return the favour when i need to rely on them too.”
“ rapping is different.  i carry most of that weight because most of our members are better at singing.  so i’ve done a lot of work to try and improve myself so that in turn, all of us can show a better side in front of our fans.”
was that okay? too much? he peers at the instructor, but he says nothing in response to him. there’s only just some notes scribbled on his file.
WAS THERE ANYONE IN PARTICULAR YOU LEANED ON DURING YOUR TRAINEE DAYS? MAYBE MEMBERS OF YOUR GROUP OR ANOTHER TRAINEE YOU KNEW FROM SEOCHO?
" i don’t know if you know this but -” and here, he leans in as if he’s whispering conspiratorially. “ one of my very best friends is one of the sphere boys.  hong jonghyun - do you know him?” jinseok leans back in his chair, almost sounding pleased with himself.  “ before i was signed to royal, he was always trying to help me get an in with baek jiyoung.  we even made up a plan to get my headshot slipped under her door.” he jokes, a smile playing wide on his lips and showing all his teeth.  “ whenever we’re together, we’re super loud.  everyone can tell we’re best friends, and i’m pretty sure we kind of ... take over a room.” he admits, shrugging his shoulders.  “ he helped me a lot while i was trying to get scouted, and even after i got signed.  i don’t know where i’d be without him.
he pauses - he should think up a story here even if he doesn’t know the royal trainees all that well yet besides jazz. it probably wouldn’t do to make it seem like his [ future ] members hadn’t helped him at all after getting signed.  “ as for my members, they were all pretty friendly when i got signed.  royal is a really .. tight knit company, even if it takes a long time for most to debut.  it means we see a lot of each other and try to stick together.  become a family, you know?”
HOW IS YOUR FAMILY TAKING YOUR GROUP’S SUCCESS, KNOWING THAT YOU BROUGHT THE SPOTLIGHT BACK TO THEM?
" well ..” he pauses, struggling for a minute.  “ i know my mom doesn’t like cameras.” jinseok scratches his cheek, thinking for a minute.  “ she’s gentle hearted, and prefers the quiet but she’s supported me from day one.  all of my family has.”  the tone is a little different here; it’s almost as if anyone could tell he’s worried about what his future fame would do to his mother.  “ but they’re all proud of me, and i think they prepared themselves.  my mom and dad have an album signed by all of us in a place of honour in their house.” he laughs, because he knows that will be true no matter what the future will bring.  “ i’m sure it will take some getting used to for them .. but i know that they’ll be fine.  we’re strong, all of us.”
the instructor’s brow raises as he writes down a few notes.  it’s a little unclear as to what he’s thinking, but jinseok is used to neutral expressions from people who are judging him.  he dealt with it in his audition, it’s no difference here.
what he doesn’t expect is a quick dismissal with barely a critique or a praise.  “ you can go now.”  it’s all that’s said.  
did he do a good job, or not? jinseok raises his brows in confusion but gets up from his chair, bowing before leaving the room.  perhaps it’s because he hasn’t had much experience in regards to everyone else at the company, after only being around for a month.  it’s not something to get anxious over though, since jinseok feels he did well - if he did poorly, surely they would have said something to him.
but only time will tell.
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