five.
. • -
《 don't let go 》
ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : Smoke - Dynamicduo, Lee Young Ji
1:49 ───ㅇ───── 3:30
⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻
{ CLASS MISSION MAIN DANCER TRIAL ATTIRE + HAIR }
THE d-day for the main dancer auditions soon arrived. Every crew was rounded up at the fight zone, stretching and rehearsing to prepare themselves. The room was full of immense tension. Nobody wanted to be a backup dancer.
Whilst Jin was cracking her knuckles, she observed her fellow competitors, her eyes looking for the one person who intrigued her the most; Bada.
She saw her with her crewmates across the room, looking pretty as usual. Jin didn't stare at her for too long and went back to focusing on the task at hand.
"Is she distracting you? Is she making your heart flutter?" Gigi teased her.
"She's so attractive. It's annoying." Jin grumbled quietly as she stretched her arms.
"That's cute." R.2 chuckled whilst sitting on the floor and stretching her legs.
"Let's focus here. I want all of us to bring our A game and do our best." Jin said firmly as she rolled her shoulders and her neck.
With every judge seated, the auditions began.
"We'll start with the rookie class." Daniel announced.
Cheers came from all over as those who were in the rookie class stepped onto the dance floor.
As R.2 got up to join them, Jin grabbed her shoulder, running it gently.
"You've got this, okay?" She told her.
"Mm-hmm." R.2 hummed with a confident smile as she nodded, Jin nodding back and briefly touching a hand to R.2's cheek.
"Good. Go get out there and show them what a rookie can do." Jin said as she ushered R.2 forward, R.2 enthusiastically making her way onto the dance floor.
"Let's go, R.2! Yes!" Yeong yelled out loudly, Soul's eyes widening as she looked at Yeong with a concerned expression.
"Woo!" Gigi cheered as she clapped, Soul clapping as well.
Monika decided to confront the rookie class about the selected choreography firstly.
Apparently, LADYBOUNCE's Capri's choreography got chosen but it wasn't finished when it was first presented. Monika also made a blunt remark that the choreography looked very simple and doable, which may be dangerous.
Jin was a bit surprised to hear Monika say that. It made her more curious to see if it was true, so she gave the rookie class her full attention.
First up was Emma, Capri, Gooseul, and Yeni Cho.
"We'll find the best dancer in the rookie class." Monika said.
"Ready? Fight!" Mike announced.
'Twerk' began to play and once it did, the four dancers all began performing Capri's choreography in sync. All of them seemed to have their own unique style and way of doing it.
Jin leaned her elbows on her knees, sitting her chin in her palm as she watched the dancers go at it competitively.
She was very on the fence about the choreo, unsure of whether she liked it or not.
Once the four finished, they were given a round of applause before they all moved to the back.
"Capri is pretty..." Soul mumbled as she tilted her head, still eyeing Capri even when she had moved to the back.
"And we lost another one." Gigi said jokingly.
"When it happens to you, I'm going to be on you, I swear to God." Soul told her.
The dancers up now were Tatter, Rena, R.2, Redy, and Buckey.
"R.2!" Gigi yelled out happily.
The song started over, the new five performing Capri's choreography now.
Jin was so proud of R.2, seeing how well she was doing and how energetic and confident she was.
"Damn, someone tell Tatter to hit me up." Yeong exclaimed with a chuckle.
Some more applause and cheers were given as the dancers finished up and waited for the results.
"Let's go, R.2! Crushed it! I love it!" Jin cheered loudly as she clapped, R.2 grinning from ear to ear as she laughed softly.
"Hey, everyone! We'll do one more match." Monika announced.
Jin rose a brow at that. She glanced over at Capri, who seemed anxious about the fact that someone other than her had caught the eyes of the judges.
"Here we go. LADYBOUNCE's Capri. BEBE's Tatter. D-COY's R.2. Lastly, TSUBAKILL's Rena." Monika called out each dancer.
Loud cheers of excitement came from the crewmates of every dancer that got selected for the second audition while the dancers who weren't returned to their seats with disappointment.
"Let's go, R.2! Yes! Get it! You better work!" Gigi shouted as she hopped up and down, Jin smiling a bit.
First up was Tatter and R.2 against one another. The song restarted and both girls began to dance Capri's choreography side by side.
With them going in duos, it made their differences and styles pop out more and it allowed the judges to really see what it was they were looking for.
With both striking impressive poses at the end, both girls received lots of cheers once their turn ended, Capri and Rena replacing them.
Once the song began to replay, they began to dance, and Jin could see their differences more clearly than she did with R.2 and Tatter.
Capri had a larger amount of energy to her. On the other hand though, something about the way Rena moved seemed to fit the song.
Tension was high once the two finished up, the anticipation higher than the first audition.
"The main dancer for the rookie class is..." Monika paused, the suspense building up higher and higher per every second that passed. "...TSUBAKILL's Rena."
Loud cheers came from the members of TSUBAKILL as they all rapidly got up and rushed over to Rena, who smiled as they engulfed her in a group hug.
Capri and her crew had the opposite reactions, looking quite disappointed but clapping anyway.
Once R.2 returned and sat back down, Jin placed a hand on her shoulder and nodded to reassure her, as she could see how heavy her heart was now weighing due to her loss. "You did amazing as always."
After the judges had provided their reasons as to why Rena was chosen, the sub-leader class was next.
After Soul had went up, Jin eyed the other dancers in the sub-leader class had a more serious vibe in comparison to the rookie class.
Then, it all made sense when Monika had asked a question about LaTrice of JAM REPUBLIC and Redlic of MANNEQUEEN allegedly getting into a fight whilst choosing a choreography.
"She didn't translate the lyrics and made the choreography based on rhythm." Redlic explained into her mic. "I thought she didn't try enough." She added, LaTrice simply smiling through her criticism.
"Actually, dance is a universal language. So I didn't find a language barrier, really." LaTrice said calmly into her own microphone.
"Honestly, I thought, 'Is she just here to chill?'" Redlic remarked.
"Wow." Gigi exclaimed.
Jin tensed her brows at Redlic's words. She didn't like them at all. They were blatantly disregarding LaTrice's efforts. She honestly hoped it was just Redlic playing up on the drama because otherwise, there was no need to be petty.
After Monika discussed the problem with the sub-leaders, the battle was ready to begin.
"Okay. Let's find the best dancer among the sub-leaders." Monika announced.
"Let's go, Soul! Come on!" Jin shouted to Soul as cheers emerge.
First up was Mini, LaTrice, Lusher, and Harimu.
"Ready? Let's fight!" Said Mike.
Once 'Click Like' began to play, the four dancers began to perform LaTrice's choreography, showing off their uniqueness quite well.
Jin admired this choreography a lot more. The moves were addicting to watch and the flow was fantastic.
All the dancers were doing good but something about the way LaTrice used and moved her body made Jin's eyes stick to her only. She was so good with her body and her hips, making her moves satisfying to watch.
The closest to comparing was Lusher. Jin had to admit that she was doing quite well.
"I kind of want Lusher too. Sheesh." Yeong remarked.
"Do you want the entire crew while you're at it?" Jin asked her with a brow raised.
After the four were done and received their applause, they moved to the back.
Soul, Biggy, Sayaka, Redlic, and Downy went to the front to replace them.
Jin's brows raised high when she saw the outfit Sayaka was wearing. Her pants were quite revealing.
"Oh!" Gigi exclaimed as she looked away quickly, R.2 covering her mouth while Yeong and Jin looked at each other in surprise.
Sayaka's sexiness was a surprise to many.
The song soon started over and the five girls began to dance, all of them putting in a good amount of energy and effort.
"Yes! Let's go, Soul! Yes!" Yeong cheered as she clapped loudly, Gigi grinning and laughing in joy.
Jin's eyes lit up as she watched Soul. She managed to capture the vibe of the song and LaTrice's choreography while also adding elements of sexiness where she thought they'd fit.
"Yes! Sexy Soul!" Gigi shouted as she got up and hopped up and down.
Soon enough, the second group finished and it was time for the results.
"Sexy Soul! She's sexy!" Gigi repeated whilst Jin was clapping loudly, Soul smiling a bit as she looked down sheepishly.
"We have to see it one more time." Monika said.
"JAM REPUBLIC's LaTrice... and... MANNEQUEEN's Redlic." Shownu called out.
Those who weren't called out returned to their crews dejectedly.
"You were so amazing." Jin told Soul as she sat back down, looking somewhat dissatisfied by the result.
"Sexy." Gigi added, Soul shaking her head playfully.
"Please start the music." Monika commanded the DJ.
Once the song was playing again, both LaTrice and Redlic began to perform in sync.
Jin tried to watch both of them carefully. She couldn't deny that the choreography was just too perfect for LaTrice. No one could do it better. She knew the right ways to move in order to make the dance enjoyable to watch.
Redlic wasn't bad, but she didn't not hold the same charisma and groove as LaTrice. She seemed to be more focused on using her emotions and displaying her sexiness throughout the choreography.
Once the girls had finished, the judges took a moment before making their decision.
"We'll announce the main dancer of the sub-leader class." Monika said, LaTrice and Redlic tensing up as a wave of nervousness hit both of them. "The main dancer we chose is... JAM REPUBLIC's LaTrice." She revealed.
LaTrice grinned happily and proudly as her crewmates cheered and gave her a standing ovation.
Redlic grinned as well despite not being pleased, LaTrice giving her a short hug from the side with one arm.
After some more commentary from the judges, the moment that Jin had been anticipating finally arrived.
"Leaders, please come up to the fight zone."
"Yes, Jin! Work!" Gigi screamed while other crewmates clapped and cheered, Jin shielding her face with her hand out of embarrassment due to all the eyes that had landed onto her because of Gigi's volume.
Once she took her position, her expression went back to the usual calm and cool one she had. She was extremely focused at that moment. She wanted to give that mission her all. She didn't want to make not one single mistake.
"Who's choreography has been chosen?" Shownu asked.
"It's mine. Bada." Bada spoke into a microphone as she briefly raised her hand. "As the leader, I wanted to show our physical strength and aura. The powerful side of us. I considered what I think is the most important, which is the dance you want to try. There's a move of lighting a lighter. I tried to put those kinds of things into the choreography." She explained.
"And Kirsten. Was there anything hard during the practice?" Shownu asked Kirsten.
"Dance, again, is a universal language. There wasn't any difficulties, I think." Kirsten answered honestly.
Jin happened to notice the way Bada was looking at Kirsten. She recognized it because she had been eyeing Kirsten the exact same way during practice. Bada had also been giving similar looks to Jin herself during practice.
They weren't glares or stank looks. She was merely watching over Kirsten and Jin more than the others, keeping them in check.
Jin took it as a sign that she was doing good. If she were doing bad, Bada most likely would've corrected her. If Bada felt the need to keep an eye on her and Kirsten, it was possible that Bada was somewhat wary of them.
"We will find the best dancer in the leader class." Said Shownu.
In the first group, Mina, Bada, Funky Y, and Nob would be dancing.
"Let's go, Jin!" Gigi shouted while Yeong waved one of their crew's banners around excitedly.
"Ready, let's fight." Mike announced.
As 'Smoke' began to play and the girls began to dance Bada's choreography, Jin's eyes moved between each of the dancers. As expected, they stood on Bada the longest.
She was really giving it her all. Her style was just far too perfect for the dance. It fit all too well and the dance looked good on Bada too. She moved so uniquely, bending the song to her will and moving with undeniable allure.
Soon enough, the first group finished and traded places with the second group, which had Jin, Akanen, Lia, Halo, and Kirsten.
"Jin!" R.2 cheered joyfully whilst Jin adjusted the sleeves of her jacket and pulled them up to her shoulders.
The song soon started over and the new group began dancing once it did.
Jin put all of her attention and focus into remembering the moves and their order. She was using a lot of energy for Bada's choreography and it showed.
She wanted to do it justice and really show why she deserved to be the main dancer, displaying great body control and finesse that made her performance electrifying and powerful. Her movements looked similar to that of Bada's.
This didn't go unnoticed by Bada, who's mind was swirling with mixed emotions that summer up to internal complexity. She could not ignore Jin's irresistible talent as she watched her dance in sync with the song assigned. It was an amazing sight that she couldn't help but admire, but if was also dangerous in the case of the mission.
Both Jin and Kirsten seemed to be good at eliciting reactions from the other crews and judges, the women moving skillfully in harmony to the music.
The dancers soon concluded their performance and now, everyone was waiting for the results. They were all dying to know which leader would possess the desired title of main dancer.
"Amazing! Sexy!" Gigi yelled out to Jin.
"Crushed it! Come on with your bad self!" Yeong cheered whilst Soul grinned and clapped.
"Let's go!" Said Soul.
"I love it!" R.2 complimented as she bounced up and down in her seat happily.
"There will be a re-audition." Shownu announced, putting the leaders on edge. "1MILLION's Lia Kim. BEBE's Bada. JAM REPUBLIC's Kirsten. D-COY's Jin." He called out.
All four dancers who got selected were both relieved and overjoyed that they got another chance while the dancers who didn't get selected made their way back to their crews, all of them looking discontented.
"It'll be two at a time." Monika said.
First up was Bada and Lia, both of them looking confident in their own abilities.
Once the music started, the dance started with it. The differences were more clear now after putting Bada and Lia side by side. Bada's movements held more strength and power in comparison to Lia's. She fit the song and the choreography better than Lia did.
After them was Kirsten and Jin. The differences were extremely visible, but both of the girls portrayed the choreography in a way that could suit the main dancer. It was tougher to pick between those two.
Once both pairs had shown off, they waited (im)patiently for the judges to finally make their final choice.
"There's going to be another audition." Shownu said.
Jin's brows briefly tensed at the announcement that the leader class was going to have a third audition. In the first season, she had never seen it go above two. She didn't even know that one could request more than two re-auditions.
But all she knew now was that she had to be one of the girls they chose.
"Bada of BEBE and Jin of D-COY will be in the third audition." Shownu announced.
Cheers erupted in an instant, especially from BEBE and D-COY
Jin briefly closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief after hearing her name. She was so close to making it. All she had to do was pass one more audition... against Bada.
Jin briefly glanced at the taller girl beside her whilst Lia and Kirsten walked off and sat with their own crews, then she looked down before Bada could notice her gaze.
Despite feeling a little tense, she couldn't help but feel proud of herself, seeing how her hard work was starting to pay off and how she was repeatedly catching the eyes of the judges.
When practicing someone else's choreography, Jin was a perfectionist. She liked to get every little detail right and worry about how she could add her own unique flair afterward.
When she saw the way Bada was using her body and how she was controlling the amount of strength she used for certain moves, Jin put a lot of effort into correcting her own movements. She absorbed Bada's energy with her eyes and stored it all. She wanted to be perfect.
She wanted to get it perfectly right and nail every last detail. Then, with her own spin on it, she could turn the tables.
While Lia and Kirsten were great, the judges knew what vibe they were looking for exactly.
However, the problem was that Jin and Bada were both good at displaying vibes that would fit perfectly for the dance video. They were both amazing performers. In order to find which approach they liked best, they had to see the two side by side to see who could really pull it off and earn the title of main dancer.
"Okay, let's go!" Monika shouted.
The song then played one final time, the opponents dancing the choreography in perfect sync. Both were the embodiment of strength, power, and determination. Their burning desires to win were seeping through, the eyes surrounding them filling with awe.
The judges could really see the personalities of both girls shining. It helped to see them side by side. The judges were now able to spot some differences between the two.
Jin had a style of her own that came out in her performance even when she was emulating Bada. She also had a few small flaws that were starting to show. What counted now was seeing if she could pass even with her flaws.
As Jin was going at it to the second half of the snippet, she glanced over at Bada and noticed her stepping closer to her whilst dancing, making sure to stay on beat.
The act seemed to be out of playful competitiveness rather than hostility.
Jin acknowledged that and stepped closer to Bada as well, the girls dancing right against each other before they both stepped away from each other.
The action was enough to have Monika yelling and getting out of her chair, other crews yelling and exclaiming in excitement. There was chemistry crackling between the women and everyone could see it. There was passion burning in the air, creating sparks with each motion and movement.
Once the girls hit their final poses, loud cheers of excitement and admiration erupted. The judges looked like they were touched by the entire scene, all three of them giving a standing ovation.
Jin's breathing was slightly heavy due to exhaustion as her musical movements came to a halt at last, her jacket sliding right back off of her shoulders as she dropped her pose and moved some hair out of her face.
The other crews were filled with admiration for the two dancers and the showdown that took place. Some were asking each other about who they thought should be the main dancer. Both girls had captivated the attention of those that has witnesses their battle. It was anybody's day.
"I think I have heart burn." Gigi exclaimed.
"I'm like, salivating right now." Yeong said playfully.
"That was a historic event." Soul joked as she chuckled softly.
"Was that even real?" R.2 asked with a big euphoric grin.
"I got goosebumps." Mike mentioned playfully as he felt up his arm.
"I know. I got goosebumps too." Monika said.
The judges began to briefly chat about the decision they were going to make. Then, they had it.
"We'll announce the main dancer of the leader class." Shownu spoke up at last. "The main dancer we chose is..."
Jin tilted her head down as she waited nervously for the results, staring down at the floor as she crossed her hands in front of her, her fingers immensely tense as anxiousness and anticipation filled her.
"...Bada of BEBE."
Loud claps came from everyone surrounding the two girls.
Bada instantly dropped to her knees and leaned her head down in complete and utter relief. There were no words to describe the way she felt hearing her name being called out.
Jin closed her eyes and let out a sigh. It was a mixture of relief and disappointment. She had really wanted to do something nice for her crew and she had worked so much hoping she could.
But even she knew that Bada deserved it. She did a lot of work too. She created that dance with her very own imagination. It truly was meant for her. Nobody could do it better than she could. Not even Jin.
She couldn't bring herself to be mad or all that upset. At the end of the day, she still got to do a really cool dance and she had faith that Bada would do good when directing the dance video.
Jin quickly began to clap her hands and applaud Bada for her hard work and her efforts, nodding her head in acceptance. "Amazing performance. Congratulations." She said with her hand out for a handshake.
Abruptly, Bada got up from the floor and quickly walked over to Jin with her arms open. Rather than accepting the handshake, the taller dancer placed her arms around Jin, engulfing her in a warm hug of friendliness and appreciation.
Jin's expression hadn't faltered, but only because she was stunned and caught off guard, her arms flinching slightly before they went around Bada to hug her back.
Bada's arms felt so secure yet gentle around Jin. It made her heart start beating faster almost immediately. She didn't want her to let go.
"Thank you." Bada told her as she held her.
"You did really great. Congratulations again." Jin said with a nod.
But then suddenly, her eyes went big when she felt Bada kiss her on the cheek with an audible "mwah" coming from her soft voice before she parted from Jin.
Jin blinked rapidly a few times whilst she slowly stepped backward before turning around and speed-walking back to her crew, sitting down as fast she physically could while holding back the urge to scream out loud.
She felt like she had just malfunctioned, like her brain had stopped working for a split second.
What the hell..?
"She-- You-- oh my God!" Yeong squealed whilst R.2 had a hand over her mouth in utter shock.
"She kissed you! She-- I-- She kissed you!" Gigi exclaimed with her jaw toward the floor, Soul looking up at Jin with an amused smile.
"On the cheek." Jin stated as she swallowed nervously and tried calm herself down.
"Who cares where it was? You just got a hug and a kiss from Bada Lee. You're winning!" Gigi told her as she grinned and squeezed her shoulder.
✾
𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝚐𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚗