Ocean

♬ 24 ♬

Done with the female teams it was the male teams' turn and then finally it was time for the individual evaluations. We were given the chance to change outfits and most of us did.
For the solo evaluation, I was given an outfit that luckily was my style, and I prepared a live performance of a song I choreographed myself. This time, they started with the male trainees, then the females.

You can do it, Umi, you can do it! You've come till here, you can't let some anxiety get you!

And with that, I waited patiently for my turn till my name was called and I positioned myself at the center of the room.

♬

After performing I was a bit out of breath and I went to the center waiting for a comment from the evaluators.
"Did you make that choreography?"
"Yes, sir"
"Hm... I see... Well as I said earlier, your vocals are really really stable while you perform really hard moves, that you came up with! I admire it. How long again have you been dancing and singing?"

"My parents own a dance studio and also hold vocal lessons. I've been learning to perform since I was very young, I think around 4 years old, sir"
"Hm ok... You're a try-out trainee, right?"
"Yes, sir"
"Nishimura Umi... Perhaps..."
"Ah yeah, I'm his older sister"
"Talent really flows in your family then, hope to see you also in the next monthly evaluation Umi-ssi. Next is..."

♬

After the evaluations were done, we had dinner all together in that room as the evaluators discussed the ranks.
"You did great, unnie! Are you sure you were nervous?" Minah asked while munching on the kimbap that was in our meal boxes.
"You have no idea. I think you could see that I was shaking"
"Ah that feeling... My fans noticed that during ILAND..."

"Hey cheer up, Nicho oppa! You're gonna be announced next week!" Haneul said.
"Yeah right, hyung! We're finally debuting" Taki added.
We were all on the floor in different groups talking with trainee friends to relieve the stress and anxiety caused by the evaluation. I was sitting with the soon-to-be Hybe Japan Boys, Haneul, Minah, Jihoon, and a new try-out trainee from Japan as well, Justin Jay.

♬

Soon the hour passed and the evaluations were up in the lobby. We were called out team by team to see ours.
"Let's go, girls" Nayeon said as we all got up from the place we were and followed our 'leader' to the lobby.
"Oh gosh girls!" Sehyeol said as she was the first one to arrive.
"WE'RE FIRST PLACE AGAIN!" and we all cheered.

"Great work everyone!" Eunwoo said starting a group hug.
"Let's check the individual ones now" Cherrie said.
"No way!"
"Oh my god, Umi unnie!"
"You're first! Bestie, you're first!!" Haneul and Minah said hugging me.
"Oh my god! I- Is this a dream?! Sehyeol unnie slap me"
"Gladly- Hey I was joking!" She said as she was stopped from Nayeon.

"Congrats Umi! You worked really hard and it paid!" Nayeon said.
"They better come calling you back with a contract offer or I'm going to do it for them!" Eunwoo said hugging me.
They then checked their own ranks: Nayeon placed 3rd, Chaerin 4th, Minah 6th, Haneul 8th, Sehyeol 9th, and Eunwoo 10th. We were all in the top 10, which was a great result compared to last month when we were all over the top 20 and most of us lower than 10th.

After checking the ranks we went back home and celebrated but also made it a 'hopefully-bye-for-now' party since I'll be going back to Japan next week, to be exact in the second week of January.