Back in the Pavo homeroom, Sunhee is waiting for what he thinks will be the Pavo girls. "It's taking them a while," he says to the off-screen staff. He leans his head on his hands. "When will my girls come home from the war?"

The door opens and the Corvus girls look inside. "Hi?"

"Hello?" Sunhee looks confused. "Are you lost?"

"We're your new team," Raon says miserably. "Please take care of us well."

Sunhee glances at the production team. "What tomfoolery are you up to?"

"Put us out of our misery," Hyejin says. "What are we doing."

"So, my newly adopted charges," Sunhee says. "You will be doing Nayeon's Pop! Also, welcome back Yeseul."

"Thank you!" Yeseul smiles. "It's good to be back, I've missed all of you!"

Plum, Hyejin, and Taeri hug her. "We've missed you too!"

"I chose Pop as it's not a very difficult song to do as long as you get the hand choreo right," Sunhee explains. "It was good for Pavo to gain confidence. I'm sure you will learn it in no time, the biggest challenge for you will be getting the vibe of the song right. So, Pavo was supposed to square off against Columba this round. How is it now?"

"Pavo is with Chaerin," a PD explains. "So it's Corvus against Pavo."

Sunhee's eyes widen. "I'm mentoring the enemy?! Oh the webs you people weave. Well, I'll come by and help you later, good luck!"

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

"I can't believe I'm back and this is the first thing y'all are making me do," Yeseul grumbles. "Ara why did you have to pick this one, I would have nailed elegance."

"Hey, it's not like I did it on purpose," Ara says defensively.

Yeseul sighs dramatically. "I know, I know, I didn't mean it like that sorry. Let me lament what fate has delivered us."

Meanwhile Raon is already looking at Nayeon's performance video and mimicking the hands movement. She gets it easily while next to her Alissa looks very confused.

"Did they create formations for us?" Plum asks. "It'll be difficult to adapt a soloists song for a group otherwise."

"They didn't," Raon says, "but that's not what worries me. That we can handle. Shall we divide parts?"

"I would like to try out for main vocal," Sarang announces.

"Isn't Ara our main vocal?" Yeseul wonders. "Did that change?"

"It did not," Ara says.

"For the sake of the team, whoever is best should do main vocal," Raon says.

"We're already at a disadvantage with a concept most of us are weak in," Hyejin says. "Should we really be switching everything up?"

The camera catches Ara reaching out and squeezing Hyejin's hand in thanks for her support.

"I'm not that bad at the cute concept too," Sarang insists. "It's another reason why giving me a key position would be good for everyone. I can do cute."

"I guess they should try out then," Raon says, "and we will vote?"

Sunwoo crosses her arms. "I don't like it," she says. "We were already in trouble before for not working as a cohesive unit. Sniping parts doesn't scream teamwork to me."

"I'm not sniping," Sarang snaps. "I'm trying to do what's best for the team."

"Let her try out," Alissa says. "What harm can it do?"

── ⋆⋅💬⋅⋆ ──

"I felt really blindsided," Moon Ara┋🐦┋says in her interview. She has her arms around herself and looks a little vulnerable. "It really feels like she's been after my position from the start and I've barely been able to show what I'm capable of before it's all pulled away from me."

"I'm a better vocalist," Kim Sarang┋🐦┋says. "I think it's only logical that we switch to whoever can fulfill the role better. It's better for the team if everyone thrives, isn't it? And main vocal is the most important position. It's time to show exactly what I'm capable of."

"What did I miss?" Kwak Yeseul┋🐦┋wonders.

── ⋆⋅/💬⋅⋆ ──

In the end it's Raon, Sarang, Taeri, and Yeseul's vote against Hyejin, Sunwoo, and Plum's. And so, Sarang gets to do the main vocal role this time.

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

They're in the middle of running through the formations when the door opens and Sunhee peeks in. "How are you doing? Hard at work I see."

Sunwoo stretches. "Is it break time? Raon has been drilling us like crazy."

Sunhee grins. "You wish! Show me what you've got so far."

Raon sets them all ready and counts them down. Sunhee cocks his head as he watches them, expression unreadable.

"Raon," he says when they're done. "You're someone who has always been good at what they do, aren't you?"

"Ehh," Raon doesn't know how to respond.

"I can tell because, now that you're not in your element anymore, there's an air of desperation about you," he says. "It's throwing you off even more than the others. This round is not going to be easy for you and you will have to work hard to catch up on where you lack.

"Yeseul and Ara, I need more facials from you. You have to smile and really sell it. Pop, they want it. If I see even an ounce of shame on those faces you have lost. Who's going to pop pop pop with you when you don't even want to be pop pop poping yourselves?"

He crosses his arms and thinks for a moment. "No concept needs more conviction to sell it than a cute concept. This kind of fun had to be sold, it's inherently embarrassing to be so openly and earnestly cringe but you have to be so cringe that you invite everyone else to cringe with you. We would never all be under Nayeon's control if she didn't believe in every word she sang. You have to convince the audience to join in with its shamelessness or else it all falls apart."

"What to do?" he wonders. "Taeri and Plum, you were the only ones who did it very well. You'll have to help your team members. As a team you're probably the strongest in the competition and the dance and vocals are both already top notch. Now you just have to sell the concept."

── ⋆⋅💬⋅⋆ ──

"I honestly forgot how much I love doing cute concepts!" Moon Taeri┋🐦┋says. "It really makes me miss IOI."

"It's so frustrating to fail at something so vague as conveying the concept," Moon Ara┋🐦┋laments. "It would be so much easier if the problem was just not hitting a note or not hitting a step in time."

"I have to admit, I was skeptical about doing the cute concept," Seo Hyejin┋🐦┋says. "But Pop is just such a blast of fun energy, it's actually been so much fun to perform!"

── ⋆⋅/💬⋅⋆ ──

The scene switches to somewhere in the future. In one of the individual practice booths, Raon is furiously watching a video of Nayeon performing Pop. She'll watch a few seconds, look into the mirror, and try to mimic the expressions. She's visibly frustrated at the ordeal and never quite manages to copy Nayeon's natural charm.

Back in the practice room at what the camera indicates is an ungodly hour, Ara is doing much the same. She's not copying from a video, but she's practicing her moves and her expressions but she's not getting it quite right. She kicks her water bottle in frustration and sinks down to her feet.

Just then there's a knock on the door and Hyejin peeks in with Plum and Yeseul. "Hey," Hyejin says, "Plum offered to help me with my expressions. I think you should join us."

Ara looks up. "Is that okay?"

Plum smiles. "Of course! We're all helping each other."

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

"Welcome back to the High Rise stage!" Chanhee waves at a new wave of live audience that has come to watch the girls perform. "Tonight's performances are all about showing hidden sides to the girls' charms! Each team has switched performances with another's and they are here to show you that they are capable of even more than you've thought."

"The first match-up is between Corvus and Pavo! Both teams will be tackling the cute concept tonight and it is up to you to decide who did it better. You'll be voting on which team you think did it the best and the winning team will each get 20 extra points! Now let's give it up for our first performers, Corvus!"

https://youtu.be/olMBJhrUem8

────────

Raon as Mako
Sunwoo as Maya
Plum as Riku
Yeseul as Ayaka
Alissa as Mayuka
Sarang as Nina
Taeri as Rima
Ara as Miihi
Hyejin as Rio

────────

"Raon, you looked very unnatural, I can tell you struggled immensely," Chaerin says. "It's harder than it looks to smile and show a charming image, isn't it? It can easily look forced."

Sunhee shakes his head sadly. "You weren't able to embrace your weaknesses and you ended up looking almost uncanny overdoing it. It's a real shame, there's this one moment at the end of your verse where you slip into this short girl-crush dance moment and you instantly switch back into the powerhouse performer you are. Then as soon as you're asked to go back to being bright and happy it falls apart again. Hyejin, you struggled with the opposite problem of not emoting enough, but I could see you do your best."

"I definitely have a newfound appreciation for the bright concept," Hyejin says. "It's very difficult to find the right balance."

"Taeri looked completely in her element," Eunha says. "You can tell that you have your IOI experience. And Ara! I expected much worse from you but you really managed to find your cute side!"

Ara bows low. "Thank you."

"Plum," Hana starts, "it was a delight to watch you perform in your element, you did very well. I think Sunwoo really stood out too when she had her lines but unfortunately you do disappear into the background when the spotlight is off you."

How will Pavo compare?

Back in the Columba homeroom, Pavo and Chaerin are staring at each other.

"You're not going to be happy with the song I chose," Chaerin warns. "I know my girls can handle it, but it's a tough one and you've been struggling..."

The girls glance at each other nervously. "I knew it," Chaeri mutters.

"I wanted my girls to show another side of the bright concept and of themselves, and to challenge themselves, so I chose MBK's Aju Nice," Chaerin says. "Well, at least you have good rappers. I'll be back tomorrow to check up on you so good luck!"

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

The girls are dispirited as soon as Chaerin leaves them alone to prepare for their line distribution.

"Sunhee's going to be so offended we're doing his song without him," Persephone says when they're alone.

"At least our new mentor believes in us," Aecha says with an eye roll.

"We don't exactly believe in us," Mari points out.

"At least there should be rap parts for everyone?" Mizu says.

"You're right," Persephone says. "It was divided to be done mostly by Kaori but we can split her part in 2 and then there's 3 rap parts!"

"This song is so hard," Chaeri says. "I can't believe we're supposed to pull this off."

"It's got crazy vocals, super sharp dance moves, props with the what do you call them?," Mizu trails off. "中かっこ?"

"Suspenders," Inhye offers. She sighs miserably. "This song requires so much confidence to pull off..."

"At least my throat is better now," Yeolmae offers. "I can probably hit the high notes."

"Guys!" Mari protests. "You can't just let one mistake reduce you to this."

"To be fair it wasn't just one mistake, we sucked the round before you joined too," Aecha said. "You're right though, like yeah we were bad but like isn't that all the more reason to do better this time? Come on, stop wallowing!"

"That's right. We have to do our best no matter what," Persephone says. "We have to at least try. The alternative is undignified."

── ⋆⋅💬⋅⋆ ──

"Hearing Chaerin put it like that made all of my fears come true," Yoon Chaeri┋🦚┋says. "Do we even have a chance?"

"It's so frustrating when they're all so down on themselves!" Ahn Mari┋🦚┋sighs. "I get it, I really do, but come on it was one mess-up and if we don't mentally get it together there will only be more. There's only so much I can shoulder on my own."

"It's so easy to just say step off it and just try again," Park Inhye┋🦚┋says, "but that's so much easier said than done. I want to try but there's this voice in my head that just keeps asking but what if everything crumbles again? Wouldn't it be easier to give up and never try again?" She shakes her head. "No. I have to keep going. I want to debut more than I want anything in this world."

── ⋆⋅/💬⋅⋆ ──

The next day the team performs the work in progress performance in front of Chaerin and she does not look happy.

Chaerin pinches the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Persephone, where is your charm? Aecha, I need you to smile! No stop smirking, smile charmingly!"

"I'm sorry I'm too hot, I can only look cocky and confident I can't do the bashful little boy act," Aecha says miserably. "It's a curse!"

Chaerin says. "My girls would know what to do," she mutters. "Vocalists, you can't sing these high notes if you don't think you're going to nail them. I can hear you hesitating! Okay, let's do it again!"

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Back in the practice room after some pretty rough feedback, Pavo is in shambles.

Yeolmae is trying to go over and over the vocal climax with Mari and Inhye, growing more nervous the more times they do it.

The other girls are trying to run through a particularly tricky part of the dance.

"At least we can't see what the others are doing," Inhye says softly. "Maybe they're also struggling?"

"They have to be right?" Chaeri says. "Like, imagine Raon in pig tails doing like Gee or something."

"I would pay big money to see that," Aecha says.

"Come on. One more run-through and we can take a break," Persephone says. She turns the music back on again.

"I know that song!" a voice loudly exclaims from the other side of the door. The door opens and Sunhee comes in and lets out the most theatrical gasp that has ever been gasped. "She's making you do our song?! Chaerin!"

"Sunhee!" the girls exclaim.

"Is she trying to make you be all smiley?" he frowns. "Does she not get the song? It's about first love in an explosive way. Like you're feeling a crush for the first time and it's making you feel absolutely invincible. You need to mix that giddy lovestruck with a bit of cocky boyishness."

"I don't think you're supposed to be helping us," Inhye says.

"Shhhhht," Mari nudges her and whispers. "If you don't interrupt him he'll probably keep going."

"Damn right I will!" Sunhee rolls up his sleeves. "If Chaerin is playing dirty, so can I."

"I don't get it, we're not even going against Columba?" Chaeri whispers, confused.

"Just let it happen," Aecha whispers back.

"Like the whole chorus need to have energy, you need to hip thrust will all the power of a teenage boy high on love!" Sunhee insists. "Show me."

The girls glance at each other with uncertainty before performing their rendition of the chorus.

Sunhee shakes his head. "No this won't do at all. Where is the energy? I need you to feel pumped like I need so much energy to be radiating from you that it could power Seoul for a year. If heads aren't automatically banging you're not doing enough. And why am I not hearing any WOAHs?? There must be WOAHs!!"

"Okay, watch this." Sunhee does a rendition of the chorus. "Do you see? Chaeri, show them!"

Chaeri steps up and does a pretty good replica.

"See! She's got it!" Sunhee says. "Look at that boyish charm! Remember, gender is a construct which means you can construct it. By the way, excellent photoshoot Chaeri, you make me proud."

Chaeri beams. "Really?"

"Ladies, is this man bothering you?" Chanhee is leaning in the doorway. "I'm pretty sure he's not supposed to be here."

"Chanhee help me," Sunhee says. "They're doing Aju Nice."

"What, really?" Chanhee grins. "That's fun! Everyone knows the song so you just have to enjoy yourselves and you can get the whole hall singing along with you. Oh! Run through the song and I can judge you! I never get to judge anyone, they only hired me to look pretty and say words."

"Which you're very good at," Sunhee says.

"Oh for sure," Chanhee says. "It's what I've built a career on."

The girls glance uncertainly at each other. "Guess we're doing this?" Persephone looks at the other girls. She gets them all in formation and they run through the dance again.

"Hmm," Chanhee says. "It's getting somewhere but I'm not really feeling it yet. It needs more energy."

"That's what I said!" Sunhee says.

"This one is super hard because you have to do all the usual performance stuff but you also have to be acting the entire time you're doing it," Chanhee says. "And you're not acting enough! Acting on stage is totally different from TV, my stage coach always told me if you think you're acting big enough you're not reaching the back rows yet. You have to act so big that it feels embarrassing and then add a little bit on top. There is no shame on the stage!"

Chanhee does some of the moves (poorly) while doing his best over the top acting and the girls shoot into giggles. "Yes! That's what you want! Be silly! Be fun! You want people to join in on it! Make even the people all the way in the back grin!"

There's a knock on the door. "What are you guys doing?" Eunha asks.

"Eunha!" Sunhee turns to Yeolmae. "Quick! Do the high note."

"Ehh?" Yeolmae does the high note.

Eunha nods. "It sounds good. Full and healthy. Keep track of your own limits during practice and you'll do very well. Yeolmae, you have one of the strongest vocals of all of the girls, act like it! Now I have to borrow these filthy cheaters, we're expected in a meeting."

Yeolmae's eyes widen. "Really? You really think so."

Eunha pauses. "Of course. Mari, too, has shown great aptitude last week and Inhye, you just need more confidence and you could grow into an excellent lead vocalist. Look, every vocalist cracks, it happens all the time. I've heard worse voice cracks than yours from famous vocalists. Really, it just proves you were singing live doesn't it? It was unfortunate timing for such a crucial performance, but just show that you'll do better next time."

── ⋆⋅💬⋅⋆ ──

"I hope they don't get in trouble for helping us," Kaneko Mizu┋🦚┋says, "but they really helped so much!"

"Can we keep them?" Gong Aecha┋🦚┋asks. "Just like keep them in our pocket for encouragement?"

Persephone┋🦚┋looks relieved in her interview, too. "I'm so happy they accidentally came by! I don't know if we could have managed without the encouragement but it was so much easier to embrace the silly side afterwards. I think we were all so focused on doing a picture perfect job that Chanhee and Sunhee really reminded us that it's okay to be imperfect if you get the energy of the song across."

"Pavo may be rough around the edges," Ahn Mari┋🦚┋says. "But we'll make sure you have a great time!"

── ⋆⋅/💬⋅⋆ ──

"Are you ready to see Corvus' opponent?" Chanhee asks the audience who respond with thunderous noise. "Team Pavo is here to show you their version of the cute concept! We're going from legendary song to legendary song this evening, here's Pavo with Aju Nice!"

(add suspenders with your mind's eye pls, I really had to reach for this one)

https://youtu.be/bEOgUxpwskI

────────

Persephone as Jinni
Aecha as Bae
Mari as Haewon
Inhye as Sullyoon
Chaeri as Kyujin
Yeolmae as Lily
Mizu as Jiwoo

────────

"Yeolmae, you are the cutest person I've ever seen perform this song," Sunhee says. "I don't even care that you didn't nail the boyish charm, I never want to miss a second of your Yeolmae charm."

Yeolmae smiles her signature smile with real joy.

"Chaeri is the one who really nailed that boyish charm," Eunha says. "I bet she made both the boys and the girls and even the nonbinaries in the audience fall in love with her. I also want to say that the vocal line was absolutely dazzling tonight, you absolutely nailed it."

Yeolmae, Mari, and Inhye all absolutely shine with the compliments.

"Aecha, I did see you stumble a little bit," Hana points out.

Aechas eyes theatrically widen. "Stumble? Me?" She turns to the audience. "Did you see me stumble?"

"No!" A good amount of people in the audience answer.

Aecha smiles innocently. "The people have spoken."

Chanhee laughs. "Cheeky, cheeky. Now it is time for the audience to vote for their favourite performance. You can only vote for one team so choose well!"

── ⋆⋅ HIGH RISE LIVE VOTING ⋅⋆ ──
Voting deadline: 22 May - 12 CEST

Live voting like this will be done in a brief google form and voting will last for 2 days so make sure you get your votes in! Every admin has 1 vote, even if you have two characters.

VOTING FORM:

https://forms.gle/q3r455t4WMPbLc4z5

⋆⋅☆ ding ding ☆⋅⋆

Everyone gained 1 point in cute!

Moon Ara and Seo Hyejin gained 2 extra points in cute

All the Pavo girls gained 1 point in confidence