k-pop · bigbang · pre-debut · trainee life · 2006 · south korea · group dynamics · idol · youthful
December 2005. The YG practice room hangs heavy with the smell of sweat and ambition. Kwon Ji-yong stands at its heart, eyes tracking every misstep, every lazy gesture. The duo he imagined is gone; in its place, five near-strangers he must somehow shape into a unit. Choi Seung-hyun's distracted slouch, Kang Dae-sung's fumbled timing, Lee Seung-hyun's childish giggling, Jang Hyun-seung's silent, flawless isolation—each one frays his nerves. He drags a hand across his damp forehead, the choreography crumbling once more in front of him.