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NCT 127 WILL SPEAK
OF THEIR CHILDHOODS
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FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER.
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[clock ticking]
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NCT 127 RECLAIM
THEIR LOST CHILDHOODS
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THROUGH PERFORMANCE ART.
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[ticking continues]
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[ticking ends]
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NCT 127, WHO DEBUTED
EIGHT YEARS AGO,
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REFLECT ON THEIR PRESENT
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THROUGH THE NINE MEMBERS'
PASTS AND DREAMS.
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"ALL THE BOYS WERE GROWN UP
AND DONE FOR BY THIS TIME.
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SO IT IS SCARCELY WORTH WHILE
SAYING ANYTHING MORE ABOUT THEM"
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FROM THE NOVEL PETER PAN
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[Johnny] I think I approached people
with humor, especially in the US.
15
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I made them laugh.
16
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That's how I gained popularity
17
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and made a lot of friends.
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But I believe it was only possible
through sheer effort and hard work.
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I guess you can say I made myself
into an extrovert to adjust to life there.
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In movies, on the first day
of high school, people say,
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"I'm going to be a different person
starting today," right?
22
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That's exactly what I did.
23
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I'd never been street-cast in my life.
24
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But within a period of two to three weeks,
25
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three agencies street-cast me.
26
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I asked myself, "Is this really something
I can do for a living?"
27
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On my way home,
28
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I was offered to audition
by two casting directors.
29
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I didn't have a lot growing up,
30
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so when I told them, "I want to eat this,"
they bought me a sandwich.
31
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I walked into the audition room for fun.
32
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I went in.
33
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But they announced that everyone
could leave except for me.
34
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I sang at several competitions
35
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to make my own allowance
by winning cash prizes.
36
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But at one of the competitions,
I received a business card.
37
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I was trying to audition through email.
38
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I made a list of all the famous
talent agencies.
39
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I was just about to click "send"
when I got the call.
40
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I think it was fate.
41
00:03:03,658 --> 00:03:04,909
That's how it went.
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[interviewer, in English]
You got cast just with those three poses?
43
00:03:09,330 --> 00:03:10,623
Yep.
44
00:03:10,707 --> 00:03:14,252
[interviewer, in Korean] Did you learn how
to sing or dance prior to the audition?
45
00:03:14,335 --> 00:03:18,756
No. I never took singing
or dancing lessons.
46
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[in English]
Johnny, I want you to close your eyes.
47
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Travel back in time to your trainee days.
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How does it feel?
49
00:03:31,436 --> 00:03:32,520
Fantastic.
50
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[people chattering]
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[in Korean] When asked
what I wanted to do if I became a singer…
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I said I wanted to make a lot of money.
53
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- [cash register chimes]
- [all] Wow!
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My honesty must've made
an impression on them.
55
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[cash register chimes]
56
00:04:06,179 --> 00:04:07,972
[cheering, applause]
57
00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:13,686
[Johnny] I even told my mom about it.
58
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She told me later
that she thought to herself,
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"Did I make him feel
financially insecure?"
60
00:04:23,029 --> 00:04:26,324
For the first three years
of my time as a trainee,
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I only visited Korea
over summer and winter breaks.
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For the company,
it was a chance to see my progress.
63
00:04:35,625 --> 00:04:41,714
But for me, it was like going to camp
because I only went during school breaks.
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I had so much fun training.
65
00:04:43,841 --> 00:04:44,842
2008, YEAR ONE TRAINEE
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Learning how to dance and sing.
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00:04:47,428 --> 00:04:49,681
From then, I lived two different lives,
68
00:04:50,473 --> 00:04:52,892
as Johnny, the K-pop singer trainee,
69
00:04:54,185 --> 00:04:55,687
and Johnny, the American student.
70
00:04:56,688 --> 00:05:02,986
Back then, I was a moody teenager,
so I was really into rock music.
71
00:05:03,528 --> 00:05:06,948
To be honest, I didn't know
many K-pop songs from SM.
72
00:05:08,950 --> 00:05:10,827
[school children chattering]
73
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I couldn't wait for school breaks.
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[school bell rings]
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[interviewer]
You didn't think the first three years,
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which were like vacation to you,
77
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would turn into
an eight-year training period,
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00:05:29,971 --> 00:05:31,889
the longest compared to your bandmates.
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00:05:33,057 --> 00:05:36,644
If you had to go back in time
to do it all again for nine years,
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00:05:37,270 --> 00:05:38,646
would you do it?
81
00:05:47,614 --> 00:05:51,075
[Johnny] In my third year as a trainee,
I failed to debut for the first time.
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2010, HAN RIVER
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I remember talking to another trainee
by the Han River.
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FRIEND (TRAINEE, DEBUTING)
JOHNNY (TRAINEE, 3RD YEAR)
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I'm sorry I'm debuting first.
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No, don't be.
87
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We worked so hard.
88
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We did.
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[Taeyong sighs]
90
00:06:14,599 --> 00:06:16,225
Johnny, you're really…
91
00:06:17,894 --> 00:06:21,814
You're a better dancer than I am,
and you're taller.
92
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Plus, you're handsome. You'll be fine.
93
00:06:27,028 --> 00:06:28,363
You're better-looking, though.
94
00:06:29,322 --> 00:06:30,907
Yeah, I guess so.
95
00:06:36,037 --> 00:06:37,747
Ah…
96
00:06:37,830 --> 00:06:40,959
I can't imagine
what you're going through...
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You can't.
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Well, I'm trying.
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You're so bad at this.
You're failing miserably right now.
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- Really?
- Yeah.
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- Is this not how you comfort someone?
- No, not at all.
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Oh, okay.
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- I'll look up how to comfort someone.
- Okay.
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[interviewer, in English] Cut.
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[Taeyong chuckles]
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[crew chatter]
107
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Didn't you cry on that day, Johnny?
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I did.
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Why aren't you crying now?
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Johnny doesn't cry anymore.
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Why doesn't Johnny cry anymore?
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He's grown up.
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[in Korean] I think that
was the first time I ever cried like that.
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I let it all out.
115
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Above all, I think my mom's response
was the most memorable.
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She told me it was okay
and that I could just do something else.
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The schedule was tough,
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but I didn't think
it was difficult at the time.
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At practice, as a trainee,
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I worked really hard.
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And when I wasn't practicing
and I was home, I spent time for myself.
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I was able to learn how to sing
as much as I wanted,
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to experience a variety of things,
and do what I wanted without any worries.
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It was a very happy time.
125
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I learned Korean and Japanese
at the same time.
126
00:07:59,537 --> 00:08:01,623
[interviewer] But Yuta, you're Japanese.
127
00:08:02,415 --> 00:08:03,583
[in Japanese] I am.
128
00:08:03,791 --> 00:08:07,545
But my Kansai accent was so strong.
I took lessons to get rid of it.
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[in Korean] The hardest part was
the uncertainty of my debut,
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which I'm sure must've been
the hardest thing for everyone.
131
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But through the frustration and hardship,
132
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I think I definitely grew a lot.
133
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It was the only thing that I…
134
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could do.
135
00:08:34,530 --> 00:08:37,158
Back then, I didn't get good grades.
136
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I wasn't born with an innate talent.
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I wasn't particularly hardworking.
138
00:08:41,537 --> 00:08:42,538
I think…
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I was a bit insecure.
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[stage crew chattering]
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[Taeyong] I think I went through
sort of a rebirth at SM.
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And I relearned everything
from square one.
143
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I think what's really important here
is what we say to the audience.
144
00:09:05,228 --> 00:09:07,730
Doyoung,
why did you want to do "Favorite"?
145
00:09:07,814 --> 00:09:09,959
[Taeyong] Things like,
what to say in certain situations.
146
00:09:09,983 --> 00:09:12,294
- [Doyoung] No, let's not do it.
- [Jaehyun] Do something else.
147
00:09:12,318 --> 00:09:15,571
What I mean is, you can do it,
if that's what you really want.
148
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I learned a lot about things like that.
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TAEYONG
150
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I think he's the type of leader
who takes initiative.
151
00:09:25,707 --> 00:09:29,752
Most importantly,
he's a leader who represents his team.
152
00:09:29,836 --> 00:09:32,463
In our team, NCT 127,
153
00:09:32,547 --> 00:09:35,383
he's like our identity.
154
00:09:35,967 --> 00:09:40,888
Performance-wise, when he's in the center,
155
00:09:41,973 --> 00:09:46,185
I think our band
definitely shines brighter.
156
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He's not just the leader.
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He's someone we often rely on
for his influence.
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He must've felt a lot of pressure
from having to stand in the center.
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You know what I mean?
160
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He works so hard as a leader
even when we're not watching.
161
00:10:01,492 --> 00:10:05,371
He takes our thoughts and opinions,
162
00:10:05,997 --> 00:10:07,874
and voices them to staffers and crew…
163
00:10:08,958 --> 00:10:12,045
as if they're his own thoughts.
164
00:10:12,128 --> 00:10:15,256
I think that's something only he can do.
165
00:10:15,882 --> 00:10:17,508
I think he's doing a great job.
166
00:10:22,847 --> 00:10:24,307
I wish I could say…
167
00:10:24,974 --> 00:10:26,351
that I did my best.
168
00:10:33,107 --> 00:10:34,400
I'm sorry.
169
00:10:34,484 --> 00:10:36,319
I'm getting emotional all of a sudden.
170
00:10:42,825 --> 00:10:43,952
I think…
171
00:11:01,219 --> 00:11:04,097
I think the reason I'm crying is because…
172
00:11:08,434 --> 00:11:10,019
I've really been doing my best,
173
00:11:11,604 --> 00:11:13,940
but I think I'm inadequate in many ways.
174
00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:15,733
That's what I regret.
175
00:11:21,281 --> 00:11:23,199
[interviewer] What do you regret the most?
176
00:11:27,078 --> 00:11:28,079
[sniffles]
177
00:11:31,624 --> 00:11:33,293
Every single moment.
178
00:11:34,794 --> 00:11:39,132
I wanted to become a good listener.
It was a privilege…
179
00:11:39,215 --> 00:11:40,508
[chattering]
180
00:11:40,591 --> 00:11:44,012
…to become a part of
my bandmates' stories of the past.
181
00:11:44,095 --> 00:11:46,139
"I'm working hard
to provide for you guys."
182
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[in Japanese]
Hey, you over there! Run faster!
183
00:11:48,725 --> 00:11:52,145
[in Korean] I loved that we got a feel for
each other's childhoods.
184
00:11:52,228 --> 00:11:53,271
[Yuta groans, chuckles]
185
00:11:58,067 --> 00:11:59,402
Is it my turn now?
186
00:12:09,203 --> 00:12:10,330
OUR HAPPY CLASSROOM
187
00:12:19,797 --> 00:12:21,382
[birds chirping]
188
00:12:21,466 --> 00:12:23,110
[Taeyong] When I was in elementary school,
189
00:12:23,134 --> 00:12:26,054
I transferred to another school
in fourth grade.
190
00:12:27,221 --> 00:12:30,933
I think transfer students
tended to stand out a bit more.
191
00:12:31,976 --> 00:12:35,229
Back then, there was only one person
who was kind to me.
192
00:12:36,230 --> 00:12:37,231
Hey.
193
00:12:43,363 --> 00:12:44,364
Come on.
194
00:12:45,239 --> 00:12:46,240
Let's go sit.
195
00:12:51,245 --> 00:12:54,499
[Taeyong]
That's when I started to like her.
196
00:12:55,833 --> 00:13:00,380
But it was awkward to tell her,
"I like you" directly.
197
00:13:01,130 --> 00:13:02,131
Here.
198
00:13:02,632 --> 00:13:08,096
So I came up with a unique way
to tell her how I felt.
199
00:13:08,179 --> 00:13:10,306
This is the classroom.
200
00:13:10,390 --> 00:13:12,684
Here's this and this.
201
00:13:13,351 --> 00:13:14,769
I like the girl sitting here.
202
00:13:14,852 --> 00:13:16,997
[interviewer, in English]
Wait a minute, wait a minute.
203
00:13:17,021 --> 00:13:19,357
- [in Korean] I don't understand.
- Huh?
204
00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:24,153
I told her, "The point where
this horizontal line on the grid
205
00:13:24,737 --> 00:13:28,491
and this vertical line on the grid meet
206
00:13:29,075 --> 00:13:31,828
is where the girl I like sits."
207
00:13:32,787 --> 00:13:33,955
Does it make sense now?
208
00:13:34,956 --> 00:13:38,793
By any chance, are the latitude
and longitude coordinates 127?
209
00:13:42,005 --> 00:13:43,840
[Taeyong] She understood right away.
210
00:13:47,802 --> 00:13:50,179
I'll go ask my brother.
211
00:13:50,263 --> 00:13:54,392
But it turned out that he was
the president of the student council.
212
00:13:54,475 --> 00:13:57,979
So I thought to myself,
"I'm in so much trouble."
213
00:13:58,062 --> 00:14:02,150
The next day,
she told me her brother said, "No."
214
00:14:08,948 --> 00:14:11,326
Well… You know…
215
00:14:13,536 --> 00:14:15,121
The thing is…
216
00:14:28,217 --> 00:14:30,011
[school bell rings]
217
00:14:34,057 --> 00:14:35,642
[crickets chirping]
218
00:14:37,560 --> 00:14:39,312
[Taeyong] That's when…
219
00:14:40,980 --> 00:14:44,108
I lost my confidence
in confessing my feelings.
220
00:14:44,192 --> 00:14:45,735
It dipped so low.
221
00:14:45,818 --> 00:14:47,528
[interviewer] Did the experience
222
00:14:47,612 --> 00:14:50,448
become the impetus
to the diligent life you live now?
223
00:14:50,531 --> 00:14:51,658
No, I think…
224
00:14:52,951 --> 00:14:56,579
it just turned me into a bit of a loser.
225
00:14:58,790 --> 00:15:02,418
There were two reasons
I was able to get through difficulties.
226
00:15:02,502 --> 00:15:03,920
[bullies snickering]
227
00:15:04,003 --> 00:15:05,003
Hey!
228
00:15:05,964 --> 00:15:08,132
The first reason was my older sister.
229
00:15:11,219 --> 00:15:12,845
[sighs] Let's go.
230
00:15:18,017 --> 00:15:23,356
[Taeyong] I looked up to my older sister
even more than my parents.
231
00:15:23,898 --> 00:15:28,069
She stood up for me
whenever I was in trouble.
232
00:15:28,653 --> 00:15:33,741
Because of what she did for me,
she became my hero.
233
00:15:40,164 --> 00:15:45,920
Even now, my favorite songs are
from an MP3 player she gave me.
234
00:15:46,004 --> 00:15:48,840
When she gave it to me,
I didn't know how to download music.
235
00:15:48,923 --> 00:15:50,466
So I just listened to her playlist.
236
00:15:50,550 --> 00:15:53,303
That's how I found my favorite musicians.
237
00:15:54,929 --> 00:15:57,890
[interviewer] It seems your sister
was the person you relied on the most.
238
00:15:57,974 --> 00:15:59,642
That's right. My older sister.
239
00:16:00,476 --> 00:16:02,061
And the second reason was Ruby.
240
00:16:03,229 --> 00:16:07,984
I turned to Ruby a lot
whenever my sister was unavailable.
241
00:16:08,067 --> 00:16:10,862
In high school,
I didn't go to school much.
242
00:16:10,945 --> 00:16:13,906
The reasons I didn't go
were also very strange.
243
00:16:13,990 --> 00:16:17,327
I didn't go because it was too cold
or because I was hungry.
244
00:16:17,910 --> 00:16:19,037
Mmm…
245
00:16:19,120 --> 00:16:21,414
I think I was really lost back then.
246
00:16:22,498 --> 00:16:25,501
I was quite affectionate to Ruby.
247
00:16:26,878 --> 00:16:29,589
There was an incident with Ruby.
248
00:16:29,672 --> 00:16:32,925
One day, she ran away.
249
00:16:33,926 --> 00:16:35,887
[no audible dialogue]
250
00:16:40,058 --> 00:16:43,311
When I was struggling the most
in my childhood,
251
00:16:43,394 --> 00:16:45,104
she was always by my side.
252
00:16:45,647 --> 00:16:46,940
Always.
253
00:16:57,408 --> 00:17:02,622
My family struggled financially
up until my trainee years.
254
00:17:02,705 --> 00:17:05,333
We weren't wealthy.
255
00:17:05,416 --> 00:17:06,584
[muffled shouting]
256
00:17:06,668 --> 00:17:12,465
But I never blamed or resented my family
for that.
257
00:17:12,548 --> 00:17:16,177
The root of the problem was money, not us.
258
00:17:16,761 --> 00:17:19,806
Every time I went back home
to Daejeon after my debut,
259
00:17:19,889 --> 00:17:22,809
I could see that Ruby was getting old.
260
00:17:22,892 --> 00:17:24,769
She'd lost a lot of teeth too.
261
00:17:26,771 --> 00:17:29,440
[Ruby panting]
262
00:17:31,317 --> 00:17:32,318
[whines]
263
00:17:32,402 --> 00:17:34,237
I never even imagined…
264
00:17:35,780 --> 00:17:39,575
that one day, Ruby wouldn't be
around anymore.
265
00:17:42,620 --> 00:17:45,999
She always used to jump onto the bed.
266
00:17:46,082 --> 00:17:48,459
But she couldn't do that anymore.
267
00:17:50,253 --> 00:17:54,215
Even when Ruby was weak,
she was always by my side.
268
00:17:54,299 --> 00:17:57,635
I'm grateful to Ruby
as much as I am to my sister.
269
00:17:59,971 --> 00:18:03,266
Whenever my mom would come in
to tell me to eat,
270
00:18:03,349 --> 00:18:05,852
Ruby would bark at her.
271
00:18:05,935 --> 00:18:08,730
I think she just wanted to protect me.
272
00:18:08,813 --> 00:18:10,732
[wind whistling]
273
00:18:21,951 --> 00:18:26,331
In our next lives, I hope we switch roles.
274
00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:29,417
So that we can do things
we regret not doing.
275
00:18:30,418 --> 00:18:34,797
I have a lot of regrets
about how I spent time with Ruby.
276
00:18:34,881 --> 00:18:39,886
When I see other dogs,
they go to the beach, the mountains,
277
00:18:40,386 --> 00:18:42,013
and other places with their families.
278
00:18:42,096 --> 00:18:43,765
When I see those photos,
279
00:18:43,848 --> 00:18:46,934
I regret that I couldn't make
those memories with Ruby.
280
00:18:52,148 --> 00:18:53,876
[interviewer, in English]
Several months ago,
281
00:18:53,900 --> 00:18:54,943
I told you to take photos
282
00:18:55,151 --> 00:18:56,653
of other members of NCT 127.
283
00:18:57,946 --> 00:18:59,113
- Yes.
- How did you feel?
284
00:18:59,739 --> 00:19:02,992
Well, it... it had been a while
since I've taken photos of the members,
285
00:19:03,076 --> 00:19:05,036
so I was kind of looking forward
to it as well.
286
00:19:05,995 --> 00:19:09,123
Especially because, uh,
we were about to be on tour.
287
00:19:09,832 --> 00:19:13,419
I guess it was kind of, like,
killing two birds with one stone.
288
00:19:14,879 --> 00:19:17,079
Choose a couple of photos
and tell me why you like them.
289
00:19:17,882 --> 00:19:18,883
Okay.
290
00:19:24,555 --> 00:19:25,807
Okay.
291
00:19:26,683 --> 00:19:29,978
Uh, this is a photo I took
because I thought it was funny
292
00:19:30,061 --> 00:19:32,063
how everybody was taking
a selfie at the same time.
293
00:19:32,272 --> 00:19:33,272
That's why I like it.
294
00:19:35,608 --> 00:19:36,859
This picture of Doyoung.
295
00:19:37,151 --> 00:19:38,611
He's always been kind of next to me.
296
00:19:38,820 --> 00:19:40,321
Our personalities kind of click.
297
00:19:40,613 --> 00:19:42,240
We have very good conversations.
298
00:19:43,491 --> 00:19:45,651
He is very intellectual.
I get to learn a lot from him.
299
00:19:47,870 --> 00:19:48,870
This is a bad photo.
300
00:19:49,497 --> 00:19:52,333
Anyways, this is...
This is a photo of Taeil hyung.
301
00:19:52,542 --> 00:19:54,043
Member, friend, a hyung.
302
00:19:54,335 --> 00:19:57,964
Really has the ability
to draw people around him.
303
00:20:02,927 --> 00:20:05,346
This photo is of Taeyong.
304
00:20:08,016 --> 00:20:11,603
He'd just bought some chocolates,
and he looks happy.
305
00:20:13,938 --> 00:20:15,940
Taeyong, to me,
306
00:20:16,149 --> 00:20:18,568
is a member
that I find a lot of camaraderie.
307
00:20:18,776 --> 00:20:23,281
It feels like two warriors
going out to the battlefield
308
00:20:23,364 --> 00:20:24,782
and coming back alive, you know?
309
00:20:26,117 --> 00:20:30,330
My hopes are that they can see
the meaning behind the photos.
310
00:20:31,164 --> 00:20:35,376
So, I hope they can feel the warmness,
311
00:20:36,336 --> 00:20:40,798
the... the emotions I have
when I take photos of them.
312
00:20:41,841 --> 00:20:44,302
[interviewer, in Korean]
How different is your life now,
313
00:20:44,385 --> 00:20:47,680
if you compare it to what you,
as a trainee, imagined it'd be like?
314
00:20:48,306 --> 00:20:49,641
It's totally different.
315
00:20:50,933 --> 00:20:52,352
It's very different.
316
00:20:52,435 --> 00:20:55,772
Very different than what I'd imagined.
When I was a trainee, I thought…
317
00:20:56,397 --> 00:20:57,565
"When I become a singer…"
318
00:20:57,649 --> 00:20:59,359
I thought life would always be fancy
319
00:20:59,442 --> 00:21:02,445
and there'd be applause
and glitz and glam everywhere.
320
00:21:02,528 --> 00:21:03,613
Just like, "Wow!"
321
00:21:03,696 --> 00:21:06,324
I thought I would live
in a world of popularity.
322
00:21:06,407 --> 00:21:09,410
I thought I'd become like Justin Bieber.
323
00:21:10,620 --> 00:21:13,498
It's not like that at all.
It doesn't change anything.
324
00:21:13,581 --> 00:21:18,086
I just have more responsibilities.
325
00:21:19,045 --> 00:21:20,046
2013, YEAR FIVE TRAINEE
326
00:21:20,129 --> 00:21:22,924
[Haechan] We used to call SM
"The Room of Time."
327
00:21:23,424 --> 00:21:26,052
We didn't know how long we'd be there.
328
00:21:27,971 --> 00:21:31,349
Your age and things like that
didn't matter much.
329
00:21:32,266 --> 00:21:34,727
It was all about how much
we could accomplish.
330
00:21:34,811 --> 00:21:37,730
So that's why it was called
"The Room of Time."
331
00:22:00,211 --> 00:22:04,841
After all that training, they told me
to go to America to take a break.
332
00:22:04,924 --> 00:22:06,509
So I went.
333
00:22:09,554 --> 00:22:12,974
I met up with my high school friends.
334
00:22:13,766 --> 00:22:16,227
I've known some of them
since elementary school.
335
00:22:17,061 --> 00:22:20,857
After meeting them and seeing their lives,
336
00:22:20,940 --> 00:22:25,486
I started to wonder,
"Should I live like they do too?"
337
00:22:26,279 --> 00:22:28,823
So we talked a lot.
338
00:22:28,906 --> 00:22:31,159
I thought, "Well, I tried my best.
339
00:22:31,868 --> 00:22:35,830
Let's just return to the US…
and do my best there."
340
00:22:36,331 --> 00:22:43,087
So, at the time, Doyoung did something
particularly memorable.
341
00:22:43,171 --> 00:22:45,256
[interviewer]
You're okay with playing Doyoung?
342
00:22:45,340 --> 00:22:46,883
- Doyoung this time?
- Yes.
343
00:22:47,508 --> 00:22:50,928
Doyoung is my favorite.
I'll give it a try.
344
00:22:51,512 --> 00:22:52,805
That was so fake.
345
00:22:54,098 --> 00:22:55,642
For real?
346
00:22:56,225 --> 00:22:58,227
- Okay, I'll try.
- [interviewer] Okay.
347
00:22:58,311 --> 00:23:00,563
CRISP CLEAN TASTE
YOU CAN'T IMITATE
348
00:23:00,647 --> 00:23:02,857
KIMCHI JJIM, SAMGYEOPSAL
CHICAGO PIZZA, CHICKEN BURGER
349
00:23:03,274 --> 00:23:05,568
2015, SEOUL
350
00:23:05,652 --> 00:23:07,445
[Johnny] That day, Doyoung said…
351
00:23:07,528 --> 00:23:08,655
DOYOUNG
(TRAINEE, FRIEND)
352
00:23:08,738 --> 00:23:10,323
"Johnny, please stay."
353
00:23:10,406 --> 00:23:11,574
Or something like that.
354
00:23:11,658 --> 00:23:12,825
JOHNNY
(TRAINEE, 7TH YEAR)
355
00:23:12,909 --> 00:23:16,829
Because originally, Doyoung and I didn't
make the cut and weren't in NCT 127.
356
00:23:16,913 --> 00:23:19,374
He asked me to stay.
357
00:23:20,208 --> 00:23:24,545
At the time, I told him,
"These are the difficulties I'm facing.
358
00:23:24,629 --> 00:23:28,466
I'm looking forward
to the next chapter of my life."
359
00:23:30,051 --> 00:23:33,137
We spoke. We ate.
360
00:23:33,221 --> 00:23:35,932
Then, we went back to the dorm
and went to sleep.
361
00:23:37,058 --> 00:23:41,521
I think Doyoung even wrote me a letter
asking me not to go.
362
00:23:48,778 --> 00:23:53,825
He seemed more determined than ever,
in my eyes.
363
00:23:53,908 --> 00:23:59,831
I thought, "I should do whatever I can
to keep him from leaving."
364
00:24:00,540 --> 00:24:02,834
I think that's how I felt.
365
00:24:02,917 --> 00:24:05,878
I thought it was really over.
366
00:24:05,962 --> 00:24:10,800
But when you hear someone tell you
that it isn't over for you yet,
367
00:24:11,968 --> 00:24:15,471
you get the courage
to give it one last shot.
368
00:24:15,972 --> 00:24:20,893
But I'm glad that he stayed
and that we're in this together.
369
00:24:20,977 --> 00:24:25,148
I'm so relieved and grateful for Johnny.
370
00:24:25,732 --> 00:24:28,192
[interviewer] How does it feel
to have a personal exhibition
371
00:24:28,276 --> 00:24:29,916
displaying photos of your fellow members?
372
00:24:30,320 --> 00:24:32,614
[Johnny] I feel kind of embarrassed.
373
00:24:33,406 --> 00:24:35,867
These photos did not come out
as good as I thought they would.
374
00:24:37,493 --> 00:24:39,704
I tried to take photos as how I see them,
375
00:24:40,413 --> 00:24:41,623
how I see the world.
376
00:24:42,707 --> 00:24:44,542
So I hope they can feel
377
00:24:45,168 --> 00:24:46,888
what I feel about them
through the pictures.
378
00:24:50,632 --> 00:24:52,425
[chuckles] What is this?
379
00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:54,120
[interviewer] Yeah, what is this?
380
00:24:55,219 --> 00:24:56,763
- I didn't take that photo.
- Really?
381
00:24:58,097 --> 00:25:01,267
[interviewer, in Korean]
Mark, what does Johnny mean to you?
382
00:25:01,351 --> 00:25:03,895
[Mark] If you take a look at the painting,
383
00:25:03,978 --> 00:25:08,358
I'm pretty sure
anyone can tell it's Johnny.
384
00:25:08,858 --> 00:25:13,529
He's a muscleman.
And he's also very stylish.
385
00:25:13,613 --> 00:25:18,493
I always think of him as a charming guy.
386
00:25:23,122 --> 00:25:24,207
[Johnny] Who is this?
387
00:25:24,290 --> 00:25:25,541
[in English] "Yo! Mark!"
388
00:25:26,167 --> 00:25:30,213
[interviewer]
Haechan, what does Johnny mean to you?
389
00:25:31,547 --> 00:25:36,761
There are so many times
I feel grateful to have Johnny.
390
00:25:36,844 --> 00:25:39,889
We, as a band, rely on him a lot.
391
00:25:40,556 --> 00:25:42,308
If we didn't have Johnny,
392
00:25:42,392 --> 00:25:45,228
I can't even imagine what
we would be without him.
393
00:25:45,311 --> 00:25:48,231
That's how I feel.
I'm so grateful for Johnny.
394
00:25:48,314 --> 00:25:49,691
Mmm.
395
00:25:50,775 --> 00:25:53,319
PHOTOGRAPHER SUH YOUNG-HO
DECEMBER 7, 2022
396
00:25:53,403 --> 00:25:56,447
Someone who expresses
their feelings this way…
397
00:25:57,699 --> 00:25:59,492
I feel like it's going to be Yuta.
398
00:25:59,575 --> 00:26:01,935
- You wanna hear the artist's statement?
- [in English] Yeah.
399
00:26:03,288 --> 00:26:06,249
[Yuta, in Korean] Even in dark moments,
400
00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:12,880
Johnny always does something funny
to change the mood.
401
00:26:12,964 --> 00:26:19,137
I feel like he's a sunflower who appears
when our team is in the dark.
402
00:26:19,220 --> 00:26:22,140
- I drew a ghost.
- [interviewer] A ghost?
403
00:26:22,223 --> 00:26:24,809
[Taeil] I just drew a ghost.
404
00:26:24,892 --> 00:26:28,646
Because we are mates in our souls.
[chuckles]
405
00:26:29,230 --> 00:26:31,608
The ocean suddenly comes to mind.
406
00:26:31,691 --> 00:26:36,571
Not the kind of powerful ocean
with harsh waves.
407
00:26:36,654 --> 00:26:39,824
But one that's calm,
408
00:26:40,700 --> 00:26:45,955
with the sunlight sparkling
on the surface of the water.
409
00:26:46,039 --> 00:26:52,128
Johnny is really…
He's really like a gift to me.
410
00:26:52,211 --> 00:26:54,964
He means so much to me.
411
00:26:55,048 --> 00:27:00,303
It's just his personality
and the fact that he's by my side.
412
00:27:01,012 --> 00:27:05,141
Those are the things
that make life easier for me.
413
00:27:05,224 --> 00:27:07,602
He's like fire.
414
00:27:07,685 --> 00:27:10,605
How should I put it? Fire is eye-catching.
415
00:27:10,688 --> 00:27:12,315
And its flame can rise high.
416
00:27:13,149 --> 00:27:17,862
But he has something
even hotter deep inside.
417
00:27:17,946 --> 00:27:21,824
Johnny bought me
my first birthday present.
418
00:27:21,908 --> 00:27:25,203
That's how much of a sweet guy he is.
419
00:27:25,286 --> 00:27:29,374
So… I was happy.
420
00:27:29,457 --> 00:27:31,417
It was my first gift from a friend.
421
00:27:43,638 --> 00:27:44,973
[Johnny chuckles]
422
00:27:45,765 --> 00:27:49,727
[clears throat] But still, later,
when things go well for us,
423
00:27:50,937 --> 00:27:52,981
let's meet up and have a good cry.
424
00:27:54,399 --> 00:27:57,694
By then, we'll be much older.
425
00:27:58,194 --> 00:27:59,988
- Would we cry?
- Hey.
426
00:28:01,239 --> 00:28:03,241
There's no such thing as a grown-up.
427
00:28:04,242 --> 00:28:08,663
Grown-ups are only children
wearing masks of adult faces.
428
00:28:08,746 --> 00:28:09,747
Ooh.
429
00:28:11,416 --> 00:28:12,625
We're allowed to cry too.
430
00:28:16,045 --> 00:28:20,675
[Taeyong] Ever since I was a trainee,
I've met many good grown-ups.
431
00:28:20,758 --> 00:28:24,304
I realized that I really wanted
to become a good grown-up like they were.
432
00:28:25,263 --> 00:28:29,309
But the truth is, grown-ups
all have memories of their childhoods.
433
00:28:29,976 --> 00:28:32,854
They're just children,
wearing masks of adult faces.
434
00:28:33,438 --> 00:28:36,274
As a kid, I knew that grown-ups
wanted to be childlike,
435
00:28:36,941 --> 00:28:39,152
to whine like a child,
436
00:28:39,235 --> 00:28:43,823
to get angry, to cry,
and to lean on someone like a child.
437
00:28:45,033 --> 00:28:46,701
I realized that they were just
438
00:28:47,327 --> 00:28:49,829
suppressing themselves
from showing their emotions.
439
00:28:50,455 --> 00:28:53,833
That's why I want to be like them
and become a good grown-up.
440
00:28:54,500 --> 00:28:56,294
A really good grown-up.
441
00:28:58,630 --> 00:29:01,716
Honestly, I still don't know
what it means to be a leader.
442
00:29:02,967 --> 00:29:05,136
But I want to be a good brother,
443
00:29:05,219 --> 00:29:07,639
a good person,
and a good friend to my bandmates.
444
00:29:07,722 --> 00:29:08,931
That's my goal.
445
00:30:15,999 --> 00:30:18,543
[cheering]
446
00:30:28,177 --> 00:30:30,847
[Taeyong]
To be honest, when I was accepted into SM,
447
00:30:31,764 --> 00:30:34,767
I'm sure it was like this
for the entire band,
448
00:30:34,851 --> 00:30:38,646
but I kind of felt like my life
began anew.
449
00:30:38,730 --> 00:30:40,273
LEE EUNYEOL
JAEHYUN'S SCHOOL TEACHER
450
00:30:40,356 --> 00:30:42,650
So I worked hard to make our debut.
451
00:30:43,192 --> 00:30:46,404
During the first year of my debut,
I learned to walk.
452
00:30:46,487 --> 00:30:48,990
The following year, I learned to speak.
453
00:30:49,699 --> 00:30:51,993
JUNGWOO'S MOTHER
454
00:30:52,076 --> 00:30:57,248
During the third year, I learned to dance,
and sing and things like that.
455
00:30:57,332 --> 00:31:00,251
But now, in my seventh year…
456
00:31:02,045 --> 00:31:03,921
I think I've learned how to love.
457
00:31:04,005 --> 00:31:05,882
[fans cheer]
458
00:31:11,971 --> 00:31:13,011
[interviewer] Knowing now,
459
00:31:13,681 --> 00:31:16,476
how long it would take
to get where you are today,
460
00:31:17,727 --> 00:31:21,356
do you think you could
repeat those eight years?
461
00:33:55,802 --> 00:33:57,804
Translated by
Tiffany Hwang and Jisu Park