Sending long-lasting, lighthearted love into the lives of people everywhere—that’s the magic of IROHA: springing to mind anytime, anywhere.

You had your own room before, but now you have a roommate. How’s that going?
IROHA: I found it too quiet when I had my own room and I always ended up hanging out in the living room. I’d watch the other members moving around and think, “Wow, they’re so busy!” (laughs) If I overheard them talking in another room, I’d think, “Maybe I should join them,” and go hang out with them. I like having a roommate because now anytime I feel bored, I have someone there. With WONHEE, it’s like, if one of us starts tickling the other, the fun never stops. (laughs)

The thematic prop for today’s photoshoot was the CD. If we were shooting in your room instead, what kind of music would we find there?
IROHA: There’s lots of CDs, so it’d be great to have a variety of different genres. Like, I love R&B, so one CD could have calm, mellow music, while another could be hip hop. I like songs with a beat more than mellow ones. I often listen to them while stretching because they naturally make me move to the rhythm.

Actually, there was some intense hip hop music playing on set today—pretty different from the visual concept. (laughs)
IROHA: That’s true. (laughs) I happened to be wearing pants today, so the hip hop vibes were perfect! As a member of ILLIT, I like cute, lovely concepts like in the photoshoot, but personally, I’m really into hip hop too. When I hear hip hop on set or when I’m on my way somewhere, I really get into it and start moving to the beat.

You recommend a lot of music to GLLIT, right?
IROHA: I want to share things I enjoy with GLLIT, and music is something you can listen to anywhere, anytime. I recommend songs I like to them because I’d like it if we listened to the same thing.

Your tastes in music and dance seem to be related. In your “Vogue Korea” interview, you said, “I want to express the beats and dynamics well. You have to be good at that in order to surprise people.” How does it feel that people know you for your dance abilities?
IROHA: I’ve always loved dancing, but because so many people like me for it, I’ve come to love it even more. It really makes me want to get better and take on new challenges. When I see the comments online and reactions around me after a performance, it reminds me why I do what I do.

Your specialty is hip hop dance. How do you keep your instincts for that sharp?
IROHA: I absolutely love watching videos of people who dance hip hop, so I’m always looking up my favorite dancers and hip hop music. I’ve been in a mindset lately of needing to work on my hip hop, so I’ve gone back to practicing the fundamentals. Watching “World of Street Woman Fighter” had an influence on me so I looked up even more dancers, and I’ve been doing whatever I can to keep my connection to hip hop alive. I wouldn’t say I’m perfect at hip hop yet, so I want to take lessons whenever I have time to keep improving and explore all kinds of other styles, too.

You’re already such a great dancer. Why do you feel like you’re not perfect?
IROHA: When I work on a performance and it goes well, I feel super happy, but I still notice little parts that could be better. Sometimes, when I do the dance for the first time in a while, I think, “Why does it feel like I was better last time?” I feel like the only way you can grow is through constant practice, so there’s plenty of times where I feel like I’m not quite there yet. When I practice and something doesn’t feel right, I catch myself thinking, “Uh, that’s not it!” (laughs) That frustration is part of it, but I also know I can do better, so I keep practicing until I feel completely satisfied. Even as I keep at it to get ready for our comeback, I make it a personal effort to stay connected to my secret weapon, hip hop.

Your signature moves really stood out at the SBS awards show “Gayo Daejeon,” and your “Siren” cover  made a lot of buzz. What was your mindset going into that?
IROHA: Since fans didn’t know I’d be covering “Siren,” I went onstage hoping everyone in the audience would be completely surprised. It was my first time dancing hip hop solo on such a big stage, so my heart was racing with excitement—so much so that I thought I might smile during the performance without realizing it. But since the song’s so intense, I focused hard on glaring at the camera. (laughs) I’m on the shorter side anyway, so I worried that it might look like I was having trouble filling up the stage by myself. So, I tried to put every last bit of energy into it and made my movements as big as possible. There’s another dancer who’s also around my height but dances with so much power, and they’ve been my role model since I was little, so I went up there wanting to dance as amazingly as they do.

What about when you’re not dancing alone? Is there anything in particular you focus on when it’s the five of you performing together?
IROHA: You know how every magical girl has her own signature color? I think it’s similar with us. Even though our choreography is perfectly in sync, the way each of us moves and what makes us special are all a bit different. Since we each have our own style and strong points, instead of aiming to make everything identical, we really want to respect everyone’s individual style. So even when we practice, we limit our discussion to things like formations or timing that absolutely need to match. But of course, when the other members ask me how I plan to do a certain part, I try my best to share my thoughts. (laughs)

How does the performance for “Billyeoon Goyangi (Do the Dance)” differ from the magical girl concept ILLIT has been doing so far?
IROHA: “Magnetic” has a lot of footwork and “Cherish (My Love)” has moves that land on every beat, like “bam, bam, bam.” “Billyeoon Goyangi (Do the Dance)” has more flowing movements, like reaching out your hands and other graceful moves. I focused a lot on highlighting those softer parts. When I first heard the song, I pictured a luxurious party. The dance felt like something beautiful too, so I told myself, “I should imagine myself as a gorgeous cat while dancing.” (laughs) The post-chorus doesn’t have any lyrics and is like a light dance break, so I worked really hard to nail that part.

The stories being told and choreography you dance to may change from album to album, but ILLIT’s always boldly confident.
IROHA: Honestly, I’m not the type to think “I have to do it like this no matter what!” with everything. I tend to go with the flow more. I’m not normally as confident as the lyrics of an ILLIT song, but actually singing them helps me feel confident too. My favorite track off the new album is “little monster.” When I first heard the story behind it, I was amazed because it was exactly the kind of concept I’d hoped ILLIT would take on.

Speaking of the message in “little monster”—about eating up negative emotions—do you have your own way of handling negativity?
IROHA: Even when I have negative thoughts, I know that as long as I do my best, I won’t have any regrets. Since I believe that giving my all is the best way, I always do my absolute best in everything I can. I try to work through things on my own and solve them. I just tell myself, “Even if things are tough now, I’ll feel better in a day or two,” and trust myself and move on. I think all the time about how time takes care of everything.

You shed a tear when recording “Midnight Fiction.” Meanwhile, during “Almond Chocolate,” you seemed to sing with so much confidence and self-assurance.
IROHA: I think I’ve always been the type to improve when I get compliments, ever since I was a kid! I was sad when we were recording “Midnight Fiction” because it didn’t turn out the way I was going for, but for “Almond Chocolate,” I received a lot of compliments, which gave me the confidence to really perform it onstage too. I didn’t realize my vocal range is as high as it is, but they had me do the chorus and the high-pitched ad libs and I found out that people actually like this side of my voice too. I practiced my heart out to record the vocals for “bomb” with the hope that I would hear more compliments. (laughs)

It sounds like all the love and encouragement from the rest of the group is the secret to your growth. (laughs) What’s life like as the youngest member of ILLIT?
IROHA: Hmm. (laughs) Life as the youngest in ILLIT is … a love-filled experience! Whether it’s from the other members or the staff, being doted on and being loved makes me so happy. (laughs) As an only child, there’s times when I think, “Is this what it feels like to have older sisters?” Living together like a family really makes it feel like they’re my real big sisters. Even now, I try to handle what I can on my own, but I also talk more and more to people like my family, the group, or the staff. The closer I get with someone, the more I want to open up about myself, and the more love I receive, the more I want to spread it around.

The way you hugged your young fans in episode 18 of “SUPER ILLIT” felt like you were giving back the love you’ve received to someone even younger than you.
IROHA: They were absolutely adorable! The kids looked like they were around the same age I was when I first found out about K-pop, so I wondered, “Do these kids see me the way I used to see my favorite idols?” (laughs)

How do you usually spread love to the people around you?
IROHA: I’m naturally curious about people I like. I’ll touch the keychain on their bags, keep talking about something if we share a common interest, or ask questions about things I’m curious about on the spot. I gave some stickers of a cartoon character to the rest of the group and the staff recently, and they put them on things like their employee IDs, so now I see them all the time whenever we see each other! The thought of them walking around all the time with something I gave them makes me happy. I feel like learning about what people like and tailoring your actions to them is better for everyone, which makes me want to get to know them better.

It was clear in your first-anniversary special how deeply you understand the other members when you guessed each of their poses. Is it a similar case when it comes to how you express your feelings to them?
IROHA: Definitely! I always think about what makes each of them unique when I say or do anything around them. It used to be I’d only share my food with someone if they asked me directly, otherwise I’d just eat it all by myself. (laughs) MINJU loves chocolate, so I immediately think of her and ask if she wants some without her needing to ask. YUNAH loves funny stuff, so I share any funny or ridiculous shorts I come across with her. And with MOKA, since we’re both from Japan, if I find out about some cool new thing at a Japanese shop, I’ll go to her and say, “Doesn’t this look delicious?” WONHEE’s into things like floral designs and little keychains, so when I’m picking out a gift for her, I try to choose something like that.

In your debut interview, you mentioned that you like reminiscing over old photos. What brings up memories you’ve made with ILLIT these days?
IROHA: I still love taking trips down memory lane through music or scents from specific points in time, so I’m always looking for things that can bring those times to mind. Before our debut, the other members and I all went to London together, and I loved the smell of the hotel there. I kept thinking about it until later when I got this hand cream for my birthday that smelled exactly like that hotel. I thought, “Wow, I finally found it!” YUNAH and I have similar tastes in scents, so I asked her what she thought, and she loved it too, so I decided to get it. I have a feeling she might’ve remembered that scent too.

There’s a lot to choose from, but what moments bring out the essence of ILLIT?
IROHA: There’s a lot, but one would be when the five of us are all talking together! When we take breaks during choreo practice, we’ll talk forever about one thing. We all have a ton to say, but we listen to each other and then take turns sharing our own thoughts. It feels like we’re a group of high school girls. They’re ordinary moments that  feel quintessentially ILLIT. Also, when we receive awards at awards shows. I mean, we know everything we’ve been through to get here. Receiving an award like that makes me so happy and proud of all the hard work the group’s put in. It makes me love us even more.

In the “I’LL LIKE YOU” brand film, you say, “I plan to keep moving forward, paving ILLIT’s unique path.” What does that path look like to you?
IROHA: I just hope it’s one where we keep moving forward and growing.

Walking uphill isn’t easy. What kind of mindset do you hope to have while walking that path?
IROHA: It’s not that I enjoy dealing with the tough parts, but those are the parts that make reaching the top feel more rewarding and help me feel how much we’re growing. It wouldn’t be fun if it was too easy to get here. I want to keep climbing this path, tough parts and all.

And what about GLLIT, who’s walking that path with you?
IROHA: I want to walk it together! At the “it’s Live” mini fan meeting event, I told GLLIT, “Thank you for believing in us and coming along for the ride.” The fact that they like us and come to see us out of all the artists out there is incredibly touching. When I saw GLLIT tear up during that, it made me even more emotional. Moments like that make me realize just how precious GLLIT is. I want to keep holding GLLIT’s hand and climbing up that path together.