Perseverance. Persistence. Like we always have, like it’s always been. The words that make up TOMORROW X TOGETHER member HUENINGKAI have come together to usher in a wave of change. A profound and resounding wave crafted by a boy that once simply aspired to be a rock. 

​When you were all done with the promotional activities of the last album, The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION, you went on Weverse Live and said, “I think we can release this promotion as a movie.” 

HUENINGKAI: I actually wasn’t feeling entirely sure about that last album when we were making our comeback. But now it’s like, Oh, it really turned out well. (laughs) Looking back now, it’s like that lack of confidence made me even more desperate. It really made me feel like, I have to make this work, no matter what! Once I could actually feel the huge amount of buzz around our comeback, I felt more assured and it helped me to work at it harder. MOA and the general public helped me to find that confidence, in that sense. Not that I go out much (laughs) but now there’s a lot more people who recognize me. A friend of mine said they liked “Sugar Rush Ride” and a lot of people liked “Farewell, Neverland,” surprisingly. I feel like I progressively got into the flow of things just from being up on stage and naturally learning from that.

Are there certain things you have to be on stage for to get into the flow properly?

HUENINGKAI: When we’re on a music show, we do the performance there and then review it. That helps me to figure out how it should be done to  some degree. I guess I’m good at that now. I honestly didn’t really get a proper feel for “Sugar Rush Ride” until we started performing it on TV, but I could feel myself getting better the more we went around performing. When I check the first take, I see the parts I need to fix and where I should change my facial expressions. The second take is always better. It’s kind of cringey to see photos of myself and my facial expressions. (laughs) So I don’t look myself up that much, but I need to review when we’re promoting so I can improve.

Your performances of “Invitation” at Weverse Con Festival and “TEMPTED + The Devil I Know” for MIX & MAX were impressive.

HUENINGKAI: Continuing on the theme of the previous album, we worked with songs that fit in with the theme of temptation. Everything about “Invitation” was new for me, including voguing, but we all have long, slender arms, so the dance looked pretty nice. I thought MOA would really love it. “Invitation” also inspired us to vogue in the choreography for our latest single. MIX & MAX portrayed an innocent boy giving into temptation and turning to the dark side. It was key to give the impression of the boy being manipulated to match up with the sounds of a marionette at the beginning, so the acting and gestures were important for that part. The idea was to have the hand painted black represent the devil and then it devours us.

​Then there’s plenty of parts in the choreography for the single “Chasing That Feeling” where you convey the meaning of the lyrics more literally, like by making a fist or running. 

HUENINGKAI: Right. Choreography like that’s a lot more challenging. It’s way easier doing a song like “Good Boy Gone Bad” with a concrete theme in place, or “Back for More (TXT ver.)” where we just have to look cool. We’re very aware now what kind of facial expressions will make us look as cool as possible. I had to keep asking about the new single “Chasing That Feeling”: Is this the feeling we’re going for? Is it similar to the BTS song “RUN”? It was a continuous discussion. In the end, I figured out it’s similar to “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You) feat. Seori” but with a little more yearning. I have to show that yearning in the verse but then express agony in the chorus to line up with the idea of determination and pursuing my desires. And I’m still trying to find the sweet spot for conveying that. A frown gives away too much, so I have to do it subtly while still holding back a bit and not showing it completely, sort of. I might be aware of the nuances, but it’s hard to express it in such a way that people watching will feel that. I’m still working on getting the hang of it. (laughs)

I can really see that you’ve given so much thought into it. (laughs)

HUENINGKAI: TOMORROW X TOGETHER, the band that tries something new every time! (laughs) It’s hard—our group’s always working to defy conventional frames and try out different genres. But every song off the new album is in a different genre, so it’s fun to listen to as a whole. I like every single song, but “Skipping Stones” is my favorite. I think this is really the first time that I’ve loved every track off an album. To be perfectly honest, I never guessed we’d be doing a hard rock song (laughs) but I love how the first track’s metal fit perfectly with the title The Name Chapter: FREEFALL.

It’s crucial that you fully understand and engross yourself in the message of the music when you’re gearing up for a comeback, isn’t it?

HUENINGKAI: Yes. Somebody help me. Please. (laughs) It’s always a tough process, but I get to understand it bit by bit as we go along—getting to know the emotions while singing, then again while dancing. I’m able to perform live once the singing and the dancing are perfect—the facial expressions, too—and at that point, I can finally grasp everything entirely.

This album seems to be an important turning point as far as the storyline goes in the sense that the boys have finally come face to face with reality.

HUENINGKAI: That’s something new in itself, actually—the fact that TOMORROW X TOGETHER has entered the real world. We started out with horns on our heads (laughs) and had a lot of comebacks with various fantasy elements in them, but this time it’s all about the boys coming square up against reality. That’s why the title of the single is so straightforward: “Chasing That Feeling”! (laughs) I have no choice but to keep learning since the concepts change every time.

​As you say, you have to keep learning. I can tell that you’ve become an even better dancer lately just by looking at the “Back for More” challenge you did with the dance crew JAM REPUBLIC or when you did the challenge for “Smoke” (prod. Dynamicduo, Padi). 

HUENINGKAI: I guess I was trying to focus more on dancing this year. I think MIX & MAX was sort of the start of that. I danced with YEONJUN but he’s so good that I felt a bit of pressure about it. I talked to the instructor and took some private lessons and sort of tried to be able to dance as well as YEONJUN does. From that point on, the instructors even paid me compliments like, “You’re really getting a lot better.” And then I also had the opportunity to dance solo at our recent concerts. JAM REPUBLIC are … I mean, wow. They’re unbelievable. They really know exactly how to put their bodies to use. Now I know why people say they’re world class! (laughs) It was such an honor. I was eager to show off more of my dance ability and that’s why I said I wanted to do the “Smoke” challenge. I was actually a bit worried because of how challenging that choreography is, so I put in quite a lot of practice. I felt sorry for the performance directing team because I kept saying, “No, again, again, again, again.” We shot it 20, 25 times, but when I got back home and watched the video, I still wasn’t satisfied with it. So I said to them, “I’m really sorry, but can we shoot it tomorrow one more time?” I did it again and again the next day and we finally ended up with a good take that we could upload.

That makes me think of when you said on Weverse Live, “I always realize it whenever I practice dancing, but dance practices never betray me.”

HUENINGKAI: I think, more than anything else, the more I work at my dancing, the better it gets. I’d have to say dance is the easiest thing to get into, in a way. I think anyone can be good at dancing if they just have perseverance. Dancing isn’t just about the dancing itself—I feel like your own personal aura and your facial expressions are really important, too. Even the five members of our group all have their own unique vibe, and we’re all good at doing different facial expressions. When you dance, it’s important to understand what the music’s all about and to be able to take what you’re capable of up a notch and express yourself that way.

So what’s your personal aura like? (laugh)

HUENINGKAI: Mine? Haha—yeah, what kind of vibe do I give off? I’m not too sure myself. (laughs) Whether the single we’re doing is cheerful, or cute, or sexy, I always seem to come across as not bad … or that’s what people tell me, at least. (laughs)

​Mastering the group performances, and the four years you’ve spent together, must have been a continuous process of learning what makes each of you different. 

HUENINGKAI: Ah, the five of us are completely different in every way. (laughs) We’re so different that, when we were trainees, we used to be coached into doing team-building exercises. But we’re completely used to each other now. Time’s the important thing. We naturally got to know each other after living together for so long, and now we’re just like family. I think the quality of our teamwork really shows during concerts. If one of us has to sit out because they’re not feeling well, for example, the rest of us are able to fill in for them. It’s weird, but suddenly we become really good at communicating in situations like that. Things just happen instantly when emergencies come up. (laughs)

In the TOMORROW X TOGETHER: OUR LOST SUMMER documentary, while most of you said that your concert at Lollapalooza in Chicago was the happiest moment for you since your debut, SOOBIN opened up about how he finds it difficult to enjoy himself fully when he needs to be spontaneous. What do you do to help out when every one of the members is dealing with their own challenges?

HUENINGKAI: I sort of get that. The two of us have similar personalities, so I know how he feels. There’s times when I find performing hard too, and at times big crowds can make me scared. My MBTI tests show I’m a complete “I,” and I like being at home. SOOBIN always says he’s sorry because he worries he’s not enjoying himself properly. So nowadays, when we’re on stage, we just … we put our arms around each other’s shoulders and just jump around and have fun. I actually think that happened a number of times during our most recent concerts. When it’s soundcheck time or we want to get people hyped, we’re often glued together, putting our arms around each other and we boost each other up to pump up our energy. I’m actually not very good at empathizing or talking with people. Whenever I’m talking with someone, my first thoughts are about the best way to go about doing things and how to solve things. (laughs) I think it’s best that I quietly help them out by looking out for them and thinking about how I can be doing whatever I can for them.

​TAEHYUN and YEONJUN were on SUCHWITA, and they talked about how you all found some middle ground between your ideas so the group and its members can achieve their unified goal. 

HUENINGKAI: That was a year ago, but I can still recall how I said, “If the four of you want to make it to the top, I’ll be there with you to the very end,” and, “I’ll always be there by your side.”

Do you consider yourself to be a goal-oriented person?

HUENINGKAI: I’m actually not much of a go-getter. I’m more about wanting things to go smoothly. I don’t like to overthink things. But it’s extremely important in this field to be really ambitious. You have to be driven if you’re going to make it to the top. I think it’s thanks to the determination of the other members that I’m progressively becoming more driven myself. I actually have clearer goals now than I did a year ago.

Do you think you’ll ever all be satisfied with the way things turn out?

HUENINGKAI: Umm … It’s possible that might never happen, of course. But I think it’s only right that we keep trying our best. I’ve changed a lot during this whole time. I guess what influenced me a lot was that I want to challenge the kind of image that boy groups have. Some people say boy groups aren’t popular with the wider public, but I wanted to let the world know who we are and prove ourselves. These days, no matter what happens, we’re grown enough to realize that it could always be worse, and we cheer each other on so we can keep working hard. Looking back now, I can see we’ve always worked hard to go further and beyond—like making a new album better than the last, then the next one even better, and on and on. That’s what TOMORROW X TOGETHER is all about, you know? We have to keep on keeping on. “Like we always have, like it’s always been.” (laughs)

The lyrics to “Skipping Stones” seem to sort of reflect the attitude you have as a member of the group.

HUENINGKAI: That’s why I could fully understand the emotions behind the song as soon as I first sang it. (laughs) I feel like you’re guaranteed to be at least a little happy if you just have persistence and persevere. You can get close to accomplishing some of your goals, even if you can’t do them all. If I just work hard, I’ll end up naturally contributing to the group. I should do as much as I can and show the world everything I’ve got. What I mean is, I’m going to go the distance, even if it breaks me.

​Do you feel a sense of reward when you’re on stage? You said at your concert in Seoul that you felt like your whole life had been leading up to that moment. 

HUENINGKAI: That was the best way I could think to express myself at the time. I wanted to convey that feeling any way I could. I said things I wouldn’t normally say because I got all emotional. (laughs) Those three years working myself to the bone as a trainee and since we debuted were all leading up to that moment. (laughs) The tour kicked off in the summer, so we ended up making “Our Summer” the last song, and everyone singing along made me really emotional—because we’re all enjoying our summer now. Here’s what I want to tell MOA: This is our youth. Thank you for spending this time with us. Let’s stay together, forever and ever. I can’t just remove myself from the emotions I feel when I’m up on stage in front of a big, roaring crowd like that. It’s fine when I’m still up there, but once I get back and I’m alone in bed, I feel sort of empty. But then I go to sleep and get back up and I’m okay again, so I just want to keep performing on that stage.

It sounds like that’s what drives you to reach for the top.

HUENINGKAI: I feel like I can keep going for a long time thanks to being with the other members. And I feel really, really proud to be a member of TOMORROW X TOGETHER. I don’t think I could’ve done it if I weren’t a part of this group. I absolutely love our songs and our dances. I’m happy to be a part of the group. I want to be with them. Because I love the five of us.