[TRANS] Impact Star Magazine June Issue

Q. It's an honor to be with ONF on their first magazine cover (laughs). It feels new having to meet ONF in a refreshing concept for the first time in a long while.
HYOJIN: First, let's clap! Waah! (Cheers) After our <Complete> promotions, we didn't have an opportunity to show our refreshing side. We're happy that we get to show our refreshing charms while shooting for this magazine.
WYATT: We feel fascinated and excited that we get to do a refreshing concept just like before. It didn't feel hot even when the weather felt like summer. It was nice?m!
E-TION: We're doing a refreshing concept after two years. I feel kind of shy. Haha.

Q. It was your 1000th day since debut not too long ago. How did you celebrate it?
MK: We talked with Fuse (ONF's fanclub name) through VLIVE. We made new commitments like, 'Let's work harder' 'What should our goal be after 1000 days.'
WYATT: I felt a stronger sense of responsibility about our group as we approach our 1000th day. We want to show better stages on Road To Kingdom and introduce ourselves to more people who don't know us yet.
U: I want to do better on the parts where I felt lacking. I tend to be really nervous so I feel like I have room for improvement when I'm on stage. I want to show more improvements when it's our 2000th and 3000th day.

Q. These days, you are busy with Road To Kingdom. It looks like you are determined as much as you are challenging new things.
J-US: Since it's a competition, what we wanted to show the most is our new sides. In order to show good stages, we continuously hold meetings and share ideas. We also pay attention to the song arrangements. Having to think of a concept and come up with a choreography that matches it, the time flies by really fast. We're working harder to show lots of stages to our fans.

Q. During the 1st round, you reinterpreted SHINee's Everybody with a demon concept which is shocking by itself. The response afterwards was great too.
J-US: Thinking about the concept itself was difficult. We looked for a song that would show our strong vocals and dance as a group and will express the word 'king.' What we came up with is SHINee's Everybody. It's bright and refreshing but is strong at the same time. We had a lot of meetings as to how we will change the original concept. After we finished our 90-second performance mission, we went back to the company and had a meeting right away.
U: Everybody was a difficult song. It was also not easy to come up with a choreo that would match the concept. Our choreo teacher, J-Us hyung and I thought about the choreo together. After finishing making the choreo, we also had to change some parts.
MK: In terms of vocals, the difficulty level for Everybody is high too. The original song is very strong. In order to show an unexpected concept, we all worked and studied hard. Since it's difficult, we worked harder on practing.

Q. Aside from your strong performance, what stood out was your makeup. It's different from ONF's usual image so it was surprising.
E-TION: Since it's a competition, I think the visual part is important. We put on makeup that will catch attention. We also prepared fancy outfits. To show a demon king concept, we paid a lot of attention to the visual elements.
J-US: To match the "Song of King" theme of the competition, we had a "Dark sexy King of Demons" concept. We emphasized the visual points by looking up images of demons and demon kings.

Q. The arrangement that makes you forget about the distinct original song is drawing a lot of attention.
WYATT: MonoTree's Hwang Hyun PD, who always produces our song, also made the arrangement. A lot of people are saying that the performance is great but the arrangement is excellent so I'm really happy.
J-US: I heard this comment, "You're so well prepared that it feels like we were hit at the back of our head." Haha. They said we were really cool. A lot of people are complimenting us about our stage preparation, arrangement, visual directing, and performance so I feel proud.

Q. Having placed 5th during the face-to-face, it looks like you were under a huge pressure for the 1st round.
WYATT: There was a huge stress. We're on our 4th year, as seniors we should achieve a certain extent but we were placed 5th. Because we wanted to rise up in rank, as soon as we finish our recording at dawn, we went back to the company and held a long meeting. Thankfully, the concept of Everybody was well received by a lot of poeple so I'm happy.
E-TION: We placed 3rd during the 1st round of competition, personally I'm happy with it. Also, our company director isn't the type to outwardly express, but when she saw our rank after Everybody stage, she gave us a thumbs up. I thought, "So we did really well."
HYOJIN: Some people will be satisfied with 3rd place and some won't. However, I was really shocked that we were 5th place during the face-to-face so I was satisfied to get 3rd place this time. It means we're continuously climbing up. Haha.

Q. Personally, we think that you were able to show ONF's group color through your 90-second performance. It was like you were declaring "We are a group who has this kind of song and performances."
E-TION: Though we didn't get a high rank, I'm happy that we were able to show ourselves. Without thinking of the rank, I'm satisfied with our performance itself.
HYOJIN: I was really surprised during the face-to-face. I didn't expect that the other teams will come prepared with strong performances. We were focused on just introducing ONF as a team, so I was shook when I saw the performances of the other teams. So I remember seriously preparing for the next performance.

Q. Your company seniors Oh My Girl had good results in the previous season 'Queendom.' What advice did Oh My Girl members give?
WYATT: They gave us a lot of advice. Binnie sunbaenim sometimes checks on us when she comes to the company. She said if we work hard and do well, we'll be able to finish our performance with ease, but it will be better if we get a high rank (laughs). She also said that we should pay attention to our next performance rather than being complacent.
E-TION: Seunghee sunbaenim's advice was to do a good job on our reactions on Road To Kingdom.
MK: When we showed YooA sunbaenim our performance, she said that we have to be immersed in the song. That way our expressions will come out naturally.

Q. Road To Kingdom is definitely an opportunity to show ONF's charms to a lot of people but you must also be under a lot of pressure because of that.
J-US: Still, having fun while in a survival is good. If you do your best during preparations then I believe you'll also get good results in the competition.
E-TION: As much as the great results Oh My Girl seniors received on Queendom, we want to show that we are just as skilled as their juniors. That's why we are working very hard, though in the process we also feel burdened.
U: Since it's a competition, we get evaluated for a performance done only once right? That makes me feel burdened. But because the members kept on telling to enjoy the performance and not to think about the rank nor the scores, I am now relaxed.
WYATT: I gained a huge sense of responsibility. During official promos, there's a limit in the concept but in competition, the members and the company hold meetings to make our own performance. I really want to show ONF's music, performance, and new sides, as well as explore new things we haven't tried. I gain a sense of responsibility towards our performance because of that, and in that process our growth is also showing. Though we get stress from it, I think overcoming that stress is growth itself.

Q. What do you want to achieve the most through Road To Kingdom?
J-US: I want to be described as "Group of many concepts." We want to hear that we're a group who can pull off different types of songs and concepts.
WYATT: We want to obtain results where we would hear "As expected of ONF" and not "Those guys are pretty good?"
MK: A lot of people are saying that our songs are good, but we want to clearly show them what kind of group we are.
HYOJIN: I think everyone's goal in terms of rank is the same, I want to win 1st (laughs)

Q. It's a tough competition but we heard that the members are united in overcoming it. We also noticed your sweet chemistry at today's shooting.
WYATT: We are the type to treat each other well without being obvious.
U: Since I'm from overseas, I often hear from people that I must be lonely but I laugh a lot whenever I'm with the hyungs.
HYOJIN: Our relationship is so good that you can't leave out the word 'teamwork' when you talk about ONF. We are serious when it's work and are playful when it's break time. We have a chatroom of our own and it's always noisy there (laughs). We have E-Tion and MK as our gag duo so it's fun but because everyone is fun that we can have a good relationship.

Q. You have great teamwork so it makes us curious. Do you also get along well according to your MBTIs?
WYATT: J-US and I are ENFP.
HYOJIN: Last time, mine said INFJ.
E-TION: I'm an INFP, the others whose MBTI starts with E are surely extroverts. I'm shy around other artists so I don't have a lot of friends, but the E members make lots of new friends whenever we film for Road To Kingdom. I find this amusing.
HYOJIN: We fought a lot when we were trainees. Since we have different personalities and thoughts, we fought everyday. After we became a team, we matched each other's differences and get along well now. Thanks to that, our teamwork improved.
E-TION: Rather than being considerate, I think it's because we have been together for so long that we are now like family. We think of each other naturally.

Q. ONF has a unique two leader system. We think that part also contributes to the good teamwork.
J-US: After debuting, I realized that there are many pros in having two leaders. For example, if we have to decide on something and we only follow an opinion of a single person, the decision will seem forced. Since there are two of us leaders, we share and match our opinions then explain to the members.
HYOJIN: The leaders are distributed to two teams: ON Team who specializes in vocals and OFF Team who specializes in perfomance. In terms of performance, I respect the opinion of the OFF team leader J-US and in terms of vocals he respects my opinion as the ON team leader. It's because we know and trust each other's strengths.
J-US: Also, Hyojin has been my friend since we were students. That's why we can freely talk and share without any difficulties.
HYOJIN: Really comfortable. Not one difficulty. Haha.

Q. What do the leaders think are the strengths of the ONF members?
J-US: As the OFF team leader, I will praise OFF team (laughs). U and Wyatt are excellent in terms of choreo and style so they are quick when it comes to problem solving. U is really great in terms of copying, explaining, and making choreos. Wyatt is very good at krumping. Since we have good dancers in the team, we also make choreos, but I think ONF can show cooler performances because of the same points mentioned.
HYOJIN: I have prepared strengths for ON team's vocals, but actually all of ONF members are so good at singing that they can all be part of ON team. ON team members have distinct and charming voices, and OFF team members have talent for singing. The members are uploading their individual covers on Youtube and are constantly doing great so it makes me think of working harder too.

Q. It's the members' turn this time (laughs). How about the two leaders?
E-TION: Hyojin is always considerate and thinks of others more. Whenever I see Hyojin sacrifice himself and yield for others, I feel that he is doing a great job as a leader.
U: J-US hyung always joins us in everything. Thank you for thinking that doing things together is important.
WYATT: J-US hyung always teases the members but he takes care of us the most from behind. He brings us food or drinks. He also cares for our health. He's a leader who cares for everything.
MK: I can see that the two leaders are ready to sacrifice themselves for the team and the members so I'm always thankful. Heuheu, I had goosebumps.
E-TION: The two leaders are doing a good job in keeping the balance of ONF. They are like a reliable pillar who make ONF stronger.

Q. Shall we continue with this warm atmosphere? What are each of you thankful for to the person sitting beside you?
WYATT: I'll start (laughs). Whenever Hyojin hyung sees that I don't look good, he always approaches me first and comforts me. He doesn't show when he himsef is having a hard time. Despite that, he still always care for the members so I'm always thankful for that.
HYOJIN: I will compliment U. U is in charge of dance, he's really good at dancing and always works hard. Though he is the maknae, he is very mature and considerate. Above all, he orders for us when we eat. So thank you for that. Haha.
U: While preparing for Road To Kingdom, E-Tion hyung asks me a lot of questions about dance. I'm thankful that even if he's in charge of vocals, he thinks and cares for dance too.
E-TION: Since everyone knows that MK has a good voice and is good looking, I'll talk about something else. MK is someone our team can't live without. He's mischievous so he's really funny. Even if you play a practical joke on him, he'll play along and even give appropriate reactions. I think it will be sad without MK's reactions.
MK: J-US doesn't air his own complaints. He does his best to gather the opinions of the members and guide us to the best path. There are lots of times where he sacrifices himself for the team to get good results. I'm thankful to him for that.
J-US: Wyatt works hard on a lot of things. He's always passionate and makes the members happy. He's positive even in difficult situations, and unlike how he looks, he has a lot of aegyo. I think he's funny to the point that he can be part of the gag combi. Haha. He participates in group activities and lends a helping hand for the team.

Q. If you will describe the members in 5 syllables, what word will you use?
J-US: MK is 'mischievous.' He is very playful.
MK: E-TION is 'Fashion king E-Tion.' He usually posts his daily outfits with the hashtag 'Dailytion.' He is ONF's fashionista. I also often ask him what he thinks about my outfit, everytime I do he answers objectively like a fashion king (laughs).
E-TION: I want to sincerely describe U as 'Multi-talented Yuto.' He's good at editing videos and making choreos. Should I say that he's very gifted? Even if he's younger than I am, there's so much to learn from him.
HYOJIN: When I look at Wyatt, I only think of these words. 'Desert gorilla.' (everyone bursts into laughter)
WYATT: OK, I'll accept it and move on. Haha. I want to describe J-US hyung as 'Really cool.' I find people who use actions rather than words really cool, and J-US hyung is exactly like that.

Q. You must be sad that your tour dates had been moved due to the recent COVID-19.
WYATT: It's a given that we want to perform as singers, but because of the situation we have no choice but to move them. Given the opportunity, we'd like to hold a concert showing the stages we performed on Road To Kingdom.
HYOJIN: If we will hold a concert later on, I want to have individual or unit stages. We want to make a lot of people to completely understand about ON team and OFF team.

Q. There's a reason why you can't help but look forward to ONF's concert. ONF's past title and side tracks are resurfacing these days because of word of mouth, and are rising as 'Rich with gem songs.' What are the personally recommended ONF gem songs of the members?
HYOJIN: Fifty Fifty, a side track from our 2nd mini album You Complete Me. It's my personal favorite but it seems that a lot of people still don't know about it so I want to recommend it. It's a charming song with a not so powerful intro but has a strong sound in the chorus.
E-TION: I think it would be good to listen to Asteroid, a side track from our 4th mini album Go Live. MK participated in song writing and Wyatt in rap making so it's really cool. There's a part where U, J-Us, and Wyatt during the rap, I personally think the dance style there is nice so I want to recommend it.
U: If We Dream, a side track from our 1st mini album ON/OFF. It's memorable for me because it's our first ballad song. I liked the song ever since I heard the guide so always listened to it before I go to sleep, I also listen to it these days. I recommend listening to it when it's dark.
WYATT: I will recommend the side track All Day from our 4th mini album. Since it's already summer, a lot of people will want to listen to refreshing songs, and this song has exactly that kind of vibe. It's a good song to start your day with so I hope you'll always have happy days as you listen to this song.
MK: There's a song called Message which is uploaded on our company's official Youtube channel. The lyrics are pretty and it's nice to listen to. It's a song filled with the message we want to send to Fuses, and I hope a lot of people will listen to it.
J-US: I will recommend the side track Original from our 1st mini album. It's a song we performed on stage and I remember a lot of Fuses liking it.

Q. Which content would you like to recommend to the new fans you gained through Road To Kingdom?
HYOJIN: I want to recommend the ONF content called 'Mini Game Heaven.' It's a content we put up every member's birthday and you can see each ONF member's charms. I can assure you that you'll see ONF's image off stage. (laughs)
E-TION: Just like our group name, we have this charismatic ON side when we are on stage and cute OFF side when we are not on stage. I think our fan inducing point is our opposing charms. I hope you'll like the reversal charms ONF have.

Q. ONF is in the 4th year now. A lot of things happened starting from having a long training period, joining a survival right after debut, and reorganizing as a group. What are your thoughts for these past four years.
WYATT: We'd be lying if we say that it wasn't hard. We were at a loss when the unexpected things happened. But in that process, we gained a sense of responsibility to work harder. Nothing will happen if we will just be sad. We practiced hard while thinking, 'Whatever happens, happens. We'll work hard anyway.' We always think hard and work hard in order to be loved through good performances and music, so I hope you'll know this side of us. The difficult parts are also in our growth process. Just like how a child needs to fall over multiple times to learn how to stand up, we are taking our baby steps through these various happenings.

Q. Just like the saying "After the storm comes the calm" you need to go through hardships to grow, and you will all become stronger. From the view of the members, how would you score your teamwork?
WYATT: 100 points out of 100! We know each other very well. Whenever there's a conflict, we resolve it right away.
MK: It's our first time to experience being on a survival as a whole group through Road To Kingdom. We each worked hard when we were on an individual survival program, so I think our teamwork will become better through this group survival program. I want us to grow more.

Q. We think ONF's turning point this year is receiving new attention. Hyojin said on Road To Kingdom before, "ONF is a group who only moves forward." What kind of response would you like to get through this program?
MK: Through this opportunity, we want to be known by a lot of people other from Fuses. We want people to think, "Why did I discover these guys only now?"
HYOJIN: We want to hear 'Ah, that good team?' about ONF. Just because we only move forward, it doesn't mean that we only get good results. But we don't look back and charge on our own path. We'll show you ourselves that continuously moves forward without hesitation.

Q. You will be able to show your various sides to Fuses through this program.
HYOJIN: We haven't been able to show a lot of stages to Fuses, so we joined Road To Kingdom in order to show our new charms. We want to let you know through various stages that what you've seen until now isn't ONF's everything. We will work hard until you have these kinds of thoughts, 'ONF has this kind of charm?' 'ONF fits this kind of concept too' so please look forward to us.
E-TION: ONF is just at the tip of the iceberg. We have so much new things to show you. I want ONF to be 'Moving forward idols' and 'Jump-dols.' We're not going to the front but we're going up!

Translations by hyojetion
Scans from: https://happyholang.tistory.com/1