Tae Oh shook his head. “No, hyungnim.”
“Have I ever, once, since this competition began, done anything underhanded or untrustworthy to you?” Another headshake. “Then why do you not trust me all of a sudden?”
Tae Oh bowed his head so low he nearly smacked the table. “I’m sorry, hyungnim. You’re right. I shouldn’t have listened to them.”
Andy flicked his gaze to Si On, who quickly bowed, too. “I’m sorry, too, hyungnim.”
Leo, who’d silently witnessed the exchange, finally huffed. “You can listen to whoever you want. But, next time, instead of gossiping about your hyung behind his back like a couple of school girls, you should try standing up for him instead. You both owe him that much, at least.”
“Yes, hyungnim,” Tae Oh and Si On replied almost in unison.
His appetite gone, Andy pushed back from the table. “It’s almost call time. I’m gonna head over to the auditorium.” Heglanced at Leo, who nodded, moving to join him. “I’ll see you both there.”
A bitter taste in his mouth, Andy silently walked beside Leo as they joined the first contestants heading for the auditorium. He had to shake his mood off somehow. As much as he wished he could count on allies like Tae Oh and Si On, he had to accept that they were their own people. If they like Min Jae’s flavor of their little lie better than his, that was up to them. But he couldn’t let their opinions throw him off his game. He’d risen to the number one rank just fine without #MinDy. He could do it again.
Production had removed all the seats from their risers in the auditorium, replacing them in the middle section with small numbered signs taped to the floor. They’d also set up four stanchions holding covered signs, two on each side of the small stage. Song choices. Four songs, apparently.
Andy found his spot in the front row, with Leo standing several places down. The other Dream Boys found their places, too, the thirteen highest ranks in the lower row and the rest behind them. Min Jun arrived with Tae Woo, slotting in at Andy’s right. Andy braced himself as Woo Jin walked in. Sure enough, Min Jae was two steps behind him. Grinning, Andy glanced at Min Jun, nodding hello. An awkward and forced move, but it kept him from having to watch Min Jae walk across the main floor to take his place at Andy’s left. He maintained his silent treatment, outwardly pretending that Min Jae wasn’t even there. But Min Jae’s proximity was impossible to ignore. He radiated cool charm like a refreshing breeze carrying the scent of his cologne mixed with his natural aroma. Andy had skipped his cologne that morning for that very reason. Smelling Min Jae like that drove him wild.
The chatter died around Andy as Si Woo entered, a pair of PAs in tow, and a stylist making a valiant attempt to match his pace while she powdered his forehead. He waved them all off ashe walked past the stage and approached the boys directly. His bright smile and expensive, cream-colored, cashmere sweater spoke volumes about how an accomplished performer aging out of the idol system could still capitalize on their success.
“Good morning, everyone,” Si Woo said, relaxing his smile a bit. “I wanted to take a moment before we start the official filming to congratulate you all on making it this far. This competition can be brutal, and it takes a lot of strength and resilience to survive it.” He paused for a chorus of nods and murmured agreement. He was very pointedly not looking at Andy and Min Jae as he spoke. “Remember, you’ll need every bit of that for what’s still to come. And I don’t just mean this next mission. Being an idol is every bit as brutal. So, hold onto this strength.” He flashed them his best Chart Masters smile and raised a fist. “Fighting!”
Andy joined in with the other Dream Boys as they applauded and cheered. Si Woo’s little pep talk had clearly been meant for him and Min Jae. He may not have come from a survival show, but Si Woo had gone through the same system as every other trainee turned idol. He may not have been forced into a false rivalry under the threat of blackmail, but he must’ve had his share of dark stories, too.
Si Woo turned and walked to his mark on the stage, accepting a handheld mic from a sound tech. The screen behind him flickered to life, showing the pulsing Dream Boy Project logo. The floor director called for places before counting them down.
Si Woo lifted his mic. “Welcome, Dream Boys. Or, I should say, welcome, our Top 25. You’ve survived weeks of grueling evaluations. You’ve proven your talent, your determination, and your heart. And only one mission remains for you to earn your spot in the Final Eight and debut as a member of Pr1ze.” He gestured to the screen behind him. THE FINAL MISSION: DEBUT SONGS. “For your final mission,” he explained, “SCG’s top songwriters and producers have created four original songs. These are not covers. These are potential debut tracks. Your jobis to claim one of these songs and make it your own.” He turned to the screen. “Let’s take a look.”
The screen shifted, and the first concept video began to play. A blast of bright, retro colors, funky graphics, and a playful bassline. The title,Itty Bitty, appeared in a bubbly font. Next, a darker, more sensual mood film calledSweet Tooth, with slow-motion shots of dripping honey and melting chocolate played over a smooth, groovy R&B beat. The third was pure, cinematic drama.Hourglass. Stormy skies, crumbling statues, and dancers in dark, flowing fabrics, all set to a powerful, orchestral trap beat. The final video was simple and emotional. A lone figure on a starlit rooftop, a quiet, soaring piano melody titled,Polaris, written in flowy, elegant script.
Andy’s mind raced, analyzing each choice. The fun one. The sexy one. The dark one. The emotional one. Four perfect, distinct concepts. Four final tests. Andy immediately knew he wanted the first one,Itty Bitty. It sounded funky and fun, with an absolutely sick, saucy dance beat that he loved. It was perfect for him. Hopefully he’d get it.
“The selection process will be simple,” Si Woo finally continued, lifting the covers off each of the signs to reveal the song titles. “Starting with our number one ranked trainee, you’ll come forward and choose the song you wish to claim for your debut performance. But the spots are limited. Three groups of six and one group of seven. Once a song has been chosen by seven Dream Boys, all the other songs must have six. Other than that, the choice is yours.”
The room held its breath as Si Woo looked directly at the end of the line. “Kwon Min Jae. You’re first.”
Andy continued holding his breath as Min Jae stayed in place, silently willing him to choose any song butItty Bitty. There was no way they could work on the same song together. Not if they had to play at being rivals. That would only work if they were on different teams. He kept himself from looking at Min Jae, waryof giving away that they weren’t actually fighting. Then again, was very obviously not looking at Min Jae just as much of a giveaway? Shit. He had no mind for any of this.
Andy finally relented, turning toward Min Jae just as his supposed rival stepped forward and approached the signs. He walked toward the left hand side of the stage, meaning he’d decided on either Andy’s choice orSweet Tooth. Andy whispered a silent prayer to the Kpop gods for Min Jae to chooseSweet Tooth, please let him chooseSweet Tooth. Andy practically blew out his sigh of relief when Min Jae stood beside theSweet Toothsign.
“Interesting choice,” Si Woo said. “What made you choose this song?” he added, before handing the mic to Min Jae.
“The deep, powerful tone and sensual vibe really speak to my experience as a dancer,” Min Jae answered. “I think I can really shine with this song.”
“Excellent,” Si Woo said. “I’m sure our Dream Makers are all excited to see what you can do with this song.” He turned back to the Dream Boys, looking at Andy. “And now, our number two rank, Andy Kim, will make his choice.”
Andy forced himself to hold his place, wanting to appear more thoughtful than impulsive. Of course, everyone in the world would expect him to chooseItty Bitty. The song had practically been written just for him. But he’d been forced into too many production plotlines lately. Why not be a little defiant?
Suddenly chuckling at how dumb he sounded even to himself, Andy grinned and made a bee-line to theItty Bittysign. While everyone had no doubt been waiting to see if he’d follow Min Jae or strike out on his own, he doubted any of them expected him to do anything different by that point.
“Another interesting selection,” Si Woo commented as he walked to Andy. “I think a lot of us expected you to follow Min Jae’s choice after your success working with him during your last mission.”
Andy spread his grin a little wider as he took the mic from Si Woo. “That’s funny, because I wasn’t thinking of Min Jae at all. Once I heardItty Bitty’s sick, funky beat, I had to choose it.”
Si Woo laughed as Andy handed back the mic, turning to the remaining contestants. “Well, then, there you have it. It looks like #MinDy is no more. Up next, our number three rank–”
Andy tuned out, quietly snorting as the proceedings moved on. For better or worse, he and Min Jae had fully and publicly established their new rivals storyline. Hopefully better. At least they’d both gotten to choose the final mission songs they wanted. Assuming Min Jae really wantedSweet Tooth, and hadn’t chosen it just because he knew Andy wouldn’t.
