Chapter Twelve
Playtime is over; after all, practice makes perfect
Grace
My stomach growled. I should have eaten something before choreography, but I’d been so distracted by Lucas and his potentially carrying me to bed that I’d forgotten.
It was business as usual once we got back from the beach, but the guys did seem a bit more relaxed—if looking like they were dying by dance was relaxed.
Another two hours went by where my butt felt angrily glued to the ground as I watched in fascination.
At times it was almost like they moved so fast I felt like I was watching a TikTok video, but it was real life. All of them were sweating and probably famished. Instead of feeling sorry for them, though, I just respected them even more, including Lucas, despite my anger that he treated me like trash one minute then somehow got me to my tent the next. Had it been him, though? Really? Maybe Rae woke up? Or Jay? Or I teleported?
I wanted to be unaffected as they started choreography again, but the dancing was incredible. Many times my jaw just hung open like I was an idiot because how could they be so in sync?
Sweat dripped down every forehead, and soon clothes were stripped to where two of the guys, Lucas and Kai—because of course it had to be them—were both shirtless and doing a body roll that would give my grandma a stroke. Well, either that or… never mind, she no longer had a censor. I would never put Grandma in a room with these guys; she’d probably embarrass them by asking if they were into older women.
No joke.
Just as my stomach started eating my kidneys, Solia stopped by with some sort of takeout. I moved to get up and launch myself at the food, only to notice that none of the guys stopped dancing; it was as if the food didn’t exist.
Rae said something in Korean, all of the guys nodded, and then their voices filled the air as the track started over again. Rae moved to the front, and then Kai followed, doing the same movement only way more seductively. I almost looked away because was this actually legal in Korea? This sort of dancing?
Lucas followed and mouthed his rap line, then fell into step with Sookie as Jay did his part, and then they all went into sync once more, moving so fast my eyes had trouble keeping up again.
They made a person want to believe in love, in what they were singing. Only certain parts of the chorus were in English, but the tune was so catchy I forgot I couldn’t understand all of it.
I glanced over at Solia in time to notice her close the door to the practice studio as people gathered outside the room like they were trying to get a glimpse of practice.
Once the door was closed, forcing the heat to stay inside the small studio, she made her way over to me and sat. Her gorgeous white pantsuit was pristine and wrinkle-free, a perfect complement to her silky hair falling across her shoulders.
“You look horrible,” she chirped like it made her happy I was dying of starvation and exhaustion, but I felt like I couldn’t complain, not when these guys were working their asses off while I sat and watched.
“Thank you,” I said cheerfully. That was what happened when you tripped in sand and slept in a tent all night. “Hey, who are they?” I nodded toward the door, where people scrambled to look through the small window.
She sighed in what sounded like exhaustion. “Trainees with the company.”
“Oh!” I wanted to say I knew this answer. “So, they’re training for the same record label as SWT? How does that work?”
“Less than five percent will make it,” she said simply. “But yes, they’re trainees for the FS label.” She shrugged. “I don’t miss those days.”
I hid my shock. “Was it hard? Training to become an idol?” I must have asked the dumbest question known to mankind at the horrified look she gave me like I was so clueless I probably couldn’t even start a fire if I had matches.
Joke’s on you, did it last night! HA!
She barked out a laugh. “Hard? Yes. Everything’s hard, down to trying to figure out what you can buy for four US dollars a day… that’s your stipend for food.”
“Wait.” I gaped. “For three meals?”
“Don’t forget snacks.” She sighed. “There’s a reason everyone’s so thin, though some groups appreciate the low end of the stipend. There’s no temptation to go wild eating a ton of food.”
“But—”
“What?” she interrupted. “Are you shocked?” A grim smile passed across her face before she straightened.
“Maybe.” I bit down on my lower lip. It actually made more sense now why the guys were almost desperate to make their comeback successful. They’d sacrificed everything to get to this point, and now that they were on top, the pressure to stay there was huge.