Treasure From The Stars

Chapter 31

I turned around and found Sunny standing behind me. "Sunny unnie?" I froze, surprised by her appearance and terrified of the outcome.

She sat down at a nearby chair. "Are you dating Minjun?"

I shook my head and sat down across from her. "Unnie, don't come up with anything. We're just... We used to be acquaintances when we were younger."

"You do know that the way you talk to him sounds like you guys are much more than acquaintances."

I sighed, "We were friends. Okay?"

Sunny smiled. "See, you weren't just acquaintances."

I had nothing to say.

"I should give you some advice."

Curious, I cocked my head to the side.

"Don't ever let Hyori know that you have a connection to Minjun."

"Why?"

Sunny stared at me for a few seconds.

I assumed she was determining whether it was safe to tell me or not.

"She said she got rejected by him a year or two back- Said he already had someone he loved for a long time."

Goosebumps began to prickle onto my skin as I thought of Minjun and Hyori together.

"Just keep that in mind. You saw how sensitive Hyori was."

I nodded.

"Are you going to go to sleep?"

"Yeah... Are you going to, unnie?"

"In a bit. I'll see you in the morning."

I got up and walked into the elevator.

✩☽☆☾✩

"The group with the highest team score is..." the robotic voice started. "Team We Won't Die."

My eyes widened.

Hyeji, Hyerim, and Yuna pulled me into a big group hug.

The voice continued, "Contestants; Choi Yumi, Hwang Hyeji, Jung Hyerim, and Ahn Yuna are protected from elimination."

We lined up, side by side, and bowed to the judges. Exclaiming, "Thank you."

The clapping from the adults died down.

The voice spoke again, "With the personal scores of 83 and 85, Joy and Yuna are eliminated..."

Nam PD-nim picked up his mic, "However, Yuna is protected by an elimination shield. With the score of 88, unfortunately, Park Sunny is eliminated."

I looked up in surprise. "What?" I mumbled to myself. "Sunny unnie?"

She took a step forward, next to Joy.

"You both did really well. You made it to the third round. Especially you, Sunny. You did well and you did great, your score says a lot. However, because of the elimination shield for Team We Won't Die, you had to be selected as an eliminating trainee."

She nodded as small tears rolled down her cheeks. "Thank you for the opportunity..."

Nam PD-nim nodded in acceptance.

As Joy and Sunny walked to the left of the stage, making their way off-stage, I took a step forward and reached for Sunny's hands.

She smiled, her eyes still glistening with tears. She patted my hands in assurance and walked away before I could say anything.

I took back a step into my place as I watched Sunny become smaller from my view.

Nam PD-nim cleared his throat. "For our remaining nine contestants, this is where things will get much tougher. It won't just be about the singing or the dancing or the teamwork. It's about the effort and responsibility to become an idol. I believe all of you have the potential to become one, but after potential must come the work." He tapped a few buttons and our names popped up on the screen. "There are two missions left. They are the semi-final and the final rounds. It will be about shining yourself as well as helping to shine others throughout a group. I wish you good luck for the last steps into the Hidden Cove of Crystals."

"This week, we will be having some photoshoots for all nine contestants. It will be used until you are either eliminated or until your debut. You will be given an extra instructor/mentor session for the upcoming rounds as well." Mrs. Vanessa pointed at the screen as we all looked up. "Before, you were given six days to practice with the seventh day as the performance day. However, for the next two rounds, you will be given eight days in advance and the ninth day will be your final evaluation for that mission."

This time, Mr. Ki began to speak. "Your phones are still yours to keep, in fact, they are now on a more free-er standard. Now, the internet is available for your research and updates." He looked down at some papers in front of him. "Please be aware. With the loose independence with the internet, you may come across negative ideas. We advise that you stay away, but we do let them open so that you may learn to overcome them- However, if you wish to have the internet blocked, please let our staff know."

"Your fourth mission will be given to you, early tomorrow morning. So please, be ready for it," Nam PD-nim concluded. "Good luck for the semi-finals."