𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐈𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲 ―𝐝.𝐨.𝐝

Chapter 33

[ Cho Seungmin's POV ]

The talent show ended. Everyone looked happier than before.

I stared at the slip of paper with a drawing of a vacuum. I won it after winning the balancing competition, where the person who stands the longest on one leg and does different flexibility poses wins.

"I'll give it to D," I thought as I slipped the paper into my pocket.

Instead of the usual MC, the female idol judge took over the announcements.

"Hello participants, I'm Youngrin, here to announce the third team evaluation of Idol. Inc.! Idol Inc., which started with 77 contestants, is now down to 30. First off, please give yourself a pat on the back for enduring thus far."

People gave themselves pats.

"In this third team evaluation, the teams were organized in a somewhat unique manner. It's the 'big data algorithm.' Idol Inc. analyzed the purchase pattern of shareholders and determined whose stocks were most bought together."

The people around me began whispering and glancing around to see who they would be with.

"When called, please come up to the stage and take the box with your name," Judge Youngrin continued. "There are badges in every box. Once checking your badge, please go down the hallway and enter the room marked with your corresponding badge."

The judge called us one by one in alphabetical order.

Moondae hyung was called before me, Sejin, and Ahyun hyung.

Ahyun hyung went to the stage alone.*

*ngl i was confused bc i thought it was by the consonant sounds of their names but ig not. M comes before A, but so does S. So Sejin should've been called before Ahyun but...

Then, Sejin hyung and I were called around the same time.

"Oh, both of us got the same one!" he said excitedly after we opened our box in front of the cameras in the hall.

"It's a rabbit," I smiled. I picked it out of the box and held it to the camera.

The badge was in the shape of a rabbit's head, so the two of us walked down the hall until we found the door with a rabbit marking.

"Let's see, who's in rabbit?" Sejin hyung shouted loudly as he barged open the door.

When we entered abruptly, Moondae was sitting awkwardly in the middle of Ahyun hyung and Raebin bowing deeply into the floor. At once, the tallest hyung started laughing.

Flustered to be seen in a weird position, both Ahyun hyung and Raebin shot up from the ground.

"Ah, Seungmin hyung!" Raebin beamed. "I look forward to your kind cooperation."

"M-min! Sejin! L-let's work hard t-together!" Ahyun hyung also said.

I smiled and nodded my head as I looked around. The five of us were a good composition: Sejin hyung is leaderly, Raebin is a good song arranger, Ahyun hyung is a good center, and Moondae hyung is a good singer and potential bringer.

We sat in a circle as Sejin hyung naturally took the leader role.

"Now then, rabbit class!" he said, clapping his hands, "let's do our best~"

Everyone copied his clap like we were in kindergarten.

In a playful voice, he continued, "Do we all remember the theme for the 3rd team match?"

"DIY performance!" Raebin answered confidently.

"Exactly! So let's hurry up and discuss what song to cover. Would anyone like to suggest a song?"