KQ's 1st Girl Group

Chapter Five

On the set of Mnets Rookie Royale

"Are you okay? You look like you're about to pass out." Jade asked, while the group waited backstage to walk out.
"Yeah. Just nervous. I think I have survival show trauma...I just...I don't want the group to fail because I lack..."
"We aren't going to fail. You don't lack anything. Those judges were just too stupid to see your potential." Kai said, jumping into the conversation after overhearing Lennox's struggle.
"They're mentors for a reason, Kai." Lennox smiled seeing Kai trying to comfort her. They really have come a long way in their friendship.
"Well maybe they shouldn't have been." Kai huffed.
Lennox grabbed Kai's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Thanks."
"Better?" Jade asked.
"I think I'm grounded enough to make it through filming. I'm nervous about what the first challenge could be."
"I hope it's a collaboration stage. I really want to work with Riize."
"And here we go." Amber laughed as Jordan spiraled about Riize for the umpteth time today.
"Sirenix standby.." One of the coordinators spoke.
One by one the girls linked hands, a silent ode to whatever would happen after they walked outside on the stage, they would get through it together.

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"How many times are you gonna watch that Woo?" San asked coming back into the living room with the box of his favorite chocolate that Jongho had bought him.
"Don't our views count as points for them?" Wooyoung asked, turning to see San nod as he sat down. "Well forever then." Wooyoung said seriously as he turned his attention back to the tv that played the intro performance for Sirenix.
"You can't watch it forever." San said seriously.
"Watch me." Wooyoung said, not even bothering to look at San causing the latter to sigh. They really need to have a talk about just how oblivious Wooyoung was.
"Woo?" Seonghwa called out as he put his shoe on the rack by the door.
"In the living room." Wooyoung yelled, pausing the video to give Seonghwa his undivided attention.
"Have you been sitting here all day?" Seonghwa asked wide eyed when Wooyoung was in the same spot he left him in hours ago.
"He's been sitting here racking up views." San snickered.
"Well go shower. I need your help getting dinner ready." Seonghwa said heading to put the bags in the kitchen.
"That's a lot of bags to feed the eight of us." San said, grabbing a bag and putting its contents away.
"The girls are coming over after filming today."
"I hope their experience is better than ours." San said as he grabbed another bag to put away.
"I'm sure Hongjoong made sure the conditions were better. They surely pissed him off enough to last several lifetimes." Seonghwa said putting away the last item before moving to wash the vegetables. "We will just make sure we support them in any way we can. Amber and Lennox might just need us the most."
"I don't know. Amber is pretty good at hiding her worries. She went through some similar things  like Lennox and yet I can't tell if she's been affected or not."
"You'll be the first one to know. She'll come to you. I can tell she's the most comfortable with you." Seonghwa said, placing his hand on San's shoulder.
"Just be there for her." Wooyoung said entering the kitchen after his quick shower. "I think that's why Lennox feels comfortable with me. I was there when she really needed someone."
"No. You were there because you stole the container of soup and ran off to her dorm." Yeosang laughed as he made his way to the cabinet to grab a cup.
"Tomato. Tomatoe." Wooyoung shrugged as he pulled out the spices he needed to marinate the meat Seonghwa bought.
A calm passed in the kitchen as San and Yeosang left the kitchen with the promise of coming back to set up the table as Seonghwa and Wooyoung prepared dinner.
"Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if it wasn't me that went to her dorm that day." Wooyoung admitted, breaking the silence. "Do you think... Do you think she'd still be my friend?"
"Is that what she is to you?" Seonghwa countered, turning just in time to see Wooyoung freeze, eyebrows scrunched in confusion. Seonghwa sighed. Obviously, Wooyoung was more oblivious than they thought.
"Hwa?!" Hongjoong called out. "Iseul just texted that the girls are wrapping up soon."
Hongjoong walked into the kitchen and instantly felt the shift in the atmosphere. He looked between Seonghwa and Wooyoung.
Seonghwa simply shook his head as a way to let Hongjoong know not to pull Wooyoung from his thoughts just yet. It was obvious from Wooyoung's tense shoulders that he had really been caught off guard by the question. Slowly the tension released from his shoulders and the haze cleared from his eyes.
"She's my best friend." Wooyoung whispered so quietly Hongjoong and Seonghwa almost missed it. "I know at times I'm a bit much. I'm loud. I talk a lot. I'm touchy. But she's never complained. She just accepts me as I am. She feels like Ateez to me. She feels like home."