❛INFERIOR | APPLYFIC❜

[ ❋ ] 01 第章.

DI YĪ ZHĀNG
CHAPTER ONE ; PRE-DEBUT ♬ | | anyone who is not making mistakes is not trying hard enough for their dream.

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          Five girls stood awkwardly in the lobby, pretending to be interested in their newly painted fingernails in order not to make a civilised conversation. Their taxi should have arrived seven minutes ago, and the girls were starting to grow increasingly impatient. The rain pattered miserably against the vast glass windows, tarnishing what should have been a celebratory day.

          "So..." Aeseul looked around, in the hope of finding something that was worthy enough to be discussed. The lack of friendship sprouting between the group was particularly painful, especially for the future leader. "We're all gonna debut in the same group... you nervous?" Of course. Of course they were nervous. She just needed reassuring that the girls around her actually knew how to socialise.

          There was silence - Hina looked up from her phone, debating on whether to answer or not. It'd be rude not to, but she didn't want to subject herself to embarrassment, for being the first one to speak. "Not at all," she lied breezily. She resisted the urge to even glance at anyone while she said it, fearing it'd be too awkward.

          All remained quiet until the maknae spoke up. "Our taxi's here! Our taxi's here!" Jisoo suddenly cried, practically breaking the sound barrier, as she jumped up and down with glee. "I call shotgun!"

          "Nobody's calling shotgun," said Saetbyeol flatly, picking up her singular bag and swinging it round her shoulder. She was more shook by the sudden movement than she cared to admit. "I am."

          They were right - a sleek black taxi had pulled up in front of the building, tyres making a satisfying sound against the gravel. Jisoo picked up her variety of pastel coloured bags, and started "running" slowly toward the entrance - Saetbyeol followed in hot pursuit.

        "Looks like those two are gonna get along fine..." Yoojin sighed sarcastically, attempting to pick up her four bags simultaneously: she failed.

      "You need help with that?" asked Hina, taking the bag seemingly full of Rillakuma plushies. Saetbyeol and Jisoo had already approached the taxi, and were now having a heated discussion with the driver about who gets to sit in the front. (By the looks of it, no-one.)

          Once they were all in the taxi, it made way for a new opportunity to socialise. With Saetbyeol in the front, playing EXO, with backing vocals from Yoojin and Hina, everything seemed to have loosened up between them since the wait. Jisoo and Aeseul sat in the back, making small talk, with elongated pauses in between sentences. They were making progress, to say the least.

          "Have you girlies seen your house yet?" The taxi driver turned his head round as the traffic lights changed to scarlet, shouting over the volume of the music.

        "House?" Aeseul became increasingly aware of the chatter around her, and flapped her hands at Saetbyeol, signalling to turn down Artificial Love. "I thought it was a flat? Like, a really gross flat? It's not?"

         Her questions didn't get answered as the lights flashed green, and the taxi roared to a start again. The track switched to Cloud 9, and the girls in the front started singing again.

          After a lengthy journey, and more inputs from the driver, the girls finally arrived at their future flat. The taxi pulled up in front of a large block of flats, that was easily twenty storeys high. From the outside, it looked painfully average, with wide windows and dark grey hindrances. Saetbyeol made a disinterested face, trying not to look at the block while she clambered out of the car. There was a cloudy feeling of dread pooling in the bottom of her stomach, and she had a feeling it wouldn't be going anywhere soon.