Produce Project #101

We're Monsters

"Seonho? Seonho!" Guanlin called, worriedly looking around for his friend in the big auditorium. "Has anyone seen Seonho?" He asked the passing trainees. They all responded with sad "no's" or shook their heads. Everyone was either still trying register what had happened, or look for their own friends and label mates. "Where is he?" Guanlin asked himself while pacing around. He looked in every chair, back stage, near the exits, and under the judges table, but there was no sign of the younger trainee anywhere.

~

Seonho hid behind a big blue curtain that was behind the ranking pyramid, shaking and covering himself with his new wings in the dark. "M-Minhyun.." he said reaching out for the first passing figure he saw.

Minhyun stopped pacing around and looked down at the small male who was curled up in a ball, hiding in fear. He sat down on the floor in front of the little trainee. "Minhyun... It's over for us, isn't it?" Seonho began with tears escaping his big brown eyes. "We will be stuck in here forever. Even if we did leave, what would people think of us?" He asked, tearing up more than before. "We're monsters!"

Seonho yelled the word that Minhyun was thinking of, but he didn't want to admit it. They were monsters. They weren't normal anymore.

Minhyun looked down at the floor, not wanting to lie to the young trainee. The older thought that Seonho was too young to be put in such a stressful situation. "I won't let anything happen to you.. I promise." Minhyun said holding onto the younger trainee's hands, suddenly feeling the need to protect him.

"But how are we supposed to survive? What even are we?" Seonho asked raising his voice. "We will never be the same after this! We can't even become idols anymore. I'm scared Minhyun!" He yelled, suddenly hugging onto the older trainee. Seonho was angry. He came here to start his life, not finish it.

Minhyun hesitated to hug Seonho back, not exactly knowing how he could do so without squishing Seonho's feathers.

~

"Seonho!" Guanlin kept calling until he found his partner trainee with Minhyun. "Are you two okay?" He asked them. The trainees have spent the past hour locating their friends and trying to figure out what was happening. Finally things were beginning to calm down and the strangers were getting to know each other, preparing for a sad lifetime together.

The two trainees nodded in response. "Guanlin are you okay?" Seonho asked his friend back. "Yeah I'm fine. I'm just not used to...." Guanlin began and looked at his back, referring to his big black feathered wings. "They're ugly too..." he continued sadly. Seonho frowned, nodding in agreement. "Mine aren't much better." He responded bitterly, taking a look at his brown and white owl-like wings.

Minhyun was busy focusing on his own white wings, admiring them. "I actually don't mind them." He said looking at the shiny feathers dreamily. The three kept conversing about their futures.

~

Daniel ran straight to his little friend, the youngest trainee out of them all right after BoA left the room. Tears escaped his eyes as he shook Woojin lightly, looking for any sign of life. The child's hair covered his slightly opened brown and glazed over eyes.

Seongwoo spotted Daniel. He was the only trainee from his company, so he spent the past hour trying to comfort the people around him. He walked over to Daniel, his breath hitching when he saw the lifeless child on the ground.

"Were you two good friends?" Seongwoo asked Daniel quietly as he knelt beside Woojin's body. "We barely knew each other. I hugged him backstage because I thought he was cute." Daniel chuckled bitterly as he explained this.

Seongwoo closed his eyes, disappointed in the situation that they were in. "I'm so sorry.." he said and put an arm around Daniel. Daniel looked up at Seongwoo. He was thankful that a person like this was among them. If the trainees really did have to stay in that building forever, at least they had a person like Seongwoo with them. 'He's quite good looking too. He must look good on camera as well.' Daniel thought to himself. His thoughts were interrupted when a sudden yell was heard from the front of the auditorium. All heads turned.

"He's flying!" Dongho yelled, pointing at a small figured trainee in the air.