weightless | idol producer

Chapter 5

"Can't say I'm not surprised you chose the 'What I Miss' team," Yanjun said, setting down his tray and stepping over the bench to sit down. It was dinner at the dorms, and the Idol Producer trainees were as loud as ever in the cafeteria. Yanjun felt a hint of nostalgia for the Banana building, which rivaled in its loudness but with a familiarity this one didn't have. He felt the loud silence of four absences at the table - they had said their farewells to Ruotian, Jingzuo, Maotong, and Zhixie just that morning. Yanjun thought about how his skills compared to theirs and concluded he might just be reduced to another empty seat after the next elimination. The glaring 28 running across the front of his sweater agreed.

"What can I say? I love clichés. What about you, Mr. I'm-Suddenly-Going-To-Take-A-Shot-At-Singing-A-Love-Song?" Zhangjing retorted, immediately stealing a piece of chicken off of Yanjun's plate with his chopsticks. Yanjun smiled at Zhangjing, who popped it into his mouth and chewed happily, wiggling his eyebrows at him.

Zhangjing was genuinely improving his eating habits, especially after arriving at Idol Producer. He didn't feel the pressuring gazes of their staff and credited his extra eating to his need to sing more while on the show - a heavy stomach supports the vocal cords, as he always claimed. Yanjun was just happy that looking at food didn't make Zhangjing sick anymore. He was starting to see the happy-virus-Zhangjing he was used to a little bit more every day; he was content with knowing he wouldn't have to worry about Zhangjing's habits if he happened to leave soon.

Yanjun remembered feeling slightly useless at first - it seemed that the one obligation that had brought the two of them into friendship in the first place was slowly disappearing. It was childish to think it wouldn't ever go away - of course, it's not like Zhangjing would need Yanjun forever - but it eased Yanjun's mind to think that what had initially tightened their bond wasn't the only thing keeping them together anymore. Over the course of just a couple of months, Zhangjing had managed to become the person closest to this cold Yanjun.

"I wanted to practice my singing," Yanjun answered with a shrug. He was honestly afraid this stage was going to be his last on Idol Producer and he wanted to seize the opportunity and practice his vocals while he still had the chance. He wasn't sure why couldn't admit that to Zhangjing just yet. Maybe it was because he was ranked 10, so close to fulfilling his dream, while Yanjun was sitting at a measly 28. He knew Zhangjing would just fuss over his worries and reassure him, but Yanjun was significantly more realistic than his counterpart.

Zhangjing chuckled. "Just don't kill Dinghao. And don't forget to ask for help." Zhangjing smiled at Yanjun with a sincerity that made Yanjun bite the inside of his lip. He wondered sometimes if he deserved Zhangjing.

"I heard my name. Talking trash, fools?" they heard, signaling the arrival of their extremely loud colleague. Yanjun rolled his eyes.

"I'm surprised you're sitting here instead of at-" Yanjun coughed conspicuously, making a grand gesture with his waving hand at the table where the Yuehua trainees usually sat. Dinghao turned a color reflective of the Idol Producer red-orange hoodies.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he responded haughtily, quickly turning up his chin in disgust and spooning some rice into his mouth. Zhangjing giggled and clapped his hands in anticipation.

"Does Dinghao have a crush? Spill!" Dinghao sent Zhangjing a look of disdain.

"Do I, Lu Dinghao, look like I'd settle for any of the losers in this building? I need a prince charming, not a lame minion enthusiast."

"A... who?" Zhangjing looked to Yanjun for confirmation and found him laughing intensely into a fist.

"You do realize you just gave yourself away," he coughed out between laughs. "We never said anything about minions, you Xinchun enthusiast." The color drained from Dinghao's face, and he stuffed quite the bite into his mouth while flashing Yanjun the finger.