Fight for it? RESQ - Stray Kids Hyunjin FF (RESQ SAGA PART 2)

87.

Three days later I was finally fully recovered and we were able to start properly rehearsing. We already knew the songs and dances and just needed to perfect and revise them.

The song we would be performing was <Regular> and the movements required a lot of strength and precision. Leah was the one who had the most trouble out of all of us, but she still managed really well nonetheless.

"So on the 'I need the bag on the regular', we wait until you are at the front before continuing, right?" Mika asked and I nodded. "Alright. I think we should stop for a few minutes and then get back to work."

"I agree!" Leah exclaimed laying down on the floor. "Soojin, you should tone it down a little with the dances. I don't even have time to breathe!"

"Don't over-exaggerate!" Lin told her as she too sat down. "Try to ignore the fact that your stamina is practically nonexistent."

"Hey!" Leah said sitting up straight. "Don't judge my belly! Not everyone here has abs, you know?"

"That's right! How do you even have abs when you don't work out?" Mika asked her. "Life is unfair."

"Are we really talking about this right now?" I chimed in. "Why do you care so much about having a belly? It's not the end of the world, jeez! You should all love your bodies."

"Don't take it personally, Soojin. We were only joking," Leah said. "Anyways, what did Yeongjae want to talk to you about, Lin?"

"He told me I was asked to go to 'Idol Producer 2' as a guest next year!" She answered excited. "I'm so pumped to see the new boys! Will there be a girl too? I'm curious!"

"Hey, chill down!" Leah joked stopping an over-excited Lin. "We can see you are happy!"

"How can I not be? That program is the reason I'm here with all of you," she explained. 

"I'm very happy for you," I told her. "We want some behind-the-scenes videos!"

"Of course you'll have them!" She said throwing an arm around my shoulders. "Your Chinese level might also let you chat with some of them too!"

ººº

(Leah, Lin, Soojin, Mika)

The day of the comeback eventually arrived: the 30th of October. Stray Kids were still promoting <I Am You>, so they weren't able to come. We weren't really alone, though, as Jinyoung, Momo, Jimin and YoungK came to cheer for us.

"Where did you leave the rest of your groups?" Mika asked everyone except Jimin.

"The others were busy," Momo said. "I was the only one able to come."

"I left the boys at the studio," explained YoungK. "Also, Jae was sick."

"They are at the cafeteria," Jinyoung blurted out. "I'm not kidding. They are all eating there."

"Jackson's idea?" I asked him.

"Who else could it be?" He said making us all laugh.

At that moment, Mika and Leah were the ones getting their hair and makeup done because Lin and I had lost a game of rock-paper-scissors and were the first ones to get it done. The seniors and both of us were chilling at the sofas right behind the makeup stations where they were.

"You really have courage, girls," Jimin told us. "The concept you are going for this time is really risky for a girl group."

"And what does exactly define a girl group? Cute concepts and easy dances?" I argued. "Imagine what Momo could have shown everyone if Twice wasn't all about cute concepts and high-pitched vocals. I want to showcase how there are good female rappers, vocalists and dancers regardless of the song or style. We shouldn't only be categorised by cute concepts and sexy girl-crush concepts. Our music is more intricate than that."

"Amen!" All of the girls said at the same time.

"If this is the mentality of the new generation, I have faith in this industry," Jinyoung told us. "Thanks to fighters like all of you, music in this country will take a turn. I'm sure of it."

"Maybe companies should have started giving us more freedom and trusting us sooner," I said smiling. "Anyways, how much time do we have left?"

"About half an hour," said Yeongjae, who had just come in. "By the way, I have news for you."

"Really? What is it?" I asked him curiously.

"JYP told me Laneige called him. They want you to film a commercial with them," he told me.

"You are joking!" I exclaimed standing up. "For real?!"

"Yes, for real," he said smiling.

I then jumped up and down from excitement. Getting to appear in a commercial in this industry was something not all could do, and the fact that such a luxurious makeup brand even set their eyes on me was unbelievable.

Mika and Leah, who had just finished getting ready, as well as Lin, approached me to do a group hug. I was relieved that they were genuinely happy for me and they weren't angry that not all of us were chosen.

"Filming is next week in between promotions. I'll give you the script tomorrow when they send it to me," Yeongjae told me. "Now, start warming up. You are performing in less than a blink of an eye."

As we warmed up and stretched, my phone suddenly got dozens of notifications at the same time, which made everyone in the room turn towards it.

"Can you pick it up?" I asked Jinyoung as he was the one closest to it.

"'2000's dork line'?" He read aloud. "Is that really the groups' name?"

"We are all 2000's liners and a bunch of idiots. What did you expect?" I said. "What do they say?"

"Astro's Sanha, a bunch of people from NCT, Xiyeon from Pristin, the Stray Kids' 00 liners, Yeji and Lia wish you luck," he read. "Also, Haechan and Hyunjin are bickering at the moment."

"Really?" I said facepalming. "What are they bickering about?"

"Haechan sent a bunch of hearts along with his good-luck text and Hyunjin is telling him you are his'," Jinyoung explained laughing. "These texts are like a written drama. 'The second lead and the lead fighting for the woman's love'."

"A pair of idiots is what they are!" I said making them laugh.

"RESQ to the stage!" A staff member said.

"Let's do this girls!" Mika said and we all made a circle with everyone there, including the stylists. "One, two, three..."

"RESQ!" We all exclaimed.

(LEAH, LIN, MIKA, SOOJIN)