Stay - Stray Kids Han Jisung FF (RESQ SAGA PART 3)

12.

(Mika, Lin, Soojin, Alix -including hair-, Leah)

The day of my debut finally came and we were all very nervous, to say the least. I had found out, though, that each of the girls was very different when showing their nervousness. Mika tended to be quiet and pace around the room, Leah muttered reasurring things under her breath moving around the room too, Lin kept rehearsing and Soojin tried to distract herself with other things.

I too had a unique way of showing how nervous I was. The boys even gave me the nickname Moai due to it. I just sat down somewhere -although I could also be standing up- and simply thought about how I wanted the stage to go and imagining all of the possible wrong scenarios I could encounter to be prepared if needed.

"If instead of these clothes, you were wearing your normal ones, you would have scared the shit out of me," Woojin told me.

"Woojin, I don't know what to do. I don't think I'm ready for debut," I told him panicking. "I don't even wear these clothes. I haven't worn a blouse in what seems like forever."

"Don't be stupid, you will do just fine," Jisung, who had just approached us, assured me. "Besides, I really think you are rocking that outfit. It's very unlike you, sure, but you still look amazing."

I didn't know why but his comment made me visibly blush. I wasn't at all used to receiving compliments but, when I did, I never had such a reaction. I even straightened my clothes and looked down, not daring to look at him.

"Alix, relax," Woojin told me. "This is your dream, right? You have been working for this for a very long time and, finally, you are going to make it come true. Don't let your nervousness get the best of you."

"He's right. You haven't worked this hard to drop out last minute, have you?" Jisung said and placed his hand on my shoulder.

I didn't expect him to do that at all so, as I was looking down, I quickly turned towards him shocked and he thought he was making me uncomfortable.

"Sorry," he said scratching his head.

"No, that wasn't what I-" I tried to say but was interrupted by our manager, Yeongjae, who burst inside the room.

We all turned towards him startled from his abrupt entrance which made him laugh suddenly.

"You should see your faces!" he told us. "Girls, everything is ready. Say goodbye to the boys and all and prepare to go on stage, alright?"

"Yes, Yeongjae!" we all told him before he left again.

All of us then made a circle in the middle of the room along with our hairstylists, stylists and makeup artists to do a group cheer.

"So, this is it!" Mika said. "Although I must admit things didn't start off smoothly when you arrived, Alix, I'm very happy about you joining the four of us and adding your new perspective and vision to the group. This is just one comeback of many more to go and I hope we get to know each other better as well as get to grow as artists and as people. ResQ now is five or nothing. Hands to the middle!"

We then all cheered together and the boys wished us good luck before we had to go on stage to do the first part of the showcase.

For the first section, we would be performing «Between Us», «Streets of Gold» and «Save Me, Save You» while for the second one we would be performing «Turn it On», «%%Eung Eung» and «Pepe».

They had asked us whether we wanted to start already performing one of the songs or wait for the grand reveal, so we had also prepared a five-member version of «Oh! My Mistake» to start out with before proceeding with the rest of the songs. We had also said we wanted to show all of the songs, so we wouldn't have too much talking in the showcase although we had created an special segment in which the fans there could ask us questions.

When we were just about to go on stage to prepare for the entrance performance, I was shocked to see none other than Heechul there.

"Kim Heechul?" I called him.

"Alix!" he exclaimed when he saw me. "Ta-da! You didn't expect this right?"

"What are you doing in a JYP showcase?" I asked him confused.

"He called me personally and asked me if I wanted to do it. I'm actually a big fan of ResQ and you have joined them, so I found no better excuse!" he explained. "It's great to see things are going great for you finally."

"Sorry to interrupt," Mika said. "You two know each other?"

"Of course we do!" Heechul answered. "This rascal here knows basically everyone in SM due to all of the years she spent there as a trainee. I remember that the first time I talked to her was because she was preparing one of Super Junior's songs for her evaluation with a group of other trainees and she was doing my part."

"Wow! You really seem to know everyone there, Alix!" Lin exclaimed. 

"By the way, thank you for supporting ResQ," Mika told him bowing, so the rest did the same. "It's amazing to hear that from one of our seniors."

"No need to thank me," he told her. "Let's stop chatting now. You have a showcase to perform in and we wouldn't want to keep the fighters waiting, would we? Good luck!"

We then all did as told and left to go on stage. All of the lights were turned off, so the Fighters couldn't see us.

"Good luck, Alix. You can do it!" Soojin told me before going to her spot.