Competition in your heart! [YiZhan/ZhanYi FF]✔️

-9- The Duo Choice

-9- The Duo Choice

In the last few days we had nothing more than training, eating, appointments and sleeping. It was a hellish week and I really hope that it will not continue to be as extreme as in the past days.

Yesterday was Thursday and I was totally excited the whole day because it was XNINE coming back to the hotel in the evening. But thanks to our manager, I didn't find the time to see Zhan.

This morning we had three hours of practice before we went to shower and prepared for the show in the evening. And after lunch the buses came and picked us up. At least there I was able to have a short look at Zhan.

Unfortunately all groups are driven to the studio separately. So that the fans probably don't notice that everybody gets along quite well with each other. At least that's my guess.

After the rehearsals for the evening, and after we were interviewed individually, the production manager came to us together with a few others and explained the new rules for the duos to us and our manager again. And our manager did not like them at all.

Why? Well, maybe he should have read the fine print, too. Because it says that the duos will be packed together for the time of cooperation. More precisely, it means that the duos will spend the whole week together from the end of the show, they will sleep in one room, they will eat together, train together and even spend the weekend together somewhere away from everyone else. They will be accompanied by the camera for about four hours a day, so the audience can see how they get to know each other better, train together and how they spend the day. It will soon be like a couples show.

Which in turn means no training together with the group, no manager and no one else. Only the duo partner and yourself. With that the plans of our manager have been ruined. Only training and appointments and nothing else? At least not anymore.

You could see that he was shocked, but he tried to pretend that he knew and agreed. I think he only saw his fee. Because it was doubled by the production.

And for me that means I have to find a way to get the audience and my fans to vote for Zhan and me and make it a duo. Already tonight the duo couples will be announced.

There are only two hours left until then. So I have to think of something quickly before the show starts. Nothing should go wrong today. I really want to form a duo with Zhan, every week. Because that way I have him to myself all the time.

Oh yes, because the duos will not be performing until next week, each group has two performances today. It's up to us whether we want to sing and dance in both, or just sing or just dance.

After we were alone in our room again, we sat at our cell phones. And I addressed my fans. I wrote: "Don't miss the show tonight. Today duos from the different groups will be chosen. I am looking forward to it. By the way, what do you all think about Xiao Zhan singing?"

I know it's obvious, but hey, I want to make sure my fans understand me. And I also added a video of Zhan and wrote: "Unbelievable, but he sounds like an angel. Too bad he's our rival!"

For dinner we went to the cafeteria in groups. My group and the group XNINE were the last ones to go to dinner. For us they even cooked fresh food again.

I looked over at Zhan and he shook his head laughing and showed me his phone. I grinned back and the next moment I received a message on my social account. I opened the message and it was from Zhan: "Seriously? Like an angel? What are you up to?"

So I wrote to him: " What do you think? Form a duo with my new friend!"

From Zhan came: "We'll see how the crowd and the fans decide. 😉" 

"I hope they choose us. See you on stage Bunny." I wrote him back and Zhan looked over at me and grinned, showing me his cute bunny teeth.

Seungyoun and Li Wenhan kept looking at me with their heads tilted to one side and grinning. "Obviously, someone is looking forward to tonight." Like Wenhan doesn't already know why I'm so happy.

When the show started, all the groups were on stage from the beginning. XNINE was next to us again and Zhan and I were sitting next to each other. And because we were all sitting on the floor and there was only one wall behind us, nobody could see how I kept stroking Zhan's hand.

I really missed him a lot these last few days and I would have loved to jump on him and kiss him. But of course I can't do that and we are "only" friends at the moment. However, it does not mean that I cannot get a little closer to him. And unless Zhan says no, I'm gonna keep doing it.

I just hope I don't have to keep pretending that I just want to be friends for too long. Because I won't be able to hold that for too long. Not after we kissed and maybe some more would've happened if my manager hadn't called. But in a way, I'm glad my manager called, too. After all, we were drunk and if there is more going on between us, I want us both to be sober.

The show is coming to an end and we have all done our two performances. The tension is rising, because any moment the results of the duo selection will be announced on the big screen.

The tension inside me is rising immeasurably and I can hardly wait. And then, just to keep the tension up, there is another break. I ran into our room, picked up my phone and looked at the comments on my post. And what should I say? The majority of my fans wrote that they want to see Xiao Zhan and me together as a duo. Hopefully everyone else feels the same way.

The ten-minute break is over and we are brought back on stage. I sit next to Zhan and secretly hold his hand. He looks at me and winks at me. "Are you nervous?" He whispers to me and looks down at our hands.

"Yes, because I hope we can be a duo." I say it to him and he nods.

"We will see Yibo. And if not, maybe next week."

"No, better this week and every other week, too. I only want to make a duo with you."

"Okay, okay. Then I hope your fans understand you correctly."

Before the end of the show continues, the host comes over to Zhan and me and squats in front of us. "You guys get along really well, don't you? Be careful that nobody sees you holding hands. I keep my fingers crossed that you are chosen as a duo. I think that you' II fit together quite well."

Zhan and I stare at each other and then smile at the host. "We're just friends." Whispers Zhan to him.

The host winks at Zhan and says, "Yes, and I am an alien in disguise." I really needed to refrain from laughing. I like this man. Like him, China needs more people.

The show is back on, and finally the duos are announced. In a list, row after row, two names appear, along with the percentage of votes by which they were elected.

And at the very bottom of the list appears, exactly what I've been waiting for. And the host reads it out loud: "And our last duo are Xiao Zhan from XNINE and Wang Yibo from Uniq. A total of 73% of our viewers, want to see the two young men, who by the way were born only 4 days apart from each other in the same year, as a duo together. We are curious what these two young men will perform next week."

My wish has come true. From now on, I have exactly seven days alone with Zhan. Or almost alone. Now we'll go to the hotel, pack up and then we'll be taken somewhere. I'm excited like a little kid on Christmas morning.