#trainees:hakim

[eriversenpcs]

[17:26, Tastemaker Trainees Dorm]

- Starring: Baek Vitaliy, Min Ho-seok, Youn Woo-cheol, Kim "Hakim" Kyeongha, Manager Lee Jun-hyung - Synopsis: A trainee receives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. - Year: 2021 - Length: 793 wds.

Today's the day, Vitaliy thought as he sipped on a lukewarm mug of green tea. He could hear his training mates in the living room arguing about something frivolous while he sat in the kitchen trying to quell the butterflies in his stomach. I just hope this wasn't for nothing...

Finally, the group cellphone, which had been entrusted to him, started going off. His heart skipped a beat upon checking the caller ID and seeing it was indeed their manager. It's go time. High on a brief hit of euphoria, Vitaliy ran into the living room with a little more speed than necessary.

At last, an opportunity had come for him and his friends. A chance to get the hell out of the Tastemaker Dungeon and into the public eye in the form of a survival show. Four of them had auditioned and showed their...diverse talents. He worked so hard to get everyone ready and all he could do now is hope that in the end it was all worth it.

"Alright, guys," he said, climbing over Hoseok to take a seat on the sofa between him and Hakim, "Everyone ready?"

"Yep," Hakim said with the same amount of enthusiasm. "Mm-hmm," Hoseok nodded cheerfully. Vitaliy shot a look at Woocheol, who was huddled on an adjacent living chair. He looked up from his phone to give a wink and thumbs up.

"Let's pray," Hakim remarked. Hoseok loudly clasped his hands together and bowed his head. "Not literally, weirdo," Hakim snickered as he smacked his hyung's arm.

Vitaliy took a deep breath and accepted the call.

"Manager-nim," Vitaliy called out as he put the call on speakerphone and laid it on the coffee table in front of them. "Taliy-ah," Junhyung replied, "Sorry I couldn't be there in person. Is everyone there?"

"Yes," Vitality replied eagerly, almost cutting his sunbae off, "Do you have the results?" There was a bit of staticky silence, which worried Vitaliy. Finally he and the others could hear what Junhyung was saying: "Yes, but first there's some things to discuss." Vitaliy, Hoseok, and Hakim all leaned in. "First, I'm sorry to say that your possible debut date has been pushed back indefinitely."

The trainees had seen it coming, so they weren't too upset. Hakim sighed, "Well...did the CEO say why?" More static. "No," Junhyung finally replied flatly, "But I assume it has something to do with that new survival show the company's planning. I'm sorry, guys."

The call continued with the topics of training hours, curfews, diets, fitness requirements, and harsher punishments for violating rules in response to the Lovemonth incident. "Oh! I almost forgot," Junhyung interjected his own runaway train of thought, "About that other show."

The three eager trainees who had sunk in their seats after an eon-long lecture that could've been an email perked up once more. "It turns out that one of you did enough to impress the judges."

"So it was me," Hakim confidently proclaimed, "I think we all know that by now. I mean...not to toot my own horn or nothin', but I did a great job, so...beep beep motherfuckers!"

"It was not you, Hakim," Junhyung stated flatly. "Oh," Hakim replied in a flustered tone, "Well...I mean, that's probably for the best. 14-15 hours days? Always being on camera? And no phone? Sheeeeit, y'all woulda had the wrong one."

"It's okay to be disappointed," Hoseok said softly as he attempted to put an arm around Hakim, who swatted his hyung's hand away with a "boy, if you don't git--"

"Congratulations, _____," Junhyung said through static. The three looked at each other in confusion; "I think he said Hoseok," Vitaliy said hesitantly. They eventually rejoiced as Hoseok turned bright red. "Wow, I...didn't think they'd actually pick me," he said through a goofy smirk as the training mates on opposite sides of him showered him in congratulations and back pats.

"Wait," Junhyung interrupted, "No, not Hoseok. I said Woocheol."

The three looked at each other. "Sorry," Vitaliy inquired, begging Junhyung to repeat himself. "It's Woocheol," Junhyung clarified, "I repeat: Woocheol has been cast on X or Y?, not Hoseok. Congratulations, Woocheol."

Junhyung excused himself from the conversation and hung up as Vitaliy, Hoseok, and Hakim looked over at Woocheol. He was busy catching up on YouTube makeup tutorial videos, waiting for the call to end and for Hoseok to give him the abridged version of Junhyung's long-winded list of announcements as was their common routine. Woocheol sighed, "So...what bad news did he have for us this time?"

He looked up from his phone to see three very different shocked expressions on his training mates' faces: one of pleasant surprise, one of intense jealousy, and one of sheer, unbridled anxiety. "What?"