- I've been waiting for this all week!
- I heard some spoilers from my friend, but I'm not going to share it here.
- Then why say it right now? Show-off.
- I want to hear the new songs ASAP!
The first scenes showed the different songs composed by the producers. As expected, they garnered varying reactions from the crowd.
- Brown Sugar Milk Tea is so cute! I wish June would perform it.
- Holy shit! Tie Me Up is a masterpiece. As expected from GroovyTunes.
- No one can beat Skateboard Ride. PCatt has done it again.
Then, snippets of trainees saying the song they wanted to get were shown. Again, it was expected that most of them wanted to perform Skateboard Ride by PCatt. However, only a few were able to make it to the team. And when the audience saw the members of Skateboard Ride, they were flabbergasted by the number of high-rankers included.
- WTF? What is this line-up? Their performance is about to be goated.
- I see a sneak, though. Or two sneaks. What are those individual trainees doing there?
- June strikes again! He'll win another mission because of the other members' ranks.
- Bitch, shut up! June is ranked 11th. There are plenty more members who have lower ranks than him in this team.
- Yeah, he's ranked 11th 'cause yo mama voted for him.
Minjun couldn't help but let out a huge laugh as he read that comment out loud. "Oh goodness, this is hilarious! They're getting so mad when you didn't even stay in that team."
"What the hell?" Mimi stood up from her couch, watching the scene with wide eyes. "Why is June in Skateboard Ride? He performed Tie Me Up!"
Sasha frowned as she popped some popcorn into her mouth. "Why? Were you a part of the panel that chose their songs for them?"
"No," Mimi said.
"Then, how'd you know that he performed Tie Me Up?" Lala squinted her eyes suspiciously. "Did you go to the live show even though you were busy?"
"Of course not!" Mimi exclaimed. "I'm—I'm busy," she stammered. "I just thought June would suit that song more."
"Oh, come on," Sasha said. "That dude hasn't rapped in the entirety of the show. He probably can't even compose a rap for the song."
"You don't know that," Mimi said, clenching her fists.
June will show them.
However, deep inside Mimi's mind, she couldn't shake off the feeling of sadness. Since June performed a different song, it could only mean one thing—he was going to be kicked out.
The show continued, and it seemed like a lot of people were already predicting the outcome of the Concept Mission. Ultimately, Team Risers was projected to win.
After the series of practices was aired, the most exciting part of the team selection was finally shown—the elimination of trainees.
As the scene transitioned from day to night, the different teams contemplating were shown on screen. For most of the teams, the decision came easy. Team 'Break My Heart' huddled together, each member clutching a piece of paper with a trainee's name written on it. Their strategy was simple: the trainee who had the most votes was going to leave the team.
In the blink of an eye, the papers were drawn and read aloud. "C-Jay," the team leader announced with a shrug. C-Jay, not wanting to look bothered, took the news surprisingly well, even managing to flash a thumbs-up to the camera as he made his graceful exit.
- We need to make this dude stay. He's the funniest in the entire show.
- Damn, he took that elimination like a pro. Maybe he'll find his true calling as a comedian.
The other teams, too, settled with the voting system, and not much drama was shown despite the nature of the elimination.
Team Skateboard Ride, on the other hand, gave the production team the needed drama for the episode. They sat in awkward silence, not one daring to break the ice. Then, the signature tension-filled music characterized the scene, making the viewers watch in anticipation.
- Shit is about to get real.
- Where's June?
- I heard he was in the hospital during this time.
- Then, he'll most likely be eliminated.
- What are you talking about? This is the first time June actually received such nice comments during the interim evaluation. The mentors also said that he did a really good job. How can this team kick him out?
Back in Grandma's apartment, the guys were engulfed in silence, all of them watching the scene with concentration on their faces. For most of them, this was the first time they saw the scene in full perspective.
June was curious how they came to such a decision, while the others were curious as to how June took the decision.
"But as a former teammate, I want to suggest something," Xin spoke.
"Go ahead," Lin Zhi said.
"This is coming from a good place," he smiled. "I want the best for your performance, and I also don't want you guys to have a hard time deciding on who to kick out next. So, why don't you kick June out instead?"
June scoffed. So, it was Xin, huh? And to think that June even helped him with the choreography during the practices.
Whatever.
June was already over it. He spent a lot of time internalizing his feelings, and he was all better now…
At least, that's what he thought.
Until he saw the edit that the editing team did during his arrival.
With a disheveled appearance, June ran through the hallways of the training grounds. As he reached the door, a somber piano played in the background, and the scene played in slow motion.
June's eyebrows furrowed as he watched the scene. He never recalled it to be this dramatic.
Jaeyong and Zeth turned to June with wide eyes.
'He ran there?' Jaeyong thought, feeling even sadder.
Then, as June opened the door, the camera focused on his face.
The current June felt his breath get caught in the back of his throat as he looked at himself on the screen.
Why does he look so…sad?
"You could have told me first," June calmly said, but there was an underlying shakiness in his voice.
Zeth cleared his throat. "That's our mistake, little bro," he warily said. "We should have contacted you about the decision."
"So, it's final?" June asked.
"It's final," Lin Zhi said, his voice cutting through the air. "You should meet the production crew in the training center so you can choose the song you'll perform."
"Alright," June said in a sad tone.
There was a collective gasp in the room as they looked into June's eyes through the screen.
In the depths of his eyes, a sea of sorrow resided, hidden beneath his stern composure. At first glance, one might mistake them for eyes devoid of emotion. Yet, within those windows to the soul, there lies a disappointment that dances in the shadows.
- June huhuhuhu. I'm fucking crying. I can't believe they kicked him out.
- Alright, I actually feel pretty bad for the dude now.
- If you feel sad for him, then vote for June on the Azure app!
- Don't be sad, black kitty. I'll send you all my stars.
- That was not cool at all. And am I the only one who found it weird how Lin Zhi didn't even sound apologetic after all?
- And that Xin guy. He should have been voted out along with the other independent trainees.
- I've never seen June so…sad.
