June's teammates couldn't stop looking at him. Their eyes were practically burning holes into his skull, causing him to sigh.
"What?" June asked.
"Since when have you dyed your hair?" Ren asked.
"Before the field day," June nonchalantly responded.
Jangmoon's eyes widened in surprise. "It's been that long? So, your hair has been dyed when we went to your house to cry?"
Casper swiftly turned to him. "You guys went to June's house to hang out?"
Jangmoon clicked his tongue. "Why? Don't tell me you want to join us next time."
Casper pursed his lips and refrained from speaking.
"Well, it doesn't matter," June said. "I might dye my hair back to black before our performance."
Since he already accomplished the mission, there was no way Fu was going to retaliate.
However, much to June's surprise, his teammates simultaneously exclaimed, "No!"
Jangmoon let out a deep breath like something was brewing inside him, and then he jumped up and ruffled June's hair.
"I was holding back a while ago, but you look really good with pink hair, bro! You're like those tiny, naked dolls that people put on the back of their phones."
"Sonny Devils?" Daeho asked.
"Yup!" Jangmoon exclaimed. "I believe this will be our key to victory. You can't dye your hair back. Pink is your color!"
"Cute," Casper chimed, but June ignored him.
Ren nodded enthusiastically. "You really suit it well. It's like we're back in your pink mask era."
"And that was an iconic era!" Jangmoon said. "But why is your hair so soft even when it's dyed? The last time I got my hair dyed, it felt like literal hay. I was balding in three spots."
"Really cute," Casper repeated in a louder voice this time, but his teammates ignored him again.
"His hair stylist must have been really good," Daeho said.
June shrugged. It seemed like Kumo actually knew what he was doing.
"Pink is cute!" Casper exclaimed even louder, startling his teammates. "You look like a little kid."
June looked at him weirdly before shaking his head. Meanwhile, Casper was thinking if he should dye his cat, Luther, pink too.
Just then, Ren started rummaging through the outfits. He pulled out a hanger and placed it before June before squinting his eyes.
Then, there was a dinging sound in his mind—like he had hit the jackpot.
"This is it," Ren excitedly said. "Little kids! Let's be literal kids."
"Oof, I don't know if I want that," Jangmoon said. "That must be some kind of kink or something."
Ren clicked his tongue and showed them the outfit he had put together.
June looked at the outfit and let out a small smile. This uniform is the type that Minjun wore. That little devil managed to worm his way into June's mind again. It was true that Minjun looked really cute in it.
So, June nodded in approval. "I want to go with this one."
Casper agreed quickly, too. "Let's go with this one."
Jangmoon groaned as he slumped down on the chair. "But Peter Pan!" he complained.
Daeho shook his head. "You're on your own, bud. I'm going with this one too."
Jangmoon clicked his tongue and stood up, glaring at his teammates. "Fine," he scoffed. "But I'll come up with our team name. I already have something in mind."
"Will that make you quiet?" Casper asked.
"Yes," Jangmoon smiled.
"Fine," Casper sighed. "What's our team name."
Jangmoon smiled cheekily at them, and maybe June should have stapled Jangmoon's lips close at that point.
"No take-backs, okay?" he excitedly said.
"We'll be—Team Adorbz!"
***
The sun beat down on the crowd gathered outside the massive building. A sea of colorful banners filled the air as people lined up to the entrance, where the trainees of 'Rising Stars' were going to perform for their next mission.
The amount of starlights waiting outside the venue was already groundbreaking. The line had reached out near the roads, and the parking areas adjacent to Azure were all filled with enthusiastic fans. Even people who were unfortunate to not get any tickets stood outside the venue to cheer for their favorite trainees.
The fan gathering had reached the sidewalks, and some grumbling middle-aged men were growing impatient.
Jia and her friends weren't able to get to the front of the line this time around. They had come at dawn, but there was already a line of fans waiting even though they came early.
"What the hell is this even for?" a man that smelled of cigarette smoke exclaimed. Then, he glanced at the banner on the entrance.
"Some K-Pop gay shit, huh? Can't believe teens actually line up for something like this," another man with a beer belly guffawed out loud, some of the hamburger crumbs from his mouth splattering to the ground.
Jia grimaced and glared at the imposing group of men. They were wearing suits and seemed to be going to work, yet they looked less respectable than a jobless man.
The men noticed Jia's glare, causing them to walk toward her group.
"Shit," Na-ri cursed. "Don't look their way."
"Well, well, what are some pretty ladies doing out here lining up for puny boys? Why don't you join us instead, huh?" the third guy with yellowing teeth smiled charmingly at the group of ladies.
However, Jia glared at them even harder and then looked away.
"Oh, what's this?" the beer-belly guy said. "You should be flattered that we're even noticing your presence, you crazy chicks."
"Move along," Bora said, finally snapping. "If I wanted to experience a belly laugh and bad odor, I'd watch a comedy show in a sewer!"
"What did you say?" he asked, getting angry.
However, before they could create a scene, a group of silver-haired old ladies strutted onto the scene with confidence that would put even the most seasoned idols to shame. Their attire, 'I <3 June crop tops with sparkly sneakers glared at the three men.
"What's going on here?" one of them asked. "Are these men bothering you, ladies?"
Jia's group nodded, still looking astonished by the group of ladies.
"What the hell do we have here? A cougar house?" the yellow-teeth guy chuckled.
Cigarette-breath guy was about to disrespect the old ladies once more but stopped when he saw one of the ladies in the group.
He tapped both his accomplices and pointed at the old lady adorned in expensive jewelry with a designer bag on her shoulders.
"Holy shit! CEO?"
