Chapter 259 The Finale, Finally
"Why are we here again?" Sasha asked as her personal stylist zipped her up. She went out of the dressing room and faced her teammates—rather, her former teammates.
Nine beautiful ladies were scattered across the room. Some of them getting their make-up done…some of them eating…and one of them busily buying stars for her favorite trainee.
Looking at them made Sasha feel a bit emotional. It has been a while since they disbanded, two years to be precise, and being with them took Sasha back to the times when they were still active as a group.
Now, they all had their different things.
However, being with them still felt natural.
"Ask Mimi," Kiera responded to Sasha's question, smacking her lips after reapplying her lip gloss. "I'm also surprised that we were invited to come here. I thought BOYMYSTIC would come alone."
Sera groaned as she leaned her head against the wall. "I could have been sleeping this time around, yet here we are—witnessing yet another season of Rising Stars. I thought we were done with this already."
Mimi clicked her tongue as she finished voting for June.
"Come on, girls. Don't you want to witness the show that brought us to where we are today?" she enthusiastically asked.
"No."
"Yeah, no."
"It was one of the worst times in my life."
"Fuck Azure. But still, thanks for helping me pay my bills."
Mimi groaned in annoyance. "I asked, practically begged Yena and Yejin to bring us here. So, you're all going to smile and accept the fact that we're watching this year's Rising Stars finale."
"Why would you even do that?" Yasmin asked. "Were Lala and Sasha actually right? You have a trainee you're rooting for?"
"Yes," Mimi smiled. "And you're all going to cheer for him, too."
"June, was it?" Sera asked. "I was too busy to watch the show, so I searched him up. He's pretty cute."
"Yeah," Sasha agreed. "I didn't expect much before starting the show, but that June guy grew on me, too. His rap skills are really good."
"Oh, more reason to like him then," Sera smiled.
Mimi glared at her former teammate.
"What?" Sera raised her hands in surrender. "You told us to support him. That's what I'm doing right now."
"Yes, you can support him,"Mimi snapped. "But don't call him cute."
Kiera shook her head in amusement. "Just wait until Nico hears about this one."
"Oh, don't mention that guy's name," Mimi scowled.
***
"Bro, why are you peeking outside the door? You look like a creep," Jordan, the current center of BOYMYSTIC, said to his teammate, Nico.
"I haven't seen Mimi yet," Nico anxiously said. "I thought they were going to come here too."
"They're here," Sunwoo said. "Mimi just probably doesn't want to see you."
The group of ten boys chuckled, finding joy in teasing their lovestruck teammate.
"Fuck off," Nico said, plopping on the couch.
"You've been chasing her for over a year now," Moon teased. "Don't you think it's time to stop?"
Nico shook his head. "Unless Mimi finds someone who genuinely loves her for who she is, then I'm not going to stop."
"Gosh, you're truly a fallen soldier," Jordan said. "Well, that's not my problem. You just have to behave while we're filming, alright?"
"I don't know why we're here, though," Sunwoo whined. "We still have a festivalto attend tomorrow."
"It's mandatory," Jordan said. "We came from Rising Stars, so it's only fair we support the new group it will put out. That's why GIRLS' EVOLUTION came during our finale, too."
"Yeah, but after that, they disbanded," Moon retorted. "We'll disband soon, too. Our contract is ending in a year."
Jordan nonchalantly shrugged. "I have a solo career already, bros. I'm set for life."
Nico clicked his tongue. "Arrogant bastard. Whatever," he said. "If this new group isn't as successful as Azure had projected, then they're bound to give them fewer resources. We already have an established fanbase, so they might extend our contract once more."
"Well, have you seen the episodes?" Moon asked.
Nico shook his head. "Nope! And I don't plan to. I don't want to give our future competitors even more exposure."
"I haven't watched a full episode either," Sunwoo said. "I know about those famous trainees, though. Zeth and Casper, I think. But I've also seen some of the viral clips on Navel and YouWatch. Somehow, one guy always snakes his way into the trending spot. What was his name again? Joon-ho?"
"June," Jordan said, suddenly turning serious.
For some reason, when he first met the trainee when he was a special MC during one of the elimination episodes, Jordan already felt that June was special.
June was the underdog of the competition.
But as Jordan continued watching the other episodes, he couldn't help but feel scared of June's immense improvement.
Jordan quickly shook his head to get rid of such thoughts.
"Hey, you okay?" Moon asked, pinching his ear.
"Yup," Jordan smiled. "Shall we go?"
Nico excitedly stood up. "Let's go. I can't wait to see my honey!"
***
8,000 seats were packed to capacity, and countless more fans clamored outside, yearning to be a part of the awaited event.
Tonight, dreams would be made, and stars would be born.
As the lights dimmed to a soft hush, the LED screen on stage sprung to life. It flickered and glitched, building suspense, and then burst forth a display of futuristic lights that painted the dome in a rainbow of colors.
The audience gasped and cheered in unison as the vibrant hues danced across the wide hall, casting ethereal patterns that left everyone in awe.
Suddenly, with a ground-shaking rumble, a platform rose from beneath the stage.
Smoke swirled around it, creating an exceptional illusion. Amidst the dramatic entrance, a man emerged, appearing to have come straight out of a superhero movie.
Kang Minho, a renowned actor, stood tall and handsome. His chiseled features and toned body were accentuated by a form-fitting all-black suit.
The surround sound system enveloped the entire venue, sending vibrations through the audience's bodies, making their hearts race with excitement.
The cheers grew louder, echoing within the walls.
Kang Minho lifted a microphone to his lips, and his voice, like honey, filled every corner of the dome.
"It's time to shine!"
