"I can't believe you won bleach," Akira said, continuing to tease June.
June, on the other hand, didn't find this situation amusing at all.
He was given five bottles of bleach! They couldn't even give him anything else.
"This one's the expensive kind, brother," Jisung comforted June. "My mom likes this brand but doesn't think it's practical because other brands are cheaper."
June absent-mindedly gave him one bottle. "Here. Take one home."
Jisung's eyes brightened up. "Are you sure?"
"Hey, that's unfair," Akira whined. "My mom likes this brand too. Although she's in Japan—"
"Then take one too," June said, handing Akira one bottle.
Akira and Jisung looked at each other with glee.
As expected, June is the best!
Akira retrieved his phone from his pocket and started scrolling through Navel. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw June's cat mask on the front page.
"Brother, look!" he exclaimed, bringing the phone to June's face. "You're on the front page."
"What?" June asked, reading the headline title.
"Toilet-Talented Trainee Flushes the Competition with Hilarious Cleaning Tips!"
Akira and Jisung burst into laughter. "They did a great job in making the title," Jisung complimented.
"Hey, look!" Akira said, pointing to one of the reposts in the article. "The bleach brand even left a comment! Read it out loud, brother."
June sighed and read the comment. "Hey, June! These are some pretty useful tips. Hit us up, and we'll give you a lifetime worth of supply of products! And after the competition, let's see if we can work together."
Jisung's and Akira's eyes widened in surprise. "This is nuts! I think you just landed yourself a brand deal," Akira exclaimed.
"It's a shame you can't accept it yet, though," Jisung said. "But hey! You get a lifetime supply now. Don't forget us, brother."
June let out a deep breath.
He definitely did not need more bleach.
***
Most of the trainees gathered in the cafeteria after the live stream mission. The place was packed with trainees, so C-Jay and Jangmoon sat at the farthest table.
"One thing about Azure is that they never disappoint with their food. I feel sorry for my mama, but these cafeteria ladies are better than her," C-Jay said, stuffing a piece of sausage in his mouth.
"Tell me about it," Jangmoon said, his mouth full.
"I can't believe June won the mission," C-Jay said. "He was supposed to be our zero-star brother, but he's becoming so popular so fast."
"You're right about that," another voice chimed. C-Jay and Jangmoon lifted their heads and found Zeth and Ren hovering above them.
The two of them looked at the five-star trainees with wide eyes. Sure, they've seen each other in the hallways and in the training room, but this was the very first time they actually interacted closely with each other.
"Mind if we sit here?" Ren asked. "The other tables are full."
"Go ahead," Jangmoon squeaked.
Not long after, Hoon, who couldn't find a table, was called over by C-Jay and Jangmoon.
"Yo, Hoon! Over here," C-Jay called out.
Hoon was about to ignore the two of them, but then he saw Ren and Zeth sitting at their table.
So, he put on a smile and went to sit down with them.
The five-seater table was now full.
C-Jay and Jangmoon exchanged glances at each other, not finding the courage to talk since two prestigious trainees were in their presence.
Zeth noticed their hesitancy and nudged Jangmoon's shoulder. "You guys can speak normally. Ren and I will leave after eating."
Ren nodded in agreement.
Hoon scoffed. "Since when did the two of you act this shameful? For all I know, you don't have shame."
Jangmoon and C-Jay reflected upon themselves. That's right! They're shameless!
With that, they started talking like the other three weren't even there.
"As I was saying, brother June is improving so fast. It feels unfair since we started at zero stars together," C-Jay said.
"I know!" Jangmoon exclaimed. "But big brother deserves it."
''Is June...a good person?" Zeth suddenly asked. He has been curious about the masked guy ever since he saw him during the auditions. But they never really had the chance to interact since then.
"Yes!" Jangmoon and C-Jay exclaimed in unison. "Our brother is an angel in disguise. Although, don't tell him that. He doesn't want to be fawned over."
"What's so good about him?" Hoon suddenly asked. "He doesn't take this competition seriously."
"That's what I thought in the beginning, too," Jangmoon said. "But he does work hard. And although he doesn't show it much, I feel like he cares a lot about the people around him."
"There are some times when I find him scary, though," C-Jay said. "But I think that's one quality that makes him a good leader."
Hoon clicked his tongue. "You're just saying that because you guys won the signal song performance challenge."
"And we wouldn't have done it without June," C-Jay defended.
"You guys got lucky," Hoon retorted. "Besides, how can you trust a guy who hasn't even shown his face? What if he's a criminal or something like that?"
"Hey, don't speak about June like that," Jangmoon defended. "He has some...issues. That's why he doesn't want to show his face."
"Issues?" Ren asked.
C-Jay gestured for them to come closer. "Don't tell this to anyone. But June has some self-esteem issues."
"What do you mean by that?" Zeth asked.
"He's ugly," Jangmoon bluntly said, causing C-Jay to slap him.
"You're not supposed to tell them that!"
"Oh," Jangmoon's eyes widened in surprise. "Right. Right. I'm sorry. I take that back. Forget about everything I've said."
Hoon frowned. "You guys have seen his face, too?"
"Too?" C-Jay frowned.
Hoon cleared his throat. "I mean, already. You've seen his face already?"
"No," C-Jay shook his head. "He only told us. But at the end of the day, who cares? Looks are overrated!"
Hoon smirked, leaning back against his chair.
Hoon didn't see his face clearly in the bathroom that day but recalled that June's face was bruised and red.
But now, it's confirmed.
He's ugly, hmm?
