The screen shifted to the futuristic, neon logo for 5alive. A clip from their iconic music video played—sleek, sci-fi setting, neon blue lighting, and razor-sharp synchronized choreography. “Next,” Si Woo continued, “from the icons who defined the 4th generation, 5alive and their legendary debut track,Synapse!”
“Yikes.” Jung Tae Woo, the number 4 ranked contestant, whispered. He leaned closer to Andy. “Their harmonies are insane. You'd need a team of five main vocals to pull that off.”
Next came the smooth, stylish logo for ELLRG. The clip showed a slick, mesmerizing dance routine. “You might also have the chance to take on the beat-heavy R&B classic from ELLRG,Fever Dream!”
The self-proclaimed dance master Song Dae Hyun immediately started tracing the song’s iconic point choreography with his hands. Andy kept his eyes on the clip, already breaking down the moves. The groove on that track was no joke. It looked easy, but every move was about isolation and control. A sloppy dancer would just crash and burn.
The screen then showed the old-school, graffiti-style logo for G-Go. Si Woo grinned, appropriately bashful. “This one’s my personal fave,” he admitted, “from my old group, G-Go. Our first breakout hit,Streetlight Serenade.” The room erupted in the loudest cheer yet, a mix of genuine love for a classic song and a savvy show of respect for the host. Andy quietly snorted. Covering the host's song would be a high-risk, high-reward play.
“And finally,” Si Woo said, his voice dropping for dramatic effect as the sharp, aggressive logo for DAZ3 slashed across the screen. “From the winners of the last Dream Boy Project, their first all-kill smash hit,Kingmaker!”
Andy bolted upright.Kingmakerwasn’t just any song. One of only two songs to score a perfect all-kill in the first half of the year it came out, it went on to score music awards from Korea to California and beyond. Including it in the song list made quite the statement. After all, this mission wasn’t just another cover battle. It was an audition to be the next DAZ3. Things were definitely about to get serious.
“The top ten Dream Boys will be your team leaders,” Si Woo continued. The screen flashed the faces of the top ten, Andy’s picture right next to Min Jae’s. “They’ll be paired off in order to face each other in a song battle. Team One vs. Team Two, Team Three vs. Team Four, and so on. And the winning team fromeach battle will receive a massive advantage in the next global Dream Maker vote.”
More gasps and hushed questions at the topic of eliminations. They were already a week in, and some of the contestants had apparently already forgotten they were in a competition.
"Leaders, you’ll now choose your teams," Si Woo concluded. "Remember, you could be assigned any of the five songs we've revealed. You need to build a versatile unit, capable of handling any concept, from a dark ballad to high-energy hip-hop. Choose wisely."
The draft began once all ten leaders joined Si Woo on the stage. Min Jae went first, of course. He moved with the tempered efficiency of a long-time pro. No hesitation. His first pick, naturally, was Han Woo Jin. He went on to choose a series of performers known for their prowess more than their personalities. As a budding all-rounder himself, he could’ve been attempting to fill in his gaps with technical specialists. Especially the dancer he chose. Andy remembered his performance well. The judges had called it nearly flawless, but Andy thought it lacked a little soul. As he finalized his choices, he’d clearly assembled an impressive machine with parts guaranteed to function.
The weight of eighty pairs of hopeful, anxious eyes shifted onto Andy. He’d been considering a similar strategy to Min Jae’s–building a team based solely on skills. That had mostly worked well enough for him during the games day. But the flaw in that strategy was too obvious. It only worked in straight-up battles like the tug of war. The song cover mission was closer to the three-legged obstacle course. The winning team would need to be more than the sum of its skills. You needed a strong heart to win over the Dream Makers.
“My first pick,” Andy confidently announced, “is Leo Chen.” Leo shot him a wide, grateful grin. Aside from being his new bestie, Leo would add a lot of flair to his team. One pick down.
Andy furrowed his brow as he scanned the eager crowd. Notknowing the song his team would get made him start to second guess his strategy. But, no. He needed to trust his instincts. He often joked about making choices based on vibes. But that was just his shorthand for building strong connections. He’d tried connecting with Min Jae before the signal song but got shut down. And it showed. It was only when Min Jae finally started working with Andy as a team–when they connected–that they had their breakthrough. Suddenly, his choices were obvious.
Kim Min Jun was a bundle of nerves with a voice of pure gold. He’d joked around with Andy on Team Red several times, and Andy liked him. Peak Phakphum, a Thai trainee, was an absolute firecracker rapper in at least three languages. The rest of his choices were just as easy. A couple of steady tenors to round out his vocal line. A trio of agile dancers to fill out the back row. And one of the younger contestants–who was always smiling and made the giant pants relay look easy–to round out his crew.
The draft continued with each of the leaders in succession, until the tenth-ranked Dream Boy, whose team was chosen by default from the remaining contestants. Andy was humming with anxiety by that point, sure he’d made a giant mistake before reminding himself that his instincts hadn’t let him down yet. As long as they got the right song.
The ten teams quickly assembled in anxious clusters before the stage. Si Woo smiled and stepped forward. “Now that the teams are set, it’s time to assign your legendary songs.”
All nerves, Andy scratched at a sudden itch on his elbow until Leo subtly smacked his hand away. The screen behind Si Woo finally shifted, flashing the matchups one by one. Teams Nine and Ten would battle it out withPorcelain Heart. Teams Seven and Eight were assigned Si Woo’s favorite,Streetlight Serenade. Andy snorted. He definitely dodged a high-risk bullet on that one. Teams Five and Six gotFever Dream.
Three battles down. Two to go. The screen changed again,displaying the names of the two remaining songs side-by-side.SynapseandKingmaker. Below them were the faces of the four remaining leaders. Team Three versus Team Four. And Team Min Jae versus Team Andy. They were both legendary for their difficulty. Just in completely different ways.Synapsewas a technical nightmare. The harmonies were so complex they were practically a math problem, layered over a frantic, syncopated beat. A test of pure, polished skill.Kingmakerwas a physical monster. A three-minute sprint of aggressive rap, anthemic vocals, and a dance break so brutal it was famous for injuring backup dancers. A test of raw charisma and stamina.
Which test were the producers about to give him?
Si Woo let the tension hang in the air before turning to the leaders of Team Three and Team Four. “Your battle song?” He paused for dramatic effect as the screen flashed. “Synapse!”
A beat of stunned silence. Andy didn’t need to hear the rest. He knew. By the simple, brutal logic of elimination, his fate was sealed.
Si Woo made eye contact with both Andy and Min Jae in turn as the cameras zoomed in for their closeups. “Which means our top two teams will take on the ultimate challenge. The all-kill smash hit from your sunbaes, DAZ3.” His voice dropped to a reverent boom. “Kingmaker!”
Andy immediately clapped, his smile shining on autopilot while a dizzying, terrifying, exhilarating rush surged through his body. He’d just been handed the most legendary, difficult, and meaningful song of the bunch. And he’d be going up against his ultimate rival and his team of machine super performers. Game on.
Once they wrapped filming in the auditorium, a PA handed Andy a folder with a notepad and marker, an SCG-branded thumb drive, and a key card for Practice Room Seven. “The practice rooms are in the Dragon Wing,” the PA explained.
Min Jun, who’d already used his off time to thoroughlyexplore the facility, said he knew where to go. So Andy and the others followed him past the anxious factions gathered near the stage to the corridor.
“Well, shit,” Leo whispered as he fell into step beside Andy. “‘Kingmaker. Go big or go home, eh?”
“For sure,” Andy replied, his mind already a half step ahead of him as he wondered about how the hell he was gonna lead this troupe. He’d never even performed in a group that size before, let alone led one. But the fires of ambition sometimes forged the strongest ideas. He was a successful dance instructor. He’d been one for a few years, in fact. And there was a reason eager students had journeyed from all over California to the state’s Central Valley to take his classes. He knew exactly what he was gonna do.
Andy paused for a second, letting the others pass him by, before moving on behind them. All the better to start assessing his choices. Min Jun had taken on the role of tour guide, explaining to the others what he’d learned during his explorations. Peak was practically vibrating from excitement. Choi Hyun Woo, a dancer, bounced along with the bright, infectious energy that had originally caught Andy’s eye. None of the others seemed very nervous, either. Could it be because they had faith in their leader? No pressure.
Andy paused at the door to the practice room–his new home until the first mission stage–and watched the others gather inside. That’s when he finally saw their nerves. Sure, some of their energy was excitement. But the fear was there, too, rolling under the surface like fog on the horizon. It smelled like floor cleaner.
