Andy took his seat beside the aisle on the left side–the winner’s side–of the top row as the rest of his team filed in around him. Leo took the seat beside him, of course, while the rest of the team arranged themselves. Hopefully, Leo’s involvement in the team’s winning performance would be enough to push him into the top ten.
Min Jae’s team took their places across the aisle. Andy resisted the urge to wink at him again. As much as he loved getting under the ice king’s skin, it definitely wasn’t the time. Instead, he settled in for the wait, losing himself in the low but rising murmur of a hundred anxious Dream Boys in their seats.
A floor director appeared, starting a shouted, ten-second countdown. Operators on the two tall black cranes swung their cameras into position. A makeup artist darted out to give a final powdering to a guy in the front row whose face was already slick with sweat. The main house lights dimmed, leaving them illuminated only by the powerful, hot glare of the stage lights.
The countdown hit zero. The show's pulsing theme music exploded from the speakers, and the colossal screen lit up with the Dream Boy Project logo.
Si Woo strode onto the stage from the wings, taking his place at a sleek blue, purple, and white podium. Dressed in a sharp, finely-tailored, charcoal jacket and slacks with a rich, black shirt, he smiled, somehow finding the perfect balance between happyand grim, as if he were attending the best funeral ever. He let the music fade into a low, tense hum before he spoke.
“Welcome back, Dream Boys,” Si Woo said, warm and resonant. “You’ve survived your first mission. You’ve shown us your talent, your heart, and your determination. And the Dream Makers have responded!”
Si Woo turned to the giant screen behind him as it lit up with a dizzying collage of phone screens and webcam footage. A high-energy remix ofNumber Onepulsed as videos of fans from all over the world flashed by. A group of high school girls in a Bangkok cafe, screaming when a picture of Peak appeared. A dance crew in Hong Kong, perfectly recreating a piece of theKingmakerchoreography. A college student in her dorm room in Ohio, passionately arguing to the camera about why her favorite should debut.
Then Andy’s face appeared on a phone screen, the girl holding it shrieking his name. Another clip showed a group of guys in a Taipei dance studio trying to copy his revisedKingmakerbridge. And another, with a trio of freshly permed ajummas performing their early morning tai chi in a Seoul park wearing sweatshirts hand-decorated with his name. Andy watched, stunned. He was expecting a few comments, maybe. Not this. Not fans from all over the planet. Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes as a surprising warmth spread through his chest, a feeling of genuine, shocking validation that pushed back against the icy chill from before.
The screen was just as full of fans screaming for Min Jae, fawning over screenshots of his performance, replicating his ranking performance stage, and holding up carefully written signs with his name surrounded by hearts. Good. The guy was an ice king, for sure. But he still deserved his flowers for that last performance. A performance Andy knew he himself had only managed to nail because of his rival’s shocking, game-changing advice.
The montage ended with a flash, the screen returning to the glowing Dream Boy Project logo. Si Woo’s sad smile when he turned back toward the contestants almost broke Andy’s heart. “As you can see, you all have many hard-earned fans among our Dream Makers, who’ve been voting to make your dreams come true. But tonight, the dream ends for 50 of you.”
Andy shivered as an icy chill blew through the studio. The air conditioning working overtime, probably, to counteract the heat from all the lights. But the timing was still ominous.
“As you know,” Si Woo continued, his gaze sweeping across their faces, “the mentors have given their guidance, but from this point forward, the power is entirely in the hands of the Dream Makers. The following ranks are decided 100% by their votes.” He paused, letting the weight of his pronouncement sink in, before turning to his primary camera. “We will now reveal those ranks, starting with number 50 and continuing our way up to the coveted number one spot. If your name is not called by the end of this ceremony, you will be leaving us today.”
Andy anxiously wiped his sweating palms against his thighs, and exchanged a quick glance with Leo. No witty smirks there. Just a determined, tight-lipped focus.
“Let’s begin.” Si Woo glanced at the tablet on his podium. “The first survivor, taking the 50th rank, is–” he paused a beat to build the suspense, “Tanaka Kenta!”
Cheers rose up below Andy as Kenta’s teammates congratulated him on making the first cut. He stepped down from the risers, pausing to offer first Si Woo, then the other Dream Boys, dramatic, formal bows.
Andy took a deep breath, desperate for a bit of calm as the ranking continued, a drawn out, drumbeat series of devastating goodbyes and explosive relief as the numbers climbed. 45. 40. 35.
Andy cheered, his claps loud and genuine, each time one of his teammates was called. Go Sang Chul was safe at a respectable 38. Peak, with his massive international fanbase, landed easily at 32.Choi Hyun Woo, despite his small company disadvantage, was called for 27. Andy’s hope swelled with each name, glad that his team had also found their success. Well, most of his team. By the time they’d passed number 20, two of his team’s dancers—Na Kyun Woo and Baek Seo Jin—still hadn’t been called. While it was possible that they could still be placed in the top half of the ranks, Andy grimly admitted to himself that it wasn’t likely. Not everyone would make it past the bouncer. Not even the guys he wanted to.
The pace slowed as Si Woo neared the coveted seats in the Top Ten, drawing out each name for maximum effect. 15. 14. 13. 12. 11. Andy and Leo shared a quick, excited look. Maybe Leo really had ranked up? Si Woo called number ten, the first of the Dream Boys in the top ranks. After a long, tense pause, he announced the ninth rank.
“Leo Chen!”
Andy let out a whoop of genuine joy, drawing Leo into a firm, warm, back-slapping hug before letting his friend head for his new seat. He beamed, watching Leo navigate the flurry of bows, hugs, and high-fives as he walked up the risers. For the most part, his team was killing it.
The next few ranks remained unchanged, as Andy expected.
“And our number five Dream Boy is Han Woo Jin!”
The remaining, unranked members of Min Jae’s team practically lost it, clapping and cheering as they celebrated Si Woo’s announcement. Andy couldn’t remember what he’d been ranked before. 15? 16? But he’d jumped up at least ten spots. Into the Top Ten, no less. Andy smiled and nodded at Woo Jin as he made his way to the aisle and across to the other risers. He caught another glimpse of Min Jae, clearly happy for his friend and teammate’s rapid rise in the ranks. Andy smiled at him, too, getting a surprised, but seemingly genuine smile in response. Andy chuckled to himself as he turned back to Si Woo. See, Min Jae, you really do have feelings.
Jung Tae Woo held on to the number four rank he’d originally been assigned by the mentors, moving Andy one step closer to the top.
“And now,” Si Woo announced, leaning into the crackling tension, “we’re down to the Top Three. Our third ranked Dream Boy is–” He paused, grinning as he stretched the room’s collective tension taut. “Kim Min Jun!”
Min Jun’s surprised gasp practically echoed through the studio before Andy, Kyun Woo, and Seo Jin erupted in cheers. The quiet boy with the voice of gold who’d spent a week as a King of Heart had jumped at least 20 ranks into the number three spot! Tears streaming down his round cheeks, Min Jun stopped just after passing by Andy to reach the aisle. He turned, bowing until Andy could see the top of his head. “Thank you for everything, hyungnim. I owe this win to you.”
“Hell no,” Andy proclaimed, cursing in English. “You earned this win by being an incredible performer, Kim Min Jun. Now, go take your damn seat.”
A brief grin spread Min Jun’s tear-stained cheeks before he rushed to the other risers, beginning the climb to the top row, with only 2 seats remaining. Andy fought the urge to look at Min Jae again, and lost. His rival stood tall, his chest proudly puffed out, his handsome face beaming as he locked eyes on the empty chairs. Andy had no clue what he was thinking, but, in that moment, he knew he was looking at an idol. No matter how the contest ended, Min Jae had already more than proven himself. At least in Andy’s eyes.
“And that means,” Si Woo finally announced, “that we’re down to our Top Two.” He turned toward the waiting contestants, meeting Andy and Min Jae’s gazes in turn. “Would Andy Kim and Kwon Min Jae please come down from where you are to stand before the rest of the top-ranked candidates?”
Min Jae’s lips twitched with the barest whisper of a frown. Andy only stopped his frown once he realized he was doing it.They made eye contact for a moment, wordlessly expressing their mutual shock. Neither of them had expected such a public call out during the first elimination.
