Min Jae glanced at the empty seat beside Dae Hyun. Chul Min’s seat. Min Jae had been surprisingly downhearted when he said goodbye following the elimination. Despite only choosing him as a roommate because of his connection to Woo Jin, Min Jae had grown to enjoy his company.
“You’ll get your chance soon enough, Woo Jin.” Min Jae gave his stew a final stir before deciding that he was no longer hungry. “In the meantime, it’s nearly our call time. I’m going to head back to the room and fix my hair.”
“I’ll go with you,” Woo Jin said, standing and grabbing his tray.
“Me, too,” Dae Hyun added. “I gotta take a–” He paused, huffing. “I gotta use the bathroom.”
After depositing their trays in the proper bin, Min Jae and the others walked back to the Tiger Wing to visit their room before heading to the auditorium. Min Jae’s first clue that something was up was all the guys dragging their bags from room to room. Woo Jin noticed too.
“Did they have another elimination without telling us?”
No, Min Jae didn’t say as he threaded the small herd of suitcase-wheeling contestants. Probably something worse. His second clue was the scent of cloyingly sweet perfume wafting through the open door. Sure enough, when he walked into his room, someone else was already in there.
Han Seo Joon. The visual who’d coasted into the top 50 ranks almost on looks alone. Tall and lean with ideal proportions. More toned than muscular. He wasn’t wearing the show’s tracksuit, but a pair of ridiculously soft-looking gray cashmere joggers and a crisp white t-shirt that fit him like a second skin. His hair was perfectly styled in easy, layered waves that probably took ten minutes of blow drying and three different products to achieve. He stood beside Chul Min’s bed, where he’d already opened his designer suitcases, his back to the door, touching up his face with a matte powder sponge and compact mirror. Beside him, on the nightstand, sat a neat row of expensive-looking skincare products.
Woo Jin cleared his throat. “Uh, hello?”
Seo Joon didn’t turn around, instead angling his hand mirror for a quick glance in the reflection. Like him or not, Min Jae couldn’t deny that he was indeed handsome, with sharp cheekbones and a jawline that could cut glass. If he was half as talented at vocals or dancing as he was at pouting, he’d definitely debut some day.
“Oh, hey,” Seo Joon said, casually dismissing the interruption of his very important mirror time. “I guess we're roommates now.” He flipped the compact shut with a loud snap, set it aside, and lifted a lavender silk shirt, already on the hanger, from his suitcase. “Try not to mess with my stuff,” he warned as he hung the shirt in the tall, narrow cabinet beside the bed. “This wrinkles if you even look at it wrong.”
Min Jae tightened his jaw, clamping down on the low growl threatening to break through his clenched teeth. This preening peacock, with his languid self-absorption and air of effortless superiority, had just waltzed into what had recently been Min Jae’s small, carefully balanced world. And Min Jae knew his type all too well. Achieving every success without serious effort, his gaze rarely straying from his own reflection. A blatant display ofthe unearned privilege Min Jae had fought his entire life to overcome. Min Jae already hated him.
“Then you’ll want to be careful with it,” Min Jae replied, pushing past Woo Jin and Dae Hyun to walk over to his bed. He opened his cabinet and grabbed his hair product bag. “And don’t spray that perfume in here. It smells terrible.”
Seo Joon scoffed, finally turning to face Min Jae. “Excuse me? Who exactly put you in charge?”
Min Jae turned, his expression frozen between polite condescension and full contempt. “I did.” He took two steps forward, wrinkling his nose as he stepped into Seo Joon’s perfume cloud. “Not that it matters. I’m sure whoever replaces you here after you’re eliminated probably won’t be such a self-important asshole.”
Seo Joon’s jaw fell open, his eyes flicking toward the camera mounted in the corner of the ceiling behind Min Jae. That didn’t matter, either. Not for the moment. Min Jae hadn’t realized he’d been looking for a target all morning, but Seo Joon had just volunteered. “You can’t talk to me like that.”
“I can talk to you however I please.” Min Jae locked eyes with Seo Joon, daring him to look away. “If you want respect from me, try being respectful.”
Seo Joon held his stare for longer than Min Jae would’ve predicted. But he didn’t contain anywhere near the amount of righteous anger he needed to stand up to someone as real as Min Jae. So he broke first, turning away. “Fine. Whatever.”
Min Jae allowed himself the slightest grin. It wasn’t smart, taking on Seo Joon so openly. Their fandoms, if the show broadcast their little spat, would have a field day with it. But it made him feel so much better. And it had to be done.
Min Jae took his product bag into the bathroom, ignoring the reflection of his face as he touched up his hair. Nothing fancy. Just a little more pomade to smooth out some of the rough spots he’d missed before breakfast. They’d already been told theydidn’t have to be in uniform that day, so whatever they were filming should look casual. His gaze flicked down, briefly making eye contact with himself. He quickly turned away from his reflection’s accusatory stare, ignoring the voice in the back of his head clamoring for attention. Just fix your hair and get out, Min Jae. It’s nearly call time. Once he was satisfied, he returned to his cabinet, ignoring Seo Joon’s back and the intense, questioning stares from Woo Jin and Dae Hyun. He’d already laid down the law. They’d just have to deal with it on their own terms.
Stepping out to the corridor, the overpowering scent of Seo Joon’s perfume followed him as he walked. Just like the voice, which wouldn’t be denied. He’d lost control back there. A rookie mistake. People like Seo Joon were everywhere. As irritating as they were, they shouldn't matter. But he’d let that asshole get under his skin. Worse, he’d let himself react, shown his cards, and handed the producers a perfect clip of ready-made drama for the next episode. He desperately needed to keep himself together. To right the emotional imbalance tilting him every which way. Because he hadn’t felt in control since the rooftop. Since Andy.
Who Min Jae still hadn’t seen that day.
But that would change soon enough. Min Jae joined the flow of contestants making their way to the auditorium as their call time approached. Maybe his outburst with Seo Joon was a good thing. Maybe, he’d gotten whatever that was out of his system. The showrunners might not even notice an in-room argument. But an outburst in front of everyone? They definitely would.
Min Jae could already hear the chatter as he approached the auditorium doors. When he walked in, he discovered why. The production team had transformed it into a wide-open playground. It turned out the stage, the seating, even the carpeted risers were all removable. A full camera crew sat stationed in every corner. Si Woo was already there, chatting with Riki,Cipher, and Hwa Young. Min Jae would’ve worried about a surprise mission, but Si Woo was back in his casuals, having swapped his usual dark, tailored suit for a more fashionable light sweater and well-fitting jeans.
It was definitely games.
Min Jae immediately pasted on his game face–a casual, friendly smile that would easily fool everyone into thinking he was having fun. Well, almost everyone. A phantom spark jolted him as Andy walked in, laughing and chatting with Leo. Min Jae quickly looked away, keeping his smile easy and his mind a deliberate blank. There was no tension. There was nothing to be tense about, because nothing happened.
The PAs herded everyone into a loose formation in the center of the room facing Si Woo, who stood where the stage had been. A five-second countdown flashed on the screen behind him. They were about to start. Si Woo smiled, bright and easy, as the Dream Boy Project logo splashed across the screen.
“Welcome back, Dream Boys!” Si Woo’s smile fell a bit. “I know yesterday was hard, saying goodbye to so many friends. But it's the nature of the game.” His smile returned. “And you’re all still here. Our top 50 Dream Boys!” Cheers rose up from the crowd, with some sporadic, if dutiful, clapping. “That’s right. And your mentors are here to help us celebrate with a game day!” More cheers and clapping, less hesitant that time. “No eliminations. No critiques. Today is all about having fun!”
Sure, fun. Highly organized and neatly packaged fun meant for filming and viewing. But no eliminations. There was that.
“For the first few games, you’ll compete in five-person teams,” Si Woo continued. “And because this is a day for friendship, we’ll let you choose your own teams. You have 60 seconds. Go!”
