"Whatever it is you're doing, I'm not ready yet!"
Daniel looked at me like I was the weird one.
Okay, now that I think about it, that reaction was, indeed, a little odd. Though I feel it was an appropriate response to a good-looking person pinning you to the wall.
"My voice is off," Daniel finally spoke with a raspy, hoarse voice. If it was deep before, he's now speaking like an old man with reduced volume.
"Is it a sore throat? Have you drunk medicine yet?"
Daniel shook his head. Figures. If he had to come to my door when there's a literal have-it-all guy like Mahesha, it means the later is either asleep, or doesn't know how to treat a sore throat.
Daniel answered as if he heard my thoughts, "Mash is asleep," he said, mouth right to my left ear.
Again, figures.
I didn't hesitate to bring him to the cafeteria. It was wide and surprisingly clean, probably because everyone was told to eat in their rooms. There wasn't anyone else inside since it's a sleeping hour, but the cameras here were discreetly rolling.
Not that it matters to me since Daniel isn't part of the line-up. Plan.
I made us both a cup of hot water from a free use dispenser and placed it on one of the long tables in the cafeteria where Daniel sat quietly.
There was also a free bowl of hard candies on the counter for some reason, so I thought it would be fine to give Daniel a few.
"How'd you get a sore throat so suddenly? Is it from an allergy?"
Daniel shook his head. He leaned close again to answer, "I sang too much..."
Right, obviously. In his and Mahesha's performance today, they hit a lot of high notes and were practically flying around. Although Mahesha did more of the higher notes and let Daniel show off his dancing skills, the latter still had some parts.
These people will really strain themselves just to do better. I'm starting to wonder how Daniel and the other participants would react if they found out this show already had a group GNet plans to debut.
I almost made me feel bad. But then again, everyone (sort of) knew what they signed up for.
"Then don't use your voice anymore. The PD said we're already filming for an episode tomorrow, remember?"
Daniel nodded, popping another piece of candy.
There was nothing but silence since I'm not Dojun who could speak in front of even the quietest person in the world. The silence wasn't uncomfortable. I enjoyed watching Daniel drink water and eat candy, for some reason.
I sent him back to his dorm room after a few more minutes. His dorm was room number 1, so I just had to walk a few steps.
Daniel held my shirt just as I turned back. At least it wasn't rough this time and I knew it's him already.
"Did you need anything else?"
I didn't get an immediate answer. Daniel visibly hesitated before speaking, "Why did you room with them?"
I almost forgot this tall ass man needed to lean down every time he spoke. Handsome people really look good with anything they do.
It took a while to understand the short question, but once I got it, I simply found it cute.
"I'm finding new friends, you know. You and Mahesha are already people close to me, so we'll meet each other even if we don't room."
Daniel seemed satisfied enough with my answer.
"You guys are with Akira, right? I didn't expect him to talk to you guys first. Get along with him, okay? He's nice."
The other person nodded like a kid.
It was starting to get awkward, so I sent him to the entrance and returned to my own dorm.
Inside, the two people I roomed with were fast asleep. I stared at their sleeping figures for a while, watching them rest away the fatigue.
I turned around and spent a few hours listening to the theme song Admin-nim had sent.
It was a peaceful night.
.
I found myself waking up on the floor of my dorm the next morning.
"Chan, you really weren't lying about loving the floor, huh?"
I hadn't even sat up, yet Nikolai was already greeting me with a damp towel around his neck, brushing his teeth with the bathroom door open.
I thought I was the one who woke up late until Kato suddenly stretched on the big bed, groaning like some grandpa.
"Good morning..." he mumbled sleepily.
I got up to check the time.
"It's seven in the morning. When did you wake up, Niko?"
Nikolai shrugged, "Don't know. I was hungry."
Damn, growing kids sure have their priorities straight. Even Kato got up at the word "hungry," as if all sleepiness suddenly disappeared.
Nikolai shut him down to disappointment.
"I already went to the cafeteria. They told us breakfast will be served there at nine."
Even I was disappointed hearing that. Seriously, GNet? At nine? That's practically lunch.
"Did you ask when filming will start?"
"That, I..."
Nikolai's priorities are definitely set straight to food.
I got up to shower since Kato had slumped back onto the bed.
"Ah, and we were told to wear those," Nikolai added before I opened the suitcase I didn't bother unloading. He pointed towards a pile of clothes stacked neatly on a dresser.
I looked through it and found black sleeveless shirts each with our names and numbers on them.
"So it's one of those, huh..." I sighed, taking the shirt with the number one written on the back.
For every grade each participant got assigned to, the color must all be different. The three of us getting these shirts must mean the color representing those in grade one is black. We're definitely supposed to wear this even in the cafeteria just to make sure everyone stands out.
Actually, how did they get this done overnight? They probably just ironed the words onto solid colored shirts, but still. Just who is GNet slaving?
"What's wrong, Chan? I thought you'd be jumping around already," Kato mumbled as he leaned on one side, still lazing on the bed.
Shit, he's right. I'm so tired that I forgot.
"I mean- I'm not a morning person at all, so..."
"You're that drained in the morning?" Nikolai asked, approaching the dresser I stood by. He continued, "It feels like I'm seeing a whole other person. Want some candy?"
Damn, he's giving me candy? What am I, a kid that gets energy just from candy? He's 19 years old, how could a literal baby disrespect me like that and think of me-
"I can't say no to sweets, haha..."
It's the same damn candy from the cafeteria.