Foca and Luca's eyes widened in shock, a wave of chills running straight down their spines.
Ahn Jae sang his one measly line:
"I'll be right here…"
And God — he delivered.
He sang it with such delicacy, such quiet emotion, that it felt like the air in the room shifted. His voice had that breathy, fragile tone… soft, chilly, intimate. The kind of tone that sneaks under your skin before you even register it.
It hit both young men so hard that even after his line ended, their minds were still stuck in that stolen moment — that tiny sliver of time where he cracked the entire performance open and let something raw spill through.
"What the actual fuck…" Luca whispered, still dazed. "You're right… that's such a waste of a perfect voice."
But the universe wasn't done with them yet.
As the bridge ended, their attention was snatched again — Ahn Jae slipped in a harmony on the high note out of nowhere. It was bright, clean, gorgeous, lifting the main vocal without overpowering him. Exactly what a trained ear dreams of hearing.
Foca's jaw literally dropped. Luca had his hand over his mouth like he'd just witnessed a murder.
And in the final chorus, Ahn Jae went full silent-assassin: he added small ornamental riffs in all the right places — tasteful, emotional, and timed perfectly to enhance the climax of the song. It elevated everything. Like he'd quietly painted color into an outline everyone else forgot was there.
But amid all that excellence, the camera caught something else — flickers of emotion across the other members' faces. Just half a second each: annoyance, guilt, surprise, maybe even fear. Then their expressions snapped back into performance mode.
It was quick, but Foca and Luca both saw it.
When they hit the final pose, the camera panned across the members for their ending fairy shots. Most of the contestants posed confidently, soaking up the spotlight.
Then came Ahn Jae.
He didn't pose — not really. He just gave the camera a small, strained but genuine smile. His eyes were glassy, shimmering with tears he was clearly fighting back. Not dramatic. Not attention-seeking. Just… heartbreakingly honest.
"Am I crazy," Luca murmured, brows furrowed, "or did Jae just went rogue during the final chorus?"
"I think he did what he thought he had to do to be noticed," Foca said quietly. "With only one line… desperate times call for desperate measures."
While the host spoke and Group 1 stood in a straight line, Ahn Jae kept his head bowed, hands behind his back. His shoulders looked stiff — not from exhaustion, but from holding himself together. The spotlight was on all ten of them… but somehow he looked like he was standing alone.
As the first group went off stage, Foca immediately grabbed his phone, tapping and swiping with laser-focused intensity.
"What are you doing?" Luca asked, noticing how serious he suddenly looked.
"I'm figuring out how to vote," Foca muttered, eyes glued to his screen.
"Who are you voting for?" Luca asked — even though he already damn well knew.
"Who else? You already know," Foca huffed, thumbs still flying. "That guy was done dirty by everyone. He needs all the help he can get."
"Honestly? Valid," Luca said, pulling out his own phone. "I think I'll vote for him too."
But as he navigated the show's website, he accidentally clicked on the livestream. The chat feed exploded open… and it was full of nasty comments aimed straight at Ahn Jae.
PookieKangSeo-yul: What the hell was that?! I'm so mad AF!!!1!!11 fr fr who does he think he is?!
stanmyoppabitch: ugh he totally ruined the vibe lol NEXT
screamingtillfriday: 😭😭 leave him alone he tried his best pls
toxicteen_999: L + ratio + he's not debuting anyway
Luca became so absorbed in reading the stream of chaos that he didn't even notice Foca snatching his phone clean out of his hands.
"Nooo—!" Luca lunged, but it was too late. Foca was already scrolling.
kpopTROLL420: bro thought he was the main vocal 💀
aegyoangel: He didn't deserve that treatment… be kind y'all.
hurtfulAnon: He should've stayed in the background where he belongs.
OTP_CenterOnly: Seo-yul carried. End of discussion.
"What the hell are these people saying?!" Foca spat, feeling bile rise in his throat.
"It's mainly a popularity contest," Luca said, stealthily stealing his phone back. "It doesn't matter how talented a trainee is. If they don't have fans backing them, debuting becomes almost impossible."
"But Jae's always been likable on the show," Foca argued, frustration bubbling up his neck.
"It's not just the show," Luca sighed. "There are a ton of variables. Like… if a trainee comes from a big company that already made successful groups? They automatically get more fans because people assume they're high-value trainees from the start."
He glanced over — Foca's face was full of confused question marks.
Luca exhaled in defeat. "You'll get it… eventually."
And with that, both Foca and Luca turned their attention back to the TV as the program returned from commercial break.
As the host presented the second group, the whole venue exploded again — honestly even louder than before. Not just excitement, but that extra layer of chaos because this lineup was packed with some of the most popular, well-liked contestants in the entire show.
August, the current Rank 1.
Kang Ian, Rank 3.
Ha Jin-woo, Rank 7.
Lee Si-woon, Rank 9.
And Silas, Rank 11.
Foca couldn't even argue with the hype. When he watched the show, he already knew these trainees were a cut above the rest.
They weren't just popular for nothing — they backed it up with real talent and real work. Especially August. That boy was built different. An independent trainee who clawed his way to the top through talent, grit, and pure stubborn sunshine. People adored him for his energy alone. They even called him the "mini sun" because rooms literally brightened whenever he walked in.
When the rehearsal footage played, it showed how stupidly harmonious Group Two was. They all agreed August should be center. Even when August tried to pass it to someone else, the group basically said, "Nope." And that was that. Crowned center.
"He's giving golden retriever vibes," Luca said, calling it out so perfectly that Foca actually laughed because — yeah. That's exactly what he was thinking.
Their assigned song was the total opposite of Group One's track — a bright, energetic bubblegum pop piece with electro and dance-pop flavors. It was so cheerful it practically had August's name stitched into the chorus.
And honestly? It delivered exactly the way Foca expected. With August leading, the stage was always going to shine. But a couple of trainees shocked everyone — Silas and Kang Ian. Their rap parts were clean, sharp, and full of personality. They brought their own flavor into bubblegum pop, and it worked way too well.
"That was honestly really good," Luca said, nodding. "So, what'd you rate it?"
"I'd say a nine. It was close to perfection — if not for that one dude who nearly tanked the entire pre-chorus singing flat," Foca grumbled, eye twitching at the memory.
"Oh, the one who tried to pull a Jae but ended up fucking himself? Dude, I lost it," Luca cackled.