After an eventful night of performances, chaos, and celebration, the fifth evaluations came to a resounding end.
Families of the newly debuted artists immediately rushed the stage, wrapping them in warm, proud hugs—teary smiles, trembling hands, and all. It was a genuinely wholesome sight, the kind that made even the most cynical hearts soften just a little.
Meanwhile, Nikola was busy absolutely grilling his best friend's ass.
"I thought you said this wasn't your lane when I asked you to audition with me," Nikola said, hands on his hips. "And now you're here. Dude—make it make sense! You could've at least given me a damn heads-up!"
His tone was a weird cocktail of happiness and betrayal. Happy that Mikko made it in… bitter that his best friend had let him embarrass himself on global television like a walking reaction meme.
"Well," Mikko said with a chuckle, scratching his head, "I wanted to surprise you."
"Well, consider me surprised," Nikola shot back. "So surprised that I'm now immortalized on the internet! Have you seen this?!"
He shoved his phone in Mikko's face. On the screen was Nikola's wide-eyed, jaw-dropped expression, already circulating online—captioned, remixed, and laughed at by thousands.
"Yeah," Mikko said, biting his lip, failing miserably to hold it in. "I gotta admit… your face was priceless."
"Mother fu—" Nikola raised his hand, ready to deliver justice.
Mikko immediately threw his arms up. "Woah, woah, woah! Chill, dude. You've got a reputation to uphold now. You know—debuted artist and all."
"Reputation my ass!" Nikola snapped, smacking Mikko playfully.
"Ow—ow—OW!" Mikko yelped dramatically, laughing through every fake complaint.
Nikola cracked, laughter spilling out despite himself. The two ended up grinning like idiots, shoulders bumping, the tension dissolving completely.
After a moment, they finally settled down.
"So," Nikola said, more serious now, "why'd you audition this time?"
Mikko rubbed the back of his neck, eyes drifting away. "Honestly? Watching you on the show made me kinda jealous. Not in a bad way—just… it made me realize I didn't have the balls to try before. I was scared."
He shrugged. "Seeing you work your ass off for your dream… yeah, that helped me grow a pair. Steel-grade. I braced myself and auditioned the first chance I got."
Then he smirked. "So really, it's your ugly-ass face on TV that pushed me to do it."
"Oh—and the house felt empty without your loud-ass voice."
"Shut the fuck up," Nikola snorted, shoving him lightly.
Then his expression softened. "But for real, bro… I'm glad you finally did it. You're way more talented than me, and it would've been a crime to let that rot away. So go out there and show everyone why you're my best friend."
"Oh, gladly," Mikko said.
They broke into their ridiculous, over-the-top bro handshake—ending, as always, in a dramatic b-boy freeze.
Nikola pulled him into a tight hug.
"Welcome to LEAVEN, dude."
****
And so, the night on the Island came to an end on a good note.
Bright and early the next morning, the newly debuted artists were summoned to the Jenga Tower.
It was finally contract signing day.
Dressed to the nines, nerves buzzing and excitement barely contained, the artists entered an amphitheater-like boardroom. Waiting for them were Foca, Luca, and Tuesday—seated calmly at the front. Behind them stood a battalion of impeccably dressed professionals.
Foca's personal team of elite lawyers.
"Good morning, everyone," Foca greeted warmly, gesturing toward the seats. "Please, take your places."
Name cards rested neatly on each chair, and the artists quickly scanned the room, excitement written all over their faces as they found their assigned seats.
The seating arrangement grouped them by unit.
Monarch, Eli, and Jordan sat together under Pandesal Fac7ory.
Kang Ian and Mika were seated under Salt x Bread, joined by Ahn Jae, August, and Silas—already signed, present purely for moral support.
Yone, Corsair, and Ryu sat under MelonBun House.
Isaac, Leo, Nikola, and Nox were grouped under 4 of Scones.
The Kweens, of course, sat together under Jeweled Macaroons.
And Bobby sat by himself—not too far from the others, but comfortably solo.
"Alright, everybody," Luca said, leaning back slightly. "Before we proceed with the contract signings… would anyone like to back out?"
A beat.
Then laughter rippled across the room.
"Welp," Luca continued with a grin, "guess we're proceeding with everyone. Just wanted to double-check. Nothing wrong with being sure, y'know."
"Sir Luca," Nikola said confidently, matching his energy, "I ain't leaving this room without signing my contract."
Luca chuckled. "Ah yes—balls of steel. After my own heart. I expected nothing less from you, Nikola."
Nikola tapped his fist to his chest twice, then pointed at Luca in acknowledgment.
The interaction eased the room even further. Excitement hummed in the air—every single person there thinking the same thing.
This is it.
"Alright," Foca said, voice calm but heavy with significance. "Now that everyone is settled—lawyers, please."
At his cue, the lawyers stepped forward to their assigned artists.
"These are some of my most trusted and capable legal professionals," Foca continued. "They'll walk you through every detail of your contract. Please—if there's anything you don't understand, ask."
Tuesday leaned forward, fixing the artists with a look.
"Y'all better listen carefully," she warned. "This is life-changing. Read everything. Understand the fine print. Don't just nod and smile. Got it?"
"Yes!" the artists replied in unison.
One by one, the lawyers sat beside them, placing black leather folders on the table. Inside were neatly organized copies of the standard contract—some accompanied by translations in the artists' native languages to ensure absolute clarity.
On Jordan's side, however, his eyes widened.
"Hey, babe," Luke said cheerfully, sitting down beside him. "Ready to sign your contract?"
"Luke?" Jordan blinked. "What are you doing here?"
"Sir Foca offered me an internship with his legal team," Luke said proudly. "I owe it to you, honestly. I guess he noticed me when you mentioned I'd been helping you through the article scandal. He literally had someone headhunt me."
Jordan's jaw dropped.
"And," Luke added, smiling even wider, "there's a permanent position waiting for me after the internship."
"REALLY?!" Jordan shouted instinctively.
The entire room turned to look at him.
Jordan froze.
His face flushed bright red. "S—sorry," he mumbled sheepishly, suddenly very aware of his volume.
Luke laughed softly and ruffled Jordan's hair affectionately.
Unnoticed by Jordan—but very much noticed by the universe—Eli's eyes narrowed for just a brief second. A storm of emotions passed through his gaze before he smoothed his expression back into calm neutrality.
Across the room—
"Did y'all see that look Eli just gave the intern?" Tuesday whispered, her voice vibrating with tea-ready excitement.
"No," Foca replied calmly. "Why?"
"Oooooh, child," Tuesday said, clutching invisible pearls. "I ain't saying nothing—but that man looked one second away from pouncing. Territorial as hell."
Luca sighed dramatically. "This is what happens when you consume too much BL and yaoi. Brain rot."
Tuesday shot him a deadly glare.
Luca immediately raised both hands. "Okay—okay. I choose life."
Before Foca could respond, a sudden commotion drew their attention.
Nikola's assigned lawyer was actively wrestling a pen out of Nikola's hand.
"Nikola, please—listen to me first," the lawyer pleaded.
Too late.
Nikola had already signed—with a massive, dramatic flourish.
The lawyer stared at the page.
Then at the pen.
Then back at Nikola.
"…It's already signed."
"Sorry, dawg," Nikola said casually, leaning back. "My ADHD don't got time for all that talking. Appreciate the effort though. I trust y'all—and Sir Foca. I'm chillin'."
The lawyer sighed deeply, reviewing the paperwork.
Yup.
All signed.
With the boldest, most aggressively Nikola signature imaginable.
The room erupted in laughter. Some shook their heads. Others applauded the chaos.
Eventually, every contract was signed.
"And with that," Foca announced, standing, "we would like to officially welcome all of you to Bread Music."
Cheers filled the room—loud, joyful, and full of promise.