Chapter 268 Debut Team (2)
'Fuck,' June said in his mind. Jaeyong took fifth place…which only meant one thing. June had to wait until the eighth rank for his name to be called. He knew he was popular, but he also knew he wasn't popular enough to get into the top four. However, Jaeyong being in the top five was quite shocking since he was only ever been third or fourth all throughout the competition. Akira burst into tears as soon as his teammate was called. Jaeyong, too, didn't expect his name to be called so early on. However, he was grateful to be a part of the team nonetheless. He turned to his fellow trainees with a grateful smile. However, his smile quickly fell when he locked gazes with Evan. There was acceptance in the latter's eyes, causing Jaeyong's breath to get caught in the back of his throat. Evan patted his shoulder. "I know the two of you would make it," he said. "Bro," Jaeyong couldn't even formulate a sentence. He knew it would be difficult for Evan to debut, too. "Good luck…to the both of you," Evan said, his voice hinting at closure. Pursing his lips, Jaeyong nodded, giving his teammate one last hug before going to the pyramid-like stage. Each step he took was heavy, yet it also felt like he was going through a different portal—a new beginning. Jaeyong took the mic and looked around the wide dome, smiling to himself. He made it. "From the very beginning, being an idol has been my lifelong dream. I've never been able to imagine myself pursuing any other profession. But the path to get here wasn't easy," he started off. "Even when I finally captured my dream, I realized that it could still be snatched away at any moment. It's in moments like these that we truly understand the value of what we have and the importance of the people who stand by us. Today, I want to express my deepest gratitude for allowing me to keep pursuing my passion." "I also want to take a moment to thank my dear past teammate, Evan," he pointed at his past teammate. Evan smiled gratefully, posing for a camera. "Please continue to support him as well." Jaeyong ended his speech on a bittersweet note, turning around to walk to his seat—fifth place. With a wide smile, he waved at the camera, forever grateful for the opportunity he was given. Minho smiled before continuing. "We're almost halfway through the trainees! The next trainee has secured quite a high ranking—fourth place." June got rid of any hope in his heart. "Eighth place," he muttered under his breath. "We need to take eighth place." However, Lin Zhi was able to hear him, and with a smug smile, he leaned closer to June. "I'm sorry, bro," he whispered. "I'm taking that place." June kept his gaze to the front, not losing focus. "The fourth place trainee has been popular from the very beginning," Minho described the trainee. "He has been a crowd favorite for his shy and cute personality, making everyone want to take care of him." June shook his head. Minho wasn't so subtle in his description this time around. "Congrats, Jisung," he said before Minho could even call out a name. Jisung turned around, looking at June with raised eyebrows. "Jisung, congratulations! You have made it into the debut team." With that, the camera panned toward Jisung. However, he was looking straight at June, so June quickly pointed to the camera. Jisung turned around with a surprised look, causing the audience to coo at him. "My baby boy made it," his mom fawned over on her seat while his dad had a proud smile. The other trainees chuckled in amusement as Jisung still appeared like he couldn't believe it. C-Jay quickly pushed him to the front, and that's when he snapped out of his trance. With a shy yet determined smile, he walked to the front. He took the mic with shaky hands and began to speak. "Hi," he started off, causing another round of 'awws' to go around the dome. "You see, I've always been a person of a shy and reserved nature. I rarely believe in myself, and I'm my harshest critic." - Jisungie, don't be so hard on yourself from now on!
- There's nothing to critique about you. You're perfect. - Who made my son feel this way? "It's been a long, challenging road, and even right now, I can't help but wonder if I truly deserve this high spot I find myself in. Even now, I struggle to accept that I did well. But deep down, I know I did my best—that I poured my heart and soul into every performance. Jisungie did well," he cutely said, making the audience squeal in excitement. After that, he went back to his shy self, taking small steps to his designated seat, just right above Akira. "And just like that, we have four members of the debut team…and four more to go! We finally arrived at the upper ranks—the top three." The music seemed to be getting faster and louder with every passing moment. June wracked his mind on who could be taking the third spot. There were three trainees June could think of. The trainees who were currently in the top eight, except for Akira, had always been in the debut range. However, there had been some unexpected mix-ups, with Jaeyong and Ren ranking lower than expected. So, by logic, the trainees who were in the lower ranks of the debut line most likely made it to the third spot. Leo.
Jaxon. Daeho. These three had been popular since the very beginning, and it wouldn't be strange if they rose in ranks. As Minho opened the envelope, he couldn't contain his surprise. It was definitely a surprising twist; nonetheless, he felt happy that the trainee made it into the debuting team. "Taking the third spot, we have…" The trainees held their breaths, especially the three trainees June had enumerated.
They were getting more nervous by the minute since their names still hadn't been called. They knew they had to secure this spot since Casper and Zeth would take the first two spots. Otherwise, the only chance they had left was the eighth spot. "Casper!"
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