Chapter Text
Ayaka couldn’t help but hyperventilate as she followed Mona’s movements at the front of the overcrowded practice room. The choreography that they had only been taught the day before was frankly confusing and complicated, and Mona was nothing if not a terrible teacher. Ayaka stumbled as she attempted to complete a complex step routine that involved crossing one’s feet over the other but running at the same time. Ayaka barely comprehended how it worked on someone else, let alone how to do it herself. Thankfully, her struggles were interrupted by a pissed-off-sounding Mona.
“Stop. What the actual fuck do you think that you are all doing? Not a single one of you seems to have any clue of the choreography. At this rate, none of you are going to debut! Take 5.” Mona screamed, before picking her phone out of her pocket and glaring at it. Ayaka practically collapsed onto the floor, senseless exhaustion seeping through her pores, grateful for the break. Yoimiya sat down next to her, forcing a plastic water bottle into her hands.
“I swear, if ARK doesn’t invest in air-con soon, I am going to kill someone,” she complained, wiping the sweat off her forehead.
Chongyun and Amber greeted the pair before joining them on the ground, agreeing with Yoimiya.
“Just wait until I debut” Ayaka enthused “I’ll make them buy air-con, and better security, and they’ll give us more breaks and…”
“Might be sooner than you think, I heard that they’re announcing the new girl group tomorrow.” Chongyun squeezed her shoulder affectionately, as Ayaka and Yoimiya met eyes. Ayaka’s stomach filled with a terrifying mix of excitement and apprehension. If she didn’t get in tomorrow, she was done. ARK had a strict policy of only allowing trainees 5 years. If you weren’t good enough by then, you had to find somewhere else, or suck up a lifetime’s worth of shattered dreams. When she’d first joined the company as an excitable 16-year-old, everyone had expected her to debut straight away, if only because of her brother’s success. Ayato was the talented, charismatic, and attractive maknae in the boy group WAKE. Right off the bat, he had shocked everyone with his stunning visuals, jaw-dropping vocals, and sweet personality. When Ayaka had not been exactly like him in every way, it was clear the company was more than a little disappointed. Now, she only had 6 months left. Even so, with an opportunity like this at her hands, there was no way in hell that Ayaka was going to let it slide by. So she had practiced as often as she could, relying on her steady vocals and (eventually) impressive dance skills to help her pass by. She wanted more than anything to debut, but even more so to debut with Yoimiya. The pair had joined ARK at the same time and had been instantaneous friends. Without Yoimiya, Chongyun, and Amber, there would have been no way that she would have survived the cutthroat environment and constant disappointments. But even still, she only had one more chance for her 5 years of struggle to be worth it. And she was sure as fuck going to make it count.
Yoimiya squeezed Ayaka’s hands, while Amber enthused next to them, every word she rapid-fire spit off going well over Ayaka’s head. Because, in a minute, their fate would be revealed. Madame Ping, the prestigious executive of ARK had gathered all of the female trainees in the small auditorium, where she stood on the stage, urgently discussing something with a young brunette man, whose most notable feature was a pair of striking blue eyes. Ayaka would be lying if she said that she was not terrified. Her breaths were rapid, and the only reason that she had not run out of the room of pure anxiety was Yoimiya’s gentle hand squeezing hers. While Ayaka had contemplated this, the brunette man had sauntered off the stage leaving Madame Ping alone, glaring angrily into the auditorium. She tapped the microphone once, emitting a piercing screech.
“Hello everyone.” Madame Ping’s voice was cold as ice as she continued, “there have been certain rumors spreading around the company, that I will be announcing the lineup of ARK’s next girl group today.”
Ayaka squeezed Yoimiya’s hand harder, looking up into her caramel eyes anxiously.
“And while that might be partially true,” she continued “the members of the said girl group, are yet to be decided. The following names will be pitted against each other in a reality show, where members will receive votes from the audience, and the 9 members with the most votes at the end of the competition will debut in the group. The ten trainees whose names I mention will be competing with 10 members from all participating companies, adding up to a grand total of 50 competitors. If you do not reach a certain amount of votes each round, you will be eliminated, and will return to training.”
Ayaka’s stomach did a flip. 10 trainees. She had to be one of them. Failure was not an option. But maybe this could work, maybe, just maybe, if she got in, no, when she got in, she could use Ayato’s iconic charm to her advantage. Ayaka forced a smile, praying that her name was read out.”
“Xiangling, Ganyu, Keqing…”
When each member’s name was called, the auditorium clapped politely, the air filled with an unmistakable twinge of disappointment.
“Yae Miko, Ei, Yoimiya…”
Ayaka looked at Yoimiya, clear elation filling her friend’s features. Although Ayaka was undoubtedly delighted for her friend, she couldn’t shake the feeling of concern with every new name that was mentioned that was not hers.
Madame Ping mentioned two more names, both of with Ayaka almost immediately forgot after she realised they were not hers. She only had two chances now. The sole thought running through her mind was please as Madame Ping, assessed her tablet and enunciated;
“Nilou… and, Ayaka.”
Ayaka let out a breath that she hadn’t realised that she’d been holding and threw her arms around Yoimiya, ecstatic at the chance they could debut together.
She had done it. They had done it. Maybe it was going to be okay. The hard work was done, and now all she had to do was charm the audience, and a whole lifetime of practicing would have been worthwhile.
From behind them came a strangled sob, as Amber muttered a weak “congratulations!”
Shit. Ayaka had completely forgotten about Amber. She had only been training under ARK for three years, but Ayaka knew first-hand the pains of never being good enough.
“Oh Amber, I’m so sorry…” Yoimiya sympathised, giving her an apologetic hug. Ayaka did the same, gently patting her back, guilt flooding her veins, just as quickly as the excitement had.
Up on the stage, Madame Ping, cleared her throat, clearly annoyed at being silenced by the ecstatic and disappointed trainees. “If I did not say your name, please leave, your training will continue as per schedule.”
A flood of heartbroken trainees exited through the double doors, while Ayaka and Yoimiya waved Amber off, unable to deny the excitement coursing their systems, as they processed what this all meant.
She had a chance to debut. And no matter what the fuck happened, she was going to use it.
When Madame Ping was content that all of the rejected trainees had left the auditorium, she tapped the mic again. Ayaka was becoming more and more confident that she saw a grin painted on Madame Ping’s features at the disgruntled shrieks of wounded ears. But then again, maybe it was just the light.
“Congratulations. You are the 10 best female trainees in ARK. Ideally, after today we would never have to meet face-to-face again. But as disappointing as it might be, not all 10 of you will debut. In fact, I’ll be surprised if even a single one of you makes it into the final lineup. But if you do, please know that I wish you the best of luck.”
Confused glances flittered between trainees, as they took in the subtext. If they were never going to speak to Madame Ping when they debuted, that could only mean that they were moving agencies. Shit. Ayaka already knew that debuting meant she couldn’t see her friends anywhere near as often as she would like to, her brother warned her of that, but moving agencies would mean losing contact with them all together. That was a big commitment.
“The show is being funded by Inazuma Corps, and the group will debut under their newly formed label, INaZUma. During the competition, you will be provided with new dorms and will be forced to give in all technology. If you refuse to comply you will be removed from the competition.”
She paused as if to let this sink in. Ayaka felt as if she had been trapped inside a box, and the more Madame Ping spoke the more the walls caved in on her. To say she was terrified was to put it lightly. It was like with every word Madame Ping spoke, a heap of her previous elation flew out of her body, replaced by fear. During the pause, the man Madame Ping had been speaking to earlier had strutted onto the stage, smirking at the trainees.
“This is Timmie, lead singer in WAKE. He will be hosting the competition and revealing the votes every week. I suggest you acquaint yourself with him before the show starts.” Madame Ping paused, and checked her watch briskly, before continuing. “Consider this meeting adjourned. Further information regarding the show will be sent in due course. Filming starts in 14 days,”
Flanked by Timmie, Madame Ping walked off the stage, glaring down at a tablet.
Ayaka could barely process the information dump. Her brother had told her many a-tale about “golden boy” Timmie, and his less than favorable behind-the-scenes habits. Ayato couldn’t stand him, and frankly, after what she had been told, it was hard for her to provide him with a forgiving glance. Her thoughts spun at violent speeds as Ayaka contemplated; surrendering her phone 14 days until filming, INaZUma, voting, Timmie. The more she allowed this to process, the more one thought hit her with bizarre clarity.
She was fucked.