Mi Yong (5)

Teams had been gathered and set up the way they had been the day before. On the same stage with the same cameras blinking, with the two same trainers looking at each contestant, each team with expressions too calm. Like they were used to this, sending home contestants with teary faces. 

"Team Leaders, please step forward." Misa instructed. 

Mi Yong shifted a little, before stepping up with the rest of the team leaders. 

"Your face, the bruise, it's healed?" Mi Yong asked, fists clenching.

"It was never as bad as it was made out to be, Hyung." Joon-woo replied, lying, as the bruise was visible but covered in concealer. 

Mi Yong had to pick three people to eliminate from Team One. And the anxiety was clear on his expression as Mi Yong held his hands behind his back, shifting as if to fidget. 

"Mi Yong." Misa started, "Who have you eliminated from Team One?"

Joon-woo eyed Mi Yong sadly. Joon-woo knew Mi Yong hadn't even thought of Joon-woo's name, hell everyone on Team One mentally knew who was going home. Still, having to say it out loud was possibly the scariest thing Joon-woo had ever seen. 

"I chose…" Mi Yong began, looking down at his feet and sighing, "Contestant 49 and 50." The reveal of ⅔ contestants shook the stage dead. 

Mi Yong looked at Joon-woo curiously.

"I hope you know that I was at fault for getting hit. I stepped in front of you." Joon-woo said, watching as Mi Yong removed his hand from his own neck and wiped held-back tears from his face.

Joon-woo saw a line of hickeys decorating Mi Yong's neck. He gulped. 

"Oh– this–" Mi Yong panicked to cover the hickeys, but Joon-woo had already seen. 

He gestured to the concealer in Mi Yong's hands, "Hyung, Do you need help covering those up?" Joon-woo asked with a small smile. 

Mi Yong looked away and nodded. 

The two stepped forward per the staff's request. In front of everyone. They looked at each other, ashamed. "And Contestant 27." Mi Yong finished.

Everyone expected 27th to leave, everyone watched as the once so confident 27th stepped forward and stood next to 49th and 50th. Joon-woo hid his satisfaction. 

Misa nodded, "Contestant 27, 49, and 50, your journey with Producer10 has come to an end."

Joon-woo frowned at the words, as 49th squated in despair, burying his head in his hands in tears. 

Joon-woo, who had his eyes fixated on Mi Yong, began to look away, but was reeled in as Mi Yong returned the stare. He looked relieved and it was the least tense Joon-woo had ever seen him. 

–+–

Joon-woo's face was pale white as he stood at the doorframe of his supposed dorm for the next week. It wasn't Reggie or Mi Yong that he was roomed with, much to his dismay, but it was Ryeo Hyun and Bo Jaesang. 

Of course, Joon-woo didn't hate the two perse, it was just they were already known to be as close as friends could be. They were both longtime trainees at Xe Entertainment, and were always ranked near each other. Hell– they were even on the same team. And knowing his luck, the last roommate in the 4-person bedroom would probably be the devil themselves. 

"Hello Hyung…" Joon-woo quietly greeted.

The two turned to him, almost in sync. Hyun's familiar blank look analyzed Joon-woo's anxious figure. It was the same look Joon-woo had seen as he had left Hyun in the practice room, after their almost-argument. The same look Hyun had used when he admitted to overworking himself. 

As they stared each other down, Jaesang broke the silence, "Ehh, the top 15 is rooming?" He mentioned with a curious smile. 

Joon-woo nodded at the fact and looked Jaesang up and down. He was… as Joon-woo had already judged, average. But he still appreciated Jaesang's social efforts and replied: "I guess so…" 

It appeared that the two had claimed one of the bunkbeds already, so Joon-woo turned to the vacant, bottom bunk of the other bed and placed his small duffle bag upon it. In the corner of the room, cameras blinked red. 

Joon-woo sighed, and sat upon the mattress. It was stiff, not as stiff as his bed back at his apartment, but still as such. He thought back to the eliminations. 

10 contestants had gone home, some in tears, some sulking in shame. Joon-woo frowned and looked at the cameras, "Aish, it was sad to see them go…" He admitted, trying to make some sort of chemistry visible among the room. 

"Yes, yes." Jaesang agreed, "I bet it was really sad for your team especially. Like three people?" He exasperated, patting Hyun on the back, "Imagine being a leader in that situation…"

Hyun nodded, "Yeah poor Mi Yong… He looked really nervous."

Joon-woo shook his head, looking at the camera and then to the duo. He got a little closer and whispered, "He was really relieved actually…" He said, quiet enough for just the duo to hear. 

Jaesang tilted his head, a bit surprised, "Ahh, because of 27th?" He asked, trying to be as quiet. 

Joon-woo nodded. Perhaps rooming with the two wouldn't be that bad– is what he thought when a knock was heard at the door. He gulped. Joon-woo narrowed his eyes as the door was cautiously opened.

In entered Jung Hyun-Ok. His face almost sparkling as he recognized his roomies. With him was also just a small duffle bag. Joon-woo had someone to relate to, belonging wise, he thought. Until Hyun-Ok took one step further into the room with a full luggage behind him. Joon-woo sighed. 

"Hyun-Ok Hyung!" Hyun cheered, his blank expression twisting into a happy one. He stood and embraced the mixed-man.

Hyun-Ok looked at Jaesang, who waved a friendly wave, and then to Joon-woo. He did a short nod of acknowledgement, not too sure on how to react to the almost heavenly presence in front of him. 

Oddly enough, Hyun-Ok's expression grew at the sight of Joon-woo's brief nod. "Joon-woo, right?" He asked, walking past Hyun's embrace. And standing above Joon-woo who sat on the bed's bottom bunk. 

Joon-woo nodded. 

"Yong-ssi was right…" Hyun-Ok muttered to himself. 

Joon-woo slightly shifted. What had Mi Yong said to Hyun-Ok? He knew they were from the same company and of similar age, but he had never seen them talk. Not even after shootings or practices. Joon-woo tilted his head, confused. 

Hyun-Ok smiled at Joon-woo's expression, as if amused. 

"Yong-ssi as in Mi Yong?" Jaesang questioned, verbalizing his curiosity. 

Hyun-Ok nodded, "Yes. We're quite close…" He admitted, almost shyly. 

Jaesang seemed a bit surprised by the admission, "Ehh? The two most good-looking contestants are friends?" He exasperated again and Joon-woo wondered if it was really for the camera or not.

Hyun-Ok laughed at that, "I think there's other good looking people in this show than us…" He started.

Hyun looked at him suspiciously, "Like who?" He asked, clearly disbelieving.

Hyun-Ok tossed his duffle bag to the bunk above Joon-woo. He thought for a moment, before looking to Joon-woo with a smile. "Joon-woo I think will be popular with the viewers… Reggie too." He admitted. 

Joon-woo's face went red. What had he just said? Joon-woo looked like Ha-rin, which is to say Joon-woo was average in the eyes of himself. And here, one of the most good-looking people he'd ever seen was calling him and Reggie good-looking?

"T-Thank you, Hyung…" Joon-woo said while burying his face. 

Hyun-Ok seemed to be amused by Joon-woo's reaction. He patted Joon-woo on the head, "No need to thank me for that." He said. 

Joon-woo felt his cheeks burn. Here he was, a 29 year old in the body of an 18 year old, getting treated like an actual child by a 22 year old (Hyun-Ok)? He definitely would have to get used to this, he thought. 

"Hyung…" Hyun cooed, "What about us? Are we good-looking?" He playfully asked, gesturing to himself and Jaesang.

Hyun-Ok shook his head, "You already know the answer to that…" He said, climbing to the top bunk with ease. 

Hyun almost pouted at the reply, but was cut off by a loud announcement coming from the ceiling in which a speaker was embedded. The four looked up to it, a bit frightened by its presence. 

Then, it began to speak.