Voice Arena (3)

Blythe nonchalantly responded to Kira's enthusiasm before she approached the bed in the center. Aerine swallowed her negative thoughts, gave out a smile at her, and then returned to what she was doing 'naturally'. 

As much as possible, she didn't want to do any suspicious actions, even more so now that they were in the same room for the duration of this competition. 

However, Aerine would still abide by what she decided, which was not to interact with her more than necessary. While sorting her luggage, she could still hear Kira trying to talk with Blythe, but even if she didn't ignore her, her reply was one of obvious indifference. 

In her mind, she was cheering on Kira to distract their other roommate so she wouldn't pay attention to Aerine. 

Like that, they separated once more as they went to the dining room to eat. The filming location was a mansion, but they only used the second and first floors.

Some rooms were modified to be practice rooms. 

Aerine thought that the first day went peacefully and that the next day would be the real challenge, but she seemed mistaken. As they were preparing to sleep, Blythe, who appeared uninterested in getting along with her roommates, suddenly sat on Aerine's bed. 

She then smiled brightly, disregarding Aerine's confused gaze, and deep inside, Aerine was already alarmed. 

In her mind, she was already asking, What could be Blythe's reason to talk with her? 

"What... is it?" Aerine spoke; her voice was low, but it was still clear in the ears. 

Blythe shrugged, making herself comfortable while swaying her legs casually. 

"I heard you beat Rain." Blythe turned her gaze and chuckled. "So, I became curious about just who this newcomer was that managed to beat her." 

Aerine swallowed once more and clasped her hand. She didn't know, but Blythe's presence was overwhelming. The scent of the devil on her also made Aerine suffocate. It was extremely intense, giving off a sinister aura that surrounded Blythe. 

"I... only did my best." Despite the overwhelming scent of a devil that assaulted her senses, Aerine still managed to respond. 

Without her knowing, Aerine had also rubbed her left chest where Mr. Devil's mark was. It eased all the tension on her nerves and made the suffocating sensation decrease. 

At her answer, Blythe laughed. Her shining eyes narrowed into a slit, and she stared at Aerine intently. 

"Uhuh, I know that. And don't be so tense. I'm not here to avenge her or anything. We're not even friends." 

"Then, why did you bring her up?" Aerine asked in a confused manner. 

Blythe licked her lips and grinned.

"Aerine... right?" 

Aerine subconsciously nodded, not having any clue where this conversation was going. 

"Let's have good competition. I'm looking forward to... hear you sing." Blythe's eyes flickered as her voice sent an ominous premonition to Aerine. 

However, before she could answer, Blythe had already stood up and approached her bed. Aerine could only observe her while thinking of the meaning of what she said. 

Of course, on the surface, it seemed to be a simple word from a competitor's perspective, but going deeper, Aerine, no matter how new she was in the human world, still managed to discern her true meaning. 

From the start, Blythe had marked Aerine as one of her strong competitors. And honestly, Aerine didn't know how to feel about that. 

She stared at Blythe's figure for a few seconds before she lay down in her bed. Whatever happened, Aerine would do her best, even if it meant competing with a dangerous woman like her. 

Time flew by, and it was almost the end of the first week of filming. Aerine had also managed to adapt to a new environment. At least, unlike on the first day, Aerine could already talk smoothly to others. 

The first week of filming wasn't that eventful, and the majority of it was to let the contestants warm up to each other. There wasn't any real competition going on yet. 

However, all those good times would end at this moment. 

In a makeshift practice room, as the sixteen contestants were sitting on the floor, the famous host, Gerard, entered the room. Her outfit was as extravagant as always. 

Gerard was a renowned drag queen, being one of the biggest personalities in the LGBT+ community. She was especially famous for her colorful and extravagant outfits, which paired with her thick makeup whenever she was hosting. Aerine had to admire her for how wonderful-looking she was. 

Compared to the simple attire of the contestants, Gerard's appearance indeed made the whole room more lively. 

"Hello, dear contestants!" Gerard entered with an enthusiastic greeting and then proceeded with her banter soon afterward. 

Everyone knew that the real thing was about to happen. The atmosphere immediately shifted to a more tense ambiance compared to usual.

"I'm not going to make everyone wait." She smiled, fluttering her eyelashes in front of the camera, and winked. "It's now time for the Group Stage!" 

The moment that she said that it earned gasps from the contestants, especially the newbies. Of course, Aerine also became nervous, but more than that, she was excited. 

As much as she enjoyed the casual days in the mansion, Aerine's goal still didn't change. She accomplished the first one, and now for the second, let her talent be acknowledged. 

If she could, Aerine wanted to win this competition as well. It wasn't her being greedy, but she knew that she had the qualifications for it. 

"In this stage, we will group everyone up into four groups consisting of four members," Gerard began explaining. Although everyone was already aware of this and she was only explaining it to future audiences, each one of the contestants was still focusing and listening to her. 

As she said, the Group Stage would have four groups, and as they competed with each other, the group that performed the weakest would be eliminated. That meant, in just the first stage, four people would immediately be eliminated. 

So, as much as possible, each member of the team had to do well, or at least make sure to blend in with the others. 

"Now, let's start by picking your groups." 

A pink fishbowl was then given to the first person in front as he drew a paper inside. Just like that, the fishbowl was passed from the front to the last contestant. 

Gerard grinned and made sure to make the scene lively with her banter. 

"Okay, okay, on the count of three, everyone will look at their paper." As she counted, everyone went along, even if it was a bit childish. 

Aerine then glanced at her paper; the number inside was... 3. 

Soon, the groups were assembled according to the numbers they picked. Aerine approached her group, and she couldn't help but sigh. 

There were three women, including her, and one man. Aerine wasn't someone who easily criticized others, but... The members of the groups just happened to be the people with whom she never got along. 

The two women were fine, but Ronald, the sole man in the group, seemed to be a troublemaker. 

Aerine sat alongside them and listened as they… argued. 

They were arguing for something that Aerine didn't even know the reason for. On this team, she wasn't extremely optimistic.