Complete silence engulfed the room as everyone's eyes were dead set on the golden embroidered envelope. It had the fancy emblem of the well reknown art's school; Ryuu Art's Academy. It also wasn't sinking clearly into their heads that their headmaster told them that they will be performing in a couple of weeks. 

Kris had the audacity to wryly laugh and used his pinky to dig into his right ear canal like there was something stuck inside there "I'm sorry headmaster but I think my ears are clogged after being in a helicoptor for a while. I thought you said we have a couple of weeks before this whole show begins."

"To be precise you have four weeks to prepare your debut song with original choreography and make it perfect." 

Kris deadpans and almost explodes. "What the fu-"

"Now wait a damn minute headmaster. We just got kidnapped, sent to the middle of some weird camp owned by two hippies and then a few days later we get thrown back into civilization to be told we have to prepare for our debut which is apparently set in four weeks? Are you crazy?!"

"Yes, Mr. Kim Junmyeon I am crazy but this plan isn't. You actually should be thankful that I set it to be in four weeks instead of making it soon because I've come to realize that we are facing a formidable foe and the only way we need to beat them is if we get completely serious about this as much as they are. This is a message that they aren't playing around and they want to win no matter what."

"But none of us are ready. You saw us during our first practice and you know most of us aren't getting along as a group. How can you expect us to get it together in just four weeks?"

Xiumin had a fair point no matter if they finally got to know one another during the camp. All of them knew, even Nari that they weren't ready but the Headmaster didn't look too concerned about that as he pulled out a huge chart that looked so convoluted to even look at. 

"That is why I came up with a way to prepare you all for the upcoming debut and get your group more acknoledged towards the public. That way they'll be introduced to who's in the group."

"Can you perhaps enlighten us on how we are going to get more well known to the public?" Sehun asked surprisingly. 

"Seeing as how there is not a lot of time to prepare you for the upcoming debut and how you twelve are just starting to get along swimmingly-"

"I wouldn't use that word specifically..." Lay mutters quickly. 

"So I devised a neat little plan that is going to prep you for your big performance and get you a fanbase started."

"Why do we even need a fanbase? That sounds rather stupid." 

"Oh on the contrary Mr. Do Kyungsoo. You see the basis of this whole competition is to see which school's music group is favorably perferred. Not just to the judges, the school board, and students from both schools but of course the general public is important too. So it is very vital that you charm your way into numerous fangirl hearts across South Korea."

"You make it sound like we are selling ourselves off for these girls." Xiumin seemed highly disgusted. Especially with the fact that he was going to have to please these so called fans to get them to win. 

"Hm sounds simple enough for me since I don't have a hard time attracting the ladies."

Chen and Sehun internally rolled their eyes at Luhan's comment while the more cocky boys that pride on their looks and appeal didn't have to worry much and thought this would be a breeze too. 

"Yes, I will highly praise you boys for all being handsome and charming  but here's the catch. The only way you're going to earn these fans hearts is showcasing your skills and whatever it is that makes you stand out in the group. So I am assigning each of you to either a subunit, or a solo." 

Everybody's reactions were simultaneous and Kris finally spits out a sentence. "Excuse me?"

"Di-Did you just say so-solo?" 

"What do you mean assign us?"

"What's a subunit?" Tao got a smack on the back of his head from lay for asking such a dumb question and for even talking at all.  

"Settle down boys and listen. Not all of you will get to perform a solo and not all of you will be placed in a subunit."

"Wait how did you even decide who gets the solos and subunits?" Kai curiously wondered because he definitely perked up at the sound of possibly getting a solo. 

"It wasn't based just solely on my decision but the school board, Ms. Liu and your dance and vocal teacher. So here is the lineup of what role you got and when you will be debuting." 

The headmaster reveals the calender and the list of names paired up as a subunit and those that were assigned solos. Most of the boys were very surprised with whose names they were paired with while others were surprised they only saw just their names. 

When Xiumin saw his name together with two other names and one he mostly did not want to be paired with he almost had to hold back a groan. "Hold on a second. Please don't tell me that I'm going to be in the same group as-"

"That's right roomie!" Chen immediately swung his left arm over Xiumin's shoulders to bring him in for a side hug. "You and me. Oh and Baekhyun over there all together in a subunit." he dramatically takes a big whiff making Baekhyun and Xiumin fairly uncomfortable with Chen's lack of space. "You know what I smell?"

"?"

"Nothing?" Baekhyun and Xiumin both answered with monotone answers but Chen ignored their unenthusiastic replies.

"The start of a great friendship."

"No thanks." Baekhyun curtly responded.

"I think I'm going to literally kill myself." Xiumin breathed out loud looking completely dead inside. When was he going to stop being paired up or stuck to this goofball? 

"Sweet! I get to be with Sehunnie~"

Chanyeol was the most excited that he gets to work with one of his best friends but they were also working with Tao who found himself a little out of place between them since he never really got to know them during their time in the camp. However, it'll be a great start for him to get to know them both. 

Luhan seemed pretty ok when he saw he was assigned a solo. "Hm I don't really mind going solo. I mean I kinda expected much becase I'll get more attention from the girls when I perform. " 

"Yah are flirting with girls all you can think about Luhan?"

"Hey don't judge me on my profound interest in women. Besides you're going to go solo too Jun. Which means you'll get a horde of fangirls waiting at your beck and call."

Junmyeon couldn't help but shudder at that horrifying thought of him actually becoming like Luhan but also that slight anxiousness in the back of his mind at being put as one of the solos. Meanwhile, Kyungsoo and Kris were the other two assigned solos and they seemed indifferent about this decision and shrugged their shoulders kinda feeling glad they didn't have to pair up with anybody. However, the ones who were extremely livid about their pairing was the two main dancers. 

"You have got to be joking! Why is it that I'm always stuck with you?" Lay exclaimed directly towards Kai who gave him a look of disgust. 

Kai scoffs as if Lay had just read his mind. "Yah don't think I'm jumping with excitement either. I'm just as confused as to why I'm placed in a subunit with you of all people. I was deadset on just being assigned a solo." 

"Yah you must be kidding me? You a solo? You must really think highly of yourself to think you deserve to get one." 

"Enough. Both of you. I put you two together because you are our best performers on the team. It is also the reason why you two are going to be the first group to perform."

"What?" It was quite comical actually when Lay and Kai both turned their heads at the same time to look at the headmaster to see if he was joking but this time he wasn't. 

"I like to see more unity between the two of you because you're our strongest performers. Plus it'll bring in a wave of fans when they see the first members we present in our group are our talented dancers." 

"Wait what about Sehun? He is also a really good-Ow! Hun? What did you do that for?"

Sehun had stomped on Chanyeol's foot and glared extra hard to make him stop talking about him. "Shutup Chanyeol." 

"Headmaster as much as you think it's a good idea for us to be paired up together there's only one big issue here. We don't want to be in a subunit together." Kai fervently nods at Lay's statement and tried his best to persuade the headmaster too.  

"Why can't you just put us with a solo? It's much faster for us to learn and be prepared when we do it solo."

The headmaster shakes his head staying by his decision. "I'm sorry my decision is final and you two will be paired as a subunit and be performing next monday. I already know about your rivalry in the dance department so it's a perfect opportunity for you both to work together and bring out the best in each other. So are we clear?" 

Kai clicks his tongue clearly annoyed at all of this. "This is so stupid." 

Lay didn't look too happy as well but nodded his head finally going along with the headmaster's plan. 

"Are there any other objections I should know about before we adjourn this meeting for tonight?" 

Everyone stayed quiet not saying anything. Maybe because they were really tired since it was 10 pm or they just really didn't care about this whole arrangment. So the headmaster clapped his hands together and looked satisfied that no one had anything else to say. 

"Great! Since we are all on the same page, you can all head back to your dorms and rest because tomorrow after class you're going to head over to Ryuu Arts and see what you're truly going up against. Goodnight."

They start filing out the office glad to finally go back to the comfort of their own bed. However, the headmaster calls Nari's name to have her stay back for awhile. As everyone left Nari and the headmaster alone in the office, Nari felt quite nervous as to why she had to stay behind? Was he going to tell her some bad news on her part? 

"Am I in trouble?"

"And why would you think that of all things? No you're not in trouble. I just wanted to know how your progress was in your songwriting?"

Nari definitely was a little surprised, "Well uh it's going slowly since I have a couple of drafts of songs that I'm working on right now but I always have Mr. Henry look over what I have so far and he shows me what he's working on and....yeah."

The headmaster just nodded his head listening to her explanation before he walked around his desk and leaned back on it. "That's good you're learning from Mr. Henry. I want you to keep shadowing him, listen to his experience and how he creates masterpieces. One day you want to be like him don't you?" 

She hesitantly nods and the headmaster smiled before she raised her hand to speak. "Um he-headmaster? In the beginning you asked me to write the debut song for the group but during our previous meeting you announced Mr. Henry as the one in charge of the debut song. Did you suddenly change your mind because of me?"

He stayed silent for a moment before he spoke. "Well yes and no. First, I didn't want to burden you with the great responsibility of working on the boy's debut song all by yourself. Second, you're still young and growing in your writing. I invited Mr. Henry as the main producer to give you that solid ground of how it works in the actual entertainment industry."

"I see." 

"Don't worry Ms. Jeong your time will come but for now I'm assigning you to oversee and work alongside Mr. Henry on these boy's solos and subunits. It'll be a great chance for you to gain inspiration in your music the more time you spend working on their stages." 

"Y-yes sir." 

He gently smiles at her before looking up at the time and yawning rather vicariously. "Alright then. Sorry for making you stay for a bit longer. You can go and rest up. I'll see you tomorrow Ms. Jeong."

"Goodnight Headmaster." she bows and turns to leave looking a little solemn and quiet. It wasn't like she was expecting she would be given the duty of handling all of the group's songs. She needed to grow more on her music like the headmaster explained. As of now she was still struggling on a few of her songs that were either not coming together well with the feeling of her lyrics or the lyrics were just not coming out. 

She remembered when Mr. Henry had first looked at what was inside her journal and commented how it wasn't bad but not great either and that she need to work more on what her main consensus was for the songs she writes in her book. Nari deeply sighs as she walked out the school's main building not noticing somebody waiting for her by the steps.

"Took you long enough." 

"Kai sshi? What are you doing here?"

He got up from the foot of the steps and brushed off any dust that got onto his pants before looking at her weirdly. "I was waiting for you. It's dark out and you specifically shouldn't be walking all by yourself out here." 

"B-but you didn't have to do that. You could've already been back at the dorms with the others resting and-"

"But I wanted to anyways." he cuts her off and leans in to level his eyes with hers. He simply smiles at her before poking her forehead and begins walking back to the dorms. "Come on princess I need my full ten hours of sle