"Close your eyes." I nudge Boram and obediently she does so. I gently flick the brush across her eyelids, leaving them a soft pink. "I can't believe you don't know how to do your own makeup." I sigh and dig through my 'tools' for the lipstick. 

"It's not like I've ever needed makeup before this anyway!" Boram pouts and crosses her arms. 

"Hey stay still!"

"How's it coming along?" Taemin flicks his head to get his hair out of his eyes. Niel walks in after him.

"Did you cut your hair?" I nearly drop the stick of eyeliner in my hand at the sight of him. 

"Well, you said it was too long.." Niel gazes shyly at the ground. His hair now only reaches just below his ears when it used to run down his neck. It's a change but because of it, he looks more grown up. He looks....good. "It doesn't look bad right?" he asks.

Boram gives a thumbs up, "Looking good Daniel!" 

"I told you to call me Niel.." he sighs, then glances up at me as if expecting me to also state my opinion.

"W-well," I try to act normal, "It's okay. Not bad." 

Niel smiles and looks at the ground. "Yah! Who said you could be happy about that?" I yell. 

"What!" he yells back, "Can I not be happy when I'm being complimented!"

"Who said it was a compli--!"

"Guys." Boram interrupts. We both look at her. "Calm down. It looks good. End of story." 

Taemin pats Niel's arm and sits down on the counter, Niel shifts his weight to the other leg. 

"Are you done yet?" Taemin takes another sip out of his barrel-shaped banana milk.

"Hang on! I'm almost done! We just have to look presentable!" I carefully run the eyeliner over Boram's eyes once more and wipe my hands together. "Done!"

Taemin stands up and stretches a little. I shake Hyomin who fell asleep on a chair. "It should be our turn soon, wake up!"

Taemin runs the dance moves over with Niel once more, then we hear our names called. 

"Ready?" I ask everyone. 

"1...2...3..FIGHTING!" we throw our fists in the air and Taemin leads us out. Once out on the stage, it's a heck of a lot scarier. My heart quickens in my chest and I squeeze Boram's hand to keep from shaking, I feel her squeeze back just as hard. 

"Who are you?" a judge asks us. We all say our name in the order we're standing. My turn comes second to last, before Boram.

"Song Ji Eun." I force the words out and then shut my mouth. How am I supposed to sing like this?

"You may begin." the judge taps her papers against her table and leans back in her seat. I exchange glances with Niel as the music starts. This is our chance.

The music starts with the sound of twinkling and bells. I step forward, the mic in my hands is trembling, my heart quickens. 

"Turtle, you won't go far at that speed." I switch to the next dance move, and set my hand on Taemin's shoulder, "On top of that, the road is far and dangerous." I twirl under Taemin's arm and slyly hand him the mic, then pose. 

Taemin is the only one moving while the rest of us are frozen. "Go after your scars are closed and healed," Taemin dances around the stage like a professional. Boram steps out from behind him with her mic and together they sing, "I'm serious, then I'll let you go."

They part with a smile and I walk in with Niel. He points at me then in front, "Don't hide," he puts a hand on his chest, "Don't steal my heart." then he ducks away to the back of the group. 

I wave a hand after him, "Lies-your slow, slow steps." Then I turn my way and follow to the back of the group. Here is Hyomin's solo part. We tried to get her to sing louder, but it's iffy. She walks out through the center while the rest of us dance around the side.

She in a breath, and opens .

"Words that are deep inside my heart," she sings as loud as I've ever heard her. Good job, I think. She wants this too. She in another breath "Come to me!" she belts the words with all the force she has and the rest of us lift our mics to our lips. 

"With no place to put its heart," I smile at Niel as Taemin twirls me around and we start onto the next set of moves. "It's a sad turtle."

"because you have a lot of scars," Niel pours his heart into the mic, "Because you're alone, is that why you're hiding alone?"

I walk towards him from Taemin and lift the mic to my mouth. "I can't protect you or love you anymore," I in a breath and push my voice as hard as it can go, "It's my heart aching story!"

Everyone comes in towards me and we sing together, "It's okay if it's a little late." 

Niel sings his solo line, "Just take is step by step," the rest of us join him, "Slowly."

The music fades out and panting we all bow and thank the judge.

"Next." she says coldly. We bow once more and leave the stage, taking the steps two at a time back into the dressing room. 

"Everyone alive still?" Taemin asks, and looks at Niel and Hyomin specifically. Niel looks a bit shaken up, but he's alive, and he nods. Boram is holding Hyomin up, she's practically fainted. 

"Could you take her to the infirmary?" Boram struggles under Hyomin's weight. "I don't want her to puke or something." 

Taemin nods and takes Hyomin, Boram waves lightly at them. 

"You okay?" Taemin asks Hyomin and sets her on the infirmary bed. "You don't look so good." He touches her forehead. Hyomin gasps and pulls his hand away. "You shouldn't do that!" she practically whispers. 

"Why not?" Taemin tilts his head to look at hers. She stares at the ground as if it's the first time she's ever seen a plain white tiled floor. 

"B-because..um.." She clutches the bed with her long slender fingers. "Actually...y-you make me nervous.." her voice fades out more and more as she talks until Taemin can hardly hear her. 

"Speak up!" Taemin cheers, and tilts her head up. "You have a pretty voice, you should let people hear it."

"O-okay.."

---

The judge calls us back in. Hyomin is still in the infirmary, but the rest of us are here. All the other contestants are on stage with us. I see Sunggyu two groups away. Why does he looks nervous? He can't seriously think he WON'T get in. 

"I'll now call the names of those who have been accepted." the Judge raps her nails against the table and clears .

"Kim Sunggyu." 

I'm not surprised, but I can't keep myself from smiling. He deserved it after all. Sunggyu bows to the judge and leaves the stage to get his acceptance certificate. The judge continues to call out names until only a few groups are left. 

"Ahn Daniel." She calls. We all look excitedly at each other, but the judge snaps her fingers to get her attention. She raises her eyebrows. "JUST Ahn Daniel."

----

um...yes. It's short. Sorry! I'm having writer's block with this story lately. Words just don't come to me as quickly. 

Thank you for all of your support! The song they say was "Turtle" by Davichi. 

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