T.O.P – POV

‘Uh, yeah…’ I replied a little taken aback by his proposition.

I knew he was only forcing me to audition for him to irritate me. Most dealers I met were like this, they liked to exert their power and influence over people they have previously met, especially those who have acted in a challenging manner as I did.

 ‘Good, good, how about a song and dance? Let’s say…Tomorrow by Tablo, would that be fine with you?’ he asked with a smile on his face, he was enjoying this.

‘That’s fine, it’s one of my favourite songs actually’ I responded quite arrogantly.

G-Dragon – POV

As the music began to play TOP slowly walked to the front of the studio. He slid across the floor as if it was made of silk while he sang the intro. Once the rapping began his dancing slowly built into stronger movements. He looked like a professional. His routine was consistent and clean cut from beginning to start. His voice was steady and confident and the rapping with that deep manly voice of his was captivating and enthralling.

Once his audition was over he stood there breathing deeply, sweat trickling down his neck. He his lips then glanced at me. He threw a wink my way and all the air left my lungs. In that moment all I could see and hear in the room was his breathing, the rising and falling of his chest. The slight twitch of his lips as he tried to stop himself from grinning out of satisfaction.

I was entrapped in this single moment, I began to walk towards him, slowly outstretching one of my hands. Then the CEO clapped and I broke out of my trance. I realised I was half way across the room by this point and slowly retreated to the side while shaking my head trying to snap out of it. Dae and Taeyang just gave me a quizzical look as I looked back at them, how was I supposed to explain this to them?

Thankfully none of the judges seemed to notice. After the CEO finished his round of applause he looked absolutely smitten with TOP.

‘That was incredible, it’s as if you’ve been training your whole life for this moment’ JYP exclaimed.

‘What do you guys think?’ he asked his colleagues. They al nodded and smiled in agreement with JYP’s previous statement.

‘Well that settles it, you’ll be entering the group with GD, what do you think?’ The CEO asked him excitedly.

However TOP’s response shocked us all.

‘No thanks, I’ve got better stuff to do.’ He replied cooly.

‘Like what? Getting high on drugs and killing yourself slowly?’ JYP asked with a condescending smirk on his face.

How on earth did he know TOP did drugs? Well they did know each other, but to say that in front of everyone was quite humiliating though I knew what he was doing. He wanted to break TOP’s confidence down, expose his weaknesses and show TOP how much he really needed this job.

TOP’s expression completely changed, he snapped his head up glaring at the CEO.

‘Yeah exactly, you know I love me some of those drugs. Why bother working when I can just be in ecstasy all the time, right?!’ TOP snapped back at him with such ferocity even I flinched.

‘Now, now TOP, no need to get so defensive. It’s obvious that you’ve been clean for at least a few days now. You obviously want more from life such as answers or to realise a certain dream.’ JYP responded calmly and knowingly as he pulling a silver locket out from around his neck and placed it on the table in front of him.

T.O.P – POV

It couldn’t be. The same locket my mother had left for me in her will. How did he know? What did he know? Why was he only revealing this now? So many questions whirled around my head. I ran up to the desk and collapsed onto my knees in front of him clasping the locket in my hands. It was the same. There was doubt about it. I tried to open it but as with mine it would open without a key, a key that I did not have.

‘I have the keys, both of them.’ JYP said simply.

‘GIVE THEM TO ME!’ I shouted at him. I was desperate, what if he had all the answers I’ve been searching for my whole life.

The vocal coach gasped beside him and GD came and placed a hand on my shoulder as Taeyang and Daesung came towards me and told me to calm down. However the CEO reassured them that it was fine.

‘I’ll give them to you, I’ll give you the keys, my locket and your dream. Stay here and I’ll tell you everything.’ The CEO said with a sincere smile on his face.

Was everything he did and said up until now a joke? And test? A game? And then the tears fell down my cheeks as I nodded. I would stay.