“Her rapping abilities are the best among the trainees we have, but she lacks in the singing and dancing department… She'll need more training to improve in those areas.”

“She’s been here for four years and her singing and dancing still haven’t improved? Pull her from the project group and look into her training history, we may have to drop her.”

“But… sir, her rapping is phenomenal, are you seriously considering dr-“

“She has been here four years, and, yes, while her rapping may be the best out there, she lacks in the singing and dancing department, two extremely important aspects in this industry. We cannot overlook the fact that she has not improved during her time here. Also, her looks do not fit the style of this project group. She could be successful elsewhere, see if you can transfer her to YG or JYP. I’m sure they’d take her.”

“… Yes, sir. Well, what about her?”

“Her? … She may be well rounded, but her personality clashes with the other girls we’ve chosen for this group. They don’t seem to get along, do they?”

“No, Youngmin-ssi, they don’t.”

“Then pull her as well.”

Kim Youngmin, the CEO of SM Entertainment, let out an irritated sigh as he pushed away yet another file and looked at the television, images and clips of young female trainees flashing on the screen. What were his associates thinking, creating the "female counterpart" to EXO so soon after Red Velvet’s debut? The young four-member group was already getting so much hate, and debuting another girl group so soon after them was simply going to add fuel to the fire. Youngmin hated to admit it, but he would not be surprised if the Red Velvet girls ended up disbanding and going back into the trainee program. His best guess was that his associates hoped this new group would overshadow all of the idiot decisions made in the PR department.

“What about her? She didn’t make it into the Red Velvet line up, but her singing and rapping have definitely improved in the two years she has been here. Plus, her relations within the industry are sure to bring up some buzz from the press.”

“Her? Yes, yes, she’ll be a good addition to the group. She’ll be popular with the public, no doubt about it.”

"So... That's seven, isn't it?"

Youngmin ignored his associate and picked up the seven chosen files from the table, the Polaroid photos of the chosen girls attached to the front staring back at him.

“Sir? Is this our final lineup?”

Youngmin glanced at his advisor, and then looked back down at the photos.

“Yes, Minhyuk-ssi, this is our final lineup. These are the seven girls who will rise to the top… as Zenith.”

A/N: Hi, everyone! Thanks so much for applying to my fic. Take your time with your applications, there's no rush. This is just a little teaser I whipped up, none of the girls have been decided on yet, this is just to 'test the waters'. :)