I don't need to blab on here about how much I dislike AUs (I don't read them and I don't like writing them) – the only AUs I get, usually, are vampire AUs, so I was a bit surprised when a SMTM4 prompt showed up in my inbox. It's one where both underground rapper Kyung and idol Zico auditon for SMTM and, of course, they hate each other. The anonymous person who requested it said they wanted hurt/angst/comfort and that's my speciality so I figured I'd go for it. So here I am, at 12:40 am on a Sunday night (I AM SO TIRED PLS SEND HELP) watching SMTM and writing at the same time. Also, apparently, since I can't write a fic without Jihoon, he features in it heavily, too (although not in a romantic way, and mainly because Kyung needed a friend, and Jihoon is legitimately the only other person (apart from Zico) in Block B who I can picture being from the underground).

anyway – here's a preview:

The line to get in stretches and snakes its way around, and as Kyung slaps his number into his chest and joins the back, trying to peer over people's shoulders, he sighs and resigns himself for a long wait. By the look of the line, he might not get inside until tomorrow. He might have to get Jihoon to bring him a sleeping bag or something.

ing Jihoon. It was his idea in the first place, to audition for this stupid show. Kyung never really wanted to; the underground was quite fine for him, really - he doesn't like cameras shoved in his face. But Jihoon had made him sign up for the auditions, and now here he was, stuck in this stupid line for god knows how long.

'I ing hate you,' he types to Jihoon, following up with another text: 'I don't recognise anyone around me.'

'u'll thnk me when u get famous, hyung ;) n thts bc anyone worth their turned up early. ur stuck with the nobodies.'

He pulls his headphones out of his pocket and shoves them violently in his ears, turning up his music so he can't hear the crowd in front of him before replying, fingers moving fast over the keys. 'It's just going to be an idol-fest, anyway. We read the rumors on who was going, remember?'

'LOL!!! wht do u think ive been doing while u were on ur way thr? ive been stalking naver. mino is there!!! from winner!! ing yg fest.'

Kyung raises his eyebrows. Bobby winning last year had cemented the idea in his head that this show was nothing but a front, and that YG in particular was paying through the nose for favourable appearances. He's met Mino before - he's quite nice, actually, but he's still an idol rapper. Scum, in his eyes.

'Nice. Who else? Was I mentioned?'

'ravi from vixx, vernon from 17, taewoon from speed, and some member of that new boy group that just came out, monsta x. and u were, actually. "promising rookie underground rapper kyung is set to audition." no photo, tho. they had a photo of zico.'

Kyung scowls at his phone and flops down onto the ground crosslegged, ignoring the people who have joined the line behind him, chattering excitedly. 'Zico?? Of Block B Zico???'

'lol yes. get an autograph for me if u see him.'

Kyung locks his screen and closes his eyes. Yet another idol rapper, Zico annoys the out of him, for many reasons - mainly being that he's actually really ing good at what he does, both at being an idol and an underground rapper. He hadn't started in the underground (not like Kyung and Jihoon, who had had to claw their way up from the very bottom) but dabbled in it, stealing headlines and gigs from others who deserved his place more. Kyung had been at a gig that Zico had been at and, while they hadn’t run into each other, when Kyung walked out on stage, the crowd was nearly silent – they were all Block B fans, here to see their precious idol.