"I. do. not."

"Yes you do..."

"NOT!"

"Like hell you don't"

"Shut up! I told you I don't!"

"You don't deny it you mean?"

"No I mean I'll kick your..."

Minzy tried to block out the bickering between Hyoyeon and Minri, but it was only increasingly getting louder. They were in the dance room for their last practice before the introductory battle later in the day. It was still pretty early in the morning so the yelling match between her teammates was getting old quickly. Minzy wasn't even sure what they were arguing about she just walked in to stretch and Hyoyeon was in the middle of vehemently denying something while Minri continued to smirk as if she knew some secret.

"Minzy! Don't just sit there and act like you can't hear us." Minri said suddenly changing her target.

"Guess you caught me" Minzy answered in a bored tone while rolling her eyes. She continued to stretch out her leg muscles on the practice room floor but took a moment to look up at the two.

"What are you guys fighting about now?" Minzy finally asked.

"Oh you haven't heard?" Minri asked with a smirk "Word is that there is already a couple floating around here. It's only been a few days and there hasn't even been mixed matches yet, but some s!ut has already found a guy here. Anyway news is that the guy is Lee Taemin, but the girl is a mystery."

Minzy couldn't help but tense up for a moment when she heard Taemin's name. She tried to continue naturally stretching, but after that announcement she felt like all her actions looked forced and strained. So she decided to keep the conversation going to hide from her obvious discomfort.

"Bu- But what does that have to do with Hyoyeon?" Minzy asked in a low voice.

"Don't you know? Hyoyeon 'claimed' him, " Minri said in a sarcastic tone "She's totally in love with him, and I just think it's funny that he obviously doesn't feel the same way."

"SHUT UP!" Hyoyeon yelled jumping into the conversation. "I told you he isn't anything to me and it doesn't matter because if I wanted him I could take him from that mystery girl."

"But that's not what you were saying the first day we got here," Minri continued. " I overheard you b!tching to Victoria and that other girl that Taemin was yours and how you felt he always had a thing for you, how you guys were super close back at SM, and how you wanted to finally make your move on him here where you couldn't get in trouble with your company for it."

"That's- that is... You- You're a-" Hyoeyon struggled

"I dare you to call me a liar." Minri challenged with a raised eyebrow while taking a step closer to Hyoyeon.

Hyoyeon followed Minri's lead and in a few seconds both girls were only about a few centimeters apart and both looked ready to kill. Minzy's heart was pounding. Her mind went back to Taemin's comforting words yesterday about how she shouldn't care so much about everyone else. But it was just getting harder and harder. Minzy couldn't help imagining if people knew she was the mystery girl. Not only would she have to handle anonymous online attackers but there would be real ones on the daily. Ones she would have to see everyday she was on the dance program, which she only joined to be closer to Taemin and practice her passion. It was just all too unfair. It felt like it would never get easier. As her two teammates continued their stare down, Minzy took a deep breath before she took charge.

Rising from her feet Minzy physically separated Minri and Hyoyeon.

"Listen guys we don't have time for this! Screw the gossip and for now lets just practice. We have a few hours left before the performance and it would be wasted fighting. Do you all want to lose to a group of amateurs because we were too busy talking about Taemin and his girlfriend?" Minzy questioned in an assertive voice.

"Fine."Minri said after a long silence. "Let's just practice and get the show over and done with."

"Whatever" Hyoyeon said. "I'll practice, I mean if I want to be the last girl standing I should start off on a winning note."

"Okay," Minzy said in a brighter tone. "Let's go! A five! A five, six, seven,.."

"EIGHT! Hit it!"

The bass was blaring in the small dance practice room. A group of five young men soaked in sweat were vigorously dancing to the hip hop song playing.

"TAEMIN KEEP UP!" Junhoe shouted out while still keeping with the beat.

Taemin blocked him out and tried focusing on the steps. He wanted to tell Junhoe to worry about himself but he knew that would just start a fight. Instead he tried to let the choreography come to him naturally as it always did. He pushed harder, but he still felt himself falling behind. Taemin hated that his nerves were getting to him since he just wanted to do well and he knew that he was already a good dancer.

"And stop!" the instructor called out when the song had hit its last beat. Taemin fell in exhaustion after he heard the order and when he looked around he saw that he wasn't alone. Kai and the others were all hunched over in fatigue. Taemin reached for a water near his side and proceeded to chug it down.

"So...Instructor...how...did...we... do...?" Ren asked in between huffs and puffs as he gasped for air.

"Still a little sloppy guys. I mean much better than the past few days but you guys are still too aggressive. Half of you are rushing the beat and the other half can't even get on it. Taemin, you especially. Sometimes you're doing fine but then you get in you're own head and lag behind. It makes the overall group look bad."

Taemin hung his head in frustration once he heard the criticism. It was something he already knew for himself, but it bothered him more that it was obvious to everyone else.

"But for now guys just get cleaned up and ready for the show tonight. At this point the only thing you guys can do is stretch and just review the choreography. Don't go full out and just save your energy for later. If you want to win you all just have to let it come naturally and flow together as a team." The instructor finished his little speech and left the boys to practice on their own.

"So...in other words Taemin and is dragging the team down" Seunghyun said after he regained his breath. He stood up from the floor to glare at Taemin from across the room.

"Seriously we practice day and night and you still look like a freaking idiot out there." he said more aggressively.

"Look you heard him! He said we all as a team have something to work on" Taemin said through gritted teeth "Why are you only signaling me out?"

"Because YOU-"

"Guys!, " Kai said standing up "Let's stop. You heard him we all can fix something. And remember this is just an introductory battle even if we lose it's not the end of the world."

"To you maybe. But I for one don't like settling" Junhoe said jumping into the conversation.

"Look I'll be fine by tonight." Taemin said.

"You better be." Junhoe warned and then walked out of the room to take a break.

Taemin just rolled his eyes and continued drinking his water. He heard somebody's footsteps behind him and he stopped drinking to turn behind him. He saw Kai quietly approaching.

"Hey Taemin let's go talk somewhere." Kai said in a low tone.

"Okay sure..." Taemin said a little confused about Kai's change in attitude.

"Man you know you're my best friend right?" Kai began once they were alone on the roof top together.

"Of course any reason you're saying it now?" Taemin questioned.

"Because I don't want you to feel hurt when I say that Junhoe and Seunghyun are kind of right."

"WHAT?" Taemin yelled feeling his anger flare up. "You're taking their side?"

"There are are no sides Taemin. I also feel like you're too out of it. You need to get it together before tonight." Kai said. " I mean do you want me to lie to you?"

"I told you I'm fine and I know I can do this routine!" Taemin yelled

"I know but when Seunghyun and Junhoe said-" Kai tried to start

"When they said WHAT!!??" Taemin flared up again "They were right when they said I was a fairy? When they said  I can't dance? When they said I have no right to be here? When they constantly put me down, they're right then too? You agree with them that I'm nothing?"

"NO! I just want you to do well. You're not understanding me." Kai said getting frustrated

"No," Taemin said getting tired "You're not understanding me. You're not trying to see how it's affecting me. And honestly you're doing a terrible job at being my best friend."

"Taemin..."

"See you later tonight" Taemin said shoving past Kai and back down to the practice room. He as determined to do well tonight.

"Mic check... Get Minri's hair fixed. Hyoyeon watch the cables on the floor! ...Minzy remember the camera on the ends and don't forget to turn towards them..."

Minzy's head buzzed as the instructions were being tossed around her and her teammates. Tonight was the night of the introductory battle. Where all the contestants got to show their talents and everyone got to see who was the major competition. Minzy had sent Taemin a good luck text earlier and he had replied with a similar but longer message that left Minzy's heart fluttering. She tried to calm her nerves as she mentally visualized the choreography in her head. Minzy was clad in a leather long sleeved cropped military styled jacket with edgy silver zippers all over. This was paired with baggy camouflage pants that were tight around the waist and went well with her black combat boots. Her hair was slicked back into a sleek jet black, high ponytail. Hyoyeon and Minri were dressed in similar styles. Hyoyeon wore a tight white tank top along with the same pants and black combat boots. Her hair was blown out into large blonde wavy tresses. Minri wore her signature red dyed pigtails that were tied around the base of her neck. She wore this along with a simple black cropped tank top and the camouflage pants with similar black combat boots. They were dressed for an aggressive performance.

"Alright girls you're on in three, ...two, one!"

Taemin couldn't restrain himself from cheering and screaming the loudest for Minzy's group. He ignored the stares from the crowd around him as he focused on her performance. He was in awe at how Minzy danced to the strict choreography with ease and a natural flow that overshadowed the other members. Hyoyeon did pretty well but she sometimes had the tendency to be over dramatic and make her moves look too rehearsed. Also at times Minri seemed lost and off beat but she made up for it with improvised y moves and seductive gazes that the audience didn't seem to mind. Regardless Minzy was definitely the star of the performance in Taemin's eye. Although, he was a bit biased since Minzy had snuck him a peck on the lips in the shadows backstage after her performance ended.

"Taemin come on you're up next!" a staff member said while motioning Taemin to his spot.

Taemin took his stance in the formation next to Kai, while simultaneously ignoring him.  Things between them hadn't been fixed before the performance so they were still on awkward terms. Taemin decided to not let that interfere with tonight, and to focus on the performance.

"Okay guys I know the competition is a bit stiff tonight, but that won't stop us right?" Seungyun turned from his spot to yell back at them

"RIGHT!" they yelled in unison.

Taemin replayed the choreography in his mind one last time before taking one long deep breath and looking at the stage in front of him.

"Okay guys," said a staff hand balancing a clipboard amongst many other things," You're up in three, two... ONE!"

*Sorry for the long absence guys~!  I was at orientation for my college and got kind of busy. Thats why this update is a it longer than usual, to make up for the delay. Anyway like I said I will be finishing this story and I will try to update sooner. I actually tried to add this chapter a few days ago but apparently it saved as a draft and wasn't published. So parts of it got cut off and I had to r e-write it. But it's all good now. Oh but I had to mark this as 'mature' at first because of some of the language in one sentence -_-  So I just wrote it in a different format. Anyway I hope you guys enjoy this new chapter and please keep leaving comments!