━ { ghost in the hallway
FINAL SHOWCASE PERFORMANCE PLAYLIST

Vocal warmups along with stretching and conversing filled the back halls of the stage, as groups prepared to get ready for what was head of them. Meraki were no exception, Areum, Eunjeong, Lauren and Jinhee stretched and ran over their routine together as Nell and Yumi snacked from their spots on the couch behind the younger girls. The doors to seats hadn't even opened yet the girls had some time till their special stage with Twice, GOT7 and Seventeen. 
Alumni began taking their seats in a blocked off area as the main door opened people taking their seats. Ms. Lee chewed on her pen as she looked out to the crowd, nerves filling her body as she glanced at the countdown clock. 
The girls had all sat down in their waiting room as the sounds of other groups in the hallway flowed in as the door opened, JungPD smild at the girls.

"Any questions?" He asked as Jinhee stood up and ran to the trash can emptying her stomach, as they all sighed. "That should have been more expected then it was." He said as Nell handed the youngest some water as she sat back down. "Don't forget you girls deserve to be up there as much as anyone else." He said, as he the television as the AV Club walked in setting up cameras to record their reactions for laterthe Final Showcase logo twirling on screen as they waited. When shots of the stadium appeared, screams errupting in the stadium as Ms. Lee and the vocal teacher at Seoul Arts, Mr. Nam took center stage.

Thats when it began.

The four girls stretched as Twice's Jeongyeon, Mina, Momo and Satan themselve, Nayeon, joined where they waited as the boys conversed on the other side of the stage. Jinhee tried to calm her nerves as the boys walked towards them, Hansol fillling her eyesight as he waved infront of her face as his mic was connected to his clothes. Jackson picking up a conversation with Lauren as the two joked aroun, Areum and Jihoon talking as Eunjeong joked with Seungkwan and Jaebum. Jinyoung walked to Jinhee and held her arm as she leaned against the wall.

"Deep breaths." He coached as Hansol pulled her into a hug rubbing her back.

"She just knows she is going to choke up there." Nayeon whispered to Mina, which Jinyoung heard as they were directed to head to their sies of the stage. Hansol relucently let go Jinhee go as Jinyoung held back fighting words as the two turned to leave.

Twice took the stage and the music started.

As they exited the stage, Astro headed up the stairs. The girls of Meraki rushing to their room to get changed, as Jinyoung pulled Nayeon aside.

"If I hear you say one more thing about my sister or the others, you will regret entering the Final Showcase." He said, with a glare before turning and leaving to GOT7's dressing room. Nayeon scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest in annoyance.

Meraki all stretched as they waited back stage, Seventeen went over the choreo with Yumi and Nell to make sure they knew what was happening. Lauren stood next to Jeonghan as they practiced their facial expressions, Mingyu and Eunjeong joked together to loosen any tension she was feeling, Jun and Areum were playing around as they waited, and Jinhee shook her nerves out of her hands as Hansol stood with her. Hoshi walking to the younger two.

"Hyung, you can't steal her away from me." Hansol joked, which distracted Jinhee a bit from her nerves as her mind drifted to what Nell said, about the two being engaged. She looked at her feet as a crew member signaled her to follow him she walked quickly behind him. As Areum Looked as Jihoon from where she stood, Jun following her line of sight and smiling.

"You know, He kind of has a thing for you." Jun whispered to the shorter, whom coughed and scooted away from the taller. The music beginning.

The girls sat in chairs as they drank juice and water and snacking on whatever was in the room. As groups continued performing, going through a BTS& GOT7 collab,  Lauren, Areum, Jinhee and Nell went to get changed for their stage with Twice. The other two sitting on their phones as the girls warmed up.

"I swear, if Nayeon gives me one more dirty look she is dead." Areum said as she closed the door after returning from the bathroom.

"Welcome to my world." Yumi said, as she nodded to the screen as Gugudan took the stage, a producer opened the door taking the girls backstage.

"How are you and Kihyun?" Yumi asked, her mom role back in action, as Eunjeong smiled.

"We're good. He makes me happy." She said, with a smitten smile, putting a smile on Yumi's face as she looked at her phone.

"Unnie, everything okay?" The artist asked, the leader nodded in response putting her phone down as she stood to go to the bathroom. Once she left, the younger grabbed her phone unlocking it, seeing a photo of the rapper and Yoongi together as her background. Unlocking it, she saw what she was becoming upset about, locking the phone again after sending it to herself she stood up walking over to the others' phones making sure they didn't know what was happening. 

"You're going down." Eunjeong growled, storming out of the room, as the others took the stage the music starting.

As they stepped off stage they noticed Eunjeong standing there, not looking too pleased, Lauren as the first to approach her but was soon pushed past once she spotted her target.

"You are SICK." Eunjeong spat at Nayeon, shocking the group girls as she held up her phone a screenshot of her message to Yumi on full display. 

"That wasn't me." She said, then looked at Jihyo, then back to the artist. "I thought she should know what everyone thinks of her. Don't worry you are all getting one." Nayeon said with a smirk, stepping closer to the artist. "Quit. Or I'll make you wish you weren't born."

"I bet you parents wish you weren't" Areum said, grabbing the phone scoffing and glaring at Nayeon as she pushed passed them, the rest following after her.

"You deserve none of this. Not this competition nor anyone's attention, I can't wait till they drop you like we did. You are worth nothing. Not anyone's time or effort-' I can't believe this." Yoongi growled as Nell took the artist's phone back as the boys looked pissed.

"We will handle this after the performance." Areum said, as they excused themselves walking back to their waiting room where hte leader and the artist sat in silence. As their collaboration with BTS began playing.

Seventeen and GOT7 took their seats in the alumni area, bowing to the others as they took their seats. Jinyoung checked his phone, worried about Jinhee. Whom had currently locked herself in a bathroom stall as the girls finished warming up, they were all not as energetic as usual each of them recieving a message from Nayeon. Normally it wouldn't break their resolve but, she hit them each where it hurt.

Your father died cause of you.

Yumi shook her head and stretched her body.

Your parents were cursed when you were born.

Areum put her headphones in playing the MR.

Nothing more than a pretty face, and a rich princess.

Nell ran over the choreography by herself in the mirror.

Angsty artist, is overrated. grow up.

Eunjeong stared a the notebook sitting in her lap.

The only reason your even hear is because your mother got in an accident because of you.

Lauren stared at her reflection.

Jinhee threw up everything she ate the day and was sitting on the bathroom floor.

"I know what she said hurt. But, none of it is true. She wants to quit so bad because she feels threatened. We worked just as hard as her- wait.-"

"Wheres Jinhee?" Areum asked cutting off Yumi's pep talk, the five left their waiting room and began rushing around calling her name as they looked, Yumi and Areum ran into the bathroom seeing one stall closed they knocked on it.

"Jinhee?" Yumi asked softly, hearing the sniffles behind the door. "It's just us. Areum, go get the others." She said, the rebel walked out looking for them.

"I can't do this." Jinhee croaked, Yumi sat on the floor infront of the stall her back against the door.

"You know, the first time I got on stage I threw up right before, messed up in the routine and was still cheered for. I mean I got kicked out of Twice but, it led me to you all. I don't htink any of us would have expected to get this far, I certainly didn't. But, we got this far together. No one, including Nayeon, should be able to break that." Yumi said, taking a deep breath. "Look. We might not all have started off n the right foot but, you are my friends. I love and trust you. I don't think I could stand on the stage without a single one of you." She said, soon hearing shuffling, Yumi stood turning to the door as Jinhee opened the door. The older smiled kindly and opened her arms, the yongest's face turning stotic.

"No." She said, as Yumi grinned and hugged the vocalist as the others walked in Nell cheering and hugging the two, Lauren smiled and grabbed the two besider pulling them to the group hug. All of them hearing Jinhee groan as she felt everyone touching her.

"Lets kick some ." Yumi said as they walked down the hallway to backstage where BTS stood stretching as Twice began.

Yoongi looked at the girls to seem them getting their mics set up, walking to them he stood infront of Yumi as she set up her mic.

"Hey." Yoongi said, Yumi looked at him as she put her earpiece in.

"Hey. Nervous?" She asked, as she glanced at the others setting their mics up.

"Nah. Just wanted to see your fae before we win." He said, his cocky personality showing itself.

"Don't cry when we demolish you." Yumi said as Twice left the stage heading to change.

"These boys have not lost one battle and have been trending the past two days worldwide. Give it up for BTS with Spring Day!" Ms. Lee announced the boys walking on stage as the girls went to the stand by area where monitors were set up, they heard the music start.

The girls watched in awe as the boys put everything on the stage, they all took deep breaths and tried to calm their nerves as they waited. Jinhee chugged a full bottle of water as Lauren watched her in cruiousity, EUnjeong did vocal warm ups, as Nell and Areum went over the dance, Yumi watched the screen mentally cheering for the boys. It still all felt so unreal as the boys finished, exiting the stage heading to change their clothes. 

"These girls, are a powerhouse of vocals, dance and visuals, they were voted as the group other groups wanted to be this year. Created by Ms. Lee herself, here is Meraki with Deep Blue Eyes." Mr. Nam intorduced as the girls walked on stage, heading to their spots. The music starting.

Nell -> Yooa, Sohee
Yumi -> Moonbyul
Areum -> D.ana
Eunjeong -> Seulgi
Lauren -> Somi
Jinhee -> Sujeong

The girls finished changing as Twice finished their second song. The girls stood backstage as BTS took the stage again as they grabbed their mics. Nayeon walking past them after returning their mics, she stopped next to Jinhee.

"Don't choke." She said with a smirk walking back to her dressing room, as music started.

The girls watched the monitors as the boys poured their hearts out on the stage, as they all did. As the boys exited the stage, the girls all gave them thumbs up as they headed to change, the girls walking onto the stage as their short intro video ended with a picture of all of them at their first battle, as they got in their positions. As the picture faded, the music began.

Nell -> Doyeon, Sohye
Yumi -> Hyeri
Areum -> Sohee
Eunjeong -> Sira
Lauren -> Chaekyung
Jinhee -> Yeonjung

As they exited the stage, they wiped the tears from their face walking to their dressing room as cheers continued. 

"Voting will end after Meraki's throwback performance. So continue voting." Ms. Lee said, her eyes watery.

"We want to take this time to thank all of the company scouts and alumni for being her tonight. We really apperciate it." Mr. Nam said, as Ms. Lee wiped a stray tear from her face.

"This year, our Top 3 were asked to cover a song that was a hit in 2008. So lets welcome them and keep voting." Ms. Lee said as BTS took the stage, the music soon starting.

The girls stood in their place as they waited, Twice continuosly glancing at them from the other side of backstage. Before they were signaled by BTS' performance ending, the music starting.

Meraki took deep breaths as they waited for the music to start.

After changing their clothes, the three groups stood side-by-side on stage as Ms. Lee and Mr. Nam wallked on stage, carrying a gold envelope.

"This year has been a long and tough battle." Ms. Lee stated.

"But, only one group will earn the title of the Final Showcase Winner of 2017." Mr. Nam said, looking to Ms. Lee whom held the envelope.

"And the winner is-"

(author's note)The next one is the last chapter T.T I'm so thankful to have you all still interested in this story, and this the first applyfic I have actually ever finished. I HAVE YOU ALL TO THANK FOR THAT! i'M GLAD YOU GUYS HAVE ENJOYED SO FAR!