"Hey, let's choose the bug guy."

"Are you out of your mind?! I'm creating an avengers team here, not an insect team. Get out of my team if you wanna be part of bugs family."

"Chill dude, I'm just joking."

The conversation I overheard from some of the top ranking boys who would often team up together just about twenty minutes ago made me uncomfortable. Choosing team mates is always a tense, critical moment, because...oh, have I not mentioned earlier? That our monthly shows are done in survival battle format. And our audience will vote for teams they choose as winners. And we're ranked according to our votes, weekly, even though our show is held monthly. It feels like we're in some sort of television show. But I guess that should be already expected, since our academy was set up and funded by Mnet...you know, that big cable TV station? Pretty cool, huh? I wonder if we came out on TV too, but I guess, that's impossible for me. Maybe they aired the winning teams, who knows? But really, how do people we don't even know vote for us? I'm pretty sure nobody outside this academy even knows me, well, even inside here it's almost the same. 

Naturally, the teams I got in never emerged on top since we're all not popular enough, maybe we're just not good enough unlike the top rankers. No matter how much I felt I improved, and sometimes the teachers told me that too, I still never managed to know how it tasted to win. I just hope I won't get kicked out for my stagnant results each month without an increase in achievement. Our votes will be accumulated and at the end of the year, our total votes will determine whether we get to continue being here, or whether we'd be kicked out, or whether we'd be fully supported by Mnet for a debut, which really is what everyone's aiming for. But I'm more worried of being kicked out even before the year-end, if they thought my results were too underwhelming.

And even though right now, I'm just hoping to not get kicked out and to still be able to continue in this academy next year, I'm afraid to hope for a miracle to happen because it's just unlikely. But each time, a small corner somewhere inside of me still somehow lighted a small torch of hope for it. I guess wishing for something good is just inevitable. Don't you think so? 

"This month, your performance theme will be superhero. And unlike the previous months, there are no song choices provided. You can interpret and choose by yourselves."

Everyone cheered at being given the nod to have a little more freedom in shaping our monthly performance for this month, as announced by teacher, about ten minutes ago. It does sound exciting, but there are so many good songs out there. How to make sure we're not choosing a song that would only work against us? I suddenly felt like I was drowning. But I shouldn't have to worry, the leader will choose a good song and we just need to work hard to make it work.

"As usual, starting from the first to eleventh rank of last month, each of you can choose five team mates each, and the rest will get to choose one team mates at a time until we're done. As usual."

And the cycle repeats itself as always.

I knew all I had to do was to wait patiently until everyone was done choosing their teams.

"So...uhm, who should be the leader?" In the present, finally I'm seated together with my team mates, which consisted of some familar faces, some new-ish ones and a completely new one.

"You, hyung." I pointed to him with both my hands and grinned in relief to see a familiar face that made me feel safe. Though a certain other face in our small circle of newly formed team made me a little uneasy.

"But...uhh, I was already a leader in previous month. Anyone else want to give it a try?"

As expected, there was no answer or even eagerness from anyone. This is how it always look in the team formed last. Nobody wants to be the leader in the last team, because it means having to step up to represent and be the spokesperson, in front of other kids, and I guess, it's a little embarrassing to let yourself be seen and heard loud and clear when you're just a leftover nobody else in higher ranking would choose into their teams. But to be truthful, I really like Gyu Min hyung's leadership. He's nice, brave and patient the last time he led our team, and he's a very positive person too. I wouldn't mind choosing him as the leader every time. He could've easily ranked higher or get chosen into other teams easier if it wasn't for his scandal that caused some ruckus because apparently he worked as a popular celebrity's impersonator in the past before joining our academy to start over. I'm not sure what to feel about his previous occupation, but I know that life is tough. And you'll never know the real situation until you're being exactly i