A/n:   If you didn't read the previous chapter, go back and read first part 01, because chapter 06 is split in two parts (01+02) related to each other.

 

 

 

 

A small WARNING: This chapter contains at some point a trigger warning for a slight violence scene, so if you are a sensitive person in this matter, you can skip reading  starting with this  gif
 

 

 

 

 

 

"Let's sing now, I will tell you everything after the audition, and I hope you will do the same, tell me the whole truth.", the singer said before opening his mic again.

"The song's name is "Stand Up" or  “Twenty”, and the author of the music and lyrics is, as I've said, Xiao Zhan."

Zhan started to play the drums along with the pianist’s parts, and when he nodded to the singer, Yibo's honey voice filled the room and also the audience's hearts.

 

 

The singer's voice sounded steady and confident, even though the sheet was trembling in his hands, from all the strong emotions his heart was filled with.

He could feel to the core all the pain and struggles that Xiao Zhan went trough:

~A shooting star running to the end of the sky
Can a ray of wind hear
A ray of hope also sings for him
I want to rekindle the fire
Time and time again, only ashes remain before my eyes
Wounded and searching for an exit
Tightening the invisible rope again and again
Both hands are empty, unable to break free
Three feet above the sound of the wind is so vast~

 Also he could feel that the song was written by Zhan with his image in his mind:

~ Before a storm rushes through
A light penetrates the long night
For a moment he was no longer alone
The way he stumbled, the way he pursued
His eyes are filled with light along the way
Three thousand lights reflecting the stars in the sky
The four seas are far away, and you return together~

The pianist managed to improvise an amazing piano accompaniment, all three of them bewitching the audience.

~.Stand up a million times
To the skyline stand up
To the end stand up
To the infinite future stand up
Stand up for the horizon
For the horizon stand up
For the warmth stand up
And for the ordinary world stand up~ 

 

"I will have a word with these two candidates in my office in ten minutes, and I want the composer there, too.
It's not a simple thing to compose such beautiful music at your young age. I suppose that you are still a high school student,  may I ask you how old you are?", Mister Jung Hae-chang asked the kid who played  the drums.

Zhan stood up from the chair, rolling at his jacket’s hems like searching for support in his high level emotional state:
"I am twenty , sir!"

Yibo just smiled affectionately, at the collective gasp resonated in the hall room at Zhan's reply.

 

 

A sulky Xiao Qing, a happy Wang Yibo and a trembling Xiao Zhan entered  Mister Jung Hae-chang’s office, another CEO of Yuehua Ent, Co.

"Look, kids, you are pretty old for joining the training classes!
But…
We usually don't do this, other kids are trained beginning with their early childhood years, and are debuting only after seven, eight or even more years of training, but I have this guts!
I can feel that you, all three of you, are pure gold, Mister Lee Sang-gyu was right about you, so I will make an exception with you!
A member of the successful girls  band "The9" intends to leave the band to get married, so we need a replacement quickly, and you my dear would match perfectly with the other members..."

Xiao Qing interrupted him with a whining voice, ignoring Yibo and Zhan who were trying to stop her:
"But I was hoping  that I would be paired in a duet with Yibo Ge, don't you think that our voices sounded very good together?"

"Yes you're right about your voices, but in a duet it needs chemistry and spark, too, things I couldn't feel at the  two of you as a duet. I am talking about the chemistry I could sense between the singer and the drummer , maybe because you two are brothers or good friends?"

"No, they are not, that little fa...I mean he is family, the  composer is my brother, actually a big part of the songs are composed by me, and..."

Xiao Zhan cut her words:
"We apologize for my sister's annoying blubbering, she is just very excited with the unexpected opportunity you have offered to her, thus she can't think straight right now. We thank you very much , she will work hard and show you that you will not regret taking this decision, thank you very much, our mother will be extremely happy, too!"

The boss smiled at the bowing boy:
"Don't worry, I can understand her nervousness, anyway she will not have much time to complain, because I need to warn you, my girl, the competition in this world is scary and a very hardworking time is waiting for you!", the man said, patting Qing's back sympathetically.

"If you are ready for all the sacrifices waiting for you, we will need to discuss with your parents about the details, for example you will live no more at your home, after signing the contract you will live in the dorm with the other members of the band."

"This will not be a problem, my father died, and about my step mother I suppose she will be happy to get rid of me, but she is in Japan, and will be back only in a few days."

"Not a problem, until then you will have time to listen to the band's songs and accommodate everything related to them, learning their names, their achievements, and so on.

For the start you will be guided in learning the basics by a few assistants whom you will meet right now!",  the CEO said, buzzing a button and instructing his secretary about something.

After the secretary took Qing with her, Mister Jung focused on the two boys, stopping them from leaving the office.

They thought that Qing was the only one chosen and that was all, but even so, both of them were extremely happy  for her.

"Where are you going boys, I didn't finish with you two!
If you will succeed to record 10songs, you as a singer and you as a composer, in a month, and I will be satisfied with the results, I will give both of you a big chance  in signing for a long term contract with our Company.
Of course you will have to train hard, but only for a short time before debuting.

 

"Zhan Ge, please wait for me, we badly need to talk!", Yibo shouted  behind the boy who started running in the hallway after they exited the office.

"Not now, just not now, I need a bit of time only by myself, please leave me alone for awhile!"

Wang Yibo gave up and returned to the audition hall where he left his backpack in the great hurry and emotional state.

 

 

 

                                                                                      

 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, after Qing was loaded with all kinds of stuff needed for her future pop band research, she took a seat in the building's lobby waiting for the other two, especially for the prince. 

She was just daydreaming at the way BoBo will congratulate her with a kiss, or at least with a tight embrace, when somebody startled her with a peck on her cheek:
"Hi, y, what are you doing here?"

"Hi, I came for an audition, what about you?"

"Same, I came with my buddies, we  created a rap band and we just registered for an audition. And how was yours?"

"Pretty good if I count the fact that I was included in an already famous girls band, but still, I was hoping for something else, and of course that my stupid brother had to ruin everything!
You and your friends should have had  him beaten up harder back then, when he invited you for that ice cream!"

"What did that disgusting creature do again?"

"He tried to steal away from me, my beloved boyfriend, and I'm afraid that he succeeded to infect him with his repugnant homoual virus!", Qing meowed, wiping dramatically her imaginary tears.

"Whaat?
How dared that freak to do something like that, do I have to teach him a lesson again, where is he now?", the bully shouted,  raising a fit and grinding angrily his teeth.

"I think that I saw him a few minutes ago entering the restroom, right there behind the corner!", replied the girl, picking up the boxes and following the boy who called his three buddies waiting for him outside, to join him.

 

When the bullies banged the restroom door to the wall, and stormed inside like a horde of savages, they found there a small crouched form , plastered to the wall, hugging his knees and sobbing softly.

 

 

 

"Look at this pathetic sick !
Awww, awww!
Why are you sad, pretty fairy?
Did your freshly stolen  boyfriend already break up with you?
Did he already rip your cute, little heart?", the bully grinned, pretending to caress the black hair of the inert boy, before pulling him up, harshly, by a full fist of hair. 

"What do you want from me?",  Zhan asked in a too calm voice, considering the not so good situation he was being in.

 

 

The bully started to pull harder his hair, shaking his head and spitting all over his face while yelling:
"We try to act cool, huh?
What do I want from you?
Not an ice cream, not  a kiss, for sure, you can't turn all guys into fu*king rainbows, like you did to your beautiful sister's boyfriend, so don't even think of getting some from me, get it?!

Xiao Zhan could have fought back, but why would he do that?
He was just one and they were a gang. Besides that he knew from his past experiences that if he will bear patiently without protesting, it will be over sooner.
Thus he just inhaled deeply and closed tightly his eyes, waiting for the punch to come, when the bully pushed him to the wall and rose his fist in the air.

 

 

But instead of feeling the knock, Zhan felt his front body protected by a boy shouting:
"Leave him alone, you brainless animal!"...It was Wang Yibo's angel voice converted then into a fearless, angry outcry.

After getting sure  that Zhan was not harmed in any way , Yibo pushed the bully with his face plastered to the dirty floor and started screaming at him: ”Apologize to him!”, while riding his back and twisting his arms.

 

 A/n: Imagine that this scene is taking place on the bathroom floor

 

But another gang member, muscle like a professional boxer,  pulled Yibo up by his jacket collar like it was weightless.

"What do we have here?
So the rainbow wanna take the punch in the fairy's place, huh?", the bully grinned, preparing to hit Yibo in the face, but he was faster and punched hard the “boxer” in the stomach, while Xiao Zhan, encouraged by the unexpected help, took care about one from the other bullies, but sadly they were only two against four ...so the other two jumped in helping their friend on immobilizing