Page 19 of Idol Prize
Min Jae knew he should be afraid–no, he should be furious–as he watched Andy, bathed in golden light, a confident, joyful king of hearts who’d taken his cold advice and turned it into breathtaking art. His carefully constructed walls, his icy certainty, all of it just melted away. He was powerless to stop himself from doing what everyone else in the performance hall was doing.
Falling for Andy.
Kingmaker’s final beat echoed for the second time that day as Andy’s team hit their final, gleeful pose. Min Jae clenched his hands into tight fists as a tidal wave of deafening applause crashed over the stage. He’d seriously underestimated his rival’stalent. More importantly, he’d seriously underestimated his terrifying, undeniable pull.
On screen, a beaming Si Woo walked out, making a beeline for a panting, smiling Andy.
“Wow!” Si Woo shouted over the cheers. “I’m almost breathless from watching you perform, Andy. I’m not sure I was even half that agile at your age.”
Andy, still catching his breath, good naturedly chuckled. “I promise you I wasn’t trying to make you feel old, sunbaenim.”
Si Woo playfully scoffed at the American’s charming comeback. “Old?” Then he laughed, clapping Andy on the back. “Perhaps you should tell us the meaning behind your concept for tonight’s stage?”
Andy flashed his now definitely trademarked grin. “We decided to be the Kings of Heart because we couldn’t think of any better way to capture the Dream Makers’ hearts than to show them ours.”
A knot of cold, bitter admiration coiled in Min Jae’s gut. It was the perfect soundbite. Humble, on-brand, and completely infuriating. The American was a natural at this part of the game. The effortless charm, the perfect answer.
“Well, I think you definitely captured all of our hearts tonight,” Si Woo replied. “Please, introduce your team!”
Andy turned to his teammates as they shuffled into a mostly straight line. “Two, three!” he called out.
All of team two shouted in unison, their voices bright and energetic as they made playful, two-handed hearts for the camera. “We’re the Kings of Heart, and we’re here to win yours!”
Min Jae only just stopped himself from groaning in time, ensuring his most pleasant smile was still fixed to his face. You never knew when a camera would find you. Andy had instantly deflated the power in Team One’s formal, regal greeting. Their demand for fealty. Team Two’s greeting was an invitation to aparty. And watching the crowd on the monitor lose their minds, he began to seriously doubt his own strategy.
“It’s now time for our live audience of Dream Makers to cast their votes,” Si Woo announced after Andy’s team had cleared the stage. “Remember, you’re voting for two things. First, the winning team of this battle, who will receive a massive advantage in the next public vote. Second, your favorite Dream Boy from the winning team, who’ll get an extra advantage.” He paused, his grin widening. “And tonight, we have a surprise. The team that receives the most overall votes in our group cover mission will win a special guest performance on the next live episode of Chart Masters!”
Min Jae’s jaw dropped as Si Woo’s sudden surprise hit the contestants like a shockwave. Chart Masters. The biggest music show in the industry. A guest appearance would almost guarantee a spot in the top ten. The stakes, already impossibly high, had just skyrocketed.
Two thousand faces dropped to their devices as Si Woo called for a vote on the final matchup. Woo Jin gathered the rest of Team One around Min Jae as they waited. Min Jae took the hint, quietly encouraging everyone with a gentle word or a strong pat. But his mind was elsewhere, playing Andy’s gracefully chaotic dancing on a loop.
“And the time for voting is up!” Si Woo finally announced. “Let’s gather all the teams onstage, please.”
A tech pulled Min Jae aside to adjust his mic pack as the PAs led the ten teams out to the stage. Min Jae soon joined them, taking his place in the pack behind the other odd-numbered teams. Andy’s presence burned like a star across the gap from where he stood with the even-numbered teams. Min Jae forced himself not to look.
Once everyone was set, Si Woo began announcing the results. Naturally, each team wanted their camera time, which Si Woo was happy to fill with enthusiastic encouragement before, invariably,someone lost. A lot of that time would probably end up on the cutting room floor. Min Jae watched it play out as Team Nine bested Team Ten. Then, again, as Team Seven topped Team Eight, and Team Five beat Team Six. In every single matchup, the higher-ranked team leader's team had won. A new spark of hope lit up in Min Jae's chest. It was simple logic. Rank equaled victory. He'd earned his spot at the top, and he'd chosen his team with the same logic. The pattern would hold.
“And now,” Si Woo’s voice boomed, “the results from our final matchup. Team One, Team Two, please step forward.”
Min Jae led his team forward, deliberately keeping his booted footsteps smooth and strong. Hopefully, the rest of his team did the same. Hopefully, they understood that this was only the first of many missions. That, win or lose, appearances meant everything. Especially if they lost.
As he settled on his downstage mark, Min Jae shot a quick glance at Andy. Perhaps sensing the attention, Andy turned to meet Min Jae’s gaze at the same moment. And, just like he’d done during the field day game, he winked. Min Jae inwardly groaned, already picturing the fan-made GIFs.
“Dream Makers,” Si Woo said, his back turned to the two remaining teams, “I’m sure this was a tough choice for you all. Each of these teams brought 100% to their performances tonight. In my eyes, each of these teams is a winner.”
Min Jae fought to keep from rolling his eyes at Si Woo’s meaningless and, frankly, insulting, conciliations.
“Unfortunately, the results aren’t up to me. They’re up to you, our treasured Dream Makers.” Si Woo turned, lifting his gaze to the giant screen behind the stage. “Let’s see how you voted. The winner of the final battle is–” He paused. After a grating silence that stretched for an eternity, the results flashed onto the giant screen. “It’s Team Two, the Kings of Heart!”
Min Jae watched as the lens on the downstage camera spun, focusing on his face. His idol switch flipped instantly on,presenting a flawless, sportsmanlike smile as Andy and his team erupted in ecstatic, leaping cheers. When Andy turned his way, he executed a deep, formal bow of congratulations, and offered his hand for a quick, firm handshake. He was the perfect picture of grace in defeat, every action clean and professional while a silent, roaring void opened up in his chest. The screen updated again, showing that Andy had also won the most individual votes. Another small, sharp twist of the knife.
“But that’s not all!” Si Woo called out a few moments later. “We have one more victory to announce. The team that won the coveted performance spot on Chart Masters with the most votes overall tonight is–” He paused again as the SCG’s Chart Masters logo flashed on the screen above the words Team Two. “It’s also The Kings of Heart!”
Min Jae’s ego shattered as Si Woo, one of the hosts of Chart Masters, congratulated Andy with a warm handshake. His mind reeled. Andy’s team hadn’t just beaten his. They’d somehow beat every other team, too. Which meant it couldn’t even have been a narrow loss for The Kingmakers. It must’ve been a landslide.
Min Jae turned his body to autopilot, letting it sadly smile as he addressed his teammates. “You all delivered a flawless performance,” he offered, his tone the perfect blend of sad and proud. “Si Woo even said it was a tough choice. So, hold your heads high, damn it.” A leader to the very end.
Min Jae’s body walked him through the backstage chaos–the victors celebrating in a jumping, tearful, laughing mob, the dejected losers doing their best to console themselves. He caught a glimpse of Andy’s team celebrating and turned away, seeking out a sound tech to remove his mic pack, nodding in thanks. He walked with purpose toward the corridor that led to the restrooms, knowing that no one would stop him if it seemed like he was supposed to be there. He went right past the first set of restrooms, continuing until he reached the set at the end of the corridor. The lights flickered on when he walked in. Good.Empty. He checked under each stall, just in case, before locking himself inside the last one. He settled down on the seat for the first moment of genuine privacy he’d had all day. He folded his arms across his knees and leaned forward, resting his forehead there. His body trembled until the mask finally cracked, breaking the tiled-wall silence with his quiet, wracking sobs.
