Binna and I don't bother bathing. We clamber around while we simultaneously brush our teeth and throw on the most decent looking clothes lying around before darting out of the trainee house. 

We reach the stand right when the bus arrives and just when I think our luck might be turning around, Murphy's law decides to drop by and  kick us in the butt. A single drop of rain hits the window next to me and within seconds it turns into a full blown storm. 

Rain pelts against the sides of the bus, the sound almost deafening in this closed space. I turn to Binna, who's face is whiter than a ghosts. The time on the clock above the driver's seat reads 8.15am. Fifteen minutes until our weigh in's start and then dressing up for our evaluation.

On any normal day we would already be in the studios by 6.30 or 7am. Forget running through our performances, I don't even know if we'll be in time for the damn tests. 

As expected the rain causes a massive jam and rows of cars stand between us and the blocky building that belongs to Firefly entertainment. I look out the window only to see everything at a stand still. 

Cars honk and I watch the fumes from their exhaust pipes float up into the air like exhales. Nothing moves except the merciless rain and our hammering hearts. 

"Look." Binna points somewhere north east and I make out the mammoth training centre that belongs to Firefly. So near yet so far. 

"I think we should make a dash for it," She suggests, her voice filled with panic. 

I stare at the distance between us and our training centre, then turn to her. "In this rain?" 

She gives me a look and then I note that the time is now 8.20am. It's either we take the bath we never did or risk failing our evaluation. 

The answer is as obvious as the look on Binna's face. 

"Come on." I grab my bag and press the red button on the handle bar nearest to us. We rush to the doors and the bus driver looks at us in alarm. 

"You girls sure?" He shouts but his voice is drowned out by the sound of rain hitting windows.

We nod in unison and the doors fly open letting in a howling gush of wind. I don't think about my clothes getting soaked or how the water collecting in my shoes sends chills all the way up my spine. 

My teeth chatter and I hurry after Binna as we run to the towering black building in the distance. It takes us about ten minutes and when we cross the threshold into the lobby, I lean forward and clutch my thighs to catch a breath.

A puddle forms under my feet but we ignore the cries of protest from the receptionists and run to the lifts. 

Weigh in's are always done on the second floor. Ironically right next to the cafeteria. 

We bundle through the doors that swing open as we push them and I see the rest of the girls all standing by the weighing scale. Our head nutritionist and person in charge of our weight management, Yiren stands by the wall and her eyes shoot up to us. 

They narrow on our flushed faces and then our soaked clothes. JinJin stands at the front of the line. She stares at us in disgust and scoffs loudly while one of Yiren's assistants measures her waist with a long tapeline. 

"Slept in? Talk about over confident." 

A few girls snigger but I'm too busy wiping myself down with my hands and trying not to catch a chill and die. 

"You two!" Yiren snaps her fingers in our direction. I notice her face is furious and the chill in me turns into icy fear. "Follow me. Now!"

I shudder at her tone and follow her into the room next door. I can hear JinJin and her posse giggling profusely as we leave and I honestly feel like punching her lights out. 

Sadly, there's a zero tolerance policy for violence here at Firefly. 

We walk into a dimly lit room that looks like a huge walk in closet. I notice clothes line the back wall and the carpet under my shoes is soft pink like cotton candy. 

Yiren grabs two towels and hurls them at us. I grab one and the side of it hits my face, making it feel like a slap. One look at Yiren's boiling face makes me wonder is it was. 

"Wipe yourselves and strip. Take off those soggy shoes while you're at it. Honestly, how dare you walk into my studio looking like that!" She marches up and down the small confines of the room looking like a bomb about to explode. 

Terrified, we do as told and strip down while wiping ourselves in the process. Yiren turns on the heater to full blast and I am so thankful I could hug her. Though, I would probably get my head bitten off so I refrain. 

She grabs a measuring tape and starts measuring us from head to toe, starting with Binna. 

"When are you girls ever going to learn that you are never safe in that house. People get wiser by the year but it seems to be the opposite for you two." Her tone softens once she starts taking our measurements but she still radiates anger. 

"I checked the alarm before bed. I didn't realise she changed the time instead," Binna admits in regret and Yiren sighs. 

"That's smart. For her at least." 

Yiren pats Binna's back, signalling that she is done with her and I take her place. I understand her anger. Yiren's been on our side since the beginning but there's only so much she can do for us. 

People saw us barging into the lobby just now and flooding the floors with our clothes. Also, the girls at reception would surely report our tardiness to management. There is no way Yiren can protect us from that, no matter how hard she tries. 

Yiren used to be a trainee about ten years ago and then she left the company in her third year, deciding she wanted to pursue health science instead. She got a degree in nutrition from SNU and then rejoined Firefly in the weigh management department. 

Her loyalty and dedication to the job earned her the role of head of department after only three years. She worked hard to get where she is which is probably one of the reasons why she dislikes JinJin so much. 

Granted, JinJin is talented but it is no secret she got in and survived so far with the help of her doting uncle. 

And if it's one thing Yiren hates more than tardiness, it's nepotism. 

"The moment I saw that gleeful annoying look on that devil's face, I knew. I just knew," She murmurs as she jots down my measurements. 

"Yeah. We should have been more careful. Sorry," I reply half heartedly. Here we are standing in what looks like a large laundry room as our clothes lie in piles of sogginess on the floor. Unprepared, shivering and feeling stupid. 

I really feel like curling into a ball on the floor and crying but we still have to get ready. There's no way we can go on stage looking like this. 

"You've lost quarter of an inch. You'd better not be developing any eating issues. Not on my watch, missy." Yiren waves a pen in my face and then she leans to one side, studying me. "Are you? Because you can tell me. I promise I won't scold you. We need to work on this kind of thing together." 

"No. No. It must just be the stress. I've been eating all the food you've prepared for us." And some additional fried stuff. 

She exhales in relief and finally I see her smile. "Okay, we need to get you two ready." She claps her hands together and her smile disappears almost immediately. 

"Which is going to be hard because you look like crap." 

Binna and I look at each other and she runs out of the room. We hear her instructing her assistants about something and I take a peak to see all the girls have already headed to the dressing rooms to get ready. 

I flip through the plastic coverings of the clothes hanging all around us, looking for something to wear. There are a few outfits that we could sort of pull off but I don't even know if we are allowed to take them. 

I swear if I don't find anything I'm marching on stage and rapping in my underwear. It's come to a point where even that wouldn't stop me from performing. 

Yiren rushes in with two of her assistants and I see them holding some hair products and straightening irons. 

"You girls better thank your lucky stars that I walked into your life because I am a genius and I know just the look we could go for." Her eyes are crazed, her lips pulling her cheeks into a maniacal grin. 

I take a step back instinctively but knowing Yiren, if she says she can pull off something I trust her. 

It's not even fifteen minutes and we're done. I take a look in the mirror and admire her handiwork. Our damp hair has been straightened and pinned back with a prominent centre parting. Our eyebrows have been darkened and made to look even straighter, giving us an editorial look. 

Yiren gave us button downed shirts, shorts and matching jackets. The last thing she gives us are two pairs of Chelsea boots to complete the look. 

Our entire get up gives us both a very edgy look which is something I know Mr. Yang will like. At least I hope he does. 

"Okay, I've done my part. Now you girls do yours. Ace your evaluation and beat that spoilt brat's ass, please." She quickly turns to her assistants who laugh at her words. "You didn't hear a thing." 

They nod smiling. They're probably more used to her ranting than most of us here. 

"Thank you so much, Unni," Binna and I pull a reluctant Yiren into a group hug. "You're the best and we don't deserve you."

"At least you know that much," She scoffs but she hugs us back just as tightly. "Okay, now go! Don't waste my efforts."

We continue to thank her as we rush out of the room and studio. Our boots echo against the hard wood floors as we run to the lifts. Thankfully, our outfits are really easy to move in which will come in handy for the dance performance later. 

When we reach the auditorium I notice the girls already lining up on stage. Only one executive has arrived and I pray she doesn't notice us rushing up to join them. 

I barely catch my breath when the lights turn on, flooding the stage with bright yellow. 

All the girls look amazing in their outfits and make up, even JinJin as she scowls at us from the centre of the stage. She doesn't look happy to see us here at all. 

"You look nice," Rachel mutters sarcastically from my side while she stares ahead, her expression innocent and serene. 

"So do you," I reply, my voice hard. In all honesty she does look great in her skater skirt and crop top. Her red hair is tied back and her hair has been clipped to the side, showing off her very aesthetic side profile. 

She's about to say something else but the doors to the auditorium barge open and the executives walk in with Mr. Yang right in front. I notice the boys of Viva walk in after them and my heart rate spikes when I see Jiho. 

As usual he looks as effortlessly handsome as ever. 

The hall is dead silent, the only thing I can hear are the foot steps of the people here to judge us. Mr. Yang takes a seat right in front of us and crosses his legs over each other. He is dressed in a bright purple suit paired with a green tie and all I can think of is the Joker from Batman. 

"Well are you ready for evaluation, girls?" He smiles at us and his fingers thrum against each other. I can already tell judging has started by the way his eyes sweep past all of us, from the far left down to the right where Binna and I stand. 

I notice he stops when he stares at Binna and I, no doubt because we stick out like sore thumbs with our unexpected get up. His expression reveals nothing. I can't tell if he likes  or absolutely hates our looks. 

We bow down and greet everyone in unison when instructed to and then he speaks again. 

"Let's get started shall we?" 

His words start the ball rolling and we head back stage, each one fidgeting as we ready ourselves for our solo performance. I'm the sixth to perform so I have some time to run through my song. 

I stick to an empty corner and try to clear my thoughts and calm my nerves. It doesn't help that the third girl came back crying after her performance. 

"Jina, your next." An attendee rushes to me and I wait at the side of the speakers, watching Grace belt out the last verse in her song. She misses a note and I notice her face pale's when this happens. 

The nervousness in this hall is suffocating. My chest hurts and I gulp when her song is over. Soon my name is announced and I step on to the stage.

My hand shakes around the mike and I close my eyes to calm myself. In that moment I think of Dalia and how focused she was when she performed at Tokyo Dome. My mouth opens and I start the song that would determine my future. 

Guyss I'm back. Sry went mia last week due to a dance recital but it's all over and will be back to routine updates now. Hope u enjoyed the chapter and have a great day! :)