Chapter 6
Min Jae had often visited the hospital cafeteria when his mother was getting her chemotherapy. Those were hardly memorable experiences, but it meant staying close to her, and offered cheap, decent meals.
The only quality the Sky Village cafeteria shared with the one in the hospital was the word cafeteria in the name.
More like a high-end restaurant open only to the impossibly handsome, Min Jae half expected to be seated by a ma?tre d’ in a tuxedo.
Sunlight streamed through floor-to-ceiling windows, pleasantly reflecting off the minimalist, light-wood tables and illuminating the stunning view of the forested slopes of Cheonggyesan.
It was spacious enough that even a hundred hungry guys couldn’t fill it.
Min Jae picked at the rolled omelette on his tray, only half-listening as Song Dae Hyun, their group’s self-proclaimed top dancer, held court at their table.
“Did you see my close-up in the final formation?” Dae Hyun bragged, shoveling a mouthful of rice and kimchi into his mouth. “The camera fucking loves me. I must’ve had ten full seconds of solo screen time.”
“It was a strong shot,” Min Jae agreed. “Your energy was off the charts.” Because it was so sloppy, he didn’t add. More flash than precision, but the editors would hide that. His confidence was a useful tool, but it required a strong leader to properly aim it where it needed to go.
Im Chul Min let out a disgusted sigh. As a rapper, he’d had no chance to showcase his skills in the signal song. “I still can’t believe they made us perform that childish shit. The lyrics were written for ten-year-olds.”
Min Jae shrugged. “It’s supposed to have broad appeal,” he gently countered.
“A bright, poppy anthem that’ll play well with all sorts of listeners.
” He gave Chul Min’s shoulder a rough squeeze.
“You’ll get your chance to show off once we start the group missions. They’ll have rap parts for you then.”
Chul Min nodded. “Hell yeah. Once I get a lead rap part, my ranking will shoot up.” He grinned and took a sip of his soup.
Min Jae nodded, even though he disagreed. Chul Min was way too focused on his supposed bad boy image. His unwillingness to be flexible was a huge liability in a group setting. You did what your company told you, or you were out. It was that simple.
“It wasn’t so bad,” Woo Jin suggested, echoing Min Jae’s comments. “At least the beat was good.”
Min Jae nodded again, smiling at Woo Jin’s naked loyalty.
He was easily the most experienced, if not the most talented of Min Jae’s three roommates.
He definitely knew how to play the game better than the others.
And he was closer than them to the top spots.
He had the best shot at moving up in the ranks, as long as he followed Min Jae’s lead.
Min Jae would need to see more of Dae Hyun and Chul Min in action before he could seriously determine what their chances were.
But having them in his crew, at least for the moment, worked just fine.
A subtle chiming echoed from hidden speakers in the cafeteria.
It was time to wrap up their breakfast for the day’s planned group activity.
They were to head outside, so most everyone, Min Jae included, expected games.
Simple, often silly activities like that presented the showrunners with ample footage of the contestants letting loose and having fun.
Min Jae was anxious to move into the missions, but he couldn’t deny that game days played well with the Dream Makers.
Min Jae grabbed his tray to deposit it in one of the bins near the exit. He rushed back to his room to ditch his track suit jacket. It was already pushing twenty degrees outside. The light blue t-shirt he’d been given with a large number 1 printed on it would do just fine.
The door to Andy’s room was open when Min Jae passed by.
He caught a glimpse of the number two contestant chatting with his new best friend Leo as he slipped his lilac purple shirt over his head.
Min Jae also got a good look at Andy's smooth, tanned torso rippling with lean, well-defined muscle. A dance instructor, he’d said.
He certainly had the goods to back that up.
Even after a grueling dress rehearsal that had tested Min Jae’s limits, the American had shown no signs of slowing.
And when they filmed the actual video the next day, requiring three run-throughs of the entire routine, with additional closeups of the killing part, Andy had still been as fresh as he’d been on ranking day.
He had enough skill, stamina, and sex appeal to stand out even in a building full of hot guys.
Once Min Jae realized he’d been staring, he quickly escaped his room before getting caught.
He found Woo Jin and the others just as a PA herded them all through an exit at the rear of the central building onto a sprawling, manicured athletic field.
The bright morning sun–warming his shoulders through the thin fabric of his shirt–had already burned the last bits of dew from the impossibly green grass.
The day’s camera crew, a small army already set up around the perimeter, had come prepared.
Not one, but two tall black cranes hoisted cameras aloft.
And a low buzzing overhead meant they’d deployed at least one drone, too.
An important day, apparently. The giant steps, boxes, and tubes stacked alongside the field confirmed Min Jae’s earlier suspicion, too. Games.
Dressed like a fashionable golf pro in a bright, yellow button-up and coordinating yellow, green, and blue plaid pants, Min Si Woo waited off to one side with a microphone in hand as the contestants all assembled, his bright smile already competing with the sun for attention.
“Welcome, Dream Boys,” Si Woo’s voice boomed from portable speaker stacks, “to your first Dream Boy Project Field Day!” He paused as a chorus of surprised gasps, cheers, and light applause rolled through the assembled contestants.
“After all your hard work so far, the producers and I agreed that you’ve earned a chance to have some fun, build some friendships, and show the Dream Makers a different side of yourselves! ”
Min Jae clapped and cheered right along with the rest of the guys, many of whom seemed genuinely excited for a day of fun and games.
But he knew better. The day would actually be a chance to demonstrate his charm, show his leadership, and get his smiling face on screen as much as possible.
Content was a much more vital objective over enjoyment.
“We’ve got a whole day of fun planned for you,” Si Woo continued, gesturing around the field.
“We’ll provide you with a series of exciting challenges to test your teamwork and spirit!
You’ll compete in a three-legged obstacle course, a giant pants relay race, and a test of pure strength in the tug-of-war.
But it will all come down to our final, winner-take-all event.
” He paused, letting the tension build. “A full-scale battle of speed and strategy in Name Tag Elimination!” He stopped again, letting the murmurs and wows trail off before continuing.
“And I haven’t even announced the best part.
” A beat for a quick grin. “The winning team will be rewarded tonight with a luxurious bulgogi feast. All you can eat!”
The assembled contestants erupted into raucous cheers. Woo Jin was so excited he practically jumped into Min Jae’s arms. As much as he hated to admit it, he wouldn’t turn down a prize like that if he won. Meat was an expensive rarity at his grandmother’s house.
Si Woo laughed at the lingering cheers and shouts of “Gogi!” before returning to the mic. “But first, we need to make the teams. To keep things fair and balanced, we’re dividing you by your official rank! All odd-numbered ranks, you’re Team Blue! All even-numbered ranks, you’re Team Red!”
Min Jae gathered with everyone as a herd of PAs walked out to hand out blue and red arm bands.
Fair and balanced teams, for sure. A simple, impartial way to split them up that just so happened to guarantee the most dramatic possible outcome.
He hardly had to wait for the announcement he knew was coming.
“Which means,” Si Woo beamed, his eyes finding Min Jae in the crowd, “your team captains will be Kwon Min Jae for Team Blue, and Andy Kim for Team Red!”
One of the crane cams immediately dipped to focus on Min Jae as he slipped the bright blue band onto his arm.
His, unlike the others, also had a gold star on it.
He found the camera lens and smiled as he adjusted his arm band, ensuring that the star was prominently displayed.
He caught the motion of the second crane in the corner of his view, lowering to capture his rival doing the same thing, presumably.
It would be a perfect drama. The hero and the underdog, who’d recently forged a new partnership for the signal song video, now forced into direct opposition. Min Jae wouldn’t have it any other way.
Team Blue swarmed around Min Jae as he hurriedly considered what he would say to them.
He shot a quick glance toward the other team, gathering around as their leader, Andy, waved them closer, beaming with an almost lopsided grin.
He said something, and his whole team erupted with easy, genuine laughter.
Typical, starting with a joke. That’s why Team Red was about to lose.
Min Jae grinned, too, narrow-eyed and calculating, as he returned his attention to the sea of blue and purple t-shirts assembled around him, all sporting bright blue armbands.
A shadow passed over his head as the crane cam adjusted its position.
Min Jae kept silent until it stopped moving, the buzz slowly dying as his team eagerly awaited his speech.