Hollywood Zenith

" Hyung, I think we should stop now," Yesung suggested. His being the smartest among them, everyone always heard his opinions.

" That's right, girls already left to get ready. We could use a few hours of rest." Shindong's third senior supported him; he was the pacifier regarding conflict in the group.

" Youngest, what do you say? Should we stop?" Leeteuk asked Siwon while handing him a dry towel. They had been practicing a lot, almost making the floor sweaty.

" Hyung-nim, haha, I am fine if you give me a few seconds. , Besides, we don't need that much time for makeup like others." Siwon said with a smile. He respected his seniors a lot and always wanted to prove to them his worth.

It was precisely the world of idols; if you were left behind, it was only your fault. Maybe you should have practiced more? Sang more? Or dance more to improve your skills. His team members might now agree with him, but he was the one who had seen countless talents being forced out to get to where he was.

His worries stemmed from the fact that he was the youngest and latest addition to the group. Although it had been one year since he joined, the group was already famous in Korea.

" Is it fine? We can stop if any of you don't feel like it." Leeteuk was strict, but he knew people had limits, and pushing them right before their performance could cause unnecessary trouble.

" I am fine. Let's do one more round." Siwon stood straight and said seriously.

" If you say so. Let's rehearse the last song, but only our parts, alright?" Leeteuk suggested.

" Yes!"

They decided to do one more session.

Leeteuk: In the starlit night, you're my guiding light,

Shindong: Every moment with you feels so right.

Siwon: Your laughter is the melody of my days,

Yesung: In your arms, I've found my place.

Eunhyuk: In your heart, I've found my peace.

The air conditioner was on full blast, but every member of the group was sweating a lot. Siwon was pushing himself to his limit, but he kept practicing this challenging routine for the upcoming performance that would potentially elevate his position to new heights!

As the back group music played, he moved swiftly across the floor, executing each step with precision and grace. His voice was steady as they sang along to the instrumentals, but he didn't notice that with every leap, spin, and twist, the strain of his body intensified. Despite the fatigue creeping into his muscles, he was determined to give his best. After all, no one else was complaining!

Hours turned into twilight, and the dance studio was now illuminated by the soft glow of the overhead lights. Siwon's determination was unwavering, even though his body had started to send protest signals. In his pursuit of perfection, he failed to notice the signs of strain his body was showing.

" Just a few more minutes!" he thought as the final stretch approached. 

And then, amid an intricate spin, it happened. A sharp pain shot through Siwon's ankle, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground. He clenched his teeth to stifle a cry, the pain radiating through his body like bee stings!

" Arghh.."

His fellow dancers rushed to his side, concern etched on their faces. Siwon's ankle had taken the brunt of the impact, and tears welled up in his eyes as the pain intensified. With gentle hands, Leeteuk's friends helped her to a chair and examined the injury.

But before they could do anything, someone rushed to his side, screaming.

" Oppa!"

...

...

...

A few minutes earlier.

" Yes, young master. Do you want to visit the facilities before the show?" Jean said respectfully, guiding them away from the public.

Le Zenith was not a small space; with thousands of capacity, it had a dedicated entrance at the back where performers usually waited. Jean was taking them through it, and seeing him accompany these people, no one said anything even though it was not normal for outsiders to be there.

" Hey, isn't that-"

" Yes, I heard rumors, but why is the boss so considerate toward them. Even if they are bigshot celebrities, aren't they prohibited from being here?"

" Hehe, you must not know. Let me tell you, I heard someone big was accompanying them. Judging by that person covering his face, I think that's him."

" Who is it? Do you know?"

" I don't and don't say anything to others. Do you see those guys standing in the distance? They are said to be guards specially invited by the boss to protect the VIPs."

" VIPs? I don't think even they have such access."

" Shh, say it quietly. What if they hear us?"

People kept gossiping, looking at Samuel's group. Emma and Rupert were easily recognizable, but Darren and Samuel, hiding their face, were getting more attention due to curiosity. Even then, they could only watch from afar, daring not to block their path.

" What do you guys think? Do you want to meet them now?" Samuel asked them.

" I don't care either; I am only here for Emma." Darren shrugged, but his eyes were definitely telling a different story. Grace Generation was famous, and every member was beautiful; Samuel could understand why he dodged his question.

" Is that so? Hahaha!" Before Samuel could say anything, Rupert slammed his shoulders, making fun of him.

" Humph! We will go; I want to see Oppa practice!" Emma snorted. She was not dumb and understood why they were acting like that, so she spoke her mind. She was a die-hard fan of the Juniors! How could she not fulfill the duty of being a fan?

" Will there be a problem? I don't want to disturb them before their performance." Samuel asked Jean again.

" It's alright; they must be in the middle of practice. We can watch from afar; I already have consulted their manager." Jean said proudly. He had made sure that Samuel didn't lack anything during his visit.

" Alright then, lead the way."

They began walking, and within a few seconds, their ears were met with loud music reverting their surrounding. Entering through a small door, their eyes were met with a large hall where few people could be heard singing.

" We should wait here for a while," Jean suggested. He could see the group still in the middle of practice; it would be detrimental if they suddenly lost focus by their presence.

"That's a good idea." Samuel agreed, catching Emma, who had starry eyes looking at them.

" Don't make any trouble." He said firmly, making her stop.

" I thought they would be here." Darren's shoulders dropped with disappointment.

~In the starlit night, you're my guiding light,

Every moment with you feels so right.

Your laughter is the melody of my days,

In your arms, I've found my place.

In your heart, I've found my peace.~

Samuel observed their performance; in his eyes, there were many flaws in their singing and dancing, but he could only see the fatigue on their faces. It was hard to understand why they were pushing this hard right before their live performance.

Right before the Outro, suddenly, one of them collapsed on the floor while grabbing his leg. Samuel could see the culprit was the excess sweat on the floor that made his leg slip.

" Arghhh!" He screamed and corrected that movement; a flash passed through his eyes. Emma rushed to the scene, jumping twice to remove her high heels.

" Oppa!"

" Fuck! Let's go in. We have been exposed." Samuel sighed and started walking in their direction.

" W-what happened to him? Is he okay? Does it hurt?" Emma was behind them, asking questions.

" Who?" Every group member looked back at the strange girl who had invaded the auditorium.

" Ehh? I..." Emma struggled to say anything; she was already blushing, getting simultaneous attention from every group member she admired. Besides, she didn't learn Korean, so she was unsure how to respond.

" I am sorry. My friend is a silly girl, but should you look at him first before that?" Samuel came to the rescue and flung Emma into Darren's arms, taking the lead. He spoke perfect Korean, as it was one of the first languages he learned because his Taekwondo master was also from Korea.

  " Right!" Emma's surprise entrance was engulfed by their worries of Siwon's accident. Leeteuk examined it and said frustratingly.

"I think you might have sprained your ankle, Siwon," his voice laced with worry, but it was a big blow to every member. Leeteuk was the most experienced among them and had a keen eye for injuries; if he said it was a sprained angle, there was an eighty percent chance of him being correct.

" What? No..." Siwon's heart sank. The upcoming performance was his big break, and now that it seemed like his dreams were crumbling before his eyes. He was more disappointed in himself for not knowing his limits!

" I should call the manager! Maybe we can do something..." Yesung said.

" Yes, we should call someone, but I don't think he could perform tonight." Leeteuk sighed cementing his fate.