THE LAST AUDITION

Chapter 9: Three Against the World

The trainee dorms were quiet for once. No rushed footsteps, no desperate rehearsals echoing through the hallways, no trainers barking orders. Just silence, interrupted only by the soft hum of the air conditioning and the occasional laughter coming from Jiyeon's shared room.

Inside, Jiyeon sat cross-legged on the floor, a half-eaten bag of chips between her and her two best friends-Jasmine and Young-so. Nights like these were rare. No pressure, no competition, just the three of them existing in their own little world.

Jasmine stretched out on Jiyeon's bed, tossing a piece of candy in the air and catching it with her mouth. "You know, if this whole idol thing doesn't work out, I might just become a magician."

Young-so rolled her eyes. "Or a circus performer."

Jiyeon chuckled, pulling her hoodie over her head. "I'd pay to see that."

Jasmine smirked. "Of course, you would. I'd be the main event."

It was always like this-the playful teasing, the easy conversations. No matter how hard their days were, how brutal their training schedules became, they always found time for moments like these.

Young-so leaned against the wall, her smile softening. "You guys ever wonder what life would've been like if we hadn't met?"

Jiyeon's chest tightened at the thought. "I don't even want to think about that."

Jasmine sat up, her playful expression replaced by something more serious. "Same. You two are the only reason I haven't gone insane in this place."

Jiyeon nodded. "Me too. Some days, it feels like everything here is meant to break us. If I didn't have you guys..." She hesitated, looking down at her hands. "I don't know what I'd do."

A comfortable silence settled between them. They all knew the struggles-the exhaustion, the constant fear of being cut, the pressure to be perfect. It was a lonely world, but somehow, they had found each other in it.

"Remember our first meeting?" Young-so grinned. "Jiyeon, you looked like you wanted to murder someone."

Jiyeon groaned, covering her face. "I was just... stressed!"

Jasmine laughed. "Stressed? You almost bit Areum's head off in front of everyone."

Jiyeon peeked through her fingers. "She deserved it."

They all burst into laughter. It felt good-just for a moment-to forget about everything else.

Young-so reached for another chip. "No matter what happens, we stick together, right?"

Jiyeon and Jasmine exchanged a look before nodding.

"Always," Jiyeon said.

"Even if we fail, even if we succeed, even if this whole company turns into a horror movie," Jasmine added, "we face it together."

Young-so smiled. "Three against the world."

Jiyeon let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Maybe the world they were in was cruel. Maybe their dreams came with a cost. But with Jasmine and Young-so by her side, Jiyeon felt like she could take on anything.

---

The soft glow of the bedside lamp cast shadows on the dorm walls, flickering slightly as the night stretched on. It was one of those rare nights when Jiyeon, Jasmine, and Young-so weren't exhausted to the point of collapsing into their beds. Instead, they were sitting on the floor, legs tangled over each other, surrounded by stolen snacks from the trainee lounge.

Jiyeon leaned against her bed, staring at the ceiling. "You know, sometimes I wonder if this is all worth it."

Young-so, who was lying on her stomach with her chin propped up in her hands, glanced at her. "What do you mean?"

Jiyeon sighed. "The constant stress, the fear of getting eliminated, the way we have to pretend everything is fine when it's not..." Her voice trailed off.

Jasmine, sitting cross-legged with a lollipop in her mouth, reached over and flicked Jiyeon's forehead. "Hey. You're not allowed to get all depressing on us."

Jiyeon swatted her hand away with a small smile. "I'm just saying."

Young-so frowned, tossing a chip into her mouth. "She's right, though. The disappearances, the insane pressure, the way some of the trainers treat us... it's terrifying."

Jasmine exhaled and pulled her knees up to her chest. "Yeah, but at least we have each other. That's the only thing keeping me from losing my mind in this place."

Jiyeon smiled at that. Jasmine was always the one who tried to lighten the mood, to make everything seem less daunting than it actually was. But Jiyeon could see through her, see the way her eyes darkened whenever they talked about the reality of their situation.

"You guys are the only real thing in this place," Jiyeon admitted. "If I didn't have you two, I would've walked out a long time ago."

Jasmine threw an arm around Jiyeon's shoulder. "See? That's why we stick together. No matter what happens, we don't let this place break us."

Young-so nodded, a determined look in her eyes. "Even if one of us debuts first, we don't forget each other."

Jiyeon grinned. "Deal."

Jasmine gasped dramatically. "Wait, wait. What if we all debut together? That would be iconic."

Young-so rolled her eyes. "Yeah, because this company is totally going to debut three best friends in the same group."

Jiyeon chuckled. "If they don't, we'll just debut ourselves. Who needs a company anyway?"

Jasmine leaned back, stretching her arms over her head. "For real, though... I don't care if I debut or not as long as I have you guys. This place is scary, but at least I know I'm not alone."

Jiyeon felt a warmth spread through her chest. She had been so lost in her own fears, so caught up in the darkness creeping through the company, that she almost forgot about the light right in front of her-Jasmine's endless optimism, Young-so's quiet strength.

"No matter what happens," Jiyeon said, looking at both of them, "we face it together."

Jasmine smiled. "Three against the world?"

Jiyeon and Young-so exchanged a glance before nodding.

"Three against the world."

They all spoke together.