CHAPTER 115: CHAPTER 112 NEW FRIENDS

Time passed steadily, and all the trainees were training hard.

Even though many of them knew that they might just be part of the crowd during the theme song assessment, they did not slack off.

They understood one simple truth: if you don’t work hard, you have no chance at all. But if you do, you might just be noticed.

"Hello, dear trainees, please proceed to Training Room #1 to try on your formal outfits." The public announcement echoed.

The so-called formal outfits were meant for important occasions, such as the theme song assessment, the ranking announcements, and fan meets.

Everyone eagerly headed to Training Room #1, where staff from the clothing company responsible for making the outfits were waiting.

"Attention, everyone. Class A students will try on these outfits, and students from other classes will try on those," a staff member reminded.

"Is there something special about Class A’s outfits?" Fan Lei took a closer look at the other side.

"Probably, right? After all, they’re from Class A," her former teammate Xiang Zhixing replied.

"What’s wrong?" Xiang Zhixing noticed Fan Lei’s dejected expression.

"It’s nothing. I just remembered our days back in the group. Back then, all our performance outfits were custom-made." As Fan Lei spoke, her eyes turned red.

Xiang Zhixing felt a pang of sorrow as well.

Back in the days when they were in the Magic Numbers girl group, they were treated like the company’s princesses. Each performance outfit was meticulously chosen and handled with care by the staff.

"One day, we’ll wear Class A’s uniform too." Fan Lei looked at the other side with determination in her eyes.

At this moment, Lin Jiayi also felt heartbroken as she tried on her own outfit. Meanwhile, the makeup artists were showering the Class A girls with flattery.

She herself had once been one of them and should have been enjoying the same treatment.

But now, she was just another face in the crowd of "ordinary people."

Lu Bingbing, however, remained unfazed. As the former captain of the group, she had once been adored by fans and peers alike. Now, she had fallen to being among these so-called "foot washers."

Still, she was confident that she would soon regain the glory of being surrounded by others, as she had loyal fans who were willing to "burn the candle at both ends" to fight for Galaxy’s honor.

Each year, their general elections commanded billions of votes. If she could secure just ten percent of that support, she could surely embark on a grand path to debut. Perhaps even the streaming giant Penguin would recognize the power of her fans, paving her way to the throne.

"There are so many staff over there," Lv Fangxin said enviously, tiptoeing to get a better view.

"Those are our makeup artists. They’re helping Class A try on their outfits. If anything doesn’t fit, it has to be remade," Chen Yinghan said with a smile.

"Remade? And what about us?" Lv Fangxin instinctively asked.

"With so many people here, that’d be impossible. It’d waste too much time and money. Class A has to look perfect since they’re standing center stage, so Penguin has to foot the bill for them," Chen Yinghan explained further.

As discussions buzzed among them, Class A trainees were enjoying star treatment over on the other side.

"Zixuan, you’ve got such a great figure. You’re like a natural clothes hanger."

"Meixuan, this outfit makes you look so classy, both cool and charming."

"Yuwei, your outfit is a bit small. Yours is too big—it’s enough to make so many people jealous."

...

Ye Yuwei and the others carried themselves gracefully.

Once they had fully changed into their outfits, the difference between them and the others became apparent. Their buttons were double-breasted with intricate patterns, and their shoulders had epaulettes reminiscent of vintage European military uniforms.

These details stood out strikingly, especially under the lights, glittering brilliantly and drawing attention.

Fan Lei observed them and felt an indescribable air of confidence and pride about them.

If being split into dormitories was the first blow, then this was the second.

This difference in treatment stung the most.

"Shoes are here too! Class A will wear the striped ones, while everyone else gets plain white sneakers," the staff announced.

This further deflated the students from other classes. Even the shoes were different.

Just as Chen Yinghan had said, Class A’s outfits were only for fitting. If they didn’t fit, they’d be sent back for alterations. Meanwhile, for the others, they had to make do by swapping sizes internally among themselves.

Right after, all the Class A members were taken to have photoshoots done for promotional purposes.

"Girls, are you envious?" At this moment, Long Zitao approached the remaining trainees.

"Yes!" One of them boldly shouted out.

"Jealous?" Long Zitao asked again.

"No!" This time, everyone answered in unison.

"Whether it’s envy or jealousy, those things are well-deserved rewards for their efforts and abilities. If you want the same, you’ve got to fight for it. Next time, you could be the brightest star on stage." Long Zitao delivered a motivational speech.

"Yes, we’ll be the brightest stars in the future," Jiao Jinglan shouted passionately.

"We won’t lose heart; we’ll fight to the end," Wang Qingyu chimed in. The theme song assessment had given her a huge boost in confidence.

She was naturally competitive, and now she was more resolved than ever to prove herself.

Long Zitao watched their high spirits and felt immensely pleased.

He loved this atmosphere. It reminded him of his old days in his group.

Back then, he was so driven, so fully committed to the team.

But the company betrayed him. After the "ban on Korean content," he lost his commercial value.

The company knew he had a foot injury that needed treatment, yet they forced him to perform on stage just to extort a huge penalty fee from him.

At the end of the day’s training, the girls returned to their dorms.

"Sister Jiang, do you think we still have a chance?" Zhang Xiaohan, sitting cross-legged on the carpet, asked her leader.

"Since we’re here, don’t give up. That way, no matter how far you make it, you won’t have any regrets," Jiang Xijie said solemnly, looking at her teammate-slash-co-worker.

"Sister Jiang is right. No matter what happens, we’ll give it our all. Everyone here is an industry insider. If we perform well, even if this program doesn’t work out, maybe we’ll be noticed and land a spot on the next one," Wu Youxuan, who had strikingly Western features, added.

"Let’s all do our best for now. I really envy those Class A girls, though—the darlings of heaven," Han Qiuhua sighed, sharing a dorm with Jiang Xijie.

"Yeah! They all come from major companies. Even though we work just as hard, we lack something beyond the competition itself," Zhang Xiaohan sighed again.

She believed she was better than a few members in Class B, yet here she was, stuck in Class C.

"Xiaohan, don’t lose heart. We’re all working hard," Jiang Xijie remarked with a meaningful tone.

That night was destined to be a sleepless one.

"Bingbing, I understand you." In the bathroom, where Lu Bingbing had been crying silently, she was startled to hear Wang Qingyu’s voice as the latter walked in.

"I know. I also understand how you feel. It’s not your fault. We all don’t want our youth to be wasted just like that," Wang Qingyu spoke, crouching down to embrace Lu Bingbing tightly.

"Qingyu, I’m the captain of Galaxy. I’m their role model, the ’Saint’ in the hearts of all our fans," Lu Bingbing’s voice trembled like a dying bird’s mournful wail, chilling and haunting.

"But I feel so tired, so miserable. I’ve never truly lived for myself." Lu Bingbing broke out of Qingyu’s embrace and gripped the other’s arms tightly.

Looking into her despair-filled eyes, Wang Qingyu’s heart throbbed and bled with pain, wishing she could take away Lu Bingbing’s torment.

"Qingyu, I’m so scared. If the fans ever find out what I’ve done, they’ll tear me to pieces like wild beasts. I’ll become fodder to satisfy their twisted appetites."

"No, Bingbing. Your fans will love you," Wang Qingyu said gently.

"You don’t understand Galaxy fans. What they love most isn’t seeing us bloom like flowers, but watching us burn on the stake in horrifying agony."

Lu Bingbing shivered at the thought of her friends Tangtang Yuan, Afen, and Leilei.

"Then don’t let it happen. Confront the source of your fear," Wang Qingyu encouraged, looking at Lu Bingbing with determination.

"You’re right. I won’t let it happen," Lu Bingbing’s face, obscured by her dark hair, twisted into something frightening.

At that moment, Wang Qingyu reached out, gently stroking her face and wiping away her tears.

"Qingyu, would you be my friend?"

"I will, as long as you need me," Wang Qingyu replied, her voice as soft as water.