Lights faded to black, and Jae ushered me onstage alongside the rest of the IDOLZ7. We took our places as we'd practiced a million times before, appearing like magic in front of the thousands of ecstatic K-pop fans when the strobes finally revealed us. Moving in unison, we dived straight into the choreography of our first song, panic rearing its ugly head again as I struggled to remember the words.

Does Min-Soo have a part in this one?! What is it?! What song is this?!

Switching places with Myung towards the back of the formation, I searched desperately for some clues to grasp onto—anything that could help me figure out which song we were performing. Watching Chung-Ae slip front and center to rap, an eerie sensation settled over me. I'm running out of time.

We were positioned like a rack of billiard balls, and I'm eight. When we break, I'll be left stranded in the middle for a solo that had long since flitted out through the windows of my mind and dispersed into thin air. In other words, I'm screwed.

Faking through another shoulder shimmy, I shot a panicked glance towards the audience. Dozens of teenage girls and boys from all over the globe lined every square inch of the event center, shrieking and singing their tiny hearts out. Every pair of hands held a strange stick-like object with a dimly-lit multicolored symbol at its head, the fans eagerly shaking it to the rhythm of the upbeat music. Some fans also waved banners around to boast the name of their favorite idol—oh my God, is my stage name Min-Soup?!

Just as I had predicted, the members shielding me suddenly parted away and left me bare and vulnerable before the audience. Even the loud and overbearing synthesizer had softened to allow all the pressure and attention to fall heavily on me.

Pressure fades, he said. It'll be fun, he said.

Jae, you are the worst. Sincerely, Min-Soup.

Taking me by surprise, Min-Soo belted the first syllable of his part while I stood frozen in fear. He had a relatively high-pitched vocal range identical to my own that reverberated around the cavernous center and filled my ears with a warm melody. I shuddered involuntarily and forced my lips to move along with the words.

And then like the suddenness of bursting through the surface of murky waters, the song's name popped into my head. Loveless!

Lyrics raced from every nook and cranny of my mind to my glossed lips, a renewed confidence enveloping me. Sunni nodded in approval as I took command of the stage, beaming at me alongside Jae while Myung pretended to be interested in one of the fans' posters instead. The others appeared mildly relieved by my recovery, and I briefly locked eyes with Sang as he was whispering something to Chung-Ae.

That's right, worm, I got this.

Probably.

We finished the first song without another hitch, all seven of us grinning ear to ear as the fans bounced up and down excitedly, shrieking their delight. A rush of happiness filled my veins, my heart fluttering in my chest. This was actually...a little fun.

"Hello, New York City!" Sunni yelled into his mic, laughing when the crowd went wild. "We missed you, too!"

The group proceeded to make their introductions before we all continued with the concert. Mesmerizing color-changing lights danced across the floor alongside us, creating dazzling patterns of flowers, hearts, and smiling faces that swirled around our feet and swooped out over the audience. Occasionally our bedazzled outfits caught the light and twinkled like a million tiny stars, glimmering and leaving speckles of reflected light around the ceiling and walls.

We conquered the city, inspiring thousands of teens, tweens, and everyone in-between. Our night eventually concluded with a fiery display of show-stopping choreography that left the fans craving more. Whooping loudly, Jae wrapped his arms around my waist and carried me off backstage.

Min-Soo pushed his hair back, letting it tangle and twist around his nimble fingers as he lifted his gaze towards mine. A soft-hearted smile turned up the corners of his lips.

"Did good?" he asked, and I nodded once Jae plopped me down on my feet.

"Perfect," I mused, raising my hand for the obligatory high-five—Min-Soo went for a handshake instead. Awkward.

"Hey, um, after you change, we're going to all go out and celebrate with drinks and stuff. Is that okay or...would you rather be dropped off at the hotel? It's up to you," Jae spoke up suddenly, peering over at me curiously while playing with his rosy locks. I was about to decline when I noticed the hopeful gleam in his eye.

"All right, maybe I'll do a couple shots," I sighed, giving in to his adorable kicked-puppy expression. Who doesn't love the sad boy look?

So, of course I got wasted at the rented-out restaurant we wound up in.