Chapter One: The Final Evaluation
Summary
As a hardworking trainee, you’ve spent years pushing yourself to debut. When the final evaluation comes, you’re chosen as the sole candidate—but what you don’t realize is that your fate was already sealed. BTS, the seven men you idolized, manipulated everything to make sure you were theirs.
At first, their attention feels like a blessing to aid you as a trainee. Then, it becomes suffocating. Their possessiveness turns them against each other, each one willing to destroy the others just to have you alone.
⚠️ Content Warnings: ⚠️
Intense competition & high pressure, Verbal & emotional manipulation, Psychological stress & anxiety, Mild violence & aggression (dragged by security), Favoritism & corruption, Strong language, smut, y/n is 18+
The air in the HYBE practice room was thick with tension, the fluorescent lights buzzing overhead as dozens of trainees lined up against the mirrored walls. Your heart pounded as you stared at the polished wooden floor beneath your feet, hands clenched into fists at your sides.
This was it—the final evaluation.
As you watched the other trainees complete their evaluations with effortless precision, a sinking feeling of nervousness mixed with terror settled in your stomach. Months—years—of grueling training had led to this moment. The instructors stood at the front, their expressions unreadable as they flipped through their clipboards. Some of the trainees beside you whispered prayers under their breath; others stood frozen, their gazes fixed forward like soldiers awaiting judgment.
A deep voice murmured your name.
You inhaled. Then exhaled.
*This is it. Your chance to cement your dreams into reality. To prove that every sleepless night, every injury, every sacrifice—meant something. *
You stepped forward, waiting for the music to start. The moment the beat dropped, your body moved instinctively, each motion executed with precision. Your voice never wavered as it blended seamlessly with the melody. Every note, every step, every practiced smile—this was what you had trained for.
As the backtrack came to a halt, you held your final pose, a fake smile masking the storm raging in your mind. The room was silent, save for the faint scribbling of pens against paper.
Then—
“Next.”
The word was cold. Detached.
Your heart clenched, but you quickly bowed, gathered your things from the side of the training room, and hurried out.
Unbeknownst to you, a pair of dark eyes lingered on your retreating figure—a quiet fixation taking root.
The next few hours passed in a haze as you sat in the trainee common area, chatting with other girls, your nerves gnawing at you like a relentless ache. Every so often, the doors to the training room would swing open, revealing girls in tears or others brimming with unshaken confidence.
One of them was Ya-rin.
She was someone you weren’t particularly fond of.
“So, Y/N,” she purred, sliding into the seat beside you, her lips curling into a knowing smirk. “Your final performance wasn’t what I was expecting… The judges seemed so stone-faced, didn’t they?”
The words were sugar-coated, but the malice behind them was unmistakable.
Ya-rin had always been at the top. Her beauty, charm, and undeniable talent made her a favorite among both the trainers and the public. But when the cameras were off, and the facades were dropped, she was ruthless. She knew her worth and made sure everyone else did too.
She never let you forget that she was meant to debut.
And honestly, you had to admit—she wasn’t wrong.
“Everyone to the training room!”
A staff member’s voice rang through the common area, and the room shifted instantly. Conversations halted. Chairs scraped against the floor as girls rushed toward the door.
Your pulse quickened.
As you followed the crowd, you caught a glimpse of Ya-rin’s expression. For the first time, her smirk faltered.
Only ten of you remained.
You swallowed thickly, standing among the last few girls left. Despite the slight relief that you had made it this far, you refused to let your hopes rise.
Even if I don’t make it… I’ll go to university. I’ll have a normal life. I’ll be okay.
But some part of you—the part that had spent years clawing your way to this moment—knew you’d hate yourself for it.
The room stilled as the instructor stepped forward.
“This year, we are selecting one trainee for debut.”
Silence.
The air grew suffocating.
One.
That was impossible. Every evaluation had been preparing for a group debut. There were supposed to be five of you.
Not one.
The instructor glanced down at his clipboard.
“Ji-won, Hae-won, Hana, Seulgi, Jisoo, Dani, Nari, and Ye-won. Please exit the training room. You were not selected.”
A sharp inhale.
You barely registered the girls around you breaking down—tears slipping silently down their faces, whispers of disbelief filling the air.
You stood frozen, staring at the clipboard in the instructor’s hands as if you could decipher your fate through sheer willpower. Beside you, you felt Ya-rin tense.
The instructor met her gaze.
“Miss Ya-rin, you have not been selected to debut. Please exit the room.”
Your head snapped toward her.
Her hands clenched into fists. Her eyes, wide and glistening, darkened with fury.
“ARE YOU JOKING? THAT SHOULD BE ME!” she shrieked, stepping forward. “There were supposed to be five of us! I did everything you fucking asked! You pieces of shit, I swear one day you’ll get your karma, I’ll—”
A security guard grabbed her arm, dragging her toward the door as she thrashed violently, her voice rising in sheer desperation.
The other girls trickled out slowly, their silent sobs echoing in your ears.
Your breath caught in your throat.
The realization hit you like a freight train.
You were going to debut.
As a soloist.
You had won.
But how?
How had you won?
You weren’t stupid. Even though you despised Ya-rin, you knew talent when you saw it. She was supposed to debut. The way the trainers had always favored her, the way she outshined the other trainees—it didn’t make sense.
Something wasn’t right.
But who were you to question it?
You were the last one standing.
And you’d be damned if you let anyone take this from you.
