With the group performance done, all that was left was the duo competition. Whoever placed first would be getting a hundred thousand points added to their total votes. It would be a game-changer for next week.

Keita and I chatted excitedly about our upcoming competition. "I'm so nervous," I admitted. "What if we mess up?"

"Don't worry, we've got this," Keita said, squeezing my hand. "We've been practicing for hours upon hours all week, and we're going to nail it."

"I hope so," I said, my heart racing at his touch.

As we approached our dorm building, we noticed Matthew standing outside, scrolling through his phone. "Hey, guys," he said, looking up as we walked closer. "How was practice?"

"It was great," Keita replied, still holding my hand. "We're feeling really good about the competition."

"That's awesome," Matthew said, but I could sense a hint of jealousy in his voice.

"Are you okay, Matthew?" I asked, sensing his tension.

He shrugged. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just wish I was on your team."

"You and Jisoo will do fine!" I replied. I hadn't even thought about the fact Matthew wanted me as a teammate. We always had next week and since we couldn't stay with the same partner, it was all up in the air anyway.

"Yeah," Matthew replied. "We've been practicing just as hard as you guys, but I guess we'll see who comes out on top."

"We're not trying to compete against you, Matthew," Keita said, still holding my hand tightly. "We're just doing our best and hoping both of our duo's make it through. That's all we want really."

"I know," Matthew said with a small smile. "I'm just messing with you guys. Good luck out there."

As we entered our dorm, Keita and I decided to practice some more and went straight to my room to continue. My roommates were practicing late somewhere else.

We spent another hour perfecting our choreography, making sure every move was synchronized and every note was in tune. It was exhausting, but I felt a sense of pride knowing that we were giving it our all. It hadn't been the plan, or we would have stayed at the studio. Yet, it just happened like that. Until Choonhae walked in, and I told Keita we were calling it a night. My friend looked exhausted. Both of my friends, actually, and we really needed food.

As the day turned into night, we ordered some takeout. We sat on my bed, chatting and joking around like we always did. "Remember that one time during practice when you accidentally kicked me in the face?" I teased, nudging Keita playfully.

He laughed. "Hey, it was an accident! Besides, you accidentally stepped on my foot yesterday!"

We both laughed, enjoying each other's company. But as the night wore on, I couldn't ignore the growing tension between us. I found myself stealing glances at Keita when I thought he wasn't looking, admiring his sharp jawline and the way his hair fell into his eyes.

****************************************************************************************

The next day we had our duo performance. The judges were already seated, watching us with intense focus.

As we began our performance, I could feel the energy from the audience and the judges. Keita and I moved in perfect sync, our voices blending together in harmony. We gave it our all, putting everything we had into the routine.

When we finished, there was a moment of silence as the judges deliberated. All hundred trainees stood in their respective duos on stage, waiting for the final verdict.

Finally, one of the judges spoke up. "That was an amazing performance. You all have incredible talent, but we've made our decision."

My heart pounded as the judge announced the winner after another long pause.

"The winner of this competition is...Keita and Billie's team!"

I could feel the rush of excitement and relief wash over me. We had done it! Keita grabbed my hand, giving me a huge smile. "We did it, Billie! I knew we could!"

We all hugged and congratulated each other, feeling proud of our accomplishments. As we left the stage, I could feel the tension between Keita and me still lingering.

As we all headed back to our dorms, Matthew hung back a little, looking a little dejected.

"Hey, what's up?" I walked slower to catch up with him. My voice was laced with tension.

Matthew looked up and smiled at me. "Just thinking about our next performance."

"I'm sure the next will be even better," I squeezed his hand in reassurance, and he gave me a weak smile back.

"Yeah, sure."

I tried to diffuse the tension by making a joke. "You're just jealous that you didn't get to perform with Keita this time."

Keita chuckled, and I felt a rush of affection for him. Matthew rolled his eyes but couldn't help but smile a little.

"Yeah, that's what I'm jealous about." He said with sarcasm.

Sitting on my bed, I couldn't help but think about my conversation with Keita and Matthew earlier that day before the performances. We had talked about love and relationships, and it had been a surprisingly deep conversation. I couldn't believe how much we had opened up to each other.

I couldn't stop thinking about Keita's words about how he had never been in love before, even now with that situationship he was in. It was hard to believe that someone as charming and kind as him had never felt that way. And then there was Matthew, who had been hurt in the past but was still willing to give love another chance.

As I replayed the conversation in my head, I began to realize something about myself. I had been so focused on helping Choonhae and practicing for the competition that I had pushed my feelings aside. But now, with the next challenge just a few days away, I couldn't ignore them any longer.

I couldn't deny that I had feelings for both Keita and Matthew. It was a strange feeling, and one that I wasn't sure how to handle. I had never been in this kind of situation before.

I decided to talk to Choonhae about it. She had always been the one I could confide in, even though we had our own complicated relationship.

I jumped upright in bed and snapped my neck to hers. She immediately dropped her book and gave me a raised eyebrow. "Hey, what's up?" she asked.

I took a deep breath, walked her way, and sat on her bed. "I need to talk to you about something," I said. "It's about Keita and Matthew."

Choonhae raised her eyebrows. "Oh? Do tell."

I told her everything about our conversation earlier and how I realized I had feelings for both of them. Choonhae listened intently and nodded as I spoke.

"Well, that's a tricky situation," she said after I finished. "But you know what? You don't have to choose just one of them. Maybe you could explore your feelings for both of them and see where it goes."

I hadn't thought of it that way. Maybe Choonhae was right. Perhaps I didn't have to choose between them.

I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders. It was going to be a complicated situation, but at least now I had some clarity.

I went back to my bed and picked up my secret phone. I sent a text to both Keita and Matthew, asking if they wanted to hang out later that night. I couldn't wait to spend more time with them and explore these newfound feelings.