[Secret Secret] A SKZ Story

[Chapter 19: Cheat Card]

"What's this?"

Allyson cleaned her tears with the back or her hands, stood straight and waited for the screaming.

When she was trying to form a coherent sentence on her mind, she saw him right behind her leader. Wasn't it bad enough to explain to Seah why she was crying in a room alone with a senior? No, he had to be there as well. Both entered the room.

"I have anxiety, Seah. Felix was just helping me calm down."

"You should have spoken to your team leader, Allyson. I'll leave you to talk about it. Call me anytime, yes?" Felix walked to his team mate and pushed him to the door. "Were you looking for me? We have practice now, right?"

Changbin didn't look convinced. He crossed his arms over his chest, but let the Australian guide him out. She dreaded the conversation she was about to have with them.

As she looked at her leader, she realised she had just figured out something that could distract her from the matter at hand. But she spoke first.

"I didn't know you had anxiety... I'm supposed to know this things, Ally-ah, so I can help you out."

"I didn't know you had a thing for Felix, Seah..."

The dark clothed serious leader was blushing like a tomato and Ally just had the necessity to tease her about it and distract her from the scene she had witnessed.

"Wow, that serious, ha? I thought your liking for Bangchan was unbeatable."

"Wha?! No, no, no... Allyson: I'm serious. Don't." Without hearing what the older (for two months) said, she took out her phone and started texting.

"Ally, no. Please no." She was trying to look at the screen, but she kept it hidden.

"I have to tell him you'd replaced him with other aussie... a younger one!" She covered her mouth. "Or are you into both of them? Oohhhh! Naughty girl!" She started laughing. Maybe she had spent too much time with Lee Know.

"Allyson!!" Seah was also laughing, embarrassed.

"Sorry, sorry... I was joking. But I can introduce you to them anyway."

"I'd like that. It could be good to the group. Come on, let's go to sleep. But, I didn't forget about your anxiety. You need to tell me those things." She put a hand on her back and both exited the practice room. Ally turned the lights off and they walked to their room.

They walked together to their dorm.

"If you need someone to talk to, I'm here. If you want to reach professional help, I can speak with our manager. I'm pretty sure they'll keep it secret, so you don't have to worry."

Ally smiled. She was happy Jeon Seah was her leader. But no, she wouldn't talk to a professional. How could she explain what happened to her?

-

She made sure to have a busy week, but Friday just was empty after midday. Thanks to her mother inviting her girl teammates out, she got at least a few hours solved. Postponing seeing Changbin at whatever cost.

Allyson was straightforward person. She valued honesty and she tried to always speak her mind and be true to herself. That meant that when she saw him again, she might start blabbing truth again.

Love? She felt such a Ted Mosby.

"You've been spacing out all day. What are you thinking Blue?"

"Can I tell you both a secret? unnie?"

She nodded. Jeon Seah was waiting for this moment since she knew her... Hoping she wasn't just starting a long joke. Haruhi was eager to listen the tea.

"I had my first kiss with a boy." She blurted before her courage dissipated.

They stopped walking, she had dropped a bomb. They had about fifteen minutes to meet Ana, Allyson's mother, to go to ice-cream and chat.

"You haven't kissed anyone in your home country?" Haruhi asked, genuinely interested. They resumed walking, waiting in the hall for Ana's arrival.

"That's your concern? Not who? Aish... In the cheeks it's really normal. Like every day. But kissing-kissing... Only in truth or dare, or spinning bottle games when I was a teen... But that doesn't count."

"Like in the movies?" Seah asked. Her ears were burning red.

"Yeah... You don't do that here?" She was getting redder by the second. "OMG! I don't know what you think of me now..."

"Oh Blue, we would never think less of you for that!" Seah encouraged her and gave her a side hug. "But I'm afraid I can't be of help with that... I have a very jealous twin, you see. When we were kids we were very alike, so sometimes people didnt know who they were talking to. When I grew, boys wouldn't dare come close to me, Suho can be scary."

"Poor Seah!! I have two older brothers!" the Japanese cutie added. "But I did got kissed by a boy... when I was like twelve... it was gross, I hated it!"

They laughed again and saw Ana waving at them. They dropped the topic.

-

Hey parents being in the country helped with the contract making, but they had to survive a pre-debut video first. If the agency got good feedback, they'd release the pre approved album as Rosenrot.

The Jeons were amazing answering questions. The broadcast station was really nice to them and asked what were their thoughts on showing their skills online, and probably debuting the same way, without public. The audience was a few seniors, some parents, their crew and the people of the station. All separated and wearing facemasks.

They got a lot of views but responses were split. Some said that mixed groups never lasted and didn't actually like their concept. Some didn't like that a six member group had two foreigners. Some said that they weren't k-pop or k-rock enough... That last one was debatable.

There was a comment that said the group was pretty good as OST makers and focused on the music composition. That was Ally's favourite.

She wanted to keep the good ones, ignore the ones that only focused on how they looked (though most of them were nice), and focus in improving everything she could. She was too insecure for that.

Seah banned the group from reading comments without supervision and got herself the job of reporting the ones that were stepping out of the line.

-

A week later they had their first live video, the six together. If it worked, maybe they'll get some weird pre-sale, a survival or something the producers thought to make the best out of them if they flopped.

It was insane.

Seah took the responsibility of explaining that they were in fact not couples, they are friends and her sibling, and started reading questions outloud. Allyson could tell she was filtering a lot of people asking about their personal lives and comments that were plainly mean.

Allyson realized how much she dreaded being the center of attention. It made her anxious. But she had a cheat card.

"I see a few comments about who we know in this building. Do you want us to call one of our seniors?" She looked at her leader and winked at the camera. "I can tell you a secret if you behave... We can do that, right Seah?"

She took a notebook she had ready in the room and showed her leader a few words without the camera to see. It was all scripted. The manager that stood right besides the cameraman gave his thumbs up.

"Well, we might get in trouble, but I think they deserve it." Seah followed the lines and smiled.

The chat was filled with hearts.

Allyson approached the camera and whispered.

"I have been working with a pretty known producer group for a gift to you... Let me show you." She took out her phone and called.

A moment later there was a voice in the line.

"Ally-ah? I'm watching your live right now! Hello, how's everyone?"