Ateez - The Idol Fantasy

The Speech

(MJ POV)

The girl felt a surge of panic as she sat down at the table near the podium and the stage. KQ's CEO had just announced that she would have to give a speech in front of the whole company, without any preparation or warning. "How could he do this to me?", she thought.

MJ glanced at her manager team, who were trying to look supportive and reassuring, but that didn't help her at all. She flashed them an awkward smile, her anxiety level reaching a new high.

She twirled a strand of her hair around her finger, biting her lip nervously. She tried to think of what to say, but her mind was completely blank. "What could I possibly say to impress these people? They are all so talented and experienced, and I'm just...me."

She looked to her right and saw Ateez sitting at another table, smiling brightly and giving her thumbs up.  In any other situation that would be comforting, but right now, their smiles only made her more nervous. "What if I embarrass myself in front of them? What if I say something stupid? What if I freeze right there and everyone stares at me?"

(Ateez POV)

Yunho sighed loudly, motioning with his head towards the stage "Our CEO is a total savage". Jongho nodded "Yeah...look how nervous she is, poor thing...". Wooyoung shook his head. "He has no sense of timing...as nice as he is, he is in his own little world sometimes...", he added. They watched as the CEO introduced MJ to the company and clapped loudly, cheering her on.

(MJ POV)

"And now, let's all clap for MJ! Welcome to the KQ family!", the CEO said motioning for her to come up to the stage. MJ forced herself to smile as she walked up the stage and shook the CEO's hand. He whispered something encouraging in her ear, but she barely heard him. All she could hear was her heartbeat pounding in her chest.

Standing in front of the podium, she looked at the crowd of people staring at her expectantly. She felt like a deer caught in headlights.

"Th-thank you!", she said into the microphone, hoping her voice didn't sound too shaky. "Pff CEO really caught me off guard here!" The crowd laughed politely at her attempt at humor. "I just want to thank you all for believing in me and my dreams...I wasn't sure if I could continue being an idol at my age, but you really gave me hope! I'm so excited about our future projects together and I can't wait to work with all of you, learn from you, and grow along with you! For me, this is like debuting again so please, don't treat me like I know anything, I literally don't." The crowd laughed again and clapped.

She felt a wave of relief wash over her as she finished her speech. "It wasn't too bad, right? Maybe I could get away with this", she thought.

But then, the CEO started chanting "Sing a song!". The rest of the crowd joined in, all chanting "sing a song" and clapping rhythmically.

MJ felt her face turn red as she realized they wanted her to perform on the spot. She let out a nervous chuckle, hoping to buy a little more time to think of an appropriate song.

"Ok ok, I will sing a little song for you," she said, trying to sound cheerful. The crowd cheered and quieted down, waiting for her to sing.

She racked her brain for a song that she could sing acapella, without any music or backup. A song that would suit the occasion and the mood. A song that would express how she felt.

Then, she remembered one of her favorite childhood movies, Mulan. It was a story about a girl who disguised herself as a boy to join the army and save her father. But more importantly, it was a story about finding yourself and following your heart.

MJ felt like Mulan right now, trying to find herself after a long time of trials and tribulations. Trying to prove herself once again in a new world. Trying to be true to herself and her dreams.