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"Now we will announce the trainees in fourth to first place." Announced PD and we all were extremely scared.

Chengcheng then grabbed my hand and held it.

"Idol Producer's second ranking announcement. Up to this point, all that is left are the upper ranks. Which four trainees will they be? Now, I will reveal the four candidates for first place." Announced PD. "Please look at the big screen."

Four faces then appeared on the screen. On the left Justin and Chengcheng and Zhengting and Xukun on the right.

My hand then dropped from Chengcheng's grasp. I wasn't there. I was not in the safe zone. I was panicking at that moment but tried to not let it show. Instead, I turned around to face the boys and wish them the best of luck. It now was their time. I couldn't let them know it affected me.

"Lin, are you okay?" Chengcheng asked with sad eyes.

"Don't worry about me now. Jiayou!" I said trying to change his attention from my ranking to his'.

"Within the four, there's the first place from the first ranking announcement Cai Xukun. Will he be able to secure his spot as first place this time?" Said PD. "Let us find out the trainee in fourth place."

After a few torturous seconds, PD announced that Zhengting was fourth with 17,848,559 votes and I was extremely happy for him. 

Once he had hugged us all, he went to do his speech.

"This time around I want to thank Zhang PD's song, <Sheep>." He began his speech. "It gave me a chance to show a different side of me. This song is really awesome. Thank you Zhang PD."

"You did very well, really very well. I hope you become better every time." PD told him.

"There's still a long way to go," Zhengting said and suddenly turned my way. "I know I shouldn't be biased at this time but Lin, after all you've suffered during this last month, I hope that at least the last seat is yours. You have fought not only to deliver a great performance, but you also fought your demons and that idiot who's sitting right behind you. I hope we can still see each other, 妹妹 (meimei)."

That was the first time he had ever called me sister and I began crying a river. I did not want to leave, I wanted to stay, to improve...

PD then announced the third place and it was Chengcheng with 18,453,678 votes.

He immediately hugged Justin who was next to him and then turned my way. He nearly crushed me in the hug.

"You are going to be there, okay?" He said wiping my tears away with his thumbs. "I'll be waiting for you up there."

He then left to do his speech and I sat back down.

"Is there anything you want to tell everyone?" PD asked him.

"I am very happy and also very satisfied. Also, thank you guys for being able to see my hard work. The future Fan Chengcheng will still continue to work hard in order to show even better stages to give to you guys. Thank you." He said.

 "And then I hope you guys, in your future paths, can walk even further." He continued and looked at me in the eyes. "I surely know who I want to take that path with. Thank you. Also, thank you to PD and the five teachers and all of the behind-the-scenes staff. You guys worked very hard, thank you."

 I then held their hands with Justin and Xukun and they both had them ice cold, their nervousness and anticipation present.

"The two of you, please come onto the stage." PD told them and they both stood up. 

"Good Luck, boys!" I told each of them and gave them a hug. "Jiayou!"

After PD had quickly introduced Justin, it was time for his speech.

"First of all, because I don't have any expectations for myself, it's not that high because I actually am rather lacking in confidence. Like I would still be afraid of a lot of things. Being able to stand here today on such a high rank I actually feel even more pressure. I am also extremely thankful to the Citizen Producers who support me and also during my insecure times, they actually gave me even more support. Maybe compared to the citizen producers, more so were the brothers who trained alongside me, and sister. Especially Kunkun-ge who was in the same group as me and also Ziyi-ge and Bu Fan-ge. They always gave me a lot of help and suggestions which made me grow even more. I'm extremely thankful for them." He then turned towards me. "I don't want to be biased because you are all my brothers and I think you all deserve to sit on that last seat, but I can't help but want Lin to sit there. You've worked really hard and you deserve the world. I will see you at the dorm, okay?"

I was crying so much that I already knew my makeup was more than ruined. There was no point in fighting back tears when I had a foot out of the competition.

"Actually, I've always thought that there might be a drop in ranking today for me. It's a feeling ." Xukun said as PD asked him if he was confident on his position.

After a few torturous minutes, PD finally announced that Xukun got the first place and I stood up to clap for him, lightly smiling although it must have looked horrendous with all of the tears. He had received 22,819,925 votes.

"I really did not expect to be able to not drop in rankings. First, I want to thank once again every Citizen Producer and my iKUNs. Because of your hard work, I am able to stand here. Thank you guys." Xukun said and bowed. "And I also must thank all the staff in front of the stage and behind the scenes and PD. You really worked hard, thank you."

"My emotions are actually very complicated right now. Because some of my brothers and my sister are still down there. This time, everyone in <Dream>. It was really very tough..." He said and then stopped to prevent himself from crying. "I saw everyone starting from, in the beginning, having completely no confidence to later finding their position."

"We love you, Kunkun!" I said as he once again struggled to continue his speech.

"I really was ignited. I was very touched. Thank you to our-" He began but PD interrupted him by giving him a tissue. After giving one to him, he came towards me and gave me one too, which I thanked him, of course. "Minghao, it really was very tough. I think we did it to be able to treat <Dream> like our own song. I hope you guys will not be too sad because this really is only the start of our dreams. We must work hard.

"Finally, Lin, even though we were not on the same team, you still helped us a lot during rehearsals and are one of the people on here who I trust the most. Your talent is unbelievable and you deserve to stand on stage, if not on this one, on another one. But you were meant to be a performer and your songs tell me I'm right." He said in between sobs. "I don't care if you will sit on that last seat or not because I know you tried your best and that you deserved it. Either way, I want you to always remember what I told you yesterday and that I'm one call away."

I was more than crying now and I couldn't help but stand and give him a hug.



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