09 / made for the spotlight

                                                                                                Fifth Floor started off the talent show with a microphone in her hand, singing her heart out. Yoo-mi had to admit that her singing was beautiful, a content look on her face. The others seemed to be equally enchanted, silent as they listened to her sing.

                                                                                               "You've waited for me all this time. The day when you sat by me and comforted me when I was down," Fifth Floor sang, carrying the voice of an angel. Although Yoo-mi had no clue what Fifth Floor did for a living outside of this game show, she could only assume that she was a singer. Or an aspiring one.

                                                                                                As Fifth Floor continued to sing, Yoo-mi glanced over to the side where Second Floor sat. The both of them looked over at each other, their eyes meeting for a couple of seconds (even though it felt as though it lasted an entire lifetime). Yoo-mi glanced away first, feeling her face grow warm in a matter of seconds.

                                                                                                By the time Fifth Floor had finished for her performance, they had earned an additional ten hours for them all.

                                                                                                Next up was Sixth Floor who was nothing short of dramatic and cocky, causing Yoo-mi to roll her eyes as he took off his jacket in a melodramatic flair. There was a stack of tiles in front of him, all of which he was determined to break with his fists. He soon did just that, leaving only one tile left in the midst of broken tiles and dust. Everyone clapped and cheered after he had gotten them fifteen hours... except for Yoo-mi and Second Floor.

                                                                                                Yoo-mi scoffed, looking about as unimpressed as she sounded. And Second Floor was quiet, her features betraying nothing. Yoo-mi couldn't tell what Second Floor was thinking and it both enraged and excited her. Being a lawyer, Yoo-mi had been taught to read people's emotions on their face and see past their poker faces while maintaining one of her own.

                                                                                                 But outside of anger, Second Floor didn't show a whole lot of emotions. Yoo-mi couldn't get a real read on her.

                                                                                                 Second Floor went up next, causing Yoo-mi to hold her breath in anticipation. She kicked the debris away and revealed the singular tile Sixth Floor hadn't managed to break. A ghost of a smile crept onto Yoo-mi's lips as Second Floor lifted up the tile, showing it off to everyone else. First Floor and Third Floor each held up wooden boards at her request, adding to her show.

                                                                                                 She was going to upstage Sixth Floor with ease.

                                                                                                 She kicked First Floor's wooden board first, screaming with determination as she did so, and First Floor couldn't help but yelp in surprise. Third Floor was just as scared, although he flinched instead as Second Floor broke it in half with her kick. But Second Floor didn't stop there. She made it look so easy as she struck each tile, showing off just how strong and powerful she was. And unlike Sixth Floor, she had broken every single one. She even kicked away the debris to show her work and Yoo-mi's smile only grew. She even applauded with the others, unable to hide how impressed she was.

                                                                                                   Her impressive act had earned them seventeen more hours.

                                                                                                   Fourth Floor was next, seemingly eager to show off her talents. She had a speaker with her, one that'd soon start playing a catchy tune. Although Yoo-mi didn't clap along with the others on beat, she did tap her feet as she and the others waited for Fourth Floor to start her performance.

                                                                                                    Much to Yoo-mi's surprise (and disappointment), Fourth Floor started yodeling. But it was terribly off-key, causing Yoo-mi to immediately stop tapping her feet. While others exchanged some amused glances, others chuckled nervously while Yoo-mi just sat there - feeling a little sorry for Fourth Floor. Even Third Floor seemed to share Yoo-mi's feelings, his fingers touching his throat in response.

                                                                                                    But the judges weren't nearly as forgiving or kind, only giving her an hour and fifty minutes in response. But, of course, Fourth Floor wasn't having that.

                                                                                                  "That was very brave," Seventh Floor stated while the others awkwardly applauded her efforts.

                                                                                                   "What? That's all my yodels are worth? Oh shit," Fourth Floor remarked, climbing to the top of the slide in an effort to get the cameras' attention. "Come on! I know you can do better than that. Pretty please? Hm? Kiss, kiss! Mwah, mwah!"

                                                                                                    She'd swing her jacket around, going down the slide afterwards only to land straight on her ass. Yoo-mi barely managed to stifle the chuckle threatening to break free from her lips.

                                                                                                   "Five minutes," Seventh Floor noted, jotting down the additional time in his notebook.

                                                                                                   "I'm going next," Yoo-mi declared, earning a couple claps and excited cheers from the others.

                                                                                                   "Let's see what the stuck up brat has in store," Sixth Floor remarked.

                                                                                                    Yoo-mi decides not to give Sixth Floor the time of day, instead choosing to set up the speaker and even going as far as taking off her shoes. That left everyone curious as to what was going to happen next. All the while, Yoo-mi took a deep breath and kept her composure for as long as possible - getting into position like she had countless times when she was a little girl. The moment Yoo-mi closed her eyes, she was completely in her zone. 

                                                                                                    And no one could've imagined that Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky would begin to play, or for Yoo-mi to perform the routine flawlessly.

                                                                                                    Everyone was silent, completely engrossed in the routine while Yoo-mi continued to dance. Yoo-mi had grown up as a ballet dancer, her parents enrolling her in classes with the intent of her having another talent under her belt. Of course, Yoo-mi had lost interest by the time she had gotten older - choosing to pursue a career in law instead like her parents wanted. But she could never forget her roots, seeing as it had been a part of her life for most of her adolescence.

                                                                                                    While everyone was watching Eighth Floor intently, no one was more engrossed than Second Floor. She could hardly take her eyes off of Eighth Floor who was so graceful and so beautiful. She looked like an absolute angel, the fluorescent lighting from the fake sun hitting her just right. Eighth Floor was completely and utterly breathtaking.

                                                                                                    And when she was finished, everyone burst into applause. Even Second Floor. Yoo-mi did a perfect little bow and smiled, even smiling over at Second Floor who smiled back at her. Yoo-mi didn't know why but gaining Second Floor's approval mattered the most to her.

                                                                                                   "Twenty five hours, jeez," Fourth Floor remarked, noticing how far the time had gone up, while Yoo-mi sat back down at her designated spot.

                                                                                                   "Alright, who's next?" Seventh Floor inquired, causing Yoo-mi to look around. She could only wonder who the next lucky person would be.

                                                                                                   "Hey! Why not? I'll go. I'm ready," Third Floor answered, soon rushing up to his feet and making it to the very center of the fake pool. 

                                                                                                     With how eager he was, Yoo-mi figured he had some grand talent to show them all. The music started playing and that's when Third Floor took a deep breath before he started dancing... or at least attempted to. It was a very poor attempt at dancing along to the music, trying and failing to keep up with the rhythm. Yoo-mi winced at the sound of his shoes awkwardly squeaking against the floor while he jumped around, fist pumping in the air like a total idiot.

                                                                                                     "What the hell?" Fourth Floor asked, basically stealing the words right from Yoo-mi's mouth. Yoo-mi then looked over at Second Floor who rubbed her face, head shaking out of genuine disappointment.

                                                                                                     "Kill me now," Sixth Floor groaned while shrugging on his jacket.

                                                                                                      Third Floor finally ended his show in an awkward pose, looking as though he was in pain. It looked as though that was the most he had worked out in a really long time. Everyone was silent, unsure of what to say, and Yoo-mi looked over to see that time had been added... but only by eighteen minutes.

                                                                                                      "Eighteen?" Fourth Floor huffed in frustration.

                                                                                                      "You've got to be fucking kidding me," Yoo-mi scoffed.

                                                                                                        Third Floor just made his way back to his spot, sitting beside First Floor while trying to hide how embarrassed he looked.

                                                                                                        "Our show's almost finished," Seventh Floor remarked, clapping his hands together a couple of times, "Only two acts remain."

                                                                                                        "Uh... I'll go. I'll go up next," First Floor volunteered, raising his hand in response.

                                                                                                        "Great," Seventh Floor encouraged.

                                                                                                        First Floor stood up from his spot at the edge of the pool, causing Ninth Floor to cheer him on. Yoo-mi watched with bated breath as First Floor leaned down, resting his hands on his knees and then lifting his head. Yoo-mi chuckled in light amusement as he did the grand reveal, showing off the bright red paint on his lips and a big red nose on his face like he was some sort of circus clown without the bright red wig. 

                                                                                                       He immediately got into character, starting off his performance with jazz hands and a couple others within the group had mimicked him.

                                                                                                        "Whoo!" Fourth Floor cheered while laughter spilled past her lips.

                                                                                                        He went on to mime putting his hands up against an invisible wall, lifting himself up as though he were trying to climb it. First Floor fully committed to the act, grunting dramatically with each effort like he was actually struggling. First Floor pushed against the imaginary barrier before moving to the side, and Yoo-mi couldn't help but be impressed. Everyone watching the performance was.

                                                                                                         But the show wasn't over yet. First Floor pulled out a red balloon seemingly out of nowhere and began inflating it, groaning and acting like it was so heavy. He messed around for a bit before preparing to throw it.

                                                                                                         "He's incredible," Fifth Floor complimented, entirely in awe, and Ninth Floor laughed in response.

                                                                                                           Yoo-mi couldn't help but agree.

                                                                                                         "Now...let's get some air," First Floor declared, pointing up while he prepared to throw the balloon. 

                                                                                                           He grunted and then launched it into the air. Dropping down one knee, he shot his hand towards the balloon and then it popped, revealing a whole bunch of confetti which fell before her. Yoo-mi smiled, clapping her hands in excitement. It all reminded her of childhood or rather, the childhood that she had been denied for so long. She had never seen a real clown before, let alone go to a carnival or do anything remotely fun while she was growing up. It was all about studying and practicing and preparing for her future.

                                                                                                          The sound of applause was enough to make Yoo-mi snap out of her thoughts before she could dive too deep into the past and she looked over to see some of the other floors reaching out to touch it.

                                                                                                           First Floor then removed his red nose before taking a bow, earning more cheers and applause from Yoo-mi. In a matter of seconds, the scoreboard above was updated and it showed that they had gained thirty more hours from First Floor's wonderful performance.

                                                                                                         "Thirty whole hours? Amazing!" Fourth Floor excitedly declared while the others clapped for joy. Maybe this whole talent show thing wasn't a complete bust after all.

                                                                                                         "So far, we have earned ninety four hours and thirteen minutes. Keep it. We've earned around four days," Seventh Floor declared.

                                                                                                         "Wow!" Fifth Floor cheered.

                                                                                                          "Once Ninth Floor performs, we'll add up the final total and have a quick debriefing," Seventh Floor announced, focusing his attention onto Ninth Floor. "Well, you're up."

                                                                                                            She didn't respond, much to Seventh Floor's confusion. "Ninth Floor?"

                                                                                                            "Do I need to do it out here, or can I negotiate?" Ninth Floor inquired.

                                                                                                            "It's okay. There's no need for that. But where...?" Seventh Floor trailed off.

                                                                                                            "If I'm not stuck out here, then I want to do it on my floor," Ninth Floor sighed, soon focusing her attention onto Seventh Floor. "So, do you wanna get laid?"

                                                                                                             Third Floor covered in his mouth in shock while Yoo-mi scoffed. Of course that's what Ninth Floor would offer. She couldn't even be surprised.

                                                                                                            "I'm not sure what you mean," Seventh Floor remarked after he finished adjusting his glasses.

                                                                                                            "Oh, I think you do. Sex," Ninth Floor clarified, blunt as ever.

                                                                                                            "Well, I'm flattered but this is a talent show," Seventh Floor responded.

                                                                                                            "Aren't talent shows for showing the world the things we're really good at? No one does it like I do," Ninth Floor bragged, her tone just as suggestive as the hand motion she did towards her mouth afterwards.

                                                                                                              Yoo-mi rolled her eyes while the others watched, eagerly awaiting what Seventh Floor would say next.

                                                                                                              "Still, I'll have to pass," Seventh Floor answered, confusing Ninth Floor greatly.

                                                                                                              "Huh? But why?" Ninth Floor inquired.

                                                                                                               "He's just not that into you, lady. Find someone else or find another talent. You're wasting time," Yoo-mi scoffed.

                                                                                                               "Hm, what a shame. Well, how about you?" Ninth Floor questioned, her fingers gracing Yoo-mi's chin before the woman moved her face away.

                                                                                                               "You're not really my type," Yoo-mi argued.

                                                                                                                 Ninth Floor's gaze flickers over to Second Floor before back at Yoo-mi, a knowing grin on her face. "Hm, I see."

                                                                                                                  She then moved onto Fifth Floor and Fourth Floor who sat beside each other, humming to herself while playing with Fifth Floor's ponytail. Ninth Floor didn't stick beside the two women for long, moving onto First Floor and touching his shoulder.

                                                                                                                "Mr. First Floor? Nah," Ninth Floor spoke aloud, rejecting the man with a hum as she went onto Third Floor next.

                                                                                                                   Third Floor was a nervous wreck, shuddering as she moved closer and closer. Amused, Ninth Floor giggled at the sight before she went over to Sixth Floor who looked like he had been waiting for his chance all along. Ninth Floor hummed as Sixth Floor adjusted himself in his pants, making Yoo-mi scoff in disgust.

                                                                                                                    It seemed as though Ninth Floor had found her lucky man, clapping her hands together out of pure glee. "Let's go!"

                                                                                                                   Sixth Floor whistled, following behind Ninth Floor as they made their way straight to her room.

                                                                                                                   "Wait, what? Are they allowed to do that?" Fourth Floor wondered aloud.

                                                                                                                  "So what? She said it's her talent," Second Floor remarked.

                                                                                                                    Yoo-mi couldn't help but laugh. "For some reason, I don't doubt that."

                                                                                                                     After it was all said and done, Ninth Floor and Sixth Floor's tryst had earned them a whopping sixty nine hours. Yoo-mi couldn't help but laugh at how ironic it all was.

                                                                                                                     "Well, she sure has a talent," Second Floor teased, chuckling.

                                                                                                                     "Oh my goodness. Well, that's... I think sixty nine hours is a bit on the nose...," Fifth Floor admitted with a sigh before she went up to her room, the others sure to follow as they headed to their rooms for the night.

                                                                                                                     But Yoo-mi lingered behind as the others left, causing Second Floor to stop and look at her.

                                                                                                                     "What the hell is wrong with you? Your legs don't know how to work?" Second Floor raised a brow.

                                                                                                                     "Are you okay?" Yoo-mi answered Second Floor's question with one of her own.

                                                                                                                     "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Second Floor scoffed.

                                                                                                                     "Your hand. I noticed your hand doesn't look too well after your trick. Impressive, by the way. You really showed Sixth Floor who's boss," Yoo-mi remarked.

                                                                                                                     "My hand's fine. But thanks for the compliment. You weren't too bad yourself. You looked like a pretty little ballerina," Second Floor responded.

                                                                                                                     "So you admit it. You think I'm pretty," Yoo-mi teased, moving closer to where the other woman stood.

                                                                                                                     "Shut up," Second Floor responded, backing away before she could get even more flustered.

                                                                                                                     "You said it. Not me. Besides, I saw it in the way you looked at me," Yoo-mi confidently stated.

                                                                                                                     "How did I look at you?" Second Floor challenged. 

                                                                                                                     "Like you never wanted to take your eyes off of me again," Yoo-mi answered.

                                                                                                                      Second Floor fell quiet, unsure of what to say. She could try and deny it but it seemed as though Eighth Floor was cocky enough to see right through it. Truth be told, Second Floor had been totally and utterly enchanted by Eighth Floor and her performance today only solidified that.

                                                                                                                     "I'll see you tomorrow, Second Floor. Make sure you take care of your hand before it gets any worse," Yoo-mi replied, now heading up to her room.

                                                                                                                     Second Floor headed to her room shortly after that, Eighth Floor's words playing through her mind over and over again. Second Floor knew she was right and it was driving her insane. Eighth Floor was driving her insane.

( ♾️🔫💵)

word count: 2839
notes: hope you enjoyed this chapter! yoo-mi and 2f are getting closer and closer by the day and things will soon heat up 😏