💘🌟❤️Thanks soooo much for reading ❤️🌟💘

💜🎉🎊💘Feel free to vote and comment your thoughts 💘🎊🎉💜

💫💋🌟This is my first book on a K-pop group. Be nice🌟💋💫

💖 Written by: Sapphire-Skye 💖

...................

I had barely finished hanging my jackets when a sharp ringing echoed across the hallways through the dorm speakers.

“All first-years, orientation begins in fifteen minutes. Please report to the Grand Hall.”

Slyvie immediately snapped her compact shut like it personally offended her. “We’re leaving. Asap.”
Lia slipped on a sleek blazer without even wrinkling it. I, meanwhile, tripped over my own duffel bag. Twice

Cool. Nailed the entrance already.

We joined the steady stream of students flowing through the corridors, heels clicking, sneakers squeaking, voices overlapping in excited chaos. The deeper we went into the academy, the more unreal it felt—crystal chandeliers hanging from impossibly high ceilings, walls lined with framed photos of past graduates who now had ‘actual’ Wikipedia pages.

Then the doors to the Grand Hall opened.

Extravaganza didn't even describe it enough.

The hall was drenched in pure, blinding white—polished marble floors, sweeping staircases, balconies layered above us like a wedding cake for millionaires. Massive pillars lined the halls, tall enough touch the sky. Everyone looked so…edited. So fake.

I swallowed.

And at the center podium, she stood.

An old woman—if you could call her that—encased in a tight dark blue suit, lips frozen into a permanent smirk by an impressive amount of Botox. Her dyed dark brown hair was slicked back so severely it looked like it might snap. Makeup was applied with military precision.

She smiled. Nothing about it was warm.

“Welcome,” she mummered, voice silky and sharp, “to Starlite Academy.”

A hush fell instantly.

“I am Madamoselle Felicia, Founder, of Starlite Academy”, she continued in a voice that demanded authority, “If you are standing here, it means you are exceptional.” She paced slowly, heels clicking ominously. “However—” she paused, eyes scanning us like prey, “—exceptional does not mean irreplaceable.”

Oh. Great. That’s reassuring.

She gestured dramatically, and holographic screens flared to life around the hall. “You will have access to world-class facilities: a fully equipped gym, about six- seven dance studios and vocal chambers equipped with everything necessary to sound perfect”, she paused, letting her words sink, “ There are recording suites, a performance theater, wellness rooms, and yes—” her lips twitched, “—a cafeteria that will judge your food choices.”

A ripple of nervous chatter followed.

As she continued, my eyes drifted across the hall, curious—until they landed on them.

Three girls leaned casually near the front row, clearly unconcerned. One had slick blonde hair pulled into a flawless high ponytail, limbs long and sculpted like a ballerina statue. Another wore thick coats of crimson lipstick and smirked like she already knew she’d won. The third—dark-skinned, sharp-eyed, effortlessly elegant—stretched her ankle against the marble floor without breaking conversation.

They radiated talent. Popularity. Danger.

Serria—who had found me again and slid into the space beside me—leaned over and whispered, “ Beware, that's the ‘Strya circle’.

“The what?”

“Their unofficial name. They’ve dominated the academy for two years straight. Dance. Vocal. Performance. Basically royalty.” She lowered her voice further. “They don’t love… competition.”

As if summoned, Blonde Ponytail glanced back—and her eyes locked onto me.

For half a second, her smile faltered.

Just barely.

Then she looked me up and down. Slowly. Deliberately.

And smirked.

My stomach dropped.

Orientation ended with a guided tour. We were released in color-coded groups, and somehow—of course—I ended up in Dance Track Group X.

The dance studio was massive. Floor-to-ceiling mirrors, sun pouring in through skylights, polished wood floors that felt like they were daring you to mess up. The air smelled like rosin and ambition.

Everyone began stretching. I did too, trying not to overthink how bendy everyone else seemed.

“That’s a clean split.”

I looked up. A girl with warm tan skin and a head load of curls smiled at me. “I’m Keisha. Contemporary.”

“Thanks,” I said, surprised. “I’m Ivy.”

“I’ve seen your audition tape,” she added casually. “Your dance moves? Insane.”

My heart skipped. “You—what?”

Before I could respond, Crimson Lipstick from the Strya Circle cut in, voice sharp as glass. “Interesting. Didn’t realize ‘that’ was the standard now.”

The room stilled.

Blonde Ponytail crossed her arms. “Yeah. Guess they’re letting in anyone with decent timing.”

I felt heat rush to my face—but my body moved before fear could stop it.

“I mean,” I said lightly, meeting her gaze, “timing is kind of… important in dance.”

A few girls snorted.

Blondie’s eyes narrowed, her gaze, sharp enough to cut into bone.

“Oh?” she stepped closer. “And you are?”

“Ivy,” I said. Calm. Somehow. “Dance track.”

She smiled. Cold. “Good luck keeping up.”

Then—because the universe enjoys drama—the instructor clapped loudly.
“Alright, dancers. Five-minute freestyle. Show me who you are.”

Music flooded the room.

My pulse echoed in my ears.

This was it.

The moment where this newly found confidence either lived on… or shattered.

I stepped onto the floor.

And when the beat dropped, I stopped thinking.

I moved.

Every fear melted into motion. Sharp hits, fluid turns, a leap that felt like flying. I didn’t watch them. I didn’t watch anyone. I danced like the mirrors didn’t exist.

When the music cut, the silence was thick.

Then—slow claps.

Keisha grinned. Serria gasped from the doorway. Even the instructor’s brows lifted.

I glanced toward the Strya Circle.

Crimson Lipstick wasn’t smirking anymore.

Blonde Ponytail’s jaw was tight.

And for the first time since I’d arrived at Starlite Academy, the realization hit.

They weren’t judging me.

They were threatened.

And somehow—as terrifying as that was—it made me smile.

....,,,...,....,...

💫💋🌟What will happen next?! Find out in the next chapter 🌟💋💫

💘💘💘🌟~TOODLES🌟💘💘💘