#m countdown

you sat on the studio floor during break, your back resting against the mirrored wall as you absentmindedly scrolled through instagram.

you were only half paying attention to your screen, the rest of your focus on the conversation you were having with stella about the new mcountdown mcs.

“i swear, if it’s one of us.” you muttered, throwing your head back against the mirror.

hearts2hearts had been skyrocketing in popularity, and while that meant more opportunities, it also meant more pressure. the thought of becoming an mc, especially for a live broadcast, was enough to make your stomach twist.

“you’d be good at it though,” stella said with a laugh. “i feel like we’re overthinking it.”

before you could reply, the studio door flew open.

“y/n!”

ian, carmen and jiwoo came stumbling into the room, practically tripping over each other, shouting over one another. none of what they were saying was even remotely understandable, but judging by the looks on their faces, something crazy had just happened.

“there you are!”

“we’ve literally been looking everywhere!”

“why are you hiding in here?”

“…i’m sitting in the practice room.”

“exactly!”

you blinked.

“…what?”

the three exchanged excited glances before turning back to you.

“did manager call you yet?” ian asked, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet.

“…no?”

“check your phone!”

you glanced down.

manager: come to conference room b as soon as you’re free.

your stomach dropped. stella leaned over your shoulder to read the message. “maybe it’s nothing.”

“girl… be serious.”

“thanks for the reassurance.”

“i’m just saying, managers don’t call meetings in the middle of practice for nothing.”

“just go.”

“why are you all smiling?”

“we’re not.”

“yes you literally are.”

“i can’t say anything.”

“say anything about what?”

all three of them immediately shook their heads.

“nothing.”

“just hurry before they come looking for you.”

rolling your eyes, you grabbed your water bottle and headed toward the door.

just before you stepped into the hallway, you glanced back.

the second the door closed behind you, “she has no idea oh my god.” their muffled squeals echoed through the practice room. you frowned to yourself.

with one last confused shake of your head, you made your way toward conference room b, completely unaware of what you were about to hear.

you wake up before your alarm, which is deeply annoying.

it takes you a second to remember why your brain decided six-thirty was a reasonable time to start functioning.

mcountdown rehearsal.

you roll over with a groan, staring at the ceiling for a few seconds before grabbing your phone from the nightstand. no new messages.

except one, from niki.

Niki: don’t be late today 😁

a smile tugs at the corner of your lips before you type back.

You: i won’t if you aren’t

the typing bubble appears almost instantly.

niki: i’m already on the way

show off. you toss your phone onto the bed and finally get up, getting ready with the members before piling into the van.

“you’re awfully smiley this morning,” yuha says from the seat across from you.

“am not.”

“you literally smiled at your phone.”

“i was reading something.”

“mhm.”

ian peeks over the back of her seat. “was it a person?”

“no.”

“so it was.”

you groan, pulling your hoodie over your face while the van fills with laughter.

- - - - ゛ ᢉ𐭩

the backstage hallways are already busy by the time you arrive. staff members hurry past carrying giant cue cards, stylists weave through the crowd, and idols from different groups exchange bows as they pass one another.

you barely make it a few steps before hearing someone call your name.

“good morning.”

you turn around.

niki stands a few feet away, cue cards tucked under one arm and and iced americano in each hand. his hair’s still slightly messy, like whoever styled it had given up trying to tame the front pieces.

“you made it on time,” he says.

“barely.”

“i brought you this, not sure if you like coffee.”

you try to hold back a smile, but fail, taking the drink from his hand. “you didn’t have to do that.”

“it’s nothing.”

before you can say any more, a staff member walks by with a clipboard.

“you two! rehearsal in five!”

“got it,” you both answer at the same time.

you glance at him and he glances at you.

“…jinx,” he says.

“did you seriously just jinx me?”

“rules are rules.”

you shake your head, trying not to smile as the two of you walk toward the stage together. maybe this won’t be so awkward.

- - - -

when you finish rehearsing your lines, the pd nods with a satisfied smile.

“that’s it.”

a few staff members clap lightly.

“you two have good chemistry.”

your smile freezes.

“thank you.” niki answers before you can.

“it doesn’t feel forced.” another writer adds while looking at her notebook. “that’s good.”

you glance at niki for half a second. he’s already looking away.

when you walk off stage, ian is waiting for you in the wing. “good chemistry, huh?”

“don’t even with me.”

she smiles as you two walk to the dressing room to get changed for your performance rehearsal. “they literally said it.”

you look back up. “they probably say that to every mc pair.”

ian shrugs. “you never know.”

before you can get another word out, someone is throwing a costume on you and a director is yelling times out.

“hearts2hearts is on in 20!”

thursday (broadcast day) ゛ ᢉ𐭩

you stood on the stage behind the closed curtains, eyes still adjusting to the bright lights as people hook mic packs on you and niki.

a director starts counting down from ten while the camera man walks out in front of you, muttering something to another worker.

“we’re live.” the curtains open, the red light on the camera flashes, and the opening music plays. your smile comes naturally

“annyeonghaseyo!”

the opening goes perfectly. by the time it’s over, youre being thrown around in a crowd of people backstage. at some point while you’re trying to navigate it, you look behind you and niki is right there, seemingly trying to find a way out of the chaos for the both of you.

you weave through the maze and the three cameras trying to get your attention, and somehow end up ducking into a supply closet.