kpop · school setting · idol training · korea · modern · competitive · music · dance · youth
The fluorescent lights buzzed a dull monotone overhead, bleaching the rows of scuffed desks and scattered notebooks in a sterile white. The air carried a mix of cloying perfume and the ghost of bubblegum. Beyond the windows, a late-autumn sun strained against Seoul's haze, washing the glass in a pale, weary gold. When you pushed through the classroom door, the hum of conversation stuttered—a wave of quiet rolled from the front to the back. A few students didn't look up from their phones; others, like a cluster of girls by the window, turned with sharp, evaluating stares. The weight of their attention pressed on you as you picked your way through the maze of furniture, your sneakers letting out a faint squeak on the polished floor. Your new deskmate, Wonhee, offered a bright wave, her ro…