Morning – Training Room
Trainer K walked in with his usual unreadable expression, holding a clipboard like he was about to sentence everyone to either greatness or doom.
"Partner swap week," he announced.
A collective groan rippled through the room like synchronized suffering.
"No complaining. You'll learn more this way," Trainer K added, barely looking up.
New Partners:
Kim Chong & Riku (vocal + lyric fusion)
Seojun & Minho (dance)
Jimin & Tao (vocal + rap mix)
Jae-min & Doyun (English training—may the gods help Jae-min)
Kim & Riku – Round One: The Heartbroken Piano
Kim sat at the piano like a man preparing for war. Riku flopped beside him, legs swinging like a kid on a sugar rush.
"So," Riku said, cocking his head, "do you always sing like someone broke your heart using a violin and a rain soundtrack?"
Kim blinked. "Uh… I guess?"
"Cool," Riku grinned. "Let's make it sound like that but also like the stage is on fire and your tears are gasoline."
Despite the chaos, it worked. Riku tossed out wild, poetic lines. Kim responded with soft, haunting chords. The chorus they built felt strange and beautiful—like sadness with swagger.
By the end, they were arguing over whether "emotional grenade" or "melancholy molotov" sounded more dramatic.
Kim snorted. "We're insane."
"Thank you," Riku said proudly.
Seojun & Minho – Dance Disaster Diaries
Minho tried. He really, really did.
But matching Seojun's sharp footwork was like trying to copy a ninja while wearing bowling shoes.
Seojun watched, unimpressed, as Minho executed a spin that somehow ended in a somersault... backwards.
"You're like a baby giraffe doing interpretive dance," Seojun said, rubbing his temples.
"I'm giving effort!" Minho gasped, tripping again.
"You're adorable," Seojun muttered. "Hopeless. But adorable."
Minho gave a thumbs-up from the floor. "Put that on my tombstone."
Jae-min & Doyun – English Class of Doom
Jae-min stood tall, pretending he was the world's most patient tutor.
"Repeat after me: Think."
"Sink," Doyun said with complete confidence.
"No. Think. Like with a 'th'—your tongue goes between your teeth."
"Sink," Doyun repeated. Perfectly. But wrong.
Jae-min groaned and fell dramatically to the floor. "This is it. This is how I become a villain. Not because of fame, not because of betrayal—because of th sounds."
Doyun blinked. "You talk too much."
Lunchtime – The Pizza Pact
Tao stood on a chair in the cafeteria like a prophet.
"If anyone nails their new pairing challenge by the weekend," he declared, "I'll buy pizza. Real pizza. Not cafeteria cardboard cheese lies."
Everyone froze.
"Deal," Seojun said instantly.
Jae-min leapt onto another chair. "AND if I win, you all have to do a pizza-themed dance with me. Costumes. Choreography. The full mozzarella."
Screams filled the room.
"No," said Doyun flatly.
"Yes," Jae-min countered. "You already promised in your heart."
Kim chuckled. "Bet. Let's do this."
Evening – Strange Chemistry
Back in the practice room, Kim and Riku worked under dim lights, refining their eerie, powerful chorus.
Kim watched as Riku scribbled lyrics upside-down, humming melodies that made no sense until they suddenly did.
"You're weird," Kim said without thinking.
Riku didn't miss a beat. "Takes one to know one, emotional grenade boy."
They stared at each other.
Then burst out laughing.
Something clicked. Not just in the music—but in the way it felt.
Like maybe, just maybe, the partner swap week wasn't so bad after all.