Chapter 377: Good Boys Gone Bad (6)
"The team that came in first place today, with over 80% of the vote, is.....the team that dropped down from the heavens and gave us a thrilling performance. Team Bad Boys, composed of Ariel, Benjamin, Carlos, Jamie, Levi, and Mathew. Congratulations to you boys!!! Please come onto the stage!"
As MC Ryan Leary said his team name, Ari released the breath that he had been holding as his previously racing heart beat slowed.
Thank goodness!
Audience, you didn’t fail me this time.
Thank you! Thank you so much!
"Ari, let’s get on the stage."
Standing up as Carlos called him, Ari followed the rest of his teammates on stage.
And just as he stepped into the light-
[Ding!]
[Surprise Mission: Supposedly, Patience Is A Virtue, And Good Things Come To Those Who Wait. However, I’m Tired Of Waiting! - Complete]
[Successfully substituted for I’m not Bossy, I’m the Boss task on Mission Board #6]
[Reward: +1 Stat Points & Unlock Leadership Stat]
[Ariel Matisse]
[Age: 18]
[Vocals: A+]
[Dance: C+]
[Visual: A]
[Rap: C]
[Charm: S-]
[Acting: F]
[Leadership: C+ (boosted based on previous actions)]
[Skills: JukeBox(A), Picky Listener (B), Pen Pal (C)]
[Items: Otterly adorable headband, Bi-lingual Blue Diamond Earrings, Otterly Adorable Tracksuit]
[Current Rewards: 7 Stat Points, 2 Charm Points]
[WOW!]
[Congratulations on FINALLY succeeding and completing another task.]
[You won’t be losing 20 random stat points today, and once you finally gain some weight, this mission board will be finished.]
A notification filled his vision.
Seeing that NOVA even confirmed that the win was valid and counted toward his Mission Board, Ari couldn’t help but wipe his face in relief.
Thank goodness.
He was free!
"Is that a tear?" Benjamin asked as he received the microphone from MC Ryan Leary.
He was watching Ari repeatedly wipe his face as that previous death stare relaxed into a small smile.
"No."
"You crying?"
"Ari’s crying?"
"Really?"
As 6 sets of eyes, including the MC’s, turned to look at him, and the audience even quieted down at the unexpected fuss on stage, Ari stared back blankly.
"I’m not crying."
"Contestant Ari, is it true that you’re crying? I guess it makes sense since you finally got first place after your herculean efforts weren’t rewarded during the performance in Korea."
"I’m not crying."
"Your eyes look glassy, and you’ve stopped glaring. And I saw you wipe your eyes," Benjamin spoke as he circled Ari curiously.
"My eyes are the same as they always are, and I’m simply relieved."
You don’t understand the fear of losing 20 stat points!
"Nah, it’s definitely tears. No need to be shy, you’re among friends."
"It’s not."
"Heh! Guys!" Holding Ari back with one arm, Benjamin began speaking to the audience excitedly.
"Thank you for giving our team the first-place vote! Because of you, for the very first time, we get to see Ariel Matisse, the judgmental stoic himself, the ever eloquent man, the myth, the legend with a siren’s voice, we get to see him shed a tear! I personally witnessed him wiping a tear. Isn’t that great?!? He’s touched."
- yeaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
- It’s so cute
- awwwwwww
- make him cry more!
"I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that last shout. Big man Ari, what do you have to say for our lovely audience and fans? They showed up to support us in full form, yeah? You touched?"
Benjamin handed the microphone to Ari before slinging his hand over his shoulder like he hadn’t done anything wrong.
After shooting him a dirty look, Ari began speaking into the microphone more sincerely than he had ever talked in his life.
"Thank you so much to everyone who voted for us. We really appreciate it. I really appreciate it! You don’t know how much I appreciate it! It’s like you saved my life. This first-place team vote is like a miracle I never thought would happen, so once again, thank you so much!" Ari confessed honestly before continuing.
"Thanks to my teammates for working hard and making this performance a success. To Levi and his family, an especially big thank you. Levi, I appreciate you so much. No, why are you running away and hiding your ears? We all know they turn red when you’re embarrassed. Come and properly receive your praise. We literally couldn’t have done it without you."
After chasing Levi down and dragging him unwillingly to the front, Ari continued thanking everyone before turning to the last person, "And to Benjamin. Thanks for your hard work. I only have one thing to say to you, two words in total. Drop dead."
"Drop dead, innit?" Benjamin spoke at the same time as Ari with a microphone he had gotten from who knows where.
Seeing Ari’s green eyes widen a bit, Benjamin laughed before speaking into his microphone again while squeezing Ari’s cheek and ignoring the green eyes attempting to shoot lasers at him, "Yes, yes, I know, I know. Guys, if Ari tells you to drop dead after you harass him, it means he bare likes you and you’re basically brothers who grew up in the same yard. Love you too, mate. And as always, it’s a pleasure being teammates with you. Let’s do it again. Oh, and congratulations on graduating from high school, yeah? Big tings and more success in your future. C-man, your turn for a speech."
Tossing the microphone to Carlos before laughing and running away from Ari’s attempt to clothesline him to the ground.
As the rest of the team spoke, thanking the audience, it was a very wholesome moment that eventually devolved into idle chatter when the audience shouted a question, and they would answer.
- What are you doing after this?
"After this? We’re going to pick up all the flowers and gifts from the graduation venue, and we’re celebrating Ari’s big day with a meal!" Jamie answered excitedly.
- What kind of food, Ari? French?
"No, Korean food."
"Ari’s only ever taken Levi to a French restaurant. It’s not fair. It’s favoritism." As Jamie sulked and began wilting on the side, Ari rolled his eyes before promising.
"I’ll take you to one later. Besides, aren’t we supposed to go to France together?"
"Oh! Right!" Jamie immediately perked back up as more and more questions began coming in.
- Ari, which restaurant are you going to?"
"Secret."
- It’s probably the restaurant where his face is all over the website, Ari! Everyone knows that you work there sometimes! Confess
"It’s a secret."
- You would be a terrible superhero; your secret identity would be given up so easily
- Is the old lady who works there your grandma? She’s so strict!
- But the food is good! Your service is terrible, though. You’re never at work when I go!
- That’s a good thing. Remember how he blew up a kitchen the last time he tried to cook with Levi?
Hearing the audience member tease him, Ari simply laughed and waved at them.
To Ari, it was a very successful, happy day.
Truly one of the best days he’d had in a while.
It almost made him forget that his parents weren’t even here to support the first big accomplishment in his life.
Almost.
Waving at the audience, he just continued to smile.
"Thank you all for today."
Truly, he was thankful to them.
Tonight, Ari would enjoy a meal with all his friends and Grandma Lisa and Grandma Kim. And tomorrow, he would report to the dorms for the final rounds of preparation for the last performance in Pop Star Academy.
"Thank you, Team Bad Boys. Now, for the team in second place, the dark and lovely vampires who performed Bite Me."
*******
And in a high-rise condo in the middle of the city, a certain individual was desperately watching a stream of the surprise showcase on a wide-screen TV.
Originally, he wanted to go in person, but the thought of paying to attend something when he should be on stage performing, or worse, being recognized and looked down on by others, kept him in his apartment as his uncle instructed.
He had watched each performance from beginning to end, but had paid attention to only one.
The one that had his nemesis in it.
He had desperately wished that it was a lackluster failure of a performance, but unfortunately, it had blown all the other performances out of the water.
And as the MC took to the stage to announce the winner-
"Not him. Anyone but him." William Forbes whispered as he stared desperately at a stream of the performance showcase.
[The team that came in first place today is.....the team that dropped down from the heavens and gave us a thrilling performance. Team Bad Boys, composed of Ariel, Benjamin, Carlos, Jamie, Levi, and Mathew. Congratulations to you boys!!! Please come onto the stage and give your statements.]
William’s fear came true.
Fish Boy had won.
Seeing the green eyes flash angrily as he was teased by the British one before they turned happy as he began teasing Levi, who actually allowed it, William lost it.
"No! No! It should be me! The person jumping out of the helicopter with Levi should be me! The person getting all the praise and applause should be me! The person whose skill is improving at an unprecedented pace should be me! He’s taken everything from me!"
Raging angrily, William went around smashing everything that could be smashed in the living room. He tossed chairs, broke cups, and smashed tables into bits.
He even chucked the remote at the TV, embedding it right in the center as he continued screaming.
"It’s his fault that I’m getting punished! That I’m stuck here instead of being out there. I should have gotten rid of that stupid, homeless bum, along with that stupid old man, when I had the chance. It’s mine. The item is mine! If I had it, I wouldn’t have to deal with this nonsense. I’d be the best with no comparison. But instead I have to deal with this GARBAGE!"
William punched a hole in the wall while staring at his hands that had the flawed ability of randomly increasing his skills instead of the one that just dispensed what was needed.
He needed to figure out a way to get it back from Fish Boy.
Even if he had to kidnap him or beat him to death, the item must come back to him where it belonged before his uncle found out.
And as if the universe wanted to continue sh*tting on him-
Ring Ring Ring Ring
His phone began ringing with a familiar ringtone.
William almost ignored it, but remembering that his future depended on the person, he looked at the caller ID before picking it up.
[Wilford Forbes.]
"Hello, uncle?"
[Shut the hell up and listen to me very carefully. Here’s what you’re going to do.]