PRACTICE ROOM — PRE-DEBUT ERA
The fluorescent lights of the Pledis practice room hummed overhead, casting that harsh, unforgiving glow that made everyone look tired even when they weren't. The mirrors along the far wall reflected thirteen boys scattered across the worn wooden floor — some stretching, some chugging water, some still moving through fragments of choreography like their bodies couldn't sit still.
It was a Tuesday afternoon. Spring. The kind of weather that should make you want to be outside, not trapped in a practice room smelling like sweat and effort.
The door opened.
Everyone turned.
She stood in the doorway — small, backpack straps gripped so tight her knuckles were pale. She was thirteen. Dark hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, oversized practice clothes that made her look even tinier than she was. Her face was carefully blank. Not scared, not excited. Just... guarded. Like she'd already decided not to give anything away.
The silence lasted exactly three seconds.
HOSHI was the first to move, bouncing over with that boundless energy of his, tiger-print headband barely containing his hair.
"Yah! You must be the new trainee!" He grinned wide, tilting his head. "How old are you? You look super young!"
She stared at him. Didn't smile. Didn't frown. Just... looked.
"...Thirteen."
HOSHI blinked at the flat delivery, his grin faltering just slightly. "Oh! Thirteen! That's — you're really young then!"
No response. Just that same careful, unreadable expression.
S.COUPS straightened up from where he'd been leaning against the mirror wall, wiping sweat from his forehead with his wristband. He studied her for a moment — leader eyes, assessing but not unkind. He'd been told about her. New female trainee. Exceptional skills for her age. Would be training with them from now on.
"Come in," he said, voice measured and professional. "I'm S.Coups. We're in the middle of practice, but you can sit and watch for now. Get a feel for things."
She nodded once. Walked in. Sat down against the far wall, back straight, backpack still on. Like she was ready to leave at any moment.
WOOZI glanced up from his notebook in the corner. Gave her a quick once-over. Looked back down without a word. He didn't care about new trainees. He cared about the song he was producing.
JEONGHAN watched from across the room, pretty face tilted, a polite smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. He'd seen that look before — the guarded one, the one that said don't come closer. He recognized it because he wore it himself sometimes.
He didn't push. Just offered a small nod and looked away.
MINGYU leaned over to DK, whispering behind his hand. "She looks really serious."
DK whispered back, eyes wide. "She's so small though... should we say something?"
SEUNGKWAN was already watching her with open curiosity, dramatic as ever. "She didn't even flinch when Hoshi-hyung yelled. That's impressive."
HOSHI, still standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, turned back. "I didn't YELL, I just—"
S.COUPS cut in smoothly. "Practice. Focus."
And just like that, the room shifted back to work. Music started again. Counting beats. Moving bodies. The routine resumed.
But thirteen pairs of eyes kept drifting to the girl sitting alone against the wall. Silent. Still. Watching them with those guarded eyes that gave nothing away.
TWO HOURS LATER.
Practice was winding down. Members were packing up, toweling off sweat, guzzling water. The new trainee hadn't moved from her spot. Hadn't pulled out her phone. Hadn't spoken to anyone. Just sat there, watching every move they made with quiet, sharp attention.
WONWOO was the one who finally approached. Cool, quiet Wonwoo who usually didn't bother with small talk. He crouched down in front of her, water bottle in hand.
"You've been watching for two hours," he said simply. Not a question.
She met his eyes. Didn't look away.
"The footwork in the second verse," she said. "It's off. Count five is half a beat too slow."
Wonwoo stared at her.
Behind him, HOSHI choked on his water.
WOOZI looked up from his notebook for the second time that day — which was already a record for a new trainee.
"Say that again," Woozi said, sharp eyes locking onto her.
She didn't flinch. "Count five. Half a beat too slow. The transition into the chorus would be smoother if you hit it on the beat instead of dragging."
Dead silence.
HOSHI walked over, expression shifting from surprised to intensely serious — choreographer mode activated. "Show me."
For the first time, something flickered across her face. Not a smile. Something sharper. A spark.
She stood up, set her backpack down, and walked to the center of the room. The mirrors reflected her — tiny, serious, completely unshaken by the thirteen boys watching her.
The music started.
And when she moved — hitting that count five exactly on the beat, flowing into the chorus transition with a precision that made Hoshi's jaw drop — the room went very, very quiet.
She stopped. Turned to face them. That same guarded expression, but with something new underneath it. Something that burned.
Prove you wrong.
S.COUPS exhaled slowly. Crossed his arms. Studied her with new eyes.
"...Alright," he said. "You're staying."
JEONGHAN smiled — a real one this time, small but genuine. Interesting.
SEUNGKWAN grabbed DK's arm. "Did you SEE that?! She just — she just corrected Hoshi-hyung's choreography and was RIGHT?!"
DK nodded frantically, eyes like saucers. "I saw! I saw!"
HOSHI was still standing frozen, processing. Then a grin split across his face — that wild, excited grin. "Yah. Where have you been hiding?"
She didn't answer. Just picked up her backpack and walked back to her spot against the wall.
But as she sat down, MINGYU appeared beside her, holding out a water bottle with a bright, easy smile.
"You must be thirsty. We've been practicing for hours."
She looked at the water bottle. Looked at him. For a second — just a second — the guard flickered.
"...Thanks," she muttered, taking it.
MINGYU beamed like she'd given him a gift. "I'm Mingyu! That loud one over there is Seungkwan, the short one with the notebook is Woozi-hyung—"
"I'm NOT short," WOOZI called from across the room without looking up.
"—and the pretty one smiling at you is Jeonghan-hyung. Don't trust him, he cheats at everything."
JEONGHAN put a hand to his chest in mock offense. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
She almost — almost — smiled.
This was how it started. Not with grand gestures or dramatic moments. Just a practice room, a water bottle, and thirteen boys who didn't know yet that this quiet, guarded girl was going to turn their world upside down.
And she didn't know yet that these thirteen strangers would become her family.
END OF SCENARIO — PRE-DEBUT: FIRST DAY
Want me to continue with the next scenario? Options:
- Weeks later — she starts warming up, first real conversation with a member
- Trainee evaluation — her talent shocks everyone, but her walls are still up
- Late night practice — she's alone when Jeonghan finds her
- A member tries to ask about her family and she shuts down
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