When the celebration finally simmered down, Kang Ian and Mika found themselves sitting on the floor in a loose circle with Ahn Jae, Silas, and August.
"Whew," August groaned, flopping onto his back before resting his head comfortably on Kang Ian's lap. "That's my cardio for the day."
Without even thinking, Kang Ian started brushing his fingers through August's hair—slow, gentle strokes. August immediately let out a pleased little sigh, sounding suspiciously like a very pampered orange cat.
Mika watched the interaction with quiet amusement. It felt effortless. Natural. A clear reminder that whatever they'd built during Genesis Project had been real—no cameras needed.
"Wait," Kang Ian suddenly said, looking around. "I just realized… you guys are speaking in English."
"And you sound native," he added.
"Well, we've been learning," Silas replied casually.
"I can see that," Kang Ian said with an approving nod.
Mika cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention. "If you guys are here to help, I can't help but wonder if this is… okay."
The room went quiet.
"Don't get me wrong," Mika continued. "I'm really happy you're here. But what about the others? Won't it seem unfair that we get extra help?"
"Oh, don't worry about that," Ahn Jae said smoothly. "Sir Foca made sure everyone got expert support."
"Tell me about it," Silas added. "Some of the people brought in are absolute legends in their fields. Honestly, compared to them, the three of us are probably near the bottom in terms of prestige."
Mika blinked. "Wow. Sir Foca really isn't pulling any punches for the fifth evaluations."
"Well," Kang Ian said quietly, "people are going to join the debut lineup that day."
"But let's not stress about that yet," Ahn Jae said, clapping his hands once. "Let's focus on what we can do right now."
"That's right!" August chimed in, already back on his feet, fully recharged. "C'mon—let's get to work!"
And just like that, rehearsals for the upcoming fifth evaluations officially began.
While Kang Ian and Mika prepared to perform alongside Ahn Jae, August, and Silas, the rest of the groups were just as stacked with talent.
The Kweens had reunited—and they were promising nothing short of a slay. Trainees passing by their rehearsal room could hear shrieks of excitement and laughter spilling into the halls. Whatever they were cooking up, it sounded like a full-on celebration.
Yone, Ryu, and Corsair—the three remaining Japanese trainees—were grouped together and tasked with a J-pop track. With Ryu and Corsair's seamless harmonies and Yone's sharp leadership and choreography, they were quickly becoming ones to watch.
Then there was Eli, Monarch, and Jordan. They'd been assigned a rising genre in pop: P-pop. Monarch being fully Filipino, Eli having been raised by Filipinos, and Jordan having lived in the Philippines for quite some time—it felt personal. Just hearing the song brought tears to their eyes. They promised themselves they'd deliver a performance worthy of its meaning.
Nikola, Isaac, and Leo were grouped together for a sexy summer bop. It was the perfect chance for all three to showcase their individuality and strengths. Safe to say, they were thrilled.
But while excitement buzzed through most of the island…
Bobby was in the trenches.
Alone in his practice room, he was told he'd be performing solo.
That alone was a lot to process—but then came the real kicker.
The song he'd be performing?
An original.
By himself.
Specifically instructed by Foca.
Bobby barely had time to feel disappointed about not being in a group before panic threatened to swallow him whole.
He paced back and forth, hands running through his hair, trying not to spiral.
Thankfully, Bobby had come to LEAVEN prepared. He'd brought three original songs with him. One—Ghosted—had already been performed during the first evaluations.
That left two.
As he paced, something settled in his chest. One song felt… right.
He stopped.
Cleared his throat.
Closed his eyes.
And sang.
🎶
I may stumble, I may fall,
But I'll still give it my all.
This little dream I used to hide,
Now it's bursting from inside.
Even if it's just tonight,
I'll shine beneath the city lights—
So let me play my part a bit,
Even if it's just for a bit.
🎶
When he finished, Bobby exhaled.
He knew.
Whatever happened next—this was the right choice.
A soft smile spread across his face… until he heard clapping.
Startled, he turned around.
Foca stood by the door, casually leaning against the frame, applauding with a gentle smile.
"S–Sir Foca," Bobby stammered. "What brings you here?"
"With everyone receiving help," Foca said calmly, "I thought I'd personally lend a hand with your performance."
He paused.
"By the way—just from that short snippet, I can tell the song was written from the heart."
"Thank you so much, sir," Bobby said, cheeks flushing. "That really means the world coming from you."
"Now," Foca continued, stepping closer, "since this is your song, I'd like to ask your permission—may I help you bring it to its full potential?"
He asked sincerely. As a songwriter himself, Foca understood how sacred original work could be.
"Of course, sir!" Bobby answered immediately, eyes shining. "It would be an honor to work with you—and to receive guidance from someone as incredible as you."
Foca chuckled softly. "I understand. But you don't need to go overboard with the flattery."
Still, there was gratitude in his eyes.