Caught Between Four Beast Idols

The Next Morning

The bells rang, signaling the end of third period. Ahri sat at her desk, staring out the window with a tired expression. The world outside was busy, but inside, her mind was stuck in an endless loop of frustration.

'I spent my entire day searching for the perfect dance that would suit it...'

She sighed deeply. 'I still couldn't find it. I'm doomed.'

Her shoulders slumped as she imagined the upcoming audition. Each passing minute felt like a weight pressing down on her chest. She had scoured every corner of the internet, watched a million dance tutorials, and yet nothing felt right. Nothing captured the story she wanted to tell—her emotions, her essence.

'Seriously, why is it so hard to find a dance routine that's both perfect and mind-blowing?'

Her gaze drifted across the classroom. It was lively, as usual. The students were chatting away, the hum of their voices filling the room, but to Ahri, it felt distant. The laughter and chatter only reminded her of how out of place she felt.

'Well... it has been a while since I've been back at Seonghwa High School after all,' Ahri thought, staring at her classmates. 'Guess it's been the same... loud and annoying.'

She glanced around, noticing the usual cliques—groups of students clustered together, gossiping, laughing, and just... being. Ahri couldn't help but feel a pang of loneliness.

'Is it because the other humans kiss the asses of the supernatural students while I just... don't?'

She stood up, feeling an overwhelming need to escape. Maybe some fresh air would clear her head. Slowly, she walked out of the classroom and headed toward the restroom, her mind swirling with thoughts of how to fix her performance.

After a few minutes in the restroom, she opened the door to leave, everything went black, her face was suddenly covered by a brown bag.

'Huh?! What is this?!'

She stumbled back, startled, and before she could even process what was happening, she felt herself being lifted off the ground like a sack of rice. 'Wait, what?!'

"Hey??!" she shouted, her voice muffled by the bag. She struggled, kicking and twisting, but it was no use. Laughter echoed around her as she was carried off.

After what felt like an eternity of disorientation, Ahri was dropped unceremoniously onto the cold, hard floor, her body jolting as she landed with a dull thud. She winced, rubbing her backside in pain.

"Yuri, remove it. I want to see her face," a voice called out, sounding amused.

"Alright, Hana," a second voice replied.

Ahri blinked, her vision adjusting as the brown bag was removed from her head. She glanced around, her confusion deepening as the dim light from a single bulb flickered overhead.

The shelves around them were cluttered with old cleaning supplies, dusty boxes, and forgotten sports equipment. The air smelled faintly of paper and something old.

'Why am I in the school's storage room?' Ahri thought, her mind still reeling from the sudden bag over her head and being carried like a sack of rice.

As her eyes refocused, she saw three familiar faces before her, staring at her.

The first was Song Yuri, the mischievous Dokkaebi with a wild mane of black and fiery red hair, her sharp red eyes glinting with mischief. Her ears were slightly elongated, giving her that goblin-like edge.

Then there was Nam Hana, the ethereal Fae, with her pale lavender hair flowing like silk around her shoulders. Her bright lilac eyes glimmered, she was perched gracefully atop one of the large boxes stacked near the corner of the room. She sat cross-legged, her posture perfect, as if she were some kind of royal figure on display. A lollipop was tucked between her lips, and she casually spun it around in her mouth, eyes half-lidded with a bored but amused expression

And last but definitely not least, Han Boram, the petite, fierce-looking Orc. She had the strength of a bull and the attitude to match. Her olive skin was adorned with tattoos that seemed to swirl around her arms, telling tales of her orcish heritage. Her dark hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, and her sharp brown eyes were intense.

Ahri blinked, processing the situation.

'Oh, right... now I remember. The main reason I was lonely was because I was being bullied by these three.' She sighed inwardly.

"Well, well, look who finally remembered the great trio," Yuri said with a grin, clearly enjoying Ahri's confusion.

---

Hana removed the lollipop from her mouth as she stood up, her gaze locking onto Ahri.

"I heard you signed up to audition at AR Entertainment. What exactly do you think you're trying to prove?" she asked, her voice dripping with mockery.

'The person who stole my spot as the child version of the female lead when we were kids was Nam Hana,' Ahri thought, her fists clenching at the memory.

Hana smirked. "Face it, you'll never get selected. But don't worry—we'll save you the humiliation."

'By breaking my ankle?' Ahri thought, glaring at Hana with a cold smirk. 'In my previous life, these three did exactly that every chance they got during this one month, so I wouldn't perform well and fail.'

"Boram," Hana said with a casual wave of her hand.

Boram stepped forward, cracking her knuckles menacingly.

But before Boram could get closer, Ahri spoke, her voice steady and sharp. "Are you afraid?"

Hana froze, signaling Boram to stop. Her brow furrowed in suspicion. "What do you mean by that?"

"Are you afraid of me moving to the next stage?" Ahri asked, a hint of a smirk tugging at her lips despite the tension.

Hana's gaze narrowed, but before she could respond, Yuri, another of Hana's cronies, sneered and stepped forward, delivering a swift kick to Ahri's stomach.

"What bullshit are you spouting, Ahri? Why would Hana be afraid of you?" Yuri hissed.

Ahri winced, struggling to stay on her feet. "If she's not afraid," Ahri said through gritted teeth, "then why is she trying to stop me?"

Hana scoffed, but her expression faltered for just a moment. "I'm not afraid of you," she said defensively.

"Then let's settle this on stage," Ahri said, her voice firm despite the pain. "You signed up for AR Entertainment's audition too, didn't you?"

Hana hesitated, then straightened. "Yeah, I did. So what?"

"Then let's see who's better on stage," Ahri challenged. "Let's see who moves on to the next round."