The space between us { Martin FF }

Rehearsal 1 | The magnet

Evelyn is the type of girl you spot once and think about for the rest of the week. She's got that unique vibe that you can't just figure out by staring. She's magnetic, she pulls you in.  She's known for her kind and uplifting presence. People describe her as cool, kind and outgoing. She gives off a positive, expressive and creative vibe. She's not scared to show her emotions and speak her mind.

Evelyn is good at everything she does, especially dancing. She has a natural dancing talent, which makes her instantly eyecatching. Among the trainees, she's very popular, and speculated to be one of the coaches favorites.

Martin isn't just an idol who performs, he creates. Before debut, he contributed to songwriting and production for several big HYBE artists, showing strong musical instincts and emotional storytelling in his work. Fans describe him as warm, lively, and confident, with a natural ability to lift everyone's spirits. He's the tallest member and often joked about as the loudest in the dorm, but that outgoing side also makes him playful and fun. 

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It was 7:48 on a chilly October morning in Seoul. The weather was calm. You could see the leaves were falling slowly as the wind blew through Evelyn's dorm window. The heater was warming up the room, as Mia, Evelyn's roommate, slept tightly on her twin bed.

Today was evaluation day in HYBE. Everybody's eyes were gonna be on her. The trainers, staff surrounding her with cameras.. And the most scary part. The  executives who went to see her progress. She couldn't be more nervous. Today was the day that defined if she would move up as a trainee, or determine if she was just another girl who wouldn't reach her potential. Though she did care about what others thought, she was even more afraid to let herself down. In her mind, her relentless drive for flawlessness is what brought her this far, and if she maintained that standard, she believes she'll eventually debut as an idol.

On the other hand her roommate, also best friend Mia, couldn't be more careless. She knew where she stood. She practiced every single day, fixed her flaws, and watched videos of her performance over and over. Doesn't mean she's self centered and has a big ego. She just had that Yolo mindset.

The chamomile tea smell Evelyn was making covered the dorm.

"You know that's not actually gonna calm your anxiety, right?" said Mia as she stood from her bed fixing her hair. 

"Thanks hater, I made you some." Said Evelyn, handing Mia a cup of tea. "Also this is scientifically proven, you can't fight science!"

"I feel like there's a lot of pressure on me right now. I have to be perfect.." She muttered as she ran her fingers around the mug.

Mia just stared at her. "Babes.. you're literally the best trainee in this building. You have shown it, and the trainers see it. Everything is in your mind, you need to let go of that urge to be perfect. Maybe today you should just enjoy your performance." She smiles lightly.

You could tell those were the words Evelyn was looking for. A little bit of reassurance.

Her mood shifted instantly. "You know what? You're right. WE are the best trainees in the building." She remarked. "Theres nothing to worry about. I should just focus on doing what i practiced and ill be okay." She said as her spark came right back to her face. 

"Yes, you'll do great! Besides its October, we love october, we met in october. Mia said as she prepared her breakfast.

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Cortis dorm

Martin was sitting on the couch with his best friend Seonghyeon. He was on his computer preparing some beats for the new album. Seonghyeon was just scrolling on his phone.

"Yo, I heard today they're having evaluations. You wanna go check it out?" Martin asked, still very focused on his work.

"Nah" Sean replied uninterested while sipping some redbull. "That's crazy. We met in our trainee days.. I don't miss them." They both laughed.

Martin just sat and thought. He was very interested in that evaluation. He didn't know why, he just felt the need to go check how the trainees were doing, to reminisce about the old days.

Something he would usually do when he was creating music was hit his head. Like a bad habit. He would think so much that he would get gloomy. That's why most of the time, he rather share spaces with other collaborators than just make music alone. Just like Evelyn, he was a perfectionist. Only that he controlled it before it consumed him.

Seonhyeon was a lot of help to him when he would make music. In fact, he would always ask for his ideas, but this morning seonhyeon was feeling inactive. Like that cold morning air had him in hibernation mode.

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10:30 am

All the trainees were gathering on the third floor, getting ready to show what they've been working on. Some were stretching, others were getting their voice prepared. All of them had something in common though. Nerves.

Mia and Evelyn were helping each other stretch and making jokes. That was their own way of coping with nerves. They knew not to mess it up. Today was the most anticipated day they've been training for. They needed to prove they belonged there.

Mia just stared at Evelyn. Scanning her facial expressions, trying to figure her out like a code. She asked herself how her friend was doing. She knew she struggled a lot with being perfect in everything she did. Mia didn't want to jinx it, but she knew that obsession would someday be her downfall. 

However, Evelyn was very stressed on the inside. She didnt wanna worry her friend, deep down she knew Mia was more concerned about her best friend's emotional state rather than her own performance. And that's something Evelyn was catching onto. Mia's confidence. She knew she was good. She didn't feel the need to be better. She just knew she was that good and she belonged on that stage. So everyday Mia would pull up to rehearsal with all her energy and chin up. She knew singing was her thing and had no insecurities about it.

Evelyn saw her like the eldest sister she never had. She wished she was as confident and comfortable within herself as Mia.

She sighed "This performance needs to be perfect" she could feel her chest tighten up. "Its okay, you just have to focus on your routine, you just have to focus on your routine.."

"Hey!" Mia made her snap off her thoughts. "You got this, remember. If you calm down I promise I'll get you tickets for that Cortis concert! Mia added

Evelyn jumped up from the floor as if she was offered 10 million dollars and a promised spot on that girl group they were going to launch soon. "YOU PROMISE" she cheered

Soon after it was time for her to present her dance. She picked No pole by Don Toliver.

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From a far, Martin was watching alone. He decided to go regardless of not having his friend's company there. He was wrapped up in his mind reminiscing about his trainee days. He didn't miss them, he did miss the tranquility. That feeling of being unknown and just having free will.

Then he heard that beat. A good producer recognizes a good beat. Besides, Don was one of his favorite artists. He snapped out.

He leaned against the doorway, but his eyes were locked on her. She moved with a rhythm that made his chest tighten, every step in sync with the beat of the song. The way her hair swayed, the curve of her smile when she lost herself in the music. It was like she had stepped straight out of a dream he didn't know he'd been waiting for. And in that moment, something inside him shifted. He was completely captivated by a girl who he didn't even know anything about.