"So long story short, the contract looks good?"

Ari asked while his fingers flew rapidly on his laptop keyboard.

He was currently translating the changes Jamie's dad's lawyers made to the contract document from English to French to send back to the person who reached out to him for a song.

"Yep. He said everything looks good, and if that side agrees to the changes, we can proceed with signing. I just want us to ensure that everything is completed before Pop Star Academy is over, so we receive the full amount of money and credit. Then, even if the Pop Star Academy label wants to use it for promotional purposes later or makes us perform it, they have to pay us standard industry rate fees. Otherwise, the label will take the majority of the profit, and we'll probably lose the rights to it. If it does really well, it will be really expensive to buy back even though we made it without their help."

"How devious. This sounds like something I would do. Who is corrupting you? Who are you and what have you done with the Jamie I know?" Ari asked, a bit shocked.

It was unusually sneaky behavior for a person who insisted on splitting everything 50/50, even though he was the one doing the majority of the hard labor.

Jamie just gave him a smile that looked a bit devious while holding up a peace sign.

"Music rights are tricky because it has to go through so many layers of people. Labels, samples, and interpolations, as well as mixers, producers, arrangers, and other professionals, can be expensive, and they want to maximize their profits and get a cut. As an artist, we must ensure that we maximize everything we can before signing a contract. And ensure that people who didn't do any work don't receive credit. You have to be a bit devious to make money in music, and I think I'm pretty good at it. Hehe."

"Not that good if you're only taking an even split. You deserve at least 80 or 90%."

"That's just good business. I want to make music with you for a long time, so why be greedy and nitpick who did what, especially for your song? Just cleanly split everything down the middle. Besides, you're doing a lot of the work and driving the direction and lyrics. And, it's your melody too, I'm just implementing things a bit faster because I have a lot of experience."

"I guess."

Not saying anything else since he was the one benefiting the most, Ari continued translating the contract back to French before sending it over.

Then he spent the next hour researching different performance modifications that could be made for a person with an injured leg before continuing the songwriting and research process with Jamie, while Levi occasionally filmed them with his camera or took a nap with his headphones in.

Right before they were set to leave, Ari sang the tentative guide for the song that was a little depressing and a little heart-wrenching as well.

Mais ma meilleure ennemie, c'est toi (But my dearest enemy is you)

Fuis-moi, le pire, c'est toi et moi (Flee from me, the worst is you and I)

Mais si tu cherches dans ta mémoire, (But if you search your memories)

Oublie-moi, le pire, c'est toi et moi (forget me, the worst is you and I)

Ma mémoire (my memories)

Je t'aime, je te hais, je t'aime, je te hais (I love you, I hate you, I love you, I hate you.)

He was twisting the lyrics to suit the plot he had been sent, but all the while, when writing down the words, what Ari thought of was himself and his own memories.

On his mind were memories that he wanted to forget because they contained people who were no longer with him and caused him pain whenever he thought of them, so much so that he wished to erase them, yet there were memories that he loved with all his heart.

For him, his memories were his own enemy because they caused him pain, but he cherished them more than any material thing he would ever own.

It was a bittersweet thing that he couldn't even begin to explain to others through words, but somehow expressing it through a song helped.

As he finished singing, he glanced at the two people, one of whom was wiping his eyes."

"What do you think?"

"It's so sad. My heart hurts so much. Sniffle."

"…Depressing."

"Excellent. I want you to feel like your heart has been shattered into a million pieces with no hope of it ever healing. Like the most precious thing in the world was ripped away from you. Jamie, from a technical standpoint, what do you think?"

"Hmmm, I feel like Carlos's voice would fit really well in the second verse after me. It needs like a really high, clear tone to convey the knife you keep stabbing through the listener's heart, you know? That childlike innocence that comes from those kinds of pure voices is really effective in making people cry their hearts out."

"Noted. I'll ask him if he has time. This meeting is adjourned. Thank you, boys, for your hard work. Let's get some sleep."

With a tired yawn, Ari took his obligatory photo with all three of them before they headed back to the dorms, where he once again snuck in through a side door.

A couple of hours of sleep later, and he woke up to do the whole thing again.

And again.

And again.

Days began blurring due to the constant slog of practicing, and although his team hadn't quite figured out what to do with Justin, they were learning the choreography just fine, with Kim Young-woo and Jaywalk dropping in once or twice to help them.

Additionally, those who wanted to could attend vocal classes with the only vocal trainer, who was Larry Jackson.

As someone who was petty and always held a grudge, Ari didn't attend Larry Jackson's vocal class, wishing with all his heart for Jelissa to magically come back.

He really missed her.

And just like that, several days passed until it was the day for the Pop Star Academy episode to drop.

Coincidentally, it was also the same day that the First Time in Korea, Quiz on the Block episode featuring him and Jamie would drop, and since it would play before the Pop Star Academy episode, he settled in to watch it with a group of people that had grown from just him and Jamie to include Levi, Benjamin, Carlos, Justin, and Mathew.

Vishal had declined to watch with them since he wanted extra practice, and Ari could tell that he was still avoiding him, so with a shrug, Ari hooked the laptop up to a projector that Benjamin had gotten from a staff member and got comfortable within the pile of boys gathered in the practice room.

And around the world, from the Pop Star Academy Communities-

[Please join my live stream so we can watch Pop Star Academy Contestants Ariel and Jamie on the Korean variety show First Time in Korean, Quiz on the Block, before this week's episode of Pop Star Academy.]

└ How the h*** did they get on a variety show in Korea? They've been there for a week!

└└ I mean…it is called First time in Korea so…

└ Is this even allowed? Promoting on another show?

└ Isn't this favoritism by the production staff? Will other contestants get the same opportunity to promote themselves on a variety show, or will they continue to be biased toward certain rich contestants?

└ └ QOZ is a show that does random street casting of foreigners! Even if they wanted to, the hosts wouldn't allow it since they pick according to their own criteria. They probably thought they were handsome and eye-catching, especially the blonde one, and talked to them

└└└ So you're saying William is not handsome, blonde, and eye-catching? Why didn't they choose him? And why is plastic surgery face in it?

To Idols on break-

"Aren't these the kids who are performing our song from PSA? Oh, they're the ones from the airport too! How did they already get on a popular Korean variety show? And they're even on the cover photo? Crazy. Leader, wanna watch?"

"Sure."

Two members of the Golden Generation, who were going to be meeting the Pop Star Academy Team working on their song the next day, sat down to watch the variety show during their break.

To fans around the world, and even a PD an ocean away

"How the heck does he keep getting these opportunities? And you want me to believe he doesn't have a secret backer and PR team behind him? That it's all a coincidence! I don't believe it!"

"Did you just call me here to yell, Emily? I'm busy." A soft voice asked PD Emily.

"I called you here to talk and ask you for a favor. But first, we can watch your favorite contestant more than likely make a fool of himself or boost his popularity yet again."

"Who? Ari? Put it on."

"Oh, so now you want to listen to me, Jelissa?"

Rolling her eyes, PD Emily Raleigh complained even as she dutifully clicked on the live stream link posted in the Pop Star Academy community to watch the number 1, trouble-making contestant appear on a variety show.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.