The Bad Boy's Dirty Little Secret BL Chapter 97: The Final Round

Kai’s P.O.V

The lights dimmed, and the room fell into an expectant hush. I could feel the energy shift, the excitement building, and then—boom—the stage exploded with a burst of light and sound. Music blared through the speakers, and the crowd erupted into cheers. The pageant had officially begun.

I stood just offstage, heart pounding beneath the now-heavy fabric of my clothes, trying to steady my breath. The dazzling display of lights and colors flooded my senses. I scanned the audience as the first contestants made their way onto the stage, but I couldn’t really see anything through the bright lights. The crowd roared, feeding into the electric atmosphere, and my stomach twisted with a mix of nerves and some excitement.

As the curtain lifted for my turn, I stepped into the spotlight, the sound of applause washing over me like a wave. My heart raced, not just from the performance ahead, but from the gnawing awareness that he was on the same stage as I was. The music swelled, and I walked forward. Just like the other candidates, for the first round, I introduced myself, and then named the faculty I came from.

The crowd went especially wild when Night walked onstage after me. In the front row, I spotted Night’s parents, and right next to them were Rosalie and her parents.

I smirked as the sight of them reminded me of what I had planned. Suddenly, my nerves dissipated and I was more eager than anxious now.

They’re certainly in for more than one show.

It was now time for the runway walk, and the women were to go first, followed by the men, then the couples’ runway. As I had done this before, it went over pretty quickly for me; I didn’t even notice the time it had taken for everyone to have their moment onstage. I noticed, though, that Saya seemed a bit nervous—which was understandable given that it was her first time—while Night was confident as usual.

Despite myself, I could not help but feel proud for both of them.

Finally, when everyone had taken their turn, the hosts took the stage with bright, animated smiles, microphones in hand. One of them was Zach himself, and his voice boomed across the room as he hyped up the crowd, announcing the next phase of the show.

“And now, it’s time for the first elimination!” Zach said with dramatic flair. “Get your votes ready, speak your truth!”

A murmur spread through the room, tension building as everyone gushed about who their favored candidates were. People in the audience leaned toward each other, whispering among themselves. Some pointed subtly at the stage, while the others didn’t bother hiding their fingers.

And while that was going on, we had to prepare for the next round backstage, in which we were to wear the university uniform and flaunt ourselves donning it on the stage as best as we could.

The challenge for this round was that everyone was wearing the same nondescript outfit, and it was up to us, our face cards, and our stage presence on how we commanded the stage.

At that, we hurriedly went to get changed before meeting by the stage wings once again.

“Alright! The results are in, and the audience has spoken!” The hosts stretched the anticipation, scrolling through their cards slowly, exchanging playful glances.

“Remember,” the other host added, “only the top contestants will move on based on your votes, so let’s see who’s made it to the next round!”

The names started being called, each one followed by applause or groans of disappointment. Then it turned out that we were neck-and-neck with the Night-Ruby tandem.

Hence, we went back for the second round, and by the way there was a thunderous round of applause that nearly shook the auditorium, I was confident that Saya and I had gained their hearts.

After the tension of the second round, the hosts stepped forward, their voices booming over the crowd again, but this time with a lighter, playful tone. "What a round!" one of them exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. "But now, let's take a moment to hear from you, the audience! Who are you rooting for?"

The crowd erupted, some shouting names, others waving signs with their favorite contestants' numbers. The energy shifted, becoming more animated, as people leaned forward in their seats, eager to be heard. The hosts grinned at each other, clearly feeding off the excitement.

The voting system was a live vote sent directly to the tablets held by the hosts via the Universities official websites. A live stream system was also made available for those who couldn’t attend and this time, the Principal had really gone above and beyond, taking advantage of the contest’s popularity to boost sales in any way he could.

“Alright, alright,” Zach laughed, holding up his hands to playfully quiet the room. “We’re getting some strong support for our contestants out there! Let’s hear from some of you—who do you think is going to win tonight?”

They stepped off the stage, moving into the audience, passing the microphone to a few eager voices. One girl stood up, waving her arms excitedly. “Contestant 7 all the way! She’s killing it!”

Another person shouted out, “Number 10! I love their energy!”

There were some people who shouted my number along with Saya’s, but Night was also a tough candidate to beat in terms of public support.

True enough, the results for the live vote came back as we prepared for the third round, and we were once again tied in first place.

“Our third and final round will be the most important, and your votes will be the tie breaker, as there are only five couples left, and only one can be the winner,” Zach, as one of the hosts, announced.

I could hear snippets of his voice from the changing room that I was in, but I did not strain my ears to listen anymore. I looked at the mirror as I pinned the sapphire brooch to my lapel.

Another reflection joined mine in the mirror then; Saya’s. “Are you excited for the third crown, Kai?” she asked, sounding excited yet nervous.

“Honestly?” I sighed, scratching my nape. “I just want this to be over and hand over the crown to someone else. This is the third time I’m doing this, and the excitement fades over time.” I flinched with a start as a voice in my head said, that’s pretty selfish of you to say.

I suddenly remembered that this was Saya’s first time. I shouldn’t spoil her first experience like this. “Oh, sorry, I know this is your first time, and you probably want to win…”

She shook her head with a smile. “Nah, it’s fine,” she said. “I don’t care if we don’t win, it’s not like we’ll really be losing anyway. I mean, we got to the top five!”

I laughed. “Well, that’s true.”

The stage director appeared out of nowhere, her headset slightly askew, clipboard in hand as she hurried toward us. Her voice cut through the backstage chatter, sharp and direct. "Alright, contestants, be on standby! We’re about to start the next round. Let’s keep it tight and stay ready."

Her tone was no-nonsense, and instantly, everyone straightened up, the nervous energy in the room kicking up a notch. I nodded, taking a deep breath as I moved into position with the others.

She glanced around at all of us, eyes narrowing as she checked over each contestant. "Last chance to fix anything before you step out there," she added, her voice softer now, but still commanding.

The hosts, still smiling from their lively exchange with the crowd, returned to the stage. The room quieted, the buzz of conversation gradually dying down as the lights shifted, signaling a return to the competition.

"Okay, places!" the stage director called, her voice snapping us to attention. The next round was about to begin.

“And now,” one of the hosts said onstage, his voice taking on a more serious tone, “we’re moving into the final stages of the pageant.”

The air backstage was thick with anticipation. At some point, I found myself standing face to face with Night. We stared at each other for a few long moments, my heart beating erratically in my chest.

His face was expressionless, but there was something in his eyes that told me he wasn’t as calm or composed as he appeared to be. He didn’t say anything and from the looks of it, he was trying to avoid meeting my eyes, but we both knew that was impossible.

But then, I decided to put him out of his misery. “Good luck.” I told him, a genuine smile tilting my lips.

He seemed taken aback by my words, and it took everything in me not to reach out and cup his face with my hands. And then the curtains were raised, it was time to go back on stage for the final round.