A House Divided
The BlackHaze elite trainee wing wasn't just a training ground — it was a battlefield camouflaged behind gleaming walls and sterile hallways.
Rumors spun like wildfire, whispered behind closed doors and filtered through carefully curated social media posts.
Jiho felt the shift instantly. Allies became cautious, conversations dropped when he entered the room. Jun's faction tightened around him like a protective wall, eyes cold and calculating.
The air was thick with suspicion.
The First Clash
It started small.
Jun assigned his followers to take every available practice spot Jiho needed.
He subtly leaked misinformation about Jiho's schedules to staff.
One morning, Jiho arrived to find his personal locker ransacked — notebooks missing, favorite rehearsal shoes destroyed.
Jiho didn't react publicly.
Instead, he sent a silent message back.
A flawless solo cover performance posted anonymously on a fan forum — unexpectedly going viral, reigniting buzz from the showcase.
Jun saw it. The whole division did.
And the war had truly begun.
The Whisper Campaign
Jun's group launched a whisper campaign.
"Jiho's a shadow player," one trainee said under their breath, "always hiding, never owning the stage."
"He's lucky the company even gave him a shot," another whispered, eyes darting.
Even some staff were swayed.
Jiho heard it all, felt it all.
But he held tight.
He knew the best defense was a better offense.
K's Lessons in Darkness
The burner phone buzzed late one night:
"They will try to break you by turning everyone against you. Trust no one but your instincts."
Jiho swallowed hard.
He had never felt so alone.
But K's voice — whether real or myth — was a lifeline.
Seungmin's Return
In the midst of chaos, Seungmin came back — different.
He approached Jiho quietly in the cafeteria, voice low.
"I'm in too deep now."
Jiho looked at the boy who once was his closest friend — now a shadow of hope.
"What do you want?"
"To survive. Maybe even to fight back."
Jiho nodded slowly.
"Then you'll have to choose a side. And it won't be easy."
Jun's Open Challenge
Jun cornered Jiho during dance rehearsal, voice cold.
"Enough games. Prove you're worth the throne. Solo battle next week. Winner gets the lead on the new pre-debut single."
The room fell silent.
Jiho's pulse thundered — this was the moment to either break or ascend.
He met Jun's stare without flinching.
"You're on."
The Night Before
Jiho rehearsed alone in the studio until dawn.
Every movement precise, every note sharpened like a blade.
But his mind raced with shadows.
What if he lost?
What if Jun's allies sabotaged him again?
And deeper — what if the system was designed for only one victor?
The Battle
The next day, trainees crowded the studio.
The air crackled with tension.
Jun started strong — flawless moves, powerful vocals.
Jiho answered with quiet intensity, weaving subtle improvisations that showed not just skill, but raw emotion.
Halfway through, Jun smirked, signaling a sharp dance move designed to outshine Jiho.
But Jiho anticipated.
He shifted, turned, and hit a note so pure and unexpected the room caught its breath.
When the music ended, silence stretched.
Then, a smattering of applause — led by staff, hesitant but impressed.
Aftermath and Betrayal
Despite the performance, Jun refused to concede.
Instead, he whispered to company executives, planting doubts about Jiho's "attitude problems" and "unreliability."
Within days, Jiho's private schedule was cut.
His vocal coach reassigned.
And worst — his burner phone was gone.
Someone had found it.
K's Last Message
The phone's final message came moments before it disappeared:
"No one wins without scars. Keep your mask. Trust only shadows."
Jiho swallowed a bitter laugh.
Seungmin's Choice
Seungmin pulled Jiho aside one night.
"They're offering me a main trainee position — but I have to officially denounce you."
Jiho's heart shattered, but he masked it.
"If you do, we both lose."
Seungmin looked away.
"I have to survive."
A New Resolve
Alone in his room, Jiho stared at the cracked mirror.
The boy who arrived shy and silent was gone.
In his place stood someone forged from fire and betrayal.
Someone who knew the truth:
The villain wasn't innocent — but he was unstoppable.