Rain dripped off the tall glass windows of Seoul Arts And Music Academy(SAAMA) running down the walls like falling tempo lines. It was one of the prestigious music academies of Seoul located in Hongdae
Inside, the air buzzed with chatter and music with a hundred songs spilling out from open practice rooms and the latest iphone
It was lunch break, but no one was eating. Everyone had gathered in the east hallway , the one lined with posters of student idols and speakers built into the ceiling. The kind of hallway that could turn into a stage at any moment.
And, as always, it had.
At the center stood Crush Nine — a six member-member boy group known for their aggressive style and flawless stage presence but today they were only three .Spotlight hunters. They usually rose to the top of the charts by crushing every other band. Arrogant. Untouchable. The academy's self-proclaimed "next music gods."
Across from them stood Nova Beat . It was a three-member boy group that had been climbing the academy's internal ranks fast. Bright energy, powerful vocals, sharp dance precision . It was the total opposite of Crush Nine's dark charisma.
Everyone knew this was coming.
The rivalry had been boiling for weeks with arguments during rehearsals, stolen dance rooms, and that one online post where Jin from Crush Nine called Nova Beat's last stage "a dance tutorial gone wrong."
Now, the hallway lights dimmed automatically. Someone had activated battle mode from the nearby control tablet, making the speakers hum.
Phones went up and the crowd pressed closer.
Jin smirked, pulling off his black cap. His eyes gleamed under the neon strips lining the ceiling.
"Ready to lose again? This time, I'll take you down alone," he said.
Haneul glanced over Crush Nine's other two members. There was Tae — charming, hair nearly covering his eyes and Bex, whose name was ridiculous but somehow suited his gym-built frame and perpetually exposed abs. Tae winked. Haneul felt like vomiting.
"You keep talking like your lyrics make sense," he shot back.
A soft laugh rolled through the students.
Then, a voice echoed from the speakers — the academy's AI assistant:
"Unofficial performance mode activated. Beat ready. Countdown: three… two… one…"
And just like that — boom.
The bass kicked in. Crush Nine went first.
Their music hit hard , a heartbeat of metal and trap beats blending with echoing claps. Tae started it off with a slide step, sneakers screeching across the polished floor. Jin spun low, bodies snapping with each drop.
"Ha! Ha!" Jin shouted in rhythm.
🎵
We're the kings of this sound, no crown but fame,
You step too close, and we call your name!
Crush! Nine! Feel the ground quake—
This ain't a dream, this is your mistake!
🎵
The hallway lights strobed red with every beat. One of the boys slammed his hand against a locker — clang! — adding rhythm.
The crowd roared.
"Crush! Crush! Crush!" they chanted.
They finished with a synchronized freeze, bodies tilted, eyes locked on their opponents.
Haneul clapped slowly.
"Not bad," he said, stepping forward. "But let's make this real."
Nova Beat's backing track came alive — brighter, faster, full of synths and claps.
"Let's go, Jin woo!" Haneul called.
"Let's take 'em down!" jin woo grinned, stealing a glance at Jin .
They started small — snapping fingers, stomping once, twice, matching the beat. Then the rhythm picked up — dah-dah, oh, dah!
Haneul moved first, flipping his hand like brushing away dust.
TAKEDOWN.
🎵
Yeah-ah, uh-huh… (ha)
Lights on me now — let's go!
Tick-tick — boom, hear the bassline drop,
Oh, you talk too loud, but your beats don't pop.
Ha — mirror, mirror, crack that frame,
You dress in gold, but I smell your shame.
Yah! I'm fire — burn through the show,
Woo! You flex, but I already know.
You fake that smile, flashin' chrome,
But I walk tall — king of my zone.
🎵
The hallway roared. Students drummed lockers to the rhythm. Yuri spun, landing in a low crouch, eyes fierce.
🎵
Oh-oh, yeah, can you feel that sound?
Pulse like thunder, ground to ground.
One breath, two step — take your crown,
Hey! I rise — you takedown.
🎵
🎵
Yeah-eh, oh, don't test me now,
Your talk's all smoke, I clear that cloud.
I move like lightning, straight, no doubt,
Hey-ah! Watch me turn it inside out.
🎵
"DAH—OH—DAH!" they shouted together, hitting their final move — arms crossed in a glowing V sign.
The LED lights overhead changed to bright blue, as if the school itself approved.
Jin grinned, trying to mask his frustration.
"Damn it… they actually sang a new song," he muttered.
He signaled his team. The music cut giving the hallway a second of silence. Then a slow beat began, hand-made. Jin stomped once. Tae clapped twice.
Boom. Clap-clap.
Again. Boom. Clap-clap.
They started moving without music , pure rhythm. Feet sliding, shoulders popping, every movement creating sound. The hallway filled with the echo of breath and motion.
Then Jin began to rap — no backing track, just voice and rhythm.
"You got shine, I'll give you that,
But stars burn out — simple fact.
You say nova, I say gone,
You'll fade before the break of dawn."
Each line landed with a stomp. Each word hit like a weapon. Even the crowd held its breath.
Haneul smirked, unfazed.
"That's all? Minji, Jinwoo — finish this."
Jin woo dropped to one knee, palms on the floor, beating out a fast rhythm — tap-tap, slap, dah-dah! The sound built like a rising heartbeat.
Then Minji sang softly, voice climbing with power:
🎵
You call that fame? I call that pain,
You shine for a second, then drown in rain.
Hah! Every fake's got time to fall,
Now watch — watch — I end it all.
🎵
Jinwoo glanced toward Jin, whose eyes burned with pride and anger. He lifted his chin and let the lyrics flow.
🎵
Oh-oh-oh, can you hear that sound?
Hands up high, the crowd's unbound.
Bass kick — heart pound,
Woo-oh, takedown!
Yeah-yeah, feel that flow,
I'm the glitch in your perfect show.
Ha! Step aside, I own this town,
Yah! Yah! This is your takedown.
🎵
Minji stepped forward.
🎵
Uh-huh, game's done, lights fade slow,
One name left they'll ever know.
Breathe in — out — hear that vow,
Oh-oh-oh, takedown… now.
🎵
The hallway exploded again — beats clashing like fireworks. Red and blue lights danced across faces as the bass made the floor tremble.
The choreography turned wild , a duel of motion. Jin spun behind Haneul but he dodged.
Minji flipped over Jinwoo's leg sweep.
It wasn't just dance anymore , it was a musical storm.
Then came the moment.
Jin and Haneul ended up center stage — face-to-face, both panting but neither willing to back down.
The crowd screamed, chanting names, waving phones.
Jin raised his hand like a mic. "Final round?"
Haneul nodded. "Winner takes the hallway."
He smirked. "Deal."
The system voice boomed again:
"Last verse — freestyle battle. Begin."
Usually this involved words of insult, showing pride and resilience.
And they went off.
Jin went first:
"You talk heat, I talk flame,
You got fame, I got game.
Boys run wild, girls play tame—"
Haneul cut him off instantly, stepping in close, voice sharp:
"Say 'tame' again, and I'll rename your fame.
Nova light's wild — remember the name!"
The crowd erupted. "OHHHHHH!"
The last verse was short, but it stung Jin's ego so badly that for half a second, he froze then laughed. A real laugh.
He held out his hand. "Alright, alright. You got that one."
Haneul took it, shaking firmly. "Soon, you'll be out of here."
"Hmph. Enjoy this little victory while it lasts. Soon, you'll be out of here too," Jin shot back, grinning.
The lights dimmed to normal. The hallway returned to its usual hum of footsteps and chatter, though everyone was still buzzing from what they'd seen.
Crush Nine walked off toward the cafeteria, still catching their breath. Jin couldn't stop arguing with his team, convinced he could've taken Nova Beat down alone and that, Haneul loved most.
Haneul and his team leaned against the lockers, water bottles in hand, grinning.
Minji looked over. "You gonna post the video?"
"Already did," Haneul said, holding up his phone. "#HallwayTakedown — trending by dinner."
"I can't believe we had to use our new song just to win that showdown," Jinwoo groaned. "Now what? We'll have to write a new one."
"I know it was stupid using our reserved track for this year's competition," Haneul admitted, patting his shoulder. "But it gave us triple points to represent the academy."
Minji leaned back, sipping water. "You realize our rivalry with Crush Nine just skyrocketed to Mars, right?"
Haneul frowned. "Yeah, I know… but at least—"
"We're up on the charts," Jinwoo finished, throwing his hands up.
"But still," Minji added, tossing his empty bottle at the trash can. It bounced off, skidding on the tiled floor .
"Bad aim," Haneul teased, pointing at the puddle on the floor.
"Talk about aim," Minji shot back, "how's your aim gonna help us find new members?"
Haneul rubbed his temples. He couldn't think of anyone good enough to join yet but as team leader, it was his job to raise their rank on the charts.