1 The End of the Beginning

August 23, 2084. Japan, Yokohama.

It was a quiet evening and the air was pleasant. However, there was one place where this was not the case.

From outside the Nissan Stadium, one could hear screaming that grew louder and louder as the crowd cheered in front of Kim Chun Ha with their light sticks.

At the age of 24, he dominated all of Asia with his voice that could calm down an angry lion and with his songs that could touch people's hearts. Tonight marked the end of his tour in Asia, where he had traveled to 17 countries and sold more than 4 million tickets. Of course, the 75,000 seats in the stadium were filled.

Kim Chun Ha appeared onstage in the spotlight and began his final song with an appealing voice. This was his second reminder but his voice was still faultless. No wonder so many people loved him. As he danced and approached the crowd, they cheered more. Finally, after more than 3 hours of being onstage, he thanked the crowd and headed to his dressing room.

"Good job on this tour!" said his manager as he stepped inside.

Suddenly, another door opened and a 19-year-old boy of 179cm, with black hair and green eyes, entered. Anyone who saw him would have called him a handsome man. He had a sharp look that could melt any girl. The manager stared at him before smiling.

"Good work to you too Jae Hyun."

He smiled back at him before drinking water. After all, his voice was parched from singing for hours. He doesn't know if he'll keep doing it though—singing without recognition. Since the debut of Kim Chun Ha 5 years ago, he had been giving him his voice. He was, so to speak, a ghost singer.

Kim Chun Ha came from a wealthy family, had the look and could dance, but unfortunately, his voice was far from perfect.

However, at the time, Jae Hyun, who was looking for various jobs following the death of his parents, had seen an attractive advertisement and participated in an audition at the MG entertainment before finally becoming Chun Ha's voice.

The remuneration was good and at the time, he didn't think about becoming a singer so it suited him. He still had to admit that over time, his passion for singing had evolved and that he really liked to sing now.

The ecstasy he felt while he was singing behind the stage was incomparable. He was at a point where he would like to feel the fans' eyes on him.

After a while, the group headed towards the van to go to their hotel. They were supposed to return to South Korea the next morning at 6:45 am, so they needed to sleep. As the van carrying Kim Chun Ha moved away, some girls could be seen crying while others were ecstatic. The crowd dispersed after the van left.

That's when he got out to take a taxi. He did to not raise suspicions about his identity. He signed a clause in his contract about it after all.

When he arrived at the hotel, Kim Chun Ha asked him to come and join him on the roof. This one had a private terrace for VIP members, so it would be difficult for them to be disturbed.

He went up to the roof and opened the door. Once out, he could feel a gentle breeze, probably due to the late hour. It was past midnight after all. He rubbed his hands to warm him up. Kim Chun Ha who heard him arrive turned around and looked at him coldly. Kim Chun Ha wore a cap and smoked sunglasses. Jae Hyun already knew it was a bad sign given his expression.

Kim Chun Ha looked around to make sure no one else was present before shouting at Jae Hyun.

"What was that way of singing at the end of the show? You only have one job to do, and you still manage to almost screw it up?!"

Jae Hyun rolled his eyes before looking him straight in the eye with an air of defiance.

"Try singing for more than 3 hours with a guy who lips sync like shit, and we'll talk about it."

"Is that how you're supposed to talk to me? Let me remind you, you would be nothing without me!" Kim Chun Ha was furious and retorted.

"You meant that without me you would be nothing, right? What would your fans think if they knew your voice wasn't yours?"

When he saw his proud face saying that he didn't care about what he just said, Jae Hyun decided to tell him. Anyway, he'd find out soon.

"In fact, I have already informed the agency that I plan to leave next week. Since my contract will end, I'd like to start on my own."

Kim Chun Ha was livid. He can't believe what he just heard.

"Because you really think you're going to be able to debut?!! Do you even know how to dance? When you agreed to give me your voice, your future in the show business world was over!"

Jae Hyun ignored what he had just told him and simply looked at him before speaking.

"Thanks for your concern but I can dance. I've been taking dance classes for a long time now and have a natural talent according to my teacher. But even without it, when you have a good voice, you don't need all these frills."

Kim Chun Ha's anger blew up.

"If you think you can leave the agency like that, you don't know your arse from your elbow!"

He stared at him with rage.

Suddenly, Jae Hyun received a notification on his phone. As he opened it, he saw a picture of his little sister and a message saying, "If you leave MG Entertainment, don't expect to see her again."

Jae Hyun's hands trembled, his eyes wide in shock. Those bastards... they dared.... how...

He looked up at Kim Chun Ha with eyes filled with fury—How dare they?—and ran towards him to kick him in the chest. Kim Chun Ha was thrown off the ground and fell to the ground before holding his ribs and spitting blood. Jae Hyun didn't pull his punches and did a turning kick. No problem for him since he was a black belt in Taekwondo.

He grabbed him by the collar. "What's that message?! If anything happens to her, I'll make you regret being born!" He could feel Kim Chun Ha tremble in his hands.

When he was about to kick him again, a shot rang out. He fell to the ground and grabs his injured leg. He could feel the pain in his leg and before grit his teeth. Looking in the direction of the shot, he saw the CEO of the agency with a guy holding a gun beside him. He was looking at him coldly and sneering.

This bastard! It hurt like hell!

Once he's cured, he would certainly make him regret it. He tried to stand up, but he was unable to block out the pain entirely and fell back on his knees. He glared them angrily.

What was their problem? Why were they doing that? Did he no longer need him? This thought enraged him.

The manager sneered at him before speaking.

"You may manage in martial arts, but a bullet goes faster. Do you want to bet? I advise you to renew with us. We can't afford to lose Kim Chun Ha. He alone accounts for more than 60% of the agency's revenues."

He couldn't believe what he had just heard. For 5 years, he had worked tirelessly for them without complaining, even going so far as to put them before his own projects and all for what? To be betrayed like this?

Then he heard crying coming from the door and the manager came out with a little girl with purple hair and eyes. Jae Hyun's heart constricted. It was his little sister. The guy held her by the hair while she was struggling and kicking at him.

"JULIAN!!!!"

The rage went to his head. As the latter consumed him, he felt a hand grasping his shoulder and pushing him back. In an instant, he could feel the wind under him and understood that he had been thrown from the roof. He could see from where he was Kim Chun Ha laughing hysterically as he watched him fall.

He then saw his life unfold before his eyes.

"So this is the end? … Julian…"

Then nothing.