Prolog
In a secluded place hidden from human eyes, a horse-drawn carriage moved slowly, entering the gaping darkness of the forest.
Under the starless night sky, the carriage advanced without the guidance of any light. The continuous sound of horse hooves broke the silence of the night.
Amidst the dark silence of the forest, occasionally, strange sounds could be heard, like invisible whispers attempting to approach the carriage. This gloomy forest created an unexpected aura of mystery, as if the land and trees around were cursed, painting a dark and eerie atmosphere.
Nevertheless, the carriage continued to move forward without hesitation, delving deeper into the thick darkness of the forest.
The carriage's speed increased continuously, as if it were being chased by something unseen, and even the jolts from the rocky road couldn't break its resolve.
Inside the carriage, a young man began to awaken from his sleep, seemingly disturbed by the jolts.
Carefully, he pulled back the window curtains a little and gazed into the seemingly endless forest. Darkness surrounded him, and the young man began to whisper to himself.
"It seems we're almost there," the young man whispered.
After gazing at the forest, he closed the window curtains and settled back, relaxing in anticipation.
Time continued to march forward, and the horse-drawn carriage, which had previously sped along, gradually slowed down until it finally came to a stop in front of a temple located within the forest.
The young man disembarked from the carriage, while a coachman moved towards the carriage door and opened it gently.
"We have arrived, sir," said the coachman.
The young man, whose face was hidden beneath a black hood, moved towards the door and alighted from the carriage. With firm steps, he advanced towards the temple that awaited in the distant forest. Meanwhile, the coachman returned to the horse-drawn carriage and resumed his journey.
Left alone in this mysterious place, the young man continued his journey towards the temple in the depths of the forest.
-•♪•-
21:00 PM, Seoul, South Korea.
On this incredibly beautiful evening, the rhythmic beats of a melodious drum gently crept into my ears, accompanying the star-studded sky. Beat by beat, they began to resonate softly, filling the dark space with the magic of music.
Enchanted by the melodies, I started counting the beats I heard, connecting with the flowing notes. When the eighth beat arrived, the performance reached its peak, as if it were dancing in the night sky.
I opened my mouth, creating a melodious sound that made my heart feel like it was floating. The enchanting music intertwined with us, creating a melody that brought serenity to the soul.
All these harmonious notes merged into a magical harmony, and a new song emerged from the previously empty space. Meanwhile, the glittering lights of flickering lamps began to adorn the dark Seoul night sky.
The thunderous cheers of the audience echoed in sync with the music we played, creating an unforgettable beauty on that night.
-•♪•-
[Idol group TR's concert becomes a global sensation]
The boy group Trainee Republic, more commonly known as TR, has shaken the world with their epic performances over seven consecutive days. It all began on November 14th and continued until November 21st, 2023, on their grand stage firmly standing in Seoul, South Korea.
In the concert titled "Trainee Republic: Dream Midnight," they not only delivered outstanding musical performances but also became the talk of the town worldwide. TR, with its complete lineup featuring Eunjin, Sungji, Kard, Myunje, and Meyvln, created an unforgettable experience.
Their popular songs like "Maestro," "Silent Night," "Fragments of Memories," and "Dark and Abyss" echoed among the roaring crowd of spectators. Additionally, TR captivated the audience by performing a set of rarely heard hit songs, such as "On the Verge of Death," "Guilty Feeling," and "The King's Crown."
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A smile began to form clearly, spreading into an inevitable curve across my entire face. I never imagined that the concert we performed would achieve such extraordinary success.
Reflecting on the article displayed on the small screen of my smartphone, my heart raced as I scrolled down and found the comments section filled with thousands of words from fans.
Filled with curiosity, I began to tap the message icon, which immediately opened the unexpected world of fan comments. I let my eyes wander slowly, following each word and sentence they shared, like reading line by line from a heartfelt love letter.
[+997]: I don't regret spending my money on those tickets at all ㅋㅋㅋ
-[+776]: Oh my! You're absolutely right; I agree with your comment...
-[+880]: Well, logically, the concert was enjoyable because my husbands worked hard to make sure their performance wasn't boring. You should probably thank me for allowing them to have the concert ( ´◡‿ゝ◡`)
—[+997]: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Look at this scoundrel; it seems I need to make time to accompany you to a psychologist...
—[+880]: Damn ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
(And others)
[+1001]: Heol~ Why was the concert so terrible? I regret buying those tickets; their performance was very poor. I even start to think I'm better than all the TR members ㅋㅋㅋ
-[+11]: Go to hell, you bastard!! We don't need your opinion; just ask the concert organizers to refund all the money you spent (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ
-[+666]: Oh my, I've seen your profile and some photos on your account before. Honestly, if you're serious about entering the idol industry, I suggest you buy some body-building powder so that your fans won't worry about your skinny body ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
—[+81]: Daebak ㅋㅋㅋ, I can imagine it. How he becomes an idol, and the furious fans start bombarding the agency with curses. Fans must think that the agency never watered him, making him wilt like that ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
—[+666]: Oh gosh, I can't stop laughing at the thought of that situation ಥ‿ಥ
(And others)
[+123]: Darling Eunji~~ why did you dress so handsome during the concert? Didn't we agree to wear just the right amount of makeup? Aren't you worried about your jealous wife?
-[+997]: Oh my, it looks like I should take you to see a psychologist too (ʘ言ʘ╬)
—[+854]: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ it seems like you'll have a lot of patients; I'll give you an uplifting song so you won't end up like them ㅋㅋㅋ~
—[+997]: Huft... Thanks for the uplifting song you gave me; it looks like I'm regaining my sanity after taking them all to a psychologist ㅋㅋ
(And others)
Slowly, I swept the small screen of my smartphone, reading every comment thrown by the fans. Joy surged through my entire being like a warm wave. Although there were flashes of hatred among those words, which wounded a part of my heart.
Until that negative feeling, like a thin mist, began to dissipate, replaced by profound satisfaction.
I still couldn't believe that all the hard work I had put in was starting to yield such sweet results. Results built upon the sweat I had poured in, shining brightly, illuminating every step of my success.
Thinking about it, a smile began to form on my face. An indescribable feeling suddenly surged within my heart.
Closing the screen of the smartphone in my hand, I started to close my eyes while attempting to dream of a beautiful future, unaware that a disaster was now creeping closer to me.