Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Hey, class is over. Let's go home."

Hyoyoung didn't even realize that class was over. It was Mikyung who tapped her shoulder and woke her up from her daydream.

"I can see that you've been thinking about that dream all day today."

It was no wonder Mikyung was Hyoyoung's best friend. Just by looking at her face, Mikyung could tell what Hyoyoung was thinking about.

"I know, I know, but I can't help it. It was such an amazing dream. By the way, today is our idols' last show, right?"

"Yes. Their official promotion period is over after today. They will start preparing for their next album, which means that other than the odd appearances on the internet shows or fan club meetings, we won't get to see them much for a while. Why do you ask?"

"And their agency didn't give out any official announcements regarding this, right? Gosh, I hate their agency, they are always so secretive."

"It's because the CEO of the agency used to only have girl groups. And when he was managing the girl groups, there were a lot of problems he had to deal with. That's why he stopped dealing with them. He said he was sick of it and preferred managing boy bands."

"Wow. Just where did you get that kind of information?"

"A true fan would do thorough research on her favorite idols. You still haven't even gone to The M's agency building, have you? You should go there and befriend the security guards there. They can sometimes give you some juicy information on the group."

"Wow, I guess knowledge is power. So? Anything else I should know?"

"There is a rumor that the reason why The M ended its promotional period early is to protect the group members' privacy. They've already moved their dorm three times so far. I hear that all the members are very introverted and get stressed easily, that is why they finished the tour early and decided to take a short break. I heard that the agency is looking into getting them a new place to live and even a new and improved team."

"Does that mean that they will be getting new fashion and makeup staff? A new manager too?"

"Yeah. A whole new staff team for the group. Everything and everyone will be brand new and better!"

"But still… I wish the group would've done more tours and shows. If I knew they were going to end it so early, I would've been a better and more obsessed fan. This is the first idol group I ever fell in love with! I miss them already! Why did they have to go away so fast?"

"I think it's their agency's strategy. It's to make the fans want even more. I mean the members always wear masks to hide their faces, right? I can't stop imagining how gorgeous their faces must be. Sometimes, I can't even sleep. I love Black M especially! Don't you think he is the best? It is no wonder he is the leader of the group. He is so charismatic. Oh my god!"

"Black M is ok, but my favorite is Purple M. The way he dances… How his body moves… His body…!"

"Hey, you look and sound like a pervert! Stop!"

Hyoyoung and Mikyung walked out of the classroom and headed towards the bus station. It was a long walk, but the time passed by fast when they talked about their favorite idol group, The M.

The M.

It was a boy group consisting of four members. The M appeared out of nowhere three months ago and took the entertainment industry by storm.

The four members were all over 180 cm and had slim builds. However, the unique thing about this group was that the members never appeared on stage without face masks. This meant that no one knew who they were or what they really looked like, but their performances were so out of this world that The M's popularity skyrocketed. They sang and danced astonishingly, attracting many fans.

Even their group's name, The M, was a mystery. Some guessed that the letter "M" must represent "Mystery," "Men," or "Masks," but no one really knew for sure and the group's agency remained tight-lipped.

Despite having their faces covered at all times, the members' charismatic performances were enough to place them at the top of the K-pop industry. The public's curiosity increased day by day. The fans studied their bodies in an attempt to figure out who the members were; some claimed that they must've been one of the many boy groups from the past that never made it. Many fans showed stalker-like behaviors; the crazy fans were often found spying on the agency buildings with telescopes and cameras. People tried to find out who The M was, but the group's agency was too good. The members never took their masks off in public and no one knew where they lived. Even though their dorm's location was not known to anyone, it was rumored that their windows and doors must be all completely covered to protect their identities.

These facts only made the group appear even more mysterious, and the fans continued to go crazy.

One thing was certain, however, and it was that the members were amazing singers and dancers. They were the best in the industry.

Black M was the leader as well as the main vocalist, while Purple M was a sub-vocal and well-known for his dancing. Red M was responsible for rapping and also a great dancer, and Blue M was considered to be a genius musician who could play any instrument.

All of the members were excellent performers. All the other idol groups agreed on this fact and even they wondered who The M really was. Even the famous stars openly claimed to want to meet and see The M members, but the agency was adamant that they remain mysterious. They appeared in masks on every show, including talk shows.

Even the best tabloid couldn't find out much about the group. The person who got closest was Ultra B, who created the dance choreography for The M, but even he stated that he has never seen the members' faces.

"Umm… It was something I had never experienced before. The M's agency CEO hired me to teach the members to dance and from the very first meeting, they were all wearing masks. I was so shocked…"

Ultra B also revealed other facts during the interview. He mentioned how relentless and tenacious The M members were.

"For girl groups, dieting is always one of the hardest things to do. I remember one group I used to train. The girls were only allowed to eat a few baby tomatoes per day and had to train dancing thirteen hours a day. They would do this for weeks to lose weight. The only snack they were allowed was iced americanos. They had to lose weight no matter what. This is similar for the boy groups too. A dance performance looks better when you have a slim body, so the boy group members also need to diet to achieve slim yet muscular bodies. The M members… Wow. I found their mental strength to be incredible. They would eat practically nothing and train vigorously. And despite this unbelievable hardship, they would never complain. I would see them sweating like their bodies were melting, but none of them would say a word about it. I wanted to see how far they would go, and incredibly, they trained twenty hours straight one day. They didn't rest for a minute and I couldn't believe it. I had to stop them because I was afraid they would collapse and die! They ended up going home at around 8 pm… And I expected them to eat like pigs, but you know what? They each had a cup of protein shake and started to work out. It was then that I knew that these boys would make it. No matter what they do in their lives, they will be successful. And I was right. They did become stars."