Dawn of Ambition
The city lights dimmed as dawn crept across Seoul's skyline. In the quiet before the storm of the day, Park Hyunsoo's mind was already racing — plotting, calculating, scheming.
His grip on Everlight Entertainment was solidifying, but power was never permanent. It was a currency spent carefully and aggressively.
Among the sea of trainees he was about to shape, one name stood out in his mind — Kang Seonwoo.
A Street Kid's Dream
Seonwoo arrived at Everlight not as a star, but as a survivor. His past was a maze of broken homes, silent streets, and whispered betrayals. But he carried a spark — a fierce determination that caught Hyunsoo's sharp eye.
When Hyunsoo first met Seonwoo during the trainee orientation, he saw not just raw talent, but potential to manipulate and control.
Seonwoo was stubborn, sharp-tongued, unwilling to be molded like the others. Hyunsoo decided then — this boy would be his first conquest.
The Game Begins
Hyunsoo's strategy was simple yet cruel: break Seonwoo down, then build him back up — stronger, more dependent, more controllable.
He assigned Seonwoo grueling schedules, withheld support, and sowed seeds of doubt by favoring others.
In private, he dangled promises of stardom, watching as Seonwoo's frustration turned into desperation.
Beneath the Surface
But Seonwoo was no ordinary trainee.
He resisted the pressures, weaving his own alliances, reading Hyunsoo's moves like a seasoned player.
For every attempt Hyunsoo made to control him, Seonwoo found cracks to exploit.
A Dangerous Dance
Their relationship became a game of power and manipulation.
Hyunsoo pushed Seonwoo to his limits — mentally, emotionally, physically.
Seonwoo responded not with submission but with cunning — protecting his vulnerabilities, hiding his true self beneath layers of calculated indifference.
The Breaking Point
The first major test came during a pivotal audition.
Hyunsoo deliberately rigged the conditions against Seonwoo — sabotaging his music track, spreading rumors among staff.
Seonwoo's performance faltered, and the room was quick to judge.
But instead of crushing him, the ordeal ignited something fierce within Seonwoo — a burning resolve to rise beyond Hyunsoo's control.
A Tenuous Victory
Hyunsoo was impressed — and wary.
Seonwoo's resilience was unexpected, a thorn in the side of his empire.
Yet, Hyunsoo also saw opportunity: if Seonwoo could be broken, then rebuilt, he could become an unstoppable force.
Seeds of Darkness
Hyunsoo began introducing Seonwoo to the shadows of the industry — secrets, lies, betrayals that were the real currency of power.
He taught him that loyalty was fleeting, that innocence was weakness, and that every friend could be an enemy.
The boy who arrived with dreams would soon become a man hardened by the world's cruelest truths.
A Silent Pact
Their dance continued — a battle of wills hidden beneath the polished veneer of the agency.
Hyunsoo knew that one day, Seonwoo would either break or become the greatest weapon in his arsenal.
For now, the game was still unfolding.