EPISODE 35: The First Bow
**SCENE START]
INT. MUSIC SHOW DRESSING ROOM - DAY
The small dressing room is a whirlwind of last-minute preparations. The air is thick with the scent of hairspray and nervous energy. The five members of ECHO are in their debut stage outfits, sleek and black, with silver accents.
HYUN-WOO sits in a chair, his face calm but his eyes constantly darting around. MIN-SU is pacing back and forth, muttering his rap lines under his breath. SEUNG-HO and JAEHYUN are stretching and singing vocal scales in a quiet, harmonized hum. TAEYANG is staring at his reflection, a single-minded focus in his eyes.
A staff member bursts into the room, holding a tablet.
STAFF MEMBER (Voice full of excitement) Guys! Your music video just hit a million views! In less than 24 hours!
The boys' heads snap up. They crowd around the tablet, their faces a mix of pure joy and disbelief. The comments are overwhelmingly positive.
JAEHYUN (Whispering) A million… I can't believe it.
MIN-SU (A wide, triumphant grin on his face) Told you! This is just the beginning!
Hyun-woo feels a wave of relief. The plan is working. The future he saw is slowly being rewritten.
[SCENE END]
INT. MUSIC SHOW STAGE - BACKSTAGE - CONTINUOUS
The five boys stand backstage, just a few feet away from the brilliant, blinding stage lights. They can hear the muffled roar of the crowd. The music from the stage before them is a distant, thumping bass.
JISOO (18) is standing off to the side, wearing a simple Starlight Entertainment training uniform. She holds a sign with the word "ECHO" written on it in glitter. She catches Hyun-woo's eye and gives him a small, encouraging smile. She looks happy for him, but there is a flicker of quiet longing in her eyes.
He smiles back, a genuine, grateful smile. He knows her heart is full of her own hopes and fears, just like his.
CEO LEE walks up to them, his face serious but proud.
CEO LEE Remember everything we worked for. Remember why you're here. Don't be idols. Be artists. Now, go out there and show them what you're made of.
The stage manager points at them. "You're on!"
They walk onto the stage, the roar of the crowd hitting them like a physical wave.
[SCENE END]
INT. MUSIC SHOW STAGE - LIVE - CONTINUOUS
The stage lights flash, and the music begins. It's a powerful, energetic performance. Hyun-woo, as the central figure, carries the confidence of his past life, his moves clean and his stage presence magnetic. He looks at his bandmates. Min-su's rap is raw and full of fire. Jaehyun and Seung-ho's vocals are a beautiful, soaring harmony. Taeyang's dance is a graceful, emotional story in motion.
The crowd is in a frenzy. They are singing along, their cheers echoing through the large auditorium. The performance is a triumph.
[SCENE END]
INT. DIRECTOR LEE'S OFFICE - DAY
DIRECTOR LEE sits alone in his office, the blinds drawn. The only light in the room comes from a large monitor on his desk, displaying a live stream of ECHO's performance. His face is a mask of pure, unadulterated fury. His hands are clenched into tight fists. He watches the crowd, their overwhelming support, their love for this new group. It's a success he had planned to destroy.
He pulls out his phone and makes a call.
DIRECTOR LEE (His voice is cold and low) They've gone on the offensive. A direct attack. We'll respond in kind. I want you to go live on the old chat forums. Post it now.
He hangs up, his eyes never leaving the screen. He scrolls through the online comments, a venomous smile on his face. He's not just a man anymore. He's a mastermind, and he's ready to play his next hand.
[SCENE END]
INT. MUSIC SHOW DRESSING ROOM - LATER
The boys are back in the dressing room, exhausted but exhilarated. The CEO is there, shaking their hands, a triumphant smile on his face.
CEO LEE You were incredible! That was one of the best debuts I've ever seen.
The boys are laughing and celebrating. Hyun-woo is texting his grandparents, a small, happy smile on his face.
Suddenly, a staff member runs into the room, their face pale and panicked.
STAFF MEMBER CEO Lee! Sir, you need to see this! It's gone viral!
The staff member holds up their phone. The screen displays a live news feed. The headline is shocking: "ECHO'S DEBUT PLAGUED BY SCANDAL: OLD ACCUSATIONS RESURFACE, TARGETING LEADER HYUN-WOO."
The image on the screen is a blurred photo from Hyun-woo's past life, a photo he thought no one else had. The other four members' faces fall. They look at Hyun-woo, then at the phone, their celebration turning to dust. The scandal he so desperately tried to outrun has caught up with him.
FADE OUT.
[SCENE END]