A message blinked across my ballphone.
ICE JHO:What are you doing?
Me:Training hard, sir.
ICE JHO:Training, huh? Really?
Me:I have to win that D\8/ seat. It means pushing myself harder.
ICE JHO:Then come see me. I'll tutor you. Quietly. Don't let anyone notice.
ICE JHO:(Sending location now.)
A butterfly slipped from Seokjin sleeve—only to be snatched midair by a passing songbird, shredded to nothing. But another butterfly, this one pink, fluttered past in time to absorb its fading message. Wings glowing, it darted across Seoul, weaving through skyscrapers, past the crimson dragon emblem of T.A.O.S Cooperation[1], and descended into a gleaming luxury condo.
Meanwhile, a brand-new car pulled into the underground lot. From it emerged a white-haired boy in a mask, stepping toward the glass doors.
The pink butterfly swept down, brushing against my neck—slap! I smacked the spot, frowning at the tiny mosquito I'd crushed. "Tch. Figures. Born with blood type O—damn unlucky."
The elevator doors opened, revealing a butler in immaculate suit.
"Welcome. You must be Mr. White." he said.
"Y-yes. And… you are?"
He only smiled, gesturing toward the grand room behind him. At a piano near the tall windows sat a young man with shoulder-length hair, fingers gliding effortlessly over ivory keys.
"Please—this way. Mr. Jang has been expecting you."
The room glittered with glass cases displaying rare treasures. I whistled at a designer bag perched high on the shelf. "Whoa… one of the twenty in the world."
"You like it?" Jang Jun Ho asked without looking up, his voice smooth. "I could sell it for five thousand won to some collector. But in the end, those vultures would flip it for millions anyway. Makes me wonder why I bother."
"You're ranked in the top ten wealthiest in Korea, just under G-Nam. I don't think you need to explain yourself," I replied.
He smirked. "G-Nam's richer than me—and that mouth of his? No one in D\8/ can touch it. You'll see what I mean when you face him yourself. But tell me, what do you want from me?" Jun Ho winked at me flirtatiously.
"you said you'd help me with my singing and dancing."
"Oh, right. Nearly forgot. I thought you came for a drink 'n chat." He wiped the piano with a flourish before turning to me. "So, what exactly are you working on?"
I tilted my head, frowning. "Wait…i have a question: isn't it against the rules for you to help me?"
Jun Ho's laugh was low and sharp. "Every label is partnered with SHIFT. The board controls us all. This business has been monopolized for years. Rules? They don't give a crap about rules. Especially when OPP4 gets to host the contract shift. Importantly, it's not a coincidence."
"I… I don't get it." I scratched my head with curiosity.
"You will, once you're offstage. But before that, you can count on me." He gestured toward the cube-shaped console dominating the east side of this hall.
"That's…" I questioned.
"The Nataraja Dancing Machine, Version 2. There are two of them in South Korea. We had it custom-built to train us into shape before music video shoots. Don't ask why the moves came out flawless. Thanks to this monster. Nearly killed TT last time. Consider yourself warned." His finger pointed directly at me.
"TT? Oh, Dan Jae Hoon, The best dancer in D\8/," I whispered. "Alright… guess this thing is my Time Chamber."
"Call it whatever you want, geek," he smirked. "TT is a geek too; guess you two would get along."
I cracked my neck and stepped onto the glowing circular stage.
"Ok, I'm ready."
[1] An "After Our Decade Vol. 2" Easter Egg