One Week Before the Tokyo Concert
At a small fortune-telling booth tucked away on a quiet street, a young woman dressed in high fashion shuffled her tarot deck. The back of each card shimmered with the image of a pink butterfly speckled in black—printed upside down.
When she drew the next card, her lips curved into a knowing smile.
"THE MAGICIAN."
She flicked the card lightly with her finger. At once, the butterfly illustration quivered, peeled itself off the surface, and burst into motion. The little creature fluttered upward, still upside down, and slipped through the gauzy canopy into the night sky. It danced in the moonlight for a moment before diving down with the rush of the wind — through the window of a penthouse rehearsal room.
Inside, a silver-haired boy was practicing alone.
"Not yet," Seokjin muttered between breaths. "Still not perfect."
The butterfly didn't hesitate. It drifted toward him and melted against his back, fusing into his shadow. Just then, his earpiece rang.
I pressed it. "Hello."
"Seokjin! I heard there's a big event coming up," Sanghye's voice crackled through. "You're heading to Tokyo already?"
"Yeah. A collab with an idol over there—pretty great right?"
"Your new D8 MV, Moon River, is insane, man! I didn't expect it to have that anime style. So slick."
"Glad you like it."
"Not just me, man—everyone loves it! The guys listened, and—hold on—GYUN! STOP SHOUTING, PLEASE!" The voice on the other end erupted into chaos.
"D\8/ is going viral again!" another voice yelled. "You're the main reason, bro!" Giyul spoke.
"Haha, it's not that big of a deal," I laughed. "How's it going on your end?"
Sanghye's tone lifted, bright and proud. "We're killing it! Working on a new track right now. Just watch—Wolves Kiss will be right up there with D8 soon."
That made me smile. "Don't lose your edge, then. I'll be cheering for you."
"Catch you later!"
When the call ended, I reached into his bag and pulled out a thin black ledger. The balance glowed on the digital page:
₩1,254,328,792 and 215,430 Myungsong crypto.
"Guess I'll withdraw some for a new watch tomorrow," he murmured, tossing the book aside. He stripped off his shirt, gulped down water, and stretched his sore back from practice.
Just as he slung the shirt over his shoulder and reached for the door—
Creak.
Someone was opening it from the other side.
A blond guy with glasses stood there, holding a carton of milk. Both froze. The door was already half open—I had beaten him to it.
"Oh—Tanny!" I blurted out.
The younger boy looked up just in time to see my bare torso—and promptly spat milk straight into his face.
"..."
Tanny's eyes went wide. "I—I'm so sorry!!!" He bowed frantically and scrambled to find something to wipe the mess. But there was no towel, no cloth, nothing. In a panic, he stripped off his own T-shirt and started dabbing at my face and chest.
His lean frame, fair skin, and small pink nipples caught the soft light.
'Damn,' I thought, even the members keep themselves in perfect shape.
"You really don't have to go that far," he said with an amused smile. "I was just about to take a shower anyway."
"It's fine," Tanny replied, cheeks pink. "Didn't expect you to be practicing this late. I came by to borrow a Bolphone charger."
"Couldn't find yours?"
He shook his head.
"Then take mine," I said, handing one over.
"You sure?"
"Come on. Don't act broke."
Tanny chuckled shyly, accepting it. "Thanks. I'll return it tomorrow."
He turned to leave, then paused at the doorway. His voice came out soft, almost trembling.
"I hope… you and I can get to know each other more."
I couldn't help but smile as the boy disappeared into the dim hallway. He turned toward the balcony, gazing at the neon pinks and blues of Seoul's skyline under the moonlight. Giant holographic billboards flickered across the city — one of them playing an ad.
"Gamja Pok-Pok!" Tanny's voice boomed from the screen as he bit into a crisp snack.
"Healthy snacks now available at stores near you~ Crunch your heart out, youth of Korea!" he said with a grin while the camera zoomed out.
"Okay, cut! That's perfect, Tanny!" the director shouted, shaking a bell for break time.
As soon as the shoot wrapped, Tanny discreetly spat the half-chewed snack into a napkin. I, watching from behind the set, walked over with a teasing smile.
"New flavor?"
Tanny whispered, grimacing, "Ugh. Salty as hell. Not sure if anyone would like this one."
He grabbed a pair of star-framed sunglasses, snapped the corners straight, and tapped the black lenses — instantly turning them transparent like normal glasses.
"What are you doing here, anyway?" he asked. "Got a shoot too?"
"Not today," I said. "Just… need your help. We're flying next week, and I could use some Japanese practice."
"Let me guess—Mickey told you I speak Japanese?"
I lifted an eyebrow. "No comment."
"I mean, I can speak a bit, but not fluently. Maybe… N4 level at best."
"Not bad. I took the test once back in high school. Those kanji nearly killed me."
"Oh, so you've studied it before?" Tanny grinned, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Jjajangmyeon-ma? Gyecheung Lava?"
"The famous spicy noodle in Insadong?" I replied, mimicking the jingle. "Let's gooo!"
"Three p.m., that place. I've got to go shopping first," Tanny said, popping a mint candy into his mouth. "See you there."
Later that day, I was driving toward Insadong when he called Sanghye again, stopping at a red light. "Yo, Seokjin! What's up?"
"Who?," I joked.
"Ah~ Mr. White! Gotcha!" Sanghye yelled dramatically. "What, you too famous to use your real name now?"
"Haha. You alone?"
"Yeah. The other three idiots are out booking a bar for tonight. We're grabbing drinks later — wanna join, lil'bro?"
"Nah. I've got a big event to prep for next week. And, uh…" I hesitated. "There's this guy I've been… kinda interested in."
"Ohhh~ Interested how? Business-wise or… romantically?"
"Hmm, the latter," I admitted quietly.
"Ha! Nothing wrong with that. So what's up? You calling for advice or backup?"
"I just need your help with a little surprise. Something small."
"Say no more," Sanghye said, laughing. "As long as it's not something dumb, I'm game."
"It's not," I replied with a grin. "I've got an idea."
He snapped his fingers as inspiration struck, then hit the accelerator.
The pink butterfly burst from his sleeve and soared high above the Seoul skyline — heading straight toward Insadong. It spotted Tanny sitting at a rooftop café, sipping coffee beneath a white umbrella, watching the busy street below filled with tourists. The butterfly landed quietly on his shirt, blending into the fabric like part of the pattern.
From there, my eyes seemed to reach through the city itself. The world below was pale and washed out — like a memory drained of color. But maybe not everyone saw it that way.
"Hey, did you hear? TAOS Corp's importing household robots now," one man in a nearby booth said, adjusting his tie. "Comes with a three-year repair warranty."
"Seriously? Finally, no need to hire day laborers anymore. That'll cut our company costs in half. Xu Wen really knows what he's doing—people like him are the future for guys like us."
"He really is my role model," one of the businessmen laughed. "D8 They're for kids, though."
"Haha, careful what you say, Mr. Daejung wouldn't like it" the other chuckled as they stood and headed down from the rooftop. Their laughter faded into the wind, leaving only silence—and the thought echoing in my mind: Maybe they were just pretending not to notice how empty it all really feels.
"Hey there~" That familiar voice pulled me back. I turned and saw Seokjin—or at least, someone dressed exactly like him—fully covered in a mask, cap, and sunglasses, trying hard not to attract attention.
"You're late," I teased.
"Traffic," he replied, sitting across from me. "Ordered anything yet?"
"Not yet. What's with the disguise? You going undercover or something?"
He gave a sly grin. "Well, I'm not the silver-haired guy you've been looking for. He's sitting right over there~" He shifted his chair slightly, revealing another man— silver hair glinting under the sunset.
My eyes widened. "You're… Mr. K? Mr. K from Wolves Kiss?"
"Yup," he said simply— just as the real Woojin turned around with a small smile.
"We really do look identical," Seokjin said, moving over to sit with us.
The butterfly fluttered toward its true owner— White — while I inhaled deeply, the breeze warm and gentle. "Nice weather, huh? The sunlight's soft — not too hot," I said.
"Mm-hmm~ oh, wait—if you two want some privacy, I can—" Sanghye started to stand, but Tanny waved him back down.
"Nah, stay. I actually wanted to talk with you guys," Tanny said, hanging his sunglasses from his shirt pocket.
"Wolves Kiss at your service," Sanghye grinned, then blinked at me. "Oh, wait—you're not in Wolves Kiss anymore, huh? Haha!"
Tanny laughed at his joke— they were both the type to roll with any vibe.
"So, Seokjin, how's it feel… switching groups? I'd miss my old mates like hell if I were you," he said softly.
I thought for a second.
"Well… honestly, it was pretty tough at first. But you have to move on, right? That's life."
"Exactly! that's what all the people sayin'." Sanghye snapped his fingers. "We all gotta chase new experiences— new friends, too. If you cling too hard to the past, it'll slip away eventually. White here's the perfect example. Wolves Kiss is proud to see one of our own standing at the top with D\8/."
"Ah, don't exaggerate," Tanny smiled modestly. "D8's just a normal group like any other. It's just that—"
"Maybe, you're the reason it's special," I interrupted.
Sanghye's jaw dropped, while Tanny covered her nose, hiding a bashful grin.
"God, you're impossible," he laughed just as our food arrived. "Yay~ food's here!"
The three of us ate and chatted like old friends.
"In a few days, we'll be flying to Japan, *nom" Tanny said between bites of jajangmyeon.
"We'll be watching the livestream! Oh—and bring me back the new Gunpla, the blue one!" Sanghye said.
"What's it called again?" I asked, clueless about anime. "SEA 69?"
"Duh, S-135 Diamond!" Tanny answered proudly. Then, out of nowhere, the pink butterfly fluttered skyward— only to be clipped by a passing plane. It tumbled and stuck to the landing gear as the aircraft ascended into the clouds.
May 15, 2069 Over the Sea of Japan.
"Yokosuka Airlines is now en route to Tokyo International Airport," came the flight control broadcast. The butterfly slipped through the cargo hold and into the private cabin, where eight idols chatted and lounged. A half-foreign rapper blared music from his earbuds:
"Junior Mafia—uh, yeah yeah~!" The beat jolted Seokjin awake. The pink butterfly shimmered and merged into him as he blinked the sleep from his eyes.
Tanny munched on snacks to my right; Tom was rapping loudly to my left.
"Crunch, crunch—awake already?" Tanny teased.
"Mm… how many hours did we time-jump?" I stretched, then heard the flight attendant's voice:
"Attention passengers, we'll be landing in fifteen minutes. Please remain seated and keep your seatbelts—blah blah—" Moon, sitting beside Jinam, exhaled vape smoke right into his face. Jinam stirred, glared, then— Slap!
"Goddamn it, Moon!" he barked, tossing the vape into the trash bin. "You'll blow the whole damn plane up, fucking moron."
In the front row, Lucky was watching an old sci-fi movie.
"What movie even is that? Looks ancient," I asked.
Lucky handed me the disc case — 'A Space Odyssey.'
"Ohhh, the one everyone says is tough to understand, right?" Tanny leaned over, gripping his seat. Lucky just rolled his eyes and pointed—
yeah, it's that one.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are now approaching Tokyo International Airport." Mikki said as the plane touched down, jolting everyone a bit.
"Oof!" Minjun jumped in his seat while Mikki chuckled beside him.
We grabbed our luggage, stepping into the brilliant sunlight beyond the plane doors.
Neon towers gleamed. Air freighters zipped overhead. A geisha hologram smiled from a massive billboard, holding a skincare product.
"Wooh! Konnichiwa, Tokyo!" Tanny shouted, hopping down the stairs and spinning in delight.
Moon stumbled, still half-asleep, while Jinam dragged him by the arm. "I've been to Japan 100 times. But this time, with bunch of morons." Jinam said quietly.
The eight of us followed the red carpet laid from the runway all the way to the exit.
Fans swarmed behind barricades, screaming our names.
"White~! Look over here!"
Camera flashes burst in my face. "Ahh—too bright!" I winced, and Tanny quickly grabbed my arm.
"Please turn off your flash!" a bodyguard yelled.
"Kyaaa Jinam so hansamu!" Fans waved glowing banners of every member's name.
Moon leaned close and muttered, "Fans here are way better than in D.C. Last year was a war zone."
I laughed. "Guess I'll have to toughen up, huh?"
Minjun nodded. "You'll get used to it."
Mikki added, "What feels overwhelming now will soon feel like home."
We stepped out to find a limousine waiting— a wheeled one, since Japan still banned hover systems under the 4th Highway Act. As we drove through the neon cityscape, holographic schoolgirls danced across the building fronts, singing:
♫ Mochi mochi yuresuka-chan desu~ ♫
♫ Saikō no kiroku~! ♫
A giant kaiju head on a rooftop spat fire.
"Holy—this is insane!" I said, raising my ballphone to film it.
The limo rolled down the central boulevard toward Shibuya.
"We're going straight to Shibuya?" Tanny asked.
"Yes, sir," the driver replied. "They're waiting for you there."
When the limo stopped at the massive crossing, thousands of fans filled the plaza. Security set up barricades, keeping the crowds back. Holographic billboards played nothing but D8 and Y.N.G.,our upcoming collab concert.
As soon as the car doors opened, the roar of the crowd hit like a wave.
A live guitar riff and drumbeat rang out from a nearby mini stage.
"They're here!" someone shouted, and the fans went wild.
On stage stood two masked men— one in a blue butterfly hoodie with a glowing blue mask, the other in a dragon-embroidered baseball jacket, his mask glowing yellow.
"White! You know them?" Tanny nudged me.
"The guitarist's Eska, the drummer's Esto, and the last member." I paused.
Eska raised a finger to the sky. "Oh, looks like she got here long before we did."
All eyes turned upward.
A flash of pink against the blazing sun.
"Good afternoon, everyone~" a bright, lilting voice called.
"Life's shorter than you think, so why not make the most of it, right? Ki-hi-hi~" Floating above us was a girl in a swirling pink skirt, moth-patterned black stockings, smiling like a character who'd just stepped out of a japanese cartoon.
"So, you are sons of D8 hmm?" she asked playfully.
Every single one of us froze— mouths open, silence blanketing Shibuya.