The morning sun streamed into the room, jolting Byul Ee awake. She sat up slowly, yawning as her mind replayed the events of the previous night. She felt a deep tug to befriend Hada, yet a lingering sense of unease told her something was off.
"Hey, hurry up! They're meeting with the new girl group to announce the name!" one of her roommates called out to the others. Byul Ee scrambled out of bed. She couldn't afford to be late—not when she was a part of the new group. After a quick splash of water to her face, she pulled on a crisp, casual outfit and rushed toward the meeting room.
She spotted Hada standing by a window down the hall and froze. Should I speak to her? she wondered. We really clicked last night.
As if sensing her presence, Hada turned and offered a gentle smile. She approached Byul Ee with a calm grace. "Are you heading to the practice room?"
Byul Ee hesitated for a heartbeat before smiling back. "Actually, there's a meeting for the new group. I'm heading there now."
Hada nodded knowingly. "Then let's go together. I was called in, too—I'm going to be your group's producer."
"Really?" Byul Ee's eyes brightened. "Then I know we're going to have the best songs!"
Hada gave a small nod, and they walked toward the meeting room in a comfortable silence. Inside, the atmosphere was thick with anticipation. The CEO sat at the head of a long table, flanked by the manager and several staff members.
"Go find your seat," Hada whispered, leaning in close to Byul Ee. "I'll be over with the management team." Byul Ee nodded, her heart hammering against her ribs as she took her place beside the other girls.
After a moment, the CEO set down his documents and stood. His gaze was sharp, sweeping over each of them. "You have been chosen as the faces of Sepulchre Entertainment's new girl group. This will not be a typical debut. Our expectations are high, and the world's will be even higher."
He clicked a remote, and the projector hummed to life. A single word flickered onto the screen in a shimmering, otherworldly font.
"Ethereal," the CEO announced.
A collective gasp filled the room. The visuals behind the text were breathtaking—shadowy, elegant, and strangely graceful.
"Ethereal will consist of six members," he continued, his voice dropping into a more serious tone. "Your concept is 'The Uncanny.' You are six non-human entities—strange, beautiful beings roaming a human world. You will be haunting. You will be creeping. You will be hauntingly beautiful. This is the edge that will make you stand out from every other group in the industry."
Byul Ee's eyes sparkled with wonder as she soaked in every detail. She clasped her hands together, her heart soaring; the concept was perfect—daring, unique, and entirely different from the typical idol mold.
The CEO's voice remained cool as he assigned their new identities. "No. 3 will be Cin. No. 18 is Bell. No. 73, Irene. No. 14, Jen. No. 93, Mizzle. And No. 77... will be Lumi." He paused, looking at them with a sharp, calculating pride. "You are each gorgeous, and the public will be obsessed with you—even knowing that you are haunted, creeping spirits."
While the other girls whispered in excitement, Hada remained still. Her gaze was fixed on Byul Ee. As she watched the younger girl hang onto the CEO's every word, Hada's eyes narrowed, a flicker of genuine dread crossing her face.
This is bad, Hada thought, her pulse quickening. This is really bad.
Just then, Byul Ee glanced over. In a heartbeat, Hada's expression shifted, the cold worry vanishing behind a practiced, warm smile. Oblivious to the darkness in Hada's thoughts, Byul Ee beamed back at her before turning her attention back to the glowing screen
As the meeting drew to a close, the CEO gave a final nod. "Your debut title track will also be titled 'Ethereal.' I'll leave you to discuss the details with your production team."
The moment the door clicked shut behind him, the room erupted. The girls' voices collided in a chaotic wave of excitement. "We need to talk about the outfits!" one cried. "What about the stage design? It has to be legendary!" another added, while a third chimed in about the music video's aesthetic.
"Girls, girls!"
The head producer, Cain, stepped forward, his voice cutting through the noise like a blade. He waited for silence before continuing. "I understand your excitement. I know you're desperate to show the world your talent. But to do that, you must be a single unit. Your image must be seamless—beyond doubt, beyond question. You cannot be six individuals; you must be one entity."
He turned his gaze toward Irene. "Since Irene has the longest training history, she will serve as your leader. The rest of you must follow her lead and respect her path. Understood?"
The room fell into a heavy, awkward silence as the girls exchanged skeptical glances. The air was thick with the sound of hushed, sharp whispers.
"Really? Irene?" one muttered. "Just because she's been here forever doesn't mean she can lead," another whispered back. "I was assigned the visual position," a third girl hissed, smoothing her hair. "Shouldn't the face of the group be the leader? This is ridiculous."
Irene acted as if she were stone deaf to the gossip. She stepped forward, her expression unreadable. "I'd like to see the lyrics and the line distribution," she said, her voice steady. Cain watched with a clinical interest as the other girls rolled their eyes and scoffed behind her back. Irene didn't flinch; she was already stepping into the role.
Cain handed her the script. Irene scanned the pages, her eyes darting over the haunting verses.
Song: Ethereal (Intro: The distant, hollow whistle of an owl) Rise up from the dust, shake the sleep from your head You shall not be a shadow of the life that you led...
"The lyrics are excellent," Irene said, her tone professional. "However, I think we should add a rap verse. It would make the group more versatile and add another layer to the 'creepy' aesthetic."
Lumi, leaning over to read the script from behind Irene's shoulder, nodded eagerly. "I agree! I think a slow, rhythmic rap would fit the atmosphere perfectly—"
Irene whipped her head around, her eyes flashing with a cold glare, "Will you shut up?"
Lumi flinched, her mouth snapping shut in surprise. The other girls froze. Without missing a beat or apologizing, Irene turned back to Cain as if the interruption had never happened.
"As I was saying," Irene continued smoothly, "we should add a rap. Something slow, something that matches the haunting rhythm of the track."
Cain nodded, tucking the script under his arm. "The final version will be ready soon, Irene. Just make sure the line distribution is handled fairly, okay?"
Irene gave a crisp, confident nod. "I'll see to it personally."
With that, Cain and the production team filed out, leaving the girls alone in the heavy silence of the meeting room. Hada lingered for a second, her gaze softening as she looked at Lumi, who was still sitting in a stunned, quiet huddle. But as Irene stepped into the center of the room, Hada followed the others out, leaving the members to their fate.
"Alright," Irene began, her voice echoing off the walls. "Since Jen and Mizzle have the strongest vocals, you two will take the chorus and the second verse. The first verse goes to Lumi and me. Bell and Cin, you'll handle the pre-chorus, the bridge will go to Mizzle and the rap. Understood?"
"Wait, hold on," Bell interrupted, her voice dripping with annoyance. "How can you decide that? I'm the visual of this group. Usually, the visuals take the chorus. Are you new to this industry or something?"
Irene didn't just scoff; she laughed, a cold, sharp sound that made the room feel smaller.
"Oh, look at the visual trying to claim the chorus when she can't even sing a note properly," Irene said, leaning toward her. "You said it yourself—you're the visual. That means you're here to serve looks, nothing else. The fans will defend you even if you can't sing or dance, so why do you care? Just stand there and look pretty."
A few of the other girls snickered, the sound of their laughter stinging like a slap to Bell's face. Lumi watched, wide-eyed and horrified by how quickly the group was turning on itself.
Bell opened her mouth to argue, but no words came out. Red-faced and humiliated, she slumped back into her chair, muttering a string of bitter curses under her breath.
"As for the theme of the stage and the MV, we'll discuss that later," Irene concluded, gathering her things. Without a second glance at her teammates, she turned and walked out of the room.
Lumi sat there shocked and her hope getting cracked. Is this really how we are going to debut? she thought already scared for their future. I hope we will get together and be in union. She prayed to herself.
Hada watched everything through the window.
''The leader is making sure everyone knows their place, the visual wants the centre, the vocalists as always doing their job and the unwanted one trying to stick around.'' her lips smirked slightly. ''This group will be popular.'' She scoffed staring as lumi sat there alone, worried about their debut.