The excitement surrounding DOMIN8's upcoming debut showed no signs of slowing down. In fact, the Star Entertainment office was becoming noisier with the constant ringing of phones. The media had started hunting for Lee Joon's personal information while fans began creating fanbase accounts only an hour after his introduction video was uploaded. Hundreds of fan accounts had already been created for Lee Joon. But behind all the excitement, Lee Joon knew the real pressure was only about to begin.
Three days after Lee Joon's video went viral, Star Entertainment shook social media once again. Exactly at 6:00 PM, the second video was uploaded. Unlike Lee Joon's energetic dance-focused introduction, this one was far more cinematic. A man stood in the middle of an artificial desert under dramatic lighting. The camera focused only on his sharp eyes before slowly revealing his flawless face.
RYU HAN
SECOND VISUAL/LEAD VOCAL
The internet exploded once again. If Lee Joon was The Ace, then Ryu Han was The Heartthrob. The combination of both of them in one group was enough to make rival companies start feeling threatened. Who wouldn't feel threatened seeing such a giant company preparing to debut a group that could overshadow everyone else?
As soon as Ryu Han's video exploded online, the atmosphere inside Star Entertainment's practice room turned into a small celebration. The door opened and Ryu Han walked in with a bright smile on his face. But instead of drawing attention to himself, he immediately rushed toward Lee Joon who was sitting down to rest.
"Joon-ah! Did you see the fans' comments?" Ryu Han showed him his phone screen.
"Everyone's saying my visuals match your center aura perfectly. The two of us are trending together!" Ryu Han sat beside Lee Joon while wrapping an arm tightly around his shoulders.
"I'm seriously grateful I get to debut with you. If it wasn't for your introduction video grabbing everyone's attention first, my video probably wouldn't have gotten this kind of reaction." Lee Joon smiled widely. His exhaustion disappeared instantly after hearing Ryu Han praise him.
"No way, Han hyung. You're really talented. I'm the one who feels proud because our group has visuals like yours," Lee Joon replied.
Not long after that, the other members Minho, Daehyun and the others entered carrying plastic bags filled with cold drinks and snacks.
"Let's celebrate the success of our first two videos!" Min-ho shouted while handing out drinks. He gently patted Lee Joon's back.
"Joon, don't push yourself too hard during practice. The company already chose you as center. That means they believe you're the best for us. Don't get sick or we'll all worry."
"That's right," Daehyun added while opening a bottle of water for Lee Joon.
"You're the heart of DOMIN8. If you fall, we'll all lose our direction too. We're behind you, okay? If anything's bothering you, tell your hyungs."
Lee Joon looked at each member's face. In his eyes, he saw sincerity, affection and pride. There wasn't even a single sign of jealousy. Not a single sharp glare. They all looked like the perfect group.
But among Ryu Han and the others' flawless acting, there was one pair of eyes that watched Lee Joon with genuine affection. Park Hyunwoo, DOMIN8's main vocalist and also the oldest member after Minho.
After finishing their small celebration for the introduction video of DOMIN8's strongest member, they continued practicing until one by one the members stopped and left the practice room to return to the dorm.
"Lee Joon, we're heading back first, okay? Don't stay too late," Minho reminded him.
Lee Joon, who was still practicing only smiled through the mirror reflection. Not long after, he finally stopped and sat down on the floor.
For him, the practice session had been extremely exhausting. From afar, Hyunwoo noticed Lee Joon sitting alone in the corner of the room. He could see Lee Joon massaging his swollen calf.
"Joon-ah," Hyunwoo called softly. He sat beside Lee Joon on the floor while carrying a bottle of massage oil and an ice pack.
"Ahh, Hyunwoo hyung. You haven't gone back yet?" Lee Joon tried to smile to hide his pain.
"How can I go home when my little brother looks like a broken robot?" Hyunwoo immediately pulled Lee Joon's leg closer without waiting for permission before placing the ice pack against his reddened ankle.
"You're practicing too hard, Lee Joon. I know you want to do your best because you're the center but your body has limits too. You need proper rest."
"I don't want to disappoint all of you, hyung. Everyone's working hard. I'm scared I'll make mistakes that'll disappoint you guys," Lee Joon replied quietly.
Hyunwoo stopped massaging for a moment. He looked directly into Lee Joon's eyes. Unlike the other DOMIN8 members, Hyunwoo's eyes held no trace of hidden schemes. They were only filled with the concern of an older brother.
"Listen to me, Lee Joon. Even if you weren't the center, even if you weren't 'The Ace,' you'd still be my little brother. I didn't debut because I wanted to become famous alone. I debuted because I wanted all of us to succeed together as a family. So please take care of yourself for me, okay?" Lee Joon froze. Hyunwoo's words felt warm, slipping into the heart already weighed down by pressure.
"Thank you, hyung. I promise I'll take care of myself and I won't disappoint you." Hyunwoo gently rubbed Lee Joon's head after hearing that.
"Come on, let's go back," Hyunwoo said. They grabbed their practice bags, slung them over their shoulders and left the practice room.
Once they arrived at the dorm where DOMIN8 stayed, the other members were busy with their own activities. Some were playing video games, some were exercising while others were scrolling through their phones.
"Joon-ah, go shower first and then sleep. We have to wake up early tomorrow," Hyunwoo reminded him.
Lee Joon obediently listened. He grabbed his towel and entered the bathroom to clean himself up. Hyunwoo sat beside Minho who was busy on his phone.
"Whose introduction video is next?" he asked.
"No idea, hyung. Maybe Raewon," Minho answered. Hyunwoo simply nodded. After seeing Lee Joon finish showering, Hyunwoo cleaned himself up as well.
Lee Joon spread his blanket on the floor, placed his pillow down and lay down. He grabbed his phone to set an alarm so he wouldn't wake up late and miss making breakfast for his hyungs. After a while, the living room lights were turned off leaving only the dim night lamp on. Lee Joon and Hyunwoo quickly fell asleep from exhaustion.
Minho, Ryu Han, Daehyun, Seoyoon, Raewon and Jisub stepped out onto the balcony to enjoy the night air. Daehyun pulled out a cigarette, lit it and took a drag. Smoke escaped from his lips. Ryu Han took out his phone, his expression cold.
"Did you send the pictures to the informant?" Ryu Han asked quietly. Minho nodded while staring at the Seoul city lights.
"Yeah. But we shouldn't move yet. Let him rise even higher first. Let the fans become obsessed with him." Daehyun leaned against the railing.
"It's kind of pitiful watching him earlier. He really thinks we're older brothers who genuinely care about him. Maybe he thinks we're like Hyunwoo hyung."
"He's really a good kid but that's the problem with people who are too kind and trust outsiders too easily. That's the consequence" Raewon replied while casually scrolling through his phone.
"He's too perfect. His shadow completely covers our existence. In this industry, if you want to shine, you need to make sure the person next to you loses their light first," Seoyoon said while exhaling deeply.
"When the time comes, make sure there's not a single piece of evidence connecting us to that scandal. Let Star Entertainment throw him away themselves," Minho said as the leader of DOMIN8.
"Hyunwoo hyung really cares about him," Jisub muttered while glancing toward Lee Joon and Hyunwoo sleeping peacefully inside.
The night breeze blew softly, carrying the distant sounds of a city that never slept. Seoul's lights sparkled beautifully like distant stars, yet cold. Ryu Han smiled faintly.
"Hyunwoo hyung has always been like that. He sees everyone as good people. He's way too innocent," he said quietly, eyes still fixed on his phone. Jisub clicked his tongue softly.
"If he finds out we planned all this… I don't know how he'll react." Silence fell for a moment. Daehyun looked up at the sky as if trying to suppress the guilt suddenly appearing in his mind.
"Don't think too much about it. We're not killing him. We're just… pushing him out of a place that was never his."
Wasn't it actually Lee Joon's place that they were trying to steal? This was what you called shamelessness.
Minho tightened his jaw.
"This place never belonged to anyone. We're all just borrowing opportunities. The strong survive. The weak…" He paused before continuing while staring toward the balcony door.
"…will fall on their own." Seoyoon raised an eyebrow.
"And we're just speeding up the process." Raewon laughed quietly, the sound dripping with sarcasm.
"In this industry, if we don't do it first, someone else will do it to us." Ryu Han finally locked his phone.
"Everything's already going according to plan. Those pictures are enough to start rumors. After that, we wait. Let the netizens do the rest." Jisub swallowed nervously.
"He won't end up seriously hurt… right?"
"Why? You want to join Hyunwoo hyung and protect his precious little brother too?" Minho asked.
"No… I just feel a little bad for him. He's still young like me," Jisub replied. He was DOMIN8's maknae, and Lee Joon was only a few days older than him.
"He'll be fine. At worst, he just won't show his face around us anymore," Minho answered without hesitation.
Inside the living room, the atmosphere was completely different. The dim light illuminated the sleeping faces of Lee Joon and Hyunwoo.
Hyunwoo shifted slightly in his sleep as if disturbed by something invisible. Reflexively, his hand gripped the edge of Lee Joon's blanket as though trying to make sure he was still there.
Meanwhile, Lee Joon slept peacefully. His innocent face completely unaware that the world around him was beginning to change. Hyunwoo slowly opened his eyes and looked toward Lee Joon.
"Joon… don't you feel it too? I feel like something bad is going to happen to you. I'm really scared," he whispered softly, his voice almost swallowed by the silence of the night.
He fell silent. It felt like something had been disturbing his heart these past few days. Something he couldn't explain. He could feel that his heart had been uneasy.
Outside, the balcony door slowly opened. One by one, they stepped back into the dim living room. Minho walked in first, his eyes glancing toward Hyunwoo lying beside Lee Joon.
"Hyung, you're still awake?" Minho asked.
"I woke up because you guys didn't close the balcony door properly. The cold night wind came in. Poor Lee Joon, he'll get cold," Hyunwoo replied while staring at Lee Joon's peaceful sleeping face.
"Oh… sorry," Minho replied.
"What were you guys discussing? You all looked serious," Hyunwoo asked quietly so he wouldn't wake Lee Joon.
"We were talking about the reality show the training director mentioned the other day," Ryu Han answered. Hyunwoo simply nodded.
"Alright, I'm going back to sleep. You guys shouldn't sleep too late," Hyunwoo reminded them. Minho and the others nodded while smiling.
Minho exchanged glances with Ryu Han and the others. They knew that as long as Hyunwoo remained in DOMIN8, their plan to destroy Lee Joon would always be at risk. Hyunwoo was too honest, too caring, and as one of the oldest members. He held strong influence within the group.
"I think we need to change our plan. Hyunwoo hyung is too risky for us. We need to make him leave before his introduction video comes out," Minho whispered once they gathered in the kitchen far from the living room.
"But how? Hyunwoo hyung loves all of us, especially Lee Joon. He'd never leave Lee Joon just like that. Look at earlier, he was genuinely worried Lee Joon would get cold from the wind," Ryu Han replied quietly. Minho poured cold water into a glass, his face calm yet cunning.
"We're not going to ruin his career like Lee Joon's because Hyunwoo hyung isn't as perfect as Lee Joon. He's just the second victim. Who told him to protect Lee Joon? If he didn't care, he'd stay here with us. We just need to… give him an opportunity he can't refuse. An opportunity that'll make him feel guilty if he stays in this group." The other DOMIN8 members looked at one another, confused by Minho's plan.
——
The next day, Minho privately met with the training director. Using the excuse of "for the good of the group," he carefully planted his manipulation. A few hours later, Hyunwoo was called into the management office.
"Hyunwoo-ah," the training director said while handing him a thick file.
"The company thinks your vocal talent is too big for just an idol group. We're considering making you a solo ballad singer under Star Entertainment's Japanese subsidiary." Hyunwoo froze the moment he heard those words.
"Solo? But director… I already promised Lee Joon and the others. We're supposed to debut as DOMIN8. The CEO already confirmed we'd debut next month, right?"
"Listen first," the director interrupted.
"Your family back in your hometown… we heard your mother needs expensive surgery, right? If you debut with DOMIN8, the profits will be divided by eight. But if you accept this solo offer in Japan, the company will pay your mother's surgery deposit immediately as a contract bonus."
Hyunwoo fell silent. His hands trembled while holding the file. This wasn't about his career anymore. This was about his mother's life. The office suddenly felt suffocating. Hyunwoo lowered his head, eyes fixed on the thick file in his hands. His breathing grew heavier as if every breath carried unbearable weight.
"Why… why now?" his voice cracked softly. The director crossed his arms, his expression calm. Too calm.
"An opportunity like this won't come twice, Hyunwoo-ah. You have a voice that can go far. Japan needs artists like you. And…" He paused briefly before continuing.
"Your family needs you right now." Those words pierced deeper than anything else. Hyunwoo tightened his grip on the file. His mother's face appeared in his mind, her small smile always hiding her pain. He closed his eyes.
"What if… what if I refuse?" he asked quietly. The director sighed, sounding slightly disappointed.
"We're not forcing you. But this opportunity will go to someone else. And… financial support will take time too because your salary would be split between eight members. You know that for the first few months or even years, you guys would barely earn enough while paying off your trainee debt."
Silence.
The wall clock ticked slowly. Every second felt like pressure crushing his chest. Finally, Hyunwoo spoke again, even quieter than before.
"I need time to think about this."
"There isn't much time, Hyunwoo-ah," the director replied.
"We need your answer tonight."
Outside the office, Hyunwoo walked down the corridor with weak steps. The long hallway felt unfamiliar, as though he was walking somewhere that no longer belonged to him. His hand still tightly gripped the file. Now he had to make a choice. Debut solo in Japan… or debut together with DOMIN8. He leaned against the wall, covering his face.
"What am I supposed to do…"
To him, this was the hardest decision he had ever faced. If he debuted solo in Japan, he could save his mother's life but he would break his promise to Lee Joon. If he debuted with DOMIN8, he would lose his mother.
That evening, Hyunwoo sat alone on the staircase behind the training building. The phone in his hand vibrated. The name on the screen made his heartbeat quicken.
Dad.
He answered the call.
"Hyunwoo… the doctor said we can't wait much longer…" his father's voice trembled from the other side. Hyunwoo's eyes filled with tears.
"Dad… I…" He tried to speak, but the words got stuck in his throat. He looked down at the file in his hand again. Then slowly, he opened the final page.
Contract.
He took out a pen. His hand trembled. A single tear fell.
"I'm sorry…" he whispered, unsure who he was apologizing to. And at that moment, Hyunwoo made the decision that would change everything.
——
That night, the DOMIN8 dorm was silent. Lee Joon had fallen asleep on the living room sofa after exhausting himself organizing their practice belongings. He slept peacefully, believing that tomorrow morning he would wake up and see Hyunwoo making coffee like usual.
But inside the room, Hyunwoo was packing the rest of his belongings into a backpack with trembling hands. His tears dripped onto the newly signed Japan solo contract. Minho stood by the bedroom door, leaning against the frame with a cold expression.
"Finished packing?" Minho asked quietly. Hyunwoo looked toward the living room where Lee Joon's figure was curled beneath a thin blanket.
"I… I want to wake Joon up for a moment. I want to tell him—"
"No need," Minho cut him off firmly.
"If hyung wakes him up, he'll cry. And hyung will soften too. Do you want your mother to die just because you can't bear leaving that kid?" Hyunwoo lowered his head. Minho's words felt like blades stabbing into his heart.
"Go now. The company van is already waiting downstairs. Don't look back anymore," Minho ordered again.
Hyunwoo stepped out of the room. As he passed the sofa where Lee Joon was sleeping, he stopped for a moment. He wanted to kneel down and whisper an apology. He wanted to explain that he was doing this to save his mother's life.
"Hyunwoo hyung. Move." Minho's harsh voice killed his intention.
With a completely shattered heart, Hyunwoo walked out of the dorm without looking back again. The door closed with a soft click but for Lee Joon's fate, it was the sound of an entire world beginning to collapse.