As the sun sank below the horizon, dazzling neon lights flickered to life from every direction. Yoona put on her headset to communicate with the rest of the operation team. She turned to look at Rose once more, a resolute smile gracing her lips.
"Ready?"
Hearing her words, the android pulled a grappling hook out from beneath his cloak. Yoona pressed a button to extend the mechanical wings from her backpack, wrapping her arms securely around Rose's back.
"Brace yourself!" she said, cranking the thruster output to maximum. "3... 2... 1!"
WHOOSH!
The young lady rocketed downward toward the stadium below, carrying Rose with her. Rose locked his eyes on a second high-wire cable, drawing his grappling launcher as the concert lights began illuminating the arena one by one.
"To infinity and sky~ rockets~!"
Yoona released Rose directly above the cable leading toward the cube room.
CLACK!
The hook latched onto the line with absolute precision, allowing the android to zip down to the chamber's roof in a fraction of a second, completely unnoticed by the crowds below.
Yoona veered upward into the night sky to carry out her own phase of the mission. The booming music echoing from the stadium completely drowned out the roar of her jetpack thrusters.
"Woo-hoo~! The air up here is freezing!" she shouted into the sky.
Meanwhile, atop the roof, the android stood up and peeked through the structural gaps down at the grass field below, which was densely packed with thousands of spectators. Opening the access hatch on the ceiling, he dropped into the pitch-black cube chamber.
Although shrouded in darkness, it posed no challenge to his optical sensors. Rose scanned the interior with his digital vision, searching for a viable hiding spot, until he spotted a decorative set of samurai armor standing in the far right corner beside the entrance.
Using the remaining time, he paced around the dim room until he discovered a dragon crest etched onto the conference table. Rose raised his arm, placing the dragon emblem on his left wrist, which mirrored the table's design, directly against the mark.
BZZT!
A holographic projection flickered to life, displaying a schematic of an android that looked identical to Rose in every aspect. "A duplication of me."
Swiping the display to transition into a global map, he uncovered a distribution matrix designed to ship these units across various nations, one of the primary destinations being South Korea, Incheon, P.Pharma.
Understanding dawned upon him. He had uncovered the shadow blueprint Kevin Xu Wen was preparing for the near future.
"This was the life's work of the doctor who created me," Rose murmured. "Yet you silenced him just to claim it as your own."
19:47 PM, 13 minutes before showtime.
A sleek, elongated limousine glided along the highway, miles away from a luxury five-star hotel. Seated in the back was the imposing figure of Kevin Xu Wen. He used his smartwatch to place a call to his adopted son.
A moment later, the line connected.
"Hello," Jinam answered coldly.
"Hey there, son. I'm on my way to your little concert right now. I hope your performance is just as dreadful as always."
"You're not my father. Stop pretending you know anything about me."
"Why so hostile~? I made time in my busy board meeting schedule just to see you, you know. I'm handing over the Manager position at Taos today. And please, my boy... this might very well be the last time I ever see your face..." Xu Wen's voice turned distinctly menacing. "...Hmm?!"
"..."
Jinam remained silent, unable to gauge the volatile tycoon's true mood.
"Heh, heh. What's the matter~? I will always see you as my own. But if you refuse to listen to me or try any ridiculous craps, I'll have to teach you a proper lesson. That potty mouth of yours constantly reminds me of your mother. She was vile-tongued, two-faced. Sweet as honey to my face, but spitting poison in my mouth."
"You're fucking lost it!" Jinam snarled, straining to keep his composure. "You're the reason my mom ended up crippled! Taking me in wasn't enough, you had to do that to her, too! All she ever tried to do was stop a fat fuck like you from turning into a lunatic! But maybe it's too late. A monster like you is beyond saving, so go fuck yourself!"
"And do you know what I've been trying to tell you all along, Li Hong? My foolish little boy... do not merely grow in body; your mind must mature alongside it. It seems you still don't know me as well as I had hoped. Though, I do admire your reckless, strong-arm habit. Unlike your mother, who was always licking my boots."
Hearing that, Jinam severed the call instantly.
Xu Wen sat back with a smirk, chuckling to his personal driver. "As they say, children raised without mother's milk grow up a bit defective. Hmph." Both men exchanged a knowing, cynical laugh.
Inside the backstage dressing room, Jinam gripped his ballphone tightly. "Tonight, old man, one of us is going down for good."
He threw the door open, stepping out to meet the seven other members of his band. Gong Min-jun—Yoona's ex-boyfriend, he walked over, clapping Jinam on the shoulder.
"You said you had a surprise for us tonight, right?"
Jinam offered a confident, dimpled grin. "A massive one." He flashed a subtle, dangerous smirk to his bandmates. "Tonight, D\8/ plays like there's no tomorrow!"
Suddenly, BOOM!
"Yeah~~~~ What's up, my G!" A handsome Korean-Western idol featuring neon-green hair with purple highlights kicked open the restroom door with a loud shout.
"Ring-ding-dong! Na yogisso~ The Sunshine has arrived!"
"And...?" a purple-haired bandmate holding a guitar chimed in with a smooth, gentle tone.
"Whoa~ Alright! Moon! Wow~ Saying it like that, are we breaking up our friendship right here?" Sunny pointed accusingly at his purple-haired bandmate.
"Just teasing~ There, there," Moon chuckled, playfully patting another member's shoulder. "Careful with drinking too much water before going on stage, or you'll be bursting to pee mid-show."
A blue-haired young man turned around mid-sip from his soft drink, his eyes faintly glowing with a soft blue hue. He swept his bangs to the side. Unable to speak while drinking, he used sign language to communicate instead:
"I won't get thirsty on stage, cuz i'm freakin' sweating right now." The handsome youth flipped his earring, which had his name engraved on it: Lucky Si-won. He then pointed a finger toward a blonde-haired guy sitting next to a brown-haired heartthrob, playing a mobile game.
"Big Bro Mikki! We're currently in third place!" The dual-eyed, blonde-haired youth slapped his knee in excitement.
"Hurry, hurry! Tanni! It's almost over!" the band leader, playing the game alongside his junior, yelled at the top of his lungs.
"Waaaah~~~ We overtook them! Haha! Oh!"
Tanni turned to face a camera pointing at them. A crew member held up the lens, preparing to capture the members of D\8/. Knowing their signature poses well, the band members jumped into a group huddle.
Suddenly, a sharply chiseled face popped up from below the group. His silver-white hair reflected light like a polished diamond. The young man flashed a brilliant smile, initiating a countdown as he flicked his silver '\1/' symbol earring.
"Taking it now! 3... 2... 1, Sarang Say! Heyy~"
"Hey~~!~~!~!"
Everyone cheered brightly for the camera—except for Jinam, who deliberately kept his mouth closed in a smirk while giving a firm thumbs-up.
SNAP!
The photo was instantly uploaded to social media. Standing atop the stadium's glass roof, Yoona checked her ballphone feed. Spotting a secret hand signal from the hot-tempered artist in the picture, she nodded to herself. "It's almost time."
Down in the stadium, tens of thousands of fans packed the arena. Meanwhile, So-hyung sat inside a transit van waiting with four of his friends. He pulled out a mysterious paint bucket, placing it on the floor.
"What's that for, Zoey?" Im Hyuk asked.
"For this!" So-hyung demonstrated by dipping his fingers in and smearing the paint across Dae-ho's face.
"Whoa! Hey?!" Dae-ho gasped, startled by the wet paint. When he looked at the others, their jaws dropped.
"Whoa~~ Dae Sang-ho! Your face looks insanely cool!" Chaeyeon pointed, while Han held up a mirror to reflect the image.
Dae-ho saw glowing, neon-blue streaks swooping down from his cheek to his chin. "Whoa! It looks like a glowing tattoo! Isn't this the UV paint they use in clubs?"
"Let's see what our artist friends are up to~" So-hyung opened his ballphone to check the status.
"Are you still putting on that 'old dog' front, Im Hyuk?" Chaeyeon teased.
"No way. I might be single, but I'm perfectly happy, man! I've got you guys! As for romance, you should be asking Zoey." Im Hyuk turned to look at So-hyung.
"Heh, heh," So-hyung chuckled softly. "For me... seeing the person I love smile, that's true happiness, man."
"Damn~~~ Wise words from my man So-hyung! I'm telling you, if you give a speech like that before receiving your diploma, you'll get tons of viral clips for your social media story!" The four of them laughed merrily.
"Honestly, I don't have the power to protect Yoona on my own," So-hyung admitted, putting on a backstage crew outfit to disguise himself. "But if there's even one small thing I can do to help her, I have to give it my absolute best."
"Alright! Stand by for my signal from here on out."
Once everyone understood the plan, they gave their close friend a thumbs-up. So-hyung grabbed the band's signal-modulating controller, tucking it securely into his jacket, and slowly cracked the van door open. He scanned the parking lot, which was overflowing with spectator vehicles.
"The coast is clear! Wish me luck." The young man hopped out of the van.
"Good luck, man!"
The four waved in encouragement as So-hyung sprinted toward the stadium entrance.
The long limousine pulled up smoothly against the curb leading to the concert venue, where a red carpet had been meticulously laid out in welcome. A stout man clad in a black suit stepped out of the vehicle, a cool, unbothered smile playing across his lips. Backstage crew members rushed into position to receive him with the utmost courtesy.
Xu Wen strode across the red carpet, flanked on either side by two mechanical bodyguards dressed in sleek white suits. Crowds gathered in the surrounding area raised their cameras, eager to capture a glimpse of the famous billionaire from the Emerald Realm. Far off, amid the bustling throng of onlookers, a mysterious figure in black keyed a handheld radio, checking in with someone on the line.
"Acknowledged. He's entering the stadium now," a voice reported over the frequency.
Xu Wen made his way toward the backstage holding area just as Cho Jinam crossed his path, passing him with a deadpan expression. Before stepping out onto the main stage, the young artist discreetly typed a quick message into his team's private group chat:
‹He's boarding the sky-gondola now.›
Seated on a building ledge a short distance away, Yoona read the notification and immediately pinged her boyfriend:
‹Babe, get ready.›
So-hyung picked up his pace as he exited the deserted parking area, tapping out a rapid reply:
‹On it, moving fast!›
Dressed in a backstage crew outfit, the young man pulled his cap down low, completely obscuring his face to prevent anyone from recognizing him.
At that moment, the announcer's voice boomed thunderously across the arena:
"Good evening, everyone~~~! Have you been waiting long?!"
So-hyung arrived at a checkpoint in front of a door, where a security guard stood looking down.
"Hey there, handsome~" the guard greeted before raising her head, taking So-hyung aback for a second.
"Wait, Sister Nam?!" he greeted with a quick smile. "When did you get here?"
"I've been on standby since five! Ugh, let me tell you, I had to lap this stadium three whole times just to figure out every single shortcut!"
"Right, okay! I need to get to the CCTV control room now," So-hyung explained his objective.
Nam-gi nodded. "Hmm~ I'm pretty sure it's this way. Follow me, but don't rush so much or people will get suspicious." Nam-gi took him by the arm, guiding him inside the stadium complex.
Meanwhile, Xu Wen and his two mechanical bodyguards were waiting for the sky-gondola alongside two security personnel. Spotting the immensely wealthy tycoon standing right in front of them, the two guards beamed, taking the opportunity to lean in and ask a question.
"Mr. Xu, do you have any investment advice for beginners like us?"
Hearing this, Xu Wen chuckled softly. "Ahem... First off, I'd suggest you quit being security guards and start investing in real estate. Trust me, in the future, the profession of a security guard won't even need to exist. I'm the one who's going to change that."
"Wow! Incredible~" The two guards quickly pulled out their ballphones to snap a commemorative photo with him.
"I hope to see you both standing alongside me when that day comes." The heavy-set man gave a dismissive wave as the cable gondola began its ascent toward the floating cube chamber.
Stepping through the threshold, Xu Wen entered the dimly lit interior of the elevated cube room. The two robotic bodyguards clapped twice, sending an audio signal. In an instant, the overhead floodlights snapped on, bathing the space in brilliant white light.
"You two stand guard by the door in the corner. No need to creep out the board members."
Xu Wen commanded.
Obeying their master's order, the two androids stood motionless beside the entrance. Xu Wen took his seat at the head of the conference table opposite the door, turning his chair around to look out the panoramic glass window at the spectacular concert stage below.
"Just a few more months," Xu Wen murmured to himself. "The whole world will witness a monumental shift. Life is just like an investment, Li Hong. You win some, you lose some—that's just the nature of putting your skin in the game. I must thank every single life sacrificed to bring this investment to fruition."
Finishing his thought, Xu Wen raised a single finger toward the CCTV camera mounted in the room, signaling it to begin recording the upcoming proceedings.
The door to the cube chamber slid open, admitting eight executives dressed in tailored business suits. Xu Wen rotated his chair back around, offering a smooth welcome.
"Welcome, everyone. Please, take a seat."
A Japanese businessman walked in, admiring the samurai armor display standing in the left corner with genuine delight.
"Wow~ A Kusanedo-Kusoku armor set. It looks just like the one my father-in-law owns!"
"Most of the armor pieces here are authentic artifacts, preserved with the utmost care. Hmph." Xu Wen chuckled.
"Yoshimura, don't get distracted. Hurry up and sit down," another executive said, tapping the man on the shoulder to coax him away from the display suit.
Down below, the floodlights on the concert stage gradually dimmed, triggering a deafening wave of screams from the sea of fans. Thousands of glowing '\8/'-shaped lightsticks illuminated the dark stadium like a brilliant galaxy of white stars.
Perched atop the stadium roof, Yoona peered down into the pitch-black arena below.
"The concert is about to start~ Make sure you put your neon glasses on before the lights turn on!" she whispered, turning to offer a quick nod to the audience.
Looking down, she spotted eight mysterious black boxes arranged across the stage while thick, purple smoke billowed outward, blanketing the floor.
"They're here!"
The young woman sat with her legs dangling off the roof ledge, watching the stage intently as she waited for So-hyung's signal in their group chat.
Suddenly, BOOM!
One of the eight boxes exploded outward in a shower of sparks, revealing the distinct silhouette of a tall man striking a pose with a microphone. Screams erupted from every corner of the stadium as fans desperately tried to guess which of the eight members it was.
The figure pointed his finger outward, firing a bright pink light-pellet from his fingertip. Engraved across the projectile were the words:
Butterfly Nice
Yoona's jaw dropped, her fingers trembling as she pointed down at the stage.
"M-M-Min... Gong~~~ Eek!"
BAAM!
The adjacent box shattered into pieces, revealing the silhouette of a man holding a guitar. Instead of playing it, he slammed the instrument down, pulverizing it into a fine mist of sand. Crossing his left leg smoothly over his right, he floated mid-air, taking a comfortable seat on nothingness.
"Kim Cheon Moon~ The Willow Strings~!"
WHOOSH!
The third box detonated into dust. A majestic royal throne stood proudly in the center as a tall youth emerged from behind the chair. Without missing a beat, he raised a heavy sledgehammer and smashed the throne, causing it to crumble into a cascade of crackling lightning.
"Brotha Mikki, The King~~!" Yoona snapped a quick photo with her device to capture the moment.
"Just taking photos for memories," she muttered to herself. "If I accidentally upload this, our cover is completely blown."
The silhouettes of two more performers materialized on stage. The first picked up a sleek circular disk and tossed it toward the second, who compressed the disk with his hands until it turned into a sweet cake. Concurrently, his eyes emitted a bright, circular glow, mimicking pair of gold-rimmed glasses.
"Sunny Shine and Tanni," Yoona identified them effortlessly. "The final three are coming up!"
Suddenly, the smoke enveloping the stage shifted into a deep ocean-blue theme. A gift box exploded into a cascading wave of water that engulfed the stage, the current rising and assembling into the shape of a flawless human silhouette.
"Lucky~~ Huh?!"
As Yoona squinted to get a closer look, she noticed the silhouettes standing completely rigid, almost as if they were mere holograms devoid of physical form. "That's weird..." She tilted her head in confusion.
The next silhouette appeared alongside a twin shadow walking in lockstep. Before her eyes, the two figures opened their arms, embracing each other until their atomic structure vibrated. Finally, the two merged into a single youth radiating a brilliant white light—the only figure who stood out far more prominently than the other six silhouettes.
"White Woojin! The God of R&B! Go get 'em~!" Yoona cheered at the top of her lungs before catching herself.
"Yikes! Too loud... shh!"
Moments later, the stage floor glowed a fierce, crimson red to welcome the final member of D\8/. Red smoke gathered on the floor, swirling together to form a solid shape. At last, a man boasting crimson horns emerged as the final silhouette.
"Da Li Hong—err, I mean, Cho Ji-nam~~~ Prince Crimson! Waaah~ You sure look cool on stage, you arrogant baby-faced jerk!"
Finally, all seven silhouettes regained movement, stepping forward to the edge of the stage. Standing at the highest vantage point, Yoona caught sight of the massive \8/ emblem inscribed inside a huge circle on the stage floor.
"Huh? Don't tell me!" Yoona's eyes widened in realization.
The lightsticks down in the crowd switched to a vibrant rainbow sequence. Tens of thousands of fans swayed their glowing sticks in synchronized horizontal waves. The silhouettes of the eight performers gathered within the center of the ring.
WHOOSH!
A searing golden ring of fire erupted from the circular floor, instantly incinerating the silhouettes into piles of sand. Tens of thousands of fans fell dead silent, their expressions turning into utter shock and horror.
"What just happened?! Where did they go?!" voices echoed through the stadium in confusion.
Meanwhile, Yoona nodded smoothly, fully aware of what was about to transpire.
"When you're up this high, you get to see how the whole trick works, whee-hee!"
As the ring of fire faded, every single spotlight across the stage snapped on simultaneously. The eight members of D\8/, dressed in striking neon suits, ascended smoothly from a circular hydraulic lift.
"The real D\8/ has arrived!"
The real flesh-and-blood boyband members finally appeared before the crowd, sparking an absolute roar of excitement.
KIYAAAAAAAAAAH~~~!!!~~~!!!~~~
Just as Yoona was soaking in the electrifying energy of the crowd, her ballphone vibrated as So-hyung patched a direct call through to her headset.
"I'm almost at the CCTV control room, babe!"
"Alright, honey~ Let's PLAYING WITH FIRE!"
The young lady stood up, pulling a glowing orange glass sphere out of her backpack. Inside was a specialized compound of volatile kerosene. "If this cracks and reacts with the oxygen in the air, you all know what's gonna go down... Psycho Wolves Kiss![1]"
Yoona summoned her strike unit over the ballphone frequency. In an instant, the doors of So-hyung's white transit van burst open in the parking lot behind the stadium.
"Time for some real action! Let's gooooo!" the four young men shouted in unison.
[1] Series 8 My Heart, My Idol - Wolves Kiss, a protagonist's (White / Woo Seok Jin) initial boy band group he debuted with, which is still active in the current timeline.