The Pressure Cooker
The training center buzzed with frenetic energy as trainees rehearsed tirelessly for the company's upcoming internal showcase—a pivotal event that could make or break their careers.
Jiho pushed through another grueling vocal session, his voice hoarse but determined. Sweat dripped down his brow as the vocal coach, Ms. Han, barked corrections.
"Jiho, your pitch is flat! Again! If you don't fix this, you won't be ready for the showcase!"
Jiho clenched his fists, swallowing the sting of failure.
Seungmin sidled up beside him, whispering, "Don't let them get to you. You're better than this."
But Jiho's focus was fractured. His phone buzzed silently in his pocket. Another message from Unknown:
"Watch your back. The enemy is closer than you think."
A Web of Lies
Later that afternoon, Jiho overheard a whispered conversation in the hallway.
Hyunwoo's voice was low but venomous.
"Did you see what Jiho did? He took credit for the group's choreography ideas."
A second voice, one Jiho didn't recognize, laughed quietly.
"Perfect. Let's make sure the seniors believe it too."
Jiho's heart hammered. He knew exactly who was behind this smear campaign — and worse, he knew how easily these lies could spread and poison his reputation.
Deception Among Allies
At rehearsal, the group was assigned a new routine—a complex blend of dance and vocal harmonies. The leader was Hyunwoo, whose charisma masked his ruthless ambition.
When Jiho suggested a small change to better highlight the group's strengths, Hyunwoo shot him a cold glance.
"Save your ideas," he sneered. "You're not the leader here."
Later, Jiho caught Seungmin slipping a note under his door.
"I'm sorry. I have no choice."
His blood ran cold.
Seungmin, his closest friend, was forced into betrayal.
The First Sting of Betrayal
During practice, the company's cameras caught Jiho moments before a fall onstage — a slip caused deliberately by Hyunwoo's shove from behind.
The footage was edited and leaked, making Jiho look clumsy and reckless.
The message on the company's internal chat was merciless:
"Is this really the talent we need?"
Jiho's phone vibrated again:
K: "They want you out. You need proof — or they'll bury you."
A Dangerous Alliance
Desperate, Jiho met K in a hidden cafe after hours.
K slid a flash drive across the table.
"Inside is unedited footage from the rehearsal. The shove. The setup."
Jiho's hands trembled as he inserted it into the laptop.
There it was—clear evidence.
But K's expression darkened.
"This is only the start. You must decide how far you'll go."
Jiho swallowed hard.
Betrayal Cuts Deeper
That night, Jiho confronted Seungmin.
"Why did you help them?" Jiho demanded.
Seungmin's eyes were filled with tears.
"They threatened my family. I didn't want this."
Jiho's world crumbled.
The friend he trusted most was a hostage to the same cruel system.
A Plot Twist: The Puppet Master Revealed
Meanwhile, behind the scenes, the company's executive producer, Mr. Choi, orchestrated the chaos.
In his office, watching surveillance feeds, he smiled coldly.
"Jiho thinks K is his ally," he muttered.
"But K is playing his own game."
A Glimmer of Hope
Before leaving the cafe, K handed Jiho a simple black notebook.
"Write everything. Names, dates, lies. Use it. It's your weapon."
Jiho clenched the notebook as a new fire ignited within him.
The Gathering Storm
Jiho sat alone in his dim dorm room, the black notebook heavy in his hands. Each page was a testament — names, dates, whispered lies, backstabbing moves, all meticulously recorded.
He felt a strange mixture of fear and clarity. This was no longer just survival. It was war.
K's Counsel
A text from K lit up Jiho's phone:
K: "Tonight. Warehouse 7. Come alone."
Jiho's heart raced. The shadows around the city streets deepened as he made his way to the clandestine meeting spot.
Inside, K awaited, calm and unreadable.
"This is the first step," K said, sliding a folder across the table.
Inside were confidential memos exposing Hyunwoo's orchestrated smear campaign — and Mr. Choi's manipulations reaching far deeper.
Jiho's First Strike
Armed with evidence, Jiho leaked parts anonymously to trusted contacts in the media.
The company was rocked by scandal.
But the retaliation was swift and brutal.
Hyunwoo intensified his attacks, seeding doubts even among Jiho's closest allies.
A Friend's Double-Edged Knife
One evening, Seungmin invited Jiho out, apologetic and nervous.
"I want to help," Seungmin said quietly.
Jiho's relief was short-lived.
When Seungmin handed Jiho his phone, a message popped up from an unknown number:
"Make it stop or you both lose everything."
Jiho realized Seungmin was trapped deeper than he'd known.
The Ultimate Betrayal
As Jiho planned his next move, a stunning betrayal struck.
His mentor, the company's vocal coach Ms. Han — the one who had pushed him hardest — was revealed to be colluding with Mr. Choi, deliberately sabotaging his progress.
During a rehearsal, she pulled him aside.
"Give up, Jiho. You're a threat to everyone's plans."
Her eyes were cold.
Breaking Point
Devastated, Jiho confronted K in a frantic call.
"How can I trust anyone? My friends, my mentors—they're all against me."
K's voice was calm but firm.
"Trust yourself first. The truth is your strongest weapon."
Jiho clenched the black notebook tight.
A Shocking Twist
Suddenly, a new message arrived on Jiho's phone:
Unknown: "You don't know the whole story. Meet me. Midnight. Rooftop. Alone."
Against K's advice, Jiho went.
There, a masked figure revealed themselves.
"You're being used," the figure whispered.
"The real enemy isn't Hyunwoo or Mr. Choi — it's someone closer."