The Idol's Mask
The rehearsal lounge had emptied, leaving only the echoes of staff orders and the faint thrum of music from another floor. Daniel Park sat stiffly on the leather sofa, Duke beside him, his round face tense. Neither of them were used to PTJ's glittering halls, much less being summoned by DG himself.
The sound of footsteps drew every eye.
James Lee—DG—walked in with the same flawless smile that melted fans across the country. Two female trainees trailing behind him squealed softly.
"DG-sunbaenim!" one said, bowing eagerly."You look even better off-camera," the other gushed, eyes wide.
DG chuckled, brushing them off with casual charm. "Focus on your training, girls. Shine bright."
They left reluctantly, perfume lingering in the air. And then the door shut.
The smile vanished.
DG's eyes, sharp and cutting, landed squarely on Daniel, with duke by his side.
as he came in he looked at Duke and told him with a smile that refused rejection "i need to talk with daniel park in Private " Duke without saying anything with a nod walked out,
"You've got guts, coming here." His voice was low, stripped of the stage-sweetness. "Two bodies. A secret no one else knows. And yet…"
Daniel's throat tightened. He hadn't told anyone. Not even his mother knew the truth.
DG leaned back against the table, folding his arms, gaze never leaving him. "Don't bother lying. I can see it in the way you carry yourself. One body fights. The other learns. Together, you're dangerous. But…" His smile returned faintly, this time without warmth. "…you're still incomplete."
but Daniel forced himself to hold DG's stare.
"What do you want from me?"
"What I want," DG said, tilting his head, "doesn't matter. What matters is what's coming."
He stepped away from the table, pacing slowly, his presence filling the room like smoke.
"Seoul isn't free. It's divided. Four directions, four thrones. Big Deal in the west. Hostel in the east. God Dog in the north. Workers in the south. Together, they make up the Four Major Crews."
His tone was sharp now, the cadence of someone reciting facts carved into bone.
"They were built under someone very powerful hands — with two monsters shaping gangs into enterprises, all paying their hundred million a month. A machine, Daniel. One that's still grinding."
Daniel frowned. He'd heard rumors. Pieces. But never this clearly.
Jace from Burn Knuckle had hinted at it once, talking about whispers in the alleys of Seoul. Vasco had brushed it off, saying Burn Knuckles didn't care about crews and money, only protecting the weak. But now, hearing it from DG himself—someone who wasn't just connected to the Four Major Crews but someone whom might have helped shape them—it felt heavier.
"This isn't playground gossip," DG continued, his tone almost mocking Daniel's expression. "This is the map of the city you walk in. Every street, every coin, every fight—it all belongs to someone. And the Four Major Crews? They're the pillars. Knock one down, and the whole balance shifts, and that bring A hundred million won every month."
daniel looked pale, his lips parting. "…A hundred million won… every month? That's not a gang. That's a corporation."
DG's lips curved faintly. "Exactly. And corporations need leaders to controls them,
in the North of Seoul Gangbuk which God Dog runs , the East of Seoul Gangdong Hostel runs,
South of Seoul Gangnam Workers, West of Seoul Gangseo Big Deal.
for a time. All of them strong. All of them hungry. But none of them… united."
His eyes cut back to Daniel, sharp and deliberate. "And you, Park Daniel—you're standing in the middle of that storm. Whether you want to or not."
Daniel's throat went dry. "Why me?" he asked. "Why tell me this?"
For a moment, DG's smile faltered. Not gone, but thinner. "Because," he said quietly, "your existence… reminds me of a truth most people don't deserve to know." His gaze lingered, unreadable, before he added, "Be careful, Daniel. The moment you reach too high, the city will crush you."
He straightened, brushing invisible dust from his sleeve. "I've already said more than I should."
"Wait—" Daniel stepped forward. "At least tell me what you—"
But DG was already walking away, hands in his pockets, his pace unhurried yet absolute.
Aru's laughter rang faintly from the hall outside, but DG didn't stop, didn't look back.
Daniel froze, his hand half-extended, watching him vanish through the door. His chest tightened. Questions clawed at his throat, but no answers came he only heard one thing .
Be careful.
Daniel's fists tightened at his sides. Careful of what? Of who? The Four Crews? The city itself? Or… the stranger DG had compared him to?
The door clicked shut behind DG, but the weight of his warning stayed. Heavy. Unanswered.
And for the first time since arriving at PTJ, Daniel Park realized—he wasn't just chasing strength anymore. He was standing at the edge of a war.
A war where somewhere in these halls… another shadow was already moving.