The Studio Trap
The room was too cold for cameras.
Floodlights glared harshly against bare white walls, bleaching every shadow out of existence. A faint chemical smell clung to the air—disinfectant, sweat, cheap perfume. At the center, Aru Lee sat hunched on a chair, a silk blanket pulled tight around her body. Underneath it, only her bra and underwear remained.
Her copper-blonde hair clung damp against her temples, makeup smudged. She was smiling still—but not the radiant idol smile PTJ plastered across billboards. This one was brittle, cracking at the edges.
Across from her, the gangster leaned back on a sofa, cigarette burning slow between his fingers. He tapped a thick contract against his knee, voice smooth and oily.
"You thought you were clever, Aru. Thought you could play PTJ, play me, play everyone." He flicked ash carelessly onto the studio floor. "But paper doesn't lie. You took one million already. If you walk out now? That's two. Double."
He leaned forward, eyes gleaming."Or you stay. Pose. Smile like you always do. And we make history together."
The photographer adjusted his lens, indifferent. The bodyguards at the wall chuckled quietly.
Aru's nails dug into the blanket. For once, the mask slipped. Real fear flickered in her eyes.
Crystal & Seong Min Enter
The studio door creaked. Then it swung wide with a bang.
The gangster's smile faltered as Crystal stepped inside, heels sharp against the floor. but her gaze was ice.
"Crystal…" Her voice cracked despite the honey dripping from it. "What are you doing here?"
Crystal's gaze didn't waver. She glanced at the contracts, at the men, at Aru trembling despite her painted confidence. Her voice was steady, cold.
"Saving you from yourself."
"You've had your fun," she said flatly.
Behind her came Seong Min. Silent. Calm. His violet eyes swept the room once, taking in Aru half-dressed on the chair, the guards, the contract in the gangster's hand. His jaw tightened—no pity, no sympathy. Just observation.
Aru's breath caught. For the smallest moment, hope lit her features. Surely he came for her—
But he didn't move. Didn't look at her twice.
The indifference cut deeper than the gangster's threats.
Crystal's voice carried, each word like glass on marble ."My father already knows. And this—" her gaze flicked at the contract—"ends tonight."
The gangster laughed, low and cruel ."Your father?" He leaned back, spreading his arms as if the room were his throne. "Little girl, Charles chio money doesn't run this business. I do."
He slapped the contract on the table with a sharp crack."She signed. She belongs to me."
One of the guards stepped forward, smirking as he cracked his knuckles. "Why don't you kids run back to your pretty stage? Grown-ups are talking here."
Seong Min's eyes slid toward Crystal. Waiting.
She gave the faintest nod.
The next second was violence.
The first guard lunged, fist swinging wide—only to be caught mid-motion, arm twisted with surgical precision until bone snapped. The scream barely left his throat before Seong Min's knee drove into his ribs
The scream echoed, but Seong Min was already moving.
The second guard drew a knife, slashing toward his side. Seong Min caught the man's wrist mid-air, violet eyes flashing. A twist, a pivot—steel clattered to the ground as the guard collapsed face-first into the table, teeth shattering against the contract he had sworn was unbreakable.
The photographer stumbled back, camera trembling in his hands.
The gangster's smirk faded into a snarl. He snapped his fingers."Kill him."
Three more rushed from the back room, muscle stacked on muscle.
But Seong Min wasn't DG. He wasn't James Lee. He didn't need a stage or an audience.
The first charged—met instantly by an elbow to the throat. The second tried to grapple—found his legs swept, head slammed against the concrete floor until the lights went out. The third hesitated. Too late. Seong Min's fist cut through the air like a blade, dropping him cold.
In less than a breath, silence fell again. Broken bodies littered the studio floor.
Seong Min exhaled once, steady. His eyes never once lingered on Aru.
The gangster rose slowly, mask cracking. "You think this ends with me? You don't know who I am. You don't know who I—"
The doors slammed open again.
Two figures stepped in—like wolves strolling into the ruins of another pack's den.
Goo whistled, stepping over an unconscious guard with a grin. "Aw, man. Did we miss the party?"
Gun didn't bother answering. His sharp eyes swept the room, landing briefly on Seong Min. A flicker of recognition. Calculation. Approval—or maybe threat. Then he looked away.
The gangster paled. His cigarette dropped from trembling fingers. "Y-you—"
"Us," Goo said cheerfully, flashing teeth. "You made a mess. We're here to clean it up."
Gun stepped forward, cold and efficient. His mere presence pressed down heavier than any bodyguard .
He glanced once at Aru, still trembling in her blanket. His eyes held no sympathy, no disgust. Only dismissal. "You're done."
Before the gangster could reply, someone came in . Power radiated from his silence.
the boss,Crystal's father.
The air shifted instantly. The gangster's face blanched white."Y-you can't—"
"I can," Crystal's father said coolly. "You're stripped of your position. Effective immediately."
The manager stumbled in from the hallway, panicked. "You don't have the shares for that!"
A new voice cut in. Smooth. Inevitable.
"I do."
DG stepped through the doorway, hands in his pockets, his stage-smile faint but dangerous."I've voted in favor. Consider it unanimous." the share were so cheap i bought all of it ,he say as he smile.
The room froze.
The gangster sagged into his chair, defeated. The contract slid from his limp fingers, worthless now.
The gangster slumped, silent. The air was heavy, victory already claimed. But then—
Smack!
A chair flew across the room, splintering against the wall.
Everyone turned.
Goo was grinning, stretching his neck like he'd been waiting for this moment."Damn, Gun. You show up and steal all the fun. Kid here did the warm-up, but you? You didn't even let me throw a punch."
Gun's eyes narrowed."You talk too much."
A beat. The tension coiled.
Then, like sparks over gasoline—Goo lunged. even with Seong Min taking care of nearly all of them the two still fought.
Their fists collided in the center of the ruined studio, shockwaves rattling the camera lights. Laughter spilled from Goo's lips as he dodged, danced, countered. Gun, cold and ruthless, cut through his movements with surgical precision.
Around them, staff ducked for cover. Aru stared wide-eyed. Even the gangster forgot his fear, staring at the clash like he was witnessing a natural disaster.
Seong Min didn't flinch. He only watched, silent, measuring every strike, every gap, every rhythm. His Eye of Insight sparked—but on Gun and Goo, the lines overlapped in chaos. Imperfect perfection.
Crystal, arms folded, sighed."They'll tire themselves eventually."
then someone else came in ,The noise was impossible to ignore.
The doors banged open again, and in came Daniel—followed by Vasco, whose eyes widened at the sight of chaos.
"Hyung…" Daniel whispered, breath catching as his gaze landed on DG, on Gun, on Goo, on Seong Min. Too many giants in one room.
Vasco, oblivious to the political weight, pointed at Goo mid-somersault."HEY! It's you! The weirdo who gave me that insane workout!"
Goo froze mid-grin, sweat flicking off his cheek. Then he cackled."Ohhh, the muscle-head! Damn, you got bigger. Still dumb as bricks, though."
"Don't call Vasco dumb!" Daniel snapped, stepping forward instinctively.
Gun's fist stopped inches from Goo's face. His eyes flicked toward Daniel—sharp, assessing.DG's smile curved faintly, watching the scene like it was a show scripted just for him.
And Seong Min?
His violet eyes narrowed, shoulders straightening. For the first time, Daniel and he stood in the same room—caught between legends, shadows, and the storm that was still building.
The air vibrated with tension. Gun and Goo still poised to strike. Crystal's father radiating authority. DG watching like a puppeteer. Daniel and Vasco barely processing what they'd walked into.
And Seong Min… silently, steadily, staring at Daniel Park.
One future rival.One future ally.Neither ready for what the city would demand of them.
The lights flickered, as if Seoul itself held its breath.