The Second Melody - Season 1, Episode 14
[SCENE START]
INT. DANCE STUDIO - DAY
Hyun-woo and his groupmates, SEUNG-HO and MIN-SU, are practicing a new routine. Hyun-woo's movements are technically perfect, but stiff and lifeless. Min-su, a firecracker of emotion, is visibly frustrated.
MIN-SU (Panting) Hyun-woo, what is wrong with you? We need energy, fire! Not… this. It's like dancing with a ghost.
Hyun-woo clenches his jaw. He's heard this before. In his past life, he was an expert at faking enthusiasm, but now, the pretense is gone.
HYUN-WOO I'm doing the choreography exactly as instructed.
MIN-SU The choreography is just a frame! The painting is the emotion! You have to feel it!
HYUN-WOO (Exploding) And what if I don't feel anything?! What if all I have left is... dust?!
Hyun-woo shoves Min-su. Seung-ho quickly steps between them.
SEUNG-HO Hey, guys, calm down.
MIN-SU (To Hyun-woo) Who are you, really? You act like you're above all of this. Like you have some secret.
Hyun-woo's eyes flash with a raw, painful emotion. For the first time, he doesn't try to hide it.
HYUN-WOO (Voice shaking) I'm just trying to survive.
Min-su looks at him, the anger draining from his face. He sees the genuine pain in Hyun-woo's eyes. It's not arrogance, it's hurt.
[SCENE END]
[SCENE START]
INT. ACADEMY LOBBY - LATER
Hyun-woo is walking alone, his mind replaying his fight with Min-su. He feels a sense of shame, but also a strange relief. He checks his phone and sees a news notification.
[ON PHONE SCREEN]
HEADLINE: "Rising Stars: Big Hit Entertainment's New Boy Group BTS Takes Center Stage"
Hyun-woo clicks the link. He sees a photo of the seven members. He remembers their faces, their talent, and their hard work. In his past life, they were his biggest rivals. He feels a mix of dread and respect. He knows how hard they'll work, how far they'll go. They are the real deal, the kind of artists he's now trying to become.
He looks at his reflection in the phone screen. His younger face is a stark contrast to the tired, cynical man he once was.
[SCENE END]
[SCENE START]
INT. PRACTICE ROOM - NIGHT
Hyun-woo is back in the dance studio, alone. He tries to dance, but his body still feels heavy. He remembers Min-su's words, "It's like dancing with a ghost." He looks at his reflection, seeing the ghost of his past self.
He takes a deep breath and starts to move, but this time, he's not following the choreography. He's moving to his own rhythm, his own pain. The movements are raw, imperfect, and powerful. He spins, he kicks, he leaps, a whirlwind of emotion. This isn't just dancing; it's a battle with his past.
Min-su, who had come back to apologize, watches from the doorway, stunned. He doesn't see a robot anymore. He sees a genuine artist, fighting with all his might.
[SCENE END]
[SCENE START]
INT. DORM ROOM - NIGHT
Hyun-woo is lying in bed, exhausted but awake. He's looking at the ceiling, thinking about his fight with Min-su and the news about BTS. He feels a new resolve building inside him. He is not alone in this fight, and he will not give up.
His phone buzzes. A text from an unknown number. He opens it, his heart pounding.
UNKNOWN NUMBER I know who you are.
He stares at the message, his blood running cold. His past has finally found him.
[SCENE END]