In this vast universe, where every soul plays a hidden role…
There were those who searched, and those who hid.
Detective Kim did not stop.
The threads of the case were tangling before him, and the identity of "The Girl with the Pink Hair" haunted him like an unreachable shadow.
But, without realizing it, he was looking in the wrong direction…
While something else, something much darker, was preparing to emerge.
In another part of Seoul,
Specifically at 10:00 AM,
A completely different world was bracing for ignition.
Blinding lights, massive mirrors, overlapping noise…
The scent of makeup mingled with the heat of styling tools,
And the hum of hair dryers was a constant, never-ending drone.
Backstage, the five members of the group XYZ sat.
Lee Jun Ho… laughing loudly, breaking the tension as he always did.
Choi Hyun Woo… silent, watching his reflection in the mirror with deep, piercing eyes.
Jung Woo Jin… fiddling with his pen, doodling random lines on a paper in front of him.
Park Ji Hoon… clasping his hands quietly, as if conserving his energy for the moment of encounter.
Park Min Soo… upright, calm… appearing as the very center of this balance.
"Ready?"
A simple question from one of the organizers,
But its echo was the start of the show.
The doors swung open.
And with them,
The sound exploded.
Screams, cheers, names called out with pure devotion,
As if the entire hall beat with a single heart.
The members sat behind a long table.
Five microphones lined up,
Cold water bottles,
And stacks of the new album titled: Your Victory is Mine.
The names began to be called.
One by one,
The fans stepped forward.
"Hello! Is this your first time?"
Jun Ho's voice was full of excitement.
He signed quickly, adding a small heart next to the name,
Then raised his hand with a wide grin: "High five?"
Laughter… applause… a light moment passing and being cherished.
"Your name is beautiful…"
Hyun Woo said it softly,
His eyes fixed, as if he saw no one but the person in front of him.
"Does it have a special meaning?"
He wrote slowly,
His words longer… deeper… like a letter, not just a signature.
"You waited all this time for me?"
Woo Jin laughed, leaning forward,
Drawing a funny face on the album.
The girl laughed despite her nerves,
And that was exactly what he wanted.
"Thank you… truly."
Ji Hoon's voice was low,
But the warmth of his words reached out effortlessly.
He extended his hand shyly,
A light touch… then a sincere smile.
Then,
Park Min Soo.
"I'm grateful you're here."
No need to raise his voice;
His tone alone was enough.
He leaned in slightly,
Writing with care,
Then handed the album to the fan
As if he were presenting something far more precious than a mere signature.
Time passed.
The minutes melted away amidst the noise and laughter,
And everything was going as it should…
Until
A girl appeared.
Young… perhaps sixteen.
She wasn't crying.
She wasn't trembling.
But her eyes…
They were moving with an unnatural speed,
As if searching for something… or running from something.
Her steps were slow.
Steady… yet hesitant.
She sat before Lee Jun Ho.
"Hello!"
He smiled at her,
But she didn't respond.
His signature was shorter this time.
She moved to Hyun Woo.
He looked at her for a long time.
"Your name?"
Silence.
Something in her eyes unsettled him.
Woo Jin tried to make her laugh,
But his laughter gradually faded.
Ji Hoon lowered his gaze,
His fingers interlacing unconsciously.
Finally,
She stopped in front of Min Soo.
He looked up.
He smiled…
Then the smile vanished for a brief second.
An uncomfortable sensation passed through him.
"Hello…"
He said quietly.
"Are you alright?"
Silence.
"What is your name?"
The voice was delayed…
Then it came out weak:
"Can… can I give you a hug?"
A single second of hesitation.
A quick glance at the guards.
Everything seemed normal.
He stood up slightly,
Leaned over the table,
And opened his arms.
She approached.
Time… slowed down.
From the side,
Woo Jin stopped moving.
Hyun Woo narrowed his eyes.
Ji Hoon held his breath.
Min Soo embraced her.
A small body… cold.
One second.
Two seconds.
Then,
Something glinted inside her sleeve.
"I'm sorry…"
A whisper barely heard.
"Forgive me. I'm being forced to do this."
A flash of movement.
A blade emerging from the shadows.
In that same instant,
Min Soo raised his hand toward his face,
The sound of a sneeze, and then—
A stab.
The sound didn't come immediately.
Instead,
Stillness.
A fraction of a second…
As if the world stopped to confirm what had happened.
Then, an explosion.
A scream tore through the air.
A chair falling.
Feet running.
Hands reaching out.
Blood.
One drop…
Then another.
The guards seized the girl.
Woo Jin screamed Min Soo's name.
Ji Hoon knelt beside him.
Hyun Woo didn't move… he just stared.
And Min Soo
He didn't understand yet.
Outside the hall,
The news had already begun to spread
With a merciless speed.
"Idol Park Min Soo stabbed during a fan meeting…
The perpetrator: a high school student."