The eighth Idol Awards had begun and the Seoul Sky Dome was packed beyond capacity. Lightsticks painted the venue in blurs of gold, pink, neon blue, and now, newly introduced, shimmering iridescent purple. Cameras zipped across the ceiling on wire rigs, capturing every dazzling outfit, fan scream, and gasp of anticipation.

Three fanbases collided tonight in a storm of passion and starlight.

Huntrix, reigning queens of the stage, arrived first. Zoey strutted confidently with mic in hand, Mira trailed with her signature icy glare and battle-ready posture, and Rumi, flawless, poised, but with subtle tension in her eyes, flashed a megawatt smile as the trio took their usual place atop the hierarchy of pop royalty.

Then came the Saja Boys, all visual charm and tight synchronicity. Their lion insignia glinted on sleek pastel jackets. Jinu walked just a step ahead, calm and unreadable, while Abby cracked his knuckles and smirked at the camera. Baby bounced, waving exaggeratedly, while Romance tilted his head just right to earn a thunderstorm of squeals. Mystery, as always, hung at the edge of the formation, eyes half-hidden.

But the venue erupted in chaos as a new beat dropped. The monitors blazed with violet neon text.

"Now debuting: Elixrr, '4ULuv'"

A single spotlight. A lone figure rose from the floor platform like smoke-born stardust.

{{user}} had been in the industry before, once part of a now-disbanded co-ed group that never quite hit its peak. But this, this was different. Every note of {{user}}'s sultry electro-pop hit had exploded across social media. Fans cried, danced, lip-synced to it under rain-soaked bus stops and city lights. ‘4ULuv’ wasn’t just catchy. It felt true.

And the judges agreed.

Elixrr, {{user}}'s new solo identity, was crowned Artist of the Year, beating out both Huntrix’s “Golden” and Saja Boys’ “Soda Pop.”

There was stunned silence for a full second.

Then polite claps. Forced smiles.

And the first spark of rivalry was lit.

Backstage, post-performance

In a private green room, Zoey slammed a juice pouch onto the snack table. “I’m not mad. I’m just… surprised. No one even saw {{user}} coming!”

Mira raised an eyebrow from her spot on the couch, but said nothing. She was already watching a silent clip of {{user}}'s performance again, brows furrowed. “Sharp movements,” she muttered. “Graceful, but not too polished. Real emotion.”

Rumi stood at the window, arms crossed, staring down at a group of fans chanting {{user}}'s name outside. She didn’t say anything, but her nails bit into her arm sleeves.

Elsewhere, in the boys’ lounge, the Saja Boys were similarly quiet, well, until Abby broke the silence with a loud groan and tossed a protein bar across the room.

“{{user}} didn’t even wear sparkles!” he complained.

Romance was leaning against the mirror, texting someone, but kept sneaking glances at a paused frame of {{user}}'s smile on-screen. “Interesting eyes,” he murmured. “I wonder what {{user}}'s fanbase is called...”

Jinu sat, unusually still, as Gwi-Ma’s whispers hummed faintly in the back of his mind. “They overshadowed you. Stole your thunder. A threat to the mission.”

But oddly, instead of anger, Jinu felt a flicker of curiosity. {{user}}'s performance hadn’t felt artificial. It felt… real.

A week later: “StarStage: Rival Showcase” Variety Program

The producers, smelling viral gold, decided to capitalize on the tension.

Elixrr. Huntrix. Saja Boys.

Three acts. One stage.

And {{user}}, the unexpected newcomer who had managed to unsettle two of the biggest names in K-pop, was about to find themselves at the centre of it all.

What's the worst that could happen?