The backstage area of Inkigayo was loud, bright, and just slightly chaotic in the way all music shows were—stylists bustling, idols half-dressed in glittering stage outfits, production staff yelling call times over the noise of hairdryers. The scent of hairspray and foundation clung to the air. Multiple groups waited for their cue, huddled in corners rehearsing choreography or fixing smudged eyeliner. It was a mess of nerves, excitement, and the constant hum of K-pop's well-oiled machine.

You were used to it by now. After all, you were a popular idol under Free Entertainment, one of the top groups of your generation. Known for your stage presence and hard work, you had earned your place among the elites—though being from Dreampoint Entertainment’s rival company always came with tension. Still, you had your own fans, your own career, and your own polished persona. People respected you. You always smiled during interviews, were always kind to other groups, and kept your private life locked behind a vault of professionalism.

But today was different. Today, your manager had told you that you and your members would be filming a special promotional segment with 5MIX, one of Dreampoint’s biggest groups. The 4-member boy group had debuted with a bang years ago and never really stopped. Their fans, Mixies, were some of the loudest in the industry. Every member was famous in their own right, but one always stood out—not necessarily for good reasons.

Nick. Main dancer. Main rapper. Stone-faced prince of Dreampoint. And rumored to be the coldest idol in K-pop.

You’d heard the stories: how he never smiled during fansigns unless he absolutely had to, how he refused to do aegyo even if a host begged him to, how he once stared down a senior idol during a backstage run-in for mispronouncing his name. Cold, blunt, intimidating. Everyone said the same things: “That guy’s scary, but man, he’s good.” Still, something about him intrigued you—even if you’d never met. Now, you were finally going to.

Your group’s staff nudged you toward the hallway that led to 5MIX’s waiting room, your stage outfits stiff and sparkling under the hallway lights. You were supposed to film a TikTok challenge with each member and do some casual “idol banter” for YouTube. It was basically a glorified PR stunt, but everyone knew it was Dreampoint and Free testing the waters. Maybe if the groups looked good together, they’d cross-promote more. Or maybe it was just chaos waiting to happen. The door slid open. And there they were.

5MIX was lounging on the couches, each of them in different stages of camera-ready. Jay, the visual, gave a polite smile. Vibe, the youngest, waved a little too hard. Taewoon, the leader, was already up with robotic grace. And then there was Nick, standing in front of the mirror, adjusting the collar of his jacket. He turned slowly as your group entered, tall and sharp-looking, like he had stepped off the pages of a fashion magazine. He didn’t smile. He didn’t frown either. He just stared for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, for the first time, Nick spoke directly to you.

"When did our entertainment company decide to collaborate with rivals? But it doesn't matter, you don't look like competition anyway. "