Chapter 6 - The Unforeseen Debut

🎵"When you're in my arms, I hold you so tight, so tight…"🎵

The voice floated through the crisp evening air of Cheongdam-dong, weaving above the chatter of people.

The mellow voice rang through the busy streets, an almost surreal sound amidst the clattering of traffic and distant conversations. Rumi, Mira, and Zoey weaved through the throngs of people, their heads snapping toward the music like magnets.

"Sorry! Please move." Zoey hissed, elbowing Mira lightly. "I can't see!"

"Hold on, I'm gonna drop my bubble tea!" Rumi squeaked, clutching her cup like a lifeline.

The moment they made it to the front, they were hit with a wave of energy.

Five guys were in the middle of a street performance, their microphones in hand, flashing grins as they sang, danced, and performed like they were on a stage in front of thousands.

In less than ten minutes the crowd intensified leaving no space around.

Rumi's eyes widened. "Is this some kind of flash mob?"

"Or a viral K-pop stunt?" Mira speculated, looking around suspiciously as if the cameras would suddenly pop out of nowhere.

But then... something clicked. The song was new!

"I've never heard this before," Zoey muttered, squinting.

As if on cue, the tallest of them all—Jinu—stepped forward. His smirk was ridiculously confident, the kind that made it impossible to look away. His voice smooth as silk, he hit the high note effortlessly.

🎵"Jigeum dangjang nal bwa, sigan eopjana Neon naekkeoya, imi algo itjana…"🎵

(Look at me right now, there's no time

You're minе, you already know that)

Rumi could feel her heart stop. Oh no! Holy crap! Her stomach flipped, and before she could catch herself, she muttered, "Is it just me, or is he... glowing?"

"Are you serious?" Zoey whispered, practically drooling. "He's like a walking, talking—perfect human. How does someone look like that in real life?!"

Suddenly, a new guy with magenta-pink hair spun into the center of the group as the main chorus hit. His performance was so smooth, it was like watching someone who'd done this for years, yet here he was, grinning like he just walked out of a shampoo commercial.

"You're all I can think of, every time I drink up, You're my soda pop, my little soda pop!"✨

"WAIT. HE WINKED AT ME," Zeoy gasped, voice pitchy, as she shot Mira a look like she'd just seen a unicorn. "DID YOU SEE THAT?!"

His perfectly defined abs popped out, sneaking a look out of his shirt every now and then as he danced that made hearts shoot straight of her eyes.

But before she could swoon over him anymore another figure appeared from behind. A guy with a lavender-silver hair that covered almost all of his face but his charm was undeniable!

He was strangely captivating—like a mysterious book you couldn't put down.

Even hidden, the way he swayed to the beat, calm and self-assured, made Zoey lean forward.

"Who's the emo one?" she whispered, eyes sparkling. "I wonder what his face looks like."

"Shh! There your little fangirl! Put it down! With such expressions on your face, it won't be hard to draw attention." Mira snapped Zoey back to reality.

"Uh, make me wanna flip the top

Han mogeume you hit the spot

Every little drip and drop, fizz and pop, ah

Soreum doda it's gettin' hot~"

A cute guy with blue-gray hair popped up and started rapping as if there was no tomorrow!

His rap was fast, clear, and deep, completely contrasting his soft features.

"Wait, what—" Mira's jaw dropped. "That's illegal. He looks like a baby, but he raps like a monster!"

"Kind of hot though," Zoey mumbled, not looking away.

"Don't say that," Rumi hissed, smacking Zoey's arm lightly.

Before they could process, the last member stepped forward, long pink hair swaying as he hit a high vocal note so effortlessly the entire street seemed to pause for a breath.

He looked around, eyes playful, and blew a kiss.

Mira scoffed and turned her head. "Nice try—"

But her cheeks betrayed her, flushing pink, and Zoey cackled, "OH. MY. GOD. What did I just witness??."

"Shut up!"

"I didn't know you put on some blush today, Mira." Rumi teased.

There was something about him—his smile, the way he moved. Have I seen him somewhere? Mira's mind wandered.

The final chorus hit, the five harmonizing perfectly, dancing in sync, the street alive with cheering, phones in the air, and laughter bubbling from the edges of the crowd.

Rumi's gaze flickered back to Jinu who slammed eyes of the crowd with his flawless visuals. The song was catchy, upbeat—perfect. But there was something more. Something oddly… familiar.

Suddenly, Bobby's voice rang out, loud and stern.

"THERE YOU ARE."

The three girls whipped around to see Bobby standing behind them, hands on his hips, his face a mixture of concern and irritation.

"BOBBY?!" Zoey yelped, a little too loudly.

[NovaMuse HQ- Head Manager's Cabin:]

"I swear to god, if I didn't have to track you down—again," Bobby grumbled, his face going beet red. "I swear, you three are going to be the end of me!!"

Mira blinked at him. "How did you find us? We switched off our phones."

Bobby's gaze flicked to Zoey, and then down to the phone she was still holding. "Really, Zoey? You're recording them and you didn't think I'd track you down?"

"Oops!" Zoey shot an awkward grin, lowering the phone slowly, "My bad!"

"Your bad?" Bobby's voice was incredulous. "Do you realize how many phone calls I've gotten from your PD? You're missing dance practice—again. And now this?!"

"We were just…" Rumi started, but Bobby cut her off.

"Don't even get me started at it!" Bobby snapped. "You're the leader Rumi! You should've known better! I had to talk to the PD about you guys sneaking off. They're ready to throw a fit. Do you understand that? I had to deal with them—then, I had to deal with you. I—"

Just then, a female staff member knocked on the door, poking her head in. "Uh, Bobby, you're needed for a call with a client."

Bobby froze. "Not now! Ask them to wait—"

"But you can't make me deal with them anymore, can you?" the staff member teased.

Bobby narrowed his eyes but sighed. "I'll deal with you all later. Just stay put."

He turned on his heel and sprinted out of the room.

Rumi, Mira, and Zoey collapsed onto the couch in Bobby's office, relieved for the momentary break from his nagging.

"We're saved," Rumi sighed, eyes wide. "For now."

Then, Bobby rushed back in, not even bothering to catch his breath.

"OH MY GOD!" Bobby shouted, voice high-pitched with excitement. He immediately turned the TV on, a live talk show flickering to life. "You guys are not gonna believe this—"

A click and the tv turned on broadcasting a popular live talk show where the mc beemed and welcomed a boy group.

But- they're the same guys on the streets of Cheongdam-dong earlier!!!

"Make some Noise, We're the Saja Boys!"

"They're idols?!" Zoey gaped, her eyes practically popping out of her head.

Rumi's mouth dropped open as she watched the screen. It was them. The same group she'd just seen perform on the street. The five members bowed dramatically, grins wide as the audience cheered.

The talk show host practically vibrated with excitement as he leaned into the mic:

"Alright everyone, let's meet the new global sensation—the Saja Boys!"

The audience screamed, the lights flashing as the camera zoomed in on each member.

"First up, we have Jinu! Leader, main vocalist, and the visual of the group—look at that smile, folks, is it even legal?"

The camera panned to Jinu, who flashed a devastating grin, giving a small wave that made half the audience faint on the spot.

"And here's Abby! Main dancer, lead rapper. But aren't you that big guy who burst out of a mafia themed manga?!"

Abby winked, giving a small wave before throwing a playful shoulder pop that had the live chat exploding with heart emojis.

"Next, we have Romance! Lead vocalist, visual, dancer—our prince of stage presence!"

Romance gave a shy smile, tucking his pink hair behind his ear, then looked directly at the camera and mouthed, "Thank you," sending the audience into meltdown.

"Then we have the mysterious Mystery, our sub-vocalist and dancer—true to his name, no one really knows much, but everyone wants to."

Mystery nodded, eyes sharp under his lavender bangs, giving a tiny smirk that was enough to send the fan forums spiraling.

"And finally—Baby! Main rapper, lead dancer, and the maknae—don't let that baby face fool you, this one spits fire on stage!"

Baby threw up a peace sign and shot a playful glare into the camera, before ruffling his blue hair and laughing softly.

The host clapped, face flushed with excitement, "And together, they are—the Saja Boys!"

"Holy...shit!" Rumi finally breathed. "They're idols. And they debuted on the street?"

"Saja Boys?" Mira repeated, trying to wrap her head around it. "That's what they're called?"

"They're already trending?" Zoey exclaimed holding out her phone showcasing the latest idol trends list.

The show ended with the Saja Boys bowing, thanking the audience, their debut single "Soda Pop" playing in the background.

Rumi leaned forward, still in shock, watching Jinu's face on the screen as he made a finger heart.

"So... this is why Bobby's freaking out," Zoey added, grinning. "Guess we really ran into them."

Rumi couldn't tear her gaze away from the screen. How did we miss this?

Meanwhile, Bobby slumped into the chair, muttering under his breath, "This isn't going to be easy."

Within hours, "Soda Pop" exploded across TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts. Everyone from little kids to grandmothers were dancing to the catchy hook:

"You're my soda pop, my little soda pop…"

'The Sudden Takeover'-

Their cheeky choreography went viral, and suddenly, the Saja Boys were everywhere.

Billboards in Times Square.

Every radio station on repeat.

Reaction videos flooding YouTube, with fans screaming and dancing.

Fashion magazines labeling them as "The New Standard of K-Pop."

NovaMuse's headquarters turned chaotic overnight. HUNTR/X, who had held the top streaming artist and song position for months, found themselves knocked off by the Saja Boys.

"They're backed by ChordEJ?!"

Bobby's eyes nearly dropped out of his face as he stared at the sales charts. The manager's coffee cup trembled in his hand, sloshing onto the table.

Adding gasoline to the wildfire, they were backed by ChordEJ Entertainment—the only company big enough to rival NovaMuse.

"HOW did ChordEJ debut a boy band out of nowhere with no leaks, no teasers, nothing—and now they're #1?!"

Rumi leaned against the wall, calmly sipping her tea, eyes on Bobby as he paced like a caffeinated hamster.

"Bobby, relax! They're just new idols with dreams, like we once were."

"Rumi, they're backed by ChordEJ!" Bobby snapped. "ChordEJ! The only entertainment company that's been fighting NovaMuse for years for the top spot! Do you have any idea what this means?!"

"It means we work harder, not faster," Rumi replied coolly, unfazed.

The next week, NovaMuse's PD stormed into the practice room, frustration evident.

"You three need to make a comeback, now! Variety shows, live stages, TikTok challenges—anything! We can't lose momentum to the Saja Boys!"

Rumi, Mira, and Zoey exchanged glances.

Rumi stood her ground.

"We're not rushing this. You know how much we've prepared for our next song. If we drop it before it's ready, all our hard work will be wasted."

"But—"

"No." Rumi's voice was firm. "Quality over panic."

The PD groaned, storming out, muttering under his breath about "kids these days."

Days passed, and the world kept buzzing with the Saja Boys:

Every music show featured them.

Their "Soda Pop" challenge was performed by A-list celebrities.

Podcasts debated which member was the cutest.

Brands fought over them for endorsements.

Fan clubs exploded, hitting millions of members globally.

And then, the numbers dropped like a hammer:

HUNTR/x was officially no longer #1.

Their popularity took a noticeable dip, streams dropped, and online chatter shifted toward the Saja Boys.

NovaMuse's boardroom went silent as the screen displayed the new rankings:

1. Saja Boys - "Soda Pop" 🥇

2. HUNTR/X - "Summer Rush" 🥈

That night, Rumi stayed behind in the practice room, sweat glistening on her forehead as she rehearsed the choreography for their comeback song alone.

She glanced at the mirror, determination sharpening her eyes.

"Just new idols with dreams, huh?"

She smiled softly, tying her hair back tighter.

"Alright then. Let's see how far they can go."

--

Because when rivals rise from nowhere, the stage is never going to be the same.