Chapter 4: The Call from Zenith Broadcast
The rehearsal room was flooded with golden light, softened by the mirrored walls reflecting the focused movements of six men—each of them precise, powerful, and impossibly synchronized.
Jaeheon stood at the center.
His platinum-blond hair was damp from exertion, sticking to his forehead as his sharp gaze swept across the reflection. His breaths were even. Controlled. Unshaken. He hadn't missed a single beat in the entire four-hour run. He never did. Not once.
No one commented on his perfect execution. They never had to.
Because that was Jaeheon Kang—AUREUS's cold, unreadable center. The boy who debuted at seventeen and outshone veterans by his second stage. The genius who learned an instrument overnight just to prove a point during their trainee evaluations.
"Five-minute break!" the choreographer called, but it was more out of routine than for Jaeheon. He didn't need it.
While the others dropped to the floor with gasps and rolled shoulders, Jaeheon calmly walked over to the corner and opened his notebook—the one he always carried but never let anyone read. Inside were pages of lyrics, unfinished compositions, notes in a dozen languages, and the occasional line scratched out with more force than necessary.
He flipped to a clean page and began writing.
Meanwhile, Online Buzz Was Reaching a Boil.
[THESEOFFICIAL]
📣 JUST IN: AUREUS to appear on Zenith Broadcast's 10-episode variety special — "ALL IN: Behind the Gold"!
🔥 The most anticipated variety show of the season is here. Expect chaos, laughter, tears... and secrets? 👀💥
First episode airs this Friday at 8PM KST!
#AUREUS #AllIn #ZenithBroadcast #Jaeheon #IdolOfTheYear
[@midnightstardom]
YALL IMAGINE JAEHEON IN A VARIETY SHOW 😭😭 HE BARELY EVEN SMILES IN INTERVIEWS WHAT IS HE GONNA DO LMAOOO #AUREUS
[@goldenage_fanacc]
okay but what if the MC tries to get Jaeheon to laugh… we've never seen it. NEVER.
that man is a walking enigma 😭 #AUREUS #GildedCenter
[@cloudsonmymind]
can't wait to see how chaotic Sol and Iseul get lmao. also pls let Minchae expose someone. ANYONE. I'm begging 💀💀💀 #ALLINshow
Back at the dorm, their manager burst into the living room, eyes wide, cheeks flushed with excitement. "You're confirmed. All ten episodes."
"Confirmed for what?" Iseul asked mid-yawn, half-asleep on the couch.
"Zenith Broadcast's All In series."
The room fell into silence.
Even Minchae, who never stopped scrolling his phone, looked up. "Wait, the All In show? The one that's always trending every season?"
"Yeah," their manager grinned. "Ten episodes. Starting with an interview-slash-Q&A format. Then... truth or dare."
"Truth or what now?" Jiwoon blinked.
"Dare," the manager repeated. "Be ready."
There was a collective groan. Only Jaeheon remained quiet, unreadable as usual, though the others could swear they saw the flick of his pen pause slightly—just for a second.
Later That Night
In his room, with the lights dimmed, Jaeheon opened his laptop and played an instrumental he'd composed months ago.
A slow, melancholic melody filled the air, played entirely in minor chords with soft electronic textures. He stared at the blinking cursor in the lyrics section. Then, slowly, he typed.
She moves like silence in the snow,
Untouched by light, unbothered by flame.
I watch, I wait, I write—
But never speak her name.
He saved the file with no title. Just like all the others.