Couple days Later
A few days after the date, the IVE girls are gathered in their living room, suitcases lined up neatly by the door. Each of them lounges in comfortable clothes, bare-faced and relaxed, doing their own thing. Rei and Liz are munching on snacks side by side, Wonyoung balances perfectly on top of her suitcase with her eyes closed like a doll, Gaeul sits on the couch while Leeseo straddles her lap and snuggles against her shoulder, and Yujin leans against the wall scrolling through her phone.
Beep. Beep.
The front door unlocks, and in walks their manager, the director, and a couple of cameramen lugging equipment. The sight instantly grabs the girls’ attention. They put down what they’re doing and gather on the couch, sitting in a row and facing the newcomers.
“Hello everyone, how are you all today?” the director greets warmly.
“Good!” they all chime in together.
“As you know,” he continues, “you’ll be going on a short vacation trip for seven days. But” his smile widens, “we never told you the destination. Any guesses?”
“Hmm… Jeju?” Liz offers hopefully.
“Wrong,” the director answers without hesitation.
“Busan?” Gaeul tries next.
“Wrong,” he repeats with a grin.
The room falls into playful silence as the girls furrow their brows, clearly overthinking it. Then, like a lightbulb switching on, Yujin suddenly straightens up, eyes sparkling.
“Ssangsanje Hanok!” she shouts with confidence.
“WRONG,” the director shoots back after a dramatic pause.
Yujin collapses into the couch with a loud groan as the other members burst into laughter, clapping at her exaggerated defeat.
“Do you girls want to know?” the director teases, his question making them all nod quickly and lean forward in anticipation.
“Well…” he drags out the pause,
However, before he can continue, their manager suddenly receives a phone call.
The smile on her face slowly disappears as she listens.
"...What?"
The room falls silent.
"...Today?"
The members exchange confused looks.
"...I understand."
The call ends.
The manager lowers her phone and looks toward the director.
Something has clearly changed.
The director's expression mirrors her own.
The excitement in the room quickly fades.
"What's wrong?" Yujin asks.
The manager exhales.
"It looks like there has been a schedule change."
A chorus of groans immediately follows.
"What?"
"No!"
"We haven't even left yet!"
"The vacation isn't cancelled," the manager quickly clarifies. "It's just being pushed back a few days."
The members freeze.
"...Pushed back?"
"Why?"
The manager steps forward.
"A local festival reached out to the company last minute. They requested a surprise performance from IVE."
The girls stare at him.
"A surprise performance?" Gaeul repeats clearly confused at the sudden change of schedule
"The event is free to attend, and the organizers want to keep your appearance secret until the last minute," the Manager explains. "The company accepted the offer this morning."
"You're telling me our vacation got delayed because of a local festival?" Rei asks.
"What are we going to do about the accommodation? We booked everything and have it all set up" asks the director
“Uhm, it’ll be sorted out by the company. All they said is to get the girls ready for the festival. Apparently, the festival organization offered a lot of money for IVE and there’ll be some actors and lesserafim there as well.”
The room is filled with complaints.
Fortunately, the manager raises both hands.
"Relax. It's only a few days. Perform at the festival, finish the promotional activities, and then you'll leave for the vacation immediately afterward."
The members reluctantly calm down.
"Fine."
"I guess that's reasonable."
"Barely."
The manager smiles.
"Good. Now we need to announce it."
Almost instantly, everyone knows what she means.
Bubble Live.
The members groan again.
A cameraman chuckles.
Within minutes, phones are pulled out and a live broadcast begins.
Yujin waves at the camera.
"Hello everyone!"
The others crowd around her, squeezing onto the couch.
"We have a surprise announcement," Wonyoung says.
"Actually, YOU guys are getting a surprise performance," Leeseo blurts out.
"Leeseo!" several members shout.
"What? They were going to find out anyway!"
The chat immediately explodes with excitement.
Laughing despite themselves, the members begin encouraging fans to attend the upcoming festival.
“We’ll see you there!” they said as they turn off the live broadcast
“Ok girls, put your suitcase back in your rooms and let's head out.” said the manager awkwardly trying to change the depressed atmosphere. Compared to the happy atmosphere created by the members before the news and to the end of the live broadcast was a complete 180 to what it is now.
The members grudgingly move their suitcase slowly before swiftly exiting through the dorm door.
In the car, the usual excitement that came with traveling was nowhere to be found. The six members sat unusually quiet.
Even Leeseo wasn't talking.
That alone was enough to concern everyone.
Yujin sat near the front, staring out the window with her earbuds dangling around her neck. She wasn't listening to music. She simply wanted an excuse not to talk.
Across from her, Wonyoung sat with her arms folded, watching the scenery pass by.
Gaeul was scrolling through the festival information on her phone for what felt like the hundredth time.
Liz absentmindedly poked at a bag of gummies she hadn't touched in nearly ten minutes.
Rei was quietly sketching in a notebook.
Leeseo looked between everyone before finally breaking.
"Okay."
Five pairs of eyes immediately turned toward her.
"This is weird, right?"
Nobody even pretended not to know what she meant.
"Very weird," Gaeul answered.
"Extremely weird," Liz added.
Rei closed her notebook.
"The whole thing feels rushed."
"Because it was rushed," Yujin said. "The company has never changed a schedule like this before, especially without asking us first."
"Especially not a vacation schedule," Liz complained.
"We've had schedules added before, but never during a break."
"And definitely not less than twenty-four hours before departure," Wonyoung added.
The van fell silent again.
Because that was exactly what bothered them.
IVE wasn't some rookie group whose schedules could be thrown around without warning.
Everything was normally planned weeks or months in advance.
Hotels.
Transportation.
Filming permits.
Security.
Staff.
Sponsors.
Changing something this large at the last minute made no sense.
"It just doesn't make any sense," Gaeul says, looking up from her phone. "Why would the company accept an offer from some unknown local festival this quickly?"
"I'm looking online right now, and there wasn't much promotion for it before yesterday."
That immediately gets everyone's attention.
"What do you mean?" Leeseo asks.
"I mean there should've been advertisements everywhere if they wanted a crowd this size. Not only are we performing, but LE SSERAFIM, aespa, IU, and several A-list actors are attending too."
The van goes quiet.
"That's odd," Wonyoung mutters.
She takes Gaeul's phone and scrolls through the event details.
"A no-name festival somehow got multiple top idol groups, one of the biggest soloists in Korea, and several high-profile actors?"
She shakes her head.
"That doesn't happen. This reeks of under-the-table deals."
"Aespa is joining?" Yujin asks. "Jimin never mentioned anything about performing at a festival."
"Unnie, can't you call Karina-unnie and Eunchae-unnie?" Leeseo suggests.
"Yeah, let me do that."
Yujin taps on her phone and calls Karina.
The line rings twice before connecting.
“Jimin-unnie.” says Yujin, putting it on speaker
"Yujin-ah.” says Karina in a serious voice and immediately catches her off guard.
"Unnie? Are you guys going to perform at a local festival too?"
A brief pause.
"...You too?"
Yujin exchanges a glance with the others.
"Wait. Don't tell me you only found out yesterday."
"We did, and we just arrived there as well. It's packed." Karina replies.
The members immediately sit up straighter.
"You too?" Yujin asks.
"Yesterday morning."
Another pause, Yujin glances at the others.
"Yeah. but we only found out 30 minutes ago. Hold on, I'm adding Eunchae."
A few taps later, the call rings again.
"Hello?" Eunchae answers.
"Hi, Eunchae. Karina's on the line too."
“Hello” greets Karina
"Hello unnie, why are both of you calling me?"
"Because we're all apparently performing at the same festival," Karina says.
"...Wait, you guys are going too?"
Yujin frowns.
"Don't tell me you only found out yesterday."
"Yesterday afternoon," Eunchae replies.
The members immediately exchange looks.
"We found out yesterday too," Karina says.
"So did we," Yujin adds.
A short silence follows.
Three different companies.
Three different groups.
The exact same last-minute schedule change.
"Okay," Eunchae says slowly. "I'm glad it's not just me."
"Let's all meet up and talk more when we get there," Yujin says. "We should probably ask the actors too. If all of us got notified at the last minute, something's definitely going on."
"Mhm," Karina agrees. "We'll talk when you guys arrive. Get here safely."
"You too."
Karina leaves the call, leaving only Eunchae on the line.
A brief silence follows before Eunchae speaks again.
"Unnie... do you think we should tell Jin-woo oppa?"
"I'm not sure.” Yujin hesitates.
"...I'll just send him a message. Nothing serious."
"Okay," Eunchae replies. "Be safe, unnie."
"You too." The call ends, the members exchange uneasy looks.
Rei finally breaks it. "So it's not just us."
"Yeah," Yujin admits.
"Three different companies don't just randomly sync like that," Wonyoung says quietly.
"Unless something bigger is happening," Gaeul adds under her breath.
That earns a few uneasy looks.
Yujin unlocks her phone again.
"...I'll message him now."
"Are you sure?" Liz asks gently.
Yujin pauses, then nods.
"Better he hears it early."
Yujin: Hey, just a heads up.
Yujin: Apparently aespa and LE SSERAFIM were only notified about this festival yesterday too.
Yujin: Karina and Eunchae both thought it was pretty sudden, so we're going to talk with everyone once we get there and figure out what's going on.
She hits send before slipping her phone back into her pocket.
TimeSkip
A whole long section of Seoul’s busiest roads was blocked and filled with thousands of eager fans lined up in winding queues, their excitement palpable as they chatted and danced to the beats spilling from the stage. They were all waiting for the festival to begin—a new event featuring idols, soloists, and actors. The idols and soloists were set to perform their hit songs, including exciting collaborations, while the actors prepared to stage plays and games.
Behind the scenes, the performers were buzzing with activity, their energy mirrored by the throng of onlookers eager to catch a glimpse of the show. Idols, soloists, and actors huddled together, practicing and discussing any last-minute adjustments to their acts.
Outside the stage area, a parade of food trucks offered a feast of tantalizing aromas, from sizzling skewers to sweet treats, drawing attendees with their delicious scents. Many said attendees were also family members of the performers, adding a personal touch to the vibrant festival atmosphere.
“Omo Yeolmoo-ah, is it delicious.” Cooed a mother
“Nae eomma!” replied Yeolmoo “Eomma, when is Auntie Yoon-ji gonna perform?”
“Soon kiddo. Now come on, let's play some more games before we find our seats.” Said the dad
“ Okay.” Said Yeolmoo
Another area,
“Yumi, why are we here? I was busy with work.” Said a monotone voice
“Come on, we never go to these places anymore and besides we are here to support Eunchae and her group.” Said Yumi
“We supported her when we ALLOWED her to become an idol. This is a waste of time.” Said the father
“It is not, now calm your inferiority complex and enjoy this unhealthy food and support your daughter.” Retorted Yumi
Silence is what she got in response, taking it as an okay, she drags him, by the arm, around different stalls forcing him to line up and purchase food for them.
Backstage
Behind the stage were multiple white tents, filled with employees, make-up artists and performers getting ready. Aespa, IVE and Lesserafim are all huddled together with their make-up and outfit done. Each group was wearing their own coordinate outfits but with the same crimson red pin on their shirts.
“This is definitely not normal,” Yujin says first, breaking the silence. “Did they tell you guys anything else when you arrived?
Karina exhales quietly. “We were just told to get ready and wait. That’s it. No proper briefing.”
Chaewon nods. “Same for us. Everything was last minute. Even the setlist changes came in this morning.”
“That’s exactly what happened to us too,” Gaeul adds. “Though we only learned about this earlier today
A short pause follows as everyone processes the overlap.
Three different top groups.
Three different companies.
Same rushed instructions.
Same lack of information.
“Where is Giselle?” ask Wonyoung looking at Karina
“She went to get the actors.” replied Winter
“Ugh I hate this!” Eunchae whines. “It feels like we’re being kept in the dark on purpose.”
Liz shifts closer to the others. “But why would a festival do that?”
“Unless it’s not just a festival,” Rei mutters under her breath.
Hey, we’re here!”
Everyone turns to see Giselle walking toward them with a few very noticeable actors and soloists trailing behind her. She gives a small wave, half-relieved, half-exasperated, like she had been dealing with the same confusion all morning.
“I found them wandering around asking the same questions we are,” she says, nodding toward the actors behind her.
In front of them was none other than IU, Jung So-min, Jung Hae-in, Kim Tae-ri and Nam Joo-hyuk, seeing them caused the girls to gasp in shock at the line up.
“This is getting ridiculous,” Yunjin mutters quietly, staring at each one of them.
So-min chuckles lightly, though it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “We were told it would be a charity event and that we’d MC a couple of performances and games, but when we asked about the festival itself, they refused to answer anything.”
“Mhm, they refused to say anything and our company suddenly agreed to it as well as if we didn't have any say to it.” IU says calmly, stepping closer to the group. Her tone is composed, but observant.
That gets immediate reactions.
“Yesterday?” Yujin repeats.
IU nods once.
A ripple of realization passes through the entire group.
Karina exhales. “So it really isn’t just us.”
“It’s everyone,” Chaewon adds, glancing around. “All of us were brought in at the same time.”
Eunchae frowns. “But why would they keep it this secret from every single group here?”
No one answers right away.
Even the actors look unsettled now.
Giselle crosses her arms. “And why bring idols and actors together like this in the first place?”
That question lingers heavier than the rest.
Wonyoung’s voice is quieter than before. “This isn’t just a surprise performance anymore.”
Suddenly a stage crew manager was holding his clip board staring at the bunch of artists in front of him. Clearing his throat, he begins the rundown
“Okay, now this is the rundown of the festival. First, we have the short opening performance by a local dance crew then an introduction regarding the festival by the MC. IU will then perform a couple songs and after that the actors will go on and play a couple of games with the audience before the main performance happens with Aespa first, then IVE, and then Les Serafim. After that we will end the concert with everyone on stage. Does everyone understand?” asked the Stage Crew Manager
“Yes” they all replied quietly
“Wonderful! The concert will begin in 30 minutes, so please get ready,” said the Stage Crew Manager as he left to continue his other duties.
Once they left, the eerie silence and tension returned, enveloping everyone.
“Somin-nim and Hae-in, it’s nice to meet you both! We really enjoy watching Love Next Door,
Tae-ri-nim and Joohyuk-nim, Twenty-Five Twenty-One made us all cry” says Chaewon softly, trying to make the confusion situation lighter.
“Ahh, thank you! We love listening to your music too! It kinda inspires me to sing again,” said So-min.
“You definitely should! I remember listening to ‘Because You Are Here’ it was amazing,” chimed in Winter, nodding in agreement with the other Aespa members.
“Ahh, it’s a bit embarrassing, Hehe,” replied So-min, blushing slightly.
“I remember how soothing it made me feel listening to it, especially when it was playing in the drama,” added Karina, her eyes sparkling with a little excitement. “It really made the moments memorable.”
“Thank you!” said So-min covering her mouth in laughter.
“Jeez, if you were so good, why didn’t it seem like it during the filming?” Hae-in says smugly.
He immediately earns a low kick from one of the actors beside him.
A few quiet laughs ripple through the group, briefly easing the tension.
Hae-in clears his throat, straightening up as if nothing happened. He shifts his attention back to the idols and artists gathered in front of him.
“Anyway,” he continues, tone turning more professional, “are you girls ready with the short notice?”
The question brings the atmosphere back down again.
The girls exchange quick glances.
“We didn’t really have a choice,” Yujin replies carefully. “Everything was so sudden.”
“Well, it should be fine, we’ve practiced these songs from day till night,” said Chaewon. “Even with the short performance notice, we'll do fine.”
“We just need to put our worries to the back of our heads.” adds Wonyoung
“Thats good to hear.” Said Tae-ri earning nods from the others
“ Ok I think we should go and prepare a bit more. Goodluck.” Said Joo-hyuk, bowing and leaving with the others who followed him.
Bowing to each other, they all left the tent to their respective areas.
Scene Change
As Jin-woo stroll through the bustling festival grounds, he felt a wave of disappointment wash over him. The vibrant stalls were filled with colorful decorations and the sounds of laughter echoed all around, but his eyes searched for something sweet, something more than just the hotteok and cotton candy that seemed to dominate the offerings. He paused at a stall displaying various snacks, hoping to find some unique treat, but the first section left him with a bad impression.
“Where are all the desserts?” he murmured to himself, scanning the crowd of excited festivalgoers. The sweet aroma of baked goods eluded him, and his heart sank a little more with each passing stall. He passed by a booth selling traditional rice cakes but shook his head; it wasn’t quite what he craved. Lost in thought, he wandered deeper into the throng, oblivious to the increasing energy around him as the concert began to kick off nearby. The vibrant beats and cheering crowd faded into the background as he continued his search, his mind focused solely on finding that elusive sweet treat.
Scene change
The sky begins to darken as the concert continues to the next performance. With the actors finishing up their games, earning a large roar of various emotions from the audience, the biggest performance is about to begin. Aespa, IVE and Lesserafim are about to take stage, they are all huddled up together, hands forward and on top of each other.
“Alright, girls, just like we practiced. Keep calm and stay focused,” said Karina, her voice steady and reassuring.
“Keep everything about the festival to the back of our minds and just focus on performing and giving our fans the greatest time of their life,” added Chaewon, her gaze sweeping across everyone.”
“Most importantly, try to have a bit of fun and look out for each other” Yujin chimes in, her enthusiasm infectious.
“Okay, now on the count of three,” Karina instructed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
“1…”
“2…”
“3…”
“Aespa, IVE, Le Sserafim, fighting!!!” all the girls screamed in unison, their voices ringing out with energy and camaraderie.
The atmosphere slowly shifted again as everyone slipped back into performance mode. Whatever unease had lingered backstage faded into the background, buried beneath years of training and instinct.
One by one, each group took the stage to perform their segment. Despite everything that had felt off earlier, the moment they stepped under the stage lights, they did what they always did best.
They performed.
They smiled.
They gave fanservice.
They entertained.
Fireworks burst around the stage in timed sequences, each explosion choreographed for a different act. Some of the girls flinched slightly at the sudden intensity, laughing it off as they continued performing.
Between sets, staff rushed in with bottled water labeled with their names. Managers quickly patted sweat from their necks with towels, adjusting in-ears, whispering last-minute cues before pushing them back out again.
And just like that, it was over.
Before they fully registered it, all the performers were gathered back on stage for the final segment, standing together with microphones in hand, forming a massive lineup of idols, soloists, and actors under the bright stage lights.
The MC stepped forward again, addressing the roaring crowd.
“Thank you everyone for coming tonight! What an incredible lineup we’ve had!”
Cheers erupted from the audience.
He smiled, raising his hand. “Now, for our final stage, I’d like to invite all performers to join together for one last song!”
The crowd erupted even louder.
On stage, the artists shifted into position, regrouping into their respective clusters while preparing for the final performance.
But just as the MC lifted his microphone to continue, a jagged slice in the fabric of space opens behind the MC, in between him and the artists, out came a large sharp tooth appeared and thrust through the MC dragging him upwards in the air. This caused horror for the artist, and the audience.
The slice space widens to roughly 8ft by 5ft and out comes the wielder of what seems like a naginata, with long scaly spiky arms, followed by an 8ft tall humanoid dinosaur with two short devils like horns and red skins and sharp teeth. Stepping out of the portal, it looked around with its yellows scanning at the frozen audience members on the ground. Security guards and policemen walked forward and pointed their guns at them and shot, causing the audience members and performers to fall to the ground covering their heads, though not a single bullet was able to pierce its skin.
“Filthy creatures.” grunted a deep scaly voice from the creature, before flinging his naginata causing the MC’s body to slide out the tip of the naginata flinging it to the air and knocking the policemen to the ground. Slamming his naginata on the ground beside him, 2 more dino humanoids, although smaller with different features and weapons, marched out the portal standing behind him as the portal closed.
“No one, move or you’ll all join him in death.” Said the deep scaley voice from the Red dino being
3 likes from ItzStacyyyy, kryphtot, and PinkBlood.