Chapter 1 — The Day We Debuted
The Dream Becomes Reality
"For years they dreamed of standing on a stage. None of them realized that stepping onto it would be the easiest part."
---
The alarm rang at 4:30 a.m.
For the first time in years...
None of the members complained.
Usually, Gun buried herself beneath her blanket.
Yona would ask for "five more minutes."
Nine would already be awake, knocking on everyone's doors.
But today...
Everyone was awake before the alarm.
---
Sara slowly opened her eyes.
For a few seconds, she simply stared at the ceiling of the dormitory.
She smiled.
Today.
After years beneath the forgotten warehouse.
After countless trainee evaluations.
After endless bruises and sleepless nights.
After homesickness.
After tears.
After believing in an impossible dream...
Today...
ALPhaaXX would debut.
---
The apartment was strangely quiet.
Sara walked into the kitchen.
To her surprise...
Nine was already making coffee.
"You couldn't sleep either?"
Nine laughed.
"I slept for maybe..."
"...twenty minutes."
Gun stumbled into the kitchen wearing mismatched slippers.
"I dreamed we missed our debut."
Yona immediately followed.
"I dreamed I walked onto the wrong stage."
P smiled.
"I dreamed nothing."
Gun sighed dramatically.
"Your dreams are boring."
Everyone laughed.
The nervousness became a little lighter.
---
Their manager arrived shortly after sunrise.
"Good morning."
He looked around the apartment.
"Everyone ready?"
Nine nodded confidently.
"Yes."
The manager smiled.
"Good."
"Because today your lives change."
---
The van ride to GOLD Entertainment felt unusually silent.
Normally Gun filled every journey with jokes.
Yona sang random songs.
Someone inevitably forgot something.
Today...
Everyone simply looked out the window.
Watching Seoul wake up.
Sara rested her forehead against the glass.
Three years ago...
She had arrived here carrying nothing but a guitar and a dream.
Today...
She was leaving as an artist.
---
When they arrived at the company, the lobby had transformed.
Large banners displayed the group's logo.
ALPhaaXX.
Staff members hurried through the hall carrying cameras, microphones, costumes, and stage equipment.
One employee smiled brightly.
"Congratulations on your debut!"
The words felt unreal.
Sara quietly whispered them to herself.
"We're debuting..."
---
Backstage buzzed with excitement.
Stylists adjusted outfits.
Makeup artists checked every detail.
Managers reviewed schedules.
Hairdressers hurried from room to room.
Gun looked around in amazement.
"So..."
"This is what debut feels like."
Yona blinked.
"It feels... busy."
P laughed softly.
"Very busy."
---
Sara sat quietly in front of the mirror.
For the first time...
She saw herself wearing ALPhaaXX's official debut outfit.
Black.
Silver.
Deep blue.
Elegant without being extravagant.
A stylist smiled.
"You look amazing."
Sara smiled politely.
"Thank you."
But inside...
She barely recognized herself.
---
The dressing room door opened.
The CEO of GOLD Entertainment entered.
Every member immediately stood.
The CEO smiled warmly.
"Sit."
Everyone obeyed.
He looked around the room proudly.
"I remember your audition."
Nine smiled.
"So do we."
"You've worked incredibly hard."
He folded his hands.
"But remember something."
The room became silent.
"Today is not your finish line."
"It's your starting line."
Everyone nodded.
---
The CEO looked toward Sara.
"You once said something during your audition."
Sara blinked.
"I did?"
He smiled.
"'We became a band because we were already family.'"
Sara remembered.
"I still believe that."
"So do I."
The CEO looked around at the others.
"Never lose that."
"Talent creates artists."
"Trust creates legends."
---
As he left...
Nobody spoke.
Gun quietly whispered,
"Why does every important person give speeches that make me emotional?"
Yona wiped her eyes dramatically.
"I wasn't crying."
Nine laughed.
"Liar."
---
Several hours later...
The countdown finally began.
Ten minutes before the showcase.
The members stood behind the stage curtain.
The audience slowly filled the theater.
Fans held glowing light sticks.
Journalists prepared cameras.
Industry guests whispered among themselves.
Sara peeked through a tiny opening in the curtain.
"There are so many people."
Nine gently closed the curtain.
"Don't count them."
Sara nodded.
"Right."
"Just count us."
---
The stage manager appeared.
"Five minutes."
Everyone inhaled deeply.
P quietly checked her guitar.
Gun stretched her fingers.
Yona adjusted her bass strap.
Hushh softly played silent piano chords against her leg.
Sway closed her eyes.
Yui whispered a short prayer.
T checked every cable one last time.
Nine spun her drumsticks.
Sara held the silver House Lee pendant hidden beneath her costume.
No one else could see it.
Only she knew it was there.
A quiet reminder of home.
---
At that exact moment...
Thousands of kilometers away...
Christopher Lee stood inside the old Music Room of House Lee.
He looked at his watch.
"They should be going on stage now."
Takako entered carrying tea.
She smiled softly.
"Nervous?"
Christopher laughed quietly.
"More than Sara, probably."
Takako looked toward the old guitar resting in the corner.
"Do you think she's frightened?"
Christopher smiled.
"I know she is."
"But she'll still walk onto that stage."
"That's who our daughter is."
Takako gently nodded.
"I wish we could be there."
Christopher looked toward the window.
"If we appeared..."
"...questions would follow."
"The secret would become harder to protect."
Takako sighed.
"I know."
She smiled sadly.
"So we'll cheer from here."
Together they quietly faced the morning sun.
---
Backstage in Seoul...
The stage manager returned.
"One minute."
Nobody spoke.
Sara slowly turned toward her friends.
She looked at every familiar face.
Nine.
P.
Yona.
Gun.
Hushh.
Sway.
Yui.
T.
She smiled.
"Do you remember..."
"...the warehouse?"
Nine laughed softly.
"The leaking roof."
Gun nodded.
"The broken amplifier."
Yona grinned.
"The chairs that almost collapsed."
P smiled.
"The first song."
Hushh added,
"The first promise."
Sway looked toward Sara.
"The first dream."
Yui nodded.
"The cherry tree."
T quietly raised both thumbs.
Everyone laughed.
The nervousness disappeared.
---
The stage manager smiled.
"ALPhaaXX..."
"It's time."
The nine slowly walked toward the stage.
Each step felt heavier than the last.
The lights beyond the curtain glowed brilliantly.
Thousands of voices echoed through the theater.
The introduction video began playing.
Their logo appeared across the giant screen.
The announcer's voice thundered throughout the venue.
"Ladies and gentlemen..."
"Please welcome..."
"The newest band of GOLD Entertainment..."
"ALPhaaXX!"
The curtain slowly began to rise.
Sara closed her eyes for one final second.
Then she remembered Christopher's words.
"When you hold a guitar... you smile honestly."
She opened her eyes.
She smiled.
And together...
The nine friends stepped into the light for the very first time.
The First Stage
"The lights were brighter than they had imagined. The cheers were louder than they had dreamed. Yet the greatest battle was only beginning."
---
The curtain rose.
A wave of white light flooded the stage.
For a brief moment, Sara couldn't see anything.
Only the warmth of the spotlights.
Only the sound.
Then...
The cheering reached her.
Thousands of voices.
Applause echoed throughout the showcase hall.
People held banners with the group's name.
Small homemade signs read:
"Welcome ALPhaaXX!"
"Good Luck!"
"Fighting!"
Sara smiled without realizing it.
Someone had waited for them.
Someone already believed in them.
---
Nine climbed behind the drum set.
She quietly closed her eyes.
"One beat at a time."
That was what their old instructor always said.
P adjusted her guitar strap.
Gun took one deep breath.
Yona rested her fingers against the bass strings.
Hushh smiled at the keyboard.
Sway checked her synthesizer.
Yui stretched one final time.
T gave everyone a silent thumbs-up from behind the performance console.
Sara stepped toward the center microphone.
---
The audience gradually became quiet.
The MC smiled.
"Please introduce yourselves."
Nine stepped forward.
"Hello!"
"We are..."
All nine members bowed together.
"ALPhaaXX!"
Thunderous applause followed.
---
One by one, the members introduced themselves.
"I'm Nine, the leader."
"I'm Sara."
"I'm P."
"I'm Yona."
"I'm Gun."
"I'm Hushh."
"I'm Sway."
"I'm Yui."
"And I'm T."
Every introduction received cheers.
The members exchanged relieved smiles.
---
The stage lights dimmed.
Only one spotlight remained.
Sara looked toward Nine.
Their eyes met.
Neither needed to speak.
Nine lifted her drumsticks.
The same way she had...
In the forgotten warehouse.
During trainee evaluations.
At the audition.
Nothing had changed.
Only the audience had become larger.
---
"One..."
"Two..."
"Three..."
BOOM!
The opening drumbeat exploded through the venue.
The audience immediately erupted again.
P's guitar followed with a powerful melody.
Gun joined.
Yona's bass filled the hall.
Hushh's piano created warmth beneath the guitars.
Sway's synthesizer transformed the atmosphere into something cinematic.
Yui moved gracefully across the stage.
Sara inhaled.
Then sang.
---
Her voice was stronger than ever.
Three years of training echoed in every note.
No fear.
No hesitation.
Only emotion.
The audience listened carefully.
Many had never heard ALPhaaXX before.
Within seconds...
They stopped looking at their phones.
Stopped whispering.
Stopped moving.
The music demanded their attention.
---
Backstage, several GOLD Entertainment staff quietly watched the performance.
One manager smiled.
"They've grown."
Another nodded.
"They're finally ready."
The vocal director crossed his arms proudly.
"Listen to Sara."
"I told her years ago she was holding back."
The CEO smiled.
"She isn't anymore."
---
Halfway through the song...
Gun accidentally stepped on Nine's drum cable.
The cable tugged slightly.
Nine looked up.
For a split second...
Both stared at one another.
Then Gun quietly mouthed,
"Sorry."
Nine almost laughed.
Without missing a beat...
She kept drumming.
The audience never noticed.
Afterward, Gun whispered,
"I'm buying you dinner."
Nine grinned.
"You owe me dessert too."
---
The first song ended.
The applause was even louder than before.
Sara looked across the audience.
Some fans were already singing the chorus.
Even though they had heard it only once.
Her eyes widened.
"They're..."
"...singing with us."
Yona smiled.
"We have fans."
Gun quietly pinched herself.
"Ouch."
P laughed.
"What are you doing?"
"Making sure this isn't a dream."
---
The showcase continued with interviews.
A reporter smiled.
"Congratulations on your debut."
"Thank you."
"What makes ALPhaaXX different from other bands?"
Nine looked toward Sara.
Sara smiled before answering.
"We've known one another since childhood."
"We've laughed together."
"Cried together."
"Failed together."
"And grew together."
She looked around at her members.
"Our friendship came first."
"The music followed."
The audience applauded warmly.
---
Another reporter asked,
"What is your biggest dream?"
Yona immediately answered,
"To perform around the world."
Gun smiled.
"To make people smile."
Hushh quietly added,
"To comfort someone through music."
Sway nodded.
"To write songs people remember."
Yui smiled.
"To continue growing."
T held up her notebook.
«To make unforgettable concerts.»
Finally...
The microphone reached Sara.
She paused.
"My dream..."
She looked toward her friends.
"...is that one day, someone who's feeling alone will hear one of our songs..."
"...and realize they aren't alone anymore."
The room became silent.
Then applause filled the hall once again.
---
When the showcase finally ended...
The members hurried backstage.
The moment the dressing room door closed...
Everyone collapsed.
Gun dramatically lay flat on the floor.
"I survived."
Yona laughed.
"I think my legs forgot how to work."
Nine leaned against the wall.
"We actually debuted."
No one spoke for a moment.
The words felt unbelievable.
---
Then...
Sara quietly began crying.
Not because she was sad.
Because she finally understood.
They had made it.
The warehouse.
The cherry tree.
The years as trainees.
The bleeding fingers.
The tears.
Everything had led to this day.
Nine walked over first.
Without saying anything...
She hugged Sara tightly.
One by one...
The others joined.
The dressing room became one enormous group hug.
Gun laughed through her tears.
"We're going to ruin our makeup."
Yona sniffled.
"Worth it."
Everyone laughed.
---
Just then, the door opened.
The CEO entered.
He smiled warmly.
"Congratulations."
Everyone immediately bowed.
He shook his head.
"No formalities."
"Today..."
"...you've earned this moment."
He looked around the room.
"I watched every second of your showcase."
"You exceeded expectations."
The members smiled proudly.
Then the CEO's expression became serious.
"But..."
The room immediately fell silent.
Nine whispered,
"Here it comes."
The CEO nodded.
"It does."
He smiled kindly.
"Tomorrow morning."
"Seven o'clock."
"Your first media interview."
"Eight-thirty."
"Radio appearance."
"Ten o'clock."
"Dance rehearsal."
"Noon."
"Fan signing preparation."
"Afternoon."
"Recording."
"Evening."
"Variety show rehearsal."
Gun slowly blinked.
"...Tomorrow?"
The CEO laughed.
"No."
He looked around the room.
"Starting tonight."
The smiles slowly disappeared.
Yona looked toward Sara.
Sara quietly laughed.
"I think..."
"...debut was the easy part."
Nine nodded.
"The real work starts now."
---
Late that night, after schedules finally ended, Sara stepped onto the rooftop of the company building.
The city lights stretched endlessly below.
She removed the silver House Lee pendant from beneath her shirt and looked at it quietly.
"I did it..."
she whispered.
At that exact moment, her phone vibrated.
A message.
Father
She opened it.
«Congratulations, my little musician.»
«Today, the world met Sara Lee.»
«One day, they'll understand why I was always proud of you.»
Sara smiled through tears.
She carefully held the pendant in her hand.
Then looked toward the stars above Seoul.
Far away, Christopher and Takako were looking at the same night sky.
Though separated by countries, they shared the same quiet thought.
The little girl who once hid inside the music room of House Lee had finally stepped into the light.
But for ALPhaaXX...
The stage they had dreamed about for years was no longer the destination.
It was only the first step of a much longer road.
The Beginning, Not the End
"When the lights go out, the audience goes home. The artists keep working."
---
The clock read 2:17 a.m.
The showcase had ended hours ago.
Most people believed ALPhaaXX's day was over.
It wasn't.
The nine members sat inside a company van, still wearing traces of stage makeup as they drove across Seoul.
No one had the energy to talk.
Gun leaned against the window.
"My feet..."
"...have officially retired."
Yona laughed weakly.
"I don't think mine belong to me anymore."
Even Nine looked exhausted.
The manager smiled through the rear-view mirror.
"Congratulations."
"You survived your debut."
Gun looked hopeful.
"So we get tomorrow off?"
The manager laughed.
"Not even close."
The entire van groaned dramatically.
---
When they reached the dormitory, everyone shuffled inside like sleepy children.
Shoes were kicked off near the entrance.
Instrument cases were placed against the wall.
Sara carefully set her guitar in its stand.
She gently ran her fingers across the strings.
"Thank you," she whispered.
That old guitar had been with her since the warehouse days.
It had witnessed every tear.
Every rehearsal.
Every dream.
---
Nine walked into the kitchen.
"Who's hungry?"
Every hand immediately went up.
Gun looked offended.
"That wasn't even a question."
Yona opened the refrigerator.
"...We have eggs."
P checked another shelf.
"And kimchi."
Gun sighed dramatically.
"Our debut dinner..."
"...is eggs?"
Sara laughed.
"I'll cook."
The room instantly became silent.
Nine slowly raised an eyebrow.
"Are you sure?"
Gun whispered,
"I still remember the burnt pan."
Sara folded her arms.
"I've improved."
P smiled.
"We have faith."
---
Twenty minutes later...
The apartment smelled wonderful.
Fried rice.
Kimchi.
Eggs.
Soup.
Simple food.
Nothing luxurious.
The nine members sat around the small dining table.
There were no cameras.
No reporters.
No staff.
Only family.
Before anyone picked up a spoon, Nine quietly stood.
"I want to say something."
Everyone looked at her.
She smiled.
"When we first met beneath the cherry tree..."
"...none of us imagined we'd end up here."
She looked around the table.
"Thank you."
"For trusting me as your leader."
The room became quiet.
Sara stood as well.
"No."
She smiled warmly.
"Thank you for carrying us."
One by one, everyone raised their glasses of juice.
"To ALPhaaXX."
"To ALPhaaXX."
Their glasses touched gently.
It wasn't a grand celebration.
It was perfect.
---
The following morning arrived far too quickly.
At 6:00 a.m., alarms rang again.
Gun buried herself beneath her blanket.
"I debuted yesterday."
"I deserve sleep."
Yona laughed.
"Tell that to the schedule."
Within minutes, stylists, managers, and makeup artists were waiting downstairs.
Their first radio interview began at eight.
---
The radio station was smaller than the showcase venue, but Sara's heart beat just as fast.
The host smiled brightly.
"Welcome, ALPhaaXX!"
The members greeted him enthusiastically.
"So," the host began, "how does it feel waking up as officially debuted artists?"
Gun answered first.
"Tiring."
Everyone laughed.
The host grinned.
"An honest answer!"
Yona smiled.
"We're happy."
"And very grateful."
Sara added,
"We're still learning."
"I think we'll be learning for a very long time."
The host nodded approvingly.
"A humble beginning."
---
After the interview came dance practice.
Then vocal rehearsal.
Then a photoshoot.
Then a meeting with the styling team.
Every hour brought another schedule.
Every schedule demanded energy.
Late in the afternoon, Hushh quietly rubbed her wrists.
"They're sore."
P noticed.
Without saying anything, she handed Hushh a wrist support from her own bag.
Hushh smiled.
"Thank you."
P nodded.
"We take care of each other."
---
That evening, the company held a small welcome gathering for all newly debuted artists.
Several senior performers visited to congratulate the rookies.
The room buzzed with polite greetings.
Managers reminded everyone of idol etiquette.
"Bow respectfully."
"Introduce yourselves clearly."
"Don't interrupt conversations."
"Always thank your seniors."
Nine whispered,
"So many rules."
Sara smiled.
"We'll learn."
One senior artist stopped beside them and smiled kindly.
"I watched your debut."
"You played like a real band."
The compliment surprised everyone.
After the senior walked away, Gun quietly whispered,
"I forgot how to breathe."
Yona nudged her shoulder.
"You remembered eventually."
---
Later that night, ALPhaaXX returned to the company for one final rehearsal.
Practice Room Seven waited quietly.
The same room that had become their second home.
Sara entered first.
She looked around slowly.
The mirrors.
The piano.
The microphones.
So many memories already lived within these walls.
She turned toward the others.
"Do you remember our first day here?"
Nine laughed.
"I thought I was confident."
Gun added,,
"You were pretending."
"I know."
Everyone laughed.
---
The laughter faded into comfortable silence.
Sara walked to the center of the room.
She looked at each of her friends.
"We debuted today."
Everyone nodded.
"But..."
She smiled softly.
"I don't want this to be the happiest day of our lives."
The others looked at her curiously.
"I want our happiest day..."
"...to still be waiting for us."
Nine smiled proudly.
"Then we'll keep climbing."
P nodded.
"One performance at a time."
Yona grinned.
"One meal at a time."
Gun immediately agreed.
"That too."
The room erupted into laughter again.
---
Before leaving, Sara switched off the practice room lights.
Only the moonlight remained.
She quietly looked out the window toward the glittering skyline of Seoul.
Somewhere beyond those lights...
Christopher and Takako were surely smiling.
She touched the pendant beneath her shirt.
"Thank you..."
she whispered.
Not just to her father.
Not just to Takako.
But to everyone who had believed in her when she couldn't believe in herself.
As the nine friends stepped into the hallway together, none of them realized that this ordinary evening would one day become one of their favorite memories.
Not because it was glamorous.
Not because it made headlines.
But because it was the first night they walked out of the company not as trainees...
But as ALPhaaXX.
Their debut was over.
Their journey had only just begun.
