Z E R O(extended version)

Before we begin, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you for picking up this book. I assure you, this will be an unforgettable experience. Now, without further ado…

"What you've patiently waited for, for tens of years, can suddenly appear as an overnight success."

— Anonymous

7 years before current time.

Scene: Japan's biggest new year's eve festival.

The countdown to midnight had begun, and the Kohaku Idol Festival was ablaze with anticipation. The crowd's roar was a living thing, a beast that pulsed with excitement, as over 859,000 fans waited with bated breath for the performance of a lifetime. But amidst the sea of screaming fans, a sense of unease settled over a trio of friends, their eyes fixed on the stage with a mix of hope and trepidation.

The fans began to converse amongst themselves whilst forming groups one group in particular consisting of 3 members were talking about their favourite member,

A man who was slightly taller than the rest began with saying "my favourite is the team leader Min-seo, he's my bias no doubt about it."

The others couldn't help but nod in agreement then another one who was the smallest among the trio said in agreement "yeah Min-seo is everyone favourite ever since he made his opening debut 3 years ago he has managed to capture the hearts of all idol lovers becoming the worlds most loved idol.'

The third which was the only female among the only female among the trio added by saying "yeah he later went on to start his own idol group a yeah later and when they made their first song they topped the charts all over the world becoming the worlds most listened to song they are absolute perfection."

The first speaker which was the tallest now said with a hint of worry "They promised to give us their best performance ever today and the new years eve kohaku idol dusk till dawn festival so why are we still waiting over an hour has passed and they still haven't come out could they be nervous?"

"Maybe, it's possible they are still human after all." Said the female among the truo

"Well conversing ain't gonna do nothing let's cheer them on, let's go. One two, RYUSEI SARANGHAE(this was Korean for Ryusei, we love you)." Said the smallest among the two.

Nearby fans who heard the cheers of that one man joined in the chant and in mere minutes everyone was shouting in unison for their favourite idol group to come out and give the performance of a lifetime they promised

But behind the stage, a different scene unfolded, one that would shatter the dreams of Ryusei's fans forever. Min-soo, the leader of the group, lay lifeless, his body bathed in a pool of crimson blood, his eyes staring up at the ceiling with a frozen gaze. The air was heavy with shock and disbelief, the only sound the soft gasps of his bandmates, their world shattered in an instant.

Ji-hoon the group's youngest member couldn't stand the sight and immediately went out to go vomit, while the anticipation continued to build up regarding what to do, the cheers of the fans simply increased and that's when Kaito Matsumoto the groups main rapper decided to break the silence "why don't I take the lead, just for today at least until we figure out what to do next", 4 out of the present five agree but hye mi disagrees while calling Kaito a greedy asshole and before they know what's going on they begin fighting. Saying the idol group Ryusei had nothing going well for them was an understatement.

Among the audience cheering a boy in particular who didn't seem to be anything past the age of 10 cheered the loudest among them all till he stopped to start thinking, while thinking he wore a very grim look, one thay was very dark could leave anyone questioning what the hell he was thinking to appear so very dark looking.

Boy's P.O.V

Why aren't they out yet what could have possibly happened for them to not be out yet, it was like this 2 years ago when she died too when they killed Joo suheon also we waited in anticipation and no one came that day, this mustn't be a repeat of two years ago but what can I do I'm simply a 10 year old kid with absolutely no experience, well maybe if i.

I don't know what came over me but I suddenly began singing 'one man army' one of their many lead singles whilst hoping that something would happen but seconds turned to minutes and nothing happened but I just couldnt stop singing this was the song I sang any time I was in a bad situation it made me feel like i was in my happy place but nothing is happening, still that doesnt mean I'll stop, singing this song has never let me down.

Writers P.O.V

The idol groups manager was trying to calm the group down but they just weren't hearing it seeing as they continued their pointless squabble.

Managers POV

"Guys calm down", "I'll take care of this", "fighting will do nothing please listen" was what I shouted at the idol group but they just wouldn't listen to me, why?. I need to leave this place for some fresh air, I begin head out the backstage, it is then that Kaito Matsumoto(the groups main rapper) shouts at me "just where the hell do you think you're going", i reply "anywhere that isn't here I need some fresh air", he calls me again this time shouting even louder "tell them all how I deserve to be the lead", I ignore him and walk out, i can hear him shouting curses at me but thats the least of my problem right now.

When I'm finally outside I breathe in the fresh air around and take it all in as I say to myself 'okay yeah the worlds biggest idol was just murdered'. Will this mark the end of my career?, I honestly don't know. While thinking I bring out a cigarette and a lighter then light the cigarette with the lighter then I breathe it in and exhale out the smoke and take it all in again "yeah I'm fucked" I say out loud and now I'm smoking even though I promised my fiancée I'd stop could things really be worse than this?, what am i going to do and very soon the fans may grow tired of waiting and leave with their money, money, no not the money that's the part I hate letting go of?

Should i just let matsumoto be the lead, but hes a conplete ass and he's nowhere near as good Min-seo I'd have to be desperate to give him the lead but im afraid desperate is where i find myself right now "AH,FUCK" I shout out loud in frustration this wasnt part of the plan why did Min-seo have to die on us we're nothing without him.

I begin to grit my teeth in frustration which I discovered I do anytime I'm frustrated, "I guess matsumoto will have to do then" I say out loud as I stood up from where I was sitting and throw my cigarette to the ground and step on it with unnecessary force to channel out my frustration, if anyone was watching they'd probably tell me to chill out while asking what the cigarette did to me, but fuck it they wouldn't understand what I'm going through right now. I begin heading backstage knowing it will take me at least an hour while running to head back there, concerts were naturally crowded but over the past few years the people who come for concerts have tripled in population.

It all started about a decade ago when the music entertainment industry was at the brink of destruction collapse. In the year 2019 what trended was how a young musician died due to drug overdose and when the pandemic started what trended was the song of everyones favourite k-pop boy band at the time, the next year wasnt so bad seeing as the idol group came back stronger with an amazing song only to tell us that they would go on a hiatus for some years, it's the next year that brings tears to my heart, the next year the most viewed song had only 63,821,101 views not saying that the song wasn't good, only saying people lost interest compared to the other years, heck, even the least viewed song of 2019 103,398,734 views, yeah, that's right the year of covid 19 and drug suicides had more viewers.

Not trying to be a critic but that was when I'd say things started to change for the worse, other boy band groups did their best but it just didn't trend or wasn't as popular as the previous years.

We needed something new to draw in viewers but what could it have been and then like a reality seeming more unrealistic than the most unrealistic dream Min-seo came in and captured the attention of viewers all around the world, he topped the charts all over, it all seemed like a dream, this was what people had been waiting for for years now and they had it, instantly all the agencies knew he was it they all wanted him, he broke a record having the most listened to song in history and suddenly everyone loved Asian music again he went on to start his own idol group which he named Ryusei which only helped him and the idol entertainment industry gain more viewers, every other idol team upped their game leaving only the truly magnifucent at the top.

The idol industry was at the top of their game and earlier this year Ryusei promised to give the performance of a lifetime during the new year's kohaku idol festival, fast forward to now that he is dead literally nothing can match up to him even though he was an ass actually, he always demanded more and he had a right to buy seeing as he was the best and now we are about to give close to a million fans something which they aren't expecting.

"It's going to be a repeat of 2022 again and there's nothing I can do about it." I say in frustration.

You're probably wondering why no one is crying over his death, it's cause no one cares or rather no one is shocked, idols have been getting murdered for years now and right now the entertainment industry has taken a turn to the dark side. If anyone like me for example were to cry it'd simply be because of how much it'd affect the flow of business, if you think I'm bad for saying this you should know that right now the entertainment industry is filled with millions more like me who are now somewhat heartless or even worse.

While still walking to the backstage I see Ji-hoon coming out of one of the private toilets (which honestly I still don't understand) and then we begin walking together. While walking I ask him if there's anything he thinks we can do to lessen the obvious blow being thrown at us and he tells me he has no idea, that was it if Ji-hoon had no idea what we should do it marks the end cause he was always so optimistic and among all the members of the idol group he was the only one who wasn't an ass to me, "WE ARE SO FUCKED" I shout out in frustration and he tells me "language" I look at him in annoyance, even he doesn't know of the tragedy that awaiting us all, I deal with analysis so yeah I have a very good idea about what's to happen but he doesnt because he's simply a kid but then again I'm only about 5 years older than him he's as young as my lil bro. I really needed this to work seeing as my engagement was coming very soon "FUCK" I curse out loud again with frustration and he gives me an all so knowing look and I promise that was the last one.

While we are still walking I think again 'guess we're really doing this' I just hope things won't be as bad as I think it will be, but wait, who was the asshole who murdered Min-seo in the first place and why now, even if we go through with the concert today how exactly are we going to tell the fans that Min-seo was dead. This was just all too much for me, slowly my heartbeat increases greatly and I fall to the ground and begin gasping for breath as I look for my asthma inhaler, I panicked, once I find it I begin to put it to good use and just then I hear a voice as good as, no even better, than Min-seo singing 'one man army' one of the idol groups best song and then without hesitation I smile as I say with absolute certainty "this is it, what will be the next big thing." Ji-hoon who is helping me up is like "huh" but i stand up and imnediately begin running towards the direcrion of the angelic voice which I'm certain will be the next big thing.

Once I reach the voice, I see it's a kid who shouldn't be anything past the age of ten and I think 'kind of a let down' but this will work, how did people not notice him?, but then again I have an hyper sensitive ear for good singing, I mean that's how I found Min-seo in the first place. I approach the kid who was with a man who seemed to be his father and call the both of them backstage. When we're backstage I was still gasping for air and then I began drinking water excessively in front of the two who probably now saw me as creep.

I tell the child to follow me to a room the, one Ryusei was in and once he follows me he immediately begins to cry and I wouldn't blame him, he was now seeing Min-seo's dead body now made me wonder why the hell it hasn't been cleared up yet. I kneel with one knee towards the child and tell him "now's not the time to cry kid, crying will do nothing what you can do is let the whole world discover you so let me ask you young boy what's your name?"

"Tega, Tega castle" he says.

"Now Tega castle how'd you like to be a star?"

He gives me a bright smile while cleaning the tears still welling up around his eyes, then he says "yes" and immediately stops crying my that's one tough kid i originally thought he'd keep crying and this would mark the end of my career I mean I am asking a kid for help but hey I guess miracles do happen "okay" I say with a bit of uncertainty "lets do this but first" I pause as I shout to anyone backstage who's listening "someone clear this corpse it's really ruining the atmosphere". I give the child a preview of everything which was planned and he memorized it all in breakneck speed, this was perfect and unlike Min-seo he was still perfect with no bit of cockiness.

After ten minutes or so I introduce him to the rest of the Ryusei members who are still arguing about who should lead and immediately they see him they all wear a confused look on their faces, Kaito being the first to ask "who the fuck is this?"

I say to him "the next big thing."

"You've gotta be kidding. A kid."

"Yes a kid and I am not kidding."

"You'd have to be pretty desperate to go ahead with this, so desperate, even for you."

It is then Ji-hoon comes in running and says "unfortunately I agree with him, we'd have to be pretty desperate to go ahead with this plan of yours."

"Like I said in several minutes ago when I was stupid enough to consider making Kaito the lead well desperate is where we're in now don't you think?"

They all say along with the kid "huh" and I'm like "don't worry let's go" and I lead the kid to stag, the others stand still in a confused state then I tell at them commandingly for the first time in my career "follow him or you'll be fucked and not by me." and they all follow then just as the kids about to go on stage I yell out at him and the others groan as they know what I'm about to say seeing as I've told each and every single one of them but I still say it.

Tegas POV

While walking alongside the rest of the idol group members the strange man yells at me "hey kid" I answer "yes" he then says out loud to me "an idol's job is to sell lies" the others groan, guess they've heard it already and I will not lie it was pretty dark and he probably thought it'd scare me like it probably did to the rest but instead he is left in shock as I reply saying "I know" and every hint of sadness left me as I got ready. Someone killed Min-seo, my big bro and a couple other of my favourite idols years ago in a new year's eve concert like the one I'm in now and I won't stop till I avenge them, I'll do that by becoming popular and just when they try to kill me, I swear I'll end them.

Managers POV

I've only ever been this shocked twice in my life the first was when I found out my dad was shagging my fifth grade teacher and now, how a kid could send chills down my spine with those two simple words were beyond me but I do know that things were about to take an interesting turn.

Writers pov

The crowd was now booing seeing as they've been chanting for over an hour and nothing had happened and then it all changed as the performance began, it started with the intro and beat of the fan favourite song "keep going" and then all the members of the idol group except Min-seo came and began dancing while singing and just when the fans were expecting Min-seo to show up they received the shock of their lives as a ten year old kid showed up and began singing Min-seo's lines, for a few seconds the entire place was filled with awkward silence, this kid has managed to change the mood around as they all began chanting and cheering them on.

This kid had such an amazing voice one even better than Min-seo's he was simply amazing to watch along with his dance steps and how it aligned with the choreography was even more than amazing he left everyone in pure shock including the idol group members but they couldn't show it seeing as they were performing. This kid who no one expected to be this good had immediately upped the expectations of everyone.

That day, the idol entertainment industry was forever changed for the better and now everyone's expectation had changed from great to greater expectation.