Taken by the Mafia ✧⁠*⁠。

Episode 3

Santa was the first to stir that morning, blinking his eyes open as the soft light of dawn crept into the dorm. He lay there for a moment, the quiet of the early hour wrapping around him, before deciding to get up. Slipping out of bed, he padded to the bathroom for a shower, letting the warm water clear the remnants of sleep from his mind. He dressed in his usual dance outfit—a simple t-shirt and sweatpants—ready for another day of practice. The Fanmeeting was coming up, and they needed every second to perfect their performance.

Once ready, Santa made his way to Hyunwoo’s room, knocking softly before pushing the door open. Their leader was still curled under his blankets, but Santa knew he couldn’t let him sleep any longer. "Hyung, wake up," Santa whispered, giving Hyunwoo’s shoulder a gentle shake. Hyunwoo groaned but opened his eyes, stretching out slowly as Santa smiled. "We have to get ready."

Next was Gyumin. Santa knocked lightly on his door before stepping inside, shaking him awake. Gyumin groaned loudly, throwing an arm over his eyes. "Five more minutes," he mumbled. But Santa shook his head. "We can’t be late. Let’s go," he urged, tugging the blanket off his friend. After some grumbling, Gyumin got up.

Santa repeated the process with Daniel and Riki, ensuring all his groupmates were awake before heading to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. It wasn’t anything fancy—just some toast, eggs, and rice. But it was enough to get them through the morning practice. As the others emerged, freshly showered and dressed in their own dance outfits, they sat around the small table, eating quietly. There was a certain camaraderie in these moments, shared in silence, as they readied themselves for another intense day of rehearsing.

After breakfast, the group made their way to the company. Once inside their practice room, Hyunwoo directed them to start with their usual stretches, loosening up their muscles before jumping into the choreography. The air was thick with focus as they began to run through their routine, each movement sharp, in sync, and precise. They had practiced this dance a hundred times, but it still needed refinement. They all wanted the Fanmeeting to be perfect.

Just as they hit the halfway point of their rehearsal, the door swung open, and Mr. Kim stepped in. The boys immediately stopped, turning to face him and bowing in greeting. "Good morning, Mr. Kim," they all chorused. He smiled at them, though there was a weight behind it.

"I see you’re all working hard," Mr. Kim said, glancing around the room. "That’s good."

Daniel, ever the curious one, stepped forward. "What’s going on, Mr. Kim? You don’t usually come to our practices."

Mr. Kim took a deep breath, his expression turning more serious. "I wanted to talk to you all about something important."

The room grew quiet, tension filling the air. Riki shifted nervously, sensing something was off. "What is it?" he asked softly, his voice tinged with worry.

Mr. Kim sighed, looking at the floor for a moment before meeting their eyes again. "I’m afraid the upcoming Fanmeeting will be your last. After that, the group will disband."

The words hung in the air like a punch to the gut. For a moment, no one moved. No one spoke. It was as if time had stopped. Riki’s eyes immediately filled with tears. "What? Why?" he asked, his voice trembling.

Mr. Kim looked pained but resolute. "I know this is hard to hear, but the company simply doesn’t have the resources to keep supporting the group. We’ve done everything we can, but… it’s just not enough. The budget is tight, and we’re struggling to break even with the costs of promotions, choreography, and your living expenses. We’ve invested as much as we can, but the returns haven’t been what we hoped."

Gyumin clenched his fists, looking down at the floor. "I can’t believe it…" he muttered under his breath. Hyunwoo, usually the steady rock of the group, looked shaken. "So… we’re really going to disband?" he asked quietly.