The Next Life (?? ?? ???)

The Trainee

The building was overall unremarkable, set within a row of lots which housed stores and restaurants. The white paint on the upper portions of the outer walls was peeling off, which along with the chilly temperature of the end of October gave the establishment an air of desolation. I would've thought it was abandoned were it not for the backlights of the sign above the entrance, which read 'The White Label' in a font I recognised but couldn't name.

"We're here," Seulgi announced, stopping to face the entrance of the building.

"A music studio?" Sooyoung observed out loud.

"What kind of name is that?" Yerim jabbed.

"Probably some low level company trying to sound cool," Ildo responded.

"You said today's case would be weird?" I half-stated, half-asked.

"Right," Seulgi cleared her throat before going on her usual spiel. "Apparently, an idol trainee who was staying here overtime saw a guy appear out of thin air."

"Was probably high," Wendy commented.

"You mean he faded in?" Ildo questioned. "Like Back To The Future?"

Seulgi shrugged as she looked at her phone screen for reference. "She says one moment she was alone, the next there was a stranger in the room with her. The studio she was in had no windows and the door hadn't been opened. And then he started saying some weird shit."

"Where is he now?" Joohyun asked.

As if on cue, the frosted glass doors of the studio burst open. A man who looked barely over 20 walked out, his back facing us. He was wearing a loose fitting black T-shirt and matching sweatpants.

"I'm telling you, I have no idea how I got in there!" he yelled back into the building.

"This is your last chance to leave quietly," a firm voice responded from inside. "Leave or we will call the police."

"Like the police will do anything," Yerim muttered.

Yerim's comment caught the man's attention just as the front door swung shut in front of him. He turned around and looked directly at Yerim. The change in his expression was instant.

"Oh my gosh." the man practically had to pick his jaw off the ground.

"Um, hi?" Yerim responded, unsure of how to react.

"Red Velvet—sunbaenim?"

The seven of us fell into a series of confused stares.

"Sunbaenim?" Seulgi asked no one in particular.

"I didn't know you guys were famous," I said to Wendy.

"Neither did we."

"Do we know you?" Sooyoung asked.

"I'm a huge fan." Elation spread a wide grin across his face. "What are you guys doing here? A collab? For one of the songs on the album you guys have coming up?"

His ramblings were met with more confusion and mutters within our group.

"And you are?" Ildo asked.

The surprise in the man's face somehow grew when he noticed Ildo among the group. "Lee Joongi? You're here too?"

"Who?"

"Look, just answer the question," I stepped in before the situation got even more confusing. "Who are you, and what were you doing in there?"

As his eyes met mine, my presence elicited a very different reaction from him.

"Y/N Jackson? You know Red Velvet? And Lee Joongi?"