Ethan's POV
"Ethan where are you?!" Jayden's voice exploded in my ear. He sounded like he was dying.
I was already sweating before the real stress even started.
Not stage-sweat. Not the cool type idols get when the spotlight hits them.
No. This was the sweat of someone about to ruin his whole career because of a god-damn traffic.
"Ethan if we can't perform today because of you, I swear….!"
I could feel the panic in his voice from miles away.
"I'm already close! Four minutes, I swear!" I shouted back, pushing through the noisy street. "Tell them to relax!"
"Relax?!" Jayden screamed. "We go on stage in THREE minutes! Do you want us to die?!"
I didn't even have time to curse. I ended the call, grabbed my backpack, and nearly fell as I ran toward the bus I was supposed to board. My lungs burned. My legs were jelly. But I couldn't slow down. Not today. Not tonight. Everything—EVERYTHING—we had worked for was on that stage.
Horizon Entertainment.
Our dream agency.
The one chance SajaBoys had after years of rehearsals, horrible part-time jobs, and sleeping in a practice room like homeless pigeons.
And I—Ethan Hale, brilliant lead vocal, Ravenwood's golden boy, future superstar—was LATE.
Because the universe hated me.
I jumped onto the curb and stretched my hand to grab the bus handle when—
Something yanked me backward so hard my soul nearly shifted out of my body.
Before I could even register what was happening—
SLAP!!!
My face SNAPPED to the side. My vision blurred. My brain went white like someone switched off the lights in my head.
"What the—?!"
I blinked, stunned, and looked at the creature that dared attack me.
She was a small girl. Small but fiery. That type of small that still manages to scare you because her eyes were blazing like she was ready to burn down the whole city.
"How dare you!" she screamed.
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. Not because I didn't know what to say—but because she slapped me so hard my ancestors were still vibrating.
"I—I don't—What?!" I finally choked.
"You hit me!" she yelled louder.
"I WHAT?!"
"You touched my butt! You pervert! You shameless boy! How dare you!"
My jaw dropped so wide I'm sure a mosquito could've flown in and rented space.
"I didn't touch your—Are you mad?!" I snapped.
A small crowd started gathering. People circled around like they bought tickets to this nonsense drama. Phones were already going up. Someone whispered, "oh my god! What a scandal!"
This had to be a joke. A dream. A prank. Something cooked by my enemies.
"Look, I don't have time for this," I said, trying to step away.
She grabbed my shirt.
Grabbed. My. Shirt.
"You're not going anywhere! You assaulted me! You hit my butt in public!"
"I didn't even see your butt!" I shouted. "I'm LATE!"
"For what?" she fired back. "To go and pervert someone else?"
Oh God.
Kill me.
Just make the ground open and swallow me because this girl was about to end my destiny.
My phone rang again. Jayden.
I reached for it, but before my fingers even touched it—
She SNATCHED the phone straight out of my hand.
"HEY!" I shouted.
"Oh! So you want to call your fellow perverts? You want backup?!"
"What backup?! Give me my phone!"
"No!"
She held it above her head and turned around dramatically like she was performing a one-woman stage show.
People were staring. People were recording. People were whispering.
Someone even said, "Is that not Ethan Hale from SajaBoys?"
My heart fell straight into my stomach.
Not today. Not today please.
But she wasn't done with her performance.
"Everyone look at his hand!" she shouted. "This boy touched me without permission! I will not allow this nonsense!"
"I DIDN'T TOUCH YOU!" I yelled back.
"So why are you shouting?! You're guilty!"
I almost ran into traffic out of frustration.
"Can we talk about this calmly?" I asked through clenched teeth.
"No!"
My phone started ringing in her hand. I saw the caller ID flash:
JAYDEN
I reached for it again.
She moved it away again.
"STOP GRABBING THINGS WITHOUT CONSENT!" she yelled.
I swear on my career, I almost fainted.
"Please," I pleaded, "just give me the phone."
"No! You're coming with me to the station!"
THE WHAT!
"The STATION?" I repeated.
"Yes," she said proudly. "For assault."
My blood pressure skyrocketed.
"I didn't assault you!" I said again. "I need to go! I have a performance!"
"You think your performance is more important than my dignity?!"
My mouth opened.
My knees gave way.
My soul said "I'm tired."
I tried once more to pull away, but she clung to my arm like she was glued there.
She was STRONG.
Like emotionally, physically, spiritually strong.
I think she was possessed by some spirit gods.
The cameras kept clicking. The crowd kept growing.
Someone shouted, "Justice for the girl!"
Oh God, they are starting a protest.
I tugged at my arm one final time.
"I'm begging you," I said. "Please. Let me go. You don't understand—"
"No. YOU don't understand! You can't touch people like that! Follow me!"
What was this girl saying?!
And why today?
Why me?
Why in front of witnesses with data and charged phones?!
AT THE BACKSTAGE
Jayden was pacing violently.
Milo praying in three languages.
Rei trying not to cry.
Then the MC's voice:
"SajaBoys, please come to the stage."
And only three of them walked out.
No lead vocal.
No center.
No Ethan Hale.
I can only imagine how they must have looked, pathetic.
The judges stared coldly, waiting.
Jayden took the mic and said something stupid like:
"Our lead singer… um… he is… delayed."
Delayed.
Like I was a package from an online delivery store during fuel scarcity.
The judges definitely didn't care about excuses.
"Do you think this is some child's play… please get off the stage," One of the judges scolded.
And just like that—
Our dream started crumbling.
While I still desperately pleased to this demon ravaged serpent that came to ruin my dreams.
"Miss, please—" I tried again.
"FOLLOW ME!" she screamed.
I snapped.
I absolutely snapped.
"No!" I yelled back. "I'm done with this! Give me my phone!"
She clutched it to her chest like I tried to steal her kidneys.
The crowd tightened around us, blocking my way. People were taking pictures like I was some zoo animal.
My frustration boiled over.
I shoved her gently aside—not even roughly—just enough to create space.
"HEY! He pushed her!" someone shouted.
Before any nonsense could escalate, I pushed through the crowd, dodged a man trying to grab me, twisted away from another person's hands, and took off running like a criminal escaping the scene.
I didn't stop.
I didn't breathe.
I didn't think.
I just sprinted. Completely gave up on finding a bus, I ran as fast as my legs could take me.
By the time I reached the auditorium, my lungs were burning, and sweat dripped down my neck.
The hall that had been full minutes ago was… half-empty.
People were already packing up cables.
Judges were stepping down from their high chairs.
Stage lights were dimming.
No.
No.
No.
I staggered backstage and burst into the dressing room.
Jayden looked up from his seat.
For one moment, he just stared.
Then—
PUNCH.
He hit me so hard my vision exploded into white stars.
"What the hell, Jayden?!" I shouted, stumbling back.
Before I could recover, Milo shot up and grabbed my shirt.
"Where were you?!" he yelled. "Where were you, Ethan?!"
Rei didn't punch me, but his eyes were red.
He whispered, "You ruined everything."
The words cut deeper than the punch.
"It wasn't my fault—" I tried.
Jayden slammed his fist on the table.
"DON'T SAY THAT! You were LATE. We were humiliated. The judges didn't wait for us. Do you understand what that means?!"
My mouth felt dry.
Milo threw his hands up. "This was our chance, Ethan! HORIZON ENTERTAINMENT! And you blew it!"
Rei wiped his eyes. "You always said this was our once in a lifetime opportunity to show the world what we can do but now this …"
Each word stabbed.
Each breath hurt.
I wanted to scream.
I wanted to explain everything.
But the shame pressed down on me like a truck.
Jayden grabbed his bag.
"I don't want to look at you right now."
He left.
Milo left.
Rei left.
The slamming door echoed like a gunshot.
And I just stood there.
Alone.
Completely alone.
My legs gave way, and I sank to the floor.
My hands shook.
My throat burned.
I felt the weight of it all crushing me.
I ruined everything.
No matter how innocent I was, no one saw that.
Not the crowd. The cameras. The internet.
And definitely not that girl.
That girl…
I shut my eyes tightly, fists clenching so hard my nails dug into my skin.
I gritted my teeth.
I didn't know who she was or where she came from.
But I made a promise right there on the cold floor of the dressing room—
I will not let this go.
Whoever that strange girl was…
She had just made an enemy out of Ethan Hale.
And I wasn't going to forget her.
Not today.
Not tomorrow.
Not ever.