The roar of the crowd was still alive in the members bones as they stepped offstage, sweat glistening under the lights, confetti clinging to their hair like tiny stars. They stumbled into the green room, still catching their breath, cheeks flushed, their hearts hammering so loudly that it was all they could hear. They couldn't shake off the magical subtle they had witnessed on stage from their heads.
As they hit the chorus, shimmering symbols like ethereal seals had begun to glow faintly above the crowd, only visible to HUNTR/X. Each note they sang strengthened the seals, spreading outward, shimmering across the audience like a gentle rain of protective light.
Backstage-
Zoey (grinning, breathless): "Tell me that wasn't the coolest thing ever."
Mira burst a rare soft smile on her lips.
Mira: "You almost slipped during the spin."
Zoey (pouting): "Almost. But did you see the crowd? They were eating it up!"
Rumi leaned against the wall, hand over her chest, letting the moment sink in.
She then took a deep breath, her hand dropping, a small, sure smile forming.
Rumi (softly): "I think we're finally making it, Mom."
Zoey sat up, suddenly serious, hugging her knees.
Zoey: "Guys…you saw it too, didn't you?"
They all fell silent for a second, glancing at each other.
They all saw it—the shining glittery seal that had floated through the crowd.
Mira (nodding, quietly): "Yeah. The Honmoon was brighter than ever."
Zoey: "Do you think it protected them? The people?"
Rumi sat in front of Zoey, her eyes filled with gentle determination.
Rumi: "It did. That's why we're here."
A sudden knock on the door made them jump. Their manager, Bobby, poked his head in, eyes wide with excitement.
Bobby: "Girls! You killed it out there! Seoul's blowing up—Twitter, TikTok, you're everywhere! They're calling you the voices of a new generation."
Mira: "Let them call us what they want. We know why we're really here."
Bobby blinked, and then nodded, his phone kept buzzing non-stop.
Bobby: "Anyway, there's a ramen place down the street. Want to go celebrate? My treat!"
The three girls exchanged a look, and suddenly-
Rumi, Mira, Zoey: RAMEN!!!
All of them yelled with joy.
The moment the 'How It's Done' MV dropped, Seoul didn't sleep.
It played on shop screens, in taxis, on subways, in cafes—everywhere. Passersby caught themselves humming the chorus, children copied Zoey's iconic rap, teenagers practiced Mira's sharp moves, office workers found themselves nodding to the beat, and Rumi's final note echoed in quiet alleys.
HUNTR/X wasn't just a new girl group.
They were a storm.
Within days:
#1 on Melon, Genie, Bugs, and FLO.
Broke the fastest music show win for a rookie with their Inkigayo stage. Won numerous stages like KBS's Music Bank, MBC's Show! Music Core, Mnet's M Countdown.
Videos of their live vocals went viral, Rumi's stable high notes during a dance break shocking viewers, Zoey's bright smile lighting up fancams, and Mira's calm, powerful aura drawing everyone in.
Their challenge for "How It's Done" hit 200 million views on TikTok in two weeks.
Their dance practice video alone reached 50 million views, with comments flooding in:
"They are QUEENS born to SLAY!!!"
"How are rookies this powerful?(>o<)"
"Their synchronization is unreal w(°ｏ°)w"
But what the three young girls were anxiously waiting for was- the Idol Awards!
Every idol dreams of standing under the blinding lights of The Idol Awards.
It wasn't just another award show; it was the stage where careers solidified, where legends were crowned, and dreams found their wings.
Twenty-five rookie groups had debuted that year.
Only three made it to the Rookie of the Year nomination.
And yes—HUNTR/X was one of them!
The day the nominations were announced, Zoey burst into the dorm, breathless, holding her phone.
Zoey (screaming, stuttering):
"Ottoke? Ottoke!? (What do I do?)We-W-We-WE MADE IT!"
Mira, halfway through a bowl of instant ramen, nearly choked, eyes widening.
Mira (coughing):
"Calm down Zoey! What's with the rush?"
Zoey:
"We made it to the Idol Awards nominations list!"
Mira (dropping the ramen bowl, mouth wide open): "Seolma!?" (No way!/For real?)
Rumi looked up from her notebook, eyes widened, lips twitching upward into a rare, relieved smile and then she instantly exploded, with happiness and excitement written all over her face.
Rumi:
"Don't tell me it's real. Andwae! (No)
It can't be! No! We made it to the Idol Awards?? No no no, We ACTUALLY made it girls!!!"
Tears rolled down from all of the members eyes.
The girls screamed together, hugging so tight it hurt, falling onto the floor as their manager Bobby recorded, grinning from behind the camera as tears flowed down his cheeks.
'We performed at the Idol Awards!'-
The day of the Idol Awards show had finally arrived!
The arena roared like a living beast.
Lights swept across thousands of screaming fans, their lightsticks forming oceans of orange, violet, and blue, shimmering in waves as chants of:
"HUN-TR-X! HUN-TR-X!"
echoed like thunder under the dome.
Rumi:
"Let's slay, girls!"
Mira swallowed, nodding, voice shaking:
Mira:
"Let's do this… no regrets."
Zoey nodded brightly but a little nervousness clung onto her.
Rumi:
"Now. Together!"
All in perfect sync:
"HUNTR/X FOREVER!"
They joined hands, forming their triangle and chanted their group slogan as the backstage lift raised.
The lights cut.
A single spotlight revealed Rumi in the center, eyes closed, mic lifted.
Rumi (singing, clear and powerful):
🎶 "We're the voices you can't hide from, we're the truth in the storm…" 🎶
Mira and Zoey stepped out on opposite sides, their movements sharp, their presence undeniable.
The beat dropped, and the stage fireworks exploded!
Boom! Boom!
Rumi's high note shattered the tension, Mira's dance break had the camera zooming in, fans screaming her name, and Zoey's breathless rap anchored the stage like a lightening.
The bridge came.
All three lifted their hands, and with perfect synchronization, dropped into a split formation, then snapped up into the final pose.
Pyrotechnics exploded, confetti cannons fired, and the stage lights bathed them in silver as the performance ended.
The arena roared.
The girls stood backstage, trembling.
The MC returned, lights dimming as the crowd hushed.
"And the Rookie Artist of the Year goes to…"
Time slowed.
Zoey squeezed Mira's hand; Rumi clenched her jaw, eyes shut tight.
"…HUNTR/X!"
The crowd erupted.
Zoey screamed with joy, leaping into Mira's arms, nearly knocking her over.
Zoey (yelling):
"Heol! (OMG) I knew we would win!"
Mira's eyes widened, hands over her mouth.
Mira:
"Maldo andwae! (That's impossible!)
We… we actually…!"
Rumi stood frozen, eyes wide, staring at the stage, shaking her head in disbelief.
Rumi (softly):
"This… is real right? Someone tell me it's not a dream!!"
Mira snapped her out of it with a hug, Zoey tugged her arm.
Zoey (laughing through tears):
"Rumi, let's go get our dream!"
They climbed onto the stage, lights blinding, their fans screaming.
Rumi took the mic, wiping tears, voice trembling yet clear:
Rumi:
"Dul! Set! (Two! Three!)"
All together:
"For the world we sing!
For the light we fight
HUNTR/X- voices ignite!
Annyeonghaseyo HUNTR/X imnida! (Hello we are HUNTR/X!)"
Rumi (in tears):
"Thank you… to every fan who believed in us, who shouted our names, who held on when we were. This… this is for all of you. We promise, we'll keep fighting, singing, and standing for what's right, for every dreamer out there. Thank you so much!"
All together (in absolute harmony):
"Gamsahamnida! (Thank you)."
Zoey:
"Sarangheyo!" (I love you!)
They bowed deeply, the confetti falling around them as they held the trophy together, smiling through tears overseeing the shining seal through the immense crowd of fans.
Bobby wept backstage watching the girls claim their first big award, "That's my girlies! Mah' Girls did it!" his chin wobbled, tears blurred his view.
After the show, Bobby paced outside the broadcast station wiping his face with tissues while the interview crew were almost ready to begin. An exclusive interview with HUNTR/X by the biggest broadcasting station in Korea had been scheduled after the Idol Awards. The girls who had been resting in the agency's car, were now nowhere to be seen!The girls had disappeared!
Bobby (calling repeatedly):
"Where are you, girls?!"
Finally, Rumi picked up.
Bobby:
"Rumi? Oh God! Where are you? And the other two? You know how important this interview is for the group! Everything's set! They're asking for you girls! Wait-Don't tell me that you're all sneaking out to party again!!"
Rumi (calmly):
"Sorry, Bobby. We've got another important business to take care of. Just do whatever you can to postpone the interview and save it for some other day. I'm hanging up now. Bye Bobby!"
Bobby:
"No! Rumi, wait--!"
Click. The call was cut short.
Bobby sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, but a small, knowing smile curved his lips.
"Well okay...here we go again."
Under the flickering lights of the nearly empty downtown subway station, Zoey tied her hair back, Mira stretched her arms, and Rumi stood in the center, stretching her neck.
Zoey(grinning):
"First big win, then straight up to a demon cleanup. Iconic!"
Rumi (sighing):
"And this is the reward we get for winning the Idol Awards? Well, not bad."
Mira (sighing but smiling):
"Can't believe this is our after-party."
The world saw them as HUNTR/X, the golden rookies who swept awards, topped charts, and broke records with their unstoppable stage presence. Who had just won the Idol Awards while still in their debut era, but here they were, as their true selves.
What the world didn't know was that...
Underneath the lights, makeup, and the perfect camera smiles, they were more than just idols.
They were the 'DemonHunters.'