Prologue -D Day

2020

Sunset had peaked at its zenith, and the sky shined a blood-red orange with dark hues creeping in. It was the eve of summer in the year 2020. After 7 years of tremendous preparation, 1 million auditions, and vigorous training, JJK Records, Tokyo's most prestigious record label finalized their first official boy band. The idea to debut a new boy band came to fruition in 2013 when the boom of boy bands rose again in Japan. Before that year the interest in boy groups from Japan had declined with the Japanese audience as international groups (specifically in the States) dominated the music charts. However, a shift occurred in 2013 when a Japanese solo artist from JJK records named ZER0, debuted with his hit song ''Lost In Paradise'' which charted number 1 on the Billboard Charts and went viral worldwide. The world was now interested in new talent found in the depths of Japan, it was a new world for a new audience to discover with curiosity. The culture and spin on music were fresh and unexplored territory.

This wave of change was dubbed ''The New Gen''.

''Are you all okay with the conditions?''

Six contracts were placed on a sleek metallic table in a horizontal line, all printed and ready to sign by the six young men standing before two male figures. The six young men all were found muttering to themselves in a small circle as minutes before they had, had the time to look over the contracts. The most they did was skim through the first couple of pages as the excitement to debut was too hard to contain. Behind the two men was a huge widespread fine glass-tinted window giving a view of Tokyo at sunset. It was a Friday so traffic, city lights, fumes, and people were buzzing on the scene. The city chaos outside was a huge contrast to what was going on. The six young men were in the office of the CEO of JJK Records, being offered to sign with the company as a six-membered group. Each contract presented to the group is seven hundred and three pages long, but out of all the pages, page seven clause three point one is the most important. This page included a list typed out in thick red capitalized words that stated the following:

The Ten Unbreachable Rules

NO DATING. AS A SIGNED AND ACTIVE MEMBER OF JJK RECORDS, YOU MUST NOT DATE. THIS ALSO INCLUDES SEXUAL INTERCOURSE WITH ANYONE, ESPECIALLY A FAN. THIS IS NON-NEGOTIABLE.

ALL UNRELEASED/RELEASED WRITTEN SONGS/MATERIAL, INSTRUMENTALS, REMIXES, AND COLLABS THAT ARE RELEASED UNDER JJK RECORDS OR BY ANY SIGNED ARTIST UNDER JJK RECORDS WILL BE COPYRIGHTED TO THE COMPANY. THEREFORE 100 PERCENT OF THE RESIDUALS/ROYALTIES WILL BE SUPPLIED TO THE COMPANY

50 PERCENT OF ANY MUSIC SALES MADE FROM THIRD-PARTY BRAND DEALS WILL BE GIVEN TO JJK RECORDS

ALL SIGNED JJK RECORD ARTISTS WILL BE ASSIGNED A WORK SCHEDULE REGARDING THE YEAR. OUT OF THE 365 DAYS IN A YEAR, EACH ARTIST WILL GET 1 MONTH OFF, ZERO SICK DAYS, AND MUST WORK OVERTIME/ON WEEKENDS

THE NAME, BRAND, MUSIC, AND IDENTITY OF YOUR ASSIGNED GROUP AND GROUP MEMBERS ALL BELONG TO JJK RECORDS

A LOAN OF 300,000,000 WILL BE PAID IN ADVANCE AS A NEW ARTIST. THIS MUST BE PAID BACK A YEAR AFTER THE DEBUT THROUGH SALES.

ALL SIGNED ARTISTS UNDER JJK RECORDS CONTRACTS ARE ACTIVE FOR 7 YEARS WITH THE OPTION TO RESIGN ONCE THE 7 YEARS COMPLETE.

STRICT DIETING MUST BE INCORPORATED INTO THE EVERYDAY LIFESTYLE

STRICT DECORUM AND PROFESSIONALISM MUST BE KEPT AT WORK, PUBLIC EVENTS, CONCERTS, FANSIGNINGS, AND ALL PUBLIC APPEARANCES. NO DRINKING PUBLICALLY, NO CRIMINAL/ILLEGAL ACTIVITY SUCH AS DRUGS, GANG/YAKUZA ACTIVITY, OR USE OF GUNS/KNIVES & INAPPROPRIATE ACTIVITY SHOULD BE ENGAGED IN

IF AT ANY TIME ONE OF THESE RULES IS BREACHED THIS CONTRACT WILL BE CEASED AND VOID

''Think carefully. Once the ink is dry you'll belong to us.'' joked the older male playfully, the man looked ancient as if he had passed his life limit spotting sunken eyes that were hollow you could barely see through them, due to being cast over by thick black shadow. The elder was sat down hunched in his chair with his slender weak hands resting on the table for support. This man was named Yoshinobu Gakuganji who owned JJK Records, he was notorious in the music business for making dreams come true for up-and-coming artists. Gakuganji made stars such as platinum two-time seller Mei Mei, a ballad/soul singer who debuted last year and is now gaining international fans. Teen pop sensation Momo also busted onto the scene debuting earlier that year in 2020, but has been actively promoting in Korea & Thailand outside of Japan. Plus Gakuganji hit it big with ZER0 which gave him huge credentials for his record label to the point that American labels are looking to do business with JJK Records in a partnership.

Gakuganji smiled at the view of the six young men speaking upon themselves, despite doing so he already knew they would accept the offer. These young men were desperate to debut, it was too easy for him to know that as they wouldn't have trained for so long to debut. It made it easier for him to set his traps…

Aside from Gakuganji the other man now stood up placing a hand on his hip and waiting for an answer, in contrast to Gakuganji this man was middle-aged, presumably in his late 30s, and was bulky in stature with tanned sun-kissed skin. The man wore black thick shades of sunglasses, spotted a spiky dark brown undercut, and was clad in dark purple shiny clothing. His name is Masamichi Yaga, he is currently the CEO of JJK Records, he specifically is responsible for scouting potential trainees, all auditions that take place to select trainees, and the whole training process. He would drop trainees like flies if he believes they are too lazy, weak-minded, and fail to progress/improve. For one to make it to debut is a testimony itself, because the training period is madly chaotic and built for the Marines.

The fact that literally 10-year-olds are trainees is astonishing as it can make (lead to debut) or break (become cut after years of sacrifice to train) a person. Both sides of the coin are tainted.

''So…do we have a deal?'' Yaga spoke up, and the group split quickly after hearing Yaga's voice. The names of the six young men were as follows: Kento Nanami, Satoru Gojo, Suguru Geto, Ryomen Sukuna, Toji Zenin, and lastly Choso Kamo.

The first to get scouted and join the company as a trainee was Toji at the age of 15 years old. He originally got scouted to be a child actor under the acting division of JJK Records after a talent scout saw him and thought he would make a good child villain in a TV show. But he was a terrible actor, he could never remember his lines and later got transferred over to train after showing promising skills in rapping. By blood, Toji is a part of the Zenin Clan, one of the most prestigious families in Tokyo known for being elite in talent. Every member was exceptional in something and had built an empire. Still, Toji was VERY average and couldn't make a name or make a living for himself independently leaving him banished from his family. As a member of the Zenin Clan, Toji inherited the family's good looks with raven dark hair and spiky tussled bangs, emerald shiny tinted eyes, and a lean long muscular build, but was still seen as average to his family in terms of their standards. But Toji still had a huge share of female admirers from girls to women. He trained for 10 years, working normal odd jobs to get by while he trained watching other trainees debut before him left him bitter and filled with jealousy. Despite his hardships, Toji learned how to pull on his strengths, being born with a lot of strength in his bones and body, he used that ability to hone in on acrobatic skills. This was a skill no one else had which kept him from being cut as a trainee and eventually led to his debut at 25 years old being the oldest member.

Toji was extremely jealous of Gojo Satoru though, even though he had come to like him after training with him for some time, Gojo had trained for 6 months and was chosen to debut so fast. Gojo Satoru was the golden boy, the be-all and do-all, the Ace who could do almost everything well without much effort. Dancing, singing, performing, you name it. Like a Chameleon Gojo could copy, rinse, and repeat anything taught to him. His brain works at an advanced level and his eyes can scan and picture anything he sees just like a camera. Many things about Gojo made everyone fond of him, he dripped charisma and charm without even trying, and his undeniable aura drew whoever was around him to him like a magnet. Guys wanted to be his friend and be him, girls wanted to date him, and old women wanted their daughters to marry him for him to become their son-in-law. At 6 feet 5, with messy silver-white hair undercut, and cerulean crystal orbs of blue eyes that looked like an image of the sky trapped in time, it was very easy to fall for him or be jealous of him.

One look at his baby blue eyes and dreamy lopsided smile was enough for any girl to be under his love spell. Let's just say his rizz is insane. The world was at Gojo's fingertips and he loved it, he was ready for the fun of the music world, and choosing this life meant he was free from his family's rules. Like Toji, Gojo was from a wealthy family/clan, but he decided to pursue a music career to gain independence, so getting a shot at living the high life as a celebrity didn't hurt.

Gojo was hungry for it and would devour every part of the experience.

Nothing would bring him down.

Gojo accidentally got scouted after his best friend Suguru Geto got scouted at the mall for an audition at JJK Records. Geto had told Gojo about being scouted and was convinced by his other best friend Leiri Shoko to do the audition as she saw the huge opportunity Geto had. Geto only agreed after Shoko asked him to do it because he had a huge fat crush on her then. All 3 of them went to Geto's audition, Geto and Gojo saw it as a fun joke to kill time. But Geto passed his audition with flying colors by singing (never expecting to make it that far), and Gojo was scouted without an audition based on his looks alone. Shoko wasn't offered anything but was okay with it as she already dreamed of becoming a doctor.

Like Gojo, Geto is exceptional but his strongest traits are singing/songwriting. You see his voice brought liquid gold out of the ears of whoever heard it. His voice is sultry, breathy, and husky in tone, but the control and power over it is strong. Geto could hit high notes like nothing after months of training, his whistles were insane and his voice could go dangerously low to the point that other female trainees could not stand around the guy without falling in love. It didn't help that he had long long sleek luscious jet-black hair that he loved to tie in a bun or half bun leaving the remaining hair out. Or his attractive androgynous facial features and nose and ear piercings that set the bill. With his lax but sweet charming behavior, Geto was a genuinely nice guy to be around. Geto also trained for six months but truly fell for being a music artist once he saw how his voice moved the room whenever he sang at evaluations/in practice. From then on his dream was to move people with his voice and help others with his songs, he wanted to share his gift with the world. He like Gojo debuted at the age of 23.

Likewise, Kento Nanami shared the same conviction as Geto, using his gifts to help others in the world. Nanami got scouted in a bathroom at a dance competition where he competed and won 1st prize. At the time Nanami was going through an emo B-Boy phase after being tired of dancing at contemporary/ballet competitions and always winning 1st prize. To challenge himself he decided to learn breakdancing for fun in one week and compete, but to his dismay, he was amazing and defeated all the competition. Kento had been dancing ever since he was three years old, he would be what you classify as an abnormal dancer. The art ran through his veins, it was like breathing to him. He mastered tap, jazz, contemporary, ballet, hip-hop, alternative dance, and Afro-fusion, at the age of 13 years old, and mastered breakdancing at 19 where he became a trainee. You see Nanami could have debuted earlier but didn't because he kept leaving and returning to the company, his training period lasted for 3 years as he took many hiatuses to find his true purpose in life.

Other trainees didn't have this luxury but Nanami was given the grace because he was simply too good of a dancer to let go. JJK Records even had plans to debut him as a soloist, as he also is an amazing singer but he turned them down because he was still searching to see if dance was his true purpose. Nanami even had a normal job for a while as a stockbroker but found no purpose in that and left. His reason for returning to train at JJK Records was that he danced to cheer up a sad girl at a bakery after she was having a bad day. His dance lifted her mood completely and the light in her eyes returned, that hopeful look she gave was something he drew out with his dancing, and from there on Nanami knew his purpose.

When dancing Nanami's body flowed like water, moving slowly and smoothly like a pouring stream of water at the riverside. Peaceful and serene. But then he would bring up the tide of the water and go hard with a splash, leaving the audience quenched with thirst for more. Girls couldn't get enough of him. You could not take your eyes off of him. His hips were a danger zone because the way he could move them was unhuman-like. He was incredible. Nanami's biracial heritage was also another insight that drew him admirers from many female trainees, he is Japanese and Danish and the perfect blend of the two. With a rich champagne blond undercut neatly parted and styled, stunning cheekbones sharp enough to cut glass, a tall build and defined long jawline, warm chocolate brown eyes, and creamy beige skin, you'd think he'd be a model on the page of Vogue (he also declined the chance to model for them years ago). The humble, caring, and honest character traits of Nanami are something Yaga couldn't let go of regarding this group. He cared for other trainees and was often one to help out a trainee if they were stuck, his best friend Haibara was cut and that devastated him but Nanami told Haibara he would debut for him. Nanami debuted at 22.

The last two members Ryomen Sukuna and Choso Kamo debuted under sad circumstances. Sukuna lived the ghetto life, he was born in the slums of Japan and was involved with the Yakuza from the age of 10 years old. He committed crimes like stealing money from stores, participating in drivebys, and selling drugs on the corners of the streets at night. Despite his struggles, Sukuna would rap to escape it and taught himself how to do so by watching old-school rappers such as 50 Cent, Nas, Tupac, and Notorious B.I.G. He even learned English from studying their videos and watching their interviews over and over again. Rapping and MCing were something that Sukuna could do to express himself and the hardships he was facing, he was a lyricist who could play on words well and could rap extremely fast.

JJK Records came across Sukuna after hearing a mix tape of his on an underground radio station, as soon as the company was aware of him they searched to find his whereabouts and asked him to train with the offer of being in the company's boyband. His position was already secured, and Sukuna accepted with the hopes of becoming a rapper/MC who could be respected internationally. He was scouted at 20 years old and trained for 4 years. The company needed someone who had a gruff, hard exterior, someone who could bring the smoke, and Sukuna had that. He's crazy, unpredictable, and deadly you never know what he's thinking and will bring the fire. His hot pink hair, face tattoos, bulky body, handsome face, and somewhat sadistic character brought a darker edge to the group. He had many female admirers too like the others because of the list mentioned before, and he would often flirt with them despite not being allowed to. Sukuna debuted at 24.

Choso Kamo is the boy lolita type, a little dim-witted, shy, and innocent and he is the youngest of the bunch. Choso trained for 2 years and was scouted at the age of 16 years old. Before becoming a trainee he was living in a foster home with his other friends who he took as siblings. When it came to talent Choso could sing well, his voice was great for harmonies and blending with other voices. His talent lay in his voice being used as an instrument to amplify and invoke a feeling/vibe. He was the only member who knew of JJK Records before auditioning and attended an audition of his own free will. Choso barely passed his audition due to his huge stage fright but spent 2 years overcoming that. However, he still comes off as shy and unsure of himself but tries his best. Yaga decided to debut Choso because he believed his talent for harmonies with any other voice/vocal was needed for the group. In addition, Choso also carries a cute, meek relatable persona which would be easy for the audience to relate to and crush over. Choso was adorkable, he wore sweaters and jeans that were too big for him and tied his black spiky hair with two puffs. His talking voice was sweet and earnest, and his pale shiny skin, toothy smile, luminous violet eyes, and purple eye shadow made him look like a cute luscious vampire. He is too cute for his good but when he gets serious another mature sexy side of him comes out.

Choso won the popular junior trainee award after 1 month of training, and most of the votes were from junior trainee fangirls.

All six members had spent time training together and forming a genuine bond despite fighting at times. They had hoped to debut together because they all got along. Despite Toji's secret jealousy of Gojo, he did respect his talent and drive to show up and work. Everyone loved Nanami's leadership Geto's support, and Sukuna's will to stick up for others especially when it came to Choso who got bullied by other trainees. But from now on the group's relationship would be truly tested. Once they debuted there was no going back.

''Yes, Yaga. We've all talked it through since we got the news. We've taken a little time to look at the contracts but we trust we are in good hands.'' Nanami spoke kindly, Gojo brushed past the group and went up to Yaga leaning his hands on the table before the contracts. Gojo groaned like a kid in the candy store, his patience was running thin.

''We've gotten all of the formalities out of the way now. Let's sign and move on to the good stuff.'' Gojo groaned now bouncing up and down like a manchild. Geto shook his head and Nanami laughed in agreement. They both knew Gojo couldn't contain his excitement.

''What I wanna know is what our group name is gonna be, it better not be cringy or some crap like that.'' Sukuna deadpanned shoving his hands in the pockets of his camo pants.

''It's not gonna be cringy, if so we'll just force them to change it.'' Toji chimed now stretching his arms and legs as all the other members laughed, before he and the other members went to sign their contracts.

Choso signed his contract slowly with a small smile on his face, ''I can finally get my siblings and me out, we can have a better life.'' he whispered sadly, Geto placed a warm hand on Choso's shoulder as a sign of comfort.

''You should be proud of yourself Choso. And don't worry you and your siblings will be fine.'' Geto reassured Choso

''You did good kid,'' Sukuna says giving Choso a small punch on the arm, before Gojo whines and groans again loudly slouching down his body for dramatic effect. ''Stop with the waterworks already, we should be celebrating we just got signed,'' he whines

All the contracts are signed and Yaga takes them off the table as Gakuganji stands up to leave the room bidding the group a small wave on his way out. Yaga then turns his back towards the group with his hands behind a serious feel to the atmosphere.

''Congratulations to you all. You've worked hard. Celebrate if you must, but that will only be for a short while. All 6 of you have a lot of work ahead of you. Once you debut everything will change, but you must stay grounded'' Yaga started ''But first things first. I will reveal to you the group name.''

Finally, Gojo thought to himself as he could see his friends look up in anticipation to hear what it was, the name of this group would be its trademark to the world. It had to be catchy and work well with the public. If not the group won't hit well with the public and Gojo would have to kiss goodbye to his independence and chance at the high life.

''So what is it Yaga we don't have all day?'' Gojo yelled

''Watch it Satoru…Anyway…All six of you will debut next year. The name of your group will be…..''

—-

Late 2020

Iori Utahime sat in her bedroom faced with an old Mac laptop in front of her, the room was very small and cramped, there was only enough space for a bed and mini wardrobe. Plain and bland were the words to explain how the room looked, it was grey and beige with minimal decoration or color. That's the kind of person Utahime was, she didn't care about the vanities of the world, what mattered to her was the important things, the little things.

The only thing she cared about was her little dream. The dream wasn't much but she just wanted to play baseball as an official athlete in the women's league. At age 11 she fell in love with the sport after watching a group of teens play baseball at her school, how they all worked as a team and achieved victory as a unit. Utahime was often alone and isolated from others as a child, her interests often didn't align with the other girls her age. She was into baseball, rock climbing, cartoons cosplay, and geeky stuff, while every other girl was growing up, being in love, and starting their life as a young woman. Boys saw her as weird for not being girly enough, they also judged her for the huge scar she has on the aww bridge of her nose, calling her names.

She wasn't an attractive girl in her eyes, just a bland one.

That was okay with her, she was content with that.

Utahime's dream to compete in baseball professional was on the verge of a breakthrough, she worked hard at practicing in the batter position and was good enough to eventually be scouted by the women's Tokyo team for training. However, due to financial issues, Utahime couldn't afford to pay the fees and had to help out her family with the bills. She came from a poor family and times had gotten much harder since her dad got ill, therefore more financial burden fell on her. To help with the burden Iori left her baseball training behind to get a normal office job, it paid okay but it was a temporary role and now she desperately needed a new job.

The laptop screen was on the Indeed job search website, numerous jobs had been applied to but Utahime just kept scrolling applying for any job she felt suitable for.

A buzzing sound came from Utahime's jeans pocket, it was her phone ringing, and in quick haste, she answered.

''Hello, this is Iori Utahime. May I know who's speaking?'' Utahime spoke in a professional relaxed tone

The call was from the Human Resources & Administration Team of JJK Records, Utahime had interviewed for a position as a Personal Assistant and had not heard anything in 3 weeks. The interview went well so she was hoping she'd get the job.

''Thank you Iori Utahime for taking the time to attend the interview for this position. We are truly amazed at your credentials and skills. Congratulations, we would like to offer you the role of Personal Assitant. Please let us know if you'd accept this offer.'' said the voice from the other side of the phone.

Utahime stood up slowly, gave herself a small congratulatory pat on the back, and gave a small smile before answering.

''Thank you, Nitta, I'd be delighted to take the offer.''