Chapter 22
Chapter 22
Translator: Penny
Chapter 22
Seo Yehyeon waved his hand dismissively, deliberately drawing out the tension.
"What? Seriously, no one else has any ideas? Then next person to suggest something."
Geez, he's so impatient.
"High school house party."
My casually tossed suggestion drew positive reactions.
"Oh, that's not bad! Since it's high school, we could even push for a refreshing concept."
"Yeah, that's good. It'd be great for the music video and stage concept too."
"As expected, the original creator should be the one making the suggestions..."
Kim Dobin, who had been silently disagreeing, flinched violently and nodded frantically as soon as our eyes met.
What's with him? Should I really drag him to the agency and get this sorted out once and for all?
"But aren't Dobin Hyung and I the only actual teenagers here?"
"If we're going there, why did you suggest a club concept for minors?"
With a single remark, I effortlessly silenced Ryu Jaehee's smugness and steered the meeting back on track.
Using Gyeon Hajun's laptop, we reviewed various references: high school movies, idol music videos with teen concepts, and pop music videos. As we discussed and compiled our ideas, the basic framework began to take shape.
"So, should we organize this and present it at the concept meeting?"
"Let's make a PowerPoint. The CEO won't be convinced by words alone."
"A PowerPoint?"
"Just compile our ideas and the references we found. It's not that much work."
"Oh, Hyung, are you going to do it?"
"What the hell... are you talking about?"
I raised an eyebrow at Ryu Jaehee, who was already clapping as if he'd assumed I'd be doing it.
"After all this experience, do you think I'd be doing that?"
Detected: Remarks that may incite discord among members.
Original Intent Score -1
"Saying that is a bit much, don't you think? Let's settle this fairly with rock-paper-scissors."
Another point deducted from my Original Intent Score. I quickly changed the subject.
My body ached, and my heart ached even more. When would I finally stop seeing those "discord-inciting" warnings?
Don't throw, you lose! Rock-paper-scissors!
As soon as the loud chant ended, I threw my fist. Still clenching my fist, I cheered.
"Yes!"
The others had all thrown scissors.
I leaned back comfortably on the mattress, watching the fierce battle unfold across the room like a spectator at a street fight.
The final loser of rock-paper-scissors was Kim Dobin.
Staring blankly at his paper-throwing hand, Kim Dobin muttered with a dazed expression, "How do you even make a PPT?"
"Hmm, make it as eye-catching as possible...?"
I haven't made one since my first year of high school, so I wouldn't know. The person who needs to make it will figure it out.
"Since we don't know when the concept meeting will be, finish it by tomorrow at the latest."
Worried that it sounded too bossy, I added, "Good luck."
Detected: Statement promoting discord among members.
Original Intent Score -1
Damn it. Even when I try to encourage them, they still act up.
Gyeon Hajun, who had willingly lent me his laptop for the PPT, and I returned to our room.
Seo Yehyeon, who had gotten back first, was sprawled out comfortably with a face mask on.
The moment I lay down on the bed, my stomach rumbled loudly, reminding me I was hungry. I smacked my lips.
"Jun-a, aren't you hungry? Should we grab a bag of chips?"
The reply came not from Gyeon Hajun, but from Seo Yehyeon.
"Don't eat anything. Just go to sleep. What kind of snacks are you even thinking about at this hour?"
"Ah, Hyung, you don't have to eat any. Problem solved."
"Am I a mouth or a snout? You think I won't want any if you're munching away next to me?"
Who cares? Just suck it up and resist, the words nearly slipped out, but I swallowed them down for the sake of my precious Original Intent Score.
"Besides, eating this late will make you gain weight. Do you even realize you're an idol?"
"It's fine. Growing phase, growing phase."
"Growing phase, my ass."
"Ah, I heard guys keep growing even after they turn twenty."
I brushed off his retort and casually strolled into the kitchen, where the old refrigerator stood.
I yanked open the freezer door and was met with a sight of only bottled water and a few side dish containers rolling around.
The Banana Kick snacks I'd put in the freezer after hearing they taste better frozen were gone.
Just a few hours earlier, the snacks had been neatly stacked in a corner of the freezer.
Seo Yehyeon wouldn't have eaten them after 6 PM, and Gyeon Hajun had been with me the whole time.
That left only one possible culprit...
I immediately barged into Ryu Jaehee and Kim Dobin's rooms.
"Wow, you're really loading up on sugar."
"Hyung, are you sure it's okay to eat these without asking?" Ryu Jaehee asked, picking up a snack.
I replied casually, "Of course not."
The voices from the doorway made the two boys freeze, their hands hovering halfway to their mouths.
"Is it good?" I asked, a crooked smile playing on my lips.
Ryu Jaehee, who had been hastily stuffing chips into his mouth, shook his head.
Kim Dobin, still dazed, nodded blankly with a chip stuck between his teeth until the youngest member nudged him, prompting him to shake his head frantically.
It would have been embarrassing for me to scold them over a single bag of chips, so I decided to outsource the task to someone who could do it more effectively.
"Yehyeon Hyung! They're eating chips at this hour?"
"What?! I thought Yoon Eden was the only lunatic who'd eat chips at this time!"
Seo Yehyeon charged in the moment my shout ended.
"Guys, are you really eating that at this hour? Can't you see the calorie count on the nutrition label? If you ate a bowl of rice at this time, people would call you crazy, but you're happily munching on snacks with even more calories than a bowl of rice, huh?"
Damn, he's got flow. If he rapped like this during recording, we'd have nailed it in one take, right?
I watched the youngest members, their faces pale and gaunt, push the snack bags aside. Seo Yehyeon stood before them, ranting about checking the calorie count. With that final image in my mind, I turned away with a refreshed expression.
Is this what they mean by "getting something done without lifting a finger"?
"Seriously, he's relentless. If he's this intense even during our downtime, how much will he push us during our comeback?"
Lying on the mattress, I clicked my tongue as the nagging flowed in through the wide-open door.
"We don't know when our next schedule will be. Yehyeon Hyung's right—we need to keep taking care of ourselves."
"Yeah, I wonder if we'll get any solo variety show appearances or photoshoots? Did we get famous too ambiguously for that kind of work?"
Gyeon Hajun chuckled at the slightly sarcastic joke.
"Still, it's not as bad as we thought, right?"
"True, at least we avoided becoming a flop idol group."
I wish they knew how much I contributed to that, even if I don't say it.
"When do you think we'll make our comeback?"
"It's September now, so if we take our time planning, probably around January."
Before my regression, I remembered making a comeback at the beginning of the year, so unless there were any major changes, it would likely be January again.
Wait a minute. Before my regression, the beginning of the year...
Fuck! They fucked up our debut date and now they've fucked up our comeback date too!
Why did I say that before my regression...?
A wave of cold dread washed over me, and I bit my lip. It must have been something truly awful.
Seo Yehyeon returned to the room, still wearing his face mask, a smug smile on his face. He must have thoroughly tormented the youngest members to his satisfaction.
As soon as the lights went out, the room was plunged into darkness.
The clock struck midnight, marking the start of Monday, and the now-familiar Status Window unfolded.
☀ Initiating Weekly Quest settlement.
All quests completed. Additional Original Intent Score 3 awarded.
Original Intent Score 80 achieved. Item Selection Ticket usage restriction lifted.
Finally, I'd met the condition of reaching an Original Intent Score of 80 or higher.
You have no idea how much I suffered, enduring all sorts of tedious tasks just to raise it to 80.
You've even completed all the Weekly Quests!
This damn Original Intent Score keeps fluctuating—up one moment, down the next. Am I some kind of Sisyphus, forever rolling a boulder uphill?
It strikes me again: the youngest member, who consistently completed all these tasks without claiming a single reward, was truly a remarkable madman.
Raising the Original Intent Score is difficult, but losing it is easy. I decided to use the Item Selection Ticket quickly, before it dropped below 80 again.
The Original Intent Score could drop in just a minute, right?
Use Item Selection Ticket? Yes/No
Upon selecting "Yes," four windows popped up:
Item 1: 100 Ways to Win an Argument
Description: Grants dazzling verbal dexterity to bewilder opponents.
Restriction: 3 hours / 1 use
Item 2: Penalty Exemption Ticket
Description: Eliminates penalties for failing to complete Weekly Quests and Sudden Quests.
Restriction: 1 use
Item 3: God of Sports
Description: Maximizes physical stamina, athletic reflexes, and performance capabilities across all sports.
Restriction: 1 day / 1 use
Item 4: Monthly Music Charts (Top 100)
Description: Grants access to monthly music charts from the seven years prior to regression.
Restriction: Only one item can be selected.
Wow, not a single dud in the bunch.
100 Ways to Win Any Argument will be a huge help at tomorrow's concept meeting.
The Penalty Exemption Ticket speaks for itself.
God of Sports is perfect for stealing the show at ISAC (Idol Star Athletics Championships) and even snagging MVP.
And finally, the Monthly Music Charts from the 7 Years Before Regression.
Seven years before regression is the future from my current perspective.
This item lets me avoid fierce comeback battles and gauge the best times to exploit empty slots in the charts.
Right now, with the concept meeting looming, Item 1 is the most urgent. But for some reason, my eyes keep drifting back to Item 4.
Ten seconds remaining to make your selection.
10, 9, 8, 7...
What the hell is this time limit?
With the countdown ticking down rapidly, I chose option 4.
Since I had already been eyeing this item, I didn't regret my choice, even though I still felt a lingering attachment to item 1.
I immediately selected the chart for January of the following year, the month Reve was expected to make their comeback.
As soon as the chart appeared, memories flooded back, and I tore at my hair, shouting, "January won't work!"
Seo Yehyeon, who had been tossing and turning, grumbled sleepily and irritably, "Let's just get some sleep!"
Now is not the time to sleep! Why am I the only one getting worked up about this? Again!
On the day of the concept meeting, Kim Dobin, brimming with confidence, tossed a USB drive to Ryu Jaehee. Jaehee, wearing round glasses as if he'd volunteered to present, snatched the drive. I let out a short sigh.
With the PowerPoint presentation ready, everyone seemed utterly carefree. Only I, burdened with another worry, remained gloomy.
Should I have chosen Item 1...?
Music was my forte, but I couldn't figure out how to persuade them about the comeback schedule.
"So, Korea's still stuck on shamanism, huh?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
I shook my head, dismissing the CEO's usual rambling about the multiverse concept. "Never mind."
But seriously, what's with this detective concept of chasing a murderer across time and space, refusing to let go of an unsolved murder from a party?
📝 Translator’s Note:
You may notice that certain lines or phrases in this novel appear both in their original Korean (or Hanja) form and in English translation.
This is intentional — these phrases are classical idioms, divine titles, or poetic expressions that carry layered meanings.
To preserve their original tone and authenticity, the raw text has been kept for reference, while the English interpretation is provided right before or after it. This helps convey both the literal and cultural nuance of the original work.
but if you guys dont want tha raw for future chapters or my future other novels u can just text me on discord and say so discord name Mr.Penny