Chapter 87
Chapter 87
Translator: Penny
Chapter 87
Then and now, the first of us to land a solo schedule was Reve's visual member, Seo Yehyeon.
It was a commercial for a lip tint.
Yehyeon's line from the ad, "If you want to add loveliness to your everyday life, try OO Tint," quickly devolved into a meme within Reve.
"If you want to add fullness to your everyday life, try Neoguri ramen!"
"If you want to add peace to your everyday life, tell Kim Dobin to shut up."
"If you want to add freshness and Vitamin C to your everyday life, eat Hallabong oranges, hyungs."
"If you want to add Hallabong oranges to your everyday life, the person who brought it up has to peel them."
"Sigh... Did I even need to film that commercial...?"
"If you want to add regret to your everyday life, watch the OO Tint commercial!"
Exactly like that.
At first, Seo Yehyeon had been furious about the meme, but now, having seemingly reached enlightenment, he was using it himself.
No, wait—judging by the way he clapped a hand over his mouth after saying it, it might have just become an unconscious habit from hearing it so often.
And finally, I received my first solo variety show invitation.
I would have preferred a music-related program, but unfortunately, I was invited to be a panelist on the dating advice show The Dating Guide.
The format was simple: actors would reenact submitted stories, and the panelists would watch the videos, offering solutions and advice.
"Why me, specifically? Do I really look like I know so much about romance?"
If I gave off that impression, I'm sorry to disappoint. During my teenage years, I went to an all-boys middle and high school. Before my regression, I spent three years stressed out as a flop idol group member, followed by four years juggling being both an idol and a producer, leaving me with neither the time nor the energy for romance.
And now? The System, poised to send me back to my debut day the moment I start dating, is watching with burning eyes.
I wouldn't be surprised if my Original Intent Score drops by at least 90 points. After all, it's already slapping me with Regression Penalties for mere dating rumors.
As I pondered this seriously, Ryu Jaehee, who was watching a YouTube video titled "The Dating Guide," chimed in:
"Honestly, it's more fun watching reactions from people who've never dated than listening to dating experts."
I playfully massaged his neck with a headlock-like grip, and Ryu Jaehee groaned in relief.
"Ow! Why?! Hyung, aren't you supposed to be dating music?!"
"Why else? Because you spoke the truth."
The truth that hurts.
On the day of the shoot, as I arrived at the studio and bowed politely, I spotted a familiar face. It was Cha Yeonho from Altair, the other special guest besides me.
Cha Yeonho strode toward me, a warm smile lighting up his face. "The pink hair really suits you, Eden. The color is so vibrant."
"Ah, thank you..."
Insincere response detected.
Original Intent Score -1
What am I supposed to say?
Oh, esteemed sunbae, I'm honored that you would compliment this lowly junior's hair color? Is that what counts as sincere? Huh?
Please respond with at least five characters.
Thank you. Hmm, exactly five characters.
"I really enjoyed your song. The new track is great too."
"Ah, thank you."
Following the System's advice, I replied with more than five characters. Cha Yeonho, still smiling warmly, casually remarked, "That song sounds unfamiliar to me."
"It's a new song, not a remake, so of course you're hearing it for the first time, right?" I countered, a question mark etched on my face.
Cha Yeonho let out a hollow laugh, his voice laced with subtle barbs as he asked, "Eden, are you doing this on purpose?"
"Huh?"
Was he scolding me for talking back?
His personality hasn't changed at all, Cha Yeonho.
That's why, even before the regression, even after hitting rock bottom, he couldn't snap out of it, clinging to his petty pride.
No matter how much I liked his voice, there was a limit to how much I could tolerate.
Anyway, the best way to deal with this kind of old-fashioned jerk is to pretend not to understand his jabs and just stare blankly.
It was a life lesson I'd learned while dealing with those two Jailbird Idols who had tormented us relentlessly.
Altair hadn't fallen yet, and as a senior with more experience than Reve, I couldn't confront him as I used to.
As expected, Cha Yeonho, sensing that he was being painted as the villain, withdrew without further engagement. A flicker of confusion lingered in his eyes.
Why is he suddenly making a fuss over someone else's song? Does he think I live like that Altair composer just because they do?
Muttering to myself, I took the script from a staff member and skimmed through it. My lines weren't fixed; I was simply expected to react appropriately.
This was my first time being a guest on a dating advice program, both before and after my regression. Since I'd never watched such shows before, I'd squeezed in time to watch a few episodes before the shoot.
The panelists' role was to empathize with the stories and offer solutions for improving relationships.
Our role as guests was simply to add novelty and boost viewership.
Soon, filming began.
I barely managed to maintain my composure while watching reenactments of utterly absurd stories—the kind you couldn't even use as song lyrics.
He lied about his female friend being his sister and kept seeing her. Do you really believe he lied because he was worried his girlfriend would be jealous?
If you weren't suspicious, why would you report this? Why add that "She's probably just a friend, right...? ㅠㅠ" to make people's blood boil?
So... they want us to offer solutions and advice for stories like this?
"Breaking up seems like the best option. The trust is already broken. Why would you even want to stay together?"
"Of course you should break up. This is blatant deception. Why would you go clubbing when your girlfriend is sick?"
"Break up with him. What makes him think she's obligated to cook for him? What kind of nonsense is that?"
"If he cheats once, he'll do it again and again. The first time is always the hardest. So just break up with him."
Throughout the entire shoot, I became a broken record, constantly repeating, "Break up with him." It was the only advice I could offer.
How could anyone, even a stranger, tell her to stay with a guy like that?
And the only solution for relationships like this is separation. Fuck, you don't try to fix trash.
Except for the final story, which involved cheating, Cha Yeonho, who usually offered solutions focused on improving relationships like the other panelists, turned to me with a smile and said:
"Eden, you keep telling them to break up."
"The other panelists aren't suggesting separation as an option. Shouldn't the person sharing their story have a variety of choices to consider?"
With seven years of idol experience, I smoothly deflected the comment with a sly retort, showing no sign of fluster.
Sigh, the Altair fans will probably accuse me of being insincere and having a bad attitude again.
Knowing this, I'd already prepared a lengthy explanation for why they should break up. That should at least prevent them from saying I wasn't taking the broadcast seriously.
As for the bad attitude... isn't advising them to break up better than just sitting there silently?
Still, Yeonho, if you don't want to hit rock bottom sooner, you should really tone it down.
Why do you keep poking at people's nerves like this? It's so irritating.
HIT! [Today's Dating Guide: Male Idol Possessed by Viewer's Soul.jpg] [412]
Anonymous 85: Finally, after force-feeding viewers nothing but frustration, The Dating Guide gets a refreshing dose of saida!
Anonymous 86: This is the first time I haven't felt frustrated watching this show. The panelists always try to give narratives to trashy people, telling us to understand and compromise. It's infuriating! But Eden just poured saida all over them!
Anonymous 87: His reactions were exactly like mine while watching The Dating Guide. It was hilarious! ㅋㅋㅋ
Anonymous 88: Yeonho usually avoids telling people to break up, trying to offer solutions instead. But Eden was so firm about it! He said, "Why should the letter writer have to waste time and effort when the boyfriend is the one at fault?" That really hit me hard.
Anonymous 89: "If you break up, will you regress to the beginning of your relationship? Is that why you're trying to fix him?" ㅋㅋ Please make him a permanent panelist!
Anonymous 90: That frustrated expression and clueless look were priceless! ㅋㅋ
Anonymous 91: I glanced over at my younger sibling while watching, and they had the exact same expression as the guy on screen. I couldn't stop laughing! ㅋㅋㅋ
Anonymous 92: I found it so satisfying! Why did Cha Yeonho have to give him the cold shoulder halfway through? ㅋㅋㅋ
Anonymous 93: ☞ Anonymous 92 He kept repeating "break up" like a broken record. Couldn't he just show some restraint?
Anonymous 94: ☞ Anonymous 92 Satisfying? It looked like he was being lazy and unprofessional. It made me feel worse just watching! As a sunbae, Yeonho had every right to say something.
Anonymous 95: ☞ Anonymous 92 You see that as "giving the cold shoulder"? How twisted is your worldview?
Anonymous 96: The Aquila are swarming in now. Tsk tsk. Anyone could see Yeonho was being a jerk to someone who was clearly answering sincerely.
Anonymous 97: Are the Aquila already starting to sabotage Rising? ㅋㅋㅋ
"Another rookie boy group debuting, huh?" I clicked my tongue, reading a dating news article about a mid-tier agency launching a new boy group.
Looking at their photos, I didn't recognize any of the faces. They wouldn't even be rivals on the A-list Path.
How did these guys manage to flop even after debuting with a mid-tier agency?
That's just how this industry works. With luck, even talentless acts can rise to fame. Without it, even skilled artists can fade into obscurity. And even with both luck and talent, accumulating bad karma will eventually lead to their downfall.
Does that mean I collapsed because of my own bad karma?
I chuckled bitterly, thinking of my vanished new Cheongdam-dong home, savings account, Ferrari, and studio.
A few days later, while browsing Search Quest, I stumbled upon a school bullying exposé that mentioned the rookie boy group's name again.
"This is why you shouldn't live accumulating bad karma. Tsk, tsk."
One of the members had apparently tormented someone relentlessly with his gang.
After reading the entire post, it was clear that this nineteen-year-old kid was truly vicious—absolutely vicious.
It was almost admirable how he could debut with such a mindset and confidence, after living like that.
Did he really think his past would stay buried? What made him so confident to debut?
The parts about him subtly copying choreography and framing the victim as the plagiarist, or kicking the victim's ankle hard the night before the practical exam to make him limp, made me shake my head in disbelief. But then the high school name sounded familiar...
"He went to the same school as Kim Dobin? Same age, Practical Dance Department too."
Could Kim Dobin be involved in this? His major was Urban Dance, while the whistleblower and the alleged bully's major was Breaking.
Since their majors were different and Dobin wasn't mentioned as an accomplice in the exposé, I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Even so, Kim Dobin isn't the type to bully anyone."
I had unwavering faith in our house Dobi.
After all, he looked more like someone who would be bullied than someone who would bully others. His shy personality only reinforced this impression.
Even before my regression, no Reve member had ever been embroiled in bullying scandals. Perhaps that's why I felt so reassured.
The next day, a post with a single photo shattered my peace of mind, marking the beginning of a devastating revelation.
📝 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