Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Translator: Penny
Chapter 9
I scratched my ear with my pinky, thinking I might have misheard, but the CEO kindly repeated himself.
"We're a bit short on time to get a new song now, aren't we? And do you know how much that song cost? Three million won. Three million won."
The first part was just filler; the second part is what he really cares about.
The CEO's excessive emphasis on the three million won made me involuntarily grimace.
Ah, yes. You paid that much for that garbage? A song that wouldn't sell even if you begged someone to take it for 700,000 won?
You must be so proud of getting ripped off by that composer.
And now, with "Come to My Universe" buried at the bottom of the charts and barely clinging to the Top 100, instead of seizing the opportunity, you're trying to smash the oars altogether?
He irritably swept his bangs back and tossed out the words:
"You know how Come to My Universe charted, even surpassing the title track? The current trend for the song isn't bad for follow-up promotions either."
Seven years after my regression, follow-up promotions had largely died out. But now, the concept was still fresh and active.
There were definitely cases where groups had failed to gain traction with their title tracks but had blown up with their follow-up singles. I was aiming for exactly that scenario.
And thanks to Come to My Universe charting, the odds had improved even further.
"The third week starts in just three days. Can you pull it off?"
"We can shorten the initial promotions to two weeks and start follow-up promotions a week later."
"Hmm, wouldn't a week be too tight to create choreography and practice the stage performance?"
Ah, fuck, here it comes. The manual question barrage until he gets the answer he wants. I ground my teeth, remembering how thoroughly I'd been subjected to this tactic before my regression.
Should I just punch this guy, reset his Original Intent Score to zero, and regress to week one to start planning the stage?
Why does God give someone so clueless just enough luck to avoid complete ruin? If he actually failed once, he might reflect on his choices and finally wake up.
Ah, but then we'd all fail with him. Scratch that idea.
"It's not like we're talking about a mere 3 million won. We'd be throwing away an opportunity to earn several times that amount, right?"
"No, but still... I've seen how hard you guys have been working on your debut stage. It would be a waste of all that effort. If we only have ten days to prepare, who knows what the quality will be like?"
"I'll grind the members to the bone if I have to, but I'll make sure our next stage is even better than the debut one."
Growing increasingly frustrated with the circular conversation, I cut him off with a firm reply.
The CEO looked genuinely surprised. In my early days, I had always been the one to nod and agree, but now I was standing my ground, refusing to back down.
Detected: Remarks promoting discord among members.
Original Intent Score -1
Fuck, why again? What? What the hell is it this time?
Forcing my scowl to smooth out, I jerked my chin toward Seo Yehyeon.
"We already have a perfect example of my success, don't we?"
When I mentioned how I had transformed Seo Yehyeon—who had been nothing more than a handsome wooden doll when the team first formed—into a proper idol capable of performing on stage, the CEO's brow furrowed deeply.
Detected: Remarks promoting discord among members.
Original Intent Score -1
Aish, that narrow-minded jerk is chipping away at my Original Intent Score, which I barely managed to earn.
I glanced down at Seo Yehyeon's hand, clenched so tightly his fingernails were digging into his palm, and clicked my tongue.
At this point, I'm not even indignant about my Original Intent Score being reduced because of him.
"Fine, go ahead and try."
Finally, the affirmative answer I'd been waiting for. I let out a sigh of relief and smoothed out my crumpled expression. Looks like I've saved our team again.
After the internal meeting, which was neither too short nor too long, we returned to the dorm, where a heavy atmosphere had settled.
I was the first to break the silence.
"What's your problem, anyway?"
Why won't you cooperate? I'm just trying to get our team promoted to the A-list so we can end this damn regression! If you can't help, at least don't sabotage me!
My voice dripped with weariness as I said, "I'm so sick of this." Seo Yehyeon glared at me, his expression bristling with indignation.
"Are you seriously asking that?"
"Yeah, I genuinely don't know, so tell me. I'm the one who pushed Hyung's skills to this level. I'm the one who stood up to the CEO and secured the follow-up single. So why is Hyung, who's been sitting back and reaping the rewards, complaining?"
Seo Yehyeon stared at me blankly, his face stunned by my sarcasm.
"You really think... that's why I'm acting like this toward you?"
"Then what's the real reason?"
Detected: Statements promoting discord among members.
Original Intent Score -1
Goddamn it, I muttered under my breath, watching my Original Intent Score drop again. At this rate, I'll be regressing again.
"Fucking hell, you call yourself a leader? If you're going to act like this, why did you even volunteer for the position?"
"Oh, so you're jealous of the leader role? Then why didn't you say something to the CEO when he was practically praying for our team to fail today? Instead of just sitting there with your mouth shut! Who was the one who took the fall for all of us?"
"Both of you, stop it!"
Before the situation could escalate further, Gyeon Hajun stepped between us, physically separating Seo Yehyeon and me.
"Yehyeon Hyung, calm down. Eden, you need to cool off too."
I stumbled back a few steps as a rough hand shoved me, ruffling my bangs.
I'd had similar arguments with Seo Yehyeon during my first playthrough, but this time the confrontation had come sooner.
Glancing sideways, I met the anxious eyes of my two younger brothers, their pupils trembling as they watched us.
"What, you two got complaints too? If you do, spit them out right now."
"Eden."
Gyeon Hajun called my name, trying to stop me. I tore my gaze away from the two clinging to him and roughly wiped my face.
I knew I was just taking my anger out on them.
Ding-
In the heavy, frozen atmosphere, the text message rang out with an incongruous cheerfulness.
Yongcheol Hyung: Hey, Yongcheol Hyung! The crew's gathered at my studio. Wanna come?
Yongcheol Hyung: Hyeongbeom and Semin said they miss you too. It's been a while.
Perfect. I was itching to escape this godawful dorm anyway. Staying here any longer would only erode my Original Intent Score.
I sent a quick affirmative reply and strode toward the entrance.
"Where are you going?"
"You told me to cool off. I'm going out to do just that."
"Hey, Yoon Eden—!"
Slam!
The front door, its control mechanism malfunctioning, slammed shut with a deafening crash.
"Yo, Top 100!"
"Treating us to a feast today?"
"Top 100 on the charts? That's hardly a reason to celebrate..."
When I arrived at Yongcheol Hyung's studio, the hip-hop crew hyungs I'd grown close to in the underground scene greeted me warmly with cans of beer.
After a few cans, the recent incident spilled out of me like a dam bursting, as if I'd been holding back my frustration for too long.
"Wow, an idol group on the verge of disbanding just a week after their debut due to internal conflict?"
"Ah, stop teasing me already!"
Instead of sympathy, I was met with a barrage of teasing. I snapped back irritably and leaned back in my chair. Yongcheol Hyung chuckled at my reaction.
"I knew our Eden didn't care about what others thought, but this is a bit much, don't you think?"
"Exactly, man. Even if you're independent, it's still a group effort. Show some consideration for the others."
"What did I even do wrong?! You should be thanking me for stopping you from promoting that garbage song!"
"He really doesn't get it, does he?"
One of the crew members paused, can halfway to his lips, and clicked his tongue. Yongcheol Hyung, who had been propping his chin and deep in thought, finally spoke up.
"Oh, by the way, our crew's releasing a track soon."
I blinked, wondering why he'd suddenly change the subject like that. Yongcheol Hyung added, "We've already put your name on the credits."
"Huh? Me too?"
"Why? Don't you want to?"
Whether it was the alcohol or the bizarre flow of the conversation, I found it hard to keep up. Rubbing my throbbing temples, I replied gruffly.
"No, it's not that I dislike it, but shouldn't you have asked for my opinion before including me? This is a bit awkward."
"Exactly, you idiot! That's exactly the point!" Yongcheol Hyung shouted, snapping his fingers in my face.
Confused by the conversation's abrupt shift, I stared blankly at him. Yongcheol Hyung sighed and asked, "Did you... did you even ask your members for their opinions?"
"..."
"Now that you're seeing it from their perspective, you get it, right?"
By the way, I didn't actually put your name on it, Yongcheol Hyung chuckled, handing me another can of beer.
"...So you're saying they threw that whole fit just because I didn't ask for their opinion on one thing?"
"Who was the one just now insisting that their opinion should have been asked?"
Left without a response, I clamped my mouth shut.
"If we're like this already, what's it going to be like when we have to live and work together for years to come? You might be the youngest here, but you're the leader over there. You need to be more considerate."
Yongcheol Hyung ruffled my hair roughly as he added, "Seriously, is it really wrong to transfer someone from a sinking ship to a perfectly good one without asking their opinion?"
After roughly fixing my disheveled hair, I chugged down the rest of my beer and slammed the can down.
It didn't make sense to me, but I decided to postpone trying to understand it and focus on what I needed to do now.
"Hyungs, listen to this song and give me your feedback. It's our group's next single—the one that will determine our fate."
"What's with all the drama? How can one song decide your fate?"
"If this flops, we're doomed to be a flop idol group for the next three years."
With a few double-clicks of the mouse, the music blared through the studio.
"What do you think?"
Breaking the silence that followed the song's end, I asked my hyungs for their feedback.
"The verse is kinda vague, right?"
"Yeah, it's vague. It doesn't really stick in your head."
"It feels like a melody that's not fully formed, and the lyrics are just forced to fit."
Wow, that's spot-on. I mentally applauded the last comment, which perfectly captured the current state of the verse.
Seeing everyone unanimously agree that it was vague, it was clear that releasing it to the commercial market in its current state would be a disaster.
Turning my back on my hyungs, who were laughing and drinking beer, I slumped back in my chair and stared blankly at the monitor.
Dead Eyes Detected.
Original Intent Score -1
Can't they update this to only detect it in front of fans? Do I really have to lose Original Intent Score even when I'm just lost in thought alone?
I slapped my cheeks repeatedly to stay alert, my eyes gleaming as I sank into deep thought.
There wasn't enough time to compose a new verse section. This wasn't the only song I needed to work on.
System, you bastard! Shouldn't you be helping me out in situations like this? Like, say, memory extraction or something?
As if responding to my grumbling, the Status Window shimmering before me began to glow brightly.
Use Random Ticket? Yes/No
Wasn't the Random Ticket the item I received as a reward for reaching 1,000 fans?
Oh, to shove something potentially helpful right in front of my face like this must mean you're confident, right?
Whether it turns out well or not, I should just write it. I have to trust in beginner's luck.
The item 'The Someday USB' has been acquired!
Thud. The worn USB fell into my hand.
What's this? I squinted at the USB, rolling it in my palm, before plugging it into my laptop to check its contents.
The USB contained several MP3 files. As I clicked through them one by one, checking their names, I paused at one:
All Right or Night (MR)mp3 (RealTrulyLegitFinal)
It was the exact title of the song I'd been racking my brain to implement.
📝 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