Chapter 15: Keywords (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 15: Keywords (1)
I used to think that pulling an all-nighter at my age was impossible unless I had a shitload of work to do.
I was wrong.
It turns out humans can do anything when their backs are against the wall. Thanks to that, I greeted the morning with my eyes wide open.
It was daunting enough having my memories erased, but having my mouth gagged on top of that made me feel like my hands and feet were tied.
The biggest problem is that I don't know exactly where the line for "direct information" is drawn.
Such subjective phrasing was dangerous. It was like digging traps all over the place and praying that I’d trip into one.
Pessimistic about my bleak future, I struggled to drag myself out of bed. Even if I’d been forced to sign a non-disclosure agreement, I still had to work.
That was the fate of an office worker.
"Did I really fall asleep while working overtime just to end up like this...?"
I muttered to myself without thinking, and Choi Je-ho and Lee Cheong-hyeon shot me looks of pure discomfort.
Ignoring them, I stepped out of the room. Just then, Jeong Seong-bin was coming out into the living room.
Our eyes met, and he walked over to ask, "Did you not sleep well last night?"
"A little."
Jeong Seong-bin hesitated for a moment, then leaned in and whispered in my ear.
"Hyung."
"What?"
"Did you stay up all night because you were busy seeing the future?"
"What?"
I looked back at him in disgust, only to find his face brimming with mischief. His attempt to hold back laughter out of "consideration" for me only made me feel more humiliated.
When I told him to just go ahead and laugh, he didn't hold back.
Are you happy now?
Well, if you're laughing, I guess I'm happy too. Just don't you dare mention quitting as a trainee ever again.
"Iwol, did you say you wanted to talk for a second?"
As soon as I arrived at UA, the manager called me over. It was thanks to the meeting request I’d put in yesterday.
I had only one piece of business: the smartphone issue.
As a 2G phone owner, the only way I could get information from the outside world was by sneaking off to a PC bang in the early morning or rotating through the spare phones kept at the dorm.
I always used incognito tabs on the spare phones, but my heart raced every time I worried someone might suddenly shout, "Who searched 'I see weird things in front of my eyes' on this phone?"
So, I’d tried to get a budget phone under my own name, but unfortunately, UA didn't allow trainees to use cell phones.
They’d probably only let me slide for a month because I had a 2G phone. This company really had a soft spot in the most useless places.
However, what I wanted wasn't to have my phone confiscated or to keep using a 2G phone; I wanted a smartphone.
Since I’d been dropped into the past with my memories wiped, I needed to at least secure access to information.
As expected, the manager's reaction to my request wasn't exactly positive.
"That's not possible. We agreed that none of the kids would have personal phones until debut."
"Yes, I'm aware."
Actually, you guys didn't let Spark use phones for a year even after they debuted.
Are you really trying to gloss over such a crucial issue?
Whether my hostility was simmering or not, the manager remained firm.
"It's not out of malice. The company needs to manage you guys, so I hope you can understand that much."
I thought it was excessively old-fashioned, but I kept quiet for now. Even if I said, "Spark never caused any trouble with their phones," who would believe me?
"Iwol, you haven't been preparing to be an idol for long, so you might not know, but a single post uploaded by mistake can come back to haunt you as a huge problem later. The company is just trying to prevent that."
"I understand. But manager, could you please just listen to why I need a phone and consider it once?"
I showed respect for the company policy and indicated I would follow whatever the outcome was, but I humbly requested the right to speak.
If you clearly acknowledge that the decision-making power lies with the company, most people—unless they're someone like Department Head Nam—will at least let you state your case.
Fortunately, the manager was kind enough to give me some time.
"I'm not sure if I mentioned this when I joined, but I'm not on good terms with my parents, so I've been living independently."
"Yeah, I heard that from the management team."
That makes things faster, then.
My situation—where my guardians moved house and cut off contact without a word—was far worse than that of the other trainees.
Trainees needed money for things beyond what the company covered. Even if it was just to buy shoes or medicine.
"I asked because I thought I'd need a smartphone to manage my living expenses or look for part-time jobs. Would it be too difficult to let me check it just once a day?"
The practice schedule was far too tight to go to an ATM every day just to check my card or bank balance. The manager agreed with that point.
"You're going to work part-time too?"
"If I can find something I can do outside of practice hours. Oh, of course, I'm only planning to do that after I've mastered all the basics."
To reassure the manager, I strongly emphasized that I had no intention of slacking off for the time being.
However, the manager's worries didn't end there.
"I heard you're always the last one to leave. The other kids told me. Will you have the stamina for it?"
"Stamina is the only thing I have. I'll be fine."
Honestly, I had no doubt that Hanpyeong Industry had hired me based on my stamina alone. That's why they worked me like a dog without a break.
While I was lost in thought, the manager pondered for a moment before speaking.
"I'll discuss letting you check it once a day. It might not happen, so don't get your hopes up, okay? And talk to me first before you start any part-time job."
"Yes, thank you."
"Sure. Work hard at practice!"
The manager patted me on the back a couple of times and left. With that, the immediate tasks I had to handle were somewhat settled.
I was worried that my sister might try to contact me and I wouldn't be able to answer right away, but...
From her perspective, she probably wouldn't be thrilled to be connected to a younger brother who couldn't even earn his own keep yet.
Aside from looking into how she was doing on my end, I decided it was best not to advertise that I was here, so I stayed quiet.
Feeling refreshed, I was heading to the practice room when I ran into Park Ju-woo coming from the opposite direction.
Park Ju-woo was soaking wet with sweat, getting some water, as if he’d been practicing his dancing enthusiastically while I was gone.
"...Where are you coming from?"
"I just had a meeting with the manager."
"...?"
"He said I'm such a shockingly bad dancer that I need special measures."
Park Ju-woo's pupils shook at my words.
"Really...?"
"Half-joke, half-truth. Which part do you think is the truth?"
"...That you're a bad dancer?"
"You're right, but that actually hurts a little."
Realizing I wasn't getting kicked out, Park Ju-woo looked slightly relieved.
Wait, is he relieved because I'm not leaving?
If my guess was right, I thought it would be better for all these kids to practice not getting too attached. Once they got out into the world, it would be crawling with predatory adults looking to fleece them.
Since it felt a bit cold to just crack a joke and leave, I waited until Park Ju-woo finished filling his water bottle.
When the bottle was about half full, Park Ju-woo, who had been silently catching the water, asked, "Hyung... have you decided on your song for the next evaluation?"
It felt like the monthly evaluation had just ended, yet the next one was already waiting. The way the tests kept coming reminded me of pop quizzes in high school.
"I've narrowed down a list. I'll have to pick one by the end of the week."
Then I suddenly remembered that Park Ju-woo had received some criticism regarding his song choice. He must be having his own worries.
"When are you going to start preparing?"
"...I'm still thinking about it."
Park Ju-woo looked quite troubled as he capped his water bottle.
No matter how awkward I felt around these kids, it was a bit painful to see someone ten years younger than me looking so dejected.
So, I pulled out a tiny bit of the social skills I’d cultivated with my own blood at Hanpyeong Industry.
"I learned to play the bass as a hobby. If you ever want to sing a band song, let me know. I'll accompany you."
"Really...?"
Yeah. I learned it in a college club I can't go back to anymore.
In front of my bittersweet expression, Park Ju-woo's eyes sparkled. He seemed genuinely excited.
"...Cheong-hyeon knows how to play the keyboard, too."
"Then you bring him along."
Even if I were to quit right after debuting, well, I’d probably have a chance to play for them at least once.
After that, the conversation about bands across the eras didn't end until we reached the practice room.
When I suggested we could talk more about it soon, Park Ju-woo nodded in agreement.
As he walked into the practice room, his back looked somewhat happy.
Permission to use the phone was granted a few days later.
It was a primitive system where I had to ask the manager for the phone on the days I needed it and return it an hour later, but I was perfectly satisfied.
As soon as the budget phone I ordered online arrived, I installed a stock app to check if my precious "children" (my investments) were doing well, and then bookmarked a few remote part-time job postings.
With a little time left, I typed keywords into the search portal that I could never show my housemates who shared spare phones.
'Suddenly an idol.'
'Woke up to find I've returned to the past.'
'I see words in front of my eyes.'
At the same time, I prayed fervently that this situation wasn't some Korean version of The Truman Show. If this were being broadcast nationwide, I’d probably lose the courage to ever leave my house again.
It was impossible that someone as ordinary as I claimed to be had become some unheard-of "life-recycler."
So, I ran the search thinking there must be similar cases I didn't know about.
"Huh?"
Something actually appeared in the search results.
It was a link leading to something called "Webnovels."
On the platform I accessed, there were countless sad stories of people forced to sign contracts—from idols who returned to the past, to those who debuted by accident, to idols who ended up inside a game.
By the time I learned that "RePoRe," a term appearing commonly across various stories, was an abbreviation for Regression, Possession, and Reincarnation, I was able to figure out that my situation fell under "Regression."
Usually, before experiencing RePoRe, people in the original world seemed to get hit by someone called "Truck-kun" or fall asleep while passionately consuming content.
Compared to them, everyone's plot development was quite dramatic compared to me, who regressed while working overtime. I guess life really isn't like a drama.
More importantly, to roll someone back nine years without even sending a single regression truck...
Isn't my situation a bit too much of a budget operation?
Because my phone time was limited, I could only read up to chapter 25, the free portion of the novels.
As a result, I only learned the sad law that anyone caught in the cycle of regression is inevitably destined to become an idol.
Of course, there were parts that were helpful.
A way to describe the members' personalities most intuitively using refined language.
'#Melancholy, #Scheming, #Mastermind, #Healing...'
They were, quite literally, keywords.