Chapter 178
Chapter 178
A while later. A point in time where I couldn't gauge the hour because of the blackout curtains.
"Shall we start organizing our thoughts from here? Was Junior’s participation in Idol Inc. a wise choice?"
Cheong-ryeo, sitting across from me again, explained calmly while jotting down keywords in a notebook.
"It was highly efficient for clearing the initial missions. Since Junior likely chose it without knowing the subsequent missions existed... it was an excellent judgment."
I don't feel even slightly thanked.
"However, looking at it long-term, it was a disappointing choice. The image consumption is too severe for a short five-year contract... the company lacks structure, and the possibility of renewal is opaque."
Cheong-ryeo wore a faint smile.
"If you're confident you can survive the early stages, it's better to skip survival programs altogether."
"……."
"When you restart, come find me at LeTi. I'll put you in a spot where you can debut immediately."
I could practically hear his inner thoughts: 'I'll keep you close so I can reset immediately if my team messes up again.'
I suppressed a snort.
All talk, this guy.
In this bastard's status window, the status effect that triggers a reset, 'Correction,' was currently inactive.
In other words, the method of restarting by dying himself was already blocked.
And since this jerk understood the concept that 'if the mission fails, you die and go back,' he must have guessed that now that the missions are over, he can't go back even if he dies.
That’s why he’s trying to use me... but there’s a bit of a snag here.
How can he be so sure?
I mean, why is he so certain that if I die, things will restart? No matter how crazy he is, does he really have such blind faith in this?
I wanted to dig into that and shake him down, but the timing wasn't right.
One wrong move and I'm getting the sledgehammer.
It wasn't a good idea to provoke him right now.
I didn't know when he might decide, 'I guess you have no intention of voluntarily dropping out of this life. Then have a taste of the sledgehammer,' and bash my head in.
So, I had to trust in something else.
An advantage that only I knew and he didn't.
My status window. My traits.
Think.
Before that, my teeth were grinding from irritation, so I gave him at least this much of a response.
"So, is your goal to have me debut at LeTi and then just reset again if another problem arises in your career, Senior?"
"No. Of course not."
...Cheong-ryeo looked slightly embarrassed.
"I'm sorry about this time. As you heard, it's a situation where there really is no right answer. If you want, next time I'll definitely help you finish the missions faster than you did now."
"……."
"And of course, we'll plan things out together so you can promote in a group more comfortably and beneficially than you are now."
The most headache-inducing part was that he seemed sincere for the moment.
This bastard will just urge me to reset again the moment something similar happens.
Of course, I didn't think I could actually restart just by dying, but anyway, isn't it obvious? Since he's done it once, he'll keep making me do it.
But the bigger problem was that in this madman's logic, he viewed the current situation as an exceptional, one-time occurrence and thought he had provided me with an ample compensation plan.
He doesn't feel like it's a big deal.
Because our baselines were different, he considered forcing a reset to be merely a bit embarrassing and something to feel slightly sorry about. Naturally, he was impossible to reason with.
I let out a sigh, and Cheong-ryeo stood up from his chair again.
"You look tired, so let's stop here for now... Is there any food you want for dinner? I'll give you whatever is within my means."
So the current time was evening. I managed to scavenge one piece of information.
"There isn't. Why don't you just let me go so I can take care of my own meals?"
"That would be difficult. Hmm, one moment."
With that, Cheong-ryeo left the room again.
I hadn't expected much, but seeing that nonchalant reaction, appealing to his emotions wasn't going to work.
...It meant that without a buildup, it wouldn't happen.
I hope this works.
While engaging in useless conversation, I checked the trait I had singled out in my head.
[Trait: Bacchus 500 (B)]
- A clear mind and a healthy body!
: All fatigue accumulation speed -50%
Bacchus 500.
It was a trait for maintaining my condition. Thanks to this, I could endure a few days of a comeback week with only an hour or two of sleep.
Of course, I wasn't planning on doing something dreamlike like starting an investigation while that bastard was asleep.
He cleared everything out so damn meticulously.
To begin with, there was nothing in this room. Even the bathroom, which I had checked earlier with those awkward and ridiculous movements, had nothing but bare fixtures.
It feels like he's done this a few times already.
I didn't know which official's skull he had threatened during his resets to get this information, but it seemed like a very plausible guess.
Anyway, the situation where I would utilize this trait wouldn't be 'while everyone is asleep' or anything like that. It would come at a different timing.
I'll wait until then.
I would carefully observe the situation until that guy thought I had given up, until he thought I had adapted.
I looked down at the handcuffs and clicked my tongue.
It looked like it was going to be a difficult vacation.
*
A few days passed after that.
Judging by the intervals of sleep and the timing of meals, I estimated it had been about three or four days.
To prevent the suggestions of suicide from becoming more aggressive, I adjusted my speech to make it seem like I was slowly aligning with his 'New Life Plan.'
It went like this.
"Does LeTi also start settlements after charging for all the trainee expenses?"
"No. We start as soon as revenue is generated at the time of debut. That's good, right?"
"It sounds like a good place. ...Not that I have any intention of going."
"Haha."
After repeating this pattern a few times, I started touching on slightly sensitive topics for information gathering.
"Even if I'm on vacation, they'll definitely be suspicious if there's no word from me. Has there been no contact?"
"Well."
"...I guess there has been."
"Haha, is it that obvious? Don't worry, I replied appropriately. In your tone of voice."
"……."
Does this bastard even know my screen lock pattern?
Was it during that insurance ad?
I remembered unlocking my smartphone while taking pictures of the dog back then.
Dammit.
I couldn't expect any outside help until the vacation was over.
Still, I learned that he was constantly checking my smartphone.
If so, there was a high probability it was inside this house. I decided to keep that in mind.
For the next few days, the meaningless persuasion and excuses continued, along with Cheong-ryeo's surprisingly high-quality briefings on idol tips, which were annoyingly useful.
Finally, the time came.
"Today... Junior?"
"...Senior."
The third time waking up. Likely morning or dawn.
I buried my head in the pillow and sighed. My nose and throat, where my breath passed through, felt hot.
My head felt heavy. I spoke slowly.
"Do you happen to have any medicine for body aches?"
It was the severe body ache that always visited me whenever I had a break.
This time, too, an enormous fever and burden poured into my body, timed perfectly with the vacation.
Even though it wasn't a time when I had mentally let my guard down.
Just as expected.
It meant my guess was right.
This body ache must be the rebound for the condition traits.
It was the same not just for Bacchus, but also for the one-time trait 'Sleep is for the Dead.'
Every time, I would get sick only when I didn't have an 'active schedule' after using those traits to their full extent, so it looked a bit too strange to be a coincidence.
So I had set up a hypothesis, and this time, I was almost certain.
It's a mechanical classification, as if the status window is intervening.
The fact that the physical burden only hits me when I'm taking a break from celebrity activities.
And I could fully utilize this timing of being ill.
"...Medicine?"
To catch this bastard off guard, that is.
It would have been hard for him to imagine that I would be bedridden with a body ache, not even an external injury, after just three or four days.
"One moment."
Cheong-ryeo, who had been entering, closed the door and left again.
Good.
Since he didn't immediately say something like, 'Since you're sick anyway, you might as well die,' the direction of progress was quite good.
He let his guard down.
Thinking he had everything under control, he had reflexively relaxed. In his head, he was probably already treating the reset within a few days as a foregone conclusion.
When Cheong-ryeo returned, he had medicine and water in his hands.
It was the kind of medicine one could buy without a prescription.
...He had emergency medicine prepared.
That was a bit disappointing. Meticulous psychopath bastard.
"It's a painkiller and a fever reducer. Take some."
It was inside the packaging. Since there was no need for him to mix in other drugs, I took it.
And then I cautiously tested the waters.
"...By any chance, the hospital..."
"I think the two of us together would stand out too much. I'm sorry. Hmm... your body will be healed immediately once you restart."
In the end, he returned to those words. Even if it was a suggestion.
I'll strike now.
I hesitated, then spoke softly in a hoarse voice.
"...I'll say it again, but I actually like my current team. Even if I start over and form the same team, it can never be the same as it is now. Because the events and stories we shared will be different."
"……."
"Can't you just... let me go so I can keep living here? I'm asking you."
Well, it was a statement that didn't fit my personality, but couldn't one become a bit emotional when sick?
Moreover, a trait triggered right on cue.
['That sounds right (A)' activated!]
Excellent.
Of course, since it was about drawing out an 'emotional response' from the opponent, it didn't guarantee persuasion.
Look.
"...I'm sorry."
Cheong-ryeo muttered briefly with a somewhat expressionless face.
I guess he only felt 'sorry.' I get it, you son of a bitch.
It's exactly according to plan.
"……."
I intentionally remained silent for a while, then slowly opened my mouth.
"……My head hurts so much it's hard to move, so could you... just support me until I get to the bathroom?"
"Sure."
I knew he wouldn't refuse.
Cheong-ryeo supported me under my shoulder, much like one would support someone with a leg injury.
The moment his thoughts wavered and his attention was divided.
The moment he would be more conscious of his own thoughts than my movements.
Now.
I swung both my arms around and hooked them over Cheong-ryeo's head.
"……!"
Then, I began to pull him down by the neck with the handcuffs still on.
"…Ugh!"
The metal between the handcuffs pressed hard against his neck, but naturally, the resistance was fierce. Even though I pressed down with my entire body weight to destabilize his posture, blows kept coming at me.
Fuck.
I think my ribs are broken. But I can never let go.
I forced my arms to twist, wrenching his neck just like that.
"…!!"
"Guh."
In this condition and with both hands restricted, it was impossible to break a healthy adult's neck under normal circumstances.
I'll just keep pressing until this bastard's mind goes hazy...!
"…."
Even as he turned pale from the lack of oxygen, the way he rolled his eyes to glare at me was so fucking creepy...
It didn't matter.
Just like I simulated!
Finally, I twisted the handcuffs and slammed them into the back of his head.
Thud.
With a short, violent sound, the pressure vanished.
"……."
I had subdued him.
"Haa... haa."
I stood up, my body trembling.
"Fuck, seriously."
My wrists are completely trashed. This is like hell.
Still, because of the euphoria, I couldn't feel the pain.
I crawled as best as I could, opened the door, and went out, fortunately finding a usable blade.
It was... a lightbulb.
Crash!
The light shattered as I threw a book at it, and sharp shards showered the floor.
It was even worse because it was an old product.
"Good."
Although my hands were cut a few times, I managed to undo the bundle of cable ties binding my legs.
Now that it was easier to escape in case of an emergency, I moved as planned.
I moved my stiff neck. There was still a long way to go.
"……."
"You're awake."
Cheong-ryeo, who was tied tightly to the opposite chair with cable ties, lifted his head without even a groan.
"You bought quite a lot of spare cable ties."
"……."
"You also prepared plenty of tools, so I was able to unlock the handcuffs easily."
I held up my two free hands.
"You're very thorough with your preparations, Senior. Thanks to that, it was easy for me."
And then, I grinned.