Chapter 202
Chapter 202
The first day of the encore concert ended in a great success, proceeding smoothly as planned.
The reaction to the unit stages was also excellent.
Occasionally, some trolls popped up trying to compare them to other unit stages, but it didn't seem to gain much traction.
It’s a bit awkward to say it myself, but... I think it’s thanks to the 1st and 2nd place winners being in a unit together.
Because of the combination, fans of other units seemed reluctant to start unnecessary friction.
‘It’s always uncomfortable to mess with the side that has the numbers.’
Besides, the overall quality of the unit stages was high, so people tended to generalize, saying things like, "TeSTAR is good in any combination."
As a result, the fan communities were harmonious, with everyone simply enjoying each stage for what it was.
With the atmosphere between Park Moon-dae’s and Cha Yu-jin’s individual fans at an all-time high since the group's launch, it was practically a festival.
This meant that among those involved, I was the only one feeling tense.
“Hyung!! Tomorrow, I’m going to swing from the chandelier!”
“Sure. Get some sleep.”
I gave the okay sign to the ad-lib suggestion I’d heard about five times already and stepped out of the bedroom.
“Where are you going??”
“To take a bath.”
I passed through the living room and closed the bathroom door behind me.
This was the only place I could stay alone for an hour or two without raising suspicion, so I had no choice.
Click.
“Phew.”
I sat on the edge of the tub.
...Actually, the moment the concert ended, I had already seen the pop-up appear.
I had simply delayed checking it until bedtime to avoid interfering with simple nighttime schedules like behind-the-scenes interviews.
‘Of course, I don’t necessarily need to do anything immediately just because I check the pop-up now.’
There was still time left, so there was plenty of room to wait and see.
But regardless, the thought that this might be the last one made it difficult for me to delay any further.
Let’s see.
‘Status Window, Notifications.’
As soon as I muttered it, the pop-up I had only briefly glimpsed earlier reappeared.
[Successful Meeting!]
You have successfully met with ‘200,000’ audience members!
!Time Limit: Satisfied (Success)
!Status Effect: ‘Death if Not Audience’ removed!
: Check ‘Choices’ ☜ Click!
First of all... success was certain.
“Haah...”
For some reason, the tension drained out of me. I pressed my temples, feeling a strange sense of exhaustion.
All that was left was that damn truth verification... Wait.
“...!!”
: Check ‘Choices’ ☜ Click!
The keyword wasn't 'Truth.'
‘Choices?’
The moment I saw that word, a certain thought naturally came to mind.
‘...A choice where I can pick between my original body and the body of “Park Moon-dae.”’
Wasn't that the most plausible and appropriate reward for clearing the final status effect?
“…….”
However, it felt too good to be true, coming out of nowhere.
My head cooled down.
‘Isn’t it too late to present this now?’
This bizarre system had faithfully maintained a game-like style ever since I entered Park Moon-dae’s body.
It was strange to withhold such a carrot until the very end and then give it as a surprise reward.
In a typical game, this would have been thrown out as bait right at the starting point before hitting me with status effects.
‘No, even if it’s not a game... considering the structure and efficiency, that would be right.’
Rather than just swinging the whip of death, having a clear reward at the ending is the perfect way to provide false hope.
‘Then what’s the other hypothesis?’
I racked my brain for what else it could be if it wasn't choosing a body, but no particularly convincing hypothesis came to mind.
“……Phew.”
It looked like I really needed that bath. My head was throbbing.
I briefly thought about having a drink, but I ignored it and just stepped out of the bathroom.
‘Tomorrow. I’ll consider everything tomorrow.’
I had to finish the last concert well first. It was best to clear anything that might affect my condition from my mind.
‘Let’s just sleep.’
Just as I was about to return to the bedroom, someone waved from the kitchen.
“Hm? Moon-dae, you’re not sleeping?”
It was Keun Se-jin.
“Took a bath.”
“Ah~ nice.”
He grinned and poured another glass of cold barley tea from the bottle he was holding, offering it to me.
“A glass? My mom gave it to me yesterday.”
Maybe because of the color, it vaguely reminded me of beer.
I took the glass without a word. Keun Se-jin continued speaking with that same smiling face.
“Oh, right. Moon-dae, your unit stage was amazing. You and Yu-jin really killed it~ As expected of Park Moon-dae!”
However, there was an edge to his words.
‘There’s a subtle nuance there.’
Was he reflecting on his own experience in a unit with Cha Yu-jin?
I recalled that time.
—Just make the stage itself good. So that people don't even think about comparing who’s better between you and Cha Yu-jin.
I believe I had given him that kind of advice back then, yet I had gone ahead and performed a head-to-head style stage with Cha Yu-jin, so it was understandable that he’d be bothered.
But this was simply a matter of presentation.
“...I just chose the points to emphasize as best I could.”
I muttered indifferently while drinking the cold tea.
“It wouldn't have worked if it wasn't a musical style. No matter how I sang.”
“…….”
In the end, it meant that just like his unit stage, I had simply framed it well.
‘Of course, there was the influence of my traits, but I can’t explain that.’
Instead, I gave him a chance to wrap up the conversation.
“Your unit stage was good too. The shadow performance was perfectly synchronized and cool.”
“……!”
A bitter smile, looking slightly embarrassed, flickered across Keun Se-jin’s face.
I understood the feeling of speaking out on impulse even while knowing the reality in his head, so I decided to leave it at that.
He quickly took the opportunity with his usual banter.
“...Haha. We worked hard. I’m glad it came out well in the actual performance~”
“I agree.”
Bae Se-jin looked like his soul was being drained while practicing; if the stage had failed, he might have tried to kill you.
‘It seems to have gone well because Kim Rae-bin, who is oblivious but works hard, was stuck in the middle.’
Keun Se-jin smiled brightly.
“Next time, I should do one with Moon-dae! We haven't done a unit together once since we debuted~”
Our positions don't overlap at all, so why bother?
He was probably just saying it as a closing pleasantry. So...
“Moon-dae Moon-dae, you just thought there’s no need to do it since our positions are different, didn't you!”
“……!”
“Haha, I guess I was right~”
“...No.”
How did this bastard know?
Keun Se-jin stifled a laugh, then straightened his expression and spoke.
“Ahem, still, if the opportunity comes, wouldn't we do well?”
“Probably.”
“Good~ That’s the spirit!”
Keun Se-jin put the barley tea back in the fridge. Then, after hesitating for a moment, he continued.
“...I have a lot to be thankful to you for. I’ll be in your care in the future too.”
“……Don’t mention it.”
“You always say that whenever I compliment you!”
Keun Se-jin laughed and tapped my shoulder. What a joker.
It seemed he had become sentimental because it was the first Korean concert in a long while.
‘...Anyway, I do feel a bit better.’
He didn't intend it, but talking about the stage helped because it kept useless thoughts from creeping in.
“I’m heading in then.”
“Yeah. Let’s do our best tomorrow too~”
I went straight to sleep.
There were no variables, at least not yet.
And the next day.
Waaaaaaaah!!
“Thank you!”
The encore concert was completely over.
“Ugh! My clothes are sticking to me!”
“First, guys, pack your things...”
“They, they say we have to take a group photo...?”
The minor tasks remaining after the big event were finished quickly.
The after-party ended simply with the members eating delivery food at the dorm. This was because we had already had a big celebration when we returned to Korea after the tour.
“No alcohol!”
“...I didn't even touch it.”
I was assigned a non-alcoholic beer. Being stripped of alcohol by someone who was already drunk felt quite bizarre.
Then, watching for an opening, I stepped out onto the balcony under the guise of getting some fresh air.
“...Phew. Status Window, Notifications.”
Flash. The pop-up I saw yesterday returned.
Alright, the time has come.
After today, there were almost no official group activities until the comeback.
It was only a gap of about a month, but it meant this was the right time if I wanted to uncover something. Since there was some breathing room.
And one thing occurred to me.
‘Surely, if I click this “Choices” item, another pop-up introducing each choice will appear.’
Given the UI so far, it was a very persuasive hypothesis.
‘Then it’s better to know quickly and start worrying.’
After swallowing hard, I raised my hand and pressed ‘Choices.’ My finger cut through the air without any sensation.
And just as I expected... a new pop-up appeared over it.
[Choices]
: Check ‘Truth’ ☜ Click!
: Obtain ‘Coin’ ☜ Click!
※ Multiple selections not allowed
“……!”
It wasn't a choice to pick a body after all. And one of the two... was a familiar one.
‘Truth.’
This would likely be those damn past notifications I’ve seen so far.
If so, the meaning of this choice ultimately lay in the new option below.
‘Coin.’
What on earth does this mean?
My mind automatically started racing at the word, which wasn't intuitive at all.
The first thing that came to mind was... currency.
‘Is some kind of shop opening?’
This was also a setting I’d seen a lot in web novels. A status window shop just for me.
It was plausible, but too abstract. Other than that, only images of things like cryptocurrency came to mind.
“...Damn it.”
Being vague until the very end. I glared at the choice window.
But... in truth, the decision was practically already made.
I moved my finger immediately toward the choice that required no deliberation.
[Obtained ‘Coin’!]
It was a rational choice.
‘The truth... the risk is too high.’
Because I didn't know what it would show me.
Just looking at the description in the pop-up, ‘Truth’ is a verification, while ‘Coin’ is an acquisition. Since a coin is something you possess, even if it’s a dud, isn't it just maintaining the status quo?
‘This is the right call.’
I wiped away the cold sweat and looked at the pop-up.
I had a reasonable expectation that an explanation of what to do with this coin would follow.
But the pop-up that appeared... contrary to my expectations, was in a form I was already familiar with.
[Sudden!]
Status Effect: ‘Death if Not a Star’ occurred!
“What?”
Another one of those goddamn status effect notifications had appeared.
‘You bastards, seriously...!’
My mind went blank. What do you mean, the last one! Just how long do I have to keep doing this shit?
...But on the other hand, a strange feeling welled up.
It was relief.
‘This... could also be seen as maintaining the status quo.’
Because it meant I could just live for another year as I had been.
I’d probably think it was a crazy thought by tomorrow, but still... there was a strange comfort that came with the reprieve.
The feeling that I could keep living like this.
“No.”
I gritted my teeth and glared at the pop-up to resist that feeling.
‘What exactly is your goal?’
It was then.
Suddenly... the pop-up began to flicker with static.
“……!!”
Status Effect: ‘Death if Not a Star’ occurred!
Then the text was struck through and vanished.
“What the.”
It wasn't the end.
Ding!
Status Effect: ‘Death if Not 1st Place’ occurred!
A new pop-up appeared. It was a status effect I had seen once before.
“What is...”
And this wasn't the end either.
‘Death if Not 1st Place’ occurred!
‘Death if Not a Grand Prize’ occurred!
‘Death if Not a Performance’ occurred!
‘Death if Not the Best’ occurred!
‘Death if Not Debut’ occurred!
‘What the hell is this.’
The names of the status effects in the pop-ups were endlessly struck through and deleted.
And then, as if someone had hacked it, they flickered countless times and were updated with new names.
How long did that repeat?
Trrrrring!!
[Sudden!]
Status Effect: ‘Death if Not Audience’ occurred!
The pop-up finally stopped updating.
It bore the exact same name as the status effect from just a moment ago.
However, the description was different.
[‘Death if Not Audience’]
: If you fail to meet more than 400,000 audience members within the set period, ‘Park Moon-dae’ will die.
Achieved: 0 / 400,000
Not 200,000, but 400,000.
The number had doubled.
And there was something added to the description. A specific name was attached to the death.
‘...Not just death, but the death of Park Moon-dae.’
...How was I supposed to take this?
From this 'Coin' nonsense to this status window that looked like it had bugged out, there wasn't a single clue to grasp the situation.
It was no use racking my brain. There were no leads.
“…….”
I sat on one side of the balcony to cool my head. I craved a cigarette, but I could endure it.
“Phew.”
And by the time my body felt cold, I organized the situation.
‘Two things are certain for now.’
First, gather 400,000 audience members within a year.
This was actually fine. I had just gathered 200,000 with a two-month tour.
The tour for the second half of this year was planned to be even larger, so based on that schedule alone, 400,000 was achievable.
‘If I include events, it’ll be even easier.’
So let’s set that aside for now.
Second... there was one person I could at least ask about this situation.
Since what this bastard told me turned out to be wrong, I even had a justification to press him.
“……Shit.”
It wasn't something I particularly wanted to do, but since I had no other options, I had no choice.
I pulled my smartphone out of my pants pocket.
Then, I found the MMS message with the dog photo attached and placed a call.
The ringing was cut short.
—Yes.
As you might have guessed, it was Cheong-ryeo.