Chapter 372
Chapter 372
“Survival shows have too many variables, just like you said. There’s no need to go that far.”
“Is that so? I thought you’d actually prefer it, since you debuted through one yourself, Junior.”
Cheong-ryeo looked back and forth between Cha Yu-jin and me, then spoke softly.
“Don’t worry too much. Those meant to make it will make it, won’t they? Haha!”
“…….”
It gave me the creeps. This bastard has already reached his own conclusion.
This isn't working.
“Hold on a second.”
I grabbed Cha Yu-jin’s arm and stood up.
“I know you’re pissed, but let’s cool our heads and talk later.”
“Hmm, I’m not particularly angry. He’s right, isn’t he?”
Don’t act like you aren’t when you’re clearly fuming.
“He said he’d give everyone an equal opportunity, so why the overreaction?”
“I like that… Mmph!”
You, stay quiet for a second.
“I get it, so let’s meet again tomorrow and talk.”
I hurriedly gathered Cha Yu-jin to leave, then looked back at Cheong-ryeo.
Whatever. Just say it.
“…Thanks for coming to the airport today. Get home safe.”
“…….”
Cheong-ryeo seemed slightly shaken, but right now, reining in this wild horse of a guy was the priority.
“You, watch your mouth.”
“Ow! Moon-dae hyung, that hurts!”
As soon as we left the gaming cafe, I smacked Cha Yu-jin on the back.
“The situation is a mess right now. Even if you’re right, you have to read the room before you speak.”
“I didn’t even look at that senior! There’s no reason for only me to watch myself!”
“…….”
That… well, this bastard only ever says things that are technically correct.
‘Cheong-ryeo was more overtly aggressive than I expected.’
It was almost surprising. I thought he’d try to coax Yu-jin into becoming a trainee at his agency to keep him under his thumb and eliminate the competition that way.
Instead of calculating how to use him, he went straight for a hierarchy check… I see.
I clicked my tongue. The taste in my mouth was bitter.
‘…He must be losing his mind too.’
He barely managed to raise a dog and adapt to a single reality after all that verbal abuse, only to have everything reset again?
It would be a miracle if he hadn't gone crazy.
I let go of Cha Yu-jin and suppressed a sigh.
“…Fine. It’s not like you were wrong. But that guy has his own circumstances too.”
Cha Yu-jin shrugged.
[We all have our own circumstances, but that doesn’t mean it’s okay to act like a total jerk.]
“…….”
He really only says the right things, leaving me with nothing to counter.
“Fine. Anyway, you need to adjust to the jet lag today, so go to sleep. Where’s your lodging?”
“I don’t have any!”
“…….”
“The plane ticket was expensive. Should I go to a motel?”
He said it so brightly.
“Just… follow me.”
I have no idea how I’m going to explain this to Ryu Cheong-woo, but I can’t let a guy who’s broke from flying to Korea sleep on the streets.
‘If only this punk wasn’t seventeen….’
I dragged Cha Yu-jin along and headed back to the officetel where I’d only spent a few nights myself.
Ding-dong.
I pressed the doorbell out of courtesy.
“Hyung?”
Cha Yu-jin’s face lit up when he saw Ryu Cheong-woo come to the door.
“Cheong-woo hyung, you’re here? You got here first?”
“I told you we’re relatives and living together.”
“OK….”
Cha Yu-jin looked a bit disappointed as he spoke to Ryu Cheong-woo.
“Don’t you know me?”
“Huh?”
Ryu Cheong-woo seemed to ponder the situation for a moment but soon burst into laughter.
Since the kid looked young, he didn't seem to have any suspicions.
“Did Hyung introduce me?”
“Yeah. This is Cha Yu-jin.”
I gave a rough explanation that we were international pen pals through a school program and he’d suddenly come to Korea.
Ryu Cheong-woo was impressed.
“He’s a brave friend.”
“Brave, my foot.”
In a real situation, he’d deserve to be beaten with a broom and dragged back home.
Apparently, there had been a lot of talk at his house too, but since his family was so free-spirited, he’d run away first and gotten permission later.
I pressed my temples.
‘…I hope they send him living expenses.’
At least it wasn't the worst-case scenario. His guardians were still looking out for him.
“Is it okay if he stays here for a few days until he finds a place?”
“Of course. My friends have stayed over before, it’s fine.”
“Thank you! I look forward to staying with you!”
Cha Yu-jin immediately claimed the guest room/utility room, and I went into my room to start worrying in earnest.
How on earth was I supposed to handle this mess?
Just in case, I checked the status window… and well, the less said, the better.
[Colleagues]
[Shin Jae-hyun: Working hard (//-^)]
[Cha Yu-jin: Adjusting to a new room (〉ㅅ〈=☆)]
The problem was that I could guess exactly what kind of "hard work" the first guy was doing.
And what was with that shadow on the emoticon? A sign that he was pissed off?
‘Sigh.’
My head throbbed.
Just then, a pop-up slowly appeared on the status window. It was Keun-dal.
[Are you alright?]
“Yeah.”
It’s not like they said they were going to kill each other. This level of chaos was fully expect—no, I have to handle it.
[Hyung, I… if you could only debut in the same group with one of them, what would you do?]
I thought about it for a moment, but there was a clear answer.
“What else? I’d go with the one who’s likely to become more famous in a shorter amount of time.”
[S-so simply?]
“It is simple.”
I sat on the edge of the bed.
“If the goal is to return, efficiency is the top priority.”
The faster I handle this, the faster I can return to the reality of TeSTAR. If I get caught up in emotional battles here, I’ll just get dragged down.
‘I feel like the system is doing this precisely because it wants that.’
The system, I mean. I have no intention of being led by the nose.
And considering the current situation, the one with the advantage is obviously Cheong-ryeo.
Even if the years and circumstances are a bit off, the information and experience he has about these few years are at an inhuman level.
“…….”
Still, it would be better to have both of them to cover a wider range of demand.
‘Is there any bait?’
Something that would benefit Cheong-ryeo and make him interested in the lineup. Something to soften his mood.
I frowned.
It was then.
Knock, knock. A fairly polite knock was heard, followed immediately by the door swinging open.
Who else could it be? It was Cha Yu-jin.
“Hyung! I made a plan for tomorrow.”
“What?”
Cha Yu-jin… made a plan?
“Let’s go find Kim Rae-bin.”
“…!”
“It’s okay if Kim Rae-bin doesn’t know TeSTAR! We can just make him an idol.”
Good grief.
True. If it’s Kim Rae-bin, it might work. I smirked.
“Fine.”
“Hehe!”
Cha Yu-jin sat on the bed in his outdoor clothes, but I let it slide. He’d offered a productive opinion.
And if this guy was looking for Kim Rae-bin… since they’d been trainees together before, it would be easier to predict his movements.
“Do you have any idea where he might be?”
“I do! Kim Rae-bin’s house in Gangwon-do!”
“…….”
I’d better book the KTX tickets first.
And one more thing.
“Hyung, what are you doing?”
“Finding Kim Rae-bin.”
I turned on the internet and went to WeTube and Sound Mist.
If this environment really was ‘reasonably good for everyone to live in’… it was obvious what Kim Rae-bin would be doing.
Composing.
Seventeen-year-old Kim Rae-bin, who was set to enter high school this year, was working hard during his winter break to prepare for his future with even greater intensity.
‘It went through…!’
Specifically, his career as a composer.
He had just started his first job after exchanging emails with an agency in Seoul.
Considering his young age and total lack of connections, it was a staggering achievement, but unfortunately, neither he nor his guardians had any professional knowledge.
Thanks to that, Kim Rae-bin was scheduled to get fitted for his local high school uniform next week.
Instead of staking everything to unleash his incredible talent to the last drop, his peaceful daily life continued.
“Rae-bin, head inside before it gets dark~”
“It’s already that time! Then I shall take my leave.”
And so, on a late afternoon as the sun was setting, he was about to head home after helping out at his grandparents’ strawberry greenhouse.
As Kim Rae-bin stepped out of the greenhouse and was locking up, he heard someone shout.
“Kim Rae-bin!”
“Yes!”
Everyone in the vicinity was his elder. He naturally responded to the voice addressing him informally and turned his head.
But there… were people he didn't know.
“……??”
Who… were these people?
“It really is Kim Rae-bin!”
“Yeah.”
The one wearing a jacket thrown on wildly, almost like a beast, shouted excitedly, while the person in the long padded coat responded calmly.
Neither of them… somehow looked younger than him.
In that case!
‘Could this be the high school bullying I’ve only heard about…!’
During school violence prevention training, he’d heard of seniors coming to a student’s house to establish dominance even before they’d officially entered the school…!
He had never been bullied by anyone in his life, but was it finally happening now?
Kim Rae-bin, whose fierce impression usually made his peers shrink back, stiffened his face and body at this absurd assumption.
“Wait a second.”
However, the people who approached… simply looked happy to see him.
And they were intense.
“…!”
One of them had the strongest gaze of anyone he’d ever met in his life.
With eyes that looked almost yellow shining, he reached out a hand and… pointed a finger at him.
“Kim Rae-bin, I found you!”
“……?”
Did he… have some business with him? No, before that, wasn't it wrong to point a finger at someone’s face?
But before Kim Rae-bin could ask, the other person spoke first.
“Right, you found him.”
Then he looked at him.
“Nice to meet you, Rae-bin.”
A voice that was clear and solid, pleasant to the ear.
He looked cold and delicate, but looking again, his eyes seemed warm. And there was a sense that he was somewhat overwhelmed with emotion.
For some reason, Kim Rae-bin felt a pang in his chest. Somehow… he felt like they both looked familiar.
‘…?’
Why?
Kim Rae-bin thought deeply and soon found the answer like a bolt of lightning.
It was a highly probable deduction.
Kim Rae-bin spoke with an extremely apologetic expression.
“I am sorry! I do not have specific memories, but the two of you are clearly acquaintances of mine!”
“…!”
Kim Rae-bin failed to catch the surprise and… some inexplicable sense of being moved that passed over their faces.
So he asked brightly.
“Are you perhaps relatives on my mother’s side?”
Are they relatives I met when I was a preschooler and thus cannot remember!
“…….”
“…….”
A moment of silence followed.
“No.”
“Then….”
“We came because we have a proposal.”
The delicate-looking person smiled faintly.
“It’s a scouting offer.”
“S-scouting??”
The intense-looking one shouted like a cheerleader.
“Be an idol with me!”
“Pardon…?”
Kim Rae-bin fell into confusion. The delicate-looking person took out his smartphone and turned the screen toward him without hesitation.
It was his own account.
“This is yours, isn't it?”
“…!”
Before he could even think, the delicate person continued calmly.
As if discussing a problem for which the conclusion that Kim Rae-bin would obviously agree had already been reached.
“You must have thought about wanting to show this song on stage yourself.”
As if possessed, instead of shaking his head, Kim Rae-bin opened his mouth…
And five hours later, he made a promise to head to Seoul, almost as if he’d been scammed.
‘…??’
Kim Rae-bin’s small dream of being a producer was thus kidnapped into becoming an idol.
[Cha Yu-jin: Performing a victory ceremony (〉ㅅ〈/)]
Ever since we returned to Seoul after exchanging contact information with Kim Rae-bin, Cha Yu-jin had been intermittently displaying that status.
‘It did go well.’
I let out a hollow laugh but shook my head.
With that personality and that talent, it wouldn't be strange for him to be scammed into a contract in an instant, but it seemed his intimidating impression provided some balance.
Of course, the method of persuasion was unique too.
‘I’ll reminisce about that later.’
First… I have to do something about this guy. I moved my gaze above Cha Yu-jin’s description.
[Shin Jae-hyun: Thinking about a dog (//~^)]
“…….”
This is driving me crazy, seriously.
I ruffled my hair and stood up. It looked like I’d be leaving the officetel in the middle of the night.
As expected, he was in the company practice room.
And he was in that practice room alone.
I walked inside. He didn't move an inch.
“It’s past midnight, why are you still here?”
“…I wonder.”
Cheong-ryeo was staring at the wall mirror with a blank expression.
“There’s no particular reason.”
Wasn't it because you had too much on your mind and tried to practice it off?
Instead of saying that, I went and sat down next to him.
“There’s something I was going to say before but didn't.”
I chose my words carefully and spoke slowly.
“Before… thanks for sending the photos of Kong-i.”
“…….”
“I couldn't raise a dog because I wasn't in a position to, but looking at the photos was nice.”
Cheong-ryeo looked into space for a moment without a word, then asked briefly.
“Do you think she’s doing well?”
Kong-i.
“I tend to believe in the side that I can verify for myself.”
“I wonder.”
Cheong-ryeo didn't get excited or angry. He just murmured slowly.
“Belief isn't a matter of probability, is it? Right?”
“Right.”
It meant that no matter what you believe, don't expect it to actually come true.
However, I’d also been thinking about this for the past few days in my own way.
“But I have a hunch.”
“What kind?”
I crossed my arms and took a deep breath.
“The system is being excessively friendly.”
Cheong-ryeo turned only his eyes to meet my gaze.
“If it were you, would you be friendly to someone who tried to kill you? You’d try to get rid of them.”
If the system were truly omnipotent and could implement a whole world, it would have just handled such a nuisance as an accidental death and been done with it.
“But… instead, it only filled this place with good conditions. Age, environment, ability, financial situation….”
I suppressed the lump in my throat.
“Even parents.”
“…….”
Cheong-ryeo flinched for a moment.
“There’s no such thing as groundless favor toward an enemy. There’s something it’s lacking. A reason to soothe us and cater to our whims.”
“The right to choose.”
“…!”
Cheong-ryeo continued, covering his chin with one hand.
“Are you saying it wants to make us choose this side?”
“Yeah.”
I calmly continued my deduction.
“If there were no way out, there would be no need for people’s choices to be important. It’s tempting us to just stay because we can leave.”
“…….”
“And structurally, the highest probability would be… at the end.”
“The end.”
“Yeah. Clearing the game. I suspect there’s something there if we succeed as idols again.”
At the point where all the quests are finished and we see the ending.
Whether to end it and return to reality, or to continue staying in the world after the ending.
I lay down with my head against the practice room floor.
It felt exactly like lying in my original company’s practice room.
“Of course, this is just a hypothesis, but I think the hunch itself is persuasive. What do you think?”
“…….”
Cheong-ryeo removed the hand that had been covering his chin.
“I have a question.”
“What.”
“Is there a reason we can’t just stay here?”
“Because I want to return to reality.”
I answered without hesitation.
“And you actually want to, too.”
“…….”
“Isn't that why you haven't even mentioned it until I brought up the dog?”
Wasn't it an unconscious desire to make it as if nothing had happened, rather than suffering unnecessary mental damage?
“……”
Cheong-ryeo leaned his body against the wall.
It was a similar composition to when I first woke up in this body.
Then he slowly spoke.
“I’m not sure.”
That damn defense mechanism, seriously.
But instead of raining on his parade, I kept my mouth shut. How many times must he have thought about wanting to return only to be frustrated? Dammit, I should tolerate this much.
And it was worth it.
“But… Kong-i hasn't been born yet.”
“…!”
“I should meet her before that.”
“We have to make it so.”
I sat up.
“That’s why I’m saying we should make that kind of group.”
Not VTIC or TeSTAR, but a group that can extract the highest efficiency in the shortest amount of time right now.
A risk-taking group that prioritizes profit over stability, without considering variables that might happen in the future.
“A group that can win both the Rookie of the Year and the Grand Prize in the same year they debut.”
I declared.
“And then let’s see the ending and go back immediately.”
It was a proposal for a short-term project group.