Chapter 545
Chapter 545
The common area of the JSA was filled with cold air.
A cautious voice drifted through the receiver.
[Um… excuse me, but who is this?]
Click.
Shin Jae-hyun hung up the phone.
The name ‘Seon A-hyun’ that had been displayed on the screen quickly vanished.
A trembling voice asked from beside him.
“He… doesn’t remember, does he?”
Cheong-ryeo did not answer.
However, Keun-dal, who had asked the question, already knew that an answer wasn't necessary.
Seon A-hyun did not know Park Moon-dae.
Even though Cheong-ryeo had called from Park Moon-dae’s own smartphone.
“…….”
Cheong-ryeo’s judgment in immediately selecting Seon A-hyun to call when the unexpected situation occurred had not been wrong. He had already seen Seon A-hyun cause errors within the system’s virtual world before.
“That person has a trait that nullifies status effects, but…”
Yet even Seon A-hyun failed to remember Park Moon-dae.
“Sigh.”
Because of this, the person Cheong-ryeo had called and brought in before Seon A-hyun—Keun-dal—was on the verge of a total panic attack.
It was only natural.
“This… this doesn’t make any sense.”
Keun-dal stood up abruptly and reached out his hand.
“Moon-dae Hyung is right here…!”
At the end of his reach, a figure could be seen lying on the sofa, unconscious and still as death.
It was Park Moon-dae.
He looked peaceful, without a single external injury, but that was a sentiment only possible if one were ignorant of the current situation.
A few minutes ago, when Keun-dal had rushed to the JSA.
—E-Excuse me.
—Yes?
—Over there…
With a face pale as a ghost, Keun-dal had grabbed a staff member and pointed toward the sofa where Park Moon-dae lay.
—That person, how does he look to you?
And the cleaner had replied:
—Who are you talking about?
They couldn't perceive Park Moon-dae, even though he was clearly right there.
“…….”
It was a situation bordering on horror.
Only then did Keun-dal realize why Cheong-ryeo hadn't called 119.
Even if he called them, they wouldn't be able to recognize him.
It was just as Keun-dal was swallowing hard, recalling that moment.
Vrrr, vrrr.
“…!!”
Park Moon-dae’s smartphone, held in Cheong-ryeo’s hand, vibrated violently.
It was a call.
Cheong-ryeo checked the screen without expression and answered. A soft, urgent voice echoed through the speaker.
[I-I’m sorry! The, the call cut off so suddenly.]
It was Seon A-hyun’s voice.
When the call ended without context, his polite nature had driven him to call back himself.
Then, he asked kindly once more.
[Um, by any chance… is the person you mentioned earlier someone… related to me?]
Keun-dal let out an indescribable groan and buried his face in the table.
Cheong-ryeo watched him apathetically before speaking in a dry voice.
“Right now. Access a portal site on the internet.”
[…? Ye-Yes….]
The faint sound of fingers tapping against a screen echoed as Seon A-hyun operated his smartphone.
“Search for Park Moon-dae.”
[Ah….]
At that moment, Keun-dal snapped his head up and frantically searched for Park Moon-dae on the internet as well.
‘…He’s there!’
Park Moon-dae’s profile appeared, intact.
His career, activities, all sorts of photos, and his history filled the page.
‘Thank god….’
Park Moon-dae still remained here.
Feeling a sliver of relief, Keun-dal turned his head toward Cheong-ryeo.
[Um…….]
It seemed Seon A-hyun had also checked the search results on the other end of the line.
[What kind of… person is he?]
“…….”
A chilling sensation crawled down Keun-dal’s spine.
A voice just as cold gave an instruction to the smartphone.
“Tell me the first profile you see on the screen.”
[Um, I don’t… see any profile in particular.]
“…….”
Keun-dal stopped breathing.
With trembling hands, he hurriedly opened an SNS app and entered a search.
—Park Moon-dae
Results poured out.
But only up until the exact moment before Park Moon-dae had recovered the fragment.
After that, there wasn't a single mention of him.
“…W-Wait.”
This time, Keun-dal searched for TeSTAR.
—It’s so fascinating how TeSTAR has exactly two members for each age group lol
—Ryu Cheong-woo, Bae Se-jin, Seon A-hyun, Lee Se-jin, Cha Yu-jin, Kim Rae-bin, I love you guys ㅠㅠㅠ TeSTAR forever
He wasn't there.
Not in articles, SNS, communities, or video sites.
It was as if everyone had conspired to ignore Park Moon-dae’s existence.
Keun-dal’s face turned deathly pale as he lowered his smartphone.
He felt like he was going crazy.
“This is too strange…. He’s in the videos, and all the official records are there! It’s like everyone is under some kind of hypnosis….”
Even now, Park Moon-dae’s activity information appeared clearly when searched, yet everyone was acting as if they couldn't see it.
Keun-dal fell into a total panic.
However, instead of looking at him, Cheong-ryeo stared at Park Moon-dae on the sofa.
“…….”
Another way.
He had to think of one.
[…….]
[Um, what should I look at now….]
“It’s fine.”
Cheong-ryeo hung up again.
Then, he spoke in a flat, hollow voice.
“Why didn’t you stop him?”
“…Pardon?”
Keun-dal realized the question was directed at him.
“W-What do you mean, stop him?”
“You were clearly wary of the Junior using the system. But this time, you were quite….”
Cheong-ryeo stared at Keun-dal expressionlessly.
“Cooperative. And passive.”
“…!”
Keun-dal flared up for a moment.
“If you’re going to put it like that, you were the one trying to help him in the first place! Hyung had been preparing for this for a long time. That’s why he used the system regularly….”
Keun-dal’s voice trailed off. Cheong-ryeo asked back coldly.
“The system?”
And then Keun-dal realized.
“He used the system and swapped bodies….”
The more he repeated those words, the stranger they felt.
For Park Moon-dae, who loved control so much, to so easily use a method like swapping bodies through an untrustworthy system.
Was that a conclusion one could reach after only a brief moment of deliberation?
“H-Hyung was originally very wary of the system too, but he started using it at some point. Slowly, becoming less cautious….”
“…….”
And it was the same for himself.
He… at some point, had stopped trying to talk Hyung out of it!
—Alright, Hyung! But you have to come out immediately if anything feels weird….
The memory echoed in his head.
“…….”
Keun-dal’s complexion turned a sickly shade of blue.
‘Since when did it start influencing us?’
It felt like a horror movie.
And when he turned his head, he saw Park Moon-dae, still frozen silently on the sofa.
“Moon-dae Hyung… just what on earth is he going through?”
I made a declaration.
[I feel like having a beer.]
“And?”
[Don’t you want one?]
Restart Cheong-ryeo didn't even bother to respond. It was his way of telling me not to talk nonsense.
‘Well, I figured as much.’
I stretched my non-existent body and sprawled out as if lying on the bed.
We were in a hotel in LA. VTIC had come here for tour rehearsals; there was no way he’d suddenly start chugging alcohol now.
At least it was a single room, so being able to talk freely was quite nice.
[Just kidding. Good job at practice.]
“My practice shouldn't be any of your business.”
Because I feel like it, you prick.
Since I have nothing to do, shouldn't I at least engage in small talk with someone like you?
Naturally, in this state of being parasitic to the system, there was nothing I could do other than craft a communication terminal amidst immense pressure.
‘It feels like an endless cycle of overtime.’
Thinking about it again, it’s a miracle Keun-dal endured using my status window. I suppressed a sigh and typed.
[How is it not my business? The better you practice, the higher the chance you won't trigger a Restart.]
After a brief hesitation, I just smirked and added the next part.
[And even if it has nothing to do with them, humans naturally want to chime in when they see someone doing something well.]
[That’s why your fans can cheer for you, too.]
“…….”
[Do well at the concert.]
“Fine.”
Surprisingly, Cheong-ryeo answered readily.
‘Hmm.’
He seems to have gotten quite used to me.
I crossed my (conceptual) arms.
It had already been several weeks since I started talking to this guy.
Perhaps the time spent exchanging small talk was worth it, as he had started doing that thing where he tried to create tension at every turn a lot less.
Furthermore, thanks to the new information he was collecting through the status window, the Restart was currently on tentative hold.
Of course, conversations stripped of all social graces often pissed me off, but it meant we were at least able to maintain a certain tug-of-war.
It was because he had recognized my utility.
Like this.
“Show me my profile.”
Coming right up.
I pulled up his status window.
[Name: Cheong-ryeo (Shin Jae-hyun)]
Vocal: B+ (B+)
Dance: S+ (S+)
Appearance: A+ (S-)
Star Quality: A (A+)
Trait: Appraisal (S)
!Status Effect: Correction
His status window was almost eerily similar to the real-world Cheong-ryeo.
It seemed this was the level he achieved by setting a perfect routine over a fixed period for his ‘endgame content.’
[Are you going to fill the remaining stats through practice?]
“There’s no rush for that.”
Cheong-ryeo answered cleanly.
“Within a group, positioning comes first. My capabilities only need to be at a level sufficient for my role.”
So you’re saying you already have more than enough capability as a main dancer. Got it.
After all, I was the one who dumped every single stat point into vocals just to secure my positioning the moment a status effect was shoved into my head.
However, that wasn't the end of Cheong-ryeo’s words.
“More than that, the trait is what’s important.”
He shifted his gaze to look at his own trait.
Appraisal.
Surprisingly, this guy seemed extremely satisfied with his trait.
The S-grade trait that allowed him to judge an individual’s value with razor-sharp precision.
He continued with a faint smile.
“Like I said. The combination is what matters.”
Sure.
Congratulations on having the most advantageous trait for building an idol group.
Still, out of courtesy, I decided to make the proposal I had prepared.
[By any chance, do you want to have a different trait?]
I had recently built up a new function for the status window by creating another terminal within this system.
It was the special reward Keun-dal had once provided me.
The trait gacha roulette machine.
But well, as expected….
“I believe I’ve said this enough. Unless I ask you directly…”
[Yeah, I’m not pushing it. Do whatever you want.]
I knew he wouldn't listen.
“Indeed.”
Cheong-ryeo looked at my pop-up and replied with a pleasant, beaming smile.
The atmosphere was slightly different than before. It felt like he found a small bit of amusement in my reaction.
Is this funny to you?
‘Is the result of all that nonsense small talk finally showing?’
Of course, there was no sense of accomplishment. I suppressed a sigh.
‘I’d really like to know why I have to do this in this state.’
Being stuck here without a single hint was becoming frustrating.
If it were a status effect that had occurred to me, I would have at least noticed it.
‘…I’ll have to dig deeper into the system.’
I thought about trying to enter the depths of the system where I hadn't created a terminal yet. I had held back because the resistance was so strong I feared being bounced back out, but I couldn't wait any longer.
It was then.
“I have a question.”
Hm?
While I paused, Cheong-ryeo asked.
“Who were you?”
Oh.
Finally, this question comes up.
Now that a bit of familiarity had been established as a foundation, he finally felt like interrogating me.
I returned to the terminal and typed.
[What do you mean?]
“I mean, what kind of missions have you been solving?”
Cheong-ryeo sat at the table and interlaced his fingers.
“First of all, seeing as you brought up beer, you probably weren't in the same profession.”
[…….]
I was on a dry spell, you prick.
I imagined the scene of me pouring my heart out about being an idol too, then stopped. How pathetic.
[It’s not that I drank often.]
[It just wasn't a profession where it was particularly good to drink and blabber about useless things.]
“Haha.”
Cheong-ryeo let out a relaxed laugh, then leaned back in his chair and muttered.
“Blabbering, huh.”
The conversation paused for a moment as he seemed lost in thought.
Then, Cheong-ryeo murmured through his thoughts rather than his voice.
“Well, I’ve tried it once.”
‘…….’
I didn't bother asking back.
I had already heard the result of that attempt from the real-world Cheong-ryeo.
Though it hadn't been this specific.
“Was it a member I’d used about… ten times? He maintained his composure well even during incidents, so I told him as a test.”
He gave a thin smile.
“It didn't have a pleasant ending. Of course, I told him right before a Restart, so there was no loss.”
[…….]
“Is this an example of why it’s not good to blabber? Haha.”
Hmm.
This… right.
After thinking for a moment, I slowly finished my reply.
[I’m not so sure.]
[Aside from that person, haven't you recruited at least dozens of people into your groups so far?]
Cheong-ryeo didn't deny it.
I continued finishing my words.
[What you mentioned is just one case out of those dozens. Isn't there a high probability that a different attempt would yield a different result?]
“…….”
Cheong-ryeo wasn't surprised or impressed.
“I suppose so.”
He seemed to have already made such calculations.
“But sharing a secret itself has almost zero utility compared to the risk.”
He gave a thin smile.
“And whether or not there’s a secret doesn't really matter when it comes to using people.”
[No, the utility isn't zero. It would be easier if you had a collaborator.]
Cheong-ryeo replied indifferently.
“How surprising. To think a stereotype created by mass media would be in the help menu.”
I sighed.
[No, I mean your mind would be more at ease.]
But my opponent didn't even blink.
“I don't know. I’m not uncomfortable right now.”
It’s like talking to a wall.
But instead of slamming the keyboard, I calmly moved my fingers again.
[Fine.]
[I get that you won't do it because it’s risky and you don't feel like it. It’s your choice. And you’re right.]
[But I’m saying it wouldn't be bad to think about it again after everything is over.]
[You won't have anything to lose then.]
In fact, the version of him in reality had already informed the members of his group about his experiences to some extent.
That included the two guys who were here right now.
Though this version of him didn't know that.
“…….”
He seemed to think something like, ‘You’re talking nonsense,’ but in the end, he replied like this.
“I’ll take it into consideration.”
Sure.
Still, if it were a few weeks ago, he would have said some bullshit like, ‘I never said you had the right to speak,’ but now we were actually having a decent conversation. I smiled and took my hands off the terminal.
[Then, have a good trip.]
A short while later, Cheong-ryeo successfully finished the tour concert rehearsal with the other VTIC members.
However, not a single system window appeared for me, nor did any hints like missions or status effects.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn't worried about being stuck here forever… but regardless, time passed without much trouble.
And then, VTIC’s tour began.
“From now on, ‘conversations’ will only be possible after the concerts.”
[…….]
“Remember that.”
Am I… really going to be stuck here like this?
Until that guy’s dog is born?
“Yawn.”
Lee Se-jin passed by Cha Yu-jin, who was yawning lazily, at a pleasant pace and headed toward the kitchen.
The peaceful holiday afternoon was a bit languid.
Even Lee Se-jin thought leisurely that it would be better to study Spanish today rather than do extra exercise.
By recruiting a friend!
‘Then, together….’
“…….”
Come to think of it, was there anyone in this team to study Spanish with?
Most of them either had their own specialty languages or were more interested in things other than languages.
‘Hmm.’
Strangely, he felt his mood sink slightly.
But he had worked in this industry for far too long to be swayed by such a feeling, so he soon recovered his cheerful attitude and walked toward the kitchen again.
Then, he found his same-age friend sitting at the dining table with a strangely stiff face.
“A-hyun, A-hyun~ What are you doing!”
“…Ah.”
Seon A-hyun snapped his head up.
Keun Se-jin once again caught that his complexion wasn't very good.
“…Hmm. Want some help? Did something bad happen?”
“N-No.”
Only then did Seon A-hyun close the search bar of the portal site that was still open.
—Park Moon-dae
“It’s just, strange.”