Chapter 553
Chapter 553
Park Moon-dae lay sprawled in his studio apartment, feeling somewhat despondent.
The identity he had painstakingly crafted for information gathering—an aspiring actor—was about to vanish into thin air due to the entry ban. He intended to pull himself together and find a solution quickly, but...
'Damn it.'
Just as a light curse escaped his lips, the pop-up changed.
[The Focusing Genius Actor has left the channel.]
"…??"
Park Moon-dae bolted upright.
'...Left?'
A faint sense of foreboding and emptiness brushed past his mind. But before he could start overthinking, a gentle sentence took its place.
[The Noble-Minded Dancer has entered the channel.]
Noble, minded, dancer.
There was only one member those modifiers and noun could point to.
"…Seon A-hyun?"
As if answering his question, the pop-up flickered and displayed another sentence.
[The Noble-Minded Dancer wishes to move your location.]
"…!"
A few minutes before Seon A-hyun’s pop-up appeared to Park Moon-dae, back at the JSA.
"First of all, no crimes."
Ryu Cheong-woo spoke calmly.
"Even if this looks like a game to us, what Moon-dae is experiencing is reality."
"Of course."
"Obviously."
Everyone nodded. They had talked about virtual worlds and duplicating money, but no matter what, they didn't want Park Moon-dae to end up getting arrested.
Kwon Hee-seung also participated actively.
[I just searched for it, and what about a police report? I think you can enter the country by claiming your passport was stolen in the US!]
However.
"That’s impossible. Our junior wouldn't even have a record of entering the US in the first place."
A cold voice cut through the conversation.
Cheong-ryeo scanned the group with chilling eyes.
"You should realize that any logical idea this group can come up with, our junior has likely already thought of as well."
"Are you saying there’s realistically no way?"
At Ryu Cheong-woo’s calm follow-up, Cheong-ryeo replied expressionlessly.
"I’m saying we never had time to waste on things like this from the start."
"…!"
One or two minutes here meant a whole day passed for Park Moon-dae.
With no way of knowing how much time was left and the unprecedented situation where others couldn't perceive Park Moon-dae, Cheong-ryeo’s conclusion was simple:
They should focus solely on finding an opportunity to shove energy into Park Moon-dae to help him recover and bring him back, rather than reacting to every single one of his whims. Like these people were doing.
"In this situation, does it really matter what our junior wants to do over there?"
[...]
"I think it’s only right to stop wasting time and focus on restoring his stamina."
Haha, you certainly have a talent for saying the right things in the most brutal way possible, Sunbae-nim!
Kwon Hee-seung swallowed those words, feeling like he wanted to burst into tears. Are they going to start fighting again?
However, the situation didn't turn hostile.
"Yep. I get what you're saying. It’s logical."
Lee Se-jin spoke up.
Instead of getting angry, he simply shrugged.
"Of course, every second counts, so we should move efficiently."
Now that the most dangerous crisis had passed and his anxiety had subsided, he had returned to his usual position: the team’s mediator.
"But honestly, even you don't know exactly what Moon-dae is going through, right, Sunbae-nim? We might not know, but entering the country could be a desperate issue for him right now."
Lee Se-jin gave a bitter smile.
"So… let’s not act like we know everything from the outside."
"……."
The atmosphere settled into a quiet calm.
"Okay. We don't have time for this. Everyone, stop fighting with words and use your brains. Right?"
At Cha Yu-jin’s words, everyone nodded silently.
Then, Keun-dal tentatively raised his hand.
"On that note… I just thought of a method that fits both of your points."
"…!"
"W-what kind of method…?"
Keun-dal swallowed hard.
"It’s me 'pulling' Hyung to Korea."
"…??"
The original reason they were trying to restore Park Moon-dae’s stamina was so he could endure the attempt when Keun-dal tried to call him back to reality. To make someone jump off a moving train with their bare body, they at least need to be able to move their limbs, right?
In other words, Keun-dal could move Park Moon-dae.
'Within the limits of Hyung’s stamina!'
Just a tiny bit. Just enough to bring him spatially closer to the current reality.
"It could also serve as a sort of practice run before Hyung fully recovers his stamina."
"You mean before actually calling him back to reality?"
"Right."
Keun-dal nodded seriously. The listeners began to slowly understand this abstract concept in a positive light.
After some discussion—‘Wait, then won't Park Moon-dae fall into the JSA?’, ‘I don't think I can pull him that accurately in this situation… hic.’—they reached a conclusion.
Let’s try pulling Park Moon-dae!
"It was an attempt we needed to verify anyway."
"Yeah."
The members nodded, reaching a quick, nearly unanimous decision.
"Then we need to relay this to Moon-dae."
"Right. He needs to be mentally prepared so he doesn't get anxious or misunderstand!"
However, the channel—the only thing that allowed for something resembling communication with Park Moon-dae—was a hit-or-miss. Sometimes it reflected a person’s true feelings, but other times, it displayed random snippets of their messy conversations.
"The message has to get through all that noise properly."
If it were someone calm, clear-headed, and worthy of Park Moon-dae’s trust…
"…It should be A-hyun, right?"
"Yeah."
With everyone’s agreement, they had Seon A-hyun connect to the channel.
[Park Moon-dae (ㅁ◇ㅁ) : Realizing your identity!]
"He likes it."
"I knew it."
Seon A-hyun calmly organized his thoughts, trying to convey one clear intention.
I want to help.
'We want to move you.'
To Korea, so you won't be in trouble. And eventually… back to reality.
"……."
And that attempt…
[Park Moon-dae (ㅁㅅㅁ) : Waiting for your idea…….]
…worked!
"Okay. Do it now!"
"Y-yes."
Keun-dal took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
He felt for the hand reaching out beyond the passage he had created using Cheong-ryeo as a medium.
What he touched at the end was Park Moon-dae.
'Carefully…'
Keun-dal concentrated his mind. And then, he moved it. Just a tiny bit.
[-----]
At that moment, the screen showing Dot Park Moon-dae went black.
"……!!"
"Let’s wait just a moment."
Ryu Cheong-woo calmed the members.
Keun-dal broke into a cold sweat, struggling to maintain contact with Park Moon-dae…
After several dozen seconds, when the screen reconnected:
[Park Moon-dae (ㅁㅇㅁ) : Surprised by the changed environment!]
"It worked!"
Park Moon-dae was in Korea!
[Oohhh! Did it succeed??]
"Yes!!"
A sense of relief, like having successfully launched a test rocket, filled the space.
Ryu Cheong-woo looked around with a slight smile. He spoke a bit longer to Cheong-ryeo.
"Let’s keep moving forward like this, having enough discussions. We need various perspectives for things to proceed safely."
"……."
"And… we might have missed this whole situation entirely, so thank you for contacting us."
Cheong-ryeo didn't seem to feel anything in particular, but he didn't argue.
Ryu Cheong-woo realized he had succeeded in creating at least a foundational level of cooperation.
'Whew.'
He pressed down on his hand.
Ryu Cheong-woo was the leader of Steer, a group where he had to handle all sorts of tasks. This meant he was exhaustingly used to working with people of peculiar temperaments.
'To think this would come in handy.'
Ryu Cheong-woo couldn't bring himself to laugh, but he did feel a strange sense of efficacy.
"Let’s hurry and restore Moon-dae’s stamina like this."
"Yep!"
I opened my eyes after closing them.
The squeezing pain lasted only a moment. Rather, I felt a brief pleasure similar to when a tape is rewound to its original state—the feeling of 'everything returning to where it belongs.'
Though it was cut short, like a teaser.
'They’re doing something.'
This was likely what Seon A-hyun had been trying to tell me.
I calmly used my brain through the strange dizziness. And when my vision cleared…
"…My god."
I came to my senses on a street somewhere in northern Seoul.
'It actually worked.'
[The Noble-Minded Dancer is delighted.]
I caught my breath.
"…Thanks."
After muttering that meaningless thanks toward the pop-up, I started walking. My mind was busy.
'Should I try using public Wi-Fi first?'
I needed to contact the only person here who knew my situation.
A short while later.
"My god."
Ju-dan exclaimed the same thing the moment he saw me at a franchise cafe.
After hearing the explanation, he muttered, "Teleportation… even in science fiction, that’s the part where they usually gloss over the scientific proof. I never imagined I’d witness it in person."
Is that so? I never dreamed I’d meet someone who actually talks like that.
Anyway, it was quite beneficial that Ju-dan’s trust in me deepened thanks to my proven 'supernatural aspects.' I’d be able to get more active cooperation.
"So, do you plan to continue working as an actor here while gathering information?"
I looked up slightly at the pop-up.
[The Noble-Minded Dancer wants to sponsor you.]
[The Noble-Minded Dancer wants to bestow a Blessing.]
"……Yeah."
Now, let’s think.
These guys keep wanting to give me something called a 'Sponsorship.'
'And it seems they can only give that sponsorship if I successfully use the Blessing they provide.'
Furthermore, it seemed a Blessing could only be given in a situation where it would be useful. For example, receiving Bae Se-jin’s Blessing during an acting shoot… or Kim Rae-bin’s Blessing while making donuts.
'In other words, I have to create the right situations.'
The more I work, the more opportunities I have to receive this energy sponsorship, and the more I can recover. And I’ll get closer to the reason why those guys are trying so hard to give me energy.
'Fine.'
I immediately contacted LeTi. I told them, 'My schedule changed, so I entered the country early.'
I got an immediate reply.
What schedule exactly?
"……."
"If it’s for about a month, you can stay at my studio apartment. It’s a place I got because I find dorms uncomfortable."
"Thanks."
I decided that once I returned to reality, I would go visit Ju-dan.
And early the next morning.
"Hmm. We don't have much time, so let’s get started right away."
I stood in front of the camera after being guided and adjusted by the somewhat blunt studio staff.
"Yes. Look over here."
Being captured by a camera. As TeSTAR’s Park Moon-dae, it was something I did almost daily.
But there was a slight difference.
"A bit more neat~ but with atmosphere!"
Amidst the barrage of vague requests, my face and body performing them were not familiar at all. Almost all my experience with photo shoots had been done with Park Moon-dae’s body.
'So this is how it feels.'
In the system’s virtual world, at least some of Park Moon-dae’s appearance remained, and he was younger. Now, even the bone structure was entirely different. I wasn't sure how to make it look good.
So, I muttered to myself.
'This is very troublesome.'
To struggle with something I’m usually used to—isn't that truly mentally troublesome? I’m so, so troubled that I wish someone would help me.
'I mean it, really.'
The moment I whispered that.
[Supermassive Black Hole (★★★★★) has entered the channel.]
Before I could even register anything.
[Supermassive Black Hole whistles.]
[Supermassive Black Hole bestows a Blessing upon you!]
[Trait: Immersion]
Everything happened in an instant.
Do you know the saying that there’s a gap between imagination and reality?
Anyone can come up with a plausible concept, but when you actually try it, the result turns out differently from what you thought. Well, it’s something I felt poignantly when I first learned to dance while participating in Idol Inc.
'Even if I had a concept, my body would just move however it wanted.'
It’s a normal thing. Usually, people have to pour time and effort into controlling their movements and expressions to make them as close to their imagination as possible, but…
"One more cut!"
There are people who don't need that.
With every muscle in my face formed into the exact shape I wanted, I slowly aligned my head with the camera. Exactly as I intended.
'I get it.'
My mind was empty. No calculations, no exploration, no practice needed. Naturally, imagination became reality. Just like breathing, walking, and talking.
"Now, a bit stronger eye contact with the camera!"
The meaning of the abstract instruction exploded in my mind and was expressed through my entire body. I could implement every bit of impact, and I already knew.
How to make people like it. How to look charming.
And.
"Ah, good! One more time!"
How to keep them immersed.
This was in the realm of instinct.
'There are people who live like this?'
A talent so incredible it was hard to believe someone lived such a life. And eventually, the person holding the camera would say this with sparkling eyes.
"Seriously, these came out really, really well."
"……."
"I love them so much."
That was Cha Yu-jin.
[Supermassive Black Hole is enjoying this!]
[Supermassive Black Hole has sponsored you! : Energy +]
Vigorous vitality returned to my head like blood flowing through my veins. Strength and control were restored to every joint in my limbs.
'My god.'
I caught my breath.
"Good work."
A black hole was truly a black hole.
...However, at this rate, I was worried that by the time these guys finished their parade of Blessings, Ryu Gun-woo would end up becoming some rookie actor who appeared like a comet.
But after the profile shoot ended.
I faced a more urgent concern first. I regretted not running out of this studio immediately.
First of all… do you know who was waiting at this studio to take their profile pictures after me?
It was the debut team of a famous agency. Although that agency would soon go bankrupt after being sued by its own artists.
And do you know who was in that team?
"Oh! [You are really talented!]"
"Cha Yu-jin!"
It was teenage Cha Yu-jin and Kim Rae-bin.
I heard they were in that agency’s debut team around this time, and it seemed they had come to take their profile shots.
...Let me tell you something even more absurd.
At the same time, a famous figure appeared, saying, "Oh, I happened to be nearby, so I stopped by to give some coffee to our company staff."
"Oh my, what a surprise!"
"Hello."
It was Cheong-ryeo.
"Ah, is this person also from the company?"
Looking at the guy smiling and reaching out his hand to me, I had a gut feeling.
'This bastard came here on purpose to check on me.'
He had gone out of his way to find time to Appraise Ryu Gun-woo’s face and stats.
In other words, Cheong-ryeo was in front of me. Kim Rae-bin and Cha Yu-jin were behind me.
...And Ju-dan would be arriving here soon.
Cheong-ryeo was even calling for me as the Help Menu in his head.
'My head’s about to explode.'
[The Midnight Maestro is appalled!]
I feel the same way.