Chapter 9: The Real Madman Here Is Me (4)
09. The Real Madman Here Is Me (4)
Ji Soo-ho had apparently been staking out the convenience store near my house like some kind of undercover agent.
"Honestly, you didn't come out as much as I expected, Ha-jin."
Well, duh. With only graduation left before summer break, where exactly was I supposed to go?
But there was no need to say that out loud, so I just nodded. Though I couldn't resist adding one comment.
"You could've just called."
"......"
For a second, he looked like the thought had never occurred to him, but I must have imagined it.
"Anyway, I'm sure you can guess why I'm here today."
Ji Soo-ho spoke in his usual calm tone.
"I came because I truly want you to debut with Miro Entertainment. It would be such a waste to let you go like this."
Nice.
But just because the fish bit the bait doesn't mean you immediately reel it in. I put on my most cautious, concerned expression.
"Are you serious?"
Ji Soo-ho nodded vigorously.
"Seo Tae-il agrees too. As do all the other staff who saw your audition tape. Ha-jin, you have real potential. And I think you'd be a great fit for our company's vision."
Manager Kim's support was expected, but conspicuously absent was any mention of the department head. I'd suspected as much—so the department head was against me, huh?
As I neatly folded my empty milk carton, I made a mental note to quickly figure out Miro's internal power dynamics.
"We really—no, I really want you to trust me and come with us."
"Ah... okay."
'Trust you?'
There was a time when I would've fallen for lines like that.
"Just believe in me," "Follow my lead," "I'll give you a rosy future"—but at the end of the day, they're all just salaried employees, laborers at the mercy of capitalism's whims.
'The moment someone better comes along, I'm out.'
I swallowed the words rising in my throat and forced a polite smile. No need to pick a fight here. As I'd said myself, someone like me could be found anywhere in the country. Push too hard, and the door to Miro might slam shut for good.
'But I can't just let this slide.'
It wasn't like I'd been twiddling my thumbs these past three days. While Ji Soo-ho rambled on with his pitch—probably thinking I was still deliberating—I studied him carefully, mentally reviewing the intel I'd gathered.
Name: Ji Soo-ho. Age: mid-30s. And—
He'd successfully launched Miro's rising group, Ender Way (confirmed via news articles). He was longtime friends with the notoriously difficult Seo Tae-il (stalked his Instagram). And in recent years, he'd become Miro Entertainment's rising star—their so-called "guardian deity" (according to Manager Kim).
In an industry overflowing with geniuses, he could just be a talented manager who lucked into the right era...
'But I need to verify.'
Because who knows if his impressive track record was due to actual skill or foreknowledge of the future?
So I had to confirm his identity. If he was a Regressor, I'd grab him by the collar immediately. If not, I'd make him my ally no matter what.
I might need to take over an entire entertainment company, and finding a better first ally would be tough.
But how? As I pondered, the System window blinked as if reading my mind, sending a new message.
[Sudden Quest Special Reward]
Details: You can use a [Single-Person Trait Access Ticket] (cannot be used on yourself).
[Would you like to view Ji Soo-ho's traits? (Y/N)]
A reward from my tearful presentation last time. Right, I'd forgotten about this. No point saving it now—it's like holding onto a losing lottery ticket. I selected YES without hesitation.
Who are you? A blue light scanned Ji Soo-ho like a search beam. Soon, a pop-up appeared beside him.
[Ji Soo-ho (Awakened)]
Epithets: 'Burning Passion', 'Deepest Shadow'
Trait: Star Maker☆
Unique: Affected by 'Passed Timeline' due to contact with a Selective Regressor (Déjà Vu).
"What?"
"Huh? What?"
"Ah, sorry. Your offer was just... unexpectedly generous."
In my shock, I'd accidentally used informal speech with someone ten years my senior. I quickly recovered, but my eyes remained glued to his trait window.
"You really have what it takes, Ha-jin. I guarantee it."
Now that I'd seen his traits, every word out of his mouth sounded suspicious.
Regardless, since he'd even made contact with a Regressor, I had to make him my ally no matter what. As Ji Soo-ho launched into another passionate spiel, I considered my options.
Option one was high-risk, high-reward. Option two was low-risk, low-reward. And if I'm being honest? Even if I can't have it, I'm the type who needs to yell "I want it!" to feel satisfied—which is why I've never touched stocks, gambling, alcohol, or cigarettes.
"I truly believe—"
"Team Leader Ji Soo-ho."
"Y-yes?"
"What color am I?"
"Excuse me?"
At my sudden question, Ji Soo-ho's eyes widened comically, his mouth opening and closing like a fish.
"Huh? Wh-what did you just—"
While he floundered, I threw another fastball.
"What color was Seo Tae-il? Someone of his caliber must be high-grade, right?"
"Th-that's—how would—how could—"
I pulled a chocolate bar from my pocket and offered it to the trembling man, as if to say, "Calm down, it's not a big deal."
"I can see status windows. You must think I'm insane."
"N-no..."
"That's why I'm asking."
Crossing my legs, I stared him down. Ji Soo-ho gaped at me, then at the empty space I'd pointed to, his pupils shaking. I rested my chin on interlaced fingers and smiled sweetly.
"Do I have what it takes to be an idol?"
"Huh?"
"I think this life's destiny is for me to become an idol."
Well? What's my fate, oh guardian deity? Spit it out.
Ji Soo-ho fidgeted with the chocolate bar until it nearly melted before finally speaking.
"I don't remember exactly when it started. One day, I just... began seeing them."
He said everything came to him by pure chance.
In a bookstore he'd wandered into on a whim. At a restaurant where he'd taken shelter from the rain. On vacation in some travel destination—he'd meet people destined to become stars, as if by fate.
"How did you know they could become stars?"
"I just knew. The redder the color, the greater their potential. When a minor actor I'd seen with a crimson aura became a breakout supporting actor months later, I was sure. It's like I gained this... strange ability."
His rise as Miro's guardian deity was largely thanks to this skill, he admitted. He added that auras would turn black or disappear before scandals or crises hit.
Talk about a cheat skill for a management team leader.
"That's how I recognized you on the subway immediately."
Huh? What now?
"The subway?"
"Yeah. Don't you remember? It was my first time being treated like a cultist, so I was too flustered to follow you."
At the word "cultist," a memory flashed through my mind.
—"Excuse me, hello."
—"Yes. I believe in the Tao."
—"Huh?"
—"Since we follow the same path, you should move along."
Ah, the day of my Rene audition. I cringed at the belated recollection. I'd totally thought he was a cult recruiter. So it was him.
"I was so disappointed after losing you, but then Manager Jang called. I screamed that this had to be fate."
So Miro welcoming me with open arms was because of this guy? I nodded as the timeline clicked into place.
But questions remained.
"So... about the color of my aura you mentioned. I'm curious."
"Ah, that..."
Ji Soo-ho clasped his hands, hesitating slightly before tilting his head.
"It's white. A very bright white."
"You said it's either blue or red. So I'm a dud?"
"It's the first time I've seen that color, so I was confused too... But I had this strong feeling. That I absolutely had to bring you in."
"What if it turns out to be nothing?"
"If someone has no potential, I see no light at all. The fact that I saw something means there's something there."
Red should be red, blue should be blue—but this ambiguous white light tangled everything up. Not like Ji Soo-ho had any reason to lie to me now. Regardless of the color, one thing was clear: this guy could be useful in many ways.
Which brought me to the next question—how much of my hand should I show?
'Can I really trust Ji Soo-ho?'
My instincts said he wasn't dangerous, but who can fully understand another person's heart? Making him my ally and revealing everything were two different things.
After brief deliberation, I decided to share just enough to avoid making him feel cheated.
The quickest way to make someone believe you're on the same team is to exchange secrets.
"...Like I said, I can see status windows and I'm completing quests from them. That's why I was trying to become a Miro trainee."
Perhaps because he'd already taken one bombshell, Ji Soo-ho seemed less shaken by this otaku-tier nonsense.
After a brief dazed expression—probably processing everything—he apparently decided it was his turn to ask questions.
"Can I ask... what these quests are?"
"If I fail to complete them in time, I get penalized. And the penalties are worse than you'd think."
"Is becoming a trainee all you need to do?"
"I have to find someone too... But yeah, I need to debut. Like I said—this life's destiny is idolhood."
Listening to my answers, Ji Soo-ho fell silent, then glanced at me with a hint of hesitation. To him, I was just a nineteen-year-old kid (even if I'd lived through four regressions). Wasn't he being too formal? Just as I thought that, he spoke carefully.
"Then."
"?"
"Is becoming an idol... just for the quest?"
Huh. Didn't see that coming.
"...Does it matter?"
"To me, it matters a great deal."
'Why does this guy seem more invested in my idol career than I am?'
[System Alert: (Awakened) Ji Soo-ho's 'Star Maker☆' mode is active.]
The System window flashed as I pondered how to answer. Ah, so this was his manager instincts kicking in.
"If I'm going to bet on a never-before-seen white aura, I need to know exactly what cards I'm holding."
"...You'll help me?"
"Let's just say I have my own reasons for needing you to debut. Annoying adult stuff."
Ji Soo-ho's bitter tone suggested he was holding back, but I could read between the lines. I'd already guessed he'd clashed with the department head over me. Coming this far meant he'd put up a fight.
"So it's important to me."
"......"
"If you just complete your quest and bail, I'll be in trouble too."
[System Alert: Ji Soo-ho is 'responding' to you. Future dialogue options will determine recruitment based on his 'response rate'.]
[Recruitment Status ?/??]
A new System window appeared above Ji Soo-ho's head. Whatever this "crew" was, it probably referred to the allies mentioned in the quest.
Our eyes met. His epithet mentioned "burning passion"—and sure enough, his gaze already brimmed with vitality, tinged with cautious determination. Almost uncomfortably intense. Lately, I'd started disliking that kind of pure passion. It made it harder to hide my hollow interior behind plausible lies.
Did I want to be an idol? I wasn't ready to answer that yet. But—
'This person won't abandon me.'
At the very least, he didn't need someone to replace "me." The white aura he saw was mine alone, and I was the only "madman" who could see System windows.
After much deliberation, I once again offered Ji Soo-ho just enough sincerity to convince him.
"That is the ultimate reason, yes."
"Then..."
"But I'm not approaching this half-heartedly."
Becoming an idol just to stop the regressions would've been reckless—it's a tougher job than most realize. I knew that better than anyone.
Suddenly, I remembered the gift Manager Jang had given me. I'd probably spend my whole life measuring its weight. So this much, at least, I could say with complete honesty.
"No matter what, I won't let anyone down."
[System Alert: Ji Soo-ho is 'responding' to you. (Response rate 73%)
Ji Soo-ho can be recruited.]
[Recruit? (Y/N)]
"Let's work well together, Team Leader Ji Soo-ho."
And so I became a Miro trainee—staking my fifth regression on it.
[Single Quest 01.]
'Finding the Lost Dream.'
Details: The fastest way to untangle a knotted thread is to find its starting point. Become an idol trainee within the time limit.
Remaining: 39 days. (Base: 60 days)
Quest complete.
Success reward: Clue Access Ticket for regression tracking.
Several days passed as I finalized my trainee contract and sorted out loose ends. The new year came, making me twenty, and my father received a job offer from a new company.
"They want me to work as a temp for about a year first..."
"Give it a shot, Dad."
"Yeah? You... wouldn't be embarrassed? Having a temp worker for a dad?"
"Would you be embarrassed by a son who's a repeat college entrance exam taker and part-time NEET?"
"Who'd dare look down on my amazing son?"
"Exactly."
I carefully took my father's worry-lined hand. He wordlessly clasped mine in return.
"You start next week, right? That... singer thing."
"Yeah. It's nothing. Just something I've done before."
"Right. If it gets too hard, tell me anytime."
I shrugged with a smile.
"Eh, how bad could it be?"
Then, on my first day at Miro Entertainment...
I realized something was terribly wrong.
"...So Rene and Miro fought over casting me, Miro won, then I had a huge fight with Senior Seo Tae-il and left, but Team Leader Ji got on his knees to beg me back?"
"No?"
I'm going to lose my mind, seriously.