Chapter 47
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Keyword Music Stage Practice (2)
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I sat on a chair in the hospital corridor, staring blankly out the window.
The hazy sky matched my ragged state of mind perfectly.
“Will Yu-bin be okay?”
In the heavy atmosphere, the members slowly started talking.
“Yu-bin will be fine.”
“Yeah. We’ve all twisted ankles playing soccer before.”
“We can only hope it’s not a serious injury.”
Everyone was talking casually, but with Keyword Music filming just around the corner, Song Yu-bin’s injury was like a bolt from the blue.
He was originally supposed to handle the dance break solo, but now someone else would have to cover that section.
‘What should we do….’
As I tried to organize my thoughts, one question popped up.
‘Why hasn’t a quest come up?’
All the sub quests so far had warned me about upcoming crises, letting me prevent them.
So shouldn’t this incident have triggered a quest too?
‘Then why?’
My head started to ache.
“Hey? Yu-bin!”
I turned at Baek Si-woo’s voice.
There was Song Yu-bin, hobbling over on crutches with a cast on his right foot.
“I’m sorry.”
The members gathered around Song Yu-bin as he stood with his head bowed.
“Hey. What do you have to be sorry for?”
“It’s not your fault, so chin up.”
Pushing through the chattering members, I patted Song Yu-bin’s shoulder.
“Some weirdo came rushing at us out of nowhere, and you twisted it dodging. You don’t need to apologize.”
“Okay.”
Eun Hae-sol, who’d been scanning the area, pointed to the side.
“Manager’s coming.”
I turned and saw the manager approaching from afar, face twisted in a scowl.
The manager stopped in front of us, looked Song Yu-bin up and down, and let out a deep sigh.
“Results back? How’s it looking?”
“Ankle sprain, so they said a cast for a few days…”
“We’ve got the main stage in just a few days. You gonna be able to perform?”
“I want to go on.”
“Ugh, damn it! How’re you gonna dance with that ankle!”
That bastard. Yelling at the kid who’s more upset than anyone because he’s hurt?
People in the hospital started glancing our way.
As the stares hit, the manager—who’d just been yelling with a sour face—suddenly switched to a smile.
“Yeah. Ankle feeling okay at least?”
But the members’ reactions stayed icy.
“Whew….”
I swallowed a rising sigh and spoke up.
“Let’s head to the car first. We need to talk.”
“Yeah, sure. Let’s go.”
We headed out and toward the van in the hospital parking lot.
Some people recognized us and reacted with surprise, but the situation wasn’t right for fan service.
The van door slid open.
“Careful getting in.”
Song Yu-bin boarded with the members’ help. The rest of us followed one by one.
The door shut.
“…….”
In the heavy silence.
My eyes met the manager’s in the rearview mirror as he glanced back.
Cha Jae-hyun broke the silence first.
“What happened to that person?”
“Who?”
“That Kim Bit-na or whatever, the one who rushed at us.”
“Oh, that sasaeng?”
Kim Bit-na. The girl from the fansign.
I’d thought she was just a quirky fourth-dimension fan back then, but a sasaeng?
Chills ran down my spine.
“Since Yu-bin got hurt because of her, shouldn’t we do something about it?”
The manager cleared his throat a couple times, then spoke in a subdued voice.
“Do what? She didn’t throw anything or hit anyone. Wasn’t trespassing either—just on the street, right.”
Back to his irritable tone the second we were in the van.
Cha Jae-hyun let out a frustrated breath.
“That’s why I’m saying the company should take some action. Our dorm location’s all over the place now. Don’t we at least need to move?”
“Yeah. We should switch dorms, right? This was seriously dangerous.”
The other members chimed in one by one. But the manager’s response was half-hearted.
“The company didn’t say anything. How long have we been in there? Asking to move dorms already? Just tough it out and live with it.”
Tough it out?
Someone got hurt, and that’s what he says?
I stared at the back of the manager’s head in the driver’s seat, then looked down.
I was about to explode.
The manager who couldn’t do shit but strutted around anyway, the agency that assigned us this asshole— I was sick of them all. Hated them enough to kill.
Feeling the members’ glares, the manager hurriedly started driving.
* * *
Inside DIEN’s agency manager’s office.
The company manager plopped down opposite us, out of breath.
We’d rushed in for a meeting over Song Yu-bin’s injury.
“Yeah. Manager told me. Hurt by a sasaeng, huh?”
The manager eyed Song Yu-bin’s casted right foot with a pitying look.
“Does it hurt a lot?”
“No. I can bear it.”
“Good. Sucks to get injured right before a stage. Here, eat this at least.”
The manager pulled something from a box and handed it to Song Yu-bin—an energy bar. Bold letters on the package read “Diet-Friendly.”
Song Yu-bin unwrapped it and took a bite. He chewed slowly, like it tasted bad, then forced an awkward smile.
“Alright. So let’s talk about how to move forward.”
After the perfunctory comfort, the manager cut straight to business.
“…….”
No one spoke.
In the hesitant atmosphere, the manager asked carefully.
“Yu-bin. Manager said you want to perform?”
“…Yes.”
Song Yu-bin hated anyone suffering because of him. So even injured, he’d push to get on stage.
Normally I’d stop him, but with Keyword Music so close, words wouldn’t come.
The manager tilted his head.
“You sure you’re okay? Hospital said maximum rest…”
“I really want to perform.”
“You can dance on that ankle?”
Song Yu-bin nodded silently.
My mind was a mess. I worried for him, but part of me hoped he’d push through for the stage.
‘Am I being selfish?’
Looking at Song Yu-bin, the manager shrugged helplessly.
“Fine. We’ll keep the choreography as is, including you. But don’t push too hard. Speak up if it hurts. Idols live or die by their bodies.”
Song Yu-bin gave a faint smile. Baek Si-woo patted his back like he was comforting him.
If Song Yu-bin could perform, that lifted a big weight. But the problem was…
“You’ve got a dance break section this stage, right? How’re you handling that?”
The dance break solo section.
Song Yu-bin, our best dancer, was perfect for it—the most crucial part. But his injury made it impossible.
Even Song Yu-bin, who’d been so resolute about performing, now hung his head at the dance break mention.
‘What do we do.’
In the heavy silence, I spoke up slowly.
“I’ll….”
Everyone’s heads turned to me.
Part of me wanted to shut up and say “Never mind.”
“I’ll do it. The dance break.”
I figured I was the best choice. Because I had something the others didn’t.
‘Dance Buff Ticket.’
The item from the Idol Buff Set Box.
It boosted dance skills, so even if not Song Yu-bin level, I could do better than the rest.
Plus, I was the lead dancer.
“Jeong Eun-ho. You can pull it off?”
“Yes.”
“Alright. Eun-ho takes the dance break. No objections?”
I looked around at the members. They all looked relieved, smiles returning.
Baek Si-woo punched my arm lightly and grinned.
“We’re counting on our lead dancer?”
He was trying to lighten the mood with a joke.
But seeing the members’ faces still shadowed, my heart stayed heavy.
‘Let’s make this work somehow.’
* * *
In the quiet practice room.
My reflection stood alone in the mirror.
I’d told the members I’d practice the dance break section more and stayed behind.
Now, lost in thought.
“Open inventory window.”
I stared blankly at the buff ticket inside.
“Let’s see.”
I hadn’t checked it thinking I wouldn’t need it anytime soon.
‘Who’d have thought I’d use the buff ticket this soon.’
Pushing aside the regret, I opened the item details.
[Dance Buff Ticket]
Duration: 5 minutes
Dance ability 150% boost
“Hmm.”
Not bad.
5 minutes meant using it right before the stage.
With the buff ticket, might as well nail this stage.
I closed the item window and stood.
“Time to practice.”
Ever since hearing the practice room ghost story, being alone here always felt eerie.
But practice was practice.
I headed to the audio player to start the music.
[Eun-ho~? What’ve you been up to today?]
The sudden system administrator message nearly made me scream.
Calming myself, I spoke.
“What now.”
[Keyword Music’s almost here. Everything going well~?]
“With all the crap going on, not really…”
Seeing the system administrator brought back the anger I’d bottled up.
“But.”
[?]
“Why didn’t you warn me this time?”
[About what?]
Playing dumb when it knew, or actually clueless?
“You’ve sent me quests non-stop before. To warn about future dangers and let me stop them.”
[Yeah.]
“So you knew Song Yu-bin would get hurt this time too. Why not tell me?”
I spat it out like a machine gun, then stared at the system window.
In the silence, the text changed.
[This wasn’t a branching point.]
What?
Before I could respond, the window blinked off.
“Hey?”
My voice echoed alone in the quiet.
‘Branching point?’
The system administrator existed for my success, so this not being one meant…
‘No way.’
Like a game with set branching points, different endings per branch?
Then happy ending was me succeeding as an idol. Bad ending, flopping hard.
Meaning every failed sub quest raised my flop odds.
‘Terrifying.’
Luckily, only one failed so far: “Debut Showcase Safely!”
I sighed in relief.
‘Better clear sub quests whenever possible.’
Knowing one slip at a branch could spike flop risk, tension gripped me.
Glancing up, a full moon hung outside the window.
I was here to succeed. I had to.
No matter what….
‘I’ll succeed for sure.’