A Game of No Winners
“Do you think you can do it too?”
Bodi asked with a face that seemed to be asking if he was serious.
“…Nothing is impossible, right?”
It was serious. The guy’s actions were indeed simple madness, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t do it.
If there was a correct answer and I knew the solving formula, it was no different from solving a test question.
“So I just need to create situations where I almost die like him, repeatedly?”
Bodi stared at me intently, shook his head, and let out a sigh.
“It’s not something you should think about so easily. As you can see, that guy is crazy. If you repeat that act over and over, you’ll go insane. Eventually, you won’t even realize that you’ve gone mad?”
“…Yeah, I get it.”
Following Bodi’s advice, I decided to save this method as a last resort.
I was momentarily angry and thought maybe I could do it too, but honestly, it was indeed a crazy thing to do.
Anyway, after hearing the answer, the frustration eased a bit. It wasn’t a complete resolution of the doubt, but a hypothesis.
“Hael asked me what he thought I’d do next.”
“Right.”
“No expectations?”
“This is like using me as a complete AI.”
In response to the continued questions, Bodi clicked his tongue and said.
“From my perspective, there’s a high probability that he’s preparing to throw a big one.”
After saying that, Bodi immediately transformed his appearance to match Hael’s exactly. In his hand was a coffee can currently being advertised.
“If my previous goal was to prevent you from debuting, now that you’ve debuted, I suppose the goal has changed to ruining your path. But he didn’t touch you right after debut. Why?”
The events from back then came to mind naturally.
“Because there’s something to use it for.”
Indeed, it would benefit him to refrain from touching me until I could use the noise marketing.
But now that he’s used it to the fullest and has achieved his purpose, there’s no reason left for Hael not to touch me.
“Anyway, his plan to prevent your debut has fallen apart, you’ve debuted walking on a flower path, and the only choice available in that situation was noise marketing.”
Bodi continued, spinning once around the rooftop.
“In plain terms, when he hears that he’s being compared to a small group while listening to their voices, and someone else is shooting a coffee ad and doing well… it’s enough to drive him crazy.”
After chugging the coffee, Bodi tossed the empty can into the trash.
But the can bounced off the edge of the trash and fell.
“If he repeated falling to prevent your debut, even more so.”
Indeed, Bodi was right.
He planned everything while desperately hoping for the opponent’s downfall, but if he doesn’t fall as he wishes and instead thrives, there’s nothing more hellish than that.
“Even if I get the Lucky title, should I say it’s the cruel structure of the world where even truly lucky people can’t win?”
I scratched my head.
“I’m lucky?”
“It’s good. How important appearance is for idols, and possessing the body of a handsome guy like Do Won-woo is such a stroke of luck.”
“At the end, I was really on the verge of going to the bottom?”
“You didn’t die.”
It’s easy to say since it’s not his own life.
Of course, that doesn’t mean I didn’t have bad luck.
It could be said that it turned out well just by debuting, but…
“I don’t think I’ve lived so comfortably that I’d feel inferior just because things turned out well.”
Bodi shrugged and answered.
“People’s hearts don’t consider such things.”
“……”
“Completely ignoring others’ circumstances, and thinking I’m unlucky, so I have to eat dirt for the rest of my life.”
I know.
I know the world rolls that way.
“So, the conclusion is this: I die or he dies.”
“Right. It’s the fight between Hael and you over the entertainment industry’s cake-cutting.”
“…Can you stop using that kind of expression?”
I wanted to ask if there was no way for both to live, but I knew.
From the appearance I saw in the bathroom, it’s an opponent who can’t be convinced. I already know that myself.
“This isn’t like Yoon Hyeon-min 2.0….”
No, it could be said that a villain even more vicious than Yoon Hyeon-min has appeared, one with similar vibes but more intense.
More cunning than Yoon Hyeon-min, even crazier, and with system abilities.
If last time was fake madness, this time it felt like real madness.
“Haa…”
It wasn’t easy even before debut, but I didn’t think it would be smooth sailing after debut either.
“If it’s too easy, it’s not fun, right?”
Well. My reincarnated novel’s title is Idol Walking on a Flower Path, so is this accurate?
“Still, don’t be too gloomy. You’re doing well with the coffee ad. Even if the world ends tomorrow, one cup of coffee…”
Watching Bodi make a joke that wasn’t even funny, I let out a sigh.
Anyway, it was also true that things were going well on the surface. It was also true that there was someone interfering behind the scenes.
I didn’t know what Hael would do next, but I decided to gather the gold coins received as quest rewards like crazy.
I don’t know if there will be a time when I need them later.
* * *
A few days later, I received a call that an entertainment show invitation had come in.
A variety show that’s popular among people these days.
Participants locked in a confined space gather clues within a limited time, solve puzzles, and escape. I heard the set scale is quite large…
“So I’m going as a guest there?”
Probably because of the influence of the self-produced content from last time.
After the first self-produced content was released, the reactions were better than expected. The appearance of actively solving difficult problems that couldn’t be solved easily became quite a hot topic after release.
Anyway, the image of a smart idol among people has been created.
So the production team must have invited me expecting some picture.
“The guest invited along with me…”
The guests for the escape room variety show were me, Kang In-hyeok, and Kwon Hak-jin. Just the three of us.
Unlike Kwon Hak-jin, who looked calm upon hearing the invitation news, Kang In-hyeok already looked pale.
“It’s understandable.”
Because the show we were going on was a horror special.
By the way, Kang In-hyeok is very scared. It was already widely known that Kang In-hyeok has a cowardly personality since the survival show.
“I haven’t heard the detailed content yet, but if it’s a horror special, isn’t it ghosts or something like that?”
At my words, Kwon Hak-jin nodded as if he had no thoughts.
But the Kang In-hyeok next to me turned pale as if he was about to faint.
“No ghosts.”
Kang In-hyeok muttered.
“Seriously, no ghosts, but why make up some non-existent life form, or some existence, to dress up and scare people?”
In the car heading to the schedule, Kang In-hyeok’s scream-mixed words were heard.
Meanwhile, Lee Hyo-seop was silently gazing out the window with envious eyes, and Jeong Hui-min was playing on his phone as if it were someone else’s business.
“Come on, calm down.”
Only the leader Kwon Hak-jin offered warm comfort to Kang In-hyeok.
“What’s the point, just go along with whatever scares you. If it’s fun, then it’s fun, right? Look, Won-woo also couldn’t dance but went and came back looking super fun.”
Why is he bringing up that story again.
Every time I hear it, the memories of that day come back, and I involuntarily flinch.
“An escape room show…”
Han I-jae pretended to be uninterested but had a subtly interested expression.
“If you do the same as last time, right? Like when you first shot the self-produced content.”
Strictly speaking, it’s not an escape room but a deduction self-produced content, but since it includes deduction elements in the escape room, it could be considered similar.
“What did In-hyeok-hyung do back then.”
“Eating snacks in the teacher’s room?”
“Stop, stop.”
Meanwhile, Won Ji-an watching that conversation had an envious expression.
It was understandable because he was a curious person who wanted to experience everything.
“Be careful.”
At that moment, Won Ji-an’s voice was heard.
When I looked to the side, Won Ji-an was looking at me with worried eyes.
Since Won Ji-an is the only one who knows that I am currently being threatened, it wasn’t strange that he was worried.
“I’m fine. I’ll do well and come back.”
After saying that, I patted his shoulder as if to say not to worry.
But honestly, it was impossible not to feel worried in reality.
If something happens at the right time, this time the probability is high.
I didn’t seem like I’d just wait quietly until the next comeback.
In the end, the important thing was not to be swept away as the guy planned. I needed to prepare at least a mind that wouldn’t shake no matter what situation arose.
* * *
After finishing the schedule and returning to the dorm, I lay on the bed.
Lying there watching YouTube, a video featuring Hael appeared in the algorithm.
It had been frequently appearing in the algorithm since I searched for it once before.
“When should I reset the algorithm.”
Thinking that, I clicked on one of the entertainment clip videos featuring Hael.
“A bungee jump video?”
I didn’t want to see it, but anyway, I decided to watch it as it was a kind of information gathering.
“Are you confident?”
“Yes! I am confident!”
In the video, Hael was preparing to jump from a high place while wearing safety equipment for the bungee jump.
While the other members looked scared, Hael looked unusually bright and cheerful, as if he was waiting for this moment.
“…I think I know why he was talking about bungee jump ads.”
Before the bungee jump, Hael’s expression and the wide-open view combined to create a clear and refreshing atmosphere.
If someone who knew nothing saw it, they would think it was just a bright idol jumping well at bungee jump, but…
From the perspective of someone who knows, it felt more eerie than any horror movie.
My stomach is churning.
In the end, I couldn’t finish watching the bungee jump video and had to skip in the middle.
“…If he did jump, how many times did he really jump?”
Did he repeat jumping to get titles while preventing my debut?
It might not have been by jumping. But either way, it was an act of falling.
He had killed himself countless times. To ruin me.
“Anyway, I don’t want to lose.”
In other words, it’s a game that ends only when one person loses.