Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Even as a Villain, I Want to Debut
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With the four centers from the other groups now set, all that remained was selecting the center from A-rank.
'Let me take stock for a second.'
So far, Hyeon Si-woo was the only one who'd held onto his center position as in the original story.
The rest had diverged due to fate shifting around them, landing the spots on different trainees.
'Which means... Han I-jae might not make center after all.'
That said, from my perspective, Han I-jae becoming center still seemed like the best outcome.
There wasn't anyone in A-rank who looked capable of hijacking fate.
'Even if the novel's freedom has ramped up, only characters with the drive to change themselves can actually alter their destinies.'
You could tell just from how only a handful of extras had bucked the trend while everyone else stuck to the script.
'Of course, you never know. Even without some hidden talent, Han I-jae could screw up big time and hand the spot to a lucky bystander.'
Like that cat fiasco last time—who knew what could pop up next?
Maybe because of that trauma, Han I-jae stood there more rigid than usual, waiting for his turn.
'Is there anything I can do?'
That's when something caught my eye.
'...His shoelace is way too loose.'
Han I-jae's lace was barely tied, practically dangling off.
One wrong move during breaking, and that shoe could fly off—probably hurt like hell.
For some reason, it worried me. I watched him with a touch of anxiety flickering in my eyes.
'But why am I even stressing?'
We weren't close. If anything, he was a rival. Did I really need to help?
Ignoring it wouldn't kill me.
"Hold on, we're swapping tapes!"
The production crew called out—they were taking a quick break from filming.
'Guess that's that.'
I hesitated, but this was my shot. I stood up, drawing curious glances from the other trainees.
As I approached, Han I-jae stared straight ahead, aware of me but clearly not expecting me to head his way.
"?"
He blinked in confusion when I stopped right in front of him.
"What...?"
"Your shoelace."
"Huh?"
"It's too loose."
I knelt and tied it for him.
He looked utterly flustered by the sudden move—same vibe as when that cat had darted between his legs that day.
"I could've done it myself."
I let out a dry chuckle.
'Yeah, but you'd probably botch it anyway.'
I bit back the snark and tied it tight—a knot that wouldn't budge.
Should hold now.
"...Thanks."
He mumbled it awkwardly, still dazed.
'Not a bad guy, deep down.'
If he could just fix that brutally honest streak, life would've been half as rough.
Not his fault, though. Blame the author for sticking him with it.
"Alright, back to filming!"
I returned to my seat, and Lee Hae-won hit me with the questions.
"You and Han I-jae close?"
"Nah."
"Really? Then why go tie his shoe if you're not?"
"Yeah. Stage was coming up, and it looked loose, so I fixed it."
"How'd you even notice? You been staring?"
How to play this? It hit me—I might look weird to everyone else.
'Makes it seem like I'm into him or something.'
I wasn't. Not even a little.
If I'd ignored it and something went wrong, the guilt would've gnawed at me. Pure self-preservation.
Picture watching Han I-jae crack his skull on stage because of a loose lace? That'd mess with my head too.
'Not for him. Just my own peace of mind.'
"Trainee Han I-jae, you're up."
His name called, he strode to the stage with confident steps.
Good—the lace held firm, no more wobble.
"Please give a quick intro to your performance."
He took the mic.
"No long talk. I'll show you why I'm A-rank... and why I'm the top dog in it."
A beat of silence, then some awkward cheers—"Cool!"
A-rank clapped, but a few trainees couldn't hide their stiffening faces.
'They're solid too, but Han I-jae laps them so hard they fade in comparison.'
To them, he was a thorn.
The lower ranks didn't seem fazed—too godlike to envy.
"Great, we heard that confident intro from trainee Han I-jae. Let's see a killer performance, just like you said."
Host stepped back. Lights dimmed, leaving Han I-jae solo onstage.
"Wonder what he'll do."
"This is gonna be good."
Curious eyes everywhere—but I watched calmly.
I knew the play: flashy breaking from his b-boy past, tearing up the stage.
— ♩♪♫~
Lights flared. Right on cue, he dove into the tricks.
Cheers exploded from the trainees.
'...Insane.'
His intro screamed arrogance, but one look blew that away.
Lee Hae-won gaped as Han I-jae spun like a top.
"Whoa, he's spinning."
"Yup."
"Not like that—he's really spinning."
Who even kept count?
"Doesn't he get dizzy?"
Lee Hae-won stared in awe.
'...Hope nothing goes wrong.'
I was the only uneasy one—until Han I-jae hit his freeze, and the shoe nearly slipped.
"!"
He caught it, shifting poses fast.
Ended early, but he smoothed the gap seamlessly.
'Close call.'
If I hadn't tied it? Disaster mid-spin.
'Did I just block bad luck from shifting to him?'
Luckily, he nailed the rest clean.
Awe-struck roars from the trainees.
"Woooah..."
"What did I just witness?"
The buzz lingered.
Center was his, no doubt.
'Han I-jae it is.'
Votes tallied. No twists.
"A-rank center is trainee Han I-jae. Congratulations!"
He stood, unfazed—like he knew.
No fake surprise; he knew he crushed it.
"Thank you."
Paper crown perched ridiculously on his head, he shared his thoughts.
"As center, I'll anchor and elevate our performance quality. We're the top rank here—we gotta be the best. I know the other A-rankers feel the same."
A-rank clapped blankly—no jealousy left.
'...Why is this so funny?'
Stern face under that cheap crown? Comedy gold.
Wonder if I looked the same earlier. Made it harder not to crack up.
But I held it. Bad timing to laugh.
"......"
"......"
Then Han I-jae paused his speech and stared me down.
'Crap. Caught me holding back a laugh?'
I covered my mouth, peeking—then he dropped this.
"Thanks to everyone who voted, but I owe trainee Do Won-woo the most."
All eyes snapped to me.
"...Huh?"
"Why? What'd he do?"
"Wait, the shoelace thing?"
He kept going, looking right at me.
"Do Won-woo tied my loose lace earlier—that let me finish the stage without a hitch."
Warm vibes all around. Trainees clapped, glancing between us.
'Wasn't fishing for this.'
Not really for him, but nice shoutout.
Boosted my screen time odds.
'Should snag some solid footage this time.'
Editing's a wildcard, but today's shoot had plenty of me-worthy moments.
B-rank center already locked in some airtime anyway.
'Just hope it lands well.'
Center selection wrapped. We all filed out of the set toward the dorms.
Long shoot had everyone wiped out.
On the way back, night sky loomed. Morning start bled into almost-midnight end.
"Tough one, huh?"
I nodded at Lee Hae-won.
'Worth it, though. Center's a solid win.'
Swore to claw my way to debut—no backing down now.
'Sorry, Hae-won. Can't be helped.'
He was grinding too. He'd shine eventually.
I believed that.
Back in the room, Na Jae-hyun was already changed—who knew when he'd snuck in.
Rocking another wild tee: "Where I Am Is Center."
"Dude, where do you even find those shirts? Custom jobs?"
Kwon Hak-jin asked. Na Jae-hyun kindly dropped the shop name.
Then he bolted to the corner and started headbanging like a maniac.
'Where I Am Is Center.'
Dancing in that shirt? Only his spot looked different.
Explained the "4D" tag in his profile.
'What a weirdo.'
Exhausted from the marathon shoot, yet his energy was off the charts.
Kwon joined in briefly before crashing on his bed. Lee Hae-won was long out.
"Won-woo hyung! Congrats on center. Shell-whip dance to celebrate?"
Wanted to bail, but couldn't ghost him. Dragged myself over for some awkward shuffling.
Quit midway—too cringe—and headed back.
'What a day.'
But topping it all? Won Ji-an.
The mystery guy with my system window. What was his deal?
- Visit Won Ji-an's house (0/1)
- Learn Won Ji-an's real name (0/1)
🎁 Reward: 100G, 1 Lottery Ticket
I scanned the quest window again.
'Real name, huh...'
Mulled it over.
'How do I even get that? Is he really a possessor like me?'
Thoughts swirled, but sleep crashed in. I dismissed the window and rolled over.
'Whatever. Later.'
Rest first.