The Only One Who Understands Him

The conversation over, I'd barely stepped out into the hallway when a system window appeared.

This is...

You've got to be kidding me. A new title, of all things, at a time like this?

First his friend, and now his understander? What a joke of a title. I had no idea what it even meant, but I supposed it was better than nothing.

With that thought, I opened the description window.

What caught my eye first was the telepathy function. Which meant, I supposed, that the success rate when I used telepathy had gone up.

Either way, it was a good thing. In the situation we were in, reading Won Ji-an's thoughts was about as urgent as it got. He was the kind of kid whose thoughts you could never quite pin down, whose inner workings remained a complete mystery — which was probably why a function like this actually felt useful.

Wait.

The moment that thought occurred to me, another one followed on its heels.

Didn't that mean Won Ji-an had probably obtained the same title?

Which would mean Won Ji-an could read my inner thoughts, too...

My head started to ache. Imagining someone knowing every last thing going through my mind hit harder than I'd expected.

...Won Ji-an is probably feeling something similar. If he thinks I'm reading his inner thoughts.

Right now, the only two people who could feel this miserable were me and Won Ji-an. Thanks to this goddamn system function, we'd gained telepathy — and the moment we became "understanders" or whatever, we could read each other's minds.

Even if I tried to explain this to someone, the only response I'd get is that I'd lost my mind.

But Won Ji-an would understand. Me, reading his heart.

There was no other choice. In a situation like this, I didn't have the luxury of worrying about pride or embarrassment. I'd already made a vow — to try living in this shitty world. And I'd wanted Won Ji-an to be in that world with me.

After a brief rest, the trainees changed clothes and gathered back at the set. Unlike usual, several rooms had been installed, each separated from the others.

"Whoa, what's that?"

"There's a ton of rooms..."

The trainees filing in one after another murmured among themselves at the unfamiliar scenery. Then the host's opening remarks reached them.

"Hello, trainees. I'm sure you're wondering what all this is."

The host pointed at the rooms as he spoke.

"The mission you'll be taking on this time is the New Song Battle."

Looking closer, a sheet of paper with a new song title was attached to each door. These were the new songs we'd be hearing nonstop throughout the mission.

"These tracks were produced exclusively for all of you. From this moment, we'd like to play you new songs born from the hands of famous K-pop producers."

The host continued in a cheerful voice.

"After listening to the songs, please choose the one you want and enter the corresponding room."

This mission proceeded exactly as it had in the novel, without any particular deviations.

Choose the song you want, huh...

Last mission, we'd had to pick songs by ranking. This time, we were given a measure of autonomy. Trainees could each choose the song they wanted.

"However."

But of course, a survival show would never make things that easy.

"As you all know, not everyone here can sing the song they want."

Sighs and mutterings of how cruel that was burst out here and there, but those sounds were swallowed by the host's next words.

"Unfortunately, trainees who don't fit a new song's concept will be eliminated."

The host went on.

"After each producer's mid-evaluation, the eliminated trainees ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠will be decided by the trainees' own votes."

So that's how it was, as expected. The trainees listened with faces that said they already knew. Since the previous season had already implemented an elimination system, the atmosphere suggested they'd expected it this time too.

What the trainees were actually curious about wasn't that. It was the list of new songs.

Which songs are good, whether the choreography came out well — that kind of thing has a massive impact on the mission results.

In an atmosphere of total concentration, the screen in front of us lit up.

"Now then, let me introduce the new songs of Dream Stage Season 2."

And so the choreography video for the first new song, Slow Touch, began to play.

"Oh."

"This is good."

Along with the trainees' reactions, some were already moving to the beat. A song with a decadent atmosphere, built around deep wave choreography. The chorus was addictive — it was a pretty decent track.

In the novel I only read the lyrics, but hearing it for real, this is the vibe.

For the record, the team that took Slow Touch was the one the protagonist Lee Hae-won belonged ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to — and in the novel, they took first place. Lee Hae-won, who'd only ever done cute concepts, used this episode as a turning point for an image overhaul and got an explosive response.

In terms of concept, choreography, and musicality, this song is the best of the bunch.

Just as the original work had set it up, upon first listen, Slow Touch was the strongest of all the songs. Which was why the trainees already seemed to be aiming for it.

But you have to plan your strategy well, too.

As I'd just heard, not everyone could sing the song they wanted. So rather than heading somewhere the competition was fierce, getting eliminated, and having to learn the song and choreography late, it might be better to lower your sights a little and make a safer choice.

Of course I wasn't the only one thinking this. Everyone seemed to have similar thoughts, their minds visibly racing.

"Where are you going?"

Just as a few trainees were about to talk after all the explanations had finished—

"For your information, discussing song selection with other trainees is not permitted."

The host added.

"Ahh..."

"So we can't tell each other?"

The trainees who'd been chatting among friends all shut their mouths at once. You couldn't know which song the other trainees had chosen. Curtains began to descend over the installed rooms.

So this was a situation where you couldn't follow anyone else's choice — you had to trust only your own instincts.

"They're going this far?"

"Ugh..."

The trainees reacted with mixed groans at the harsher rules. In the previous season, they'd at least been able to talk freely, so you could tell which songs the upper and lower ranks were choosing. But this time was different. Not even being able to guess meant everything had become uncertain.

But I more or less already knew.

Having read the novel, I'd already memorized where each of the main members would go. Of course variables could arise. But if my predictions were right, it wouldn't stray far from the original plot in the broad strokes.

If variables were going to appear...

It would be Kang In-hyeok and Won Ji-an, who hadn't been main members in the novel. These two were people who'd changed their own fates and survived this far. Originally, they should have been eliminated long ago.

So I had no way of knowing which songs these two would pick. It wasn't written anywhere in the novel. For now, I could only roughly guess.

Though Kang In-hyeok kind of seems like he'd pick No Signal.

Slow Touch was a well-made song, but No Signal had also held its own, taking second place in the story. There was a decent chance he'd pick No Signal, with its hip feel that suited his tone and atmosphere best.

I can more or less predict Kang In-hyeok...

The one I couldn't pin down at all was Won Ji-an. I had absolutely no idea which song he'd choose.

In the end, there's only that method.

I decided to use telepathy to read Won Ji-an's mind.

Feels like it's been a really long time since I used this.

Aside from using it during the first grade evaluation to help cover Lee Hae-won's mistake, this would be the first time I'd used telepathy on anyone. No — I'd used it once during the sports festival too. Looking at it this way, I'd barely used it at all. Apparently the idea of reading or controlling someone else's mind had always sat wrong with me.

But right now I have no choice.

I turned on the telepathy function.

Won Ji-an.

Insight.

After using telepathy on Won Ji-an, I decided to see which song he would choose.

And I waited in silence. Since it could fail depending on probability, there was nothing I could do except wait quietly.

But contrary to my worries, the telepathy succeeded. Acquiring the new title had activated the Advanced Telepathy function.

Whew. Thank god.

Just as I was thinking that and trying to receive information about the song, my eyes met Won Ji-an's from across the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠set. The timing was so precise that a flood of thoughts ran through me.

"......"

"......"

Won Ji-an was looking at me with a meaningful expression. He would have no choice but to notice that I'd used telepathy on him. Maybe that was only natural. That ridiculous "understander" title or whatever was hanging over my head, after all. It would have been even weirder if he saw that and still didn't know what I was about to do.

I deliberately turned my head away from the gaze I kept feeling.

At that moment, Won Ji-an had the same title as me. Just as I'd expected, he possessed the title I had.

The sight of the two of us wearing titles like this was so ridiculous I even wondered if we should just vanish on the same day, as a matching set.

But I immediately shook my head. I didn't want to die like garbage this time either.

The moment I activated the system window again, the result appeared before my eyes.

The song Won Ji-an will choose is...

My eyes narrowed at the unexpected result.

No — why this song?

It was a song I hadn't anticipated at all. With a ranking like Won Ji-an's — not in the debut zone, but still high enough — I'd thought he'd at least pick the next best option even if not Slow Touch.

This is the song that gets the lowest score in the novel's story. What is he thinking, picking this?

A thought flashed through my mind.

Don't tell me...

I turned my head, and there was Won Ji-an's face ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠— as if he'd already let everything go.

It seemed Won Ji-an no longer had any desire to survive this show.