Chapter 1
Chapter 1
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: If You Want to Be a Top Star, Contact Me
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Handsome.
He's a good singer?
He can dance well too?
He's even good at his studies?
From a young age, this was how people saw me.
I was a jack-of-all-trades, blessed with handsome looks I inherited from my beautiful mother.
In my eyes, the most brilliant beings in the world were the idols on TV. I thought it was only natural for me to become one.
"Mom, Dad. I want to be a singer."
"...We support you doing what you want, son, but you could also be very successful with your studies."
My parents said with worried faces. I understood how they felt. At the time, my grades were at the very top.
But I had a strong conviction that I could succeed even without focusing on my studies.
"I think I can make more money singing than studying."
"...We respect your decision, son. That said, you need to think about this carefully."
"I'll do it. I want to do it."
My parents, who ran a popular restaurant, respected my decision.
I auditioned for a major agency.
For the first time, I hit a wall.
There were countless trainees as talented as I was. I realized I had been a big fish in a small pond and decided to be humble.
Before I could sign the contract, a mid-sized agency contacted me, though I'm not sure how they found out.
-That place is a collection of countless jewels. But you must know that there are far more jewels left to rot in the jewelry box, unused. That's why it's better to be the head of a snake.
"So if I go there, you're confirming my debut?"
-Of course, you'll still need some training. We've recently received a large investment, and our promotions department is being significantly strengthened. We need to create a hit group to become a major agency ourselves, which is why we contacted you, Min-jun. You can trust us.
As I was deliberating, my parents gave me some advice.
"Your mother and I aren't always right, but wouldn't it be better to choose a place with more resources? The system of a major agency, built through ups and downs, seems important."
But the wall I felt seeing the other participants at the major agency's audition was a greater burden than I had expected.
Is it better to be the tail of a dragon?
No.
I might not even get to debut among all those heavyweights.
"...For the first time in my life, I felt small. There are so many talented kids."
"If that's how you feel, Min-jun, then there's nothing to be done."
I don't know what would have happened if I had chosen to be the tail of the dragon, but at least choosing to be the head of the snake was the worst mistake of my life.
I signed with SJ Enter, a mid-sized agency.
"Son. Being a trainee is hard enough. You don't have to help out at the restaurant."
"This is all part of getting my face out there."
Feeling guilty for not following my parents' advice, I diligently helped out at the restaurant even during my trainee days.
The training began.
"You sing well, but you lack technique. If you want a long career, you have to learn."
I practiced my vocals diligently.
"Do you know how many trainees can sing well? Your dancing has to be perfect too."
It was tough, but I trained hard in dance as well. I developed top-tier vocal and dance skills, and the path to debut began to open up.
Around the time I graduated from high school.
My parents died in a hit-and-run accident.
"...Mom... Dad......"
For a while, I don't think I was in my right mind. I'd habitually go to the restaurant to help my parents, only to see the darkened storefront and burst into tears.
After crying for a long time, a sudden fear of the future washed over me, overwhelming my sorrow and snapping me back to my senses.
My parents, who grew up in an orphanage, had not a single relative, and I had to handle everything on my own.
They had earned a lot of money from their popular restaurant, but even while paying off various loans, my parents had always taken care of people in need.
With the help of my agency's CEO, who learned of my situation, I quickly sold the restaurant and settled the loans, leaving me with just the house.
I had to figure out how to continue my life as a trainee. But I couldn't bring myself to sell the house. It was the only place filled with memories of my parents.
It was then, as I was struggling, that a hand of hope was extended to me.
"Think of me as your uncle, kid. I'll support you so you can focus entirely on your debut."
At my young, immature age, the CEO's words sounded so sweet and warm.
"Male idols these days can't debut with a plain body. You need to be able to go shirtless on stage..."
The training started again.
"Do you know how many groups debut and disappear in the same year? Nowadays, you have to be good at everything."
I cut into my sleeping hours to learn acting, English, and even composition. Believing my debut was just around the corner, I learned recklessly and diligently.
It seemed that by living such a busy life, I could also soothe my longing for my parents.
Eventually, I made it into the debut group.
I was ecstatic. It was partly because I had achieved my dream, but more importantly, because I felt I now had the strength to survive on my own.
"Mom, Dad, I did it!"
But the joy didn't even last a week.
"Let's have our Min-jun debut with a better team. I don't think you fit the current team's concept."
"But... I think I have good chemistry with the current members, and they're great."
"No. Our Min-jun is too precious to be wasted like this. You're the main vocalist, but your dancing and visuals aren't lacking in any way. You could be a huge hit as a super solo artist, like Rainy!"
"You think so?"
I was disappointed, but I had trusted and relied on the CEO like family, so I believed his words implicitly. My spot was taken by some guy who rolled in from another agency.
In the end, Fire Emblem, the group I was supposed to debut with, became a massive hit.
And so, the time filled with torturous hope drifted by aimlessly.
One year, two years, three, four... five years.
I was gradually aging out of the maximum age range for a debut.
"I'm leaving."
"Now? What about your debt?"
It was only after seeing the contract and the ballooning debt they presented that I belatedly realized their hand of hope had been leading me to ruin.
"Don't be like that. Min-jun, you have a good sense for this, so let's have you become a producer. Who am I, kid? I'm Gyeon Sang-jin, the hit-maker, the star-maker."
"...So, I can't debut?"
"You're a bit old to debut. Instead, since you're talented, I'll launch your career as a producer. If you do well, I'll even help you start your own agency like me."
"...I'll think about it."
"Alright, go home and think it over today. That debt of yours? You can pay it all off with a single hit song."
I went home and looked into filing a lawsuit. But for someone like me with nothing, even the act of righting an injustice was unthinkable.
To win a case against an entertainment company, I would need the help of a major law firm, and the cost was beyond imagination. Enough to have to sell my house. Besides, there was no guarantee I would win.
I decided to trust him one last time—the producer and CEO of the agency. I was already in my mid-twenties, but I was still a fool who knew nothing of the world.
I lived and worked with the CEO, learning composition professionally. But setting aside the fact that my life was on the line, I couldn't help but find learning to compose incredibly fun.
This was my true calling!
Overjoyed, I dedicated myself to sound making.
Eventually, I produced my first satisfactory piece of work and confidently played it for the CEO.
"...It's still lacking."
The CEO was famous as a hit-maker, and I had no choice but to believe his words.
"From this moment on, don't listen to any other music. Only listen to what I play for you."
"...Why?"
"This is a common problem for many composers. If you listen to other people's songs, you might end up plagiarizing without even realizing it."
I listened to nothing but the music the CEO played for me, calling it the 'trend'. Composition and producing were my last lifeline, and I believed that if I worked hard, I would surely succeed.
And besides, it was fun.
Whenever I ran out of money, he would give me an allowance.
"You won't find anyone else like me, right? Teaching you for free and even giving you pocket money."
"......"
I was scared that my debt was increasing again.
"Hey, hey. This is just an allowance. It's not a loan, so don't worry and just use it."
"...Thank you."
And so, the time of gaslighting and grooming passed.
"There's no way out......"
The members of Fire Emblem, a massive hit not just in Korea but overseas, lamented to me.
Those guys knew their contracts were unfair, but they had no choice but to follow the CEO.
And then yesterday.
I attended the funeral of one of my few friends and heard some disturbing rumors.
Things I had taken for granted just a few months ago suddenly felt wrong. And then, an idol who stopped by the studio had a familiar ringtone.
It was clearly the song the CEO had rejected. My suspicion turned into certainty.
I stayed up all night examining the songs the CEO had produced. Most of his recent hits contained the melody lines and tracks I had created.
Suddenly, the story of a genius violinist who was merely used by his agency came to mind. It felt like my world was collapsing.
"How could you do this! This is blatant fraud!"
"Fraud? What's fraud?"
"You stole the songs I made!"
"Stole? You little bastard!"
The CEO hit me, and I exploded, throwing a punch of my own.
"Ugh! You crazy-!"
In the brawl that broke out between me and CEO Gyeon Sang-jin, the console and monitor were smashed, and a speaker toppled over.
Hearing the commotion, the CEO's lackeys, Director Park and Director Jang, joined in to help him.
Thwack!
Something struck my head hard, and yellow stars flashed before my eyes.
Thud.
My face hit the cold studio floor. I couldn't see through the wave of yellow stars, but I was certain the warm blood flowing onto the floor was mine.
"Uh, what do we do?"
"Ah, shit."
The CEO paced around the floor.
Get me to a hospital, quick!
I screamed in my mind, but my lips could only quiver. Whether from the blood loss or the impact to the back of my head, my dizziness worsened, and I felt nauseous.
"Uh, it's me. Nothing much. There was... an accident... Uh... yeah. Right. Ah... drum can fishing?"
I heard Gyeon Sang-jin hurriedly making a call to someone, and the conversation lasted less than a minute.
"...Should I call 911?"
"...This kid, he has no family, no friends."
An ominous feeling washed over me.
What are you talking about? I'm not dead yet!
My breathing grew ragged with agitation.
"I don't think he's dead."
"...Hey, you bastard. Is that what's important? You want to ruin your life after coming this far? How hard did we work to get where we are now, huh?"
"......"
"Just remember, you're all accomplices. Don't worry, I can make this all go away."
"Yes... boss."
What is this bullshit? Make it go away?
"...Aish. Damn it."
With their grumbling, my body was lifted into the air and carried somewhere.
Right now, CEO Gyeon Sang-jin was trying to erase my existence—the one thing that could completely destroy his career.
Is a stupid career that important?
Important enough to kill someone?
Do people really kill someone this easily these days? Is this really happening?
It was absurd.
I couldn't die so pointlessly.
"Guuhh."
I can't die like this!
"Krrghh."
I tried to scream that I was alive, but only a strange, guttural sound came out.
The world is spinning.
The dizziness is driving me crazy.
Just before the thread of my consciousness snapped completely.
[Karma has reached its limit.]
[The system is activating.]
[Would you like to run 'Starlight'?]
[Yes / No]