Skill Coffee and the First Melody
While the genius sips his skill-boosted coffee, Kim Nayun unleashes a torrent of stories. "So, like, at the company..." Company gossip, friends, trainee life, and so on. "Oh right! Oppa, remember Choi Hee? She got cut from the trainees. At our company..." Even as I just sit there listening quietly, her words keep spilling out without a break. "Oppa, have you seen the new Galaxy coming out?" She has so much pent-up chatter that the conversation never pauses. "I pre-ordered it already. You like Galaxy, right, oppa?" Strictly speaking, as someone who's essentially meeting her for the first time, it's enough to make even me feel a bit uneasy.
"...Ye-misae."
"Yes?"
"Ah, nothing."
The type you see all the time in group meetings or online games. She radiates that classic Ye-misae vibe—chattering nonstop to snag some attention from the opposite sex. The only glitch in the setup is that the protagonist here is an ultra-top-tier beauty.
Is this what a gender-reversed Genius Face (SS) looks like?
In this world, I'm the one who makes it possible. Staring into Kim Nayun's eyes, glued to my face without blinking, it feels like she'd nod and laugh at whatever nonsense I spouted. As our conversation flows, one thing becomes crystal clear. I have no idea what this body's original owner thought of her, but Kim Nayun's attitude leaves no doubt.
She's head over heels for me right now. No question.
"Hoo..."
It's thrilling. Fresh as hell.
Anyway, I'm enjoying the one-sided ramble when I catch her slyly checking my reaction. Too much listening on my part? She must think I'm bored. So I take the lead, starting with the question I've been meaning to ask.
"What about Shine Candy? Any plans to get back on stage?"
"Uh..."
Too abrupt? I wait quietly, and after a moment's hesitation, she lets out a small sigh.
"Not sure. But... it'll probably just disband quietly like this."
"Not disappointed? BOZ is a big league agency, after all."
No second push? I've never dived into the idol world, so the ecosystem's a mystery to me. Still, for a major label, ditching them after one flop digital single feels off.
"...That's for groups with actual potential. We tanked hard."
"Just one digital single?"
"We threw massive promo at it."
"Really?"
For that kind of investment, the music was downright trash.
"And right after we bombed, Artist Division 2 debuted Foxy and it blew up."
F.O.X.Y—a four-member girl group that debuted two months after Shine Candy's flop. They swept rookie awards that year, undisputed tier 1 material. In terms of prestige... Shine Candy doesn't even register.
"Then Eighty hit back-to-back home runs."
Foxy's little sister group. Nicknamed BOZ's baby girl. Their debut track "AGE18" topped every music show on terrestrial and cable. Naturally tier 1, one of BOZ's prime cash cows.
"......"
With heavyweights like that, Shine Candy's invisible.
I pull up BOZ on my phone's wiki. Flashy logos for all their idol groups pop right up. But no Shine Candy.
This is trouble...
To nail the failed idol chart quest, Shine Candy has to restart activities somehow. If they flop for good? So does the quest.
Failure's off the table.
Especially with the IP Shop as a reward. No guarantee it'll pop up again, and without that cash shop equivalent, gameplay gets a pain.
"Sigh... We tanked, but the juniors are killing it. Though we're not even seniors to them, huh?"
Kim Nayun stares blankly at the wall, stirring her spoon aimlessly. Might be my imagination, but her eyes look a little red. Feels bad for hitting a nerve.
Yeah, when you're down...
"Wanna grab a drink?"
Booze fixes everything.
"R-Really?! Yes! I know a spot with killer snacks!"
I toss it out casually, and she loses it. Her gloom from seconds ago? Vanished. Her energy's piercing the ceiling.
"That hyped?"
"Totally! It's my first time drinking with you, oppa!"
"???"
My head spins. What the hell was this body's deal with Kim Nayun? Partners, sure? But did they just jump straight to bed every meetup, no chit-chat?
Anyway, we hit the bar. She's giggling nonstop, eyes locked on my face the whole time. Talking, clinking glasses, pouring drinks—fiery gaze every second. It gets too intense, so I ask.
"Why the stare-down?"
"J-Just... looking at you makes me happy."
Hmm... You, on the other hand, scramble my brain.
No matter how I slice it, Shine Candy restarting seems impossible. Two tier-1 groups already—why revive their black history senior act?
The members weren't born for idol life anyway.
One song only, but zero sparkle. Maybe I missed it, but the track was so lame it buried any charm they had. No cap—even my composition would slap harder. Got the skills for it.
"Should I actually make one..."
Composition Window Activated
That's when it hits. Ding-dong. Musical notes start spinning in front of my eyes. Like a trance, my finger drifts up and taps one.
The world fades to white.
A vast space filled with instruments of every kind, computers, and a wall of monitors. The Composition Room. I just named it that. First time seeing a setup like this.
"In the game..."
Composing there meant the protagonist's stats and skills kicked in—character animates, song pops out.
"Not me sweating over it myself."
By the way, I don't know the first thing about composing. J for jack shit. Screwed.
Looks hopeless no matter how I spin it. Flashy skills mean nothing if I can't use 'em.
But...
"Feels... doable?"
Skill influence? MIDI programs, sequencers—never touched 'em, but my hands itch to dive in.
"Let's try."
Need a track to revive Shine Candy or whatever. Members aren't composers, agency's checked out—so it's on me. Gotta collar 'em and force a comeback for that reward.
"Doubt an amateur track flies, but..."
Eh, it'll work out. Time to make some music.
Zero clue on this world's trends or rhythms. But I binged idol tracks while waiting for Nayun. Infuse my flavor? Boom, music.
"And layer in Nayun's vibe too."
Don't know her deep, but her voice, that gaze, shy smiles—they're burned in my head.
Beginning's half the battle. Mind made up, and rough music starts taking shape. I'm shocked.
"This skill power?"
My own body feels alien—hands flying on autopilot, progress clicking along. Spot-checks sound... decent?
How much time passes?
"...No way."
A full song's done.
B
The world fades white again. Definitely heading back to reality.
While drinking, I steal glances at Han Jimin's face.
God... he's insanely handsome. How does a person even look like that?
A single ray of light piercing her parched, barren daily grind. As a failed idol with no future, her life barely differed from trainee days. Home to company practice room and back—that's it. Total flop meant no agency dorm. Treatment? Nonexistent compared to hotshots like Foxy or Eighty. They were ghosts.
Self-esteem in the gutter. But meeting Han Jimin was healing it all. Rock bottom pride filling to 100%.
Foxy? Eighty? Those girls chased him too. Nobody landed him. Heck, one Foxy member's first love was Jimin. Still crushing, from what she heard—pacing in frustration since contact dried up. No way was she sharing his number.
Today's mood feels extra good, though.
Face is a man's worth. He usually ghosts her texts, and meetups? Eat and split. Skinship? Forget it. Last time was two years back—her first time, even. No kiss since.
No expectations today either. Too straight-laced; hype just leads to crash.
But today? Different. Quiet as ever, but actual back-and-forth.
And suggesting drinks...
Her eyes drift to Jimin, lost in thought. Even his blank stare screams photoshoot. Light of the world shining solely on him.
Gawking too hard? His gaze swings her way.
"?!"
She jerks her eyes away, head down. Eye contact with that face? Torture.
"Nayun-ah. Come sit by me?"
Drunk? The offer whispers irresistibly in her ear.
"Or should I come to you?"
"H-Hic?! N-No, I'll come!"
Head still bowed, she shuffles to his side, butts touching—but leaves a fist's space, scared he'd hate it.
But...
"Got something to talk about. Scoot closer."
His arm snakes around her waist, yanking her in. She melts naturally into his embrace.
"?!@#!%!@#"
Boom—her face detonates crimson.