Seonghun and the Chocolate Milk
“Alright! Everyone, have a great summer break. If anything comes up, make sure to contact your teacher! Dismissed!”
“Wooo!”
Finally, the interminable first semester was over, and summer vacation had begun.
I'd been in this body since March, so I'd already endured more than three months of school life...
Fuck, I have to do this ten more times?
Assuming I graduated high school, I had a total of 19 semesters left ahead of me.
Seven semesters of elementary, six of middle, and six of high. That was the path to graduation.
I was already exhausted just thinking about it.
“Is this for real?”
I shook my head, denying the unbelievable reality, but the fact that I was currently a second-grader in elementary school wasn't going to change.
Quitting wasn't even an option—people placed way more importance on celebrities' education than you'd think.
If I dropped out after elementary or middle school, they'd call me an ignorant bitch with nothing but air in her head.
Even if it meant coasting through an arts high school on attendance alone, I had to make it to high school graduation.
“Um, Seo Siyeon.”
“Yeah?”
The one who stopped me was the class president.
By the way, these days they elected class presidents twice a year—one for each semester. It seemed like they wanted to give as many kids a chance as possible, and personally, I didn't mind it.
Wait. The first semester's over, so she's not class president anymore?
So what should I call her from now on? Obviously, I didn't know her name.
“Former class president. What's up?”
“...Former class president? Anyway, Seonghun was looking for you.”
Seonghun?
I tilted my head, running through the names of the kids in our class. But no matter how hard I thought, nothing came up.
“Seonghun? Was there a kid like that in our class?”
“Yeah. The boy with the round eyes.”
“Huh?”
“Argh. The boy who brings you chocolate milk every day!”
“Oh! Seonghun?”
Even after I rejected his confession, Seonghun was the kind of pure-hearted guy from this era who brought me chocolate milk every single day—a true pure loveboy.
If I hadn't been a guy in my past life, I might've considered keeping him around, raising him right until adulthood, molding him into my ideal type, and then dating him... but sadly, I had zero interest in dating the hairy dude Seonghun would become.
He's looking for me... why?
He wasn't planning another confession attack, was he? If so, I'd have to advise him that obsessing after one rejection was pretty pathetic.
Anyway, I'd made it all the way near the school gate, but now I had to head back to the classroom.
If it was nothing important, I'd turn into vicious Seo Siyeon and make him swear off girls forever.
“Ahem. Hmm-hmm.”
I dragged myself back to the classroom with great effort. There was one boy sitting alone... or rather, no one there.
“Weren't you in the classroom?”
“I-I am... I'm right here.”
Suddenly, a human figure popped up from what had felt like an empty space.
“Argh, you scared me!”
“Y-You swore...”
“What, I can't swear?”
“N-No, it's not that...”
Hmm. Was I being too harsh right now? Even so, this was the kid who brought me chocolate milk every day...
At about a thousand won a pop, that added up to tens of thousands of won spent.
For a kid his age, that was a huge amount of money.
So I decided to hear Seonghun out calmly.
“Okay, Seonghun. What is it?”
Seonghun stared at me blankly like he couldn't believe it, then sighed in resignation and spoke.
“If you're not busy over summer break... wanna go to the pool together?”
Hmm, ballsy for a kid his age. Asking to go to the pool alone with the opposite sex!
You're off the boyfriend candidate list.
“Sorry, but I'm busy.”
“R-Really?”
I actually was busy. Top 10 contestants on Singer Star had camp waiting for them.
They'd borrowed a chaebol's villa in Gangwon Province, complete with practice rooms and sound equipment—used every season.
Starting tomorrow, I'd take the bus from the nursery entrance straight to Gangwon. No time for leisurely pool trips with kids.
“Sorry, but go find some other girl.”
Singer Star's filming had entered its latter stages.
PD Kang Junhyeong carefully reviewed the final list of ten contestants.
Middle-aged office worker Han Seong-sik.
Lee Hye-na, who missed her debut due to rigging in a famous idol audition show.
Soyujin, whose unique voice had already built a niche fanbase.
Choi Seong, who scraped by on decent but unremarkable vocals.
Alford Choi, the skilled mixed-race vocalist from Germany.
The male duo Boyfriend, whose witty originals had earned judges' praise despite being overshadowed by Seo Siyeon.
Blooming, the high school girl band that proved their commercial viability with glassy sky.
Baek Yuyeon, with her husky tone specializing in historical drama-style songs.
“These last two are the real moneymakers.”
They had fanbases so thick, it felt like they were battling for first and second place.
Seo Siyeon, the elementary kid with dozens of high-quality originals.
Joo Jinwoo, the engineering guy whose looks and tone drove aunties wild.
“Last season felt like just the winner stuck out. This time, we've got a nice even spread of talent.”
No one had expected this before it started. By season 5, they'd assumed all the talent had surfaced, but hidden geniuses were pouring out of the woodwork.
They already couldn't secure Big 3 reps as judges next season.
He'd thought this was the last one, but with the hype continuing, season 6 seemed inevitable.
Ratings had broken 20% and were soaring; real-time voting in live broadcasts promised even more.
“Either way, one of these two is the star...”
Kang Junhyeong himself couldn't predict between Joo Jinwoo and Seo Siyeon.
Jinwoo's one flop was a team stage; his solos were near-perfect.
Siyeon had nailed every performance too, but her raw singing wasn't top-tier, so originals would decide.
“In the end, it'll come down to the originals Seo Siyeon has left.”
Camp time was approaching. How much drama could they capture?
Kang Junhyeong's heart was already racing.
The road to Gangwon was farther and rougher than expected.
Dragging my huge suitcase from the nursery entrance to the bus, familiar faces greeted me amid the AC blast.
Whew, this'll be fine.
I shoved the suitcase aboard, savoring the cool air.
Small compared to a tour bus, but the tension inside rivaled a concert waiting room.
“Hey, Siyeon! Over here, here!”
Greeting me was Blooming's vocalist, Yoo Seolha.
I squeezed my luggage into the spot she pointed at and plopped down.
A nine-year-old body was no match for that suitcase.
“You came alone? No nursery teacher?”
“They saw me off at the entrance. They'll handle everything once we get to camp anyway.”
My casual reply shifted the other contestants' gazes—admiration or doubt at such independence for my age.
I brushed off the looks and stared out the window.
Moments later, the bus door opened for the last rider.
Joo Jinwoo.
Neat shirt as usual, guitar case slung over his shoulder.
The air rippled instantly. Everyone felt the top contender's arrival.
He nodded lightly, walking the aisle, then paused near my seat.
“Hey, kiddo.”
“Hello.”
I flashed a polite elementary school smile. Jinwoo stared piercingly for a second, then took the seat in front of me.
Where was the guy who'd wiped tears after my last stage? Now it was sharp rival eyes again.
Harsh on a baby like me.
Rumble—the engine started, and the bus rolled out.
Now it really begins.
I swallowed bitter saliva, watching familiar scenery fade.
Gangwon villa camp.
Fancy word for a massive survival prison with 24/7 cameras.
Leverage past-life know-how for screen time, dodge villain edits.
And most importantly... time to unleash the ultimate weapon.
Pick the perfect song from my mental database of era-defining hits—one that fit this life's Seo Siyeon like a glove.
“Attention, everyone!”
The assistant director grabbed the mic up front.
“You'll have free time the first day after arriving. But get ready—first camp mission announcement at dinner!”
Free time sparked chatter, but I quietly pulled out my headset.
No more endless elementary bells for a semester; now, pure music immersion.
Escaping mandatory education for the real battlefield felt great.
This is a hundred times better.
College district on Seoul's outskirts.
In a tiny studio apartment there, a somewhat gaunt-faced Im Jihye faced an unwelcome guest.
“So, what brings you all the way here?”
“Not happy to see a friend after four years?”
“No... it's not that.”
“I got worried when you ghosted out of nowhere... and sure enough, you caused a scandal.”
Im Jihye had nothing to say. Even now, that version of herself seemed off.
“Got any questions?”
“Shoot.”
“Did you throw that thing aiming to hit?”
“Hell no... even I'd never go that far.”
“Yeah, would've been more than backlash if it had.”
With that, the woman slipped off her disguise sunglasses, revealing pink irises.
“Eww, what color are those lenses?”
“You think I like it? They say pink symbolizes cherry blossoms for Japanese... what can I do?”
The woman before Im Jihye was Saki from FYG—her old trainee buddy, now topping charts in Korea and Japan.
Jealous of her soaring success compared to her own misery, Jihye had cut contact, but once they'd been best friends and colleagues.
Jihye eyed her curiously.
“So why're you here?”
“Boss told me to check in.”
Jihye flinched.
Obvious—he wanted her back but couldn't after that judging rant, so Saki as proxy.
Jihye chuckled. Kinda cute side to him.
“And personal business too. But you're doing better than I thought.”
“It blew over after a week of hate. Produce played a big role.”
Produce 11's rigging scandals had long simmered; the truth committee's criminal complaint against producers shifted entertainment buzz there.
Society's gender conflict debates drew aggro elsewhere, letting Jihye return to normal life with less flak.
“So, this personal business?”
“Whoa, impatient much... Wanna try this? Feels like a good opportunity.”
Her smartphone screen showed...
“Starlive 3rd gen?”
An ad in Japanese amid anime characters.
“They call it VTubing now—cute avatar, idol-slash-YouTuber gig! Oh, my fave's in here somewhere...”
“Get lost. Just no.”
The reunion with her bestie after four years was a total disaster.