Chapter 241
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 241
Lee Ji-hyeon recoiled a few steps, shuddering as if she’d just seen a ghost.
“Seo Ho-yun, are you sure you’re not on your second life or something?”
“Excuse me?”
I hid my surprise at her hitting the nail right on the head and asked back. She simply shrugged.
“You plan and execute everything so flawlessly, just like the protagonists in those web novels.”
“...Hmm?”
“I read a lot of web novels, and for some reason, they always make me think of you. You know, the regressors or possessors... people who lived a second life or know the future. They push forward recklessly with their plans without even looking after their own bodies...”
“...”
“...Never mind, sorry.”
“What am I even saying to a normal person?” she muttered to herself, scratching her head awkwardly.
Usually, I would have played along, but ninety percent of what Lee Ji-hyeon said in moments like this was incredibly hard to follow.
“Ahem, anyway. My point is that you’re amazing, Seo Ho-yun. And while I’m sure you already know how the Noeuls are reacting, I’ll give you the rundown anyway. Since there have been occasional comments about your health before, the fans are really worried.”
“I see.”
She glanced at my reaction and added a few more words.
“We’re worried too. The company prioritizes numbers, but you know you have to be healthy to get anything done, right?”
“You must have less work these days, Ji-hyeon. Having enough time to worry about company employees and all.”
“...Call it my human touch?”
It was manageable; it wasn't that hard. No, I didn't even have time for it to be hard. It felt like a waste that a day only had twenty-four hours.
I let out a short laugh and stood up.
“You won’t have time for that if you want to make things look good.”
Leaving a disgusted Lee Ji-hyeon behind, I walked out of the planning office.
That’s one thing handled.
An invitation to The Complete Singer would likely arrive within a few days.
Appearing on the first episode would draw a fair amount of attention, and as long as I kept things entertaining, the edit would turn out fine.
As for Da-jun’s cooking...
I paused for a moment.
It’ll be fine. It’s not like it’ll kill me.
I headed to the practice room, organizing The Dawn’s activities for next year in my head. I planned to repeat some dance basics on my own a few times before heading back to the dorm.
Kang Yi-chae was working on songs in the studio, Seong Ji-won said he was getting vocal training, and Kim Seong-hyeon and Jeong Da-jun were visiting their families for the first time in a while and were scheduled to return in the evening.
I connected my phone to the speaker, turned on some music, and started moving. Without the noisy members around, my mind filled with stray thoughts.
Like the warmth of Seo Ho-jin I felt in the Unconscious...
“Ugh.”
That’s too pathetic.
I stopped dancing and turned off the music. Then, I sprawled out on the practice room floor and waved my hand in the air.
It was something I did often when no one was around since the system window had vanished.
Then,
Ding!
A familiar notification sound rang out.
I sat up abruptly.
[Seo Ho-yun
Singing: A+
Dancing: B+
Variety: A+
Acting: A-
Charm: A0
???: ???]
Damn it, not a single stat went up.
That was the first thing I noticed, even before the fact that the system window had reappeared.
I felt like filing a complaint with my dance teacher, a certain Mr. Ju, but I had to admit it to myself: I really had no talent for dancing.
The other guys’ stats rose steadily, even if only by a little, but for me—whether it was the limit of my talent or not—it had taken forever just to reach this level, and I’d been stuck here for a long time.
I brushed back my long bangs that were covering my eyes.
“How long are you going to stay silent?”
The window listing my stats gave no response, merely emitting a faint blue glow.
This thing had too many secrets.
Until now, I hadn't cared much about knowing everything, and since the system window seemed to have its own limitations, I’d let it slide.
However, messing with my memories was crossing the line.
The only things that made me 'me' in this place were Seo Ho-jin and my memories. The moment those were touched, my very foundation was shaken.
Above all, this was the bastard that had deleted my final moments in the previous world. Who knew what else it might have done without me knowing?
At this point, Min Ji-heon was more trustworthy.
Still, I should be able to use the Item Shop.
I had formulated and discarded hundreds of hypotheses on how to return quickly while avoiding penalties, point loans, and overloads as much as possible.
Talent and effort alone weren't enough.
It required an immense amount of luck to align perfectly with the timing.
It’s not like there’s no way at all.
Regardless, the fact remained that this life was an opportunity given to me.
It brought me back from the dead, and if I played my cards right, it would send me back to where I belonged. I should be grateful.
I’ll find a way to take this Seo Ho-jin with me too—
“Whew.”
I stopped my thoughts at the usual dead end and stood up.
I decided it was better to practice than to dwell on a problem with no answer.
Before turning on the music, I opened my messaging app. I scrolled past hundreds of unimportant messages and entered The Dawn’s group chat to send a text.
[Me: Anyone want to practice the medley?]
A reply came instantly.
[Seong Ji-won: Me!!!]
[Me: K]
[Jeong Da-jun: Hyung, did you miss the part above where we said we should eat Kimchi Budae-jjigae??]
[Jeong Da-jun: Hyung, you haven't had dinner yet, have you?]
[Me: I ate.]
[Kim Seong-hyeon: Hey, should I buy sandwiches?]
[Kang Yi-chae: I’m not really feeling sandwiches.]
Even if Kang Yi-chae wasn't feeling it, what could he do?
[Me: I like sandwiches.]
I still held one backup file in my hands, after all.
About five minutes after my text was sent, Kang Yi-chae posted a photo of sandwiches in the group chat.
[Kang Yi-chae: (Photo)]
[Kang Yi-chae: The slave is departing!!!]
[Kim Seong-hyeon: Wow... I’ve never seen him like that...]
[Jeong Da-jun: Yang-a-chae, I feel sorry for you....]
I didn't really have an appetite, so I planned to throw a bit of a fit and tell him I wasn't going to eat them when he arrived, then toss them back to him.
Just as I was about to close my phone, satisfied, a message came from Seo Ho-jin.
[Damn Little Brother: Hyung]
[Damn Little Brother: I haven't eaten yet. If you haven't either, want to eat together??]
[Me: Sure.]
I suddenly remembered Seo Ho-jin’s midterms and added one more thing.
[Me: If you bring your report card after finals.]
[Damn Little Brother: Ha, I’ll just eat alone.]
I could clearly picture the expression on his face right now.
I chuckled and sent him some money through a banking app, adding a nagging reminder to make sure he ate.
Only after confirming his disgusted reaction did I turn on the music.
The song that was always fixed as the first track on my phone’s playlist began to play.
[Give me, Give me, Give me Second Chance]
[We say once again that this is the beginning]
My first debut song, Second Chance, which I had heard hundreds, thousands of times.
[I will come back everytime]
“Wow...”
[Give me, Give me, Give me Second Chance...]
The lyrics felt strangely etched into my ears today.
It was so absurd that I rubbed my forehead with my finger and laughed a little.
The sudden rejuvenation, the out-of-the-blue idol career, and this new life full of variables.
“...Is my debut song actually fitting?”
[Give you, Give you, Give you Second Chance...]
Wasn't this my second chance?
With a chuckle, I began practicing again.
After several similar days had passed, I finally received word that I could appear on The Complete Singer.
* * *
The day of The Complete Singer filming.
“Hyung, have a good trip?!”
“Should I go too?”
“Get lost.”
I shook off the members who were whining about whether I’d really be okay going alone and climbed into the van.
Since I still tended to get sensitive when riding in cars, I intentionally searched for my name and the program's name on SNS to distract myself.
[What is Seo Ho-yun filming today?? There are sightings.]
[Wait?? Seo Ho-yun??]
Reactions were pouring in.
[That’s a bit unexpected... I mean, I’m sure he’ll do well, but I thought Seong Ji-won would definitely be the one to appear on a singing show like this.]
[But it’s better not to question the shows Seo Ho-yun appears on.]
[Everyone was dead set against it when they said Seo Ho-yun was going to act, but he ended up doing amazing.]
[Ah, Unlock My Code was legendary.]
[I was a bit skeptical when he did variety with Kang Yeon-hu, but that turned out great too lol.]
[There were seriously a truckload of people who wanted to be like Seo Ho-yun back then...]
[Let’s stop reminiscing.]
[It’s still hard to think about that time.]
[└ LOL me too XDDDDDDDD]
By the time I’d checked the online communities and portal news sites, I had arrived at the broadcasting station.
As I entered the set, I greeted everyone I saw with a bright, business-like smile. Then, I spotted a familiar face.
“Oh? You crazy bastard!”
It was Im Hyeon-su.
Since this was an industry where popularity equaled power, Im Hyeon-su didn't bother hiding her rough language even though there were many people around.
“Whoa, you’re alive! I was going to visit you in the hospital, but I happened to be overseas~. You got discharged way faster than I expected.”
“Because I’m perfectly fine. Why were you overseas?”
“Just, you know. I went to hang out with Yoo Ji-ah for a bit.”
I figured she’d gone to California or something again.
For someone who’d been 'hanging out,' her face looked exhausted.
Seeing her dodge the question, it seemed she didn't particularly want to talk to me about it.
“Well, anyway, you smart prick. This program was practically made for you.”
Considering the format, I thought so too.
“Besides, they say if you win first place, you keep appearing. How long do you plan on staying?”
I smirked at Im Hyeon-su, who took my winning first place as a given.
“Until Christmas.”
I might not have vocal skills as good as Seong Ji-won’s, or star power as great as Kang Yi-chae’s.
But I knew exactly what I was good at.
As if my confident attitude was annoying, Im Hyeon-su flipped me the bird and left, saying she was going to her waiting room.
After the brief conversation with Im Hyeon-su, I prioritized greeting the production team and staff along with my road manager.
Afterward, I made the rounds of the contestants' waiting rooms, where most people gave me subtle looks.
Perhaps because there were other famous singers participating, no one seemed to have high expectations for my singing. I was likely seen as just a tool to boost viewership.
One guest even went so far as to mock me openly.
“Ah, was it Seo Ho-yun from The Dawn? I’ve enjoyed your variety shows. I thought you were a panelist, but you’re here as a contestant. I’m looking forward to it.”
= You think you have what it takes, kid?
“Ahaha, thank you.”
= Yep, lol.
Light power struggles were my specialty among specialties.
I gave an even wider smile and returned to my assigned waiting room.
The look of frustration on their face when I didn't react as expected was a work of art.
“Oh!! Seo Ho-yun-ssi!”
After hearing the explanation for the upcoming mission and doing a final check on my outfit, I was putting on my in-ears behind the set when someone approached me.
“Okay, Seo Ho-yun-ssi. Let me go over it one more time.”
It was Lee Yu-ji, a PD who used to work under me during my PD days.
I had been surprised to see her name on the production list I’d received beforehand.
Back then, she was the youngest, so she used to get teased mercilessly by the seniors on April Fool’s Day or any other special occasion.
She’s gotten a bit sharper.
The last time I’d seen her, she was nodding off in a corner of a music show set, but it seemed she’d grown enough to become an AD for a program already.
“A mission will pop up in the middle. Don’t be startled; just stay calm, perform the mission, and finish the song.”
Even after she finished speaking, Lee Yu-ji couldn't leave. Her eyes were slightly downturned, as if she were worried about something.
It’s written all over her face.
I’d almost told her to stop letting her thoughts show on her face if she wanted to keep being a PD, but I’d decided against it. I should have told her.
Ah, and that she shouldn't be too kind.
She was probably worried that an idol who wasn't known for being a great singer but had some recognition would end up as a sacrificial lamb for the show.
“Seo Ho-yun-ssi. We’re... we’re a bit mean. Last season didn't do so well, and we’re going to do whatever it takes to make this one a success.”
“I see.”
“If you feel uneasy at any point, just stay quiet. I’ll try my best to edit it so you don’t look bad.”
From afar, I heard a staff member shouting for everyone to stand by.
I looked at AD Lee, who was fidgeting but speaking firmly, and gave a smirk.
The youngest really had grown up.
“Scared?”
To think she’d say something like that to me.
“I’m nothing if not gutsy.”
So, I thought I’d show her something interesting.