Today was the most important day of my life, it was time to take the CSAT.
I took a deep breath before writing down my name on the test paper.
"You can do this Kang Juwon! It's time to make Eunho proud" I muttered while smiling slightly.
I closed my eyes to prepare myself for the tough paper, but when I opened them...
[SYSTEM] WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE A CHANCE AT BEING THE TOP IDOL?
[ACCEPT] [DENY]
**Refusal results in instant death.^^
A bright purple screen had appeared before my eyes. I rubbed my eyes once then twice, thinking that I was too tired.
"I shouldn't have read that novel before bed last night, I must be hallucinating right now..." I murmured.
I slapped my cheeks to wake myself up, but alas the screen was still there, I desperately prayed to all the gods that it was a dream but the screen was firmly placed in front of me. Tears welled up in my eyes, I had read too many novels to not understand what was happening now.
"Shit. I'm screwed."
I shakily reached out my hand and pressed the [ACCEPT] button. A wave of pain suddenly passed through my body as I screeched in pain, my vision started fading and the voices of concern that surrounded me also went silent.
When I was finally able to open my eyes, an excruciating pain pierced through my head.
"You are the worst thing that's ever happened in my life, I should have forced your father to give me the money to get an abortion." A woman said with pure malice in her voice and an expression full of contempt holding a knife in one hand and a bottle of alcohol in the other.
"M-mom don't do this please..." "I" pleaded.
I gasped but nothing came out of my mouth, I took a second to process what was happening and realized I must be dreaming.
"Oppa? What's happening?" A tired girl entered my vision while rubbing her eyes.
"Mom? MOM? How dare you call me your mother! I have no such son like you, you worthless piece of garbage" My(?) mother shrieked, leaping towards me while wildly waving the knife around.
"NO!" The girl seemed to realize what was happening and ran towards me.
However, this is when tragedy struck.
Red. All I saw was red.
The woman had slashed the girl's neck while carelessly waving around the knife. My eyes widened, my legs suddenly started to feel like jelly as I witnessed the girl drop down on her knees, covered in her own blood.
"W-what... No... No.. No. NO!" The woman seemed to finally realize what she had done and dropped the knife and started to panic.
"J-Junie" I fell to the ground and crawled towards the girl and desperately tried to stop the bleeding with my sleeve, my lungs feeling like they no longer functioned.
I suddenly heard the sound of running and when I turned my head... I saw the despicable woman leaping off the balcony.
The dream abruptly ended and when I snapped out of it I couldn't help but wail to the point I my head started throbbing. How could someone go through such a thing? The emotions from the brutal "dream" that filled my mind were so overwhelming that I had only just now realized that the purple screen was still shining in front of my eyes, but it now showed a congratulatory screen.
[SYSTEM] CONGRATULATIONS ON STARTING YOUR JOURNEY TO BECOME AN IDOL KWON SUNWOO *(＾∇＾)*
An obnoxious celebratory tune played while the screen was covered in confetti, seemingly mocking me. It then flickered and displayed a status window.
[Name: Kwon Sunwoo (Kang Juwon)]
Age: 19
Vocal: D-
Dance: E-
Rap: D-
Visual: A
Skill Points: 0
Attribute: Limitless, Become An Idol Or Die!
Skills: All Eyes On Me!
I stared at the screen while trying to get ahold of my emotions. Right... I was here after accepting that "invitation".
"Was that Kwon Sunwoo's memory?" I muttered while glancing around the room.
The walls were covered in mold and water stains, the floor was rugged with scratches and the room was only big enough for a bed and a small desk, looking to my side I saw a pile of pills. I choked up as I recalled how "Kwon Sunwoo" must have ended up living in such a place.
I walked toward the bathroom as I finally realized that I was in someone else's body and I was no longer "Kang Juwon". I walked toward the sink to splash my face with water and glanced at my reflection, but my eyes widened in shock. Thick blue-black hair, soft bouncy skin, full cheeks and puffy mischievous cat-like eyes greeted me. I started tearing up, "Damn... why do I look so much like Eunho."
"Eunho..." I muttered feeling my chest tightening when I thought of whether I would be able to see him again.
I shook my head. "No, let's not feel down so fast."
I looked up with a newly found determination to find a way to meet my brother again and live out a hopeful future for Sunwoo as an idol.
I ruffled my hair with my hands. How the hell am I gonna become an idol?! About a day has passed while living as Sunwoo, I've been wracking my brain to find a way to become an idol, but the thing is...
"I know nothing about idols!" I yelled out in exasperation
I looked toward my hand which held a phone. It was Sunwoo's phone but I had no way of opening it without the password and it didn't even have facial recognition. Apart from that traumatic memory, I had no other information on Kwon Sunwoo.
"Should I go outside...?"
I found his wallet which had about $20 in it. I'm sure I'll figure something out. Right?
Absolutely wrong. I spent the whole afternoon getting lost and spent $4 of my budget to purchase gimbap. I sighed as I hopped onto my bed. What do I do now? Suddenly, it struck me that I had only looked at the status window once the day before.
"I might've missed something, let's take another look. [Status window]." I said under my breath.
[Name: Kwon Sunwoo (Kang Juwon)]
Age: 19
Potential: ???
Vocal: D-
Dance: E-
Rap: D-
Visual: A
Skill Points: 0
Attribute: Limitless, Become An Idol Or Die!
Skills: All Eyes On Me!
The same purple screen I saw yesterday greeted me. However, above my status information there was a [MISSIONS] tab. I groaned wondering how I missed it. Not wasting anymore time, I hastily pressed the button.
[MISSIONS]
Join the survival show program "Stella Planet" (In Progress)
Reward: 2 Skill Points
Create an Instakg account and upload 1 picture(In Progress)
Reward: 1 Skill Point
Meet Sunwoo's friend (In Progress)
Reward: Sunwoo's full backstory, 1 Skill Point
I furrowed my eyebrows. 'Stella Planet' it sounded familiar but I took my mind off it as I finally found a path to becoming an idol. I decided to go to a PC cafe to search for information on how to apply for the show.
click. click. Hmm it seems like I just have to fill up this audition form. I sighed "But I don't even have a photo to upload..."
I looked at phone I placed beside the keyboard. Looks like I'll have to figure out a way to unlock it in the end...
"Thank god his phone screen had a picture of his school"
I was now standing in front of his school, dressed up in a typical grey uniform. I glanced at the phone screen again, locking my eyes on the person stood next to Sunwoo in the photo.
"Now... Time to find a friend I suppose?"
I looked around while walking through the hallways, keeping an eye out for the person in the photo making my way to the senior classrooms when I realized I had no clue what classroom I was in. I decided to ask a nearby person if they knew what class I went to.
"Uhm, Why are you asking me that Sunwoo?" The boy I asked looked at me in confusion.
"Ah well you know how forgetful I am!" I replied sheepishly, hoping that Sunwoo was indeed such a character.
"Haha, it's alright, anyway it's over there" The boy pointed at a nearby classroom.
I thanked him and made my way over there, sighing in relief that he bought my excuse. The moment I stepped into the classroom though, my eyes widened in shock. The same purple screen that had appeared before me 2 days ago was hovering above a student that was gazing outside the window.
[Name: Song Junwoo (Kang Eunho)]
Age: 17
Potential: ???
Vocal: E-
Dance: D-
Rap: C-
Visual: B-
Skill Points: 0
Attribute: Limitless, Become An Idol Or Die!
Skills: Feel What I Feel