"Ugh..." Darius squinted as he opened his eyes. "Am I dead?"
He slowly sat up and looked around. He was in what seemed to be a bathroom, and a smelly one at that. If this was heaven, Darius wanted no part of it. However, he quickly realized that he was as far as possible from heaven.
"Rookie, get out of there. Yuna is about to be done with her debut."
A frown creased Darius's face. He had just died, hit by a truck. So why did he still have to work? What kind of stupid afterlife was this?
However, the frown deepened at the name the man on the other side had just mentioned.
"Yuna?" he repeated. "You mean the top star who's about to win her fifth Grammy? Why is she here? Didn't she drop us a few years ago?"
"Did you vomit so hard you started hallucinating?" The man on the other side responded. "I'm talking about Yuna, the non-Grammy winner. She's debuting today, and you're my assistant. Yuna never fired us; she just hired us yesterday. What the hell is wrong with you?!"
'Debuting? How could she be debuting?' Darius thought as he slowly opened the door, almost scared to see who was on the other side.
Standing there was his boss, the person who had made his entire life a living hell. If there was one person Darius hated, it was him. However, there was one significant change: he was younger, a lot younger. As far as Darius could remember, his boss had gray hair, and now it was brown. All the wrinkles on his face were gone.
'Don't tell me that...'
Darius shook his head. "What year is it?"
"We're in 2024, why?"
Darius stayed silent, blinking repeatedly. He must have misheard. There was no way he was back twenty years in the past.
"Today is my first day as your assistant, right?"
Darius painfully remembered this day as if it had happened yesterday. It was the day that made his reputation miserable...and the thing is, it was all because of Yuna. Still, knowing what would be happening in the next hours, he should be able to make things different this time around.
His boss was getting angrier by the second, his fists clenching tightly. "Are you lost or something? Yes, today is your first day. But I have a strong feeling it might be your last. The only way for you to keep this job is if you make a good impression on Yuna. But that probably won't happen, you're too much of an imbecile."
Darius wasn't sure how or why, but he was back twenty years in the past, at the very beginning of his career as a manager for all kinds of actors, singers, and sports players. His career had always been pitiful in the past, but it seemed the universe had given him a new chance at making it big!
However, if things were unchanged, then Darius was in a great position. He knew all of the future big hits and unknown superstars.
There was just one thing he needed to do before quitting this job and cursing his boss. He needed to recruit Yuna under him at all costs. She was destined to become the biggest pop star the world had ever seen. He couldn't let that opportunity pass by.
Sensing that his boss, Colin, was on the verge of firing him, Darius bowed. However, he promised himself that this would be the last time he ever bowed to anyone. He would make others bow to him in the future.
"Sorry. We should go take care of Yuna. She's probably waiting by now."
Colin nodded and moved out of Darius's way. They quickly reached her location backstage, where she was resting.
Darius stared at her, unable to believe his luck. She really was there, right in front of him. She was even prettier than he remembered.
Yuna had long blonde hair and green, pearly eyes. She wore a short green skirt that revealed her perfect lower body, and a tight black tank top that accentuated her perfect curves. Her physical appearance was ideal for becoming the next star.
However, while her looks were perfect, her attitude was one of the worst Darius could remember. It was also one of the reasons, why his life had turned to absolute shit after meeting her.
"Where were you two?" she asked, her tone just as hostile as Darius remembered. "I've been waiting here for five minutes, and you were nowhere to be seen. You're practically begging me to fire you both."
Colin bowed to her, apologizing profusely, while Darius just watched, unsure of what to say or do. He knew he needed to take his time with her; she wouldn't be easy to win over.
"What do you want to do, Yuna?" Colin asked.
She clicked her tongue. "I just want to go home. Can he drive me there?"
She pointed at Darius, and Colin nodded immediately.
'And that's how my past life nightmare started.'
"Darius? Yes. Yes, he can drive you. When do you want to leave?"
Yuna finally smiled, standing up from her seat. "Right away. Let's go!"
She grabbed Darius's arm as she passed by, practically dragging him along. Just as she touched him, a beeping sound resonated in his mind followed by a soothing feminine voice.
-Beep!
[You have made physical contact with the future Pop-Star, Yuna. Do you want her to join your Talent Squad?]
Another frown appeared on Darius's face as he walked behind Yuna, who kept holding his hand for some reason.
'Talent Squad? What is that?'
[The Talent Squad is a group of individuals onto which you can use your special skill, Talent Booster.]
'And what does that special skill do?'
[Talent Booster can increase the talent and aptitudes of those in your Talent Squad. The more intimate you are with an individual within your Talent Squad, the greater the skill's effects.]
Even more questions filled Darius's mind about this skill of his—like where it came from, who had given it to him, and how intimate he had to be with the members of his Talent Squad for it to have a great effect. All those questions deserved answers. However, he wouldn't be getting them right now as the voice in his mind made him dismiss his thoughts.
[Do you want Yuna to be in your Talent Squad?]
There wasn't the slightest hesitation.
'Yes. I want her to join it.'