After doing something he called a 'reboot', Keundal started talking actively again.
[Hyung, I think I'm feeling better!]
Certainly, the pop-ups he displayed were no longer unstable and had calmed down.
But my head was feeling infinitely more complex. It was to the point where I thought it was going to explode like this.
'A new game system is emerging here?'
I was silent for a moment and then slowly opened my mouth.
"Therefore… It means that this game status window was created by the system itself, not you."
[Yes… I just modified it a bit.]
It seemed that during the mixing process, the system was able to interfere with the status window, just as Keundal interfered with the system.
'No, is this a completely new application?'
Either way, it was not a good thing. … However, there was something puzzling.
I touched my chin.
"Why does this look like 'Section 127'?"
Yes. I knew I saw this 'Collect Companions' from somewhere, and the items from the interface strangely overlapped.
The game company we collaborated with.
[That's because of me! I wanted it to be familiar to you, at least in game form… I tried it.]
"Really? … Thanks."
If so, it meant that this structure and content itself were originally intended to be provided by the system.
'It feels uncomfortable.'
With a frown, I flipped through the holograms one by one and looked at the contents.
First of all, the notation in the status window was similar to before.
[Player: Ryu Gunwoo (Park Moondae)]
Singing: A+
Dance: B
Appearance: A
Talent: A-
Characteristics: Infinite potential
Until the next awakening opportunity / Exp 1000
Even though my characteristics were completely gone and all my abilities were downgraded, it was still an incredible report card considering my age.
'An all-rounder who has nothing to throw away.'
Was this my original ability without any system corrections I had received so far? The situation seemed too trash to be proud of, so I skipped over it.
The problem started after that.
[Recruited colleague: Shin Jaehyun]
Until the next recruitment opportunity / Exp 1000
Why was this bastard listed here?
Before that, what did it mean to recruit companions? What was awakening?
I asked Keundal a few more questions, but I wasn't really sure if he was confused either.
'I can't help it.'
It was impossible to even guess what happened to him in real life. I couldn't expect any more help from this guy.
What I didn't know, I would make up with my head.
I lay down on the embarrassingly good-quality bed and lost myself in thought.
A combination of existing clues.
'… If I think of it as 'Section 127'.'
There, leveling up was called awakening.
Until the next awakening opportunity / Exp 1000
This was what was displayed below my status window.
In the game, each time you awakened, you gained abilities or skills randomly. I heard that the optional actions taken so far were based on accumulated probability.
If Keundal had properly implemented that mechanism, it would be similar here. And here, the experience points used for awakening… 〈Reputation Exp〉.
'It's obvious.'
If I became famous, won awards, and got good results, I would be successful. It was no different from reorganizing the system when I was Park Moondae to make it easier to understand.
In short, the aim was visible.
'It's telling me to debut.'
Anyone could see that what this system wanted was my debut in this world.
This means that I should debut, build up my reputation, and do better than last time.
'It's like telling me to just settle down and live here.'
It was an unpleasantly blatant suggestion.
'Am I crazy?'
What was I going to do while living here like this? And… …
'… There are so many things in reality.'
I couldn't throw it all away. Never.
I closed my eyes.
I was actually glad that I had a tight plan for what to do starting tomorrow. Because there was no time to waste energy with useless worries and thoughts.
• * *
The next morning…
I got to eat with young Ryu Chungwoo.
"…"
No… This was something we usually did at our dorm, but eating like this without anyone else around made it feel like a home away from home.
Ryu Chungwoo had a relaxed and calm expression as if he was used to silence.
'Keundal said he was resting.'
It seemed like he was putting in so much effort that he fell asleep. Thanks to this, it was quieter.
"I'm going now."
"Have a nice day, hyung. I'll see you in the evening."
Instead of persistently asking this guy questions to get information, I left the house easily, but this was good value for money.
This was because I was planning to go to the service center this way and unlock my smartphone.
'There must be information in it.'
Data wouldn't lie.
And the service center canceled the lock pattern in 15 minutes. It was neat.
'This was the correct answer.'
If this guy were actually me, I would have turned on the security option that evaporated data if the pattern was consecutively incorrect, so I didn't try it too many times.
I opened my smartphone with a calm feeling.
"Hmm."
First of all, there was nothing special in the KakaoTalk history. There were only traces of a group message room, mainly for group assignments and classmates.
'… … Cheongryeo is the latest contact.'
What happened to this guy's interpersonal relationships? I even withdrew from the photography club.
[Speaker Lee Yujin: Ryu Gunwoo-ssi?? Did you quit the photography club? Why aren't you coming?]
[Because I have something I want to do.]
[Speaker Yujin Lee: ??? Okay. Congratulations, congratulations.]
Judging from my conversation with the guy who introduced me to the data-selling job, I guess what I wanted to do here was become an idol.
And maybe… The method to recruiting me was through street casting while filming proxy fancams.
[LeTi 16th Shin Jaehyun: This is Shin Jaehyun, who went to the Dream Concert with Director Lee Yongjae. Do you remember? Please take care of me in the future, hyung ^^]
This was my first message with Cheongryeo. It was probably from this time.
'… It was only three months ago.'
So, it meant that I was put into the debut group as soon as I was picked up, and if I looked at my abilities, it was understandable.
'It's difficult to find a usable vocalist.'
Didn't Cheongryeo compromise on the main vocal and cause an accident?
'I roughly understand the causal relationship, next.'
… … Ryu Chungwoo.
I looked through the history of messages exchanged with him.
[Ryu Chungwoo: Engineering building soft tofu stew?]
[Yep]
He was 21, not 20.
'I guess so.'
There were traces of Ryu Gunwoo having been in college for a year, and the same goes for this guy who was the same age.
And… Just like in reality, Ryu Chungwoo here had also quit archery.
However, there were no aftereffects from the injury, and it was simply a case of choosing to go to college out of one's own will.
'He won the gold medal.'
[Ryu Chungwoo: I thought it would be fun to do a more academic study.]
Ryu Chungwoo simply chose what he wanted to do among the open options.
'Then…'
… Wasn't this a happier world for this guy?
I held my smartphone and stood still for a moment.
I was shocked… Wasn't it a good option for everyone?
'No.'
That was because it was a dream.
Every time I opened the status window, the English sentence at the top said it was real, but I couldn't believe it.
'But it's better than being in a crappy situation.'
When I was daydreaming, didn't I have a mental breakdown with every bastard I met? I gave up my thoughts and looked at KakaoTalk again.
And while scrolling down.
I saw it.
[Our Family]
'Ah.'
… … Family group chat room.
I couldn't delete my parents' contact information from my phone until I graduated from college.
I later deleted it after confirming that the numbers had been passed on to someone else.
And at this point… I think I was doing something meaningless by digging into these message rooms and writing posts.
'Fuck.'
However, I heard a voice somewhere in the corner of my head.
In a world where everything is going well, perhaps…
"…"
I entered the room with the final message 'Okay'.
And I saw it.
[Mom: Don't skip meals and make sure you eat, okay?]
The messages we exchanged just last month.
"… !"
I hastily clicked on the profile. 'The response is very slow as I am overseas,' the introduction said… I saw a picture of a flower.
And the number that appeared below it.
I pressed the call button.
Tiririk.
Unfamiliar basic sounds are connected, and as time passes, no logic connected in my head.
And the moment the connection sound was cut off…
-Gunwoo?
My throat got clogged.
One day, I couldn't remember exactly, but a familiar voice softly came through the phone.
-Gunwoo, what's going on?
"That…"
I swallowed.
The smartphone trembled as I pressed it against my ear.
"I just wanted to hear your voice."
-What's wrong with my son!
The voice got louder. And it rose on the other end as if in joy.
And the memories came later.
She originally spoke in this tone.
-I'm glad I got on the phone right now. Every time I use a walkie-talkie in Antarctica, the timing is perfect.
This time, the voice became lower again.
-I'm sorry, we miss Gunwoo so much, Mom and Dad too.
Damn, damn.
"Yes, me too."
What was I talking about?
-Oh my, what is really going on? You're past puberty! My son, mom has to go now.
My eyes hurt.
-Then, I will definitely see you at Christmas this year. Understand?
"Yes."
The call was cut off like a mirage. However, the call details were clear.
[01:04]
As if this was real.
"…"
My hands were shaking.
Thoughts expand like crazy.
Where did she say? Antarctica?
I went back to the message room. My parents who went to the Antarctic base for two years for research purposes remained in constant contact for a year…
And they even said that since they became a member of the winter team this year, it was difficult to contact them often.
"…"
Antarctica.
Ideas were stuck in the brain like an awl.
'Wouldn't it be okay to go?'
Now there was no force like a status abnormality. I was fine with not debuting here.
As it was, if I took a leave of absence and made up an excuse somehow to come see them… … Even if I went to that area, no one would know my face.
"…"
I turned off my smartphone.
And took a deep breath.
'No.'
I felt like my brain was going to explode…
But discernment comes first. This was manipulative.
Even if they were researchers, why would my parents suddenly go to Antarctica? It was all made up.
"It's a dream. It's a dream… …"
So, since it's a dream, I could do whatever I want, right? So, I could get rid of everything and do whatever I wanted…:
"Shut up."
Shut your mouth and brain.
'I have to go back.'
I stumbled.
This… It wouldn't work. I had to get out of here as quickly as possible.
I couldn't stand it.
I turned off my smartphone. Then I put it in my pocket and started walking again.
LeTi, Ryu Gunwoo's agency.
"… "
My hands were damp with sweat.
• * *
"You don't look good."
"Okay."
I answered briefly. Cheongryeo shrugged his shoulders.
LeTi's practice was as intense as the name suggested, but today there was almost no training and everyone was practicing independently.
"It's nice to come back just in time before the rain. You're not practicing as a team, are you?"
"… Yes."
We needed to have productive conversations.
And it seemed true that this guy was crazy… Even in this crazy situation, the natural simplicity strangely made people calm.
'Let's work.'
I only needed to think about work. Nothing else was allowed.
I regained my composure.
"There was nothing unusual when I returned home. What about you, hoobaenim?"
"A new status window appeared."
"Hmm."
I explained the current situation in as much detail as possible. Because there was nothing here that could cause this bastard to get stabbed.
And I was planning to give examples to help him understand.
"Have you ever played 'Section 127'?"
"I'm not that interested in games."
I thought so.
Anyway, as if he understood the context, Cheongryeo nodded quite obediently.
"In the end, you have to gain fame to fully recover your vocal abilities. Hmm."
"…"
That was the most important thing to him. This was it. I understood.
Moreover, this bastard even went so far as to rush forward.
"Do you want to debut right away?"
Was he the boss? Why would a mere trainee naturally ask such a question?
'Is this because he's used to living like this already?'
If we both had the same goal, we would be able to reach it quite efficiently.
However, I had no intention of doing something careless by going straight down the route that this system wanted.
"Wait."
I brought up the Quest tab.
[Quest: Companion Awakening 1/?]
-Recruit your colleagues and awaken them
Companions that can be awakened: ?
Required reputation: 1000 experience
Companion awakening quest.
And I reminisced about the conversation I had with Keundal yesterday just before I went to sleep.
-What does it mean to awaken a companion?
-I don't know either… Like hyung guessed, isn't it related to abilities? Because it was like that in Section 127…
-I guess so.
I thought this meant that he would make it easier for me to adapt to this world, and even level up my colleagues as a group.
Even without force.
'Then, isn't there some room to dig into?'
As generous as it was, there could be a gap.
-Then perhaps I could add a little bit of text here? Just one line of explanation at the appropriate level of context.
-… … ! Hey, what are you doing?
So, he added this explanatory text.
[The awakened companion remembers the previous timeline and grows.]
This was the content in 'Section 127'.
In that game, every time you awakened a companion, they remembered the contents of the previous episode and became stronger… There was a setting like that.
"… "
I clenched my fists.
'I have to try it.'
I just had to increase my reputation a little and check if it worked properly.
I explained the contents to Cheongryeo.
And his reaction was like this.
"Is that so? Alright."
"…"
It came out so smoothly?
"Hmm, your reaction isn't great. I guess you said it for fun."
"No way."
Let's get the most out of this guy when he cooperates. I crossed my arms.
"First… I understand that in large entertainment companies, some of the first-team trainees are leaked before their debut."
"Yes, of course. I sometimes solved it on purpose."
I searched for it once before coming here. For example, Shin Jaehyun's name was already well-known among idol fans of the LeTi lineage.
I just needed to get that level of reputation.
"I guess I can get the information out in the same way."
"Oh, should I post something on the Internet myself?"
I looked at him in bewilderment.
"Is there any way you can do just that?"
"Haha!"
Even though this guy knew, he was doing this for no reason. This meant that the information would be difficult to control because it had to be accompanied by controversy in order to attract attention through Internet posts.
The official route was better than that.
"This company also provides work to trainees."
There was something that large agencies often did with guys who hadn't debuted yet.
They made them dancers for senior idols for stage experience or made them appear in music videos for recognition.
As long as the fan base did not overlap, mainly with seniors of different genders.
And as far as I knew, LeTi also did quite a bit of that before VTIC debuted and changed the guidelines.
'It's awards season.'
At this point, who was the most popular female idol in LeTi from the past?
'FluffySweet.'
The group behind the hit song 〈POP☆CON〉.
So, debutant Ryu Gunwoo would be a FluffySweet dancer.
"I need you to push that a little bit."
I looked back at Shin Jaehyun, a person who must have mastered everything about this agency.
The guy nodded calmly and quite trustingly.
"Well, you probably don't need that kind of experience for the main vocal position… Well, I guess you want to do that."
"…"
Ah, this bastard was really not right.