Lee Sejin knew that he was living a successful life.
He became a trainee at a large agency, overcoming a competition rate of hundreds to one, and survived fiercely within it, ultimately debuting.
And among the dozens of idol groups that debuted that year, they received the best results and even received the Rookie of the Year award, and were on track.
'Objectively… It's a success.'
Of course, he thought he would be happy. A prime time filled with a sense of accomplishment.
But it was said that if your standing position changed, the scenery you saw also changed.
'That's funny.'
It was amazing how he could feel anxious and frustrated at the same time every day.
His team members were addicted to their own mannerisms, the company's new plan was in vain, and his opinions got blocked and disappeared.
Being unable to do anything even when he saw something to fix made him feel helpless.
- Hey Lee Sejin, can't you do it in moderation? Can't you read the mood right now? I'm so fucking tired.
-… Oh, that's right, I'm really tired as well… But if we do it now, tomorrow will be easier. Let's go just once~
He knew that reality and dreams were different. His head, which had been pounding, had now cooled down.
Still, sometimes he felt like things were unfair for no reason.
When moving between schedules, preparing an album, and getting a quick nap in the early morning…
'…'
The feeling of being deceived came suddenly and subsided in frustration.
That might have been why. The words of this survival contestant, whom he had just met, pierced his heart.
-There's more to your success somewhere that you haven't noticed.
Effort and achievement. Restoration of that cycle. It may not have been exactly those words, but it sounded like that.
'What am I expecting?'
It could have just been a trivial psychological test floating around somewhere on social media. No, it probably was.
Lee Sejin guessed that he brought it up to vent because the atmosphere suddenly became strange while they were watching the concert.
Nevertheless, he rushed forward with a straight face. He couldn't stand it.
-Let's try it.
As if some button had been pressed.
'Why is he doing this, really?'
Still, he had no intention of withdrawing. Lee Sejin closed his mouth and looked at Ryu Gunwoo in front of him.
"…"
Ryu Gunwoo did not smile or open his mouth to reply as if embarrassed by the sudden silence.
Instead, he stretched out his hand.
'… ?'
And then, in the air, he made a strange movement as if he was pressing a button…
-… !!
"Ah."
At that moment, a feeling exploded like a firecracker in his head.
It felt like a stream of water that was blocked by a dam had been opened.
Things that were originally there were rushing back into place.
-Thank you again for stopping me from getting off.
-Oh, our group is so good?
-TeStar will all renew their contracts. Everyone believes it~?
Memories and emotions filled his head. Emotions that were once taken for granted, countless memories created at turning points in life, pain, excitement, feelings of inferiority, reward, and victory.
Achievements.
His own place.
-I wish the Seoul Concert could last just one more day.
-That's right! Let's do it!
-Stop talking about things that are realistically impossible and making everyone feel burdened…
-Y-yes… H-how do you feel about it, Moondae?
-… I don't regret it.
-So everyone feels the same way? The company is at fault~ It was too short~
At that moment, Keun Sejin realized the cause of the helplessness he felt.
'Because I lived my dreams already.'
Yes.
He has already lived a life where his efforts were rewarded with achievement.
Realizing that even if he hit rock bottom, he could recover and try again, and realizing that that final challenge may succeed…
A life where he knew what it felt like to live with trustworthy and respectable people and work passionately.
"…"
The dizzying outpour ended. Lee Sejin raised his head. He could see his friend's face quietly examining his condition as if concerned.
A real teammate he hadn't seen in a long time.
'The results of my efforts are different.'
How could he talk in such an unsuitable way as if he was subtly trying to trick someone?
"I see."
It was as he said.
The achievements that Lee Sejin worked hard to achieve were elsewhere.
"Somewhere else… There was."
And it was like that from the beginning.
"Ah, Moondaemoondae, how do you always say the right things?"
"… !"
Lee Sejin laughed out loud.
The feeling of seeing Ryu Gunwoo, or rather Park Moondae, widening his eyes as if he was surprised that he recognized him couldn't have been more pleasant.
What preceded the confusion and curiosity about an incomprehensible, surreal situation was…
It was a cool relief.
• * *
Lee Sejin quickly returned to being Keun Sejin.
Since he already debuted in a different group, I thought that I would have to persuade him, who would probably suffer from identity confusion for quite some time…
"You must have been surprised that I recognized you right away!"
[Heok.]
He just came back to normal as if some switch was pressed.
He didn't even stumble. He just kept his head down and suddenly came back.
And from looking at Ryu Gunwoo, he immediately inferred that it was the Park Moondae he knew, and now he was leaning on the sofa and laughing.
"Ah~ How did you do this? What… Is it something like nanomachines that give you back your memories?"
"Where did you see something like that?"
"Webtoon?"
I was silent for a moment when I saw the guy laughing as if he was manic.
What… Did I press it wrong?
[He must be doing that because he likes it!]
Okay?
Then… I guess life in GY-ROP was more crazy than I expected. Then…
… … Maybe it wasn't such a bad choice to waste all my reputation points.
When I saw the guy slowly regaining his composure, I quietly opened my mouth.
"I'll start by explaining what the situation is, so listen."
"Ah, I should listen."
Since he already knew everything about the situation, I told him everything and started by talking about the system crash.
It could be tempting to complain or cringe at doing something pointless, but he just listened to the explanation seriously.
Still, since he was a guy who played games a bit, I think he understood the concept of reputation experience points used here quite well.
Thanks to that, I was able to finish the story smoothly.
No, I was planning on finishing it.
"So… I just selected you based on the reputation points I already accumulated… !"
If only he hadn't rushed out and tried to hug me the moment I told him that I had chosen him.
It was something he only did during emotional moments like winning first place at an awards show or at a concert, but to do that here…
"Thank you."
"… !"
"Actually, you didn't even need to bring me to my senses. I already debuted in another group… We won't be able to work together."
"…"
It looked like he was more worried than I thought.
Anyway, I was sorry, but what I did wasn't charity work.
I tapped the guy on the back.
"No, I'm going to use you as a spy."
"… ??"
"I can gain intel from a guy who has already debuted and make him explain the current state of the music industry."
Keun Sejin had a blank expression, but soon burst into laughter.
Hey.
"Haha! Is that what you came up with? Ah~ How can you not be so honest~"
What was he saying now? In this strange world, the time was mixed up and Cheongryeo's knowledge was not complete, so the more information I collected, the more beneficial it was.
"Okay, okay. Sejin will give you a lot of information~ I've promoted things and even sang on entertainment shows!"
The guy grinned.
"Okay? Moondaemoondae feels very comfortable now, right?"
"Oh, do it right."
Stop laughing, you bastard.
The moment I thought about making this guy scream by playing a wake-up call video from the beginning of GY-ROP's debut…
Tiriririk.
"We're here!"
The door opened and the people who went out to buy groceries returned home.
Keun Sejin suddenly stood up.
"Oh~ our members!"
"… ! Is Sejin back?"
"Ohhhh! Welcome!"
Keun Sejin laughed at the loud returning cheers.
"No, it's nice to be welcomed by everyone! I'll welcome you too, Eugene!"
"Hehe! Hyung!"
Ryu Chungwoo, who came in past the two men, put his luggage on the table with a happy face and spoke to them.
"You made it sound like you weren't able to give Sejin his memories back. Is this why you called him today?"
"No, it's a matter of probability… And even if he has his memories back, I make his group disband suddenly when he's active."
Then Keun Sejin started crying exaggeratedly.
"Hoo… Moondaemoondae, would you be able to say such things if you knew how hard Sejin worked? Really… Even the normal activities?"
"What is it?"
He even forgot to cry and just looked at me with a straight face.
"Hey, it's a pain to work with cheap guys who are bound to fail."
"… ? Even if they're cheap, failing—"
"No. They really need to be destroyed!"
"…"
What was he talking about? Did he want to perish too?
Anyway, he didn't seem to have any intention of compromising on that, so I didn't bother to persuade him. He didn't care whether GY-ROP got criticized or not.
Instead, the conversation turned to what I and the other TeStar members were doing so far.
While eating pork belly grilled in a frying pan, the conversation built up quickly.
"Wow, did you even exchange numbers with Ahyeon during that time? Isn't Moondae discriminating too much? You asked Ahyeon first, right?"
"What do you think?"
Seon Ahyeon asked first, you idiot. I thought of Seon Ahyeon here, who once sent me a picture of a landscape, and then deleted it.
I wanted to stop thinking about it, but it seemed like Keun Sejin had no intention of doing so.
"The three of us can go play again soon~ I heard that all we have to do is get Moondae the grand prize."
His dreams were also wild.
"Who else can get a grand prize? You'll win right away."
The guy grinned.
"You just have to aim for good music."
"… !"
"Why? There's Raebin~ Can't you just piece together one song for the grand prize and select it? Anyway, if this place is like a dream, you don't have to think about plagiarism or anything like that."
Cha Eugene confidently answered with a slightly downcast expression.
"Kim Raebin doesn't remember."
"Eh? But how did he participate in the survival show… … … You just brought him here."
"…"
"Really… Oh my, our Raebin shouldn't get scammed somewhere. You caught a big fish~"
I was secretly annoyed that the guy who would have done the same exact thing in a similar situation was clicking his tongue and talking.
"So now it's Raebin and Ahyeon that are left. Well, if this is the case, are you the type of person who takes care of things late? How could you do such a foolish thing by leaving your best friend in another group?"
"I said it was random."
There was nothing I could do, you bastard.
I had a late-night snack while dealing with a guy who tried provoking me on purpose.
The conversation was continuous and there was nothing special about it. … So much so that it felt like I had already gone back.
Of course, I couldn't really go back, so I ended up having this conversation.
"Then Sejin, you plan to continue preparing for GY-ROP's comeback for now, right?"
Keun Sejin responded to Ryu Chungwoo's question.
"I am… Wow, there's so much to do."
"… ?"
"Oh, I guess I was 20 here. I had a very soft heart and was kind~ I was honestly moved by Moondae too, because he was so kind?"
"What?"
"Really. I suffered a lot of losses."
For these words to come out of the mouth of this efficiency-obsessed person…
"What are your plans?"
The guy grinned.
"That's right. I'm going to stop by the shop first."
"… ?"
"Why?"
"What. I'm going to dye my hair."
And the next morning…
It was said that the guy who stayed up most of the night talking and playing stopped by the shop in the early morning and had his hair dyed back to black.
-Keun Sejin: If I bleach my hair again, no matter how strong the Sejin hair is, it will all melt. Yes, that's absolutely impossible ㅋㅋ.
This was absolutely not something that a rookie idol who was only 3 years old could do on their own right before a comeback. But it was Keun Sejin, after all. That guy had developed his social skills to the limit. And after returning to the dorms that way… It looked like he was planning something.
[Lee Sejin: Doing whatever I want (U▽U~♪)]
Let me just say that this sign appeared more than half of the time I checked on him throughout the day.
And during dinner…
-Keun Sejin: Oh my, thank you for the invitation. These are names I know.
This guy entered TeStar's group message room, which now had five members.
And as soon as he recovered his memory, a person with the same name who had done something similar to this guy reacted like this.
- Bae Sejin Hyung: (welcoming hamster emoticon)
It was surprising that they seemed to get along quite well.
And honestly, I thought Keun Sejin would try to embarrass him by bringing up the time he met Bae Sejin before his memories came back.
-Keun Sejin: Oh hyung, didn't you and Moondae make fun of me so naturally last time? ㅋㅋㅠㅠ
I didn't think he'd mention it right away like this though. He was a tricky one.
- Keun Sejin: ㅋㅋㅋ, I was surprised that you still had no mercy in your tone. I was so flustered at the young age of 20 that my ribs almost went up my nose.
- Bae Sejin Hyung: No.
- Bae Sejin Hyung: They keep giving me roles of psychopaths.
I didn't think he meant it that way, but Keun Sejin sent a laughing bear emoticon anyway.
I pressed the keyboard.
-Did you use the dye well?
-Keun Sejin: Yes, please look forward to GY-ROP's next activity^^
I didn't know what he did, but it looked like one of two things would happen. GY-ROP's life would either be extended or drastically shortened.
After enjoying the cheers of Cha Eugene and Bae Sejin, Keun Sejin changed the topic.
-Keun Sejin: Anyway, Moondae has to be famous so the other members can remember too, right? Right?
Did he really have to text that…?
-Keun Sejin: Become famous quickly by inviting people to group chats. I will also help you both physically and mentally ㅋㅋ
-Keun Sejin: I'll look at this unit activity without being Sejin, but when we return, Sejin will have to be the center.
-Bae Sejin Hyung: ?
- Keun Sejin: No, not hyung, but me.
This time, Cha Eugene sent a default laughing emoticon. There were no special gags.
[Hyung, your expression has improvedㅠㅠ I guess you're in a good mood!]
Really?
It was nothing bad. I smiled and looked at the group message room where useless chatter passed by.
'Should I leave it alone?'
The main point came out of Bae Sejin only after a while.
- Bae Sejin Hyung: Hey… I'm talking about your survival show.
- Bae Sejin Hyung: The finals are live now, right?
Right. 〈Wise〉, LeTi's survival show, which escaped the typhoon in a teacup thanks to various aggro and stage sales, was soon to reach its last broadcast.
'I heard there would be another announcement of the eliminated candidates in the middle of practice.'
I knew it would happen.
-Yes. There are only a few days left
- Bae Sejin Hyung: I'll go cheer you on.
"… … ?"
Was he serious?
'No… Is it better to show that we are friends from now on?'
Anyway, he had been following a mystical path so far, so wouldn't it be okay? The psychopath image would definitely go away.
-Wouldn't your agency or officials stop you?
And this reply came back immediately.
-Bae Sejin Hyung: I'll do what I want.
-Keun Sejin: (surprised bear emoticon)
-Cha Eugene: That's cool! It's awesome!
They played very well.
-Ryu Chungwoo Hyung: (Sweating and smiling emoticon)
-Ryu Chungwoo Hyung: Anyway, let's do our best and work hard in the finals as well. Reminds me of Idol Inc.
'Idol Inc?'
I laughed out loud. No matter what, there was no way something as crazy as that crazy program could happen in the finals.
"Hoo."
At that time, a voice was heard from beyond the wall.
"Hyung, did you laugh at my KakaoTalk message?"
"… No, I was reading Sejin's report."
Come to think of it, Ryu Chungwoo was in the room right next to me.
I kept my mouth shut and focused on the message.
-Yes (dog emoticon) Let's do our best
I never imagined that something crazy would happen in the real finals.