Ballerino Seon Ahyeon had never walked a different path.
His duty was to carefully walk on the single path that led to his destination.
The road was steep and rough at times, but he knew where he was going. His feet continued to move forward due to a sense of responsibility.
Just responsibility.
'When I first started… It was fun.'
It was fun to take on new challenges and try new things. Dancing was a very alluring activity.
However, everything changed after suddenly winning an international competition with results that were more overwhelming than anyone could have imagined.
'Ah.'
-Ahyeon, you were born to do this!
His other choices disappeared.
He joined an agency, articles were created, fame arose, and enormous titles and affiliations were formed.
Now that the perfect and best path had been revealed, he couldn't try anything else.
There was no reason or justification to rebel against all expectations and advice. All that remained was a life aimed at greater success through ballet.
… But something seemed wrong.
'I… I haven't experienced this enough to dedicate my life to it.'
Still, it wasn't something he couldn't bear. Because dancing was fun.
'I can't just choose to do whatever I want.'
He heard similar things during counseling as well.
Because he wasn't at a point where he wanted to give up on everything, the counselor assigned to him by the agency didn't recommend taking long breaks or changing career paths, since it was already impossible.
But resignation didn't go away.
Buried confidence about the future.
'I… I won't be able to do anything else from now on.'
He had already spent half of his childhood and adolescence on it.
He had no decent friends or social experience. He couldn't even study properly.
Deviating from this orbit was impossible.
So he couldn't say anything different now. He couldn't bother the company, his parents, and the stakeholders with uncertain anxiety and worry.
He couldn't ruin this life with failure.
'How great would it be if I had a personality without doubts and worries?'
Seon Ahyeon worked hard to make that happen.
He didn't have any other hobbies, and he didn't think about other connections or the lives he could have lived. It was to narrow the radius of worries.
He didn't want to have any regrets or curiosity.
That was how he was able to consistently win.
-The principal ballerino this time will be Ahyeon. As expected!
-Then, I'll just film three more advertisements. Is that okay, Ahyeon-ssi?
His position became increasingly set in stone.
He could never break through this. He couldn't fail.
'Okay.'
Yet, it was when Seon Ahyeon's path was completely solidified that…
They met without warning.
The set of a broadcasting station he stopped by for schedule reasons, and the survival program contestant sitting in the hallway as if he had lost his mind.
-Are… Are you okay?
The words he poured out while saying that he would try to encourage that person in any way were unfamiliar.
-Good results are not necessarily the answer.
-The answer is making a choice where you won't have to suffer.
'I…'
He never thought about letting go so easily, so he didn't know why he said it with such confidence.
It was as if someone other than himself was speaking.
'It's strange.'
But those words were comforting to him as well.
-The alternative can also be the correct answer.
Even though he thought it was impossible to carry out.
And surprisingly, the other person eventually picked up steam and went in the other direction with great results.
-Wow, it was really well done.
-It was the best.
Even though he was only a one-time mentor, it gave him a strange feeling of excitement and emotion. The whole situation and that person.
-… Thank you. Thanks to you, we finished the stage well.
So when he heard those words from Ryu Gunwoo, he actually wanted to say more seriously that he was the grateful one.
But he felt like it would be a burden to talk like that.
'… If we ever get the chance to…'
Seon Ahyeon wanted to become closer and talk to him.
He really wanted to take on the mindset that he shared with this participant, which felt unfamiliar to him.
And during the moment where they exchanged numbers and made promises…
In the hallway where the participant suddenly turned and disappeared… Seon Ahyeon saw something.
'Uh?'
-… … Hm?
There was an image of someone with blonde hair wearing in-ears looking at himself from what appeared to be the backstage.
Stage outfits and a myriad of outstretched hands, beckoning him to come closer.
"… !"
However, before he could touch anything, the strange afterimage quickly disappeared.
It was an image so clear that it was abnormal to be considered a fantasy.
'Ah.'
However, strangely enough, Seon Ahyeon was not scared.
Just… it seemed right. A strange resolution is engraved in his head, as if he was fixing something that was wrong.
'It's okay.'
Rather, he wanted to see more. Seon Ahyeon began to reflect on his afterimage so as not to forget it.
Then, the afterimage suddenly appeared again.
When looking at the audience, getting ready in the waiting room, and going to the broadcasting station.
When he carefully contacted the idol who was depressed.
-Wow!
Things were noisier, more crowded, and there were more hardships and ups and downs.
But there were more sparkling, heart-pounding images of life.
At times like that, Seon Ahyeon became confused, but he still didn't strangely feel anxious that he was going in the wrong direction.
And gradually, the afterimage became darker, connections emerged, and a story came to life.
Images connected by dotted lines.
'What is it?'
Seon Ahyeon carefully fit them inside his head and kept them.
And at this moment…
"We've performed this same performance at a concert before."
As if the shackles were lifted by those words, sound and movement appeared between all the images.
And the afterimages he kept gained meaning and turned into memories.
It was real life.
"… … At that time…"
Eventually, Seon Ahyeon realized.
'Ah.'
He was not a ballerino.
He was Seon Ahyeon, a person who had failed to become a ballerino and quit dancing as if to run away.
However…
'I was happy.'
Seon Ahyeon was an idol.
"You held a balloon…"
He recalled the fun unit stage at his first concert. Then there was a group performance and an after-party.
The version of himself who stuttered, the version of himself who gave up, the version of himself who was unreasonable, the version of himself who doubted his friends at times.
"… Moondae."
It was okay to fail.
Quitting ballet didn't mean that learning it became worthless.
Even his daily life, which had been destroyed by merciless bullying and made him give up on his school days, could one day be healed.
Life didn't end in ruins.
He could choose his own direction and move forward.
'That's right.'
And on the other hand, living a seemingly perfect life without any terrible failures did not make the inner anxiety and fear go away.
On the contrary, it erased the trauma that TeStar's Seon Ahyeon had.
He felt ashamed that he made a weak choice at a crossroads in life.
'Me too… I made the best choice every time. Just like the other members.'
All self-buried questions and doubts were canceled out.
It was the very first time.
He remembered the words that encouraged him not to give up and to run to a new path even if he deviated from the original one.
-You just have to tell yourself, 'I can do it, no matter what.'
And now, he was facing the person who gave him that opportunity.
• * *
"… So, it means that you didn't have any memories from the beginning."
"Yes."
I went into the waiting room with Seon Ahyeon.
It was okay for Seon Ahyeon, who had already won in the first part, to return to the audience a little late. Moreover, I wasn't even nominated in the first place.
That was why I could sit face-to-face with this guy right now.
Seon Ahyeon nodded and smiled.
"… Now, I completely remember."
Although his appearance was no different, I could tell by his facial expressions, movements, and tone of voice. This was the Seon Ahyeon I knew.
I was speechless and couldn't talk for a while, but then I finally answered.
"Okay."
And I held out my hand.
"Welcome back."
"Yes… !"
The guy held out both hands and shook my hand. He really was still the same guy.
'… Alright.'
Let's calm down and move on. It had been a while since I last saw him, so understanding the situation came first rather than solving the problem.
First, the main question.
-How did Seon Ahyeon come to his senses?
I took a deep breath and got to the point.
He said that after several afterimages, he completely 'awakened' from my question and established his own identity.
"Because I mentioned the concert to you."
"That's right…"
If that was the trigger, it meant it continued to build up beforehand.
"I wanted to understand what Moondae was saying… So I tried hard to take your words in. It happened very suddenly.."
It seemed that Seon Ahyeon remembered the afterimages well every time they came to his mind and connected the feelings.
Still, I didn't think he realized that I was Park Moondae, who appeared in his afterimages…
"How did you know that I was Park Moondae?"
Seon Ahyeon's eyes widened.
It was as if he didn't know to ask such an obvious question.
"… ! Even if your appearance is slightly different… You're too much like Moondae."
"Ah."
"And… Because we've talked about it."
The guy turned red and spoke seriously.
"Moondae was originally named Ryu Gunwoo."
"… !"
"I remember… Of course, I do."
Ah.
He remembered that time.
The dark story of doing all those stupid things and revealing who I was all at once. Well, in the end, I regained my pace and convinced Seon Ahyeon.
'…'
It seemed like it wasn't a useless thing.
I decided to revise my thoughts slightly.
Maybe the decision to talk to him back then wasn't a bad idea.
"Thank you."
"… ! N-no! Because we're friends, it's only natural that we should do that."
Seon Ahyeon smiled brightly. I couldn't help but laugh, too.
'I thought he would be needlessly confused when his memories come back.'
Seon Ahyeon did not seem to be suffering from pain or internal conflict at all.
On the contrary, he seemed more comfortable than before.
'Bae Sejin was right.'
-But just because he looks that way on the outside doesn't mean he's the same on the inside.
I would admit it. That guy won for the first time.
After that, I quickly informed him of the current situation.
To be more specific, the pressure of having to reinforce the logic somehow to convince him… There was no need to worry about it.
"For more details, let's talk over the phone after the awards ceremony."
"Yes!"
Instead, we quickly returned to the awards ceremony before it was too late.
Thanks to performing with the two nominated artists, I got a temporary seat and took a seat at the corner of their table.
Bae Sejin, who was looking at us with an expression that seemed to say 'Why are you guys so late?', changed his complexion as soon as he checked Seon Ahyeon's expression.
And he quickly whispered to me while the VCR was inside.
'No way, now…'
I nodded slowly. A big smile began to spread on Bae Sejin's face.
And he immediately poked Seon Ahyeon, who was sitting next to him.
'You!'
'Hello, Sejin hyung… !'
I left the excited Bae Sejin and Seon Ahyeon motioning with their hands and feet. It seemed like an article would be published on the friendship between the two of them. I chuckled and watched the VCR turn off.
The awards ceremony was resuming.
And that night…
[Seon Ahyeon has been added]
The TeStar group message area was filled with 7 people.
[Seon Ahyeon: Hello..!]
[Keun Sejin: Oh, crazy]
[Keun Sejin: No, I'm sorry for saying that right off the bat. Ah, but Ahyeon is finally here ㅠㅠ You're truly welcome!]
[Cha Eugene: Wooooow, seven stars have gathered (emoticon with sunglasses)]
[Ryu Chungwoo Hyung: I heard what you said, Ahyeon, it's really good (smiling emoticon) No, should I call you Ahyeon hyung?]
[Seon Ahyeon: It's really okay, you don't have to do that!]
I lay down on my bed and scrolled through the group chat, where people of mixed ages were excitedly returning to the conversation after almost falling into chaos over how they should address each other.
Half of the people here were actually in the dorm, but it felt a bit different.
'How soon should I contact Seon Ahyeon?'
We had more to talk about in detail.
Before that, I needed to clear up some questions in my head.
'Hmm.'
Well, in the end, the conclusion was positive… But, I had to deduce why only Seon Ahyeon regained his memories on his own.
'Seon Ahyeon isn't in my status window.'
[That's right!]
First of all, it meant that the system was not involved.
If that was the case…
'… Is there a difference from the existing awakening?'
After thinking about it, one thing came to mind.
Seon Ahyeon did not complain of headaches or dizziness, which were common when other people were awakened, and naturally regained his real self.
'… How?'
As if he could have done that in the first place…
Like his own abilities.
"… !"
Yes.
I got up from the bed.
It felt like I got punched in the head.
[Oooh, what did you think of??]
Okay.
This was an ability that Seon Ahyeon had differently from others.
'His characteristic.'
I remembered Seon Ahyeon's characteristics.
[Resilience (S)]
: I choose my own mindset. That's why I can handle it.
- Offsets mental status abnormalities when activated. (Can be stacked)
This.
Although Seon Ahyeon here was now a B grade, the effect of canceling out status abnormalities was still basically there.
'So, if this brought back even a little bit of his memory…'
The moment Seon Ahyeon's S-class characteristics in reality returned, all status abnormalities were eliminated.
So, the result.
'… This guy came back on his own… ??'
It was an incredibly fraudulent act.
[Wow Ahyeon-nim, he's really cool!11!!1 He's crazy!]
No, that's…
'This is not a situation that ends in cool.'
[What?]
This… It was a hint.
I gripped the edge of the bed.
There was a premise for this logic.
'It means that this situation is a status abnormality.'
[!!!]
Yes.
Seon Ahyeon's characteristic was to offset status abnormalities, so as long as they were offset, all of these situations were 'status abnormalities'.
Like my 'debut or die' or Cheongryeo's 'correction'.
"…"
[That makes sense! Since we got into this situation while trying to fix the system in the first place, if we think that the system has caused a status abnormality…]
Wait a minute,
'… I tried to catch the system.'
Strangely, that sentence lingered in my mouth.
'If I were to get rid of the system…'
And then, I noticed a feeling of discomfort.
[Hy-hyung?]
Holy shit.
I immediately pushed open the door and ran out to find another room.
"Hmm? You're here at the right time."
The room where Cheongryeo was.
Since his roommate, Ju-Dan, went out on a personal schedule, he was now in the room alone.
He sat at his desk and wrote something, then leisurely turned his head and continued talking.
"Speaking of the first awards ceremony next month, the score for the music awards will be calculated…"
"We…"
"Hmm?"
I said, feeling like I wanted to bite my tongue.
"We were mistaken."
"…"
Let's think about it.
I got on a plane with this guy, flew him to the middle of the Pacific ocean, and tried to destroy the system.
In what way?
By making it so that there was no host around for the system to enter. That basically meant there had to be a system in place.
"If we're going to do the damn thing of abolishing the system, we need someone who has the current system."
"…"
"Then, he must have been on the plane at that time."
I swallowed.
"And who would that be?"
I completely forgot all this time.
Even though I forgot, I didn't feel any discomfort at all.
The guy in front of me opened his mouth.
"Well, I don't know."
Cheongryeo, who was still sitting at the desk, put his hand on his chin and frowned as if he was also worried…
Wait a minute.
I looked at the guy in front of me, feeling my blood run cold.
He looked normal.
This crazy control freak showed no signs of displeasure about a situation that was out of control.
That…
"You… You remembered this whole time."
"…"
There was one more guy on the plane.
And…
"I knew you had forgotten."
Cheongryeo put down the notes he was organizing on his desk.
And then he smiled and opened his mouth.
"You're still smart, hoobaenim."
This… Fuck.