Chapter 2
It had already been an hour since I woke up on the bed in my old room.
For a long time, I checked over and over to see if I had really returned to the past.
And in the end, I had no choice but to accept it.
I really had gone back seven years.
“Seriously, this isn’t some fantasy novel…”
The timing made it even more ridiculous.
Seven years ago.
In other words, about three or four months after I had quit being a trainee.
At the same time, it was also the darkest period of my life, when I locked myself in my room and wasted my days doing absolutely nothing.
I lay on the bed and looked around.
Trash that I never bothered throwing away filled the tiny room that couldn’t have been more than ten square meters.
It was a horrifying sight that made my face twist in disgust.
…How did I even live here back then?
Suppressing the urge to run out immediately, I curled up further into the corner of the bed, the only clean place in the room.
As I huddled there, I felt a little calmer.
Now it was time to think.
So why am I here?
Why had an ordinary college student suddenly been sent back seven years?
…Though, if I was being honest, there was one thing that came to mind.
Those strange spam-ad-like messages I had seen right before fainting.
The words written there had definitely said—
“Idol Strategy Guide… was it?”
What a ridiculously lame name—
—Did you call for me, Shin Sea?
“!”
A blue window with the exact same interface as that spam message suddenly appeared before my eyes again.
“Huh.”
—It is an honor to meet you, Shin Sea.
My heart was pounding from shock, but this crazy thing was calmly greeting me.
I tried backing away on all fours, but my back quickly hit the hard wall behind me.
“…”
It felt as if the wall itself were telling me there was nowhere to run.
My mouth went dry.
The impossible situation naturally made me speak politely.
“…Who are you?”
—My apologies for introducing myself late. You may simply call me System.
“…”
System.
A word I used often in everyday life.
Yet at this moment, it felt completely unfamiliar.
—Then let me introduce the project.
Without giving me any time to process the situation, it immediately got to the point.
—Project Name: >>Idol Strategy Guide<<. This project is a debut program designed to make Shin Sea a top idol.
“Huh?”
—Would you like to begin the tutorial for >>Idol Strategy Guide<<?
Why did it keep emphasizing that weird title?
Wait.
Don’t tell me…
“…I apologize for saying the name was lame.”
—I accept your apology. Please speak comfortably.
Was that what it was upset about?
This lunatic was obsessed with the strangest things.
That’s not what’s important right now…
Its overly calm attitude was so absurd that even my shock started fading.
Or maybe too many unbelievable things had happened in a row, dulling my sense of reality.
Still, that helped me think more clearly.
Based on everything so far, this thing was probably responsible for sending me back in time.
…But I still don’t know anything else.
I knew absolutely nothing about what was happening to me.
And the only clue I had was this thing.
Naturally, there was only one thing I could do.
For now, I should do what it says.
Remembering what the system had just asked, I carefully spoke.
“O-Okay. Then… start the tutorial.”
—Speak comfortably.
“…Ah. Okay.”
It repeated itself firmly.
I answered reluctantly.
I had never met anyone who preferred casual speech after being spoken to politely.
Only after I switched to casual speech did the system begin explaining.
—The functions currently available to Shin Sea are conversation, shop, and missions. Please touch each function to check them.
Touch?
This really is like a game.
For something so unrealistic, the controls were surprisingly simple.
I awkwardly reached out and pressed the word Shop.
Flash!
The screen changed.
Countless messages flashed before my eyes.
<Shop (Lv.1)>
[50% Discount Is there really a strategy guide that gets you 10 business cards in a single day?
[A guaranteed audition success strategy guide! >> Buy now!]
[Being a trainee is only the beginning! Complete trainee life strategy guide! Discount for bundle purchases -> Check now!]
[Can’t find the strategy guide you want? >> Use the search function!]
“Ugh, my eyes hurt.”
The screen looked like one of those late-night shopping channels desperately pushing limited-time deals.
Everything blinked so much that my eyes started hurting.
To protect my vision, I squinted and slowly read through the text.
But the products being sold felt strange.
“Strategy guides…?”
Not only was the name strange, every single item was related to idols.
I had thought the project name sounded suspicious from the beginning.
Don’t tell me…
As I swallowed nervously, the system suddenly interrupted.
—From here on, I’ll explain!
Its energy suddenly shot up for no reason.
Before I could react—
—Just as our project name suggests! The shop sells all kinds of strategy guides that will help Shin Sea become a top idol! ( ›ᴗ‹ )
“!”
I was momentarily speechless.
—But of course! You’ll need currency to make purchases! (˙▿˙)/
The explanation continued even as I stood frozen.
Flash!
The screen changed again.
The three original windows reappeared.
The system stopped talking, but I had a feeling I knew what it wanted.
It probably wanted me to click Mission next.
But I couldn’t move immediately.
My expression had already gone cold.
Why was this happening to me?
I didn’t know.
Right now, I understood nothing.
But there was one thing I was certain of.
…Idol.
The word that I thought I had already given up on.
The moment I saw it, my heart started beating faster.
With trembling hands, I touched Mission.
Just like before, new text appeared.
[Weekly Mission (Lv. 1)] – Time Remaining: 138:49:55]
- Vocal Practice [0/50]: 10 Karma Points
- Dance Practice [0/50]: 10 Karma Points
- Weekly missions reset every Monday at midnight. Points can also be earned through sudden missions and main missions. Use those points to buy strategy guides.
“…”
- I’ll explain sudden missions and main missions when they show up later.
After the brief explanation, the screen changed once again.
Its tone returned to the original business-like style.
—Use the points provided through your second chance to purchase the strategy guides you desire and rise to the position of a top idol.
[Tutorial Complete]
That was the end.
A notification appeared announcing the tutorial’s completion.
My head felt overwhelmed, as if a storm of information had swept through it.
But anyone with common sense could understand the intention now.
This system had sent me back to the past in order to turn me into an idol.
Naturally, this should have been the moment to question its motives.
Why me?
What benefit did it gain from making me an idol?
And what exactly was this thing?
There were countless reasons to be suspicious.
Yet at this moment, excitement outweighed every doubt.
Honestly, I knew exactly why.
The desire to live an ordinary life had only been a compromise.
A way to forget my failure.
“…”
I looked up at the blue window again.
I still had no idea what this system really was.
And I had no way of knowing whether these so-called strategy guides were real.
But if they were…
If this truly gave me a chance to correct my past failures and chase that dream again…
Then it was an opportunity too precious to lose.
After thinking for a long moment, I finally spoke.
“…For now, just show me one strategy guide. I still don’t know if this is actually worth trying.”
—Showing one for free would violate the rules.
Flash!
[A Sudden Mission Has Arrived]
—Then I’ll give you a mission instead.
*
[Sudden Mission: Nothing to Lose]
Condition: Sing in front of at least 10 people.
Reward: 10 Karma Points
*
The mission title was certainly straightforward.
It almost felt like the system was trying to tell me something.
Well, anyway.
Not bad.
I had been pretending to hesitate while trying to get a free look at a strategy guide.
Ten points wasn’t a bad alternative.
—…Are you a scammer?
Ah.
So it could hear my thoughts too.
I learned something new.
Though considering its attitude, I didn’t feel very guilty.
Now that I thought about it, its way of speaking changed completely depending on which function was active.
Maybe each function had a different person in charge.
That explanation actually made sense.
Anyway.
I checked the mission again.
Ten points was nice, but the difficulty wasn’t easy.
Singing in front of multiple people.
I don’t have any friends.
Even seven years later, I wouldn’t exactly call myself a social butterfly.
But back then, my social circle had been especially small.
Of course, that was entirely my fault.
I was the one who had cut off the people who occasionally tried contacting me.
I didn’t want anyone to see what I had become after failing.
That was why I threw away Seo Rian’s business card too.
No matter how kind she was toward me, I didn’t want to face her.
Anyway, gathering ten people within an hour seemed impossible for me—
…Hmm.
Wait.
No.
I turned on my phone and checked the date and time again.
[Friday, 4:15 PM]
Friday evening.
If I remembered correctly, around this time—
A street karaoke booth opens near the station.
…If it were there, then this might actually be possible.
