IWUC 07

I tapped the smartphone in my pocket. If it weren’t for this thing, I probably wouldn’t even be thinking like this.

“I don’t get any of this.”

“Don’t think too hard about it.”

“How can I not? It’s your life. More importantly, did you pass the agency audition?”

“Not yet. But I will soon.”

“When is ‘soon’?”

Just then, the house phone rang loudly. I smiled and picked it up. The news I had been waiting for came through the receiver. I handed the cordless phone to my sister.

“Right now?”

Her lips trembled again. Ah, she’s flustered. I sat across from her, smiling quietly. While focusing on the call, she glanced at me. When our eyes met, I grinned.

Perfect timing.

She shot me a quick glare before concentrating on the voice on the line again. I swung my legs up and down as I smiled.

This call’s going to take a while.

She was the meticulous type. Waiting around felt like a waste of time, so I got up and stirred the curry. Since I was already here, maybe I should make a few side dishes too. As I pulled out some kimchi from the fridge, a thought struck me.

Oh, right…

I turned around. My sister, who had looked flustered just moments ago, was now calmly asking questions over the phone.

This is the moment I cried for in bed ten years ago.

Getting accepted into an agency. Back then, I had thought I’d sell my soul to the devil if it meant achieving that.

Ah, puberty…

I should’ve spent that time practicing singing instead. Shaking my head, I stir-fried the kimchi. Soon, a delicious smell filled the kitchen.

It’s surprisingly hard to truly understand that time is money.

Why did I only realize that now?

If I had known back then what I know now, things would definitely have turned out differently. My breath reached my throat as I wiped away sweat. Even after gulping down water, I still felt like I was dying. I sat down on a bench at the bus stop. Sweat trickled down my forehead, but the cold air felt good. It was still winter.

I rested my chin on my hand and looked up at the sky. It was clear and endlessly blue.

“Building stamina is tough.”

Why doesn’t this work with cheats?

I pulled out my phone and turned on the screen. Familiar text appeared.

[cheat mode 0/3]

A sigh escaped me.

“You… what’s your standard?”

That was the problem. This “treasure” I obtained after regressing could do many things—enhance physical abilities, alter situations. In a way, it was truly all-purpose.

The problem is I don’t know how to use it properly.

On the day my agency acceptance was decided, I tapped into the cheat.

[Cha Dowon – Singing Ability]
[D. Would you like to change it?]

I entered the name of the best singer in the country.

[Change to Lee Jinhyuk level]
[Impossible with current physical condition.]

As expected.

[Change to A level]
[Impossible with current physical condition.]

[Change to B level]
[Impossible with current physical condition.]

At this point, I had questions.

What does “current physical condition” even mean?

Does it mean I’m not trained enough? Still, I was the type to use anything available.

[Change to C level]
[Change to C level complete. Physical body will be altered.]

Yeah, this part I was used to now.

[Side effect: You will cough up blood for one year.]

What the hell is that?

My throat suddenly felt like it was burning. I struggled to breathe, writhing on the bed, before coughing violently.

I thought I was going to die.

I instinctively covered my mouth. When I looked at my palm, it was damp.

No way…

It was covered in blood.

I really am coughing up blood.

Honestly, it would’ve been better if it just hurt like crazy for a few minutes like it did at the audition. But a whole year?

It doesn’t hurt.

The taste of blood was unpleasant, but that was it. The real problem was—

“How am I supposed to hide this?!”

Even if my sister was somewhat hands-off, if she saw me coughing up blood, she’d drag me straight to the ER.

This is going to be a problem at the agency too.

They probably wouldn’t kick me out for having bronchial issues, but if they told me to go get treated first, that’d be a huge problem.

If I cough, I’ll just run.

I sighed as I stared at my phone.

“Seriously… such a hassle.”

But more than that—

I was curious. So I ran an experiment.

What’s the difference between D and C rank?

I deliberately recorded my singing before using the cheat.

The result was unexpected.

It’s not a dramatic change.

C rank definitely sounded better, but it wasn’t a huge leap. The vocal range had improved slightly, that was all.

Well, C rank is probably just slightly above average.

The conclusion was simple.

It only changes the body.

Skills and everything else—I’d have to learn myself.

“Damn it.”

So it won’t just hand everything to me for free.

Part of me is grateful, part of me thinks it’s stingy.

I looked up at the sky again. My breath scattered into the cold air. As I took a deep breath—

I suddenly choked and started coughing.

“Cough—!”

I quickly covered my mouth, but I couldn’t stop the blood. After coughing violently, I looked at my palm.

Still covered in blood.

“Damn it.”

There’s probably some on my lips too. Do I have anything to wipe it with?

Should I start carrying tissues?

Guess I’ll become a super clean, well-mannered guy.

Just as I was about to shake my hand—

A luxurious handkerchief suddenly pressed against my cheek.

Who the—?

I quickly took it and wiped my mouth, then turned around.

“Thank you—huh?”

I bit my lip.

Someone I never expected stood in front of me.

A low voice rang in my ears.

“Long time no see, Dowon.”

Why are you here?

I blinked.

The man wearing sunglasses smiled awkwardly.

What the hell…

I clenched and unclenched my fist.

Why is it you?

Damn it. Of all people.

Gang Minje.

The guy who used to trip me up at every turn in my previous life. Now, he was a judge at the company I auditioned for.

My boiling anger instantly cooled. Tilting my head as if I knew nothing, I asked:

“Who are you?”

At my question, he let out a small groan and removed his sunglasses.

“Well, uh…”

Seems like introducing himself wasn’t easy.

Oh?

Is it hard to explain that the older brother you used to know is suddenly an audition judge?

Guess there’s something he can’t explain easily.

Got secrets, huh? Whatever.

I just focused on my act.

“Oh?”

I pretended to recognize him.

“You remember me, right?”

“Ah! Minje hyung?”

I smiled with all my heart.

It made my skin crawl, but right now I was just a middle school kid happily reuniting with an older brother.

And I shouldn’t know he’s a judge.

A simple act, but annoyingly delicate.

“Hyung! Long time no see!”

“Good. I was worried you wouldn’t recognize me.”

“How could I ever forget you?”

Yeah. As if I’d forget you.

“It’s been a long time.”

“You moved away back then, right? We moved too. But hyung!”

I stepped back and looked him up and down. Even without knowing brands, one thing was clear—his clothes were expensive.

Was he always this rich?

Didn’t we live in rental apartments?

Not everyone there was poor, but we definitely were back then.

Did he win the lottery or something?

Pushing that thought aside, I said something a typical middle schooler would.

“You’ve gotten really cool!”

“Huh?”

He looked away slightly, embarrassed.

Damn it!

Why are you blushing?

“Wow, hyung! You look like a celebrity! I might not even recognize you on the street!”

Why am I getting goosebumps from my own words?

“Dowon, you’ve grown a lot too.”

“Me? I’m still kind of short…”

I was still in the 160 cm range. My original height was 185, so I had plenty of growing left.

“I almost didn’t recognize you.”

Yeah right. You recognized me just fine at the audition.

“But back then, I really almost didn’t. I even thought you were someone else.”

Of course you did.

The kid who used to follow you around suddenly burning with ambition…

Half that ambition was because of you.

“So when you say ‘back then’… we met before?”

“Well, uh…”

He scratched his head awkwardly.

So frustrating.

Just explain it already.

“I was at the audition too.”

I widened my eyes in fake surprise.

“Th-the audition?”

I know, idiot.

“That Friends Entertainment audition. I was the one wearing a cap.”

I quietly looked at the sunglasses in his hand.

“Surprised?”

“A little… but hyung…”

I grabbed his arm.

It felt disgusting, but the act had to be convincing.

“Are you… someone important?”

“What?”

He chuckled.

“Aren’t you still a college student? Did I get your age wrong? Are you like… a department head or something?”

Even I felt sick saying that.

He burst out laughing.

“A department head? Hold on—Dowon, hahaha!”

Is that funny?

He laughed so hard he wiped tears from his eyes. Meanwhile, I finished cleaning the blood off my mouth with his handkerchief.

“Anyway, how did you become a judge?”

He patted my head.

I hope that hand falls off.

“I’ll tell you later.”

“Later? Okay. Oh, hyung—I passed the audition.”

“I know. That’s why I came.”

Why? To stop me?

“I was curious. If you were really the kid I knew.”

He smiled slightly.

“Now that I see you, you are. I don’t really believe people change.”

What’s that supposed to mean?

“Is your mother home? Can I say hello?”

I exhaled softly and shook my head.

“Did she go somewhere? A trip?”

“Actually… hyung.”

A memory from before regression surfaced.

“I passed away.”

Back then, he had simply said “I see” and never asked again.

But this time was different.

“What? When?”

“Not even a week ago.”

His eyes trembled.

“You’re not joking, right?”

“Who jokes about something like that?”

He nodded slowly.

“Right… sorry. Dowon…”

He looked at me again.

“Are you okay?”

Such a strange question.

What kind of question is that…

What do you expect a 15-year-old who lost a parent to say?

Act strong? Or cry?

…Why not both?

Mixing truth with lies works best.

“I’m not okay.”

“Huh?”

“But what can I do? I won’t be okay for a long time anyway. If time keeps moving forward…”

I smiled faintly.

“Then it’s better to do what I can.”

He said nothing.

I tossed the empty plastic bottle into the trash can. It clattered loudly as it fell.