“Eden hyung! Wake up! How can you oversleep on the day of our debut?”
I opened my eyelids again to the now-familiar call.
Blinking a few times, the sight of the shabby wallpapered ceiling and the youthful face of our youngest member came into view.
Back again. On debut day.
‘D-mn, my life,’
I cursed inwardly, reflexively flinching at the pain that had been imprinted on my subconscious. Fortunately, cursing inwardly didn’t seem to affect my Initial Intention.
“Jae-hee, what’s your initial intention?”
Ryu Jae-hee, who had been waving his hand in front of my face, squinted at my absent-minded mumble.
“Well, at this point, I guess it would be the resolve we had during our trainee days? But why are you already talking about initial intention when we’re just about to debut?”
I don’t know. They’re telling me to find it, even making me go through endless regressions.
Since I had quickly made it to the debut team at both my former and current agencies thanks to my looks and skills, I didn’t really have any moments of desperate resolve during my trainee days. Recalling those times wasn’t much help.
Sighing deeply, I got up.
Denying reality again would only lead me back to that regression ending filled with unbearable pain, so I had no choice but to keep my Initial Intention from dropping to zero.
“Status window.”
As soon as the youngest left the room, I muttered the words almost silently, and the status window I saw in the first round popped up again.
[A project to regain the original intention for idols who have lost their original intention!]
[Participant: Yoon Eden]
[Initial Intention: 100]
[※ Initial Intention decreases based on behavior and speech inappropriate for an idol, depending on severity.]
[※ If Initial Intention reaches 0, you start over!]
[※ To complete the project, you must meet the essential condition.]
[Essential Condition – You disappointed 30,000 fans, now make 30 million fans happy! (0/30,000,000)]
If the initial intention evel becomes 0, it has been proven that we will keep returning to this point. To complete the project, it’s essential to make 30 million fans happy.
So, this means we need to have more than 30 million fans. At this level, we need to be a global K-pop idol, surpassing the domestic top tier and even making it onto the Billboard charts.
Memories of our past songs and concepts flashed through my mind.
‘Shall we go to that moon where the rabbit pounds rice cakes, babe?’
‘The stars burst, amazed by your beauty like shooting stars.’
‘Seriously, what the heck! Why does the world-building have to expand to space wars! Are we going to start using lightsabers next?’
My eyes grew hot. I wanted to cry over my life that had suddenly turned into hell mode.
“To become a top-tier group with this…?”
Even with major corporate backing, it’s impossible. Even rookies from big companies, who generate a huge buzz through survival shows, could be instantly brought down by these songs and concepts.
The only saving grace is that before returning, I had consistently produced hit songs through writing, composing, and producing.
But the problem is our d-mn agency, which is like a scam artist swindling people out of their money. It’s not for nothing that I sold songs to other groups.
Of course, I want our group to succeed too. But those stubborn folks wouldn’t cooperate.
As I rubbed my throbbing temples, the last sentence on the status window sparkled.
[☞ Check the Weekly Quest!]
Weekly Quest? This is the first time I’m seeing this phrase after two regressions. Well, I didn’t think to check the status window except for the first time during those two regressions.
“Eden hyung, let’s just practice our formation at the dorm once.”
“Wow, it’s perfect since it’s awkward to go to the practice room. Yeah, hyung, we kept messing up the formation during the ‘Shining Galaxy Pouring Down’ part.”
“I’m busy right now, so you guys do it yourselves.”
“What’s so busy about staring into space? Ha Joon hyung! Ye Hyun hyung! You guys come out too!”
“Wow, our youngest is ignoring hyung now?”
[Profanity detected.]
[Initial Intention –2]
Just as I was about to check the mission, Do Bin pulled me by the arm, and like him, Jae Hee stuck to me and dragged me away, foiling my attempt.
And I lost some Intention points too. From now on, I should say “cat-ignore” instead of “ignore.” Hopefully, that won’t count as profanity.
After that, we were busy with arriving at the broadcasting station, changing into stage outfits, hair and makeup, greeting seniors, and so on, until it was our turn, so I couldn’t check the quest.
In the end, I only managed to check the Weekly Quest after our debut stage was over.
While waiting backstage, I sighed, fluttering in the stage costume that I still couldn’t get used to.
Our damn agency, which decided on a space travel concept for our debut album, had us dressed in these white jumpsuits that looked like patient restraints, claiming they were spacesuits.
Add some straps around them, and we’d look like we’re wearing straitjackets from a house on a hill.
I should have realized the agency was clueless from the start and worked hard to give my input.
I didn’t realize that being grateful to the agency for taking me in right before our debut, despite quitting my previous one, and saying “yes, yes” to their every whim would come back to bite me.
“We’re really debuting together, just like you said.”
Kyeon Ha-jun, standing next to me, spoke as he checked his in-ear monitors.
Ha-jun and I were the same age and had been close friends and colleagues since our trainee days at our former agency.
Thanks to his actor-like face, Ha-jun would eventually transition successfully into acting and earn the title of “acting idol.”
Just before debut, I had stormed out of a fairly well-known mid-sized entertainment company that kicked Ha-jun out to make room for some parachute member, claiming I was standing by my friend’s side, and ended up debuting with him in this agency.
‘But in the end, this old friend couldn’t understand my wish to follow my own path and got pissed off, ignoring me.’
Nine years of friendship meant nothing. Kwon Ha-jun, who smirked at my uncomfortable expression, asked,
“Why, you don’t like it?”
“No, it’s just that the emotion from this moment would last a lifetime if certain someone doesn’t get pissed off and start ignoring me later.”
“Come on, would that ever happen?”
As I made a pointed remark while shrugging my shoulders, Ha-jun patted my back.
Jun, it was you who did that. You.
Looking at the members, who were stiff with nerves, I spoke like a seasoned leader with three debut stage experiences.
“Mistakes on stage, 100,000 won penalty, deal?”
I smiled wryly at the members’ jeers. You guys, I’ll overlook the fact that the ever-forgiving me got so pissed off that I stopped talking at the end.
As we got on stage and lined up, the intro to our debut song “Come to My Universe” started playing.
I don’t know if the composer used their feet or their butt to compose it, but no matter how many times I listened, it was really bad.
Listening to the main vocalist Ryu Jae-hee’s refreshing vocals, which were too good for such a terrible song, I made a resolution.
Starting with the next album, we’ll have to use my songs. If the agency doesn’t cooperate like before I returned, then screw it, I’ll fight them if I have to.
* * *
After safely finishing our debut stage without any mistakes, we could finally return to our dorm after greeting the CP (Chief Producer).
Seeing the three members gathered around Kwon Ha-jun’s laptop in the living room, looking expectantly, I let out a hollow laugh.
Guys, our music show view count barely exceeds 1,000 after a week.
I vividly remembered the comments on that video.
KyungminK • 17 hours ago
What is this? Is it the white house on the hill concept? They really try every kind of concept.
**Likes: 11**
Unicorn K-pop Idol Chasing Hyena • 10 hours ago
The agency has no sense. They should have wrapped belts around and gone with the straitjacket concept.
**Likes: 7**
Those were the days. And now, I’m back in that d-mn “those days,” haha.
“What, is the view count real? Isn’t it just not updated because of the rising trend?”
“Considering the MV views haven’t changed much, that’s unlikely.”
“Then what about the song, the song….”
I opened the music app and scrolled through the TOP100 chart at the youngest’s desperate muttering, still unable to believe we were on the path of flop idols.
As expected, no miracle of charting in the TOP100 happened just because I returned a few times.
‘Expecting things to change without doing anything is a thief’s mindset.’
Ryu Jae-hee, who also checked the music chart, looked tearful as he grabbed Kim Do-bin and Kwon Ha-jun’s arms and shook them.
“Hyungs, stream the song! My mom said if we fail, I have to prepare for the civil service exam!”
In response, Kim Do-bin immediately opened the largest civil service exam prep forum on the internet and teased Ryu Jae-hee, pointing at the screen.
“Yeah, go ahead and join the civil service exam prep forum first.”
“Hyung, it’ll be much easier for us to make it big than for me to pass the civil service exam. I’ll never pass with my brain.”
“Wow, Ryu Jae-hee, you’re pretty self-aware, huh?”
Ryu Jae-hee threw a cushion lying in the living room at the laughing Kim Do-bin. Of course, Kim Do-bin, being the main dancer, dodged it nimbly.
‘Yeah, he really couldn’t pass even after studying for three years.’
As I recall, Ryu Jae-hee really did start studying for the civil service exam after our second album flopped.
Three years into preparing for the exam, our group took off thanks to the eldest’s fancam, and the youngest gave up on the exam without hesitation.
Seo Ye-hyun, who came out of the bathroom with a face mask on, bent over to glance at the view count on the laptop screen and clicked his tongue.
“How can the views be this low when my face is in it?”
“Hyung, what you’re shocked now? We might be buried for another three years if we’re unlucky.”
[Detected speech encouraging among members.]
[Initial Intention -1]
As soon as I responded nonchalantly, I felt a sharp pain and raised an eyebrow at the status window that appeared before my eyes.
Seo Ye-hyun sighed at me and mumbled about how stress would ruin his skin before going back to his room.
He had been obsessed with managing his appearance since his trainee days, having been cast solely for his looks, even though his singing, rapping, and dancing skills were lacking for an idol.
During our trainee days, even when we couldn’t bear the harsh diets and secretly brought in chicken and pizza for late-night snacks, Seo Ye-hyun would stubbornly chew on a protein bar alone, filled with determination.
‘But where in what I said was there anything that encourages?’
I was just stating facts.
While I was lost in thought, looking at the room Seo Ye-hyun had gone into, Kwon Ha-jun quietly asked, closing the laptop.
“Eden, are you okay?”
Oh, yeah, I’m totally fine.
At first, I was so shocked that I couldn’t eat properly for days because I didn’t expect us to fail so spectacularly. But experiencing it for the third time, it didn’t bother me at all. Is this enlightenment?
“What did you expect? We’re not from a major agency. The song sucks, the hair, makeup, and costumes suck, and the music video is a low-budget one. It would take a miracle on the level of winning the lottery for us to make it big from here.”
The three remaining in the living room looked at me simultaneously.
[Detected speech encouraging among members.]
[Initial Intention -1]
Huh, again?
Feeling a stabbing pain, I awkwardly scratched my head and cautiously asked,
“Did I say something wrong?”
