Hard Mode Idol

─ Pass a trainee audition within 90 days.

O Gain 500 points upon success

O Stat reset upon failure

O Time remaining: 89 days

What? What happens if I fail?

The S-grade charm I finally obtained will be reset? I absolutely have to succeed in this. Did he put in this mission because he’s worried I might back out after saying I’ll be an idol?

While having reasonable doubts, I diligently checked the guide window to gather more information.

The existence of a main mission meant my life itself was moving like a game right now. It meant there wasn’t just stats. If I clear that, the next mission will probably appear. Like getting promoted to a 1st-tier trainee or joining a debut lineup. They all might have time limits too.

Gaining points for each mission clear and raising stats with those points to increase skills. I like this growth structure. It would be perfect for a survival program, but it’s disadvantageous for me right now.

I can’t do a survival situation without knowing how the missions will turn out. Moreover, I really don’t want to do a survival for many reasons. Not only does it suck my mental strength dry, but gathering with strangers and rubbing shoulders is really…

Let’s not think about what I won’t even do. Now then, next.

─ Receive B-grade on 1 song (0/1)

─ Receive B-grade on 1 dance (0/1)

O 2x points gained if B-grade received while singing and dancing together

O Gain 20 points upon success

O Next week’s mission cannot proceed upon failure

Only 20 points. Even with double, it’s 40 points. When will I accumulate this? Singing and dancing together probably means singing while dancing, right? Practice for live stages?

I’m not sure about other things, but one thing is certain. I absolutely can’t raise stats with weekly missions. But as a gamer, I can’t resist these kinds of quests. I do have to do them. Plus, it’s a loss if I don’t do them since next week’s mission can’t proceed upon failure.

Curious about how the grade evaluation would work, I sang a children’s song magnificently. Probably because of the F-stat, it sounded terrible to my ears too.

I used to sing well originally. I was the main vocalist! This is so miserable it’s absurd. The stat really kills my original skills. I guess I can’t expect a second life bonus.

The level is too painful to listen to!

Final grade: F->

Is the grade F- because it was sung by an F-? Then does it mean I have to raise it to B to complete the weekly quest? I can’t clear it until I raise it to B?

No way. It can’t be like that.

I sang “Little Butterfly” again with firm determination, but the result was still F-. Getting fired up, this time, I sang it heavily and slowly as if summoning a butterfly. Then suddenly, it changed to F-grade.

Feeling proud that my strategy bore fruit was short-lived. I was dumbfounded by the mere fact that the grade went up to F. You’re harsh, man.

I swiftly dismissed the window floating as if teasing me and racked my brain. Maybe there’s a limit because it’s a children’s song. Should I sing the song I was best at? The song from my failed days… I regretfully pass because I suck at rapping terribly.

Thinking about what to sing, a song naturally came to mind. A song that comforted me when I was struggling. A song conveying comfort and hope, with an impressive soft R&B style melody line. Singer-songwriter Kwon Sehwa said he made it for people who feel alone. The title is “Winter Sea”. My favorite song.

I cleared my throat and closed my eyes. After mulling over the lyrics a few times, I opened my mouth and sang with emotion.

Old memories vividly resurfaced, making me suddenly choke up. Feeling like I was getting overly emotional, I brushed it off with a fake cough.

Although the level was miserable, the sincerity in the song could be felt!

Final grade: C+>

Huh? You said it’s a different dimension, so the songs are different, too?

There’s no steady song like “Winter Sea.” what do you mean by an unknown song?

Ah, right. A different dimension! Things I need to check suddenly popped up like mushrooms after rain. As I’m 18 years old now, I’ll probably have to go to school, and I need to find out about family relationships and companies to audition for.

Moreover, it means I have to study this world’s entertainment industry lineage, songs, and even famous programs in order to do entertainment activities in the future. Knowing seniors’ songs is the bare minimum. Memorizing names is poison, so I need to match faces and memorize names. And also…

Feeling confused amidst the piling homework, I slowly took a deep breath. Let’s find out one by one, starting with what I can do. If I tackle them one by one, I can reach the boss’ neck.

After determining priorities, I decided to first find out something very important I had been missing. Let’s check what date it is today and if tomorrow is a weekend or weekday first. I have to go to school. Honestly, I don’t want to go, but it won’t be good if the fact that I was absent without notice after my debut gets revealed.

Since they had the same last soul as me and lived a similar life, even if my personality changed, there won’t be anyone to notice. So there shouldn’t be any issues even if I attend school.

On the desk was a laptop, cell phone, and wallet. They all felt heavily used. I felt icky about touching someone else’s belongings, but I had to check.

November 28th.

Monday.

Turning on the phone, the information that I have to go to school tomorrow was updated. Feeling somehow reluctant to rummage through the phone right away, I put it back down and opened the wallet.

Checking the contents, there was no student ID card, but a resident registration card popped out. My ID photo that I never took was embedded in it. The birthday was the same as mine too. January 30th. Maybe he even changed the birthday to be exactly the same.

“Sigh…”

I let out a long sigh and just turned a blind eye. Because I knew the identity of the complex emotions welling up was kinship.

Without a student ID card, finding the school became a bit more complicated. If I do an image search with a school uniform photo, the school name should come up. I’m not sure how to check which class I’m in, but let’s take it slow for now.

To find the school uniform, I opened the closet. A few clothes were hanging modestly. The school uniform was wrapped in transparent, dry-cleaning plastic. Crisp without wrinkles, it looked like it hadn’t been worn for many days.

The moment I grabbed the school uniform to take a photo, my vision spun. My knees buckled from the sudden dizziness that hit. While fighting the dizziness, holding onto the closet, system messages filled my vision.

What are you saying? What’s an abnormal condition…?

Jinso High School.

The green signboard hung on the main gate had paint peeled off here and there, making the school’s history palpable. The streets and buildings were all unfamiliar, but the me in the memory was finding the way well just by looking at the ground as if used to it.

I was wearing the school uniform I saw a little while ago. With a light-looking backpack on my back, I gripped the straps with both hands. My gaze was on the tips of my feet. The plodding steps lacked strength.

The dejected, shrinking appearance resembling my school days felt bitter. I was bullied to a truly sickening extent.

I don’t know what the original body’s owner looked like or their name, but I know best what kind of feelings they might have while going to school. The last soul living a life surrounded by hostility.

As soon as I entered the school, I walked down the hallway stuck close to the wall. I didn’t want to stand out to anyone. But the school hallway wasn’t a good space to hide my body. If I saw someone else on the other side of the hallway, I immediately stopped and looked at the wall.

The small body shaking, and trembling while shrinking showed the fear felt by the boy who was the original owner of this body.

I stood there for a long time until the presence disappeared, then walked again. From the hallway entrance to the faculty office. The distance that doesn’t take long felt far. By the time I arrived at the faculty office, I was shouldered by people I encountered, hit on the back of the head, and heard swear words.

I presented a drop-out letter to the homeroom teacher. The teacher frowned and sighed.

“Jin Haon, are you really going to drop out?”

“…”

I meekly nodded. My gaze was fixed on the teacher’s feet. The teacher who was looking at me vacantly spoke.

“Okay, it’s your life so do as you wish.”

That was it. The way he waved his hand, telling me to leave now looked very annoyed. And the moment I left the faculty office, the world distorted.

A worn-down semi-basement studio.

I neatly ironed the school uniform and put it in plastic. Standing vacantly with the closet door open, the moment I lowered my head, plop, plop, teardrops fell. Trembling arms hugged the school uniform. The plastic touching my cheek was cold. Overflowing with sorrow and grief, you couldn’t stop crying for a long time.

Showing me something like this.

You said it was the last lingering attachment. I vacantly stared at the neatly ironed school uniform. Realizing from the rustling sound that I was fiddling with the plastic.

Was giving up on school your lingering attachment?

No, no. If you lived a life similar to me, the lingering attachment wouldn’t be school but a friend. One person who would accept you in your suffering. I know that one person would have been enough.

I chewed my lip at the surging emotions. The 18-year-old someone was another me. They probably endured all throughout middle school thinking it might be a bit better once they entered high school. That it would be okay once they escape this school. Like me.

But the bullying began again not long after entering high school. The reality that made it impossible to even have hope that it might be okay next year. That frustration was enough to crumble the ground beneath our feet at the edge of the cliff. Because you would have realized this suffering had no end.

I also remember high school being the most painful. I literally wanted the earth to swallow me up. A child like me. If they’re 18, they’re a baby. A very small and weak kid. They did nothing wrong, but that pitiful kid who lived being ostracized for the sole reason of being the last soul ultimately became a deep scar.

And now… even that trace has disappeared. The bare left wrist made my eyes sting.

I felt guilty about having to live a second life in place of such a kid. I got a chance, but you didn’t. So the kid, whose name I don’t even know, felt more pitiful, and my heart ached, knowing that no one would grieve for them.