Chapter 5

<’Sung Sol’ Character Information>

[You lost your parents and the dream of becoming a dancer in a triple collision accident at Eunyang Tunnel. Through the persuasion of YC Entertainment’s Director Choi Seong-hyo and CEO Baek Yoo-chan, whom you met at the hospital, you became a trainee at YC Entertainment! Among the trainees at YC Entertainment, you are the one who entered the debut group in the shortest period, making everyone curious about your abilities.

*Accepted into the Western Painting Department at Deokwon University. Whether to pursue further education is up to the user.

*Character information is updated in real-time.]

Sol quickly read the contents of the newly emerged status window with a blank expression. It seemed that the only difference from his actual life was the fact that he had become a trainee. Despite being grandly labeled as character information, the content seemed oddly vague.

As Sol swiftly read through the text, he paused at the last line with the word ‘university.’ University. Sol, in reality, regretted going to university. He had entered on a whim, following the traces of his mother, who had been an art teacher, but ultimately couldn’t graduate. The more time passed, the more he felt that it wasn’t his path.

If the current situation were undeniably real, and he was given a second chance, Sol would not have chosen to attend university. To him, college life felt like a mockery, a precarious platform testing his endurance. Sol shook his head, dismissing the notification window from his view.

As the annoying notification disappeared, Sol heard the voices of Tae-oh and Manager Yeong-ho from beyond the door. Whether it was a minor disagreement or not, the rising volume of their voices indicated a growing commotion. Sol finally moved away from the door, shifting to a corner of the practice room.

He hadn’t caught the specifics of the conversation, but whatever it was, there seemed to be nothing positive about it. The situation until the two left was awkward, so pretending not to have heard anything was the best option. If it involved a dispute about him, could there be anything more awkward than him directly hearing it?

When crafting a brief statement to showcase his credentials, whether for school applications or job prospects, Sol found himself in a highly competitive environment. The presence of a young child stealing the spotlight at such moments was both ironic and challenging. Sol was well-acquainted with navigating adversarial settings, but familiarity didn’t make it any easier. As Sol moved to the secluded spot, three pairs of eyes naturally followed him.

Observing Sol’s actions, Do Ji-ho narrowed his eyes like a fox, smiling slyly. Hearing the commotion outside the door and noticing Sol’s discomfort as he changed his position, Ji-ho struck up a conversation. Despite Ji-ho’s smiling demeanor, Sol couldn’t discern a sense of welcome on his face. It wasn’t a genuine expression of joy or amusement.

He couldn’t describe it precisely, but there was something about Ji-ho’s smile that felt unsettling. In truth, Sol thought it might have been preferable if Ji-ho, like Tae-oh and the others, openly showed hostility. Smilingly, Sol evaded Ji-ho’s approach and found himself lost in thought. Calling it daydreaming was an exaggeration; it was more like rummaging through pockets for no apparent reason, akin to staring at a distant mountain that couldn’t be seen in the confined space. Unaware to Sol, DK had approached Ga-ram and was casually engrossed in stretching, seemingly indifferent to what was happening on this side.

“We haven’t heard any additional information about you. Have you worked for another company by any chance?”

In response to Ji-ho’s sudden question as he approached, Sol rolled his eyes once before answering.

“No.”

“Oh, my mistake. Since I’m your senior, you can speak comfortably, right? I should have asked this first.”

“Yes, sure.”

“Thanks. So, is this your first time at our company?”

“Yes, it’s my first time.”

“And you haven’t learned to sing separately?”

“No.”

In response to Sol’s answer, Ji-ho’s eyes widened even more, but somehow, he seemed more uneasy than a moment ago. Objectively speaking, his eye creases curved like a cute, handsome man, but the more Ji-ho smiled broadly, the more Sol felt uncomfortable.

“How about dancing?”

“...”

In response to the questions that followed like an interrogation, Sol answered intermittently, but then fell silent. As Ji-ho’s inquiries persisted, the attention of Ga-ram and DK, who were engaged in their own tasks, unintentionally shifted towards Sol. In the process of answering, Sol couldn’t help but feel that his presence had become a real concern for the four gathered here.

Not a trainee before, never tried learning songs separately. In a situation where dancing was even uncertain... The reason for the escalating voices outside, between Manager Yeong-ho and Tae-oh, was undoubtedly because of him. In their eyes, he was like a bomb that suddenly fell like a meteor. And it wasn’t just his demise; it was a nuclear bomb that would destroy the entire team.

“Dancing... I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“Yes.”

“Can you tell me exactly? Is it that you lack skill, or have you never tried dancing?”

Ji-ho’s strangely oppressive smile made Sol take a deep breath and exhale. Perhaps due to tension, his chest felt tight, and he only wanted to leave this place.

In response to Ji-ho’s question, Sol, instead of answering, nervously averted his gaze. Ji-ho was smiling, but his firm clenched fist was both defensive and aggressive, and the gazes of the two standing in front of the mirror were cold.

As the feeling of discomfort in breathing intensified, the door opened, and Tae-oh, with his eyebrows even more fiercely knitted, entered the practice room. Seemingly more upset after the conversation with Yeong-ho, he swept the practice room with a scowling forehead as he stepped in.

“I heard you used to dance for quite a while.”

“Oh, well. If that’s the case, just say so. I thought you genuinely couldn’t do anything.”

At Tae-oh’s words, Ji-ho finally loosened his clenched fist.

“Show us whatever you're most confident of.”

“What?”

“Anything. Dance.”

“Now, here?”

“Yes. If you have a specific music choice, I’ll play it for you. If it’s uncomfortable, just show us any basic moves.”

“Well... I did dance before, but the genre is different, and...”

“It doesn’t matter. We’ll consider it. We need to know your level to come up with a plan.”

Sol opened his mouth, surprised. Tae-oh, with a displeased expression and furrowed brows, spoke in a gruff voice, yet his tone was surprisingly polite. However, regardless of that, Sol, who didn’t expect to be asked to dance so suddenly, couldn’t hide his confusion. If Tae-oh had suggested singing instead, he might have been less taken aback.

Sol hesitated and then Tae-oh grabbed Sol’s arm, pulling him along. Dragged to the center of the practice room with little enthusiasm, Sol looked at his reflection in the mirror. His appearance, somewhat gaunt and awkward, contrasted starkly with the other members who were looking at him, creating a distinct sense of alienation.

“What kind of plan? Why do you need a plan?”

“Yesterday was our weekend evaluation day. Until our debut, we have weekly evaluations on weekends, covering both singing and dancing.”

“But why?”

“...The trainers don’t watch us all day, and if we don’t get good scores in the evaluations, we could be kicked out of the debut group immediately.”

“If I get kicked out, isn’t that a good thing?”

“What are you talking about?”

At Sol’s words, Tae-oh’s forehead wrinkled even more. With an expression exuding displeasure, Sol shrugged, slouching his shoulders. He didn’t like this side of himself either, but it couldn’t be helped. Sol, with a fearful expression, leaned against the mirror that showed his anxious face and looked at Tae-oh, who was directly staring down at him.

The reflections of the two in the mirror were vastly different. Sol looked like a stray dog abandoned on the roadside, while Tae-oh resembled a proud watchdog. Despite this, Sol didn’t avoid Tae-oh’s fierce gaze.

“Well, none of you want to be on a team with me. If I get eliminated, it’s a good thing, right?”

“Why are you here?”

“Manager Yeong-ho brought me...”

“Do you want to be an idol?”

“...Not really.”

Sol hadn’t said anything untrue. He wasn’t standing in this spot because he chose to be here. Some inexplicable turn of events had dragged him here against his will, and now he found himself standing in front of Yoon Tae-oh, regardless of his own desires. Although he spoke candidly, Sol observed Tae-oh’s reaction. Sol understood all too well the life of relentless practice for a goal.

Now, Sol might have forgotten that sensation, but that didn’t mean he had forgotten the thoughts and emotions of that time. If the four people gathered here, dreaming of becoming idols more than anyone else, had heard Sol’s previous answer, it would have been taken as an insult. Even if he received criticism, there was nothing he could say in return.

“Well, then don’t come in the first place, or don’t sign the contract.”

“That’s what I’m saying! I couldn’t help it.”

Frustrated, Sol pounded his chest with a clenched fist. He felt like blurting out to Tae-o, ‘In reality, I’m dreaming. It feels like I entered a game, and when I come to my senses, it suddenly tells me to debut with you guys’. However, he hesitated, considering it sounded too absurd, and he couldn’t bring himself to utter such a far-fetched statement. Even if it was just a dream, he didn’t have the courage to become someone truly insane.

“Kang Ga-ram, play something random.”

Watching the silent confrontation between the two, Ga-ram, who had been observing, tapped his phone, and music immediately started playing. It was the song they had been practicing until Sol arrived, and the chorus began to play. Tae-oh stood defiantly with crossed arms, glaring down at Sol.

“Dance.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Regardless of how it happened, whatever brought you to this point, you have to take responsibility. At the very least, you shouldn’t cause harm to others.”

“Why should you be affected when I’m the one failing?”

Sol, filled with irritation, bluntly spat out his words. He just wanted to leave this place right away and go home to sleep. He felt like waking up around dawn, calling Yoo-chan to complain, calling Ju-hwan to fool around and have some fun.

‘Since there’s no strange quest either, should I stall for a moment and then quit... or should I escape by saying I need to go to the restroom?’

Sol lightly considered ways to avoid the current situation. Even though every sense was shouting that this was reality, Sol, paradoxically, treated the situation more and more as a mere dream. As Sol rolled his not-so-pleasant thoughts in his head, a new system message popped up.

<Tutorial: Dance Initiation Ceremony!>

[The attitude of the team members towards you, who suddenly joined the team, is hostile. Overcome minor crises and show everyone your dance skills!

Success: Obtain a tutorial completion reward, a stat increase card, and a tutorial completion reward box.

Failure: System shutdown (or corresponding pain).

Remaining time: 00:15:00]

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