/
To sum up my life, it was like this. I was a dragon that rose from a stream.
I was from a moderately (presumably) harmonious family that wasn’t incredibly well-off. As soon as I became an adult, I lost my parents to a car accident. After going through a nightmare-like rehabilitation, I took care of the young 10-year-old Seo Hojin as if I was raising my own child.
‘Seo Hoyoon, why are you living so harshly?’
‘I want to eat and live well.’
In order for me to survive as an orphan in this tough world and not get separated from Seo Hojin, I couldn’t just live a good life. To survive, one had to wield his own tongue.
When I studied hard to speak in front of the interviewer and passed the open recruitment for a PD in the broadcasting station, it seemed like the entire world was in my hands.
Because I was a new and inexperienced PD, I was pressured and bullied by my seniors. Despite this, I earned the nickname, ‘a poison among poisons’, and wandered around in all kinds of news programs and entertainment shows.
But was that all? At the age of 33, I produced my first small competition program ‘Pick the One’ which featured my name, and the program that nobody expected became a huge hit.
-Wow, isn’t the trailer crazy?
-Won’t you get a sanction from editing it like this?
Trend-based editing, moderate MSG, tear-jerking stories, and even constant competitive composition!
It was a program that Koreans living in a fierce and competitive environment couldn’t help but like. Transfer inquiries and salary negotiations poured in from all kinds of broadcasting stations.
Seo Hoyoon, a genius who received love calls from everyone and everywhere. That was me.
“Hyung, did you really… Is hyung an idol now?”
But my career was over.
I also became an idol.
Can you believe that.
“…Give me back my hard life.”
“But hyung is too young.”
“Watch what you say, you punk.”
I got up, grabbed Seo Hojin’s shoulders and shook him. Seeing Seo Hojin talking back to me, it seemed that I spoiled him too much while raising him.
“Didn’t anything about you change?”
“I don’t think so?”
Seo Hojin frowned slightly and fumbled through his cellphone. He explained that the assignments he had to submit to his professors were the same, and the news was also the same. After going through everything for five more minutes, he came to a conclusion.
“The only thing that changed is hyung.”
“Is this a hidden camera prank?”
“Do I look like I have a death wish?”
I took Seo Hojin’s cellphone. Then, I looked for the ‘Nugu Idol Tycoon’ game he said he had installed, but I couldn’t find it.
“What the hell…”
Ring!
The system window appeared.
It floated next to Seo Hojin who was bickering with me, but it seemed like Seo Hojin couldn’t see it.
[Quest:
You incarnated into the game Nugu Idol Tycoon!
There is a play guide prepared for you who does not know anything.]
“…Play guide.”
The system window began to slide over at those words. At the same time, I hurriedly read the explanation that followed.
[PD Seo Hoyoon, who lives by ruining other people’s lives, has incarnated into the game Nugu Idol Tycoon.
No one remembers your life as a PD except for your family member Seo Hojin and certain people.
To put it simply, it would be better to think of this as a  parallel world.]
A parallel world?
[In order to get out of this world and go back to your original life, to become a PD again, you must clear Nugu Idol Tycoon. If you fail to meet the target objective, you will be unable to logout of the game permanently.]
“What if I learned how to become a PD again?”
[If you deviate completely from the main scenario, you will receive a huge penalty.]
“Ha…”
I couldn’t breathe. The original world. My… my reputation which I had earned through all my bullshit disappeared in a day. I had to clear this game to get it back.
“What do I need to do to clear it?”
[Follow the main scenario.]
“What main scenario.”
[You must become a first-class idol recognized by everyone!]
My fists trembled. It was a ridiculous reality.
I sat down on the sofa and looked for a cigarette. When I tried to light a stick, the system window hurriedly popped up again.
[Idols don’t smoke!]
“…”
I stared at it with murderous intent. Another notification from the system window appeared immediately.
[Nugu Idol Tycoon respects the freedom of the player.]
It easily turned its tail and changed its words. I didn’t know what to say or if I should thank it.
As a result of coming to terms with the system window that was strangely heated about matters with smoking, the situation was as followed.
[The main scenario has arrived
Would you like to begin?
Yes/No]
Because I worked as a PD in a broadcasting station, I was able to quickly calculate and gauge the situation in the entertainment industry based on my knowledge.
A first-class idol recognized by everyone. Even if it wasn’t about reaching the Billboard, it was about being recognized in Asia… Telling me to be an idol.
“…”
I puffed up a cigarette and shook my head. A conclusion had been reached.
“Begin the main scenario.”
[Starting the main scenario.]
[A quest has arrived.]
“What, hyung, are you really going to do this?”
Could I become an idol? Whether or not I can, that wasn’t the problem.
“…Food.”
“…”
“Don’t we need food to live?”
“Hyung, are you crazy about food?”
Crazy about food. I slapped Seo Hojin’s head full of honey chestnut colored hair.
I had to do something to feed Seo Hojin and make a living. The results were already set as a success.
But it depended on how I executed it.
I earned the title ‘devil-like PD’ because of how much I lived my life like crazy. It didn’t matter if the means were right or wrong. All I had to do was become a first-class idol.
“Hojin-ah.”
“…Y-yes.”
“Have you ever seen me be bad at anything?”
As I muttered calmly, Seo Hojin swept his arm as if he got goosebumps.
***
[New user rewards.
Stats can be viewed.]
Stats can be viewed?
“Show me.”
[Viewing Seo Hoyoon’s stats]
[Seo Hoyoon
Nugu idol. People don’t recognize you even if you dance on subway line 1. They just think you’re a freak in the subway.]
“…”
[Vocals: B
Dance: D-
Talent: B+
???: ???
??: ??
Charm: B+]
“These are my stats?”
I felt miserable after seeing them. My stats were… horrible. Even the song I sang with a spoon in the soju bottle was more recognized by the director.
But, uh? Wasn’t making my dance D- a bit harsh?
[The stats were evaluated objectively.]
I thought of it as if I was evaluating an audition participant for a moment and looked up. The stats with question marks would be revealed later on.
“Hey, and why is my talent B+? It should be S.”
[Being good at editing and being a good entertainer are different!]
…That’s right.
I got a bit hot. The system window sent a quest window as if deliberately ignoring what I said.
[Quest Arrival:
‘Let’s visit the agency!’
I’m proud of you for accepting reality ^^
Visit the agency and understand the situation of the failing group ‘The Dawn’
Understand the situation of The Dawn 0/1
Upon success: Start the next scenario, +5 Charm
Failure to complete: Charm -30]
“Why are they both about my charm?”
I muttered curses as I went outside. Just like how nothing had changed for my younger brother, the Seoul outside was still in 20XX. Even if I had regressed 10 years in age, it didn’t seem like time turned back. It was right to say this was a parallel world.
Nothing changed, so there was no need to adjust. At that moment, a thought suddenly flashed through my mind.
“No, wait! Let me go back.”
Ring!
[Why?]
“Lottery ticket.”
[…]
I wanted to buy a lottery ticket. Or at least buy stocks or coins. Then I wouldn’t have to listen to this crazy system window.
I muttered despondently at the thoughts that ran through my mind.
“My lottery, my real estate, my coins…”
I staggered towards the agency with vanity in my heart, but no one recognized me even though I was walking around without a hat, overshadowing my fear that someone would recognize me.
Ring!
[Because no one knows you!]
Don’t be too happy to say that.
Rather, I was more popular when I was a PD. There were a lot of people who wanted to throw eggs at me. So how was I supposed to grow this kind of nugu group into a top star.
When I arrived in front of the address stamped on my cellphone, someone with the contact number saved as ‘Manager’ called my phone at an excellent timing. Just like the quests, this seemed to be the early setting created to start the game.
“Yes, this is Producer Seo Hoyoon of QBS.”
[Did you take something? What kind of PD are you?]
Oops, I needed to stop this work habit.
The voice of a man in his 30s was heard through the phone.
“This is Seo Hoyoon.”
[Seo Hoyoon, this punk, have you finally made up your mind?]
“Yes. I’m in front of the company.”
[Yeah, good job. I’ll be there in a bit.]
I didn’t know what he meant by making up my mind, but I nodded my head with the experience that I had gained from working in broadcasting for many years.
I peeked into the lobby of ‘Daepasong Entertainment’ but it wasn’t a place I knew.
It seemed like the world of ‘Nugu Idol Tycoon’ (a horrible name), and the Republic of Korea where I lived were mixed together.
When I looked through the photos in the lobby, it seemed that they were putting more effort into nurturing actors. I sat on the sofa and looked around to see if there were any familiar faces. The most famous person here was Min Jiheon, ‘an actor you can trust’.
This was a failing agency.
“Aigoo, he’s not a promising star.”
A man who looked the same as the voice that was heard on the phone walked out. He had a slightly bloated belly and a shiny face, and looked to be about my original age.
I bowed and held out my hand, a habit I had from doing business.
“I am Seo Hoyoon.”
“…What’s this concept, Hoyoon-ah?”
“…Mind control?”
Was the 23-year-old idol version of Seo Hoyoon a little different?
When I took back my hand, the manager put his arm around my shoulder and naturally led me inside.
“Are you feeling better?”
“Yes, thanks for your concern.”
“So, you’ve come back after making up your mind, right?”
“About what.”
“You’re going to continue idol activities in The Dawn!”
The Dawn. It was a group name that reminded me of Jajinmori jangdan.
“The people at the company have been waiting. The fact that the president waited for you for a year is truly extraordinary. The Dawn is so popular.”
‘Considering that, the number of views in the music video was low.’
“It’s not too late yet. After all, we finished recording your debut a year ago. It failed after that, but… For idols, uh, if you want to be the center, odd numbers are better, hm? There’s still room left for you to come in.”
‘Isn’t that because no one wants to do it?’
I quietly swallowed the words I wanted to say and walked into the president’s office. Still, I got quite a bit of information.
The Dawn was a one-year-old rookie group.It was an idol group created by an actor management agency due to the K-pop craze.The group was failing.
Failing.
Knock knock, the manager opened the door to the president’s office with a nervous expression.
“Aigoo, Mr. President. Seo Hoyoon is here.”
“Seo Hoyoon?”
The president was a middle-aged man in his 50s.
I greeted him with the same respect as I did with the manager.
“It has been a while since we’ve last met. I’m Seo Hoyoon.”
“I’ve never seen you before…”
What? I couldn’t control my expression for a moment because of how ridiculous it was, but the manager reassured him that I was a celebrity he was managing.
“What are you talking about! It’s The Dawn’s lead vocalist, Seo Hoyoon. The president praised him a lot.”
“Ah, The Dawn. That…”
It seemed like the president wasn’t interested in me. To be exact, he didn’t seem interested in the idol group named The Dawn.
This was a worse agency than I expected.
“…I came back after taking a year off.”
“Yes, Hoyoon-ah. To be honest, coming back to The Dawn is a big decision. It’s not that popular.”
He sighed and rummaged through the papers without looking at me. He was also indifferent as he replied.
“M-mr. President.”
The manager sweated profusely.
I glanced at the manager after having been openly criticized. It seemed like the president was a bit scary.
“Hoyoon-ah, as you may know, we manage actors in this agency.”
“Yes.”
“If The Dawn doesn’t bring in money, there’s a high possibility that the group will be disbanded. Do you know how much money it costs to maintain an idol group?”
I knew.
I already knew how much money you wasted.
‘How could I not know?’
But from a while ago, he kept talking to me as if I didn’t know anything, and he was looking down on me while we were at odds…I rolled my eyes briefly and looked around the president’s office before asking.
“How long until the disbandment?”
“What?”
I asked honestly. The president frowned as if he didn’t know why a half-hearted idol would ask such a question.
Kindly and clearly, I asked again.
“How much money do you have left.”
“Seo Hoyoon!”
The manager jumped. I was calm. It was easy for me to disparage the president of a small and medium-sized company like this, who couldn’t even take care of the idols in his agency.
‘You all act the same way.’
In fact, the president raised his eyebrows slightly, perhaps a little embarrassed.
“…It’s been a long time since I last saw you, have you always been this bold?”
‘What’s with that, you said this was the first time you met me.’
It was obvious, but I didn’t want to drag this conversation to a dull story, so I went straight to the point.
“Thank you for the compliment. So, how long do I have left?”
“Half a year at most.”
Six months. The gears in my head turned. If it was half a year, it was enough time for a title song to be released and a few broadcasting activities at the end. It was important for the group to perform well.
‘Hey, can I debut somewhere else?’
I asked the system window.
[Additional explanation!
You can’t. If you pull out the knife, you have to cut radish.
So, it has to be The Dawn.]
It wasn’t such a big deal so it was obvious it was just trying to fool around.
“…I understand.”
The president looked me up and down when I answered politely. Honestly, I wanted to make a deal right now, but I didn’t know anything yet.
“…Did you get sick and come back as a different person?”
“Did I?”
“Yeah, back in the day, you used to be a bit… Well, it doesn’t matter. I’ll send you the contract again. You have to apply for reinstatement.”
I didn’t remember what I was like when I was 23. I thought I acted the same way as before.
Anyway, I nodded. I had to go over the contract. It was a very important matter.
I’ll have to negotiate with him again in the future.
“Do your best.”
In reality, he meant, ‘do your best but do it carefully’, but I lightly ignored it.
Ring!
At that moment, the system window appeared. I furrowed my eyebrows and looked at it. I had a bad feeling about it.
[Choices
Such a thing, I’ll give it a try!Give me more money.I’ll even give you my life to succeed!]
‘What?’
What were these burdensome options?
At first glance, it seemed like I had to choose one of these, but I really didn’t want to.
I kept my mouth shut. Then, a timer at the bottom appeared and counted down to 0 in an instant.
At that moment, my mouth suddenly moved on its own.
“…I’ll even give you my life to succeed!”
…What?
It became a historical drama out of the blue. When I couldn’t close my mouth because I was speechless, the president laughed awkwardly.
“Um… I feel pressured. You don’t have to give me your life.”
“No, that’s not what I…!”
“Hoyoon-ah! You can do it! Houhou!”
When I tried to speak because of how wronged I felt, the manager suddenly covered my mouth and dragged me out.
I was going crazy because I didn’t say it!
‘Hey! How did you do this!’
[Nugu Idol Tycoon has many mini games ^^]
‘You said you respected my freedom, bastard.’
[You’re not supposed to believe what the game status window says! >//<]
‘This jerk really…’
[Quest completed:
‘Let’s visit the agency!’
I’m proud of you for accepting reality.
Visit the agency and understand the situation of the failing group ‘The Dawn’
Understand the situation of The Dawn 1/1
Successful. Additional 5 Charm.
The next scenario will begin.]
[Quest Arrival:
‘Let’s talk to the members!’
Say hello to the members of the nugu group ‘The Dawn’
Say hello to the members of The Dawn 0/4
Upon success: Start the next scenario, +5 Charm
Failure to complete: Discord with the The Dawn members]
It deliberately ignored my words on purpose.
I was so annoyed that I was flipping through the system window when the manager slapped me on the back. I couldn’t help but frown.
“It hurts.”
“Are you crazy? What’s wrong with you? How can you say that in front of the president?”
It wasn’t me.
“Is your liver inflated?”
“Then I have to go to the emergency room.”
“Wow, look at this guy. My mouth is open right now…”
The manager seemed frustrated and thumped at his chest.