< Episode 3 > 

 

Looking at the stat window just below the profile, I couldn't help but sigh.

 

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Name: Seo Dan-ah (Female/19)

Current status: HON Entertainment Trainee

> Vocals: 10/100 (!) 

> Dance: 5/100 (!!) 

> Charm: 5/100 (!) 

> Likeability: 5/100 (!) 

> Passive Skill 1: "Mental Stability" 

(Currently locked slot) 

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I could live with the other stats being this low, but vocals and dancing? Those should come first!

Looking at the stat window that showed such a long road ahead, I felt quite discouraged.

Even the likeability stat had barely improved. It was sitting at zero before I got the tutorial completion reward.

The one silver lining is being a trainee at a famous big entertainment company.

HON (H-O-N) Entertainment, commonly called 'Hon', held quite a prominent position in this game.

It's a major entertainment company that rose rapidly in a short time.

Despite being a small company once, Hon had quickly become a powerhouse in the industry, producing hit idols one after another. In no time, it had cemented itself as a top agency in Korea... (Well, according to the game's story.)

It was clear that this agency dominated the idol scene here.

Especially in my previous playthroughs, my idol groups often clashed with HON groups as rivals.

This was because the users playing those idols and our ‘active periods’ - that is, the game periods - often overlapped.

But we always won. Just as I’d expected.

'What's the use of such a brilliant record? Now my stat window couldn't be more pitiful...'

The more I stared at the pitiful stat window, the more dejected I felt.

As I was scrolling down the main screen with a sigh, that's when...

“?” 

I finally noticed the exclamation marks beside the stats.

For dance, there were even two of them. When I clicked on it first, a small message popped up beside it.

> > Current additional experience points achieved: 2.5/5.0

Oh. Right. That's why I turned on the screen in the first place. But this wasn’t the result I was expecting.

"What … …?" 

My mouth dropped open.

How many hours have I spent stuck here, and out of the five experience points I need, I've only earned 2.5?

I glanced down at the helper, who had somehow flopped onto the floor.

[I told you not to get tired so quickly!]

...But all I got in return was this sassy response.

The little thing flew right up to my face, nagging about how I should've listened to yesterday's explanation, or that I should go through the tutorial again.

[Ah! How could you push me away again!]

When I shoved it away as it was grumbling with its hands on its hips, the stat window filled my view again.

‘Isn’t this way too hard?’

It was certainly much harder to raise stats with my actual body than just typing on a keyboard.

Even now, my head was spinning, and I felt like I was on the verge of collapsing.

The path ahead looks tough, really tough...

> Dance: 5/100 (!)

After checking the messages, the exclamation mark next to the dance stat disappeared, leaving it the same as the others.

Then, when I pressed the remaining exclamation mark, a message popped up, covering all the stats.

> > You can use the quest reward "Stat Free Increase Ticket +10"!

Oh, right. I hadn’t used the reward I got yesterday.

Unexpectedly, the system had given quite a precious reward from the beginning.

'Stat Free Increase Ticket'. 

It was one of the important reward items in this <Happy Idol Raised by My Hands!>.

It was valuable because you could freely level up the stat of your choice.

I was already depressed due to poor stats, but this reward lifted my mood a bit.

> > 'Vocal' stat "Stat Free Increase Ticket +10" used! Vocal stat experience points will increase!

> Vocals: 10/100 → 20/100

Naturally, I used it on vocals.

Actually, investing 5 each in dance and vocals wouldn't be bad either, but at this point, raising one or the other wouldn’t make a huge difference.

In that case, it was better to target the one with slightly higher experience points.

And honestly, for a singer, shouldn’t singing come first?

'A slightly cloudy gaze might be passable, but being tone-deaf is unacceptable.'

This was a conclusion based on my previous game records and the database.

After applying the rest of the reward, no more exclamation marks were visible. It seemed I had checked everything in the stat window.

Now, here's a question that comes to mind.

‘Do I just keep practicing like this? Will they debut me automatically after that?’

I asked the helper about this several times, but each time, the only answer was, ‘Just follow the flow of the story.’

What kind of 'study by the textbook and you'll ace the test' nonsense is this? It wasn't very helpful at all.

I don't know how I managed to reach server rank 2 in such a reckless game. Hmm...

"Ah." 

[?]

I remembered

To gain experience points more efficiently, I got ‘that’ early on.

I can’t even recall how I got it now, but...

"Hey, helper. How did I get the "Iron Stamina" again...?"

The helper put its hand on what seemed to be its chin.

[Well... I’m not sure either? Unlike you, Dan-ah, this is my first time playing through the game!]

It was bragging, damn it...

In the end, without getting any helpful information, I turned on the music again.

I was singing, thinking it might trigger some game hints.

Calling the helper had been a waste of time. Especially since I couldn’t just summon it whenever I wanted.

[Currently using Helper!]

According to the tutorial I went through yesterday, the summoned helper disappears automatically after a certain time of use.

Moreover, once used, I can't even call it until the cooldown ends.

I thought it would help with stat-building or give some useful information… but nope. Just a waste.

'Let's just practice ….'

From now on, I’d have to be more strategic about using the helper.

Since I've already used it, I should focus on what I can do right now.

Oh, by the way, dance practice to gain experience points was relatively simple.

All you had to do was find any dance video on MeTube or whatever, and copy it exactly.

Then, does the body move as intended?

Honestly, no. my moves were still pretty rough, especially since my dance level was so low.

For me, this dance practice was like a mini-game. I didn’t need to memorize choreography or repeat moves over and over.

In other words, I just had to play the game every time I danced.

To explain, whenever I dance to the music, a game window appears clearly in my mind.

Once I start playing, my body moves on its own.

The mechanics were simple.

I just had to press the button matching the shape of the arrow as it descended, at the right timing, of course. That was it.

It was like the rhythm games I used to play at the arcade.

As long as I pressed the mental buttons diligently, my body followed the dance video perfectly.

The more Perfects I got, the closer my dance was to perfection. The more misses I racked up, the more chaotic my movements became.

Each time I completed a song, I earned about 0.5 experience points, but only if my Perfect rate was 80% or higher.

If I followed something easy, just basic rhythmic movements, it didn’t even count as practice. (That was super frustrating.)

So, I needed to follow at least the level of a high school dance club routine to level up.

Above all, the fact that I had to play a different world game in my head alone. This was no easy task.

Sure, I was getting more used to it compared to when I started, but...

That doesn't mean the mini-game has become easier at all. It was just slightly more manageable now.

- Miss! 

- Miss! 

"Come on." 

As soon as I said it, another miss. The game was really showing off.

… Okay, let's do it again. 

After struggling through another round, I stood in front of the mirror, only to sense someone at the practice room door.

I turned off the music and glanced toward the door. Through the semi-transparent glass, I could make out a shadow.

Seeing them peering in for a while, it seemed they realized someone was inside.

-Click. 

The owner of the presence soon opened the door without hesitation.

It was…

"Dan-ah, you were here."

A woman, much older than me, stepped in. She was the same employee I had greeted earlier when I arrived.

From what I overheard when she was chatting with other staff, she seemed to be the manager in charge of trainees.

"Yes, is there something wrong?"

Did I cause some trouble? 

However, contrary to my worries, she gestured to me with a bright smile.

"Can we go to the counseling room for a moment to talk?"

"Pardon?"

Why suddenly the counseling room... 

"Ah, yes." 

Still, when you're called, you go. No questions asked.

Pushing aside the feeling of being called to the teacher's office, I quickly followed her.

The counseling room wasn’t far from the practice room.

Once we arrived, the manager sat down by a laptop, and I quietly took a seat across from her.

"Dan-ah, you need to debut."

That was the first thing she said, barely a second after I sat down.

‘Yes, well. That’s the plan if I want to survive.’

I nodded slowly, and she placed both hands on the desk, interlocking her fingers as she continued...

"How about debuting through a survival show?"

Her suggestion came out of nowhere.

[Ooh!]

The helper reacted before I did.

[I told you not to worry! I said all you had to do was follow the story and wait!]

The little helper clinging to my shoulder whispered proudly into my ear, nearly making my head explode from the noise.

I almost lost my poker face, but I ignored it and peeled the helper off. Of course, no one else could see what I was doing.

"Just a moment. Is there a bug flying around my ear...?"

[Ugh! You're so mean! You keep pushing me away...!]

As I roughly waved around my ear, the helper flew far away. It dramatically grumbled before flying off into the system. 

Now it was finally quiet.

"Anyway," the manager continued, "I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but our company is launching a debut program, and there’s one spot left."

That’s when her words really started sinking in.

"And I recommended you for that open spot."

Oh …. 

As the helper said, the timing was perfect.

Everything the manager said next was nothing short of amazing. Objectively speaking, there was no better opportunity than this.

'A debut survival show? Sounds good.' 

Whether I debut through this program or not, it will be very good for building recognition among viewers.

Of course, it would also come with much more stress than preparing and debuting within the company.

I'd have to deal with public opinion, be under constant scrutiny, and face cameras long before I even debuted. That was a given.

"I see you've been with HON for 6 months now. Of course, it's not a very long time, but I can see the potential."

She put on a seemingly wistful expression.

"I was the one who brought you in, remember?" 

The manager looked like she was reminiscing about our first meeting.

"Y-yeah... that's right, ha ha."

In reality, this whole six months as a trainee thing was news to me.

"So, what's your answer?"

Sparkle, sparkle.

I didn't know this expression could actually be physically possible.

The manager’s eyes were practically shining, clearly expecting a positive response from me.

I had no reason to hesitate.

Sure, there were pros and cons to the debut survival show, but was that really important?

I wasn’t in a position to overthink things. My answer should reflect that as well. 

"Yes. I'll partici-"

"Of course you'll participate, right? Do you know how many people want to but aren't selected?"

“…….”

"I'll take that as a yes?"

"… … yes." 

The manager, who had already made up her mind the moment I opened my mouth, pretended to ask for my opinion but was clearly pushing her own.

She went on like that for quite a while, offering arbitrary explanations.

Then, as if concluding the whole thing, she said, "You understand, right?" and dismissed me, telling me I could go.

"As I mentioned, tomorrow is the first filming where we reveal the first mission, so don’t be late! It’s just an introduction, so no need to be too nervous~ Fighting!"

-Bang!

“…?” 

What just happened? 

One moment I was quietly listening to the manager, and the next, I found myself standing in front of the counseling room door. It all happened in the blink of an eye.

'...Anyway, I guess it's settled.' 

With a faint sigh, I looked up.

-Ding!

The message window that had been hovering in the background finally popped open, as if it had been waiting for me.

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> > > [Important!] 'Main Event' has arrived!

⇨ Succeed in debuting through the survival show conducted by HON Entertainment!

> > ⌛ D-1 until event start!

> Event reward: "Undisclosed"

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It was the beginning of the calm before the storm.