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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: The Idol Who Died and Came Back to Life Right Before Debut
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Everyone dies someday.
But people always think it won't be today. That it's a story for some distant future.
I was the same. I never imagined I'd die right before debut.
But now, my body was plummeting down from the rooftop. Fast and fleeting.
* * *
One December winter day.
Inside DIEN's practice room.
The debut song [Blue Sky Below] was playing from the speakers.
- smile smile
Under the blue sky, we
Always with that same smile from back then
Don't want to let go of the light
I could see the members dancing hard in front of the mirror.
With debut less than a month away, we had to be more perfect than ever.
Even if we weren't perfect, we at least had to make it look good.
To survive the fierce competition against the hordes of groups debuting every year.
But...
'Fucking can't dance for shit.'
I swallowed a sigh that rose to my throat while staring at Eun Hae-sol in the mirror.
Finally losing patience, Cha Jae-hyun turned off the speaker.
"Hae-sol, you practiced this, right?"
"Yes."
"I know it's tough for you since you just joined, and I've been trying to understand. But no matter how I look at it, this just isn't working."
"Yes. Sorry."
Eun Hae-sol picked at his nails and gave a half-hearted reply.
I glanced at Cha Jae-hyun. His face was barely holding back anger. If it were his usual temper, he would've yelled already...
I turned to look at Eun Hae-sol.
Eun Hae-sol. Son of DIEN CEO Eun Seong-sik.
'I'm going insane because of that parachute.'
Originally, Eun Hae-sol wasn't in the debut lineup. Me, Cha Jae-hyun, Baek Si-woo, Song Yu-bin, Kwon Hee-yul. We were set to debut as a five-member group.
Then one day, the manager called us in and said Kwon Hee-yul was out, and new member Eun Hae-sol was in.
It wasn't that Kwon Hee-yul messed up or quit on his own. He got kicked out.
To make room for the agency CEO's son, Eun Hae-sol.
'If it weren't for that bastard, Hee-yul would've...'
That's when Cha Jae-hyun clapped to get the members' attention.
"Alright! Let's give it our all. Debut's right around the corner."
Cha Jae-hyun was about to turn the speaker back on when Song Yu-bin timidly raised his hand.
"Um, no break?"
"Huh?"
"We've been going non-stop for like two hours."
"Oh. Yeah, let's take a break then."
We scattered to rest. Baek Si-woo and Song Yu-bin flopped down immediately, while Eun Hae-sol leaned against the wall and started tapping on his smartphone.
Everyone was chatting and checking on each other's condition, but no one sat next to Eun Hae-sol.
Some might call it heartless, but it was only natural. No one had hearts big enough to baby the parachute who got rid of a comrade we'd shared years with.
Then the song started playing from the speakers again. I looked over—Cha Jae-hyun was there. He'd decided to push practice without a break.
'As expected of the leader.'
I rubbed my temples with my fingers and thought.
'Guess I should get some air.'
I got up and headed for the door.
Just as I reached for the handle, Baek Si-woo, sprawled on the floor, asked.
"What? Where you going?"
"Gonna air out my head."
"Ah. Want me to come?"
"Nah."
Baek Si-woo nodded regretfully, and I opened the door and stepped out. The empty hallway gave off an eerie vibe.
I walked to the elevator and pressed the button. It rumbled up with a low groan.
" doors opening."
The doors slid open with the announcement.
I stepped in, hit the top floor, leaned against the wall, closed my eyes, and thought.
'Hope the rooftop door's unlocked.'
* * *
Creeeak—
A cold gust hit my face as I opened the door.
'Good, the rooftop door's open.'
As I took a step forward, a white snowflake landed on my cheek. I looked up—the sky was dumping snow.
Standing at the railing, I could see Seoul's nightscape. Pedestrians passed below on the streets.
'Where are all those people coming from and going to?'
I recalled my seven years as a trainee.
I'd joined DIEN at 14, chasing the hazy goal of debut, running endlessly. And through it all, Kwon Hee-yul was always there.
Seven years ago, Kwon Hee-yul and I entered DIEN together. Back then, DIEN was a new company short on trainees, famous for accepting them in droves. We were part of that horde.
Kwon Hee-yul was average at everything—dance, vocals, looks. Not bad, but not outstanding either. Just "mediocre talent."
The other trainees all said the same: he'd be out soon.
But defying expectations, Kwon Hee-yul made the debut lineup. Purely through effort.
He proved you could make it with hard work even without talent. Just having him around gave me strength.
But now...
'Kwon Hee-yul's gone.'
I'd watched his seven years of youth and effort go down the drain in an instant, right beside him.
When our longtime member got booted by the agency, we all said it wasn't right, it made no sense.
But there was nothing we could do. Joy at being so close to debut crushed us with helplessness at the same time.
"Hoo..."
Leaning on the railing, I exhaled emptily. White breath rose into the air.
"Finally debuting, huh."
After seeing countless trainees come and go over seven years, I'd thought I'd gotten used to it...
Tears rolled down my cheeks, mixing with the pure white snow.
"Ha, pathetic."
The tears kept flowing endlessly. I wiped them, forcing my head up.
"Time to head back."
As I turned to go—
Thud—
Someone's hand slammed into my back.
"Huh?"
My body tilted forward.
The scenery ahead surged up then plunged down.
It happened in a split second.
I couldn't even scream as an unknown hand shoved me into freefall.
* * *
I came to on top of a car.
Screams from people and the car's alarms blared chaotically. Snow poured from the sky. Soon, red blood spread across my vision.
'Am I dying?'
I couldn't tell what happened to my limbs. Broken?
"Oh my god!"
"What? What happened?"
"Fell from up there, right?"
"Someone call 119 quick!"
Amid the commotion, I saw the members running over from afar. Sorrow, shock, despair. And in between, I caught someone's smile—and knew instantly.
'That bastard pushed me. That bastard...'
But my body wouldn't move.
Regret flooded me. Why did I go to the rooftop? Why did I waste so much time there?
How did I not realize a murderer was right beside me all this time?
Regret upon regret. But I could do nothing. Was I just going to die like this? So pointlessly right before debut?
'If I could go back to the past...'
As consciousness faded—
Ding—
An unidentified system window popped up.
[Would you like to go back to the past?]
- YES / NO
'Huh?'
Was I hallucinating?
I had no idea what was happening, but I screamed 'YES' in my mind over and over.
Please send me back to the past, just one more chance.
Please...!
'Let me debut...!'
In that instant, my vision flipped.
Like riding in a car through a tunnel, scenes flashed by.
First was an internet news photo.
「DIEN Fall Accident Victim Identified as Agency Trainee...」
I wanted to scream it was murder, not an accident—but the scene whisked away.
Next was DIEN's CEO office. A nameplate read Eun Seong-sik, DIEN CEO.
Eun Seong-sik lounged arrogantly in a luxury leather chair, on the phone. The conversation was shocking.
"Jeong Eun-ho, was it? Dumbass. Thought he'd bungee jump off the roof right before debut? Haha! And of all places, lands on my car. Tsk. It was brand new...'
Before I could feel rage, the scene shifted.
Next was my funeral. People wept before my portrait.
My parents' faces, the members' faces, one by one.
"Sob..."
"Eun-ho, Jeong Eun-ho..."
I struggled to hold on amid the chaotic flashes.
Then, like a computer shutting down, everything went black.
My body floated up.
* * *
"Gasp!"
My eyes snapped open.
"Huff... huff..."
The practice room door was in front of me.
'What the hell?'
Breathing raggedly, I scanned around. Members resting.
Cha Jae-hyun dancing in front of the mirror. Baek Si-woo sprawled out. Song Yu-bin dozing. Eun Hae-sol tapping his smartphone.
The exact scene I'd faced right before leaving the room.
'Did I really go back to the past?'
Looking down, my hands trembled.
'I'm alive.'
Relief buckled my legs—I collapsed.
The members rushed over in shock at my sudden fall.
"What?"
"What happened?"
They surrounded me instantly. Amid their worried stares, my mind went blank.
'Did I just die and come back?'
My body shook uncontrollably.
'What were those scenes? Showing me the future after my death? And now I'm back in the past?'
"Cough, hack."
"Hey! You okay?"
"Wait! Bag, bag!"
As I suddenly dry-heaved, Baek Si-woo rushed over with a bag under me.
Nothing came out but water—I hadn't eaten all day.
"Kid's really sick."
"We overdid practice today, didn't we?"
"Nah, seems like the usual amount to me..."
As everyone fidgeted, Cha Jae-hyun checked my face.
"Eun-ho. Hospital?"
"I'm fine..."
"No, you're not."
Baek Si-woo chimed in.
"Yeah, Jeong Eun-ho. You should go. You're pale as a ghost."
Ghost. I laughed despite myself.
'Guess I should be grateful I'm not one.'
As I forced myself up—
Ding—
The system window appeared again. The one from before death.
[Main Quest]
- Accept "Find X"?
- YES / NO
I let out an involuntary laugh.
"What the hell is this, fuck."
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