I said I'd join , and Manager Kwon's delight was obvious.
My profile went straight to 's production company, A-Net. The schedule raced ahead—camera test, a basic interview—and before I knew it, it was already March.
'…I want to go home.'
I stared blankly at the scene before me, thinking that.
It was understandable: right in front of me were ninety-nine trainees looking at me with curiosity, wariness, even hostility.
"You look great on camera."
"KRM being KRM. That face fits that side to a T."
"Think he's skilled too? If it's KRM, they wouldn't have trained him half-heartedly."
Feeling daunted, I glanced around the set, packed wall-to-wall with trainees. The set was tiered so the number of seats decreased the higher you went; a row of chairs labeled from 1st to 100th stretched across it, and every seat was already taken—except one.
The program had each agency's trainees enter and sit in the empty seats. The more recognized and higher-ranked the agency, the later their entrance seemed to be slotted.
Which meant I'd watched every other agency file in before I entered last.
Accordingly, the only seat left was 100th—tucked away on the far side, the spot least likely to be caught by the cameras or other trainees' attention, a seat everyone avoided.
"..."
Before we went in, the staff told us any seat could be taken over later by someone who came after.
But the only seat with real value was the 1st-place chair, so no one bothered picking fights over other spots.
Instead, the 1st seat had already changed hands three times. A trainee from a small-to-mid company sat there first, only to be ousted again and again by those who came after.
The one sitting there now was a trainee from DIO Entertainment—the company people call KRM's copycat, its eternal little brother, ever since DIO's groups started looking more and more like the ones KRM puts out.
Because of that, eyes shifted between me and the trainee in the top seat.
"Are we getting a battle for 1st?"
"Oh, DIO vs. KRM? This'll be fun."
Comeback schedules kept overlapping, and the unspoken friction never stopped; naturally, DIO and KRM trainees didn't get along. Judging by the glare I was getting, the current #1 felt the same.
'If they arranged the entrance order like this, the producers are probably hoping for a DIO vs. KRM showdown.'
If I wanted to make an impact from Episode 1, I'd charge up there and fight the DIO trainee head-on for the top seat.
But—
"…Hello."
"Hello."
What, am I crazy? I'm not wasting myself on that kind of pointless skirmish.
I didn't even come here of my own free will, and jumping into a rivalry from the start could easily tank my image.
Even if I end up eliminated, I at least want to avoid being disliked so I can blend back into society more easily. That's my only goal. Why would I pick an unnecessary fight over the #1 chair?
I headed straight for the 100th seat and sat down without a second thought. Next to me was a line of guys in white tees and jeans—guess they were going for a refreshing concept.
'But… they look familiar.'
I was about to greet the trainee beside me and turn my head when it clicked.
'This guy… wasn't he one of the trainees who actually debuted through ?'
I considered double-checking, then decided not to think about it. There was no point in forced socializing.
Thankfully, the trainee next to me didn't seem eager to chat either, so I managed to keep quiet until the MC came out.
After the mentor panel—made up of active singers and industry pros—was introduced, the trainee level tests moved along quickly.
I watched in silence as trainees poured everything into the performances they'd prepared, then whispered softly:
"…Status window."
『 Won Yuha / Synchronization 3.8% Complete』
Specialty (Vocal): B- (Locked)
Specialty (Dance): C (Locked)
Charm (Looks): B+ (Locked)
Charm (Aura): B (Locked)
Talent (Expressiveness): C+ (Locked)
Talent (Focus): C- (Locked)
Stamina (Physical): D (Locked)
Stamina (Mental): D- (Locked)
Luck: 30 points
My current stats weren't high. The best one was only a B+.
Between nineteen and twenty, I went through a long slump. Because of that, I dropped out of the debut lineup.
By the time I debuted with Lightning, I'd recovered somewhat, but it seems my body right now still hasn't fully escaped that slump.
'What I need to pay attention to is… the effect of the title .'
I stared at the title next to my name.
By swapping places with Kim Min-gi, I'd earned the title , and it came with a bonus effect: I could overlay my pre-regression stats onto my current self.
This bonus effect activated when I accepted the "Main Quest," but right now all my attributes were labeled "Locked." In other words, the stats I originally had were still sealed.
'I wonder what my pre-regression stats were.'
Back then I couldn't see a system window like this, so I can't be sure, but with five years in the idol trenches, they had to be much better than they are now.
Of course, slapping those stats directly onto my current body would be like using a cheat. Maybe that's why the synchronization seems like it'll take quite a while.
From the day I received the "Main Quest" up to today—the first recording day—the synchronization had advanced only 3.8%.
My Stamina stat had climbed a step, and since my Talent was a C until recently and is now a C+, it seemed synchronization was indeed proceeding steadily—but at this pace, full synchronization would probably take a good ten years.
'By then, will be long over anyway.'
There was, however, one way to make up for it.
According to the system, if I spun the roulette using Luck points earned by progressing quests or through new achievements, my attribute stats could leap forward without waiting for natural synchronization.
And the title supposedly tuned the frequency toward options that could retrieve the "fates" I'd narrowly missed among the roulette's countless choices.
The system didn't detail everything the roulette might yield, but among them seemed to be a sort of jump-growth ticket that could hasten synchronization.
'A Luck roulette, huh…'
I eyed my Luck points with a sour look.
It sounded great on paper: progress quests, gather Luck points, grow via the roulette.
But I'm not a game character who can respawn, and Luck isn't just a currency. The moment my Luck hits zero, I die.
'…No reason to spend life points just to snag an early-level boost.'
I don't want to die, so if I spin the roulette, it has to be with caution. For now, skipping was best.
In the end, I didn't press the gleaming button under Luck and simply closed the status window.
"Trainee Joo Dan-woo… gets a D."
Meanwhile, the brutal level evaluations were still rolling on before my eyes.
There were five grades in total—A, B, C, D, and F—but even though about half the trainees had already been assessed, no A-grade had appeared.
"Next, a trainee from BeBest Entertainment."
The hall buzzed when the trainee called by the mentors appeared. Once I confirmed who strode out so confidently, I immediately understood the reaction.
"Hello, I'm Do Ji-hyuk, a seventh-year trainee from BeBest Entertainment."
It was because he was a sixth-year "mangdol"—a former flop idol—now back as a trainee.
'…I remember him.'
Come to think of it, did have trainees like that back then. It was rare for a singer who had actually debuted to show up on an audition program, so it drew attention.
I recall it became quite a hot topic. People asked whether, flop or not, a debuted senior should be allowed to jump into an arena where trainees were trying to seize their chance.
Opinions varied, but as I remember, that trainee—Do Ji-hyuk—delivered solid results the whole season.
With great physique, striking looks that made you wonder how he hadn't blown up already, and skills close to fully polished, he captured fans' attention. In the end, he even debuted alongside Kim Min-gi.
'But around his third year he pivoted to acting, and I think fans called him a traitor.'
Thoughts swirled, but I kept my expression steady as I watched Do Ji-hyuk's stage. The cameras were catching every trainee's reaction.
Wearing a suit, Do Ji-hyuk showed flawless control in his dancing and vocals that didn't waver even live, bringing smiles to the mentors' faces.
"Wait, Trainee Do Ji-hyuk—why are you even here? You're on a different level. I feel completely cleared out inside right now."
"You can tell idol debuts aren't for just anyone. That six-year background shows. Well done, Trainee Do Ji-hyuk."
The mentors unanimously placed him in A. He exited with a dashing smile.
And then—
"KRM trainee, please move to the stage now."
At the staffer's call, I let out a small sigh and rose from my seat. My turn was coming up.
After the level evaluations, a trainee with a "B" badge on his chest looked up at the big screen's "KRM" logo with eyes full of longing.
The other trainees had the same eager look; there wasn't a single person here who hadn't auditioned for KRM Entertainment.
'…He had that quintessential KRM look.'
Thinking of the KRM trainee who'd entered last, he nodded to himself.
A handsome face with a clear, refreshing vibe—an uncontroversial, surefire center who seemed capable of pulling off any concept.
KRM Entertainment's trainee "Won Yuha" had a face precisely tailored to his agency's tastes.
'His aura was different, too.'
How to put it—aloof, almost noble.
When he appeared, everyone expected an all-out brawl with rival agency DIO, but Trainee Won Yuha bowed politely to them all as if they weren't worth engaging and went to sit in the 100th seat on his own.
If someone else had done that, people would've snickered, "What, chickened out?" But with him—calm and unflinching—no one dared whisper such things.
Unlike the others, who were desperate to expand their connections and get one more moment on camera, he quietly waited for his turn. Bold, as you'd expect from a big-agency trainee.
'If he's KRM, his skills must be outstanding too.'
That composure must be confidence in his skill and ranking, the trainee concluded, and he waited for Won Yuha's turn.
Soon, Trainee Won Yuha stepped onto the stage, and every gaze locked onto him.
He spoke in a neat, upright, beautiful voice.
"Hello, I'm Won Yuha, a fifth-year trainee with KRM Entertainment."
"Nice to meet you, Trainee Won Yuha. Shall we begin right away? Are you ready?"
"…Yes, I'm ready."
"Music, please."
It wasn't just the trainees who held their breath in anticipation; a faint expectation glimmered in the mentors' eyes as well.
The trainee's heart pounded, wondering what song a KRM trainee would choose, and he waited for the intro.
And when the intro played, every trainee in the hall couldn't help but feel puzzled.