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Translator: uly
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: 'Second Life' Tutorial
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The blue window popped up again, but what was written inside surprised me even more.
"'Second Life' tutorial? What is this, a game?"
Still, despite my grumbling, I steadily pressed Y.
Tutorials were usually meant to give info to newbies accessing a game for the first time.
So this should give me at least some insight into what was happening to me right now.
The moment my finger touched the Y in midair, a cheerful sound effect rang out, and a new window appeared.
[Starting your 'Second Life' tutorial.]
[Tutorial loading...]
What kind of loading takes this damn long?
I glared at the blue window, feeling the hot Korean blood boiling inside me.
[...Success!]
After a brief wait, the words "success" appeared, and the window updated.
Just like in those old RPGs I used to play, lines of text scrolled up one by one.
[Welcome to your 'Second Life.'
Follow SYSTEM's guidance and enjoy your 'Second Life'! :D
A unique experience awaits you.]
Enjoy? Unique experience? Who the hell are you mocking?
Sure, getting hit by a truck and waking up five years in the past in some unknown kid's body was a unique experience.
In the worst way possible.
No, more importantly, couldn't I just go back to my original body?
[Impossible until you reach the ending of 'Second Life.']
...What are you? Why are you reading my mind? Where are you watching from?
I whipped my head around, scanning everywhere. Of course, nothing was there.
Then new text appeared on the window.
[SYSTEM exists by your side at all times, anywhere. XD]
"I don't need you!"
I snapped irritably, and on the blue window, a row of dots appeared: '....'
After a moment of silence, the explanations continued on the window.
I pushed my irritation aside and read carefully.
[The 'Second Life' you chose is as an idol.
An idol is an artist who performs dance and song in front of the public alongside group members.
Success means basking in everyone's love and rolling in money,
but failure means ending up with nothing—that's the reality.]
Idol. My expression hardened the instant I saw those three letters.
The dream I had devoted my teenage years to.
I had jumped into trainee life without knowing a thing, dazzled by how cool it looked to shine brighter than anyone while singing.
Back then, I truly believed I would debut as an idol and make it big.
'Of course, it was baseless confidence.'
In the end, my dream fell apart. Right on the cusp of debut.
Failure means ending up with nothing—that's the reality.
Yeah, that was spot on.
I had wrapped up my trainee days in futility, amounting to zilch.
[Overcome that harsh reality and become an idol star loved by all!
That is your 'Second Life' goal.]
Idol.
It had been my dream.
What I had wanted so badly.
But what I couldn't achieve.
No, what I failed to achieve.
Could I do it?
Was it even possible?
Staring blankly at the blue window, I clenched my fist without realizing it.
My racing heart spoke for my true feelings.
Still, I...
'I want to.'
I wanted to be an idol.
I thought I had folded it away long ago, but that faded dream still lingered in a corner of my heart like lingering regret.
Maybe this was a chance. A chance to fulfill the dream I wanted so desperately, even just once.
And anyway, it said I couldn't return to my original body without seeing the ending of this second life.
"Then I guess I have no choice but to give it a shot."
I failed in the first round, so I'll succeed in the second.
Of course, the fact that it wasn't my body was a bit of a hang-up.
'Come to think of it, the owner of this body is named Ha Jae, right?'
That means I'd have to live as Ha Jae from now on.
But this name rings a bell somewhere. Ha Jae, Ha Jae...
A strange sense of déjà vu washed over me as I racked my brains.
And then the blue window reappeared with the answer to my déjà vu.
[You will live as 'Ha Jae,' a member of the idol group 'EverPlanet.'
EverPlanet is a seven-member boy group under UJ Entertainment, on the verge of debut.
And you are the last member to join that debut lineup.]
EverPlanet.
...EverPlanet?
The moment I saw the group name, I froze stiff.
Yeah, I knew I'd heard it somewhere.
Remembering who Ha Jae was, I muttered in a sharp voice.
"Are you insane?"
EverPlanet was a group that started big but ended small—a total flop idol group. Constant screw-ups from the agency, plus unsalvageable scandals from the members, sent them straight to rock bottom.
They debuted around the same time as S-T, showed some early promise, but got tangled in scandals one by one and vanished.
From what I remembered: sudden departures without notice, assaults, power abuse, drugs, sugar daddies...
No, these weren't even entertainment headlines—they made the front page of the social section. How the hell am I supposed to succeed with them?
Even a pro couldn't save this.
Become an idol. Become an idol star loved by all!
But my group is EverPlanet? Is this a joke?
Sensing my backlash, the blue window quickly displayed the next line.
[Let me introduce some features to help you succeed.]
[First, check your status window.]
Status window. How do I open that?
I blinked, then muttered in a dazed voice.
"...Status window?"
Poof! A small popup appeared in front of my eyes.
[Name: Ha Jae (Seo Il-hyun)
Level: 1 (Sprout) EXP: 00.00%
Title: None
Trait: Second Life
Fame: D
Stamina: 100/100
Passion: 100/100
Strength: D
Agility: D
Intelligence: C
Luck: D
Appearance: B
Charm: C
Art: C]
[All stats have been partially adjusted to match the previous values and initial settings of 'Ha Jae' and 'Seo Il-hyun.' They are displayed as letter grades for brevity. Stats will upgrade once they reach a certain threshold.]
Seeing my status in numbers felt weird. I really felt like a game character now.
Hard to get used to. But I'd have to adapt. I'm... an adult, after all.
Level 1, huh. Makes sense for a start.
But trait? What's that?
I reached out and tapped the trait.
A small explanation bubble popped up.
[Trait 'Second Life'
: Literally your second life. Growth speed +50%]
Totally broken.
A 50% growth speed boost meant I could achieve the same results with half the effort of others.
I swallowed hard.
With this, it might be possible. Even if the group flops, I could go solo and make it.
Clutching that hope, I checked the other stats.
Everything's there. Stamina, strength, agility, intelligence, luck...
Of course, they're all C or D, so not impressive.
'But appearance is pretty high?'
Well, with the face I saw in the mirror earlier, that made sense.
Honestly, I couldn't fathom why this face hadn't blown up already.
Though with members like that, no wonder.
What about passion, though?
['Passion' is affected by your fatigue and mental strength. Prolonged activity without rest will gradually deplete passion, and if it hits 0, stamina drain accelerates.]
Makes sense. No passion, and you burn out fast. I nodded.
What happens if stamina hits 0?
[If stamina reaches 0, a random status ailment occurs.]
"Status ailment?"
[Status ailments include fainting, fever, chills, exhaustion, etc., each triggering specific penalties upon activation.]
So many varieties. I grumbled inwardly.
Actually, on second thought, not dying was a relief.
In the RPGs I played, hitting 0 stamina meant a gray tombstone and turning into a ghost.
The system continued its explanation indifferently.
[Experience and stats accumulate with various activities. Leveling up grants additional stat points and various benefits.]
Levels, EXP, stat points. Feels just like playing an RPG.
Of course, factoring in EverPlanet—a real idol group from my world—this was probably my original world.
Anyway, I got the gist. But no singing, rapping, dancing? It's idols, right?
The thought had barely formed when text appeared on the window again.
[Next, check your 'skills.']
"Skills."
Like with the status window, I said it curtly, and a skills popup appeared above it.
[Ha Jae (Seo Il-hyun)'s Skill List
Vocals Beginner Lv. 1 00.00%
Rap Beginner Lv. 1 00.00%
Dance Beginner Lv. 1 00.00%
Performance Beginner Lv. 1 00.00%
Variety Beginner Lv. 1 00.00%
Acting Beginner Lv. 1 00.00%
Producing Beginner Lv. 1 00.00%]
[
Acquire new active skills!]
[All skills have been reset. However, growth speed is partially adjusted based on the proficiency of the previous 'Ha Jae' and 'Seo Il-hyun.']
Nothing noteworthy, of course.
Seems like neither this body's original skills nor my own transferred over.
Otherwise, they wouldn't all be level 1.
Anyway, I just need to level these up steadily?
[Yes. Performing actions related to each skill increases proficiency, and upon reaching a threshold, the skill levels up. Higher skill levels unlock greater capabilities.]
[Next, check the items that will aid your story progression.]
[You can view them in your inventory.]
Following the blue window's guidance, I opened the inventory, and a small icon-like thing appeared.
I tapped it with my finger, and a small bubble popped up.
[Tiger Vitality Extract
: Surge of tiger vitality! Stamina recovery +50%]
Tiger Vitality Extract... Not bad? Perfect for when I'm really beat.
Humans really are creatures of adaptation—I chuckled at how I'd already grown numb to this absurdity.
[Items are rewarded upon quest completion and can also be acquired in certain special situations.]
[That concludes the feature introduction.]
[Use these features to shape your 'Second Life'!]
With that, a new window appeared.
[A MAIN QUEST has been generated. View it? Y/N]
Quests too, huh.
I licked my lips and clicked Y.
Quest details scrolled onto the window.
[MAIN QUEST Generated!
[From Flop to Top Dog]
▶You have been reborn as Ha Jae, debut member of idol group 'EverPlanet.' This second chance at life—create the success legend of 'EverPlanet' with your own hands.
Rank: SSS+
Quest Completion Conditions:
1) 1 million paid fan club members
2) 1 million album sales
3) 24 #1 hits on music charts
4) Sweep 1st places on major music shows
5) Grand Prize at major award show
6) Gocheok Dome stadium solo concert sold out
7) -BLIND-
Rewards upon completion: -BLIND-
Penalty upon failure: 'Ha Jae' and 'Seo Il-hyun' 'Complete Death']
[Accept quest? Y/N]
Reading the completion conditions, I let out a hollow laugh.
1 million paid fan club members, 1 million album sales, Grand Prize? With EverPlanet?
No, the Grand Prize isn't the neighbor's dog or something.
Might as well ask me to pluck stars from the sky. That'd be easier.
"No thanks."
Failure means total death, and even completion rewards are unknown.
Only an idiot would accept this blindly.
If I have to do idols, I'll do it somewhere else.
EverPlanet is way too much.
I hit N without hesitation.
But the system rejected my rejection.
[MAIN QUEST cannot be refused.]
[MAIN QUEST accepted.]
Damn it. A curse slipped from my lips.
So I have to debut with EverPlanet after all.
Then why even ask?
[In addition to MAIN QUESTS, SUB QUESTS may pop up sporadically to aid your 'Second Life.' Completing quests grants various rewards. You can handle up to 3 quests at once.]
[Accepted quests can be checked anytime via the quest window.]
Still, following quests might lead somewhere.
In RPGs, smashing quests first is the meta.
Of course, that MAIN QUEST looks impossible even in death.
[This concludes the 'Second Life' tutorial.]
[If you have questions while enjoying 'Second Life,' feel free to call SYSTEM anytime.]
"Question. Who are you?"
[Have a great 'Second Life.']
It said anytime, but the system ignored my question and vanished in a flash.
Bam-para-bam! Celebration sound effects burst with little fireworks in front of my eyes.
[Tutorial completed.]
[Tutorial completion reward: nominal EXP granted.]
Checking the status window again, EXP had indeed gone up by about 2%.
Not even an energy drink, and this is supposed to impress who?
I sighed and flopped onto the bed.
It still didn't feel real.
Possessing someone else's body, time traveling back five years.
And now, live a second life as an idol.
...Whatever, it'll work out somehow.
Sleep first, think later. Sleep's best for a complicated head.
Discharge seems tough on my own anyway.
Embracing the crashing fatigue, I closed my eyes.
And fell straight asleep.
* * *
How long had I been out?
Voices drifted in from somewhere. Male voices.
"...Manager, come on, even if it's practice, for a kid to end up like this."
"What can we do? He remembers nothing, so just..."
"Even so, after all that practice..."
"Better than a kid with something there, at least another..."
What were they saying?
To grasp the situation, I slowly opened my eyes.
Two men stood by my bedside.
Strangers, both of them.
What? Who are you guys?