Seol Yurang had been right.
After the broadcast aired, the performance video of To You on an Autumn Night was uploaded to ’s official SNS account. The views on that post were astronomical.
From there, the video started spreading like wildfire across social media and online communities. It helped that the original artist posted the clip on their own SNS, drawing even more attention.
The official SNS accounts for Secreti were bombarded with messages. The pitifully empty official NewTube channel saw its subscriber count explode like a snowball rolling downhill.
At first, I couldn’t believe the overwhelming reaction.
…Maybe my singing was better than I thought.
Every now and then, I’d peek at the positive comments on my phone, and they made me involuntarily puff up with pride.
The swarm of people began demanding one thing from the official accounts:
They wanted to see Yeon Yu-jin perform live again.
Some simply wanted to hear him sing again. Others couldn’t believe it was really Yeon Yu-jin who had sung that song.
As public interest soared, the agency CEO and Manager Kim were all smiles.
“Aigoo, you gorgeous thing! You did great, just great!”
I lightly dodged the CEO trying to wrap me in a hug and muttered,
“You were devastated when I sang alone after the live show.”
“That was then! Who knew a day like this would come?”
The emotional CEO then suggested we upload a live video to the official NewTube channel.
“Should I prep the same song again?”
“Well, To You on an Autumn Night is a must, but we should include a few more songs and upload the whole set. Gotta strike while the iron’s hot!”
Seo Yoon-chae, who’d been quietly listening, raised his hand.
“You’re including our songs too, right?”
“Ayy, of course! That goes without saying!”
It was, in a sense, the first time Secreti had received genuine positive attention as an idol group.
The CEO’s eyes gleamed. No way she was letting this opportunity slip.
“The public wants to see Yu-jin sing, yes—but this is the perfect chance to showcase the talents of the other members too.”
After some careful discussion, we each got assigned a song to perform.
Ra Ho-yeon, staring blankly at the song title he was given, turned to ask the CEO,
“Director.”
“Yeah?”
“Are we dancing this time too?”
“Uh…”
The CEO trailed off awkwardly, then turned to look at me.
“Yu-jin.”
“Yes.”
“You said you lost all your memories, right?”
“Yes.”
“…Did you forget how to dance too?”
“Yes.”
I’m sorry. I seriously have no clue.
I’m not the real Yeon Yu-jin. How the hell would I know?
Hearing the same answer again, the CEO’s face contorted like overmixed plaster.
“Come on, not even the debut choreography…?”
“Sorry. I don’t remember a single move.”
I cut her off firmly. The CEO stood from her seat, her expression stiff.
“Ho-yeon.”
“Yes, Director?”
“You and Si-yoon are going to take responsibility and drill Yu-jin hard. Coordinate with the choreographer.”
“Of course. I’ve been waiting for you to say that.”
With a cheerful smile, Ra Ho-yeon got up and moved behind me. Cha Si-yoon followed.
Something feels ominous.
I tried to bolt, but I was no match. My arms were pinned down tight by two A-rank Espers. There was no chance of escape.
The CEO said to me,
“Yu-jin.”
“Yes.”
“We’ll skip the dancing in this video, but since it’s about time to prep for the comeback, you need to master the choreography as soon as possible. Got it?”
“I… I can’t dance, though…”
“Oh ho. What’s with that weak talk? Dancing is a must for idols. Boys, I’m counting on you. Choreographer-nim, please get him back to his original level—no matter what. I invested a fair bit of my own money for this comeback, and I intend to get my money’s worth.”
Hearing that the CEO had personally funded the comeback, the choreographer nodded solemnly. With a subtle signal, Ra Ho-yeon and Cha Si-yoon dragged me into the practice room.
“Hey! Let go! I said LET GO!”
I struggled like hell, but it was pointless.
Ra Ho-yeon whispered ominously.
“Give up. You’ll be dancing over ten hours a day from now on.”
“T-Ten hours?!”
“We’ll start with our title track’s choreography, but these days there are a lot of dance challenges, so we’ll prep a few other groups’ choreos too—just enough so you don’t look awkward doing them. Brace yourself.”
Should I just run away now?
I only ever used my body when I was fighting monsters…
Screw the contract penalty. Maybe I should just bolt—
But realistically, I had nowhere to go.
If I don’t want to pay that fine, I’ll have to go underground like Je-ha. I can’t shamelessly join a private guild either.
And I couldn’t attach myself to the government, either. That would only make Je-ha even more suspicious of me being some kind of government spy—and he might actually kill me.
Come to think of it, I still needed to go in for my ability reassessment.
I want to find Je-ha, but I have no idea where he is.
Even if I did miraculously find him, there’s no way he’d believe me if I said I was actually Ahn Ga-hyun.
If it were me, and some stranger showed up claiming to be a dead friend? I’d think they were insane too.
So, no, I didn’t have any escape hatch.
In the end, I raised the white flag.
“…Fine. I’ll do it, okay?”
I’d sung, so no reason I couldn’t dance too.
Honestly, ever since the praise after that live performance, I’d been kind of high on the experience.
Maybe I’m more suited to this idol thing than I thought.
If I’d known this, I would’ve at least auditioned for an idol agency in my previous life.
“Hrm. So… where do I start?”
Maybe, just maybe, like in those cheesy webnovels, Yeon Yu-jin’s muscle memory would kick in and help me learn fast.
Seeing me like this, Cha Si-yoon patted my shoulder.
“Hang in there, hyung.”
“…What’s with that pitying face?”
“You’ll understand soon enough.”
Why did that sound like something out of a horror movie?
Sensing danger, my body instinctively tried to flee, but Ra Ho-yeon snatched me and sat me down on the practice room floor.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“…I just needed the bathroom.”
“Yu-jin, did you know? You really suck at lying.”
“…I do?”
That can’t be right. Even Je-ha once fell for one of my lies and backed off…
“Your face just looks way too awkward when you lie.”
“…Seriously?”
But wait—when did Cha Si-yoon start talking to me so politely? I thought he was the silent type who ignored me altogether.
Ra Ho-yeon and the choreographer handed me a personalized practice schedule.
“From now on, this is your life.”
“…Hey.”
Is this even humanly possible?
I couldn’t help but blurt that out, but Ra Ho-yeon insisted this was just the baseline. The choreographer nodded along.
“Let’s start with the title track from our first single.”
“…Right now?”
“Right now.”
And so began the brutal dance training.
“Uwaaaah! I can’t take it anymore!”
“Quit whining. Get up. Ten-second break, drink some water, then we go again.”
“Aaagh!”
Damn it. There was no magical moment where Yeon Yu-jin’s memories returned to me.
All I could do was train like hell.
Ra Ho-yeon, as leader and main dancer, was a ruthless trainer with zero mercy.
I made a vow.
Just you wait—I’ll pay you back for this. No, I’ll make you suffer twice as hard when I put you through Esper training.
This humiliation will be avenged!
Soaked in sweat, I collapsed to the practice room floor in my training clothes, panting. Ra Ho-yeon and the choreographer pulled me back up.
“You messed up that move. Again.”
“You’re almost there, Yu-jin. Just one more time, okay?”
These goddamn devils…
I cried inside and forced myself to practice again and again.
As a bonus, I started working out to build a stronger body that wouldn’t get exhausted so easily.
I’ve grown soft living in this peaceful world.
The time I spent in the gym rivaled the days I used to risk my life fighting monsters.
Humans really are creatures of adaptation.
At least I get to eat and sleep well now. That alone is a luxury.
I gradually got used to the soul-crushing lifestyle. Before long, I even started to enjoy it.
Potato shook his head at me.
[You may be my master, but you’re a real lunatic…]
***
Seol Yurang was waiting for someone at a fine dining restaurant.
He’d arrived early, so to pass the time, he played Yeon Yu-jin’s live video.
“That voice… he could totally go solo one day.”
He hummed along to the melody, but then a shadow fell over him.
“Wah!”
“Gyaah! Wh-What the hell?!”
Startled, his earphones popped out as he nearly toppled over in his chair.
A man stood in front of him, wearing a single red-beaded earring dangling from one ear.
The man’s striking features were so refined, he could’ve been mistaken for a celebrity. He was beautiful—almost too beautiful.
The moment he saw Seol Yurang’s shocked face, he burst into a laugh.
“Scared you, huh?”
“God… damn it. Ban Noah, how many times have I told you not to sneak up on people like that?!”
“But your reactions are always just too funny.”
“…So it’s my fault now, is that it?”
“That’s one way to see it.”
“You crazy bastard.”
Grumbling, Seol Yurang gathered his earphones.
Ban Noah picked up the phone that had fallen to the ground. He glanced at the screen and paused.
Seol Yurang tilted his head and asked,
“What is it?”
“…No, just… This person sings really well.”
“Right? He’s a rising idol who recently performed on my music show.”
“Is that so?”
Ban Noah’s eyes curved into a gentle smile.
He absentmindedly touched the beaded earring on his right ear.
“Impressive.”
When does the latest free chapter come out?