But there was no way out.
Faced with the unspoken pressure in their eyes—“You can do it, right?”—there was only one answer I could give.
“…Fine. I’ll do it. I’ll do it, okay?”
***
And that was when the real hell began.
Forget ten hours a day…
I collapsed on the practice room floor like I’d melted, sprawled out flat, panting hard.
“Does it even make sense to be stuck in here over twelve hours a day…?”
This was torture.
Thankfully, Yeon Yu-jin’s body hadn’t given out yet—it was still holding up—but that didn’t make it any less grueling.
There were a few silver linings, though.
They say what you learn with your body stays with you. Maybe the dancing skills etched into Yeon Yu-jin’s body weren’t completely gone. I was able to more or less follow the choreography coach’s instructions.
The choreographer seemed genuinely pleased, saying it was a good sign.
“You’re doing great, Yu-jin. I thought you’d be totally lost at the basics, but you’re way better than expected.”
“Then could we maybe… dial down the practice hours a little?”
“No can do. I’m getting a generous salary from the CEO’s investment, so I’ve gotta do my part, don’t I?”
“……”
“Get up. You’ve got to train harder than the other members just to be on the same level as them.”
“…Yeah…”
This place was a capitalist hellhole obsessed with training.
Even as I pulled a face, I did everything I was told without protest. I didn’t want to hear I wasn’t good enough.
The CEO said she liked how fired up I looked. The members would occasionally sneak me chocolates or candies.
Just yesterday, Seo Yoon-chae tossed me a box of fancy, gold-foil-wrapped chocolates.
“Here. Catch.”
“What’s this?”
I caught it on reflex.
“Isn’t this from one of those expensive brands? Why’re you giving it to me?”
“You’re working hard. Ho-yeon said you’re even more high-strung lately since you’re on a strict diet.”
Ugh. That damned diet!
Ra Ho-yeon wasn’t wrong.
With only a couple of months left until the comeback, the CEO had ordered us to avoid anything remotely fattening.
Flour, sugar, high-fructose syrup, fried foods—banned across the board.
Ra Ho-yeon had once joked that the pizza we ate after that last guiding energy depletion would be our last supper—and it turned out he was right.
Most meals now consisted of bland, high-protein salads.
Boiled chicken breast, hard-boiled eggs, cherry tomatoes, and heaps of greens.
The CEO claimed it was a flawless comeback prep meal plan designed by a top idol trainer. Said we should be grateful.
Even the military fed me better than this…
Between choreography practice and working out to sculpt my body, I was sweating like I did in my past life—but my stomach was in worse shape than ever.
With barely any carbs or fat in the mix, it was only natural that I was becoming increasingly irritable.
“When the hell did Ra Ho-yeon find time to snitch all that?”
Grumbling, I shoved the chocolate box aside. But Seo Yoon-chae pushed it back into my hands.
“He just meant you should take care of yourself before you explode.”
What am I, a wild animal locked in a cage?
“I’m not eating it. I’ve got my pride.”
“…You say that, but I know you’re gonna eat it.”
“Am not.”
“Then why are you clinging to that chocolate box like it’s a lifeline?”
“I’m just… acknowledging the kindness of the gift…”
“Come on. Just admit it. You’re sugar-deprived.”
“…Damn it.”
Once you got a taste of sweetness, it was hard to quit.
Sure, every meal came with a bit of fruit, but it wasn’t enough to satisfy my craving.
I wasn’t clueless—I knew the members were picking up on that and trying to sneak me snacks.
Seo Yoon-chae added, with a smug look,
“Just sneak one here and there. We’ve got so much of this stuff at home it’s basically rotting in storage. I could bring more if you want.”
“…If you’re so rich, why put yourself through all this?”
I caved. Popped a piece of chocolate into my mouth and asked.
Seo Yoon-chae’s diet was no different from mine—dry chicken and piles of greens.
He just smiled with that annoyingly smooth face.
“Because it’s no fun when everything’s solved with money. Happiness is earned through struggle. Suffering builds a richer life, you know?”
“Cut the crap.”
“I’m serious.”
“You always act like some airheaded, playful kid, but when it comes to singing, you’re dead serious. Just say you like doing this. Why twist it all up and make it complicated?”
“……”
Seo Yoon-chae stared at me, stunned. Like I’d hit a nerve.
Sensing he was about to get sentimental, I grabbed the chocolate box and bolted.
“Anyway, I’m off. Thanks for the chocolate!”
And that chocolate?
I’d already finished the whole box yesterday…
I was miserable.
Splayed out on the floor like a barnacle clinging to a rock, barely breathing, when something cold touched my face.
“Ack! That’s cold!”
It was a sports drink, straight from the fridge.
“Drink up. You must be thirsty.”
Ra Ho-yeon.
The main dancer. The devil who, alongside the choreographer, was grinding me into dust.
If even one move was off, he made me drill it until it was perfect—but then he’d show up like this, right when I was about to keel over.
How am I supposed to stay mad at him like this…
Tch.
“…Thanks.”
I twisted open the cap and gulped it down. The cold drink hit the spot.
“Tired?”
“What do you think?”
It wasn’t just dance—I had to sing too.
Singing itself wasn’t the issue, but matching the concept and vibe of the comeback track was proving to be a challenge.
The professional producer the CEO brought in said my voice captured sorrow well but couldn’t quite nail that bubbly charm.
I had to admit—when it came to upbeat, sweet songs, I turned into a wooden plank.
“Your tone’s not bad, but you keep sounding stiff.”
“When I sing?”
“Yeah. Especially in the cutesy songs.”
“Well, you’re not exactly cute yourself.”
What the hell’s your point?
I shot a glare at him. He raised his hands in surrender.
“Okay, okay. I was just teasing.”
“Don’t.”
“Roger that.”
Locked up like this with nothing but endless practice, life felt dull and gray. Like chicken breast.
I wonder what Je-ha’s doing now.
Ever since I’d been tossed into this training hell, I hadn’t had time to meet him. I’d sent a message ahead of time just in case.
[Je-ha: If you’re busy, I get it. Just text me when you’re free.]
No reply since.
Knowing Je-ha, he was probably busy hunting down X, but the complete silence still stung.
He can’t avoid using his powers while doing that…
He’d always refused to accept guiding from anyone else—and now he was completely MIA. I couldn’t help but worry.
Is he avoiding me on purpose so he won’t interfere with my training?
If it’s urgent, I could guide him…
Even if it wasn’t urgent, I’d gladly do it. Which made his silence all the more painful.
“I wanna go outside.”
When I muttered that, Ra Ho-yeon responded firmly.
“Not happening. The CEO said you’re not allowed to move around alone anymore. We’ve even got fans lurking around the company and dorm now.”
He was right.
As my popularity grew, people started hanging around the company and our dorm day and night. Sometimes, while gazing out the window, I’d make eye contact with someone—and they’d go wild.
When I asked who the hell they were and why they got so excited, the members just pulled the blinds down.
“Those are sasaengs. Avoid them. They’re not fans, so be careful.”
Compared to the past, sasaengs were easier to deal with these days, but some still clung like parasites, and that made them dangerous.
I was stronger than the average adult man, so I wasn’t exactly scared.
“If they try anything, I’ll just flatten them.”
“Don’t. That’ll just piss them off and get you blasted all over the internet for ‘exposing your true colors.’”
“So, the answer is to just avoid them?”
“Exactly.”
How annoying.
Was that why Je-ha wasn’t coming to see me?
Doubt it…
Still, the lack of contact had me on edge. What if something had happened to him?
You’re okay out there… right, Je-ha?
While I brooded, Ra Ho-yeon glanced at his phone and said,
“Get up. Break’s over.”
“…Already? That was it?”
I tried to sneak off, but Ra Ho-yeon grabbed the scruff of my neck.
“Where do you think you’re going? Time to practice. Today we’re fixing the way your limbs tangle during turns.”
Somebody save me. This practice freak is gonna kill me.
As I was being dragged back, a bright electronic billboard between buildings caught my eye.
[In today’s news: A funeral was held for Esper Jin Eutteum, presumed dead after disappearing in a recent dungeon gate incident. The body was never recovered. His family continues to question the missing remains and is requesting another search of the closed dungeon.]
An Esper’s death, with no corpse.
My own body, stolen after death.
No way… It had to be a coincidence, right?
