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Chapter 4
“Seriously, B+? Isn’t that kind of stingy?”
You are shameless. Also, stats cannot be raised by points once they reach Rank A.]
So B is the highest you can reach with stat points.
“Oh, I see. Then is A+ the highest rank?”
[No. There are higher ranks.
Long road ahead.
“Hey, System. You said you raised my stats directly, right? That means you can raise them again in the future.”
[…]
“Hey. Answer me.”
[Yes.]
“That’s all great, but don’t you think Dance at E rank is a bit much for an idol?”
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
“Why are you laughing?”
[I enjoyed watching you flail around at the audition.]
The judges laughing flashed through his mind, and heat rose in his chest.
“Stop laughing and give me a sub-quest so I can raise my stats.”
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Was that my job?
“Honestly, do you think I can become a world-class idol with these numbers?”
[That depends on you, Cha Si-woo.]
He flashed his most polished, professional smile at the system window.
“Then give me sub-quests so I can improve my singing and dancing. You saw my dance, right? If I go on like this, I’ll be eliminated instantly.”
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
“Fine, laugh all you want. But pay for the laughter with a quest.”
[Quest granted to Cha Si-woo.]
[Sub-Quest (2): For two weeks, practice singing and dancing every single day.
- Sing idol songs for 6 hours (14 days)
B. Practice idol dances for 12 hours (14 days)
Reward: Stat increases upon success
Failure: Death.]
Do you accept the quest?
Failing the audition meant death anyway.
As long as he had time and opportunity early on, he needed to improve his abilities.
“I accept the quest.”
Sub-Quest (2) has begun.
Time limit: 335 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds.]
A red timer appeared, marking the start of the second quest.
***
“Ugh… I’m going to throw up.”
His heart pounded as if it would burst out of his chest.
His throat felt dry like cracked earth.
Each breath made it feel like stomach acid was rising.
I’m dying.
For two straight weeks, he practiced singing and dancing like a madman while watching tutorial videos online.
There was no money to attend an academy.
Even if he worked part-time, there was no time left to learn from professionals while completing the quest.
Eighteen hours of practice a day—never again.
He had never sung this much in his entire life.
Surprisingly, his throat held up.
The problem was his body.
Someone clueless about dancing couldn’t move for twelve hours straight without consequences.
Every muscle screamed in pain.
Is this from using muscles I never used before?
He collapsed onto the bed, unable to control his aching body.
Just as his eyes were about to close—
Ding.
Congratulations. You have successfully completed Sub-Quest (2): ‘Practice singing and dancing every day for two weeks. ’]
For the first time, the notification sound felt welcome.
[Would you like to receive your reward?]
“Yeah.”
[Quest reward: Singing stat +1, Dance stat +2.]
***
[Status Window]
Cha Si-woo (20)
Appearance: A-
Singing: C (UP)
Dance: D- (UP)
Charm: B+
Stamina: B+
Ability: ???
Status: A paparazzi who has regressed five years into the past.
Seeing the singing and dance stats go up feels pretty good.
[You’re vicious.]
“What? Why are you picking a fight?”
[I gave you a quest assuming you’d sleep 5–6 hours a day. I didn’t expect you to do other things during your sleep time.]
Using his paparazzi instincts, he spent every spare moment researching Star Picking.
Research was essential to achieving a goal.
“You know research is basic for a paparazzi, right?”
A paparazzi had to thoroughly investigate targets to set up the perfect shot.
He analyzed each season of Star Picking, studied missions, and organized his remaining memories.
Barely slept, but it was worth it.
[Truly… impressive.]
The blue window seemed to drip with sarcasm.
“If you’re not giving me more stats, shut up.”
[…]
The system window vanished.
A clock on the wall came into view.
“It’s already this late? Guess sleep’s out.”
He forced his heavy body upright.
I have time to stop by the hospital before heading out.
If he left now, he’d arrive at TX Entertainment Broadcasting right on time.
Without a suitcase, he grabbed an old cross-body bag from the corner.
I think I got this as a freebie when I worked part-time at an outdoor shop.
He packed his few belongings—
black T-shirts that aged well with dirt,
jeans old enough to pass as “fashion.”
Then he opened a drawer.
“I need this.”
At the bottom lay a square box.
Inside was a black leather watch, elegant and refined—completely out of place in the shabby room.
My parents’ only keepsake.
He had once considered selling it to pay hospital bills.
But every time he saw it, memories of his parents stopped him.
“What if someone breaks in while I’m gone?”
And somehow, the watch always comforted him.
It feels like they’re watching over me.
He closed the box and tucked it deep into his bag.
“Alright. Time to go.”
He turned off every light in the one-room apartment and stepped outside.
Cold air replaced the musty semi-basement smell.
☆☆☆
He arrived at the hospital just before ICU visiting hours ended.
The familiar scent of disinfectant filled his nose as he stopped at the ICU entrance.
“Visiting time will now begin.”
After putting on disposable protective gear, he entered.
The white room was filled with cold air and rhythmic machine sounds.
Beep. Beep.
The heartbeat monitor echoed sharply in his head.
Just hearing it made his heart race.
With trembling hands, he pulled back the curtain.
His younger sibling lay there—exactly as they had five years ago.
Tubes and wires clung to Cha Si-hyun’s fragile body.
Bruises covered old injection marks.
So thin they looked like skin and bone, his sibling lay motionless under an oxygen mask.
“Cha Si-hyun.”
Just saying the name made his lips tremble.
His nose stung, and his throat tightened.
“Hyung’s here.”
“…”
Seeing his sibling lying there, eyes open yet unmoving, never got easier.
Pain welled up from deep inside.
“Did you do okay?”
“…”
“Hyung ended up auditioning to be an idol.”
“…”
“Pretty random, right?”
There was no reply.
But you’re listening, right?
“Cheer for me, okay?”
“…”
“I’ll succeed. No matter what it takes, I’ll make sure you recover.”
“…”
“When you wake up, we’ll eat good food, go everywhere you wanted to go, and do everything you want.”
“…”
“So hang in there. I’ll be cheering for you. And…”
“…”
“I won’t be able to visit for a while because of filming. Don’t be upset, okay?”
Star Picking 5 requires living on-site.
Looking at his sibling’s pale face only strengthened his resolve.
I’ll complete the quest and bring back the panacea.
Thirty minutes passed faster than he expected.
“Visiting time is over. Please exit.”
He bowed deeply to the nurse.
“I won’t be able to visit for a while due to work.”
“I see…”
“I’ll come as soon as I can. Please take good care of him.”
Bowing over and over didn’t bother him.
“For my sibling,” nothing was beneath him.
“Don’t worry. If anything happens, we’ll call.”
“Thank you.”
Only after hearing that did he step away.
Before the door closed, he looked back one last time.
Seeing twelve-year-old Cha Si-hyun struggling to breathe made his chest ache.
No matter what, I will succeed.
***
He arrived at TX Entertainment Broadcasting exactly on time.
Thank God I wasn’t late.
The closer he got to the Star Picking 5 set, the louder the chatter became.
“Cha Si-woo, we’ve arrived at the filming location.”
“Thank you.”
Inside the massive studio, cameras were everywhere.
The heat from the gathered trainees was intense.
This many people in one place… I haven’t seen this since school.
A staff member handed him a large name tag.
The top was green, labeled Individual Trainee.
Below it, in bold letters, was his name.
“Clip it where it’s clearly visible—around your waist area.”
“Yes.”
“The green sign marks the individual trainee line. Opening starts soon, so please line up.”
“Thank you for explaining.”
After bowing, he searched for the green sign.
It sat all the way in the far corner.
Individual trainees really are treated like leftovers.
As he passed through the flashy trainees, eyes turned toward him.
Lots of kids.
From baby-faced students to trainees who looked born for the spotlight—everyone was here.
I have to beat all of them to debut.
As he met their glances, some faces felt familiar.
Wait… aren’t there people I photographed before?
That one had an affair with a married woman.
That one had sponsorship scandals.
And that guy in the big agency line—he dated multiple sasaengs.
This was a gold mine.
