It took nearly an hour and several near-breakdowns before Jibeom stopped pacing the length of his small room. Navi hovered patiently the entire time, the glowing sphere pulsing in gentle rhythms like it was trying to soothe a startled animal.
When Jibeom finally dropped onto the edge of his bed, Navi spoke again, voice bright and unbothered.
"You have been given another chance at life," it said, "to debut as an idol. You will need to train, learn, and successfully debut within the next ten months. Fail, and you return to being dead."
Jibeom's head snapped up. "Wait— what? Ten months? Debut? I don't even—"
"You currently possess no exceptional skills and average physical attributes," Navi continued cheerfully, as if telling a funny story. "Fortunately, the system allows accelerated growth through quests, stat points, and talent tickets. Say the words 'stat window' to view your current status."
Jibeom swallowed. His throat felt dry. "…Stat window."
A new panel unfolded in the air.
So Jibeom
175 cm
20 y/o
Vocals: C-
Dance: D
Rap: D
Visual: C+
Stage Presence: D
He stared at the letters for a long moment, then let out a long, defeated sigh.
"The only thing that ever worked out was singing ReJoy songs in the shower."
Navi pulsed once, almost like a nod. "Correct. Your existing familiarity with singing gives you a minor head start in vocals. Everything else will require a lot of effort. Quests will provide the necessary resources. Stat points can be allocated freely. Talent tickets allow you to draw temporary attributes—buffs, and occasionally debuffs depending on rank. Higher-rank traits are permanent."
Before Jibeom could ask anything else, another window appeared.
[Main Quest]
Gear Up for Aether: Paradise Idols!
Open auditions for remaining spots begin in 1 week.
Filming begins in 3 weeks!
Jibeom's stomach dropped. "What is Aether?"
"A national survival show," Navi answered with obvious enthusiasm. "The final major platform for trainees seeking debut this cycle. Several spots remain open. You are expected to compete for one of them."
"Ehhhhh?!"
It took another round of quiet panic before two additional windows blinked into existence.
[Side Quest]
Practice 150 hours in a karaoke booth
Reward: 1 Stat Point, 1 Draw Ticket
[Side Quest]
Practice 50 hours of dancing (any location)
Reward: 1 Stat Point
Jibeom read them twice. Then a third time. One hundred and fifty hours of karaoke. Fifty hours of dance. Starting from basically nothing.
He looked at the glowing sphere floating beside him.
"…I really don't have a choice, do I?"
"Not if you prefer remaining alive," Navi replied pleasantly and excitedly.
Jibeom dragged a hand down his face, then stood up. There was nothing else waiting for him in this room except the old ReJoy poster and the ghost of the life he had already lived once. If the system was going to force him to become an idol, then the only thing left to do was start.
He grabbed his wallet, his phone, and a bottle of water, and He unenthusiasticly dragged his feet to the door and walked himself out into the Seoul morning in search of the nearest karaoke booth.
The next stretch of days blurred into a haze of fluorescent lights, cheap instant ramen, and the same ten songs on endless repeat. Jibeom rented a small karaoke room by the hour and treated it like a second home. He sang until his throat burned, until the cough drops stopped helping, until the attendant started giving him concerned looks every time he extended the rental.
Sleep became optional. Meals became whatever he could eat with one hand while reviewing lyrics. His voice cracked more times than he could count. There were nights he sat on the sticky vinyl couch with his head in his hands, wondering if dying the first time had been the easier option.
But the system did not lie about progress.
On the afternoon he finally crossed the one-hundred-and-fifty-hour mark, a bright notification exploded across his vision.
Mission Accomplished!
150 Hours Achieved
Rewards Granted!
Jibeom sat very still for a long moment, staring at the empty ramen cups and the small mountain of cough-drop wrappers on the table. His throat felt raw. His eyes were dry. He was pretty sure he had permanently damaged his relationship with sleep.
Then, almost cautiously, he whispered, "Stat window."
The panel opened.
Vocals: C+
A slow, exhausted smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. He focused on the unused stat point and pushed it into vocals without hesitation.
Vocals: B-
The change was immediate—subtle, but real. His breathing felt steadier. The residual strain in his throat eased by a fraction. It wasn't much. It wasn't enough to debut tomorrow. But it was proof that the system worked. That the hours had not been wasted and that he could really live again.
Jibeom leaned back against the karaoke-room wall, closed his eyes, and let himself breathe for the first time in days.
One quest down.
Nine months and a lot more to go.
End of Chapter 2