“I told you it felt off from the start.”
[What are you talking about?]
Watching the system window dodge the issue, I whistled.
“Out of nowhere, ‘be an actor’—even you have to admit that is ridiculous, right?”
This game world already had a precedent of turning an ordinary PD into an idol under the pretext of keeping me alive. Even if they used whatever excuse to turn an idol into an actor, it was not exactly surprising.
So when I sat still and thought about this situation, my guess split into two.
First, like when a huge crisis hit me and I had to enter the world of the unconscious, I was handed off to “Nugu Actor Tycoon.”
“But this one is out.”
There was not a shred of a sign pointing that way. Lately, my days had been very peaceful.
Second, it is a hidden event of the game.
“This one sounds plausible.”
I guessed it was a secret event granted upon clearing a specific person or quest.
“Jeong Cheongyeon, you briefly rolled back your memory, right?”
I have been active as an idol, my face posted everywhere, yet she suddenly recognizes me only now.
If I assume she briefly rolled her memory back, then her flustered reaction when she saw my younger-looking appearance at the end makes sense.
In short, she deliberately dropped me here.
Easy quests that showered down like Christmas presents and reward points that were way too generous lent weight to my suspicion.
Even though “Nugu Idol Tycoon” supposedly started as the last infamy point triggered by Jeong Cheongyeon’s curse, it was a place strangely overflowing with favor toward me.
If meeting her—who held negative feelings toward me—and her recognizing me served as a sort of trigger, and that caused a glitch and bounced me to a beta server, then the sequence of events roughly lined up.
[Wait!]
“I was a bit taken aback, but once I grasped the situation, the answer started forming.”
If I return, her memory will probably be erased again so it does not interfere with my idol activities.
[No no, wait a second!]
[Do you really think I sent you here?]
In the end, there is no proof; it is just my conjecture.
Smiling at the system window trembling as if startled, I spoke.
“Hey, I am not blaming you, so stop flapping your teeth.”
In the end, the purpose of an event is for the player.
That aligns with the claim of this thing that always yaps about doing everything for me.
In other words,
“This place is a point gold mine, that is all.”
I had been chasing grand causes every time and ended up just getting myself tangled.
I did not know if the accumulated experience stats would carry over as-is, but my acting had improved and the points were a nice haul.
“Honestly, it was not bad.”
The system window only shimmered quietly in blue.
Waiting for my next words.
“But now I need to go back. I have to check on the kids.”
Several months had already passed since I had been living here.
Since I collapsed inside the company, they must have handled the immediate mess somehow, but schedules were probably getting delayed regardless.
“Let us stop. I will let you off the hook for making me suffer.”
[...Really?]
“Why? Should I not let you off?”
[No no no!! That is not it....]
After showing no text for a moment, the system window suddenly burst like fireworks.
[My goodness... Mr. Seo Hoyun is letting this go so easily—softened a little, have you? And you consider “Nugu Idol Tycoon” the place to return to... you even say you want to see the members......?!]
That is quite the leap.
When did I say I wanted to see the members? I said I have to check how they are doing.
In truth, I had rested a lot while acting, and I was getting a bit sick of acting—that was why I said it.
Besides, I can only return to my original life if I clear “Nugu Idol Tycoon.” I was also aware that if my knees rust any further, it will be dangerous.
But I did not particularly feel like correcting this thing’s misunderstanding as it carried on, flustered as if moved.
[I am truly so, so, so overwhelmed that I want to grant your wish just as you ask....]
“And?”
[It is an actual error.]
So you are going to deny to the end?
My eyes narrowed on their own.
“Then I will have to go see Min Jiheon again.”
[What??]
“Since you are incompetent, I should at least ask Min Jiheon. That cult bastard might actually make it possible.”
[Whaaa???]
When I tried to climb the stairs again, new windows sprang up like bamboo shoots after rain.
[This will be a disaster, seriously!]
“So what? It is already a mess.”
[Do you think Mr. Min Jiheon would honestly grant that kind of request?]
[From what I saw earlier, you blew up like you would never see each other again! Do you think he will grant your request, Mr. Seo Hoyun?]
“If I coax him gently with food, I will make it work somehow.”
Even while it blinked as if at a loss for words, my feet busily took the steps.
Soon I arrived at the café and was about to grab the doorknob when—
[Hold on a second!!!]
Figures.
A hastily popped-up window blocked my way.
[It is errro]
[It is eror]
[Ugh]
[It is definitely an error.]
“Tsk.”
[No, please listen, sir. It is an error, yes, but I never said I would do nothing.]
[I will try right now to see if I can transfer you to “Nugu Idol Tycoon.”]
I shifted my body, leaned against the wall with my arms crossed, and arched one eyebrow. That meant “hurry up.”
[Would you like to return to Idol Tycoon?
Yes / No]
“Right now.”
I nodded without hesitation.
[Synchronizing Recognition....]
Well, well.
Seeing it proceed so easily, it really did look like this bastard was the culprit.
[Synchronizing Points....]
Will there be another event like this?
If there is, will it, like this time being “actor,” send me to another beta server?
Would that also be a profession from which I ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) could gain recognition?
By the time my thoughts ran that far—
Beep!
[E R R O R]
An error display appeared.
[E R R O R]
[E R R O R]
[E R R O R]
[E R R O R]
[E R R O R]
[E R R O R]
And then the system window vanished all at once.
At the same time my vision flickered and my body was hurled down to the floor.
“...you fucking bastard....”
By the time a curse squeezed out between my teeth with difficulty, the system window had already been restored.
[...Huh?]
[Huh?? This is not it... it should have worked.......]
Then my vision filled up with code. New values were poured in with a rattle, but nothing changed.
After a brief silence, the system window stated the conclusion it had reached.
[That is right. This really was an error....]
Of course that was bullshit.
“Do not sell me snake oil, you bastard.”
[......No, I did not know it would turn out like this either... I told you not to meet Mr. Min Jiheon.]
It tossed out a resentful line.
It seemed today’s ERROR was an aftershock from using Min Jiheon’s ability.
“If you had obediently laid everything out for me, this would not have happened.”
I swatted away the whining system window and sank onto the stairs.
I needed a moment to sort my head out.
Judging by its behavior, it did not feel like a lie.
[...Are you okay?]
“I am not okay.”
Should I press it harder, or cook up another plan?
Even if I met Min Jiheon again, like the system window said, he would not simply tell me anything.
That punk is specialized in getting under people’s skin, babbling about the black mass around others and fragments of existence and all that...
“...Fragment.”
A memory flashed.
“Right! The fragment!”
He had said it before.
That the character “Lee Junghoon” came into the world because fragments of existence flowed in.
If “Nugu Actor Tycoon” was the same—
“Hey! You just fix the problem that blew up!”
[Yes??]
I hurried down the stairs.
Just then, the van was pulling into the underground parking lot.
“Manager!”
“Uh? Wh-why are you greeting me so warmly all of a sudden?”
I got in the car right away and spoke without a moment’s rest.
“You said you received a bunch of scripts before, right? Where are they?”
“I knew it, you are not actually greeting me.... ”
Looking a little sulky for a second, the manager quickly beamed, opened the glove box in the front seat, and handed me a thick stack of scripts.
“Here~! You did not even glance at them, and now you are finally interested?!”
These days, since it is standard to prepare your next project while filming one, a fair number had already come in. Maybe because Kim Wooho’s impact was enormous, there were even some lead roles in the pile.
Letting the manager’s chatter slip in one ear, I skimmed them fast. Most came with a drama proposal and roughly the scripts for episodes 1 and 2.
The first one I checked was a spy action piece with a protagonist belonging to the National Intelligence Service.
“Oh, oh! That action piece! It is refreshing with no frustrating bits—great!”
I read it just in case, but it was not what I wanted.
I tossed it into the back seat. Next.
A slapstick hospital life of a genius intern who just graduated medical school. There seemed to be some light romance added, and...
“That one is good too! Honestly, the best genre for a rookie actor to make a strong impression on the public is romance... okay, you are not interested.”
The manager seemed to have looked through every script and had them down pat. While I was digging through for quite a while, one title suddenly jumped right out.
“...An entertainment industry drama?”
“Ah, ah~! That one is good too~.”
Listening to him, I opened the proposal.
“It is a co-production between our WH Entertainment and Studio Ollio. It is a growth drama where a PD who planned a survival competition program learns about the contestants’ pasts, solves incidents, and successfully leads the broadcast. The PD protagonist’s personality is unusual, so it should draw viewers’ eyes! The drama title is... uh......”
I slowly read the letters written on the script cover.
“Shining Star.”
“Right, that one!”
I knew it.
Given there were already cases like “Bring Me the Camera” and “Dead after Hope,” I figured there must be more works influenced by fragments.
From the title to the plot.
Even from one hundred meters away, you could tell it was another piece with fragments flowed in.
If I could not go back to “Nugu Idol Tycoon” right away, then I might as well exploit this situation to the fullest.
Up till now, through two drama shoots, I had picked up information even I did not know. Maybe this drama also held hidden truths.
On top of that, in “Shining Star,” the protagonist learns about the contestants’ pasts.
“...Interesting.”
If I am lucky, maybe it even contains information about the last remaining Kang Ichae scenario...
I worked my head fast.
I had already burned a lot of time here, so I could not just sit around waiting for “Shining Star” to air.
“When does this start filming?”
With glittering eyes, the manager looked at me through the rearview mirror and asked:
“Why? Do you like that one?”
“Yes. This PD role seems perfect for me.”
“Huh?”
If this drama also copied my life, who else but me should play the protagonist?
“...PD? The protagonist?”
But the happy manager faltered, a bit flustered, and hesitated.
“...Well....”
“The casting is not finalized yet, right?”
“Hey, Hoyun... it is all good... I mean, your personality would fit the protagonist like a glove.”
“If there is a preselected candidate, that is fine. I will just meet the director once. I can persuade him quickly.”
“...Even so, you cannot.”
The hesitant manager cut me off in a careful tone.
“...Why?”
Even as I asked with a faint frown, only his hands on the steering wheel twitched anxiously.
“Who on earth is preselected? A third-generation chaebol?”
“...It is not that—”
After wavering, the manager finally opened his mouth only once he had received my cold, chilling stare.
“The protagonist... is a woman......”
“......”
“......”
“......”
