Becoming An Idol Wasn’T On My Plan [EN]: Chapter 1

I Didn’t Plan to Be an Idol

‘What is this, a tremor like a magnitude 2 earthquake?’

It was too weak to be unpleasant, yet too strong to ignore. I struggled to open my eyes, but the warm blanket made it difficult.

I clearly remember falling asleep while reading a rebuttal paper on knowledge argumentation yesterday.

Then I should be slumped over my desk, but what is this sensation of being enveloped in a blanket all over my body…

“Dong-hwa, are you okay?”

‘What’s with this beautiful voice again?’

Startled by the unfamiliar voice, I opened my eyes wide and looked ahead. There was a boy’s face there.

‘He’s handsome.’

A rabbit-like face with a peculiar aura. On second glance, it’s more accurate to say he’s charming rather than just handsome… Wait a minute.

Who are you?

As I stared blankly, he sighed deeply and said,

“Dong-hwa, are you finally coming to your senses?”

How does he know my name? I slowly opened my mouth.

“…Who?”

He seemed momentarily flustered, rolling his eyes. But soon, as if understanding, he nodded slightly.

“…Well, I guess you might not remember. I’m a trainee too. Chae Ha-min. Was this our first formal introduction?”

No, but who are you?

“Trainee?”

He looked even more bewildered than before and nodded. He had a look that said he didn’t understand what was questionable.

He looks too young to be someone I know. Even generously, he looks to be in his early 20s. If he was close enough to speak informally to me, who is twenty-nine and soon to be thirty, there’s no way I wouldn’t remember.

“Yeah, a trainee. Dong-hwa, um, you took the debut group selection audition today. I was right before you, and I saw you collapse, so I went to the hospital…”

The boy, who introduced himself as Chae Ha-min, explained gently, but unfortunately, it didn’t reach my ears. My mind, awakened from sleep, began to race.

Okay, let’s sort out the situation I’m in right now.

1. I clearly fell asleep while reading a paper yesterday, and that was in my two-room apartment where I live alone.

2. Looking around, this place is a hospital, as Chae Ha-min (whoever he is) said.

3. Chae Ha-min said he’s a trainee at the same company as me, which means I’m also in the preliminary stages of becoming a celebrity.

Therefore, conclusion.

‘It’s a dream.’

It’s impossible to place yesterday’s situation and the current situation on a continuous line. It’s something that can’t be explained unless it’s a dream.

A dream where I’m living as a trainee, there’s no dream more absurd than this.

As I came to my conclusion, Chae Ha-min finished his explanation. I didn’t bother listening, but what does it matter in a dream? This guy is just the result of electrical stimulation in my brain anyway.

‘So, this is what a vivid lucid dream that happens spontaneously feels like.’

Satisfied with the new discovery, I nodded slightly.

“…By any chance, do you, not remember?”

Chae Ha-min spoke again, as if worried. So, he’s asking if I’ve lost my memory.

I couldn’t be bothered to make excuses, so I nodded slightly, and he sighed deeply, muttering something.

From what I could gather, he was talking about debuting, something big, and so on.

“I’ll go talk to the doctor first.”

I just nodded.

* * *

‘This is strange.’

I couldn’t understand.

The process after leaving with Chae Ha-min was roughly as follows.

I had a rather lengthy consultation with the doctor about my amnesia. Since there were no memories to begin with, the amnesia was nonsense, but I didn’t want to argue, and I wasn’t sure what would happen if I revealed it was a dream in a lucid dream, so I kept my mouth shut.

Afterward, I followed Chae Ha-min to the company I supposedly worked at. It was quite close to the hospital, and a sign that read ‘GoD Entertainment’ caught my eye.

Anyway, Chae Ha-min packed up what were called my belongings in the practice room, and after inquiring with the company, we came to what was called my house, but lo and behold, wasn’t it the two-room apartment I originally lived in?

As soon as we entered the house, Chae Ha-min took out my phone, entered his number, and said that he would go back to the company for now, so to contact him if anything happened.

Seeing as he didn’t have my number, it seems like even he isn’t that close to me in this setting, but isn’t he being too considerate?

Besides, I heard that he and I are the same age. Then what’s the reason for being so considerate?

And so, I was left alone in the house.

The problem arose here. I was bored, so I slumped over my desk and fell asleep.

‘Is it possible to sleep within a lucid dream…?’

Strange. And only after sleeping and waking up did my head clear, and I realized something else was strange.

All my senses are excessively vivid. According to a book I read before, it’s difficult for all five senses to be vivid in a lucid dream, and if a specific sense becomes vivid, the other senses become blurred.

Therefore, my current situation is contradictory. Could it be. Or perhaps.

‘…Is it not a dream?’

It was then. With a sound, some kind of panel appeared before my eyes.

Ding―!

[You have met the quest trigger conditions.

※Condition: Acknowledge that this is reality.

You have experienced bizarre events upon opening your eyes. At first, you suspected it was a dream, but this is clearly reality. A quest, serving as a tutorial for your confusion, will now commence. Complete the following linked quest.

Reality Recognition 1

※Completion Condition: Look in the mirror.

※Reward: Proceed to Reality Recognition 2]

This, what is this, a mass-produced fantasy-like development!

Even if I’m dreaming, there’s no way I, who aspires to authentic fantasy, would dream something like this, so this must be reality. I absolutely refused to admit that my subconscious had been contaminated by mass-produced content.

‘Then what remains is why this kind of thing happened. First, I need to complete that quest.’

I went to the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror. There I was, but not the twenty-nine-year-old me.

The dull skin was as clear as a child’s, and the lifeless eyes sparkled with vitality.

My poor eyesight had also improved, and I could see clearly without glasses.

A slightly cold-looking, cat-like face. It’s too much to call it a one-night rejuvenation.

What stood out was the clean cheek without scars. So that means I’m at least younger than twenty-one, so twenty years old, or maybe nineteen. At least nine years in the past.

‘Ha, okay, let’s admit it.’

The moment I confirmed it was nine years ago, I could admit it.

‘My subconscious must have been contaminated by mass-produced fantasy. Going back to the past, how absurd. This is a dream.’

Ding―!

[※Warning! This is not a dream. Continuous doubt may lead to dangerous consequences.]

No, what is this.

Isn’t it common sense that going back to the past is impossible with current science? And they should tell me what that dangerous consequence is…

[Currently, the aftereffects of the spacetime transition remain, and if you do not accept that this is reality, the spacetime rift will intensify further. In the worst-case scenario, existence deletion may proceed to stabilize the spacetime rift.]

‘Everything is incomprehensible.’

But since I don’t know anything, I decided to accept it for now. It still feels like a dream, but what if it’s reality? It’s definitely not because I’m scared.

I looked at the younger ‘me’ in the mirror and said,

“I completed the quest. I’ll admit that this is another world.”

[Quest Completed! Reality Recognition 2 will now proceed.

You have recognized the situation with surprising calmness and rational thinking. However, there is still much to accept. Perform Reality Recognition 2.

Reality Recognition 2

※Completion Condition: Turn on the laptop and check the trainee log.

※Reward: Reality Recognition 3 Occurs]

Hmm, they said it’s another world, not the past, but the fact that reality recognition is complete means… is this like a parallel universe?

[Warning! It’s too early to be sure.]

‘…I know, I do.’

* * *

I have since learned about the ‘me’ in this timeline according to the quest’s instructions.

The ‘Ji Dong-hwa’ here had the same basic personal information as me, but with a few major differences.

First of all, the current age is 20 years old. A body nine years younger. Being an orphan was the same as me, but unlike me, who just studied hard, I was an idol trainee.

I’ve been a trainee for 3 years, training at God Entertainment with its bizarre naming sense.

According to ‘me’s’ records, I have a talent for producing, but my singing and dancing skills are average, and I’m also experiencing quite a bit of bullying among the trainees.

‘This part is similar to my past.’

I don’t know the exact reason for the bullying, but it’s probably not a rational reason. Originally, bullying is an attempt to indirectly express the desire for self-aggrandizement and anger at one’s own situation.

Looking at the trainee log, it seems that ‘me’ didn’t care much about the other trainees’ childish bullying, just like my school days.

Anyway, this is the information I can know about ‘me’.

‘Finished organizing. Please give me the reward.’

Reality Recognition 4 had ‘???’ written as the reward. I wonder what they’ll give me.

Ding―!

[Reality Recognition 4 has been completed! The final reward for the linked quest will be provided.

Reward: Knowledge Synchronization

You have reached spacetime stabilization much faster than expected. ‘Knowledge Synchronization’ is provided as a reward. Do not reject the strange sensation and accept it!]

‘Knowledge Synchronization?’

As I was wondering what nonsense that was, a strange sensation literally flowed in. It was as if bugs were slowly crawling in my brain, damn it, more unpleasant than expected.

As notified, I grabbed my head and lay down on the bed as if collapsing to accept the sensation.

And the moment the sensation ends, consciousness is about to go dark as if a fuse has blown. Like an overloaded computer cooling down…

Ding―!

[Main Quest, ‘Encounter!’ Occurs

The main quest will provide a clue to understanding the situation you are in. Why did you experience spacetime travel? You were curious about a situation that has never been reported. Complete the quest by fulfilling the following conditions!

Main Quest ‘Encounter!’

※Completion Condition: Form close relationships with four people, including Chae Ha-min! (The other three will be revealed the moment you meet them.)

※Reward: ???]

* * *

Waking up again, I sat on the bed, looked at the quest window, and sighed.

‘This, it seems to have figured out how to handle me.’

To mention intellectual curiosity.

And I’ve been suspecting it since earlier, but the guy who’s writing this quest window seems to be able to read my thoughts.

I tried to test it, so I requested quest completion verbally for the first two times, and mentally for the other two times, and both times the feedback was similar… a little creepy.

Anyway, since interaction is possible, it’s an intelligent entity, but maybe conversation is also possible?

‘Respond.’

[Warning! Personal conversations are prohibited as they may expand the spacetime rift. However, questions about the quest are possible.]

How firm. Only then did I check the quest’s completion conditions. …Form close relationships with four people?

‘How do you confirm that a close relationship has been formed?’

[That depends on your subjective judgment.]

So, all I have to do is recognize that I’ve become quite close.

I lay back on the bed and sighed deeply.

To understand this situation that has unfolded, do I have to act according to the quest after all?

What is this happening to my ordinary life.

I reluctantly picked up my phone and called Chae Ha-min.

―Hello? Dong-hwa, are you feeling better? Have you… regained your memory?

…He really seems to be nosy. His voice was full of concern.

“I don’t remember what happened yesterday, but I know that I’m a trainee.”

Then Chae Ha-min sighed deeply.

―It’s going to be a long story to explain, should we meet up?

It’s a question, but it’s a command. Did something big happen to ‘me’ yesterday?

“…Where?”

―I’ll go to your house. You must not be feeling well. Can you come out to the cafe in front of your house in about 30 minutes?

“Okay.”

Ending the call, I collapsed onto the bed. Ha, I have to get close to him.

This is too harsh for me, who writes novels in my room and handles most things online.

Close, I don’t even know if I can have a proper conversation with such an extroverted guy.

‘By the way, what is knowledge synchronization?’

The unpleasant sensation from earlier suddenly came to mind, and I couldn’t help but frown. I should conduct some experiments before Chae Ha-min comes.