★ The Second Life Idols Lucky Plan – Chapter 101
After the pre-filming of 'Look', the theme song of <Design Your Idol>, ended, individual fans could only stare blankly at the empty stage, feeling a great sense of defeat.
'... Am I seeing things right?'
On both sides, the idol makers gave loud cheers at the appearance of the trainees, and the fan's faces looked equally astonished.
Amid the excitement about the trainees they finally saw in real life and the exciting conversations that followed after seeing the touching performance of 'Look'. While on the individual fan's side Yoo-ha became a hot topic again.
"Hey... what? Won Yoo-ha, is he crazy?"
"Was he always that handsome?"
There were only stories about Won Yoo-ha, whom he had watched just a moment ago.
"It was as if they were flying.. ... . I had Kang Hyun-jin and Do Ji-hyuk next to me, and I didn't mind them at all..."
On today's 'Look' stage, Won Yoo-ha was at the front, following Kang Hyun-jin and Do Ji-hyuk. Individual fans didn't think much of it, but the location seemed to be meaningful to Yoo-ha's fans.
"When I first saw him, he was at the last row of the wing formation... Crazy guy... Crazy guy.."
Since to fans' 'crazy' means 'so good', individual fans, as fellow K-pop fans, could easily tell they were deeply moved.
As individual fans speculated, current idol makers, especially Yoo-ha's fandom Shimingdan, were in a whirlpool of shock and emotion.
Fans who have watched since the first episode of <Design Your Idol> or before were able to recall at once through this stage how Won Yoo-ha developed his skills.
The first time Won Yoo-ha appeared in public was at the 'Look' flash mob.
Won Yoo-ha, who was only an A-class at the time, was located at the back of the A-class wing formation and did not receive much attention for his skills.
Therefore, since the broadcast began, Won Yoo-ha has been ridiculed as a false product of KRM Entertainment. Afterward, such words slowly disappeared as he rose vertically from Class D to Class A, but despite this, there was constant criticism that it was thanks to the agency's power that he became Class A.
Since then, Won Yoo-ha has shown improvement in each successive contest, and now idol makers are praising Won Yoo-ha's skills. However, despite this, it is believed that an individual named 'Won Yoo-ha' took the ranking thanks to the power of KRM Entertainment.
"No, Yoo-ha... Have you always been that good? No, no, he's good, but... Was he like that originally? Do I just need to rub my eyes because I'm seeing you in person for the first time?"
But looking at today's stage, no one can say that. At first glance, Won Yoo-ha had the outstanding skills and star quality to deserve an A.
So he couldn't just be a guy with luck. Swallowing the words she couldn't bear to say, the personal fan thought back to the image of Yoo-ha that she had just seen.
-Look at me, only you
Look at the new me
Look at me, you make!
Yoo-ha's face, dancing under the white lights, was the same but different from what she had seen in photos and videos.
I couldn't explain it. However, the feeling that the face had a beauty I had never seen before seemed to remain on my retina like an afterimage.
That wasn't all.
"The atmosphere is crazy... ... ."
Some people call it aura, another energy that exists in people. Regardless of appearance, it is one of the indispensable attractive factors for celebrities. An overwhelming atmosphere that made them eye-catching as if you were under a spell.
Won Yoo-ha had that.
With a charming smile, Won Yoo-ha confidently performed the choreography of 'Look', which is known for being intense, and so naturally attracted the attention of those around him.
Therefore, even the idol makers who had considered Yoo-ha as just another trainee and the Astors who came to the audience of <Design Your Idol> just to see Baek Yi-hyeon had no choice but to give Yoo-ha a glance.
So if you were a personal fan.. You'd feel like your eyes had been blessed.
"... Ah."
What scared the individual fan even more was the premonition that this would not be the highest-level performance that Won Yoo-ha would show on stage today.
Because the main stage hasn't even started yet.
The personal fan let out a helpless laugh and looked at Yoo-ha's face printed on the slogan in her hand. She thought to herself, smoothing out the corners of his face that had become crumpled because she had been squeezing and shaking the slogan so much.
'It's really true that they're alike... ... .'
Baek Yi-hyeon also attracted a lot of fans with his beautiful face, which is hard to find among celebrities, his strange atmosphere that seems to attract people, and his overwhelming performances. I never thought they would be the same, with the three elements of face, atmosphere, and talent all matching.
She thought about the images of Baek Yi-hyeon and Won Yoo-ha on stage and suddenly tilted her head.
'... But, it was a little different.'
The two didn't seem as similar as I thought.
Won Yoo-ha's smiling face on stage was the same as Baek Yi-hyeon's, but different. If Baek Yi-hyun looked relaxed in everything, Won Yoo-ha looked earnest and desperate, as if he felt thirsty every moment.
However, that desperation was different from pity.
It's not a feeling of pity that makes even the viewer fall in love with it, making you want to take your eyes off it, but rather a desperation that makes you want to see the stage even a little more.
'As if he would die on that stage.'
A trainee who feels life and death. Won Yoo-ha's image among the individual fans soon changed.
'Anyway, you're good. He can do everything... ... . But what time is it?'
A personal fan who felt as if her soul had been robbed soon came to her senses as the atmosphere became chaotic. She took out her phone and checked the time; it was already approaching the live broadcast time.
The personal fan hurriedly looked around once again. There was only one goal.
"... ... !"
There he is!
And she was finally able to find the person she was looking for.
In the audience seat, which seemed empty as a separate space for the trainee's families, Baek Yi-hyeon was there, looking perfectly set as always.
* * *
"Hyung, tell me honestly. There is special training at KRM."
"... Did you eat something wrong this time?"
"Or did you finally eat? Oh! The wild ginseng I sent you last time!"
"It's still at home, but since you mentioned it, take it back. Thank you, but it's too much."
After the pre-monitoring of the opening stage of 'Look', I quickly took off my jacket while answering Cheon Se-rim's question. Since the PD gave the OK sign, I had to change my clothes and move to the next location quickly.
Since it was the practice in preparation for the main stage, I was anxious because I didn't have time to fix the makeup that had been removed by sweat, but in the meantime, Cheon Se-rim was busy asking questions.
"No, if not both, what happened? My Hyung seems like he's a different person every time he takes a break."
"I guess it's my mood."
"This change wouldn't make sense unless your mood skyrockets. Also, bro, when did you practice 'Look' again? Hyung, it's completely different now than when we first filmed?"
That... My dancing stats have improved a lot since then.
I couldn't bear to answer like that and put on the prepared stage costume without saying a word. Meanwhile, Zixuan, who had changed all of his clothes, suddenly intervened and spoke.
"Bro, you look amazing today! You are handsome!"
"That's right, Yoo-ha looks handsome today."
Do Ji-hyeok, who was just looking at the bombardment of questions Cheon Se-rim was throwing at me, smiled mirthlessly and added. Then he looked at me with a serious look and added playfully,
"I'm not sure if the makeup is just spectacular, but your atmosphere is slightly different. Yoo-ha... You were hiding your beauty."
Since when has the face become retractable?
This conversation had been going on since morning, and I was already sick of it, so I didn't say anything in response. Then Se-rim Cheon tapped my shoulder with a coy look and giggled again as if it was fun.
"What. You're not denying anything, are you? There is a secret. Right? Did you put all the XP you gained while working on <Design Your Idol> on ability and beauty?"
"Haha, like a game character? That's an interesting idea. Well, he must have accumulated experience while doing <Design Your Idol>. If you were to quantify that and put it into your abilities, you would have grown quite a bit."
... While exchanging very sharp words.
'Ghost guys... ... .'
It may have been said as a joke, but they actually hit the nail on the head, so I changed the topic to avoid Do Ji-hyeok and Cheon Se-rim, who were taunting me.
"Let's go first to those who are ready. We should worry up we have time."
"Oh, I'm ready. Then let's move the kids who are all changed first."
I strapped on my belt and headed to the waiting room with my teammates, who finally started talking about the last practice, not my condition.
As I walked down the hallway with my team members, who had just finished one stage and were excited, I checked their expressions.
'Anyone who thinks it's too strange... I don't think there is anyone truly suspecting foul play, Cheon Serim doesn't count.'
To be precise, my team members' reactions to my changed current status.
-Yoo-ha, something happened today... ... Hmm, did you sleep well? Your face shines. Looking good!
-Hey, bro. Is now the time to praise the competing team? We still have practice left, so come quickly! No, uh, that doesn't mean what Aiden said was wrong... ... . But you look like you're in good condition today, huh? Hyung, I think you slept well.
Early this morning, when we gathered for the finals, I heard a word or two from the trainees about their condition today.
In addition to the team members I met first, I also heard such words from Aiden Lee and Yu Chan-hee, whom I met on stage for the rehearsal of 'Look,' so it seemed like the change was felt equally by everyone.
However, the words were closer to praise and did not seem to escalate into suspicion. Cheon Se-rim and Do Ji-hyuk's words were closer to teasing me than actually finding it abnormal.
Although the change is clear enough for everyone to feel, there may be a separate reason why it does not spread into suspicion.
'Arrangement of the system.'
It resembles the last Kim Min-ki incident and the Cheon Se-rim case.
As far as anyone can see, things are going in a good direction for me and in the direction I want, and the sense of situational discomfort that would have been obvious to anyone has been eliminated.
And considering the situation so far, it could be said to be unnatural.
'Isn't it too advantageous for me?'
Things were going a bit too well...
The system always gave me 'luck' through quests and rewards, but it was not just given.
'When you are rewarded something, you need an 'achievement' to match it.'
And I thought the reason was for some kind of probability.
Until now, the opportunities I have received to improve my skills and gain more recognition through the system have been done with a kind of 'probability'.
Skills have improved through much visible practice or progress that leads to results because there is an opportunity and process. In other words, the system led me to events that did not cause any sense of 'discomfort'.
But some events were different. Sometimes, the system gave me full support for unknown reasons without even considering probabilities.
In such cases, only one situation was assumed.
'When I faced the things I 'should have' already in the first place, the system became especially merciful.'
It was the same this time too. Rather than a gradual increase like before, the stat increase was rapid without any trigger; however, people's reactions weren't bad.
As a result, I could understand what the system was helping me with vaguely.
'The stats I raised today are those I had before experiencing the debuff.'
In other words, it was not something I created using a shortcut but something I originally had before regression, and it was an ability value set by the system that 'I should have originally'.
The same goes for Kim Min-ki and Cheon Se-rim.
The system said at the time that I had 'seized the destiny that was originally mine', so it probably saw my appearance in <Design Your Idol> as part of my original fate.
I don't know the reason, but the incident that happened to Cheon Se-rim last time was also something he shouldn't have suffered in the first place.
If you think about it that way, today's support was probably natural.
I had reached the final destination of the quest set by the system. As what was 'stolen' must be returned, appropriate support was provided.
And the purpose of the system supporting me in that way is... ... .
'Trying to correct things that are considered 'twisted' from one's perspective through me as a medium.'
By giving me behavioral guidance in the form of a quest, I am aligning the 'fate' that was 'stolen' from me in the past, and, therefore somehow twisted into the original direction desired by the system.
That was the 'purpose' of the system that I had guessed until the final competition of <Design Your Idol>.
Thanks for joining my server @//sleepycale! This chapter is in your honor. Good job including TSLILP in your introduction. (:
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