Chapter 7.1
I hesitated for a moment. The homeroom teacher scolding me about taking the college entrance exam didnât scare me. I had no intention of taking it anyway. What was the point of cramming for an exam when I had suddenly been thrown back thirteen years into the past with only two months left to study?
But could I really afford to let the casting manager slip away? That was the real question. Sure, being an idol had nearly gotten me killed by a sasaeng, but without it, how else was I supposed to make money?
At this point in time, my bank account balance was exactly 1,072 won.[1] It was such a shockingly small amount that I still remembered it. My grandmother gave me an allowance, but after the bus fare, there was nothing left. The only upside to not having friends was that I didnât spend money on snacks or eating out.
Before time rewound, I had been living alone in an 80-pyeong apartment[2] overlooking the Han RiverâŠ.
And honestly? I was undeniably talented as an idol. I had barely trained for three months before debuting through the agencyâs survival program.
It sounded arrogant to say it, but the truth was, I was good at singing and dancing. My effort-to-result ratio was excellent.
I knew exactly what I was good at, so giving up my debut with Reverb felt like a waste. Boy groups from major agencies lasting twelve years were rareâalmost unheard of.
My mind ran the numbers.
Without becoming an idol, there was no way I could afford an 80-pyeong apartment overlooking the Han River, unless I became a master investor or a scam artist. No matter what job I took, I wouldnât earn as much as I had from debuting.
If I didnât quit after twelve years and just avoided sasaengs, wouldnât everything be fine? That was the conclusion I landed on.
If I just worked a little harder and treated fans better than before, maybe no sasaeng would ever come at me with a knife. And if they did? Iâd take control of R&Mâs legal team early and make sure they crushed every sasaeng legally.
I shot up from my seat. I needed to get over that wall. Get over it, catch the casting managerâs eye, and become an idol again.
“Hey, where are you going?”
The classmate who had told me todayâs date spoke up as I suddenly stood. My memory was foggy, but I was pretty sure she was some kind of class officer. Probably the class president or vice president, since she always took notice whenever I skipped school.
“Skipping school.”
“âŠAre you insane?”
“My entire future depends on jumping this wall.”
“Have you completely lost it?”
She sighed heavily, clearly giving up on trying to understand me.
To her, I mustâve looked like I was throwing my life away.
But in reality, I was about to bet everything on becoming an idol again.
“Hey.”
“What now? If youâre gonna run, hurry up and go.”
“Thanks for telling me the date.”
“âŠWhat are you even saying?”
Leaving behind the classmate who had unknowingly confirmed my time travel, I walked out of the classroom at a brisk pace.
The timing had to be perfectâI needed to hop that wall and run into the casting manager.
That was the mission of a regressed idol.
* * *Â
Long story short, I made it into R&M again. I had been a little worried since I wasnât exactly sure which wall it was, but thankfully, I got it right. Turns out, muscle memory was more reliable than conscious memory.
“Wow, the way the sunlight hit him from behindâit was like a halo. I just knew. This kid is going to be a superstar.”
âI’ve never seen Manager Min so excited.â
“Just look at his face. Look at him. How could I not be excited? I canât believe we only found this face now, at nineteen!”
Even in my past life, the R&M casting manager had loved me. When I signed with R&M, she dragged me around, gushing about me to every employee in the company.
Back then, I hadnât appreciated it at all. Honestly, Iâd been embarrassed.
But now? Having lived through thirty-two years before returning to nineteen, I felt nothing but gratitude. After all, she was basically setting things up so people at the company would have a good first impression of me.
“Thank you.”
I said it awkwardly but sincerely. If she hadnât spotted me right away, who knows where my life wouldâve gone? If I hadnât become an idol, I mightâve ended up completely lost. Maybe even a social misfit.
âYe Jin, you need to tone down your personality a bit.â Â
âWhatâs the big deal if the members found out about your family situation? Theyâre all good kids. Youâre just overreacting.â Â
âHa, I donât know anymore. How did I end up bringing you here?â Â
This casting manager is currently at a junior manager level, but eventually, sheâll rise to the position of director. Despite R&Mâs notoriously harsh work policies, rather than looking for a way out, she was someone who planted her roots firmly in the company. Â
Having been there from the very beginning of Reverb, expressing gratitude came more naturally than expected. Back when I was on the verge of leaving, she used to sigh every time she saw me, so it had been a while since Iâd seen such a bright expression on her face. Â
âOh my, would you look at this? So polite.â Â
ââŠâŠâ Â
âYou said your name was Ye Jin, right? Iâm Assistant Manager Min Ji An. Just think of me as your older sister and feel free to talk comfortably.â Â
âAlright.â Â
âItâs rare for someone to accept on the spot like you did, so itâll take a little time to prepare the trainee paperwork. As for your guardian⊠Did you say your grandmother would be coming?â Â
âI called her, but Iâm not sure if sheâll come.â Â
âI see. Well, we do need a guardianâs consent, so letâs wait a bit longer. Or, if youâd like, you can go ahead and introduce yourself to the other trainees first.â Â
Translatorâs Notes:
Note/s:
[1] â©
[2] â©
