The clatter of chopsticks on a plate was the sound that dragged Han Yoo-jin back to reality.
The roaring in his ears subsided. The phantom image of the grieving man in the hospital hallway dissolved into the warm, noisy chatter of the restaurant. He was back at the table, his team celebrating around him, but the world felt tilted on its axis.
SSS-Rank. Him?
"Producer-nim? Are you okay?" Mina's voice was a soft anchor in the chaos of his thoughts.
He looked at her, and his new, upgraded skill flared to life without his permission.
[Name: Choi Mina]
[Emotion: Worried Concern (Genuine)]
[Hidden Motivation: Wants to understand your pain.]
Beneath that, a soft, warm glow his system hadn't been able to label before now coalesced into a single, terrifying word.
[Dormant Feeling: Affection]
A fresh wave of dizziness hit him. This was too much. It was one thing to see potential and talent. It was another thing entirely to see into someone's heart. It felt like a violation. It felt dangerous.
"I'm fine," he lied, his voice sounding rough even to his own ears. "Just a bit of a headache. Too much excitement."
His system immediately flashed a tiny, intrusive notification in the corner of his vision.
[Lie Detected.]
Yoo-jin flinched. He pushed his chair back abruptly, the legs scraping against the floor. "I need some air. Enjoy the rest of the meal. It's on me."
Before anyone could protest, he was out the door and walking into the cool night air. The chilly Seoul breeze did little to cool the fire in his mind. He walked without a destination, his hands shoved in his pockets, trying to make sense of the impossible.
A second skill? A forgotten memory?
He felt a familiar vibration in his mind—the system was trying to get his attention. He finally relented, focusing inward.
A new window popped up, sleeker and more complex than before.
[System Update Complete. User Level Up!]
[New Feature Unlocked: The Star System]
[Accessing this feature will provide context for your unique abilities and the world you inhabit. Do you wish to proceed?]
Yoo-jin stopped walking. The world he inhabited? It was a world of spreadsheets, back-stabbing executives, and overworked idols. What other context was there?
He thought Yes, and the world seemed to expand.
[The Entertainment Industry is a constellation of stars.]
[A select few individuals are born with the ability to see and manipulate this starlight. They are the 'Awakened'.]
[Producers, actors, choreographers, composers. They exist in every field, each with unique skills, guiding the flow of fate and fortune.]
Yoo-jin felt his blood run cold. This wasn't just a lucky power he'd stumbled upon. This was something else. A secret world hidden in plain sight.
He was one of them.
And if he was one, there had to be others. Powerful, hidden players moving pieces on a board he never even knew existed. A shiver ran down his spine. Was Chairman Moon one of them? Was that why he was so interested in their team?
His phone buzzed, shattering the silence. The caller ID was a blocked number, but he had a sick feeling he knew who it was.
He answered. "Yes?"
"Director Ahn," the voice was as cold and clipped as ever. "I trust the celebration was satisfactory."
Yoo-jin's jaw tightened. They were watching him. "What do you want?"
"A meeting has been requested. With you. Tomorrow, 2 PM, at the Signiel Hotel lounge."
"A meeting about what? With who?" Yoo-jin demanded.
There was a slight pause on the other end, as if Ahn was savoring the moment.
"With Korea's top actress, Jung Sae-ri."
The next day, Yoo-jin sat in a private room overlooking the entire city of Seoul. The view was breathtaking, but he barely noticed it. His mind was racing.
Jung Sae-ri. The woman from that night. The catalyst.
Was she one of them? An 'Awakened'? The thought was both terrifying and electrifying.
The door slid open, and she walked in.
She was even more radiant in person than on screen. It wasn't just her beauty; it was an aura, a palpable presence that seemed to bend the light in the room around her. She wore a simple white dress, but on her, it looked like couture.
She smiled, a polite, professional expression that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Han Yoo-jin-ssi? I am Jung Sae-ri. Thank you for meeting me on such short notice."
Yoo-jin stood, bowing slightly. "It's an honor."
As he looked at her, he instinctively activated his skill. The information that flooded his senses made him grip the back of his chair for support.
[Name: Jung Sae-ri]
[Occupation: Actress]
[Potential: SSS-Rank]
[Title: The Muse of Fated Encounters]
[Unique Skill 1: Aura of Charisma (Lv. Max) - Passively captivates any audience. Drastically increases the success rate of any project she is involved in.]
[Unique Skill 2: ???]
So he was right. She was one of them. And her title... The Muse of Fated Encounters. Their meeting hadn't been an accident. It was fate, orchestrated by whatever power she held.
They sat down, and a server poured them tea.
"I'll be direct," Sae-ri began, her voice smooth as silk. "I watched the Seoul Music Showcase. What you did with Choi Mina... it was revolutionary. The 'Monster' performance was the most talked-about event of the night."
"We were lucky," Yoo-jin deflected.
She laughed softly, a musical sound. "Luck has nothing to do with it. You took a girl with crippling anxiety and turned her into a viral sensation overnight. You manufactured a narrative of authenticity that completely crippled a powerhouse like Titan Entertainment. That isn't luck. That is genius."
He watched her, his new skill picking up the subtle cues.
[Emotion: Professional Interest]
[Underlying Emotion: Genuine Curiosity]
[Hidden Motivation: Gauging your true ability.]
She was testing him.
"I have a new film starting production soon," she continued, leaning forward slightly. "A dark, emotional thriller. The director is looking for a powerful OST, something that can define the movie's soul. We were considering a few top composers, but after seeing 'Monster,' I suggested we meet the producer first."
This was a massive opportunity. An OST for a Jung Sae-ri film would instantly legitimize his team on a national scale. But Yoo-jin knew this was more than a business proposition. It was a move on the hidden chessboard.
"My team is small," he said carefully. "And we are preparing for our next album release."
"I am aware," she said, her eyes sharp, analytical. "But the truly brilliant ones are never bound by such limitations, are they? They find a way."
The challenge hung in the air between them. It was an invitation. An invitation into her world. The world of the 'Awakened'.
He had to know more. He had to understand what he was.
"Send me the script," Yoo-jin said, his voice firm. "If the story is right, my composer will find its voice."
A slow, genuine smile finally spread across her face, and for the first time, her eyes sparkled with something real. The entire room seemed to brighten.
[Emotional State: Intrigued]
[Her opinion of you has increased slightly.]
"I thought you might say that," she said, sliding a sleek tablet across the table. "I look forward to seeing what kind of monster you create for me, Producer-nim."
Walking out of the hotel, Yoo-jin's mind was a whirlwind. He had survived the encounter, but he felt like a child who had just stumbled into a conversation between gods.
His SSS-Rank potential suddenly felt less like a gift and more like a target on his back. He was a new player in a very old, very dangerous game.
He needed a strategy. He needed information. He needed to understand the rules.
As if on cue, his system chimed in his head, the sound more urgent than ever before. A new window, glowing with a faint golden light, dominated his vision. It wasn't a status update. It was an official decree.
[A Fated Encounter has been acknowledged by the Star System!]
[You have made contact with another SSS-Rank Awakened.]
[Main Scenario Quest Issued: The Muse's Echo]
[Objective: Produce an original soundtrack for Jung Sae-ri's new film that achieves a 'Synergy Rate' of 90% or higher with her performance.]
[Time Limit: 3 Months]
[Reward: Second Unique Skill UNLOCKED.]
[Failure Penalty: Your 'Star-Maker's Gaze' will be permanently sealed.]
Yoo-jin stopped dead in the middle of the bustling Seoul sidewalk. The penalty was catastrophic. Losing his skill would be like going blind. It would mean the end of everything he had built.
The system wasn't just giving him an opportunity. It was giving him an ultimatum.
He had no choice but to accept the Muse's challenge, and in doing so, step fully into a world of hidden powers, cosmic stakes, and scandals far beyond anything the tabloids could ever imagine.