A translucent window appeared in front of me.
「Luck: 40 points」
"...."
I stared at the remaining 40 points of Luck—the leftover from the 10 points I'd spent earlier.
If I failed to appear in Episode 1 of
The Main Quest was as good as cleared already, and voluntary withdrawal wasn't even an option I was considering.
In that case—
「Luck: 10 points (-30 points!)」
※Using your final 10 points guarantees a Luck Roulette Ticket.
There was no reason to save my points now that things had come this far.
I paid 30 of my Luck points—leaving only the final ten that maintained my life—and bought three random tickets. Then I pressed the golden button beneath the Luck stat three times in a row.
A Luck Roulette popped up, spinning rapidly. Soon, three marbles of different colors shot out one by one.
And I couldn't help letting out a small, incredulous laugh.
『Charm (Appearance) Stat Growth Ticket (1 use)』
Charm (Appearance): B+ → A- (UP!)
No one can take their eyes off you!A visual that shines anywhere!A single-use stat growth ticket that enhances your ability!
※Automatically applied.
『Specialty (Singing) Stat Growth Ticket (1 use)』
Specialty (Singing): B+ → A- (UP!)
You've got the makings of a vocal king!A bewitching voice that captivates with a single line!A single-use stat growth ticket that enhances your ability!
※Automatically applied.
『Talent (Focus) Stat Growth Ticket (Random)』
Talent (Focus): C → ???
To draw others in, you must be immersed yourself!The foundation of all future stat growth!A random stat growth ticket that enhances your abilities!
※The growth amount is determined by a single performance.
It was as if the system were purposely pushing me to deviate from its own plan—spitting out exactly the "luck" I needed right now.
"…Ha."
I ran a hand through my hair.The timing was absurd, almost laughable—but I couldn't complain.
"Yu-ha?"
Beside me, Aiden Lee was peering at me through the dim lighting with a puzzled expression.
"You okay?"
"…Yeah, it's nothing."
I answered quickly and smoothed out my expression.After Kang Hyunjin, one more contestant had finished their turn—and now, it was Team 2's turn: mine and Aiden Lee's.
The spotlight swung toward me.I smiled lightly.
Aiden's POV
Will you be able to do it well, Yu-ha?
Aiden Lee watched Won Yu-ha with a worried face. Moments ago, Yu-ha had looked… startled. Distracted.
Anyone could see he wasn't fully focused on the game.Aiden let out a complicated sigh. Had it been a mistake to choose Yu-ha, to push him all the way here?
Aiden simply did not understand the trainee named Won Yu-ha.
On the first evaluation day, he'd become interested in Yu-ha.Yu-ha's voice had a charm that made Aiden want to work on a song with him someday.
A clear, refreshing, steady tone that seemed capable of fitting into any genre.His expression and technique were still lacking, but he had an untainted, confident aura—like someone who knew he had talent.
Yu-ha was an unpolished gem with endless room to grow.And Aiden had been fascinated.
And just as Aiden's instincts predicted, Yu-ha grew at a rapid pace during the theme song mission. His vocal technique and expression improved drastically—almost incomparable to his first day.
That was why Aiden had recruited him first for the 1st mission.He thought no one was more fitting than Won Yu-ha as the main vocal for the song he'd arranged.
But soon enough, Aiden found himself disappointed.
Because Yu-ha grew… but refused to show anything.
He could have shown more. He clearly had more to give.
But he kept walking only within the boundaries he set for himself—quietly, doing only "his part."
And what Aiden wanted wasn't 100%.
It was beyond that.
If it were me, I'd want to do better.
Great visuals, great talent, a strong character and backstory—so why didn't he want to step forward?
Why did he stop instead of going further?
Aiden Lee was born with a fighter's temperament.He had never done anything half-heartedly.He wanted to use every resource he could—people included—to win.
That was why he kept poking at Yu-ha.
To provoke him.To stir his ambition.To push him into doing more than "his share."For the team—and especially, for Aiden himself.
But Yu-ha still looked like someone who had no intention of doing more than that "share."
If Aiden had made a mistake, it was in not understanding what kind of person Yu-ha truly was.
Yu-ha didn't know how to build a team.He had no ambition.And—
He didn't love the stage.
…At least, that's what Aiden thought until today.
"Alright, starting now!"
As Aiden swallowed his worries, music blasted from the speakers.Yu-ha began to dance lightly, and Aiden blinked in surprise.
The startled expression from moments ago had vanished without a trace.Yu-ha was performing with a radiant, captivating smile.
"Woooooo!!"
"Won Yu-ha!!"
With cheers erupting beneath the stage, Yu-ha executed the final choreography of "Look" flawlessly. As he faced the camera, breathing evenly and smiling, his eyes shone with intensity.
Under the white spotlight, his face almost seemed to glow. There was no strain, no hesitation.He embodied the effortless naturalness—the uncanny skill—that Aiden had seen on the very first day.
Yu-ha nailed the ending fairy.
And somehow… Aiden felt that Yu-ha's expression, his whole atmosphere, had changed.
Yu-ha was always calm, always composed—but up until now, he'd always carried a quiet sense of being weighed down.
'…You were deep in thought, Yu-ha.'
But right now, Won Yu-ha didn't seem that way at all.There was only a strange sense of immersion and confidence, as if he were focused solely on the camera in front of him.
And that brief moment of intensity made Won Yu-ha's visuals shine even brighter.
Won Yu-ha had always been handsome, but under the stage lights, his face seemed somehow different from before, enough to make Aiden Lee tilt his head in confusion.
But only for a moment—Aiden Lee straightened his posture to prepare for his own turn.The strange sense of discrepancy he had felt a moment ago was erased from his mind immediately.
He had no idea what kind of surprise that feeling would later return as.
"The trainee who will receive PR video rights to present themselves to the Idol Makers is… Team 2!"
"Wooooaaahhhhh!!!!"
"Thank you!!"
At the MC's announcement, the members of Team 2 cheered and clapped.I also clapped from my seat and thought:
'That was close.'
The 1st place for "Visual Ace" was taken by Kang Hyun-jin.2nd place went to Do Ji-hyuk.
And the team those two were in was catching up right behind us.Because those two took 1st and 2nd, we almost lost the advantage—but fortunately, our team secured 3rd place in "Visual Ace," so we managed to keep it.
"Good job, Yu-ha, Aiden!"
"Yu-ha, you're seriously born to be an idol. How are you THAT good? I swear it felt like I was watching an actual music show. You could've scored even higher than 3rd."
"It's hard to beat someone with experience though…"
"But didn't Yu-ha look like he had experience too?"
Honestly, getting 3rd place was unexpected.I did try my best, but I didn't think I'd actually break into the ranking.
At most, I thought Aiden would be the one to get into the ranks.It seemed the stat boosts must have played a major role.
"Let's be honest, Won Yu-ha. You've performed before, right?"
"…I didn't fake my experience on the form, I swear."
Sharp guy.I gave an awkward smile at Park Won-hyo's teasing and got up from my seat.The mini-corner that gave the trainees a breather had ended, and it was now dinnertime.
"We're heading to dinner and then to practice, right?"
"Ugh, I liked forgetting about practice for even a minute…"
"About that."
After a moment of hesitation, I stopped my team members as we were walking out of the hall for dinner.
"Can we eat a little later? There's something I want to discuss."
After bringing them to the practice room, I explained the improvements I'd been thinking about for the performance.
"…I was thinking we could change the formation like this. What do you think?"
When I finished, I scanned the members' faces.They all looked deep in thought, but no one seemed negative.
After a brief silence, the first to speak was our leader, Kim Tae-young.
"…I think it's good. We're not dramatically changing the formation anyway. This way, the moves will feel more connected."
"I think it'll be more fun!"
"The ad-lib sounds good too… The song will stand out more. Yu-ha, are you sure you're okay? It might be tiring for you."
"I'm fine with it. But if we do it this way, my part will inevitably get bigger. Is that okay?"
Kim Tae-young and Park Won-hyo, the main ones handling formation and spacing, hesitated for a moment, then nodded honestly.
"You're getting more parts, but you also gave other members moments where they can shine, so I think it's fine."
"Same here. Doing it your way definitely fills some gaps. And even if you have more parts, it still doesn't feel like you're hogging the spotlight. It might actually blend more naturally."
Then I looked toward Hwang Young-oh, who hadn't said anything yet.He flinched when our eyes met, then slowly nodded.
"Aiden, what about you?"
Lastly, I turned to Aiden Lee, who handled most of the rearrangement for the song.Aiden was staring at me with a slightly stunned expression.
I tested him a little.
"…You don't like it?"
"Huh? No, it's not that."
Aiden looked back down at the ad-lib and ideas I'd explained.He seemed to be thinking hard, unable to speak for a moment—then he finally nodded.
"…I'm in."
"Then let's practice in this direction."
"Agreed!"
"Let's eat and then start right away! I'll think about how to highlight the part Yu-ha suggested while we're eating."
Team 2 got up and headed out.I also stood and followed behind them toward the cafeteria.
'…This is the best choice, right?'
My thoughts were complicated.
What I was doing now was the exact opposite of my original plan to get eliminated from
If that were still my goal, then maintaining a safe, average performance while keeping my presence small would've been the best path.
Doing it that way wouldn't hurt the team either.The performance was already at a decent level, and everyone was steadily finding their roles.
But—
'…It would turn into a performance that's just "good enough."'
A stage that gives no surprises, only adequacy.
And that's not what the public—or these guys—want.
'If I have to choose what to protect and what to lose… there's only one thing I should lose.'
My stubbornness.