The other trainees remained in the training room, buzzing with conversation and murmurs. Some were smiling in celebration, while others wore disappointed expressions. One trainee even sat quietly in the corner, his head lowered, wiping away silent tears. The atmosphere was a strange mixture of joy and melancholy.
Ji Hyo, on the other hand, sat silently near the corner by himself. With Mo Jin, June, Aiku, and Junkyu already out with the debut team—and Felix nowhere to be found—he felt oddly isolated. He had no one to talk to. No one to share his thoughts with.
The sense of loneliness slowly crept in.
His eyes stared blankly at the floor as thoughts began to swirl in his mind.
I didn't make it… but that's okay… I still have a long way to go.
I just need to push harder. I need to find my path. I need to fulfill this mission… become a Top Idol.
That moment, a familiar ding echoed in his head, followed by a familiar robotic voice.
[Initiating Beginner Task:Complete This Month's Evaluation Performance.]
[Task Completed]
[The main task will be initiated every Monday, and side tasks will be initiated if certain criteria are met]
Ji Hyo blinked. Wait, what?
[Congratulations, Host. First task completed successfully.]
[You have earned: Beginner Bundle Reward.]
A glowing translucent panel appeared in front of him, hovering in the air.
[Reward Received: Beginner Bundle]
Idol Starter Kit
Visual Performer Booster
Trainee Growth Booster
He stared at the list curiously.
"...Beginner Bundle?" he muttered under his breath.
The system continued explaining with its usual cold but cheerful tone.
[Starter Idol Kit] – This is a comprehensive starter pack designed to supplement the Host's severe lack of natural talent and developed skills. It combines both Skills and Talents based on system calibration and synchronization with the Host's current state.]
"Severe lack'... you really have no mercy," Ji Hyo muttered, slightly annoyed.
[System Combination in Progress…]
Another screen appeared.
[Starter Idol Kit Integration Results:]
Visual: S+
Vocal: B+
Dance: F
Rap: F
Acting: D +
Music Production: E+
Ji Hyo's jaw dropped. "Wait, did that just say Visual S+?!"
The system responded nonchalantly.
[Correct. Host's natural appearance and photogenic features have surpassed even upper-tier thresholds. Visual rank is now S+ by system calculation.]
Ji Hyo sat stunned for a moment, blinking in disbelief. "I guess… good genes really do come in handy sometimes…"
But he couldn't help but be excited.
At least I'm ridiculously pretty.
[Visual Performer Booster now activating…]
Another panel appeared.
[Booster Effect Applied:]
Stage Presence → C+
Confidence → C-
Charisma → B+
Ji Hyo's eyes sparkled slightly. "Okay, okay… that's actually not bad at all!"
He still had a long way to go—but this system wasn't just for decoration. It was actually helping him move forward, even if the process was unconventional.
"Alright…" Ji Hyo murmured to himself, slowly standing up from his seat and glancing around the room again.
The other trainees were still absorbed in their own chatter. No one could hear the system's mechanical voice echoing in his mind.
[Trainee Growth Booster will gradually increase the Host's daily training efficiency. Further progression bonuses will be unlocked upon completing more quests.]
Ji Hyo nodded to himself. "So this is how it works…"
Even if he didn't make it to the debut team this time—even if he was still miles behind in skill and talent—he had a path.
And a system backing him up.
His fists clenched lightly.
"Watch me," he said under his breath. "I'll catch up to all of you…"
[Host is advised to remain humble.]
"…Shut up."
Ji Hyo leaned back against the wall of the training room, finally feeling a sense of relief wash over him after receiving the system's rewards. The earlier disappointment of not making it into the debut team had dulled slightly—thanks to the significant boost in his stats. Now he could breathe, even if just for a moment.
Alright… What should I do next?
But his peace didn't last long.
From the corner of his eye, he noticed a trainee approaching him—one whose face he hadn't paid much attention to earlier. The name tag on his shirt read "Jihoon Seo" — Rank 24.
And judging from the way the guy walked, stiff shoulders and a clenched jaw, he wasn't coming to say hello.
Ji Hyo raised a brow as Jihoon stopped in front of him, arms crossed and gaze full of hostility.
"You cheated your rank," Jihoon said bluntly, pointing a finger at him without a shred of hesitation.
The surrounding trainees turned their heads, conversations slowly fading into silence as all eyes shifted toward the growing tension.
Ji Hyo blinked. "…What?"
"You heard me." Jihoon's tone sharpened. "You were at the bottom last month. And now suddenly you're Rank 15? Don't make me laugh."
Some of the other trainees murmured in agreement, their voices low but audible.
"I thought the same thing," one whispered.
"Just because he acts cute in front of the coaches…"
"Probably used his pretty face to gain favor."
Ji Hyo stared in disbelief, lips parting slightly. Are they seriously saying this?
He let out a short sigh. "That's ridiculous."
But Jihoon wasn't done.
"You think your fake charm tricks everyone?" Jihoon stepped closer, eyes narrowed. "Some of us actually work our asses off here—while you stand there with your smug little face."
Before Ji Hyo could respond, Jihoon suddenly pushed him.
The shove wasn't strong, but it caught him off guard. Ji Hyo stumbled back, losing his balance and falling to the floor. A few gasps echoed around the room.
Someone from the crowd called out, "Hey, stop it!"
But another trainee snorted. "Tch. Maybe he bribed the coaches."
That was the last straw.
Ji Hyo stood up slowly, brushing off his clothes. His expression stayed calm, but there was clear irritation flickering in his eyes.
"If I bribed the coaches," he said, voice steady but sharp, "don't you think I would've asked to be in the debut team?"
The room fell into stunned silence for a moment.
Jihoon's face twisted in anger. His hand shot out again, grabbing Ji Hyo by the front of his sweater and pulling him forward. His fist raised, ready to strike.
But it never landed.
A hand caught Jihoon's wrist midair.
The tension snapped in an instant.
Everyone turned to the new arrival—Felix.
He stood beside them, his grip firm on Jihoon's arm, his gaze sharp and cold as ice. His usual soft expression was gone, replaced with something deadly.
"Jihoon," Felix said quietly, dangerously, "are you tired of living?"
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried enough weight to make Jihoon freeze in place. There was a terrifying intensity in his eyes—like a hidden storm waiting to explode. For a moment, Ji Hyo genuinely thought Felix might break Jihoon's arm.
Ji Hyo always thought Kyunsoo was the scariest person he had met in Glint.
But now… Felix was worse.
Jihoon gritted his teeth but slowly pulled his hand back, avoiding Felix's eyes. With one last glare at Ji Hyo, he turned and walked away, shoving past the crowd as he left.
The room remained quiet for a few seconds more.
Then slowly, conversations resumed—this time more hushed than before.
Felix finally turned back to Ji Hyo, his expression softening again.
"You okay?" he asked, gently reaching to fix the collar of Ji Hyo's sweater.
Ji Hyo nodded slowly, still trying to catch up with everything. "…Yeah. I'm fine."
Felix gave him a reassuring smile. "Good. Don't let people like him get under your skin."
Ji Hyo chuckled weakly. "Thanks… You came just in time."
Felix shrugged, folding his arms. "I didn't like the atmosphere from the moment I stepped out. Came back to check… and well, looks like I was right."
He paused for a second, then added, "Still… you handled it better than I thought."
Ji Hyo raised a brow. "Is that a compliment?"
"Half compliment, half tease," Felix grinned. "You'll get used to me."
Ji Hyo smiled faintly. And for the first time that day, he didn't feel alone anymore.
Just as Felix gave him one last pat on the shoulder, a faint ding echoed in Ji Hyo's mind.
[Memory Sync Progress: 1% Unlocked]
A ripple of warmth and unease coursed through his body.
His breathing hitched slightly, and the system's voice followed a moment later.
[Initiating Partial Memory Sync – Segment: Trainee Life – General Archive Access.]
Ji Hyo's body tensed. The light around him dimmed for a second, and a stream of fragmented memories rushed into his mind like shards of broken glass—sharp, heavy, and painful.
His vision blurred as scenes—familiar yet foreign—played vividly before him.
He saw himself—standing awkwardly in the corner of a practice room, clutching a half-empty water bottle, eyes filled with quiet defeat. The others laughed and talked around him, bonded in tight groups. Yet no one ever spared him a glance.
When practice ended, he was always the last to leave—often because his shoes were hidden, or his belongings were tossed across the room. He saw himself kneeling on the floor, picking up his scattered sheet music as the others walked past him.
They didn't even see him.
Or worse… they chose not to.
And then came Jihoon—again and again.
Snide remarks in the locker room. Shoves in the hallway. Mock applause when Ji Hyo stumbled during vocal training. It was always subtle. Always just enough to make him feel small, embarrassed, humiliated—without anyone ever truly catching on.
Except one person did see it.
Kyunsoo.
In the memory, Ji Hyo saw it clearly—one day, as he was cornered in the hallway by Jihoon and his group, Kyunsoo stood at the far end of the corridor, arms crossed, eyes locked on him.
But he didn't say a word.
He didn't help.
He didn't even flinch.
He just looked at Ji Hyo with that same cold, sharp disgust—as if Ji Hyo's very existence was pathetic. As if he wasn't even worth the trouble of being noticed.
That gaze… it burned deeper than any words ever could.
Another wave of memories hit him.
Moments he had long buried—now resurfacing.
The instructors.
Not all were kind. A few instructors, perhaps annoyed by his slow progress or influenced by the rumors around him, often treated him with silent disdain. One even snatched away his practice time slot just to give it to another favored trainee.
"Too weak," they said.
"Not trainee material."
"Not worth investing time in."
He even remembered the day he tried to ask for help with his vocal range—only to be told, "Maybe this industry isn't for everyone."
Even worse… his allowance kept disappearing.
He now remembered clearly—he was being robbed. His wallet was always lighter. A few bills are missing here and there. At first, he thought he was just being forgetful. But no—it was happening intentionally. Someone kept stealing from him. It was a routine humiliation he just endured silently.
Because no one cared.
No one noticed.
Except Felix.
In the memory, Ji Hyo saw the early days—awkward glances, a few shared words in passing, and then… Felix quietly sat beside him during practice, offering a bottle of water without a word.
Unlike the others, Felix didn't talk too much. But he stayed.
And in the lonely, suffocating world of trainee life, that was everything.
Ji Hyo now realized—Felix wasn't just his friend now.
He was his only real friend back then too.
Mo Jin, June, Aiku… they only started to talk more with him recently. They had never realized what was happening behind the scenes. Maybe they were just too focused on their own training, maybe they didn't want to get involved.
But Ji Hyo?
He had suffered alone.
The Memory Sync faded, and his eyes fluttered open.
His back was drenched in cold sweat. His hands were slightly trembling.
The System's voice returned.
[Sync progress stabilized. Current progress: 1% Complete. Further access requires increased mission achievements.]
[Emotional Load Detected. Recommend rest period.]
But Ji Hyo didn't move.
His heart ached—not just from what he saw, but from what he felt again.
All those days were spent in silence. All those nights crying alone. All those times he thought about giving up but couldn't bear to.
Now he knew… he hadn't just inherited this body.
He inherited a life filled with pain, rejection, and quiet despair.
And that made him clench his fists tighter.
Because if that was the life the original Ji Hyo had lived—then he owed it to him to rewrite that story.
No one was going to treat him like that again.
Not Jihoon.
Not Kyunsoo.
Not even the instructors.
This was his life now. And he would rise from it.
Even if he had to climb out of hell itself to reach the stage.