At Glint Entertainment's trainee division, the usual buzz of chatter and energy inside the training room was nowhere to be found. The air felt heavy, filled with uncertainty. Laughter had been replaced by sighs, and excitement had faded into silence.
The debut team had already been selected.
And now, the rest of the trainees were left hanging in limbo—especially the older ones.
Many sat sprawled on the floor, some stretching absentmindedly, others just staring into space. The mirrors that usually reflected hopeful eyes now only reflected doubt and hesitation.
Ji Hyo sat quietly on the side, towel draped around his neck, sipping water as he glanced around the room. It wasn't hard to feel the shift in atmosphere. A collective anxiety lingered—a silent question everyone shared but no one wanted to voice out loud:
"Should I keep going… or try somewhere else?"
He turned to Felix, who was sitting nearby and fixing his shoelaces. "Hey… where's Jihoon?"
Felix paused for a moment, then looked up at him with a soft sigh. "He left."
"What?" Ji Hyo blinked.
"He packed his stuff yesterday and formally withdrew from the company this morning," Felix said quietly, leaning back against the wall. "Didn't even say goodbye to anyone."
Ji Hyo frowned, trying to process it. Despite everything Jihoon did to him in the past, the news felt strange. Just like that, a trainee who had spent years chasing the same dream had given up.
"He wasn't the only one thinking about leaving," Felix added, casting his gaze across the room. "You can see it in everyone's faces."
Ji Hyo glanced around again. He could see it clearly now—that look in their eyes.
Doubt. Restlessness. Quiet resignation.
And for a moment, he realized… even Felix had that look too.
"You're thinking about it too, aren't you?" Ji Hyo asked quietly.
Felix didn't respond right away. He simply exhaled, his expression unreadable. "I'm not sure yet…"
But before Ji Hyo could say anything more, the room suddenly fell silent.
Everyone turned toward the door as the Training Manager stepped in, a thick folder in hand and an unusually serious expression on his face.
He walked to the front of the room, eyes scanning every trainee present.
"Listen up," he said, voice clear and direct.
Everyone sat straighter. Ji Hyo's heart skipped slightly.
The manager looked down at his file, then spoke again. "As of today, Glint Entertainment officially has 24 active male trainees remaining."
The number sank in hard.
"Some have chosen to leave. Some are still considering. That's your choice—we won't stop anyone from pursuing better opportunities elsewhere. But I want to make one thing clear—there is currently no set plan for a second boy group debut. Not this year. Possibly not next year either."
A ripple of unease spread across the room. A few trainees exchanged glances. Others looked down.
Ji Hyo felt his chest tighten slightly.
"This doesn't mean we're giving up on you," the manager added quickly, trying to soften the blow. "You'll still receive training. You'll still be guided. But we will be focusing our resources on the debut team for the foreseeable future. That's the company's current direction."
Another pause.
"Anyone who feels uncertain about their path, I suggest you reflect carefully in the coming days. If you choose to stay—then give your all. No more half-hearted training. No more waiting for miracles."
With that, the manager nodded once, then turned and exited the room.
The silence afterward was deafening.
Ji Hyo stared at the floor, processing the words.
No debut plans… not even next year.
He felt something in his chest sink, just a little. He thought he was doing well. He thought his progress was enough to bring him closer to the stage.
But now…
"Guess that's it," one trainee muttered nearby. "I'm going to talk to my parents about auditioning elsewhere."
"Same," another added.
Ji Hyo looked over at Felix again, who was quietly tying his shoelaces again, looking deep in thought.
"…What are you going to do?" Ji Hyo asked gently.
Felix gave him a weak smile. "I don't know… Maybe I'll stay. Maybe I won't. But you," he said, nudging Ji Hyo's shoulder, "shouldn't worry too much. You're improving like crazy. And you've got that weird luck around you."
Ji Hyo smiled faintly. "Luck, huh…"
But inside, he felt conflicted.
He had a system, sure. He had missions and progression, yes. But even with those—what if the opportunity itself disappears? What if there's no stage left to climb to?
What if everything he's doing leads to nowhere?
He clenched his fists silently. No. He couldn't let that happen. He wouldn't.
He looked at his system screen quietly in his mind.
"Then I'll just have to create my own spotlight… no matter how dark the stage is."
Ji Hyo sat quietly on the corner of the training room, the weight of the earlier announcement still lingering in his chest. His gaze drifted toward the other trainees—some whispering nervously among themselves, others already lost in thought about what the future would hold.
A soft chime rang in his mind.
[Host seems emotionally conflicted. Do you wish to consult the system?]
Ji Hyo exhaled and thought clearly in his mind.
"System… what if I leave Glint Entertainment? Is that possible? Will my mission be invalidated?"
There was a short pause before the system responded.
[Host is not bound to a specific company. Your mission is to become a Top Idol. The route is up to you.]
[Warning: Leaving Glint will remove access to current training facilities, coaching modules, and system-linked performance evaluations. However, alternate quests and paths will be generated.]
Ji Hyo leaned back against the wall, arms resting on his knees.
"...So I can still chase this dream on my own," he murmured.
He turned his head and looked at Felix, who was still sitting silently, lost in thought. His brows furrowed slightly, his usual warm expression replaced with a distant gaze.
Ji Hyo took a deep breath and stood up.
"Felix," he said softly.
Felix blinked and looked up. "Yeah?"
"I've decided," Ji Hyo said calmly. "I'm leaving the company."
Felix's eyes widened in shock. "Wait… what?"
"I'm leaving Glint."
The words settled heavily in the room between them. Felix stared at him, trying to process what he just heard.
"Are you serious?" he asked, standing up as well.
Ji Hyo nodded. "Yeah. My mind's already set."
"But… you've improved so much. You've finally found your rhythm. If you stay, you'll keep getting better. Why now?"
Ji Hyo smiled faintly. "That's true. I'm improving, and I'm grateful for everything I've learned here. But I'm not the only one improving, Felix. Everyone here is growing—and some of them started from a much higher place than me."
He turned his eyes toward the other side of the room, where a few younger trainees were sitting and chatting. His eyes settled on one particular boy—Chanmin, barely fifteen years old, laughing as if this whole situation didn't worry him one bit.
"Look at them," Ji Hyo said softly. "They're already good. And they're still young. They can wait. They'll be nurtured here, trained even more, and eventually debut… if not this year, then next."
He looked back at Felix. "But I don't have that time, Felix. I'm already twenty. If I keep waiting… I'll miss my window."
Felix stayed silent, lips pressed in a tight line.
Ji Hyo's smile softened. "And I don't want to keep hoping for scraps. I want to create my own path—even if it means starting from scratch again."
"But… you don't even have a plan yet," Felix said, his voice quieter now.
"I'll find one," Ji Hyo replied. "I always do."
There was silence between them again.
Felix finally chuckled weakly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Damn… you're really serious."
"I am."
"You're braver than me," Felix muttered.
"No," Ji Hyo shook his head. "You've always been stronger. You just haven't realized it yet."
Felix met his eyes, and for a moment, the two shared a long, meaningful gaze.
"Whatever path you take," Felix said, "I'll support you."
Ji Hyo grinned. "Thanks, Felix."
"Still… it's going to be weird not seeing you around the practice rooms anymore."
"I'll miss the vending machine snacks."
Felix laughed. "And I'll miss watching you fail at stretching routines."
"Hey—some of us aren't born flexible!"
The two of them laughed softly, the heavy moment melting into something lighter.
Ji Hyo looked around the training room one last time. The mirrors, the floor, the air—it all held memories now. Good ones, bad ones, painful ones. But it was time to move forward.
[System Notification: Host Decision – Route Diversion Detected.] [Adapting mission path: Alternative Road to Stardom unlocked.] [New Quest Chain initiated: Independent Idol Path]
He exhaled a deep breath and turned to Felix one last time.
"I'll be cheering for you," Ji Hyo said.
"You better debut first," Felix replied, half-joking, half-serious.
Ji Hyo smiled.
"I will."