Chapter 1

Idol Guide for the Ending 1-151

Idol Guide for the Ending Chapter 1

"The winner of this year's RAA Grand Prize is...!"

The MC took a deep breath and opened the envelope.

The noisy award ceremony venue suddenly fell silent.

The MC pretended to look around and then fixed his gaze on where I was sitting.

Seeing the corners of the MC's mouth curl up, I had a gut feeling.

It was finally the moment of the ending.

"RaiKus! Congratulations!"

A loud cheer and applause erupted, and the members sitting on either side of me jumped up.

I stared blankly at the screen.

The name that I had been unable to shake off for four years, "RaiKus," was displayed in large letters on the screen, which seemed unreal.

I, Do Yunjae, had been a trainee stuck in a failing small agency for years.

That was my past.

* * *

On the morning of the day my trainee contract ended, I felt lost and unsure of what to do next.

I had obtained an opportunity that not everyone could easily get.

A wish.

At that time, I had only one wish.

Without fear, I spoke my wish to the unknown window.

"I want to become a top idol."

In movies and comics, there was always a protagonist chosen by God.

With a status window, I felt like I had become one of them, filled with hope.

It was a foolish thought.

People can stab you in the back, so why can't a script?

At 20, I was overly naive.

And the script was, overly despicable.

– Best Clear Condition: 'Weakness is a weapon'

Make a deal with the CEO Lee Hyun-sung and join Ground Entertainment.

A life that was moderately righteous and moderately ordinary.

I didn't always do as I was told from the beginning.

I didn't want to catch others' weaknesses, so I left the company without a word.

I thought I could clear it even if it wasn't the best.

But the ending was always the same.

No matter what I chose or what I did, my life was always thrown into the gutter in various ways.

When I lost consciousness amidst the overwhelming pain, I would wake up again on the morning I first met the script window.

The familiar bed in the trainee dormitory.

The script never gave me any other options.

There was only one correct answer.

To clear it as the script wanted.

It seemed that I could not become a top idol as I wanted, and the only way to achieve the best clear was to follow the script's demands.

After repeating the first quest about 30 times and then repeating several other quests dozens of times,

I finally came to terms with my situation amidst the pain that never became familiar.

...Maybe I was thinking wrong.

Maybe doing as I was told was the right answer.

Because it was a script.

Because the script said it was the right path.

If I followed this, my wish would eventually come true.

That's what all the protagonists did.

My heart slowly wore out.

I became adept at calculation, using others' weaknesses to seize opportunities, and ignoring those who helped me when I was in trouble...

The more successful quests I completed, the higher I rose.

Visual: A+

Vocal: A+

Dance: A+

The stats I boosted by pushing others aside were impressive, and there was no group that could match RaiKus.

I finally became the idol I had dreamed of.

That top idol.

It felt strange.

Is this really the end?

...Is this the ending I wanted?

"Do Yunjae, what are you doing? Get a grip."

"Are you crazy? Smile."

I snapped back to reality at the sharp voice.

The members, who had been making choked-up expressions, quietly whispered to me.

Though not particularly friendly, their tone was familiar.

Anyone watching might think we were having a falling out, but it was the truth.

Our relationship had started as a business, so there was no room for genuine feelings.

I slowly stood up.

I acted as if I was moving slowly out of surprise.

"RaiKus has set a new record for the highest first-week sales in history after debuting for only four years..."

With each step toward the stage, my feet felt heavier.

It was the moment I had longed for, so why was I hesitating?

No, more than that...

Why did I feel so dirty?

It was so dirty that it made me want to vomit.

It was obvious that RaiKus would win the Grand Prize this year.

With first-week sales of 1.6 million for the regular album and 1.3 million for the repackaged album,

the numbers were so high that it would be strange if RaiKus didn't win the Grand Prize.

It was a natural result.

They were talented enough to achieve this, even if they committed crimes like dating multiple people, drunk driving, and drug use.

They had the backing to cover up most scandals.

The script seemed to insist that only these members could lead to success.

"Hey, get a grip."

Na Seong-bin, who was quick to notice, nudged me, but I kept my mouth shut.

I had no idea what to say.

Another member took the microphone in my place.

"It's a great honor to receive such a big award, and we are really grateful to our fans, the RaiKis. Without you, we would just be..."

I was taken aback by the sight of him choking back tears after sobbing.

Just last night, he had thrown away fans' gifts, calling them cheap, and made two dates with his girlfriends.

A despicable guy.

"It's okay, it's okay!"

From somewhere, cheers could be heard.

I saw the white lights of the RaiKis' light sticks, which were whiter than snow.

...I was grateful to the fans and always felt guilty.

They were the only ones who always pulled me back when I wanted to give up.

Perhaps the reason I managed to maintain my sanity until now was because of the RaiKis.

Everyone around me was placed by the script after careful consideration.

Only the fans were the ones who looked at me without any calculation.

Seeing their pure hearts, my worn-out heart felt a little revived.

That's why I managed to endure.

"Leader Yunjae, do you have any words to say?"

The MC singled me out from where I was standing.

Led by the members' gentle pushes, I stepped up to the microphone.

Acceptance speech...

I was at a loss for words, and my mind was a mess.

As the time I stood there holding the microphone grew longer, the production staff gestured for me to hurry up.

Only then did I slowly open my mouth.

"Ah, the Grand Prize, really..."

Really what?

Am I happy right now?

I stared at the window floating in front of me.

– Best Clear Condition: Win the Grand Prize at RAA, DWF, and KAMA.

I had already won the Grand Prize at two award shows, and this was the last one.

The Grand Prize that every aspiring idol dreams of.

I was no different.

But I didn't want to win the Grand Prize 'this way.'

By stepping on others and destroying myself.

My mind became calm as I made my decision.

"Fuck this."

Crack.

The trophy in my hand shattered on the floor.

A moment of silence followed, and the members were taken aback.

Everyone looked at me as if I had gone crazy.

"Bro, what are you doing? Are you crazy?"

"I am..."

I looked at the shocked members and grabbed the microphone again.

"If this is what being an idol means, I won't do it."

The members were aghast, and the award ceremony venue seemed to freeze in time.

Amid the people who couldn't speak, I took a step back.

I started running away from the stage, leaving the murmuring people behind.

"Bro, Yunjae bro!"

"Yunjae!"

I ignored the voices calling out from behind.

RaiKus' leader?

A new legend of boy groups?

I didn't need those titles anymore.

I pushed away everyone trying to stop me and ran forward.

It was the dream I wanted, but not the ending I wanted.

I had come this far, but it was tiring.

I knew.

No matter how much I ran, I would end up back at this award ceremony, receiving that damn trophy.

This fucking script would repeat forever until I became a top idol.

"Huh..."

When I came to my senses, I was on the crosswalk outside the building.

I stopped and caught my breath.

And, as expected, the familiar window appeared.

Bang!

Behind it, the headlights of a truck speeding toward me were visible.

I laughed bitterly.

Again... I would go back.

I would repeat this tiring life.

"Still, I won't live like this."

I gritted my teeth and glared at the truck.

Come on, let's see how this ends.

No matter how the script plays out, this is not the ending I want.

I will see the ending I want, in the way I want.

Bang!

As the blinding white headlights threatened to blind me,

"...Huh?"

The large truck quickly engulfed me.

And in the fading vision, a new window appeared, one I had never seen before.

As my vision went dark, I spat out my last words in anger.

"What the fuck?"

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