Chapter 1

**The Technique of an Idol Who Never Fails, Chapter 1**

"You've achieved great success not only as an idol but also as a producer, haven't you?"

At the counselor's words, Jung Hae-won, who had been thinking about his next schedule, lifted his head.

"Ah, I didn't hear that. I'm sorry."

"There's no need to apologize. What I just said is, well, Hae-won, you've achieved great success not only as an idol but also as a producer. It's ongoing. But where do you think this sense of unease comes from?"

The counseling session was continuing to go off track.

The client was quite a difficult person. Understanding the inner thoughts of this client, who had achieved an overwhelming success, was no easy task.

Moreover, with a tight schedule, the time allotted to the counselor was not much.

After a moment of thought, the client replied.

"I'm not really anxious. I just think being busy is good. I think just prescribing me some sleeping pills would be enough."

"Hmm. Do you usually say that, and then get the prescription right away?"

"No, I get the prescription after being scolded a lot."

Before the counselor could get much more information, the client stood up. The counselor said,

"If you keep doing this, it's just a waste of time."

"Hmm."

"A lot of people around you are worried about you."

"That's why I'm here."

Jung Hae-won sighed deeply and continued,

"People are so worried that I still come here regularly. They worry too much, you know."

He said this and wondered how to make others believe that his mental state was strong.

After a moment, the client asked the counselor,

"This might be a strange question, but..."

"What is it?"

"Do you believe in unchanging love?"

The counselor looked puzzled but soon answered,

"No, all emotions change."

"I believe it does exist."

The client smiled gently. Although there was no intention to charm anyone, the smile had a natural allure. He continued,

"I didn't believe it when I was young, but now I do. It's a significant change in my life."

With that, he left the counseling room.

Despite it being a secret personal schedule, paparazzi were waiting across the street from the hospital. In the heart of the city, a large billboard, paid for by fans, was advertising a concert. His face was everywhere, and everyone knew him.

* * *

I had a long dream. I already thought my life was ruined, but in the dream, I was ruining someone else's life too.

In the dream, I knew I wanted to be on stage, but I pretended not to. Why was I so afraid of challenging the stage that had once coldly rejected me?

Despite that, I couldn't completely leave the entertainment industry. If I had started a new life somewhere else, I might not have ended up like this.

In the dream, I founded an entertainment company and was obsessed with a girl group called Square, which I couldn't make successful. I made the girls suffer for years and eventually died from overwork.

Sigh, really.

It was a dream without any hope. If I had known the ending beforehand, I would have suppressed my fear and challenged the stage again.

But was it really a dream?

It was so vivid that I was confused.

"Aah! Annoying person!"

I barely escaped the nightmare due to the loud music. The dream was so real, and I was so drunk that I couldn't tell what was real and what was a dream. Over the past two months, I had been drinking twice a day, and my veins were filled with alcohol instead of blood, so it was hard to grasp the situation.

While I was still dazed from the alcohol and sleep, I heard someone talking about me from the side.

"An idol chosen by the public? That survival show that caused a stir two years ago?"

"Yeah, that's it. The guy was so toxic that he was heavily criticized by viewers and collected a lot of hate comments. Guak Manager was working there at the time. He probably felt guilty and gave him a chance."

"Oh, I see. No wonder, a twenty-year-old...?"

"Because of the hate comments, he dropped out of high school and was locked in his room for two years. They probably think it would be dangerous to send him straight into the military, so they're trying to make him a bit more social first."

"Jung Tae is amazing. I wouldn't let a twenty-year-old hikikomori drive, no way."

"He's just a good person."

When I heard my story end, I lifted my head. Wow, you summarized my life so well... nothing is wrong. Huh.

Still, I don't understand how my idol is letting a twenty-year-old hikikomori drive. Is it because he's such a good person that he drinks too much?

Anyway, the dream was so vivid that I still can't distinguish reality. It was too vivid and detailed. Since I'm not that creative or smart, it felt very strange.

Could it be... a premonition?

No, wait.

Does that mean my life is already ruined?

As my mind became more and more complicated, the Bok Jeong-tae, who died of a heart attack five years before I died in the dream, grabbed the microphone and shouted,

"If you can't do a one-shot, you can't get married, Aah! Annoying person!"