Chapter 1 of 10

Chapter 1

6 min read1,490 words

Ex-Idol Becomes Top Star - Chapter 1 (1/110)

He finally lost it.

Iroon thought.

There was no other way.

Ding!

Because there was no way he should see such strange things.

* * *

That day felt off from the start.

As if it was foretelling the ominous events to come.

It started with a call from his mother.

It was strange.

He was sure he had told her that he would send the money for this month along with last month's.

The remaining money was only about 300,000 won.

It was the bare minimum living expenses he had left.

He always sent the rest to his family, leaving only the minimum for himself.

With his father gone and his mother, who was ill, working from dawn, it was better for him to go hungry.

Even if his body was exhausted, his mind was more at ease.

‘...Yeah. Still, once I finish this song, the money will come in, so it should be fine.’

However, the manager's recent complaints were not good.

- "You know, the company is in a tough situation these days, right? You know that, right? We put in a lot of effort to clean up after your group. The damage hasn't been fully recovered yet. Got it?"

Iroon's group, Garion, had been defunct for over a year.

To be precise, it was more like a "forced period of self-reflection," but everyone, including Iroon and the public, knew it.

Garion had completely failed.

It was a rapid downfall for an idol group that had been expected to become top-tier.

But there was a reason for it.

- "How grandly did those kids mess up? They were supposed to be buried, buried. But the company covered it up to some extent, so you and Ho-beom are still okay. Otherwise, you might have been implicated as accomplices. You should be grateful to the company. They're letting you earn money. Isn't that great?"

As the manager said, the group members had caused several serious incidents.

Other idols rarely made headlines in the social news.

Calling it a "period of self-reflection" was just a name; it was as good as being defunct.

- "Anyway, consider the company's situation. We've helped you a lot. If it weren't for the company, your songs would have been buried. We're the ones who are paying attention to you. Who would sing a song written by a scandalous idol? Your voice is gone anyway. Who would listen to you sing with that voice? Right?"

The conclusion was that since the company had done so much for Iroon, he should consider the company's situation.

‘...But the manager isn't wrong.’

Unlike Ho-beom, the youngest member who received love calls from everywhere for his excellent acting skills and good looks, Iroon had no talent.

It was fortunate that the company allowed him to write songs; otherwise, he might have been doing odd jobs by now.

Or, it might have been impossible.

Who would hire someone with bad knees?

‘Who would hire someone who didn't even graduate high school? The company is the one that considers my situation.’

The songs he composed were the same.

Even though they couldn't be released under his name and he couldn't sing them.

It was natural. Who would want a song written by a member of a failed idol group?

‘It's better if someone sings and listens to them. Better than no one knowing...’

Earning money by doing what he loved.

It was undoubtedly a very happy life.

...But lately, something felt a bit empty.

‘Is it because I skipped breakfast?’

The emptiness might be due to skipping meals.

Lately, Iroon often felt this inexplicable sense of loss.

Strangely, even on days when he ate well, he would toss and turn at night, feeling empty.

‘I should finish the song quickly. Then something will change.’

After sending money to his mother, Iroon took out his usual notebook.

Since before his debut, Iroon had always worked this way.

He had been curious about the fancy programs and equipment other composers used.

But with the company's difficult situation, he couldn't indulge in such desires. After all, he was in a position where the company was his means of survival.

Before he could even pick up his pen, another message appeared, which he ignored.

Another call interrupted his work.

Iroon paused, checking the caller.

It was Cha Ho-beom, the youngest member who had survived with Iroon in Garion.

The fact that this usually uncommunicative guy was suddenly calling was strange.

<Bro.>

“Uh... Ho-beom. What's up?”

Ho-beom had always been busy with drama and film shoots, even outside of group activities.

After the group's failure, they had lost contact even more.

For Ho-beom to suddenly call today, it was indeed a strange day.

<We're leaving Garion.>

“...What?”

“Wait, Ho-beom. This is sudden...”

<What's sudden? We've just been putting off what we should have done a long time ago. We've been inactive for a long time, and it's been a while since we failed. So, disbanding is the right course of action.>

Ho-beom added that he had already discussed it with the company and that an official announcement would be made soon.

“Moving to another company? Did the CEO allow it?”

“Uh...?”

“...”

“No, I've really been getting a lot of help...”

<That's nonsense. They pushed us to events without letting us sleep for two hours a day right after we debuted. Damn. I thought all idols were treated like that. Anyway, there's no way they're helping you for no reason, right?>

Ho-beom, speaking with unusual agitation, sighed.

<Anyway, you should leave there if you can. And go to a proper hospital instead of that quack. A company like you would be welcomed anywhere.>

Ho-beom added a few words that sounded like comfort and ended the call, saying he had to go.

Iroon was dazed.

‘Disbanding...?’

If the youngest member said that, it meant the decision was final.

All that was left was the official announcement.

Garion would officially be erased from existence.

‘Disbanding...’

It wasn't strange.

In fact, it was more unusual that they hadn't disbanded until now.

There was no reason to keep the name of a group that couldn't perform.

Still, the moment he heard the word, Iroon felt a shock.

And he realized.

‘I still haven't given up...’

It wasn't that he wanted to perform again.

What he couldn't let go of was the trace.

The trace that he had once stepped into a shining world.

‘...I need some fresh air.’

Iroon swallowed and climbed the steep stairs to the rooftop.

The old building, which the company had provided as both a residence and a studio, was tiny, barely fitting a bed and a desk, but it had a small attic and a private rooftop.

The cold wind on the open rooftop calmed his restless heart.

‘Right. There's no reason for me to be upset. Disbanding doesn't really change anything. The group has been defunct for a long time, and this is just closing the coffin and nailing it shut.’

But thinking about it made him even more restless.

Still, it was the truth.

There were no fans left to rally for Garion. They had all left when the scandals broke.

Only a few individual fans occasionally sought out Ho-beom, and even fewer remembered Iroon.

It was just one more strange piece of news on a strange day.

‘This is useless too.’

Iroon touched the bowl of water on the rooftop with his fingertips.

It was frozen solid from the cold.

Like his tightly closed heart.

‘I prayed for things to get better, but the news is disbanding.’

The bowl of water was actually holy water.

Back in his high school days, his mother used to fetch water from the hill behind their house at dawn and offer it as a prayer.

- "If you offer it with such devotion, you will surely be rewarded."

Thanks to that, his older brother got into a prestigious university.

That was the only time his family had been truly happy.

‘But why am I like this?’

Lately, he had been feeling a strange sense of loss, as if something was missing, despite his efforts to fetch the water from the hill.

It seemed to be ineffective.

“Sigh...”

While everyone else was moving forward, he felt left behind.

He felt like he was alone, ruminating on past memories, unable to move on.

‘But I need to let go of what I can.’

This too shall pass.

Although he had