I Became An Idol To Pay Off My Debt

I was an idol, a dancer, and at the same time, a singer.

My job was to entertain the fans’ eyes and ears with music.

But right now…

-Yeah, it won’t be that easy.

Singing isn’t my thing.

The fans’ chorus.

I had never experienced such a chorus until now…

As everyone’s voices began to merge into one…

The fact that I was among them…

‘I’m happy…’

Filled my whole body with pleasure that surpassed any ecstasy.

Like a conductor excitedly leading an orchestra…

Like a surfer joyfully riding a huge wave.

I was shaking my body here and there, not even knowing what dance I was doing.

Then it happened.

[You have met the conditions!]

‘Huh…?’

Suddenly a status window indicating I met the conditions appeared.

I’d seen it before.

‘Sure, it was during the showcase….’

At that time, the status window disappeared when the conditions were insufficient…

[Entering ?? status!]

…this time, it felt somehow different.

Swish.

‘……Huh?’

The blue status window was gradually fading away.

It wasn’t that the status window was naturally turning off because time was up.

Pop.

“……!”

The status window cracked.

As if it would… disappear forever.

[Entering ?? status!]

[The status window will completely disappear in 60 seconds!]

“……Huh?”

…Wait a minute.

What does ‘completely disappear’ mean?

“…Wha, what is this? Cancel, cancel!”

Suddenly faced with a status window that was about to disappear, I forgot I was on stage and waved my hands repeatedly.

“…What’s wrong? Are you okay…?”

“…No, I’m fine, unnie.”

After showing some abnormal behavior in the middle of the performance, the backup dancer next to me sensed something was off and came over, but I made a vague excuse.

‘F, first finish the stage….’

Fortunately, the stage had already transitioned to a section where the audience was enjoying themselves, so I could finish without a lot of focus.

[The user has rejected the destruction of the status window!]

Fortunately, it seemed I could prevent the status window from disappearing with my will…

[You have entered ?? status!]

[Would you like to permanently destroy the status window? Y/N]

‘Ah, no. Absolutely….’

The anxious status window kept asking me about destruction.

[You have entered ?? status!]

[Would you like to permanently destroy the status window? Y/N]

After the personal cover stages of each member, during the brief costume change, the status window popped up again, annoying me.

‘No.’

Each time, I naturally declined the permanent destruction of the status window.

It was a natural choice.

I wouldn’t have been able to become an idol without the status window in the first place.

I still remember how my vocal ability and dance skills were before raising my stats.

If I hadn’t been able to raise my dance and vocal ability stats through the status window, I wouldn’t have even been able to appear in Na Ah Ah.

Thanks to the cheating trait called Sky Demon and the phenomenal skill called Sky Demon Martial Arts, I was able to win in Na Ah Ah.

Though I’ve been trying to refrain from using the status window these days…

It’s not an exaggeration to say everything about me was achieved thanks to it.

There was no way I would get rid of such a status window.

“All set!”

“Members, please come up!”

Just as I steeled my heart, it was time to go up on stage again.

As the concert progressed past the midpoint, I could feel that both the members and staff were exhausted, but…

“Let’s wrap this up nicely!”

“Fighting-!”

We returned to the stage cheerfully with smiles.

Now that the personal cover stages were over, it was time for our second digital single, [Meteor].

After the [Meteor] stage, we would showcase a few songs from Rookies’ 2nd album and finish with the title track, [Eternal Rookies].

…Finished.

…Yeah, it’s ending now.

Not just the concert, but everything about Rookies.

Thinking that way made my heart uneasy.

Without showing it, I’m sure the other members are feeling the same.

Ding.

[You have entered ?? status!]

In this uneasy moment, the status window kept sending me notifications.

‘…No.’

Naturally, I chose to decline again and headed for the stage.

“Waaaah—!”

“Rookies—!!”

As soon as we appeared, the crowd erupted with cheers…

♪♩♩—!

We immediately started the performance.

-The moment you and I locked eyes
-The five seconds of destiny under the starlight

Our third activity song and second digital single, [Meteor], was a catchy track harmonizing bright synthesizers and singing rap.

Additionally, the dance moves weren’t easy, boasting the highest difficulty level among Rookies’ activity songs.

-We’re falling stars
-And shooting stars in your heart

But…

[You have entered ?? status!]

[Would you like to permanently destroy the status window? Y/N]

Even at such a crucial moment, the status window kept appearing, interrupting me.

‘No, no, no…!’

There was another reason I couldn’t delete the status window besides the fact that it helped me become an idol.

Whisper— Swoosh.

The dance I was showcasing right now.

-Never say it’s over
-Our story is just beginning

My vocal color and technique.

All the things I had honed to become an idol…

It felt like everything would vanish with the destruction of the status window.

So…, I was scared…

The thought that I might no longer be able to be an idol if the status window disappeared…

[You have entered ?? status!]

[Would you like to permanently destroy the status window? Y/N]

I couldn’t bring myself to destroy the status window.

At that moment, as I pondered over the status window, something happened.

Slip.

‘…Huh.’

The moment I let my focus slip, I lost my balance on the slick stage, possibly due to the previous performances.

‘I’m falling….’

But….

Boom.

Swish— Woosh!

“Waaaah—!”

Before I could fall, I instinctively used one hand to push against the ground and regain my balance.

It was such an urgent moment that the fans mistook it for part of the performance and cheered.

‘This is….’

I realized this wasn’t just a mere coincidence.

This was the part I had practiced hundreds, if not thousands of times since the [Meteor] showcase.

That feeling remained in my body… and I moved unconsciously before the mistake happened.

‘Ah….’

Yeah…, what was I thinking?

It was true that I could only become an idol thanks to the status window.

That doesn’t mean all my efforts up until now were solely because of the status window.

The moment I realized this, the status window flickered once more.

[You have entered ?? status!]

[Would you like to permanently destroy the status window? Y/N]

Now that I looked at it, the ‘Yes’ side seemed to shine more brightly.

As if… it was compelling me to choose ‘Yes’.

“……”

I remember having thought once before.

That the status window seemed to have a will of its own.

Isn’t that still the case?

The status window was persistently opening before me, demanding its own destruction.

What could the status window possibly want to tell me?

You are….

‘What are you exactly?’

Psst—

“……!”

No sooner did I question the status window than my vision suddenly blurred into darkness.

‘The stage isn’t over yet…!’

And before I could even worry, I lost consciousness.

Boom.

“……Where is this?”

When I opened my eyes, all I could see was darkness.

“What about the concert? The stage? …No, where am I?”

I felt as if I could move forward, so I took a step toward the darkness.

Then….

‘Director, why did my mom and dad who gave birth to me abandon me?’

Memories began to surface as if a video was playing.

This wasn’t something unfamiliar.

This was… the memory of my past life.

“……”

Step, step.

‘I’m an orphan~ I’m an orphan~.’

‘Hey, you, kid without a mom.’

The more I moved forward, the more unwelcome sights began to appear.

It wasn’t just my past self.

‘Ye-rin, table 5!’

‘Yes~!’

My appearance before becoming an idol, utterly exhausted from being an idol.

‘Ye-rin, mom and dad have brought some really important information this time!’

‘…How much do you need this time?’

The scene where my hard-earned money was taken away by mom and dad.

‘…If it’s going to be this hard, I should have just not been born again.’

Even the scene of me suffering from it all.

As I slowly moved forward while watching all those memories…

And….

“……”

I noticed someone was in front of me, even though I couldn’t see them, so I stopped walking.

Without needing to hear their words, I knew who was in front of me.

The one before me was… the status window.

The one who helped me become an idol…, yet whose true identity was unknown.

“You… who are you?”

I asked that thing about its identity.

I didn’t expect an answer, but surprisingly, it spoke to me for the first time.

I am your inferiority complex.

“…What?”

It wasn’t a voice, but its words were accurately conveyed to me.

And every time it spoke, memories replayed in my mind.

‘…I’m jealous. I envy those who were born normally.’

I am your loneliness.

‘Please…, someone stay by my side.’

I am your self-hatred.

‘Why was I born looking like this?’

I am your misery.

‘Why am I… why….’

I am your… magic.

‘This damned world…, I resent it.’

Boom.

At that moment, memories played out, and my vision began to brighten again.

Amid the bursting light, the last voice of the status window resonated.

I no longer need you.

And when I regained consciousness…

“……!”

I was continuing the show without a hitch in front of the fans.

Tap.

‘Are you okay, unnie?’

Even while dancing, my state seemed off to Seo Yoo-jin, who was tracking my movements with a worried look.

Nod.

‘I’m okay.’

I gave a brief nod to Seo Yoo-jin and then turned my gaze toward the status window.

[You have entered ?? status!]

[Would you like to permanently destroy the status window? Y/N]

I still didn’t know precisely what the status window was…

‘I no longer need you.’

But at least it didn’t feel like a harmful presence.

…Thinking about it, that makes sense.

The status window…, was as valuable to me as my Brotherhood Planning family, Han Si-woo, the Rookies members, and the staff at NAS Entertainment.

That status window was now telling me to erase itself.

Somehow, I felt that deleting the status window would be the right choice for me.

So, unconsciously continuing my movements, I offered my farewells to the status window.

‘Thank you for everything.’

If you hadn’t been there, I would still be living unhappily.

Inferiority complex, loneliness, self-hatred, misery, and magic.

All of those were my deep darkness, but thanks to them, I could move toward the light.

With that, I concluded my thank-you to the status window…

[Would you like to permanently destroy the status window? Y/N]

‘Yes…!’

I agreed to permanently destroy the status window.

Then….

Boom.

“……!

I immediately felt an indescribable change, and at the same time….

[Exorcism begins.]

Sparkle.

Whether it was my imagination or not, the world began to appear brighter.

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