Chapter 98

Gowon

His innate talent fully blooms.

Dance Lv. MAX (∞)

This stat is affected by the ability cap.

Current MAX LEVEL: 150

I was beyond dumbfounded. All I could do was let out a sigh.

The moment Gowon found the trigger to draw out his own maximum potential, his Dance level would immediately reach the highest possible level.

If the current MAX LEVEL of 150 rose to 200, then his Dance would become 200 at the same time.

Don’t ever say that bullshit in front of me again about how you’ll never be able to become an idol.

No, not just an idol. With the talent he had just unleashed, he would show innate-level performance ability in any genre related to dance.

Having achieved terrifying growth, Gowon dominated the stage perfectly all the way to the ending.

— Vocal position, clear the confetti on the downstage side and come up immediately. Prepare.

“...Hoo.”

I stood up from the monitor room, shook out my numb hands, and headed backstage.

“Whew... uh, Hanje, are you... nervous too?”

Nam Jeongho, my junior who would be joining me on the vocal-position stage, asked.

“Yeah. Somehow, I’m actually nervous.”

I understood what Gowon had said that day.

“Hyung, I know I can never beat you when it comes to the stage. But I’m confident about this competition.”

Because these were stages created by trainees dreaming of debuting, there were factors that couldn’t be explained by skill alone.

— Vocal-position stage, going up.

Then I guess I’ll show them what I can do.

***

While the tallying was underway, the special stage for the signal song, rearranged into an acoustic version, was shown.

And with that, every performance of <Debut Chart! 100> came to an end.

With all the contestants standing onstage, the two people wearing the most relieved expressions were Gowon and me.

We had truly done everything we could.

To the point where there wasn’t even any regret left about the fact that the trainee named “Baek Hanje” would disappear.

Maybe because I knew it would vanish, I had thrown myself into the stage without leaving anything behind.

Because I could never do this as Young Ace’s Hansel.

Going wild trying to get even one step ahead of the people standing beside me onstage.

Taking ridiculous challenges because I was filled with competitiveness.

I couldn’t even complain about how hard it had been to accidentally end up in this world anymore.

Not now.

The MC began announcing the rankings one by one.

Since I had become familiar with almost everyone who had survived this far, it felt strangely different from the previous ranking announcements.

Every time one person’s ranking was called, enormous waves of emotion rippled across both the stage and the audience.

— Fifth place, trainee Kim Eumyul!

Yeah. Stop trying to rely on clever tricks and focus more on building your own skills, junior.

— Next... third place, trainee Nam Jeongho, who has drawn a growth curve throughout the competition!

“......! Ah, ahh...!”

Junior. You worked hard, and congratulations, but instead of a project group, you need to go to K-Dom and live as a singer while taking care of your younger members.

Before announcing first and second place, there was another tense moment.

The announcement of the trainee who had fallen just one step short.

— Tenth place is... ah. Trainee Jung Garam.

I thought a ranking around there suited him.

However, most people looked shocked by the fall of the person who had previously been in first place.

The few people who had gone pale behind the cameras were probably because their plans had fallen apart.

— Now, only the announcement of first and second place remains.

Static—

At the final moment, Gowon and I were called forward to the platform.

As befitting the most important announcement, the MC dragged out the reveal for a long time.

During that time, I took in every corner of the audience.

I saw several familiar faces.

People with the same unwavering tastes as always, who had come here to support me once again.

I greeted them silently with my lips.

I’ll keep working hard forever.

And I truly would keep that promise forever.

— After a fierce battle, the winner standing at the top of the chart by an extremely narrow margin!

Before either of us knew who moved first, our heads turned, and my eyes met Gowon’s.

— Then, I’ll announce it!

Ah, damn it.

I saw the spoiler before the MC even said it.

Plausibility has increased.

Current Plausibility: 100% (▲1)

— First place, trainee Gowon!

Q. Secure the plausibility of the past

You noticed the contradiction in time!

You have moved to a copied dimension created to correct the timeline before a greater incident occurs.

Raise the plausibility of impossible past events to create the same result as the present.

Current Plausibility: 100%

Target Plausibility: 100%

Upon success: Return to reality, influence on reputation in reality

Upon failure: Quest ends, Yunjin excluded from the world line

Time limit: 0h 6m 12s (D-0)

Q. Secure the plausibility of the past

Cleared

The confirmed past has been established.

Confetti poured down over Gowon.

I’m a little frustrated.

But if the decisive factor that determined the ending was the “desire to debut,” then I could accept why I lost.

Young Ace’s Baek Hanje had gained countless stage experiences, skills, and composure over thirteen years since debut, but he had long since lost the desperation of a trainee.

Yeah. That’s where I lost.

A major influence was made on the new past.

Some achievements are applied to the present.

Additional rewards are obtained.

Deleting information that conflicts with the timeline.

Yunjin is released from the restraints of the gap in time.

“Hyung.”

“Congratulations.”

As I began walking toward Gowon, I realized that the MC, the other trainees, and the staff had all disappeared.

The world that had served its purpose was about to disappear.

Gowon’s arms and legs were already becoming blurry.

Before his torso disappeared as well, I pulled the winner into my arms and patted his back in celebration.

“We’ve done enough as rivals.”

“—...!”

“See you again, ‘junior.’”

Because the senior you look up to will never lose to you again after today.

Just like when I came here, my vision began to distort.

The difference was that back then, it felt like I was being dragged into a broken television screen.

Now, it felt like everything around me was melting away.

As if erasing the boundary of a small world isolated from the outside, like a terrarium.

A newly cultivated small world was twisted into place among other enormous puzzle pieces.

Connecting the altered past and present.

Synchronization in progress.

Progress: 6%

— ...The final stage is finally here!

When I opened my eyes, I was in a place so familiar that it almost hurt.

The K-Dom Entertainment headquarters.

My own workroom.

I was sitting in front of the monitor where I had left the video playing.

— Before announcing the grand result, we will reveal the hidden arrangers who worked on your competition songs.

The cloth that had been hiding only silhouettes was removed. At the same time, the bored expressions of the audience turned into shock.

— Yes, world-famous guitarist Mr. Kim OO and composer Mr. Lee OO. ...And also, Young Ace’s member and producer, Hansel.

“...Ah. So this is how it merged.”

I was no longer trainee Baek Hanje.

I had become the hidden arranger, Hansel.

<Debut Chart! 100> Final Results

1st place: Gowon

2nd place: Kim Eumyul

3rd place: Jung Garam

4th place: ...

...

7th place: Park Raehyun

8th place: Choi Songhyun

...

The trainees’ rankings had become a realistic outcome where Gowon’s miracle and the producer’s corruption had mixed together appropriately.

The number of clip videos that had mysteriously disappeared had also increased.

The past that had lacked plausibility had been successfully corrected.

From now on, Gowon would be the flawless winner, the unfortunate first-place contestant caught up in adults’ circumstances, and the super rookie who transferred to K-Dom through a dramatic turn of events and went on to a road of success.

When I turned my head slightly away from the monitor, Gowon was standing there, just like when I had started and finished my long journey.

With blond hair fitting his promotion period, and thin summer clothes.

The countless events of the past several months disappeared in an instant.

Ha....

The memories still filling my head felt strangely empty.

It felt like I would be haunted by the afterimage for a while.

“...Hey, Gowon.”

I lightly nudged him with my toe.

“The song I made for you on Debut Chart was good, right?”

Wait.

Then does that mean the first time I met him was also on ?

No, the major parts like the producer’s corruption remain the same, so maybe we didn’t even have much contact on the program and the first time we actually met was at the company.

“...It was good. Your songs have always been like that, hyung.”

And Gowon’s answer should have been enough to ease the regret of losing several months—

“But this isn’t right.”

Hm?

“Hyung, you participated with me.”

“...What?”

“You and me, the first team performance, and the final together... huh? ...That can’t be. Why...?”

Gowon clutched his head with a confused expression.

My thoughts had stopped just the same.

What the hell was happening?

I was certain his memories were supposed to be erased.

Quest window.

Wish: The world ■■■■■ ■■.

Quest Scenario

...The information I obtained there seems to have been applied, at least.

Flower Road guy. Why is he like this? Hurry up and figure out what’s going on—

“Hyung.”

Gowon called out to me in a frightened voice.

“What is that?”

His fingertip was pointing at—

“Ah.”

The quest window.