RTTGB CH 01

Chapter 1

I thought this scenery would last forever.

“Danha!”

Hot stage lights poured down from above my head.

The clothes the stylist had picked out were itchy. Without realizing it, I tightened my grip, and the microphone stuck against my skin.

A huge sketchbook meant for the broadcast flickered hazily in my vision.

“Danha, you can do it!”

And beyond the audience seats were people cheering for me.

It still felt like a dream.

“Now then, starting with the contestant of Superstar 4…”

“…you.”

So even back then, when I was still young, I think I felt the same way I do now.

That this place was something I would endlessly desire for as long as I lived.

“We will now begin contestant Kwon Danha’s semifinal stage!”

“…Unni.”

Even if I could never stand on this stage again, I had a feeling I would miss it for the rest of my life.

“Danha unni!”
“Huh?”
“Why aren’t you answering?”

I snapped out of my haze at my junior’s call after drifting into the past.

Judging by her face, she had already called me several times.

‘This keeps happening lately.’

My head feels foggy, like I did not fully wake up.

It would be a problem if this happened in daily life too.

I blinked, wondering what to do, then belatedly realized my mistake when I saw her sulky expression.

“Sorry. I was lost in thought and didn’t hear you.”
“It’s been days already.”
“I’m really sorry. So what is it?”

I apologized with an awkward smile, and she seemed unable to stay mad.

After staring at me coldly, she bluntly said,

“The monthly evaluation rankings are out.”
“Ah.”

I almost asked, “Already?” without thinking.

I barely stopped myself and continued with a forced smile.

“Thanks for telling me.”
“……”

Instead of replying, she turned and walked ahead.

I followed quietly without adding anything.

At times like this, it was understandable.

‘She’s not the only one.’

As I walked forward, I glanced around.

The atmosphere was always gloomy when the rankings came out, but today was especially bad.

The air felt so heavy it seemed like someone might burst into tears if touched.

It was as if everyone knew this was their last chance.

‘They were unusually blunt this time.’

Rumors were everywhere that the company had entered the final stage of deciding the next debut lineup.

They repeatedly emphasized that this would be the last evaluation.

So everyone must have prepared desperately.

But not everyone’s efforts could be rewarded.

[December BnD Female Trainee Monthly Evaluation Results]

“……”

I quietly looked at the number next to my name.

Kwon Danha

‘…I dropped again.’

Out of habit from the past few years, I looked from the top, then realized my place and searched from the bottom.

I clenched my fist at the miserable ranking.

My face felt like it might twist.

But I couldn’t let it.

“Unni, are you okay…?”
“…I’m fine.”

The frontmost seat was left open in the name of discipline.

Eyes began to focus on the long-term trainee who had completely messed up her monthly stage.

There was nowhere to avoid them.

Unable to hide my flushed face from shame, I forced myself to stay calm.

‘…I want to leave.’

My insides were a mess, but I had to endure it.

I swallowed back the nausea.

I just prayed to get out of here, anywhere.

“Why are you all standing around instead of practicing? Back to your spots! And Kwon Danha.”

The trainer who burst into the practice room and took control looked straight at me.

“You, go to the meeting room.”

‘Ah.’

It felt like my heart dropped.

Even as I followed hesitantly, I kept hoping until the very end that it wouldn’t be this.

[Mutual Contract Termination Agreement]

“Sign it.”

But reality didn’t change.

Just one piece of paper.

That was all it took for me to be released from the company I’d belonged to for seven years.

***

“Ha…”

I was let go from the company.

The reason was simple: cutting trainees after deciding the debut lineup.

I had expected it to some extent, but the shock was far greater than I imagined.

I probably cried for days.

“What do I do now…?”

Only after I ran out of tears did my body begin to calm down.

But anxiety followed, making me tremble nonstop.

“What am I really supposed to do?”

Seven years spent training with nothing but the dream of standing on stage.

Now I was twenty. Too old to safely aim for idol debut.

If I didn’t make the debut team immediately, it was dangerous.

But I couldn’t.

-♪

I quietly played the most recent recorded video.

In the center of the screen was me from a few days ago.

Singing and dancing to the song I prepared for the final monthly evaluation.

But it was a complete mess.

Unstable breathing. A shaking core.

It made anyone watching feel secondhand embarrassment.

I was no exception.

No, it was even worse for me.

“Ah…”

That day came back to me.

My heart that wouldn’t calm down.

My brain shutting down as my breathing ran out.

What moved me was only muscle memory.

But the moment I made eye contact with someone, even my body froze.

And then, the warning sound ringing in my ears…

Thud!

I couldn’t hold back and threw my phone.

The video stopped, but the self-loathing rushed in.

“Huff… huff….”

Breathing roughly, I curled into myself in shame.

I was pathetic.

But what was even more pathetic was that I couldn’t even touch the real problem.

‘You idiot.’

The moment I tried to sing, my body stiffened.

It was the same with dancing.

Even though it was choreography I could handle, my body stopped on its own.

‘Why…?’

It had been almost a year, yet I found neither the cause nor a solution.

As the symptoms worsened and a slump piled on, everything completely fell apart.

Being praised as a future debut prospect was long past.

Now I was nothing but dead weight.

“……”

I remembered the past I had desperately clung to just in case.

But I couldn’t do that anymore.

‘I should… stop.’

I couldn’t become an idol.

It was time to admit it.

It was miserable and horrifying, but… for my own sake.

Only after crying for a long time could I finally stand up again.

And then,

Three years passed.

When I had just turned twenty, I thought I was completely finished.

All I had was my body.

But somehow, life goes on.

Enduring pain like a stork trying to follow a crane, time passed endlessly.

By the time I came to my senses, I was already twenty-three.

“Danha!”

Early afternoon.

Among rows of black-and-white office buildings sat a luxury sedan that didn’t belong.

“Over here!”

Waving at me in front of it was my friend.

When I glanced back, former colleagues who suddenly saw the boss’s family panicked.

‘Oh boy.’

Feeling guilty as they hurried back inside, I quickly went to her.

“Wooyeon. What are you doing here?”
“Didn’t you say today was your last day as a contract worker?”

My only friend, Yeo Wooyeon.

She leaned into my arm and smiled brightly up at me.

“Of course I came to congratulate you and pick you up!”
“Wooyeon…”
“And it’s a milestone day too. Oh, put your stuff in the back.”
“Thanks.”

As I loaded my small amount of luggage, I noticed a random blanket.

[~Once again, a new adventure here~
Second World]

“……”

A tacky blanket that didn’t match the car at all.

But there was no way I could say that to my friend humming happily.

“Hehe, isn’t this great?”

I boarded the passenger seat quietly with blurred vision.

Wooyeon grinned.

“Our Danha is finally playing DW!”
“I said I’m just trying it.”
“Still, it’s great. My sales pitch finally worked.”

I lightly protested, but it didn’t reach her at all.

‘Oh boy.’

When she’s like this, reason doesn’t work.

I decided to wait it out and looked out the window instead.

As we left the business district, electronic billboards increased.

[<Ultra-Short 6-Week Guide> Become an Official Second World Player]
[Don’t go far to find yourself after retirement! ~Enjoy DW for just 1 million won~]
[Earn 10 million won a month through gaming* DW guide for side hustlers]

Among the chaotic ads, the name “Second World” stood out.

‘As expected of a Blime game.’

I admired the game’s popularity internally, but Wooyeon reacted differently.

“Ugh. What is that? False advertising much.”
“…That bad?”
“Of course it is! Total nonsense! Well, not completely nonsense, but you definitely can’t do it like that!”

Her intense reaction made me feel oddly awkward.

‘Well, no way gaming is easy money…’

“Well, it’s not bad as pocket money.”
“Huh?”
“DW is decent for casual play.”

That last line made me widen my eyes.

‘You can actually make money?’

And by Wooyeon’s rich-kid standards, “decent” meant at least an average salary.

A world where individuals could earn real money just by gaming.

It was unimaginable.

“But if you really want to make money, you need at least fifty million won by role. Character upkeep alone is insane. Taxes too…”
“Wow.”

I didn’t fully understand what followed, but my impression stayed the same.

As I admired the unknown world she described, the topic suddenly turned to me.

“So why farming gold? You want to? Want help?”

Completely missing the point.

“That’s not it!”
“Huh? I thought you were doing it for money?”

I panicked at the misunderstanding.

“I can’t even earn money. I need unemployment benefits.”
“Ah.”

We arrived home mid-conversation.

I got out with a long sigh and continued,

“And I can just be curious. It’s DW.”
‘Second World’, aka ‘DW’.

This virtual reality game developed by Blime was famous in many ways.

From technology to mainstream success.

It shattered metrics and became a full-fledged trend.

It was hard not to be interested.

“And the timing was good.”

The only barrier to entry was the capsule needed to play.

“A light version’s coming out right when I’m free.”
“Hmmm.”
“So I figured I’d try it.”

Now was the time.

I tapped the box that had arrived earlier.

The body-sized box read Blime, Second World, and Light.

The newly released Second World Light device.

It reduced the price and size of the capsule, lowering the entry barrier.

“But if you want to play properly, you still need a capsule. Light has a lot of limits…”
“I’m just trying it.”

Despite mediocre specs and price, it was very popular due to its clear advantages.

‘To veteran users, it probably looks different.’

“But still… No, I guess if you say so. Seriously. If only there were capsule rooms for times like this.”

Seeing Wooyeon with so much to say, I shrugged.

As long as I could play, that was enough.

She narrowed her eyes, then suddenly shouted,

“I don’t care! Anyway, you’re starting, so I’ll just focus on that. Are you playing right away?”
“No. Probably in a day or two.”
“Great! Then let’s do it this weekend. Today we’ll prepare. I’ll lecture you!”
“You staying over?”
“Maybe? I have spare clothes.”
“What?”

Her exaggerated movements made me laugh.

“Want to order chicken?”
“Sure.”
“Then I’m ordering!”

I watched her pick a menu.

“Hey, Danha.”
“…Yeah?”

She suddenly spoke seriously.

“DW is really fun.”
“…I know.”

Listening quietly, I started to see her point.

“But that’s not all. It’s really close to real life, so people find themselves there.”
“Ah.”

I understood what she was getting at.

“So you might find a new hobby too.”
“Maybe.”

She was worried about me.

About how I still hadn’t escaped the day I quit music.