Wow. This system is even crazier than I thought.
The moment I opened my eyes, a transparent dialogue box blinked into existence like some cheap sci-fi hologram. And guess what? It was already yelling at me with my first task.
I read it. Then reread it.Then rage started bubbling in my chest like soda shaken too hard.
"Is this some kind of cruel joke?!" I shouted, voice echoing off the walls of my empty room. "How the hell am I supposed to bring this band to the top when my own life is an active dumpster fire?!"
Before the system could throw in one of its usual smartass replies, the door creaked open.
Standing there was him.
Casey. My old bandmate. My emotionally unavailable, frustratingly charming former bandmate.
He looked like he'd just seen a ghost, or worse, me crying. His face twisted in a mix of concern and are-you-okay-or-do-I-need-to-call-security kind of look.
"What the hell is going on here?" he asked, rubbing his temples like he already regretted coming in.
I didn't answer. I sprinted forward and hugged him like I was drowning and he was a damn floatie.
"Dan, what the hell?!" Tears. Actual tears came out of my traitor eyes. I was sobbing into his shirt like we were in some budget drama series.
"I thought you were gone," I croaked, still clinging to him like a koala with abandonment issues. "I thought I lost everything again."
Casey struggled like he was being attacked by a wild animal. "Let go of me, Dan! What's gotten into you?!"
I didn't care. Emotion tsunami. Floodgates were wide open. Then he pushed me.
Hard.
"AH-hyung!" I yelped, stumbling backward straight into the sharp corner of my old bed. Perfect. Now my emotional trauma had a matching head wound.
Ding!
As if summoned by my misery, the system's box blinked again.
[Name- Casey Kim.
Stage Name- Casey
Age- 24 years old.
Nation- Korean American.
Currently a member of the band Wizardy. Positions in the group - main rapper, lead dancer]
"You don't have to tell me that," I yelled in my head, my voice trembling with frustration. "I know who he is!"
[This is my job. Please don't bother.]
As usual, this stupid system mocked me.
Casey sighed and turned to leave, still rubbing his shoulder from my death grip."Come eat," he said over his shoulder, leaving the door wide open like some ominous invitation.
I looked around my room, the same one I grew up in, now reduced to a memory museum.
With a breath and one last attempt to fix my disaster hair, I stepped out.
Oh right… I forgot to mention.
I have a big, bad temper. Like, don't-poke-the-bear-unless-you-want-it-to-throw-furniture kind of temper.
The dorm used to be chaotic until the others decided: Give Dan his own room. For safety reasons.So now I had my personal cave of doom, while the rest dealt with each other like actual human beings.
Unlike Casey, who could navigate any social storm with a wink and a sarcastic remark, I was the emotional grenade in every situation.
That's why Casey was the only one brave or stupid enough to talk to me regularly.
I made it to the living room. It was still the same messy chaos I remembered.
Four guys sitting around a small table, yelling over each other like a live-action group chat.
Casey had his arms crossed like a strict dad about to ground everyone. The rest were just… loud.
Honestly, I missed this.
"Ah, Dan!" Tim waved at me like I wasn't a walking disaster. Sweet Tim. Always so annoyingly nice.
Then,
Ding! Ding! Ding!
[Name- Wang Linyu
Stage Name- Tim
Age- 25 years old.
Nation- Chinese
Currently a member of the band Wizardy. Positions in the group - main dancer, vocalist]
[Name- Kim Ryo Jin
Stage Name- Ryan
Age- 24 years old.
Nation- South Korean
Currently a member of the band Wizardy. Positions in the group - leader, vocalist]
[Name- Jung soo bin
Stage Name- Robin
Age- 22 years old.
Nation- South Korean
Currently a member of the band Wizardy. Positions in the group - rapper, sub vocalist, maknae]
"Would you please cancel this personal introduction function?" I pleaded, my eyes straining from the incessant barrage of information.
[Are you sure about that?] the system inquired.
""Oh yes. YES. One thousand percent sure," I affirmed.
Tim, upon noticing my presence, seemed a bit flustered. He quickly scanned the food tray, his eyes betraying a hint of anxiety. "I got you the meat ones. Did you want to come eat with us?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.
I blinked.Tim… was being nice. Again.
Despite having lived together in this dorm for two years, I had never formed a close bond with any of my fellow members.
It was at this moment that I caught a glimpse of a message hidden within the corner of the dialog box.
[Starting points - 100. OUT OF CHARACTER BEHAVIOR!!!!!!! Deducted ten points.]
Wha-
This ridiculous system had not even bothered to warn me beforehand. I had never encountered such a nonsensical and poorly designed AI!
[Just like having seen a system before.]
There it went, mocking me once again.
I wanted to sit. I wanted to eat with them.But the system exploded in warning bells like I was about to commit high treason.
[DANGER DETECTED! Lee Dan of the past always ate alone. Would you be willing to exchange fifty points for dining with them?]
What the fuck?!!!!!!!
"I'll eat in the room." Consumed by a surge of anger, I managed to grab a dish of vegetables before retreating to my room. My abrupt departure was met with no surprise or concern, a testament to my frequent outbursts.
I collapsed onto the bed, reluctantly forcing eat down the vegetables.
I remember Tim was always kind to me, no matter how hard I was to them. Even so, all I did was hurt them every day. You are a terrible bastard, Lee Dan!
Wizardy, the group I joined in 2021, had achieved nothing since our debut. The weight of our failures and my shortcomings pressed down upon me, threatening to crush my spirit.
The system's reappearance, accompanied by a jarring 'ding' sound, only exacerbated my frustration.
[Please make sure you accept your first task.]
"Don't you realize that's impossible?" I exclaimed, my voice laced with exasperation.
"You want me to make this group top-tier on a survival show when people don't even know we EXIST?!"
The system's response was devoid of empathy.
[That's your problem, not mine. So, do you accept the task?]
"Can I refuse?" I inquired, a glimmer of hope flickering within me.
The system's response was swift and unwavering.
[No.]
I slammed my hand against my forehead, my frustration boiling over. "Then why the hell are you asking me for an answer? Damn it!" I cursed, the weight of the system's demands pressing down upon me.