The room remained silent long after the System window disappeared.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
[MAIN QUEST]
Enter the cast of Star Dust.
Difficulty: S
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Jiwon stared at the glowing words.
“…Yeah, right.”
A bitter laugh escaped him.
Enter Star Dust?
The System might as well have told him to fly.
Slowly, he stood.
His gaze slowly drifted toward the corner of the room.
The guitar was still there.
Exactly where he had left it on the day he regressed.
Jiwon crouched beside it.
For a moment, he simply stared.
Then he picked it up.
The familiar weight settled into his hands.
And immediately something felt wrong.
Not the guitar.
Him.
A faint frown appeared on his face.
He adjusted his grip.
Then adjusted it again.
Why does this feel awkward?
“No way…”
His brows furrowed.
“It shouldn’t feel this strange.”
He sat down on the edge of the bed and placed the guitar across his lap.
His fingers moved toward the fretboard.
Instinctively.
Almost automatically.
Then stopped.
A strange emptiness filled his mind.
The chord he wanted to make was there.
Somewhere.
He could almost remember it.
Almost.
His fingers shifted uncertainly.
Was it this?
No.
Maybe this.
No.
After several seconds, he pressed down on the strings and strummed.
TWANG.
The ugly sound echoed through the room.
Jiwon’s face stiffened.
“…Wow.”
He tried again.
The result wasn’t much better.
One note buzzed.
Another didn’t ring at all.
His fingers felt stiff.
Slow.
Unfamiliar.
As though they belonged to someone else.
A bitter laugh escaped him.
He remembered loving music.
He remembered practicing.
He remembered dreaming.
But when it came to the actual skill…
The decades from his previous life had erased far more than he realized.
The knowledge was there.
Somewhere.
Buried beneath years and years of neglect.
Like an old language he hadn’t spoken in forever.
Jiwon looked down at his fingertips.
Then at the quest window.
Then back at the guitar.
For the first time since receiving the Main Quest, he understood something.
The problem wasn’t getting into Star Dust.
The problem was much more basic.
He had to learn how to play again.
And judging by the sound that had just come out of the guitar…
That was going to be a lot harder than he wanted to admit.
“At least I haven’t lost my ability to embarrass myself.”
The joke did little to improve his mood.
His fingers felt sluggish.
Stiff.
Clumsy.
His eyes drifted toward the laptop sitting on his desk.
“Maybe I should start with some tutorials.”
Without realizing it, a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
The next day, dark circles hung beneath Jiwon’s eyes.
“Stayed up all night or something?”
Minjae asked, throwing an arm around his shoulders.
“You have no idea.”
And he wasn’t exaggerating.
He had spent the entire night playing guitar.
Or, more accurately, trying to learn how to play it again.
Jiwon blinked twice.
A familiar blue screen appeared before his eyes.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
[IDOL SYSTEM — STATUS]
Host: Han Jiwon
Age: 18
APPEARANCE
Face: 13 / 25
Potential: 92
Physique: 19 / 30
Potential: 88
Skin: 16 / 25
Potential: 94
Style: 8 / 20
Potential: 91
Presence: 7 / 20
Potential: 98
PERFORMANCE
Singing: 16 / 45
Potential: 100
Dancing: 8 / 40
Potential: 93
Rapping: 6 / 35
Potential: 61
Acting: 10 / 30
Potential: 79
MENTAL
Confidence: 5 / 20
Focus: 9 / 25
Free Points: 0
CAP LOCKS: [LOCKED]
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
[SKILLS]
Guitar: D-
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
An entire night.
An entire night just to barely remember a couple of basic chords.
And yet, he had never been happier.
“So?
You coming tonight?”
Minjae asked, adjusting the strap of his duffel bag.
“Yawn…
I’ll think about it.
I’m a little tired.”
Minjae stared at him as if he’d just said the dumbest thing imaginable.
“Tired?
That’s your excuse?”
“It seems pretty valid to me.”
“Nope.”
Minjae immediately shook his head.
“Everyone’s coming.”
“I can survive missing one game.”
“And how exactly am I supposed to play without my number one fan?”
Jiwon snorted.
“Number one fan?”
“That’s right.”
Minjae placed a hand over his chest.
“Supporting me is basically a full-time job.”
“Pretty sure I never applied.”
“You were automatically enrolled.”
Jiwon laughed despite himself.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Why.
*Scrik*
Why am I even here?
*Scri-Scrik*
“LET’S GO, BAEKHO!
LET’S GO, TIGERS!”
Jiwon slowly raised his head.
The noise of the gymnasium crashed over him all at once.
Sneakers squeaking against the hardwood.
Basketballs pounding against the floor.
Students screaming from the bleachers.
Drums.
Applause.
Whistles.
The sharp cries of players calling for the ball.
Jiwon sighed.
I could’ve stayed home.
The game had only just begun.
And yet—
The atmosphere already felt like a battlefield.
His eyes scanned the court.
Then he found him.
Number 7.
Minjae.
His bright red hair was impossible to miss, burning against the pristine white of the Baekho High White Tigers uniform.
He was constantly moving.
Bouncing lightly on his toes.
Pointing at his teammates.
Calling out plays.
Laughing.
Smiling.
Like there wasn’t a single place in the world he’d rather be.
Jiwon shook his head.
He’s always been like this.
The referee’s whistle cut through the noise.
The opposing team took possession.
Their point guard immediately pushed the pace.
Fast.
Too fast.
But Seojun was already there.
Number 9.
Shorter than most of the players on the court, but absurdly quick.
The point guard crossed left.
Seojun followed.
Right.
Seojun stayed with him.
A sudden hesitation.
Seojun didn’t bite.
The point guard clenched his teeth.
Damn.
He tried to accelerate past him.
Seojun’s hand flashed out.
SLAP!
The ball flew loose.
“STEAL!”
The gym erupted.
Seojun snatched the ball and immediately fired it forward.
Minjae caught it near half court.
A defender stepped up.
One dribble.
Two.
Minjae lowered his body.
The defender shifted his weight.
And then—
BANG!
A vicious crossover.
The defender stumbled.
Minjae exploded past him.
Another defender rushed out from the paint.
For a split second, Minjae seemed to be heading straight into him.
Jiwon leaned forward.
He’s trapped.
Minjae planted his foot.
Stopped.
Then changed direction.
The defender reached for him—
Too late.
Minjae slipped past his shoulder.
The entire defense collapsed.
“MINJAE!”
Hyunwoo was already underneath the basket.
Minjae didn’t even look at him.
He simply tossed the ball toward the rim.
BAM!
Hyunwoo caught it and slammed it through.
The backboard shook.
The gym exploded.
But before the cheers could even settle—
The Tigers were already running.
“BACK!
BACK!”
The opposing team inbounded immediately.
Their point guard sprinted up the court.
Seojun turned and chased him.
The Tigers had numbers.
Three against two.
The ball moved to the wing.
A defender stepped up.
The Tigers didn’t slow down.
A pass.
Another pass.
Then—
SWISH.
A fast-break three.
The crowd went silent for half a second.
Then the Tigers’ bench erupted.
Minjae clicked his tongue.
“Too slow!”
Jiwon blinked.
That fast?
One possession.
A steal.
A dunk.
Then a counterattack.
The game had suddenly become a war of momentum.
Hyunwoo calmly grabbed the ball beneath the basket.
“Settle down.”
His voice wasn’t loud.
It didn’t need to be.
The others immediately regrouped.
Jiwon watched him carefully.
Hyunwoo was different from the others.
He seemed to be the center of gravity of the entire team.
Calm.
Solid.
Always in the right position.
He didn’t need to draw attention to himself.
His presence was enough.
“He’s good,” Jiwon muttered.
The student sitting beside him nodded.
“Hyunwoo?
Yeah.
He’s basically our wall.”
As if to prove the point, the opposing center drove toward the basket on the next possession.
He rose.
BAM!
Hyunwoo met him at the rim.
A monstrous block.
The ball ricocheted away.
“BLOCK!”
The gym exploded again.
Hyunwoo landed first.
The ball bounced toward the sideline.
Minjae was already moving.
He snatched it.
And ran.
No hesitation.
No waiting for the offense to form.
Just pure speed.
The opposing players scrambled back.
Minjae crossed half court.
One defender was waiting.
The crowd began to rise.
Minjae slowed.
For just a moment.
The defender lowered his stance.
Ready.
Minjae stared directly into his eyes.
Then—
BOOM.
A crossover.
The ball snapped from right to left.
The defender followed.
Minjae crossed it back.
BOOM.
The defender’s feet tangled.
His balance disappeared.
He stumbled sideways—
Then fell hard onto the hardwood.
THUD!
The gym went insane.
“OOOOOOOOHHHHHH!”
Jiwon’s eyes widened.
He dropped him.
Minjae didn’t even look back.
He was already inside the paint.
The opposing center stepped forward.
Huge.
Broad shoulders.
A wall between Minjae and the rim.
The center planted both feet.
“Not happening.”
Minjae’s eyes narrowed.
He gathered the ball.
One step.
Two.
He jumped.
The center jumped too.
BAM!
They collided in midair.
Shoulder against chest.
The impact echoed through the gym.
For a split second, Minjae’s body twisted from the collision.
But he refused to give up the ball.
He extended his arm around the center.
And somehow—
CRASH!
The ball slammed through the rim.
The force of the dunk rattled the entire basket.
Minjae came down awkwardly, stumbling into the center before finally landing on his feet.
The gym was completely deafening.
The fallen defender was still on the floor.
The center stared at Minjae in disbelief.
Minjae simply grinned.
“Too small.”
Jiwon stared.
That idiot…
Then he realized he was smiling.
The Tigers’ bench erupted.
Seojun sprinted toward Minjae.
“YOU’RE INSANE!”
Minjae laughed.
“I know!”
Hyunwoo shook his head.
“Get back on defense.”
“Yeah, yeah!”
The referee blew his whistle.
Play resumed.
And somehow—
The game became even faster.
Taesung stood beyond the three-point line.
Number 11.
He barely moved.
He simply waited.
Minjae brought the ball up.
A quick hand gesture.
Taesung understood immediately.
Minjae drove.
Two defenders collapsed.
The pass came.
Taesung caught it.
No hesitation.
SWISH.
Three points.
The bench erupted.
Taesung simply turned and jogged back on defense.
Minjae ran past him and slapped him on the shoulder.
“THAT’S MY GUY!”
Taesung gave him a small nod.
“You’re too loud.”
“You love it.”
“I don’t.”
“You do.”
“I don’t.”
Jiwon smiled.
They really are in sync.
The game continued.
And with every possession, Jiwon became more absorbed.
Minjae was everywhere.
Defending.
Running.
Passing.
Scoring.
But he never tried to do everything himself.
When Seojun accelerated, Minjae gave him space.
When Hyunwoo established position under the basket, Minjae immediately looked for him.
When Taesung found an opening beyond the three-point line, Minjae barely needed to look.
A slight movement of his head.
A pass.
A shot.
It was almost as if they already knew what the others were going to do.
Jiwon found himself leaning forward more and more.
At first, he had barely been paying attention.
Now—
He was following every possession.
Every movement.
Every shot.
Every change in momentum.
The scoreboard read:
BAEKHO TIGERS 57 — 59 SEUL EAGLES
Thirty seconds remained.
The gym had become deafening.
The Tigers had possession.
Minjae received the ball.
The opposing defense immediately collapsed around him.
One defender in front.
Another to his right.
Minjae looked for an opening.
Nothing.
He passed to Seojun.
Seojun drove.
The defense closed the gap.
He pulled back.
The ball returned to Minjae.
Ten seconds.
Minjae glanced at the scoreboard.
Then at his teammates.
Hyunwoo was positioned beneath the basket.
Taesung was open on the perimeter.
Minjae’s eyes narrowed.
He knew exactly what he had to do.
He drove.
One-on-one.
Then two-on-one.
The defender stepped in front of him.
Minjae jumped.
Jiwon leaned forward without realizing it.
Pass.
As if Minjae could hear him—
He did exactly that.
The ball flew across the court.
Taesung caught it.
Three-point line.
He rose.
Released.
SWISH.
For one second—
Silence.
Then—
BUZZZZZZ!
The scoreboard changed.
BAEKHO TIGERS 60 — 59 SEUL EAGLES
The gym exploded.
The players rushed onto the court.
Seojun jumped onto Minjae’s back.
Hyunwoo slapped him on the shoulder.
Taesung was immediately surrounded by his teammates.
Minjae was laughing.
Jiwon stood up with everyone else in the bleachers.
He didn’t even realize he had done it.
His eyes found Minjae.
In the middle of the chaos, Minjae looked up toward the stands.
Their eyes met.
Minjae pointed at himself.
Then at the court.
Finally, he raised both hands and made an exaggerated victory sign.
Jiwon burst out laughing.
He gave him a thumbs-up.
Minjae’s grin grew even wider.
No words.
They didn’t need any.
Jiwon slowly sat back down.
Maybe coming here wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
Then he looked back at the court.
Minjae had already been dragged away by his teammates.
Jiwon shook his head.
Even if he’s still an idiot.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
The gymnasium had finally begun to empty.
The deafening roar of the crowd had faded into scattered conversations and the occasional squeak of sneakers against the floor.
Jiwon stepped outside.
Cold evening air brushed against his face.
He exhaled.
Finally.
He slipped his hands into his pockets.
That was exhausting.
Not because he had played.
He hadn’t.
But watching Minjae run around like a maniac for an entire game had somehow drained him too.
“JIWON!”
Jiwon stopped.
He already knew who it was.
He slowly turned around.
Minjae came running out of the gym.
His red hair was still damp with sweat, sticking slightly to his forehead.
He had changed out of his jersey.
Now he wore a loose black hoodie, gray sweatpants, and white sneakers.
Even after an entire game, he somehow still looked energetic.
Jiwon stared at him.
Where does he get all that energy?
Minjae stopped in front of him.
“You’re not leaving yet, right?”
“I was planning to.”
“Perfect!”
“…That doesn’t make sense.”
Minjae grinned.
“Come with us.”
“Where?”
“Karaoke.”
Jiwon stared at him.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want to.”
“That’s not a reason.”
“It is.”
Minjae grabbed Jiwon’s shoulder.
“Come on.”
“No.”
“Just for an hour.”
“No.”
“Thirty minutes.”
“No.”
“One song.”
“Especially no.”
Minjae looked genuinely offended.
“One song!
That’s all I’m asking!”
“You don’t understand.
I don’t sing.”
“You literally have a mouth.”
“That’s not how singing works.”
Minjae laughed.
Before Jiwon could escape, more players began walking out of the gym.
Seojun was the first.
He had changed into a navy bomber jacket over a white T-shirt, with black jeans and a pair of high-top sneakers.
He looked smaller outside the basketball uniform.
Compact.
Lean.
Sharp-featured.
His dark hair was slightly messy from the game, giving him an almost rebellious look.
Behind him came Taesung.
Tall and slender, with straight black hair falling neatly over his forehead.
He wore a cream-colored knit sweater and dark trousers.
Even dressed casually, he looked composed.
Almost elegant.
Then came Hyunwoo.
Jiwon stopped for a moment.
…Seriously?
The captain had changed into a simple black T-shirt beneath a dark jacket.
His broad shoulders made the jacket look almost too small.
His hair was still slightly damp, pushed back from his forehead.
He had the kind of face that didn’t need a smile to look intimidating.
Calm eyes.
Strong jawline.
A quiet, effortless presence.
And standing beside him—
Minjae.
Jiwon blinked.
Minjae was tall.
Very tall.
Around 6’3″.
Yet beside Hyunwoo, he somehow looked almost average.
How tall is the captain…?
Minjae noticed Jiwon’s stare.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You were staring.”
“I wasn’t.”
“You definitely were.”
Jiwon looked away.
Annoying.
More teammates joined them.
The entire group looked completely different outside the court.
On the basketball floor, they had looked like athletes.
Now they looked like a group of completely different people who had somehow ended up together.
Seojun stretched his arms.
“Are we actually going?”
“Obviously,” Minjae said.
Taesung sighed.
“You said that last time.”
“And it was fun.”
“You broke the microphone.”
“That was an accident.”
“You threw the microphone.”
“I got emotional.”
Hyunwoo rubbed his forehead.
“Let’s just go.”
Minjae immediately pointed at Jiwon.
“He’s coming too.”
Hyunwoo glanced at Jiwon.
“Is he?”
Jiwon raised a hand.
“No.”
Minjae’s smile disappeared.
“What?”
“I’m going home.”
“But—”
“No.”
“Why?”
“I don’t sing.”
“You don’t have to sing!”
Jiwon looked at him.
“Then why would I go to karaoke?”
Minjae opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
He thought for a moment.
“…Fair point.”
Jiwon turned around.
“Have fun.”
He took one step.
Then—
DING.
Jiwon stopped.
His expression changed.
A familiar blue window appeared in front of his eyes.
No one else reacted.
Of course.
They couldn’t see it.
Jiwon’s eyes slowly widened.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
[SIDE QUEST]
Title: Sing Before the Crowd
Objective:
Sing one complete song in front of a group of people.
Participants Required: 3+
Reward:
+5 Free Stat Points
Bonus Condition:
Complete the quest without leaving the room.
Failure:
None.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Jiwon stared at the screen.
Five.
Free.
Stat.
Points.
His breathing stopped for a second.
…Five?
Jiwon slowly turned around.
Minjae was still staring at him.
“Changed your mind?”
Jiwon looked at the group.
Then at Minjae.
Then back at the glowing quest.
+5 Free Stat Points.
His eyes narrowed.
It’s just one song.
He sighed.
“Fine.”
Minjae’s face lit up.
“YES!”
“But I’m only staying for one song.”
“Sure!”
“And I’m not drinking.”
“Okay!”
“And I’m not singing anything embarrassing.”
“Of course!”
“And if you laugh—”
“I won’t!”
Jiwon stared at him.
Minjae raised both hands.
“I swear.”
Seojun grinned.
“This is going to be hilarious.”
Jiwon glared at him.
“Don’t make me regret this.”
Taesung quietly smiled.
“You already do.”
“Shut up.”
Hyunwoo started walking.
“Let’s go.”
The others followed.
Minjae fell into step beside Jiwon.
He leaned closer.
“So…
what are you going to sing?”
Jiwon stared straight ahead.
“I have no idea.”
Minjae grinned.
“Then pick something easy.”
Jiwon glanced at him.
Easy.
His eyes flickered.
Somewhere in the corner of his vision, the System window was still there.
[Reward: +5 Free Stat Points]
Jiwon clenched his fist inside his pocket.
For five points…
He sighed.
I can survive one song.
The group disappeared into the night.
And none of them noticed the faint blue glow hovering beside Jiwon’s face.
[Side Quest Accepted]