READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 30
Chapter 30
The effects of mind control were amazing!
Just thinking about losing the promotion match due to missing a low-health ranged dealer still made my blood pressure rise, waking me up with a start in the middle of the night.
Ah, thinking about it makes me angry again!
I fumed.
“……!”
Ban Yo-han, who made eye contact with me, flinched for a moment. The team members watching me from behind also reacted similarly.
I ignored everyone and focused only on my task.
‘Feel it, feel it. Let’s bring out the feeling.’
My hand, which felt unusually long, wrapped around Ban Yo-han’s neck without being rough, but lingering like a poison that one couldn’t escape once addicted.
“Wow, you’re a completely different person.”
After finishing the short killing part, I heard someone say.
[You impressed many with your short performance. Acting +3]
[Ban Yo-han is watching your potential closely. Ban Yo-han’s favorability +3 Current favorability +32]
[Kim Sejong, Song Jung-hwan, and Han Da-hoon have changed their evaluation of you. Kim Sejong, Song Jung-hwan, Han Da-hoon favorability +2]
However, when I checked the individual favorability of Kim Sejong, Song Jung-hwan, and Han Da-hoon, all three were still negative.
They weren’t as disastrous as True trainees, including Oh Hyun-jin, but at this point, I suspected that the favorability originally started in the negative.
I etched the favorability status of the three into a corner of my mind and spoke to Ban Yo-han, who had suffered from being strangled by six people.
“Hyung, good job.”
“Thank you, Yo-han hyung.”
“Not at all. I learned a lot too.”
[Ban Yo-han is somewhat annoyed by this situation.]
His pretense was now almost respectable.
Anyway, Ban Yo-han, who smiled kindly, wrapped up the situation.
“Shall we vote now? On the count of three, point to the person you think should be the center.”
“Sounds good.”
“If there is a tie, we will have a re-vote among the tied individuals.”
“Okay.”
“One, two, three!”
The results were mixed.
Oh Hyun-jin received votes from me, Song Jung-hwan, and Ji Yeon-woo, making it three votes. I received votes from Ban Yo-han, Kim Sejong, and Han Da-hoon, making it three votes. Ji Yeon-woo received a vote from Oh Hyun-jin.
“Then Hyun-jin and Raon will have a re-vote. This time, both of you close your eyes and bow your heads.”
Following Ban Yo-han’s words, Oh Hyun-jin and I bowed our heads and closed our eyes.
“One, two, three.”
Silence followed.
“You can lift your heads now.”
Ban Yo-han, who spoke, had a meaningful smile. He looked like a villain enjoying things going according to his plan.
“The center of our team is!”
He looked genuinely amused.
“On Raon trainee.”
“Won by one vote.”
“Congratulations, Raon.”
Kim Sejong attached a sticker symbolizing the center to my clothes.
It was a pink heart-shaped sticker with a shimmering yellow effect.
I bowed and thanked my team members for their ceremonial applause.
“Thank you. I’ll work hard.”
I really needed to work hard.
If I didn’t practice hard after becoming the center, I’d be doomed.
* * *
Except for the subtle tension between Ji Yeon-woo and Oh Hyun-jin vying for the main vocal position, the part distribution went smoothly.
Incidentally, Ji Yeon-woo, who originally had a vocal position, claimed the main vocal spot with strong appeal.
The subsequent choreography practice was led by Oh Hyun-jin, who claimed to know the choreography.
And it seemed like Oh Hyun-jin, either in retaliation for the first-place chair incident or out of frustration at not becoming the center, was chewing me out.
“Stop for a moment. Raon, the step sequence is different.”
……He clearly said he didn’t want anything to do with me.
I didn’t understand why he had forgotten that and was now showing this burdensome interest in me.
It wasn’t just once or twice, but he kept interrupting, causing the team members to glance at me frequently.
If this situation were broadcast, regardless of the truth, I could be edited to look incompetent.
Normally, it wouldn’t be a big enough mistake to stop practice on the first day of choreography, but what would the broadcasting station care about that?
They’d love to make a story about a center who couldn’t focus on practice.
Whether he knew the outcome or not.
‘Who cares.’
Whether he was deliberately messing with me or not, the result was the same. Ultimately, he was just being a jerk to me.
Knowing that, I couldn’t continue to let him have his way.
Since I had become the center, erasing Oh Hyun-jin’s presence on stage… might still be difficult given my current level.
Regardless, I decided to perform excellently, making him regret every time he saw my face for not becoming the center.
A quest arrived.
[Unexpected Quest:
[▶ Quest Description: You criticize me? I’ll criticize you. Show those who overstep their boundaries what you’re made of. First, master the choreography within the time limit. (Time limit: 1 hour)
▶ Guaranteed Reward: Some experience points, Stat Points +5
▶ Penalty for Failure: ???]
[Y/N]
[This quest cannot be refused.]
[It is automatically accepted and ongoing.]
It was hard to pinpoint where to start being dumbfounded. Why was the system criticizing me, you crazy thing?
But at the same time, my gamer instinct screamed.
‘This is one of those rare sweet reward quests in a crappy game!’
Moreover, since there was a ① attached to this quest, there would likely be more rewards to be reaped in future quests.
From the moment the quest was forcibly accepted, a holographic timer started running in the corner of my vision.
[00:59:21]
There was no time. My luck wasn’t great, and even if I watched the 3-minute and 30-second video a lot, I could only watch it 17 times.
Before Oh Hyun-jin could interfere further, I spoke up.
“Then I’ll review the choreography again by watching the video.”
“Will watching it help?”
Of course, would I say I’d do it if it wouldn’t? He’s even more twisted than Ban Yo-han.
“He practiced Heart Attack that way too. Since he says so, let’s give him some time.”
Ban Yo-han, who had amazed everyone by memorizing the choreography and lyrics in a short time, added.
Kim Sejong, who had subtly had his leadership role taken by Oh Hyun-jin, quickly nodded.
“If there’s anything difficult, just let us know.”
I nodded with a smile, careful not to appear annoyed.
I grabbed my tablet and sat against the wall, and a camera from the other side followed me.
The situation was perfect for a caption like ‘On Raon trainee only watches the choreography video, unable to focus on practice’ while showing our team practicing and me sitting alone on one screen.
Therefore, I paid attention to keep my expression focused, not slackening, making it clear to anyone that I was working hard, occasionally making small movements as I repeatedly watched the stage video.
And watching it diligently now would help in some way later, so it was better not to watch it perfunctorily just for memorization.
After all, wasn’t I watching the video during practice time?
It was right to consider this as part of practice.
I focused on the details of Muk Hye-sung’s gaze, expressions, dance lines, and breathing in the video.
Thanks to the recent advancements, the broadcasting station’s YouTube channel had uploaded individual fan cams one by one.
“Wow……”
The more I watched, the more I was in awe.
At this point in the video, Muk Hye-sung seemed to be the best among the members in terms of overall skills.
Of course, it wasn’t that the other Chronicle members were noticeably lacking in skills.
Three out of the five members were main vocal level, and there were no conspicuous dance gaps.
But Muk Hye-sung, what should I say, lived up to his unique name.
‘How can he sing so cleanly while dancing like that? He must be over thirty; are his joints okay? Is it because he’s a super character in the game?’
When asked if I would attempt to memorize the choreography, I eagerly hit Y, wanting to start the video from the beginning again.
At that moment.
[Choreography: TOXIC – has been added to the choreography list.]
All the vague movements, timing, and other information floating in my mind were instantly organized.
TOXIC was added below Catalina and Heart Attack in the choreography list. Understanding was about 15%.
[Unexpected Quest
[You have been rewarded with +5 Stat Points and some experience points.]
My level even went up, and I got 10 leftover stat points at once.
If I invested all of this in charm……
“You look happy. Did it go well?”
Ban Yo-han, who was taking a break while sitting on the floor, saw my face filled with joy at the thought of adding to my charm stat and spoke to me.
Because of that, I missed the timing to press the buttons in the air to add to my stats.
That guy was very smart among the NPCs here, so he might notice something strange about my actions.
I turned off
the information window for now and answered.
“Yeah. Want to see?”
“No?”
“Sometimes you have to do what you don’t want to do.”
So just watch without talking.
Before Ban Yo-han could say something that would irritate me again, I hummed a song and danced from start to finish.
Soon, other team members also came over to watch me.
“How was it?”
“Wow. Great.”
“Be more specific.”
“No one here dances more precisely than you.”
…He’s not someone who usually compliments so easily? But it feels good.
Anyway, with this, my dance was at least ‘accurate’.
I didn’t know how impressive Oh Hyun-jin was, but he wouldn’t be able to make trivial criticisms anymore.
“……”
I made eye contact with Oh Hyun-jin, who had been watching me from the front.
He looked at me like I was a completely different person. Actually, this wasn’t the first time he had looked at me like that.
Was the difference in skill so great before and after memorization?
I didn’t think I looked that different.
“You’ve improved… a lot.”
“Right?”
“I was worried you wouldn’t keep up. But you did well.”
“Well, I have the basics I learned at the company. I can do this much.”
As soon as I confidently said that while puffing out my chest, a notification popped up in front of my eyes.
[Oh Hyun-jin is suspicious of you.]
What the heck. Did I say something wrong? Didn’t I practice for three years at True?
I heard True was a well-established major company, unlike my previous company, which barely taught any basics.
…Actually, that was just my assumption since I didn’t know On Raon’s past setting, so it was true I had to be careful.
But was there really something suspicious in what I just said?
Every time an NPC’s suspicion notification appeared, like with Ban Yo-han before, it made my heart race.
I had no idea what penalty would be given if NPCs found out I wasn’t On Raon but On Hae-jae.
These NPCs seemed like real people, the game system seemed to have a personality, and there seemed to be some resemblance between On Raon and me.
What was this damn game, and what would happen to me?
I really had no idea.