Genius Idol’s Strategy to Conquer the Entertainment Industry

Chapter 77

For a possessor, the family of the original body owner was always the top issue to avoid.

What parents wouldn’t be furious upon hearing that some stranger had taken over their child’s body?

…Actually, On Raon’s parents seemed fine with it.

Considering I hadn’t received a single text asking how I was doing all this time since I possessed him.

Initially, I was tense, wondering when an old acquaintance might contact me, but at some point, I concluded that no one would be reaching out to me, be it family or friends.

So, I assumed it was an issue I wouldn’t have to deal with here, nor would anyone from over there have to.

‘This is a segment that would be odd to skip in such a program, but…’

Can’t we just do without this unnecessary part?

“Um… my parents are busy, so they probably won’t be able to take the call.”

“Just try it anyway.”

The staff was firm.

Receiving the phone I had submitted at the start of the training camp, I entered the vocal practice room where a camera was set up and closed the door.

And then….

[Surprise Quest Activated! ]

[▶ Quest Description: Although a harmonious family is far from your reality…]

Skipping the usual nonsense introduction, I read only the parts relevant to me.

[Spin the roulette to obtain the phone number of a relative and share at least three hardships you’ve faced.

▶ Guaranteed Reward: ???

▶ Penalty for Failure: -100 Charm]

[This is a mandatory quest.]

[It will proceed automatically.]

Seeing the severe penalty, a roulette appeared before my eyes.

The roulette was divided into eight sections, labeled from first cousin to eighth cousin.

The roulette began to spin.

‘It’s one thing if it’s up to a cousin, but does an eighth cousin even know I exist? Aren’t eighth cousins just figures of speech?’

Starting from fifth cousins, which included my parents’ cousins, I wasn’t even sure if they should be considered family.

In this day and age, aren’t they practically strangers?

The roulette, which had been spinning so fast I couldn’t see the letters, began to slow down.

[You have obtained the phone number of .]

The phone in my hand unlocked and automatically entered a number starting with ‘010.’

It felt a bit eerie, as if a ghost were typing on the phone.

But what was scarier was the fact that I had no idea whose number I had received.

No, stay calm.

If it’s a fifth cousin, they might know ‘On Raon’ exists but not much about what kind of person he is.

It’s better than a parent or sibling.

Thinking this, I pressed the call button.

The signal rang for a while.

Just when I thought they might not pick up, the other person answered.

“Hello.”

– …….

There was no response.

“Hello?”

– ……Who is this?

It was a man’s voice, thick with sleep as if he had just woken up.

Even though it was the weekend, sleeping in until this time…

‘How enviable.’

In any case, since it wasn’t an elderly voice, I figured it must be on my parents’ cousin’s side.

“Hello. This is Raon. On Raon. I’m sorry to call you out of the blue. Do you remember me?”

– ……Yes, I do.

I was relieved.

Since they remembered me, it meant we weren’t so close that they’d notice anything strange in my behavior.

I quickly explained the situation to the still groggy person on the other end, not giving them a chance to interrupt.

“Do you know that I’m on Pick Heart? Pick Your Heart. The idol audition show. I’m currently participating in that and staying at a training camp. The production team gave us a mission to call a family member, but my parents are busy and probably won’t be able to answer, so I called you instead. Is this a good time for you?”

My abrupt and unreasonable request seemed to have flustered the person a bit.

I felt sorry because I would have felt the same.

– ……Alright.

Thankfully, the fifth cousin was kind.

I decided to finish everything while they were still half-asleep.

I felt like one of those awful people who call out of the blue to push insurance or funds.

What did the quest ask for again?

Oh, to share three hardships.

Even though it seemed odd to suddenly call a distant relative and say ‘I’m having a hard time.’

I was someone who could be shameless in the face of a crisis that threatened to drop my charm by 100 points.

“I’m currently practicing for the competition, so I only sleep about four hours a day. I’m really sleepy right now.”

– …That sounds tough.

It was a simple response anyone could give, but it made me feel a bit better, like a weight had been lifted.

“Every time a competition ends, I get sick. The filming goes on until late at night. Last time, I got a fever and was sick for a few days. It’s a bit hard each time there’s a competition.”

Since I mentioned being overworked and sick as a minor, it would likely be edited out, right? I hoped so.

“But you don’t have to worry. I’m healthy now.”

I added a comment for my fifth cousin who might have been shocked to hear that I had been ill.

Anyway, that’s two down.

“Like anyone else, when I’m staying at the training camp, I often think about going home. But when I’m home, I’m alone, so I don’t want to go that badly. But still, I think about home a lot.”

The quest completion window popped up, even though I hadn’t clearly stated what was hard.

Feeling sorry for the kind fifth cousin who had to wake up and listen to such stories, I decided not to prolong this strange call any further now that I had achieved my goal.

“Oh, I have to hang up now? Right away? Okay, understood. …I’m sorry. I have to go now. Thank you for listening, and I’m sorry again. Goodnight.”

Click.

I quickly pressed the end call button before the other person could say anything, then blocked the number and turned off the phone completely, feeling like I was burying an embarrassing memory.

‘I apologize sincerely to the fifth cousin who was disturbed from sleep…’

When I came out as if nothing had happened and handed my phone back, the staff, who had abruptly urged me to end the call, looked at me a bit strangely.

I offered an explanation.

“Since I don’t usually contact that relative, it was a bit awkward to do this. I’m sorry.”

“No worries. We were planning to end it soon anyway. We need to film the next person.”

Judging by how they didn’t even ask who I had called, it seemed this weird call wouldn’t be aired on the broadcast.

‘…Then why did they make us do it?’

Later, I heard that many participants cried while talking to their parents.

Maybe because it was right after the harsh mid-term evaluations, hearing their parents’ voices seemed to have brought out a lot of emotions.

There was no reason to broadcast my dry, unemotional call where I didn’t even switch to speaker mode.

The system merely mentioned that the quest reward would be given later.

It felt unpleasant, as if they weren’t paying me despite completing the task.

* * *

The final day of the training camp arrived in that state.

Last night, I was called out at 11 PM for a shoot where I had to talk about TMI or my unexpected charms, then woke up at dawn for another interview.

Spending six days with such a schedule left everyone, including myself, completely exhausted.

Having undergone multiple rapid recharges, my performance seemed to have declined, making me feel nauseous and light-headed.

“Make sure to rest. Don’t even think about practicing today.”

“If you still look unwell tomorrow, you won’t be joining the practice.”

The fact that my team members, who I was supposed to meet for practice the day before the rehearsal, said this showed how bad I looked.

I nodded in agreement and sent them off.

The reason I wasn’t leaving was…

[ Quest reward is being distributed.]

[Please wait at your current location.]

This message was blinking before my eyes.

How long had I been waiting?

Just as I was dozing off on the bench, I heard a car engine and lifted my head.

A taxi was parked right in front of me.

[The reward for the Quest has been distributed.]

‘The reward can’t be the taxi itself…’

Anyway, the honking seemed to be a signal for me to get in.

“Hello.”

The gruff-looking driver started the taxi without a word.

I hadn’t even mentioned where to go.

At that moment…

[Even your body and soul are exhausted. How about a healing time just for you tonight?]

[Yes/No]

[Accepting the reward is highly recommended.]

I almost jumped out of my skin.

What kind of spam is this that can’t even be blocked?

With a grimace, I pressed Y.

About an hour later, the taxi stopped in front of a building in Seoul.

Upon waking up, I saw that the fare, which was close to 50,000 won, had been prepaid, much to my relief.

Getting out of the taxi, a green arrow appeared in front of me, guiding my way.

Following the arrow, I arrived at a massage shop.

“Reservation confirmed for Mr. On Raon.”

“How about the payment?”

“It was prepaid during the reservation, so no additional payment is needed.”

I felt at ease and received a massage, which was said to have healing and detox effects.

Whether it was due to the skill of the nationally certified masseur or because I slept deeply during the session, my body felt the best it had in recent times after the two-hour massage.

Drinking herbal tea and soaking my feet, I left the massage shop feeling relaxed.

Any initial annoyance I had at the spam message had completely vanished.

Even though it was a spam-like message, if it was going to provide this level of service, I might trust it more in the future.

I really am fickle.

In any case, the new taxi took me to a specialty cold noodle restaurant.

I enjoyed delicious Pyongyang cold noodles and boiled pork without waiting long. This, too, was prepaid.

I then had dessert in a nearby café, devouring a bowl of shaved ice. Despite my body screaming in happiness, I felt oddly anxious.

‘What’s going on? This isn’t supposed to be some healing game…’

Although I accepted the rewards, I couldn’t help but be suspicious because it was so different from the system’s usual behavior.

[Even when being nice, you’re still grumbling. Wisdom +1]

Seeing that familiar attitude made me feel at ease. Consistency is indeed key.

The third taxi dropped me off in front of an officetel in Seoul.

By now, following the green arrow felt natural, leading me to a unit on the 8th floor.

[You have reached your destination.]

It seemed my healing time was over.

Just as I was wondering where I was, I saw an illusion of ‘On Raon’ entering by recognizing his fingerprint on the door lock.

“!”

My drowsiness vanished instantly.