Chapter 1 |
When I fell, the sky above looked as if it were overflowing with stars, about to pour down upon me.
And the emotion I felt in that moment,
It wasn’t a feeling of liberation or devastation, but anger.
I didn’t wish for death.
However, death was the greatest revenge I could afford.
***
“Excuse me.”
It was a stranger’s touch that woke me up.
The noisy sounds of the city suddenly rushed into my ears. The sound of car horns, engine noises, and even the footsteps of people.
“…Yes?”
“Are you okay? Are you hurt somewhere? Because you were just standing in a daze…….”
A woman with worried look in her eyes patted my back.
“Oh, I’m fine.”
Despite the absurd situation, I offered her a smile, perhaps because the habits I had as idol were still intact. The calm tone, as if there was no problem, was an added bonus.
“Wow.”
The woman let out a strange exclamation. Since I didn’t have the luxury to explore its meaning at that moment, I started racking my brain to grasp the current situation.
‘What the hell is this situation? Is this a dream? Even though there are so many people here, no one seems to recognize me….’
Possibility 1. This body is not my original body.
Possibility 2. This world is a world where I never existed.
Possibility 3. I’m just an unknown, overly self-conscious celebrity, so it’s only natural that people don’t recognize me.
Possibility 2 was unacceptable and Possibility 3 was humiliating.
When I glanced down at my arm, the tattoo I’d had inked on so boldly was nowhere to be found.
‘Seeing that the tattoo is gone, it looks like, fortunately, it’s not number 3.’
My hands went up to my head, and I discovered I was covered in a mask and a hood.
‘.…Strangely, for an ordinary person, he has gone to great lengths to cover his face.’
The most recent memory I had was of my body slamming into the asphalt.
As I barely managed to regain control of my disoriented mind, I looked up to see a familiar downtown Seoul. Surrounding me were tall buildings, each with several large screens showing the same news.
“Another heartbreaking incident has occurred. The famous idol, Seo Yutae, was found dead last night at 8:45 PM in front of a high-rise building in Seoul.”
“……”
It was me.
On the screen, scenes of the police line set up to block the view of the crime scene, a white cloth, and crying fans were shown alternately. It was only then that the reality of my death truly hit me.
‘I guess I should be thankful that it was the least bad option, number one.’
As I watched the screen, I could hear passersby stopping and talking after seeing the billboard.
“It feels like there’s just so much bad news these days.”
“That’s really unfortunate. He was doing so well, so why on earth did he choose to die?”
“Why, did he die because of that big scandal that broke out last time?”
“I’d die too if I were him. His celebrity career is over. It’s impossible to make a comeback after something like that.”
“……”
I had a huge conflict with my agency at the end of my exclusive contract. They wanted me to renew my contract, but when I didn’t change my mind about leaving the agency, they started a false scandal, and I became the most criticized celebrity in Korea.
“If I was that rich and famous, I wouldn’t die. Haha!”
I was used to hearing inconsiderate comments. But this time, my numb heart ached once again.
It wasn’t because of the devastation from a ruined career or depression that I chose death. My death was not a surrender, but a revenge. I wrote the whole truth in my suicide note, and I thought it was the best revenge I could get under the circumstances.
‘The scandal will be cleared up when the suicide note is made public anyway.’
The public had no interest in the words of a controversial celebrity. The downfall of a successful life was merely part of the entertainment for them, and the guilt for that action would only truly bloom when faced with the death of the person involved.
That’s what I hoped for.
I paid with my life as the price to ensure that the truth would not be dismissed as a mere desperate attempt.
‘Is it because I just died and not long has passed that the story about the suicide note hasn’t spread yet?’
I was lucky to be able to witness my revenge come to fruition with my own eyes.
“.…So, if you’re interested, I’d like you to consider it.”
While I was lost in thought, I heard the woman’s voice again.
‘Oh, what did she say?’
The woman in front of me had apparently been talking to me the whole time. Of course, I hadn’t heard most of it, so I had no choice but to make the obvious response.
‘Let’s just run.’
“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m busy right now….”
As I showed signs of hastily moving my steps, the woman suddenly grabbed my arm. Then, she quickly shoved something into my hand.
“Oh! Wait, then take this!”
‘Is she a cult member?’
It was rare for someone to talk to a stranger so persistently. I was grateful that she was concerned about me, but I was beginning to suspect if she was a member of a cult.
“Yes, okay. I’ll take it.”
I showed her that I had received it, but she was still giving me an intense glare. Then she spoke with a dignified look on her face, emphasizing each word.
“Please think about it carefully and be sure to contact me. Really. I meant it.”
“….I will.”
Finally, overwhelmed by the woman’s intensity, I clutched the object in my palm. The woman bowed her head in satisfaction and moved away.
“With this body and in this situation, I won’t be able to go back to the house I used to live in … should I just wait for the news here?”
Since the person who had been talking to me in such a burdensome manner was gone, there was no need to move.
“I don’t have anywhere to go back to.”
The last thing I wanted was to go to a house full of police and be arrested as a murder suspect.
While sitting on a bench scattered sparsely across the street, I was warming my frozen hands with my breath when finally a new breaking news report came through.
“No suicide note was found, and the police have stated that they are currently conducting an investigation to determine the exact cause of death.”
“….What?”
No suicide note was found?
‘What did Kang Hyukwoo do?’
As I thought of the name of the person who had constantly bothered me in my past life, my head suddenly throbbed.
“Hiding that piece of paper was nothing. I got rid of it.”
The voice was familiar. I jumped to my feet and looked around, but I didn’t see any familiar faces.
“That f***ing bastard, what is he getting rid of?”
If he was anywhere near here, I was going to beat him to a bloody pulp. Unable to hold back the anger crashing into me like a tidal wave, I began to run without direction. After running for a while, the voice ringing in my head grew louder.
‘It’s getting closer.’
“Oh, it looks like a few people are starting to get suspicious. For now, I’ll refrain from any public activities until things settle down. Please clean up the atmosphere of the company and release an official statement. And try to calm that person down.”
It was only after I reached an alley off the main street that my legs stopped. Then I heard a real voice, not something that flowed into my head on its own.
“Oh, I’m sorry! He’s already dead, what can I do!”
I turned my head in the direction of the voice.
There he was. The bastard who ruined my life. Kang Hyukwoo.
“The company is on the brink of collapsing, so what? If we’re going to make up for the lost revenue, we’ll have to go recruit some good people.”
He was continuing to vent his frustration to someone on the other end of the phone.
“…….”
Our eyes met.
“Hey, hang up for a moment. I found a big fish.”
The guy who hurriedly hung up the phone approached me. Then, with his eyes shining, he spoke to me. It was the same eyes he had when he first met me.
The eyes that had discovered a gemstone.
Fragments of old memories flashed through my mind.
“How old are you?”
“Look at your eyes. They’re so fierce. How old are you?”
“Do you know RH Entertainment? I’m from there.”
“I’m the casting manager for the newly established RH Entertainment….”
“Have you ever thought about becoming an idol?”
“Have you ever thought about becoming an idol?”
My teeth chattered. I could see my foolish past, unaware of what the person in front of me would do to my future self.
“Would you mind taking off your mask and hood?”
As soon as I sensed the hand coming towards me to remove my hood without permission, my sense of reality and reasoning returned. I was no longer Seo Yutae. Even if I beat Kang Hyukwoo now, I would only become the perpetrator of an unprovoked crime.
Taking a step back, I closed my eyes tightly to show my refusal. Then, I exhaled.
‘It looks like my plan with the suicide note failed. This bastard still seems to be living with his head held high.’
There was no point in looking back at failure. What I needed to find was what I could do now. As I clenched my fist, something rustled.
I opened my hand and saw the business card the woman had handed me earlier.
‘This is…..’
I hadn’t recognized her before because my memory was clouded, but now I remembered. The woman I bumped into was Lee Yooin, a casting director from SU Entertainment, whose skills were well-known in the industry.
‘Kang Hyukwoo was a trash, but at least he had good eyes. He even found me in a corner of the festival when I was young. This mask or hood probably wouldn’t have hidden me from him.’
I was starting to get a sense of it. Why Lee Yooin from SU Entertainment had desperately clung to me. Why the arrogant Kang Hyukwoo had spoken to me.
‘For some reason, the hood and mask feel too big.’
“Oh, I’m sorry. I just got a casting offer from another company.”
Barely able to contain my laughter, I deliberately waved the business card in the air. Kang Hyukwoo frowned when he spotted the clearly printed logo of SU Entertainment.
SU Entertainment was the largest and most historic entertainment company in the industry. Compared to RH Entertainment, which I barely managed to carry, it was on an entirely different level.
“This is such a shame, what can I do?”
I turned my head toward a nearby advertising screen, guiding his gaze. The news about me was also playing on that screen.
“I think it’s better to go to a company with a promising future. I know what’s in it for me too.”
I said it with a clear tone, filled with the intention of expressing how unlikely I was to want to go to a company where people had died.
At my sneer, Kang Hyukwoo’s face twisted as if he had chewed on something unpleasant.
“…….”
Taking my own life was the best revenge I could afford in that situation.
But now?
‘I can do it. This time, I will absolutely not fail.’
RH Entertainment was a company I had built from the ground up, every single part of it.
So, it would be me who would bring RH Entertainment down.
I had experience and talent that had been pushed to the limit, a head that knew everything about the dirty details, and a body with a clean past. At close range, the perfect revenge I had hoped for was within reach.
‘And if my guess is correct, this body is…….’
I took off my hood and mask.
‘Take a good look at what you’ve missed. And regret it.’
Kang Hyukwoo’s expression changed as he checked the face.
“Heh, this young kid is bold. If there’s something you want, just say it. I’ll give it to you. Should I put you in the debut group? Or perhaps you want a living allowance?”
Passersby around us stopped dead in their tracks and even turned around to stare at my face.
“I’ve already made up my mind. I’ll be on my way, then.”
“Wait!”
Do you think I’m crazy enough to crawl back into that agency?
I smiled nonchalantly and swallowed the words that came to my throat. As I left the area, leaving behind Kang Hyukwoo who kept calling out to me, I tasted blood on the tip of my chewed tongue.
An ordinary high school student couldn’t possibly go up against a giant in the entertainment industry like Kang Hyukwoo. Therefore, the first thing I had to do was already decided.
My abilities were the same then and now. Dancing and singing. That was all I had.
But it was enough.
‘While I’m taking revenge, I’ll conquer the top idol1.’
I’ll climb to the top and step on him, becoming someone who is worthy of dealing with him.
Having escaped to a place where few people were around, I stopped in front of a building with one entire wall made of mirrors. Then, I stared blankly at my reflection in the mirror.
“If there’s something you want, just say it.”
What do I want?
“….Hyung.”
As I raised the corners of my mouth, my neatly aligned white teeth appeared, and an unbelievably dazzling smile formed. Having spent a long time in the entertainment industry and encountered countless handsome men and beautiful women, I could confidently say this.
“I wish you were dead, hyung.”
This body had the most beautiful appearance in the country.
Translator’s Corner:
- This is the title. The actual meaning is ‘While I’m taking revenge, I’ll take the top spot in the idol industry‘. The literal trans would be “I’ll eat the top idol”. I’m using “I’ll conquer the top idol” because it sounds more … refreshing. “Conquer” is the best fit for MC personality, and the meaning of the title is “MC will become the top idol while he’s taking revenge”. Become is overused so I’m not using it. ↩︎
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