The goal is the Ending Fairy

Chapter 3

< Episode 3 >

Looking at the stat window just below the profile, I couldn't help but sigh.

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Name: Seo Dan-ah (Female/19)

Current status: HON Entertainment Trainee

> Vocals: 10/100 (!)

> Dance: 5/100 (!!)

> Charm: 5/100 (!)

> Likeability: 5/100 (!)

> Passive Skill 1: "Mental Stability"

(Currently locked slot)

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I could live with the other stats being this low, but vocals and dancing? Those should come first!

Looking at the stat window that showed such a long road ahead, I felt quite discouraged.

Even the likeability stat had barely improved. It was sitting at zero before I got the tutorial completion reward.

The one silver lining is being a trainee at a famous big entertainment company.

HON (H-O-N) Entertainment, commonly called 'Hon', held quite a prominent position in this game.

It's a major entertainment company that rose rapidly in a short time.

Despite being a small company once, Hon had quickly become a powerhouse in the industry, producing hit idols one after another. In no time, it had cemented itself as a top agency in Korea... (Well, according to the game's story.)

It was clear that this agency dominated the idol scene here.

Especially in my previous playthroughs, my idol groups often clashed with HON groups as rivals.

This was because the users playing those idols and our ‘active periods’ - that is, the game periods - often overlapped.

But we always won. Just as I’d expected.

'What's the use of such a brilliant record? Now my stat window couldn't be more pitiful...'

The more I stared at the pitiful stat window, the more dejected I felt.

As I was scrolling down the main screen with a sigh, that's when...

“?”

I finally noticed the exclamation marks beside the stats.

For dance, there were even two of them. When I clicked on it first, a small message popped up beside it.

> > Current additional experience points achieved: 2.5/5.0

Oh. Right. That's why I turned on the screen in the first place. But this wasn’t the result I was expecting.

"What ... ...?"

My mouth dropped open.

How many hours have I spent stuck here, and out of the five experience points I need, I've only earned 2.5?

I glanced down at the helper, who had somehow flopped onto the floor.

[I told you not to get tired so quickly!]

...But all I got in return was this sassy response.

The little thing flew right up to my face, nagging about how I should've listened to yesterday's explanation, or that I should go through the tutorial again.

[Ah! How could you push me away again!]

When I shoved it away as it was grumbling with its hands on its hips, the stat window filled my view again.

‘Isn’t this way too hard?’

It was certainly much harder to raise stats with my actual body than just typing on a keyboard.

Even now, my head was spinning, and I felt like I was on the verge of collapsing.

The path ahead looks tough, really tough...

> Dance: 5/100 (!)

After checking the messages, the exclamation mark next to the dance stat disappeared, leaving it the same as the others.

Then, when I pressed the remaining exclamation mark, a message popped up, covering all the stats.

> > You can use the quest reward "Stat Free Increase Ticket +10"!

Oh, right. I hadn’t used the reward I got yesterday.

Unexpectedly, the system had given quite a precious reward from the beginning.

'Stat Free Increase Ticket'.

It was one of the important reward items in this .

It was valuable because you could freely level up the stat of your choice.

I was already depressed due to poor stats, but this reward lifted my mood a bit.

> > 'Vocal' stat "Stat Free Increase Ticket +10" used! Vocal stat experience points will increase!

> Vocals: 10/100 → 20/100

Naturally, I used it on vocals.

Actually, investing 5 each in dance and vocals wouldn't be bad either, but at this point, raising one or the other wouldn’t make a huge difference.

In that case, it was better to target the one with slightly higher experience points.

And honestly, for a singer, shouldn’t singing come first?

'A slightly cloudy gaze might be passable, but being tone-deaf is unacceptable.'

This was a conclusion based on my previous game records and the database.

After applying the rest of the reward, no more exclamation marks were visible. It seemed I had checked everything in the stat window.

Now, here's a question that comes to mind.

The counseling room wasn’t far from the practice room.

Once we arrived, the manager sat down by a laptop, and I quietly took a seat across from her.

"Dan-ah, you need to debut."

That was the first thing she said, barely a second after I sat down.

‘Yes, well. That’s the plan if I want to survive.’

I nodded slowly, and she placed both hands on the desk, interlocking her fingers as she continued...

"How about debuting through a survival show?"

Her suggestion came out of nowhere.

[Ooh!]

The helper reacted before I did.

[I told you not to worry! I said all you had to do was follow the story and wait!]

The little helper clinging to my shoulder whispered proudly into my ear, nearly making my head explode from the noise.

I almost lost my poker face, but I ignored it and peeled the helper off. Of course, no one else could see what I was doing.

"Just a moment. Is there a bug flying around my ear...?"

[Ugh! You're so mean! You keep pushing me away...!]

As I roughly waved around my ear, the helper flew far away. It dramatically grumbled before flying off into the system.

Now it was finally quiet.

"Anyway," the manager continued, "I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but our company is launching a debut program, and there’s one spot left."

That’s when her words really started sinking in.

"And I recommended you for that open spot."

Oh ....

As the helper said, the timing was perfect.

Everything the manager said next was nothing short of amazing. Objectively speaking, there was no better opportunity than this.

'A debut survival show? Sounds good.'

Whether I debut through this program or not, it will be very good for building recognition among viewers.

Of course, it would also come with much more stress than preparing and debuting within the company.

I'd have to deal with public opinion, be under constant scrutiny, and face cameras long before I even debuted. That was a given.

"I see you've been with HON for 6 months now. Of course, it's not a very long time, but I can see the potential."

She put on a seemingly wistful expression.

"I was the one who brought you in, remember?"

The manager looked like she was reminiscing about our first meeting.

"Y-yeah... that's right, ha ha."

In reality, this whole six months as a trainee thing was news to me.

"So, what's your answer?"

Sparkle, sparkle.

I didn't know this expression could actually be physically possible.

The manager’s eyes were practically shining, clearly expecting a positive response from me.

I had no reason to hesitate.

Sure, there were pros and cons to the debut survival show, but was that really important?

I wasn’t in a position to overthink things. My answer should reflect that as well.

"Yes. I'll partici-"

"Of course you'll participate, right? Do you know how many people want to but aren't selected?"

“.......”

"I'll take that as a yes?"

"... ... yes."

The manager, who had already made up her mind the moment I opened my mouth, pretended to ask for my opinion but was clearly pushing her own.

She went on like that for quite a while, offering arbitrary explanations.

Then, as if concluding the whole thing, she said, "You understand, right?" and dismissed me, telling me I could go.

"As I mentioned, tomorrow is the first filming where we reveal the first mission, so don’t be late! It’s just an introduction, so no need to be too nervous~ Fighting!"

-Bang!

“...?”

What just happened?

One moment I was quietly listening to the manager, and the next, I found myself standing in front of the counseling room door. It all happened in the blink of an eye.

'...Anyway, I guess it's settled.'

With a faint sigh, I looked up.

-Ding!

The message window that had been hovering in the background finally popped open, as if it had been waiting for me.

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> > > [Important!] 'Main Event' has arrived!

⇨ Succeed in debuting through the survival show conducted by HON Entertainment!

> > ⌛ D-1 until event start!

> Event reward: "Undisclosed"

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It was the beginning of the calm before the storm.