Second Try Idol

Shooting for Newbie Crew was in full swing. Throughout the recording session, the production team prompted me with various questions and encouraged me to speak my mind. I did my best to manage both recording and filming seamlessly, occasionally pulling in the members who were available to be in the camera's view.

The camera aimed to capture everything from the recording sessions to our practice. Because of this, I couldn’t have a chance to listen to the song we received for Reina’s project. It seemed I would only get to hear it late into the night.

Juggling three tasks simultaneously was indeed chaotic, but I was still managing to keep things under control. After a long night of recording and rehearsal, I left the practice room feeling weary and headed toward the YMM building.

The Newbie Crew's camera followed closely and documented my every step. It would probably showcase just a glimpse of a popular idol's relentless schedule on the episode.

- It's already 1 AM. Aren't you tired?

I couldn’t very well admit, "Honestly, I feel like I could collapse from exhaustion." So instead, I responded with a laugh that masked my fatigue. “I've gotten used to it. Aren’t you tired, Director?"

It seemed unfair to pretend I wasn't exhausted. The cameraman was visibly fatigued but maintained a warm tone as he responded.

- We are fine. You’ve had a long night.

“Oh, it's nothing," I replied awkwardly and turned my gaze away.

Me being inherently shy had been noted across all variety shows I had appeared on. Therefore, the production team assured me there was no need to force conversation.

The place I arrived at was a secluded nook within the company. It had been designed to look like a private study room. This small space at YMM was intended for employees who needed solitude to focus. Supervisor Kim had temporarily placed a gaming computer here.

- What is this place?

The production team looked puzzled given the makeshift setup. A gaming PC tower was paired with standard office monitors, a mouse, and a keyboard.

I heard the cameraman shot clips at Ji-Hyuk’s High Tension dorm the day before. Despite being in the same apartment complex, it was well-decorated compared to our starkly empty dorm. They had a separate computer room that rivaled a luxury internet cafe, contrasting sharply with our modest setup in a company corner.

When asked by the production team, I played it cool by pretending I was unfamiliar with such luxurious living.

“This computer was arranged by our CEO for the gaming show. Isn’t it pretty?” I boasted a bit. “It even has purple lighting on the tower. Wow, you’d usually find something like this in an internet cafe.”

It was a subtle nudge to reveal that we were usually treated quite poorly. Not gonna lie, it was a bit sad.

I settled into the chair, faking a sense of pride. The game “One Hours” was already installed on the computer. I signed in with an old username. I found my dormant character, revived it, and began exploring various features.

“It seems like the settings might have changed..."

The keybindings were all mixed up, likely due to the new PC setup. I sorted them out based on community site recommendations and ventured alone into a low-level dungeon to test my abilities.

As updates had continually altered the mechanics and effects of skills, there was a bit of a learning curve. However, since I was familiar with the controls, I adapted quickly.

As a returning player, I collected all the items sent to my inbox and soon ventured into more difficult dungeons and top-tier raids I had known. I quickly got level-up effects.

‘This is quite doable.’

The once-dreaded top-tier raid boss Bellergus, which had made a number of players cry, had become almost trivial. Now, even a freshly returned player like me could easily clear it, and the chat was full of offers for Bellergus raid carries (users who received in-game currency to join a raid and help defeat the boss).

- Bellergus raid, no auction participation 3500, whisper pls

- Doing Bellergus raid 3700 (2/4)

- There are so many fucking carriers lol

- Why would you pay for the carries? Just do them by yourselves.

- Bellergus 3700, one more then go

- lol Why play this game if you are just going to ask to carry Bellergus? Nonsense.

It appeared that even though the content was old, it still held a level of challenge that was accessible to someone like me and potentially daunting for newbies. It might be a fun idea to try jumping (paying to nearly max out a character's level) with the cast and then warming up with Bellergus.

After equipping items farmed from Bellergus, I familiarized myself with community strategies and dove into higher-tier raids. As long as you knew the patterns, the difficulty was manageable.

- …You are quite skilled.

“It’s fun diving back into the game after so long. This one is not the top-tier yet, so it’s not too challenging.”

The real charm of "One Hours" lay in its raids.

To be honest, when I first started from scratch and created a character to roam around, I thought the old game was still just an old game and somewhat mundane. However, despite the game's age, the thrill of the raids was truly the heart of the game as it remained undiminished. Before I knew it, I found myself genuinely enjoying strategizing and mastering the raid patterns.

- It seems like a great scene would occur if Ji-Hyuk, who is the complete opposite, were here.

The director laughed as I left the party after a successful raid. When I looked at him, he flashed a knowing grin.

“Ji-Hyuk hyung? Ji-Hyuk hyung, ah," I said. I immediately understood the implication of his expression. After all, wasn’t Ji-Hyuk known for having little interest in games?

While I didn’t know him too well, the Ji-Hyuk I knew spent his days glued to his phone managing group activities or hanging out with friends instead of playing games.

“How is Ji-Hyuk hyung?”

- Well~

It was clear that he was struggling. But then again, he had decided to appear on the spur of the moment to see me, not really concerned about showcasing his gaming skills. The production team also seemed to be more interested in his entertainment value than his prowess in gaming.

A pang of anxiety that I might have a challenging time because of Ji-Hyuk’s lack of skills loomed, but I decided not to fret until the situation arose. Why worry when my schedule was already packed?

I smiled lightly and turned my attention back to the screen. My farming luck was excellent, and my equipment had significantly improved compared to the beginning. Though these items would soon be discarded after my character leveled up, the return support equipment made it feasible to tackle raids of similar difficulty.

‘New skills have been unlocked too.'

While browsing a community site to scope out the next raid, the door suddenly swung open and someone laughed warmly.

“It’s been a while, Hyun-Woo." An arm reached out from behind and embraced me tightly. “How have you been?"

I felt a gentle breath on the top of my head. When I slightly tilted my head up, Da-Win was looking down at me with a smile.

“Hyung. Senior."

“Hyung and Senior at the same time? Just pick one, kid," he chuckled.

I naturally leaned my head against Da-Win and clicked the mouse.

“What game is this? What show is this for?" Da-Win finally asked while glancing between the camera and the screen.

“I am appearing on a variety show called Newbie Crew."

“That’s a unique name. Is it related to gaming?"

“Yes."

The cameraman chimed in during our conversation.

- Are you good at games, Da-Win?

“No,” Da-Win replied as he let go of me from his arm. “I haven’t really played a lot lately."

- It’d be great if you could come on the show and play together with others sometime!

“Oh, are you recruiting me now? Haha, I’d love to. It would be fun to visit an internet cafe with Hyun-Woo after such a long time."

The cameraman's eyes twinkled, apparently considering a genuine invitation.

My moment of freedom was brief as I was pulled back into Da-Win’s embrace again. "Anyway, I was just passing by and saw the camera, so I figured it was one of my Chronos juniors. I won’t disturb you any longer."

“Did you come here straight from a schedule?"

“Yes. Ugh, I’m exhausted. Well, I’m heading out now."

The inconsistency in how I addressed him—both ‘senior’ and ‘hyung’ at the same time—was amusingly chaotic. Da-Win tousled my hair and then disappeared. After his surprising visit, my focus finally returned, and I became completely absorbed in the game.

Time had flown by, and suddenly it was 3 AM. It was about time to head back.

“Shall we go?" I gathered my things and headed to the dorm with Tae-Seong. “Director, are you really going to cast Da-Win?"

- Having him as a special guest would be a great honor.

- Just like Da-Win said, stopping by an internet cafe with you could be fun.

The writer next to us laughed sincerely after affirming the idea. I nodded with the same earnest smile and turned my gaze out the window. The camera continued filming until we returned to the dorm.

“Great work today!"

“Good job. See you at the next shoot!"

As soon as I entered the dorm, I showered and listened to Reina’s song before immediately lying down in bed. Tomorrow promised to be an epic day filled with not only music broadcasts, but also a long-awaited group variety show recording. Plus, there would be a recording session with Reina in the evening.

“Just push through this crazy week of promotions, and next week will be calmer."

I became resolute with determination and fell asleep.

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