The stats Gang Rojun saw were as follows.
-[Appearance (150/150) | Singing (60.2/100) | Rap (50.5/100) | Choreography (50.2/100) | Wit (26.8/100) | Acting (25.2/100) | Lyric Writing (100/100) | Composition (23/100) | Arrangement (0/100)]
All the other stats still had a max of 100 points, but only his Appearance stat had become 150. Blinking his eyes, Rojun looked at the stats for a moment before raising his gaze again. He was looking at himself reflected in the mirror.
"······So 100 wasn't the limit?"
Rojun had naturally assumed the Appearance stat was the maximum because it had been 100 points from the very start of the "AI Simulation." But now, that appearance score had broken through 100 to reach 150.
Rubbing his chin, Gang Rojun muttered softly.
"I'd been hearing a lot of people say I've gotten more handsome lately, anyway."
What had caused his appearance score to rise? Several guesses came to mind, but as expected, the two most likely were these.
'Intense exercise, or getting treatments here and there?'
Rojun had been in the entertainment industry for roughly half a year. He had seen many idols and actors and had even done filming himself. Environment had a huge influence on a person.
'Or the passive "Intimidation" that was recently added?'
It might have been the result of both combined.
Whatever the case, he had already possessed an absurd visual to begin with, but that impact had only been amplified. It was an interesting result. Gang Rojun unconsciously raised the corners of his mouth.
His physique couldn't be ignored either.
Thanks to repetitive exercise, Rojun's body had grown firm, but he had even shot up in height suddenly. Rojun looked at himself in the mirror and struck various poses.
"If I was a boy before, now I kinda feel like a young man, huh?? Anyway, I'm awesome."
It was a time of self-admiration. Gang Rojun continued to strike various poses in front of the mirror for several more minutes. If anyone had seen him, they might have treated him like a madman. Then, Rojun swept back his black hair and checked his stats once more.
'If the Appearance stat can reach 150, doesn't that mean the other stats can do the same?'
This part wasn't certain yet. Whatever the case, Gang Rojun was in extremely high spirits.
"If I keep going like this, I'll devour everyone both domestically and overseas with just my face."
Wiggling his hips, he started his shower.
The next day, Wednesday the 2nd, morning.
It was around 10 o'clock. Gang Rojun, Sihu, Gang Min, and Do Gyeong had gathered in the break room looking quite natural. They were chatting about this and that, but they seemed to be waiting for someone. Around then, Gang Min, a handsome man with an exotic feel, rubbed his hands together.
"What kind of people will they be? I'm a bit nervous. I can't believe we're getting a manager team."
Do Gyeong, with his stoic face, answered quickly.
"Are we going to keep working with the people coming today?"
Sihu, visibly nervous, slowly nodded his head.
"Ah, probably. Ugh—I hope they're good people."
Gang Rojun, scanning the members, was also slightly nervous.
'A manager. I can't believe we're getting a manager. It really feels like things are getting serious now.'
Rojun recalled the staff who had supported top actress Choe Rina during the filming of "Rental Lover" in the past. The reason everyone was reacting like this was simple.
It was because the GN Entertainment manager team that would soon take charge of Gang Rojun and the members was scheduled to arrive.
They had said they passed through the campus entrance about 10 minutes ago, so they should appear within a few minutes.
Right then.
-Swish.
Seven people they were seeing for the first time entered the break room.
"Hello—"
"Hello!"
Three men and four women.
Soon, starting with Gang Rojun, the members sprang to their feet and greeted them.
"Uh—ah, hello."
"Nice to meet you!"
Having finished the greetings, Rojun quickly scanned the seven people standing before him.
'Is that man the director-level one??'
The man who looked the oldest among the seven appeared to have the highest rank. Mid-to-late 30s? He had a navy long coat thrown on haphazardly, and his face was average. But how should I put it, he gave off a feeling of being completely drained of energy? Withered? Should I say his presence was faint? His prickly stubble exuded an air of living roughly.
Such a man.
"Um—nice to meet you."
Introduced himself first.
"I'm Director Gim Gibaek of the Management Team. I'll be exclusively in charge of you all from now on. I look forward to working with you."
His voice also lacked a bit of vigor. Rojun felt a disparity between his name and the vibe he gave off.
'Gim Gibaek—his name means vigor, yet he looks rather frail.'
Director Gim Gibaek suddenly coughed and pulled a handkerchief from his coat pocket to wipe his nose.
"Ah, sorry."
Even while apologizing, he extended his hand to Rojun, and Gang Rojun reacted in a fluster. The interesting thing was that instead of shaking hands, Gim Gibaek pulled the hand he had grabbed and lightly hugged Rojun.
"Handshakes are a bit impersonal, you see."
What is with this man? His character was novel. Director Gim Gibaek coughed again but finished introducing himself only after hugging Sihu, Gang Min, and Do Gyeong as well.
"Uh—next."
He pointed to the team members who had come with him.
"This is Schedule Manager I Yulbin, and next to her is Road Manager Han Taeyun······"
The four women seemed to be the styling team. Road Manager Han Taeyun had notably large eyes and looked to be in her late 20s, while Schedule Manager I Yulbin was slightly chubby and in her early 30s.
Director Gim Gibaek smiled witheredly as he introduced the team.
"That's all for now. They're all people who will support you, and of course, there are more at the main office. This is roughly who you'll see often."
Rojun and the members conversed with the management team for several minutes. Gang Rojun looked at the stylists curiously.
'Their hair colors...are all so flashy.'
Yellow, red, or blue.
Not that it was strange. The contestants of "Geubaekpeu" had also sported all sorts of hair colors. The stylists wore expressions of intense enthusiasm toward Rojun and the members, but they seemed to be holding back, perhaps because of the occasion.
Then.
"Let's properly raise some havoc once."
Director Gim Gibaek, spitting out a passion devoid of strength, gestured for them to move, and Gang Rojun and the members, having packed their things, left the break room. As they went down the stairs, Director Gim Gibaek stated their next destination.
"We're going straight to—you all's dormitory. I'm looking forward to it too. Right??"
But you say that with no soul? Gang Rojun thought once again that Director Gim Gibaek's character was unusual.
-Swish.
As soon as they exited the building, he looked around the entire campus.
'I probably won't come back here again. Farewell.'
For a moment, the time spent on campus flashed by like a panorama. The other members were probably feeling the same. Soon, Gang Rojun and the members split up and boarded two parked vans. Strangely, only Rojun was in the same van as Director Gim Gibaek.
-Vroom!
Before long, the van began to move.
About 20 minutes later?
Gang Rojun was looking at Director Gim Gibaek sitting across from him. He was dozing off with his arms crossed. Then, suddenly.
"Ah."
Director Gim Gibaek slowly raised his head and met eyes with Rojun.
"Uh—we've finished coordinating with 'Munhwa Seorap' regarding the SBC Awards Ceremony. I'll let you know how we'll move on the day when the time comes. And...I've also finished looking into your side jobs, Rojun."
What the. Though his tone still lacked vigor, Rojun somehow felt it was strangely reliable, and Director Gim Gibaek, smiling, gave an ambiguous thumbs-up.
"I'll take care of the scheduling and support, so please do as you wish, Rojun. Do what you want to do."
"Thank...you."
"Don't mention it. Achoo! Ah, sorry. I'm also a new recruit at GN, so I have to move busily. And get a feel for the atmosphere too."
"A new recruit?"
"Yes. Scout? Recruited? I came to GN through something like that."
To Gang Rojun, who nodded as if he understood, Director Gim Gibaek brought up another topic.
"And you exercise every day, right?"
"Yes, usually."
"I've also registered you at the company gym, so feel free to use it anytime. Also, um, I've prepared a studio for you too, so let's go see it later. Uh—for reference, I reserved it exclusively for you."
He was truly a peculiar human.
'Slow but snappy?'
Two atmospheres that were difficult to coexist were truly profound. Just as Rojun was engulfed in a strange feeling, the two vans entered the underground parking lot of a building.
It was a high-end officetel.
Its location wasn't far from Hapjeong Station, where the GN Entertainment headquarters was. This place was.
"Your dormitory, everyone. This is it."
It was the dormitory where Gang Rojun and the members would be staying from now on. Anticipation quickly welled in the eyes of the four who got out of the vehicles.
-Ding!
They got off the elevator and arrived in front of a door. Director Gim Gibaek skillfully unlocked the smart lock first.
"The basic appliances and furniture are all set up. Then, enjoy."
Enjoy? Gang Rojun held back a laugh that nearly burst out at that moment, and as soon as he entered the new dormitory with the members, he opened his mouth slightly.
"Wow—"
"Whoa—"
It was quite spacious for four people. Three rooms and two bathrooms. As Director Gim Gibaek had said, it had everything. It was this luxurious? While the other members started by looking at the rooms, Rojun, for some reason, opened the refrigerator first.
After the four had been enjoying the dormitory for over 10 minutes, Director Gim Gibaek approached them.
"Pick one of these each."
He held out a fist clutching four wooden chopsticks. Rojun and the members, wondering what this was about, each drew one. The numbers 1 and 2 were written on the ends of the chopsticks. Director Gim Gibaek, wearing a withered smile, spoke the answer.
"Ones together in one room, twos together in another. How is it? Fun, right? Reminds me of 'Geubaekpeu'."
"······"
Rojun gave up on trying to understand Gim Gibaek's character. Furthermore.
"Rojun. Let's unpack first."
Gang Rojun was in the same room as Sihu.
Later.
After introducing the dormitory and finishing a simple briefing, Director Gim Gibaek left, saying he would come again tomorrow. Currently, Gang Rojun, Sihu, Gang Min, and Do Gyeong were unpacking in their assigned rooms. Gang Min and Do Gyeong were ecstatic that it wasn't a bunk bed.
"We actually have single beds."
Rojun and Sihu, in the same room, were also busy unpacking their own things. Soon, Sihu, who was taking out his belongings from his bag and placing them on the bed one by one, opened his mouth.
"Rojun. What do you think of the director? I thought he was a bit...unusual."
Gang Rojun, picking up his acoustic guitar, smirked.
"A bit unusual? No. He was a character rivaling an alien, if you ask me."
"Ah—right. I've seriously never seen a character like that. He looks somewhat frail. I'm a bit worried."
"But he also seemed to handle work sharply."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Rojun scratched his chin and shrugged.
"Well, I guess we just need to do what we do and work hard."
To Sihu, who smiled as if he understood, Gang Rojun brought up something else.
"More importantly, hyung."
"Huh?"
"Listen to this."
"What? What should I listen to? Is it something heavy?"
"No, no. I meant with your ears, not your hands."
"Ah—so what is it?"
"The first song I composed."
"Huh!! Is it finished??!"
Sihu immediately clung to Rojun, and Rojun shook his head.
"It's not 100%. But the first verse is complete."
"Yeah, I'll listen."
"You have to evaluate it mercilessly. Okay?"
"Yeah. If it's bad, I'll curse."
"Please refrain from cursing."
-Swish.
Gang Rojun nestled the acoustic guitar in his arms. The sheet music was on the laptop, but he also seemed to have it stored in his head. He let out a small breath and began to pluck the strings.
-♬♪
A ballad that was tranquil yet appropriately bright, with a hint of longing somewhere within. The song itself might have been lacking, but Rojun's guitar skills were top-tier. Roughly a bit over a minute into playing, Rojun's fingers abruptly stopped.
"How is it."
Sihu, with a serious face, slowly mumbled.
"It's good?"
"It's okay?"
"Yeah. I was really going to say it was bad if it was weird, but I can't. It needs some polishing, but for a first composition, it's decent?"
"Oh—"
Sihu gave two thumbs up.
"I started like that too. Make sure to save every song you write, just in case you can use them someday. I thought I'd never be able to use 'The Witch,' but I ended up using it, didn't I?"
"I'd already been gathering everything I made while practicing as a side job."
"Yeah. All of that is your asset. If you look back at them later, suddenly, bam! Inspiration might strike. Plus, way later, you might be able to do solo activities with songs you wrote."
"Solo?"
"Yeah. Haven't you seen? When idols finish group promotions, they sometimes go solo or reduce members and come out as unit groups."
"Ah—"
"You can write lyrics too, so if you master composition, you could probably do an entire song by yourself. Participate in producing too."
Gang Rojun resolved to continue practicing composition and keep his completed songs separately compiled. Then, Rojun turned on the laptop, roughly renamed the ballad he was currently working on to "Song No. 1," and saved the composition file separately.
Right at that moment.
-Bzz.
-Bzz.
Short vibrations rang from the smartwatch on his wrist. Looking at it, they were notifications sent by the "AI Simulation."
-[You have achieved the sudden title mission "First Composition!" As a gift, the item "Stat 8-Point Enhancement Coupon" has been granted.]
-[The title "Side Job Tycoon" is enhanced by +1 as a side job has been added!]
-[The title "Side Job Tycoon" has risen to +4 enhancement, increasing bonus coins to 4.]
And.
-[Side Jobs: [1] Screenwriter, [2] Actor, [3] Lyricist, [4] Composer]
Along with the title enhancement, the side job "Composer" had been added.