Trapped in the Idol Universe

A little earlier, the two who had their dramatic father-and-son reunion at Seoul Station had moved to a café. Even tucked into a corner, curious glances followed them wherever they sat—no wonder, given his appearance. Embarrassed, the CEO was the first to speak.

“I’m sorry about earlier.”

“Oh, yes. I—uh—me too...”

Roy hurried to apologize as well. After all, this was the man who’d rescued him, raised him, and debuted him—and Roy had just shoved him away, calling him smelly, like a heartless child rejecting his father.

“No, no. You were right to be shocked. I completely understand. I let my emotions get the better of me.”

The CEO bowed his head in repeated apology. Indeed—he’d not only pretended to be this man’s son, he’d lunged in and hugged him blindly. It was the sort of thing that could have landed them straight at a police station.

“It’s all right. I didn’t expect you to remember me,” Roy said.

“After seeing you outside your old home, I fell in love at first sight.”

First “my son,” then a confession without so much as a turn signal—Roy involuntarily froze.

“No, I mean... I didn’t mean it like that—I just meant I can’t forget your face...”

Isn’t that exactly what you said? Roy flicked a look of contempt at him. Fortunately, the CEO quickly drew out a business card.

“My apologies for the delay. I’m Jun-seo Park, a PD at M-Company.”

He handed Roy a crisp card—hard to believe, given his disheveled state.

“You’re a PD?” Roy asked, incredulous.

“Yes. Though I may look a mess now, you can absolutely believe me. Would you like to see my ID badge?”

Before Roy could refuse, Jun-seo produced his company ID. It bore his name, photo, and affiliation:

[Jun-seo Park, PD｜Entertainment Division 1]

“Working at a network station, I get excited when I see rough diamonds like you. It’s a sort of occupational hazard.”

Even Jun-seo’s explanation couldn’t ease Roy’s skepticism—his ID photo looked nothing like the man before him. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

The person on the badge is definitely the Jun-seo I know... but this can’t be the same guy.

Seeing Roy switch his gaze between the badge and reality, Jun-seo hurried on.

“I haven’t washed or slept in a week, so I’ve taken quite a beating. But I swear, it’s really me.”

“Hmm...”

“If you give me just one week, I promise I’ll look exactly like the photo again.”

“No need—”

Roy answered dryly. In fact, when Jun-seo first claimed he’d fallen in love at first sight, Roy was about to get up and leave. He already knew this man was unhinged—and that confession at the station had given him the creeps. He only followed Jun-seo here because the man had grasped at his pant leg.

But after receiving the business card, Roy’s mind shifted—he found himself curious about this Wilderness Jun-seo.

“Here, drink your hot chocolate. It’s getting cold.”

“Thank you.”

Life was strange—now he was having coffee courtesy of a homeless man... oh, no, PD, not homeless. Roy sipped his drink and shot Jun-seo a sideways glance.

Meanwhile, I’m stuck with some weird hot chocolate and he gets to be a slick network PD?

His fleeting goodwill evaporated, and Roy secretly glared at him. Sensing the look, Jun-seo cleared his throat and set his cup on the table.

“Ahem. If it’s not rude, may I ask your name and age?”

“I’m Lee Roi. Age—”

Caught off guard, Roy stumbled. He still hadn’t adjusted to his Wilderness age. He hurriedly counted off on his fingers.

“Seventeen.”

Jun-seo beamed at the answer, delighted it exceeded his expectations. He’d thought Roy looked, at most, like a second-year middle-schooler. And that uniform—Roy realized he’d overlooked it before. Any South Korean could recognize it at a glance. Especially Jun-seo.

“Are you... at Awakener High?”

“Yes. Awakener High School.”

Sob!

A lethal dose of dopamine! A surge of adrenaline made Jun-seo dizzy—this was perfection.

I must get him at any cost!

In truth, Jun-seo had suffered more heartache than physical hardship these past days. While developing a new show, Prophet Maha’s death and final prophecy had inspired him to plan a survival program for Awakeners. He’d sketched out the idea, reported it to his superiors, and even secured production approval.

Then one day on his apartment balcony, he spotted a boy whose face was the very image of a kitten. His “Sweet Little Kitty” (a.k.a. Roy) shot straight to the top of his casting wish list.

Jun-seo was renowned at the station for having eyes on top of his head—no one had ever quite satisfied his standards. The visual member of a top-tier boy group was just another idol passing through. But Roy’s catlike beauty was a revelation.

A hit show needed three elements: a pretty boy, compelling story, and devilish editing. He could handle the latter two—but only heaven could grant the “pretty boy.” And heaven had delivered. If he snagged this catlike youth, the show was a guaranteed sensation. Awakener or not, the odds were slim—but an Awakener bonus would be a miracle.

And he’s an Awakener!

My little kitty is an Awakener!

It was heaven-sent. Jun-seo reached across and grabbed Roy’s hand—his PD mania creeping back.

“You want to be a star, don’t you?”

“Huh?”

Completely unexpected, Roy’s words snagged in his throat and derailed the conversation.

“Forgive me for the impertinence, but may I ask your rank?”

“Why?”

“I know it’s sensitive. But the anticipation is driving me crazy.”

“Uh?”

Roy’s face soured in real time. He should’ve left when he had the chance. But Jun-seo, unconcerned, still gripped his hand firmly.

“Just once—up or down?”

“What—why are you so curious?”

“D?”

Wrong. They weren’t communicating. Roy, in despair, decided to play along.

“...Up.”

“Ping! Cup!”

Thud!

Jun-seo banged his head against the wall, making odd noises. Was the CEO always like this? The station PD environment had changed him in ways Roy couldn’t know. Jun-seo, silently thrilled, covered his mouth to hold back exclamations.

“This is insane! D-up...!”

Then he grasped Roy’s hand with both of his and vowed:

“Mr. Lee Roi, I will make you a star. Please. You were not meant to languish unknown. The world must see this face.”

✧

Roy sent a euphoric Jun-seo on his way and boarded the bus home. He begged that Jun-seo not follow, yet the PD insisted on escorting him to the stop—a figure of elation, resembling nothing so much as a joyful vagrant. All the stares they drew fell on Roy alone.

So embarrassing.

His cheeks still burned as he fanned himself. Then his pocket buzzed—Jun-seo.

[Hello, Mr. Lee Roi. This is PD Jun-seo Park. Next time I’ll greet you in proper form. Have a safe trip home—I look forward to hearing from you!]

We parted less than two minutes ago...! Jun-seo threw himself headlong into anything that caught his fancy—stubborn to a fault. Roy shivered at the memory of the CEO’s own relentless streak.

Didn’t he do the same thing in my last life?

Back when Roy was fifteen, he’d first met Jun-seo in a subway station restroom. He’d been crouched at the entrance waiting for a sick friend when a man approached, handing him a card:

“Hello. I’m Jun-seo Park, casting manager at Dream Entertainment.”

At that time, Jun-seo was not a PD but a talent-scouting manager at a major agency. True to character, he soon asked for Roy’s parents’ contact info, and fifteen-year-old Roy, full of adolescent rage, snapped:

“They don’t exist.”

Roy had hit Jun-seo’s ego hard that day. But Jun-seo refused to give up. After a month of persistent persuasion, Roy joined the debut lineup—a miracle. But it didn’t last; when a “golden spoon” with connections came along, Roy was cut.

“Fine. If he suits the group better, so be it.”

He feigned indifference, but the blow stung. Anyone else could take the fall easier than him—an orphan with nothing but his face and short stature. Yet he never showed it; revealing emotion meant revealing weakness.

Not so Jun-seo. Outraged by the injustice, he stormed out with Roy.

“I’ll make you a star!”

He’d said it then too. Roy, knowing how improbable it seemed, grasped his hand—and Shooting Star was born.

Recalling this, Roy chuckled. People never change. Willing to use any means for his goal, Jun-seo was as relentless as ever.

But seriously—did he really have to camp out at Seoul Station for days just to find me?

With a shake of his head, Roy began typing his reply—knowing Jun-seo was watching for it, even now.

[Hello, PD Park. Would next Saturday work for you?]

Meanwhile, Jun-seo, reading Roy’s reply, tilted his head in mild confusion.

“PD?”

He found the title odd but unimportant. What mattered was that Roy had replied instead of ignoring him. He shot back without delay:

[Absolutely! Let me know a time and place convenient for you, and I’ll be there!!!]

Three exclamation points. From Roy’s reply, Jun-seo could guess just how thrilled he was. This man had clearly given up pretenses of composure around Roy. At last, Roy laughed out loud for the first time since arriving in this world.