LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 36
Chapter 36
The next day, after I accidentally settled into the Seed trainee dormitory, it was Monday.
Monday, the unfortunate day when students must go to school and office workers must go to work.
It was such a relief that ‘On Raon’ lived diligently.
If I hadn’t graduated two years early, I would be stuck in classes among students whose names I only knew, unable to understand a thing.
And after Pick Heart’s broadcast began, rumors like ‘On Raon is an irresponsible student who sleeps during class’ would have surely spread.
Anyway, since Seo Moon-gyeol didn’t say much, it seemed there had been no particular problems in school life so far.
Actually, hoping there were no problems is my wishful thinking.
Seo Moon-gyeol, who graduated with me, went to classes as a respectable university student along with Kang Ji-woo.
They both got into the vocal major at a university in Seoul with a crazy competition ratio of over 200:1 through regular admissions.
Kang Ji-woo, who could succeed greatly as a solo singer, is one thing, but Seo Moon-gyeol, a rapper, was so good at singing that he majored in vocals too.
If you’re that good at dancing and rapping, shouldn’t you at least be bad at singing?
Knock, knock. Developer, can we get a balance patch?
Buff the player and nerf the NPC, please.
Anyway, Gyun Seong-ha, a third-year student at Han Art High School, went to school.
Only Ban Yo-han, who was taking a break from school, stayed in the dorm, leisurely spending his time.
Ban Yo-han, who had the foreign documentary channel on TV without subtitles, didn’t seem to have any intention of practicing dancing or singing.
Even though the first stage performance in front of people was just a few days away.
His unique carefree and laid-back nature was likely the reason behind such behavior. Maybe he had a plan I didn’t know about.
Another reason might have been the dormitory rules posted in the living room.
[Absolutely no noise-inducing activities such as dancing, singing, rapping, etc., in the dorm!]
It was a reasonable rule since people lived upstairs and downstairs in the apartment.
Therefore, with nowhere to go, I had to find something to do at home.
I picked up and put down a 1kg dumbbell in the living room, trying to feel like I was working out, or I would grab the idle Ban Yo-han to play Omok or Go, attempting to gain stats.
[You exercised at a level appropriate for you. Strength +1]
Of course, it didn’t always increase, but occasionally it went up little by little, like now by 1 or 2.
Very occasionally.
That a few reps with a dumbbell were considered appropriate exercise for me.
It wasn’t wrong, but…
It felt oddly annoying since it was something that the pesky system, which always seemed to mock me, said.
With that in mind, I opened my status window for the first time in a while to check my stats.
｜Aran Aran｜On Raon
Level: 8 Experience: 10.85%
HP: 100/100 Fatigue: 0
Stamina: 24 Strength: 16 Agility: 27
Intelligence: 16 Wisdom: 41 Charm: 54
Luck: 15 Fame: 65
Will: 33 Acting: 17 Instinct: 8
Remaining Stat Points: 10
What does Aran Aran mean?
I used to check it occasionally at the beginning, but as I stopped paying attention, the status window felt unfamiliar.
I couldn’t believe I still hadn’t reached level 10.
Cursing the poorly balanced game out of habit, I cooled down my heated head by looking at my lousy stats after a long time.
I invested the stat points I had earned from leveling up without realizing it into Charm.
After a round of organizing my stats, I was humming Toxic softly and browsing the internet on my phone for information.
Ban Yo-han, who had been lounging around all this time, suddenly dragged me out.
It was only when I was hastily putting on my outerwear and stepping out of the apartment entrance, feeling like we were going on a picnic, that I could ask something.
“Where are we going?”
“To the company.”
“Why am I going?”
“No matter how comfortably you act like it’s your home, you’re still a guest. I can’t leave a guest alone in the dorm.”
“That’s true.”
I agreed.
Leaving the dormitory, we walked for about 15 minutes through a residential area and entered a bustling area.
Ban Yo-han stopped at an intersection where a tall building, reflecting the dazzling sunlight, stood ahead.
“Wow, is it that building?”
At my words, Ban Yo-han widened his eyes and smiled silently.
Passersby unknowingly had their gazes stolen by Ban Yo-han, who looked like he had just stepped out of a manga.
This was originally my role. Just wait, Ban Yo-han.
“It’s not.”
“Next to it.”
Following Ban Yo-han’s gaze, I saw a five-story building.
After crossing the crosswalk, we walked down the stairs installed outside the building.
As we descended to the basement, we soon saw a door leading into the building.
The white letters ‘SEED ENTERTAINMENT’ on the wood-paneled wall shone brightly.
Next to it was a logo depicting a sprout emerging from a seed planted in the soil.
Ban Yo-han opened the locked door with his fingerprint and stepped inside. I hurried in before the door closed.
Contrary to the image the word basement might evoke, the interior was clean and even fresh.
The wooden interior gave an overall warm and stable feeling.
Additionally, thanks to the well-placed diffusers in the corners, a fresh scent reminiscent of a dense forest lingered faintly at the tip of my nose.
The next thing that hit me was the three-dimensional black letters installed on the hallway wall.
[What goes around comes around]
The phrase stood out prominently for anyone entering to see.
The warm lights installed above softly illuminated the coldly arranged phrase.
Following my gaze, Ban Yo-han, as if he were a guide, explained.
“It’s our company motto. The CEO always says it.”
The motto of an entertainment company being ‘What goes around comes around’ seemed more intimidating than most warnings.
Passing through the lobby space, filled with vibrant plants well-cared for, we ended up in front of the CEO’s office.
“The CEO is inside, so go in and say hello, then come to the practice room you can see over there.”
Being in the company, Ban Yo-han used the term CEO instead of Aunt.
“Aren’t you coming in?”
“Hmm, I think it’s okay if I don’t.”
Since he said so, there was no need for me to drag him in.
I nodded.
Knock, knock. A light knock prompted a calm woman’s voice from inside, telling me to come in.
“Excuse me.”
As soon as I entered, I made eye contact with the woman sitting in front of the large desk.
She had dark brown hair loosely tied back and wore classic round-framed glasses on her nose.
[Ban Gaeul]
From the marker that any NPC would have above their head and the nameplate on the large desk, I could tell the name of the woman who looked at me warmly.
Ban Gaeul, the CEO of Seed Entertainment, looked calm, befitting her name ‘Gaeul’ (Autumn), quite different from her nephew Ban Yo-han, who boasted a fresh spring-like appearance even right after waking up.
If anything, her demeanor was more reminiscent of Kang Ji-woo, with whom she had no relation at all.
There was a positive aura naturally emanating from someone who was rare and kind-hearted.
That aura was strong enough that I could immediately accept that Ban Gaeul was someone who would make the extraordinary decision to take in a troubled youth into her trainees’ dormitory.
She stood at the opposite end of the spectrum from the trashy former CEO of my previous company, who I had buried in my past.
“Hello, I’m On Raon.”
“Yes. I asked them to bring you because I thought I should see you at least once. Is there anything uncomfortable about your stay?”
“No. But I worry if I’m causing too much trouble…”
This felt different from when I got permission from Grandpa Go Soo-jong.
That time, I had received one-on-one permission, but now it felt like I was unsure, having heard things indirectly.
Fortunately, Ban Gaeul denied my words in a warm voice.
“I gave permission, so there’s no trouble. I’ve heard a lot about you from Yo-han, so I was very curious. It’s nice to meet you.”
[What an unfortunate situation to be caught by Yo-han… Ban Gaeul pities you. Ban Gaeul’s favorability +3 Current favorability +3]
“….”
Why do you look at me as if I’m a foolish fish caught in Ban Yo-han’s net?
Leaving an uncomfortable message, Ban Gaeul asked me a few more things, then glanced at the clock, signaling that she was wrapping up the conversation.
“I was worried because Yo-han and Moon-gyeol have unique personalities, but I’m glad to hear you’re doing well. It’s not much to say I’m providing lodging in return, but could I ask you to continue to take care of them?”
Setting aside the wily fox Ban Yo-han, who wished for my downfall, wasn’t Seo Moon-gyeol’s personality quite ordinary except for his few words?
However, I smiled and nodded without showing my thoughts.
“Leave
it to me.”
Ban Gaeul, with a kind smile, said.
“It was nice meeting you. Feel free to use the company’s facilities within reasonable limits. You can also register your fingerprint for access if needed, so tell a staff member.”
Because of the cunning smile reminiscent of her nephew, it was hard to tell whether she was joking or serious.
‘If she’s serious, I might have unknowingly become a trainee here.’
At least I now knew that everyone from trainees to the CEO here wasn’t ordinary.
* * *
In the practice room, Seo Moon-gyeol was warming up his body, and Kang Ji-woo was warming up his voice.
Ban Yo-han, who was sprawled out in the corner, noticed me and lazily waved his hand.
“You’re here?”
“Did you meet the CEO? How was it? She’s nice, right?”
“Totally. But she seems unusual in many ways.”
At my words, Kang Ji-woo chuckled as if he found it amusing and pointed with his chin at Ban Yo-han, who was lying on the floor.
“Drag him over here and start warming up.”
I dragged Ban Yo-han, who sluggishly resisted but didn’t put up much of a fight, and made him do the stretches we usually did during Pick Heart training.
Gyun Seong-ha, who had arrived in training clothes, watched curiously.
[Gyun Seong-ha thinks you’re strange for making Ban Yo-han move. Gyun Seong-ha’s favorability +0 Current favorability +0]
At times like this, isn’t Ban Yo-han the strange one, not me?