Debuting by Riding the Returnee’s Bus – Chapter 136

Author: LyraDhani

It was when I was in an exceptionally good mood.

I’d finally wrapped up my packed schedule, climbed into bed, and was happily scrolling through post after post of those Kingdom guys getting roasted and criticized, the corners of my mouth curling upward.

Then, an unexpected message arrived.

I shot upright in bed, unable to stop myself from frowning.

“What’s wrong?”

“No, it’s nothing. Jegal hyung.”

“Did something happen?”

“No. Sorry for waking you up. Please go back to sleep.”

“What? Unha? You were still awake?”

“Ah! Suhyeon, sorry…. Go to sleep quickly.”

“…….”

‘Ah, damn it…. This is really not good.’

“…….”

‘This isn’t a good situation at all. Things are getting complicated, aren’t they? Right?‘

“…….”

Actually, strictly speaking, it wasn’t a completely unexpected message. I had roughly expected the quest to be completed around this point. In fact, my prediction turned out to be correct.

‘I had a feeling, but this confirms it again. The completion timing is definitely influenced by Joo Wooyoung too, isn’t it? Hmm….’

For a moment, I wondered if there might be some other variable involved, but I didn’t think there was any other reason. If Joo Wooyoung wasn’t the catalyst, there would be no reason for the quest to be completed right at this timing.

After all, judging purely by numbers, <Fantasia> had overtaken [Kingdom] a long time ago. To be more precise, we’d probably already overtaken them in every metric except album sales by the time we first appeared on the music show. Digital rankings, NewTube views, short-form performance views, and portal site trending search volume—we had overwhelmingly crushed them in all of it.

If there was a reason the quest hadn’t been completed until now despite that, only one thing came to mind.

‘It’s obvious.’

“…….”

‘It’s because those metrics weren’t important to Joo Wooyoung.’

Joo Wooyoung simply hadn’t thought <Fantasia> had surpassed [Kingdom] yet. Even when we were leading Kingdom on the charts, it was clear he didn’t consider that <Fantasia> had ‘overcome’ Kingdom’s challenge.

It was exactly as I had observed so far. I knew the emergency quests I received were influenced by Joo Wooyoung’s thoughts, but I had overlooked—or rather, underestimated—the fact that he was also the one who determined when it was completed.

‘It’s only today… that he finally thinks we’ve defeated Kingdom. Only after things have blown up to this extent does he finally think we’ve won…’

“…….”

‘Isn’t that standard ridiculously high? Isn’t it exhausting to live like that? It was already over the moment we smashed their MV views….’

“…….”

‘No, but seriously, what exactly is his standard?’

“…….”

‘It’s definitely not the numbers. Is it the performance itself? Or public opinion?’

“…….”

Either one wouldn’t be strange. Comparison videos of the performances were floating around everywhere, and the comment sections were in total chaos. From NewTube comments to the Kingdom members’ Instag, everything had blown up. After pushing viral marketing so aggressively for so long, they were now suffering such an overwhelming backlash that even I found it astonishing.

It wasn’t limited to those platforms either. Aside from the anonymous community I just saw, comparison clips of this week’s music show stage had landed on every forum. Screenshots of Lime wearing that stiff, awkward smile had been immortalized everywhere.

Because the quality difference was visible to anyone… the pro-Kingdom forces that had been running wild momentarily vanished. No one could deny that <Fantasia> had torn [Kingdom] to shreds in the current situation.

It seemed Joo Wooyoung was also being influenced by this public sentiment.

‘What would have happened if we hadn’t torn it up on the music show? What if Joo Wooyoung suddenly thought, ‘Metrics aren’t everything, we lost this one. Fantasia didn’t surpass Kingdom’? I would have been on the express train back to the other world immediately….’

Since I couldn’t read Joo Wooyoung’s mind, just thinking about the various possibilities made me anxious.

Furthermore.

The issue contained in this unexpected message wasn’t just about that. In terms of the severity of the matter, this side had to be taken much more seriously. Yes, the reason I sat bolt upright was actually mostly due to this.

<Succubus’ Eye: B Rank>

This was the bigger problem.

Just when Joo Wooyoung had become aware of the danger of the Succubus’ Eye, and at this moment when he might be thinking that Lee Unha’s power was gradually spiraling out of control….

‘Of all abilities, why does it have to be the Succubus’ Eye, the one judged most dangerous, that get upgraded to B-rank?’

There were simply too many ways this could become a problem. My head began to throb. To think that I couldn’t escape worry whether the quest failed or succeeded….

‘Ah…. How did our last conversation end? I remember thinking it was a relief it got glossed over because of Director Oh…. Was I right?’

There was a real possibility of ending up in another uncomfortable situation.

‘Should I just seal the Succubus’ Eye? No, that would be even more ridiculous. Strictly speaking, the Lee Unha of today exists because of the Succubus’ Eye. Not using it at all isn’t an option. I still need the Succubus’ Eye for myself and for <Fantasia>.’

“…….”

‘And, it would be even stranger to suddenly stop using the Succubus’ Eye after being suspected by Joo Wooyoung. That would only make me more suspicious. There’s no point overthinking this. Lee Unha of <Fantasia> is worthless without the Succubus’ Eye. If I can use it more carefully than before, that’s the right way to go.’

The fact that I’d reached a point where I was worrying about my skill ranking increasing honestly felt pathetic. And from now on, it seemed I would have to be even more cautious.

After all, it was B Rank now.

Not even a few days had passed since Joo Wooyoung asked me if my eyes felt strange, and yet the Succubus’ Eye was already B-Rank. As soon as Joo Wooyoung started worrying about my eye growing at a radical pace, it had already reached B-Rank.

Compared to C Rank, the difference wasn’t overwhelmingly huge, but it was a clear difference from D-Rank. I hadn’t had the chance to properly test exactly how powerful B Rank was, but abilities at around that level were generally considered respectable even in the other world.

I figured it would be strong enough to influence not only humans but even lower-tier monsters to a certain extent. For people with weak mental resistance, the effects would undoubtedly be far more dramatic than before.

Since there was no guarantee the rank wouldn’t rise further… I had no choice but to clutch my head.

I couldn’t just sit here and be dejected, thinking ‘It’s still manageable for now’. I needed a long-term solution to escape this situation where I was constantly being led around by the system.

Actually, I already had a plan.

‘It’s not without risk, though.’

It wasn’t that I hadn’t anticipated this situation. I’d already prepared a plan in case things reached this point. Granted, it wasn’t an incredibly detailed one, but it was based on the current relationship between Joo Wooyoung and me.

Judging from what happened in the waiting room last time…

‘It’s only reasonable to assume Joo Wooyoung cares about me quite a bit.‘

Thinking back to the way he’d reacted when I fell and got hurt made that even clearer. For a brief moment, he’d looked as though he’d completely lost his composure, openly displaying hostility.

If he didn’t truly see me as a threat or something to be eliminated…. Then I judged that reaching out first in this situation wouldn’t be particularly strange.

Yes.

Taking the first step.

That was Lee Unha’s contingency plan.

‘Right. This is it.’

No.

‘This is the only way. At this point, it’s better not to shoulder it alone.’

Instead of letting Joo Wooyoung take the information however he wanted, I had to take the initiative and be the one to distribute the information to him. I had to make him believe my words.

‘Should I do it tomorrow?’

“…….”

‘No. There’s no reason to wait until tomorrow.’

“…….”

‘Seeing the quest was just completed, he won’t be sleeping right now either.’

“…….”

‘He might even be examining the Succubus’ Eye while watching the comparison videos.’

I quietly picked up my phone.

After finishing the calculations in my head, I immediately hit the send button.

— [Hyung] [2:03 AM]

Sure enough, the ‘1’ disappeared instantly. Soon, a message arrived.

[Yeah, what is it, Unha?] [2:03 AM]

— [Oh, you were awake. Sorry. I didn’t wake you up, did I?] [2:03 AM]

[No, no. I wasn’t sleeping. I had something to look at for a bit…. You don’t need to apologize, Unha. But… why all of a sudden? What’s going on at this hour?] [2:03 AM]

— [Um, you know.] [2:03 AM]

[Yeah] [2:03 AM]

— [No…. It’s nothing.] [2:03 AM]

As soon as I pretended to back off, a message flew in immediately.

[Why? Did something happen? Is it because of the members? Or… do you have something to talk about?] [2:03 AM]

Even after thinking it over again, it was clear he was worried about me.

Right now, Joo Wooyoung was putting more weight on the idea that I was an ordinary person suffering from sudden supernatural powers rather than the possibility that I might be a demon. Anyone but an idiot could see it: for some reason, Joo Wooyoung cherished Lee Unha.Unless some completely different explanation emerged that shook his conviction, he would maintain this attitude for the time being.

— [No, it’s not that… I mean….] [2:03 AM]

[Yeah] [2:03 AM]

Even if he found me suspicious, he’d still lean toward believing me.

— [A few days ago… I mean, before we went to the music show. Do you remember the messages we exchanged that day?] [2:03 AM]

[Huh?] [2:03 AM]

— [Why did you ask me that back then?] [2:03 AM]

[Ask you what?] [2:03 AM]

— [My eyes. Why did you ask about that? You said it, hyung. Didn’t you ask if my eyes felt strange? If my body felt strange? You definitely said that.] [2:03 AM]

[First… could you tell me why you’re asking this all of a sudden?] [2:03 AM]

— [Just… I was trying to sleep, and I suddenly thought of it.] [2:03 AM]

[Is that really all?] [2:03 AM]

[Unha. Is that really all?] [2:03 AM]

[Be honest with me.] [2:03 AM]

[Answer me.] [2:03 AM]

— [Actually….] [2:03 AM]

[Yeah….] [2:03 AM]

— [I think my eyes… are a bit strange.] [2:03 AM]

As if he had been waiting, a message arrived.

[Come outside, Unha. Right now. Tell Hwi you’re going to the bathroom and come out.] [2:03 AM]

I didn’t know why he mentioned Jegal Hwi specifically, but…