『Would you like to search for Kang Hyun-jin's optimal route?』
YES (-50p) ◀ / NO
The day I checked Kang Hyun-jin's trigger, I decided to use the newly unlocked function of my Insight Eye.
But that function wasn't free.
'What is this, highway robbery…'
The reward I got from the last ranking announcement was a total of 50 points. And the system was telling me to pay all of it to open Hyun-jin's optimal route—his sub-mission.
Since I'd already predicted that I'd become the biggest villain of this round after the short-form shoot, I had no choice but to hesitate.
'…My chances of keeping first place at the next ranking announcement are low.'
Votes reset every time a new mission begins. So there was no guarantee I'd get the same number of votes in the next round.
And I knew that a big portion of the votes supporting my current rank came from "muggle votes"—the casual general-audience picks.
In short, the reason I believed I wouldn't stay in first place next time was simple.
'Most of the general-audience picks are going to drift away.'
General voters tend to follow popularity, familiarity, and screen time. Kang Hyun-jin himself had held onto first place until now because he had heavy name recognition and lots of general votes.
Because of that, general votes were extremely volatile. They shifted constantly based on a contestant's image, rumors, and broadcast presence.
'I probably only got first place this time because I took some of Hyun-jin's old votes.'
And to maintain the general vote, image management was essential. Proper screen time, good stage performance—those mattered, but maintaining a "good" image mattered even more.
A leader who took care of others, a teammate who separated public from private, a mediator who tried to resolve conflicts smoothly.
In all the narratives, I was always the person harmed by someone else's quarrel who then cleaned up the aftermath. And the public became attached to that image and voted for me.
But this mission, I wouldn't be able to rely on that image.
That image was going to transfer fully… to Kang Hyun-jin.
'I'm going to get the exact opposite image.'
In this mission, I'd be portrayed as someone greedy for center, causing tension and conflict for personal gain.
And it seemed Hyun-jin thought similarly.
"…What exactly are you trying to say? Are you telling me you're going to teach me? That's what this is?"
Considering how he immediately shot back like that.
"No, hyung, I can't teach you. There isn't a trainee in
"Then what are you trying to do?"
"I just want you to think of me as a human metronome for one afternoon. Or a mirror you can't see."
"…What?"
I glanced up above Hyun-jin's head, ignoring his incredulous laugh. After paying the cost, strings of code-like patterns floated there—visible only to me through the Insight Eye.
'…Feels like I'm peeking into the system itself.'
The code flowed in a complex formation my naked eyes couldn't decipher, but with the Insight Eye's filter, the meaning poured directly into my mind.
"Just give me half a day. Do what I tell you to for half a day. Neither of us has anything to lose, right?"
The sub-mission required me to move him somewhere without mirrors to make him practice in the "most optimal" way. It even explained exactly how he needed to train.
But from his point of view, it must've looked like I was messing with him.
"…I really don't get what you're thinking. Did you ask for a delay just to do this? To play games with me? Give me false hope?"
Hyun-jin's face flushed red with anger. I let out a small sigh.
"If I wanted to give you false hope, I would've handed you center for the short-form shoot. Told you everything was going perfectly. Then swapped centers right before the stage. Wouldn't that screw you over way better?"
"…What?"
At his sharp retort, I rubbed my temples. He'd been cooperative this whole time, but now he was suddenly guarding himself again—and time was running out.
'I can't exactly tell him "Who would sabotage themselves this badly just to prank you?"'
And I definitely couldn't say:
I paid a hefty price through a system you don't even know exists, just to find a route that could save you, so stop complaining and follow me.
I needed to persuade him somehow.
'…I still feel wronged, though.'
Spending nearly all my points—points I might need for penalties later—was painful, especially knowing a public downfall was already looming.
But despite that, the reason I had no choice but to use them to unlock his sub-mission was—
"Hyung might take this however you want, but… this wasn't an easy choice for me either. And the reason I had no choice… I think you know that better than I do."
"…Explain it so I can understand."
"You know better than anyone… that this is your last chance."
"...!"
Because Kang Hyun-jin was truly facing "the last" of something.
I emphasized one more thing—something painfully obvious.
"Do you really think you can get your condition back if you practice alone for half a day?"
"…You won't know until you try."
I shook my head.
"If that worked, you would've already gotten it back in the past few days while practicing until dawn without sleep."
He had tried everything he could. But instead of recovering, his condition worsened.
That meant Hyun-jin could not overcome this slump on his own.
Not during this mission's dorm period, at least.
'If he keeps practicing like before, maybe he'd eventually overcome it—like in the past.'
But that would take too long.
And if Hyun-jin couldn't endure this mission, he would break completely.
Another elimination, the expiration of the deadline his parents gave him—he wouldn't withstand it.
So both he and I had to finish this mission properly.
There was no other option.
I watched Kang Hyun-jin hesitate with a sour expression, and continued speaking quietly.
"Forget everything else and think logically. What do I gain from screwing you over?"
I already had first place, and since we were on the same team, I had no reason to want him to collapse. If one person fell apart, the whole team would be affected.
"…That's…"
He seemed to finally realize this simple fact, trailing off. But even so, he still couldn't drop his suspicion. After a moment of silence, he voiced another doubt.
"…If you're thinking that far—why did you give me half a day? You clearly think this half day is a waste of time, so why…?"
"I never said it was a waste of time. I said your solo practice wouldn't be effective."
I sat on the stair landing, setting down the tablet I'd brought from the practice room. Then I lifted my hands to clap.
"So just try it with me for half a day. If it still doesn't work afterward, then do whatever you want. You've got nothing to lose here. If it works—great. If it doesn't—nothing gets worse."
"…I get what you mean. But why are you doing this in the first place? You finally bought us half a day—what do you gain from sticking with me the whole time?"
"It benefits me if our team performs well. If you quit midway or fail to find your condition and ruin the stage—that's the worst outcome for me."
"..."
"If the leader can't guide the team, if we put on a trash performance, everyone will blame me. I don't want that. That's why I'm doing this. So please cooperate, even if you don't feel like it."
"I never said I didn't feel like it."
"Then let's try. Somehow."
When Hyun-jin snapped back irritably, I responded firmly. He ruffled his hair in frustration and finally stood before me.
"…What do I start with?"
Now we're talking.
Seeing him finally convinced—though awkwardly standing there—I let out a breath of relief and started listing the precautions.
"While we practice, think about only two things."
"Say it."
"From now on, I'm either a human metronome, an alarm, or a speaker. You don't judge whether you're doing well or not, and don't obsess over your leg. You know better than anyone that your leg is fine."
"...!"
"If something looks off—dangerous angle, unstable landing—I'll tell you. Don't worry."
Hyun-jin's slump was partly mental, but also due to trauma.
After being eliminated from
'Which made his movements more timid.'
And this mission's choreography, "DAZZLE," heavily relied on legwork. But because he was afraid of re-injury, he unconsciously held back—preventing him from using his body properly.
Yet Hyun-jin already knew every move. His body—not his mind—knew how to dance safely and correctly.
But with trauma and slump mixed together, he had begun judging everything with his head, not his body.
That was why he didn't need a mirror.
Right now, he needed to move without thinking—just follow what his body already remembered.
'But he still needs someone to check his form, or he might reinforce bad habits.'
And that was my job. That's why I'd brought him somewhere with just the two of us.
"Let's begin."
I clapped repeatedly at "DAZZLE"'s BPM, and Hyun-jin began stepping—clumsy at first—following my rhythm.
"…How are you so sure this method will work?"
He stopped for a moment, gasping, looking frustrated. Unable to see himself, he seemed uneasy.
My answer was simple.
"You already know all the tap dance steps and techniques you taught me."
"And so?"
"You trust that."
His innate talent, the countless hours of training carved into his body—those were why I believed I had to bring him all the way back. Once he regained condition, he could deliver a performance more perfect than anyone's.
And more importantly—
『SUB MISSION: Path to Overcoming』
Progress — 47.2%
A helpful system window hovered above his head, being a jerk as usual—but undeniably assisting.
Only an idiot wouldn't bet on this.
"…You're such a weird kid."
Look who's talking…
I couldn't say that out loud. Instead, I just kept clapping mechanically.
And after half a day passed—
"…Can you let me show it one more time?"
With a nervous expression—but completely different condition from yesterday—
Kang Hyun-jin could stand in front of the team again.
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