TDOCD Chapter 3

Chapter 3

New Reality 

"Huh?"

At that moment, I felt shivers running down my spine.

A warm, brilliant light seemed to pour down on me from somewhere. Soon after, the pain from my injuries vanished, as if magically washed away.

Crack-crack-

The broken and cracked bones found their proper place and reattached.

Though hidden beneath the bandages, I could feel the wounds etched from head-to-toe healing.

"Wow..." I whispered, marveling at the sensation.

My body was quickly becoming lighter. There is no such thing as impossible in magic, especially when I'm experiencing it now.

'How fascinating...'

"What do you mean 'Wow'? Are you not listening to me again? Anyway, stop talking nonsense and just focus on getting treatment. You understand? Hey!"

As Ryu Jae-geum shouted behind me, I continued to marvel at my rapidly improving condition.

​Suddenly, another notification sound chimed, and a new window appeared.

· ✦•·····················•✦•·····················•✦·  

Synchronization complete!

Hong Yeo-eun and Ryu Ji-ye's abilities have been synchronized.

Opening status window.

Ryu Ji-ye

- Unaffiliated

Vocal: B+

Dance: B

Appearance: A

Potential: S

Trait: Dopamine Addiction

 ✦✧​✦✧

​   *Saint's Healing Buff Active! (Remaining period: 7 days)

· ✦•·····················•✦•·····················•✦·  

Status window?

Is this my status window?

I had vaguely felt that the blue windows that had appeared so far had a system similar to the games I occasionally played, but...

No, that aside, why is the content...

'This is clearly stats for a singer?'

Vocal, dance, and even Visuals.

​Not strength, intelligence, magic power, or other stats commonly seen in games, but literally stats that are useless unless you're going to be a singer.

And what's dopamine addiction?

"......"

What am I supposed to do with this?

Don't tell me I'm supposed to become an idol again, but this time as the youngest granddaughter of a chaebol family?

No way, how could that be possi-

Ding!

At that moment, all the windows displayed in front of my eyes disappeared and new text appeared.

· ✦•·····················•✦•·····················•✦·  

[The second mission has arrived!]

'First Mission'

You've declared your dream to your family! But their reaction is lukewarm.

Your family's trust in you is Zero!

They surely think this is another fleeting dream that will disappear in half a day!

At this rate, you won't even get near a broadcasting station, let alone debut!

Get your family to acknowledge your dream and talent within a month!

 ✦✧✦✧

- Mission completion condition: Get family's acknowledgment of your dream

Reward: 1,000G

*Failure will result in the loss of a new opportunity. (Remaining time: 31 days)

✦✧✦✧

· ✦•·····················•✦•·····················•✦·  ​

```

Wow, it's real. They really want me to become a singer. And in the body of the delinquent daughter of Korea's top chaebol family, no less.

'No...'

"Huh..."

I stared blankly at the mission window and let out another hollow laugh. If this isn't a dream but reality...

'I wanted to have our concert too...'

'I promised the fans we'd definitely make a comeback...'

'If there's a next life, I hope to be born as a rich and powerful chaebol...'

I had many thoughts before losing consciousness. They were just regrets and resentments about why I couldn't do more, but...

Who could have imagined an opportunity would be given in this way?

"Hey, can't you hear me? Are you going to ignore me now? Right, that's just like you. I came to visit even though I'm extremely busy, and you don't even say a word of thanks."

I turned my head sharply away from the nagging Ryu Jae-geum.

I wanted to answer, but…right now, I'm sorry, I couldn't because I felt like I was about to cry.

Finally, Ryu Jae-geum sighed and got up from his seat.

"Sigh. I'm trying to squeeze blood from a stone. How dare I expect gratitude from Princess Ji-ye."

Ryu Jae-geum clicked his tongue and headed towards the sofa.

How could something like this happen?

Did the lingering attachment I had until the moment of death create this miracle?

I tried to suppress my surging emotions and looked at the mission window again.

*Failure will result in the loss of a new opportunity. (Remaining time: 31 days)

'If this is reality, now is not the time to hesitate.'

I can't throw away this miraculous opportunity. I slightly turned my gaze to look at Ryu Jae-geum, who was checking his mobile phone.

'...The second mission isn't difficult either.'

I know from experience that there's no more effective way to persuade and gain acknowledgment from family.

Let's give it a try.

---

On the third day, after throwing a tantrum, I was able to get an early discharge.

"Are you crazy? No way. You can't leave until you're fully recovered. Keep being stubborn if you want to get kicked out of the house." 

"I'm all better."

"You're just making excuses because you want to leave."

Ryu Jae-geum sneered at my seemingly nonsensical words, but soon he had no choice but to process my discharge with a bewildered expression. It was because my body had truly recovered as if cleansed, thanks to the invincible buff called 'Saint's Healing'.

'Actually, I wanted to rest a bit more.'

I felt a bit of regret about not being able to stay longer in this hotel-like hospital room.

Even before becoming Ryu Ji-ye, I had always wished I could rest comfortably just once.

Here, they bring food if you just stay still, and although medical staff occasionally check on my condition, no one bothers you if you don't cause trouble.

Moreover, Ryu Ji-ye's mother, who always visited the hospital room, was gentle and cared for her very much.

Honestly, I had never been as comfortable in body and mind as during these three days here.

'But there's no choice since time is passing...'

I pouted my lips and glanced at the mission window in front of me.

*Failure will result in the loss of a new opportunity. (Time limit: 29 days)

After being here for 3 days, I've fully realized that this situation isn't a dream. There was no time to spare. Even if it's regrettable, I need to be discharged and solve the mission first. Making someone acknowledge my dream and support it takes more time than one might think.

"Hey. You're really something else, even though you're my sister. How can this be possible? Did you secretly bribe the doctor without my knowledge? How can you be fully recovered in such a short time?" 

I stared at Ryu Jae-geum, who spoke as if dumbfounded, and then opened my mouth.

"So what?"

This is probably what Ryu Ji-ye would say.

"Look at that attitude."

As expected, Ryu Jae-geum responded as if used to it, with a disgusted look on his face, and left the hospital room first, carrying my luggage.

I followed him and got into the car waiting in front of the hospital. Then, pretending to look out the window, I quietly opened the status window.

· ✦•·····················•✦•·····················•✦·  

Ryu Ji-ye

- Unaffiliated

Vocal: B+

Dance: B

Appearance: A

Potential: S

Trait: Dopamine Addiction

   ✦✧✦✧

*Saint's Healing Buff Active! (Remaining period: 5 days)

· ✦•·····················•✦•·····················•✦·  ​

```

'So these are my stats.'

Since it said my stats were synchronized with Ryu Ji-ye's status window, these grades must be the abilities I originally had as Hong Yeo-eun.

The stats weren't bad.

'Come to think of it...'

I really worked hard for 7 years. Seeing my abilities objectively quantified gave me a new perspective.

'Well...'

Since we weren't popular, I practiced to death thinking I should at least improve my skills. Thanks to that, even though I was always looked down upon as a "failed idol," I was never criticized for my skills.

The main vocalist of a popular idol group I saw on the hospital TV had the same B+ vocal grade as me. Top-tier solo singers who do power vocals have grades ranging from A to A+. In other words, my vocal skills are among the highest.

'Who said if you're skilled, you'll eventually make it big?'

As expected, the best way to survive in the idol industry is through company backing, appearance, money and connections, and luck. Skills come after that, I guess.

Being skilled only gets you comments like 'Wow, she sings well' or 'This group should be popular' unless you hit the algorithm hard, but it doesn't lead to fan recruitment.

'Of course, in our case, lack of marketing and refusing sponsorships played a part too.'

"...Ugh, this is frustrating."

"What?"

"Nothing."

I shook my head at Ryu Jae-geum's gaze and closed the status window.

Thinking about how our schedules noticeably decreased after refusing sponsorships still made my heart race with frustration. But soon, the depression that was slowly creeping in subsided gently.

'That won't happen anymore.'

I'm not a young person without power or money anymore.

'Surely, the current me can rise much higher than the me back then.’