Where Should I Start?

Damien burst through the penthouse with such fervor that Yuri nearly dropped her teacup. She stood by the sofa in the living room, jolted by loud noise.

"Damien! Slow down, you'll break something! What's wrong? What's the rush?"

Damien sprinted towards the staircase. "Sorry, Mother!" He yelled back in reply without slowing down, his voice trailing off as he went up the steps. "I... Uh... Really tired! Long day! Need some sleep!"

Yuri raised an eyebrow skeptically, glancing at her parents who shared confused yet amused looks from the living room.

"He's a teenager," Hyejin sighed lightly, shaking her head. "What can we do?"

Upstairs, Damien closed his bedroom door with a bang, leaning against it as he caught his breath.

Crap, it feels like I ran a marathon...

System: [Who was the one who ran all the way to the penthouse nonstop after hearing the mission?]

"..."

"Me..."

System: [Exactly, host.]

"Okay, don't start getting smart with me, system." Damien sighed, plopping down on the bed. "Unlock the mission information."

[Ding! Mission Information Unlocked!]

Damien braced himself as his vision darkened.

Once he opened his eyes, he found himself at a concert, loud cheers and music blaring in his ears. He stared intently at the idol on the stage, his dyed blonde hair shimmering like gold under the spotlight. His heart was filling up with the same emotion he would get whenever he would start a new canvas. Excitement.

'What is this?' He thought. 'Am I feeling the same emotions as the original Damien felt?'

The scene shifted abruptly, pulling him into a quiet practice room filled only with the soft hum of background music.

"Damien!" the same idol from earlier called out, waving at him.

He heard himself reply. "Can I join you?"

"Of course!"

Then he sat, inviting Damien to sit on the floor with him. Even in private, the idol exuded a radiant yet quiet charisma—truly fitting for the stage.

As Damien sat, he couldn't help but look at the idol like he hung the stars. Not in a romantic way, but in wonder. Pure, childlike admiration. A spark in his eyes.

"I want to be like you," the young teen blurted. "I want to move people. Make them feel something."

The idol's eyes widened, then crinkled in amusement. Ruffling Damien's hair, he grinned and said, "What's stopping you? You can always start now."

Then Damien suddenly felt his chest become heavy before the memory fragment shattered.

He jolted back into the present, gasping softly as he found himself back in the penthouse in his bedroom.

"Ugh... That was intense," he muttered, sitting up slowly and rubbing his face. "I really prefer your earlier model. I don't like the feeling of losing control of my body."

System: [Then host, I could just summarize the mission information from now on. Would you like me to do that?]

"That would be great." Damien nodded. Then he slowly mulled over what he experienced. "So Damien was close to an idol in the past?"

System: [Yes, the original Damien was greatly inspired to become an idol due to his close friendship with the rising idol Kim Jaeho from the group IGNYTE. Observing Jaeho's passion and dedication impacted him. His unfulfilled wish was to experience that same passion on stage.]

"Hmm..." Damien lowered his gaze as he thought. "Clearly, Damien didn't continue the new found passion as he overtook the company rather than Lukas."

System: [Damien's determination to prove to his parents his competence was far greater than becoming an idol. However, when he took over the Hertz conglomerate, he still would occasionally listen to Jaeho's music and attend his concerts. In the end, he couldn't let go of it.]

"I see. Then... How did the two meet?"

System: [When Damien was fourteen years old, Yuri took him to an art exhibition held at a private gallery in Seoul. Jaeho also attended the same event. That is how they met.]

"And since I made the decision to leave the Hertz mansion... we didn't meet."

System: [Yes, the host is right.]

The image of the original Damien secretly admiring and yearning for such a public and expressive dream felt oddly bittersweet. It made sense—this world's Damien had everything but had so many regrets. Being an idol represented passion, freedom, and fulfillment, something the original Damien had clearly longed for but never openly pursued.

"Fine," Damien muttered, falling back onto his bed. "So, my mission is to become an idol. Not just an idol, but the top idol." He groaned, tossing an arm over his eyes. "Damien can really dream big."

For hours, he lay awake, thoughts racing in endless loops. How was he, Damien Hertz, a part of the world's most secretive families, supposed to become a top idol? Where should he even start?

System: [Host, typically those aspiring to become idols have three main paths. One, auditioning for the large entertainment companies; two, trying out for mid-sized or smaller agencies; and three, participating in a survival reality show.]

"Well, first things first, we can get rid of auditioning for the bigger companies."

The idea of competing at major agencies didn't sit well with him. The bigger the company was, the more people would be auditioning, each fiercely talented and desperate to stand out. The sheer volume of competition would make visibility difficult. Moreover, these companies might require longer and uncertain periods of training since they have a larger volume of trainees. Damien did not have time. At sixteen, the clock was already ticking. The older he gets, the lesser the chance of debuting.

Survival shows were out of the question as well. There would be too much attention too fast. Not to mention, he also wouldn't be able to control the narrative of the show. Damien knew better than to gamble his future on editors or the unpredictable tides of public opinion. Worse, quick fame meant immediate scrutiny, and any slip could unravel his identity. Just a few hours ago he was going in and out of the penthouse. Who's to say the employees here wouldn't recognize him and point out his wealth?

No, he needed something quieter, subtler—a path that allowed him careful control.

He had to be inconspicuous and slowly get rid of all public traces of him as 'Damien Hertz'. He had already distanced himself by becoming 'Yeong Myeongho' while attending Fujimori Academy. Maybe he could keep this identity, but just had to be tighter and stricter with it. He needed to be careful, severing or carefully obscuring his ties to the Yeong and Hertz families. Every step from here had to be deliberate, precise, and thoroughly discreet—otherwise, he would only implicate his family and himself.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

The only option was signing with a mid to small-sized company. Fewer trainees would mean less competition and a higher chance of debuting quickly. Smaller companies would also allow Damien to maintain a low profile, quietly backing them financially without risking his identity. Limited resources wouldn't pose a problem—he could discreetly fund the company himself. Moreover, these companies were far easier to… control.

A wicked smirk curled his lips. "Now that I think about it, wasn't Johann venturing in the entertainment industry recently? Should I let him take over the company I debut in?"

The system, seeing its host, couldn't help but shiver, lighting a candle for whatever agency Damien ended up choosing.

"Alright, it's settled then—the second option," Damien confirmed decisively.

Fortunately, his previous education at the academy and prior lessons at the manor had given him solid foundations in singing and dancing. Training wouldn't pose a challenge. The real difficulty would be guessing and aligning himself with the company's vision of the debut group as well outshining fellow trainees.

Yet the important question remained.

What company should he choose?

He pinched the bridge of his nose, fatigue creeping in, but adrenaline held him sharp and alert. "System, can you search mid to small-sized companies, reputable, and preferably with international potential."

System: [On it, host.]

A screen appeared in front of him, flickering, narrowing rapidly until a shortlist of names materialized. He skimmed them carefully.

"VLIX Entertainment... too risky, too many controversies," he murmured dismissively. "Zero Point Studios? They get zero points... they're practically bankrupt. Even if I have investments, I don't want to use it on a company with no potential. I'll pass. Syntica Productions… hmm, it looks like they're reputation isn't the best."

He scrolled endlessly, feeling progressively frustrated. "System, is there any decent company left?"

System: [There is one more viable option: Starlite Media.]

It caught his attention immediately. "Wait… Starlite Media? The scout's company?"

System: [Yes, host. Starlite was modest yet stable. They boasted respectable success with their previous groups, maintained clean records, and operated under a CEO known for integrity and discretion. Host, considering how long it's been since their last debut, they might be planning to introduce a new group soon.]

Quickly, Damien rummaged through his jacket pocket, heart thumping loudly when his fingers brushed against stiff cardstock. He pulled it out and stared in disbelief.

"This has to be a joke," he muttered to himself, half-laughing hysterically. He stared at the card with a slightly deranged gleam in his eyes. "The universe has one-upped me."

He sank into the bed with a defeated groan, still gripping the card tightly. The mission was undeniably real. As absurd as it seemed, this was now his life.

Taking a deep breath, he lifted the card up to eye level, a manic grin spreading across his face. "Alright, Starlite Media," Damien whispered resolutely. "Let's see what you've got."