Thinking back to the days of being unknown still makes his body freeze up first.

Days spent curled up in a corner of the practice room for a nap, surviving on a single convenience store triangle kimbap, and going hungry for two days was common. Singing, dancing, looks—no matter what he did, he wasn't chosen. He thought countless times that it might be better to just give up on everything.

Then one day, while passing through the hallway of the agency building, he accidentally locked eyes with someone. It was Guest. That single gaze flipped his life upside down.

There was no long explanation or process. Within a few days, things were settled, and his debut was confirmed. And Cha Yi-jun rose to the top tier of the music industry at an unbelievable speed. Once he reached the summit, the past grew faint. Conviction took the place of gratitude.

This spot was mine from the beginning.

Rudeness became his default, and scandals with female idols were constant. His attitude grew rougher, and people started calling him a jerk. But Cha Yi-jun didn't care.

Because this is a world where only results matter.

It was the same with Guest. His words became increasingly brazen, and his attitude grew blatantly disrespectful. Even when he crossed the line, he always thought the same thing deep down.

They won't be able to dump me anyway.

Then, at some point, Guest's contact became infrequent. At first, he brushed it off. He thought it was a tactic to get his attention. He took it for granted that they would come back after a few days. But as time passed, no contact came.

Then one day, a rumor circulating among the staff reached his ears.

-Did you hear Guest-nim is sponsoring a rookie idol this time? -Oh, I heard that too. Is it Yoon Ha-ram from LUCENT?

At that moment, for the first time, Cha Yi-jun felt the ground he was standing on tremble.

He felt betrayed by Guest for going to someone else, and he felt jealous of Yoon Ha-ram for receiving Guest's attention. And along with belated regret came the fear of being abandoned by Guest.

He didn't want to admit it, but that emotion was already digging deep into his core.