translation by mourningmoor
“You said you’d… take me to the dorm, didn’t you?”
Standing in front of the blue iron door, I couldn't take another step.
Beyond the door, one, two, three… four.
I could sense the presence of four people.
Judging from the size of this so-called "dorm" from the outside, it didn’t seem like a space fit for more than four people to live in.
“This is… really the dorm?”
I asked once again.
“It is.”
“Are you sure? What if it’s not?”
No matter how I looked at it, it didn’t seem right. It was so suspicious, yet Gyuhyung wasn’t lying either. That made it all the more confusing.
“It looks exactly like a warehouse or… trash storage, or something like that.”
Starting with the smell seeping out through the crack in the door.
It reminded me of entering a dungeon for training during my apprentice days.
The stench was similar to that of the trash swamp at the first gate.
I was seven years old when I stepped into that place, and young as I was, I fainted on the spot.
What I’m saying is, this place is absolutely, absolutely not suitable for people to live in.
“Let’s go to another dorm. Not here.”
As I turned away, Gyuhyung grabbed me.
“Unfortunately, this is the only dorm we have.”
Gyuhyung, smiling awkwardly, entered a six-digit password.
“I’d love to move you to a better place, but as you know, the budget is…”
The dented metal door let out a grating creak—its unpleasant noise drowned out the rest of Gyuhyung’s words. So basically, no budget, right?
“Get better soon, succeed quickly, and let's move to a nicer place. Okay?”
With a friendly smile, Gyuhyung disappeared inside the door.
This is hopeless.
Through the open crack of the door, murmuring voices mixed with a stinging stench wafted out.
Ah—seriously, this just doesn’t seem right…
“Kang Ichan, hurry up.”
No, this really isn’t right.
But with Gyuhyung urging me on, I had no choice but to step inside.
And I immediately regretted it.
“Hiiiiiik. W-What is this?”
My eyes widened on their own.
This place is not fit for humans to live in.
First of all, the entrance itself is the worst.
There are only four people, so why are there so many shoes?
Filthy, dirty, smelly shoes are tangled together, leaving no room to step.
It’s clear that half of the strange odor squeezing through the door is because of these shoes.
“Come on, let’s go in.”
As I glared wide-eyed at the shoes, even showing the whites of my eyes, Gyuhyung gently pushed me forward.
Thus, with my back pushed, I was forced to throw myself into this world’s worst dungeon.
* * *
A bedroom the size of a nostril, a living room the size of a nostril, a kitchen the size of a nostril, and a bathroom the size of a nostril.
All these nostril-sized spaces combined to form a nostril-sized home.
When I asked how five people could live in such a cramped space, it seemed it wasn’t an impossible task.
For starters, the nostril-sized bedroom held two bunk beds and a single bed. Meaning it was possible for five people to sleep there.
Half of the living room was packed with clothes. The remaining half held a small table, a television, and an audio system—nothing more.
And then the kitchen.
I instinctively clamped my mouth and nose shut. No food could possibly be made here—unless it was a breeding ground for molds and insect armies.
The problem with this place wasn’t just its cramped space.
Yes, it was dirty. Too dirty, beyond dirty.
My conclusion? This place was worse than the infamous "Trash Swamp," the most dreaded trial even among apprentice mages.
I blocked my nose with my left hand and ran my right hand over the sink.
"Hiiik."
I thought the countertop was golden, but it wasn’t.
This was a conglomeration of filth, accumulated layer by layer from old grime to fresh dirt. And it was slippery...?
How could something so filthy touch this precious body of mine?
"Hey, you filthy people!!!!!!!!"
I finally exploded.
This is not right, this is not okay. No matter how young I am, this is unacceptable.
Swallowing the rising nausea, I instinctively grabbed the scrubbing sponge.
And then, I scrubbed the sink furiously.
The source of the stench wasn’t just the shoes at the entrance.
"Are they beggars? How can anyone eat in a place like this?"
A pile of dishes that hadn’t been washed for days, food scraps stuck in between, a mountain of stinky laundry, a bathroom beyond description.
This place, dirtier than the trash pit of a dungeon, was a total disaster.
And yet, they’ve set food here and what, are they going to eat?
“Welcome party?”
For someone with a sensitive nose like mine, this place was becoming worse than the deepest pit of hell.
“How can you have a party when it’s this disgusting? Is everyone out of their mind?”
“Hyung, you just got discharged today…”
Having hastily finished cleaning the sink, I was now storming through the dishes. Standing beside me were the two skinny ones from earlier.
Just like Kang Ichan, the two skinny ones who looked like sardines were named Park Roa and Kim Jaewon. Since they called me "hyung," they seemed younger than Kang Ichan, but in the end, they were just filthy sardines.
"Then go throw out the trash or something."
I pointed to the trash bag that Gyuhyung had bought earlier.
But the two just blinked, not moving an inch.
Ha, you're telling me you don't even know how to clean up? Right now?
I threw the scrubbing sponge I had been holding, and the two sardines flinched in surprise.
"I-I'll do it."
At that moment, another sardine popped out from behind the two.
This one was Yoon Siu. Apparently, he was the same age as Kang Ichan.
"I'll handle the trash. I can do it."
The guy who had been subtly observing from behind started gathering the trash from what appeared to be the dining table.
Judging by his actions, it seemed unlikely that he would clean properly.
Still, it was better than doing nothing, so I left that to him for now and focused on these two...
"Then, you two want to do the dishes?"
I pointed to the mountain of plates still piled up. At that, their eyes widened in surprise. Their faces reminded me of the rabbits that used to play around the back hills of Parapara, which strangely eased my anger. Of course, they were still dirty little rabbits.
"Us?"
"Or do you want to clean the toilet?"
"We'll... we'll do the dishes."
"Make sure you clean them well."
With that, I swung the door open.
Lying on the bed at an angle, reading a comic book, was another skinny guy, Han Junyoung.
In the end, I had to get the last anchovy up, hand him a rag, and make him scrub the floor before my frustration subsided.
T.N.: Anchovy is often used to describe a person—usually a man—who is extremely thin or skinny. The term draws from the physical appearance of anchovies, which are small and slender.
2 A.M.
I had finally finished cleaning.
Of course, it wasn't perfectly clean.
A dungeon is just a dungeon; it could never be a magic tower.
After watching the exhausted skinny guys stumble toward their beds, I finally had some time to myself.
Now, in front of me lay a laptop with the label 《Kang Ichan》 on it.
Since this guy liked writing in his journal, I wondered if I should take a peek into his daily life.
* * *
The first task, dungeon cleaning.
It seems I overdid it. Every inch of my body aches.
With my skinny frame and no muscles, it's no wonder I feel this way.
"Ichan-hyung, should I put on a patch for you?"
The youngest, Jaewon, approached with a white patch in hand.
This kid had been sticking patches on the team's bodies since earlier.
A patch. When seen through the lens of language refinement and media acquisition, it's something weaklings put on when they want to boast about their struggles externally.
A 9th Circle Grand Mage doesn't need such a badge.
Silently rejecting the offer, I refocused on the choreography video that Roa had put on.
An idol. In the end, is it just about appearing on TV, dancing, singing, and showing a pretty image?
[Hyung, Youngjun-ssaem says we should memorize the choreography first. Seokho-ssaem said he'd separate your part for the song, so you can just listen to that.]
T.N.: "ssaem" (쌤) is an informal and affectionate term for a teacher or someone who teaches you something. It is a shortened version of "seonsaengnim" (선생님), which is the formal term for "teacher" or "instructor."
The kids who thought I had temporary memory loss were all exuding 《concern.》
Sure, they were worried about Kang Ichan, but it seemed like they were more concerned about the team falling apart.
Team breakdown. That was also a troublesome matter for me.
I didn't know what was going to happen in the future, but if the one support I had disappeared, that would be a problem.
'For now, just fake it. As long as the team doesn't fall apart.'
I have no intention of fully living Kang Ichan's life. My past life was far too exhausting for that.
I barely escaped that life, so I can't go back to living like that. Right?
Not taking my eyes off the screen, I leveled up my second power, 'Acquisition,' to its maximum.
And so, after a day passed, I had fully memorized the choreography for the title track of L.I.T's first album.
* * *
"Ichan."
As I put on my sneakers and started to leave the dorm, Yoon Siu called out to me.
"Practice starts at 10, so... where are you going?"
Blade Ent. is located a 10-minute walk from the dorm.
The practice room is on the third floor, and starting today, I decided to join the others at the company for their practice.
But there was a more urgent task than practice.
"Exercise."
I casually replied and quickly left the dorm.
Exercise. What Kang Ichan needs right now is exercise.
The idols of this world are said to require a lean, muscular body.
But Kang Ichan was just thin.
Of course, being too bulky is worse, but with the lack of muscle, it was becoming harder and harder to endure day by day.
Is this body even a body if it breaks down from a little cleaning? It’s like a paper doll.
"First, let’s run. Just like running through the eastern hill behind Parapara, we’re just running."
It felt like going back to my trainee days.
Having passed the mage qualification exam at the youngest age, I became a full-fledged mage at eight years old. At such a young age, I had to endure harsh training, and my physical stamina couldn’t keep up, which was a struggle.
My master, however, made me run through the eastern hill behind Parapara.
I ran through the forest every single day, and soon, the earth’s mana began to take a liking to me. Thanks to that, I was able to use infinite mana freely.
"Those were the good times."
I was startled by the words that slipped out of my mouth without thinking.
"Those were the good times," what am I even saying?
Am I seriously considering trying it again?
"Are you crazy? I'm not doing it. No way. I can't do it again."
It's a pitiful life, but it's the second life I stumbled upon. A second chance where I don't know when it might be taken away.
I just want to live this second life quietly.
The life of an idol might be physically exhausting, but emotionally, I want to believe that this is like a vacation.
The life of a leader, always at the front, carrying the weight of others' expectations and admiration, was tiring. No more comparisons, competition, or power struggles—just a peaceful life.
Living quietly and peacefully, and if I ever get called by the goddess, that would be the ultimate serenity.
"Live quietly, and leave quietly."
Yes, I’ve decided. My goal for this second life.
If I lived my previous life thick and long, this time I’ll live thin and short.
Thin and short…