The flight back to South Korea felt longer than usual, as Damien's mind swirled endlessly with random thoughts. The worn script was tucked securely in his bag.
Arriving at their penthouse in Seoul, Damien barely paused to drop his luggage off in his room before seeking out Yuri. He found her in the living room, immersed in a book. It seemed to be a magazine of the recent works hosted by her gallery.
"Mother..."
Yuri glanced up, a warm smile instantly brightening her face. "Damien! You're back! How was Los Angeles? Milla? I wish your grandmother and grandfather were here to hear your stories too..."
He hesitated, taking a deep breath before stepping further into the living room and settling into the seat beside her. "Mother, I need to talk to you."
Her smile faltered at his serious tone. "What happened? What is it?"
"I spoke with Milla. She gave me some perspective."
"..."
Yuri was silent for a brief moment.
"Damien, darling, is this about your comment during breakfast the other day? About trying something new? Don't tell me you want to break into the entertainment industry?"
Damien didn't falter at her attitude. After all, his life depended on this. Whether the family disagreed or not, he would do whatever it took to reach his goal. "I want to become an idol, Mother. I've thought about this carefully. I understand it's public and risky, but it's something I truly want to pursue."
For a moment, Yuri just stared at him, her expression unreadable. Then she sighed softly, setting down her book. "Damien, this isn't just any career choice. It's one that puts you directly in the public eye. Our family has always valued privacy—"
"I know," Damien interjected. "But Milla proved it's possible to balance both privacy and a public career. And more than that, this is important to me."
Yuri looked away briefly, her brow knitted with concern. "What about your father? The family elders? You know how they feel about these things."
"I'm prepared for their reactions," Damien said calmly. "And I know that when I wanted to give up the battle for the inheritance, you fought the elders. I know everything now, Mother."
Yuri opened her mouth but nothing came out. In the end, she remained quiet, clearly conflicted.
"This time, you and father don't need to protect me. There's no logic in dragging you both into a battle that isn't yours. If the elders insist on picking a fight, I'll handle it myself. Regardless of what they say, I've decided—I'll become an idol."
Yuri saw the determination deep within Damien's emerald eyes and sighed deeply. "Damien, you've always been rational. Why this? Why now?"
He leaned forward slightly. "Because it's about passion, Mom. It's about finding my own path, just like you did with dance."
"Dance was different, Damien—"
"Was it?" He pressed gently. "You once told me how hard it was for you to pursue your passion. How your parents doubted and worried, yet you followed your heart anyway. Can't you see that's exactly where I am now?"
Yuri looked away. "It wasn't easy, Damien. I faced a lot of criticism, a lot of pain."
"But would you have done anything differently?"
She hesitated. "No. I wouldn't."
Damien moved closer, sitting next to her on the sofa. "Then trust me. This isn't impulsive. I've thought it through. I can handle the challenges, the spotlight, all of it. I just need you to believe in me."
Yuri reached out, gently cupping his face with one hand, her thumb brushing against his cheek. "You've grown up, haven't you?"
He smiled faintly. "Maybe just a little."
After a quiet moment, Yuri nodded slowly, pulling him into a tight embrace. "Alright. If this truly means that much to you, then I'll support you."
Damien exhaled deeply, relief washing over him. "Thank you, Mother."
She patted his back affectionately, releasing him from the hug but still holding his shoulders gently. "But promise me you'll be careful. This path you're choosing won't be easy."
"I promise. I'll make it work."Yuri smiled gently, pride and worry mixing in her gaze. "I believe you will."
…
Not long after, he was called over to the Hertz mansion. Luckily with the help of the system and some shop purchases, he managed to secure cautious approval from the conservative elders for his entry into the entertainment industry—albeit under strict conditions.
Firstly, Damien was never to publicly mention the Hertz family name or disclose any connection to it. Secondly, he was required to adopt and strictly use an alias to for privacy. If any of these rules were broken, it would result in immediate and permanent estrangement from the Hertz family, including the loss of all support and measures to halt his idol career.
Now, Damien sat aboard a flight from Japan to South Korea, his mind filled with anticipation. He had already cleared his dormitory room at Fujimori Academy, prepared to settle into his new place. His father had arranged new identity documents for him and a residence in Seoul, and these papers now rested securely in Damien's carry-on.
Unfortunately, because his face was already seen at Fujimori Academy, completely reinventing his identity wasn't possible. Thus, he would continue as Yeong Myeongho or Damien Yeong.
Right now he was only sixteen. Damien needed parental guidance and consent to sign with an entertainment agency. To navigate around this without involving his actual parents, the Hertz family worked together with the Yeong family to quietly arrange for distant but trustworthy relatives to pose as his guardians.
These proxy parents—Yeong Taehyuk and Yeong Mina—were carefully selected. Taehyuk was a successful but discreet finance executive, while Mina managed an upscale but modest art gallery in Seoul. Most importantly, Yeong Mina had German blood running through her. This could explain his features, especially is green eyes.
Both had reputations of quiet wealth, just rich enough to plausibly afford sending their son to the prestigious Fujimori Academy without attracting unnecessary questioning.
…
Damien stepped into his new apartment, a cozy one-bedroom unit tucked just a few blocks away from Starlite Media. A single suitcase rolled behind him, its wheels humming quietly over the polished floor. He honestly had expected something bare-bones, maybe even unfurnished. Yet to his surprise, the place was already fully set up.
Glancing around, his gaze landed on an extra suitcase lined up neatly against the wall. It was his luggage from the penthouse. "I guess someone took care of that too..." he muttered.
After another quick sweep of the apartment, he wheeled his suitcase into the bedroom, dropped it by the door, and collapsed briefly onto the bed.
"System," he called out, still half-sinking into the mattress.
System: [110 is here at your service!]
"Show me my new task mission."
System: [Yes, host!]
He had been waiting. Ever since his plane touched down, a quiet notification had pinged in his mind, but he'd held off opening it until he could settle in and focus.
[Ding!]
[New Task Missions Assigned]
[Mission: Become a Trainee]
[Time Limit: 2 Months]
[Reward: 200~1000 Points]
[Failure: Death]
Damien blinked.
Then, he slowly sat up. "…Why is there a time limit now? And since when are there death penalties for task missions?"
System: [Due to the host finding out the main mission, the system has now undergone a full update. Congratulations!]
Damien: "..."
Damien felt his anger rise, but he quickly calmed down. "That's not the answer I was hoping for."
System: [The main system has calculated the highest probability of you completing the main wish mission. To comply with that probability, there are now time limits. Failure to complete missions within the allotted time period would result in a near guaranteed chance of failure of the main mission.]
Damien couldn't reply. He flopped back on the bed with a groan. "So if I don't finish things on time, everything snowballs into failure. Well not that I have the option to fail anyways..."
System: [That's half-true, host. Not all task missions have the penalty of death, so don't be too worried.]
"Great. Just great."
The room fell quiet. Damien stared at the ceiling, brain slowly clicking back into gear.
"Then I don't have a choice," he murmured. "I have to move fast."
He rummaged through his pockets and found the card that Kang Yejin had given him. "Luckily I contacted them ages ago. The open auditions for Starlite Media start next week. That'll be my first move."