Idol of the Heavenly One - Chapter 6.1
Ji-hak, meaning the Age of Learning, refers to fifteen—the age when one sets one’s mind on study.
I-rip, meaning the Age of Standing Firm, refers to thirty — the age when one stands firm in conviction and morals.
That was why Yoo Myeong-jin had misheard my name as Ji Cheonmyeong and said he thought it was a name blessed by the Buddha.
At the time, I denied it, saying that wasn’t my name, but now I had goosebumps running down my arms. I really had died at the age called Ji Cheonmyeong.
Could it be that the reason I was reincarnated was so I could join this group?
—I almost thought so, but it could also have just been a coincidence, and I couldn’t risk mistaking coincidence for fate and signing a contract because of it.
“Wait, over here….”
“What is it?”
Leaving the curious trainees behind, their wide eyes round with curiosity, I pulled Yoo Myeong-jin over to the corner.
“By any chance, are all the members of the debut group named after ages?”
“Gasp—how did you know that?”
“All of their names are ages.”
“Wow, Myeong-hyeon, you really are different. Different. Kids these days don’t even know that stuff.”
“Are they all using their real names?”
“Yes, all of them are their real names.”
So it was true. Then, there really was no “our Jae-heon.” Because no matter how I tried to twist it, “Jae-heon” wasn’t a name that had anything to do with age.
Could it be that because of the butterfly effect, the group’s concept had shifted, and I was meant to debut in “our Jae-heon’s” place?
“But my real name is Ji Myeong-hyeon, you know.”
“Right, that part is a bit of a shame, but hey, you can use a stage name.”
A stage name?
Right. Now that I thought about it, lots of celebrities use stage names.
So hope wasn’t completely lost yet. Even if the group’s identity had shifted, there was still a chance that “our Jae-heon” might debut under a stage name.
“What if—”
“Yes?”
“If I debut, would my stage name be Ji Cheonmyeong?”
“There’s a 99 percent chance of that, yes?”
“Then it would be Ji-hak, I-rip, Ji Cheonmyeong…Are there other names too? How many members are debuting?”
“Mm, that part hasn’t been finalized yet….”
No, it was practically finalized.
Otherwise they wouldn’t be pushing me to hurry and sign the contract. They must have already finalized the members they’ll debut, but they’re still figuring out whether to include me.
“You asked me to make a quick decision, but I’d like to be certain about this part as well.
I’m about to make an important contract that will cost me a portion of my youth, so I need to think seriously about it.
I won’t tell anyone, so please, tell me.”
It was practically an unreasonable plea, but if I didn’t pressure him like this, I wouldn’t be able to find out whether “our Jae-heon” was in the debut lineup or not.
“Sigh… but you really must not tell anyone.”
“Yes.”
All I needed was a name. Just the name “Jae-heon.”
“The trainees confirmed for debut are, as you guessed, all names that refer to ages.
You might find it a bit unsettling. It might even feel a little tacky… but I think the fact that these members came together like this is destiny.
Honestly, if your name had been Ji Cheonmyeong from the start, you’d be a guaranteed 100 percent debut lineup pick.
When I said yesterday that I couldn’t give you a definite answer, it was because of your name.
But since your stage name wouldn’t be all that different from your real name, and you really do feel like you’d blend into the group, that’s why I’m here trying to convince the higher-ups right now.
So please, try to make your decision as soon as…”
Myeong-jin kept talking, but the bottom line was this:
Even if I signed the contract, my chances of debut were only fifty-fifty, and most importantly, “our Jae-heon” wasn’t there.
He had just told me that all the names referred to ages, and there was no “age” in “Jae-heon.”
In other words, this contract was null and void.
“Right. Well, I’ll go home, think it over a bit more, and contact you.”
“No, wait, Myeong-hyeon. Hold on a second. Concepts can still change, so…”
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