The following web novel series is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

An Insincere Idol’s Blank Slate

Chapter 1

@yoon_eden

(Photo)

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yoon_eden I’d like to create real music instead of fxxking idol songs

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lee_yeon Don’t be ridiculous, Eden

33__o212 Oh, Eden, please…

twenty.five Are you trying to transition into being an artist instead of an idol now? Wake up, you’re an idol

daydreeeam1 Always remember the passion you had in the beginning, Eden

***

yoon_eden, don’t forget where you started from @ReveluvUJ

Thinking about creating a thread against yoon_eden.

I was disappointed by the fan event today, and now his Photogram comment is pissing me off

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yoon_eden, don’t forget where you started from @ReveluvUJ

Come on, Eden I didn't spend 200 won to watch you perform with lifeless eyes... lol

How is Reve’s latest comeback track so terrible when the track produced by a different agency, where you were credited for lyrics & composition, turned out so well? Are you loving the royalty fees? Do you have no respect for your fans?

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Danma @danma11

He straight up told me that my headband was ugly… Is that how you talk to a fan?!?

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yoon_eden, don’t forget where you started from @ReveluvUJ

Oh, that was you? Woooow when I heard that, I thought he lost his damn mind lol

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You are my Eden Garden @EDenpark

Search-proof your posts, y’all

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yoon_eden, don’t forget where you started from @ReveluvUJ

@EDenpark Why bother? Yoon Eden needs to read these posts and snap out of this delusion that he’s an “artist” Did that bastard just forget he used to be just some guy singing in a basement dormitory?

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DaydreamSina @daydream_sina

Hey, soooo it looks like Eden’s not going to renew his contract. At the fan signing event when they asked about the next song concept he mentioned leaving the group…

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Five Star Reve @fivestar_dream

What the f**k

***

Wow, you’ve made it, Yoon Eden. Look at you being interviewed by The Star Magazine.

I sat down, scanned the well-lit studio, and let out an internal scream.

<Interviewer: What do you think about the song “Temptation” getting a boost in popularity after Yehyun’s viral video?

Me: To be honest, it was surreal to see the song on the charts. I kept asking the guys to make sure the song was really ours, and they all teased me about it, haha.>

Even though the interviewer was focused on Seo Yehyun—the oldest and most attractive member of the group—instead of me, I wasn’t bothered. If the opportunity presents itself, why not piggyback on another’s success? Thanks to his good looks, my wallet was a little thicker.

I was the leader of Reve, a boy band with five members. We were in our seventh year, and our contract was up for renewal. People used all kinds of adjectives to describe Reve: “the remarkable underdogs,” “the viral video sensations,” “an unexpected success story,” “Seo Yehyun and the kids,” and so many more.

Reve’s debut album and early singles were major disappointments, veering towards the path of failed idols who could go completely unnoticed, even while using public transportation. We were teetering on the edge of a breakup when a video of Seo Yehyun at an event sparked a fresh start for us. Reve’s inability to produce any major hits kept us from superstardom, but we landed solidly in the second tier as an idol group, where at least we were recognizable.

Our incompetent agency also shifted the public’s focus solely onto Seo Yehyun because they were more worried about internal power battles than their responsibilities. I’d bet my recent apartment in Cheongdam-dong that if you asked random people to identify the members of our band, they wouldn’t be able to name anyone but Seo Yehyun.

<Interviewer: Mr. Eden, Reve has just marked its seventh year since your debut. As the leader of the group, do you have any words for your fans?>

As the interview wrapped up, I flashed a smile and promptly delivered the prepared response to the last question.

<Me: We really appreciate your support over the past seven years. Personally, from now on I plan to pursue the kind of music that I’m passionate about. In the future, you’ll know me as Producer Yoon Eden, not as the leader of Reve.>

Four pairs of shocked eyes landed on me. The interviewer, looking a bit flustered, quickly wrapped up the interview.

***

“Did you really have to say that in our seventh year retrospective interview?” asked Kyeon Hajoon.

“Did you want me to lie and say I’ll still be in the band in an official interview?” I snapped back.

He sighed. “Eden, you know that’s not what I’m saying.”

“Anyway, most of them are Yehyun’s fans, so who cares? They’ll only read Yehyun’s quotes and skip the rest anyway.”

Hajoon, clearly irritated by the way he was biting his lip, left the room looking frustrated.

“Why is he making such a big deal? He knew I wasn’t renewing my contract,” I complained.

“The contract renewal isn’t the problem. It’s your attitude towards the fans. Do you have no consideration for them whatsoever?” Ryu Jaehee, the band’s youngest member, chimed in.

“Come on, how many are actually my fans?”

“You have the most fans after Yehyun. I don’t understand why they lean towards you over me, even though I’m more committed to them...”

I yawned and walked towards the van, dismissing our youngest member’s whining.

“Eden, you should start drafting your statement about leaving the band, since your birthday is approaching,” Jaehee suggested from the seat behind me.

I shrugged in response.

What does my birthday have to do with my announcement of leaving the band? And why should I go through the trouble of drafting a statement when the interview will be published soon?

***

We were driving home on the day Reve’s seventh anniversary interview came out. Jaehee quietly handed me his phone while I was groaning through composing a farewell message for Photogram and our fan blog. A quick look at the screen revealed alerts for my name popping up all over social media.

Reve <3 @Reve_onlyone

I really don’t understand... why did I find out about you leaving the band from a magazine rather than you? Even though I had my doubts, I trusted you, and is this how you repay my trust? You wouldn’t act like this if you cared about your fans even a little

#YoonEdenApologizeToYourFans

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EndofDaydream @daydreamending

You’re free to do whatever you want, but don’t expect me to support you anymore

Go ahead and do that “real” music you love, but you owe Daydream an apology

#YoonEdenApologizeToYourFans

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I’m no longer your fan @Tlqkfeden

The fact that you chose to stay silent until your birthday and then announce your departure after getting all your gifts is so rude. You really have no consideration for your fans.

What are we, nothing but dollar signs to you?

#YoonEdenApologizeToYourFans

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XL Hamzzi Ujae @hamzziUJae

In their 7th year together, the group leader abandons the group. The remaining members, who had to tolerate this jerk for the last seven years, must have the patience of bodhisattvas*. I’ve personally witnessed bad behavior from Eden more than a few times. You can take only so much

#YoonEdenApologizeToYourFans

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(*sort of a Buddhist equivalent to a saint)

I scrolled indifferently through the posts demanding an apology from me. “I mean, why are they so mad when it was clearly announced during an official interview? They’re insinuating that I did it for the birthday gifts—as if I wanted all that crap,” I muttered.

Jaehee forcefully grabbed his phone from me. “Do you even remember back when we received no fan mail or presents whatsoever? Don’t forget where we started, Eden.”

“What’s the point of that now? I’m about to wrap up my life as an idol,” I replied with a shrug.

Jaehee’s face twisted into a grimace. “I refuse to help you any more. You can draft and upload an apology on your own.”

“An ‘apology’? Not a statement?” I scoffed.

“You’re impossible. You never used to be like this,” Jahee mumbled, sighing as he turned away from me.

The silence in the van was suffocating. I rub my cheek sheepishly.

After I announced my intention to leave the band in a magazine interview, the other bandmates (except Jaehee) started treating me like I didn’t exist, possibly because my decision also exposed our contract issues. Even Hajoon, the one I was sure would have my back, joined in.

Are they ostracizing me because I decided to quit the band?

However, at that moment, even Jaehee appeared furious with me for no reason, which made the ride even more uncomfortable.

“Drop me off in front of my house,” I told the road manager

I was moving into my new Cheongdam-dong apartment, whose interior design had just been completed a few days prior. I was able to purchase the property with funds from my severance package and a substantial royalty payment.

As expected, I barely earned any royalties for my work with Reve. Our conflict with the agency would require the entire night to explain, so that’s a story for another time.

On the other hand, working side gigs as a composer and producer had been a brilliant move on my part. Without it, I would never have made enough to buy myself a brand new home. Most of Reve’s commercial roles and media appearances went to Yehyun, and the agency seemed to prefer it that way.

After a long drive, the car stopped in front of my apartment in Cheongdam-dong.

“Make sure to arrive on time for work tomorrow,” said the road manager as I got out of the vehicle.

“Yeah, okay. See you tomorrow.”

I walked around for a minute and took in the beauty of my new place. Then I went into the bedroom and plopped onto the bed. I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself. Upgrading from a shabby basement dorm room to a luxurious apartment in Cheongdam-dong was a real rags-to-riches story.

“The day has finally arrived.”

After a shower, I lay down on the bed again. I needed to hit the hay early so I could give a hundred percent to my last official show the next day.

Finally, I can pursue the kind of music I’m passionate about without any issues from management.

Then the sound of a gentle chime rang in my ears.

[The 30,000th fan is disappointed in you. All of the conditions have been met.]

[Loading…….]

[*Launching A Project to Rekindle the Sincerity of the Idol who Lost his Edge]

[Target: Yoon Eden]

Something kept flashing in front of me, but I attributed it to deliriousness as I fell fast asleep.

***

“Eden. Eden!”

That voice, which had worn me out as a never-ending presence for seven years, echoed in my ears. I had moved out of the dorms, and I hadn’t shared the passcode to my new house with him.

How is Jaehee’s voice washing over me without a phone pressed to my ear?

“What the hell?! You little bastard. How did you get the passcode to my house?”

I muttered a curse at him and immediately felt a high-pitched noise ringing in my ears and a jolting sensation running through my body simultaneously. I gasped and grimaced in response to the intense pain.

I struggled to find my phone on the bed, thinking it was ringing, when a square-shaped, translucent blue window materialized in front of me.

[Profanity detected]

[Sincerity Level -2]

“Aagh! F*ck! What the hell is this?!”

[Profanity detected]

[Sincerity Level -2]

The status window showed an identical phrase each time, with no alterations in the wording.

I felt a chill down my spine as a sharp pain hit me again. The only reasoning I could come up with for the hallucinations was a possible mental illness.

Should I make an appointment for a psychiatric consultation right away?

I touched my face to check whether someone was recording a spontaneous video to remember my final farewell, but to my disappointment, I found no camera.

“What’s wrong, Eden? Are the debut performance jitters getting to you? Are you losing it?”

Uh, yes, I am undoubtedly losing it.

Hold on a second, what kind of nonsense is this? We’ve been performing for years, so why is that voice saying that today is our debut performance?