Chapter 2

Ex-Idol Becomes Top Star - Chapter 2 (2/110)

2

Before dying.

He longed for one more chance.

That’s why, even though he was thought to be dead, it seemed he had come back to life.

But… why is this water droplet talking?

‘Am I not really alive but insane instead?’

Rouen thought relatively calmly.

After all, he had hit his head hard when he fell down the stairs, so it was possible.

‘But then, what is this I’m seeing now?’

Once again, a translucent window appeared in front of his eyes with a ‘ding’ sound.

The water droplet, as if waiting for this moment, trembled and started to nag.

Login…?

Guardian…?

This new opportunity seems to be spectacular from the start.

Maintaining relative calm, he scanned the windows, but then chaos erupted from another direction.

“Hey, Rouen? Rouen! Why are you so quiet even though you’ve regained consciousness? Rouen, are you okay? Can you recognize me?”

The man seemed frightened by Rouen’s blank stare.

Anyway…

“Who are you?”

Curiosity must be addressed.

He had just resolved not to foolishly endure any more.

It was strange for someone he had never met to act so familiar.

So he couldn’t help but ask…

“Huh, huh? Teacher! Teacher! Something’s wrong with Rouen!”

Suddenly, the man in front of him clutched his chest and shouted as if he were about to suffocate.

In response to the man’s call, a middle-aged man with a stern look and a disinfectant smell approached.

“Rouen doesn’t have a life-threatening illness, right? It’s just that his memory is a bit jumbled from drinking, right?”

Regardless of the man’s fuss, the middle-aged man carefully examined Rouen.

He rolled his eyes, asked a few questions, carefully examined his head, and even had him walk around. When Rouen obediently followed the instructions, the middle-aged man pondered for a while and then brought a mirror.

He handed it to Rouen.

“…?”

While Rouen was confused by the mirror, the middle-aged man made a diagnosis.

“I can’t be certain, but the most likely diagnosis at the moment is….”

“What’s the diagnosis…?”

“Amnesia.”

“Amnesia…!”

Their conversation continued like a comedy sketch.

“T-Then, teacher. Rouen isn’t going to die, right?”

“To my knowledge, there are no cases of death due to amnesia.”

“Will the memory come back?”

“In cases of short-term amnesia, there are instances where it naturally recovers. First, let him rest, and it would be best to visit the clinic for a detailed examination.”

“Oh no, oh no! This is something you only see in dramas! I told you not to hang out with those people! I told you to leave that place! Why didn’t you listen to me! Oh no!”

While the two had a serious conversation and the man wailed, Rouen, holding the mirror, heard nothing.

What is this?

This beautiful creature?

‘Is this… me?’

Rouen, who looked like he had undergone a makeover from head to toe, examined the mirror.

Inside, a man with a face that was more beautiful than handsome, looking somewhat sensitive and haggard, stared back at him.

While touching his face hesitantly, he noticed another fact.

‘Wait, now that I think about it, my hands… are also beautiful?’

His nails, without a single flaw, were well-manicured and even shone.

The smooth skin, free of calluses and even tiny scars, was impressive.

Flutter, flutter.

Every time Rouen opened and closed his eyes, his long, fan-like eyelashes moved with them.

‘Can your body change even after coming back from the dead?’

This question was answered by someone else.

The water droplet that had been circling him suddenly trembled as if it had been electrocuted.

It grumbled and emitted a bright light.

While listening to the water droplet, Rouen thought.

‘So, you’re saying I didn’t die but came back to life in someone else’s body?’

If that’s the case, it makes sense why an unknown person was crying over him and why a strange face appeared in the mirror.

But how can it make more sense that I’m in someone else’s body rather than being insane?

Moreover, his tumultuous past greatly helped him accept this quickly.

Having experienced all sorts of incidents, there was nothing he could do but accept.

Denying it wouldn’t change or make the reality disappear.

‘If it could be solved that easily, I would have prevented the group from breaking up from the start.’

He never thought his tumultuous past would help him in such a way.

“Rouen. Are you okay? How do you feel now? Is there anything you remember?”

After the middle-aged man left, the man asked cautiously.

His eyes were moist, and his lips trembled, making him seem very delicate despite his bear-like build.

“My name is Rouen?”

The man had been calling him Rouen.

‘Is it a coincidence? To end up in the body of someone with the same name. How strange.’

But the man’s reaction was not normal.

“Rouen…! You really have lost your memory…! You’re using honorifics…!”

“…?”

“Wow… I never thought I’d hear you speak so kindly…!”

Rouen thought.

What kind of person was the original owner of this body to elicit such a reaction?

“Right. Rouen. That’s your name.”

“Who are you, then?”

“I’m your… older brother!”

The man brought his large hands together and covered his mouth, bursting into tears.

“First, brother. Calm down.”

Trying to soothe him had the opposite effect.

“Wah…! You’re even speaking so kindly…!”

When he offered a tissue, the man almost suffocated from sobbing.

After a while, the man finally calmed down.

He introduced himself as Park Hyung-woo and explained that he was Rouen’s manager.

“Am I a celebrity?”

With this appearance, he must be famous, but strangely, he felt unfamiliar.

He just asked out of curiosity…

“Rouen, don’t misunderstand. You’re a very talented actor. You prefer to build your career step by step, starting from small roles. Top stars usually rise dramatically from the bottom, building their acting skills and recognition. Newcomers who appear like comets often disappear just as quickly. But if you steadily build your filmography like Rouen, you’ll….”

He was suddenly overwhelmed by a flood of comforting words.

So, he’s a celebrity, and an actor at that.

‘But why is this the first I’m hearing of it?’

If it were a case of a namesake, he wouldn’t have forgotten the name even if he heard it once.

But asking more would likely make the manager cry again, so he decided to hold back.

‘Whatever opportunity this is, I need to understand it carefully on my own first.’

More importantly…

“Brother, I’m hungry. Is there anything to eat?”

He needed to fill his empty stomach.

Rouen, who had resolved not to endure hunger, asked with a bright smile.

* * *

‘This is a really strange house. There’s nothing to eat except alcohol.’

His curiosity about the body’s owner deepened.

Fortunately, the manager, who knew nothing about Rouen, took care of the meal.

“You want to eat… that?”

“Yes. Is it not okay? Is it too expensive…? Then, something else is fine….”

“No, that’s not it… Really? You want to eat a convenience store bento?”

His reaction was a bit strange when he answered what he wanted to eat.

‘Did I ask for too much?’

But since he had a second chance at life, he wanted his first meal to be memorable.

“Yes. It’s a limited edition, a collaboration with a famous food company. It’s very luxurious and comes in a large quantity. Although it’s a bit expensive for a convenience store bento, it’s also highly rated….”

“No, no. You don’t have to explain. I get it. I’ll go buy it.”

“Yes! And… if you could also buy some donuts? They’re a collaboration with a famous donut brand, made with animal cream. They’re a bit expensive, but….”

“I’ll buy out the entire convenience store.”

The manager, who seemed to be moved by his enthusiastic explanation, suddenly put on a serious face and left the house.

When he returned, his hands were full of luxurious bentos and desserts that Rouen had only ever drooled over.

Thanks to this, Rouen not only had enough to eat for the next day but also for the day after and the day after that.

When the manager heard this, he suddenly shed tears.

‘A kid who wouldn’t eat anything less than two Michelin stars…!’

It was a bit strange, but he didn’t understand.

Rouen, who had a pile of exquisite food, was only happy.

‘Indeed, it’s great to come back to life and be able to eat to my heart’s content.’

While the manager was making calls, Rouen took a bite of the donut, which he had never dared to buy because it cost as much as two bentos.

‘A second chance, the best.’

The water droplet approached Rouen.

“Yes. The cream really melts in your mouth. It’s perfect.”

“What’s the point of worrying now that things have already happened?”

Curious, Rouen politely asked.

“How did I end up like this?”

“Huh? We just met, didn’t we?”

“Ah, yes.”

The water droplet clicked its tongue and continued.

Although some parts were unclear, the water droplet’s anger suggested that Rouen shouldn’t hear this story.

Whatever it was, it seemed his past self had done something good.

But suddenly, the water droplet became serious.

“Huh?”

“…?”

“…?”

“W-What about me?”

Rouen felt a bit wronged.

“By the way… Mr. Water Droplet?”

“Then, Mr. Cheonghwa, what happens if I don’t pay?”

The self-luminous water droplet suddenly stopped moving.

“Huh?”

“Huh?”

“….”

Wait, what?

Did he just say that he would die again after coming back to life?

‘Is this for real?’