Chapter Twenty: Moving Into the Dorm

The day had finally arrived for Jiwon to move into the trainee dorms of StarOne Entertainment. His bags were packed, his heart a mix of excitement and dread as he stood outside the imposing building that would be his new home for the foreseeable future. The dorms were notorious for their strict rules and intense schedules, but they also represented a crucial step in his journey to debut in Atelier.

As he entered the lobby, he was greeted by a StarOne staff member who handed him his dorm assignment and keycard. The dorms were divided by trainee rank, with the most promising trainees sharing rooms closer to the practice rooms and management offices. Unsurprisingly, Jiwon had been placed in one of the higher-ranked dorms due to his fast track to debut.

[System Alert: Progress Update. Status: Trainee Fast Track. Objective: Maintain progress and complete daily tasks. Priority: Adjust to dorm life.]

The system's familiar voice echoed in his mind, offering no reassurance, only the reminder that his progress was under constant surveillance.

Jiwon found his room on the fifth floor and slid the keycard into the slot. The door clicked open, revealing a small, sparsely furnished room with two beds, a shared wardrobe, and a desk. The bare walls made the space feel cold, but he knew that this room would be where he spent most of his time outside of practice and vocal training.

As he placed his bags down, his roommate entered. Hwan, a fellow trainee, was already dressed in his training gear, sweat soaking through his shirt from an earlier practice session. Hwan barely spared Jiwon a glance, his expression neutral but with an underlying tension that was hard to miss.

"You're the fast-tracked guy, right?" Hwan asked, his tone lacking warmth.

Jiwon nodded, unsure of what to say.

Hwan snorted, pulling off his damp shirt. "Figures. We've all heard about you."

Jiwon didn't reply. He had expected this—more resentment, more jealousy. It had become a constant presence since he entered the company, but now it followed him even into the place he was supposed to call home.

The dorm wasn't exactly a sanctuary. The moment he stepped out of his room, the other trainees would give him lingering stares, whispering to one another about the "pretty boy" who had been given a golden ticket. Even though Jiwon had worked for every inch of his progress, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was an outsider.

During meals in the cafeteria, he would sit alone, the other trainees making no effort to include him. They would group together, laughing and joking, while Jiwon quietly ate his limited portions. The system had kept him in Fasting Mode, with his food intake reduced to 100g of vegetables and nutritional supplements, a stark contrast to the other trainees' meals. He barely had enough energy to engage in conversation, not that anyone seemed interested in talking to him.

As he quietly picked at his food, he overheard snippets of conversation.

"Look at him, barely eating anything. How is he supposed to keep up with us?"

"I heard he's on some crazy diet... no wonder he's losing weight so fast."

Jiwon clenched his jaw, keeping his focus on the vegetables in front of him. He couldn't tell them the truth. The Confidentiality Agreement loomed over him, and the system's reminders of the consequences were constant. He had no choice but to endure their assumptions and judgment.

Later that night, Jiwon returned to his dorm room after an exhausting day of vocal and dance training. Hwan was already lying on his bed, scrolling through his phone. The tension between them was palpable, though neither of them acknowledged it. Jiwon knew Hwan wasn't outright hostile, but there was a clear divide. He was the fast-tracked trainee, while Hwan had been there for over two years, still waiting for his chance.

As Jiwon lay down on his bed, the system pinged in his mind once again.

[Daily Task Reminder: Nighttime Routine. Task: Engage in HIIT training for 45 minutes.]

He sighed, his body already aching from the day's practice. But the system didn't care about exhaustion. It had been relentless since day one, and tonight was no exception.

Without a word, Jiwon got up and changed into his workout clothes. Hwan watched him, his eyebrow raised slightly.

"You're still going to train? It's almost midnight."

Jiwon didn't respond, heading to the small gym area inside the dorm. Hwan's confusion mirrored the other trainees' sentiments—none of them understood just how demanding Jiwon's schedule was. They didn't know about the system, about the impossible standards it set, or the fact that failure to meet those standards wasn't an option.

As he started his high-intensity interval training, Jiwon pushed through the pain, his muscles screaming in protest. Sweat dripped down his face, his breathing ragged. But the system kept track of every movement, every calorie burned. The timer counted down, and there was no stopping until it reached zero.

[Task Completed. Rest recommended for recovery.]

By the time Jiwon finished, his body was on the verge of collapse. He returned to his room, his limbs heavy, and collapsed onto his bed without a word. Hwan was already asleep, his quiet breathing the only sound in the room. Jiwon stared at the ceiling, his mind swirling with the pressure of it all.

He had to keep pushing forward. The system wouldn't let him rest, and neither would his ambition. The fast track to debut was a rare opportunity, but it was also a relentless one. He had to maintain his progress, no matter the cost.

As he drifted off to sleep, the last thing on his mind was the system's constant presence, reminding him of the next day's tasks and the impossible expectations that awaited him.

Jiwon knew that dorm life wouldn't be easy, but he hadn't expected the isolation to hit him so hard. In the eyes of the other trainees, he was the fast-tracked outsider, the one who had been given a shortcut to their shared dream. But Jiwon understood that the system's push came at a price. He couldn't afford to fail—not now, not ever.