I Became an NPC That Rankers Are Obsessed Over

I see a lime that has fallen under the shelf.

The cross-section of the fruit ripples like a mirage.

That wavering leaves me with an unpleasant impression.

Because it reminds me of comrades who were struck by projectiles in the past.

The lime is soon completely obscured by someone.

An idol girl with half-closed eyes and an ecstatic expression.

Lying on the floor, she slowly turns her face to meet my gaze.

Her red, sleek lips begin to quiver.

“Unnie.”

“…”

Her sultry voice makes my heart pound erratically.

I let out a sound I had never made before in my life, staring at her.

What on earth is Anna to this girl for her to be so obsessed?

Meeting that murderer will only lead to death anyway.

Death…

Saliva dribbles from my mouth.

I want to tell her Anna’s story right now, but no voice comes out because of the deepening negativity.

I gave up my pride far too late.

The intense scent of a young girl gets closer and closer.

Her fresh face inches toward me and asks.

“Shall I kiss you?”

Blushing red up to her nose, Jae-hee grins bashfully.

She seems to have released more pheromones than she could handle.

The idol girl releases her pent-up desires and frustrations recklessly.

She softly licks my neck with her moist tongue.

The sensual touch sends tingles throughout my body.

“Everyone likes being caressed like this.”

I have to stop this.

She was getting more and more ruined, intoxicated by her own ability.

I desperately tried to focus all my senses on my arms.

I barely managed to move my trembling hands.

But that was as far as I could go.

Jae-hee’s pheromones only allowed me movements that could barely squirm.

The girl smiles at me as if looking at a struggling pet.

“Did you want to touch me that much?”

The idol girl grabs the hand that tries to touch her.

Then she presses it against her face and rubs her cheek against it.

“Since you won’t tell me, should I sniff Anna’s scent this way?”

Her nose wedges between my fingers.

For the first time, I feel grateful for her obsession.

Because the skinship born from her obsession with Anna helped me activate my ability.

I closed my eyes.

And holding my breath, I poured all my focus into my fingertips.

Eventually, a white radiance blooms in the pink-tinted world.

What could have turned this girl into this state?

I’ll find out myself.

“—.”

The lights shining so brightly they scorch the top of my head strikes us.

Today, I’m having my debut interview for the first time, swallowing my dry throat while staring at the camera.

“The talk of the town, the true super rookies! Let’s welcome Aimer!”

The male MC, wearing colored lenses, introduces us with a cheerful voice.

A voice I thought I was familiar with from seeing him on TV all the time.

But hearing it up close, it sounds much louder and fresher.

“First, can we have a word of introduction from each of you for our M-Town viewers?”

Sun-ah unnie, the leader and vocalist of the group, confidently steps forward first.

“Hello, I’m Sun-ah, the main vocalist of the group-.”

She needed no special modifiers.

She’s a prepared idol who’s pretty, sings well, and speaks clearly.

“—.”

“—.”

The other two members also mention their roles as sub-vocalist and main dancer respectively.

As my turn approaches, my heart pounds more and more.

I’m even afraid that the pheromones I usually keep hidden will start to escape.

Soon, the MC I admire turns to me and asks.

The camera’s lens, once distant, slowly approaches, staring at me intently.

“Hello, I’m…”

But, what was my role here again?

The prepared script I had in mind refused to come to me.

Singing? Dancing?

I’m perfect at neither.

Am I just a bit pretty?

That’s true, but the other members are as well.

I feel the stares of my teammates.

Pushed by those gazes, I managed to recall the script I prepared with great effort.

“I’m Jae-hee, responsible for ‘liveliness’ in the group-!”

There was a brief pause, but I managed to get through it.

The MC smiled and encouraged me, saying I did well.

“Then, before we proceed with the questions, may I ask about the meaning behind the group name Aimer?”

“Our group name, Aimer, means someone who aims in English. We plan to aim our love at you all and shoot- so we hope you’re ready.”

In response to the MC’s question, Sun-ah unnie pretends to shoot a gun as if she had prepared beforehand.

Then the other members followed her, winking and mimicking the gesture.

They never even told me about this…

“I already feel like I’ve been shot, my heart’s racing. Now, let’s get started right away. Aimer’s Focus!”

At the MC’s cue, stairs leading to the stage unfold.

We confidently ascend the steps toward the stage.

But while climbing the stage, my mind was filled with countless thoughts.

Why didn’t they tell me about the choreography in advance…?

“—.”

The music fades out.

The three-minute song feels like it ended in just thirty seconds.

Even after the cameras were turned off, we worked hard to maintain a composed appearance.

We descended the stairs upright and only relaxed our expressions upon reaching the entrance to the waiting room.

There, men in black suits and the company’s CEO were waiting.

The CEO greeted each member, thanking them for their hard work.

And as everyone entered the waiting room, he called me separately.

“Jae-hee, you know, right? You have to go for supplementary training.”

“Yes…”

Guided by the men in black, I quietly moved toward the emergency stairs.

The older sisters of the group stared at me.

With such indifference.

As if it didn’t matter at all if another person replaced me as a member.

Descending the stairs, I found a pre-prepared van waiting for me.

I boarded the suspicious black van as if accustomed to it.

The CEO, with long hair and sunglasses, plopped down next to me.

He took out an electronic cigarette and placed it in his mouth.

Mumbling, he asked.

“Earlier. You almost forgot your lines during the interview, didn’t you?”

I nodded silently.

The CEO smirked and inhaled deeply.

“It’s okay. You managed to pull it off.”

He was undoubtedly smiling and comforting me.

But instead of being reassured, his consolation made me more uneasy.

When the CEO shows this kind of kindness, he always demands something next.

And the van was heading somewhere to fulfill that demand.

The van drove for 30 minutes.

And it quietly stopped at a secluded underground parking lot.

I know this place.

Because it’s the place I hate most in the world.

A dimly lit sign in the dreary hallway catches my eye.

Catharsis.

Though it’s simply labeled as a pub, stepping inside reveals an entirely different world.

This place, filled with strong perfume and the smell of alcohol, terrifies me.

But I have no choice but to enter.

Because this place was the main reason I was selected by the CEO to join Aimer.

Clasping my hands together, I meekly followed behind him.

Then, two familiar men greeted us.

Middle-aged men dressed in mouse-gray suits.

They called each other CEO and Assemblyman, patting each other’s shoulders warmly.

The man referred to as Assemblyman locked eyes with me.

I wanted to step back in fear, but he approached me first.

“Isn’t this our Jae-hee! I heard today was your debut stage, but I couldn’t attend because I was too busy.”

“It’s okay…”

“Let’s do well today too. You know the Assemblyman is always on your side, right?”

His elephant-like eyes squinted.

I avoided his gaze and nodded reluctantly.

The man lightly shook my hand with his thick hand before heading to the prepared room.

Eventually, the CEO followed them and entered leisurely as well.

Before going in, he glanced back at me.

The look in his eyes through the gap in his sunglasses was chilling.

I nodded silently.

Because I knew exactly what he expected of me.

The black door closed.

Now, only I and two bodyguards remained in the Catharsis hall.

The men, who looked as intimidating as gangsters, gestured to me.

Telling me to enter the next room.

Obediently, I entered the room as ordered.

It was a guest room connected by a sliding door to the room the CEO was in.

I slumped powerlessly onto the long sofa.

Strange sounds could be heard through the sliding door.

The giggling of young women.

The hearty laughter of middle-aged men.

And even faint, obscene noises.

Ever since debuting as an idol, I have always been dragged to this place.

And I had always listened to these unpleasant sounds.

From the very next room.

Soon, a text arrived on my phone.

It was from the CEO.

“Intensity 3.”

Three…

I repeated the number in my head.

Grabbing the collar of my shirt that constricted my chest, I gently shook it.

Then a sweet scent began to emanate slowly from my body.

In that state, I listened carefully to the sounds coming from the adjacent room.

The young women let out sorrowful cries, as if suffocating.

And the middle-aged men let out sharp shouts, as if to prove they weren’t old yet.

It must be a filthy and despicable scene.

But the sound started to stimulate my whole body.

A tingling and sensitive feeling coursed through my skin.

I wanted to shake off that sensation, but I couldn’t.

Because this kind of stimulation was the most effective way to draw out pheromones.

I opened a small gap in the sliding door.

Through the gap, I could see the naked bodies of the women in the room.

The curve from their hips to their chests.

I forcibly turned my head to avoid looking.

And I extended my fingers to inject my scent into that room.

Before long, the voices of the women, who had been in pain, transformed.

Into voices soaked in ecstasy.

The men’s voices were even more appalling.

Just moments ago, they still sounded human, but after inhaling my scent, they began panting like animals.

I hated hearing that sound so much.

I sat on the soft sofa, knees together.

Covering my ears, I just waited for this farce to end.

But the lewd sounds continued to seep through the gaps in my fingers.

It felt as though those obscene noises were voyeuristically caressing my entire body.

To shake off that feeling, I frantically rubbed my body with my hands.

“—.”

How much time had passed?

The room next door grew quiet.

The Assemblyman and the CEO let out deep sighs, as if they had relieved their tension.

The elephant-like Assemblyman took a deep drag of his cigarette and spoke.

“Smoking a cigarette in Jae-hee’s scent is pure bliss, as always.”

“Of course.”

The CEO chuckled in agreement.

“Such an incredible ability. How on earth did she come to possess it?”

“Well, from what I’ve heard, she didn’t get much attention from her parents growing up. They always prioritized her older brother.”

Even though I was right next door, the CEO didn’t seem to care.

He was revealing my deepest secrets to the Assemblyman without hesitation.

“Well, in this monster-infested world, it’s only natural for the voices of strong men to carry more weight.”

The Assemblyman nodded in understanding, flicking ash from his cigarette.

“When she desperately wanted attention, the pheromone ability emerged—like that of a female animal.”

“Truly, it’s an amazing ability. Especially today, the scent was so rich. It’s like she’s becoming more seductive as she grows older.”

He muttered in a greasy tone.

“How old is Jae-hee this year?”

“Nineteen.”

“Then isn’t it about time to bring her into the room?”

My entire body bristled, as if pierced by needles.

His words were terrifying, like he was planning to butcher me.

“Ah… Assemblyman, Jae-hee is an idol, you know. She’s a product, a proper commodity.”

“Is that so? That’s a shame. If I could inhale that enchanting scent directly while touching her skin… it would be incredible…”

The Assemblyman sighed deeply, as if in resignation.

But he hadn’t given up.

“Well then—someday, the time will come when her marketability as an idol ends.”

Marketability?

I repeated his incomprehensible words to myself.

“When that time comes, send her to me. I’ll arrange a place for her at the association that won’t disappoint.”

“…”

The CEO remained silent.

Only an eerie stillness hung over the room.

Except for the frantic sound of my own heartbeat.

Afraid that the sound might escape, I covered my mouth with my hands.

And then, I accidentally bit into my palm.

Because the CEO said something I never could have expected.

“I’ll consider it.”

Red blood trickled down my thighs.

The moment I heard those words, I couldn’t think of anything anymore.