Sicklyidol Stories

Kang Jin-woo was the "God of K-Pop"-a solo artist with unmatched talent, record-breaking sales, and a personality so toxic it was dubbed the "Black Plague" of the industry. He treated his group members like footstools, his staff like servants, and his health like a joke. At the age of 27, at the absolute peak of his career, his heart gave out due to years of stress, arrogance, and a lifestyle of excess. Instead of eternal rest, Jin-woo wakes up ten years in the past. He is back in a cramped, moldy basement studio as a 17-year-old trainee, just months away from debuting with the ill-fated boy group, LUSTER. However, he hasn't returned alone. He is tethered to the Karmic Health System, a sentient interface that calculates his "Idol Virtue." Because of the immense "Karma" he accumulated in his past life, Jin-woo's new body is fundamentally broken. His stats are at a permanent critical low, and his life force is directly tied to his behavior. Now, the man who once looked down on everyone must rely on the very teammates he once betrayed just to stay standing. To reach the top again and avoid his previous early grave, Jin-woo must navigate the cutthroat idol industry while pretending to be an angel, all while his own body tries to "delete" him every time he loses his temper. Can the world's most arrogant superstar become its most beloved "Sickly Visual" idol? Or will he cough blood on a live broadcast before he even reaches the charts? "I just wanted to be a star again... I didn't sign up to be a martyr!"