Edited by: Kuro and Lille

This chapter is sponsored by: Auralie. Thank you so much for supporting my work and buying two extra chapters! You are amazing <3 

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At the end of the song, everyone but Sumia clapped loudly for Jaden.

A slight blush went across Jaden's face as he bowed and thanked them. He seemed shy because it was his first time playing for no money, but he used to play in front of people so he didn't seem too unfazed. He was just happy people enjoyed his singing and playing.

"Jaden, I was amazed by your performance and stage presence. It would be an honor to have you in our company, and you would get the best treatment!" Charlotte quickly said as she knew the other two reps would try to snag Jaden away.

"JQ isn't a bad company, but it doesn't compare to all the famous idols that come from our company. At Radiant Entertainment, we will guarantee that you will have the best treatment, the best housing, and the best contract." The number of times Carl said best was kind of weird but you could tell he was quite passionate about his job.

Lawrence shrugged. "These two may be good but they aren't the best. CBStar is number one among the three companies. It's guaranteed that anyone regardless of their contract will have the best resources and highest pay. Jaden, with your talent, you will go far and probably become the king of the entertainment world."

Jaden had already looked at the data for each company. The best of the best may not always be the best, but he couldn't be too cautious.

JQ Entertainment was ranked third in the top 3. The reason it wasn't as famous as the other three was because JQ was only a company made out of pure boredom. They produced many famous models and supermodels, but the company wasn't as big as the founder's original company. The founder was someone who was a cosmetic tycoon who had businesses that dealt with make-up products, plastic surgery, soaps, etc. She was a powerful woman who was once a single mother and then became someone who dominated the industry.

Radiant Entertainment was ranked number two. It wasn't like JQ who had a huge background, but their main focus was with their idols. Idols had the best treatment in their company and though they weren't number 1, most of the famous idols, like the male protagonists' group SNOW, came from them.

Finally, CBStar was number 1 in the entertainment industry. Famous actors, models, and idols were recruited. They didn't put a lot of energy into their idols, but their actors and models were first class. The best movies came from within their walls, the most supermodels were under their contracts, and also, with the tiny amount of idols that they had, they were all very famous, making them the number 1 entertainment company.

In terms of the safety of their employees, JQ was the safest. Sexual harassment was practically nonexistent and the company was female-dominated. There were a few males and they were happy to be there. Though they had much fewer idols and more models, their models and supermodels were all famous. Most girls would die to be in their company because they knew that they didn't have to resort to sexual means to get to the top.

Radiant Entertainment was a bit of a mess. Though their idols were famous, some trainees were forced into prostitution to make sure their more talented peers would be able to rise to the top. If all you had were looks, you would be a trainee until your contract ended, but the scars would never be erased. It was a cruel system and not many people knew what they were getting into until they got there.

CBStar was a grey area. They didn't force anyone, but they allowed people to sleep their way to the top. None of it was forced and was voluntary. It was a little weird, but each party was consenting adults. It just made the competition to be the actual best a little difficult.

In terms of resources, CBStar was the best. In terms of opportunity in the country, Radiant Entertainment was top-notch. But for the overall quality of the company, JQ entertainment had more connections to other countries and would be able to expand further.

Even though JQ wasn't the best, they were more likely to become world-famous. If Jaden was going to go big, he was going to GO BIG.

"Is it alright if I have all your business cards? I would like to ask my parents first before making a decision."

If he were to accept someone now, he would make enemies out of the two companies. It was better to "decide" later.

"Of course, of course!" Carl, from Radiant Entertainment, was the first to reply, "I will be expecting to hear from you soon." He couldn't help but think that Jaden was a very sensible man.

Lawrence smiled as he handed his card. "Whatever decision you make, just know you will always be welcomed at CBStar."

"You will definitely not regret picking JQ." Charlotte gave her business card to Jaden and winked.

After that, the three reps went to the other dancers. Most were asked to become idol trainees, some rejected saying they were just dancing as a hobby, and few were rejected by the company.

From time to time, people would look over at Jaden. None of them knew the thoughts that were in Jaden's head. They couldn't help but feel jealous.

Who was he going to pick?!

****

When Jaden got home, he immediately went to his room. He wasn't going to talk to his parents about it, but he was definitely going to come out as soon as he confirmed his living quarters with JQ.

JQ entertainment's founder was an intersectional feminist and her ideals branched off to her employees. They would be more accepting of him being Transgender than the other two companies. They also had health insurance that was Trans affirmative and pushing for Trans rights.

Little things like this made the decision easier for Jaden.

If JQ rejected him as a Trans man, his second option was CBStar. They were a grey area for every controversial topic anyone could think of. They wouldn't outright reject him, but it was better than being in Radiant Entertainment.

[Host, I have been monitoring Sumia and she decided to be a trainee at Radiant Entertainment. Since tomorrow is everyone's last day in the studio, she is determined to ruin you even if she is caught. She doesn't like obstacles and likes to use force to get rid of them. I personally hate these kinds of people. So annoying. Why can't she leave people alone?]

'There were many like her in the Villain System. So two-dimensional and no substance. How unfortunate. Though... Why does it seem like she is more of a villainess than a protagonist?'

[Host, you know that the main protagonists of each world can be scheming too, not just "villains." People will be people, but the only difference is if the world wants to protect them (main protagonists) or not (villains).]

He knew that System 225 was right, but something in his gut kept telling him that something was wrong.

*****

Before going to the studio one last time, he called JQ to confirm his acceptance. Charlotte was very happy and quickly scheduled the closest date she could so that they could sign a contract and figure out if he was going to be a solo artist or in an idol group.

Afterward, he called the other two companies and thanked them for their consideration but he had made his choice. They were a little disappointed but they couldn't do anything about it.

He put on simple black joggers, and a baggy thin cropped hoodie. It was short enough to show his slightly toned stomach but long enough to hide his makeshift sports bra binder. He walked out the door without saying anything to his mom. She was watching TV in the living room and didn't even notice he left. His father was at work and wouldn't come home until dinner, so he didn't worry about them.

When he got to the studio, he was the first one there.

Kelly was setting things up while he put his stuff down to help her out. One side of the room had chairs and tables while the other half was to be used for dancing.

As they finished, the other dancers started to file in until finally, Sumia came in. She was very happy as she also got offers from two companies but when she saw Jaden, she couldn't help but be reminded that she wasn't the best out of everyone.

But even though she had these negative thoughts, something seemed off. She seemed disconnected from those thoughts and her body seemed a little tired, different from how she was in the past. No one else noticed, but Jaden, who had once been in the same place, could immediately tell.

'System, is it just me or is there something unusual about Sumia?'

[Hmm? I don't sense anything wrong with her...]

All of Jaden's anger and petty feelings for her disappeared immediately because he saw a slight change in her eyes. It went back to normal but he knew...

Sumia was also a Host.

'System, is it possible for me to run into someone who is also in the Villain System?'

[It's normally not possible unless...]

'She has just recently landed which is why you couldn't tell...'

[Host, you need to bring her to an isolated place so that I can do a formal check. If she really is a Host, I know a way to save both her and the System that she had contracted with.]

Jaden subconsciously nodded before putting his attention back on Kelly. She was giving a small speech about how she was grateful to work with everyone and how happy she was that most of her students were able to get into the company that they wanted.

"Now that we have the formalities out of the way, everyone, dance to your heart's content! DJ Lu is over there and will be playing music for 3 hours. If you have a song request, go up to him and request a song. There is food on the tables there, drinks over there, and seats here. I hope everyone will enjoy themselves tonight!"

Everyone clapped and cheered before happily dispersing. Jaden immediately went to the food bar and put food on his plates.

Sumia, on the other hand, was dancing with her friends, but she kept looking over at Jaden. Her intense hatred flickered once in a while, making Jaden confirm that she was definitely a Host.

'System, if Sumia is a Host, is she actually the Villainess of the story instead of the Female Protagonist? I don't recall any other person mentioned in the story except for her and that group leader guy. Wow, I don't remember his name.' It just showed how irrelevant these people were to him.

[Let me read through the story one more time... Perhaps I missed something while I was reading the story plot to you.]

It was silent on System 225's end, so Jaden decided to keep eating. He wondered what would happen if someone in the Villain System were to not be able to complete the story. It was weird for two Hosts to be in the same world...

Maybe, the Villain System knew they would be here?

Jaden felt a chill go down his back.

"Jaden, why don't you go dance?" Kelly's voice broke him out of his train of thought. "They are having dance battles right now."

"I will after I finish eating." He hadn't eaten lunch, so he was kind of hungry.

He looked over to see people cheering for their comrades as they formed a circle around their peers who were dancing to the music being played by the DJ. Sumia was cheering for one male who was considered quite good-looking compared to most of the men in the room. He was a masculine beauty instead of an androgynous one. But he was a bit of a jackass because he thought that he was the most good-looking out of everyone in the room. He was an average dancer. He was no one too brilliant but not bad, he just didn't shine as Jaden did.

[Host, it seems when we landed here, the Villain System had landed as well. The data got corrupted and we only got the part of the story that the original Jaden was in. Sumia is indeed the Villainess. Her life with that leader guy, stage name Snow, real name Yuki, was going well at first but then he fell out of love with her and in love with the female protagonist, Mila. Seeing that Mila was another idol and also more talented, she began to scheme against Mila in all sorts of ways.

[In the end, though her scheming wasn't brought to the public, she became one of those trainees who were forced into prostitution, specifically to help Mila further her career. When she became too old to debut and too old for those disgusting scum bags, she was tossed out of the company. She lived with that huge scar until she died by suicide a couple of years later.]

His first reaction was "what goes around comes around," but he also felt pity for the villains of each story. Like they were driven to play out these roles to the very end. He wanted to believe that people were more 3D and real. But he knew that there would be people like this like the Light Prince Stephan. He couldn't help but sigh.

'Hopefully, if we save the Host inside Sumia, we can see what had happened from her point of view...'

Jaden hadn't met another Host before, but he hoped that Sumia's Host was someone nice.

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Lille: *GASP* So the mean Female Lead is actually a Host with the Villain System! Σ(°ロ°)

Grandpa Marky: (Copied from CG and Tapas) Hey everyone, I forgot to do this earlier but Eve is translating my story to Thai! So if you want to read my story in your native tongue, head on over to her page. Here's the link: https://www.readawrite.com/a/d0a1296ca7513b1a7d88d797947c69db
They are 7 chapters in. I don't know how frequently they update but do support them if you can! You can also find this link in the novel's table of contents!

Also, I want to thank my first Patreon, Michelle, for becoming an official Grandchild!