Chapter 129

The long-awaited third survival challenge morning.

Someone gently shook Roy’s shoulder, where he lay fast asleep.

“Roy.”

“Mmm....”

Half-awake, he mumbled and turned over—but the voice came again.

“Roy. Come on, wake up.”

This time he heard her clearly.

It was Han-gyeol.

“Why again....”

Three days had passed since the awkward co-living arrangement with Han-gyeol began. She turned out to be far more relentless than Roy had expected. Her will to keep living was that strong. From dawn till dusk every day she’d insisted on sticking by his side—on set, during meals, in missions, breaks, even while he slept. She’d appeared in his field of vision as lighting staff, sound staff—sometimes as both at once. The crew had welcomed her at first, but now looked burdened; only she seemed oblivious. Or was she pretending not to notice? She acted so flawlessly, he couldn’t tell what was real anymore. In short, she was a nuisance. If this wasn’t obsession, what was?

“Roy~”

“Ah, why, why—again, why!”

Roy whipped back the covers, sitting up. His hair stuck out like quills—he looked like a hedgehog. Han-gyeol swallowed a laugh before continuing.

“It’s the day of the survival challenge. Hurry up and get ready.”

“Get ready for what?”

Roy asked, still half-asleep, frowning.

“Have your hair done, do some makeup.”

“What are you on about?”

He flung the covers back over himself, but Han-gyeol yanked his arm.

“Come on~ If we get filmed like this, it’ll be preserved forever. You cared about looking good until the last shoot—why slack off now?”

“I’m not debuting as an idol. What do I care?”

“Don’t you feel better when you’re all dolled up~?”

“Ha, seriously. Did the company rep order this? Tell me straight if they told you to manage me. I said I’d never sign with that company.”

“It’s not like that. This is just me being kind.”

Kindness, my foot. It was 6 AM. The participants had to gather at 8. He could have woken up half an hour before, washed his hair, and been fine—but now...

“Come on, get up. I’ll make you look sharp today. You’ll top the trending charts when you’re on air.”

“I don’t need any of that!”

But Roy couldn’t outmatch Han-gyeol’s stubbornness. He simply let himself be dragged along. A few days ago, he’d tried to brush her away—and she’d slammed into a wall, so ever since he’d been too wary to resist.

“Ha, dammit....”

“Did you just swear at me?”

“I only got as far as ‘damn’! That’s it!”

Roy slammed the bathroom door.

Bang!

From the other side came a teasing voice.

“Hurry up and finish—I'll be waiting!”

Thud—

Roy pressed his forehead against the cold wall, whispering through clenched teeth that once this shoot was over, he’d find a way to awaken that woman.

✧

An hour later, at 8 AM, Roy appeared in the lobby, hair styled and makeup done under Han-gyeol’s coercion. The room fell silent at once. Apparently a face genius had entered.

“Who’s that? What’s going on?”

“Isn’t that the new actor? I think I saw him on YouTube.”

“No way... there he is.”

The other contestants murmured at the entrance, lowering their eyes as Roy approached. They didn’t know why, but it felt wrong to meet his gaze. Team 1, however, was absorbed in speculating about the upcoming third survival challenge, paying him no mind.

“I’m here.”

Yeon-woo was the first to look up. Then she said,

“Who are you?”

That was embarrassing. Roy felt mortified. He glared at her, then slunk over to sit beside Tae-eon—only to be met with the same blank expression.

“Who...?”

“Seriously? Is this how it’s going to be?”

When Tae-eon also gave him the side-eye, Roy’s face burned with shame. It had been ages since he’d had a full hair-and-makeup setup; he felt awkward, and his team’s exaggerated reactions made him want to vanish. Then Anna, who had been eyeing him suspiciously, suddenly jabbed a finger and cried out,

“Oh? Roy?!”

At her shout, the team finally recognized him, faces registering disbelief.

“What the—!?”

“You got taller or something?”

“That’s Roy?”

“Did you do your makeup?”

He hadn’t even been in costume—why the fuss?

“...What is this reaction? It’s starting to piss me off.”

“You’ve got no sense of fashion! Always wearing puffer jackets—you looked awful. I wondered if you’d ever look decent, but you just had a bucket on your head!”

“It’s not a bucket—it’s a bucket hat!”

He’d never guessed they thought so little of him. His head spun.

“Whatever! What’s up with this? You finally made yourself look nice today... is it because you’re about to die or something?”

“Oh, shut up! Curse me all you want—I’m not dead yet.”

Roy flicked Yeon-woo’s hand away irritably. Not one of them was on his side. Only now did he understand why Han-gyeol had woken him at dawn: she wanted him to be remembered by the audience as a somewhat normal person in the final round. A misguided attempt at fan service, perhaps. It stung.

“Anyway, is everyone here?”

Roy, feeling sheepish, steered the conversation elsewhere—and just then a staff member arrived to break the tension.

“Everyone, please move to rehearsal!”

He led the contestants toward the auditorium inside the studio. Unlike the second challenge, which had no live audience, the third would include a brief performance before spectators. Han-gyeol had already arrived ahead of him, checking logistics. When she saw him, she greeted him cheerfully.

“You’re persistent, aren’t you.”

Yeon-woo muttered under her breath, annoyed by Han-gyeol’s friendliness toward Roy.

“Is there anything to do? She’s glued to you and it’s annoying. She keeps insisting on making me a celebrity. Want me to flip her over?”

“Hyung.”

“Yeah? Say the word.”

“I’ve got her handled. You just focus on yourself.”

To repay earlier insults, Roy traced Yeon-woo’s face with his finger. The rehearsal itself was straightforward: contestants waited outside the hall, then entered one team at a time on cue, making sure to keep their formation.

“Contestants, please move to the small auditorium and wait there!”

Beyond the closed door, the foyer buzzed. On the other side, it sounded like the audience was filing in. Before leaving, Roy glanced inside—oddly empty for the final challenge venue.

‘They must have finished setup already... Is this another virtual space?’

As they'd used virtual zones for earlier tests, he guessed this would be similar—and that meant a high chance of encountering Blood Fiends again.

‘If virtual Blood Fiends count, that could be an opportunity. Less danger than the real ones, with no risk if we fail.’

Moreover, Yeon-woo had re-awakened as a B-grade and unlocked the “Blood Fiend Hunting” condition. They might even clear it today.

✧

Meanwhile, Hojin waited in the audience for Star Hero. Though he wore a mask and fringe to hide his face after unexpectedly being recognized, no one failed to notice his stunning looks.