Chapter 144

“Hyung, are you okay~”

“Ugh...!”

You’ll be fine, right!

Seo Han Gyeol, that bastard. He was grinning, clearly knowing you can’t spit on a smiling face.

Even though I wanted to back out—thinking shadowing this schedule would be too much—I couldn’t just leave him alone once I considered his rank.

What kind of fortune did I earn in a past life to have met him?

Rather, what sin did I commit in a past life to meet this hyung again?

If only I could punch Han Gyeol once, I’d have no other wish.

“Hey, hyung. Did you maybe cause some incident?”

“Me? No way~”

“You did.”

Han Gyeol and the manager’s answers clashed. The manager glared at Han Gyeol with a look of betrayal, and Han Gyeol just blinked his big eyes as if he didn’t know anything at all.

“Me? When?”

“You’re shameless, Han Gyeol. First you lock yourself in the set without a word, then you announce your retirement once I get you out. And yesterday there was the venue rental—seriously...”

The manager, as if a torrent of grievances had built up, spat his rage like a rap, then faltered mid-sentence.

Just as I thought. Anyone could see this schedule was a breakup signal from First Entertainment: handle it however you want—pay with your life or the penalty fee.

‘Seriously, is he an idiot?’

He sees this absurd schedule and has no reaction?

I was about to speak up when Han Gyeol patted the manager on the back and said,

“Hyung, I’ve lived long enough to know it’s easier to be shameless in this business. I’ll live clean from now on~”

“What the hell? Don’t talk nonsense. Tomorrow you’ll say again that you can’t because of the Blood Fiend.”

“No~ I’m not worried anymore. With an S-rank Awakener here, what is there to worry about, huh!”

Right. He really is an idiot.

At Han Gyeol’s revelation, the manager’s expression froze instantly, and my face hardened at the same time.

“...What?”

The guilty party said nothing, and the victim remained silent too. My eyes met the manager’s, and my pupils shook violently.

‘Seo Han Gyeol is my enemy....’

I licked my lips, thinking for a moment. It couldn’t be helped. Whether I revealed it a week late or now, I had already decided to show myself to the world. Just as I was about to reluctantly accept while momentarily blaming Han Gyeol, the manager—looking even more serious than before—approached him, touched his forehead, and showed genuine concern.

“Han Gyeol, what are you really planning? This self-delusion has got to stop, geez.”

“Huh, what?”

“Are you finally insane? This won’t do. I’ll make a hospital appointment. If you delay any longer, we really might not be able to help you.”

Muttering to himself, the manager started spouting incomprehensible things. And for good reason—he’d been the one watching Han Gyeol most closely for the longest time. People praised Han Gyeol’s acting as method acting, but the manager didn’t see it that way. Han Gyeol was prone to delusions and had delicate emotions. For someone like that, over-immersion was tantamount to devouring his mind. He’d always worried that if the boundary between reality and fantasy collapsed, it would be disastrous. Now, in the manager’s eyes, that moment seemed to have come.

“Um? No, I’m sane. It’s just...”

Han Gyeol’s head turned creakily toward me. The one person more flustered by this situation than anyone else. But at the end of his gaze was not embarrassment but a snarling, trembling wildcat.

“Excuse me, Manager. Why won’t you believe me? It could be real, you know.”

I finally couldn’t hold back and intervened. But the {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} manager cut me off with a firm voice—more like a scolding.

“Roy, I was going to tell you sooner or later.”

“...?”

“Don’t egg him on so much with your words. You’re his fan, aren’t you?”

A true fan shouldn’t hold back on tough love so that Han Gyeol doesn’t stray and can stay on the right path, he said, openly scolding me.

“...”

Damn. First Entertainment really gets on my nerves.

✧

Thus, we arrived at the movie set. Coincidentally, the first schedule I ended up joining was a film shoot produced by Maru E&M, a subsidiary of the Maru Group. The appearance of the Maru Group heir on a Maru-produced film set... I felt like a secret inspector and couldn’t help being self-conscious. But that feeling passed quickly. I recalled the drama set where I’d done a cameo during my Shooting Star days and felt a bit embarrassed.

“Hello~”

“Han Gyeol, you’re here?”

As Han Gyeol greeted cheerfully and stepped in, the staff preparing the shoot welcomed him warmly. Then they spotted me following behind and their eyes widened. Even with my hat pulled low, my looks couldn’t be hidden.

“Huh?”

“And who’s that behind you?”

“It’s the One-Second Nyang!”

The murmurs of the staff met Han Gyeol leaning on my shoulder and boastfully announcing,

“This is our company’s rookie~”

Then, sensing cold stares, he hurriedly backtracked the joke.

“—Though rumors say that, he’s actually not. We got close on set, and I specially invited him as my bodyguard and a technical consultant. Is that okay, Director?”

“Bodyguard?”

For a moment, puzzled looks fell on me and then drifted away. A natural reaction. Nobody had seen any special performance yet, and the third survival team announcement had just ended. Unless you were a official, it would be hard to take Han Gyeol’s words seriously. The atmosphere almost turned awkward, but Han Gyeol flashed a sly grin and kept bantering.

“I’ve been having such nightmares lately~ You know, those Blood Fiends keep showing up in my dreams?”

“That’s from , right? I heard a Blood Fiend appeared on set. Must’ve been scary.”

“Exactly. So I asked specifically~ Being with an Awakener feels reassuring.”

“That’s true. Though...”

The unspoken “though awakeners vary too” hung in the air as glances brushed over me. From the staff’s expressions alone, I could guess what they were thinking.

‘My image... is this really okay?’

I’d expected it, but experiencing it firsthand was bittersweet. Quick to notice, Han Gyeol sensed my mood and added more to keep things from getting awkward.

“Ah~ I watched through the third round. I swear, when you see the broadcast later, you’ll be completely shocked. Better get your autographs early!”

“Ha ha. Should we then?”

Thinking Han Gyeol was trying to hype me up, some kind-hearted staff laughed and chimed in. Even if his talent as an Awakener was somewhat lacking, his star quality was undeniable, making him a hot topic lately.

“Roy, could I get your autograph?”

“Me too!”

Han Gyeol must have thought I’d be flustered or shy and refuse. But to everyone’s surprise, I took the pen smoothly and signed.

“Roy has a signature?”

“Of course.”

Is there an idol without a signature? Seeing my stylish handwriting, Han Gyeol couldn’t keep his mouth shut. He’d expected only my three straightforward name characters.

“What...? Why is your signature cooler than mine?”

As I signed for the staff, I actually felt a bit exhilarated. It really seems like being an entertainer suits me.... But not everyone was pleased by this role reversal. The one person dissatisfied was Han Gyeol’s manager.

“Director, Han Gyeol’s schedule is full tomorrow.”

The manager spoke with a sigh.

“If you want him rested, please wrap up by six in the morning.”

Only then did the director look away from me and nod.

“Ah, right. Han Gyeol really is popular these days. Understood.”

Then he turned to the camera crew, motioning.

“We’ll roll as soon as the lighting’s set. Han Gyeol, please stand by.”

“Yess~”

Han Gyeol waved and wandered off.

✧

The film Han Gyeol was shooting is titled . A comedy about a top idol who suddenly awakens one day and all the ensuing chaos. Han Gyeol plays Jung-woo, the protagonist who can’t give up either idol life or being an Awakener and therefore lives both at once.

‘Doesn’t this story feel familiar somehow...?’

I pondered briefly and realized the film’s premise resembled our world: idol by day, beautiful warrior by night. A meta Han Gyeol playing Seo Han Gyeol in the wilderness. I couldn’t help a wry laugh at the irony.

‘Truly, you see everything....’

I shook my head and watched Han Gyeol preparing for the fan signing scene. He sat side by side with rookie actors playing his group members.

“Ready, action!”

At the director’s cue, filming finally began. They were shooting the scene where the idol abruptly leaves the fan event after hearing news of a Blood Fiend nearby.

But in real life, would an idol just run off mid-fan sign and never come back?

‘That’s insane.’

He’d trend number one in real-time, get mass hate comments, and maybe have his past dug up, plummeting his image in an instant. On top of that, Han Gyeol’s line just then hit my ears.

“Really?”

...What did he say? I slowly turned my head. Han Gyeol was talking with a child actor playing Fan 1, smiling warmly. But that wasn’t the only problem: he was seated while the fans knelt to get his autograph. Seeing that, I felt like I’d taken two hits and my vision blurred.

‘Wait. Is this writer clueless about idol culture?’

No one does original research before writing a script? Or is it high-level satire? Is this an intentional jab at bizarre fan sign culture? But it didn’t really seem that way. Wiping cold sweat, I tugged on the manager’s sleeve.

“Excuse me, Manager.”

“Yes?”

“Is Jung-woo’s concept in this film a boy idol who’s completely out of touch...?”