Chapter 147

Seo Han Gyeol had never liked windy places.

Even a slight gust would ruin the hairstyle he’d carefully set, spoil the fit of his clothes, and wreck his look.

Since the accident he’d experienced not long ago, his dislike had turned into outright aversion.

The day Roy had abducted him and dragged him out to the sheep ranch, it was the first time in his life he had come face to face with a Blood Fiend.

And that place was so brutally windy.

Gales that seemed to push his body aside.

The sheep bleating.

The flash of red eyes in between it all.

And the flames that spread in an instant.

‘If there is a hell, that must be it....’

Of course, a Blood Fiend had appeared on the Star Hero set before, but the crew and audience only saw recordings, not the real thing—so the sheep ranch was truly the first time he’d seen one.

Besides, he nearly died when Roy used him as a shield in that wind.

If it hadn’t been for the ironclad mentality he’d built up since childhood as an entertainer, it wouldn’t have been surprising if he’d retired on the spot from shock.

Fortunately, Seo Han Gyeol hadn’t suffered any lasting aftereffects, but the symptom remained.

He disliked wind even more than before.

And if it involved sheep or mountains, he was completely fed up.

‘And now someone’s talking about wind right in front of me...?’

Seo Han Gyeol, who was usually great at hiding his expression, simply could not conceal his feelings this time.

His lip trembled noticeably.

“Ha ha! Roy, what are you talking about?” he forced out with a strained laugh.

“It’s what I literally said. I thought that if the wind swept through, it would make for a more dramatic, cooler scene. Right, Director?”

“Yes. If Han Gyeol is okay with it, I’d like to try it... What do you think?”

“I’m sorry. I don’t think I can do that.”

Before the director even finished speaking, Seo Han Gyeol cut him off with a decisive refusal.

On any other day, he would have turned it down politely, but he didn’t even have the energy for that this time.

If they’d suggested setting off fire or pouring rain, he might have accepted—but wind was just... his greatest fear.

At such a firm refusal, the director backed down, clearly reluctant to push further.

“No, it’s fine. There’s no need to force it. Let’s just do what we’d planned—”

“Just a moment.”

As the director tried to brush it off, Roy suddenly intervened. He leaned close to Seo Han Gyeol’s ear and whispered in a low voice.

“A wish.”

“...!”

Though it was only two syllables, Seo Han Gyeol’s eyes widened instantly as he caught Roy’s meaning. His expression said: Why would you use a wish for something like this?

“One wish each, deal?”

“No, you—”

“No, you should say yes. You can’t refuse.”

As if struck dumb, Seo Han Gyeol’s lips parted and closed without sound, then he sighed and changed his answer.

“Director, I’ll do the wind.”

✧

A little while later.

“Aaah!”

Suspended by a wire, Seo Han Gyeol hung in midair, limp like a candle in the wind. The moment the wind machine kicked on, his body lurched uncontrollably side to side.

“Wait! Waaait!”

Seo Han Gyeol’s scream filled the set, but it was drowned out by the roar of the wind.

“Han Gyeol, this looks great! Ready for the next move?”

“Roooy!”

The director, thrilled, called for the next action, and Seo Han Gyeol cursed Roy—the instigator of this whole fiasco—at the top of his lungs. Meanwhile, Roy stood beside the special effects team leader who operated the wind machine, murmuring devilish encouragement.

“Director, he’s holding up surprisingly well.”

“He is. More stable than I expected.”

“How strong is it now?”

“Medium.”

“When I did it, was it medium, too?”

“No. You, Roy, had it on maximum. You told me to turn it all the way up.”

“Is that so? I thought it felt a bit different.”

“If you turn it up that much for Han Gyeol, something bad could happen. He’s just a civilian.”

“I know, I know.”

Roy feigned innocent curiosity as he watched the man’s hand on the lever. Then, as soon as the staff looked away for a moment, he reached out and nudged the lever to a higher setting.

Wheeeeng!

“Aaah! Why is it stronger—”

In an instant, the wind surged to maximum power. Director Song and the crew all turned in surprise toward the special effects station.

“Director Kim, isn’t the wind too strong?”

“Huh? No, why...?”

Flustered, the special effects director hurried to adjust the lever—but it slipped out of his hand.

“?!”

Everyone froze.

Gulp.

Roy pretended to cover his mouth in shock, though the corner of his lip quirking up betrayed him.

“Why is it coming loose...?”

“Director!”

The manager, rushing up pale-faced, glanced back and forth between Seo Han Gyeol and the wind machine.

“Yaaah!”

Tossed by the gale, Seo Han Gyeol swung so wildly that he threatened to collide with the ceiling. No one dared touch the wire for fear of making things worse.

Finally, the flustered manager ripped the power cord straight from the wind machine.

Vruuuum—

Just like that, the wind stopped. But another danger lurked.

“Aaah!”

With the wind gone, Seo Han Gyeol’s body swung like a pendulum in a huge arc.

“Han Gyeol!”

They thought stopping the wind would solve everything, but the set exploded into chaos at the new, precarious situation. Roy leapt into action. His method was extreme, but his intention was simply to help Seo Han Gyeol re-awaken; he never wanted his brother to get hurt.

Thwack!

Roy ran, kicked off the floor, and launched himself up, catching the dangling Seo Han Gyeol in his arms in one swift motion.

“Release the wire!”

At Roy’s shout, the tether holding Seo Han Gyeol fell slack, and the two of them descended safely. Seo Han Gyeol, cradled like a princess in Roy’s arms, shook violently, his face ashen.

“You okay, hyung?”

“Ro-Roy... I thought I was... gonna die....”

Roy’s face showed genuine concern. Even with a re-awakened body, Seo Han Gyeol was still F-rank; Roy worried he’d gone too far.

【– Become Familiar with Wind】

The condition for Seo Han Gyeol’s re-awakening still hovered above his head. Rather than befriending the wind, it seemed this ordeal had given him fresh trauma.

‘...What am I going to do?’

How on earth could he help Seo Han Gyeol become comfortable with wind? Roy couldn’t meet his brother’s eyes; he’d only made things worse again.

‘Should I have asked Taeeon hyung first before trying this?’

Was it arrogance to try to handle this alone when Han Gyeol had the brains for university and Roy was just a high school graduate? He felt he’d only fanned the flames by going it alone.

‘Damn it. This isn’t right....’

As Roy quietly blamed himself, a familiar alarm chimed, and Seo Han Gyeol’s status window changed.

【– Become Familiar with Wind】

A line struck through the condition, and a new status window appeared.

【Existing F-rank baseline exceeded.】

【Seo Han Gyeol (F) is reclassified to D-rank. Some hidden traits have manifested.】

“Huh?”

“Roy, if you’d just let me down—”

“Wow...! Woaah!”

Roy, who had barely made eye contact moments before, suddenly cheered. More than that, he spun in place holding Seo Han Gyeol, hopped up and down, and let out an incomprehensible howl.

“It’s done! It’s done!”

“Ugh... Roy, I feel like I’m going to hurl....”

“You’re amazing, Seo Han Gyeol!”

“S... ugh... You’re now my equal—”

Gasping in a tiny voice, Seo Han Gyeol hadn’t even scolded Roy for his high-handedness before—

—GURRGGHHK.

He vomited something warm and thin onto Roy’s chest.

“...?”

Roy froze, not immediately registering what was happening. As he slowly tilted his head down, he saw the liquid running down his shirt and Seo Han Gyeol’s soiled face. The once-noisy set fell silent in an instant. The crew covered their mouths, frozen. The manager who’d been rushing over stopped in his tracks, staring at them in horror. Three seconds later—

“AAAH!”

This time Roy’s scream shook the set to its core.

✧

[My Enemy: Roy]

[My Enemy: Are you sleeping?]

[My Enemy: You’re asleep...]

[My Enemy: I just thought of you]

[My Enemy: Wanted to see if you’re doing okay]

[My Enemy: I read it]

[My Enemy: You’re asleep]

[My Enemy: Okay... sorry...]

It had been two days since Seo Han Gyeol vomited in Roy’s arms.

Roy, who had insisted on managing him under the guise of protection, hadn’t contacted Seo Han Gyeol once since that incident.

In his phone, Roy’s name had long ago changed from “Seo Han Gyeol” to “My Enemy.” For the time being, he never wanted to see his brother’s face—or even his shadow.

‘Seo Han Gyeol is my enemy....’

He’d achieved his goal of raising Han Gyeol to D-rank; there was no need to stick around and clean up after him. Besides, the day he had to return to the Star Hero set was approaching. Once he went back, he’d have to face Seo Han Gyeol again, and he just wanted three more days of peace.

‘Vomit on my body?’

Trembling, Roy flipped his vibrating phone face-down and turned to the TV. It was the day the long-awaited third survival episode of Star Hero would air. From today, the word “trash” that had followed his name would be over. Once the broadcast went live, the world would finally notice who Lee Gong really was.

Whee ha ha!

✧

[Title: Did those guys who said Roy tore it up in the 3rd survival round all end up dead?]

They sure got torn up

And so did their sorry lives