Chapter 149

The moment the doorbell rang, Taeeon and Yeon-woo burst out.

“Hey...!”

“Man! Do your fingers fall off whenever you go home? We couldn’t reach you!”

“Sorry, sorry.”

Roy pressed his hands together in apology, rubbing them as he pulled a pathetic face, and the brothers’ anger melted away as if they’d never been mad.

“No worries. No need to be that apologetic.”

“You little rascal, we were worried something serious was up at home.”

Something serious had happened at home. Their parents had nearly fainted upon learning their son had died and come back S-rank awakened.

“Come on inside.”

Taeeon stepped aside, and Yeon-woo moved against the wall to make way for Roy. At the end of the hallway stood the butler, whom they hadn’t seen in ages.

“Roy.”

“Oh? You’re here too?”

“I thought Hojin might be unreachable, so I called you both. It’s better if we’re all together.”

Roy shot Hojin a knowing look.

‘Look at this guy. He’s never mentioned us rooming together at Han Gyeol’s place.’

True enough, if he’d said anything they’d immediately become public enemies and face Taeeon and Yeon-woo’s wrath. Hojin gave a sheepish smile as though he read Roy’s mind. Roy, playing along, asked another question.

“Did you celebrate Mother’s birthday?”

“Ah, yeah. ...And you?”

He was asking if Han Gyeol had awakened. Roy lifted one corner of his mouth in a teasing grin.

“Why would I ask if he hadn’t?”

The two watching exchanged a glance. Taeeon and Yeon-woo paused, then each threw an arm around one brother’s shoulders and began tickling them mercilessly.

“Eek! Hey, stop that!”

“Aah...! Why are you doing this—”

“Why do you think?”

“You guys are hiding something, aren’t you? What is it? Tell us now!”

But B-ranks can’t beat A- and S-ranks. In an instant, the two were overpowered by Roy and Hojin and forced to surrender.

“We’re not hiding anything. I already told our parents. That’s what you’re talking about.”

Taeeon and Yeon-woo’s eyes went wide.

“You told them... your rank?”

“Yeah.”

“Whoa!”

At once, all three clamped hands over their mouths in shock.

“They said what? You must have really surprised them.”

“Right? But you look surprised too. Didn’t you know?”

“Uh... I was just surprised by you two being surprised....”

“Seriously?”

Yeon-woo, who had been shooting Hojin distrustful looks, realized momentarily that he really was clueless and fell silent.

“Sorry. I guess you might not have known.”

“Yeah....”

Roy stifled a laugh at the scene and continued.

“We can’t keep it secret forever. Once the broadcast ends, I’ll start activities with the Detention Bureau.”

He’d been thinking of scheduling the first team dinner now that everyone was here. Han Gyeol still didn’t know he’d awakened, but it was only a matter of time. Once the news broke, Roy would recruit him to the Bureau. Announcing his joining would probably happen at that first dinner. Better to wait until then than cause confusion now.

“Team dinner? Wow... saying that makes me feel important.”

“Well, you are important. You three are agents now. Special Team members.”

As minors, once they had affiliations their practical classes could count as extracurriculars, giving them much more freedom to go out. After filming, Roy might see Taeeon and Han Gyeol far more often than before. Anyway, details could wait.

“Right now, we need to focus on winning.”

Roy clenched his fist in determination. The three exchanged looks, then burst out laughing.

“Aren’t you the only one who can win?”

“True. How could we beat an S-rank?”

“Don’t overdo it, Roy.”

They believed Roy would win, but he still felt anxious. Though he could control fire better than before, he was still limited. They didn’t know an over-nerfed S-rank wasn’t much stronger than F-rank. And worst of all, his opponent would be Park Jun-seo. What if Jun-seo brought some impossible final challenge?

✧

“No? I can’t handle it.”

“Doesn’t matter what you say. Just accept it.”

The next day, the eighteen finalists arrived for the final survival. Not even an hour after their spy-movie style entry, Roy faced a huge crisis.

‘Save me...!’

Time rewound a bit. Early at dawn, the three had boarded the production crew’s car at Taeeon’s house, waved off by Hojin, and departed. They reached the station’s underground parking, then transferred to a limo bus rented by the crew. Its tinted windows and curtains hid everything inside. While they waited, survivors from the third round appeared one by one. Once all eighteen were aboard, the bus headed to the Star Hero set, where reporters and fans swarmed.

“They’re here!”

“Get photos! Get photos!”

The clamoring outside the glass might have been loud, but neither participants nor onlookers could see inside. The finalists would be announced this week anyway, so the fuss meant the show was popular—something to take as a good sign. But the last training was hard to accept. Was this really training?

“Now, the eighteen finalists for the Final Survival have been decided. The live broadcast is in ten days.”

Soon the opening shoot began. Han Gyeol remarked that expectations would be high for this final training, then revealed its nature.

“Healing.”

...Healing? Was that a type of training? The studio murmured. They suspected a different meaning, but it turned out they understood correctly.

“For the next ten days, you may rest comfortably.”

Facing the final survival, they’d expected intense drills, but instead were told to rest. The contestants were even more bewildered.

“Rest...?”

“Sounds like playtime.”

“Really nothing at all?”

Han Gyeol, looking down at the contestants, smirked before adding,

“Of course, we’ll give you a small mission. It won’t be difficult.”

But that “not difficult” mission became the toughest task any had faced on Star Hero: acting.

“You will create the VCR used in the Final Survival opening.”

As the finale’s centerpiece, it would be a meaningful memory for them and a surprise for viewers, Han Gyeol explained, with a bright smile. That was the only way to package all this nonsense beautifully.

“Scripts and roles are prepared; you only need to assign parts.”

Silence. The contestants stared at him as if to ask why they had to do this. But there was no veto.

“Shall we decide roles?”

They had two roles: protagonist and blood fiend. The plot: a woman lost in the woods stumbles into a blood fiend’s lair. As the fiends threaten her life, the handsome male protagonist appears, rescues her, and swiftly defeats the fiends. Then came a twist.

“You want us to change genders?”

That meant the two chosen as protagonists would perform cross-dressing: the male role in women’s clothing, the female role in men’s clothing.

“Why this pointless stunt?”

Roy spoke what everyone felt. Han Gyeol pretended not to hear, ending his remarks by telling them to choose roles and report back. Given this sudden free time, the contestants gathered with grim expressions worthy of the final survival.

‘Rest my foot. Who tells you to relax after throwing this big curveball?’

Eyes rolling, Roy finally spoke.

“...Anyone want to play the female lead?”

Predictably, there was no answer.

“...Then blood fiends—”

“Me!”

“Me!!”

“I want to be a blood fiend!”

There were countless volunteers for the fiend roles, since the only line was “Kieeek!” and all they had to do was tilt their heads and lunge like zombies. Roy also wanted to be a fiend, but not everyone could be one. Just as he scratched his head in frustration, Dong-yo quietly raised a hand and suggested.

“Let’s vote. Since someone has to cross-dress, shouldn’t the prettiest one do it?”

At that, Roy and Yeon-woo both jumped up and exclaimed as if vomiting blood. All eighteen finalists were handsome, but these two stood out above the rest. Dong-yo had them in mind, along with Taeeon and Seo Hyun-woo.

“There’s no way that’s fair!”

“Right! If you’re the only ugly one, what then?!”

Taeeon tugged at Roy’s sleeve and tried to calm things, and Dong-yo shrugged and asked,

“Then how? Someone has to cross-dress. Got a better idea?”

Yeon-woo lifted his chin and boldly shouted,

“Man! Let’s settle it with a contest!”

“A contest?”

They thought it meant a fight. The contestants’ eyes lit up, especially the higher-ranked ones, nodding eagerly.

“A contest? Sounds good!”

“Yeah! We have a healer anyway. Why not?”

“Fine! Let’s battle like men!”

Roy was the most excited, leading the shout.

“All right! Bring it on!”

Just then, Yeon-woo raised his fist and called out unexpectedly,

“If you lose, it’s rock-paper-scissors!”