Free Web NovelA few days later, a man appeared in a row of academies in Mok-dong.
“Hello. You’re Ms. Jegalbi, right? Could we talk for a moment?”
Bi, who was just leaving her class, was taken aback. Ever since the article about the Detention Bureau broke, she’d gained unwanted fame and even had to change academies. She’d signed up for this place because they’d done a special lecture by a famous English instructor, lining up before dawn to register... and now a rumor that she attended here had spread, so she couldn’t stay. Yet not even a week after moving, someone recognized her again! All that effort to hide behind a mask in this heat, and for nothing.
...
Bi bit her lip behind her mask and, sounding a bit annoyed and resigned, answered, “That’s not me. I don’t know anyone like that.”
Usually people would shrug and walk away at that.
“No, it is you~ I saw you slip your mask down just now.”
Damn. She’d only needed a breather. Still, Bi kept walking toward the convenience store by her original route, insisting, “I’m not Jegalbi.”
“Please—really just a moment. I won’t take much of your time. Fifteen minutes? Ten?”
“I don’t know anyone like that.”
“I’ll buy you coffee.”
“I’m not a beggar.”
The man doggedly followed her—he even held the convenience-store door open. Bi scowled and turned to him. “Why are you doing this?”
“There’s something I’d like to ask. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself.” He pulled a business card from his wallet and pressed it into her hand.
[First Entertainment]
“You know First, right? Seo Han-gyeol.”
The man whispered the name of First’s flagship actor with a smile. Bi’s heart skipped—First was considered the most prestigious of the Big Three agencies.
‘Why would they come after me...? No way.’
Crazy. Was this the street casting she’d heard rumors about? Bi misunderstood completely.
‘My face is okay, but I’m an Awakener!’
In her head she saw bright spotlights and red carpets. If they knew her name, they must know she was an Awakener. She decided to clear it up. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
“I’m an Awakener, though.”
“I know.”
Desperate to win her over, the manager smiled kindly. “Really just a moment. Could you spare the time?”
“Well... a moment is—”
Before awakening, her dream had been to be an idol. She’d thought all that was behind her, but when she accepted the card, her heart raced.
‘Not that I intend to become a runaway, but hearing their story couldn’t hurt...’
They’d come all this way for her. Relenting, Bi followed the man—and there she realized it had been a mistake.
“Lee Gong?”
“Yes. I know this must be awkward, but please think of it as saving a life...”
The meeting at First wasn’t for her but for I-roi. Of course—their pride wouldn’t let them cast someone like her. Among the Big Three, First cared most about looks. Bi’s cheeks, warm with faint hope moments ago, had gone cold. Her expression and tone turned icy.
“Now that I think about it, why would you come find me knowing how awkward this is, wasting my time with your request?”
The manager flinched at her harsh words.
“Oh, I showed up unannounced—very rude of me. I’m truly sorry. But I really need to reach Mr. Lee Gong.”
“That’s your problem, not mine. I have no reason or obligation to give you his number.”
Each word from Bi was chilled steel—anger at herself for a moment’s excitement, and outrage at his audacity expecting Lee Gong’s contact as a given.
“Please, just once—”
At that moment, Bi pulled out her phone instead of answering. The manager looked hopeful, thinking she’d relent, but:
“Hello? Police station? I’d like to report stalking.”
Who died or lived was none of her business, and neither was I-roi’s. Bi would never share his info before he chose to reveal himself. The manager finally realized she was serious, vaulted to his feet—
“No! I’ll go. I’m so sorry for the intrusion.”
He bowed quickly and fled without looking back.
✧
As a result, Han-gyeol—
“Roy! You’re here at last?”
“...?”
Decided to settle for second best.
One day before the third survival round.
When Roy, exhausted after barely surviving the fifth daily mission, opened the door, what he saw shouldn’t have been there—it was Han-gyeol, grinning as if greeting an owner returning home, like a dog who’d waited faithfully by the door.
What was this? No sleep, seeing things again?
Holding the doorknob, Roy just stared, then slammed the door shut. He checked the status window—it said this was still his room.
‘Then what’s that inside?’
He thought he’d seen a suitcase... he opened the door again. Han-gyeol sprang up, raced over, grabbed Roy’s hand, and shook it up and down.
“Why are you only coming now? I’ve been waiting so long~”
“Are you nuts?”
Surprised, Roy blurted out a curse. Han-gyeol just kept smiling his trademark eye-smile.
“Why are you here?”
“Well, it’s a long story~ somehow things turned out like this. Haha! Did I surprise you?”
Embarrassed, Han-gyeol dove into his fortune-teller tale.
“...Three hundred million?”
“Yes. But the important thing is we meet again, right? You’re the only fire Awakener around me~”
“....”
“Maybe it’s a divine sign telling me to return to your side? Fate? Something like that!”
He neatly omitted mentioning approaching Jegalbi to reach I-roi—as if Roy had been his first call.
“So, until you clear out your room, I’ll crash here. After hearing that twice, I’m kind of scared. Haha!”
“....”
“If it’s okay with you, the PD said it’s fine. They barely use the dorm scenes now~”
True, he’d picked the right roommate. Thankfully, the seer hadn’t been a scammer after all. But then—
“Three hundred million... Are you kidding me? You’re insane! Might as well have eaten the money, you idiot!”
Roy snapped before he could stop himself; his head throbbed with anger. He pressed his fingers to his forehead and spoke through clenched teeth.
“Sigh... Sorry for swearing. I get your situation. But what if I fail this round?”
Storming the set and freeloading was a temporary fix. Enough of this reckless behavior. They said he’d won every award as a child actor—surely he’d been coddled. And offering three hundred million at the mention of death showed his sense of money was completely gone.
‘Wasn’t his uncle a soldier?’
He still remembered the day his uncle, golf club in hand, had burst into his practice room when Han-gyeol tried sneaking in as a trainee. Without military discipline, he couldn’t have grown up so headstrong. Their eyes met, and Han-gyeol, ever waiting for the moment, smiled.
“Wow~ Roy, you look a bit scary when you’re angry.”
“....”
“But I didn’t bring much luggage, knowing this was coming. And the third survival round is just a few days away, right?”
“...?”
“They call you a student—if you fail the survival, want to work part-time at my house for the rest of break?”
What was this? Why was he talking like a dog begging? Roy stared at him like, “What are you even saying?”
“I’ll pay you 200,000 won a day with room and board! Double on days you accompany my schedule.”
He emphasized he’d never give him other work.
“We said we’d live separately anyway. Think of it as seeing more of each other.”
But this... was he really offering money? Han-gyeol spoke as if Roy were guaranteed to fail this round. Roy felt insulted. Without a second thought, he refused.
“No.”
“Why? Too low pay? Then 300?”
“No. I said no.”
“Is there a rate you’d prefer? Name it, I’ll match it.”
“No! I just don’t want to!”
Who did this guy think he was? Roy thought. He really hated Seo Han-gyeol.
✧
[Title: Who Got Into the Shiro Audience?]
Wasn’t the announcement at 5 today? Did I just bomb out?
– Results are out?
– I thought they weren’t announced yet
– Someone just got notified! Looks like they’re sending them now
Hojin, refreshing the forum, felt his phone buzz. A brief notification from Star Hero flashed at the top of the screen.
[Congratulations on winning seats for Star Hero’s third survival round audience.]
“...!”
He’d kept his phone glued to his hand all day—and finally got a response. People said winning once was hard enough—he’d won twice! Was he truly fated never to leave Roy’s side?
It felt like the whole world was cheering his fandom.
‘This time, I’ll definitely...!’
No matter what, he’d be in that audience. The third survival round was just two days away. The thought of seeing Roy perform again made the butler’s heart swell.
