Free Web Novel“Uh, huh?”
Startled by Roi’s voice, Hojin hurriedly hid his phone and turned around.
“Ew, what?”
He stammered and looked around, clearly embarrassed.
“What was that just now?”
“What, what was what?”
When Roi glared silently, Hojin’s head sank.
“You saw it? I’m sorry...”
Does he think I’m angry? I was a bit thrown, but not angry. I’m used to my photos circulating online without my knowledge. I was just curious why Hojin got famous for pictures of me. Eighty thousand followers for an ordinary person is influencer level. And it looked like only five photos were posted.
“Well, it’s like this...”
Hojin hesitated, and Taeeon and Yeonwoo glanced over.
“What is it? Why the moodiness?”
“Hojin, are you okay? Is something bothering you?”
Hojin shook his head, then squeezed his eyes shut and held out his phone.
“I’m sorry! I just felt bad you got edited out, so I did it without thinking.”
Edited out? Taken aback by that fact, Roi coughed.
“But I didn’t post any with your face showing properly. I didn’t even tag your name, so no one knows it’s you...”
Roi, who had been quiet until now, quietly took the phone. The posted photos were just screenshots from the Episode 2 preview, all side profiles. Yet each post had—
“Three thousand comments?!”
His firepower rivaled an idol. Comments were still pouring in.
What’s “One-Second Cat”? I monitored Episode 1, but thought I’d been fully cut, so I never searched. Only now did I learn they’d nicknamed me “One-Second Cat.” And who’s the butler? Roi looked at Hojin expectantly. Hojin blushed and explained.
“They all say you’re my cat... When I posted your pictures, they started calling me the butler.”
So he enjoyed that. I knew he was crazy about cats, but never thought he’d apply it to me too...
‘Ah. Gaslighting.’ Now I’d dug my own grave. Should I be the one apologizing instead of Hojin? Just then, a notification popped up at the top of the phone: a “One-Second Cat” keyword alert.
‘What’s this now?’
Feigning interest, I tapped it—and it opened another app.
[Title: One-Second Cat still fully edited? ㅠㅠㅠㅠ]
I’ve been holding out for One-Second Cat since the Episode 2 preview dropped ㅠㅠ Will they show me today?
Every commenter’s profile picture was my face—yet only side views.
‘No wonder they didn’t recognize me in Hongdae.’
That betrayer Park Junseo. He promised to make me a star but fully edited me out, while Hojin was quietly helping behind the scenes. Roi handed back the phone and patted Hojin’s shoulder.
“Good job, hyung! From now on, post tons of my pics here. Let’s just tweak the tags.”
The former top-tier idol eagerly coached him on editing hashtags. I didn’t even care about the broadcast anymore. It looked like I was going to be cut again today. I decided that tomorrow at the set, I’d march straight to Junseo and demand answers. Another keyword alert sounded.
[Title: One-Second Cat I will have you] fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
Right after the broadcast ended, they said on the official site a self-intro video would go up. Two hundred and two views? I’ll find it.
A self-intro video? Perfect timing. If Junseo cut my screen time again today, I was ready to steal airtime by force to boost [N O V E L I G H T] engagement. Then,
“Hey! Poop-puppy, you’re on! You!”
Yeonwoo suddenly fussed and shook Roi’s arm. Looking up, I saw my back as I selected the sea terrain.
[Last Contestant #202’s Evaluation!]
A drone shot captured me entering the safe zone—a white-shirted pretty boy against blue sky and sea. Then, as my face was about to close up—
Vrrr, vrrr, vrrr—
Hojin’s phone started vibrating like crazy. The One-Second Cat alerts had exploded.
“Hey, someone’s calling?”
Taeeon looked around for the source of the sound, then realized it was Hojin’s phone.
“Hojin, I think someone’s calling—”
He couldn’t finish. At Yeonwoo’s “poop-puppy” remark, Hojin’s scratch faded. Overjoyed at the cat’s TV debut, he covered his mouth and wept. Taeeon thought: He really isn’t normal either.
✧
[Title: Current Real-Time Trending 1–3]
1 위 : One-Second Cat Self-Intro
2 위 : One-Second Cat Grading
3 위 : Star Hero Episode 3 Preview (Thumbnail: One-Second Cat)
True perfection.
└ Huge troll bait, hogs all the buzz lolol
└ No wonder... he’s f ucking handsome, damn
└ Unheard-of good looks
└ I heard he’s F-rank?
└ He’s not Level 2?
└ So is it true or not?
[Title: Lee Roi is definitely Fire-element... definitely...]
(flower petals and winking Roi.gif)
Set my heart ablaze
└ My mom’s group chat caught fire
└ Company group chat caught fire
└ My guild’s chat caught fire
└ Chicken shop caught fire (when Roi winked, the aunt at the next table rang a bell LOL thanks)
└ Shopping mall crashed (Roi’s shirt sold out + too much traffic)
└ He’s C-rank, guys ㅠ (I’m from Seogak High); feel bad for Bugak kids;;
└ 2222 Who dares pair him with “Blessed Second Level”?
└ Seriously, it’s not about rank vs looks ㅠㅠ Even if he were Z-rank, I’d still stan
[Title: I know about survival shows]
Usually the loud ones in Episode 1 get eliminated—that’s the rule. But this Roi guy just won’t go down. His firepower is insane lol. Fire-element seems right? Nothing hotter than this buzz.
└ Want to see his parents’ faces
└ They’re getting roasted for sloppy testing lolol two top-tier faces with those ranks...
└ Will they retest them both?
[Title: Element Bureau is f cking trash]
They’re not just idiots; they’re complete morons. Don’t they know how to do their job? There are cases where ranks get corrected and they just hush it up. I bet 500 won that the uproar over Roi and Park Yeonwoo is because they’re victims of the Element Bureau’s mistakes.
└ Did someone really think that was the neighbor kid’s name?
└ Lol, they said “re-awakening” to cover up their error
[Title: When does Star Hero voting start?]
Straight to the point
[Title: Star Hero Bermuda Triangle]
Recognize Roi, Park Yeonwoo, Kim Taeeon? Your move to refute.
└ He doesn’t know the face
[Title: Butler Kim’s InHeart update ㅠㅠ]
(heart-eyed Roi.jpg)
All photos on InHeart are posted with Roi’s permission, so don’t worry
Roi read all the comments and said thank you, please love him more from now on ㅠㅠㅠ
The account will continue to be run by Butler Kim!
