Little Pink Starfish

“He did pretty well, all things considered.”

Rowen shared his thoughts.

“Yeah. Looks like he’ll make it through the second round.”

Chaeya agreed.

The two of them sat with their chins resting on their hands, overlooking the hall in Count Aysen’s mansion.

Ryu Eunyul had just finished his turn.

Rowen was quietly proud of him.

People in the industry knew that Rowen’s feedback was notoriously harsh.

While he was gentle in private, he was a perfectionist when it came to the stage.

He once had a full-on argument with event staff because the equipment wasn’t set up properly during a live performance.

Some rookies who’d asked him for feedback had ended up crying after being on the receiving end of his signature sharp remarks.

Despite that, Rowen had a good reputation because he was always kind outside of work—and because his feedback had never been wrong.

‘If Rowen-hyung is saying that much… then Ryu Eunyul will pass the second round too.’

Chaeya wrote down a fairly high score on her sheet.

‘Still, the fact that he hasn’t revealed his Constellation’s name bothers me.’

He managed it well, but considering the “Man Who Birthed Death, Dogs, and Serpents” incident…

‘It’s basically like carrying around a ticking time bomb.’

This wouldn’t be such a big deal for actors, but idols often debut around 19 and are considered veterans by their mid-20s.

Just look at Rowen, who was now 28.

He’d accomplished nearly everything he could as an idol and was now walking the path of a solo artist.

Failing CYB once meant having to wait four years before competing again.

That kind of delay could be fatal for an idol.

‘Most idols even delay their military service because two years is already too much…’

Tsk.

Chaeya clicked her tongue.

Rowen asked,

“What are you thinking about?”

“Ah, well…”

She answered honestly.

That she was worried Eunyul’s Constellation might cause trouble.

“I feel the same way.”

Rowen admitted without hesitation.

“…But what can you do? You just have to deal with it when the time comes.”

True enough.

“Still, if you’re thinking about it that much…”

Rowen smiled.

“You must really like that Eunyul kid, huh?”

“Eh?”

If Rowen’s critiques were like a rapier striking true, Chaeya’s personality was more like a flail swinging wildly in all directions.

While Rowen was calmly cruel, Chaeya wore her emotions on her sleeve and could be hypersensitive.

Rowen knew that about her. Which is why he thought her reaction to Eunyul was rather generous.

“I guess you’re right.”

Chaeya smiled.

“I don’t know why, but I feel attached to that Ryu Eunyul kid.”

“Me too.”

“You too, hyung?”

“I’ll tell you something just between us. Do you remember that car accident a few months ago, near our company’s building? The one that was because of me…”

“Ah…”

Chaeya narrowed her eyes.

“You mean the day you forgot your mask?”

“Yeah. …I forgot it today too.”

“Seriously, be more careful…”

“Mm.”

Rowen smiled bitterly and scratched the bridge of his nose.

“That day, Eunyul got hurt trying to save a kid from the accident.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah. He was scheduled to appear on CYB. If things had gone wrong, he’d have had to wait until next season after rehabilitation.”

Chaeya nodded.

If a child was about to get hit by a car, of course anyone would step in. But when you’re in this industry, you can’t help but worry about your body.

Your body is everything when you’re an entertainer.

‘If he’d ended up with a scar on his face…’

Chaeya shut her eyes tightly and shook her head.

“He’s a good kid.”

She said.

Rowen shrugged.

“…And a fun one, too.”

‘Ahh… I see.’

Chaeya understood now.

Why Rowen seemed to know Eunyul.

‘That guy… he’s a total sucker for anything interesting.’

---

The boring part dragged on.

One after another, unremarkable contestants took the stage.

‘That guy’s just plain dull.’

‘He’s stuttering? At this level? Bet he’ll be kicking himself under the covers later.’

‘Boring. Boring. Boring.’

Chaeya judged mercilessly.

Rowen also looked bored.

In the second preliminary round, the later your turn, the more disadvantageous it was.

Early contestants showed off most of the eye-catching content.

The judges knew this well.

So, they gave bonus points to those who overcame the disadvantages of a later slot with smart tactics.

Judges could easily see through contestants’ strategies.

For industry veterans, the talent showcases and mic work were no more than childish tricks.

In this round, judges were tasked with analyzing contestants’ strategies and gauging audience reactions to score them fairly.

“That one has the looks, but not much charisma.”

“Did they really have to do their hair like that?”

The other judges murmured as they scored.

Everyone looked like they were ready to yawn…

Until the host spoke again.

“Our next contestant is from Hanbit Entus!”

The moment the announcement hit, everyone’s gaze sharpened.

KYAAAAAH!!

Even the audience’s screams were different now.

Chaeya sat up straight. Rowen quietly rested his chin on his hand again.

‘I didn’t judge the first round myself, but I heard the judges on that panel were raving…’

Chaeya thought.

‘Well… it makes sense.’

“Introducing! Hanbit Entus’ Han Iro!!”

Han Iro.

There wasn’t a single person here who didn’t know his name.

He was famous as a child actor.

He starred in the movie “Iris” when he was around ten and received massive attention.

The film depicted the tragedy of two brothers on opposite sides during a dictatorship.

Han Iro played a boy who lost his parents during a protest crackdown.

One scene—where he ate his parents’ ashes—went viral online.

The script had only asked him to scatter the ashes while looking sad.

But he improvised. The ashes (actually flour) weren’t meant to be eaten.

It was a spontaneous ad-lib from a 10-year-old.

The director was concerned for Han Iro’s mental state but couldn’t bring himself to stop filming.

While some netizens criticized the director’s ethics, many praised Han Iro’s talent.

Later, the lead actors recalled how Han Iro acted like a grieving child even off-camera.

They were both impressed and concerned about how such method acting could affect a child’s mental health.

…After “Iris,” Han Iro quit acting.

More than that—he disappeared.

‘He really vanished without a trace…’

Chaeya remembered.

The promising child actor had seemingly evaporated overnight.

Journalists and obsessive YouTubers tried everything to track him down, but to no avail.

‘Then again, maybe it was inevitable. Considering Han Iro’s Constellation…’

Han Iro’s former Constellation was “The Usurper of Tarnhelm.”

In the child actor division of CYB, Han Iro had formed a contract with that Constellation, gaining a power that allowed him to change appearances for five minutes.

Some said that power enhanced his method acting.

‘But here’s the weird thing…’

Chaeya checked his file.

‘Why did his Constellation change?’

Han Iro’s file now listed “Love Born with the Bubbles” as his Constellation—not “The Usurper of Tarnhelm.”

‘Constellations don’t often change…’

Constellations hadn’t even been sponsoring entertainers for a full century yet, but there had already been plenty of odd cases.

Like Loki—“The Man Who Birthed Death, Dogs, and Serpents.”

Constellations sponsor performers unilaterally. They also have the sole power to end the contract.

But since they generally love humanity, they rarely cut ties.

Unless the performer officially retires and ends the contract at the sanctuary, the connection remains valid.

But at the time, not even Han Iro’s agency president knew where he was.

If the sponsorship had ended, it meant he must’ve seriously offended his Constellation.

And someone who offends a Constellation that badly would almost never get another contract.

‘They’d be blacklisted among the stars…’

Chaeya brushed her hair back.

‘Switching divisions and getting a new Constellation… You can’t help but be curious.’

As she thought this, Rowen watched the hall of Count Aysen’s mansion with a soft smile.

And quietly murmured,

“Alright, Iro. They’re all watching you now.”

---

A full bleached look, with purple-tinted bangs in an ombre style.

Red eyeshadow to bring out the hairstyle.

Han Iro’s visuals drew the audience’s eyes immediately.

“I’m Han Iro. Some of you might already know me. I debuted as an actor through the film Iris, and now I’m back, re-entering CYB as an idol.”

He bowed his head.

Then smiled.

“Please take care of me.”

WAAAAAH!

“You grew up so well!! IRO-YAAA!!”

Someone shouted.

The whole place burst into laughter.

“Haha, what a hot response!”

The host stepped in.

“Who would’ve thought Iro would re-enter CYB? And as an idol, no less!”

He leaned into the mic, pretending to whisper despite the amplification.

“Isn’t it time to finally talk?”

Han Iro smiled sheepishly.

“What’ve you been up to all this time…?”

“No.”

Han Iro cut in sharply.

“I don’t think I need to explain.”

“But the audience, and so many fans, are curious about your absence…”

“I understand their curiosity. But I can’t talk about it.”

He softened his expression.

“…Wouldn’t it be better to assume something just happened? The truth is, nothing happened at all.”

“Nothing? But even DemonPatch couldn’t track your whereabouts…”

“That’s because I was in the countryside in Gangwon. My parents decided to return to my grandmother’s hometown to farm.”

“That’s really all?”

“Maybe not.”

“…Huh?”

The host looked confused.

“Maybe it is. Which one do you think?”

Han Iro quipped, then gave the host a look that clearly said, no more questions.

“Hmm… okay. I just thought it must’ve been something big, especially with your Constellation changing. What caused that?”

“Because I decided to stop acting.”

Han Iro answered without hesitation.

“The Usurper of Tarnhelm had agreed to sponsor me as an actor. Once I aimed to become an idol, the support ended. We didn’t part on bad terms.”

“Really?”

“Yes. If we had, I wouldn’t have been able to sign a new contract with another Constellation.”

“True… that makes sense…”

The host hesitated, unsure how to continue.

His role was to lead the conversation, but clearly, Han Iro was the one in control.

Han Iro lazily looked away.

He saw the other contestants staring at him.

‘It’s been a while since I felt this.’

He smiled bitterly.

‘Feels like needles.’

Then he observed calmly.

But then—because of a single person’s expression—his mind went cold.

‘Why is he looking at me like that…?’

And just as he thought that, a message from his Constellation “Love Born with the Bubbles” echoed in his mind.

[Warning — The authority of Constellation ‘Love Born with the Bubbles’ has been nullified for Contractee ‘Ryu Eunyul’.]

‘Ah… so that’s what this is.’

Han Iro gave a weak smile.

‘Don’t know why, but… I guess you can see it.’

He reached up to touch his face.

His skin stung like it was burning.

‘…My real face.’