Little Pink Starfish

Incheon Metropolitan City.

A place once mockingly called “Demon Realm Incheon.”

The nickname came from the frequency of violent crimes that used to happen there, long before anyone imagined a real gate to the demon realm would actually open in Incheon.

The gate opened by the Demon God caused massive global damage, but much of it has been repaired by now.

Films are being made about those days, and even hunter-themed girl groups like White & Lily, which Amil belongs to, are debuting now.

But not every place has fully recovered.

Gates ranked S or higher are especially hard to purify because of how contaminated they are. Purifying those zones requires trained professionals.

Purge priests.

People granted authority directly from the “Savior Who Is One and All.”

They devote themselves to cleansing the world.

Still, if they were going to hand out divine authority, they could’ve been more generous with it.

Purification takes an enormous amount of mental energy and specialized gear.

Which means it costs a fortune to make that gear and care for the priests’ mental health.

Honestly, couldn’t the “Savior Who Is One and All” just fix everything personally?

“Papa isn’t the indulgent type,” said the one known as the Star Hated by All.

“The Demon God gained power from humanity’s negative emotions. The disasters caused by the gates are, in a way, humanity’s own karmic punishment. He’ll help, yes, but it’s your mess. You clean it up… That’s probably Papa’s stance.”

“It’s like scolding a kid… That so-called almighty god is really stingy,” I said, propping up my chin.

“Is it? Isn’t it merciful enough to show kindness to humans at all? Humans are such unlovable creatures. Just look at how you treat me…”

“Right, sure.”

I shook the Bluetooth earbud case hard.

Of course, the Star Hated by All was inside it.

“Stop it at once!”

“Then shut up and stay still.”

I shoved the case back into my pocket and looked out the passenger-side window.

Even Cadillac windows feel different somehow.

Through the glass, I saw Rowen walking toward me with Americanos in both hands.

He had on a mask, sunglasses, and a beanie today.

Because I made sure he wore them.

Click.

“Did you wait long, Eunyul?”

Rowen opened the front passenger door and asked.

“Not at all, sunbae. Thanks for the coffee.”

I took a sip of the Americano.

The cup still had his fingerprint smudged on it…

“You’re thinking something very blasphemous, aren’t you?”

‘No!’

I shook my head furiously.

Today was Tuesday.

We were on our way to Incheon in Rowen’s car.

I wouldn’t know the results of the second CYB prelims until Saturday, but I kept opening and closing the Neobus app out of habit.

“By the way…”

Rowen started the engine.

“Do you think you’ll pass the second round?”

“Hmm…”

I crossed my arms.

“I think I will.”

“Well, that’s unusually confident of you.”

“I mean, I’m still worried I might not… but I think I did well enough.”

“It’s natural to worry. I still get nervous before every stage. I check the mic, the speakers, the stage marks, the lighting—probably thirty times…”

…Okay, that’s kind of obsessive, sunbae.

And yet somehow, you always forget your mask or sunglasses…

“Anyone in the second round stand out to you?”

“There were two.”

“Who?”

“One is Madojin…”

I watched his face closely as I said it.

“Oh, the one who sang my song in the first round. Chaeya told me about him.”

“You and Chaeya sunbae are close?”

“Sort of.”

He shrugged.

“The other one’s Han Iro.”

His eyebrows twitched, but his face stayed neutral.

“You and Iro will probably get along.”

His voice had dropped a little.

So he knew Han Iro.

Then the person he wanted me to help… it really was Iro?

I decided to just ask.

“Han Iro’s contracted with the Constellation called ‘Love Born with Bubbles.’ The person you wanted me to help… it’s him, isn’t it?”

Rowen smiled.

“Yeah. It’s him.”

His Cadillac passed through the Incheon tollgate.

“And Iro might be able to help you, too.”

After filming Iris, Han Iro suddenly disappeared.

Saying he’d been living in the mountains of Gangwon-do felt like an excuse.

There was obviously another reason.

I remembered the blistered half of Iro’s face during the second round.

How did Rowen know him?

I was curious—but didn’t ask.

---

Around noon, we arrived at my family home.

It’s near one of the contaminated zones.

That means, near the sea.

The Abyssal Sea King Muddorok, who burst out of an S-class gate, had polluted the ocean with demonic energy.

Back then, they say the Incheon coast turned pitch-black.

Now, only traces remain—spots where the water looks like ink spilled in it.

People and fish alike avoid those areas.

Purge priests have set up barriers to stop the miasma from spreading.

Dad lost his life because he was contaminated by that miasma…

Boom!

“Uh, Mom…?”

I stared at the mountain of food on the table.

“Isn’t this a bit much?!”

She just huffed in reply.

Only thing that came to mind was that cliché about the table legs breaking.

So many dishes…

Beef and egg soup, chicken stew, braised fish, beef slices, salted clams and oysters, sashimi, pan-fried beef…

Where was I even supposed to start?

While I was still thinking, Rowen wiped his hands and smiled.

“Your cooking is amazing, ma’am.”

“My son’s sunbae was coming, so I went all out.”

“…Mom, do you realize you’re basically shooting lasers from your eyes?”

“You little—”

Smack!

She slapped my back and turned back to Rowen.

“If I’d known someone this famous was coming, I’d have tried even harder…”

Even my mom, who doesn’t care about celebrities, knew who Rowen was.

He really is that famous.

“No, really, this is more than enough.”

Rowen waved his hands and took a spoonful of soup.

“This is delicious, ma’am.”

“Really? You’re not just saying that?”

…Feels like I’m on a food variety show now.

I chewed my rice, feeling a little jealous.

“Not at all. You could open a restaurant. By the way, I brought a small gift…”

“What? You didn’t have to…”

While they chatted—

“I sense Muddorok’s presence.”

The voice echoed in my head.

“Very faint, though. The core must be clinging to a water vein.”

‘Can you pinpoint it?’

“It’s too weak. I’ll need to search directly. Free me from this wretched prison. I’ll be weakened away from you, but there’s no other way.”

Ahem.

I stood up and headed to the bathroom, opened the window, and let him out.

He wobbled a bit in the air, clearly stiff from being trapped.

“My wings are sore…”

“Skip the whining. When’ll you be back?”

“Before midnight.”

“Where are you headed?”

“To the sea. Muddorok’s a water demon—his core is probably buried there.”

“Don’t take too long.”

“Worry not.”

He rubbed his front legs against my shoulder, then flew off through the window.

…Guess I’ll be waiting until nightfall.

---

“Eunyul.”

Mom spoke as we ate.

“Why don’t you visit your dad’s grave after this?”

“Yeah. I was planning to.”

I replied between bites.

Had it been since the start of the year?

Time was flying by too fast.

Rowen had been watching me quietly.

“Mind if I come too?”

I nodded.

“Of course. Dad would be happy you came.”

Come to think of it, I hadn’t told him much about my dad.

I could tell him on the way.

---

Dad had been a soldier.

Born around the time of the first gate’s appearance, he’d wanted to be a hunter.

But the Constellations didn’t choose him.

Not because of Son Bokgyu or anything.

To be a hunter, your body had to meet certain standards.

You needed to be strong, or have a good affinity with mana.

Dad had neither.

He was born frail.

Still, he wanted to help protect the world however he could.

So he became a soldier.

Back then, soldiers were basically meat shields.

They had no divine powers—just guns and knives against monsters.

Support-type hunters could give them buffs, but it usually didn’t make much difference.

Most of the time, they got wiped out.

Somehow, my dad survived.

He lived to see the last gate close.

“When the last gate shut… I finally felt like my life hadn’t been wasted.”

That’s what he’d said, remembering the past.

Peace had returned.

…Or had it?

It wasn’t really over.

Dad’s body had been contaminated by the miasma released from the gate.

By the time I entered kindergarten, he was already paralyzed from the waist down.

His legs were stiff and blackened.

The contamination spread.

Eventually, it overtook his entire body, and he died.

Before he passed, he said:

“…Still, I wasn’t wrong.”

Who was he talking to?

Mom? Me? The Constellations who didn’t choose him?

I don’t know.

“…That must’ve been hard.”

Rowen said, looking at the gravestone.

“He must’ve gone through so much pain.”

He bowed his head deeply.

“Thank you for protecting us.”

I clenched my teeth.

I was angry.

Even if the Demon God fed on humanity’s darkness, does that really make all of this our fault?

Shouldn’t the “Savior Who Is One and All” have done more to stop him?

And is this really a peaceful world?

…People who died don’t come back.

“Kind of makes me jealous.”

Rowen said.

Not knowing a thing about what I was feeling.

“My dad was garbage.”

His dad?

I’d never heard that before.

He never talked about his personal life.

“I’ll tell you, Eunyul. Just you.”

He gave a bitter smile.

“My dad was an Anti Hunter.”

Anti Hunters were humans who received power from the demons, not the Constellations.

Traitors to humanity.

So Rowen’s father was one of them…

Come to think of it, Rowen’s private life had always been a mystery.

That’s why.

It shocked me.

“Last time I saw him was… ten years ago, maybe.”

“…He’s still alive?”

“Yeah.”

He brushed his bangs back, irritated.

“Still alive. Disgustingly so.”

---

Later that night, just before midnight, the Star Hated by All returned.

Rowen and Mom were asleep.

“Did you find Muddorok?”

I asked, pulling on a track jacket.

“Of course. He’s in bad shape. We’ll get the core easily.”

“That’s a relief. Where do we go?”

“The old coastal pier.”

That’s nearby.

“…Deep under the sea.”

Ah.

Right. He was the Abyssal Sea King, after all.

Guess I’m in for one hell of a sea adventure.