Little Pink Starfish

“…You worked hard today.”

I said, drying my damp hair.

“You too.”

Han Iro stretched as he sat on the edge of the bed.

We’d survived a whirlwind of a day, and now I was in Han Iro’s room.

There was one last thing to do before sleeping.

“Sit here, Eunyul.”

He pointed to the floor.

I did as told and sat down.

Han Iro sat across from me, holding a small, unmarked ointment.

“Han Iro.”

I spoke quietly.

“…I’m sorry. For making you go through all this.”

I meant it.

Han Iro had been hiding the burn scars on his face using “Love Born with Bubbles’” power.

But that power was for concealment, not healing.

Before sleep, the bubble effect would be undone, and ointment had to be applied again.

The scars couldn’t be fully cured.

“I don’t mind.”

He squeezed a bit of ointment onto his index finger.

“Can you ask my Constellation to deactivate the power?”

Even before I could ask, a voice rang in my mind.

[The Constellation “Love Born with Bubbles” withdraws its power.]

Pop—

An unpleasant sensation crawled over my face.

A stinging itch spread across my skin.

Even without a mirror, I knew what had happened.

The bubbles forming the illusion had popped.

Han Iro, on the other hand, was probably experiencing what it was like to look into a mirror.

“…Ah.”

He stared at me—at his own face—with a crumbling expression.

The finger holding the ointment trembled in front of my eyes.

“Han Iro.”

I reached out and gently held his hand.

“Hey, look at this.”

I smiled as brightly as I could.

“W-what? Why are you smiling?”

He asked.

“Back during the third prelims. On the rooftop. You deactivated your power and showed me your real face for the first time…”

I looked back on that memory.

“At first, I was surprised. Then, as I heard your story, I felt sympathy. But when I told you I still wanted to beat you no matter what…”

“You smiled like this.”

That smile—he had never smiled so brightly before or since.

Even if it was under the illusion then…

“…But even without the power, isn’t that smile still okay?”

Even without the bubbles, I was sure his smile was just as radiant.

“…Geez.”

Han Iro chuckled softly.

“Stop talking nonsense and close your eyes.”

“Okay. But I’m gonna keep smiling.”

I closed my eyes.

Every time Han Iro’s touch reached my face, it stung.

Occasionally, faint sobs reached my ears.

But I didn’t open my eyes.

And I didn’t stop smiling.

“…All done.”

He said.

When I opened my eyes, I saw his eyelids were tinged with red.

But I said nothing.

Even if I pretended not to notice, he always read my expressions anyway.

“Might as well sleep over.”

I suggested as casually as I could.

“…Really?”

His face lit up like a dog being offered a frisbee.

With his soft-colored hair and gentle features, he actually looked like a Rough Collie.

“Would I joke about that?”

I tossed him a pillow with a grin.

“…Y-Yeah!”

He hugged the pillow tight.

“Thanks, Eunyul. I’ve always wanted to stay up late chatting with a real friend like this…”

“Well, no staying up. We’ve got stuff tomorrow…”

With N–LIVE approaching, we had to manage our condition.

Tomorrow we’d need to focus on the final preparations.

So I turned off the light and told him to take the bed.

I laid a spare blanket down on the floor.

‘…Come to think of it, the Star’s been awfully quiet.’

Was he hiding to avoid getting scolded?

If it was him, that was totally believable.

“Eunyul.”

Han Iro spoke suddenly.

“Your Constellation… really seems to care about you.”

“…Huh?”

Funniest thing I’d heard all day.

“In what way? Compared to your Constellation’s devotion, mine’s done practically nothing.”

Even just one day in Han Iro’s body made that obvious.

“Love Born with Bubbles” cared for Han Iro deeply, overwhelmingly so.

Meanwhile, the Star…

Sure, he looked out for me in his own way, but it couldn’t compare.

“Well, I do think your Constellation is a bit meaner than my goddess…”

Iro said.

“And not very talkative, so I can’t say for sure. But still, I’m convinced.”

Actually, he talks too much…

I bit my tongue and let him keep going.

“I think… he’s genuinely concerned about your wellbeing.”

“…I see.”

I didn’t know what to say.

What kind of act had the Star put on to make Iro say that?

Still, it was a relief.

He must’ve handled it better than I expected.

“Eunyul.”

“You sure like pillow talk before bed, huh?”

“…Ah. Was I too much?”

“No. Not at all. Just surprising. You know most people think you’re all cool and cold. I did too, at first…”

Despite his mischievous personality, Han Iro often came across as a final boss–type to others.

“Haha… Yeah. Everyone seems to think that.”

He smiled sheepishly.

“They’d be shocked to learn I raise vegetables in my own garden.”

“…They’d probably find it charming.”

The other contestants maybe not—but fans? Definitely.

“You think so?”

He still sounded doubtful.

“I told you I lived with my grandma in the countryside for a long time.”

“Yeah. Is she doing okay?”

“She’s getting on in years, so her body’s not great, but she’s hanging in there. I don’t talk to the rest of my family, but I keep in touch with her. Her hearing’s gotten so bad that I have to yell into the phone every time.”

“Pfft… I can imagine you yelling at the phone.”

I laughed at the image.

“When I got my burns, my parents would look at me with pain in their eyes. I could tell what they were feeling—it made it harder to face them. But my grandma was different.”

She always told him he was beautiful.

That he was her most precious grandson.

And when she said it, Han Iro could see the sincerity in her face.

“She couldn’t even tell the difference between my real face and the illusion after I signed my new contract…”

Yet somehow, she raised beautiful vegetables and flowers in the garden.

That’s when he realized—

Even if she could barely see, she brought beauty into the world with her hands.

So maybe, if he stayed by her side long enough—if he heard her call him beautiful enough times—he could become someone truly beautiful too.

Not by covering his scars.

But by becoming someone who didn’t need to.

“…Then one day, Seol-hyung showed up.”

Rowen, under pressure from his flirtatious Constellation, had come for Han Iro.

“And eventually, he got me into CYB…”

Was it just me, or did I hear him grinding his teeth?

Honestly, those two did seem like real brothers.

I wanted to ask what happened, but Iro spoke again.

“What about you, Eunyul?”

He asked softly.

“How did you grow up?”

“…I dunno.”

I trailed off, unable to speak.

I’d never talked about my past this deeply with anyone.

“…I honestly don’t know.”

I said, finally.

That was the truth.

“I see…”

Surprisingly, Han Iro didn’t push.

He just turned away.

“…I think I’m getting sleepy.”

I yawned as if to match him.

“Goodnight, Eunyul.”

“You too.”

I closed my eyes.

But sleep didn’t come for a long, long time.

---

“…Why did you want to see me?”

Lee Hamin asked.

Aiden tilted his head.

“Why?”

He smirked.

“I’m your mentor, Hamin. Isn’t it normal for a mentor to meet with their mentee?”

Aiden’s smooth tone left Hamin unsettled.

‘He’s giving off serious creep vibes…’

Still, as a contestant, Hamin knew better than to show it.

“…Haha, of course.”

He forced a smile.

Right before bed, Aiden had summoned him.

Sometimes mentors did call contestants for advice—but the chief mentor, personally calling someone into his office this late?

‘Doesn’t he commute in? Why’s he here now…?’

Hamin swallowed nervously.

“No need to be so tense.”

Aiden said.

“I just have a few simple questions.”

“Ah, yes… Ask me anything.”

“Anything?”

“W-well, within reason…”

“There’s no such thing.”

Aiden said flatly.

He stood and approached.

“Because I’m only going to ask the questions you don’t want to answer.”

“…You’re serious?”

“Of course. Those are the questions that matter. Small talk’s for office meetings. Boring. Fake. That’s not what ourrelationship should be.”

He smiled as he stood next to Hamin’s sofa.

“Our relationship, Hamin,”

Aiden said, lowering himself onto the armrest,

“Needs to get a little more… intimate.”

“I—I don’t follow.”

“You will.”

“I’d rather never—”

Before he could finish, Aiden’s hand gripped Hamin’s chin.

“Please, Hamin.”

Their eyes met. Aiden’s voice was soft.

‘What the hell—?!’

Hamin’s eyes sharpened.

Just for a moment—he thought Aiden’s eyes gleamed like jade.

Then the thought vanished.

And a different one filled his head.

“From now on… will you do as I ask?”

“…Yes.”

Hamin replied, dazed.

Trust Aiden completely.

That was all his mind could think.