Little Pink Starfish

It had been a long time ago.

“There really are a lot of bugs in the countryside.”

Rowen munched on a slice of watermelon as he spoke, sitting on the wooden porch.

Summer night air had drawn in swarms of tiny flying insects, flitting about everywhere.

“It’s not that the countryside has more bugs. It’s just that there should be this many bugs in the world. City people just kill them all off, so it seems like there are none….”

Young Han Iro, sitting beside Rowen, replied.

“…That’s probably true.”

Rowen stretched his arms wide, then lay back on the porch while still chewing on watermelon seeds.

“So how long are you planning to stay here?”

At that question, Han Iro tilted his head.

“Didn’t I say before? I’m going to live here with my grandma until I die.”

“Isn’t that a bit unfair? You’re still young. There’s so much fun in the world. If you stay here, you’ll grow up knowing nothing.”

“Even so….”

Han Iro looked off into the distance.

He gazed at the insects dotting the air, the flower buds soaked in nighttime dew, and the vegetable garden glistening in the heat.

“…This place is beautiful enough.”

“Of course it is. I haven’t rested in a place as lovely as this in ages. But…”

Rowen suddenly sat up and quietly stared at Han Iro’s face.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

“You’re way too beautiful to be left in a mountain valley.”

With a smile, Rowen continued.

“Have you thought about being an idol instead of an actor?”

“…An idol?”

“Yeah. Actors have to look ugly sometimes. You became famous because you didn’t care about looking ugly when acting. But idols are different. They can always be beautiful. Always, without exception, they stand before others in their best form.”

“Always beautiful, huh….”

Han Iro chuckled softly.

“That’s not natural at all.”

And in truth, his face was hardly “natural” either.

Han Iro suddenly had that thought.

He reached up and touched the side of his face, where burn scars had marred his skin.

But Rowen wouldn’t be able to see those scars.

They were entirely hidden by the authority of Love Born with Bubbles.

“Iro.”

Rowen whispered.

“I think everyone in the world is beautiful.”

“Then Seol hyung is….”

To Han Iro, Rowen’s words just sounded like a joke.

Pshhh—

Han Iro deactivated the authority of Love Born with Bubbles.

The skin on one side of his face drooped and scattered into foam.

“…You think this is beautiful too, Seol hyung?”

Without hesitation, Rowen replied.

“Yeah. It’s a beautiful scar.”

“Scars aren’t beautiful.”

“That’s not true. I can see beauty in your scar. People sometimes find beauty in a single grain of sand. Some even write beautiful poems about filth.”

“But if I go out in public like this…”

Han Iro looked away from Rowen.

“…Everyone will avoid me.”

“You’re right. They probably will. But so what?”

Rowen shrugged.

“You have a gift. A talent to make even the thing you most want to hide… into something beautiful. And I don’t mean some kind of Constellation power.”

Look at me, Iro.

Rowen whispered as their eyes met.

“I came to see your uncovered face as beautiful. Not because I’m a good person. You made me feel that way. That’s your gift.”

Han Iro sat silently for a moment.

“When I go to crowded places…”

He murmured.

“…my body trembles, my stomach churns, and I want to run away.”

“I used to be like that too.”

Rowen chuckled and ruffled Iro’s hair.

“So I came up with a spell. When I was a rookie, I’d chant it every time I got on stage.”

“…A spell?”

“Curious?”

Han Iro looked at Rowen’s face for a moment, then shook his head.

Undeterred, Rowen whispered in his ear.

“In your mind, command the audience.”

Everyone.

Dance for me.

---

B1 floor, Special Performance Hall.

This must be the place…

I stood at the door.

<Indeed. The presence of the bubble creature can be felt within.>

Star’s voice echoed from the metal case slung over my shoulder.

“Surprised?”

Han Iro’s voice came from behind the door.

“That I suddenly showed up like this…”

“No.”

A girl’s voice responded.

“I figured you’d appear eventually. You couldn’t live with Grandma forever. More than that… I hoped you wouldn’t.”

Feeling a bit guilty, I peered through the small window on the door.

First, I saw Han Iro’s back.

He had changed into a performance outfit—formalwear styled from a tuxedo.

Opposite him sat a young girl.

…She’s a perfect copy.

It wasn’t hard to guess her identity.

She looked like a cut-and-paste version of Han Iro.

Han Iro’s younger sister…

He’d been burned while saving her from a fire as a child.

Since then, he’d secluded himself in the mountains, avoiding his family.

But now he was sitting with his sister.

Is this… because of me?

Back when I switched bodies with Han Iro, I made a mistake.

I had picked up a phone call from his mother using his phone.

“It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other, so this might sound harsh but…”

His younger sister finally spoke.

“Can I nag you a bit? Actually, a lot?”

She seemed to have inherited her brother’s feisty attitude.

“You don’t even know how worried Mom and Dad were, do you? I mean, I’m kind of a side character in the family, but even I was worried. You know I love Grandma. But I couldn’t even see her because of you. Is it normal to bow over video call and get New Year’s money through bank transfer?”

“Ah, well… Jung-ah, I…”

Even Han Iro, usually so cool, was scratching his neck awkwardly.

“Sigh…”

His sister exhaled sharply.

“Hey, Han Iro. Didn’t you think this would make me feel super guilty?”

“I know… But…”

“You weren’t thinking, ‘If I show her my burn scars, she’ll feel even guiltier,’ right?”

She was sharp—not just in looks and personality, but in perception too.

“…Yeah.”

Han Iro answered honestly.

“That’s why I kept avoiding contact. I know it’s partly an excuse. I wasn’t planning on never seeing you again. I just…”

I wanted to appear to everyone… at my most beautiful.

That’s what Han Iro said.

“Oh, come on.”

His sister gave a disbelieving laugh.

“Were you planning to show up with gold leaf on your face or something? You’re covering your burn scars with Constellation powers right now, aren’t you? Guess you can paint your skin but not gild it?”

She ran a hand through her hair, mumbling about how ridiculous he was.

“You’re still plenty beautiful. And me? I don’t feel the slightest bit sorry.”

She continued.

“…I’ve only ever felt grateful.”

“Ah…”

While Han Iro fumbled for words—

“I’ll get going now. You’re busy, right?”

She stood.

“Mom and Dad are waiting for your performance. So make sure you do well.”

With that, she approached the dressing room door.

“Uh… Wait…”

I held my breath.

I looked around—there was nowhere to hide.

Creak.

And so, I ended up face-to-face with Han Iro’s younger sister.

She raised an eyebrow.

Like she was thinking, Why is this punk here?

“…The Mermaid?”

She mumbled.

“The Mermaid” was what fans called me…

Could she be a fan?

“Ah, hello…”

I said awkwardly.

She looked confused, glancing between me and Han Iro.

Then, as if she made up her mind, she walked past me.

I sighed in relief.

“Don’t relax too soon.”

Han Iro’s voice came from behind me with a bitter laugh.

“I’m dying to know why our Mermaid is here right now~?”

Clearly pissed that his sister called me “Mermaid.”

“Ah, well, I was just… passing by…”

“Your dressing room’s on the first floor. What are you doing in the basement?”

“Actually, I’m… bad with directions…”

“Seriously?”

Han Iro turned around with an incredulous look.

Wow, he really is just like his sister…

I let out a hollow laugh.

“If you add ‘bad with directions’ to your traits, you’re seriously going to become a walking trope, you know.”

As he approached, Han Iro asked—

“…You eavesdropped, didn’t you?”

“I… sincerely apologize.”

I bowed my head, speaking politely.

“It’s fine.”

He smirked.

“But still, it’s embarrassing. I feel like I’ve shown you too many sides of me I’d rather not.”

“…Well, I think the feeling’s mutual.”

I mean, I had showered in his body, after all.

“So… why are you here?”

Han Iro sat down and asked.

“Be honest. What did you come for?”

“…I was looking for you.”

Well, technically Star had pinpointed his location for me, but…

<You’re getting better at lying.>

Star mocked me.

<As my contractor, your growth is commendable.>

Shut up…

I scolded him mentally.

“You were looking for me… Got it.”

Han Iro chuckled.

“So can I ask why you were looking? Or should I ask something else first?”

His eyes narrowed.

“You can see my burn scars, can’t you?”

If his stat sheet had a “perceptiveness” category, it’d definitely be EX-rank…

I nodded.

Thanks to the Burning Devil’s Eye, I could see the scars on his face.

But that wasn’t what mattered.

“Han Iro, you…”

I looked down at his right hand.

In it was a mask—vintage-style, designed to cover half a face.

“…You’re planning to reveal your burn scars during your performance, aren’t you?”

His eyes widened.

“You figured that out because of the mask?”

“No…”

I shook my head.

“I just… had a feeling. Being around you so much, maybe I picked up your mind-reading skills.”

“You expect me to believe that? You’ve got the emotional sensitivity of a CYB world champion.”

“I’m not that bad, you jerk!”

I cleared my throat.

“Han Iro, I brought something I wanted to give you.”

Saying that, I stepped closer.

And brought my face near his.

“…W-What is it?”

He flinched at the proximity.

“Hold still for a second!”

As he tried to pull back, I grabbed his face to keep it still.

“『Summon Kaleidoscope of the Heart』.”

I whispered.