<Shall we go, Mr. Eunyul?>
As The Star Hated by All gave Ryu Eunyul a light push on the back, Aiden smiled.
He looked like the embodiment of a bad joke, Aiden thought. With those gleaming golden locks and steadfast golden eyes, a man with such features working as a road manager didn’t feel out of place in this world—but that very fact made the situation feel all the more ridiculous.
‘…I didn’t expect Ryu Eunyul’s constellation to be acting in this way.’
Turning his back, Aiden reflected.
No doubt he was manipulating his appearance and presence through suggestion, blending naturally into the human world. Other members, and other humans, likely sensed something strange but brushed it off as nothing serious.
Ever since constellations began openly offering their blessings, the world had grown mottled with small miracles.
Not the grandiose miracles of history—but petty, everyday ones. And eventually, gods and mortals alike began to call this the era of peace.
‘How amusing.’
Aiden smiled.
A time like this, so utterly farcical, could hardly be called anything else.
‘Ryu Eunyul’s constellation…’
He was said to have never revealed his sacred name.
‘…But I realized it long ago.’
The Star Hated by All.
The King of Hell, the original sinner.
It had always been a point of intrigue for Aiden—that was part of the reason he’d kept an eye on Ryu Eunyul in the first place.
<…I didn’t expect him to manifest like that.>
Suddenly, The Mother Who Burns Forever appeared beside Aiden.
He shrugged, looking at her.
“Right? During the Korean preliminaries of CYB, he manifested as a fly. Now he’s a road manager. Maybe Satan has more in common with a jester than a tyrant.”
<We’re all clowns dancing in The Savior Who Is One and All’s world. If you think of it that way, then perhaps you’re right—The Star Hated by All might be the most flamboyant performer of all.>
But… she added,
<As I’ve told you before, you must never underestimate The Star Hated by All. He is both a constellation and not a constellation. He received all of The Savior Who Is One and All’s grace—and then cast it away of his own accord. We cannot predict how he will act.>
Indeed.
She had warned that The Star Hated by All might become a serious obstacle to Aiden’s plans.
And Aiden—before he was a constellation—had no desire to become enemies with a figure so infamous even in the realm of myth.
That was why he’d tried to eliminate Ryu Eunyul during CYB.<He may already suspect our intent.>
In the end, all it did was draw more attention to him.
“Maybe my little prank went too far?”
At that, The Mother Who Burns Forever came to a stop.
<…Human life is not something to be made light of. You should know that better than I do. I was never human, after all.>
“I know, to an extent.”
Aiden scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.
“But at some point… those human senses started to fade. I don’t really feel things the way I used to.”
Human life… It had started to feel uncertain.
That was how Aiden saw it.
People left their fates in the hands of fortune-tellers, bruised easily from the lightest blow—physically and emotionally. Yet despite those frail bodies, humanity had scattered countless events through history.
Why? Most people wake peacefully in the morning, live a modest life, and close their eyes when night comes. Yet the news is filled with one event after another—death, conflict, meaningless gossip. That’s how humans made sense of the world.
“…I don’t like humans.”
Aiden said, looking down at The Mother Who Burns Forever.
“It’s not that there’s no reason to like them. But there are just as many reasons to dislike them. If I had to pick a side, I’d rather go with dislike.”
<You…>
She looked up at him.
<…You’re still human. So please, at least try to hide your hatred.>
“I’ll try.”
Aiden answered lightly.
But the being within that body no longer moved by human sensations.
Still, that wasn’t important right now.
“Shall we hold hands?”
He held his hand out toward her.
<…What?>
Her crimson eyes trembled slightly.
“You’re only visible to me right now, aren’t you? So there’s no harm in holding hands.”
<I…>
“We’re on a date, after all.”
<I-I don’t understand such customs….>
She turned her gaze away, mumbling.
“Then I’ll teach you. This is our first outing together in a long time. Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited for this?”
Aiden gently grasped her withered, twisted hand.
<Aren’t you disgusted? My hand must be covered in pus….>
“It doesn’t matter. Who decided pus is disgusting anyway?”
Aiden tilted his head.
“They say it’s 90% water. Humans are so strange. They always label everything that comes from inside themselves as filthy.”
The goddess reflected in Aiden’s eyes was said to have died from burns sustained giving birth to a god of fire. Even the bile and excretions she expelled during that pain were said to have become deities—an origin both powerful and shameful. Her husband, Izanagi, who had come to retrieve her from the underworld, reportedly fled in terror at the sight of her decayed form.
Certainly, by typical standards of beauty, The Mother Who Burns Forever looked closer to a vengeful spirit than a goddess.
But it didn’t matter.
Human aesthetic ideals no longer held meaning for Aiden.
“Remember what I said before?”
He began to walk again.
“There may be traits that are broadly seen as attractive, but that’s just groupthink. Do big eyes make someone beautiful? Does being fat make someone ugly? Humans are all equally grotesque in their own ways.”
So, he murmured—
Aiden turned his snapback backward and pulled on a mask.
“Then again, depending on how you look at it, anyone can be seen as beautiful. If someone truly felt that way, I think they’d be a great saint. Like Jesus or the Buddha. Maybe they loved humanity with such a heart? Sadly, I can’t go that far… but I can recognize your beauty. So believe me. You’re a beautiful goddess.”
<…You’re not foolish.>
She spoke softly.
<It’s just… all of this feels like a dream to me….>
“Do gods dream?”
<I don’t….>
She lowered her head in embarrassment.
Aiden smiled.
Then turned toward the entrance to the live hall.
He stepped forward—
Hand in hand with his lovely goddess.
‘I can see it clearly.’
It was unmistakable.
He took it all in with his eyes.
The glow of light filling the audience—
Rising like bubbles toward the heavens.
‘This is the faith of mortals reaching the constellations…’
Sitting in a corner of the hall, Aiden thought,
‘Truly pitiful.’
Gods need belief.
Just like entertainers crave affection.
So hungry for adoration, they created mortals to worship them.
Without faith, a god cannot exist. If a transcendent being existed alone in the universe, their presence would be no more than a speck of life.
Entertainers are the same. No matter how much beauty or effort they display, if no one is there to cheer, they’re just a performer wandering an empty venue.
‘If either way, weakness is inevitable…’
Gripping The Mother Who Burns Forever’s hand tightly—
‘…then I’ll be the weak one standing at the top.’
That’s what Aiden thought.
“…It’s over.”
Madojin muttered, slumped on the waiting room sofa.
“Good work, Dojin hyung…”
Han Iro echoed, sounding completely dazed.
Watching the two of them, I smiled. Iro being drained was no surprise, but even Madojin looked tired—that wasunexpected.
“We’ve cleared another hurdle. Congrats, everyone.”
Min Heejae tried to maintain the composure of the oldest, but the dark circles under his eyes—now visible without makeup—screamed in protest.
“Can we eat something nice when we get home? The showcase’s done. I’m seriously about to pass out—I haven’t been eating properly lately.”
Jeong Noeul clutched his stomach, complaining with his whole body about the diet regimen.
“Come to think of it, Christmas is almost here.”
I shrugged.
“I don’t know if we’ll have time… but if we do, maybe we should throw a party?”
At my suggestion, Han Iro’s head snapped up.
“Eunyul! Let’s get a real tree!”
“…Are you insane?”
I frowned.
“Why? What’s wrong with that! There are tons of trees near our dorm. What if we just decorate one of those as our Christmas tree? We’ll name it Saint Santa. Doesn’t that sound cool?”
“…Oh. That is kind of cool.”
To my surprise, Jeong Noeul was impressed.
“Hmm… I doubt we’ll be free on the day. I think we have a schedule then….”
Heejae sighed, exhausted.
“…But we could still do a party before the year ends. Especially since Akki and Iro will be turning twenty. Wouldn’t it be a waste to greet the new year without doing anything?”
“You’re right, Heejae hyung. So what do you say—should we go with a real tree?”
“Shouldn’t we check with the others first?”
“…I-I think it’s fine. I prefer nature to something artificial.”
Madojin, still unaccustomed to informal speech, stammered his vote in favor.
“You’re all in this together, huh.”
I laughed with a sigh.
The showcase was over. The year was drawing to a close.
Less than a month remained before we turned adults.
Though… strangely, I didn’t feel any particular emotion about it.
Or maybe I did.
I used to think I’d die before becoming an adult—but now, here I was.
Maybe that made it feel a little more meaningful.
“…Shall we do a party?”
I asked them all.
“Yes, yes—let’s do it!”
Everyone answered in unison.
Little Pink Starfish 
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