“You’ve become a star, Butler!”

“Hey, take a picture with me!” 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

“Do you have an autograph? If not, at least write down your name.”

A whirlwind of chaos. Tossed this way and that, Hojin was rescued by Deokseon’s hand. Then, panting from the escape up to the academy rooftop, Hojin heard a shocking truth: his face had been sold across the country—no, the entire world.

“D-delete it even now—”

“Forget it. Your face is already all over Google.”

If you searched “Butler,” your certified photo came up first. The reality was too much for an introvert to bear, and Hojin’s legs gave out beneath him. Deokseon laughed, clutching his head as Hojin trembled.

“Why don’t you debut while you’re at it~”

“No.”

“Why not? With a face like yours, you’d do fine. Who knows—you might even film a commercial with One-Second Cat.”

Anything Roy did turned out great, but becoming an entertainer... that was a bit much. If he was going to be in the public eye anyway, wouldn’t an Awakener be better than a celebrity? Just then, the ring that Hojin wore—though his weight hadn’t changed—suddenly grew scorching hot.

“...!”

Startled, Hojin yanked at the ring, and a brain-splitting pain shot through his head.

My child.

At the same time, a strange voice echoed in his mind. It wasn’t Deokseon’s. Low yet sharp, soft yet cutting—it wasn’t any voice he knew.

My child. Come here to me.

Clutching his temples, Hojin struggled to turn around. But there was only Deokseon and himself on that rooftop.

“What’s wrong? Cramp?”

Deokseon peered down at the staggering Hojin with a snicker.

“Sigh. How can a guy’s legs # Nоvеlight # be so weak? Headache again?”

Shaking his head “no,” Hojin wanted to ask if Deokseon heard that voice, but somehow couldn’t force the words out.

“Huh? Why are you sweating like that...?”

Only then did Deokseon realize something was very wrong, and he studied Hojin’s ashen face.

“Hey. You look pale as death. Are you feeling sick again?”

Cold sweat beaded on Hojin’s skin, his lips gone ghost-white, his gaze slowly unfocusing.

“Hey, Kim Hojin. Don’t pass out on me!”

Slapping Hojin’s cheek to keep him conscious, Deokseon tried in vain to hold onto him. Hojin’s vision darkened and finally went black.

✧

When he opened his eyes again, he was lying on a bed. The bright clarity his eyes had when Roy doted on him was gone, replaced by a dull haze.

I have to go to church.

Collapsing in the middle of talking with Deokseon, the first thought that came to Hojin’s mind was the Salvation Church. Checking his calendar, he realized it’d been almost three weeks since he’d last gone to church. All because of Roy. Roy had pestered him to go hang out at Taeeon hyung’s house.

“Hah...”

Hojin let out a deep sigh and pressed a hand to his forehead. It felt hot—maybe he had a slight fever.

I need to make it to church this week...

Before he knew it, it was already Friday. Determined to go no matter what, Hojin’s resolve was interrupted by his phone’s blaring alarm.

[Don’t miss StarHero Episode 3 tonight!]

So today was the broadcast day for .

Should I just skip it today?

Hating the thought of Roy—or rather, the rift that had grown between him and “New Sky” because of Roy—Hojin didn’t want to watch even for a day. But the moment he decided not to watch, his chest felt tight with longing. Reluctantly, he made his way to the living room, where his parents greeted him.

“How are you feeling, Hojin? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. But how did I get here?”

“The director brought you home. You should’ve seen how scared your mother was.”

“I’m sorry. It must’ve been the heat.”

“When you go back to the academy tomorrow, remember to thank the director, okay?”

“Yes.”

Hojin offered an awkward smile and sank into the sofa.

“You want to watch TV? Just rest today.”

“I’m okay. My friends will be disappointed if I don’t watch.”

Flipping the channel, he saw the logo over an advertisement.

“You said your new friend is an Awakener?”

“Yes. Roy. He follows me everywhere.”

“Really? Then bring him home sometime. I’ll cook something nice.”

At the mention of Roy, Hojin’s lips curved into a genuine smile, as if no awkwardness had ever existed. Soon, Episode 3 began.

It opened with the judges announcing their ratings. Roy’s grade was F.

“What?!”

Did they all have something wrong with their eyes? The S-rank Awakener they’d been searching for stood right in front of them—how could they not recognize him? Seething, Hojin leapt to his feet, and his parents stared at him in disbelief, as if questioning whether their shy, reserved son was really the same boy.

“But why? All you had to do was catch a Blood Fiend, right? Isn’t it even more impressive that he did it bare-handed without using any skills?”

Hojin puffed out his chest, looking to his parents.

“Isn’t that right?”

“That’s right.”

“Your friend deserves at least an A—no, an S.”

Worse than my dad, who’s just an ordinary person! The famed Three Great Guilds really had lost their edge. With leaders like these, no wonder they were lagging behind. So immersed in the broadcast, Hojin didn’t even notice the curious glances his parents were exchanging.

Meanwhile, the contestants were being assigned rooms. Roy paused outside a door before opening it, only to be greeted by Kwakhyeol coughing up blood.

[Kwakhyeol: Oh? You got this room—cough cough—ugh, wheeze!]

[I Roi: Are you okay?!]

As Roy supported Kwakhyeol in surprise, a near-miss misunderstanding with F1 and F2 left him sweating nervously. The camera briefly cut to Yeonwoo’s room, where he was competing with Roy for the top trending spot.

[Park Yeonwoo: Sigh... I can’t do without my puppy.]

Organizing his things as he muttered to himself, Yeonwoo earned a chuckle of admiration from Taeeon. But Hojin couldn’t smile. Puppy...? At Yeonwoo’s “puppy” remark, Hojin shot up again from his seat.

“How is Roy a puppy? Anyone can see he’s a cat!”

Turning to his parents, Hojin was met with enthusiastic nods.

“That’s right. That friend’s definitely a cat.”

“Really? When he’s still, he looks like a puppy—”

“Honey.”

“...Now that I see him again, he really is a cat. My eyesight must be going.”

Grumbling, Hojin grabbed his vibrating phone. Sure enough, Roy’s fandom had erupted in outrage over Yeonwoo’s comment. The “One-Second Cat” keyword alerts had already topped one hundred. Buoyed by that, Hojin turned back to the screen.

With room assignments complete, the announcer called all the contestants to the auditorium during a short break. Clad in matching training tracksuits, the F4 huddled together.

[F1: Wow~ The Three Guild Masters...!]

[F2: It’s like watching celebrities.]

[Kwakhyeol: This can’t be real, right?]

[I Roi: You were just coughing up blood a moment ago.]

[Kwakhyeol: True... ha ha, wheeze!]

The arrival of the Three Guild Masters always captured the contestants’ full attention. StarHero’s first program was a group training tailored to each Guild Master’s style. Taeeon, who’d received an A, and Yeonwoo, who’d gotten a B, ended up sharing a room—and a training session.

As high-ranked contestants, they faced an intense regimen from the start: five minutes at the treadmill’s top speed of 25 km/h, followed by strength exercises and even reaction-speed tests. It was so grueling that even former national athletes were left speechless.

[Park Yeonwoo: Ugh. Waaagh!]

[Kim Taeeon: Aaah!]

Yeonwoo knelt on the floor, retching, while Taeeon screamed as he flew off the back. The unattended treadmill kept roaring at 25 km/h. The camera zoomed in on the lonely belt, and a caption appeared.

[The warmth of the departed still lingers.]

Was this training or torture? Irritated by Yeonwoo’s puppy remark, Hojin found himself looking at his friend on screen with pity.

How can A-rank Awakeners do that so easily...?

Awakeners really were monsters, no wonder they were called that. Meanwhile, Roy’s team looked like they were on a picnic. Unlike the chaotic Guild of Earth’s training ground, Guild Master Earth’s team seemed very calm. The lush greenery of Wilderness Mountain behind the contestants gave the illusion of cool relief—but in reality, the heat was oppressive, and the contestants’ faces were stiff with discomfort. Roy himself looked like he might melt at any moment.

[I Roi: It’s so hot...]

My cat’s frail and especially sensitive to heat—taking him on an outdoor hike like this is cruel. Hojin clenched his trembling fist, resisting the urge to call the network and complain.

Doesn’t that guy know healers care about how temperature-sensitive cats are?

I thought it was bad enough they gave Roy an F, but this... Roy’s too nice for his own good. Before he knew it, the broadcast had moved on to the Pluton team, with C-rank contestants. Neither Roy, Yeonwoo, nor Taeeon appeared on screen, and Hojin felt not one percent of interest. Seizing the moment, he picked up his phone to check the community reactions.