translation by mourningmoor
I turned my gaze toward the voice and saw Yoo Noah standing with his back to the window. His black eyes, tinged with a red glow, sparkled mischievously.
“You passed out after just one can of beer. How embarrassing.”
This guy.
Is this what he meant by “repaying a debt”?
Because I saved him?
“You, this bastard. Why are you hanging around me?”
“Didn’t I show you?”
Yoo Noah flashed an evil smile.
“Seeing is believing. If you want, I can show you again.”
He extended his index finger as if to touch my forehead.
A red glow flickered black at his fingertip.
“No thanks.”
I slapped his hand away with the back of mine and sat up on the bed.
“You don’t need to repay any debt, so get lost.”
“No, no.”
Yoo Noah furrowed his brow and shook his head vigorously.
“The debt’s already been repaid.”
Then, he chuckled as if it were amusing.
“Don’t drink anymore. You spilled all your thoughts after just one can of beer. I had a hard time erasing people’s memories, you know.”
My head suddenly throbbed with pain. So, after drinking that innocent can of beer earlier, I caused a scene?
In front of everyone?
“I’ve done my part. You’re supposed to be the Grand Mage, how could I let people remember you acting like a drunk fool? I even told Writer Jeong Haeseong, ‘You Cocoa Witch, don’t live like that.’”
He said I also told Kim Hyunsoo that his personality was rotten.
That if he kept treating people based on their “level,” he’d eventually suffer because of it.
Listening to the Demon King recount my misdeeds made my already aching head hurt even more.
“But don’t worry. I wiped it all clean.”
Through the dream, I roughly figured it out.
Why this bastard has been hanging around me.
And I also learned one more thing.
That Yoo Noah is alive.
Kang Ichan died from a lightning strike, but Yoo Noah is definitely alive. Of course, his mind is probably controlled by the Demon King.
With that hypothesis, the reason why the Demon King is living perfectly in sync with Yoo Noah’s appearance also made sense.
He only controls the mind, while Yoo Noah’s memories and physical abilities remain his own.
I pondered for a moment.
Should I save Yoo Noah from the Demon King?
But I quickly dismissed the thought.
I feel bad for Yoo Noah, but I don’t have the ability to do that yet.
It’s better to walk away now.
“You’ve repaid your debt, so can you get lost now?”
Wouldn’t that be better for the rest of our lives?
But then, out of nowhere, the Demon King blurted something unexpected.
“I can’t do that. My survival is at stake now.”
What nonsense is he spouting now?
“If you die, I’ll disappear too.”
Oh? That’s good news.
I was wondering how to destroy the resurrected Demon King, but it turns out I just need to destroy myself. Then Yoo Noah would be free from the Demon King too.
“Ha, suddenly I feel like dying right now.”
At that, Yoo Noah’s expression grew more serious as he spoke.
“Listen carefully. People drawn to your light will swarm like bugs. I can’t guarantee they’ll all be good people. Just look at a few examples and you’ll know.”
He wasn’t wrong.
HS’s CEO Jang Myungwoo, Director Kim Chanyeong, and even Jung Yoobin.
They all got tangled up with me and ended up in bad situations.
“If I hadn’t intervened last time, things would’ve gone badly for you.”
Last time? Is he talking about the Jung Yoobin incident? The lighting collapse?
An anonymous tip revealed the details of the lighting collapse and the damage I suffered from HS. Was that anonymous tipster Yoo Noah?
“You’re the one who exposed that?”
“Does it matter who it was? What’s important is that your magical power increased.”
What kind of nonsense is that? What does that have to do with my magical power?
“Listen, hoobaenim. Here, the amount of mana you can draw is an indicator of your magical power. After sweeping the Rookie Awards and L.I.T’s popularity rising, your magical power barely reached 2.5.”
I was at a loss for words.
He said my magical power wasn’t even at the 3rd Circle, barely 2.5. That means the level of magic I can wield now is similar to when I was nine years old.
Thinking back, he wasn’t wrong, which left me even more speechless.
“One thing’s certain. For me to live, you must live, and for you to live, you need enough magical power.”
He’s been saying this for days.
As if I’ll die if I don’t restore my magical power to its original state.
“To have enough magical power, you need mana. So, go back to L.I.T. Gather mana and restore your Circles to their original state. So you can defeat anyone who comes.”
“What if I don’t?”
Watching him, this guy always leaves his sentences hanging.
He speaks vaguely, only amplifying my curiosity.
“If you don’t, will I die? Will you die too?”
The conclusion seems to be that his life is tied to mine, so I should be careful, but why is his explanation so convoluted?
If I die, I die. We were supposed to die anyway.
“Good. You and I, who are bound to disrupt the order in this world, will disappear together.”
“It’s not just the two of us.”
At Yoo Noah’s unexpected answer, a chill ran down my spine.
No, maybe it was the answer I expected.
“The precious L.I.T members you shared your magic with will also die.”
It was the answer I least wanted to hear.
“Those kids are shining because of you, right? You’ve been feeding them magic, so they’re bound to become targets. Jung Yoobin was after the two kids in the end.”
It felt like blood was draining from my head.
The faces of Roa and Jaewon flickered in my mind, making me dizzy.
As I paled and clenched my teeth, Yoo Noah smiled coldly.
“So, stop wasting your magic on trivial things and grow stronger, hoobaenim.”
* * *
The filming went smoothly.
By the fourth day, word had spread so much that long lines formed in front of <Hotel Ohana>.
Most of the actors appearing were so-called “Hallyu stars.” But they were nothing compared to Yoo Noah’s popularity.
It showed just how global ARCHE’s popularity was.
And I reaped the benefits of that fully.
Fans of Yoo Noah who visited <Hotel Ohana> were delighted to see me.
“You're a member of LIT, right?”
Then Yoo Noah would chime in.
“Right. He's the leader of LIT.”
“OMG.”
“His name is ICHAN.”
“I know. He's your friend. I saw the newtube.”
And then they’d chatter away in English for a while. Everything they said was promoting L.I.T.
After that evening, Yoo Noah stopped telling me to be careful or to grow my magical power.
As if he’d already done what he needed to do, he focused solely on his program character.
For example, he actively played the role of a generous sunbae, indirectly messing with me.
A magnanimous sunbae who protects, promotes, and supports a rookie who just entered the idol scene.
When Yoo Noah acts like that, I have no choice but to play along.
I became the kitten-like hoobae who follows such a sunbae well. Occasionally, I even actively used the “Arctic Cat” image.
Time flew by, and finally, the last day arrived.
<Hotel Ohana> had already closed its doors two days prior, and we filmed a short scene of the cast traveling around Hawaii.
We learned surfing at Waikiki Beach and visited a folk village to dance traditional Hawaiian dances. We went to a seafood buffet and even stopped by a shopping center.
There, Actor Cha Juhyuk bought me a set of clothes.
He said it was a thank-you for the tacky Hawaiian shirt.
In this family-like atmosphere, all the filming wrapped up.
The next day, all the cast members left for Honolulu Airport.
There, I parted ways with Yoo Noah.
He was in the middle of overseas activities and had to go to L.A.
“Take care of yourself.”
I no longer questioned the sincerity behind Yoo Noah’s words.
“Make sure you’re at least at 3.5 by the time I return.”
Those were the words Yoo Noah threw at me instead of a farewell as I entered the departure gate.
“Don’t mess around, sunbaenim. If I feel like it, I might just die.”
Having grasped the Demon King’s greatest weakness, I smirked and headed toward the departure gate. Yoo Noah quietly bid me farewell.
“See you later, Jesquière.”
* * *
Damn, Korea was cold.
The ten days and two nights in Hawaii felt like a dream.
Hawaii, I should’ve just stayed there and never come back. I got played by the Demon King for a long time.
With those thoughts, I walked into the arrival hall.
After completing the immigration process and retrieving my luggage, I followed the others out of the gate.
Then, my gaze suddenly landed on a television screen mounted on the wall.
Familiar words caught my eye.
<L.I.T Member Injured>