Jace ended the livestream at the right time. Haters, who were still typing out long paragraphs to showcase their loath for Zeno, didn’t even manage to send such messages because the livestream ended quickly.
Jace gave Zeno a thumbs up, signalling it was over. Meanwhile, Zeno stood and turned to Moby and Bobby, who appeared like their souls had been sucked out of their bodies.
[-1 Public Perception. Subject of hate. Lost 30,000 followers.]
“Let them talk,” Zeno said, not minding the decrease… for now.
“But—”
“It’s still publicity,” he added. “I am confident enough in my acting that I wouldn’t embarrass the adaptation. Besides, the author is making sure that the integral scenes are being incorporated.”
It seemed they still weren’t convinced. Jace stepped up and stood next to Zeno. “Trust in him,” he said. “Like you said, the moment Zeno came, the company’s luck had drastically increased. I don’t think he’s making a rash decision.”
“Sure, it’s new, but it’s not bad. In reality, it might even be great—we need more artists like him who don’t take shit from the people around him.”
They all turned to Jace, with Zeno’s eyebrows raising.
So, he wasn’t stupid after all.
Bobby and Moby turned to each other, and Bobby sighed. “I’ll talk to the SK channel then,” he said.
Zeno nodded, taking a step closer to the door. “Thanks,” he muttered. “The hate will only increase for the next few days, but let’s hope it dies down next week.”
Well, it needed to die down if Zeno wanted not to experience the Pain Trial.
With that, Zeno finally opened the door. However, he was faced with danger as soon as he did so. A large glass vase with flowers that appeared like they were reserved for a funeral was thrown toward their door from the other office.
If Zeno was even a second slower, he would have been hit straight in the head. However, he moved right on time, causing the glass vase to shatter against the wall.
“Zeno!” the others exclaimed.
Bobby instantly went to him to check for any injuries. However, Zeno wasn’t even fazed.
“Are you alright?” he asked, concerned.
Zeno nodded. “Yeah. I avoided it.”
“Goodness,” Bobby muttered. “Your safety is our topmost priority at the moment.” Then, he glared at the loan shark company in front of them, where a very angry negotiation was happening.
“I’m going,” Zeno said and left the office before another murder attempt happened.
***
Zeno arrived at his unit and was met by his parents, with Maxie between them watching on the small television. His stepdad waved at him, while his mom didn’t even bother with a glance, her eyes glued to the screen.
“Are you finally free?” she asked.
Zeno scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah, I guess. Sorry, I’ve become too busy.”
She cleared her throat as she petted Maxie, who relaxed her head onto the woman’s lap. “We saw you on the news,” she said.
“Yeah?”
“They’re calling you cocky and big-headed just because you received a main role so early in your career and didn’t apologize for retaliating against the hate comments.”
“I expected it,” Zeno said.
“That’s my son!” his stepdad exclaimed, but it didn’t diffuse the tension in the room.
Then, his mom finally faced him, an unreadable expression on her face.
She began running her mouth off. “Stupid people on the internet. They made you into a target when there are more pressing issues in this country! The ginormous rent prices. The exploitation of the poor. The declining birth rate! But, they want to focus on a young man with great acting skills instead?”
Slowly, a smile spread across Zeno’s lips.
She continued insulting his haters, crossing her arms in front of her chest. After what felt like a whole fifteen minutes, she finally breathed out, running her fingers through her already messy hair.
“Are you done?” Zeno asked, amusement heard in his tone.
She pursed her lips before standing and wrapping Zeno in an embrace. For a moment, Zeno was startled, his eyes slightly widening as he felt the warmth of a mother’s hug.
“My little boy has grown into a man,” she muttered. “But still, I can’t help but feel concerned for you, knowing you didn’t even do anything wrong.”
Zeno’s heart softened, and he turned to the side, awkwardly patting her back as a sign of reciprocation of the hug.
“You’re not mad that I didn’t tell you I got into acting?” Zeno asked.
“No,” she said without any hesitation, much to his surprise. “I’ve actually been praying for a day like this to come.”
She broke the hug and looked into Zeno’s eyes, placing her hands on his shoulders and giving them a motherly squeeze. “I’m so glad you found something you enjoy. I can see the spark in your eyes—one that I haven’t seen in a long time.”
His stepdad nodded to the side, his usual dumb look replaced with genuine merriment.
Zeno pursed his lips. There had been a lot of references to the original Zeno’s lack of spark. He wondered if his life had truly been ordinary, as mentioned by those around him. However, he snapped back to reality when his mom spoke again.
“However,” she continued, “I am still very concerned about you. This industry isn’t as sparkly as it seems. You give, and people continue taking away. If your heart is weak, you are going to crumble,” she said, speaking like it came from experience—like there was something to uncover.
“But, looking at you now, I am not so concerned,” she ended with a small smile.
“I am proud of you, my son. Don’t get your flame dimmed by what others say.”
Zeno nodded. Even though he already knew of such advice, he also knew that it was harder to apply it to one’s life.
“Well, we have to go now,” she said, making Zeno frown. Then, he saw his dad bringing out their bags from behind his bed.
“I thought you were staying until tomorrow. It’s still the weekend.”
“We wish we could, son,” his stepdad said, “but your brothers are already whining. You know how it is. Their generation is quite insufferable… but I still love them!”
Zeno couldn’t help but chuckle. He grabbed the bags from his dad. “I’ll get you a cab then. Are you going to take the bus back?”
“Yes, but don’t call for a cab. It’s too expensive,” his mom quickly said. “We’ll take the train to go to the bus station.”
Zeno remained silent as they walked down the stairs. As soon as he saw a cab, he hailed it right away.
“You can start the meter,” he said, and the driver nodded, waiting patiently as Zeno loaded the bags inside.
“Zeno,” his mom said. “I told you—”
“Just take the cab,” Zeno sighed. “Your bags are heavy.”
She pursed her lips. Meanwhile, Zeno grabbed his wallet and pulled out some money.
“Son,” his stepdad was about to argue, but Zeno merely placed them on his palm, gripping them close.
“Give it to my siblings,” Zeno said, although he had no clue what they were like yet.
His parents’ expressions softened.
“Take good care of yourself. I gave Doha and Minji the side dishes. Eat them well with your friends,” his mom said.
Zeno nodded.
“We’ll also be watching your drama when it comes out. Don’t worry—our neighbors are all happy for your achievement,” she added.
“Thanks,” he muttered. “Now, go.”
They went inside the cab, looking at Zeno with immense pride that almost squeezed the latter’s heart.
The driver finally started moving, but for some reason, he was actually in reverse, so Zeno almost got hit. His parents turned to him with wide eyes, about to get out.
“I’m fine!” Zeno exclaimed and motioned for them to go.
The driver held out a peace sign before speeding away from their neighborhood.
Zeno watched as the car disappeared from his view.
His family was actually really… nice.