“The media is going insane!” Moby exclaimed, turning to Bobby. “Zeno was right. The hate he received was diabolical, but they still tuned in.”
Jace smirked, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “Didn’t I tell you to listen to him? It seems he knows a lot more than he lets on.”
Bobby watched as the views increased in real time, with articles being released left and right. Edits from talented Sigmoid users had also emerged, adding to the hype surrounding the trailer release.
– I’m not going to lie. The teaser is fire.
– Is this what low expectations do to a person? I’ve been disappointed left and right with adaptations, and this one is already miles ahead.
– People really take the bare minimum. The show hasn’t even aired yet, but we’re already hyping it up?
– How does Zeno Han even have a million followers? He’s not in any good works.
– He’s in three now, actually! Broken Chains of Justice, Stars in My Ordinary Sky, and Code Black—all very successful projects.
– He was an extra in those. I don’t know why you’re going to the ends of the earth to defend him.
– The show is going to air next week, and everything is still a chaotic mess. I just know ‘The Forsaken Prince’ is going to hit it big.
– For real. Everybody is talking about this drama. It might even surpass ‘Broken Chains of Justice’ when it comes to ratings.
– And it’s all thanks to Daniel Byeon!
– Sure, girl. Where is he in the teaser?
Oska Baek Sr. was monitoring the response, and a small smirk appeared on his lips. It seemed he hadn’t made a mistake in agreeing with Daeshim PD.
Zeno’s non-apology, along with his controversial role in Code Black, also contributed to the hype.
“The stocks are skyrocketing, sir,” his assistant said. “There are more sponsors coming through, too.”
His smirk widened, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He could already envision the awards under their name.
– Zeno Han is going to be the next big thing. Mark my words.
– I’ll be proud to say I’ve been here since the beginning!
– I really hope the fame doesn’t get to him. He seems like a down-to-earth guy, and I would hate to see him become the artist I despise.
“Zeno, eat at the table,” Minji insisted, nudging his shoulder. “It’s pitiful to see you on the floor.”
Zeno shook his head. “I’m almost done,” he said, getting up to wash his dishes. He then looked around Doha’s unit.
“I’m going to do my laundry downstairs. To maximize the loads and save money, who wants to join?” Zeno asked.
“Ooh, me!” Doha said, grabbing his laundry basket.
“Wait a moment,” Eli said, pausing from his meal to go to his unit. Zeno carried their dirty laundry and went to his unit to get his own.
Minji, on the other hand, pursed her lips, sitting at the table with a tired expression.
“You went overtime again?” Eli asked, glancing at her.
Minji sighed and nodded. “I thought this promotion would be a blessing, but no. It’s more money for more stress. I should have listened to the seasoned employees.”
“The reward for hard work is more work,” she said, slumping onto the table.
“Go and take your laundry to Zeno, then,” Doha chimed in. “That would save you some stress.”
Minji sat up straight once more and glared at her two male friends. “Stop ordering Zeno around! Do you think it makes sense that our famous, rising actor friend is doing your laundry?”
Doha and Eli glanced at each other before shrugging.
“I admire Zeno, but my view of him hasn’t changed,” Doha muttered. “To me, he’s still one of my best friends. I’m happy that this didn’t change.”
Eli nodded in agreement. “Besides, it’s not like we’re forcing him. He’s just used to it.”
A small smile appeared on Minji’s lips. She then chuckled. “Isn’t it funny, though? He’s talking about saving money when he doesn’t need to, does he?”
“With the money he has, he could probably move to a better place, don’t you think?” Eli suddenly asked, instantly dampening the mood in the room.
The smile on Minji’s face slowly fell, and even though they didn’t acknowledge it explicitly, the disappointment could be felt.
Doha cleared his throat and glanced out the window. “You’re right,” he muttered.
Meanwhile, Zeno, dressed in very worn-out shorts and a white shirt with a loose collar, was leaning against the laundry machine while eating the roasted sweet potato the owner had provided.
His neighbors greeted him, and he nodded in return. In his peripheral vision, he saw the calendar marked with a date.
Under it were the words, “The Forsaken Prince’s release! Support your greatest neighbor.”
Zeno smirked and glanced at the old man who waved at him over his newspaper. “Are you almost done?” he asked.
Zeno nodded, glancing at the timer. “Yes, it just needs to dry.”
With that, Zeno prepared to place money into the tip jar. However, the old man covered it as soon as he stepped forward.
Zeno clicked his tongue. “Take it, old man,” he said bluntly.
He shook his head. “I already told you that you can use the machines for free, but you still insist on using the one that needs coins. You don’t need to give me any extra money.”
“I have a lot,” he deadpanned. “Too much, actually. Just take it.”
The old man raised his brows. “That sounds nice. Use that money to buy a house. You shouldn’t be living here. Oh, and maybe a new car.”
Zeno sighed and grabbed the glass, taking it away from him. Of course, Zeno was stronger, so he managed to take it. He inserted a couple of bills, causing the old man’s eyes to widen.
“It’s yours now. You can throw it away if you don’t want to accept it,” Zeno said with a small smirk. “Besides, use it to buy your granddaughter a bike. Didn’t she say she wanted one the last time I was here?”
The old man was even more surprised. Zeno was paying attention to things like that?
Just then, the laundry machine beeped, indicating that his last load was finished.
“That’s my cue,” Zeno muttered, about to place the tip jar on the table when the door suddenly opened.
Right off the bat, Zeno felt a dark aura from the new customer—or maybe that was because of his all-black get-up. He even had a clown mask with obnoxious teeth covering his face!
“Give me your money!”