Zeno bolted to the bathroom mirror the moment his punishment was revealed.
What the hell.
He blinked.
And blinked again.
Why did he look like… that?
His hair fell in soft, fluffy waves no matter how many times he ran his hands through it. He even tried messing it up, spiking it awkwardly to the side—only for it to fall effortlessly into a gentle swoop that looked straight out of a commercial.
His skin gleamed under the fluorescent light, smooth like glass and annoyingly flawless. Not a blemish, not a dry patch when he didn’t even remove his stage makeup properly yesterday!
Not even the shadows under his eyes from the lack of proper rest and semi-crying were in sight!
He leaned in closer. Pouted. Frowned. Squinted. Then, he rubbed his face aggressively.
It was still there. The same handsome version of himself that appeared even more handsome, and dare he say it… cute.
Fuck.
A soft knock came from the bathroom door. Then Minji peeked in, followed by Doha and Eli, all of them craning their necks to get a better look at him. Maxie barked and squeezed through the crack before sitting on the mat.
“Yeah, you look really good,” Minji confirmed. “I was watching you while you were asleep, and if you had been in Snow White, you would have been killed by the evil queen!”
“And you’re twenty percent more glowy than yesterday,” Eli muttered with a frown. “Can you recommend the serum you used to me?”
“I didn’t use a serum,” Zeno said through gritted teeth.
The three stared at him in awe, then looked at each other before nodding knowingly.
Still in disbelief, Zeno stormed out of the bathroom, past his bed, and out onto the rooftop.
His friends scrambled after him but stopped at the small window facing it, choosing to observe quietly.
Zeno stood at the edge of the rooftop, wind tugging at his sleeves and hair.
“What is this!?” he yelled. “What’s happening to me?”
He turned in a circle, flinging his arms out.
“Answer me, you Avalis punks! Apex, you bastard! I know you’re watching! I know this is your doing!”
No response. Not even a gust of wind that felt like divine intervention. Only the silence and a neighbor’s wind chime clinking awkwardly in the distance were heard.
From the window, Minji whispered, “Do you think he got cast again?”
“He needs to rest. He just won six awards last night,” Doha said.
“Maybe that’s why he has a new work. He’s ultra viral right now,” Eli added.
Just then, Minji turned to the two of them with a suspicious yet excited glint in her eyes.
“Should we prepare it now?”
Eli and Doha smiled the same way before nodding simultaneously.
Outside, Zeno was still pacing. His heart felt like it was trying to sprint out of his chest. His feet moved, but his mind didn’t follow. Everything just felt like a blur—the pain trial, the awards, the crowd, the screaming notifications, and now… this.
A new system. A death punishment.
Will he still die at 25?
Is he still 25?
He groaned, dragging both hands down his face.
With a long, weary sigh, Zeno trudged back inside.
But the moment he opened the door to his unit, a loud pop resonated.
Confetti blasted from both sides, showering him in a glittery storm of pink and gold.
“Huh?” Zeno froze.
“Welcome back, superstar!” Doha grinned from the kitchen, holding a confetti cannon that had already been fired.
There were paper banners hanging from the ceiling with the words—
ZENO: ICONIC SINCE BIRTH
“Wha is this?”
“Congratulations!” Minji exclaimed, bouncing excitedly.
Congratulations.
Zeno had heard that word far too many times now, from reporters shoving mics in his face to fans yelling through security fences to the articles about him online.
He stood there in the middle of his room, still dusted in confetti. He blinked slowly at the banner hanging above them.
“You’re welcome,” Minji said proudly before Zeno could say anything else, plopping a party hat on his head. “You deserve a party.”
“What’s there to celebrate?” Zeno asked.
Doha raised a finger. “Let’s list it, shall we? First, your six awards last night.”
“Best New Actor,” Eli counted off, “Best Influencer, Popularity Award, Best Drama, Best Variety Show, and last but definitely not least—the Grand Prize!”
“Secondly,” Minji grinned, “you hit eight million followers this morning.”
“Technically, 8.2,” Eli corrected.
“Third,” Doha added, “you’re now part of the Rookie Class. Fastest entry ever recorded in the country.”
“We prepared all of this for you while you were asleep,” Eli smiled, gesturing at the table. “We inferred you would like it.”
Zeno finally looked at the spread laid out on the dining table, and for the first time all day, something inside him softened.
They’d gone all out. Everything came from under the soil.
There was taro soup in a little ceramic pot, potato fries shaped into stars, candied sweet potatoes wrapped in foil, a fragrant lotus root stir-fry steaming in a bamboo bowl, and an ube milkshake topped with whipped cream and crushed nuts.
“Root crops,” Minji announced proudly.
Zeno sat down slowly, stomach growling. He took a cautious sip of the soup, and his shoulders dropped.
Alright. Maybe life was worth living.
He reached for the fries next, then the lotus root. For the first time since waking up, his heartbeat slowed. He felt… safe, somehow.
He lifted the ube milkshake and sipped, nodding in satisfaction when the sweet, earthy, and creamy taste abused his tastebuds.
[First Mission Received]
Deadline: One week
Attend a Dance Lesson]
PFFT! He spat the milkshake, splattering it all over the table and Doha’s shoulder. However, Doha didn’t seem to mind.
“What?!” he yelped, standing from his seat.
Milkshake dribbled down his chin as he stared at the blinking message in horror.
Zeno was good at a lot of things because he had tried most things.
Cooking was an exception. However, even then, he could still come up with something edible!
Dancing, on the other hand—
That was a disaster waiting to happen.