Chapter 14: The Festival, The Live Stream, and The Unfairness of it All

“What would you have done if I hadn’t shown up?”

“High risk, high return, they say.”

“Hey, you could get arrested for this. Lack of safety measures, you know?”

“A chance to take a stroll in the sky with a handsome guy? That’s something worth trying before you die.”

“You’re insane, Lee Jooyeon.”

Lee Jooyeon cackled, brimming with confidence that the business school would dominate this year’s festival. Lee Doha clicked his tongue.

The ability to move objects without touching them, or psychokinesis for short, was one of the most common talents. And because it was common, its uses were equally mundane. People often used it for trivial yet practical tasks like turning off lights, fetching the remote, picking up a fallen eraser, or catching a phone before it hit the floor.

Many couldn’t even lift something as heavy as a remote or a phone. So, Jooyeon’s idea to not only ‘lift a person’ but to ‘take them for a walk in the sky’ was nothing short of extraordinary. If she messed up and dropped someone, she could genuinely end up in jail, which was why she was banking on Lee Doha, an Inso-Double.

‘Lee Jooyeon is definitely going to get arrested as a corrupt business owner one day.’

Still, that corrupt business owner was sure to get rich. Just as she had boasted, the business school’s booth was a massive success, with a long line of people snaking out from the front. Not only were there students from Hankuk University, but visitors from outside as well, creating a terrifying swarm, just as Kim Yoon-hye had once described a mass of newborn tadpoles.

By this point, Lee Doha had grown numb to holding hands with strangers. Ascending into the air was the only escape. The varied screams of terror—from guttural cries to gasps and whimpers—were a form of entertainment in themselves. As evening fell, the night view of the festival grounds, with each booth brightly lit, was quite a spectacle.

“What’s with all the hanbok?”

Lee Doha asked while sitting down for a short break. Quite a few people were walking around in traditional Korean clothing. Among them, a red *gollyongpo*, a dragon robe worn by kings, caught his eye. Naturally, someone came to mind. Come to think of it, Siohan was an emperor, yet he never wore any special attire. Perhaps because of his poor health, he was always in a comfortable gown. His hair was down, and he wore no crown.

‘It would suit him,’ Doha thought idly.

“That’s the fashion department’s booth. Their concept is time travel. They’re wearing them, taking pictures, and even renting them out.”

An ecstatic Lee Jooyeon replied. The tickets for the sky walk had sold out so early that all her classmates had been roped into printing emergency additional tickets.

“Lee Jooyeon is completely obsessed with money.”

Yoon Hyung, a promotional sign hanging from his neck, entered the tent. The tent assigned to their booth, once a ticket counter, had long since become a waiting area.

“The after-party is on me. We can get beef.”

Lee Jooyeon waved a thick stack of cash.

“Oh, Vice President, my goodness.”

Yoon Hyung immediately bowed. The sign on his neck swayed: *A solo sky walk with Hankuk University’s God of Beauty for just 10,000 won!*

“It’s capitalism, *sunbae-nim*.”

“Of course it is, *hubae-nim*.”

“You two are ridiculous.”

Doha, the 10,000-won shuttle, remarked coldly.

“Hey, eat this. You need to recharge your sugar levels. Our handsome god is working so hard.”

“Shut up, please.”

What Yoon Hyung handed him was a translucent, sparkling sugar candy. Of all things, it was shaped like a cutely smiling Pikachu. ‘Is this bastard messing with me?’ Doha eyed Yoon Hyung suspiciously, but he didn’t seem to be teasing. Sucking on a pointy ear, Doha glanced at his phone.

His brow furrowed instantly. *Crunch.* The Pikachu candy’s face shattered.

“What is this?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Why am I a top search term?”

Doha held out his phone. Lee Doha. Inso-Double. Inso-Double Lee Doha. Yoo Seo. Lee Doha Yoo Seo. Yoon Hyung and Lee Jooyeon exchanged glances before looking back at Doha.

“It’s because you were on Yoo Seo’s live stream yesterday, *sunbae*.”

“Live stream?”

“Seriously, what do you even use your phone for? You should check the internet once in a while.”

Yoon Hyung held out his own phone. It was on You-Tube. Yoo Seo was lying in a bed beautifully lit by a mood lamp. “Let me show you,” he said, fiddling with his phone, when suddenly his eyes lit up. He quickly answered the call, and from the other side, Lee Doha’s own voice could be heard. After a brief exchange… a blue summoning circle unfolded. “I’ll be back!” Yoo Seo chirped before vanishing. The video ended there.

“…”

“Yoo Seo’s unexpected connection, Lee Doha and Yoo Seo’s friendship beyond age, their bond from Orz…”

“Shut it, Yoon Hyung.”

Yoon Hyung, who had been reading off the article headlines, immediately clamped his mouth shut. Doha glared murderously at the list of articles before shoving his phone back into his pocket. It wasn’t worth getting angry over this every time. What could he do? He just had to accept it.

He didn’t like his name being tossed around in conversations everywhere, nor did he like strangers recognizing him, but there was nothing he could do. Compared to when he first signed his contract and reporters were banging on his door to the point he couldn’t even go outside, this was something he could now accept with humility.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside. It had been noisy before, but this was more of a stir. When cheers began to ring out, Doha felt an ominous chill run down his spine and sat up straight.

“Did a celebrity show up?”

As Yoon Hyung wondered aloud, the tent flap flew open. “Eek!” Lee Jooyeon screamed.

“Here you are! Hello, Hyung!”

It was Yoo Seo, his face beaming with an innocent smile. He was in a school uniform. “Hello!” he greeted the stunned Yoon Hyung and Lee Jooyeon with cheerful familiarity. Feeling a dull ache creep up the back of his neck, Doha closed his eyes for a moment. ‘He’s a kid. A high schooler. A minor. At an age where he needs attention.’ Doha spoke in a cool tone.

“…You really have a knack for showing up when you’re talked about.”

“Huh? Why?”

“What are you doing here?”

“You said you were going to school. Can I come in? Oh, I can? Thank you. I feel like I’m cutting in line, but I bought a ticket! I’m going to wait, but I just wanted to see you for a second. I have something to tell you.”

“No way. I’m a fan. Can I get a picture with you later?”

Yoon Hyung asked, and Yoo Seo laughed excitedly, replying, “Of course, of course!” He was as chaotic as thirty-eight puppies let loose.

“Ah, me too. But not for long. The break time is almost over.”

The thorough capitalist, Lee Jooyeon, added. The two then quickly vacated the tent. Yoo Seo was unfazed by Doha’s disapproving look. He pulled up a chair and sat in front of him, a meaningful grin on his face.

“Hyung, I just came back from Orz.”

“What? When?”

Doha asked, surprised.

“During the day.”

“Didn’t you say your contractor needed to rest?”

“A short visit is fine. It’s not like my health—I mean, my energy—is at rock bottom like the Emperor’s.”

“So?”

“He’s regained consciousness, and when I told him you asked me to pass on a message, he let me see him. He’s seriously so handsome every time I see him… Anyway, I delivered the message.”

“What did he say?”

“Uh… I phrased it a bit more delicately. How could I tell him to stop his bullshit and go to sleep, just like you said? What if my Master dies…?”

Yoo Seo put on a pitiful face, pretending to be weak. Doha had to grimace again at the title ‘Master.’ ‘What kind of perverted title is that?’ Noticing his expression, Yoo Seo cleared his throat.

“Um, so I put it nicely. For him. I said you were worried about His Majesty and that you wanted him to rest for a while.”

“And what did he say?”

“He just smiled.”

“Smiled?”

“Yeah.”

‘This bastard…’ Doha’s expression hardened. He had only met his contractor three times and found him inscrutable, but in this context, Siohan smiling probably meant he had no intention of listening. At that thought, a surge of anger welled up inside him. Doha felt it was unfair. Someone else could pop over like they were visiting a neighbor, while he had to face a life-or-death situation every single time!

“You… when you’re summoned, how long do you usually stay?”

As Doha pressed his forehead and swallowed his rage, Yoo Seo, who had tentatively reached out a hand to pat his shoulder, quickly retracted it.

“It depends… Usually on the contractor’s disposition. Irina only calls me when she absolutely needs to, but she doesn’t say much if I don’t return right away, so if I hang out for a bit… usually about a day?”

“A day?”

A whole day? Doha bit his lip hard. The last time he was there, when he’d at least had a meal with Siohan, how long had it been? Roughly estimating, it felt like about two hours. And even that had ended with him fainting. Just thinking about the raging fever made him feel hot all over again. From sheer anger.

“What’s the longest you’ve ever stayed?”

Yoo Seo began to look nervous.

“Hyung… you know time flows differently in Orz and here, right? So the longer you stay, the weirder the time difference gets… If I don’t use my powers much, maybe about three months…?”

“…Three months?”

Months? He could hang around for months? But Doha, just by breathing and doing nothing…! He cut off the thought. This was just self-torment. It wasn’t his fault, but this was deeply unfair. As Doha seethed in silence, Yoo Seo’s eyes darted around before he spoke cautiously.

“Hey, Hyung. Just wait a bit. Since you’re an Inso-Double, it takes a lot of mana just to maintain the summons, but Emperor Orphenos should get better if he rests properly. You can think of this as the aftereffect of the first summoning. He used up every last bit of energy he had. Just summoning you makes him a monster, you know. He’s a really sturdy person…”

“Sturdy? Who? This candy is probably sturdier than him.”

Doha scoffed. He then slammed the sugar candy he was holding onto the table in irritation. Already cracked, it shattered into tiny pieces. Seeing it only made Doha angrier. Yoo Seo, who had arrived like a cheerful swallow merely to deliver a message, had no idea why he was now feeling like he was being scolded.

“He’s the First Knight of Iristilum…”

“Who is?”

“The Emperor.”

“…”