NOVEL NEXT Chapter 262: Talk
With SEEDZ performing live for their debut showcase, they had to wait for a few hours first.
'Seriously, they should have just let us arrive later if we didn't have to attend the pre-recording.'
But Rayen didn't let himself be idle. After all, he still had to complete his Team Ranking Mission within the deadline. Yet, when he looked around their waiting room, he found that Adrian was missing.
So, Rayen could only turn to Adrian's manager.
"Excuse me... Have you seen Adrian?"
The petite manager pointed at the door. "He came out a while ago."
"Okay, thanks." Rayen bowed.
He immediately headed out of the room to look for that lazy ass only to see him in the hallway, talking to girls outside.
"Um, can you film a challenge with us?"
"Sure." Adrian let out a charming smile. "Should we do it here?"
"Yes. Yes! Thank you!"
The girl frantically looked around to find something.
'That guy...'
As though Adrian sensed Rayen's gaze, he briefly glanced in his direction. Since he had already noticed, Rayen just went ahead and approached them. However, upon getting nearer, Adrian suddenly pointed at him.
"We can just let this guy hold the phone for us."
The girl shifted her attention to Rayen, her eyes widening. "Oh... C-Can we?"
"Why not?" Adrian turned to Rayen. "Is it inconvenient?"
"..." Rayen stared at him. "No, it's not."
Rayen reached out his hand for the girl's phone, but it was the girl who shook her head.
"I mean, I think it's better if he joins the challenge too."
Before Rayen could even react, Ren also arrived. The girl immediately waved toward him.
"Excuse me, can you help us film for a challenge?"
"....."
Ren was speechless. Still, he agreed with a nod, taking the phone from the girl.
After the girl showed them the steps for their dance challenge, the three of them proceeded with the filming. In turn, the girl also told them to film a challenge with their own song.
Of course, they were also ready with their own steps and successfully filmed both challenges.
"Thank you! I've been supporting you since episode one of the show! I'm so happy you debuted!"
'Oh, so she's actually an Eden.'
Adrian smiled, his charm oozing out once again. "Thank you very much for the support."
Immediately, the girl's face flushed. She then bowed her head and thanked them before running off with her phone.
As soon as she disappeared, the charming smile on Adrian's lips disappeared. With his hands in his pockets, he walked away from the two.
Despite the dismissive attitude, Rayen still followed him. Only Ren was left in his original place. He didn't follow behind, sensing the odd atmosphere between the two.
Moments later, the two had reached the hallway leading to the stage. The place was strangely quiet.
'Did this guy come here because there was no one around?'
It seemed like Adrian was finally willing to talk to him.
Right before they reached the door at the end of the hallway, they encountered a screen monitor where they could watch the situation outside. Adrian halted in front of it, his gaze fixed on the screen.
Atomic was onstage to record their performance. They could bear the muffled music right beyond the door, but the entire hallway was still strangely devoid of other sounds.
Still, to be certain that there would be nobody eavesdropping on them, Adrian pulled out his phone and activated a scenario.
[There's Someone at the Door: If an outsider enters the scenario's range, you will hear a bell's chime.
Range: 10 meters]
After a short, almost inaudible chanting, Adrian pointed at Rayen to include him in the scenario.
When the scenario remained silent, Adrian confirmed that there were no outsiders nearby. He turned back to the monitor.
Rayen also fixed his gaze on the screen, waiting for Adrian to say something.
"You knew about it right from the start," Adrian said.
Rayen turned his head to him. "What?"
"You knew that when a phone breaks, the owner's soul will be destroyed, right? You have that weird system on you, so it's impossible for you not to know it."
"I did know it." Rayen sighed. "But how is it my fault? It was Oh Heejun who did it."
"You could have warned us."
"I did warn you."
Adrian raised one of his brows. "That's considered a warning?"
'Wasn't it already obvious? You kept pointing out that my phone was like a contraband item, but you didn't even suspect it?'
Besides, Rayen couldn't just reveal the information to anyone. What if another Oh Heejun appeared?
However, it couldn't really erase the fact that Ara had disappeared. Maybe...
'Maybe it was truly my fault for not warning them properly...'
Rayen was just about to open his mouth when Adrian spoke again.
"It's alright." Adrian crossed his arms. "I'm not that petty to hold a big grudge."
'Huh?'
Rayen blinked.
"You're not... mad?"
"Who told you I'm mad?" Adrian asked with brows raised.
Rayen took note of Adrian's every expression, but unlike how Adrian could do it easily, Rayen couldn't guess what he was even thinking.
Still, not even a punch or a yell?
'Dude, didn't you think I'm the reason your girlfriend died?'
"You know I can guess what you're thinking, right?"
'Read it all you might. I don't care.'
"Ara's not my girlfriend."
Once again, Rayen was stumped. Yet, when he was just about to relax again, Adrian followed up his own words.
"She's just a friend from childhood."
'That's even worse!'
However, if they were childhood friends, how can he not recognize her back then?
Adrain seemed to guess what he was thinking and said, "Do you remember every friend you met in your childhood?"
"No."
Still, that didn't diminish Rayen's thoughts of running away, lest Adrian suddenly try to beat him right now. But Adrian actually remained in his place, his face still had that same lazy but collected smile.
'What the hell is this guy really thinking?'
"I still have those three wishes on you, right?" Adrian asked kind of out of the topic.
"... Right."
Rayen had almost forgotten about those wishes. Back when he was trying to find who the legendary producer was, Adrian had duped him with his so-called connections to get three wishes out of him.
"What? Do you want to make a wish now?"
The corners of Adrian's lips turned up. "If I make a wish now, you won't be able to grant it."
"What the hell do you want, then?"
With a sigh, Rayen resigned to his fate.
'I just want to rank up that damn team skill.'
"Revive her," Adrian responded.
"....."
"See?"
'I know I have faults, but what the hell do you take me for? A magical lamp genie?'
Rayen gritted his teeth. "You're asking the wrong person."
Just as Rayen uttered these words, the sound of bells resounded throughout the entire scenario area.
Rayen pursed his lips while Adrian glanced at the door beside them. As he chanted the deactivation method of the scenario. At the same time, the door opened.