Late Night, After the Strategy Meeting for the Second Match, Residential Area Walking Path.
Dokgo Miro walked along the night path, feeling the lukewarm breeze.
When he first began walking the path, he noticed a few dormitory students scattered about. However, the roads around Cheon Ik Mountain, which bordered the residential area, were so winding and complex that he quickly found himself alone.
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As he retraced the mountain paths from the otherworldly simulator where he had wandered, he fell into deep thought.
Yi-shin has awakened. He said he would be able to attend tomorrow's match too.
Ahn Da-in had conveyed the news that Jo Yi-shin was awake, claiming they had contacted Hwang Ho.
Everyone was happy to hear that Jo Yi-shin, who had been asleep for so long, had woken up, though some faces wore bittersweet expressions.
Yi-shin's close friends like Yeom Jun-yeol, who had wanted to treat him in the domain of the Dragonkin, and the ever-supportive Joo Su-hyeok were among them.
Some of the more perceptive individuals, including Dokgo Miro, had sensed this undercurrent, though they all pretended not to notice.
Dokgo Miro was certain that, no matter what process Joo Su-hyeok and Ahn Da-in went through, the two would eventually end up together, bound by their own strength. He had no intention of interfering in their romance and frankly didn’t have the time for it either.
My song is still charting. My parents said they've received offers from all over.
After momentarily pushing aside his concerns about the vice-president, Dokgo Miro turned his mind to the events happening around him recently.
The Korea-China-Japan Exchange Competition had gained more attention than expected, and the aftermath had been considerable.
Dokgo Miro had participated in the competition aiming to increase his visibility, but he never anticipated that his music would experience such a resurgence, especially in terms of streaming success.
However, despite not expecting it, he wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity.
The reason stars begin to gain attention differs. But regardless of how it starts, they all seize the chance and succeed.
Some idols became famous for their incredible sense of variety or sharp wit, while others were recognized for their athletic abilities.
Yeorae Hoon had gained public love after the incident at the Playlist finals, which re-highlighted his achievements as the "Saint of Naeja Mountain."
Though there were various paths to stardom, the common denominator for long-lasting stars was that they didn’t waste their chances.
Even after getting attention for a specific reason, they continued to work hard to keep the public’s interest.
Just as Yeorae Hoon didn’t slack off in vocal training, songwriting, and appearance management.
That’s why I need to perfectly handle my next schedule.
Dokgo Miro was working independently, without a company managing his activities.
His parents had been handling his schedule, rejecting offers for suspicious advertisements or controversial internet broadcasts on his behalf.
While his parents usually filtered out strange proposals, recently, things had been different.
Thanks to his music's resurgence, really good offers had started pouring in.
One of them was for a performance at the PlayerZ competition tournament finals opening celebration.
Originally, he was just supposed to sing one short song, but PlayerZ suggested incorporating his buzz into the performance, proposing additional stage effects synced with game trailers, to which Dokgo Miro immediately agreed.
The attention for the PlayerZ competition tournament is beyond imagination. Most of the finalists are Korean, but the interest is so high that overseas networks are paying a premium for broadcasting rights. Maybe this could be my chance...
Rustle.
The sudden feeling of an approaching presence, followed by the sound of rustling leaves, interrupted Dokgo Miro’s thoughts.
Normally, he wouldn’t have been so alert inside the school, but since this was near Cheon Ik Mountain, his senses seemed heightened.
Dokgo Miro gripped a weapon item card in his hand and hid behind a tree pillar.
The approaching figure didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding their presence, walking boldly.
When Dokgo Miro confirmed the person, his eyes widened.
It’s Han I.
Dokgo Miro couldn’t help but let his expression soften.
One of the benefits of the group accommodation life was the occasional chance to bump into Han I like this.
Normally, he would’ve immediately run out to greet Han I brightly, but first, Dokgo Miro checked the time.
It was after 10 p.m., and Han I usually liked to get to bed early to prepare for the Taehogwon training sessions, even during the summer break. It was unusual for him to be here at this hour on Cheon Ik Mountain.
...Seeing Han I here at midnight, it feels even more like Cheong-ho.
Though Han I wasn’t wearing a mask, and he looked younger now, to Dokgo Miro, it still felt like seeing the same being.
In the midst of his busy schedule, Dokgo Miro had looked up information about Cheong-ho, who appeared in the Creation Myth.
From his brief research, Dokgo Miro learned that Cheong-ho was the founder of Taehogwon.
Naturally, he began thinking about the time when Hwang Ho and Han I had practiced Taehogwon together.
I heard from Gong Cheong-hyun that Doro had asked Han I several times to spar in Taehogwon, and that Han I kept winning.
Dokgo Miro knew that Hwang Ho had been acting like a fool, but the only reason he would have asked Han I for a sparring match, instead of other Taehogwon students, was clear.
Hwang Ho knew that Han I had a connection to Cheong-ho.
The reason he asked for the match must have been to find clues about his close friend.
Moreover, it became clearer why Hwang Ho had been so peculiar in his treatment of Han I.
Ha...
In the darkness, Han I let out a short sigh.
The pale moonlight made Han I’s face look even more gaunt as he sighed.
Dokgo Miro, having concealed his presence, noticed that Han I didn’t seem to notice him and appeared lost in thought.
Upon seeing this, Dokgo Miro stepped forward.
Unlike Cheong-ho, who had keen hearing, Han I likely hadn’t heard anything, so Dokgo Miro came out into view and spoke.
“Han I, were you taking a walk?”
“...When did you get here?”
“Since a little while ago. Is it too hot to sleep? I can’t sleep either.”
Dokgo Miro casually folded his arms, confirming that Han I had recognized him. He continued to speak naturally.
He had expected that Han I might either pull away or not respond, but Han I simply didn’t react.
It didn’t seem like he was deliberately avoiding him—it was more like he didn’t have the energy to respond.
“What’s going on? You don’t look well.”
“I’m just tired.”
“Well, then you should go rest! Who’s stopping you from sleeping?”
Though Dokgo Miro knew no one would be stopping him, he still said this out of concern for Han I.
But Han I’s response was odd.
“I... I had a dream...”
It sounded like Han I’s sleep had been disturbed by the dream.
Dokgo Miro wondered if it had been a bad dream, or if something had happened in the dream. He felt a bit concerned.
Dokgo Miro recalled the faces of the students from Class Zero who had been sitting in the cheering section during the second match.
Ong Gil-dong and Goo Seul-bi had been dressed more elaborately, and everyone seemed like their usual selves, but Han I had looked especially tired.
Something was off when he came to cheer for the second match. Did he not sleep that day too?
Back then, Dokgo Miro had been busy with his music resurgence and preparing for the second match, so he hadn’t paid much attention to Han I.
There had been the presence of the mythic noble, Hwang Ho, around Han I, so Dokgo Miro had thought that Han I would be fine, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
As expected, Hwang Ho had indeed been attentive to Han I.
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However, after Jo Yi-shin fell asleep, Hwang Ho had been dealing with multiple issues—his true name, the vow of the three knights, the hate comments directed at Jo Yi-shin, and the reprimands from the other leaders of the 12 Zodiac clans—and he was too overwhelmed to spare any more time.
Now, Dokgo Miro decided to look out for his friend.
“Han I, if you can’t sleep, want to go for another walk?”
“...I was going to head back inside.”
“Then let’s head back together!”
Dokgo Miro gently grabbed Han I’s arm, not enough to hurt him, and they descended from Cheon Ik Mountain together.
As they descended, they exchanged short words.
The topics mostly revolved around the exchange competition, and it was mostly Dokgo Miro speaking.
Dokgo Miro explained enthusiastically how happy and energized he felt that Han I had come to cheer for him.
As they approached the Jiik Conference Hall, Han I’s words grew fewer.
Dokgo Miro could see that Han I seemed uncomfortable returning to the dormitory and falling asleep.
Dokgo Miro decided to take him to the dormitory while talking more, as an excuse to continue their conversation.
“Han I, you mentioned a dream earlier, right? What kind of dream was it?”
He asked casually, but inside, Dokgo Miro felt tense.
If it was a dream Han I had had as Cheong-ho, it wouldn’t be surprising if a higher being appeared in it.
Given that this was a divine realm, it would be reasonable to accept the appearance of a deity in a dream.
He had thought there was a chance Han I wouldn’t answer, but the response came.
“I didn’t exactly see it...”
It was a hesitant voice.
Dokgo Miro waited quietly without interrupting.
Han I seemed unsure about the sensation he had experienced, as if he couldn’t fully trust his own senses.
“...I felt like I heard something.”
Han I hesitated before continuing.
“...I felt like I heard something.”
Dokgo Miro’s expression grew serious. He had already suspected that Han I’s dream might involve something extraordinary, considering his connection to Cheong-ho and the fact that this was a divine realm. The mention of hearing something made his mind race.
Hearing something... Was it a voice from another world? A divine presence?
The atmosphere grew heavier as they walked in silence for a moment, both lost in their own thoughts. Dokgo Miro’s concern deepened, especially given the mysterious nature of Han I’s dream.
Han I, usually so composed, now seemed to carry an unfamiliar weight with him. Something had clearly disturbed him, and whatever it was, it felt like it went beyond a simple bad dream.
As they arrived at the dormitory, Dokgo Miro decided not to press further for now. The subject of the dream seemed too complicated, and Han I wasn’t ready to share more.
"Just get some rest, Han I. You need it more than anything right now."
Han I nodded, though his expression remained distant. The two of them parted ways at the entrance to the dormitory, with Dokgo Miro heading to his own room, still thinking about the strange feeling Han I had mentioned.
Hwangmyeongho Estate, Annex
After checking the device message /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ Ahn Da-in had sent, I reviewed the second match that had taken place while I was asleep.
Third place... I shouldn’t have fallen asleep...
The second match’s event, the Reconstruction Simulation, had heavily relied on the support role, a role I could have filled, but I had been absent. Given that I was part of the team, it felt like we had one less support player.
I knew that Cheon Dong-ha, who was handling the brainwork for the team, hadn’t anticipated that one player would be knocked out like this in the first round.
So, it was fair to say the loss in the second match was my fault.
Tomorrow, when I rejoin the team, I should start by apologizing.
“Jo Yi-shin, if you hadn’t been absent, the Korean team would’ve lost the first round. So, instead of just apologizing, you need to focus on preparing for the third round...”
“Baek Ho, stop trying to read Jo Yi-shin’s thoughts so obviously.”
“Brother Baek Ho, there’s still some dried persimmon tea left. Please finish your tea first.”
Baek Ho’s words broke my chain of thought.
While I didn’t like it when people seemed to read my mind, he was right.
Right now, the focus needed to be on preparing for the third match.
Since Ahn Da-in had assigned me as her partner, I had to make sure we delivered the results.
At this point, I would support Ahn Da-in in fully utilizing her abilities.
Just as I was about to check the rules for the 2v2 tag match, a red hologram appeared in front of Hwang Ji-ho.
I had seen Hwang Ji-ho receive reports several times before, so I knew what this hologram meant.
It was the report from Jeokho, and he was delivering an important update.
“Jeokho-nim sent this hologram. What’s it about?”
“....”
Hwang Ji-ho didn’t respond immediately and simply stared at the red hologram.
The golden light flickered in his eyes as he focused on the hologram.
“I’ve found Cheong-ho’s physical body.”
Hwang Ji-ho didn’t stop there.
“They’re playing a song for Cheong-ho’s body right now.”