Attraction points vary wildly across different races, and it's often difficult for one to understand the other's preferences.
This is especially true for non-human species that look significantly different from humans, often referred to as inhuman races.
For instance, a tree spirit that is immensely popular among its peers might appear grotesque to humans.
Similarly, the features of fish-like merfolk might all seem the same to human eyes.
Just as humans struggle to understand the aesthetics of inhuman races, the reverse is also true.
The idea that slight differences in facial features could distinguish beauty from ugliness?
To tree spirits, whose faces twist and warp as they grow, this was nothing more than humans quibbling over near-identical appearances.
In short, no matter how attractive a person might be, to an inhuman race, they could be as unremarkable as a pebble on the street.
This is why maximized idols, created to appeal to these races, had to go beyond conventional notions of beauty.
For those who found it difficult to distinguish facial features, it became standard practice to paint their faces with bold, graphic makeup.
Instead of soft and melodious voices, a grating noise—like nails on a chalkboard—was preferred to leave a lasting impression.
The ideals they represented were also universal: overwhelming strength, unconditional acceptance, and boundless love.
Codria’s maximized idol, Aisha of Destruction, was born out of this very concept!
"Um... I’m really sorry for showing such an unseemly side of myself... It’s just, uh, part of my public image..."
After the intense promotional video shoot ended, Aisha called us to a waiting room, far from prying eyes.
There, she spoke in a timid, hesitant voice, a stark contrast to the fierce, guitar-smashing figure we had just witnessed.
What happened to the bold woman growling into the camera and smashing a broken guitar moments ago?
The transformation was so extreme that it almost felt absurd to see her like this just because the cameras were off.
Still, we weren’t here to criticize her.
Alice and David quickly shook their heads and reassured her.
"No, no! You were amazing!"
"Indeed. From a professional perspective, it was a fascinating performance. A powerful display of ultimate appeal, perhaps representing strength and resilience—an invaluable insight into captivating inhuman races."
"Oh, r-really?"
"Your words are too complicated..."
Aisha, now looking bashful and shy, clapped her hands together like a delighted schoolgirl in response to David’s overly enthusiastic praise.
However, her intimidating makeup made her exuberance more unnerving than endearing.
Watching from the side, Raven couldn’t help but pinch the bridge of his nose.
Personally, I found her performance pretty cool.
Sure, the makeup was overwhelming, but when viewed through the lens of inhuman preferences, it was easier to understand.
Especially the moment she slammed her guitar into the floor—it was almost like watching a great general rallying troops on the battlefield.
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Though, whether that counts as idol behavior is another question entirely.
Apparently moved by David’s idol-fanatic perspective, Bold, Codria’s manager overseeing Aisha, chimed in with fervent agreement.
"This young man gets it! Exactly! Idols are meant to be deities to their fans! To transcend races and conventional beauty! Aisha will be the unstoppable force that inspires the weary and hesitant!"
Ugh, his voice was deafening. Did he have a built-in speaker in his throat?
I winced at the sheer volume of his enthusiasm, my brows furrowing.
Noticing my discomfort, Alice scooted closer and gently covered my ears.
While it wasn’t strictly necessary, I nodded slightly in gratitude for her thoughtfulness.
"Alright, I get it. Let’s move on to the task at hand. Manager, were you aware of the stalker harassing Aisha?"
By the time I was quietly sitting with Alice, Raven had slipped into business mode.
With his usual calm, expressionless demeanor, he addressed Bold.
The question must have hit a nerve. Bold’s face fell, and he looked genuinely remorseful.
"No... I only found out when Aisha confided in me recently. I deeply regret not noticing sooner. How could someone do such a despicable thing to one of Codria’s idols? Unforgivable!"
"Hmm, I see. Aisha mentioned that the stalker began harassing her around her second month after debut—about a month ago. So, she’s been enduring this on her own all this time."
"Yes, that’s correct..."
"Aisha! I failed you... I didn’t even notice your suffering... I’m so sorry!"
With tears streaming down his face, Bold bowed deeply to Aisha.
She looked flustered and unsure of how to handle his display, awkwardly patting his shoulder and asking him to stand up.
It was a surprisingly familial scene—more like a father and daughter than a manager and his idol.
Alice, being the emotional type, looked touched, her expression softening.
But Raven was not one to let personal emotions interfere with business.
If this were a casual situation, he might have shaken his head awkwardly like Alice.
Instead, he kept his composure, raising a finger and speaking in a calm tone.
"That being said... While I can’t be certain yet, it seems likely that the stalker is someone inside this agency."
"What?!"
"You can’t be serious! How could that be?!"
Aisha and Bold widened their eyes in shock at Raven’s words, their faces betraying their disbelief.
Well, that was to be expected. To hear that the person sending threatening messages and photos hinting at stalking might be someone from the same company? It was natural to feel alarmed.
However, convincing others requires evidence, and Raven turned to David, signaling that it was his cue.
David, as if waiting for this moment, pulled out his laptop from his bag.
After typing swiftly for a few moments, he rotated the screen to face the two.
"These... are photos from inside our company?"
"Yes. These are part of the photos provided by the client, supposedly sent by the stalker. I recreated the same angles at the actual locations for analysis. As you can see, by drawing virtual lines from external perspectives, it’s clear these photos couldn’t have been taken from outside."
"So... does that mean..."
"It likely means the stalker harassing the client is an internal employee of this company."
Of course, it wasn’t yet time to definitively identify the culprit.
Raven left it at that, asking Bold to provide a list of people who were in the office at the times the photos were taken.
For now, that was as far as they could go.
Given the potential threat the stalker might pose, Alice was assigned to act as Aisha’s bodyguard, while the rest of us left the office to investigate further.
"Jin... uh, about Yuria..."
"She’s staying here, Alice."
"Oh... okay..."
Alice seemed reluctant, glancing at me as if wanting to keep me by her side.
But at Raven’s cold response, she had no choice but to nod sullenly. Honestly, it was a little intimidating.
I, too, wanted to stay by Alice’s side, but Raven’s piercing gaze seemed to say, If you stay, I’ll have two people to protect.
I didn’t dare challenge that look. Sure, I could fend for myself, but I wasn’t going to argue.
We stepped outside into the brisk air, ready to split up and tackle our respective tasks.
"David, you check the locations where the photos were taken. See if there are any clues left behind."
"Understood."
"I’ll use my fixer clearance to access the CCTV footage. If anything comes up, let me know. Yuria... do you want to stay at the office?"
"...!"
"No? Then you can either come with me or join David."
Raven presented the options plainly, leaving the choice up to me.
Since I’d only been brought along because Raven didn’t want to leave me alone, he clearly didn’t expect me to play a major role.
Hmm, if I had to pick one... I’d obviously go with the more interesting option.
With that thought, I hopped over to stand next to David.
In the original story, Raven spent hours poring over CCTV footage until his eyes practically bled.
That sounded dull as hell, so I’d rather enjoy some fresh air with David.
Raven chuckled at my decision, waving us off with a casual "Call me if anything comes up," before heading off on his own.
...The slight relief in his demeanor stung a bit, but I couldn’t blame him. Without my telekinesis, I was basically dead weight.
"Well then, let’s go, Yuria."
"...!"
David watched Raven’s retreating figure for a moment before setting off toward one of the locations where a photo had been taken.
Our task was simple: visit the sites and look for any useful clues.
It wasn’t exactly complicated, so I figured we could treat it like a casual stroll.
The locations where Aisha had been photographed were varied: a restaurant, a café, a clothing store, a cosmetics shop, and even a flower shop.
The remarkable thing was that she’d visited all these places wearing that overwhelming makeup.
Perhaps it was part of her philosophy to always embody her idol persona.
It was impressive, in its own way, that she refused to remove her makeup except right before bed.
"Hmm, there doesn’t seem to be any significant evidence here. Maybe too much time has passed."
"..."
As expected, finding solid evidence at the locations was difficult.
Not only had it been a while since the photos were taken, but these were also common places anyone could visit.
David decided to switch tactics.
Instead of searching the sites, he began asking the employees if they remembered Aisha and whether they’d noticed anyone suspicious following her.
Thanks to Aisha’s unforgettable appearance, most employees did recall her visits.
However, none of them seemed to remember anyone suspicious trailing her.
It seemed that standing out too much could have its downsides.
Like staring at the sun, the details beneath it—like a flickering firefly—could easily be overlooked.
Still, persistence pays off. At the fifth location, a café, we finally got a lead.
"Hmm, I see. Well, thank you for your time."
"I’m sorry I couldn’t be more help... Oh, wait a moment!"
"Yes? What is it?"
"I think I might remember something! You mean someone suspicious following the scary-looking lady, right?"
"Yes, exactly."
"Well... there was this guy with reddish hair who looked kind of shady..."
"Oh? Really?"
David thanked the slightly flustered employee profusely.
Huh. This employee seemed to have taken a liking to him. Poor thing, she didn’t know David was already taken.
As I silently mourned her doomed infatuation, I followed the now visibly energized David out of the café.
"A red-haired man... That’s not bad. Let’s check a few more locations before reporting this to Raven."
"...!"
Good job. I gave David a thumbs-up to show my approval.
We could have easily come back empty-handed, so this felt like a decent win.
We continued our investigation, visiting locations one by one.
A restaurant where Aisha was photographed eating, a cosmetics shop where her back was caught as she pondered over something...
Eventually, we arrived at a bookstore that Aisha frequented.
As we stepped inside, I accidentally bumped into someone on their way out.
"Ow... Hey, watch where you’re going, will you?"
"...!"
The person I collided with was a girl about my height.
She had black hair and wore a half-mask that covered her eyes, adorned with a butterfly design.
Her expression was filled with irritation, evident even through the mask.
Wait a second. This person... looked familiar.
The realization sent a cold sweat down my spine.
I might have just walked into one of the biggest crises of my life.