2. The Deadly Day

Twelve hours ago.

Under the evening sky, a giant LED board displayed scrolling words: ‘2025 THE ARTHEMIST MEGA CONCERT'.

Honestly, it took a high level of courage to stand here. How could it not be? I am probably just cosmic dust. Arthemisya Zacceline got out of the car and helped manage the man busy with the edge of the girl's wavy dress.

The fans' hysteria was deafening. They are pushing me to the back as a car stopped in the middle of the barrier. A classy man, Tiger Letto, followed down to accompany the main character.

A moment after taking a deep breath, my phone rang. Bertha, the loan shark's contact name, was listed. I slid the green icon to the top panel and put the phone to my ear.

"I know! Don't worry! I'll pay you before twelve! Anyway, I have to work now!"

"What do you do?" Bertha snapped, as if she was sure my job must be crap; it was impossible to pay off a debt of 500 pounds sterling in seven hours.

"Why is it so noisy in there?" Bertha protested, "Hello?!'

"Yeah! Just wait! I have to set up the stage-"

Out of nowhere, an elbow came and nudged my phone. My teeth gritted as I saw the shattered screen.

"Oh, no! I'm so sorry," said a man with a High-pitched voice.

After that, he looked back at Misya with excitement.

"Sorry? SORRY, you say?"

The thunderous sound, the camera shutter, and all the hysteria stopped. Everyone's backs were turned towards me, including the skinny man with short, slightly curly hair, the shameless suspect. There was no energy left even to pick up the phone. It was useless.

Why did misfortune always come to block?

"Don't worry, Miss.. I'll change it. You don't have to make a scene," whispered the man in the black hoodie, his eyes repeatedly trailing to the side of the crowd and then back to me in panic.

That was because two bodyguards were approaching. "Please keep it quiet here, Sir and Miss," one said.

"You have to change it now!" I demanded.

"Okay, Miss. Come on, I'll change it." The man in the black hood tried to embrace me, but I quickly moved away.

"Do it here," I said, folding my arms across my chest, "who knows if you'll run away when it's just the two of us?"

"Okay, okay, fine. How much is your phone?"

"500 pounds sterling," I replied lightly.

"What?" The black hooded man gaped. The fans were noisy, whispering to each other and gossiping about me.

"Excuse me, Miss!" said Misya, shouting a little, "isn't that extortion? Don't do that to my fans, yes."

Tiger cleared his throat, stepped over the barrier, and bent to pick up my phone.

"Mr. Tiger, what are you doing?" This time, Misya shouted. I've never seen her smile like that.

"Get ready in the waiting room. The show starts in thirty minutes."

Tiger turned his head momentarily, signaling the manager and bodyguard to escort Misya inside. Although looking worried, Misya finally agreed to be escorted inside. The fans headed to the gate queue. Our eyes met in a strange comfort. Although his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, I was sure his eyelids were smiling seductively, precisely curved upwards.

"Here," he said, handing me his phone and, surprisingly, his name tag.

Tiger Letto. CEO of music company STARZET ENT.

"Sometimes an object is worth more than its price," Tiger said flatly, even coldly. However, I felt a trace of concern behind it. My nose flared a little arrogantly at being defended.

"That's right. You, curly man, don't look down on other people's things. No matter how much it costs, you should be responsible! So that you know, this phone is the only thing my mother left behind!"

"Excuse me, Fierce Lady. I have a name. Earl Zerikyu. And I'm just a student, not a millionaire. But, if you give me time, I'll pay it back in installments, even if it takes a hundred years. I'm a responsible man!" said Zerikyu, patting his chest.

Tiger smiled. "Your name is Milky, right? I saw your resume on the list of additional workers today. Well, I'll transfer 500 pounds sterling to the account you listed on your resume. Consider it employment insurance."

"Sir… Are you serious?" I was flabbergasted. Even though I had mentioned that amount, Zerikyu was equally astonished.

"Geez, you make me look bad. Seriously, don't do that, Sir," Zerikyu interrupted.

"It's okay. For you, just think of it as a door prize as a fan. Anyway, I don't want any bad experiences at this concert. I don't want to invite bad karma for Arthemisya. Then, I'll excuse myself," Tiger said after flashing a charming smile.

I could only watch his back move away. Lately, generous people are rare.

Fascinating.

Deep inside, I am tired and sick of being cold in this vast world. It must be comfortable and safe to be protected by someone like him.

"Wow… he's nice," Zerikyu said, then squinted. "But… It's strange, why is there a mass of black energy surrounding him?"

I just left that strange boy.

Time seemed to pass as fast as the curtain was drawn. The concert lasted for three hours non-stop, precisely this afternoon. Meanwhile, my work was only finished around seven in the evening.

Oh, one more job left: carrying the last cardboard box containing the concert confetti. Since the papers would be recycled, I had them in the hall.

“Tiger … ah …!”

My heart skipped a beat as I reached the doorway. Because of a ghost? Not. I can't see two ghosts at the same time. So, I'm sure the two silhouettes in the darkness are human.

"Ah! Tiger, I can't breathe," the woman whispered, "loosen up."

"Calm down, Love. Are you afraid that we will die today?"

Moans answered each other. The table legs creaked quickly. My back pressed against the wall. The two people were lost in love, but I was the nervous one here. A new cut was imprinted on my heart.

I was stupid to think I deserved to like someone like Tiger. Of course, he was destined to be paired with a star. They were not ordinary people.

Forget about sudden heartbreak. The fact that my five senses caught the biggest scandal of the century would automatically put me in a difficult position. If I were hooked, my life would be over.

However, curiosity writhed against common sense. Even a crazy idea crossed my mind; should I record it to blackmail them? The family debt was still very branched.

"I don't want to invite bad karma for Arthemisya."

Tiger's words and his sincere gaze came back to me. Oh, damn. How can I be responsible for someone else's bad karma? I decided to look away from the hot sight.

"OH, NO!"

My back leg is hooked over my front leg. Instantly, my knees and body thudded against the floor. Confetti was sure to fly, raining down on the poor girl who was busy groaning.

"WHO IS THERE?"

The atmosphere suddenly became quiet. There was no sound except for the zipper being pulled up and the hurried footsteps approaching. With all my strength, I jogged while dragging my limping steps along the corridor.

"Hey, wait!" Tiger shouted as the ringing echoed through the hallway. "Damn it! Who else is calling?"

"I'll catch her."

Coming around a bend, I took the opportunity to peek. Tiger did not give chase. Instead, he hurried off in the opposite direction. Meanwhile, Misya quickly marked my back and followed.

A blind eye always leads to a dead end. I had no choice but to enter the last door, which turned out to be a door to the balcony. I grabbed my shoulder-length hair, which was damaged from being dyed purple too often.

I knew it wasn't important.

The problem was that even necessary things, such as running away, were not done.

Arthemisya had planted her feet on the balcony where I was standing. I stepped back to the edge of the barrier, lowering my head with a sigh of resignation.

"You don't have to worry. I promise I won't reveal anything," I said.

Artemisya snorted. "How much money would it take to erase it from your memory?

Would you be willing if I did something to your brain?"

My eyes narrowed in surprise. This was the first time I had seen a popular pop star speak so rudely. "What do you mean?"

"One of us has to die!" She snapped, folding arms across her chest. She stepped forward as if telling me to jump from a thousand feet.

"Are you crazy?" I asked, "Aren't you even your boss's lover? He's not an ordinary person. He'll do anything to cover up a scandal."

"No!" Misya interrupted, "This is what Tiger has been waiting for. He will be happier and imprison my life."

"Don't you love him?" I was stunned, suddenly feeling the urge to help the woman who needed help. "Did Tiger do something bad to you? You can't get away from him?"

"I love him. I love him so much! But he doesn't. He's too sick to love me, and it's hard for me to let go of him… no, you'll never understand because you're not me," Misya wailed, "what's clear is, he'll use you. So, there's no other way. You have to die!"

Like a storm, Misya ran with one hand outstretched when she was about to reach my chest. Luckily, I quickly dodged to the side. As a result, Misya was already pushing the empty wind and lost her balance. Half of her body passed through the iron bars first before finally jumping.

"Nooo!"

The terrible bang seemed to explode the contents of the head. Arthemisya died on the spot, coincidentally with the back of a hooded man who ran helter-skelter from the balcony.

Everything happened quickly.

But one thing is for sure.

Earl Zerikyu is the hooded man. He is the key to all these impossible things.

"Can I meet him again later?"