Chương 39: Stellaris

Ch 39 - Stellaris After spending a day and a night in the infirmary, Evan and Hiroto were finally allowed to leave. Honestly, it felt like an unnecessary precaution on the Academy physician's part. Reid had already healed them completely, and it wasn't as though they would suddenly drop dead from a little lightning. The Academy Festival had continued without issue despite the explosive events that kicked off the first and second day.

The remaining students still competed in their matches, although, judging by Carmen's endless rambling, the audience had noticeably thinned out after Evan, Hiroto, and Reika's battle concluded. After taking a long shower, Evan turned his phone back on. As expected, the screen was flooded with missed calls. His eyebrows rose as he scrolled through the list, most of them from publicly listed business numbers. Carmen hadn't been exaggerating.

Reporters and media outlets were practically lining up for an interview, but Evan had no intention of speaking to any of them. Mixed in among the unfamiliar numbers were a few names he actually recognized, most notably Marcus and Yuyan. Just as Evan was debating whether to return their calls, Marcus's name flashed across the screen again. The moment he answered, a familiar shout burst through the speaker.

"Evan!"

"Has screaming the moment someone picks up become a trend or something?" Evan asked.

"No, don't change the subject! What the heck did you just do?!" Marcus exclaimed.

"And why weren't you answering any of our calls?" Yuyan added from the speaker. Judging from the chatter in the background, the two of them were at school.

"I figured I'd be getting bombarded with calls," Evan said as he sat down on the bed.

"So I've been blocking them all and barely checking my phone."

"Yeah, no kidding! Who in their right mind challenges an A-rank?!" Yuyan said.

"I've already had enough people lecturing me about that. Besides, didn't I win?"

"We watched the match!" Marcus said excitedly.

"It was amazing! I didn't know you could move like that."

"It's all over NovaTube and ClipTok," Yuyan cut in.

"There's no way to avoid it. More importantly, how much money did you burn throwing around all those magic crystals? Since when are you rich?"

"It wasn't my money," Evan replied.

"It belonged to Hiroto, the other guy who fought with me."

"Ah, the Thunder Wolf's son. That makes sense," Marcus said. Glancing at the papers on his desk, Evan suddenly remembered something.

"By the way, I got Junhao's and Selena's autographs. If you guys want them, I can send them over."

"You what?!" Yuyan shouted. A loud scuffle followed, which Evan assumed was Yuyan wrestling Marcus for the phone.

"How did you get those?! Wait... Junhao visited the Academy Festival, didn't he? Did your brother ask for them?"

"Yeah. Technically, I got Junhao's autograph a while ago. I only got Selena's yesterday," Evan replied, recalling Junhao's words before leaving the academy.

"It sort of slipped my mind to ask Selena for her autograph, so here you go!" the man had said with a grin as he shoved the signed paper into Evan's hands.

"Are you sure you aren't actually from District 1?" Marcus muttered.

"It's only been, what, a month? And you're already shaking hands with S-ranks."

"They're interested in my brother, not me," Evan said.

"I'm just his F-rank little brother."

"That excuse might've worked before you beat an A-rank and became an internet sensation," Yuyan replied.

"They'll move on eventually," Evan said with a shrug.

"Later they'll probably start saying it was just a fluke or that the match wasn't fair."

"Oh geez, since when did you become so good at raining on your own parade?" Yuyan said.

"Anyway, tell me more about Junhao! What was he like? He's cool, right? What did you guys talk about? Come on, tell me!" Evan humored Marcus and Yuyan's endless questions until the two were forced to end the call when their class began. Unlike the Central Awakener Academy, their old school wasn't holding a festival, so classes continued as usual. When the call ended, Evan glanced out the window and watched the crowds milling about in the distance. It was the third and final day of the festival.

A few matches were still left to be held, after which the event would conclude with a series of performances that would last until the evening. He briefly considered going outside but quickly dismissed the idea. After the stunt he had pulled the day before, there was no doubt countless people would recognize him the moment he showed his face. Deciding it wasn't worth the trouble, Evan settled back onto his bed with his Orion Deck.

Before he knew it, the afternoon had given way to early evening, and he only looked up when his phone suddenly rang.

"Do you want to go watch the performance?" Hiroto asked. A refusal was already on the tip of Evan's tongue, but he stopped himself.

"Why?" he asked instead.

"Are you a fan of Stellaris? Didn't think you were an Astra."

"I'm not!" Hiroto quickly denied.

"It's just... um... Ms. Lim sang one of the OSTs for a game I like, so I figured I might be able to get her autograph today."

"Oh, so you need moral support," Evan said. Despite his teasing, he was already climbing out of bed and walking over to his wardrobe to change into something more suitable.

"Fine, but we'd better hide our identities unless you want us to get mobbed."

"Thanks!" Hiroto replied. Putting on a hoodie and mask, Evan headed out of his room and met Hiroto in the atrium. The other boy was similarly disguised, with his hood pulled over a baseball cap and a black mask covering the lower half of his face. Standing next to each other, Evan realized their attempt at hiding their identities might have actually made them stand out more. Still, it wasn't as if they could return to their rooms and change now. If things went badly, they could always remove the masks later.

Hopefully, nobody would mistake them for suspicious figures planning some kind of trouble. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. The two made their way toward the festival grounds, and the closer they got, the more crowded the campus became. Students and their families wandered between the various stalls, making the most of the festival's final day.

Most, however, had gathered around the entertainment stage in the academy's central plaza, where several performers were already onstage. The main attraction, the rising idol group Stellaris, had yet to appear. They stopped by a few food vendors and ended up buying something from the cooking club's booth, the same one Reid had been helping with. A considerable line had formed in front of it, though Evan wasn't sure whether people were there for the food or simply because they wanted to see Reid.

When they finally reached the front, his brother saw through their disguises but only smiled and chose not to expose them. After getting their food and drinks, the two made their way toward the plaza. As expected, it was already packed with attendees eager for the evening's performances. Evan had never been particularly interested in idols or musicians, and in his previous life, attending a concert had been well beyond his budget. They found two seats near the back and ate while the performances unfolded on stage.

One act after another took the spotlight, from solo vocalists to well-known bands, each greeted by deafening cheers from the crowd. As dusk gave way to night, the stage lights bathed the plaza in brilliant colors, and more spectators continued to pour in until every seat had been filled, leaving latecomers to watch from wherever they could find space.

"Hey, can I sit there?" A male student pointed to the empty seat between Evan and Hiroto.

"Nope. It's taken," Evan replied.

"Since when can you reserve seats?"

"Since I said so." The student looked ready to argue, but before he could say another word, Reid finally joined them.

"Sorry I'm late," he said.

"The stall got really busy all of a sudden." The moment the student recognized Reid, his expression froze.

"Is there a problem?" Reid asked.

"N-No. Nothing." The student hurried away without another word. Evan gestured toward the empty chair, and Reid took the seat.

"So Stellaris is performing next?" he asked.

"Why? Don't tell me you're a fan too," Evan said, shooting him an incredulous look.

"No," Reid replied.

"But I did hear some news about the group's leader."

"Something interesting?" Evan asked. He hadn't been able to pay much attention to anything else lately. Between making sure his plans for the Academy Festival went smoothly and enduring Reid's endless, hellish training sessions, most of his waking hours had been occupied.

"Ms. Lim awakened not too long ago," Hiroto joined in.

"I heard she became an S-rank."

"She did?" Evan's eyes widened slightly.

"Yeah, but the interesting part is that she rejected the offer to study here and instead chose to join a small Awakener training facility," Reid explained.

"She also said she has no plans of becoming a licensed Awakener, so there's been quite a bit of noise and debate about it online," Hiroto added.

"Crazy," Evan muttered. So that was why everyone had been talking about the group lately. Still, it wasn't really Evan's concern. S-ranks didn't seem all that impressive when Reid was sitting right beside him. If his brother actually wanted to, he could reach the top whenever he pleased. Their conversation ended as the moment everyone had been waiting for finally arrived. The latest Rising Star idol group, Stellaris, took the stage.

Three young women stepped into the spotlight, their elegant silver-and-midnight-blue outfits shimmering beneath the lights. Evan studied the trio until his gaze settled on the woman with long, light brown hair. That should be Lim Yeon-ah. She didn't look like an S-rank in the slightest. Instead, she looked like any other idol, with a slender, graceful figure and a youthful appearance. A gentle melody filled the air as the performance began.

Their voices blended seamlessly, starting with soft harmonies before gradually building into a powerful chorus. Their movements flowed with the rhythm, shifting from graceful choreography during the quieter sections to sharp, synchronized steps as the music intensified. By the final chorus, the entire audience was singing along, their voices carrying throughout the academy grounds.

As someone who mostly listened to whatever music happened to appear in the shows and videos he watched, Evan could only conclude that Stellaris had put on a great performance. When the group finished their final song, however, the crowd's excitement only intensified as everyone waited expectantly for what came next.

"Hello, everyone! I think it's safe to say you all enjoyed Stellaris's performance. Just look at the excitement! I'm sure we have plenty of fans here today," Carmen said as she stepped back onto the stage.

"However, before everyone rushes to the autograph booth, there's one important thing to remember. Since the signing has limited slots, students who want to meet Stellaris will need to register first. After that, one hundred lucky students will be selected through a lottery!" Evan had signed up as well, mostly to improve Hiroto's odds. As expected, the moment he checked the results on his phone, he was greeted by the message: "Thank you for participating. Unfortunately, you were not selected." Figures.

Expecting luck to be on his side when he was literally cursed had been wishful thinking at best. Looking over, he found Hiroto staring at his own phone with slumped shoulders and a crestfallen expression. Apparently, luck hadn't been on his side either.

"I think I won," Reid said, holding up his phone. Displayed on the screen were the words Congratulations, along with his assigned number for the autograph session. Evan stared at the screen in disbelief. Somehow, Reid's ridiculous halo had worked its magic again. If there was a lucky draw within a hundred-mile radius, his brother was apparently destined to win it.

"Mr. Whitfield!" Hiroto exclaimed, his eyes widening as he looked between Reid's phone and his face with a pleading expression.

"Didn't I tell you to just call me Reid?" his brother said.

"Don't worry. I'll get you that autograph." And so Reid joined the lucky group of students who had the chance to meet Stellaris. Evan and Hiroto observed from a distance as Reid lined up and eventually got his turn to meet the three rising stars. Judging by the faint blushes on their faces, even these popular idols weren't immune to Reid's charm. His brother returned with signatures from all three members of Stellaris.

Hiroto accepted them with a grateful smile, even though Yeon-ah's was the only one he had originally wanted. Since the signing was expected to continue for a while and they had nothing else planned, the three returned to their rooms to get some rest. Thankfully, Evan was able to enjoy some much-needed downtime. He ignored the endless calls from reporters and finally got a full eight hours of sleep. Or at least, that had been the plan. His relaxing morning was ruined when someone started banging on his door.

Snapping his eyes open, Evan glared at the ceiling, cursing the person who dared disturb his precious sleep. He had half a mind to ignore them and pretend he wasn't there, but judging by the relentless knocking, it didn't seem like they were planning to stop anytime soon. With a tired sigh, Evan dragged himself out of bed and opened the door, fixing an annoyed look on the culprit standing outside. It was Carmen.

"Were you sleeping or in a coma?" Carmen asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"I've been calling you and banging on your door for ages."

"Maybe that should've been your hint to leave me alone," Evan muttered.

"Yeah, no. You're going to want to hear what I have to offer," Carmen said.

"If this is about appearing as a guest on your NovaTube channel, the answer is still no."

"Not that. Though I'm still annoyed you keep rejecting it," Carmen said with a sigh.

"No, my father wants to meet with you and your brother. He invited both of you to attend the Ruiz Foundation Gala."