The neon glow of Notte World deepened with the setting sun, the air thick with fried food, laughter, and the squeal of rides. Yet in the center plaza, the noise shifted—tilted—toward one single stage.
The Crystal TV opening concert.
Spotlights cut through the dusk, bathing the stage in blinding white. Crystal TV banners rippled from scaffolding, each one stamped with the sharp logo she had chosen herself.
Screens lined the plaza, ready to stream every second. This wasn't just an event for students on a trip—it was a public launch. An announcement.
And at the heart of it, she stood.
Crystal Choi.
The heir of Charles Choi. The CEO behind Crystal TV.
She stood poised at the wings of the stage, posture immaculate, her long hair catching the colored lights. To the crowd, she looked untouchable—like a star carved from marble. Every head that turned toward her saw only control.
But inside, the memory of the Ferris Wheel still lingered.
The Flash of Heat
His hand. His steady violet eyes. The way he leaned closer until her breath came short, her pride quivering in her throat.
She hadn't pulled away until the very last second.
Crystal's fingers tightened around the sleek tablet in her hands, its glassy surface reflecting her flawless mask.
How could she have let it happen? How could she have let herself tremble?
And worse—Yui's voice still echoed in her ears.
"See, Crystal? He only rewards loyalty."
Her nails bit into the tablet's edge.
That wasn't loyalty. That was servitude. Weakness. And yet he rewarded it, draping his jacket over Yui like a crown. Letting her cling to his side in front of everyone.
No. Crystal's lips curved faintly, but it wasn't a smile.
If Yui thought loyalty was her weapon, Crystal would turn it into a leash.
Crystal TV was her domain. Streamers lived and died by her platform.
Yui might have her fandom, her subscriptions, her pathetic devotion—but Crystal held the strings. Placements. Sponsorships. Algorithms. A thousand invisible threads.
A nudge here, a "mandatory project" there, and suddenly Yui would be buried in obligations. Streaming at the wrong hours. Overworked. Exhausted. Too drained to cling to his arm.
As for Zoe Park…
Crystal's gaze flicked toward the crowd below. Zoe stood out instantly, her grin sharp, her posture bold, her eyes always darting toward Seong Min. Reckless. Loud. Dangerous in her way. But not lasting.
Crystal had seen ambition like that before. It burned hot, but without discipline it burned out. She would test Zoe—pull her into Crystal TV's grind, watch if she endured. If she bent, fine. If she broke, even better.
The Concert Begins
The plaza swelled with students, tourists, even locals who had come for the spectacle. Phones lifted high. Excited chatter blended with the bass thrum of the speakers.
A boy-band idol group—Inspirit—leapt onto the stage, choreographed perfection flashing under the lights. The crowd roared, swept up instantly.
Crystal didn't cheer. She didn't even clap. She watched. Calculated. Every camera angle. Every transition. Every audience reaction. This wasn't entertainment for her—it was war.
And then she saw him.
Daniel Park, standing awkwardly at the edge of the crowd, shoulders hunched. Zoe waved dramatically, Mira leaned close to Zack, and Vasco shouted too loudly about how "cool" everything was. Daniel looked out of place.
But Soomi didn't think so.
Crystal noticed the Potato High girl drifting closer, her cheeks pink, her eyes sparkling like she'd seen her idol in flesh.
Pathetic. Crystal almost scoffed. These girls really did fall for the most superficial of reasons.
But Seonong Ham noticed too. His rage simmered from yards away, fists clenched at his sides as he watched Soomi ignore him completely. He muttered to his crew, his pride bleeding from every pore.
Crystal's eyes narrowed slightly. Pieces were moving.
Onstage, Inspirit's performance surged to its climax—until the lead singer's foot slipped. The routine faltered, the crowd gasped.
And then another voice cut in. Smooth, steady.
Oliver.
Daniel blinked in shock. His friend from his idol training from ptj. Standing onstage as if he belonged there.
The performance twisted, shifted, recovered under Oliver's voice. The crowd cheered louder than before, swept up in the drama of it.
But Crystal barely moved. She only tilted her head, analyzing. Oliver.
DG. The idol world—tangled with PTJ Entertainment. And now intertwined with her Crystal TV launch.
Perfect.
The stronger the storm, the more important her role became.
The stage lights cut.
Then flared again—revealing a figure the crowd wasn't expecting.
DG.
The air snapped. Screams tore from throats. Even the teachers froze.
The idol star stepped onto the stage with casual arrogance, his presence swallowing the plaza whole. He exchanged a few words with Oliver, then turned his gaze on Daniel.
"You," DG said, his smile sharp. "Come up here."
Gasps. Daniel froze. DG said to him "remember the moves from training"
But DG didn't wait. The crew pulled Daniel onstage, shoving a mic into his hands.
"do that."
Daniel's heart hammered, his voice cracked—but somehow, impossibly, he steadied. Notes stumbled at first, then found strength , and his moves became like a professional idol. The crowd roared, swept up in the underdog drama, the awkward boy thrust into the spotlight.
Crystal's eyes narrowed.
Interesting.
Crystal stood poised at the side, her face a perfect mask, but inside her thoughts whirled.
Seong Min leaned against a rail not far off, violet eyes locked not on DG, not on Oliver, not even on Daniel—but on her.
The memory of the Ferris Wheel hit again, sharper than before. His hand on her chin. His steady whisper. Her breath betraying her.
Her pride hissed at her to bury it. But she couldn't.
If Yui thought loyalty was enough. If Zoe thought boldness was enough. If Daniel thought kindness was enough.
Then she would prove something else.
That only a Queen could stand beside him.
That only she could match him move for move, piece for piece.
Away from the stage, Seonong Ham boiled over. His humiliation from Vasco's puke, his crush ignoring him, his pride shredded by Daniel's accidental spotlight—it all snapped.
He stormed into the bathroom with his crew, ready to scream into the mirrors.
But inside, another monster waited.
Logan Lee.
back to his old self. like a big Buddha. Eyes sunken but still burning with menace. He glanced at Seonong, cigarette dangling from his lips.
"Yo. Got any toilet paper?"
Seonong sneered. "You? You're nothing but a pig."
Logan's grin spread slow. "You picking a fight, country boy?"
It ended before it began.
Logan tore through them like paper, his bones cracking theirs, his blood staining their shirts. He used Seonong's own tracksuit as a rag, wiping himself clean before sauntering out.
Seonong wheezed on the tile, his pride shredded beyond repair.
And when he staggered back into the plaza, he collided with Zack Lee.
Zack's eyes narrowed when Seonong cursed Mira under his breath.
"You just cursed her?"
Zack's fist blurred. Seonong dropped. His crew scattered. Zack loomed, Mira's hand brushing his shoulder to steady him.
Crystal caught it all from the corner of her eye. Logan. Zack. Mira. Daniel. DG. Oliver. Yui. Zoe. Seong Min.
Pieces. All moving.
The crowd screamed as Daniel somehow held his own beside DG. Oliver smiled nervously. Teachers tried to herd students. Rumors exploded across group chats.
But Crystal barely heard any of it.
Her eyes locked once more with Seong Min's across the plaza.
This time, she didn't flinch.
This time, her vow crystallized fully.
If Yui wanted to cling, she would cut the strings.If Zoe wanted to boast, she would grind her down.If Daniel wanted kindness, she would expose its weakness.
And if Seong Min wanted someone worthy…
Then she would prove that only she could stand beside him.
Her reflection shimmered in the stage screens, flawless under neon light. The world cheered for idols, for fights, for chaos.
But Crystal Choi's vow drowned them all out.
The game with him has only just begun.
✨ End of Chapter 79✨