CHAPTER 307: FIRE AND ASH FAMILIA (3)

With curly red hair parted in the middle and slightly slicked back, exposing an expressionless face with features that could only be described as strikingly handsome, especially with dark shadows intensifying the green eyes, a pin-striped double-breasted red suit with matching red pocket square and formal shoes, red leather gloves, and a bold, black, and gold cane that had intricate carvings throughout, Ari looked like a young mafia boss stepping onto the red carpet.

In fact, the entire group looked like a mafia group.

Levi, with a silvery sheen to his buzz cut, was dressed in a black double-breasted suit with silver pinstripes.

With his sharp, non-smiling features, dark sunglasses, and a cane held over his shoulder as if it were a club, he looked like an enforcer ready to beat up anyone who was causing trouble.

Jamie was also dressed in a similar style to Levi, with his blonde hair neatly pulled back into the half-up, half-down style he seemed to like, with some braids threaded throughout.

His usual, bright, sunshinelike smile was gone as he looked around with the dark sunglasses on his head, and he leaned on his cane occasionally.

Alfonso was also dressed in the same style suit, except his pin stripes were a dark red, which matched the red details in his glasses. His wavy, long hair was brushed back, and as he glanced around, he gave the impression of the head of intelligence scoping the scene.

Choi Woobin had on the same style suit as Alfonso and had the same imposing look on his face.

Ari, of course, looked eye-catching in red, but it was another person who was clearly the main focus of the team outfits.

Justin, the theater kid known for his wild, fluffy brown hair, crazy ideas, and high energy, looked completely different from the rest of his team.

Dressed in an ash colored suit with a red pocket square, he stood out from the other dark colored suits of his teammates, but that wasn’t all.

Resting on his shoulders was an impressively large red and black faux fur coat, draped on his shoulders and just brushing the floor.

With silver streaks added to his temples and lightly threaded throughout his slicked back hair, intense makeup, and a black and gold cane that he leaned on heavily as he limped down the red carpet with the rest of his teammates, he gave off the distinguished look of an older gentleman.

Almost like a godfather-like figure.

Justin walked slowly in the center of the group as if he were being escorted, with Ari supporting him from one side, and it was almost like a scene you would see in a movie where the patriarch or boss of a family was surrounded by his underlings.

In the chat window that Grace briefly glanced at, she could see the previously sluggish comments flying at a fast speed now that Ari had appeared.

└ Stylist Noona, you’re a god

└ This looks so amazing. I love suits on tall men and the fact that they’re not wearing the same thing, but they’re clearly coordinated. Chef’s kiss.

└└ I agree. The stylists need to come get their baddie chains

└ Has that person actually added weight after the whole thing went down? Wow. He’s a psychopath with no remorse.

└ Look at him, daring to show his face here. Quit and apologize to the PRINCE!

└ I hate to admit it, but that violent French thug looks good here

└└ You can call him a lot of things, but ugly is not one of them. I have to stan.

└└└ He’s a criminal!

└└└└ idc he’s hot!

└└ It sucks because the outside is so pretty, but the inside is so ugly.

└└ the red hair black hair

└└ Don’t praise him! He should be ashamed of himself and repent by quitting. Instead, here he is looking like he’s been eating and sleeping well without a care in the world. He’s even getting fat! Meanwhile, my sweet prince is losing weight and suffering.

└ They look like a mafia or a vampire family, and Justin looks like the patriarch.

└└ Why is Justin limping?

└└└ Maybe he got hurt during practice? It happens.

└ With these outfits, I can’t wait to see the performance! It’s sure to be delicious!

└└ They need to hurry and go to Chloé Laurent. I want to see her roast their outfits like everybody else’s!

"Wow. Ari looks even more handsome than the last time I saw him. Give the hairstylist and the wardrobe stylist a raise, please. Red is absolutely his color." Rachel gasped as she stared at Ari’s face, which looked slightly fuller and more mature due to the makeup style that hadn’t been seen since his pirate performance.

It was precisely her taste, and she couldn’t help but screenshot it for her next homescreen.

"He looks like a devil. A handsome devil here to seduce me to hell with him, and the answer is yes. I love it so much, I have to make him a Lafufu doll with this outfit." Justine whispered to herself.

Her collection of Lafufu’s had now grown since she customized each one to match Ari’s performance outfits, and she had even made a couple of sales to interested fans who messaged her.

One day, she hoped to be able to gift the entire collection to Ari.

"I guess he looks decent. I wonder what song they’re performing." Grace glanced over their outfits with an approving eye before focusing on the booing that she could hear from the red carpet stream as Ari and the rest posed for their photos.

*******

- Booooooooooooooooooo!

- You should quit Ariel!

- Quit, you violent animal.

- Ariel, Quit! Ariel, Quit!

Amidst the yelled orders from the photographers, several boos and chanted insults rang out from some fans who had arrived early, causing Justin to look at Ari with a pale face.

"Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn’t I be okay?" Ari whispered back with a calm expression.

"They’re...booing you and saying mean stuff?"

"So? I don’t really care. I have more serious things to be concerned about."

Like how he was going to magically get a childhood photo of himself posted to complete one of the surprise mission tasks.

At the rate things were going, it seemed like he might fail.

"But..."

"Trust me. I don’t care, and I’m not going to blow up. I’m actually more worried about you guys. Are you okay? You’re going to get a lot of hate because you’re grouped with me."

"I mean...there’s nothing we can do about it."

"That’s fair. Hmmm..." Ari thought for a moment before glancing behind him.

"Woobin, come support Justin."

As the Korean boy switched places with him, Ari planned on heading to the end of the line after Jamie, so he could be easily cropped out if needed, but Jamie refused to cooperate, no matter how many times he tried to walk around him.

"Oi. Scoot next to Justin and let me stand after you."

"No," Jamie replied stubbornly.

"James Jones the third, move."

"No. Just stand there. We’re a team for better or worse." Jamie harshly whispered back, stubbornly, while grabbing his arm and forcibly squishing him against Justin and Woobin.\

Ari: ಠ_ಠ

Jamie: •̀ ᴖ •́

Is this how you treat your team leader?

Is this teenage rebellion?

Have you hit your rebellious stage?

Is this how parents feel when their kids grow up?

Not willing to fight on the carpet but vowing to get Jamie back later, Ari stared at the photographers while ignoring the things he could hear people yelling.

"Alright, your photos are done! Get out of the way!!"

As the main photographer in the front ushered them away from the backdrop, Levi led their team down the red carpet past several dressed-up people performing interviews in front of cameras.

Not really sure exactly where they were going, Ari spotted a group of the Pop Star Academy contestants speaking to a woman in a dress standing in front of a camera, and their group headed that way with Levi in the lead.

When they arrived-

"Hello, boys. Pop Star Academy contestants?"

"Yes!!!"

"Yes, we are."

"Wonderful!" She quickly handed over two extra microphones, which made it into his and Justin’s hands.

"I’m Anna, interviewing the contestants. I have to say I love your outfits. The sunglasses, the canes, the coat! Wow! You all look so cool! It’s currently live, and there are many people in the chat, so please wave hello to the watchers at home."

"Thank you. Hello."

"Thanks. Hi."

"Hello at home!"

They all temporarily broke character to wave and smile at the camera before putting on their serious faces again, causing the chat to blow up.

└ hi!

└ cutie Jamie. You’re not meant to be serious. Smile again! Smile!

└ ugh, get him out of my screen.

"Of course. How does it feel to be here on the carpet today? Are you excited about the performance?"

"Yes! I, I mean, we are very excited! We worked really hard to show you our good sides!" Justin excitedly spoke into the microphone, and seeing that he was doing well, Ari just nodded along at appropriate moments.

"I’m sure you will. Now back to these cool outfits, could you tell us which song you’ll be performing and what energy you’re channeling, or is that a secret?"

Justin glanced over at Ari, who shook his head subtly.

"It’s a secret! However, it’s related to our outfits."

"Ohhh? Even though I’m the interviewer, I really want to guess. You’re giving me mafia vibes, but your colour palette is more volcanic than dark. Does your song have anything to do with fire? Am I close?"

"Yes!"

"Well, there are several songs with fire in them that could be performed today. World on Fire by BTZ. Girl on Fire by Red Roses. Phoenix by Dozen. Standing Next to You by Golden Generation."

"Gasp!"

As Jamie gasped loudly, his face revealing the answer, the interview clapped happily.

"Oh? Was I right? You’re performing Standing Next to You by Golden Generation?!"

└ They spoiled it

└ Jamie’s face can’t hide anything lol

└ He looks so guilty.

The entire team turned to look at Ari with a guilty expression, and with a sigh, Ari raised the microphone to his lips.

"No."

"Really?"

"It’s not."

The interviewer didn’t look like she believed him at all, but decided to move on.

"Alright, I’ll believe you. Then, one last quest-"

"Hey, you! French boy with the red hair!" somebody yelled out loudly, stopping the interviewer mid-word.

Ari glanced over to see a girl with a tiara shoving her way through people while walking along the barricade that kept people out.

She was glaring and pointing at him despite people trying to speak with her, while others moved out of the way from embarrassment.

"Don’t you feel ashamed to still be here after assaulting another contestant?"

Nope. Not at all.

You should be ashamed for acting like this, though, but to each their own.

Seeing that it was just some nonsensical William fan, Ari ignored her and turned back to the interviewer.

"Did you still want to ask us a question, or can we leave?"

"Oh, you can leave. Thank you for stopping by. Good luck with your performance today."

"Thanks. Alright boys let’s go. Guard the precious package so he doesn’t get more injured," Ari joked, but instead of surrounding Justin, for some reason, Ari found himself sandwiched between Jamie and Levi.

In contrast, Woobin and Alfonso sandwiched Justin and began to hoof it.

They were so close that his and Jamie’s canes kept colliding as they moved forward as a unit.

"Wrong person. We’re supposed to get Justin."

"No."

"..."

"Hey! I’m talking to you. You sure got a lot of nerve showing up here." The shrill voice continued yelling.

So do you, and thank you.

My middle name is actually ’Nerves of Steel.’

"Did you even apologize to the prince? Huh?"

Why would I apologize to that blonde prick? I want to punch him a few more times in the face!

"Hey!"

My name is not Hey.

Speaking of which, is it really okay to be yelling like that and pushing others?

You’re making the crowd mad.

How irresponsible.

Where’s security?

The shrill voice continued yelling at him, but with his usual habit of letting information that he had no interest in enter one ear and fly out the other, Ari continued walking in the uncomfortable human sandwich while wondering why there was another crowd ahead.

Even from a distance, he felt as if he could hear a slightly familiar voice.

It was a gratingly sharp tone that was insulting someone whom he had heard all of his childhood.

"Hey, I’m talking to you! Pay attention!"

"Let’s go over there and see what the fuss is about."

"Shouldn’t we go inside. She sounds and looks crazy. What if she tries to hurt you?" Jamie whispered

"Her? I doubt it." Ari poked his head out behind Levi’s back to look at the tiara-wearing girl, and as soon as he made eye contact with her, she cocked her arm back and threw something at him.

"I told you not to ignore me! Let’s see how much you like getting hit in the face, you animal!"

"Duck!"

As Ari tried to pull Levi down, the cane, which had been resting on Levi’s shoulder like a bat, swung at the object and sent it flying back to hit her chest and burst open, splashing a dark yellow liquid all over her and the people around her.

"Eek! How could you?"

- ughhh gross

- disgusting!

- Is that pee?

As the people around the girl fled while screaming, security finally began heading toward the girl, Levi clicked his tongue.

"Tsk. Missed."

"It hit her?"

"Face."

"My mom said that you shouldn’t hit girls in the face, no matter what. Well, you shouldn’t hit them at all, but especially not in the face."

"She shouldn’t throw things at people’s faces."

"You know what, that’s fair."

The three of them stood there, wondering if they should wait for security to ask them questions, but after several seconds with no contact, Ari just shrugged.

"Let’s go look at the crowd. I think I know the voice."

"Inside."

"After I see who it is. Promise."

Forced into being the center of the human sandwich once more, Ari moved toward the crowd gathered in a loose circle around someone sitting down.

The closer he got, the more familiar the speaking voice was.

"Ohhhh, I was right. It is Chloé. Let me go."

With a genuine smile, Ari pushed his way through until he was right in front of an old lady sitting on a chair, speaking coldly to William, who was standing off to the side.

Without a care in the world, he interrupted the tirade that he knew could go on forever.

"Chloé. Ça va?"

The woman turned her head to look at the figure dressed in red standing before her, and her eyes widened almost imperceptibly.

Although she had seen several photos of him online, seeing him in person was a different experience.

He was much taller and slimmer than she remembered, his face was less round, and of course, his hair was red instead of black.

But those catlike eyes curved in a mischievous expression were the same as when he was a child, and of course, he spoke as rudely as ever.

"Chou chou."

It was a much gentler tone than she had used all day, causing the people who expected a sharp tone to do a double-take.

The surprise continued as she stood up from her chair to walk over, embrace him, and kiss both his cheeks.

"Ouais. What are you doing here?" Ari asked even as he accepted the surprisingly gentle contact.

Internally, he was quite surprised.

There was no insult, no comment on his rudeness, no insult towards his mother, and she even hugged him?

She was being so kind that it was weird.

Had old age actually mellowed the beast?

After releasing him, Chloe looked him up and down with a highly judgmental expression and began nagging and insulting him all in one go.

"Ouais? What have I told you about being rude? And I said that I was coming, so what kind of question is that? What is that atrocious outfit that you’re wearing? It’s quite bad. This material is shabby, the color barely goes with your skin tone, and the tailoring is barely tolerable only because you have long limbs, although they’re quite...spindly. And I use the term tolerable, generously. Overall, you look like a blood clot. Who dressed you? They need to be sent to the guillotine."

Ari: ಠ_ಠ

Ah.

There it was.

This was Chloé, not some other person.

Kind?

Mellow with age?

It was he who was delusional.

There was no way she could be kind for more than 0.2 seconds.

The saying old ginger is spicier existed just for her.

[This woman.]

[I like her a lot.]