CHAPTER 68: A CHANCE ENCOUNTER

Joshua woke up once again from a dream he couldn’t quite remember.

Nine, who seemed always to be watching by his side, appeared when he stirred. Seeing Joshua’s trembling hands, Nine frowned slightly.

[Another nightmare? Don’t be afraid.]

A dry, almost mechanical attempt at comfort.

Joshua stared blankly at his hands. A nightmare? What was so terrifying about that dream? In it, someone had promised to protect him for life. He should’ve been happy... not like this.

He lay in a daze, suddenly raising both hands and rubbing his face frantically. His soft cheeks were kneaded into all sorts of shapes, like a pair of squishy buns.

Nine was taken aback. Before he could say anything, Joshua sprang up from the bed, kicked the blanket aside, clenched his fist, and declared loudly, "It’s just a dream or two! I can’t even remember what happened after waking up—let’s go find something tasty to eat!"

Seeing Joshua like that, Nine finally felt a bit more at ease, though he still muttered,

[You look like you’re about to start a disco dance.]

Joshua ignored him. He jumped out of bed, humming some unfamiliar tune while brushing his teeth, washing his face, taking a quick shower, and getting dressed.

"Hat, mask, sunglasses. Nine, guess what I’m missing?" Joshua asked, looking at his reflection in the mirror.

Nine snorted.

[You could ask the magic mirror instead.]

"If I’m this covered up, you think the magic mirror would even recognize me?" Joshua played along with a grin.

He pushed up his glasses and slipped out the door, a gleaming card in hand—the Hapsah Bakery’s One Year of Free Cakes pass.

Once in the car, Joshua finally had time to scroll through the internet—and froze in surprise.

The tide online had shifted entirely.

Henry had come forward to clarify everything, and the show’s production team had also condemned the false accusations made by that so-called former trainee. Meanwhile, information about Joshua was unearthed—his name didn’t appear in the school records that the "old classmate" had mentioned.

Almost instantly, the accuser was besieged by Joshua’s fans. Of course, there were still a few lingering doubts about Joshua’s academic background, but after everything that had happened, his fans only loved him more deeply than before—so much so that their hearts ached for him.

[I told you, Joshua has to exist, and somehow he still gets dragged into all this!]

[The ranking votes are almost over—if my baby drops in rank, I’ll kill someone aaaaa!]

[He will definitely drop; fans got shaken by all that mess. Some of them still aren’t strong enough yet. Anyway, next time we can’t let rumors like this mess with us again.]

[Joshua, sweetheart, I wonder if he’s seen all this online.]

[Of course he has! Damn it, my boy doesn’t even have a company yet. They always pick on the weak ones!]

Joshua lowered his gaze, fingers gently brushing across the phone screen as if stroking his angry, protective fans. He murmured, "They’re upset on my behalf, Nine."

Nine looked at Joshua’s expression and couldn’t help but feel a pang of irritation. He’d gotten angry on Joshua’s behalf countless times, yet Joshua had never looked at him like that.

He snorted coldly.

[If you’re so grateful, work hard to become the center!]

"I’m already doing my best. Whether I become the center or not still depends on the fans’ support," Joshua replied softly.

He tilted his head, staring at the screen. It was strange—these people, who had never even met him in real life, somehow still carried a place for him in their hearts.

"They must be really adorable," Joshua said with a quiet smile.

Nine clicked his tongue.

[And how would you know that?]

"Because their idol is this adorable," Joshua said, shamelessly praising himself for the first time.

He was wholly immersed in the warmth of his fans’ love, paying no attention to anything else.

Nine made a face as if disgusted, then quickly retreated to the internet.

[The Wolf Doesn’t Eat Meat]: I’m sure Joshua’s super touched by all our love right now!

[Love is X]: Wolf’s here again—what’s he even talking about this time? How do you know?

[The Wolf Doesn’t Eat Meat]: I’m right beside him, hahaha. You guys could never understand this feeling. He even calls me senpai!

[I hate Veggies]: Wolf-chan, don’t worry, I’ve called an ambulance for you. God, youth really is a disease. I hope this delusion’s curable.

[Joshua 1st Support]: Hahaha I’m dying, let him delulu in peace, everyone deserves to delulu sometimes.

[Love is X]: You guys don’t get it—every time I say "Foby is real," Wolf says "delulu is a disease," so let’s strip him of his delulu rights!

[Yellow Cloud]: Storm’s barely passed, and you degenerates are already back to cracking jokes, huh?!

[The Wolf Doesn’t Eat Meat]: I’m not delulu, I’m telling the truth!

Nine typed furiously, full of energy—losing a fan war for the first time, yet oddly not upset about it.

When he happily returned, he saw Joshua sitting with his head bowed, both hands covering his face.

[Are you crying again?]

Joshua had lowered his sunglasses by then, hiding every trace of emotion from his face.

"It’s just... I’m a little moved, that’s all. You know me—my emotions always overflow so easily," Joshua said casually.

Nine showed no mercy, mocking him at once.

[What a weakling. As expected, you need someone strong like me by your side. I’ve never shed a single tear in my entire life!]

"Oh, please, Nine, amazing, truly admirable," Joshua replied flatly, his insincere voice almost dripped sarcasm. But Nine couldn’t find a comeback; in the end, he just sulked and turned away, pretending not to care anymore.

Joshua gave an innocent look. By this point, he’d already arrived at Hapsah Bakery, and Nine wouldn’t be getting back into his thoughts anytime soon.

Although he’d had the bakery’s free cake card for quite a while, this was Joshua’s first visit to Hapsah. As soon as he exited the car, the first thing that caught his eye was the glass display case glowing under soft yellow lights. Inside, rows upon rows of beautifully decorated cakes filled the case—small and large, each bursting with color.

Even outside, Joshua could smell the rich, buttery sweetness of cream wafting through the air.

His eyes lit up. Practically floating on his steps, he followed the scent into the shop.

The shop attendant looked up, slightly startled by the fully covered figure entering the store, but her professional smile didn’t falter.

She began introducing the various cakes, but Joshua’s gaze had already locked onto one in particular—a two-tier cake frosted in white and pink, decorated with candy flowers, and most importantly, topped with slices of snowpeach.

A snowpeach-flavored cake!

There was no room for hesitation.

"I’ll take that one."

"Wrap that one up for me."

Two voices spoke at once. Joshua instinctively turned toward the sound—and met the gaze of the person who had spoken.

Arthur looked momentarily surprised, then smiled. That same refined, gentle smile as always—the kind that could melt anyone it was aimed at. "What a coincidence. Looks like fate wants us to meet again."

It really was a coincidence, Joshua thought. Of all the cakes on display, they had chosen the same one.

The last time Joshua had seen Arthur was when he’d left Shining Path without a word—vanishing like a breeze. That final glimpse of him had been among the trees.

Joshua looked at Arthur, then back at the cake, murmuring to Nine, "He’s smiling like that... I’d be a sinner if I still fight him for this cake."

Nine: [...]

Nine: [Be honest with me—Arthur’s your type, isn’t he?]