1. Peace? Raon Doesn't Know Her.
Raon should've known the universe hated her.
After the absurd Pitchforked Pose Battle, she was this close to escaping the studio.
One foot out the door.
One hand reaching for freedom.
One brain cell chanting "snacks, snacks, snacks."
Shion tugged her sleeve.
"Raon, maybe if we leave quietly, the director won't—"
The lights snapped off.
Then on.
Then off again.
Then strobes.
Raon froze.
Shion froze.
Yuno froze.
The Pitchfork Trio screamed because they thought they were under attack.
Then—
BAM.
Spotlights converged onto the director, who now stood dramatically atop a rolling crane, arms spread, scarf flapping even though there was no wind.
"YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD LEAVE!?" he thundered.
Raon whispered, "…I did hope."
"HOPE IS FOR THE WEAK!"
"Okay."
Raon turned to Shion. "He's gone full anime villain."
"He was always like this," Shion whispered back.
---
2. The New Curse Begins
The director descended like a theatrical angel of chaos.
"You think the photoshoot is finished? No! No no no!"
He snapped his fingers.
Drone-cameras swarmed like metal mosquitoes.
"We are entering—"
Raon braced herself.
"THE EPIC COVER ARC!"
Everyone except the director groaned in perfect synchronization.
---
3. The Director's Vision Is (Unfortunately) Large
He rolled out a massive blueprint—
Nearly smacking Raon in the face with it.
On it was a truly unhinged sketch:
Raon punching a meteor
Shion riding a drone like a surfboard
The Pitchfork Trio doing… something???
Maestro Dome in the sky for no reason
Explosions
More explosions
A tiger?
Raon punching the tiger?
The tiger punching back??
Raon pointed.
"What is that."
"A TIGER OF DRAMATIC ENERGY!" the director shouted.
"What is that," Raon pointed again.
"A SECOND TIGER!"
Raon sighed. "Why two?"
"SYMMETRY!"
---
4. Raon Is Forced Into Acting
"Positions!" the director screamed.
Raon tried to back away.
A drone blocked her.
"Raon, please," Shion whispered. "If you don't do it, the director might explode."
"I can take an explosion."
"You can't take the guilt."
Raon froze, horrified. "Ugh, fine."
She took her mark.
The director jabbed a finger at her.
"Emotion!"
Raon blinked. "…What kind?"
"ALL OF THEM."
Raon stared deadpan at the camera.
"More emotion!"
Raon widened her eyes slightly.
"MORE!"
Raon flared her nostrils.
"MORE!!"
Raon screamed at full volume.
The director wept.
"That… that was art."
---
5. The Tiger Problem
"Release the tigers!" the director commanded.
Raon froze.
"…You brought actual tigers?"
The assistant director whispered: "No sir, production said absolutely no live animals after the Alligator Disaster."
"THEN USE THE HOLOGRAM TIGERS!"
Two massive glowing tigers materialized with such realistic detail that Raon took a fighting stance purely out of reflex.
Shion clung to her arm.
"Raon don't! They cost more than the building!"
Raon reluctantly dropped the stance.
The Pitchfork Trio tried to pet the holograms and got digitally mauled.
Yuno sighed.
"They deserve that."
---
6. Explosion Time
"Cue the background detonations!"
Raon's eyes widened.
"Wait, is that safe—"
BOOM
BOOOOM
BOOOOOOOOOM
The set shook.
Lights flickered.
A coffee machine died instantly.
Maestro Dome yelled from across the room, "I WAS FLOATING THERE!!"
Meanwhile Raon stood in the center of the chaos, hair blasting upward from the shockwave, face dead serious.
The director screamed with joy.
"YES! YES!! THIS IS THE POSTER OF DESTINY!"
---
7. But Then… Then… He Goes Too Far
The director climbed another crane.
"And now—the FINAL SHOT!"
Raon gulped.
Shion held her hands in prayer.
"What's the final shot?" Raon whispered.
The director pointed straight at her.
"You…"
He paused for drama.
"WILL KICK THE SUN."
Raon stared.
Shion stared.
Everyone stared.
"…Sir," Maestro Dome said, "how—"
"WITH GREEN SCREEN!!!"
Raon pinched the bridge of her nose.
"I'm going home."
"You can't!" the director gasped.
"This is the climax of the Comedic Arc!"
Raon turned to Shion.
"Can I kick him?"
Shion considered it.
Thought seriously.
"…Only a little."
---
8. The Final Photo Is… a Disaster
They tried to recreate Raon "kicking the sun" using a combination of:
green screen
wind cannons
four angry drones
chroma key shoes
a sun lamp that kept overheating
and the Pitchfork Trio providing "sun flares" by swinging sparkler sticks
The result:
Raon's hair ignited for a few seconds
Shion had to ice her eyebrows
The Trio set off a fire alarm
The building evacuated
The sprinklers ruined the equipment
The "sun" exploded
But the director did not stop.
He held up the camera after the chaos, weeping.
"We got it."
Raon looked at the preview.
It was blurry, off-centered, half-covered in smoke—
She whispered:
"…I look kinda cool, though."
---
9. Aftermath
The studio was flooded.
Everyone was soaked.
The Pitchfork Trio slipped repeatedly.
Maestro Dome was floating miserably under a sprinkler.
Shion squeezed water out of her ponytail.
"Raon… I think we made it."
Raon leaned on her.
"Tired. Need nap. Need snacks. Preferably snacks first."
Shion smiled faintly.
"We survived."
"Barely."
"True."
---
END OF CHAPTER 68