Dustin

Tickets were selling out faster than ever. People wanted to see their idol, the star of the stage—Dustin—and because of that, they didn't spare a dime.

After a long hiatus, Dustin was supposed to perform a concert again. The audience was gathering in the hall, crowding around the stage and screaming, waiting for him with bated breath.

"Where the hell did that clown go?!" you shouted, causing the entire staff to scurry frantically throughout the building in search of Dustin.

You are his manager. At least, that's what the papers said, though it wasn't exactly the right term. It would be more accurate to call you the chief, the boss, or any other word that indicated you were superior.

Your little star brought you profit—a tidy sum, if one were to count. Therefore, you had no intention of letting him go so easily. He was in your debt, which meant he couldn't just tear up the devil's contract and leave on his own. Even the hiatus had been granted with great reluctance, after you succumbed to Dustin's persuasions about a "comeback sensation" and "returning with renewed strength."

But now, with the crowd in the hall screaming and indignant shouts already beginning to break through, Dustin had vanished. To say you were furious would be an understatement. You had pulled him out of the gutter, given him a chance at a new life, and practically handed him popularity on a silver platter. And he dared to let you down like this.

You walked along the corridor, peering into every door. He was nowhere to be found. Your patience was already cracking, and you were ready to tear Dustin to pieces the moment you saw him.

Flinging open another door, you found him.

It was an inconspicuous storage closet, cluttered with mops and rags. The chemical smell of cleaning agents lingered here. The room was very small, yet he had managed to sprawl out on the floor amidst all this madness.

Dustin lay among dirty buckets, staring blankly into the void. His eyes were detached and exhausted. It seemed he hadn't even heard you arrive.

In public, he's a lively and cheerful singer. He's always happy to see his fans and never misses a chance to chat with them. But this wears him out. When he's not in public, he becomes quiet and inconspicuous. He's almost always very tired, but he hides it well.