Rewind With A Superstar System-Chapter 62: Saint And The Sinner

<🎧 Song Recommendation: In This Shirt by The Irresponsibles>

...

"So how are we doing it...? Do I just make a video now? Or wait until morning when the lighting is better?"

Zack shook his head slightly. "It’s better to do it now. You’re in the best state to look real... if we wait until morning, you might look too composed. Plus, in the world of PR, silence is an admission of guilt. We need to control the narrative as quickly as possible."

Zack paused, glancing at Von’s phone. "Do you even have a Photogram account? I know you didn’t have one before"

Von checked his phone, realizing with a start that he was completely off the grid. "I don’t. I thought about making one during the show, but the producers forbade us from having active socials while we were filming in the mansion. But now that we’re on break week... I guess the rules are different."

Von navigated his phone to get the app downloaded, before clicking on "Create New Account."

When prompted for a username, he typed @vonvarley, but it was unavailable. He even went on to try @vonvarley1 and @realvonvarley, before settling on @therealvonvarley which wasn’t taken.

"Got it," Von said. He skipped the bio and skipped the interests selection. When it asked for a profile picture, he simply took a photo of the dark desk surface and uploaded to have a just a black background.

"Zero followers," Von noted, looking at the empty profile. "I’ll be hoping my face is enough to gain traction."

Von turned to Zack. "Can you record me?"

Zack shook his head. "No, it’s better you film yourself. That way it looks raw and personal. But first..."

Zack walked over and scrutinized Von. He reached out and tugged at the collar of Von’s t-shirt, stretching it slightly. He then messed up Von’s hair even more, pushing the bangs into his eyes.

"It’s better you take off the jacket," Zack suggested. "Just to nail that tired look, it’s plus that you just woke up, so there’s exhaustion on your face already."

Von did as he was told, tossing the jacket onto the floor. He sat on the edge of the bed, feeling exposed and vulnerable. He closed his eyes for a second, activating his [Emote] skill. He didn’t need to act much; the shame and anger were already there. He just needed to channel them into something the public would pity rather than hate.

"Alright," Von whispered.

Zack stepped back and turned off the overhead light, leaving only the small, harsh desk lamp in the corner. It casted shadows across Von’s face, highlighting the dark circles under his eyes.

"Just be as genuine as possible. You can blame a mental health struggle. Say you were overwhelmed. Maybe hint that you recently broke up with a girl back home, and seeing Julian, who she was a fan of, just triggered something in you. Make yourself the victim of your own mind. But do not mention the alcohol. And do not mention Naomi."

Von felt a surge of nausea at the thought of lying about a breakup to protect the man who hurt his sister. But he looked at the phone in his hand. This was the game.

"Okay," Von said, lifting the phone. "I’m ready."

Von stared into the lens, letting his shoulders slump. He didn’t speak for the first three seconds, just let the silence hang heavy in the air.

"Hey everyone," Von said, his voice cracking naturally. He looked down at his lap, avoiding the camera’s gaze, employing the [Emote] skill to radiate a profound sense of disappointment in himself and lights glowed on the screen to show it was working.

"I know... I know you’ve all seen the news by now. And I don’t want to make excuses. But the pressure of this competition... being away from home for so long... I think I finally hit my breaking point. Last night, I wasn’t myself. I’ve been dealing with some a break up, and unfortunately, I let the stress and the jealousy take over."

He looked up again to the camera.

"I want to apologize to Julian. He didn’t deserve that. He’s been a good friend, and I betrayed that trust because I couldn’t handle my own emotions. And I want to apologize to the show, and to all of you who voted for me. I let you down. I’m going to take some time to... to get my head right. I’m sorry."

He held the pose, letting a single, shaky breath escape, before reaching forward and tapping end.

"Wow, that was awesome performance," Zack exclaimed in surprise, making Von grin with pride. "Seriously though, I thought we’d have to go through multiple attempts, but it turns out you’re a good actor."

Von could only smile wryly at the compliment before proceeding to post the video. A minute after it was online, he confirmed it still had 0 likes. So he decided to abandon it and wait to see if there’ll be any improvements the next morning.

***

(Project: Star Headquarters - Los Angeles

1:40 AM <Pacific Time>)

The conference room on the top floor of the network building was filled with tension. The show’s executive producers and directors sat around a long mahogany table, littered with coffee cups and printed screenshots of the TMZ article.

"We have to cut him," Director Miller slammed his hand on the table. "He assaulted the favorite to win! Julian’s father is going to sue us into oblivion if we keep a violent criminal on the stage. This is a PR nightmare! This is exactly why I said sending them home for a break week was a mistake!"

"Calm down, Miller," Producer Sarah countered, rubbing her temples. "Getting rid of him might solve the legal issue, but think about the ratings. If we cut Von now, the Finale is just Julian singing a victory lap. It’s boring and we need a rival."

"A rival, Sarah? He’s a thug!" Miller shouted. "Our sponsors are family-friendly brands! They won’t want their logo next to a guy who breaks noses in nightclubs!"

"The police report says charges were dropped," Sarah argued. "Legally, he’s innocent. We can spin this. ’The Troubled Genius.’ ’The Pressure of Fame.’ People eat that stuff up."

"It’s too risky!" another executive chimed in. "If he snaps again on live TV? We’re finished."

The argument raged on, voices overlapping in a chaotic din of fear and greed.

Suddenly, the glass door burst open.

A young staffer from the PR department rushed in, holding a tablet high like a shield. "You guys need to see this."

"What is it?" Miller snapped.

"Von just posted a video," the staffer said, breathless. "On a new account. It’s been up for almost an hour."

He placed the tablet on the center of the table and pressed play.

They watched Von’s apology. They saw the dark room, the messy hair, the cracking voice. They saw the masterclass in vulnerability.

"Look at the engagement," the staffer pointed out as the video ended.

1,020 Likes. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

770 Comments.

The staffer scrolled through the comments feed.

[InternetStalker: seriously?! Von is on PG, no way! 🫢]

[@TeamVon97: Omg he looks so broken 😭 we love you Von! Everyone makes mistakes!]

[@AmBroke77: Takes guts to admit you were jealous. Respect.]

[@JulianBiggestFan22: Nah, I call bull crap. No one’s buying this shit 🥀]

[@BumblePig: This is the most real thing I’ve seen from a reality star in years, I’ll forgive him]

"It’s... turning," the staffer said, looking up at the executives. "The sentiment analysis is shifting. Even though a good majority are not supporting him anymore, the hate has reduced by a great margin."

The room went silent. Producer Sarah leaned back in her chair, a slow smile spreading across her face.

"He’s not a thug," Sarah murmured. "He’s a tragic hero. And Julian is the saint who forgave him."

She looked at Miller. "Do you realize what this is? This is the perfect storyline. The Saint versus the Sinner. The Finale ratings won’t just be good... they’ll be historic!"