Chapter 12
Before Lee Huiyeon’s regression, December 25, 2047.
The first person to arrive at Lee Huiyeon’s funeral, even before Han Dohyeon, was Son Jion.
Knowing that she was in no condition mentally, she took her medication first. Then she turned to Han Dohyeon.
“Dohyeon. Don’t let me drink. No matter what.”
“Okay.”
After taking a sip of water, Son Jion looked down at the pill bottle still in her hand. Then she let out a bitter laugh and said to Han Dohyeon,
“You know Lee Huiyeon.”
“Yeah.”
“He was the bastard we needed. Wasn’t he?”
“He was.”
“If he didn’t have that personality, who else would lock up a nepo baby like you for ten hours straight?”
Han Dohyeon let out a quiet laugh at her joking tone.
After laughing along with him for a moment, Son Jion continued.
“Dohyeon.”
“Yeah?”
“This was murder.”
“…”
“You know better than anyone who did it.”
Han Dohyeon sighed at those words. He absentmindedly pulled out a cigarette before remembering they were at a funeral hall and slipped it back into his pocket.
The portrait displayed at the altar was Lee Huiyeon’s final profile picture. It had been taken six years ago, making him look impossibly young.
That only made everything feel even more unreal.
Son Jion continued.
“I’m not going to sit back and do nothing.”
“…”
“This isn’t just between production companies anymore. Now it’s the actors’ problem too.”
She looked directly at him.
“So… whose side are you on?”
The devil no longer spoke to me.
Neither did Han Dohyeon.
He stared down at me with a frightening expression before silently getting back into his car and driving away.
Well, at least I learned they weren’t working together.
I guess that counts as something.
Sure, I’d made another enemy, but making enemies wasn’t exactly new for me.
Thinking positively, I headed back to the company.
That winter passed in a blur.
The company stayed busy reviewing and reviewing the recommendation I’d made for Son Jion, while I soon attended my entrance ceremony.
School wasn’t actually that bad.
Well… except for the fact that I got criticized—more than “occasionally,” honestly—for finishing first in the class because people claimed it was only because my life was so pitiful.
I genuinely couldn’t understand what the problem was.
If I ranked first, it simply meant I was the best actor.
Wasn’t that the end of it?
The way people talked, you’d think I’d stolen someone else’s place.
Ridiculous.
There wasn’t even anyone everyone agreed should have been second.
Even before entering school, I’d failed to find the person responsible for Leader Actors’ downfall.
After enrollment, I searched around campus again, but still found nothing.
Whenever my frustration reached its limit, I would remember that strange moment when Han Dohyeon’s voice had suddenly disappeared.
The helplessness I felt now was almost identical.
While I was buried in my thoughts, I suddenly turned toward Woo Ungbae, who had come over to my house.
Come to think of it…
I did know someone who was practically an expert in weird stuff like this.
I looked at him.
“Woong.”
“Don’t try to sound cute.”
“No, I meant your name… Anyway.”
After glancing around the room once, I lowered my voice.
“So… my setting is that I made a contract with the devil, right?”
“I respect your setting.”
“Have you ever met anyone with… a similar kind of setting?”
“Where? At school?”
“Yeah. Let’s start with school.”
“At school? Tons.”
“Just pick one.”
“One, huh.”
And just as expected…
I couldn’t hear the rest of what Woo Ungbae said.
“Hey. Say that again. What did you say?”
“Again? You know…”
Once again…
His words vanished.
The dizziness and terror returned immediately.
Maybe because I was at home, I felt slightly more grounded than before.
But I was still terrified.
I faced Woo Ungbae seriously.
“Woong. I’m experiencing something really… strange right now.”
“What kind of strange?”
“It’s like… suddenly there’s a cloud covering part of my vision.”
“Then go see an eye doctor.”
“It’s a metaphor, idiot.”
I grumbled before continuing.
“Just keep repeating the part I couldn’t hear.”
“Oh. I get it.”
“You really do have a unique worldview.”
Woo Ungbae caught on immediately.
Just as before, no matter how many times he repeated it…
I couldn’t hear it.
Soon, practically snorting with excitement, Woo Ungbae spread a sheet of paper across the table.
“All right. You know this already, but your acting department has two classes, right?”
“Yeah. I can hear that much.”
“Class 1 and Class 2.”
“Right.”
“They aren’t divided by grades. They’re assigned completely at random.”
He smiled.
“From here on… you won’t be able to hear me.”
He said something.
Just as he predicted…
I heard nothing.
I shook my head.
“Like this,” he continued.
“We’re going to gradually eliminate everything except the part you can’t perceive.”
“Okay.”
“Let’s continue. You know everyone in Class 1, right?”
“Of course. We spent the whole vacation together.”
“You know most of the students in Class 2 as well.”
“Yeah. Most of them.”
“You’re the top-ranked student in Class 1.”
“Then in Class 2… ah, damn.”
A splitting headache exploded through my skull.
This wasn’t an ordinary headache.
For a moment, my vision went completely black.
I didn’t want to think anymore.
I just wanted my mind to shut down.
But my overheated brain refused to stop.
I’m first in Class 1.
Then Class 2 must also have…
Someone who’s first there.
If they’re first in Class 2…
Then obviously I’d know who they are.
But who?
How could I know most of the seventy-eight students…
…yet have no idea who ranked first in Class 2?
“Hey! Hey! Lee Huiyeon!”
Woo Ungbae’s voice drifted farther away.
Inside my ears…
I heard laughter.
The devil’s laughter.
Shit.
At this rate I’m really going to lose my mind.
Frozen in fear at that laughter, I suddenly jerked my head up when the house phone began ringing.
Still dazed, I picked it up.
On the other end came CEO Gam Seongbeom’s grief-stricken voice.
“Huiyeon.”
“Yes?”
“Can you come to the hospital right now? My father… they don’t think he’ll make it through the week.”
I froze.
For a moment, I looked down at my own hand.
It was trembling.
I stood there in silence before hanging up and turning to Woo Ungbae.
“Ungbae.”
“Yeah?”
“Come make a movie with me and Grandpa.”
“At the hospital.”
“And pay me.”
“…What is that? A request?”
“I’ve never been able to show Grandpa me getting paid to act.”
“…”
After hearing my absurd request…
Woo Ungbae silently nodded.
Even after hearing that Gam Ihyeon was critically ill, I didn’t go straight to the hospital.
Instead, Woo Ungbae and I began preparing a short film.
Since everyone knew I’d spent my free time visiting the hospital anyway, no one hurried me.
They probably assumed I was either too shocked to move…
…or secretly planning something.
For the first time in my life, I watched a film being produced from beginning to end.
And I helped.
Woo Ungbae said he needed two days of preparation.
He really spent forty-eight straight hours without sleeping.
While he worked on a twelve-minute script, I stayed beside him, helping however I could—finding reference materials, bringing him soda, even opening the bottles so he wouldn’t have to stop working.
Ridiculously enough…
After spending two full days making the film…
I completely forgot why we’d started making it in the first place.
Partway through, several friends from the film production department came rushing over as well.
That was when I realized…
No one could make a movie alone.
Since Gam Ihyeon could only be filmed inside his hospital room, we had to plan everything around that limitation.
I told them I’d film whatever they needed.
Two days later…
Woo Ungbae and I headed to the hospital.
Both of us looked like we’d sleep until the end of the bus route if we took one, so we splurged on a taxi instead.
Inside the taxi, Woo Ungbae hugged the camera while I carried the sound equipment.
He spoke first.
“Think we’ll ever make another movie with only a two-day pre-production?”
“That’s because the lead actor was already cast.”
“Shows how important actors are.”
“Just praise me for now.”
“You’ve put me through hell.”
“What exactly am I supposed to praise?”
We traded a few more words.
As expected…
Both of us quickly fell asleep.
The taxi driver had to wake us when we arrived at the hospital.
Walking into a hospital carrying full filmmaking equipment felt incredibly bizarre.
Fortunately, during those two days, CEO Gam Seongbeom had personally explained everything and secured permission to film.
The only approved locations were Gam Ihyeon’s VIP private room…
…and the rooftop outside.
When we arrived outside the room, Park Seonyeong was waiting for us.
I introduced Woo Ungbae.
“This is Ungbae.”
“He’s the filmmaker.”
Aside from CEO Gam Seongbeom and Park Seonyeong, every other relative opposed filming.
But the family members who knew Gam Ihyeon best supported it.
That settled the matter.
“Thank you, Huiyeon.”
“Go on in.”
“Yes.”
After greeting everyone, Woo Ungbae and I entered the room.
Gam Ihyeon had grown even thinner.
Still…
Having already heard about the project, he’d been reading every new draft we sent in real time on his tablet.
Quietly, Woo Ungbae and I set up the camera, lights, and audio equipment.
Since only two people could be inside, we had to perform every role on set ourselves.
Physically…
It was exhausting.
But for me, stepping away from acting and experiencing the production environment firsthand was meaningful.
Once everything was ready…
Woo Ungbae and I even pretended to perform a traditional filming ceremony.
We placed a smiling pig image on a tablet and bowed to it.
Watching us, the corners of Gam Ihyeon’s eyes curved upward.
After finishing our improvised ceremony, I turned to him.
“Woo Ungbae even said he’d pay you an appearance fee.”
At my words, Woo Ungbae hurried over and handed an envelope to both Gam Ihyeon and me.
I opened mine.
Inside was a single fifty-thousand-won bill.
Gam Ihyeon’s envelope had two.
I immediately protested.
“Hey, why do I only get half?”
“You’re a rookie.”
“I did all the PA work too.”
“In indie films, that’s all unpaid.”
“Wow.”
“What a terrible industry.”
Ignoring my complaints, Woo Ungbae returned behind the camera.
I looked at Gam Ihyeon.
“You got paid.”
“So you’ll do it, right?”
“Of course.”
“They paid me two big bills.”
What a strange thing.
The moment the set was fully prepared…
Gam Ihyeon seemed to regain some of his strength.
He even started joking around.
It was as if…
He had already begun acting.
