episode_0088

Lee Soo-ah.

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The person in front of my eyes was Lee Soo-ah, no matter how many times I looked again.

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“…”

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The three members of Soo-ah’s chat room were staring at the screen as if time had stopped. Of course, their minds were different.

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Because everything was turned upside down, it was a complete mess.

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First, the Black Bear with a semi-shaved head.

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‘…Surprise hidden camera for my enlistment? Am I being tricked?’

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Kim Seon-ah, the Mouse, who looked slightly serious next to him.

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‘I knew deepfake crimes were rampant, but seeing my friend going through it makes it so real. No, but that’s weird. It’s not a crime, but it’s made her even better than the original…?’

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Finally, Monkeying, who lived up to his nickname.

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‘Fuck? Fuck fuck! Fuck? Fuck…? Fuck!’

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Because he was steeped in online communities, swearing came out first.

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A level of expressing all emotions only with swearing.

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“Calm your inner self. That is what inspection is. You must be able to wield your mind before your sword.”

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Wie Ji-hye told them to calm their minds.

But instead, the three were losing their reason. It wouldn’t be strange if they fainted right away. Because the world is seriously messed up right now.

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It’s not that they hate Soo-ah.

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It was just too different from common sense.

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Like the sun hanging in the sky at night?

Like water flowing from the ground to the sky?

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It’s like Graham Bell invented the telephone and already had 100 missed calls? It doesn’t make sense.

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“…Heh.”

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Wie Ji-hye just smiled once.

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‘What are you laughing at!’

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‘Wow, Lee Soo-ah. Fuck, no, fuck…. Lee Soo-ah….’

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‘…’

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The three felt a breakdown of their mental state. Because the collapse of common sense is bound to be a big shock to humans.

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Meanwhile, Soo-ah wasn’t looking at the screen right now.

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Movie? Nah, I already watched it with the editing team!

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The reactions of the kids sitting in the front row are much more fun!

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Therefore, Soo-ah is currently…

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‘…Wow, I didn’t know you guys could react like that?’

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It’s like watching Arctic foxes whimpering after getting hit on the head.

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It’s thrilling. The fact that my friends are making such dumbfounded expressions, and that I’m the reason for it.

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‘It’s really, really funny, but they probably don’t know it themselves?’

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These are the friends who always acted flawlessly in front of Soo-ah, but now they look more stupid than ever. It was fun to watch every single thing, like their wide eyes and their necks sticking out.

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‘Hehe. Silly, silly.’

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[ Usually. ]

[ Friends. ]

[ Thinking like that while looking at you. ]

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Soo-ah quietly turned off the special perk window. Read the room.

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It was then that she heard whispering from the front row.

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“…This really doesn’t make sense.”

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The Black Bear shook his semi-shaved head wildly.

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“That’s Soo-ah?”

“It’s Soo-ah. Definitely Soo-ah.”

“No, seriously, what is it…”

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Around that time, the Mouse joined in with a serious expression.

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“I’ll report it.”

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“…What’s this guy talking about again?”

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The three turned their eyes back to the screen after a while.

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Continuing to make noise is obviously rude, and suddenly getting up and leaving is against movie-watching etiquette.

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Still, the three’s conversation had its own merits. Because they definitely realized that Wie Ji-hye was Soo-ah.

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“…”

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The three continued to deny reality after that.

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“The net of heaven is vast, yet nothing escapes it.” (天綱恢恢 疏而不失)

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No, seriously!

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The fact that Soo-ah is saying such a line is absurd!

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‘Soo-ah, you’re saying that line? Soo-ah, you? You, who knows ‘sangbu sangjo’ (mutual aid) as ‘sambu samjo’ (three bu three jo)?’

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‘…A twelve-syllable line? How did she memorize it?’

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‘Soo-ah, do you even know what it means…?’

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They are close friends with Soo-ah, and they also have a lot of affection for Soo-ah.

The shock they felt was even greater because they used to correct Soo-ah’s nonsensical typos in chat.

Why did your intelligence increase…?

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“…”

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But it is said that there is no medicine as great as time.

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Besides, humans were indeed animals of adaptation.

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“…”

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Surprisingly, the three were gradually accepting the fact that Soo-ah was on the screen. Therefore, it was then that the point of the argument in their minds slowly began to change.

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From why Soo-ah is there, to how much Soo-ah has accomplished.

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However.

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“…?” They faced another shock.

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So far, only Wie Ji-hye—Soo-ah has appeared on the screen, and Soo-ah’s lines take up quite a bit of space, which clearly implies something. Soo-ah was even the main character.

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“…”

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Now that the shocks they receive every second are increasing, they decided to wait for the end of the movie anyway. Because the running time is much shorter compared to general movies. So, first, after everything is over….

“That’s right. I am the best in the world.”

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‘What is this again.’

‘This is crazy.’

‘This is bullshit.’

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The three almost got up from their seats at the same time.

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It was like they felt electricity flowing from the chair for a moment.

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No, I know. I know that it’s definitely important in the scene, but it’s too hard to accept. A world where Soo-ah is the best in the world is absolutely impossible. That much is impossible.

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It wasn’t a matter of liking or disliking it.

Such a world should simply not exist.

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A world where Soo-ah is the strongest?

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That world is bound to be in big trouble. It’s going to be ruined.

No, is Soo-ah the best in the world because it’s already a ruined world?

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Anyway.

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“…”

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The three looked to the side to see if there was a way to escape, but it was impossible. Now that they are stuck in the middle, they couldn’t go out by crossing the knees of the audience.

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The three sighed and exchanged glances.

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It can’t be helped. Let’s watch until the end.

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“Haaah….”

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As the Black Bear closed his eyes with his arms crossed, Monkeying immediately stretched out his fingers and forcibly pried open his eyelids. Meaning that he wanted him to watch this too since it would be unfair if only he watched it.

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‘Crazy bitch, what are you doing.’

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‘Watch it too. Watch Soo-ah closely.’

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Around that time, Soo-ah was wielding her sword alone.

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Talking to the woman’s voice that was being narrated.

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“Master, what is strength?”

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The person who asked the question has not yet been shown on the screen. Soo-ah also just answered in a quiet, sword-wielding posture.

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“It is not compromising.”

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“Then, what should I do, who has already compromised?”

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“Know that a wrongly entered path is also a path.”

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“Are you telling me to keep going?”

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“The path and the answer will already be within you.”

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‘Sword’ is a calm fusion historical drama, but it was fun to unravel the mysteries contained within it philosophically.

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More than anything else, it’s different from simply reading lines. As a visual medium, it was possible to see Soo-ah drawing a clear sword path as the conversation gradually progressed.

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The sword dance that was stiff at first, but gradually became softer.

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Eventually, when it became an acrobatics that no one could even dare to imitate, the three had crossed the Uncanny Valley and reached the Pleasant Mountain. So now they’re slowly admiring her.

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‘Why is she good at it in the meantime?’

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‘But she has a subtle vibe.’

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‘The latest Ai technology…’

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Among the three, who were slowly getting strange feelings, there was one person who was particularly flustered, and that was Monkeying.

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‘It’s amazing that she’s making such expressions, and it’s amazing that she memorized the lines, but the movement is the most amazing. How did she do it…?’

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Monkeying is addicted to online communities.

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Therefore, when the ‘dance challenge’ was popular, he naturally suggested to Soo-ah to do it together. The method was also simple. Just dance together to a short song and that was it.

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What was the dance that Soo-ah danced at that time like?

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…Like a cockroach hit by insecticide?

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But why is the movement you see now so elaborate? Why is it so soft? It feels like his brain is going to overload and explode.

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However.

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When humans face incomprehensible phenomena, they try to understand them somehow, and Monkeying was no exception. Various clues quickly began to surface in her mind.

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First of all, she hasn’t logged into the game these days.

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‘Suddenly, she quit all the games.’

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Soo-ah used to play a lot of games even when she was suffering from part-time jobs. No, rather, she played games more like a shut-in because she was working part-time. She said she had to relieve the stress that had accumulated.

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‘…This time, she’s putting in a lot of effort? Without even having time to play games?’

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Come to think of it, she said she was busy recently, and she said she was having a hard time. Could she have had a time of closed-door training? All alone, unable to tell anyone, struggling…?

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‘No, that’s not it.’

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But Monkeying soon shook her head.

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‘But still, it doesn’t make sense?’

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This was truly an absurd thing.

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‘She can’t even understand that the Earth is round, so what kind of acting is she doing with that brain? How is she surviving in this brutal industry?’

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But Monkeying soon had no choice but to accept it.

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He couldn’t possibly know what Soo-ah did during the blank period that he didn’t know about, but at least the Soo-ah on the screen right now is great. No, it’s close to perfect.

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Of course, Soo-ah was still observing the three.

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Praise! Applaud! Be more surprised!

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‘Yeah, yeah, I like those reactions of yours.’

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But soon Soo-ah’s heart was pounding.

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‘…Why are you suddenly watching so intently? Now I’m getting nervous.’

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This is because the three of them were completely immersed in watching ‘Sword’. Thanks to that, the situation was reversed. Now Soo-ah was nervous.

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‘Well, anyway, it’s known that I’m going to be an actress now.’

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I was worried about how to let them know, but this is quite fun. Come to think of it, even if Special Mobile Unit 808 is aired, they won’t know it’s Soo-ah right away. They’ll know her as ‘Lee Soo-ahn’.

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Soo-ah scratched her cheek.

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‘It’s really hard to explain how I practiced…’

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That’s because you can’t explain the special perks, can you?

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But there was an answer.

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—Sunbae, don’t worry. I’m here, you know.

—…This guy is dangerous. I’ll give you advice too.

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Soo-ah had two tremendous weapons in her mind. Yeah, two people will give her advice. If she trusts Yoo Han-soo-ah and Ji-hye-soo-ah, there won’t be any big problems.

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‘Now I’ve seen all my friends’ reactions.’

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Soo-ah pricked up her ears toward other reactions.

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It was only now that she realized that it wasn’t just her friends who were agitated in this space. Surprisingly, even the audience who didn’t know Soo-ah were whispering quite a bit.

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“Honey, didn’t you say you were going to the bathroom?” “…Let’s watch a little more. It’s more interesting than I thought.”

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It’s nothing special, but these are reactions that Soo-ah can’t help but feel excited and proud about. When she dared to look around a little louder, everyone was staring at the screen.

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It was only natural for them. They didn’t really have high expectations for the short film, but ‘Sword’ showed them at least that much.

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Swish swish swish—

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Soo-ah soon drew out Kim Yoo-han’s sensitive senses.

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“The composition is pretty good.” “The feeling of the sword dance is good. It’s elegant.” “The philosophical sword fight was good. It feels like the movements have meaning.” “The actor is pretty. I should look up her profile when it’s over.”

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“…But doesn’t she look a bit scary?”

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She heard it. The sound of praising the Arctic fox wildly.

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Right then.

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“Then, Master.”

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The woman who had only been giving her voice through narration until now, the disciple who had never been shown on the screen, appeared.

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“This is the only path for me after all.”

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“…!”

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Everyone’s eyes, including the three friends, widened.

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‘What is it? Why is this person in a short film?’

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‘Seo Yeon-joo? Seo Yeon-joo? Seo Yeon-joo…?’

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Because it was Seo Yeon-joo who appeared holding a sword.

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The friends were slowly starting to get confused.

What’s going on? No, Seo Yeon-joo, that famous Seo Yeon-joo, is calling Soo-ah ‘Master’ inside the screen? I’m going crazy!

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The audience was also surprised, so the space was silent for a moment. That’s how much everyone started to get immersed.

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At the same time.

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The phones of the members of Soo-ah’s chat room started to shine.

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The reason is the notifications from the group chat.

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Someone started spamming the chat non-stop.

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[Deer: @Soo-ah] [Deer: @Soo-ah] [Deer: @Soo-ah] [Deer: @Soo-ah] [Deer: @Soo-ah]

…Yeah, the most excited person right now was someone else.