episode_0098

*Pabababak!*

Still, the camera flashes exploded blindingly.

But Sua’s mind was different.

She no longer worried about what to say.

“…”

Because the answer was all around her.

First, the production team of ‘Sword’.

Seo Yeon-ju was celebrating Sua’s present moment for the inspiration they’d discussed earlier. There was nothing but sincerity in her beaming face.

Kim Seon-il was the same. Sua could vaguely read his expression, which was unusually bright. A face filled with gratitude towards Sua.

Director Park Jun’s face was filled with emotion, and Kim Yi-seo’s face was filled with satisfaction. Sua was a silent shooting star, and the wishes they each made towards her were naturally different.

That’s why it’s so precious.

“…First of all, thank you.”

To the point where she had to express her gratitude to those who saw her as a shooting star.

Around this time, the Sua Association within her also quieted down.

Whether it was because they realized Sua wouldn’t receive any help, or because they felt she didn’t need it. Probably both.

“And I promise you.”

Sua’s words were smooth.

The words a shooting star should say to those making wishes.

There was only one thing.

“I’m just getting started. To those who find me unfamiliar, I will prove myself, and to those who have believed in me, I will repay you. I will work harder and create even more amazing things in the future. Definitely.”

She would continue to silently streak across the night sky.

Shine brighter.

That promise was enough.

So that more people could see her as a shooting star, and so that the warm wishes made while watching her could increase.

“Also, this trophy is still precious to me. I’ll think of it as shared with all of you. In the first place, it wasn’t a share that was okay for me to take all alone. It’s not something I accomplished alone.”

Sua suddenly smiled, very slightly.

“…So, I look forward to working with you in the future.”

Soon, the scene was filled with applause. The gaunt Director Go Tae-min slowly raised the corners of his mouth.

“Something even more amazing? In my next work? I’m looking forward to it.”

Around then, Sua slowly walked down the stage.

She didn’t even need to think about whether she’d made a mistake. The little Suas inside her were silently giving her a thumbs up.

The flashes of the reporters’ cameras followed her like a tail.

And a little later.

The awards in other categories continued. For example, Seo Yeon-ju won the Audience Award, and Sua’s film ‘Sword’ won the Cinematography Award.

And one more.

“Now, shall we meet the Grand Prize winner? Ah, as expected, there were no surprises! ‘Sword’! Congratulations! You’ve won the Grand Prize!”

Director Park Jun jumped up as if he’d been electrocuted.

The implications were clear.

From the Best Actress Award to the Best Picture Award, everything.

It was ‘Sword’s victory.

◈◈◈◈◈

Three hours later, Nonsan Training Camp.

Soldiers who had finished a day of training were resting in the barracks.

However, there was no atmosphere of joking around yet, not because they were disciplined.

More than anything, they were still awkward with each other.

The reason was simple. They had just enlisted.

They were still trainees who hadn’t been assigned to their units yet.

But they were lucky.

Thanks to the increasingly improved military treatment, they were even able to receive cell phones.

What could be sweeter than a cell phone in the military? Before long, the barracks were filled with silence.

“…”

It was a natural thing.

Because they were busy doing their own things with their own cell phones.

Some were contacting their girlfriends, some were telling stories about what happened to their friends, and some were checking the news they’d missed.

Among those trainees, the man with particularly thick eyebrows was checking charts.

An impression resembling a black bear.

Yes, it was the guy who played ‘Black Bear’ in Sua’s chat room.

He checked only the status of stocks and coins, just as he had in society.

But even at a glance, the amount was enormous. Enough to be called a big shot.

Then, at some point.

“Hmm?”

The soldier next to him, number 62, who was watching MuTube with earphones in, tilted his head after indulging in various things.

“Huh? Wait a minute, someone here was talking about this, right?”

Because there was such a deep curiosity in his voice, the people around him began to react. The soldiers began to gather around number 62 one by one.

“What is it? If it’s a catalog number, I’m an expert.”

“Ah, it’s not that kind of thing.”

“What is it? A game?”

“Just take a look.”

Number 62 lowered his cell phone screen so that everyone could see it. There was a MuTube wrecka video on the screen.

[Busan International Short Film Festival Grand Prize – Lee Sua Acceptance Speech]

“I don’t know why it popped up in my algorithm, but didn’t someone mention the name Lee Sua before?”

The other trainees quickly became interested.

Because it was a story about a woman, first of all.

“Oh, that’s right? Wow, what’s with her face? She’s really pretty. Isn’t it just someone with the same name?”

“No? I think she said she was going to be an actress? But she seems to be a special talent. To win the Grand Prize, beating Yang Ha-rin.”

“What’s with that body…. Ah, if I say it as it is, I think I’ll be disciplined, so I won’t say it. Anyway, why are we talking about this woman? Is she someone’s girlfriend that you’re watching?”

“Someone mentioned it once.”

Around that time, Black Bear became interested as it got noisy.

“What are you all talking about?”

Soon, questions poured out towards Black Bear as well.

“Do you happen to remember the name Lee Sua?”

Black Bear had no choice but to nod.

“Of course I do. I was the one who brought it up in the first place.”

“Oh? Oh, that’s right! Did you say she was a friend?”

“Yes. Not a girlfriend, just a friend.”

Then, the eyes of the trainees in front of him widened.

“Wow, crazy.”

“No, didn’t you say she was an aspiring actress?”

“That’s right! You just said she was a friend who was learning to act!”

Black Bear slowly narrowed his brows.

“She did film one short film, but it wasn’t on a large scale. So, why are you suddenly talking about Sua?”

“Why? Look at this!”

A cell phone was thrust out in front of Black Bear. And along with it, they were all chattering like camouflage-colored chicks.

“She beat Yang Ha-rin and won the Grand Prize!”

“What is this pure white appearance! I’m jealous!”

“What are you saying…”

Black Bear quietly examined the cell phone screen.

A little later.

“…Huh?”

Black Bear’s eyes couldn’t help but widen as well.

Sua holding the broken trophy in each hand, looking as elegant as a pictorial. Furthermore, it was the Grand Prize, and she was even speaking Japanese.

“Oh, uh…?”

“She can even speak Japanese. Was she a foreign friend?”

“Does she have a boyfriend? Please introduce me!”

“Can’t we have a video call sometime!”

“Video call!”

Soon, the topic shifted to video calls.

“Number 54! Please! Next time! A video call!”

A video call wasn’t a big deal, but Black Bear was just struggling with the shock of being hit on the head with a hammer.

He rewound the video and watched it again.

Of course, the soldiers seemed to have misunderstood his intentions.

“Ooh…”

“It’s still really bouncy even if you watch it again.”

“Wow…”

But Sua’s body wasn’t important to Black Bear.

Sua won the Grand Prize?

No, let’s say she received an award because her acting skills were excellent.

But Japanese?

What was that fluent Japanese she was speaking with the director?

Sua, who can’t even speak Korean properly, speaks Japanese?

“…What the hell?”

◈◈◈◈◈

Meanwhile, at the headquarters of ‘Star Catch’, which deals with entertainment news.

Currently, the interior of the office is insanely busy.

Most of them have phones wedged between their ears and shoulders, and those who aren’t on the phone are writing articles as if possessed.

It’s the influence of the recent awards at the short film festival.

After a long time like that.

Two men who looked exhausted visited the smoking room inside the building. They felt like they were going to die after sitting and working all day.

If they didn’t smoke in between like this, they would go crazy.

“Haa.”

The team leader sighed first.

“Is it this hard just because one person quit?”

“I guess so.”

The man next to the team leader nodded.

He was the work superior that Saengji-Kim Seon-ah called ‘sunbae’. Why, that human who stole all the articles written by Saengji.

“Seon-ah was good at her job. She may not come back, but let’s try to hold on until we find someone new.”

“I’ll try to hold on, but the short film festival awards overlapped. Quitting when it’s busy, that crazy bitch.”

“But you know.”

The team leader said, lighting another cigarette.

“Do you remember the article that Seon-ah submitted with her resignation? I think you’ve read it at least once.”

“I remember it. It was an article about the Special Mobile Squad 808, right? She found out Kim Yu-han’s identity, someone named Lee Suan or something.”

“I’ve been thinking about it lately. Seon-ah was a very diligent worker, so did she really just leave a playful article behind? Maybe she was just dissatisfied with her treatment.”

“Surely not. How could a rookie reporter find out Kim Yu-han’s identity that no one knows? It’s nonsense. These days, rookies don’t have perseverance. They quit as soon as they get scolded a little….”

But that was when.

“Team leader! Team leader!”

Another male employee ran into the smoking room.

It was a strange thing. That male employee was someone who never went near cigarettes. But soon that wasn’t important.

His one word was important.

Immediately after, everyone’s mouths dropped open.

“It, it, it was real!”

“What was?”

“The article that Kim Seon-ah left behind!”

He continued, his face flushed with excitement.

“The male actor who appeared in the Special Mobile Squad 808 teaser, his name is Lee Suan! Everything matches the article that Kim Seon-ah wrote!”

No one could bring a cigarette to their lips anymore.

As if time had stopped.