Chapter 2 – Continuous Nightmare (2)

I opened my eyes. The filming set came into view.

It wasn’t a crime scene full of blood, nor an interrogation room with suffocating handcuffs. I rubbed my cheek.

There was no blood on my cheek. No weapon was in my hand. Instead, I was just holding a script.

“I’m fine.”

I touched the script. It felt like the obstacle that had been tormenting me all this time had disappeared. Refreshing and light.

I instinctively realized. Character Immersion Syndrome could no longer erode my mind. The mind that had only been controlled had now learned control. Now I won’t be different from others. I too will be able to control all the media I empathize with.

“Hehehe.”

A meaningless laugh escaped. No one seemed to have heard it as no eyes turned towards me. I walked comfortably towards the costume room. I needed to get a hat and a mask.

Then, someone tapped my waist. A woman with a deeply pressed hat. Perhaps because I’m quite tall, I couldn’t see her face properly. I could barely make out her hair color.

Purple? Is it dyed?

The employee ID around her neck read “SBC Costume Team”.

Broadcasting station costume team?

“Are you perhaps one of the supporting actors? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”

The costume team woman asked, tilting her head.

“No, I’m taking on the role of the serial killer’s stand-in this time.”

“Ah! So it’s you! You’re here to find your costume, right?”

“Ah, yes. Do you know where I can find a hat and a mask?”

“Oh, shall I bring them to you?”

I pondered for a moment at those words. What was the serial killer wearing when he got on the transport bus? I searched my memory and recalled the color.

“Please give me everything in black.”

“Both the hat and the mask?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm, alright! I’ll bring them right away!”

The woman bounced away like a rabbit. Soon, she returned with a black hat and a black mask as I had requested. I received what she brought.

The serial killer wore an all-black hat and black mask. So that blood wouldn’t show.

I put on the hat and mask the woman brought. Whether she had a good eye or not, the size fit perfectly.

Not too small, not too big. Just right.

Although it was just a hat and a mask, putting on the costume made me feel strange. As if I had really become a serial killer… or rather, an actor playing the role. Ah, that’s not wrong, is it?

Even though I’m a stand-in, I am indeed acting the role. Feeling peculiar, I fiddled with the hat.

“Wow! It suits you so well! With the hat and mask on!”

The woman gave a thumbs up.

“You look totally like a suspicious psychopath serial killer!”

Um… that’s a compliment, right?

I’ve been insulted by being called monster-like before, but it’s the first time I’ve been complimented for looking like a psychopath serial killer. For a moment I thought it might be an insult, but the woman’s eyes were too bright for that.

Well… I guess it’s a compliment when a drama staff says you suit the role? Probably…?

The woman was about to leave right away. I stopped her.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes?”

“Could I perhaps know your name? You’ve been helpful. I feel it’s only polite to at least remember your name.”

“What? Hahaha! This is a first~”

I wonder which part of what I said was funny? Wiping away the transparent tears that had formed in her eyes, she smiled broadly.

“I’m Choi Nahee. And you?”

“Kang Junho. I’m a one-day stand-in.”

“I’ll remember that. Oh, right. The rest area for extra actors and minor role actors is straight ahead where the filming team is gathered. Turn right from there.”

“Ah. Thank you!”

I bowed my head. When I lifted my head, she was nowhere to be seen. I headed towards the rest area as she had directed.

#

“Ugh, this is uncomfortable.”

Choi Nahee removed the deeply pressed hat. Her hidden beautiful face was revealed. Perhaps because it had been pressed so tightly, her hair was slightly lifted. While she was fixing her flyaway hair, a gentle-faced manager came running, out of breath.

“Huff huff! Nahee. Where did you disappear to again?”

The manager’s voice was weak from running around looking for her. Beads of sweat were dripping from his forehead.

“I’m sorry, manager oppa. I was just so, so! bored~ I hid among the staff and helped out a bit!”

“If that’s the case, at least let me know… It took a while to find you. I thought you got lost again and ran around the whole place.”

“Come on~ Getting lost again? I’m not a child.”

“Even a newborn baby wouldn’t get lost as much as you do!”

“Hehe…”

Unable to refute, she deliberately avoided his gaze. It was common for her to get lost and be late for filming, as the manager said. Even so, she was unrivaled in finding her way, making it impossible to control her. You never know when she might disappear in the blink of an eye.

“Oh right! Manager oppa! Do you know someone called Kang Junho?”

“Hmm, I haven’t heard of him. Should I look him up?”

“No. If you don’t know him, does that mean he’s really just an ordinary person? With that aura?”

“Did something happen?”

The manager became interested in her unusual reaction.

If Nahee reacts like this, it must be something out of the ordinary.

Choi Nahee. A veteran actress with 16 years of acting experience, starting from the age of 5. Unlike other child actors, she quickly succeeded in shedding her child actor image. Thanks to this, even though she had just turned 20, she was recognized as a top actress earning at least 130 million won per episode.

While her acting skills greatly contributed to achieving these results. In his opinion, having managed her for over 10 years, the number one factor in her success wasn’t her acting skills. It was her eye for picking hit projects!

16 years of acting career. There wasn’t a single flop in Choi Nahee’s filmography. The minimum was a moderate hit. She had numerous big hits with over 10% viewership ratings, and she had even been in a movie that reached 10 million viewers.

An actress without a single period of stagnation. Though she wears an innocent smile, she’s a legend among Korean child actors. For someone like her to show such interest in a person.

She didn’t show this much interest even in “The Great Earthquake” which hit 12 million viewers.

He couldn’t help but be curious.

“Should I look him up anyway?”

“No, there’s no need. He’ll be acting soon.”

“What role?”

Choi Nahee recalled Kang Junho in his black hat and black mask. Even though he had just put them on, the atmosphere was chilling. Her body trembled at the sensation of facing a real serial killer.

I’m looking forward to it.

A blush appeared on Choi Nahee’s cheeks. It’s not that she likes psychopathic madmen. Rather, that aura that seemed to suck you in. The potential that naturally drew attention excited her. Exhaling a slightly heated breath, she smiled mischievously.

“A serial killer. And not just any, but the worst serial killer who killed 50 people and even killed the protagonist’s father.”

Show me.

That my eye for talent wasn’t wrong.

And then. At the entrance of the courthouse, Kang Junho was coming down, wearing handcuffs.

#

Click! Click! Click!

Flashes burst from all directions. Cell phones with voice recorders on or real voice recorders are pointed like knives. The voices of reporters celebrate my retirement ceremony.

“Mr. Jo Danseok! Do you have anything to say to the victims and their families?”

“Why! Why did you commit serial murders?”

“What were you feeling when you committed the murders?”

“Don’t you have any intention to apologize to the bereaved families?”

Questions pouring in from all directions. Jo Danseok walked without opening his mouth. But his movements were confident.

Only those who have done wrong stop in their tracks. If I haven’t committed any crime, why should I care what they say? Their loud voices are just hypocrisy representing those with many sins.

A cool breeze. A refreshing wind passes by. The stifling feeling from being trapped in the interrogation room flies away with the wind. I smiled slightly under the mask.

Ah, it’s a shame this is the end.

There are still plenty of sinners who need to be killed. From the villains throwing punches on the street, to the evil ones who take away others’ private property under the excuse of hunger. There are plenty who need to be killed, but I have no opportunity.

It’s a pity. Such a pity. If I had known I would be caught like this, I would have killed a few more. I miss the dampness of my hands, and the sensation of piercing flesh is unforgettable. The sight of them despairing in pain and repenting is fantastic.

Ahhh…

A blue transport vehicle comes into view. Flashes burst ceaselessly. I walked leisurely towards the main gate.

The detectives on either side tried to pull and drag my arms, but with just that much strength, they couldn’t take away this freedom. My body sways as they tug back and forth. Even during this time, I savored my freedom.

Until I saw the hateful gaze staring at me. A familiar face.

Wearing a high school uniform, sending a fierce gaze full of hatred. Yes, yes. Who was it again?

Aha!

I remember now. Who this impudent brat glaring at me is. How could I have forgotten about him?

The one I should kill first when I get out of prison. The son of the detective bastard who put me away. I must definitely see that kid’s blood.

My eyelids, which had been seemingly closed, lift up.

Chills!

For a moment, everyone held their breath. Everyone felt the terror of a blade being held to their necks. Even the director overseeing the scene felt the same. Blood-red eyes. The pressure that started there pressed down on Ji Yeonwoo. And soon engulfed everyone.

Languid eyes swept over Ji Yeonwoo. The murderous intent of the worst serial killer in history who had killed fifty people. Even if he was a detective’s son, he couldn’t withstand it.

Thud.

Ji Yeonwoo sat down abruptly. It contained an indescribable fear. His face turned as pale as a corpse, and the detectives couldn’t even think of moving him. There were no reporters, no detectives, no protagonist there. There was only one stand-in acting.

At that moment.

“…Cut.”

The director’s small voice echoed. His lips were trembling finely.

Footnotes:

1. Oppa: A term used by females to address older males, such as older brothers or close male friends. Here, it suggests a friendly relationship between Nahee and her manager.
2. 130 million won: Approximately 100,000 USD.
3. 10 million viewers: In South Korea, a film that attracts 10 million viewers is considered a huge box office success, given the country’s population of about 51 million.