episode_0034

[ Saengji: Today is a really, really important day for me! ]

The world of reporters never rests for a moment, and it’s also chaotic.

The building of ‘Starcatch,’ where entertainment reporters gather to work, was no exception. Newspapers and memos were plastered everywhere in the office, and the sounds of phone calls overlapped wildly from here and there.

Everyone had dark circles under their eyes, looking tired. Their faces spoke volumes about how tough the workload was.

[ Saengji: Is there anyone here to relieve my tension…? ] [ Saengji: Help me. ] [ Saengji: It’s my first interview ever! ]

And currently, the person diligently typing in the chat is Kim Seon-ah, the youngest reporter at Starcatch, who goes by the name Saengji.

“I’m so nervous I could die…”

Beneath her wavy hair, a sharp nose stood out, topped with round, large-rimmed glasses. Her face was also filled with traces of fatigue, but surprisingly, her expression was bright.

Because today is a very important day for her.

Exclusive interview. She finally landed it. She finally did it! I’m a proper reporter now!

‘Even though the subject is an unknown girl group, so what?’

For Seon-ah, the youngest reporter, the experience of an exclusive interview itself was precious, and the girl group that made her excited had finally arrived at the building.

“Hello! We’re Toallet!” “Oh, welcome! Please come this way!”

They immediately moved to the interview room and started with the Q&A.

“Okay, then, let’s start the interview with the rookie girl group, Toallet, right away!”

But then.

*Thump!*

The door opened violently, and a man suddenly entered. It was a *sunbae* who particularly liked to boss Kim Seon-ah around.

Did he leave something behind? Seon-ah thought for a moment.

“Kim Seon-ah, did you finish the article you were working on yesterday?”

The *sunbae’s* question was somewhat unexpected.

“Yes, yes? Ah, I’m almost done with that. I have to write it again as soon as I finish the interview. But I think it will be finished today.”

“Not as soon as you finish the interview, but go write it right now.”

“I have to do the interview now…?”

“I can do that, so finish what you were writing.”

“T-this? The interview I got?”

“Hey, Kim Seon-ah! Reporters don’t have a second to spare, do I have to repeat myself? I’ll do this, so go right now!”

In the end, Seon-ah had no choice but to be helplessly pushed aside.

Her mind went blank. Her expression was as if her soul had left her body. It was accompanied by having the interview she had landed for the first time in her life snatched away before her eyes.

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After work.

[ Saengji: Guys ] [ Saengji: I’m going to quit my job ]

[ Deer: Why are you saying Sua’s signature line? ] [ Monkeying: I thought Sua typed that too ]

─The chatroom admin has kicked out Deer─ ─Deer has entered the chatroom─

[Blackbear: Kekeke, Sua was watching the chatroom ]

“Haa…”

Kim Seon-ah sighed deeply.

She was frustrated. So, so frustrated.

She was currently the most wronged person in the world, but she couldn’t report it to the police. This was the only place she could vent her frustrations.

[ Saengji: I’m so frustrated, I really need to vent ] [ Saengji: Ever since I joined the company, all I’ve done is make coffee and run errands. I’m just a slave, a slave. ]

[ Deer: Isn’t that how it is for all newbies? ]

[ Saengji: It’s because that period never ends!!! ] [ Saengji: They say you get promoted if you do exclusive interviews and write various articles, but as soon as you look even slightly competent, people snatch them away from you! ] [ Saengji: They even bully powerless celebrities. ]

[ Monkeying: Bully? In what way? ]

[ Saengji: Search for Toallet’s latest article ]

[ Monkeying: What group is Toallet? Never heard of them. When I search, all that comes up are articles about attitude controversies. ]

[ Saengji: That’s my upper management’s work. Toallet is innocent! They just nodded their heads to the question, ‘You must be busy these days, so you probably don’t have time to pay attention to everything, right?’! ]

[ Blackbear: They wrote it like that? That’s a bit too much ] [ Monkeying: Isn’t that too much of an evil edit? ]

[ Saengji: That’s what I’m saying? Later, when a request for a correction article comes in, they bully them and extort them for all sorts of things, and they brag to the *hoobae* that this is the technique… I can’t do this anymore. ]

That’s when it happened.

[ Sua: Hmm. ] [ Sua: *Unnie* must be having a hard time. ] [ Sua: Should I give you a scoop? ]

[ Monkeying: Read the room, Sua ] [ Deer: Sua’s popping out like the crazy bitch she is ] [ Blackbear: What is she gonna say lol ]

Afterward, Seon-ah’s cell phone rang.

This time, it wasn’t a group message, but a personal message.

[ Sua: *Unnie*, I’ll give you a scoop ]

Even in the midst of all this, Seon-ah felt pathetic at how her body tensed up at the four letters ‘scoop.’

Ugh, what a pathetic occupational hazard…

[ Saengji: I’m going to submit my resignation anyway…? ]

“….”

However, soon all of Kim Seon-ah’s actions came to a halt.

“…!”

Shock spread across her eyes.

Because the message she received afterward was quite shocking.

Kim Seon-ah swallowed hard.

That was, no matter if the other person was Lee Sua… Also, even if she had firmly decided to quit being a reporter.

[ Sua: Special Task Force 808 Kim Yu-han. ] [ Sua: I know his true identity for sure. ] [ Sua: Isn’t that somewhat helpful information? ]

“….”

It was content that couldn’t help but make her hesitate.

◈◈◈◈◈

The next day.

Sua arrived in Wanju, North Jeolla Province.

[ Acting Commander ] [ Trait Acquired! ] [ Automatically activated in certain situations ] [ Activation effect: Encourages surrounding actors. ]

It was accompanied by acquiring one trait.

“…What is it saying?”

And that was Sua’s reaction.

Could you at least encourage my acting? I’m nervous to death.

Anyway, Sua had resolved to diligently fill her portfolio, and now it was her turn to handle her schedule.

Today, she has a ‘Sword’ shoot in a dense cypress forest.

‘Ugh, this is a bit nerve-wracking since it’s straight into action.’

Special Task Force 808 had mock filming even at the cost of a huge sum, but Sword wasn’t so well-off. The reality was that they had to go straight into actual filming.

─We’re planning to get it over with quickly and intensely within a week.

As Director Park Jun had said before, the filming period was one week. Filming would take place over a week while staying at a hotel in Wanju, North Jeolla Province.

She was excited, scared, and nervous…

‘I don’t know what to do with my own feelings.’

In times like these, Sua uses the 3-second method. Emptying her mind completely.

“….”

And then.

“Oooo…”

She felt a little less nervous after putting down all intelligence.

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.

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.

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Afterward.

3 hours later, in a cypress forest, an artificially constructed hut.

“Huh? They even built something like this?”

Someone reacted as if it was different from what they had expected.

This was because expectations for ‘Sword’ were so low. They naturally thought they would be filming in an environment without any auxiliary structures.

Soon, the actors began to gather one by one.

“This forest is so eerie. It feels like a ghost will come out.”

There were barely even 10 people. Moreover, they hadn’t even confirmed the lead actors yet, and they were all strangers to each other.

The problem of investment costs had been resolved, but the deadline for submitting to the short film festival was tight. It was largely because they had proceeded so hastily that nothing had been explained in detail.

Therefore.

“….” Everyone was awkwardly glancing at each other. Everyone was gathered, not knowing how things were going.

Then, at some point. “Huh?” “Ah!”

There were extras who recognized each other.

“We’ve met before, right? As extras then too.” “Ah, that’s right! It’s you from back then!” “I didn’t know you could do fusion historical dramas? You have a wide spectrum.”

“Well, I’ve been acting since I was young. And I have quite a bit of experience as an extra. You just have to do it.”

“But you were completely edited out in the last work…” “…What are you talking about? I appear briefly at around 48 seconds.”

Even just listening to them, you could tell they were complete newbies.

There was someone who looked down on them with great contempt.

That was Son Ji-ah. An actress planted in this work by Yang Ha-rin’s agency ─ CT Entertainment to play the role of a spy.

Son Ji-ah scratched her head as if she was dumbfounded.

‘…What’s with gathering only these newbies? Is this right?’

Son Ji-ah had built up her skills in a theater company and then debuted, but she still lacked recognition. That was the reason she was able to sneak in here.

‘1 point. Everyone gathered here is just 1 point.’

Her instinctive habit, rating actors.

Was it a simple combat power measurement?

It was necessary to survive in the filming industry. It’s natural that it’s beneficial to associate with people who have high scores, right? Low-scoring guys are just trash. I don’t even want to treat them like people.

Meanwhile, the extras quickly struck up a conversation with each other.

“You’re the role that gets hit by the sword and dies, right? Do you want to try it once?” “Sure. Please pretend to swing it at me.” “Swoosh!” “Kkeueoeuaaaak!” “Oh? You’re pretty good?”

Son Ji-ah shook her head.

‘I can tell without looking any further. It’s already ruined.’

Perhaps it was because the preparation period for the work was too short, there wasn’t anyone who radiated the aura of a master. All she saw were shoddy extras.

That’s when it happened.

“Is there any need to work so hard?”

Another extra chimed in. Along with a cynical tone.

“Did everyone read the articles? The situation for this work isn’t good anyway. Furthermore, we’re extras. Even if we just film half-heartedly, there’s probably no one who will say anything.”

“…Um, that’s true.”

“You think similarly to me. I also just came thinking of it as a short-term part-time job.”

Everyone seemed to agree to some extent.

Even at this moment, sharp criticism articles are pouring out toward Director Park Jun and his work, and thanks to that, there weren’t many actors who participated in ‘Sword’ with affection.

They only approached it thinking of it as a concept similar to a high-paying part-time job, or they were tempted by the rumor that there was a famous actor.

“I heard the rumor that Seo Yeon-joo was coming…” “But is she really coming? There aren’t any articles about her joining?”

“If it’s a lie, I’ll just go home.”

“I saw her in person during the on-site interview. Her real looks were crazy.”

Son Ji-ah, who had been watching everything, thought. See, I knew it.

‘See? There’s no hope. The atmosphere is already a mess.’

A work is the result of everyone’s efforts combined.

No matter how hard one or two people work, a good work can never be created. Rather, even their painstaking efforts only serve to make the laziness of others more obvious.

But what about these people?

‘From the start, their acting skills are far below par, and even their passion is gone. Guys who will be satisfied just seeing Seo Yeon-joo’s face.’

Skills are important, but they don’t have passion.

It means that the majority of them will be satisfied just seeing Seo Yeon-joo’s real looks and then go home. How can you film a good work with guys who don’t even have the intention to do it in the first place?

The only possibility for this work to come back to life?

There isn’t one.

If you had to, really had to.

If you had to force it, there’s only about one?

‘The lead dragging everyone by the collar? There’s nothing else but that.’

Here, dragging doesn’t simply mean skill alone. It means being a crazy driving force that encourages everyone around them and injects even the passion that has already been extinguished.

But the lead is Lee Sua. A newbie. No experience.

‘It’s impossible. It’s impossible even if you die and come back to life.’

In Son Ji-ah’s mind, it was just an impossible assumption.

What in the world were Seo Yeon-joo and Kim Seon-il attracted to that they jumped in? No, in the first place, how did this hopeless movie get production costs?

At that moment, when thoughts were popping up in Son Ji-ah’s head.

“But what about Wi Ji-hye?” Someone muttered. Now that they had started talking to each other a little bit.

“I heard that Yang Ha-rin was originally supposed to play the role of Wi Ji-hye. Why was that canceled? What exactly happened?”

“Really? Was there a better actor?” “I heard it’s just a newbie. Even the staff doesn’t seem to know much.” “Huh? They rejected CT Entertainment’s investment because of a newbie?”

Son Ji-ah also listened carefully just in case. In case a story about Lee Sua came out, she wanted to hear it.

However, in the end, there wasn’t a single person who knew the details. Rather, Son Ji-ah, who was there during the interview, knew the most.

That’s when it happened.

“Okay! Filming starts in 1 hour! Everyone, get ready!”

Director Park Jun appeared, shouting loudly, and Son Ji-ah immediately tapped on the cell phone in her hand.

It was a text message to the CEO of CT Entertainment.

▶ ‘Sword’ filming starts now. ▶ I will report on the on-site situation from time to time. ▶ Also, I will check Lee Sua’s acting skills directly.

The extras who had been waiting asked.

“Director! Who is the person playing the role of Wi Ji-hye?”

Then the director nodded as if it was an expected question.

“Of course, I brought her. Our Wi Ji-hye-nim! Come on out!”

The actors widened their eyes and waited for the person in question to appear.

And finally.

Step─ Step─

“Hello.”

When the person in question revealed their face.

“….”

There was a moment of silence at that overwhelming appearance.

“….”

That silence was quite long.

At that moment when even time seemed to freeze due to that unconventional impression, only Son Ji-ah moved her fingers.

▶ First of all, suddenly, the genre has changed to horror.