episode_0219

Vroom─!

Mystic’s van headed for a funeral hall today, not a filming location. Soo-ah was lost in thought.

[Alien Game]

▶️ Implementation elements sufficient ▶️ Grade 2 → Grade 1.5 → Grade 1

‘What? Why does the grade keep rising in this situation?’

To be honest, it was bewildering.

‘My father just passed away, for crying out loud.’

Writer Hong Ye-ji lost her father. Yeah, no matter how you look at it, it’s not good news. So, Soo-ah couldn’t help but have many thoughts.

‘Usually, if there’s bad news, the grade drops, right?’

Was something different from what she expected happening?

As she pondered this and that, she arrived at her destination in no time. Soo-ah took a couple of deep breaths and got out of the car. Now was the time to meet Hong *sunbae*.

◈◈◈◈◈

Their meeting happened quickly.

Coincidentally, as soon as she arrived at the funeral hall, she heard that Hong *sunbae* was looking for her.

It was a good thing for Soo-ah.

Ye-ji greeted her respectfully.

“Soo-ah-ssi, you came.”

“Of course, I had to come.”

“I appreciate it. But since this is how things are, I’ll get straight to the point. Have you read the entire ‘Alien Game’ script?”

“Of course, I did. I have to read it to act.”

“I see.”

Hong Ye-ji nodded silently.

And the next words were quite shocking.

“I didn’t write that script. And I’m thinking of dropping out of Alien Game.”

“Excuse me?”

On the outside, it didn’t show, but Soo-ah’s mind was filled with question marks. What? What did she say?

“What do you mean?”

“It’s because it’s not my work to begin with. Sawako wrote most of the story… I didn’t contribute anything except for the rough draft I scribbled.”

Afterward, Ye-ji explained every detail.

How this all started, what she was thinking, how she had acted, and why things had turned out this way.

Soo-ah was flustered, but she listened to the end first.

“Umm, so that’s what happened.”

“…Aren’t you surprised?”

“I was incredibly surprised. I thought you were a flawless person, Writer-nim.”

“I’m sorry if that’s the case. I’m a shameful person.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. I’m actually grateful. It’s because you trust me that you’re telling me this, isn’t it?”

“That’s true, but…”

Ye-ji was impressed that Soo-ah seemed calmer than she expected, but Soo-ah’s mind was a mess.

She understood the situation, but it was hard to believe. Hong *sunbae* was caught up in this situation…

Soo-ah rubbed her chin for a moment and said.

“Anyway, you’re seriously thinking about dropping out of ‘Alien Game’, right?”

“That’s right.”

“There’s one thing I don’t understand.”

“What is it?”

“You said that you don’t have talent, but you still want to try being a writer with all your might… Then why are you giving up? You could write ‘Alien Game’, right?”

Soo-ah said, recalling what she had heard from Ye-ji.

Ye-ji said that she realized she didn’t have talent, but she still wanted to challenge herself as a writer. That a life of being mistaken and caught up in things was empty.

“Because it’s not polite.”

“Polite?”

“Yes. I’m dying to touch ‘Alien Game’. But it’s not polite.”

Hong Ye-ji said firmly.

“Alien Game has become too big. If I mess with it and the work gets worse, I can’t take responsibility. I’m just going to start from the bottom with another piece.”

“Ah…”

Soo-ah glanced at the perk.

[Alien Game]

▶️ Implementation elements sufficient ▶️ Grade 1

Alien Game was now Grade 1.

The grade had actually risen.

Soo-ah felt like she was at a crossroads.

‘If I want to take care of the grade, it’s right to leave it as it is, but is that really the best thing? Ye-ji *sunbae* seems to want to challenge herself with Alien Game…’

Meanwhile, Ye-ji was about to leave.

“Soo-ah-ssi, then I’ll be going now…”

“Wait, just a moment.”

But Soo-ah stopped her.

She couldn’t let her go like this.

Ye-ji’s words made sense in their own way, but she didn’t want to let her go. She wanted to find a better solution for her. Just like Soo-ah had always done.

“I have something to say.”

To be exact, she was going to think of something to say after contemplating it.

Soo-ah internally convened an emergency association. Even if she discussed it to her heart’s content, only a fleeting moment would pass in reality, so there would be plenty of time to discuss.

.

.

.

.

.

“…What? Why isn’t anyone gathering?”

Soo-ah scratched her head.

She had convened an emergency association, but no one was gathering. This was the first time this had happened. And that wasn’t the end of it.

“Guys! Say something!”

Soo-ah called out, but they didn’t answer.

It was strange and unsettling. It felt like all of Soo-ah’s inner selves had suddenly disappeared.

Soo-ah had no choice but to wander around the perk space. If they weren’t coming, she would just look for them. As she moved her feet here and there as if playing hide-and-seek.

“Huh?”

She found a strange room.

It definitely wasn’t there before.

Soo-ah was about to open it carelessly.

“…”

Something about the room felt suspicious, so she put her ear to it and listened to the sound first. All she heard was rustling and the sound of paper turning.

Should she go in? Should she not go in?

Her hesitation was short. Let’s go in.

‘It’s my perk hotel, there’s no way there should be a space I don’t know about, right? What is it this time?’

Bang─

Soo-ah opened the door.

“Huh?”

And she was surprised.

The interior was incredibly luxurious.

Endless rows of closets with clothes that looked like luxury brands were lined up, and various trophies were piled up in the display cases.

But that wasn’t why Soo-ah was surprised. The reason Soo-ah was surprised was the woman in the middle of the space.

Rustle─ Rustle─

A woman was reading something leisurely with her legs crossed.

And.

A woman who looked exactly like Soo-ah.

The other person greeted her first.

“Hello.”

“…Who are you?”

“Why? How do you see me?”

“I asked first.”

“Oh, you’re smarter than I thought?”

The woman tried to put her hands together as if she was going to clap. But she failed with a clanging sound. One wrist was bound by handcuffs.

…Who the heck is she? Why is she tied up?

Then, the woman whose one hand was bound by handcuffs opened her mouth.

“As you can see, I’m you. To be precise, I’m a possibility of what you might experience in the future.”

“You’re me? A future possibility?”

Soo-ah mumbled those words.

“…I don’t know what that means.”

“The future is the result of the choices you make in the present. If you make the same choices I’ve made, you could end up like this later.”

“Oh…?”

Soo-ah’s eyes widened.

It was quite an enticing offer.

Because the ‘future me’ in front of Soo-ah was very cool. Her appearance was seductive, and her way of speaking had a mysterious atmosphere.

The image Soo-ah had dreamed of and longed for.

“Um, future me. Can I ask you something I’m curious about?”

“I’m not the future you. I’m just a possibility.”

“It’s the same thing. Anyway, when it comes to the future, it seems like you’ll have too many roles in your head, isn’t it complicated?”

“I don’t have any other roles in my head.”

“What?”

Soo-ah was startled.

But the future possibility continues to speak calmly.

“I don’t need to get advice from anyone. There’s no need to have other personalities and roles in my head. I erased them all a long time ago.”

“E, erased them…?”

Soo-ah belatedly felt goosebumps.

At the same time, she remembered. Suddenly, her inner Soo-ah association hadn’t responded to the emergency convocation, and she couldn’t meet them in the perk hotel space. Did she erase them too?

“My, my precious inner friends…!”

“Don’t worry. Those guys are safe.”

“What?”

“Those guys haven’t disappeared, they just can’t communicate for a while. It’s because I’m here. You can see them again when I disappear.”

“Ah, well, that’s a relief, but…”

Hearing that, she naturally became curious.

“Why did you appear in the first place? I’m in a hurry, I have to have an important meeting with my inner friends. I need advice on how to talk about Hong *sunbae*.”

“It’s because you’re standing at an important crossroads.”

“Crossroads?”

“Yeah. Whether you follow the path I’ve walked, or walk towards another possibility. It’s a crossroads now. I’ll appear whenever you stand at a crossroads.”

The future possibility continues to speak.

“Well, and if it’s advice related to Hong Ye-ji, I can give it to you. If you let Hong Ye-ji go like this, the grade will never drop again. Fixed at Grade 1 all the way.”

“Really?”

“Would I lie?”

“That’s not true. Then… what if I hold on?”

“Hmm. I don’t know, I’ve never held on before.”

Soo-ah finally understood.

The future possibility hadn’t held onto Hong Ye-ji.

Thinking that way, this space looked different. It was incredibly luxurious, but was it a scenery that could only be allowed if you lived without allowing even one failure?

Clang─ Clang─

The future possibility shook the handcuffed hand.

“If you’re struggling and having a hard time, how about giving me your body for a while? I’ll solve everything related to the grade.”

The possibility said that, pointing to the key on the desk with her chin. Soo-ah was tempted by the temptation.

She approached the desk and held the key.

But.

“…”

Whoosh─!

Soo-ah threw the key far away instead.

“Yeah, that won’t work.”

“Hmm?”

“Seeing you actually made it clear to me. I found the answer.”

“What answer?”

“After all, the grade isn’t everything.”

That was the conclusion Soo-ah came to.

Whether to send Hong Ye-ji away and take Grade 1.

Or to bring Hong Ye-ji back even if it’s dangerous.

In fact, it’s easy to choose the former.

Hong Ye-ji might later regret ‘Alien Game’ and think that she should have tried harder back then─ but if Soo-ah turns a blind eye, that’s the end of it.

However.

‘I don’t want to leave it like that. Because she’s precious.’

Looking back on the times with *Seonil* and *Yeonju*, Soo-ah hadn’t desperately tried to raise the grade at that time either. Yeah, when she thought about it, she just wanted them to be happy after all.

Happiness came first, and the grade just luckily followed.

But you can’t have luck all the time.

So, this time, she might find Hong Ye-ji’s happiness and end up with a bad grade…

Still, Soo-ah shook her head.

Even if that happened, it would be okay.

“You look too empty. Like you don’t have a soul? And I’m not jealous of you being smart at all. You don’t have any little friends in your head! What’s the fun in living lonely?”

“Usually, if you’re normal, you don’t have little friends in your head.”

“…”

Soo-ah was speechless for a moment.

“…Anyway, my point is, I don’t want to live lonely. So, finding happiness for my people is the priority!”

“Really? Even if it could leave an indelible stain on your portfolio?”

“I don’t care. My people are more important.”

Soo-ah said that and turned around.

Her head was filled with thoughts of what to say when she met Hong Ye-ji again. As she took a step.

“Hahaha…!”

Laughter erupted from behind.

“Lee Soo-ah, you did very well. Please don’t lose that heart.”

It was with quite a meaningful remark.