NOVEL NEXT Chapter 57
Translator: Marctempest
Editor: Rynfinity
Chapter 57
“It’s been precarious since two years ago, and I guess this year was the limit.”
Kim Su-ho muttered to himself and then collapsed into his seat.
His slightly furrowed brows and the way he was rubbing his calves gave off the vibe of a child whining about their legs hurting.
The members, noticing the mood, started to stand up one by one.
The youngest quickly approached Lee Ho-seop and began to massage his hands.
‘Does Kim Su-ho usually not drink holy water? What should I do now…?’
Of course, since it was just a child, the outcome was already determined.
Kim Su-ho seemed aware of this, muttering for everyone to leave quickly. His voice was quite resigned.
Ahn Ji-chul hesitated before asking, “Why didn’t you drink the holy water? Do you usually not drink it?”
“No, I usually do, but I felt strange this time. So, I didn’t drink it.”
Then, with a self-deprecating smile, he added, “Maybe acting like a spirit so much made something real appear.”
Everyone looked at him cautiously, seeing his bitter expression.
He was clearly the perpetrator, but since he was a child with a melancholy look, no one could speak carelessly.
While the members were hesitating, worried about being criticized for giving a backstory to the perpetrator, Kim Su-ho spoke calmly.
“Don’t worry, I don’t plan on playing the victim. I’m the one who abandoned my friends.”
“How did you end up mimicking a spirit?”
“They said they would spare me if I did.”
Kim Su-ho looked slightly dazed.
“The person who used to play the spirit role died a few years ago. Then that person came and told me if I acted as the shaman, they would spare my life.”
Kim Su-ho pointed to the man who had collapsed after taking sleeping pills.
He was the guide who had shown the members around the village.
Shin Woo-chul, looking confused, asked, “I heard in the kitchen earlier… Was it you who told the villagers to act strangely?”
“Yes.”
“Why did you do it?”
“Who knows.”
The boy’s face looked extremely indifferent as he answered.
He even seemed a bit annoyed.
“It’s literally a bad hobby. I wanted you to notice something strange and run away… I gave hints, but if you still ended up as sacrifices, it’s partly your fault.”
“…”
“Anyway, thank you. I was tired of acting forever… Thanks to you, it’s over.”
He smiled faintly.
It was a smile that looked both refreshing and somewhat empty.
Just as Lee Ho-seop, who had been trying to grasp the situation after being kidnapped, was about to organize things, the youngest, who was fully immersed in the situation, came forward angrily.
“You’re thankful for the wrong reason! Even if you’re tired of it, your friends can’t even feel such emotions now…”
“Right, instead of being glad you don’t have to act anymore, you should be concerned that innocent people won’t be sacrificed anymore, shouldn’t you?”
Shin Woo-chul timed it perfectly, supporting the youngest’s words.
“…That’s true. As expected… Even if I try to pretend, the smell of garbage can’t be hidden.”
Kim Su-ho laughed helplessly and shrugged his shoulders.
Then he added to hurry and call someone to clean up the garbage.
It was a signal that he had finished his prepared lines.
Sure enough, a bright light suddenly appeared at the entrance of the village.
If they went there, a round floor with ‘Mission Clear’ written on it would be set up.
All they had to do was get on it and shout “Mission Clear!” together to end it.
However, feeling uneasy, they hesitated to move their feet.
Consciously ignoring the bright light, they stared at the boy sitting blankly.
They felt like they had to do something, even if they didn’t know what it was.
The production crew, watching the members standing idly, whispered among themselves.
“What’s wrong with them…?”
“Should we give them a signal?”
Even if it was the other members, by now, Lee Ho-seop should have come out to organize the situation.
The production crew hesitated, wondering if they should use the microphone, when Lee Ho-seop, who had been lost in thought, stepped forward.
He took out a new cup, filled it with water from a red container, and handed it to Kim Su-ho.
“Drink this. But once you wake up, you’ll have to deal with it.”
“…”
It was the final consideration for a child who had to be alone among the sleeping people until someone came.
Although Kim Su-ho was only a perpetrator, since he hadn’t committed the wrong alone, he didn’t have to endure the wait alone either.
Kim Su-ho, looking slightly surprised, carefully took the cup.
Unlike the slow manner in which he accepted the cup, he drank it quickly.
Kim Su-ho, who downed it in one go without hesitation, whispered softly.
“…I wish everything would just end here.”
Despite his calm voice, his hand holding the cup was trembling.
His face was hidden by his bangs as he bowed his head, but the tears dripping down were clearly visible.
“I don’t want to wake up…”
The members did not respond to his words.
Instead, they silently stayed by his side.
As his trembling hand gradually steadied, the cup slipped from his hand and fell at the same time Kim Su-ho collapsed.
Shin Woo-chul adjusted the uncomfortable position of the fallen boy’s body, and the youngest hesitated before covering him with his coat.
“…Shall we go?”
At Hwang Min-seok’s words, everyone quietly left the square.
As they approached the village entrance, they saw a dazzling light and a swarm of cameras.
Finally, their dazed minds cleared up.
They stepped onto the floor with determined expressions.
It had been an unusually long day.
“Mission…”
“Clear!!”
As Lee Ho-seop gave the cue, the members shouted with all their might.
Simultaneously, fireworks set up beside them went off.
Usually, they would have laughed heartily and hugged each other, but not today.
They just stared blankly at the bursting fireworks, trying to sort out their complicated thoughts.
The long filming session had come to an end.
* * *
“Wow, how do you act so well?”
“Seriously! I mean, this is the first time I’ve felt like this during a shoot. Ma’am! Can you change the grill here?”
“Eat a lot of meat. You should eat a lot at your age.”
“Thank you.”
Lee Ho-seop watched Lee Yeon-jae pick up the meat with a curious look.
His chopstick skills were neat, and he ate quietly without showing any food in his mouth, exhibiting calmness.
His orderly demeanor and gentle smile were much like the ‘Kim Su-ho’ from earlier, yet somehow felt completely different.
Shin Woo-chul, noticing Lee Ho-seop sitting in a daze, chuckled.
“Hyung. Are you still out of it? You keep staring at Yeon-jae.”
“Hey, when did I stare?”
“Why are you suddenly acting shy? It’s so unlike you.”
Lee Ho-seop muttered that he was just curious, causing everyone to burst into laughter.
The laughter wasn’t the artificial kind they’d heard all day; it was genuinely comforting.
Finally snapping back to reality, Lee Ho-seop made a large wrap of meat and was about to eat it when he felt someone staring at him.
“Why? Do you have something to say?”
“Ah… Yes. About what happened inside the building earlier.”
Lee Yeon-jae, with an awkward expression, apologized for surprising him.
Lee Ho-seop, momentarily pausing, waved his hand dismissively.
“It’s fine. No need to apologize. I heard it was a script, not a clue. If it wasn’t for you, there would have been a broadcasting accident. Thanks.”
“No, I feel like I really startled you, so I wanted to apologize.”
“It’s really nothing…”
Feeling embarrassed, Lee Ho-seop scratched his neck.
It was already humiliating enough to have been overpowered by a kid who hadn’t even entered middle school, but now receiving an apology made it even more awkward.
And why did this boy’s speech feel so ticklish?
Seeing the black eyes full of apology made him feel even more awkward.
“Seriously, it’s fine, so don’t worry about it. I even learned Jiu-Jitsu before, so I wasn’t really that scared—”
“But isn’t there a 30-year age difference between you two? Can you really call him hyung?”
Ahn Ji-chul innocently ruined Lee Ho-seop’s attempt to salvage his pride.
The members, laughing at the stiffened Lee Ho-seop, joined in.
“Yeah, hyung. Have some conscience. What kind of hyung are you? You’re like an uncle.”
“Just call him uncle. We’ll call him hyung.”
“You, Lee. What’s the age difference between us?”
“The first digit is different. What are you talking about?”
“Are you seriously getting stern now?”
The surroundings suddenly became noisy.
Yeah, you’re young, good for you. Hey, hyung. What’s it like to get old? You little—, the lively chatter filled the table.
The youngest quietly approached Lee Yeon-jae, who was blinking silently.
“Yeon-jae.”
“Yes?”
“I’m still in my twenties. Call me hyung.”
“…”
Lee Yeon-jae’s face seemed to ask, ‘Is that really important?’
Yet, he nodded and replied, “Okay, hyung.”
Watching the youngest kindly ask if there was anything else he needed, Shin Woo-chul muttered, “They get along well because their mental age is similar.”
Later, the main PD, quite drunk, came over again to thank Lee Yeon-jae, trying to hold his hand, while the old man shouted at Lee Ho-seop to stop, wrapping up the gathering.
* * *
“Actor, look at your shoulder.”
As soon as they returned home, Manager An Jin-bae checked Lee Yeon-jae’s shoulder.
It was indeed bruised, just as expected.
Although it wasn’t very noticeable, a faint bluish mark had spread.
While I was purely impressed by how strong he was, Manager An Jin-bae repeatedly apologized with a pale face.
“Hyung. It’s really okay. Please stop apologizing.”
“I will be more careful next time.”
“Okay. Let’s sleep now. I have school tomorrow.”
To be honest, I wanted to lie down all day.
The unexpected situation had worn me out, and Kim Su-ho’s role itself wasn’t easy to play.
Initially, I thought he was just an unpleasant character, but as I got immersed, I understood why he made those choices.
Understanding him was the unpleasant part.
I kept making excuses for him.
“How about you take a day off from school tomorrow? It’s already so late.”
“Hmm….”
I was indeed very tired from attending the gathering.
I considered taking another day off but decided against it.
“No, I’ll just go.”
I felt guilty thinking about Noh Bi-hyuk, who sent me a picture of his clean tray, saying he had no appetite eating alone.
It wasn’t because I worried about Noh Bi-hyuk, who would make friends even on a deserted island.
I’d rather go and listen to his endless chatter than deal with the text message bombardment tomorrow.
Why does a kid with so many friends behave like this?
“I’m going to shower.”
“Okay! When you come out, I’ll prepare a potato pack for you. I just looked it up, and apparently, mashed potatoes help bruises heal faster—”
“Hyung, it’s really fine. It’ll disappear soon on its own.”
Why potatoes at this hour?
After reassuring him that I was fine and urging him to wash up quickly, I entered the bathroom.
Standing under the hot water, my body quickly relaxed.
As I washed off the dirt, sweat, and meat grease, I also washed away the discomfort that had lingered all day.