Chapter 64

64. Gozua

It was quiet.

Each line spoken by the five-year-old with a blank expression pierced the hearts of the staff like thorns.

How can he act like that?

A child whose life experience was limited to kindergarten...

Director Choi Min-cheol and the staff felt their hair stand on end at Si-woo's acting.

A hot current ran through their bodies.

They all unconsciously clenched their fists.

Silently—

Everyone's gaze turned to Yoo-ri.

Yoo-ri, who had directly received Si-woo's energy, was not captured by the camera but was trembling slightly.

She was afraid.

But the moment her eyes met Si-woo's, the heavy air that had been pressing down on her vanished as if by magic.

A warm energy, like sunlight seeping through curtains, gently enveloped Yoo-ri.

Yoo-ri mustered her courage again.

"In this world... you didn't come? Then what am I...?"

Yoo-ri bit her lip tightly and stared at Si-woo.

Seeing Yoo-ri, who was fully immersed in the emotions of Wolsoon, Si-woo hesitated for a moment, then closed his eyes and spoke.

"Among the beings of the afterlife, the one who did not come from this world... is only one."

Hearing Si-woo's answer, Yoo-ri stood rooted to the spot, unable to speak, and tears streamed down her pale cheeks.

In her place, Seung-seok, the youngest Chasa standing a few steps behind, muttered to himself.

"Evil... spirit...!"

The souls trapped in hell continuously spewed out their grievances, and these grievances gave birth to evil spirits.

"Shut up-!"

Yoo-ri let out a scream.

Seung-seok took a step back.

At that moment, Si-woo, with his hands behind his back, slowly moved toward Yoo-ri and Seung-seok.

The sound of his steps, dragging his Yama's robe, was irresistibly cute and adorable, but Si-woo's slightly sad expression and hollow eyes negated all of that.

Si-woo spoke.

These were lines that were a bit difficult for a five-year-old.

Director Choi Min-cheol and the staff watched Si-woo with tense eyes.

"According to the laws of the afterlife, evil spirits are starved to death. If an evil spirit eats a soul, it will mimic a human."

"That's enough... No... It's not true..."

Yoo-ri shook her tear-streaked face roughly.

Si-woo continued.

"You were... a small evil spirit starving to death in front of me."

Seung-seok asked in a disbelieving voice.

"Did you give your soul to an evil spirit? How could Yama, who should uphold the laws of the afterlife more than anyone, do such a thing...?"

"He begged to be saved. A small evil spirit on the verge of annihilation."

Seung-seok shook his head.

"Just for that reason? It doesn't make sense!"

Everyone on the set was silently cheering for Si-woo.

There was not much time left.

Looking up at the bewildered Seung-seok, Si-woo said.

"That day... I also missed my mother."

Si-woo, for a moment, put aside his mature Yama and smiled brightly like a child.

Seeing that smile, Seung-seok's heart ached.

This child was a genius.

Not just crying and laughing, but being able to express such delicate emotions as a five-year-old—smiling sadly or in pain—was extraordinary.

Of course, his ability to memorize lines was on a level that could not be compared to other children.

"I gave a piece of my soul and saved that evil spirit. I also gave it my mother's name and appearance. I just wanted to see her, even once."

Si-woo looked at Yoo-ri.

"I'm sorry. It was my small... desire."

And then—

"No, no, no-!"

It was time for the CGI.

The annihilation of Yama, who had confessed his sins, began.

Yoo-ri burst into tears as she looked at Si-woo.

Seung-seok, although there was no actual change, frantically waved his hands in the air to stop Si-woo's annihilation, which was supposed to be depicted by CGI.

Si-woo, with a slight smile, delivered the final line of the scene to the two Chasas.

"Don't worry. There's still time. Let's go to hell together."

He had memorized all the long lines that would have required multiple takes for any other child.

And he did it perfectly, just as he had practiced!

Director Choi Min-cheol, like a fan celebrating a dramatic goal in the World Cup, stood up, clenched his fist, and waved it.

"Wow-! Okay-! Bravo! Go, genius!"

Whether there was a connection between memorizing lines and being a chess genius was unclear, but it had become a trend among the adults around Si-woo to attribute his incomprehensible intelligence, maturity, and genius to his being a chess prodigy.

"Wow! Actress Han Yoo-ri, you were amazing-!"

"Si-woo! What are you? Were you born to act?!"

"Si-woo, you're so cool! You've leveled up from a cute little thing! Squeal!"

Si-woo, who exuded an unbelievable presence for a five-year-old, made the staff instantly noisy.

Occasional praises for Yoo-ri could also be heard.

Yoo-ri stood there, dazed by the staff's enthusiastic cheers, which she had never received even when she was praised for her role as a queen.

Si-woo, who had walked over, took Yoo-ri's hand as if to praise her.

Yoo-ri, happy, wiped away the tears she had shed while acting and smiled broadly.

Her beauty shone even more brightly.

Seung-seok, who approached, patted Yoo-ri's shoulder and stroked Si-woo's head, then shouted at the staff in a pretend angry voice.

"Does no one praise me?!"

Seung-seok, a forty-six-year-old big actor hungry for praise.

* * *

"Shush~!"

On the set, Si-woo was having a gathering with his friends.

From his best friend Ji-ho, to his kindergarten friends Kyung-ho and Jin-a, and even his childhood friend Young-joon, who he didn't see often because they lived in different areas but was now good at sliding down slides.

Finally.

"Ooh~ Hohoho~! Our Si-woo has been extraordinary since he was little! Did you see my scary wife? When Si-woo was a toddler, he already knew how to act. The child who played Si-woo's older brother is Jung-tae over there."

...Jung-tae and his mother.

Director Choi Min-cheol had said that if there were any friends who wanted to come play, they should bring them, as he needed young extras for the final large-scale battle scene.

He planned to cast child actors, but the more, the better.

So Si-woo and Seung-hyun invited a few close friends to the set.

Hyun-ju hadn't thought of inviting Jung-tae's mother, but Si-woo had suggested it first.

Si-woo and Jung-tae were good friends.

Now a primary school student, Jung-tae stood in front of Ji-ho, Kyung-ho, Jin-a, and Young-joon and said.

"Did you see Si-woo's acting? It's really amazing! He's an incredible actor! We even made a movie together!"

The children's mouths dropped open.

"Wow~!"

Right then, Ji-yeon walked by behind them.

Ji-yeon had also been invited as an extra.

Jung-tae's mouth dropped open.

This time, it was Jung-tae's turn to say "Wow."

"Wow~ That older sister is really pretty!"

Ji-ho raised his hand.

"Brother! She's my sister~"

"I wish I had an older sister! My mom won't even give me a younger sibling..."

Seeing Jung-tae, who had been suffering from his mother's pressure since he was a baby, Si-woo felt a bit happy for him.

The chaotic atmosphere gradually settled, and preparations for the battle scene began.

This was the climax of the movie, with a massive cast and CGI.

Now, the evil spirits were not just creating holes in hell but were causing a major rebellion to open the gates of hell.

Starving evil spirits were swarming like ants toward the gates of hell to enter the living world.

The Chasas of the afterlife had to defend the gates with their lives.

Ryu Seung-hyun, Choi Jae-hoon, and Jin Ui-seong, along with numerous Chasas, were set to fight the evil spirits, and at a critical moment—

Si-woo, leading Seung-seok and Yoo-ri, would appear with his young friends as reinforcements.

Of course, the young friends, though they looked like children, were actually powerful veteran Chasas who appeared younger as they aged, according to the movie's setting.

No matter how fierce the evil spirits' attacks, CGI would protect them—

"Ready-! Action-!"

At Director Choi Min-cheol's signal, the final battle began in the massive hell set.

"Wowaaaaa-!"

"Kraaaaa-!"

While the children were present, the filming was done without any cruel scenes, and the more violent parts were planned to be filmed after the children were sent home.

Therefore, in the final movie, the flow would be a desperate battle followed by the arrival of reinforcements, but the filming order was to shoot the reinforcement scene first.

Amid the large-scale battle below, Si-woo, deliberately made to look pale, appeared on the hill to the right.

Si-woo, after straightening his Yama's robe, looked down at the scene of the battle at the gates of hell with a determined expression.

The camera, flying in the air, gradually rose, expanding the view behind Si-woo.

The figures of Seung-seok and Yoo-ri, standing like guardians, and those following Si-woo, gradually came into the camera's view.

Countless, innumerable Chasas—

Hundreds of Chasas, with solemn faces, were waiting for Si-woo's command.

Seeing the evil spirits approaching the gates of hell, Si-woo raised his right hand.

And he shouted valiantly.

"In the name of the gods! All Chasas of the afterlife! Stake your souls! Defend the gates of hell from the evil spirits!"

"Wowaaaaaaa-!"

After sending the hundreds of Chasas down, Si-woo stood on the hill with Seung-seok and Yoo-ri.

"What are you going to do? We need to find a way. We'll be annihilated if we don't."

Seung-seok, looking at Si-woo's body, spoke urgently.

Si-woo smiled slightly, watching his friends enthusiastically playing war in the battle scene.

"Let it be. If I made a mistake, I should take responsibility, shouldn't I?"

"But we can't just stand by and do nothing..."

"Junior, relax. You look scary when you frown."

"But... now is not the time for that..."

In the middle of this, an ad-lib!

Seung-seok was genuinely surprised by the unexpected ad-lib from the five-year-old Si-woo but naturally went with it.

Seung-seok, who had thought of a line like "I'm scary even without frowning," decided it was too much and edited it out.

Si-woo said.

"When I'm annihilated, a new Yama will be born. Don't worry too much... Let's do what we have to do. It's my last command."

Si-woo, who was being annihilated, was smiling cutely despite his pale face.

"Junior, are you ready?"

"Whenever you command..."

"Wolsoon, don't die. Live long."

"..."

Yoo-ri, with a tearful face, nodded.

Si-woo gave the two Chasas their final command.

"Gozua."

* * *

Early November.

"It's cold today. You need to dress warmly."

"Okay~ Mom too!"

Si-woo and Hyun-ju put on thick padded jackets.

The end of the year was approaching.

Hyun-ju and Si-woo, who had come down to the apartment complex parking lot, got into Ji-ho's mother's car.

Inside, Ji-ho greeted them warmly.

"Hi!"

Si-woo waved.

"Hi!"

Hyun-ju said to Ji-ho's mother.

"I was worried and excited, so I couldn't sleep. This is my first time..."

Ji-ho's mother replied.

"I haven't done this in a long time, so I don't remember well. I just sent Ji-yeon to a place close to home. Let's go and see."

The car, after a 15-minute drive, arrived in front of a building.

In the evening, the surroundings were dark, but the building was brightly lit.

"Should we have come during the day? It seems everyone has gone home. It will be hard to park. Do you want to get out first?"

"No, I'll go with you."

Various types of cars were parked densely along the road.

Ji-ho's mother, after struggling to park, got out of the car with Hyun-ju and the children.

Si-woo, holding his mother's hand, headed toward the large building entrance.

Inside, the teachers greeted Si-woo and Ji-ho with smiles.

"Mothers, we'll take care of the children for a while!"

"Thank you, please take good care of them."

Hyun-ju and Ji-ho's mother left Si-woo and Ji-ho with the kindergarten teachers and entered the auditorium where the admission briefing was being held.

Due to the delay in finding a parking spot, the briefing was already in full swing.

Hyun-ju and Ji-ho's mother found an empty seat at the back and sat down.

"Mothers-!"

A middle-aged woman, who seemed to be the kindergarten principal, was holding a microphone and shouting loudly.

"When choosing a kindergarten! What do you think is the most important thing-!"