Chapter 85

85

I failed to manage my expression. If we really compare... Min Jihun is younger than me. But right now, that's not possible.

I've rejuvenated.

"Am I really that old?"

I frowned openly, acting as if I had just heard a really bad joke.

"I'm twenty-three. I'm younger than Mr. Min Jihun."

"Ahaha, you're twenty-three now?"

Min Jihun laughed out loud, as if he had just heard something very amusing.

After stopping his laughter, he seemed to fall into thought for a moment, then crossed his arms and scanned me from head to toe. However, his eyes gave me an eerie feeling, as if he was seeing through me to something behind me...

"Thirty-three...?"

"......!"

A red warning light went off in my head, and a chill ran up my spine. Regardless, Min Jihun stroked his lips and looked at me.

"No... a bit older? I'm not sure about this..."

"......"

"Hey, it seems like I just rhymed, didn't I...?"

I narrowed my eyes and scrutinized Min Jihun, who was muttering 'not sure... not sure...' to himself.

'Is he crazy?'

...Can you just randomly guess and get it right? Even though my thought process was a bit twisted, as someone who has lived as a 32-year-old mouth fighter, I instinctively blurted out,

"What... are you talking about?"

"......"

"Is this a hidden camera?"

Min Jihun, who had been muttering jokes to himself, just smiled meaningfully.

"You're back, right?"

Min Jihun narrowed his eyes even more and looked behind me, as if searching for something.

No, could it really be that there's a camera installed somewhere?

If I start babbling here and get caught, won't I be in trouble?

"...Senior, I have to admit, you're a good actor. So, where is the camera installed?"

"Hmm... bro. I need to give you some additional background on me first."

"......"

"Have you heard that shamans and entertainers are just one step apart?"

I think I've heard that before. But I don't have the time to listen to such nonsense right now.

Min Jihun continued, ignoring my intense gaze.

"I'm not a shaman~ My family is ordinary, but... well, I started seeing things I shouldn't from a young age. So, I got into a lot of trouble when I was young..."

Min Jihun described his background matter-of-factly, as if he were explaining a character he was playing.

"If I don't somehow disperse this energy, the evil spirits will really swarm me. That's why I act."

"......What?"

"Don't misunderstand, I really do love acting."

Min Jihun playfully tapped his cheek.

"...Yeah, you really seem to love it. So, is your next role a shaman?"

"Haha, my next role is a camera request. I haven't played a shaman yet."

Min Jihun just laughed, as if he was enjoying a good time. His gaze still wandered somewhere else.

"So, I've seen everything and experienced everything... but your case was a first. I was confused for the first time in a long time."

'I've never seen anything like this.'

...I remembered what Min Jihun said to me in Jeju. At the time, I thought it was just local pride. Min Jihun stopped his wandering gaze and looked me straight in the eye, muttering,

"Is this a person or a ghost...?"

Ding!

[WARNING!

Caution.

Come out now.]

...The system window displayed a strong warning I had never seen before. Beyond the chaotic warning window, I could see Min Jihun's smiling face.

"What was that?"

'How can I believe such nonsense about seeing ghosts?'

Min Jihun is an actor. A very talented one, now even a national actor.

If he can fool the audience, how hard would it be to fool someone like me? I looked at him coldly and spat out the words.

"Stop the nonsense and get to the point."

I need to find out how he knows my information. This is inside the game. So far, only my younger brother remembers me. Even if he did some background check, he wouldn't have found anything.

Min Jihun wiped the corner of his eye and smiled awkwardly.

"...Hmm, you're a bit scary, bro."

"......"

"It's okay if you don't come out so aggressively. It's sudden, so you must be suspicious, but I'm really talking to you out of goodwill."

At that moment, Min Jihun gently stroked the bracelet on his wrist.

"Showing you directly would be more convincing, right?"

The bracelet jingled, with black beads threaded through it. As I turned my gaze to the strange atmosphere, I met Min Jihun's unusually flickering eyes.

"You must want to know too."

"......Yes?"

"I'm going to show you something... but you need to agree first. It might hurt a bit."

Min Jihun spoke very clearly, unlike the dazed person he seemed to be earlier.

I rubbed my face, feeling ridiculous.

"......"

What am I doing here? A hollow laugh escaped my lips.

"Sure, I don't know what it is, but let's try. You really have a good concept... Is the manager aware of what you're doing?"

"Ahaha, I don't think the manager knows. Anyway... do you agree?"

Suddenly, a wave of dread hit me. The sudden tension was due to the dozens of system windows that popped up, lending credibility to Min Jihun's words. This wasn't a staged hidden camera; it was a real situation.

I needed to change my approach.

"What is it?"

'How can I believe such nonsense about seeing ghosts?'

Min Jihun is an actor. A very talented one, now even a national actor.

If he can fool the audience, how hard would it be to fool someone like me? I looked at him coldly and spat out the words.

"Stop the nonsense and get to the point."

I need to find out how he knows my information. This is inside the game. So far, only my younger brother remembers me. Even if he did some background check, he wouldn't have found anything.

Min Jihun wiped the corner of his eye and smiled awkwardly.

"...Hmm, you're a bit scary, bro."

"......"

"It's okay if you don't come out so aggressively. It's sudden, so you must be suspicious, but I'm really talking to you out of goodwill."

At that moment, Min Jihun gently stroked the bracelet on his wrist.

"Showing you directly would be more convincing, right?"

The bracelet jingled, with black beads threaded through it. As I turned my gaze to the strange atmosphere, I met Min Jihun's unusually flickering eyes.

"You must want to know too."

"......Yes?"

"I'm going to show you something... but you need to agree first. It might hurt a bit."

Min Jihun spoke very clearly, unlike the dazed person he seemed to be earlier.

I rubbed my face, feeling ridiculous.

"......"

What am I doing here? A hollow laugh escaped my lips.

"Sure, I don't know what it is, but let's try. You really have a good concept... Is the manager aware of what you're doing?"

"Ahaha, I don't think the manager knows. Anyway... do you agree?"

Suddenly, a wave of dread hit me. The sudden tension was due to the dozens of system windows that popped up, lending credibility to Min Jihun's words. This wasn't a staged hidden camera; it was a real situation.

I needed to change my approach.

"What is it?"

'How can I believe such nonsense about seeing ghosts?'

I decided to go along with it, partly to see how far he would go and partly out of desperation.

"I told you it might hurt... I clearly said that."

After saying that, Min Jihun rolled up his sleeve and stroked the bracelet while staring at me intently.

"Can you apologize in advance?"

"......?"

And the moment Min Jihun shook the bracelet...

"Ugh..."

I felt as if all the blood vessels in my body were constricting, and I bent forward. Regardless, Min Jihun began to speak.

"【The empty ■■ sings the ■■ song. 】"

"What, what...?"

A pain like being torn apart by sharp objects from the inside of my stomach surged. I clenched my teeth and grabbed the table, glaring at him.

Min Jihun looked at me, but he wasn't really looking at me. He was looking at something beyond, something unknown.

"【It is not a place where ■■ exists...】"

A hissing voice, like a snake, but also a buzzing voice, like being underwater, echoed in my ears. My ears felt clogged, and the warning sound from the system window rang in my ears.

Ding!

[WARNING!]

"Ugh!"

A lump rose from my throat. I quickly covered my mouth with a napkin and vomited, but I didn't know what it was. My vision spun, and the pain was so intense that I felt like I was losing my mind.

Ding!

[WARNING!]

[WARNING!]

[WARNING!]

"【I confess to the ■■■. 】"

Ding!

Ding!

Ding!

Ding!

Ding!

Ding!

Ding!

Ding!

Ding... Ding...-

---

-......

...An unbelievable thing happened.

The warning windows disappeared all at once.

Everything flowed like a slow-motion scene in a movie.

Min Jihun's face, calmly looking down at me, the quiet music in the restaurant, the system windows that had popped up with warnings and then disappeared.

Suddenly, everything felt alien.

The world I was standing in felt alien.

No... it wasn't the world that was alien; it was me.

I felt like an alien object jutting out in a place where everything was neatly arranged, standing at the boundary between reality and unreality.

It felt so terrible that it made me want to vomit.

Ding!

[ERROR]

Suddenly, my vision flickered.

Squeal!

The steering wheel spinning in front of me.

The sky, blue and intense, my body leaning to one side, the radio crackling...

I realized I was in a car... but it was already off the normal track, rammed into sharp materials.

Boom!

"Ah...!"

I held my breath, and the body that had been floating weightlessly fell back into reality.

My body, convulsing, was only supported by my tightly clenched hand on the table.

"Ah, ah, ugh... damn...!"

A car accident.

Ten years ago, a car accident I had experienced in the past.

The car with my parents. I was alone in the back seat. The accident that took away two of my family members, that damn accident.

I gripped the table so hard my knuckles turned white and swallowed the trembling in my throat.

"Damn, damn, damn...!"

I don't know how many times I muttered curses, or where I was. A cough burst from my mouth, and Min Jihun quickly handed me a new napkin.

Fresh blood stained the white napkin.

"Ah...!"

Min Jihun's voice, which had been buzzing earlier, was now clear.

"Ah... was it too much?"

"......"

"I, I'm sorry. It was more intense than I thought."

Min Jihun, slightly flustered, stepped back and covered the bracelet again. I gritted my teeth, still feeling the vivid sensations of the car accident, and took deep breaths.

Suddenly, blood dripped from Min Jihun's nose.

"Ah, but I'm also... in pain. ...Wow, this is stronger than I thought."

"Ah, ugh...!"

"Should I do more, or stop...?"

Min Jihun muttered, looking dizzy. I finally finished my deep breaths and, as soon as I understood the situation, grabbed his collar.

"Crazy bastard...!!"

Bang!

The table slid, and the cups fell to the floor. Min Jihun, frowning, tried to pull back, but I pulled his collar tight.

"You... you answer me now."

"Ah, wait...!"

"I have a good grip."

"Already! It's already out!"

Min Jihun, genuinely scared, closed his eyes tightly. Regardless, I grabbed his collar again.

"...How do you know about that? What did you just show me?"

"That... I understand you're really angry to grab my collar like this... but I'm really struggling right now... No, you agreed just now!"

"Answer now!!"

I shouted, and Min Jihun finally opened his tightly closed eyes. His eyes were still blurry and flickering.

"...Ugh, just calm down for a moment."

"......"

"Just let go of this for a moment."

Damn.

Min Jihun said that and released the collar I was holding. My stomach felt like it was being turned inside out, and my brain felt like it was melting, so I leaned on the table, gasping for breath, and glared at him.

'That bastard...'

"Hey, Min Jihun!!!"

Just as I was about to attack Min Jihun again, his manager suddenly burst into the room with a loud noise.

"What are you doing here?! You need to board the plane right now... Seo, Seo Hoyun?"

"......"

As I glared at Min Jihun without saying a word, the manager quickly assessed the situation and rolled his eyes. However, Min Jihun quickly hid his flustered expression and answered casually.

"Sorry, I met an old friend."

"Friend...? Seo Hoyun?"

In the awkward atmosphere, the manager quietly asked, inching closer to Min Jihun. Min Jihun deliberately turned his body to hide the blood-stained napkins and smiled at the manager.

"Leaving? I was just about to tidy up."

"Of course, you should leave now...! But why are you meeting Seo Hoyun? ...Are you close?"

"Um, no."

"Then why did you meet without saying anything...?"

The manager looked at us alternately with a suspicious eye, sensing something was off but not sure how to dig deeper.

"...But I think I'll try to get closer from now on."

A hollow laugh escaped my lips.

He was completely crazy.

"Whatever, it's urgent, so let's go. We can continue the conversation in the car. Hey! Why are the chopsticks on the floor? The floor is all wet, be careful!"

As the manager pulled him, Min Jihun stumbled and glanced at me.

"...Min Jihun."

"Mi, Min Jihun?"

I called out to Min Jihun, who was about to leave the room. The manager was shocked by the name I called, but I didn't have the time to care.

The steering wheel that had suddenly turned, the sky that was too blue, the tires screeching on the ground, all those sensations were still vivid.

"You... haven't answered yet."

"I, I'm really sorry, but not now... I have to catch my flight."

The manager, stuttering, looked at me, and Min Jihun pulled the manager's arm.

"If you're a friend, you're sure to pass the audition... Let's meet on the set?"

"......"

"If you come, I'll tell you then."

I wanted to grab him right away and demand what he had done, but I couldn't in front of others.

My fists trembled with anger, and I heard the manager muttering as he left.

"So, you two are having a private meeting...?"

"......"

"An audition practice...? What is it, anyway?"

The door closed, and I was left alone. I crumpled the blood-stained napkin and threw it roughly into the trash can.

"Damn... damn bastard!"

Cursing like a madman didn't improve my mood. I clenched my fists and glared at the exit Min Jihun had left through.

"The set is a joke...?"

Do you think I'll just sit here and do nothing?

My jaw trembled.