By Zephyria 
“Hyung. Are you planning to meet this man?”
Lee A-gon asked, gazing intently at the screen. Hae-jun vehemently denied it.
“Absolutely not!”
“Then why were you looking at this post?”
“Th-that’s… by mistake.”
“Ah, by mistake.”
Lee A-gon drew out his words slowly. He didn’t seem to believe him at all.
“It really was a mistake. I stumbled upon the site, went in, and accidentally touched that post. I swear.”
“So, what you’re saying is, you accidentally entered a site where Espers are looking for Guides, went to the board for finding Guides, and accidentally touched a post by a man from S-University who offers to lick you all over?”
“……Uh.”
When laid out like that, it sounded as if he had deliberately sought out that site to meet an Esper.
“If you entered by mistake, why didn’t you close the site?”
“That’s… just… I…”
“Hyung, please tell me the truth. Do you want to meet a man from S-University?”
“No.”
“Do you think academic background is important, Hyung?”
“I said no.”
“You said before, Hyung. You said you like men who are good at their jobs and earn well. And if possible, you’d prefer they had good academic backgrounds too.”
“Hey, that was…! That’s different from this!”
“How is it different? Those were your words. And among the countless posts on that site, you touched the one by the man from S-University.”
He had no words. Every word he spoke was a trap. Hae-jun wanted to cry. Why did his finger have to touch that particular post?
“Hyung, I’m not an idiot.”
Lee A-gon said with a bitter voice.
“I know. You’re not an idiot.”
“Then why are you treating me like an idiot? Just be honest for once. I’m tired of lies.”
Hae-jun bit his lip. To Lee A-gon, whose trust had been broken, everything he said seemed like a lie.
“Of course, I have no intention of getting involved with you, Hyung, so I don’t care how much you value academic background. I’m just worried that other Guides might be as materialistic as you.”
Lee A-gon, having returned the phone, left the lounge first. His wounded pride was evident in his retreating figure.
Hae-jun closed the site. Who was to blame? As Lee A-gon said, it was him who went to that site and touched that post. Hae-jun rubbed his red cheeks and neck.
Although embarrassed, Hae-jun soon forgot about it. Lee A-gon had become cold again, which deflated him, but compared to the myriad problems between them, this was hardly an issue. For Hae-jun, it was just a small happening.
The next day, filming continued at the funeral hall. With the hospital’s consideration, they were able to use an entire empty side of the venue.
The physical education teacher’s funeral hall. The only family member was his brother, making for a desolate mortuary. The physical education teacher’s brother felt very grateful upon seeing Nam Hyun-woo, the only one of his brother’s students who came to pay his respects.
The physical education teacher’s brother, showing interest, asked Nam Hyun-woo various things about his brother. However, as he conversed with Nam Hyun-woo, the brother grew puzzled. This was because Nam Hyun-woo showed no sign of mourning, let alone any hint of sorrow. Instead, Nam Hyun-woo seemed more interested in how much the family was grieving.
Suspicious, the physical education teacher’s brother decided to secretly follow Nam Hyun-woo. Nam Hyun-woo noticed the brother following him, lured him into a secluded spot, and then murdered him, a process that was exceedingly brutal.
The physical education teacher’s name was Nam Gil-su. His brother’s name was Nam Gil-ju.
Nam Hyun-woo projected his father, who didn’t protect him, onto these brothers and utterly crushed them; this was the scene to be filmed today.
“My name is Kim Hyun. I look forward to working with you.”
The actor playing Nam Gil-ju, the physical education teacher’s brother, was Kim Hyun, a supporting actor with a somewhat recognizable face. He moved among the cast tents and staff, greeting everyone cordially, though some accepted his greetings while others ignored him.
“Hello. I’m Kim Hyun. I look forward to working with you today.”
Kim Hyun even entered Lee A-gon’s tent and bowed 90 degrees. Then, with a slightly awkward gesture, he left a vitamin drink and departed.
Lee A-gon, who was getting his makeup done, didn’t even glance at Kim Hyun. It was Hae-jun who returned the greeting. Hae-jun shook Kim Hyun’s hand, thanked him for the drink, and walked to the tent entrance to see him off.
“Is he someone you know?” Yang Road asked. Hae-jun smiled and shook his head.
“It’s more like an internal sense of closeness. I’ve seen every movie that actor has been in.”
“Really? Is he a famous actor?”
“Not exactly. He’s an actor who acts well but hasn’t gained much recognition, so I feel a bit sorry for him on my own. I mean, he really acts well.”
“How many people like that are there in this neighborhood? Actors who act well and have the looks but don’t make it are a dime a dozen,” Yang Road clicked his tongue.
“There are many who want to give up midway but are getting older and have nothing to show for it, so they stick with it even though they know it’s not the right path… Personally, I think it’s better to find another path before getting too old… How old is that actor?”
“Thirty-seven.”
Hae-jun replied with a slightly somber expression. Yang Road scratched his chin and nodded like a seasoned manager.
“It’s not too late yet. It would be good if he could study quickly and find another path now.”
“Well, he’s studied enough. Actor Kim Hyun graduated from dental school because he studied well, and now he’s acting.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. I saw an article about Actor Kim Hyun in Cinetalk. It was a special feature on supporting actors who stood out more than the leads, and it said that when he decided to become an actor, his family was strongly against it. His mother reportedly refused to eat or drink and took to her bed, saying her son, who was supposed to become a doctor, was becoming a mere entertainer.”
“Ah, is that so?”
“She’s okay now. His mother came to trust him after seeing him act. After all, he’s very good at it.”
“Ah.”
“Anyway… with his good academic background, he has a way to make a living even if he quits acting… that was the gist of it.”
Hae-jun felt embarrassed, realizing he might have gotten too excited. He had only intended to clarify a misunderstanding, but he had spoken for too long.
“Manager-hyung, you must be a real fan of Actor Kim Hyun.”
“A fan? I’m not a fan?”
“Huh? You remember all his personal details, you watched his appearances in minor roles three years ago, and you recall the content of articles. That’s what a fan does.”
“That’s…”
He had nothing to say when put that way. Hae-jun laughed belatedly. Is that so? I was a fan of Actor Kim Hyun.
“Well, he’s a good actor.”
Hae-jun, his face flushed, opened the vitamin drink. As soon as he took a gulp, he knew it wasn’t a taste he liked. About to set it down with a grimace, Hae-jun immediately remembered it was a drink Actor Kim Hyun had brought and tilted his head again, gulping it down.
“Actor, you’re on standby.”
Just then, a staff member entered and took Lee A-gon away. Hae-jun finished the drink and followed Lee A-gon.
“Move only up to the green marking tape. Anything beyond that will be cut from the screen. The white tape is for split shots. Remember.” The director of photography’s voice, giving instructions to the actors about their movements before an action scene, was heard repeatedly.
The crane rose into the air with a mechanical whir, and the lighting director shouted into his radio. As soon as the movement check was complete, Kim Jun-haeng briefed them via monitor, guiding Lee A-gon and Kim Hyun on where to fall and where to be grabbed.
The cacophony of the set, which had been surging like waves to create a single scene, suddenly fell silent at a certain point. The quiet before the take made the set tense. Soon, as the slate was clapped, Kim Hyun, playing Nam Gil-ju, walked towards the marking tape, looking left and right. He was now chasing Nam Hyun-woo and had lost his way. He had been right in front of him just a moment ago, but now he was nowhere to be seen.
“Nam Hyun-woo!”
The dim, pervasive fog created an environment that suited the psychological thriller perfectly. Nam Gil-ju’s call for Nam Hyun-woo echoed through the entire alleyway in the mist.
Nam Hyun-woo’s school uniform jacket appeared and quickly vanished in the hazy fog. Nam Gil-ju ran towards it. Nam Hyun-woo was not there where he ran. Looking around, Nam Gil-ju spotted Nam Hyun-woo’s uniform turning the corner at the end of the alley and, grinding his teeth, sprinted towards it.
The game of cat and mouse continued. At some point, Nam Gil-ju realized he wasn’t chasing Nam Hyun-woo, but that Nam Hyun-woo was chasing him. He was gradually cornered into narrower and narrower spaces.
“Come out, Nam Hyun-woo! Where are you!”
His voice echoed in the empty alley. Nam Gil-ju wiped the sweat from his brow and knelt, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
Nam Hyun-woo appeared then. Pushing through the fog, Nam Hyun-woo kicked Nam Gil-ju in the side. Nam Gil-ju rolled away.
“Was that kick real…?”
“Shhh.”
Someone muttered and was cautioned. After the ‘action’ cue, even breathing had to be done carefully.
Nam Hyun-woo grabbed Nam Gil-ju by the collar, pulled him up, and slapped him. A sharp crack echoed. After Nam Hyun-woo hit him a few more times and let go, Nam Gil-ju staggered, unable to regain his senses.
“Ugh.”
Nam Hyun-woo kicked Nam Gil-ju without holding back. Nam Gil-ju rolled on the ground.
As Nam Gil-ju caught his breath lying face down on the ground, he tried to crawl away. A dark shadow fell over him, as if growing. Lee A-gon was approaching. Nam Gil-ju, no, Kim Hyun, showed a look of genuine terror.
In Lee A-gon’s approaching hand was a heavy stone.
—Cut.