Chapter 88: ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Lee Sua.

No matter how many times they looked, the person on the screen was undeniably Lee Sua.

The three members of Sua’s chat group were staring at the screen as if time had frozen.

Of course, their minds were a completely different story.

They were in total chaos.

First, Black Bear, who had recently shaved his head for military enlistment.

‘…A hidden camera prank to celebrate my enlistment? Am I being tricked?’

Next to him, Saengji Kim Sun-ah’s expression grew slightly serious.

‘I knew deepfake crimes were becoming a big issue, but seeing it happen to a friend makes it feel so real. No, wait, something’s off.

If this were a crime, wouldn’t they make it worse, not better…?’

And finally, Monkeying, truly living up to his nickname.

‘F***? F*** f***! F***? F***…? F***!’

Being immersed in online communities had conditioned him to express all emotions through profanity.

『Calm your mind. That is the way of the sword. A swordsman must first wield their heart before wielding their blade.』

Wi Ji-hye advised them to compose themselves.

But instead, the three of them were losing their minds.

At this rate, it wouldn’t be surprising if they passed out.

Something was deeply, fundamentally wrong with the world right now.

It’s not that they disliked Sua.

It’s just that this… was completely against all common sense.

Like seeing the sun hanging in the night sky.

Like watching water flow from the ground up to the sky.

Like Alexander Graham Bell inventing the telephone, only to find out he already had 100 missed calls.

It just didn’t make sense.

P…J

Wi Ji-hye merely smiled slightly.

‘What are you smiling at?!’

‘Wow, Lee Sua. F***, no, seriously, f***… Lee Sua……?’

The three of them could feel their sanity crumbling.

When common sense collapses, the shock is unbearable.

Meanwhile, Sua wasn’t even watching the screen.

The movie? Pffft, she had already seen it with the editing team!

Watching the reactions of the kids in the front row was way more fun!

At this moment, Sua was thinking:

‘…Wow, you guys actually react like that?’

It felt like watching arctic foxes getting bonked on the head and whining in confusion.

It was thrilling.

Not only seeing her friends make those dumbfounded expressions, but also knowing she was the cause of it.

‘They look so stupid. So, so stupid.’

[Normally.]

[It’s your friends.]

[Who think that about you.]

Sua quietly closed the special effects chat box.

Time to be a little more self-aware.

It was then that she overheard the whispers from the front row.

“…This makes no sense.”

Black Bear shook his freshly shaved head.

“That’s really Sua?”

“It’s definitely Sua. No doubt about it.”

“No, seriously, what the hell…”

That was when Saengji chimed in, surprisingly serious.

“I’ll handle the police report.”

“…What the hell are you even saying?”

A moment later, the three turned their eyes back to the screen.

Talking too much would be a nuisance to others, and abruptly walking out would be bad etiquette.

But at least their conversation had given them one useful conclusion.

They were now absolutely certain.

Wi Ji-hye was Sua.

“…”

Even so, they continued to deny reality.

『It is said, “The net of heaven is vast and loose, yet nothing escapes it.”』

(天綱恢恢 疏而不失)

No, exactly!

The fact that Sua was saying that kind of line was ridiculous!

‘Sua, you? You’re saying that line? You, who thinks “mutual aid” is spelled “mootual aid”?’

‘…A twelve-character phrase? How did you even memorize that?’

‘Sua, do you even know what that means…??’

Because they were so close to Sua, because they loved her so much.

Because every time she made some absurd typo in their group chat, they had to correct it.

That’s why the shock hit even harder.

When did you suddenly get so smart…?

“…

But as they say, time is the best medicine.

And indeed, humans are creatures of adaptation.

Amazingly enough, the three of them were slowly beginning to accept that Sua was on the screen.

Thus, their thoughts started to shift.

From questioning why Sua was there…

To questioning just how much Sua had achieved.

However.

“…?”

They were struck by another wave of shock.

So far, the only character who had appeared on screen was Wi Ji-hye—Sua.

Her dialogue took up a considerable amount of the movie’s runtime, and it was clear how important her role was.

In fact, Sua was the main character.

With each passing second, their shock only grew.

Still, they decided to endure until the end of the movie.

After all, compared to a regular movie, the runtime of a short film was much shorter.

So, once it was all over…

『Indeed. I am the greatest under the heavens.』

‘What the—’

‘Holy sh—’

‘What the f***—’

All three of them nearly leaped from their seats.

For a split second, it felt like their chairs had been electrocuted.

No, they understood.

They knew this was an important scene.

But it was just too hard to accept.

A world where Sua was the greatest?

That absolutely, definitely could not be allowed to exist.

It wasn’t a matter of liking or disliking it.

Such a world simply should not exist.

If Sua was the strongest…

That world was doomed.

No, maybe the world was already doomed, which is why Sua was the strongest?

Regardless.

“….”

The three of them glanced to the sides, hoping for a possible escape route.

But it was no use.

They were stuck in the middle of the row, completely trapped.

There was no way they could squeeze past the other audience members’ knees to make a run for it.

The three exchanged glances and sighed.

There was no other choice. They had to watch until the end.

“Haaa…”

As the Black Bear crossed his arms and closed his eyes, the Monkey extended her fingers and forcibly pried open his eyelids. She didn’t want to be the only one suffering through this.

‘You crazy woman, what are you doing?’

‘You should watch too. Watch Sua carefully.’

By then, Sua was wielding a sword alone.

She was conversing with a woman’s voice that layered over the scene like a narration.

『Master, what does it mean to be strong?』

The one asking the question had yet to appear on screen. Sua, too, merely responded in a quiet stance, swinging her sword.

『It means not compromising.』

『Then, what should I do if I have already compromised?』

『Even a wrong path is still a path.』

『Are you telling me to continue walking down it?』

『The path, the answer—they are already within you.』

The film Sword was a serene fusion historical drama, but it had a fascinating way of unraveling its philosophy.

More than anything, it was different from simply reading words. Since it was a visual medium, the audience could clearly see Sua carving a vivid trajectory with her sword as the conversation progressed.

At first, her movements were stiff, but they gradually became smoother.

By the time her sword dance evolved into an acrobatic feat so complex that no one could hope to imitate it, the three had already crossed the valley of discomfort and arrived at the peak of admiration. They were now on the verge of being impressed.

‘Why is she so good, though?’

‘It actually has a nice vibe.’

‘AI technology these days…’

Among the three, the one who was most visibly shocked was the Monkey.

‘Her expression is impressive, the fact that she memorized the lines is impressive, but the most impressive thing is her movements. How on earth did she do that…?’

The Monkey was addicted to online communities.

So, when the “dance challenge” trend was at its peak, of course, she had suggested doing it with Sua. The concept was simple—just dance to a short clip of music together.

What was Sua’s dance like back then?

…Like a cockroach sprayed with insecticide.

But now, why were her movements so precise? So smooth? It felt like her brain was going to overload and explode.

However.

When humans encounter something beyond comprehension, they instinctively try to make sense of it. The Monkey was no exception. Clues began to race through her mind.

First, there was the fact that Sua hadn’t logged into any games lately.

‘She completely stopped gaming out of nowhere.’

Even during her busiest part-time job days, Sua had never given up gaming. No, rather, she played even more intensely to relieve stress.

‘…Did she pour insane effort into this? To the point where she didn’t even have time for games?’

Come to think of it, she had mentioned being busy and struggling lately. Could she have been undergoing some kind of intense secluded training? All alone, unable to tell anyone, suffering in silence…

‘No, no way.’

The Monkey shook her head.

‘It still doesn’t make sense.’

This was completely illogical.

‘She can’t even grasp that the Earth is round, so how could she possibly act? How did she survive in this ruthless industry?’

But soon, the Monkey had no choice but to accept reality.

Whatever Sua had been doing during the time she disappeared was a mystery. But at least, the Sua they were seeing on screen was incredible. No, she was close to perfect.

Of course, Sua was still observing the three of them.

Praise me! Applaud me! Be even more amazed!

‘Yes, yes, I love those reactions.’

But then, Sua’s heart started pounding.

‘…Why are they suddenly watching so seriously? Now I’m getting nervous.’

The three had completely immersed themselves in Sword. The situation had reversed. Now, it was Sua who felt nervous.

‘Well, at least they know I’m acting now.’

She had wondered how to break the news to them, but this way was quite entertaining. Now that she thought about it, even when Special Task Force 808 aired, they wouldn’t immediately realize it was her. They would assume it was “Lee Su-an.”

Sua scratched her cheek.

‘Explaining how I practiced is going to be tricky…’

And for good reason—she couldn’t exactly explain her special abilities.

But she wasn’t completely out of options.

“Senior, don’t worry. I’m here.”

“This one’s dangerous. I’ll give you advice too.”

After all, she had two incredible weapons within her own mental world. Yes, Yuhan-Sua and Ji-hye-Sua would guide her. As long as she trusted them, there wouldn’t be any major problems.

‘Now that I’ve seen my friends’ reactions…’

Sua perked up her ears to listen for other responses.

Only then did she realize something new—her friends weren’t the only ones reacting. Even the audience members who had no prior acquaintance with her were murmuring among themselves.

“Didn’t you say you needed to use the restroom?”

“…Let’s wait a bit. This is more interesting than I expected.”

It wasn’t much, but to Sua, it was enough to make her heart race with pride. When she looked around more boldly, she noticed that everyone was staring intently at the screen.

And for good reason. No one had high expectations for a short film, but Sword had already exceeded them.

Sssss—

Sua sharpened her hearing, borrowing Kim Yuhan’s heightened sensitivity.

“This is well-structured.”

“The sword dance feels elegant.”

“The philosophical debate was great. The movements felt meaningful.”

And then—

“The actress is pretty. Should we look up her profile after this?”

“…But doesn’t she look a bit intimidating?”

She could hear them. Compliments about the Arctic fox.

And then, it happened.

『Then, Master.』

The woman who had only been heard through narration, the disciple who had never once appeared on screen—finally emerged.

『This is the only path for me.』

“…!”

The three friends, along with everyone else, widened their eyes in shock.

‘What? Why is she in a short film?’

‘Seo Yeon-ju? Seo Yeon-ju? Seo Yeon-ju…?’

The one who stepped forward, drawing her sword, was Seo Yeon-ju.

The friends were starting to feel delirious.

And no wonder—Seo Yeon-ju, the famous actress, was calling Sua “Master” on screen? It was enough to make them lose their minds.

The audience was just as stunned, and for a moment, the theater fell into silence. Everyone was deeply engrossed.

At the same time—

The phones of everyone in Sua’s group chat began lighting up.

It was the notification from their group chat.

Someone had started spamming messages nonstop.

[Deer: @Sua]

[@Sua] Deer:

[Deer: @Sua]

[Deer: @Sua]

[Deer: @Sua]

…Yes, the most excited person right now was someone else entirely.