Chapter 29: What is that crazy girl?

If you think about it, the only thing I’m guilty of is getting too immersed.

“…No, that’s not it. What are you doing? You can’t act like that.”

Yes, I had become so absorbed that I blurted it out.

Right after, I bit my tongue in surprise.

Lately, my tongue had been in constant danger, but this time, it shocked me more than ever. The fact that I didn’t even feel the pain from biting my tongue was proof of that.

I had hoped that the mask might have muffled the sound, but it seemed to have no effect. By then, all eyes were already on me.

PD Choi Heewon, sitting high in the director’s chair, asked,

“Did you say something, Sua?”

“Ah.”

My mind went blank.

I was thinking about the best way to smooth over this situation, but I didn’t have much time to dwell on it. The response from the other side came much quicker.

“She told me not to act like that.”

Park Do-hee’s sharp remark made me feel awkward.

“I didn’t think you’d hear it,” I replied.

It was such a foolish answer, even I thought so.

Lee Sua, what are you doing? Shouldn’t you first clarify that it wasn’t your intention? Why are you being so pathetic and timid?

The problem was that no one around me saw it as pathetic. Instead, my tone only seemed to reinforce the situation.

It was natural for the atmosphere to turn more serious.

While there were some, like PD Choi Heewon, who were simply curious about the situation, everyone else didn’t share the same sentiment. Just by looking at Park Do-hee’s face, it was clear she wasn’t happy.

“I’ve never seen an acting scene interrupted like this. What are you trying to do? Why are you, not even the PD, interfering with someone else’s performance…”

At that moment, someone spoke up.

“We were supposed to redo this scene.”

The voice that suddenly intervened was Kim Sun-il’s.

“Huh?”

Kim Sun-il addressed Park Do-hee, who had furrowed her brows.

“Ikangcheol is a character who earns strong trust from those around him. But Do-hee’s gaze was wrong. It wasn’t right.”

Hearing this, Seo Yeon-ju, who had been listening nearby, cautiously added,

“Yeah, I felt that too, but I wasn’t sure. Even though the PD hadn’t stopped, I was going to keep going until we got there.”

“I was planning to stop,” PD Choi Heewon said.

“But Sua was quicker, so we missed the timing.”

He continued, sounding as solid as a rock.

“Even in the midst of panic, when Ikangcheol is noticed, he should appear somewhat relieved. I thought someone like Park Do-hee would have already analyzed that.”

I nodded, though only in my mind.

Yes, yes. The discomfort I felt matched exactly with what they said. Should I have explained all of that clearly? But I’m not good with words…

And then I thought to myself, I need to keep my mouth shut more from now on.

“Umm, I’m sorry. I’ll try again.”

In the end, Park Do-hee seemed convinced, and the situation was temporarily resolved, but the aftermath was inevitable.

The gaze directed at me was now even more intense than before.

Unclear, questioning eyes.

Did Lee Sua stop it because she had anticipated all the elements? Or was it simply because she didn’t like Park Do-hee?

No, even if that were the case, could a newcomer really stop the shooting?

Amidst all these swirling thoughts in people’s minds,

“Alright, let’s wrap up the rehearsal for this scene here.”

PD Choi Heewon announced the end of the scene.

“Let’s move on to the next scene. Sua, Do-hee, take your positions!”

Finally, it was Sua’s turn, accompanied by intense tension.

While adjusting her hat and moving, she brushed shoulders with Park Do-hee, who whispered, just loud enough for Sua to hear.

“Let’s see how well you really do.”

It seemed that the earlier event had clearly left a mark on her.

Sua didn’t take offense to the words at all. However,

“…I’m curious too.”

Really? How well will I do?

In the story, Lee Kang-cheol, who appears upright and strong,

But Kim Yuhan’s first appearance is the complete opposite.

S#24

Kim Yuhan (Lee Sua), a genius with uncontrollable brilliance, has a somewhat peculiar background. While she’s perfect at identifying the criminal’s identity,

The problem is that the criminals she identifies always end up missing.

A genius detective. But at the same time, her arrest record is the lowest.

A strange phenomenon where paradoxical titles coexist.

Kim Yuhan has a secret, though…

The scene transitions.

The loud music in the club is almost deafening.

Clink—!

Officer Lee Garam (Park Do-hee) confidently clinks glasses.

In the club. A space where people dance, drenched in ecstasy.

In fact, the identity of Officer Lee Garam is false. Her real identity is that of a traitor. After handing over personal information to a crime syndicate, she collects cash in return, a pawn in the dark world.

Consumption is truly a happy thing.

Since the profits came easily, it didn’t matter how quickly they were squandered. Money could always be replaced by handing over a few people’s personal information.

Later, on her way to the restroom, someone casually bumped into her shoulder. It wasn’t an accident. It was just the way information is exchanged in the underground world.

The person who bumped into her lifted her up and quietly asked,

• “What’s the target?”
• “Of course, I got it. You’ll love it.”

The voice responding was filled with excitement. Was she drunk from the alcohol?

No, she was intoxicated with the pleasure of tormenting the target chosen by her crime syndicate. And she even gets paid for it.

• “First of all, she’s from an orphanage. She has a really pretty face.”
• “Won’t be much trouble even if she’s killed.”
• “Of course. And she spends all day studying at the library and works part-time on weekends. A solid target. Wouldn’t it be so fun to ruin a person who lives so desperately overnight?”
• “You’re really becoming one of us.”

At that, Lee Garam smiled slyly.

• “Right. Ah, this is addictive.”

The other person slipped a few checks between Garam’s dress and chest, and she turned around with a satisfied expression.

Just as she was about to step toward indulging in more liquor,

A huge sense of discomfort suddenly jolted her mind awake.

They had never paid like this before.

In other words, the person she had just spoken to was a fake. Someone had disguised themselves and deceived her.

With the thought that something was wrong, she hastily stopped, but—

Bang!

A dull shock exploded at the back of her head.

The pain, along with her gradually fading vision, and the last words she heard were:

• “This shouldn’t have happened.”

That was probably the phrase.

Park Do-hee, blindfolded, was tied to a chair.

The rehearsal for this scene was simple. Kim Yuhan, disguised as a member of a criminal organization, was kidnapping Lee Garam for personal retribution.

In other words, it was a scene where Lee Sua would interrogate Park Do-hee.

As PD Choi Heewon waited for the signal to be called, Park Do-hee retraced the recent events in her mind. The critique she had received from Sua.

Lee Sua.

It was easy to acknowledge that her gaze was anything but ordinary.

However, wasn’t it absurd that a woman played the male character of Kim Yuhan? And it wasn’t just that.

Her outfit, which looked too comfortable, was evidence that she didn’t understand the Kim Yuhan character. No matter how you looked at it, she seemed more like a freshman heading to a welcome party.

The words Sua had said to Do-hee were:

• “No, this isn’t right. You can’t act like that.”

Honestly, curiosity outweighed the discomfort.

What was she thinking?

What was going through the mind of this newcomer to say such a thing?

Was it the mistake of someone desperate for attention, or was it the boldness of someone who had noticed something first, as Kim Sun-il and Seo Yeon-ju had?

As Park Do-hee, bound to the chair, continued to dwell on these thoughts,

“Standby, cue!”

PD Choi Heewon called out to signal the start, and Park Do-hee cleared her mind of all distractions. First, she would fully immerse herself in her role.

She was a traitor. A pawn involved with a criminal organization.

However—

“You’re awake, huh?”

Suddenly, Park Do-hee’s eyelids, which had been covered by the blindfold, twitched violently.

Slowly, but surely, a voice whispered into her ear. The voice was unusually sticky.

“Welcome.”

As the person’s hand, presumably, gently brushed through Park Do-hee’s hair, she involuntarily shuddered. She felt the illusion that a giant snake was wrapping around her.

At the same time, a fragrance hit the tip of her nose. Despite it being a pleasant scent, nausea began to rise within her.

It wasn’t the scent itself. It was the oppressive atmosphere.

“We’ve met before. Hello, Officer Lee Garam.”

Sss—

Suddenly, the bandages that had been obstructing her vision loosened.

“…Ugh.”

Park Do-hee unconsciously took a deep breath.

The only part of the person visible between the hat and mask was the eyes.

It was those eyes that sent chills down her spine.

Swoosh— swoosh—

Sua was still caressing Park Do-hee’s body, her touch not limited to brushing through her hair.

The gaze directed at Park Do-hee was rather affectionate, and the hand seemed to gently caress the cheek of a woman.

However, Park Do-hee’s perception was different. It wasn’t love or warmth—only the pain of a feverish chill that she felt.

It was only later that she realized why.

In that moment,

Lee Sua herself was the embodiment of death.

She was afraid. She had grown afraid.

Death would show affection only to those it intended to claim. It would treat its target as a lover, but only those facing death would be treated in such a way.

It was clear that the way Sua was acting, she was declaring with her whole being that she would kill Park Do-hee.

Suddenly!

Out of nowhere, Sua grabbed a fistful of Park Do-hee’s hair.

“Hu, huff…!”

Park Do-hee reacted in surprise. It wasn’t acting.

‘I’ve got you now. You’re caught.’

Sua’s eyes gleamed with madness. The same sharp blade that resided in her heart, she finally whispered it aloud.

‘Why did you do it? In the end, all the bad ones are caught by me.’

‘W-what do you want to do? Let go! No, you’re a detective. All you can do is arrest. Why? Why are you doing this?’

‘You’re wrong.’

‘What?’

It was then that Sua grabbed Park Do-hee’s neck.

‘I am Kim Yuhan. The one who seeks out people like you to kill.’

Though it only seemed like her hand was gripping tightly, Park Do-hee felt an actual difficulty in breathing. It felt as if something was tightening around her crazily.

‘So from now on…’

Sua whispered softly.

‘…You’ll experience it. You’ll lose everything. One by one.’

“Huugh, huff…! Hh…!”

The grip around Do-hee’s neck tightened.

She was going to kill her. She would die. She was certain of it.

Park Do-hee was convinced. This was no act.

She didn’t know why this was happening, but even though it was their first meeting today, Sua before her was now definitely trying to kill her. This wasn’t rational thought—this was a primal sense, a feeling that something was off.

Why? Why was this happening?

—Was it because of that one line?

Was it really because of that one word?

It was unfair. She didn’t want to die.

Tears began to well up in Park Do-hee’s eyes.

And then,

An unexpected situation occurred.

“Huughh!”

Park Do-hee bit Sua’s arm.

It was an accident not in the script, and in Park Do-hee’s eyes, there was a desperation to survive. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Huuh! Hh—hhuuh!”

It was simply an instinctive act. She no longer even recognized it as acting. All she could think about was that if she didn’t resist, she would die.

However,

A moment later,

Park Do-hee’s expression went blank.

She heard a whistle near her ear.

…Suddenly?

It didn’t stop there. Soon, a leisurely voice came.

Although Park Do-hee’s mouth was still clenched onto Sua’s arm, her jaw had already loosened. Something incomprehensible had happened.

Slowly,

Park Do-hee’s eyes began to rise.

And she locked eyes.

Lee Sua.

She was looking down at Park Do-hee with what seemed like a tender affection. A look full of care, and that was all.

‘You’re quite cute.’

Park Do-hee’s eyes shook as if there was an earthquake, and Sua slowly lowered herself, bringing their eye levels into alignment.

With her free hand, she gently stroked Do-hee’s head.

‘Keep holding on like that, don’t break.’

Park Do-hee’s face, which seemed like it could be cradled in her arms, shattered from the shock. Then Sua pulled down her black mask, just before bringing her lips close.

‘…Got it?’

A kiss was placed on Park Do-hee’s forehead.

That was the end of it.

With a sudden snap, something seemed to break inside Park Do-hee’s mind.

“Ot….”

Park Do-hee rolled her eyes and fainted.

At some point, everything became eerily quiet, as if everyone had made a silent pact.

“This writer. PD Choi.”

The prestigious supporting actor, Hwang Myung-pil, asked.

…What the hell is that lunatic doing? What if they really bring Kim Yuhan in?