As the punishment numbers increased, they grew even more brutal and horrifying.
Punishment 3, Punishment 4, Punishment 5…
Clang!
Kim Soleum barely escaped a gourmet restaurant that specialized in cooking sentient beings, dodging the chef’s cleaver—at the cost of losing a few strands of hair.
And then.
Punishment 6
The Crimson Scarecrow
A vast cornfield.
From the thickly grown stalks and leaves, a twisted, multi-limbed creature slithered, chasing Kim Soleum like a centipede.
But the one controlling Kim Soleum’s body was a named character from the <Dark Exploration Records> —Employee D of the Field Exploration Team.
Dodging like an acrobat, he counterattacked.
And with a flash of the bloodsucking knife—
Slash! Three or four scarecrow limbs were severed. The audience gasped in awe.
However, it was only a matter of time.
In a ghost story about a monster in a cornfield, one could never win by brute force.
His already-wounded body had limits…
‘…So this punishment was designed for me to die.’
Kim Soleum waited.
Waited—
Waited for the moment—
Just as the scarecrow lunged to pounce…
– NOW!
Following Kim Soleum’s advice, Lee Jaheon abruptly turned at a sharp angle.
And then—sprinted at full speed.
Towards the TV screen.
“Wha—?!”
“He’s getting bigger!”
And then.
[Oh!]
He jumped straight out of the TV.
Kim Soleum’s body rolled onto the floor, and Lee Jaheon landed in a controlled breakfall.
WAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!
Crazy!!
The audience went wild.
[Unbelievable! My goodness!]
For a moment, the host himself seemed to forget his anger.
What mattered now was that the show had reached new heights.
As if the only thing that mattered in the world was that a good show could be completed, a smiling emoticon flashed on the massive vintage television’s screen with the accompaniment of a showman’s bright voice. ŘÁọ𐌱Ěš
[To clear six punishments! That was absolutely thrilling! A breathtaking, edge-of-your-seat spectacle! Ah, truly delightful. Everyone, did you enjoy it?!]
YES!!!
The audience erupted in cheers.
And then—
The host, speaking in a velvety smooth voice from within the colossal TV, responded.
[Well then…]
<p style=”font-size: 1.5em; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;”>[Get back in and take the 7th punishment.]
The TV screen loomed closer once more.
[The audience’s cheers were sweet, weren’t they? You must repay their enthusiasm. Oh, we can’t possibly end it now—look how much they love it! Keep going. KEEP GOING…]
At that moment.
From the rubble, an anonymous, faceless crew member barely managed to retrieve a sketchbook and held it up from below the stage.
—EMERGENCY ALERT.
[…Aha!]
The TV stopped.
[Oh, would you look at that?]
[It’s time for a commercial break.]
The audience groaned in disappointment.
[Haha, as much as I regret it, we must wrap up this surprise segment here. But don’t worry—an extravagant finale awaits you all!]
[And of course, this brief commercial break will only heighten your anticipation!]
With a smiling emoticon on its screen, the TV head made a bow to his audience.
[Yes. When the cameras turn off, when the audience’s eyes are gone, when the stage lights go dark…]
The host addressed Kim Soleum’s figure.
[Who can say what wonderful things might happen to a guest after their segment ends?]
“……”
[We’ll be back shortly.]
Click.
The camera lights went out.
Yet, the crew members did not come up to clear the half-destroyed stage.
In the darkness, with the murmuring voices of the audience still vividly present…
The host raised his hand.
He fixed his gaze upon the now-useless guest of a finished segment—
Upon the reckless fool who dared destroy his set and break his dear friend.
And then, the giant gloved fingers slowly pressed together, about to produce a chilling snap….
“Braun.”
The hand stopped.
“Did you incinerate my ‘stuffed body’?”
……
[Ah. So we’re back to that topic.]
[Did you come crawling back to ask for help? How shameless. Then again, shamelessness is a virtue in showbusiness…]
“No.”
Lee Jaheon, still piloting Kim Soleum’s body, calmly recited his words.
“I just had a question.”
The emoticon disappeared from the TV screen.
‘I knew it.’
Kim Soleum was certain.
Braun couldn’t read his thoughts right now.
Because the one speaking directly to Braun was Lee Jaheon.
Just as reading a script aloud doesn’t mean knowing the playwright’s full intent, Braun had no way of deciphering the true mind behind the words.
And the same applied to Kim Soleum.
‘Because I’m not really here.’
He was seeing and hearing everything indirectly.
In persuasion, context and atmosphere play a crucial role.
But right now, all information was being filtered solely through words and visuals. Without the full sensory experience, he could withstand the ‘persuasion’ of the great host.
That meant, for the first time, they could have a real conversation.
A genuine conversation. One where neither party could see into the other’s mind—where they would have to listen, interpret, and truly engage.
“Will you hear me out? I think you won’t be expecting this question…”
[Ah. Bluffing can sometimes have its uses on stage.]
[But such tactics only work on amateurs—not on a true entertainer.]
The master of this talk show creepypasta fixed his unseen gaze upon him.
[Do you really believe that reciting tired old scripts, common ghost stories, or dull platitudes will be enough to move me?]
But.
“That’s not it. It’s just a personal question.”
His voice was calm.
[‘A personal question’?]
“Yeah.”
Kim Soleum’s lips moved.
“Was it frustrating being a good friend?”
[ ]
The TV screen froze.
But still—his smooth voice continued.
[A performer who finds their given role suffocating does not deserve to be on stage.]
[In that sense, this Braun has never once felt confined by masks.]
“I see. Because when I was a stuffed doll, I felt pretty trapped and scared. I was just wondering if you ever felt the same way.”
[Oh, forming empathy and connection? Predictable, and oh, how boring.]
[Go ahead, waste your breath trying to justify why I shouldn’t incinerate you and that grunt right here and now.]
[Before the commercials end.]
“……”
Kim Soleum thought.
He knew—if he simply ran away now, he would inevitably face an even worse end in the future.
Still, putting all his bets on this gamble remained an option to him.
But to Kim Soleum, a gamble was only worth taking if there’s a real chance of success.
And he had his reasons for taking this bet.
This was the possibility he was holding onto.
“Then. Did being a good friend make you happy?”