Ari plopped on her couch and turned on the television. “Let’s see,” she muttered.
The 29-year-old writer, who had won multiple awards since she wrote her first hit screenplay “Make It Out Alive” and had been one of the most sought-out writers of the era, appeared like a typical homebody as she lounged in her living room.
She was originally a brain-rot online novel writer—one who wrote about idols with systems and mages with cheat codes. However, it wasn’t the greatest source of income, nor did it make it out onto the big screen.
So, in the end, she decided to channel her talent of writing fantastical fight scenes into action movies and dramas. She honestly wasn’t the most thrilled about writing the genre, so when her first drama screenplay became a hit, she felt ambiguous.
And now, as a 29-year-old who probably had way too much money for her interests, she found herself writing the same thing over and over again. In fact, she wasn’t too satisfied with this screenplay. She found herself adding scenes at the last minute, hence the inserted scene for the pilot episode.
The filming was even delayed because of her last-minute changes. And since this screenplay was signed before it was even finished, she had no idea what to write for the ending. So, she did a half-assed ending where Beom Kang’s character finds his family’s killer and saves the town.
“Ah, whatever,” she said. “Let’s watch for now.”
As the episode progressed, she monitored the response, too.
Since the story wasn’t clear just yet, they were all raving about Daniel’s looks.
“Eh, I’ve seen better,” she muttered. Working with so many hot actors throughout the years, she had become immune to such good looks.
Ari placed her phone down and focused on the screen. She knew what was coming next. The insert scene was close, and she was curious about the ‘beggar’ Man-Shik PD had been talking about.
“It’s here,” she said, leaning her elbows against her knees.
Beom was walking through the dark streets, whistling a happy tune as he held the pink teddy bear. However, despite the bright stuffed toy and the light music, there was an ominous feeling.
“The editing team did a great job building the tension,” she murmured.
Then, it happened. The sound of glass breaking made her jolt. She placed her hand over her chest. She was sure she wouldn’t be surprised because she had written this exact scene very recently. But this wasn’t part of the script!
The nameless drunkard came out of the alleyway, dressed in a black shirt with a stretched-out collar. His face was partially obscured by the dark, but his bloodshot eyes were clear.
Ari frowned, leaning even closer to her television.
“It’s my lucky day! This fuckass world actually has something good in store for me,” he slurred, yet somehow it sounded crystal clear.
Ari felt a shiver run down her spine.
Beom pursed his lips. “Have a good day, sir,” he said and continued to walk.
The drunkard followed him, appearing menacing in the shadows. Ari couldn’t look away, and she found herself being transported to the distant past.
She finally knew what this feeling was.
Fear.
“My daughter would like it. Maybe then, she could forgive me,” he uttered, and for a moment, his tone softened.
“Did they get a real drunk beggar on the set?” Ari muttered.
She was fearful because this guy didn’t feel like someone playing a drunk guy. Instead, he appeared like a really drunk guy on the streets. Paired with his nameless and almost faceless facade, she was sure it would bring fear to the audience, too.
The fight scene was even better. She wasn’t a big fan of Daniel because she believed he was a product of pretty privilege. Well, a lot of new actors were. He wasn’t talentless, of course.
However, in the sea of actors who were yet to have a big break, he wasn’t that great.
In this scene, though, Ari found his acting quite impressive. He seemed to be immersed in his role.
When the drunk guy finally walked away, Ari felt her heart lighten. However, along with that, it began beating faster. She had never been a big fan of her own works due to her lack of interest in the genre.
However, at that moment, she looked forward to watching the next scene.
And absent-mindedly, she grabbed her laptop and began typing furiously.
***
Meanwhile, Eli, Doha, and Minji were on the rooftop bed in Yongsan District.
“I told you!” Eli exclaimed. “I have a lot of backlogs on my readings.”
“It’s just a little over an hour,” Minji said, forcing him to sit. “Your readings can wait.”
Eli groaned but didn’t argue further. “I’m so excited!” Doha exclaimed as Minji turned on the television.
“See!” she exclaimed. “Because of your whiny ass, we missed the first part of the episode.”
She clicked her tongue and focused her gaze on the screen, already feeling immersed. It was when a drunkard was approaching Daniel’s character.
“Damn,” Eli muttered. “This drunkard is good. It seems they got a legit one.”
Doha nodded, hiding his face behind his hands. “This is scary.”
Minji patted his back, but her gaze was still on the TV.
“What do you say, huh? So we can both go on our ways,” the drunkard said, making Eli frown.
“Wait,” he said. “Doesn’t he sound familiar, though?”
Doha, still with his hands hovering over his face, tilted his head to the side. “Yeah, I felt like I’ve heard this voice plenty of times.”
Minji placed her fingers under her chin. “Where have we heard it before?”
“I’m back.”
“That’s it!” Doha exclaimed.
Then, their eyes collectively widened as they turned to the source of the voice.
Zeno, after his failed job search, joined them on the outdoor bed.
“It’s you!” Minji exclaimed, pointing straight at him.