2
ch 2
Securing Evidence
Kim Sori looked out the window before turning her gaze forward again.
Tap-tap-tap-tap.
He was still busily writing his script, staring blankly at her the entire time.
In the end, she sat back down.
Now that she knew he wasn’t doing anything strange and was actually writing a script, she felt less uneasy.
Besides, who knew?
He might even be the benefactor who could help her make a comeback.
‘He must have gotten his inspiration from me.’
Anyone could see that was what it looked like.
So if this became a drama, perhaps he might even cast her as the lead.
Of course, it was only a slim possibility.
Her circumstances were far from favorable.
Ever since the bullying controversy, her activities in the entertainment industry had come to a complete stop.
Not by choice, but because she had been forced to stop.
It wasn’t simply because she had lost popularity.
She had become embroiled in a controversy because of an unfair accusation.
Because of that, it was possible that this person might simply take the inspiration he got from her and then pretend
nothing had happened.
But she had to grasp at even a straw like this.
She had to cling to even the slightest possibility.
Otherwise, she couldn’t see any way to make a comeback in her current situation.
‘But this really is amazing.’
She had never seen or even heard of anyone writing a script that quickly.
The way he received inspiration was strange, too.
And even from the brief glimpse she had gotten, his writing ability was clearly far beyond ordinary.
He really seemed like a genius.
Not someone with something wrong with his mind.
How much time had passed?
The focus slowly returned to his eyes, and a strange sound escaped his mouth.
“Huh?”
Kim Sori smiled softly and asked,
“If you don’t mind, could I take a look at that too? You did get inspiration from me, right?”
“Ah... Yes.”
She placed the laptop he handed her on her lap.
Looking at the scroll bar, she saw that he had written quite a lot.
“Don’t tell me you wrote all of this from beginning to end right here?”
“Yes.”
“Wow.”
The amount was unbelievable for something written in such a short period of time.
Then again, he really had been typing like crazy.
Kim Sori scrolled all the way to the top and began reading Part 1.
She read slowly and carefully.
At that moment, her heart began beating rapidly and she felt nervous.
What kind of script had been born from using her as inspiration?
Her eyes moved quickly across the screen.
Then her mouth gradually fell open.
She became so immersed in the story that her expressions changed without her realizing it.
Her brows furrowed.
Then she smiled faintly.
Then the bridge of her nose wrinkled.
Before she knew it, she had finished reading.
She had only read Part 1 of the script, without even a synopsis, but it felt as though she had watched the whole thing
on screen.
It was incredibly vivid.
That was because the writer’s skill was so extraordinary.
It was astonishing.
He had written it so quickly, yet the quality was this incredible.
If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she would never have believed it.
Kim Sori’s face was flushed with excitement.
She raised her head and looked at him with sparkling eyes.
He was watching her as though observing her expression.
He seemed curious about what she thought.
“It’s really... so much fun.”
His face immediately brightened.
“Really? You think it’s fun too, Ms. Sori?”
He had undoubtedly heard the word genius so many times that he must have grown tired of it.
Yet his reaction was incredibly innocent.
As though he were hearing a compliment for the first time.
‘And he writes this well.’
Hope slowly began to bloom inside Kim Sori’s heart.
If this person really was that talented, wouldn’t he recommend her name to a broadcasting station or production company
at least once?
If he continued writing like this, there was no doubt this script would become a drama.
If a script like this couldn’t be turned into a drama, then there would be no dramas made in Korea.
It was that good.
As soon as a tiny bit of hope, no bigger than a coin, appeared, her greed grew into a mountain.
It surged up in an instant and continued expanding.
She wanted this script.
She wanted to act in this drama.
She wanted to play this main character.
This was the first time she had ever wanted a character this badly.
Was it because her circumstances were so desperate?
Was it because the character had been created from her?
Or was it simply because this writer was that good?
Maybe it was all three.
Kim Sori looked straight into his eyes and spoke clearly.
“That bullying controversy... It was all a lie.”
She suddenly began talking about the controversy.
“I can even show you the messages I exchanged with the members. She really did cut them up, distort them, and exaggerate
everything.”
I had no idea why she was telling me this.
Maybe she simply wanted to tell someone, anyone, about how unfairly she had been treated.
For now, I nodded.
There was no way someone this beautiful could lie.
“You must have had a really hard time.”
“Yes. It was really hard.”
I was a man capable of empathizing with a woman’s pain.
I put on a sorrowful expression and chimed in with things like, “Ah!” and “Hmm,” and even, “Wow, she’s really a terrible
bitch, huh?”
But half of my mind was filled with thoughts about what had just happened.
No.
To be precise, every part of my body except my head was focused on her, while only my head was thinking about what had
just happened.
What was that hallucination I had just seen?
Perfectly timed, the hallucination had ended at exactly the point where it would make a perfect break for Part 1 of a
drama.
The beginning, middle, and end had been incredibly clean.
Besides, I couldn’t even call this a mental ‘problem,’ because Kim Sori herself had looked at the script and told me how
good it was.
If this script had really been created because something was wrong with my brain...
Then it could no longer be called a ‘problem.’
It had to be called a ‘ability.’
Superpower, magic, supernatural ability, whatever.
I could attach any name to it.
Whatever it was, this hallucination was my ability.
I carefully watched her as she chattered away.
She really was beautiful.
Kim Sori, who was unbelievably beautiful, had shown me this inspiration.
It seemed certain that this ability had manifested through her, but I still couldn’t be sure of anything.
Perhaps I would see another hallucination when I looked at someone else.
Or perhaps I would see an entirely different hallucination through Kim Sori.
Maybe it wasn’t even a hallucination at all, and I would experience something else equally strange.
Or maybe I would never experience anything like this again for the rest of my life.
There were countless possibilities.
So in the end, there was nothing I could do but spend time experimenting and figure it out.
“That’s how it happened. You understand, right?”
“Yes. I understand. But where are you going right now?”
“Cheongju. My family home is in Cheongju. I just go whenever I suddenly feel like seeing my mom.”
She hurriedly added another question.
“Where are you going, Writer?”
Writer.
She was calling me Writer.
The corners of my mouth began to curl upward uncontrollably.
I hurriedly covered my mouth with my fist and cleared my throat.
“Ahem.”
Fortunately, I barely managed to keep my smile under control.
“I’m backpacking right now. I want to learn a little more about the world. Some people might say that means I should
travel abroad, but there are plenty of great places here in Korea too.”
I think the way I had just said “some people” sounded pretty good.
Did I come across as knowledgeable?
“Backpacking? What’s your itinerary?”
“I’m just going wherever my feet take me. Like being brushed by the wind, like water flowing along.”
“...Ah.”
An awkward smile appeared around her lips.
I guess that was a little too much.
It was because I hadn’t talked to a woman in far too long.
Not because I was a loser.
Besides, when had I ever gotten the chance to properly talk one-on-one with a celebrity this beautiful?
Even now, my heart was pounding.
She turned on her phone screen and bit her lip.
It was almost time to arrive at Cheongju Station.
“Writer, but... you really did get inspiration from me, right?”
“I guess I did.”
“...Isn’t it happening again now?”
She tilted her head slightly before continuing.
“Writer, you said you were traveling wherever your feet take you, right? Like the wind flowing and the water brushing
past.”
“Like the wind brushing past and the water flowing.”
“Anyway.”
I nodded.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Then... why don’t you get off in Cheongju? I think I might be able to help you get some inspiration, Writer.”
My stomach tightened.
I barely managed to suppress the urge to shout, “Yeeeees!”
I casually stroked my chin and let out a thoughtful hum.
For about half a second.
Then I gave a small nod.
“Then... shall we?”
A radiant smile spread across her face.
Without realizing it, I smiled brightly too.
It was beyond my control.
How was I supposed to resist?
We ate, went to a café, and then were drinking beer at a bar.
It seemed to be getting late, so I asked her,
“But is it really okay for you to stay out this late? Your parents will be waiting.”
She shrugged and answered,
“I’m not going home without telling them. It doesn’t matter if I don’t go back.”
“...!”
A sharp pain suddenly pulled through my head, and my vision blurred.
Then everything around me distorted, and the scenery began to change.
My ability had activated.
Just like before.
I still didn’t know the exact conditions for its activation, but I knew who it targeted.
As expected, it was Kim Sori.
The place I was looking at had changed.
It looked like a visitation room in a detention center.
Kim Sori was sitting in a chair wearing a prison uniform.
Apparently, she had committed some sort of crime.
She was sitting hunched over, her expression calm and emotionless.
The door to the visitation room opened, and a middle-aged woman entered.
It was the professor I had seen during the day.
Professor Lee Hyejeong.
Kim Sori looked at Professor Lee Hyejeong with an irritated attitude.
She narrowed her eyes at her, then tilted her head and asked,
“Who are you?”
“I’m Yoo Sujeong, a professor in the mathematics department at the school where you used to clean.”
They spoke for a while, and the personalities of the two characters became crystal clear.
Kim Sori gradually became more prickly, while the professor stood her ground as though her attitude didn’t bother her at
all.
“You committed assault? Are you in this state because you don’t have bail money?”
“Stop beating around the bush. Just tell me. What do you want?”
“The judge agreed to release you on the condition that you stay under my supervision. There are things you need to do.
First, you have to see me once a week. And second... you need to receive psychological counseling.”
A genius who had never received a proper education.
The second part was about a professor recognizing that genius and reaching out to her.
Whoosh!
My vision suddenly returned.
The visitation room had once again become the bar.
The woman who had been wearing a prison uniform just moments ago was now sitting in front of me.
She rested her chin on her hand and looked at me with clear, large eyes.
“Are you done writing?”
She looked exactly like the image of her I had seen through the media.
There wasn’t even a hint of her dark side now.
Only a fresh and lively atmosphere surrounded her.
“If you’re done, can I take a look?”
Her eyes sparkled as she leaned her upper body toward me.
Her unbelievably beautiful face came close.
My heart started pounding again.
This crazy heart of mine did this at every opportunity.
If I stayed around her, I was going to ruin my health.
She went home, while I wrote the synopsis in a sauna.
Since I had already gotten material through Part 2, writing a synopsis wasn’t difficult.
Of course, there was no telling whether the synopsis would remain faithful to the end.
But I wasn’t worried.
Even if the hallucinations deviated from my expectations, whatever came out would undoubtedly be incredibly interesting.
I woke up early the next morning and printed out three copies of the script.
Then I headed straight for Seoul.
Leaving a script like this behind and going traveling would have been insane.
I boarded the train with even more excitement than I had felt when setting off on my backpacking trip.
My destination was Video Dragon, the largest production company in South Korea.
The company that would turn my script into a drama.
I stood in front of the building and tilted my head back.
It was magnificent.
“Now that I have the synopsis and Part 2, it should be about time to approach them.”
My heart was pounding.
I had shown up without making an appointment, but surely once they saw my script, they would immediately arrange a
meeting with me, right?
It was the kind of script that deserved that.
I was confident.
“Phew! Don’t be nervous!”
I was destined to become a big shot.
I was a psychic who could see visions.
There was no reason to be nervous.
Why should I be?
I needed to be confident.
I exhaled deeply several times before opening the entrance door.
But there was another entrance inside.
“...I need an access card?”
It was blocked off like a subway ticket gate.
People entering were tapping their employee ID cards before going inside.
As I stood there frozen in confusion, the security guard glared at me.
I put on a friendly smile and said,
“I’m not some suspicious person. I’m a writer, and I brought a script. Could I get a temporary access card?”
“Do you have an appointment?”
“...”
I opened my eyes wide and stared directly at the security guard.
The guard gave a small laugh and nodded.
“Please fill out the visitor log here and give me your ID.”
Honestly, I had expected them to turn me away.
But perhaps because it was a production company, they didn’t kick writers out immediately.
I’d heard entertainment companies didn’t immediately kick out composers who showed up without an appointment either.
Maybe it was the same principle.
I hurriedly filled out the visitor log, received a temporary access card, and went inside.
Still, there was always a chance the security guard might suddenly change his mind.
So I hurriedly caught the elevator and pressed a random floor.
“Phew.”
As the tension left my body, my stomach began to churn.
“I should stop by the bathroom.”
I got off the elevator and entered the bathroom.
But...
‘Why is every stall occupied?’
There wasn’t a single empty stall.
Did these employees come to work just to use the bathroom?
My stomach was beginning to rebel in earnest.
It had only given me a warning a moment ago, but now it was becoming impatient.
I opened the emergency exit so I could use the bathroom on a lower floor.
My footsteps were as quiet as a cat’s, and my movements were as stealthy as possible.
I had no choice.
If I hurried, I felt like I was heading straight toward the worst possible outcome.
‘Stay calm. Be careful on the stairs...’
Just as I was about to take my first step down the emergency staircase, an angry woman’s voice pierced my ears.
“The CEO said he’d make that actress successful! He said that if she quit Blackback and attacked Kim Sori, it would
create noise marketing! So why haven’t I heard anything even after a whole year!?”
Huh?
Blackback?
Kim Sori?
Attack?
I stopped dead in my tracks.
Only my hands moved urgently as I turned on the recording function on my phone.
“Ah... Why are you yelling! I’m the one who should be yelling right now! It was the CEO who told me to manipulate things
and attack Kim Sori! He said we needed to attract the public’s attention somehow! What? You’re telling me to watch what
I say? I’ve been watching what I say this whole time. But is this all I get? I waited for an entire year, and this is
the kind of drama you’re giving me after making such a huge promise? An unknown writer, a small-scale production, and
I’m not even an important supporting character? Does that make any sense!?”
Lava was churning inside my stomach.
My face turned pale, and my mouth fell open.
But I endured it.
I endured it again and again.
Because I had to record this until the very end.
‘Kim Sori has to play the lead.’
The character had been born from her, and the script had been created thanks to her.
I felt that no one could bring this character to life better than she could.
‘If she can do exactly what I saw in the vision... Kim Sori is the one who should play it.’
Bang!
The sound of a door closing echoed through the hallway.
The woman, who had continued talking for a little longer, had ended the call and left.
Thank goodness.
She had finished quickly and left.
And in the process, she had revealed all the essential information.
“...”
I was standing at the crossroads of the most important decision of my life.
Should I go downstairs, or should I turn back?
But the choice had already been made.
Going downstairs was simply too difficult for me right now.
My choice was to turn back.
And I saw heaven.
“Haah... This is it...”