Chapter 40
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Others' Hell Audition (2)
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"What kind of acting are you looking for?"
Eh?
Go Ji-sook, the writer, was the one who ended up flustered by Shin Yi-han's calm question.
"Wh-what? Uh, well... uh...!"
Ahem. She cleared her throat awkwardly and continued.
"Psychopath acting! You know, something like that."
Like the role of Geum Seong-je in Others' Hell. It was a performance she figured wouldn't suit Shin Yi-han at all.
Just from the photos of him walking around Starlight, he looks so bright and refreshing.
Does something this dark even fit him? It'd probably come off awkward.
In Go Ji-sook's mind, Shin Yi-han didn't have a face that could pull off an eerie vibe.
He didn't look it right now, either.
His eyes were shadowed under his cap, hard to make out, but even just the curve of his mouth peeking out below made him seem gentle.
Yeah, that's his default—that friendly, likable smile.
Go Ji-sook was convinced. It wouldn't be hard to turn him down.
"Give it a free shot. Do whatever creepy person comes to mind for you, Yi-han."
She was telling him to improvise on his own. Show something quick so they could wrap this up and move on.
In the end, Director Gil Mi-jin and Assistant Director Kim Yu-ri could only roll their eyes helplessly from the sidelines.
Shin Yi-han was still wearing that bright smile, after all.
Well, guess this is what I was hoping for.
He didn't need long to think. Shin Yi-han nodded.
Psychopath.
Perfect, something just came to mind.
It'd at least pique the writer's interest.
First, he took off the cap he'd been wearing all this time.
"Ah, sorry about that. I've had it on the whole time."
As if he'd only just realized.
He casually ran a hand through his hair and lifted his head.
And with that single motion, the atmosphere in the conference room shifted in an instant.
Uh, huh...?
......?!
It was half intentional.
By coincidence, he'd come straight from editing Murder's Delusion after several sleepless nights.
Dark circles deepened by accumulated fatigue. Eyes heavy with exhaustion.
Pale skin that screamed weariness.
Shin Yi-han knew exactly how his face looked right now and figured he'd use it to his advantage.
To shatter their "bright image" preconception in one go.
For the reversal.
Why is he so handsome... No, wait. This isn't the image I had in mind...?
The director and assistant director felt it too, but Go Ji-sook, seeing Shin Yi-han's bare face for the first time, couldn't help blinking in shock.
Is this his real face?
It was completely different from the Shin Yi-han she'd imagined moments ago.
No trace of Lee Ha-neul's pitiful vulnerability from Brilliant Sky, or that innocent schoolboy cheer.
No spark of Dong-ho's righteousness or kindness from Flames.
Nothing like that lingered on Shin Yi-han's face now.
Just... how to put it. More than she'd expected.
Chilling.
But the surprise was fleeting.
What could one face change, anyway? He hadn't even started the acting they asked for.
Th-that...!
If he just went stone-faced like some emotionless psycho, they'd see right through it. Total bust... bust!
Go Ji-sook crossed her arms and stared him down, ready to judge properly.
"Whenever you're ready, Writer."
Shin Yi-han took a deep breath and opened his mouth.
"Mind if I start with a bit about myself? Jumping straight in makes me nervous."
"Uh... sure, go ahead."
Sheesh. Guess that bold question earlier was just rookie bravado?
Go Ji-sook nodded dismissively.
Honestly, she thought it was natural for him to be shaking.
A newbie actor suddenly summoned, sandwiched between a powerhouse writer and a top director, with zero prep for improv.
Forget image—unless he was some insane monster, nailing this was impossible.
See? Even trying to play it cool,
those fingertips were already trembling.
Go Ji-sook smirked, victory in the bag.
"Hello, I'm actor Shin Yi-han."
After a simple intro,
"Truth is... um..."
Shin Yi-han hesitated briefly before diving in.
"Honestly, I wasn't happy with my life."
Go Ji-sook couldn't hide her surprise at his words.
"I holed up in my room for so long, put my family through a lot."
Eh...?
"Dropped out of high school, so no real friends, either."
R-really...?
"Oh, but I do have one friend."
Before she knew it, Go Ji-sook was hooked, listening intently.
"I have a hamster."
A hamster?
It was a random pet intro that threw her off,
but
"His name's Hamtori. My one and only friend. Someone I can spill everything to when times are tough."
Shin Yi-han gave a shy little laugh, casual as ever, and she just thought, Cute.
Hamtori with that face? It even made him seem endearing. She almost smiled.
"And actually."
That's when Shin Yi-han slipped a hand into his coat pocket.
A faint rustle came from inside, like something was in there.
"He's here with me. I always carry him in my pocket."
......?
What? Where was this going?
No way.
Question marks popped up over everyone's heads. It was absurd enough to draw a nervous laugh.
No way he brought that here.
It didn't even make sense...!
Even Gil Mi-jin, who'd brought Shin Yi-han, was baffled.
He didn't act like it in the car... Or did he...?
But Shin Yi-han's utterly sincere expression swept her up in the moment.
Just a genuine smile, and she was hooked.
Ah, no. Or was there?
Ridiculously, it really seemed that way.
She knew it was bizarre, but it threw her off that much.
His thick long padding could've hidden it, she even thought.
Even knowing it couldn't be true.
"His fur's so soft. Petting him calms me right down..."
Shin Yi-han chuckled softly, as if really feeling it through his fingertips.
It made her imagine the hamster in his pocket.
"Anyway. Maybe because I couldn't steer my life the way I wanted."
And shockingly, his voice—shaky until moments ago—was steadying, like the calm was real.
"Hard to change much, but lately I want to be a good person to others, at least—"
But midway through,
"Aaaah—!"
Shin Yi-han shrieked sharply and yanked his hand from his pocket.
The hand that had been petting the hamster.
B-bit?! Huh?!
He clutched it like he'd really been bitten, and everyone panicked, half-rising from their seats.
His face was too red to dismiss!
The problem was...
He shoved his hand back in, grabbed something,
and
"How dare you bite me?!"
hurled it under the table.
Thud!
?!
The real sound made everyone freak out.
And before they could intervene,
"Do you know what this place is? How dare you cause trouble?!"
Bam!
Bam bam! Bam! Shin Yi-han started stomping the floor hard.
"......?!"
"......!"
Everyone gaped, speechless. The assistant director was already on her feet.
The hamster was hidden by the table,
but
Bam! Bam bam!
At the mad glint in Shin Yi-han's eyes as he stomped like a lunatic,
they sensed something had gone horribly wrong.
All three imagined a gruesomely smashed hamster.
How many more stomps followed?
Huff, pant. Huff. Shin Yi-han finally seemed to calm, breathing raggedly.
The assistant director edged toward the table to check underneath.
"Guh...!"
Her eyes widened at the floor.
Enough to fire up Go Ji-sook and Gil Mi-jin's imaginations further.
Urk. Go Ji-sook stifled a sudden gag.
"Oops."
Shin Yi-han alone stayed composed. He wiped sweat from his brow and sat back down.
"Where was I?"
He smiled brightly.
As if nothing happened, picking up right where he left off.
"Ah, right. Yeah, I want to be a good person, at least."
And that's when Go Ji-sook's eyes met his.
That inexplicable chill.
She couldn't utter a word.
Those eyes, that tone.
It didn't feel like Shin Yi-han at all.
Like encountering a completely unknowable other being. Breath caught in her throat.
Yes. Like...
Someone you should never meet.
A psychopath.
"......"
"......"
Silence was inevitable. Everyone froze in confusion.
But the hush didn't last.
Without doing anything special, Shin Yi-han's vibe shifted palpably in a glance.
The frozen air thawed instantly.
"So, that's it."
He picked up whatever he'd thrown, flashing a gentle smile like he was soothing them.
"Psychopath improv acting."
The eerie feeling vanished in a blink.
And in his hand...
"Th-the cap?!"
Go Ji-sook gasped.
The cap he'd taken off earlier was there.
Of course.
It was all acting.
And naturally, no hamster existed. It never made sense.
The assistant director had just panicked seeing the cap.
Now grasping it all, Go Ji-sook rubbed her temple.
Sure, she'd half-expected as much.
But the real issue was...
Shin Yi-han's acting...
Dragged even the viewers into it.
It felt too real.
Beyond realistic—it immersed onlookers in the scenario he'd crafted.
In a straightforward story, he'd pulled it off effortlessly.
So convincingly even the most skeptical would've believed for that moment.
"I threw it together. Was it okay?"
His sheepish smile left the writer and director dumbfounded.
This...
It was absurd.
Okay? That's an understatement...
Tension drained, Go Ji-sook rubbed her face dry.
And even...
This mundane yet horrific feeling.
For some reason,
it evoked Geum Seong-je from her own work.
Perfectly.
Like he'd leaped from the script.
In the end, Go Ji-sook had to admit it.
"That was fun."
She let out a hollow laugh, shaking off the chills.
"Definitely... fun."
Truth be told, she was hooked on this actor, Shin Yi-han.
Quite a bit.
Rare were actors who could reshape their image at will with one performance.
Let alone captivate everyone instantly.
This rookie was different, she thought.
But that was...
Separate from the momentary "is this real?" shock.
Just a fun trick. Quick improv on the fly.
"But I'm not generous enough to approve based on one bit."
So, this was unavoidable.
Go Ji-sook pulled a script bundle from her bag.
She slid it across to Shin Yi-han.
"......!"
"Gasp. Writer, this is!"
Sh-she's giving it out? The writer?
The unexpected move stunned even Director Gil Mi-jin. The assistant director was too flustered to protest.
What Go Ji-sook offered was
Others' Hell Episode 1.
Early production—no actor had seen it yet.
A bold call.
"Take your time reading."
Newflix original meant tight security,
but
"Start from the ending—Geum Seong-je's murder scene."
Go Ji-sook wanted to see this too.
If Geum Seong-je would truly come alive before her.
Or if her eyes were playing tricks.
And Shin Yi-han nodded readily once more.
"Of course."
In his eyes now, only the writer's eager anticipation remained.
This, he was confident about.
* * *
Exactly one hour later,
Go Ji-sook called her top pick for the role.
She'd planned to give it to Choi Gyeol,
but
[Hello? Writer?]
"Uh... Gyeol-ah. Sorry, it didn't work out."
[What?]
The real Geum Seong-je had appeared before her eyes.
"Can't give you Geum Seong-je."
[Wha...? S-suddenly?!]
What could she do...!