Chapter 127
Chapter 127
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 127
Chapter Title: Friends Beyond the Show
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[What a peculiar question you keep asking! Did I enjoy it? Of course. I'm an entertainer who can relish every role...]
"So, the 'good friend' wasn't particularly more enjoyable than the other roles? Not even a little?"
[......]
Lee Jaheon's controlled body of Kim Sol-eum remained utterly still.
The massive TV screen flickered to life.
A single rabbit doll appeared on the enormous TV screen, waving its hand. Just like that moment a month ago.
But Kim Sol-eum didn't waver.
"Then it must have been fun. I miss it."
[Oh. Mr. Kim Sol-eum.]
The TV spoke in a jovially mocking tone.
The rabbit doll on the screen looked around fearfully before huddling in the corner.
[Sadly, that good friend has already been torn to shreds and reduced to ashes! It will never meet you again!]
"No. That's you."
[......!]
"The stuffing doll was just the exterior."
That's right.
In the end, the one who willingly accepted the constraints of being the "good friend" and animated that plush doll as its body...
was the host standing before them.
The one displaying that rabbit doll on the screen now.
'Nergy.'
He had spoken of it himself.
"I've heard stories like that."
Kim Sol-eum's calm voice echoed.
"They say actors who take on memorable roles sometimes can't fully shake them off even after the role ends."
Because.
"The role was so enjoyable or they immersed themselves so deeply that traces linger even after it's over."
[......]
He recalled the scene from earlier.
The host who had frozen upon seeing the stuffing doll he inhabited explode.
'Honestly, he knew that the plush bursting didn't mean he died.'
It was something he had placed there himself, after all.
And going further, it was odd for a talk show host to let silence fall over the show just because one performer died.
He was the type to slap a crying emoticon on the TV, pretend to mourn, and then use it as fodder for the next segment.
Yet if he panicked even briefly and tried to staunch the stuffing...
That was definitely strange.
"I thought maybe you were like that too."
[Oh. Are you saying this pathetic pretender of a great host was so unprofessional as to be swayed by a mere mask he wore for a few months...?]
"I don't see what's unprofessional about that. Great actors suffer when they merge with their roles. It means they immersed themselves vividly."
[That's...]
"Right?"
Lee Jaheon drily continued conveying Kim Sol-eum's words.
"And in a slightly different way... your 'good friend' gave me a lot of comfort too."
[......]
"Thanks. In tough times, having you as a friend was a huge help and solace. And... there were plenty of fun moments."
Kim Sol-eum's voice trembled.
"Wasn't it the same for you?"
[......]
[Oh dear.]
The host's voice lowered.
[Embarrassing as it is, I must admit it. Yes. It was a refreshingly enjoyable experience!]
[As the show's creator and performer, your exceptional talent is rare, so watching and meddling in your actions was a thrilling novelty...]
"I see."
But.
"That's why I really don't want to work on this talk show."
A calm voice emerged.
"First off, this talk show scares me a bit. It's not that it's boring, but honestly, it's hard for me to work here. You know my personality."
Just thinking about people dying sent chills down his spine. Contributing to that here was truly eerie...
Moreover, Kim Sol-eum knew.
'Even if I try to persuade him, will this host suddenly make ethical judgments?'
Absolutely not.
It was like how, as long as he remained himself, he'd feel repulsed at working as talk show staff.
And losing that repulsion was a huge problem too.
Whether brainwashing or corruption, it meant losing his sense of self.
"Honestly, even though you called me a partner, I was unilaterally added to your crew. The vibe demands I call you 'Host'."
The jest carried weight.
"In that state, we can't stay friends. I'd just be subservient. I couldn't act independently."
Kim Sol-eum gazed beyond his field of vision.
"You'd get bored of me soon enough."
[......]
"So I need to go back. ...That way, it'll be way more fun for you too."
A strange glow flickered across the TV's surface.
Perhaps that's why the host wanted to ease him into working on the talk show without drastically altering his mindset, Kim Sol-eum surmised.
Like getting soaked in a drizzle.
'It worked to some extent... but not like this.'
He couldn't stay in this eerie place forever.
Still.
"But that doesn't mean we can't be friends."
[...!]
"Remember what I said?"
-Friends try to understand each other's differences, and even if they can't, they cover for one another.
-...Through talking.
"We don't have to work at the same place to share our daily lives and stay friends."
Since the water was already spilled, from now on, he needed to reestablish a symbiotic relationship with this entity the host summoned.
If he couldn't avoid it, he had to confront it.
"You don't have to be the good friend. Just a friend is fine."
The plush doll on the TV perked up at those words, leaning toward the screen as if pricking up its ears.
Kim Sol-eum wanted to smile.
"If you're okay with it, how about we keep in touch like this?"
[Hoo.]
[But what if I'm not?]
The plush doll on the TV looked flustered, but the massive host's voice grew even softer and more cunning.
[Look at this, Sol-eum. Your barbaric swordsman destroying the set. The sweat and tears of the staff in this space, the cost of these vandals disrupting the broadcast...]
It was then.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The rabbit plush on the giant TV suddenly jumped up and began pounding the screen with its stuffing-filled hand.
As if protesting those words!
[...! My goodness, this is...]
The TV hastily shut off.
The massive host's hand adjusted the antenna as if tweaking something. But the TV flickered, flashing glimpses of the rampaging good friend plush inside.
In the end, the host withdrew his hand with a sigh of exasperation.
And...
[No helping it.]
Flick.
The stage lights blinked momentarily.
[Very well.]
The host now stood before Kim Sol-eum in his original form.
-...!
[Yes... letting you act and meddling in your exploits is indeed quite enjoyable.]
[Who knew my mask would trouble me so...]
The host spoke politely, with a hint of resignation.
[Brown acknowledges it.]
[That accompanying your unique, creative, nail-biting developments was immensely intriguing and fun...]
[That the good friend role was uniquely enjoyable, that is.]
"......"
Kim Sol-eum realized.
Obviously, the one manipulating the plush on the TV screen was the host himself.
So, the rabbit doll's outburst earlier... was some part of the host feeling that way.
The lingering trace of the good friend.
"......"
The fireworks bombardment on the talk show had also ceased.
With the lights back, in the set that now made even the half-destroyed parts seem like part of the design, Brown gazed at Kim Sol-eum.
At the friend beyond his vision.
[But now there's no stuffing-filled body.]
Ah.
[Of course... a fine host always has Plan B.]
As the host waved his gloved hand like a magician, a single silver coin glinted between his fingers.
Silver Coin Serpent.
-...!
It was the coin item Kim Sol-eum had used to summon the good friend.
His personality stirred from afar as the thing he thought had burned with the doll appeared.
"I definitely burned it..."
[Haha, a fine entertainer is proficient in magic tricks too. A modest parlor trick.]
Clink.
The coin dropped from Brown's hand into the front pocket of Kim Sol-eum's suit.
Back to where the good friend had always been.
A finger tapped the pocket.
[Take it! And when you call me once more with a suitable medium like before... I'll come. Mr. Deer.]
-......!
Unlike the startled Kim Sol-eum, Lee Jaheon calmly voiced his words.
"Sure."
[Oh, but that friend might not be as good as before.]
"That means it could be good."
[Playing word wizard, are we, friend!]
Brown's TV remained dark and blank, but the clear screen reflected Kim Sol-eum's face.
With a desire to smile, Kim Sol-eum said,
"See you again."
[A teaser for the next episode!]
[Not bad at all.]
The host raised both hands.
[Now, let's give a big round of applause to my temporary crew challenging the harsh reality as they leave this ecstatic, splendid studio!]
Woo!!
Kim Sol-eum whipped his head around in surprise.
The audience seats were still full, and the cameras' lights were on.
The stage banner read: 'Special Bonus Time! Host's Behind-the-Scenes (Sensitive Personal Info Censored)'.
'Come to think of it, we were still on ad break...'
This had been broadcasting too...
'Really loves his show.'
He hoped his personal info was properly censored.
Kim Sol-eum wanted to sigh and chuckle at once.
[Now, the exit.]
The host offered a handshake to Kim Sol-eum.
With the mercenary controlling his body at his request, he took it.
And heard it.
A low whisper.
[Mr. Deer.]
[It had better be as fun as you claim. We'll see if it is...]
-......
If it were his own body, Kim Sol-eum might have broken into a cold sweat.
But under Manager Lee Jaheon's control, he calmly bowed to the audience, then strode powerfully through the shattered guest door.
[Have a fun exit!]
He exited the talk show set.
Glimpsing the audience seats, he realized they weren't ordinary people but grotesque 'viewers'...
Eerie, yet strangely uplifting.
Woooaaah!
From behind came the jovial yet chilling voice of the talk show host, his friend...
[This has been... Brown's Late-Night Talk Show!]
"......!"
I opened my eyes.
A dim dawn sky breaking greeted me.
The familiar... dawn of everyday life.
'...I’m out!'
"Ha."
I took a deep breath and sprawled on the ground.
For some reason, I was leaning against a bench in an nameless park.
'They left me here.'
Liberation made me feel like going mad.
Being able to move my own body felt great, escaping unharmed felt great...
Everything felt fine.
"Hoo."
Had Manager Lee Jaheon returned properly?
No, was my contamination status okay? How could my thoughts feel so clear and normal?
'...Wait. Could it be from eating that churro and vomiting...'
Hmm. Just a hunch for now, so set it aside.
The important thing was this.
'Escaped after a whole month!'
"Haaa......"
I sprawled out spread-eagled again.
What now?
I'd lost all company gear—no Dream Essence Collector, employee ID, mask, nothing.
'Gotta contact the company first...'
......
......Wait.
Had I just been absent without leave for a month?
If so, no way.
'Fired...?!'
What about my points?
I shot up like I'd been doused in cold water.
'My phone.'
Had to check right now.
Fatigue, relief—none of it mattered as blood turned to ice; I was about to scramble for contacts when.
A sparkle overhead, something shining.
A bizarre phenomenon I hadn't seen in ages.
And falling from midair...
Thud.
I stared at the goods in my hand, still bearing its checkout barcode.
A compact version made to ease price concerns, yet no less exquisite and costly.
A cylinder adorned with metal fittings.
The one and only...
And inside that cylinder... it was already brimming with shimmering golden liquid...
I lifted it with trembling hands.
A solution emitting a holographic glow unlike any I'd seen before.
'This is...'
A-Grade or higher.