Chapter 76
Chapter 76
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: Unnecessary Worries
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"Huhu... huhuhuhu."
Dasol let out a sinister chuckle.
She couldn't help it. No matter how hard she tried to hold it back, the laughter just kept bubbling up.
And who could blame her? She'd finally won tickets to be in the audience for [I Am an Actor]!
Lucky's on my side today.
The show's popularity had skyrocketed lately thanks to [One Room], drawing more viewers with each passing day.
The drama was so damn good that even people who never watched variety shows were tuning in.
And for good reason.
Hell, even Dasol could barely decide if she was more excited to see Seonwoo in the flesh or to watch episode 2 of [One Room].
That was how intensely the drama had captured her fandom for Seonwoo.
If she felt this way, everyone else must be losing their minds.
A quick scroll through SNS confirmed it.
💬 SNS — Gogumatstar Can't they just air it twice a week? It's killing me waiting... — Dasulgi I get it, but you gotta sympathize with the production team lol. Cranking out this quality every week is insane. — Kim Quokka ↳ Reply Production team's stacked with the industry's top talent anyway. — Cali ↳ Reply Next episode!!! Hurry!!!!!! Posts like these were blasting the production team left and right.
Dasol got it. When was the last time a drama punched you right in the brain like this one?
"Ugh, only ten minutes left. I can't wait to see it..."
"But it's weird knowing who's gonna die already."
"Right? I hate spoilers, but this one kinda makes me more hyped. Like, I just wanna see how they bite it."
Dasol nodded inwardly as she eavesdropped on the couple next to her.
[One Room] was special in that way. The structure where the loser of [I Am an Actor] became the corpse in [One Room].
Doesn't that kill the suspense if you know who dies?
Not really.
Like the couple said, you got hyped for the how... and knowing it tied to an actor's elimination made it hit harder emotionally.
What if Seonwoo gets cut later...
Then he'd die too.
Dasol's face crumpled at the thought.
God, she hoped he made it all the way to the win without dropping. Guess she'd just have to watch and see.
Meanwhile,
"Never thought I'd be watching this here."
Dasol wasn't the only one in the audience.
A bob-haired middle-aged woman—Jiwan—chuckled dryly and glanced sideways.
"When you sent Seonwoo my way... did you ever imagine he'd make it this far?"
At the end of her gaze sat a sharp-featured handsome man with a sullen expression.
Seonjun.
"I figured he'd shine eventually..."
Seonjun shook his head.
"But not this fast. Talent alone doesn't cut it."
"Yeah, true."
Jiwan nodded.
Making it this far wasn't just about skill or raw talent.
The very existence of a show like [I Am an Actor] was luck in itself.
But,
"Luck only matters for those ready to seize it."
Jiwan's eyes darkened.
"For slackers, it's just one more regret down the line."
"Fair point."
Seonjun nodded.
"I was shocked, honestly. Every episode, his acting's improved insanely."
Seonjun had faithfully caught every episode of [I Am an Actor] so far.
For obvious reasons: Seonwoo.
Worried as hell, despite knowing his brother's genius.
That genius might bloom too soon and get crushed before it matures.
This stage felt too big, too early for Seonwoo.
But that changed when...
Seonwoo played the mute role.
That was genuinely impressive.
The moment Seonjun realized Seonwoo wasn't just embodying roles—he grasped the entire work's vision.
Already a genius at immersion... now with another weapon.
Still, lingering worries...
⚙ ANNOUNCEMENT ⚙ << One Room episode 2 will begin shortly. >> << Before viewing, all audience members please turn off your phones. >> The announcement pierced Seonjun's thoughts.
He turned to the screen. No point overthinking now.
—Fuck! Hey! You bastards watching from there? Let me the hell out or I'll kill every last one of you!
No time for more thoughts.
Suddenly, Seo Jinwook was on screen, veins bulging in his neck as he screamed right at them.
The angle made it feel like he was staring straight through the screen.
—Y-yeah, let me out! Who's out there? Mom? Mom! This is 'cause of my meds, right? We can talk it out! It's all my fault. Yeah? I'll be good! Huh? I-I mean... don't do this. Mom, please!
—...What the fuck's this idiot even saying?
Before they could process, Justin started babbling nonsense, stealing focus again.
Pure chaos.
Seo Jinwook raging, Justin thinking it's all some treatment show.
Na Minhee frozen in denial, Jeong Hyeseong begging for her phone to call family now that she got it.
Bang Hyeongbin checking Lee Yeonwoo's forehead wound amid the panic, Yeonwoo smiling prettily and thanking him despite her unease.
Song Jaewon calm as ever in the absurdity, Yu Jieun's eyes trembling on the verge of collapse.
Park Munhyeon letting out an ill-timed chuckle, and Kim Seonwoo...
Just observing.
Seonjun nodded slowly.
Expected.
Unlike the others... Seonwoo felt no threat here.
Not that he thought it'd be fine.
A life he planned to discard anyway? Outcome didn't matter.
So,
—Don't worry. It'll be okay soon. Breathe in slowly through your nose... out long through your mouth. Like this. Suuuuh... haaaaa.
When Yu Jieun started hyperventilating, Seonwoo stepped up first to calm her.
Only he had the composure to look after others here.
Or,
Leisure to appreciate?
Seonjun's gaze deepened watching Seonwoo's expression.
His eyes scanning Yu Jieun weren't worried... more like savoring.
Fear arises from craving life.
Her terrified face perfectly stimulated his void.
That's why.
Seonwoo gazed at Yu Jieun like a distant star in the night sky.
Something from another world she could never grasp or desire.
Well played, Writer Ryu...
Seonjun's lips twitched.
Chills.
Skin crawling, urge to jump up and do something.
Inevitable.
Seonjun could faintly see the picture Ryu was painting.
He'd glimpsed it since episode 1.
Kim Seonwoo's character: a blank slate. No reason to live.
What narrative fits best?
Simple.
The journey to find one.
The hook: in a death game where death lurks anytime.
...Practically the main role.
Some might tilt their heads at that.
Online chatter claimed Seonwoo's role was too bland.
— Bulanping Isn't Kim Seonwoo's role too gloomy this time? Hard to explode with acting on a character like that. — Cali ↳ Reply Didn't see the mute ep? Dude crushed it with zero lines lol what're you worried about — Bulanping ↳ Reply Different from the mute one—that had a solo ending scene to shine. Here? He'll just be background quiet guy. Seonjun got the worry.
But he couldn't relate.
Gloomy means no presence?
Couldn't they see?
Kim Seonwoo is the narrative core of [One Room].
A death game wagering lives... vs. a man who values his own at zero.
Ryu was devouring that dynamic whole. Seonwoo as side character? Laughable.
Unnecessary worry.
Seonjun's actual concern was different.
Ryu would paint a massive picture for Seonwoo.
But could he digest it?
Even comprehending it'd be tough.
—Everyone, calm down.
As Seonjun pondered, the [One Room] tension eased slightly.
Park Munhyeon stepped up, soothing the powder keg group.
—I'll take the fall.
He even volunteered for the role no one wanted, urging votes for himself.
Seonjun's eyes narrowed. He—and everyone here—knew Park Munhyeon's fate.
This was his final shoot.
So that choice led to...
Death.
Seonjun's gaze sank.
Damn gripping show. Raw chaos from ten people, unfiltered.
Munhyeon paused the storm briefly... but his death would unleash worse.
How would Ryu handle that chaos?
Who at its center?
And,
—Sir, this could be dangerous. These guys kidnapped us. Getting eliminated... might not just mean walking out.
—We can't just sit here. Someone's gotta do it.
The next beat hit Seonjun's prediction dead-on.
Seonwoo voicing concerns, approaching Munhyeon.
A soon-to-die man beside one who sought death.
Why?
No better pairing.
Seonjun's eyes lit up.
Munhyeon's death would remind Seonwoo of his own discarded life.
The trigger to flip his character.
—33 years. I gave 33 years to the company. No family, no hobbies worth a damn. Company was both. And now this. Truth is... I never really lived my own life.
—...Any regrets?
—If anything, I'm grateful. Finally realizing... how vital it is to own your life.
Seonjun watched Seonwoo converse with Munhyeon.
Odd expression. No pity in those eyes for Munhyeon's path.
Instead, the same gaze from facing Yu Jieun.
Munhyeon confronting life head-on felt impossibly distant to Seonwoo.
But the key was next.
Contestants headed to rooms for votes via touchpads.
Some typed Munhyeon, others hesitated blank... Seonwoo slowly entered his name.
Then,
—Agh, ugh, no! P-please... st-stop... KAAAAAAGH———! HAAAAAAA———!
Screams tore through soon after.
[One Room] didn't show what happened to Munhyeon. Left it to imagination.
Instead, director cut through reactions.
Some wept, faces ashen.
Others collapsed, punched walls in rage.
Giggles here, ears plugged and curled up there.
Seonjun clenched his fist unconsciously.
Immersed in their acting... and grasping how brutal a challenge this was for Seonwoo.
Seonwoo had to show it.
Munhyeon's death changed him.
As others despaired, feared, tasted death in Munhyeon's end... Seonwoo glimpsing life's spark.
No easy feat.
Even Seonjun wondered, How the hell?
Scores of scripts, expressions, reactions flashed in his mind.
What fit?
What hinted the shift best?
Before answers, camera hit Seonwoo.
And there...
......
He did nothing.
Just blank-faced, staring into space.
Dull eyes, lightless. Seonjun nearly sighed.
Bombed.
Should've hinted change. That Seonwoo was transforming. Finally...
...Huh?
Craving... life?
Seonjun froze—breath, thoughts, all—staring.
Seonwoo stared through the lens at them.
That indescribable presence left him blankly peering into those eyes...
Flicker.
Blink-and-miss brief.
Seonwoo's eyes sparkled.
A mere instant, perhaps dismissible.
But Seonjun's face went slack.
It was me.
No big action.
No expression shift.
Just eyes. A split-second gleam.
After endless stagnation... it filled those eyes blindingly.
Undeniable.
That gaze crushed every direction Seonjun imagined.
Peak performance. Nothing better.
So Seonjun laughed hollowly.
The one with unnecessary worries...
Was me.
His brother had grown far beyond what he'd imagined.