Chapter 77
Chapter 77
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: The Blossoming Flower
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I'm dumbfounded.
His younger brother's acting had grown several levels beyond what he'd anticipated.
Of course, he should be thrilled about his brother's growth... but wasn't there such a thing as a normal level?
What Seonwoo had shown was simple.
His eyes. A sparkle, perhaps? And it was just for a fleeting moment.
But that alone was enough.
Because that single spark let him fully grasp how Kim Seonwoo would change from here on out.
Seonjun let out a hollow chuckle.
If his brother was going to act this well, he could watch the work without a shred of worry. At least Seonwoo's performance wouldn't fail to convey Ryu's intentions.
But at that moment, there was someone huddled up like they were watching a horror flick...
'...I can't breathe.'
It was Dasol.
One Room wasn't the kind of thriller packed with gruesome scenes or featuring some grotesque killer.
But still...
That bizarre pressure that never let the screen breathe for even a second kept squeezing her chest tight.
Knowing full well that Park Moonhyun and Justin were doomed to die in this episode made it impossible to cling to flimsy hopes like "It'll be okay."
All she could do was tremble in fear before the inevitable terror.
But even amid that suffocating tension, there were moments when she could catch her breath.
'Why does Seonwoo look so cool even in the middle of all this...'
Whenever Kim Seonwoo appeared on screen.
Maybe because, while everyone else drowned in fear, he alone seemed free of it.
His presence eased the tension just a little.
...Of course, Yeonwoo didn't look particularly scared either, but watching her sure didn't calm Dasol down. She was the serial killer, after all.
Anyway, in this terrifying, chaotic world, Kim Seonwoo was the one safe haven Dasol could find.
The problem was...
'He looks so pitiful.'
Yeah. Kim Seonwoo just came off as endlessly pitiful for no real reason.
Nothing bad had even happened to him yet, but the more she watched, the sadder he seemed.
Especially when he was with the others—like Yoo Jin-eun or Park Moonhyun. That wistful look in his eyes as he gazed at them made her want to just wrap him in a hug.
'...Is it because I'm a Seonwoo fan?'
No, that didn't seem right.
She hadn't felt this way in episode 1. Back then, it was just "Whoa, how can someone look so utterly empty?" while marveling blankly at his skills.
But now? He was pitiful.
Miserable, heartbreaking... she wanted to comfort him.
And that feeling peaked the moment Park Moonhyun died.
When Park Moonhyun perished and light finally flickered into the eyes of Kim Seonwoo—who'd always looked so lifeless—Dasol, no, the viewers finally glimpsed it.
The irremediable void within him.
'...What do I do? For real.'
She wanted to rush out, soothe him right then and there. Tell him it was okay.
But One Room didn't allow her that luxury of just basking in Seonwoo's presence.
—P-Please... just stop already. Yeah? This is all a show, right? You're doing this to make me quit the drugs, aren't you? Fuck... how much? Huh? How much did your mom offer you?!
Justin.
The second marked-for-death contestant began to assert his presence.
The day after Park Moonhyun died by vote.
Everyone stood speechless before his firmly sealed door that wouldn't budge an inch, and Justin started stammering, denying reality.
She'd felt it in episode 1, but it was astonishing acting.
— PositiveCommentFairy But seriously, they didn't actually bring in a real druggie, right? It made perfect sense why that comment had popped up.
Trembling hands, erratic breathing, scattered gaze... he looked like he could've chugged booze right before filming.
—This junkie fucker's been pissing me off since yesterday.
But great acting wasn't Justin's alone.
Seo Jinwook, playing the brutal criminal locked in his cell, unleashed merciless violence on Justin, making his presence known.
He beat Justin so viciously that viewers flinched and shuddered here and there.
'...Yeah, you can really feel them grinding their teeth.'
Dasol swallowed hard.
Rookies had that raw, desperate edge, and it came through crystal clear. They were pouring their all into proving themselves.
'But Justin's gonna die soon anyway.'
Regrettable, but unavoidable.
This was a survival show, after all.
And this drama was a survival drama too.
And all of it...
'This bastard Seonwoo, off having all the fun by himself.'
Seonjun was insanely jealous.
Watching episode 2 only cemented it.
One Room was a masterpiece. It would become one.
Too polished and tightly woven to end as some experiment.
The fact that he was crafting it week by week based on auditions was absurd.
And that quality would only climb higher over time.
What role would Seonwoo take in it? What performance would he deliver?
What part of the story would he become?
Just imagining it had him grinning ear to ear.
He couldn't help it. He could already see the grand picture the narrative was building toward.
'Of course, he has to nail today first.'
Truth be told, he wasn't worried anymore.
Not after that acting Seonwoo had just shown.
Now, he was excited.
'How's he gonna react to Justin's death?'
Justin's death was a done deal.
And Seonjun didn't really care when or how it happened. It was just a method, not a key element.
Park Moonhyun's death had shaken Kim Seonwoo.
To a man who saw life as utterly worthless... the sight of someone clawing for it until the bitter end must've sparkled.
Thanks to that, Seonwoo had glimmered, if only for a moment.
So what would Justin's death do to Kim Seonwoo?
His heart raced.
He didn't think it'd pounded this hard even on his first date. Seonjun's smile deepened at the thought...
—I-I have to kill. To survive... I have to kill!
Justin suddenly muttered that and lunged straight at Yoo Jin-eun.
He strangled her throat, eyes rolling back half-white, and screamed.
—Die, die———!
—Get back!
That was when Kim Seonwoo intervened.
He pried Justin off and, with Bang Hyungbin's help, successfully bound him.
Bang Hyungbin opened his mouth with a grim expression.
—...What do we do?
—What do you mean? The vote already picked today's kill.
Seo Jinwook answered.
Casually calling for Justin's death.
Bang Hyungbin's eyes wavered.
—V-Vote? You saw what happened to that guy yesterday!
—So we skip it? Didn't you hear no vote means everyone drops out? I'm voting for this junkie fuck. He was gonna kill anyway, right?
Bang Hyungbin tried to shield Justin, but Seo Jinwook just scoffed.
And so voting time arrived.
Everyone looked lost in thought.
In this situation where voting was basically murder... they all agonized over what to do.
'This is fun.'
Seonjun observed each character closely.
He kept glancing at his brother Seonwoo, but the other actors weren't slacking either.
Their performances were so immersive it was like the roles had devoured them.
Watching them hesitate over their ballots squeezed Seonjun's heart.
Not from tension. From sheer delight.
'...The character work is art.'
Seo Jinwook scribbling his choice without pause, Song Jaewon frowning at his paper, Bang Hyungbin crumpling his, Na Minhee pacing anxiously...
And Kim Seonwoo, blankly pressed against the wall as if voting hadn't even crossed his mind.
Seonjun's eyes sparkled.
What would Kim Seonwoo do next?
Would he write Justin's name? Or not?
What emotion was he even feeling?
Whatever it was, it'd be fascinating.
The character of Kim Seonwoo piqued curiosity just by existing.
And then.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Justin Player has been eliminated. Due to the occurrence of an early elimination, today's vote will not be held. The sudden announcement left every contestant in One Room with blank stares. Faces that couldn't comprehend what it meant.
But Seonjun understood.
And so he had no choice but to laugh.
Grinning so wide it startled Park Jiwan, who happened to glance his way.
'Ryu, you mad genius...!'
Those who finally grasped the broadcast's meaning rushed to Justin's room in disbelief.
And what awaited them was Justin's corpse, neck snapped.
—Kyaaaaaaaah!
—F-Fuck. No way, no fucking way.
—Wh-Who! Who the hell did this!
As chaos engulfed them, the camera panned over the cast one by one.
Seo Jinwook frowning in displeasure, Bang Hyungbin looking on the verge of tears in grief, Yoo Jin-eun a snotty, teary mess, half out of it.
But what Seonjun wanted to see most was, naturally, Seonwoo.
Park Moonhyun's death had made him sparkle. So Justin's death...
Seonjun already knew the answer deep down.
And he was certain Ryu had found it too.
His only worry had been whether Seonwoo grasped it... but not anymore.
He believed Seonwoo could express it.
And Seonwoo didn't betray that faith.
—......
A flower.
Like a bud that stays closed until the moment comes, then unfurls its petals.
Seonwoo was blooming.
Light now sparkled in those ever-dark pupils.
Though what it illuminated—heavy, damp emotions like pathos, sorrow, melancholy—it bloomed all the same.
Just as a flower doesn't refuse to bloom because of rain.
Seonjun stared blankly at him for a long while.
He'd heard the saying that people are flowers... maybe whoever said it had witnessed a scene like this.
Regrettably, the screen had already moved on.
Capturing Song Jaewon's weary face, Na Minhee's angry one... and finally, Yeonwoo.
Her face, giggling subtly out of everyone's sight.
And with Justin's pitifully sprawled corpse filling the final frame... episode 2 ended with the credits theme.
The audience voices rose only after the long end credits fully rolled.
"......Whoa."
"I'm losing my mind..."
"This might be my all-time drama..."
"Not yet? It already is for me."
Voices soaked in awe, chills, and shock, accompanied by applause.
Everyone seemed reluctant to return to reality.
A testament to the insane immersion One Room delivered.
But the game wasn't over.
Separate from One Room's game, I Am an Actor still had story left.
<< ...Haa. >>
And judge Sung Junil let out a sigh before any words.
After a long pause, he slowly shook his head.
<< Can we hold off on judging for a bit? I want to savor the aftertaste longer. >>