Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Feverish Reactions
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After the second episode of One Room aired, the public's reactions truly began to heat up.
💬 Comments — Jeongseungwon That's insane... — HalloHallo I knew both were gonna die, but I never imagined it'd be that gruesome. ↳ YC For real lol ↳ YC Especially Park Moonhyeon—they didn't even show exactly how he died, which made it even more horrifying. — Gogumatsdasi What gets me the most is watching Yeonwoo pretending everything's normal. The direction makes it seem like there's nothing wrong at all, which makes it even more unsettling lol wtf. ↳ Lowkey For real, even just seeing him smile gives me chills for no reason. ↳ Gogumatsdasi What're you saying? Don't talk smack about our Yeonwoo. ↳ Lowkey ?? — EyesOnYou Sister Minhee is drop-dead gorgeous... insane... ↳ Anonymous For real. ↳ Gahyun I wanna see her do the full Himekko at an awards show someday. ↳ EyesOnYou Nooo, I'd die... — MatchaMilk But who killed Justin anyway? ↳ Gogumatsdasi Yeonwoo, right? Who else in there could kill someone? ↳ MatchaMilk You never know. It could be a twist from what we'd expect. ↳ Gogumatsdasi That feels kinda forced. ↳ MatchaMilk Yeah, it does feel forced. We'll have to wait and see though. — Anonymous Damn, it's crazy... I only started watching because of that one actor at first, but now I'm actually looking forward to the drama itself. ↳ EyesOnYou Agreed. I'm just counting down to Fridays now. The reactions were overwhelmingly positive.
In fact, the grip of One Room felt even stronger than after episode 1.
Episode 1 hadn't fully introduced what kind of drama One Room was.
The focus had mostly been on which characters would appear, with only a brief glimpse of the show itself at the very end.
So the developments shown in episode 2 hit even harder, more provocatively.
The natural intertwining of emotions from ten different characters created a flow that would give anyone chills just from watching.
Thanks to that, praise for Ryu was easy to find.
— Naratsmalssami Ryu's a total madman... He just smashes drama conventions however he wants. But it somehow has this weird, addictive chewiness. ↳ Anonymous For real. First time seeing a Korean drama this unhinged, but it's fun. — Munheeseok Im Youngdo's connections must be insane. Park Myungjin, Ryu... it doesn't make sense. ↳ Gungchon I heard Park Myungjin and Im Youngdo are like sworn enemies. ↳ Munheeseok For real? Then why's he in this? ↳ Gungchon No idea lol. Or maybe he saw this show's potential and jumped in? ↳ Dosantohbi Could be for Ryu. Heard a lot of directors are lining up to work with him. ↳ Munheeseok Ryu's god-level class is no joke;; Seonwoo, who had been scrolling through the comments for a while, wore a peculiar expression.
Seeing everyone praise Ryu like that made the man feel even more unique somehow.
Like he had a crystal-clear grasp on how to manipulate people's emotions.
'He's a bit weird, though...'
He had to admit what was worth admitting.
Ryu was an undeniable genius.
Usually, you'd find some pointless part when reading a script, but Ryu's writing had none of that.
It was packed tight, you could say.
That said, it didn't change how uncomfortable Ryu made him feel.
Whether it was because he was too immersed in his work or just his personality, Ryu showed zero human consideration when dealing with people.
Seonwoo made a vow to himself.
No matter how good the acting, he wouldn't let it come before people.
He couldn't call Ryu bad... but he didn't want to become like that, no matter how he thought about it.
But one unfair thing was that, in people's eyes, Seonwoo didn't look entirely normal either.
— Dalsugi What the hell is Kim Seonwoo... Never seen an actor that age perform like that. ↳ Cali The chills come from seeing his skills visibly improve over time. ↳ Bulanping And he got into Seoul Uni on top of that lol wtf, the gods are too biased. — KimQuokka Lol I work at an acting academy, and even the kids who thought they were geniuses have gone quiet after this. ↳ Anonymous3 Lol suddenly? Reality check hit? ↳ KimQuokka Yeah, they realized how big the world is. ↳ Anonymous3 But even in that big world, a guy like Kim Seonwoo is rare... The vibe was all awe at Kim Seonwoo's performance.
But one post in particular caught Seonwoo's eye.
⭐ Top Comment — JamJam But what was up with Kim Seonwoo's final expression? It was chilling when Park Moonhyeon and Justin died... I can't figure out what it meant. Kinda sad, kinda envious? But why envious, that part doesn't click. ↳ CriticNo I got it. Park Moonhyeon was genuine about his life no matter what. Kim Seonwoo was someone bored with life who wanted to die. So to him, that shines brightly. ↳ JamJam So he was just envious then? ↳ CriticNo Better to see it as more complex. Not simple envy or hate or like... More like gazing at a treasure he'll never have. ↳ JamJam ...Still doesn't click. Park Moonhyeon died anyway. If he was alive maybe, but why that face at the moment of death? ↳ Dalsugi Maybe because death is part of life too? He was even envious of pursuing life to the end. ↳ KimQuokka Yeah, and that subtle expression when Justin died feels like he finally sensed the value of life. Like he wants to live now? ↳ JamJam ...You guys must be watching a different drama. Why am I so clueless? It was a post digging deep into the emotional arc Kim Seonwoo showed.
And the interpretations people offered were pretty spot-on. They'd captured the exact nuance Seonwoo had aimed for.
'But some people don't get it.'
Inevitable, really.
The character Kim Seonwoo wasn't that straightforward. Even Seonwoo himself had struggled to embody him.
'The problem is the next episode...'
Seonwoo fell into thought for a moment.
Through Justin's death, Kim Seonwoo finally began to sparkle.
He harbored a vague will to live. Ryu hadn't spelled it out in the script, of course... but that's how Seonwoo interpreted it.
So how would the character change in episode 3?
Would he suddenly crave life? Or get confused facing the value of life he'd just realized?
No way to tell yet.
He'd have to wait for Ryu's script.
'Kinda disappointing.'
If this were a normal shoot, he wouldn't have this worry.
These days, scripts are usually all ready before filming starts.
But there were upsides to this approach too.
Being able to focus better on the character's current state.
'No meeting with Writer Ryu again, I guess.'
He'd thought maybe another talk, but no contact after a day meant probably not.
Ryu was likely buried in writing the script.
Seonwoo decided to enjoy the downtime for now.
Of course,
"Heh, hehehe... I gotta die... Gotta die real spectacularly..."
Not everyone could enjoy it.
Case in point: Jieun right in front of him. Seonwoo sighed watching her mutter darkly about how to die.
"Why so down?"
"Hehe... Not down. Awakened."
Jieun turned to him with manic eyes.
"I'm gonna die epically. Kim Seonwoo connects to me a lot, so... I'll make your scenes fun too, oppa. We'll shock everyone...!"
"Looking forward to it."
"Hehe, right?"
Seonwoo nodded.
When Park Moonhyeon and Justin died, Kim Seonwoo could sparkle because their deaths were so striking.
So what about Yoo Jieun's death?
Different from the others.
Since Yoo Jieun relied on Kim Seonwoo, her death would deliver an even more intense emotion.
It'd be captivating.
"...Oppa, why's your gaze so scary?"
"Huh? Mine?"
"Yeah. ...You weren't imagining my death, were you?"
"..."
"Knew it. This oppa's a scary guy..."
Jieun shuddered, shaking her head.
Seonwoo scratched his head awkwardly.
"Just excited to see your awesome acting..."
"What awesome acting from someone who got cut."
Jieun pouted.
And that's when long hair draped between them.
"What're you talking about?"
Red lips curved oddly toward Jieun.
Jieun's face paled slightly.
It was Yeonwoo.
"N-nothing special. J-just... gotta die well..."
"Oh, that's important. How's Jieun planning to go? Vote? Or murder?"
"...Dunno."
"Oh yeah, had a question for you, Yeonwoo-ssi."
Yeonwoo turned to Seonwoo.
Seonwoo spoke quietly.
"Who do you think killed Justin? You?"
"Hmm, actually, I know the answer."
"...You do?"
"Yeah. Writer Ryu gave me a hint last time we met."
A hint?
Makes sense, thinking about it.
To act Yeonwoo's emotional response to Justin's death, he'd need to know if he did it or not.
"Couldn't tell us?"
"Nope. Said keep it secret if possible."
"Yeah, probably best."
The secret would probably come out in episode 3 anyway.
As he thought that—
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Scripts have arrived. Actors, please gather at the front entrance. The scripts arrived right on cue.
Seonwoo's eyes lit up as he jumped to his feet.
The moment he'd been waiting for. How curious he'd been about Kim Seonwoo's reaction now that he'd realized life's value.
Now he could meet him.
The Kim Seonwoo awakening to life.
The Kim Seonwoo starting to shine.
'What about the color orb...?'
Kim Seonwoo's was gray. That wouldn't change.
But even gray could develop new patterns or stains. In Justin's death scene, the orb had glowed more vividly than ever... but no distinct patterns emerged.
Episode 3 should show some change.
After episode 2's realization, episode 3 was time for real transformation.
Seonwoo devoured the script.
How many pages did he turn? Reaching the end, Seonwoo closed his eyes, savoring the aftertaste.
'...Can't wait to start shooting.'
Now he got why everyone raved about Writer Ryu.
Seonwoo raised his hand, floating Kim Seonwoo's color orb above it. His heart pounded wondering what form it had taken.
And just as he lost himself gazing at the patterns—
"Seonwoo."
A familiar voice shattered his reverie.
It was Minhee. She looked at him hesitantly.
"...What's up?"
"Um... can I ask you something?"
"Sure. What?"
"Well..."
Minhee hemmed and hawed.
So hesitant, what could it be?
"You know?"
But when she finally spoke, Seonwoo understood her reluctance.
And plunged into confusion.
"Who killed Justin."
...What?