Strange Tales

"What's this? A gift because I won an award?"

"Yep. Open it when you get home."

The moment she was set down in front of Ryu Risa's office, Yeo-reum sprinted off without so much ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as a glance back.

She's going to run straight off and show it off, isn't she. Myeong Je-ha gazed after Yeo-reum's retreating figure for a moment, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠then spoke.

"Director. We should get going."

"Je-ha, it's not that, is it? What did you give her for a gift? It's not a dating rumor, right? You always make me so nervous at times like ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this!!!"

"Well… haha."

"Just once, tell me it's not that. Please, don't do this to me."

"It's a script. I gave her a script."

Inside it was the very scenario JC ENM had chosen — the seed of a brand-new category soon to open on InTube.

It was a fusion historical drama built on ghost stories. Time and again, it had received substantial investment and moved into production.

And every single time, at exactly the same point, for exactly the same reason, it had been scrapped.

How far will things change this time?

Because the source of the investment money was Chinese capital. The Hallyu ban that would sweep in like a typhoon at the end of next year.

What Yeo-reum might overturn in the meantime — he was already looking forward to it. A fresh smile curled at the corner of Myeong Je-ha's mouth.

I untied the ribbon on the shopping bag Myeong Je-ha had handed me. Inside the box sat a leather case, and inside that—

"A scenario?"

Another script. Though it felt a little different from the box Myeong Je-ha had sent over before.

"It feels… more important somehow."

And no, it wasn't because it was wrapped in a leather case stamped with a designer's emblem. It wasn't because the case had a subtle, luxurious sheen, an engraved logo from a famous brand, and a color — a lovely beige-gold — that was pretty on the eyes.

"This is a title I've heard somewhere before."

On the very first page, in enormous letters, the title Strange Tales was printed, and I turned the words over silently in my head. Something told me I shouldn't ask Myeong Je-ha — that I had to find the answer myself. I was sitting quietly, lost in that thought, when—

"This is the one that flopped!"

No wonder that title looked so familiar. I could read it. Of course I could — I had stared at it countless times.

"Strange Tales…!"

This was the very reason I had joined a theater troupe in my past life.

Because Do Gyeo-ul had stolen the lead role in the final-term play. Because the theater people had cast Do Gyeo-ul, she'd drawn rave reviews, and straight off the back of that she'd landed a large-scale historical drama.

The thought that everything had been snatched from me by that one single opportunity made simply attending school unbearable.

"Why would you give me this?!!!"

The truth was, I had read it before. If only I hadn't broken my leg. If only I had caught the theater people's eye. If only I had been the one cast in that historical drama.

I chased down endless hypotheticals and hunted for the scenario. And I read it through in tears.

Just as that unexpected memory from the past was surfacing, my phone began to buzz and buzz.

It was Team Leader Seong of the Web Content department at JC ENM. I answered carefully.

"Hello?"

"Yeo-reum! Congratulations! I saw you won at the Le-el Style Awards!"

"You heard! That's right~! I won!!!"

I shoved the lingering unease from moments ago to the back of my mind and eagerly bragged to Team Leader Seong. My stories were always entertaining, after all. And honestly, I was in need of a bragging session anyway.

"Yeo-reum, what's your schedule like? I hear you just shot a single-episode drama recently."

"Oh, you heard about that. Filming's all wrapped up — I only have a few scenes left for the movie."

"On a roll as expected~. I knew it. I took one look at you and knew you'd make it big."

"Right? That's our Pi Chae-won, picked by Team Leader Seong's discerning eye!"

My habitual flattery made Team Leader Seong burst out laughing.

"Aigoo, you're adorable. Anyway, I need some of your time. Let's do a job with us!"

A job? Well, if it was coming from JC ENM, I'd welcome anything. Take me with you, please and thank you.

"We've got something new we're preparing as InTube content. It's ASMR. We have actors whisper their lines like they're murmuring right into your ear, layered over all kinds of sound effects. We'd love for you to do it alongside a slime."

I understood immediately what Team Leader Seong was talking about.

This was a format that had been wildly popular.

I remembered how, later on, the moment a drama air date or a movie premiere was ever scheduled, everyone would troop over to JC ENM to shoot that exact content.

Riding the algorithm, some of those videos raked in several million views without breaking a sweat, and the format was popular enough that word of mouth on forums and social media sent older videos surging back up the charts.

Plus, you could follow it without any introduction to the character. That's why it was so beloved by drama buffs.

It wasn't just the ASMR, either — there was something called role-play, where you got to watch actors behave in character, and that was half the fun. I used to look them up myself now and then.

But me? Doing that?

Wasn't this a format nobody had shot yet? And the very first one to open the door was going to be Han Yeo-reum?

"If you say yes, I'll courier the scenario to you first thing tomorrow. You'll do it, right? We came to you because we genuinely wanted to work with you, Yeo-reum — we read every scenario you've ever been in. It's one based on a web novel~."

"What's the title, by any chance?"

I gazed quietly down at the scenario clutched in my hand.

I knew it would collapse midway. I knew it was a script destined to vanish. And even so…

I want it.

Not Do Gyeo-ul's — mine. A greedy little voice whispered that I wanted it to stay Han Yeo-reum's.

"It's called Strange Tales. Chilling content that suits you perfectly. Think of it as something like a collection of ghost stories."

The instant Team Leader Seong's answer came through the phone, I answered as if in a trance.

"I'll do it. I want to do this one."

With Pachehi adding subtitles in sixteen languages including English and Japanese, its final episode logged 9.15 million views and broke past ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ten thousand comments, flinging open the doors of the New Wave era for real.

And standing at the head of it all, there was no one at JC ENM — at least for now — who didn't know the name Han Yeo-reum.

"Ahh!!! Ms. Pi Chae-won!"

"Hello, everyone~."

"Let's nail this ASMR today!!!"

"I know you're all excited to see me, but if we keep greeting each other like this, today's recording will never end~! All right, Yeo-reum, take it from the top."

This was JC ENM's studio, and everyone greeted Yeo-reum warmly as she walked in.

Team Leader Seong draped an arm around Yeo-reum's shoulders and walked her through the concept for today's shoot one more time.

"You just lean into the mic and whisper the script like you're murmuring into someone's ear. There's a teleprompter in front of you, so it won't be hard. We'll cut the recording partway through and hand you the slime — just brush your fingers over it gently, and the sound team will take care of the rest."

Not a single person had raised an objection to launching JC ENM's new content with Yeo-reum.

On the contrary, when the pitch came out — that they'd stake the whole concept on Han Yeo-reum's voice — quite a few people were genuinely excited. A handful had pushed back on the concept itself, though. A ghost story, as the very first thing they unveiled? It bordered on reckless.

"Shouldn't we be going in a different direction, something that fits the 'Pi Chae-won' character better?"

"When you say web novel, you think of that — what's it called — rom-com fantasy. There's plenty of that around. Why on earth would we go niche…?"

"It being a fusion historical drama might soften the blow a little, but… viewers do hold historical dramas to a pretty exacting standard."

Yet even the people who had argued this changed their tune the moment Yeo-reum's table read came to an end.

Definitely. Her diction is superb.

Her pronunciation was crisp even without forcing a single syllable. Han Yeo-reum's voice carried a pleasantly resonant ring.

Listening to her murmur the script softly to herself while the set was being finished, Team Leader Seong grew certain all over again.

This is going to pull at least as many views as Pachehi!

"Recording starts now—!"

It lacked the full-blown intensity of a drama or film set, but inside, the studio had never been quieter.

Within walls of tightly installed soundproofing, an array of microphones stood waiting. I breathed far more shallowly than usual.

This is ASMR — even the sound of breathing counts as noise.

Watching the red light come on above the camera, I slowly spoke my first line.

"This is what we call a Taejagwi."