Chapter 1
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Prologue Scenario Book
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July, when the summer sky settled in turquoise.
Looking out the window, the leaves shimmered under the sweltering sunlight, as if finely ground gold had been sprinkled across them.
"Siu~."
I was lost in the sultry, drowsy haze of a summer lunch hour when I heard someone calling my name.
Turning around, I saw U Dayoung holding something out to me. She was dressed in a loose-fitting white T-shirt and light blue jeans ripped at the knees.
"What's this?"
"The new company business cards. This one's yours."
"Yaaawn."
"No yawning in the office."
I wiped away the tears that had welled up from the yawn and took the card.
Neulsom Studio
Editing Team Leader
Nam Siu
The moment I saw the title, I shot U Dayoung a look.
"Team leader in a company with just three people?"
"Pfft, right? Woohyun made them like this. I'm listed as PD and Writer."
It was a tiny studio our trio of college buddies had started.
We'd originally planned to join the same company after graduation, but at Kim Woohyun's suggestion, we'd set up this little outfit instead.
"Ugh~."
U Dayoung stretched, her ample chest tracing elegant curves clearly visible through her T-shirt.
"Black bra, huh. Wear something brighter sometime."
"Hey! Why are you even looking, you perv!"
She swung her hand and smacked my back.
Smack!
The sharp sound echoed with a stinging pain that brought tears to my eyes.
"Ow...! What does Woohyun see in a summer girl like you? Sigh. Damn, that hurts."
"Whatever. We gotta go. Lots to buy."
I tried scratching my unreachable back, but the pain just lingered.
"Ow..., that really fucking hurts. Hey, scratch it for me. Why do girls' hands sting so much?"
U Dayoung sighed, brushing her permed, brown-dyed hair to the side at my grumbling.
"Sigh, told you not to mess around. Fine, let me see."
Thanks to her scratching, the pain finally eased a bit.
"Ahh... Shit. So where's Woohyun? You two could go."
"He went to Nonhyeon-dong to wrap up some freelance filming. Won't be back till dinner."
"......Why'd we set up the office in Gyeonggi-do, anyway."
I scratched my forehead and got ready to head out.
We'd only moved into the office a few days ago, and while the interior was done, we still needed a ton of stuff.
The bathroom still smelled like fresh construction.
Ding-a-ling.
We closed the door and descended the stairs into the blazing sunlight.
"Whew... Hot... Let's grab some ice cream on the way back."
"Sure. Hang on, let me check the list."
"Ugh, come on! Check it inside where it's cool~!"
Ignoring me, she checked the list and took the lead.
The strap of her small crossbody bag accentuated her disproportionately large chest.
I scratched my forehead and muttered,
"I enjoy the view, but aren't your boobs a bit too big?"
"What? You're such a perv. No one notices but you."
"......Sigh, I disagree."
"Oh, taxi's here. Hop in."
After seven years together—from college to now—we were as comfortable as could be.
We rode the taxi to a big office supply store.
"Gotta get lots of Post-its. And pens."
U Dayoung led the way, picking off items from the list one by one.
I trailed behind, playing pack mule with her selections.
"Siu, anything you need?"
"Me? Nah, I brought all my stuff from the old company."
I'd handled both filming and editing before, so I didn't need much in the way of supplies.
My desk was already stocked anyway.
"Looks like that's everything?"
"......Hang on, what's this?"
Among her picks was a bag of work gloves, so I asked.
"Heard we're building a studio in the office?"
"Woohyun?"
"Yeah."
As his first venture, Kim Woohyun was overflowing with passion.
On the way back, we swapped ice cream for coffee, but then I remembered something.
"Oh, right. I do need a notebook."
"Huh? Don't you have one?"
"Not that kind. We're doing our own content beyond freelance now. And he wants me to try writing scenarios."
U Dayoung gave me a surprised look.
"What? Why stare like that."
"Just unexpected. You being proactive for once?"
"I was proactive at the old job too."
I replied indifferently, and she poked my shoulder, bringing up the past.
"Sure, sure, Siu worked hard. Hard enough to hit on every skirt in the department."
"It was love."
"Pfft~, love that changes every month?"
"Shut up."
The company rumor mill had partly driven us to start our own place.
There was some truth to it, but the rumors had grown legs, turning fabrications into "facts."
"Back to that place from earlier? We've walked so much already. Ugh, hot~. Siu~. It's hoooot~."
"Checked there, nothing."
Sweat beaded on my forehead, threatening to drip.
Alley Everything Shop
In the midst of it all, an old sign caught my eye between the weathered alleys.
"Everything shop probably has notebooks, right?"
"......Suddenly?"
U Dayoung eyed the sign skeptically in the narrow alleyway.
But spotting small toys and accessories at the entrance, she wandered in on a whim.
"Hey, you're carrying the stuff!"
My shout fell on deaf ears.
Standing in front of the Alley Everything Shop, I looked perplexed.
The alley felt steeped in history already, but the shop even more so.
"Doesn't this building look like something from the Enlightenment era?"
As I remarked on the dilapidated structure, U Dayoung smacked my back laughing.
"Pfft! Enlightenment era! Ow, you're hilarious."
"......Wasn't meant to be funny. Let's go, doesn't look like they sell anything."
"Aww, come on~. Looks fun."
I had to chase after her into the building.
True to its name, the shop brimmed with all sorts of odds and ends.
"Boss~."
No response to our call. Then my eyes landed on a small cash box on the counter.
[Please pay honestly.]
No CCTV in sight—how did they expect not to get robbed? Worry hit first.
"Siu, so many accessories here."
"Not interested."
Already sticky and annoyed in the AC-less heat, I didn't want to linger.
I scanned for a notebook to grab and go.
Resume Computer
A faded label barely readable next to the ancient computer.
"......Who'd buy a computer like this......"
I shook my head and checked elsewhere.
Stamina Pager - Sibling products: Trainer, Memory, Heart Patty, etc.
The more I looked, the weirder it got.
True everything shop—every imaginable item, making a notebook hard to spot.
Hypnosis Book
A book labeled that had a ring attached.
"......No way it's hypnotic."
Turning away, I spotted a small phone.
Outsider Rescue Phone
Smartphone-esque, but an ancient model.
"Siu~, what about this?"
U Dayoung was shaking her body with a cat-ear headband she'd found somewhere.
"......Doesn't suit you. Toss it."
"Jerk."
I ignored her and headed to a dustier corner.
"Ah, here's a notebook."
It was covered in thick dust.
Whoo~.
I blew it off, then quickly covered my mouth as dust flew.
Scenario Book
Opening it, the pages were pristine white despite the age.
[Consumer Price: 2000 won]
Looked vintage, and 2000 won was pricey for an old notebook.
Sigh... Hmm. Kinda vintage...
I considered putting it back—leather cover, vintage vibe—but no way was I trudging around in this heat again.
I pulled 2000 won from my wallet, dropped it in the box conscientiously, and grabbed U Dayoung by the nape while she was still window-shopping.
"Hey, let's go. Hot."
"Aww~."
I yanked off her headband, tossed it back, and we left the alley.
Curious about the rundown old shop, I glanced back, but the sign looked blurry.
"What the."
Too much hassle to check, so I ignored it and dragged U Dayoung—who was flopping like a fresh-caught tuna—back to the office.