This Is a Horror Story!
This was a horror story! Park Seongryeol, Kim Donghu's dedicated VJ, was currently on the verge of death.
What kind of monster is this guy?
Honestly, Park Seongryeol had confidence in his stamina. Hiking every weekend was a given, and he occasionally joined running clubs too. So he never worried about variety shows like Rush Man. But.
I've finally met my match.
Kim Donghu transcended the realm of good or bad stamina. If he had to put it in words, they were playing in a different league altogether.
He'd already sensed something off when Donghu descended 22 flights of stairs without a single break. Around the 10th floor, when he couldn't keep up, Donghu had grabbed the camera and delivered it down two floors himself.
Just following him was overwhelming. That was the true nature of Kim Donghu as captured in Park Seongryeol's lens.
Back then, I thought he was just super fit.
Then came the handstand walking.
Ah, I get it now.
That was when Park Seongryeol realized it wasn't just stamina—everything about him was on another level.
The moment he spotted Kim Donghu approaching, Kang Su and Kim Sujin bolted for the elevator. Donghu glanced at their retreating backs and immediately dashed toward the stairs.
Is "dashed" even the right word?
Even while filming, Park Seongryeol questioned it. Why did running on his hands look as fast as running on feet? Why was Kim Donghu so good at this? All sorts of thoughts raced through his mind.
Clunk.
Donghu opened the door while still in handstand, manipulating it with his legs to turn the handle. Before the question could fully form—
Click! He spun his body upright.
"How much time left until the three minutes are up?"
"Uh... about a minute and thirty seconds."
"Guess there's no choice then."
No choice about what? The doubt flashed through his mind that instant.
Grab!
Donghu seized the inner stair railing. More precisely, the railing on the inside of the stairs.
Grab! Grab! Grab! He started climbing at full speed.
Climbing stairs by gripping the railing—what kind of idea was that? Forget the idea; it looked dangerous. The inner railing had gaps leading straight down to the basement.
But he's climbing so safely?
It sounded ridiculous, but Donghu never let his body swing toward the gaps.
Just pure upper-body strength, climbing the stairs—and hilariously, at a speed matching his own as VJ trying to keep up.
So he's matching the speed of stair-climbing with legs... using just his arms?
Had he trained parkour professionally? Was he Tarzan? What the hell was he, and how could he do that?
He arrived at the 5th floor at breakneck speed. The old SKS Broadcasting Station building had slow elevators, which worked in his favor.
"Kyaaaaaaaah!"
Thanks to that, Donghu caught the elevator.
"Aigoo, if you go that fast, how am I supposed to keep up? I'm gonna feel so left out."
"What the hell! What are you?! How did you get here!? Are you actually Tarzan?!"
Kang Su perfectly voiced the shock Park Seongryeol's VJ felt. Quick-thinking Kim Sujin tried to dart past Donghu, but—
"Where do you think you're going."
Snap! Right on cue, the three minutes ended, and Donghu's legs blocked Sujin's path perfectly.
A do-or-die moment. If things continued, two name tags ripping off in a row wouldn't be surprising.
"Sujin-ah! You sacrifice yourself!"
The betrayal giraffe Kang Su moment arrived out of nowhere. The giant over 190cm hid behind the girl just past 160cm—a rare sight unfolded.
"Donghu-ya! Spare me! I've got so much to do! I've got a bunny-like kid to look after!"
"You're not married."
"Future!"
"...."
As Donghu faltered, Kang Su pressed on eagerly.
"Donghu-ya! If you let us go here! I'll tell you where Seoksam hyung and the 6th-floor tape are!"
"You can't touch our tapes anyway."
"Still, I'll tell you Seoksam hyung's position! Trade! Seoksam hyung for... me and Sujin!"
"Why would I let go of the seniors right in front of me and Sujin just for that...."
Logic was against him. Kang Su threw out whatever came to mind.
"Su, Sujin! Sujin's cute, right?!"
"Huh?"
"You think Sujin's cute and pretty! Right?!"
"Uh, yeah, sure."
He was overwhelmed by the momentum. More precisely, the difference in variety show experience.
"A cute, pretty girl like Sujin getting eliminated just 10 minutes in? No way!"
"...Can't have that, huh?"
Donghu got sucked into Kang Su's act in an instant.
"No way! Sujin-ah! Show him yourself!"
"Y-Yes?! Show what?!"
"How cute and pretty you are! Aegyo attack!"
"Kyuu... Kyuu?!"
Kyuu kyuu.
In the dire moment, Sujin quickly made a flower bud with her fisted hands and looked up at Donghu with sparkling eyes. The textbook beauty trap.
Donghu instinctively realized this was a spot to play along for the show.
"...Fine then, hand over the tape. Put it in the corner of the 5th-floor hallway."
"You'll let us go?"
"If you tell me Seoksam sunbaenim's position too."
"Okay! Okay, deal! Cool trade done! I'll call Seoksam hyung for you!"
The straightforward deal wrapped up amid the chaos.
Static crackle.
"Seoksam hyung! Where are you?!"
-Me? 6th floor?
"Perfect! Stay there a sec. Join up with us! We'll grab the 2nd-floor tape!"
-Oh, okay okay. We're almost there too.
"Got it!"
Kang Su sold out his teammate without hesitation. No choice. He had to survive.
And if someone's gotta go first, might as well be Seoksam hyung.
A perfectly rational conclusion.
"...I'm closing my eyes just this once, for the kyuu kyuu."
"Sujin-ah! Do it one more time!"
"E-Eh, yes! Kyuu... kyuu kyuu!"
"Sigh...."
Donghu bolted to the stairwell on his now-free legs. Park Seongryeol, trailing behind, was once again engulfed in despair at having to run.
Exactly five minutes after Donghu vanished from Kang Su and Sujin's sight.
Ji Seoksam OUT
Eliminated by Kim Donghu
The first signal of Donghu's hunt echoed through the SKS Broadcasting Station building.
"...Sujin-ah, let's find the 2nd-floor tape too. He said it's in the 5th-floor hallway corner, so it should be nearby."
"Y-Yes...!"
Sujin and Kang Su moved again, tension easing from their faces.
+++++
A moment later.
"Hnggggh... You bastards, you evil bastards! How could you sell me out like that?!"
Ji Seoksam vented his resentment and rage over the radio, but—
....
No reply came. Was there nothing left to say to the dead?
Wearing a deeply wronged expression, Ji Seoksam glared at Donghu holding his name tag.
"Donghu-ya, are you really special forces or something? Huh? How do you do that?"
Ji Seoksam recalled the events just minutes ago.
Jingle jingle jingle!
The bell sound made him turn in alarm—and in that instant, Donghu charged like he was using shrinking steps.
In the panic, Seoksam immediately used his three-minute leg ban item. Then, casually taunting from just out of arm's reach—
Suddenly!
-Wh-What?!
Donghu handstand-rushed him. Too startled, he squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them, his name tag was already ripped off in Donghu's hand.
"...Kang Su sunbaenim said... yeah."
"I know! But what really pisses me off is they won't even respond on the radio now!"
"Haha."
Donghu chuckled awkwardly at Seoksam's aggrieved shout and immediately reported via radio.
"Kim Donghu here. Ji Seoksam sunbaenim eliminated. Location: 6th floor. Tapes seem hidden somewhere."
Static crackle.
-This is Gukjong, this is Gukjong. Got it, over. But Donghu-ya, you went from 22nd floor via stairs to 6th?
"Ah, I went to 2nd first, now at 6th."
-...Oh, right? So you didn't get hit by that leg ban item?
"I did, but you just don't use your legs, so handstand walking solved it."
-What? Uh... okay, got it. Later, tell me details. I'm at 13th, Giri's at 19th. Contact if anything special.
"Yes!"
The report ended. No time to waste, Donghu prepared to move again.
But right then.
Whoa, have I been too harsh on him?
His VJ looked on the brink of collapse, soul drained. Seeing him drenched in sweat, Donghu sat on a chair for a break.
"Aigoo... ran too hard. Gotta rest a bit."
"Th-Thank you... so much."
Park Seongryeol collapsed into a chair too, face lit with survival.
"...Donghu-ya, are you sure you're an actor?"
Seoksam's impression brought a brief lull to the scene.
+++++
At the same time.
"Hyung, hear that radio? Donghu went from 22nd to 2nd, then up to 6th and got Seoksam hyung?"
"Yeah. But does that make sense? Handstand—what?"
Yoo Jiseok and Kim Gukjong faced off across a glass door, laughing in disbelief at Donghu's feats.
"They said he was an actor, but feels like special forces showed up."
"Gukjong-ah, if I use leg ban on you, will you handstand too?"
"Hyung, not me."
"Then leg ban on you."
"...."
Three minutes of sealing. Hearing that, Kim Gukjong grabbed his radio.
"Donghu-ya, come to 13th. Jiseok hyung and Suyeon are here."
Static crackle.
-Yes, on my way.
"Hey, that's cheating! Wait, is this even Rush Man?! Surviving Kim Donghu—what is this?!"
Yoo Jiseok jolted into action upon hearing it.
Why did the genre change?!
This was a horror story!