Chapter 222
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 222
Chapter Title: The Zombies of LA
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“Jun!”
“Jack!”
Seojun beamed at the sight of Jack Smith, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.
Two days before the start of filming, the *Shadowman* team decided to take a short break. Everyone was enjoying their time off as if it were their last, anticipating the hectic schedule that would begin once shooting started.
Seojun had also come to meet Jack Smith to enjoy his break.
He could have met him during his days off from action training, but Jack had been busy with baseball practice back then.
“Come on in!”
Jack greeted Seojun with a smile. The Smith family had moved once for Jack's school. Seojun, having been to this house with its yard before, entered with a sense of familiarity. After greeting An Daho as well, Jack brought out some drinks.
“Wow. You really look like a baseball player now.”
Seojun marveled at Jack Smith, who was taller than other students his age. Jack, only a year older than Seojun, seemed to shoot up every time he saw him.
“Well, this is just the basics.”
Jack’s shoulders puffed out at Seojun’s compliment. Seojun, knowing how much effort Jack had put into building his physique, burst out laughing.
“It feels like just yesterday you were crying for my doll.”
At Seojun’s words, Jack’s face turned red, and he covered it with his large hands.
“...That was ten years ago, and you still remember?”
“Of course.”
They had grown up like brothers, living right next door to each other. Jack also remembered a younger Seojun. And he remembered himself, clinging to Seojun’s side.
“My mom and dad say the same thing. How I cried so much that a one-year-younger Jun looked at me with pity and gave me the doll, or how I always followed you whenever you came over to play.”
Even if they fought, they would forget about it in a heartbeat and go play together.
“They say I grew up this strong thanks to watching you eat so well.”
“Hmm. You’re not wrong.”
Jack burst out laughing at Seojun’s reply.
The two caught up, sharing stories that had piled up. Stories about their school lives, their friends. They were trivial things, things they had already shared through messages, but talking in person was much more enjoyable.
While they were happily chatting, Jack looked up at the clock.
“Should we get changed?”
Seojun glanced at the clock too and nodded.
“Yeah, let’s. But if we’re doing zombie makeup, wouldn’t it have been better to come to my place? Jonathan would’ve lent us the supplies if I’d asked.”
“That’s too professional.”
Jack chuckled, pulling out a bright red face paint he had bought in advance.
“This is just a little festival.”
Today was the last day of October.
A festival for ghosts, ghouls, and all things otherworldly.
It was Halloween.
Seojun and Jack had decided to get into costume at home. An Daho and the bodyguards, who had been informed beforehand, also put on simple costumes.
Seojun, who had meticulously prepared his blood-stained outfit for days, emerged from changing and blinked at Jack.
“What’s that?”
“A baseball player bitten by a zombie.”
It seemed he had reused an old baseball uniform, as the name ‘Smith’ was written on the back. Seojun’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the uniform, splattered with red paint.
“...Do you really have to show off that you're a baseball player even at a time like this?”
“And what are you?”
“A patient bitten by a zombie. The *Escape* version.”
He and his mom had ripped up and painted an O.W.C. hospital gown his dad had sent from Korea.
“That’s a good choice. You’ll never be recognized.”
“Huh?”
Seojun tilted his head at Jack Smith’s satisfied expression.
“Never mind. Sit here. Let’s do your face makeup.”
“But if we’re going to a crowded place, wouldn’t it be better for me to cover my face? With glasses or a mask.”
He was confident he could hide his identity without covering his face, but he knew others might be anxious. His mom, upon hearing about the Halloween festival, had recommended the Phantom of the Opera with a half-mask.
At that, Jack Smith, who was haphazardly smearing red paint on Seojun’s face, shook his head.
“Zombies are the least conspicuous today.”
“Huh?”
“Anything else will make you stand out more. There. Done. Now you do me.”
“? Okay.”
Taking the brush, Seojun also applied red paint to Jack Smith’s face. Recalling the makeup process from filming *Escape*, he moved the brush, creating a rather convincing zombie look. After practicing on Jack’s face as if it were a canvas, Seojun looked in the mirror and touched up his own makeup.
Once their makeup was complete, Seojun, Jack, An Daho, and the bodyguards got in the car and headed to the Halloween festival grounds. As Seojun and An Daho watched people walking outside the window, their expressions grew increasingly strange.
“...Are all these people zombies?”
“Yeah.”
Jack burst out laughing at Seojun’s surprised face.
Most of the people heading to the Halloween festival were wearing clothes splattered with bright red blood. Since only zombies typically wore such attire, it meant they were all in zombie costumes.
‘And... they look similar to the hospital gowns, don’t they?’
Seojun, alternating his gaze between his own O.W.C. hospital gown and the clothes people were wearing, noticed something else odd.
“Their faces are fine, though. Just their clothes look zombie-like... Is this a new LA ghost?”
Jack shrugged at Seojun’s question.
“They said there’s a face painting booth at the event. They probably plan to get their faces done there. You’d be recognized instantly if you got it done there, so we did it at home.”
“I see.”
After parking the car and heading towards the event grounds, they saw face painting booths scattered everywhere, just as Jack had said. People in tattered clothes were laughing and lining up. It seemed like more than half of the people attending the Halloween festival were dressed as zombies.
“Aah! A zombie!”
“Ahahaha!”
Seojun tilted his head as he watched children in zombie costumes giggle and point at each other.
“Weren’t witches and vampires more popular in the past?”
‘Though I was a goblin.’
Baby Seojun had been a little sad that no one recognized him. Of course, he quickly forgot about it and had a blast playing among the monsters.
Just then, Jack Smith gently poked Seojun in the side, pulling him from his memories.
“It’s because of you.”
“...Me?”
It was then.
[I can’t let this moment pass me by.]
“Huh?”
He heard Korean. It was a song Seojun knew well.
“This song...”
“It’s ‘Midnight.’”
“Midni... Jack. How do you know it?”
It was Red Crown’s “Midnight.” At the sound of the song, the people in zombie costumes snapped their heads up and looked towards the source of the music.
Then, they all began to walk in that direction.
Groooan. As the adults moved, the children also let out their own groans and moved with them. Those who hadn't gotten their makeup done yet stomped their feet in frustration.
Groooaaan.
Without any signal or command, the sight of a zombie horde moving in unison was a spectacle. It was so powerful that even the bodyguards protecting Seojun took a step back.
Feeling as if they had stepped into a movie, Seojun and An Daho stared blankly at the zombie horde. All the while, more and more zombies were moving in one direction.
“...What is... this?”
“What do you think? It’s *Escape*.”
“Huh?”
Jack Smith explained with a smile.
It all started with a single post online. While people were chatting about the LA Halloween festival, someone posted an article.
[Title: Anyone want to play an *Escape* game at the LA Halloween festival this year!!!]
Zombies: The more, the better.
Im Jangwoo, Yeon Jaehee, Go Joowon: Need 3 people to walk around together.
Im and Yeon get water guns! Joowon gets a toy bow!
Of course, Joowon has to shoot a water gun too!
-OMG...! How did you even think of this...!
-I'll be a zombie!
-Me too!
-Ooh. I should get my friends together and be the Hunters.
=Hunters?
=Im Jangwoo, Yeon Jaehee, Go Joowon!
-The original poster's favorite must be Go Joowon, right? Only his name is written out as Joowon lol
Seojun and An Daho’s eyes widened at Jack Smith’s story.
“An *Escape* game?”
“Yeah. The post, which started as a half-joke, gained explosive popularity. It got to the point where people from other states said they were coming.”
“My goodness.”
“And more rules were added to it.”
-Let's set some rules while we're at it.
-Yeah. When a song from *Escape* plays, all zombies have to go towards it!
=That sounds fun lol
=Only songs from *Escape*!
=Gotta add them to a playlist and memorize them!!
=This isn't a concert...
=You're not gonna memorize them?
=Nope. Just bought them all.
“And so...!”
When Red Crown’s “Midnight” stopped playing, the zombies that had been moving towards it scattered again. They all had huge smiles, finding it fun to gather and disperse without any instruction.
It was like a simple flash mob that anyone could participate in.
“There’s more than that.”
Jack Smith continued.
-If you get hit by a water gun, you have to freeze for 3 minutes!
=Isn't 3 minutes too long? Let's make it 30 seconds!
=OK!!
-No running, since it could be dangerous and crowded!
-Some people might not want to get hit, so let's only shoot people with a specific mark.
=Or we could set up designated zones.
=That's a great idea! I'll tell the organizers! It'd be good to mark it somehow.
-I can do zombie face painting, anyone need it?
=Totally! We totally need you!
=Me too! Please come!
The overwhelming response reached the ears of the LA Halloween festival organizers. Unsure if people would actually show up, the organizers prepared just in case. And so, everyone waited for Halloween, filled with anticipation and a bit of worry.
The organizers, who had been monitoring social media since early morning, were left with their jaws on the floor.
-Zombie makeup done! Heading to the festival! (Photo taken in a car)
-Memorized all the music! (Photo of a playlist)
-Going with Go Joowon. (Photo of a zombie mom and dad with their child holding a toy bow)
-Water guns ready! (Photo of colorful water guns)
-Where do I go for face painting?
=Come over here! (Map)
The posts kept coming, one after another. The atmosphere was extraordinary.
The organizers, now in a panic, scrambled into action. They expanded the event space, secured more parking, and requested food from nearby restaurants.
“What do we do about the zombies?!”
They needed an event to satisfy this massive horde of zombies.
“The music! Let’s play the music!”
[Title: An announcement from the LA Halloween Festival.]
To all the zombies participating in the *Escape* event.
If you follow the songs from *Escape*, you will find candy and a stamp.
Collect 5 or more stamps and receive a zombie cookie.
Warning: There are also trap songs. Be careful not to be fooled!
-Ooh! I'm going for a full clear!
-The organizers are fast lol
-LA knows how to have fun... I'm jealous.
“The person who made the post probably never imagined this many people would show up.”
Jack Smith looked at the bustling zombie horde with a wistful expression. Listening to the story, Seojun and An Daho couldn't help but nod.
After that, Korean songs and songs from *Escape* started playing from all corners of the LA Halloween festival grounds.
When a song started, the moving zombies would simultaneously stop. They would perk up their ears to listen if it was the right song. And if it was a song from *Escape*, they would all head in the direction of the music.
Except for their happy, smiling faces, they were no different from the sound-sensitive zombies.
“Daho hyung. We could film a zombie movie here.”
An Daho agreed with Seojun’s remark.
[Fading away-]
Another song started to play. A zombie who had perked up his ears spoke.
“This is a Korean song, right? Should we go that way?”
“It’s a Korean song, but not this one. It wasn’t in *Escape*.”
“Really?”
Occasionally, other Korean songs would play like traps. Zombies who had started moving towards the sound of a Korean song would see an X-mark in front of them, slap their foreheads, and burst out laughing. It was a fun event even if you got it wrong.
“It’s Go Joowon!”
At that voice, Seojun, Jack Smith, An Daho, and the bodyguards flinched. For a moment, Seojun even thought he had slipped into character.
“Im Jangwoo is there too! So cute!”
“Yeon!”
The people were calling out to the little hunters dressed as Go Joowon, Im Jangwoo, and Yeon Jaehee.
The little Go Joowon, holding a toy bow, was diligently wearing an arm guard and chest guard, with a quiver on his back. There was also a little Yeon Jaehee holding a plastic Molotov cocktail and a little Im Jangwoo holding a newspaper rolled up like a steel pipe.
“They’re cute, but... have they even seen *Escape*?”
“It’s not rated for all ages, so they probably haven’t.”
Still, they were cute, so it was fine.
The excited little hunters headed to one side. Seojun and An Daho burst out laughing at the name written in front of an area sectioned off with yellow police tape.
[O.W.C. Hospital]
As the children shot water guns at the zombies inside the [O.W.C. Hospital], the zombies either dodged or pretended to freeze when hit. When the children burst into laughter, the water-soaked zombies laughed along with them.
In another corner, zombies in costume were discussing zombies. Their blood-stained lab coats made them look like staff from the O.W.C. Research Institute.
“The criteria for turning isn’t clear. Some get infected quickly when bitten, while it takes longer for others.”
“Maybe it has to do with where they’re bitten?”
“I think a strong immune system would delay it. The elderly patients turned into zombies pretty quickly.”
“What’s the difference between the security guard and the doctor?”
It was hard to tell if they were enjoying a Halloween festival or a zombie debate.
Just then, a piece of plain white paper caught Seojun’s eye.
[O.W.C. Research Institute]
Unlike the [O.W.C. Hospital] sign, this one was just a piece of paper taped up, suggesting it was made by the zombies debating over there, not the organizers.
Passing zombies and people saw the fluttering paper and burst out laughing. Seojun and Jack Smith also cracked up.
After walking around the Halloween grounds, Seojun understood why Jack had said a zombie costume wouldn't stand out. There were zombies in O.W.C. hospital gowns wandering everywhere, who knows where they got them.
Not only that, but even the children who had dressed up as ghosts and witches were begging their parents to turn them into zombies.
“This is crazy. All for *Escape*.”
“Of course. *Escape* was incredibly popular. Still is.”
He knew from the profits reported by Movie Dream that it was a huge success, but seeing its influence firsthand like this made it feel much more real.
[Baby lion, doo doo doo doo doo! Cute, doo doo doo doo doo! In the jungle, doo doo doo doo doo! Baby lion!]
A song that no one who had seen *Escape* could forget blared from the speakers. The zombies, who had been hesitant with other songs, immediately started moving this time.
“Jun. Let’s go too.”
“Yeah!”
Seojun and Jack Smith smiled and joined the zombie horde.
* * *
[LA! A Zombie Outbreak?!]
[The Second O.W.C. Hospital! The Second O.W.C. Research Institute! LA Branch!]
[The Pied Piper, No, the Song! A Zombie Flash Mob!?]
[It's climbing the charts like this? Songs from *Escape* enter the charts!]
[*Escape* within the Halloween Festival!]
-Ugh. Looks so fun! I want to do it too!
-I want to be Go Joowon too!!
=The face?
=...I'll be Im Jangwoo.
-The kids are so cute hehe
-It really looks like the Pied Piper. They all flock together lol
-The box office numbers in the articles were amazing, but seeing this really makes you realize how many foreigners watched *Escape*.
=+1 I saw some foreigner post a detailed analysis of the zombies. They analyzed the vaccine, too. And had theories about life extension... They definitely seemed like a major in a related field.
=Leave it to the STEM majors...
-I don't know why, but I feel like we're losing to LA.
=+1 It's our movie, so why is LA having more fun with it?
=+2 Let's do it too! A Halloween *Escape* game!
=ㅠㅠ Halloween is already over ㅠㅠ
=...Let's do it next year.
-Moviegoer-nim. They were supposed to attend the LA Halloween festival, but... lol... got food poisoning and couldn't go. Said they've been stuck in their hotel room.
=Moviegoer-nim ㅠㅠ So unlucky.
=Let's do it in Korea next year, Moviegoer-nim ㅠㅠ
-Whoa. Did you see this?! (Link to N-tube channel [JUN])
[Title: I went to the LA Halloween Festival!]
“Hello, this is Lee Seojun. Today was a day off from action training, so I went to the Halloween festival with a friend.”
Seojun, in zombie makeup, said with a smile.
“Everyone loved *Escape* so much, it was really fun. I also participated in the *Escape* event, got 8 stamps, and even received a zombie cookie. The zombie cookie was delicious.”
A zombie cookie, which looked half-eaten with its upper body missing, was visible in Seojun’s hand.
“The little hunters were cute, and the O.W.C. Hospital and O.W.C. Research Institute were really fun too. I honestly laughed all day today.”
Seojun's joyful mood was palpable even through the video. After his short video sharing his festival experience ended, comments started pouring in.
-Ooh! I saw that hospital gown!
=...Everyone was wearing a hospital gown.
=There were a lot of hospital gowns.
-I think I saw him! There was a big guy next to him, was that a bodyguard?
=Wasn't it his friend?
-Oh. Looking through my photos, I think I caught someone who looks like Jun. (A zoomed-in photo of a blurry Lee Seojun.)
=I think that's him?!
-Oh. Jun is in a video I took!
=Share it!
=Here! (N-tube link)
While the American reaction was one of surprise and joy at the superstar's surprise appearance, the Korean reaction was a flood of tears of pity.
-Oh my god...
-Oh... what about Moviegoer-nim... ㅠㅠ
-Truly unlucky...
-This is the true definition of *deokgyemot*.
=+1 A true fan never gets lucky.
-Moviegoer posted. They took a critical hit and can't do tomorrow's broadcast... lol ㅠㅠ
=Critical hit! Critical hit! Critical hit!
=Moviegoer-nim. Do you have any HP left?
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