Chapter 346
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 346
Chapter Title: The Director's Cut
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Faced with reviews they had never anticipated, Song Yujeong and Im Yena looked at each other. Tension flickered in their wavering eyes. The short but powerful two words, ‘The Worst,’ were seared into their minds.
“...Should we watch it?”
“...There are good reviews too, so maybe it’ll be okay?”
As Im Yena nodded, Song Yujeong, with a trembling hand, clicked the play button. The Bearound logo appeared in the center of the television screen. Song Yujeong and Im Yena clutched cushions and pillows, holding their breath.
Contrary to their breathless tension,
[California]
[Los Angeles]
the director's cut, which began with these subtitles, was identical to the theatrical release.
The screen showed a peaceful view of LA from the sky, followed by the magnificent Galleria Mall. After panning around, the camera focused on Lee Hyunwoo’s family. The lost child, Ian Weaver, and the information desk employee, Cynthia Lindberg, appeared, and then the bomb exploded.
The unconscious Lee Hyunwoo and the kind Jackson Miller met a group of survivors led by former soldier Raymond Wish. Ian Weaver clung to Lee Hyunwoo, who resembled his mother.
A moment later.
With the sound of an explosion, the floor gave way, and five of them fell into the basement.
Song Yujeong and Im Yena, who had been on edge, unknowingly relaxed and became completely engrossed in the familiar progression of the film they had seen several times.
‘Ah, this part.’
It was only natural that the next part of the story came to Song Yujeong and Im Yena’s minds before it appeared on screen. Knowing what was coming next, they paid less attention to the current scene. As a result, they failed to notice the lingering change in the music and the subtle shift in the screen’s color palette.
* * *
A silence that seemed like it could last forever settled over the basement.
The survivors were slowly, steadily heading north, following the needle of the compass Ian Weaver had given them.
Raymond Wish, who found and forged the path, led the way, followed by Cynthia Lindberg, then Jackson Miller and Ian Weaver, with Lee Hyunwoo trailing behind.
“...You have a family outside, don’t you?”
Jackson Miller spoke as he glanced back at the boy who had moved to the rearmost position, potentially the most dangerous spot.
Ian Weaver, holding Jackson Miller’s hand tightly, also kept looking back. He wanted to walk with Lee Hyunwoo, but he obediently held onto Jackson Miller’s hand.
Whether he was aware of their gazes or not, Lee Hyunwoo followed the survivors, keeping a slight distance as if he might stray at any moment.
It was then.
A large tremor shook the ground.
No explosion was heard, but the shock seemed to have reached them. The unstable surrounding walls trembled as if they would collapse.
Especially.
The area behind Lee Hyunwoo looked precarious.
“Forward!”
At Raymond Wish's voice, Cynthia Lindberg and Jackson Miller immediately moved ahead.
Ian Weaver, who happened to be looking back, tripped over something and fell. Jackson Miller, who was holding his hand, momentarily lost his balance. The hands they held together slipped apart.
“...!”
Simultaneously, a pillar collapsed between Jackson Miller and Ian Weaver.
*Thud!*
*CRASH! THUD!*
A wall of rubble formed behind the fallen Jackson Miller. With startled eyes, Jackson Miller turned his head to look at the growing barrier. Cynthia Lindberg and Raymond Wish also wore urgent expressions.
‘...Huh?’
Song Yujeong and Im Yena realized the point of view had changed.
In the theatrical release of [Survivors], the camera had shown Ian Weaver and Lee Hyunwoo from the other side of the wall. This time, it was focused on the three adults.
The change jolted Song Yujeong and Im Yena to their senses.
The screen came into sharper focus, and now they could clearly hear the drawn-out, lingering music of [Survivors]. The gloomy melody, disguised in a shell of familiarity, burrowed into their ears and made their hearts race.
A dark sense of foreboding gripped their hearts.
“...Aaaargh! Ian!”
The passage was already half-blocked.
A glimpse of Lee Hyunwoo quickly ducking down flashed by, followed by his devastating scream. It was a raw scream, as if he couldn't believe what was happening. It was a scream so sharp it sent shivers down their spines, yet so sorrowful it brought tears to their eyes.
“Ian... Ian!!!”
Lee Hyunwoo’s voice could be heard, but the screen showed the three adults standing with bewildered faces.
Song Yujeong and Im Yena curled into themselves. A sense of dread crept up from their toes.
Jackson Miller, his face pale, managed to speak with difficulty. His hand, which had been holding Ian Weaver’s small, warm hand just moments ago, trembled uncontrollably.
“Hyun-Hyunwoo! What’s wrong?! Ian! Is Ian okay!?”
*Aaaaargh!!*
Instead of an answer, a scream filled with despair echoed back. Cynthia Lindberg, her face ashen, covered her ears. It felt as if she could smell blood from somewhere.
*CRUUUMBLE!*
The surroundings continued to collapse.
The wall separating Lee Hyunwoo from the other survivors had already grown much higher.
*Ruuuumble.*
The sounds were ominous.
“No... no...”
Lee Hyunwoo’s sobs could be heard, a sound like his throat was being scraped raw. But that agonizing sound was proof that he was still alive.
While Cynthia Lindberg and Jackson Miller remained frozen, Raymond Wish, who was no stranger to losing people, scowled fiercely and pressed himself against the wall of rubble.
Along with Raymond Wish, the camera crossed the wall for the first time.
Song Yujeong and Im Yena instinctively held their breath.
On the other side of the wall stood Lee Hyunwoo, half-crouched, staring down at the ground. He was in a state of being unable to either fully sit or stand, as if he simply couldn't believe the situation. His sobs had ceased.
The area below where Lee Hyunwoo was looking was not visible on screen.
But Song Yujeong and Im Yena had a feeling they knew what was there.
“What are you doing?!”
At Raymond Wish’s voice, Lee Hyunwoo slowly raised his head. As he looked at the large, outstretched hand, there was no light in his eyes. Seeing those familiar empty eyes once more, an annoyed Raymond Wish yelled.
“Get over here!”
Faced with the contorted face and the voice laced with irritation and anger, Lee Hyunwoo reflexively reached out and grabbed Raymond Wish’s hand.
…*Gasp.*
Song Yujeong and Im Yena, who had inhaled sharply, had their eyes tremble violently.
Hyunwoo’s hand, now clasped with Raymond Wish’s, was drenched in a red liquid. The crimson liquid, still warm and uncoagulated as if it had just been inside someone’s body, stained Raymond Wish’s hand as well.
“...Holy...”
Our Ian...!
Song Yujeong and Im Yena covered their mouths. There was so much they wanted to say, but the movie was still playing.
Raymond Wish paid no mind to the blood on his hand and pulled Lee Hyunwoo. Forced over the wall of rubble, Lee Hyunwoo collapsed to the ground.
‘In this scene, Ian is supposed to hug Hyunwoo tightly...!’
Naturally, that scene did not happen.
Tears welled up in Song Yujeong and Im Yena’s eyes.
...Something’s strange.
Whenever he sat down, the small, warm presence that always approached him, that stuck to his side even when pushed away, was gone.
Lee Hyunwoo looked around with an unfamiliar expression.
In his line of sight were Jackson Miller, who couldn't take his eyes off the wall of rubble; Cynthia Lindberg, who was watching him with anxious eyes; and Raymond Wish, who was wiping the blood on his dirty clothes.
...Blood.
Crimson blood.
Lee Hyunwoo looked down at his own two hands.
The bright red blood, which still seemed to hold a trace of warmth, filled his vision. The events of moments ago flashed through his mind. The smell of blood that pierced his nostrils, the cooling warmth of Ian Weaver.
“...Urgh... Ugh...!”
Seeing Lee Hyunwoo retching, a startled Cynthia Lindberg quickly ran to him. A pale-faced Jackson Miller flinched and looked at Lee Hyunwoo. Raymond Wish let out a sigh, his eyes sharp.
The tremors had subsided, but the atmosphere among the survivors was devastating.
Lee Hyunwoo stared only at his own hands, which he had wiped but still seemed stained red, while Jackson Miller was tormented by the memory of the warmth he had just let go. Cynthia Lindberg clutched Ian Weaver’s bag tightly, watching over the others.
“Let’s get moving.”
Raymond Wish said in a cold voice, picking up Ian Weaver’s compass as he stood.
“The living have to live, don’t they?”
...You’re the last person who should be saying that...!
At Raymond Wish's words, so cold they seemed to drip with ice, Song Yujeong and Im Yena felt a sense of betrayal.
Cynthia Lindberg and Jackson Miller silently got to their feet, thinking of the families waiting for them outside.
Only Lee Hyunwoo remained motionless.
“Are you not coming?”
“...”
Even at Raymond Wish’s words, Lee Hyunwoo remained silent, staring at his hands, which were still spotted with blood.
Seeing Lee Hyunwoo's face, already pale, now looking as if he might faint at any moment from the shock he'd endured in those few seconds behind the wall, without even a flashlight, Raymond Wish clicked his tongue. He took Ian Weaver’s bag from Cynthia Lindberg and gave it to Lee Hyunwoo.
Lee Hyunwoo's gaze, which had been fixed on his palms, shifted to the yellow bag.
As a former soldier, Raymond Wish knew a good way to snap someone out of it in times like these.
“You take responsibility and get that bag to Ian’s family. Ian Weaver’s family will be waiting for even a shoe or a piece of his clothing.”
Family.
Jackson Miller, who had been standing blankly in his guilt, snapped his head up at that word. It was Lee Hyunwoo’s trigger. This could make the situation worse.
“It’s better to have a memento than nothing.”
But fortunately, at Raymond Wish’s words, a little light returned to Lee Hyunwoo’s eyes.
Lee Hyunwoo carefully hugged the yellow bag in his arms.
‘Hyung. Want some?’
Inside the slightly open bag, the bag of snacks Ian Weaver had offered him was visible.
Tears welled up in Lee Hyunwoo’s eyes. He felt as if he could sense Ian Weaver’s warmth.
As Lee Hyunwoo sniffled and got up, clutching the bag, the two people who had been watching him and Raymond Wish cautiously took a deep breath.
Their hearts were heavy. But while Ian Weaver’s death was tragic, as Raymond Wish said, the living had to move in order to survive. Cynthia Lindberg and Jackson Miller pushed their guilt to a corner of their minds and began to walk.
The survivors moved along the narrow path. The atmosphere was heavy, with not a single word exchanged.
The one to break the heavy silence was an unexpected person.
“Nuna...”
“Oh, yes?”
Cynthia Lindberg answered, startled by Lee Hyunwoo’s call. Raymond Wish and Jackson Miller also turned their attention to his voice.
“Do you know anything... about Ian’s family?”
Lee Hyunwoo asked in a faint voice, holding Ian Weaver’s bag preciously in his arms. In a place where no sound could be heard but their footsteps, Cynthia Lindberg didn't miss it.
“Oh, no. I work here... Ian was alone, so I was going to take him to the lost child center. This place is huge, and we always get at least one lost child a day. I was about to make an announcement...”
Ian was a lost child.
At Cynthia Lindberg’s story, Jackson Miller, who had a daughter, saw his own face blur. He felt as if Ian Weaver’s warmth still lingered on his hand, and he unconsciously wiped his hand on his pants before freezing.
He felt sick.
“...I see.”
Lee Hyunwoo nodded.
He himself had been miserable when he lost his parents; how scared must Ian have been?
Moreover, how desperately his parents must be searching for him... how sad they would be to hear this news... Lee Hyunwoo’s heart ached.
“...Then they must be waiting... a lot for Ian to come back.”
Lee Hyunwoo’s hands holding the yellow bag became even more careful.
Lee Hyunwoo walked on, thinking of the child’s family who would be waiting for Ian Weaver. It was a heavy walk, weighed down by a mixture of responsibility and guilt.
* * *
“...Haaaah...”
The sound of two sighs, heavy with meaning, echoed through the small studio apartment.
It was a sigh shared by every viewer who had watched the director's cut of [Survivors].
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