The Fate of the Drama

"Hayoung, slow down. Were you that hungry? Want another bowl of rice?"

"Oh, I'm fine, but... well..."

Hayoung shyly held out her empty bowl.

"Mom, Hayoung's in a girl group. She has to watch her diet."

"Look at how skinny this child is. Diet? Say something that actually makes sense if you want me to believe you..."

"......"

She was skinny, that much was true — but if she started managing it now, it would be a lot less painful later.

Mom scooped a towering mound of rice into Hayoung's empty bowl.

"Hayoung, eat up. You could stand to put some more meat on those bones..."

"Thank you for the meal!"

"Aigoo, she even eats so adorably."

"It's because everything you made is so delicious... hehe."

"Meanwhile my son just pokes at his food with his chopsticks every single day..."

"......"

That was a fact. I had to give her that.

Even I had to admit Hayoung ate like food was the greatest thing on earth. I'd sat there staring at her for a good long while that afternoon, watching her inhale a bowl of naengmyeon like a natural disaster.

"Son, you want more rice too?"

"Nah, I'm good. I already ate plenty."

I was about to make my spectacular debut as Choi Dooshik, after all. I needed to start taking care of myself from this point on. Filming was coming up soon.

The sleeping arrangements were sorted, my stomach was full, and a pleasant heaviness was starting to settle into my limbs. I'd been praised by the director at the table read. I'd taken first place in the YouTube singing contest and even walked away with the prize money. It had been a day packed with this many good things — so why couldn't I shake this nagging, uneasy feeling?

What is this...?

Hayoung and Mom had already gotten so close they might as well have been mother and daughter. There was nothing to worry about right now. So what the hell was it? This nameless anxiety... was it because too many good things had happened in a single day? I didn't know what it was, but it felt like there was still one big blow waiting to land.

And then.

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

Ding-dong—

"Hwah!"

The sound of someone punching in the front-door passcode sent me leaping out of my seat. The source of my unease flashed through my mind like lightning.

"Hm? Jina's home."

Seo Jina.

I'd completely forgotten about my sister. She was retaking the college entrance exam this year, which meant she was extra sensitive and extra prickly, and if she walked in on this scene she was going to lose it. I'd screwed up. I should have stuffed Hayoung in my room and locked the door the second I thought of it.

Mom stood up to greet her.

"Aigoo, my hardworking girl. You must be exhausted."

"Ugh... Mom, I'm so tired... Wait. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠What the...?"

In that instant, a thick killing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠intent bloomed against the back of my skull.

Hayoung shot to her feet and bowed toward my sister.

"Um, unnie. Hello. I-I'm... Yoon Hayoung, from the hottest girl group at Wooju Entertainment right now..."

I hadn't even told her to do that. She just went for it on her own. Maybe she'd always been the sharp type...

"Mom, seriously? You know I hate having people over..."

Exactly the reaction I'd expected.

"I didn't bring her. Jinwoo did."

"......"

Betrayed by the one person I thought I could count on.

"Wait, what? Seo Jinwoo. When the hell did you even get here..."

"......"

My dignity was taking a beating in front of Hayoung. I quietly stood up, ready to settle this with my sister one way or another. If talking didn't work, I'd just channel Choi Dooshik and scare her into submission.

"Hey. Is our house a motel now?"

I was just about to sync with Choi Dooshik when—

"So who's the kid...?"

Hayoung, who'd had her head bowed low, slowly looked up.

"Ah, I'm..."

And in that instant.

"Wait. Hwaaah?!"

My sister's face went slack with shock as she seized both of Hayoung's hands.

"Y-Yoonderella-nim?! You're Yoonderella, right?!"

"Ah, y-you know me? No way..."

"I-I'm... I'm a Yoonderella TV subscriber!"

"Huuuh! Holy shit!"

"No way..."

Insane. I was watching this happen and I couldn't even form words. My brain had just... stopped.

She was one of three hundred and forty-nine subscribers...?

"Yoonderella-nim! I watched you singing at the coin karaoke on the livestream! When I realized it was you, I was so happy..."

"Ah, you saw that?"

"Yes! Congratulations on taking first place!"

"Hehe. Thank you..."

"Wow, you're even cuter in person..."

"Unnie, you're so pretty. When I first saw you just now I thought you were a celebrity. I was so surprised..."

"No, not at all... hehe."

Like mother, like daughter. My sister's expression right now was identical to the look Mom had been wearing earlier.

"You haven't been going live lately, so I thought maybe you'd quit streaming and I was so shocked..."

"Ah... I've been practicing singing a lot, so I took a little break from streaming."

"Then... are you really debuting in a girl group?"

"I think that's probably what's going to happen."

My sister's face fell.

"Then... you're shutting down the YouTube channel for good? Watching Yoonderella-nim's streams was the one joy in my life..."

"Hehe. I'll talk to the company. If they say it's okay, I'm planning to stream every now and then."

"Really?! What a relief..."

Watching that tender smile, listening to that syrupy voice coming out of my sister's mouth — bile rose in my throat. I couldn't take another second of it. I slipped quietly into my room.

"Hah..."

At least it seemed like the situation had sorted itself out. Small mercies. I changed into something comfortable and quickly tidied up my disaster of a room. Hayoung could sleep ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in here; I'd take the living room. She was the first guest I'd ever brought home. The least I could do was let her have the bed.

I was in the middle of cleaning in earnest when the phone I'd left on the desk started vibrating.

Brrrt. Brrrt.

"Hm? Who's calling at this hour...?"

It was already pushing midnight. There wasn't anyone who'd be calling me this late.

The second I saw the caller ID, I jerked upright and fixed my posture. I hadn't even done anything wrong, but my heart started hammering anyway. I carefully pressed the call button.

"Hello, Director."

"I was just about to turn in. But what's going on at this hour?"

"Tomorrow? Yes, I'm free."

"Yes, understood. But what's this about..."

A promo video? But why me...? Choi Dooshik was just a villain extra who showed up for a bit.

"What?"

"Ah, yes."

In that moment, the director's voice turned serious.

"What...?"

He hung up first, leaving those words hanging in the air.

"......"

For a moment, I felt the weight settle onto my shoulders. Of course, he had to be joking — but he'd said he was making Choi Dooshik the face of the promo. There was no way I could half-ass this. My loose, easygoing mindset snapped into something else.

I should sleep early. More sleep meant better skin.

I cracked the door and slipped out. The three of them were still on the living room sofa, laughing and talking away. I needed them to clear out of there if I was going to spread a blanket and sleep, but I was not exactly a man of leisure right now. The fate of a drama was in my hands as we spoke. They had so much to talk about I couldn't even find a gap to cut in.

"Hey! Seo Jinwoo. Go to the convenience store and buy some snacks. With your money."

"Son, get me something sweet. Ice cream. And not a freeze pop."

"......"

It was late, and they clearly had no intention of going to bed.

"Do you know what time it is? Snacks? I need to sleep."

"Run the errand, then sleep. Or you're dead..."

"......"

It was embarrassing to admit, but when we were kids, that sister of mine used to hit me. Things were different now, though. My physique plus ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Choi Dooshik's aura? Seo Jina would be a piece of cake. But picking a fight with my sister in front of Hayoung would look pathetic, so I held my tongue.

"Hayoung, you take my room tonight. I'll sleep in the living room."

"Okay!"

"Hey. Why would you put our Yoonderella-nim in your room. Your room fucking stinks..."

"It doesn't smell at all?"

"You're putting an honored guest in a pigsty? I know you're my little brother, but you have zero class..."

A pigsty...? I'd just cleaned that room within an inch of its life.

"Yoonderella-nim."

"Yes, unnie."

"Jinwoo's room is filthy and it smells, so you absolutely cannot sleep in there. Would you like to sleep in my room with me tonight instead?"

"Ah, yes! I'd love that. I get to sleep in the same bed as my subscriber... hehe."

"Yoonderella-nim. Shall we watch a movie together before bed?"

"Yes, I'd like that."

What a performance. A whole production.

I ignored them and went back to my room. I locked the door, then sprawled across the bed, spread-eagle.

"God, I'm tired..."

I must have been more exhausted than I thought. My eyes fell shut on their own.

Tap. Tap.

The cool shock of raindrops hitting my skin pulled my eyes open. When I looked, it really was raining. A dark, lightless night. A dead-end alley. It was a place I was certain I'd never seen before — and yet a strange familiarity clung to it all the same.

This is...

Before I could even process where I was, the raw, metallic smell of blood cut through the cold rain and sank deep into my sinuses.

"Hoo..."

The breath I let out was hot. A strange, unfathomable excitement surged up through me, and my heart hammered like mad. A sensation all too familiar — the same one I'd felt the last time I'd been inside Choi Dooshik's body.

It's a dream...

Then a small, twitching presence stirred at my feet, and I slowly lowered my gaze. A woman lay collapsed in front of me, soaked in blood. A scene of utter carnage. And yet, against my will, the corners of my mouth slowly curled upward. A twisted little chuckle spilled from my lips.

My body moved on its own. I lifted my foot, slow and deliberate, and pressed it down onto the back of her hand.

A wet crunch.

"Nngh…!"

A moan of agony tore through the sound of the rain. The thick, crumbling give of bone sent a thrill racing through every cell in my body.

"...So you were still alive."

A strange relief washed over me, and my face brightened. My lips twisted on their own again, and something chilling spilled out of them.

"I thought you'd already died. You almost gave me a scare."

"P-please... let me live..."

Looking at a woman dying in her own blood should have felt wrong. It didn't. If anything, every pleading little whimper sent another jolt of pleasure through me. I crouched down and gently brushed the blood-matted hair from her face.

"P-please... p-please..."

"Don't worry. I won't let you die that easily..."

Her pupils trembled, welling with tears. A gaze soaked in raw terror and despair. Looking at that, I felt an unfathomable euphoria.