Chapter 119
Chapter 119
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: Anytime for This Kind of Thing (1)
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‘Man, these guys look worse than zombies.’
Dark circles blackened under their eyes, faces so pallid anyone could see they were unwell. And that wasn’t all.
‘At least it sets them apart from obsessive thoughts or resentful ghosts... that’s somewhat positive, I guess.’
Their vibrant life force, unique to the living, was so faint it was almost hazy. Normally, that kind of state came from severe sleep deprivation or grueling hardship.
He’d heard they’d brought in top-tier equipment and extra hands, outsourcing the minor bits.
‘Even money can’t fix everything...’
Probably because the key parts needed hands-on checks.
“Then... we can really upload it as is? Anything else to tweak...?”
The assistant director asked ever so cautiously, his face pleading silently not to hear a no.
“Yes. Wrap it up and upload. That should do it.”
The answer they wanted. Sighs of relief echoed everywhere once more.
“Thank you, thank you...”
Some bowed in prayer to who-knows-what, others muttered,
“Ugh... finally, I can sleep...”
Looking ready to collapse right there.
“We really burned it all out... Nothing like that month of all-nighters at the station.”
Just two and a half days. Short, sure, but to the staff who’d poured every ounce of focus into it, it felt eternal.
“We told them to make a YouTube making-of, and they churned out a full documentary...”
“Right? Slap a title on this and air it on broadcast. Or pitch it to a nature doc channel?”
“Feels like a waste to use it just for promo...”
“Man, I’m hyped already. Our movie edit’s gonna be this quality, right? This level? Box office gold, insane. We might even get festival invites overseas.”
“Kid, don’t jinx it. Too soon for that talk.”
“Got it.”
While the assistant director, staff, and Kwon Sung-hyun wrapped up business cleanly, the actors rewatched the video and marveled again.
Incredible quality for something slapped together in days.
“They must’ve poured their souls into it.”
A supporting actor said.
Yeonwoo’s eyes flicked to the staff.
They looked drained, sure... really drained...
‘No way.’
No way they actually ground their souls into it. Just a figure of speech, probably.
But to Yeonwoo, who lived in a world where souls could be ground, it hit differently.
Overwork showed those symptoms plenty, right?
[Need some tonic lately. Energy’s low.]
[Body’s chills... must be depleted.]
[No sleep, now seeing things from fatigue.]
[When beat, gotta recharge. Samgyetang time.]
Everyday lines.
Not everyone saying that had spirit eyes like him.
But instinct sensing bodily depletion, craving a fill-up.
‘Not like me, anyway.’
Shredding souls took advanced spiritual power.
Just ordinary folks here.
Insiders would’ve noticed.
So, probably not.
...Probably.
‘...Still, better tidy up, just in case.’
Stray trivial ghosts latching on empty spots? Trouble.
Yeonwoo glanced around.
[Sniiiiiff!]
The child spirit on his shoulder inhaled deeply.
[This fresh scent. Newly born obsessive thoughts... hate it every time.]
“Why?”
[Means human malice keeps boiling over.]
“True.”
[Can’t stand seeing others succeed? Our actor’s busting ass, and they send this crap? Hope they get sleep paralysis tonight!]
“Quiet, or it might actually happen.”
[Why? I don’t waste my precious spiritual power on that. Unless you share a bit...]
“Dream on.”
[But dude, talking to me like this? People’ll stare.]
Most glued to monitors, ignoring them.
Still, caught? Weird looks inevitable.
Yeonwoo replied calmly.
“Nah. Doesn’t matter now. No one hears.”
[Huh? How? You can’t do telepathy or mind reading yet. Told you to train, but nooo. Wasted so much effort disguising with earphones. Lucky phones and Bluetooth now, or you’d be labeled nuts back then!]
“Point is, no one hears now.”
[HOW?! Kang Yeonwoo, what’d you pick up this time?!]
“Curious?”
[What, what?!]
“Not telling.”
[Aargh! No fair!]
The child spirit whined, but Yeonwoo just shrugged.
The trick to chat with the invisible child spirit unseen?
B-grade skill from Yeon Do-hee: Ventriloquism.
[Ventriloquism [B]]
- Speak without moving lips.
Works regardless of expression.
Low mastery means prolonged use risks detection.
‘Yeah. This.’
No need for icy waterfall training.
Telepathy? Mind speech? Why bother?
‘Skills like this? Welcome anytime.’
One skill fixed everything.
Mom Kang Yeon-hwa would faint, but good was good.
Detection risk noted, but...
Don’t get caught.
Low voice, child spirit only? Safe.
[How do you DO it?! Tell me!]
“Watch.”
Used mostly for child spirit chats anyway.
[What spell did you learn? Yeonwoo...]
Ignoring the whining, Yeonwoo scanned the studio.
Even to him, obsessive thoughts and resentful ghosts outnumbered the norm.
Doubled since two days ago? No, tripled, quadrupled.
‘Not from editing... they’re sticking because of these?’
Made sense.
Yeonwoo moved without hesitation.
‘Jealousy, man.’
Post-return buzz already high.
Short ad fanned flames.
Upcoming YouTube vid, movie itself drawing eyes.
Plain romance, open ending.
Script trashed repeatedly.
“Doomed flick, why bother?”
Defied odds, now shining.
Yet...
‘So many haters.’
Thick sludge of obsessive thoughts and resentful ghosts? Tongue-click worthy.
One from Park Chil-deuk maybe?
[Kiiii...]
[Kuuu...]
Talisman-warmed hands brushed, black smoke billowed, thoughts scattered like dust.
“Yeonwoo-ssi, not watching together?”
“Yeah, I’ll...”
“Still shy, huh. Makes sense. Making-of rivals the movie. You’re the star here.”
Lead role, flawless acting. Only ‘newbie’ demerit?
‘Nah, not even.’
Plenty praise: comet rookie, versatile youth, raw passion.
TV drama supporting? Post-release, irrelevant.
Fellow actors knew.
Spotlight aside, they were pros.
Eyes for stars.
“Will be even more after release.”
“Aww, fresh. Perfect timing.”
Plus, survival aid? Couldn’t hate.
Actors chalked his pacing to newbie nerves.
[Hiiiing... so curious...]
Child spirit trailed.
Yeonwoo methodically cleansed studio nooks.
‘Nice haul.’
Picked scraps, stacked lifespan grains.
Dust-mite amounts, but hey.
Then, locked eyes with watching Yeon Do-hee.
[Yeonwoo. Yeon Do-hee’s staring.]
“I see.”
[Something happen while I was gone? Her look’s off.]
Indeed, Yeon Do-hee gazed mysteriously.
*
“Saw the video, right Yeonwoo-ssi?”
“Yes.”
“Ji Director slaved over it—insane. Others say doc it or pivot to doc film.”
“Ji Director must approve. Never done anything that epic.”
“No. You did epic. Even sans Kwon Sung-hyeon push, they’d nailed it. Without you, disaster.”
Repaying favor?
Yeon Do-hee smiled.
“Kwon Sung-hyeon sped it up huge. You know Ji Director’s meticulous—no pressure, he’d drag forever. This one’s Yeonwoo-focused. See?”
She nodded.
“Grab water later. Totally smitten. Probably your muse since filming?”
“Mu... se?”
“Muse. Greek myth gods, derived term. Inspires Ji Director?”
“Know the word.”
Heard before.
“But... why me?”