Chapter 94
Chapter 94
Demon (5)
-Wow
-So scary T_T
-Stop with the jump scares
Just when “Demon” seemed to be a crime thriller about uncovering the masterminds of the Black Night Cult, it would spring an exorcism scene on unsuspecting viewers, making their hearts race.
“How much holy water is left?”
“There’s not much left.”
“Make more.”
“...Me?”
“Aren’t you a priest?”
Unable to resist Kim Leo’s persuasion, Father Raphael successfully performs an exorcism on a student. Influenced by Kim Leo, Raphael begins to stray further from his principles. The two priests, despite their bickering, start to work together in perfect sync.
“I’m sure it’s somewhere around here.”
“Investigating is fine, but don’t go off on your own and then ask for help again.”
“Hey, am I you? You’re the one who shouldn’t be getting piggyback rides from Father Raphael.”
While covering the incidents involving those possessed by the demon, Park Su-a gradually uncovers the Black Night Cult’s headquarters. “Demon” was now entering the final stages of filming.
-Yu Yeon-seo and Hong Min-a’s chemistry is insane
└He had crazy tension with Seo Ha-jun too?
└Yu Yeon-seo has good chemistry with everyone lol
-Is Demon good? I can’t watch stuff with ghosts.
└It’s fine if you just blur your eyes during the scary parts.
└There are no ghosts, but the possessed people are the real deal. Super scary.
└I screamed watching Demon and my dog got scared and is avoiding me now T_T
-I don’t know about the rest of Demon, but it’s a fact that it’s a visual showcase for Yu Yeon-seo.
└FR the director films him so beautifully.
└You can tell they put a lot of effort into Yu Yeon-seo’s scenes lol
└The priest’s vestments look so good on him T_T
“Demon” was receiving decent public reaction and respectable ratings for a horror series, but the genre’s limitations were undeniable.
“Demon” Broke Viewership Records, But Recent Ratings Disappoint
A Horror Drama Even Yu Yeon-seo Couldn’t Save... “Demon” Ranks 2nd in its Time Slot
The ratings were relatively weak compared to Yu Yeon-seo’s star power, and reporters didn’t miss the chance to publish articles about it. Articles about Yu Yeon-seo guaranteed a baseline number of clicks, which in turn guaranteed ad revenue.
-The hate against Yu Yeon-seo lately is insane.
There was always a lot, but it seems to have gotten worse since the accident.
└FR
└The spam on mom cafes is no joke.
└All the posts about Yu Yeon-seo are getting deleted lately. Guess they don’t know how scary Juseong can be lol.
└└Hey, what makes you think Juseong is some all-powerful shield? Do you work there? Why are you acting so proud on their behalf lol.
└└└Are you the same person who was hating on him earlier? Do you even know that Yu Chang-ho is suing people for nitpicking even minor posts about Yu Yeon-seo?
└(This comment has been deleted.)
All sorts of clickbait articles were rampant. Other agencies launched smear campaigns against the successful Yu Yeon-seo, and posts wishing for his downfall appeared without fail. Of course, perhaps due to Chairman Yu pulling some strings, they were deleted as soon as they were found.
“What’s this?”
“Looks like they’re filming something.”
“Oh, is someone coming?”
Staff members moved busily, setting up cameras. There was even a staffer flying a drone camera. The large number of crew members seemed to attract a growing crowd of onlookers.
“You’re in the shot. Move back.”
“Yes, sir.”
At the cinematographer’s words, a staff member raised both hands toward the crowd.
“Excuse me! Could you please step back a little!”
“What are you filming here?”
The staff member didn’t answer. One of the onlookers spotted the “Demon” ID tag hanging from the staffer’s neck and shouted.
“Holy crap, Demon!”
At that, the people nearby began to murmur.
“Demon? Yu Yeon-seo?”
“No way, is Yu Yeon-seo coming?”
“Awesome.”
No one knew for sure who was coming, but the rumor ‘Yu Yeon-seo is coming here!’ had already spread through the crowd. More and more people gathered. There was even a couple where one was sitting on the other’s shoulders.
“We need to film this quickly and get out of here.”
The director clicked his tongue. It was indeed a scene with Yu Yeon-seo and Seo Ha-jun, but it would be a headache if the situation became uncontrollable. The staff pushed back the people who were encroaching on the filming area.
“Can’t I pass through here? Why not? Did you even get a permit from the district office?”
“We have all the necessary permits.”
“What are you filming that’s so important? Acting like filming is some high and mighty profession.”
Of course, some people refused to cooperate. Perhaps because there were so many stories about staff being forceful on set, some looked at the filming site with disdain. The assistant director approached the flustered staff member to explain the situation.
“Why are there so many people?”
“It’s Yu Yeon-seo.”
“Wow, I’m never working on a Yu Yeon-seo project again.”
“Just hang in there. Everything else is great besides this.”
The staff tried to stop the people who were inching forward to see Yu Yeon-seo.
“Wow, do you think we’ll be able to film today?”
“It’ll work out somehow.”
“How are you so calm?”
“Because this isn’t the first time.”
The special circumstance of a film shoot seemed to have drawn a larger crowd, but for Yu Yeon-seo, it was a familiar sight.
“...I’m jealous.”
Seo Ha-jun looked at Yu Yeon-seo with envy. Thanks to “Demon,” he was ranking high in drama buzz and getting a steady stream of ad offers, but it seemed he still hadn’t reached his own standards.
He doesn’t look the type, but he really craves attention.
The sight reminded him of his cousin, Park Seon-woo, and Yu Yeon-seo let out a small smile.
To prevent chaos, Yu Yeon-seo and Seo Ha-jun, who had been waiting in the van, made their way to the director’s side. In case of any unforeseen circumstances, Lee Tae-gyeom and Im Seung-hyeon flanked Yu Yeon-seo.
“Aaaah!”
“Wow, it’s really Yu Yeon-seo!”
Dressed in a crisply ironed priest’s vestments, the 182cm tall Yu Yeon-seo, who also worked out regularly, made the outfit look even better. People nearby were busy raising their phones to take pictures of him.
“This chase scene today, haah... Let’s get it in one take.”
Director Choi shook his head at the sight of the endless crowd. It reminded him of when a top idol group did a guerilla date on an entertainment show...
“The blocking is simple. Just run straight from here to there.”
“Around when should I catch him?”
“See that red sign over there? Raphael should grab the cultist’s shoulder and subdue him around there.”
The scene they were about to film was a chase where the two priests pursued a member of the Black Night Cult. As filming was about to begin, the staff were practically begging the crowd to be quiet.
“Ready, cue!”
On the director’s signal, the extra playing the cultist took off running. A beat later, Raphael and Kim Leo kicked off the ground and gave chase. A rail camera and a drone camera filmed the three of them.
“Hey! You bastard, stop right there!”
The crude language, so unbecoming of a priest seen on TV, came from Kim Leo as he ran, his upper body swaying. Coming up from behind, Father Raphael’s running form was textbook-perfect, like watching a model runner. Even in the way they ran, the differences in their characters were apparent.
“Ack!”
Perhaps because the road was poorly maintained, Kim Leo fell. It wasn’t in the script, but he didn’t panic.
Father Raphael glanced back for a moment, then continued running forward to catch the cultist. This also wasn’t in the script. It was a gesture that revealed Father Raphael’s subtle concern for Kim Leo.
“Ah, damn it!”
After falling, Kim Leo cursed under his breath and got up to run again. At the end of the chase, he pounced on the cultist from behind and caught him.
“Cut!”
At the director’s signal, Yu Yeon-seo helped the extra up and looked behind him.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes!”
The fall wasn’t scripted, but it added a touch of realism. He looked Seo Ha-jun up and down. He didn’t seem to be hurt.
“Ah, damn. Someone walked into the shot here. I think we’ll have to do another take.”
“Ah, shoot... one moment.”
At the director’s words, the assistant director shot up and approached the onlookers.
“Please, I’m begging you to cooperate!”
They had to film the city chase scene four more times before they could move on to the next location.
The three leads then attempted an exorcism on the cultist. After interrogating the now-sane man, they headed to what was believed to be the Black Night Cult’s headquarters.
“...It’s a ruin.”
“Let’s go in for now.”
Kim Leo hesitated at the entrance, which looked like an underground bunker, but seeing Park Su-a take the lead, he scratched the back of his head, his pride seemingly wounded.
Water dripped from somewhere, amplifying the sound of their footsteps and breathing. Relying on their phone flashlights, the three walked down a hallway and entered a room that looked like a laboratory.
“What is all this?”
“It seems to be paraphernalia for a demon-worshipping ritual.”
As they shone their lights around, they saw demonic symbols everywhere. They were props that the “Demon” props team had painstakingly prepared.
The three split up, searching every inch for any clues. Then, he pulls a file from a cabinet and flips through the documents. Father Raphael, who had been casually looking through it, froze.
“Father.”
“...”
“Father!”
“Ah, yes.”
His eyes held a mix of surprise and longing. Park Su-a, who was wandering nearby, roused the motionless Father Raphael.
“Is that someone you know?”
Raphael hastily put the document down. Between the pages, personal information about Raphael’s father was briefly visible.
“...No.”
It doesn’t look like a ‘no’... Park Su-a narrowed her eyes and watched Father Raphael’s back.
“It seems they’ve moved their base of operations.”
“I think so too. Do you think they know we’re on their trail?”
“...Perhaps.”
“Ah, this is a headache.”
Raphael and Kim Leo had been exorcising the demon-possessed people one by one. The Black Night Cult might have noticed this change. Park Su-a roughly scratched her head.
“Hey, Kim Leo. What are you doing?”
“These people...”
“Huh?”
Kim Leo picked up the file Father Raphael had put down and flipped through it page by page.
“They’re all dead, aren’t they?”
“...We don’t know yet.”
The thickness of the file suggested that the number of victims was not small. Park Su-a, who had answered with difficulty, squeezed her eyes shut. Suddenly, the three of them felt suffocated.
“Should we take these documents for now?”
“Let’s.”
“Wait.”
At Raphael’s shout, Kim Leo and Park Su-a turned their heads simultaneously. They stood behind Raphael.
On the document Kim Leo had carefully placed down was a photo of his biological mother—a woman he didn’t know, who had been sacrificed to save two children.
Raphael felt along the wall and opened the door to a secret space. A sacrificial altar and bloodstains came into view.
“My God...”
At the horrific sight, Kim Leo and Raphael pressed their lips together firmly. Park Su-a covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes wide.
And so, episode 14 ended. Only two episodes remained until the finale of “Demon.”
“The cult leader is probably...”
Filming for “Demon” was in its final stretch. In a scene where they had returned to the ruins to find clues about the cult leader, Yu Yeon-seo delivered his line and then casually wondered, Why am I slurring my words?
It was like his acting from the old days, when the label of “bad actor” had suited him. His gaze shifted to something over Seo Ha-jun’s shoulder. The moment he saw it, his breath hitched.
Ah, damn it...
I knew it was too quiet.
As Yu Yeon-seo scowled and lowered his head, the director, who had been watching the monitor, slowly stood up. Yu Yeon-seo’s line delivery had suddenly become strange, and now he was covering his mouth with his hand.
“What’s going on?”
“Why all of a sudden...”
The people watching began to murmur.
“Should we take a short break?”
Sensing something was wrong with his lead actor, Director Choi halted the filming for the time being. The quick-witted assistant director nodded and distracted the onlookers.
“Hyung, are you sick?”
“Yeon-seo-ssi?”
Seo Ha-jun and Hong Min-a, who had noticed the change from up close, approached Yu Yeon-seo. He abruptly turned his back and gestured for them not to come any closer.
Then, Lee Tae-gyeom and Im Seung-hyeon, who had been watching the filming, rushed onto the set.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“Young Master.”
Yu Yeon-seo made no exception for them either.
“Stay away.”
Forcing out the words, Yu Yeon-seo quickly exited to somewhere. Lee Tae-gyeom and Im Seung-hyeon looked at each other for a moment. They knew that Yu Yeon-seo had been secretly slipping away during the filming of “Demon.”
[Where are you going?]
[I’m just going... for a bit.]
Yu Yeon-seo would sometimes run off somewhere in the middle of a shoot, his face pale. He told them not to come, so they didn’t.
Lee Tae-gyeom hadn’t followed because he didn’t know what kind of nagging he would get, and Im Seung-hyeon couldn’t move because it was akin to an order.
But as this behavior continued—once, twice, and then more than three times—their patience began to wear thin. Before, it had been somewhat acceptable because it never happened in the middle of filming.
What on earth is he hiding?
Could there be something we’re not supposed to know?
But this time, he’d stopped right in the middle of a take, while the cameras were rolling. What could possibly make Yu Yeon-seo, someone more serious about filming and acting than anyone, stop a shoot and run off? Could it be a health problem?
“...I can’t just stand by.”
“Me neither.”
After a brief moment of thought, Im Seung-hyeon and Lee Tae-gyeom made their decision and followed after Yu Yeon-seo.