Chapter 120.1

<em>Click.</em>

The vintage television turns on.

The black screen dominates my entire field of vision and mind.

I can’t look away.

I have to watch.

Channel locked!

A special message

just for you

is now

playingCheerful, classical orchestral music plays in the background.

Then, a black-and-white video begins.

<em>Starring : Kim Soleum</em>

A weary young office worker in their mid-to-late twenties, wearing a black suit.

Sometimes, they sit at a desk, writing documents with a bare face. Other times, they wear a strange horned mask, narrowly escaping death while running through the dangers of ghost stories.

It’s me.

<em>Are you feeling down?</em>

<em>Exhausted?</em>

<em>Suffering from endless tasks, verbal abuse, and office politics?</em>

<em>Are you anxious, unable to trust anyone, living in fear of when you might die next?</em>

<strong><em>When that happens, you should sit in front of a TV and watch something fun and new!</em></strong>

I see myself, sitting blankly in front of a TV after returning to my company-provided housing.

I’m watching a children’s cartoon, trying to calm my fear.

But the cartoon ends quickly, as children’s shows do.

I sit in a daze for a while, staring at the blank screen, before heading to my room and attempting to sleep.

<em>Have you ever been afraid that the show would end?</em>

<em>Of tomorrow coming?</em>

<em>Did you dread returning to a job that suffocates you, day by day, with stress, anxiety, and suffering?</em>

<em>Is it that, the deeper you think, the more trapped and scared you feel, as though there’s no other path to take?</em>

<em>Are you enduring the unbearable, simply because you think this must be the right way?</em>

……

I… I…

<em>For people like you!</em>

<em>Just a moment now. Don’t panic. Take a deep breath.</em>

<strong><em>A perfect alternative,</em></strong>

<strong><em>A new path has found you!</em></strong>

<em>Ba-bam!</em>

On the screen, a spotlight shines on my bedroom door.

The door swings open dramatically, revealing a silhouette in a sleek brown suit, head replaced by a vintage TV.

It’s the host.

<em>The answer you’ve been waiting for!</em>

I jump out of bed, shake hands with the host, and smile in relief. I throw the mask and briefcase out the window without a second thought.

With a snap of the host’s fingers, the company housing turns to ashes, revealing a dazzling, brightly lit studio.

Standing on stage, the host and I beam with joy.

Scenes I’ve never lived are mixing seamlessly with my memories, piercing my mind with their uncanny, dizzying realism.

It’s just like the real thing.

<em>The new talk show host is witty, charismatic, full of humor, and always listens to and understands your worries!</em>

<em>Accept this perfect offer from the one you</em><strong><em>personally</em></strong><em>invited, and everything will get better.</em>

<em>It’s the kind of job no one would want to turn down.</em>

<em>Prepare for your new life!</em>

No.

No, I.

I need to go home…

<em>Oh dear!</em>

<em>Struggling with homesickness?</em>

The scene shifts.

It’s me again, but not my past self.

It’s me, now.

Staring into the TV.

We lock eyes.

Face-to-face.

<em>Starring : You</em>

I see myself reflected on the screen like a mirror.

But the me on the screen looks distressed, his face twisted into a grimace, on the verge of tears.

No, that’s not me. I’m not making that face right now… right? Am I? Am I frowning right now? Stop! I’m getting dizzy. I press both hands against my face, trying to calm down.

My vision goes dark.

But the TV remains clear.

Below my face, a caption appears:

<em>Why are you always longing for home?</em>

<em>Do you crave the happiness of escaping an uncomfortable, burdensome environment?</em>

<em>Do you cry at night, yearning for peaceful sleep without fear or nightmares?</em>

<em>Fear not.</em>

<em>The greatest talk show awaits you!</em>

No.

<em>This is a special message for you—yes, you!—who is currently watching:</em>

<em>The crew members of the greatest talk show have no faces.</em>

<em>No discomfort from unfamiliar faces. No awkward interactions. Just the ideal workplace.</em>

<em>Join us now!</em>

This is madness.

Faceless coworkers? Who would want that? I certainly don’t—

<em>In this workplace, no one struggles with hiding who they really are.</em>

<em>And neither should you, dear viewer.</em>

<em>Feel free to reveal yourself!</em>

<em>Your talents and ideas will flourish in this one-of-a-kind job.</em>

<em>The legendary host has personally turned down countless applications to reserve this spot just for you!</em>

……

<em>It’s a job so appealing, no one would want to say no.</em>

<em>Welcome to your new home!</em>

No,<em>NO!</em>

On purpose, he keeps using the word<em>home.</em>He knows I want to go home. That’s what he’s doing.

But what I want isn’t a<em>new</em>home. I’ve never wanted that.

What I want…

What I wish for… is to return to the world I originally lived in, the familiar world. That place.

A place where I don’t have to worry about being eaten by monsters on the street. A place where ghost stories are just entertainment. My friends and family are all there.

And I shouldn’t forget!

I have the silver ring in my hand right now.

I can resist this. I<em>can</em>resist this.