Chapter 130: Serial Killer

TL: Aniea

“Ji-an, doesn’t it feel a little different from the rumors?”

“Hm? What does?”

“I mean, Kang Woo-ju and Seo Jun-woo. The atmosphere around them is subtly different from what I’d heard before.”

“Hmm....”

Kim Ji-an turned her head at the words of the senior staff member. Then, the two people sitting at the same table came into full view.

However, the two weren’t looking at each other, nor were they conversing. They just kept their eyes fixed on their own script books.

“It does feel a bit strange.”

“Right?”

It was already widely known that the two were classmates from the same department.

They were even said to be very close, to the point that they had recently done a charity play together for the Orphanage children.

“But now, it just feels kind of cold, you know?”

“Mhm.”

Mhm-

Not only the senior who first brought it up, but also the other staff nodded at Kim Ji-an’s comment.

The atmosphere was so dry and stifling, like a desert in broad daylight, that it made it hard to breathe for those watching from the side.

Still, it was ambiguous to say they had a bad relationship. If that were the case, they would’ve just sat apart. Or stayed in their personal vehicles.

But Kang Woo-ju and Seo Jun-woo were maintaining this vague position, neither doing this nor that. The entire crew was curious about it.

“Did they have a fight or something?”

“I wonder if it’s okay to just leave them like that.”

“Well, it’ll be fine. They’re not kids or anything.”

Though their curiosity was piqued, there were just too many things that needed to be done to stand around gawking.

So, Kim Ji-an and the staff reluctantly turned their heads and began preparing for the shoot.

“Alright, today is the start of the real first shoot. Since you’re all veterans in the industry, I trust you’ll do great. Let’s make a great piece with our own hands.”

“Yes!”

With Director Choi Min-seok’s words through the megaphone as the signal, filming for the movie <Crows> began.

The scene being filmed today was from the very early part of the film. It was the crime scene of [Jang Woo-cheol], who appears as a serial killer in the story, and the introductory scenes of each character.

“Kim Min-jae will be the first to shoot!”

The first one to act among them was Kim Min-jae.

He usually played soft, gentle roles, but in the industry, he was known to have an acting spectrum so wide they called him a “man of a thousand faces”.

Lately, he himself had been saying that casting offers were becoming too one-sided. So, through <Crows>, he was aiming to completely flip his image.

“I’m looking forward to this.”

“What kind of performance will he show us?”

“His expression is already intense.”

The staff all nodded as they watched Kim Min-jae capturing his emotions before diving into the scene.

Even Kang Woo-ju and Seo Jun-woo, who had been buried in their script books the whole time, lifted their heads for a moment to look at him.

“What do you think?”

“We don’t need to worry about Kim Min-jae sunbae. He’s not called 'thousand faces' actor for nothing. There weren’t any issues the last time we filmed together either.”

“I see.”

The two shared a brief exchange in voices low enough that only the other could hear, then returned their heads to their script books.

Some people frowned at the indifferent attitude of the two, but instead, Kim Min-jae let out a pleasant smile.

‘...Such rare hubaes, really.’

Normally, when a sunbae was acting, people would either come up and say how amazing they were, or at least quietly observe.

But this completely disinterested attitude was a first, and it even felt refreshing.

‘They make me reflect again today.’

He was human too, after all, so it was only natural that he’d feel warmer toward polite hubaes.

Of course, seeing someone act all high and mighty like those two didn’t exactly feel great.

But thanks to the powerful impression they left during the previous script reading session, those thoughts disappeared completely.

Seeing Kang Woo-ju consumed by the concept to the point where the line between reality and acting was meaningless, and Seo Jun-woo responding to that acting so naturally, how much had he reflected inwardly while watching that?

‘They’re more serious about acting than anyone.’

Just by looking at their tattered script books, it was impossible not to realize how passionately the two were committing to the project.

The reason they weren’t moving their bodies at the moment was probably to focus even more on their acting.

Once that thought settled in, Kim Min-jae quietly raised the corners of his mouth. If seeing that didn’t light a fire in you, could you even dare call yourself an actor?

‘I’ll make them look up.’

He had no choice but to deliver a performance so immersive that even Kang Woo-ju and Seo Jun-woo, who were completely engrossed in their scripts, would be forced to turn their heads.

With that resolution, Kim Min-jae closed his eyes. Pushing aside the distractions floating in his mind, he focused on his role.

The character he now had to portray was [Jang Woo-cheol], a psychopathic serial killer with dulled emotions.

A monster in human skin, who nevertheless knew how to skillfully manipulate his facial expressions.

“......!!”

As he finally opened his eyes, everyone watching Kim Min-jae silently swallowed a scream.

The sudden shift in atmosphere forcefully pulled the gaze of everyone nearby, and those who locked eyes with him felt a chill run down their spines.

“Amazing.”

“As expected from Kim Min-jae?”

“At this level, even those two should...”

As if proving that the title of 'thousand faces' actor wasn’t earned by just anyone, Kim Min-jae instantly captivated the entire set.

The staff, who naturally assumed even those two would finally turn their heads, began to be filled with disbelief.

Because the two people, still motionless and immersed in their own worlds, came into view.

‘That level of focus is just...’

Even Director Park Hee-seok, who had been quietly observing everything, clicked his tongue in disbelief at how unshakable their concentration was.

At this point, they were attracting more attention than even Kim Min-jae, so Director Park Hee-seok quickly gave instructions.

“Stand by!”

As expected of a team composed mostly of veterans, the moment the director gave the sign, everyone immediately focused solely on their work.

The only time they could afford to chat like before was before the filming officially began.

As if proving that, everyone including Kim Ji-an began rushing around busily.

“Ready!”

Watching each of them closely, Director Park Hee-seok gave the next sign as soon as the atmosphere had somewhat settled.

And even then, he glanced sideways at the spot where Kang Woo-ju and Seo Jun-woo were sitting.

He felt a hot emotion boiling up deep within his chest.

‘...Alright, go wild all you want!’

The strange tension created by the two swept through the entire set. Thanks to that, not just the actors but even the staff felt their adrenaline rising.

They were proud and expensive talents, so bringing out their full potential was never an easy task.

But to think things would unfold like this. As the head director, he felt like bowing in gratitude wouldn’t be enough.

‘The rest is up to me.’

The finest ingredients and spices were all ready. It was now solely the director’s job to turn them into a dish that looked and tasted great.

Feeling the weight of that responsibility, Director Park Hee-seok clenched his fists so tightly his skin turned pale and shouted,

“Action-!!”

Flash-!

At the same time as the director’s booming voice echoed through the set, the cameras lit up with red lights.

──────────

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The monitoring equipment checking the patient's pulse, body temperature, and blood oxygen level gave off steady mechanical sounds.

Swish- Clack!

Jang Woo-cheol skillfully put on surgical gloves as he stared at the prey lying on the operating table.

“Mmph-! Mmph! Mm-mmph!”

A middle-aged man twisted his entire body, his mouth gagged. His arms and legs were tightly secured to the table, leaving no way to escape on his own.

Unswallowed saliva streamed from his mouth, and his eyes trembled in terror.

Jang Woo-cheol looked down at him silently. His expression was completely indifferent, showing not a single trace of warmth.

“Mmph-! Mmmph!!”

“Please be quiet.”

Thud-!

Jung Woo-cheol unhesitatingly plunged the syringe into the screaming man’s arm. The man’s movements gradually slowed down.

He froze completely, eyes bulging as if they might pop out at any moment.

Only then did Jung Woo-cheol remove the gag from the man’s mouth and place a respirator over his head.

“There’s no need to worry too much. This is a special muscle relaxant I developed myself. The body stops moving, but the consciousness remains fully intact.”

“.......”

“While the pain may be slightly dulled, the sensation of your flesh being cut will be vividly clear. Well, I’ve never experienced it myself, so it might not be entirely accurate.”

“......!!”

At the man’s eyes, seemingly asking, ‘Why me?’ Jung Woo-cheol replied with the same expression as before.

“Just think of it as a bit of bad luck, like you always say. Born an orphan, no job, no friends around.”

“.......”

“To put it bluntly, there’s no one who’d care if you disappeared. Actually, some might even be glad that a troublemaker is gone.”

“.......”

Naturally, no answer came.

But Jung Woo-cheol shrugged lightly as if he didn’t care, then checked the surgical tools.

He began laying out sharp objects like scalpels and surgical scissors around the area, slowly, so that the man on the operating table could see them clearly.

“Still, you’re doing a good deed on your way out. It’s a bit outdated, but there are people who’d kill to get one of these.”

“.......”

“This is a very complicated and difficult procedure to perform alone, but I have plenty of experience, so you can rest assured. I’ll keep you alive as long as possible. Now then...”

Swiish-

With that quiet lead-in, Jang Woo-cheol lifted the scalpel. The sharp blade gleamed under the light.

Then, the room filled with nothing but the silent scream of an unidentified person.

.

.

.

[A serial killer appears after 20 years.]

[The killer is a former honorary professor of a medical school!?]

[The suspect strongly denies the charges....]

“Nice to meet you, Attorney Seo Jung-woo.”

“It’s an honor to meet you, Professor Jung Woo-cheol.”

Attorney Seo Jung-woo extended his hand for a handshake, but Jung Woo-cheol raised his cuffed hands instead.

“Oh dear. You’ve been through a lot.”

“Not at all. Honestly, I feel more at ease in here. No one’s looking for me, and I get three meals a day.”

“Prisons these days have decent facilities.”

Hahaha-

Like old friends reunited after a long time, the two exchanged light jokes before gradually moving into the main topic.

“I was honestly skeptical when I made the request, but knowing that the invincible Attorney Seo is taking my case is a huge relief.”

“The fee was too large to refuse, wasn’t it?”

“Perhaps it was more because of Prosecutor Kang Ba-ram, who was assigned to my case?”

Smile-

Seo Jung-woo responded with a light smile instead of words, and Jung Woo-cheol also raised the corners of his mouth.

The two looked at each other in silence for a moment. The one who broke the silence first was Jung Woo-cheol.

“Please don’t misunderstand. It was just a simple verification. I needed to see if you and I shared a common enemy.”

“Are you satisfied?”

Grin-

Suddenly, Jung Woo-cheol leaned forward across the table, and Seo Jung-woo, understanding the gesture immediately, subtly leaned in his ear.

“The truth is, I’m the serial killer. Attorney.”

At Jung Woo-cheol’s quiet confession.

Seo Jung-woo responded with a calm smile.

──────────』

“Cut! Okay!”

Whoaah-

The moment Seo Jun-woo and Kim Min-jae’s scene ended, exclamations of awe erupted from all around. Everyone looked like they wanted to applaud.

It was such an impressive performance that Director Choi Min-seok and the production team couldn’t help but be amazed, though a bit of concern also crept in.

‘...It won’t be easy to follow that.’

Everyone had the same thought, and they turned to look at Kang Woo-ju with slightly worried eyes.

Whether he noticed their concern or not, he still didn’t lift his eyes from the script.

“Um... Kang Woo-ju ssi? It’s almost time for your shoot....”

The youngest, Kim Ji-an, cautiously approached and spoke to him. Only then did Kang Woo-ju close his script book.

Flinch-!

The moment he turned his head and made eye contact, Kim Ji-an involuntarily flinched.

Because Kang Woo-ju’s gaze felt even colder than the one Kim Min-jae had just displayed in his performance.

‘...I guess I didn’t need to worry after all.’

Kang Woo-ju quietly stood up and walked toward the camera. Watching his retreating back, Kim Ji-an’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

*****

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