Come Back

He said that while looking down at the guy with the balchi, and hurried towards the sofa. It seemed like it was going to be an audition-related call, so his palms got sweaty in that short moment.

The caller was Yongjae. One, two, three… He took a deep breath, folded his fingers one by one, counted to five, and then connected the call.

“Yes, Mr. Yongjae.”

[Hyung, you’ve been cast! You’ve been cast as Hwang Ji-woo!]

As soon as I picked up the phone, Yongjae’s excited voice poured out.

[I just got a call from the production company. They said it’s been confirmed that my brother will be doing it!]

“Aren’t you going to do any more auditions?”

[That’s right. It’s just finalized as your brother!]

Even if nine people were selected as finalists, there were many cases where additional auditions were held with two or three people left. I was prepared for additional auditions even if I survived this time, so I was surprised to hear the news that I had passed the final round.

[Director Kang Woo-hyun’s movie starring… Is this possible? I can’t believe this day has come for us! The guy who always gets criticized for his bad acting… hyung… this…]

Yongjae’s excited voice gradually slowed down and became smaller, and finally died down completely. Then a dead voice soon followed.

[I’m sorry, bro. That’s not what I meant…]

“It’s okay. I know what you mean. Actually, it doesn’t feel real to me either.”

[But when you started practicing, I really thought you were different from before! Everyone at the company was surprised that you had matured after the accident. I can guarantee you, you are no longer the Yoon Hye-an you used to be! You are the lead in Director Kang Woo-hyun’s movie! I’m so proud of you!]

While listening to Yongjae’s excited voice, Choi Hongseo also began to feel it more and more real. He felt like his joy was contagious because there was someone who was happy about it as if it were his own.

It was strange that I could feel happy even in a confusing situation where my insides and outsides didn’t match. But I was happy anyway. Because I had the opportunity to see him, to be close to him even a little bit.

Tiffany, who had followed him from the kitchen, sat near his feet and cried. She seemed to be upset because he was doing something else instead of giving him a snack. Choi Hong-seo tried to calm his emotions and maintain his composure as he walked back to the kitchen.

[The CEO said he’d prepare a celebration party for you today. Do you want to eat anything, hyung? Oh, and you can’t drink alcohol yet? Should I call the hospital?]

“Mr. Yongjae.”

[Yes, bro.]

Choi Hong-seo’s steps slowed down again near the table.

“I have some personal plans today.”

[Where are you going? Should I take your car?]

“It’s okay. It’s a distance you can go by taxi.”

[Your body hasn’t fully recovered yet, so why are you trying to move on your own? What if something happens? Or should I send another road manager?]

“I’m really okay. My body… actually, it doesn’t hurt.”

Yoon Hye-an seemed to always use a car driven by her manager, even for her personal schedule. She would always ‘pick her up and bring her back’ – it was quite expected, considering that Yong-jae took it for granted. However, Choi Hong-seo felt burdened by such consideration. It may be because he had been an idol for so long that he had to report to his manager even when he left the convenience store in front of his dorm. The suffocating feeling of being watched over his every move was not just because he was an idol.

[Okay, I’ll tell the boss about that too. But bro! You have to make sure to clear next Monday. I have to meet the director and some of the staff.]

“The people involved…?”

[Are you the ones who were auditioning? Even though it’s not an official movie schedule, it’s an important one, so please pay attention to your schedule, hyung. Please.]

“Okay, I got it. Don’t worry.”

When Choi Hong-seo’s casting was confirmed, the same event was held. It was a meeting, more like a dinner, where the lead actors and film staff gathered to informally introduce each other and reaffirm their determination to make a good film.

Even though it was a movie he invested in, everyone expected that ARA Electronics Vice President Lee Hae-seong would show up at a place like this. However, he defied expectations and attended the event.

I also remember how he responded to Choi Hong-seo’s words that he didn’t know he would come.

‘If I go there, I can see Hongseo. Then I should go.’

Will he come this time too? Even without Choi Hong-seo?

Choi Hong-seo, who had been standing there blankly after hanging up the phone, suddenly came to his senses at the sound of Tiffany crying. This time, the guy with the balchi was really angry.

“I didn’t mean to give you medicine. Sorry. I’ll give it to you right now.”

Choi Hong-seo, who opened the stick-shaped plastic cap, crouched down on the kitchen floor. Excited Tiffany placed her front paws on Choi Hong-seo’s hand holding the Churu and inhaled the snack without thinking. Churu time was the only precious moment when the guy made contact first. If it were any other day, he would have been busy taking in the guy’s cute appearance with his eyes and taking pictures, but today, Choi Hong-seo just stared blankly at the guy with a blank expression.

After waking up in Yoon Hye-an’s body, I’ve been obsessed with auditions. As I delve into the current situation, I feel like this is the time when people really can go crazy, so I deliberately only think about passing the audition.

Because I had seen the expression “the late Choi Hong-seo” in several articles related to “Cream Mansion,” I knew in my head that Choi Hong-seo was a person who no longer existed in this world.

But then who am I?

What on earth am I, who recognizes myself as Choi Hong-seo inside Yoon Hye-an’s body?

If I got the role of Hwang Ji-woo, I was determined to face Choi Hong-seo’s death. No matter how confused or scared I was, I had to accept this situation one step at a time.

Now he must face his own death, or at least the death of the person he believes to be himself.

After giving Tiffany a snack, I prepared to go out with a relatively calm mind. I put on Yoon Hye-an’s luxury clothes and simply packed my belongings in the least flashy luxury bag. Yoon Hye-an’s closet was full of luxury items, so there was no other choice.

“Tiffany, have fun.”

Tiffany, who returned to the cat pole right after eating her snack, was absorbed in her favorite toy on the highest board. The guy who showed no interest until she finished putting on her shoes stopped and looked this way.

“Should I not go? Are you upset?”

If Tiffany could speak, she probably wouldn’t have scolded him for making a mistake. With that thought, Choi Hong-seo smiled bitterly and waved his hand through the narrowing gap in the door.

“I’ll be right back.”

@

There is a well-maintained green park around the Bongandang building, so people enjoying a walk can often be seen.

The sun was warm, the air was pleasant. The temperature was neither hot nor cold, and the sky was clean and clear. It was a typical autumn day, clear and bright.

Nevertheless, there was a chilling atmosphere in the area. It was the inevitable shadow that was characteristic of a place where death was recorded and stored. It was a premonition that misfortune would soon strike, breaking the picturesque peace, and an eerie ominous feeling that made the back of my neck stand on end, following me closely behind with muffled footsteps.

Choi Hong-seo smiled bitterly as he walked slowly along the promenade toward the building. No matter how beautifully decorated, this place, which could not shake off the shadow of death, seemed to resemble his former self.

Even with fancy clothes, makeup, and fake smiles, her darkness could not be completely hidden.

People who noticed the darkness that clung to them said that Choi Hong-seo felt a shadow and was eerie. Others said that Choi Hong-seo’s charm was his sadness and sorrow.

For some people, one characteristic is a reason to dislike something, while for others, it is a reason to like something.

At that time, Choi Hong-seo was obsessed with changing the minds of those who did not like him. Now, when he had lost everything, he could probably focus only on the attention of those who did like him…

But now, there was nothing left for Choi Hong-seo.

As I shook off my useless thoughts and entered the building, the chilliness became even more evident. It felt like a place where time had stopped flowing and was stagnant. The strange feeling of being cut off from the outside world slowed my steps.

Choi Hong-seo’s remains were placed inside the building, in the VIP room.

It was a room filled with bright natural light, with one entire wall being a full-length window. There was a luxurious wooden floor, and a comfortable-looking sofa set, like a hotel lounge, was placed in the center of the hall.

Who put me in a place like this?

First of all, my family would never be like that. Choi Hong-seo sneered bitterly.