Chapter 127: Farewell
Farewell.
Why, why is the teacher here?
-Muyoung? Are you okay?
The manager, noticing Muyoung’s unusual expression, grabbed the microphone.
The director, who was about to go get some water, also stopped and turned around. Muyoung, pressed against the booth’s glass wall, was rubbing his eyes.
“Uh······.”
-Huh?
Following his gaze, the director and manager also turned their heads. But, well, there’s nothing there?
“Uh, could I get some ice water, please?”
-Sure. It’s a bit warm inside, right?
“Yes, it is.”
It wasn’t anything.
I thought it was something else.
The director opened the door with a smile. Then, Kang Seongbae, who was standing in the hallway, squeezed his way in.
’Oh my.“
What on earth is going on? Muyoung, covering his face with his hands, was in a state of panic.
Not knowing what was going through his mind, Kang Seongbae stuck his hand into the glass door and chuckled.
-You didn’t have to wait for the door to open!
And then, swoosh, he passed through the wall and into the booth.
Muyoung, sitting on the floor, looked up at him through his fingers.
“Teacher. Why are you here?”
Whisper whisper.
Very quietly, so the manager wouldn’t hear.
Kang Seongbae pulled up a chair and sat down, shrugging his shoulders.
-That’s just how it is!
That’s how it is.
It was a simple yet sad statement.
Muyoung, barely holding back his tears, asked,
“Were you in a lot of pain?”
-I was fine. It was during the surgery. Anyway, Muyoung, you really are a special person. I followed the shimmering light and here you are. Hehehe.
Followed the light?
It was the first time he’d heard that. He hadn’t even exchanged words with a ghost before.
“Light? Like pollen-like light?”
-Yes, pollen. That’s a perfect description.
Muyoung blankly met the teacher’s eyes.
95% opaque. At a glance, it was unclear whether he was a person or a ghost, just like usual. Perhaps because of that, Muyoung was able to hold back his tears.
-Can you see it too?
“Huh? Me?”
-It’s floating all around.
As soon as he finished speaking, pollen sparkled in the air of the booth. This is······.
It belonged to both Muyoung and Kang Seongbae.
Perhaps due to the sudden overlap of situations, Muyoung waved his hand in confusion.
“Anyway, you can see this too, right?”
-I can. I thought it was the path to the afterlife, but I guess not.
It was a strange phenomenon that only the dead could see.
Come to think of it, during the filming of The Plague, a malevolent spirit saw the smoke on the ceiling and helped out.
‘Maybe I survived death, or maybe because I live the life of a character through acting, the real Ha Muyoung is as good as dead?’
A mess.
All sorts of hypotheses quickly flashed through his mind.
In this bewildering situation, Kang Seongbae patted Muyoung’s shoulder.
-I don’t know what it is, but I instinctively know one thing. I think I have something to do here?
“······Something to do?”
Hearing his words, Muyoung thought of the paper the director had been scribbling on. The teacher’s ADR!
“What if we re-record take 66? The director was thinking about it.”
-Oh, we caught some motorcycle noise, didn’t we? I remember.
Kang Seongbae snapped his fingers as if he understood.
There was no sense of dissonance at all.
Due to the deep color, he was no different from a living person. Muyoung sighed and asked the teacher,
“But how will you record?”
-Well, can’t you help me out?
“Without you, how can I······.”
Then, Kang Seongbae whispered something into Muyoung’s ear.
Call it experience. He came up with an absurd trick.
-Just say you’re doing an impression.
“Come on. That’s not it.”
-What’s the big deal? It’s just one line. Great!
The teacher, as if asking a favor, held Muyoung’s hand tightly.
His eyes sparkled as if urging him to try it.
-Great!
“Gr, great?”
In that moment, a strange voice came out of his mouth.
Muyoung, startled, covered his mouth with his hand. Kang Seongbae, finding it hilarious, kept laughing and patting him on the back.
-You’re good!
“Excuse me, but is this really your first time as a ghost? How did you know?”
When making physical contact, if desired, the voice comes out as someone else’s, as if possessed.
As Muyoung looked at him doubtfully, Kang Seongbae shrugged his shoulders.
-Instinct. Isn’t it great?
Click.
“Muyoung, here’s your ice water.”
Then the door opened and Ko Gyeongmin handed him a cup. Then, noticing Muyoung crouched in the corner, he tilted his head in confusion.
“Is there a problem?”
“Huh? No. It’s just. This position is comfortable.”
“The floor’s dirty. Sit in the chair.”
Teacher Kang Seongbae is sitting in the chair.
Muyoung dusted off his hips, stood up, and took the cup.
“I think I can go right back in.”
“Okay, got it.”
Muyoung hesitantly put the headset back on and turned around. Don’t mind me, just do your thing! The director’s voice came through.
-Let’s begin.
“……Yes, here I go.”
And again, the endless loop.
He’d said it so many times his tongue was tied.
Watching this, Kang Seongbae slowly clapped his hands and kept the beat.
-That’s not it. Take a breather here, one, two!
“……Yeah, no. I didn’t mean it like that.”
Experience really can’t be ignored.
With dozens of plays and thousands of performances under his belt, he was used to acting like a broken record.
The okay sign came immediately.
-Okay! That’s perfect. Muyoung, you’re done. Good job.
“Yes, good job.”
As he was about to take off his headset, Kang Seongbae was so nervous he couldn’t move. Muyoung opened the booth door and asked,
“Director, scene 66.”
“Huh? Teacher Kang’s part?”
“Yes. I was thinking······ maybe I could do it?”
At the absurd suggestion, the three men looked at him with bewildered expressions. This isn’t a talent show, it’s a movie, right? It’s a work of art.
“Muyoung?”
Ko Gyeongmin stepped in front of him, only his eyes smiling.
As if to say, don’t say something stupid and let’s go home soon.
But Muyoung peeked over his shoulder and asked again,
“······The teacher had surgery, so he might not be able to make it. Depending on the situation. So, I thought it would be good to have a sample just in case. I’m really good at it.”
“No, it’s just an impression. Muyoung.”
Please.
Ko Gyeongmin blinked quickly, pleading.
The sound director, chewing gum, laughed and turned to Director Bae. He also looked troubled.
“Want to give it a try?”
Muyoung cleared his throat and lightly swept his left hand back.
A cool sensation lingered at his fingertips. It was the sensation of Kang Seongbae’s spirit.
-Great!
“Great!”
Short and sweet, just one line.
The sound director, listening without much expectation, stopped chewing his gum.
“What was that just now?”
“It sounds kind of similar?”
“What did Teacher Kang Seongbae’s voice sound like?”
The other two hadn’t even recognized Kang Seongbae’s voice. But the sound director was different.
Having lived off sound for half his life, he noticed the sudden, distinct change in texture.
“Muyoung, do it again.”
“Again? Ahem. It kind of scratches my throat. Aaah.”
And again!
“Great!”
“Wow, that’s weird. Hey, you’ve got talent? It’s exactly like the teacher’s voice. I don’t think I could tell with my eyes closed.”
He was serious.
Coming from Muyoung’s mouth, it was questionable, but if you just listened, it was indistinguishable from the real thing.
“Do it again. Again. Wow, that’s amazing.”
“Director, don’t do that and let’s work on the sample?”
The sound director, finding it very interesting, urged Muyoung. He turned to Director Bae and reacted, saying it wasn’t bad.
“Yeah, just in case, we should keep it.”
“······Is it really that similar?”
Director Bae laughed in disbelief.
If this goes wrong, it’ll just be ridiculed.
As it is, Korea doesn’t have a very good opinion of ADR. If it’s edited poorly, what a disgrace.
“Want to compare? Muyoung.”
“Yep.”
At the sound director’s instruction, Muyoung turned and re-entered the booth.
On the screen, instead of scene 85, scene 66, Kang Seongbae’s face, was playing.
-Oh. It’s edited like this.
“The teacher should watch too.”
At his muttering, the old man just laughed.
Once again, their hands met.
The sound director’s instructions came through.
-You hear the voice, right? It doesn’t have to be in sync, just act.
“Yes, got it.”
Wobble wobble.
A thief, walking precariously on the asphalt as mirages rise. He continued walking, drowsily falling asleep. Following the screen, Muyoung also moved his body lightly.
“Great!”
Of course, still holding Kang Seongbae’s hand tightly, hurray!
-Okay, come out now.
The sound director played both Muyoung’s recording and the unedited version of Kang Seongbae’s voice at the same time. Of course, to distinguish them, with only a 0.5-second difference.
“So, which one is Teacher Kang Seongbae’s real voice?”
“Uh, um, the first one.”
“Or not? I think I heard the motorcycle a bit later.”
The ‘vroom’ noise could be heard, but it was so short that it was hard to distinguish. Director Bae, after much deliberation, finally acknowledged it.
“Okay, the fact that we’re hesitating is the answer.”
Just one line, passing by in an instant.
If they were hesitating that much, it was clearly no problem. Even the teacher’s family wouldn’t know. Absolutely not.
“Then I’ll finish up today and head in. Turn the mic back on, please.”
Saying that, Muyoung stepped into the booth.
Ah, stretching his neck and body, Teacher Kang Seongbae smiled. Muyoung sighed softly and whispered to him,
“You do the acting, I’ll just lend you my voice.”
-Sure. This will truly be my last performance. Hehe.
How could he say something like that so casually?
As Muyoung started to tear up again, Kang Seongbae stroked his hand.
-Remember what I said in the hospital room? That after eternal sleep, there will be the world I desire. So, I’m not scared now. I’m acting like this, and when I return, there will surely be my own world.
Muyoung, wiping his eyes, nodded.
After moistening his throat with ice water, he put on the headset.
-Muyoung, ready to start?
“Yes, I’m ready.”
Muyoung and Kang Seongbae, their hands tightly clasped.
The old man, as if devouring the screen, began his performance.
He jumped in place, staggered to avoid a car, and raised both hands with fervor and spirit.
-Great!
“Great!”
Click.
-Okay, let’s go again. A little slower.
“Yep.”
The thief’s joyous emotions flowed from Kang Seongbae to Muyoung. Continually holding hands, they shouted their lines with all their might.
“Great-!”
-Okay, cut. That’s perfect. Done.
How many minutes had passed?
At the okay sign that finally came, Muyoung naturally turned to Kang Seongbae. The old man hugged him warmly.
-Thank you. It was nice meeting you.
“Me too. Teacher.”
Click.
“Oh, right. Muyoung, on your way······.”
Then the door opened and Ko Gyeongmin came in, so Muyoung turned his gaze.
After hearing a brief return schedule, he tried to look left again, at Kang Seongbae······.
“······Teacher?”
He had vanished without a trace.
As if he had never been there at all.
Only the pollen he had brought remained, very faintly. Muyoung leaned against the wall and slowly slid down, sitting on the floor.
‘Teacher, tell me.’
What was the eternal world you saw like?
Tring- tring-
Everyone’s phones rang at the same time.
The same was true for Muyoung’s, which was in his coat pocket.
“Huh?”
“What’s this?”
The three people, after checking the message, read it with bewildered expressions.
[Obituary: It is with deep regret that we announce the passing of Kang Seongbae. The funeral will be held at Seoul National University Funeral Hall 1. The departure will be······.]
“Muyoung! The text-”
Ko Gyeongmin, calling him urgently, stopped.
Muyoung was burying his face in his knees and crying. He was crying so pitifully that it seemed like he had just lost a friend he had been with until moments ago.
“Muyoung?”
Wiping his tear-stained face, he raised his head.
And, as if to confirm it, he heard it.
“The teacher passed away.”