Chapter 64: Are you not going to the afterlife?

“He’s a high school friend.”

“Oh, really?”

The director carefully observed Muyoung. Wow, that guy is handsome! His acting is also extraordinary. He’s tall too, so he’d probably do well in the entertainment industry.

“I’m about to make my debut soon.”

Had he noticed his gaze?

Perhaps Muyoung had sensed his attention, as he bowed politely and added, “The Plague is almost finished filming, so it’s not entirely untrue.”

“Really? But what you just did…”

“This? It’s called Holly. I found it in the hallway.”

“Oh, yeah. That’s it. I heard about it somewhere, but I couldn’t remember where. But why was it lying in the hallway?”

The director took the script with a bitter smile. Wasn’t this a work buried in the depths of his memory? A doomed script that lost its vitality when it lost its lead actress.

‘Do you know?’

Muyoung glanced at the ghost. Was it just his imagination that her cheeks were slightly flushed?

High’s face was radiant, like that of an actor who had just given a great performance. No way. That can’t be.

“Why? What kind of work is it?”

“It was planned a year ago, but the lead actress, the one who played Mari, committed suicide, so it was canceled. Time flies. It’s already been that long.”

“Oh, really? The story was interesting.”

“Of course. I put a lot of thought into selecting it.”

He turned the pages, recalling his memories.

“Someone like Mari, who’s quirky and unique, was perfect for that role. Her name was Dohai. We used to tease her, calling her a weirdo. But she really was a weirdo. Hahaha.”

Does he know?

That weirdo is now a ghost, staring at him. Muyoung cleared his throat to change the subject.

“Anyway, I’m sorry for practicing without permission.”

“Huh? Oh, no problem. This place is funded by taxes, so you can use it however you want. Hahaha. What were we talking about? Oh, right, Yuchan. You’ve improved a lot in just a month, haven’t you?”

When he first joined, he wasn’t a particularly outstanding talent, but his performance just now was quite impressive. Maybe it’s because he seems to be enjoying it. Or maybe he’s the type who’s good at quickly switching between different roles.

“Thank you!”

“I know you’ve been working hard.”

The director, who had been encouraging Yuchan, paused for a moment in thought. He was wondering what to do for the upcoming third-quarter project. Having done so many works, his options were limited……

‘Should I bring this back to life?’

Holly.

Thinking about it reminded him of the deceased Dohai, but he couldn’t keep it locked away in storage forever. The director rolled up the script and tucked it into his bag.

“Anyway, keep up the good work.”

“Are you leaving already?”

“Yeah. I came here briefly because the building owner asked me to open the basement.”

He’s called the director, but his job is to do odd jobs. Yuchan fixed his shoes and stopped him.

“Is it because of the water leak? I’ll come with you. Last time, there was no one to hold the door, and the director almost got locked in.”

“Oh? Okay, then I’d appreciate it. But what about your friend?”

Muyoung was startled and shook his hands.

He’s not completely clueless, so he knew what would happen if he let them go like this. There would probably be some acting advice and hints about the next project.

“No, I’m going to head out now.”

Time had flown by after performing the play once. That was enough. Muyoung grabbed his bag and gestured to Yuchan.

“Let’s make plans again. I’ll see you later.”

“Huh? Okay? Alright. Thanks for today.”

And they shook hands lightly. Muyoung said goodbye to the director and quickly climbed the stairs. Outside, the sun was setting, and it had become slightly cooler. The hot heat from the asphalt still lingered, though.

Swoosh.

At that moment, the ghost put her hand into Muyoung’s chest and pierced through him.

“Ah!”

I was really surprised this time!

When Muyoung turned around, she gestured for him to carry her quickly.

“What’s wrong? Why aren’t you at peace yet?”

We just performed Holly from start to finish, with you as Mari. The ghost shook her head, as if she didn’t understand.

-Hurry up and carry me……

“Ah, this is frustrating. You’re not a kid, so just walk with me. You’re kind of heavy, you know.”

Then the ghost started crying bloody tears. She was trembling so much with her hands that it seemed like she would die a second time if something happened. It was really hard to understand. Is she that reluctant to step outside?

“Ugh!”

Muyoung stomped his feet but reluctantly offered his back. The ghost jumped onto Muyoung’s back and wrapped her arms and legs tightly around him.

“Let’s go home first!”

His back was hunched, and his steps were slow.

His appearance was fine, but his walking was not, so passersby glanced at him and whispered. But Muyoung couldn’t care less.

“She’s so heavy!”

He had to keep his eyes on the ground because of the ghost.

Slam-

“Ah, really.”

Muyoung collapsed at the front door, drenched in sweat, as if he had just taken a shower. The ghost, unbothered, gracefully descended and disappeared with quick steps.

To her favorite place, the bedroom.

“Where are you going? Don’t go to the bedroom. Go to the afterlife!”

“What are you talking about? Are you crazy?”

“Ah! You scared me! Why do you keep coming into other people’s houses?”

Junho, who was watching TV on the sofa, tilted his head and laughed. This is driving me crazy. The ghost has no intention of disappearing, and Junho is practically commuting to and from here.

“If this keeps up, a dormitory would be better—”

“I ordered chicken. Eat it.”

“Junho Lim is the best! Working adults are the best!”

Muyoung, who had been lying down and muttering, cheered and rushed into the kitchen. Junho laughed at the sight of him. That guy has no idea.

‘I’m staying here because I’m scared a ghost will appear, but he doesn’t even appreciate it. Tsk!’

But he has no idea either.

Muyoung had just come back from practicing acting with that ghost. He tore open the packaging of the chicken in the kitchen and muttered.

“What should I do if the ghost doesn’t leave? Then the exorcism will be completely canceled.”

That’s 500 million won going down the drain.

Of course, it’s not in his wallet yet, but that’s just how people are. He was happy as if it were already in his hands, but now this has happened.

Swish.

The ghost, who had gone into the bedroom, trudged over to Muyoung. Maybe she had enjoyed her outing, because she wasn’t crying bloody tears anymore. She just wore a cold smile.

“What’s wrong? Why are you smiling?”

Muyoung narrowed his eyes and glared at her, speaking quietly so Junho wouldn’t hear. He launched into a long lecture.

“When a person dies, they should go to the afterlife, right? If I took you all the way to Hadong or whatever, you should be satisfied and rest in peace. You’re good at acting, so go enjoy acting in the afterlife, too.”

She just stared blankly at the chicken. That longing look in her eyes! The ghost must have an appetite, too. Muyoung pulled the dish toward himself, on guard.

“There’s no food for a ghost who says one thing and does another. Promises must be kept!”

-I didn’t get to eat my ceremonial food.

“What about your parents?”

-They immigrated to the US right after I died.

Wow. Saying it like that makes me feel sorry for her. But Muyoung steeled himself and glared again. They still needed to be clear about what they would give each other.

“……If you go to the afterlife, I’ll tell a monk to set up a shrine for you, okay? Then you’ll get to eat ceremonial food twice a year. There won’t be any meat, though, because it’s a temple.”

-That’s not satisfactory……

“What? What’s not?”

Thirst arose.

He thought that if he could just stand on that stage once, he would have no regrets, but once he did, it was like drinking seawater—there was no end to his desire to keep standing there. The realization of his disappointment in his acting skills.

Crunch-

It was like a stone had been thrown into a frozen pond of a cold soul. Cracks formed, and icy water gushed out violently.

-I want to keep acting.

“Are you crazy? How?”

-I don’t know. Can’t you help me?

The ghost sobbed pitifully, burying her head on the island counter. Muyoung stopped chewing on the chicken leg and hesitated. From the living room, Junho shouted,

“Hey! Why is it so cold? Is it really summer?”

Unaware that it was the cold air emitted by the ghost.

Muyoung sighed deeply and patted her on the back. A long streak of blood appeared on the white table.

“Stop crying. Then what are you going to do?”

-I’ll leave in two months, right?

“So?”

-Let’s go together when I leave.

This is insane!

Muyoung dropped the chicken leg he was eating.

The ghost pleaded with him, hands clasped together.

-I’ll really do well. I can’t play the role of a helpful spirit without a body, but I’ll really be useful. You saw it last time, right? The coffee cup went flutter!

Yeah. I saw the fluttering well. She kept hitting the coffee cup like she was fanning it because it didn’t work with just one gesture. Muyoung closed his eyes as if to say that was nonsense.

-If you bring your girlfriend, I’ll stay quietly in the corner.

‘She’s definitely crazy. She’s crazy.’

-Please…… I want to keep living.

“You’re dead, you know? Let’s speak properly. And someone who has trouble even going outside—no, a ghost!—how would you be of any help?”

She’s like a living CCTV, annoying and bothersome. The ghost just kept crying and rubbing her hands together. She was doing it at a steady pace, which was scary in its own way.

“Ah, I don’t know.”

Muyoung picked up the whole chicken and tried to leave, but at that moment, the ghost suddenly opened her eyes wide and rushed over to block his path.

-I’ve got a good idea.

“What? What is it?”

-Let me meet the landlord. I’ll attach myself to him and make his life miserable, so you can get more than 500 million won out of him.

“I don’t want to make money by tormenting people.”

-There’s a box buried in the front yard of the house where I used to live. My jewelry box is in there, too. You could make a decent amount of money by selling the ring and necklace.

“You want me to buy food with a dead person’s belongings? Ah, no. I don’t like it.”

When nothing worked, the ghost sat down and wailed loudly. Muyoung sat next to Junho and put on his earphones.

“What are you doing?”

“There’s noise.”

“……? It’s so quiet. Is that chicken place good?”

Muyoung listened to music and stared at the TV. Then his phone rang. It was a text from Ko Gyeongmin.

[Muyoung, I’ve got one piece of ambiguous news and one piece of good news.]

[Tell me the ambiguous one first!]

[Maeil Daily contacted me. They said the interview got deleted due to a machine malfunction, so they asked to do it again, but Lee Euna said she wouldn’t do it. I don’t know why…… I’m not sure if this is a good thing or not.]

My brother, of course it’s a good thing.

[The interview isn’t urgent. It’s fine to do it after your official debut. By the way, what’s the good news?]

Muyoung replied calmly.

She spewed out black smoke. The answer is not to share a table with someone like that.

[Do you know a director named Lee Yujin?]

[I don’t think so.]

[She’s a drama director, and she contacted me to have dinner together.]

[Dinner? Why?]

The ghost crawled toward Muyoung like a larva.

He tried to ignore her and carefully typed a message. Since it’s good news, it’s okay to have some expectations, right?

[She probably wants to see your mask in person. She’s planning a project, and she thinks you’d fit the image well. You got some attention because of the extra incident this time.]

Isn’t this ambiguous news, too?

Not to mention, it’s because of something like that that he got attention! Muyoung bit his lips in frustration.

The ghost raised her head and looked at him pitifully.

[It’s something about a musician…… To be honest, I don’t know the details. The boss just gave me a hint.]

[A musician? I’m tone-deaf.]

[Really? The working title is You are a Star, I am a Star. But since an offer came in, you should meet her at least once. Get ready. I’ll let you know as soon as we set a date.]