Chapter 881: You’ve waited a long time, haven’t you? (10)

The moment I appeared on screen—

my younger members all erupted in cheers.

“That’s our hyung!”

“Wow. I can hear the ratings going up. Does NetPlus even have ratings?”

“Screenshot! We need screenshots!”

I laughed at their chaos and turned my gaze back to the screen.

“Where should we head?”

A scene where I, as an independence fighter, ask the protagonist for a destination.

...It felt a little embarrassing.

Thanks to the sitcom from two years ago, it wasn’t my first time monitoring my own acting.

But this time felt different.

“I hope my acting came out well.”

It wasn’t a role based on a real historical figure, but playing an independence fighter still felt... weighty.

Who was I to portray people like them?

The thought that I must not dishonor them with poor acting settled firmly in my mind.

Jiho nodded in agreement.

“Same here. The director and the actors all felt the most pressure for this episode. That’s why we filmed it last.”

Apparently, they even visited memorial sites for independence fighters together beforehand.

Of course, every historical period matters—but this one carried a special weight.

Just as I was about to immerse myself again—

Clank... clank...

A scene appeared of the Kwantung Army transporting a large crate across Manchuria.

Sweating soldiers.

Terrified expressions.

Something inside the crate—

bound with ritual rope—

gave off an ominous aura.

A sergeant spoke in Japanese.

“The soldiers are uneasy. They keep saying they see something in the forest...”

“What?”

“They say they see something like a yokai...”

“Nonsense.”

“But something is strange. That crate, which was fine before...”

Close-up.

Strands of long human hair slipped through the cracks.

The size—

just enough for a person.

The captain sighed.

“We’ll take a short rest.”

The moment he said it—

everyone instinctively moved away from the crate.

While the soldiers rested, one went into the bushes.

Then—

...!

An eerie silhouette appeared.

“U-uh...!”

He stumbled backward, pants still down, and ran.

He tripped—

slammed into the crate—

fell.

“What happened, Fujimoto?!”

“A... a monster...!”

They raised their guns.

But saw nothing.

Then—

close-up on the crate.

“Please... please...”

Ri Hyuk covered his eyes.

A thin, bony finger slipped out through the gap.

Clackclackclack—

Teeth clicking.

Like laughter.

The scene cut back—

to the independence fighters.

“......”

“......”

“......”

A cold silence filled the lounge.

I spoke.

“You said it wasn’t scary.”

“Huh? This is watchable, right?”

“...Jiho, be grateful we love you.”

Watching a 19+ horror for our youngest—

our love impressed even ourselves.

Biju asked,

“So... are those monsters like subordinates? And they’re searching for their leader?”

“If spoilers are okay, I can explain—”

“No.”

“...Hmm.”

Jiho grinned.

“You’ll understand if you keep watching.”

Back to Manchuria.

Viewers shivered.

“Damn... why is this so scary...”

Then—

they focused again.

“...Wow.”

The mise-en-scène was stunning.

Snow-covered forests.

Mountains.

Valleys.

Then—

a campfire scene.

“Wow.”

Wooju sitting by the fire felt surreal.

He had debuted as an actor before—

but seeing him with Jiho—

it felt different.

And then—

something even more striking.

“...Wow.”

Even with two top idols on screen—

they didn’t feel like NewBlack.

They felt real.

A true independence fighter.

An immortal being.

The immersion deepened.

“What are you looking at?”

The fighter—me—spoke casually.

A conversation by the fire.

But tension lingered.

This fighter—

did not trust the protagonist.

“Did you really come from the Provisional Government?”

A battle of words.

Subtle suspicion.

The protagonist’s hand twitched.

Viewers held their breath.

His expression—

cold.

As if ready to eliminate witnesses.

“...Don’t!”

Luckily—

someone got up for the bathroom.

The tension broke.

Then—

another question.

“Why did you choose this path?”

Silence.

Then—

“If there are tigers that harm people... someone must pick up a gun and hunt them.”

“Until all of them are gone?”

“Yes.”

“That will take time.”

“...Someone has to do it.”

A weary answer.

Like a book where everything else is erased—

leaving only duty.

Then—

the conversation ended.

“Have you ever imagined... what you’d do after independence?”

The fighter looked at the stars.

Firelight flickered.

Future vs past.

Youth vs eternity.

“...Would you like a portrait?”

“I want to be a painter.”

Names were exchanged.

“My name... I abandoned it long ago. Just call me Jinmo.”

Viewers remembered it.

Jinmo.

And hoped—

maybe ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) he would live.

But—

it felt ominous.

Soon—

the ambush.

But—

the Japanese army was already dead.

Then—

battle.

The truth revealed.

The creature—

an illusion-inducing entity.

Defeated.

Bodies everywhere.

Then—

him.

Jinmo.

Bleeding.

“Looks like... I won’t see independence...”

A smile.

The protagonist placed a hand on his head.

“I’ll show you something.”

A vision.

The future.

Fragments of modern history.

Jinmo’s eyes widened.

Then—

he closed them.

Peacefully.

“...I’ve paid for the portrait.”

Silence.

Music began.

Auld Lang Syne.

Viewers nodded.

“I knew it would be like this—”

“Waaaah!”

“Waaaah!”

They cried anyway.

Forum posts exploded.

“Episode 2 review”

Production: Cry

Me: Yes

“LOL”

“I said it was predictable but I’m sobbing”

“Wooju and Jiho’s acting is insane”

“Stop acting so well, seriously”

Then—

the post-credit scene.

“Wait... what?”

No bodies.

Only the Japanese.

Flashback.

The truth.

Everything—

had been the past.

He had failed once.

And now—

changed it.

Jinmo—

alive.

The portrait—

fading.

“The past has changed.”

“I...”

“I will change the past.”

Black screen.

End.

“Next episode?”

Click.

“Waaaah!”

“Waaaah!”

The members sobbed.

Ri Hyuk reached toward the screen.

Biju cried silently.

Then—

“Wait?”

Post-credit.

“...He lived?”

“...He’s alive?”

Wooju—alive and dead at the same time—laughed awkwardly.

Jiho closed his eyes.

“It turned out well.”

Good acting.

Good directing.

Good story.

Relief washed over him.

Finally—

he had proven himself.

“...So...”

Jiho turned—

waiting for praise.

“Biju hyung—”

“Wooju hyung screenshots... 500.”

“....”

“Junghyun hyung—”

“Is there a summary video...”

“....”

“Jiho.”

“Yes!”

“The music director—who is it?”

“....”

“The music was amazing...”

“....”

Wrong direction.

Then—

Ri Hyuk.

Writing notes.

“Review?”

“Yes.”

“What did you think?”

He showed it.

“On Time Paradoxes and Errors in Divine”

Jiho froze.

“The historical accuracy is good, but there are logical inconsistencies—”

“...!”

Jiho burst into tears—

and ran away.

The hyungs stared in confusion.