After a long, silent journey together, Choi Dowon and Song Seojun finally arrived in front of the shelter.
“We’re here, kid.”
“This is… the shelter.”
For Song Seojun, who had lived in the safe zone, the chaos, the monsters, and even the shelter were all things he had never seen before.
He stared at the area called the shelter with wide, curious eyes.
The same bluish light that had enveloped the safe zone was surrounding the building presumed to be the shelter.
“There’s a gatekeeper.”
While Song Seojun looked at the shelter in wonder, Choi Dowon narrowed his eyes sharply at the entrance.
His gaze met a woman who had been warily scanning the surroundings.
The woman didn’t avoid his eyes, and Choi Dowon held her stare.
After a brief moment, Choi Dowon strode forward and stopped in front of her, with Song Seojun hurriedly following.
And then—
Clack—
Before Choi Dowon could get any closer, the woman raised the weapon in her hand and aimed it at them.
“Who are you? What business do you have here?”
“There’s only one reason people come to a shelter.”
“You’re pretty short on words.”
“That’s not something you should be saying.”
The man and woman glared at each other with hostile eyes.
Caught in the middle, Song Seojun stood awkwardly, watching their reactions.
The woman glanced down at Song Seojun and scoffed.
“Dragging a kid around like that. You must be living pretty leisurely.”
“Leisurely my ass. It just happened.”
“You’re good at making excuses too. We don’t really welcome people who talk too much.”
“You don’t have the authority to decide that, gatekeeper.”
At Choi Dowon’s openly provocative words, the woman’s expression turned ugly.
But only for a moment—she clicked her tongue and swung open the shelter door.
“Just get in. The kid too.”
“Ah, yes!”
Choi Dowon stepped forward without a reply, and Song Seojun nodded quickly and followed behind them.
Once inside, Song Seojun’s eyes widened as he took in the unfamiliar sight.
Inside a facility that resembled a gymnasium, many people were gathered, talking among themselves, with areas vaguely divided.
One side was filled with rows of bedding, another piled high with canned goods.
The ceiling was high, and every window was tightly shut.
“Captain, two new people just arrived.”
The woman who had brought them in walked somewhere and shouted loudly.
At her words, everyone nearby turned to look at them.
People of all kinds of appearances and clothing.
The only thing they had in common was the lack of ease on their faces.
“New people.”
“There’s even a kid?”
“What the—how did a kid that small survive until now?”
“The guy next to him must’ve protected him.”
Curious and slightly unfriendly gazes poured toward Choi Dowon and Song Seojun.
Song Seojun shrank back, while Choi Dowon ignored them entirely and followed the gatekeeper woman.
“Two new ones?”
A man who seemed to be standing on the border between youth and middle age greeted them.
“Yes. They just arrived at the shelter.”
“Hmm!”
The man looked at Choi Dowon with sharp eyes, then lowered his gaze to Song Seojun and let out a hollow laugh.
“You must have it pretty good to be walking around with a kid, huh, big guy.”
“I already told that woman—it just happened.”
“Just happened… even that’s lucky. Can you fight well?”
“Well enough.”
“Well enough to cover the kid’s share too?”
“I’ll try.”
“Fine. Good enough.”
The man nodded, apparently satisfied with Choi Dowon’s answers.
“Baek Sungjae.”
“Choi Dowon.”
Song Seojun stood between them, completely intimidated.
This kind of reaction from people was something he had never experienced in his life.
People in the safe zone were mostly bright and kind. When he went out with his parents, everyone smiled and greeted them.
Why did people outside the safe zone look at him so negatively?
Everything was incomprehensible to Song Seojun.
“Hey, kid. What’s your name?”
“Huh? M-Me?”
“Who else is there a kid here? Tch.”
“S-Song Seojun.”
Song Seojun stammered out his name. Seeing the clearly frightened child, Baek Sungjae frowned.
“Hey. How the hell did this kid survive until now? Did you protect him?”
“Don’t talk nonsense. He survived because he’s from the safe zone.”
“What? The safe zone?”
At Choi Dowon’s words, Baek Sungjae and the people around them stirred.
Feeling everyone’s eyes suddenly fixed on him, Song Seojun shrank even further.
“No way. An upper-class kid from the safe zone is here?”
“It looked like his parents brought him out.”
“Those people? Why?”
“I don’t know the details. According to the kid, they said that to survive in this world, he needed to know things like this.”
“Hah, what a joke. Where are his parents now?”
“Dead.”
Despite the calm way Choi Dowon said it, Baek Sungjae looked at him in disbelief.
“You seem pretty relaxed for someone who’s carrying around a kid whose parents just died. Weren’t you close with them?”
“I told you already—it just happened.”
“Hm.”
At Choi Dowon’s words, Baek Sungjae looked at Song Seojun with darkened eyes.
The gaze was anything but kind, and Song Seojun trembled.
W-What do I do?
Everyone seems to hate me. If they kick only me out…
Then how am I supposed to survive…?
Song Seojun’s eyes began to well up.
“Well, whatever. I get it. Hey, kid.”
“Yes? Y-Yes!”
At Baek Sungjae’s call, Song Seojun answered quickly, still stammering.
Baek Sungjae ignored it and continued.
“We’ll let you in since you’re already here, but if you treat this place like the safe zone, you’ll die fast. At the very least, do what we tell you. Got it?”
“Yes, yes!”
Intimidated by Baek Sungjae’s menacing aura, Song Seojun answered frantically.
Baek Sungjae clicked his tongue as if still dissatisfied but didn’t chase him away and turned around.
“Your captain accepted you. Take care of yourselves.”
After the conversation with Baek Sungjae ended, Choi Dowon shrugged and spoke to the woman standing beside him.
She laughed derisively.
“Consider yourselves lucky. A few people died recently, so there were openings.”
“Calling that lucky says a lot about your personality.”
“Hah, I really don’t like you. Including that smart mouth of yours.”
“Thanks for the compliment.”
The woman glared at Choi Dowon.
Song Seojun didn’t know what to do in the increasingly heavy atmosphere and just kept watching their moods.
The camera captured the three of them.
“Cut!”
The cut sign rang out.
“Great! Absolutely perfect! Another OK!”
As soon as the director spoke, the faces of Jeon Siho (who had played Choi Dowon) and Lee Yoohee (who had played the woman) broke into smiles at the same time.
Myungwoo, who had been acting completely intimidated, straightened up and smiled brightly.
“Khh— Siho, your acting hasn’t rusted at all!”
“You’re the one to talk. Yoohee, you’ve actually gotten even better.”
“Ahaha, I had a little something that happened, you know?”
“Ahh, that?”
They said while glancing at Myungwoo.
Suddenly receiving their gaze, Myungwoo tilted his head.
That? What’s “that”?
He wasn’t sure, but it seemed related to him. Still, he had no idea what it was.
Myungwoo thought for a moment, then shrugged.
Well, there must be something.
Lee Yoohee and Jeon Siho approached the pondering Myungwoo.
Yoohee suddenly hugged him tightly, and Siho ruffled his hair.
“Wow, Myungwoo! Your acting is still insane!”
“Right? Myungwoo, the more we act together, the more I’m just blown away.”
Faced with their praise, Myungwoo laughed and scratched his cheek shyly.
“You two are way better.”
“No way, that’s not true. Aren’t you being too humble, Myungwoo?”
“Exactly. We’re definitely better. This kid’s already too humble at his age—he should brag a little.”
Lee Yoohee and Jeon Siho took turns hyping him up.
Myungwoo could only laugh at the shower of compliments.
Getting praised like this by top actors feels pretty damn good.
He was a little unsure how to react, but it definitely felt great.
While thinking that, Myungwoo glanced around.
“As expected of Lee Yoohee and Jeon Siho.”
“Director Jo Jaesik really knows how to pick them.”
“He picked perfectly. This movie can’t fail.”
“Hey, but isn’t Kang Myungwoo insane too?”
“Yeah. Seriously, how does he not get pushed back even once while acting with top actors?”
“Pushed back? He was so good it didn’t even feel like that.”
“Right? And he only started acting recently—he’s pure talent.”
Nothing but glowing reviews.
Hearing them, Myungwoo, Yoohee, and Siho all smiled at the same time.
“Alright! That’s a wrap for today! Everyone’s dismissed!”
Apparently satisfied with today’s scenes, Director Jo Jaesik announced the end with a huge smile.
“Wow, we really finished early today.”
“Ahaha, isn’t it thanks to me, Siho, and Myungwoo?”
“Keke, aren’t you a little too full of yourself, Yoohee?”
“What’s wrong with that~? It’s just us here.”
“That’s true.”
Yoohee and Siho laughed as they talked, and Myungwoo smiled widely too.
Every scene has long takes, yet zero NGs—this is seriously great.
This is why people say Jo Jaesik, Jo Jaesik. He makes great films and has an incredible eye for actors.
At that moment, Yoohee winked at Myungwoo.
“Hmm, come to think of it, this is the first day you two are meeting, right? You’ve gotten pretty close already.”
“Haha, we just click, you know. Right, Myungwoo?”
“Haha, exactly, Siho hyung.”
“Wow, already dropping the honorific? Haha, Siho, you must really like Myungwoo.”
“Of course. How could anyone dislike a junior who acts this well, is polite, and is this cute?”
“Riiight~?”
At Jeon Siho’s words, Lee Yoohee made a playful face.
Then she suddenly turned to Myungwoo.
“Filming ended early—wanna come hang out at Siho’s place, Myungwoo?”
“Huh? Haha, is that okay?”
Even at Yoohee’s sudden suggestion, Myungwoo didn’t panic and matched her energy.
Of course.
If he couldn’t keep up with this level of playfulness, he wouldn’t have been close with her in his previous life either.
“Sure! Siho-ya, we’re going to your place—wanna come too?”
“What? Isn’t it our place?”
“Yep. That’s why I’m specially asking you. So, coming?”
“Haha, Yoohee, you really…”
He let out a helpless sigh, but the smile never left Jeon Siho’s face.
He glanced at Myungwoo, then nodded with a laugh.
“Alright, let’s go together. I’ve got time today anyway.”
“Yes! Awesome! Myungwoo-ya, you’re good with that, right?”
“Haha, a few hours should be fine. I’ll just tell my manager hyung.”
“Okay~”
Myungwoo smiled brightly at the friendly pair, then ran toward his manager waiting in the corner of the set.
“Hyung, hyung.”
“Ah, Myungwoo-ya. Filming’s over, so shall we head home? It ended pretty early today.”
“Ah, no, actually… I’m going to Jeon Siho sunbae’s house.”
“What? You’re going to Actor Jeon Siho’s house?”
The manager’s eyes widened at the unexpected news.
Myungwoo nodded with a slightly embarrassed smile.
“Yeah. We somehow got close and got invited.”
“But… you just met today, right? How did you…”
“Haha, yeah… somehow…?”
At a loss for words, the manager blinked rapidly. After a moment, he nodded with a dazed expression.
“Well… uh… if you’re invited, you should go, yeah.”
“I’ll tell Mom.”
“Uh, yeah, yeah.”
Myungwoo chuckled at his still-dazed manager, then turned away.
He called his mom, got permission, and walked lightly back toward Jeon Siho and Lee Yoohee.
That was when it happened.
Ring—
His phone suddenly rang. Myungwoo looked at it curiously.
Who could be calling?
He blinked and checked the screen, then tilted his head.
[Jung Inha]
Jung Inha’s name was displayed on the screen.