Chapter 52: Smoke That Signals Change

After that, the fixed members Choi Dowon, Nam Yeji, and Song Seojun often went out on reconnaissance under Baek Seongjae’s orders.

“Kyaaah!”

While on such a reconnaissance, Song Seojun flinched at the sudden scream of a woman.

“What was that?”

“It sounds like someone’s in danger.”

“There were still people alive out there.”

Unlike Song Seojun, Nam Yeji and Choi Dowon exchanged words with calm faces and widened their strides.

They quickly walked toward where the scream came from, and there they encountered a girl who looked about middle school age, desperately swinging a weapon at a monster while injured in the leg.

“Her leg’s hurt.”

“I’ll go first, Choi Dowon. Cover me.”

Nam Yeji sped up, gripping her weapon tightly.

And she struck the monster in front of the girl.

“Ah, ah…?”

The girl, who had been swinging her weapon with a tear-soaked face, looked up at Nam Yeji with trembling eyes.

Nam Yeji brushed her hair back, exhaled, and turned to look at the girl.

“Hey, you okay?”

“Huh? Ah, m-my leg is a bit hurt…”

“We need to treat it.”

Soon after, the arriving Choi Dowon and Song Seojun also looked down at the girl.

“The wound’s pretty deep.”

“We should take her to the shelter right away.”

“Isn’t she like us, not getting kicked out?”

“She’s injured. It’s different.”

What is he on about something from so long ago? Nam Yeji deliberately frowned and turned her head away.

“Get on my back, unnie. Let’s go to the shelter.”

“Ah, yes, th-thank you.”

The girl, with her tear-streaked face, limped onto Nam Yeji’s back.

Blood flowed from the girl’s leg, staining Nam Yeji’s clothes, but she paid no mind and started walking.

“Huh…”

At Nam Yeji’s completely different demeanor from when she had faced them, Choi Dowon let out a hollow laugh and followed behind her.

Song Seojun stuck close behind him and glanced at the monster that had been sent flying.

Even… stronger.

The monster felt somehow stronger than before.

It hadn’t been sent flying as far by Nam Yeji’s attack, its size was bigger, and an unknown energy seemed stronger too.

With a somehow ominous premonition, Song Seojun deliberately stuck even closer to Choi Dowon.

“It’s suffocating. Back off, kid.”

Of course, Choi Dowon just pushed Song Seojun away.

Back at the shelter, Nam Yeji quickly took the girl to the treatment area.

In her place, Choi Dowon went to report to Baek Seongjae.

“She was collapsed outside?”

“Yes. We rescued her from being attacked by a monster.”

“Any special abilities?”

“We don’t know yet. But since she was injured by a monster attack, she doesn’t seem that strong.”

“Hmm, I see.”

“No.”

In the midst of Choi Dowon and Baek Seongjae’s conversation, the hesitant Song Seojun interjected in a small voice.

“What?”

Choi Dowon whipped around at Song Seojun’s sudden interruption.

“That noona isn’t weak. The monster got stronger.”

“What do you mean, Seojun?”

Baek Seongjae asked Song Seojun with a serious face, unable to just let it slide.

Song Seojun flinched momentarily at Baek Seongjae’s sudden attention on him, fidgeted with his hands, and opened his mouth.

“The monster Yeji noona took care of earlier didn’t fly as far as the ones noona sent flying before. It was bigger than before too. And, and…”

“And?”

As Song Seojun continued, Baek Seongjae’s gaze deepened. 

He carefully urged Song Seojun on.

“Something like an unknown energy… seemed stronger too.”

“What?”

“An unknown energy?”

At Song Seojun’s words, Choi Dowon and Baek Seongjae widened their eyes.

“What do you mean?”

“Tell us in detail, Seojun. An unknown energy?”

At the serious faces of Baek Seongjae and Choi Dowon, Song Seojun didn’t know what to do and bowed his head deeply.

“Hurry up and say it, kid.”

Choi Dowon urged him, feeling frustrated by Song Seojun’s behavior.

Song Seojun flinched again and continued.

“Um, well… I don’t know exactly, but there’s like smoke coming from the monsters. From any monster. Until now, the amount and thickness of the smoke from the monsters were all similar…”

As Song Seojun went on, the atmosphere grew heavier, and though he didn’t know what to do, he slowly finished his words.

“The monster we saw earlier had more smoke, and it was thicker too.”

“Huh…”

Baek Seongjae let out a groan at the two shocking facts: that Song Seojun could see the monsters’ strength levels, and that stronger monsters had appeared.

Choi Dowon also looked at Song Seojun with a subdued gaze before turning to Baek Seongjae.

“Captain, I think we need a meeting.”

“Yeah, we should gather the people.”

Baek Seongjae nodded at Choi Dowon’s words.

“Cut!”

And Director Jo Jaesik shouted cut loudly.

“Good, good. Everyone did well! Very good!”

Jo Jaesik praised the actors boisterously with a big laugh, as always.

“Myungwoo, you rested for two days and your acting is still no joke?”

“Haha, you too, hyung.”

Myungwoo and Jeon Siho lightly high-fived.

“Waaah-!”

At that moment, Oh Wooyeon’s characteristically energetic voice came from behind, and Myungwoo flinched.

“Myungwoo, amazing!”

Oh Wooyeon ran over and hugged Myungwoo tightly, exclaiming.

“How do you act so well? Wow, I really thought you were scared? And yet you expressed your opinion quietly so well. Wow, I get why you’re famous?”

“Ah, haha, thank you.”

Oh no, my energy’s already being drained. Myungwoo smiled with an ambiguous expression.

“Haha, Myungwoo is really great at acting.”

Lee Yoohee, who was a bit away, smiled faintly and walked toward Myungwoo, Jeon Siho, and Oh Wooyeon.

“Right? Wow, everyone talks about Kang Myungwoo this, Kang Myungwoo that, so I knew he was amazing, but this is even more than I thought? How can he have this face and this acting skill?”

Oh Wooyeon sparkled her eyes and grabbed Myungwoo’s face with both hands.

“Haha…”

Myungwoo, his face squished by her hands, smiled awkwardly, unable to do anything.

“I hear I’m good at acting a lot too, but Myungwoo is way better than me? What is he?”

“Haha, that’s why the director cast Myungwoo as the lead.”

“Ah, yeah, I heard that! Wow, when I heard that, my expectations shot up, but seeing it for real is no joke!”

After that, Oh Wooyeon continued praising Myungwoo’s acting for over ten minutes.

Myungwoo was somewhat amazed at how she could express admiration in so many different ways.

Lee Yoohee and Jeon Siho either found Oh Wooyeon amusing or Myungwoo being overwhelmed by her amusing, as they smiled and responded to her words.

“That Kang Myungwoo kid is really…”

“Good at acting, gets along well with people. What can’t he do?”

“Is he really going to become a top actor later?”

“Yeah. Even as a child actor, if he’s this good…”

People whispered as they watched Kang Myungwoo, who had already become friendly with Oh Wooyeon and was chatting amiably with the two top actors.

Of course, Jeon Siho, Lee Yoohee, and Oh Wooyeon weren’t unsociable, but becoming that close was another matter.

People glanced at Myungwoo, thinking there really were born actors.

Dding-

At that moment, a notification rang on Myungwoo’s phone while he was still being held by Oh Wooyeon, his energy drained.

“Um, noona, just a second.”

“Yeah!”

Thinking it was his chance, Myungwoo quickly escaped from Oh Wooyeon’s embrace and checked his phone.

[Kwon Suah: Myungwoo! When are you coming over to my house?]

It was a message from his acting academy friend, Kwon Suah.

Ah, come to think of it.

Lee Yoohee had come to the academy, so he couldn’t go to Kwon Suah’s house, and this must be a reminder.

Hmm, should I go after filming today?

He had promised, so he should go anyway.

And he had no schedule today.

“What? What? Girlfriend?”

Seeing the girl’s name on the screen, Oh Wooyeon sparkled her eyes and leaned her face toward Myungwoo.

“Haha, no. Just a friend.”

“Oh my, just a friend? It’s a girl’s name?”

“She is a girl, but just a friend.”

“Hmm?”

At Myungwoo’s words, Oh Wooyeon looked at him with intrigued eyes.

At fourteen, when interest in such things was at its peak, Oh Wooyeon sparkled her eyes at Myungwoo, who seemed genuinely clueless.

Of course, Kang Myungwoo could be considered a bit young to know about that, but Oh Wooyeon, who had received many confessions from around that age, didn’t think so.

This is definitely… the girl interested in Myungwoo!

“Wooyeon, he really doesn’t know anything. Last time, you see…”

Lee Yoohee placed a hand on Oh Wooyeon’s shoulder and whispered about what happened with Jung Inha.

“What? Oh my, the girl first?”

“Yeah. It’s obvious to anyone, but he’s the only one who doesn’t know.”

“Well, he’s an eleven-year-old boy, so he might not know.”

“Ahaha, you saying that?”

To the thirty-something Lee Yoohee, both Oh Wooyeon and Kang Myungwoo were just kids.

Lee Yoohee burst into laughter seeing Oh Wooyeon talk as if there was a thirteen-year age gap when it was only three.

“Really…”

Jeon Siho shook his head at the two.

Myungwoo paid no attention to their reactions and replied to Kwon Suah.

[Kang Myungwoo: I think today works. Should I head over after filming? Can you send the address?]

[Kwon Suah: Really? Yeah, totally great! Come over today!]

[Kwon Suah: The address is here!]

Kwon Suah sent the home address, radiating joy even through the screen.

Myungwoo smiled faintly and replied.

[Kang Myungwoo: Thanks. I’ll contact you when I’m heading out.]

After replying, Myungwoo’s thoughts suddenly turned to Kwon Seonwoo.

Come to think of it, it’ll be a while since I saw Kwon Seonwoo.

He knew Kwon Seonwoo had recently appeared in another drama as a supporting lead.

If he met Kwon Seonwoo, he should talk about that drama with him, Myungwoo resolved as he put away his phone.

He hadn’t been close with him in his past life, but as his friend’s father and a pretty decent actor, there was no harm in getting along well.

Come to think of it, I remember the question Kwon Seonwoo asked when we first met.

What do you think an actor is?

He remembered answering the same as in his past life.

Living someone else’s life in their place.

In a way, it was what made Myungwoo want to act even more.

And at that time, Kwon Seonwoo had clearly been shaken.

Probably thinking of his past self.

Myungwoo chuckled at the thought.

Really, traces of my past life are everywhere.

Whether that’s good or bad.

Unable to clearly define it, Myungwoo began preparing for the next shoot.