Chapter 189

* * *“Sir, can I ask you something?”“Any time.”“Why did you make rounds around the town on someone else’s bike? I’m sure you could’ve gotten the experience you needed with your own bike.”The two of them returned from the city after sunset. This time, they were in a soft tofu soup restaurant as they spoke. “The most sorrowful thing in the world to a person is to have their job stolen from them. I can’t do such a thing. Plus, these people have their own rules. They try not to cross paths, and if they do, they work at different times. I can’t just interrupt their entire system because I want to experience their way of life.”“I see. I didn’t think that deeply about it.”Their soup arrived in the meantime. It would’ve been very bland if Maru had the tastes of someone more his age, but this was perfect for him right now.“We’ll do another lap after the meal before heading somewhere else.”“Could it be, the paper...”Moonjoong shook his head with a smile. After the meal, he went to a nearby grocery store to buy a large amount of bread and milk. Moonjoong headed towards the houses near the town hall afterwards, Maru chased after him with full bags in hands. The group of houses looked like they would crumble at any moment. Once they walked through the rusted doors, they found an old man watching TV inside. Maru bowed before maintaining a little bit of distance.“I brought some snacks.”“Oh dear, you shouldn’t have.”The two of them spoke for a little while. Moonjoong was mostly on the side of listening. “Take care.”“I’ll see you next time.”Moonjoong stepped out to knock on the next house. And the next one. And the next. Moonjoong visited around ten houses, listening to each old man along the way. The last one asked them to have some coffee, so Moonjoong and Maru sat together on the patio as they drank.“Your grandson?”Moonjoong laughed at the old man’s question and nodded, to which Maru nodded with a smile as well.“You two look very nice. I have a granddaughter around your age as well. I hope she’s well.”“She couldn’t come over during the holidays?”“Why would they? They’re busy. Just a phone call is enough for me.”The old man responded casually, but it failed to hide his frustrations inside. After finishing the coffee, the two of them stood up. The old man asked them to stay, but it was getting a bit late at this point. Moonjoong stepped out and looked up at the sky. Maru followed suit. The lack of streetlights here made the stars stand out a little in the darkening sky.“Being old means that you can’t become as honest as you were in the past. That’s why old men are often wistful. There are too many stories here that I can only relate to.”Moonjoong’s sigh became a white puff of air that flew up towards the sky. Though the breath disappeared very quickly, the emotion lingered on. Moonjoong looked incredibly depressed.“The reason why I decided to take this job wasn’t just because I liked the writing. It was because it was showing a reality that was incredibly hard to face.”Moonjoong started walking with Maru close behind, almost like he was his disciple. “I am but a single actor. A forgotten one at that. Not many people would pay attention to me if I started speaking out in the streets. But using art, I can start to gather a little bit more attention. What I want isn’t anything amazing. I just want to stimulate the minds of people when they watch this movie. I would like nothing more than to change their whole perspective on the situation, but obviously, I’m not talented enough.”“You’re amazing as is, sir.”Maru wasn’t just saying that to compliment the man, he was honest. Moonjoong laughed in response.“This movie will be a success for sure. Many people will watch it. Many people will think about it as well.”“What, are you a prophet?”“Of sorts, yes.”“Haha, you.”Before they even knew it, they were back in the sedan.“Where are we headed now, sir?”“A quiet lake nearby.”“A lake?”He recalled where Moonjoong was yesterday.The car drove down the dirt road again. After just a few moments, a body of water came into their vision. It was a massive lake, one so big that it was difficult to spot the other side. Moonjoong alighted and opened the trunk, Maru frowned when he realized what was inside.A hammer, and a bag of rice.“This is...”“Something to help me grow my cruelty.”Moonjoong dragged the bag of rice towards the lake. That alone looked like a scene from the movie by itself, when the old man kills his third son and throws the corpse into the lake.“In order for a movie to send a message to society, it must first become popular. For that to happen, the makers of the movie need to put their souls into it. Meaning, they need to put their best into their work. I’m trying to act out the role of a pitiful old man… but also a cruel killer.”Moonjoong looked at Maru after putting down the rice bag.“From now on, I’ll say some very cruel words. Don’t come near me until I tell you I’m done.”