Chapter 249: Sprint (5)

Chapter 249: Sprint (5)

“······What? What did you just say.”

At Kang Woojin’s whisper, the pretty face male waiter was visibly flustered. However, Kiyoshi or Woojin, with a weary smile, repeated the same words indifferently. Only, his voice was even quieter than before.

“You are Horinochi Amie’s lover, right? Your name is- yeah, Horyo Eishi.”

The young male waiter’s confusion deepened. It was understandable. Horyo Eishi, that was indeed his name. And it was also true that he was Horinochi Amie’s lover. However, while his name might not matter, being Amie’s lover was a secret. Only Eishi and Amie knew about it.

So why did this fucking company employee who suddenly appeared know about it?

“······”

Too shocked, the pretty face male waiter, or rather, Eishi, froze like ice. The camera captured this moment perfectly.

However.

“Cut.”

At Director Kyotaro’s signal, the scene came to a halt. Of course, it wasn’t Kang Woojin’s fault.

“Horyo Eishi, your emotions are lacking. Try expressing it more intensely.”

The direction was given to the supporting actor playing Eishi. Soon, the supporting actor bowed his head deeply a couple of times towards Director Kyotaro and Kang Woojin.

“I’m sorry!”

Director Kyotaro waved his hand as if it was nothing. Kang Woojin also did not react much. He simply handed his beer glass to the actor with an indifferent face.

“It’s okay.”

However, Eishi, who seemed too nervous, apologized again to Woojin, bowing his head deeply once more.

“I’m really sorry.”

Is he a rookie? On the outside, Kang Woojin appeared stern, but inside, he reminisced about his past while looking at the supporting actor’s face. Yes, his own first acting experience. Now in his second year, Woojin tried to find some comforting words.

‘Using your body might be good too, right?’

This thought came from experience. It wasn’t a wrong judgment. Kang Woojin, who had experienced more scenes in a short period than any other actor on this set.

Such a person.

-Swipe.

He placed the beer glass on the shelf in front of him and lowered his voice.

“If it’s hard with just lines and expressions, try incorporating some movements.”

“······What?”

What? Kang Woojin had no more to say. He had run out of prepared comments. So he chose to remain silent. You have to handle the rest yourself.

At that moment.

-Clatter!

The beer glass that Woojin had placed tipped over. He had accidentally knocked it over while adding more dry snacks. Damn. Flustered, Woojin calmly grabbed a dry cloth placed at the bar.

‘I’ve caused another accident, another mistake.’

But for some reason, the eyes of the supporting actor who saw the spilled beer lit up with an exclamation mark.

“!!”

Then he grabbed Woojin’s hand, which was wiping the beer, and after surprising himself, he let go and shouted quite loudly.

“I, I’ll try doing as you said!”

It seemed a bit over the top, but Woojin, still expressionless, continued wiping the beer.

‘It was just a simple comment, but he’s really grateful.’

He calmly responded.

“Yes, go ahead.”

This scene was naturally witnessed by Director Kyotaro, who was watching the monitor. Thanks to the audio device, their conversation was well heard through the headphones. Director Kyotaro, his hair full of gray, quietly laughed.

“Teaching not only Yasutaro but also the supporting actor.”

The scriptwriter next to him chimed in with Japanese.

“Isn’t that right? Just now, Woojin gave an example motion?”

“Yes. He advised on the movements while pretending not to.”

“······On the surface, Woojin seems stern, but he’s genuinely kind inside.”

“Even the movements he advised were exactly what I wanted. Such things come out instantly because he has a lot of data.”

“And he acts like it’s nothing. That’s really impressive.”

“He doesn’t show off. It’s consideration for the fellow actor.”

Wrong. Kang Woojin was currently thinking.

‘Argh- the smell of beer is spreading. Making mistakes like this- ah, Kang Woojin. Get a grip.’

There wasn’t much thought. Yet, for some reason, those around him naturally gathered. Not only Director Kyotaro and the key staff, but also the supporting actor playing the waiter right in front of Woojin. He even had hearts in his eyes.

They were hearts of respect rather than affection.

A few minutes later.

“Hi- action!”

The scene began again. The beginning was the same.

However.

“You are Horinochi Amie’s lover, right? Your name is- yeah, Horyo Eishi.”

At the moment his identity was revealed, the supporting actor, Horyo Eishi, knocked over a beer glass. It wasn’t the beer glass in front of Woojin. It was the beer glass behind Eishi, used to skim off the foam. In his flustered state, he knocked it over with his hand while stumbling backward.

Director Kyotaro, watching the monitor, immediately smiled.

“That’s it.”

Fortunately, this time the scene continued without interruption. Horyo Eishi, frozen. Kang Woojin, with a weary smile. The camera capturing both. Woojin sat back down, took a sip of beer, and picked up a peanut from the dry snacks. Chewing the peanut, he spoke in a low voice.

“You seem very surprised.”

Then he subtly motioned with his finger. It meant to come closer. Horyo Eishi glanced at the female waiter attending to another customer nearby. Woojin, or Kiyoshi, spoke again.

“Come here, or I’ll shout.”

Horyo Eishi, gritting his teeth, slowly moved closer to Kang Woojin, who whispered something in his ear. The camera zoomed in closely on Horyo Eishi’s face. Whatever he heard, Eishi’s eyes widened significantly.

On the other hand, Kang Woojin, with a smile and dead eyes coexisting, continued speaking indifferently.

‘No way! Is Misaki Toka really alive??’

Otherwise, Toka’s father wouldn’t have suddenly killed Ginzo. Moreover, Ginzo was even assaulted. Amie vaguely guessed the reason for Ginzo’s assault.

What Ginzo did to Toka.

That.

‘I knew it, that Toka is alive, for sure.’

Horinochi Amie had instigated it. It was Amie who used Ginzo to harm Toka. Few knew this. But surely, Toka herself would know.

-Thump!

Amie, feeling a sudden urge to vomit, stood up abruptly. Her eyes widened, and her lips trembled slightly. However, she hid her thoughts tightly. She tried to cover the past as much as possible.

“Please leave! I need to rest.”

But Mochio, scratching his head, didn’t move.

“Uh- I still have a few more questions. If the call was unclear, how often did Ginzo come here? He was here on the day he died too.”

“I said leave!!!”

Amie screamed. The junior detective, sensing something was wrong, pulled Mochio away.

“Sunbae. Let’s go for now. We can come back later.”

“Huh? No, I still have questions.”

The junior detective whispered into Mochio’s ear as he was being dragged away.

“If you cause another problem, you’ll have to take a long break again. Please take it easy.”

“······Really?”

Finally, Mochio slightly bowed his head to the fuming Amie.

“I’m sorry, we’ll save the remaining questions for later.”

“Don’t come back!! If you do, I’ll file a formal complaint with the police!”

“···We’ll contact you again.”

The two detectives left the karaoke bar. Amie, who immediately locked the entrance door, covered her face with both hands. Her eyes bulged wide as she repeated the same words as if in a trance.

“······Alive. She’s alive. That bitch Toka is alive.”

Meanwhile, as the two detectives ascended from the basement to the ground level, Mochio glanced back at the karaoke bar below the stairs.

“Twice.”

The junior detective sighed deeply and asked,

“Yes? What do you mean?”

“Horinochi Amie’s eyes visibly shook twice. First when she heard Misaki Shutoku’s name, and second when I mentioned an accomplice.”

“Really? Anyway, Sunbae. Please take it easy. Let’s keep working together for a long time.”

Ignoring the junior detective, Mochio fell into deep thought.

“······Let’s head back for now. We need to recheck Misaki Shutoku’s family relations.”

Later.

The setting of the karaoke bar changed once more. It was still devoid of customers, but the lighting was extremely dark. It felt as if there was a musty smell lingering in the air. Perhaps because of that, Horinochi Amie, who had lost her mind, was not in the hall.

Following the camera rail, one could see a room.

In the VIP room at the end, Amie could be found. She was not alone. She lay on the lap of her lover, the pretty face Horyo Eishi. Amie was heavily intoxicated. She was soaked in alcohol, crying with her face on her lover’s lap.

“Hic- sob!”

Eishi gently consoled her.

“It’s okay, Amie. If something is troubling you, let it all out. I can be your support.”

Eishi embraced her warmly as best as he could. This went on for about 30 minutes. Amie, still sobbing, started to speak. Of course, she wasn’t in her right mind. Being drunk didn’t help either.

“Sob······Toka. Toka is alive.”

“Toka?”

“Yes- Misaki Toka is alive. She should be dead, but she’s alive.”

“What happened, Amie?”

“······I didn’t like her from the moment she transferred.”

Horinochi Amie began to spill everything. Her lover, Eishi, listened calmly. However, there was something strange in his eyes.

About an hour passed.

“······”

Amie fell asleep. Still on Eishi’s lap, of course. By then, the pretty face Eishi gently lifted her face and left the room.

-Swipe.

He glanced back at Amie. She was so out cold that she wouldn’t notice if someone carried her away. Soon, Eishi, with a serious expression, left the karaoke bar and headed into the back alley.

He looked around as if searching for someone.

At that moment.

“You’ve come.”

A lifeless voice sounded. The camera captured ‘The Stranger’ emerging slowly from the darkness. No, it focused directly on Kang Woojin. With a blank expression, he extended his hand to Eishi.

“Give it to me.”

With trembling hands, Eishi pulled something out of his pocket and dropped it into Woojin’s hand.

-Plop.

It was a recorder.

*****

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