The next day.
Mystic Headquarters rooftop.
Lately, the weather had been excellent.
The warm sunlight. The wind tickling the skin.
Saaaah—
Seo Yeon-joo recited her lines while feeling it all.
“I don’t care if you believe me or not. I always speak the truth.”
Then, a brief silence.
“Huuuu…”
Seo Yeon-joo sighed, pulling out her phone afterward. Her concentration had dropped; it was time for a break.
There was no delay in deciding what to do next. There had been a recent simple photo shoot; she intended to check how people had reacted.
[Seo Yeon-joo Photoshoot, a smile that makes you want to play tennis with her + sleek leg lines. How can anyone not look at this?]
—Yeon-joo-nee 😭 You’re beautiful no matter when I see you
—Wow, she looks even more beautiful when she’s sweating
—It feels like youth should be spent this way
—I remember that my first love was manipulated like this
—The headband suits you so well!
Fortunately, the reactions were mostly positive.
At a steady pace, Seo Yeon-joo’s fingers moved until they suddenly hit a snag.
—I think Seo Yeon-joo’s representative work in her filmography is ‘Outstar,’ honestly, what else is there besides the pure image?
—Her photo shoots and product ads are more well-known anyway. She’s bound to be replaced whenever someone more innocent than her comes along.
—Why does she post concept photos that don’t fit her image on SNS? Did she do drugs or something?
—Have any of you seen her past pictures? 😂😂😂
Without realizing it, Seo Yeon-joo moved her fingers.
[What do you guys even know?]
But in the end, she couldn’t leave a reply.
Instead, she put her phone away and held onto the railing. The view of the city below was dazzlingly clear, almost dizzying.
The neatly moving cars, the people strolling about.
That place looked so peaceful.
It would feel soft if you touched it, wouldn’t it?
“…”
But soon, Seo Yeon-joo shook her head.
“…No.”
She took a couple of steps back from the railing, grabbing her script. She had the lead role in ‘Lies, Lies, Lies.’
“There’s no way I’m stopping here. I’ll do this one.”
The role of Park Si-yeon.
There was no role more suited to her, and none that she could act so easily. It was perfect to wrap up her career.
—
Japan.
In the vast conference room, the meeting for the ‘Noir Scenario Competition’ was underway, with a large number of people gathered.
“Director, do you really mean this? You’re going to pick this as the winner?”
Someone shouted.
The atmosphere inside the room at the moment was far from serene.
Seated at the head of the table, veteran director Yusaku held a script, while the expressions of the others filling the remaining seats were anything but normal.
“Yes. I’ve chosen this as the winning work.”
Upon reflection, this whole situation was bizarre.
The mother, writer Minami Akiko.
The daughter, writer Minami Sawako.
Director Yusaku had chosen the daughter’s script in Korea and had quickly returned to Japan.
That’s why it was strange. Why wouldn’t the competition that should have ended already be over?
The reason was simple.
“Director, could you reconsider?”
“Yes, we genuinely can’t see it…”
“Director Yusaku, please rethink this.”
The opposition was severe.
A voice spoke up, leading the charge.
“There isn’t a single person here mocking you, Director. But even so, why such opposition? The gap between the two is significant. This just isn’t right.”
Indeed, the voices of those opposing him were polite. Yes, they had received a great shock. Had it been anyone other than Yusaku, they would have already grabbed him by the collar.
The production team leader spoke up.
“Director, must we use this middle schooler’s script?”
“Yes, how many times must I say it?”
“I understand that you don’t intend to disrespect someone based on their age, but even objectively, the skill gap is noticeable. The editing, the details, your mother’s script is superior in every way.”
The team leader continued in measured tones.
“Moreover, the daughter’s script violated the rules, did it not? It wasn’t allowed to modify the script after submission. That’s grounds for disqualification.”
“Hm.”
That was accurate.
Initially, both the mother and daughter were writing about a spy infiltrated into a yakuza organization struggling with their identity. However, the daughter had suddenly rewritten the entire story.
Completely altering its contents.
Finally, Director Yusaku nodded.
“That’s correct. But I saw something. If we combine the potential of this script with the potential of Korean actors….”
“Director, please!”
A voice from the other side pleaded weakly.
“You know what’s being said about this competition these days, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Exactly. The talk has been spreading around. The movie promised as the prize for winning is only for promotion, and its quality is nothing but trash. Not seeing it is better.”
The team leader continued as if complaining.
“But what is the goal of this Noir competition?”
“Of course, it’s to create something truly outstanding. You know that as much as I do. It’s to revolutionize Japan.”
“Then why are you making this choice, Director? Script written by an inexperienced middle schooler, a yakuza theme, and a Korean actress as the lead? I don’t even know where to begin with refuting this. Please consider our feelings.”
Suddenly, Yusaku asked.
“What kind of movie do you people want?”
“A Noir that sticks to the basics, of course.”
“So, you’re saying you’ll continue doing the same old thing. Are you planning to retire after making these for your entire life? And just keep filming yakuza fights all day?”
“We’ve tried to change as well.”
The team leader spoke wistfully.
“But every attempt we made failed, and we eventually realized. The yakuza work best when handled in the most traditional way.”
“I want to take a risk. Instead of depicting yakuza who endlessly fight, I want to highlight those who desire to retire from that world and how they try to reintegrate into a normal society.”
“Take a risk with this hurriedly rewritten middle schooler’s script? If it was for one of the director’s personal projects, I might understand, but this is a competition.”
That’s when it happened.
Creeeak!
The meeting room door opened, and two women appeared.
One was a stern-looking middle-aged woman wrapped in luxury clothes, while the other looked like a withering flower that could break if you touched her. She sat in a wheelchair, her pale face making her stand out even more.
“…!”
The expressions of those conducting the meeting suddenly shifted to lower tones.
Mother and daughter—both writers, thus drawing attention.
Accurately speaking, it was the mother whose gaze they were wary of. Akiko was well-known for her stern demeanor.
The relationship between the mother and daughter didn’t seem particularly good. The daughter appeared to be more cowering, perhaps due to her mother.
The team leader greeted them awkwardly.
“Hem, hem, are you here? Author Akiko.”
“Has the winner been decided?”
“Well, that…”
“That?”
“We haven’t yet. Director still has to decide…”
The production team looked to Yusaku with a look of discomfort.
The mother frowned. She was clearly dissatisfied, already aware that Yusaku was the lone voice of opposition.
“Is this something to agonize over—”
But that was when it happened.
“Congratulations.”
Director Yusaku interjected, standing up.
“Exactly as you hoped, and indeed as everyone expected, Akiko’s work has been chosen as the winner. Congratulations.”
“…!”
Everyone was first caught off guard but soon brightened up.
It was understandable. Yusaku had finally set aside his stubbornness and declared the mother the winner.
The daughter bent her head deeply.
It seemed she had harbored great expectations.
“But.”
However, Yusaku’s words were not yet finished.
He looked back at the production team as he continued.
“I won’t be participating in this production.”
“…?”
“…!”
The expressions of everyone afterward were confused.
“Director?”
“What exactly do you mean?”
Yusaku continued calmly.
“From the start, I was only responsible for judging. The meaning is that I don’t intend to sign an additional contract for the production.”
“So, you mean why…”
“From the very beginning, Akiko’s script didn’t need me. It’s so refined and sticks to the basics—just like the production team mentioned. Whoever directs will likely yield similar results.”
Yusaku approached the daughter.
“So, I intend to work on a movie with Sawako’s script instead. You know, didn’t someone actually say before that if you want to take risks, you should try it out on your personal projects?”
“…”
“I’ll produce Sawako’s script that violated the rules. That way, the fairness won’t be an issue.”
Everyone was too shocked to easily respond.
Yusaku’s words themselves were not incorrect, but the reason everyone assumed he would participate in the production was because they believed he would follow through.
“Anyway, it doesn’t matter.”
The silence was broken by none other than the mother—Akiko.
She nodded in the direction of her wheelchair-bound daughter.
“Instead, we need to respect Sawako’s opinion.”
“Of course. If she declines, it won’t happen.”
Afterwards, all eyes turned to the daughter—Sawako.
She nodded gently, somewhat timidly.
“…!”
The faces of everyone, except for Akiko and Yusaku, were filled with shock as they had not expected a positive answer.
“Are they thinking of producing it simultaneously?”
“With the same theme?”
“…Does that mean we are facing off head-to-head?”
It wasn’t the idea of the production itself that startled them.
Rather, the very notion that the mother’s side and the daughter’s side were facing off was historic in itself.
Simultaneously, it was cruel.
One side was bound to win, and the losing side would inevitably be crushed. The mother approached the daughter.
“Sawako.”
“Yes.”
“I’ve regretted my younger days, you know.”
She fidgeted with the fine earrings in her ear.
“How unfortunate it was to spend so much time trying to save trashy drafts. Just rewriting it is usually the best solution. Spending months, even years, to adapt it into a film only to have it fail was a terrible feeling.”
Soon, Akiko smiled faintly.
“That’s what you’re about to experience.”
“….”
“To become a writer is to go through something like this at least once. I won’t stop you. It will be utterly miserable, but it will be a worthwhile experience. Reflect on this choice and learn from it for a long time.”
“Learn what exactly?”
“First rule: abandon a failed script without hesitation.”
While her tone was calm, the content was anything but.
A considerable number of the production team swallowed hard.
‘Treating her like she’s raising a junior writer…’
‘The daughter’s work will just be a waste of time and will end in a miserable failure, right? It would be better to dissuade her. She’s being far too cruel.’
‘The mother really is strict with her daughter…’
Subsequently, everyone left, leaving behind an empty conference room.
Sawako and Yusaku remained.
“I know my skills are insufficient. But…”
Sawako carefully parted her lips.
“…I didn’t want to abandon my script. If what Mother says is true, this must be sheer stubbornness. Director Yusaku, am I really heading towards a planned failure? It doesn’t bother me if I fail, but you have a lot to lose.”
“Only completion will tell.”
Director Yusaku looked into Sawako’s eyes.
“You revised the script mid-way because you no longer wanted to follow your mother’s writing style but wished to write your own story? That you somehow wanted to save it?”
“…”
Sawako slightly blushed and nodded her head.
“So, are you encouraging and helping me, Director?”
“No. I simply like this scenario better.”
Director Yusaku smiled softly.
“So, let’s do it. I’ve found an amazing actor.”
The profile he pulled out was none other than Sua.
—
Hong Ye-ji’s single room.
Tatatat—!
Hong Ye-ji was fully immersed in gaming.
She was playing a rhythm game, where she matched note falls on the screen with keyboard taps. It was incredibly fun.
Hong Ye-ji, once again, realized: except for writing, she found everything else fun.
There was a reason for her relaxed mood today.
“Sua is Kim Yu-han, what kind of luck is this?”
Hong Ye-ji wanted to let out a triumphant shout upon realizing the identity of Kim Yu-han. Why would someone like him, who was walking the path of success, choose her ridiculous scripts?
He’d surely choose far better things.
Of course, that wasn’t the only thing.
Hong Ye-ji handled it carefully.
Adding an additional failsafe, she requested the casting of Lee Seo-jung. Who is Lee Seo-jung? Isn’t she the exact name that comes up when you talk about temperamental actors?
—♪♩♬
That’s when the phone rang. The caller was Lee Geum-sook.
Hong Ye-ji muted the PC sounds and answered.
“Hong Ye-ji speaking. I’ve received your call.”
“Ah, Yejiya, what’s that keyboard noise?”
“I’m playing a game.”
“Hahaha, already trying to outmaneuver me? Don’t worry. I won’t steal your manuscript, so you can honestly say it’s script-writing.”
“I’m playing a game. I’ll tell you the name. It’s DJ…”
“Anyway, about Lee Seo-jung.”
“Yes.”
Hong Ye-ji pressed the esc button to pause the game. It was because she felt startled. Could Lee Seo-jung have accepted?
“…Well, she rejected it outright, anyway.”
“Well, there’s nothing to be done.”
Hong Ye-ji sprang up from her seat like a spring.
Her body was reacting wildly but her face barely remained emotionless. Don’t get excited. She tried hard to calm herself and spoke.
“It’s perfectly fine. I’ll come back stronger. I must write my next project targeting the actors I want to cast.”
Though, she wouldn’t come back, ever.
Just then.
“No, you shouldn’t give up just yet.”
“Huh?”
“In fact, Sua-san has decided to participate, and I’ve come up with a plan.”
“Really?”
“I’ve arranged a meeting with Lee Seo-jung. Let’s all attend with Sua-san and give it one last try.”
“Writer.”
Hong Ye-ji’s voice hardened.
“A writer should only compete with words.”
“Huh?”
“At the moment of rejection, I’ve already failed. Capturing her again through a meeting? It’s disrespectful to both parties and doesn’t help in improving writing skills. Please let this matter be.”
“Your attitude.”
Writer Lee Geum-sook stressed her words.
“Seeing your desperation, I simply can’t help but assist.”
…Desperation exists, but not in the direction she thinks.
“Only this time, do as I say. After the final episode of Special Mobile Unit 808, we’ll have the meeting, so prepare thoroughly.”
“….”
After ending the call, Hong Ye-ji couldn’t return to her game.
It was ominous for some reason.
—
Time passed quickly afterward.
Currently, Sua was being bombarded with gifts.
[Seo Yeon-joo has sent a present.]
[Cheese Cake Exchange Coupon.]
[You should also have something sweet every now and then!]
[Kim I-seo has sent a present.]
[Cactus + Pot Exchange Coupon.]
[Growing plants might help.]
[Kim Sun-il has sent a present.]
[Cleaning Set Exchange Coupon.]
[Cleaning can improve your mood.]
“Everyone seems to be expressing their own unique side through their gifts.”
Could you tell character traits just from the gifts?
Kim Sun-il’s cleaning tools stood out in particular. He sent a plethora of cleaning video links as well, showing just how obsessive he was…
Regardless, Mystic had been taking care of Sua like family more than ever after the meeting. It was a mixture of joy, confusion, and complexity for Sua in this situation.
“Hmm, wait a moment.”
Sua suddenly reflected on the past.
“Looking back, I wasn’t fully incapable of emotions, but I was definitely awkward at expressing them. There were many moments in life where I didn’t know what kind of expression to show for a certain emotion.”
Sua was always clumsy at relationships.
I didn’t know when to get angry, didn’t know what to be happy about, and when I felt disliked by someone, I would quietly suffer alone in a timid manner.
Because of that, I was always lonely. People were hard to deal with.
She used to spend endless hours playing games indoors.
She always envied those surrounded by harmonious atmospheres.
“…”
Thinking about it this way made the current situation seem a little different.
“Okay, since it’s come to this, let me also learn how to express emotions and mature. I should also learn how to communicate with people.”
She clenched her fists. Sua determination!
“It’s not just about managing my public image; from now on, I want to expand the number of people I can truly communicate with!”
This was an incredibly ambitious thought to completely uproot and reform everything, even if Sua didn’t fully grasp such deep implications but merely had a vague sense of direction.
“Finally aiming to break out of social maladjustment, huh.”
“Great work. You’ve grown.”
Meanwhile, the internet was abuzz with chaos.
[Special Mobile Unit 808]
[Title: Kind of worrying since it’s Lee Geum-sook]
[Title: Any chance for a second season?]
[Title: Just give us a happy ending please]
[Title: Are there any Lee Geum-sook drifts?]
[Title: There’s bound to be a second season, it’s loaded with foreshadowing]
This, of course, was the same in chat groups.
[Team Sua]
[Deer: SuaSuaSua]
[Deer: Can you tell us about the finale? I’m curious.]
[Chung-ji: Yeah, I’m also curious]
[Chung-ji: Is there a second season? Let’s have an article ready beforehand.]
[Monkeying: Is there drifts?]
Why were her ears hurting just by reading?
Sua put her phone down and focused her attention on the TV.
The ending is as important as the beginning, no, even if the beginning was weak, the ending can still be grand and therefore even more crucial.
Take her own life, for example. Despite starting off unremarkably, wasn’t she now facing a huge turning point?
So, at this very moment, Sua needed to focus on the TV. She had to witness the conclusion of the world she had created.
[Special Mobile Unit 808]
[Episode 12]
Final episode.
It’s time to finally see the conclusion.
—
<END>
