Chapter 98 – Result – Part 6

Chapter 98 – Result – Part 6

Lee Hyerim’s slightly tilted face was hidden by her hair.

But Woojin felt it clearly.

The trembling of her shoulders was directly transmitted to his hand.

Her voice was the same.

Her two knees were definitely touching more than before, and her hands were placed on her thighs. Her shoulders naturally hunched.

It was a typical form of contracting the body.

It was the unconscious at work, wanting to make oneself as small as possible and hide.

This was a form that appears when one is nervous, unable to move in front of an interviewer, but it also appeared in front of someone one liked.

So, right now, Lee Hyerim was confessing.

The strength left Woojin’s hand, which had been on her shoulder. No, Lee Hyerim grabbed Woojin’s hand as he was about to lower it from her shoulder.

“Don’t. Don’t say anything. Not now… I wish you wouldn’t say anything.”

She was afraid of Woojin’s words.

Perhaps because of the alcohol, her face felt even hotter.

The thought of escaping this place quickly before Woojin could say anything else made her head spin.

It was funny that she had such a thought in this situation.

Woojin’s hand, which she had imagined would be soft, and which she had only just held once, felt rough.

Lee Hyerim gulped down the rice wine in front of her.

Then she wiped her mouth, which was covered in white.

“Ahem, ahem.”

Lee Hyerim cleared her throat, then looked up at Woojin.

And with her reddened eyes, she smiled faintly.

“Ha~! That’s refreshing! Drinking alcohol and acting drunk, I’m really not usually like this. I should get up before I say anything stranger. I’m going first.”

Fearing Woojin might speak, Lee Hyerim immediately stood up and headed for the entrance.

Woojin said nothing and didn’t stop her.

Lee Hyerim hesitated at the door but then opened it and left.

“Oh? Are you leaving already?”

“Why don’t you stay a little longer…?”

“Have a good time.”

Lee Hyerim tossed out a brief greeting and passed by them without showing her face.

Fortunately, it wasn’t raining anymore.

Park Inhyeok and Kim Min, who had come inside, asked worriedly.

“Woojin, shouldn’t you go after her?”

Woojin shook his head.

Lee Hyerim was in a state of overthinking due to the influence of various hormones.

She needed to sort out her thoughts alone to make a sound judgment.

Of course, there was also the method of simply resolving the situation by satisfying her desires.

That method was to grab her as she was leaving.

People tend to want something else when they get what they want and it becomes mundane.

It wasn’t a good method to hold her back for her to make the right decisions in the future.

Lee Hyerim, who was in her teens and then her twenties, had transformed into a completely different person.

She would have become a narcissist if left alone, but today, as proof, she denied herself.

‘I hate myself so much.’

Most narcissists, if they act, they act, but they don’t deny themselves.

Woojin, who could discern lies better than anyone, knew well that her words were true.

Lee Hyerim must grow up like this.

To endure her feelings, and then endure them again.

She had done well, but she had more to do in the future.

Woojin, who had been quietly staring at the open doorway, finally spoke.

“The rain has stopped.”

Park Inhyeok smiled and said, as if to change the atmosphere.

“Shall we go for a second round? I know a bar with a nice atmosphere. Not many people either.”

Woojin nodded and stood up.

Actors, whose faces are well-known, seemed to choose places with few people to visit.

Upon arriving at the bar, Woojin entered a private room.

As he sat down, a woman who appeared to be in her late twenties approached him with a smile.

*

“Why have you come after such a long time?”

“I think I was here four days ago?”

“Brother, you’re someone who comes three times a week.”

Park Inhyeok looked at Woojin and smiled faintly.

“You won’t be able to come anymore. I think I need to cut down on drinking.”

“The usual?”

“Oh. That one… No. I’ll order it later.”

“Let me know when you decide~”

As she left, he spoke to Woojin, who was looking around.

“Woojin, do you have a favorite drink?”

“I don’t really have a favorite, but I suddenly feel like something strong.”

“Something strong?”

“Something with a high alcohol content.”

“Wow… Woojin, now that I see you, you’re a heavy drinker! I knew it from the moment you suggested makgeolli! You’re a real man, unlike your face. Hahaha!”

No matter what he said, Woojin opened his mouth.

“Would vodka be okay?”

“Deal. Min, you in?”

“Okay, deal.”

Park Inhyeok called the bartender.

“Do you have any good vodka?”

“There are many kinds…”

“Ah, Woojin, is there anything you’d like to drink?”

“Anything around 40% alcohol content is fine.”

There was a reason that the alcohol content of the Righteous Path was best absorbed by the body and produced the best taste.

Considering most soju is between 16.7 and 17.2, it was indeed vodka.

“Something good, around 40 degrees, please.”

As the bartender disappeared, Park Inhyeok asked.

“Do you usually like high-proof alcohol?”

“No. When something happens with the opposite sex, men tend to drink a lot, you know.”

Lee Hyerim’s image flashed through Park Inhyeok’s and Kim Min’s minds for a moment.

“Ah…”

“She’s your girlfriend, right?”

“No. We’re not like that.”

“Are you two in a ‘situationship’?”

“Not that either.”

Neither of them asked about the relationship anymore.

Because they thought it was rude.

While they were chatting about the movie, vodka and snacks were placed on the table.

Park Inhyeok, who had been looking around at the bartender, asked,

“You don’t seem to be in a good mood today. Did something happen?”

He had started the ‘labeling’ that Woojin had mentioned.

She smiled sweetly.

“No? Is it because of the rain? Is it just my imagination? I’m happy that you’re here, Oppa~.”

“You must have been late because of the rain? Did you take a taxi?”

“Huh? Oppa, I live near here. What’s wrong with you today? You seem distracted. Just a moment.”

As Park Inhyeok smiled awkwardly and the bartender went to get more snacks, Woojin said,

“You shouldn’t get caught observing.”

“I don’t think I got caught…”

“If you hear the word ‘distracted,’ 90% of the time you’ve been caught.”

Woojin continued speaking.

“The staff member didn’t go home yesterday. And then went straight to work.”

“Are you saying they went straight to work without stopping by home?”

“Yes. Her boyfriend seems to have SM preferences.”

At the unexpected words, Park Inhyeok and Kim Min’s eyes widened slightly.

Just then, as the bartender returned, Park Inhyeok said,

“Inhye, I actually saw you early this morning. You were with some guy.”

Her expression twitched.

Listening to Woojin, her expression, which had appeared for a split second, seemed to be laid bare.

Smiling faintly, she said,

“Oh~, Oppa, why are you like this? You know I don’t have a boyfriend.”

Park Inhyeok nudged Kim Min’s side as if to say, ‘Right?’, and Woojin raised a shot glass of vodka.

“If you perceive without seeing, the truth will be revealed.”

The bartender tilted his head as if asking what he meant.

Woojin brought the shot glass to his lips.

As Woojin felt the vodka go down his esophagus, Park Inhyeok and Kim Min frowned as if they were the ones drinking it.

“You should mix it with tonic water…”

“He’s a real man.”

Woojin picked up the vodka and poured it into a shot glass.

And drank it again.

He couldn’t concentrate well with the vodka burning his throat as it went down.

‘I wonder if Hyerim got home safely.’

***

The production period for Synesthete took four months.

They then spent half a month on promotion and held the premiere.

Director Jo Jeonghwan, Park Inhyeok, Kim Min, and several other actors were on stage.

However, a strange sight unfolded that couldn’t be seen at other premieres.

This was because Woojin’s standee was set up next to Director Jo Jeonghwan.

Of course, it was in his criminal makeup.

Jo Jeonghwan, holding the microphone, looked at the standee and said,

“Unfortunately, the Unknown Actor could not attend due to circumstances.”

People murmured.

Unlike the other actors, there was no information about the Unknown Actor.

They didn’t even reveal their age.

Rumors even circulated.

It was said that they would reveal their identity if ten million viewers were mobilized as part of a public pledge.

“Just facing all of you here at the premiere is truly overwhelming.”

Jo Jeonghwan fixed his gaze on one spot and continued speaking.

Woojin and Lee Hyerim were sitting there.

“Finally, I sincerely thank the person who greatly helped Synesthete. I hope you will thoroughly enjoy it.”

Jo Jeonghwan and the actors descended from the stage, and darkness slowly settled.

And the movie began.

People were densely gathered outside the police line.

Among them, there was a person jumping up and down behind others, seemingly trying to see the scene over their heads.

As he kept hopping in place like a zombie, a police officer with his back to the police line said,

“Sir! You’ll get hurt if you do that!”

“I’m not a sir!”

The audience laughed, and Lee Hyerim, who recognized Woojin at a glance, covered her mouth with a chuckle.

The movie was about 120 minutes long, and it was impossible to take one’s eyes off it for a moment.

The protagonist began his deduction with extraordinary abilities, and it was incredibly captivating, like fitting together scattered puzzle pieces.

The reckless detective’s action was also powerful.

The two vied to catch the criminal first, and the final ending delivered a shock.

The visually impaired person, who couldn’t see, could identify objects by sound.

No, he reacted to the screams of women and could see things that were invisible.

They were the faces of the victims.

He, who couldn’t see, was a synesthete.

Thus, the two-hour movie ended.

“Wow. This is really fun.”

“Brother, look, I’m getting goosebumps.”

“After always watching only nationalistic propaganda… finally a good movie has come out.”

“Seriously, who is Unknown (Actor)? They’re incredibly terrifying.”

At the sound of the chatter around them, Lee Hyerim turned her head to Woojin.

Her expression was much more relaxed than before.

“What if people recognize you because of this?”

“Aren’t you hungry? Shall we go eat spicy stir-fried chicken?”

Lee Hyerim let out a small laugh.

People were buzzing about how fun it was, yet how could he be so calm?

There was no other way to explain it except that it was just like Woojin.

“Deal. Let’s go.”

To go to the spicy stir-fried chicken restaurant Woojin had picked out, the two got into the car.

After driving for a few minutes, as Woojin and Lee Hyerim got out of the cool sports car, people glanced at them.

After ordering the spicy stir-fried chicken, Woojin searched for something on his cellphone.

Reviews from people who attended the premiere started pouring in.

-Really fun!

ㄴ Aren’t you a part-timer above?

-It was a worthwhile movie after a long time.

-The actors’ performances gave me chills LOLOLOL

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Seriously, look at them sending out part-timers. Fun? I swear, I’m telling you.

Just then, Lee Hyerim asked.

“Woojin, what’s wrong?”

It was because Woojin’s eyebrows twitched as if he had an upset stomach.

“It’s nothing.”

Woojin pressed expand to see more of his comment.

-Sorry. I was curious about this and tried to get some attention. The movie was fun, but the acting of the Unknown Actor who played the Criminal was absolutely insane and incredible. Does anyone know who Unknown (Actor) is?

Let’s list the people we predict. I think Kwak Hojin is a strong candidate.

Woojin, now relaxed again, said to Lee Hyerim,

“Let’s order more noodles. I’m paying here.”

That night.

Jo Jeonghwan was staring at his Cellphone with a dazed expression.

He had expected it, but contrary to his thoughts, the atmosphere was overwhelmingly dominant.

If it goes on like this…