Superstar From Age 0

Chapter 263

Darkness.

The lights were off for a bit longer than before, but soon they came back on.

The stage was lit up.

In the clinic, Jeong Chaewon was busy with her computer and the nurse was doing her job.

Ding.

A sound was heard and Seo-jun, who was standing at the end of the stage, entered the hospital lobby. Seo-jun had changed into Kim Jinwoo.

Kim Jinwoo walked into the hospital with a light step. The nurse was surprised to see his cheek covered with a white bandage, but quickly hid her reaction and opened her mouth.

“Patient. You’ll have to wait a little…”

“Yes. I understand.”

Kim Jinwoo nodded and sat on a lobby chair. The chair faced the clinic, so the audience could only see his side profile.

Kim Jinwoo picked up a book that was on the seat next to him. Despite his injured cheek, he seemed cheerful and relaxed, as if he could hum a tune. The nurse, who was watching him read, quietly left.

Flap.

A page turned.

Seo-jun captivated the audience with just sitting and reading. The audience, who were immersed in Seo-jun’s acting, didn’t notice that the light in the clinic where Jeong Chaewon was had turned off.

Flap.

Another page turned.

The light in the lobby dimmed. But the light that shone on Seo-jun was still bright.

Fla-

Another page was about to turn, but it stopped. Kim Jinwoo’s hand that was turning the page stopped. His head also drooped down as if he had lost his strength. His shoulders sagged and he didn’t move at all. He looked like he had no energy left in his body.

He should have moved, he should have tilted his head. Someone next to him should have quietly asked, ‘What’s wrong with him?’

But no one,

No one could take their eyes off Seo-jun who wasn’t moving. They couldn’t open their mouths. They couldn’t turn their heads away from Seo-jun who was sitting on the chair as if someone had fixed him there.

‘Something…’

Something was happening.

Kim Jinwoo’s movement had stopped, but it felt like something was happening inside him. 

No one knew why they thought that, why they felt that way.

The hall was so quiet that even the sound of a needle dropping could be heard. 

The background music that had been flowing softly stopped, but the audience didn’t notice.

A white spotlight shone on the stage, on Seo-jun.

The first-year acting students who were sitting in the front row saw Seo-jun’s face. It was a small movement that they couldn’t notice at first.

Kim Jinwoo’s index finger twitched. 

It looked like it took a lot of effort. 

The movement that started from his index finger slowly spread to his other fingers.

Soon, the movement became big enough for the audience in the back row to see.

Kim Jinwoo’s arm,

His shoulder, his foot,

His calf, his thigh,

His head twitched.

He shivered.

The spotlight made Seo-jun’s movement more visible to the audience.

The three directors filmed Seo-jun with their cameras. Choi Daeman, who was sitting on the left where Seo-jun’s face could be seen best, zoomed in on Seo-jun. 

Seo-jun’s acting through the camera was more detailed. Choi Daeman didn’t blink his eyes so he wouldn’t miss a single moment.

Kim Jinwoo’s trembling became more intense. 

There was no pattern and it seemed like every movement was out of sync. 

The audience who were holding their breath realized what was happening.

Right now, two personalities were fighting inside Kim Jinwoo’s body for control.

Who would be the winner of this fierce fight?

As they watched with bated breath, Kim Jinwoo’s movement stopped. He was soaked in cold sweat without even getting up from his chair.

“…Teacher…”

Kim Jinwoo’s faint voice echoed through the hall through the microphone.

“Teacher… Teacher…”

He sounded exhausted and sobbing, looking for his teacher.

The audience glanced at the dark clinic where the teacher was supposed to be. 

They tilted their heads and looked back at Kim Jinwoo.

His body relaxed as if he had regained control, Kim Jinwoo reached into his pocket with his trembling hand and took out his phone. 

Kim Jinwoo, who had been bowing his head all this time, finally lifted it up.

He looked tired and lifeless.

He moved with difficulty. 

He looked like burnt ashes as he moved slowly. 

He put his phone to his ear.

“I’m here…”

He barely uttered a word and dropped his head again. 

The sound of his phone falling to the floor rang through the hall.

The audience blinked their eyes.

Just now, that was… Which personality was that?

Kim Jinwoo? Or another one?

They didn’t have time to think as the light in the lobby turned on. 

The light in the clinic also turned on. 

The nurse who had returned guided Kim Jinwoo into the clinic. 

Kim Jinwoo, who had looked like he was asleep, got up from his seat. 

He looked lively, unlike a few moments ago when he seemed like he would collapse.

“Welcome. Jinwoo.”

“Hello. Teacher.”

Jeong Chaewon handed Kim Jinwoo a cup of tea and asked him a question. Kim Jinwoo answered with a gentle smile. Jeong Chaewon smiled back.

“It doesn’t seem to be getting worse. That’s good.”

“Yes. The medicine you gave me seems to be working well.”

“Then let’s continue with this medicine…”

Ding!!

Then, the hospital door opened roughly. 

Two men entered, breathing heavily. 

They ran into the clinic without giving the nurse a chance to stop them.

“Jinwoo!”

“Kim Jinwoo!”

Kang Jaehan, who played Oh Jeonghwan, limped in and Jeon Seongmin, who played Kim Jaewoon, supported him.

Kim Jinwoo, who was smiling and talking with Jeong Chaewon, turned his eyes to the two men who entered the clinic. 

His eyes widened for a brief moment and then he smiled softly.

“Who are they?”

Jeong Chaewon got up from her seat.

Kim Jinwoo followed her and introduced the two men. 

The two men were looking at Kim Jinwoo from head to toe.

“Oh, teacher. This is Oh Jeonghwan, a doctor from the hospital I went to before I came here. And this is Kim Jaewoon, a detective who is a friend of Oh Jeonghwan.”

Jeong Chaewon’s eyes widened. Kim Jinwoo scratched his cheek and approached Oh Jeonghwan and Kim Jaewoon.

“I was going to tell you, teacher and detective. The medicine that Jeong Chaewon gave me worked well. I’m more lucid now and I can stay awake longer.”

He smiled brightly and approached them.

Oh Jeonghwan and Kim Jaewoon’s faces hardened as they saw him coming closer. 

Kim Jaewoon stepped in front of Oh Jeonghwan. 

And he punched Kim Jinwoo’s face with his fist.

Bang!

Kim Jinwoo fell and the nurse screamed. The audience also gasped at the sudden situation. 

Jeong Chaewon was shocked, but she quickly went to Kim Jinwoo who was covering his face and crouching down.

“Jinwoo! Are you okay?! Jinwoo! What are you doing!”

Jeong Chaewon shouted and Oh Jeonghwan opened his mouth with a sad face. There was sorrow on Oh Jeonghwan’s face.

“I’m sorry, teacher. But that’s not Jinwoo, that’s his second personality.”

“Excuse me?”

“He has a split personality!”

As Detective Kim Jae-woon shouted, Jung Chae-won froze. 

She couldn’t see Kim Jin-woo’s face, who had fallen after being hit by the detective. 

He was crouching and blocking Oh Jung-hwan’s way. 

She looked back and forth between the two men and Kim Jin-woo.

Oh Jung-hwan calmly explained.

“Kim Jin-woo, who you have been counseling, has a split personality. The real Kim Jin-woo has been in therapy with me for six months.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Well…”

Oh Jung-hwan sighed.

“The split personality took over Jin-woo’s body and committed crimes. Jin-woo knew that and told me he would rather be admitted to a mental hospital. 

The split personality knew what Jin-woo was doing and ran away.”

Surprised, Jung Chae-won looked at Kim Jin-woo.

“Then why did he come to me…?”

“He probably wanted to use you to take over his body. I don’t know the exact method, though.”

“It would be better for you to get away from him right now.”

At Detective Kim Jae-woon’s words, Jung Chae-won stood up from her seat. But her expression looked confused and doubtful. She didn’t seem to believe what Oh Jung-hwan and Kim Jae-woon had said.

The gentle and innocent Jin-woo had a split personality?

The audience felt the same way.

He smiled so sweetly, trembled and feared the other personality. Kim Jin-woo had a split personality? 

The audience, who had felt the horror of the other personality with Kim Jin-woo, couldn’t believe it easily.

“Really…!”

Thud!

A loud noise echoed in the auditorium.

Someone grabbed Jung Chae-won’s wrist as she was about to ask again. 

She stiffened. 

There was only one person who could do that, since the two men and the nurse were far away.

It was Kim Jin-woo’s hand.

He had been crouching with his face hit by the detective.

With that one movement, the auditorium fell silent.

A ‘Kim Jin-woo’ vibe that had never been seen before weighed heavily on the auditorium. 

It was a coldness that made goosebumps rise. 

Tension rose from the toes.

Kim Jin-woo slowly lifted his head. 

Jung Chae-won was in front of him, and beyond her were the seats of the audience. 

The audience swallowed their saliva at the sight of Kim Jin-woo slowly lifting his head.

Finally, Kim Jin-woo lifted his head and

smiled.

As if he was amused. 

As if he was regretful. 

His pale face looked like white porcelain. 

He didn’t look human. 

His black eyes sparkled like beads.

“I’ve been caught?”

Just one word.

The audience gasped at that word.

They felt a chill as if they had encountered something unknown. 

And they sighed in relief that his eyes were not directed at them. 

They felt like they were stealing a glance at Kim Jin-woo’s gaze toward Jung Chae-won.

Jung Chae-won stepped back in surprise, but Kim Jin-woo didn’t let go of her wrist. 

He held it tighter and slowly got up from his seat. 

Jung Chae-won trembled in shock.

The audience, who also received the same shock as Jung Chae-won, held their breath and shrank their shoulders. 

They unconsciously clenched their wrists.

The silence that lasted for a moment was broken by Oh Jung-hwan. 

He seemed familiar with this atmosphere as he looked at the split personality with a cold gaze. 

Detective Kim Jae-woon also looked at him coldly.

“Where is Jin-woo?”

“Long time no see, teacher.”

“Where is Jin-woo!?”

“I’m Jin-woo.”

“Not you!”

At Detective Kim Jae-woon’s shout, Kim Jin-woo shrugged his shoulders and rubbed his cheek that had been hit by him. 

There was a gauze on his cheek.

“It hurts, you know. Why did you have to hit me here?”

His voice, which had been soft and sweet, seemed to have been sold somewhere as ‘Kim Jin-woo’ chuckled and spoke. 

Every word was filled with undeniable malice.

It was thanks to the ability he had used since he became a split personality.

[(Evil) Song of the Red Sea Siren – Intermediate >> Low]

It is the song of a siren living in the red sea.

You control your target with your song.

An incomplete song only leaves faint magic behind.

It wasn’t a song but a dialogue, so the song wasn’t complete and only magic remained. 

The voice, which was the most important thing in a play, was delivered to the audience through speakers.

‘Kim Jin-woo’ spoke with a smile.

“How did I stop him from holding a knife and saying he’d rather die? I hit him and found out that my fist was pretty strong. You must have been in a lot of pain, too, teacher.”

Oh Jung-hwan’s legs twitched.

“Well, thanks to that, I got to take over this body.”

“What?”

“You didn’t think he was still there, did you? And I didn’t know he contacted you guys in the meantime.”

Seo Joon slowly reduced his presence as he spoke his lines. 

The focus was not on him right now. 

That’s why the audience’s attention shifted from ‘Kim Jin-woo’, who was laughing and shrugging his shoulders casually, to Jung Chae-won, who was standing next to him.

Jung Chae-won, who had heard the shocking truth, seemed out of her mind. Her wrist, which was held by the split personality, hurt. 

Her hand trembled and her legs wobbled.

No one on stage except the audience noticed Jung Chae-won’s condition. 

Her eyes of fear turned to the teacup on the table. 

Jung Chae-won’s hand, which was not held by Kim Jin-woo, reached for the teacup.

The audience’s eyes widened.

Hot tea spilled over Kim Jin-woo’s face.

As the hot liquid poured over him, Kim Jin-woo reflexively let go of Jung Chae-won’s wrist and covered his face with both hands, screaming. 

The audience shrank their shoulders at the scream mixed with pain. 

It was an inevitable reaction even though they knew it was cold water.

Jung Chae-won came to her senses. She clenched her freed wrist and backed away.

“Ah, no… I didn’t mean to do this…”

“Jung Chae-won! …‘Teacher’! Step back. I’ll take care of it!”

The nurse blocked Kim Jin-woo and Jung Chae-won.

Oh Jung-hwan and Detective Kim Jae-woon also ran over and grabbed Kim Jin-woo. 

While Oh Jung-hwan checked Kim Jin-woo’s wound, Detective Kim Jae-woon said. 

He still glanced at Kim Jin-woo from time to time.

“It’s okay. It doesn’t look like he’s hurt that badly.”

“Really? Yes…”

“We’ll take Jin-woo with us.”

“But…”

“It might be better for him to get hurt like this. His split personality is so aggressive…”

Detective Kim Jae-woon said with a bitter expression.

“He was going to be admitted anyway, so he’ll be fine now.”

“Yes…”

Kim Jin-woo, who didn’t lift his face until the end and groaned in pain, disappeared from the stage, or rather the end of the stage, as if he was carried by Oh Jung-hwan and Detective Kim Jae-woon. 

While Jung Chae-won stared blankly at him, the nurse picked up the phone. This time, a voice was heard.

“Yes. Yes. He needs to be admitted because he is too aggressive.”

The curtain slowly fell with the nurse’s words and Jung Chae-won’s blank expression as the last scene.