Chapter 88: Chapter 89: Identity (2)

Seorim happened to see that document purely by chance.

It was right after completing a big project.

With most of the staff gone and the office quiet, Seorim, who had no plans for overseas travel like other employees, came to work and noticed that Yeonho’s computer was on.

Thinking he might be away from his desk, she approached and couldn’t help but notice.

“A novel?”

That’s what it looked like.

The densely written text on the Word program clearly took the form of a narrative, giving Seorim a subtle sense of curiosity.

Why do people often say that novels are expressions of deep self?

If Seorim was a mother with a teenage son, she might have turned away to protect his embarrassing inner thoughts. Unfortunately, that scenario didn’t materialize.

Seorim was a 26-year-old young adult just entering society.

Drrrr—

Seorim rolled the mouse wheel, putting aside any guilt.

She had only read about six sentences so far.

“Seorim?”

“Ah!”

Thump! Seorim’s startled movement made the desk shake.

Seorim, who had just raised her head, looked in the direction of the unexpected sound with a face reddened with confusion and embarrassment.

There, Yeonho was staring at her with a surprised expression.

“Sunbae, when did you come…”

“Just now. I went to get coffee.”

Yeonho held a cup of coffee in his hand.

Seorim turned her head with a feeling of her heart pounding.

“Um, really…?”

But there was too much evidence for the perfect crime.

“Did you see it?”

“…”

“You saw it, didn’t you?”

Should she deny everything outright?

Should she say she didn’t see anything because she was blinded?

She was briefly considering her options.

“How is it?”

“Um…?”

Seorim was taken aback by Yeonho’s unexpected reaction.

It wasn’t the reaction of someone who had been caught secretly writing a novel.

She could be sure of that.

Seorim herself, when she was in middle school, had written a romance novel and was caught by her older brother Jinkyung. She had cried, wailed, and even tried to hang herself in embarrassment.

“Are you not feeling embarrassed?”

She briefly checked for any signs of pretending to be okay, but Yeonho seemed completely unfazed by being caught.

At this point, Seorim could sense something.

“Is this, by any chance, for the next project?”

Yeonho nodded his head.

For some reason, Seorim felt unjustly treated.

Although it was true that she had sneakily looked and gotten scared, emotions were often not in line with rational judgment.

Feeling a burning sensation on her cheeks, Seorim responded.

“…I didn’t even read it properly. Sunbae came in too quickly.”

“Is that so? Then do you want to read it?”

For some reason, Seorim felt indignant.

“It’s okay, I guess?”

“Is it okay?”

“It’s not good or bad; it’s just too short.”

“Is that so?”

“Just…”

“Just?”

Seorim hesitated for a moment, pursed her lips, and looked at Yeonho with a new perspective.

“Your writing is better than I thought.”

Rather than saying it’s remarkable or extraordinary, it smoothly conveys the content in a neat way that is easy to understand.

Seorim realized for the first time that Yeonho has a talent for writing.

Yeonho shrugged his shoulders and said, “Most directors write as well as I do.”

“Is that so? I thought usually companies hire separate screenplay writers.”

“That’s abnormal. Only companies with massive capital can afford to make AAA-grade games. How many developers do you think handle projects of that scale?”

It made sense. Thinking back to when Seorim and Yeonho worked on Hellic 1 together, most directors had to create the screenplay and world themselves.

As Seorim pondered, a sudden question came to mind.

“Come to think of it, we don’t have a separate screenplay writer, do we?”

Now that Rewind has grown so much, why don’t they have a dedicated screenplay writer?

Yeonho nonchalantly replied, “We won’t need one in the future. I prefer writing the screenplay myself.”

“Is that okay?”

“What’s not okay? I’m the boss.”

Oh right, he was.

Seorim chuckled.

In the midst of this, Yeonho pulled a chair over and sat next to Seorim.

Then, at that moment, Seorim spoke.

“It’s a dystopian world, right?”

“Yes, a totalitarian background.”

“I thought of that while reading. An old SF movie. Emotion control, you know.”

“Equilibrium? Yeah, I took inspiration from that.”

“As expected.”

Seorim’s shoulders, now displaying knowledge, shrugged.

Around that time, as if his tongue had been greased, it began to roll smoothly.

“The revealed setting seems plausible. Setting it against a medieval fantasy backdrop and using detachable faces for expression to enhance intuitiveness was a good choice. I assume the face is related to the protagonist’s abilities in the game, and the storyline involves revenge against the empire that abandoned him.”

“It’s too early to tell from the brief description.”

“Can’t we just move on?”

Don’t catch onto details and make people uncomfortable.

Honesty is the problem with humans; they’re too straightforward.

When Seorim made an awkward face, Yeonho avoided eye contact and added, “The medieval fantasy setting, detachable faces, and their connection to abilities are correct.”

“…And revenge?”

“It’s ambiguous. A storyline about seeking revenge for being abandoned is too dark. It feels damp and depressing.”

Seorim tilted her head.

“Isn’t the world already digging into the underground?”

There were times when Yeonho’s sensibilities were not well understood.

Had talking too much about hellish stories affected human sensibilities?

She was still contemplating.

“This time, we’re going for cartoon rendering. The protagonist will be a quirky character with a small body and big head.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, expressing this realistically would be too gruesome, like tearing off someone’s face. It would be less repulsive if it just drops off like a mask, right?”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

Seorim could finally reflect on herself as she read the scenario.

“Yeah, I guess I was not thinking of the face-tearing part in a Lego-like way.”

Her brain naturally processed the text into a less gruesome form.

“If this were expressed more realistically, I think I would feel quite repulsed too.”

Having convinced herself, Seorim looked at the scenario with curiosity.

A question popped up simultaneously.

“So, what is this kid going to do next? It’s not like he’s going to farm or build something in the forest. No, are you going to farm with Miso?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

Yeonho tilted his head.

“Miso has to die, right?”

Seorim looked at Yeonho with a shocked expression.

“You said you didn’t like soggy things, didn’t you?!”

Does it make sense to kill a character in such a theme?

Once again, doubt arose.

Meanwhile, Yeonho was talking excitedly.

“Anyway, you have to kill someone to start anything.”

Seorim couldn’t understand Yeonho.

***

Life beneath the cliff was quiet.

E-40, slowly recovering from injuries, took care of himself in the dark forest, running errands for ‘Miso.’

The fact that she was still a top-grade criminal continued to weigh on him, but he couldn’t betray the person who saved his life in an instant.

Most importantly, E-40 had no reason to do so anymore.

He was no longer the face hunter.

Having lost his purpose, he became mechanical in his actions.

He greeted Miso with a strictly business-like attitude, and once his tasks were done, he sought rest.

Sometimes he gathered herbs in the forest, sometimes he made medicine using the skills he learned from Miso, and sometimes he cooked. This kind of life continued for a while.

He thought it would last forever.

He realized he was wrong one day when the sunlight poured down.

Change approached like a day when an expressionless face is collected, a moment he himself did not realize.

“Come here, it’s a gift.”

Smile draped a black cloth over E-40.

He felt strange.

Knowing that face shouldn’t be seen, E-40 ended up staring at Miso’s face through the blurred curtain.

It was like chasing the sun like a sunflower, unwittingly staring at Miso, as only the rulers of the empire could have a smile.

Perhaps the reason only the rulers of the empire could have a smile was because of this allure, this magic that existed in a smile.

“If you don’t have a face, it feels empty, right? So, I made you a ‘black face’!”

Grinning, Miso burst into laughter.

E-40’s heart was too tumultuous, and he couldn’t stay in that place.

So, he left without a word, and from then on, whenever Miso approached, he took a step back.

But Miso was persistent.

“Come here! Your wounds haven’t fully healed yet!”

She was gentle like a mother, affectionate like a sister, and pure like a child.

E-40 slowly opened up to her.

The curtain that covered his empty face was truly useless.

It blurred many things, but it couldn’t hide her smile.

E-40’s gestures became increasingly affectionate.

He became someone who could express joy with his fingertips.

And that day was no different.

“Today, check the traps! I set them up nearby to catch a scary wild boar!”

Perhaps, today was the day she referred to as the ‘meat-eating day.’

E-40 thought about the moments of cooking with Miso and happily set off.

There was a surprising event.

A real human-eating wild boar was caught in the trap!

E-40, excitedly, carried the boar and started heading back home.

That’s when it happened.

“Capture him! She is a top-grade criminal!”

At a distance, a cry rang out, and E-40, in shock, let go of the boar.

In an instant, he understood the situation and hurriedly headed back to the cabin where he lived with Miso.

As the house approached, clank! Clank! The sharp metallic sound struck E-40’s heart.

Thus, anxiety became the predicted future in front of E-40’s eyes.

“We got her! I captured the top-grade criminal! I truly am a knight worthy of the empire!”

Black armor and expressionless faces.

The knights of the Altore Empire were raising their swords high in the cabin.

And among them, in the yard, Miso was collapsing and dying.

E-40 felt a sense of helplessness in his chest.

The grill next to her, spread out in emptiness, intensified that sadness.

Even so, E-40 couldn’t scream.

His voice had been taken away by the empire.

The only thing he could do, with his trembling body, was one thing.

Revenge.

With a grappling hook in hand, E-40 rushed at the knights.

“It’s an enemy! Another enemy!”

“Fight back! Look under the black cloth! He has no face! He’s a criminal too!”

“Wow!”

There were five knights.

They were all powerful figures who received the ‘expressionless’ blessing.

E-40 was as incapable as a faceless one, but the situation was disadvantageous.

Yet, he didn’t give up.

As a face hunter, E-40, a monster expelled because of his outstanding combat skills, had developed a ‘personality.’

―Ack!

―Save me!

E-40 ruthlessly defeated his enemies.

Then, he approached Miso with a smile and embraced her.

―Ah, you’re here.

Even in moments like this, Miso was smiling.

Even though life was fading from her breath.

E-40 wiped her cheek.

In return, Miso also smiled, gently stroking E-40’s cheek.

―Sadly, you don’t know how to express sadness. Probably because it was taken away.

As she said, E-40 couldn’t utter a sound.

E-40 hated himself for not properly mourning her.

No, even before that, he didn’t know if they would die together.

E-40’s body was battered, facing five knights.

Miso rested her head on E-40’s chest.

―We’re all going to die like this. But there’s a way. Take my face. If you have a face, your body will recover quickly.

E-40 shook his head desperately.

But Miso ignored him and said.

―You don’t have to be sad. I’m fine. Go now. Other knights will come soon.

Miso hugged E-40.

―Live for tomorrow, not for revenge.

While E-40’s body trembled, Miso said.

―You need to be free. See the wider world and learn many things. Regardless of how the world defines you, you must be yourself. We were all born for that.

E-40 buried his head in her embrace.

Miso tore off her own face and handed it to E-40.

―Luckily, all I can give you is a smile.

A smile appeared on E-40’s empty face.

She laughed as if satisfied with it.

Whispered with fading breath.

―I’ll tell you a secret. It’s a tremendous and secretive secret of this world.

A statement that was impossible to understand.

However, one thing was clear.

―In fact, smiles spread.

At that moment, E-40 felt his body relaxing.

The sensation of embracing his chest as if something was about to tear apart was unfamiliar and mysterious.

She slowly breathed out shortly after.

E-40 couldn’t leave immediately and guarded her until the end.

Shoo―

Rain fell.

After laying her under a roof, E-40 took one of the knight’s swords and left.

The cloth covering his smile revealed by the sword caught the rain and expressed tears instead.

E-40 didn’t know where to go.

He couldn’t find a way to completely relieve the overwhelming sorrow.

Yet, he walked.

It was because he couldn’t let the smile she left behind be taken away by the knights standing here.

Fortunately, there was one guide.

E-40 placed his hand on his chest.

Warmth.

It made him recall her final words.

In fact, smiles spread.

He couldn’t understand what that meant.

So, he wanted to know.

It was his first self-made choice.

E-40 decided to learn and see many things, as she said, not for revenge.

With the belief that someday he would understand the meaning of those words.

So, after walking for a while, E-40 faced a meadow beyond the forest where memories slept.

/RomanceMTL