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.

“Let’s meet after this. There’s something I need you to do.”

A moment later.

The appearance of the karaoke bar where Kang Woojin was had slightly changed. The camera angles, lighting setup, and displayed props were different. All the extras who had gathered were gone. The moderately dark interior was now bright. The music was turned off. It was exactly how it looked before opening. Kang Woojin was also not visible. Naturally, because it was another scene being shot.

Returning from the past to the present.

Three people were visible at a table near the entrance of the karaoke hall. Mana Kosaku, or Detective Mochio, in a navy lightweight padded jacket. His junior detective. And.

“Finish it quickly, I have a lot to do.”

The woman in a long-sleeved T-shirt exposing her belly button was Mifuyu Uramatsu, playing ‘Horinochi Amie’. The pungent smell of perfume, long brown hair, thick, red lips, and heavy makeup.

The three sat at the same table.

-Swipe.

Amie, with an irritated face, crossed her legs. The junior detective glanced at her legs, pretending not to. Feeling his gaze, Amie nonchalantly put a cigarette in her mouth and pulled a glass ashtray from the table. Then she asked Mochio, who looked at her disdainfully.

“I can light it, right?”

“Of course.”

Mochio, who answered, opened his investigation notebook, pulling out one of the photos tucked inside and started speaking.

“Konakayama Ginzo, you know him, right?”

Amie, looking at the photo of Ginzo through the cigarette smoke, responded bluntly.

“I know him. You came knowing I know him. After the news about his death, the whole world knows.”

“Yes, I’m just asking as a formality. Then, do you know this person?”

Mochio switched the photo. But this time, Amie’s answer was different.

“I don’t know him, I’ve never seen this guy.”

“He’s Misaki Shutoku. The person who killed Konakayama Ginzo. Do you know him?”

“······”

The camera captured Amie, who had the cigarette in her mouth, head-on. Her eyes briefly wavered.

“I don’t know such a person.”

No, she did know. Not precisely Misaki Shutoku, but she recognized his surname. Misaki. Yes, the same surname as Misaki Toka. Soon, Mochio, who had been scratching his head, closed his notebook.

“I see. Hmm- you were classmates with Ginzo, right? What was he like in school?”

“······We weren’t really close. We hung out, but we didn’t get along well. He liked girls and was stupid.”

“Was there any incident that might have caused a grudge?”

“Wh, why are you asking me about that kind of thing!”

Amie suddenly became agitated. Mochio smiled slightly as he tried to calm her down.

“I’m sorry. As I mentioned earlier, it’s just procedure.”

“Damn it. I don’t know anything about that. Why would a student hold a grudge?”

“That’s true.”

This time, the junior detective pulled out another photo from his notebook.

“Do you perhaps know this place? It’s a fishing village in Chiba.”

It was the location where the incident happened.

“I don’t know this rural village or whatever.”

“Okay, I understand.”

At this point, Director Kyotaro gave the OK sign. After a few retakes and some adjustments to the lighting, they moved on to the next scene according to the storyboard. This time, the question came from Mana Kosaku, who played Detective Mochio.

“Before Konakayama Ginzo’s death, he made a call to Amie-ssi. You talked to him, right?”

“What? Why are you speaking in such an accusatory tone?”

“Ah, I’m sorry. I apologize.”

“······I did receive a call. While I was working.”

“What was the conversation about?”

“I don’t know.”

“Huh?”

“I answered the call, but the noise was so bad I couldn’t hear anything!”

It was a lie. In her irritated state, Ginzo’s last words briefly flashed in her mind.

‘Ah, Amie. Misaki Toka has returned.’

Mifuyu, or Amie, felt nauseous. The cigarette smoke seemed to clog her throat. It was disgusting. She got goosebumps. Her breath trembled in her aggitation. Misaki Toka has come back alive? That’s crazy. But who is this Misaki Shutoku? Toka’s father? Or-

‘Is, is Toka really alive? Did I… really see Toka dead?’

Amie manipulated her own memory. It was a process humans often undergo in confusion. She did see Toka lying on the floor, bleeding. Then she was taken away in an ambulance. She heard the news of her death a few days later.

But was that really a corpse? If she is alive?

Amie began to sink into delusions. The existence of Misaki Shutoku was the trigger. Toka’s father killed Ginzo. Why? Why on earth?

‘No one would know, right?’

Only the members who committed those deeds to Toka knew everything. Revenge of the father? It didn’t make sense. He had no way of knowing. The fact that nothing had happened for years was proof of that.

At this moment.

“Amie, while it’s certain that Misaki Shutoku is the culprit, there’s a possibility of an accomplice.”

At Mochio’s line. The junior detective looked at him in surprise. Amie’s eyes widened dramatically.

“An, an accomplice?”

This was all just Mochio’s conjecture. It was meaningless to tell her. However, Mochio sensed something unusual in Amie’s reaction.

‘It seems like there’s something-‘

He was probing.

In any case, this line only deepened Amie’s confusion. It was a matter of timing.

“An accomplice······”

The news reported that Ginzo was killed by a single culprit. These detectives initially said the same. But now, an accomplice?

‘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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