---

Jinseong sent away all the guests who had come to see him.

Before the sun set and the building was completely enveloped in darkness.

Before the security measures he had set up started to patrol the building.

To avoid any chance of them hearing the sound of movement and being startled.

Thus, Jinseong sent everyone off and found himself alone once again in the silent building.

He lay comfortably on the bed until the light outside was entirely extinguished.

Finally, the pitch-black darkness completely enveloped the building, as the lights from passing cars and the glowing buildings beyond sparkled like starlight.

The headlights of cars cutting through the darkness left trails like meteor showers, briefly shining like exploding stars before quickly fading away. The lights from the buildings reflected on the frosted glass, distorting and creating a hazy glow that sparkled like starlight, swaying yellow like moonlight settling around the building’s windows.

Amidst such artificial glimmers, Jinseong prepared to welcome a guest.

Ding-!

The sound of the elevator echoed, and the doors opened.

Bathed in bright or dark elevator lighting, one person emerged.

A calm-looking face, a tired posture.

Yet within, a man approached from the elevator, harboring a sense of rejection and discomfort towards the building.

And, in a friendlier manner.

With a seemingly crafted amiability, he spoke.

“Hello, Shaman Park Jinseong.”

The masked face smiled, but that smile was anything but sincere.

“I can’t tell you how surprised I was to hear you were injured.”

From his lips came sweet words that seemed to open the heart but lacked any sincerity.

The man before him behaved like a sheep lying to save its life in front of a wolf, like a fish stirring the bottom to murk the water and hide itself, like an inconsequential bird puffing its feathers to appear larger.

However, deception falters before truth just as sunlight melts away snow.

“Kim Cheolsu. Nice to meet you.”

Thus, Jinseong welcomed him with heartfelt honesty, and that very image was indeed both sincere and genuine. It was bound to resonate with others, moved by the power of that truth.

* *

“Oh dear… It’s so dark outside. I can’t help but think I arrived too late for a hospital visit.”

Kim Cheolsu sat before Jinseong, who lay on a large stone.

“I really wanted to come while the sun was still up. It’s just that I had too much work to get away before nightfall…. But I at least managed to dodge the group dinner.”

He flaunted as soon as he sat down.

Claiming he came to see him instead of enjoying delicious food.

Even in this darkness, he made the effort to find him.

It was a way for Jinseong to evoke a sense of camaraderie and apology.

But Jinseong was not deceived by those words.

“If that is truly the case, then I apologize sincerely. Delicious food is the joy of working life, and to have given that up to come here…”

He responded, seemingly on cue with Kim Cheolsu’s words, adding a conditional “if” to suggest, ‘If that’s genuine.’

As if to say he knew the flattering words were insincere.

“Oh, it’s fine. I didn’t come here to eat, right? It’s just out of pure concern for how hurt you are, Shaman Park Jinseong.”

Kim Cheolsu showed no change in expression.

Just like when he had first stepped out of the elevator, he looked tired and feigned weakness.

He acted as if he were a company employee who was about to collapse from exertion.

“But seeing you now… I’m relieved. I heard you had burns, so I was a bit flustered about that. But it seems… while your skin is a tad pink, you don’t appear to be severely injured.”

“Indeed, that’s a relief. Though I have burns, they say there will be no scars, and if I eat and rest well, I should recover quickly.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful news. This visit is well worth it.”

Kim Cheolsu said with a smile, as if delighted by Jinseong’s words.

“Typically, a hospital visit is meant for someone injured. But there are different levels of severity, aren’t there? There’s a vast difference between someone with a serious illness and a minor injury.

Though it’s still called a visit, the weight of meaning varies.”

“Is that so?”

“In that light, today’s hospital visit can be deemed successful. It’s like visiting someone who has promised to recover—light-hearted yet uplifting. The injured person is filled with hope instead of despair or pain, and the visitor leaves with the assurance of meeting the person in good health next time, making it utterly delightful.”

Kim Cheolsu spoke as if he was genuinely glad Jinseong wasn’t very hurt.

In reality, he had no real concern for Jinseong’s injuries; he continued to speak while wearing his mask and playing his part.

“This brings me to my point… Suddenly, feeling a bit relieved from all that worry, what should I say?”

The reason was simple.

“When I first became a college student, I went on a trip to a valley with my friends. You know, that valley that’s famous for being an MT spot? We rented a car to go there and planned to spend two nights and three days having fun. We ate fish, had some alcohol, smoked a cigarette once, and even attempted to charm some women, you know?”

He had lowered his guard, needing to ease his vigilance over Jinseong’s condition.

“Well, it was sort of a romantic notion. Plus, back when I was in college, there were dramas and sitcoms about such experiences. You know, going to beaches or valleys, meeting someone on the spot, having fun, dating… that kind of story.”

There were stories he needed to hear.

“To be honest, I was young and all… but hey, it was fun. ‘What if I got the numbers of several college girls? It’d be awkward if I played both sides, so I’d have to pick one, but wouldn’t the one not chosen be hurt?’—the kind of unfounded confidence that brings about such immature imaginings… Haha!”

Since he needed to observe their reactions even if he couldn’t hear them.

“But you know, it was unfortunate. It was one of those days. With happy spirits heading to the valley, the guy who got his driver’s license just rented the car and ended up in a traffic accident.”

Thus, Kim Cheolsu donned his mask and performed.

Like always, to lower the guard of others and sneak his foot in.

Opening gaps as he wedged himself in, searching for what was hidden.

“Upon hearing that story, I was utterly stunned. We all tossed our packed bags aside and raced to the hospital. Just curious how bad the damage was, you know? So we all hurried there…”

Stories poured from his mouth of experiences he hadn’t even faced.

“Haha. Turns out he was fine. When I saw that, all the tension just melted away… It’s really just like how I feel now.”

Making the listener naturally empathize with him.

“And the rest of the story is… nothing much. I asked him how the accident happened, heard tales of that day… In the end, we forgot it was a hospital and ended up shouting loudly until a nurse scolded us. That’s about it.”

Naturally, trying to feel a sense of intimacy with someone who shares similar experiences.

“Haha, it sounds like a story from my life right now.”

Jinseong chimed in with Kim Cheolsu’s words.

It was all too clear, even feeling blatant, that he had climbed onto that train of thought.

“With that in mind, I should share my own experience too. Since you’re so eager to hear it, how can I disappoint someone who has come this far for a visit?”

Their exchange felt like a play.

One person performed, while the other played along.

They acted and spoke as if their words were genuine, expressing emotions, but in reality, it was just a performance of lines in a script.

But no one pointed that out.

Not the leads, the supporting cast, nor the extras, or the audience.

Everyone knew it was an act, yet accepted it easily.

It was a play, after all.

They were all there to perform, and everyone was there to watch the performance.

“I’ll start from when I arrived at Dokdo.”

Yes.

Their conversation resembled a theater.

 

---