As if the manager's claim of having work obligations was merely a pretense, he hastily dropped me off and sped away. In the meantime, I genuinely visited the company to uncover some information. As I descended to the basement, where I had practiced acting for a whole month, the instructor, who had just concluded a class, recognized me and offered a friendly greeting. When I inquired about the good impression looking guy and the guy with yellow hair, his response aligned with my expectations.
"Oh, I know he's currently in the hospital."
With a solemn expression, he continued with a slight tilt of his head.
"I heard that he was admitted two weeks ago, but considering no one has made contact since then..."
I requested his contact information and left. Hospitalized? I promptly dialed the number the instructor had provided.
Tri-ri. The dial tone persisted. Eventually, a message informed me that the call could not be answered. Undeterred, I continued to make several attempts. After persisting for a considerable duration, a low voice finally emerged on the other end.
[Hello.]
"This is Lee Taemin."
[...]
"Do you remember what you said before?"
I continued, undeterred by the silence.
"Changing your path after four years and switching to men."
A small intake of breath was heard on the other end of the phone. Seeing his reaction to being put down by men, it seemed like my thoughts were right.
"I hoped you hadn't changed your mind since you once claimed it was a difficult decision and that you wouldn't step back after entering this path with such determination."
[Stop...]
His voice trembled, accompanied by heavy breathing.
[Why did you call me?]
"I was curious if you had a change of heart."
[Why do you care?]
Although I couldn't see him, I smiled as I could sense the mild anger in his voice.
"Don't you recall? What else did I say when we had that conversation? I could help you only if you still held that conviction."
A whisper followed, along with the sound of his breath.
[Help? How?]
"There is a way."
As I walked down the corridor leading to the company's first-floor lobby, images of the company's actors were displayed. Myungshin's bright smile stood before me as I provided the individual on the phone with an answer.
"A way to seek revenge."
*****
Contrary to expectations, when I opened the door to the hospital room, the good impression appearance seemed remarkably well. His face, neck, and hands appeared unharmed. However, he struggled to stand and leaned against the window sill for support. The small, single room was sparsely furnished with a bed, a TV, a small refrigerator, and a table. There were no clothes hanging on hangers, and the table was devoid of soda bottles or water cups. It gave the impression that he had been hospitalized for a while.
"...Did you know?"
He greeted me with questions instead of a traditional greeting. The face that had once exhibited a carefree smile now appeared pallid and emotionless, as if concealed behind a mask. I approached the large window where he stood and peered outside. Beyond the five-story window lay a narrow alley, surrounded by old, weathered, low-rise buildings. The journey to reach this place involved a lengthy subway ride, followed by a 20-minute walk, and an additional 10 minutes to locate the hospital amidst the residential buildings.
