Chapter 3
The black shadow had a voice like that of a young child.
What was that thing?
Then Ga-yoon suddenly remembered grabbing one of the several black shadows that had been undulating behind Baek Ga-yoon when she tried to kill her.
『That’s right. You tore me away from her back then. There are quite a few evil spirits like me attached to Baek Ga-yoon. Do you know why?』
For a moment, Ga-yoon remembered the rumors surrounding Baek Ga-yoon.
All those vile things she was said to have done—abusing her power, assaulting people, and so on.
Was it because all of those rumors were true?
『Yes. But there’s another reason, too.』
A reason.
Everyone had their own circumstances.
But that still couldn’t justify doing evil things.
Regardless of what Ga-yoon thought, the evil spirit continued speaking calmly.
『Because she made a deal. When she keeps doing such wicked things, the power of the evil spirits attached to her grows stronger.』
Ga-yoon couldn’t immediately understand.
“Why? Why would you do something good for an evil spirit?”
What did she get in return?
Money, fame, power.
Baek Ga-yoon already had all of those.
Was there really anything more she needed?
As if it had read her mind, the evil spirit answered.
『Of course there is! In exchange, Baek Ga-yoon increases her acting ability.』
Her acting ability…?
Ga-yoon frowned.
There was something people always said about Baek Ga-yoon.
She was untouchable when it came to acting.
So did that mean all of her ability had been gained from evil spirits by committing bad deeds?
『You can do it, too.』
The evil spirit spoke enticingly.
But Ga-yoon simply shrugged.
She wasn’t easily tempted.
“I don’t know. I don’t want to obtain abilities from other people that badly.”
The black shadow writhed, making an unpleasant sound.
It was mocking her.
『No. That’s not it.』
The evil spirit whispered suggestively.
『You’re a dead body, remember? You need to live! In exchange, you’ll receive life. Life!』
It felt as though she’d been struck.
Ga-yoon’s lips parted slightly.
Life.
Ga-yoon stared at the evil spirit.
The black shadow of the evil spirit transformed into numbers.
The same numbers that had appeared around her neck.
12:00:00
『My power is weak right now. An evil spirit needs “evil,” you see. And there isn’t enough of it.』
It explained that because its power to keep her soul attached to her dead body was weak, she had only been granted twelve hours.
If she repeatedly committed wicked acts like Baek Ga-yoon, the evil spirit’s power would grow stronger, and the amount of time she could remain alive would gradually increase.
But there was something she didn’t understand.
It was saying that the stronger the evil spirit became, the longer she could remain alive.
“Why are you helping me?”
Was simply becoming stronger beneficial to the evil spirit?
Probably not.
It seemed likely that once it became stronger, it would want something more.
『Oh…… We help each other.』
As expected, there was something more.
The evil spirit continued speaking sweetly.
『I separated from Baek Ga-yoon with just one gesture from you. That made me subordinate to you.』
Its voice was gentle, almost soothing.
『You’re my host. And if I don’t parasitize you, I’ll simply cease to exist.』
In other words, the evil spirit could exist only as long as she existed.
That was why it was helping her.
Yes.
Just as the evil spirit said, they were helping each other.
They were in a symbiotic relationship.
『Do you understand now? I’m sorry, but I’m weak right now. Even creating enough time for us to have this conversation is exhausting.』
The evil spirit changed back into the form of a shadow and flowed toward her neck, seeping into the area where the time was engraved.
『Twelve hours, Cinderella.』
She had to commit an evil deed within those twelve hours if she wanted to live longer.
The hands of the clock began moving.
Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
“……So, the director is really on edge right now, so you need to do well. Well, our Ga-yoon is good at acting, so I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
Min-ji’s frozen lips began moving again, and the stylist’s brush resumed its work.
But Ga-yoon remained frozen in a daze.
She stared intently at herself in the mirror.
The time engraved at the center of her neck, between her collarbones, was counting down.
Can only I see this?
“Is there something here……?”
She cautiously asked while rubbing the numbers.
The stylist took a quick look before answering.
“There’s nothing there. Maybe it came off when you rubbed it just now?”
“Oh. I guess so.”
Apparently, other people couldn’t see it.
Haah.
But this……
Ga-yoon swallowed hard and stared at the passing time.
It seemed to be moving incredibly fast.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
11:59:01
11:59:00
11:58:59
Ah…… I’m getting nervous……
Her mouth became painfully dry.
She unconsciously kept moistening her lips with her tongue, and the stylist stopped her.
“Oh, your lipstick is coming off.”
“Are you thirsty? I’ll get you some water. Just a second.”
Min-ji inserted a straw into her tumbler and held it out.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
A staff member entered and announced,
“Ms. Jeong Ga-yoon. We’ll be starting filming soon. Please come out to the set.”
Ga-yoon’s lips moved slightly.
Is it now?
Is this the moment?!
Could she just refuse to film and make a scene like Baek Ga-yoon had?
But Min-ji answered before she could.
“Yes! Understood!”
The busy staff member left after receiving her response.
Min-ji took the tumbler away and tidied it up, while the stylist finished the delicate brushwork and stepped back.
Now Ga-yoon only had to stand up and go to the set.
“……”
But her movements were slow.
Her lips twitched.
If she refused to film and threw a tantrum right now, she’d inconvenience everyone.
Yes.
That must be what counted as an evil deed.
Damn it.
Time kept passing, but she simply couldn’t bring herself to say it.
She knew how much time, effort, and dedication from so many people had gone into making this drama.
Her hands trembled.
She couldn’t get the experience of dying once out of her mind.
The terror of being unable to breathe.
The desperate desire to live.
The helplessness of being attacked without even knowing why, and her anger toward Baek Ga-yoon.
Everything had faded into a blur before her breath finally stopped.
She remembered every moment vividly.
If she thought about that, then she should do whatever it took and live first.
“Haah……”
As Ga-yoon sighed, Min-ji placed the script in her hands.
“Nervous? Here, here. Let’s go over it one more time while we’re walking. Once you stand in front of the camera, you’ll give the director exactly what he wants again.”
Thinking Ga-yoon was nervous because the director was in a bad mood, Min-ji kept talking and gently patting her, trying to help her relax.
Right.
Filming came first.
Twelve hours meant she still had time.
She would finish this shoot first and figure out a way afterward.
She didn’t want to live by hurting other people.
That wasn’t who she was.
She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, then opened them.
As she left the waiting room, she opened the script.
Today’s scene was the villain Na Yu-joo’s monologue.
The drama The Conditions of Inheritance was nearing the end of its production.
Baek Ga-yoon’s character, the heroine Lee Ha-yeon, had achieved everything she wanted, while the villain had lost everything.
Na Yu-joo, consumed by rage and resentment, returned home and demanded water from the housekeeper.
When the water wasn’t cold enough, Na Yu-joo threw the glass.
She slapped the housekeeper across the face and went on a rampage, blaming everything on Lee Ha-yeon.
“Huh……?”
Could she use this?
“Ga-yoon, is something wrong?”
Min-ji worriedly grabbed her arm.
Ga-yoon flinched and turned toward her.
Then she subtly raised the corners of her lips.
“No. I suddenly got an idea for how I want to act it.”
It was worth experimenting with.
She definitely wanted to live.
But she didn’t have the confidence to spend her entire life committing evil acts like Baek Ga-yoon.
She could guarantee it.
That wasn’t who she was.
It would destroy her.
Clutching the script tightly, Ga-yoon started walking again.
*
“Okay. The timing of the slap is important here.”
The director seriously explained the choreography of the slap to Ga-yoon and the supporting actress.
From other angles, they only needed to pretend because it wouldn’t be obvious.
But this scene was a frontal shot.
They needed to make the hit look real, which meant the supporting actress had to properly take the slap.
“Ms. Ga-yoon. Don’t worry about me. You can hit me hard. Understand?”
The supporting actress who had to take the slap looked nervous, but she clenched her fist with determination.
She was old enough to be Ga-yoon’s mother.
“Yes. Let’s get it in one take.”
For scenes like this, the best thing was to perform properly and get an okay in one take.
If Ga-yoon hesitated because she felt guilty and gave a half-hearted performance, they would simply have to repeat the scene more times, meaning the supporting actress would have to keep getting hit.
“Good, good. I trust you two. Let’s do this!”
The director patted Ga-yoon and the supporting actress on the shoulders with an expression full of confidence before returning to his position.
“The Conditions of Inheritance, Episode 11, Scene 21, Take One.”
The director’s voice came through the speakers.
On the set focused on the living room of a grand mansion, the supporting actress disappeared toward the kitchen while Ga-yoon waited beyond the entrance.
“Cue!”
After confirming that everything was ready, the director gave the signal.
The scene began.
