Chapter 90…
Crank Up
When Siyeon was killed, Juhwan appeared.
When Juhwan was killed, Suhan in black clothes came charging in, resetting everything to the beginning again.
“Police!”
The police rushed in too. Kill the police, and then the boss appeared.
At some point, corpses began piling up all around. Even the company team members showed up, only to be killed again and again.
How much time passed like that?
Eventually, no one else appeared.
That’s when Suhan clapped his hands with an annoyed look.
Clap!
“……”
The world didn’t change.
Once more.
Clap.
Still, the world remained the same.
“So I can’t beat the master of the dream, huh? But I can at least interfere this much.”
The voice came from the direction of the black-clothed Suhan, who was snapping his fingers.
Snap.
As his fingers snapped, the office was once again perfectly neat.
As if nothing had ever happened.
“Why? Isn’t this the most fun background?”
“……”
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“I’m bored of it now.”
Seeing the black-clothed Suhan, Suhan made a face that showed only irritation.
“I’ll give you this background as a gift. You said you wouldn’t come anymore, right? Then I’ll fix it forever. I’ll call you every night. It’s not my dream, but I can use at least this much power.”
The black-clothed Suhan spoke obsessively.
In response, Suhan silently clapped his palm.
Nothing changed.
“I said it’s fixed.”
The black-clothed Suhan snapped his fingers again.
Snap.
“Manager Woo, good morning!”
Siyeon reappeared.
Snap.
“You bastard.”
Juhwan also reappeared with a servile expression.
Each time he snapped his fingers, the disappeared coworkers and company staff returned, one by one.
“Think again. There’s no need to throw away such a fun world, is there?”
As he spoke in a more persuasive tone, Suhan—silent until now—snapped his fingers.
Snap.
The world didn’t change.
“Puhahahaha!”
The black-clothed Suhan grabbed his belly, bursting into laughter.
Looking at Suhan, who had snapped his fingers, he sneered.
“What? Did you think the signal changed from clapping to finger-snapping? Claps, snaps—it’s all just arbitrary keys, nothing more.”
Snap.
A coffee cup appeared on the desk.
Holding it, the black-clothed Suhan took a sip and said:
“And like I told you, even if it’s not my dream, I still have this much power.”
He spoke with a confident smile.
But Suhan said nothing.
Instead, he snapped his fingers again while staring at him.
Snap.
“…Impossible…”
Fsshh.
The black-clothed Suhan froze.
The coffee cup in his hand vanished.
“Well, that’s just a prop, not part of the background.”
Trying to laugh it off, he smiled.
But Suhan snapped his fingers again.
Snap.
Fsssshh…
“…You…”
The black-clothed Suhan’s eyes widened.
The arm holding the coffee cup crumbled into dust.
Again.
Snap.
“…Damn. Smart bastard.”
Fsshh.
The remaining arm also turned to sand and scattered.
Now armless, he asked:
“How did you know?”
“Because it was a gift.”
“…Damn it.”
“Gifts are given, not stolen. You changed backgrounds but never erased things. This is my dream, so it’s like my house. What you did was more like… housewarming presents.”
At those words, the armless black-clothed Suhan grinned, baring his white teeth.
“Ding-dong-dang!”
“Yeah. I’m tired of you. Let’s stop playing.”
Then he raised one foot and stomped the floor.
Boom!
“What are you doing?”
“A final gift. I can’t protect my body… but what I gave, I can leave behind.”
He looked at Siyeon, Juhwan, and the coworkers—who all stared blankly like broken dolls.
Stomping once more, the coworkers came alive, repeating their tiresome greetings.
“Manager, when did you get here?”
“Hey, copy this for me real quick!”
The office filled with chatter again.
And none of them seemed to notice the armless black-clothed Suhan.
“Like I said, I’m not coming back.”
With those words, Suhan snapped his fingers one last time.
Snap!
The black-clothed Suhan’s body began to crumble away from the legs upward.
“…So cold, friend.”
“Whatever. But I meant it when I said thanks once. Take that as comfort.”
With a weary expression, Suhan offered his final farewell.
As the last of his body and head dissolved, the black-clothed Suhan grinned wide.
“Wasn’t it fun? Right? See you in a bit? Kekeke!”
Leaving behind those cryptic words, he vanished.
“……”
Suhan frowned and snapped his fingers again.
Snap!
Nothing disappeared this time.
“What are you doing, Manager?”
Snap.
Again, nothing happened.
As he said, the “gift” remained behind—like something broken and twisted beyond repair.
“…Well, since I’m not coming back anyway.”
“Sorry? What do you mean?”
Ignoring the questioning staff, Suhan began to smash and destroy every “gift” around him.
“Cough… Su, Suhan… why…”
“I’m sick of that line too.”
Even Siyeon’s fading, sorrowful voice stirred no emotion.
Suhan closed his eyes.
It was time to return.
“…Mr. Suhan.”
“…Mm?”
“Mr. Suhan.”
A voice rang in his ears.
He woke up at his desk, frowning, scanning the familiar background.
Before him stood Assistant Manager Yeo Siyeon, smiling.
“Should I call you ‘Manager’ now?”
And then—
“What, is this company your living room or something?”
That sarcastic voice.
Looking up, Suhan saw Chief Oh Juhwan, who once couldn’t even talk to him properly, glaring with crooked eyes.
“…Ha. Seriously. This isn’t the end?”
With a tired look, Suhan stood and snapped his fingers at Juhwan.
Snap!
“This isn’t a playground, you know.”
Juhwan muttered behind him, refusing to vanish.
“…Damn bastard.”
In an instant, Suhan charged, grabbed Juhwan’s head, and slammed it into the wall.
Crash!
“Ugh!”
“Shut up. Come out already. Enough games.”
Looking at Juhwan bleeding down the wall, Suhan growled.
“Ahhh! Suhan, what are you doing!”
Siyeon ran to him in shock, clinging to him, as the office erupted in panic.
“Call the police!”
“Always the same damn pattern. Enough already.”
“Suhan!”
He seized Siyeon’s neck, twisting it as though to snap it.
And then—he did.
Crack!
“…Ugh…”
Her limp body fell, and Suhan walked forward.
He hurled a chair at the office window.
Smash!
Glass shattered wide open.
Standing at the edge, he muttered with pure irritation:
“Gift my ass. I’ll just break out.”
And he leapt.
“…What the—”
As his body flew through the air, he glanced back.
Siyeon’s corpse lay twisted, blood dripping from her eyes.
Juhwan lay crumpled against the bloody wall.
The view rose higher—
No, he was falling.
“…Shiiiiiit!”
That was all.
BOOM!
Alarms wailed.
He had landed on a car, setting off the theft alarm.
Screams echoed from all around, but Suhan’s hearing dulled. His body shattered.
“Cough…”
Even coughing was hard. Blood gushed from his mouth as his eyes shut.
Darkness.
And then—his other self appeared.
“Fun, wasn’t it? Thanks to you.”
“…Bast—”
Suhan couldn’t finish his words.
“In this incident, one woman was killed and one man seriously injured. The male perpetrator attempted suicide by jumping…”
“The cause of the incident is suspected to be workplace bullying suffered by the injured male…”
In the hospital, wrapped in bandages, Oh Juhwan turned off the TV.
“…Crazy bastard.”
And he drifted into sleep.
But soon—
Another Oh Juhwan appeared before him, smiling.
“Hello, friend?”
“Cut!”
At the assistant director’s shout, everyone cheered.
“Yaaaah!”
“It’s over!”
The crew erupted in celebration.
With a voice trembling with emotion, the director shouted:
“Great work, everyone! That’s a wrap! Final shoot complete!”
He shut his eyes tight, on the verge of tears.
“…Hey, can someone help me down first…”
Meanwhile, atop the wrecked car, Woo Suhan struggled to rise.
“See? I told you I’d make it down in one piece.”
Juhwan, still bandaged and in a medical boot, stood nearby, scoffing:
“Look at yourself. What a state.”
“Ha. Clean your blood off before saying that.”
The alarms blared.
“Someone turn this damn alarm off! We’re done filming! Let the actors rest already!”
Though he yelled, Suhan couldn’t help but laugh.
Everyone had worked tirelessly day and night these past weeks. They all deserved this moment.
“…Good job.”
The director, eyes bloodshot, extended his hand.
Suhan clasped it—then smeared his bloody makeup face all over the director’s.
“Thanks, director!”
“Ugh! Damn it, it’s getting all over me!”
Now the director looked like he’d been rescued from a disaster site.
Juhwan burst out laughing.
“Puhahaha!”
“You think that’s funny?”
“Huh?”
Suhan rubbed Juhwan’s face too, turning him into a bloodied mess.
At that moment, someone popped open beer—or maybe champagne—and foam sprayed everywhere.
Whether it was to blow off stress or to toast a new beginning, no one cared.
Everyone simply enjoyed the moment.
One thing I never understood.
Why do people spray drinks during celebrations on TV?
“My underwear’s soaked.”
The damp feeling was uncomfortable, but now I understood.
“Because it’s fun. Like how in snowball fights, when one person starts throwing, everyone joins in.”
“What are you mumbling about?”
“Oh, just thinking. I never understood champagne-spraying before. Guess I’ve analyzed it now.”
Hearing this, Juhwan, changing clothes beside me, chuckled.
“Isn’t it just because the bubbles look good?”
“…You know, that makes sense too.”
It actually sounded convincing.
“Hyung, want me to scrub your back?”
As we headed into the showers, Juhwan said something creepy.
But maybe that’s what comradeship is.
“Do it hard. Might as well scrub off some dead skin.”
“Come on, everyone’s waiting. No time for that.”
…Maybe he was right.
At that moment, a bar of soap fell to the floor.
“Hey, pick that up for me.”
“……”
“What? Why?”
“You didn’t drop that on purpose, did you…?”
“Huh?”
Maybe it was just my dirty mind.
Nothing happened in the showers.
