Chapter 46

    Chapter 46

    Ryan Will, the director, and Jonathan returned to the US a week later. Until then, the monologue that Ryan Will had written was still stuck at the first line.

    Ryan Will and Seo-jun agreed to have a video call once a week and share their thoughts on the best recorded videos they had made.

    Meanwhile, the grandparents who had gone on a trip to Europe came back safely.

    The three of them handed Seo-jun pieces of paper with fireflies drawn on them, torn apart, as he came to pick them up at the airport.

    What am I supposed to do with this? The talisman you gave me is torn.

    Grandpas too. Can you draw it again later?

    Yes!

    The delicately drawn fireflies were ripped in different directions. They wouldnt have torn the gift they received from their grandson.

    It worked!

    Seo-jun was startled and looked around his grandparents, checking if they were hurt anywhere. The adults, who thought he was happy to see them, smiled.

    The grandparents who came to Seo-juns house talked happily about their trip to Europe, and also mentioned the traffic accident.

    The grandmother realized that she had left something at the hotel and went back with the guide.

    Because of that, the package tour bus left about 10 minutes late.

    I dont know how shocked I was when I saw the collision of 10 cars.

    Everyone was blaming grandma for being late. But when the driver and the guide saw the accident and said, We would have been there if we had left on time, everyone shut their mouths!

    Fortunately, there were no fatalities, but it could have been a big accident if the tourist bus had been involved in the collision. The couple and Seo-jun sighed with relief.

    After the new year and the Lunar New Year, Seo-jun, who received a lot of birthday gifts, turned one year older.

    He was now six years old. Seven years old in Korean age!

    And.

    A new door opened.

    Ive been waiting!

    Seo-jun, who had read all the books in the two open libraries three times, grabbed a thin straw and knocked on this door every night in front of the library.

    He had been waiting for it to open, and it finally did.

    Seo-jun opened the door of the newly opened library with all his strength, his eyes sparkling.

    Why are you so low on energy today?

    Hes been like that since this morning.

    Seo-eun-chan, who had visited Seo-eun-hyes house for the first time in a long time, asked Ee-min-joon.

    Seo-eun-chan had been busy taking over and sorting out Cocoa Entertainment, replacing the president who had been arrested for embezzlement and other crimes.

    He came to tell Seo-jun, his sister, and his brother-in-law about the progress of the takeover of Cocoa Entertainment, but his nephew, who was always lively, was strange.

    Seo-jun was lying on the living room sofa like a slime that had lost all its strength.

    Whats wrong?

    Nothing.

    Nothing? What do you mean?

    Theres nothing bad.

    Seo-eun-chan rolled his eyes at Seo-juns incomprehensible words and looked at Ee-min-joon. Ee-min-joon smiled bitterly and pointed his finger at the kitchen.

    Ryan Will, the director, came at the end of December.

    Ee-min-joon continued his story slowly. Seo-eun-chan looked at the five-year-old kid, who was slumped on the sofa, with a bored expression, as he heard that he was still practicing the monologue and having a video call with Ryan Will every week.

    He loved acting, but at that age, wasnt he supposed to lose interest as soon as he turned away?

    Is it July already?

    There were pictures of Seo-jun that Ryans mother had printed out and displayed at his home, and there were pictures that Kim Hee-sang had framed and put up at Seo-juns house.

    The couple hung them in their room, ignoring Seo-juns displeased expression.

    By the way, Jonathan said that some countries are making souvenirs like cups or fans with your pictures and selling them. Are they supposed to be lucky charms? He said they were very popular.

    Ryan!

    Seo-jun snapped at Ryans casual remark. The two had become close enough to exchange sarcastic jokes after dozens of video calls.

    Thats because you looked so good. You were so into your angel act on Christmas Eve, werent you?

    How was I supposed to know this would happen?

    Seo-jun pouted. He was so happy to be on live TV on Christmas Eve, he used his power to bless the whole world. He couldnt deny Ryans words.

    The sarcastic joke passed, and silence remained. After a long pause, Ryan Will spoke first.

    How do you feel? Can you prepare for it?

    Yes.

    Seo-jun nodded. This time, he would get through [The Goblins Kim Seobang Prank], and next time, he would practice harder.

    Ill try.

    ***

    Jonathan watched Ryan and Seo-jun talk.

    Ryan, who had told them the filming date, got up from his seat. The couple and Seo-jun said goodbye.

    Should he stay at Seo-juns house and coach him on acting? Jonathan thought as he followed Ryan out of the door.

    Where are you going?

    Im going to revise the script.

    He wondered how many times he had revised it. Jonathan looked at Ryans back as he pressed the elevator button.

    He was his uncle who was really happy to find the perfect actor, even though he didnt show it. He felt sorry for his dejected appearance.

    Are you going to revise it more?

    The actor is working hard, so I have to do my best too.

    He felt like he could change the actor at this point. Jonathan closed his mouth. Ryan, who had been making movies for years, knew that fact.

    Seo-jun Lee must have known it too. But the two never gave up.

    Jonathan and Ryan got on the elevator. A heavy silence enveloped them.

    ***

    Seo-jun stood in front of the library. Ryan Will, the director, had come to tell him about the filming of Shadowman 2.

    Sigh.

    It was August now. Seo-jun turned around and walked away. The brightly shining Sun Seong-hyangs library gradually disappeared behind his back, and darkness came.

    He hadnt walked far when he saw several doors. Unlike the colorful doors of Sun Seong-hyangs library, they were all black.

    The library door was covered with thick black chains.

    Seo-jun approached the door and touched it. Neither the door nor the chains reacted.

    This monstrous library was filled with various evil reincarnations.

    An evil-aligned library.

    There was only one way to unlock the chains and open the door. He had to possess evil-aligned mana (magi).

    If Seo-jun had used [Basic Breathing of Mine] to create a source, the evil-aligned library would have opened wide, and thick white chains would have tightly wrapped around the good-aligned library.

    It was his daily routine for eight months, but he still felt nervous.

    Seo-jun exhaled and relaxed his tense body. The good-aligned mana (seongi) inside his body squirmed as if it was affected by the evil-aligned library.

    Seo-jun sat down in front of the evil-aligned library.

    He closed his eyes.