Pagi buta, 1 September.
Lokasinya berada di kompleks panggung syuting di ‘Columbia Studios’. Di antara banyak panggung, ini adalah panggung kota besar di mana lebih dari seratus staf asing, termasuk Sutradara Ahn Ga-bok, berkeliaran dengan koordinasi sempurna satu per satu berdasarkan tim. Ini adalah tim ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’.
Waktu sudah hampir jam 8 pagi.
“Cek sudut kamera!!”
“ persiapkan ekstra!”
“Sutradara!! Silakan periksa di sini!!!”
Panggung ini, katakanlah, adalah set — panggung— yang dipenuhi oleh gedung-gedung yang bertumpuk, trotoar, jalan, persimpangan, berbagai toko, dan kadang-kadang kios-kios jalan yang ada di antara trotoar. Hari ini, ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ sedang merekam adegan pertama ‘Henry Gordon’. Semula dijadwalkan pukul 10, namun jadwalnya dipajang dua jam lebih awal karena jadwal yang padat dari Kang Woojin.
Karena pukul 13.00, setelah tengah hari, ia akan memulai adegan pertama ‘Beast and the Beauty’.
Singkatnya, Woojin sedang melakukan “double-booking” hari ini.
Lalu.
“Kang Woojin, siap!!”
Kang Woojin muncul di depan panggung, yang dikelilingi oleh staf staf tak ter hitung jumlahnya. Hoodie warna pudar dan celana jeans. Itu adalah penampilan persis dari ‘Henry Gordon’. Woojin saling bertegur sapa singkat dengan staf asing. Seperti biasa, ia benar-benar tertarik dalam karakter. Tenang dan serius.
“......”
Tapi saat ia menatap kota besar yang luas, di dalam hatinya terlihat sedikit penyesalan.
‘Apakah kita sedang perlahan-lahan menyelesaikan syuting ‘Pierrot’? Rasanya seperti sedang merasakan campuran rasa senang dan sedih.’
Pada saat itu, Sutradara Ahn Ga-bok, yang wajahnya kendur oleh usia, mendekat.
“Kamu sudah datang?”
Di tangannya terdapat storyboard untuk syuting hari ini. Sutradara Ahn Ga-bok, yang datang bersama dengan kameramen, menjelaskan kepada Woojin.
“Seperti yang sudah aku jelaskan, hari ini kita fokus pada adegan ‘Henry Gordon’. Awal dan tengah sedikit kacau, jadi alur emosional mungkin akan berantakan, tapi itu seharusnya tidak menjadi masalah besar untukmu. Aku mengandalkan kamu.”
Kang Woojin mengangguk dengan serius.
“Baik, Sutradara.”
“Tujuan kita adalah menyelesaikan sampai tiga adegan sebelum tengah hari. Minimal, kita akan menyelesaikan dua adegan. Kamera tidak akan banyak berpindah sudutnya.”
Woojin mendengarkan penjelasan adegan sementara kameramen bergabung. Di sekitar waktu itu, puluhan ekstra ditempatkan di kota set. Orang-orang yang berjalan di trotoar, menunggu di lampu lalu lintas, mengemudi mobil, penjual di kios-kios, atau orang-orang yang membeli di toko, dan banyak lagi. Karena skala besar panggung dan jumlah orang, seolah-olah ini adalah kota yang sedang ramai.
Bagaimanapun juga.
“Kami akan mulai dalam lima menit.”
Di bawah instruksi Sutradara Ahn Ga-bok, staf yang sedang ramai di kota set segera mengosongkan lokasi. Ekstra yang tersebar di panggundian berdiri diam di tempat, menunggu sinyal dari sutradara, sementara Sutradara Ahn Ga-bok duduk di stasiun dengan beberapa monitor. Di sekitarnya, lebih dari seratus staf terkumpul. Di antara mereka, Choi Sung-gun berdiri dengan lengan dilintangkan.
Lalu.
-Siul.
Kang Woojin masuk ke dalam zona syuting. ‘Henry Gordon’ sudah dipanggil sebelumnya. Karena ini adalah adegan emosional di tengah-cerita, hatinya bersorak dengan kegilaan dan euforia.
Agresivasi tersembunyi, ‘Joker’ yang bergembolaan sebagai ‘Henry Gordon’.
Dua staf berlari dengan kamera di bahu di sampingnya. Tentu saja, kamera di atas crane juga sudah diposisikan di atas. Staf tambahan muncul dengan mikrofon boom dan papan pencatat adegan.
-Klak!
Setelah papan pencatat adegan yang menampilkan nomor adegan sudah dipukulkan.
“Action.”
Dengan sinyal dari sutradara, orang-orang yang beku di kota set mulai bergerak. Beberapa berjalan di trotoar sambil berbincang, beberapa mengumpat dari kursi pengemudi karena lalu lintas, beberapa membersihkan jendela toko terbuka, dan beberapa membeli koran dari kios jalan.
-Beeepp beeepp beeepp!!
Suara klakson mobil berbrilian keras. Di sekitar saat itu, ‘Henry Gordon’ atau lebih tepatnya Kang Woojin muncul. Dengan melihat keseluruhan kota, ia mencubit kedua tangannya ke dalam saku hoodie.
Tiba-tiba, sudut mulutnya bergetar.
“Hehe......”
Senyum terlepas tak terkendali. Tapi ia menekannya. Lalu senyum pun muncul lagi. Ia menekannya sekali lagi. Ekspresi-ekspresi halus ini cepat beralih di wajahnya. Kamera merekam 'Henry Gordon' dari depan. Kang Woojin melangkah maju dari tempat ia semula.
Pada saat itu.
-Weeeo weeeo weeeo! Weeeo weeeo weeeo!
Suara sirine menyebar ke seluruh kota. Beberapa mobil polisi melaju cepat. Kebanyakan orang menatap mobil polisi itu, tapi Kang Woojin yang sedang berjalan tidak lagi memandang ke arah mereka. Jelas ini gambar yang berbeda dari dulu. Bahunya dan bahinya tidak sedikitpun rusak.
Kamera mundur sekitar dua langkah, merekam adegan aneh ini.
Tujuan Kang Woojin adalah kios jalan.
Kios itu menjual berbagai macam cemilan, tapi yang dia ambil adalah sebuah koran. Di halaman depan koran yang dia angkat, seorang pria dengan pakaian yang aneh ditampilkan dengan jelas. Itu adalah ‘Joker’. Judul artikelnya adalah:
-[Pierrot Tiba-tiba Muncul di Kota! Siapakah Dia?]
Nama reporternya adalah ‘Robert Franklin’. Woojin tersenyum tipis.
“Bagus, temanku.”
Pada saat itu, penjual kios memprotes.
“Hey! Kamu sudah mengambilnya, jadi harus membeli! Huh?!”
Kang Woojin menatap tegas wajah laki-laki yang sedang memukul keras padanya. Mata-mata tajamnya sedikit bergetar. Seolah-olah ada emosi yang tersebar. Penjual itu gemetar saat melihat ekspresi yang sejuk itu, lalu Woojin mengangkat koran ke wajahnya dan menunjuk dirinya dengan jarinya.
“Apa pendapatmu? Apakah aku seperti dia?”
Di sekitar lokasi syuting yang agak jauh.
Di area di mana trailer-trailer untuk kamar istirahat aktor-aktornya diletakkan, Choi Sung-gun berdiri sambil memegang telepon di telponnya. Ia sudah menyaksikan aksi Kang Woojin sampai beberapa menit lalu, namun sebuah panggilan mendadak membuatnya harus pergi.
Setelah melanjutkan panggilan untuk sejenak, Choi Sung-gun menurunkan teleponnya.
“Whew– ini sangat kaku.”
Melihat ke lelah, ia memutar lehernya ke sisi dan lalu membuka laptopnya. Tentu saja hal ini wajar karena, seperti Kang Woojin, Choi Sung-gun juga memiliki jadwal yang sangat padat. Ia mengelola bw Entertainment yang telah mencoba untuk menjadi perusahaan mega, dan bahkan mendukung Kang Woojin. Di samping itu, dengan jangkauan perusahaan yang semakin luas, ia sedang memajukan bisnis baru.
Ia masuk ke dalam van yang ada di dekat trailer.
Sepertinya ia akan mengambil jeda singkat.
-Siul.
Pada saat itu, matanya jatuh pada tumpukan kertas yang ada di lantai samping penumpang. Apa itu? Ini adalah karya-karya yang dikirimkan kepada Woojin. Dari Korea, Jepang, hingga Hollywood, beragam. Tapi tidak satu pun berhasil melewati Woojin. Tidak ada gunanya memberikannya kepadanya. Saat ini, jadwal Woojin benar-benar penuh, tidak hanya untuk tahun depan, tapi bahkan untuk tahun setelahnya.
“Ah, aku benar-benar harus memberikan ini kepada Woojin.”
Choi Sung-gun mengambil tumpukan teratas dari tumpukan. Judul yang dicetak di tengah sampul:
-‘Guest’
Ia, yang duduk di kursi penumpang, membuka gulungan kertas sambil bermuram durja.
“Aku begitu sibuk hingga lupa memberikannya. Ya, ini hanya untuk pemeriksaan sederhana, jadi akan kudeliverykan kepada Woojin ketika kesempatan tepat. Tapi-.”
Saat ia membuka beberapa halaman, Choi Sung-gun menggoreskan jenggotnya.
“Mereka sungguh bagus mengadaptasi ini. Bukan hanya mengubah film pendek Korea menjadi film panjang - mereka juga menjaga arah pada ‘suara’, inti dari aslinya, dan bahkan menambahkan genre baru. Aslinya adalah misteri, thriller, suspense. Tapi sekarang ada aspek mistik dan horor? Apakah mereka benar-benar menambahkan horor penuh?”
Seluruh teks dalam bahasa Inggris. Ia bukan profesional seperti Kang Woojin, tapi Choi Sung-gun membaca isi dengan tekun dengan caranya sendiri, lalu tiba-tiba mengambil teleponnya.
“Hm– Aku sebaiknya memberikan penjelasan yang tepat ketika aku menyerahkannya.”
Ia menembakkan nomor. Sepertinya langsung dijawab, sehingga Choi Sung-gun segera mulai berbicara.
“Haha, halo Sutradara Shin Dong-chun. Lama tidak bertemu.”
Orang di sisi lain adalah Sutradara Shin Dong-chun yang pernah mengarahkan ‘Exorcism’.
Beberapa jam kemudian.
Cuacanya cerah, tapi dunia ini dilipat oleh salju. Istana besar di gunung pun tidak berbeda. Dari dinding istana hingga strukturnya, terlihat cukup lusuh, tapi taman dengan pohon dan bunga-bunga di dalamnya cukup terawat.
Namun, tidak seperti dunia putih itu, istana tersebut gelap.
Dalam hal atmosfer.
Sungguh sunyi dan menakutkan. Kekagumannya yang besar hanya menambah perasaan itu. Seseorang yang waspada mengecek ke dalam taman istana itu.
Itu adalah seorang wanita berambut pirang.
Ia memakai gaun putih yang pudar, yang ternoda dengan bintik-bintik redam, dan sebuah seragam kanvas coklat yang bertandur merah pudar. Rambut pirang panjangnya diikat dengan sekaig usang, dan sebuah jubah kuning kusam menggantung di padanya. Pakaiannya sungguh terlihat kotor.
Tapi kecantikannya bersinar.
Kulit jenasi dan mata biru.
Secara alami, sebagai seorang wanita yang tak tertandingi yang dicintai semua orang pria di desa. Namanya adalah ‘Bella’. Lalu mengapa ia harus datang ke istana yang suram ini? Bella, yang memindai istana, dinding-dinding, dan taman, perlahan-lahan mulai bergerak.
Lalu.
-Ristek.
Ia membelokkan pandangannya ke arah bunga-bunga yang sedang mekar indah di taman. Bella yang tersenyum ceria tiba-tiba kaku.
“Mereka tidak tumbuh secara alami. Ada seseorang di sini.”
‘Bella’ yang kini serius mengangkat kepalanya dan memandang istana besar di atas. Banyak jendela, tapi tidak bisa melihat apa pun di dalamnya. Meskipun cemas, ia berani dan melangkah perlahan-lahan ke depan. Menuju pintu masuk istana. Kamera mengikuti dari belakang ‘Bella’.
Sewajipnya.
-Kreeek.
Saat ‘Bella’ membuka pintu yang lebih tinggi dari dirinya.
“Wow......”
Pemandangan lantai pertama istana terungkap. Mata birunya melebar seketika. Ia jelas mengharapkan untuk melihat debu, tapi lantai pertama istana justru sangat bersih. Meskipun lampu-lampunya mati dan gelap, jelas seseorang tinggal di sini.
Dan ‘Bella’ tertarik pada keindahan istana itu.
Langit-langit yang menjulang tinggi, lantai yang didekorasi dengan berbagai pola, pilar-pilar emas, dan tangga yang dikelilingi oleh kepala singa. Tangga di depan langsung menuju ke atas, kemudian terbelah menjadi dua di tengah, memungkinkan akses ke lantai kedua. Selain itu, setiap perabot dan dekorasi yang tersebar di sekitar terlihat mewah dan mahal.
“Sesuatu yang hebat.”
Bahkan aroma tidak tercium busuk. Sebaliknya, harumnya. Mata lebar, ‘Bella’ berjalan ke tengah lantai pertama seolah terenchant. Memandang langit-langit, tangga di depan, dan pilar-pilar di sekitar. Ia dengan lembut mengusapkan pilar emas yang ada di dekatnya. Tidak ada debu yang lepas. Berbalik, ‘Bella’ kemudian menekarkan wajahnya ke sebuah jendela tinggi.
“Sangat bersih.”
Itu semua terlalu sempurna, nyaris terasa seperti tidak ada yang melekat padanya.
Pada saat itu.\
Early morning on September 1st.
The location was the set complex within ‘Columbia Studios’. Among the many stages, it was the massive downtown city set where over a hundred foreign staff members, including Director Ahn Ga-bok, were running around in perfect coordination by team. It was the ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ team.
The time was just before 8 o'clock.
“Check the camera angles!!”
“Get the extras ready!”
“Director!! Please check here!!!”
This stage, in other words, the set, was filled with tightly packed buildings, sidewalks, roadways, crosswalks, various shops, and occasional street stalls seen in between sidewalks. Today, ‘Pierrot: The Birth of a Villain’ was shooting the first scene of ‘Henry Gordon’. Originally scheduled for 10 o’clock, the shoot had been moved up two hours due to Kang Woojin’s tight schedule.
Because at 1 p.m., just past noon, he had the first shoot for ‘Beast and the Beauty’.
In short, Woojin was doing a “double-booking” today.
Then.
“Kang Woojin, standby!!”
Kang Woojin appeared at the set, lined with countless staff. A faded zip-up hoodie and jeans. It was exactly the look of ‘Henry Gordon’. Woojin exchanged brief greetings with the foreign staff. As always, he was deeply immersed in the concept. Calm and cold-faced.
“......”
But as he scanned the vast city set, he inwardly expressed a sense of regret.
'Are we gradually wrapping up filming for 'Pierrot'? It feels bittersweet.'
At that moment, Director Ahn Ga-bok, with a wrinkled face, approached.
“You’re here?”
In his hand was the storyboard for today’s shoot. Director Ahn Ga-bok, who came along with the cinematographer, explained to Woojin.
“As I mentioned before, today we’re focusing on ‘Henry Gordon’ scenes. The beginning and middle are a bit jumbled, so the emotional flow might be choppy, but that shouldn’t be a big issue for you. I’m counting on you.”
Kang Woojin nodded solemnly.
“Yes, Director.”
“Our goal is to finish up to three scenes before noon. At minimum, we’ll wrap up two scenes. There won’t be much camera angle change.”
Woojin listened to the scene explanation as the cinematographer joined in. Around that time, dozens of extras were deployed into the city set. People walking on sidewalks, waiting at traffic lights, driving cars, vendors at stalls, or people paying at shops, and more. Because of the massive scale of the set and the number of people, it looked like a bustling city itself.
Whatever the case.
“We’ll begin in five minutes.”
At Director Ahn Ga-bok’s instruction, the staff who had been bustling around the city set cleared out. The extras positioned throughout the set stood still, waiting for the director’s cue, while Director Ahn Ga-bok sat at the station with several monitors. Around him, over a hundred staff members gathered. In between them, Choi Sung-gun stood with his arms crossed.
Then.
-Swish.
Kang Woojin stepped into the shooting zone. ‘Henry Gordon’ had already been summoned forth. Since it was a mid-point emotional scene, his heart was stirring with madness and euphoria.
Hidden aggression, ‘Joker’ disguised as ‘Henry Gordon.’
Two staff members moved in with cameras on their shoulders beside him. Of course, a camera on a crane was also positioned above. Additional staff appeared with boom mics and slates.
-Clap!
After the slate showing the scene number was clapped.
“Action.”
With the director’s signal, the people frozen in the city set began to move. Some walked on the sidewalk conversing, some cursed from the driver’s seat due to traffic, some wiped windows of open shops, and some bought newspapers from the street stalls.
-Honk honk honk!!
The sound of car horns rang out loudly. Right around then, ‘Henry Gordon’ or rather Kang Woojin appeared. Looking over the whole city, he shoved both hands into the pockets of his hoodie.
Suddenly, the corners of his mouth twitched.
“Hehe......”
A laugh slipped out unconsciously. But he held it in. Then a smile crept out again. He held it in once more. These subtle expressions quickly flashed across his face. The camera captured ‘Henry Gordon’ head-on. Kang Woojin stepped forward from where he had paused.
At that moment.
-Weeoo weeoo weeoo! Weeoo weeoo weeoo!
The sound of sirens spread across the city. Several police cars zoomed past. Most people fixed their eyes on the police cars, but Kang Woojin, walking, didn’t even glance their way. Clearly, it was a different image from the past. His waist and shoulders didn’t shrink at all either.
The camera stepped back about two paces, capturing this strange scene.
Kang Woojin’s destination was the street stall.
It was selling various snacks, but what he picked up was a newspaper. On the front page of the newspaper he lifted, a man in bizarre attire was featured prominently. It was ‘Joker’. The article’s headline read as follows.
-[A Pierrot Suddenly Appears in the City! Who Is He?]
The reporter’s name was ‘Robert Franklin’. Woojin gave a faint smile.
“Well done, my friend.”
At that moment, the street stall owner shouted.
“Hey! You picked that up, so buy it! Huh?!”
Kang Woojin fixed his gaze expressionlessly on the man shouting roughly at him. His eyes subtly trembled in focus. As if some emotion was being scattered. The vendor flinched at the chilling expression, and Woojin lifted the newspaper up to his face, pointing at himself with his index finger.
“What do you think? Do I look like him?”
Meanwhile, a bit away from the filming site.
In the area where trailers for the actors’ rest were lined up, Choi Sung-gun stood with his phone pressed to his ear. He had been watching Kang Woojin’s acting until a few minutes ago, but a sudden call had pulled him away.
After continuing the call for a moment, Choi Sung-gun lowered his phone.
“Whew– this is damn stiff.”
Looking tired, he rolled his neck side to side and then opened his laptop. It was only natural since, like Kang Woojin, Choi Sung-gun also had a hellish schedule. He was managing bw Entertainment, which had begun walking the path of a mega-corporation, and even supporting Kang Woojin. Furthermore, with the company’s expanding reach, he was pushing forward with new businesses.
He got into the passenger seat of a nearby van parked close to the trailer.
Apparently, he was going to take a short break.
-Swish.
At that moment, his eyes fell on a pile of papers stacked on the passenger-side floor. What were they? They were the works submitted to Woojin. Ranging from Korea, Japan, to Hollywood, diverse. But none had made it past Woojin. There was no point in giving them to him. Currently, Woojin’s schedule was fully booked not just for next year, but even the year after that.
“Ah, I really should hand this one to Woojin.”
Choi Sung-gun picked up the topmost stack from the pile. The title printed in the center of the cover:
-‘Guest’
He, sitting in the passenger seat, unfolded the bundle of papers while muttering to himself.
“I was so busy I forgot to give this to him. Well, it’s just for a simple check, so I’ll pass it on to Woojin when the timing’s right. Still-”
As he flipped through a few pages, Choi Sung-gun stroked his chin.
“They really did a good job adapting this. It’s not just that they turned a Korean short film into a feature- they kept the direction focused on ‘sound’, the core of the original, and even added new genres. The original was mystery, thriller, suspense. But now it has occult and horror? Did they even add full-blown horror?”
All the text was in English. He wasn’t a professional like Kang Woojin, but Choi Sung-gun read the content diligently in his own way, and then suddenly picked up his phone.
“Hm– I should probably give Woojin a proper explanation when I hand it over.”
He dialed a number. It seemed to be answered quickly, as Choi Sung-gun immediately began speaking.
“Haha, hello Director Shin Dong-chun. How have you been?”
The person on the other end was Director Shin Dong-chun, who directed ‘Exorcism’.
Several hours later.
The weather was sunny, but the world was covered in snow. The massive castle in the mountains was no different. From the castle walls to its structure, it looked quite aged, but the garden’s trees and flowers were oddly well maintained.
However, unlike the white world, the castle was dark.
In terms of atmosphere.
It was incredibly silent and eerie. Its immense size only emphasized that feeling. Someone cautiously peeked into the garden of the castle.
It was a blonde woman.
She wore a faded white dress, stained with faint marks, and a brown apron marked with faint red smudges. Her long blond hair was tied with a random cloth, and a yellowed cloak draped over her. Her attire was extremely shabby.
But her beauty shone.
Clear skin and blue eyes.
Naturally, as she was an unrivaled beauty adored by all the men in the village. Her name was ‘Bella’. Then why had she come to this gloomy castle? Bella, who cautiously scanned the castle, walls, and gardens, slowly began to move.
Then.
-Rustle.
She turned her gaze to the flowers blooming beautifully in the garden. Bella, who had been smiling brightly, suddenly stiffened.
“They didn’t grow naturally. Someone is here.”
The now-serious ‘Bella’ raised her head and looked up at the grand castle. There were many windows, but she couldn’t see anything through them. Though scared, she summoned her courage and slowly moved her feet. Toward the entrance of the castle. The camera followed behind ‘Bella’.
Soon.
-Creeeak.
As ‘Bella’ opened a door taller than herself.
“Wow......”
The inside of the first floor of the castle came into view. Her blue eyes widened at once. She had clearly expected it to be full of dust, but the first floor of the castle was incredibly clean. Though the lights were off and it was dark, it was certain someone was living there.
And ‘Bella’ was captivated by the beauty of the castle.
The towering ceiling, the floor adorned with various patterns, the golden pillars, and the staircases guarded by lion faces. The staircase in front led straight up, then split into two midway, allowing access to the second floor. Furthermore, every piece of furniture and decoration scattered throughout looked luxurious and expensive.
“My goodness.”
Even the smell wasn’t foul. On the contrary, it was fragrant. Eyes wide, ‘Bella’ walked toward the center of the first floor as if entranced. Gazing at the ceiling, the stairs ahead, and the surrounding pillars. She gently brushed a golden pillar nearby with her hand. Not a speck of dust came off. Turning her body, ‘Bella’ then pressed her face to a tall window.
“So clean.”
It was so pristine, it almost felt like nothing was attached to it.
At that moment.
-Smack!
‘Bella’, snapping herself back to focus, slapped both her cheeks with her hands. As if telling herself to get a grip. Though she was naturally curious, she forcibly restrained the growing interest and cautiously called out toward the second floor.
“Is anyone there?”
“......”
No response. Only her voice echoed back.
“I know someone’s living here. Please talk to me.”
“......”
Still, both the first and second floors remained silent.
At that moment.
-Clack!
She heard something. The sound of wood clashing with metal. ‘Bella’ flinched, her eyes growing even wider, and she shouted quickly.
“Wh-Who is it! Hey! I heard you! Don’t hide, come out!”
The sound was certainly there, but no one appeared. Frowning, Bella stood before the staircase leading straight up.
“I’m coming up. Please, come out and talk to me.”
She stepped onto the first stair. Around then, a voice like a whisper seeped into Bella’s ear. There was definitely someone there.
Just as the convinced ‘Bella’ was about to step onto the second stair.
“Stop.”
A heavy, thick, and chilling voice struck from behind. Startled, she let out a frightened gasp and quickly turned around. But there was no one in the large open wooden door.
‘Bella’ stepped down from the stairs and cautiously walked toward the door.
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