Superstar From Age 0

“Do you want to watch it here?”

“Let's do it!”

Lim Ye-na nodded her head in agreement with Song Yu-jung's words.

They both wanted to watch the video as soon as possible.

If it was a video that lasted for more than a few minutes, they would have gone to Lim Ye-na's nearby house and watched it carefully. But since it was only a little over two minutes long, they decided to watch it right here.

Song Yu-jung and Lim Ye-na looked around for a moment.

This place was a cafe inside the university they attended, an open space where many students could chat comfortably.

Today, there were more people doing individual assignments that only required tapping on their laptops, rather than group projects that could make loud noises.

It was quieter than usual.

Feeling relieved that they could concentrate, the two of them put on their earphones and looked at their laptops with excited faces.

They switched the screen to full screen mode, and the report that they had been working on was long gone from their minds.

“The screen is so big and nice.”

“I know, right?”

The wide laptop screen was much better than the palm-sized phone.

Song Yu-jung and Lim Ye-na held their breaths and clicked the play button.

The background of the video was the Cocoa Entertainment practice room, which was fairly well-known to the public.

Judging by the title that said ‘re-enactment’, it seemed like they had filmed it again from scratch.

[Hello. I'm actor Lee Seo-jun.]

Seo-jun was standing in the practice room and smiling brightly.

[I took the practical exam at Korea National University today. I think I showed you everything I prepared hard for, so I feel relieved. It's all thanks to the support of the Sprouts and everyone else. Thank you very much.]

Seo-jun bowed his head and continued his speech.

[As a token of my gratitude, I prepared a re-enactment video of the practical exam. This practical video has some editing, so it might be a little different from the other practical videos, but please enjoy it.]

Seo-jun's greeting ended and the screen turned black. Then, it brightened up again.

The place was still the practice room and Seo-jun was standing there.

‘…Wait, what?’

He had the same smiling face as before, but he felt strangely creepy and cold.

He stopped smiling and moved his feet quietly toward the door. Then he reached out his hand.

[Click]

The screen showed a close-up of his hand and the doorknob.

Maybe because there was no background sound, the sound of locking the door seemed unusually loud.

The man who locked the door turned around and spoke in a gentle tone.

[I'm coming.]

Song Yu-jung and Lim Ye-na stared at the screen without blinking.

They had watched Seo-jun's practical exam videos at Yeoul Arts High School and Mirinae Arts High School again after they became popular, so they could clearly tell the difference.

Unlike the previous two videos where the camera angle was fixed, this edited video had full shots and close-up shots alternating, making it more flashy and immersive.

Of course, they thought about that later.

Right now, they were just mesmerized by Seo-jun's acting in the video.

The laptop screen was filled with his sparkling eyes and cold smile, making Song Yu-jung and Lim Ye-na swallow their saliva.

***

[In the name of God.]

With his voice filled with madness as his last words, the screen turned black again.

They had watched without breathing or blinking for less than two minutes, and then they came to their senses.

“Wow… What is this?”

Song Yu-jung couldn't help but exclaim that.

It didn't seem like an acting for a practical exam at all.

If she only saw the close-up shots where the background and clothes were not visible, she would think it was part of a finished work.

She felt like she could see the other actor, Jake Doble, who was not visible before.

She rubbed her arms that had goosebumps and admired the video, while the screen turned black and the replay button appeared.

‘I have to watch this again!’

No, she had to watch it until she got sick of it.

She forgot where she was and what she was doing, and quickly reached out her hand to the mouse.

“Excuse me…”

Then, she heard a voice from behind.

Song Yu-jung was startled by the sudden voice and looked back.

She didn't notice until now, but there were five people standing behind her.

They all looked embarrassed.

They had finished their assignments and were on their way back, when they saw the laptop screen and stopped to watch it until the end.

Was this how silent movies were like?

They were captivated by the screen without any sound, and they couldn't help but stop their steps. But they thought it would be better if there was sound.

One of them opened his mouth.

“Can I ask you what you were watching?”

***

-What is this… This is no joke…

=22 Is he a real villain or what?

=333 He's different from Jin Natra in terms of creepiness.

-I wish it wasn't a practical video? I want to see more.

-Where did the knife come from? It came out of nowhere and surprised me?? 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

=It came out of his sleeve. Shoo!

-??I’m watching this on the subway and the people next to me are watching it too??

=Me too?? I'm watching this at work?? People started gathering around??

-It's a good thing it's only two minutes long… I almost missed my stop because I was so absorbed.

=…I kept watching it again and missed it??

-But where did they get this scene from? A movie? A drama?

=It says below. In the Name of God.

=I looked it up and it's an American indie film.

=No wonder… The name he called was Jake Doble??

-I want to see the original work too.

=22 I want to know the situation before and after. Where can I watch this?

=333 Where can I watch American indie films?

-How does Seo-jun find these movies?

=It's probably because the director is Jonathan Will.

=?? Who's that?

=The nephew of the Shadowman director!!

=…What?!

The reporters who shouted ‘As expected of Seo-jun!’ uploaded their articles in a hurry, not long after the video was uploaded.

[Actor Lee Seo-jun reveals his practical re-enactment video on YouTube!]

[In the Name of God, an award-winning American indie film!]

[Jonathan Will, the director and the nephew of Shadowman director!]

[Watch In the Name of God on Plus+!]

-I don't know how many times I've watched this.

=22 It seems like I watch more because it's short.

-It was an award-winning indie film. I didn't know that.

=Well… We don't even know our own indie films.

-It's on Plus+! Let's go watch it!

-Plus+ has everything, lol.

-22 There are some things that make me wonder if they really exist.

-But they're fun, lol.

***

Song Yu-jung and Lim Ye-na quickly packed their bags and headed to Lim Ye-na's house, which was close to the school.

They wanted to let people know that the video they uploaded was Seo-jun's acting.

“Let's watch it right away since it's on Plus+!”

“I didn't expect you to look for foreign indie films.”

“I was curious about the context, so I couldn't help it.”

The two of them connected Plus+ to the TV and settled in front of it.

Suddenly, they remembered their report, but they thought it would be better to leave it to their future selves.

They ignored the report that was trying to assert its presence and entered Plus+.

They tried to search for [In the name of God], but they burst into laughter.

It seemed like the video had been uploaded less than 30 minutes ago, but [In the name of God] was already on the main screen of Plus+.

“Plus+ is almost like a fan site for Seo-jun, isn't it?”

“I know, right?”

Song Yu-jung and Lim Ye-na chuckled and clicked the play button.

The screen showed [In the name of God] in letters and the movie started.

An unknown building, 13 people woke up on the top floor.

[Where are we?]

[Who are you?!]

Judging by the situation, the 13 people seemed to be strangers to each other.

Seo-jun's lines came to mind.

Invitation.

There must have been one of the 13 people who invited the others, the character that Seo-jun played.

That must have been the biggest twist of this movie, but they felt a bit disappointed. But then they realized it wasn't.

‘…I don't know which character Seo-jun played.’

They knew there was a culprit who planned all this, but they didn't know who it was.

Song Yu-jung and Lim Ye-na scanned the faces of the 13 people.

They excluded Jake Doble, a man who was called by that name. That left 12 people.

There were women and men mixed, but Seo-jun's acting could be done by either gender.

‘Is it this woman? No, that man looks suspicious?’

They started to look for the culprit, but everyone except Jake Doble looked suspicious.

Before they knew it, song Yu-jung and Lim Ye-na were engrossed in the movie.

The 13 people tried to go down to the first floor instead of going out through the sealed windows. But it wasn't easy.

There were traps in the building that seemed to have been set up by the culprit.

The 13 criminals revealed their true nature and doubted and attacked each other and fell into traps. One by one, they died until there were only seven left.

The movie was rated 15+, so it showed what it needed to show and hid what it needed to hide.

The director did a good job of balancing it.

Seven people were trapped in a room. There was nothing in the room.

But it was okay. This was the first floor.

If they went out through that door, everything would be over.

Unlike the seven people who were happy, song Yu-jung and Lim Ye-na swallowed their saliva. They had a feeling that Seo-jun's acting part would come up soon.

The camera focused on a man.

He was one of the most ordinary-looking men among the 13 people.

He smiled brightly.

He was someone they thought would never be him.

Song Yu-jung and Lim Ye-na opened their mouths wide.

A different kind of madness from what Seo-jun showed filled his eyes.

He walked back and pressed a spot on the wall.

As if to block the windows and doors, iron bars fell down with a clank.

Aha.

Seo-jun expressed that as ‘locking the door’.

[I surrender.]

[I invited you all here.]

The man revealed his identity and Jake Doble, who was furious, was stabbed with a knife.

He had already been injured by several traps, so he easily succumbed.

A young man who looked timid threw his coat at the culprit to stop him.

[In the name of God.]

The man smiled with a devout face.

That was where Seo-jun's acting video ended.

The man pressed another button next to him.

The gaps in both walls opened and arrows rained down like hail.

Two more people died along with Jake Doble and two more were severely injured.

One person who was relatively okay sat down on the floor.

It was the young man who threw his coat.

He had an arrow stuck in his leg and couldn't move.

He breathed heavily.

The arrows stopped.

The man listed the wrongdoings of the dead criminals with a pious face and stabbed and pulled out a dagger from the bodies of the injured.

Judgment, God's name, punishment, penalty, retribution, etc.

The young man who heard the words of the man trembled and opened his mouth desperately.

[I didn't commit any crime. You said judgment? Punishment? Then you shouldn't kill me who is innocent…!]

[…]

The man looked at the young man quietly.

He felt like he was persuaded by his words and spoke faster.

[Please tell me why you think I'm a criminal. I’ll explain anything, honestly. I’ll prove that I didn't commit that crime! Was it this year? Or last year?]

The young man who thought he had lived a law-abiding and sincere life begged with tears.

[My family is waiting for me outside. Please… I didn't do anything wrong…!]

[I know.]

[Please! Please… Huh?]

The young man who was begging on the floor slowly lifted his head.

He must have heard wrong. But his eyes were trembling with anxiety.

[Wh-what did you just…?]

[I said I know. You didn't do anything wrong.]

The man's voice was heard and the young man's face was filled with despair.

[This is just]

As if mocking his stupidity, the man wiped away his face that had been devout while calling ‘God’.

[I'm doing this because it's fun.]

He raised his arm with a knife high.

[Where is God in this world?]

And the screen was dyed black.

[In the name of God]

[Jonathan Will]

Song Yu-jung and Lim Ye-na were stunned by the unexpected twist.

***

-Jonathan: JUUUUUN?!

-Jonathan: What is this?!?!

‘He's fast.’

Seo-jun was surprised by the message from Jonathan Will that came in less than 15 minutes after he uploaded the video.

He expected him to watch it early since it was afternoon in LA, but he didn't expect such a quick response.

[436] The team gathered in the first practice room and watched [In the name of God] on a large screen while Seo-jun quietly went outside.

They didn't even notice Seo-jun leaving because they were focused on the screen.

[lol, did you watch it?

-Jonathan: Of course I did! I subscribed to Jun's channel!

He didn't know that, so Seo-jun smiled slightly.

-Jonathan: Uncle watched it too! He said you did well.

He thought he should send a message to Director Ryan later and replied with a smile.

[How did you like it, Jonathan?

-Jonathan: I liked it too! You acted well!

-Jonathan: You brought out the culprit in my head exactly. I didn't expect it to be so impressive without a co-star. No, wait, that's not it-!!

-Jonathan: If I knew you were interested in this script, I would have made it later!

-Jonathan: It would have been a more awesome movie…!

It seemed like Jonathan was wailing as if he regretted it.

Seo-jun chuckled and exchanged messages with Jonathan.