Survive! Foolish Bottom!

 

“Why would I do that?” 

 

Haeun retorted, completely forgetting to hide the way he spoke because of how absurd Junwoo’s comment was. By now, he should have accepted this strange setting for this body, but it still didn’t make sense. Every time he experienced something like this, it was shockingly new all over again.  

 

“So, where are you going? Do you have plans?”  

 

“You don’t seem that interested in the answer, though…” 

 

Junwoo trailed off, and Haeun narrowed his eyes at him. Surprisingly, Junwoo said with a soft tone. 

 

“It’s been a while since I’ve made plans.”  

 

Of course, his reply still lacked detail compared to what was asked. With some patience, Haeun asked again.  

 

“I asked where you’re going.”  

 

Finally, he got a proper response. Junwoo, looking a bit exasperated, answered.

 

“The cinema. You are pretty persistent with your questions.”  

 

“Well, it’s frustrating if you don’t answer. What movie are you going to watch?”  

 

Not understanding what was wrong with his question, Haeun added another, prompting Junwoo to let out a small laugh as he asked back.

 

“It’s funny hearing you talk about frustration. Are you going to keep asking until I answer this too?”  

 

Haeun immediately replied without hesitation.

 

“Of course. But isn’t it risky for a celebrity to casually go to the movies, even if no one recognizes you?”  

 

Once again, he added yet another question. Junwoo, after a brief pause, finally responded with an annoyed expression that showed he wasn’t keen on entertaining more questions.  

 

“The theater nearby is rumored to be haunted, so no one goes there. And the sequel to a creature film I saw last year just came out, so I’m going to watch that. Is that enough?”  

 

Junwoo seemed to think this explanation would satisfy Haeun and that he’d let it go. But the mention of the word “creature” had already excited her.  

 

“That sounds fun.”

 

Haeun, originally known for his fearlessness and love of horror movies, especially low-budget creature films and gory slashers, had already made up her mind. Having just enjoyed a good meal and with Junwoo’s affection at an all-time high, there was no reason not to join him for a movie.

 

“I’m coming with you. Let’s go.”

 

Haeun declared, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

 

Junwoo, clearly caught off guard, replied in disbelief, “Hyung, I never said you could come with me.”

 

Ordinarily, Haeun might have shrugged and let it go. But after being dragged around by the system for a month, deprived of any chance for cultural enjoyment, things were different. 

 

Mentally, Haeun was already sitting in the movie theater. He dropped her usual “Park Ha” persona and cheekily asked, “What are you going to do if I tag along?”

 

However, with such an innocent and sweet-looking face, even a bratty tone couldn’t make him seem intimidating. At most, he looked playful. Junwoo stopped walking, looking somewhat unsettled as he stared at Haeun.

 

“Hyung, you’re terrible with scary stuff.”

 

He said, reminding him that “Park Ha” was notoriously bad with anything frightening. Judging by the anxiety that “Park Ha” had felt just hearing scary stories, it was clear the character was easily spooked.

 

For a moment, Haeun hesitated. Maybe Junwoo had a point. But then again, wasn’t there a saying that the mind can conquer the body? That’s why people always talk about the importance of willpower, right?

 

Still, looking at Junwoo’s hesitant expression made Haeun feel a bit awkward. Maybe he’d gone too far, acting so differently from usual. 

 

With the first story arc coming to an end, the system had been giving him more freedom, and he’d gotten a little too comfortable with it. But he couldn’t shake him curiosity about the creature movie. Was Junwoo really that against going together?

 

Maybe he just liked watching movies alone. With that thought in mind, Haeun opened his mouth, ready to offer to sit separately from him if that would make it easier.

 

“Fine, we’ll watch it together then.”

Junwoo finally relented after some deliberation. But there was something off about his expression when he said it. If Haeun had to describe it, it looked like Junwoo was thinking, “I’ve got him now,” or “This should be interesting.”

 

Was he expecting Haeun to freak out and embarrass himself during the movie? Haeun smirked inwardly, resolving to prove him wrong.

 

“Just so you know, it’s not exactly a fun movie,” Junwoo warned.

 

“I don’t care.”

 

“If you get scared halfway through and want to leave, I won’t let you.”

 

“That’s not going to happen,” Haeun shot back confidently.

 

Junwoo clearly wasn’t convinced, but he shrugged it off and started walking toward the theater, with Haeun quickly following behind.

 

Junwoo’s comment about the theater being empty was no exaggeration—it was eerily deserted. Instead of going to the concession stand, he went straight to the ticket kiosk to reserve their seats. Haeun stood by, watching as Junwoo navigated the machine.

 

The movie Junwoo picked was titled “The Hater 2,” and just from the name alone, it sounded like a low-budget mess. The poster was even worse—an awkwardly CGI-ed monster glaring out from the image. Haeun gave Junwoo a curious look. 

 

‘I mean, I like these kinds of movies, but does he really?’

 

With the way he acts, you’d think he’d be the type to say something like, ‘I don’t watch B-movies. They lack depth.’

 

Sensing his gaze, Junwoo glanced back at Haeun, as if he was checking to see if he was second-guessing her decision. But Haeun, determined not to give him that satisfaction, put on a relaxed expression and asked casually.

 

“What about popcorn?”

 

“You have a strong stomach?”

 

Of course, he did. Haeun was the type who could munch on popcorn without flinching, even during the goriest of slasher scenes. He boasted confidently, insisting that Junwoo buy them a large popcorn.

 

With Haeun cradling the popcorn and Junwoo carrying two drinks, they entered the theater. From the looks of it, there were only two or three other people inside besides them. 

 

‘How bad must this movie be to have so few viewers?’ Haeun thought. ‘Why would he even pick something like this? Was it all just a ploy to ditch me, and I was too dumb to catch on?’

 

Despite being a celebrity and opting for the very back row, with so few people around, it felt like they could have danced in the middle of the theater, and no one would care. Haeun glanced at Junwoo curiously.

 

“Do you actually like these kinds of movies?”

 

“I watch them whenever they come out.”

 

“Doesn’t suit you.”

 

Junwoo shot a sideways look at Haeun and shrugged. 

 

“Really? I thought you’d be surprised. You’re the only one who thinks I’m that strange.”

 

“You’re the one who treats me like I’m the weird one,” Haeun retorted instantly.

As they bantered, the commercials began rolling, and Haeun’s excitement grew. It had been so long since she last visited a movie theater. Munching on popcorn even before the movie started, he eagerly waited for the lights to go down. 

 

Junwoo, on the other hand, didn’t touch the popcorn at all. Haeun held the popcorn tub close, shoveling handfuls into his mouth, savoring the moment.

 

When the movie finally started, it turned out to be exactly as expected—not much. It began with a brief recap of the first film’s plot, which Haeun hadn’t seen. Both the storyline and the monsters lacked any real punch. But as a fan of creature features, he pressed on, determined to enjoy it for what it was.

 

But then something odd happened. His hand, holding the popcorn, began to tremble.

 

In his mind, Haeun wasn’t scared at all. But his body seemed to be responding differently, as if it wasn’t under her brain’s control. Despite the unconvincing CG monster devouring people on screen, his back tingled, and his stomach churned. Why was he feeling like this over something so unthreatening?

 

Junwoo seemed to have noticed his discomfort. Leaning in closer, he whispered, “See? I told you it’d be too much for you.”

 

The soft sound of his voice made the hair on the back of his neck stand up even more. 

 

Reflexively, Haeun shot back, “Sh-shut up.”

 

It was just a silly creature, after all. But why was his body betraying him so easily? Had he really become this weak, overtaken by Park Ha’s timid personality? Feeling a bit defeated, he was jolted further when a jump scare exploded on the screen.

 

The popcorn tub, still half-full, went tumbling to the floor with a loud clatter. Normally, Haeun would have reacted with a simple, “Damn, that startled me,” but right now, he was clinging to Junwoo’s arm like his life depended on it.

 

Junwoo, looking down at her clinging to his shoulder like a cicada, shook his head in disbelief. 

 

“If you couldn’t handle it, why’d you insist on coming?”

 

“Th-This never used to happen.”

 

Haeun muttered, feeling utterly drained. The rest of the movie was pure torture. His body kept trembling on its own, and every time a scary scene appeared, he found himself clinging to Junwoo’s arm without meaning to.

 

By the time they left the theater, Haeun was completely worn out. In contrast, Junwoo looked perfectly fine, his calm face making Haeun feel even more irritated. He scolded her with a teasing smile.

 

“Why did you even come along? You said you’d be fine.”

 

“I… I thought I would be.” 

 

Haeun mumbled, too exhausted to even argue. At this point, he almost wished the system would take over and control his body outright. It would have been better than his body acting on its own like this while the system remained silent.

 

‘Am I really going to end up living like this?’ 

 

He thought, letting out a sigh of frustration. Junwoo glanced down at him, noticing his worn-out state.

 『Junwoo’s favorability has increased by 2!』 

Wait, what? What part of this situation made him like him more? Confused, Haeun raised his weary eyes to look at Junwoo. Almost as if reading his thoughts, Junwoo started explaining on his own.

 

“I’ve been thinking lately that you’ve been acting really weird.”

 

“Weird? How?”

 

“Just… in a lot of ways. Your way of speaking, your behavior—everything’s been off.”

 

Haeun thought he’d already been doing his best to tone things down, but apparently, it wasn’t enough. He narrowed his eyes at Junwoo, not pleased with his answer.

 

“You were paying attention to the movie, right?”

 

“I barely remember it.”

 

Haeun replied, still too rattled to care much about what had happened on screen.

 

Junwoo suddenly started explaining the plot of the movie, and Haeun had no idea why. 

 

“So, in season 1, the main character was some kind of researcher, right? They were working on an experiment and ended up creating that monster.”

 

Haeun blinked, still not sure where this conversation was going. 

 

“But then the protagonist and the monster switched bodies,” Junwoo continued.

 

“What? I had no idea that’s what it was about.”

 

“Yeah, they didn’t really show that in the recap. So basically, the monster we saw in this movie had the mind of the doctor from the first movie.”

 

To be honest, Haeun didn’t remember much about the film beyond the monster wreaking havoc and his own trembling fear throughout. He glanced at Junwoo, wondering what prompted this explanation. He noticed his puzzled expression and shrugged with a smile.

 

“It’s a pretty cheap movie, but I liked that part. The whole thing about a monster pretending to be human.”

 

Haeun stared at him, trying to process what he said. It was clear Junwoo found something in the movie that he completely missed while he was busy clinging to his arm.

Hey guys, this is Flo!

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