Superstar From Age 0

Chapter 222

Jack!

Seo-jun smiled widely at the sight of Jack Smith, whom he hadnt seen in a long time.

With only two days left until the crank-in, the Shadowman team decided to take a break from work and have some leisure time. 

They expected to be very busy once they started filming, so they all enjoyed their vacation as if it was their last.

Seo-jun also came to meet Jack Smith to enjoy his vacation.

He could have met him enough during his action training, but Jack Smith was busy with baseball training at that time.

Come on in!

Jack greeted Seo-jun with a smile. 

The Smith family had moved once because of Jacks school. 

Seo-jun, who had been to this house with a yard before, entered the house familiarly. 

Jack greeted Anh Da Ho and brought some drinks.

Wow. You really look like a baseball player now.

Seo-jun admired Jack Smiths appearance, who was taller than his peers. 

Jack Smith, who was only a year older than Seo-jun, seemed to grow bigger every time he saw him.

Well, this is the basic level.

Jacks shoulders shrugged at Seo-juns compliment. 

Seo-jun, who knew how hard he had worked to build up his physique, laughed.

It feels like yesterday when you cried for my doll.

At Seo-juns words, Jack blushed and covered his face with his large palms.

That was 10 years ago and you still remember it?

Of course.

They had grown up like brothers, living next door to each other. 

Jack also remembered Seo-jun when he was younger. 

He also remembered how he always stuck to him.

My mom and dad said the same thing. How much I cried, how you gave me your doll with pity even though you were a year younger, how I always followed you when you went out to play.

They fought sometimes, but they forgot about it as soon as they turned around and went out to play together.

They said I grew up so strong thanks to your mukbang.

Hmm. Thats not wrong.

Jack laughed at Seo-juns words.

The two of them shared their stories that had piled up over time. 

Their school life, their friends stories. 

They were trivial stories and they had exchanged them through messages, but it was more fun to talk face to face.

Jack looked up at the clock while they were talking happily.

Shall we change our clothes then?

Seo-jun also looked at the clock and nodded.

Yeah. Lets do that. But wouldnt it be better to come to my house if were going to dress up as zombies? Jonathan would have lent us some materials if we asked him.

Thats too professional.

Jack chuckled as he took out the bright red face painting paint he had bought in advance.

This is just a small festival.

Today was the last day of October.

The festival day of ghosts and spirits, and things beyond human.

It was Halloween.

Seo-jun and Jack decided to dress up at home and go out. 

Anh Da Ho and the bodyguards also dressed up simply.

They changed into the blood-stained clothes they had prepared with great care a few days ago and came out. 

Seo-jun blinked his eyes when he saw Jack.

What is that?

A baseball player bitten by a zombie.

It seemed like he reused his old baseball uniform, as Smiths name was written on the back. 

Seo-jun narrowed his eyes as he looked at the baseball uniform covered in red paint.

Do you have to show off that youre a baseball player even now?

What are you then?

A patient bitten by a zombie. The Escape version.

He tore and painted his O.W.C. hospital gown that his dad sent from Korea with his mom.

Well done. You picked well. Youll never get caught.

Huh?

Jack smiled satisfiedly as he spoke and Seo-jun tilted his head.

No, sit here. Lets do your face too.

But wouldnt it be better to cover my face if there are a lot of people? With glasses or a mask or something.

He was confident that he could hide his identity even without covering his face, but it would be unsettling for others to see him. 

His mom, who heard about the Halloween festival, recommended him to wear a half-mask like the Phantom of the Opera.

At that, Jack shook his head as he smeared red paint on Seo-juns face at random.

Zombies are the least noticeable today.

Huh?

Doing something else will make you stand out more. There. Done. Do me too.

? Okay.

Seo-jun took the brush and painted Jack Smiths face with red paint. 

He recalled how he did makeup when he filmed Escape and moved the brush skillfully, making him look like a real zombie. 

Seo-jun used Jack Smiths face as a practice ground and looked in the mirror to fix his own makeup.

Seo-jun and Jack, Anh Da Ho and the bodyguards, who finished their makeup, got in the car and headed to the Halloween festival.

Seo-jun and Anh Da Ho, who were looking at the people walking outside the window, had strange expressions on their faces.

Are these people all zombies?

Yeah.

Jack laughed at Seo-juns surprised look.

Most of the people heading to the Halloween festival were wearing clothes with bright red blood stains all over them. Since those clothes were usually worn by zombies, it meant that they were all dressed up as zombies.

And they look similar to hospital gowns?

Seo-jun looked back and forth between his O.W.C. hospital gown and the clothes people were wearing and found another strange point.

Their faces are fine? Only their clothes look like zombies Are they the new ghosts of LA?

Jack shrugged his shoulders at Seo-juns question.

There are face painting booths at the festival. They probably plan to do their faces there too. You came here after doing it at home because you would be exposed right away if you got it there.

I see.

As they parked the car and headed to the festival, Jack was right. 

There were face painting booths everywhere. 

People with messy clothes were standing in line, laughing and joking. 

It seemed like more than half of the people who participated in the Halloween festival were dressed up as zombies.

Kyaaa! Zombies!

Ahahaha!

The children who looked at each other and laughed, dressed up as zombies, made Seo-jun tilt his head.

Didnt witches or vampires used to be popular?

I did a goblin.

Baby Seo-jun was a little sad because no one recognized him. 

Of course, he soon forgot about it and had a blast playing with the monsters.

Then, Seo-jun, who was lost in his memories, felt Jack Smith poke his side.

Its because of you.

Me?

Thats when it happened.

[I cant let this moment pass by.]

Huh?

He heard Korean. 

It was a song he knew well.

This song

Its Midnight.

Midnight Jack. How do you know?

It was Midnight by Red Crown. 

The sound of the song made the people dressed up as zombies turn their heads to where the song was coming from.

They all moved in the direction of the song.

Grrrr. 

As the adults moved, the children also followed them with a grrrr sound. 

Those who had not yet received makeup were stomping their feet.

Grrrrr.

It was a spectacular sight to see a horde of zombies moving in the same direction without any signal or anyones words. 

It was so powerful that it made the bodyguards who were guarding Seo-jun back off.

Seo-jun and Anh Da Ho, who felt like they had entered a movie, looked at the zombie horde with a flustered expression. In the meantime, many zombies were moving in one direction.

What is this?

What do you mean? Its Escape.

Huh?

Jack Smith explained with a smile.

It all started with a post. 

Someone posted a message while talking about the LA Halloween festival.

[Title: Anyone want to play Escape at LA Halloween!!!]

Zombies: The more, the better.

Im Jang-woo, Yeon Jae Hee, Go Joo Won: The three of them have to wander around together.

Im and Yeon have water guns! Joo Won has a toy bow!

Of course, Joo Won also has to shoot water guns!

-Oh my! How did they come up with this idea!

-I want to be a zombie!

-Me too!

-Oh. I have to do Hunters with my friends.

=Hunters?

=Im Jang-woo, Yeon Jae Hee, Go Joo Won!

-The writers favorite is Go Joo Won, right? Only his name is Joo Won

Seo-jun and Anh Da Ho opened their eyes wide at Jack Smiths story.

Escape play?

Yeah. The post that started as a half-joke got explosively popular. People are coming from other states too.

Wow.

There were also some rules added.

-Lets make some rules while were at it.

- When you get hit by a water gun, freeze for 3 minutes!

=Isnt 3 minutes too long? Lets make it 30 seconds!

=OK!!

-No running because you might get hurt and there are a lot of people!

-Only shoot people who have marks on them because they might not want to get wet.

=Or we can set up zones.

=Thats good! Ill tell the organizers! It would be nice to mark them separately.

-I can do zombie face painting, do you need me?

=Yes! Definitely!

=Me too! Please come!

When the organizers saw the peoples reactions, they were speechless.

They prepared in advance, wondering if they would really come or not.

They expanded the venue, secured parking lots, asked nearby restaurants for food.

What about the zombies?!

They needed an event that would satisfy so many zombies.

Music! Lets play music!

[Title: Announcement from LA Halloween.]

This is an announcement for the zombies who are participating in the Escape event.

If you follow the songs that came out in Escape, you will find candy and stamps.

If you bring more than five stamps, you will get a zombie cookie.

Caution: There are also trap songs. Be careful not to get them wrong!

-Wow! Im going for an all-clear challenge!

-The organizers are fast

-LA. They know how to have fun Im jealous.

Whoever posted it must not have imagined this many people would come.

Jack Smith looked at the bustling zombie horde with a distant look. Seo-jun and Anh Da Ho also nodded their heads without knowing it.

After that, Korean songs and songs from Escape flowed out from various places in the LA Halloween festival.

When the song started, the zombies stopped moving at once. And they perked up their ears and listened to see if the song was right or wrong. 

And when a song from Escape came out, they all headed in the direction where the song was coming from.

They had happy smiles on their faces, but they were no different from zombies who were sensitive to sound.

Hyung Anh Da Ho. We could film a zombie movie here, right?

Anh Da Ho agreed with Seo-juns words.

[The forgotten-]

Another song came out. 

A zombie who perked up his ears opened his mouth.

Is this a Korean song? Should we go that way?

No, its a Korean song but not this one. It didnt come out in Escape.

Really?

Every now and then, other Korean songs came out like traps. 

The zombies who went in the direction of the sound looked at the X mark in front of them and laughed while tapping their foreheads. 

It was a fun event even if they got it wrong.

There he is! Go Joo Won!

At that voice, Seo-jun and Jack Smith, Anh Da Ho, and the bodyguards flinched. 

Seo-jun thought he had entered acting mode for a moment.

Theres Im Jang-woo too! So cute!

Yeon!

The ones who shouted were the little hunters who disguised themselves as Go Joo Won, Im Jang-woo, and Yeon Jae Hee.

The little Go Joo Won, who held a toy bow, wore an armguard, a chest guard, and a quiver on his shoulder. He was accompanied by the little Yeon Jae Hee, who held a plastic molotov cocktail, and the little Im Jang-woo, who held a newspaper pipe.

They are cute, but did they watch Escape?

Its not for all ages, so they probably didnt.

But they were cute enough, they thought.

The excited little hunters headed to one side. Seo-jun and Anh Da Ho burst into laughter when they saw the name written in front of the area divided by a yellow police line.

[O.W.C. Hospital]

When the children shot water guns at the zombies inside the [O.W.C Hospital], the zombies either dodged or pretended to freeze when they got hit. 

The children laughed and the wet zombies also laughed.

On one side, zombies who wore zombie makeup were talking about zombies. The blood-stained lab coats made them look like O.W.C. researchers.

Theres no clear criterion for turning. Some people get infected quickly when they get bitten and some take longer.

Maybe it depends on where they get bitten?

I think it might take longer if you have a good immune system. The elderly patients turned into zombies pretty fast.

Whats the difference between a security guard and a doctor?

They didnt know if they were enjoying the Halloween festival or having a zombie debate.

Then Seo-jun saw a white paper.

[O.W.C. Research Center]

It was not a sign like [O.W.C Hospital], but a paper taped to the wall. 

It seemed like it was made by the zombies who were debating there, not by the organizers.

The zombies and people who passed by saw the paper fluttering and laughed. Seo-jun and Jack Smith also cracked up.

After touring around the Halloween festival, Seo-jun felt like he understood why Jack said his zombie makeup wouldnt stand out. 

There were zombies who wore O.W.C hospital clothes everywhere.

Not only that, but the children who dressed up as ghosts, witches, and so on also persuaded their parents to turn into zombies.

This is crazy. Escape.

Right. Escape was so popular. It still is.

He knew it was a huge hit from the revenue that Movie Dream told him, but seeing the impact directly with his eyes felt more real.

[A baby lion, tu tu ru tu tu! Cute, tu tu ru tu tu! In the jungle, tu tu ru tu tu! A baby lion!]

A song that anyone who watched Escape would never forget came out of the speaker. 

The zombies who were hesitant about other songs also moved right away this time.

Jun. Lets go too.

Yeah!

Seo-jun and Jack Smith also joined the zombie crowd with a smile.

***

[LA! Zombie horde appears?!]

[The second O.W.C Hospital! The second O.W.C Research Center! LA branch!]

[The Pied Piper, no, music! A flash mob of zombies!?]

[Is this how it goes up? The songs from Escape are on the chart!]

[Escape in Halloween festival!]

-Wow. That looks fun! I want to do it too!

-I want to be Go Joo Won!!

=Face?

=Ill be Im Jang-woo.

-The kids are cute

-It really looks like The Pied Piper. They all flock together

-Its amazing how many articles there are, but it seems like foreigners also watched Escape a lot.

=222 There was a foreigner who posted an analysis of zombies. There was also an analysis of the vaccine. There were opinions on life extension too It looked like he was related to the field.

=Here comes science again

-What can I say? I feel like we lost to LA.

=22 Why are they having more fun than us?

=333 Lets do it too! Halloween! Escape play!

= Halloween is already over

=Lets do it next year.

-Moviegoer nim. I was planning to participate in LA Halloween, but I couldnt go because of diarrhea I cant leave my hotel room.

=Moviegoer nim You seem to have bad luck.

=Lets do it in Korea next year. Moviegoer nim

-Hey. Did you see this?! (YouTube channel [JUN] link)

[Title: I went to LA Halloween festival!]

Hello. This is Lee Seo-jun. Today is my day off from action training, so I went to the Halloween festival with my friend.

Seo-jun, who wore zombie makeup, said with a smile.

I was really happy that you all loved Escape so much. I also participated in the Escape event and got eight stamps and a zombie cookie. The zombie cookie was delicious.

He showed the half-eaten zombie cookie that had its upper body missing.

The little hunters were cute and the O.W.C Hospital and the O.W.C Research Center were really fun. I laughed all day today.

His cheerful mood could be felt through the video. 

After he briefly shared his festival review, Lee Seo-juns video ended and comments appeared.

-Wow! I saw that hospital uniform!

=Everyone wore hospital uniforms.

=There were a lot of hospital uniforms.

-I think I saw him! There was a big guy next to him, a bodyguard?

=A friend?

-Oh. I looked at the picture and it looks like Jun.(A zoomed-in picture of Lee Seo-jun who was faintly captured.)

=It looks like him?!

-Oh. I have Jun in my video!

=Lets see!

=Here!(YouTube link)

Unlike the American reactions, who were surprised and happy by the superstars surprise appearance, the Korean reactions were flooded with tears of pity.

-Oh my

-Oh Moviegoer nim, what are you going to do

-He really has bad luck

-This is the real fan who cant meet his idol.

=222 Fans cant meet their idols.

-Moviegoer posted. He got a critical hit and cant do the broadcast tomorrow

=Critical hit! Critical hit! Critical hit!

=Moviegoer nim. Do you have any HP left?