Chapter 21

“Good morning,” I greeted as I walked into the office. The chatter among the announcers abruptly stopped.

I glanced at the clock—8:00 AM, well before official work hours. Only a few people were there, and none returned my greeting. I felt their cold stares as I passed through the corridor in silence.

When I set my bag down at my desk, one announcer caught my eye.

“Hyun-jung, good morning,” I greeted her.

“Oh… yes, good morning,” she replied, tense. Then another colleague called, “Hyun-jung, want to grab coffee? We’re heading out now.” Her response was cheerful: “Absolutely, let’s go!”

They left, casting a quick glance my way.

“Today’s the audition, right?” someone whispered.

“Yeah. It’s after lunch.”

Their hushed voices followed me as I settled in. I looked at the schedule pinned to my desk—today’s audition date stared back at me. A peculiar atmosphere had been growing among the announcers for days.

“Seo Rin is really doing it,” I thought, bitterness rising. The rumor mill had exploded since the shareholders’ meeting. I was sure Seo Rin was the source, her hatred thinly veiled. I recalled our confrontation outside the recording booth: “You have no proof.”

That sneer of hers stayed burned in my mind. Days had passed since, but her disdainful gaze remained vivid.

A hush filled the empty office. In the restroom corridor, I heard murmurs again:

“Announcer Yoon is so ruthless—she’s even coming back with sick parents.”

“Her parents are at death’s door, yet she rushes to become an anchor. Obsessed with work.”

“She should be caring for them instead.”

“A chaebol heiress—why did she return at all? So strange.”

The fabrication was absurd.

“Ruthless with work…” I brushed hair out of my face, repulsed. They accused me of greed—did Seo Rin crave my position that much? Or was she terrified of the open audition?

I wondered how far she’d stoop to drag me down.

—-

Morning work flew by. After makeup, I headed down to the audition floor. As the elevator doors opened, I spotted someone unexpected.

“Why is he here?”

There, among the corridor crowd, stood Seo Jae-Ha in a suit, chatting and laughing with the station boss.

“What the heck is going on?” I thought.

They walked into the studio. He glanced around, seemingly indifferent, and then locked eyes with me. His look flickered subtly.

“What time is the audition?” he asked the boss.

“It should start soon—2 PM, I believe.”

“Yes, we’re starting at 2 PM.”

The service exit opened. A staff member spotted me and rushed over, slightly out of breath and overly enthusiastic, “Announcer Yoon! We’ve been trying to reach you.”

“Me?” I asked, surprised.

“Yes! Why didn’t you pick up?”

She was out of breath, having run around looking for me.

I felt a little sorry when I saw the beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

“I’m sorry. I haven’t seen my phone since a while ago.” I was planning on going to the waiting room to look for it anyway. I must have left it somewhere while going back and forth between the audition waiting room and the dressing room.

Then she said, “Director wants to see you—downstairs, set B2, right now.”

“Now?” I checked my watch. The audition would start soon, and the director hadn’t called me to the studio. It made no sense.

The set labeled “Studio 2, Basement Level” was a small production space used only for drama shoots.

As if sensing my confusion, the staff member scratched the back of her head and said,

“I just got the message through the internal messenger. It only said to come down right away, that it was urgent.”

“Really? Could you try calling the director for me?”

She handed me her phone, and I dialed the director’s number, but all I got was a string of unanswered rings.

“He’s not answering, is he?”

“No. Must be busy. I’ll just go down and check. Thanks.”

I handed the phone back to her.

It might really be something urgent, and since my turn in the audition wasn’t until the end, I figured it’d be fine to slip away briefly.

‘There’s no helping it.’

At that moment, my eyes met Jae-Ha’s from across the crowd.

He nodded toward the studio with his chin, asking if I wasn’t going in.

I gave him a slight shake of the head.

Then I turned and headed toward Studio 2 in the basement.

****

At the far end of the hallway, I opened the door labeled “Studio.”

I flicked the switch just outside the door, and the lights flickered on.

It was clearly the set of a recently wrapped drama, with props still scattered throughout.

“Looks like it hasn’t been dismantled yet…”

The studio was completely empty. The director hadn’t arrived yet.

As I wandered around, taking in the surroundings, the door opened again.

“What are you doing here?”

I thought it was the director, but the one who stepped into the studio was none other than Jae-Ha.

He strode confidently over to where I stood alone.

“Ah… the director called for me.”

“Here? The auditions are about to start, aren’t they?”

He chuckled dryly, clearly finding this odd. Taking in the surroundings, he dropped down onto a couch nearby.

“Yeah, it is weird. But what about you? How’d you know I was here?”

“I asked one of the staff.” He had been touring the station just moments ago—now here he was, as if it was nothing.

“It was so boring. I ditched the tour.”

“Huh?”

His dry demeanor flashed through my mind. All that explanation had probably been meant for himself.

“I told them I had an urgent call and ran away. My secretary is probably suffering through the rest right now.”

“Ah…”

“Anyway, I don’t think Director Lee’s coming. Let’s get out of here.” He stood up with a sigh.

But just then—

—Clack.

A sharp click echoed through the quiet studio.

The door had locked.

“……?”

Alarmed, I ran over and grabbed the doorknob. I twisted it again and again, but it didn’t budge.

And then—the lights went out.

Pitch-black darkness swallowed the entire room.

“Wait, hold on a second!”

I pounded on the door, my voice echoing in the emptiness.

“There’s someone in here!”

Nothing. Only retreating footsteps fading in the distance.

There were no windows here. It was complete darkness.

“Who… who would do this…?”

Panic spread. Who had come all the way down to a basement studio to lock us in?

I could hear footsteps thumping in the pitch-black darkness where I couldn’t see anything.

“Jae-Ha? Where are you?”

My voice trembled as I called out. My grip tightened on the doorknob.

“I’m here. Are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah… I just can’t see anything.”

Then a faint light cut through the dark—his phone flashlight.

I spotted him and sank to the floor in relief.

“Can’t we open it from inside?” He was already by the door, fiddling with the knob.

“No… It’s double-locked. Must’ve been done from outside.”

“Damn. Can we turn the lights on from inside?”

“It’s a temp studio. There should be a switch along the wall. Wait, I’ll—”

—Thud!

I tripped on something and hit the floor hard.

“Ack! Ow.”

Startled, Jae-Ha rushed over.

“Are you hurt? Damn, I told you not to move in the dark.”

In the faint phone light, his worried face came into view.

Blood smeared my palms—I’d scraped them badly.

“You’re bleeding. Seriously, you need to fix that impulsiveness, Yoon Yeo-Jin.”

He gently helped me to my feet, glancing down at my hands with a pained expression—almost more hurt than I was.

“What if you’d been locked in here alone? Without me?”

He reached out again, his voice softer now.

“Just stay put. I’ll take care of it.”

He called his secretary.

“Yeah, Secretary Han. We’re stuck in Studio B2. Yeo-Jin, that’s what it’s called, right?”

“Yes! Studio B2!”

“We’re locked inside. Come down now.”

Then he pointed his light toward the wall.

“Which switch is it? There are a bunch.”

“It’s my first time here too. Try anything.”

After a moment—

—Click.

A bright, blinding floodlight flared on, shining directly into my face.

‘Wh-What is this—’

I squinted, but it was too bright.

The strong light pouring down on me brought back horrible memories of that day that I had forgotten.

A black car rushed at me at full speed in front of the courthouse.

I could feel the surrounding noise and even the air touching my skin vividly.

As if I had returned to the same place before I returned.

I could hear the sound of tires tearing apart as they suddenly stopped before the collision.

I was hit by this car and died.

It was just a flashback. But so vivid, it felt real.

“No—don’t come near me! Gasp… ha…”

I couldn’t breathe. My chest was crushed. I gasped and gasped, but no air came in.

I collapsed.

‘I… can’t… breathe…’

My mind became confused.

No matter how much I opened my mouth, I couldn’t breathe. I clutched my tightly clogged chest.

“Yeo-Jin!”

His voice came from far away. He ran to me.

“What’s wrong? Are you sick?”

I shook my head, breathless. I pointed weakly to the light.

“T-The light… I-I can’t breathe when…”

He immediately blocked the beam with his body.

But even then, the lingering brightness made it hard to calm down.

“Damn it! You’re hyperventilating. Yeo-Jin, focus!”

Jae-Ha’s voice, still holding my shoulder as I gasped for breath, grew distant. y