Chapter 122.3

‘Wow.’

Seeing them like this… It felt surreal.

It was like I’d gone back in time, to just before we entered the ‘Hungry Hangman’ Darkness.

“I never thought I’d see you all here! It’s good to see you. Have you all been well?”

Chief Lizard and Assistant Manager Eun Haje both nodded.

Supervisor Park Minseong, making eye contact with me, gave a smile and a wave. He looked a little pale—but otherwise, healthy.

It’s such a relief to see that he had recovered enough to go out at night and do other things like this.

“Yeah, we’re doing fine… But, Roe. Are you okay? How have you been?”

“Ah. I’ve been doing well.”

That, I could confidently say.

But in the end, I couldn’t hold back my curiosity.

“Actually, today was my first appearance on the show… I was wondering what you thought of it. I was a little nervous.”

Silence.

“It was very good.”

“…Thank you.”

Phew.

The pause was a little unsettling, but Assistant Manager Eun Haje wasn’t the type to give empty praise.

I decided not to overthink it.

“By the way, have you eaten today?”

“Eaten? I…”

Oh.

Come to think of it… it had been a while since I last ate.

Since before the broadcast, maybe?

Or was it back on the train, before I switched jobs?

Something like that.

But my body felt perfectly fine, so it wasn’t a problem!

Besides, this wasn’t the time or place for a personal conversation like that.

I waved a hand dismissively, smiling.

“I’m fine without it.”

“……”

Supervisor Park Minseong quickly searched his pockets and pulled something out.

“Roe, still… It’s break time, right? How about a snack? Here…”

He held out a small, old-fashioned candy.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I can only accept gifts from the audience through official channels. It’s a policy to keep things fair and clean.”

I politely declined.

The expression on Supervisor Park’s face dimmed.

“Ah…”

…Did I do something wrong?

I thought hard, then came up with a compromise.

“Don’t worry. I have the exact same candy with me—I’ll eat that instead.”

“…!”

“Alright.”

Assistant Manager Eun Haje reached out and shook my hand.

Her hand was warm.

“Make sure you eat it.”

“……”

“Mr. Roe Deer.”

Ah.

Section Chief Lizard was looking at me.

“That button. Press it.”

“……?”

I had no idea what he meant.

But showing confusion wouldn’t be professional.

“Of course. I’ll do my best. In any case, enjoy the show. Rest well tonight, and good luck tomorrow.”

I hoped that tonight’s broadcast had been a brief moment of joy in their exhausting lives.

Was this… what Braun meant?

The feeling of a show creator?

I glanced at their reactions.

‘Their masks make it hard to read their expressions…’

Wait.

If they’re wearing masks…

Were they in the middle of a Darkness exploration?

If so—I should reassure them!

“Ah, if you’re here for ‘work’, don’t worry. There is no danger. You can just enjoy the show and leave.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes! This place is completely safe.”

Honestly, it was one of the easiest Darknesses to clear.

Even easier than Tuesday Talk Show.

‘After all, no regular audience members ever die!’

If we wanted something more intense, we could have set up brutal punishments like in Tuesday Talk Show.

But for now, the show was lighthearted enough that even the audience could comfortably enjoy the poetic justice being served.

For that, I felt a little grateful to Braun.

But Supervisor Park Minseong slowly shook his head.

“We didn’t come here for work.”

Huh?

“…We came to see you, Roe.”

……Me?

“Roe. How did you even end up in this situation—”

[Goodness, Friend!]

“…!”

The host gestured from the stage.

Right. The commercial break was almost over. That meant… the show was about to resume!

“I’ll be heading back up now. See you next time! Ah, this next segment is going to be really fun, so… just sit back and enjoy.”

“Wait, that—”

I didn’t hear the rest.

With a quick farewell to the audience, I dashed back to the stage.

The lights were blinding.

The talk show ended with thunderous applause and cheers.

[Thank you, everyone! We’ll see you again tomorrow at 11:33 PM!]

As always, Braun wrapped up the broadcast seamlessly, and once the lights went down, he turned his attention to the staff and crew.

And of course, I did the same.

I was staring at the now-empty audience seats when I snapped out of it—just in time to receive Braun’s praise.

[So? It was fun, wasn’t it, Mr. Soleum? More than you expected?]

“Yeah. Um… It was better than I thought.”

[That makes me very happy! Excellent. I’ve spoken to the writers, and from now on, you’ll be appearing about once or twice a week. As ‘Braun’s Friend’!]

“Ah… yeah.”

The recognition made my stomach churn. But I should just accept it happily!

Then, the host asked casually,

[Ah. Did you enjoy catching up with your old coworkers, Friend? I saw you speaking with them in the audience.]

“…! Yeah. It was nice seeing them after so long.”

[I see. I’m very curious—what delightful conversation did you have?]

“Ah, they were just checking if I’d been eating properly.”

[Aha! But of course. Our show always provides a dedicated catering service for the staff’s health and well-being—]

The TV screen flickered.

[…Wait. You haven’t eaten anything at all, have you, Mr. Roe Deer? You never even applied for the personal catering service. Unbelievable! And after I explained everything on your first day.]

Well… it just felt like a hassle.

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling a little sheepish.

“I’ve been fine without it.”

[Good heavens! Are you trying to make me look like a terrible business partner who neglects his friend? No, no, this was my failing. The new crew members have been busy adjusting that they must have overlooked this. So this Braun should have paid more attention, especially as your friend…]

Braun held out his hand.

[There is a saying: ‘Inspiration and ideas come from good health.’ Let’s make a promise that this won’t happen again.]

Hmm.

I didn’t feel any different, honestly. I wasn’t even hungry. If anything, I felt better than ever.

“Alright. I’ll try.”

[Ah, my dear friend has already started using those dreadful industry-standard phrases!]

Braun let out a mock-scolding sigh, but didn’t press the matter further.

It was break time, after all.

[Just in case you forget—remember, the best shows come from well-rested minds, Mr. Soleum!]

“Yes, I understand. I’ll see you in a bit.”

With that, we parted ways.

I walked past the staff, through the backstage corridors, and finally reached my dressing room.

Click.

I stepped inside, rolled up one sleeve, and looked down at my arm.

Beneath the makeup, my tattoos were hidden from view.

“…Hmm.”

Interesting. It seemed that as long as they were covered, they wouldn’t activate.

‘Now that the live broadcast is over, I should wipe this off.’

I rubbed at my skin, removing the makeup.

: Socius :

I reached into the tattoo that functioned as my inventory and pulled something out.

‘It’s been a while, huh?’

Resting in my palm was a single piece of Nostalgia Candy.

‘I did say I’d eat it, after all.’

I wasn’t hungry.

I wasn’t tired.

But after a brief hesitation…

I unwrapped it.

And put it in my mouth.

Suddenly—

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