Inside a 2-story building, a funeral for the actor, Park Juwon, was being held publicly. It was the biggest funeral held in the century, dominating the headlines and the internet for the whole week. Some even said the funeral could be on par when a president dies.
"Such man with talents… how unfortunate that this happened." On the upper floor, a young rising actor dressed in a black suit uttered in a bitter voice. He was seated in the corner, with a few fellow popular actors on his side.
"I'm still in shock about what happened. Who would have thought that the mighty Juwon would just suddenly disappear in the world like that?" Sooyun, a popular actor who has worked with Juwon a couple of times, added.
"At least this works in our favor, right? With Senior Juwon's death, a lot of opportunities will surely arise. Who knew and we could hit the jackpot because of this." Another one uttered with a grin on his face.
"Haha, keep your mouth shut, idiot." Sooyun laughed in a low voice. "Did you know though? Just by posting a mourning letter on my Wintergram, I gained a few thousand followers from Juwon Hyung's fans. My assistant is surely a genius for suggesting that to me."
"Damn, really? I should probably do that too. I should ride the wave while it's still hot. Who knows where it could lead me," The first man answered in disbelief. He was regretful that he hadn't thought of that idea earlier on.
"Yeah, go for it, bro. I'll assure you that it'd be worth it."
"Haha. I'mma go for it then."
While the conversation was actively flowing on the top floor, Juwon arrived at the same building. His heart raced as he approached the crowd of fans gathered on the lowest floor, clutching flowers, photos, and memorabilia of the man he used to be.
The air was heavy with sorrow, reflecting a sea of mourning faces from all his fans who visited.
Juwon paused for a while, watching the fans as they whispered to each other, some wiping away tears, others simply standing in silent grief. He had always been used to the adoration of his fans, but now, seeing it from this perspective, something stirred inside him.
"They really loved me…" Juwon whispered to himself as his eyes scanned the crowd. It felt surreal to be standing there, witnessing his own funeral like an outsider.
For the first time, he felt genuinely touched by his fan's devotion. He didn't know that even on his death, they would still support him like this. He felt his eyes slightly watering because of it.
Juwon's gaze shifted toward the directory board on the side, noting that the upper floors were where the more private griefing was taking place. He knew he needed to go up there, but how would he do it?
He wasn't Juwon anymore. Getting access to the upper floor with his new body seemed impossible right now.
'I mean, it won't hurt trying. Maybe I can go with some work,' However, before Juwon could turn around, contemplating how to make his way up, a voice unexpectedly called out his name.
"Minjae? Nam Minjae?"
Juwon quickly turned around to see someone approaching him. He was a well-dressed man he vaguely recognized. He searched his memory for why the face seemed familiar.
Then it hit him. This man was a casting director who had handled extras on a few of his dramas.
"Oh… Director," Juwon replied, trying to keep his voice steady. It was an unfamiliar feeling to respond to a new name.
The manager gave him a warm but slightly curious smile. "Minjae-ssi. I knew it was you. You were in a few of Juwon's movies, weren't you? Well, come on up. I'm sure you'd want to pay your respects more closely. Follow me."
"Thank you, Director." Juwon answered, surprised to know that this body had worked with him before. It must be the reason why he felt that the name was familiar when he first heard of it.
Juwon followed the director, happy with the sudden luck. He kept his head low as they moved through the crowd, his mind swirling in circles. The thought of going upstairs as Minjae, knowing he was Juwon inside, left him both anxious and relieved.
When they reached the upper floor, Juwon stepped into a spacious room. The atmosphere was different. It was dull and gloomy, but laced with a sense of privilege and formality. Maybe it was because high-profile people were all staying on the top floor while all his fans were downstairs.
"I'll leave you now, Minjae."
"Thank you, director."
As Juwon's eyes looked around, he quickly saw that he was surrounded by some of the most famous faces in the industry. Actors, idols, directors, and producers. They were all dressed in black, their expressions reflecting a mixture of grief and sadness.
Juwon looked at each one of them, grateful. The people here had once been a part of his life. Despite their busy schedules, they came to honor him.
Quietly, Juwon, who had no courage to look at his dead body, slipped into a corner seat, observing the room from the corner. It was strange to be among the crowd without the weight of his fame hanging over his shoulders.
For the first time, he wasn't the center of attention.
"I'm very happy that they came for me," The corner of Juwon's lips lightly rose up. He felt very thankful that a lot of his colleagues were here for his wake.
[You have been temporarily granted a skill
[Duration: 30 minutes]
The system's familiar voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Huh?"
Juwon blinked in surprise, confused by the sudden gift. But before he could question it, the voices around him grew louder and clearer, as if he were standing right next to each person.
"I am really surprised by this news… Juwon-hyung has been a great friend of mine."
"I feel you, bro. I was really shocked by it. I hoped that I was able to talk to him for the last time. I really regret not coming to the award ceremony."
"I didn't know how I would be able to cope up with this."
"Another great star has fallen…"
"I'm still shocked about it."
Hearing the sentiments of Taejoon and a few close friends, a tear fell down on Juwon's cheeks. His friends were mourning, yet, he couldn't even do anything.
'Hah… this is making me more sad than I initially expected.' Juwon let out a sigh. He was expecting to hear more from his friends, but he was rather surprised by what he heard next.
"Can you believe how much press this funeral is getting? It's practically a media frenzy. His death might be the best thing to happen to the industry this year," one fellow actor said, his voice dripping with insecurity.
"I know, right?" another added with a smirk. "With Juwon-hyung gone, there's going to be so much more room for the rest of us. I've already started lining up meetings with producers who were obsessed with him before."
Juwon's chest tightened as the tears in his eyes completely dried up. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat as more conversations drifted into his ear, each one worse than the last.
"Honestly, I never liked the guy. Sure, he was talented, but he was always pretending to be nice, like he thought he was better than the rest of us."
"I'll admit, I was jealous. But now that he's out of the picture, maybe I can finally get some main role I've been waiting for."
Juwon's hands balled into fists as he listened. From feeling completely hopeless to anger. He counted all the people who were speaking ill of him. He was speechless when he realized that the majority of the people he had once considered as close friends were openly celebrating his death.
'So they weren't mourning… but seizing the opportunities of my death? What a bunch of good friends.'
And then, through the noise, he heard a voice he recognized too well—his own family.
"God, what a mess Juwon left us in," his father's voice grumbled. "All that wealth tied up in his accounts that we wouldn't be able to touch for a while. And his properties… they say it will take some time to transfer everything."
Juwon's mother sighed, her tone cold. "He was always so reckless. Now look at him. I told him to be more careful but he never listened."
There was only blame and frustration, no grief or even sympathy for what happened to him.
Juwon's breath caught in his throat, his entire body frozen. The reality of his past life — the one he thought was full of adoration, respect, and loyalty was now slowly crumbling before his eyes.
He had been surrounded by fake friends and even a family more concerned with wealth than the fact that he was gone.
What went wrong?
What did he do to receive all of this?
Not once did he show malice or rudeness to his fellow colleagues. He valued professionalism and respect, so he always tried to treat everyone kindly, even the staff around him.
As the final seconds of the [Super Hearing] ticked away, Juwon's vision blurred with anger and heartbreak. All along, he thought he had a perfect life.
Realization hit him hard. His fans and just a number of old friends were the only ones who truly cared about him in this world.
Somehow, tears welled in his eyes, but he held them back, steeling himself. These people weren't worthy of his million-dollar tears.
[You have been given a second chance, Host.]
And for the first time, Juwon felt the weight of what the System's words truly meant.