Life is Easier If You're Handsome novel Chapter 192

Third Week of October.

The overwhelmingly positive reception from the VIP premiere had sparked an unexpected box office boom.

From early morning screenings to midnight showings,

every seat for True Hero was sold out.

And nowhere was the madness more intense than at the IMAX theater nicknamed Yong-A-MAX.

Securing a ticket here required beating odds of hundreds to one.

Among those lucky few was Ji Eun-bi, a die-hard Kim Donghu fan.

“This is insane! Prime-time screening! The absolute best seat!”

Seat J14.

Close to the screen’s center, perfect viewing angle, immersive sound.

Suppressing her excitement, Ji Eun-bi turned off her phone.

“And on top of that, there’s a stage greeting afterward!”

She briefly wondered if a front-row seat might have been better—

At least then, she could see Kim Donghu up close.

But today, the movie was the main event.

“It’s painful, but...”

She had no regrets about picking J14.

“...The person next to me is... Japanese? Cute.”

A quick glance at the occupant of seat J15 confirmed it—

Another hardcore Kim Donghu fan.

“His popularity really knows no borders.”

Muttering to herself, Ji Eun-bi adjusted to the dimming theater lights.

As the brightness faded, so did the murmurs of the crowd.

And then—

A deep, resonant thud from the speakers.

The film began.

The first images appeared in black and white.

A scene eerily similar to the opening of the indie film Hero.

THUD. THUD. THUD.

A child.

Brutally beating a stray dog that had been chasing after other children.

He thought he would be praised for his heroism.

But when he turned around—

All he saw was fear.

Children screamed and fled.

Why are you running? I saved you.

I saved you from that villain, from evil!

I’m a hero. A true hero. I destroyed evil.

The sequence played out like a silent film—

Black and white.

No spoken dialogue.

Only subtitles.

Only sound effects.

Short, yet striking.

Condensing childhood memories into an intense montage.

The audience was mesmerized.

No one dared to blink, afraid to miss a single subtitle.

Even small coughs were stifled to avoid breaking the tension.

Time stretched endlessly—

And then, finally—

Color seeped into the black-and-white world.

The title slowly emerged on screen.

TRUE HERO.

The letters burned into the darkness before fading away.

The real story began.

Modern day.

A dark tunnel.

THUD.

The tunnel lights flickered off.

THUD. THUD. THUD.

The unmistakable sound of someone being beaten.

MMF! MMF! MMF!

The camera hesitated—

Shaky, nervous, as if seen through the eyes of a frightened witness.

"Kuhuk... Puhuk... P-please... have mercy..."

"Yeah, that’s what you should be saying. You should be begging for your life."

The man’s duct tape-covered mouth had loosened just enough for him to plead.

A truck driver.

Across from him stood a man, his face devoid of expression.

His fist swung again.

THUD. THUD.

"You killed because it was cheaper than treating people."

"So, I’ll do the same. Instead of hoping for justice, I’ll just kill you myself."

Brass knuckles.

Thin leather gloves.

A brutal, methodical rhythm of violence sent chills down the audience’s spines.

“...What the hell? This is terrifying.”

The camera trembled as though about to crack,

perfectly reflecting the truck driver’s fear.

Then—

The driver’s phone rang.

Without hesitation, the hero answered it.

Click.

"Wow, you picked up fast today. The goods fresh or what?"

"...Goods?"

"Yeah, the merch—wait. Who the hell are you?"

Beep.

The call was cut.

The hero sighed, frowned—

And opened the back of the truck.

Inside—

Silence.

Neatly stored, perfectly preserved—

Human organs.

Labeled boxes.

Storage temperatures.

No one would have suspected human trafficking to be happening so openly.

Hiding trees in a forest.

Hiding human cargo in a truck filled with regular shipments.

The hero stood there, saying nothing.

Then, he calmly shut the door.

Darkness consumed the screen.

Only when the door opened again did light return—

And this time—

"...The fuck is this?"

The voice was different.

The camera angle had shifted.

The name tag read Choi Yongsoo.

His uniform? A detective’s.

“Wow. That was a flawless transition.”

Yellow tape and orange traffic cones marked the temporary crime scene.

Police officers bustled around, investigating.

"How many of these murders so far?"

"...Over eight."

"How the hell have we not caught him yet?"

A serial killer, still at large.

The detectives scowled.

In a world filled with cameras, with tracking devices,

how was it possible to keep killing like this?

The screen darkened.

And the film continued.