Life is Easier If You're Handsome novel Chapter 38

The dead of winter.

A low of -27°C.

Despite the bone-chilling cold, the heat on set never wavered.

Between the cameras positioned between poles on the hill, the action cams built to capture the trenches in vivid detail, and the thick thermal underwear worn beneath costumes for accuracy, Endless Frontline, set against the backdrop of an entire mountain, was approaching its climax.

The atmosphere was charged with an unusual tension.

Was it because they were filming the highlight scenes? Even the small talk that normally filled the set was gone, replaced by an eerie silence that felt like real war.

It’s never usually this intense.

‘Is it because of Dong-hoo?’

The current hottest rising star, top actor Han Tae-gun, glanced at Kim Dong-hoo. Despite the cold, he didn’t seem to flinch, standing tall without a shiver.

‘Whenever Dong-hoo shows up on set, the atmosphere feels like walking on thin ice.’

That day, everyone witnessed Kim Dong-hoo fully embodying the student soldier, and they realized something.

If they didn’t bring their A-game, they’d be trampled. They could easily be overshadowed by this rookie making his film debut, risking criticism and the dreaded label of a subpar actor.

So, they gave it their all. On the day they would meet Dong-hoo again, they were determined not to be crushed. In a way, Dong-hoo was the executioner’s block for their acting skills.

‘To think like that about a kid...’

Muttering to himself, Han Tae-gun slowly put on his mask—the mask of Kim Soo-ha, who would ultimately have to answer the student soldier’s questions.

“Action!”

The director’s cue rang out.

Today, I would wear this mask to face the student soldier.

+++++

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Under a hail of bombs, without distinguishing between friend or foe, Kim Soo-ha ran headlong through the chaos.

Although they’d radioed in to stop the bombardment after the frontline shifted, once the bombs were dropped, they couldn’t be redirected.

“Spread out! Don’t bunch up!”

Standing still meant death. They had to find the safest spot.

To survive, to witness the end of this war,

He ran and ran again.

His breath caught at the back of his throat, but he ignored it. He had no choice.

He had to survive.

Even though he knew he couldn’t make it out, even though he had feigned calm in the face of death,

The closer he got to the end, the more cowardly he felt.

“Die! Yaaaargh!”

Bang!

He shot down a screaming Communist soldier. It must have been the exhilaration of facing death that made him yell like that. Or maybe it was a desperate plea for someone to end his misery.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Ssswish!

“Agh!”

A bullet grazed his shoulder as they poured in from all sides. Normally, he would cry out in pain, but his highly stimulated body suppressed it all.

“Shouldn’t we retreat?!”

At Sergeant Jin Dong-shik’s words, Kim Soo-ha shook his head.

If they fled, where would they go? Bombs and bullets flew in all directions, and they couldn’t even tell friend from foe in the chaos. Even if they wanted to escape, where would they run to?

No one had an answer.

“Damn it! If I’d known, I wouldn’t have worn these Commie uniforms!”

To stay warm, they’d donned overcoats from the North Korean soldiers they’d killed. In the dust and confusion, the only way to distinguish friend from foe was by the shape of the uniforms, which had now become meaningless.

“If I make it back, I’m lining up the brass and shooting them all.”

Kim Soo-ha nodded at Sergeant Joo Hak-san’s bitter words.

‘Yeah, if we make it back.’

Though he’d told them to disperse, the three had naturally formed a team.

They’d learned that this configuration offered the best chance of survival after countless skirmishes over the hills.

Bang!

Or so they thought.

“Gah!”

In a place as senseless as war, who would expect the person next to them to suddenly die? It was utterly irrational.

“Dong-shik!”

Even as he called out, his gaze stayed fixed on the direction the bullet had come from, filled with fear and unease.

“...That bastard!”

A young face that didn’t belong in war, eyes hollow and lifeless, pointed his rifle in their direction.

It was him. freeweɓnovel.cøm

The boy who had randomly asked about rice and meat stew—

The student soldier.

Click!

He raised his gun, but the boy had already disappeared. Did he do it on purpose? Did he let him live?

‘Why?’

The confusion gnawed at him, but there was no one to answer. Kim Soo-ha looked down at the dying Jin Dong-shik.

There wasn’t even time to listen to his last words. Swallowing his grief, he grabbed the dog tags and the letter from his pocket.

“Wasn’t that the same guy?!”

“Yes! Even in this chaos, he’s targeting us precisely.”

“So what do we do?”

“We kill him. We have to kill him first.”

Kim Soo-ha kept repeating it to himself.

Kill or be killed. Sergeant Joo Hak-san nodded with grim determination.

In the chaotic battlefield, one goal stood out.

Was it for revenge? Or was it the relief of finally having a target to pursue?

Kim Soo-ha and Joo Hak-san ran. The student soldier had fired from up the hill.

Despite being under the heaviest bombardment, he had clung to life and aimed right at them.

Their boots pounded over the bodies of fallen soldiers, not knowing if they were friend or foe. They didn’t care anymore. Now that they had a goal, nothing else mattered.

His mind felt clearer.

Then—

Bang!

The sharp sound of the student soldier’s gunshot pierced his ears.

“...!”

Without a sound, a hole appeared in Sergeant Joo Hak-san’s head.

Tatatatatata!

Click click.

Click!

Bang!

Click click.

Squish, squish.

Flash!