Reborn as a Prophet in a Horror Movie

#045Reader Mode

#045

Johan closed the gap between them, their faces so close their noses brushed, a touch that sent a shiver through Seojun. Johan’s bright and lively eyes held Seojun’s, and his face broke into a wide, heartfelt smile, as if revealing his deepest feelings was his greatest joy.

“I’ll say it as many times as it takes.” he said, enunciating every word. “I love you, Seojun. I love you, love you, love you, love you!”

Seojun’s breath caught as Johan’s words washed over him, their intensity leaving him reeling. He stumbled back instinctively, but Johan followed him, matching his steps and maintaining the intimate closeness. He could feel Johan’s warm breath on his dry lips, inhaling the familiar scent of him and despite the mere inches separating them, Seojun’s entire body hummed with a strange, restless energy.

His bottom lip found its way between his teeth, and an unexpected rush of energy surged through him from head to toe. Seojun’s fingers dug into his scabbed palms, blood pulsing under the skin’s surface, as he felt the weird, almost invigorating sensation. Strangely, he didn’t feel exhausted anymore; he was just… overwhelmed. Seojun’s teeth nibbled nervously on his lower lip, prying it open just a little.

“But that’s… strange,” he managed, his voice wavering.

His gaze darted everywhere but at Johan before dropping to the ground. Seojun was far from courageous, and his usual introverted nature crept back in. His forehead, slick with nervous sweat, warmed as Johan’s forehead pressed against his own. Johan’s fingers, rough at the knuckles, grazed his cheek gently.

“Do you hate me, Jun?” Johan’s voice was soft, a hint of uncertainty beneath the teasing tone.

Heat crept up Seojun’s neck, coloring his cheeks. He stammered, struggling to voice his thoughts.

“It’s not that I don’t like you, but…” He paused, searching for words.

“I don’t want to die.”

His voice, shaky at first, gained a firmness. It was a deep, selfish truth he’d always harbored. Perhaps the only one in his entire life.

Seojun lifted his chin, meeting Johan’s intense gaze steadily. His eyes narrowed with indignation, banishing the warmth that had crept into his belly moments ago. The electric tension that had once curled his toes and hands now dissipated, replaced by a renewed determination as he clenched his jaw and spoke.

“Why are you doing this? Everything was fine just a moment ago. Listen, Johan, you’re making a huge mistake. You’re not seeing things clearly.”

Seojun’s thoughts drifted to Christina, who was clearly meant to be with Johan. Despite all the twists and turns in this world, there are some things that are meant to be, right? Christina, the ‘Final Girl’ who defeated the monster, stood as solid proof. Even if Seojun longed for a different script, he wasn’t about to step out of this predetermined play, not until the day was finally over.

He had to remind himself: he was talking to the male protagonist of “The Murderer of the Bloody Lake,” not the boy he’d grown up with.

“Ah…”

Johan’s groan was soft, his earlier intense, almost crazed look fading to something more powerless. Seojun eyed him warily, wondering if Johan was upset.

But Johan simply offered a faint smile, his touch light as he stroked Seojun’s cold forehead. His voice was a mere whisper, pleading. “Jun… Look at me, just once. Listen to me, please?”

Seojun gritted his teeth, fighting the urge to melt beneath Johan’s touch. Under different circumstances, he might’ve given in, but not here, not now. With a fierce determination, he shoved Johan away and swung a punch at his chest.

The dull thud didn’t even make Johan flinch. Of course, his slender body couldn’t budge the bigger man. Left speechless and drained from the effort, Seojun’s neck shrunk back like a startled turtle. An endless stream of misery roiled within him, spilling out from an unknown source.

“No, I can’t listen to this!” he shouted, a desperate edge to his voice. “It’s all nonsense! It makes more sense to call it a placebo effect than to buy into your ‘love story’! Think logically.”

The silence of the night made everything seem eerier, like the world was holding its breath. The day had been nothing short of terrifying with brutal killings everywhere. If Seojun could just hold on for a little longer, then this torturous ordeal would be over. Time seemed to drag on endlessly, relentless and cruel, but eventually, the sweet taste of freedom would be within reach.

“Jun…”

Johan’s touches only intensified Seojun’s restlessness, making his anxious heart even more stubborn. Memories he’d shoved aside crept forward – the horrifying grip of Monster X’s tentacles, the stabbing pain of the Hamon knife, the feeling of being utterly lost and helpless. Thoughts he’d buried surfaced, clamoring for attention.

Seojun’s emotions spilled over, raw and unchecked. “Johan, don’t do this,” he said, waving his hand in the air, “Just… be normal, like usual. Why are you like this today?”

Johan’s piercing blue eyes never left Seojun’s face, taking in his trembling hands and unfocused gaze. Johan was a perceptive young man. He may not have always been the most empathetic, but love has a way of changing people. He could sense Seojun’s fear.

In fact, Seojun’s behavior was like a cornered animal lashing out in panic. But understanding someone’s fear and knowing how to respond aren’t the same. Johan, typically bold in his actions, seemed at a loss. However, he never hesitated to express his love.

“Jun, what are you so afraid of? Tell me what’s frightening you.”

“I can’t… you wouldn’t get it.”

Johan wouldn’t understand the pieces of evidence that made Seojun afraid: the beautiful face of a girl named Christina, the firm grip of his parents, the premonitions he wished were just delusions, the cruel murderer, and the monster from space… It was impossible for him to truly fathom the source of Seojun’s fear.

To understand Seojun’s despair, one would need to experience a life-altering trauma like being hit by a truck at a young age and then waking up in a world seemingly crafted by someone else’s clumsy imagination.

But everyone carries their own hidden despairs, unknown to others. Seojun couldn’t fathom the despair William felt when Airi was taken by Monster X or Bobby’s despair when suddenly holding a lifeless body. He was unaware of Christina’s anguish at being held at gunpoint, or the despair in Johan’s eyes when he saw Seojun fall from the dormitory.

“But Jun, that’s just how it is. I can’t fully understand you, and you can’t fully get me either. No matter what I say, you can’t truly know what’s in my heart. How can anyone really know someone else’s deepest thoughts? That’s why I want to be close to you, to get to understand you as much as I can. Because I really… I don’t understand…” Johan’s voice dropped to a whisper, his words deliberate as he brought his lips close to Seojun’s ear.

“Jun, why does dying scare you so much? What do you want out of life? Tell me what makes you want to live, what you want to experience. I want to know more about you. I want to live by your side.”

“I just…”

Seojun looked up at the moon, contemplating what he truly feared. The blueish hue made it seem distant and unreachable, much like his dreams and desires. His throat tightened, and he swallowed hard before managing to speak. “I just want to… eat delicious food, travel far and wide, get my driver’s license, drive a truck, explore… watch new movies, discover stunning views, try living in different places. I want to keep doing all that.”

Seojun rattled off, his voice catching. His desires were modest to the point of being mundane. But Seojun was deprived of even these simple dreams. Of course, Johan didn’t know this. He just pulled Seojun into a tight hug, begging with a mix of eagerness and sincerity.

“You can do all that, Jun. I’m not here to hold you back. I just want to share those good meals with you, explore new places together, watch movies, and live life beside you. Let me in, Jun. Let me be part of it. That’s all I want.”

Johan’s heartfelt confession filled Seojun with both warmth and terror. His legs trembled with the weight of his decision, his heart pounding in his ears, screaming one thing: escape.

In that moment, Seojun wasn’t led by his rational mind, but by the red-hot energy coursing through his veins. He did what his heart urged him to do. In other words, he spun on his heels and ran.

“Jun!”

Johan’s baffled expression lingered in Seojun’s mind as he ran away, a feverish heat clinging to him.

He barely made it ten steps.

“Jun…?”

Johan’s voice and a sudden jolt of awareness collided with Seojun’s senses, causing him to stop dead in his tracks. He bit his lip hard enough to taste blood.

What was he doing? This was a horror movie world with serial killers and monsters. Christina may have defeated those bloodthirsty monsters, but they hadn’t escaped from the Hamon campsite yet.

And here he was, about to pull another dumb horror movie cliche, trying to go off on his own! He cursed his useless brain cells silently, feeling dumber than Bobby.

I’ve completely lost my mind.

Between a love confession or facing a life-threatening situation, it’s pretty clear which one is undoubtedly scarier. Seojun, filled with an inexplicable rage, naturally turned around.