Reborn as a Prophet in a Horror Movie

#010Reader Mode

#010

Seojun eyed Bobby’s delicate shoulders and twig-like arms, clicking his tongue in disapproval.

Bobby and I are practically the same size. If we run into Gas Mask, neither of us will stand a chance…

And to make matters worse, Bobby was even shorter than Seojun. With his petite build and a personality that hardly screamed courage, Bobby didn’t exactly inspire confidence. Watching Bobby’s frail form, Seojun felt an increasing urgency to find Johan and William. After quickly pocketing the wrinkled map, he prodded Bobby forward.

“Bobby, pick up the pace. You’ve got this. I believe in you. You should believe in yourself too!”

“Uh-huh!”

As Seojun waved his axe, a buzzing sound, reminiscent of a bee, whizzed past Bobby’s ears. Urged on by Seojun’s persistent prodding, which felt like a debt collector on his tail, Bobby quickened his pace. Seojun internally commended himself, thinking that sometimes people need both the carrot and the stick. They soon reached the mountain cabins.

It looked as dark and unwelcoming as when Bobby had left it. Nervously, Bobby swallowed and reached the cabin’s door. Despite his trembling, his voice was clear.

“You brought me here, so you’re going to spare me, right? Right??”

“Yes, I won’t soon forget your… bravery, Bobby.”

The irony wasn’t lost on Seojun, who had long decided to hand over Christina and her group to Gas Mask and the man-eating monster. He decided to clear up Bobby’s misunderstanding later. For now, he was focused on confronting Johan.

“……”

But as his hand touched the handle, he hesitated, an odd mix of anticipation and anxiety tingling through him.

Bobby, who was watching him, gave Seojun a puzzled look, but as always, Seojun wasn’t concerned about him. Then, the door slowly creaked open…

Seojun’s gaze sharpened as he surveyed the room. He softly called out his guide’s name.

“Bobby?”

“I didn’t lie! This is where we stayed!”

Bobby’s voice rose defensively. The small cabin was empty.

“Who’s accusing you?”

“Put down that bloody axe and then we’ll talk!”

“Why are you so jumpy? Life’s too short for that.”

Challenged by Seojun, Bobby looked offended. But with a lantern in one hand and Seojun holding a bloodied axe in the other, Bobby chose to stay quiet. Seojun, satisfied with the subdued Bobby, murmured to himself.

“It’s not your fault.”

Though Seojun wasn’t particularly fond of Bobby, there was a hint of genuine warmth in his voice. This was a plot that someone like Bobby couldn’t change. The looming brutal slaughter and harrowing screams were set in stone. They were trapped in a predetermined, nightmarish world.

“This isn’t something we can handle…”

He mumbled, standing still inside the cramped cabin. His voice dripped with exhaustion. He tried to sound upbeat, but his fatigue was obvious. A sudden pang of loneliness hit him.

But such a luxurious emotion was quickly pushed aside.

Feeling lonely? Now? When one wrong move could mean death?

Seojun couldn’t help but think that meeting Bobby had clouded his judgment. Now wasn’t the time to indulge in such emotions. He carefully made his way further into the cabin. The rumpled bedding and footprints on the bed confirmed Bobby’s story. Seojun grimaced as he surveyed the scene.

The cultural differences run so deep; They just never seem to get smaller…¹T/N: Seojun is talking about the culture difference of not taking your shoes off when you enter a home.

Lost in thought, Seojun finally pieced it together and turned to Bobby.

“Considering their belongings are still here, they can’t be far. Bobby, can you think of any place your friends might have gone to? Surely, they wouldn’t just leave you. You have dependable friends who’d come running if they knew you were in danger.”

“……”

Bobby’s expression darkened, his lips pressed into a thin line in a display of injustice. With a shaky voice, he exclaimed,

“They must be at Christina and Airi’s cabin. Johan’s playing dirty! He knows I’ve been getting close to Christina lately. It’s not right for him to make a move just because a strong rival steps away!”

“I might not be on the best terms with all of you, but that sounds… questionable.”

Bobby’s indignation was palpable. He seemed to have cast aside the fear he had clung to just moments ago. Seojun raised an eyebrow, surprised by Bobby’s sudden outburst. Especially since Bobby wasn’t even Korean, yet he was jumping to conclusions.

“Johan Gentil! I thought we were friends!”

Bobby continued to vent as he stomped his feet, his sense of camaraderie momentarily forgotten. Seojun blinked, taken aback by Bobby’s dramatic theatrics. The agitated Bobby looked like a balloon about to burst.

“Bobby, calm down.”

Seojun held his axe more visibly, partly to soothe Bobby and partly as a precaution. Life, after all, can be so unpredictable.

“Ugh!”

But before Bobby could lower his voice, a bright light pierced through the entrance of the dim cabin. The sudden illumination made Seojun squint; it was intensely blinding after being in the dark for so long.

Shielding his eyes with his left hand, he peered towards the entrance. There stood Christina, holding a lantern, looking somewhat awkward.

“Christina, is Bobby inside?”

Behind her, Airi, William, and Johan appeared one after the other. Christina glanced at Bobby with a peculiar expression and replied,

“Uh, yeah, he’s inside.”

It was clear that she had overheard Bobby’s words. Bobby’s face flushed with embarrassment, impossible to hide in the lantern’s glow.

Airi, who was behind Christina, tapped her friend’s shoulder and walked into the Cabin. She zipped up her summer jacket, muttering about how cold it was. Then, with a hint of annoyance, she grumbled,

“Bobby, where the hell were you? William and Johan came all the way to where we were because they were looking for you… Wait, Seojun?”

Airi noticed Seojun a moment later. But she couldn’t finish her sentence. Seojun, who usually looked neat even while spouting the most absurd things, was now a mess. His once bright red vest was now stained with dark red marks and torn. His black pants and what used to be white sneakers were now a muddy gray.

But it wasn’t just his clothes. Seojun himself looked like he’d been through the wringer. Scratches covered his exposed skin, and more than anything, dried blood and grime smeared his hands and shoulders. Bruises covered his ankles, wrists, and cheeks. His hair was a wild mess, and his eyes held a feral glint. The lantern’s glow mercilessly revealed Seojun’s battered state.

And then there was the axe. Its blade gleamed with a sinister edge in his grip. Airi, catching sight of it, was rendered speechless. Who could blame her?

“Jun?”

Johan, however, seemed more concerned with Seojun’s bloodied and grimy palm, likely from gripping the axe’s handle.

Johan stepped into the light of Airi’s lantern, casting a shadow over his face. Seojun squinted, trying to make out Johan’s expression, but to no avail.

However, even within the encompassing darkness, Johan’s blue eyes shimmered with an eerie luminescence. They had a sly, cunning look, like a coyote’s gaze. This look seemed out of character for Johan, who usually had a sunny disposition. It felt as though a sly creature was lurking in the shadows nearby.

“Jun, you’re hurt.”

Johan’s voice, warm and familiar, broke through the tension. He approached Seojun without a hint of hesitation. For a moment, Seojun wondered if Johan had failed to notice the weapon in his hand. But he quickly dismissed the thought.

Take William, for example. He had positioned himself protectively in front of Airi. Christina looked on edge, while Bobby had found refuge close to her. Johan’s sharp eyes were as keen as a desert wanderer’s. But whether he was a coyote, a wanderer, or just Johan Gentil, he gently guided Seojun to sit on the bed.

“Just wait, I’ve got a first aid kit. And put the axe down…”

Kneeling by Seojun’s side, Johan rummaged through his bag. If Seojun had chosen to strike, he could have easily struck Johan’s head. Clearly, Seojun wasn’t the only one aware of this potential danger. Bobby, perhaps feeling vindicated, blurted out,

“Johan, get away from him! He’s a murderer, a complete psychopath! He even threatened me!”

As Johan searched his bag, Bobby’s panicked voice echoed in the background. Finally, he upended the bag, causing its various contents—an umbrella, cellphone, underwear, cigarettes, wallet, and a lone lemon—to scatter everywhere.

At the very bottom of the bag was a compact first aid kit. Picking up the kit, Johan quickly set about retrieving bandages and ointment.

“Jun, let me see your hand.”

Seojun locked eyes with a visibly fearful Bobby, who was fixating on the blood-covered axe as if it was his lifeline.

But in front of Seojun stood Johan, a towering 194cm quarterback. His imposing stature radiated a sense of security. Seojun, feeling somewhat reassured, obediently placed the axe on the bed and said in a somewhat curt tone,

“Alright. Thanks.”

“Leave it to me.”

Johan’s response was gentle. Flashing a broad yet cold clinical smile, he grabbed Seojun’s hand. After carefully wrapping Seojun’s hand with the bandage, he looked up with a satisfied grin. With a playful tug on the knot, he quipped,

“I’m good at this, Jun. You know, fixing things and such.”

Seojun flexed his fingers, impressed at Johan’s top-notch bandaging skills. It seemed that his athletic background came with additional skills. Christina then chimed in,

“That’s true. Just the other day, Johan fixed my teddy bear that had torn. He did an amazing job. When I tried, it ended up looking like a monster doll with a freakish, oversized-head…”

“That teddy bear? The one from the ‘Pepe the Frog’ series you’ve loved since you were little? He fixed that? Sounds like you two had a moment.”

Airi interjected with a mischievous smile. She glanced back and forth between Johan and Christina, then playfully elbowed her friend.

“Airi! It’s not like that. We’ve been close like family since we were kids.”

A surprised Christina playfully slapped Airi’s elbow. Seojun quietly chuckled to himself.

Johan is the male protagonist, and Christina is the female lead. You two are destined to be together. Well, being the male lead doesn’t guarantee survival, though…

“Ah, Jun. Why are you giving me such an intense look?”

“……”

Seojun, who was contemplating Johan’s nonsensical comments with a pensive look, suddenly noticed the mood in the cabin brightening. Airi, catching his gaze, gave him a playful wink. It seemed her joke was not just for fun. Caught off guard by her unexpected kindness, all Seojun could do is stare at the ground.

Once his wounds were treated, Seojun recounted his harrowing experience without any excessive drama. He told them about an attack by a masked assailant after his shift at the convenience store, which led him to flee to the Hamon campground. His straightforward account sounded almost comical in its simplicity.

Seojun couldn’t help but roll his eyes internally, wondering if he’d be labeled a liar. However, his usual exaggerated and pompous way of speaking made his straightforward words seem more believable. Of course, Bobby remained skeptical.

“What? So you’re saying a murderer was chasing you and you came to us for help? Don’t make me laugh! It’s the 21st century, not some apocalypse! And you never mentioned that to me. Clearly, you’re lying.”

“All I can say is, it’s the truth. And Bobby, you should’ve let me explain. How was I supposed to know you’d sell out your friends at the drop of a hat?”

“Argh!”

Worn out, Seojun didn’t have the energy to get up from the bed after being patched up. He slouched, speaking in a subdued and hesitant tone.

“I was running and then tripped… or maybe I just collapsed? When I came to, I heard Bobby’s voice and followed it. I had left my phone behind and planned to borrow one from you guys.”

As he spoke, Seojun’s shoulders drooped even more. Seeing this, Johan sat beside him, allowing Seojun to rest his head on his shoulder.

Feeling the sturdy support of Johan, Seojun looked at him with a hint of suspicion. Their eyes met, and Johan smiled gently.

Then, Airi suddenly posed a question that had been on her mind.

“Assuming Seojun got lost, why were you wandering alone in the middle of the night, Bobby? Thanks to you, both Willy and Johan had to go back and forth across that large lake.”

In reality, William was just worried Bobby might stumble upon the cabin where Airi was staying. Seojun then realized the source of the cold aura he felt was coming from Johan. He also wondered where that carnivorous monster from the lake had gone, allowing them to move around freely. But before he could reflect further, Bobby’s frantic voice cut in.

“I was just trying to follow the traces of Hannah O’Lantern’s ritual that communicated with the universe.”

Christina let out a weary sigh.

“You seriously should’ve been born in the ‘90s!”