Click.
The vintage television turns on.
The black screen dominates my entire field of vision and mind.
I can’t look away.
I have to watch.
Channel locked!
A special message
just for you
is now
playingCheerful, classical orchestral music plays in the background.
Then, a black-and-white video begins.
Starring : Kim Soleum
A weary young office worker in their mid-to-late twenties, wearing a black suit.
Sometimes, they sit at a desk, writing documents with a bare face. Other times, they wear a strange horned mask, narrowly escaping death while running through the dangers of ghost stories.
It’s me.
Are you feeling down?
Exhausted?
Suffering from endless tasks, verbal abuse, and office politics?
Are you anxious, unable to trust anyone, living in fear of when you might die next?
When that happens, you should sit in front of a TV and watch something fun and new!
I see myself, sitting blankly in front of a TV after returning to my company-provided housing.
I’m watching a children’s cartoon, trying to calm my fear.
But the cartoon ends quickly, as children’s shows do.
I sit in a daze for a while, staring at the blank screen, before heading to my room and attempting to sleep.
Have you ever been afraid that the show would end?
Of tomorrow coming?
Did you dread returning to a job that suffocates you, day by day, with stress, anxiety, and suffering?
Is it that, the deeper you think, the more trapped and scared you feel, as though there’s no other path to take?
Are you enduring the unbearable, simply because you think this must be the right way?
……
I… I…
For people like you!
Just a moment now. Don’t panic. Take a deep breath.
A perfect alternative,
A new path has found you!
Ba-bam!
On the screen, a spotlight shines on my bedroom door.
The door swings open dramatically, revealing a silhouette in a sleek brown suit, head replaced by a vintage TV.
It’s the host.
The answer you’ve been waiting for!
I jump out of bed, shake hands with the host, and smile in relief. I throw the mask and briefcase out the window without a second thought.
With a snap of the host’s fingers, the company housing turns to ashes, revealing a dazzling, brightly lit studio.
Standing on stage, the host and I beam with joy.
Scenes I’ve never lived are mixing seamlessly with my memories, piercing my mind with their uncanny, dizzying realism.
It’s just like the real thing.
The new talk show host is witty, charismatic, full of humor, and always listens to and understands your worries!
Accept this perfect offer from the one you personally invited, and everything will get better.
It’s the kind of job no one would want to turn down.
Prepare for your new life!
No.
No, I.
I need to go home…
Oh dear!
Struggling with homesickness?
The scene shifts.
It’s me again, but not my past self.
It’s me, now.
Staring into the TV.
We lock eyes.
Face-to-face.
Starring : You
I see myself reflected on the screen like a mirror.
But the me on the screen looks distressed, his face twisted into a grimace, on the verge of tears.
No, that’s not me. I’m not making that face right now… right? Am I? Am I frowning right now? Stop! I’m getting dizzy. I press both hands against my face, trying to calm down.
My vision goes dark.
But the TV remains clear.
Below my face, a caption appears:
Why are you always longing for home?
Do you crave the happiness of escaping an uncomfortable, burdensome environment?
Do you cry at night, yearning for peaceful sleep without fear or nightmares?
Fear not.
The greatest talk show awaits you!
No.
This is a special message for you—yes, you!—who is currently watching:
The crew members of the greatest talk show have no faces.
No discomfort from unfamiliar faces. No awkward interactions. Just the ideal workplace.
Join us now!
This is madness.
Faceless coworkers? Who would want that? I certainly don’t—
In this workplace, no one struggles with hiding who they really are.
And neither should you, dear viewer.
Feel free to reveal yourself!
Your talents and ideas will flourish in this one-of-a-kind job.
The legendary host has personally turned down countless applications to reserve this spot just for you!
……
It’s a job so appealing, no one would want to say no.
Welcome to your new home!
No, NO!
On purpose, he keeps using the word home. He knows I want to go home. That’s what he’s doing.
But what I want isn’t a new home. I’ve never wanted that.
What I want…
What I wish for… is to return to the world I originally lived in, the familiar world. That place.
A place where I don’t have to worry about being eaten by monsters on the street. A place where ghost stories are just entertainment. My friends and family are all there.
And I shouldn’t forget!
I have the silver ring in my hand right now.
I can resist this. I can resist this.