Superstar From Age 0

Chapter 717

“Ready, action!”

In the First’s laboratory.

Avoiding the eyes of Director Taylor Warren, Mac entrusted the test to a researcher he was friendly with.

“What about memory loss? Can the lost memories affect the present?” he asked.

Mac and Bell Natra speculated that William’s anxiety about his family was not entirely his own, but influenced by ‘Jin Natra’.

“It depends on the case.”

The researcher, who was a fan of Shadowman, answered while fiddling with some machines that Mac didn’t recognize.

He planned to conduct a test on William based on Mac (Natra)’s physical information, as well as a paternity test for William’s family.

“For example, there are cases where allergies disappear when a person with multiple personalities changes into a different personality.”

“Allergies?”

“Yes. Even if it’s the same body, the allergies can go away if the personality changes.”

The body condition changed depending on the memory.

It was an amazing story.

“On the other hand, there are also cases where the previous owner’s memory remains in the heart or organ after a transplant.”

“I think I’ve heard of that before.”

The researcher nodded at Mac’s words.

“So, even if you have memory loss, you may either forget everything completely, or some fragments may remain and affect the present. Whether it’s a trivial habit or a trauma.”

Trauma.

Mac swallowed a sigh that seemed to come out without him knowing.

***

Today, Seo-jun, Melissa Walton, and Jo Sung Hwan had a shooting schedule.

It was the last check before the shooting started, so Jonathan, the director, and Matthew, the assistant director, were busy moving around. 

So, the three actors who had finished preparing for the shooting sat side by side in a place a little away and talked.

“This is a Hanyeda class.”

“What are you talking about?”

“We’re analyzing a movie script.”

The topic was Seo-jun’s college class.

“He attends school and shoots. He’s very diligent. Jun is.”

“That’s right.”

Jo Sung Hwan nodded at Melissa Walton’s words.

Considering the works he had seen so far and the acting skills he felt while shooting together, he seemed to have no need to learn more, but Seo-jun, who was taking classes, looked great.

Haha.

Seo-jun smiled shyly at the compliments of the two actors.

“Actors. We’re going to start shooting.”

As they were talking and doing a simple script reading, Matthew, the assistant director, came to the three actors. The shooting preparation must have been finished.

William’s family’s two-story house.

The lights and cameras moved toward the three actors who went up to the set.

The faces of the three actors appeared on the monitor screen connected to the camera. Jonathan, the director, checked the screen briefly and opened his mouth.

“Ready,”

At that voice, Lee Seo-jun, who was taking college classes, disappeared.

“Action!”

And William Lee, the high school student, appeared.

After meeting Mac, William spent his days going back and forth between hope and anxiety, worry and distress. 

He would be excited enough to be noticeable, then quickly droop his tail like a puppy and look gloomy, and then repeat looking like a puppy with a tail propeller.

Dinner time.

His parents were puzzled by his different appearance from the usual calm and bright William.

“Is something bothering you, William?”

“No. It’s just… I’m graduating in a few months. I’m worried about the future… That’s why.”

He felt guilty, but he was glad he had a good excuse.

His mom and dad looked at William with a gentle smile, as if they understood.

“If you want to do something, don’t hesitate and tell us, mom and dad.”

“You can play baseball or go to college. Anything else is fine too.”

“Of course, as long as it’s not dangerous.”

Even though William had the skills to attract scouts, the two of them sincerely said that it was okay for William to choose a new path.

He really liked his parents, who had raised him with love from childhood to now.

“…Okay.”

Something hot filled his chest. It was both gratitude and anxiety. William really wished he was his mom and dad’s biological child.

“…I’ll go up first.”

He felt like tears would drip, so William quickly moved to his room on the second floor.

As he climbed the stairs, he heard his parents’ voices talking about him in the living room. 

He smiled without knowing. But at the same time, he felt bitter, wondering if he would lose his place there if he knew the truth.

Lee Seo-jun’s face was close-up.

Even the audience who knew the result could empathize and immerse themselves in ‘William’s worries’ enough, Seo-jun’s facial acting was delicate and the emotions contained in it were clearly conveyed.

Half certainty and half anxiety.

The emotions that were conveyed without words made even the staff who were watching choke up.

“I wonder what Jin Natra was like.”

“That’s right.”

When Jin Natra was young and living on Natra planet.

What kind of worries he had, what kind of expression he made, how anxious and depressed and lonely he was.

He felt like he could know a little bit by looking at ‘William’ now.

Even though he lost his memory, ‘Jin Natra’ and ‘William Lee’ were the same person.

“But Jin Natra was younger…”

One of the staff’s gloomy words made the other staff shut their mouths. There were hardly any people among the staff of [Shadow and Knight] who were not fans of the [Shadowman Series].

“…Jin…!”

They couldn’t help but immerse themselves.

They all closed their mouths and looked at the set.

He entered his room and closed the door. William walked to the bed and sat down. The shadow that was created by the bright light followed William.

“What do you think, Jay? Am I really mom and dad’s biological child?”

[(Good)Dark Elf’s Shadow Transformation(Low) is activated.]

The long shadow appeared in front of William and pointed to the drawer next to the bed. There were two old teddy bears and pictures of the family in frames on it.

William reached out and picked up one of the frames. Jay seemed to sit on William’s shoulder.

Picture in the frame.

The three families who looked alike were smiling brightly. William smiled too.

“We look alike, right?”

Nod.

Jay agreed without a moment’s hesitation.

William smiled softly.

“Ever since I was little, I always asked you this when I felt anxious… but your answer was always the same.”

He gently touched the faces of his parents in the frame. Jay, who was on his shoulder, leaned his body against William’s face as if to comfort him.

He looked at the photos for a while, when his phone rang.

He wondered if it was a friend, and put down the photo to pick up his phone. He froze when he saw the name on the screen.

[Mac Brown]

Many emotions flashed across William’s face, starting with surprise. Expectation and fear, excitement and worry, tension and anxiety.

William’s hand holding the phone trembled slightly. Jay wrapped his hand around William’s hand as if to cheer him up.

“Hoo.”

William let out a deep breath.

He couldn’t feel Jay’s warmth since he was only a shadow, but his touch alone calmed his racing heart.

“Thank you, Jay.”

Don’t mention it.

Jay nodded his head as if to pat his shoulder, and pointed at the phone.

William pressed the call button with a determined expression, trying to keep his composure. His finger tapping the screen was a bit shaky, but he couldn’t help it.

-William?

“Yes, yes. It’s me. Mac.”

He quickly answered, sitting up straight, to the low and gentle voice.

-It’s evening, but I called to tell you the results. I thought you would be waiting.

Jay nodded his head repeatedly at Mac’s words.

He didn’t know how long William had been waiting for this call.

He was so focused on the phone that he didn’t notice Jay.

“Thank you.”

-You don’t have to thank me.

Was it his imagination that Mac’s voice had a hint of laughter?

He had a good feeling somehow. His heart thumped. He felt like the question he had been pondering alone since he was young would be answered. And in a good way.

-First, the genetic test you were curious about, I mean, the paternity test…

His body tensed up.

The sound of his heart pounding seemed too loud. He felt like he wouldn’t be able to hear Mac’s voice.

So he silenced everything.

He stopped breathing and blinking, and his trembling hand stopped. He felt like he was frozen.

The room was filled with silence.

Only Mac’s voice came across the phone.

-They are your biological parents. I’m sure of it. I tested it several times.

The shadow man declared.

With a firm voice that left no room for doubt.

He choked up.

Tears poured out.

They poured out without him realizing it.

In those tears, there was all the anxiety and worry, sadness and loneliness that William had felt from the age of seven until now.

He was their biological child.

He wasn’t deceiving them.

Sob. Sob…

William’s muffled sobbing reached Mac across the phone.

-…

Mac quietly listened to his crying.

He somehow thought of Jin Natra, who couldn’t cry like this.

“Tha, thank you. Mac. Really.”

William stopped crying and calmed down, and thanked him again. There was only joy in his voice.

-No, I’m glad I could help.

“It really, really helped me a lot.”

William smiled.

It was a complete smile that drove away his anxiety.

-And about Jay.

“Yes.”

William paid attention again.

Jay’s matter was also important.

-I’m guessing what happened when you were young that made him not go into your shadow. There were a lot of incidents back then.

“I see.”

Mac said carefully across the phone.

-If you want, William, I can find a way to… separate Jay.

“…What?”

William was startled by the unexpected suggestion and looked at Jay.

Jay had come down from his shoulder and was in front of the two teddy bears.

Jay had been looking at the two teddy bears since William was young. That’s why he named him ‘Jay’ after one of the teddy bears, ‘Jin’ (he seemed to like it more).

-You were worried because he was different from your parents. Then…

“No. I’m fine…!”

William cut off Mac’s words and answered.

Without Jay hearing, but with a clear voice.

“It’s true that I’ve been troubled by Jay’s existence for a long time, but he’s also a friend who’s been with me for a long time. I want to stay with him as long as there’s no problem.”

At William’s words, Mac paused for a moment.

-There won’t be any problem if you stay together.

“Then I’m fine with this. Mac.”

-Okay, I got it.

Mac’s voice sounded resigned, with a hint of amusement. William smiled brightly.

-Rest well. William.

“Thank you so much, Mac.”

William hung up the phone and jumped out of bed.

His mind was light after solving all his worries. He felt so light that he felt like he was walking on clouds.

He couldn’t stand it.

He opened the door that was tightly closed, and ran down the stairs with quick steps. His expression was full of life, unlike when he went up.

“William?”

His parents, who were warmly talking under the light.

William opened his eyes wide and approached his parents, who were looking at him, and hugged them tightly. They were his real parents.

“Huh? What happened?”

“No. I just love our family so much.”

His parents, who were surprised by their son’s sudden hug, laughed and sat William down.

Pat pat.

William felt like tears would come out again at his parents’ hands patting his back, and he also called his shadow friend, Jay, who was a little away, with a gesture and hugged him.

And he smiled brightly.

They were really his family.