Death Cast

01.11 | Grecia Bella Theatre

At the end, being alive is still better than giving face. They could complain and swallow their dignity but at least it could keep them to survive. The Autumns who had gone past some worlds were already tolerant while the new Death Casts could only compromise.

Jaerim chose to loosen his muscles. He leaned unto the back of the seat, waiting for his turn. It's better for him to preserve his energy since he knows he will be dancing later on. Who knows what kind of things they will encounter along the way?

After accepting his fate, some of his restrictions had lightened. Though he could still not stand from the chair, he could now move his arms and neck. He shifted the chair slightly to move around and face Noel who has been stiffly sitting straight. The lady is placing some brush contours on his face. Being his first time, Noel did not have the idea on what to do.

Noel was aware that Jaerim was staring at him. He didn't dare to turn his head or speak for fear of making a mess on his face. He didn't want to look like that jester. If he could, he'd rather have a pretty face than a gloomy panda face!

"It's okay. It's just makeup. You could erase it later," Jaerim said. "Actually, you look quite better than before. Maybe you have a knack on these things."

"That's better," Noel spoke sadly, taking the chance when the make-up artist turned around to mix some color. "Make it so that my mother won't recognize me."

Jaerim shook his head. Even though he wasn't comfortable wearing make-up, he didn't make a big deal about it. He stopped talking to Noel and turned to look around. The mirror in front of them is the first thing that drew his attention. It was quite enormous, large enough to include his and Noel's bodies as well as the others working behind them. However, the LED light made the backdrop characters appear a little dull.

He dragged the chair closer to the table with his hand. He didn't have to use much force because it was so near. He couldn't help but get a headache when he glanced at the stuff strewn across the table.

There are many things on the table. Most of them are products with foreign brands.

There are cream bottles of various colors, most likely brown tones. Thin containers containing colorful pallets were opened, with brushes covered with varying amounts of powder excess. Jaerim observed the makeup artist sifting through powders to get a specific color before applying it to Noel's face.

He gotta admit, these people are professionals.

When Jaerim looked around the table, no one seemed to see him. It doesn't appear to be a violation because no one was controlling his movements. As a result, he acted more brazenly, touching bottles of manicures that had never been opened before. The one on his hands is a lighter shade of orange with flecks of gleaming sprinkles scattered throughout the fluid.

He was searching through the bundle for more items when he came across a newspaper. It wasn't noticeable at first since it appeared to have been used to clean the table of all the dust from the powder and spillage from the nail polishes. He would have overlooked it if it hadn't been for the large words in the headline.

It states, "ARSONIST BURNS THEATRE, KILLS A HUNDRED OF PEOPLE".

Jaerim cautiously drew the paper from the crowd and leans back to his chair. The newspaper is already out of date. There are numerous evidences of fading as well as blots of paint and other materials adhering in various places. Aside from the clippings featured in the headlines, the articles are difficult to read.

Is this a clue? Jaerim asked.

It's impossible for things to appear out of nowhere, and he had initially thought that anything they observe could be a possible clue to the storyline. Does this imply that the theatre will catch fire? He had previously heard Noel mention that he smelled something burning. Maybe it has something to do with that?

He went over the article. It is said that a man named Mister Sanchez possessed a large theater that has been recorded since the beginning of time. It holds the position of the elite such that many of the performers became famous after performing on stage. The theatre was brimming with talent, and ordinary people would dance and drink to express their joy.

A large fire broke out one day as everyone were enjoying a special occasion. It wasn't particularly large at initially, and people could have simply run out to escape. However, someone closed the doors from behind, trapping the visitors and performers inside. All of the guests and performers died inside the theatre, which had been abandoned for many years.

Such a huge tragedy aroused the wrath of the ruling elite, who quickly launched an investigation. The instigator is the proprietor of another local theater. The owner became envious of the success of Mister Sanchez's theater and determined to burn it down. People's greed is infinite, and jealousy has been rooted for so long that it has been referred to as the devil. Many innocent lives were lost for the sake of a petty quest for fame.

The clipping from the newspaper came to an end there. The arsonist was apprehended and imprisoned for approximately thirty years. Given that over a hundred individuals perished as a result of the tragedy, this is already a modest sentence. The general public believes that the judge in the public trial is biased.

"What are you up to?"

Jaerim was so engrossed in his reading that he didn't see that someone was standing near him. He raised his head to look at the individual as well as Noel on the sidelines. He appeared to be finished with his makeup and simply wilted.

He straightened his back and innocently looked at the makeup artist. "I was only looking for anything to read while waiting for my turn; is that bad?"

With a shake of her head, the makeup artist expressed her answer quite charmingly. "Don't worry, but you'll have to put that down since it'll be difficult to paint your face if you're reading."

"All right," Jaerim said obediently, tucking the paper into his pocket.

Jaerim's face is petite and has decent proportions, thus painting his face was simple. The only issue they ran into was the gauze on his face. They need to take it off so the makeup artist can apply foundation on his face. However, removing it will reveal the wound underneath.

"What should we do?" thought the makeup artist. Her work is curbed by the gauze.

"Perhaps you could put a large band aid of the same color there?" Jaerim suggested.

The makeup artists thought it was doable, so she went off to find a huge band aid. Noel, who was looking like a withering plant, sprung to life as the makeup artist jogged past them and instantly began gossiping with Jaerim. Nothing is better than sharing controversial stuff.

"You mentioned your mark is under the gauze; is that true?" he inquired.

Jaerim gazed at the superb makeup Noel had on his face, but it didn't hide his masculine features. No matter how red his lips or bright his cheeks are, it is clear that he is a man. Jaerim switched his attention to the mirror in front of him, thinking that he hadn't had much luck in his life. He has never acquired perfection, as if he is a discarded good, since childhood.

He shrugged his shoulders, indicating that he was uninterested. "Do you honestly believe that covering it up is enough?"

Noel may appear to be stupid, but he is highly intelligent. He could understand some things but pretended not to. He began scratching his cheeks but quickly stopped. After learning about his habit of scratching his cheeks, the makeup artist had told him not to touch his face. Because he didn't want to reapply his makeup, Noel endured the psychological itch.

"So, you scraped the mark till it was blood and bones?"

Jaerim did not respond. He appears to have gotten the correct answer.

"Is it effective?" Noel asked, lightly touching the mark behind his brow.

"Somewhat," Jaerim replied. "However, it didn't last long."

The makeup artist reappeared. A first-aid kit is strapped to her arms. She leapt into action, removing the gauze from Jaerim's face. Because it had been dirty for a long time, certain sections of the gauze had been attached to the fleshy wound. The gauze is also stiff from all the blood that has leaked through it. Noel stood in the corner, watching as the makeup artist gently took away the patch.

If the wound is disturbed, it is natural for it to bleed. After the makeup artist removed the filthy gauze, she and Noel discovered a large bloody skin on Jaerim's face. The skin was plainly peeled, to the point of leaving a scar. Noel felt a cold bucket being poured on his back and believed Jaerim was gutsy.

Autumns will be diagnosed in a matter of hours. And the time following that is a countdown to death. Jaerim's ability to cut the target without hesitation is impressive. It's just that a portion of his face still showed the remnants of the mark of the maple leaf as if rendering his efforts useless.

"Is it fun to watch?" Jaerim asked, using a couple of cotton swabs from his kit to clean away the seeping blood. It wouldn't be good if blood splattered on his clothes.

The makeup artist awoke from her trance and apologized. She cleansed the wounds promptly and put a thinner plaster. It didn't appear cumbersome; it was just thin enough to cover the wound while keeping it clean. Jaerim no longer felt pain as the wound was being cleaned because that section of his face had been numbed.

The makeup application is quick. She didn't want to put much makeup on Jaerim's face because there wasn't much to do. Jaerim had transformed into a new person after the stylist applied the wig after the makeup was completed. Even Noel congratulated him on his stunning makeover.

The other Autumns had completed their makeup as well. The other man on the group, since there are three male Autumns in this troupe, is older and also have a good body builder type . His face makeup stands in stark contrast to the immensity of his body.

He looks very terrible!

The group's female members had little to do. Their features were simply painted, ostensibly in the style of male dancers. They finished quickly and joined in the amusement of seeing the males being tossed around.

However, once they got sight of Jaerim, they couldn't help but remain silent. They appear to have witnessed the appearance of a goddess. How did a man of average appearance become so elegant? Perhaps, the makeup team of this crew is very amazing?