FSHHHH. Amplified radio static sound.

FSHHHH. Sitting at this table, Sang-Deuk and Young-Sik only hear static.

:

That gear of yours is pretty handy, boss.

(listens to the radio)

:

We can listen from here, without having to hunch over in a van.

:

Because you can hear something, maybe?

:

You couldn't hide the transmitter in their bedroom?

:

It's not my fault they spend their lives in the bedroom!

:

I wonder what those three are doing in there.

SLATCH! Sound from the radio receiver.

:

(finger over mouth, whispers) Sounds like a door opening.

~

I'm gonna get rid of that bitch, damn it!

~

Take her out of the game for good.

:

Boss... are they planning to kill someone?!

:

Shh!

~

I'm leaving for Iksan.

~

Let me know if there's any news, even during the job.

~

All right, good luck with what comes next.

~

Don't shoot the fairground scarecrow, heh heh!

FSHHHH. Then, the radio only gives off static.

:

Is that... is that what I think it is?

:

Definitely!

:

It wasn't enough to wipe out Oh Sung-Moo.

:

These gangsters only live for crime. It's in their blood!

:

Worse, it makes them laugh to shoot people.

:

Boss, it's much too dangerous, we have to drop it.

:

On the contrary, this is an opportunity to catch them red-handed.

:

The city of Iksan... They certainly have an operation in progress there.

:

With a mobster nicknamed "the fairground scarecrow"?

:

Look where it is on a map.

:

But... but... boss... you won't send me there?!

:

No, you are compromised. Kang Ta might recognize you.

:

(sigh of relief) Phewww...

Young-Sik looks for a map website, on a laptop.
He finds the city of Iksan and shows the screen to Sang-Deuk.

:

(points) It's here boss, there's a disused prison over there.

:

The perfect place for an illegal deal.

:

Or to confine and torture someone.

:

I'm going there! (puts his coat on)

:

Be careful boss.

:

And if anything happens to you, don't reveal that I exist!

:

Meanwhile, keep monitoring their conversations. (takes a camera)

:

Sure, boss.

Sang-Deuk comes out of the apartment.
Young-Sik takes a travel bag and sits on the sofa.
He takes a manhwa out of the bag, yawns, then reads.

¤ She puts her smartphone on the table, showing Ren-Bo's picture.
¤ Jin In-Jin walking through his insect collection.

¤ Jin In-Jin, smiling cruelly, announces:
"No, I will build it a dedicated showroom..."

~

To conclude with such a ridiculous gag is appalling.

~

When there was an excellent cliffhanger just before!

~

This stupid writer ruined the dramatic effect.

~

Feel free to insult him or pelt him with rotten eggs.

¤ "TO BE CONTINUED".

______WIZzz, Several pages slide quickly. It stops on______
¤ LAST: By day, Ren-Bo walks down an avenue, a portfolio tube strapped across her shoulder.

She reads the company sign: "Arborea, creating green spaces".
LAST: Ren-Bo looks at the sign, smiling and optimistic.

:

A Dahlia-based concept, to show the generosity of the owner.

The recruiters don't look at it. They stare at Ren-Bo's wings, about to vomit.

Smiling, Ren-Bo holds a transparent jar containing soil and a large unknown flower.
At the desk, an old gardener stares at Ren-Bo's wings with fear.
In panic, he flees through the door, which he slams after him.

PLUFF! Cloud of light, Fairy Spark appears on Ren-Bo's shoulder.
Sadly, the Fairy whispers words of comfort in her ear.
LAST: MOO! MOO! In the barn, the panicked cows moo toward Ren-Bo.

______WIZzz, Pages slide______
¤ WHOP-WHOP-WHOP. By day, a helicopter lands on the roof of Jin In-Jin's building.

:

She... (changes her mind) THAT was seen in several places in the capital.

:

I have a plan to legally add this artwork to my collection.

LAST: Jin In-Jin talks to Secretary Min.

LAST: Ren-Bo looks at the top of the building. Doubt, apprehension.

Facing Secretary Min, Ren-Bo looks at the room with wonder.

:

I'm sorry miss, I can't receive you here.

LAST: Ren-Bo is disappointed.

Ren-Bo and Secretary Min are sitting at the table.
Standing further away, Jin In-Jin looks toward the gardens.

Confused, Ren-Bo looks at him like: "He asked me here, so why does he stay away?".

:

Everyone is only talking about your talent.

:

(incredulous) Really?

:

President Jin wants to be the one who benefits from it.

(looks at Jin In-Jin, smiles with gratitude)

:

(wide gesture pointing to the gardens) You will have all this under your responsibility.

(amazed, mouth open, looks at the immense and sublime gardens)

:

Do you agree to work for President Jin?

:

(crazy with joy, nods several times) Yes! Yes! Yes!

Secretary Min pulls a contract of several bound sheets from her satchel.
She stands up, then places the contract and a fingerprint pad on the table, in front of Ren-Bo.
Secretary Min stays behind her, bent over like an ominous crow.
PLUFF! A puff of light. Fairy Spark appears on the table, next to the contract.

:

Ren-Bo, be careful. Take the time to read everything.

(elated with happiness, not listening)

(takes out her seal and dips her thumb in the fingerprint pad)

:

(distressed) Ren-Bo!

Ren-Bo frantically flips through the pages, stamping her seal and fingerprints on each one without reading.

LAST: Jin In-Jin smiles in cruel satisfaction, stroking his eyebrow.

:

Break it down until it hangs itself. You have carte blanche.

:

By your command, President. (leaves)

(looks at his insect collection hanging on the walls)

:

(disdainful) Paltry in comparison...

Jin In-Jin picks up a pad of contract sheets from the table.
He takes off a sheet and keeps looking at it, his eyes sparkling with envy and malice.

Close-up of the sheet, moving and zooming on...
Top, "In case of death".
Middle, "I agree to leave my body to the beneficiary".
Below, "Beneficiary: Jin In-Jin".
Next to it, "Signatory: Ren-Bo", with fingerprints and seal.

Close-up on the cover: "Moral harassment - First cause of suicide in companies".

:

(laughs cynically) Heh heh! A guide would be less useful.

:

Do this task, and you will receive this every week.

(looks into her envelope, amazed! the wad of bills is so thick)

(frowns, wrings her fingers, remorse)

:

(notices the reluctant one) This is not a human being.

LAST: Secretary Min talks to the servants, fierce, bossy.

:

Those who show humanity will be beaten to death.

______WIZzz, Pages slide______
¤ A maid spills a bag of fertilizer on Ren-Bo's head.

¤ Ren-Bo dumbfounded, shit on her head, some flies around.
¤ Mr. Ladybug skewers a fly with a sword.
______WIZzz______
¤ Two servants take Ren-Bo's gardening tools, while she begs.
¤ The servants throw the tools into a pond.
¤ ...SPLACH! Mr. Ladybug takes shelter under an umbrella.
______WIZzz______
¤ A maid slams Ren-Bo's face into the dirt. She screams and cries.
¤ In the garden, the maids laugh sadistically, around Ren-Bo on all fours.
¤ Two maids force Ren-Bo to eat grass and worms.
______WIZzz______
¤ LAST: On the villa's terrace, Secretary Min and Ren-Bo ashamed, head down.

:

I know it's hard, but don't lose heart.

:

Thank you Unnie...

LAST: The maid takes Ren-Bo in her arms.

:

You're the only one being nice here.

______WIZzz, Pages slide______
¤ LAST: Ren-Bo eats at the canteen, alone at her table, depressed.

:

It seems that rat poison works for insects too.

General laughter. Ren-Bo bursts into tears.
She has a spasm and vomits again. Laughs!!!

:

Eat Ren-Bo, you need to get some strength.

:

(head falling on the table, cries with despair) I can't take it anymore, it's beyond my strength.

~

Then resign.

(depressed, intimidated, dark circles under eyes)

:

(takes the letter and tears it up) No one leaves President Jin without saying farewell to their career.

:

...?!! (incredulous and worried)

:

You would be blacklisted. No one would hire you after that.

:

...!!! (horrified)

:

Never again... I could never garden again, anywhere.

:

(compassionate, hesitant) Isn't life... more important?

LAST: Ren-Bo desperate and stubborn.

:

I will never give up the only profession I love.

______WIZzz, Pages slide______
¤ LAST: Jin In-Jin and Secretary Min are on a balcony, upstairs in the villa.

:

One last coup de grâce will be enough, President. She will be... (smiles) toasted.

:

One regret... The gardens have never been so beautiful.

:

This is a garbage dump! What will you do to fix it?

:

(confused, appalled) But... No... I've... I have...

Ren-Bo's maid friend is standing next to a barbecue.
She takes a can of flammable liquid and approaches.

:

She's not capable of anything, and we have to clean up her garbage.

:

(terribly shocked) Unnie?! But... I thought that--

:

That we were friends? A monster like you doesn't deserve anyone's friendship.

(frozen stiff, has lost touch with reality)

The maid scatters the contents of the can on the flowerbed.

:

(too terrified to accept) Unnie... What... What are you doing?

The maid lights a barbecue fire-starter and throws it onto the flowerbed.
The flowers and plants catch fire, burned alive!

:

NOOOO!!! (as if she could hear the agony screams of the flowers).

Crazy with grief, Ren-Bo runs her hands over the flowers, burning herself.
The two maids exchange a cruel smirk, nod to each other, and...
... they kick Ren-Bo in the back!
Ren-Bo is thrown into the flames, her wings catch fire!

:

(screams in pain, burned alive) Aaaaah! ARAAAH!!!

SPLATCH! She dives in. Her flaming body extinguishes. Steam jet.
LAST: Purple wings and blackened skin, Ren-Bo screams in pain and despair.

:

(on the railing, panicking) Ren-Bo! Ren-Bo!

:

This is the only thing I will ever achieve in my life!!!

:

(smiles with satisfaction) Get ready to fish out the body.

:

Understood, Secretary Min.

He gets out and rushes to Ren-Bo. He grabs her around the waist to stop her from jumping.
She struggles, redoubles her screams and tears. Heartbreaking!

:

Let me go! Let me go! I should have done this long ago!!!

:

Never!!! I forbid you to die on any day but mine.

In the rearview mirror, Sin-Moo looks at Ren-Bo in the back seat.

:

Resign.

:

(crying) I can't. I'd rather die.

:

Then stay home.

:

It's the same!

:

Your career is not in danger. Trust me.

:

(vague hope)

:

I know what these sharks do when they don't get what they want.

LAST: CRAACK! A lightning bolt strikes nearby, illuminating Sin-Moo's determined face.

:

Secretary Min failed, President.

:

The incompetent one! She'll pay for this.

:

(stands up) Follow me, we'll fix it.

Jin In-Jin leaves the office with his henchman.

:

The moral is, man comes to art, and does not wait for art to come to him.

He stretches the other end of the rope. Ren-Bo is strangled.
The henchman lifts her up and puts her feet on the stool.

:

Freeze!

The policemen approach Jin In-Jin and his henchman with handcuffs.

:

President Jin, you are under arrest for the attempted murder of this girl...

:

(vindictive) What right?! We just came to help this--

:

... and for the proven murder of your secretary, Mrs. Min!

Ren-Bo as a child, one meter high. Her wings are dark blue.
Her father holds her tiny wrist, and walks fast in a hospital corridor.
She is forced to keep up the pace, among dozens of passers-by.
Everyone looks at her with disgust and horror.
Ren-Bo sobs, holding a pink stuffed rabbit close to her.

She passes too close to a man sitting on a bench.

SBAF! She accidentally bumps into the man's knees and drops the rabbit.

:

(small panicked voice) Mr Rabbit!

:

(reaches back, cries) Stop, I've lost Mr. Rabbit!

:

(forcing Ren-Bo forward) Stop making a spectacle of yourself.

The man on the bench picks up the pink rabbit.
He watches with pity this strange, winged little girl walk away.
He would like to give her back her rabbit, and stretches his arm slightly.
But he feels it's too late, so he holds the rabbit in both hands and looks at it sadly.

Bright screens on the walls display medical tests. X-ray sheets lie on a table.

Two professors, doctors, Ren-Bo and her parents.

:

Don't worry, we'll do the impossible.

:

We can't let this girl suffer such a nightmare.

:

(small voice all fearful) What will they do to me?

:

It's for your own good, Ren-Bo.

:

We won't hide it from you: this will be difficult.

The professor points a wand at one of the X-rays, showing Ren-Bo's torso and wings.

:

These blood vessels lead to her chest. Some of them are deep and difficult to track.

:

But with proper cauterization, the operation should go well.

:

Please don't tell us the details!

:

Do whatever it takes, we trust you.

:

(terrified) Please, I don't want to... I'm afraid...

The doctors take Ren-Bo out of the room.

:

(screams, looks back) Dad, mom, don't leave me!!!

(embarrassed, looks away)

(relieved, looks away)

Ren-Bo's wings turn an icy blue.

:

(desperate) No, stop, I'm begging you!

Ren-Bo is lying on her stomach on the operating table. Comatose, under general anesthesia.

:

I start the ablation by cutting the base of the right wing.

The scalpel sinks into a gnarled black and downy tendon.
Surprising the surgeon, FRIIITCH!, a jet of pressurized blood sprays his face.

:

An artery! There was an artery hidden underneath!

Ren-Bo's wing suddenly spasms.
Surprising everyone, Ren-Bo sits up, conscious.

:

(screams) Hiiiiiiiiii!!!

:

Stop it!

FCHIIIII! Blood from her wing spurts out at high pressure, spraying everyone around.

:

I implore you!

The panic takes hold of the operating room. Doctors are shouting.
Ren-Bo is flailing around with the energy of desperation, bleeding to death.

:

Hold her! Hold her down! (tries to restrain Ren-Bo)

A doctor helps to control Ren-Bo.

:

Dad, mom, help!

:

What the hell kind of anesthesia is that?!

:

The body mass of the wings distorted the calculations.

:

Haaaaa!!! (tilts backwards)

Ren-Bo loses consciousness, her body goes limp.
The blood continues to spurt, but less strongly.
TUUUUUUU... Flat electrocardiogram.

:

Cardiac arrest!

:

Seal off this artery, for heaven's sake!

Two doctors are applying compression to the wound.
One of them has a spasm, he leaves the table, and goes to vomit in a corner.
The second surgeon deploys the suture set.

:

Emergency resuscitation!

:

(puts an oxygen mask on Ren-Bo's mouth) We can't do chest compressions in this position.

A doctor brings a defibrillator.
He places the electrodes, the assistant surgeon coats the gel on the spatulas.

:

Charge to 200 joules, monophasic.

:

3... 2... 1... Clear!

BAKLASH! Ren-Bo's small body is lifted by the shock.
TUUUUUU... Flat electrocardiogram.

:

Again! Charge to 250 joules!

:

3... 2... 1... Clear! (BAKLASH!)

Tit... Tit... Tit... Small but fast beats on the electrocardiogram.
Ren-Bo, eyes half closed... her little child's heart comes back to life.

:

The artery, how's it looking?!

:

Hemorrhage stabilized, being sutured. (sewing up the black tendons)

:

We give up the operation!

:

There's no way to map her blood vessels. If an artery runs through here, there's only one explanation...

:

... her wings are directly connected to her heart!

:

This hapless kid will have to suffer this her whole life...

Ren-Bo drags herself across the floor, degrading herself, her wings purple.
In a fit of tears, she begs her parents, who are standing.

:

Why do you see me as a monster, too?

:

It hurts me too much. (puts a hand to her heart)

:

Because of you, we never dared to have children again.

:

Who knows? We would have a boy with fly wings?

:

And to think that this abomination comes out of my womb, Oh Lord!

:

But I did not choose to be born like this...

The mother grabs a wet towel and SNAP!, she whips Ren-Bo's wings with it.

:

Aaaaaah!

:

I can't stand you anymore, you horror!!!

Ren-Bo quickly slips backwards, using her feet to move.

:

Look at the pain you cause to your mother.

:

Go hide!

Ren-Bo curls up, paralyzed, under the kitchen table.
Her wings are shaken by involuntary spasms of pain.
The parents come out of the kitchen, but Ren-Bo can still hear them.

Ren-Bo's mother loses the strength to stand. Her husband helps her not to fall.

:

We are the shame of this city.

:

I'm so tired of this life.

~

We are cursed.

(desperate, clutching her hands to her heart)