Life is Easier If You're Handsome novel Chapter 304

The green hair—one of the Joker’s most iconic trademarks.

In a suit, he looked remarkably put together, but the messily tousled hair created a striking contrast.

As he stepped from the light into the darkness...

Unlike Batman, who absorbs all light, the Joker reflected it—glowing even in the shadows.

Normally, they wouldn’t begin shooting immediately at this point.

First came costume checks.

Then camera direction according to the script.

And gauging the actor’s mental and emotional state before diving in.

But then—

Whirrrrrr...

“Cue.”

Director Cristo, as if possessed, grabbed the camera.

The cinematography and lighting teams reacted instantly to the cue.

Some unconscious instinct told them they would regret it for the rest of their lives if they failed to capture this moment.

And then—

“Hehe... Hahaha... Hahahahahaha! This is just—this is just too much fun.” 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

At the sound of the cue, Kim Donghu—or rather, the Joker—came alive.

It was practically a one-man act.

He hadn’t even been given the full script.

The cue had sounded abruptly.

It was a completely unreasonable demand to perform an impromptu free act—said to be one of the hardest forms of acting.

Yet the Joker moved with ease, as if he had been there all along.

Huh?

Step.

Step.

Step.

Laughing, muttering nonsense.

Then as he continued, he began approaching the camera.

Should they step back? Or stay put?

It wasn’t easy to determine what the right choice was in that moment—

Wham!

The Joker grabbed the camera lens and brought his face up close.

It wasn’t a clean makeup job—his “crown face” looked more like it was smeared with flour.

His lips were painted wide in red, stretching unnaturally toward the ears in a grotesque smile.

“Look closely, Batman! At Gotham’s dazzling future—one you’ll ruin no matter what you do!”

Hehehe... Hahahahahahahahaha!

With that final laugh, he struck the camera just out of frame.

Thanks to controlled force, the camera didn’t fall.

Even offscreen, the Joker’s manic laughter echoed.

And at that exact moment—

“Cut.”

An OK sign was called in a completely unscripted situation.

Roughly three minutes had passed since the makeup was finished.

They threw a completely spontaneous ad-lib at him... and he delivered this level of performance?

It was just supposed to be a camera test.

But the footage was usable.

A moment when Batman thought he’d gained the upper hand... and Joker sends a message to the broadcast station... No, more like... he actually raids the station?

Cristo’s inspiration surged endlessly.

“We can’t just shoot from the chin down, can we? It’s way too distinctive...”

“Well, thankfully, the body shape can still be covered with wardrobe.”

The crew kept scrambling for ways to conceal Kim Donghu.

The moment his face appeared, it would be over.

His voice could be modified through post-processing, sure—

But that overwhelmingly handsome face? Impossible to hide.

“So what part were we supposed to shoot today again? Was it the one where he builds a tower out of playing cards?”

“Yes. That, and the bit where he checks how many of the 52 Jokers are left... and then the scene where he gives detailed commands.”

“What about the part where he forcefully injects Smile—that drug he created?”

“That’s scheduled for last. For now, we’re focusing on what he can shoot alone.”

The staff bustled across the set.

Cristo’s eyes gleamed with brilliance, muttering awed sounds as inspiration struck him again and again.

In the middle of all this—

There’s definitely a better way I could do this.

His mind accelerated, searching for ways to hone his talent further.

***

The filming progressed smoothly.

Maybe it was because all scheduling revolved solely around Murcielago.

Or maybe it was the massive investment that fueled the project.

Maybe it was both.

The synergy allowed Murcielago to advance at a brisk pace.

Even on days when scenes had to be re-shot multiple times—

Every extra hour contributed to polishing the final cut.

Late-night shoots became routine, and quality kept climbing.

And now, they had finally arrived at the real climax.

More precisely, the moment had come when the “real Joker’s” identity could no longer be hidden.

Within the world of the film, it was time for Murcielago’s characters to discover who the Joker truly was.

“...We should probably wait until after Christmas to do this.”

“Sorry?”

“No, I mean—we’re at the end of December now... we’re halfway through, so... yeah.”

The Joker, as played by Kim Donghu, was scripted to appear around the film’s midpoint.

That marked a full tonal shift for the movie.

A major pivot point.

Some suggested they pause here to let the story breathe.

But in truth, this “break” was just a cover.

The real reason was a stunt double issue.

Naturally, Kim Donghu couldn’t be in two places at once.

In scenes where Batman and Joker appeared together, one of them would need a double.

But the stand-in actor wasn’t up to par in Cristo’s eyes.

Maybe it’s because I’ve seen such high-level action performances.

Maybe it’s because I’ve witnessed the real Batman... and experienced the real Joker.

Whatever the case, the stuntman’s action scenes felt completely inadequate.

The face will be done with CG anyway... so we just need the body. But the difference is still this stark?

She called it—

“The gift is me... and the full-body attack!”

Or more dramatically: the female titan cosplay assault plan.

With the plan perfected, and the day of execution finally here...

2022.12.25

After finishing his usual workout at the gym, Kim Donghu returned home—

And the moment he opened the door, he found a massive present box.

And inside—

“...Chisako?”

A jaw-dropping surprise.

Up to this point, the operation had been a success.

They’d both confirmed their feelings to some degree. Now it was just a matter of sealing the deal.

“Then I can officially be part of Donghu oppa’s harem...!”

She thought it couldn’t get any better than this.

“...U-uh...! O-oppa... I-I didn’t... see anything like that!”

That was, until she encountered something heavy in the heat of the moment.

“T-this... this is totally... cheating!”

That night, Chisako cried her eyes out because of how painfully intense it was.

***

After Christmas passed, Murcielago resumed filming in full force.

But there was a sudden wave of tension on set.

Gulp.

The atmosphere was so stiff, even a swallow echoed like a gunshot.

“Hoo... stuff like this even makes me nervous.”

There were thirty-five actors scheduled to shoot a scene that day. A full one-take action sequence requiring all of them to move in perfect sync.

This isn’t going to be easy.

With one last deep breath, Donghu slowly walked onto the set.

Clad in the Batman suit, He closed his eyes.

“From now on... I am Batman. I must save everyone.”

And when he opened them—

“Help us!”

“Please! Anyone, please—just save us!”

Children, writhing in pain, begging for life.

“You—what the hell? You’re the punk who’s been stirring up shit on the subways, huh?”

“Do you know how much our drug supply’s dried up because of you? How are you gonna repay that?”

“Take off the mask, you bastard!”

Animals, howling without understanding what they’ve done wrong.

Sigh.

A heavy breath escaped.

Clack.

He loaded the gun.

“I won’t kill you.”

But they would live in pain—pain that would almost kill them.

“Cue!”

Filming began.