Chapter 98: Arch-enemy (1)
TL/Editor: Raei
Schedule: 5/week, Mon-Fri
Illustrations: Here
Join the discord! Here
When a man wearing a mask came in through the window, Song Soo-yeon thought her time had come.
It had to be Dice, the villain.
Riem had told her. Other villains from the alliance were being chased by him too.
Tryno, Liquid, and Stingshot, who seemed unbeatable, had been completely defeated by him.
Given Dice's incomprehensible strength, she thought he would have found out her location in an inexplicable way too.
Solace, who was with her, immediately engaged in combat with him, creating a chance for her to escape...
But it was futile.
It wasn't that she didn't have regrets.
If she could just see Jung-gyeom's face one more time, she might give up everything she had.
But, she knew all too well that it was a wish that couldn't come true.
She knew the enormity of the sins she committed and the wounds she inflicted on him.
So, Song Soo-yeon didn't run away. She gave up.
She began to prepare herself mentally.
If Solace won, everything would be fine, but Dice was the one who had dismantled the Villain Alliance.
He was an ability user who accomplished alone what neither Solace nor Shake could.
It wasn't hard to predict that he would return.
-Crunch...
While waiting, the sound of stepping on broken glass resonated from Jung-gyeom's apartment.
Turning around, she saw a man wearing a mask standing there.
"...Dice?"
She asked.
Dice, without answering, just stared at her silently.
"...Is it my turn now?"
"..."
"...Kill me."
She spat out.
"...There's no point in living anymore... It would be easier this way."
It was easier than jumping off the rooftop.
No matter how little she clung to life, stepping towards death by oneself was difficult.
It required courage even for that.
So, it was easier to rely on someone else.
Dice slowly approached her.
Song Soo-yeon clenched her teeth.
It was all going to end soon.
It should have been like this from the beginning.
The death that should have come that day on the rooftop was only postponed.
She had to be content with at least tasting happiness near Jung-gyeom for a while.
She had dreams.
She wanted to repay everything she received from him for the rest of her life.
There was also a personal desire for his love.
But she hoped for too much.
This was as far as it went.
The world cursed her, and she bent under this familiar curse.
...She feared death, but having tasted it once, she was ready.
However, something incomprehensible happened.
Dice knelt on one knee.
"..."
His hand trembled as it reached toward her cheek.
Song Soo-yeon, who had a great aversion to physical contact from anyone other than Jung-gyeom, tried to swat his hand away.
But Dice's arm did not waver in the slightest.
Soon, his hand touched her cheek, wiping away the blood that flowed from her lips.
Song Soo-yeon was momentarily startled by this familiar touch.
An unforgettable warmth sought her out.
This was Jung-gyeom's hand.
There was no mistaking it.
...But it was confusing.
The person in front of her was not Jung-gyeom, but Dice.
The very person who had brought down the Villain Alliance.
He was an ability user.
It couldn't possibly be Jung-gyeom, whom she had mocked as a pushover.
But why did she feel Jung-gyeom's presence from him?
At the same time, she heard a voice.
'...Soo-yeon, why are you like this...'
Song Soo-yeon's heart pounded fiercely.
It felt as if electricity was coursing through her entire body.
There was only one person who called her Soo-yeon like that.
Her breathing quickened, and just the possibility brought tears to her eyes.
It was unbelievable, but a weak, desperate question slipped out.
......................Mister....?
At that, Dice's body twitched.
In the darkness, his eyes sparkled.
Song Soo-yeon felt as if all the air had been knocked out of her chest.
-Wham!
Song Soo-yeon moved faster than anyone else.
She caught the hand touching her cheek, Jung-gyeom's hand.
It was unbelievable, but this was Jung-gyeom.
There are things one knows without needing to see the face.
She heard a voice, and this familiar touch told her everything.
Ah, is it you, Mister...? It's you, isn't it...?
.......
His eyes wandered in confusion.
And in an instant, the man vanished.
He became a black mist, dispersing.
...Uh...? What...?
Song Soo-yeon flailed her hands in the air, trying to grasp the mist.
But he did not return.
Song Soo-yeon sprang up and looked around the room.
Her head was dizzy from the sudden movement, but she was more curious about Jung-gyeom's whereabouts.
Mister...? Mister...!
Song Soo-yeon began to sob without realizing it.
Tears she thought she had run out of welled up again.
Was he Dice?
Was Jung-gyeom an ability user?
...It didn't matter.
All that mattered was Jung-gyeom's return.
Mister...! Come back...!
Song Soo-yeon cried out alone in the empty room.
I was wrong!! e back...!
Tears dropped one by one.
He was betrayed and after, he left.
What must have been in his heart to come back and wipe her blood?
Despite the hurt, he couldn't shake of his attachment and came back.
Mister...! Ah...Mister...
But she had no choice but to accept that he had disappeared.
Why did she start with his name?
If she had known it was him, she should have apologized first.
In the end, she couldn't convey the words she most wanted to share.
She had only managed to startle him like a fool.
...Sob...
Song Soo-yeon lay back down on the floor, covering her mouth with her hands.
She swallowed her flowing tears.
But it was not enough.
She continued to shed tears relentlessly.
---
---
He quietly listened to Song Soo-yeon's words from within the shadows.
I'm sorry.
I miss you.
Come back.
I love you...
And so on.
These words brought more pain than happiness.
I couldn't leave her side for a long while.
I hid in the shadows until she cried herself to exhaustion and fell asleep.
And only after seeing Song Soo-yeon like that could I fully believe.
Her words weren't lies.
She hadn't deceived or tricked me.
Maybe she really became a villain because she didn't want to lose me to Solace.
Perhaps it was childishness, or maybe it was her hatred for the world, or maybe it was the lure of money that made becoming a villain seem simpler, but deceiving me didn't seem to be her primary goal.
"...."
Why did it turn out like this?
I emerged from the shadows.
I sat down on the floor and approached Song Soo-yeon, who was asleep, draped over the bed.
Sitting on the bed... I stroked her hair.
Even in her sleep, Song Soo-yeon's breathing was unstable.
Tears still remained.
Maybe the world can't be changed after all.
Perhaps everything is flowing as it is destined.
I became a villain again, and once again, the archnemesis of Solace.
Song Soo-yeon became Luna, and she was also again the second-ranked villain.
Am I putting too much effort into things that cannot be changed?
"...."
I closed my eyes. Let's not think too complicatedly.
My head feels like it's going to burst already.
It's not just Song Soo-yeon; thinking about Solace is also pushing me to my limit.
Regardless, the fact that Song Soo-yeon and I are villains hasn't changed.
We are still on this path.
I continued to stroke the sleeping Song Soo-yeon's hair.
Unconsciously, she rubbed her cheek against my hand.
"......Mister..."
She talked in her sleep.
Was she seeing me even in her dreams?
I felt deep affection.
Something I had unknowingly buried, surfaced.
That emotion mixed with the stickiness I'm feeling now, turned into a tangled mess of feelings.
I looked down at her and then leaned forward.
I pressed my forehead against hers.
"......"
Then I returned to the shadows and left her.
---
---
As soon as Jung-gyeom entered the basement, Han Yoo-jung said to him,
"Gyeom, I need to use the bathroom."
"..."
Jung-gyeom silently watched her, then without a word, unlocked the cage.
Han Yoo-jung had planned all day to get closer to him, but...she realized today was not the day.
He wasn't in a good mood.
Rather, he looked sad. As if he might burst into tears at the slightest touch.
"....Is something wrong?"
At Han Yoo-jung's question, Jung-gyeom gave her a sharp look.
"You said you were going to the bathroom."
"....Ah, yes."
Han Yoo-jung carefully got up from her seat.
Following him, she began to leave the basement.
Twice a day, she could go to the bathroom like this.
She knew all too well that even this was due to Jung-gyeom's consideration.
But for Han Yoo-jung, there was no better opportunity than this.
She wasn't looking for a way to escape.
She only thought about how to get closer to him.
The iron bars that separated her and Jung-gyeom did not exist during this time.
In front of the bathroom, Jung-gyeom leaned against a nearby wall.
His eyes soon became vacant.
He was lost in deep thought.
Han Yoo-jung looked at him...and cracked a joke to lighten the mood.
"Aren't you going to watch me?"
"..."
Jung-gyeom's eyes moved to look at her.
Han Yoo-jung asked with a smile.
"...You can come in and watch if you want."
As Han Yoo-jung opened the bathroom door, she said.
"...Are you going to run?"
Jung-gyeom asked.
Han Yoo-jung laughed.
"...No. Just kidding. You seemed to be in a bad mood."
"...."
With that, Han Yoo-jung entered the bathroom.
---
---
When Han Yoo-jung came back out, Jung-gyeom let out a long sigh.
A sigh almost as if resolving to himself.
He lifted his head and approached Han Yoo-jung, who involuntarily stepped back until she leaned against the bathroom door.
"...Why...are you doing this..."
"Han Yoo-jung."
".........Yes?"
He asked her seriously.
"....Why did Luna...join the alliance?"
"..."
"...Tell me."
It was not an interrogation but a plea.
It was clear that a significant change had occurred in him.
Answering now felt like Jung-gyeom would never seek her out again.
They hadn't gotten close at all yet.
She needed more time.
"..."
....But seeing that expression, it was impossible to hide it any longer.
How could she refuse when he asked with such an expression?
She had to speak.
Han Yoo-jung opened her mouth.
".....I'll tell you...but in return, do me one favor."
"......"
It was overstepping for a prisoner to make such a request.
But Han Yoo-jung had no other choice.
To reveal her only trump card, she needed another card in her hand.
Jung-gyeom did not respond.
Han Yoo-jung took that as an affirmation.
"...I won't run away. I won't leave this hideout. Let me out of these bars. Eat with me every day. I'll cook."
"..."
"...After my regression, my goal was to find you. Even if it's only until you hand me over to the association...just until then...okay?"
"..."
"Ah, you also captured Liquid and Stingshot, right? I'll take care of them too."
"...You..."
"It's not what you think. I can't run away from you anyway. If you decided to, you could easily catch me... I'm just saying I want to help you avoid the hassle."
Jung-gyeom frowned.
The sadness he carried, combined with this, made him appear even more pitiful.
Han Yoo-jung wanted to blurt out what he wanted to hear urgently, but she exercised patience and forced him to make a choice.
This was an important matter for her too.
She didn't want to completely sever her relationship with him.
"..."
After a long consideration, Jung-gyeom nodded briefly.
Han Yoo-jung looked forward to their meals together, but she also felt jealous of the attention he was giving to Luna.
However, swallowing those feelings, she lifted her head.
"You wanted to know Luna's goals?"
"...Yes."
"There were three things. The first was money."
Jung-gyeom nodded, as if that motive was understandable.
"The second was to destroy Solace."
He nodded again at the second point, as if he had anticipated it.
For Han Yoo-jung, it was easy up to here.
The last part was the problem.
From Jung-gyeom's actions, it was clear that there was something between him and Luna.
Moreover, it was now clear who was the 'man she wanted.'
Perhaps their hearts were already connected?
Although Han Yoo-jung hesitated at the thought...she didn't want to lie.
She didn't want to deceive someone as kind as him.
"...The third was for help in getting together with the man she loves. She said she didn't know how to do it."
"............."
Jung-gyeom froze, then slowly closed his eyes.
After taking deep breaths for a long while...he nodded again.
Then he slowly turned and left.
As promised, he did not lock Han Yoo-jung back in her cell.
Visit freewe𝑏n(o)vel.𝑐𝘰𝑚 for the best novel reading experience