VILLAIN 27

“…hungry.”

I pulled Seo Kangsan into a weathered diner and sat down in a corner. I’m going to have ramen. Since I can never eat it at home. My eyes shone as I pointed at ramen and tteokbokki, and Seo Kangsan nodded, ordering various things.

“So, you’re not going home?”

When I asked nonchalantly while pouring water into the cups provided for us, Seo Kangsan’s face crumpled. His gaze seemed to ask how I knew such a thing.

If I had it my way, I’d tell him to move out and be independent… but not yet. Since you’re still a minor, you should be under Grandfather’s protection. Who knows what that crazy main system will pull using Lee Sera.

“I’m not going until I take you back with me.”

As expected, I’m the reason.

I was certain of it from the moment he said he’d run away, but still….

“Well. It’s the same for me no matter where I go.”

When I spoke with an expressionless face after taking another sip of water, Seo Kangsan’s body flinched.

“Beating isn’t the only form of violence. You know that.”

Indifference is also violence. Even if I were to go to that house due to Seo Kangsan’s persistence, Grandfather would not protect me. Even if Lee Sera did something and I died or was kidnapped. That’s just the way the system is built…. And above all, I was certain that if we were close, both of us would surely get hurt. Because of that damn main system.

It would incessantly babble at me to hurt him or do this and that, and I don’t have the confidence to handle that. I only have one body, so there’s a limit to how much I can get hurt. Thinking that far made me feel like crap, so a small, dry laugh escaped me.

I tapped my fingers on the table silently until the food arrived, then I pushed it toward Seo Kangsan.

He seemed to handle spicy food better than I expected, eating the tteokbokki without a second thought. I followed suit, only to feel like my mouth was on fire.

I guess I can’t eat spicy food. I never knew because at home I just eat whatever is served and only touch the side dishes in front of me. They don’t give me such stimulating food to begin with.

As I gulped down water, a surprised Seo Kangsan pushed the non-spicy food toward me.

Ding!

The main system window is temporarily forcibly terminated.

The system modifies part of the main quest.

I looked up at the system window appearing before my eyes and smiled slightly.

Modified to: ‘Upon quest failure, one leg will be severely injured.’

Sorry. This is the limit.

It’s okay. Thanks, Stem.

I nodded and finished the food, sat for a while, and then stood up with Seo Kangsan. I took my wallet out of my pocket and held the card containing my allowance. Seo Jun said he’d been consistently putting money in, but I don’t know how much is in there since I haven’t had a reason to use it.

When I tried to pay, Seo Kangsan stopped me by grabbing my hand and paid with his own card.

The main system window turns on.

I led Seo Kangsan out of the diner after he finished paying and looked around.

Push Seo Kangsan onto the road.

Seeing the road right in front of us where cars were speeding by, I let out a small sigh. When I didn’t show any sign of moving, a tick-tock sound of a second hand began to ring out.

Push Seo Kangsan onto the road.

Still not doing it?

Thinking it might be a bit better once we were off the road, I grabbed Seo Kangsan’s hand and pulled.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

I’m seriously going crazy. As the time grew closer, the main system window turned red and appeared large before my eyes. When I stepped backward, Seo Kangsan gripped my hand tight.

Seo Kangsan might be fine even if there’s an accident, but both your legs will be crippled.

Even so?

“Yeah, even so.”

“What is seriously wrong with you…”

…I’m trusting you, Stem.

Tick—tock.

The sound of the clock hands stopping rang out and then—beeeep! Along with a roar, a freight truck wobbled and came racing toward us at high speed.

…Not just any car, but a truck that big?

Push Seo Kangsan Yes No

Yes.

Without hesitation, I reached out and pushed Seo Kangsan away.

Into a safe spot away from the road.

Thud!

Along with the screams of others, I saw Seo Kangsan desperately calling my name as he ran toward me.

I don’t know what happened to my body after being hit by the truck after pushing Seo Kangsan, or how badly I was hurt. It happened in an instant, so rather than pain, I only perceived my body floating in the air.

Through a field of vision stained red, I see my right right leg, brutally twisted under something.

Quest failed; one leg is severely injured.

Letters were typed into the main system window, which was gradually shattering and shaking.

Ah, fuck.

Looking at Seo Kangsan’s face, which was trembling with terror as he held my body, I slowly closed my eyes.

It really… hurts like hell….

…se.

…p….

Something hummed in my ears. I didn’t want to wake up because it was a nuisance and my whole body ached.

When I frowned and opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a world of gray, and Lee Sera’s body. I slowly lifted my head.

A cord connected somewhere on the ceiling was tightening around Lee Sera’s neck. I reached out and hugged Lee Sera, but her body was ice-cold, as if she had been dead for a long time. My hands and feet didn’t move the way I wanted them to, so I immediately realized it was a dream, but the sensations were excessively vivid.

‘…Mom.’

I clenched my hands and hugged Lee Sera’s body.

‘Mom, why are you there….’

Empty eyes that couldn’t even produce tears spoke dryly, and behind Seo Hosu, a presence was felt. Turning around, I saw Seo Kangsan with an unreadable expression. The entire world was gray. Even the sight of Seo Kangsan shouting something while looking at Seo Hosu was gray. And soon, I realized that Seo Kangsan’s body wasn’t normal either.

The exposed skin of the person, whose eyes were gentler than the Seo Kangsan in my memory, was covered in wounds and burn marks, and a bandage was wrapped around his neck.

Is this the original Seo Hosu’s memory? Seo Hosu did not cry. But I could tell. That his mind was entirely filled with complex emotions. His mind, unable to decide who to blame or who to resent, stopped thinking at some point.

All villain roles have been fulfilled; all control over the character ‘Seo Hosu’ is released.

And then, the system window appeared, glowing gray.

Did Seo Hosu not know this world was inside a game? Looking at the system window, his eyes widened and he began to step backward, his whole body trembling violently.

I felt that Seo Hosu’s eyes, which had cleared… somehow resembled Lee Sera’s. The Lee Sera of that brief moment when all control had been released.

— …Why? …Why did I… hyung… what on earth did I do….

Shaking his head and covering his face, Seo Hosu muttered and slumped to the ground.

— What… did I do to hyung…?

Seo Kangsan stood there as if frozen. With a face that didn’t know what to do in this situation and eyes that looked like they were about to cry.

The memory of pouring hot water on Seo Kangsan, the memory of pushing him down the stairs and pushing his back into a road with oncoming cars. As memories of harassing him with all sorts of wicked deeds filled his head, Seo Hosu let out a scream—Aaagh!

As if unable to endure the memories that kept flooding in, he hit his own head and slammed it—thud, thud—against the floor.

— I didn’t want to do it. I… I…!

I… I wanted to hand him medicine, not push him away. But why?

— Why… why did it turn out like this…?

Seo Hosu muttered while covering his face, then grabbed the kitchen knife lying below Lee Sera.

His empty eyes turned toward Lee Sera’s cold body. Then he looked at Seo Kangsan, who was shaking his head at him, reaching out, and limping toward him.

At some point, Seo Hosu was laughing. Laughing, without any lingering attachment, without any hesitation, he plunged the knife into his own neck. The blood flowing from his neck was truly red. In the gray world, the only thing painted with color was that red blood.

Thump.

Seo Kangsan, who slumped to the ground, muttered a small “Ah” and shed tears. Those eyes were very tired and, like Seo Hosu’s, empty.

The protagonist’s mind collapses.

The protagonist commits suicide; the story returns to the beginning.