VILLAIN 34

“I wouldn’t really know since I don’t have a grandfather, but….”

I slowly turned my head and checked the face in the funeral portrait. It was Seo Kangsan’s grandfather, wearing a gentle smile he had never once shown me.

Standing beside me in a black suit, Seo Kangsan slowly raised his head, looked at the photo with me, and then squeezed his eyes shut.

Why again….

Why is it turning out like this? Why on earth….

The grandfather passed away and left a will.

Perhaps because I’ve been hit with one shock after another, my brain isn’t working properly.

A will stating that Seo Kangsan was actually Seo Jun’s biological son. It didn’t mention that Lee Sera killed Seo Kangsan’s mother, but it’s likely only a matter of time before Seo Jun figures it out.

“That’s…!”

That’s not something Lee Sera did. Anyone could see that…! That… Lee Sera wasn’t the one who killed her.

She was just trying to stop it; she didn’t do anything wrong.

‘Wait, what about Lee Sera? What about Mom….’

She lost consciousness and is lying at home. Since that person is focusing on the main story, she should be fine for the time being.

If anything happens, I’ll try to block it.

Ha. I let out a small sigh and looked around. Standing there in mourning clothes, Seo Jun’s face was frozen. His eyes, which were always calculating something, had sunk excessively deep. I slowly backed away and eventually turned around, fleeing the scene. Someone grabbed my hand, as if they had followed me out of the funeral hall.

Slap!

Reflexively, I brushed the hand away and turned around. Seo Kangsan, his focus slightly off, was looking at me.

“Seo Hosu!”

Behind him, Lee Rowoon—who had run out with Seo Kangsan upon hearing my name—looked back and forth between me and Seo Kangsan with slightly flustered eyes.

“Are… are you okay? You’re okay, right?”

He spoke cautiously, as if he thought I was possessed by a ghost again. When I shook my head weakly, Lee Rowoon let out a sigh and stepped closer.

“And Hosu hyung-nim. Your father was looking for you inside.”

At Lee Rowoon’s blunt voice, Seo Kangsan slowly turned his face to look inside the funeral hall, then shook his head and gripped my arm tightly. His eyes looked wounded somehow…. Lee Rowoon met my gaze and let out a deep sigh.

“Have you both eaten?”

“…No…, I don’t know.”

I’m not sure because I was moved here so suddenly.

Shrugging his shoulders, Lee Rowoon pulled out his wallet and patted me and Seo Kangsan on the back as he asked me.

“Funeral food tastes pretty terrible, doesn’t it? I’ll go out and buy something. Craving anything sweet?”

“Huh? Oh… no, wait, Lee Rowoon. It doesn’t look like there’s anything around here.”

I snapped out of my daze and surveyed the surroundings. Near the large road where cars were zipping by, I could only see offices and factories; it didn’t seem like there would be any restaurants. At my small voice, Lee Rowoon looked at me and smirked.

“I’ll take a taxi and be back in a flash. There’s a convenience store about ten minutes away. If all else fails, there’s a burger joint next to it, so I can buy something there. You want a burger too?”

Slowly interlacing my fingers with Seo Kangsan’s hand—which was still gripping me tightly—I patted him, raised my head, and met his eyes.

“Hyung, are you hungry? Do you want to eat something? I’ll go with him.”

At the mention of me going along, Seo Kangsan hurriedly gripped my arm with both hands. I winced for a moment from the pain, and he let go, looking startled.

“Hey, why are you trying to follow me? If you’re tired, get some fresh air here and go back in. You don’t leave your spot when a family member has passed.”

“…Eh?”

“It’s the end, after all. Those three days of the funeral are the only time you can truly send off the person who is leaving.”

With a small smile, Lee Rowoon reached out and tapped my shoulder.

“And it’s also the only time you’re allowed to cry your heart out. If you’re worried about me, I’ll take Jang Dohoon with me, so you stay here and keep hyung company.”

“They… came too?”

“Yeah, he was the first to say we should come here because he was worried about you.”

Walking toward the roadside, Lee Rowoon spoke nonchalantly while looking at his phone, seemingly trying to call a taxi.

“If the tears come, just cry a lot. If it’s hard, eat and keep crying; don’t hold it back. You’re allowed to do that. From now on, you….”

I wasn’t particularly sad. If anything, I was sad for other reasons; the grandfather’s death hit me as a shock, but it wasn’t a sorrowful one. He had been a person far too cruel to me for me to grieve for him.

It just felt like the main system had abruptly chosen the grandfather’s death to advance the main story in place of Lee Sera, so I was only worried about Seo Kangsan. Perhaps because Lee Rowoon’s words were actually comforting to him, Seo Kangsan bit his lip hard. A glimpse of his face revealed it was full of shock and grief.

Right—he didn’t hear about the death while at school; he was suddenly moved here by force only to find his grandfather dead. How shocking must that be? If only Seo Kangsan hadn’t been able to feel anything when the location and time were forcibly shifted, like the other characters….

If he had been at school as usual and heard the news normally, wouldn’t it have been a little less shocking for Seo Kangsan?

“You can cry until you faint. I’m worried, but… taking care of someone who lost someone is the job of those around them.”

A taxi must have been caught, as Lee Rowoon slowly raised his head. His eyes were shining a bit sadly.

I only just realized because I was so focused on Seo Kangsan. Every single word out of Lee Rowoon’s mouth was not something that should come from someone that age.

“Lee… Rowoon…?”

Mumbling to himself, Lee Rowoon tucked his phone into his pocket and gestured for us to go back in, saying the taxi was here.

Forcing the movement of ‘Seo Kangsan’ to Lee Rowoon.

A fatal error occurs.

Ah, fuck, I’m seriously going crazy.

Do you think you’re going more crazy than I am?

After seeing off Lee Rowoon as he left in the taxi, I took Seo Kangsan’s hand.

“Hyung, shall we go in in a little bit?”

There was no answer.

His eyes vacant as he stared into space, Seo Kangsan slowly turned his head toward me and opened his mouth.

“…Stay with me.”

“I will. I will, so… hyung, if you’re sad, just cry.”

The eyes looking at me distorted as if he were about to burst into tears at any second.

My heart ached, so I reached out and hugged Seo Kangsan. At my words, Seo Kangsan hugged me back so tightly it took my breath away.

Fuck, seriously, nothing is progressing because of these goddamn bastards.

When they first started moving on their own, they should have just all died; these creepy bitches. If it weren’t for the money, I would have already…!

Ah, I should tell Seo Jun to kill them.

Ding!

A quest has arrived.

I flinched. Trembling, I slowly raised my head.

Send Seo Kangsan to Seo Jun.

And leave, together with Lee Sera.

Even if it’s just to protect Lee Sera.

I stared at the system window and slowly closed my eyes.

‘…Fine…. I was going to die anyway, so this much is….’

At least leaving Seo Kangsan is….

Feeling like tears might fall, I weakly lowered the hand that was about to pat Seo Kangsan’s back and just stood there while being embraced.

The system will surely manage to hide us so no one knows.

I’m tired of even trying to die now. I’m tired of even being angry at this goddamn world where I can’t even manage to die.

‘What on earth am I doing here…?’

For over a decade, I lived for Seo Kangsan and endured, wishing only for his happiness. They said something would only progress if I were there. They said only then would Seo Kangsan meet the protagonist and be happy, so I endured…. Why must my end be a miserable death at the hands of a character being forcibly controlled by someone else?

As I kept my eyes closed weakly, a ding sound echoed in my ears.

Ding!

Run away.

Ding

Run away right now. Seo Jun is coming.

“Hyung….”

Looking at the system windows appearing at a rapid pace, I met Seo Kangsan’s eyes.

By system authority, the location of ‘Seo Hosu’ is moved to Lee Sera.

Main story start!

The heart-pounding ‘Taking into arms’ event for Seo Kangsan and Lee Rowoon will begin soon!

Ding!

Seo Kangsan’s mind is breaking.

Seo Jun’s mind is breaking.