SOS! I’m Being Forced to Be a Villain - Chapter 24

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 24

Now I find it bothersome and mostly buy food to eat, but until last year, I was someone who cooked at home four or five times a week.

‘I cooked so much even when I was much younger than that.’

I would work part-time jobs late into the night because I didn’t want to go home, and when I got too hungry, I would take a small amount of ingredients from the refrigerator and make fried rice.

“I’m probably much better than you guys at…!”

However, I couldn’t spit out the tangled words inside me and awkwardly trailed off. I had just noticed that the air around us had subtly grown heavy.

I rolled my eyes uncomfortably. Kwon Tae-min and Seo Jung-hoo were both staring at the empty space near me with cold expressions.

The chilling atmosphere seemed to sting my skin painfully. Frozen in place, I awkwardly fidgeted with the knife handle with my trembling fingertips.

‘What, what is it…’

What did I do wrong?

‘Maybe pointing a knife at them, even if it was just a dinner knife, was a bit much…?’

I’m crazy. Completely crazy, Yu Baek-hwa.

Being pushed around by the system window’s coercive nature and committing all sorts of cruel acts had apparently blurred the lines I shouldn’t cross.

Of course, suddenly picking up the knife wasn’t entirely my own will either. I had just thought about it for a moment, but this body that acts on those thoughts is the problem. But the owner of this body was none other than me, so the wrongs this body commits are ultimately my fault as well.

‘Th-this time they’re really going to hit me, aren’t they?’

As I rolled my eyes back and forth, I quietly lowered my hand. I carefully put down the knife without making any noise from the metal hitting the table, and neatly placed both hands on my knees.

I didn’t want to take such a pitiful posture of repentance. But it was a habit ingrained in me since I was very young, so it was an action that popped out before I could even think.

My trembling eyelids closed and opened with difficulty.

The two people surrounding me still said nothing. Meanwhile, their persistent gazes remained fixed on me, so I could only swallow dry saliva and rub my round knees.

Something appeared in my vision as if it had been waiting.

Would you like to check the profile information of ‘Main Character Seo Jung-hoo’?

Would you like to check the profile information of ‘Main Character Kwon Tae-min’?

‘…Just once.’

If I could just check what they’re thinking, whether they’re planning to kill me or not.

Getting annoyed at that system window earlier was possible because I was full. But now wasn’t the time to be picky about fire or water.

I was silently moving my lips, trying to convey my intention to view both people’s profile information in my head, when:

“Let’s eat. It must have gotten cold.”

I quickly turned my head. Kwon Tae-min, who had instantly erased the icy atmosphere, gestured toward the plate in front of me. Then he moved the bowl containing the pilaf over to me as well.

“…”

“Yu Baek-hwa.”

At the quiet voice calling my name as if to wake me up, I belatedly snapped to attention.

“Ah, well… uh…”

My head seemed to be buzzing. Then, unable to withstand Kwon Tae-min’s gaze, I reluctantly picked up my fork.

‘It’s… resolved, right?’

They don’t intend to kill me, right?

I slowly swallowed a sigh of relief and twirled the small amount of pasta on my plate with the fork.

The eerie sensation that had briefly overwhelmed me swept away like a tide. Only then did I frown with dissatisfaction and purse my lips this way and that.

It felt like I had to go between hot and cold baths once a day. Moreover, it was closer to being forcibly thrown in rather than entering by my own will. So it wouldn’t be strange if I caught a cold or burst from frustration and collapsed.

The pasta noodles wrapped nicely around the twirling fork. I had no appetite and didn’t particularly want to eat. Still, it wasn’t to the point where I felt like I’d vomit everything up, so I reluctantly brought it to my mouth.

Then a large hand approached from one side of my vision. I flinched in surprise and froze with my mouth half open.

“Seo Jung-hoo.”

Kwon Tae-min called his name in a low voice. At that, Seo Jung-hoo’s hand that had been reaching toward me stopped.

Soon Seo Jung-hoo, wearing a strange smile that seemed both frowning and tearful, opened his mouth.

“Why. I should at least check.”

“The kid is eating. Are you trying to make her run out retching again?”

Regret dripped from Seo Jung-hoo’s hand as he irritably clenched and unclenched the empty air. Soon he reluctantly made a tight fist and withdrew his hand.

Seo Jung-hoo picked up his knife again, and Kwon Tae-min moved a piece of already-cut pork cutlet to my plate. At the scene that had instantly regained its peacefulness, I still couldn’t eat the pasta noodles in front of my nose and just gaped my mouth.

‘…Could it be they’re not planning food torture, but fattening me up to sell me?’

Organ trafficking or something like that? But is it okay for main characters to commit such illegal acts?

No wait. Kwon Tae-min, just from his background description, was nothing short of a crazy bastard. Then to me, the villain, he would be even more…

Thinking I should go home and look up the endings of villains in various novels, I forced the fork into my mouth.

* * *

I think there was a mistake from our first meeting. But to Yu Baek-hwa, it seemed to feel more like an incident than a simple mistake or misunderstanding.

‘…A person who looks like that can actually exist.’

That was the impression I had when I first saw Yu Baek-hwa.

First year of high school, first semester. Warm spring that harmonized with the new environment and atmosphere. Drawn by that pleasant sunlight, I strayed from the path home and casually entered the garden.

Kwon Tae-min discovered Yu Baek-hwa’s profile as she crouched in front of the flower garden.

I was already familiar with Yu Baek-hwa’s name. She was famous enough that rumors spread about her throwing a book at a classmate from the very first day of high school. Even Kwon Tae-min, who had no interest in school affairs, couldn’t help but know.

But the reason Kwon Tae-min unconsciously stopped in his tracks now wasn’t because of such trivial reasons. He wasn’t the type to observe others with lowly curiosity over rumors of unknown authenticity.

‘She’s with something that looks just like her.’

The black stray cat that Yu Baek-hwa was petting, and herself, who ridiculously looked even more cat-like than the cat.

Even with a peaceful expression, both corners of her eyes were sharply raised, and her lips were habitually pressed into a straight line. It was like a stubborn wall erected as if she had no intention of giving anyone an opening. Yet strangely, she had a mysterious atmosphere that drew people in rather than pushing them away.

Was that the reason? That his feet moved first before his head could judge, as always.

Then when he finally reached right beside Yu Baek-hwa, when she raised her head sensing the shadow cast over her.

“…What.”

“…”

“What, damn it. Why are you stepping on someone else’s bag?”

Only then did Kwon Tae-min realize. That his foot was standing on Yu Baek-hwa’s black eco bag that had been spread on the ground.

While walking frantically, surrounding objects couldn’t have entered his field of vision. Because of that, he seemed to have unknowingly stepped on the eco bag without noticing.

“Ah.”

Kwon Tae-min let out a sigh filled with confusion and hurriedly stepped back. But just taking a few steps back didn’t undo what had happened. A clear footprint was already stamped on the eco bag like a seal.

It was Yu Baek-hwa who had put the eco bag on the ground, but anyway, it was Kwon Tae-min who had stepped on it and dirtied it. Even if it was a mistake, it would have been right to apologize.

“…”

He had dragged out the time too long. Yu Baek-hwa’s face became increasingly fierce, and the cat that had been enjoying her touch had already disappeared into the flower garden.

Soon Yu Baek-hwa grabbed the eco bag and abruptly stood up. She pointedly brushed off the surface of the eco bag, then finally glared at Kwon Tae-min and turned her back without regret.

He didn’t know until then. That the brief mistake of that day and the apology he failed to give would become big enough to earn Yu Baek-hwa’s long-lasting hatred.

When he belatedly came to his senses, Kwon Tae-min had become famously antagonistic with Yu Baek-hwa throughout the school.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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