SOS! I’m Being Forced to Be a Villain - Chapter 29

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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 29

When I opened my eyes, a couple of hours had already passed.

“Is it lunch time?”

I got up from my seat, tapping my aching back. I peeked my head out into the noisy hallway, and after confirming that I didn’t see any of the familiar faces I knew, I started walking.

I quickened my pace, worried I might run into that crazy stalker or the lunatic pretending to be a pet owner. I quickly reached the first floor and stood in front of the infirmary, ignoring the “Away” sign and stepping inside.

The infirmary was quiet with neither teachers nor students around. Without further hesitation, I headed straight for the bed in the back, opened the curtain, settled in, and lay down.

I repeated the cycle of sleeping and waking, and when the school nurse returned around the end of lunch time, I burrowed under the blanket with the excuse that I wasn’t feeling well. I had neither the confidence nor the desire to return to the classroom and see Kwon Tae-min’s face.

So I stayed in the infirmary all afternoon, killing time by pondering what reply I should send to the interrogation-filled messages that would surely come from my brother.

I sneaked back to the classroom after homeroom had ended and continued checking my phone while packing my bag.

Seeing how quiet it was, it seemed he didn’t know anything yet, but it was only a matter of time before I’d receive a message bombardment from my brother after the school contacted him.

‘At this rate, I won’t be able to study or do anything at all.’

I wondered what kind of suffering this had been for days now. As I irritably grabbed my bag and slung it over my shoulder, I suddenly stopped moving. It was because I had made eye contact with Kwon Tae-min, who was staring intently at me.

“Don’t tell me…”

He wasn’t planning to drag me off to a restaurant again like yesterday, was he? Or maybe this time he was really going to follow me all the way home.

My deliberation didn’t last long. The moment Kwon Tae-min showed signs of opening his mouth, I immediately moved my feet and bolted out of the classroom.

The phone in my hand started buzzing, but I didn’t have time to care. I shoved the phone carelessly into my pocket and focused all my attention on successfully escaping from school.

I wondered if there was really a reason to avoid those two so desperately. After all, they would soon lose interest in me while busy creating a passionate love story with Lee Chung-hye. Though I felt absolutely terrible and furious about it, if I could just endure until then, I might be able to reclaim my normal daily life.

But there was one thing that bothered me.

‘Yesterday, that black-clad man came looking for me out of nowhere and dragged me away.’

No matter how much I thought about it, that action was nothing more than venting anger. That meant something I had done or gotten involved in had thoroughly angered the existence beyond the system.

I had always mocked, cursed, and blamed the existence beyond the system. But that was just ordinary, everyday behavior. If the system was going to get angry over such trivial actions, it should have done so long ago. I too would have been worn down from being tormented day after day.

So there had to be another reason.

There was only one thing that was different about yesterday from usual.

I had spent time with the main characters, both Seo Jung-hoo and Kwon Tae-min at once. Not in a public space like school, but for the private reason of having dinner together at a restaurant.

I was nothing more than a foreign substance, not a main character like them, so I should have only acted as someone’s jealousy trigger or nuisance character. Not sitting together harmoniously having a pleasant meal with them.

Of course, what the three of us did yesterday was far from harmonious or pleasant. Anyway, it should have been Lee Chung-hye in that position, not me.

The system was probably emphasizing that point to me while venting its anger.

However, understanding the entire situation didn’t mean I wasn’t angry.

‘What a petty bastard, interfering with every little thing!’

There was no discrimination like this.

What did I do wrong? What the hell did I do wrong…!

I was so furious it was almost heartbreaking.

After exiting the school gate, I immediately changed direction and got on the path leading home. My breathing was excessively labored from alternating between running and walking.

If I ran any more, I felt like I might really die. I stopped for a moment and leaned against a wall. With my other hand, I wiped the sweat flowing down my forehead while panting roughly.

Surely neither Seo Jung-hoo nor Kwon Tae-min would chase me this far…

“Yu Baek-hwa!”

Shit.

Using Seo Jung-hoo’s voice from behind as a signal, I started moving my feet again. But I was already at my physical limit. No matter how hard I tried to force myself to run, my legs were shaking and losing strength, and I felt like I might just collapse to the ground if I wasn’t careful.

Looking around for a place to escape, I spotted a narrow alley by the shopping district. Without time to think, I moved my body and squeezed into the alley.

The narrow path between the walls was dim with hardly any sunlight coming in. Boxes and bags were piled up here and there, and several cigarette butts were scattered on one side of the ground.

Among them, the boxes forming a high pile looked perfect for hiding. I thought I could hide behind them and wait for my stamina to return, but as I approached, I froze. There was already someone hiding there before me.

“…Lee Chung-hye?”

“Baek, Baek-hwa…”

Lee Chung-hye, who had been crouched inside the boxes, trembled and her eyes reddened. She quickly raised both hands to cover her mouth.

She put so much force into her hands that I could see the blood rushing red to her pale knuckles. Seeing her eyes welling up with tears, I unconsciously grimaced, when a hand suddenly reached out and grabbed my wrist.

My body tilted. Lee Chung-hye, who had pulled me behind her, rolled her eyes and peered beyond the boxes.

The sound of light footsteps moving around. Faint conversation that seemed to belong to Seo Jung-hoo and Kwon Tae-min. Then two voices and presence moving away from this place.

The trembling of Lee Chung-hye, who had been standing in front blocking the way, gradually subsided. Lee Chung-hye, who had been pressing her lips together, took a deep breath, then slowly turned her head.

The tears that had welled up in Lee Chung-hye’s eyes had already dried. Her pitiful expression was nowhere to be found, and her face was cold as if she had never trembled. Her pitifully reddened eyes and the lips that had called me ‘Baek-hwa’ seemed to have finally returned to their true owner.

Exactly like the Lee Chung-hye I knew.

“…”

“…”

For a moment, our gazes locked. After blinking blankly for a while, I carefully moved my lips first.

“…You.”

Even though she must have realized what I was about to say, the system didn’t make any particular attempt to stop me. Gaining confidence from this, I spoke the words that had been in my head.

“You know about it, don’t you. The ‘Only Two’ thing and all that.”

Life began to return to Lee Chung-hye’s blue eyes.

“…You too?”

I nodded. Lee Chung-hye stared at me like that, opening and closing her mouth several times.

Like that, we spent a long time just gazing at each other.

* * *

If we sat on a park bench or in a cafe, we might end up meeting Seo Jung-hoo and Kwon Tae-min again. Neither I nor Lee Chung-hye wanted to face them again and be swayed by their powerful control.

So I invited Lee Chung-hye to my house.

As soon as I opened the entrance door, Lee Chung-hye passed by me and entered inside. Whether she had visited this house before, her attitude was so brazenly shameless that even I, the homeowner, was momentarily confused.

‘…Right, that’s Lee Chung-hye for you.’

The absurdity was beyond even hollow laughter, so I just silently followed her into the house.

After taking off her shoes, Lee Chung-hye crossed the hallway and roamed around the house.

“Nice house.”

Her nonchalant voice echoed through the space. Since I wasn’t in a particularly pleasant mood, I frowned slightly and chased after her.

“Do you live alone?”

“…For now.”

“I see…”

I watched Lee Chung-hye intently as she trailed off and looked around. If it weren’t for our common connection to the system, I would never have let her into this house. Perhaps because of that, it felt excessively awkward that we were standing here together.

I swallowed once for no reason and headed to the kitchen. It wasn’t out of courtesy as a host to offer water to a guest, but simply to quench my parched throat.

I took out a cup from the cupboard, filled it with cool water, and drank it all at once. I could clearly feel the cool chill flowing down my throat. Only after emptying the entire cup of water did I take a small breath.

Then, feeling puzzled by the quiet silence without even a rustling sound, I frowned even more and opened my mouth.

“Lee Chung-hye.”

“…”

“Hey.”

What kind of trouble are you trying to cause?

Since I had rarely brought anyone other than family into the house, anxiety came first. Though it was a situation I had brought upon myself, I couldn’t help feeling on edge. It was no different from having my space, which could be called my sanctuary, completely exposed without any defensive barriers.

I carelessly put down the cup and hurriedly left the kitchen. While scanning the living room, I found Lee Chung-hye standing in front of the shelf in the adjacent hallway.

“Don’t you dare touch my things…”

I was about to scold her immediately but trailed off. A familiar picture frame in her hands came into view. The one with the photo that was cut in half, with only my brother and me remaining…

I reached out and roughly snatched the frame away. Then, without caring about the harsh noise it made, I flipped the frame face down on the shelf with a thud.

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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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