SOS! I’m Being Forced to Be a Villain - Chapter 49

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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 49

Without hesitation, he crossed the sidewalk and approached in the blink of an eye. It was an excessively short time, and simultaneously, such overwhelming pressure spread that his entire body froze, unable even to flinch. Though his mind knew he should avoid that motorcycle, he couldn’t move.

He squeezed his eyes shut. The motorcycle’s exhaust sound came so close it seemed it would hit him immediately.

But fortunately, his body wasn’t crushed by the motorcycle or sent flying far away. Instead, the motorcycle barely managed to swerve around him, and the rush of air made his hair fly up and become disheveled as if it had been tormented by harsh winter winds.

He slowly opened his eyes. He could see the rear of the motorcycle still speeding away without reducing its speed.

“Isn’t that motorcycle driver crazy?”

People who had been waiting for the signal nearby murmured among themselves. However, that sound didn’t reach him.

His hands, which had lost strength and unclenched from fists, trembled violently. With his face pale as a sheet, only blinking his eyes, he felt a piercing gaze and slowly turned his head.

Across the crosswalk, mixed among the people there, he saw a figure. Wearing a black suit and black sunglasses…

‘…Is it a coincidence?’

Was it just coincidence that he had nearly died after getting caught up with a crazy motorcycle driver, and that at this very moment, one of the System’s lackeys appeared across the street? Could all of this be dismissed as mere coincidence?

‘…No way.’

“Are you trying to kill me?”

His unfocused eyes shook violently.

Some crazy motorcycle had rushed at him, but unfortunately, he couldn’t avoid it. But fortunately enough, the motorcycle swerved around him on its own.

If all of this was a situation orchestrated under the System’s control, then the System bastard had conspicuously spared his life. Even though it could have killed him, it chose not to.

He had been in the System’s palm from the beginning.

‘…I thought it wasn’t completely omnipotent.’

The System still couldn’t force his actions 100%, but it could orchestrate situations like this to toy with his life. Then how long, and how much usable power did it have?

He didn’t know most things about the System. So even if another motorcycle appeared right now, or even a large truck appeared to ram into him, there was nothing he could do about it.

His head spun. His mind kept ringing as if cymbals were clashing in his brain, making him feel like he might vomit at any moment. His body, swaying from the dizzying sensation, tilted precariously.

Someone seemed to urgently grab his body, but he couldn’t tell who it was.

“S-someone collapsed here!”

“Someone call 119…!”

Struggling to blink his eyes that had become blurry and couldn’t see ahead, he couldn’t hold on any longer and soon fell into distant unconsciousness.

* * *

Kwon Tae-min breathed heavily. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he barely managed to catch and embrace Yu Baek-hwa, who had been collapsing onto the cold ground.

“…Yu Baek-hwa.”

Naturally, there was no response. Kwon Tae-min supported Yu Baek-hwa with his helplessly trembling hands.

Yu Baek-hwa’s face was pale white, drained of all color. Kwon Tae-min’s complexion was no better, if not worse.

The murmuring noise from around didn’t reach his ears. Kwon Tae-min just held Yu Baek-hwa tightly as if grasping a final lifeline, staring down at him intently.

He had been chasing after Yu Baek-hwa, who was running away as if being pursued by a wild beast. He hadn’t intended to catch Yu Baek-hwa. It was just that his condition looked too bad, and he couldn’t just leave him alone in case he might stumble and fall or collapse on his way home.

As soon as Yu Baek-hwa left, after briefly exchanging glances with Seo Jung-hoo, he immediately took off running. If he had picked up just a little more speed, he could have easily caught up to Yu Baek-hwa, but he deliberately kept his distance.

Then he witnessed it.

The motorcycle speeding fiercely and barely changing direction just before hitting Yu Baek-hwa. Instinctively, he stretched out his legs. Yu Baek-hwa was still standing there blankly, swaying dangerously.

It was really close. If he had taken just one more step, or if the motorcycle driver hadn’t barely turned the handlebars, Yu Baek-hwa would have been hit directly. His small body would have flown through the air and crashed far away, and he probably wouldn’t have survived.

He couldn’t tell what was surging up from inside him. Without even the strength to dig into the source of that emotion right now, Kwon Tae-min just trembled while holding Yu Baek-hwa.

“Am-ambulance…”

Kwon Tae-min’s shoulder was firmly grasped as he mumbled with slurred pronunciation.

“Get a grip.”

Seo Jung-hoo’s familiar voice penetrated through the noisy chaos filling all directions. Only then did Kwon Tae-min’s blurry, churning vision finally regain focus.

“I’ll call 119. So you check the kid’s condition first.”

“…”

“Keep checking whether he was hit or grazed anywhere, whether he’s breathing properly. Got it?”

Before Kwon Tae-min could answer, Seo Jung-hoo withdrew his hand. Seo Jung-hoo, hastily dialing numbers and bringing the phone to his ear, also couldn’t perfectly hide his fear and anxiously bit and released his lips.

Suppressing the emotions that had been raging wildly without direction, he pulled out his rationality. Kwon Tae-min moved his cold hands to examine Yu Baek-hwa’s chilled body, which had lost even more warmth.

Fortunately, there was no bleeding or scratches anywhere. Yu Baek-hwa’s heart was also beating weakly but clearly, and his small rising and falling chest was fine too.

Yu Baek-hwa wouldn’t die.

“Haah…”

A breath burst from Kwon Tae-min’s mouth as if relieved. But apart from the objective situation settling in his mind, Kwon Tae-min couldn’t calm his violently pounding heart that felt like it might make him vomit.

He didn’t know whether Yu Baek-hwa was just unlucky, or if such terrible things kept happening due to his inherently miserable and tragic fate. But one thing was certain.

When Yu Baek-hwa nearly died, he also…

‘…felt like I was going to die.’

His obsession with Yu Baek-hwa’s well-being, layered deep inside him, grew another layer thicker. However, without clearly recognizing this, Kwon Tae-min carefully repositioned Yu Baek-hwa in his arms with firm but gentle strength.

* * *

Even with his hazy consciousness, the terrible smell of disinfectant piercing his nose was familiar. Not only that, but also his arm, stiff from the needle inserted in it, and the bed that wasn’t entirely soft – all of it.

Feeling frighteningly complex and sunken emotions, he struggled to lift his trembling eyelids. Half-closing his eyes due to the bright lighting, he stared blankly at the white ceiling.

“Ah, you’re awake.”

A voice came from right beside him. When he creakily moved his head, which wouldn’t turn properly after sleeping for who knows how long, the nurse who had been checking the IV bag asked in a businesslike tone.

“You’re Yu Baek-hwa, right? What’s your last memory?”

About to respond, he coughed dryly due to his parched throat. After belatedly clearing his throat a couple of times, he mumbled.

“The crosswalk… I collapsed there.”

The nurse nodded and continued.

“Yes. You were brought in from the crosswalk. Two students accompanied you as temporary guardians.”

“…What?”

He frowned slightly.

“Who?”

“They said they were your friends. I’ll go get the doctor in charge, so please wait a moment.”

He stared blankly at the nurse’s retreating figure.

Two students? And friends at that?

It was obvious who they were. If not Seo Jung-hoo and Kwon Tae-min, there was no one else who would introduce themselves as his friends or follow him to the emergency room after he collapsed.

Was it because he had used his brain briefly right after waking up, or was it stress from hearing about an unimaginable situation? An annoying headache arose. He deliberately relaxed the tension in his facial muscles.

‘…Let me think about it later.’

He closed his eyes tiredly. He was used to losing consciousness and collapsing, and he knew very well what the cause was. So he wanted to quickly return home and lie down his weary body without going through the troublesome process of medical examinations and tests.

As he was sighing irritably, a shadow fell over his closed eyelids.

“Baek-hwa.”

He slowly opened his eyes. Then, upon seeing a familiar face, he scowled fiercely.

“…Why are you here.”

Seong Tae-hwan. The person who had been his attending physician during his childhood when he had to spend every day at the hospital.

Until elementary school lower grades, they had met almost daily, but after his body somewhat recovered, they rarely met. He had stopped even the occasional regular checkups a few years ago, and no matter how much his brother nagged, he had vehemently opposed hospital visits, so there was no reason to meet doctors.

Since then, while he had no more connection with him, it seemed he still kept in touch with his brother. He could tell just from his brother’s attitude of still not giving up and periodically trying to persuade him about hospitals and medical care.

Even so, he never imagined he would meet him again.

Seong Tae-hwan skillfully deflected his sharp gaze and shrugged.

“Well, this hospital is my workplace.”

“When did you change jobs?”

He narrowed his eyes and glared disapprovingly. However, he didn’t provide an answer and avoided responding with a sly smile.

In his last memory, Seong Tae-hwan’s workplace was quite far from this area. Of course, that was about 10 years ago, so he could have easily moved to another hospital during that time.

But of all places, at a hospital near their home, and he had specifically spotted him among the numerous patients brought to the emergency room.

“…Did my brother put someone on me?”

“No way. Your brother is quite zealous, but he’s not the type to do that without telling you, right?”

Finding it hard to believe, he furrowed his brow before slowly relaxing it a beat later. Well, if his brother had assigned someone to watch him, they would have reported the situations happening to him, and he would have returned to Korea long ago.

“So, seeing me after so long, is that all you have to say? Nothing like being glad to see me or missing me?”

“…”

He twisted his lips shut.

He knew well that Seong Tae-hwan wasn’t a bad person. He was someone who had spent more time in hospital rooms than his own parents, and had cared for him with equal dedication.

But regardless of that, he had never let Seong Tae-hwan inside his boundaries.

Seong Tae-hwan, who had been looking at his stubborn expression, laughed as if familiar with it. Soon he took a breath and spoke.

“Psychogenic shock. You know what that is, right? Collapsing from excessive stress.”

“I know.”

“Your body’s nutritional state is also a mess. You know that too, right?”

“…I know.”

Seong Tae-hwan, who had been looking me over for a moment, continued speaking.

“Even if I suggested getting a detailed examination, you wouldn’t do it, right?”

Of course I wouldn’t. What more is there to find out here?

“Even if I said to move to a hospital room and stay under care for a few more days to monitor your progress, you wouldn’t even pretend to listen. Right?”

Is that even worth calling a suggestion?

“Yu Baek-hwa, I can see on your face that you’re cursing me out in your head right now.”

Since I had no intention of hiding it anyway, I brazenly glared at Seong Tae-hwan. He shrugged his shoulders with a bitter smile.

“I’ll give you a nutritional IV. At least get that before you go.”

“I don’t need it.”

“Your guardian asked me to do that.”

I furrowed my brow irritably.

“I don’t have a guardian.”

“Just try pulling out the needle and leaving on your own. I’ll report everything to your hyung.”

He didn’t even pretend to listen to what I said and just rambled on with what he wanted to say. The anger that had risen to my chin was suffocating, so I was biting my lips when he suddenly let out a quiet exclamation.

“Ah, come to think of it, what about your friends? Did they already go back?”

“….”

“Don’t tell me you drove them away as soon as you woke up?”

I kept my mouth tightly shut without saying anything. Seong Tae-hwan, who had been looking me over with obvious eyes, smiled with an annoyingly knowing expression.

“While you were unconscious, both of them couldn’t stay still. Seeing them restless as if they were the ones in pain actually reassured me quite a bit.”

“So what? What do you want me to do about it?”

“They’re good friends. So don’t just throw tantrums.”

I didn’t want to quietly listen to his lecture-like words. When I glared at Seong Tae-hwan with a sullen look, he raised both hands in an exaggerated gesture and stepped back.

“Oh my, I should get out of here before I stress you out more. Get some good rest.”

“Just go already.”

Only after I muttered quietly did Seong Tae-hwan slowly turn around. I quickly looked away from him as he moved to another sickbed and moved the arm that didn’t have the IV needle.

I irritably rubbed my face. The skin on my face stung from applying too much pressure, but I didn’t stop.

‘…They were restless.’

So what about it? Who asked them to follow me all the way here? Did I beg them to make a fuss beside me?

As I was about to bite my swollen lips again, the faces of the two people who said bad habits should be broken came to mind even more vividly. Unable to continue, I just fidgeted with my lips and looked around.

There was no trace of Seo Jung-hoo or Kwon Tae-min anywhere. I frowned at the somehow unsettled feeling.

“How annoying.”

What was boiling up from one side of my chest might have been guilt that had become a little clearer than in the past.

The memory from the park, where I had been led by the System’s coercion and exploded with all that had been building up, kept stirring my brain. No matter how hard I tried, it stuck like persistent gum and wouldn’t come off.

I shook my dizzy head vigorously, trying to shake off thoughts about Seo Jung-hoo and Kwon Tae-min. Thanks to that effort being half successful, my thoughts about the two had somewhat subsided, but soon the terrible nightmare I experienced at the crosswalk came to mind and continued.

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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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