Chapter 107
After losing consciousness in the fire and waking up ten days later, ten more days had passed.
“…Today again?”
I let out a long sigh, staring at the firmly closed door. Jiwoon, standing in front, merely nodded with a troubled expression.
“Why?”
I had been making every effort to see Baek Hawon for the past ten days, but all had been in vain. Every time I reached his room or office, they wouldn’t let me in, and since the building was so vast, a miraculous encounter along the way simply wasn’t happening.
However, my reason for wanting to see him was different from just wanting something. The more I tried, the more careful I became about throwing a tantrum and lying down on the floor in front of the door. It had already been ten days of doing nothing but returning without saying a word.
At first, the emotion I felt when thinking about Baek Hawon was primarily guilt for what I had done to him.
When I encountered Baek Hawon at the casino, a scenario I had never considered before suddenly came to mind.
‘I can’t watch you die in front of me.’
It couldn’t be true. Why would he look at me like that and say such things?
…Could he be?
There was no time to deny it.
The moment that thought crossed my mind, I realized that if it were true, I was making the choice to hurt Baek Hawon, even though I knew it would cause him pain.
Choosing once again to point a gun at myself in front of him.
‘Make your choice: shoot yourself now, or walk away and let yourself die soon.’
Even knowing I couldn’t shoot myself.
I took the most selfish path and cut through his heart.
Thinking back to the image of him being shot by Kang Taejun made my heart ache.
‘I’m just making the choice to keep you alive.’
To keep you alive.
The last words I heard from Baek Hawon lingered in my mind.
Every time I thought of Baek Hawon, the guilt and a whirlwind of emotions mixed, making it confusing.
I had no idea where to start if I met him, or what would come of our relationship going forward. It was all uncertain.
Yet, because I thought it would be better to settle things quickly, I mustered the courage to seek him out first.
“…How long can I keep avoiding this, Boss?”
With him avoiding me so blatantly, I found myself unable to resist the urge to push back. I spat my words loudly enough for him to hear, if he was indeed on the other side of that door, and then turned away.
I started thinking how uncharacteristic this was of the Baek Hawon I knew, but quickly dismissed it.
Such thoughts no longer held any meaning.
If we were to delve into it, his actions toward me were already nonsensical. The Baek Hawon from the novel was merely a version of him that would never come to life.
Why did I overlook the fact that people can change when they meet others?
Perhaps, without fully realizing it, I had been viewing them as characters from a story. But now, things were different.
Although I couldn’t break through that door and go against Baek Hawn’s will in Baekcheon, I was not ready to give up just yet.
“…Oh? Cha Yeonbyeol?”
From the corridor leading back to my room, a familiar face appeared. Seeing that face made me frown and mutter to myself.
“A boss like you picking and choosing people to meet is a bit much.”
It was Jihoon, his hair styled like a poodle.
While I had been sure from the moment Jihoon stood beside Jiwoon, seeing it with my own eyes still left me dumbfounded.
Coming from Utopia, Jihoon had free access to the boss’s office in the heart of Baekcheon, but I hadn’t even been allowed to step inside for the past ten days.
Realizing my foul mood, Jihoon cautiously approached with heightened caution.
“Here to see the boss?”
“…uh… no?”
Jihoon, after carefully examining both my face and his own, quickly shifted his response.
However, it didn’t matter because I had already heard the answer.
I gave a natural smile, crinkling my eyes, and then gestured towards the door.
“Go ahead. The boss is inside.”
My smiling face caused Jihoon to tremble like a kitten with bristling fur. Although the smile was natural, he couldn’t hide the unease in his demeanor.
“Relax, you don’t have to look so scared.”
Jihoon shook his head, declining my suggestion.
“You’re scary every time we meet. I can’t handle it.”
“Why are you even living here in the first place?”
“Didn’t you still not meet the boss today?”
Don’t ask me that. I’m getting annoyed.
When I answered with a raised eyebrow, Jihoon clicked his tongue in disapproval. Following the sound, my emotions snapped, and I grabbed Jihoon’s collar tightly.
A loud scream echoed through the otherwise calm Square. Another peaceful afternoon in Baekcheon, disrupted for a brief moment.
* * *
The sky, once as blue as the sea, began to turn a reddish hue as the sun set.
In frustration, I kicked the wall for no reason. However, my foot only ached, so I quickly stopped.
Without a purpose, I crouched down on the floor. I started scratching at the jewels embedded in the office door with my fingernail.
Is this really going to come off? Can I grab one and run? Even if I do, they won’t blink an eye.
Pouting my lips in dissatisfaction, the door suddenly swung open.
“Ahh! Surprise!”
The sharp scream echoed like nails scraping a chalkboard, almost making my ears ring.
I clapped my hands over my ears and peeked my head to the side. Seizing the moment, I tried to glance into the room, but it was too dark to see anything.
As I squinted, the door slammed shut with a loud bang.
“You scared me!”
I sighed in disappointment, finally lifting my gaze to look at Jihoon. He was still catching his breath, clutching his chest.
“You seem to have a lot to say.”
I stretched my lips into a long, amused smile as I stood up.
“You weren’t waiting for me, right?”
Jihoon raised his eyebrows sharply as he asked.
“Of course. I was waiting for you.”
Still smiling, I responded. Bending over to brush off some dust from my pant legs, Jihoon took a hesitant step back.
“Should we go for a walk?”
“No.”
“Then let me walk you to your room.”
“…….”
“I have something to say to you.”
Jihoon rolled his eyes thoughtfully. I’m not sure why he feels the need to roll his eyes along with his head, but whatever.
For a few minutes, I stood silently as he seemed to be deliberating. Finally, I broke the silence.
“For the past ten days, I felt too awkward to say this, but thank you for saving me.”
I casually mentioned it as if talking about everyday life, but it was truly sincere. Just thinking about where I’d be without Jihoon sent a shiver down my spine.
“If you hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t even be alive right now.”
“…….”
“You don’t have to look at me with that suspicious expression. I’m serious.”
I smiled warmly at Jihoon. His eyes flickered with emotion but betrayed a hint of hesitation.
“Alright, just to your room.”
Eventually, Jihoon responded with a sigh. I ruffled my hair and followed him as he walked ahead.
Side by side, we walked through the corridor, which glowed with the shifting colors of the sunset. The first to speak was Jihoon.
“Thanks to you, Yugyeom is still alive, but what, you…”
Jihoon stumbled over his words. Glancing at him briefly, I noticed his ears were as red as the sunset.
Although I could’ve ignored it, I chose to stay true to my usual self.
“Finish your sentence.”
“…What?”
Jihoon stared at me with round eyes. I leaned in closer and said in a hushed tone.
“Because of me, Yugyeom is still alive. So what’s the big deal?”
Seeing Jihoon unable to continue, I quietly laughed. Jihoon furrowed his brows deeply in response.
“You! You’re pretending to be grateful just to get me here! You’re trying to ease my nerves!”
Ignoring Jihoon’s loud protest, I continued walking calmly. Jihoon quickly followed, huffing angrily beside me.
The cool breeze swept through as I brought up the main topic.
“Is Kang Taejun really dead for good?”
According to Angel, when Kang Taejun shot Baek Hawon, the timely arrival of Doshiyu killed him. However, it still felt hard to believe.
Even though the BL novel I had read depicted a future that might have occurred if I hadn’t returned to this world, I was certain of one thing.
If Kang Taejun were alive, he would inevitably try to kill Yugyeom.
“He’s dead. They probably held his funeral already. Not sure if anyone sincerely mourned that bastard, though.”
Jihoon said smugly.
“Why? Were you disappointed you couldn’t kill him with your own hands?”
At Jihoon’s question, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Disappointed? I’m not sure if that’s the right word.
It just felt a little empty. It was as if the antagonist was killed off too early in the story, even though the conclusion hadn’t been reached yet.
“What about Yuhwa?”
Instead of answering Jihoon’s question, I asked something else. Unlike when I asked about Kang Taejun, Jihoon spoke calmly.
“She’s still alive. Unfortunately.”
“…….”
“And soon, she’ll achieve her lifelong dream.”
It was said that Yuhwa would become the boss of Utopia. So, her plan was halfway successful.
Yugyeom isn’t dead, but in Utopia, he’ll be seen as a traitor who killed the boss.
It’s the perfect scenario for getting shot anytime on the streets.
Before I knew it, we had arrived at the entrance to the top floor of the Square.
I was now staying in the room where I first woke up, not my original room from ten days ago. It felt more like an entire floor turned into one vast space than just a single room.
Standing face to face with Jihoon, I asked,
“What now?”
His face, tinged red by the fading sunset, mirrored the expression I saw one night—filled with longing and desperation after holding on for too long.
Jihoon gave a crooked smile and answered with clarity.
“As planned.”
