I Became a Villain’s Hero

Chapter 124: The Unchanging Hero (5)

TL/Editor: raei

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Song Soo-yeon remembered Jung-gyeom's words.

The words he said the day she first tried to jump off the rooftop.

"You'll regret it."

He wasn't wrong.

Had she jumped that day, she wouldn't have tasted the happiness Jung-gyeom later gave her.

The feeling of playing in an amusement park.

Watching a parade.

The feeling of dating.

Holding hands, hugging.

The feeling of being in love, she would have known none of it.

Song Soo-yeon took steps, one at a time.

A cool breeze brushed past her hair.

At the same time, she revisited her conversations with Jung-gyeom one by one.

Back then, the five-story building she chose due to an underlying fear of death.

From that height, Jung-gyeom had said,

"If you really wanted to die, you wouldnt have chosen this building."

Even this was true.

Five stories was not too low to die from... but it wasn't high enough to guarantee it either.

Had she gone through with it, as he said, she might have just ended up with broken legs due to her lingering attachment to life.

"...Not anymore, mister."

Song Soo-yeon whispered quietly.

From the rooftop of a twenty-story building, Song Soo-yeon looked down at the distant ground.

Several lights twinkled like stars.

Had Jung-gyeom been beside her, she might have thought it beautiful.

But not now.

The simple news of Jung-gyeom's death erased any lingering attachment to the world.

Thinking about it, this too might have been inevitable.

After all, as he said, parting was inevitable.

It was too hard to stay sane after watching Jung-gyeom walk into ruin because of her.

There was no one she loved more.

And because of her, he had faced death.

He had sacrificed himself.

In the past, even from the height of five stories, her legs trembled.

But now, cleanly devoid of any attachments, she felt no fear of death.

As she walked, she felt nothing.

It felt like her inner self had died along with Jung-gyeom.

There was only one thing she wished for now.

To meet Jung-gyeom again, in death.

If she could meet that man who had been her only salvation in this world just one more time, it wouldn't matter where it was.

After all, a world without Jung-gyeom was hell to her.

---

---

Min-Bom and I stuck close together, sharing trivial stories for a long time.

I told her about everything that had happened to me, step by step, and Min-Bom shared what had happened during that time as well.

Perhaps because a lot of stress had accumulated, she whined to me as she spoke.

Complaining about someone annoying her, or times when she was angry.

She kept sharing stories with me.

Then, when silence fell upon us, Min-Bom slowly confessed to me.

"...Oppa, do you remember what you said before?"

"...What did I say?"

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".....You said that I probably wouldn't have become a hero for the money."

I couldn't remember exactly... but it sounded like something I would say.

"Actually, I did become a hero for the money."

"..."

"I wanted to live better than other people...wanted to be outstanding...that's why I became a hero."

I slowly nodded.

Now, I could accept this side of her too.

Hearing her words, I stroked her hair.

"......Are you confessing now because your conscience is bothering you?"

"..."

"...Thank you, for telling me."

Like this, I learned something new about her.

Rather than being disappointed, it seemed our relationship only deepened.

We just sat quietly on the sofa for a long time.

No more words or actions were needed.

Just being like this allowed us to taste a happiness we hadn't felt recently.

I gradually felt at peace.

The longer I stayed like this, the more I gradually fell for her.

Being beside someone you love felt like true happiness, more and more.

Min-Bom continued to run her hand over my body, slowly reaching towards my pants.

"....?"

She carefully touched something in my pocket and asked me.

"...What's this?"

Following her words, I reached into my pocket.

I pulled out a tracker that showed Song Soo-yeon's location.

It was the tracker I had used temporarily to take Tryno.

"......."

And then, looking at the location indicated by the tracker, I froze on the spot.

---

---

Song Soo-yeon swung her legs over the railing, one after the other.

It was a somewhat familiar sensation.

She had climbed over a railing like this when she tried to die before.

The difference now was the height was incomparably higher...and Jung-gyeom wasn't nearby.

She felt a sense of liberation.

She really felt a lot had changed from the past.

Back when she didn't know happiness.

When she attempted suicide like this, she only felt anger towards the world.

She felt resentment, injustice, and fear towards the world that had driven her to this point.

But now, after learning happiness from Jung-gyeom...

She didn't feel anger.

Nor did she feel fear.

She only felt despair, knowing that Jung-gyeom was no longer in this world.

She felt longing and self-loathing.

And a desire to end the pain.

Suddenly, she thought,

If she died like this... the memories with Jung-gyeom would also die with her.

No one would remember his kindness.

She had seen it somewhere before.

There are people who lived on only so someone remembered their loved ones.

"....Ha."

Song Soo-yeon let out a hollow laugh.

She wasn't that kind of person.

She wasn't as strong as them.

She had no intention of living her life just reminiscing about him.

She couldn't imagine living in a world without Jung-gyeom.

Despite always acting tough...without something to lean on, she could no longer continue the act.

Her toes crossed the edge of the rooftop.

Only her hands gripping the railing prevented her fall.

Even then, Song Soo-yeon slowly thought of Jung-gyeom.

Facing death while thinking of him didn't seem so bad.

Their coincidental meeting.

Reuniting at his restaurant.

The day she was saved from bullying.

The times she was fed.

The school violence that stopped because of him.

The home she could escape because of him.

The salvation and affection he offered.

The daily, mundane times that simply flowed by in his restaurant.

The first time she drank alcohol.

The amusement park date.

The walks they took holding hands.

The day she cried and he held her in his arms.

And the kiss they shared above the sea.

A natural smile appeared on Song Soo-yeon's face.

It was more beautiful than ever before.

She let go of the railing.

Slowly, she leaned forward.

"....Thank you."

She whispered.

At the same time, Song Soo-yeon lost her sense of gravity and began to fall rapidly.

The wind fiercely swept through her hair.

It was a peaceful feeling, unbelievably so.

Having made peace with herself, death was the greatest rest she could have.

She simply braced for the impact to come, surrendering her body to the sky.

"......?"

But no matter how long she waited, the end didn't come.

She felt no impact.

Only an endless, peaceful feeling persisted.

Was she already dead?

Perhaps this peace, this warmth, was proof of that.

The wind that had brushed past her head had already calmed down.

But she didn't open her eyes.

She wanted to enjoy this tranquility a little longer.

Then, a voice hit her ears.

".......You said you'd live a good life."

At that voice, Song Soo-yeon's eyes snapped open.

Tears blurred her vision.

Blinking rapidly, she tried hard to make out the figure in front of her.

".....You need to be scolded more to come to your senses."

"........Ah.....Mister....?"

She called out a name she thought she'd never call again.

Gradually, his face became visible.

The face of the man she loved was there.

Struggling to believe her current situation, Song Soo-yeon cautiously asked.

".......Am I dead?"

".......No."

Jung-gyeom, holding Song Soo-yeon, slowly landed on the rooftop.

Her body, which should have been falling to the ground, was somehow back on the rooftop again.

But Song Soo-yeon had no time to worry about that.

Weakly, she reached out to stroke Jung-gyeom's cheek.

He felt vividly real.

"I'm...not dead?"

She asked again.

".....Yeah."

Jung-gyeom gave the same answer again.

Song Soo-yeon thought for a long time before carefully asking her question.

"......So....sob....you're....alive....?"

Jung-gyeom slowly looked at Song Soo-yeon.

Their eyes met in the air.

He said once more.

"....Yeah."

Song Soo-yeon caressed Jung-gyeom's cheek for a long time.

Tears wouldn't stop.

She couldn't believe this was real.

Song Soo-yeon's body began to tremble.

The pain in her heart, which had felt numbed, surged back like waves.

Her heart started beating again, as though her emotions were revived.

"Ahhh....uhh...."

Song Soo-yeon bit her lip, trying to handle the overwhelming pain all at once.

Through her sobs, she struggled to ask.

"Really....uhhup....are you really...alive...?"

Jung-gyeom leaned against the rooftop railing and slowly sat down.

Song Soo-yeon completely nestled into his embrace, rested her head on his chest.

Tears continued to flow.

She didn't want to believe it.

She was afraid of getting her hopes up only to be disappointed.

She realized that even incredible happiness can be something to fear.

But Jung-gyeom's warmth felt too real.

His familiar voice was too sweet.

Though she shook like a leaf, sobbing...Jung-gyeom held her tight.

She began to slowly shake her head.

Even though she couldn't bring herself to leave his embrace, she started to deny the reality.

As always, no expectations, no disappointments.

She tightly closed her eyes and started to deny his existence.

"You were reported dead....! Solace herself....told everyone....!"

"...Bom helped fake my death."

"Sob....even if you were alive....you hate me....you wouldn't come back to me...even I...find myself repulsive..."

"....If I hated you, would I have sacrificed myself for you?"

"....You wouldn't save me again like this. How did you even know I was here?"

"....I came after seeing the tracker Han Yoo-jung gave me."

However, all her denials were easily shattered by his rebuttals.

She found herself wanting to believe his words more and more.

Wanting to hold onto this miracle.

Perhaps this was the punishment being meted out to her after entering hell.

A trick by devils, giving her hope only to cast her into the abyss.

So, Song Soo-yeon kept her eyes closed, shaking her head.

"No...no..."

Whispering with a voice filled with emotion, she refused to believe in his existence.

"............Soo-yeon."

But that voice made her last resistance futile.

Jung-gyeom's fingers, as before, wiped away Song Soo-yeon's tears.

".....Look at me."

He said.

Song Soo-yeon couldn't resist his words.

She slowly opened her eyes.

At a distance no more than a hand away, she saw Jung-gyeom.

"....I'm here."

With a small smile, he said.

With the assurance in his voice, and his familiar smile.

".....Uhhup.....sob....!"

Song Soo-yeon couldn't hold back anymore and started crying out loud.

Her cries echoed across the rooftop, a space shared only by the two of them.