TL/Editor: Raei
Schedule: 5/week, Mon-Fri
Illustrations: Here
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Han Yoo-jung pondered for a while.
It was clear to anyone, even a fool, that Dice's entire focus was on Luna.
He had murmured the na 'Luna' during their fight yesterday, and now, he was asking about her again.
Perhaps, the very reason Dice, who had hidden himself for so long, had revealed himself was because of Luna.
Since Luna was a mber of the Villain Alliance.
Han Yoo-jung quietly observed Dice.
His eyes, ablaze and yet struggling with sorrow, stirred sothing within her.
For reasons unknown to her, absurdly, she felt jealous.
It was a look in his eyes she had never seen before the regression.
Eyes that always looked dead, always looking elsewhere.
She had tried so hard to catch his gaze.
So earnestly wished to beco closer to him.
And yet, despite how often they saw each other,
He asked about Luna.
She was soone he couldn't even rember.
"Aren't you going to answer?"
Dice threatened.
Han Yoo-jung swallowed hard, overcoming the pressure from him.
Simply answering would not bring her any closer to him.
She had to do sothing.
"I'll answer... but in exchange."
At the word 'but in exchange,' Dice's eyebrows twitched.
Han Yoo-jung turned her gaze away, not wanting to face his intimidation any longer.
It was better not to look.
It was a gamble.
A gamble on his hidden kindness.
If he had intended to treat her harshly, he would have done so yesterday when he took down Tryno and the rest.
Her voice trembled as she spoke.
"Let's make it a trade."
"What?"
"I'll give you the answers to the questions you want, and in return, you answer my questions."
Dice put down the bread bag and laughed.
"Do you not know your situation?"
"I do, that's why I'm proposing this."
She said.
"After all, you're going to hand over to the Association, right? I have nothing to lose."
"..."
"So... since we've both regressed... I have many questions too, please answer mine as well."
"..."
It was a strategy, a strategy to get closer to him.
She wanted to beco closer to him.
"And if I refuse?"
Dice asked.
"Then I won't answer either. It's not that hard, is it? To exchange questions?"
"..."
Han Yoo-jung saw the flicker in Dice's eyes.
It was too easy to see that he was desperate.
After a long silence, Dice sighed.
And then, he nodded briefly.
"..."
Han Yoo-jung suppressed the smile that was about to break out.
And then, she said.
"You go first."
"Is Luna also a regressor?"
He asked without hesitation.
Han Yoo-jung didn't just lightly answer his question.
As she responded, she sought to uncover the relationship between Luna and Dice.
Before their regression, they had no connection.
Since Dice had always acted alone, there were few he had connections with.
So, asking about this... Dice has built a new relationship with Luna.
And Dice must have been hiding his identity as well.
That's why he asked the question.
She wondered if Luna knew of 'Dice,' the villain.
Han Yoo-jung answered cautiously.
"I don't know."
Dice's expression soured.
"You..."
Han Yoo-jung quickly added,
"I'm not trying to give a vague answer. It could be, or it could not be."
"I haven't seen any signs of regression from her. But she might be hiding it well."
Dice's expression softened slightly at her words.
Then, he nodded, as if to say he understood.
He signaled for her to ask her question.
Han Yoo-jung's heart raced.
What should she ask?
Hundreds of questions she had once wanted to ask swam through her mind.
But finally, she made her decision.
This was what she was most curious about.
"What's your na?"
Han Yoo-jung asked earnestly, hoping her sincerity would reach him.
Jung-gyeom looked at Han Yoo-jung as if she were absurd.
Han Yoo-jung explained,
"I'm not trying anything. I'm just really curious. I only knew you as Dice..."
"Haah."
Dice was silent for a long ti.
Han Yoo-jung gambled once more.
"If you don't answer, I won't answer any more questions either. No matter what you do to , torture or kill."
At her words, Dice's eyes closed tightly.
Finally, he said,
"Jung-gyeom."
".....What?"
"It's Jung-gyeom."
Chewing over the na for a mont.
Han Yoo-jung had no choice but to rember that familiar na.
'Jung-gyeom' was the na Luna had used to threaten Solace a few days ago.
---
---
Song Soo-yeon stepped out onto the street.
She had been waiting for Jung-gyeom for days.
2 days? 3 days?
But now she knew.
Jung-gyeom was not coming back.
He had left.
Accepting it made her feel lighter.
The heavy pain pressing on her chest vanished.
She felt nothing.
No tears ca, and she was not sad.
It was just a return to the original world.
A world without Jung-gyeom.
Actually, upon reflection, it was better.
There was a ti when she dread of this mont.
When she had no money and couldn't fill her stomach.
When she went to school, which felt like hell, just to eat the school lunch.
When she crawled back to the house where her addict parents lived, just to not freeze to death.
Back then, she had dreamt so much of this mont.
To escape school and ho.
To be able to earn money on her own, she had hoped and hoped.
Look at her now.
She had long since left behind both school and ho.
Money was no longer an issue.
Wasn't this exactly the life she had dread of?
It's fair to say her dream had co true.
So, there was no reason to be sad.
Jung-gyeom could be forgotten.
Just live on and forget.
Song Soo-yeon checked her bank account balance quietly before heading to the hair salon.
Since what remained was money, she intended to spend it.
The hairdresser asked.
"Oh, you're so pretty. What would you like to do with your hair?"
Without hesitation, Song Soo-yeon requested an expensive perm and treatnt.
Though the price was well over a few hundred thousand won, it was re pocket change to her now.
She didn't feel the slightest regret.
This was her new life, after all.
As her hair beca more beautiful than ever, Song Soo-yeon thought,
Jung-gyeom would regret missing out on this day.
Look at her now.
No one can take their eyes off her.
It was true.
She had plenty of money, was more beautiful than anyone, and possessed powerful abilities.
But Jung-gyeom... he looked ordinary, was poor, a total pushover.
It was clear who was losing out.
She finished paying and headed to the departnt store.
It was the sa departnt store she had once visited to buy a gift for Jung-gyeom, but not anymore.
Now, she intended to spend money on herself.
She started with the luxury high heels section.
She was tired of wearing worn-out shoes.
She wanted to adorn herself with beautiful heels.
"What kind of shoes are you looking for?"
As Song Soo-yeon approached, the salesperson asked.
She imdiately chose the most eye-catching heels without hesitation.
The price tag of over a million won didn't bother her.
"I'll fit them for you," the salesperson offered kindly.
Song Soo-yeon silently sat on a small stool, looking down at her feet.
For a mont, her heart froze.
On her feet were the sneakers Jung-gyeom had given her, on the day she almost jumped off the rooftop, when her shoes were all torn and worn out.
He had given them to her the next day, insisting she wear them to school.
A flurry of emotions stirred in her chest but... it died down as absurdly simple as it had co.
She felt nothing again.
Song Soo-yeon roughly threw off the sneakers Jung-gyeom had given her.
The salesperson was montarily startled but soon fitted Song Soo-yeon with heels as beautiful as she was.
Song Soo-yeon completed the purchase.
As she was about to leave the restaurant, a salesperson ran after her, saying,
"Oh, you left this behind!"
Turning around, Song Soo-yeon saw the salesperson holding out a plastic bag with a luxury logo on it, containing the sneakers Jung-gyeom had given her.
Blinking quietly, she impulsively said,
"............Throw it away."
Yet, it didn't feel like the wrong choice.
After all, what was the point of holding onto sothing from Jung-gyeom, who she would no longer see?
She continued her shopping spree.
She also discarded the grey tracksuit jacket she used to wear for walks with Jung-gyeom during her school days.
Instead, she wrapped herself in a luxury coat.
Knits, pants, skirts, and more...
She started buying one by one the clothes she had only admired on her phone.
Everything draped over her body was brand new.
Attention continued to focus on her, and soone even took a photo.
It wasn't as hard as before, as she couldn't hear people's inner thoughts as clearly.
Her movent froze again.
Her gaze was locked onto sothing she couldn't look away from.
At the end of her sight were the cute children's items she had seen before.
Shoes, toys, mittens, and knit hats.
Song Soo-yeon's eyes trembled.
"......"
...But she turned her eyes away from there too.
Once she looked away, it didn't bother her again.
It wasn't painful or difficult anymore.
Song Soo-yeon left the departnt store with her hands full.
Like a successful woman seen in dramas, shopping bags filled her hands.
This was now her life.
Even doing all this barely made a dent in her wealth.
Her next destination was reached by taxi.
During the ride, the sun set.
She quietly looked out the window, enjoying the passing scenery.
Her destination was a hotel.
It was the sa hotel she had once called to arrange sothing for soone's birthday.
Song Soo-yeon paid and booked an expensive room.
Bellboys took her luggage, and she entered the room alone.
It was a stylish and beautiful room.
The night view was more beautiful than anything Song Soo-yeon had ever seen.
A view she never knew existed when she lived day by day down there.
Without money, she would never have experienced this.
She stared blankly at the scenery below.
Then she showered, opened the shopping bags, and changed her clothes.
Feeling uplifted, she headed to the restaurant.
"How many in your party?"
Upon arriving at the restaurant, the waiter asked.
Song Soo-yeon didn't answer, so he asked again.
"How many in your party?"
"Just... one," she managed to say, though it was difficult.
The waiter smiled and led Song Soo-yeon to her table.
She took her seat at an elegant table with a white tablecloth.
All eyes were on her, but she paid them no mind.
She quietly looked at the night view through the adjacent glass window.
Sophisticated music wrapped around her ears comfortably.
The waiter approached.
Song Soo-yeon pointed to a steak on the nu.
After ordering, as she looked at the night view, the waiter asked,
"Would you like so wine?"
The word "wine" stirred mories in Song Soo-yeon.
The waiter asked again,
"Which wine would you like?"
"Give the expensive one," Song Soo-yeon quietly replied, trying to suppress her mories.
Minutes passed, and the food arrived.
She took a sip of wine, letting it linger in her mouth before swallowing.
Then, using a knife and fork, she sliced through the steak.
The knife glided smoothly, cutting through the at effortlessly.
For a mont, her eyes drifted to the opposite side.
An empty chair.
An empty table.
...It was an unfamiliar scene.
She realized that eating alone was sothing she hadn't done in months.
Song Soo-yeon stopped her train of thought and put a piece of at into her mouth.
The at lted away instantly once it touched her tongue.
She nodded slightly.
It was tender.
In the past, she wouldn't have dared to eat such quality at.
This was her new privilege.
This was her new life.
-Plunk. Plop.
"?"
Sothing fell onto the steak.
-Plop. Plip-plop.
"Ah."
It was tears.
Tears that hadn't co out all day, that she thought had dried up.
She couldn't understand why they were coming out when her heart wasn't even hurting.
Song Soo-yeon indifferently wiped the tears with the back of her hand.
But the tears didn't know how to stop.
They continuously flowed, spilling onto the food.
Wiping them away with her hand wasn't enough.
Her expression began to crumble.
"...Huh"
Soon, the sound of crying followed.
Like the tears, sobs leaked out without her control.
Her grip loosened.
The knife and fork fell onto the table.
"...Huhuhh"
She couldn't keep her eyes open any longer.
Her face contorted.
Her shoulders began to shake.
Everyone was watching, but she couldn't help it.
She, who had never shown tears to anyone before, had no choice now.
There was no shoulder left to cry on.
No hand to wipe away her tears.
No warmth to pat her back.
"Uhhuhplease"
The table felt too large to sit alone at.
The empty chair was too cruel.
She couldn't help but know.
The reason she overspent all day was to fill this emptiness inside her.
The reason she filled her hands with shopping bags was because, no matter how much she filled, this void wouldn't go away.
"MisterMister"
Nothing made her happy.
Nothing brought her joy.
If it ant hearing Jung-gyeom tenderly call her na, saying 'Soo-yeon,' she would give her entire fortune.
Only now did she fully understand what Jung-gyeom ant when he said to buy happiness when you can.
Now, money ant nothing to her.
"Where are you...? Huh"
She covered her face with both hands.
Tears flowed endlessly.
From a heart that felt nothing, unbearable pain erged.
Such pain that could only be felt by a heart laid bare.
"Please co backhuhI'm in so much painughI'm struggling so much"
Even in this expensive place, with its expensive steak and wine, the food Jung-gyeom made was warr and tastier.
Reminiscing about what would never return, she continued to cry out loud.
---
---
"Haah...! Haah...!"
It was past midnight.
Song Soo-yeon had spent the entire day shopping and now was in the basent of the departnt store.
A maintenance worker told her,
"...You won't find it. Give up and go back. Why would soone as beautiful as you..."
Song Soo-yeon didn't listen to him.
She was rummaging through a huge pile of trash with her bare hands.
Clothes, coats, accessories, and shoes worth tens of millions won were getting dirty, but she didn't care.
She had to find it.
But the tears blurring her vision made it hard to see.
Her hands were raw, constantly getting cut.
Her nails were ruined too.
It hurt.
But her desperation was greater.
"...Why...where...where did it go...?"
Song Soo-yeon muttered amidst the stench of the trash heap.
She had to find it.
It couldn't just disappear like this.
She needed the sneakers Jung-gyeom had given her.
She couldn't do without them.
She cursed herself for impulsively throwing them away.
"Huh...! Where is it...where is it...where is it!!!"
Though she scread out her frustration, the world didn't lend her a hand.
Surely, a curse was placed upon her.
No matter how much she searched, the sneakers were nowhere to be found.
The basent was dark, and the flashlight held by the maintenance worker wasn't bright enough.
-Tuuu. Tuuu. Tuuu.
Soon, after a warning tone, the roar of a large vehicle echoed.
The maintenance worker clicked his tongue.
He said,
"...The garbage truck is here. Give up."
Song Soo-yeon felt all strength leave her body.
The urge to use her power surged intensely.
But she couldn't.
The vivid image of Jung-gyeom, hurt by her and walking away, was still fresh in her mind.
She couldn't use her powers anymore.
After standing there for about 10 minutes,
The garbage truck had completely taken away all the trash.
Leaving nothing behind.
The shoes gifted by Jung-gyeom, too, beca trash and disappeared.
More traces of him, just like that, were erased once more.
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