VDN Ch 185

It’s a story that Seo-oh will have to know someday. Since it has come to this, it might be better to tell the truth. Nam-woon looked around and opened his mouth with difficulty.

“It’s true. I really am from another world.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah. It’s your choice whether to believe me or not…”

Seo-oh’s eyebrows furrowed. Judging from his eyes and expression, he seemed to suspect that Nam-woon was out of his mind. Did he really not believe it? But he couldn’t just say it was all a lie now. With a nervous expression, Nam-woon briefly explained what had happened.

“I used to be a taiyaki vendor… You know, ‘World Tteoksoontwi’? I had a pretty well-known stall there. But then I got into an accident and ended up here. That was when… I kidnapped Se-han.”

Nam-woon explained his situation from the moment he first came here, how he met Seo-oh, and everything that happened after that. However, he left out the system. It would be hard to accept this now, but if he brought up the system, he would be treated like a real crazy person. 

Seo-oh listened to Nam-woon’s words, showing various reactions such as frowning and rubbing his face. Soon enough, the story came to an end, but Seo-oh remained silent. 

As the silence grew longer, Nam-woon grew anxious. Did I say too much? What if he thinks I’m crazy? Should I just say it was a joke right now? While he was wracking his brain, Seo-oh suddenly said, “Okay” and nodded.

That was the end of it. There were no more gestures. Nam-woon was the one who was surprised.

“Do you really believe this?”

“Weren’t you telling me to believe it?” 

“It sounds absurd, but… looking at your face, I think it’s true.”

Seeing Nam-woon’s disbelief, Seo-oh added, 

“You’re not the kind of person to joke in a situation like this.”

If he had said it was a joke, it would have been a real disaster. Nam-woon swallowed hard.

“And, even though I haven’t mentioned it until now, there were plenty of times when I thought something was off. At one point, you started acting as if you were a completely different person. If you said that you were actually a completely different person, then everything would make sense—and there’d be no reason not to believe you.”

Seo-oh suddenly raised his eyes. The two of them locked eyes deeply.

“Maybe I’ve been drawn to the real you from the very beginning.”

“……”

“Being with you like this feels as natural as the laws of nature itself…”

Before Seo-oh could continue with his embarrassing confession, Nam-woon abruptly stopped him. What is he saying all of a sudden? Seo-oh’s reddened neck was visible beneath his blunt lips. Seo-oh rubbed the surface of his lips against the palm that was covering his mouth, then interlaced his fingers.

“So you endured all my anger without knowing anything. You’ve only suffered since you got here… I’m sorry you had to bear it all.”

“Huh? Ah, it’s okay. Back where I was, I went through every kind of ordeal…it wasn’t nearly as hard as you think.”

It surely couldn’t have been okay. Seo-oh stared at Nam-woon blankly for a moment, then pressed his forehead against Nam-woon’s round forehead and gave a small smile. What a fool. He’s so foolishly kind.

Seo-oh thought that he should always be by Nam-woon’s side and gave him a light but affectionate kiss. Then, he rubbed their noses together, full of affection.

“I want to hear about what happened in your world. Once things settle down, make sure to tell me.”

I’ll remember everything. Seo-oh smiled sweetly. Nam-woon could only nod in a daze at that incredibly beautiful smile.

The two shared light kisses and caressed each other’s cheeks to reconfirm their existences again. However, an intruder reappeared and broke the pleasant atmosphere.

[Congratulations! You have gained experience points!]

[Have I finally escaped from being single? First official confession (received) experience points +20]

[You have gained the sincere heart and deep trust of the main character, Kwon Seo-oh, from <Prison Without Shackles>!]

[As a reward, the role adjustment option is activated. The roles of the main characters will be readjusted by analyzing the content so far.]

[Adjusting…]

Escape from being single? Is it mocking me? Nam-woon squinted at the system window, glaring at it, and then read the next notification, his mouth falling open in shock.

[As a result of the analysis of the accumulated data, the role of the villain is readjusted from ‘Seok Nam-woon’ to ‘Seok Jin-cheol.’ The role of Jin Hae-geon will be performed normally.]

Nam-woon’s eyes narrowed. The role of Jin Hae-geon…? As he recalled the original ending, Nam-woon’s eyes widened. The phrase from the novel he had seen in the car came to mind. The warning phrase that appeared when Seo-oh decided to bury Chairman Seok.

Role error…!

If the role of the villain has changed, then by now, Jin Hae-geon must have…

[Jin Hae-geon held a shovel. Seok Nam-woon, on the brink of being buried alive, trembled in fear.]

[Burial of the villain ‘Seok Jin-cheol’ is in progress by the main character ‘Jin Hae-geon’!]

I can’t live normally because of those guys, damn it!

Nam-woon shot up abruptly but fell back to the ground again. His injured ankle throbbed. Seo-oh quickly helped him up.

“Are you okay, Hyung?”

“Yeah. Just a slight sprain.”

This level of injury was nothing. Rather, it was Seo-oh who needed urgent treatment. Nam-woon looked at Seo-oh’s bloodied leg with concern.

“You’re hurt too.”

“It’s nothing.”

Answering cheerfully, Seo-oh lifted Nam-woon by wedging his hands between Nam-woon’s lower back and knees, raising him up. Startled by the sudden lift, Nam-woon flailed.

“Ah! What are you doing? Put me down right now!”

“Your leg hurts, hyung. Just bear with it until we reach the hospital.”

“No, no! Seo-o, wait! Let’s go back up there!” 

Back to that mess? Seo-oh looked at him with a puzzled expression. Nam-woon desperately grabbed his collar.

“Quickly…! Jin Hae-geon might be burying Chairman Seok right now!”

“Let him bury him. Chairman Seok deserves it…”

Seo-oh, who had been responding bluntly, stopped talking. It was because he heard a faint, unfamiliar voice from somewhere.

“Detective, over here!”

Nam-woon turned his pale face. Through the bushes in the distance, silhouettes of people flickered. They seemed to be going up. As he observed carefully, a familiar face caught his eye. It was Detective Jang.

Seo-oh’s expression stiffened as he recognized him too. Nam-woon urged him again.

“If this goes on, Jin Hae-geon will get caught! We have to get there before the police!”

“Fuck…”

Seo-oh muttered a small curse and walked while holding Nam-woon in his arms. Despite his injured body, he didn’t seem to have any difficulty or discomfort walking with Nam-woon. However, Nam-woon couldn’t be carried all the way up like this. He demanded to be let down, hitting Seo-oh’s strong chest with his fist. Seo-oh reluctantly relaxed his arms, his expression filled with discontent.

After that, they quickly moved to find another uphill slope, so they were able to quickly return to where Hae-gun was. However, their plan to arrive before the police failed. They were beaten by the police by a hair’s breadth. 

Nam-woon took a deep breath and urgently checked the situation. It was Chairman Seok, not Jin Hae-geon, who was holding the shovel. His face was so damaged that you couldn’t distinguish his eyes, nose, or mouth. It was clear he had been brutally assaulted.

The one who had hit him must have been Jin Hae-geon…But why was Chairman Seok holding the shovel?

Nam-woon immediately turned his gaze toward the pit. Had the roles changed again? Surprisingly, the one who had gotten up from the pit was Jin Hae-geon. He was also in a terrible state, with his face covered in bruises and his whole body covered in dirt. He absentmindedly brushed the dirt off his clothes.

As I stood there, unable to step forward and taking in the atmosphere with a bewildered expression, the police started moving busily, shouting.

“Arrest all these bastards!”

“Are you blind? Those little shits are the ones who started beating innocent people and trying to bury them in the dirt! Who are you taking away, damn it?!”

The gangsters grunted and yelled at the police. The officers didn’t pay them any mind and handcuffed them all. Jin Hae-geon was also taken away, but he wasn’t handcuffed.

“You two come with us too.”

A detective who Nam-woon had met once when going to retrieve evidence from the perfume shop looked at him and Seo-oh. Nam-woon turned to Seo-oh with a worried expression. He was concerned that Seo-oh might be found out for almost burying Chairman Seok.

What if there are still fingerprints on the shovel? Seo-oh had almost really killed Chairman Seok, but since he was the victim, it should be fine, right? He bit his lip as a wave of anxiety washed over him.

“Do you guys not know who I am?! Who do you think you’re laying hands on right now?!”

The owner of the voice that shook the mountain was Chairman Seok. He was wildly swinging the shovel in his hand, making one last desperate attempt. He raised his voice, denying his wrongdoings.

“You think you can arrest me?! Do you all want to lose your jobs?! You know my connection with Prosecutor Kim Oh Hyung, right? I’ve been close to him for over a decade…”

“Yeah, and that’s exactly why you’ve gotten away with murdering people for ten years. With so many enemies, prison life will be quite enjoyable for you, won’t it?

Detective Jang muttered in a dull tone, but with an expression full of anger. When Detective Jang finished speaking and took a step toward him, Chairman Seok flinched and took two steps back. Chairman Seok’s eyes suddenly locked onto Nam-woon. Reading something in those cold, gray eyes, Nam-woon’s eyes widened as he shouted.

“Detective, arrest Chairman Seok…!”

“What?”

It was already too late. Chairman Seok turned and ran before anyone could stop him. In an instant, he reached in front of the cliff where Nam-woon had fallen. And without hesitation, he threw himself into the dark abyss. The faces of everyone who saw him turned pale.