Spilled Water Cannot Be Gathered Again
Why the hell is she here?
Dozens of thoughts flared through my mind and died just as fast. My body locked up at the same time, going rigid as a thin sheen of cold sweat slid down my back and beaded along my forehead.
"Hah..."
A hollow laugh slipped out of me on its own. Even now — even after I had obtained a power no one in this world could hope to touch — my body's automatic reflex drove the truth home with brutal clarity. It showed me, in my bones, just how horrific the bullying I had endured at the hands of a human being named Song Yura had really been.
In the worst possible sense, she was a woman I would never be able to forget for as long as I lived. Even in the distant future, even at the moment they lowered me into my grave, the name Song Yura would still be carved into my skull. That much was certain.
"Not really. I'm fine."
I meant it. My body had flinched on reflex, but only for a moment. The instant I remembered that I stood far, far above a creature like Song Yura, every last rejection response in my body vanished without a trace.
If anything, my heart was pounding.
I'm already looking forward to this.
Just imagining the expressions Song Yura was about to make — just thinking about taking my revenge — and I couldn't keep the corners of my mouth from twitching.
"Who's that?"
"Dunno. Must be Naengjung's friend. She's pretty, though. Is that why he turned down that phone number earlier?"
It was an unpleasant misunderstanding, but it wasn't entirely wrong, either. It was true that because of Song Yura, I had given up on anything resembling a normal romance.
I stopped what I was doing for closing and looked toward the entrance. A laugh threatened to burst out of me, and I had to clap a hand over my mouth in a hurry.
What kind of gift from heaven is this?
Of all people, it was Song Yura — and she was alone. I had known her for six years, and this almost never happened. The only thought in my head was that this was a chance handed down by God himself.
"Hey, you okay? You must've been working too hard. Want unnie to buy you a coffee?"
Seeing me with a hand over my mouth, she must have mistaken it for fear. Before I knew it, Song Yura had come right up beside me and was stroking my back with a gentle hand. In reality, she was only doing it because she was worried I might say something I shouldn't.
That was when the ever-sociable Kim Jeongyeol spoke up.
"Well now, you two must be pretty close. Coming all the way here this late, right when his shift ends. Nice to meet you — a bit embarrassing, but I'm the owner here."
"Wow, the owner's so young! I'm, like, really close with Naengjung here? Not his girlfriend, though. More like childhood friends, you know?"
The way she giggled and called herself a childhood friend used to make my stomach turn. Now it was just funny.
"Can he clock out now?"
"Of course. The rest of us can handle closing. Besides, Naengjung does such a good job around here — a little consideration like this is the least I can do."
"He is pretty thorough, isn't he? I know. I've known him since middle school. Even though he barely had time to study because of personal circumstances, he never dropped below third in the entire school."
Through that perfectly ordinary conversation, Song Yura slipped her arm through mine as naturally as breathing, and we left the shop together.
Her arm stayed linked with mine until we were a good five hundred meters from Strawberry Pocha. More precisely, until we reached a dark, dingy alley that no one was likely to wander into.
"Ah, fuck. What a pain."
She yanked her arm free with a rough jerk and still glanced around, just in case. Obviously, there was no one. I had been watching for that myself as I followed her.
"Hey, shuttle. You a mute little shit? You kept your damn mouth shut the whole time, so I had to cover for everything, you fucker."
Unlike Karina, who was furious, I just looked at Song Yura with empty eyes. How was it possible that this girl hadn't changed even after becoming an adult? They say the habits you form at three stay with you until eighty, and that saying wasn't wrong in the slightest. She had lived like this since she was a child. Becoming an adult wasn't going to change a damn thing.
I let out a small breath and raked a hand through my hair. I needed to calm myself down. Otherwise, I couldn't guarantee I wouldn't snap the neck of the nauseating woman standing in front of me.
"Hey. When someone talks to you, you're supposed to answer. You retarded piece of shit."
My fingers twitched.
Hoo. Even now.
If I had let my guard down even a little, I would have ripped this bitch's tongue out on the spot.
"What did you come here for?"
I answered coldly, looking at Song Yura. Back in school, she had at least dyed her hair a relatively tame brown. The moment she became a college student, she had gone blonde — and it showed. Then again, that cheap-looking blonde suited her far better than the brown ever had. It was a perfect reflection of her rotten personality.
Lin's blonde hair had shone like that. I guess even modern technology can't match natural gold.
Remembering Lin's golden hair and those aquamarine-blue eyes, the Song Yura in front of me looked even more pathetic.
"What do you mean, why did I come? I was wondering if my little Naengjung could lend his unnie some money. Honestly, showing up like this in front of my friends would be kinda embarrassing, you know?"
This bitch is actually hilarious! She can't show this side of herself to her friends, but she'll do it in front of this guy like it's nothing?
She's got a bullet hole where her brain should be.
"How much do you need?"
I ignored the flustered Karina and continued talking to Song Yura.
"Hmm~ How much can you give me?"
There wasn't a shred of hesitation in the way Song Yura held out her hand, her expression shameless beyond belief. If anything, she looked like this was only natural. I looked at that and nodded. I didn't think I needed to hold back any longer.
"Ah, but first — how about you pay back what you already borrowed from me?"
"Huh? Did I ever borrow money from you?"
"Yeah. Add up everything you took since middle school and it's easily over ten million won. Hand that over first. Then I'll lend you the money."
In that instant, Song Yura scrunched up her face in what she probably thought was a threatening expression.
"Hey, Han Naengjung. You've finally lost your damn mind, haven't you? You think you can talk to me like that just because I came alone?"
"You actually are easy. Even if you hadn't come alone, it would've been a little more annoying, but it wouldn't have been a problem."
"...What?"
Unlike Song Yura, I still wore a blank expression as I took a single step toward her.
She flinched hard and stumbled three steps backward.
"Hey! Fuck, you really have lost it!"
"Is that you thrashing around, trying to beat back the fear? Keep screaming. I'll show you exactly who's going to regret this."
R R R R U U U U M M B B L L E
Released in full.
The Killing Aura I had been holding back exploded. This was a Killing Aura of an entirely different sincerity and density from the one I had used on those troublemakers. A civilian like Song Yura couldn't possibly withstand it.
"H-hiiiiek!"
I looked down at Song Yura, who had crumpled to the ground with all the strength gone from her body, trembling violently. Looking at her like this, I had to admit — a kneeling posture suited a bug perfectly.
I bent down and whispered into her ear.
"Still don't remember?"
"Th-tha... hhh, hhhk, krr, krrrk..."
Crushed under the Killing Aura, she couldn't even form words. With a face twisted in terror and hands shaking uncontrollably, Song Yura clawed frantically at her own throat. I gently stroked that throat as I spoke.
"Then I suppose I'll have to remind you. I'm being so kind to a moron who stole from me over and over under the pretense of borrowing money — and then forgot all about it."
"I-I'm so, sorry..."
"When exactly was that 'next time' supposed to be?"
She shook. And shook. And shook.
"No, wait — you don't even remember, do you?"
"You used to say that too."
"A-aaaaah...!"
Song Yura was genuinely on the verge of losing her mind. When I saw her start to foam at the mouth, I withdrew the Killing Aura.
It's not mercy.
If I killed her like this, it would be too much of a waste. After being tormented for so long, shouldn't Song Yura get to taste even greater suffering?
"Well? Have you come to your senses a little?"
Even so, I really did hold onto a sliver of hope. That even a piece of human garbage like Song Yura might have some room for redemption. Besides, she wasn't some child who couldn't tell right from wrong anymore. She was a proper adult with a driver's license.
"C-cough, cough cough!"
Freed from the Killing Aura, Song Yura scrambled backward on trembling hands, then thrust her phone up into the air.
"D-don't come near me! You, you fucker! You think you can do this to me and walk away?"
"I-I've got everything. Your embarrassing photos. And every story that could bury you in this society. Yeah, I made you steal, but you're the one who actually did the stealing, aren't you?"
Don't worry, Karina.
It was true that I had stolen. But following my parents' teachings, I had admitted that wrong — even if it was late — and paid it all back with money I earned myself. I knew perfectly well that I was an imperfect human being, and that I could be a nuisance to someone.
But on one point, I was unshakable. I moved according to my own convictions. Even if the entire world had designated those actions as taboo. If I believed an action was right, I did it.
"Thanks for being so consistent, Song Yura."
"D-don't come near me! Stay back! You fucker, you think those files are only on this phone? I saved them all on my computer too. I saved everything, waaaah! So just get the hell out of here!"
Wasn't it just hilarious? She was the one who had extorted my money first. She was the one who had started the bullying. And today, she was the one who had come looking for me and led me into this secluded alley. The moment the tables turned, she had transformed herself from perpetrator into victim.
To anyone who didn't know the full story, I would look like nothing more than a criminal tormenting a frail young woman. But I didn't give a damn about that kind of gaze.
"Spread it if you want. Do whatever you want with the videos of me stealing. That matter was already settled without you knowing. Ah, and..."
I snatched Song Yura's phone, opened her gallery, and checked the embarrassing videos of myself one by one. There were nearly a hundred of them. Some of them even showed me dressed as a woman, going into the girls' bathroom, and getting trampled by them.
"Puhahahaha! This is fucking hilarious. Hey, you crying? Wow, look at this guy crying over something this small. I'm way braver than you."
"You look like you were genuinely enjoying yourself."
I handed the phone back to Song Yura and, at the same time, raised my own.
"I wish I could enjoy myself the way you did."
"W-wait..."
"Hm?"
"...I-I'm sorry. I was wrong. I'll live a good life from now on, so please just let me off this once. I-I'll pay the money back too. Somehow. I'll even sell my body if I have to!"
Song Yura had her face planted in the dirt like a grub, trembling violently. I looked at her and spoke.
"There's a saying I like. Do you know it? No, of course you don't. If I'd ever said something like that in front of you people, who knows what kind of bullying I would've gotten."
"Hhk, hhng..."
"You apologizing now doesn't change a single thing about what I went through, or about the past. Ah, there is one way, though."
"...W-what is it. No, what is it?! I'll do anything, anything!"
I grinned.
At my words, Song Yura's face crumpled into despair. She buried her face in the dirt and burst into tears.