The Misfortune Transfer
“Cancel the misfortune transfer right.”
My words came out without my will. But there was a hint of laughter in the system's voice.
“Yes? It's an unusual opportunity. If you want to cancel it, there's nothing we can do.”
With that answer, the strange sensation that had been wrapping around my body disappeared.
When I regained my senses, everything had already ended.
The misfortune transfer right, the only hope to save Won Ji-an, had already been canceled and was gone.
This damned bastard.
The damned system knew that Won Ji-an had tried to contact me with telepathy, yet it accepted my words.
“Hold on. That wasn't my decision. Won Ji-an tried to...”
“Instead, what?”
At that moment, Won Ji-an's voice came from behind.
The system's voice, observing the situation, again carried a hint of laughter.
“Let's step aside so the two of you can talk comfortably.”
Once the system disappeared, Won Ji-an, who had been behind me, stepped forward one step.
“Do Won-woo. You tried to transfer your misfortune to someone else instead of me?”
“...Yes.”
Seeing Won Ji-an's expression, which was unnaturally calm, anger surged up instantly.
“That was the last chance. Without it, there was no way to save you.”
At that, Won Ji-an smiled.
“Won-woo, you don't have to save me.”
In this situation, laughter comes out?
In a situation that was driving me insane, Won Ji-an's demeanor was completely calm.
Perhaps because he had already died once. Or, even so, how could he be so nonchalant in the face of death?
“Then?”
Seeing that, anger welled up, and my voice rose inappropriately.
“What are you trying to do? Are you really trying to die?”
“Yeah.”
The moment I heard the answer, all strength left my body.
Ha...
Did Won Ji-an know what thoughts I had gone through to save him?
If he did, he shouldn't have been looking at me with eyes like that at least now.
“What’s that annoying title?”
“Ah, this?”
Upon my question, Won Ji-an pointed to his head with a smile.
“When you confessed your past to me, the system gave me this title. So I used it once. I wanted to live my own way just once in my life. Without caring about what others think, and say whatever I want.”
The reason this statement was uncomfortable was probably because it sounded like something a person about to die would say.
“So, does it feel refreshing?”
“Yeah.”
Won Ji-an nodded with a smile.
“When I think about it, it seems like even if there were people who treated me carelessly until now, I couldn't say anything and lived.”
“...”
“I don't know why. Maybe because of my innate personality, or maybe I'm just too timid, or just that I was like that.”
A bitter smile appeared on Won Ji-an's lips as he continued speaking.
“So, you weren't going to live as you wished till the end? Don't worry about whether someone becomes unhappy because of you.”
At those words, Won Ji-an, who had been staring blankly into space, said,
“I don't know. I guess I didn't want to go that far just to save myself. It was an odd feeling of hoping that even if I disappear, someone else wouldn't.”
A hollow laugh came out. Did he even know what he was saying right now?
“So, it's okay to die?”
For this question, Won Ji-an didn't answer at all.
In the lengthening silence, what I chose was ultimately avoidance.
“Fine. Then, whether you die or not, I won't care. Do as you wish.”
With that, I left Won Ji-an behind and turned away. Actually, the word "fled" would fit better, but...
***
“Won Ji-an is going to die?”
It was an event I had never properly imagined even once.
Because until now, there had been a conviction that I would somehow manage it.
I thought it would somehow work out. I've changed everything so far. The villain's fate, the plot of this novel.
So, I believed that Won Ji-an would eventually be saved by me.
“But why...?”
I thought I could escape the miserable life of a villain and live like a protagonist.
But no matter how desperately I struggled, the only thing I could save was me, myself.
No, did I even have the power to save myself in the first place? Without Won Ji-an's help this time, I would have been destined to die embracing this sudden misfortune alone.
The moment the belief that I could do anything broke, distrust towards myself arose.
“If Won Ji-an couldn't debut, and only I could, and if that meant Won Ji-an disappeared...”
If that happened, could I live with a clear mind? Probably not, unless I erased the memories.
So, Won Ji-an was hateful to me. If this was going to happen, I should have never said that. Even knowing that I would bear the guilt alone if I debuted...
“Just, everything is so disgusting.”
“Hyung?”
“...Huh?”
When I looked up, Na Jae-hyun was staring at me intently.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing.”
“It looks serious though?”
Why did I end up with Na Jae-hyun as my roommate? Was this another prank of the system?
At that moment, Na Jae-hyun, who had been sneaking up beside me, whispered in my ear.
“Hyung, but I heard that today at practice, Ji-an hyung and Hyeon-min hyung fought. How's the atmosphere? Is it okay?”
The rumor had already spread that far.
“I don't know. I need to talk to them properly.”
I roughly brushed it off.
Actually, it wasn't exactly a fight, but more like Won Ji-an was unilaterally beating up.
“Actually, I wanted to gather everyone in the same room this evening to talk.”
Because things turned out like this, it became difficult now.
Not only did the relationship between Won Ji-an and Yoon Hyeon-min have problems, but it also affected me. There was no one suitable to mediate the conflict.
“Sigh...”
“Hyung, are you really okay?”
When I made a sound of dying, Na Jae-hyun showed even more worry.
“Sorry.”
“What? What suddenly?”
“Just, I'm sorry to you.”
Because I was trying to pass the misfortune to Na Jae-hyun instead of Won Ji-an.
No matter how good Na Jae-hyun's situation was, it couldn't be. He didn't have the qualification to do that to me.
“Don’t suffer too much.”
Without knowing my feelings, Na Jae-hyun came over and comforted me.
“Everyone is too desperate right now, so we can't help but be sharp with each other. The desire to do well is the same for everyone.”
It seemed Na Jae-hyun thought the reason I was struggling was due to team discord.
Of course, that was part of it, but actually, the bigger problem was Won Ji-an's uncertain debut. With the misfortune transfer right canceled, there was no one left to pass the misfortune to.
“I don't know what to do.”
Seeing Na Jae-hyun silently patting my shoulder, I felt like crying unexpectedly.
***
Why only me?
It's a phrase I've heard often.
Whenever we experience unfortunate and tragic events, we often say such words.
But there was no one to answer the question. We had no choice but to live in this world accepting our own misfortune.
But what if one day we suddenly find out the reason?
If the reason I was unfortunate was actually because of a fate that was passed on to others?
“...What?”
In front of the system, which was the first time he had seen, he realized the cruel reality.
“Yes, that's right.”
“If that kid hadn't changed his fate, you would have been living a much better fate by now. You wouldn't be hated by people, and everyone would like you...”
“What was the original fate?”
“If I have to say, it would be that he's a supporting character who punishes the villain... He didn't have much importance in the story, but he wasn't a role that was hated either.”
“Originally, you weren't the villain of this world. There was a separate villain, and when that person became the protagonist position, the villain of this world disappeared...”
“So, who was the original villain?”
“Do Won-woo.”
“Do Won-woo, Do Won-woo, Do Won-woo... Yeah.”
“So, that bastard shoved me into the position I should have been in and took the top spot? He stole what I should have received?”
“You bastard!”
“If it wasn't for that bastard! If that bastard hadn't appeared!”
“So, the fact that I did crazy actions that weren't me was because Do Won-woo changed the fate of this novel?”
“So, the original villain became the protagonist, and I became the villain hated by everyone?”
“Yes, that's right. If there are readers watching this world, they would be cursing you.”
“Because it's more fun that way.”
“So...”
“He had been used simply for fun, to make the protagonist shine.”
At that moment, Yoon Hyeon-min's mouth twisted into a strange expression, as if he was about to cry. It was a bizarre expression, neither smiling nor crying.
“Why?”
“...”
“Do I have to be the villain? Why? Because he became the protagonist, why do I have to be the villain? Tell me, you bastard...”
To Yoon Hyeon-min, who was half-mad, staring into space, the system said.
“Because it's more fun that way.”
The moment he heard those words, Yoon Hyeon-min's eyes, which had been boiling with anger, went completely empty.
“To make the protagonist shine more, there needs to be a villain who interferes with the protagonist. The story becomes more interesting too.”
Yoon Hyeon-min let out a hollow laugh.
“So...”
He had been used simply for fun, to make the protagonist shine.
That he had become a pitiful figure that people pointed fingers at everywhere was simply because of that.
From the moment he learned that fact, Yoon Hyeon-min completely went mad.
“I want to return to the way it was.”
Yoon Hyeon-min muttered with unfocused eyes like a madman.
“How can I do that?”