Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Into the Abyss Trap (3)
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Kang Eun-seol, 19 years old.
She was born the same year as me, but our lives had been tangled in complications from the start.
It began with her birth.
When my biological mother passed away from illness, I was six years old.
That meant, while my mother was still alive, I'd gained a half-sister named Kang Eun-seol, just a year younger.
You might think my biological father had cheated, but the truth was only half that story.
Eun-seol was what you'd call a surrogate baby—born not through artificial insemination, but from direct intimacy, natural conception, and birth.
Isn't sleeping with a surrogate illegal?
Technically, it was allowed if the couple agreed.
Especially in this world.
This place already questioned concepts like sexuality and chastity, and the emergence of monsters and Hunters had reshaped laws across the board.
Life and death felt closer, infused with a fantastical edge.
Compared to my original world, the laws here were looser, more free-spirited.
South Korea was no different.
Anyway, Kang Eun-seol emerged from that surrogate's womb and spent her early childhood with me.
'She was so cute back then.'
I closed my eyes, recalling the photo album I'd found while moving from our old house.
Until my frail biological mother died, Eun-seol had seen her as her real mom.
Our relationship probably wasn't bad back then.
But after my mother succumbed to illness and my biological father married Eun-seol's surrogate as his wife, her personality started twisting.
The mom she'd trusted and loved wasn't her real mom?
For a kid just old enough for kindergarten, that must've been devastating.
Once she learned the truth, Eun-seol grew to resent me and my father, clinging instead to her biological mother.
Plus, my father and I overprotected our only little sister, pitying her situation.
Unlike her real mom, who respected Eun-seol's opinions and gave her freedom.
To Eun-seol, we men in the house—who betrayed her—could never compare to her surrogate-turned-real mom.
Her biological mom was young, beautiful, kind, and homemaker material to boot.
That was the setup, more or less.
Bam!
Having weathered that turbulent childhood, my half-sister Kang Eun-seol was, in a word, a total brat.
"Hey! Are you even listening to me?!"
She slammed her palm on the table and shot up from her seat, yelling.
No matter what, calling her sky-high(?) big bro "hey."
Eun-seol reeked of being spoiled rotten.
"I'm listening. Calm down and sit."
I waved my hand lazily at Eun-seol, who'd barged into my officetel.
These days, I had zero reason to indulge her tantrums.
Strictly speaking, the soul transmigrated into this world wasn't her real big brother.
In truth, our bond was even more distant than half-siblings.
"What?! Who do you think you are?! I've told you before—don't boss me around!"
Eun-seol shrieked like I'd hit her berserk button.
Her cookie-cutter bratty little sister act made me itch to set her straight.
Stretch—!
So I did.
"Ow! It hurts! It huuurts!"
I yanked her cheek hard, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears.
My physical prowess was as solid as ever.
Now awakened to boot, I could subdue an average girl with a single finger.
"Let go! Leeeet gooo!"
Just like right now.
"W-Woojin-ah, maybe talk it out instead...?"
Caught between us siblings, Cynthia fidgeted helplessly.
Whoosh!
Right then, Eun-seol swung both hands at me, claws out, unable to bear the pain.
Grab!
I caught her wrists effortlessly, stopping her cold.
To rebuild big bro's fallen prestige down to rock bottom, I couldn't allow even one hit.
Screw prestige—I just didn't want to take a single punch.
Her attitude pissed me off that much.
I wanted to torment her—not like with Sia, but to teach her a real lesson.
Selling the house without asking was my fault, but all things considered, Eun-seol had no high ground either.
Beyond this mess, justice was on my side from the start.
She'd been an idol trainee, living in dorms away from home, only showing up late—like certain others—to drive a wedge into the original protagonist's heart as the second heroine.
For this body's original owner.
The pitiful real Kang Woojin—for his sake, I had no intention of letting heroines like Eun-seol slide.
Torment the heroines who tormented Kang Woojin.
Nothing new; that'd been my plan from the beginning.
Glide.
I slowly turned my head, reaffirming my resolve as I gazed out the window.
Beyond the glass, under the clear blue sky, rose Kang Woojin's face.
'You holding up okay there?'
The world's handsomest guy's face drooped sadly, tugging at my lips.
'Why that face? You sad too?'
But he quickly pulled his mouth into a smile, beaming brightly.
'Yeah. Late to say it, but leave it all to me and rest easy. I'll avenge you proper.'
The original protagonist met my eyes, nodding slowly with a pleased grin.
That's more like it—you look way better smiling.
'No need to thank me too much. I'm doing this 'cause I want to. Keep watching, keep cheering me on.'
He nodded once more, satisfied, then faded into light.
"...What're you doing, Woojin-ah?"
Cynthia stared at me weirdly.
"Practicing expressions at the window or something?"
"..."
I scratched my head awkwardly.
"Nothing."
Then I turned back to the original story's second heroine.
'Oh yeah, Eun-seol was originally the fourth heroine. She showed up way earlier than expected.'
I thought, still pinching her cheek.
'Butterfly effect, I guess.'
But my musing didn't last.
"L-Let gooo! It huuurts!"
Eun-seol finally shed fat tears like a chicken.
"You little shit!"
"Little shit?"
I loosened my grip slightly without fully releasing, questioning her.
"N-No, big brooo..."
"Hm."
"Please let go..."
"Say 'Please let me go.'"
"F-Fuck."
Eun-seol, who'd picked up cursing outside, scrunched her tear-streaked face.
"What was that just now?"
"N-Nothing..."
"You messed up, right?"
"...What did I do."
Suck.
"O-Okay, I messed up. I messed up, big bro."
True to the original setup, pain-hating Eun-seol finally submitted.
Hm, now she's primed for a proper talk.
Slide—.
I released her swollen red cheek and said,
"Want some coffee?"
* * *
A moment later.
Eun-seol sipped her coffee cautiously and asked,
"...So, why the hell did you sell the house?"
Having poured Cynthia some too, Kang Woojin shrugged nonchalantly.
"It's too big for one person."
"What? That's your reason?"
"'Your reason'? Living alone in that huge place is inefficient."
"Are you on the spectrum or something?"
"Spectrum or not, it's my house under my name—I sold it. Why're you freaking out, Eun-seol?"
"It's not yours! It's our house!"
"Someone who wanders outside all the time calls it 'our house'? For six whole years?"
"I had no choice!"
Maybe she'd warmed up to Kang Woojin a bit, or her memory was shot.
"You think I like dorm life?!"
No way she'd forget, but she raised her voice again, fuming.
"..."
Kang Woojin unexpectedly owned up this time.
"...Yeah, selling it without asking was shitty. Sorry."
Like it or not, she was his sister.
Her attitude grated, but dumping her home full of memories did stir some guilt.
"Living alone in that big house kept bringing bad thoughts."
Eun-seol flinched at his words.
"Thoughts of you, your mom."
His sentimental expression turned wistful.
"Even Yeon-hee noona in the provinces, or my stepmom—left me feeling empty, lonely."
Plus his biological mom and dad.
Recounting their messy family, he bared his solitude.
"The inefficiency excuse was just that—an excuse."
"...You—big bro—were that lonely?"
Of course, it wasn't his real feelings, but Eun-seol couldn't know.
"Cynthia helped a ton, sure. But saying I wasn't lonely at all? That'd be a lie. Academy stuff too."
"Academy?"
"It's a thing. Anyway, if needed, I can buy it back later. Don't worry."
"Huh? Really?"
"Turns out the buyer knows Yang Su-in. Explain the situation, and he'll sell it back. Oh, your stuff and everyone else's is all stored."
"Where?"
"Outside. Rented a container warehouse."
"You asshole! How could you shove it there?!"
"Asshole?"
Kang Woojin frowned at her rudeness, but she stood her ground this time.
"What! Why! You gonna yell when you're in the wrong?!"
Eun-seol, who'd always disliked Kang Woojin, hated every move he made.
Even giving him the benefit of the doubt on selling the house.
Truth be told, she went to her real mom's when leaving the dorm—not his.
But he should've at least told her.
Her stuff was there, along with whatever memories.
Imagine coming home after ages, only for a stranger to answer the door.
The housekeeper's words—that the owner changed—left her speechless, floored.
"Haaa."
Then and now, she could only sigh.
"At least I didn't trash your stuff."
"That's your excuse?"
"Whatever. So why'd you come here, Eun-seol?"
"To chew you out, obviously!"
"Not that—why our house at all? You always crashed at your mom—no, ex-stepmom's."
Kang Woojin crossed his arms, probing further.
"And shouldn't you be at practice right now?"
Her face paled at the jab.
"N-Nunya business! Practice or not, what's it to you?"
"Fine, fine. Stranger it is—now get out."
His sudden eviction order drained her face further.
'Was he—big bro—always like this...?'
Her mind reeled.
The Kang Woojin she knew was a spineless, dumb, pushover big bro who couldn't talk back.
Years since they'd met, but this total personality shift? She couldn't adjust.
"Don't wanna leave? Then be honest, Eun-seol-ah."
"H-Honest about what?"
"You got cut, right? Came home after six years of training?"
"...!"
Spot-on, her shoulders trembled.
"N-No! Just skipping practice todayyy!"
Her delayed rebuttal shook worse than her shoulders.
"Then tomorrow, practice?"
"..."
"Day after?"
"..."
"This week?"
"..."
"Th-This week, n-next week?"
"Ugh, fine! I got cut! Happy now?!"
Finally spilling, Eun-seol burst into tears.
"Hic! Waaah!"
Cynthia silently patted her back as she sobbed.
"Sis—! They told me to go home! No debut, company's bankrupt! What do I dooo?!"
Unlike with Kang Woojin, she got along fine with Cynthia, unloading her woes.
"Why tell Cynthia? Go to your mom."
Kang Woojin said coolly before the two.
"Waaahhh!"
Emotions surging, she wailed harder.
"Stop crying."
He handed her tissues, continuing.
"Can't face your mom? Fine, I'll tell her for you."
"No! Absolutely not!"
"Huh? Why?"
"She's supported me all this time! I don't wanna disappoint her!"
Kang Woojin nodded.
"Got it. But anyway, just sign with another company."
"Sniff. They said no 'cause of debt. New companies have to cover what my old one invested..."
In the original story, Eun-seol never found a new agency.
The old one went fully bankrupt within years, dumping its debts—including hers—squarely on her and the trainees.
The sinking ship coerced contract breaches, saddling them with massive penalties.
Otherwise, they'd stay chained to a dead-end label.
Thus, Eun-seol veered off-path, tangled with bigshots, and clawed back into showbiz the wrong way—that was her fate.
"How much debt?"
Knowing full well, Kang Woojin feigned apathy.
"100 million a year—600 million total..."
"More than I thought."
"...Hey, big bro."
"Yeah?"
"Since it came up, can I borrow some money? You got cash from the house..."
"All in savings and stocks—gone."
"What...?"
Lie, of course.
But she had no way to know.
"Then, can I crash here awhile?"
"Huh?"
She blew her nose, wiped her tears, and declared shamelessly.
"You sold the house—you fix my homelessness! Take responsibility!"