The Real Goddess
Crack.
The moment the fallen phone shattered, the members of Rosemary whipped their heads around. Instantly, three pairs of eyes locked onto me.
"Ah."
"..."
"..."
"..."
A momentary silence.
No one could easily find their words.
Without a doubt, I was utterly fucked.
As I stood there, my eyes darting nervously,
"...You didn't hear that, did you?"
The first to speak was the leader, Lee Cheri.
Her smile was painfully forced.
It seemed they were just as flustered as I was.
"T-T-That is..."
My voice trembled. I couldn't bring myself to speak.
"...You did hear it."
At Cheri's cold remark, I lowered my head.
I met her question with silence.
It was a silent protest, asking how they could do this to me.
After all the money and time I had invested in them. If they had even a shred of conscience, I hoped they would make an excuse. Even a simple lie would have sufficed.
Tell me I misheard.
Tell me it was a misunderstanding.
But the response I received was far from what I expected.
"Tsk. Just in case, you didn't take any photos, right? Or record anything?"
"My gosh! What a scare! You over there, watch your mouth from now on."
"U-Uh, girls...?"
My head spun.
What did I just hear?
Were they seriously worried I would expose them just for smoking? After throwing such insulting words at me?
My heart pounded furiously.
"H-How..."
"...What?"
"How could you... to m-me, who only looked at you... for t-ten years..."
"What is this pig babbling about?"
What?
A p-pig?
Those words had definitely come out of Lee Cheri's mouth.
"Since you heard everything anyway, I'll just say it."
"W-What...?"
"Could you please skip the fan meetings from now on? You keep getting caught in the press photos, and it makes people think our fans are all fucking fat."
"Pfft, his username is 'CherryLover'. Disgusting."
Scarlett chimed in, piggybacking on Cheri's remark. My heart sank at the sound of her sharp, mocking laughter.
"This can't be..."
This wasn't the Rosemary I knew.
My idols, who never judged people by their looks and were always so kind.
How could they...
"H-Hypocrites."
"What is he even saying?"
"I-I won't let this slide. How dare you... to me... *wheeze*..."
"Ha, and what are you going to do about it?"
Cheri looked at me with eyes full of utter contempt.
Her expression was a complete hundred-and-eighty-degree turn from just an hour ago.
"Just so you know, blackmail is a crime. If you're thinking of harming us... you know what'll happen, right?"
"Wow, 'wheeze' this, 'wheeze' that. Fucking disgusting! Unnie, let's just leave him."
"U-Uh, girls? Why are you being like this? You're scaring me..."
I couldn't even gather my thoughts. Without waiting for my response, they turned their backs on me.
A boiling mixture of devastation, anger, and sorrow washed over me.
I couldn't let them leave like this.
"W-Where do you think you're going! A-Apologize to me! Lee Cheri!"
Instantly, Cheri froze in her tracks.
She slowly turned her head back toward me.
A frigid glare pierced right through me.
"Don't speak my name so casually. You pathetic pig."
*Thud*
My arm, which had been gripping the railing, fell limply to my side. Uncaring, the members of Rosemary walked straight out of the building.
I could only watch their retreating backs in hollow despair.
"...Fuck."
I felt like I was going to lose my mind.
"Fuck."
My blood boiled.
What should I do? Should I post on the fan cafe right now?
Should I report this to a reporter?
"Fuck..."
A flurry of thoughts rushed through my head, but I had absolutely no evidence to back up my claims.
It was exactly as Cheri had said. If I posted anything, I would undoubtedly be sued immediately.
The opponent was a famous agency. For a mere fan like me to pick a fight with them was completely out of the question.
"Blegh!"
My stomach churned. The pork cutlet, pasta, and hamburgers I had eaten for breakfast came spewing out in a messy heap.
I was bursting with rage.
All the time and emotion I had poured into Rosemary had vanished into thin air in a single instant.
Damn it!
Was this really how it was going to end?
Perhaps, in some corner of my mind, I had already known.
Known that there was no way they would view me any differently.
Tears welled up in the corners of my eyes.
How much time had passed?
After throwing up tears, snot, and stomach acid, I dragged my feet out of the building. My body and mind were already completely exhausted.
Pitter, patter.
Right on cue, rain began to fall from the sky.
What perfect timing.
Is this how the protagonists in movies feel?
A bitter smile crept onto my lips.
"Heh..."
A young boy walking down the street flinched at the sound. He then practically bolted away from me.
"...What a goddamn life."
Left with no choice, I walked along the alleyways, away from the prying eyes of others.
As expected, being alone is more comfortable.
There was no one in reality who would ever love me. It was something I had always known, but now the realization hit harder than ever.
Right, this is who I really am.
What was I even hoping for?
"Sigh, I should just go home and play some dating sims..."
Screeech!
A deafening noise pierced my eardrums.
Wondering what it was, I turned my head and saw a black van skidding on the wet road. The vehicle looked strangely familiar. That was definitely...
No, that wasn't the problem right now!
Of all directions, the car was hurtling straight toward me.
Unfortunately, there was no time to dodge.
"What the fu—?"
*Honk— Crash!*
My body was launched into the air. During that prolonged moment of suspension, the useless thought that even a body like mine could fly crossed my mind.
And then,
Splat.
My vision blurred.
It hurt. It hurt so much. I couldn't tell exactly where the pain was coming from. It felt as if every nerve in my body had been severed.
"Ugh... ah..."
Through my hazy vision, the scene began to register.
People scrambled out of the black van in a panic.
"...Kyaaaah!"
"Oh no! A-Are you okay?"
Fuck, would you be okay if you were me?
Instead of saying that...
Wait. This voice.
"Kyaah, what do we do! Call an ambulance quickly... Huh? This guy."
"...Isn't he that pig from earlier?"
I couldn't make a sound. In the pitch-black darkness of my fading consciousness, only their voices echoed.
"What do we do, what do we do, quickly, the hospital..."
"Fuck, you piece of shit manager! Can't you drive straight?"
"I-I-I'm sorry."
You crazy bitches... call an ambulance already...
"I think he's dead. What do we do, Unnie? Did we just kill someone?"
"Shut up, fuck! I'm trying to think here."
"Hurry up! Call!"
"Ah, shut up! Just wait, fuck! First, check if there's anyone nearby!"
*What...? What the hell does that mean, you crazy bitch?*
"Unnie, what do you mean by that?"
"There are no CCTVs here, right? Get in the car, quick!"
"What...?"
*Hold on. I'm still alive.*
"B-But still..."
"Then what are we going to do? Let the rumors spread that we ran someone over and killed them right after our comeback? As fucking idols?"
Lee Cheri's voice was calmer than ever.
"B-But..."
"You serious? Are you for real?"
"Fuck, what else are we supposed to do?"
The three of them fell silent for a moment.
Were they serious? Hesitating in a situation like this?
And a few seconds later,
"...Ok, you are right."
"Huh? What do you mean, Unnie?"
It seemed they were indeed serious.
"I-I'm sorry. It's my fault for driving poorly..."
"If you know that, then clean up the mess, fuck! If we get caught, you take the fall!"
...Ah, it's no use anymore.
I no longer had the strength to hold onto consciousness. The noisy voices and the agonizing pain began to fade away.
Fuckers.
With one final, silent curse, all my remaining senses shut down.
It was a truly miserable life right up to the very end.
Twenty-seven years of utter incompetence. My looks, my studies, and even my relationships were disastrous. Why was it that no matter how hard I tried, nothing ever worked out?
The world was a filthy place.
If I had one final wish, it was for those Rosemary bitches to drop dead. I would die happy if someone sent them straight to hell.
At that moment.
...orry.
An unfamiliar voice spoke. A clear, feminine voice echoed inside my head.
I'm sorry... It's all my fault...
Perhaps because my mind wasn't fully intact yet, the mysterious voice came through in fragmented pieces.
Instead... I will grant... wish...
*What are you saying? Speak clearly.*
Live... the person... you loved most... do it.
*Huh? What kind of nonsense is this?*
Amidst the faint voice, one phrase stood out with absolute clarity.
'The person you loved.'
I was someone who had neither family nor friends since birth.
Where would I find someone I loved?
Then, the meaning of the words suddenly dawned on me.
The person I loved.
It was in the past tense.
I couldn't make a sound, but I wanted to chuckle.
It has to be Rosemary.
Ironically, the ones I had loved the most were the members of Rosemary. Of course, that was only true until a few hours ago.
I understand... I will grant it...
The voice in my head rang out once more.
And then,
.
.
.
"Gasp!!"
The sound burst from me reflexively. At the same time, cold air rushed deep into my lungs.
"...Huh?"
My voice worked.
No, I could feel all the sensations of my body.
Flooded with the vivid sensation of being alive, I quickly assessed my surroundings.
It was a pure white space.
The floor was paved with pristine white marble, and massive pillars supported the ceiling. I was standing right in the middle of a place that looked like it belonged in Greek mythology.
Where is this...?
My confusion was brief.
A sudden realization flashed through my mind.
As a massive geek, this was a very familiar setting.
The place that appeared countless times in anime and web novels.
The very transit point for reincarnation into another world.
If so, then inevitably...
"Have you come to your senses?"
There it is!
The feminine voice that had been echoing in my head now sounded crystal clear. I turned around to find the source of the voice.
"A-Are you a Goddess?"
A girl with neatly braided blonde hair, draped in a fluttering white cloth. A girl who practically screamed "Goddess" sat with her legs crossed on a throne atop the stairs.
"...? You are a quick-witted child."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Goddess."
I quickly tried to drop to one knee to show my respect, but failed due to my thick belly fat.
Damn it, I'm still in this body. Hurry up and reincarnate me, Goddess!
"Why are you waddling like that?"
"O-Oh, it's nothing."
"Very well, welcome. My name is Mercury. I am the deity in charge of Earth."
"I see. Nice to meet you. I am Park Yeong-sik, and I lived in South Korea."
"Indeed."
And then, silence.
...Hmm?
I stared blankly at Mercury.
"...Um, Goddess?"
"What is it?"
"Excuse me, but... what is the reason you summoned me...?"
"T-The reason, you say? Ahem."
She looked somewhat flustered.
"It is nothing major. I simply cherish you specially, and wish to allow you to live in a new world."
Oh, as expected!
It was the exact development I had hoped for.
But something felt slightly off.
"Oh, thank you so much, Goddess! Um, just in case, is there a specific reason you gave me this opportunity...?"
"My, you certainly love asking for reasons. D-Do you absolutely must hear it?"
I suddenly found the young girl's authoritative tone quite cute. But that was that, and I needed to know the truth.
"I wish to know. If you truly cherish a lost sheep like me, please."
"I-Is that so? Very well. You see... actually..."
Why is she hesitating so much?
"I made a bit of a mistake."
"Pardon? A mistake? What kind?"
"W-Well, it is nothing major. When I created you... I accidentally messed up the ratio of effort to results, so to speak. It was a very minor mistake. Do not worry."
"...What?"
For a moment, I doubted my ears.
What the hell is she talking about right now?
"Hold on, Goddess. I don't quite understand..."
"There is no need to understand."
"No, I mean. You forgot to add a spoonful of talent when you made me. Is that basically what you're saying?"
"You are a very smart child."
"You're joking, right?"
"W-Well... I am sorry. It just happened that way."
Instantly, my fists clenched tight. No wonder my life made absolutely no sense.
Twenty-seven years of living with zero talent.
The culprit was standing right in front of me.
I glared at the Goddess in front of me and spoke.
"Goddess."
"Hmm? What is it?"
"First of all, uncross your legs."
Whew...
To sum up Mercury's explanation: as an apology for making me a talentless loser, she would reincarnate me in another world.
Although anger welled up inside me, it wasn't actually a bad offer. And then came her additional proposal.
"I know this alone is not enough. Therefore, I wish to grant you a few gifts."
"...What are they?"
"First is talent. In this life, I shall grant you the Learning Talent. With this, you will be able to grow faster than anyone else."
Hmm, alright.
That much was only natural.
"Understood. You said there were a few gifts. What else is there?"
"No matter the circumstances, leaving Earth must leave you with some regrets."
Actually, I didn't really have any regrets.
Except for the fact that I couldn't get revenge on those Rosemary bitches.
"Therefore, I have specially decided to reincarnate the people you love alongside you."
"What?"
The people I love?
There was no way such people existed...
"Did I not say I would grant your wish earlier?"
"No way..."
"And I have heard your answer. I shall summon the ones you loved so dearly."
Snap!
As the Goddess snapped her fingers, golden pillars of light descended upon the temple.
Three pillars of brilliant, radiant light.