Chapter 256: I’ll Change the Protagonist (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 256: I’ll Change the Protagonist (5)
I’ll Change the Protagonist (5)
Seo Hye-ri sits in her chair, staring blankly down at the stage.
Whether the villains are being defeated or not, her indifferent face is captured by the drones hovering nearby and broadcast across the internet.
While comments defending her and those criticizing her are mixed, everyone sympathizes with and cheers for Jeong Yeon-woo’s declaration that he will save everyone, regardless of their sins.
Occasionally, some express doubt about the law, criticizing the fact that Ahn Ji-young—who drove Seo Da-ye to her death—will likely live a comfortable life even if she is rescued, but even they do not insult Jeong Yeon-woo.
As time passes, the crimes committed by Smile are uncovered, and the comments on the internet begin to grow harsh.
They pity Seo Da-ye, but that doesn't mean they condone what Smile has done.
Comments gathered from all over the internet scroll across the screen in front of her one by one, but Seo Hye-ri’s expression remains unchanged.
“… …”
It wasn't that she was unfazed; Seo Hye-ri was paralyzed with terror, unable to do anything.
She is conscious, but her body has escaped her control, acting on its own.
She says things she doesn't want to say, and her feet, which desperately want to run away, won't budge an inch.
She can see Ahn Ji-young becoming increasingly addicted to the drugs, but Ahn Ji-young no longer registers in Seo Hye-ri’s eyes.
Please save me.
Seo Hye-ri screams internally over and over, but her stiffened tongue refuses to move.
She, who had clumsily mimicked movies and felt like the protagonist of a crime thriller, realized how pathetic and weak she truly was the moment she faced a real devil.
As the comments criticizing Smile increase, her body, having lost its freedom, stands up of its own accord and approaches Ahn Ji-young.
“I believe I told you to guarantee the hostage’s safety?”
Ignoring Jeong Yeon-woo’s words, Seo Hye-ri’s body hauls Ahn Ji-young out and slams her onto the floor.
Her face hits the ground with a thud, leaving her dazed for a moment, but Ahn Ji-young soon begins to giggle again, clinging to Hye-ri’s leg and rubbing her cheek against it.
Hye-ri thought she would feel pleasure the more the girl suffered, but now, she only wants to cry.
On the screen within her field of vision, posts insulting her continue to pop up.
The feet she wants to stop kick Ahn Ji-young in the face, and her hands move on their own to strike her.
“Huaaaang! Huaaaang!”
Ahn Ji-young flails, crying like a toddler.
When Hye-ri grabs her hair roughly and drags her, Ahn Ji-young only continues to sob sorrowfully.
But the moment Seo Hye-ri pulls out the drugs, her eyes light up, and she giggles.
“That’s enough.”
Jeong Yeon-woo’s chilling voice pierces her ears. Seo Hye-ri trembles with fear, but her body, defying her will, moves to shove the drugs into Ahn Ji-young’s mouth.
The sight of her sucking on them happily like a child who received candy is broadcast to the internet via the drones, and a torrent of insults directed at Seo Hye-ri floods the screen.
Seo Hye-ri kicks Ahn Ji-young aside, stands up, and glares at Jeong Yeon-woo.
“I think I’ve had enough of this entertainment.”
Save me.
“Is a piece of trash like this really that important? More than me? More than the pain I suffered?”
Please, please, someone save me…
Inside the doll staring down with hollow eyes, Seo Hye-ri wails.
She never wanted this.
The posts on the screen insulting her stab into her like daggers, and she cannot bear the furious gazes of the Black Unicorn heroes.
Why did it turn out like this? I just, I just…
Only now does Seo Hye-ri realize what kind of world she has stepped into.
There was no romance or excitement like she’d seen in the movies.
In the back alleys filled with nothing but damp, murky filth, she was less than a wretched insect.
The reality she faced was horrific, filled only with death and pain.
Tears begin to stream from her eyes.
Even though she had lost control of her body, it reacted automatically to her internal agony.
The single trail of tears rolling down her blank face looks incredibly pitiful at first glance.
However, no one on the internet takes her side.
Some mock her, saying "first to cry wins," while others curse her, calling her a filthy bitch.
The blatant vitriol from the public was on a completely different level than the bullying she faced at school.
Her mind begins to shatter further, and beyond her vacant eyes, she continues to scream for help.
“Heh! What are you guys gonna do? Is there anything you can do?”
When Red, who is in handcuffs, starts taunting them, Lee Yu-na kicks her to the ground and glares at Seo Hye-ri with chilling eyes.
Though she says nothing, her gaze promises death, making Seo Hye-ri tremble.
Vrrr—
Suddenly, space tears open beside them, and a hero leaps out, grabbing Ahn Ji-young.
“Pull!!!”
At her shout, the rope around her waist pulls taut, and the hero vanishes back into the rift, clutching Ahn Ji-young.
As the villains charge, a large number of heroes pour out of the spatial rift and begin their assault.
As the villains retreat while protecting the defenseless Seo Hye-ri, Black Unicorn moves quickly, swarming in from all sides.
“Protect the boss!”
When the villains who had been intimidating her shouted words they didn't even mean, Seo Hye-ri wanted to scream in indignation.
But her body, devoid of will, moves on its own, spewing insults at the heroes.
“You filthy hero bastards! Die, all of you!”
Spitting out curses, Seo Hye-ri pulls a switch from her pocket and presses it.
Boom—!
Magic stones activate, and the pre-installed traps explode, engulfing the heroes. Taking advantage of the chaos, Seo Hye-ri retreats, grabbing Ahn Ji-young’s father—whom they hadn't rescued yet—and holding a knife to his throat.
“Back off! You want this guy dead?! I’ll kill him!”
Don’t do it… Don’t!! Please!!
No matter how much Seo Hye-ri screams inside, her body moves as it pleases, repeatedly stabbing the man’s shoulder with the knife.
“Aaaaagh!”
“I told you to back off!”
The villains who had bought time were all suppressed, but just as the heroes were hesitating to approach Seo Hye-ri because of the hostage, Jeong Yeon-woo steps forward.
His gaze is cold and sunken, looking at her as if she isn't even human, making Seo Hye-ri’s heart shrink.
Yet, contrary to her heart, her tongue moves of its own accord.
“Damn you, Jeong Yeon-woo! You filthy man-whore! This is all your fault.”
Every time she insults him, the murderous intent radiating from the surrounding heroes grows thicker.
Seo Hye-ri’s mind is torn to shreds by the heroes’ terrifying bloodlust.
When she first saw Jeong Yeon-woo, he was so beautiful she couldn't help but lose her senses.
The infinitely beautiful smile of the man who introduced himself as Jeong Woo-sung possessed a charm that made it impossible to look away, and she could only stare at him blankly.
She was shocked to later find out he was Jeong Yeon-woo after kidnapping the police officer, but her heart only raced faster in proportion to that shock.
Jeong Yeon-woo, the man every woman desired, was chasing her.
Even if it wasn't a romantic comedy, that fact alone thrilled Seo Hye-ri.
Every time Jeong Yeon-woo spoke to her or their fingertips brushed, the sensation was so electric she could hardly stand it.
She even fantasized that, if possible, he would remain as Jeong Woo-sung and they could graduate together.
At this point, the two separate personalities of Seo Hye-ri and Seo Da-ye had merged into one, leaving only Seo Hye-ri to face this terrifying situation.
Jeong Yeon-woo’s clear eyes, which had been like a dream, were now as hard and cold as inorganic matter.
He strode toward her with an aura that suggested he might kill her at any moment, devoid of any emotion.
As Jeong Yeon-woo approached, looking like a completely different person, Seo Hye-ri was so terrified she couldn't bear it.
Why did I ever step foot into this world…?
It’s all because of Ahn Ji-young.
It’s all because of me.
Amidst her chaotic thoughts, she wished for only one thing.
Please save me…
But her mouth, having lost its will, did not convey her wish.
Instead, it spat curses at Jeong Yeon-woo as she raised the knife high.
“It’s all your fault! Everyone’s dying because of you!”
As her raised dagger began its descent, Jeong Yeon-woo’s Astra spat fire.
With the agonizing sensation of her wrist snapping, the dagger in Seo Hye-ri’s hand was sent flying, and simultaneously, Jeong Yeon-woo lunged forward.
Even without a weapon, an Awakened’s strength could easily kill an ordinary person with bare hands.
Just as her other hand tried to seize the man’s throat, something snatched her wrist.
As Seo Hye-ri panicked at her wrist being pinned in mid-air, Jeong Yeon-woo rescued the man, pulling him back while kicking her.
“Guh—!”
The pain, as if her body were being pierced through, made Seo Hye-ri feel like she was losing her mind.
It was so unfair that she couldn't control her body, yet every sensation was transmitted perfectly.
Seo Hye-ri wailed at the bone-deep agony—a pain she had never felt even when struggling to clear the dungeon that appeared in her basement or when fighting criminal organizations.
But her body stood up on its own.
She continued to scream in pain as if her muscles were tearing, but her battered body forced itself into a stance to face Jeong Yeon-woo.
As he approached, Seo Hye-ri’s body moved, swinging a hidden dagger.
Though he quickly withdrew his extended hand, Jeong Yeon-woo stared at the slight cut on his hand before turning his gaze back to her.
Thump-thump—
Seo Hye-ri’s heart beats rapidly.
It isn't racing because she’s infatuated with him. It is her survival instinct screaming that he is dangerous.
Seo Hye-ri felt like she was going insane from a terror fundamentally different from what she felt toward Baek Seo-woo.
Her silent plea for him to save her does not reach him.
Perhaps her will-less body felt the fear too, as it continued to attack him with trembling hands.
Before she even realized what had happened, her vision spun, and she collapsed with her wrist pinned by Jeong Yeon-woo.
His cold eyes look down at her, and he raises his hand as if to end her life.
Seo Hye-ri can no longer think of anything.
When his hand falls with a thud, Seo Hye-ri goes blank.
“… … Uh…?”
Jeong Yeon-woo, having pulled a long, needle-like pin from the nape of Seo Hye-ri’s neck, examines it a few times before tapping her forehead with it.
“Kid, the game’s over.”
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…”
Her body moves according to her own will.
The fact that she is alive is overwhelming enough, but as she regains her freedom, uncontrollable tears pour from her eyes.
Her body was a wreck and hurt immensely, but the ability to touch her aching body of her own volition brought her immense joy.
“Don’t be too happy. You still have to pay for the crimes you’ve committed.”
“Th-thank you… hic…”
While Jeong Yeon-woo looks down at the sobbing Seo Hye-ri, Yoon A-young approaches and speaks to him.
“We caught the villain who was controlling her.”
“Good job. You should’ve at least broken an arm or something.”
“Anna, in her demonized state, already twisted both of their legs.”
“I hope that part didn't make it onto the internet.”
“All the drones have been destroyed, so it shouldn't matter.”
Watching the two of them discuss such brutal things so casually, Seo Hye-ri shudders and loses consciousness.
After checking her condition, Jeong Yeon-woo looks at the mana-suppressing handcuffs with a look of distaste before snapping them onto her wrists.
“Good work. Thanks to you, it ended safely.”
“No, it’s because the members of Black Unicorn bought us time.”
As Jeong Yeon-woo expresses his gratitude, the heroes modestly praise him in return.
After handing over the arrested villains and dozens of other individuals, Jeong Yeon-woo is surrounded by a swarm of reporters upon his return.
“Seo Hye-ri committed these horrific acts to get revenge for her older sister, who was a victim of school violence. Do you believe there are mitigating factors to consider?”
With a weary face, Jeong Yeon-woo stares at the reporter before answering.
“Judging the law is not my job.”
“What are your thoughts on Ahn Ji-young, the leader of the school violence?”
Determined to get Jeong Yeon-woo’s opinion on the incident, the reporter continues with sensitive questions.
After staring at the reporter for a moment, Jeong Yeon-woo turns his gaze to the camera.
“That is also not for me to judge.”
“It is a sensitive issue, but if you avoid the questions too much, the public might think…”
“However.”
Cutting off the reporter, Jeong Yeon-woo glares at the person who would be watching the screen, his eyes flashing.
“Baek Seo-woo, I cannot forgive you. Wash your neck and wait. I will make sure to catch you.”
“Baek Seo-woo? Is The Hero Baek Seo-woo involved in this?”
Reporters pour out questions one after another, but Jeong Yeon-woo ignores them and leaves the scene.
In a hotel room, Baek Seo-woo, who was watching TV, shrugs as his colleagues turn to look at him.
“Isn't it a good thing that he likes me so passionately?”
At his nonchalant words, his colleagues sigh and disperse.