Chapter 80
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: I'm Going Insane
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I'm going insane.
"Bro, how about heading to the hospital?"
I brushed off Jin-seong's words and answered.
"Hospitals can't fix this."
A day this boring— I wished tomorrow would hurry up and come.
"Hmm."
Jin-seong propped his chin on his hand across from me, glaring.
"That's her, right?"
"Yeah."
"What about acting natural? Not working?"
"It's not about me."
"But it is her."
"Uh..."
I didn't even know what I was saying anymore.
"Sigh. Can't you just date the Executive Director?"
"What with a friend."
"Plenty of couples start as friends."
"You do it. Not me."
"I'm working on it."
"What?"
I swear I just heard something.
"..."
Jin-seong played dumb. Normally I'd dig deeper, but right now my head was too selfish for that.
I shoveled food in half-heartedly, counting grains of rice as I muttered.
"Women hate clingy guys, right?"
"Total turn-off."
"...I know, you punk."
"Whoa, jumping the gun is what they hate most."
"...Sorry."
I felt like I had anger management issues.
I'd never had a romantic bone in my body to begin with. Then I spent ten years alone in hell. Even a grand archmage couldn't hold a candle to me. All I'd done was pine after streamers like some viewer blowing up their chat with heart emojis.
What was different now?
Sure, I had a social life, but I was most comfortable holed up in my goshiwon cubicle writing, spending long stretches alone.
"Jin-seong."
But thinking about it, a total social butterfly was right in front of me.
"You were popular, huh?"
"Guess so."
"What was it like, specifically?"
"Hmm, got some lunchboxes a few times."
"From girls?"
Who else? He didn't bother answering and kept going.
"Got love letters on the bus like ten times too."
"Fuck."
"Cut it out?"
"Ah, sorry. Slipped out. Go on."
"Had a girl follow me home from school once."
"So? Date anyone?"
"Knew a few casually, but nothing lasted."
"Why?"
"They got the hint. I wasn't into it."
"Why date if you didn't like them?"
Jin-seong stared at me quietly, then let out a small sigh.
"Sometimes the vibe's just there."
"Never happened."
"It does. Hard to say no."
"Never."
"You're serious."
"Apparently."
"Hmm..."
Jin-seong got up to brew coffee. Looked like he was organizing his thoughts.
"Gimme one too."
"Finish your tray first. You barely touched lunch."
"Tch."
I forced the food down, and Jin-seong sat back down.
"Feelings aren't one-sided."
"True."
"That's why you gotta put in effort."
"What should I do?"
"Not easy. Could ruin everything if you're not careful. Seen it happen. So the best way is..."
"What?"
"Wait. Until the chance comes."
"What if you wait too long?"
"Make her fall for you."
"Sounds easy, huh?"
"It's not. Trust me."
His voice dipped unusually low, so I nodded seriously.
"In dramas, saving her from danger or catching her fall does it. Reality? Hard to even get that moment."
"Gotta seize it when it comes."
"Yeah."
As we seriously debated romance, footsteps approached from outside.
"Ah! President! Hi! Jin-seong too! Long time no see! Busy these days, huh!"
I could tell she was asking if I was okay, and Jin-seong reminded her how long it'd been. No need to check faces.
Everyone's struggling.
The puppyish webtoon artist, noticing me, said,
"You see the webtoon? Sent up to five episodes to Executive Director Go yesterday!"
"Not yet. I'll check downstairs later."
"Ah, sure! Take your time!"
With her joining, Jin-seong cleared my tray and handed me coffee.
I smacked my lips under his 'drink this and go' glare.
I knew better than anyone—talking more wouldn't solve a damn thing.
1 AM.
The car had been parked for ages, but the man in the driver's seat hadn't gotten out.
The trunk lined up perfectly with the building's entrance, ideal for shifting heavy loads. The lot dipped into the structure, full of blind spots even from the sidewalk.
Still, he waited.
"..."
Gloved hands gripped the wheel as he eyed the street. He finally stepped out at 1:41.
Thud.
The SUV trunk popped open. Inside, a suitcase—big enough for emigration.
Too heavy for two hands; he had to hug it out and onto a cart.
"Eat a little less, damn it."
An unconscious adult weighs a ton. Still, 45kg and 80kg were worlds apart.
That's why women beat men at this, and slight builds outdid bulky ones.
"Shit."
Too late now. He'd come this far; no turning back.
He dragged it laboriously to the elevator and down to the basement. Past layers of security doors, he wheeled into Room 2.
Toilet, bed, computer, towels, spare clothes.
He opened the suitcase.
"Hoo..."
A woman in her late twenties lay there, out cold.
He'd tracked her for two days. No contacts, just convenience store runs. Thought about watching longer, but opportunity knocked today.
He wasn't pro yet; his hands shook staring at her.
"Nailed it."
Snatching a woman was risky. He was cautious by nature, ready to bail if it felt off.
"Hoo..."
Just in case, he masked up. Then grabbed scissors and cut her clothes.
No lust in his eyes. Petite and plump wasn't his type anyway.
Shredded clothes went in the suitcase. He wiped sweat from his brow with his sleeve. She'd wake in hours.
He eyed the wall rules.
Need pads too.
Job done; time to his space.
Bang!
Locked the door tight from outside, loaded the suitcase on the cart, down the hall.
Last room.
Inside, familiar sights greeted him.
Forty monitors crammed the walls. Thirties watched author rooms; others linked to external CCTV.
He sat at the desk.
Glanced over—Room 1.
"That's right."
Number 1 sat primly on the bed. Tried suicide, tantrums; learned escape was impossible.
He installed a program on the main PC.
Company intranet—no outside access. Used for meetings, now Number 1 could video chat the new arrival.
"Be grateful."
100k missing persons reports yearly in Korea. Nearly 20k suicides. One woman gone? No fuss.
"Hope they hit it off."
Looks matter first, but time here breeds attachment. Solitude crushes hearts.
"Love's unpredictable, right?"
Where am I?
I hit the salon first thing upon waking. Even for Queen DM filming, I'd gone half-assed, but with romance still my genre, I felt off-kilter.
DM had a regional event; Ye-jin was at the academy.
Back at the goshiwon by 10 AM, changed clothes.
Gained a bit.
Still anchovy-thin to others, but details nagged.
Skipped jump rope?
One hour till she arrived. Good I'd bought outfits for broadcast days.
"Hoo..."
Day before yesterday was chaos. Never expected Number 7; afternoon schedule left no slack.
"Don't tense up."
Easy to say—heart raced. Who'd get it?
That day too...
Mirror glance dredged up old memories.
Hidden camera, right? A prank? Come on!
Monitors lit on schedule. Dragging my listless body to the chair, I startled at the newbie.
Calm down. We'll explain everything.
Follow the rules. Be careful.
Everything's watched. Mind your words and actions.
All men till then. A woman appeared. Couldn't speak or touch, but huge deal.
Please, no. Why me?
I'd survived longest here—a full year. Shared everything with Numbers 1 through 6.
Number 7's arrival shocked our dead hearts back to life.
Don't share name, age, anything. Stay calm. We can endure together.
That's when it started, I think.
Everything about her stuck with me.
Bzzzzt!
"Whoa."
I flinched in the mirror, grabbed my phone.
"Mm..."
Vibration startled more.
Kang Hana
Call incoming.
"...Hello."
-Hi, Author! I'm out front—where to?
No voice in my memories, yet here she was, slipping into my daily life casually.
"I'll come down. One sec."
Oversized pink knit, scarf. Those jeans and sneakers from before. Shoulder bag showed wear.
Outfit you'd pass on the street, but to me, every bit special. I'd only seen her in the same prisoner garb.
"I didn't interrupt?"
"Not at all. No outside stuff today. Wanna come this way?"
Ack, no 'desu-masu'.
I described the building naturally, led her to DM's dorm-slash-practice-slash-publishing HQ.
Cha Team Leader was there.
"Hello, President."
He greeted her too.
"Cha Do-hyun."
His business card handoff screamed pro.
We sat on the sofa; he brought drinks. She smiled thanks; he returned to his seat.
I glanced over. Digging in her bag, she pulled a notepad crammed with notes.
"Thought it over a ton. Better to ask than suffer alone."
Realization hit today. Never saw our end, but if we'd met, starts are always the same.
"In my novel, the knight doesn't wanna show his love for the noble lady at first. But hiding it feels too dry. How to show her feelings? Just the knight feels off."
Me right now.
"Mind if I... take a look?"
I reached for it.