NOVEL NEXT Chapter 152: Past And Present (4)
"Huff... Huff... Huff..."
Beom-seok's ragged breaths echoed inside the car, the sound sharp in the silence.
His chest rose and fell unevenly as though he couldn't catch enough air.
The smell of gasoline and scorched tires clung to him, but what weighed heavier was the truth he couldn't shake.
Mi-kyong had just killed someone... Because of him.
Did that even make sense?
Her hands remained steady on the wheel, shifting gears with a smoothness that felt surreal, almost practiced.
She pressed her foot down and the engine roared, the car leaping forward before she swerved and brought it to a halt in front of a broken, once-familiar store where they sold stolen items.
"Here," she said simply, handing him a mask.
Her tone was calm, casual even, as if nothing unusual had just taken place.
Beom-seok took it without speaking, his fingers trembling.
He tucked it away, moving in rhythm with her. His body followed, but his mind lagged far behind.
Before he could process the events, before his mind caught up with his body, they were back on the rooftop.
Mi-kyong stretched her arms, a soft yawn escaping her lips.
"Today was exhausting," she murmured, as though they had only returned from a long day of errands.
Her casualness twisted his stomach.
Beom-seok stood frozen, his body heavy with shock.
Mi-kyong noticed almost immediately, stepped closer, and raised a hand to his forehead.
"Do you have a fever, Bemmy?"
The warmth of her palm against his skin should have been comforting, but instead it burned.
Instinctively, he slapped her hand away.
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Bemmy," she whispered, her voice low. "What did I do wrong?"
The question broke something inside him. His voice came out soft, almost fragile.
"Why did you do it, Mi?" His eyes were hollow, lifeless. "Why did you kill that man?"
Mi-kyong didn't flinch.
Instead, she smiled—a smile too warm, too tender for the words he had just spoken.
She placed a hand on her chest as if steadying the storm inside her.
"Because I love you, Bemmy. I can't live without you."
Her eyes glistened as her voice grew desperate. "Every time I see someone hurt you, it feels like they're tearing me apart, again and again."
She stepped closer, her presence overwhelming. "I can't stand it. Watching you get hurt is like being tortured endlessly."
His teeth clenched.
Was it ignorance?
No. He had known deep down, that Mi-kyong's love for him had long ago crossed a line.
Love was meant to heal, not consume.
But Mi-kyong's love had become something else entirely, obsession and absolute devotion.
He still loved her.
That much he couldn't deny.
No matter what she did, he doubted anything could erase the feelings he had for her.
But still...
Was it right? Could he live with this?
His mind spiraled further.
What would she do if he died one day?
Would she collapse?
Would she destroy everything around her until someone stopped her?
He didn't even need to ask.
He already knew her answer.
"Yes, I will," she whispered, almost as if she had read his thoughts. "And after that, I'll end my life too."
The words chilled him, but she stepped closer still, her gaze unwavering. "Bemmy, do you still love me?"
He tried to resist, but his lips betrayed him. "Yes."
Her smile bloomed, bright and unwavering. "I'm happy."
Her fingers traced light circles over his chest, sending shivers through him.
She took his hand and pressed it against her chest, her heartbeat hammering beneath his palm.
"Bemmy, I can't wait any longer."
His eyes widened, but his face didn't change.
His voice came out flat and resigned. "I'm not in the mood, Mi."
She shook her head, a faint smirk touching her lips. "Don't worry. I'll do everything for you."
And then she pushed him down.
Beom-seok didn't fight back.
Even as she slipped away his clothes, even as her hands roamed with certainty, he let it happen.
His body responded while his mind screamed in silence.
It felt good—too good, intoxicating in a way that frightened him.
Her voice poured over him like a drug, and when she finally cried out in pleasure, nails digging into his chest, he remained silent.
The night bled into morning.
And just like every other time before, the anger he carried vanished with the sunrise.
Neither of them spoke of what had happened.
They never did.
Their rooftop home stood as it always had, quiet and untouched, as though nothing had changed.
But everything had.
Three months later, after the police had arrested another man as the suspect of the hit-and-run, Beom-seok finally learned the truth.
Mi-kyong was pregnant.
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Author's Note
Dear Readers,
First of all, from the very depths of my heart—thank you. Truly, thank you for sticking with this story all the way until now.
Some of you have been here since the very beginning, others joined halfway through, but all of you have given me the strength to keep writing.
Every comment, every review, every quiet reader who simply pressed "next chapter"—you've all been a part of this journey, and without you, this novel would never have come this far.
It feels surreal to say this, but the main story is approaching its conclusion.
There are only four chapters left. If strength allows, I will release them all tomorrow, so that you can experience the ending in one flow without interruption.
After that, the tale will not end immediately, because I plan to bring you at least fifteen side stories (maybe more) to give closure to some beloved characters and expand on parts of the world we didn't have time to fully explore.
The main arc will finish, but the side stories will allow us to say a proper goodbye.
Now, some of you may have noticed that my release rate has been slower recently.
That is because my next project has officially been confirmed, and I've been pouring energy into preparing it. The title is:
The Legendary Programming Mage.
This story will follow Alen, a hacker unmatched in the modern world, until death throws him into Meltonia, a land of swords and magic where spellcraft is nothing more than another kind of code.
Armed only with his programming and hacking knowledge, Alen must learn to rewrite magic as though it were software—and climb to the very top.
Because for him, anything less than becoming the strongest is unacceptable.
The setting will be centered in an academy, where Alen is reborn not as the hero, but as an extra, inside a novel his old boss once gave him.
In this world, social advancement isn't driven by technology but by magic, and fate has its own cruel plans.
If you enjoyed this novel, I hope you'll join me on this new adventure too.
From the bottom of my heart, once again—thank you. Let's walk together until the very end.
—Water7
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