NOVEL NEXT Chapter 211
“Honestly, what’s this meat?”
“This meat is grade one beef with top-quality texture…”
“I said to tell me the truth.”
“Well, it’s not exactly grade one…”
“…”
Song Ah Rin paused her stabbing of the dessert cake with her fork and looked at me.
“Hey.”
“Yes.”
“I’m just saying this in case it’s true.”
“Yes.”
“…Are we really just here for fun?”
Her suspicion-laden words left me speechless as well.
Appetizers, main course, and dessert.
With every person who brought food, I double-checked with my eyes, and Song Ah Rin used hypnosis to verify the authenticity, yet the answers were always the same.
No, there was a difference.
“These guys are more of a scam than I thought?”
“Seriously.”
Song Ah Rin let out a deep sigh.
The food was decent, not unpleasant, but with the reservation backlog and claims of grade one ingredients, there was a lot that seemed like cost-cutting or scams.
It was as if the appearance was flashy, but the insides were rather subpar.
“Anyway, let’s keep our guard up till the end.”
“Right. I’m afraid that suddenly, a human finger might come out as the final dessert.”
We jabbed at the cake, chatting lightly.
“By the way.”
“Yes.”
“…That.”
“Yes.”
“…Um…”
“Come on, A-Rin. Just say it clearly, not just ‘that, that’.”
“Ugh, give me a second!”
Song Ah Rin pouted, repeatedly closing and opening her mouth in annoyance.
“That, um…”
“…”
As I stood there waiting with my arms crossed, after a long pause, Song Ah Rin let out a big sigh and looked at me.
“Why did you bring me here?”
“A-Rin?”
“Honestly, you could’ve done this on your own. Recognizing people and all that.”
“I told you.”
I met Song Ah Rin’s gaze and repeated the answer I gave earlier.
“It’s to express my thanks.”
“That’s not a thank you.”
Song Ah Rin stared at me.
Her expression was serious, unlike before.
“I’m not a fool.”
“…”
“At some point, I noticed changes in the way you look at me. I know it too.”
“…”
“What do you think it is?”
Song Ah Rin uncrossed her legs and locked eyes with me.
“…I don’t know.”
“Worry.”
In the midst of people happily chatting, her words resonated quietly.
“There are two feelings I have that I can clearly understand while doing this.”
“What are they?”
“Affection, and worry.”
With a dry smile, Song Ah Rin gazed at me.
“Do you know? Your expression changes every time you look at others.”
“…”
“I can see it in your eyes.”
She pointed at her own eyes with a smile.
“When you talk to the Branch Chief, your eyes shine with childlike playfulness.”
“…”
“When you talk to Aileen, it’s a bit brotherly.”
“Well, Aileen is young—”
“When you talk to the white-haired one, it’s confusion and affection.”
Without giving me a chance to speak, Song Ah Rin continued.
“And when you talk to the black-haired one, it’s worry and warmth.”
“…”
“And when you look at me, once it was playfulness, but now pure worry is resting in your eyes and expression.”
Song Ah Rin smiled at me.
“Right?”
“…”
I had no words to respond.
After the Myungil Apartment incident, I had genuinely been looking at her with concern.
Worried she might crumble or truly make an irreversible choice.
Seeing my expression, Song Ah Rin let out a soft sigh.
“Honestly, I sometimes wonder what made you look at me so kindly every time you talk to the black-haired one.”
Song Ah Rin stared at me intently.
“The only conclusion I can draw from that is one.”
With a smile still on her face, she continued.
“That guy gave you something that I, or the white-haired one, or even anyone else couldn’t.”
“A-Rin—”
“What could it be?”
Song Ah Rin murmured while gazing at me.
“After the Red Lady incident, I was with you through all… no, most incidents, and I wonder if something happened to you during that time that I don’t know about?”
“…”
“If that’s what you’re thinking, only one thing comes to mind.”
Her gaze drifted from me to the cake in front of us.
It was a handmade cake, but not crafted by the world’s best pastry chef.
It looked impressive, the outer layer beautiful, but underneath it was slightly sloppy.
Top-notch, yet unable to reach the highest level; a cake that only appeared glossy on the outside.
“Ah. The black-haired one left an unshakable debt on you.”
She jabbed her fork into the cake, murmuring.
“And you were moved and touched by that debt.”
“…”
“So, I wanted to try too. No, to be precise, if the situation arose, I wanted to.”
“A-Rin.”
“I mentioned it before, didn’t I?”
Song Ah Rin smiled faintly.
“I can stay in everyone’s hearts if I want to.”
“…”
“They can remember me for life, worship me, and become unable to live without me.”
It was true.
If she wished, most of the world would end up loving her.
“But that’s not genuine emotion, is it?”
Her voice trembled a bit.
“In the end, no one truly remembers me or cares for me.”
“…”
“Initially, you’re the only one who can make me believe that.”
She lifted her gaze again to meet mine, still speaking in a calm tone.
“But that wouldn’t happen.”
“…”
“Being able to die for someone else also requires a special ability.”
In that moment, Yu Da On’s face flashed in my mind.
Yu Da On endured immense pain for my sake, choosing to save me even when she couldn’t leave the room without XXX.
And Jang Chae Yeon?
She also chose to drown without a second thought, or to throw herself into the Crater.
“On the Moon, the reason I tried to do everything to protect you was also for that.”
Song Ah Rin murmured as she looked at me.
“To protect you like that, and lastly, to resolve the issue. I thought that if I made it easier for you, your gaze towards me would change. Was I a nuisance?”
“…It wasn’t a nuisance.”
If she hadn’t protected me, I genuinely wouldn’t have been able to bear it.
That time was truly life-or-death.
I was losing my mind, and so was she.
Actually, it was because she protected me that I could stay until the end and resolve the problem.
“But ultimately, again, you were the one who wrapped things up.”
I remembered her face, soaked in tears, when I was choking her.
“So here we are.”
Song Ah Rin smiled as she matched my gaze.
“You’re still looking at me with worry.”
“A-Rin.”
“No. I’m not blaming you or blaming myself. Honestly, I don’t have much emotion about it.”
Song Ah Rin shook her head slowly.
“I’m just a little disappointed. I can produce good results, but I’m disappointed in myself for not being able to yield the best results.”
“…”
“So, to answer your worried gaze with my sincerity.”
Song Ah Rin locked her eyes with mine.
“You know about the Myungil Apartment incident, don’t you?”
“…!”
Unknowingly, I inhaled sharply, and seeing that, Song Ah Rin chuckled.
“Yeah. If not, there’s no way you would look at me so worriedly.”
“How do you…”
“Hey, what’s how?”
As always, with that tone, Song Ah Rin laughed.
“Ever since the Myungil Apartment incident, your gaze towards me has changed. Do you think I’m a fool? You think I wouldn’t notice that?”
“…”
I had no words to respond.
“And, I came to know another horrific fact as well.”
She sighed.
“Hey, Kim Jae Heon.”
“…Yes.”
“I’m really a terrible person.”
Song Ah Rin looked up at the ceiling.
The chandelier still glimmered beautifully in the light.
“I’ve been pretending to care for others, yet what I actually did was… well. You know.”
“…”
“But honestly, I don’t remember very well right now.”
Even without hypnotizing myself, Song Ah Rin murmured.
“Is it because humans are creatures of forgetfulness? Or maybe because I was too young back then? All I remember is my mom and dad saying one thing while looking at me.”
“…What did they say?”
“…”
Song Ah Rin gazed at me.
Even without the light from the chandelier reflecting in her eyes, something sparkled in them.
“I love you. Make sure to survive and live happily. A-Rin.”
“…”
“Other than that, I really don’t remember much. But I’ve heard that I did terrible things.”
Song Ah Rin murmured as she looked at me.
“So, what can I say? It probably happened.”
“…”
I looked above her head.
[Name: Song Ah Rin]
[Age: 21]
[Specialty: Hypnosis]
[Talent: Control]
[Background: She is now crushed under an unbearable past.]
[Vulnerability: A little push can make her crumble.]
“Shall we go?”
Before I could say anything, Song Ah Rin stood up.
“Well, next time will surely bring a day when I can do better.”
“…”
I rose from my seat, looking at Song Ah Rin.
“Okay. Let’s go.”
Passing by people, Song Ah Rin, wearing a dress, walked lightly.
People were looking at her.
“What are you doing?”
She turned around to meet my gaze.
“Aren’t you coming?”
*
The night was cold.
In the chilly night air, Song Ah Rin looked at me.
“Sorry. Did I break the mood at the end?”
“…No, it’s fine.”
“I’m sorry for being sorry. I’ll be fine starting tomorrow.”
Song Ah Rin smiled softly and gave my arm a light pat.
“See you tomorrow. Today was really nice.”
Then she turned and walked away.
I watched her retreating figure.
What should I say?
Clumsy comfort? Empathy?
I didn’t know enough about the incident to empathize with her.
Words of comfort might make her feel more miserable.
“…”
What should I have done?
I walked towards home.
Strolling through the empty alley.
As my thoughts deepened,
-Click.
I heard a sound from the side.
The sound of a wooden doll walking on the ground.
I slowly turned my head and looked beside me.
A wooden doll was staring at me.
At that moment,
“The third act.”
-Swish!
The wall that just moments ago was a wall opened like a stage.
The dolls began to perform.
Some danced, while others watched like an audience.
And above that, blood-soaked dolls dangled like sacrificial lambs caught in a web.
A hand appeared.
And familiar faces came before me.
“…”
The music started playing.
In a circus-like melody.
[Name: Theater Company Leader]
[Age: – ]
[Specialty: Control]
[Talent: Control]
[Background: Let’s sing. For a world where everyone is happy, for a world where everyone enjoys, and for a world where no one suffers.]
[Vulnerability: ]
Her emotionless gaze was locked on me.
“A-Rin—”
Before I could say anything, something grabbed my collar.
It was a long string.
“Wait, A-Rin…!”
With an emotionless expression, she looked at me.
“You.”
“…”
“Isn’t it me?”
In a confused manner, she tilted her head.
And then she tossed me onto the stage.
My consciousness faded like a forced sleep.
“…!”
From behind, I thought I heard Song Ah Rin’s voice.