The Brightest Star in a Ruined World

[12]

Chapter 12: The Apple of Discord
[☆]

"WHERE are you going?"

Kim Dokja asked when he saw Park Hanbyeol turning on her heels to leave.

"To my uncle. I need to hear his explanation," was her curt response without sparing a glance behind.

Her steps were abrupt as she walked, but Kim Dokja was quick enough to pull her back before she could get far.

"And how would you do that?"

They're talking about the Underworld here for Pete's sake. How would she go there? She's not planning to do 'that', right?

Hearing another question coming from the agitated man, Park Hanbyeol finally turned her head to him and shrugged. "I don't know. Kill myself? That's the easiest way I know."

Kim Dokja's face contorted at her answer. He opened his mouth to oppose her idea but the woman beat him as she went on spouting her thoughts out loud without a care in the world.

"I hope Charon would be kind enough to let me ride the ferry even though I don't have a drachma with me right now. If not, I could ask Bihyung to convert all of my accumulated coins with a few coins of drachma..."

"Hanbyeol, stop joking around."

"I am not!" Park Hanbyeol snapped, vexed by his meddling. Who does this guy think he is to stop her time and time again? She might be familiar — friendly(?) — with him, but it doesn't give him the right to restrain her.

"Kim Dokja, since when did I joke around? I'm serious about killing myself — as I have always been."

Of course, Kim Dokja knew, all of her suicide attempts were real and not made for comedic purposes. Park Hanbyeol's humor had always been dark, but the idea of killing herself was the most serious thing in her life. Her death was something she wouldn't joke about.

He knew that very well, but he couldn't just accept that as it is. Was it too much of him to ask her to put more value on her own life? Why was she like this? What made her like this? Who made her like this?

These questions had always ran inside his head ever since the day he started reading her story from the novel. What made Park Hanbyeol into this kind of character? As far as Kim Dokja knew, this woman was the only character he knew who was very persistent on taking her own life.

"Why? Why are you like this?" Kim Dokja could no longer help himself but to ask. At this time, his grip on her wrist loosened and the surgeon took this chance to slip out from his hold.

Park Hanbyeol looked away with a small frown on her face. She was silent for a moment, thinking back to all of her past transgressions and regrets that could make up a whole mountain if piled up all at once.

"Mine has been a life of shame. Someone like me doesn't deserve to live." She began in a monotone as though she was simply talking about another person's life and not hers. She glanced at Lee Gilyoung briefly and her chest tightened upon seeing the child's innocent eyes looking her way.

"I'm the most disgusting being to ever exist in this world. You want to know why am I like this?"

She leaned her head to the side, her gaze shifted to stare straight at Kim Dokja, who was looking down at her intently in return, closely listening to her every word.

"It's because, I am no longer human. That's all you need to know."

Then, she darted off for real, never looking back as if she was being chased by someone. Left behind, Kim Dokja watched her escaping figure with melancholic eyes.