𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘆 • 𝘀𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗵𝘄𝗮

ｅｉｇｈｔ

chapter eight:
"no heroine will die because of the hero"

a week later and seola found herself finally back in her apartment. seonghwa had let her go home saying he had someone put surveillance cameras around her house and outside. she don't know whether to be put at ease regarding that information. seonghwa can easily watch her. and she's not liking the idea of it.

"fucking hell." she mumbles, staring at the surveillance camera that's directly pointing at her door. can it hear her, too? surveillance cameras these days have audio as well. should she just move? "you're back." she turn her heels and found mingi. her neighbor and the one occupying the room beside hers. "yes, i'm sorry. i wasn't able to tell you. i stayed at a friend" she brielfy explains. "no worries. i'm glad you're fine, though."

"and do you know? the old ladies are talking around the neighborhood saying there was a gun shot last week"

seola gulps. she definitely knew that. she was at the scene. "i wasn't able to see it as i was at work. you should stay safe and don't go out too often" mingi advice. "i will. you should, too. and—" she was interrupted by another voice. "mingi, what's taking you so long? i—seola?" she frowns seeing choi san, dressed in nightware and seems to be ready to sleep. "you know each other?" mingi furrows his brows. seola opens her mouth to answer but san beat her to it.

"we were college friends"

"i see. what a small world. san just returned home, he was in italy for work but decided to come back" mingi briefly explains. "italy? i see. welcome back, san" she softly smiles. "thanks. we should catch up soon, should we?" san grinned. "yeah, sure. i'll uh...see you around." the two males nod and walk to their own door. seola unlocked her door, entering and shutting it close behind her.

what a small world. she never thought she'll see choi san again. he was a good friend of hers. they get along so well and he was there for her when she was in the middle of breaking up with yunho. right. choi san and yunho are close friends as well. she wonders if yunho knows san is back.

it was 11pm but seola found herself on the rooftop of the complex she's living in, a can of beer beside her and a little snack she's nibbling as slow as possible. she can't seem to fall asleep. she was tired. her mind and body knows that but she can't sleep. she wonders why. well, she don't know. like always. "i suppose you can't sleep as well?" san sat beside her, opening the beer he has with him. "i should say the same to you" she returned, eyes still on the dark sky.

"i can't sleep. both my mind and body are tired but i can't fall deep into slumber"

"have you met yunho? he returned before me" san initiates. "yes, he was expecting a girl. she's probably out now. i met him two weeks ago. san, did that girl treat yunho good?" she hums. "you mean jieul? yes. they love each other so much that yunho won't shut her up" the male responds. by the statement she heard, she recalls how much yunho shut her up when she's trying to avoid their relationship from falling. she was hurt upon knowing he's capable of doing that but she's not crying.

maybe it's less painful this time.

"san" san hums at the call. "he shuts me up. multiple times. i think i'm more hurt at the fact that i lack something rather than being jealous because jieul receives that kind of treatment from him" she let out. "you know what yunho went through. i don't think he can go through it again if jieul leaves him. just wish them a good life together." san sighs, drinking his beer. "you're right."

"how about you? any boyfriend?"

"no. my student debt is still high. i...i have to pay them back first" she half-lies. she can't name seonghwa as her boyfriend. they're nothing. it was just a simple hook up. "you should enjoy it while we're young. you don't have to work all day and expect the next day to be work again. that's boring, seola."

•

the man grunted, seonghwa pushed the invisible dust on his suit, pulling out his gun and pointing it at the bald man that assaulted one of his workers in silveria. "the only rule i have in my club is no assaulting. i have been sparing you multiple times despite me feeling some kind of hatred because you're bald and annoying. i don't think i can let this pass, what do you say?"

"m..mr. park, spare me. i won't do it again!"

"oh you will. if i let you go tonight, you will. don't you have a daughter?" he crouched down to the man's level, harshly brushing his collar. "what do you say i bring your daughter here and some 40 year old horny bastard starts touching her, huh? you won't like that, right?" he said through gritted teeth. "seonghwa" his aunt yeoju calls behind him. "stop this. let the man go" he rolls his eyes and stands. "go."

"how about we talk?"

"i refuse" he buried the weapon on the waist of his pants, walking past the lady. yeoju sighs and follows him to the parking lot. "seonghwa! are you not going to listen to me anymore?" the woman yells. "i will. when it's something that makes sense" he declares, surprising kyuwon who stood beside his aunt. "and you think my warnings to you were nonsense?!"

"aren't they?"

"i was nicely asking you to be careful of your actions. are you even ready for the risk that your careless acts are gonna bring? what about the villa?!" yeoju snaps. "we're not in a fucking novel. no heroine will die because of the hero" seonghwa said through gritted teeth. he was doing everything to avoid this conversations with his aunt but every time they meets, yeoju will bring it up. "and the villa is doing fine. you don't have to worry about it." he huffs. "get the hell away from that woman, i am not warning you again, seonghwa. you don't know what kind of power i possess, i can do things you won't believe i could"

seonghwa was scared. he has never been scared of his aunt his whole life but seeing her threaten him like this made him realize he really doesn't know anything about the power she possesses. "are you like this? are you gonna use your power for me? because i have taken a liking to one woman? well guess what. i can make a whole new story wherein you're the villain and i'm the lead who's willing to kill you, how about that?"

"seonghwa!"

•

seola stares at the file presented to her. park yeoju sat in front of her, with her assistant kang kyuwon. they were both staring at her deep and she was so much under the pressure at the moment. "i supposed you visit me again for seonghwa" she mumbles. "that's right. he just won't listen to me. our conversation were cut off last time. my nephew is just stubborn"

"i don't understand why you're doing this, can't you just let him be?"

she asked that question in the nicest possible way she could do yet yeoju stares at her with amusement. she hates that the power she possesses is so strong that it always gives her goosebumps. "can you handle it when seonghwa shows up to you all bruised up, a bullet stuck in his flesh and almost at the brink of death?" yeoju suddenly asked making seola gulps. she doesn't know how she'll handle that but she's sure she will manage it. "you are a normal human being, seola. he.."

"he's a monster"

"don't call him that" she cuts the female off. "he let me stay in his home until he made sure my neighborhood was safe. he hates someone invading his privacy and when i accidentally did, he threatened to kill me but here i am, still alive. how is he a monster? i understand that you're his aunt and his only family but how can you bring yourself to call your own nephew a monster?"

"from the start to the end of your statement, i was amused and annoyed, seola. first, do you realize what mistake you made by staying in his home? second, that's nothing to be proud of. he is leading you into hellhole. and third, yes, i could call him monster cause he is. you never see him work. he might be an angel in front you but when he's working, he's a beast who's too hungry that he kills everyone on his way." yeoju started. seola sighs, feeling defeated. "i'm kindly asking you to stay away from him, seola. think of your own safety. you're safe without seonghwa around"

"i feel more safe around him, ms. park"