Living as a Villain -1

Noah turned her head to look at his expression.

After meeting him for a long time and frequently, she had become able to read his expressions to some extent.

Deepened eyes and tightly closed lips.

Yes. That’s the look of someone pondering something. She couldn’t have seen it wrong.

Shin Hyun had kept his mouth shut since coming out of the small room.

“Why is brother acting like that?”

“Shh. You shouldn’t bother the mister when he’s in that state.”

“Why not?”

“Because he gets sensitive.”

He probably wouldn’t get angry, but interference is interference.

Noah didn’t want to do that.

She gets in the car with the Demon King.

Sitting in the passenger seat, she can see his agonizing profile better.

‘Ugh… I shouldn’t do this…’

The mister’s serious expression like this is rare…!

Noah tightly gripped her own hand.

It was because her hand kept trying to reach for her phone.

‘Resist taking a photo… Na Noah!’

A rare scene. She wants to capture it.

Since he’s generally a lighthearted person, such expressions are precious.

Noah gulped.

‘No, I shouldn’t do this.’

Shin Hyun showing such an expression means he has that much of a problem to think about.

In the midst of that, if she shows this kind of behavior.

What would he think?

Noah took a deep breath.

“Mister, are you okay?”

“…Hmm, ah. Sorry. I just have something to think about.”

“It’s okay. We don’t mind waiting here longer.”

“That’s not acceptable.”

Vroom.

Shin Hyun started the car.

“Let’s go quickly.”

“Will you be okay?”

“Yes. …Probably.”

Not probably.

‘This isn’t going to work.’

Noah took out her phone.

After tapping around, she found it.

“Mister. Today is my treat. Let’s go here.”

Shin Hyun’s eyes widened as he looked at Noah’s phone.

“Oh my, Noah. It’s not right to suggest going to such a place already.”

“What are you thinking!”

Smack!

Noah got angry.

“I just wanted to rest at a clean inn-“

“…”

“…That’s… I mean…”

“See? Isn’t it strange?”

She could see Shin Hyun smiling faintly.

Normally, she would have followed up with another attack, but unfortunately, she wasn’t in the mood.

“Right. I’m tired too, so let’s rest before going.”

Originally, it wasn’t a schedule that required an overnight stay.

However, due to Shin Hyun’s poor condition, they decided to rest for a while before continuing.

The car drove along a mountain road.

After coming down to the asphalt road, the car continued on its way.

During all this, Shin Hyun didn’t say a word.

It was the same even after arriving at the accommodation.

“Kids, I ordered chicken, so why don’t you eat? The mister is going out for a bit.”

“What? Mister, eat with us.”

“No, I want to drink a bit.”

She felt a bit confused, but more than that, she had many questions.

Shin Hyun didn’t particularly avoid drinking in front of them.

But going out to drink alone like this means he wants to drink heavily.

“Kkomul-i. Did something happen to the mister?”

“…Shin Hyun said he would tell you himself, so I should keep quiet.”

What on earth could it be?

Noah’s questions only grew.

What could make him act like this?

Her head was filled with questions.

Since Noah was particularly attentive to him, it was even more so.

‘I don’t know why he’s like this… I’ll ask him later when he’s a bit drunk.’

Of course.

‘Hehe… I should secretly take pictures of him drunk. I should collect precious things.’

There was also a slightly wicked intention.

So what?

It’s the mister’s fault for not telling her and making her anxious.

“Take care. I’ll stay with the Demon King.”

“I don’t need it! I’m strong too!”

“…It feels like I’m taking care of a sibling I never had.”

Smile.

Shin Hyun, who smiled weakly, turned around.

The sound of the door opening and closing. With those sounds, his figure disappeared from the room.

+++++

A casual pub in the city.

I ordered drinks and snacks sitting in a corner seat.

Peanuts and dried snacks.

Not a bad combination for drinking miserably.

Gulp.

“Ah…”

Cheap beer flows down my throat.

Normally, I wouldn’t do such crazy things.

‘Kkomul-i, you know what?’

‘What?’

‘The best snack for beer is soju.’

Are you crazy?

Kkomul-i extending tentacles from inside the clothes to slap my back.

‘No matter how hard it is, you shouldn’t do that!’

‘Right?’

I laughed at how silly I was being.

It was pathetic. Being like this because I couldn’t say a single word.

But I couldn’t help it.

‘How could I say something like this while sober…’

I opened the notebook while chewing on dried squid.

It was the diary of that guy we took from there.

‘I thought as much, but he’s really a bad person.’

‘Yeah. Even though he tried to justify himself, it’s not a crime that can be forgiven with that.’

I opened the first page of the diary.

There was a woman with white hair and purple eyes.

For a moment I thought it was Noah, but it wasn’t.

She was too mature to be Noah.

Maybe she could look like this after more time passes, but at least now or in the past, she wouldn’t have looked like this.

Reading the diary, I could tell who she was.

‘Noah’s mother. No, should I say the host?’

The woman’s identity was the person who became the basis for Noah and the Demon King.

That woman, who had been the rabbit guy’s wife, was no longer in this world.

And as expected, Noah and the Demon King were his clones.

Then why did he do such a thing?

He says this:

‘To fill the world with laughter, he’s completely insane.’

According to his dead wife’s wish, he would create a world filled with laughter.

It seems it’s true that he was a hero.

But the problem occurred after his wife died.

‘Magical Girl Happy Cloud.’

A name I’ve heard.

A magical girl who worked with the mission of spreading happiness to the world.

It seems the rabbit guy went crazy after she died.

-I will fulfill her last request.

-How can I make the whole world happy? Yes, everyone must be intoxicated. They must be intoxicated with happiness.

‘Cover the world with addictive clouds. And…’

‘Everyone in the world becomes happy… ha, he’s not in his right mind.’

What kind of story was there between them, what circumstances there were.

‘That’s none of my business.’

Even if there were such circumstances.

‘I can’t forgive what that bastard did to the kids, to Noah.’

Especially.

“…Haah…”

‘How do I tell this to Miss Noah?’

‘I… can’t do it.’

I gulp down the drink.

Maybe because I drank it all at once, my head is slightly hazy.

No matter how many times I read the diary, it’s not that I misread.

With a burning heart, I kept drinking.

After drinking for who knows how long.

When I gave up counting the bottles, something taps on my back.

“Let’s go now. You’re too drunk.”

“…Yeah, I do feel a bit drunk.”

My head is dizzy.

“Phew… how should I tell her this.”

“I’m okay. So please tell me.”

“…I must be really drunk…”

Judging by how my eyes are spinning, I must have drunk too much.

It’s rare for me to get this drunk.

“Mister?”

Look at this.

Now I’m even seeing hallucinations of Noah.

There’s no way she could be here.

Did I worry too much?

Now Noah is even slowly reading the notebook.

Maybe I’m so drunk I can’t find my way…

“No… that can’t be.”

That’s definitely Noah.

I reached out with trembling hands and patted Noah’s head.

“…Noah… I’m sorry.”

“…”

“I just couldn’t find the courage… that’s… no, how did you get here…”

I showed a pathetic sight.

I didn’t want to show this kind of appearance.

‘I contacted her. And, take this opportunity to say it clearly. It’s hard to keep postponing it.’

‘Kkomul-i…’

‘Don’t be so pathetically hesitant and tell her clearly. I understand it’s painful… but if you stay silent, nothing will change.’

Noah stares at me.

“…Was it because of this?”

“…”

“…”

Noah also has nothing to say and stares at me.

Yes, it’s already been found out.

What’s the point of being so miserable like this?

After fidgeting with the bottle cap, I finally opened my mouth.

“…Nineteen years old.”

“…”

“According to my calculations, Noah, you’ll find it difficult to live past nineteen.”

In the end, I said it.

Once my mouth opened, words kept pouring out.

“It’s the limit of a clone. Maybe the Demon King is fine because he did something… but you, Noah…”

“…”

“That, haah… I’m sorry.”

Noah just blinked.

She probably has a lot to think about too.

After all, she suddenly received a diagnosis that her life would end in two years… no, perhaps even shorter.

Noah was a unique individual.

Unlike others who don’t grow, she grows and her appearance changes.

In that process, she consumes life, and when she finally becomes an adult…

“Damn it… don’t joke.”

My tongue is tied and the words come out twisted.

“Don’t worry, Noah. You won’t die. I’ll make sure of that. Got it?”

“…”

“So-“

“Mister, wait a moment. Let me speak.”

Noah, who interrupted me, sits next to me.

I thought she would surely be sad, but her face is more composed than I expected.

There was no sign of her forcing herself to hold back.

On her lips was not the smile Noah makes when she’s sad, but a faint smile of subtle happiness.

It was strange.

“Do you understand, Noah…? You have a limited time…”

“Yes.”

“I’m saying you might die…?”

“I know.”

“Then why are you so peaceful-“

“Because I trust you, mister.”

Noah, who smiled faintly, continued.

“We have a lot to do moving forward. Finding a method, and just in case, doing lots of things I want to do.”

“…Right. I’ll accompany you as much as you want. I’ll even quit my part-time job. Until we find a method.”

Of course, the first priority is finding a method.

If we fail to find it…

No, don’t think that way.

‘I’ll definitely find it.’

I’ll find it even if I have to turn the world against me.

If I need to attack someone, I will attack.

If I need to kill someone, I will kill.

If, as a result, I ultimately have to live as a villain.

I will gladly live that way.

Noah clung to me a bit more as I muttered these things.

“Hey, mister.”

“…Yes.”

“Then, you might not be able to keep your promise.”

“Promise…?”

“Yes, the one about dating me when I become an adult.”

…Huh?

Was that the promise?

“No… it seems a bit different…”

“Hehe, anyway! I have something to tell you.”

Noah’s eyes became moist.

It seems she has something she wants to say.

“The Demon King is sleeping in the room right now.”

“…And?”

“Would you like to get one more room?”