Ch.151151 – A Woman’s Heart 5

# 151 – A Woman’s Heart # 5

Wang Jahyeon contacted me.

He asked if we could meet alone.

“Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”

We live in a world where if you fall for the same scam twice, even the victim gets blamed as an accomplice.

After being backstabbed by Gong Yerin and feeling that bone-deep pain, I couldn’t fall for this obvious trap again.

If it weren’t for what happened with Gong Yerin, I might have believed this invitation and gone out, hoping we could resolve things through conversation.

Since gaining the ability to turn back time with points, my attitude has become—charitably speaking—bold, or less charitably, like fixing the barn after the horse has bolted.

I suppose that’s what happens when the traits “Strong Heart” and “The Broken Clock” combine.

“So what do you think I should do?”

I called Jeongseok to ask his opinion about this.

After listening to my story over the phone, Jeongseok thought hard for a moment before speaking.

“Since he asked to keep it secret from others, but you called me, hasn’t the conversation already broken down?”

“I guess so?”

“It’s obviously a trap. He stabbed you in the chest with a knife and took you hostage, right? As if people like that would genuinely want to meet one-on-one. If you go out this time, you’ll end up being taken hostage again.”

“That’s what I think too.”

“But the fact that you called me means you want to meet him despite the risk, right?”

“…”

I carefully examined my feelings.

Rejecting this offer was the rational decision. Yet somewhere inside me, I thought it might not be so bad to meet Wang Jahyeon and talk things out.

That’s why I called Jeongseok for his opinion.

“Time reversal isn’t unlimited. It costs a lot of points too.”

That was true.

I currently had 410 points.

Not a particularly large number.

“By the way, did you know there’s a new series of ‘Nightmare Corridor’ being released?”

“‘Nightmare Corridor’? That game?”

“There was no teaser or prior notice, but they say it’s going to be released for free on the online platform tomorrow.”

“Nightmare Corridor” was a game set in the old school building I was exploring.

Since it was created based on the developers’ real experiences, the similarities were inevitable.

Kang Bada was the CEO of the game company, wasn’t he?

A surprise release of the next series.

I’m not sure what this means as we approach the fourth floor.

“I think it would be good if we all gathered tomorrow to play the game.”

“Yeah.”

There was one computer in our secret base.

We could play the new series on it and figure out what’s going on.

While we’re on the topic, I should contact Mr. Kang Bada too.

So in conclusion, I decided not to meet Wang Jahyeon.

If I were in danger, everyone else would be in danger too.

# # #

“Ha Yeongwon: I can’t.”

Wang Jahyeon was furious at the rejection message from Ha Yeongwon.

The anger rushing to his head made the back of his head throb again, but he didn’t care.

‘So this is how you want to play it?’

He had let his guard down.

He never imagined Ha Yeongwon’s group would attack them first.

‘No, I expected we’d clash eventually. But I never thought they’d be so brazen as to ambush someone like this.’

Being hit on the back of the head with a hard blunt object while waiting at the entrance of the old school building.

It was an extremely cowardly act filled with malice.

Wang Jahyeon had barely managed to escape the sudden attack, but Gong Yerin and Lim Huiyeon weren’t so lucky. He tried contacting them, but couldn’t reach either of the girls.

Just then, his phone lit up.

*Ding*

“Yerin: Jahyeon, can you come to the address I’m sending? I managed to escape somehow, but it’s scary and cold here. Please.”

It was a message from Gong Yerin.

A light rekindled in Wang Jahyeon’s heart, which had been consumed by darkness.

But Wang Jahyeon noticed something strange.

‘Yerin doesn’t usually send messages like this. She prefers talking directly on the phone.’

Suspicious.

Wang Jahyeon called Gong Yerin.

She didn’t answer.

“Yerin: My throat hurts too much to talk on the phone ㅠ”

His suspicion intensified.

Wang Jahyeon decided this was a “trap.”

The person sending these messages clearly wasn’t Gong Yerin.

‘Is this another trap set by Ha Yeongwon?’

Wang Jahyeon thought about Ha Yeongwon as a person.

He wasn’t someone who could be called cruel.

No matter how many surprising experiences one has, a person’s true nature doesn’t change.

‘It might not be Ha Yeongwon’s doing.’

If so, the situation had become more complex and difficult.

Having lost all his companions in a single day, Wang Jahyeon pondered deeply and finally reached a conclusion.

‘I can’t give up like this. I need to protect people. If I do nothing, the sea will overflow and many people will be swept away. I’m the only one who can stop it.’

A noble, solemn, and sacred mission.

It still burned like a hot flame in Wang Jahyeon’s heart.

He was truly a man who could be called a hero.

But for now, he had no options.

Given the situation, his only choice was to meet Ha Yeongwon and settle things.

‘If I tell the truth, maybe we can understand each other.’

# # #

“Is everyone okay from last night? Report your status.”

“Jeongseok: All clear.”

“Bong Ji: Sleepy”

“Sua: Couldn’t sleep because cats kept meowing all night”

“Dahui: Haha cats must be cute”

“Juhui: Yeah”

“Miri unnie: Cats are probably in heat lol”

Everyone seems to be safe.

Last night passed without incident, which was a relief.

And I was a little annoyed.

“Having to check if everyone’s okay every night. Is this right?”

*Garigekkek*

I took cherry tomatoes from the refrigerator and offered them to Giganoto, my lizard.

Giganoto opened his mouth wide with an “Ah—” and swallowed the cherry tomato in one gulp.

“If it’s delicious, say boombuboompaoo.”

*Boombuboompaoo*

“Good.”

I wasn’t sure if it was okay to give cherry tomatoes to a lizard. But Giganoto ate everything without being picky. He’d eat chicken when given chicken, and even bones when given bones.

Truly a dinosaur.

“Mom, are you sleeping?”

*Slide*

I slightly opened the door to the main bedroom.

Mom, who wasn’t going to work today, was sleeping while scratching her stomach.

“I’m going out, okay?”

No answer.

She must be in a deep sleep.

I said to Giganoto:

“You protect our mom.”

*Garigekkek*

Alright.

With Giganoto here, I felt at ease.

Thanks to this guy, I haven’t seen any cockroaches lately, making my life much more comfortable.

With that feeling, I stepped outside to find the morning sun blazing.

If summer continues like this, I wonder if the asphalt might melt.

The scorching heat made it difficult even to open my eyes.

Just as I was thinking my mouth was getting dry, someone suddenly appeared in front of me.

“Hey.”

“…!”

I barely managed to hold back a scream, but couldn’t stop my heart from dropping.

I was so startled that my chest hurt.

“Wang Jahyeon!”

I looked around.

I was checking if there was anything that could be used as a weapon.

*Slide*

For better or worse, the villa where I lived was made of very old bricks, and such bricks could be easily found near the house.

*Slide*

As I picked up a brick, Wang Jahyeon showed me his palms.

“Don’t be so wary.”

“Wouldn’t you be if you were me?”

“I guess so. But when you think about it, I’m the one-sided victim here, aren’t I? My things were stolen. My friends were attacked.”

He seems to have confirmed that I stole the talisman.

And that I sent a ghost to Kim Geonho.

Still, I pretended not to know.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Then why are you holding a brick? You must be feeling guilty about something and scared of me, that’s why you’re holding it.”

“This? This is… look, think about what you did to me. Because of you, my three years in middle school were hell. You bullied me. Don’t you remember?”

“Yes, I admit it. I did bully you in middle school. Your father caused my father to lose his position as the head pastor, and he got a lot of criticism for being a pastor at the same church.”

“You were upset about being criticized unfairly? If you think about it, I was also criticized unfairly.”

“Is a criminal’s family innocent or equally guilty? Interesting question. Anyway, give me some time. I don’t intend to threaten you. I couldn’t even if I wanted to.”

I still thought it was a trap.

Gong Yerin and Lim Huiyeon might be hiding somewhere nearby.

“You say that, but you’re thinking that when I get close, Gong Yerin will jump out and stab me in the chest, right?”

“What are you talking about?”

This guy, is he denying it?

I experienced it firsthand, and he’s still playing dumb.

I couldn’t waste another 100 points for nothing.

As I remained highly cautious, Wang Jahyeon spoke as if he had no choice.

“This isn’t the place to talk about this. Then just tell me if Gong Yerin and Lim Huiyeon are alive or not.”

Why is he asking me that?

Maybe something happened when he sent mercenaries to Kim Geonho yesterday.

When I didn’t answer, Wang Jahyeon growled.

“Pretending not to know? Yesterday, while we were waiting in front of the old school building, you hit our heads with something like the brick you’re holding now.”

This is the first I’m hearing of this.

Is he lying?

It’s entirely possible.

Wang Jahyeon has always been a liar.

He’s also told many truths that sounded like lies.

“And you need to stop what you’re doing right now. You don’t know what will happen if you dig deeper into the corridor. Look at the world after the earthquake. It’s a complete mess.”

Wang Jahyeon was now trying to persuade me.

Listening to him, it was as if I was the bad guy disrupting the world.

I couldn’t just listen silently, so I decided to shoot back.

“You’re the one who had something like a baby’s finger.”

“I need that to enter the invisible world. And you seem to think I killed a baby to make it. That’s a misunderstanding. That item originally belonged to your father.”

…What?

I was shocked.

“Yes, it was your father’s. An item he couldn’t retrieve when he was arrested. I’m the one who wants to ask why your father had such a thing.”

Wang Jahyeon’s words sounded very plausible.

The statements of a tall, handsome man could make even a simple yawn seem poetic and romantic.

I could understand why Gong Yerin and Lim Huiyeon were blindly loyal to him.

“Is that how you sweet-talked those girls? It won’t work on me.”

“I told you. And while you’re at it, send Gong Yerin and Lim Huiyeon to this address. They just got caught up in this; they’re innocent.”

*Whoosh*

Wang Jahyeon took out a paper airplane from his pocket and threw it to me.

As I caught the fluttering paper, I suddenly became curious.

“…What about Kim Geonho?”

My heart was pounding.

It was beating so hard it hurt.

Soon, Wang Jahyeon spoke softly.

“He’s dead. He suddenly tried to attack Gong Yerin. While she was resisting, she accidentally…”

This… is a mix of truth and lies.

The part about him being dead is true, but the rest seems false.

Wang Jahyeon seems to think he’s good at lying, but he’s not. I’ve been watching him since elementary school, and I know he wrinkles the bridge of his nose every time he lies.

‘They killed him.’

It was them who killed Kim Geonho.

With that realization, I wanted to get away from this place.

But there was one thing I needed to make clear.

“Don’t come within 100 meters of my house.”

This wasn’t just a simple warning.

Wang Jahyeon seemed to sense my determination and turned away.

My heart, which had been racing from the unexpected encounter, still hadn’t calmed down.

But I felt like I’d had a lot of conversation and gathered plenty of information.

I headed to the secret base.

At the entrance, Dahui was looking at a cat.

“Look at this, it’s a cat near the building. It looks like mackerel, so it’s a mackerel tabby. Mackerel tabbies are known for being prickly, but this one is gentle. Isn’t it cute?”

“Wow, it is cute.”

The cat was very quietly eating treats from Dahui’s hand.

A high school girl and a cat in summer.

It looked just like a scene from a youth manga.

“Dahui. Lim Huiyeon and Gong Yerin. Do you have them?”

“Yes. I’ve locked them in my house’s storage room. They’re still alive.”