sin

A

01.

I drank down the champagne swirling in my clear glass. The chill in my throat was something I'd never gotten used to. I chuckled softly, feeling pathetic for continuing to drink despite that unfamiliar feeling. I cautiously leaned my back against the wall of the dark kitchen, where the black curtains blocked out the sunlight even though it was still daylight. As expected, a wall was a wall, and I hated myself for expecting anything from a wall that didn't even have the warmth of a human being. Perhaps it was the alcohol that had taken over, but my body gradually lost its strength and I collapsed to the ground.






"..........."






The hand holding the glass was so full of strength that it felt like it was going to break. I raised my head.
Looking around, I came across his photo on the table. I glared at him as if I was going to kill him.
If this could change our fate and outcome, I'm willing to stare at you for the rest of my life.



I have so much to say when I see you. I opened my mouth to say those words,
Finally, a headache swept over me, and I stopped what I was about to say and closed my eyes. It was all my fault, so you could just blame me and come back. But if you didn't come back, I'd have to wait endlessly, which would be miserable.






***






When I opened my eyes, I wondered how much time had passed. Despite being awake, my head was still pounding, and I flipped the light switch in the living room. Since I'd only just woken up, my eyes automatically squinted at the sudden brightness of my surroundings.




"... Ugh."




I plopped down on the sofa in the brightly lit living room. I looked around, then met his gaze once more, this time beaming in the picture frame on the dining table. I wasn't feeling particularly good. But I felt a sense of relief knowing I could preserve his smile, even if only through a photograph. I stared at the photo for a long time before finally getting up and walking back to my room. However, there were so many traces of him in the room. It was both a blessing and a curse to her. Sometimes it brought her to the brink of misery, and other times it brought her comfort.



It felt like he was just letting me know he was here.




"... it's annoying."






Even if he said that, I would cry like crazy and miss him if he came back right away.
I'm confident I can shout it out loud. But before I say that, I want to say I love you.



Before I blamed you, I loved you so much.







And you to me










It was a mirage that could neither be caught nor contained.







Beep beep beep...-. There were several clicks of the door lock and the sound of the door opening. Her face turned pale, wondering if she had been robbed. What if it really was a burglar? What should I do? A thousand thoughts ran through her mind as she cautiously and warily left the room. Very few people would enter this house, and very few people would know the password. No, in the first place, only he and I knew. In fact, since he no longer existed, she was the only one who knew. The closer she got to the living room, the more cautious she became. Her breathing became increasingly ragged, perhaps due to the tension. The few seconds it took to get to the living room felt so long.




The sound of footsteps coming from the hallway, as if she were about to go there, filled her with fear.



"........"



After thinking about what to do, I ended up tightly holding the cell phone next to me.





I thought, "If this guy is really a robber, I'm going to die."





Soon the sound of footsteps stopped and she lowered her head and held her cell phone tightly.
We faced each other.




".........."



I'm going to die waiting for you, I thought, when I saw the man's feet, his shoes off, coming in under the heroine's gaze. But for some reason, he didn't try to push her away.
I carefully raised my head, holding my heart that was trembling with a strange feeling, and saw his face.



"... uh...?"



I couldn't believe it. I thought I was hallucinating, so I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them again.




"...."





"......"





It's you. The Kim Taehyung I've been waiting for. The moment I saw his face, tears flowed like crazy. Am I dreaming, or am I drinking? Even a dream is fine.
If only I could meet you even in my dreams.





"...Ye.....lord..."



... My lady···.It was a very faint, small voice. Your voice, the voice that made me laugh and cry. It wasn't the bloodied Kim Taehyung from that day when he pushed me away and sacrificed himself, but his usual self, so I couldn't hear him. I didn't even think about wiping away the tears that flowed uncontrollably.





I just







"...."





I wanted to feel your warmth.





Ah, it's warm. I held your cheeks carefully. It was warm, as if you were still alive. A pang of pain filled my heart, a pang of dread that if I let you go now, I might never see you again. Even if it was just a dream, if I let you go again, I might truly die.





"....Taehyung..."




Taehyung patted the woman's back. Gently. So that she could calm down. So that she could recognize that he was here. Taehyung's chest gradually became damp. Taehyung's expression, which he loved, loved, but never achieved, was hardened, in stark contrast to his actions, which were always filled with affection. His eyes were unfocused, even the corners of his lips were set straight. And when her shaking shoulders seemed to slowly calm down, he brought his mouth to her ear and spoke.




"Save me."



And he bit the back of her neck without hurting her. And then again, he seemed embarrassed,
He met her eyes. Only then did the corners of his still lips rise and he let go of his tightly shut lips. 'Hello.' He spoke each word clearly, using only the shape of his lips before disappearing.





"......"





At first, Taehyung's voice, which was the exact opposite of his own name, was clearly heard in his ear. In a voice that was so chilling and devoid of warmth that it gave him goosebumps.




Just as I finally realized what it meant to have blood dried up in my head, I felt drowsy again. For some reason, I opened my eyes wide, feeling as if I couldn't sleep.










"........ah."




It was already too late.








***





When Kim Yeo-ju opened her eyes, she was met with fourteen fierce eyes. Those black eyes simply stared at her. She flinched at their gaze. Her hands trembled in the cold air. Where on earth was this place? Who were these people before her?


Kim Yeo-ju, who had been quietly and innocently playing with her hands to check the faces of those staring at her, saw familiar faces. Oh. Her hands, which had been warm until just a moment ago, were gradually becoming colder. Surely, if it were normal, she should have been worried about her,



Jeong Ho-seok, my senior from high school.





"......"





Jeon Jungkook, who lives next door and just got his ID card.





"......."



Lastly, the one who loved me. No, even Kim Taehyung who asked me to save him earlier.




"......"




The four other people staring at him were all complete strangers. He shivered like a wet puppy in this unfamiliar situation. What was going on? And how did they know each other? Tears welled up in this confusing situation. He also noticed the gazes of Kim Taehyung, Jeon Jungkook, and Jung Hoseok, who were his close friends. Clearly, those two, excluding Kim Taehyung, had greeted each other and briefly kept in touch until yesterday.




"....Taehyung... Taehyung."




I was terrified. That was the perfect description of Kim Yeo-ju's current state.




"... taehyoung kim···."




 Shouldn't you be looking at me like that too?I tried to swallow the words I wanted to say. I was waiting for you and ended up in a place like this.






"wake up."






The one who answered her pitiful voice was Kim Taehyung, with a cold voice. With the same tone of voice that had whispered to him earlier. He walked briskly in front of Kim Yeojoo with long legs and stretched his arm straight out towards her. He said, get up. A large hand was placed in front of Yeojoo. It was the same hand that had patted her back earlier. Rather than feeling sad or scared, that hand felt unfamiliar. Behind Kim Taehyung, who was reaching out to Kim Yeojoo, six men stood cross-legged and glared at her.



"........"



"...where am I?"
"......"



The answer to the question was static.




“Didn’t I ask you first?”


"Get up. This is the third time already."



This wasn't Kim Taehyung's usual tone. His sharp response left me unable to even think of refuting him, so I grabbed his hand and stood up. My legs were shaking.


 
"Hey, isn't he scared?"



Laughter was heard from behind Taehyung.Ahahahaha...In the smile with the corners of the lips raised high,
There was a clear intent to belittle me. He continued, covering his mouth with his hand.





"Let's leave it at that."



"We'll meet again later, why are you scaring me so much?"



At Jeon Jungkook's words, Kim Yeo-ju's hand tightened as she held Kim Tae-hyung's. Despite the weak grip, Kim Tae-hyung raised an eyebrow and looked down at Kim Yeo-ju's hand that was holding his own.



"...I see."



Taehyung scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. As soon as he finished speaking, Jungkook sneered at Taehyung. That kind of laughter was enough to make anyone feel uncomfortable. He approached the woman and lowered his knees to her level, making sure she wasn't looking up at him.





"Where is this place?"



Jungkook asked back, his tone still laced with playfulness. The female protagonist nodded slightly.





"You're out of touch with reality."


"know?"





His words rang deep in my ears. Then, Jeong-guk held his stomach and laughed as if he was going to die.
He laughed out loud. He died? Me? Why? No, I definitely lived.
I was alive,···




"Yeah, he was alive. But don't blame us."

"That bastard brought you here and died."

A man with sharp eyes who had interrupted Jungkook's words by pushing him away with his hand raised a white finger and pointed at Kim Taehyung.


"....."


I followed his finger with my eyes. Why? Why on earth? My mind went blank. In disbelief, I looked where the man was pointing several times. And no matter how many times I checked, it was Kim Taehyung standing right next to me.



Taehyung's expression didn't change. He simply shrugged. A wave of embarrassment washed over him, and he let go of Taehyung's hand, which he had been holding tightly.




"Taehyung... That's not it."
"......"



How long have I waited for you?



"Don't worry, my lady."

“I waited for you like a dog too.”
"...Taehyung, what does this mean?"
"Until the day my master, who ran away from home, comes looking for me."
"Taehyung!"


 I've been waiting for you here.More than the words "I'm dead," the words coming out of Taehyung's mouth sent shivers down my spine. When I met his eyes, they were lifeless, like the eyes of a dead person.



"Don't worry though. Even though I brought you here, you're not completely dead."





"We brought you here not to kill you, but to save you."




"So please don't hate me."
"......"



Because in the end, it's always me who dies.He blurted out something meaningful. Taehyung's words, "It's always you who died," brought back memories of the nightmare he'd had that day—or rather, the day he'd died in my stead. The word "always" was jarring, a constant reminder of that day. "Always you?" The thought of the nightmare made my stomach churn. I covered my mouth with my small hands, feeling like I was going to vomit. "Ugh." I retched several times.
A nightmare from five years ago. It made me feel like all the organs in my stomach were tangled.


Even though he was facing the female protagonist who was vomiting, he just finished saying that.
Kim Taehyung and the six others behind him turned around and went their separate ways. Now, this whole situation
I didn't understand. I wasn't dead, or rather, not dead. What the hell was going on? The headache surged again. I strained my eyes against the dizzying light, clutching my churning stomach with one hand, and with the other, I felt what appeared to be a wall, searching for an exit.



Then, with a sudden feeling of falling, my vision turned red.





.
.
.
















***