I Don’t Want to be a Villainess

“Ye Sara, are you okay?”

Before entering the hospital room, the detective disguised as a doctor asked me that.

“Yes, I’m fine. I’m doing this because I want to.”

If it’s about being trapped, I’ve already got that down. Of course, I haven’t been stuck like Sara for as long, but I did hole up in my room until March before entering school. Back then, even Sara wasn’t around.

Was it okay back then?

Well, I don’t know.

Honestly, back then, I didn’t even know how crazy Choi Na-kyung was. To be honest, at first, I thought it was a bit lucky. I went from a struggling small business employee to suddenly being a rich young lady.

What I was primarily focused on was escaping the prophesied doom.

Back then, I had almost no interest in the original Sara.

How cold you are.

True. I was really just thinking about myself back then.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave. It seems this isn’t a completely closed ward, so it’s allowed to wander around the hospital if you want. You can come out whenever it’s convenient for you.”

But even that being said, I couldn’t just hang around here with Yang Hye-in, Ha Neul, Sua, and Sohee. I needed to make sure there was no one around so Choi Na-kyung could approach me.

Or at least approach when it seemed like no one was around.

I had become bait for myself.

“Yes, if it’s too stuffy, I’ll go out.”

“Then please rest comfortably. If there’s anything important, I’ll come to let you know.”

Although this person looked a few years older than the original me, they maintained a polite attitude towards me. Perhaps they were being cautious because of ‘Ye Sara.’ Well, someday, they might rise to the top of the world’s largest company… or even if not, they’re one of the richest people in the world.

As I nodded, the doctor cautiously closed the room door behind them.

It was a door I could open and close, but it was thick. It had a structure that perfectly blocked sound from outside, and the room itself was well soundproofed. I suppose they made it this way since people admitted into a mental hospital can often be noisy.

Well, it was originally an unused room in the hospital. As long as I made good use of it, does it matter what its original purpose was? And for the hospital, they got furniture into a vacant room for free, so it wasn’t a bad deal.

Eh-hem.

I made that sound as I perched myself on the bed.

“……”

If I kept my mouth shut, there was no sound in the room. At best, it was just my breathing and the sound of my clothes rustling as I moved.

The sun hadn’t set yet, and the red glow of sunset spilled in through the window.

The window opens, but only a little at the top. They probably made it like that to prevent patients from jumping out. The hospital wasn’t located in the city center, but it felt somewhat new, so the facilities themselves seemed nice.

Without my smartphone or anything else, just wearing this patient gown and sitting here… well…

Hmm, I had nothing to do.

In fact, I had adapted somewhat to being without a smartphone. I had lived for nearly three months without one after coming here before going to school.

But strangely, the feeling of ‘loneliness’ wouldn’t go away.

It was so weird. I had spent longer periods feeling lonely than the time without a smartphone.

When I went to a local university, I lived alone. Of course, my friends were far away, and since I was introverted, I didn’t make many friends in college. In fact, unless you’re attending a prestigious university, there are quite a few commuting students who go home after classes finish at a local university. There weren’t that many friends I could meet up with after school like during high school.

And the classmates I made in college weren’t any closer than the friends I had in high school or middle school.

I had lived through a lonely period while living alone, and after returning to Seoul to work, I still couldn’t often meet with friends. The people at work didn’t remember each other’s burdens, and I had crossed over to this side before making any friendships.

So, I had thought I was quite used to loneliness.

I thought I was…

But now, I could hardly imagine life without Ha Neul, Sua, and Sohee. The warmth of someone who was always by my side is intensely felt when they’re gone once you get used to it. It’s not simply about warmth and softness.

The existence of someone who smiles at me, supports me when I’m struggling, and gently hugs me cannot be replaced by anything else. A smartphone can be bought again, and the internet can be connected just by calling the provider. But people. People are the only one-of-a-kind beings in this world.

For me, Ha Neul, Sua, and Sohee had become irreplaceable.

…But I’m here too.

As I stared silently at the ceiling, Sara spoke to me, and I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

Yeah, that’s right.

Sara is here too.

Even until the moment I die, she will definitely be right beside me, perfectly in the same place.

So, what.

Even though my body is alone for a while, I’ll feel a little less lonely. After all, Sara is there.

“Should I take a nap?”

To be honest, it wasn’t quite time for sleeping yet. No matter how long summer days are, it’s a bit too early to sleep when the glow of the sunset is still out. Of course, if I waited a little more, it would soon be bedtime.

But I, who had grown so accustomed to the warmth of my friends, found even waiting for that short time tedious.

…I wonder if those kids are thinking about me?

*

“Ah, this won’t do.”

Sara, who wasn’t in a mental hospital but a nearby hotel, muttered to Sohee.

Of course, it wasn’t a region famous for tourism, so even calling it a hotel, it was a small establishment that wasn’t that grand. It was a little less flashy and had a calmer interior compared to the motels designed for couples visiting the area, almost like it could be mistaken for a motel with just a new sign.

It wasn’t very spacious for all five of them to stay in, but when Sohee took one blanket and spread it on the floor, there was enough space. Sohee was sitting on that spread blanket.

“I can’t adapt if I’m not next to Sara.”

“How many people in this place aren’t like that right now?”

As Sohee complained, Ha Neul, who was hugging her knees, replied.

“Still, once this is over, we can all be much freer, right?”

Sua said, trying to comfort the two.

“Let’s trust Sara.”

“……”

No one in this room could deny Sua’s words. All three of them believed in Sara. Even if Sara made a slightly odd choice, if it didn’t harm her, the three of them would probably support her.

However, even if that was the case, worrying was a separate issue.

Sara, who seemed much more mature mentally than her appearance… sometimes showed a silly side and acted impulsively. She often took on unnecessary troubles by overthinking the little things.

That’s why Sara always seemed a little precarious.

“…By the way, what about Yang Hye-in?”

After a moment of silence, Ha Neul asked.

“Seonbae Hye-in decided to use another room. So we wouldn’t be uncomfortable.”

Sohee answered.

“Is there really a need to go that far? It might have been better to just rent two double rooms.”

“I asked her that because I thought so too, but she said it in an extremely polite voice that we three should be together. She thought it would be better if something happened for the three of us to be together.”

“Doesn’t that apply to her too?”

Ha Neul raised an eyebrow at Sohee’s words.

And the three of them fell into thought for a moment.

“…Somehow, I feel like she’d be safe alone, right?”

Sohee began that line of thought.

“Come to think of it, it does feel weird when I think back on it.”

Ha Neul corrected herself.

“Today, she was incredibly scary…”

Sua shuddered a little.

If you think about it, that person was the first to chase after the chairwoman and smash the car window to rescue Sara. Of course, the three of them had never seen Yang Hye-in fighting, but strangely, they could easily imagine her overpowering others.

“…Wait, hold on.”

As they each got lost in thought, Ha Neul spoke up.

“If that person is alone, it means we wouldn’t know if she’s on the move or not.”

“Right?”

Sohee answered Ha Neul’s question, her voice slightly lacking confidence.

“…Does that mean she might go meet Sara?”

Sua asked.

“No, no matter what, she wouldn’t sneak into a hospital in the middle of the night….”

Ha Neul replied.

Right now, her voice was even less confident than Sohee’s just a moment ago.

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