I Don’t Want to be a Villainess

Yoo Ha-neul’s father was a rather stoic man.

Unlike her mother, who worried about everything Yoo Ha-neul did, her father always replied with, “Okay, I got it.”

Of course, that didn’t mean Yoo Ha-neul and her father weren’t close.

He had that typical unfriendly vibe you’d see in old novels or dramas, but he also acted like a dad straight out of one of those stories.

Even if Yoo Ha-neul didn’t express her desires, he would quietly take notice of what she wanted and buy it for her on her birthday or Christmas, and when she said she wanted to attend the most prestigious high school in Korea, he supported her without a word. Whenever he heard that his daughter was having health issues, he would come home from work without delay. He was that kind of dad.

Because of this, Yoo Ha-neul had never disliked her dad. He was stoic and never the one to make the first call, but within that silence, she always felt his love as family.

Their relationship was one built on trust that didn’t require words.

So when her dad made the unexpected move to call her first, she was taken aback.

“Uhm, Dad?”

She stepped out into the hallway to answer the call.

[Yeah, Ha-neul.]

His voice was the same as usual, slightly gruff—just like his usual stoic demeanor.

“…Is something wrong?”

Knowing well that her father didn’t typically call first, Yoo Ha-neul always made it a point to tell him where she was whenever she stayed at a friend’s house and when she would be back the next day. She had done the same today.

Yet today, instead of just saying “Okay” like he usually did after hearing her, he called her back.

[The friend’s house you said you were sleeping over at—was it ‘Ye Sara’s’ place?]

“…Yeah.”

His tone still sounded just like her father’s, but Yoo Ha-neul felt an unusual tension in his voice.

…Her dad never usually asked about her friends.

It wasn’t that she didn’t talk about her school life; if anything, she was quite chatty, sharing joyful stories about school during meals with her mom and dad—except for the tough parts, of course.

She avoided sharing things that were too personal or serious because she knew her parents would worry.

Lately, however, things had lightened up, making it easier to share.

[Okay, I got it.]

“What’s wrong?”

As her dad seemed ready to hang up after that one-word reply, she hurriedly asked again.

[No, just have fun.]

But all she received in return was a blunt and short reply.

The call ended there.

“……”

Yoo Ha-neul stared at the disconnected phone.

…What could it be?

…It wasn’t that she didn’t have a flicker of an idea about what “something” might be happening.

Her dad asking about Sara.

Under normal circumstances, her father wouldn’t inquire about her friends no matter who she mentioned. Though he always quietly listened intently when she talked about school, it seemed out of character for him to confirm the name of a friend she was currently with.

…Still, he was usually attentive enough to remember at least their names, given that he listened to her stories.

…But this was the first time he had officially checked in on a friend’s name.

So, it was probably related to Sara. He specifically made sure to confirm her name.

What had Choi Na-kyung done?

Yoo Ha-neul bit her lip.

Her father didn’t work at Yujin Group. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t have a connection with them.

From the bottom of her heart, a wave of guilt began to rise.

Nobody can be completely indifferent to the suffering of their family due to one’s choices.

“But…”

But, she couldn’t talk to Sara about this.

This had happened because of Yoo Ha-neul’s own decision.

It would be a lie to say she hadn’t thought about it, but it was also true that she had been overly naïve about it.

Yoo Ha-neul had already been saved by Sara once.

To ask for another rescue from Sara… was it too much to ask?

She decided she would definitely have a serious talk with her dad when she got home and turned back to the room.

And then she realized that Sua, who had been waiting inside, was gone.

*

—In the end, a negotiation that wasn’t really a negotiation took place.

Under the pretext of utilizing washing time efficiently, they agreed to take turns washing with ‘Sara’.

Yet, despite claiming to be “efficient,” there was no real option for Sohee and Sua to wash together, or for Yoo Ha-neul to wash with another kid.

Even knowing that everyone liked her, the oblivious ‘Sara’ accepted that condition without a second thought.

Maybe she thought there was no way something would happen between her and the other kids?

That kind of naive demeanor seemed a little cute.

Not that it was as cute as Sara, though.

But even while watching that cute side of ‘Sara’, Yoo Ha-neul couldn’t shake the uneasiness lingering from the earlier phone call.

“Ha-neul.”

And the first to notice her change in feelings was,

“Is something wrong?”

‘Sara’.

Looking up at her with that question, ‘Sara’ was heart-meltingly adorable.

Because her appearance was exactly like Sara’s.

Of course, Yoo Ha-neul clearly recognized that Sara and ‘Sara’ were different people, but to see such a cute sight in the same body felt like cheating.

At least in appearance, it was practically the same person.

Would she have reacted like this if the two of them were twins and had different bodies?

Thinking that made Yoo Ha-neul feel a bit guilty.

“…No.”

“What is it? If something’s wrong, just say it out loud. It’s written all over your face.”

“Uh?”

“You looked so happy when you were with Sara! But if you’re suddenly sulking like that, then of course I’m going to be worried, right?”

“Uh-oh?”

At those words, Yoo Ha-neul unconsciously flushed.

“C-can you really tell like that?”

“Am I an idiot?”

With her arms crossed, ‘Sara’ tilted her head back at Yoo Ha-neul.

“You know you girls hang around together more than anyone else, right? Did you know? The time you spend together is even longer than with Yang Hye-in. I may just be looking at you from a distance, but I can see this much!”

And then she let out a little snort.

“If you think you’re masters of poker face, you should probably give that idea up. Even if you’re not a pro gambler, your colorful expressions are easy to read. Especially when the usually cheerful one is suddenly looking gloomy, it’s a dead giveaway, right?”

With that, ‘Sara’ looked around, seeking agreement.

Sohee and Sua quickly nodded in sync.

“See? They agree too. So hurry up and spill it. It’s nagging at me.”

“…Did I really look that way?”

“Yep.”

“……”

Yoo Ha-neul stared intently at ‘Sara’.

“So, are you saying you want to help me?”

And then she threw in a completely unexpected question.

‘Sara’ looked taken aback, as if wondering what on earth she was talking about.

“Of course! I can help in whatever way I can. Unless it’s something related to someone’s lifespan, I can do something about it, right? Oh wait, I can probably help even if it is about lifespans as much as I can.”

“……”

As ‘Sara’ rambled on to herself, Yoo Ha-neul quietly watched until—

“Eek!?”

With a sudden move, she pulled ‘Sara’ into a tight embrace.

‘Sara’, not seeing Yoo Ha-neul as more than just a “close friend,” looked utterly shocked by the action.

“W-what are you doing?!”

And having once almost had a “dangerous” encounter with Yoo Ha-neul, ‘Sara’ felt an extreme sense of threat.

She twisted her entire body like a porcupine trying to escape from a lion’s embrace, but Yoo Ha-neul’s strength was well beyond what ‘Sara’ could handle.

“Let go of me!?”

“…Thank you so much.”

Hearing those words from Yoo Ha-neul made ‘Sara’ freeze in place.

“…Really.”

“…Uh, uh…”

‘Sara’ stayed in Yoo Ha-neul’s embrace for a while, seeming unsure of how to respond.

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