I Don’t Want to be a Villainess

After a really long time, the members gathered at the mansion.

By members, I naturally mean me, Ha Neul, Sua, and Sohee. Yang Hye-in is here too, but she basically wasn’t around much.

Although we left the mansion for a bit, it hasn’t been two weeks yet, so it wasn’t completely deserted or anything.

It seems like no one broke in either.

Well, the staff had all been fired except for Yang Hye-in and Sohee, but for now, a private security company was managing things.

However, that didn’t mean the mansion was unaffected.

While I was away, Sohee had gone back to her house, so naturally, the only one left to take care of the mansion was Yang Hye-in.

I’m a decent person, and I’m not cruel enough to make Yang Hye-in clean this massive place all by herself, so I told her it’s okay to leave unused areas alone. But really, would Yang Hye-in listen to that?

For the unused rooms, I covered them with white cloths to make it easier to deal with the dust later, and I made sure the storage was securely locked. At least the lobby was still clean.

But still, this mansion feels a lot more desolate than when people were around.

Even though there weren’t enough residents to fill the mansion, the fact that, outside of the security patrols, there are only five of us feels strangely eerie.

It feels different from being alone at home.

After all, the only places I could hang out were the villa where my parents and younger sibling lived or my rented room. Even when I was alone, it didn’t feel empty, especially since I could just open the door and find my neighbors and faint sounds of TV and voices echoing in the hallway.

…It’s like this giant building has far more unlit rooms than I could handle.

Shivers.

It’s not like I’m planning to leave this room.

Well, yeah.

I looked around the mansion, but there wasn’t anything amazing. If I had to say anything, the size of the building was impressive, but still…

“Should I call Yang Hye-in?”

“Huh?”

The first to respond to my mumbling was Ha Neul, who was closest to me.

I was sitting cross-legged on the gigantic bed, while Ha Neul had taken a seat on the edge of it, and Sohee was rummaging through the storage under her bed. Sua was sitting at the table, searching for something on her laptop.

…Um, it felt just like a common shared house.

Of course, I had never been to a girls’ apartment, and in college, I only lived alone and occasionally had friends over, so I didn’t have any memories of sharing a place. But yeah, this atmosphere felt just like that.

Sohee was already living here, and Sua often spent more nights at my place than her own. Ha Neul was also starting to sleep over more frequently.

And above all, the luggage of those three was subtly increasing.

With Sohee permanently living here, it was fine for her to bring multiple travel bags, but Sua had also brought her laptop, clothes, underwear, and cosmetics, and there was also a growing pile of Ha Neul’s clothes stuffed in the empty spots of the closet.

So it makes you wonder, if this isn’t an apartment, then what is it?

Well, it was still spacious enough for the four of us, so it wasn’t uncomfortable.

“Why not call Yang Hye-in? Does she have something to do?”

Ha Neul tilted her head and asked, to which I shook my head.

“No, it’s not that. Right now, it’s just us and Yang Hye-in in this building. Even if it’s the staff from the security company, they’re all at the security post by the main gate.”

So, it means Yang Hye-in is alone outside this room, right?

Even so, isn’t it a bit much that just one person is left alone? This building isn’t exactly made for living; unless we’re here, it doesn’t feel like anyone lives here. Walking down the hallway in the middle of the night would feel a little eerie.

“Oh, that’s not the case.”

Finally finding what she was looking for in the bed storage, Sohee spoke while lifting up her find.

The crinkling sound was coming from a bag of snacks.

…When did she buy that?

Having pulled out several bags, Sohee walked over to the table where Sua was sitting. As she piled the snacks on the table, Sua closed her laptop and pushed it aside.

“But all the staff was fired, right?”

“Yeah, they were fired, but there should still be security people walking around the building, right? It’s too big. If someone were to sneak in and hide in the farthest corner of the upper floor, they might not even get caught for a long time.”

Imagining that situation made me shiver.

If it were an apartment or villa, it would be normal to have neighbors around, but here, there’s the perception of it being “my personal mansion.” The thought of someone entering without permission feels wrong, and I can’t really imagine anyone entering that group being normal.

If a homeless person or a runaway teenager sneaks in, that creates a huge headache.

Once someone sneaks in without getting caught, that fact alone becomes a rumor. Soon after, the invading group only gets larger… In the end, this place might end up looking like an abandoned mental hospital.

Well, this building is not just a personal property; it’s actually a registered cultural property, so maybe it wouldn’t get that bad.

“Anyway, the guards do regular patrols through the hallway. The scale of the security is larger and more formal than when we hired people directly before.”

As Sohee said that and ripped open the snack bag, I felt a bit sorry to say this, but her usual image was slightly off.

Wasn’t it Sohee who first penetrated the security here? And that too without any fancy tricks or equipment, just a ladder she brought from the storage.

No, considering how she exploited the security’s weaknesses, is she actually more trustworthy?

“But still…”

No matter how regularly the guards walk down the hallway, they’re still strangers. They are paid to be here, and since we entrusted a well-known company with the job, nothing major should happen, but still, the fact that the faces you see at midnight are unknown people feels extremely lonely.

Eerily quiet.

Yang Hye-in doesn’t deserve to be punished for that, but it’s a surprisingly generous judgment.

Sara’s words aren’t wrong.

I still think Yang Hye-in’s past should definitely be examined closely.

But even so…

That’s a bit personal, yet Yang Hye-in did rush over to save me.

Even if Choi Na-kyung hadn’t really planned to kill me at that moment, I was in a situation where I couldn’t breathe with her hand over my mouth. There was a chance I could have accidentally died.

And if I had died, Sara would have too. After all, we were using the same body.

Even if I died and came back to life, who knows if that chance will ever happen again?

Admirable how she’s clinging to her life.

Hearing Sara’s comment made me stifle a laugh.

“Are we supposed to all live together if I call?”

Sohee asked that.

Um…

That’s right.

But that’s a different story. I mean, sharing a room is a bit much, right?

Even though this room is spacious, there isn’t really anywhere else decent for someone to sleep. If Yang Hye-in comes, she’ll probably end up sleeping on the floor.

But since this room was basically used as a ‘department store,’ it certainly doesn’t have the same warmth as an average home. The hard marble floor would be uncomfortable even if Sohee used the sleeping bag she brought.

…In that case, wouldn’t that be more of a burden? No, more than a burden, it seems almost absurd, doesn’t it?

“…”

Still felt weird.

“If you’re that concerned, just do it as you feel.”

Seeing me lost in thought, Ha Neul smiled and said.

“Yeah, that’s right. This is your home, after all.”

Sua nodded, agreeing with a smile.

My home.

Can I even call this place Sara’s home?

…

Looking at Sara, who didn’t have much to say, it seemed she was struggling to agree with that statement.

…But.

Not long ago, this place just felt like a prison.

Right now, it feels a little different.

The room that once felt completely empty now had not just me and Sara, but three more people with a variety of everyday stuff filling it up.

“Let’s eat first and think about it. Sitting around fretting isn’t going to solve anything, right?”

Suddenly, Sohee, who had spread snacks all over the table, said that.

What could eating while worrying possibly solve?

…Maybe?

I knew that it was just putting off decisions, but I stood up.

No matter what, I know how awkward it is to eat alone when everyone else is eating.

Still, I feel like I can eat more these days. That’s a real blessing.

Thanks to that, I’ve even gained some weight.

…It’s not me gaining it; it’s you who’s gaining it, right?

Hearing Sara’s grumbles, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

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