SWNOVELXO Chapter 162
Chapter 162
‘Seriously, this guy is amazing.’
Oh Seung-hyun was really something.
Yes, I was talking about the same Oh Seung-hyun who pushed me onto a four-lane road back in elementary school.
Thinking of that crazy guy, I couldn’t help but be impressed.
‘How dumb does one have to be to live like that?’
I thought as I looked at the scene Mist had projected onto the ceiling.
Oh Seung-hyun was crouched in front of his computer.
I could see him giggling as he wrote something about me.
―Do you guys know that Lee Yeon-jae was a complete loser who got bullied in elementary school?
―Wow, knowing that Lee Yeon-jae was a loser really changes my perspective. He looks so pathetic now;;
―Why did he get bullied? There must be a reason. Seems like he’s trash by nature….
He was switching IDs to comment on his own post, which was astonishing.
‘There’s no reason for being bullied. What a ridiculous thing to say.’
It was unbelievable how stupid he was.
He wasn’t even bothering to change his IP address while doing that.
‘Why does he even have a brain?’
While I was seriously pondering this, Mist, who had been quietly nestled in my arms, suddenly shouted.
“I really hate that guy!!”
“Yeah, me too.”
I patted Mist as he snuggled into my chest, grumbling.
“Why does someone like that even exist? I hate him so much. I can’t stand the sight of him!”
“It’s okay. I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry.”
“He keeps bothering Yeon-jae over and over again! No matter what you do, people like him don’t change! I just wish he’d disappear from this world!”
Saying such things with Sung Lee-jun’s face looked a bit scary. Mist, you’re frightening.
I comforted Mist, who was casually suggesting that Oh Seung-hyun should just die.
‘He’s right, though.’
People don’t change, and I never intended to try to change him.
When Jin-bae hyung suggested sending Oh Seung-hyun’s family abroad, I thought it was a very wise decision for the same reason.
As Mist said, I couldn’t actually kill the guy, so it was better not to see his face at all.
‘But it’s truly amazing that he’s still doing this even abroad.’
How could someone be like this?
Because of him, both his parents lost their jobs and had to flee to a foreign land.
Unfortunately for them, both worked in the legal field.
Jin-bae hyung’s parents ran the largest law firm in the country in that industry.
I’d heard that it was a very small field, and it was surprising how they could cut someone off in an instant.
‘Well, Jin-bae hyung was amazing too.’
I never knew that Jin-bae hyung, who always smiled gently in front of me, had a talent for tormenting people so viciously.
In an instant, they lost their jobs, and with red foreclosure notices on their house, Oh Seung-hyun’s parents were forced to emigrate.
On the condition that they never return to Korea.
Just in case, I occasionally checked on Oh Seung-hyun’s memories and often saw his mother crying.
Crying about how much she missed her family, while Oh Seung-hyun sniffled beside her.
‘Sob, I’m sorry, Mom. It’s all my fault.’
‘……No, Seung-hyun. It’s okay. I’m sorry.’
And then Oh Seung-hyun would go straight to his room and write posts about me with a grin.
‘He must be a psychopath.’
He was busy collecting titles like idiot and unfilial son.
‘What should I do with him?’
I seemed to have pondered this question for a long time while with Mist.
But contrary to my worries, the problem was surprisingly easily resolved.
* * *
The next morning, as soon as I woke up, CEO Jang called me.
As soon as I arrived at the CEO’s office, he started speaking rapidly.
From tracking the IP to finding out who wrote the post, to contacting Oh Seung-hyun’s father directly.
But the explanation about how they ‘handled’ Oh Seung-hyun was somewhat lacking.
“Well, it’s roughly handled. I’ve already talked it over with his father…. They’ll live their lives normally without any further ties to us.”
It was an issue that ended well for everyone.
Puzzled by his mumbling, I asked again.
“So what did you tell Oh Seung-hyun?”
“……You don’t need to know. It’s a bit… for me to say.”
“Pardon?”
“Anyway, you’ll never have to see or hear about Oh Seung-hyun again. I swear on my life and company.”
CEO Jang’s eyes were filled with certainty as he said this.
“Please understand that I can’t say more. I wasn’t even going to tell you this much, but your manager insisted that you needed to know to feel at ease.”
I smiled awkwardly at CEO Jang’s words.
Jin-bae hyung really insisted on that. But it was true.
“Yes, you’re right. Thank you for telling me and for handling it so cleanly.”
I didn’t know exactly what had been done….
Anyway, I’d find out when I saw Mist tonight.
CEO Jang waved his hand dismissively at my gratitude.
“This is my job. The manager’s role is to take care of the agency’s talents, and if I can’t handle this much, why should I take a fee from you?”
“Thanking you and the fee are separate matters. I worried all night, but thanks to you, it’s resolved well. Thank you.”
“…….”
CEO Jang looked at me for a moment before laughing softly.
“Right. You must be busy balancing school life and acting, right? And now you’re going to an action school too.”
“Yes, I went for the first time yesterday.”
“Learn well. As I said before, let me know if you need anything.”
Just as the conversation was wrapping up, CEO Jang spoke quickly.
“Oh, before you go home, stop by and see Team Leader Woo. I’ve lined up several interviews for you. He’ll explain everything in detail.”
“Interviews?”
“Yeah. It’s a bit awkward to bring up, but the word ‘bullying’ isn’t exactly beneficial for an entertainer.”
That’s true.
Nodding quietly at his careful words, I agreed.
“You’re trending globally right now―.”
“CEO, sorry, but please skip that word and just tell me the rest.”
“……Right. Anyway, since you’re so hot right now, we need to sort out the negative terms. That’s what these interviews are for.”
Got it? I nodded quietly in agreement with his words.
As I left the CEO’s office, I thought.
He’s really good at his job.
* * *
‘Where am I?’
That was the first thought Oh Seung-hyun had when he opened his eyes.
He vaguely remembered feeling a huge impact on the back of his head while walking on the street during the day.
No matter how hard he turned his head, the room was unfamiliar.
“―!”
He wanted to scream, but no sound came out.
It was only natural since his mouth was taped shut.
His hands were tied behind his back, and his legs couldn’t move.
“…….”
Overwhelming fear.
Oh Seung-hyun’s pupils dilated in terror.
He trembled for several minutes until a man burst into the room.
The man clicked his tongue at the sight of the cowering Oh Seung-hyun.
“Click, you’re awake?”
“Mm―.”
“Perfect timing. I just got the photos and was about to wake you up.”
The man walked over to Oh Seung-hyun without hesitation and squatted in front of him.
At the same time, he shoved his phone in Oh Seung-hyun’s face.
A photo was displayed on the phone.
“Here’s a photo from your funeral. It’s live.”
“…….”
“You see your mom here? She’s crying a lot. Well, I’d be sad too if my eldest son died.”
But your mom will manage well with your younger brother and dad, came the man’s kind words.
“Your body was identified only by your dad. So, the only person who knows you’re alive is your dad. Your mom and brother know nothing.”
“…….”
“I talked to your dad, and… he’s a really good person.”
The man’s expression turned bitter.
“If I had a dad like that, I wouldn’t be living this shitty life. How could you have such a person as a dad and still screw it up? Tsk.”
The man talked about how much Oh Seung-hyun’s father suffered, how long he sobbed on the phone, and how many times he begged to take good care of Oh Seung-hyun.
Then he suddenly shouted in frustration.
“Damn it! Hey! Why’d you piss yourself! There are no spare clothes here!”
“Mm—.”
Oh Seung-hyun just trembled.
His falling tears soaked the tape over his mouth.
Every time he sobbed, the tape made a crackling sound.
But the man just looked annoyed.
“Sigh, whatever. Who knows how long you’ll last here anyway…. Wash and wear those yourself after I finish my work.”
“Mm.”
“Alright, you bastard. So impatient. I’ll take it off now.”
Rip—!
The man roughly tore off the tape.
Even though he regained his freedom, Oh Seung-hyun couldn’t speak easily.
The man took the opportunity to continue.
“Okay, the rules are simple. Get up when the alarm rings,
eat, work, and sleep. This is your room, and you’ll share the bathroom. Oh, be careful when you walk down the hall. There are places you can’t come out of. You might get tetanus. There’s no doctor here.”
If you’re going to die, better to die instantly. Dying from tetanus is awful, isn’t it?
The man laughed at his unfunny joke.
With a trembling body, Oh Seung-hyun barely managed to speak.
“Wh-where… am I?”
“I don’t know. Somewhere in Russia?”
“What?”
“It doesn’t matter. We’ll never set foot on land until we die. This is a ship.”
At the man’s calm words, Oh Seung-hyun held his breath.
Only then did he feel the rocking sensation of the ship. It didn’t seem real.
“Why am I here… Why did my dad….”
His mind was blank with disbelief.
Hearing his murmurs, the man raised an eyebrow.
“You really are shameless.”
“…….”
“Hey, let’s be honest. How many people have suffered because of you? Do you think your dad’s at ease? He said he’d rather die himself.”
“…….”
“Still, your dad thought this was the best. He has two more people to take care of. No matter how much he loves his son, how could he raise a murderer?”
“I’m not a murderer. That guy didn’t die.”
The man burst out laughing at Oh Seung-hyun’s muttering.
His hearty laughter filled the empty room.
“You pushed him onto the road on purpose? What a talent!”
“…….”
“If you’d moved on after the settlement and emigration, you could’ve started a new life. Why post such nonsense? Imagine how hard it was for your dad to get that call again.”
Ignoring Oh Seung-hyun’s blank expression, the man continued.
“Oh, and if you decide to kill yourself, jump into the sea. If you hide and die, it’s a real pain to deal with the corpse.”
“I’m sorry…. I was wrong. I’m really sorry.”
“What?”
“I’m truly, truly sorry. I’ll never mess around again. I’m sorry.”
“Look at this guy. Why are you apologizing to me?”
Still calling it a joke. It was a joke to you.
Despite the man’s incredulous tone, Oh Seung-hyun cried and apologized.
This time, his tears were genuine.
But the man was unfazed.
“Wake up. You’re already dead. It’s all been processed in the paperwork.”
“Sob. Sob.”
Oh Seung-hyun burst into rough sobs.
The man laughed as he faced Oh Seung-hyun, who was just now realizing the gravity of his situation.
“You’re much weaker than I thought. We had high expectations for someone who tried to kill in broad daylight.”
“I just, I just…. Apologized to everyone. It’s all over….”
“Then why did you write those posts? You should’ve been more discreet.”
The man advised Oh Seung-hyun to live well until death now that things had come to this.
“…….”
Oh Seung-hyun blinked his eyes.
Tears fell.
And so, his true hell began.