Chapter 116: The Bait (1)

Chapter 116: The Bait (1)

TL/Editor: raei

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A dream from Stella.

It had been a long time since the last one.

Song Soo-yeon was lying in a steamy bathtub, relaxing the tension in her body.

It was something she would normally never do, but she felt she couldn't fall asleep without it.

She knew better than anyone that dreams should be distinguished from reality.

However, Jung-gyeom in her dreams always appeared true to her desires.

They had been lovers and even spouses.

It was through dreams that she realized such happiness existed.

So her heart was racing fast.

She was already nervous... and also excited.

It felt like she was peeping into a hopeful future.

It was a painkiller to forget the current pain.

-Drip...drip...

Drops of water falling from the ceiling tapped on Song Soo-yeon's cheeks.

Thinking she had warmed up enough, she began to rinse off her body.

She lathered up with a shower ball, steadying both her body and mind.

---

---

A body relaxed to the point of drowsiness.

In contrast, her mind remained sharp.

The thought of meeting Jung-gyeom soon made her heart ache.

A Jung-gyeom who does not hate her.

A Jung-gyeom she wishes to someday meet.

Song Soo-yeon was unsure how she would act.

It was one thing to dream, but predicting the changes that would come after waking from them was difficult.

Every time after dreaming, a corresponding shock would follow.

Wouldn't there be a similar shock this time too?

".....Haaa."

Song Soo-yeon slowly lay down on the bed.

She covered herself with Jung-gyeom's blanket, which she had brought over some time ago.

The scent had faded, which was disappointing... but it still felt like she was a bit closer to him.

'....Take care.'

Jung-gyeom's last words flashed through her mind.

Song Soo-yeon quickly shook her head.

Just forget those moments for a while.

Just a little more strength to keep going.

She had never imagined she would miss the ordinary days of the past, when nothing special happened, this much.

Nor had she thought she would flounder so much over a man.

But this was her reality... she had to adapt.

Song Soo-yeon closed her eyes.

Ready to dream.

She hadn't forgotten Stella's advice that it was better to wake up quickly from this one.

...If it were possible, Song Soo-yeon would follow that advice.

---

---

"Soo-yeon, come eat."

Song Soo-yeon's eyes snapped open as she regained her senses.

The savory smell of food.

Warmth.

The familiar sound of the TV.

The creaking of wooden chairs.

Everything that could evoke nostalgia was here.

It was Jung-gyeom's restaurant.

The place that felt like another home to Song Soo-yeon, now gone due to the fragments sent by Tryno.

Song Soo-yeon blinked blankly for a moment, then turned her eyes towards the kitchen.

There, Jung-gyeom stood with a smile.

"......."

Song Soo-yeon found herself unable to speak.

Her throat momentarily seized up.

How long had it been since she'd seen that smile?

How could she see that smile again in reality?

She felt as if tears might start falling from the longing and joy.

To the frozen Song Soo-yeon, Jung-gyeom slowly approached.

"Did you just wake up? Why are you spacing out?"

"......."

Song Soo-yeon didn't respond to him.

She was doing her best to make sense of the situation.

This here, was a dream.

The existence of Jung-gyeom's restaurant, which shouldn't be there, proved it.

This dream won't last long.

She needed to wake up quickly...

Stella had said so.

"...."

Song Soo-yeon swallowed.

The dream, this most secretive space, dragged her thoughts to their deepest and darkest corners.

---

"Haah...! Haah...!"

It took her a long time to calm her startled heart.

She couldn't catch her breath.

Her chest felt so tight she thought she might go mad.

She buried her face in the blanket and wrestled with her breathing for a long while.

By the time she came to her senses, a long time had passed.

She knew it was a dream... but perhaps because she had believed in such dreams coming true for so long?

An overwhelming sense of anxiety enveloped her.

It felt as if it was a premonition. She couldn't shake off this anxiety.

Jung-gyeom had died in her dream.

The anger he had been holding back was poured out against the alliance, and in the end, his heart was pierced by Solace's hand.

The horrific sensation of blood splashing on her face was vivid, even though it was just a dream.

She still remembered the feeling of his life spilling onto her.

It wasn't entirely impossible.

Jung-gyeom fought alone.

She knew all too well how strong he was... but there was always a what-if.

There was no rule that he wouldn't fall to Tryno.

Especially to Solace.

Against Solace, Jung-gyeom was always at a disadvantage.

".....Haah...Haah..."

She couldn't shake off the anxiety.

Was this what a panic attack felt like?

Song Soo-yeon would have been less scared if her own life had been at stake.

It was even more terrifying because it was Jung-gyeom.

She would gladly give up her life for him.

He was the only light she had found in this world.

The thought of him leaving the world and leaving her behind was unbearable.

So, with trembling hands, Song Soo-yeon picked up her phone.

4 AM.

Without caring about the time, she called Stella.

She just wanted to know Jung-gyeom was safe.

Whether he enjoyed the black bean noodles.

If the bracelet had been delivered.

Whether he was hurt from fighting Solace.

She hadn't heard anything.

Maybe he was actually hurt?

She couldn't relax while the phone was ringing.

'The call can't be connected...'

But the call never went through.

It was too late, yet also too early.

Song Soo-yeon had no choice but to maintain her sanity by believing that Jung-gyeom would be safe.

She put down her phone and, with trembling hands, grabbed her hair.

"It's okay... It's okay..."

The only person she could talk to was herself.

"........Haah....Hoo...."

But as time passed, the anxiety didn't fade.

Ultimately, nothing had changed.

She hadn't heard that Jung-gyeom was safe, nor had the situation changed for the better.

Without Jung-gyeom, she couldn't even muster confidence in her own words.

This silence, feeling like she was the only one left, became too much to bear.

In the end, Song Soo-yeon turned on the TV.

She felt she needed some noise to distract her mind.

Coincidentally, a current affairs program was being rebroadcast.

It was the kind of content that captured her attention in an instant.

The MC asked,

"With Dice's appearance, the Villain Alliance has disappeared. What exactly happened?"

Someone who looked like an expert answered,

"It appears that the Villain Alliance became a target of Dice. We should assume they were disbanded after Dice's attack."

"Disbanded? Are you saying that such a strong group was defeated by a single villain?"

"It's hard to believe, but since the Hero Association is avoiding giving an official response, this is the only conclusion we can draw. It's not without basis."

"What kind of basis is there?"

"The fact that Dice immediately became the top-ranked villain, and as you mentioned, the disappearance of the Villain Alliance following his appearance. Similarly, the Solace has stopped all activities just in preparation for Dice's appearance."

Listening to their conversation, Song Soo-yeon thought of a way to erase her anxiety.

And with the solution in mind, her fear also dissipated.

The trembling in her hands stopped.

Jung-gyeom was fighting solely because of the Villain Alliance.

And now, only Tryno remained.

Stella had told her not to, but... Song Soo-yeon couldn't understand why she shouldn't.

Soo-yeon wished that Jung-gyeom would stop fighting.

If Tryno were caught, perhaps his vendetta would end.

Song Soo-yeon didn't care if she herself was in danger.

As long as Jung-gyeom was safe.

Besides, no one was better suited to find the hidden Tryno than herself.

She knew well that Tryno was still looking for her.

She didn't want to stay still and do nothing.

Song Soo-yeon made up her mind.

To draw out the hidden Tryno.

Only then, she felt, would Jung-gyeom be safe.