Chapter 7: Why Me, of All People?

Why me, of all people?
It was an unavoidable question.

‘Whether what she said was true or not, why would a person who claims to have died and come back to life to seek revenge come to me of all people?’

Yoojun and Sayoung had no particular connection other than having crossed paths once by chance.

Could it be that in her ‘life before death,’ in that delusion that surely wasn’t real, they had been entangled somehow?
Or.
If not that.

‘Did Yoon Sayoung also know that Han Jaewoo had feelings for him?’
And was that why she was trying to lay a trap like this, making him a target of Sayoung’s revenge as well?’

“……”

As his thoughts reached that point, a bitter sigh escaped him.

When Han Jaewoo and Yoon Sayoung got married, the prevailing opinion in the entertainment industry was that it was too early for her to marry an unknown actor, and that Sayoung was too good for him.

However, after the marriage, unlike Jaewoo who rose to stardom by gaining attention as Yoon Sayoung’s husband, Sayoung disappeared from the public eye, rarely making appearances.

It was all too obvious who had clearly benefited from this marriage.

The public was easily enthused by Jaewoo’s image as he actively appeared before the cameras, appealing how much he loved Sayoung.

Within the industry, there were occasional, very minor rumors that it was actually Yoon Sayoung who was more devoted and dedicated.
But not many people took such minor rumors seriously.

‘But what if the truly dedicated one wasn’t Jaewoo, but Sayoung?’

‘What if the rumor that Sayoung, growing jealous and envious of the Han Jaewoo who only looked at her, had become vicious wasn’t true, but the one that said Sayoung had lowered herself for Jaewoo’s sake, dedicated herself, and didn’t hesitate to throw away everything she had was the real story?’

‘What if she had shouldered everything alone, as if the filth staining her own name was nothing, just in case she might tarnish Jaewoo’s name?’

‘If she had been that devoted to her spouse, only to be used and discarded after he had sucked her dry, and to top it all off, found herself in a situation where the spouse who had risen to a firm standing had abandoned her and was hitting on someone else, wouldn’t anyone dream of a bitter revenge?’

‘If that were the case, it wouldn’t be incomprehensible for her to feel the desire to drag down not only Han Jaewoo but also the person he had feelings for into the abyss with him.’

Of course, Yoojun had not the slightest bit of interest in Jaewoo, and in fact, found his attention rather unpleasant, but it would have been difficult for a betrayed person to consider all of that.

Yoojun slowly crossed the living room and looked out at the night view beyond the glass window that filled one wall.

A well of unidentifiable emotions kept pulling at his heart, and for a long time after that, Yoojun couldn’t fall asleep, only staring at the city cloaked in darkness.

****

When she unexpectedly ran into Yoojun in the bathroom, Sayoung was, frankly, in despair.
Of the many people attending this party, Yoojun was the one Sayoung least wanted to encounter.

The fortunate thing was that he seemed to have already finished washing his hands at the sink and was just about to leave.

‘Hello.’

It was Yoojun who greeted her first, as Sayoung was about to substitute a greeting with a slight nod.
Startled, Sayoung raised her head, met his eyes, and reflexively opened her mouth.

‘…Yes. Hello.’

They had only exchanged a single greeting, but a pain flared in her chest.
It felt as if someone had seized her heart and was squeezing it with all their might.

A handsome face with completely different lines from Sayoung’s, a physique with solid muscles and a sense of intimidation, and an attitude that was confident and self-assured in front of anyone.

Nowhere did he have any resemblance to Sayoung.
Sayoung shrank back.
His very existence felt like the reason she couldn’t win Han Jaewoo’s love, and she felt cowed.

‘Ms. Yoon Sayoung.’

At that moment, Yoojun called Sayoung’s name.
Caught completely off guard, Sayoung was startled and replied, ‘Yes?’

‘I’m not usually one to meddle in other people’s affairs, but…’

That day, Yoojun had said something to Sayoung that he didn’t need to say.

At the time, Sayoung had pretended not to hear Yoojun’s words and ignored them, but it had been such a special moment that it had left a deep mark on Sayoung’s soul.

Even knowing that Yoojun had stolen away Jaewoo’s heart, which she could not have, Sayoung could never bring herself to hate Kim Yoojun.
That was why, even after she died, Sayoung didn’t want to extend her revenge to Yoojun.

It was a memory of that day, one that no longer remained for the current Yoojun.

****

Sayoung was watching the news about the ‘Jung Soomin drug scandal’ that was being loudly discussed on TV, while crunching on an apple that the caregiver had peeled for her.

It should have been a relief that the prediction she wasn’t 100% sure of had come true, but Sayoung’s eyes as she stared at the screen were simply emotionless.

Sayoung thought that perhaps her emotions had met death in place of her life.

Before she died, Sayoung had always been buried in a vortex of a myriad of emotions.
On the outside, she pretended to be fine, but on the inside, she was always crying out in pain and wailing in sorrow.

Perhaps what had died in place of the Yoon Sayoung who should have died was a human-shaped mass created by those deepening emotions.
Thanks to that, perhaps Sayoung had survived like this, becoming a being that only remembered all that pain and sorrow.

“…I lost my emotions.”

But Sayoung immediately scoffed at herself.
To say her emotions were dead, what a ridiculous pretense.

If her emotions had truly died, she wouldn’t even have had the desire to seek revenge.
She should have lived a new life, a new form, with a light heart.

And yet, here she was, still lingering, plotting petty schemes and vowing revenge, a foolish being swayed by emotions, no different from her past life.

Or, perhaps Yoon Sayoung was truly dead, and the self sitting here now was the mass of emotion created by the lingering attachment of pain.
No different from a lingering ghost in human form, full of regrets.

Just then, her phone vibrated briefly.
It was when the last piece of apple entered Sayoung’s mouth.
Feeling the sweet juice spread on the tip of her tongue, she checked the message that had arrived.

「Let’s meet tonight」

The sender of the short message was Kim Yoojun.
Sayoung stared blankly at Yoojun’s message, which appeared fractured due to the cracked screen.

What on earth was this man thinking as he watched today’s news, where Sayoung’s words had come true like a prophet’s prediction?

‘I didn’t expect him to completely trust me because of this. Celebrity scandals are easily discovered with the right connections.’

So Sayoung was curious about what kind of face Yoojun had on when he sent this message.
Perhaps he had gained a sliver of trust, or perhaps he had become even more suspicious.

Either way, it didn’t matter.
Sayoung just had to respond according to the outcome.

If he demanded other proof, what kind of grand prophecy should she make this time?

「Okay」

Having no interest in anything other than Han Jaewoo, Sayoung rummaged through the drawer of her vague memories, of which little else remained, and sent a short reply.

Just as she had lived pretending to be fine with a broken heart, the phone with the cracked screen transmitted Sayoung’s message without any particular problem.

The truth of how sorrowfully those shattered pieces were crying, no one would ever know now.

****

“Did you hear any rumors about Jung Soomin?”

Yoojun, having confirmed Sayoung’s short message, asked his manager Jeongmin, who was bringing him a new hot pack.
Jeongmin shook his head with a look that said, ‘Why is hyung suddenly interested in another actor’s scandal?’

“No. I’ve only ever heard good things about Jung Soomin, so this is crazy. I was completely shocked.”

“Hmm…”

“But why are you asking about that all of a sudden, hyung?”

Usually, Yoojun was someone who didn’t react at all to the gossip Jeongmin casually mentioned here and there.

It wasn’t that he disliked gossip or rumors, but literally because he had no interest in others.
The only time Yoojun paid attention to another actor was when he had to work with them as a co-star to create a piece.

“No reason, just because.”

Jeongmin looked at Yoojun, who was being vague for no particular reason, and soon continued chattering.

“That’s why it’s such a big deal now. Wow, you really can’t judge a book by its cover. How could he backstab us like this?”

“Did he backstab you?”

“Well, no, but… thanks to that image, all his commercials are for things that build trust, so it’s going to be a huge mess, really.”

Since Yoojun had brought it up first this time, Jeongmin added on, thinking he might play along.
Yoojun, having already lost interest, was just staring at his phone, barely listening.

Come to think of it, even if it was a break, it was rare for Yoojun to have his phone in his hand on a film set.

“Hyung, is something wrong?”

They say when a person does something they don’t usually do, it’s a sign they’re about to die.

It probably wasn’t really that he was about to die, but seeing Yoojun act differently from usual, Jeongmin asked cautiously with a slightly serious face.

Yoojun was still looking at his phone, with no reply.
It seemed he wasn’t intentionally ignoring him, but hadn’t heard Jeongmin’s voice at all.

“Hyung!”

Only after Jeongmin called out a little louder did Yoojun frown and look up. He repeated the question that had been ignored.

“You’re acting a bit strange today, hyung. Is something really wrong?”

“…No. Nothing’s wrong.”

But Yoojun shook his head and answered firmly, then lowered his gaze again, lost in thought.

‘Could it be because of the Yoon Sayoung incident?’
The name flashed in Jeongmin’s mind.
He had pretended not to care, but perhaps Yoojun was also feeling unsettled.

“Here’s a new hot pack.”

But in this atmosphere, Yoojun wouldn’t answer even if asked. In the end, Jeongmin had no choice but to pretend not to know. Anyway, it’s strange how, even after their divorce, the couple still irritates people in the same way.

Jeongmin pouted, looking at his watch for no reason.