Chapter 703: Soulmate (2)
“Where should we start? Well… there’s nothing I didn’t do when I was on Earth.”
“…”
“There’s really nothing I haven’t done.”
“What are you talking about, Noona? I won’t believe you if you just start saying things like that.”
“Why? Can’t we have a serious conversation? I’m just saying it because I want to. I don’t care if you believe it or not, Oppa. Just listen.”
“How many times have we talked about the Earth? You changed your words every time you talk about it. How can I…”
“I’m not trying to prank you. You always try to avoid this kind of talk. That’s a disease, too. You don’t have to appeal that you have a mental problem like this, do you? Let’s take some time to understand each other without making a big deal out of it… You’re pathetic and a coward. Don’t avoid it. You don’t have to try not to attach yourself to me. It’s already over.”
“…”
“Anyway, let’s talk about it again. There’s nothing I haven’t done. I don’t need to say what things I’ve done exactly. You won’t believe it anyway. Just consider what I’m saying as half a lie and listen. The past usually gets exaggerated once you talk about it, right?”
“What’s your point?”
“I didn’t bring it up to tell you about a point. What kind of person do you think I am, Oppa?”
“…”
“You’d think that I look like a crazy girl. A psychopath? Villain?”
“…”
“When we first met, you might’ve thought of me as human trash and that there’s no way to save the evil girl like in dramas. Maybe you thought I was a criminal in the first place. Not ‘like’ a criminal, but an actual criminal. You must have thought so. Oh, don’t look like you’ve been hit with a nail in the head. Don’t pretend you’re sorry. That’s how I see you, Oppa. And honestly, I’m no more trash than you are.”
“…”
“So what? I’m being honest at the end of the day. It was no different on Earth. I don’t know what other people think of Lee Jihye, but I wanted to go up, and I’m no different now. I wanted to keep going up. I’ve been up to a position where it’s not bad by my standards, but I guess there’s no end to my greed. If I go higher, I want to go even beyond that, and if I look at my current view, I would want to see the next one.”
“…”
“Unsure if I didn’t feel satisfied or I was out of my mind, I had to keep good faith, but it would’ve seemed like I was doing something dirty in other people’s perspectives. It didn’t matter what other people thought, though. I was proud of myself, after all. I thought I could go further, and I could actually see the road in front of me.”
“…”
“I’ve been working hard, and I’ve had a lot of cards. I was confident, but I guess that wasn’t it.”
“…”
“I guess it wasn’t it in the eyes of the real people up there, and I guess they thought I wasn’t allowed a seat. But then I realized something. I was able to get up here because those sons of b.i.t.c.hes allowed me to be here. Some of the guys up there permitted me to rise. Of course, I didn’t mean to deny my ability, but it was the ones at the top who set the stage for me to show my ability. In the first place… It wasn’t… a position that was supposed to be mine in the first place.
“…”
“I was presumptuous. No matter how high I fly and how loud I scream, the n.o.blemen above me only saw a short girl flirting in front of them. That’s how I lost everything. I lost everything so ridiculously in an instant. Can you believe it? I thought that everything was mine, that it was already in my hands, and that’s why I lost everything at the blink of an eye.”
“…”
“I struggled, grabbed the paddles I had, and waved them, but I literally only hit the rocks with eggs. As the real people up there were watching, the little girl was going crazy. d.a.m.n it. I hate to admit it, but that’s the reality. I’m p.i.s.sed off. f.u.c.k! Cough. Cough.”
“…”
“That’s exactly why I don’t gamble, Oppa.”
“…”
“I’ve realized where I stand. People are given different things from birth. Some people get by without having to try. Some people are superior from birth. And they talk about it as if they’ve really earned it themselves. They’re proud of what the environment gave them. Do you know how sad it is to be looking at something like that?”
“…”
“That’s why I chose you, Oppa.”
“…”
“You didn’t choose me. I chose you. You had the conditions to go up. I wasn’t showing off. I was looking at it with those special eyes, how it works here, what I can do here. How far I can go. Of course, the biggest reason was that your face was my type, but this seems to be a sn.o.bbish reason, so I’ll take it out.”
“Usually, people think the reason for the preceding is more sn.o.bbish, Noona.”
“Really? I didn’t know that. Cough. Cough.”
“…”
“Anyway, that’s how Lee Jihye used to live. I don’t know why, but I laughed when I first came here. I was laughing because I was in a good mood.”
“…”
“When I first fell on the continent, when I entered the tutorial dungeon, and when other people were crying, I laughed for a long time in the corner.”
“…”
“I thought I could hold things I couldn’t hold before. I thought I could see the scenery I wanted here that I didn’t see on Earth. Wouldn’t you have been obsessed with this if you hadn’t been up there in the first place? What do you think, Oppa? Did looking down from the top even for a moment contribute to what I am today? Wouldn’t I be obsessed with this if I hadn’t been up there?”
“No, you’ve always been a power freak. You were simply born that way.”
“That’s a bit harsh. Cough. Cough. Cough. You’re… Cough. Cough. More rubbish.”
“…”
“…”
“How about you, Oppa? Don’t you have anything to say?”
“I don’t have anything to say, Noona.”
“I don’t think it’s a little hard to pry… A man with a lot of stories and secrets is attractive.”
“You know that your taste in men sucks, right?”
“You think it’s just my taste in men that suck? Cough. Cough.”
“…”
“…”
“You never even asked…if I’m alright, you piece of garbage.”
“Because you don’t look okay. I can tell from your face.”
“Really? I… I think I died like this.”
“…”
“I wanted to end it in a nice way, but now that it’s time for me to die, I’m talking a lot. How about you? Do you even cry?”
“No.”
“Take off that mask you’re wearing. I think you’re crying right now. I think you’re choking up.
“I’m not crying.”
“But it’s my last wish… Why don’t you take it off at least once?”
“…”
“Take it off… you b.a.s.t.a.r.d.”
“…”
“…”
“That’s a relief.”
“What?”
“I was sure you would be in there, but I was a little nervous, so I was wondering if I could influence you… Will it be in the category of Lee Kiyoung’s person? Cough. Cough. I was nervous, but I think it had a slight impact. Oh, you can wear the mask again. Cough. Cough. You’re s.e.xy, but it’s a turn-off seeing men cry.”
“…”
“The pig you care about. With that pig… Who was it? Oh, that… that j.a.panese woman… The blind person… Kasugano, was it? I took as much stake as they did. Or maybe it’s more than that. I want more than that because I’m greedy. Not as much as a pig? I’m sick of it. It’s been a while since the pig died. Not yet. No, it’s done. I don’t want to talk about that pig. It’s Lee Jihye’s turn for the first time in a while… If I keep talking about the pig, Oppa will think about that dead pig again. Cough. Cough. Let’s talk about us. We had fun, right?”
“It was fun, Noona. Really.”
“We were a killing pair. Soulmates. It was also enjoyable to be able to play this hot… Cough. Cough.”
“…”
“It was fun. Who knew we could do this much? They wouldn’t even know up there. You destroyed the Holy Empire, destroyed the Republic, and swept everything away. I gave the G.o.ds a big punch in the back of their heads. No one probably knew we could do this much. Of course, thanks to you, it was a perfect match.”
“No, Noona.”
“…”
“It’s not because of me. It was thanks to you. I wouldn’t have made it this far without you, Noona. You’re a genius and deserve to be at the top. Can you believe it? Noona, who had nothing, made a fool of the sons of b.i.t.c.hes above her. Noona thought it was thanks to me, but it’s not. Rather, I owe it all to you.”
“At least… Cough… Cough… I’m glad.”
“I’m not sugarcoating anything that I say…”
“I’m happy… Oppa…”
“When I first came to the brigade, it was you who told me to take it, and it was you who saved my life many times. You know more than half of our plan was led by you, Noona. I’m not talking nonsense to make you happy because you’re leaving. I truly wouldn’t have made it this far without you.”
“I’m glad, that’s how… I can’t believe it… I’m happy. Cough. Cough.”
“…”
“…”
“I wish… you’d said that to me when I was alive.… It would have been better, you piece of sh*t.”
“…”
“Let me wear a mask… I want to go…While wearing the mask. Lee Jihye of the brigade should go like this.”
“…”
“Yeah, like that. I’m sleepy, Kiyoung. I’m sleepy. Is it really my time now? Cough… Cough… I guess it’s over. I have… no regrets. No, I really don’t. Because I could… show you who I am.”
“…”
“I… love…”
“…”
“Cough. Cough. Cough. I love you, Oppa. My soulmate. In h.e.l.l… I’ll see you in h.e.l.l.”
“I love you, too, Noona, the perfect match for my soul.”
“Every time… our kisses. Cough. Cough.”
Snap.
“Next… Next… What’s your next plan?”
“Revenge. And… Complete destruction.”
“Ha… Ha…”
“…”
“Ha… hahaha… Haha.”
“…”
“Haha… Cough. Cough. Hahahaha.”
“…”
“Hahahahahahahahahaha!”
“…”
“As expected… I…”
“…”
“have a taste for ambitious men…”
“…”
“My taste…”
“…”
“…””
“Noona?”
“…”
“Noona?”
“…”
Snap.
“…”
“I love you, Noona.”