The Main Character Killed The Villain

#039

My consciousness was hazy. My eyelids felt heavy and were difficult to lift. I could sense the commotion around me, but even moving a finger felt incredibly burdensome.

“…Jaeha!”

Someone grabbed my hand tightly. And I could hear them calling my name passionately.

‘Why is my nose so uncomfortable?’

Is it still hard to breathe? Given that I’m still alive, this must be a hospital…

“Am I… still alive?”

I struggled to speak as I opened my eyes, and saw Shin Haejun’s pale face. The characteristic white ceiling of a hospital was visible, and as I rolled my eyes to the side, I could see an IV stand with some unknown fluid hanging from it.

“Haa…”

Shin Haejun closed his eyes tightly with a deflated expression, then opened them again.

“You almost died! What were you thinking, eating tuna when you know you have an allergy?”

Shin Haejun shouted with an intense voice. I fumbled for words, my lips quivering.

‘I can’t exactly say I didn’t know about the allergy because this isn’t my body.’

When I didn’t say anything, Shin Haejun took a long breath as if trying to calm himself, then muttered:

“Is Kim Sehyun that precious of a friend to you?”

“…Pardon?”

“I’m asking if you ate it knowing you were allergic because that bastard said you liked tuna!”

“Uh…”

I blinked at this tremendous misunderstanding.

So, he thinks I ate it because I didn’t want to say my precious friend was wrong?

‘What a strange misunderstanding.’

I rolled my eyes. Then Shin Haejun grabbed my fingers tightly and said:

“You said it wasn’t this severe before, right? Allergies can develop where there were none before, or suddenly get worse. Your airway swelled up and you almost died. Even if you didn’t think it would be this bad, what were you thinking? What if you really died!”

“Then I’d just die, I guess…”

I answered reflexively and immediately regretted it. Because Shin Haejun’s eyes turned sad.

“Then what about me? If you die from eating food I gave you, what am I supposed to do?”

“…I’m sorry.”

I apologized sincerely. I really didn’t mean anything by what I said, but I felt terrible for hurting Shin Haejun. Come to think of it, this could have been an enormous trauma for him.

“I’m going to kill that bastard.”

“…Kim Sehyun?”

“Yeah! I won’t let this slide.”

Shin Haejun clenched his fist. I blinked and then wiggled my fingers to caress Shin Haejun’s palm.

“You’ll get arrested if you commit murder. Does Sehyun know about this situation?”

“He said he’s coming. I told him he has no right to come and to stay away. I really don’t understand what he was thinking, recommending food you’re allergic to.”

I know, right? Was he trying to mess with me because he was angry about Shin Haejun taking care of me?

“What, was it a joke? Did he think you wouldn’t eat it anyway so he was just messing around? I really want to kill him.”

“Hmm…”

Why do people who harm others always say it was just a joke? They should at least be smart about it.

‘It’s so obvious, it’ll be revealed right away.’

Of course, Kim Sehyun probably expected that I wouldn’t eat it. Even so, didn’t he think Shin Haejun would get angry for ruining the event?

‘He seems almost anxious…’

As I was thinking this, I suddenly paused.

Kim Sehyun is anxious?

‘Could it be… he’s afraid of losing Shin Haejun?’

When people are anxious and uneasy, they tend to make mistakes they wouldn’t normally make. Honestly, there was no other explanation that made sense.

“I was so scared of losing you…”

Shin Haejun murmured, pressing his cheek against my hand.

He must have seen people die in dungeons more than once or twice… But I guess it’s understandable, seeing someone you like dying right in front of your eyes in real-time.

‘What the…’

Am I now certain that Shin Haejun likes me? I tried so hard not to acknowledge it.

I was surprised by my own sudden realization. The warmth of his cheek against my hand even felt… kind of cute.

“By the way, can’t we take this thing out of my nose?”

“You got an anti-allergy shot, but your face is still really swollen. The doctor said even your pupils were swollen earlier. Keep it in until the doctor says it’s okay to remove it.”

When I complained while feeling the tube in my nose, Shin Haejun replied with a serious face. My face is really swollen? How bad is it for him to say that?

“Is there a mirror?”

Shin Haejun hesitated at my words.

“No, mirrors are forbidden for now.”

“Why!”

“You’ll be shocked if you see. Don’t look.”

Shin Haejun earnestly advised with a very serious face. I raised my hand to feel my face. As I touched my eyelids, I could definitely feel they were swollen like I’d been stung by bees.

“My face!”

My whole face was completely swollen. It was such a mess that I could imagine how I looked even without a mirror.

I fumbled around looking for my phone.

“Where’s my phone?”

“Here.”

Shin Haejun handed me my phone without any suspicion. I immediately opened the camera app to check my face.

“Wow…”

I was speechless for a moment. It really was a mess. As I let out a hollow laugh in disbelief, Shin Haejun seemed to realize what I was checking and quickly snatched the phone away.

“Cameras are forbidden for now too.”

“…Don’t you want to laugh seeing this face?”

I think it would be hilarious if it were me. As I pulled the blanket up to cover my face, Shin Haejun pulled it back down.

“What’s funny? You think this situation is funny?”

“No, it’s just… I’ve become so ugly with all this swelling… Honestly, it seems kind of funny.”

To say things like “I was scared of losing you” with such a serious face while looking at this face. That’s quite a talent.

As I expressed my disbelief, Shin Haejun suddenly lowered his head deeply. Then he kissed my forehead.

“W-what are you doing?”

I opened my eyes wide in surprise, and Shin Haejun moved away from me, raising his hands as if confessing.

“I don’t care what you look like. I like you, okay?”

“W-why did you k-kiss my forehead!”

“To prove my love. I won’t laugh at you or avoid you.”

Shin Haejun said with a very serious face.

That face suddenly… seemed to shine brightly.

The hospital furniture, walls, windows, all these things looked blurry as if they were out of focus, and only Shin Haejun’s face was clear in my vision. His face, as always, full of confidence and certainty.

‘What the…!’

Am I broken? Did the tuna allergy damage my heart? I pressed and rubbed my chest. As I did so, Shin Haejun placed his hand on my chest with a worried look.

“What’s wrong, is your heart hurting suddenly? I’ll call a doctor or nurse!”

He was about to press the nurse call button. I blinked and… pulled on Shin Haejun’s clothes.

“What am I going to do.”

Really, what am I going to do. My heart was pounding.

I thought I’d never do something this stupid again…

‘I thought I’d never give my heart to someone else.’

I guess I really don’t learn.

Seeing how I keep feeling these stupid emotions.

But really… I could feel my heart pumping blood faster.

Seeing how he kisses me without hesitation even when I look like this, could he be someone who would like me no matter what kind of person I am?

The moment I thought that, the moderate affection I had felt before suddenly swelled.

“I… I think I like you.”

Shin Haejun’s body froze at my words. Then he quickly turned his head to look at me.

“Say it one more time. I didn’t hear wrong, did I?”

Seeing his reaction, I didn’t want to say it again so easily.

“It’s just a little bit of affection, that’s all.”

“Still, say it one more time.”

“No.”

“Why!”

“I don’t want to say it looking like this.”

As I pouted and spoke, then pulled the blanket over my head again, I heard thumping sounds. Shin Haejun stomped his feet and then quickly pulled my blanket back down.

“Please say it. Hmm?”

I stubbornly kept my mouth shut. Then Shin Haejun tapped my lips with his index finger.

“You’re ugly.”

“What…!”

“But you’re cute.”

I hadn’t said anything like I’m dying of love or it’s eternal love… but it was still a confession of sorts, wasn’t it?

Just as I was about to protest that this was no way to respond to a confession, Shin Haejun struck my heart with his words. I bit my lip hard. I could feel my cheeks burning hot.

“I really like you. Truly.”

Shin Haejun said again with a serious face.

I didn’t expect things to turn out like this in this situation… but honestly, it wasn’t unpleasant to hear. Like getting energy from eating sugar, the sweet feeling gave me a sense of elation.

“…Me too.”

I finally admitted it again. Then Shin Haejun came closer and hugged me tightly.

“Ow, ow!”

And because I was hugged so tightly that I felt like I was being crushed, I couldn’t help but scream as the needle in the back of my hand twisted. As blood spread on the back of my hand, a startled Shin Haejun pounded the nurse call button and shouted.

“Nurse!”

***

Despite the doctor’s opinion that I could be discharged the same day, Shin Haejun made a fuss and opposed it. His argument was how could I go out looking like this. Because of Shin Haejun, my attending physician was almost denounced as someone unqualified to be a doctor.

I had to coax Shin Haejun to go home for the sake of the poor doctor.

“Is there anything you’re uncomfortable with?”

The caregiver auntie that Shin Haejun called asked in a kind voice. I nodded with an awkward smile. It was uncomfortable being alone in the hospital room with someone of such an advanced age.

‘That damn jealousy…’

Shin Haejun’s criteria for choosing a caregiver was age. No young women, no young men. The reason was that they might fall for me.

That’s why an elderly auntie became my caregiver.

‘He’s crazy…’

Who am I going to seduce looking like this?

I felt like I was going to die of discomfort, but fortunately, the auntie said she would step out for a moment. As I lay there chatting with Shin Haejun on messenger on my phone, suddenly I heard a knock at the door.

‘Is it time for rounds?’

It hadn’t been long since the nurse visited. Moreover, if it were a doctor or nurse, they would knock and then come right in, but there was no sound from outside.

“Who is it?”