Chapter 2. What The Hell Is Going On? (2)

Translator: Lili

— I’m Shin Sera! Do you think you can get away with doing this to me and live?!

On-screen, a woman lay sprawled on the floor, screaming in rage. The scene cut to a man sneering down at her coldly.

— This is just your punishment. What’s so unfair about it? Instead of whining, maybe you should blame your own stupidity.

— Fine, go ahead and gloat. You, her—both of you—I’ll chase you to the ends of hell and tear you apart with my own hands!

It was a drama she had stumbled upon while browsing YouTube’s streaming section. A completely ridiculous soap opera—bad acting, awkward dialogue, and an overall low-budget feel. There was no way this was ever on mainstream TV.

But the strangest thing of all was that villain, Shin Sera.

“She really shouldn’t be laughing it off like that.”

Jia clicked her tongue but felt nervous inside. This was because Shin Sera, who had been repeatedly committing petty misdeeds and facing retaliation, had finally devised a plan to kill the female protagonist.

— Lee Seonkyung, that bitch is the problem. I must get rid of her no matter what… Everything will be solved once the root of my troubles disappears…

The reactions of the male protagonists who noticed the villain’s plan were just as extreme.

— Shouldn’t she have learned by now that touching Lee Seonkyung will only ruin her life even more? If not, we’ll just have to teach her.

— She’s not the type to come to her senses just because she breaks an arm or a leg, so don’t bother feeling sympathy—just deal with her properly. And if an unfortunate accident happens in the process, well, that’s just how it is.

— Why is our Sera so desperate to ruin her own life? She’s acting cute, which only makes me want to torment her more.

Was this the true charm of a soup opera drama?

Everything was a mess, yet the immersion was incredible. Jia wasn’t rooting for the vicious Shin Sera, but she was admittedly curious to see just how far she would go and how absurdly she would meet her downfall.

***

“Ugh, my back hurts…”

How much time had passed? Lying on her side while watching TV, Jia let out a small groan. She had been so engrossed in the drama that her entire body felt stiff.

It was already past 2 a.m. She thought she should sleep, but she was too curious about the ending. As she hesitated and then decided to keep watching, she stood up to get some water.

“Ugh…!”

A sudden, crushing pain clenched her heart, followed by a tidal wave of agony so intense that she couldn’t breathe. Staggering, Jia collapsed, slamming her forehead hard against the sofa table.

“Ah… Ugh… Hh… Ngh…”

The excruciating pain made her feel like she was moments away from death. Her body convulsed as if having a seizure, and the blood trickling from her torn forehead stained her vision a deep crimson.

‘Quickly… an ambulance…’

Her trembling fingers managed to reach her phone. Barely typing in 119, Jia was about to press the call button.

“…!”

Another wave of pain tore through her chest, making the phone slip from her grasp. At that moment, she instinctively understood.

‘This is it for me. Such a pointless death…’

Her vision flickered as her consciousness faded.

Something—blood or tears—rolled down her cheek. Her weakening fingers twitched and accidentally tapped the screen. At the same time, the static-ridden display blinked off, as if the phone had reached the end of its lifespan.

And with that, Jia’s consciousness sank into a deep abyss.

***

“Wake up.”

…What is this voice?

“I said, wake up, Shin Sera.”

What the hell are they talking about…?

Jia groaned in pain, her head pounding as if it were about to split open. She was still groggy, but she could tell that the surroundings were chaotic.

“Stop pretending to be asleep, fuck. Open your eyes.”

The hostility in the voice pulled her further out of the haze.

‘Where… am I?’

She was sure she had collapsed from what seemed like cardiac arrest while watching a soup opera drama. So why was there a man…?

As she forced her heavy eyelids open, Jia flinched. A stunningly handsome man was glaring at her.

The moment she wondered who he was, her lips moved on their own and called out his name.

“… Lee Rowoon?”

‘Wait, Lee Rowoon?’

If it was Lee Rowoon, wasn’t he one of the male protagonists from the drama she had just been watching?

Even though she had never seen him in real life, she was absolutely certain that this man was Lee Rowoon.

‘What the hell is going on?’

Shocked, Jia quickly sat up. She had no idea why Lee Rowoon was in front of her or why he was so angry at her. She retraced the conversation in her mind.

— Wake up, Shin Sera.

He had definitely called her Shin Sera. But why?

“Ugh, my head…”

Feeling increasingly disoriented, Jia clutched her head and groaned. Seeing her reaction as another one of her antics, Lee Rowoon gritted his teeth with a fierce expression.

“I know you pull this bullshit every time things don’t go your way, so just fucking spit it out. What the hell are you trying to pull now?”

Jia had no idea what he was talking about. Raising her hands defensively, she stammered,

“Wait, wait… What is going on? I definitely collapsed… Did you save me?”

“Hah, what nonsense are you spewing? Are you joking?”

Ignoring Lee Rowoon’s baffled expression, Jia looked around.

She was in a luxurious, high-end bedroom that seemed at least several dozen square meters in size. It was definitely not a hospital.

“What the…?”

A creeping sense of fear washed over her. She frantically glanced around and then spotted a full-length mirror in the corner of the room. Panicked, she stumbled toward it.