I Don’t Want to be a Villainess

Summer vacation was… fun.

Of course, I was always worried about reporters bugging me, so I spent most of my time at home.

But this house was spacious enough that no matter what we did inside, we could have a blast. If I think about it, we were practically renting out a whole hotel in the middle of the city. Well, to be honest, it was more like a building closer to a department store, but who cares as long as it’s fun, right?

We lounged around in the room together. When we ran out of things to do, we turned off all the lights and watched movies with the new projector we bought together. Even Yang Hye-in, who was busy working, joined us. To be honest, we watched so many movies that I couldn’t even remember a standout one.

But Sohee mentioned it was a bit disappointing not to go camping during summer, so we set up a tent in the backyard of the mansion and had a barbecue party. We called Sohee’s sister Sori and Areum too. They ran around excitedly, and even though it was a bit overwhelming with Sori clinging to me, it was a very enjoyable memory.

Since I said I didn’t particularly want to go to the beach, we set up a portable pool in the backyard and filled it with water, which I admired in a way.

Seeing a swimsuit perfectly sized for me ready was almost touching.

Of course, it was sarcasm.

Seriously, how did they know my size…?

So scary…

To remember how Sara reacted back then.

Honestly, I was a little scared too.

If they measured me while I was sleeping, that was scary enough, but if it was guessed from the sensation of them always clinging to and hugging me, that was scary in its own right.

“Sara, you’re so cute!”

Seeing me in a red bikini with lace, Ha Neul screamed like she saw a ghost.

Ha Neul was really passionately taking pictures. Just for reference, she was also in a bikini similar to mine, but hers was yellow. The design was much simpler. It wasn’t too revealing, but it suited her perfectly, showcasing her balanced figure.

Though she seemed to have no intention of taking pictures of herself.

“Ah, I made the right choice with this…”

Sohee looked genuinely moved by her own choices. She was, of course, holding her smartphone. Click, click, the sound of taking pictures never stopped.

Sohee was wearing a rash guard swimsuit. The cropped design made her body intriguingly show through, and I thought it looked amazing on her. Thanks to her mid-size build, which was even bigger than Ha Neul’s, even a nearly cover-up rash guard-like swimsuit highlighted that area significantly.

Of course, like Ha Neul, she didn’t seem to want to take pictures of herself either.

“…I think not going to the pool or beach was a good decision.”

Sua said with a slightly eerie tone, also holding her smartphone.

Sua was also in a bikini like Ha Neul and me. Calling it retro, it had a white base with floral patterns and more lace than mine; however, her sophisticated vibe made it look good on her without difficulty.

She was shorter than me, but her bust made her look extremely curvy. While she was smaller in size than Sohee, the proportions made her look relatively bigger. Not wanting to expose too much, she wore a thin white cover-up, but the front was open enough that the most provocative parts were visible.

Now, it’s like describing it would hurt my mouth, but I should mention again that Sua was also diligently snapping pictures of me.

When Sua said something, Ha Neul and Sohee nodded vigorously, making it a bit scary.

…By the way, having me wear a red bikini when I don’t have a body like these three makes me speechless. I mean, I’ve never even imagined wearing a swimsuit, so I had no idea how to put one on.

…Is it really okay?

Honestly, I don’t know either…

That’s right. Sara was a girl who had never worn a swimsuit until now. Even if she did, it would have been an incredibly young age. Just too young to even remember it.

“Huh?”

As I stood there blankly, I suddenly realized the shutter sound had stopped.

“…What’s wrong?”

When I asked the kids, who were oddly silent while staring at me, the three exchanged glances for a brief moment.

Then all three simultaneously lunged at me.

“Ah, wait, ah!”

It was no surprise that all three of us were lifted at once and tossed into the pool.

*

So even though I spent most of my vacation indoors, it was still quite fun. Perhaps it was simply due to the enjoyment of living without having to go to work or school, just lounging around. Lowering the weight on my heart, living as I wanted, following my desires.

Will this kind of life continue?

Honestly, I’m not sure yet.

But that doesn’t mean I need to worry about it now. I have no idea how the future will turn out either.

Well, I’ve never known up until now.

And in order to solidify that future, I went to the last place I needed to go.

“Did you see the news?”

It’s quite ironic to be asking Yoon Da-ho, the person I need to see at the end of this.

“Yeah.”

Yoon Da-ho still looked drained. Is he still treated like a punching bag by that old man?

“…You weren’t hit today, were you?”

With a look that said “I know exactly what you’re thinking,” Yoon Da-ho shrugged and ran his fingers through his hair. It was a very ‘male lead’ pose.

So annoying.

“Then did you hit back?”

“Who knows.”

Even more annoying.

Well, it doesn’t really matter. Seeing this guy’s refreshing expression makes me feel bad for no reason. I suppose he’s kept that old man in check now that he knows our relationship probability has dropped to zero.

If I continued watching, it felt like I’d start a fight, so I decided to give just the important message.

“So we’re done, right?”

“Done? There was nothing to start in the first place.”

“Huh?”

When I tilted my head in confusion, Yoon Da-ho responded with a puzzled expression.

“You asked me whether I saw the news earlier.”

“So?”

“Didn’t you watch the news, then?”

“I didn’t.”

Yoon Da-ho’s mouth slightly dropped open. The kids who were listening also looked shocked.

“Why not? It’s an obvious story even if you don’t watch the news.”

“No, if that’s the case, you wouldn’t know what the old man said…” No, forget it. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know. Anyway, it’s over now.”

Well, I’ll just check an online article later.

That’s what I thought.

“It was dirty being together, and let’s not meet again.”

When I said that, Yoon Da-ho cheerfully replied, “Who’s saying that?”

At least I’m glad we agreed on the last part.

*

I see.

After Choi Na-kyung’s issue became an article, the former and current chairpersons of the Ho-myeong Group completely denied the rumors about Yoon Da-ho and me. They probably thought that having my name attached wouldn’t yield any good news. They seemed to be wary about claims that I was forced into an engagement or evidence of collusion with Choi Na-kyung…

Really, this scandal seems huge enough to dazzle everyone.

After all, most of the people caught in the mental hospital that day were from the Ho-myeong Group. Moreover, the story with Choi Na-kyung hiding could not possibly stay hidden.

Well, denying it doesn’t mean they’ll keep my mouth shut. The police aren’t fools.

Even if there were people from the Ho-myeong Group who took bribes, it’s about time someone figured out they’re dealing with a rotten old rope. If they get entangled more here, they’ll be dragged down too. Or maybe they’ll even catch some germs from that rotten old rope.

Let’s keep an eye on it for now. If there’s any part of the investigation that stalls, I might slip in a statement here and there. Does Yoon Da-ho still have bruises left?

“You seem really happy.”

Nam Da-un said with a hint of curiosity.

It was my first run after the vacation.

It seemed that all the running I’d done during the semester helped a lot because I could now run one lap steadily. If my condition was good, I could run even more without collapsing.

Still, working out was quite a hassle.

“I finally did everything I could.”

“Is that so?”

Nam Da-un listened to me and looked behind.

I turned around to follow his gaze. Ha Neul, Sua, and Sohee were standing in a line. All three of them had incredibly refreshed expressions.

I guess I looked just as bright as they did.

I put my hand on my chest. My heart was pounding strongly from just a moment ago when I was running.

I was alive.

The beating of my heart, as if it pledged not to give up on life any longer, belonged to both me and Sara.

“Whew.”

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

You did well.

Until now.

And I softly patted myself as if giving encouragement.

…

Sara was momentarily silent.

I waited for a bit. Was she concentrating on her consciousness? The surrounding sounds faded away. It felt as if the sensations were dulled a little, like being underwater, and I felt as if I were the only one here.

No, I wasn’t alone.

In front of me, Sara was standing.

I couldn’t see her expression. I couldn’t see her body.

Sara was here with me.

But I was sure I had seen Sara smiling brightly.

Right in front of me, Sara said with a smile,

You did well. Thank you.

And taking one step closer to me—

I like you.

She whispered that.

My expression couldn’t be seen either, but I thought I was probably smiling as brightly as Sara.

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