Chapter 1
A striking figure stood at the edge of a cruise ship, the ends of his gold-blond hair swaying together with the sea wind, beneath a night sky spread out wide and glimmering.
He was so dazzling, so delicately handsome, that anyone looking at him would stop short, unable to decide — was this a man or a woman? There was an indescribable quality to him, something that made it impossible to look away.
But he was undeniably male. A face so perfect, so out of this world, that it had become the seed of resentment planted deep in his own twin sister's heart. She loathed him.
The hatred ran so deep that she was prepared to see him dead for her own peace of mind — and she was not alone. Nor was she simply selfish.
Despite everything, she had been nothing but generous, pitying him and treating him with kindness, even though all he had ever given her in return was cruelty and pain.
Five men stood beside his sister, their eyes fixed on him, filled with disgust, some sharpened with open hostility.
Yeonho could only look back at them with a bitter, broken smile.
But it was the sight of his sister's sad, pitying smile that twisted his heart the most, stoking the flames of his resentment higher than ever.
"Just kill me… What are you all staring at? You've already taken everything, so why don't you finish the job, you pathetic bitch!"
He practically screamed the words, tears streaming down his face, yet he was still smiling, almost mad with despair.
Now that things had come to this, Yeonho's gaze held steadily on his sister's face, ignoring the men beside her who were eyeing him with barely contained hostility.
"How dare you open your mouth after everything you've done to her?!"
The man standing on his sister's right stepped forward, pointing at Yeonho, his accusation sharp and loud.
Yeonho didn't answer. He simply let the tears fall, until suddenly, he began to laugh — loud, hysterical laughter that mingled with the sobbing.
His sister, Hana, and the men beside her looked on as he writhed in his misery, looking every bit the mad villain they believed him to be. He looked pitiful, broken, and small.
But Yeonho didn't care. After all, he was supposed to be the villain in his sister's story.
He had been pushed and forced into doing things he never would have chosen, and now here he was, paying the price for someone else's narrative.
Unable to stand thinking about the injustices any longer, he tilted his head back, tears still tracking down his cheeks, and looked up at the night sky.
Even now, at the end of his life, he couldn't help but admire the breathtaking beauty of the stars spread out like diamonds above the dark water.
"Do you feel no remorse at all? How can you still smile after making my life a living hell, brother?"
Hana's voice was low, heavy with sadness. Yeonho didn't even bother to look at her.
Instead, he smiled almost tenderly at the night sky, the moonlight catching on his pale skin and turning his blond hair into spun gold as the wind tugged at the strands.
There was nowhere for him to run. He was restrained and helpless.
The only thing he could still move was his head, so he kept it tilted upwards, drinking in the last sight of freedom.
"It's getting cold. I'm going inside… Please… deal with this properly."
Hana turned away without looking back. Now that her brother was going to die, she didn't want to see it happen.
No matter how much she pitied him, she could not bring herself to forgive the pain he had caused her.
A tear slid silently down her cheek as she walked away. The men beside her quickly moved to offer comfort, guiding her gently back toward the warm, bright interior of the ship.
"Don't cry, Hana. He isn't worth your kindness. Remember, we saved you from the danger he posed."
Hana nodded, her mind drifting back to the time she had almost lost her life because of him.
Taking one last glance at her brother, standing small and alone in the moonlight, she took a deep shaky breath and whispered under her breath so that no one could hear.
"Goodbye, brother."
Then she stepped inside, leaving him alone with the men who were there to carry out the sentence.
Once the door closed behind her, the atmosphere shifted instantly. The men who were left behind looked at Yeonho, their expressions no longer restrained or polite.
"She's inside now. I don't have to hold back anymore. Are you afraid to die?"
Yeonho finally looked at them, the smile completely gone from his face, but tears still running freely down his cheeks.
Even now, like this — in despair, restrained, and facing death — the men could not deny his striking looks.
He looked ethereal, almost unreal, the moonlight and starlight enhancing his appearance to something out of a dream.
But no matter how dazzling the outside was, his soul was said to be as dark and dirty as the deepest, darkest filth.
"Just do it… and end this."
Yeonho mumbled the words dully, his face impassive. His lack of reaction only seemed to make the men hate him more.
His indifference seemed arrogant, as if dying was not something he cared about.
"If that is really what you want… I'll grant your wish."
Yeonho didn't even flinch, which made him look disturbingly calm and almost intimidating.
He stood there waiting, looking at the man who spoke. The word wish rang in his head, and for a moment, his entire life — from the happy days in the beginning to the bitterness of the end — flashed through his mind in rapid succession.
Then he heard it — the sharp, distinct click of a gun being cocked. He looked up at the sky one last time, waiting.
BANG!
A loud shot rang out. The bullet struck him right in the stomach, and the impact knocked him backward over the ship railing.
He fell, falling into the dark sea below. His vision swam and blurred, and everything seemed to slow down to a crawl.
He sank deeper and deeper into the water, looking up as he did. The stars above the surface looked distant and dim now.
Blood began to seep out into the water, staining the sea around him dark red. He felt his lungs begin to burn as the oxygen ran out.
'Is it really too much to ask for someone to love me? Someone to listen to me? Someone to truly understand me?'
The question that had haunted him his entire life was the last thing in his mind as he sank. Darkness was beginning to creep in at the edges of his vision, and his strength was leaving him.
Now that Yeonho was gone, Hana could finally live the peaceful life she deserved.
The End.
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"What the hell is this ending?! And why did he have to use my name for the villain?!"
Yeonho slammed his hand down hard on his desk, staring at the screen of his laptop in disbelief and rage.
He was sitting in his room, reading the novel written by his cousin, and he was absolutely livid. His cousin, Lim Taejoon, had not only created a despicable villain but had deliberately named him — Choi Yeonho — his own name.
"This is utter garbage! Dammit! I swear I'm going to kill that son of a bitch when I see him!"
He stood up abruptly, shoving his chair back and slamming his laptop shut. He couldn't believe his cousin would stoop this low.
They had been rivals for as long as he could remember, but this was crossing the line.
He changed his clothes and stormed out of his house. He knew exactly where his cousin would likely be — at the internet café he worked at just around the corner.
With every step he took, his anger rose.
He had warned Taejoon not to play dirty, and now this? He wasn't going to hold back this time.
"Where is that bastard?"
He strode straight to the cashier desk as soon as he walked in.
The attendant behind the desk visibly stiffened as soon as she saw who it was.
She knew exactly why he was there — she had read the novel herself, and she was well aware of the infamous rivalry between the two cousins.
"He… He's not here today. He left for Jeju Island yesterday evening."
She scratched her cheek nervously, looking at the dark expression on Yeonho's face.
"He said he was going on vacation… I think he'll be back next Sunday, Mr. Choi… Do you want me to contact you as soon as he returns?"
"Do that. And make sure you don't tell him I was looking for him."
Yeonho didn't stay any longer. He turned around and walked out of the shop, seething.
"Dammit, Taejoon… You coward…"
He stood on the street outside, breathing in the cold night air, trying to calm down, but it wasn't working.
He had wasted his entire evening reading that trashy novel, and now Taejoon was hundreds of miles away on vacation while he was stuck here holding back the urge to punch someone.
"Damn it!"
He gave a loose stone on the roadside a vicious kick, sending it skittering across the street.
He didn't care if passersby looked at him strangely. He was in no mood to care about what strangers thought.
He had originally planned to go out and have a good time at a club tonight.
His friends were already there waiting for him but because of Taejoon, his mood was completely ruined.
He took out his phone and called his best friend, Ella. She picked up almost immediately.
[Hey! Are you going to show up or not? We're still partying here! So many people are asking about you — everyone's waiting for our pretty boy Yeonho… Hey, hold on —!]
Her voice was suddenly drowned out by the loud voices of drunken men shouting in the background.
[Is that Yeonho? Babe!]
[We've been waiting ages for you, Yeonho!]
[Shut up! He's coming home with me tonight! I called dibs!]
[What are you talking about? He's obviously mine! Hahaha!]
[Come on, Yeonho! Don't leave us hanging!]
Yeonho could hear every word clearly despite the loud music in the background. Hearing their drunken, rowdy voices somehow helped soothe his anger a little bit.
"Ella? Are you there? Where exactly are you guys?"
He tried to ask, but instead of hearing Ella's answer, he heard one of the men speak up instead.
[Ella's busy flirting with girls! You got stuck with us instead!]
Yeonho rolled his eyes. He wasn't surprised.
With her good looks, height, and muscular build, Ella was attractive to everyone — men, women, straight, or not — she was a natural attention magnet, like himself. They were indeed a perfect pair of best friends — and that was why people were always drawn to hang out with them.
"Give the phone back to her. Tell her to speak to me."
[Hey, give me the phone! Babe, why don't you come stay with me tonight? I just got that designer outfit you were looking for!]
[Get out of here! You'll ruin the conversation!]
[My princess shouldn't have to wait! Give it here!]
[Hey, Yeonho! — Hey! Give it back, asshole!]
[Hahaha! Got it! Yeonho, where are you right— …Hey! What the —? Who took the phone now?!]
[Hello? Is this the famous Yeonho? The one every guy is crazy about?]
Yeonho rubbed his temples in exasperation. He couldn't believe how chaotic this was.
It was obvious that they were all snatching the phone from each other, desperate to be the one to talk to him.
He walked away from the main street and headed towards a darker, quieter side alley, needing a moment to think.
"Put the phone on speaker," he ordered.
[Yeonho! You spoke! I missed your voice!]
[Babe, come join us right now! We're having a great time!]
[I know that, you idiots! Where is Ella? Put her on the phone right now.]
He tried to get a word in, but he was just met with more flirty remarks.
[So, who are you spending the night with, huh?]
[That's an easy one — he's obviously coming with me. Right, Yeonho?]
[Don't keep us waiting! Just tell us where you are and I'll come pick you up myself!]
[We just got a new shipment of good whiskey, Yeonho. When are you getting here?]
Yeonho was starting to get seriously annoyed by now.
"Oh my god! Can you guys just shut up for a second?!"
But his shout didn't stop them. They were completely drunk and rowdy, talking over each other, laughing, and arguing for at least five minutes.
"Fine! If you don't give the phone to Ella, I'm not coming out tonight at all! And I was going to say… I'd take all of you on… but now, I won't."
[Whoa! Feisty!]
[You think you can handle all of us? Hahaha!]
[That's our Yeonho — totally badass!]
[See? He's into it! Come on, Yeonho! Get here now!]
"I SAID SHUT UP! GIVE. THE. PHONE. TO. ELLA!"
Yeonho snapped, and this time, they finally quietened down. Even though he secretly enjoyed being the center of attention, right now he needed to talk to his best friend seriously.
[Okay, okay! Chill! I'm handing it over… But you better not take back what you said about us all…]
"Just do as I ask." Yeonho sighed.
He waited patiently for a few minutes until he finally heard Ella's voice again.
[I am so sorry, Yeonho. Those idiots are absolutely crazy. They practically robbed my handset away from me just to talk to you.]
"Nice excuse. They told me you were busy flirting with girls."
[Hey, some girls just asked to take a picture and feel my muscles! I couldn't say no, could I?]
She chuckled nervously.
[So… why aren't you here yet? Did something happen?]
"Enough about that. Tell me — did you hear about what Taejoon did?"
Yeonho asked, his voice darkening again.
"He published that stupid story online. And you won't believe what he did."
[Yeah, I read it… He used your name, Yeonho… and you were the bad guy who died in the end. I actually felt sad reading it. It was so tragic… you died… ]
"Stop. I'm not in the mood for jokes."
Yeonho rubbed his face, the anger returning instantly.
"Where is Taejoon right now? Did he seriously run away to Jeju? You guys were together yesterday, weren't you?"
[Yeah, we were at the school assembly together, and had a big dinner afterwards… Wait a second! Didn't I tell you? Taejoon even showed the story to everyone there. Everyone read it yesterday!]
"WHAT?!"
Yeonho shouted out loud, startling some passersby who were walking near the alley entrance.
'That little bastard! He humiliated me in front of everyone! I'm going to kill him when I get my hands on him!'
He kicked the wall beside him hard, unable to describe the anger and humiliation washing over him. Now practically the whole school knew about that stupid story.
Everyone knew the history between him and Taejoon, and they were definitely going to use this to make fun of him.
He could imagine the conversations — "Did you read the story? Taejoon totally destroyed Yeonho this time!" — and he felt sick to his stomach.
Suddenly, his phone began to vibrate — notification after notification popping up on his screen.
He looked down and started scrolling through them.
His heart sank and his hand holding the phone clenched tight.
[Yeonho? Are you still there? You've gone quiet…]
Ella's voice was barely audible to him now. He was too busy reading the comments popping up on the school forum.
"No… I've had enough… Now everyone knows… This is just too much…"
He stared at the screen in disbelief. The comment section was full of people discussing the story, laughing at it, taking sides, and making fun of him.
[School Forum Website]
[@Twinklestar: Taejoon really got him good this time lol.]
[@Lovesbuns09: That was so funny hahaha.]
[@GokuSolos67: Taejoon has to be feeling victorious right now.]
[@SkyWalker2024: If I was Yeonho I don't think I'd ever show my face at school again. Total humiliation.]
[@BurgerKing: Did anyone else notice how Yeonho died in the story? Total beatdown. Clearly personal]
[@Wwe_lover: Why don't you two settle it in a boxing ring once and for all lol.]
[@WarriorMan: Yeonho wouldn't stand a chance against Taejoon anyway.]
[@MilkTea: Can you guys please stop making a public spectacle of yourselves?]
[@KongKing: This drama is getting boring… But I have to admit, seeing Yeonho roasted like this is pretty funny lol.]
[@Yourfoot_34: Looks like Taejoon wins this round. Don't worry Yeonho, I'd still date you even if you died in the story! lol.]
[@LongHairDontCare: I'm on Yeonho's side usually, but I gotta admit — Taejoon was pretty creative with this one. HAHAHA.]
[@Shiarapark: Serves him right. Yeonho acts like such a whore, so it makes sense he dies like trash, lol.]
[@Mango_Shake77: Why do people even like him? He's a total bitch anyway.]
[@EagleEye: Don't hate the player, hate the game. And don't talk about Yeonho without including me! LOLOL.]
[@Panda01: All this trash talking is annoying. I still like Yeonho though.]
[@CEOofPizza: Everyone is laughing… should I be laughing too?]
The comments seemed to go on forever. Yeonho scrolled down, reading line after line.
Some people were defending him, but it was rare. Most of them were mocking him, treating his humiliation like some kind of entertainment.
With every word he read, the grip on his phone tightened until his knuckles turned white.
He wanted to scream at the screen, reply to every single one of them, and give them a piece of his mind. But he knew it wouldn't help.
It would just add fuel to the fire.
[Yeonho! Are you listening to me? Hello? Why aren't you answering?]
Ella's voice finally broke through the buzzing noise in his head. She had been calling his name for a while now.
Yeonho took a deep breath, trying to force his fingers to relax. He needed to calm down.
Getting angry at a screen wasn't going to fix anything.
"I'm here... I'm still here," he managed to say, his voice sounding rougher than usual.
[I take it you saw the forum?] Ella asked, her tone shifting to something softer and more understanding.
"Yeah. I saw it. Everyone has seen it. It's... it's a mess. They're all mocking me."
Yeonho pressed his palm against his forehead, feeling a headache coming on.
[Where are you right now? I'm leaving the club. I don't care about the party. You need someone to talk to.]
"Near the internet cafe. Just around the corner from there," Yeonho answered.
[Okay, stay right there. Wait for me on the sidewalk. Don't go anywhere.]
Ella paused for a second before adding seriously, [And Yeonho... promise me you won't do anything stupid until I get there.]
Yeonho didn't answer immediately. He just ended the call and stuffed the phone back into his pocket.
He leaned back against the wall and exhaled a long, shaky breath.
"Next time... I'll get you back for this, Joon. Just you wait."
He pushed himself off the wall and walked back out to the main street.
The night air was cold, and it helped clear his head a little bit, but the heavy feeling in his chest refused to go away.
It was humiliating, knowing that the whole school was laughing at him.
"I need to calm down..." he muttered to himself, inhaling deeply.
He stood there waiting on the sidewalk.
One minute passed, then five, then ten. His patience was starting to wear thin.
Just as he was about to call Ella again, his phone started ringing in his hand.
He looked at the screen.
"Joon"
Seeing his cousin's name flashing on the screen made his blood boil instantly.
He answered the call immediately, ready to unleash all his anger. But before he could even shout, a different voice came through the speaker.
[Yeonho? Is that you? Oh good! Taejoon is here! We're all eating dinner together, come over right now!]
It was his mother's voice, bright and cheerful, completely unaware of what was happening.
"That fucker..."
Yeonho growled, ignoring his mother's pleasant tone.
"Taejoon! You son of a bitch! I'm going to beat the shit out of you when I get there!"
[Yah! Watch your mouth, Choi Yeonho! How dare you speak like that!]
His mother scolded sharply.
Yeonho didn't wait to hear the rest. He ended the call abruptly.
'So, the bastard wasn't in Jeju at all. He was sitting comfortably at the family dinner table, probably acting like nothing happened.'
Ella was going to kill him for ditching her, but right now, he didn't care.
The only thing he cared about was getting to his cousin and settling the score once and for all.
He stormed off towards the pedestrian crossing, his mind set on one single goal.
The people passing by glanced at him, noticing the dark, almost murderous look on his face, but none of them dared to stop him.
He quickened his pace, his feet hitting the pavement hard. He was going to make Taejoon regret ever messing with him.
But luck was definitely not on his side that night.
Just as he stepped onto the road, a deafening roar of an engine filled the air. Bright headlights blinded him, appearing out of nowhere.
He turned his head towards the sound, but it was too late.
In the blink of an eye...
SCREECH! BAM!
The impact was hard and violent.
Yeonho felt himself being thrown into the air before crashing down onto the hard asphalt.
Pain exploded throughout his entire body, sharp and blinding, making it impossible to breathe.
His vision instantly became blurry, the streetlights and the night sky melting into one big dark mess.
"Pathetic..." he wheezed out, tasting iron in his mouth.
'So this is how I die? Just like that?'
It felt incredibly unfair. He hadn't even gotten the chance to punch Taejoon or clear his name.
He was just going to die on the side of the road, forgotten?
'I refuse... I refuse to die like this! All because of that stupid novel...'
He tried to move, to do something, but his body wouldn't listen to him. The darkness was creeping in fast, swallowing his vision.
The sounds of the street faded away, turning into a muffled silence.
As his consciousness slipped away, the anger and frustration were the last things he felt, before finally, his eyes closed completely.