BJ Villainess – Chapter 290

Author: alyalia

* * *

The blind date was arranged quickly, and the day to meet in person arrived soon enough. Unable to withstand Senior Seonga’s pressure, I wore a blouse instead of my usual drab hoodies. It felt quite awkward to wear such pretty clothes since it had been a while.

Ding! The door of a pleasantly cozy Italian restaurant opened, and a well-groomed man walked in. Spotting me, he approached with a bright smile.

“Hello. Are you Shin Jiwoo?”

“Yes, hello.”

“I’m Kim Cheolsoo.”

It was quite a standout name in a way. He didn’t give off a greasy smile or show excessive enthusiasm toward me. Feeling at ease, I enjoyed a good meal and started the conversation.

“Actually, I work in app development. I’ve heard so much about your skills and wanted to meet you.”

“I see.”

“I’ve just developed a new app. Would you like to take a look?”

It was an interesting topic, so I nodded readily. The man came to sit beside me, showing me his phone screen.

[This screen will not be visible to the constellations. From now on, just agree with what I say naturally.]

What? I looked at the man with startled eyes.

“It’s quite good, right?”

“…Ah, yes.”

“Aren’t you interested in developing mobile games?”

[You’re currently trapped in a dungeon. We’re trying to get you out from the outside, but our intervention is limited.]

“I’m interested… I’m planning to create a portfolio first and then apply to a foreign company.” I pretended to agree clumsily, glancing at the screen again.

[The master of the world will be waiting for you when you go home now. As far as we know, it’s already the fifth time. It seems he’s rewinding time every time he fails to improve his relationship with you.]

The master of the world? Rewinding time? What does all this mean?

[We barely managed to find out because he recklessly returned to this world. He can rewind time without the constellations knowing.]

“Ah, you’re considering foreign companies. In that case, why not consider the company I’m part of?”

“What kind of company is it?”

“We’re a foreign company too. As you can see, it’s not small.”

[This time, forgive and accept him. Otherwise, this hard-won contact with you will be erased. Don’t let him rewind time until you’re proposed by him.]

I couldn’t understand any of it, yet my instincts sensed something ominous, sending chills throughout my body.

“… Who’s the master?”

I asked about the identity of this master of the world, and the man smiled, touching the screen.

“You mean the founder? It’s Mr. Turner.”

I stared blankly at the name displayed on the screen.

[Ozworld.]

“Oh dear, I’ve got a call from the company.”

[Be sure to refuse the proposal. Otherwise, you’ll never be able to return home.]

“I hope we get to talk again next time.”

“Wait a minute, let’s talk a little more…!”

“Thank you for coming today.” The man, as if he had completed his task, put his phone in his pocket and left without any hesitation.

* * *

On the bus ride home, I kept thinking about the message on the screen the man showed me.

I am trapped in a dungeon. I could guess that just by looking at the messages in my phone’s inbox.

This dungeon was created by Ozworld. And they said Ozworld was continually rewinding time.

Why? Could all that be true? If so, if I go home now, Ozworld will be there…

I was walking along a narrow alleyway when I reached the villa where I lived. Under the dim street light that faintly illuminated the dark night, a strikingly tall man stood. The man was backlit, so I couldn’t see him clearly, but his silhouette told me he was very handsome. I knew only one man who exuded such a presence.

“Jiwoo.”

True to the message on the screen, Ozworld was waiting in front of the house. As he stepped closer, his features became clearer, and for a moment, I felt a nostalgic longing as if I had returned to a day when I was 18.

To the moment when we walked hand in hand, wearing school uniforms, on a path covered with falling cherry blossoms. To the day when it rained, and we shared an umbrella, getting soaked but laughing all the same to the time when we secretly skipped self-study and shared ice cream at the store.

“I’m sorry.” Ozworld hesitated as if pleading as he approached my frozen self. “I’m sorry for disappearing like that. It was my fault.”

Ozworld looked exhausted or perhaps anxious and restless. It was a side of him I had never seen before, who always seemed confident.

“Can’t you forgive me?”

What should I say at times like this? Honestly, I had imagined moments like this alone before. No, I had imagined it countless times. Every time, I pictured various reactions: blaming him, running to embrace him, or coldly suggesting we live our separate lives now. But I had never envisioned this scenario.

“Why did you come to find me?”

“Because I never left you… I know it doesn’t make sense. But I didn’t want to leave you, Jiwoo.”

I wanted to ask what his true identity was.

I’m scared. I’m scared because I don’t know what he’s. What does he want from me? Why is all this happening to me? Is all of this his doing?

“It seems we’ve been apart for too long to say such things.” Ozworld’s eyes trembled slightly. He bit his lip as if enduring something, then spoke in a suppressed voice. “This is my limit.”

There was a hint of hatred in his voice. I quickly realized it wasn’t directed at me. Ozworld dropped his lips, then closed them again. He seemed to be choosing his words. Finally, he spoke.

“Can’t you give me a chance?” His voice, asking for a chance, lacked strength. Seeing him so confused, like someone worn out by unfamiliar failure, made my chest feel dry and empty.

“…I need time. Right now, I’m confused too.”

I tried to walk past Ozworld into the house but hesitated. What if Ozworld gives up this time and rewinds time again? I mustn’t let this memory disappear.

I turned around and looked at Ozworld, who was still there, watching me. “Can you give me your contact information? I need to be able to reach you.”

Ozworld’s eyes widened and then relaxed in relief. Seeing his expression as if he were about to cry made my heart feel heavy. That expression was too genuine to be a lie, which troubled me even more.

After receiving his number, I fled into the house.

Ozworld had returned to my life. If what the man said was true, he had already appeared before me five times and rewound time to this point.

The reason being that I didn’t forgive him, which was somewhat hard to understand. With today’s attitude, I would definitely have accepted Ozworld. Though I couldn’t be sure what my current feelings were exactly, I would have undoubtedly continued our connection.

…Ah, is that the problem? Did we perhaps fail to become lovers afterward?

I struggled to imagine the erased time I could never recall and stayed awake until dawn. Around 5 a.m., I finally managed to sleep as the sound of rain began to fall outside the window.

But my effort was in vain, as I woke up to loud noises not long after falling asleep. Something felt damp at my feet? Startled, I sat up, only to be shocked.

“What the heck!”

The ceiling was leaking. It seemed to be due to the torrential rain outside. It was an emergency, and I needed to contact the landlord immediately, but strangely, I thought of my latent psychic ability. Could it be resolved like this too?

“Stop!”

Embarrassingly, nothing happened.

What kind of power is this, working only sporadically? Anyway, it was clear I couldn’t resolve it on my own, so I quickly called the landlord.

“Oh dear, I thought I fixed it, but here it goes again!”

Apparently, it wasn’t the first time the roof had leaked.

“What should I do now?”

“We’ll have to fix it. But it won’t be immediate; it’ll take some time. You might need to stay at your family’s place for a bit. I won’t charge you rent for this month or until the repairs are done.”

This makes me crazy. Having nowhere to go back to made me feel hopeless in this situation. I might have to rely on someone else for help.

As I rummaged through my phone, considering who to ask, I spotted Ozworld’s name prominently displayed in my contacts. I instinctively stopped scrolling. Come to think of it, if my memory was still intact, does that mean Ozworld hadn’t turned back time? Or was the man lying?

First, let’s solve this situation.

I stuffed my belongings into a bag and called Senior Lim Seonga. “Senior.”

–Oh, Jiwoo! You’re calling first, what’s up?

“The ceiling in my place is leaking, so I need to stay somewhere else for a while. Could I stay at your place for a few days?”

-Really? That’s a big problem. My house is a bit crowded, but how about I lend you a room in my officetel?

I contacted her, believing she would be of appropriate help, and she readily offered a solution.

“Thank you. I’ll repay the favor.”

-Don’t worry about it. Just work hard at the company I’ll establish later. Oh, by the way, I’ve been really into mobile games lately. Do you…

The senior rambled on about what kind of game she should make before giving me the officetel address and password, then ended the call.

I immediately caught a taxi to Senior Seonga’s officetel.

“Gosh, it’s raining a lot.” The driver clicked his tongue, driving slowly.

“Indeed.”