"Lee Dohyun."
Kang Jiyeon stared at the glowing LCD screen of her smartphone, her fingers trembling slightly as she scrolled through various apps while mumbling "Lee Dohyun" again and again to herself, searching desperately for some trace of their conversations.
Strangely, every message, videos, call gone, like they never existed in the first place. Kang Jiyeon subconsciously shifter her gaze to the 'ORV' physical book she had, sighing heavily. According to the faint fragments of her memory, Lee Dohyun had been more than just a classmate. He was someone she could talk to for hours about ORV- someone she considered as a genuine friend once upon a time. This....
But now?
The only image of him that surfaced in her mind was blurred and distant. A boy in a crisp white button-up shirt, his neatly knotted black-tie shifted slightly in the wind along with his dark hair
"If only I had a picture of him." Kang Jiyeon thought in a fluster as she pressed down her temples.
Wait why am I trying so hard to remember a boy?
Kang Jiyeon had many thoughts surfacing in her mind- spiraling like a storm. However, one thought shined brighter than the rest- an inexplicable, almost like a desperate wish, an urge to solve that boy's identity. She didn't understand why she it mattered so much, eventually unable to resist her own thoughts, Kang Jiyeon who was in deep agony shifted her gaze to her smartphone- before typing a message.
"Hello, this may sound weird, but I think we've met each other."
Second thoughts rushed in like tidal wave. She glared at her phone frozen, her fingers slightly trembling, her mind telling her to delete the message, but her heart refusing to do so. Everything felt uncertain to Kang Jiyeon, her own body defying her.
Delete.
No.
Delete.
No.
Delete.
No!
At every opportunity, Sa-rang would pull out those pictures and stare at them, her fingers brushing lightly against the glossy surface. Pictures of her younger self, laughing beside a boy in a crisp white button-up shirt.
Upon closer inspection, the boy had a mole on the right side of his cheek, another on his right temple, and his dark eyes, partially hidden beneath his dark hair.
Sa-rang used to live with her uncles until, one night, they left without a word, providing the cash every month from a distance. Ever since, she had lived alone. But every time she saw that picture, the boy felt like more than just a figure from her past.
Someone who had shared more than just moments- someone who had lived under the same roof, someone who had been part of her world. Someone Sa-rang loved more than anything, though she couldn't quite remember why.
Some people say, 'Love is the most twisted curse of all time." Certainly, I have come to agree with this fact now- I, someone who had saw Ronan's life from the beginning to the end.
It is a concept that can sometimes be a blessing while also being the most terrifying curse. Once you've been captured by the chain of love, it is almost impossible to seek freedom. It is something that haunts you for the rest of your life... something beyond our comprehension.
Eventually, Kyung-joon's little sister would be engrossed within the texts of 'To Save and Be Saved'. Kang Jiyeon, Sa-rang, Ta-hyung, Kyung-joon and everyone else who had been given divine salvation upon them by Ronan Vercetti will grow to carry the weight of that agonizing, seductive story- a story carved out of someone's suffering. Unable to escape this written fate- the fate of being saved by someone who can't even save himself.
||||| I am not Ronan, though I am the author of this story. |||||
This chapter rather than a slice of Ronan's life, is a viewpoint of the author.
And perhaps even you, dear reader, who are currently reading these words- will find it impossible to escape the pull of this tale. Bore witness to this story!
||||| I shall permit you to take the liberty of being the witness of Ronan's demise. |||||
A luxurious business conference room with polished wooden interior, cream executive chairs, and large windows offering a scenic view. Someone's footsteps could be spied approaching.
Thud.
The black metal door bursts open. Two men stride in, their movements brisk and deliberate. Both are dressed in sharp black suits, though one wears black leather gloves and carries a briefcase. They stand side by side, tension crackling in the air. The man on the right breaking the silence.
"You know they'll eventually remember everything."
The man holding a briefcase, Seojun replies with a curt, "Yes," his face unreadable.
"And you're just going to watch?" the other man's voice rises with anger."The rulebook doesn't say anything about taking second actions," Seojun answers, his dark eyes narrowing. He clenches his fists tightly. "Jang Hyun-woo, you'd best not step into this.""Is that a threat?" Jang Hyun-woo's lips curve into a sadistic smile. "If you're not going to act, then I'll deal with that so-called 'genius' of yours myself."
After Jang Hyun-woo had left, Seojun sighed heavily before muttering "Ronan, be careful."
Just from his appearance alone, Jang Hyun-woo gave off creepy vibes. He was an arrogant bastard, but I guess it's only natural since he had always been the number one. A fragment of memory suddenly slid on his mind.
|||| Their first encounter. |||||
A dark court room- no, almost like a theater. Seojun was sitting at along multiple people. Since the room was extremely dark, he couldn't tell anyone's face, but he was certain that there were people like him- gazing at the dark stage.
Then the stage suddenly lit up, revealing blood red curtains, pure white stage floor.
"I would like to welcome everyone with a heartfelt welcome." a speaker attached to the ceiling began announcing something.
People began chatting amongst themselves, "Is he the representative?"
"Now, I would like to give a word to our number one recruiter, Jang Hyun-woo!"
A person appeared walking along the stage slightly leaning front, his hands in his pockets.
"Would you like to say something?"
Curly blonde hair stood against the light, reflecting it back to us, he shifted his gaze towards the audience. Light blue eyes like the sky with ambiguous expression narrowed, his lips curving up into a sadistic smile. "In this world, winning is everything. Losers are denied completely, and winners are affirmed completely. You see, I've never lost at anything once in my entire my life. Therefore, I am always right, I am absolute. If you have any problems with that stand up."
The crowd fell silent, no one daring to make a sound.
Jang Hyun-woo's cold gaze lingered on us for a moment before he turned around. "Good, then I'm leaving."
He wasn't just an arrogant bastard, he was a manipulative, psychopath- who enjoyed tormenting others. Someone who hated losers but never tasted loss.