ICTV - Chapter 102

ICTV - Chapter 102

I change The Villain

"Hello."

"Hello, Da-seo?!"

Da-seo's expression naturally rotted. It was foresight.

"What are you doing now?" 

"This is Mom's cell phone, wait for a second. Listen to me just for a moment!'

"No. I have nothing to talk to you about."

I really believed what you said and didn't even look for the house! But what if that happens now?

"... Do you really want to live with me?" 

"Of course! I won't go near Ji-hye. If you want... !"

Daseo said clearly.

"Then deposit half of the deposit."

"... What?"

"Originally, because we were such close friends, my parents said they would pay for the entire amount, but now there is no reason to do so."

Pop. 

The phone was disconnected. As expected, it's all about money. After finishing paying, Da-seo picked up the paper bag handed out by her mother.

"But how can she say that we should live together?"

"Tell me after we have fun together for a day."

"He doesn't like playing outside." 

"This guy. That won't be the case now. The CSAT is over." 

Mom flapped her arms like wings. 

"High school seniors are the most prosperous and leisurely time."

"... Still."

"If you're that anxious, try asking her to go shopping with you. When you go to college, you're bound to need a lot of things."

"Good. I will." 

At that time, something caught Da-seo's eyes. Da-seo immediately ran to the display stand. She squatted down, ignoring the clerk's greeting. A pair of shoes sparkled under the lights. Although the shoes had no decoration, they seemed to go well with any outfit.

Da-seo immediately looked at the price tag. The price was very reasonable too. But since she doesn't know the size of Ji-hye, she can't buy it now. Ji-hye and she will have to come to buy these shoes shortly. 

"I'm going to give Ji-hye those shoes as a gift."

"Yes, seeing as how devoted you are to that child, I think you will live well. The problem is that you look so much like us. If you're obsessed with something, you can only see that one thing. Even when you write, you go into a trance.'

"Chi, I'm still not as bad as Mom and Dad. You both forgot to cook food for me and left me at grandmother's house."

"Yes, we have a real problem too. You should never do that." 

As Da-seo headed to another store with her mom, she looked at the shoes one more time. There is a saying that time heals everything. When they spend time together in the same place, trust is bound to develop. Then she can find out. What is it that pushed Ji-hye off a cliff like that?

Da-seo imagined. Ji-hye wears those shoes and happily goes to various places with her with a bright face.

As time passed, Da-seo realized the reason why Ji-hye had such extreme thoughts.

But she didn't find out because Ji-hye told her.

"They bullied the kid like that. Ugh, I thought a good day had finally arrived."

"Is there any family in the world these days that treats their daughters so poorly?" 

She found out about it through someone else's mouth. Da-seo stared blankly at the photo of Ji-hye's portrait in front of her.

***

Da-seo cried. She literally kept crying at the funeral. The reason Ji-hye and Da-seo, who were completely opposites, never had a fight was because she gave in.

Reading a lot of books or being born with everything does not make you wiser. 

Ji-hye, who was not born with everything, was in some ways several times wiser than Daseo. They say that if you stay still, you will get halfway. 

Da-seo thought as she grabbed her fragile hair. Did she say things like how frustrating it is for a child living with such parents and in such a family, and that parents are the ones who truly love them?

Da-seo accidentally hit her head on the floor several times.

It was understandable that Ji-hye did not talk about her situation. What was frustrating was not Ji-hye, but herself. The reason she couldn't give credit was because of what she said out loud.

She couldn't even imagine how much more difficult it must have been for Ji-hye, who was already having a hard time with her family.

Da-seo muttered incessantly an apology that she couldn't reach and then stopped.

How does she know if she doesn't say anything?

Didn't she know all that because Ji-hye didn't tell her? How does she know if she doesn't say anything? If it's uncomfortable, can't she just say it's uncomfortable? Can't she talk like that between friends? What were they really like?

Wait, what?

Da-seo, who was shedding tears, instantly stiffened. Daseo slowly turned her head. Ji-hye's family, dressed in mourning clothes, sat like criminals.

Ji-hye did not talk to her family, and Da-seo did not have a proper conversation with her. That means...

"Are you saying I was on the same level as that family?"

Even when she said it herself, it was shocking. Da-seo's body trembled. Were the words she blurted out that hurt to that extent? 

Otherwise, she didn't think of herself as a friend either. She was equally hurt either way. 

"You're frustrated too, Ji-hye."

Da-seo knows that this is something she shouldn't say to a poor child who died. However, Da-seo continued to say that she was frustrated. She had this ridiculous thought that if she did this. Ji-hye might get angry and come back.

When Ji-hye returns, she has to be prepared to get slapped in the face. She has to be prepared to have Ji-hye grab her hair.

But no matter what she did, Ji-hye did not come back.

Da-seo cried so hard that no tears could come out, so she took out her cell phone. There was still a '1' next to the last message sent. Da-seo read aloud the last message he sent to Ji-hye. 

"Call me as soon as you see this. I was too busy to tell you earlier, but I have some surprising news." 

Da-seo had so much fun shopping with Ji-hye for the first time that she forgot to ask her to move in with her.

Originally, they were going to talk casually while eating at a restaurant, but they were so busy discussing where to go next that they didn't even think about it. So she sent it with the intention of just talking on the phone, thinking that Ji-hye would check and call right away. Ji-hye can't do it forever.

Da-seo finally acknowledged Ji-hye's death as she saw the '1' that did not disappear no matter how long she waited.

Da-seo buried her face in her knees. She could no longer eat with Ji-hye, and she could no longer read the emotional writing that only she could.

Write. Da-seo thought as she binge-watched Ji-hye's novel on the web novel site again. The comment section was filled with readers looking for the author, but it was miserable that there was no one to respond. Da-seo muttered while wiping away tears.

"... It's also fun." 

Ji-hye's writing was all about her taste from beginning to end. She is now eliminated from the contest, but Ji-hye is still a high school student, so it is natural for her. Da-seo thought it was a miracle that she was able to achieve this level of writing ability in an uncooperative environment where not even a single book was purchased. She thought that if she just refined it a little more, if she really refined it a little more, Ji-hye could make it into an official series.

Da-seo turned her head and stared at the books filled with books on the shelf.

"...What do you do when you read a book like that?"

Theory and practice are so different. Da-seo buried her face in her knees. She said that when Ji-hye was really having a hard time, she couldn't say a word, but...

"... I can take revenge on her behalf." 

There was venom in Da-seo's eyes. Da-seo immediately clicked on the group chat room. The children were also dazed by Ji-hye's sudden death. Even if they weren't close friends, it was natural since a child in their class died.

'Da-seo, did you go to the funeral well today?'

Da-seo touched the screen with an expressionless face as if asking when she had cried.

'Yes, I had a nice trip.'

'What's really going on... It is the most joyful and relieving time of the year.'

"But it's time to come. Do you know why Ji-hye died? They say she died in an accident. Is that really true?'

It's an accidental death. Ji-hye fell down the stairs and died. The teacher clearly explained the cause of Ji-hye's death and warned the children not to make strange guesses, but this seemed to have aroused the children's suspicions.

Da-seo's fingers stopped tapping on the screen. But the chat window continued to go down.

'They say she died because she lost her footing, so why am I so uncomfortable?'

Yeah. Da-seo feels a bit uncomfortable too. Her senses are strange. She guesses it's because Ji-hye doesn't talk much and doesn't have any close friends other than Da-seo.

It reminded her of Ji-hye's younger brother who said he would broadcast it in the end. She also remembered Ji-hye's parents screaming at her relatives who asked her why she did that to their child. 

'You know, guys. I heard something strange at the funeral.' 

She swears, that from now on, she will never tell a lie. She will only tell the truth. Da-seo took a deep breath and tapped on the screen.

'Ji-hye. Her parents have been abusing her all this time.' 

'Omg? What?'

'Her family ignored her so much that she ate separately.'

 'Even rice???'

'Yes, that's also leftover food from the family.'

'Crazy, is this really abuse?'

 'How can you do that with rice and nothing else? I find it most saddening to see discrimination based on what you eat. And they only bought what her younger brother asked for, and she didn't, even buy Ji-hye a single set of clothes.'

'Hey.... Did Ji-hye really die in an accident?'

However, it is up to the reader to interpret and guess using it. Da-seo also posted the story in the group chat room she created with other students who were in the same class as Ji-hye younger brother in first grade. If she brings this up at this time, children are bound to find it strange. 

Rumors easily form and spread loudly. She has never felt happier about that fact than she is today. The corners of Da-seo's mouth turned up before she knew it.

And a few days later, Ji-hye's younger brother made his SNS private. This was because Ji-hye's classmates and his classmates who heard the rumor later left comments reprimanding his older sister, asking him why he did that. No matter how much they are loved by their parents and no matter how much they try to broadcast on the Internet, teenagers are still teenagers. When something like this happens, you have no choice but to just hide.

But even though he was young, he was old enough to know that his older sister was being abused. Bystanders were also accomplices. 

After that, Da-seo visited Ji-hye's house, pretending not to know anything. Ji-hye's parents' face had already become half-faced.

Da-seo pretended not to know anything.

"Don't be too sad about Ji-hye. The more this happens, the worse it will be for Ji-hye's heart." 

Jihye's parents nodded. 

"Yes, that's right. I have to shake it off quickly and get up. The longer we are like this, the less likely Jihye will be able to leave in peace."

No, the more you suffer, the more relieved Ji-hye will be. 

Da-seo stared at Ji-hye's parents. They seem like really shameless people. Ji-hye's parents said as they sat across from Da-seo.

"I'm already sad because of Ji-hye. but there are even strange rumors going around."

"Ji-hye said it was because of us. CCTV clearly shows that Ji-hye died in an accident, but it was a suicide. No matter how much I say, people won't believe me."

Of course. Because they are focusing on the fact that you have abused Ji-hye.

Da-seo smiled cynically and listened to Ji-hye's parents in silence.

"We can no longer live in this neighborhood. I feel like I keep thinking about Ji-hye. I'm thinking of moving."

"Moving?"

At that time, Da-seo's eyes caught the pamphlet lying on the table. A pamphlet for a recently built apartment. Da-seo intuitively felt that they were planning to make a new start there.

"Yes. The provisional contract has already been completed."

"..."

"Da-seo, please live as courageously as Ji-hye."

"Yes, that's right."

So I will make you suffer until the end. Regardless of means or methods.

Unless the rumor is explained, it will follow those people until the end. Those people are excited about making a fresh start in a new apartment, but they can't help it.

No matter how much they move or hide their past, the moment someone, really just one person, says, 'Oh, aren't these people the same people?' The rumor will spread like fire again.

And that rumor.

"Goodbye."

If she stuffs it in writing, it will be more indelible. After saying goodbye to Jihye's parents. Da-seo came outside and immediately took out his cell phone.

"Uh, hello. Come on, why?"

"No. I mean we decided to publish a collection of short stories. A good topic came to mind. What about domestic violence?"

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