Villain, Let Me Touch You! - Chapter 1
01. A Touchy Subject
“Helios, he’s finally dead.” I tossed my phone aside. “Dead? What a load of crap, he’s alive and kicking. I should stop reading this and go to sleep.”
My mother slapped my shoulder. My body, weak like a reed from taking those horrible pills, staggered uncontrollably. I quickly propped myself up on the bed with my arms to keep from falling face-first onto the bed.
“Why are you doing on your phone? Are you reading some kind of web novel or something? Spending 100 won per chapter? Your mom has to work her ass off to pay for your medication, and you’re spending your money on that crap?” My mom, who had been grumbling to herself, suddenly began to get angry.
She always got angry out of nowhere, and I mumbled something nonsensical in response. “…I waited and read it for free.”
With nothing more to say since I did get it for free, my mom closed her mouth.
I suddenly felt sad. For a terminally ill person like me, time was more valuable than 100 won. Yet, my mom valued 100 won more than my time. After 18 years of suffering from an unexplained terminal illness, I felt hurt every time I encountered my family’s sincere wish for me to die quickly, even though I knew they were exhausted.
“Don’t waste your energy on useless things and go to sleep. That’s the only way you’ll get discharged.” She wasn’t saying these things hoping that I would get better; she just wants to save money on hospital fees.
“Yeah, okay,” I replied meekly, knowing her true feelings.
Even if she didn’t pray for my recovery or carefully nursed me, just the act of admitting me for treatment and paying for my medicine was enough.
Thanks to those painkillers, I could read novels. Those novels were like a sweet rainfall over the parched land that was my depressing life.
I did as my mom said and got into bed. I stared out the window as she rustled around.
It was unusually cold, but the sky was clear and crisp. I gazed up at the vast open sky and saw a tall tree leaning over the window. Those tree leaves seemed just like Helios. The way it held on to its branches even though it could see the end, it was a poignant representation of grasping onto life in the face of the inevitable.
I admired that, so I cheered for Helios, even though I knew he wasn’t the hero, even though I knew he was going to corrupt the heroine.
Then, the wind blew, and the leaves fell. What a futile end, much like the death of Helios in the novel.
Something stirred deep within my heart. “The leaves… sniff, they fell… Helios… is dead…”
“What are you saying? Oh dear, are you crying?” In an annoyed voice, my mom said, “Stop that. I’ll come back later,” and left. It was a contemptuous exit.
Once again, overwhelmed with sorrow, I cried as I did when I received my terminal diagnosis, sobbing uncontrollably. I cried my heart out. I couldn’t stop, even though I knew crying would raise my fever and make me sick.
I wondered why I was crying. Because I felt so sorry for Helios, because he was so much like me, and he was dead.
Helios Perry Augustine. We were so alike. Deprived of parental love, both terminally ill. So, I rooted for him, even though I knew he wasn’t the male lead. He clung to the heroine’s side and hoped she would live a happy and healthy life. In fact, he willingly threw himself away for the female lead.
My heart ached like crazy. I suddenly felt breathless. I hurriedly reached out for the nurse call button.
But why was the button so far away? No matter how much I stretched, I couldn’t reach it.
Gasp, I couldn’t breathe.
Is this how I’m going to die? This is so unfair! Nurse, Mom, anyone, someone please come in here!
I used whatever strength I had. I struggled with my stiffened limbs to get a mere centimeter further.
Just a little more, just a little more… and finally I reached…?
“What is this sea cucumber thing?” The moment I felt my fingertips touch the nurse call button, a voice echoed.
“Huh?”
“I’m asking you what you’re doing.”
“Uh… me?”
“Did the Empress send me a mad doctor?” The dazzlingly handsome man spoke in an unfamiliar tongue, mixing in words that made me feel uncomfortable.
I blinked hard and wiped the tears from my eyes. As my blurry vision cleared, my surroundings came into focus. The room looked like something out of a movie from the West. A canopy-adorned bed sat in the corner, and a vibrant tapestry hung on the wall caught my eye.
The dimly lit room was filled with a pungent smell of smoke. And on the bed, which was as wide as a sports field, was a man who seemed like he was on the verge of collapse. He glared at me. His eyes were very formidable despite his pallid face.
