I am not a Yandere chapter 159

* * *

As Roran raged in disbelief, the surroundings suddenly distorted.

The large men who had been stationed everywhere blinked as if they’d just awoken from a deep slumber.

“What… Why am I here…? Huh?! Why am I holding a knife?!”

One man yelped, dropping the knife in shock, which seemed to start a chain reaction.

The other men also began looking around in confusion and setting down their weapons as if they’d been abducted by aliens.

“I was supposed to have dinner with my wife. How did I end up here?”

“I was on my way to a judo competition….”

The once-threatening atmosphere now felt more like a mountain hiking club meeting.

Watching this unfold, Jihoon cautiously spoke to the nearest man.

“Um, excuse me. Could you help untie me?”

“Huh. Why is a young man like you tied up here?”

…Because you tied me up.

Jihoon wanted to say it out loud, but sensing that something strange was unfolding, he held his tongue.

“Here’s a knife. Let me untie you with this.”

A man with a rugged, intimidating face started to smile kindly as he began cutting through the ropes restraining Jihoon.

Caught off guard by the sudden shift, Yeongdeok could only stare blankly at the men.

It was as if they had no memory of what they had been doing earlier or why they had come here.

It felt like a spell had been broken.

Yeongdeok immediately turned to examine PetitRolang’s face.

Roran’s expression was pale, as if confronted with his worst fear.

“Shit… No. This can’t be happening. I was just getting started… I could’ve done it right this time!”

Consumed by panic, Roran shot Yeongdeok a chilling glare.

For a brief moment, he considered whether running Yeongdeok over with a truck might somehow realign the plot back to the original story.

Resolving to try, Roran darted toward the truck.

But before he could act, Jihoon blocked his path, grabbing him by the collar in a tight grip.

There wasn’t a hint of humor on Jihoon’s hard-set face, and his deep brown eyes were cold and menacing.

“Hey. Where do you think you’re going?”

“Let go, dammit!”

Jihoon raised his fist, looking as though he might punch Roran, but then remembered his promise to Yeongdeok not to resort to violence anymore.

With an irritated click of his tongue, Jihoon shoved Roran against the wall instead, sending him crumpling to the ground like a paper doll.

Watching Roran get utterly subdued by Jihoon, Yeongdeok finally realized the writer’s influence over Roran had vanished.

But why?

And how?

While Yeongdeok was still reeling, Jihoon walked toward him and stopped in front of him.

Jihoon stared down at Yeongdeok, his face clouded, before suddenly pulling him into a firm embrace.

The rise and fall of Jihoon’s chest, his frantic heartbeat, and the trembling of his hands—all of it came through clearly to Yeongdeok. It was then that he understood what Jihoon must be feeling.

“…Are you okay, hyung?”

As always, Jihoon’s first concern was Yeongdeok’s condition.

Smiling faintly at his unchanging nature, Yeongdeok reached out to hug him back.

Pressing his face against Jihoon’s chest, the tension that had been keeping him rigid began to ease.

“I’m fine.”

As Yeongdeok slowly calmed the storm of emotions within him, the sound of police sirens began to wail faintly in the distance.

The other men, now fully alert, looked at each other in confusion.

Since none of them had called the police, it had to be Ha Wonjin.

To Yeongdeok, the sirens sounded like a proclamation of the writer’s, PetitRolang’s, demise.

A sense of relief swept over him, and his consciousness began to blur.

ꔚ

[System: Congratulations, ‘Cha Yeongdeok.’ You have successfully exited the novel No to obsession! ]

[System: This world is no longer a novel. ]

[System: Thank you for your efforts. ]

[System: -Reality Conversion in Progress 100%- ]

[System: -System Shutdown- ]

For a moment, a strange vision flickered before his eyes, but it vanished amidst a brilliant burst of light that seemed to engulf the entire world.

Slowly, Yeongdeok’s eyes closed.

ꔚ

Hyung.

A low, soft voice brushed against his ears. A cautious hand stroked the back of his hand.

Yeongdeok, lulled by the gentleness, slowly opened his eyes.

His blurred vision gradually sharpened, revealing Jihoon’s face.

“…Seo Jihoon.”

Calling his name in a drowsy voice, Yeongdeok watched as Jihoon tightened his grip on his hand upon realizing he was awake.

“Yeah. I’m right here.”

Jihoon’s voice was soothing, like he was trying to reassure him.

His faint, fragile smile looked as if it might shatter with a single touch.

That kid always looks at me like that whenever something happens.

If anyone else stared at him like that, Yeongdeok would have been annoyed, but being under Jihoon’s worried gaze didn’t feel so bad.

“Where… are we?”

Yeongdeok glanced around, taking in his surroundings.

The stark white walls and people in hospital gowns made it clear—they were in a hospital.

The moment he tried to sit up, a jolt of pain shot through his head like electricity.

His skull felt like it might split open, especially at the back.

Yeongdeok frowned, and Jihoon immediately started fussing.

“Are you okay? Does it hurt?”

“Can you keep it down?”

Jihoon’s frantic worrying made Yeongdeok’s headache worse.

As he pressed his forehead to ease the pain, it gradually subsided.

Regaining his composure, Yeongdeok studied Jihoon.

“What about you? Are you hurt?”

“Me? I’m fine. Not a scratch on me.” Jihoon wiggled his fingers to prove it.

“That’s not the point… Something feels off.”

“What do you mean?”

Instead of explaining, Jihoon started tapping on his phone to show him.

Just then, the hospital room door swung open, revealing Seonwoo, pale-faced and panting, supporting himself with crutches.

“Cha Yeongdeok!”

Seonwoo’s voice was firm as he scanned the room for Yeongdeok.

Spotting him by the window, he hobbled over with heavy steps.

Without a word, he sat on the edge of Yeongdeok’s bed, making the mattress dip.

Before Jihoon could ask what was going on, Seonwoo grabbed Yeongdeok’s cheeks, inspecting him thoroughly.

“Are you okay? Hurt anywhere? Your face—it’s fine, right? Without your face, you’d just be a rude jerk.”

“…”

Was he worried or insulting him?

Yeongdeok’s face twisted in irritation as Seonwoo continued his examination.

Satisfied that Yeongdeok was unharmed, Seonwoo let out a sigh of relief.

“Good. When I heard you were hospitalized, I thought it was serious.”

“Why are you here? Didn’t you say you’d resent me for the rest of your life?”

Yeongdeok recalled their last conversation, assuming that was the end of it.

Seonwoo’s expression crumpled at the memory.

“I only said that because I was mad you didn’t understand how I felt…”

“…”

“I haven’t even sorted out my feelings yet, but when I heard about this, I couldn’t stop worrying.”

Though his tone was curt, his eyes brimmed with affection.

But there wasn’t much Yeongdeok could say in response.

“…I’m sorry.”

“Don’t bother with apologies. It’s pathetic, dragging me here like this.”

Seonwoo muttered that Yeongdeok should stay healthy and turned his head away.

The awkward atmosphere was interrupted by the hospital door slamming open.

A suspicious man in a black helmet stumbled in, gasping for air.

All eyes turned toward him as he scanned the room before stopping in front of Yeongdeok.

The man removed his helmet, revealing a disheveled Ha Wonjin.

“Ha Wonjin.”

“I was late because I stopped by the police station. Are you okay?”

Wonjin, as expected, immediately busied himself checking Yeongdeok’s condition as soon as he entered the room.

When he realized Yeongdeok was unharmed, he exhaled a sigh of relief.

“What would you have done without me? This is why I can’t just leave you alone. Please, stop giving me reasons to worry.”

Yeongdeok glanced at Jihoon and Seonwoo, who stood on either side of Wonjin.

Truly… it felt like so much had changed.

* * *