Mee Yoon's day began at six when she woke up because of Youngsoo's alarm clock. The night before, she slept in his room to feel the solace of his blanket. His scent was all over his bedroom like he was around. It made her feel safe. She blamed herself for what happened, and guilt was devouring her. Mee Yoon described the accomplice, and the cops created a sketch which they distributed to the people.
Mee Yoon jolted after receiving a text message from an unknown number that said, "If you want to know the truth, come and find me. Bring the police, and I'll make sure your brother will never wake up." Mee Yoon hurried to the address that the stranger gave her. It was in the middle of a forest, the same place where Detective Dan almost died. They surrounded the forest with some electric railings and there's only one entrance, which was also the exit with a CCTV camera.
Mee Yoon entered the tiny wooden house. The walls had scratches, and termites were feeding on the old lumber. The floorboard creaked every time she moved, and the house was on the verge of collapsing. Strips of light from the sun slipped through the little holes of the roof.
"Hello, dear." His voice startled her. "You haven't had breakfast, am I right?" The man placed some plates on the wooden table. He prepared some rice cakes, soup, dried fish, cherry tomatoes, and boiled pork belly. At one glance, he didn't seem like an evil person. He was like a prince, but the black sheep in the royal family. The one who rebels against the palace and plans treason.
"Stop acting nice," she said. "Please sit down, Miss Seo Mee Yoon. Eat like there's no tomorrow because what you are about to hear from me will digest everything you ate in three seconds."
Mee Yoon took a sip of the soup. "It doesn't have poison. Don't worry, that's too cheap." Mee Yoon ate everything like she's in a mukbang video. She was on a hunger strike when she found out about Dong-sun's arrest. Youngsoo's condition made it worse.
"Now, get straight to the point," she said. The man grabbed a chair and sat in front of her. He put his elbows on the table and placed his face in his palms. "I still can't believe that I'm looking at you right now, so close to me, Seo Mee Yoon." Mee Yoon narrowed her eyes. "Are you obsessed with me?"
The man grinned. "So you can't recognize me even up close. Let me give you a clue." He got a book inside the drawer and showed it to her. "That's my book. Are you perhaps my fan?" she said, astonished. He shook his head and pointed at the characters on the cover. He then positioned the book beside his face. "Who do you think I am? Look closely."
Mee Yoon was switching her sight from his face to the book until she realized the similarities. "You are... Hong Jii?" Her lips parted. "That's correct. Congratulations." Hong Jii was the second male lead in her comics, Captivated. The one who never gets the girl. He was Dong-sun's rival.
"You came out of the comics too? How is that possible? What about Eun Ae? Is she out too?"
"I guess not. It's only Dong-sun and I. Maybe we are too eager to get out of the world you created. We have the desire to find answers and avenge our miserable life. We dislike how you crafted the story."
"Dong-sunn knew you're here?"
"No. He doesn't know a thing because I am the faceless murderer."
"What? But you said he is the murderer."
"Oh, I haven't told you. I am a habitual liar. The prosecutor needs to hear it when he dies," he said with a sinister look on his face. "I've been following Dong-sun and Daewon. I got their DNA and planted them in the scenes. I did a lot of tricks for them to take the fall."
"Why are you doing this? You are not a murderer, Hong Jii. I didn't create you to be that way."
"Because I wanted to kill God, and you are my God. Before you write something tragic and give us trauma, think of us as real people. We feel something. We are not toys."
"I'm sorry to tell you this, Hong Jii. But you are just instruments to make my imaginations happen. You don't have a life. I drew you. You owe everything to me."
Hong Jii clenched his jaw and raised his left hand to slap her when they heard a gunshot. Blood dripped from Hong Jii's hand. There was a hole in the middle of his palm. Mee Yoon turned her head and saw Dong-sun in a police uniform holding the gun.
"Run!" Dong-sun said.
Mee Yoon ran into the woods. A few hours ago, Dong-sun talked to Daewon and pleaded for his help. "Help me get out of here. I will find out what's going on and fix this," Dong-sun said. "Why would I do that?"
"Because after this, I will set her free and leave you in peace. I will disappear without a trace."
Daewon got him out of custody temporarily with no one noticing. They put one cop to sleep, stole his uniform and the keys. The police were on their way to get him back.
Hong Jii groaned in pain while tying his shirt around his wounded hand. "Dong-sun! Drop your weapon and let's have a fair fight!"
"Alright. Come out!" Dong-sun threw the gun to the ground. Hong Jii peeked through the hole of the house and revealed himself. His naked body was like those of the vampires—pale, gleaming, masculine, and beguiling.
"Why are you protecting her? Don't you despise her?" Hong Jii asked.
"I did at first. But I have forgiven her. We don't belong here, Hong Jii. We need to go back and accept our fate."
"Don't tell me what to do."
Hong Jii threw a left hook that made Dong-sun dizzy for seconds. But he punched back and crackled his jaw. Hong Jii switched his focus to Dong-sun's stomach and struck him multiple times. Dong-sun spit some blood. He threw an uppercut and knocked Hong Jii down.
Mee Yoon was hiding behind a tree, hugging her feet. She already called the cops. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard two gunshots.
"Dong-sun," she whispered. She followed the sound and found the two men. Dong-sun was lying on the ground while Hong Jii stood and watched him die.
"Dong-sun!" Mee Yoon rushed into his arms.
"Nice meeting you, Seo Mee Yoon. I hope you don't write tragic endings anymore. Don't wait for your characters to hunt you down. Wish I will be the last," Hong Jii said. He pointed the gun at his head and pulled the trigger. Mee Yoon was in deep shock. Hong Jii's body turned into ink.
"Mee Yoon," Dong-sun said.
"Don't speak. The cops are coming. Save your energy. You'll be alright." Her lips trembled.
"Mee Yoon."
"I said shut up!"
"Let me call your name for the last time."
"Don't say that!"
Dong-sun gently rubbed her hand. "You know what? I have many plans for us. Because of you, I dreamed of things far within reach. Dreams that only exist in fairy tales." A tear dropped from his eye.
"How could you say that when you rejected me?"
"It wasn't love. It was limerence. I am in a state of being infatuated with you. Knowing that you love me fills the emptiness in my heart."
"Why can't it be love?" Mee Yoon shed some tears. "Because if it was love, I would've stayed with you. But I can't." Dong-sun closed his eyes. "No!" Mee Yoon kept shaking his shoulders, but there was no response until his body slowly turned into pools of black ink.
Her soul vanished, and she breathed like an empty shell. Her fingers trembled as she looked at the ink splattered on her hands. Mee Yoon saw the gun and held it. "They left me. Youngsoo is leaving me too. I can't stay here anymore." She pointed the gun at her head and was about to pull the trigger when the police arrived. Sun Hee came running towards her and hugged her tight.
"It's okay. You are safe now," Sun Hee whispered. Mee Yoon's chest pounded as she wailed. "Youngsoo is okay. Daewon donated his blood. He is going to wake up soon."