"Hahahahahaha."
Leo laughed maniacally at the thought of him going crazy the moment he killed Min Hae.
'Am I tapping virtual screens now?'
'Did killing the person I loved most in this world make me lose my mind?'
'I don't really know. But what I do know is that I'm dead, and no amount of imagination is going to save me!'
"Hey, I'm talking to you!" the doppelgänger snapped his fingers twice, but Leo paid it no mind.
In fact, a sudden wave of cringe hit him when he realized that he had just killed the person he loved the most because he lost himself to anger. And now he was talking to his doppelgänger and tapping virtual screens?
'This is reality, not an anime. I'm not some protagonist,' he thought as he clutched her dead body. He realized he wasn't worthy of titles such as villain or antagonist.
He was scum. The worst kind of scum to ever exist.
Ever since he was a child, Leo had always looked out for himself. No matter who he threw under the bus when he and his friends got into mischief, he was always smart enough to pull himself out and let others take the fall.
Sure, he hated himself afterward, but if it got him out of trouble, he did it. He always found a way.
But not this time. There was nothing he could do to escape this mess.
Leo grew up in a wealthy family. His father was the CEO of a leading telecommunications developer. His father wanted him to continue the family legacy, but Leo had dreams of his own. When he tried to leave, he and his father had a massive fight about it. Ultimately, Leo left home and was cut off from both the family and all the resources that had once made life easy.
When he left three years ago, he took several ornaments that could fetch a hefty price. He planned to sell them if things ever became too desperate.
His father wanted him to take over the company, and every moment of Leo's life had felt guided toward the destination his father chose for him. He had felt caged.
It was the feeling he hated most in the world. And now that he had committed this atrocity, he would be caged again. This time, it might be forever.
Or worse, he could even be killed.
He took a deep breath.
'Since there's no way out of this, I'd rather die than go to prison.'
He carefully laid Min Hae on the floor, her body settling in a pool of her own blood. Then he picked up the knife and raised it high over his chest with the intent to kill himself.
"Hey!" the reflection shouted.
Leo avoided its gaze, as if rejecting its very existence. Nothing could stop him now.
He didn't know why he killed Min Hae. Maybe he finally gave free rein to his impulsive thoughts. But it didn't matter anymore.
The knife came down.
Just as the blade was about to strike—
DING!
Min Hae's phone lit up with a message. The sound froze him in place.
He stood there, breathing heavily.
HUFF! HUFF! HUFF!
'I almost killed myself. Like, actually died.'
'Fuck. I'm not even brave enough to die, but I could kill with this hand?'
He stared at himself in utter disgust, then looked up to see the doppelgänger watching silently with scornful eyes.
'You're still here!'
Leo dropped the knife and crawled over to Min Hae's phone.
'What's her password again? Oh right. 244262.'
The phone unlocked.
Then he saw it.
She was messaging a guy saved as "Ji Min."
The two of them were sharing memes about money. Weird. Leo sat on the floor more comfortably and began reading.
---
Min Hae:
Yeah, when he gets home, I'm dumping his dumb ass.
Ji Min:
He still hasn't figured it out yet? LOL, how dumb is he?
Min Hae:
I know, right 🤣😂😂 LMAO. I already took everything of value he brought from home. I'm out of this hell hole tomorrow.
Ji Min:
But are you sure he won't figure it out? I'm scared he could hurt you, babe. Get out already and come stay with me. We've dried him more than enough.
Min Hae:
Don't worry, his brain will be too scrambled to figure things out. He works every day. His dumb ass is too tired to think 🙂
Anyways, I want you in my bed again, and every day 😘
Ji Min:
You horny freak 🥺 Don't worry, we'll soon have sex all day, every day, when you finally get here. And we'll have enough money to do nothing but fuck endlessly. This loser can crawl back home to beg his parents, and eventually his life will be back on track 😂😂😂😂💀
---
SMASH!
Leo hurled the phone into the wall.
The messages kept repeating in his head.
He rushed into the bedroom and yanked open the packed bags already waiting there.
Necklaces.
Pearls.
The priceless vase he had taken from home.
Another bag held her clothes. He rushed to the closet.
All her clothes were gone.
No wonder the closet looked different.
He sprinted back to the living room and snatched the knife.
He began stabbing Min Hae's lifeless corpse.
"DIE! DIE! DIE!"
It had all been a game to her from the very beginning. A twisted challenge to see how much she could drain from him.
Every cent he had made went into her failed businesses.
All the love he once felt turned into pure hatred. He wished he could resurrect her just so he could kill her again.
And again.
And again.
Even that would not be enough.
"Ji Min! I'm going to kill him too!" Leo roared.
"Gahahahahah!" the doppelgänger laughed maniacally after remaining silent for so long. "That's right! You finally get it! This is the only way! The only way to survive is to plan for the future!"
Leo burned with rage.
But all of that fury vanished when he heard it.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
"Leo? Min Hae? Are you alright?"
Leo's soul nearly tore from his body.
A cold sweat ran down his spine. Fresh sweat flooded his palms, dampening the dried blood coating his hands.
It was the elderly woman from next door.
Their neighbor.
She had always treated both him and Min Hae like her own children. She even had a spare key to their apartment.
If Leo answered, she would insist on entering.
If he stayed silent, she could enter anyway.
'Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Shit.'
Then the floating screen appeared again.
---
{[ ALERT ]}
{KILL ABOUT TO BE DISCOVERED.}
{WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACTIVATE ABILITY?}
{« DECAY – LEVEL 1 »}
{[ YES ]} {[ NO ]}
---
HUFF! HUFF!
'I really am insane, aren't I?'
'But what more do I have left to lose?'
Leo reached out.
{[ YES ]}
Min Hae's body began dissolving into a thick puddle of blood, leaving no flesh or bones behind.
The knocking continued outside.
And just as the liquid finished spreading across the floor, the door creaked open.