Descending from the stage, rushing up the stairs. The brisk sounds of footsteps echoed disarrayed within the auditorium.
It felt like it took several times longer than when coming down.
“Haa… haa…”
Finally reaching the door, Dajeong, folding her waist in half, gasped for rough breaths.
Had the flames already chased them here? She wanted to confirm, but it seemed too frightening to see with her own eyes.
Instead of looking back, Dajeong raised her head and looked up at the boy. His calm face was somewhat comforting.
Holding onto the handles attached to both sides of the entrance, he pushed outward. The tall, elongated door gradually opened on both sides.
Then.
Clank!
A strange metallic sound was heard, and the door abruptly stopped.
…?
The boy looked around the frame with a puzzled expression. Then he pushed the handle again.
Clunk! Clunk!
The feet that were pushing back fell backward, and his hands were pale. Despite applying considerable force, the stuck door didn’t budge.
Dajeong quickly placed her hand on the handle to assist.
“Stand back.”
“I’ll help too.”
“There seems to be something caught on the outside handle. Oppa will take care of it, so you let go quickly.”
The boy grabbed Dajeong’s shoulders and pushed her back. Stepping a few steps back, he then ran quickly towards the door.
Thud!
The boy forcefully slammed his shoulder into the door. There was a quite hefty sound, and the door shook. However, the result was the same. The door, open only about a palm’s width, refused to move forward.
If it didn’t open at all, she might give up, but it seemed like it was intentionally being raised just a little.
Thud! Thud!
The boy continued to throw himself against it. Despite his neat clothes being wrinkled, and his hair getting disheveled, he didn’t let out a single small groan.
“Oppa… please stop. It hurts… cough, cough!”
While speaking, a stinging pain, as if a thorn had protruded into her throat, caused discomfort. The stabbing pain was quite sharp, and spasmodic coughing continued.
In an instant, the boy, who had been ramming the door like an enraged boar, changed his facial expression and approached.
“Are you okay?”
“M-My throat… cough! It hurts too much.”
“This should cover your nose and mouth.”
The boy quickly took off his rehearsal jacket and wrapped it around Dajeong’s head. Then he grasped the sleeve part and handed it to cover her nose and mouth.
“If I give this to you, what about Oppa?”
“I’m… I’m fine.”
The boy more carefully adjusted the jacket, but it didn’t seem okay at all as she continued to cough sporadically.
Dajeong held back the rising tears.
“Don’t cry.”
“Yeah… I won’t cry.”
Rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand, Dajeong spoke. The boy, after fixing his gaze for a moment, spoke with a deep voice.
“It seems like something is stuck outside the door.”
“T-Then what should we do?”
“I’ll go up to this floor, go outside, and come back down again.”
“This floor?”
The stairs leading to this floor were also located outside the entrance. Trapped, there was no way for him to go up from here.
“Do you see that ladder over there?”
“Ah…”
Right next to the broken light bulb, there was a long silver ladder. The tall and lengthy ladder, reminiscent of a construction site, seemed quite heavy even at a glance.
Dajeong alternated her gaze between the ladder and the boy with a frightened expression.
“You’re going to climb that?”
“I can do it. Oppa will quickly open the door for us.”
The boy spoke as if to reassure her.
“Uh, okay…”
“Wait here.”
“No, I’ll help too.”
“What?”
“How can you carry that ladder alone?”
No matter how strong he claimed to be, he would be only slightly stronger than her. Without listening to the boy’s attempt to stop her, Dajeong quickly descended the stairs.
The metal ladder was, as expected, heavy. Dajeong gripped the foothold tightly and groaned. She also dragged the ladder, wheezing as if it, too, was affected by her strength.
Thud.
When she leaned the ladder against the railing on this floor, a loud collision between metal echoed.
The temperature inside the auditorium seemed to rise even more.
Could this be the end? Tears welled up again at the fear of experiencing death for the first time.
“I’ll be back soon, so wait over there in front of the door.”
The boy, with his foot on the ladder, said.
“Oh, Oppa…”
“Hurry.”
After finishing his words, the boy exerted strength on his arms and climbed up the stairs. Dajeong watched his back with anxiety.
“Can’t I go with you?”
“What?”
“I’m scared. I want to go too.”
“No, it’s dangerous. You stay here. Crossing the railing will be difficult for you.”
“But…”
Dajeong softly grasped the boy’s clothes as he climbed the stairs. It was an action driven by anxiety and fear without her realizing it.
At that moment, the boy abruptly turned around.
“I told you to stay here…!”
“Oops!”
It happened in an instant.
His arm turning hit Dajeong’s shoulder. Dajeong, who was standing uncertainly at the edge of the stairs, lost her balance and fell backward.
The Male lead Always Seduces Her with His Beauty (Matriarchy)
Xin Jiao Zhou is the leader of the world’s premier sect. She has just experienced betrayal from all sides, was poisoned in an assassination attempt, and faced death squad attacks while the poison was taking effect. After finally clearing out the scum from her sect, she was drugged again while trying to detoxify.
After waking up from a night of unconsciousness, she gained a “beautiful and kind-hearted” husband.
Xin Jiao Zhou: “???”
He fell ill.
She came to see him, bringing breakfast.
As she put down the breakfast and was about to leave, his hand slipped while holding the spoon. “Clank!”
She turned around upon hearing the noise.
He looked up at her, his eyebrows drooping: “My hand… has no strength.”
“Shall I… feed you?” she asked tentatively.
He opened his mouth cheerfully: “Ah—”
Thinking she was drowning, he jumped in without hesitation to save her, but nearly drowned himself. In the end, it was she who swam over to rescue him, giving him air underwater.
After emerging from the water, his ear tips turned red. He lightly brushed his cheek, tucking his sideburns behind his ear, revealing delicate, pink-tinged ear tips. He lowered his gaze, too embarrassed to look at her.
Xin Jiao Zhou: He’s truly beautiful, kind-hearted, and adorable.
A certain someone when disciplining subordinates behind the scenes: “If they don’t obey, just kill them.”
What’s that? She might already have someone she cares about in her heart? A certain someone: Find out who it is, kill them, and then there won’t be anyone.
What? She met a man by the riverside? What? That man even hurt her? A certain someone: Whichever hand hurt her, chop off his entire arm.
Love at first sight without realizing it, gradually falling in love, slowly getting closer…
Family and national grudges, schemes and desires, good and evil, crime and punishment, she and he face the future together, seeking justice with passion!
A naturally dark female lead who could accidentally destroy the world but is actually an honest person VS a weak, pitiful, and helpless but skilled fighter, beautiful white-cut black male lead
My heart is not of stone, how steadfast is your love? — Tao Yuanming “Imitating the Ancients (No. 3)”
— Reading Guide —
Cold female lead & dramatic black lotus with hidden yandere traits male lead
