Villain Stole the Main Character [Taekook]
reborn
It was raining and one boy is running He is completely drenched, his jacket heavy with water, his breath ragged and coming in sharp bursts of white mist. He doesn't care about the cold. His eyes are locked on a dim, warm neon sign glowing a few blocks away
tae
Please... just let there be one left Don't let it be sold out please God please
He reaches the shop, pushing the heavy wooden door open
A brass bell chimes Taehyung stands in the entryway, dripping a puddle onto the polished hardwood floor The shop is quiet, smelling of old parchment and coffee
He rushes straight to the counter, where an ELDERLY CLERK is wiping down a glass display Taehyung looks at the display shelf behind the desk It is empty. The promotional poster for the novel hangs lopsidedly
tae
*Desperate, catching his breath*
The... the new volume. The Emperor’s Iron Throne Please tell me you have a copy left I ran all the way from the station
The clerk looks at Taehyung’s soaked clothes, giving a sympathetic, heavy sigh.
CLERK
I’m sorry, young man The last reserved copy was picked up just ten minutes ago We are completely sold out
Taehyung’s shoulders drop. The crushing weight of disappointment hits him All that effort, running through a storm, just to be too late
tae
*Voice cracking slightly*
Nothing? Not even a damaged copy? Is there absolutely any other book left from the shipment? Anything at all
The clerk pauses, looking at Taehyung's desperate expression He bends down, rummaging through a cardboard box beneath the counter He pulls out a thick, leather-bound book. Unlike the flashy, modern covers of the popular series, this one has no title on the spine—only an intricate, embossed silver crest of a weeping rose
CLERK
Well... the publisher sent this along with the batch It’s a special, unedited companion draft It follows the alternate perspective of the story No one wanted it It’s the very last one
Tae eyes light up He reaches out, his trembling fingers taking the book The leather feels strangely warm against his cold, wet hands A sudden thrill of pure happiness washes over him
tae
*A bright, relieved smile breaking across his face*
I'll take it Thank you so much
EzT. CITY STREETS - MOMENTS LATER
Taehyung steps back out into the pouring rain, but this time, he is smiling. He holds the novel tightly against his chest, tucking it beneath his wet coat to protect the pages from the storm
Suddenly, a pair of blinding high-beams round the corner, accelerating aggressively Tires screech against the slick, flooded road Taehyung turns his head, his eyes widening in sudden, paralyzed horror as a speeding black car hurtles directly toward him
(CRASH)
The impact is sickeningly loud. Taehyung is thrown violently through the air, crashing hard onto the cold, unforgiving pavement.
Silence follows, broken only by the steady, heavy thrum of the rain___Taehyung lies on the asphalt, his vision rapidly blurring into darkness. A crimson pool of blood spreads from beneath him, mixing with the rainwater. His limbs feel entirely numb. The only thing he can feel is the leather of the novel, still clutched loosely in his failing grip
Silence follows, broken only by the steady, heavy thrum of the rain.
tae
Is this it? he thinks, his heart slowing to a fragile, dying beat) I just wanted to read the ending...
As his eyes close for the final time, a deep, echoing chime resonates not in the street, but directly inside his fading consciousness
VOICE OF THE WORLD (V.O.)
[ Despair registered. A soul of pure attachment has ceased. Granting a secondary clause... Re-initializing consciousness within the coordinates of the acquired text. ]
Taehyung gasps, snapping his eyes open. He bolts upright, throwing off a heavy, emerald-green silk duvet. He isn't breathing heavily from running, nor is he bleeding. There is no pain
He looks down at his hands. They are completely dry, elegant, and pale, with perfectly manicured nails. He is wearing a pristine, high-collared black silk sleeping robe
He glances around the room. It is massive—easily the size of a luxury penthouse—adorned with gilded mirrors, towering marble pillars, and velvet drapes
tae
*Voice deep, smooth, and unfamiliar*
Where... where am I? What happened to the car? I don't die!
The face staring back at him is devastatingly handsome—sharp, aristocratic features, piercing dark eyes, and a silken mane of jet-black hair. But more importantly, it is a face he recognizes instantly from the character descriptions in the novel.
He is looking at LORD KIM TAEHYUNG, the tyrant Second Prince of the Empire, a man destined to commit atrocities and face a brutal execution by the story's end.
/Suddenly, a crisp, translucent neon-blue screen snaps into existence right in front of his/
SYSTEM (V.O.)
[ Ding! Welcome to 'The Emperor’s Iron Throne.' You have successfully awakened as the Villain. ]
tae
(Staring at the screen, a look of utter disbelief on his face)
The villain? You’ve got to be kidding me! ಠ_ʖಠ
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