IF I WERE THE DEVIL ; YANG JUNGWON

CARD XXIX: The truth.

His couldn't bring himself to tear his gaze off her to the card, to their fate. "That is what broken fate is." He sounded bitter, as if he hadn't got what he'd hoped for.

Finally, he raised the card. "Something so messed up that it's almost laughable the way it's planning to make you suffer."

As he took in the image of his card, the corner of his lips lifted into a knowing smile with a deep shadow.

He didn't look at her, taking advantage of the inattention of her weakened state. Jungwon looked in the mirror across from him. He stared at himself, at the expression on his face, at his visual. His eyes formed a glare. He would end this demon looking at him right now. He would finally end him and his reign over him.

This whole game may have been a scheme all along, but not for Eyun, for this sadistic creature which was too weak to be able to dominate him in her presence.

An unusual dark red glint was reflected in the mirror in his eyes, leaving a deep crack in the glass.

Just then, Eyun managed to stand up, holding on to the table. She heard the crack. Following the sound, she saw the mirror break. The image of Jungwon was shattered, his face was multiplied, the dark smile that had suddenly adorned his face was multiplied in the shards of glass.

"Broken fate is to feel agony at your end." Jungwon held back the sudden need to cough. He wouldn't show her, or at least he didn't want her to know until it was too late. "But there is something crucial missing to make this work." He watched her expression, torn between confusion and horror, and chuckled in amusement.

With every word that left his lips, the need to cough grew stronger. "You would have to love me." He played with the edge of the card. "I would need you to have feelings for me."

He had to cough, his head down as he swallowed hard afterwards. He laughed silently at his condition. "So I could reciprocate them. So that when I die I would be in pain because I am leaving you."

All emotion, whether feigned or sincere, had left his face. "But you said-" He had to lean on the table for support. "But you said you don't love me." He coughed again, his hand covering his mouth. He felt it. He slowly lowered his hand and looked at his palm.

Blood.

He was coughing up blood.

Eyun's eyes widened at the image, following his gesture. "Why in god's name are you coughing up blood?" She immediately tried to clean his hand with her sleeve, but he pulled his hand out of her grasp."Yang Jungwon." Her voice sounded a mixture of confusion, irritation and concern.

"Maybe this is it," he said with something that sounded almost like a laugh of pain at the sight. He lifted his head with all his strength to meet her eyes.

"What did you do, Won-ah?" Her mind had gone blank at the sight of the blood. She didn't realise the pain building up in her head due to the adrenaline suppressing it.

Almost lost he smiled. "Because you said you didn't fall for me." He coughed again, but this time much harder than before and he lost his balance. Finally a higher power seemed to have forced him to his knees, ready to punish him for every sin he had committed in the cruelest way possible.

"And I didn't tell you that I fell for you." No longer feeling the need to suppress it, his jaw tightened. His hands were already stained with blood, so there was no need for any pretence that they were clean.

She fell to her knees on the ground right in front of him, holding onto his shoulders. "Won-ah." She was in a state of panic, there was no answer from him, but the blood was getting more and more. His lips were completely smeared with the crimson-coloured liquid.