The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel

The unwavering friend of a poison master.

My setting was prepared for Tang Hwarin.

Creating a fictional character for it was not difficult. Imagine someone with the essence of the original Tang Hwarin’s setting, and that’s it.

Unfortunately, my friend died, caught in the Tang Family’s scheme, and I became the man who mourned his unjust death, investigated the case, and uncovered the truth.

“The best part of this setting is that I don’t have to risk my life walking a tightrope.”

Up until now, my relationships with the heroines could be described as tightrope walking. Whether as Moyong Sang-ah’s fiancé or the childhood friend of the Heavenly Death Star, I had to struggle, risking my life to prove my worth in those relationships.

A single mistake during numerous tests and crises could mean instant death from falling off the rope.

Fortunately, I managed to arrive in front of them after all the tightrope walking twice and successfully formed a close relationship, but it was indeed risky.

That’s why I created a setting this time that minimized the threat to my life.

Not a direct relationship like a fiancé who came searching for a woman at the risk of his life or a childhood friend who found the girl who was turned into the Heavenly Death Star, but an indirect relationship, similar to knowing someone in a similar situation.

However, being a friend of someone similar to Tang Hwarin, I could understand her pain and sorrow and offer a helping hand.

I could grow closer to her by helping her out, and we could part ways after helping her out.

If there’s one problem with this setting, it’s that Tang Hwarin might push away my hand, given the indirect relationship.

‘Just eliminate the situation where she refuses help.’

Using nothing but the truth.

Using the truth, I made her distrustful by revealing that the person she trusted most was using her, making her realize her efforts were in the wrong direction, and thus causing her to lose her way.

Then, I reached out my hand.

“There was another poison human besides you.”

Tang Hwarin looked at me with eyes that finally resolved her doubts.

You can’t be satisfied just because your doubts have been cleared, Tang Hwarin.

Now, you needed to realize how trustworthy the man in front of you was.

“The first day I saw Miss Hwarin, I realized at a glance what was happening.”

“That makes sense.”

Tang Hwarin sadly looked at her stained skin, slightly lifting her sleeve. It was certainly an unmistakable symptom.

“I asked for Miss Hwarin’s name then for that reason. If you were a member of the Tang Family, it would confirm my suspicions.”

Not Seong Hwarin but Tang Hwarin. That night, I pointed out her real name.

“So that was why… not throwing a flirtation then.”

A very subtle but definite bitterness emerged from Tang Hwarin’s tone.

As expected. Are you bitter because it wasn’t a flirtation?

Then, I’ll smooth things over a bit.

“Haha. Even if my suspicion was wrong, it was an honor to hear the attractive Miss Hwarin’s name directly, so asking wasn’t a loss.”

“Stop bullshitting. Just curse if you want to curse. What charm do I have? Are you mocking me now?”

Tang Hwarin reflexively showed hostility towards me, thinking I was cursing her by praising her appearance.

Tang Hwarin. This woman. She still didn’t understand my intention.

I’ll say it again, so listen carefully.

“My closest friend was also a poison human. Unlike you, his skin was completely mangled in the end. Yet, we were the closest of friends. Miss Hwarin. A person’s charm isn’t hidden by mere skin.”

I looked at Tang Hwarin with a serious face, conveying that she was born to be loved. She was overflowing with charm. Have confidence.

“Bu-bu-bullshit.”

Though she cursed, her voice carried more embarrassment than hostility.

It’s not entirely flattery, to be honest.

If she covered her lower face with a black mask in a delinquent girl fashion, anyone would see that she’s a beauty.

Now that I’ve made her realize I was someone who thinks nothing of Tang Hwarin’s skin, it’s time to emphasize my grace once again.

“Whatever action Miss Hwarin took towards me, I couldn’t just leave her alone. That’s why I showed you a way to know the truth.”

“Thanks to you. I owe you one.”

Tang Hwarin expressed her passive gratitude, avoiding eye contact, possibly because she had nothing to say about her rude behavior and calling me a barbarian.

“I just didn’t want to see the unhappiness my friend experienced again.”

My gaze was on her, but I looked at her with a face of pity for someone imaginary, not her.

“What happened to your friend in the end?”

Tang Hwarin cautiously asked me, perhaps knowing to whom my gaze was directed.

Time to set the mood right.

I was the friend of a poison human who met a tragic end. Sad thoughts. Sad thoughts.

Let’s think about that video I intended to find again because it suited my taste but accidentally deleted the whole folder and thus forgot its name.

After looking at the ceiling with a regretful gaze for a while, I spoke.

“I’m sorry. It’s too painful a memory to recall.”

“No! It’s okay.”

Tang Hwarin, seeing the pain on my face, hastily waved her hand.

“But.”

“Yes?”

“After my friend died, the master of the Tang Family, whom my friend trusted and followed, didn’t show up at his funeral. Naturally. To that bastard, my friend was not a disciple but merely an experimental subject.”

I said, spitting out the rising anger as I looked down.

“Not a disciple but merely an experimental subject… I was an experimental subject…”

Tang Hwarin repeated my words, deep in thought.

Tang Hwarin, getting deep in thought?

Maybe she was just a bit late in becoming like the friend I mentioned.

Could this man be someone to trust? Do you want to know more? Was she thinking that?

It’s best to inquire quickly when her mental state was this fragile.

“Miss Hwarin.”

“Yes?”

Tang Hwarin looked at me, surprised, as she emerged from the swamp of her thoughts at my call.

“By the way, why are you here? What happened with the Sung Family?”

A wealthy young lady with a week’s overdue guest room fee.

It’s certain that something unspeakable has occurred. But now, I was not a complete stranger to Tang Hwarin.

Now, Tang Hwarin. I’ve shown my hand, so shouldn’t you show yours too? Tell me quickly. What happened?

Tang Hwarin hesitated for a moment at my question, then opened her mouth, a shadow crossing her face.

“I was kicked out of the Sung Family.”

“What?”

“Because of that crazy woman, look what’s happened to me.”

Tang Hwarin lamented and explained the situation.

Seong Sehwi’s stepmother and Tang Hwarin’s biological mother was the woman who caused the Sung Family tragedy. She betrayed her husband, Seongjoru, collaborated with Seongjiru, and still managed to survive by evacuating early during the disaster.

Of course, Seong Sehwi wouldn’t just let the woman who survived live in peace. Eventually, Seong Sehwi’s stepmother was forced to flee, taking only her dowry, Tang Hwarin, and a few servants with her.

A form of poetic justice, indeed.

“Then why are you here alone?”

Shouldn’t she be with her mother?

“…was.”

She muttered something angrily under her breath.

“What?”

“I was abandoned by that crazy woman!”

Wow. Really? More impressive than I imagined.

“Didn’t you say you left the Sung Family together? There’s a bond of blood. How could a mother abandon her child?”

“If she knew anything about parental bonds, would she have done such things at the Sung Family?”

That made sense.

As I looked at her with a dumbfounded expression, she clicked her tongue and began to explain what had happened.

“Like your friend, I was always in pain. There were days when it hurt less and days when it hurt more, but there were hardly any days when I wasn’t in pain at all. However, strangely, about two months ago, I started to not feel any pain.”

“Two months ago, would that be around the time of Sungjiru’s birthday feast?”

“Yes. Around the feast.”

Something caught my attention.

As I showed a serious face, ready to listen to her explanation, Tang Hwarin continued.

“There was no problem when I left the Sung Family. I wasn’t in pain. The problem started after leaving Daehung County; my body began to hurt again, and after arriving here, the pain was so bad that I couldn’t move.”

After leaving Daehung County, the pain returned.

“Normally, if it hurts like that, Mr. Tang Geoho would bring me some medicine that would make it hurt less. But without that medicine, even the medicine from the pharmacies here had no effect, and as the delay continued, that crazy woman told me to fend for myself and left with two servants.”

Tang Hwarin showed a face filled with anger, as if she was grinding her teeth against her mother.

The medicine was useless. It felt like I was close to knowing more.

“Since I couldn’t get up from the bed, a few days ago, the remaining two servants ran away with the money in the guest room. Bastards. If they were going to run away, they could have at least done it nicely. Why leave with curses?”

Tang Hwarin complained with a complicated face, thinking about that day. It’s not that she’s angry, but rather it seems like she’s frustrated yet understanding.

I looked at Tang Hwarin, lost in thought with a complicated expression. If what she says is true, this situation is strange.

“Miss Hwarin. So, are you not in pain now?”

“Yeah. I haven’t been in pain since this morning. It’s been two months since I felt completely pain-free.”

Tang Hwarin lightly swung her arm, showing that her body was back to normal.

‘That’s strange.’

She should always be in pain due to the side effects of being a poison human.

Recently, she was in so much pain that she couldn’t get out of bed, but it disappeared overnight. And peculiarly, she says she wasn’t in pain at all two months ago during the Sung Family event and today.

It’s very coincidental that the periods when she was not in pain overlapped with someone’s movements.

The pieces of suspicion in my head began to assemble.

I stared blankly at Tang Hwarin.

“What, what, why?”

Feeling pressured by my continued gaze, Tang Hwarin slightly turned her face away.

Purple hair with green eyes. Sharp eyes with a delinquent-like appearance.

A large chest that drew the gaze, even when wrapped tightly in clothes to hide her skin.

If only her blotchy skin were healed, she would definitely be considered beautiful.

— Yunho.

I remembered the confession Sohee made to me at the Sung Family event.

— Being next to Yunho makes the urge to kill disappear.

If there’s an ability tied to the Defier of Heaven, where the heroine could nullify any sort of fateful debuff, how would it affect Tang Hwarin?

There’s no need to find out, as I’ve already heard the fact from her.

Poison master Tang Hwarin.

A beautiful woman with a story, and me.

Tang Hwarin was destined to live a painful life as a poison human.

And I have the ability to nullify the side effects of being a poison human just by being next to her.

This points to one thing.

‘Was I right?’

As expected, Tang Hwarin was also a heroine.