Puhak!

Blood splattered everywhere. A woman’s dazed gaze fell to the spear impaling her left chest. When she felt the coldness of the blade penetrating her heart, her pupils shook as her body slowly lost strength.

As the woman collapsed to the ground, an owner of an anguished cry rushed to the spearman’s back. The spearman let go of his spear, startled by how quick the voice was approaching him. But that was it. The spearman quickly spun around, swinging his fist at the enemy behind his back.

The target fell backward from the impact. The spearman didn’t stop and swung down his bloody fist once more.

Pow!

The target’s head burst open in an instant. Even then, the spearman didn’t stop. Once, twice, thrice…. He roared and screamed, bashing the target’s head until he finally smashed the man’s skull and brain to pieces.

Only then did he stop his fists and look around with a pair of bloodshot eyes. He picked up his spear. Then, he kicked off the ground, which was wet with a disgusting mixture of brain matter and human flesh.

The man resembling a demon shot into a swirling fog.

Into a swirling fog of ashes….

***

Cough. The collapsed woman heaved out a dry cough. She scowled from the smell of ash in the area. But her frown only lasted a moment. She lifted her head and surveyed her surroundings.

“Is anybody there…?”

Only a bleak gust of wind blew by.

“Is everyone… dead?”

She waited, but no reply came back. Kuk. She let off a sudden chuckle and began humming as if she was singing a lullaby.

“Dead, dead, everyone’s dead….”

She looked at a burnt corpse near her and thought it looked better than some others. In another spot, a lump of meat that was once a human being floated in a pool of blood. She looked around once more as disappointment emerged in her expression.

Her throat hurt.

She somehow managed to raise her upper body before spitting out her saliva. Her complexion lightened a little before she looked up at the distant sky with her blurring sight.

‘How…’

…How did she end up like this?

One day, an alien race appeared in her world. Although it was only discovered later on, this race had been chased away from its original homeworld. After suffering a crushing defeat, they had wandered aimlessly in outer space for a very long time before invading her planet.

In order to become its new overlord.

“Those retards.”

This woman was the princess of a certain kingdom subordinate to the Empire. She was six years old when she heard the news of the alien race’s appearance, and she was ten when she heard the news of the Empire collapse.

Despite being praised as the ‘Never Setting Sun’ for their overwhelming technology and magic engineering, the almighty Empire had fallen in less than four years.

Soon, the alien race devoured the Chief Deity worshipped by the Empire, turning the land into an ownerless wilderness.

That was probably when everything began.

Deprived of its Chief Deity, the planet fell prey to the many other races that had been eyeing the planet for an opportunity to pounce.

The first invading alien race posed its leader as the new Chief Deity and began a bloody invasion throughout the planet. It was around then that new alien races began to appear one by one.

One had appeared in the name of ‘survival’, one under the banner of ‘conquest’….

Recalling the events of the past, the princess chuckled feebly. The land once ruled by mankind was now a war ground for several foreign races.

Pushed around this way, pushed around that way, the original inhabitants devolved to a candle flickering in the wind.

But accompanying the appearance of these foreign races were the seven unworshipped gods, who were born together during the birth of the planet. The seven gods promised to help the surviving humans, and the inhabitants promised to worship them in return.

And so, the deal was struck. But to the surprise of the inhabitants, help from these gods came in a strange way.

Their method of fighting back was to form an army by summoning another race that most resembled the world’s inhabitants.

There was no other choice. Even the mighty Empire was toppled in a brief four years, so how could the kingdoms that served under it resist the alien races?

Furthermore, the population had fallen drastically due to the war.

“Those damned sons of bitches.”

The princess spat out a curse as she blankly stared up at the sky.

‘We shouldn’t have trusted them in the first place.’

In truth, it wasn’t so bad in the beginning. The first Earthlings summoned to aid the inhabitants grew at a shocking speed under the gods’ divine protection.

However, as their influence grew and gradually overwhelmed that of the inhabitants, the situation began to change.

There really were all sorts of reasons. Some formed groups by nationality, some by the color of their skin, some by religion, and some by politics.

In the end, ‘profit’ was the problem. The factionalization among the Earthlings began to cause rifts in the relationship of the once-united kingdoms. The alliance formed under the desire to survive broke into pieces, and the ensuing internal conflict naturally weakened their forces.

There were some who even revolted against the new gods.

It was truly unfathomable.

But was that all?

In the end, the majority of Earthlings refused to participate in the final battle. They coldly ignored the inhabitants’ desperate pleas and returned to their homeworld.

This was why rage boiled inside the princess.

“Sons of….”

She was about to curse once more but quickly shut her mouth.

Splash… splash….

A soft sound echoed out amidst the gradually-cooling mountain of corpses. The sound approached her, but it stopped a bit to the right of her.

Standing there was a burnt corpse.

[Amazing.]

In front of the corpse was large darkness that couldn’t be described with words.

[Truly amazing! I did not place much hope, but to think you survived this bloody battle…]

‘An Earthling?’

As if to answer the princess’s question, the collapsed man raised his head. A powerful emotion surged up within the princess’s heart, but she had no choice but to swallow it back down.

The state of the Earthling was horrific, so much so that she wanted to avert her gaze.

The number may have been extremely small, but it wasn’t as if no Earthlings participated in the battle. The state of the burnt man clearly demonstrated that he had fulfilled his duty in this battlefield.

When the princess thought this far, she began to develop a sense of sympathy. At the same time, she felt it was a shame.

‘If only all the other Earthlings were like him….’

[I want to praise your achievements a bit more, but you do not have much time left.]

A low-pitched voice struck her ears.

[Since you kept your promise, it is time for me to keep mine. Tell me, what is it that you wish?]

As darkness set in the man’s eyes, his weakened eyes looked forward. When he opened his mouth, he spurted out bits and pieces of his organs along with a mouthful of blood. His voice seemed to be lost, as only the sound of wind passing through his vocal cord came out.

[You do not have to speak. I can simply read your mind… So, you wish to be revived?]

The princess almost laughed. Wishing to be revived? What use would it be? Everything was already over.

[No? How foolish, your life is hanging by a rope. Then what is it that you want? Don’t tell me, riches? Honor? In this situation?]

“….”

[What?]

Suddenly, the tone of the darkness went up.

[You want to start over?]

An ominous sensation suddenly rose up in the princess’s heart.

[Impossible!]

An enraged voice shook the earth.

[Even with your achievements, how could it be possible to reverse time!? You wanted to return everything to the way it was with only what you’ve accomplished?]

“….”

[Impudent! Perhaps if you accomplish today’s feats dozens of times more, but in the current state, I cannot grant your wish. Nevermind your soul, not even a single piece of your body can be sent back!]

“….”

[How persistent! Given that your life is about to end and the feats you have accomplished until now, I shall restrain myself. Tell me another wish.]

Then, a heavy silence descended.

[…Why did you make such a wish?]

Was the darkness moved by the pitiful sight of the man dropping his head? The voice reverberating in the princess’s ears softened slightly.

[Child, hurry, and wish for your revival. If that is truly your wish, you can ask again in the future after you’ve accomplished more feats. Though, I can’t say that it will be possible.]

The man’s shoulders jumped ever so slightly. He seemed to be cackling. It was already a miracle just to have survived this battle. But he had to accomplish feats equaling dozens of what he accomplished already?

The man, the princess, and the owner of the voice all knew it was impossible.

The man raised his head just barely.

His mouth moved slightly.

[Your memories?]

“….”

[You want your current feelings to…]

“….”

[Since you can’t send back your body or soul, you want to send back the feelings you felt here?]

The darkness seemed to be taken aback, as silence descended once again.

[…Sending back feelings based on memories…. Certainly, feelings are only thoughts of your emotions.]

After a long silence, the voice answered.

[But even that is difficult.]

Although it was only for a brief moment, the mouth of the dying man twisted up.

[I am truly sorry.]

That was it.

The man’s shoulders stopped moving. Plop. His head slumped, never to rise again. Just like that, he stopped moving.

[How foolish…]

Suddenly, a hand-like thing reached out from the darkness. As if it suffered a great loss, it slowly caressed the man’s head.

“I understand.”

The princess, who had been watching this scene unfold, spoke up. The darkness stopped its hand.

[You are… a descendant of the Royal Families.]

“That is correct, O Venerable Gula.”

The princess smirked as if to ask why that mattered.

“The kingdom has fallen. The gates must have been taken over by now too. With everything he’s experienced, wouldn’t it be better to die? Even though the Oath will cause him to lose his memories, that’ll only make for a cleaner ending. He will have a place to return to.”

[No, this child didn’t wish to return.]

The heavy tone of the voice caused the princess’s eyes to widen.

[He said he wouldn’t have a place to call home even if he returned.]

“A place to call home….”

Those words moved the princess’s heart. Perhaps, she felt a sense of camaraderie. With the kingdom’s collapse, she also didn’t have a place to call home. Although a few humans would have surely survived, their fate would be no different from that of livestock.

After all, humans couldn’t become the victors of this war.

“Then why didn’t you just grant his wish?”

Her quiet grumbling made the darkness smile.

[Nonsense. All results must follow causes. No matter what, this child’s wish would have resulted in interfering with the past.]

The princess chuckled bitterly. She couldn’t understand, nor did she want to. It just sounded like an excuse.

[His achievements were simply not enough to become the cause.]

“You say that, but you look seem to be regretting it quite a bit.”

[How could I not? This child was originally born with the fate of an Executor.]

“Executor?”

The princess was surprised. The Executors were the apostles who carried out the will of the seven gods. They were the seven leaders chosen to fight against the monsters threatening the world.

The problem was the only one of them participated in this battle.

[Right, he shone brighter than any of the other stars. If only he didn’t ruin everything with his own hands… Why do humans only learn to regret after everything is over?]

The darkness fell silent. The princess also closed her mouth. She had spoken up because she didn’t want to die lonely. Although she regained her consciousness for a brief moment, she knew from the moment she opened her eyes that she wouldn’t live for long.

The princess’s eyes turned to the dead man. His humble end was all the more pitiful.

She had no way of knowing for certain, but if he wished for the reversal of the time, he must have lived through life-or-death situations of incredible degree. But even that had not been enough to grant his wish.

He had fought like a dog and died like a dog, without receiving any compensation.

“…O Venerable Gula.”

After a moment of hesitation, the princess rummaged through her pocket.

“Please grant this Earthling’s wish.”

[Mm?]

“The Royal Oath… you haven’t forgotten about it, have you?”

The darkness’s brief confusion disappeared, and it stopped talking.

Inside the princess’s wide-open palm was a beautifully crafted necklace. Although it was stained with blood, its original beauty couldn’t be hidden, as it shone brightly.

[That is….]

“With the oath, you made to my father and this man’s achievements, wouldn’t it be enough to grant his final wish? Even if reversing time is difficult.”

[…Do you have a reason to go this far?]

“Of course.”

When Earthlings crossed over to this world, the Royal Families also promised to reward them for their efforts. The princess had no desire to even think about the bastards who ran away from the final battle, but the Earthling in front of her had stayed until the end.

Since he had honored his duty, it was time for her, as the princess, to honor the Royal Families’ promise. Plus, this was the final ounce of pride she could keep before dying.

[But I can grant your own wish instead.]

“What can you do for me?”

The princess laughed out loud.

One thing she learned from this long war was that not even gods were omnipotent. What could she even wish for in this doomed world?

[I will say it again. This child cannot go back.]

[Only his feelings of yearning and regret… Even those would not be etched into his mind and only pass by like a fleeting dream.]

[He might end up treating it like an insignificant dream and forget all about it.]

[One thing I am sure of is that both you and him will die in this place. Are you saying that that is okay?]

The darkness’s voice struck the princess’s ears multiple times as if to reaffirm her wish. It would be a lie if she said she didn’t have second thoughts.

But… she was exhausted.

The war had gone on for too, too long. Although she endured all this time as one of the rulers of this land, she now wanted to rest. Returning to nothingness and falling into an eternal sleep didn’t sound too bad.

‘If only all earthlings were like you….’

Then, she wouldn’t have had any regrets.

[You want to grant his wish that much? Even at the cost of giving up what rightly belongs to you?]

A smile formed on her lips for the first time.

“Yes.”

Finally, the wish had been decided.

[In that case, fine.]

She could feel something like a pair of wings spread open from the darkness.

[Come closer, my child.]

Suddenly, her body turned light like a feather. By the time she noticed this, her vision had become half-blurry.

The world spun, and something unknown came up to her eyes.

The last thing she got to see was…

[I cannot wait—]

…a blue fragment rising above the man…

[Until I meet the two of you again.]

And the darkness laughing in joy.

When he was young, he thought that the entire world was green. That people were green, that roads were the refreshing color of grass, that animals were dark green, and that the sky was light green. Green colors danced no matter where he looked.

One memory he had of his childhood was the time he went to the zoo with his family. Rather than walking around and watching enclosures, they entered a safari, where visitors rode on a bus to tour an artificial wilderness. Paper bags filled with raw meat hung on the side of the bus.

The eldest brother sat on the seat next to the window, and the two-year-old sister took the mother’s lap. He recalled being a bit down, unable to sit together being neither the oldest nor the youngest.

The bus stopped. The wild animals lounging around the field sauntered up to the bus. The green animals jumped into fierce competition for food. The way they pounced on each other reminded the boy of the game, Whack-A-Mole, so he laughed faintly.

It was then.

A single animal. Just one. It sat on top of a boulder like an emperor, reflecting the shining sunlight.

The boy’s smiled disappeared. Why?

‘It's color…?’

Unlike any of the other animals he had ever seen, that one animal wasn’t green.

Did it feel his gaze? The beast stared into the boy’s eyes. As if enchanted, the boy became afraid. He averted his gaze instinctively and stopped breathing. Both his hands and body trembled, and his heart pounded crazily.

Even as he was swallowed by a terror that no boy his age was able to withstand, the boy raised a question.

Why wasn’t that animal green?

No, I must have made a mistake.

The boy took a deep breath and looked out the window again. It was then.

Pang!

The window shook violently. The beast had been far away, but it had approached the bus before the boy noticed. But why was it ignoring the food hanging on the bus and sticking to the window?

The beast opened its mouth and revealed its fearsome teeth. It repeatedly tried to chew on the window.

The boy didn’t understand what had transpired. Still, he flinched and shrunk back.

I have to run.

Why isn’t the bus moving?

I’m scared. I want to get away from here.

Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom….!

Just as the boy was about to burst into tears, a warm hand carefully covered his eyes

“It must have frightened you a lot.”

The voice was as silvery and gentle as a spring breeze. Just that single sentence made the boy feel relaxed and relieved. The boy jumped into the woman’s embrace without checking to see who it was.

“There, there, everything’s okay. The scary lion isn’t here anymore… Ah, the bus is moving again.”

Pat, pat. The woman gently patted the boy’s back, and his stifled breathing became relaxed. Only then did the boy raise his head to take a look.

“Eh?”

Suddenly, the woman’s hands stopped. She drew closer to the boy, studying him carefully. Then, she gasped in surprise.

“Oh my goodness… Really….”

When the boy tilted his head in confusion, the woman smiled.

“Your eyes are beautiful.”

My eyes?

“Yes, they’re beautiful. In the seven colors of the rainbow.”

The boy stared at the woman curiously, but she only smiled in return. Then, she let out a sigh, as if she found something to be a great loss.

“If only you were a little older… No, perhaps it’s better that you grow up unaware.”

Before long, the safari tour ended. Tourists got up one by one, but the boy showed no sign of leaving. The woman also hesitated, as if she wasn’t ready to give up.

The woman whispered into the boy’s ear.

“What’s your name?”

“Se, Seol….”

“Seol? That’s a pretty name.”

She then met the gaze of the blushing boy.

“Hey, once you grow a bit older… and we somehow meet by coincidence, will you come to me?”

“To you, noona?”

“Yes, I’ll be there if you ever need my help.”

Although the boy couldn’t understand what she meant, he still nodded his head in her embrace. Soon, the sound of his mother and younger sister looking for him rang out.

“Here, promise.”

A soft sensation touched the boy’s forehead before disappearing.

“Let us meet again, little prince.”

As the boy held his mother’s hand and walked out of the bus, he looked back longingly. The woman was smiling brightly and waving her hand, all the way until the boy disappeared.

Time passed, and the boy became an adult. He had grown until the special memories from this day turned faint.

With age, he lost his fear of wild animals, and he began to research the phenomenon he experienced that day.

What was this ability of his?

Why did he have a power that no one else did?

In the end, he could not arrive at the answer, but he began to figure out the conditions where the green color appeared and disappeared.

His life began to change as he began to apply this power to his everyday life. And when this ability suddenly disappeared one day, his life rapidly spiraled out of control.

**

Seorak Land was a casino located in Gangwon Province’s Sokcho City.

Regardless of winning or losing, people pressed buttons like a robot and flipped cards, as both cries of joy and despair rang out together.

“….”

A young man looked down at a table with nervousness on his face. He stole a glance at the dealer, who remained expressionless. After glaring at the table like a hungry beast, the young man opened his mouth with great difficulty.

“Stop… No, double down!”

The dealer immediately put his hand on the deck, as if he had grown bored of waiting for the youth’s decision.

The young man’s throat dried up. His chin dripped with sweat, and he back was drenched as well. But unlike the anxious youth, the dealer flipped the card with apathy.

The young man wrapped his hands around his head. The sound of joy and despair once again rang out.

*

“Park Hyung, you get lucky today?”

“Ah, Choi.”

When a well-built man walked out of the entrance and greeted him, the bespectacled man shivering outside smoking a cigarette shook his head.

“Lucky? Damn, I’m barely even. What about you?”

“It’s the same for me. Guess today’s not my lucky day.”

“I came outside to take a short break. I have a small headache from staying at the same table for hours on end. I figured the cold wind would cool me off.”

When the bespectacled man grumbled, the well-built man grinned.

“Yeah, I feel you… Hm?”

Just as the well-built man began to rummage his pocket, a loud shout suddenly struck his ears. With their eyes wide in surprise, the two men turned their heads to a young man on his cellphone.

Choi furrowed his brows before tilting his head.

“He kind of looks familiar….”

“Who?”

“That young man on his phone. You know him?”

“Him? Of course, I do. That’s Seol. I think he’s been coming here longer than you. I first saw him three, four years ago.”

Choi was inwardly impressed with how long Park had been here and stared at the young man with a shocked expression.

“T-Three, four years? But he looks so young!”

“Uh… He should be in his mid-20s now. He used to be famous around these parts.”

Park licked his lips with a tinge of regret in his face. But Choi simply shrugged his shoulders.

“Really? I’ve seen him a couple of times. He didn’t look all that special.”

“He’s like that now, but for about a year, he was the real deal. Back then, some people fought to move to his seat whenever he left.”

“Oh? I guess he has some skills then.”

“No, no, I wouldn’t really say he’s skilled. He’s bold, maybe? He knew when to gamble like a demon. He kept strict rules for himself, not going overboard, always bringing a set amount with himself… It felt more like he was coming here to play, not because of an addiction. Anyways, he was a weird one.”

“How did he turn out like that, then?”

“Who knows? He suddenly started saying he couldn’t see anymore or something. It wasn’t long until he became that….”

Park clicked his tongue and resumed smoking his cigarette. The young man was still holding onto his cellphone. He seemed desperate as if he was pleading.

Choi snorted.

“It doesn’t sit well with me. A young man like him should go out there and work for his money.”

“As long as you’re an adult, you’re free to come here, no? If you put it that way, you’re a young man too.”

“Eii, it’s been ages since I passed forty.”

“Does age matter? A casino is just a gambling house with a fancy title. The moment someone sets their foot inside, they’re free to lose their mind, regardless of their age.”

“Haha, I guess that’s true.”

Bored of talking about the young man, the duo exchanged meaningless jokes and laughed.

*

“Father, please! Just this once! Just one last time!”

—I’m hanging up, you bastard!

“Father!”

Tk. The line cut off one-sidedly, and Seol immediately spat out a curse.

“Haa…. I’m going to go fucking crazy.”

He had lost what little money he had left. All he had in his pockets were four casino chips, and he only had enough bills in his wallet to cover his taxi fare back. For a moment, he even considered trying his luck at the slots to recover even a little bit of what he lost.

However, if he lost even that, he knew he would have to walk home.

His eyes scanned his contact list once more. When the name ‘Yoo Seonhwa’ showed up, he pressed the call button without hesitation. Unfortunately, it was still dawn, and no one answered the phone no matter how long he waited.

Seol accessed the banking app and checked his balance. But that only revealed what he already knew. He sighed as he stared at the minus sign in front of the numbers.

“Damn it, why aren’t you picking up your fucking phone….”

After seething in anger for a bit, he tilted his head up and looked up at the sky. The morning sky was still grey. With a sigh, Seol raised his hand.

“Taxi!”

“Where are you going?”

“Gangnam Station… No, Nonhyeon Station!”

“Get in.”

Soon, the taxi carrying the young man slipped into the darkness.

“I need more money so I can go back.”

Seol stood in front of Nonhyeon Station, pondering his next move, before finally coming to a decision. He was seemingly surrounded by enemies on all sides, but there was one secret hill he could run to for help.

*

The alarm buzzed loudly. It was 5:30 in the morning. Yoo Seonhwa opened her eyes and stretched her limbs out from a refreshing night’s sleep.

The morning sunlight beamed through the window and brightly illuminated a small frame on her drawer. The frame contained a photo of seven people, including Yoo Seonhwa and her younger sister. Looking at it, a faint smile bloomed on the young woman’s face.

There was Seol Ahjussi, who looked uptight on the outside but was warmer and more caring than anyone else on the inside; his wife, who always treated Yoo Seonhwa like her own daughter and made sure she was eating properly.

It wasn’t just those two on the photo, though. There was also the husband and wife’s oldest son, Seol Wooseok, who looked cold and stiff but possessed a warm heart; the youngest daughter, Seol Jinhee, who was open and outgoing; and finally…

There was a young man with a gentle smile in the middle of the two. Then, there she was, leaning on his shoulder and smiling radiantly.

“….”

Looking at the photo, a hint of worry crept into Yoo Seonhwa’s complexion. When she checked her phone to see the time, the shadow on her face grew darker.

*

“You’re leaving already? Why don’t you stay for a cup of coffee?” (Yoo Seonhwa)

“Uun, I wanna do that too, but I really gotta go. I need to finish that piece and turn it in tomorrow.”

“You didn’t forget anything? You’re good to go?”

“Of course! I’m not a little kid. Okay, I’m going now! See you later!”

The front door closed shut, and tiny footsteps grew farther away. Left alone, Yoo Seonhwa finished her breakfast with a thin smile on her face. Her little sister’s bright face had made her energetic as well. She had been nothing but happy in the few days, so much so that she began to wonder if it was okay.

Right, she was definitely happy. That is if she were to disregard one little thing.

After finishing her meal, she began packing her lunch with the leftovers, when she heard footsteps growing closer to her door and snickered. Koong, koong. When she heard the hasty knocks on the door, she quickly went to unlock it, as if she knew this would happen.

“See? Didn’t Unni tell you to double-check every….”

Yoo Seonhwa was about to lecture her little sister but froze up on the spot instead.

“You thought I was Seunghae?”

The person standing in front of her wasn’t her little sister. The man wearing clothes that were at least a couple of days old reeked like he went swimming in sewage. There were dark bags under his eyes as if he had not slept a wink.

“You… Why are you here?”

“Yo, it’s been a while. Have you been doing well? Wow, this place looks spotless no matter when I show up.”

Seol entered the flat and took a look around. Once he spotted the leftovers on the kitchen table, he reached out with his dirty hands, shoved it down his mouth, and nodded with approval.

“Delicious. I was just getting hungry, so this is perfect. Make me some breakfast.”

“….”

“Come on, hurry up.”

“Who told you to come in?”

The young man’s eyes widened from the voice full of hostility.

“What’s wrong?”

“This is my house, not yours. Don’t you know forcefully entering someone else’s house is a crime?”

“What are you talking about? How is this place yours? I know full well my dad paid the security deposit for this place.”

“I already paid him back a long time ago. Why are you talking about that now? Besides, even if that was true, you have no right to come in here.”

“…Hey, don’t be like that. Between us?”

“Between us? Really?”

Yoo Seonhwa’s voice became sharper and colder.

“Stop dreaming. It’s over between us. You and I aren’t anything. Not anymore.”

Her words went beyond cold and began to feel venomous. Seol rolled his eyes and let out a deep sigh. Then, with a groan, he lied down on the floor.

“I’m starving, so make me food. I’m exhausted from walking all the way here.”

“Hey! I’m not going to humor your antics anymore! Get up. Get up and leave before I call the police!”

Seol snorted. But when Yoo Seonhwa really pulled out her cellphone, he hurriedly stood back up.

“C-C’mon, can’t we talk this out? I came because I had something to say. For real.”

“I have nothing to say to you. If you want to talk to me, go to the casino and ask them to ban you from entering. Then I’ll think about it.”

“Wow~ Why are you so sensitive today?”

Yoo Seonhwa felt like she might explode with frustration. She shut her eyes, lowered her head, and took a heavy breath.

“…Get out.”

“Come on, you’re really gonna be like this?”

Before he could finish, a piercing shout rang out. In the end, Yoo Seonhwa exploded from her pent-up rage.

“You think I don’t know why you’re here?! You’re here to ask me for money again!”

Seol flinched as she had accurately hit the mark.

“Hey, hey, what do you mean….”

He smiled self-consciously, trying to evade the topic, but Yoo Seonhwa was already experienced. This wasn’t the first or second time this was happening.

It had only been four months ago that she told herself to trust him one final time since he got on his knees and begged for her forgiveness for several hours.

Seeing the smile on Seol’s face that was starting to look ugly, a never-before-felt repulsion began to boil up inside her.

“I can’t give you a single dime. No, I won’t. What? Do you want to start over? Am I crazy? What, it wasn’t enough that you blew away our security deposit last time?!”

After blowing out the anger inside her, Yoo Seonhwa took a deep breath. She even coughed from the heated shouts.

Seol stood there in a daze. He seemed to be at a loss of words from her adamant stance, but a cruel smirk hung on his twisted lips.

“I’ve been patient and this is how you act? You little bitch….”

Yoo Seonhwa’s thoughts of ‘Did I go overboard?’ lasted for a brief second. She couldn’t help but doubt her own ears.

“What did you just say?”

“What, are your earholes blocked up now? Do you think I’m a fool too? ****.”

It was the first time Yoo Seonhwa was hearing Seol curse so openly. She blanked out from the sudden mental shock.

“You of all people can’t do this to me. You clung to me when things were hard for you, but now you’re like this? I didn’t wanna bring up old tales because it’s petty, but did you forget about me taking care of you in middle and high school? You ran around every day crying about wanting to see your mom and dad. When your little sister came crying to me about you disappearing, it was always me who went out to search for you.”

A disgusting, nauseous feeling clogged up Yoo Seonhwa’s throat. She tried to hold it in, but her eyes became wet and hot from the feeling of betrayal.

“What about when you wanted to go overseas and study but had no money? Didn’t I postpone my own studies and support you? I even worked part-time to send you money so that you wouldn’t starve out there!”

It was all true. Yoo Seonhwa wanted to go overseas to pursue her dream, but reality made it difficult. She agonized in secret as she couldn’t tell anyone about her problems, and that was when the youth in front of her stepped forward. When he delayed going back to university just to support her with his tuition, she couldn’t even describe how grateful and sorry she was.

That was the kind of man he was, a man who supported and cared for her more than anyone else. When they entered the same university and he confessed to her, she felt like she had obtained the world. When he promised her their future, she loved him so much she thought she might die from it.

But how did things turn out this way? How did he ruin himself to such a degree?

Yoo Seonhwa stood there and trembled like a lone leaf on a tree. She sniffled and then raised her head. She seemed to have calmed herself down a bit, but her eyes and nose were tinged with red.

“…You son of a bitch.”

“W-What?”

Seol’s anger subsided as he stuttered. Rather than angry, he looked dumbstruck. He knew how much Yoo Seonhwa hated swearing. She had never cursed a single time in her life.

“How much was it?”

Her tearful voice was resolute as if she had finally made up her mind.

“Huh?”

“How much was it? The money you gave me when I went overseas.”

“Uh… The tuition was 5 million, and I sent you another 2 million from working part-time.”

“I’ll pay the tuition back to your dad. You gave me the money, but it was his, to begin with. As for the 2 million, I’ll give it to you now.”

Yoo Seonhwa spoke as if she was repeatedly swallowing something. She picked up her cellphone.

“There, I sent it. It’s 2 million exactly, so check it.”

Seol let out a dry cough and took out his phone. After checking his bank account, he grinned.

“Wow, you have a lot of money now. How much do you have in your bank account?”

“Are we done now?”

Her tearful voice came out like she was squeezing out every word from her throat. Hearing the ominous voice, Seol’s delight disappeared with a surprised flinch.

He looked at Yoo Seonhwa and shrugged.

“Hey, I never asked you to give me money. If someone heard, they’d think I stole it from you or something.”

“I paid off all my debts now, right?”

“Uh… yeah, I guess.”

“If you’ve confirmed it, get out. You and I have nothing to do with each other from now. Not even a debt.”

“This again?”

In the end, Yoo Seonhwa couldn’t hold it back and dropped to her knees. Seeing her desperately trying to hold her tears back, the young man scratched his greasy hair.

“Fine, fine, I’m leaving.”

Seol, with his shoes still on, hurriedly left the flat like a burglar who was caught stealing. His refreshing sense of accomplishment only lasted a moment.

—Huuuunng….

When he heard the restrained wail from behind the closed door, he suddenly felt dirty.

He ran out and looked up at the sky. The morning sky was blue, a color so damnably clear.

The fatigue he had forgotten about rushed in. Seol returned to his flat after filling his empty stomach at a nearby convenience store. After turning on the lights, he plopped down on the dusty blanket.

After some time, the midday sun went over the western horizon, and darkness began to dye the orange glow of twilight.

Bzzzz!

A small buzz rang out, and circular ripples formed in the air. The ripples gradually gathered to a single point before instantly transforming into a blue fragment. The fragment dropped down and gently fell into Seol’s forehead like a lover’s kiss.

Soon, the fragment slowly sank as if it was sinking below the water.

Flinch.

Seol’s unmoving, sleeping body jumped.

“!”

Seol’s eyes shot open.