Chapter 11
Middle schoolers had become arrogant, tormenting people in ways elementary school kids could never compare to. In that classroom—a prison in all but name—violence committed while those in power turned a blind eye was essentially legal. Before long, Yu Hyunjae’s body began accumulating injuries, both large and small. The ones bullying him now would probably be swept aside as disposable characters in the first satisfying plot development once Hyunjae awakened his powers. And the leader of those disposable characters was none other than me—Yu Chanhee.
I pretended not to notice the group of thugs snickering as they tormented Hyunjae at the back of the classroom. Pretending to focus on a workbook I had zero interest in was exhausting, but I was getting used to it. The problem came when those thugs decided to talk to me.
“Chanhee, what do you think?”
The dumbest-looking one in the group called out to me. As if he hadn’t just watched me studying a second ago. But to keep up this act, I slowly put down my pen, turned my head, and smiled as pleasantly as I could manage.
“Yunjae.”
“Huh?”
“How can you ask me about something when I don’t even know what you’re talking about?”
I had to play the role of the ringleader who essentially enabled this situation by pretending to ignore it. That’s because the original Yu Chanhee was, on the surface, a model student who never caused trouble. In a way, he was truly committed—thoroughly hiding his rotten personality while playing the good kid for over a decade.
“Hey, don’t drag Chanhee into this too.”
A slightly less idiotic guy next to him patted the dumb one’s shoulder. I glanced down at Hyunjae. He was wiping blood from his split lip as he got to his feet. His face was completely expressionless. For a moment, I felt a strange disconnect looking at Hyunjae. Perhaps sensing my gaze, Hyunjae glanced in my direction. I acted nonchalant and looked away. Ironically, the one who seemed to be adapting to this situation without any trouble wasn’t me—the one who knew everything—but Hyunjae, who knew nothing.
That’s when it happened. Red text appeared before me after being absent for quite some time. I accepted it more calmly than before. The letters appeared one by one, as if someone was typing them out. As the sentence formed, my heart began beating faster. It was the longest message I’d seen from this so-called system.
<Excellent! You are adapting perfectly to the world. Increasing difficulty level for participation rate. There will be a slight delay for the difficulty change update.>
The wording was so absurd I didn’t know what to focus on. But what bothered me most was the word “world.” What kind of existence was I in this place that my actions needed to be controlled with terms like “world”?
<30… 35…… 44……….. 50……..>
The numbers kept rising. I could only watch the scene helplessly.
<67… 78…………….. 89…………….. 92………………………….>
As it approached 100%, the update speed slowed considerably. But it wasn’t nearly enough time to prepare for anything. With a sense of powerlessness, I watched the numbers slowly climb before my eyes.
<100! Update complete. The patched contents are as follows: *User story intervention possible -The world respects your freedom. However, please remember that with the size of freedom comes an equal weight of responsibility. *Hidden ending added -Enough of watching the same boring characters! Choose an interesting character and make them yours. Every character has secrets both big and small. *Save function introduced -The world remembers your current state.>
I read those words over and over. It was an ordinary announcement like the ones in various games I’d played a few times years ago. And even after the system disappeared, I sat there in a daze for several minutes.
This wasn’t an ordinary world inside a book.
It even changed depending on how I responded.
These two facts were more than enough to give me the creeps.
“Chanhee, are you okay…?”
Someone who couldn’t bear watching me freeze up like an idiot asked cautiously. I barely managed to gather my scattered thoughts and smiled faintly. Then I answered.
“…Yeah.”
What more could possibly surprise me at this point?
The system became an unexpected obstacle for me. It wasn’t scary, but it had become downright annoying. For example, asking “Would you like to present?” when a teacher called on me during class, or asking “Would you like to buy?” if I looked at a food truck for more than three seconds while walking down the street. I was tense at first, but once I realized these choices weren’t directly related to my death, I started ignoring them as much as possible.
But ignoring them only worked for a day or two. Eventually, a few days later, when I saw the message “Would you like to get up?” while lying in bed in the morning, I snapped.
“Give it a rest!”
The system mockingly displayed the message: <This game guarantees the user’s freedom.> This is freedom? Then does my freedom include not seeing these goddamn prompts? As soon as I thought this, the system’s text completely disappeared. I got out of bed with an unsettled expression and left the room.
As soon as I stepped out, I ran into Hyunjae. Normally, I would leave for school about twenty minutes earlier, but thanks to the damn system, I was running a bit late.
I didn’t bother pretending to be kind when we were alone. That way I could seem less despicable. But this time, Hyunjae spoke first.
“Chanhee.”
I was so used to hearing my name called in that voice that I almost responded naturally.
“About last time…”
I deliberately recalled that incident I had tucked away in a corner of my memory. It was to keep myself from getting my hopes up again.
“It’s nothing. Sorry for confusing you.”
See? I was right not to expect anything. I put on an expression of disinterest and headed down the stairs. But after descending just a few steps, the system’s message about “guaranteeing the user’s freedom” suddenly came to mind. Along with all the trivial questions that had been thrown at me. I went back up the stairs. And silently called for the system. The system promptly displayed text as if it had been waiting.
<Would you like to intervene with the character ‘Yu Hyunjae’?>
I was suddenly afraid. But another line of text followed, as if to reassure me.
<This world guarantees the user’s freedom.>
Right, fuck. It’s guaranteeing it real well. I sneered inwardly. But contrary to my cold expression, my heart was pounding like crazy. If my freedom in this world was guaranteed unlike before, then didn’t that mean I no longer had to put on this miserable act? I turned around and ran back up the stairs. Then I grabbed Hyunjae’s shoulder and asked.
“You say it’s nothing?”
Hyunjae looked down at me with a surprised expression.
“I fucking hate flowers.”
“……”
“Especially withered, twisted ones picked from the street.”
Hyunjae opened his mouth, trying to ask something. I cut him off and said what I’d wanted to say most.
“And you—you’ve forgotten so much.”
My hand gripping Hyunjae’s shoulder involuntarily tightened. Hyunjae placed his hand over mine. His warm temperature seeped into me.
“So remember.”
Hyunjae slowly nodded. What did he think I meant when he nodded like that? No, would he ever know? I opened my mouth again to say something more specific.
Suddenly, red text flashed.
<The world prohibits intervention beyond a certain level for the sake of plausibility.>
Of course. There was no way it would let me explain everything in detail. I slowly pulled my hand from Hyunjae’s grasp. That face—maintaining its calm and neat composure without any major change in expression regardless of what I said—didn’t seem like the Hyunjae I used to know. Not only me, but Hyunjae was changing too.
I thought I’d given up on this feeling long ago, but suddenly an emotion welled up inside me. It was disappointment. It was so ridiculous to feel this way when I was the one in the position of tormenting him.
It seemed that while I could get hurt and change, I wanted Hyunjae to stay the same. Despite all that suffering, foolishly and ridiculously, I really did.
That’s when Hyunjae took my hand again.
“I’m sorry, Chanhee.”
“…What?”
“I’ll definitely remember.”
“……”
“So please wait a little longer, even if it’s hard.”
I couldn’t say anything and just stared at his face.
It was just that Hyunjae seemed like such a fool, such an idiot. He momentarily resembled the Hyunjae from before. And that reassured me. I nodded my head.
