Chapter 22
I stood in front of the door for what felt like an eternity. The unbearable truth pressed down on me, crushing me from all sides.
Yu Hyunjae hated me.
The words felt alien, like a spell that had gone horribly wrong. The misery I had grown so used to now weighed even heavier, as if mocking me. I was drowning in it—Hyunjae hating me, a misery so vast it stole my breath. Tears came, not the quiet ones I was used to, but loud, ugly sobs that echoed in the empty room. Still, there wasn’t a single sound from inside.
Eventually, I gave up on expecting anything from Hyunjae and turned slowly toward my room. I didn’t even have the strength to lie down, so I slumped against the door and slid to the floor. Sitting on the cold ground, I wondered what I was supposed to do, how I could possibly move forward. Of course, no answers came. Or if they did, they were nothing but cruel truths, stripped of even the smallest shred of hope.
“Is this fun for you?”
I asked the empty air, my voice raw from crying.
“What did I do wrong?”
The system stayed silent.
“What am I supposed to do?”
No answer. I finally swallowed my tears with a choked sniffle.
I already knew. From the moment I had thrown myself onto that four-lane road in my last life, I had no choices left. The misery was predetermined, and all I had lost was the passive skill that had given me even the slightest edge. Even without it, the player had to keep playing. That was the rule of every game.
***
I put on my coat and slipped quietly out of the house. It was almost 1 a.m. Inside my bag was a single gun, just in case. The guns in Yu Chanhee’s room had no ammunition—they were probably specialized hunter weapons that required mana to fire. The current Yu Chanhee didn’t know the first thing about using a gun. Still, I had brought it, if only to buy time.
The address Cha Suhyun had sent was in a remote area far from the city center. The taxi driver kept eyeing me suspiciously as I headed to such a sketchy location in the middle of the night.
“Hey, kid, why are you going all the way out here? As far as I know, there’s nothing but a few offices around.”
I forced an awkward laugh and pulled my hood up, signaling I didn’t want to talk. The driver seemed to get the message, and the car fell silent. After about ten minutes, we stopped in the middle of a desolate road, not even a convenience store in sight.
I paid the fare and got out. I had expected someone to meet me, but there wasn’t a soul around. The area was eerily quiet, as if abandoned. I started walking slowly toward the few buildings in the distance, watching the map icon inch closer to my destination.
As I neared the exact location, I spotted a few black cars. Instinct told me this was the place that might unravel my confusing situation. My steps quickened.
Near the cars, there was a small office with a dim light on. It stood out against the surrounding abandoned buildings, which looked like they had been dead for years. I knocked on the office door. Almost immediately, I heard footsteps—slow, unhurried. I took a small step back.
The man who opened the door was in his mid-50s, wearing a cheap hiking brand T-shirt and black pants. His face was unremarkable, the kind you’d forget the moment you passed him on the street. He looked at me for a moment before speaking slowly.
“Why the awkward face?”
“Huh?”
“Come in. It’s cold.”
He opened the door wider. I clutched my bag and stepped inside, pressing each foot down as if testing the ground.
The interior was so empty and dusty that if it weren’t for the old office desk and chair, I never would have guessed it was an office. What was I even doing here? What was Cha Suhyun’s purpose in sending me to this place? I hesitated as I followed the man inside. With each step, the creaking of the floor added to the eerie atmosphere. We stopped in front of a door at the very back.
“Your leg okay?”
Before opening the door, the man asked, sounding genuinely concerned. I nodded, a little taken aback.
“Kids get hurt so easily.”
He chuckled warmly and opened the door. The moment the doorknob turned, a strong, pungent scent rushed into my nose. I frowned slightly as I followed him into what seemed to be an executive office.
Unlike the outer office, the inside was spotlessly clean. There was a short-legged luxury table, two three-seater leather sofas on either side, and a simple coat rack. Even to a student like me, it was clear this was a space fit for a high-ranking executive. The only thing that felt out of place was the black curtain hanging between where the desk would normally be and the rest of the room.
“Sit down. Your leg must hurt.”
The man pushed me gently with both hands, and I plopped down onto the sofa with a soft thud.
“I’ll call him, so just wait a bit.”
I subtly furrowed my brows. Call him? Did that mean the man who had summoned me wasn’t this guy? I tightened my grip on my bag and swallowed. Should I run? But this was the middle of nowhere, with no taxis in sight. If I ran, I didn’t know what kind of retaliation I might face later.
“Did Suhyun tell you where to come?”
“…Yes.”
I answered as briefly as possible. The man, who had asked so casually, suddenly stiffened at my reply. For a moment, I wondered if I had answered wrong. But he quickly relaxed his expression and spoke again.
“Must’ve been tough getting here.”
“……No.”
“By taxi?”
“Yes.”
After catching his earlier expression, I kept my answers short and watched him carefully. Just then, the curtain slowly opened. A young man in his late 20s walked out, running a hand through his messy hair. Even dressed carelessly, his striking good looks made him stand out. His slightly small pupils and the dark circles under his eyes gave him an exhausted appearance.
“Chanhee’s here.”
The man smiled lazily and yawned. I glanced at him cautiously and nodded.
“Heard you hurt your leg, but you still rushed over here like a madman.”
“It’s almost healed…”
“You and Suhyun, both such stubborn bastards.”
He walked over to me and suddenly grabbed my eyelid, flipping it up.
“You don’t look too bad.”
Like a doctor, he prodded at various parts of my face, examining my complexion, before finally lowering his arm and looking straight at me.
“You’re prepared for this, right?”
I couldn’t answer easily—I didn’t know anything.
“……You know I’m not.”
The man didn’t respond for a few seconds, then chuckled and ruffled my hair. I reflexively slapped his hand away, annoyed.
“Such a temper.”
Fortunately, he didn’t take it personally and laughed it off. A cold sweat trickled down my back. He took my hand and led me behind the curtain.
“Jaemin.”
The voice belonged to the middle-aged man behind us. Jaemin? The name sounded familiar. I quickly racked my brain. The young man called Jaemin turned his head to look at the middle-aged man. The two seemed to communicate with just a glance or a subtle gesture. After a brief silence, Jaemin smiled and spoke.
“I know.”
His voice was tired, as if he hadn’t slept in days—unpleasant to listen to. I glanced at his face. Who was he again? The name was on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn’t place it. My mouth felt bitter.
That was when it happened. The man holding my hand suddenly twisted my wrist and sent me crashing to the floor. My body hit the ground hard. Before I could react, his foot pressed down on my chest, pinning me. I looked up at him in shock, my eyes wide.
“Who are you?”
He wasn’t smiling anymore. Instead, he pressed down harder with his foot, crushing my windpipe. I grabbed his leg, trying to push him off, but his strength was far greater than his appearance suggested.
“You’re not Chanhee.”
“……What…?”
“Our Chanhee is too arrogant to ever use honorifics, student.”
His foot moved from my chest to my throat. I gagged, barely able to breathe. At the edge of pain, I finally remembered the man named Jaemin.
Han Jaemin.
The leader of the anti-government guild aiming to overthrow the nation.
And the villain who was brutally killed by Yu Hyunjae.
I had already met him.
