“Hyung……?”
“Heo Wonyoung……?”
Siyeon and Heegang looked around searching for Wonyoung. Taerim also looked around in confusion.
But nowhere in the three people’s sight could Wonyoung’s figure be seen.
“Hyung, disappeared again……”
Siyeon’s pupils, muttering like that, were empty. And soon those pupils reflected someone, and blazed with anger.
“You bastard……! It’s because of you! All of this is because of you!”
The person Siyeon rushed at was none other than Taerim. Taerim, grabbed by the collar by him, asked blankly, far from shaking him off.
“Narae…… no, where did that person from earlier go? Why suddenly……”
“Hyung disappeared because of you!”
“What? Why would that……”
Then, Heegang approached and separated Siyeon and Taerim.
“Stop with the stupid talk. There’s no way that bastard could do anything. He only just now found out that Narae is Heo Wonyoung.”
“That bastard might have triggered it by recognizing hyung……! By causing some kind of bug……”
Then Siyeon’s complexion turned pale as he suddenly recalled his own mistake again. What if, this time too, it was because of him.
At that moment, Heegang pointed at something and said.
“Look at that.”
“……”
Where the two people turned their gaze following Heegang, a notification window was floating.
[Backup complete. Entering restoration mode.]
[Time remaining until restoration 23:54:32]
Time remaining until restoration.
That time, about 24 hours, was steadily decreasing even now. Siyeon asked half-believing, half-doubting.
“When all that runs out, hyung will come back?”
“Yeah. I heard from Heo Wonyoung. Even when he disappeared because of you, he was originally supposed to come back soon. He couldn’t stand it because you were raising hell like now, so he came back.”
“Then……”
As long as hyung came back, anything was fine. Seeing Siyeon relieved at that thought, Heegang snorted.
“Anyway, you’re a gangster so your brain is empty. Don’t tell me you think Heo Wonyoung could come back of his own free will? He’s being controlled by the game. It’s clear he disappeared unwillingly even now, so there’s no way he could come back just because he wants to.”
“……What does that mean?”
Following Siyeon, who asked back with a shaken expression, Taerim asked.
“Do you mean he must have paid some kind of price?”
“Yeah. Actually, Wonyoung tried to say something to me but changed his words.”
He stopped after saying ‘ki’, so probably…….
‘Memory.’
Heegang had no intention of saying that far. Meanwhile, Siyeon was shocked by a fact he hadn’t thought of at all.
‘Hyung lost something because of me……?’
“Then this time……”
What would he try to come back offering as a price this time?
Glancing at the pale Siyeon, Siyeon continued.
“To keep Heo Wonyoung from doing something pointless, we all have to be fine. Even back then, he would have returned in a few hours, but seeing that he pushed himself, he might have directly seen you panicking after losing Heo Wonyoung.”
“……”
Siyeon lost his words to guilt. Seeing that, Heegang turned his head coldly. He’ll keep his mouth shut now. Heegang, who had deliberately brought this up for this purpose, looked at the remaining time with his arms crossed. In fact, he was just as anxious.
Then, Taerim also seemed to realize that anxiety factor and opened his mouth.
“But what is restoration?”
“……Restoration?”
“What is being restored?”
Taerim and Siyeon’s gazes turned toward Heegang. When Heegang didn’t answer, Taerim, who had already finished speculating, said.
“Is it Narae?”
“Narae? Wait, does that mean hyung will return as Narae?”
At Siyeon’s flustered question, Heegang shrugged.
“I don’t know either. How would I know? Maybe what’s being restored is us.”
“What?”
“The game characters found out their own identity, and this world’s identity. It could be that those memories disappear.”
“In that case too, Heo Wonyoung cannot exist. Because he’s not a person from this world. You should know at least that much, Baek Heegang.”
“……”
Leaving the silent Heegang, Taerim continued.
“In the end, it’s probably both. Our memories and Heo Wonyoung will be erased.”
“That can’t be! Hyung…… disappearing……”
Then, Heegang suddenly started laughing. Hahahaha…… He laughed madly.
Siyeon looked at Heegang like that with incredulous eyes, Taerim with cold eyes.
After laughing for a while, Heegang wiped the tears pooled in his eyes and said.
“Ah, now I get it. That’s why. Heo Wonyoung confessed everything knowing this would happen. Because it would all disappear from our memories anyway.”
“……Then hyung……”
“He never trusted us from the beginning.”
Heegang’s expression saying that was coldly frozen. Heo Wonyoung. Heo Wonyoung, Heo Wonyoung, Heo Wonyoung.
He wanted to kill him. But in just a few hours, far from killing him, he wouldn’t even be able to remember him. Why. Who gave you permission to disappear from my memory?
I have no intention of letting any part of you be forgotten.
Heegang took out a knife. If he carves Heo Wonyoung’s name into his skin, he’ll remember even if it hurts.
“What the hell are you doing!”
It was Siyeon who stopped Heegang’s hand. Siyeon had grabbed Heegang for now, but Heegang’s eyes were not in his right mind.
“I’m going to write Heo Wonyoung’s name. I have no intention of forgetting that bastard like this.”
“Are you crazy……?”
As Siyeon asked back in disbelief, Taerim asked indifferently.
“What if even that gets erased?”
“……”
“Then there wouldn’t be a more foolish act. I won’t stop you from struggling, but didn’t you say it yourself? That person might be watching us.”
At Taerim’s words, Siyeon nodded.
“That’s right. He’s someone who makes a fuss even if I get a little bruise, do you think he’ll just sit still if you do that? What if he comes back offering something again?”
Then that would be even better. As long as he comes back offering arms, legs, eyeballs, whatever. But why, won’t his hand move?
Meanwhile, Taerim, who had approached silently, snatched the knife from Heegang’s hand and threw it away.
“Don’t do useless things. It’s pathetic.”
“……”
Ha, Heo Wonyoung.
In the end, you’re breaking me completely. You’re making me unable to be myself.
With that thought, Heegang, who had been blankly looking at the floor, suddenly asked Taerim. He knew it was pointless venting, but he couldn’t stop.
“What about you then? What makes you so great? You were making a fuss just a moment ago, but you’re quite calm now? Weren’t you actually hoping Heo Wonyoung would disappear?”
“……That’s not true.”
Taerim, who answered like that, bit his lip. That last moment, Wonyoung’s expression looking at him kept circling before his eyes.
―It’s all my fault. I won’t appear before you anymore.
―But.
―But, really…….
What were you trying to say while shedding pitiful tears?
When you said you wouldn’t appear before me anymore, did you mean you wouldn’t appear even after returning as Narae?
What was your true heart?
‘You haven’t explained anything yet, Wonyoung-ssi.’
Taerim too couldn’t lose Wonyoung like this.
“That’s right, you’re right, Baek Heegang. I also put forward my pathetic pride and felt petty jealousy.”
If Heo Wonyoung is really watching. Hoping for that, Taerim continued.
“I was angry and flustered thinking everything was a lie, but I was also hurt in my pride that among the three people, he didn’t tell only me. Because that would mean he trusted me the least. The fact that he tried to disappear without saying anything to me until the end was also painful. Because it seemed like that’s all I meant to that person.”
At Taerim’s confession, Siyeon glanced at Heegang. Heegang was laughing as if Taerim’s words were ridiculous. That bastard with a dirty personality would never open his mouth. If so…….
‘I want hyung to be happy. In any form.’
Siyeon, who had made up his mind, slowly revealed his thoughts.
“Hyung, did that because he cares about you.”
“……What do you mean?”
“He firmly warned us. To absolutely not let you find out. It’s not like we easily accepted this situation either, you know? Especially that psychopath bastard…… Never mind. Let’s not talk about it.”
Siyeon, who glanced at Heegang while sighing, looked at Taerim again and continued.
“Anyway, hyung did that hoping you wouldn’t feel the pain we felt. If hyung will be erased from our memories anyway like you all say, there’s no point in revealing he’s Heo Wonyoung even if he tries.”
“That pain will be erased anyway too. I…… I wanted the truth. From that person at least, I did.”
“That’s why he told you everything in the end. Appearing as Heo Wonyoung.”
“……”
“Knowing it would all be erased, knowing it was all futile. Even while hurting you.”
Siyeon’s heart ached a little wondering if he should say this much, but hoping Wonyoung was watching, he added.
“Don’t you still understand what that means? Hyung, who always sacrifices for us at every turn, acted selfishly for the first time, only toward you.”
Taerim slowly raised his head. The light of agitation was evident on his face.
―But.
―But, really…….
Don’t tell me you.
What you were trying to say is.
“What good does it do anyway? It’s all over now.”
Then, Heegang’s harsh voice cut through the silence. Taerim’s complexion turned pale.
No. He couldn’t lose him like this.
He couldn’t send him away like this.
I haven’t heard anything yet. Heo Wonyoung.
You told me not to go.
Taerim anxiously looked up at the time. There was still a lot of time. But it was also incredibly short.
What could they do here in less than a day?
They were just characters.
Then.
“Where are you going?”
