"Just once, please die for me."

She speaks while holding a kitchen knife. Inside the dark house, the sound of leaking water echoes.

"What are you talking about?"

Han Si-Hoo glances at Yoo Seo-Ah.

"They said they'd give me the drugs. The doctor. For life."

In the end, it’s because of the doctor again. Just being at the academy couldn't erase the remnants of the doctor.

"...I see."

The disarray in the dormitory becomes clear. The reason she wasn't answering her phone is now obvious. The broken device, the pieces of rope lying around for some reason, multiple empty syringes, and bottles that once held pills rolling on the floor.

From the direction of the bathroom, the sound of overflowing water continues. It makes one wonder what she was doing.

"So, just help me out once."

It's impossible to refuse when asked for help.

"Can't you just die for me, just once?"

Just once. Yoo Seo-Ah pleads with a kitchen knife in her hand. It’s not something anyone should ever ask of someone else.

Han Si-Hoo doesn’t know what happened to Yoo Seo-Ah today. He doesn’t know how much of the drugs she used. He had rushed back from fighting in the city center.

He had saved many lives. He rescued children who were being attacked by monsters. It was during that time that the emergency call came through.

Many unknown civilians, and one friend. Who should he prioritize?

The chronic manpower shortage is a problem. There are too few people actively working as Awakened. Even the number of people assembled at the academy is insufficient. If Han Si-Hoo leaves, who knows how many more people might suffer?

He tries calling, but there is no answer. Should he retreat to the academy from here? At some point, the number of people Han Si-Hoo had to protect increased. From just Yoo Seo-Ah to all innocent citizens.

"You're the protagonist, so you can handle it, right?"

You can save everyone. Yoo Seo-Ah believes that Han Si-Hoo can do anything.

"Protagonist?"

"Right? You want me to get better too, don’t you? You want me to be okay and happy, right?"

Of course, he does. He desperately wants Yoo Seo-Ah to recover.

"Get a hold of yourself..."

In the end, Han Si-Hoo couldn’t fully guarantee the safety of the citizens. He knew there was no one else to help Yoo Seo-Ah. The battle was almost over, so leaving wouldn’t have caused a major problem.

"Get a hold of myself? I’m feeling really good right now. I’m happy."

The sound of water pouring out from the bathroom doesn’t stop. Water droplets continue to drip from Yoo Seo-Ah's hair and clothes.

"That's not..."

That’s not real happiness. He’s certain of that much. So, what is true happiness?

Living for others. That’s how Han Si-Hoo had lived. Someone once said that’s the fate of a hero. They said to repay the strength you have. They said to take responsibility for saving people.

He feels guilty enough to want to die. It’s his fault that Yoo Seo-Ah, who always depended on him, ended up like this. If dying could solve everything, that would be nice. But that would just be irresponsible escapism.

"Can't you just die for me?"

She smiles as she says it. Han Si-Hoo follows suit with a light smile.

"...[Augment]."

It’s a new skill he gained. Thanks to defeating the boss monster in the recent city battle. Han Si-Hoo had always thought this world was like a game. A game with incredibly high freedom.

If he attacks in an augmented state, his power will increase. The same goes for using other skills. It’s a reinforcement skill.

You defeat monsters. Your level goes up. You allocate stat points. You get stronger. You defeat even stronger monsters.

It’s a loop. Eventually, you defeat boss monsters, complete quests, and progress. It’s no different from a game.

"Ugh...?"

Yoo Seo-Ah backs away from the approaching Han Si-Hoo. It doesn’t look like he’s going to simply die for her. That leaves only one option—fight. But she’s scared.

Crash.

Yoo Seo-Ah slips on the water spilled across the floor. She falls back clumsily, trying to avoid Han Si-Hoo.

"When a skill reaches level 5, it gets a special effect, and once it surpasses level 10, its performance becomes overwhelmingly better."

[Purification] was still at level 1. The strong penalty from the purification was due to that. That’s also why it could only strip away the effects of her drugs, nothing more.

"Ugh."

Han Si-Hoo is now standing right beside the fallen Yoo Seo-Ah. So close that their breath mixes. This is the perfect chance, isn’t it?

Stab.

His arm gets stabbed—not by a syringe, but by the kitchen knife. He doesn’t bother to block it. As long as Yoo Seo-Ah returns to normal, nothing else matters.

Thrust.

The blade pierces his abdomen. So this is the kind of pain it brings. He endures it, thinking it’s the same pain Yoo Seo-Ah must have felt.

"[Purification]."

He had already poured all of his remaining skill points into Purification. This was why Han Si-Hoo couldn’t place first in the academy test. He had invested heavily in an unusual skill. But here, he found hope. He believed he could save Yoo Seo-Ah somehow. With the addition of the newly acquired Augment skill, it seemed possible.

Light floods in.

Light.

[Paused.]

With a clarity he had never experienced, he assessed the situation. The trashed house. The syringes. He didn’t care about the scars on his body.

It was a sensation he hadn’t felt in a long time. Everything was vividly clear. The chaotic mess in the house stood out sharply.

The smell of tap water. He could feel the water dripping from his head. The taste of iron lingered in his mouth.

"Ah...?"

Han Si-Hoo is lying on the floor. Blood is flowing from his abdomen. The kitchen knife, stained with blood, is in her hand.

Her trembling hands. She can’t remember what she just did. What class was today? Why is Han Si-Hoo lying here?

Move. Do something. Report it. Someone’s hurt.

"Can't you just die for me, just once?"

She remembers. It’s a line she can’t believe she said. What on earth had she been saying?

[Paused.]

"Ah, ah?"

She had believed the protagonist wouldn’t die.

"Y-you’re... okay..."

He’s still breathing. He’s not dead yet.

Get a hold of yourself.

Han Si-Hoo’s words echo in her ears. Now that she has finally come to her senses, she can’t think of what to do. Seeing the protagonist collapsed like this wasn’t part of the plan.

How did it come to this? How did things fall so far? No matter how much she needed the drugs, she shouldn’t have let herself spiral down this path.

[Paused.]

"Si-Hoo?"

A voice from another person reaches her ears. Looking toward the torn-down door, she sees a girl standing there, holding a sword in each hand. Her long, braided black hair. It’s Yeon-Hwa. She’s the one who had tried to give Han Si-Hoo a gift last time, which Yoo Seo-Ah had accepted on his behalf.

"You are?"

Now she understands what it means for someone’s aura to radiate killing intent. Her body tingles from the sensation.

"What have you done?"

She doesn’t know.

"Si-Hoo said you were his friend. Did you attack him?"

Attack? Why would she attack him? But she did attack him. Though it wasn’t intentional.

No, it was intentional. The kitchen knife is still in her hand.

"...Syringes?"

Yeon-Hwa looks confused. Several empty syringes roll across the floor. How much had she used? She can’t believe that was all her doing.

"Si-Hoo, the blood, it’s because of me."

There’s no time for this. She has to save Han Si-Hoo first.

"Sigh."

Yeon-Hwa seems to have realized what needs to be prioritized. She pulls Han Si-Hoo away from Yoo Seo-Ah and checks his wound. While assessing Han Si-Hoo’s condition, she points her sword at Yoo Seo-Ah.

She’s on guard. To Yeon-Hwa, Yoo Seo-Ah is clearly an enemy. There’s no way to explain herself after stabbing Han Si-Hoo.

Yoo Seo-Ah doesn’t dislike Si-Hoo. On the contrary, she likes him. He’s her friend. So why did she stab him?

[Paused.]

It’s because of time. She has no idea how time has stopped. It’s thanks to Han Si-Hoo’s purification. Will everything go back to normal once Han Si-Hoo recovers?

"Are you okay, Si-Hoo?"

Yeon-Hwa checks on Han Si-Hoo’s condition. Yoo Seo-Ah wants to ask the same question. But it feels strange to ask if someone is okay when you’re the one who stabbed them. She never really meant to stab him. But saying that would sound like a flimsy excuse. It’s her fault.

"Help is on the way. Just hang in there a bit longer."

Yeon-Hwa is clearly suspicious of her. She checks whether the unconscious Han Si-Hoo is still breathing, then looks back at Yoo Seo-Ah.

"Because of you."

There’s a clear sense of anger. A killing intent as if she could kill Yoo Seo-Ah right now.

"I’ve heard you’re from the slums, but I never imagined things would come to this."

She also seems to know something about Yoo Seo-Ah. Did Si-Hoo tell her?

"You’re a drug addict, aren’t you? I’ve seen people like you before. Disgusting."

Yoo Seo-Ah can’t argue with her.

"Why did you come here? Did you think being an old friend excused this kind of behavior?"

No. She still has a conscience. She has morals. But without the drugs, the pain was unbearable.

Even now, her arm aches. Her hands are sore, possibly bruised. Her whole body feels creaky and stiff. When the drugs kick in, all of that goes away.

She didn’t do all this just for a bit of pain relief. She just had no other choice.

"It seems like you're out of your mind. Get some proper treatment. And pay for your crimes."

Treatment. Yoo Seo-Ah had thought the same thing. She’s half-soaked, still holding the knife. She had thought the drugs were treatment, and this is what it led to.

"Do you have some kind of grudge against him?"

Yeon-Hwa wraps Si-Hoo’s wound with her clothes to stop the bleeding. Even while doing that, she doesn’t drop her guard against Yoo Seo-Ah.

[Paused.]

How long has it been since the drugs stopped controlling her? Thanks to Han Si-Hoo. She doesn’t hold any grudge. He’s her friend.

Things could have gone back to how they were. If only she hadn’t stabbed him, this wouldn’t have happened. Everything would have been fine. Maybe they could’ve gone back to when Yoo Seo-Ah and Si-Hoo were just friends.

But because of what she did. She did stab him. But it’s strange that just being stabbed made Han Si-Hoo collapse like that. There must be something more.

He had looked exhausted even when he arrived at the dorm. He probably came here after fighting somewhere, and it was because of her. Given the situation, that seems likely. So was that why he collapsed from her attack?

"...I hear footsteps. It seems the medical team has arrived, so I’ll have them take you as well."

She had done something inhuman. She had held Han Si-Hoo back for a long time. And in the end, she couldn’t help him at all.

Damn it. She really didn’t want to attack Han Si-Hoo. Do people resort to anything when they’re backed into a corner?

[Paused.]

Did I really try to kill Han Si-Hoo? Even if you hate someone, you don’t really try to kill them. There’s no way I did that.

Even if you ask what I did, I didn’t do it. Well, I did. But I didn’t.

You tried to kill him. Now, it’s impossible to hide behind the effects of the drugs. She can’t even tell if her body is soaked with water or blood.

"It’s going to hurt."

Bang.

With that, her consciousness fades out.