Fuck, thank god you’re alive.
I ran a hand through my hair, exhaled deeply, and slumped onto the sofa.
The moment I confirmed he was safe, my lungs finally loosened, and my frozen thoughts began moving again.
Wiping my dry eyes, I leaned back against the sofa and tilted my head toward the ceiling.
‘...Yeah. I’m the crazy one.’
Just like Min Jiheon said.
“Are you insane?!”
Right before I headed into this place—what I assumed to be Kang Ichae’s subconscious—Min Jiheon had gone pale at my request and flung my hand away.
I hurried to clarify before he got the wrong idea.
“I don’t mean literally kill me. I’m saying Ichae can’t be helped directly, right? Then I’ll do it. Just detach my soul for a moment—”
“—You think I don’t know what you mean?! That time, it was an emergency!”
I’d only meant to get a bit of assistance, like before.
Since Ichae’s condition resembled mine back when I collapsed after facing Jeong Cheongyeon, I’d figured I could reach him by entering his subconscious.
But Jiheon’s expression twisted into something I’d never seen before.
“What if you can’t find him? What if you end up wandering there alone forever?”
“...Jiheon.”
“What do you even think I am?”
Even in the worst situation, I would’ve still found a way to survive—but even if all of Jiheon’s concerns were right, I didn’t have any other choice.
“...This happened because of me.”
Even if it hadn’t been my intention.
He was dying while trying to do something good ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) on my behalf. I couldn’t just sit by and ignore that.
When I couldn’t speak anymore, Jiheon rubbed his face hard with both hands, muttering under his breath.
“I’m sorry, but please—just this once.”
In the end, Jiheon gave in.
And thanks to him, I’d found Kang Ichae.
When he’d fastened the bracelet onto my wrist, he’d told me to be careful. Remembering that made me feel a little guilty—but apologies could wait.
I turned away from Ichae and looked around the house.
Everywhere bore traces of affection, and unfinished sheet music was scattered across the floor like fallen leaves.
I nudged one with my toe, then picked up the remote control.
It was a movie I hadn’t even liked much, but for some reason, it pissed me off.
‘How long... had he been holding out here?’
His body looked fine—but what about his mind?
I had warned him, hadn’t I? Told him to live pretending not to know anything.
But saying that again now was pointless.
I blinked slowly once, turned off the TV, and spoke in as calm a tone as I could manage.
“Let’s talk somewhere else. We don’t have much time left.”
In the real world, Jiheon had said if I couldn’t bring Ichae back within ten minutes, he’d only revive me.
We didn’t even know how time flowed differently between here and reality—there was no room to hesitate.
After collecting my thoughts, I uncrossed my arms and straightened my posture.
“Kang Ichae. There are two ways.”
He tilted his head slightly, looking at me.
“First, find someone else here. From my experience, there’s usually someone who can help.”
Just like in Nugu Actor Tycoon—we didn’t have time to accumulate causality through quests.
But if this was Ichae’s subconscious, maybe, like my younger brother Seo Hojin who’d saved me in mine, someone tied to Ichae’s memories existed here as a ‘guide.’
“I can’t explain everything now, but if we find that person, we can go back—what’s wrong?”
I expected surprise. Instead, Ichae averted his gaze, scratching awkwardly at his neck.
“...Uh, there’s... no one.”
“What?”
“I’ve never seen anyone else here.”
“You mean—you’ve been alone this whole time?!”
His eyes widened at my shout.
“...Yeah, pretty much.”
“Ah, fuck, seriously...”
I pressed a hand to my forehead, forcing down my anger and frustration, when his oddly lighter tone reached me.
“So... what’s the other way?”
Rubbing my temples, I swept my hair back and lifted my chin.
The second option was shorter and simpler—but far more uncertain.
‘...Will it even work?’
But there wasn’t anything else left.
“...You.”
I looked straight at him and finally spoke about what I’d avoided until now.
“You know who I am.”
He’d been quietly probing me for a while now. Maybe ever since that day he asked Seo Hojin about editing.
I hadn’t wanted to drag him into something this ugly, but after he’d even served as the system’s proxy, hiding it any longer was meaningless.
“If you trust me and tell me everything, that’s the other way.”
If quests were powered by causality, then nothing filled causality faster than a main scenario quest.
If this situation had arisen because of the main scenario, completing it might open the way back to reality.
It was just a possibility.
‘But will he actually go along with it?’
The Dawn had already made it big.
Everyone expected them to sweep one of the major awards this year—and if he told his story now, it would mean the end of that journey.
Ichae surely knew that.
He let out a faint laugh, glancing at me sideways.
“...When did you figure it out?”
“A while ago. You really think I wouldn’t notice after all that poking around?”
He lowered his gaze, then asked softly,
“...That’s your plan?”
“Yeah.”
“If I don’t do it, does that mean we’ll live here together forever?”
“Are you insane?”
I’d find another way, obviously.
He chuckled, amused by my reaction.
“So you really believe that if I tell you everything, we’ll go back?”
“Hey, I know this isn’t something that works if there’s no trust, but—”
I didn’t have time to argue.
I opened my mouth to push him again—
“......!”
A vibration rippled through the floor.
Ichae noticed too; one of his brows arched slightly.
The metronome on the coffee table shook violently, fell, and rolled away. The carpet rose, the floorboards split apart, and through the cracks appeared something glowing red—like doorways.
I’d seen this before.
“Fuck.”
It was the sign—the world was collapsing.
The moment that realization hit, the building groaned and began to split open.
“Ugh...!”
And then, just like in my own subconscious, an enormous heart appeared—though its shape was slightly different.
The lights flickered and burst, shards of glass flying everywhere.
The ground beneath Ichae rippled, scattering his sheet music into the air as a violent wind swirled around him.
“Ichae!”
I tried to reach him, but the pages turned into blades, slicing through the space between us.
Crash!
Thunder struck outside.
Lightning etched patterns like piano keys across the walls, and from far away came a deep, ominous piano melody.
‘Why the hell is his mind so dramatic?!’
At this rate, I’d die before worrying about time!
Amid the chaos, Ichae stood motionless, surrounded by fluttering sheets. I shouted at him.
“Hey! It’s fine! Don’t be scared—just run out!”
I took a step closer—heat flared across my cheek.
Probably a paper cut.
“...That’s your problem, hyung.”
Ignoring the sting, I kept walking toward him.
He touched his own left cheek lightly with one hand and murmured, watching me.
When I wiped my face with the back of my hand, it came away bloody.
“...You always act like nothing about yourself matters. Then when others are at their most desperate, you show up.
If I call you a selfish bastard for thinking only of yourself, you go and act kind instead.”
This little shit.
He’s spouting nonsense while everything’s collapsing around us.
“You really want to die here?!”
“I’m not planning to die either.”
He wiped the blood on his pants, eyes flicking to the scattered sheets of music he’d written. His voice was calm.
“I’ve still got a lot left to do once I’m back.”
Ding— dang—
The wall clock chimed, and furniture began rising into the air, swept away by the wind. Even the piano joined in, clattering violently.
What, were his repressed emotions staging a revolt now?
“Fine, fine! I get it! Now get your ass out of there!”
Deciding it was better to survive first, I pushed through the flying papers toward him again.
“We’ll talk later—just run—!”
I reached out to grab his arm—
Ding!
[Sys■■m re■■ver■■ng!]
[Sys■em re■■ver■■ng!]
[Sys■■em recov■■ng!]
.
.
.
A flood of notifications filled my vision as countless system windows burst open.
“You still don’t believe it, huh.”
[—Success! System recovery complete!]
While I froze in shock, I felt a hand pull at my arm.
“Still so slow on the uptake?”
[■Partial memo■■y res■■red.]
[Partial memory un■■cked.]
[Par■■al memory res■■red.]
Ding!
Ding!
[Congratulations!]
[All memories unlocked!]
“Hey. You saw me earlier, right?”
Smiling faintly, Kang Ichae gripped the arm I’d extended toward him.
“From the moment you came looking for me, it was already over.”
“Then don’t be late going home.”
“...Home?”
This crazy bastard—!
Right then, the piano—carried by the storm—hurtled toward Ichae from behind.
I yanked his shoulder and rolled aside with him—
Ding!
[You have gained Kang Ichae’s complete trust.]
“Hey, does seeing me make you happy?”
And then the tide of memories swallowed us whole.
