Chae Nayun felt her heart drop at Hajin's unexpected words.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not interested in dating… moreover, dating younger girls…"
What the hell? Where was that even coming from?
She couldn't help but feel heartbroken and ridiculous all at once. Hearing Hajin say something like that struck her as the epitome of comedy. "Duh? I'm five years older than you!" The absurdity of it all gnawed at her. She was a regressor, for god's sake! Mentally, she was 25 years old, while Hajin was what—17?
Wait a second... Did that mean she was targeting a younger boy? No. Nayun quickly dismissed that disturbing thought. Age didn't mean anything to a regressor! It was irrelevant, especially when it came to matters of the heart—or whatever this was.
Regardless, she needed to refocus. She had come to confess her regression origins to Hajin, believing that this secret could prompt him to share his own. She was seizing the opportunity that Hyon Hyung had created, not just to recruit Hajin for their crusade against the Devil, but to learn more about him. It was a selfish goal, but Nayun was okay with that.
She believed that once Hajin learned of the potential Devil lurking within Cube, he would be more than willing to join their cause. Her certainty stemmed from the now nonexistent past; if there was one thing that remained constant in the world, besides death and time, it was a person's soul.
People could twist and change throughout different timelines, but their essence—their individuality—never altered.
"Sigh…" Nayun sighed, trying her best to suppress a snicker. "Me too, Kim Hajin… I'm not interested in dating… moreover, dating younger boys…" She shot back with a smirk.
Leaning forward, she let her charm shine through. Her brown hair swayed with the movement, revealing her still-developing cleavage. "Do you know what I'm interested in though? It's you, Kim Hajin, that I'm interested in…" Her words might seem contradictory, but her feelings for him had always been the same, regardless of age.
Hajin's dull reply cut through her bravado. "Miss Chae Nayun, please show some decency. You really have nothing to show for…" His gaze subtly drifted to her chest, which, to his chagrin, didn't have much to offer. "Grow a bit more, and I might think about it."
Nayun leaned back, her ears heating up in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, that's inappropriate… But hey, I just want to learn more about you. I already know so much about you that I'm finding it hard to get close."
"Miss Chae Nayun, please stop being cryptic. Hyon said that you would change my mind or something. Is there something going on that I don't know?" Hajin's patience seemed to be wearing thin, and he looked tired of the nonsensical back-and-forth.
"Hmmm… Let's go for a walk." She suggested, trying to steer the conversation back on track. The walk would give her a chance to explain herself, to drop the bomb about her regression, and maybe, just maybe, draw Hajin closer to their cause.
***
Kim Hajin walked side by side with Chae Nayun in the empty park, the crisp air filled with the sounds of distant lamentations from cadets bemoaning their test scores. Various surprise exams were weighing heavily on their minds, leaving little time for leisure. Hajin warily watched his smartwatch, aware that his invisible laptop rested in his backpack, alongside the double daggers Hyon had given him.
"Hajin… Will you believe me if I tell you I regressed?" Nayun's voice broke through his thoughts.
A change in setting rippled through his awareness.
[Chae Nayun—she regressed in search of a happy ending.]
Hajin remained silent, which only prompted Nayun to continue speaking. "It was before I fought the Tower of Miracles. You said something to me then. I told you, 'I'm going, see you again.' Do you know what you said back? 'Have a happy life,' you said… Ugh… I hate this. I will continue hating and loving you, Kim Hajin…"
[A change in setting had been detected.]
[Chae Nayun—she painfully loves you.]
"Kim Hajin. Because of you, I don't have to see my big brother becoming a Devil. So thank you. Because of you, I don't have to lose my grandfather. I thanked you for everything back then, but I don't think I will be able to do the same now."
[A change in setting echoed in his mind.]
[Chae Jinyoon—has become the host of a Devil's Seed.]
"I am sorry. I damned this world by regressing. Please help me. No. Please help this world."
Hajin felt the weight of her words. The selfishness, self-blame, and seething self-hate burned within her like the flames of the sun. She was like Icarus, yearning to embrace the glory of light, only to find it unbearable.
However, there was no time for regrets.
[A change in setting rippled again.]
[Chae Nayun—her regression is causing tumultuous changes.]
Nayun quickened her pace, leaving Hajin behind as he trudged alongside her. She dared not show her tear-streaked face, wiping away the tears that fell without her consent. When she glanced back, her smile was bright and unblemished, a stark contrast to her inner turmoil.
"I know I'm being shameless by saying this… But I love you… I just want to say it one last time, I guess… I simply love you without hating you. I can't say that in the past timeline, but I can do it now."
She stretched out her hand and placed something in Hajin's palm. It felt cool and unfamiliar. "W-what is this?" he asked, confusion evident in his voice.
Nayun answered softly, "You gave it to me as a gift. I don't know how it came with me through my regression. I'm returning it to you now." Without waiting for a response, she turned her back to him and walked away, not even glancing back.
Hajin stood rooted to the spot, grasping the necklace in his hand.
[A change in setting had been detected.]
[Chae Nayun—has moved on.]
Tears streamed down Hajin's face as he grappled with an unfamiliar ache in his heart. He stared at the necklace, wondering about its significance and the reason for his presence in this world. The Co-Author had abruptly abandoned him, leaving him without direction. He just wanted to go home…
But now what?
The pain in his heart intensified, and the tears continued to flow. Everything felt too personal for him to simply dismiss. With trembling hands, he lifted the necklace and placed it around his neck, feeling the cold metal against his skin. He couldn't recall ever having seen it before, yet it resonated within him—a fragment of his heart.
[A change in fate had been detected.]
[Kim Hajin—has become a character.]
***
I watched the drama unfold while I was under the effects of my Gift. I knew I was a bad guy for stalking them like this, and I only felt worse as the reality of the situation set in.
For me, it hurt too, as I recognized the words Nayun spoke. They echoed the last conversation she had with Kim Hajin in the past timeline, creating an uncomfortable parallel I couldn't ignore. This was distasteful, but I had a job to do.
Revealing myself from my hiding place under the shade of a tree, I asked Hajin with my usual playful tone, "So does that convince you? I really need those daggers. You know, to save the world? We would be glad if you lent us a hand."
Kim Hajin's back was turned to me. He wiped away his tears before slowly turning to face me. He didn't say a word, clearly still deliberating what to say next. I waited patiently, allowing him the time he needed.
"Huuu~" He exhaled a mouthful of air, clearly bracing himself. "Tell me everything."
And so I did. I recounted everything—the investigation of the Hero Association, my conversation with Yoo Sihyuk. In that moment, Hajin was vulnerable, but so was I.
I decided to reveal everything, answering whatever questions he had.
Yet Kim Hajin remained closed off, only posing questions without revealing much about his own circumstances. I respected his right to keep things to himself.
"So who exactly are you?" He asked bluntly. There was no hostility in his tone, just curiosity.
At this point, Hajin must have realized that his [Observation and Reading] Gift wasn't perfect. It didn't make him omniscient, especially evident in how he perceived Chae Nayun.
"I am a clairvoyant," I said, echoing the same lie I had told Nayun and Suho. "That is what I told them." But unlike with them, I had no intention to deceive Hajin. "I am like you…" I revealed to him with no falsehood.
The silence that followed was heavy. I couldn't tell what Hajin was thinking.
I continued, "I'm reading a novel called 'The Novel's Extra,' and you are its protagonist. Kim Hajin, you are inside a novel… you are a character inside a novel…"
A tense silence ensued between us, and I feared Hajin might self-destruct, just like the villains who learned this painful truth. But I wanted to take my chances. There was no need to rely on luck; whatever choices Hajin made, I would follow him all the way through.
To my surprise, Kim Hajin simply smiled. "Then so are you… you are a character too in a novel if that is the case. But does it really matter?" He turned his face away from me, gazing up at the vast blue sky.
I found his response surprisingly sentimental. Where was the existential crisis? Not that I was looking for one. "Does it not bother you? You are a character from a novel," I asked.
Kim Hajin's voice was plaintive as he answered, "I don't know what to do anymore. Do I want to go home? Do I stay? It looks like my other self has made his choice. I am still deciding on mine…"
He gazed back at me, removing his eyes from the clouds above. "For now, I decide to stay."