An Eye for an Eye, a Belly Punch for a Belly Punch...?
An eye for an eye, a belly punch for a belly punch...? ..........
'Feeling better now? You think you'd feel better if you were me?'
I was too hollowed out to even get angry. But that didn't mean I felt positive in any way, either.
Kang Haneul didn't wait for my response before pulling her top back down.
"Alright. My turn now."
"What?"
She walked over to the corner of the room and picked up two pillows by the bed. Then she handed them to me.
"Hug these."
"......Why?"
"Just hug them. Press them right against your chest."
I had no idea what she was planning, but the atmosphere didn't allow for refusal. Kang Haneul was still smiling. Though something else lurked behind that smile. I couldn't put my finger on it. I just had the feeling that refusing would be a bad idea. It was a survival instinct, the kind only the weak possess. One wrong move here, and things could go south. It was hard to explain, but I knew it instinctively.
Reluctantly, I took the pillows and hugged them to my chest, stacking them to make them as thick as possible.
"Good."
Kang Haneul stepped back a pace and raised her right hand. Her palm opened wide.
'What are you――'
Before the thought finished, her right hand swung.
BOOM!!
A dull explosion rang out as the pillows burst, feathers flying everywhere. The shock that the pillows couldn't fully absorb slammed into my chest.
"Guhk――!?"
All the air whooshed out of my lungs in an instant. My diaphragm spasmed, leaving me unable to breathe. My body flew backward, my back crashing into the bed.
Thud.
The mattress sank deep. My body bounced once, then settled.
The pain... aside from the momentary breathlessness, there was almost none. The two pillows had absorbed most of the impact. But the sheer force of it was still unbelievable. She hadn't even swung full force—just a casual palm strike had sent a person flying and burst two pillows to boot.
This was the power of an EX-rank Awakener. Comparing it to Moon Yujin's memories... it was on par with the green giant from movies in the original world.
"Heok... hek...."
I tried to breathe, but it wouldn't come properly. My mouth gaped open as I gasped desperately.
Kang Haneul approached the side of the bed.
"You okay? I went pretty easy on you."
Asking after someone she just launched across the room, without a shred of shame.
"You... youuu...."
"Yeah?"
"You... sent a person... flying...."
"Pillows were there, right? You didn't get hurt."
She sounded genuinely curious. I wasn't hurt—the pillows had cushioned the blow. But that wasn't the point.
'If she'd hit just a little harder... my ribs would've shattered.'
Terror wrapped around my entire body, cold and sticky. I felt like a hamster next to a human who could crush me on a whim for fun.
Kang Haneul crouched down and peered into my face.
"Yujin, I was really upset too, you know?"
"......What?"
"You vanished for 606 days without a word. Changed your number, deleted your SNS."
"That was――"
"At first, I tried to understand. Maybe you needed time alone. That could happen."
Kang Haneul tilted her head slightly.
"But a month passed, then three, then half a year... still no contact. That's when it really got frustrating. I was going insane."
Her voice stayed bright. But something was... slightly off.
"You know the Awakener Association building? I wanted to smash it all to pieces."
"......Huh?"
"Pound every floor from 1 to 20, crush everyone inside. I really wanted to."
She was talking crazy. Hundreds of people worked there.
"Without you, it was so hard to hold back. Now you get how tough it was for me, right?"
Kang Haneul grinned.
"So, yeah. You've vented on me now, and I've told you how upset I was."
She took my hand. Her grip was loose, surprisingly warm. Then she pulled me up effortlessly. My body rose lightly.
"Let's be friends again."
My feet hit the floor as I stood from the bed. Kang Haneul was still smiling, her face full of mischief.
'Reconciliation?'
It was all one-sided. Completely one-sided. She'd suddenly demanded I hit her to vent, then launched me to "share" her feelings, and now declared us square.
"I――"
"You're happy about it too, right, Yujin?"
Kang Haneul cut me off.
"Because we're friends. Friends fight but make up."
'Is this how friends treat each other?'
I swallowed the words rising in my throat. Pointless. She wouldn't listen. Or even if she did, she wouldn't get it.
'She's truly insane.'
Choi Seori knew her actions were wrong but did them anyway. Kim Bom was lost in delusion, but at least her world had its own logic. Catalina... her environment twisted her, but in a normal world, she'd have been normal.
Kang Haneul? She was broken from the start.
She possessed power far beyond human limits. Expecting her to think like a human was foolish. That was the truly terrifying part. It wasn't malice, delusion, or selfishness. Just a being who transcended humanity taking a liking to me.
'This life...'
I nearly sighed but held it back.
'No real answers here.'
............
Kang Haneul kept grinning like every problem was solved. But nothing was. She'd just unilaterally declared it over.
'First... let's sort this out.'
My mind was a mess. Emotions tangled, blocking clear thought. Rage, fear, despair... and resignation.
'No, can't resign.'
I'm not Moon Yujin. The old Moon Yujin would've given up. His influence lingered—I felt intimidated by Kang Haneul, tempted to just obey. The real Moon Yujin would've surrendered already, living at her whim. Unable to flee or refuse, just taking it until he broke, mentally or physically.
But not me. I'd lived as Han Minseo, as Yeoreum, as Ma Hyuksu. Died three times. And clawed desperately to survive, to overcome trials.
'Same here.'
In Choi Seori's world, Kim Bom's, Catalina's—I'd failed and died.
'This time...'
Kang Haneul was a superhuman who'd shed all human pretense. A finger snap, and Moon Yujin's head would part from his body. Beating her? Impossible.
So the answer was clear.
'I need to seize control of this relationship.'
Physical force? No. Escape? No. Only option left... make her my ally.
I had to dominate this dynamic somehow. Make Kang Haneul need me.
'But how?'
Strength, money? Useless. Moon Yujin's stats were rock bottom compared to Han Minseo, Yeoreum, or Ma Hyuksu.
What remained? The "special ability" the Family Goddess promised: harmless cuteness. A passive that soothed and calmed those around him. Useless in combat, no money-making potential—just... there or not, who cared.
'Wait.'
A thought halted me. Really useless?
'Why did Kang Haneul like... Moon Yujin?'
Fundamental question. She's an EX-rank Awakener, beyond humanity. Why obsess over an F-rank like Moon Yujin?
'Dig deeper into the memories.'
I delved further into Moon Yujin's past. With Kang Haneul. Their time at the Awakener training academy. When she first met... Moon Yujin.
............
Orientation day. Moon Yujin sat quietly in the corner. Unfamiliar place, unfamiliar faces. Everyone boasted about their powers.
Then Kang Haneul entered. Already famous. EX-rank. A rookie drawing attention from the Awakener Association before enrollment.
She scanned the room... and spotted Moon Yujin. Approached him.
"Hey, what's your name?"
"......Moon Yujin."
"Oh, cute. I'm Kang Haneul. Let's get along."
She offered her hand with a bright, refreshing smile.
Moon Yujin tensed. No clue why a celebrity like her approached him.
"Yujin, what's your ability?"
"......F-rank. Just... gives a sense of comfort?"
"Weird. Try it."
"It's always on. Passive ability."
Kang Haneul tilted her head.
"Really? I don't feel much. But you are Awakened, right?"
"Yes... I am."
From that day, Kang Haneul stuck around Moon Yujin. Visited during breaks, ate lunch together, followed after school.
At first, no idea why. But over time... Moon Yujin realized.
Kang Haneul often lost her temper. Smashed things when anger surged. But around Moon Yujin, it was different.
"When I'm with you, I don't get mad as easily."
One day, she said that.
"Other kids annoy me, but with you, I feel calm somehow."
Another day.
"You're... small and cute. I like that."
Kang Haneul stroked his hair while he sat on her lap.
"Like a puppy. Or a bunny? Anyway, cute."
............
I opened my eyes.
'I get it now.'
The reason Kang Haneul liked Moon Yujin. F-rank ability: harmless cuteness. Soothes those around, sometimes stirring protectiveness. Useless in fights, no profit—just trash tier.
But for Kang Haneul, who couldn't control her rage...
'It's like a perfect antidote.'
With me, she doesn't get angry. Feels calm. To her, I'm the one who uniquely soothes her heart.
'Or maybe just the looks.'
Moon Yujin looked like a rabbit. Small, cute, wide frightened eyes. Maybe it perfectly matched her tastes.
Reason didn't matter. What counted: Kang Haneul really, really liked Moon Yujin. Very much.