The End of Regret, Ruin, and Obsession... Is Madness.

The end of regret, ruin, and obsession... is madness.

……And just like that, I became closer to Baek Sehee than just manager and talent. Especially physically. Like I had been with Kang Haneul.

……No, maybe even deeper than that. What can I say? It finally felt real that we'd crossed a line. An irreversible one. But there was no helping it. Baek Sehee was taking care of me. Like I was her baby or something. And I accepted her care. I had no strength to refuse her, no reason to, and nowhere to go if I did.

So right now—

Today, like always, I was following Baek Sehee around, and we were at the Awakener Association HQ training grounds. She was overseeing team training, while I sat in a chair in the corner, playing games on my handheld console.

……Yeah. I was just goofing off. While she worked. At first, I didn't love being treated like this. But now……eh, whatever. Whether I played around or worked, the pay was the same. No one was ordering me to do anything anyway. I didn't even have to work. And Baek Sehee seemed to prefer it when I did nothing at all.

"Mm……."

The character on the screen moved. I pressed buttons, and it unleashed skills, jumped, attacked enemies.

"Ah."

Then it got hit by an enemy and died. GAME OVER flashed on the screen.

"………."

I didn't hit restart. It wasn't fun. No, forget fun or not—I just couldn't focus. I turned off the console and pocketed it.

I looked around the training grounds. The Special Response Team members were sweating through their drills. Baek Sehee gave orders, and they followed seriously. Everyone was busy moving.

Except me.

……I want to be alone.

I stood and left the training grounds. I walked the halls, took the elevator to the top floor. The movement wasn't hindered by my prosthetic right leg.

Ding.

The elevator arrived. I pushed open the door to the rooftop, and a cool breeze brushed my face. The rooftop of the Association HQ building. It doubled as a smoking area, but since there were smoking spots on the mid-floors anyway, smokers didn't come up much. Besides, right now was prime time for all the other employees to be busy with work or training. So no one else was here.

Clunk.

I bought a warm coffee from the vending machine. I took a sip, and the instant coffee's sweet bitterness spread in my mouth. I looked up at the sky. Clear and blue. Not a single cloud.

"Nice……weather."

That was the only thought that came to mind.

…………

Come to think of it……

I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wondered how Kang Haneul was doing. She suddenly crossed my mind. During the Jongno S-rank Dimensional Gate Reptilian invasion, she'd been deployed just like Baek Sehee. But she hadn't drawn much attention. She'd stayed in the rear on standby, and the incident ended without her doing much. The media hadn't covered her in depth compared to Baek Sehee either. Kang Haneul wasn't one for frequent media exposure anyway.

And after the incident where she crushed my leg, the Association had deliberately kept her out of the press even more than before. I took another sip of coffee.

Honestly speaking, what Kang Haneul did……

Couldn't be undone. My destroyed right leg was gone forever. That said, I didn't hate her enough to want her dead. I just hoped we'd never cross paths. I hoped she'd live well on her own somehow. That would be best.

But……it probably wouldn't happen. I doubted Kang Haneul was living well. Zerk Makerberg had told me. My ability was close to mental erosion. The stronger the ego, the higher the Awakener rank, the greater the effect. And Kang Haneul was EX-rank.

Which meant she'd been hit hard by my power. That's why she fixated on me. Her fondness turned to possessiveness. In the end, to keep me from leaving, she shattered my leg.

She was probably still obsessed now. On top of that, she had congenital anger management issues. My ability was the only thing that calmed it, and without me, she must be suffering nonstop. Consumed by uncontrollable rage.

……I'll have to deal with her someday.

But no good ideas came to mind. Forgive her and reconcile? I wasn't sure. Honestly, if I were the original Moon Yujin, I might never have forgiven her. It made sense. Life was only once for most people, including him.

But when I die as Moon Yujin, I return to the cafe where the three goddesses wait. The disability was a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠lifelong burden for Moon Yujin, but not for me.

Hm……

If time passed and my feelings settled, or some big change in my heart happened, maybe forgiveness would be possible. But right now……who knows.

Or take legal or physical measures to isolate her forever so she couldn't approach me? That seemed even less realistic than forgiveness. She was an EX-rank Awakener. Her raw physical power was among the top in the world. How do you restrain someone like that?

"……Sigh."

This was a problem with no answer. All I could do was hope time fixed it. I sighed and took another sip of coffee.

Then—

"Yujin……."

A woman's voice called from behind. I knew the owner of that voice. A chill ran down my spine.

No way……?

Praying it wasn't her, I turned. There stood Kang Haneul.

…………

It was definitely her. Black two-tone hair, that signature sharp impression. But right now, she didn't look sharp—she looked cautious.

"……Ugh."

My body stiffened instinctively. Memories of our reunion in the Association hallway flooded back. She'd grabbed my arm then, I'd panicked and struggled, fallen, and my prosthetic had come off.

But now, Kang Haneul didn't move. She wasn't rushing in like last time. She just stood there, keeping some distance.

Thanks to that, I could maintain some composure.

"I'm……really sorry about last time."

Kang Haneul said. "For making you fall. I was so eager to apologize that I got ahead of myself. I really……truly am sorry."

I didn't reply. I clamped my mouth shut and stared at her. With the physical distance, the panic from before didn't hit. My heart raced, my breath came a bit short, but that was it. I could think straight.

Anyway, this Kang Haneul was a little different from last time. She'd learned something.

So……maybe we could talk.

"If you're sorry."

I cleared my throat and spoke. Not thorny, as calm and matter-of-fact as possible. "I don't want to see your face for a while. So please, just leave."

Kang Haneul's lips quivered.

"Yujin, I……."

"If you're sorry, move."

She bowed her head. "I'm……really, truly sorry."

"………."

Words alone weren't enough, as expected. I rolled up my pant leg by hand. My right leg. The prosthetic below the knee was exposed.

"Ah……."

"No matter how much you apologize, spilled water can't be gathered, Haneul. Same with the leg you shattered. It's gone forever."

Kang Haneul gasped. Her face went sheet-white.

"I'm still struggling to accept that my leg is gone. I'm not ready to talk to you. ……So please, just go now."

My voice came out colder than intended. I hadn't meant it to.

Kang Haneul couldn't move from the spot. Soon, her expression twisted. She bit her lip. Her eyes reddened.

……Did I go too far?

A corner of my heart felt uneasy. Kang Haneul was suffering too, surely. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Back in the hallway, and now. She seemed sincere in her apology. At least to me.

Maybe I was being a bit harsh with her. But……I'd lost my leg. My right knee downward was gone. At least while I was Moon Yujin, I had to live with that disability.

So wasn't it okay to say this much? A victim being cold to their attacker seemed natural, right?

……Not always.

The rational part of my mind muttered. Be honest. I harbored resentment toward Kang Haneul. Even before she destroyed my leg, she'd made outrageous demands. Like strip-searching me in my underwear in the office, or forcing dogeza. It wasn't easy to stay calm with a woman like that.

So right now, I was……more aggressive than necessary. Even if I still held a grudge, no need to hurl needless barbs.

Best to avoid her until my emotions settled. For both our sakes.

As I thought that and prepared to reiterate—

Kang Haneul's expression changed. The pained look vanished. Instead, a strange smile formed. Her lips curved up. But it wasn't normal. What was it……twisted.

"You really won't accept my apology, huh."

"……Can't be helped."

"Then, you know."

Kang Haneul took a step forward. My heart pounded at her sudden move. I instinctively tried to back away, but the railing was already at my back.

"If I understand even a fraction of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Yujin's pain……."

Kang Haneul smiled. "You might feel like forgiving me a little, right?"

"What are you—"

Before I could finish.

Kang Haneul drew an axe from behind her back.

"Wh-what? No way……."

Was she going to threaten me with that axe? But the one she pulled wasn't ordinary. It looked like rare gear for high-rank Awakeners.

But her axe wasn't aimed at me.

It swung—at herself.

Splat!

A gruesome sound of flesh tearing, and Kang Haneul's right leg caved in deeply.

"Wh-what……?"

I couldn't comprehend the scene. Thud! Thud! More axe blows. Blood sprayed like a fountain, flesh sloughing off faster than her super-regeneration could knit muscle. Bone emerged beneath.

She didn't stop. Thud! Thud! Snap, grind, crack. Finally, with a horrific noise, her right leg severed.

White bone shards glinted in the sunlight. Torn flesh and pooling blood stained the floor.

"Ugh……urk……."

Kang Haneul dropped to one knee. Her shattered leg dragged. More blood poured.

"Y-you're—insane!?"

I shouted without thinking.

Kang Haneul braced on the floor. Her body trembled. Her face paled. Yet she smiled. Lips curved, eyes crinkled.

"Ugh……hic……it hurts so much……."

Tears and sweat mixed on her face. Dragging her mangled leg.

She looked up at me. "Yujin……."

With her twisted smile, Kang Haneul asked, "Now……will you forgive me a little?"