Singularity (5)

Struck by the lightning that fell from the sky, Yoo Sangah's body began to topple forward like a puppet with its strings cut. I hurriedly ran to her and pulled her into my arms.

Kim Dokja, who had been standing beside me, also rushed over with a frantic expression to check on Yoo Sangah's condition.

And in that instant, I felt someone's gaze from high above in the night sky.

Thump-thump.

My heart began racing for no reason under that gaze. Cold sweat poured endlessly down my face and back.

I knew exactly who owned that gaze.

So this is the power of an Outer God from another world…

Just the gaze alone carried this much pressure. The Outer God floating up there in the sky was a living calamity that instilled pure terror in everything around it simply by existing.

I slowly raised my head. Something of indeterminate form wavered inside the Great Hole above the night sky. Or would "wriggled" be the better word? I honestly had no idea how to describe its movements.

…So those are the things I'll have to fight in the future.

Like a picture with a heavy blur filter applied. At the hazy silhouette of the Outer God, my expression hardened.

It looked sort of like a finger… or a sweet potato… or plant roots… or tentacles. Something completely unidentifiable.

And the things sprouting around its body—resembling tongues, tentacles, or plant stems—made me think one very clear thought.

…That thing looks fucking disgusting.

I stopped staring at the Outer God and rolled my eyes to the side. There, Kim Dokja was glaring fiercely up at the Outer God with her face drained completely pale.

Her expression held a fighting spirit—no, a will—that I had never seen from her before.

…This is going to be a headache.

My skull suddenly felt like it was ringing. It could have been from staring at the Outer God for too long. Or maybe it was the thought of eventually having to face the Outer God known as the Dream-Eater that appears in the "Reread" and "Inedible" arcs of the ORV webtoon.

…But I still have to fight them.

I have to get past those things. Only then will I get even a little closer to the ending Kim Dokja wants—and the ending I want.

"―――!!"

In the distance, Han Sooyoung came sprinting toward us with Shin Yooseung on her back.

Both of them were running this way with deathly pale faces, cold sweat pouring down.

When I lowered my gaze a little, the unconscious Yoo Sangah also looked pale, her fists clenched so tightly that her knuckles had turned white.

No choice, then…

The kids were suffering. I decided to offer a little special service at a loss.

Flash!

A faint, tiny constellation sparkled high in the night sky, announcing its presence.

Crackle-crackle—!!

Just for burning a little probability, blue-white sparks began searing the tip of my left hand. The stinging numbness, the searing heat of burning flesh, and the smell of roasting meat made me scowl.

"Tsk…"

Fucking hurts.

My left hand was in agony from the probability expenditure, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠but the fact that Kim Dokja, Yoo Sangah, Han Sooyoung, and Shin Yooseung's complexions had improved even a little made me smile faintly.

I carefully adjusted the position of Yoo Sangah nestled in my arms so she could rest a bit more comfortably.

Squish.

Of course, the side benefits were separate.

"Heheh…"

Soft, smooth, warm breasts are the absolute best…

And so we finished our sightseeing—no, our observation—of the Outer God and prepared to turn in for the night.

Or rather, we tried to.

"…You crazy pervert bastard. Did you finally go and do it?"

"………"

If only Han Sooyoung hadn't been staring down at the unconscious Yoo Sangah in my arms—still dressed in that bunny girl outfit—with pure contempt in her eyes, things would have been fine.

I honestly felt a little wronged here.

Fuck… that insane Ariadne. If she was going to leave, she could have at least changed Sangah-ssi back into her original clothes first…

Ariadne, that crazy married woman, had bailed halfway through and left everything a mess. I had naturally assumed she would at least put Yoo Sangah back into her combat suit before departing.

Pulling a stunt this big on me… next time I see her, I'm putting her in a plastic bunny girl outfit instead of a white one.

I put on the most wronged expression I could manage and shot back at Han Sooyoung.

"I'm the victim here… This was all a scheme cooked up by the Greek constellations."

"……That's what they say, anyway?"

Han Sooyoung glanced at the indirect messages from the Greek constellations, then glared at me again. I carefully avoided her eyes.

"Fine, I'll tell you the whole truth. I almost got struck by lightning and died because of the constellation that descended into Sangah-ssi's body just now, okay? So as punishment I made her wear that bunny girl outfit."

"And?"

"That's it?"

"So the conclusion is that you made the constellation possessing Yoo Sangah wear a bunny girl outfit?"

"Yeah?"

"In the end it was all because of your own desires, you pervert bastard. So what exactly are you feeling wronged about?"

"…I'm still wronged, okay."

Han Sooyoung kept mercilessly beating me with pure facts, so I just made a pitiful face and offered the weakest possible rebuttal.

Or maybe I simply had nothing left to say. It was true that I had used the whole "almost got struck by lightning and died" thing as leverage against Ariadne to finally fulfill my lifelong dream of putting someone in a bunny girl outfit.

I turned my head and glared at the door of My Room next to me.

Just a moment ago, while I was getting chewed out by Han Sooyoung, Kim Dokja had simply said she was going to sleep first with Shin Yooseung and vanished inside My Room.

Thanks to that, I had lost my only potential ally. Ah, so this is my trial. Why do most people so thoroughly oppress those of us who simply love bunny girls?

It was truly an injustice.

Smack!

"Ack!"

Something cracked against the back of my head and I yelled on pure reflex. Startled, I looked up.

There stood Han Sooyoung, face flushed red, clutching her own ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hand. When I examined her more carefully in surprise—

Tears were welling in the corners of her eyes as she muttered under her breath.

Fuck that hurts… this crazy Park Jinwoo. Disgustingly sturdy stamina pig bastard… and so on. Watching her rant, I hurriedly pressed an ice pack I'd bought from the general store against her reddened, slightly swollen hand.

"Y-you okay…?"

I felt oddly guilty looking at her and asked while glancing up.

"……………"

Grit.

But she just narrowed her eyes like a cat and glared at me with all her might, grinding her teeth. I averted my gaze and apologized.

"I-I'm sorry…"

Apparently Han Sooyoung had been annoyed that I was spacing out and had swung a fist at my head to snap me out of it.

Unfortunately the gap between her Strength and my Stamina was so massive that only she ended up getting hurt.

After hearing my apology, Han Sooyoung let out a small sigh, snatched the ice pack from my hand, and continued while turning her head away sharply.

"Forget it…. It's my own fault for swinging without thinking about your Stamina stat in a moment of anger."

"…Still."

"Ah, enough, enough. If you really feel bad, just give me some of that Galala Gator meat or whatever next time."

"Okay."

The atmosphere turned awkward, and silence hung between us for a moment. Han Sooyoung roughly scratched her head, pressed the stolen ice pack against her swollen hand, and started walking toward My Room while speaking.

"I'm going to sleep too."

"Yeah, I'll head in a bit later."

"Do that. Oh, and one more thing."

"Hm?"

At her words I turned to look at her. Han Sooyoung rolled her eyes toward Yoo Sangah nestled in my arms and said:

"She's been awake for a while, you know. Handle it yourself?"

What?

My eyes flew wide open at Han Sooyoung's words and I slowly looked down at Yoo Sangah in my arms, desperately hoping she had just been teasing me.

Twitch.

But reality was cruel. Whether she felt my gaze or reacted to Han Sooyoung's words, for the briefest instant Yoo Sangah's body clearly twitched.

Seeing that tiny movement, cold sweat began pouring down my face and back. Perhaps conscious of my stare, a small sigh escaped from Yoo Sangah in my arms. Then she slowly pushed herself upright.

As she moved, her chest swayed and she twisted her body this way and that while adjusting her posture, radiating an alluring atmosphere—but this was absolutely not the time to focus on that.

I stared blankly at her with tense eyes, tracking every single ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠movement.

"………………."

"………………."

A moment later, our eyes met. I looked at Yoo Sangah's face with trembling pupils. A small smile played on her lips, but there was not a single trace of laughter in her eyes.

Her cheeks and ears were flushed bright red, yet her cold gaze made my heart start pounding. Tension, fear, dread, and the absolute certainty that I was completely fucked—I felt all of it.

Then Yoo Sangah slowly opened her mouth.

"Jinwoo-ssi?"

"Y-yes, yes, yep…"

The chilly edge in her voice made me stammer. She quietly glared at me with smoldering eyes.

Then she smiled faintly and continued.

"Did you enjoy yourself?"

"……………"

The thorns in her voice made me clamp my mouth shut and lower my gaze. After I stayed silent with my eyes down for a long while, Yoo Sangah let out a long sigh and spoke again.

"Jinwoo-ssi. I'm asking you. Did you enjoy yourself?"

"……………"

She asked again, but I still maintained my silence. Some instinct screamed that answering her question right now would lead to catastrophe.

Then Yoo Sangah slowly approached and began moving one hand. I tensed, thinking she was about to slap my cheek—

Grip!

"………?!"

Instead of slapping me, she cupped my chin with one hand and forcibly lifted my head. Forced to meet her eyes, I looked at her with trembling pupils.

It was the first time I had ever seen Yoo Sangah radiate this much pressure, and it left me thoroughly flustered.

She glanced at my panicked expression, smiled, then fixed me with a freezing gaze and spoke.

"I'm asking you right now, Jinwoo-ssi. Did you enjoy it?"

"W-well…"

……Damn constellation bastards.

Those assholes were never any help. Enjoying their junior's suffering and crisis like this…

Squeeze.

When I hesitated while looking at the constellation messages, Yoo Sangah began applying pressure with the hand cupping my chin. And whether it was my imagination or not, her gaze seemed to grow even colder than before.

It felt like those eyes were demanding to know where exactly I thought I was looking right now.

Quietly watching that, I slowly blinked and opened my mouth.

"……To be honest, yes. I enjoyed it. Having a kind, beautiful woman like Sangah-ssi wear the bunny girl outfit I love so much… even if it wasn't by her own will, but because the ‘Abandoned Lover of the Labyrinth’ was wearing it."

"……………"

My sincere, honest answer left Yoo Sangah silent. She wiped the smile from her lips and began examining my face from various angles with a blank expression. Then she stared straight into my eyes for a while.

For a long moment Yoo Sangah and I simply gazed into each other's eyes in silence. Even the indirect messages from the constellations watching us from the night sky had stopped coming, leaving perfect quiet here.

But the gazes of those constellations above felt clearer than anything else. I could feel their attention locked entirely on the two of us.

Looking up at Yoo Sangah who was quietly watching me, I opened my mouth.

"Sangah…"

Tap.

Or rather, I tried to. Until Yoo Sangah pressed her index finger against my lips. Startled, I looked at her face.

The Yoo Sangah before me was smiling faintly as she looked at me. For some reason the cold chill that had been in her eyes had melted away. While I was staring at her with a puzzled expression—

Yoo Sangah let out a seductive little chuckle.

"S-Sangah-ssi?"

"Fufu…. It's only been two days since I was separated from Dokja-ssi and Jinwoo-ssi, yet laughing like this already feels like it's been such a long time."

Yoo Sangah removed the hand holding my chin and the finger on my lips, then looked down at me with a gentle smile.

"Jinwoo-ssi is such a mysterious person. When you're next to me, so many things make me laugh, and even though the bunny girl thing made me a little upset… it's truly enjoyable."

"………………."

I quietly looked up at her, lips sealed by the meaning carried in her gentle smile and gentle voice.

Yoo Sangah looked down at me with a smile, then began walking around me with her hands clasped behind her back as she spoke.

"The day I first met Jinwoo-ssi at Geumho Station. At first I even thought, ‘Is there really someone this reckless?’"

Twitch.

"Then I was shocked when you threw a grenade in the underground tunnel, and I felt grateful when you helped us from behind."

Twitch-twitch.

"When you flustered people with words, or toyed with monsters, dokkaebis, demons, and even constellations using nothing but speech… I almost mistook you for a complete madman."

Twitch!

After completing one full circle around me, Yoo Sangah stopped right in front of my nose and looked at me with a kind smile as she continued.

"Even so, thanks to Jinwoo-ssi there were so many good things. Helping us live more comfortably than others, helping us grow stronger, always treating us so kindly… I am truly grateful. From the bottom of my heart."

Grip.

Yoo Sangah cupped both of my cheeks with her hands and continued.

"And whenever I was struggling, you always comforted me. Thank you so much, Jinwoo-ssi. Your comfort gave me the strength to keep going. Your kindness truly became a great source of strength for me."

Still holding my cheeks, Yoo Sangah tilted her head back and looked up at the night sky.

"And, and… the way you comforted me right before I lost consciousness earlier. Even when that unidentifiable something up in the night sky was pressing down on us, you moved for our sake. I am truly grateful."

Yoo Sangah rolled her eyes to look at my left hand. I followed her gaze. At the tip of my left hand, faint black scorch marks still remained.

Yoo Sangah looked straight at me and smiled brightly.

"So I'll stop being angry about you asking the constellation ‘Abandoned Lover of the Labyrinth’ to put me in a bunny girl outfit while I was unconscious."

"………Sangah-ssi."

Yes. This was what I had wanted to see. I had sincerely hoped that all of you, suffering because of the scenarios of the Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint world, struggling because of Kim Dokja's salvation… would be able to live even a little more happily, a little less painfully in this world.

And someday, I wanted to see your genuine smiles.

……Thank you so much, Sangah-ssi.

You probably don't know how much strength that single sentence of yours just gave me. In return, I will keep working even harder from now on.

So that the middle of this story becomes more enjoyable. So that the final story becomes a happy ending.

I closed my eyes and wore a deep smile.

Peck.

Something soft pressed against my right cheek and then pulled away. The sensation lasted only for the briefest instant.

My eyes flew wide open and I stared straight ahead. But the person in front of me had already released my cheeks with a flushed face and put a little distance between us.

Yoo Sangah looked down at me with a bright smile and said:

"So this is my gift to you, Jinwoo-ssi."

"………………."

At her words I blankly stroked my right cheek with my hand. The hazy, sweet sensation that had ended in a single moment like a midsummer night's dream made it impossible to maintain my composure.

Thump-thump.

Her smile made my heart start beating faster than usual for no reason.

Yoo Sangah looked down at me with a seductive smile, then slowly walked toward My Room while speaking to me.

"It's gotten late. Good night, Jinwoo-ssi. See you tomorrow."

"Uh, uh…? Y-yes. You too, S-Sangah-ssi…"

I could only blankly watch as she gave me a bright, cheerful smile in farewell and disappeared into My Room.

A moment later, once I regained my senses, I was still stroking my right cheek as I let out a bitter smile and opened my mouth.

"……Looks like I'll have to work twice as hard from now on."

After Yoo Sangah went into My Room, I also turned in for the night a little later. And I ended up tossing and turning the whole time because of the cheek kiss from Yoo Sangah that kept replaying in my head.

After an hour of restless rolling I finally managed to fall asleep, and when I opened my eyes it was already morning.

…It's morning already? I barely got any sleep…

If I had fallen asleep even a little later I would have risked receiving a clear penalty.

Anyway, wearing a hazy expression from residual sleepiness, I tidied the bed with my exhausted body. After using the bathroom, washing up lightly, and stepping outside My Room—

Outside, Han Sooyoung and Kim Dokja were talking. I approached them and spoke.

"You're already out?"

Hearing me, Han Sooyoung and Kim Dokja both turned their heads at the same time, and Han Sooyoung looked at me as she opened her mouth.

"You're up? Did you not sleep last night? Why does your face look like that?"

"A little…?"

"Serves you right for putting Yoo Sangah in a bunny girl outfit… tsk tsk."

Han Sooyoung seemed to assume I hadn't slept because Yoo Sangah had thoroughly scolded me. But there was no particular reason to correct her, so I kept my mouth shut.

Following her, Kim Dokja looked at me and spoke.

"Good morning."

"Yeah, good morning."

I gave Kim Dokja a half-hearted reply and looked around. Earlier inside My Room I hadn't seen Lycaon, Yoo Sangah, or Shin Yooseung.

When I still couldn't spot them outside either, I looked at Kim Dokja and Han Sooyoung and asked.

"Where are Lycaon, Sangah-ssi, and Yooseung?"

"They went scouting."

Han Sooyoung stopped fiddling with her smartphone and answered while looking at me. At her reply I simply nodded with a "I see" expression.

Then I turned my head toward Han Sooyoung, who was still poking at her phone, and asked.

"What are you looking at?"

"A novel."

"Yours?"

"Then whose would I be reading?"

Han Sooyoung answered as if asking why I was even posing such an obvious question. I tilted my head at her reply.

"You don't have any other novels saved?"

"Nope. Kim Dokja, you?"

"I don't really have any either."

Kim Dokja, who had also been staring at her smartphone just like Han Sooyoung, answered. Watching the two of them, I spoke.

"Do you guys at least have portable chargers? If you keep looking at them like that the batteries will die fast."

"Don't have any."

"I already used up the ones I had earlier."

No, if you answer like that, how are you going to keep using your phones?

Their answers left me looking dumbfounded, so I pulled two fully charged portable batteries from the general store and handed one to each of them.

"Here. Fully charged portable batteries."

"Oh, thanks."

"I'll put it to good use, Jinwoo."

Han Sooyoung and Kim Dokja connected the batteries I gave them to their smartphones and started charging.

Then Han Sooyoung looked back and forth between us and opened her mouth.

"Alright then. What are we going to do from now on?"

At her words Kim Dokja answered as if asking something so obvious.

"What do you mean what? We wait until the scenario starts."

"Who wants to hear that kind of half-assed plan? You must have a proper plan."

Slightly irritated by Kim Dokja's reply, Han Sooyoung continued.

"There are five days left until the scenario starts. The west is being handled by Yoo Joonghyuk, and the north by that Wanderer King woman or whatever. What about the center?"

"We all block it together, I guess."

"There's an easy way, isn't there? Did you forget?"

Twitch!

Kim Dokja, who had been poking at the wooden planks inside the drum can so they would burn better, and I, who had been blankly staring outside, both froze for a moment at Han Sooyoung's words and glared at her. Then Kim Dokja glanced at me before speaking to Han Sooyoung.

"Do you even realize who's standing next to you right now?"

"I know. I know all too well. That's exactly why I'm asking even more."

"……………"

I quietly glared at Han Sooyoung, and she turned her head to glare right back at me as she continued.

"Hey, Park Jinwoo. I don't want to kill Shin Yooseung either after getting close to her these past few days. But the ‘Central Disaster’ that's about to wake up is a disaster on a completely different level from the others."

Han Sooyoung let out a small sigh to calm her frustrated heart and continued.

"As far as I know, the easiest way to stop the ‘Central Disaster’ is to kill Shin Yooseung. But neither you, Park Jinwoo, nor I, nor Kim Dokja can kill her."

Because we've gotten too close to Shin Yooseung.

Han Sooyoung narrowed her eyes as if the reality was truly bitter and fell silent for a moment. Then she quickly changed her expression and glanced at me and Kim Dokja as she continued.

"That's why we need a plan. A surefire way to stop the ‘Central Disaster’."

"………………."

"………………."

At Han Sooyoung's words, Kim Dokja and I fell silent. Or rather, Kim Dokja seemed to be thinking deeply about something. A moment later I also sank into thought like her.

The best I can do right now is level up Shin Yooseung's skills, and I also need to raise my own skill levels as much as possible during the remaining time.

And…

I lowered my head and pictured the summoning beacon sitting in the corner of My Room.

Defeat the western and northern disasters, earn coins and achievements, and extract the skills those disasters possess.

The things I planned to do would cost an enormous number of coins, so I needed to gather as many as possible over the remaining five days.

Everything for the happy ending I wanted.

Just then, Yoo Sangah's voice rang out from the distance.

"Jinwoo-ssi! Dokja-ssi!"

When I turned toward the voice, Yoo Sangah was waving at me and Kim Dokja with her arms full of something, and Shin Yooseung was likewise waving at us with her arms full of something.

And finally, Lycaon was following behind Yoo Sangah and Shin Yooseung with a groll slung over his shoulder. When our eyes met, Lycaon politely bowed his head toward me in greeting.

Kim Dokja and I raised our hands and waved back in welcome. Watching quietly from the side, Han Sooyoung grumbled at the two of us.

"You two look weirdly happier now that they're coming, huh?"

"Because they're people we can trust."

At Kim Dokja's answer, Han Sooyoung whipped her head away and muttered.

"Tch. People who don't get trusted are going to die of loneliness."

"What are you talking about? Who says you don't get trusted?"

I lightly refuted Han Sooyoung's muttering. When I contradicted her, she widened her eyes and looked at me with a puzzled expression.

"Even if Dokja here doesn't—"

"Hey. What the hell does that mean?"

Kim Dokja, who had heard me, immediately scrunched up her face and glared, but I ignored her words and gaze and continued speaking to Han Sooyoung.

"At least I trust you. Sincerely."

These past few days Han Sooyoung could have killed Shin Yooseung at any time. But she didn't. Because in the end she was just as soft-hearted as I was.

Even just now, when she brought up the Central Disaster and Shin Yooseung, she still said she didn't want to kill her.

Because of that soft-hearted nature of hers that couldn't easily cast aside people she had grown close to, I decided to trust her.

And at my words, a strange light flickered in Han Sooyoung's eyes. She blankly stared at me for a moment, then snorted and turned her head away sharply as she spoke.

"Hmph. At least your eye for people is decent. Then who else would you trust if not this genius beautiful girl author?"

Because she had turned away I couldn't see her whole face, but the tips of her ears had turned red. Surprisingly, Han Sooyoung seemed to be the type who was weak to praise.

Kim Dokja, who had been watching the two of us for a moment, glanced at us and said:

"…Are you roughly done talking? Then let's think about what to do next while we move."