Day 6, the Hell I Descended into Alone
When I woke up on the sixth day of seven, the room was completely silent. No alarm. No sound of Mom cooking breakfast in the kitchen. No lingering “night residue” that usually clung to my body after dreams. It felt entirely real. “…This is weird.”
Normally, by day six, the weight in my chest would have started before I even opened my eyes, and the second I did, I’d still be half-sunk in that dream haze. Today? Too clean. Palm against the blanket. The weight of the duvet. The color of the ceiling light. All of it—real. Real, and wrong. “No connection today.”
The words left my mouth, and the center of my chest went ice-cold. Up until now, I’d never lost Subin’s signal completely. Not even a faint, indirect one. At least there was always that small promise that tonight would still connect. Not anymore. Nothing. Just nothing.***
While I ate breakfast, the only sound was the clink of my spoon against the table. Mom kept glancing at me, but she didn’t say a word. Usually she’d ask if I dreamed again last night or tease me for being a night owl. Today she stayed quiet. That silence was somehow worse. “Quiet today, huh.”
I spoke first, and Mom nodded. “You’re quiet too.” “Me?” “Yeah. Eyes open, but the face of someone who hasn’t come home yet.”
Something in my chest dropped. “…I’m just spaced out today.” “It happens.” Mom didn’t push. But the way she looked at me—like she already knew something was coming—made my stomach twist harder.***
Back in my room, I stared at the wall. [7-Day Restriction Plan] The records for days one through five were packed, but day six was still blank. I picked up the pen and stared at it for a long time, unable to write. Nothing had happened yet, and I couldn’t bring myself to record it. “This feeling is fucking terrible.”
Somehow, the name Subin stood out sharper in my head than ever. The scenes from last night. Administrator’s red eyes. The word rejection. Subin’s voice saying she was stopping the dream. If none of that was a dream… maybe today was the day I finally learned the outcome of that choice.***
The afternoon dragged like a curse. Time moved twice as slow as usual. I picked up my phone, set it down, played something, turned it off, all while my body stayed perfectly still. My mind wouldn’t stop racing. “What if there’s really nothing tonight?” I knew exactly what that meant. If nothing happened, it meant— the other side had already given up. Subin had chosen to quit the dream, or decided to discard Jitae, or both. Either way, the “business connection” was over. And I… would be back to perfect reality. “Maybe that’s for the best.”
My head wanted to believe it, but my chest refused to listen.***
The sun had already set when the phone rang. [Unknown Number] [Night connection delayed.]
I stared at the screen for a long time. “Delayed…” The meaning was clear. No normal route tonight. The “abnormal route” I knew too well was one thing only: Administrator intervention. “Hah.” I sat on the bed, pressing my forehead with my hand. The sixth day wasn’t even my test anymore. Today Subin was taking it. And I was completely powerless to do anything.***
Even after night fell, sleep wouldn’t come. My eyes were heavy, but my mind was terrifyingly clear. No dream-pull tremor. No sinking sensation. Pure wakefulness. “This is scarier than the dream itself.” I lay there staring at the ceiling until my hand rose. “This is a dream.” I forced the words out. Instantly the world went black.***
When I opened my eyes again, I was floating in darkness. No feet, no hands, no surroundings. But one feeling was crystal clear. The space without Subin. And it felt sharper than anything else. A moment later, red light spread beyond the dark. At the same time, the cold metal floor pressed under my feet. “Here.” Familiar. The inside of the Succubus Company. But not for me.***
A little ways away, one circular space appeared. And in the center, Subin stood. Today’s Subin was the business version—no warmth, no hesitation. Suit, heels, hair pinned neatly, expression locked. The being standing in front of her was— Administrator Succubus. Red eyes. Blank face. No emotion. “Dedicated Succubus ‘Subin’.” Administrator said quietly. “Starting personal evaluation for day six.”
I understood at that moment. — Today, — I was not the test subject, — I was an excluded observer. — And this scene was a test Subin had to pass alone. The air around the circular space grew heavy. Like invisible pressure pushing down on her shoulders. Administrator didn’t even glance at me as another data panel floated up. [Customer: Jitae] [Status: High-risk / Recovery stability unstable] [Succubus Dependence: Subin exclusive] [Alternate connection experiments: All failed]
With every new line, Subin’s breathing grew a little more ragged. “You’ve already crossed the line of ‘dedicated’.” Administrator’s gaze pierced straight through Subin’s eyes. “Every time your customer’s emotions shift, your mental stability sways with it.” “So…” Subin asked quietly. “So I just have to choose.” “Yes.” Administrator nodded. “Hand her over to another Succubus and return to the company’s gears, or quit everything and be rejected as a Succubus.” Administrator paused, then added slowly, “Or abandon all authority and reject as a Succubus.”
The word rang through the space, and I felt my heart drop. Subin didn’t look surprised. But deep in her pupils, a tiny crack appeared. “The kid…” Subin asked for the first time. “If I quit… what happens to Jitae?” Administrator pretended to think. “Initialized.” “Memory too?” “All Succubus-related memory.” That meant— every single day for seven days. The feelings between Subin and me. The choices and temptations every night. The moments reality and dream had dug into each other— all erased. Even hearing it made my own breath catch. Subin lowered her head. And stayed silent for a long time. That silence was crueler than Administrator’s pressure.***
“The kid…” Subin opened her mouth slowly. “Has already been shaken enough.” Administrator’s eyes narrowed. “So normal Succubus intervention is necessary.” “No.” Subin shook her head. “That person isn’t someone who will collapse deeper.” Administrator’s face finally hardened. “That’s your emotion, not data.” “I don’t judge people with data alone.” Subin lifted her eyes. In that gaze there was human anger, not the usual Succubus glow. “Jitae looks back at the real world while running away.” Administrator stayed silent. “Even when he can break, he tries to hold himself together.” Subin’s voice started to tremble. “Classifying such humans only as prey…” She trailed off, breath caught. “…Isn’t that too cruel?”***
Administrator stared at Subin for a moment, then smiled coldly. “Succubus moves on cruelty.” That single sentence shattered Subin’s last support. “Succubus does not protect humans.” “So…” Subin lifted her head. Her eyes held the look of someone who had already decided. “I will quit.” The air froze. “If I stay as a Succubus, I’ll be forced to stand on the side that breaks that kid until the end.” Administrator’s red eyes flickered. “Do you know the price of that choice is yourself?” “I do.” Subin gave a smile that wasn’t quite a smile. “Breaking Jitae myself is worse than…” She whispered so quietly it was almost inaudible. “Me breaking would hurt less.”***
At that instant, a massive warning window appeared in the void. [Succubus Rejection Process – Manual Start] [Dedicated Succubus: Subin] [Warning: All abilities, all protections, all binding rights will be nullified immediately.] Administrator asked one last time. “Regret?” Subin shook her head without hesitation. “None.” And the button was pressed.***
I watched the entire scene, forgetting to breathe. The unique Succubus aura that had wrapped Subin’s body began to scatter like smoke. The light left her eyes. The ease left her stance. The unnatural seduction left her voice. She was becoming just a person. “…” Finally Subin lifted her head. And— exactly— looked in the direction I was in. I couldn’t move, but I felt it. She knew I was watching. She knew. Subin’s lips moved very slightly. No sound came, but I read the shape of her mouth perfectly. “Jitae.” In the next second, the light vanished.***
When I opened my eyes, I was back in my real room. My chest heaved. “Fuck.” Every detail I had just seen was too vivid. For a moment I couldn’t tell if this was still a dream or reality. The bed. The desk. The wall notes. [7-Day Restriction Plan] The box for day six was still blank white. I reached out and picked up the pen. And with a trembling hand I started to write slowly. [Day 6 – Subin, Succubus Rejection Choice.] I added one more line. [I could do nothing.] The moment I wrote those words, the pen slipped from my hand and clattered to the floor.***
The phone rang. [Unknown Number] [Connection ended today. Day 7 will proceed under individual judgment.] Individual judgment. That meant tomorrow— the last day for real. I sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the floor for a long time. Subin had quit the dream. And I still hadn’t chosen anything. I was still here in reality.***
That night I barely slept. Every time I drifted off, the image of Subin pressing the button replayed. Every time I closed my eyes, Administrator’s red eyes appeared. “Tomorrow…” The words slipped out. “What the hell am I going to see?” Day 7. After the Succubus rejection. After Subin’s choice. And the day my own choice could no longer be postponed. The night of day six ended quietly, yet cruelly, with fear, hope, guilt, and obsession all tangled together.