Chapter 37
Chapter 37
After figuring out the situation, I told Rene and Rin there had been a misunderstanding and asked them to come back in 30 minutes.
Though they were in the middle of a tense standoff, they reluctantly agreed and went their separate ways.
In the meantime, I ran to the alley where Ruen had been and found him waiting, leaning casually against the wall as if he had expected me.
“Hyung, are you sure this is okay? If you leave Rene noona and my sister alone like that, they might start fighting again.”
“It’s fine. I made sure they went different ways before coming here. More importantly, there’s something I want to ask you.”
“You don’t even need to say it. You’re wondering how a five-year-old like me knows so much about adult situations, right?”
I nodded.
At first, I wasn’t sure—but now I was certain.
Ruen had a secret.
“You’re sharper than the Bern I knew, so I’ll be direct. Every time I die, I repeat my life.”
“…I thought so.”
“Huh? You’re not surprised?”
“I’ve seen similar cases before.”
Not in reality, of course—but it was a familiar concept.
Reincarnation, possession… regression wasn’t strange in comparison.
“Then what are you, hyung? You’re nothing like the Bern I know.”
“You don’t know?”
“No.”
So Ruen wasn’t regressing in my timeline.
He only knew the original Bern.
“…It’s hard to explain. Just think of me as someone with a different mind inside Bern’s body. I didn’t steal it on purpose.”
“I know. I’ve been watching you act like a kid this whole time. You’re strange sometimes, but overall, you’re a good person. That’s why I revealed myself. Besides, the future has already changed completely, so regression is useless now. I’ve repeated this life 23 times… all for nothing.”
“Twenty-three times…?”
“Yeah. This is the first time the future changed like this.”
In other words—
I had already altered everything before he could act.
I felt a bit guilty.
But he waved it off.
“You don’t need to feel bad. I’m actually grateful.”
“Grateful?”
“I could never cure my illness on my own. Every time, Bern hyung gave me the medicine. Only then could I act.”
“…You knew the cure?”
“I did. But my illness made even breathing hard. I couldn’t even tell my sister.”
A condition so severe he couldn’t communicate.
“I never once had a proper conversation with my sister. By the time I was cured… she was already dead.”
“…Ah.”
In every timeline—
Rin died.
Saving him.
Bern found the cure too late.
“I always lost her. I couldn’t even be there at the end.”
“….”
“So yes, I’m grateful to you. You ended my suffering early—and saved my sister.”
“…Then stop pulling tricks like earlier.”
“Why? You don’t like my sister?”
“I don’t dislike her! I’m just not ready yet.”
“Ha…”
He sighed like an old man.
“You really are like the Bern I knew.”
“What does that mean?”
“You scream ‘virgin energy.’”
“…!”
That hit hard.
“Don’t regret it later. If you like someone, say it.”
He then made a gesture—
one no five-year-old should ever make.
I recoiled in shock.
“Are you sure about this? She’s your only sister.”
“She likes you. And you saved us. I want her to be happy.”
“…I see.”
“Also, congratulations. You’ll get something even Bern never had—her first time.”
…Was this NTR or not?
My brain hurt.
“Still unsure? Then I’ll tell you something interesting.”
“What?”
“The future. Bern and Sherin’s married life.”
What followed—
was horrifying.
Sherin spent her days pampering herself—
with Bern’s money.
All for Kang Junhyuk.
She never cared for Bern.
Not even when he returned injured.
They never even shared a bed.
Instead—
she thought of another man.
And in the end—
she framed Bern for treason.
And had him killed.
“…That’s the ending?”
Ruen dragged his hand across his neck.
That was it.
Bern’s life—
a tragedy.
“Do you want that?”
“…Hell no.”
My blood boiled.
Not just at Sherin—
but at Kang Junhyuk.
Bern gave everything—
and was discarded.
Unacceptable.
“So here’s the question. Two women here genuinely care about you. Who will you choose?”
“…That’s easy.”
I stood up.
If I stayed still after hearing that—
I’d be an idiot.
I would never end like that.
I would have a better ending.
As I walked toward the fountain—
Ruen called out.
“I booked a room with the biggest bed! Enjoy your night!”
…Regression really was the ultimate cheat.