Chapter 342

Since this was a place recreated by separating out a part of Im Haekyung's mind, I thought there would be some sloppy parts, but looking at the space, that did not seem to be the case either.

I thought there would be resistance, but they were more docile than expected. The problem was that they kept trying to say something.

I came out toward the emergency stairs and went up to the rooftop, where there probably would not be anyone. After opening the rooftop door and going outside, I locked the rooftop door in case they tried to run away, then put them down with my back against the door.

"Now, hello. Haekyung."

"I asked who you are."

I had only meant to cover their mouth, but perhaps I had blocked their nose too, because Im Haekyung coughed with their face red. I waited for a moment until they calmed down, then tightly grabbed their shoulders and gently pushed them forward.

Im Haekyung, who was made to move forward one step at a time from being pushed, asked again.

"Why won't you tell me who you are."

"Stop chirping."

"......."

At last, Im Haekyung, who had come to stand right in front of the railing, tightly grabbed the railing with their hands and raised their head to look at me. I supported the back of their head and smiled.

"Now, ask if there is anything you want to ask."

"How did you appear so suddenly?"

"It wasn't sudden. I was originally there."

"Are you a ghost?"

"I'm fucking alive. Do you want to die?"

"Are you going to kill me?"

"We'll see."

Well, even if I dropped them from the rooftop, it was not as though they would fucking die. Still, it was enough to use as a threat.

I lightly stroked Im Haekyung's head and said.

"Now, Haekyung. I heard what you were talking about with your sister earlier."

"......."

"And, I will answer you about that. I don't know where you got such a thought from, though."

"Which one?"

So many fucking questions. Then again, Im Haekyung was still a bastard overflowing with things they were curious about. Of course it would have been worse when they were a child.

However, I smiled kindly and answered Im Haekyung.

"You said it feels like the world is going to end."

"......."

"I'm going to tell you that it's true."

I tightly grabbed the back of their head, which had leaned far backward because they kept looking at me, and made them face forward. Perhaps because they were light, even with a simple action, their body fluttered and pitched forward.

"First year of middle school?"

"Yees."

"Drink a lot of milk. You're fucking tiny."

"I don't like milk."

"Mm.... It seemed that way."

Then again, if they liked milk, there would have been no reason to leave milk long past its expiration date in the house. I briefly thought of Im Haekyung's refrigerator.

When I sharply pointed my hand toward the air, Im Haekyung's head turned in that direction.

"From over there to here... everything will turn into a complete mess. It'll all burn, monsters will come out, and it'll be completely fucking awful."

"Does it happen suddenly?"

"Not completely suddenly."

At those words, Im Haekyung's head tilted backward again. I lowered my gaze, met their eyes, and added an explanation.

"Thirteen years from now, the Upheaval will happen. Things called Gates will open here and there... just portals where monster bastards come out, and monsters will come out of them, and people will get superpowers and go kill them. Fucking superheroes, sci-fi, things like that."

"......."

At my words, Im Haekyung's eyes narrowed.

'This bastard doesn't seem to believe me?'

A bastard who believed without even the slightest doubt that the world would end did not believe me even when I told them the truth?

"You have a problem with your mind too."

"I'm perfectly fine."

"......."

"Ah, of course, you too."

"......."

Was there ever a time when they were not?

When I crookedly pulled up the corner of my mouth, Im Haekyung's eyes stared intently at my face.

'Now, then I should get to the conclusion.'

In a way, I had already given the proof that Im Haekyung had wanted so badly at this time. The problem was whether they themselves believed it or not.

"Well, in some ways, I might not be perfectly fine...."

"......."

"I don't lie often. So, believe it as you see fit."

"Who are you?"

The question came back the moment I finished speaking. Right, it was the question they had been asking continuously since earlier. Though I had no intention of answering easily.

I looked straight at Im Haekyung and said.

"Guess."

"......."

"You're good at things like that."

"......."

At my words, Im Haekyung closed their mouth. The bastard, who kept fidgeting with the hand holding the railing, slowly asked.

"Is all of this real right now?"

"No, it's all fake."

"......."

"Everything except me. You are fake right now too."

Then Im Haekyung slowly nodded. Even though I denied reality, they still had a calm face. Then again, they had seen 'me' beyond the mental barrier, so they could probably accept this much.

"Then do you know the future?"

"If you want to put it that way."

"Precognition? Or are you also like me...."

"No, I'm not like you. I just know the future."

"How?"

"I told you to guess."

When I tapped and pushed their shoulders as though urging them, Im Haekyung looked directly below the railing and swallowed. They had not said much even though I suddenly appeared, picked them up, and carried them all the way to the rooftop, so I thought they had no fear at all, but perhaps falling to their death did not appeal to them?

Im Haekyung, who had been quietly looking far below, asked without taking their gaze away.

"Did you come from the future?"

"Mm, that approach is good. Keep going."

"From the future... to tell me the truth?"

"That's right."

"Then you must know me in the future. You said thirteen years later... so after that?"

"Smart."

As I added one word at a time as encouragement, Im Haekyung suddenly raised their head.

"...Thirteen years later?"

"Yeah."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-five."

"......."

At those words, Im Haekyung's gaze slowly came toward me. The bastard slowly smiled as though they had realized something.

"Then... you weren't older than me."

"Right."

They were smart. Even though I had answered well, I did not know they would reach the conclusion this quickly. Im Haekyung continued asking questions while repeatedly tapping the railing with their fingers.

"You came because you need me.... Why?"

"You are originally needed in many ways. You're smart, and your ability is good."

"Are we something like companions?"

"Something like that. No, not something like that, I guess that's right?"

"Then are we close?"

Were we close?

I lifted Im Haekyung and sat them on top of the railing so that they faced me. Meeting their gaze more comfortably than before, I grinned.

"We are."

"......."

At that moment. The intricately made world rippled. The background spread behind Im Haekyung was slowly collapsing. Like a building made of water.... ℯℯ𝑙.

I could not focus on them for a moment because I was watching the scenery beyond Im Haekyung collapse. During that time, Im Haekyung quietly closed their mouth and only stared intently at me.

"Ah...."

It was a light exclamation as though they had realized something. When I belatedly lowered my gaze slowly, Im Haekyung smiled brightly, their eyes curving. Even though it was a face that clearly looked young, strangely... the present Im Haekyung overlapped with it.

Brown eyes rippled between dense eyelashes. Perhaps because they were in a position receiving the light directly, those eyes seemed a little brighter than before.

Im Haekyung, who had been making a strange smile, soon said calmly.

"I understand."

"......."

"I also know... what I have to do."

"You're fast."

To think they would notice the truth in an instant after only exchanging a few words. Im Haekyung swung their legs, then soon let go of their hands and suddenly leaned their body backward.

The bastard who had been sitting precariously on the railing fell beyond it in an instant. I quietly watched Im Haekyung fall below.

The bastard, who had been falling at high speed from the tall building, did not hit the hard ground... but was swept away by a massive wave and disappeared beyond it. I quietly watched it while tightly gripping the railing.

Splash, shaaaaaa—.

Because of the massive wave, the entire space began to break into pieces in an instant. It was now a familiar scene. The waves wrapping around my body were no longer unfamiliar either.

I faintly felt the sensation of falling into the water, then my breath was blocked for a moment... and then it was fine again.

When I came to my senses, I was back on land.

"Jehyun."

When I opened my eyes at Im Haekyung's voice, I saw the bastard quietly watching me. The bastard strangely overlapped with the little brat I had seen until just now, and a hollow laugh came out on its own.

"Did you really look like that when you were young?"

My voice came out hoarse. At my words, instead of answering, Im Haekyung narrowed their eyes and replied.

"I was that young... You should have treated me kindly."

"I was kind."

"You were trying to drop me."

"Because that was how we could get out."

"......."

At my words, Im Haekyung helped me up. When I lightly brushed off the sand and sat up, I saw a scene clearly different from before.

Im Haekyung checked my gaze and whispered quietly.

"We really... are leaving, Jehyun."

Instead of the place where we had stayed until now, this time we had come up onto the land where the lighthouse was.

And the lighthouse that had not been working had a bright light turned on. While shining toward the clear exit far away.

I slowly raised my gaze and looked at Im Haekyung. Then the bastard added one more word as though urging me.

"Let's leave."