Chapter 154: A Path Never Walked

“Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?

It’s kind of hurtful to greet someone who came all this way—while even acting like this version of Son Jaeyul—with a face like that.”

I don’t think I’d be this shocked even if I really had seen a ghost.

I never once imagined that ‘X’ would walk all the way into the Seoul First Center.

How was I supposed to anticipate the audacity of him strolling straight into the heart of enemy territory?

“I was about to just kill everyone and walk in, but I held back.

So you’d better not do anything stupid, yeah?

If it’s Jin Sehyun I know, you’re not that foolish.”

It was a threat.

If I screamed or tried to call for help, he’d kill everyone in this building.

Of course, ‘X’ was more than capable of that.

And I had no intention of giving him an excuse for a massacre.

“Why did you come all this way?

Don’t tell me I’m your objective.”

After the initial shock of seeing ‘X’ wore off, that was the first thought that came to mind.

Maybe he’d come to kidnap me.

Just like how he took Poppy to force Jaeyul into the fight, maybe he planned to use me to bind Jaeyul’s hands and feet.

“Isn’t it obvious?

You’re the only person here I know.”

So that really was it….

For a brief moment, I tried to think of a way to escape without becoming ‘X’’s hostage, but nothing came to mind.

Back then, running away from him would’ve been easy enough.

But now, it was impossible.

“Haa… fine.

So this time I’m supposed to be the hostage, huh?

I’ll come quietly, so let’s go without causing trouble.”

I raised both hands to show I wouldn’t resist.

“What are you talking about?

Why would I take you with me?

You seem to be overestimating your own value.

Whether you’re there or not, the outcome of this battle is already decided.

You’re still just as bad at knowing your place, even without the power to back it up.”

Th-this… bastard…!

The sheer rage boiling up in my head at his words—reducing me to something utterly worthless—was unreal.

Jaeyul, and this guy too.

They could kill people with just their mouths.

Sorry for not knowing my place!

“Ahem.

Then why did you come?”

“Just because.”

“…J-just because?

You haven’t finally gone insane from killing so many people, have you?”

The guy I’d assumed would be commanding the battlefield was standing right here.

Which meant the monster army was currently fighting without a commander.

No matter how overwhelming his power was, was that really okay…?

No—what am I even worrying about right now?

Get a grip, Jin Sehyun.

“Hmm… maybe I have.

I just wanted to talk to you one last time.

Back on the previous Earth, you always kept your mouth shut, so we never really got to talk properly.

Even when you died, you went out so arbitrarily and pointlessly.”

One last time…?

So ‘X’ really had chosen today as the day of destruction.

Maybe coming to see me was his way of personally ending this tiresome karmic connection.

If today truly was the end, what was I even supposed to say to him?

Beg him to spare me?

Ask him not to destroy the world?

None of that would mean anything.

A question suddenly surfaced.

Something I’d always wondered about, yet never asked him.

A pointless question.

“What was the real reason you sent me to this world?”

No matter how much I thought about it, it was a decision I couldn’t understand.

It was hard to believe—enough to make me wonder if ‘X’ had been lying.

I couldn’t grasp his thoughts at all.

Even if he said it was just because he was bored, I still wouldn’t know how he planned to use me to alleviate that boredom.

After crossing into this world, he hadn’t particularly tormented or threatened me either.

“Since today’s really the last day, I guess it’s fine to tell you.”

‘X’ perched himself on the window ledge and began to speak.

“Because it was unpleasant to look at you.

Back then, Jin Sehyun looked like a beast being dragged to the slaughter every day.

You charged in stupidly, like you had no attachment to your own life.

That empty face—with no emotion, no hope—I can’t tell you how much I hated it.”

Back then, I really was a completely different person from who I am now.

Just like he said, I had no hope, and my heart was so broken I barely felt any emotion at all.

It’s true that I didn’t value my life.

At some point, death had stopped being frightening.

I’d even reached a point where I thought that if death could cut short the pain of living, it wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

“That was your reason?

If you hated it so much, you should’ve just killed me.”

“To be honest, it felt like a waste to let you die.

You were my only plaything.

You could say it was a reward… for entertaining me so well up to that point.”

A waste…?

A reward?

What the hell is he even saying?

And what’s with that expression?

It’s like he’s wandering through unpleasant memories of the past.

“Don’t fight in battles you don’t even want to be in.

Just….”

For once, ‘X’ faltered.

He opened his mouth, then closed it again, stalling for time.

As if hesitating over whether to speak, he finally continued in a low, calm voice.

“Just live.

The world’s going to end soon anyway, but until then, I wanted you to live the life you wanted.

I didn’t expect that giving you that chance would lead you to guide this version of Son Jaeyul down such a different path, though.”

It was nothing but unbelievable words.

He sent me to another world on the brink of death so I could live the life I wanted?

Was he really insane?

Or was this all just a lie to get something out of me?

But ‘X’’s face and voice didn’t look like someone who was lying.

There was no playful tone, no lighthearted expression.

He looked like Jaeyul.

Like the face Jaeyul makes when he looks at me….

If I dig through my hazy memories, it even feels like ‘X’ tried to press down on my wounds to stop the bleeding as I was dying.

“Still, it looked like you were living a pretty enjoyable life here.

Wasn’t that the case?

I’d believe you were a completely different person who just happened to have the same face as the Jin Sehyun I knew.

The desire to live was written clearly in your eyes.

Was your life really that precious—so precious you didn’t want to die?”

“I can’t deny it.

It’s been pretty great, and right now, I want to live so badly it’s ridiculous.”

“Why?”

Why?

“Because living with Jaeyul is fun.

There are still so many things we haven’t done yet, so dying now would feel unfair.

You wouldn’t understand that feeling.”

“Because of Son Jaeyul… huh.”

‘X’ looked like he genuinely couldn’t understand.

“Then I wonder.

Would another version of me feel the same way about you?”

“That’s….”

I was momentarily at a loss for words.

Would Jaeyul also find living with me fun?

Would he hate the thought of dying because there were still too many things left undone?

“Of course he would.

Don’t compare Jaeyul to you.

Jaeyul doesn’t live a life steeped in dissatisfaction and malice.

Just eating good food with me or resting at home is enough to keep a smile on his face.

There’s so much we still have to do together.

I’m sure he feels the same way I do.”

I didn’t need to think long before answering.

I’d only recently become certain of it.

Jaeyul’s smiles and warm gazes were meant for me alone.

That unwavering devotion wasn’t something that could be maintained halfheartedly.

That was my reason for believing he felt the same way.

“…You’d be better off keeping your mouth shut like before.

Every time you open it, you stab me with words.

There’s a limit to how much you can look down on someone.”

Despite the irritated content of his words, ‘X’ was wearing a faint smile.

“You said it’s the last time.

Shouldn’t I say everything I want?

You’ve been spouting plenty of nonsense yourself.”

I was honestly surprised at how well the conversation with ‘X’ was flowing.

For a guy about to destroy the world, he sure talked a lot.

Though I suppose I wasn’t any different.

But our chat didn’t last long.

“Looks like time’s up.

Can’t keep the audience waiting too long.”

Crash!

As if to leave through it, ‘X’ smashed the window with his elbow.

It really seemed like this was the end.

What meaning did our brief conversation even have?

There was no way he’d come all this way for nothing.

Still, he was utterly impossible to read.

Now, all I could do was entrust everything to Jaeyul….

“Will it really turn out the way you think?

Don’t underestimate Jaeyul.”

“No.

It’ll go exactly the way I intend.

I’m exhausted now, and I want to end it quickly.

You’ll never be able to stop me.

No matter what you do.”

Did he receive some kind of special power from some unknown ‘something’?

The certainty in his voice made fear creep up on me.

If he truly had another power I didn’t know about, then Jaeyul would be in danger.

“I should get going.

Oh, right.

I forgot to ask you something.”

Just as he was about to leave, he turned his head back.

“How does it feel to become a hero everyone admires?”

Do I really need to answer that?

No—if answering could delay him even a little, then I should.

“It sucks.

It’s annoying and exhausting.

Honestly, being a villain might be easier on the heart.”

I told him exactly how I felt.

“What?

Puhahaha!

That’s hilarious!

That guy should suffer a bit too.

I’m really going now.”

What was he even talking about?

Leaving behind nothing but incomprehensible words, ‘X’ leapt out the window.

When I approached the edge, I saw Poppy—who knows where he came from—carrying ‘X’ on his back as he kicked off the building wall and descended.

“Poppy!”

Even at my shout, Poppy didn’t turn his head once.

He’s really testing my patience too….

As ‘X’ rapidly disappeared from view, he left me with one final remark.

“Thanks.

It was nice seeing you.”

Nice seeing you… nice… seeing you.

The words ‘X’ left behind wouldn’t leave my mind.

“That guy should suffer a bit too….”

It bothered me.

It felt like I was missing something important, but I couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

As I moved in the direction the monsters were advancing, I slowly replayed my conversation with ‘X’.

He definitely said today was the last day.

That he was exhausted and wanted to end things quickly.

In response to my saying villains might have it easier than heroes, he said Jaeyul should suffer a bit too.

And his farewell—nice seeing you.

It sounded like something someone leaving behind would say to someone staying.

His words and emotions, his actions and expressions—none of it lined up cleanly.

It felt like there had to be another meaning hidden beneath it all.

Wait.

Someone leaving behind…?

A sudden thought struck me.

It might be an absurd hypothesis, but what if the one leaving was ‘X’ himself?

If I assumed that, everything suddenly formed a single, coherent story.

‘No. It’ll go exactly the way I intend. I’m exhausted now, and I want to end it quickly. You’ll never be able to stop me. No matter what you do.’

If he chose death for himself, he could achieve whatever outcome he wanted in this battle.

By choosing eternal rest, he wouldn’t have to continue the exhausting fight any longer.

With that in mind, he’d been holding back in previous battles, only pretending to fight properly.

If that was why ‘X’ had seemed strange to both Jaeyul and me….

Would ‘X’ really make that choice…?

Why?

For what reason?

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