Chapter 39
Chapter 39
Si woo turned around.
No one was there.
“…”
His face hardened.
Is Hana still seeing Sophie?
The girl’s expression was strange.
He couldn’t read what was going on inside her.
“…You said Sophie was behind me? Just now?”
“No. She’s not here now.”
“Where did she go?”
“I don’t know.”
The more they talked, the more certain he became.
It was just as the teacher had said.
Hana was seeing things right now.
Whether it was a side effect of the painkillers or a result of the trauma from her fall, he wasn’t sure.
The issue was whether Hana herself realized this.
From the way she spoke, it seemed she didn’t.
Hana truly believed Sophie was still alive.
He couldn’t leave things like this.
She needed to know the truth.
But he hesitated.
He was afraid.
Afraid of the resentment and anger she might direct at him.
Because he knew exactly how she’d react.
But even so…
He had to tell her.
Because it was the right thing to do for Hana.
“…Sophie is dead.”
“Why?”
“The academy investigated everything. And they concluded that Sophie is dead.”
“Then, what about the Sophie I saw?”
Si woo hesitated, unable to answer immediately.
Then he replied as if spitting out the words.
“…You saw wrong. There was no one behind me.”
Silence filled the room.
Hana just stared blankly at Si woo, not saying a word.
After a while, she murmured softly.
“I understand.”
Si woo was taken aback by her unexpected response.
She’s accepting it just like that?
“Do you… believe me?”
“I don’t really understand, but since you said so, Si woo, you must have your reasons.”
After a brief moment of surprise, Si woo let out a sigh of relief.
Their relationship wasn’t completely broken yet.
She trusted him entirely.
That fact filled him with deep gratitude.
Soon, Hana spoke in a drowsy voice.
“Sorry. I keep feeling sleepy…”
“Oh, you must be tired. Rest well. The sooner you do, the quicker you’ll heal.”
“Okay… Thank you…”
“Then I’ll go. I’ll come again tomorrow.”
The girl was quiet.
Si woo lingered for a moment, watching her eyelashes resting gently against her cheeks, then turned to leave.
Yes. Let’s take it slowly, step by step.
We’ll rebuild everything from the start.
—
After Si woo left, the hospital room grew quiet.
Lying on the bed, Hana stared blankly at the ceiling.
The light that used to sparkle in her eyes had faded away.
A small murmur escaped her lips.
“Is it really true?”
There was an emptiness in her voice.
“…Is it really fake, Sophie?”
“…”
No answer came.
For a while, only the sound of a girl’s quiet sobs echoed through the room.
—
A dark room devoid of even a speck of light.
Despite it being broad daylight, the room had no windows.
The desolate space held no decorations, no furniture—only a massive round table at its center.
Around the hollow center of the enormous table sat twelve people.
Shrouded in darkness, their faces were obscured.
“I assume you’ve heard the news?”
“The Messiah’s attempted suicide. Is that the only reason we’ve gathered?”
“That alone is reason enough. It means she’s finally been driven to her limits.”
“The problem is that the Messiah still hasn’t awakened. It’s becoming increasingly dangerous.”
“I agree. The situation is precarious. Losing the Messiah would mean the end of all our plans.”
“There’s no need to panic. We need only act according to the prophecy.”
“And we’ve already prepared a contingency plan, haven’t we? The boy, that is.”
“Still, caution is advised. The time is drawing near—the moment humanity’s hope will be realized.”
“Indeed. Let’s begin preparing the Spear.”
—
Student Council Room.
Even after all the other members had gone home, Sehee remained, handling the paperwork alone.
This has become the usual scene lately.
Her work pace had noticeably slowed down.
“Oof…!”
Sehee grimaced as she was filling out some documents.
Her hand instinctively clutched her abdomen.
It was the aftermath of that battle.
To call it an injury would be an understatement.
From the outside, there didn’t seem to be any visible issues.
She had undergone a thorough examination, but there was no sign of internal damage.
Yet the pain came regularly.
And rather than subsiding, it grew worse over time.
Could it be a lingering effect from the demon’s powers?
Whatever the reason, she felt it could no longer be ignored.
Perhaps she should apply for a pass today to see a healer.
But that wasn’t her only concern.
Her younger sibling’s friend…
Yoo Hana.
From what she’d heard, her condition was serious.
The fact that she had jumped from the rooftop alone spoke volumes.
Rumors had already spread widely within the academy.
Various stories circulated without any restrictions, treated as truth.
Especially stories involving her younger brother.
The disciplinary case of Han Si-hyun was already well-known throughout the school.
And now, this suicide attempt incident was being tied back to him and reexamined.
“Haa…”
It was karma, she supposed, but it was still an unpleasant situation as an older sister.
Hearing baseless slander about her brother sometimes made her lose her composure.
Honestly, wasn’t it unfair to blame only her brother?
Wasn’t it partially both parties’ fault?
There should be lines that shouldn’t be crossed.
To provoke by bringing up her deceased brother was going too far.
Slap!
She slapped her cheek to bring herself back to her senses.
It was all over now.
Her brother had admitted his mistake, and the issue was settled.
Pursuing it further would only bring harm to everyone involved.
She closed her eyes, calming herself.
Finally finding some peace, Sehee let out a sigh.
It seems accidents are happening more often these days.
But then again, maybe that’s just the nature of this world.
As she turned back to focus on her work…
Knock knock.
The sound of knocking echoed through the room.
It was already 5 p.m.
There shouldn’t be anyone visiting the student council room at this hour.
Putting aside her curiosity, Sehee called out.
“Yes. Come in.”
“Then, excuse me.”
A deep voice belonging to a middle-aged man.
The man who stepped into the student council room wore a relaxed smile.
“Do you have a moment?”
“…Vice Principal? What brings you here?”
The vice principal scratched his eye patch and replied.
“Oh, I wanted a little chat, just the two of us.”
Just the two of us?
Sehee tilted her head, puzzled.
But she nodded in agreement.
“If it’s only for a moment, that’s fine.”
“Good.”
Click.
The door closed.
—
I opened my eyes.
Darkness filled every corner around me.
I managed to turn my head slightly to look out the window.
Night.
The time when the sun hides away.
The time when the moon rises in the sky.
The time when stars sparkle.
I needed to sleep again.
But even though I thought that, sleep didn’t come.
So I stared out the window.
Watching the stars.
Sophie.
Where are you?
Where did you go?
I miss you.
You said that even if we’re far apart, if we keep each other in our thoughts, we’re together.
I’m thinking of you right now, so why are you leaving me all alone?
Aren’t you thinking of me? Don’t you remember me, Sophie?
Have you become a shining star?
If one of those countless stars is truly you…
Should I feel happy about that?
Or should I be sad?
I don’t know anymore.
“…”
Slowly, tears began to fill my eyes.
It was strange.
I’ve cried from pain, and I’ve cried from sadness.
But crying from sadness hurts more than crying from pain.
It hurt so much.
Like my heart was breaking.
I don’t care anymore.
Whether it’s powers or anything else, none of it matters anymore.
I just wanted to see Sophie one last time.
I missed those blue eyes I’d seen on the rooftop.
Yes. The Sophie I saw then was real. I’m sure of it.
Are you really sure?
Honestly, I don’t know anymore.
Then, what about the Sophie behind Si woo?
That…
I understand.
So…
Is the Sophie beside you now real?
She’s lying in bed, holding you close.
Just like the happy memories in the dorm.
“…”
No. I’m alone in this hospital room.
The warm sensation of being hugged disappeared.
It was cold. I felt lonely and abandoned.
I shivered from the chill.
No matter how much I covered myself with the blanket, the cold wouldn’t go away.
Sophie, who had been sitting by the window, smiled.
Am I real right now?
No. You’re not real.
Then, are you real now?
No. I’m not real either.
Then is this world real?
No. This world is all fake.
Then is that knock on the door real?
No. That’s fake, too.
Then, are those footsteps real?
No. They’re fake, too.
Then, is the light coming in through the door real?
No. The light’s fake, too.
Then, is the man standing in front of you real?
No. He’s fake.
Then…
Is the voice you’re hearing now real?
“It’s been a while, Miss Hana.”
“…”
Ha. Haha.
“You look like you’re going through a hard time.”
I opened my eyes.
In the dark hospital room, I looked up to meet the eyes
of the man standing over me.
My gaze wavered.
My heart began to race.
My breathing grew unsteady.
“Do you wish to be happy?”
In his hand…
Was a familiar glass bottle.
Inside it was a red pill.
Sophie, who had vanished, was whispering in my ear.
Is that strawberry real?
“Of course, the choice is yours, Miss Hana.”
I opened my mouth.
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