I could see myself in an unfamiliar scenery, and Yuno Kasugano was also there.
Unlike the explosions and screaming just moments before, I could only hear the chirping of birds here. Though the room I was in was definitely not luxurious by any standard, it still seemed neatly organized.
The Kiyoung in this scene didn’t seem capable enough to move his body. I felt like I had seen this room before.
When Yuno Kasugano let me see through her memories, I had also been lying in this room.
It seemed like she had made me stay here for the whole duration of my recovery. I didn’t know how much time had rolled by since I passed out, but what I could tell was that the black world definitely didn’t look normal.
Though I couldn’t move my body for half of it was broken, I could see the intensity of the attacks that Deokgu had blocked for my sake. It was a miracle that I could even survive the attack. If Yuno Kasugano had not found me, I would have eventually died.
Upon closer detail, I realized that I couldn’t even move a single finger. Only my consciousness remained.
Eventually, the door opened, and Yuno Kasugano came in and approached me.
‘Poor person.’
‘…’
‘What a pitiful person.’
Yuno Kasugano looked a little more mature than she was now. Since two years had passed, her hair was a little longer, and the atmosphere itself felt a little calmer.
‘I know you must have a lot of questions. I can’t answer them, but for now, I think it would be better for you to focus on your recovery.’
‘…’
‘Ah, it turns out that I still haven’t introduced myself. My name is Yuno Kasugano. I think you’ve probably heard of it at least once, although I don’t think my reputation is a good thing…’
‘…’
‘Yes, you probably know me. I’ll eventually tell you why I brought you here. Though I can’t guarantee that your body will recover, I know that if you harbor the will, you’ll be able to do normal activities.’
‘…’
‘It seems like I’ve been talking too much.’
‘…’
‘I’ll be heading back now, but I’ll see you tomorrow.’
The Kiyoung in the scene didn’t even register Yuno Kasugano heading back out. My gaze had been fixed on the ceiling, so I probably hadn’t even seen her face.
However, as I watched him, it seemed as if the Kiyoung in this timeline was thinking about made me realize something.
Park Deokgu was dead.
This was probably the entire reason why I looked so upset here. It was uncomfortable seeing myself cry continuously without either moving or not making a sound.
Anyone could see that this was a tragic scene. I probably was a little more emotional in the first timeline than I was now.
Honestly, I had to admit that I felt shaken just by seeing this scenario.
The tears running down the black world Kiyoung’s face didn’t stop, yet I continued to watch her.
After a moment, the scene fast-forwarded a few days, depicting Yuno Kasugano looking for me to check on me once more.
I couldn’t tell why she was being so kind to me, but it appeared that what she felt was more complex than it appeared on the surface.
In the black world, she probably knew that she and I would be together in the future. Taking this into consideration, then I could see why she was so dedicated to me. Her sympathy for me went beyond words, and she probably wondered if she would be able to change me in the black world.
Once again, the scene changed. Though the background itself did not change, it at least appeared that I could speak and move my body to some extent.
‘Are you feeling better?’
‘…’
‘I brought you a meal.’
‘Now… I can eat it.’
‘It will be a little difficult to move your body yet.’
‘No need…’
‘Haven’t I told you that it would be difficult to do so? Please let me. I’ll feed you.’
‘…’
Though Yuno Kasugano’s devotion was evident, the black world Kiyoung didn’t seem to believe her, which felt natural to me. If I were in that state, I wouldn’t have believed in Yuno Kasugano either. I didn’t know if Yuno was aware of it, but my eyes did not reflect friendliness.
‘Why did you save me? No, I will change the question. What kind of ability is an eye that sees through essence, future, and past? Do you know about the future? Or did you know it was going to be like this?’
‘The information I can know is limited. You can’t know all the futures, and you can’t know all the pasts.’
‘If so… Why did you save me?’
‘That’s…’
‘You know the future me.’
Yuno Kasugano did not answer. I took that as a positive sign.
Perhaps in the black world, I was constantly thinking hard. I would continue to question why she saved me and what she expected from me by doing so.
In the meantime, the scenery changed once more. Yuno Kasugano continued to care for me. While I seemed to be opening up to her, I still questioned her favor.
This entire time, Yuno Kasugano told me useless stories as her way to pass the time. She narrated stories about her childhood, her current life, and her personal story.
Through her constant chatter and determination, I could tell Yuno Kasugano was in love with me.
She seemed to think of me every day, coming to spend time with me after a day of hard work. Sometimes, she shed tears right after exiting the room where I stayed in.
She became happy with the smallest compliment that came out of my mouth and saddened by the smallest jab that I uttered.
‘Why are you doing so much for me?’
‘…’
Whenever I asked this, she couldn’t give me an accurate answer. She simply blushed.
A little bit of time had passed in the black world, and the pain of the past began to heal alongside the recovery of my body’s wounds. Of course, Lee Kiyoung of the black world didn’t seem to like this fact, for this meant that I had more time to drink alone, thus more time to feel angry.
It was evident why Yuno Kasugano was obsessed with the future. She probably saw hers with me, which was the whole reason why she had dedicated her entire time to taking care of me.
The ‘me’ now wanted to tell her that I found this whole thing stupid, but since I was just an invisible audience, I couldn’t.
A little more time passed.
I recovered enough to move my body completely in the black world, and Yuno Kasugano’s visits became less frequent. Her conversations had dulled, leaving me more time to mull over my thoughts.
I couldn’t figure out what black world Kiyoung was thinking, but if I were to guess, he was probably debating whether or not to use Kasugano or just simply accept her kindness. My first timeline version looked very much torn between these two options.
Out of all the uncertainty, I seemed to be sure of only one thing. I relied heavily on her.
‘Lee Kiyoung-nim, it’s time to have some tea.’
‘Ah. Thanks.’
‘I think it would be a good idea to take a look at your body today to check on its recovery.’
‘I’m fine. I can move now.’
‘Nevertheless…’
‘Do you have a hobby of taking caring of children?’
‘That’s not it. I just…’
I had also made it a pastime to crack useless jokes. The atmosphere between us was so good that it felt ridiculous, even to me. However, I knew this inevitably would happen. Yuno Kasugano had devoted all her efforts to me, and I was stuck in this room, with only her for company.
With all the time we spent together, it appeared that her feelings were only strengthening. From my standpoint as a third-party audience, this was indeed dangerous. The best option at this point would be to leave Yuno Kasugano.
Though the black world Kiyoung didn’t show this outright, I could still see what he was thinking.
Black world Lee Kiyoung was afraid of forgetting.
Yuno Kasugano evidently hadn’t noticed this, but I could see this as bright as day. Black world Lee Kiyoung was a ticking bomb.
A bomb that could explode at any time.
The scenery changed once more.
This time, the two seemed to have gotten a little closer, yet black world Kiyoung seemed to still actively reject this development.
Winter had ended, and spring had come. Spring had ended, and summer approached. Once again, the seasons changed, and fall arrived.
‘I am going out.’
‘I… I’m not sure what you’re talking about.’
‘I think you know what I’m talking about.’
‘Y… You can stay a little more.’
The leaves continued to fall.
‘Y-Your body hasn’t fully recovered yet.’
‘I’m sure my body can function normally now.’
‘It… cannot. You still have to take care of yourself a little more.’
‘…’
‘Don’t… Please don’t go, Lee Kiyoung-nim.’
More leaves continued to fall.
‘I’m grateful to you. I refrained from asking why you have been so kind to me, but now I know why.’
‘…’
‘I’m grateful to you, but that’s all. I will correct my mistakes by killing many people. I will become more heartless and cruel. I know this is the future you’ve seen.’
‘It’s not like that. That’s not what I saw, Lee Kiyoung-nim. What I, I saw, was me and… I was with you.’
The fall air grew colder.
‘You and I were together. I… I checked it myself. I saw you and me together in this house. We looked happy. We had two children, and though I didn’t catch their names, they were good kids.’
‘…’
‘You cared for me and loved me.’
‘That’s a lie.’
‘I… I-It’s true. You and I were having a peaceful life. Yes. Both of us looked happy. Not only me, but you looked happy, too, no doubt about it. You were living a normal routine. I’ve been looking for you because the future I’ve seen over and over had been bothering me. It didn’t mean anything else.’
‘You are lying. I can see that for myself. I see no opportunity to waste any more time here.’
‘You stroked my head and whispered to me that you loved me. Y-You were living happily after forgetting everything. D… Destiny! That’s right. This… is destiny. You and I, free from all pain, oppression, and the bonds of the past, just to be happy.’
The air grew colder and colder.
‘Forget what?’
‘The pain… It seemed that you had forgotten the pain. In the future I saw, I didn’t see Lee Kiyoung suffering. He didn’t even try to wash the pain away with alcohol. He did not suffer and always laughed. You looked really happy. A-And also, about him…’
‘What?’
‘Ah…’
‘Do you think I would have forgotten him?’
‘L-Lee Kiyoung-nim… It’s… Not…’
‘I’m asking if you think I would have forgotten him.’
‘Lee Kiyoung-nim… That, that…’
‘Just because I wasted so much time here and even gotten around to smiling and laughing, you really thought I would’ve forgotten all about it? Do you think I would’ve forgotten what those damn hypocrites did? Did you really think I would forget about that stupid bastard who risked his life for me? Are you really saying this is the future you saw? Huh?!’
‘That…’
‘Don’t be ridiculous. I would never forget. Yuno Kasugano, you are poison. I thought you were medicine, but I was wrong. You are poison to me. Destiny? I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I know one thing for sure, true destiny’s the reason why I came here.’
‘Ah…’
‘Because of destiny, I’ve been able to detoxify the poison that threatens to drown me.’
‘Lee Kiyoung-nim… Sniff…’
Harsh winds picked up.
‘Get rid of this cheap sympathy, you dirty bitch. All of you are the same.’
‘Ah…’
‘Do you think you deserve to sympathize with me?’
The lights had begun to dim down.
‘Cough… Cough…’
‘Thank you. Because of you, I know what to do. You will be an indicator.’
‘Cough…’
‘You will be an indicator that can show how cruel I can be. This is the conclusion you want, huh? It is not so? It may be a little far from the happy life you want, but… Still, you will be by my side.’
‘Cough… Cough…’
The leaves continued to fall in a haunting symphony.
‘I will never forget him for as long as you are with me. You will be the medium that keeps me from forgetting him. It’ll be good for you, too, huh?’
‘Don’t… cry. My… love.’
‘…’
‘Don’t cry, my love…’
The haunting tone had reached a crescendo.
The foolish guy stepped on the fallen leaves.
Once again, the long winter had come.