I found myself looking at Kim Hyun-Sung’s face and saw that one of his eyes was shining again.

I believed that one of my eyes was probably shining as well.

“...”

“...”

'Take off the mask. Face Kim Hyun-Sung sincerely. Don’t hide anything anymore...' These thoughts kept circling in my head. I felt like I was the reason the Regressor Instruction Manual had malfunctioned. Perhaps it was because I left all those untouched letters in my inbox until it overflowed.

Wouldn’t that also explain why the Regressor Instruction Manual had returned?

“...”

“...”

Of course, it would be a lie to say Kim Hyun-Sung had no fault at all. He, too, had seen, experienced, felt, thought, and struggled through countless things to arrive here. Just as my body had grown, his mind had matured, and it could be why we were connected again.

However, the reason the light returned to our eyes was that I opened the inbox. Otherwise, it wouldn't have returned at all.

I still didn’t fully understand the Mythic trait, Regressor Instruction Manual, but there was one thing I could say for certain. It didn’t bother dividing people into perpetrator and victim. It didn’t judge whose fault was greater. It wasn’t some simple program, but it definitely wasn’t a divorce lawyer either.

The fact that we couldn’t understand each other could be one of the reasons, but the fundamental cause of the error had to be elsewhere.

One of those root causes had just been resolved.

‘I can’t say I’m completely sure.’

I was still researching this trait myself, but seeing a visible result made it hard not to lean toward that conclusion. Just by opening a part of those letters, his eye was shining again, and so was mine. If I read all the letters and give him an answer, something new could happen.

Perhaps the Regressor Instruction Manual would improve, or maybe some visible change would occur. My relationship with Kim Hyun-Sung could also advance even further. Many thoughts crossed my mind, and I thought about truly taking the mask off.

‘No.’

“...”

‘I can’t.’

“...”

‘I’m not ready.’

Honestly, it could be something I would never be ready for, not even in a lifetime. For now, I wanted to give meaning to the fact that I opened the inbox, at the very least.

It was said that when things had to be done in haste, one ought to take the long way around. Whether it was the improvement of the Regressor Instruction Manual or any kind of change, what did any of that matter in this moment?

The one who could resolve this situation wasn’t the Regressor Instruction Manual; it was me. I was glad that it returned, but I couldn’t just stand by and watch Kim Hyun-Sung burn out into nothing.

The one fortunate thing was that Kim Hyun-Sung still hadn't realized that his eye was shining, and he hadn't realized that mine was shining either. Whether he was perceptive or not, I couldn’t tell for sure, but he was waiting for my answer.

He wanted to know what Ki-Young, who had witnessed everything in the first life, thought of him. It wasn’t exactly easy to understand why he would seek that answer from First Life Ki-Young, but I figured it was because, for some reason, he felt a sense of comfort from me.

“There’s no such thing as a person who doesn’t grow. You’re an idiot, but you’re someone who learns from mistakes and failure, so of course, you ended up changing. However, don’t try to find that answer from me. I’m not someone who can give you answers, and we’re not close enough for me to give you pointless advice,” I told him.

“...”

“You've changed a lot and haven't changed at the same time. You still hide when you’re afraid, and you’re still shameless,” I added.

“I’m sorry,” Kim Hyun-Sung said.

“What is it that you actually want?” I asked.

“...”

“What do you want so badly that you came all the way here, threw everything away, and stood in front of me? No, I think I know what you want, but what meaning does this time we’re spending together even have? The story about the tutorial, the assumptions about the branching point, and your personal story, all of it was impressive,” I said.

“...”

“I thought I knew everything about you, but I realized that wasn’t the case. Yes, it’s true that I’ve come to understand you better, but Hyun-Sung, you asked me whether a conversation needs a purpose or not, but you already know the answer, don’t you? Look at us right now. There’s nothing more absurd than this,” I said.

“...”

“What is it that you really want? What are you trying to find in this conversation?” I asked.

“I don’t know either,” he replied.

“...”

“I really don’t know. I don't know why am I saying these pointless things, or why I wanted to talk to you. Perhaps all of this is just self-justification. I clearly said that I wouldn’t make excuses, that I wouldn’t try to justify myself, but maybe deep down, I hoped you would understand my situation. It’s shameless, but maybe I hoped you would forgive me.

'Or at the very least, that we could come to understand each other,” he said.

“I understand you. I told you earlier. I understand your situation and the path that led you there, and I can empathize with it. Most people, if they were pushed into your position, would make the same choices, but forgiving you is a completely different matter,” I told him.

“...”

“Our story can’t end beautifully like some fairy tale. You know it too, don’t you, that we’ve already come too far. Didn’t you say yourself that our relationship wasn’t one-sided? Or were you hoping for my apology too?” I asked.

“That’s not it,” he said.

“If that’s not it, then you’re probably just regretful about all of this,” I said.

“...”

“You regret having to let go of your current life. You thought you were ready to put a period on it, but maybe you’re not. You thought you could replace Altanus, that you could reach some kind of closure, but that’s not really it. You still have attachments here,” I added.

He definitely had attachments, but Kim Hyun-Sung had already prepared himself. The fact that he had even reached the point of becoming that sunset was enough proof of it. The question I had thrown at him was a trap, and it was meant to make him agree with me so I could persuade him, but he shook his head and said, “I won’t deny that I have attachments. Isn’t it only natural? I finally felt like I found a place where I belong... I finally built a place I could call home... I met someone more precious than anything else...

"If I were to say that I had no attachments, that would obviously be a lie. But... even so, my resolve hasn’t changed. This is the last thing given to me. The last thing I can do."

‘No, that’s not it. Don’t do this.’

“It’s the last thing I can do for the continent, and the last thing I can do for Mr. Ki-Young. It’s the period at the end of my life, and the way I can atone for my sins,” he added.

‘I said that’s not it, damn it. It’s not the end. You don’t have to atone. You’ve already atoned for everything. I forgave you. I even settled things with the victims of Rahel on your behalf. Seriously, don’t do this.’

“It’s the way I can atone for my sins,” he said.

‘There are other ways. Spend your whole life serving the continent instead.’

Kim Hyun-Sung’s expression began to change. His face slowly distorted, revealing something different from what he had shown until now. At this moment, countless scenes and emotions had to be flashing through his mind.

“...”

“...”

Ever since he spoke of this being his final way to atone, his stance shifted. He was probably recalling Rahel and all the wrongs he had done across the continent. The calm expression he maintained to properly speak with First Life Ki-Young began to crack.

The mask he had been wearing started to break apart. His breathing grew ragged, and his emotions became uncontrollable. Shame, anger at himself, fear, dread, and all kinds of emotions passed through him before swallowing him whole.

It didn’t take long for me to realize what he was about to do. The overwhelming regret and guilt in his eyes made it obvious to me. Tears welled up in his eyes, and his lips trembled as he said, “I’m sorry."

It was obvious that he meant it. I could feel that those words were truly coming from the depths of his heart. I knew how difficult it was to sincerely apologize to someone you held hatred toward—no, I even wondered whether it was possible at all, but it seemed that Kim Hyun-Sung had set those feelings aside, focusing only on atonement.

“Of course, I know you won’t forgive me, and that you won’t accept my apology. Maybe this might feel like a one-sided apology just to ease my own conscience, and I won’t deny that there might be a part of me like that, but I truly wanted to say that I’m sorry,” Kim Hyun-Sung said.

“...”

“I’m sorry for not trusting you. I’m sorry for refusing to trust you. I’m sorry for not repaying the kindness and gratitude I owed you in the past. I’m sorry for hurting you. I’m truly... heuk... truly sorry for hurting the people precious to you. All of it happened because of my greed. If I had been even a little more mature, what happened in Rahel would never have happened,” he continued.

“...”

“Everything that happened to everyone there is my responsibility. I’m sorry. I’m truly... truly sorry. Heuk... heuk... I’m really sorry,” he repeated.

“...”

“Heuk... ugh... I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” he said again.

There was no denying that Kim Hyun-Sung had become extremely emotional.

“I’m sorry... heuk...”

Tears poured from his eyes like a broken dam, and it was to the point where he couldn’t even compose himself. He trembled, and in the end, as if he couldn’t bear to face First Life Ki-Young, he turned his head away slightly. His clenched fists were shaking. It was impossible to even imagine the weight of guilt and emotion he was carrying on his shoulders. Among it all, shame probably made up a large part as well.

It made me realize that perhaps Kim Hyun-Sung had believed that everything was reset by his regression. Or perhaps, through the painful life of the first life and the journey of the second life, he thought that he was gradually atoning for his sins. This could be why he tried so hard not to look back at what happened in the first life.

It was a foolish idea—a naive one even, but I could understand his feelings, and it was not because I was on his side, but because even from an objective standpoint, his mindset was understandable.

Humans were, by nature, adept at thinking in ways that suited themselves. No human could view everything that happened to them with complete objectivity, and they weren't even supposed to do that.

“...”

“...”

Kim Hyun-Sung realized that his idea was wrong after witnessing the first life. Only then did he come to understand that what he had done there wasn’t something that could ever be atoned for.

On his face was a deep, suffocating self-loathing. That self-loathing likely carried not just guilt for his actions, but also regret for the way he had once tried to rationalize them.

Hearing again that he valued the second life enough to endure all of this made it all the more real. I could feel just how much pain he was in. Of course, from the perspective of the victims, everything about him looked like hypocrisy and deceit.

Even First Life Ki-Young, who understood him to some extent, would never be able to fully understand him. However, if I couldn't understand him, who would? If even I turned my back on him, who else would be left to understand him?

“I’m sorry... heuk... I’m sorry... I’m... sorry...” Kim Hyun-Sung mumbled.

Those words were the final words that had been holding him in this world. I could immediately tell that he was ready to bring everything to an end and that he found a way to become that sunset even without the help of First Life Ki-Young. It looked like this could be the last time we would ever get to speak to each other. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

“I’m sorry.”

Kim Hyun-Sung had decided to place his period.