By Zephyria [Inferiority Score has decreased by -1.]
[Open Event!]
[You can lower your Inferiority Score to 90 points right now!]
I was dumbfounded by the sudden appearance of Status Window’s message. That was when Status Window first appeared and gave me a mission….
[Inferiority Score has decreased by -1.]
[Inferiority Score has decreased by -1.]
…
…
My eyes widened at the sight of the Inferiority Score decreasing notification window appearing in succession. I couldn’t even figure out what was happening. My eyes were just spinning.
[Inferiority Score has decreased by -1.]
[We will inform you of Lee Tae-kyung’s current Inferiority Score.]
[Congratulations! 90 points!]
[Inferiority Score has increased by +1.]
[Inferiority Score has increased by +1.]
[This is not an everyday event!]
“Ah….”
Something… I felt like my vision was getting a little brighter.
[Congratulations!]
[Lee Tae-kyung’s Inferiority Score has decreased to 80 points!]
[We will inform you of Lee Tae-kyung’s current Inferiority Score.]
[Congratulations! 70 points!]
[Congratulations! 58 points!]
I get it now!
It seemed like my Inferiority Score, which was running towards 0 points as Status Window rebooted, was being reset. The system is being restored!
[There is nothing you can get for free.]
[You can pay the price as much as you want with your heart or will.]
I once again looked at Status Window’s condition that there is nothing you can get for free.
[We inform Lee Tae-kyung.]
[Status Window is not omnipotent.]
[Events and rewards will only be given as much as Lee Tae-kyung’s efforts.]
[Therefore, the information provided to Lee Tae-kyung is bound to be limited.]
I had never forgotten the conversations I had with Status Window. I probably won’t ever forget it in the future either.
[A penalty has been created for having a private conversation with Status Window!]
[Inferiority Score has decreased by -1.]
[Inferiority Score has decreased by -1.]
[Inferiority Score has decreased by -1.]
[Congratulations! 1 point!]
My heart dropped.
The last remaining 1 point. Status Window had broken down, leaving the last 1 point that could save Sung Se-han. So I had no choice but to leave Sung Se-han. After enduring a long time alone, finally….
‘Tae-kyung.’
“…!”
Grandmother. The moment Grandmother’s kind voice rang in my ears, I felt like my chest was blocked. A hot lump got caught in my throat and a groan burst out.
‘You’ve had a lot of heartache, haven’t you?’
Grandmother! Even if I bit my lip tightly, I couldn’t control the trembling. My eyes became hot and my vision blurred again.
Grandmother, why did you only appear now? How much I….
‘But, well, there’s nothing I can do about it. It’s not my fault.’
“Ye…eh?”
The tears that were about to come out disappeared at Grandmother’s indifferent tone.
Hoo… Yes, that’s right. I know it’s all my fault.
Grandmother’s words aren’t wrong, but I don’t know why I feel so twisted.
‘Tae-kyung, you know very well, but I was trying to help you. I did violate the laws of the system, but that’s not my fault.’
I frowned and focused on Grandmother’s words.
The laws of the system? What does that mean?
‘There were rules set from the beginning when Status Window was created. We decided that if we broke them, it would be invalid.’
We? Who are we? Grandmother, who made those rules? I did my best to eliminate the Inferiority Score! I bet everything! But… there’s no need to be so harsh that I can’t even get Grandmother’s advice. Is it so wrong that it had to break down leaving 1 point?
‘I know! I thought I could get away with helping you a little bit, that much. I didn’t even think it would break down. You’re my pretty grandson, but you’re a really cruel guy!’
Huh? Grandmother, what did you just say?
I was clearly hearing Grandmother’s words, but my head couldn’t accept them, so I was in chaos. Suddenly, smoke filled my vision as I blinked my eyes urgently.
“Cough.”
Cough, cough! I couldn’t handle the smoke and coughed, then lifted my head sharply. The next moment, I staggered back.
A terrible accident scene was in front of me.
What I saw through the hazy smoke was a terrible traffic accident scene where the car was overturned, crushed, and covered in blood. I was standing there in the rain that was still falling.
My whole body was trembling so much that I felt like I was going to collapse right away. Fear overwhelmed me so much that my teeth were chattering.
It was Sung Se-han’s… accident scene.
It was the scene of Sung Se-han’s accident, where he died painfully and lonely in a place where I wasn’t there.
I felt like I was going to faint right away, so I opened my eyes wide. Don’t be a coward. I have to see it clearly with my own eyes!
I looked around with bloodshot eyes. But no matter how much I looked around, I couldn’t see a single person. I clenched my teeth and ran between the broken cars. My feet, running between the cars filled with smoke, were soaked in the rain. The rain grabbed my ankles like a swamp and made me afraid. But I moved my heavy feet with my eyes wide open.
Sung Se-han! I have to find Se-han!
Se-han is definitely here! I’ll save you. Wait a little bit, Sung Se-han!
With a yaksha-like face, I ran through the cars filled with smoke. The dark rainy road continued endlessly, but I couldn’t get tired. My body, soaked in the rain, became as heavy as a thousand pounds. Even though I was out of breath, I didn’t stop my feet.
Huff, huff!
And finally, I found the silver sedan.
Thud! One knee bent and hit the rainy road. Huff…! I don’t have time to rest here. I put my hands on the ground and lifted my body.
Staggering. The steps walking towards the silver sedan gradually quickened.
Se-han… Se-han!
I was walking so fast that I was about to fall, but at some point I stopped as if I had frozen. Rain was pouring down from all directions, but the silver sedan wasn’t being touched by the rain. That’s why I could clearly see the person sitting in the driver’s seat inside the transparent window.
Sung Se-han was there.
One step. One step. I slowly approached Sung Se-han. I don’t know. For some reason, I didn’t think I needed to rush anymore.
The silver sedan, which was said to have been terribly broken, was clean without a single scratch. And as I looked at Sung Se-han, who was getting closer and closer, he looked perfect without a single wound.
His ash brown hair covering his forehead was glossy, and his brown eyes, handsome nose, alluring lips, and delicate jawline. He looked safe and sound without a single injury.
Ah…! Only then did my breath burst out of my chest. I was finally able to breathe.
‘How is it? Have you made up your mind now?’
Sung Se-han wasn’t alone. I turned my gaze to the direction where I heard the warm voice.
In the passenger seat, Grandmother, with her beautiful silver hair piled up, was looking at Sung Se-han with incredibly affectionate eyes.
I couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Grandmother wearing a flamboyant floral blouse.
‘I still don’t know.’
Sung Se-han’s husky voice pierced my heart painfully. I closed my eyes once and opened them, and before I knew it, I was sitting in the back seat of the sedan.
Wanting to see Sung Se-han a little closer, I leaned my head towards the driver’s seat. Sung Se-han, with one hand on the steering wheel, was looking down as if lost in thought. Watching his long eyelashes trembling over his eyes, my heart felt at peace. I didn’t care where I was.
If I could ride anywhere in this car driven by Sung Se-han…
‘I don’t know the meaning of having to go back.’
Sung Se-han’s dry voice froze me in an instant.
He doesn’t know the meaning of having to go back…? Se-han! What does that…
‘Se-han, I can send you back to before you broke up with Tae-kyung. Go back and explain why you have to leave and be understood. Then there won’t be any problems.’
Grandmother turned and looked at Sung Se-han. When Sung Se-han looked towards Grandmother, I could feel the coldness in his brown eyes.
‘Grandmother said I could have it all, but I couldn’t get Lee Tae-kyung.’
Sung Se-han’s words felt like they were stabbing my heart.
‘Lee Tae-kyung was the first thing I ever wanted. So, I thought it was arrogant to think that we could never drift apart. No matter how much I struggled to death, Lee Tae-kyung was doing well. He doesn’t need me.’
No!
I urgently grabbed Sung Se-han’s shoulder, but I couldn’t touch anything. Still, I desperately shouted.
No! Se-han, how precious you were to me…
‘Grandmother, I had a hard time to death while I was apart from Lee Tae-kyung. I realized that everything is meaningless without him.’
My heart crumbled at the sight of Sung Se-han’s handsome brow furrowing. It was all my fault that his brown eyes were filled with pain.
I felt like I was going to die at Sung Se-han’s words that he had a hard time to death.
Se-han! I’m sorry. I was blinded by jealousy because you went to such a high place, leaving me behind. It was my fault. I was doing my best to make you hurt. I should have thought that you wouldn’t leave me without a reason…
‘Lee Tae-kyung has to go through it too.’
What…? I stopped all movements, almost wailing as I grabbed Sung Se-han’s intangible shoulder. I stared blankly at Sung Se-han with my mouth open.