[You are the protagonist! I am just an extra.]

[…….]

[Some walk a flower path laid out by the heavens, while others are destined to be second-rate even if they are reborn.]

Is this a sense of deprivation?

I’ve seen and experienced the inferiority complex of losers many times before. If it were just that, I thought my interest might wane.

[Who decides that?]

[How would I know? Probably some goddamn god.]

Hearing such bold statements that are hard to come by in the Holy Kingdom still amused me.

Perhaps that’s why. The features that seemed cute at first glance now felt even more attractive.

[I want to kiss you.]

It was unexpected that I wanted to respond to such a clumsy temptation. It was a rare occurrence for me, who had lived as if my desires were castrated.

[You might regret it.]

[You don’t have a lover or a wife, do you?]

But it was indeed amusing.

Her way of thinking seemed simple and straightforward, yet it strangely piqued my interest. If she hadn’t been so drunk that she couldn’t even undo a simple button, I would have gladly entertained her cute proposition.

Unexpectedly, you said you were a Stella. Despite being chosen and in a position to be grateful for the grace of God, seeing you curse that god even more intensely aroused my curiosity.

I wanted to know. The more I knew, the more I wanted to. Through repeated observations and encounters, I found out that you were brighter than your pessimistic thoughts and, for some reason, full of will to live.

[Everything is predetermined. It’s shitty.]

[“Still, there are so many things I haven’t done yet. I haven’t even been to the Mattnum Possun Tea House, or seen the Le-Ten Museum in Parencia. I want to go to a splendid ball at least once, and get married…]

Despite saying everything is predetermined, where does that passion come from?

[Choose whatever you want to eat.]

[Hmm.]

Seeing her face like a troubled philosopher, only to be looking at a restaurant menu, was amusing. Watching her eyes busily dart between meat, fish, and seafood dishes with utmost seriousness made me inexplicably cheerful.

[I, I passed as Summa Cum Laude!]

What was so significant about that, that she was so happy as if she had the world? How could someone who realized the absence of meaning swim in optimism?

[Even if I found it, I wouldn’t give it to you, you bastard.]

[If you’ve come, you should at least give it a try.]

A woman who is usually cautious and practical becomes so brave in the face of a worthless cause. She looked so dazzling, standing boldly against danger with her petite body.

You, who had a different ideology from ordinary people, sometimes tackled the world more aggressively than them. It was both amusing and awe-inspiring. That contradiction made you seem even more special.

Unpredictable, inconsistent in both words and actions. Yet, your world, which was so ambivalent…

[Just eating Sandrene’s butter crepe is enough for me. I even dreamed about it. I missed it so much!]

[Do you see the apple seller with the red flag over there? That’s Mr. Totom. He looks gruff, but he’s really kind.]

[Do you see the green building back there? That’s my favorite ice dessert shop.]

[Under the bridge next to it, there are often street performances.]

Your world was filled with various lights and was incredibly brilliant.

What was a hamster wheel to me, was a Ferris wheel to you. Whether going up or down, you discovered something new each time from different heights.

It was fascinating how you found primary colors in a monochrome world. The world was a blank canvas for you, and you filled that space with your own colorful pictures.

That picture also influenced me, and the anger that had lost its way subsided when I saw you. Perhaps, meeting you in that tavern that day was the answer I had fought so hard to find.

[Would you really leave the Magic Tower for me?]

If you were that signpost, I was willing to stop my meaningless struggles. Such a beautiful color, even if it were a mirage, I wanted to keep seeing it.

The conclusion I reached after seeing you, who was sentenced to me at the end of a long wandering, was simple.

[What else can I do? It’s cute.]

I decided to like you.

[Do you know how beautiful your eyes are, Du?]

[How beautiful must the world you see be?]

Because I thought that if I liked you, I might be able to like this world a little more too.

CHAPTER 12. Tipping Point

[We regret to inform you that we were unable to establish a relationship with your company…]

[Despite your excellent capabilities…]

[We regret to inform you that you did not pass the selection process.]

Damn it. How can the phrases be so consistently the same?

My heels, chafed by new shoes, stung. The suit jacket I borrowed hastily from my cousin didn’t fit well at all and was uncomfortable, and the blouse full of frills was just cumbersome.

The thought of just holding on until I got to the subway was immediately halted when I saw the endless stairs. Of all places, it had to be an entrance without an escalator.

Suddenly, a wave of irritation surged up.

“It hurts.”

In the end, unable to go any further, I sat on the edge of the flower bed in front of the station. Since I had nowhere to go anyway, there was no reason to hurry.

With the leisure I was forced to take, I slowly looked around the bustling street.

My gaze, which traced the skyline connecting the peaks of buildings, gradually lowered to the people below. The various appearances caught my interest, and what started as a casual observation soon turned into a serious watch.

A woman talking incessantly with wireless earphones, a man clutching a large bag and walking quickly, a foreigner dragging two trunks at once while talking on the phone in an awkward posture.

It was fascinating to see adults moving their legs constantly without rest. Where are they all going in such a hurry?

“Yes, Manager, I just finished the meeting with the client.”

“Yeah, I’m on my way. Please print that out for me.”

“I’m almost there, Seon-ah!”

Fragmented dialogues brushed past my ears and scattered repeatedly. The dynamic scenery never waited for anyone. Even if I lost focus for a moment, new characters quickly filled my sight.

Watching the fast-forwarded scenery alone, I started to feel lonely.

No, maybe it was embarrassment. After all, I was the only one standing still without any engagement.

“Is my watch doing well?”

Making a cold joke with no one to laugh, I pulled out a small, square screen. The simple background didn’t offer many apps to choose from.

I logged into SNS for the first time in a while. The basic orange background was soon filled with countless people like this street.

<My classmate who are more friends than colleagues, <3 Love you~~>

The first thing I saw was a group photo. A familiar face smiling brightly among strangers.

The employee ID hanging around their neck shone particularly brightly.

“You got a job, huh? No wonder you haven’t been in touch lately.”

Smiling bitterly, I scrolled down, and this time, a strikingly beautiful woman caught my eye. Her face, now even slimmer than when she aspired to be an idol singer, was even prettier.

<#Sponsored #EvenIfNotSponsoredIBoughtItWithMyOwnMoney #MustBuy>

“Wow, you have a huge number of followers.”

We used to be close enough to go shopping together, but now she was a faint part of my past. People used to praise us as pretty girls together…

“How can you get even prettier alone?”

Sighing, I scrolled even more vigorously than before. Then, various fancy pictures quickly passed by in succession.

“It reminds me of a casino slot machine.”

The difference being, it shows other people’s jackpots instead of mine.

As soon as that thought crossed my mind, a post starting with several dollar signs popped up. In the attached link, a familiar figure struck a confident pose.

<Raised ten million dollars in investment! Thank you to our staff who worked hard and to reporter Lee Hyun-woo for the wonderful article.>

It’s a senior from my club. We used to tease him as a fossil during school days and bond over hangover cures after gatherings…

“Somehow, he feels distant now.”

No, it wasn’t just this senior. Everyone on the screen, and everyone busily moving in this street.

“Everyone’s doing well.”

In a world where everyone is the protagonist, I was just a passerby who stopped by for a moment.

* * *

“You’re awake?”

The voice of a familiar man, both sweet and familiar, woke me from a sleep that felt like an eternity. Even in the darkness, his distinct features came into view.

Blinking slowly, I opened my mouth.

“How long did I sleep?”

“Do you know you slept for a long time?”

A playful finger poked my cheek. In my current state, even frowning took effort, so all I could do was let out a groan of displeasure.

“Well… my whole body feels weak.”

Even my voice sounded like it had just crawled out of the underworld. My throat was scratchy and dry, and I felt a burning thirst.

“Exactly eight days. That’s how long you’ve been asleep, Du.”

“…It’s a wonder I didn’t die.”

“That wouldn’t happen with me here.”

With Keene’s help, I slowly lifted my head. I was still lying in the middle of the dark prayer room. Apart from the absence of Prim and the fact that I was using his thigh as a pillow, there wasn’t much difference from when I connected with the holy relic.

“You’ve worked hard, Du.”

Listening to the comforting voice, I blinked silently. After a brief pause, Keene spoke again, a beat late.

“The position of the Great Saint…”

“I know.”

I cut him off and answered calmly.

“I know, I do.”