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chapter 3
A soldier responded immediately.
“Not everyone got out on their own. A woman showed the exit and led people out. We need to interrogate further, but she claims she’s not a developer and has never played the game.”
“The woman?”
At those words, Kim Do-woon stepped briskly toward me. Before I could react, he grabbed the back of my neck and dragged me toward his superior, then slammed me roughly onto the floor.
I didn’t dare lift my head. A pair of different-designed military boots was right in front of me.
“Why did you do it?”
The voice was so calm it sounded like a mutter to oneself. I tried to take a breath and respond, but no sound came out, so I swallowed hard.
I tried not to tremble. Just as I opened my mouth, the voice struck again—this time sharper and more distinct.
“Explain why you saved others when surviving alone was already difficult.”
“…Because I thought a friend would do the same.”
“What’s your friend’s name?”
The unexpected question made tears well up instantly.
After Baek Yi-hyun’s death, I had never spoken that name aloud in front of anyone. My chest ached unbearably; I couldn’t tell if it was the pain from being knocked around or from losing a friend.
I swallowed the rising sobs and managed to answer.
“Baek Yi-hyun.”
Silence followed. Only the faint sound of insects and my rapidly rising and falling breaths filled the air.
In the strange stillness, I held my breath and raised my head slightly. The boots in front of me didn’t move.
I lifted my eyes slowly. The uniform had sharp creases, a black cloak draped like the night, and a chest adorned with countless insignias. The rank insignia alone looked terrifying.
And when our eyes met, I swallowed hard.
It was Baek Yi-hyun.
I couldn’t believe it. Before I knew it, as I awkwardly tried to rise, Kim Do-woon quickly subdued me. Slamming me to the ground, I didn’t even feel the pain.
It felt unreal. Even more dreamlike than waking in a strange place or confronting a monster—having Baek Yi-hyun right in front of me was surreal.
Why is Baek Yi-hyun here?
I tried to push myself up with both hands, needing to confirm it.
But before I could lift my head fully, Kim Do-woon pressed down on my back again. This time, the blow was rough enough to elicit a short scream.
Instinctively, I twisted my upper body and reached my right hand behind me. I grabbed the boot pressing my back, yanked it, and slanted myself sideways.
Kim Do-woon gasped, losing his balance. Seizing the opportunity, I pushed him with all my strength and stood upright.
The view that had been limited on the ground suddenly opened. When I looked directly at him instead of constantly looking up, I realized something.
There was no mistaking it. Exquisitely refined features, lines that fell elegantly and firmly, dry pupils that felt oddly cold—when his expression disappeared, he exuded a strangely imposing aura.
It was Baek Yi-hyun.
“Yi-hyun…!”
I couldn’t even finish saying his name before collapsing to my knees again. I twisted my body, but this time, more than one soldier clung to me.
I was restrained by three or four soldiers. Even as I struggled, I didn’t avert my eyes from Baek Yi-hyun. Through the shoulder of Kim Do-woon blocking me, I could see and lose sight of Baek Yi-hyun repeatedly.
There was no doubt—it was definitely Baek Yi-hyun. One of the soldiers holding me spoke urgently.
“Colonel, we can handle this. Leave the scene to us and return to the ship…”
The soldier fell silent. Baek Yi-hyun lowered his raised hand.
He took a step toward me. I tried to move my head to see him despite my panicked breathing.
Through my tear-blurred vision, his face appeared distorted and then clear again.
“You know me?”
Baek Yi-hyun asked. His low, calm voice was exactly the same—the voice that called my name several times a day. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t realized it until now.
“Answer me. Do you know me?”
I barely nodded, fearing that speaking would break me into tears. Baek Yi-hyun, expressionless, fixed his gaze on me and asked:
“How many times did the gate open this year?”
Someone answered immediately.
“Four times, including this one.”
“Survivors?”
“Thirty-four in total.”
“Thirty-two are from this group.”
“That’s correct.”
“The woman did this alone?”
“She claims she did. We are interrogating for details…”
“I’ll do it. Step back.”
For a moment, no one answered. I didn’t even immediately understand Baek Yi-hyun’s order. The soldier restraining me from behind tensed his arm slightly in refusal.
“It’s dangerous.”
“She’s skilled. If she intended to fight back, she would have already.”
Reluctantly, the soldiers let go of me, though they didn’t retreat completely.
I wiped my tear-soaked eyes with my palms and tried to steady my breathing. My face was soaked with tears; I didn’t even know when I had started crying.
Once I cleared the moisture and raised my head, Baek Yi-hyun appeared even clearer. He was still staring at me intently.
Eyes like a strong, well-grown tree, radiating light. My vision blurred again.
“How do you know me?”
I exhaled, fear washing over me.
“We’re friends.”
“Friends?”
“Like family… We lived in the same house.”
“Friends who lived in the same house?”
“Well… you don’t remember me?”
As our awkward conversation continued, the moisture in my eyes gradually dried.
The appearance and voice were undeniably Baek Yi-hyun. But the look in his eyes was different. No emotion, so empty it was impossible—eyes that I never thought I’d see from him.
Baek Yi-hyun, with that painfully familiar face, now wore a stranger’s expression.
“First meeting,” he said.
My chest sank coldly.
“Can you prove it?”
He tilted his head slightly, his eyes darker and deeper than most, unblinking, staring at me.
I knew that expression. When he couldn’t understand something.
Isn’t this the Baek Yi-hyun I know?
Or just someone who looks exactly like him?
But…
I stared at him frantically.
There was no way it could be a different person. Appearance and voice were identical. I couldn’t believe it.
Moreover, the Baek Yi-hyun in front of me mentioned losing his memory. Perhaps after death, when he came to this world, he even forgot our time living together…
Wait. I rubbed my face roughly. I wasn’t sure I could view the situation objectively.
After Baek Yi-hyun died, I couldn’t judge him rationally. I kept thinking in the way I wanted.
Maybe I’m doing the same now. As I tried to steady my breathing, his voice reached my ears:
“Besides crying while calling my name, do you have any proof?”
Proof… I couldn’t think of anything immediately.
Even if I cited memories, it wouldn’t matter if he didn’t remember. I had to mention a deeply personal fact about the present that only Baek Yi-hyun would know.
The problem was… there was nothing suitable.
Baek Yi-hyun was healthy. Never sick, never injured during exercise.
However…
I lifted my lowered head and noticed his left hand. He had a habit he constantly tried to overcome.
If this Baek Yi-hyun was the one I knew, the same reaction should remain. Habits ingrained in the body don’t vanish with memory loss.
But I couldn’t mention it here. It was a weakness Baek Yi-hyun had once tried to correct when he aimed to be a national athlete. Now, he was a soldier.
Not just a soldier, but seemingly a commander. Mentioning a habit that could be a fatal flaw in battle wasn’t wise.
I lifted my eyes. Our gazes met. I answered briefly:
“None.”
