After a long pause that felt as if time itself had stopped, Ren slowly lowered his pistol. The barrel, which had been nearly pressed against Mr. X's forehead, slid downward before finding its way back into its holster. His shoulders slumped, his breath came heavy.
"What are you doing?" asked Mr. X, this time with a faint tone of surprise. Clearly, he hadn't expected the boy to choose a different path.
Ren lowered his head, closing his eyes for a brief moment before letting out a long sigh. "Haah… I know this is pointless. Even if I shoot you now, the outcome would likely be nothing. So I decided… not to be the first one to act." His words were honest, spoken without pride. Just the firm admission that he understood his opponent stood far above him.
Mr. X fell silent for a moment, then gave a faint smile. "Hmm… I see. In that case, I won't do it either."
