Chapter 23 - 23

"...Oh, I see." Unsure if she believed this flimsy excuse, I continued to feign ignorance: "What happened? You sound so listless." "..." "Huiling?" "Nothing...it's nothing." Thankfully, the door concealed my tense, almost ferocious expression, and I continued my nauseating performance: "What's wrong? Can I come in and talk to you?" "...Just a moment." "Unexpectedly, she was granted entry so easily. She struggled to adjust her distorted face and forced a stiff smile. Just as she was trying to suppress her self-loathing and compose herself— [Ding] A mechanical sound rang out, and the door opened. EP0283 Han Huiling, who had been crying all day because of Lee Jin-seok's twisted sense of humor, falling asleep exhausted and then waking up startled, was brought back to her senses by someone knocking on the door. 'Who could it be at this hour?' An uninvited guest arrived during the ambiguous time when she should have been having dinner. Still dazed from last night's events, she wondered who could have come to her house without prior notice. First, it wasn't her friends—she had heard everyone was busy today during her brief moments of lucidity; second, it wasn't family members—they always contacted her a day in advance; and it certainly wasn't a delivery person—she hadn't ordered anything in the past week. While racking her brains trying to figure out who the visitor was, a thought suddenly occurred to her: 'Could it be my brother...?' This was a secret expectation in her heart—perhaps Lee Jin-seok really would appear as she hoped. Despite knowing he had deceived her and was deeply hurt by the betrayal, a glimmer of hope still lingered in the corner of her heart: Perhaps her brother had come to apologize and make peace? But only a day had passed since the truth was revealed, and the wounds in her heart had neither healed nor improved. Could she truly remain clear-headed if she faced him now? Filled with anxiety, she approached the door with a trembling voice and asked, "Who is it?" —Huiling! It was a familiar voice behind the door, and the sound of her own name instantly threw her into disarray. 'My brother doesn't even know my address'—the fact that she had never invited him created a sharp contradiction with the reality of the moment. She couldn't help but wonder: had he unintentionally revealed it again during those ordeals? "You...how do you know this place?" "—I secretly followed you home once…" This answer sent a chill down her spine. If she hadn't known, she might have thought it was a sign of her brother's care; but now, all his actions were shrouded in suspicion—perhaps he had secretly come to do something. However, before hearing his confession, she forced herself to remain calm: 'I can't jump to conclusions…' Although she was certain he had done something, she decided to speak first. Just then, a worried voice came from behind the door: "—Huiling, are you alright?" The voice sounded weak, and this concern almost broke her. She was clearly suffering because of him, yet hearing the worried tone was like a knife twisting in her heart. 'This shouldn't be…' Knowing that the past tenderness was all a lie, she still couldn't resist that voice—the lingering echo of that love still throbbed in her heart. When Li Zhenshuo asked if she could come in, she was torn between two conflicting thoughts: 'If we meet now…' Should she angrily confront him or pretend nothing happened? One would expect her to be furious after being betrayed, but after their conversation through the door, she felt that continuing the charade might not be so bad. Although she was certain he had manipulated her feelings, the love her first boyfriend—even if it was due to manipulation—had given her still lingered. 'I can't run away forever…' Ultimately, she decided to face the conversation head-on. Whether she continued to feign anger afterward or confronted him with the truth, she had to put an end to this. "Wait a moment." The moment she composed herself and opened the door, Lee Jin-seok's breath caught in his throat. The eyes that should have greeted him with smiles were now lifeless. 'It's all my fault…' Looking at the girl, haggard from his own indulgent choices, he felt a pang of heartbreak. But he couldn't show it now—his determination to repent today forced him to maintain a calm facade. When their eyes met, he realized acutely that he was unworthy of her concern at that moment. "I'm sorry for the sudden visit, Hye-ryung." "It's alright…come in." He suppressed the urge to kneel and apologize, offering only a verbal apology, while she invited him inside with an inscrutable expression. "Planning to continue pretending ignorance..." Looking at Han Huiling's attitude and expression, I clearly realized that the mental afflictions binding her had been resolved. Although she pretended to be nonchalant, the hurt seemed immense, all her emotions betraying her actions and eyes. With the mental afflictions resolved, although she roughly knew what I had done to her, she still pretended not to know. Seeing her like this, I began to ponder. Should I also pretend not to know? Or should I apologize first? Which approach would make her feel better? Just as I was struggling to think, "So what brings you here?" she asked, standing before me, her voice trembling slightly, unlike usual, as if she was struggling to look at me. I replied, "I wanted to see...you." "Normally, this is something I could say with a smile and without hesitation. But now, perhaps because of my guilty conscience, I unconsciously paused before answering. Watching him enter from the doorway and now stand at the dining table in the living room, Han Huiling sensed that he was different from usual. 'Why is Brother like this…?' As usual, Lee Jin-seok would hug and kiss her as soon as he entered the door—it was the natural procedure. But now he was fidgeting like someone who had done something wrong. Of course, Lee Jin-seok probably thought he was hiding it well, but having spent quite some time with him, she still noticed. There were several reasons, but the main one was that he subtly avoided her eyes every time he spoke. It was completely different from how they used to gaze at each other during their conversations. 'Could it be that Brother knows too?' Han Huiling silently stared at Lee Jin-seok's actions, arriving at this seemingly reasonable conclusion. Unlike his usual happy smile, showering her with affection regardless of time or place when they met, he now looked like a guilty puppy, anxious and uneasy. To confirm whether he truly believed she had discovered his actions, she decided to test him." "Brother, don't you have anything to say to me?" "Hmm...? What should I say?" "Yes." Lee Jin-seok, who was racking his brains for an apology to salvage the relationship, was startled by this sudden question. 'Why are you asking this all of a sudden...?' Normally, he would say "I love you" at a time like this, but now he was in a situation where she had discovered his misdeeds. Disturbed and agitated, even the power of his evolved body couldn't calm his restlessness, so he could only awkwardly play the role of his past self. Encrypted verification code: "I love you." "Yes, I love you too." Hearing Li Zhenshuo say this, Han Huiling, who had been testing him to see if he had anything to say, was finally certain: he was now realizing that she had discovered his behavior. "You're really bad at lying." He was always the kind of person who would openly express his love to her face, and she knew very well that he always said this with a smile in his eyes and a happy expression. But now, he looked completely different. Although he still had a smile on his face and a bright smile, the light in his eyes had changed. His usually confident gaze now wandered uneasily, looking listless. This look, which she had never seen before, was the best evidence. Confirming his unusual behavior, Han Huiling decided to press her advantage. "I've had enough of this..." Now that Li Zhenshuo knew she had noticed something was amiss, and was tired of the awkward atmosphere of mutual testing and unspoken words, she decided to be frank. Whether this was the end of their relationship or a new beginning, it needed to be resolved. Just as Han Huiling was about to confront Li Zhenshuo's abnormality... Lee Jin-seok, constantly telling himself to stay calm but unable to look her in the eye, clung to a sliver of hope that he could get away with it. 'Are you just going to let this slide?' He was startled when first asked, 'Do you have anything to say?', but he was certain she hadn't noticed. The thought of possibly escaping the crisis made him relax slightly, but a surge of self-reproach forced him to desperately control his distorted facial expression. He was the one who had made the mistake, yet he relaxed because he might escape punishment—this feeling made him nauseous. 'I should just confess…' Just as Lee Jin-seok, deeply in love with her, resolved to admit his mistake, 'Brother, what did you do wrong?' '…' Han Hye-ryeong, who had been silent all along, suddenly cut to the chase, leaving me speechless and frozen in place. EP0284 'Brother, did you do something wrong to me?' "I was the one who first resolved to confess my mistake, but then I suddenly heard her voice. Although the rising intonation indicated it was a question, her tone was full of certainty. Caught off guard, I stared blankly at Han Huiling's face, feeling my expression freeze. At that moment, she wore a barely perceptible smile that clashed terribly with the scene. Faced with this smile that should never have appeared, I felt a strange fear. 'Why...why are you smiling?' This was no time to smile. Looking at that smiling face, my mind raced. 'Why aren't you answering?' she spoke again, and I realized I hadn't responded. Her sudden shift from gloomy to aggressive attitude made my brain freeze. When Han Huiling's urging came, I gave up thinking. 'Um...'""It was my fault." The moment I admitted my mistake, my heart pounded so hard I could barely hear anything around me. Head bowed, I finally understood there was no turning back. 'Unexpectedly honest?' Watching Li Zhenshuo's reaction, Han Huiling was surprised by his unexpected honesty. Frankly, I thought he would claim complete ignorance. After all, it was just a subjective feeling, not physical evidence. However, contrary to her expectations, Li Zhenshuo was now deeply bowing his head, as if sincerely repenting for his crime. 'No, I can't believe he's truly repentant.' Having learned her lesson once, she wasn't easily moved by this performance. Although she lacked interpersonal experience, her experience reading people during her student days had taught her the cunning of human nature. Indifferent to their faces, malicious behind their backs, feigning an apology when discovered, then turning around and continuing to slander—since developing her impressive bust and celebrity-level beauty, she had long been the enemy of many girls. Despite doing nothing wrong, she was arbitrarily labeled: Rumors like "She uses her looks and figure to seduce men, what's with the act of being aloof?" were rampant. Having seen so many people like that, she had long since learned not to easily believe them. Of course, there were other reasons for her distrust of Li Zhenshuo, but precisely because of this, she pressed him even harder: "How exactly did you do it?" "..." Han Huiling suddenly switched to polite language, her tone as if she were speaking to a stranger. This distance made Li Zhenshuo realize that the relationship they had built had completely collapsed. "Don't want to answer again?" "Um..." I struggled, pressed again. I knew that honesty would be believed, but revealing everything was incredibly embarrassing. Currently, I possess four skills, including "Eye of Lust." While the Brander's skills have many derivative abilities, the main ones are indeed four. "It's not good to tell everyone..." In a game, I could simply state it openly—after all, the heroine wouldn't escape if she found out; whether she called the police or exposed me, I could always reload. But in the real world, there's no save/load function; here, there's no going back for what I said. "If you don't speak up now, you'll never see me again." "?!" Just as I was racking my brains over how much to reveal, this thunderous voice interrupted my thoughts. Her resolute tone, utterly undisguised, forbidding us from meeting again, made me instinctively look up. "Ah..." Although we had met before, I only now truly saw her haggard face. Realizing what I had done to her, she was clearly suffering: her swollen eyes were unnaturally red, completely different from her usual self. I decided to confess: "Actually... I have some special abilities." "What abilities?" "I... can manipulate other people's minds." "To avoid shocking you, I've only revealed the most crucial aspect: the mental markings. 'It really is true...' Hearing about the mind-control ability, Han Huiling secretly confirmed her suspicions. The only testimony she didn't want to believe, because it meant all the feelings she'd shared with him were false. A wave of emptiness washed over her as she faced reality. The thrill of first love, the most precious experience of her life—all had been stripped away by this ability. As the emptiness gradually turned into anger, 'Why...why me of all!' He had used this ability to defile her hard-won first love. He had fabricated all the emotions of truly loving someone. Thinking of this, her burning rage was undisguised, and she directly expressed her fury. 'Why! Why me of all all?!'" "..." Finally, the words came out. Knowing there was no going back, I, who had been keeping my head bowed, couldn't utter a word in the face of Han Huiling's furious tone, the first time I'd ever heard her speak since we started dating. Her question, filled with resentment and anger—why choose her? But more than those hateful words, what truly pierced my heart was the fact that I was "hated by her." "I'm sorry..." "This isn't the apology I want!!" Ultimately, the realization that I was "hated by my lover" silenced me, and I managed to squeeze out an apology with great difficulty. Hearing this matter-of-fact response, she erupted in even greater rage. "Why! Why choose me! I'm perfectly fine on my own, why did you do this to me!!" Faced with Li Zhenshuo's shameless attempt to brush it off with a perfunctory apology, she became even angrier, throwing a powerful punch at the man's chest. -Bang! "Ouch!" "However, Li Zhenshuo, possessing an evolved physique, was so hard that slamming into a wall would actually shatter it. Han Huiling, who was pounding on this body with all her might, felt intense pain from her fists to her wrists. "Huiling, are you alright?!" Suddenly feeling a jolt in my chest and hearing her painful groan, I instinctively wanted to get closer. "Don't come any closer! Don't touch me! And don't pretend to care about me!!" She screamed at me, clutching her aching wrist. The girl who always greeted me with a smile and welcomed my approach was now completely different. But the most shocking thing was that she completely rejected my concern. Faced with her rejection of even emotional confiding, I could only freeze in place, unable to move. "At first... I just thought you were pretty, that's why I wanted to date you." "..." The relationship had deteriorated to the point of no return. In this desperate situation, I decided to confess everything and then disappear forever. Repenting for all my sins and fulfilling any request she made was the greatest atonement I could think of. "So, on our second date, I manipulated your mind to make you like me." "On the third getaway, when we were drinking and strolling in the park, I again manipulated your mind to amplify your desires." Before the words were finished, Han Huiling collapsed to the ground, wailing uncontrollably. "Waaaaah!!" "The joy she once felt for this relationship had vanished completely. Her body and soul were like a puppet, manipulated against her will by others under mental control. This grievance caused her to weep continuously. 'Waaah...waaah...' 'I'm sorry, Huiling, if you're willing, I will never appear before you again...' There were so many more words, but seeing her crying, I couldn't say anything more. Witnessing my lover's tears of pain almost tore my heart apart. 'If you still want to vent your resentment in the future, contact me anytime...I'll accept whatever revenge you want.' Just as I could no longer bear to see her cry, and was convinced she didn't want to see me again, I was about to turn and leave— 'Wait...waaah! Wait a minute.' Han Huiling, who had been silently weeping, suddenly called out to me. I turned back and looked at her, still sitting on the ground sobbing. 'Did you really...like me even a little bit?'" "..." My throat felt constricted, unable to respond immediately. Reason clamored for a confession: "I really love you," "I can't bear to break up," but faced with that tear-streaked, sorrowful face, I couldn't utter a word. "Why won't you answer...? So you only dated me because of my looks?" "..." Even hearing her choked urging, my lips remained tightly shut, as if sewn shut. 'Say it! Say it's because I love you so much, and I want to get back together if I can get your forgiveness.' I'd repeated this confession a thousand times in my mind, yet I still lacked the courage to say it. "I understand... Go, and never let me see you again." She wore an expression of resignation, her tears already dried. Hearing these farewell words, I finally forced open my stiff lips: "I loved... and I still love you now." Even if it ends here, I will continue to love you for the rest of my life…" "…" Since it was the end, I mustered my courage and confessed my true feelings: "At first, I was only attracted to your appearance." "But after we started dating, I was truly happy. Having such a beautiful girlfriend makes me incredibly proud." "I don't know when it started, but I began to look forward to every date, looking forward to seeing your happy smile and the smile on your face when we chatted." "Every day I thought: What will you look like today? What should I say to make you happy?" Then, with the most sincere words I could muster, I poured out all the emotional changes I had experienced during our relationship to Han Huiling. "Although I will never see you again… I truly loved you…" "....Having said everything I could, I turned and walked towards the entrance, carrying the melancholy thought that I would never see her again. EP0285 After Lee Jin-seok left, Han Hye-ryung, left alone at home, repeatedly pondered his words. Initially, she only wanted to date him because he was beautiful, but her feelings gradually changed after spending time together. Even now, she doubted everything he said, except for that one sentence. After all, since they met, she had never seen him show such sadness. That heartfelt farewell was so heavy that it was undeniable, enough to shake her heart. "So... I loved you..." He calmly accepted her anger, his back, promising never to appear again, so different from his usual reliable image, seemed unusually small. Although she had been mentally manipulated, Han Hye-ryung, hearing the heartfelt confession, sat there silently, tears streaming down her face. The sweetness of her first love that she had hoped for was gone, leaving only bitter remnants. The woman, with a heart full of wounds, recalled his last vulnerable figure and fell asleep, exhausted. As Han Huiling fell asleep, exhausted, I, outside, was plunged into despair, heartbroken by the terrible mistake I had made and the loss of my beloved. "If only I could turn back time..." Had I known this would happen, I would never have used my mental energy; I would have preferred to fall in love with her in a normal way. Just as I was trying to comfort myself with the assumption that it was "impossible in reality"—[Is this your optimal solution?] The system voice echoed in my mind. "You know... I thought it was the best solution at the time." [Why did you give up so easily?] "What could I do? A sinner who has made a mistake has no choice—you understand that best." Worrying about how to salvage the relationship was futile; after all, what's done is done. [You said you loved her.] "Of course I love her... that hasn't changed, which is why I left." "Even if we never see each other again, this feeling will not change. Letting her, angry from betrayal, stay away from me is the least a sinner can do to atone." After hearing my explanation, the system said sarcastically, "[This isn't for the sake of your lover, it's just your selfish escape.]" "That's right, you could call it cowardly escapism. But at that time, I truly had no other choice." "I forced her into a relationship through mind control, and then intensified my sexual desire to possess her body when she resisted. Having committed such a heinous act, how could I possibly have the right to make a choice? Should I hug and apologize after confessing? That's something only seen in TV dramas. Who would forgive a perpetrator of mind control? Especially since she's a virgin. Honestly, if I had used the 'Eye of Lust' back then, perhaps there would have been a turning point. But I ultimately couldn't use it—or rather, I dared not. I was afraid to confirm the exact level of her hatred for me in the system's state. Today's conversation has made me clearly understand her loathing. If I saw those cold, hard numbers again, I would definitely break down. [In the end, I still ran away.]" Yes… I ran away. Because I couldn't bear the look of hatred in my lover's eyes. "The system's sharp criticisms struck my skull like a hammer, but in my despair, I simply endured it numbly. Since the mistake was irreversible, rage was useless. [Coward.] Accompanied by the mechanical voice that rang out again, I staggered into the car and drove to my apartment. As soon as I entered, I collapsed onto the bed fully clothed, a heavy sense of depression consuming all my energy. — Seven days have passed since that farewell. To avoid possible encounters, I haven't set foot on campus for a whole week. No matter how much other slaves or women begged or invited me, I ignored them all. They had all been affected by the mental shadow, making it difficult for me to face them. Fortunately, the others didn't have the severe distortion of common sense like Han Huiling, and were not greatly affected after their abilities were removed. But knowing that I had caused someone so much grief, I had lost the courage to see them. For the past week, apart from occasional meals, I had been lying on the bed like a useless person, unable even to start a game. - Ding-dong The doorbell, which had been silent for a long time, suddenly rang." -Ding-dong, ding-dong, the phone rang relentlessly, but no one answered. The agonizing pain of heartbreak made me reject all visitors. However, the system's next notification froze me: [Han Huiling has visited.] Seven whole days of silence, and I thought I'd never see her again, yet she suddenly showed up. Knowing the relationship was over, my heart still raced uncontrollably—was she here to forgive me? Could we ever get back together? Although I knew it was a futile hope, a sudden thought shattered the cycle of happiness that was running through my mind. -If you still resent me...you can contact me anytime...I'll accept whatever you do. These were the words I'd spoken to Han Huiling before her anger subsided. I'd promised to accept any revenge she might take, and after a week of emotional reflection, her coming for revenge was the most logical explanation. 'I should open the door...' The thought of someone I once truly loved coming specifically for revenge was indeed empty, but ultimately, it was all my fault that had caused this situation. But then, realizing I could see her face and hear her voice again, I slowly got out of bed and opened the door. After a week of emotional venting, she stood at the door as beautiful and captivating as ever. "Ah, hello..." "..." The awkwardness of our long-awaited reunion made me greet her stiffly, while she just stared at me silently with the same stiff expression she had when we first met. "Is there something you need...?" Even though I knew that after a week of being out of contact and then reappearing in the worst possible way, she could only have come for one purpose, I still asked with a faint hope. A corner of my heart still hoped that she had put aside her resentment and simply wanted to see me. But this hope seemed to be dashed—Han Huiling just stood quietly at the door, gazing at my face. Ten minutes had passed since we opened the door and our eyes met. During this time, apart from me speaking twice, we just silently stared at each other. Just as I was worried that my gaze would burn a hole in my face. "Can I come in?" After staring at each other for ten minutes, she finally spoke, leaving me speechless. "It's a mess in here... Is it okay?" "It's okay." The room, where I'd spent the entire week in bed, was indeed a mess. Despite my best efforts to dissuade her, she maintained her initial expression as she stepped into the chaos. "Um... Huiling, what brings you to my house..." "..." Scattered takeout containers, the rough feel of bare feet, the filth made me wonder if it was truly a human dwelling. Faced with my awkward question, she continued to silently inspect each room, suddenly turning on all the overhead lights, pulling down the blackout curtains, and even opening the windows. "Hui... Huiling?" Just as I was bewildered by this inexplicable behavior, she said softly, "Doing this helps me calm down." "..." "Didn't you just ask why I came?" She finally turned to face me directly, "As I said before—I've come for revenge." "...I see." The nod, already prepared, actually lessened the sting in my heart than I had expected. "What do you need me to do?" "Before that," she suddenly handed me her phone, "explain this." The screen displayed an anonymous text message, its contents meticulously detailing all my current abilities and their effects. "Huh?" "Why did you deliberately hide your number to send this?" I froze completely. It wasn't me who sent it. Despite wanting to contact her countless times, I felt I had no right to bother her again. Just as I was wondering who might be impersonating me, the answer immediately surfaced—'The System.' Only the System could possess such detailed knowledge of my abilities and send messages using a different phone number. But why would the System act on its own? Past experience told me the System would always guide things in a favorable direction, but this time, no matter how hard I racked my brains, I couldn't understand its intentions. "Not going to explain?" Her icy voice pulled me back to reality. "System, what exactly were you thinking when you sent this?" Faced with Han Huiling's increasingly urging gaze, I felt that remaining silent was my limit, so I tried to summon the system, but it gave me no response. It was as if it was saying, "That's enough help; you'll have to figure the rest out yourself." I desperately called out in my mind, but received no answer, so I had to speak first. "The text message… I did send it." "Why? Why would you send such a text message?" "..." No sooner had I answered than Han Huiling pressed me for the intention behind sending the message, as if she had been waiting for this moment. Faced with her questioning, I racked my brains until my head was burning, finally giving what I thought was the most appropriate answer. EP0286 After Li Zhenshuo left, Han Huiling, left alone in the living room, slumped to the floor, unable to do anything. No, she didn't want to do anything at all. She had been so happy before. She firmly believed that no matter what happened in the future, she could never be happier than she was now. In high school, she always went out with her best friends, but in college, she went to school with her boyfriend for the first time. She experienced what others often called dating—with her favorite boy. Watching movies, driving around, having dinner together—she had experienced all the things her friends talked about that made her envious. Even sex, which her best friends always teased about, she had experienced entirely with her first love. Thinking that she could do everything with him in the future, she felt incredibly happy. "But..."She suddenly realized that all the emotions she had shared with her first love were a lie. At first, there was anger. Anger so intense she couldn't understand his actions. No, she didn't want to understand—the man had simply treated her like a plaything. After the anger subsided, a heart-wrenching pain swept over her. All those feelings were artificial; she was nothing more than a puppet he manipulated. She had thought that sharing all her firsts with him was happiness, but it was nothing but a pipe dream. An illusion that could never be grasped in reality—the term "dream" couldn't be more fitting. Thinking this, a profound sense of emptiness paralyzed Han Huiling. All she could do was sit there, letting the tears flow. Nothing else—no, she didn't want to do anything at all. Sitting slumped on the ground for a long time, she noticed that the tears no longer flowed uncontrollably. The tears that had once formed puddles on the ground now only seeped out slowly. Just as she was about to get up— "Ugh!" Severe dehydration from excessive crying, coupled with a pervasive feeling of exhaustion, caused her to collapse face down. "Haha..." Others might ask: It's just a breakup, is it really that heartbreaking? But for her, who had been ridiculed by boys for her appearance during her school days, love held special significance. "Am I not worthy of happiness...?" Having just tasted happiness, she plummeted from the clouds to the abyss, and with this thought, she fell into a deep sleep. For the next three days, she simply lay in bed, repeatedly crying and falling into a deep sleep. Her life was simplified to: drinking water when thirsty, eating whatever she could find when hungry. The rest of the time she lay there listlessly. Logically, she should have confided in her best friends for comfort at this time, but she couldn't. After all—even though she was being mentally manipulated—she had indeed had sex with her boyfriend while sitting with her best friends. "So lonely..." After breaking up with her first love, she couldn't find anyone to contact. This unprecedented loneliness gnawed at her heart. On the fourth day, she finally struggled to get out of bed. Realizing that lying down wouldn't help, she mustered her courage and began cleaning the room. She cleared away the scraps of food barely enough to sustain her life, and tidied the floor. She even wiped away the salt crystals left on the floor after her tears had evaporated that night. Looking at the crystallized salt, the memory of that day suddenly resurfaced vividly. "Haa..." The heartbreak she experienced for the first time, the sting of betrayal by her lover... all these memories made her pause cleaning and sit on the sofa to calm herself. As she tried to pull herself together, she realized that Li Zhenshuo's shadow was still deeply ingrained in her heart. The fifth day. Han Huiling began to regret: If she hadn't discovered the truth, would she still be living happily now? Why did she have to remember that memory? If she could forget it forever, she wouldn't have to endure this pain. This thought made her gradually loathe herself for regaining her memories. She could have just pretended to be oblivious... In the delusions caused by her mental breakdown, she finally understood that all of this was futile. "What's done is done..." Even pretending not to know was just a temporary measure. She knew that as time went on, her heart would gradually decay and collapse. But another thought grew stronger each day: she wanted to see Li Zhenshuo again, to have a proper talk. Not an emotional argument, but a dialogue of genuine mutual understanding. Day Six. Unlike the first day, Han Huiling, who could now cook for herself, received a text message from a "hidden number." She briefly hoped it might be from Li Zhenshuo, then immediately dismissed the idea—after their unpleasant parting, how could he possibly contact her? Just as she was about to ignore it as spam, a prominent "1" appeared on the screen, indicating an unread message. Peeking at the message, she was momentarily stunned and unable to move. The message not only claimed that Li Zhenshuo possessed special abilities, but also included dense explanations. "Who sent this...?" Before hearing about Li Zhenshuo's magical abilities, she would have definitely ignored this message. But she knew perfectly well—that the man did indeed possess strange abilities. Besides, how many of those who knew his abilities would know her phone number? Thinking this, Han Huiling mistakenly assumed the message was from Li Zhenshuo. "Why did you send it to me..." Their relationship had long since been severed. Although he had said he could retaliate if his anger hadn't subsided, she had no intention of doing so. While she wanted to see him again, she knew she couldn't predict what she might do upon their reunion. Caught between this conflicting desire and fear, Han Huiling felt a surge of curiosity. The text message might be entirely a lie, but what if it was true? Driven by this curiosity, she read through the list of skills and effects in the message. The more she read, the wider her jaw dropped—every single ability he possessed seemed ridiculously overpowered. After finishing, she pondered his true motive for sending such a message. After the breakup, there had been no contact, and he'd avoided her. She thought it was all over, but then he suddenly sent a message detailing his abilities? Unable to understand the reason, she finally decided to confront him. Although she was still confused, her desire to talk to him in person grew stronger. At the same time, she couldn't help but wonder: what kind of life was the man who dated her based on his abilities, and then broke up with her with a declaration of "true love"? Was he brazenly using his abilities to seduce other women? "Ah!" The moment this thought flashed through her mind, a sudden inspiration struck her. If she went to his house to meet him, perhaps she could take a small revenge on him for his past deception? Han Huiling planned to warn him against using his abilities in the future. Although she wasn't sure if he would listen, she hoped that Li Zhenshuo would never use that power again—this would also put pressure on him indirectly causing other victims. Of course, if he showed no remorse, this warning might be futile, but it didn't matter; it was what she truly wanted to say. And the current situation was exactly this——After taking advantage of the opportunity given by the system, facing Han Huiling's questioning, I was racking my brains for an explanation. 'It's meaningless if I can't explain it properly.' The opportunity I had now was the last chance provided by the system. In the past week, I had fantasized at least hundreds of times about winning her back, and I couldn't afford to miss this opportunity. Although Han Huiling was hurt because of me, I didn't want to break up. After a week of struggle, I came to the conclusion that led me to try to read her state with my "eyes of lust"—even with guilt, I still couldn't give her up. Therefore, in this extremely selfish moment, I prepared to use my ability to change her mind. "Don't use your ability." "?!" This sudden prohibition made me tremble violently. "So you were planning to use it after all?" Han Huiling, who had already read the ability data, knew he was right from his reaction and secretly rejoiced at stopping him first. "You said you could retaliate if my anger wasn't appeased, right? This is my revenge—from now on, you're forbidden from using your ability." "..." Faced with this prohibition, I was speechless. EP0287 "Don't use your ability." Although I intended to listen to her as much as possible, I'm sorry, this is the only thing I couldn't do. If I didn't use this ability, I had no idea what the Creator would do to me. When the Creator bestowed this ability upon me, he clearly stated that it was for his own pleasure. During our initial meeting, he did show me goodwill, but what if I refused to use my abilities? Would he maintain his goodwill, or would he fly into a rage for betraying his gift? No one could say for sure. After all, he was a supreme being capable of materializing game abilities. If a mere human were to offend the Creator by ignoring his goodwill, my life would be in grave danger. [The Creator is not that kind of being.] The system, which had been silent all along, suddenly appeared, attempting to correct my thinking, but I couldn't trust it. Although the system had always guided me in a favorable direction, this time it was difficult to believe. Because the system itself was a creation of the Creator, it couldn't possibly make objective judgments. Of course, my thoughts were also subjective—but this was a matter of life and death. "I'm sorry... but this is the only thing I can't do." After gathering my thoughts and refusing Han Huiling, she stared at me with a "I knew it" look: "Didn't you just say you'd agree to anything?" "I'm really sorry." Her "I knew you'd refuse" look tormented me, but the truth about the Creator was impossible to explain, so I could only apologize repeatedly. It would be terrible if revealing the truth put her in danger too. [The Creator is definitely not what you think!!] Seeing my continued negative speculation, the system seemed to get angry, shrieking in my mind. 'Can you guarantee that?' [...] When I questioned the system's certainty, it paused for a moment before giving an affirmative answer. 'Then if things turn out as I predict, can you stop it?' [...]When the mention of the Creator's potential backlash was brought up, the system fell silent. While grateful for its long-standing assistance, it was ultimately powerless regarding the Creator. "So you lied to me again?" "I'm sorry… I'll agree to all other requests." "From now on, you must tell the truth." "Okay, I agree." I shuddered when she exposed my lie, then nodded in agreement. "When did your ability awaken?" "After I was discharged, I was playing on that game console over there, and it just appeared." Han Huiling pressed for details about the evolved body, mutated sperm, and the Eye of Lust. When she finally touched on the topic of Branders, I broke out in a cold sweat—the "Mental Mark" skill within the Brander abilities was the root cause of this incident. "Mental Mark… can you manipulate the will of others at will simply by using your ability?" Seeing her skip the side skills and go straight to the core, I hesitated for a moment before revealing everything: Branders need to subdue their targets to cast spells, and the Mental Mark is not a universally applicable manipulation technique. "What kind of explanation is that?" "Literal meaning. For example, making someone who utterly despises me suddenly like me is impossible." The stronger the target's resistance, the less effective the mental mark becomes—this is something I've repeatedly verified in the game. I specifically chose an extreme worldview test where men are despised, starting with a -100% favorability rating, and even after the mark appeared, it still failed. Later, through phased training tests, I discovered that it only works above 30% favorability; negative values ​​are ineffective, and 10% has a weak effect. Han Huiling was incredulous after hearing the explanation: "You want me to believe this nonsense?" "I'm absolutely not lying." "Impossible!" If what Li Zhenshuo said was true, it meant she had a 30% favorable feeling towards him from their first meeting—for her, who suffered from androphobia due to bullying in middle school, this was simply a fantasy. "Using favorability as an example is just for ease of understanding; the actual mechanism is more complex." "How complex?" Even with a high favorability rating, the mental mark still has many limitations. Commanding someone to commit suicide through mental markings is clearly impossible. Humans' innate survival instincts and mental strength far surpass anything else. Similarly, it's impossible to make someone who cherishes pure love suddenly fall in love with a relationship involving a third party—an act completely contrary to their values. The only thing mental markings can do is give a push when the other person hesitates. It cannot completely change a person's values, nor can it turn them into a puppet—this must be made clear. The key is that the command must partially align with the individual's subconscious desire to be effective. Wasn't the fact that the ability failed after making Han Huiling, who loved pure love, engage in fivesomes with her friends the best proof? "This is absurd..." Han Huiling couldn't believe it after hearing all the explanations. She originally thought mental markings were a manipulation technique that could arbitrarily mold others' wills. But after talking with them, she realized that each action actually contained a part of her own will. The thought of dating Li Zhenshuo, the urge to be intimate with him, and the happiness of spending time with him... If these feelings were real—wouldn't that mean the betrayal she was experiencing was all an illusion? This possibility shocked her greatly. "Can you prove it?" "This...I can't." Faced with her request to verify this absurd claim, I could only shake my head. To prove it would require a stranger to demonstrate it on the spot, which was both time-consuming and unethical. Besides, given Han Huiling's personality, she would never harm an innocent person to satisfy her curiosity. "So, it's possible that you made all of this up?" "If you insist on thinking that way...I can't help you." His sincere tone left her deeply confused. If those flutters in her heart were genuine... but without concrete evidence, it's hard to believe. But what if he was telling the truth? More confusing than the humiliation of being manipulated was another possibility—were those heart-pounding moments truly from her heart? In her confusion, she changed her question, directly addressing the source of her betrayal: "Why did you go after my friends?" Finally, I heard this question and sighed inwardly. The topic she had deliberately avoided throughout the conversation was now being brought up. It seemed she had truly made up her mind today. "Um..." The words caught in her throat. The reason was actually quite simple—she simply wanted to sleep with her friends because they were good-looking. How could she utter such a beastly confession? "Still won't tell?" Urged on by her, I finally blurted out the truth with guilt: "Because your friends...are very good-looking..." "That's it?" "Yeah..." "Ha..." Han Huiling laughed out loud in anger. A man with a girlfriend actually abused his abilities to sleep around just because his friends were pretty? Just as she thought this man was hopeless, an even more terrifying thought suddenly flashed through her mind: 'Wait... what about the other women?' Following this logic, he must have more than one lover. Think about it, someone who wouldn't even spare his girlfriend's friends, would he spare other beautiful women? Especially this bastard with overflowing energy, who could easily seduce any woman? She stared at the silent Li Zhenshuo: "Besides me, you have other women, right?" "..." I, in the midst of my repentance, was startled by this direct question. I hadn't expected her to suddenly check up on me. After carefully concealing it for so long, she asked with such certainty. I nodded resignedly: "Yes..." "How many?" "Including you, three in total..." After thinking for a moment, I told the truth. Currently, I was only seriously dating Li Shiyan and Liu Anna. Hearing this number, Han Huiling felt a surge of anger. She was clearly his first love, yet this man was simultaneously juggling three women? What's even more ridiculous is that those two still maintained relationships with him after the breakup? "Ha...it's utterly disgusting." The fact that her first love was such a despicable scumbag made her tremble with anger. "Were they also deceived by the ability?" "One was willing, and the other...it really was." Lee Se-yeon's situation was that they met at a nightclub and had a relationship, but Liu Anna was different. Liu Anna used her mental markings to make her boyfriend gradually compare me to him, eventually leading her to choose me willingly. Fortunately, she no longer had any feelings for her boyfriend, only regret, unlike Han Hye-ryung, so even if her ability disappeared, it wouldn't be a big problem. "Do they know too?" "No...completely unaware." Hearing that neither of them knew the truth, she suddenly had a good idea. The thought that surfaced in Han Hye-ryung's mind in EP0288 was to drag those two into the abyss of knowing about Lee Jin-seok's ability as well. She not only hoped that there would be no more victims like herself in this world, but also secretly hoped that he would stop using such methods to manipulate women. Although they've parted ways now, the genuine feelings they once shared stirred within her an impulse bordering on pity—she wanted him to date normally without his abilities, yet she couldn't resist seeking revenge for his actions so far. "That should be enough." Since her request to forbid the use of his abilities had been rejected, this level of revenge seemed appropriate. Having cleared her mind, Han Huiling looked at the anxious Li Zhenshuo: "Can we call those two over now?" "Now?" "Yes, you refused the previous request, so you should agree this time, right?" "..." When I understood her intention, my mind went completely blank. I was already uneasy about the two's questioning, and now she wanted to summon them directly—just imagining my current girlfriends learning the truth made me feel suffocated. 'This is it, I'm completely finished...' The disaster that a confrontation between the three would cause was clear; I had to find a chance to catch my breath. "Give me some time to think it over." "You're going to refuse even this?" "No, just a moment." Although I promised to keep my word, I need to figure out a strategy first. 'Let's analyze this calmly...'"First, there's Lee Se-yeon. Even if she's suddenly summoned, she shouldn't be furious. After all, we didn't abuse our spiritual power when we first met; it was more like a casual fling, each of us getting what we wanted. Even if she mistakenly thinks we're in a serious relationship, there's always room for maneuver. The real problem is Yoo Anna. While I didn't use my abilities as recklessly as I did with Han Hye-ryung, my pursuit of her was a carefully calculated trap of gentleness—and more importantly, she firmly believes I'm a devoted partner. Lee Se-yeon can understand casual affairs, after all, it started with a one-night stand at a nightclub. But in Yoo Anna's eyes, I'm a pure-hearted man driven mad by love. 'Everything's collapsing.' Even if Lee Se-yeon is on my side, what if she takes the opportunity to cause trouble? The relationship we've built up so far will crumble. Some might say: just use your abilities to find someone else after the breakup. I initially thought so too—if I get tired of someone, I'll just find someone new. But virtual and reality are ultimately different. These girls I date in real life are ultimately different from the heroines I conquer in games." I used to be addicted only to virtual romance, but things have changed. Even the freest virtual games have their "post-game" periods; when the eight-hour login limit throws you back into the emptiness of reality, addicts can only wail and beg for extended online time on community forums—this kind of life can hardly be called living. 'Perhaps... I should be glad I exposed myself early?' After racking my brains without finding a good solution, I decided to confess everything. The crisis created by Han Huiling became an opportunity for self-redemption. After all, since my abilities were exposed, I've begun to question the legitimacy of using mental markings to distort others' emotions—although I have a clear conscience about other abilities to please women, forcibly changing someone's mind is indeed uncomfortable. "Understood." Having made my decision, I'm prepared to face any consequences. This karmic burden is the result of my abuse of my abilities. [Although I disagree, I will respect the user's choice.] The mind-reading system expressed its objection but still chose to support me. To be honest, if I used all my abilities to discipline Han Huiling, the crisis could be resolved immediately—Jung Eun-ah, who lives in the same apartment, is a precedent. But in the end, I didn't do that. Rather than becoming a monster driven by lust, I'd rather maintain good relationships with everyone and share genuine emotions. "Both of them have already contacted each other via text message." "When did they say they'd arrive?" Han Huiling asked about their arrival time after watching me send a text message on my phone in front of her. "They each have things to take care of, so they agreed to meet at dinner time." "Let's set the meeting place here." "It's already arranged in advance." Because I guessed her intention in inviting them, I had already told them to come directly to my house. "Then I'll go back first. Remember to call me when they arrive." "Okay..." She seemed to assume I understood, and didn't explain why she had specifically gathered everyone until she left. 'Let's take this opportunity to be honest and communicate properly.' Ever since Han Huiling discovered my abilities, I decided to reveal the whole truth. Rather than continuing to live in a state where no one knows, now that I've been exposed, I think being open and honest is better. There's still some time before dinner, and I repeatedly went through various possibilities in my mind, thinking about how to improve the current situation. Han Huiling hesitated as she walked back from Li Zhenshuo's house. "Was this decision really right...?" Frankly, her request to summon the other two wasn't entirely out of revenge or pity. Was it because she couldn't bear to see her unsuspecting female companions continue to be deceived? Not entirely. Deep down, she harbored a touch of jealousy—not about her boyfriend dating multiple people simultaneously, but the humiliation of being manipulated by his abilities while others might maintain their conscious will. If they had also been subjected to mind control, they would surely have come knocking on her door, just like she had. But there were no signs of visitors inside, meaning only she had discovered the truth about the abilities. While she could explain it as "still struggling with the decision," she didn't think anyone would hesitate for a whole week. According to Li Zhenshuo's words today, she was the only one who had regained her senses due to a violent clash of values, a realization that inexplicably irritated her. "Although it's meaningless to me now..." Even after breaking up with Li Zhenshuo, she still wanted to uncover the truth. She wondered how the other two would react upon learning they had been manipulated. Would they be as furious as she was? Or would they choose to forgive? Or perhaps she'd succumb to despair? With this thought in mind, she quickened her pace home, secretly hoping they would make the same choice as her. About two hours after Han Huiling left, just as I was racking my brains about how to minimize the impact of the confession later, I caught a glimpse of the room's chaotic state. "System." [Yes, User] "Any cleaning tools available?" [No such items exist. Please clean up yourself.] The room, untouched for a week, was littered with food scraps and trash, and the lack of ventilation had left the floor covered in dust. Even with my evolved body, a thorough cleaning was no easy task. The system's cold rejection made me sigh: "Phew...when will this take?" Han Huiling arrived in the afternoon, about three hours before Li Shiyan and Liu Anna's visit. Although I didn't mind her seeing me in such a disheveled state, I really didn't want to lose face in front of the other two. 'Actually, even Huiling doesn't want her to see this...' Temporarily setting aside my strategy, I decided to start a thorough cleaning. I gathered the leftover food into garbage bags and thoroughly washed the dishes piled up in the sink. Then, carrying the garbage bags, I collected the scattered waste and carefully scrubbed away the stains with floor cleaner. This alone took an hour. After thoroughly cleaning the dust off the floor with a vacuum cleaner, I spent a lot of effort mopping the floor. Once the stains left by the soup were wiped away, the pigsty-like room finally returned to the appearance of a human dwelling. "Ha... finally finished." A total of two hours and thirty minutes of cleaning. Even with my enhanced body, it was still a daunting task. With only thirty minutes left until the agreed time, I realized that there was not much time left and rushed into the bathroom. My body, which hadn't been showered for a whole week, smelled sour, so I lathered up and scrubbed vigorously. Of course, with my evolved body, I didn't produce the smell of metabolic waste, but not having showered for a whole week was just too unbearable mentally. I threw all the clothes I had worn into the laundry basket, and after taking a shower, I was now ready to welcome the three people who were about to visit. EP0289 Lee Jin-seok was preparing to deal with the impending storm. Lee Se-yeon was overjoyed to receive his invitation to meet after so long. "Why did you suddenly decide to meet at home?" And today, unlike usual, they didn't meet outside; he directly asked her to come to his place. Normally, she would have made up an excuse to decline, but this time he had taken the initiative to invite her home. Sensing something was amiss, she even applied for a day off before leaving get off work. Anyway, she and Lee Jin-seok both knew what they would do after meeting—that man would never let her go in the end. "I have to dress up nicely today." The disappointment of being stood up at the last minute when they had arranged to meet last week still lingered in her heart. Those seven days of unfulfilled expectations felt unbearably long. At this moment, Lee Se-yeon secretly resolved to unleash all the pent-up desire she had accumulated since last time. When that man saw her carefully prepared secret weapon, he would surely turn into an uncontrollable beast. "It's a good thing I bought this back then." After bathing and putting on makeup, she took something out from the depths of the wardrobe. The moment she opened the box, her fingertips trembled slightly as they touched the soft fabric—inside was a set of lingerie. "Even more lewd than I imagined..." The unfolded panties were made of completely sheer lace, with a slit at the crotch that would completely expose her private parts with the slightest movement. The matching bra, while providing some coverage at the nipples, still revealed glimpses of her breasts through its semi-transparent material. "Wearing this is so embarrassing..." She had bought it with the intention of pleasing her boyfriend, but now, actually putting it on, she felt a cringe of shame. But the image that flashed through her mind made her burn—herself wearing this wanton lingerie, her private parts barely visible between her legs, and the image of that man pouncing on her like a hungry wolf. "Wear it." After a brief struggle, the desire for intense sex finally overcame her shame. When she was fully dressed and got into the car, the GPS navigator displayed the destination coordinates—an invitation to a feast of ecstasy. --- As Lee Se-yeon set off with anticipation, Liu Anna, who had received the same invitation, nervously bit her lip. "Why the sudden change to meeting at home...?" Accustomed to enjoying dates outside, this sudden shift made her uneasy. The cancellation of last week's date only fueled her doubts—had he grown tired of her constant work? Their relationship was already precarious. Nominally a couple, they only saw each other briefly once a week, and their occasional contact was always late at night after get off work. Sometimes she even doubted whether it was even a relationship at all. What was even more unsettling was that he, who always thoughtfully drove her around, had only given her an address today. "Is he going to break up with me...?" Her knuckles turned white from gripping the steering wheel so tightly. She desperately wanted to call and confirm, yet she feared hearing a cold verdict from him. With a completely different anxiety than Lee Se-yeon, Liu Anna drove towards the same destination. --- As the two women departed, her current girlfriend, Han Hye-ryung, sat alone at home, staring at her phone. "What will happen when they find out the truth..."Her fingertips unconsciously traced the bruises on her neck. Even during their relationship, that man was seeing three other women at the same time. Ironically, she had been manipulated into becoming his plaything. "Did I go too far?" "Thinking of the truth that was about to be revealed, guilt gnawed at her heart like vines. But then she hardened her heart—those two women would have to face this sordid truth sooner or later. At that moment, snow began to fall outside the window, as if foreshadowing a bloody storm. Using his abilities to seduce women at will was absolutely not human behavior. Han Huiling was certain that when those women discovered the truth, their goodwill towards him would immediately vanish. But she didn't realize that one of the roots of this thought was jealousy—jealousy that they could be so consciously intoxicated by his charm, while she was just a manipulated puppet. Using 'anger at being deceived' and 'thinking of the other two' to mask her jealousy, she waited for the call to ring. - Ding-dong Not long after, Han Huiling, having confirmed that Li Zhenshuo had sent a message, put on the clothes she would wear to a date and set off. -- On the other side, after receiving the message that all the women were coming tonight to settle things, Li Zhenshuo thought he would die of a heart attack before they arrived. 'Ha... how did it come to this...'" The thought of the women arriving one after another, their relationships exposed, made him doubt his ability to handle the situation. Trying to calm his racing heart, he quietly awaited the first visitor after finalizing his preparations. - *Ding-dong* Hearing the doorbell, I swallowed hard and walked towards the entrance. "Who is it?" - It's me, open the door quickly. The mature female voice from outside indicated that Lee Se-yeon had arrived first. "You're here?" "Yeah, long time no see." "Yes, come in." The moment I opened the door and saw her radiant smile, a wave of guilt washed over me—that happy face was about to contort. "Wow…the room is tidier than I expected?" "I cleaned it because I heard you were coming." "Really? Can I look around?" She immediately admired the cleanliness of the room upon entering and began to look around. "Where are your parents?" "They work abroad, I live here alone." "So you live alone?" "They rarely come back, basically." A glint of greed flashed in her eyes as she learned that the recently discharged student lived alone in this excessively spacious house. 'If only I could live here with Chen Shi…' Just as Li Shiyan was about to speak after the tour, she suddenly frowned: "Why do you look so strange?" Pretending to be calm, my heart tightened—my evolved body could perfectly control micro-expressions. "What's wrong? Why are you so uneasy?" Just as I hesitated whether to tell her—the doorbell rang again, and I froze. "Who could it be at this hour?" Nine o'clock was supposed to be our agreed time. I stopped Li Shiyan as she was about to head towards the entrance: "Sit and wait, I'll go open it." "My heart was pounding as I pressed her back onto the sofa. Despite mentally rehearsing the scenario repeatedly, it was all in vain when the moment came. A clear female voice from outside the door shattered my last hope: 'It's me…' Liu Anna stood in the doorway, her unease overflowing from her trembling greeting. 'Why did you call me here…' The lingering doubts from the drive swirled in her mind—had he grown tired of this relationship? Stepping into the entryway, she clenched her hands, which were damp with cold sweat. EP0290 I opened the door for Liu Anna, and seeing her enter the house, I felt a fine sheen of cold sweat on my palms. Both of my girlfriends were home at that moment. My heart was pounding just from Li Shiyan being there; now, with both of them together, my breathing was even more rapid. 'What will happen…' The encrypted content made it impossible to predict their reactions, and a sense of dread welled up within me. Would they all despise me for breaking up with them?" If that's the case, how should I handle it? Can I stop them from leaving? These kinds of thoughts churned in my mind, and no matter how I thought about it, things couldn't possibly go well. On one side was Lee Se-yeon, whom I considered my girlfriend even though we weren't officially dating; on the other side was Yoo Anna, whom I had painstakingly won over by getting her to break up with her ex. I wasn't too worried about Lee Se-yeon, whom I met at a nightclub and whose one-night stand had developed into something more. The problem was Yoo Anna. I had forced her to compare her ex-boyfriend's and my qualities to successfully seduce her, but now she'd been caught cheating. How would she react, given her innocence, which was on par with Han Hye-ryung's? I was terrified. "Jin-seok, who is that?" Just as I was lost in thought watching Yoo Anna take off her shoes, I heard Lee Se-yeon's voice behind me. Hearing this, I realized it had begun, and I racked my brains trying to figure out how to weather this crisis. "A woman's voice...?" As Liu Anna nervously took off her shoes in the entryway, she heard a woman's voice from inside, and her unease intensified. He had invited her over, so why was there another woman? Could it be, as she suspected, that he was tired of announcing a new relationship? The thought made her tremble. Even if they were breaking up, a phone call would have sufficed, or they could have discussed it privately. Why did he have to call her here in front of another woman? This speculation filled her with a sense of desolation. "No...it can't be..." She knew she would break down before he even spoke, so she could only try to reassure herself. Just as the three of them were lost in their own thoughts, Li Shiyan, sitting on the sofa, got up and went to the entryway to confirm who it was. "Uh...?" "Ah..." As Lee Se-yeon arrived directly at the door, the moment their eyes met and they realized the other woman's beauty was in no way inferior to their own, they both froze on the spot. "There's no going back now." Caught in the middle witnessing the whole thing, I was certain that both of them knew perfectly well that they had been called here today to confront each other about this (Lee Se-yeon's perspective). "Why...why is there another woman in Jin-seok's house? And such a beautiful one at that..." Lee Se-yeon, who had planned to spend the whole day at home with Lee Jin-seok, panicked (Yoo Anna's perspective). "So...he has a new love interest." Yoo Anna, who had been worried about being dumped today, was now certain her suspicions were true, and beyond anxiety, a deep depression welled up within her. As all three felt suffocated by the impending storm, Lee Se-yeon was the first to regain her composure. "Jin-seok, what's going on?" Her face, which had been radiant with happiness just a moment ago, was now filled with confusion because of the other woman's appearance. Faced with her expression, I was speechless for a moment. In that moment of hesitation, "Why is there another woman in your house?!" Seeing that I didn't answer for a long time, Lee Se-yeon, who seemed to be convinced of something, suddenly got angry. I could only confess, "I called you here today... to repent for my sins." "What do you mean...?" "Jin-seok...?" Lee Se-yeon, who was looking forward to the date, frowned when she heard this inexplicable question. Liu Anna, however, noticed that the other party seemed unaware of the situation and became suspicious. "Is it different from what I thought?" She thought that the woman would know everything and laugh at her, but judging from her reaction, that was clearly not the case. Unlike what she had prepared herself for, the other party was furious because she had been kept in the dark. This kind of reaction could not be faked by someone who knew the truth, which completely confused her. "Just tell the truth..." Seeing the reactions of the two, I decided to cut to the chase. I originally planned to wait for Han Hye-ryung to arrive before explaining, but if I dragged it out any longer, I was a