Chapter Text
Something is off.
My heartbeat seems irregular the moment I wake up. It’s beating fast, faster than usual. Not out of fear or sickness, no… it’s a really strange feeling; one that is difficult to place. My head is blurred, my forehead burns with a migraine, and there is a sharp, constant throb in my… lungs?
[Exclusive skill, the “Fourth Wall” has been activated!]
I pause, almost laughing at my paranoia. As if this is anything abnormal. Sure, the last few weeks have been physically exhausting, but this is the apocalypse, after all. A mild cold is nothing to fret about.
I lift my head, rubbing my aching shoulders as I immediately scan my surroundings. The other party members are asleep. I smile as I watch Yoosung and Gilyoung’s chests rise and fall, and Sooyoung’s eyebrows twitch in her sleep. Everyone seems so peaceful.
But someone is missing.
My face morphs into a scowl and my mood is instantly ruined. A static fills my ears. That bastard, running off on his own again?
Well, not my problem.
As I get up from the bed and start to walk out of the room, my breath hitches into a coughing fit. Not wanting to wake the others, I run out into an empty area of the Industrial Complex. Large, tinted windows line the walls, and other incarnations are already outside; some chatting and some prepping for scenarios. When the coughing slows down, I briefly look over all of them, checking to see if a particular man clad in black is polishing his sword. Unfortunately, midway, I double over. Muffling the sound with my fist pressed up against my lips, I try to satiate the burning in my throat.
A flash of white plagues my vision when it finally stops. I stand up straighter, relieved. My chest hurts, but otherwise I feel fine.
[The “Fourth Wall” is getting thicker.]
I stroll back into the main hallway and remove my phone from my jacket pocket. As the screen lights up, I instantly navigate to my inbox, and then to the .txt file. I scroll down till I find the chapter I’m looking for.
[Exclusive skill, “Reading Comprehension”, has been activated!]
It only takes a few seconds till my eyes are skimming the pages, rereading this world’s script for the thousandth time. I’ve already read this latest revision, but it doesn’t hurt to double-check. As such, I get so focused that my foot gets caught, and I trip on the linoleum floor.
My phone is fine, but my elbow is certainly not. While wincing in pain, I glance up to see none other than Yoo Joonghyuk disappointingly staring down at me.
Why does he always find me at my most embarrassing moments?
“Get up. You’re blocking the way,” the regressor growls, a murderous glint in his eye.
“Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, it seems,” I retort, picking myself up off the floor. I dust off my coat (honestly, why did I have to get stuck with white? It really needs a wash) and bend down to grab my phone. Alas, Yoo Joonghyuk picks it up first. He holds the object in his hand like it’s some sort of foreign weapon, and squints.
I feel a sense of panic, even though I know the Ways of Survival just appears as censored, blurry text to him. Or, perhaps, just a blank screen. Yeah, that’s right. I yank the phone back from his hand, quickly pocketing it before further questions are asked.
Yoo Joonghyuk scoffs, raising his head higher and continuing to walk, not sparing me another thought. After readjusting my hair and discreetly slapping myself in the face a few times, I continue on as well.
But not before the pain comes back. A sudden, sharp jab to the heart.
[Exclusive skill, the “Fourth Wall” is shaking!]
[W hy are n’t yo u li s te n in g Ki m D o k ja]
My vision shifts momentarily, and I gag, choking. I begin to cough again, but it’s more dramatic this time, almost wheezing. I look behind me to see Yoo Joonghyuk, who has stopped, and is watching me. If he were a normal person, I would think he was concerned. Forcefully grinning, I nonchalantly wave at him. I’m fine, I try to laugh, but my tongue gets caught.
So I race to the nearest bathroom.
Slamming the door closed, I bend over the sink. I squeeze my eyes shut as I feel something raw and slimy crawl up my throat. It pushes past my lips and I spit it into the basin. After that comes a metallic taste; I hack the blood up, too, dizzy and delirious. I throw up portions of whatever little bits of food I ate yesterday. There’s a poking in my lungs, one that I can’t shake off. By force of habit, I press the back of my hand to my forehead, and realize it’s much hotter than it’s supposed to be.
I open my eyes. Reluctantly.
[Exclusive skill, the “Fourth Wall” is shaking violently!]
Amidst the blood and mucus decorating the sink and faucet, a singular white rose petal rests, streaks of red dappled across its smooth surface.
Calm but never content. Loyal but forever self-sacrificial. A pure child corrupted by humanity, from the minute he stabbed a knife through his father’s chest--
I stare at it, completely entranced. Sounds and sensations disappear around me as the flower becomes the only thing occupying my immediate thoughts. I reach out to touch it, but then draw back reflexively. Then, I raise my head, meeting my own eyes in the mirror. My face and lips are bloody, and my pupils are dilated. I look like a mess.
A notification rings in my ears, breaking me out of the trance:
[New scenario has arrived!]
‖ Personal Scenario – Hanahaki Disease ‖
Type: Personal
Difficulty: ???
Clear condition: Confess your feelings to the person(s) you love before time runs out, or before you are killed by your condition.
Time limit: Approx. 1 week
Reward: ???
Failure: Death
What?