First, I put my tongue back in and quietly withdrew my body that was half on the bed. I naturally removed her hand that had come to my head.

Coffee, huh.

“You’re saying that so calmly. At times like this, you should glare coldly and scold me not to lick like a beast.”

Erica blinked and wiped her saliva-covered hand with a tissue.

“Who was it that harassed me first?”

A moment of silence passed.

“I wonder.”

“You’re so shameless.”

After choosing my words, I just blurted out.

“Aren’t you tired? You can sleep more.”

It was early morning.

“It’s fine. Let’s just drink coffee.”

“Coffee isn’t good for your body.”

“Why are you like this today? Just listen to me.”

I glanced out the window. The smoke that had been rising at night had increased.

“You can sleep more.”

Ignoring my words, she got up and dragged her slippers as she opened the break room door.

Go together.

I also put on slippers,

And followed Erica while walking down the small corridor.

Walking down the quiet corridor with her who had just woken up, with a slight breeze blowing, the feeling was… strange.

I stopped walking,

Stood in front of the coffee maker, sprinkled coffee powder into a small cup and waited.

“What do you want to drink?”

“Americano.”

Erica grabbed the small glass jar in front of her, prepared another cup, opened the jar and sprinkled the powder.

“Is yours mocha?”

“You know well.”

“It’s you when I think of Erica.”

“That’s really funny.”

I didn’t particularly say it to be funny.

Feeling inexplicably competitive, while the coffee machine was pouring hot water into my cup, I watched Erica yawning,

When the signal sound rang, I just said to her as she handed me the cup.

“This feels like we’re living together.”

Erica suddenly looked into my eyes, then quickly turned her body to hide her gradually reddening face and took a step.

Holding the coffee I received, I followed her closely and sat down next to her when she sat at the central table in the office.

I deliberately met her eyes, but she hurriedly avoided my gaze and put the cup to her mouth, so I just stared at her for a while and opened my mouth again.

“Would it be an indirect kiss if we switched coffees now?”

Then her cheeks turned bright red this time, so I giggled.

The cup was put down on the table with a thud.

“…Don’t, don’t tease me.”

“You’re cute.”

“Stop it!”

“Stop what?”

“That, that you…”

“That we’re living together?”

Don’t pinch my cheeks.

It hurts.

I pretended to be in pain for no reason and then lifted the cup to take a sip of Americano.

After that, Erica was silent too, so I looked out the window and frowned.

It’s peaceful for the first time in a while.

Why are there interruptions?

I yawned once.

Erica did too, so I chuckled.

“It’s contagious.”

“I’m sleepy.”

“That’s why I told you to sleep more.”

“Why should I listen to you?”

If you won’t listen, there’s nothing I can do.

I can’t even take you hostage anymore.

“Okay. You can do as you like.”

I looked at the digital clock on the table.

6 AM. It’s too early.

The gradually descending sunlight beyond the window cast an orange ecstasy over the office.

Her soft breathing sounds. And the silence. Calmness.

“It would have been nice if every morning was like this.”

“…What do you mean?”

Her response was slightly delayed, so I turned my head and met her slightly closed eyes.

“I mean I wish I could see you when I wake up in the morning.”

“…You can, uh, see me.”

Then her eyes slowly closed, she was clearly weak to sleep.

I put the empty cup on the table and stood up.

I heard the sound of bombing.

I cut down one by one those rushing towards me with mechanical devices on their heads.

Unlike their bodies rushing forward with creaking sounds, their pupils shook several times when they saw me.

So I felt even worse.

Let’s think differently.

At least they’re not crying out for help while trembling.

It’s fortunate that I don’t have strange thoughts.

As I was wiping the blood-stained blade with my sleeve, something leaped at me, so I stopped my hand and swung the knife.

Its chest was diagonally cut in mid-air, and it fell head-first, with a cracking sound as its head was half crushed.

When I heard a scream from the opposite side, I turned my gaze. A girl with a rope was desperately fending off those rushing at her while swinging a small hammer.

Unable to withstand the increasing volume of attacks, she seemed to be escaping into a back alley with a pale face.

If I had been afraid like that too.

As if this was a natural daily occurrence for me, I wouldn’t have had to grab my heart beating roughly while committing slaughter.

Contrary to the boiling fervor.

My mood fell endlessly.

Nevertheless, laughing dejectedly at the familiar sight, I decided to just think of those sprawled on the ground as beasts.

They’re not people.

It’s okay to kill as many as I want.

So I swung what I was holding again. I don’t know what weapon I’m holding because it has changed several times.

Thwack.

I swung a long stick that looked like a baseball bat.

The thing with its head burst flew and crashed into the building wall.

Things that looked similar to blood and flesh stuck to the stick.

I looked at the sky once and exhaled.

What am I doing?

When I heard something like a scream from the front, I raised my gaze and saw a man running in a hurry with torn clothes.

When he saw me, his face turned pale, and as soon as his steps slowed, the beasts running from behind started to devour him from the legs.

I heard the sound of flesh being torn, so I temporarily covered my ears.

His remaining hand weakly grasped at the air before completely disappearing into their group.

I have no intention of protecting him.

It’s natural, isn’t it?

Seeing him tremble and stop in place when he saw me, he must have judged that it was better to die.

Wouldn’t he be happy to have achieved the death he wanted?

Me too.

As I was nodding vigorously, their gazes one by one turned towards me.

Then they walked towards me with violently shaking pupils, but stopped abruptly as if having a seizure.

“I’m sorry!”

With small puffs of smoke rising, metal fragments scattered on the ground, and a green-haired girl appeared in the center, falling with a thud.

“Ow, it hurts…!”

Jekyll grimaced while rubbing the back of her head, then got up hurriedly with a gasp.

“Uwaaah…! I’m really, really sorry! The device must still be in the testing stage, so the movement of these guys couldn’t be controlled properly!”

Then she pointed at the beasts wearing the machines.

After a moment of silence, Jekyll looked around me slightly, then took a step back.

“What! They’re, they’re all dead!”

“Is that so?”

“Co-could it be…?!”

It took only a few seconds for the trembling pupils to disappear from her eyes and for her expression to become bright.

“Did Aureli-nim personally kill them all?! Such, such a brilliant thing!”

Brilliant.

Yeah, right.

That’s it.

“I knew I could believe in you! My eyes weren’t wrong! For a beautiful world… hehe. Hic.”

As I tilted my head, Jekyll blinked her eyes, then opened them gently.

“Even though you refused so much, it was just a temporary whim. You were always ready to board the grand plan to trample the world with me.”

“I’m not qualified for that.”

Jekyll shook her head.

“If not Aureli-nim, who else could do it! It has to be Aureli-nim!”

“Is that so?”

“Of course!”

Beyond her cheerful voice, I could see the beasts being controlled. Their pupils were fixed on me.

I seemed to hear voices faintly.

What is this? I’m scared. What is that?

Such things should disappear.

“You don’t have to be blamed anymore. You don’t have to be sad anymore. No more of this tiresome time of endurance.”

Jekyll smiled slightly.

I was about to say something, but when I briefly met her darkened green eyes, I just closed my mouth.

“I believe my feelings have been conveyed.”

Jekyll took a step closer.

Before the distance could be closed,

Heat approached.

The noise grew louder.

A large rocket rushed in, knocking Jekyll into the air and carrying her up.

Scattered smoke billowed.

“Aah! Why! Why are you doing this to me! If only… If only a little more…!”

As the heat passed, silence fell.

Only I remained, surrounded by them and the corpses.

Their shaking pupils reflected me, and I was scared.

I avoided their eyes.

“Aureli!”

Unlike me,

Erica in neat attire stood beside me with urgent steps.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Erica.”

My voice came out low.

“Yes?”

“I guess I really am a bad woman.”

Erica was about to approach me, but stopped when our eyes met.

So I just smiled slightly.

Quite a lot of time had passed.

Morning had passed and afternoon came.

“The situation is beyond words.”

The Director, who had been tapping his fingers on the desk, muttered lowly.

“Her activities suddenly became active. After the eradication of the Yangju City group. Is Jekyll very angry?”

“What about the damage situation?”

“Namyangju has been occupied for a long time, and Uijeongbu is in the process of being invaded. It seems she’s gathering all the remaining personnel she used during the government rebellion. Things are so bad that even the Union is talking about joining hands.”

“Then isn’t the Association in danger too?”

The Director pulled at his hair and frowned.

“It’ll be fine as long as Jekyll doesn’t come herself.”

There was a sound of wind. An explosion filled the space and the windows shattered.

“I’m here!”

The wind blew fiercely and the interior became chaotic. There was a commotion and glass fragments swirled in the air.

A small missile carrying Jekyll rushed through the huge hole in the window, then shattered and exploded.

Jekyll spun once in the air and then stood on the desk.

The Director frowned. The sword he was holding glowed.

“I’ve come personally to see Aureli-nim! There are no more variables now!”

As soon as the Director sharpened his knife, Jekyll raised her finger.

“You’re not thinking of stopping me, are you? I absolutely won’t back down! Not until I take Aureli-nim!”

Everyone fell silent. Even the few remaining employees in the office all focused their trembling eyes on me.

Even Erica.

So inevitably, I opened my mouth.

“Um, what conversation were we having?”

“We were talking about how we, who are of the same kind, should get angry to our heart’s content. Without needing to hold back anymore.”

Jekyll smiled slightly. Her green eyes shone elegantly.

“I can’t understand. Why Aureli-nim is in this place! Look at them!”

Jekyll pointed at the employees.

“They’re watching us warily with their detestable faces! While pretending to be innocent!”

I turned my gaze. My eyes met theirs.

Feeling sorry, I turned my eyes away.

“Hiding their intentions to kill us if anything goes wrong. Look at the Director first! This bitch who’s a dog of the Association has already drawn her sword!”

“That’s bad.”

But we, even during the game times.

“The warm atmosphere is gone and only coldness remains. Is that all?”

Reports scattered.

“Wanted Awakened No. 1, No. 10? Reward? Current status? Special bonus for those who kill?”

I glimpsed tears.

“It’s crazy. It’s crazy. We didn’t want this. Right! We just… just!”

“Yes.”

“We can’t live like this anymore.”

My vision turned red. I felt suffocated and clutched my chest.

“I’ll open my hand. And I’ll grasp a gun. I’ll stand up. I’ll resist.”

Jekyll bit her lip. Blood flowed.

“You’ll take my hand. And.”

I heard the sound of bombing.

Flames decorated the sky and the ground shook.

Green eyes shone.

“We’ll burn the world.”

Ah.

I see.

If it becomes like that, we can reach the end point and enjoy coziness.

We can feel peace in the collapsed ruins without needing to tremble in fear anymore.

But then, what will be left in such a life?

We have to live forgetting many things.

We have to give up without even knowing what we truly wanted.

“We can’t do that.”

I heard a voice.

I turned my head. My gaze met white eyes.

Erica opened her mouth as if making a firm resolution.

“Then, at that end, you won’t be able to be killed by me.”

The wind blew. Her golden short hair fluttered.

Ah,

Well, that’s right.

That’s it.

The predetermined fate and the desired course were attributed to you.

The time when I smiled depending on love was when I was by your side.

I felt like you could define someone like me.

“I’m sorry.”

I smiled slightly.

“I have a prior engagement.”

Jekyll’s expression distorted.