episode_0001

Silence enveloped the world.

Cries and screams echoed.

The stench of rotting flesh and the metallic tang of blood.

Many people had died while I slept.

Many people had died while I was awake.

Differently from you, differently from me.

Everyone met such an end.

Looking back now, that might have been the moment I first fell for you.

*

“Ah.”

As Jin, with a lifeless expression, spat out a monotonous sigh and leaned over onto the pavement, I quickly reached out to grab her frail body and stood her upright.

This was already the third time today. Jin maintained her unbalanced gait, leaning to one side. Her movements, crooked yet devoid of hesitation, seemed to throw her off balance ever so slightly at each step.

“Are you okay?”

“….”

As I cautiously inquired, Jin, with her uniquely indescribable emotionless expression, simply stared blankly at my face without a word.

Defined jawline, thin lips, eyes that curved like a doll’s, and disproportionately large pupils. Though I had seen this face countless times over the years, I still found myself captivated every time. But there was no room for such thoughts here. The sun would set soon, and I needed to return home to prepare dinner before that.

Thinking as much, I let go of her hand, and Jin, once again staggering, started walking ahead without a word of thanks or indication of how much further we had to go. However, being accustomed to this routine, I pretended not to mind.

If Jin were to suddenly be taken aback, blushing and flustered like a character in a romantic comic, that would be even more surprising. I was so used to the current Jin that reverting to the past would be awkward.

Beyond Jin, who was earnestly walking, I glanced around the village where the sunset had begun.

Smooth cobblestones were a rare sight. Discarded heavy equipment lay haphazardly on the road. It was difficult to find any cars or pedestrians passing through. It was quiet, desolate, and lonely. It felt as though a long-burning fire had been extinguished, leaving only ashes behind.

Despite being a seaside village, the smell of ash still lingered. It couldn’t be helped. Only abandoned remnants remained here. If there were truly gods and magic worthy of fairy tales, it would be challenging to set foot in a world where only this desolation existed.

Lost in somewhat melancholic thoughts, how many more minutes had passed?

Clang-clang, a sudden sound of a horn rang out without warning, prompting me to glance back.

An elderly man wearing a baseball cap was leisurely pushing his old bicycle past us.

Considering the bleak atmosphere of this village and his age, the fact that he signaled at all was a gesture worth appreciating. But at this moment, a sense of resentment overwhelmed me more than anything else in the world.

He recognized us and approached in some way.

I averted my gaze from Jin and looked at the other person.

With conditions now met to this extent, there was no need to think further about the next action.

I swiftly reached out my hand.

Unconcerned about the hood falling back, I grabbed Jin’s arm first.

“Jin, wait.”

“Let go.”

“Don’t do that, just listen to me for a moment.”

Fortunately, it wasn’t too late.

While Jin’s anger hadn’t subsided in the slightest, that was a problem for later. For now, the immediate crisis was averted.

Thud, the chunk of cement that Jin lifted fell back onto the roadside, kicking up dust.

It was larger than my fist. Normally, someone who couldn’t handle a spoon properly seemed to pick it up quite skillfully when necessary.

Lost in unnecessary contemplation, I didn’t notice at first… Regret is futile now. It was probably for the best. Jin’s arms still trembled from being clenched too tightly. I had to somehow stall for time until that old man was out of sight.

“He was trying to hit you.”

“I was just passing by. Look, what kind of thief moves so slowly in this world?”

“I’m pretending not to notice. Don’t be fooled. He’s a bad person. If there are bad people, you’ll get hurt. It’s dangerous.”

“He’s so old and frail, to begin with. His eyes are dim, he probably doesn’t even know we’re here. Even if he’s bad, if he’s weak, there’s no problem.”

“Let go of this.”

No matter how much I resisted, it was futile.

Jin’s gaze, burning with uncontrollable anger, did not consider moving away from its target.

As if not understanding my attempts to stop her, she gripped my arm with one hand while exerting force. She was equally tensed. It hurt a little, or rather, a lot.

An opaque, cold, sharp voice of resentment.

It was enough to leave not-so-thin scars on my wrist, which I wanted to protect. I would surely reproach myself severely later if I found out. So, I should hide it before it’s noticed. Did I have bandages and ointment left at home? If not, I’d have to buy some on my way back.

“You don’t need to do that. If necessary, I can also…”

“Let go of this.”

Once again. Jin repeated this while exerting more force to free herself from my grip.

Her crimson nails gradually tore through my skin, drawing blood. That looked quite strange to anyone who might see it. Many, including her parents, say they can’t understand what Jin is thinking. But I dare say, Jin is just purer than anyone else in the world.

It’s not strange. The reason she stared at me earlier was simply because she was worried that ‘I might have fallen too.’

In this case, getting angry was merely due to thinking ‘I almost got hurt.’ Expressing it physically was a result of being angry.

In this extremely narrow and comfortable world called ‘RYU JIN,’ the only unique rule is that, as in an exam, the problem itself is the answer if you understand the principle. Once you know the logic behind it, it’s easier than an open-book test.

“Woof!”

That was the moment.

As if we suddenly started fighting while walking peacefully, a dog that seemed to have escaped from a nearby village barked loudly at us.

It wasn’t a big dog. Its collar… wasn’t visible. But its demeanor was very imposing compared to its size. At least enough to divert Jin’s attention momentarily.

I felt a bit sorry for the newcomer. I closed my eyes and released my grip.

Simultaneously, Jin, without caring about her disheveled skirt due to rough movements, immediately threw a piece of cement at the dog’s mouth. A short scream echoed, and the small life slumped to the ground.

But even with that, if she wasn’t satisfied, Jin approached the panting dog with unsteady steps.

Then, she forcefully stomped on its neck. She picked up a nearby piece and relentlessly struck it with all her might.

The sounds of flesh being crushed, bones breaking, organs tearing apart. When those unpleasant noises ceased, Jin slowly rose from where she had crouched.

“Feeling better now?”

“Yeah.”

“Then let’s finish our journey now. It’s late.”

“Aren’t you going to help?”

“Now?”

“Because I did a good deed. Come on.”

“…Sigh.”

Not just her shoes, but the dirt-stained hem of her skirt and blazer were smeared with evidence of the recent violence, like a canvas painted with flesh and blood.

The individual extended their arms towards me, seemingly unconcerned about such trivial matters. Droplets of blood fell steadily from the edge of their white sleeve. I wanted to ignore it. Once blood stains, they are not easily removed. No religion in this world prescribes killing as a virtuous act.

But this all happened because of my weakness, my inadequacy.

It was nothing but a tragedy that could have been avoided if I had taught properly. It was all my responsibility, with no room for choice.

I should have distanced myself before the dog’s owner returned. I needed to wash my soiled clothes, apply medicine to my minor wounds, and prepare for the evening.

After tidying up to that extent, I hugged Jin tightly. In his arms, which embraced me with enough force to break my waist, I pressed my lips against his and stayed like that for a while.

“Shall we go back?”

As the long kiss ended, leaving a bridge of uncleaned saliva between us, Jin declared so without bothering to wipe it away.

Naturally, I didn’t hear any response. I simply hesitated, as he grabbed my arm and staggered ahead. Reluctant to cause trouble, I had no choice but to follow along reluctantly.

Well, it was fine. It seemed like today would end like this.

The sun had yet to set. The injuries were as minor as a slight scratch on my arm.

What had died was a dog raised by someone unknown. It wasn’t a bad day, after all.

“Jin.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s try a little harder.”

“Huh…?”

Still walking without stopping, Jin cocked her head as if she couldn’t understand my almost nonsensical words.

Or perhaps it was simply due to an imbalance in her body. It wouldn’t make much difference in her world, where I hardly had any influence.