For Everyone’s Sake, Ross Has No Choice But to Choose.

If I had to pick the character I love the most and understand the best from the novels I’ve written, it would undoubtedly be the protagonist, Roel.

What choices he would make in this situation, what thoughts he would have, and what emotions he would harbor. I agonized over it for months.

So, I know. The reason Roel is being so kind to me is because of the feeling of guilt.

I will use that to revert the twisted flow back to its original state.

This was a method only I, who knows Roel’s personality and thoughts better than anyone else, could do.

I mingled with the people enjoying the festival’s end and headed to the secluded classroom in the annex where Roel was.

It was near the training grounds, and since no one ever came looking for them, Flavia and Roel often spent time here.

Ellie followed silently behind me, looking like she had a lot on her mind.

As expected, I saw Roel happily talking and eating food with Flavia in the empty classroom.

I immediately knocked on the classroom door and burst it open without waiting.

Flavia narrowed her eyes and became wary upon seeing me and Ellie suddenly appear.

She had finally gotten some alone time with Roel, but uninvited guests had arrived. She felt an instinctive sense of unease.

Before Flavia could open her mouth to grumble, I made the first move.

,Flavia-senpai. I’m sorry, but I need to talk to my hyung. Could you please give us some space?”

Unlike usual, I spoke in a serious voice and politely asked her, using “senpai” for the first time.

Flavia grumbled about her date being over and pouted, but eventually, she took the hint and left.

,I’ll get you back later.”

Still, true to Flavia’s nature, she made sure to get something out of it as she passed by. She was the type to never take a loss, except when it came to Roel, which was one of the reasons why she was such a bitch to others.

,What’s going on with you and Ellie?”

Hearing the sound of Flavia closing the classroom door, I grabbed another chair and sat down with Ellie in front of Roel.

As I sat down without a word, Roel turned his gaze and winked at Ellie.

As promised, Ellie didn’t answer the question and kept her mouth shut, Roel seemed to sense the strange atmosphere and gave an awkward smile.

,I have a bad feeling about this…?”

I took a small, deep breath and opened my mouth to Roel, who was giving me an uneasy look.

,Congratulations on being the top student of your year, hyung.”

The tense atmosphere dissolved weakly at my words. Roel smiled brightly with a look of relief.

,Thank you, you two were amazing too. The two troublemakers of the village are the top and runner-up of the first year…!”

As Roel congratulated me, happy as if it were his own accomplishment, I replied in a cold voice.

,Why, didn’t you ever imagine that your dead weight little brother, who’s always stuck in an inferiority complex, would become the runner-up in the Academy?”

The relaxed atmosphere froze instantly. Even Ellie looked at me with surprised eyes.

Usually, this kind of rhetoric only creates animosity in the other person. They want to argue with the words, and even if it’s the truth, they don’t want to agree.

,I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I apologize.”

But Roel, as always, smiled kindly and tried to ease the atmosphere.

Seeing that, I felt an unknown sense of pity and revealed the inferiority complex that I had been suppressing in my heart.

,To be honest, the time I spent alone at the Academy, away from you, hyung, was the time when I was able to grow the most. It was the happiest time of my life.”

As I stared at Roel, his eyes were filled with guilt towards Ross, his younger brother.

Roel hadn’t actually done anything wrong to Ross. It was just that people around them had belittled Ross.

The protagonist Roel that I created had to be flawless.

Because he was a hero loved and praised by everyone. That’s what the readers wanted.

But that’s just a story in a novel. In this world where causality works as it pleases, there’s a past that doesn’t exist in the novel.

The brothers’ lives before entering the Academy.

Ross, who was hated and compared to everyone, falling into despair, compared to Roel, who was praised and loved by everyone.

If it was the Roel I knew, he would definitely think it was his fault. He would also feel guilty, thinking that he had taken what his younger brother should have received.

So, I deliberately said it. How hard it was when I was by Roel’s side, how much I was trapped in an inferiority complex and wanted to die.

I felt guilty seeing Roel lower his head like a sinner and make a miserable expression, but on the other hand, I was also angry.

I hated seeing him act like a sinner, even though he knew it wasn’t his fault.

,You asked me why I don’t send letters to our parents, right?”

At my words, which I spat out as if I was angry, Roel, who had been looking down like a sinner, raised his head and looked at me.

Most of what I said was a lie, but the soaring inferiority complex added persuasiveness to my words. The inferiority complex was an old truth, so I didn’t need acting skills like an actor.

I was an author before I was Ross. Someone who naturally imagines things and creates stories.

Looking at the attitude of Ross’s parents, whom I met after being possessed, I can create a plausible story.

After all, if you compare my lies with the year Ross experienced, there won’t be much difference. Recalling what was written in Ross’s diary, I could see how much he was drifting apart from his family.

,Our parents tried to fill your absence with me, who was lacking. And then they kept belittling me. You did it so easily, but since I’m not as good as you, they told me to be at least half as good as you.”

As I spoke in a sarcastic tone, Roel sighed and made excuses like a sinner.

,I’m sorry… I thought our parents would treat you better if I wasn’t there. I didn’t know that happened.”

And then, Roel added with a voice full of sincerity, as always.

,I’m sorry, Ross. I should have paid more attention to you.”

I didn’t doubt that Roel’s words were sincere, with the deep guilt in his voice. I could also feel him blaming himself for being complacent.

The ability to convey his sincerity in words. He had the power to persuade even those who were hostile to Roel with the sincerity in his words.

However, Roel’s ability didn’t work today. I mustn’t be persuaded. I mustn’t forgive Roel’s mistakes.

I had to make an ugly choice for everyone’s sake.

,Don’t pretend to be nice now, after ignoring me when I needed you.”

As I said, as if disgusted by his hypocritical appearance, Roel replied with a desperate expression to clear up my misunderstanding.

,I’m not pretending to be nice. I’m sincerely-“

,Do you know what Bella did to me?”

I deliberately interrupted Roel’s words and said.

Interrupting someone’s words is rude. But it was an effective way to take control of the conversation.

As expected, Roel had a very flustered expression. The word “Bella,” which suddenly came out of my mouth, gave him a sense of unease, and his gaze towards me wavered.

There’s no way Bella would have explained all of her sinister plans to Roel. What Bella tells Roel is only a small part of the plan, to the extent that Roel can accept it within his sense of justice.

I heard Roel grinding his teeth as he ran a hand over his face. Judging by the tension in his jaw, he seemed to be holding back his anger.

,Don’t tell me Bella did something to you?”

His voice was lower than usual. It was obvious that he was holding back his anger, but I pretended not to notice and said sarcastically.

,Don’t tell me you’re going to say you didn’t know again? What a convenient excuse.”

Roel was speechless at my words. No matter how much it was Roel, it wasn’t easy to continue the conversation with my sarcasm that deliberately cut off the conversation.

A conversation is something that is exchanged between each other. This was just a one-sided venting of anger where only one side had the right to speak.

,You’re a monster.”

At the words I threw out as if spitting them out, Roel and Ellie’s gazes were focused on me. Ignoring the sticky emotions in Roel’s gaze, I continued to speak.

,A monster who takes everything from me. I feel inferior to you and hate you. It’s disgusting to pretend to be friendly brothers like nothing’s wrong.”

Roel’s complexion changed. As if shocked by my words, a small groan escaped from his lips.

,Ro, Ross…!”

Ellie opened her mouth without permission, but I glared at her fiercely and mouthed “promise” so that Roel, who had lowered his head, couldn’t see. In the end, Ellie had no choice but to bite her lip.

I continued the story in a calm voice.

,All I had left was Ellie, my only friend. I was afraid that even that would be taken away by you, so I deliberately told you. That I liked Ellie. Because I knew that you, who are a lump of hypocrisy, would pretend to be nice and forcibly reject Ellie’s feelings, whom your younger brother likes.”

,What…?”

I twisted the corners of my mouth towards Roel, who raised his head and looked at me with surprised eyes.

,If I can’t have it, I’d rather break it so that you can’t have it either. Because I didn’t want to give up anything to you anymore.”

No sooner had I finished speaking than Roel kicked his chair and rushed at me.

Ellie screamed in surprise, but Roel’s gaze was still fixed on me.

Roel glared at me with teary eyes as he grabbed my collar and pulled me up.

,Tell me it’s a lie. You, you wouldn’t do that.”

He was angry, but his voice sounded like he was begging me to deny it.

It was a really annoying ability. Roel’s desperation was felt so much that it shook my resolve.

I gritted my teeth and grabbed Roel’s collar instead, bringing my face closer and shouting.

,You took everything from me!”

At my shout, the tears that had been welling up in Roel’s eyes left marks on his cheeks and fell to the floor.

I could feel the strength in the hand that was grabbing my collar weakening.

,I, I didn’t mean to…”

,You took everything I wanted. Was I supposed to just watch you take even the only thing I had left? Even just one thing, just one thing I really wanted… Was it so hard for you, who has everything, to give it up?”

Roel’s hand fell weakly. I pressed and scolded Roel, who was crying and truly saddened.

,I’m happy without you. I’m no longer compared to my genius brother. I don’t have to stay up all night because of my inferiority complex. The people who approach me to befriend you are gone, and the people who ask me for favors about you are gone. I’ve made friends who I can share genuine friendships with. And there are people who sincerely love me, not you.”

Releasing the collar I was holding, I pushed Roel’s shoulder.

Roel, who was pushed back weakly, looked at me with tears in his eyes.

I clenched my fist at the sight of Roel muttering that he was sorry.

,I was truly happy after entering the Academy. But I found out late. That Bella threatened Ellie and Luna because I liked them, and forced them to ostracize me, making me an outcast at the Academy.”

As if kicked in the chest, Roel flinched greatly at my words and asked with a dumbfounded expression.

,What…?”

I approached Roel. I grabbed Roel’s shoulders, who was breathing roughly as if he was hyperventilating, and said.

,The more you get involved in my life, the more unhappy I become. When I’m by your side, I’m crushed by my inferiority complex, and it’s hard to even breathe.”

I met his tear-filled blue eyes. I said to Roel, who was making a face as if he was about to collapse, as if begging.

,So, hyung. Just once, just once, I’m asking you as your younger brother. Please, just get out of my life now.”

As if his legs had given out, Roel knelt down in front of me. I turned around with difficulty, leaving behind the sight of Roel, who was crouching on the classroom floor and sobbing, letting out pitiful groans, and looked back at Ellie.

Like Roel, Ellie had a look of great shock on her face. Ellie, who knew that my words were lies, sent me a look full of questions, asking why? But I left the classroom without a word.

I thought I was good at lying. Because I was an author who turned imaginations into stories. I thought it was easy for me to say false stories as if they were sincere.

I thought this was the only way to change the flow back to its original state. It was an action I took with conviction, but one corner of my heart felt like it was being crushed and torn apart.

,Ro, Ross!”

I heard Ellie’s voice calling my name urgently from behind.

I stopped walking without realizing it. But I didn’t turn around.

I wasn’t even sure what kind of expression I was making.

Ellie’s tearful voice echoed through the hallway.

,Why, why did you lie like that? If you just told the truth about what I did…”

I tried not to answer. Because it wasn’t something I could explain.

But, regardless of my will. Whether it was an old habit of this body or an instinct, something answered on its own.

,Because we’re friends.”

Was that Ross’s answer within me, or was it a conclusion I unconsciously came to?

I heard Ellie crying from behind.

,Hic, sob… I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Ross. I, I really… I was wrong, I’m sorry…”

Suppressing the surging emotions at Ellie’s voice, which was filled with deep guilt, I said.

,Go back and comfort hyung. If hyung asks, tell him about what happened with Bella. And tell him your true feelings again. That you really like him. Then everything will be resolved.”

Saying that, I was overwhelmed with the urge to hit something.

I wanted to shed blood not only in my heart but also on my hands.

My role was over here. From now on, it was Ellie’s job.

I fled, leaving the hallway.

Ellie’s crying remained in my heart.