"Oh, my gahd…" Chae Nayun muttered, standing up on wobbly legs. Her face was flushed, ears burning with the redness that had spread to her cheeks like an uncontrollable wildfire. No matter how much she tried to resist it, the pounding in her chest was undeniable. Her heart raced, and it wasn’t just because of the awkwardness of the situation—it was something more, something she didn’t want to acknowledge.

Her mind scrambled for an explanation, a way to rationalize the incident. "It’s fine, it’s fine," she whispered to herself, as if saying it out loud would make it true. "It was… mutual consent… totally mutual." She nodded, trying to convince herself. We both just… fell. That’s it. Nothing weird. No foul.

Yet, the sensation of Kim Hajin’s hand, accidentally there, made her heart skip another beat. She shook her head furiously, as if trying to erase the memory, but the tingling feeling in her chest wouldn’t go away. And neither would the warmth spreading through her body.

The truth was, her regression came with some unexpected side effects. Along with the memory of her future, came the unfortunate return of her body’s teenage biology. She was young, healthy… and her hormones? Well, they were back with a vengeance. And now, she had to deal with all the things she thought she’d already outgrown.

As that strange slippery sensation between her legs made itself known, Nayun clamped her thighs together, her face burning hotter than ever. I’m… wet?! The thought hit her like a truck.

She could hardly believe it. It wasn’t supposed to be like this—she wasn’t supposed to be like this! In her mind, she was already the cool, composed version of herself from the future, but her regressed body had other plans. Puberty, she thought with a mix of horror and embarrassment, is dangerous…

Still dazed, she took a few unsteady steps forward, ignoring the uncomfortable sensation. She had no idea how to process what had just happened. Her hormones were betraying her, and her mind was at war with her body.

"This is ridiculous," she muttered to herself, trying to shake it off as if it were just a bad dream. She took a deep breath and focused on regaining her composure, but her heart wasn’t getting the memo. The rapid beats in her chest told a different story—one she wasn’t quite ready to face.

Chae Nayun’s legs trembled as she replayed the moment in her head—the feeling of Kim Hajin trying to push her away, the sheer difference in their strength. When he had panicked, his hands moving to shove her, she… hadn’t budged. Not because of some accident, but because she had held herself in place. Her overwhelming strength had kept her there, towering over him, practically trapping him.

She froze in place now, the realization crashing down on her like a wave. What had she done?

I didn’t mean to… Her heart pounded again, but this time it wasn’t excitement—it was fear. Fear of what she had just revealed about herself. The creeping realization that, in that moment, she hadn’t been some blushing girl caught in an awkward situation. No, she had been something much worse. She had been… a creep.

"Oh my gahd…" she whispered again, but this time the words were filled with horror rather than embarrassment. She could hardly believe what had just happened. She wasn’t this obsessed with Hajin… right?

Right?

Her thoughts spiraled as she tried to convince herself. She wasn’t that kind of person. She wasn’t the type to fixate on someone like this, to cling to them, literally trapping them under her. That’s not me, she thought desperately, but the truth was glaring at her. She had held him in place. She hadn’t wanted him to leave.

"I’m a creep…" Nayun muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. She felt sick to her stomach. Her hands were shaking as she tried to come to grips with the fact that, despite all her attempts to act cool, composed, and in control, she had crossed a line she didn’t even know existed.

For the longest time, she had refused to admit it. She had always convinced herself that her interest in Kim Hajin was… normal. Just a little curiosity. But now? Now she realized how deep it went. This wasn’t just curiosity. It wasn’t just some harmless crush. It was something darker, something she didn’t want to admit.

She swallowed hard, her face still flushed but for entirely different reasons now. Her body betrayed her—her strength, her hormones, her emotions. They were all at odds, leaving her standing there, feeling more exposed than ever. She wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear.

But she couldn’t just leave things like this. She had to say something. Anything.

Taking a deep breath, she gathered the courage to speak, her heart still pounding in her chest. "Hajin…" she whispered at first, then louder, "Kim Hajin!"

Her voice wavered as she called out to him, but it was too late—he was already gone, having fled to the shooting range, probably just as flustered as she was.

Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes, a mix of frustration and embarrassment welling up inside her. "I’m so stupid," she muttered to herself, wiping her face with the back of her hand. Why did she have to be like this? Why couldn’t she just act normal around him? Instead, she had turned into some kind of hormone-driven lunatic, unable to control herself.

With a deep sigh, she realized the truth she had been avoiding all this time. She wasn’t just curious about Kim Hajin. She wasn’t just interested. She was obsessed, and it was starting to scare her how much she wanted to be near him, how much she wanted his attention, even if it meant doing something crazy.

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Her confession hung in the air, unspoken but understood. She wasn’t ready to say it aloud, not yet. But the truth was there, staring her in the face. I’m obsessed with him…

And that terrified her.

Chae Nayun shook her head, pushing away the awkward and miserable thoughts that had been flooding her mind. She couldn’t dwell on what had just happened—she refused to let herself spiral. Instead, her thoughts shifted back to Kim Hajin. He looked different today, more handsome, more composed than yesterday, and that only made her more curious.

‘Why does he seem different?’ she wondered. Hajin had always been a bit of an enigma. He was strange, quiet, and distant, yet… there was something about him. She found herself recalling the last time they met before her regression, just before she had attempted to conquer the Tower of Miracles.

“Have a happy life,” he had told her.

It wasn’t a "see you later" or a "goodbye," just a simple wish for her to have a happy life. Back then, she didn’t think much of it, but now… now it made sense. He must have known about the regression—the reward for clearing the Tower of Miracles. He had known she would reset her life, and that’s why he said those words. It wasn’t just a farewell, it was a message.

Chae Nayun clenched her fists. She had no regrets about regressing, none at all. It was selfish, yes, but this was the path she had chosen. If she could live a happier life, a better life, then why wouldn’t she take that chance?

“Hajin…” She muttered his name softly, letting it linger in the air. Her heart thudded in her chest, not from embarrassment this time, but from the overwhelming desire to make things right. She wanted to fulfill her unrequited love in this world—to go beyond what she hadn’t been able to accomplish in the last timeline. For the sake of her happy life, she had to be smarter this time.

Smart… that wasn’t really her strong suit, but she wasn’t an idiot either. She was self-aware enough to know that she tended to charge into things headfirst, relying on brute strength to solve her problems. But brute strength wouldn’t win her Hajin’s heart.

Doesn’t mean I won’t punch my way through if I have to though, she thought with a small smirk. She could still be herself, after all.

But this time, she had to approach things differently. If she wanted her happy life, she needed this regression to be perfect. She needed to be careful, to make smart choices.

"Kim Hajin," she repeated his name, savoring the way it sounded as it rolled off her tongue. Sweet. Yet, there was one thing that still gnawed at her, something she couldn’t ignore. “Who is Chundong?” she whispered to herself.

Kim Hajin and Chundong. The names were connected somehow, she could feel it in her gut. And she wasn’t the type to ignore her instincts. Hajin had always been strange, even in the previous timeline, but this? This was a whole new layer of mystery. She didn’t want to ask him directly, not yet, at least. She needed to figure it out on her own first.

The first step toward her happy life was learning everything she could about Kim Hajin—who he was, what he was hiding, and why Chundong seemed to be tied to him.

With determination in her steps, Chae Nayun continued walking deeper into the Male’s Dormitory, ignoring the occasional curious glance from other cadets. As she walked, she spotted a familiar silhouette in the distance. It was Hyon Hyung.

‘Hyon Hyung?’ she thought, narrowing her eyes.

It was the crazy kid Hyon Hyung—

She had a suspicion. If anyone knew anything about Kim Hajin’s strange behavior, it might just be Hyon Hyung. He seemed… off too. There was something about him that didn’t sit right, something that made her gut tingle with unease.

Maybe he knows more than he’s letting on.

Her heart beat faster, not from excitement, but from a different kind of anticipation. She was getting closer to the truth. And Hyon Hyung… well, he might be the first step in uncovering it.

That was why she had decided to confront him.

***

My back was killing me. Was it my sleeping position? Probably. I stretched a little, trying to shake off the stiffness. But no matter how much I twisted, the ache wouldn’t go away. Sighing, I rubbed the back of my neck.

On top of that, I still had a problem deciding what weapon to wield. It was an annoying dilemma. The lazy choice would definitely be a sword—basic, versatile, and something that would help me blend in with the normies. But if I went for the safest choice, it’d probably be a dagger. That’s what Hyon Hyung was supposed to use anyway, so I wouldn’t look out of place.

My thoughts were rudely interrupted when I heard someone call out to me. A rather deep, manly voice barked, “Hey, you…”

“Rude basta—” I started to say, already feeling the irritation building. But before I could even finish the word "bastard," a sudden fist came flying towards my face.

It stopped just a hair’s breadth away, the wind pressure alone making my skin tingle. I froze in place, too stunned to react. My mind went blank. Holy shit. I was scared senseless. I couldn’t even move, rooted to the ground like a tree with no sense of self-preservation.

The one responsible for nearly punching me into next week calmly withdrew her fist. It was her. Chae Nayun. The damned Regressor. The one who, if I wasn’t careful, might just trigger the end of the world.

“Chae Nayun,” I muttered, my teeth gritting together. What the hell was she doing here? And why did she feel the need to nearly obliterate my face just to get my attention?

I gulped, unknowingly, feeling the sweat trickling down my back.

I knew I might be overthinking things, especially with this world now facing two Baals, but I had a strong hunch that the invasion of the Devils was still going to happen. Even though the epilogue of The Novel’s Extra explicitly stated that Baal wouldn’t exist pre-regression, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to go wrong.

Before I could spiral too deep into my thoughts, Chae Nayun broke the silence.

“You didn’t dodge that… Weird…” she muttered, squinting her eyes at me like I was some kind of puzzle she couldn’t figure out. “Who are you?”

“Hyon Hyung’s my name, miss!” I shouted, snapping into a rigid stance. Playing the fool and acting crazy had gotten me this far, so I figured, why not keep at it? I erased the tension from my face, and with the biggest smile I could muster, I shouted again, “How may I help you, MISS!?”

I sounded like I was in boot camp, but if it worked, it worked. I needed to throw her off. Nayun wasn’t someone I wanted to be under the scrutiny of. She was dangerous, more than I could handle if she got too curious.

But damn… I never imagined her to be this aggressive. She was really onto me. It must’ve been my antics from the first day of class. Maybe I pushed too many buttons and now I was stuck in her crosshairs. I didn't plan for this, but hey, it could still be an opportunity. Though I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t low-key expecting something like this to happen. I’m that much of a trouble magnet, apparently.

“MISS! PLEASE DATE ME! I LOVE YOU!” I threw out a casual confession, leaning into my crazy act. Better to disarm her with something ridiculous.

Nayun’s eyes twitched. The slight tremor in her clenched fist told me I might’ve pushed her too far. “Do you wanna die?” she hissed, her fist tightening like she was this close to bludgeoning me into oblivion.

Shit.

Maybe I went too far.