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Song Ah Rin’s life wasn’t smooth sailing.

If someone were to choose a person whose life was easy among those who entered the Management Agency, that would be quite a challenge, but Song Ah Rin had it worse.

She vividly remembers that time even now.

Though it no longer appears in her dreams, the memories still linger, unavoidable.

An unusual phenomenon erupted suddenly during dinner.

While her family struggled to accept the situation, she miraculously escaped, a stroke of luck that could only be described as heaven-sent.

All she could attribute her survival to was a strange feeling and all the luck she had exhausted at that moment.

Passing by the uncle who called her,

and the bickering grandparents.

Somehow managing to get inside a television and survive, that memory.

Of course, for young Song Ah Rin, that past was utterly horrific and a memory she wished to forget.

Thus, she tried to erase it and eventually blocked her memories with hypnosis.

She couldn’t erase it completely, but whenever the memories would creep up, she gritted her teeth, trying to keep them buried deep inside.

A past she didn’t particularly want to remember.

And that past was now tightening its grip on her once again.

In the end, she had no choice.

*

Silence fell.

Her mother and father stared at Song Ah Rin, who was biting her teeth together.

“What did you say?”

“I said I’m your daughter.”

With gritted teeth, Song Ah Rin continued to speak clearly.

“The child you’re searching for is a person, not a doll. That’s me.”

A woman with a gentle expression slowly approached Song Ah Rin.

Her breath quickened as the woman lightly stroked Song Ah Rin’s hair.

“Your hair is the same.”

As if touching something precious, she caressed Song Ah Rin’s hair and then brushed her face.

“The shape of your face is similar too.”

The woman’s hand swept over her eyes, nose, and mouth.

She gazed at Song Ah Rin.

Song Ah Rin swallowed hard, and the woman stretched her hand behind her.

“Ah Rin.”

Inspecting her hand,

“Ms. Ah Rin! Step back!”

“Huh…?”

At the sound of my voice, Song Ah Rin turned around, her jaw grotesquely unhinging,

-Crack!

“Ugh…”

With the sound of something breaking, Yu Da On clenched her teeth.

Having gotten in there somehow, Yu Da On reached in with her hand into the woman’s mouth.

Her hand twisted in an unnatural angle, bleeding, while the woman presumed to be Song Ah Rin’s mother just stared at Yu Da On, mumbling about her fingers.

-Crash!

She quickly drew the gun from her pocket and pulled the trigger.

The woman’s forehead snapped back, and

“Ugh…”

“Are you okay?”

“Something’s on my hand.”

I was worried about her pain.

Yu Da On frowned, rubbing her hand against the wall.

“Looks a bit like Ah Rin.”

Not surprising now, but her broken head returned, and Song Ah Rin’s mother muttered.

“But there are two significant differences.”

“May I ask what they are?”

What could her method of distinguishing Song Ah Rin from someone else possibly be?

“Ah Rin treated me with more warmth!”

“Ms. Ah Rin isn’t unkind.”

“Da On, please.”

I glanced back at Yu Da On, who was nodding, and looked at her mother.

“And…”

“And?”

“Our Ah Rin is younger!”

The jaw of Song Ah Rin’s mother grotesquely unhinged, and her father’s jaw twisted as well.

“…Ha.”

Song Ah Rin let out a sigh.

“Yeah. What did I expect?”

She murmured, taking half a step back.

“I knew it.”

“…”

“Do you know who I think is the biggest fool?”

Song Ah Rin murmured, lifting her head.

“Those who get killed by their acquaintances or family after becoming Containment Objects, unable to let go of their attachment.”

She raised her hand.

“I was sure I was different from them.”

“…”

“I escaped even from that hell.”

Her expression said,

“But now I see I understand.”

“Ms. Ah Rin.”

“This is really horrific.”

Though she held back tears, her expression was contorted as if she could cry at any moment.

-Slam!

Yu Da On dodged a headbutt expertly and looked at me.

“Kim Jae Heon, what should we do?”

“Take it down.”

“Without running away?”

“Yes.”

“If that’s what you say, then we should!”

Yu Da On continued to dodge the oncoming strikes, shouting.

“What should we do?!”

“Just give me a little time!”

“Okay! Just leave it to me!”

-Crack!

Dodging the teeth lunging at her with her arm, Yu Da On cheerfully yelled.

Blood splattered from her arm, twisted at an odd angle, but ignoring it, she kicked the woman, presumably Song Ah Rin’s mother, pushing her back.

“Ms. Ah Rin, stay here.”

“How can I do that?”

Song Ah Rin murmured, standing beside me.

“I’ll explain. Our parents.”

“…”

“Then you can find out faster, right?”

“I guess… so.”

But would that really be okay?

Looking closely at Song Ah Rin, she nodded.

“It’s fine.”

“…Understood.”

Song Ah Rin chuckled and continued.

“My dad’s name is Song Han Tae. He was 42 when he passed away. Had no connections with the Management Agency. Just a regular office worker.”

-Slam!

“Wow, that’s dangerous.”

Yu Da On muttered as she deftly dodged another headbutt.

“My dad was a bit, no, very strict. So I often acted cute to my mom, while my dad seemed to be someone I had trouble with.”

“Is that so?”

“But now I think I understand it a bit.”

“What do you mean?”

“People can’t always be honest. Emotions aren’t that easy to express.”

“Like Ms. Ah Rin?”

“Yeah. Just like me.”

“Oh, then Ms. Ah Rin not being honest is just like her father—Aaah!”

Yu Da On squealed as she got hit in the shoulder.

“Move over that way, Kim Jae Heon!”

-Bang!

Quickly drawing the gun, I shot the approaching man and turned my gaze back to her.

“My mother’s name is Na Eun Hye.”

“She seemed gentle.”

“Right. She was known for her kind personality.”

I was about to glance at Yu Da On, thinking she would comment on the genes not coming from the paternal line, but thankfully she seemed too busy to catch that this time.

“She was 39 at the time. I believe she knew nothing about the Management Agency… Honestly, I’m not so sure.”

“What do you mean you’re not sure?”

“Sometimes her situational judgment was so good it could send chills down your spine.”

Song Ah Rin murmured, her eyes half-closed, reminiscent of old memories.

“That’s when my dad got into real trouble when he was scolded by my mom.”

“I see.”

“In any case, that’s our family.”

I shifted my gaze, and a translucent window popped up.

[Critical: 0]

Nothing had changed.

“Is it time yet?!”

“It looks like it’s about to end!”

“Yes!”

Yu Da On moved around, still dodging the attacks.

“Oh, there’s someone else.”

“Huh? But I’m an only child?”

Song Ah Rin blinked and muttered.

“Ms. Ah Rin.”

“Me?”

“There hasn’t been any explanation about you.”

“…You know about me.”

“But I don’t know about the Song Ah Rin within the family.”

“…”

Song Ah Rin looked at me and let out a short sigh before continuing.

“I’m just… well, I was just a child back then.”

“Right.”

“That’s all there is to it?”

“Your personality, hobbies, likes?”

“How could I remember all that? I just liked kid-stuff back then.”

“What about now?”

“…Huh?”

“Do you have something you like now, or someone you like?”

“…I do.”

Song Ah Rin’s gaze turned toward me.

“What is it?”

“I’m not telling.”

“No, what is it?”

And again, Song Ah Rin averted her eyes.

“I’m not telling.”

“Why not…”

“Kim Jae Heon. I told you I won’t tell you, right?”

“Eh?”

Suddenly calling my name like that. She never does that.

At that moment,

[Critical: 1]

A translucent window appeared.

“I don’t need to say anymore.”

“What?”

-Clack!

I raised the gun.

“I told you I could talk about Miss Ah Rin.”

“…That’s enough?”

“Yeah. I don’t think it was necessary to dig so deep.”

“…Dammit…”

Song Ah Rin tightly shut her eyes and muttered.

“What’s wrong?”

“…Forget it.”

Again with the irritation.

I left her to her muttering and drew out my gun.

The world turned black and white as their movements slowed.

Now, which one should I shoot first?

The most threatening one.

Then…

The gaze shifted closest to Yu Da On, no, it settled on the object.

-Bang!

Flames belched from the gun, and the bullet pierced the side of Song Ah Rin’s dad who was biting Yu Da On.

“Guack…!”

Screaming, Song Ah Rin’s dad collapsed to the side.

And after stumbling several times, he said nothing.

“One down!”

Yu Da On smiled brightly, while

“…”

Song Ah Rin squinted her eyes shut.

-Crack!

“Ouchy!”

As I once again glanced at Yu Da On, who was screaming while getting hit, I drew my gun again.

“Now it’s our turn. You rest.”

Song Ah Rin looked at me.

“…No.”

“What?”

She reached out her hand to me.

“Give it.”

“…This?”

Pointing at the gun in my hand, she nodded.

“No, your hand.”

“My hand?”

“Hurry.”

Then, like a thief, Song Ah Rin grabbed my hand.

“…Phew.”

Her hand was cold.

“I might have mentioned this before.”

“Yes.”

“Ordinary people don’t develop abilities.”

“…That’s right.”

Was it during the Red Lady part? It was a story before I got close to Song Ah Rin.

“But you’re different.”

“…”

“You make it happen.”

Song Ah Rin looked at me and then back at the two people.

She let out a long sigh.

Her gaze landed on the man who was knocked out,

then to the woman currently biting Yu Da On.

“Thank you very much.”

She slowly bowed her head.

-Crunch.

The grip of her hand on mine intensified.

“So show me.”

[Your emotional bond with Song Ah Rin deepens.]

[Song Ah Rin awakens a new ability.]

[Ability: Control]

As she lifted her hand into the air,

the mother of Yu Da On, who had been lunging at Yu Da On, halted.

It was as if something was restricting her movements like a puppet controlled by strings.

“See,”

Song Ah Rin sighed and murmured.

“You can do it.”