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I didn’t shoot at my temple because I had some sort of faith in the outcome.

The opportunity provided by aestheticism had already been used while dealing with the reincarnators, so it was gone.

Still, the reason I acted was pretty simple.

I didn’t want to burden others too much.

I didn’t want to die either; would other people want to die?

I opened my eyes, pondering blankly.

It wasn’t hot anymore.

“…Ugh.”

As I opened my eyes, I realized my head was resting on something soft.

Looking up, I made eye contact with Jang Chae Yeon, who was worriedly looking at me from behind a translucent window.

“…Y-you’re awake.”

Jang Chae Yeon muttered with a trembling voice,

“You crazy fool!”

Song Ah Rin looked at me with tears welling in her eyes,

“Jae, Jae Heon… you really came back to life, right?”

Yu Da On was checking me over, her hands moving all over my body.

“…I’m really alive.”

“We couldn’t even breathe, and that’s all you have to say?”

Song Ah Rin glaring at me, clearly upset.

“I’m sorry, I should explain things properly. I’d prefer if someone else would die instead of me. That’s something I could say!”

“While the first two statements might be true, the last one is quite something.”

Aren’t I just trash?

“Anyway! There’s black hair and white hair, and, um, and there’s me too; so there’s no need for that!”

“From what I see, Da On is awake from a dream, but what if the two of you die like that?”

“You seriously don’t want to say a single word!”

Song Ah Rin yelled,

“Are you injured at all? No holes in your head or anything…”

Yu Da On murmured as she touched my temple.

“I’m fine.”

“…Jae, Jae Heon…”

Yu Da On looked at me with tears in her eyes.

“Was I not trustworthy…? Were you disappointed because I couldn’t even die properly…?”

I hurriedly spoke to stop her before her tears could fall.

“That’s not it.”

“…I-I understand. Jae Heon is…-”

“No.”

I firmly interrupted Yu Da On.

“I think Da On wasn’t dreaming like us. So you could die multiple times without any issues.”

“…”

“Anyway, believe me.”

“…If Jae Heon tells me to believe him, then I will.”

Yu Da On slowly nodded her head.

Now I feel a bit better.

Just as I was about to get up from Jang Chae Yeon’s lap,

“…I’m glad.”

-Tap.

A gentle hand landed on my head.

“…”

Jang Chae Yeon absentmindedly stroked my hair.

“…You can’t disappear too.”

“…Chae Yeon.”

“I promised I wouldn’t lose you twice.”

Jang Chae Yeon’s hand, which was sifting through my hair, came to a brief stop.

“Got it?”

“…Understood.”

“…Okay, don’t make me worry.”

Jang Chae Yeon smiled softly.

“…Sure.”

Feeling a bit dizzy, but I could get up now.

This time, after standing up from Jang Chae Yeon’s lap, I immediately looked at the picture I saw earlier.

[Name: Self-Portrait]

[Age: Created 17 years ago]

[Specialty: Awe]

[Talent: Awe]

[Background: When she resolved to leave a trace of herself, considerable time had already passed. This painting is proof that she is alive, and despite her poor painting skills compared to now, she still loves this painting, encapsulating her true feelings within it.]

[Weakness: It can be burned. However, it is not recommended.]

Finally, my eyes are properly focused.

“…”

But I wouldn’t recommend it.

When have my eyes ever said something like that?

If my eyes, which have only spoken the truth about weaknesses leading to destruction, say not to do so,

It must be something I shouldn’t mess with.

Still, there was something more pressing to do first.

“Everyone, come over here.”

At my words, Jang Chae Yeon and Song Ah Rin approach me.

I raise the gun to show, and both nod their heads.

“Are you ready?”

“I’m ready.”

“…Me too.”

Jang Chae Yeon nodded, and Song Ah Rin also nodded back at me as if she couldn’t be outdone.

“Then I’ll shoot.”

*

With the two collapsed in a neat line, I unfold the manual.

“Should I cover their faces with a white cloth?”

“You’re not actually hoping for them to die, are you?”

Responding to Yu Da On’s question while checking the manual,

[Manual for Office Staff]

[PLZ – Save the Manual]

1. The manual is delicate. Please cherish it.

2. No matter how sturdy the manual is, it should not be used as a shield.

3. Handle the manual like an old friend.

4. Do not give the manual a light smack.

5. Pretending to be dead is genuinely harmful to your heart. Please consult others thoroughly in advance and ensure everyone can safely observe with professional assistance before proceeding.

Got it. Quite the noise on both sides, huh?

While I was rummaging through the manual, the two of them woke up.

“Ugh…”

“…”

Song Ah Rin groaned, holding her head, and Jang Chae Yeon was doing the same, furrowing her brow.

“Are you okay?”

“I feel like my head is going to break.”

“…Me too.”

Under Song Ah Rin’s mumbles, Jang Chae Yeon nodded in agreement.

“How do you feel now?”

“…Not too hot…”

After straightening up, Song Ah Rin flicked her fingers, and Yu Da On suddenly started bouncing on the spot.

“Wake, up, Da, On!”

“Seems easier to control than before. It feels like my senses are alive.”

“Please, stop, it, Da On!”

I’m relieved.

Ignoring the two of them bickering, I opened the manual again and started reading about the item marked “Dream within a Dream.”

[Containment Object – Dream within a Dream – Isolation Team Kim Heon Young Revised Edition]

[This object is where the Isolation Team first fell when encountering aestheticism, so subsequent information must be considered piecemeal.]

1. While inside this object, one must clearly judge their surroundings.

2. Ironically, to wake from a dream, one must delve deeper into the dream and fully realize that they are dreaming.

3. An extreme remedy, but the quickest way to wake from a dream is death.

4. However, one must be cautious, as confusion between dream and reality can lead to suicide.

5. Dream within a Dream is like a game everyone collectively plays. If even one person manages to escape, everyone trapped within Dream within a Dream will wake up.

I recalled what the Team Leader said.

There’s one more room behind this, right?

Wasn’t it called the workshop?

“…”

How do I get to the workshop?

I stare intently at the picture.

Where should I find something special?

I weave my way through the crowd and approach the painting, staring intently.

“…What are you doing?”

Jang Chae Yeon stands beside me.

“What do you think when you see this painting, Chae Yeon?”

“Me?”

Jang Chae Yeon looks at the painting following my gaze.

“…”

After looking at the painting, she slowly answers.

“Hatred.”

“Hate?”

“I hate that.”

Who would like such a thing?

Jang Chae Yeon replied firmly, shaking her head.

“I dislike playing with human lives and dismissing it as mere amusement, and I dislike acting unpredictably just because it’s fun.”

That makes perfect sense.

“And it took away my precious person.”

“…”

That precious person for Jang Chae Yeon must be her sister.

“Speaking of which, I’ve never properly heard about your sister, Chae Yeon.”

“…”

Jang Chae Yeon turns her gaze from the painting back to me.

“I didn’t mention it.”

“That’s true. You don’t have to say anything right now either.”

Jang Chae Yeon stares intently at me.

“…Kim Heon Young.”

“Huh?”

That was the name I saw in the manual earlier.

“She’s not my biological sister, but she was a great help when I was at the Management Agency.”

“You mentioned that last time.”

“…She was someone who helped me a lot.”

Jang Chae Yeon gazed at me.

“And she also gave me great pain.”

Her gaze was directly on me.

That gaze was so similar to the one she directed at me when I collapsed earlier.

“After that, I decided not to open my heart to anyone…”

Jang Chae Yeon sighed softly.

“It’s your fault.”

“Me?”

Jang Chae Yeon glances at me then looks back at the painting in front of her.

“Anyway, that’s how I feel.”

“…Thank you.”

A sense of appreciation.

It’s not bad, but it’s not something I can truly reciprocate.

I don’t possess any artistic sense.

A smiling face in a painting?

That’s beyond my understanding.

So…

I start looking closely at the translucent window again.

Awe, no, names and age are not great hints either.

Ultimately, the background and weakness need to be examined.

[Background: When she resolved to leave a trace of herself, considerable time had already passed. This painting is proof that she is alive, and despite her poor painting skills compared to now, she still loves this painting, encapsulating her true feelings within it.]

To encapsulate true feelings, proof of being alive.

“…”

What does she want to convey through this painting?

The reason for seeking art from humanity, the reason for viewing humans as material.

“…”

Ultimately, she, as she said, cannot survive without people.

Would she hate humans?

No, rather she would like them.

A mannequin with a human head.

In the end, that appearance was no different from a person.

Trying to mimic humanity, even if poorly.

“…How pitiful.”

“What did you say?”

“Nothing.”

Jang Chae Yeon looked at me after my mumble,

[Critical: 1->2]

-Groooan…

The back of the frame opened,

The smell of blood assaulted my nose.

“…”

Before my eyes lay a vast workshop.