They all looked down on me, and I lived in the shadow for three years.

Whenever a sincere friendship was presented to me, my cowardice would always reach it first.

Sometimes I even feel like I don't belong to myself, because I can't control my own life. Maybe I should go back to where I should be.

"Juxi!"

"Yu Nai-jie, I..."

Yu Nai pressed her finger against my lips and smiled gently at me.

"You have to learn to face yourself bravely!"

Yu Nai-jie...

"Then let's start by learning..."

Whoosh! Yu Nai-jie pushed me into a hair salon.

"Take care of your hair!"

"Hey, what are we doing here?"

Yu Nai and the hairdresser pushed me onto the chair and forcibly shaved off my long and messy hair.

At first, I was terrified and moved around, making it difficult for the hairdresser to start. But then Yu Nai-jie suddenly grabbed my hand.

Then, a warm flow passed through my hand and into my body, and I finally calmed down.

"Yu Nai-jie, can I look like this?"

After finishing, I stood in front of the mirror. I couldn't describe myself in the mirror, but I could see that I looked refreshed compared to before.

It looks really good. The person in the mirror is so different from before.

"If anyone dares to say anything about you now, I'll show them!"

Yu Nai-jie jokingly made a fierce comment, probably trying to encourage me.

Facing Yu Nai-jie like this, I hated myself a little. Yu Nai-jie did everything for me, just so I could escape the shadow and come to a sunny place. And yet, I was so selfish!

Ugh... Cough, cough, cough, cough!

My stomach was churning. The environment here is really terrible!

Looking around, it seems to be the basement where my father usually works. I've never been here before, so I didn't know what it looked like!

I didn't expect the atmosphere here to be so bad, but when I saw the hole hanging five meters high, I had no choice but to choose the former.

"I feel like I had a long dream..."

My head is still buzzing. I think I should find a place to rest first.

The president and Yu Nai and the others shouldn't be far from me.

"Ah!"

Suddenly, from the end of the tunnel, I heard someone calling for help. And this voice... was Yu Nai's cry for help!

Without thinking, I immediately ran towards the end of the tunnel with all my energy.

After running to the tunnel entrance, I didn't see Yu Nai anywhere, so I started to doubt if I had misheard?

I searched every possible exit in the tunnel, but other than a wall covered with iron mesh, there was nothing else.

Slap! Slap!

I slapped myself twice. Now I should wake up, right?

"Huh, it's a waste of effort to come here."

I sighed helplessly.

"Click!"

I happened to place my hand on a handrail with a mechanism button on the tunnel wall, and a gate slowly opened in front of me.

"Boom, boom!"

"This is..."

The harsh roar seemed to alarm someone who had come from the direction I had just come from. The thumping footsteps created by something non-human made my heart race.

I had heard this sound before, only in horror movies. Could it be that I'm...?

"Ahhhh!"

Less than thirty meters away from the bend in the tunnel, a massive figure appeared on the ground at the corner!

Whimpering... It was the kind of chilling cry. My weak and frightened heart couldn't take it anymore!

"It can't be... some kind of bear?"

I was completely terrified. That thing looked like a bear but also somewhat human, it's simply... no, it's a monster!

Bang!

Every time that giant foot took a step forward, it left a shallow pit on the ground!

"What the hell?!"

This collapsed expression, I obviously can't accept this reality. I really wish I could wake up from this nightmare soon!

Although the monster moved quite slowly, thirty meters is not a very long distance. It would only take less than ten seconds for it to catch up to me.

Faster, hurry!

The opening speed of the fence is ridiculously slow. It has only opened to a size of one centimeter after all this time.

I can't even squeeze in sideways!

"You bastard, hurry up!"

I don't want to keep going in circles with such a terrifying creature!

As soon as the fence opened enough for me to barely squeeze through sideways, I seized the opportunity and went through.

That bear-like creature ended up being trapped outside the fence.

"Growl...!"

Bam!

The monster forcefully banged on the iron fence while opening its blood-stained mouth, but all its efforts were in vain.

Finally, I escaped the pursuit of those things and left the sewers.

"Haha, what great weather!"

After running so desperately to get out, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Although the city is still in ruins, a light is shining on a building in the distance. This is enough proof that there are people there!

Fantastic, I can be saved!

Excitedly, I ran to the house across the street, but I still needed to be cautious according to the situation.

After searching the first floor thoroughly, I only found some drinks like orange juice and Coca-Cola in the fridge.

"Now what do I do..."

It's obvious that there are people talking on the second floor, although it's not very clear, I'm certain they are not with the huge creature from earlier!

I climbed the stairs and reached the corner... there it is!

In front of a door with light, a woman wearing an apron was slowly knocking on the door with her fist, just like the giant bear monster earlier.

Luckily, I reacted quickly and waited for it at the top of the stairs on the second floor.

"Growl...!"

It seems unwilling to give up on the survivors inside the door, so it repeatedly tries to crash through.

What should I do?

I was getting frantic, this really troubled me, what should I do?

As if on instinct, I reached for my back and found the hunting knife. I could only take the risk with it!

Scratch scratch...

Feeling my way behind the woman, I looked around the other open rooms. It seemed like there was no one else.

So, I forcefully stabbed the hunting knife into the woman's skull!

"Ah...!"

Black smoke rose up, and everything except the knife stuck in her head disappeared into nothingness.

"Huh...!"

I felt that my strength had increased in that moment when I killed her. Now, I probably have the strength of two normal people!

"I can harness this power?"

Great, the wound on my thigh is gradually closing.

This ability feels like something out of a science fiction movie. As long as I keep killing, I can become even stronger!

"Hehehe, I wonder if killing that big creature just now... oh, what am I thinking?"

I quickly cleared my mind and realized that I needed to find the Guild Master and the others.

As I turned the doorknob, I nervously wiped my sweat and raised the hunting knife to the level of my head. If it's not the Guild Master and the others, then...!

Slam!

The door suddenly opened, and the light inside revealed the silhouettes of two people.

Damn it, I can't tell if they are human or...

"Juxi?!"

The Guild Master rushed at me, and the impact from her body knocked the hunting knife out of my hand and onto the ground.

Even though we had only been separated for half an hour, she acted as if we hadn't seen each other for a long time, asking me concerned questions.

"Juxi, are you okay? Are you injured or... huh, is Yuanhui not with you?"

"No, I only saw Yu Nai running in this direction when I woke up, Yuanhui was already gone."

As expected, I looked around the room and saw that Yu Nai had also safely escaped. Her clothes were just dirty, and she had a few cuts on her orange shirt, but nothing serious.

And the Guild Master, let alone speak of it, her entire white shirt and tight jeans were spotless!

"Juxi, did you encounter the big bearman when you arrived?"

"Haha, did you also meet that silly giant, Yu Nai?"

I wanted to lighten the mood with some entertainment, but little did I know that Yu Nai would scold me as if it were a major disaster.

"Still laughing! Do you know how dangerous that was? What if..."

"Alright, enough. Yu Nai, you always treat me like a little kid, but I'm already an adult. I can handle some things."

I forgot to mention, after spending a long time with Yu Nai, I realized that I had always been treated like a little brother.

I remember a few days before Christmas, I made plans to go for a walk in the park with Yu Nai.

For some reason, my mind was a mess at that time, and I ended up confessing my feelings to Yu Nai.

Well, I mustered up a lot of courage to confess, but the response I received was... "You're a good person!"

Our story flew by like flowing water.

In the blink of an eye, it was time for us to reach adulthood. If it weren't for the outbreak of this supernatural event, maybe we would have become strangers who never met again.

Especially after I heard about her engagement, I became even more convinced of my perspective.

"Yu Nai, I know you were trying to comfort me by integrating yourself into my life, and I have become like this thanks to you..."

I also understand the reasoning. The club president helping me was just a little bit of kindness and pity at play.

But Yu Nai denied my words.

"It's not like that. I actually have some ulterior motives too, because you reminded me of someone who is worth remembering and I can't let go."

"..."

Yu Nai embraced me from the front and whispered in my ear.

"Since the moment I met you, I have never forgotten!"

"Yu Nai...?"

The past flashed before my eyes. Yu Nai's kindness towards me seemed so natural at this moment, along with her smile that seemed like I had possessed it a long time ago, but never cherished.

From the valiant Valkyrie in armor who was undefeated in countless battles to a delicate girl shivering with cold under the station sign, it was all so dreamlike.

"Just this once, can we experience our own past? Is that alright?"

Yu Nai...?

I looked at her in disbelief. Can it really be like this?