Somewhere in this room are Gyun Jun-hwi and Ki Hyun-min. 

We’re all gathered for group interviews about the incident. 

And me? I’m playing dead.

“Yeon So-ra still hasn’t recovered. What did the doctor say?”

“Overexertion. I feel terrible we pushed her so hard. If we’d known, we would have gone straight to medical…”

“What are you talking about? Health comes first. We’re alive thanks to you both.”

“Who knows what would’ve happened without you two. Thank you.”

“Thanks? Really…”

A pure friendship is blossoming between Yeom Ju-wan, Noh Ji-tae, and Lee Hyo-joon. 

If I were alone here, I’d probably be tearing up too, thanking Noh Ji-tae and Lee Hyo-joon. 

Their perfect distraction saved my life.

“But Noh Ji-tae, you’ve got some serious skills.”

“My dad gets me up at five every morning for training.”

“You too? My old man starts me on breathing exercises the moment I open my eyes.”

“You’re lucky…”

“Lucky? How?”

“Just… must be nice having someone to train you.”

There’s a trace of longing in Yeom Ju-wan’s voice. 

It’s not the training he envies, but having someone who cares enough to make that effort.

‘Poor kid…’

Yeom Ju-wan had a rough childhood. 

After his mother died, he lived with a stepfather whose new marriage left Ju-wan as an unwanted outsider. 

His stepfather tried sending him to a facility, but they wouldn’t take him since he had legal guardians. 

Tight on money, his stepfather and stepmother resented him as an extra mouth to feed. 

I knew it was bad, but…

‘Didn’t realize they were such trash.’

With Yeon So-ra’s memories now fully accessible, I learned even more. 

Yeom Ju-wan had suffered abuse—not physical, but psychological. 

Those pieces of trash he lived with would throw his food on the floor, making him eat like a dog, and usually acted like he didn’t exist. 

When they did acknowledge him, it was only to hurl insults. 

As a child, Ju-wan was branded a problem kid because cursing was the only way he knew how to speak. 

Yeon So-ra was the only one who approached him back then. 

They spent so much time together that Yeon So-ra’s parents eventually noticed the abuse and reported it to various authorities, but nothing came of it. 

Unable to stand by and watch, they essentially kidnapped Ju-wan to raise him themselves. 

They weren’t just childhood friends—they were family.

“Ju-wan, you and Yeon So-ra seem really close.”

“We’ve been together since we were little.”

“Really? How long?”

“Since we were five.”

In Yeom Ju-wan’s faint smile, you could sense his unspoken gratitude—”I’m so grateful Yeon So-ra’s alive.”

‘I’m sorry.’

Guilt gnawed at my chest. 

The truth is, it’s not really Yeon So-ra who survived. 

I’m just an impostor who took over her body and is pretending to be her. 

Though I didn’t choose this body deliberately, I can’t shake the feeling that I owe Ju-wan an apology. 

But… if I hadn’t taken over, wouldn’t the original Yeon So-ra be dead? 

For my boy’s mental health, isn’t an impostor better than losing her completely? 

It’s easy to rationalize it to myself, but I can’t stop these tiny stabs of guilt in my heart.

‘Better stop listening.’

I decided to tune out their conversation. 

If I kept listening, I’d only torment myself. 

Instead of focusing on Ju-wan’s nearby voice and his teammates’ chatter, I strained to hear the distant voices. 

Just as I was beginning to pick up snippets of other students’ murmuring—

“Can I go to the bathroom?”

That voice—definitely Gyun Jun-hwi.

“Mind if I go to the bathroom too?”

The voice that followed made me freeze. 

A low, steady tone with just the right amount of huskiness, exactly my type. 

Who was it? 

Squinting slightly to peek toward the door, I spotted a tall, broad back and striking silver hair—Ki Hyun-min. 

Are Gyun Jun-hwi and Ki Hyun-min both leaving at the same time?

‘Oh no, damn!’

It hit me: I’d completely overlooked something crucial. 

How could I have forgotten this, even in all the chaos? 

Something major is about to happen.

In my previous life, I had a daily morning ritual. 

The first thing I did after waking up was review the best scenes from <Doomed Academy.>

I’d take my favorite lines, style them in beautiful fonts over pretty backgrounds, save them as images, and read one each morning. 

It was my personal ceremony to start the day right. 

Without it, I’d probably spend all day thinking, *”Is today my funeral?”* 

Thanks to this habit, I could recite every iconic scene by heart. 

And now, right at this moment, one of those legendary scenes is about to unfold—the historic first meeting between Ki Hyun-min and Gyun Jun-hwi!

For Ki Hyun-min, who’s living his seventh life, Gyun Jun-hwi is an anomaly. 

In every previous timeline, he had died, yet here he was, not only alive but achieving incredible things. 

There’s something crucial to understand about Ki Hyun-min—he operates on absolute moral principles. 

Despite his kind nature, the moment he senses even a hint of evil, he transforms into a merciless judge, eliminating anyone with even the slightest connection to evil, learned from experience.

That’s why Gyun Jun-hwi makes him suspicious. 

Good or evil? 

If Ki Hyun-min detects even a trace of malice, he’ll eliminate him without hesitation. 

This is Gyun Jun-hwi’s first real test.

I can almost see my carefully curated scene floating before my eyes—that moment when, after the incident, Ki Hyun-min confronts Gyun Jun-hwi with questions.

 “What just happened?”

 “Who knows? An outbreak inside the tower… my heart’s still racing.”

 I answered casually, but suspicion lingered in his eyes.

 Right, my existence would be hard for him to accept.

 “Come to think of it, I was too shocked to introduce myself. I’m Gyun Jun-hwi.”

 I extended my hand, but he didn’t take it.

 To make things clearer for him, I added with a smile,

 “Thanks. Ten seconds later and I’d have been dead.”

 A regressor can never prevent the awakening trial incident, no matter the timeline. 

But with each restart, this persistent guy tries to arrive just a little earlier. 

He changes his approach each time, shaving seconds off his arrival. 

That’s the key.

The trick is making him believe this is just another butterfly effect of his actions.

 All it takes is confidence.

 And shamelessness.

 Yeah, I’m only alive because you got here early. 

It’s not that I’m strange—this is all your doing.

Gyun Jun-hwi, playing it cool, chalks up his very existence to the “butterfly effect.” 

Ki Hyun-min, caught between doubt and curiosity, decides to keep watching him. 

Later, Gyun Jun-hwi proves his worth, wins Ki Hyun-min’s trust, and eventually runs circles around the series’ most powerful regressor. 

And it all begins here, in this moment.

‘I need to see this scene!’

To think I’m missing this legendary scene happening right outside that door! 

If only I knew invisibility or stealth skills, but no such luck. 

If I hadn’t made such a spectacle with those fire spears earlier, I could have easily played dumb, slipped by, and eavesdropped with a casual, “Just passing through! Don’t mind me, carry on, tee-hee.” 

But I’ve got no one to blame but myself. 

I resigned myself to lying here with half-closed eyes, playing dead, until the waiting room door opened and Ki Hyun-min and Gyun Jun-hwi returned. 

I see—they filmed their scene without me.

Fine, next time invite me to the shoot, will you? 

I swallowed my regrets and went back to corpse mode. 

But soon after, a familiar urge hit me.

‘Oh no… this isn’t good…’

Those thirty potions I’d chugged were now demanding their exit. 

In other words, I desperately needed the bathroom. 

But if I get up now, my little ones will swarm over demanding, “Show your true identity!” 

I have to hold it. 

I can do this. 

I must.

As I’m gathering all my willpower, Lee Hyo-jun’s excited voice pipes up right beside me.

“Hey, hey! Have you tried this yet?”

“Tried what?”

“Aether Berry juice! This stuff costs a fortune. Guess they’re treating us special for awakening. Here, try some!”

Then came the sound of liquid pouring.

Pour, pour, pour.

Noh Ji-tae, Lee Hyo-jun, and Yeom Ju-wan all took sips, apparently sharing a bonding moment.

“Well? Isn’t it amazing?”

“Whoa! This is… incredible. Another cup!”

“Knew you’d love it. That’s why I grabbed two whole bottles. Here, hold out your cups.”

Pour, pour, pour.

“This stuff is addictive.”

“Right? Drink up now, you won’t find this outside.”

Pour, pour, pour.

Guys, seriously, this is torture. 

I had no choice but to open my eyes.

“You okay, Yeon So-ra?”

Yeom Ju-wan’s reddish eyes met mine.

“I… bathroom.”

“Now?”

“Yeah.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to wait for Bak Ra-hee? She’ll be back any minute.”

I’d love to, but wait another minute and I might lose all human dignity.

“I’ll go alone.”

# 

After attending to nature’s call, my body felt lighter, but I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. 

I’ve read countless novels, but I’ve never seen a protagonist miss a pivotal moment because of something so embarrassingly human. 

Haha, but of course, this is my life. 

Even so, there are some laws of nature you just can’t fight.

Time to head back to the waiting room…

‘They must have followed me, right?’

I had a strong feeling someone was waiting outside. 

If I were a regressor or transmigrator, I’d definitely tail a suspicious extra who sneaks off to the bathroom alone. 

I could have asked Yeom Ju-wan to come with me, but my fresh guilt over impersonating Yeon So-ra kept me from asking that much of him.

‘Maybe I should wait?’

If I take too long, Yeom Ju-wan will surely come looking for me. 

If I wait, rescue will arrive.

1, 2, 3…

512, 513, 514…

As I counted the seconds, I realized more time had passed than expected. 

Maybe Yeom Ju-wan was too caught up in his Aether Berry juice. 

Or perhaps in his newfound friendships?

Just then—

“Ugh! Ugh!”

I gagged involuntarily. 

A foul stench suddenly invaded the restroom. 

It was the same smell from the Goblin Chaos Party earlier, but hundreds of times worse. 

It reeked of sweat, rotting fish, decomposing meat, blood, and the vilest latrine imaginable, all mixed into one noxious perfume sprayed everywhere.

“Ugh! Ugh!”

I had to get out. Instinctively, I reached for the door handle, but—

‘Wait.’

A tiny spark of reason held me back. 

This kind of overwhelming stench doesn’t occur naturally. 

It’s as if someone deliberately pumped it in here, like smoking out a fox from its den. 

And I could only think of one person who would do such a thing.

And that person was probably waiting right outside, ready for me to walk straight into their trap.