“That’s actually something I wore in my first year of high school.”
“…First year of high school?”
“Yeah.”
“How tall are you now?”
“Probably around one-ninety…”
“Hold on.”
I cut off the terrifying number before he could finish.
“Stop talking.”
“…Okay.”
So just how many centimeters apart were we? There had been a reason I always had to look up at him since the first time we met. No wonder my neck ached every time we saw each other.
‘No, stop thinking about it.’
Even if he was the protagonist of a novel, this was getting ridiculous.
Now that I thought about it, there was a description saying Kang Si-hoo, the main character, was also over 190cm tall. Completely opposite image from Baek Tae-beom, but the same towering height.
‘You know what, just hog the whole damn spotlight together.’
“Hyung, sit down for a bit. Aren’t you hungry?”
“I’m not.”
I replied casually, wandering around the room. Tae-beom followed me nervously, asking question after question. The way he trailed behind me felt like a puppy sticking close to its owner. I had to stifle a laugh.
“How about some hot tea? Want a snack or something?”
“I’m good.”
“Then should I go out and buy something? Is there anything you’re craving?”
I stepped farther into the room and looked at the bed. Lined up neatly were a bunch of cute stuffed animals, standing in formation like soldiers.
“Can I sit?”
“Oh, yeah. Go ahead.”
As I sat on the bed, Tae-beom stood in front of me, gazing down with a blank expression. He was so tall I had to tilt my head all the way back just to meet his eyes, and it felt like my neck might snap. His sharp jawline, prominent Adam’s apple, and those oversized hands and feet—he looked like he could completely envelop me.
Even the veins in his neck were strangely beautiful and defined.
I probably could’ve stared at him forever without getting tired of it. But now wasn’t the time to be admiring his face—I needed to ask about the fight with Lee Myung-won.
“How was it?”
“Sorry?”
“That guy… Lee Myung-won.”
Tae-beom blinked at the sudden question, falling quiet as he processed my words. For a second, it looked like his brain short-circuited. Then, in a low murmur, he finally responded.
“Hyung is…”
“Hm?”
“No, it’s nothing. I think he’s a decent person. Are you going to keep in touch with him?”
“I should at least save his number, just in case. But you two had a weird vibe going on. Did something happen?”
He gave a soft smile.
“No, we just talked a bit.”
“Talked?”
“Yeah. Oh—Hyung, your hair’s still wet.”
He changed the subject so obviously I almost laughed. Sitting down beside me, he caused the mattress to dip. Our breaths mingled naturally.
“Can you turn your head a bit? I’ll dry your hair.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’ll catch a cold, Hyung.”
He plucked the towel from my hand as if claiming it, then gently patted my hair. The way he pressed the soft fabric to my scalp seemed practiced. His fingertips brushed against my ear.
Come to think of it, his hands had a lot of calluses. Probably from working part-time jobs since he was young to cover his sibling’s hospital bills.
The nape of my neck tingled—his breath felt warm, yet strangely calm against my skin.
What could Baek Tae-beom be thinking right now?
[Your contractor is showing affection.]
“…Beom-ah.”
“Yes, Hyung.”
I couldn’t say anything. Instead, I just reached out and held his hand. The way he looked at me with wide, innocent eyes—it was so damn cute. Like an obedient puppy. His soft, upturned eyes, cheeks slightly raised. I could feel the heat in my own palm, as if just touching him made my skin burn.
Startled by the sudden rush of feeling, I pulled my hand away and stood up.
“I should get going now.”
“Huh? Already?”
“I owe you. I’ll go now.”
I shook the water from my hair and turned to leave, but he stopped me.
“Hyung, your clothes.”
“Ah. Just give them to me, I’ll take th—”
“No, I’ll wash them and give them back.”
Tae-beom smiled gently.
“So let’s meet again soon.”
“……”
How was I supposed to say no to someone that handsome saying something so sweet? I just gave him a vague nod and left, leaving him behind. Once I found a quiet alley, I teleported straight to the Sanctuary of the Soul and collapsed onto the mattress. I buried my face in the blanket.
I felt weirdly drained.
A glance at my hand showed the wound was already gone. I opened and closed my fist slowly, staring up at the white ceiling. Blank. Nothing there.
[The Constellation, ‘One Who Knows of Destruction’, synchronizes with the Holy Vessel.]
“This isn’t the time to be spacing out.”
I sat up with a start and entered the number on Lee Myung-won’s business card into my phone. Just in case, I saved it as [☆Lee Myung-won☆] to make it easy to spot.
In the novel, Lee Myung-won was just a side character. But now, to me, he was much more than that.
Since things had turned out this way, I figured I’d rope him into the “Baek Tae-beom Redemption Project” too. They didn’t seem to have bad blood, so maybe he’d be willing to help.
Especially if that bastard Yoo Jin-woo and his crew tried to start something again.
I lay there, lost in thought. I might’ve even dozed off—if not for the strange noise that followed.
“…What the hell?”
It started quiet, then gradually got louder. A rhythmic tapping, like someone knocking lightly.
And then a system window popped up.
[Someone wishes to visit your soul.]
[Do you accept?
( Yes / No )]
“What the hell is this?”
Panic surged. Someone wanted to come here? To this cramped little space with nothing but beat-up furniture?
My first thought was Tae-beom, but I quickly dismissed it. He didn’t even know this place existed, much less that I was his Constellation.
A dozen thoughts flooded in. Did this ever happen in the original novel? No. The novel never covered the Constellation’s point of view.
After hesitating, I finally pressed [Yes]. I didn’t know what this was, but it didn’t feel dangerous.
And then—A crack split open.
A golden light burst through the wall, as if the thing was made of paper. Radiant beams poured in like raining arrows, the brilliance engulfing the entire space. My heart pounded. My blood felt like it was boiling. My body, on the verge of collapse.
[The Constellation, ‘One Who Knows of Destruction’, synchronizes with the Holy Vessel.]
I swear—we made eye contact.
Or was that even an eye?
“Ghhk….”
[The Constellation, ‘One Who Knows of Destruction’, synchronizes with the Holy Vessel.]
Pain wracked my chest. Blood trickled from the corner of my lips. My vision blurred. Something inside me twisted violently. It felt like hands were reaching into my chest, squeezing my heart until it burst. My whole body went cold.
“Damn it…”
Someone muttered. Even their voice sounded so divine, I couldn’t look up.
Right before I lost consciousness, something warm touched me.
And I could breathe again.
‘Shit… what the hell… just now…’
I’d touched death—brushed right past it. I was dazed, barely able to support myself as I propped up on trembling arms. Blood dripped from my lips. Terror still gripped me.
“Sorry about that. I didn’t expect your soul to be this… small.”
I looked up blankly. The voice continued, calm and casual.
“But seriously… a Constellation, yet you’re human. If I hadn’t seen it myself, I wouldn’t have believed it.”
“……”
“With that tiny body, to have a soul like this… Wait, what are you doing now?”
It was a doll. A talking doll. This tiny, golden-haired figure, dressed like a god from ancient Greece, was standing in front of me, babbling nonstop. I grabbed it by the back of the neck and lifted it. It flailed its legs in outrage.
“I won’t allow it! How dare you lay hands on this divine vessel?! Do you have a death wish?!”
That voice…
No way.
“Apollo?”
“Yes, it is I!”
The doll flapped its mouth wildly, yelling that it was Apollo. It squirmed out of my hand, dropped to the floor, crossed its arms, and glared up at me.
I was speechless. The Apollo I imagined had been this swole dude holding a lyre…
Apollo stared back at me, eyes half-lidded.
“You were just thinking something disrespectful, weren’t you? Hmph. I had no choice. I intended to arrive in my true Holy Vessel, but your soul couldn’t handle it, so I had to appear like this.”
“The limit… of my soul?”
“How could a being as magnificent as I possibly fit into such a tiny soul? Just now, your soul almost tore itself apart.”
Apollo poked the blood on my lips with a cottony finger, like he was trying to wipe it away.
“So I deigned to visit in this humble form.”
So that’s what all that agony was about. The pain that felt like being cut open raw—that was his doing?
[The Constellation, ‘One More Dazzling Than the Sun’, flaunts his presence.]
“…Why are you here?”
“What?”
“I said, why are you here, sir?”
I could barely get the words out.
Apollo scoffed, then tilted his chin up haughtily.
“I came to hear about the destruction.”
“……”
“You know, don’t you? Why this world is fated to end. That’s why you cried out so desperately.”
His gaze turned cold.
“Speak freely, small soul. And I shall embrace you with my own divine hands.”
