Kyle Blake spent the entire day wandering the city of the daytime world.
“His ‘dog nose’ really is overactive…”
He wasn’t sure by what standard, but his counterpart often picked up on distinctive scents in places he frequently visited or had some connection to. It was a unique fragrance—warm, soft, and comforting, like being in a lover’s embrace.
Not that it was unpleasant. Kyle simply followed along the road in silence.
Of course, to avoid being swept away by the ambient noise of the sprawling city, he naturally preferred using side streets or secluded paths lined with walls.
But there were moments when he had to cross over into the main roads entirely, and when that happened, he had no choice but to mix into the steady stream of pedestrians.
“Are they crossing based on the ‘walk’ sign? Magic lamps…? There’s no magic in this world, though. Well, the green light turning on does make everyone move at once.”
It was just a symbol shaped like a dog, but Kyle found it interesting that even ordinary dogs could distinguish colors.
And then, there were the larger beasts… Moving at ridiculous speeds in straight lines, yet not crashing into each other—there seemed to be a specific set of rules governing them.
A black dog, as if understanding this, weaved its way through the crowd, sticking its nose into collars and walking along the path people took. It even stood at crosswalks, looking left and right with cautious eyes.
People glanced at it in fascination, but Kyle didn’t bother paying attention. The black dog vanished across the street with a dignified gait, its presence neither startling nor intrusive.
“Hey, look over there. That dog is walking all by itself.”
“Don’t touch it. You never know what it might have. It’s a hassle if it carries germs or something.”
The world, proud of its advancements, was certainly remarkable. The written language had developed into an elegant form, and many things were designed for convenience.
Yet, people seemed largely indifferent. They walked around with earphones lodged into their ears, their eyes unfocused as if something had sucked the life out of them. Their fatigued expressions were like masks, smiling for a moment before immediately forgetting whatever had made them laugh.
It was a city that never needed nighttime, yet everything in it felt lonely.
“You think so too?”
Kyle followed along in Shu’s footsteps, recalling his lover.
The street Shu often frequented came into view—a familiar alley between a convenience store and an office building, leading to a narrow road lined with tightly packed houses.
“Living in a place like this… It wouldn’t have been easy.”
A world that was convenient and safe. A world without beggars, magic thieves, or cultists. The streets were clean for the most part.
The shops lining the sidewalks exuded warmth, their air carrying a subtle scent that made winter feel less harsh.
But even in such a world, happiness was never guaranteed for everyone.
That thought lingered in his mind.
“…..”
As he continued walking, the scenery around him gradually began to change.
Kyle, who had yet to fully acclimate to this world, could tell. The roads were rough, the buildings aged. Every now and then, he spotted elderly people dragging their weary feet, trudging along to some unknown destination.
The black dog relied on its senses to locate an old villa at the end of the alley. It wasn’t bright or clean, but at least it served as a barrier against the chilly wind—that alone was enough.
Kyle felt his presence more vividly than ever as he stood before the iron door on the third floor. He curled his body tightly, preserving as much warmth as possible.
How long had he been waiting like that?
[The Fatebound Collective acknowledges your presence.]
A sharp chime rang out, and a system window appeared.
[The quest is completed faster than expected.]
[The quality of the reward has significantly increased!]
“…Kyle.”
And so, Shu and I met once again.
The young man who had traversed the world, pushing through all that loneliness, had finally arrived at my side.
***
I didn’t know how he had managed to come here, but honestly, did that even matter? The important thing was that we met again in the end.
I bent down and hugged the black dog tightly.
And just then, as the quest was completed, the “pulling effect” was triggered.
“W-Whoa… Whoa…!”
Kyle had suddenly returned to his human form without warning.
For a moment, I was too stunned to process the fact that he was actually here, and before I knew it, his now much larger frame was toppling toward me.
“I’m going to fall!”
But before that could happen, Kyle quickly cradled my head with his hand and shifted his posture. Thanks to him, instead of getting crushed under his weight, I barely ended up with a few minor scrapes from the impact.
“You’re back.”
I carefully examined Kyle’s face. He looked a bit disheveled, but it wasn’t a bad sight at all.
He smiled faintly and responded.
“Yeah. Thanks to someone making such a fuss, I got dragged back here. After all this time, I must say, it’s especially nice to see you.”
“…Wait, don’t tell me you were a dog this whole time?”
I whipped my head around in frustration and glared at the system.
“Shameless! You turn people into hamsters whenever you feel like it! And this time, a dog?! This damn system is nothing but a scam!”
[There was no other choice! The only spot left was…!]
“You’re telling me there was only a dog left?”
[Well, it was kind of like that! (>_<)]
“…Huh?”
Right. That’s right.
I absentmindedly stroked Kyle’s hair. If there was a realm beyond human comprehension, this would be it. No, seriously—what in the world happened to my lover, who had turned into a mutt and ended up here?
No, that’s not what’s important right now.
As I refocused, the system stammered in panic.
[B-But still… I managed to bring you both together!]
At that moment, Kyle spoke in a low voice.
“That’s only natural, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. If we both ended up in a mess, you’d better not just stand there doing nothing… Wait. You can see that thing?”
“Yeah. It became visible after coming here. I also got a bit of help from it.”
[Look at that! I’m your loyal sidekick, after all!]
Sidekick, my ass. That excuse was as tired as the concept of fate.
I smirked and made a fist, cracking my knuckles, and the system window immediately flickered.
[(>_<);;;]
“So, what the hell happened?”
I was investigating the Mage Tower when I was suddenly dragged to South Korea. This wasn’t something that could be brushed off as a simple accident.
The system, which I thought had disappeared, was suddenly reconnected. Then, out of nowhere, an error turned me back into a hamster. Every piece of it felt unnatural.
The system hesitated for a moment before responding.
[W-Well… There was an error while entering standby mode, and things got messed up as it was being repaired. I think I might have pulled the wrong thing.]
Kyle, still holding me in his arms, asked in a cautious voice.
“An error?”
[Originally, Baek Soo-hyun’s data from the other world was supposed to be transferred, and at the same time, this world’s data should have been erased. But when I checked… only the scraps were left.]
“Tch…”
That meant that the moment I decided to live with Kyle, the body left behind in South Korea should have died.
And yet, I was still alive here. I had no idea why, but I had been wandering around for nearly six months, lost and disoriented.
“So, what do I need to do? According to your explanation… this body, specifically, the ‘data scraps,’ right? I have to take care of that?”
[That’s right! You understand perfectly! The removal of scraps is crucial!]
Hearing “scraps” over and over again was starting to get on my nerves. Just stop saying it already.
[This time, I’ll make sure everything is properly prepared! When you return, I’ll thoroughly clean up the body!]
Annoying as it was, the proposal itself wasn’t bad. If I could use this opportunity to fix the error, then I wouldn’t have to deal with something like this again in the future.
I exchanged a glance with Kyle before scratching the dog behind its ears.
“Alright. So what do I need to do to return?”
[Reconfiguring the quest based on the objective.]
[Two conditions required for return have been identified.]
[Condition 1: Fill the resource gauge to 100%.]
[Condition 2: Remove the last remaining connection to this world.]
“…‘Last connection’?”
Kyle narrowed his eyes at the phrase, and the system explained.
[There is someone preventing Baek Soo-hyun’s body from being erased from this world.]
I smirked.
Honestly, I had known since the moment I opened my eyes here. The fact that such a person existed in this world.
“I never imagined that person would hold on this long…”
I thought they would have let go once I was gone.
But no, that wasn’t the case. The hospital bills had been oddly delayed, and even after months, there were traces of someone sending inquiries. There was even a designated guardian listed, and my phone line—though officially disconnected—had continued to receive calls.
Someone still wanted me to exist.
“…That’s a little unsettling.”
I wasn’t particularly eager to keep living in this world, but knowing that made me feel oddly conflicted.
I leaned my forehead against Kyle’s shoulder and muttered softly.
“We can take care of it. But first, let’s start by filling that resource gauge… Achoo.”
The cold bit at my skin. It wasn’t as harsh as the northern winters, but without heating, the damp chill of the dark alley seeped into my bones, making me shiver.
Kyle quickly adjusted his hold on me and stood up.
“Let’s go inside first. Is this your place?”
“Yes. The code is…”
The lease had already expired.
And yet…
“0310. Open the panel above the door, enter the code, then close it again.”
A series of beeping sounds rang out, and soon the door unlocked.
Even after my lease had ended, the code hadn’t been changed. Even though I had left this world, this small, shabby space… had still been waiting for me.
As the door swung open, the stale darkness inside rushed to greet me. There had been times when I hated coming home because of that suffocating gloom.
But today was different.
“I’m back.”
Murmuring softly, I stepped inside without hesitation.
The darkness no longer felt suffocating. It no longer scared me.
