"Ji-won... you look like that..."
"Mr. Cheol-jin, look at their clothes, then ours. The wear and tear is different. Haven't they been here for more than a day or two?"
"Ah, well... I can't really tell by looking."
"Why are you speaking informally to them?"
"Well... it's just that..."
The two of them chatted amicably.
For a moment, Park Cheol-jin seemed flustered by Choi Ji-won, but then Ji-won turned her head and looked at me again.
"Hello. My name is Choi Ji-won."
"I'm Park Cheol-jin. I mean, my name is Park Cheol-jin. I apologize. You look so young..."
Park Cheol-jin laughed lightly.
"...It's okay. My name is Kim Jun-ho."
Come to think of it, when I cleared the tutorial, I only mentioned my name and never properly introduced myself.
"You know the government publicly called the tower survivors, right? I thought I would meet you there."
Ji-won softly patted Boong-boong as she spoke.
"...There were some issues."
Of course, I know. Before coming up to the second floor, I was collecting information when it happened.
A week after clearing the tutorial, so two weeks ago from now, the South Korean government publicly summoned the players.
At this point, the term 'player' hadn't been standardized. The U.S. government officially announced the term 'player' a week later.
It was a turbulent time. Public opinion was in an uproar, people were debating about the tower, and everyone had their own interpretation. Arguments without answers were rampant.
Surprisingly, decisions from the heads of states around the world were consistent: firstly, to collect and digitize the list of players. Some speculated that there was an agreement between the authorities.
Regardless, the South Korean government also summoned players.
"- Did you go when your country called the tower survivors?"
"- Why go? To be locked up and experimented on?"
"- I went, and they didn't do that. They just checked names and faces and sent us back."
"- Why call us then? Shouldn't they ask about the tower? Or at least teach us how to use the weapons?"
"- How would I know? Ask the president."
The problem was that after gathering them, they didn't know what to do next. There was no organized support or task force.
Later, it was revealed that a power struggle between the president and a major opposition party was the cause of the delay in legal revisions... but that's not my concern.
Anyway, I had no intention of going. There was no need to regress and bother going when they were just sending people back anyway.
"Mr. Cheol-jin and I met there. Was it the Seoul Military Manpower Administration? It was temporarily used to verify survivors."
"...It's been a long time since I visited the Military Manpower Administration, especially after completing my civil defense duties."
People who survived the near-death experiences in the tutorial typically had a form of PTSD.
They might have had to betray a trusted ally.
They might have had to turn a blind eye to someone else's death to survive.
They might have had to pay for their sins.
It's inevitable to have PTSD.
But the closest family members couldn't empathize with the experiences in the tower. The government? Why are they calling people? Can they even hear my story?
Especially when a sweet fruit called the first floor is right in front of our eyes, it's strange for them to flock just because the government says so.
"When I went... most of the people were those I briefly saw in the tutorial. Mr. Cheol-jin even knew my late father..." Except for those who passed the tutorial without any harm, just by doing as instructed.
Choi Ji-won and Park Cheol-jin. And also, thanks to me, about 50 people who cleared the tutorial.
After the government verified their identities, they rented out an entire restaurant to share their stories.
And, as one would expect, their main topic of discussion was the tower.
"Every day, there are posts on the internet about what the tutorial originally looked like. The betrayals for survival, the killings to avoid death... It was horrifying."
Park Cheol-jin, the firefighter, shook his head vehemently.
Only after clearing the tutorial did people truly feel its impact.
They realized what a blessing it was to survive unscathed.
And how fortunate it was that everyone survived the tutorial.
"I've always wanted to say this if we met again," Choi Ji-won bowed slightly.
"I apologize for doubting and suspecting you back at the construction site. I'm truly sorry."
Her voice, which once held a hint of familiarity, was now heavy and sincere.
"I'm sorry too, for speaking thoughtlessly earlier," Park Cheol-jin, the firefighter, also bowed.
"After clearing the tutorial... I understood how irrational and cruel our situation was. How many lives you saved, Jun-ho. I really wanted to thank you. Everyone else also asked to convey their gratitude when they meet you."
"... It's okay. Really."
I choked back my emotions, swallowed hard, and barely responded.
I had so much I wanted to say.
I wanted to know how Ji-won has been, whether Boong-boong is now more obedient, and if firefighter Park Cheol-jin is feeling okay.
I wanted to approach them warmly, be friends, and share stories.
But I couldn't.
I could tell from their attitudes.
Their emotion was gratitude, not intimacy.
To them, I was a savior, not a comrade.
They weren't the Choi Ji-won and Park Cheol-jin I knew.
The memory of us teaming up to defeat the Minotaur remains only in my mind.
The smiling Ji-won from the sunset construction site is gone.
The firefighter Park Cheol-jin, who gave me a thumbs-up despite being pale from sweating, is gone.
So, the Kim Jun-ho who was with them must also be gone.
I had to bury this joy deep in my heart.
I knew it would hurt, but not this much. I thought I'd be okay after so much time had passed. I was wrong.
I was lonely.
Getting too close to others should be avoided. Being alone was fine, but the dormant loneliness awakens when you meet someone you've cared about.
Let's maintain a comfortable distance. Let's not get too close.
"...It's good to see you again."
For my sake, and for theirs.
"People... don't intend to go up to the 2nd floor right now. At least the sane ones don't," said Park Cheol-jin, the firefighter, with a serious expression.
Firstly, those mentally scarred by the brutal tutorial didn't want to climb up. After being heavily traumatized, they lost all motivation and preferred the comfort of the 1st floor.
Except for a few with a sense of responsibility to save humanity and a few who wanted to become stronger by climbing the tower, everyone else was engrossed in enjoying the 1st floor.
Unlike the virtual world in the U.S., there didn't seem to be active item trading, so there weren't those climbing out of greed either.
And those who passed the tutorial flawlessly, do they want to go to the 2nd floor? That's not the case either.
They lack levels and combat experience.
Although the exact nature of the 2nd floor is unknown, if it were another death game where they have to kill or be killed... they didn't believe they could win against others who had risked their lives in the tutorial.
"That's why... Mr. Cheol-jin and I came as a scouting party. To check if it's safe," Ji-won explained.
Park Cheol-jin and Choi Ji-won were part of that responsible group I mentioned earlier. They diligently trained using the 1st floor, and once they felt confident in their combat skills, they decided to move up to the 2nd floor together.
Choi Ji-won paused her story and turned her gaze to me.
"Jun-ho, you seem to have been here for quite some time. Is there a reason for that?"
"There is. A very important one."
I briefly explained to them the rules of the 2nd floor. I presented the information I learned through regression as if I had meticulously researched it.
The structure of the 2nd floor, the prohibition of violence, the residents living someone else's life against their will, the master of the city who set up this environment, and the high possibility that taking away the residents' boxes could summon the city's master.
"That woman... she's insane."
"I can't believe this tower was created by a god. Maybe a malevolent deity?"
Choi Ji-won expressed her outrage, while firefighter Park Cheol-jin seemed utterly disillusioned.
I thought these people, these righteous individuals, would be sympathetic to my cause.
"I need your help. Would you listen to my plan for a moment?"
Choi Ji-won.
There's something you need to do.
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