NOTE:

It is better if you listen to White Album 2 - Twinkle Snow ’13 on YouTube when you read this Chapter.

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"...."

Jinah and Hae-In stood completely frozen, staring at him in a daze, utterly derailed by his sudden, unbelievable confession.

Their shocked reaction was entirely normal. Minjun wasn’t surprised in the slightest; he knew exactly how random, abrupt, and strange his words sounded, especially given their current circumstances.

There were a million other pressing things he needed to focus on right now. He had to handle the immediate aftermath of the Double Dungeon, figure out how to rapidly accelerate his strength, and prepare for the looming, apocalyptic threats posed by the Rulers and the Monarchs.

The Monarchs were simple—they were the absolute villains of this universe. Their only goal was the eradication of humanity. But if there was a reason Minjun was far more deeply terrified of the Rulers, it was because of their deceptive strength and motives.

Minjun possessed a power that completely shattered the established rules of this world. He was neither a Monarch nor a Ruler. If he ever fully revealed his multiversal connection, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that those higher cosmic beings would instantly recognize him as an anomaly they couldn’t ignore.

In the worst-case scenario, the Monarchs would simply try to hijack his body, turning him into a mindless puppet to steal his ability—the unique system that allowed him to share knowledge, experiences, and power with his alternate selves across the multiverse.

It was a terrifyingly attractive prize. The ability to pull resources, magic systems, and combat data from entirely different dimensions was an advantage that could instantly break the eternal, bloody stalemate the Rulers and Monarchs had been trapped in for eons. If they knew what he harbored inside his soul, they would tear him apart to get it.

Even the Rulers, who were supposedly the allies of humanity, couldn’t be trusted. For the "greater good" of winning their eternal war, they would undoubtedly do something highly questionable to him. They might forcefully brainwash him, manipulate his mind, or lock him in a golden cage, forcing him to act as their personal multiversal battery.

His current situation was a ticking time bomb. It definitely didn’t afford him the luxury of resting, and logically, he absolutely shouldn’t be focusing on his romantic emotions right now. Feelings were a distraction. They offered no tactical benefit, wasted precious time, and created fatal vulnerabilities.

Yet, despite his cold, calculating logic, he had decided to say it anyway.

Why? Because he was terrified that if he didn’t say it right now, he might never get the chance.

If he had just turned and walked away from handling the crisis, the unspoken tension would have festered. Either Jinah or Hae-In might quietly back away to protect their own hearts, eventually vanishing from his life entirely. And what would become of him then?

He would probably end up like the other "Suzukis" across the multiverse—cynical men who just pursued casual, meaningless flings with various women because it was physically fun and completely devoid of emotional responsibility.

But Minjun didn’t want that empty life. He desperately wanted something genuine. Something deeply, profoundly meaningful that went beyond just crunching power-level numbers or accumulating wealth. Being strong, rich, and respected was wonderful, but he knew it wasn’t everything.

It was like his memories of his deceased grandmother. She hadn’t been wealthy, powerful, or conventionally beautiful. Yet, as his only true family in the past, her presence in his life had been absolutely irreplaceable.

I want to build a bond like that again, he thought.

He wasn’t looking for someone to replace his grandmother, but he wanted to find an existence that was just as irresistible. A presence that gave him absolute strength, a genuine laugh, and a splash of vibrant color in his otherwise bloody, monotonous, survival-driven life.

It was a simple, incredibly normal human wish. It didn’t provide any measurable combat benefits. It couldn’t be detected by a mana scanner or proven by a System notification.

Yet, he wanted to hold onto this emotion, even if it brought him no tactical advantage. He wanted to confess his true feelings before it was too late. If possible, he also wanted to become an irreplaceable existence for them, just as they were for him.

He knew how greedy and selfish his desire was, but he would rather face their confusion and rejection than live with the regret of staying silent.

"I know my words just completely blindsided you two," Minjun said, his voice unusually soft, breaking the heavy silence in the corridor. "I should have planned this better. I should have given you cues or taken you to a beautiful place instead of dropping this on you in a sterile hospital hallway. But even so... I feel that if I don’t say it now, I might not be able to say it in the future..."

This time, he stepped closer, looking deeply into their eyes so they could see the absolute, unfiltered sincerity in his gaze.

"I should have chosen one of you. Either Jinah or Hae-In. It would be incredibly unfair of me to let our relationship stay ambiguous, tying you both down with exhausting, conflicting emotions when there are many better choices, and I don’t want you to feel like you are wasting your feelings on me—"

"It isn’t a waste!" Jinah interrupted fiercely, her voice trembling but resolute. Her feelings for him were the most real thing in her life; she refused to let him dismiss them as a waste.

"She’s right. It was never a waste," Hae-In nodded firmly, stepping forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Jinah, her sharp eyes softening.

"Thank you," Minjun smiled, a fragile, genuine expression that rarely graced his face. "It’s exactly because of your unwavering feelings that I decided to be completely honest tonight. I know how unforgivably selfish I am being. But the truth is... I can’t choose between you. I love you both. I want both of you to be mine, even though I know exactly how unfair that is to ask of you..."

His chest tightened painfully. It felt incredibly uncomfortable to bare his soul like this. The words stumbling past his lips felt stiff and awkward. He had wanted to sound confident, smooth, and manly, yet he was practically trembling with vulnerability. For a brief second, a flash of regret hit him—he was terrified they were going to hate him for his ugly greed.

But he forced himself to finish.

"Thank you, both of you, for appearing in my life." Minjun turned to the S-Rank Hunter first. "Hae-In... our time together might be relatively short, but you have constantly stood by my side. I might look like I have everything under control when I fight monsters, but it’s only because you are watching my back that I feel truly reassured."

He then turned his gaze to the young, tear-eyed girl. "And Jinah... you are the light that brightens my days. Thank you for everything. You are the one who made me realize that there is actually a world worth fighting for outside of the dungeons. I am so sorry that I can’t give my absolute, undivided self to you, despite knowing how much of your heart you’ve given to me."

Minjun took a deep, shuddering breath and bowed his head slightly, completely dropping his pride.

"Once again... I love you both. If I am forced to choose, I can’t. I want the two of you. Thank you for listening... and I am so sorry."

The hallway fell dead silent.

"...I won’t forgive you," a voice finally whispered.

Minjun flinched, his heart sinking. "What?"

"You are absolutely, unbelievably selfish, Oppa," the other voice added, thick with emotion.

"...I know I am," Minjun whispered, keeping his head bowed.

"But..."

Suddenly, two pairs of arms wrapped fiercely around him.

Minjun gasped, his eyes widening as Jinah and Hae-In both crashed into his chest. Tears were streaming down their faces, completely ruining their makeup, but neither of them cared. Overwhelmed by their own chaotic emotions, they abandoned rationality and surrendered to the overwhelming affection they felt for the man standing between them.

"I love you too, Oppa," Jinah sobbed, burying her face into his coat.

"I love you, Minjun," Hae-In whispered fiercely, clinging to his shoulder.

Minjun stood frozen in a daze, his mind completely blank as he processed their impossible, miraculous answer. Slowly, the tension drained from his rigid muscles. He let out a long, shuddering breath, wrapping his large arms around both of them, his hands gently caressing their hair.

As he held them close, inhaling their comforting scents, his cold, calculating resolve sharpened into something unbreakable.

I will work harder than anyone else in this universe, Minjun promised himself, his eyes hardening with absolute determination. I will crush the Rulers. I will slaughter the Monarchs. I will secure our future, no matter what it takes.