Little Pink Starfish

“I see.”

Aiden chuckled.

“Salvation….”

Salvation, huh. Aiden repeated the word as if savoring its texture.

I silently observed the situation. Then, suddenly, I locked eyes with Jeong Hangyeol.

It felt strange. I definitely knew this person, yet at the same time, I didn’t. It felt as if the two halves of my mind were tangled together. The memories that had been replaced when Jeong Hangyeol disappeared and the original memories reconstructed upon his return to this world were mixed together.

“What happens now?”

Keeping my gaze fixed on Jeong Hangyeol, I asked Star.

“Is he… going to disappear again?”

<Yes.>

Star answered in a flat tone.

“It’s a bit bitter.”

I knew why Jeong Hangyeol had chosen to erase his existence. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t his fault. Human life was colored with too many shades to be divided into black and white. Some colors were closer to white, some closer to black, that was all.

<As you know…>

With a sigh, Star brushed back his hair.

<The easiest way to settle things is to eliminate the source. The Stars have stabilized this world countless times by such means behind the scenes.>

So-called divine punishment.

Behind all of them were the Stars.

I sighed with my arms crossed. I couldn’t entirely agree with the Stars’ methods. What seemed practical from the Stars’ distant perspective felt like a disaster to the humans directly experiencing it. This case was no different.

“…I don’t know.”

I don’t know. It was such a convenient sentiment.

The human world was frozen, countless guardian angels were falling from the sky, and we were having this conversation at the mouth of the underworld.

The entire process felt unfamiliar to me. So to say “I don’t know” was perhaps natural, but still…

“I suppose… saying I don’t know isn’t enough.”

I came here to stop Aiden. Therefore, I had the duty to make a clear value judgment on all of this.

“Jeong Hangyeol.”

So I spoke.

“…When you chose to disappear, what were you thinking?”

Hearing my question, Jeong Hangyeol showed a momentary expression of surprise.

Looking at me with wide eyes, Jeong Hangyeol soon smiled.

“I felt relieved.”

“I thought you might say that.”

I could understand.

“I… once tried to take my own life as well.”

Usually, ending one’s life by suicide is considered a wrong choice, thus deemed a tragedy because of that wrong choice. But that’s an extremely favorable framing for those who survive. It pushes the cause of tragedy onto the one who died.

It shouldn’t be that way.

For the person choosing suicide, it was likely the best option they could find. That’s why they took action. And it was everyone else’s responsibility to acknowledge what made them believe that was the best option.

“How do you feel now?”

To my question—

“…Not good.”

Jeong Hangyeol answered in a calm tone.

“I thought I was a useless person. I never dreamed that my disappearance would lead to all this. And more than anything…”

Jeong Hangyeol’s gaze shifted to Aiden.

“I never thought you’d do something like this. You were the best friend I had.”

“Now, to me…”

Hearing Jeong Hangyeol’s words, Aiden let out a sigh-like chuckle.

“That doesn’t matter at all. Of course, you’re free to blame me all you want. Rather than tormenting yourself for having made this decision, it’s better to hate me instead. I did commit something worthy of blame after all.”

Aiden shrugged.

“But I still hate humans.”

Looking straight at me, Aiden said.

“Think about it, Eunyul.”

Aiden’s lips curled into a smile.

“Non-human beings simply exist quietly where they are, but humans are always desperate to declare their existence. Isn’t that kind of disgusting?”

“What exactly are you trying to say?”

I frowned and asked.

“I mean I have no intention of repenting.”

Aiden stated firmly. His conviction would never change.

“I know why you tried to stop me, Eunyul. And I don’t think your decision was wrong. But I have no regrets about my own decision. People must not forget my friend’s death. They must know. Hangyeol should never have died in the first place. And to save him… I could’ve done things far worse than what I did this time.”

It seemed that to Aiden, all humans except Jeong Hangyeol were like bugs.

I could somewhat understand the context of his resentment. Jeong Hangyeol was someone who died because of the public’s voice. Tiny voices lumped together to press down on a person’s life. We knew too many names of those who had taken their own lives.

And because we knew too many… we grew accustomed to forgetting.

<Debating the good and evil of humans is a natural right given to humans.>

Mika spoke in a calm tone.

<But bits of good and evil do not justify your actions. I believe you know that as well….>

Mika’s gaze shifted to Jeong Hangyeol.

<You already chose to terminate your existence. May we respect that decision once again?>

“Of course.”

Jeong Hangyeol answered calmly.

“It’s said that a soul is recycled through the process of reincarnation to form new life. That would mean I’ve already been reborn and am living again…. So I no longer have a reason to exist in this world.”

Hearing Jeong Hangyeol’s quiet whisper, I cautiously spoke.

“…What about announcing your death?”

At my question, Jeong Hangyeol’s expression wavered for a moment.

Jeong Hangyeol had chosen to erase his existence with the help of a Star’s power, without announcing his death. That was what Aiden couldn’t accept. Aiden wanted to make everyone who knew of Jeong Hangyeol take responsibility for his lost life.

I knew why Jeong Hangyeol wanted to erase his life from people’s memories.

Back then, when I tried to take my own life—

If I had been given the same method as Jeong Hangyeol, I too would’ve chosen it without hesitation. It was the simplest way to be freed from guilt.

“Are you afraid that people will find out?”

To my question—

“…I don’t know.”

Jeong Hangyeol trailed off.

<Do not be conceited, creature.>

Star spoke toward Jeong Hangyeol.

<The methods you used to choose death… are truly lowly.>

Despite the low tone, Star’s gaze carried an emotion close to pity.

But Star seemed sincere. He truly thought Jeong Hangyeol chose a dishonorable way to die. Perhaps that was due to Star’s feelings toward those who commit suicide.

As the adversary of ‘The Savior Who Is One and All’, Star kept the souls of those who took their own lives by their own will beside him, having exiled them from the world by his own judgment. In the only abundant district of hell. His palace.

<I have seen countless creatures like you.>

Thus, Star was repulsed by the method Jeong Hangyeol had chosen.

<I have seen those who jumped from rooftops, those who overdosed, those who hung themselves. Those who, tormented by painful lives, chose to leave the world. I have kept close the feelings and pain they felt as they died.>

Therefore, your method is lowly.

Star declared.

<What if you hadn’t been given the power of a Star? Would you have been able to erase your existence from everyone’s memories and entrust your life to your friend like an inheritance? It would’ve been impossible. Had the Stars not revealed themselves, it would’ve been dismissed as mere delusion.>

“I… didn’t want people to grieve over my death.”

<That is precisely why your thoughts are lowly. With such petty thoughts, you deprived those who knew your life of their right to grieve. You decided to die and succeeded in doing so—then those who knew your life deserved the right to grieve, to reflect, to turn away. And you should have faced the punishment of bearing all of it.>

I quietly listened to Star’s words.

Though directed at Jeong Hangyeol, it felt as if the words were also reaching me.

“You’re right.”

In a small voice, Jeong Hangyeol said.

“I was running away. I didn’t want to feel guilty about people grieving because of me….”

Watching Jeong Hangyeol mutter weakly, Star let out a faint snort.

<I shall return everything to its rightful place.>

“…What are you planning to do?”

I tapped Star’s arm and asked.

<I will rearrange the tangled timeline caused by these events.>

Mika placed her hand on my shoulder and spoke.

<The death that was hidden will be properly revealed.>

Just as Aiden intended, Jeong Hangyeol’s death would be known to people.

To be precise, it would be treated as something they already knew.

<Humanity should have pondered this issue long ago.>

<Well then. Do you have any objections?>

Star asked Aiden and Jeong Hangyeol.

The two silently looked at each other.

Soon, they both nodded.

<And as for you….>

Star continued, glaring at Aiden.

<You will likely be recorded as an artist who never gained much popularity and suddenly died today. Do you have any complaints?>

“None.”

Aiden chuckled.

<You may at least choose the manner of your death. Shall we say you died from an illness you never knew you had? Or perhaps from a traffic accident. If none of those suit you…>

Star’s gaze shifted toward ‘Ever-Burning Mother’.<You could even die by fire.>

“Not bad.”

Aiden answered slyly while looking at ‘Ever-Burning Mother’.

“It’s over now.”

<Are you satisfied?>

At ‘Ever-Burning Mother’s’ question, Aiden nodded.

“Then now…”

With a smile, Aiden said.

“Shall we go and die?”