I've already died six times because of that woman.

The pain was so unbearable that I never want to remember it again.

Cutting the thin parts with scissors, slicing through the thick parts, pulling out my entrails, slowly.

Slowly.

Slowly inflicting pain.

Savouring my screams.

Watching my face contort in agony.

Finding joy and pleasure in all of it.

She tormented me like that until I died.

'She's enjoying this.'

Emily realized after dying six times.

The woman laughed as if giving pain brought her the greatest delight.

She practically danced with delight at the sight of Emily's suffering face.

Emily was terrified of her.

Not simply because she brought death, but because of the fear that the endless pain would continue.

If only she could die and be done with it.

But every time she died, she would wake up in the morning and repeat the day.

More than the pain of having her flesh cut, more than the monstrous woman chasing her, it was the unknown fear of not knowing how long this nightmare would last.

The fear of not being able to end it plunged Emily into despair.

Even if she sought help from others, it was useless if they couldn't see her opponent, no matter how strong they were.

She never imagined that Adrian would die so quickly.

If Adrian couldn't handle it, who at this Academy could possibly face her?

'Someone... please help.' Crying at her desk, Emily prayed in her heart.

And then, she recalled the person who had saved her not long ago in the forest when she was in danger.

Ken Feinstein.

Emily lifted her head and looked at his empty seat.

The strength he showed when he stood in front of her and killed the giant with a single blow.

Surely, Ken was no less powerful than Adrian in this Academy.

If it were him, he could defeat that woman.

But a fight couldn't be established if the opponent couldn't be seen.

Asking him for help would only put him in danger.

'Besides... he wouldn't want to help me anyway.' Emily recalled two days ago.

A day that felt like it was just a few days ago due to the repetition of her six deaths.

The look in Ken's eyes when he had stared at her with disgust.

A voice filled with resentment.

His words saying, he never wanted to see her again.

'Someone like me...

There's no way he would help...' Emily realized it now.

What she had done to Ken.

Just as that grotesque woman inflicted pain on Emily for her own amusement, Emily had also caused Ken pain for her own desires.

She felt joy from his suffering and continually tormented him.

Hence, Emily painfully understood how Ken must see her.

To Ken, she was a monster.

A monster that inflicted pain and took pleasure in it.

A monster that persistently clung to him, never letting him go.

'...This isn't something that can be solved with an apology.'

The day after Ken had been furious, she immediately tried to apologize and seek his forgiveness, realizing now how foolish and shameless she had been.

There was no way Ken would help someone like her, even if she asked for it.

Emily didn't even have the right to ask for help.

She laid her head on the desk and cried.

No one could help her.

She was alone.

Alone to endlessly repeat this suffering.

The pain of being torn apart and killed by that woman.

‘Someone...

please help me.’

There was no one who could help her.

Emily plopped down under a tree.

This was the starting point of the path leading from the academy to the dormitory.

‘Soon... it'll be that time.’ Emily looked up at the sky.

The clear blue sky could be seen through the swaying leaves.

Soon, the sky would turn orange with the setting sun.

When that happened, she would face her seventh death.

Remembering this, tears began to stream down Emily's dazed eyes.

‘I don't want to, ...I don't want to feel hurt anymore.’ But there was no escape.

Right now, nothing was on Emily's side.

Her friends, the academy, and even time had abandoned Emily.

Realizing that none of these things could help her anymore, she sank deeper into despair.

Eventually, Emily removed her gaze from the sky and buried her face in her knees.

Just like this.

If she could just close her eyes in the darkness.

She wished she could die without any pain.

She would rather die peacefully and never come back to life.

‘This must be my punishment.’ It was for the sins she had committed.

The sin of tormenting the boy who had saved her, merely for her own desires.

The heavens were delivering this punishment to her.

That was why she was suffering so much.

Emily buried her face in her knees and cried.

She prayed for the pain to pass quickly.

“Emily?” Then, a familiar voice called her name.

Emily slowly lifted her head at the sound of that voice.

It was the voice she had wanted to hear, the one she had been searching for.

When she raised her head, she saw...

Ken Feinstein.

“What!”

“Are you okay?!

What’s going on?!” Ken rushed over in shock when he saw Emily covered in tears.

Not knowing what to do, he anxiously checked her condition.

Emily stared blankly at him.

Just two days ago, he had been furious with her, yet here he was, deeply concerned about her well-being.

Seeing his kindness, Emily felt a huge wave of guilt.

“...Is it because of what I said last time?” Ken had inferred the reason upon seeing Emily in tears.

“I’m sorry about that time.

I think I was a bit sensitive that day.

I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that.”

Even though Emily had been the one at fault, Ken was the one apologizing, looking genuinely troubled.

‘...Ken, your kind.’ Seeing this, Emily wiped her tears and stood up.

She couldn’t just keep crying while he was apologizing to her.

Emily had realized her guilt.

There was something she needed to say to him.

“...Ken, I have something to say.”

“Huh?

Ah, okay.

What is it?”

“...You see, I...” And then Emily tried to apologize to Ken.

She knew that just apologizing wouldn't resolve everything, but she couldn't help but feel the need to apologize.

Just as she was about to speak.

'...But even if I apologize, ...if I die this time.' She remembered that her death would soon come and that if she died, any apology she made would disappear, resetting to the morning.

'...I don't want to cowardly erase something so important.' Ken would accept her apology.

He was kind-hearted.

But if Emily died afterward, the fact that she apologized to Ken would vanish, leaving only her alleviated guilt behind.

She didn't want to make such a cowardly apology.

"Ken, you know...!" Then, she resolved to say what she wanted to Ken in a way that wouldn't burden him when he forgot this memory.

Maybe it was just another of her selfish desires.

Still, if she was going to die anyway, she wanted to say it.

To convey her realization.

Emily clenched her fists tightly.

"I..." To prevent any misunderstandings, she looked at him with sincerity.

With trembling lips, she finally moved them, conveying her honest feelings.

"I like you!" If her death would make it as if nothing ever happened, then she might as well convey her genuine feelings.

"...What?" Ken, who had been anxiously waiting to hear what she would say, was left dumbfounded by her words.

The expression on his face showed that he thought he had misheard.

Pressing down her embarrassment at his reaction, Emily opened her mouth again.

She poured her honest feelings into her words.

"I actually like you.

I like you as a man.

I like you, so...

that's why I bothered you."

"...Huh?

Uh, no, I mean, what?"

"It's really childish, right?

But it's true, please believe me.

I like you so much, but I wanted to deny it, so I did something so stupid..."

Ken's flustered face.

Seeing him like that, Emily forced a smile to ease the tense atmosphere.

"...Sorry for suddenly saying something like this." A confession to a man who said he never wanted to see her again just two days ago.

It would definitely be an inconvenience.

But anyway, after today, he wouldn't remember.

"But, but...

uh, Emily." Ken's face turned red with embarrassment.

Even if what happened two days ago hadn't occurred, this sudden confession would still be surprising.

And Ken seemed to be considering how to respond to her confession. Emily raised her hand to stop him from answering.

“I'm sorry, Ken.

For putting you on the spot like this.

...But it's okay!

It will all be forgotten anyway.”

“…What?” He probably didn't understand what she meant.

How could something already said be forgotten?

It made no sense.

But given the reality, Emily continued without hesitation.

“So, just this once, please bear with me.

After today ends and today comes again, I won't...”

“...”

"Hic, Ken... I won’t bother you anymore...” She knew that he would reject her confession.

It was only natural.

There was no way he would accept the feelings of a girl who had tormented him.

That’s why she stopped him from replying.

But realizing that her love could never come true, Emily burst into tears.

She had tried to smile to avoid troubling him further.

But still, the pain of unrequited love forced tears from her eyes.

"S-sorry, sorry Ken...” Once she started, the tears came uncontrollably.

“...” Ken watched Emily blankly.

Her sudden confession.

Her incomprehensible explanation.

After listening to all of it, the redness on Ken's face faded.

"...Emily, you..." Emily shivered at the sound of his voice and opened her eyes.

She was ready to hear whatever response he would give.

She cried even more as she looked at him.

He was staring at her with a stern expression.

Then he spoke.

"Just how many times have you died?"

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