Jae-hyun didn't let go of her.
Not when the lights flickered back to normal.Not when the echo of Broken Ha-rin's scream faded into silence.Not when Ha-rin's knees finally gave out and she slumped against him.
He lowered them both to the floor, keeping her in his lap, holding her like she was the only real thing left in the world.
"Breathe," he murmured, brushing her hair back with trembling fingers. "Just breathe with me."
She inhaled shakily, matching his rhythm.
A few beats.Then a few more.
Only when her shaking softened did he finally speak.
"Ha-rin," he whispered, "look at me."
She lifted her eyes slowly.
His heart cracked.
Because she looked shattered.Not physically.Emotionally.Like someone had torn out a piece of her and shown it to her as a threat.
"She's me…" Ha-rin whispered again."A version of me that… shouldn't exist."
Jae-hyun cupped her cheeks with both hands.
"No," he said firmly."She's a glitch wearing your face."
Her lips trembled. "You saw her. She had my memories."
"I don't care," he said softly, thumb brushing her skin."You're the one I choose. The only one."
She closed her eyes, tears slipping out.
He caught them with his thumb.
"You think she's right?" he whispered. "You think you abandoned her?"
Her breath caught.
"I don't know," she whispered."Jae-hyun… what if there really was a loop where you died because of me? What if I… left that version of myself behind? What if she suffered because I was too—"
His hand covered her mouth very gently.
"Stop," he whispered."Don't punish yourself for a past you didn't live."
She stared at him, eyes wide and wet.
He leaned closer.
"You aren't responsible for her pain," he murmured."You aren't responsible for her obsession.""You aren't responsible for her choices."
Then, softer:
"You aren't alone anymore."
Her breath stuttered.
She grabbed his wrist.
"Jae-hyun—what if she kills you?"
His eyes darkened.
"She won't."
"How can you be so sure?"
His voice became almost a whisper:
"Because you would never kill me."
Ha-rin froze.
He brushed his forehead against hers, grounding her again.
"She isn't you," he said softly."She isn't your soul.""She's a shattered copy trapped in a loop without an anchor."
He lifted her hand and pressed it over his heart.
"You're the real constant."
Her breath trembled.
"And I'm the one who chose you," he continued."In every timeline. Every loop. Every nightmare."
Her fingers curled into his shirt, gripping him tightly.
"And," he whispered, the words barely audible, "you chose me back."
Ha-rin felt her chest crack open with something warm and terrifying.
"Last night," she whispered, "I thought I'd lost you."
He pulled her closer, their chests flush, his forehead against her temple.
"You never will," he murmured.
Her hand slid up to his jaw, fingers trembling as they traced the faint bruise on his throat.
"You were almost strangled," she whispered."Because of me."
His eyes softened.
"No," he corrected gently. "Because I refused to let her touch you."
His thumb stroked her bottom lip slowly.
Dangerously.
"Ha-rin," he murmured, "if it comes down to you or me… I will always choose you."
Tears spilled down her cheeks.
"No," she whispered fiercely. "We are not doing that. I won't let you die for me again."
He blinked.
"…again?"
Her breath hitched.
She hadn't meant to say it.
The words had slipped out from somewhere deep—from the dreamfrom the memoriesfrom the fragment Broken Ha-rin had forced into her mind.
Jae-hyun's hands dropped to her shoulders gently.
"Ha-rin," he whispered, "what did you see?"
She inhaled shakily.
"Pieces," she whispered."A rooftop. Rain. You falling.""Me screaming."
His face went still.
She swallowed.
"Jae-hyun… was there a loop where you died because of me?"
He didn't answer.
Not immediately.
He stared at her like the past was clawing its way up from a hole he'd buried it in.
Finally—
Quietly.
"…yes."
Her breath broke.
Tears spilled faster.
He wiped them with shaking hands.
"Ha-rin," he whispered desperately, "listen to me—"
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because it doesn't matter," he said fiercely. "It was a loop. We escaped. You didn't kill me."
"But she said—"
"I don't care what she said," he snapped.
He grabbed her face between his hands again, pulling her close until their noses nearly brushed.
"Ha-rin," he whispered, "look at me."
She looked.
His gaze softened painfully.
"You're not the girl who watched me die."
Her lips trembled.
"And I'm not the boy who left you behind."
Her breath hitched.
"We're us," he said."Here. Now. Alive."
He pressed his forehead to hers again, breathing with her.
"You are not responsible for a version of yourself that broke," he whispered. "You didn't leave her. You didn't abandon her."
"But she—"
"She isn't you."
He said it with such absolute conviction she felt something inside her settle.
Then—
He pulled her fully into his arms.
Not gently.Not plastered for comfort.
But tightly.
Possessively.
Like she was his whole world and he was terrified to lose her again.
Ha-rin melted against him, fingers gripping his shoulders, her face pressed into his neck.
His heartbeat thundered against her cheek.
She felt Echo pulse with them.
"…constants aligned… emotional bond stabilizing…"
Jae-hyun held her even tighter.
"I'm not afraid of her," he whispered against her hair."I'm afraid of losing you."
Ha-rin tightened her arms around him.
"You won't," she whispered."Not anymore."
He leaned back just enough to look at her.
Her cheeks were flushed from crying.Her lips slightly parted.Her eyes still shimmering.
He lifted one hand and brushed his thumb slowly across her lower lip.
A silent question.
"Jae-hyun…" she breathed.
He swallowed hard.
"We need to move," he said softly, voice strained. "Before she comes back."
She nodded shakily.
"We go together," she whispered.
His eyes softened.
"Always."
He stood and helped her up.
His fingers intertwined with hers.
He kissed her forehead once—light, grounding, devastatingly tender.
And then—
They stepped into the hallway together.
To face the next chase.The next loop.The next fragment.
And somewhere in the shadows behind them—
A glitch in the air shimmered.
Broken Ha-rin's voice whispered faintly:
"…I'll fix us… even if it breaks you…"