...
Yes... That was exactly it. There was no need to hesitate or overthink how to approach Kim Hajin.
Build a friendship first, gain his trust and only then reveal that I also came from Earth? It was a valid approach, no doubt.
But I needed answers, and I needed them now. There was no way to wait for a gradual bond, for careful interactions that could bring us closer together.
Being direct was the best option. Reach out to him, expose the truth and observe his reaction. If he gave me the information I was looking for, great. If he didn't, then I needed to consider less conventional alternatives.
I could simply use my abilities to access his memories.
That was a possibility I would keep open. It wasn't the most ethical approach, but when it came to the truth, the safety of those who had become important to me and the future I needed to shape, there was no room for hesitation. If necessary, I would use this skill without a shred of guilt.
At the end of the day, what mattered was whether the co-author had altered his plans or not, and the best way to find out was with Hajin.
Looking at his surprised expression, I realized that my words had hit him hard. His eyes trembled slightly and his rigid posture showed his disbelief.
I seized the moment to continue, my voice not giving him time to think properly.
"I'm from another world, just like you... I died in my world and woke up here, inside the story I was reading."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Kim Hajin's eyes were still fixed on me, assessing every detail of what I had just said. His expression was a mixture of shock and suspicion, as if he was trying to find some flaw in my words, some indication that it was all a lie.
I don't blame him. If it were the other way around, I'd be suspicious too.
The atmosphere around us seemed to have frozen in time. The typical buzz of cadets leaving training sounded muffled amid the tension that now filled the air between us.
Hajin finally took a deep breath, clenching his fists slightly before opening his mouth.
"How can you be sure that I'm just like you?"
He asked, his voice laden with caution.
I smiled slightly.
"Because I know the story. I know you're no ordinary character in this world."
I leaned forward a little, without looking away from him.
"And I know that you also came from somewhere else... from Earth."
Kim Hajin frowned, clearly uncomfortable.
"That doesn't prove anything. You may well have gotten information about me somehow."
Of course, he wouldn't accept it so easily. I'd expected that.
Without saying another word, I raised my hand slightly and activated my clairvoyance ability. A screen appeared and, instantly, information about Hajin began to unfold before my eyes, like pages in a book being turned at high speed.
His true age, his skills obtained so far and...
But I didn't need to dive deep. Just a glimpse was enough.
Closing my eyes for a moment, I spoke:
"As you can see... This is one of my skills. It allows me to obtain almost any information from this world."
Kim Hajin's expression turned even darker as he saw the magic screen appear before me. His eyes narrowed, and I could feel the tension in his body increase.
He didn't say anything right away, just watched cautiously, analyzing every detail of my ability. His instinct told him not to trust me, and I understood that perfectly.
"A skill that can obtain any information in the world, huh? That sounds dangerous."
He muttered, crossing his arms.
I smiled slightly.
After all, it wasn't a skill. All I did was broadcast some of the information I already knew about him on the screen...
And, knowing that Hajin also possessed some similar abilities, I knew he wouldn't doubt me.
"For someone who has something to hide, perhaps."
Kim Hajin remained silent for a moment, pondering my words.
Then he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.
"If you really know that much..."
He began, his voice more controlled but still suspicious.
"So tell me, what exactly do you want from me?"
The question I'd been waiting for.
I kept my posture firm and answered bluntly:
"I want to know if the co-author has changed his plans. If this story still follows the original script or if there are changes..."
Hajin blinked a few times, clearly taken aback.
He probably hadn't expected this question.
"So that's it..."
He muttered, looking away briefly.
"You want to understand how unpredictable this world has become."
I nodded.
"Exactly. Can you help me with that?"
"But... I don't understand one thing... How do you know about the co-author and me? When I tried to use my skills on you, none of them worked. The opposite should also happen, right?"
The skills he was referring to were certainly "Observation" and "Reading".
'I expected them not to work. After all, how could anyone get information about me if I wasn't even part of this world?'
Clearing my thoughts, I focused on Kim Hajin's question. Hearing it, I smiled internally.
'He's beginning to accept the possibility that I really do know more than I should.'
But at the same time, his caution was still present.
"Logic would say yes."
I replied, crossing my arms.
"But my existence in itself is already an anomaly, don't you think? I'm not an original character in this world, any more than you are. And yet I'm here. I don't know why, but I'm here."
Hajin frowned, pondering my words.
"You mean that your existence... Is outside the rules set by this world?"
"Something like that."
I tilted my head slightly.
"But that's not all. The very fact that you can't use your abilities on me already proves that I'm different. You realized that from the start, didn't you?"
Hajin's eyes twinkled slightly, indicating that he was analyzing the information more seriously.
"...Yeah, I realized."
He admitted, letting out a sigh.
"But that just leaves me with even more questions."
"Then I guess we're in the same boat."
I smiled slightly.
"Because I have a lot of questions for you too."
Silence settled between us again, but this time it wasn't filled with distrust.
It was a moment of mutual assessment.
Finally, Kim Hajin relaxed his shoulders a little.
"...All right. I'll listen to you."
That's what I needed.
"About me knowing the co-author, let's just say that my sponsor told me a bit about him."
Just as I lied by saying that I came from the same world as him, I lied by saying that I had an ability to obtain any information from this world. Now, I also lied by saying that someone told me about the co-author.
From the beginning, I came prepared...
"Your sponsor, eh?"
He repeated, narrowing his eyes.
"So there's someone above you... someone who knows the co-author?"
I nodded slightly.
"Something like that."
A well-crafted half-truth, enough to be convincing without revealing too much.
'Who knows what he'll do if he finds out that, in fact, he was never the real author of this world... An author created by another author...'
Kim Hajin crossed his arms, reflecting.
"All right. I'll tell you what I know."
But before I could react, his gaze sharpened.
"But first... answer me one thing."
He faced me directly, his expression serious and his voice firm.
"Why do you want to know about this? What do you intend to do with this information?"
It was a fair question.
My answer would now define the course of this conversation.
"I want to prevent those I consider important from getting into danger..."
...