Prologue: Restart

It was the first day of fifth grade.

She caught my eye the moment I saw her.

“Hello, I’m Yeon-ha-neul,” she said during introductions.

Her hair shimmered white with a faint blue hue, her crimson eyes stark against her pale complexion. Two long rabbit ears flickered above her head, matching the small, round tail visible behind her. She was… Ain.

The moment I saw her, a wave of memories surged through me, and I froze in my seat.

I remembered my past life.

This world wasn’t just a random place. It was the setting of a game I had spent countless hours playing in my previous life: 『Brave Hearts』. An action RPG where the protagonist, Kang Han-byeol, navigates the trials of Academy City to become a hunter.

And I wasn’t the protagonist.

I was Do Gyeon-woo—a cowardly prosecutor known for his weak heart and inability to reach his potential. The shame of the Shingeom Taoist school. A crybaby who let himself be bullied, believing it was better to suffer than to resist. A fool who never rebelled, no matter how much he was pushed around.

“…Are you kidding me?” I muttered under my breath, disbelief sinking in.

If I hadn’t regained my memories, I would’ve continued down that pathetic path. I would have been a liability to the protagonist’s party, eventually becoming the character players hated most—a nuclear sweet potato dragging everyone down.

But now I had a choice. A chance to change.

‘I’m not going to live like that anymore.’

I clenched my fists under the desk. I refused to be the same cowardly side character. This time, I would take control of my life.

However, the world of 『Brave Hearts』 was far from forgiving. Beneath its vibrant, youth-oriented facade lay a story filled with tragedy and despair. Of the game’s 44 possible endings, most were disastrous. Many involved the destruction of the world.

And then there was Yeon-ha-neul.

“My hobbies are reading and listening to music,” she said, her voice calm and measured. “I also enjoy watching dramas. I hope we can get along this year. Please take care of me.”

If you’re wondering if she’s the heroine of this story, the answer is no. She wasn’t a heroine.

She was a villain.

Not just any villain, though. Yeon-ha-neul was a mid-boss who, driven by despair and frustration over her tragic life, sought to destroy the world. She was the Witch of Disaster—one of the pivotal flags leading to the game’s worst endings.

And now, I was in the same class as her.

“I’m going crazy…,” I muttered, burying my face in my hands.

I needed a solution—not just for myself, but for her as well. If I didn’t do something, both of us would be caught in the whirlpool of destruction this world was hurtling toward.

For her sake, and for mine, I made a decision.

I became the mid-boss’ childhood friend.