how many times have you died (rika furude)

[malewife]

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[malewife]

[ That's not wrong. Joonghyuk does like winning just to win. ]

Crying usually makes people feel better.

[syndromed]

[ crying has diminishing returns. ]

Mii... Why does this man want to see me cry so badly?

[malewife]

... I never said I wanted to see it. It's just a statement.

[ HELLO? ]

Do you usually accuse others of such unsavory actions?

[ WHO WOULD WANT TO SEE CHILDREN CRY? ]

[syndromed]

Only when it's funny.

[malewife]

Who have you bullied.

[ He's calling it. It's called bullying. ]

[syndromed]

I'm not a bully. That's very mean to say.

[malewife]

[ whispers gaslight girl boss. ]

Are you hurt?

[syndromed]

Yes! My feelings are very delicate. Oh, poor me, poor me.

[malewife]

... I can't imagine this is the extent of your acting.

[syndromed]

My true acting skills only reveal themselves during poker.

[malewife]

Will you be acting your way out of explaining "dying" on your profile?

[syndromed]

[ she pretends not to hear him? ]

[malewife]

It is on mine, too.

[ KEEPS TALKING ABOUT DEATH. ]

[syndromed]

Everyone comes from such scary worlds.

Worlds where Gods turn against them and devils come to Earth.

[malewife]

That's something that can't be changed, but it can be challenged.

[ He knows there are many reasons for keeping secrets, even more so for secrets about dying. ]

I won't ask more about your situation, then.

[syndromed]

[ ... ]

How many times have you died?

[malewife]

… 1,865.

[syndromed]

Do you know why? How?

[malewife]

[ I meant 1864. Slaps my own paw. ]

I know why I die each time and why I live again. It was a choice I made long ago. Did you not get to choose?

[syndromed]

[ she debates answering this, because even if pretending not to hear him was an obvious way of deflecting, actually talking about it is still different.

talking about it was the key to everything in the end.

except, it wasn't the end. so what's the point?

hm. ]

... Sometimes, I'll choose how it happens.

[malewife]

[ To be honest, at this point, he would lay off if she did it again. ]

I've done the same, thinking that it'll be better next time.

[syndromed]

But is it?

[malewife]

… Sometimes better, sometimes worse.

The last regression—it was better. Everyone survived.

[syndromed]

Then is it over?

[malewife]

[ Hm... He hangs his clothes so they can dry now. ]

My companions and I... We had the opportunity to go back and repeat it again.

[ Basically, to die and live the loop. ]