* * *
[Become the ‘villainous sub-bottom’ and save this world! (^▽^*)]
It all began with the appearance of a system window right in front of Raon’s eyes one day.
He woke up to find himself in the body of Han Raon, the villainous sub-bottom from a novel.
And he had no choice but to follow the system’s orders—because it threatened to kill him if he didn’t.
But at the same time, doubt gnawed at him.
Raon knew how the villainous sub-bottom, who shared his name, met his end.
He envied the main bottom and pathetically clung to the main top, only to die inside a gate.
And not just die—he was hated by everyone, their eyes filled with disgust.
Raon could tolerate being hated; he was used to it.
But he really didn’t want to die.
Still, there was no defying the system.
Regardless of his growing dread, the story kept driving toward its climax.
[This is your final quest. Fulfill your duty as the ‘villainous sub-bottom’! ( •̀∀•́ )✧]
And so, it finally came—Raon’s death scene.
Just as in the novel, Raon met his end inside the gate, under the cold gazes of everyone around him.
“Cough…”
Red blood gushed from his lips, staining them.
He hadn’t wanted to die… but this was how it ended.
Damn system.
If it was going to do this, it shouldn’t have bothered pretending to give him a chance to live.
As Raon sank into despair, he heard someone’s voice nearby.
“If you’re gonna die, do it already. You’re annoyingly persistent.”
“….”
Raon weakly turned his head toward the grumbling voice.
He saw Nam Taegeon, face twisted with irritation.
Hah… Raon let out a breathless laugh.
Nam Taegeon was an S-rank esper from Alpha Team 1 and one of the novel’s sub-tops.
In a world where the main top was already set, sub-tops were nothing more than kites with broken strings.
Maybe he had a slightly better fate than Raon, who was treated like dirt and destined to die.
Now that the main bottom had reawakened as an S-rank guide, they probably expected him to become Alpha 1’s exclusive guide.
But there was no way the main top would just sit back and let that happen.
In the end, Taegeon would lose the main bottom, fail to find even a halfway compatible guide, and suffer the same chronic shortage as the other S-rank espers—except the main top.
Thinking about it, Raon felt a tiny bit smug.
A brittle smile spread across his face.
“Tsk.”
At the sound of someone clicking their tongue, Raon rolled his eyes sideways.
The main character’s face was twisted in sheer frustration.
Seo Dojin—captain of Alpha Team 1 and the main top.
Rather than relief at Raon’s death, he looked more annoyed by the inconvenience to come.
And rightfully so.
With Raon, an S-rank guide, dead, the team would be short a dedicated guide.
That meant the reawakened main bottom might be asked to fill that role.
‘Even now, as I’m dying, he’s only thinking about himself.’
So typical of the arrogant bastard.
Raon had hated him from the start.
Pretending to like him was just something he’d been forced to do by the system.
In truth, he hated him down to his core—his arrogance, his entitlement, everything.
But he could never show it.
Not even now, in his final moments.
Raon simply bled and gave a hollow laugh.
If there was one thing he truly regretted right now…
“Han Raon!”
“…!”
A deafening noise rang out, followed by a desperate voice calling Raon’s name.
He turned his head with great effort.
Yoon Siwoo stood there, having arrived late after holding back monsters with an ice barrier.
His black eyes widened at the sight of Raon’s battered body.
“Han Raon! Stay with me!”
Of all the people surrounding him, only Siwoo shouted with such desperation.
Yoon Siwoo was also an S-rank esper and a sub-top, just like the others.
But his connection with Raon was unique—he had the highest compatibility rate with him.
S-rank espers rarely found guides with matching wavelengths, so when they did, pairing with them was customary.
It ensured stable guiding.
But Raon, in love with the main top, refused to pair with Siwoo and instead became Alpha 1’s exclusive guide to stay close to Dojin.
Since all of Alpha 1 consisted of S-rank espers, Raon’s request was exceptionally approved.
And from that day on, Siwoo struggled with chronic guide deficiency.
There was no way Raon, acting as a team-wide guide, could offer proper guiding to any one of them.
Even though Raon knew all of this, he still chased after Dojin.
The Raon who had possessed this body had done the same—because the system forced him to.
And now, seeing Siwoo, who had suffered all this time because of him, Raon was consumed by guilt.
He looked up at Siwoo, who was shouting at the others.
“What are you doing?! No healing potions?!”
“It’s too late,” Dojin said coldly, shaking his head.
To be fair, Alpha Team hadn’t completely given up.
Raon’s injuries had simply been too severe.
Ironically, Raon had fallen into the very trap he had set for the main bottom, Hamin.
Perhaps that was why none of the espers showed a shred of pity.
Raon watched Siwoo yell and reached out a trembling hand.
“Siwoo… hey…”
“Damn it, Han Raon!”
“Don’t… call me by name so casually, cough…”
“Is that really the issue right now?!”
Siwoo snapped, but still took Raon’s hand.
His glassy black eyes widened as he felt a faint guiding energy trickling into him through Raon’s touch.
“If you go overseas… find a guide who suits you… promise me…”
“……”
“You have to find one…”
Dojin would hog Hamin for himself forever, but the others wouldn’t be so lucky.
Raon, in his final moments, offered Siwoo one last act of redemption—genuine guiding.
Since he was about to die anyway, this much should be okay.
Thankfully, the system remained silent.
“I’m… sorry…”
“…Hyung.”
Siwoo called him softly.
But by then, Raon could no longer see his face.
His eyes slowly closed.
As they did, the world fell quiet.
It felt like the transmigration had come to an end.
And then—
Blinding light burst into his pitch-black vision.
[Congratulations! You fulfilled your role as the ‘villainous sub-bottom’ and saved the world! (˘╰╯˘*)]
An unwelcome system message appeared.
What was going on?
Hadn’t he just died?
Raon blinked in confusion at the message window.
[Your reward is now being processed. Rewards will be granted sequentially.]
“……”
There was a reward?
Raon let out a hollow laugh.
All he remembered was being threatened with death, forced to play his part with barely anything in return.
[Reward Items]
- Turn back time (random timeline)
-
Return to original world
“…!”
Raon’s eyes widened.
If he had to choose, obviously option 2—returning to his original world—was the way to go.
Turning back time meant repeating this cursed life all over again.
Better to return to the world he had once lived in.
But just then, a new window popped up, dashing his hopes.
[Beginning with the first reward (⁎ᵕᴗᵕ⁎)]
“……!”
‘Fuck!’
No voice came out.
The curse didn’t leave his lips aloud.
But inside, Raon was furiously screaming at the system.
His vision began to blur.
“Hah…!”
Raon’s eyes flew open.
His dark blue eyes darted around wildly.
White walls, a plain ceiling, neatly arranged furniture.
All of it was familiar.
This was his room, in the private quarters provided by Alpha Team 1.
“Ha…”
So I really came back.
To this goddamned place.
Letting out a heavy sigh, Raon sat up.
A sharp pain throbbed in his head.
He pressed hard on his forehead and turned his head.
The clock read 7 a.m.—still too early to be up.
But he was already wide awake, and he needed to know exactly when he’d landed this time.
The system had said the return point was randomized.
Raon fumbled for his phone on the table and checked the date.
“February 24, 2042…?”
He had gone back three years.
A rather awkward point in time.
Two years from now, Raon would officially be assigned to Alpha Team 1.
Right now, he was still trailing after Dojin like a lost puppy, racking up one cringey memory after another.
“Damn it.”
If I had to come back, couldn’t it have been further back?
Raon clenched his teeth.
“…No, wait.”
He shook his head.
Maybe this wasn’t so bad.
If he’d gone back too far, he would’ve had to suffer through all that bullshit even longer.
Relieved, Raon spoke.
“System.”
He’d been through this once, but he couldn’t remember every single thing that happened around this time.
Like it or not, he had to rely on the system.
But this time, the system, which usually responded instantly, was silent.
“System?”
He called again—still no response.
Raon’s brows slowly lifted.
* * *
