Best Siblings

***Note: this is an alternate ending***

*This ending corresponds with the Universe of Motivation.*

Unlike the original ending, Mind doesn't accept the key from Dennim and doesn't die. She believes she shouldn't "run away from home" and cause her mother that kind of stress. After she rejects the key, she and Dennim keep talking about her problems, but without resolution.

Mind's mother, who came home early, gets drawn to their voices and heads upstairs. When she sees the odd-looking Dennim together with her daughter, she starts shooing him, but the startled Mind tries to convince her that he can be trusted and is a long-time friend. Her mother doesn't care for it and demands Dennim to leave and threatens with the police if he breaks into her house again.

Mind's father is then heard entering the house and meets up with his family upstairs to announce he's closed an important deal. His wife quickly interrupts her excited husband to point him to Dennim's presence, and he too bashes his dubious appearance and scolds Mind for having arranged their secret meet-ups. Mind is upset, but Dennim seemingly complies with her parents' demands and asks for a cellphone to call his father to come pick him up. After a short chat on the phone, he hands it to Mind's father, who hears a familiar voice apologizing for Dennim's behaviour and "thanking him again for accepting his offer". He realizes Dennim is the son of the man he just signed to and his mood changes on the spot.

As Dennim created and controls the character that is his father, and through him contacted Mind's father before getting discovered by her mother, it means his capture was intentional or treated as a possibility.

Shortly after the call, a man who calls himself Dennim's father shows up at the door and Mind's parents humbly welcome him in. While they're trying to stay polite towards the important businessman, they can't ignore the fact he too has an unusual appearance and are quick to ask questions about it, including a requested explanation for the young Dennim's low voice. Dennim's father casually explains they have a rare pigment condition and that his son "just inherited his cool voice", without giving further clarification. Mind's father feels skeptical about his excuses, but his wife appreciates the jokes and is content with the answers. She keeps changing the subject before her husband can ask more questions, forcing him to drop the subject altogether.

Mind's father tries to stay formal and friendly with his superior whenever addressing him, but Dennim purposely makes his father focus on Mind's mother. Their small talk makes it difficult for the man to talk business and he feels embarrassed by his wife's informal treatment of their guest, but unsure how to intervene, and decides to let it happen in order to keep the meeting pleasant.

Dennim's father then suggests their children should become study buddies and offers to drive his son over before work. Mind's mother is quick to accept and Mind's father hesitantly follows, as not to damage their fresh business relationship.

Starting the following day, Dennim is routinely dropped off at Mind's house. As Mind's father is often gone by that time, Mind's mother and Dennim's father usually spend a few minutes hanging out together, until he too "leaves for work".

One day Mind comments on her mother's growing positive mood and upbeat response to Dennim's father's presence, but Dennim replies dismissively. She continues she's never seen her this alive around another person and concludes she might have a crush on him. Dennim is once again curt with her and replies she hardly sees her mother at all, let alone with other people. Mind is surprised to find him uneager to gossip, but assumes he's offended by her insinuation a married woman is out to break up his parents' marriage, and apologizes for it.

She then laments about how much better her life would be if her mother divorced her father and even entertains the idea of them living together as siblings. Dennim asks how they can date if they're siblings, but Mind responds to his "joke" that their parents marrying wouldn't make them blood-related. Her comment that they could have one big wedding party with the 4 of them gets taken more seriously than intended, and Dennim decides to use his father to fulfill her/his wishes.

The next morning Dennim drags out the usual visit by making his father appear tired and overworked, and as expected, Mind's mother shows concern and urges him to stay for tea. After talking about work, the conversation steers itself to their lives outside of it, but Mind's mother has trouble talking about it and instead answers his questions by asking about his wife, and how his family spends their days together. In order to motivate her to get more personal with him, Dennim decides to borrow elements of her private life and use it for his father, hoping to win sympathy points.

Dennim's father responds with believable hesitance and tells her that the love is less great than he hoped it would be after getting married off to one another. Mind's mother becomes emotionally invested enough to reveal that she and her husband used to have a better relationship and she considered him a friend. She adds that work started taking up his time and is what made him distant. Dennim's father shows disbelief for that excuse, but she ignores his response and asks if his past relationship with his wife was anything similar. He replies that she was always openly disgusted by him and Mind's mother becomes upset by this revelation.

Eventually Dennim's father decides to abandon all signs of optimism and reveals to suffer from depression and loneliness. An alarmed Mind's mother immediately drowns him with flattery as an attempt to cheer up her friend, but finds herself believing most of what she says. Before too long, she's inched closer and is going as far as to fondle him, but her inappropriate actions are quickly interrupted by the sound of Mind's father's car stopping on the driveway.

When he enters the house, she quickly tries to hide her embarrassment and asks what he's doing back this soon, to which he replies it's almost evening already. Mind's father asks why Dennim's father is earlier than usual, to which he claims to have come to pick up his son for a doctor's appointment. Mind's mother becomes relieved by his decision to lie for her, but without much else being said, both Dennim and his father head out, concluding the day.

The next day Dennim's father drops him off like always, but Mind's mother can't let him leave before apologizing for her behaviour the day before. He jokes that it was nice, but she doesn't play along with his carefree approach and insists they shouldn't give up on their partners. Remembering how he mentioned his cluelessness on how to improve, and the emotional suffering he spoke about, she asks him if he'd feel comfortable letting her contact his adamant wife. He asks what she is planning to tell her, but she reassures him she simply wants to coax her into investing in their relationship; under the guise of two women among each other, talking about their boyfriends.

In order to set up this meeting, she suggests he should ask his wife to pick up Dennim this time, but Dennim's father says not to feel good about letting her and his wife alone to talk. Mind's mother invites him to come along and moderate the meeting if he has to. He decides to give it a chance.

Later that day, both of Dennim's parents show up and Mind's mother respectfully introduces herself to the new face that is Dennim's mother. As she is predetermined by Dennim to be the villain, he portrays her as a no-nonsense woman, who offers a short greeting and is only interested in collecting her child and heading back home. In order to give the apathetic actor a reason to stay, Dennim makes sure the parents downstairs hear him wreck a few random objects in Mind's bedroom, to Mind's dismay, in order to create a scenario where they are given time to talk while he and Mind are ordered to clean up. Dennim's father quickly offers to make the ladies tea in the meantime, and disappears in the kitchen, as planned. Afterwards there's an uncomfortable silence, as Dennim's mother refuses to acknowledge the other woman.

Mind's mother breaks the silence by commenting what a nice boy Dennim is and a gentleman her husband is, but Dennim's mother offers little response to the standard flattery. Trying to warm her up, she keeps gushing about her seemingly perfect family, but Dennim's mother then urges her to stay out of her private life. A bit nervous by her response, Mind's mother claims she just wants to know her better, whereafter the pale woman asks her what it is she wishes to know with a devious expression. She insists on wanting to be sure of her family's happiness, as she considers her husband her best friend and knows Dennim is her daughter's best friend. Dennim's mother replies with the question if she looks happy to her, which startles Mind's mother.

She asks how she can't be happy with such a loving husband and adds that he talks fondly of her, but Dennim's mother won't give in and flat out calls him an idiot to her face. The conversation continues on with more negativity directed towards Dennim's father, uttered by his wife, while she brings herself in a positive light; "since she gave him Dennim, even though she hates him and didn't want children".

The sudden brutal honesty coming from the once silent stranger keeps catching Mind's mother off-guard, and all of her attempts to defend Dennim's father are laughed at by the sinister woman, till the point Mind's mother becomes too infuriated to find her words and falls silent.

Thinking to have won the debate, Dennim is called downstairs by his mother and they head out, leaving Mind's mother stunned in disbelief. Remembering that Dennim's father is still in the kitchen, Mind's mother heads over to him to report her lack of success, but he says he heard everything and follows his wife and son outside. Mind's mother feels ashamed for letting him listen in.

Mind's mother and Dennim's father don't talk about it for a few days, till one day he invites her over to his house. He wishes for her to get to know his wife better and argues she got the wrong impression and they should give each other another chance. While she doubts that statement and isn't looking forward to seeing her again, she decides to please her gullible friend and agrees to come over.

When they arrive at the Dennim residence, Mind's mother is asked to wait with Dennim in the living room, whereafter Dennim's father leaves to get his wife. But as Dennim purposely makes for awkward company, Mind's mother announces to go check on his parents. When she nears the kitchen, she hears sweet whispers being spoken at the other side of the wall and decides to wait at the entrance for the couple's interaction to end. When silence returns, she peeks around the corner and sees Dennim's father caressing his wife's face, but this approach does not get received well by her. She swiftly hits him in the face and calls him trash for touching her. The situation further escalates, and the verbal and physical violence starts demanding more space, urging a frightened Mind's mother to escape the scene before getting noticed.

Dennim's parents eventually show up in the living room with food trays, and Dennim's mother gives Mind's mother a short greeting, but then excuses herself, claiming she has work to do. Dennim also shows little interest for staying and heads up to his bedroom to play.

Dennim's father, still looking ruffled up by his wife, sits down with Mind's mother and ensures her his family is usually more hospitable than this. She is unsure how to respond, but rewards his efforts with a smile. But the elephant in the room becomes hard to ignore and she can't look at him without reimagining the horrifying abuse that occurred just a few minutes before. She asks him where his bruises suddenly came from, but he doesn't give her an honest answer.

While she didn't intend on ruining what could've been a parody of a nice get-together, she starts hinting at the disrespect his wife has for him and how he shouldn't take it. Dennim's father doesn't seem to get what she's trying to say and instead gives some jokey answers in return. Mind's mother tries to be more clear with her message and eventually he understands that she witnessed the beating in the kitchen. After a short pause, she finds the courage to tell him he should leave his wife and call the police on her, but Dennim's father explains he's still in love with her and doesn't want to give up. He argues their strife is the result of miscommunication. Mind's mother thinks he's too optimistic, but when he refers to her own reluctance to leave her husband, she's left wondering if she's the right person to argue against another person's marriage. As an attempt to defend herself, she states that the abuse conducted by his wife is the deciding factor that makes her undeserving of his time, unlike her husband, who never harmed her. Dennim's father becomes uneager to talk about it and keeps denying that anything of substance happened in the kitchen. Mind's mother recognizes the discomfort he feels for having someone witness his abuse, and decides to leave him with this thoughts for the time being.

A few weeks pass, but Mind's mother becomes increasingly more uneasy each time she sees Dennim's father and the day of her last visit stays unacknowledged. One day she asks him to stay for tea, but he replies there's a meeting he needs to go to. Without having any real excuses ready, she simply asks him if he is able to make time for her. Dennim's father pauses and answers to her request.

She brings them tea and asks how he's been doing, to which he gives a general response covered with his brand of optimism. Mind's mother tries to hide her obvious disdain for his wife; and starts asking more direct questions about their relationship. He shows appreciation for her concern, but doesn't say anything useful during her interrogation. She quickly understands things have not changed since last time, and again argues that he deserves better. He then replies she does as well.

Mind's mother is caught off-guard by his sudden response and tries to argue again that her marriage is not comparable to his, but Dennim's father begs to differ and says her husband's lack of attention qualifies as a form of abuse. Mind's mother can't get herself to believe that when sitting next to a disparaged man with bruises on his neck and body, and dismisses it. Nevertheless, his inexhaustible care for her flatters her once again and conflicting thoughts encourage her to approach him in a way she previously promised to restrain herself from doing. Dennim's father picks up on it, but keeps his eyes locked onto hers and waits for what'll happen.

As quick as the thought entered her mind, she jumps him for a kiss, which grows out into intercourse.

In the meantime, Mind's father is heading home on foot after his car broke down, and Dennim, who sees him approach from Mind's bedroom window, allows for him to catch Mind's mother and his father in the act. But to Dennim's surprise, he doesn't announce his presence to them and exits the house further unnoticed.

After their moment of passionate adultery, Dennim's father asks how they should continue, but Mind's mother answers she'd never forgive herself if she didn't confess to her husband and asked for a second chance. Dennim's father feels rejected by this decision, but understands from her response she needs more time and promises not to intervene. While feeling guilty for playing with his feelings like this, as for the fact she knows she's fallen for him, making things harder for herself, she stands her ground on the matter and lets him go.

Dennim's father calls Dennim downstairs and they leave through the front door, where they immediately meet up with Mind's father standing outside. The man looks unfazed and gives him an overly friendly greeting, discusses a few business plans with him, and waves him and Dennim goodbye. Dennim starts to wonder what his intentions are, but decides to have Mind's mother deal with whatever happens next and hopes to have reached his personal goal by sunrise.

That night Mind's mother is waiting for her husband to join her in bed and mentally prepares herself for the upcoming confession scene. After 2 solid hours, Mind's father finally enters the bedroom and lies down next to her. Mind's mother becomes increasingly more nervous, but when she attempts to utter her first word, he turns around and reveals to know about her and Dennim's father's adventure. Mind's mother is shocked and starts asking for his forgiveness, but her devoted speech about wanting to improve is silently stared at by the emotionless man, until he snaps at her and orders her to shut up. Scared by this different side of him, she complies and lets him speak, but his following response is far from heartfelt. Nor the angry rant she expected.

Mind's father says not to care for it and wants her deceit to become a full-time job. Mind's mother becomes engulfed with shock as her husband demands her to prostitute herself to the powerful businessman, and considers it Dennim's father's right to do whatever he pleases with whoever he pleases.

When her face shows signs of disagreement, he steps in with the fact she cheated on him and argues that it removes her right to complain. He emphasizes how important his job and work relationship is, and adds that this is a part she has to play if they want to keep the peace with Dennim's father and avoid a public scandal. He ends the conversation by reminding her not to get pregnant, leaving her in tears, but mute for the rest of the night.

The next day Mind's mother is quick to tell Dennim's father the results of her talk and ends up in more tears when she describes her husband's unfamiliar behaviour. Dennim's father responds with anger and tries to console her. He says things will be sorted out, but doesn't offer any support to that statement and leaves for work. Mind's mother thinks she's on her own and tries to figure out what to do next, but is clueless.

That evening Dennim's father arrives to pick up Dennim as usual, and meets up with Mind's father reading the paper in the living room. While he greets his superior in his routinely fashion, Dennim's father cuts him off and announces he's fired. He responds shocked by this and asks for the reason while pointing his eyes at his wife, who's sweating bullets in the corner of the room.

Dennim's father says he was informed of the sexual abuse concerning Mind, and he's spent the past few weeks collecting proof of this with help of his son. Mind's mother is baffled by this turn of events, but is quick to believe it now she's acquainted to her husband's dark side. Mind's father calls the accusation ridiculous, but Dennim is quick to step in with the claim he saw him do it when his presence was still a secret. Mind's father becomes visibly nervous after his testimony and tries to pressure Mind into denying it, whereafter Dennim loses his temper and makes his father punch him away from her. Dennim's father tells the floored man that the results from the lab are against him and he'll make sure he gets life in jail for it.

Mind's mother is lost for words as her husband doesn't try to deny the outrageous claims anymore and is shaking in his boots. Dennim's father announces to take his wife and daughter with him and suggests he should wait for the police to arrive. He guides the broken family to his car and they drive off in stunned silence.

After having successfully broken up Mind's parents, Dennim patiently waits for Mind's opinion on the whole ordeal. As he isn't sure if his efforts will pay off the way he wants them to, he decides to loosen the control on his father until "his reward" is given, making it seem like Dennim's father's long silence is him contemplating on what to do next. In the meantime, Mind's mother is in shock and doesn't know how to start a conversation with her still-married crush that jailed her two-faced husband.

But Mind is first to celebrate and thanks Dennim and his father for helping out. Dennim's father replies that waiting isn't a solution and shouldn't be available as a choice. Mind's mother becomes upset by the remark and apologizes to Mind for disbelieving her, but Mind tries to cheer her up by arguing her father is a good liar.

Dennim doesn't care much for this talk and tries to speed things up by announcing they can all get married now, catching the two women off-guard, but responding with a chuckle. Mind asks if he was serious about that, and Dennim replies with a casual "of course", making her flinch. She blushes at the idea, but is unsure what to say next. She spends a minute thinking it over, whereafter she holds Dennim's hand and agrees to his strange request of being his girlfriend. Dennim feels fulfilled to have won her love and as gratitude steers his father towards confessing the same feelings for Mind's mother, which also pleases Mind.

Dennim's father announces that the relationship with his wife ended a short while ago, and she and her daughter are welcome to stay with him if they wish to. Mind's mother feels it's improper to run into his arms after she turned him away, and with her breakup still being fresh, thinks it's better to settle down somewhere where she can figure things out. Mind shows her disbelief for this decision and thinks she shouldn't complicate things and just marry their hero.

With the whole car arguing against her, Mind's mother gives in and accepts Dennim's father's offer.

From there on they spend the rest of their days together and have a seemingly happy ending. Mind's mother and Dennim's father get married, and Mind and Dennim stay a couple until they're old enough to get married themselves. On request of Mind, their parents have their second wedding that day and they celebrate it with the 4 of them.

Dennim is forced to keep controlling his father and have him be Mind's mother's partner for the rest of their lives. Despite the hatred he feels for her, he shows devotion playing this role in order to give Mind the impression all is well, though it comes with unintentional consequences. Dennim's father and her mother have a flawless relationship and she becomes eager to have a baby just a year after they started dating. Dennim's opinion on Mind's mother made it difficult for him to answer to her desire and he feared the act with his father was spiralling out of control. He made his father argue that they're both rather old, and having offspring might make things weird for their children, who were dating each other. Mind's mother didn't share those worries, whereafter Dennim's father brought the issue to their children, but Mind responded to care more for their happiness and liked the idea of having a sibling. Dennim shoved aside his disdain for her mother once again to cater to Mind's wishes and her idea of the perfect family life.

Dennim's father and Mind's mother have one son, but because of Dennim's father's origin, the boy is paralysed from the waist down, has disturbed locomotor skills, is deaf, mute and blind. He is very loved by Mind and her mother, while Dennim considers him an abomination and doesn't like to be anywhere near him; which is more or less his way of experiencing shame, as the child came from his puppet. It basically makes him his son.

In the end, Dennim's father's origins are never revealed and Dennim takes consolation over receiving attention and love from Mind, who he got to marry. They have children of their own, called Mindy, Dennis and Denny.