―From a favorability rating of 700 or higher with the characters, you will enter the Normal/Good Ending route.
―If all characters have a favorability rating of 700 or higher, you will see the ending with the character who has the highest favorability.
―After entering the route, the direction of the ending will be determined by the player’s choices and actions.
―Fighting! (≡^∇^≡)
Setting aside the irritating cheer message at the end, Wonyoung shouted in shock at the fact that it was already the ending route.
“700 or higher? Then there’s not much left!”
“Yes, exactly! The end is almost in sight now, Player-nim!”
“……”
“It’s not even the bad ending you were worried about. At worst, it’s a normal ending! So you can at least get a normal ending—which is basically a happy ending. The difference with the good ending is, um…… well, anyway, it’s nothing major!”
The System mumbled ambiguously, but Wonyoung couldn’t pay attention to that. It was because of the fact that the game was really ending.
‘But my feelings aren’t sorted out at all yet.’
To summon him here arbitrarily and then tell him to leave arbitrarily—where does this kind of thing exist?
However, Wonyoung wasn’t one to back down here. As an elite, one must not get buried in emotions and forget what’s important. Still believing himself to be an elite, Wonyoung came up with a way to buy time somehow with his IQ of 150 and Narae’s IQ of -10, a total of 140.
Thus, the conclusion was as follows:
‘I can’t let the favorability rise any higher.’
However, lately, the three men had coincidentally been sprouting hearts left and right whenever their eyes met. At this rate, they might enter the ending in less than a week.
Still, shouldn’t he at least ponder over who to see the ending with?
‘Should I act like trash to lower the favorability……?’
By Wonyoung’s standards, Narae was plenty trashy in a certain sense, but since he’d been raising favorability by acting abangsu until now, if he suddenly acted smart like Heo Wonyoung, their affection might drop. However, he couldn’t feel reassured with just that.
‘Let’s try not to meet them as much as possible.’
Not seeing their faces was the best option. Then at least the favorability wouldn’t rise.
Thus, unintentionally, Wonyoung created a self-directed mission.
It was the <Avoiding the Capture Targets> mission. He deeply regretted that with an IQ of 150 he only came up with this result, and he knew that putting it nicely as a mission, this was nothing more than escapism. But he needed time more than ever.
He’d come this far by throwing drop kicks out of the blue or smashing choice options, but now even Heo Wonyoung was being pushed into a defensive position.
Then suddenly, Wonyoung felt like the game was hastily driving him toward the ending. Was it just his imagination? However, the System he could ask was already gone. Whether it was true that it couldn’t come for a while, there was no answer even when he called.
Wonyoung glared at the ‘Shabby Game Manual’ newly added to his item window. Then, as if recognizing it as a click, an explanation appeared over the new window.
<Shabby Game Manual>
A manual containing the play method of <Is Being Abangsu Also a Sin?> and more. It’s handmade.
A friend who gives strength when Rae’s heart is weary☆
“Hey, you bastard.”
Following the 7,000-won Black Card, now a shabby handmade game manual—what a great game this was. Gives strength my ass?
Rating? I’m not giving one at all, you bastards. It’s 0. Zero.
While receiving a warning for profanity, Wonyoung threw a punch fist at the warning window. Another warning appeared. It was the second one.
‘Anyway…… let’s avoid those three people for now.’
Wonyoung made that resolution and set up a plan. And the next day, people flocked to a cafe near Wonyoung’s house. It was because of the rumor that three handsome men had appeared.
And the protagonist who gathered those three handsome men, Wonyoung, crossed his arms with Taerim, Siyeon, and Heegang lined up.
“Thank you for coming despite being busy. The reason I’ve gathered everyone like this is none other than because I have a matter to earnestly request.”
As Wonyoung deliberately set the mood, the three people made expressions filled with questions. They came because he asked them to, but with each other present and especially with the commotion around them because of Heegang, all three were inwardly displeased.
But what could this request be? Whatever it was, they had to score maximum points with Wonyoung here. The three men were thinking that way.
And Wonyoung’s mouth opened.
“I’ll be working at this cafe starting tomorrow, and I’d like all three of you to absolutely not come visit.”
“?”
In that moment, Taerim’s eyebrow rose crookedly, Siyeon’s mouth dropped open, and Heegang’s lips curved obliquely. All three were silent signs that they didn’t like Wonyoung’s decision.
“Honestly, if you three come, there will be more customers…… I want to focus only on work now. I hope we can thoroughly separate business from personal matters. Because I……”
The three people, who still seemed very dissatisfied, paused for a moment then changed their expressions at Wonyoung’s following words.
“Because I like that kind of person!”
With that, he laughed innocently, “Hehe.” Of course, it was the aftermath of a choice. Wonyoung grumbled inwardly about whether choices appeared even at times like this, but well, fortunately or unfortunately, the three men seemed to take Wonyoung’s words quite seriously.
“……Understood.”
“If that’s what Rae wants.”
Siyeon, who had become the most sullen, barely nodded.
“I’ll do as hyung says……”
That sight was a bit pitiful, but Wonyoung had no choice. Work aside, avoiding the ending was the priority.
In fact, Taerim had already made an offer asking if he wouldn’t return to work as his secretary, but Wonyoung answered that in good conscience, that was impossible. It was truly fortunate in hindsight. If his workplace was Taerim’s company, how hard would it have been to avoid Taerim?
And fortunately, his first day at work came without incident.
‘This time I’ll show the appearance of elite Heo Wonyoung.’
In various ways, he may have seemed like an incompetent person due to accidents like having his pants stripped off or passing out after two shots of soju, but his original self was Heo Wonyoung, the youngest team leader at a major corporation. Resolving to show the appearance of Heo Wonyoung, not Narae, this time, he headed to the cafe.
“Ah, Narae-ssi. Welcome!”
The boss with a good-natured impression greeted Wonyoung with a bright smile.
“We got a bulk order today. What should we do since it’ll be busy from your first day?”
“A bulk order? That’s great. I’ll adapt quickly.”
Wonyoung regarded the crisis as an opportunity and learned how to make coffee from the boss. Since most of today’s orders were Americanos, they decided to prioritize that.
‘I’m good at cafe work too.’
Seeing Wonyoung quickly learn the tasks, the boss also praised him saying he was amazing. Wonyoung finally felt like his self-esteem, which had been shattered, was recovering……
“Ah, hot!”
“Oh, Rae-ssi!”
Before he could finish speaking, Wonyoung spilled the coffee he just made. It was definitely because of Narae’s clumsy motor skills.
Of course! That’s Narae’s body! Damn klutz!
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, yes. I didn’t get badly burned. Sorry for startling you.”
“Not at all. I made you overwork from the first day……”
Seeing the deflated boss, Wonyoung nagged inwardly about how he could run a business like this. Hiring an abangsu guy like Narae as a part-timer, and this side had a lot of problems too.
“Now, there’s not much left, so let’s hurry and finish it.”
Wonyoung encouraged the discouraged boss and rolled up his sleeves. After various twists and turns, Wonyoung, having completed 50 drinks, loaded them into the car with the boss.
“Well then, I’ll be back.”
Wonyoung greeted him as he unexpectedly sat in the driver’s seat. Believe it or not, Narae was a license holder.
Wonyoung was very suspicious of how this guy could have gotten a license, but anyway, thinking it was better for the boss to remain at the cafe rather than himself who knew nothing on his first day at work, he volunteered to handle the delivery.
“Be careful. It’s not far so it should be okay.”
“Yes.”
I hope so. Wonyoung started the engine with an anxious heart. But then a guide window appeared before his eyes.
[It’s been so long since you’ve held a steering wheel that your mind goes completely blank. Status has become ‘Nervous’.]
[Status: Nervous (Дﾟ≡ﾟД;)]
[Due to abnormal status, driving difficulty increases.]
A while later.
“……Um, aren’t you going? Is something wrong, Rae-ssi?”
“Pardon? Ah, I’m sorry.”
The ‘Narae whose mind went blank’ had forgotten to start the car. It really sucked. Even when he pressed the accelerator, it said [Mind is blank ㅠㅠ] and the car wouldn’t go.
And a choice appeared.
[Which one was the accelerator again……?]
[Boss-nim, could you go instead? Hng……]
Mm.
For the first time in a while, Wonyoung wanted to cry.
* * *
Screech, screech, screeeech.
A small compact car appeared with screeching sounds at the frantically moving filming site. The staff members who had been rushing about stopped what they were doing and looked at the car at its ominous movements.
And what emerged from inside was a man with a noticeably pretty face but somehow looking haggard…… in other words, Wonyoung, who nearly threw up from Narae’s driving skills.
Soon, having barely escaped the car, he spoke in a near-collapsing state.
“Coffee, delivery, has arrived.”
Ah, coffee…… The staff were making exhausted expressions when someone smoothly took out a cup of coffee from the coffee carrier Wonyoung brought out from the car. It was none other than Baek Heegang, the lead actor of this drama and the most precious person here. The staff members all made surprised expressions upon confirming him. Heegang was originally someone who rarely came forward first or faced others.
However, as if filming a commercial, he elegantly took a sip of coffee and smiled brightly. With just the coffee brand logo stamped on, it would really look like a scene from an advertisement.
