“I’m sorry, hyung. Again…… I’m only receiving help.”
At those words, Wonyoung silently pulled Siyeon into his arms.
“It’s okay. And…… thank you.”
He looked at the notification window while holding Siyeon tightly.
[The ending conditions with conquest character Ki Siyeon have been achieved.]
[Ending #14 ‘Eternal Escape (Hidden Ending)’ route is now open.]
[Will you proceed to this route? Y/N]
Soon Wonyoung selected N. Then the floating notification window disappeared in an instant, and a new notification window appeared.
[Exiting from the branch of Ending #14.]
After confirming that, Wonyoung this time looked at Heegang and Taerim.
“Please help us. Both of us.”
Wonyoung’s tone was concise, but everyone in this space could feel the desperation contained within it. Though each person felt differently about that desperation.
Soon Heegang opened his mouth.
“Yeah, I’ll make sure to collect on this debt thoroughly.”
Whether Taerim glared at him for that answer or not, Heegang calmly took out his phone and called somewhere.
“It’s me. You can strike now. Contact me when it’s done. HS will handle the cleanup, so just finish it well.”
Then he hung up, let out a deep sigh, and called someone else. While the dial tone went, he winked at the puzzled Wonyoung and said.
“I at least have to report to the old man.”
“The old man……?”
Seeing Wonyoung’s surprise as he guessed who he was talking about, Heegang laughed and said ‘just a moment.’
“Ah, it’s me. I’ve started the job and I’ll handle it cleanly. HS? Kyung Taerim? Don’t know, don’t give a damn about that bastard.”
Isn’t he right next to you to say you don’t know? For a moment both Wonyoung and Siyeon showed flustered expressions, but Heegang continued the call nonchalantly.
“Ah, for someone with a frail body, you sure talk a lot. Coming to take back the grandson you threw away now? It’s too late for that. We’re both busy, so let’s stop and hang up. Have a good night, Grandfather.”
Then Heegang really unilaterally hung up the call. Wonyoung grabbed and shook Heegang in panic.
“Was that call just now with the Chairman of Baekil Group? Has this matter escalated to that level?”
“That’s why I said it. I’ll collect on this debt thoroughly. My losses are big too, Wonyoung-ah.”
Seeing Heegang smiling brightly, Wonyoung felt newly afraid of the aftermath of this matter. Then Taerim said with a displeased face.
“That won’t happen. I’m also doing this because I want to, so does the other side.”
“……Taerim-ssi.”
“Acting charitable. Why don’t you just say it bluntly? That you’re desperate to look good.”
“Why don’t you shut that mouth.”
Watching the two people growling at each other, Wonyoung felt newly amazed that the two had joined forces because of him. It also seemed like these socially deficient people who wouldn’t listen had finally grown a bit.
While feeling deeply moved by that sight, Wonyoung stopped their quarrel and asked.
“More than that, is Siyeon safe now?”
“Well, we’ll have to see when the job is done.”
“If he lives quietly, he should be fine. But he must never set foot in that world again.”
At Taerim’s warning-laced advice, Siyeon nodded.
“I will. For hyung’s sake too.”
Saying that, Siyeon firmly held Wonyoung’s hand. Wonyoung gave Siyeon a relieved smile. Taerim watched that sight for a moment, then turned around.
“I’ll also make a call and come back.”
Wonyoung stared quietly at Taerim’s back as he immediately left the motel room. But then Siyeon suddenly let go of Wonyoung’s hand and urged him.
“Follow him.”
“……Siyeon-ah.”
“You have a lot to say.”
Wonyoung seemed to hesitate for a moment, then soon answered that he understood and quickly followed Taerim. Before leaving through the door, he turned back to look at Siyeon and smiled broadly.
“Thank you, Siyeon-ah.”
“Yes.”
Siyeon stared at Wonyoung’s back as he hurried out with mixed emotions in his eyes, then soon muttered toward Heegang, who had just been watching the scene.
“I didn’t think the crazy psychopath would let hyung go without a word.”
“Ah.”
Heegang took out a lighter from his pocket and said with a click.
“Everything is more fun when there’s stimulation. Even this surging jealousy is enjoyable to me right now.”
“Ha…… You’re seriously insane.”
Siyeon shot back in a disgusted tone. Heegang casually took out a cigarette and lit it. It was an appearance he had never shown in front of Wonyoung.
“But my insides are a bit bitter.”
Hoo, it was what he muttered while exhaling cigarette smoke.
* * *
“Taerim-ssi!”
When Wonyoung, who had hurried to catch up to Taerim, called out, Taerim was startled and turned around. He seemed not to have expected Wonyoung to come.
But this time, Wonyoung had resolved not to fluster like before. He calmly began to speak.
“I have a lot I want to say. A lot I want to ask too. Could you spare me some time?”
Taerim showed signs of hesitation, then soon nodded once and pointed to a nearby bench.
“Sit for a moment.”
Saying that, when Taerim, who had headed somewhere, appeared, he was holding a canned drink in one hand. He held out the can to Wonyoung and said.
“Drink. I deliberately got you a warm one. I thought you must have been very shocked.”
“Uh…… thank you.”
Wonyoung accepted the can and gave an awkward greeting. The can’s contents were a chocolate drink. The cute character drawn on the can didn’t suit Taerim at all, so Wonyoung smiled slightly.
The two people sitting side by side maintained silence for a while. It was because once they faced each other like this, they felt awkward. Feeling unnecessarily embarrassed, Wonyoung opened the can and took a sip of the drink.
The sweet and warm taste spread from his tongue throughout his body.
Soon Wonyoung opened his mouth.
“I know you’ve been watching over me.”
“……”
“What I want to ask is why you avoided me. If you don’t want me appearing before you, I’ll do that.”
“Wonyoung-ssi, I……”
Taerim, who seemed to be choosing his words and pausing, suddenly met Wonyoung’s eyes. Unfamiliar eyes, but also familiar eyes. Eyes that suffered but ultimately told the truth.
Soon he realized no embellishment was needed and plainly laid it out.
“I was afraid of losing you.”
Wonyoung’s face filled with questions as he couldn’t immediately understand Taerim’s words. Taerim elaborated with his eyes lowered.
“If you see the ending, you might return to your world.”
“……”
“That’s why I avoided you. To prevent you from seeing the ending.”
Wonyoung was dazed for a moment. Then Taerim…… it wasn’t because he disliked him…….
“Well, after seeing you today, I realized even that was useless. There are feelings that can’t be avoided even when you try to avoid them.”
Wonyoung, who had only been moving his lips for a while, finally managed to ask.
“Is it okay with you that I’m Heo Wonyoung, that this world is a game…… and that Taerim-ssi is a character?”
“Not everything is okay. I couldn’t be indifferent like Baek Heegang or Ki Siyeon. Maybe that’s my limit…… but still, I want to think my heart is my own.”
Wonyoung was silent with wavering eyes. He didn’t know what to say in return. Toward such a Wonyoung, Taerim said.
“I also have one thing I want to ask.”
“……?”
Soon Taerim looked straight at Wonyoung and asked.
“Heo Wonyoung-ssi. Was your heart yours?”
In that moment, countless missions and choices flashed through his mind. Neither actions nor words had been his own. But his heart.
At least that heart when he broke missions for them, changed choices, and chose to remain in this world.
“……Yes, it was mine.”
At that answer, Taerim finally showed a gentle smile.
“Then that’s enough. Even if I can’t accept everything, at least I think I can continue to like you from now on.”
“……Taerim-ssi……”
“Even if you disappear, I hope that heart continues to remain. Even if it’s buggy data that needs to be deleted.”
In the moment emotion welled up, Wonyoung turned his head and pretended to drink his beverage. Soon he said in a moisture-laden voice.
“I’ll do my best. So that not just my heart, but my body can remain too.”
“……I see.”
Taerim didn’t say anything more than that. He didn’t rashly say he believed or didn’t believe. He knew well that such a person was Kyung Taerim.
The drink had already cooled, but that heart was still warm.
* * *
The morning after barely overcoming the crisis, Wonyoung tried to get up, but his body wouldn’t budge.
[You cannot leave the area while an ending is in progress.]
Along with this phrase he hadn’t seen in a long time.
Wonyoung immediately called the System.
“System-ssi.”
“Hello, Player-nim? What can I do for you?”
The System’s voice, without features or expression, was exceedingly cheerful. Feeling a sense of dissonance at that, Wonyoung spoke.
“What is this? What ending, all of a sudden?”
“Congratulations! You have achieved the acquisition conditions for Ending #10 Peaceful Morning!”
At the System’s carefree reaction, Wonyoung unconsciously raised his voice.
“Peaceful morning? It’s not peaceful at all! Right now I can’t move a muscle……!”
“Hmm, you haven’t seen the ending content yet.”
“Ending content?”
When the System moved aside the notification window with the cannot leave message, the text that had been hidden there was revealed.
[Wonyoung: Ha, is it morning?]
“What is this shitty text?”
Whether Wonyoung grumbled or not, the text continued.
[Wonyoung: Everything has been safely resolved. What greets me is the sound of birds chirping early in the morning and the quiet breathing of the one sleeping beside me…..]
“Nothing’s been resolved, so why……”
[Wonyoung: All that remains now are our happy days.]
Then suddenly Wonyoung noticed the time floating on one side and paused.
[09:30]
[09:29]
[09:28]
….
That time of about 10 minutes was steadily decreasing even at this very moment. Wonyoung asked with an uneasy premonition.
“What is that time?”
“It’s the time remaining until the ending is achieved. The content is a bit long. There are ending credits too.”
At the unexpected situation, Wonyoung was shocked.
“Wait, wait! An ending? This is the end like this? Don’t be ridiculous!”
“But the ending is in progress?”
“What kind of ending is this! Damn it!”
It was when Wonyoung was struggling.
“Hyung?”
