“Let’s pack first.”
“Okay. Heegang-ah, you pack and come too. I’ll text you Taerim-ssi’s address.”
“What…… It’s annoying but fine.”
Heegang stood up as if he had no choice, then looked at Taerim and Siyeon and warned them.
“Guard Heo Wonyoung well.”
“We’ll obviously do well.”
When Siyeon shot back, Heegang squinted his eyes as if it was ridiculous and turned around. After Heegang left, Siyeon briefly left saying he’d go to the bathroom, and Taerim, who had no luggage to pack, helped Wonyoung pack.
“I’m becoming indebted to you.”
At Wonyoung’s awkward voice, Taerim chuckled. He said while neatly folding and putting in clothes.
“I have no intention of making you indebted to me too.”
“……”
“You might say no, but I don’t think you have absolutely no attachment to your original world. There must be at least one precious thing there too.”
“……I’m not sure.”
“You’ll remember later. I want to make it so you won’t regret it then. So that you’ll think choosing us was fortunate.”
When Wonyoung raised his head, Taerim met his eyes and said.
“Although there’s no fairy’s robe to steal, shouldn’t I do something to keep you from leaving? Even looking like this, I’m quite anxious too.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“So that’s why you’re being good to me?”
At Wonyoung’s question, Taerim frowned.
“Your lack of tact wasn’t the game’s doing.”
“No……”
Even I thought I was a bit like Narae just now. Wonyoung shook his head to chase away the wicked specter.
“I’m just not used to receiving affection.”
“I’m not used to giving it either. I’m somehow doing it in my clumsy way.”
“You seem used to it. Beyond used to it, you’re skilled.”
“I must have talent.”
At those words, Wonyoung burst into laughter.
“That’s an amazing talent.”
Seeing Wonyoung finally laugh, Taerim also smiled. Then, choices appeared before Wonyoung’s eyes.
[Confess -> To #Ending 19]
[Blurt out a confession -> To #Ending 23]
What, these ridiculous choices?! Are you kidding?
“Wonyoung-ssi.”
The fortunate thing was that Taerim also seemed to see the choices. He said calmly.
“First open the ending collection. We need to know what kind of endings they are.”
“But there’s only 1 minute. After 1 minute, the top choice will be automatically selected.”
“I understand.”
Wonyoung first hurriedly pulled out the shabby paperback book and looked at the ending list.
“Found it. Ending number 19.”
<Ending #19 Starting with Cohabitation>
Target Character: Kyung Taerim
Acquisition Condition: Cohabitate with Kyung Taerim whose affection is 900 or higher.
“It was 899 until earlier, so it must have gone up.”
“I see. What about 23?”
“Here it is. Number 23.”
<Ending #23 My Confession is 183 km/h>
Target Character: Kyung Taerim
Acquisition Condition: Confess straight to Kyung Taerim whose affection is 900 or higher.
※However, the appropriate atmosphere must be set.
‘So just now was the appropriate atmosphere?’
At that fact, Wonyoung’s face reddened a little. Anyway, the problem was the choices. He urgently asked.
“What should I do?”
“Choose the bottom one.”
“I-is that okay……”
“Trust me.”
At Taerim’s serious gaze, Wonyoung soon nodded. And he pressed the bottom choice.
“Taerim-ssi, actually I……!”
It was the moment when a confession was about to burst out before he could even control it.
“Hyung, are you taking these BL books too?”
“!”
“They were hidden in the bathroom.”
At Siyeon’s question as he flung open the bathroom door, the atmosphere was completely shattered. Fortunately, Wonyoung’s confession also stopped.
The problem was that his sense of shame exploded after a long time.
“Siyeon-ah!”
He quickly got up and snatched the book Siyeon was holding. Why are all BL manga covers like this? At the cover depicting a seme with clothes half-removed and an uke looking at such a seme tenderly, Wonyoung quickly hid the manga inside his clothes.
“I, I don’t read stuff like this anymore!”
“If you don’t read it, why are you packing it?”
“I’m not packing it……!”
Fuck!
“You, wh-where did you find this?”
“I ran out of toilet paper, so I was looking for it. But.”
Siyeon grinned and looked at Taerim.
“I didn’t interrupt you two, did I?”
“……It was a moment that needed interrupting.”
At Taerim’s quiet answer, Wonyoung realized Siyeon had known everything. Taerim had also been aware of Siyeon’s presence.
‘Aren’t these guys trusting each other more than I thought?’
Is this what they call tsundere semes? But what’s the point of semes being tsundere to each other?
While Wonyoung was lost in idle thoughts, Siyeon approached Taerim.
“Really can’t leave them alone for even a moment.”
“I agree.”
“You didn’t deliberately seduce him, right?”
“Well. Is it my fault that Wonyoung-ssi likes me? Ah, if it’s my fault, then it’s my fault.”
“That’s funny, when you have the lowest affection rating.”
So why are they being tsundere to each other? Wonyoung, who still couldn’t distinguish between tsun and dere, sighed and squeezed between the two.
“Promise me. No fighting. Otherwise I’m running away from home.”
“Hyung, that guy started it first……!”
At Siyeon’s aggrieved expression as he instantly changed his face and clung to him, Wonyoung almost fell for it knowingly.
“Siyeon-ah. Taerim-ssi is much more of an adult than you. You should be polite.”
“Is it my fault that nouveau riche old man is old?”
“Siyeon-ah……”
Please watch your words…… As Wonyoung muttered that inwardly, Taerim’s sharp tone was heard.
“Definitely like an immature kid whose head isn’t even dry yet. All he can do is throw tantrums like a five-year-old. This is why even I would get sick of it. Isn’t that right, Wonyoung-ssi?”
What about you who’s playing along with the kid? Wonyoung swallowed the words he wanted to say and maturely admonished them.
“I know you two don’t get along. But don’t we all have the same goal? Even if it’s uncomfortable for a while, let’s both compromise a little.”
Of course, it would have been better if the BL manga hidden in his clothes hadn’t fallen out with a thud just then.
‘Fuck.’
In that moment when Siyeon desperately held back laughter, Taerim dusted off and picked up the book. But after seeing that he was also biting his lips, Wonyoung just wanted to cry. Would it have been less embarrassing if he were Narae? The blow was bigger because he was experiencing this humiliation with his own face.
“……Thank you.”
“You like this kind of face? I heard Baek Heegang’s face is your type, but this one looks a bit like me.”
When Wonyoung raised his head, Taerim had a smile hanging on his lips. This bastard…….
“Don’t tease me.”
Wonyoung snatched the book away and said bluntly. But there was no way to hide his reddened face and neck.
Then Siyeon naturally hugged Wonyoung from behind and said.
“Hyung, you’re cute. Look how red you are.”
“This is all because of you!”
“That hyung is cute is hyung’s fault.”
But at this trivial conversation, a notification window suddenly appeared.
[You have achieved the acquisition conditions for Ending #17 ‘It’s My Fault for Being Cute.’]
[The ending will begin.]
[Once the ending begins, you can no longer continue playing.]
[00:30]
[00:29]
….
At the suddenly given 30 seconds, Wonyoung was very flustered.
“What?! Wait! What is this!”
“An ending, what did we do?”
It was the same for Siyeon. Taerim, who was at least maintaining his reason, said.
“Wonyoung-ssi, look for it in the ending list. Quickly.”
Wonyoung rapidly unfolded the list and searched for the ending. Number 17, number 17…… His sweaty fingertips kept slipping on the paper. But a large hand overlapped on top of it, and a voice was heard from behind.
“It’s okay, hyung. We won’t let it end like this. You know that.”
“……Siyeon-ah.”
Wonyoung nodded. Soon with 15 seconds remaining, Wonyoung found Ending number 17.
“Here it is!”
<Ending #17 Being Cute is Also a Crime>
Target Character: Ki Siyeon
Acquisition Condition: Be hugging alone with Ki Siyeon whose affection is 800 or higher and be told you’re cute.
“What kind of fucking……”
There was no time to continue speaking. Now about 10 seconds remained. Wonyoung was trying to look at the two to see what to do, when suddenly his view was blocked by a large chest. Taerim had embraced Wonyoung.
“What are you doing……?”
When Wonyoung, who had unintentionally become a sandwich hugged by two men, asked, Taerim said.
“The condition is ‘hugging alone with Ki Siyeon.’ If three people hug, that condition is also void.”
“……Do we have to do this?”
When Siyeon grumbled in dissatisfaction, Taerim said irritably.
“Find a better method than this then.”
“Ah, there’s only 5 seconds left now! Just bear with it, both of you!”
When Wonyoung shouted loudly, the two shut their mouths. Like that, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…….
[You have failed to achieve the ending’s acquisition conditions.]
[Escaping into a branch of Ending #17.]
“……Whew.”
Wonyoung looked at the notification window and finally let out a sigh of relief.
“The game is getting more clever as it goes. It’s increasingly trying to prevent escape from endings. This time it even started the ending and only gave 30 seconds of leeway.”
“……That’s right.”
“Actually, the game hasn’t been operating properly lately. The game system’s tricks have also decreased. It’s certain that problems occurred in the game as Heo Wonyoung surfaced. But it seems the game creator is gradually regaining their abilities. Going forward, we especially need to be careful……”
Wonyoung, who was continuing to speak, hesitated. Because he was still a sandwich made of two handsome bread slices. He was stuck in the middle swaying this way and that.
“Let go.”
“Why should I? You let go.”
“Do you want to see another ending?”
“If you’re holding on, won’t an ending appear?”
Seeing Taerim and Siyeon bickering again unable to hold back, Wonyoung finally couldn’t stand it and shouted.
“Ah, come on!”
Already Wonyoung’s future looked dark at the prospect of cohabiting with them.
