He didn’t tell the three, but actually Wonyoung had received a message from the game creator while showering. As if they had been waiting for when he was alone.
[Hello, Wonyoung-nim! I’m the game creator>ㅡ]
[Let’s talk!]
With a cheerful tone as inscrutable as ever.
But there must be a reason for reaching out at this point in time. So Wonyoung deliberately refused the conversation with them. He needed time to prepare too.
“It’s difficult right now, let’s do it again tonight. I’ll call you. Come out then.”
[Hnnng…… I understand.( ; ω ; )]
And so it came to now. Wonyoung asked quietly while being mindful of outside the door.
“So, what’s your business?”
[I came because I have a proposal to make.^^]
“What is it?”
[What it is, is……]
Wonyoung stared at the chat window while feeling encroaching anxiety. Then a message appeared.
[You’ll return to being Narae~! In exchange, I’ll make it so you don’t have to see the ending!]
“What did you say……?”
Wonyoung spoke slowly, trying to understand the proposal the game creator made.
“So…… if I return to being Narae, I can stay in this world?”
[Yep!]
“In exchange for me, for ‘Heo Wonyoung’?”
[That’s right! Exactly that!]
“……Then what about the three’s memories? Will they remain?”
[It will be restored to before it was discovered that Wonyoung-nim was Heo Wonyoung. But that’s okay, right? Even though it will be directed toward Narae, the memories and feelings will still remain.]
[Plus, Wonyoung-nim’s memories will be intact.]
[Isn’t that better than being separated forever?(・へ・)]
“……”
Heo Wonyoung disappears. In exchange…… he can remain by the three’s side.
Wonyoung opened his mouth then closed it. He didn’t know what to say. Which choice was best.
……Best.
‘You already know.’
He couldn’t be selfishly greedy just because he wanted to be loved as Heo Wonyoung. Surely the three had liked Narae at first too. Then those feelings just transferred to Heo Wonyoung. If Narae hadn’t existed, he wouldn’t have been loved now either.
So…….
Wonyoung clenched his trembling fist and asked.
“Why?”
[Huh?]
“Why are you making this proposal to me? Can’t you just change it as you please?”
[Hey~ You know. Even I can’t do everything as I wish.ㅠㅠ But if there’s mutual consent, that’s a different story.]
“……Then why are you trying to turn me back into Narae?”
[Because he’s the real protagonist of this game. He’s the one who should be loved.]
“The real protagonist……”
Those words sounded to Wonyoung like he was being blamed for ruining the game by interfering. It wasn’t wrong. He was a fake after all.
To be fake even in a game world where everything is virtual. Wonyoung smiled bitterly at the insignificance of his existence.
[So, what choice will you make?]
[Do you need time to think?]
“No.”
Thinking more would only increase his hesitation. When he already knew which was best, there was no need to give himself time for his heart to waver.
“……I’ll do as you propose. I’ll return to being Narae.”
[ヽ(´▽｀)ノ]
“Instead.”
[(´･ω･`)?]
“Give me time. Time for me to settle things as Heo Wonyoung.”
[…….]
[Alright.]
[I’ll give you one week!]
One week…… This time was truly the last.
Wonyoung finished the secret deal with the game creator and left the bathroom. Fortunately, no one seemed to be awake.
Instead of lying down right away, Wonyoung carefully looked at Heegang’s face, Siyeon’s face, and Taerim’s face illuminated by the dim light.
Something welled up inside him.
He just wanted to be together with them. That was all.
“……Heo Wonyoung?”
Then, perhaps sensing a presence, Heegang opened his eyes. Wonyoung quickly hid his face so his tears wouldn’t show and turned over.
“Sorry for waking you, I went to the bathroom. I’ll sleep now.”
“……”
Heegang, who had been looking at Wonyoung’s back turned away from him for a moment, quietly patted that back.
“Wonyoung-ah, you don’t need to think about anything else.”
“……Yeah.”
“Everything will be okay. None of us will just let you go.”
Wonyoung couldn’t bring his voice out of his mouth, afraid his crying would be discovered if he did, so he just bit his lips and nodded.
“……Good night.”
Hearing Heegang’s voice, Wonyoung closed his eyes instead of answering. A single tear fell from his closed eyes.
* * *
“Do you really have to go?”
“It’s only until today.”
Wonyoung put on his jacket and placated the thoroughly sulking Siyeon. He was trying to go to his café part-time job right now. He said he’d quit, but still, it seemed right to go out until today.
Of course, he too felt every minute and second with the three was precious, but he also owed the boss a lot of debt. He already felt bad about quitting irresponsibly like this, so he wanted to help him for at least a day.
“I’ll take you.”
“Me too, hyung.”
At Taerim’s suggestion, Siyeon quickly chimed in, but Wonyoung shook his head.
“I’ll go and come back alone. I have some things to think about too.”
“……”
Heegang, who had been quietly watching, opened his mouth.
“Come back safe, then. Anyway, if you go alone there won’t be an ending.”
“Huh? Oh, okay.”
Wonyoung, who hadn’t expected permission to come from Heegang, nodded awkwardly. Fortunately, Taerim and Siyeon didn’t hold him back any further.
“I’ll be back then.”
Wonyoung smiled and greeted them before leaving the house. But the moment the front door closed, that smile disappeared instantly.
“……”
He’d only been alone for a very short time but already felt strange. So yes, it would be better to return to being Narae.
‘It’s already happened. I can’t take it back. And I won’t.’
Wonyoung, who had firmly made up his mind, arrived at the café and opened the door to find the boss humming in the kitchen. He seems to be in a good mood today. Wonyoung thought nothing of it and called out to the boss.
“Boss-nim, it’s Heo Wonyoung.”
“Oh, Wonyoung-ssi? What brings you here?”
“I still thought it was right to help with work until today. I owe you a lot of debt, boss-nim, and you’ve looked after me a lot.”
The boss, who looked at Wonyoung as if surprised for a moment, soon smiled and said.
“Aw, it’s not that busy except for Heegang-ssi’s bulk orders.”
At those words, Wonyoung, who was stabbed in the conscience, laughed awkwardly with a “haha” and quickly took off his jacket and put on an apron.
“I’ll start by displaying the cakes.”
“Okay.”
Wonyoung displayed the strawberry cream cake, milk cream cake, and tiramisu in order.
“Oh, this is still here.”
Then he suddenly discovered the Muraei cake and chuckled. Well, it must be popular. Anyway, that naming sense…….
“Wonyoung-ssi?”
“……”
Wonyoung suddenly snapped out of his thoughts and looked at the boss. The boss looked at Wonyoung with a worried face.
“Are you alright?”
“What? Yes.”
“You were spacing out……”
Avoiding the boss’s gaze, Wonyoung made an awkward excuse.
“Was I? Actually, I didn’t sleep well last night.”
“Gasp, then you really should have stayed home today, shouldn’t you?”
Seeing the boss making a tearful face right away, Wonyoung shook his head.
“No. I have to do what needs to be done.”
He smiled as if it was fine and devoted himself to work again. Fortunately, there really wasn’t a flood of bulk orders, so it seemed the boss would be able to hold on until hiring a new part-timer.
Time passed like that, and after the busy rush hour passed, the boss came over and spoke.
“Um…… Thank you for today, Wonyoung-ssi.”
“Not at all.”
“Actually, I didn’t think you’d come. You seemed very busy……”
“Boss-nim is a good person. You accommodated me in many ways……”
Even if that was just your role. There were times when I was comforted, and times when I smiled.
“I’m really grateful for that part.”
“……Um.”
It was when the hesitating boss was about to say something. The door opened and three men with familiar faces appeared.
“Wonyoung hyung!”
Siyeon, who was at the front, saw Wonyoung and greeted him brightly. Wonyoung’s expression also brightened along with him.
“How did you all come?”
“I thought I’d die being stuck with these guys all day. Seeing you, I feel alive, Wonyoung-ah.”
At Heegang’s heartfelt complaint, Wonyoung burst into laughter. Thinking of the three people who didn’t match at all spending all day in one house, it was both pitiful and funny.
“When do you finish? I was thinking of waiting.”
At Taerim’s question, Wonyoung hesitated saying “Uh……” Then the boss stepped forward and said.
“You can go ahead and leave. The busy time has already passed.”
“Is that really okay?”
“Yes.”
At the boss’s answer, Wonyoung looked around cautiously and asked.
“But what were you trying to say earlier……”
“Ah, I was going to tell you to go ahead. This worked out well.”
“Yes, if you say so…… I’ll be going then.”
Wonyoung bowed his head.
“Thank you for everything.”
“……Yes.”
Wonyoung untied his apron and gathered his clothes, then approached the three men. Siyeon smiled brightly and waved his hand at the boss.
“Goodbye, boss-nim!”
“Yes, goodbye.”
Heegang and Taerim also roughly nodded in greeting and followed Wonyoung out.
“What’s wrong?”
Seeing Wonyoung’s expression darken soon after, Heegang asked. Wonyoung smiled as if nothing had happened.
“No, nothing. More than that, what if someone sees us all coming out together? Let’s hurry inside.”
“It’s fine, I brought the car.”
“Who drove?”
“Who else but me? Would you, Wonyoung-ssi, entrust it to one of those two?”
Siyeon aside, Wonyoung, who had experienced a hellish drive with Heegang, had nothing to say back.
“The nouveau riche is doing chauffeur work unlike himself, so his mood must be really bad. He’s been snapping like that all day.”
“I think he was like that even before doing chauffeur work.”
Siyeon and Heegang exchanged words, but Taerim didn’t even pretend to listen. Wonyoung deliberately smiled more brightly and patted Taerim’s back.
“Let’s go home now.”
“……Let’s.”
“But this time I’m riding in the passenger seat!”
Shouting that and quickly climbing into the passenger seat, Taerim looked at Wonyoung with complicated eyes.
And from even farther away, the boss watched them for quite a long time.
