“Still, let’s wait and see. Until trust is restored.”
“……Narae-ssi.”
“This will probably be the last time. For me and for you, Director.”
The game wouldn’t let them pull this trick twice. If they weren’t careful, it might arbitrarily end a route with someone again at any time.
“So I’ll make an effort too.”
“…….”
“Director, please don’t let go of me yet either.”
Then Taerim hugged Wonyoung so deeply it was suffocating.
“I won’t let go, absolutely not.”
While feeling relieved at his promise, Wonyoung suddenly thought.
Isn’t it because I’m Narae, because you can smell fragrances through me, that you’re like this?
But he couldn’t say those words out loud.
No, game or whatever, right now he just wanted to stay like this.
And so the two embraced each other for a long while.
* * *
“Rae-hyung.”
“…….”
“Hyung, Rae-hyung.”
Wonyoung, who had been blankly lost in thought, only came to his senses after Siyeon’s calls continued several more times.
“Huh, what? S-sorry.”
Then Siyeon pushed out his plump lips in a pout.
“What are you thinking about so much? When I’m right beside you.”
“I’ve just had a lot on my mind lately.”
“Why? Because of debt?”
“Well…….”
Wonyoung nodded awkwardly. It wasn’t entirely wrong.
Right now, the two were shopping together and heading home. Since it had been a while, they thought they’d save money and cook at home.
“Didn’t that crazy actor take care of the other debt?”
“Ah, yeah. How did you know?”
“It’s my line of work, how wouldn’t I know? Plus with all that crazy shit he pulled…… Those guys there apparently came back from the dead. What the hell did he do?”
What the hell did you do, Baek Heegang…….
Wonyoung recalled Heegang he’d seen recently, shuddered once all over, and shook off the thought.
Soon Siyeon complained with a still frowning face.
“I’m always getting beaten to the punch. It upsets me.”
“Why are you upset? I meet with you most often.”
“But I don’t know anything about you.”
“You know a lot.”
“What do I know?”
At those words, Wonyoung rolled his eyes. About me—that would be about Narae, right?
“……Never mind. Nothing.”
After thinking, Wonyoung said that like a sigh. When even he didn’t know Narae, how could he answer?
“Ah, what, hyung.”
Siyeon, who had been reproaching him in a pointed tone, changed his expression upon seeing Wonyoung’s bitter smile.
“Hyung?”
“Sorry. I don’t have much to tell you.”
At those words, Siyeon, who had been silent, spoke up again.
“Rae-hyung.”
“Yeah.”
“I know a lot about you, hyung. You’re kind, innocent, quirky, you have naturally curly hair, your cheeks are soft…….”
None of that was Heo Wonyoung. It was Narae. Wonyoung tried to say that was enough, but hesitated at Siyeon’s continuing words.
“You like triangle kimbap and kimchi stew, and even though you grumble every time, you treat my wounds and worry about me a lot.”
“……That’s.”
“It’s all about you, hyung. Right?”
Not all of it but…….
Really not all, but that was enough. Even just part of it.
When Wonyoung smiled gently, only then did Siyeon’s expression brighten. Soon he poked Wonyoung’s side and asked subtly.
“Hyung, since you’re feeling down, how about fish cake soup and soju today?”
“Here we go again.”
“Ah, why.”
“Stop drinking so much. It’s fine now because you’re young, but later your liver will be damaged.”
“Wow, how many years apart are we?”
“A lot.”
While they were bickering with each other, Siyeon’s phone started ringing at just that moment.
“Hyung, just a moment.”
Siyeon, who moved a little away to answer the phone, asked.
“What.”
It was such a cold voice. Enough to wonder where that aegyo-filled cutie from just now went.
“What? Got it.”
Siyeon, who hurriedly hung up, came to Wonyoung with an apologetic face.
“Hyung, what should I do? I think I need to go right now.”
“Really? Then you should go.”
“Sorry. I’ll contact you later.”
As Siyeon turned around, Wonyoung unconsciously grabbed his sleeve.
Why? He had a strange premonition that he shouldn’t let him go like this.
“Siyeon-ah. It’s not dangerous, is it?”
He knew Siyeon’s answer was predetermined, and even if it was dangerous, he couldn’t stop him. But he couldn’t stop worrying.
As expected, Siyeon answered with a bright smile.
“Yeah, it’s really nothing. I just need to check on something.”
“……Contact me right away when you’re done.”
“Of course. I’ll do it even if you tell me not to, hyung.”
Siyeon held and shook Wonyoung’s hand, said ‘See you later,’ and moved away. Wonyoung stared at that figure before returning home alone.
And some time later, it turned out Wonyoung’s anxious premonition was correct.
It had already been a week without word from Siyeon.
He didn’t answer calls, and there was no reply to texts. Unable to bear it, Wonyoung even asked the System whether Siyeon was at least alive.
Of course, the only answer that came back from the System was ‘Who knows.’ This guy increasingly knew nothing and just rambled incoherently. Wonyoung became more anxious than ever. In the midst of that, one mission appeared.
[※Mission Alert※]
Goal: Find Siyeon.
Reward: Siyeon’s Truth
Upon Failure: Ki Siyeon Route Ends
I knew this would happen. Wonyoung grumbled like that. Seeing how it mentioned route endings more often than game overs now, it seemed they wanted to at least send him to an ending somehow. Still, the unchanging truth was that the game developer had a nasty temper.
Anyway, being told to find Siyeon must mean he was alive. Wonyoung felt small relief at that fact and racked his brain.
‘……Should I ask Kyung Taerim or Baek Heegang?’
It was the first method that came to mind, but he’d been indebted to Taerim last time too, and even though they’d reconciled, they were still on awkward terms, so he wasn’t keen on it.
Heegang too—though he seemed like a crazy bastard at first glance, he was still an ordinary actor after all, so it didn’t seem like he could find someone that easily.
‘……Should I try looking myself?’
He knew it was reckless, but it seemed better to run around directly than wait blankly like this. The game’s intention would be similar. Not that he had any intention of barging into a gangster’s den rashly like Narae…….
[To catch a tiger, you must enter the tiger’s den! Enter the gangster’s den to catch gangsters. C= C= C= C=┌( `ー´)┘]
[Whine to Heegang. ｡･ﾟﾟ*(>д<)*ﾟﾟ･｡]
‘Hey, you bastard.’
Where even is the gangster’s den, you assholes?
This wasn’t even worth considering. Rather than risk his life, it was better to whine to Baek Heegang. Whatever the case, he couldn’t storm into a gangster’s den alone.
Just as Wonyoung, who had sorted that out, was about to choose the lower option.
[Inappropriate behavior by the player has been detected in past play records. A penalty will be given for this.]
Along with that notification window, the lower option turned gray.
“Huh?”
Wonyoung, who stood dumbfounded for a moment, soon realized something and let out an empty breath.
“Ha.”
Even without saying it in words, the game’s intention was obvious. It intended to make him pay the price for breaking the choice last time. Wonyoung, who had become too accustomed to the game, wasn’t even angry.
Right, I knew it from when they made a fuss about sending me to a gangster’s den.
“Game developer, drop dead.”
Though he said he wasn’t angry, Wonyoung cursed more scathingly than anyone. At the same time, one warning was added.
“Whew.”
Wonyoung glared at the choice with a furious sigh. As if he’d break the choice with beams from his eyes.
However, without any gain, one minute eventually passed, and naturally the upper choice was selected.
Wonyoung, who had been mentally preparing himself, was dumbfounded seeing his legs suddenly running. His body suddenly flung open the door and started running somewhere like crazy.
“Why are you running?!”
Don’t tell me it’s because of that damn ‘C= C= C= C=┌( `ー´)┘’ emoticon in that choice?!
“Running when you don’t even know where it is! System, System!”
Wonyoung shouted, but the System had been sulking since the last choice-breaking and rarely came out unless necessary. It was certain it especially wouldn’t come out in a situation like this.
The fortunate thing was.
“Huff, huff…….”
[Stamina is insufficient. Please rest.]
[Stamina: 5]
The fact that Narae’s lousy stamina hit rock bottom quickly. Still, whether fortunately or unfortunately, he seemed to have arrived at his destination.
When Wonyoung, who had been catching his breath for a while, raised his head, an unexpected building stood before his eyes. It was the building where ‘Maru Capital,’ where he had borrowed money, was located. It was also where Heegang had come to collect money and knocked down those gangsters with a dumbbell.
After that, Wonyoung had been diligently repaying his debt, and perhaps they were scared too, so they hadn’t come looking anymore…….
Wonyoung stood stupidly for a moment, dumbfounded, then fell into quiet thought.
‘……This is a gangster’s den.’
Come to think of it, it didn’t seem to be entirely groundless.
‘Siyeon knew all about what happened here last time too. Maybe since they’re the same gangsters, there might be an indirect relationship with Siyeon. What did Siyeon say before? What faction was this?’
Cheong…… He said Cheong something. Remember, Narae. Wake up your brain cells. You’re originally Heo Wonyoung. Even with half of Heo Wonyoung’s intelligence, you couldn’t have forgotten. Cheong…… Cheonghoe? Cheongsae?
Ah.
‘Cheonghae Faction!’
Fortunately, the memory came back. Siyeon had definitely said ‘Cheonghae Faction’ back then before hurriedly changing his words.
Then this place must be one of the businesses under the Cheonghae Faction. He didn’t know what the Cheonghae Faction was, but anyway, gaining even one piece of information was a profit. Well done, Narae—no, Heo Wonyoung.
Soon, Wonyoung left a text to Heegang in case of emergency, then opened the door to Maru Capital’s office and entered.
