“What if I had a cold personality, sensitive impression, was smart, had silky straight hair, and wore suits all day long?”
“What?”
“I mean.”
“Hyung, could it be…….”
At Siyeon’s questioning tone, Wonyoung belatedly came to his senses and his heart sank.
You idiot. I shouldn’t be asking this to Siyeon who might have seen Heo Wonyoung. He hastily changed the subject.
“Ah, there must be someone somewhere who’s the complete opposite of me. So I just said it. Anyway, if you know a good dermatologist, recommend one. I’ll go later.”
Fortunately, Siyeon went along with Wonyoung’s tune without digging deeper.
“Mm, I’ll ask the guys.”
“Y-yeah. Thanks.”
Then after a moment of silence, Siyeon suddenly asked.
“But you’re really not going to meet me?”
“I’m just not meeting anyone. Until I’m all better.”
“…….”
In the ensuing silence, Wonyoung felt like he could hear the sound of Siyeon’s mind working all the way here.
Not meeting me = don’t like.
But also not meeting Baek Heegang? = good.
Plus not meeting Kyung Taerim either? = even better.
With two ‘goods,’ not meeting won. And Siyeon answered just as Wonyoung calculated.
“I understand…… if that’s really how you feel, hyung.”
‘How cute.’
Wonyoung was unknowingly making a pleased smile when Siyeon desperately appealed.
“But you have to keep in touch for sure. When your acne clears up, you have to meet me first.”
“Uh…… I will.”
“Make sure to eat your meals well too. Don’t do dangerous things. Don’t lend money or your body to just anyone.”
“Hey, what do you take me for…….”
“I take you for Narae.”
“…….”
Indeed, there was a point to that. Soon Siyeon said goodbye in a dejected voice.
“Then take care until then. I’ll wait.”
“……Okay.”
It wasn’t like they were parting forever, yet sorrow and disappointment dripped from Siyeon’s voice. Wonyoung thought with a sigh.
‘Hah, if it’s like this now, what will happen when we reach the ending? If I reach an ending with Siyeon?’
Becoming happy with Siyeon…… and then he returns to the original world. Is that the end? Is that really a happy ending? Isn’t Siyeon left alone? Just because he’s data……?
‘Then what about me? How can they make me sincere like this and then kick me out again……. Can’t I just stay here like this? All together.’
There was too much to think about. So much that his cold, rational self couldn’t make smart judgments.
After that, Wonyoung cut off contact with Taerim and Heegang as well and stayed holed up for a while. Then one day.
“Hi, Rae.”
Heegang appeared.
* * *
Wonyoung, who opened his eyes early in the morning, was horrified to see Heegang shining alone in this dim room.
“Y-you, why are you here……?!”
“I picked the lock and came in. Why so surprised?”
It really was a surprising question. But still, was someone else’s door an automatic door or something? How did he learn the skill of picking locks in the first place?
“Rae.”
“U-uh?”
At Heegang’s call, Wonyoung responded tensely. Indeed, Baek Heegang was a person who couldn’t be let down one’s guard. Siyeon was designated as the dangerous person, but this elegant beauty whose insides couldn’t be read and who might be smarter than him was, by Wonyoung’s standards, the most dangerous person.
Sure enough, Heegang smiled brightly and calmly struck at the core.
“Why do you keep avoiding me? Hm? Why would Rae avoid ‘the three of us’?”
“…….”
When Wonyoung hesitated and tried to open his mouth, Heegang quickly waved his hand.
“Ah, forget that talk about giant acne or whatever. I’m not stupid enough to be fooled by such nonsense.”
“Si-Siyeon roughly went along with it too. It’s not that he’s stupid…….”
“Ah, so Rae is on that gangster’s side?”
“No no, I’m on everyone’s side…….”
Wonyoung intuitively knew. Baek Heegang was incredibly angry about him avoiding Heegang.
Heegang sat cross-legged on the table, smiled, and asked.
“Rae. Your body is mine. You know that, right?”
“……R-right?”
Wonyoung, who responded half-doubtingly, was dazed by the following question.
“I’m a crazy psychopath, right?”
“Huh?”
“I hate seeing you sick. But I hate you running away more. So what should I do?”
It’s an obsessed maniac! An obsessed maniac! I read about this in novels!
Wonyoung felt goosebumps as if his hair was standing on end. Seeing Wonyoung’s face turn pale, Heegang’s smile deepened.
“Why, I saw it in a novel you like. Content where the protagonist cuts the tendons in their lover’s ankle to prevent them from running away.”
Kiiiyaaaaaaa! Wonyoung’s insides screamed.
He had never seen or read such a hardcore novel. Wonyoung wanted to immediately go confirm the facts with Semi, but that also wasn’t feasible.
What was certain right now was the single fact that he seemed to be fucked.
“Hee-Heegang.”
“Yeah. I’m listening.”
“I have…… circumstances I can’t tell you about.”
“Right. You seem to have some worries. Do you know the phrase you’ve said most lately is ‘Ah, I’m going crazy’?”
Wonyoung asked as calmly as possible, trying not to sound interrogative.
“Did you bug me?”
“I told you before. Did you forget?”
“……No.”
It was so brazen that he was at a loss for words instead. Then suddenly, Wonyoung worried whether he had said strange things out loud. Ever since possessing Narae, so much had accumulated that talking to himself had become a habit.
Heegang’s true feelings weren’t visible at all. He couldn’t tell what that eerie smile meant either.
But if Heegang asked him to tell what his worries were, he had nothing he could say.
As Wonyoung was stuck in such a dilemma, unable to do this or that, Heegang opened his mouth.
“Rae.”
“Yeah……?”
“Who is ‘Heo Wonyoung’?”
The moment he heard that name, Wonyoung felt like he was dropped straight into an abyss.
Heo Wonyoung.
It was a name that shouldn’t come out here.
‘System-ssi! System-ssi! ……Damn it!’
Wonyoung urgently called the System inwardly, but this time too there was no news from him. But he couldn’t just sit there in a daze. Wonyoung quickly racked his brain and made up an excuse.
“A f-friend.”
“……That’s the first time I’m hearing that name.”
“Just because you’re you doesn’t mean…… you know everything about me.”
Heegang, with his chin propped up, tilted his head slightly and muttered ‘doesn’t mean?’ then soon asked again.
“How did you meet this friend?”
“Well, at the company. We were colleagues when I worked as a secretary at HS.”
“Aah.”
Heegang nodded.
“But I don’t think I’ve seen them. You must not be close?”
“Uh…… well, because they’re very different from me.”
“Different?”
When Wonyoung inadvertently nodded, Heegang asked with interested eyes.
“What kind of person are they?”
“Well…….”
Wonyoung, who had been hesitating, slowly continued.
“Sensitive, a perfectionist…… with a cold nature. Moved according to plans every day, claimed to be rational, seemed to prioritize appearance over inner self. Valued grades and honor.”
The more he spoke, Wonyoung slowly began to face ‘Heo Wonyoung’ directly. And the real self he learned about after entering the game.
“……But actually gets lonely, doesn’t know how to interact with people well, acted arrogant pretending to know everything but there were plenty of things he hadn’t experienced, a coward with affection deficiency.”
Only after spitting out the words did Wonyoung realize the current situation and hesitate. He thought he’d said all sorts of useless things.
He had become too sincere. With this game, with these men. That’s why he couldn’t reveal the truth even more, and the more that was so, the more he wanted to face them with his true self.
Wonyoung now liked this game. No, Heegang and Siyeon, Taerim…….
“I see.”
Heegang, who had been quietly listening to the story, opened his mouth.
“So, what’s the worry related to that person?”
“……Huh?”
“I’m asking why this ‘Heo Wonyoung’ made you avoid me.”
“Th-that’s.”
Wonyoung, who had been faltering, barely produced an answer.
“It’s not that Heo Wonyoung did anything. I just…… remembered something annoying from when we worked together back then…… so I cursed.”
Heegang was still smiling. As if painted. It was so motionless he could believe it was a perfect masterpiece. Such a person, slowly asked.
“But, Rae.”
“…….”
“There’s no person named Heo Wonyoung in this world though?”
“What?”
At Heegang’s piercing remark, Wonyoung’s mind went blank. Heegang, who actually caused the ripple, whispered sweetly.
“No matter how much I search, there’s no such person. A person named Heo Wonyoung doesn’t exist in this world.”
It was somehow a statement that stabbed like a dagger. However, even at Wonyoung’s agitation, Heegang remained composed throughout.
“Your expression is cute, Rae.”
“…….”
“Now, really tell me. Who might Heo Wonyoung be?”
It was truly a dilemma. Wonyoung searched for the System again with a desperate heart.
‘System-ssi, please. Everything’s fucked, I’m telling you! Come out!’
And then, by a stroke of great luck, a glowing sphere appeared before Wonyoung’s eyes.
“Ugh, I’m so busy I could die, who’s calling…… Oh, Player-nim!”
The System in a grumpy tone saw Wonyoung and quickly bowed. Only then did Wonyoung feel relieved, but without even properly composing himself, he asked anxiously.
“System-ssi, I…… I mean, Baek Heegang just mentioned Heo Wonyoung. It seems he investigated Heo Wonyoung. And it seems Heo Wonyoung’s appearance is being revealed…….”
“What?! Has the bug already occurred to that extent?! Ah, this won’t do……! At this rate, recovery mode…….”
“Hmm, what’s this now?”
The moment a voice full of curiosity came from across the way, both the System and Wonyoung froze solid.
Heegang was smiling broadly.
Precisely, while looking at the System.
