This World is Hard Mode!?

……………

She beamed innocently as she spoke.

"I'm your neighbor! I saw you'd just moved in, so I brought some rice cakes."

'Rice cakes because I just moved in?'

Something felt off. Usually, wasn't it the new people handing out rice cakes? At least, that's how I remembered it. Sure, that tradition was dying out these days, but still. It all seemed a bit contrived. I couldn't shake the feeling that her approach hid some ulterior motive.

Calling me "Dad" at the bus stop, then showing up right after I moved in—it was all a little suspicious.

'No, no, no. This is the countryside. The mindset and customs could be different from the city.'

It wasn't good to suspect people without reason. I brushed off the nagging doubts. Yeah, why not welcome the new neighbor first? That must be what rural hospitality was all about—the kind of "jeong" we often talked about. Probably.

And above all, her smile as she held the plate of rice cakes looked so pure, brimming with goodwill. My wariness melted away under that sunny expression.

"Oh, thank you. Please, come in."

Thinking about it, refusing a neighbor's kindness on my first day here would be rude. I had to live in this place long-term, after all. One more thing—and I'd mentioned it a few times already—this was the countryside. To survive out here, I needed smooth relations with the neighbors. Way more than in the city.

I flung the front gate wide open and welcomed her in. She stepped inside without hesitation, glancing over the peeling wallpaper and old furniture before speaking.

"I was worried this wasn't the owner's personal residence... but it doesn't look too badly damaged. What a relief."

"Yeah, a good cleaning and it'll be livable."

She seemed to know both the house and its late owner. So her reason for visiting was probably just neighborly kindness. Maybe she'd come to offer help if it was in rough shape.

'If that's the case, what an incredibly thoughtful person.'

I led her to the kitchen, where she set the rice cake plate on the table. I pulled out a chair and offered her a seat, but she chose the one right next to mine.

'......Huh!?'

She was way too close. Our shoulders were almost brushing. Close enough to hear each other's breathing.

'Why so close......?! Even Choi Seori didn't start off like this.'

Not that I was saying this sundress-wearing woman had the same pathological obsession as Choi Seori. While I flustered, my eyes caught sight of my neighbor's voluptuous figure. The thin sundress did nothing to hide her curves—rivaling even the overwhelming body the Love Goddess possessed.

'How is one breast bigger than my head— no, no, what am I thinking.'

No matter how uncovered she was, or how my gaze wandered unintentionally, staring like that was a huge ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠breach of manners. I forced my eyes to the rice cake plate.

"I'm Kim Bom!" she said suddenly, introducing herself. "Born in spring, so Bom! And you?"

A simple, pretty ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠name that suited her bright personality perfectly.

"Oh, right. I'm Yeoreum. Last name Yeo, first name Reum."

"Ye... Yeoreum...?"

The moment I said my name, her expression changed. Her smile vanished first, her eyes widening round. Her lips parted slightly. I didn't know why, but she looked unmistakably flustered.

'What's that about? Why freak out over someone else's name?'

I was puzzled, but figured it out quickly. My name "Yeoreum" must have struck her as super unusual. Kim Bom was at least a recognizable surname, but mine was literally the season "summer," surname and all.

"Yeah, it's a bit unusual, huh?" I replied with an awkward smile, and she stared blankly at me for a moment.

But it was fleeting. She snapped back to her bright smile almost too quickly—unnaturally so.

"Not at all. It's a beautiful name, really."

There was a strange emotion in her voice. Sadness? Longing? Something I couldn't quite pinpoint.

A slightly awkward silence fell. The rice cake plate sat on the table between us—or rather, we were sitting way too close. Greetings were done; it was time for her to head out.

'She'll probably leave now, right?'

But Kim Bom showed no sign of standing. Instead, she flashed an even brighter smile and spoke.

"By the way, Yeoreum-ssi, is this your first time living in the countryside?"

"Ah... yeah. I've only ever lived in the city."

"Then you must not know anything! There'll be all sorts of inconveniences."

Her voice carried a certain conviction, like she'd already decided I desperately needed help.

"I'll show you around! Where everything is, who to ask for what. The countryside's different from the city—if you don't learn ahead of time, you'll run into trouble."

Her tone was kind, brimming with goodwill, leaving no room for refusal. But beneath it lurked something that wouldn't tolerate rejection. A soft yet firm pressure, like iron chains wrapped in cotton candy.

"Th-that's too much trouble—"

"Trouble? Nonsense! It's what neighbors do. Everyone helps each other out here in the countryside!"

'Ugh, is this what rural hospitality is like?'

Someone like me, who'd only known city life in my past and present lives, couldn't even imagine it. A total stranger volunteering help so eagerly.

Strangely, it didn't annoy me. A corner of my heart even warmed.

'Am I lucky or something? Meeting such a kind neighbor on moving day.'

And... ahem, she was stunningly beautiful. The polar opposite of Choi Seori's slender type—a glamorous big-chested beauty who didn't yield an inch to the famously gorgeous CEO.

In short, in a sundress, she shone too brightly for a rural village.

'Kind and helpful to boot—total opposite of Choi Seori.'

I made up my mind. Nodding at Kim Bom, I said,

"Then... could I ask you to?"

Her face lit up even more at my response.

"Of course! Want to go right now? We can tour the important spots before sunset!"

"Huh, now? This suddenly?"

"Yes! Tomorrow might bring tomorrow's problems. Better handle what you can today."

Her logic made a certain sense. I'd already half-cleaned the house anyway. Better to learn the village layout with a guide.

"Got it. Give me a sec to get ready."

The village tour was suddenly on. Not a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bad feeling at all. If anything, a bit of excitement bubbled up.

The first everyday thrill I'd felt since Choi Seori's "eternal nursing."

'Well, compared to my sense of self collapsing from excessive drugging, anything feels like paradise.'

……………

Kim Bom and I walked side by side down the village path. She enthusiastically pointed out landmarks: the community center there, the lone supermarket next door. The clinic was over the hill.

"Oh, and that house at the end of those rice paddies is the village head's place. First stop for any issues."

She introduced the neighborhood with detailed kindness.

'What a really good person.'

But every so often—very occasionally—her gaze lingered on me. Like she was scrutinizing, checking me over head to toe.

Still, that didn't make sense. Why would a stranger like Kim Bom look at me that way? Probably just my imagination.

'Choi Seori really did a number on me. Gotta watch out for overreacting.'

"There's a pavilion up there. The view's gorgeous—you can see the whole village at a glance. Want to check it out?"

Kim Bom pointed to the hilltop. It looked steepish, but not too high.

"Sure, sounds good."

The uphill path was reasonably gentle. Didn't feel like a real hike.

But—

'Huh? Something's wrong.'

It had been fine at first. A little tiring, sure. But halfway up, things changed.

My breath came in harsh gasps.

"Hah, hah, hah."

My heart pounded faster than usual. Thump, thump-thump, thump.

The erratic beats hammered my chest. Further up, it tightened like a vise. My lungs wouldn't take in air properly.

'Ugh, just a bit more...'

"Yeoreum-ssi!"

Kim Bom noticed immediately. Her hand grabbed my arm.

"Are you okay? Your face is ghostly white!"

"F-fine—"

"You don't look fine! Let's rest."

She guided me to a roadside rock. We sat side by side on the flat surface, and her hand gently stroked my back.

"Breathe slowly. Deep in... and slow out."

"Hah, hah, hah......... Hoo."

My breathing finally steadied. Without realizing, I'd leaned into her, and she wordlessly supported me.

"Yeoreum-ssi, do you have any health issues?"

"Yes. My heart's weak. Congenital."

I answered while catching my breath. It wasn't a secret worth hiding.

"I can't do intense exercise or heavy labor. Daily life is fine... but pushing it leads to this. I thought a hill like this wouldn't be too much."

Kim Bom looked slightly flustered by my reply.

"I... I see. Your parents must worry a lot. Their daughter in poor health, living alone in a place like this..."

"No parents. Grew up in an orphanage."

Kim Bom froze completely. She stayed utterly still for several seconds.

"This house was an inheritance from a relative. Still way better than a goshiwon."

Silence stretched. Kim Bom said nothing, just staring into space.

Then her lips twitched faintly, and a tiny whisper escaped.

"Orphan... heart disease..."

It was a murmur. Barely audible, but I caught it since we sat so close.

Her expression twisted strangely. Her eyes shook like she'd lost her wits, mouth slightly agape. She ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stayed rigid like that for several seconds.