Chapter 21

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 21

Chapter Title: Back to the Hospital

-----------------------------------------------------------------

The drinking party dragged on late into the night.

And with it, the booze kept flowing, and I could feel myself getting steadily more drunk.

"Alright. That's it for today."

"Aww, come on. It's a shame to end it now."

"Ha-yeon, can't I hang out with your oppa just a little longer?"

"No. Oppa has to go to work tomorrow too."

Fortunately, around 12:20, Eun Ha-min called it quits, saying she was tired.

The friends grumbled regretfully, but they couldn't break her stubbornness.

In the end, the friends headed to the big room.

I found myself being dragged into Eun Ha-min's bedroom almost by accident.

The hotel had multiple rooms, so we could've slept separately.

But Eun Ha-min insisted that sleeping apart from her boyfriend would seem weird, so she pulled me into her room.

Swish.

"I told you it's fine to look."

"..."

Eun Ha-min changed clothes right in front of me, turning her back to me.

She didn't seem to mind at all changing in front of me.

I also put on the men's robe she'd given me and awkwardly perched on the edge of the bed.

The king-size bed was plenty big enough for three people to sleep comfortably.

Still, sharing a bed felt a bit much, no matter how you sliced it.

"Is this really okay?"

Eun Ha-min was already dressed in white silk pajamas, leaning against the headboard.

She glanced at me while checking something on her tablet.

"What? You don't wanna sleep with me?"

"No, it's not that... but guys and girls should keep some distance."

"You're such an old fogey. Just sleep. I'm tired."

Eun Ha-min swiped through her tablet screen like it was no big deal.

Then, as if something occurred to her, she turned the screen toward me.

"Oh, right. Oppa."

"Yeah?"

"About your channel's video. Explain this."

The screen showed my Nuttube video playing.

The game footage and teaser that had exploded in views.

The comments were flooded with cries of "When's it coming out?" and "Please release it already."

The alcohol buzz vanished in an instant.

I crawled onto the bed and knelt in front of Eun Ha-min.

She was the only savior who could resolve this situation.

"Well... it's actually a game I made."

"You? By yourself?"

"...Yeah."

"You know your answer came a bit late, right?"

"Ugh..."

As expected, it didn't fly.

Still, it seemed best to hold off on mentioning the AI app for now.

I explained everything, skipping only that part.

Eun Ha-min didn't press me on the part about making it alone.

She just let it slide, like she was saying let's move on.

"So... it was fake footage made to look like a nonexistent game was real?"

"Yes..."

"But it was actually real gameplay?"

"Exactly."

"And the game really exists?"

"Yeah..."

There was even an exe file ready to install and play right away.

Of course, I couldn't just release it for free.

No one would believe a game that screamed billions in dev costs was free.

Plus, managing download servers or handling inquiries myself? No way.

I didn't have the skills for that.

I even asked the AI, but it said handling that was beyond it.

Generative AIs apparently couldn't go that far.

After hearing up to that point, Eun Ha-min crossed her arms.

"Hmm... as expected, the best option seems to be handing it off to a game publisher."

"But to sell on Steam or something..."

"You'd need a company involved, yeah."

I nodded at her response.

She really was sharp.

"Right. So, what if I just sell it?"

"Sell it?"

"Yeah. Hand it over to a company."

"Got a place in mind?"

"Personally, Hanbit Soft."

"...My little puppy's got some brains. Might even think of its owner."

Eun Ha-min chuckled at the name that slipped out of my mouth.

Hanbit Soft.

A subsidiary fully funded by Hanbit Electronics.

But right now, it was a ghost company with no operations.

"Oppa, you know that's a total shell company, right?"

"I know. But wouldn't that draw less attention?"

"Better than getting spotted contracting with some other company... Getting tangled up with me would be less conspicuous?"

"Exactly. And since it's a ghost company, fewer people involved... The ownership structure's simple, so Ha-min could take it over, right?"

"Well, yeah. My sisters don't care about Hanbit Soft at all."

All the tech transfers, copyrights, and patents had already been moved out, leaving it an empty shell.

They were just keeping the name alive.

Eun Ha-min rested her chin on her hand and stared at me intently.

She looked like she was running calculations in her head.

A moment later, an alluring smile spread across her lips.

She'd grasped my intentions perfectly.

"If I ask for it under the pretext of management training, they'll toss it to me whether it flops or not."

"Right?"

"It's got almost no staff now. So I take the shell and fill it with your game?"

"Exactly. Launch under the Hanbit name for solid marketing, and Ha-min racks up performance metrics."

Racking up results would solidify Eun Ha-min's position even more.

And I'd get my share of the scraps.

"Oppa, you're smarter than I thought."

"Is that a compliment?"

Eun Ha-min laughed and lightly poked my cheek.

It was an affectionate pat.

"Fine. I'll help."

"For real?"

"Might as well use your game to score some points with Dad and boost my performance. And I'll make sure you get a solid position too."

"A solid position?"

I'd be happy just resolving this mess.

But Eun Ha-min planned to look out for me.

"I'll give you all the dividends I get from Hanbit Soft. How about putting you on the registry as a director?"

"F-For real?"

"When have I ever lied to you? I'll even help you secure major shareholder status. Set up a corporation with you as rep."

To transfer Hanbit Electronics' 100% stake to an individual, it had to be company-to-company.

So I'd form a company owning 100% by me, and sell the stake to it.

But... wouldn't that cost a pretty penny?

Honestly, I was a bit shocked.

Chaebols really operated on another level.

To her, dividends or stakes from a small company were probably pocket change.

"But there's a condition."

"W-What?"

Eun Ha-min grinned mischievously and patted the spot next to her on the bed.

The meaning was all too direct.

"Be my hugging pillow until morning. In return, you can grope my chest or butt as ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠much as you want."

"...Ch-chest..."

"Don't like it? Then forget it."

"N-No, it's an honor."

I quickly slipped under the covers where Eun Ha-min was.

She rested her head on my arm and snuggled into my embrace.

A faint shampoo scent wafted over.

Her soft, warm body pressed against my side.

"So warm."

"Ha-min, we're really just sleeping, right?"

"We'll see. Depends on you."

Eun Ha-min mumbled, rubbing her face against my chest.

Her breath seeped through the thin robe.

The next morning.

When I opened my eyes, the spot next to me was already empty.

Hearing a commotion outside the bedroom door, I went out and saw Eun Ha-min heading out the entrance, perfectly dressed and ready.

"Oh, you're up? I'm heading to meet Dad now."

"Already?"

"Strike while the iron's hot. I'll hash it out and get him to hand over the company."

Eun Ha-min clenched her fist determinedly with a resolute expression, then headed out.

Was this the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠drive of a third-gen chaebol?

I stared blankly as she walked away, then hurriedly got ready for work.

By the time I got to the office, I felt like death.

The top-shelf wine from last night was doing somersaults in my stomach.

No hangover meds and pounding them down? Predictable result.

I slumped in my chair, suffering, when someone tapped my shoulder.

"Min-jae?"

I looked up to see the Team Leader standing there with a worried look.

Probably because I looked like hell.

"Oh... Team Leader. You're here..."

"What's wrong with your face? Are you sick?"

"No. Just a bit..."

"Look at that cold sweat. What'd you do last night?"

The Team Leader pulled a white handkerchief from her pocket and wiped the sweat from my forehead.

A whiff of fabric softener hit me.

I flinched back in surprise, but her touch was firm.

"Stay still. Feels like you have a fever too."

"Ah, truth is, I drank a bit too much last night..."

"Drank?"

The Team Leader let out a deep sigh.

Then she smacked my back hard.

"How much did you chug on a weekday evening...?"

"Sorry..."

"Jeez. Come with me."

The Team Leader grabbed my arm and dragged me to her office.

She forced me onto the sofa.

"Lie still."

She fetched a blanket and draped it over my stomach.

Then, naturally, she lifted my head and set it on her lap.

A lap pillow.

"T-Team Leader..."

"Stay still. You said you're dizzy."

The Team Leader pressed my forehead with her hand to stop me.

The cool AC air and her body heat hit me at once.

It felt strange.

"Thank you..."

"No need for formalities between us. Sleep until you feel better."

The Team Leader gently stroked my hair.

Between us?

What were we, exactly?

Whether from the booze or her touch, my eyelids grew heavy as lead.

In the end, I drifted off.

When I opened my eyes again, it was lunchtime.

The Team Leader was at her desk, reviewing work.

I jolted up from the sofa.

"You're awake? Feeling better?"

"Yeah, thanks to you. Much better."

"Lunchtime, but can you eat?"

"No, stomach's still iffy... Thinking of heading to the hospital."

I needed an IV more than food.

The Team Leader stood, grabbing her bag.

"I'll go with you."

"N-No. Can't take your lunch break. I'll go alone."

"Still..."

The Team Leader hesitated, then pulled a card from her wallet and pressed it into my hand.

"Use this to pay."

"Huh? I can use my own money..."

"Just use it."

"Team Leader..."

"Go get that IV quick. And get some meds."

Refusing might earn me another smack, so I meekly took the card.

Grateful and sorry, I bowed my head.

I headed to the hospital.

More precisely, Seoul Haneulhaneul Clinic, run by Lee Soo-yeon.

I hadn't chosen it on purpose; it was just the only one I could think of.

Wondered if going to a crush's clinic while sick was right, but I wasn't in a position to be picky.

"Huh?"

The hospital lobby was nearly empty.

I figured I'd get seen quickly.

How naive.

'Oh, right. Lunchtime means doctors are eating too.'

The receptionist nurse apologized awkwardly, saying I'd have to wait until 1:30.

Only then did I get why there were no patients.

But I lacked the energy to go elsewhere.

I slumped in a corner of the waiting room, staring blankly at the ceiling.

To kill time, I pulled out my phone.

Out of habit, I opened the Nuttube Studio app.

Notifications from the game teaser I'd uploaded yesterday had blown past 99+.

I opened the comments. Total chaos.

Reading the comments, a grin crept onto my face.

Yeah, this is why you pull aggro.

How much should I price this game?

Considering current prices, 70k won would sell like hotcakes.

My brain was firing on all cylinders with happy thoughts when someone passed in front of me.

A strong coffee scent brushed my nose.

I looked up absentmindedly—and froze.

A woman in a white coat, iced Americano in one hand.

Lee Soo-yeon.

She spotted me too and stopped.

Her eyes widened round.

"Min-jae?"

"Soo-yeon..."

"What're you doing here at this hour?"

"Ah, well... not feeling great. Came for a checkup."

I smiled sheepishly, fiddling with the Team Leader's card.

Lee Soo-yeon's gaze swept over my pale face and cold sweat.

Her brows furrowed.

"You look like death. Not a cold."

"Drank too much last night... so condition's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠off..."

"Sigh, my Min-jae's such a kid despite being older."

Lee Soo-yeon handed her coffee to a nearby nurse without a second thought.

Then she grabbed my wrist.

"Come on."

"It's lunchtime now."

"You think I can sit by when you're sick? Just come in."

Lee Soo-yeon dragged me into the exam room, ignoring the stares from the waiting room folks.

Lately, it felt like my days were all about being hauled around by women.