Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Episode 8 I Was Seen Having a Good Time with the Hidden Character of the Yuri Game.
I suddenly got cursed at.
‘Why?’
No, what exactly did I do wrong?
I had only honestly expressed my thoughts, so the shock was even greater because I never expected to get insulted over it.
What action of mine had offended her?
“…….”
Her cheeks, faintly dyed crimson, looked so tempting that I almost wanted to poke them with my finger.
‘She’d definitely get mad if I actually did it.’
Yeah, that was probably crossing the line.
Still, seeing In Yuna like this made it clear she was truly a living person with warmth and blood beneath that icy exterior.
And somehow, it gave me a strange feeling.
“Why?”
“……I remembered yesterday.”
“!?”
My shoulders jerked far more violently than necessary.
She looked oddly dejected for a moment, almost pitifully so, before glaring sharply at me.
Though she was probably trying to glare fiercely in her own way, from my perspective she only looked cute.
“So what exactly did you mean yesterday?”
“Ugh⎯⎯!”
When I lightly asked the question as though I’d only just remembered it, In Yuna’s shoulders trembled violently and her pupils shook hard.
“I genuinely don’t understand why you said something like that. Could you explain?”
“……You’re mean.”
“Ah, so you noticed. Sorry, sorry.”
Maybe because she was quick-witted, she immediately saw through my intentions and stared up at me with narrowed eyes.
Watching the cold and noble ice princess lose composure and get flustered so easily from a few words of mine kept making mischievous thoughts bubble up inside me.
“You tease too much. Is that fun for you?”
“Sorry. I apologize. It just slipped out.”
“I won’t forgive you over something like that.”
The slight heaviness in her voice revealed her frustration.
Seeing her subtly uneven breathing and resentful eyes made me regret teasing her so much.
Maybe because she reacted so easily to every little thing I said, my brain had been overtaken by dangerous thoughts.
Was I always this mischievous?
Even asking myself that didn’t excuse what I’d done.
“I’m sorry. You were just too cute, so I ended up teasing you without thinking.”
“Hiiit!”
“In Yuna?”
“……Bad for my heart.”
“Are you okay!? Are you sick somewhere!?”
Don’t tell me she had asthma or some chronic illness!?
But the response I got from In Yuna was a cold and frosty stare.
The way she looked at me like I was the world’s greatest idiot felt sharp enough to stab holes through my body.
“……Are you serious?”
“About what?”
“……Never mind.”
She turned her head away and muttered something under her breath, but I couldn’t catch exactly what she said.
“Hey, Geum Taeyang.”
“Yeah? What is it?”
After mumbling to herself for a moment, she suddenly whipped her head back toward me and spoke again.
Compared to my fear that I’d made her genuinely angry, her attitude seemed much lighter now.
“Geum Taeyang, you’ve lived around here your whole life, right?”
“Yeah. Did I mention that before?”
“I can just tell.”
While saying something I couldn’t quite understand, In Yuna looked at me steadily before finally speaking as though she’d made up her mind.
“Geum Taeyang. Is there a café nearby you’d recommend?”
“If you mean cafés, then probably St○rbucks or C○ffeesmith?”
“Not places like that. I want to ask Geum Taeyang, since you know this area well. If you tell me, I’ll forgive you.”
“…Then there’s one place I know. Want to go?”
“Yeah.”
What the hell was this supposed to mean?
Did I really hear that correctly?
“A café? Together…… they’re going to a café…….”
My mind went completely blank.
No matter how many times I replayed what I’d just heard, the result didn’t change.
It was such a horrifying nightmare that I almost wished it were actually a dream.
‘That Geum Taeyang’ and ‘In Yuna’ were going to a café together.
This development never happened in the game.
“What is this…….”
Strength drained from my legs, making me feel like collapsing on the spot.
I barely managed to support my staggering body while desperately trying to keep my thoughts together, but the confusion caused by reality diverging completely from the game refused to disappear.
After the shocking lunch incident yesterday, I’d spent the entire day dazed and unable to think properly.
The unimaginable transformation of Geum Taeyang—the main villain and final boss of 【Yuri Garden】—along with In Yuna showing him affection, had shaken the absolute certainty I’d held until now to its very foundations.
Before entering high school, I’d sworn to save the heroines from Geum Taeyang’s evil hands and make them happy.
But now it felt like all of that resolve had become meaningless.
Like my very existence had no purpose anymore.
It was the kind of despair that completely shattered the foundation of one’s identity.
Why the hell had Geum Taeyang turned into this wholesome version of himself!?
At this rate he wasn’t Geum Taeyang anymore—he was Sunshine Taeyang!
“Could it be Geum Taeyang is a reincarnator too!?”
Yes, that kind of development was entirely possible!
If Geum Taeyang really was reincarnated, possessed, or connected to someone like that, then his changes made sense.
‘Then what’s Geum Taeyang’s goal?’
If he really was another reincarnator like me, then what exactly was he aiming for?
Don’t tell me he planned to conquer all the heroines of 【Yuri Garden】 and build a harem!?
The moment that thought crossed my mind, my hands clenched tightly into fists.
Veins bulged on the back of my hands as the flames of fighting spirit that had nearly died out flared up once more.
“Like I’d let that happen!?”
Did he really think I’d tolerate some man trampling through this sacred garden with muddy feet!?
Even staking yuri itself on the line, I would never allow that!
“This is a sacred paradise for maidens! Go somewhere else and pick roses instead!”
If my opponent really was another reincarnator, then it meant I could predict his actions too.
I didn’t know how much information he possessed about the game, but I was a diehard fan of 【Yuri Garden】 who had collected every ending and every CG!
I had already memorized every event and every affection-based reaction in the game!
Which meant I could figure out another reincarnator’s schemes and move ahead of him.
‘The next event should definitely be…….’
Right.
The encounter event for the third heroine, Kang Yena!
Kang Yena was a timid little-animal-type heroine with severe social anxiety who struggled to talk properly around people.
Ironically, despite that, she absolutely loved posting photos of cafés and places she visited on social media to show them off.
Because she knew exactly how to attract attention and interest online, the places she posted quickly became popular, earning her tens of thousands of followers in no time.
Though she was practically treated like a living legend on social media thanks to her popularity and credibility, in reality she was an extremely shy girl.
In fact, the more successful she became online, the less she spoke in real life.
She had developed the fixed belief that the internet was the only place where she could truly feel comfortable, and the basic story of her route was about helping her gain confidence.
‘If Geum Taeyang really is a reincarnator trying to conquer all the heroines and build a harem, this is the perfect chance to confirm it.’
It was also the perfect opportunity to learn how much Geum Taeyang knew about the story.
And even if he didn’t know much, this was still a golden chance to become close with Kang Yena.
“Alright. Then let’s put the plan into action immediately!”
I reignited my determination and marched out like a general heading for war—
Only to witness a shocking sight not long afterward, forcing me to hide behind one of the pavilion pillars.
I hadn’t done it intentionally.
It had been completely instinctive.
But right now, I was incredibly thankful for it.
Because there was no way I could keep my expression under control otherwise.
Why was In Yuna here!?
‘No matter how I think about this, it makes no sense! In Yuna is a hidden heroine who wasn’t supposed to appear in the park map! She only briefly appears in the tutorial to create mystery and intrigue before properly entering the story around the middle! A heroine who barely appears before then suddenly showed up at the park? And together with Geum Taeyang……!?’
Was there really an event like this?
Could this have been some secret encounter event I never discovered?
Then what were the conditions?
Clearing the game once?
No, that didn’t make sense.
I’d already cleared the game countless times and done multiple playthroughs, yet this development had never happened.
Then how could this be happening now!?
My head hurt.
My thoughts tangled together too badly to function properly.
The unexpected scene shattered the determination I’d built up earlier, and the fighting spirit I’d reignited was being extinguished by a storm.
Meanwhile, even while my mind reeled, time continued mercilessly onward.
I couldn’t hear everything Geum Taeyang and In Yuna were saying, but I caught enough fragments to leave me horrified.
‘They’re going to a café!?’
Together!?
I never knew about an event like this!
‘No, more importantly, Kang Yena should already be at that café right now. If they go there, they can trigger Kang Yena’s encounter event too……!’
T-This can’t be!
Was all of this part of some carefully calculated plan!?
Had the encounter with In Yuna been intentional from the start!?
Or if he adapted smoothly to a sudden event and managed to catch two rabbits at once……
‘What terrifying schemes! I can’t even begin to see the end of it!’
Was this how Zhou Yu felt while competing intellectually against Zhuge Liang?
If the feeling of being confronted by such an overwhelming gap that you lost all footing beneath you was what Zhou Yu experienced, then I could never mock or criticize him again.
“I can’t just leave things like this!”
The crushing sense of defeat made me want to collapse and give up everything.
But since I’d sworn to make every heroine of 【Yuri Garden】 happy, doing nothing here was unacceptable.
I forced strength back into my weakened legs and stood up like someone climbing a cliff.
At the very least, I had the responsibility to see this through to the end!
About five minutes after leaving the park, we finally arrived at our destination.
“Here we are.”
“‘Dessert Atelier’…… This is the place you recommend?”
“The portions are generous, everything tastes good, and they’re open 24 hours a day. Even late at night people still come here, and the atmosphere’s nice too.”
“……You come here often?”
“Sometimes.”
It was close to my house, affordable, and delicious, so I visited occasionally.
After hearing my evaluation, In Yuna nodded as though she’d made up her mind and stepped inside.
Maybe she wanted to hear my honest opinion.
Without hesitation, she pressed the button by the entrance, and the automatic doors slid open.
I followed her inside, and the moment we entered, the atmosphere changed completely from outside.
To me, it was a familiar and comforting atmosphere.
“So? Do you like it?”
“The atmosphere is nice.”
“Then that’s a relief.”
“Any menu recommendations?”
“Do you prefer caffeinated or non-caffeinated drinks?”
“Caffeine is fine.”
“Then how about a café latte?”
“……Café latte.”
“The desserts are really good too. The desserts here are seriously delicious.”