The Last Vacation Before the Final
The last vacation was given to the trainees before the finals.
On the day we left the training camp, everyone seemed busy packing their bags. It was the same for me.
“Do Won-woo.”
When I turned around, Han I-jae was standing there.
“Why?”
In response to my question, Han I-jae scratched the back of his neck for a moment before speaking.
“Just... I was curious about how you were planning to spend your vacation.”
Unexpected?
It was too out of the blue.
Has Han I-jae ever asked me something like that before? He was the type who didn't care about anyone else.
Seeing me look at him with suspicion, Han I-jae shrugged his shoulders.
“Just... I wanted to see you sometime.”
Again, unexpected.
“Ah, making plans?”
“Yeah.”
Han I-jae said with arms crossed, his expression confident.
It was surprising that Han I-jae made the first move to set up a meeting.
“For what reason...?”
“Just.”
Han I-jae tossed out a short remark.
“Why do we need a reason to meet? Let's just hang out and talk.”
If it had been anyone else, I wouldn't have thought it strange.
But with Han I-jae, it was odd. A person who seemed to have no interest in others at all suddenly making plans? Without any reason?
“So you don't want to?”
Before I could respond, Han I-jae started to get slightly annoyed.
Finally, he reluctantly opened his mouth.
“No, let's meet. Then, when I get home, text me when we can see each other.”
Upon hearing my answer, Han I-jae finally seemed satisfied and left.
Actually, meeting wasn't that difficult. After all, the plan was to meet, talk, and then go home.
But I was still puzzled. Especially with Han I-jae.
“Just to have fun, or to call people to say meaningless things... I didn't think he was the type.”
Then, what was the reason he wanted to meet? My head was spinning.
Actually, it wasn't a big deal. Maybe he just wanted to meet casually. Or perhaps I was overthinking it.
Or maybe, after talking to that unidentified being last time, I was too on edge.
With the formal vacation beginning, I headed to the place Han I-jae had called.
When I entered the cafe, the bell hanging on the door rattled. Since it was a cafe in a remote neighborhood, there weren't many people.
I moved to where Han I-jae was. A private space had been prepared inside the cafe. When I opened the door, Han I-jae waved and greeted me.
“Oh, you're here?”
Only then did I remove the mask covering my face and place it on the table. Looking around the inside, it was narrower than I thought.
“Wait. Are we supposed to sit facing each other and talk?”
It was fortunate that we weren't having the conversation in a place where everyone's eyes were on us, but this was uncomfortable in a different way.
“......”
“......”
In the silence, I forced myself to maintain a neutral expression.
But being able to talk comfortably was what mattered.
“So, um... You invited me because you wanted to have fun? Really?”
Breaking the awkward atmosphere, I spoke first. To my words, Han I-jae responded in a calm voice as if he had been waiting.
“I just wanted to see you, that's all.”
“Really just?”
“Well, the fundamental reason is...”
As expected, there was a reason. Of course, he wouldn't have invited me just to see me.
“What is that reason?”
To my question, Han I-jae rested his chin on his hand and looked at me gently.
At that moment, feeling the gaze was burdensome, I took a sip of the coffee on the table.
“To put it bluntly... I called you because I was curious about your mental state lately.”
I almost spat out the coffee in my mouth.
“W-what? My mental state?”
Was he a psychiatrist?
Why was he curious about my mental state?
Despite the bewildered look, Han I-jae answered in a flat tone.
“I was worried.”
“Worried?”
“The words you said last time still bothered me.”
Ah, so he was referring to that day when I consulted with him.
What was it? Something like if someone I cared about disappeared from the world... I think I said something like that.
Actually, I had forgotten. After all, the days had been so chaotic.
“Thinking about it now, I must have been crazy. Why did I say something like that.”
Given the situation, I probably said a lot of weird things.
“It's nothing. Just... seeing posts online saying they want to die because of me, I started overthinking...”
“Huh?”
Han I-jae tilted his head.
“So, someone posted online that they want to die because of you, and seeing that, your mental state got worse? Like, not a leak or anything, just a personal opinion?”
“Yeah. Just something like that.”
I brushed it off vaguely.
I was struggling to clean up the mess from my past self, while the current me was doing his best.
“What? You got that serious just from seeing one post?”
Han I-jae seemed to understand but still didn't seem to drop his suspicion.
“But you said I was an important person to you, right?”
“I did.”
“......”
Did Han I-jae notice? That I was lying.
“Yeah.”
But he seemed to accept it roughly.
“I don't fully understand, but for now, I get it.”
He didn't probe further, but Han I-jae was still staring at me intently.
Feeling the gaze again, I took another sip of coffee.
“Just, well. Lately, you seem to be in a bit of a bad state, so I thought maybe I could help. That's why I called.”
I almost spat out the coffee again.
“...What?”
I didn't know. The fact that Han I-jae was so worried about me.
After all, according to the settings, he was the type who didn't care about others and only looked out for himself.
“He knew how to say such things.”
Looking at him in surprise, Han I-jae cleared his throat briefly.
“The finals are coming soon, so we need to manage our mental state, right?”
“That's right.”
“If there's anything difficult, feel free to tell me. I'll listen. You can say it now.”
I didn't say anything. No, it was better that I didn't.
Actually, I wasn't a person of this world. The damn system was playing with us, and Won Ji-an was bearing the misfortune meant for me and facing death.
It wouldn't be believed even if I said it.
“Thank you for worrying, but it's a problem that can't be solved by talking.”
Han I-jae's eyes narrowed.
“Hey, but...”
“And there are problems that can't be spoken about. Some are problems that must be solved alone, after all.”
When I answered evasively, Han I-jae sighed as if he had no choice.
“Still, thank you. Hae-won hyung. Thank you for saying you wanted to help. Just hearing that gives me strength...”
Han I-jae muttered with his chin on his hand.
“Yeah. Well, I don't think I called you for nothing.”
“That's not true. As I said, it really helped a lot.”
“Then I'm glad.”
Indeed, from the outside, I must have looked precarious.
At that time, I thought I needed to manage my expression more.
“Then, shall we play Zenga?”
Han I-jae was holding a board game box placed in the corner.
“...Zenga?”
“There's nothing else to do.”
So, we played Zenga until the time was up.
“Even though we were just playing a board game, why did my affection level rise...?”
After parting with Han I-jae, I returned home and opened the system window.
What I needed to do was check the rewards from the special quest I received last time. Because it was a special quest, the rewards were more than regular quests.
Two draw tickets. I pressed the use button to draw an item.
“The finals are coming soon, please...”
Even if I didn't trust the system, I hoped that at least one item that could reverse this situation would come out.
It was true that I hated the system to the point of wanting to kill it, but in this situation, I had no choice but to hope for the system with the hope of grabbing at straws.
“Please...”
With a loud effect, the box opened and the result window appeared.
The item that came out was...
Special Invitation
“X bastard...”
I wanted to bury my head in the table in front of me and die.
Even if I drew, it had to be this. Or perhaps the system was designed so that whatever I drew, the result would be this.
“System's Tea Time?”
A hollow laugh escaped me.
I read the title again in disbelief.
“In a situation where people's lives are at stake, let's happily drink tea?”
Ha...
I took a deep breath.
Yeah, let's think calmly. Even if it was the system, it wouldn't give such an item just to drink tea.
There must be another purpose. I didn't know what it was, but I had to check what "tea time" meant to know.
“The remaining one.”
The last draw ticket. It was the only hope.
When I pressed the use button, another loud effect came with the result.
“This time, please...”
As soon as I lifted my head,
Memory Eraser Device
“Memory Eraser Device?”
Thanks to the intuitive title, I could tell what the item was without reading the description.
This was an item that could erase specific memories of a target.
“I can erase memories...”
My thoughts raced.
If I asked whether this item could save Won Ji-an, the answer was no.
It wasn't even an item that could dramatically reverse the current situation.
“Ha...”
I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the wall.
“But I could use it for that purpose. If Won Ji-an wanted it...”
Once my thoughts reached that point, an involuntary hollow laugh escaped me.
“Even while thinking of such things in this situation, my head is spinning in some weird place.”
Whatever. First, I decided to check what the damn tea time thing was.
It was true that the system was terrible, but I figured I had to hear what it had to say.
“Would you like to move to the Tea Time location?”
[Yes / No]
I slowly pressed the button. At that moment, the scenery in front of me began to change.