Chapter 13 Carelessness
Complacency
Chapter 14
The beautiful nurse carefully checked my condition, then winked while letting her bra show from her cleavage.
"If there's anything uncomfortable, please don't hesitate to tell me♡"
"Yes."
Since I showed no reaction to her heated gaze, the nurse left the room with a regretful look in her eyes. Her hesitant back view hinted that she wanted me to stop her, but I said nothing and just watched her plump rear end.
"..."
After the nurse left the room, I lowered my casted hand and drooped onto the bed like jelly.
'Heh, this damn popularity...'
As if to prove this was a dating sim world, the nurse's outfit was something else. It wasn't some plain pair of pants like on Earth. It was a miniskirt that would even show her panties if she bent over.
'Long live this goddamn otaku dating sim world.'
A nurse uniform that tightly accentuated her figure. Even though it was summer, a pure white garter belt tightly squeezing her plump thighs, all in the spirit of service, was the highlight.
'...I want some service from those thighs.'
Actually, every nurse who came to my room would become enraptured upon seeing my face and try to seduce me. Some would outright rub their breasts against me, while others would subtly show off their bras and panties...
But I was a minor, so I couldn't easily give in to the temptations of the adult nurses.
'Ah, xx. I want some service.'
No, actually, in a situation where things with Park Ha-rin seemed to have been smoothed over, I didn't want to ruin my relationship with her.
If Park Ha-rin were to see me rolling around with a nurse, my funeral wouldn't need to go anywhere else. It would be held right here in this hospital, together with hers.
'I really did settle things with Ha-rin... didn't I?'
In the rush of emotion that day, I'd felt as though we'd overcome several problems at once. Looking back, I couldn't be sure I'd escaped Ha-rin's shadow entirely.
Still, she smiled more easily whenever she visited. Her condition—and our relationship—seemed better than before.
'That's more like a dating sim. Why should I suffer through everything the original protagonist did?'
I'd changed the course of events myself, and I couldn't help feeling pleased with the result.
With the immediate danger from Ha-rin seemingly reduced, my thoughts turned to other problems.
'But did I really save Hayase like that?'
Se-eun had told me what happened that day, but her account only raised more questions.
─What are you talking about? You were already rushing out before the accident even happened, weren't you? So I figured you must have really been reading the future. Wasn't that it?
─Obviously... I knew what I was doing. Were you surprised by how I handled it?
According to Se-eun, I'd started running toward Hayase before the accident happened. In my memory, though, my vision had narrowed and I'd somehow appeared right in front of her.
'Did the skill make it look as though I'd moved before the accident? I still don't understand how Optimal Progression works. Maybe I'll figure it out as I use it.'
There was no point dwelling on a mystery I couldn't solve yet. I had bigger things to think about.
'The game's ending isn't really about Ha-rin, is it?'
In Journey of the Eastern Tower, the Tower itself was the central challenge. Reaching its summit was the only way to see the final story.
'Ha-rin was an antagonist, but the Tower was the real objective.'
She'd kept me from reaching the ending in the game. Now that we'd made progress with her, at least, I could turn my attention back to clearing the Tower.
Even a slight reduction in Ha-rin's threat meant I could finally prepare for the challenge ahead.
'But can I actually reach the ending? Climbing that Tower was anything but easy.'
I turned the problem over in my mind for a long time.
"...."
Eventually, I arrived at the only answer I had.
'Who the hell knows? I'll do what I can. Things are better with Ha-rin, and that's already something worth celebrating.'
Improving our relationship was a major achievement on its own.
I still remembered everything I knew about the game, and there was nothing else I could act on immediately. My injured hand had healed in a matter of days, without so much as a scar.
So I might as well enjoy the rest.
I splurged on my smartphone for a VPN that was exclusive to the rich and never commercialized for ordinary people, with a monthly fee of 2 million won. Then I was happily watching Mmph-Mmph Tomina when it happened.
A knock sounded on the hospital room door.
Knock, knock.
"Um, is anyone there...?"
My heart leaped at the familiar voice.
"Come in!"
I called back, unable to hide my excitement.
"Then... excuse me."
Drrrk.
The door swung open quietly.
A modestly dressed woman stepped inside, her neat dress complemented by a thin cardigan over her shoulders. She had a gentle beauty, and her arrival seemed to soften the atmosphere of the room.
"...H-hello. How's your body feeling?"
It was Arikawa Hayase. She'd visited every day since my surgery, and today was no exception.
I was about to say, "I feel better now that you're here, Instructor," when I noticed someone entering behind her.
"Ha... this child. No matter how much her mind is taken by her benefactor, that's no excuse. How could you forget your mother standing right behind you?"
The newcomer looked astonishingly like Hayase. She wore an elegant kimono, and her black hair was tied neatly back.
"Huh? N-no... Mother. W-what are you talking about... I never..."
"You were walking along in a daze without even looking ahead, so your mother was completely out of your sight, you know."
'Her mother? She looks more like an older sister. Seriously, Han Hyeok-do, how did you manage this?'
"Thank you for saving my daughter. But please don't assume that means you can simply take Hayase away from us. We will, of course, repay our debt to you in full."
"So you're saying you won't hand my daughter over to me?"
An uncontrollable rage made my fists tremble.
'Han... Hyeok... Do...!!'
While I was busy fuming internally, Minase bowed her head with perfect courtesy.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Si-hyun. My name is Arikawa Minase, and I'm Hayase's mother. I came to thank you for saving my daughter. I should have visited sooner. Please forgive the delay."
She began to kneel.
"M-Madam! P-please, there's no need for you to do this!"
I reached out in alarm to stop her, only to find Hayase kneeling beside her mother.
"...Thank you so very much for saving my daughter."
Hayase bowed her head without a word. I could only stand there, flustered by their earnest gratitude.
"I was told the injury crushed the bones in your hand. If you hadn't intervened, my daughter's wound might have been fatal. I don't know if I could have borne losing her."
"..."
"Thank you, Si-hyun. Truly, thank you for saving my daughter."
Seeing tears spill down Minase's cheeks moved me more than I expected. The love she felt for her daughter was unmistakable.
'Mom...'
Without warning, I remembered my mother back on Earth.
"Si-hyun. Everyone has their time. Don't be so impatient, just take it slow."
Then the memories of this body's parents—my parents in this world—rose up alongside them.
"Si-hyun. The more your older sister struggles, the more we, your family, need to look after her properly."
"Son, if you chase after your older sister too much, won't Mom feel a little hurt?"
"..."
Their voices remained only in memory. But I was beginning to understand that what mattered now was protecting the family still beside me.
Unlike Ha-rin and Se-eun, I'd grown up in a relatively ordinary home. Perhaps that meant I had to be the one to show them what being a family could look like.
'I'll become a real family to Ha-rin and Se-eun. I'll do what the original Si-hyun couldn't, and I'll find a happier ending for all of us.'
Yes. I would be their family, no matter what.
Not a BAD END or a TRUE END this time.
I wanted everyone to reach a HAPPY END.
I reached out with my right hand to help Minase and Hayase stand. They looked up in surprise, and I smiled.
"Please, there's no need to kneel. I'm glad Hayase's safe. And... my older sister caused the incident, even if it looked like an accident. I couldn't just stand by and let someone get hurt."
I found myself smiling at the two of them.
"Isn't it enough that Hayase's here and doing well?"
Minase looked stunned, then dabbed at her tears.
"What a generous, kindhearted young man. Meeting you has reminded me how much I still have to learn. You're so young, yet your heart is as noble as my husband's."
'Like Han Hyeok-do? Is that supposed to be a compliment or an elaborate insult?'
Unsure whether to laugh or cry, I waited for them to recover their composure.
Barely composing herself, Minase placed a hand on her ample bosom and solemnly declared.
"Hayase, nothing we offer can properly repay him. Remember what he's done for you. Live in a way that shows him his kindness was worthwhile."
"Yes, Mother. I will keep that in mind."
Hayase nodded solemnly.
Our eyes met. She flushed to the tips of her ears and quickly looked away.
Minase covered her mouth and laughed softly at the sight.
I'd helped preserve a happy family. That was enough to make me feel proud.
When Hayase looked at me again, she smiled a little more easily.
And if I'd grown closer to one of the heroines along the way, well, that was a welcome bonus.
'This is the best.'
I smiled back.
#
Three weeks passed, with Ha-rin, Se-eun, and Hayase visiting almost every day.
By ordinary standards, my wounds had healed remarkably well.
I left the hospital in a cool, composed manner, drawing tears from countless female doctors and nurses.
Some people left their underwear in my hospital room, and there were even those who openly tried to pounce on me, so it was genuinely dangerous. Of course, I was never able to see those people again.
'So Ha-rin's possessiveness hasn't disappeared entirely...'
I changed into the designer clothes Ha-rin had delivered—worth tens of millions of won—and, as though she'd been watching the clock, she appeared at my door.
"Does anywhere still hurt?"
"No."
Ha-rin looked me over with her usual polished, faintly provocative gaze.
"As expected of my little brother. It suits you well."
Her silver hair fluttered softly, and her chest line stood out through her sheer blouse. Her slender waist and feminine hips were revealed by her H-line skirt and sheer stockings. And her shoes, uh... had high heels.
"I'm relieved."
Ha-rin took my hand. The relief in her smile looked genuine.
『Park Ha-rin's Suspicion Level - 1.2%』
For now, that was enough.
I went home with Ha-rin.
#
Three years went by.
『Nine days remain until the Tower appears......』
And then—
'Ugh, this is so fucking exhausting. Shit.'
I'd learned something over those three years: plans almost never unfolded the way I imagined.
'Hayase was the only heroine I managed to find. Some grand mastermind I turned out to be.'
I'd spent three years acting as the family's cheerful peacemaker, a role I never could have imagined taking on in my old life.
I did it because I wanted to show my sisters what an ordinary family looked like—and because I hoped to steer the other heroines away from their darkest endings.
It began in my first year of high school.
"Sis. How about the beach, as a family?"
"If it's just you and me...?"
"And Se-eun too."
"............Fine."
After enough persuasion, Ha-rin reluctantly agreed, and the three of us went to the beach.
"It's a bit hot, huh?"
"My chest is so tight... I should've bought a bigger one."
Both Park Ha-rin and Park Se-eun wore bikinis without hiding their bombshell figures.
And the result?
Males who had become pseudo-Kang Tae-yangs, bronzed by the summer UV rays, swarmed in. ...I fiercely blocked their pickup attempts.
In the end, I had no choice but to enjoy playing in the water with the sisters' chests pressed tightly against both of my arms.
Even after that, my role didn't change much. Becoming a normal family, and getting rid of the shadows hanging over the sisters.
We went to the amusement park as a family, and I fended off pickup attempts there. We went to the swimming pool, and I blocked more. We went abroad, and I blocked them again. Everywhere we went, I protected Park Ha-rin and Park Se-eun.
For all the chaos, I believed we'd finally begun spending time together as a family.
"...Sis. The boys in my class said they're your fans and wanted to come over sometime...?"
"Tell them to get lost."
"...Okay."
Over time, Ha-rin and Se-eun even learned to chat with each other about ordinary things.
Ha-rin's paranoia and anxiety seemed to have eased, and for the most part, life was going smoothly. If things continued like this...
'Maybe I really can afford to hope.'
Couldn't I avoid the 『BAD END』?
Ha-rin turned toward me. Her golden eyes were sharp, her bearing elegant, and her smile impossible to read.
『Park Ha-rin's Suspicion Level - 0.2%』
Her Suspicion Level was almost nonexistent, yet sometimes she still gave me looks I couldn't decipher.
"Si-hyun. How's college these days? Anything difficult?"
Park Ha-rin asked with a bright smile.
For the record, I'd gotten into Hanguk University. Since I felt guilty about the questionable way I'd secured admission, I studied hard once I was there. More importantly, becoming an adult meant...
'The Tower's arrival is almost here.'
"Hm? The assignments are kind of a hassle, but I can handle them."
"If it gets hard, tell me anytime. Sis will help you."
"Mm."
The phrase "born aristocrat" might have been invented for my sister. Even her relaxed smile seemed to shine.
Over the past three years, she'd grown noticeably gentler, indulging our requests and spending more time with us as a family.
So why did I still feel a strange distance between us? We were closer than before, yet sometimes I had the feeling something fundamental had changed.
"Big bro, where are you going?"
"Working out."
"I'm coming too."
Se-eun followed me to the home gym. Even after we began exercising, that uneasy feeling lingered.
'As long as Ha-rin doesn't have an episode, she behaves like any other affectionate older sister. She doesn't even touch me in ways that make me uncomfortable anymore. So why can't I relax?'
『Optimal Progression Completeness - 26.74%』
"...."
Right. There was nothing wrong with Ha-rin.
We'd become a close family. Hadn't we?
At least, that was what I wanted to believe.
#
Si-hyun headed to the mansion's gym with Se-eun, where the two began their usual workout.
Meanwhile, Ha-rin finished tidying up and returned to her room. She loosened her long silver ponytail, then stopped beside the shelves in her study.
With a blank, peaceful expression, she surveyed the books. She removed several and replaced them in a different arrangement. A mechanism clicked, and one of the shelves slid aside to reveal a hidden door.
Darkness and cold air waited beyond it. Ha-rin descended the stairs as serenely as though she were walking through sunlight, her eyes navigating the shadows with ease.
A massive door stood at the bottom, invisible to ordinary eyes but perfectly clear to hers.
"Hmm-hmm."
Beep.
Humming, Ha-rin placed her finger against the scanner and let it read her iris. The mechanism accepted her and opened the door.
As she stepped into the light beyond, her composed smile slowly twisted into something eager and crooked. Her face lit with undisguised delight.
Photographs covered the chamber walls. Dozens had been pasted one over another in overlapping layers.
"Haa...♡"
The photos overlapped randomly, making it hard to tell what each one showed, but to Park Ha-rin's eyes, everything, even what lay beneath, was plainly visible. Every single one of those photos featured Park Si-hyun.
"Hahaha..."
The moment Park Ha-rin stepped into the room, a crackling sound rang out inside. Even so, her ears picked up every single faint sound.
─Honestly, even with a monster like Park Ha-rin around...
"Ahaha... Hahahahaha!"
─Wouldn't it be a letdown without at least one psychic who knows the future, like me?
That voice was undoubtedly Park Si-hyun's.
"Hoohoohoo, ahahahahahahahahaha─!"
Under the pale light, brushing back her shimmering silver hair, Park Ha-rin laughed.
"Cute... You're so careless, aren't you? Si-hyun?"
Beneath her fully bared forehead, that gaze was shining with rapture.
『Park Ha-rin's Suspicion Level - 0.1%』