#Bridge Worldview
Was my husband ever this young? That thought crossed her mind.
He didn't usually wear clothes like this either, and everything felt off, but the image of herself smiling beside him was real.
"Hmm... My memories are intact..."
No matter how much she racked her brain, all that replayed in her head were the happy memories from the trip.
The only fact stuck in her mind was that her husband had been by her side.
But even in those perfect memories, there were fragments that felt somehow out of place.
Those fragments stirred a sense of dissonance in her.
Woo Da-hee mulled it over before picking up her phone again to check.
"Hmmm... I must be overthinking it."
Of course. They'd come home and laughed together looking at the photos—there was no way her memories were wrong.
Thud.
She set her phone down on the table and stood to tend to other chores.
But she failed to notice, even as she looked right at it.
The man in the photo, whom she was gazing at lovingly while hugging him, was Nam Siu.
After getting home from work, I opened the Scenario Book again and checked my abilities.
The traits I'd acquired for the first time.
[Method]
[: Increases expression of emotions, facial expressions, and physicality]
[Synchro Rate]
[: Increases immersion in characters]
[Props]
[: Generates props needed for scenarios]
All three seemed like solid abilities.
"Method means straight-up method acting... Synchro Rate is... like understanding and acting out even altered common sense in new relationships, like with Da-hee noona..."
The last one, Props.
"Props means providing items..."
Creating props was a hassle, but not hard.
They were mostly auxiliary items to support scenarios.
Plus, I'd already made a bunch early on, and I could reuse them.
For something like Love Gel, I could just have the other person buy it with their money—no big issue.
"Hmm."
That made me lean even more toward Method and Synchro Rate.
During scenarios, whenever dissonance hit without points, my heart would sink.
"Hm... Maybe I could turn the dissonance into an episode."
There could be a way to keep their minds sane while their bodies followed my scenario.
That could create some pretty hot situations in its own right.
Scribble scribble.
The idea hit me, so I jotted down a new concept in the notebook.
Just in case I might use it someday.
"Now for the next thing..."
So far, I'd staged situations without changing relationships. But this scenario taught me that altering common sense to change relationships worked too.
As long as I had points, there were plenty of fun setups ahead. So now, the focus was on rank.
"I need at least 2 points as a baseline."
A Masterpiece would be ideal, but I had to pull at least a Good.
That left the scenario itself.
I needed to put more effort into the scenario.
"Guess I'll try crafting a fresh worldview."
Flip.
I turned the page and reviewed my worldview concepts.
[Historical Drama]
[Virus]
[Zombie]
[Monster]
[Sentai]
They were all so ridiculously implausible that I gave a wry smile, embarrassed at myself.
I needed something more believable.
"Hmm... Or maybe something like a marital relations investigator, or a world under hypnosis..."
I muttered to myself and shook my head at how absurd it sounded.
"Yeah, no way. Polygamy's kinda hot, though."
As if hypnosis could exist in the real world. I was using an unbelievable power myself without realizing it.
I rested my chin on my hand, deep in thought for a long while, but nothing came, so I set down the pen.
"Can't pick a trait either. Ugh, forget it."
Won Yu-chan.
Compared to his old job, this place was basically heaven.
No mandatory overtime after work meant he didn't have to scramble out of bed in the mornings.
And everyone was from his university—seniors who treated him warmly, which was why they'd scouted him.
"Hmm... Hmm..."
Lately, though, he'd been hearing multiple sighs from Nam Siu sunbae across the partition.
"Hyungnim, what's up? The ground's gonna cave in."
At Won Yu-chan's words, Nam Siu looked at him with hollow eyes.
The usually upbeat guy looked like he hadn't slept.
"Too much work, hyungnim?"
"Nah, work's whatever. Got Soyul-ssi too."
At the mention of his name, Maeng Soyul perked up her ears and glanced their way.
He'd never talked to her beyond work stuff, so things were still awkward.
"Then what's the issue?"
Nam Siu stood with a cigarette in hand and nodded toward the door.
Won Yu-chan grabbed one too and followed him down for a smoke.
Hiss.
He exhaled smoke with the cold air and asked again.
"Something wrong?"
"Sip~Haa~. Nothing big. It's like... a game thing."
"A game?"
He racked his brain but couldn't recall Nam Siu gaming.
"Gotta pick one of three traits?"
"What kind of game?"
"Just, uh, a game a friend's making. Anyway, Method, Synchro Rate, Props. Pick one."
No clue from that alone.
"What sounds best?"
"...No idea."
"So, Method makes characters more three-dimensional, like. Synchro Rate lets you understand characters faster, and Props gives items."
Still no grasp on the game. Or what kind of game his friend was making.
"Items sound good, though?"
"But I already have items."
"Synchro Rate?"
"Hmm... How to explain? Ah, it's solvable with cash. Points and all."
That left one.
"Method?"
"Probably solvable with cash too?"
"..."
Wondering what answer he wanted, Won Yu-chan stared hard. Nam Siu noticed and laughed awkwardly.
"That's why they're all meh."
"Hmm..."
First time seeing sunbae this stumped, so he thought it over before saying,
"If cash works, just cash both?"
"Can only pick one."
"...Weird game?"
"Right? Maker's a bit off."
Seemed not even alpha version was done.
"Then pick the top one?"
"Method?"
"Wasn't it first? Probably best."
"Hmm, yeah. Thanks."
The response lacked soul, but without details, he couldn't advise deeper.
Plus, game troubles weren't his to overthink.
My sighs must've been loud if Won Yu-chan noticed.
Consulting him didn't help much—couldn't spill everything.
Got home, flipped on the TV, channel-surfed for inspiration. Nothing clicked.
"Why am I stressing this so hard..."
Started light, but now I was hooked on the Scenario Book.
Naturally, I wanted to do better, chase higher ranks.
"Maybe pick one and figure it out later."
That's when my phone buzzed.
Bzzz.
Screen showed [Woo Da-hee Noona].
"...?"
I'd dumped influence into Woo Da-young's trait, and scenarios end with memories of me wiped. What gives?
"Hello?"
[Siu-ya~, it's been a while~.]
"Yeah. What's up, noona?"
[Oh~, nothing much~. Can we meet quick? Passing by nearby~.]
Guess I'd find out in person.
Woo Da-hee.
"Hi~."
She spotted Nam Siu approaching in a hoodie over padding, footsteps crunching.
She waved hello, and he bowed his head in greeting.
He was still awkward around her.
They'd only met a few days for that shoot, so it made sense.
They crossed paths at the company sometimes, but she hadn't gone to see him then—sudden contact might confuse him.
"What brings you..."
As expected, he didn't get why she'd called.
"Wanna grab coffee real quick?"
"Uh... I'm good, but your husband?"
"Huh? Oh~, he's working late~."
Not just passing by—the nagging dissonance drew her here to figure it out.
At the café, coffees in front, they caught up.
"Went on a trip with the kids a few days ago."
"Ah~, Da-young showed me."
"Oh really? Hng~, Siu, take a girlfriend sometime."
"Da-young said the same... Doesn't look like this lifetime."
His dejected tone made him seem like a cute little brother.
"Wanna see trip pics?"
"No no, it's fine."
"Nah, look."
The reason she'd come: in the trip photos, her husband's face faintly resembled his.
"Taken with my husband."
In her eyes, it was still her husband, Choi Hyeok.
Slide.
She pushed the phone with the photo toward him.
A rooftop shot against the sunset.
"What do you think?"