Chapter 8
Chapter 8
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Episode 7. This Woman Won't Go Back Now.
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◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ NOW LOADING... 10%... 60%... 100% Park Dahye still couldn't accept the truth even after the long loading screen finally ended.
"Huh?"
"I'm Kwon Seonghyeon Fighter. How long are you gonna take to figure it out?"
"Bullshit."
"For real."
"Total bullshit."
"I swear on the guild master. If it's a lie, the guild master's dick falls off."
It might sound ridiculous, but this was our guild's truth oath.
If you said it, it had to be true.
Anyone who broke it got kicked from the guild.
The guild master never agreed, but we decided it among ourselves.
Nothing could be more reliable than this right now.
And sure enough, she finally reacted.
"Ah... You... You're really Seonghyeon?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Whoa."
"That's your tenth time."
"Whoa."
"Eleventh."
"Whoa."
"Cut it out!"
We stuffed ourselves with meat until our stomachs were about to burst. She shed a bunch of tears. We laughed.
After burning all that energy, Park Dahye seemed to have short-circuited or something.
She'd been saying "whoa" nonstop.
Ah, she's working again.
"No way... How are you the rep? Did I come knowing it was you? Or were you pranking me from the start?"
"I came for work, saw your figures in your room, and figured it out. I had no idea before."
"So... The company I sent the drawings to happened to be yours, you took the job and came to meet me, then you ended up in my room by chance and recognized me?"
"Spot on. Take back what you said about me being oblivious."
"Does that even make sense? How many game companies are there in the country?"
"Maybe one in 20 billion? Probability-wise."
"Fate?"
"Total bug."
"It's a total bug."
Total bug. Yeah. Otherwise, there's no explaining it.
Park Dahye muttered "total bug" and "fate" back and forth for a while before giving up on making sense of it and staring straight into my eyes.
The special effects were intense this time too.
Her eyes, red and puffy from all the crying, now looked like she'd done them up with eyeliner.
At this point, it wasn't just pretty—it might as well be a skill.
Those magically beautiful eyes.
Right now, they were fixed only on me.
It was overwhelming.
"Stop staring. I'm sorry for tricking you. No, let me say it properly: I'm sorry."
"Seonghyeon."
"Yeah."
"No need to apologize."
"Uh."
"Buy me a drink."
What?
I'd just tricked her and eavesdropped on her inner thoughts, and she wasn't mad?
I'd braced for at least a slap.
No slap—just a beaming smile spreading across her dazed face.
Her mouth stretched ear to ear, flashing perfect white teeth, her eyes curving into full rainbows.
What would a flower look like if it took human form?
This smile, one she'd never shown Kwon Rep, hit my heart like a truck.
Ugh...!
This... was a critical hit. Snap out of it.
She's a girl, remember.
I pulled myself together and looked up again. Beneath that flower-like smile, a hand was extended toward me.
Park Dahye's hand, holding her smartphone.
"What's this?"
"Read it. I wrote it down."
I took the phone and checked the contents.
[Drinks 32, Beef 12, Chicken 82, Beer 11, Soju 14...]
"What is this?"
"All the stuff you said you'd buy. Just drinks today."
No way. She'd actually been keeping track?
Yeah, I'd said I'd buy them.
I never did offline meetups.
Whenever guildmates suggested hanging out, I'd tease them by saying I'd buy this or that if we met, all bravado.
Since I'd never have to actually buy anything. Go have fun among yourselves.
Ah, come to think of it, that time too.
📰 Chat Log [Me: Holy shit! We won! We're in the finals!! Pokttal!! You did it!!] [Kim Pokttal: Whoa... Insane. We actually won!!! Seonghyeon ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ Figures! We're getting figures!!!] [Me: Screw that. Today, I'm buying everything. Drinks, whatever. Just say it. I'll get it all!!] [Kim Pokttal: Huh? Meet up IRL? For real?] [Me: Nah, outside the blanket is dangerous.] [Kim Pokttal: _ Lying even now.] [Me: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Jealous? Write it down then. If we bump into each other on the street, I'll buy it all ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ] Aaah, yeah, that happened.
Karma's a bitch, Kwon Seonghyeon.
You... did it again.
But hey, getting caught on a lie means paying up, and right now, I could laugh.
Just because you're drinking with me instead of heading back to that goshiwon.
I'm happy.
Relieved you're here with me.
"Whatever! My treat! Let's drink till we drop today!"
"That's Kwon Seonghyeon Fighter! Let's go!!"
"Let's go!!"
We shouted "Let's go!!" like kids who bumped into each other at the playground and headed to a bar.
I still wasn't sure.
If this was the right thing. Or just immature meddling.
I couldn't take responsibility, so was I just pitying her and making her pathetic?
Still, today...
I wanted to do this without thinking.
You'll go back there someday and start grinding rice again.
Pokttal.
At least today...
Smile for me.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 'This is all I remember?'
No matter how hard I wrung my brain, this was the clearest it got.
I'm seriously weak to booze.
After that, hazy scenes flickered in the fragmented film, but...
First, we left the barbecue place and hit a nearby beer joint.
Drank till closing... Yeah.
Then stumbled into some open bar till 2 a.m.
We probably only talked games.
Whatever it was, it was so fun we lost track of time.
Then we said goodbye at the door.
See ya.
I waved until she was a speck in the distance.
Park Dahye did the same.
Staggering backward, waving nonstop.
Then I saw her turn, her back retreating.
As she vanished into the alley...
I ran and grabbed her hand.
"Don't go. Stay at my place tonight."
Aaaaaaaaaah!
Black history, you fucking bastard!
What the hell were you doing with a girl like she's a kid!
I grabbed my head to bash it on the floor, but a sweet voice came from behind.
"Seonghyeon, what're you doing? Mouth not tired?"
"It is."
"Rinse quick. You'll hurl."
"Got it."
Haa. No matter how pissed, gotta brush.
Bitter.
Toothpaste is bitter.
No, yesterday's idiotic memories are bitter.
Drunk off my ass, acting on impulse, and this is the result.
Bringing a girl I just met home.
Not enough? Letting her crash overnight with no memory.
'Uwaaaah!! You piece of shit!! This karma!!! You'll pay dearly someday!!!'
I glared at my reflection, twisting my face in rage as I finished brushing.
Then came out and took the water she handed me.
Water from the world's prettiest girl.
"Thanks."
"Hehehe. You look pretty after washing up."
"I'm twenty-nine, y'know."
"Pretty is pretty."
No, you're the pretty one.
I'm not pretty at all. Embarrassing old hag.
But...
Having someone take care of you in the morning isn't bad.
Unlike my confusion, Park Dahye's face held only a happy smile.
Well, she didn't do anything wrong.
From her view: ate tons of tasty food, slept in a clean house.
Today too.
Visiting a friend's house after eight years of gaming together—she was probably just excited to hang out.
We always gamed over ten hours on weekends with Pokttal.
Today might be the same.
Yeah, so this guilt is just in my head.
Forget yesterday.
This situation is just an old friend visiting.
Nothing better!
If only.
I hadn't fucked up in that blank spot.
Confirm that, then forget everything.
I forced a smile and asked.
"Dahye, how was last night? Sleep well?"
"Yeah! I slept amazing. Bed was warm, maybe the candle scent? Knocked out hard. You sleep okay, Seonghyeon?"
Sleep well? With my maxed insomnia?
But... my body feels super light.
"Huh? How long did I sleep?"
"You passed out at 4 a.m., slept till now."
Clock said eleven.
When's the last time I woke at this hour?
Always up at dawn, or crashing at this time on weekends.
"Whoa. Seven hours?"
"Why?"
"Insomnia. Max four hours usually."
"You have insomnia... But you were out the second you lay down."
"Really? Weird."
Huh?
Hold up.
Out the second I lay down?
Me?
No, wait.
How do you know that?
I woke up in my bed this morning.
How does she know when I fell asleep?
Did she check if I was asleep before going to bed?
No, but... Candle scent? Candle's only in my room.
Dread washed over me.
"Dahye."
"Yeah!"
"Where'd you sleep last night?"
"In the bed?"
"The small room bed?"
"Didn't know? Another bed?"
"Not the one in my room, right?"
"It is. We slept together."
Time.
"Don't lie."
"For real. I've never lied to you."
"Why there?"
"You told me to!"
"No way."
"Sigh, I knew you'd say that. Good thing I took a pic."
Park Dahye scampered to my room and grabbed her phone.
Why's your phone there, ominously.
She beamed brightly and showed me a photo.
"Look."
It was...
Us lying in bed.
My face first.
Deep asleep, face resting on her back.
In front, Park Dahye smiling at the camera.
One hand V-sign.
But... my eyes feel weird today.
She only has two hands.
One holding camera, one V-sign.
So whose are those two hands on her chest?
Ah, mine?
I'm done.
Someone stab my gut.
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