Chapter 60
The sensation of everyday conversations and noise from other tables momentarily disappearing then rushing back in. It felt similar to that moment when blood drains from your face.
Wooseok realized he had frozen like a newbie afflicted with petrification status for the first time, yet he couldn’t easily open his lips. He needed to say something—anything—to downplay his previous statement, but somehow a dangerous curiosity held him back.
‘Will hyung notice?’
What briefly appeared and disappeared on Beodeul’s face was clearly suspicion. Wooseok couldn’t help wondering which direction that suspicion would flow.
“Actually, I’ve been thinking something strange about you too when we’re together, Wooseok.”
When Beodeul opened his mouth as if setting the tone, a mixture of tension and subtle excitement scraped at Wooseok’s mind.
“We may have first met at the café, but you sometimes treated me like you knew me beyond just being a customer there.”
“…Me?”
Even to Wooseok’s own ears, his feigned confusion sounded quite convincing. Enough that it wouldn’t be strange if Beodeul later called him detestable once he found out.
“Yes. And honestly, it’s strangely—”
Beodeul closed his mouth briefly as if choosing his words, then soon smiled as usual.
“—like you really like me.”
Clank! Whether it was the sound of unconsciously pushing his chair back, or the rattling in his head, Wooseok was so flustered he could hardly distinguish such simple things.
Like you really like me.
Like…
Like…
If there had been a status bar above Wooseok’s head, it would have been filled with various debuffs: thought paralysis, confusion, enchantment, and so on. Add to that the oblivious smile—it was like taking constant DoT damage when his HP was already hanging at about 10 percent.
“…What?”
“Hmm?”
It was such a delayed response that even Beodeul fell into confusion status as well. Of the two people meeting each other’s gaze with questioning looks, Beodeul was the first to break free from confusion and spoke.
“No. I just thought you were the type who couldn’t hide your fondness since you were so friendly despite us basically being strangers.”
“Fondness…”
“No? Was it just because I’m your senior?”
“What? No? That’s not—”
“Right. I knew that wasn’t it.”
Before Wooseok could deny it, Beodeul snatched his words, concluded the matter, and smiled.
“It wasn’t that you couldn’t hide it, but that you chose not to hide it? I guess there’s no need to conceal it anyway…”
If the old Wooseok had found stability the more he listened to Beodeul’s calm voice, now it was the opposite. He was even troubled by his inability to calm down.
‘I’m screwed.’
The curse he had tried his best to refrain from finally swept through his mind. His damned curiosity was to blame. He should have diverted Beodeul’s attention right from the start, forget suspicion or whatever.
‘It’s pretty obvious hyung didn’t mean it the way I’m thinking.’
Yet his heart was racing with no sign of calming down, making this situation ridiculous. At this point, Wooseok didn’t hesitate to curse himself as an idiot.
‘I overestimated myself.’
No. Perhaps it would be more correct to say he underestimated Beodeul. He knew Beodeul could sometimes be daringly straightforward, but he never expected him to be this direct in his expressions…
Wooseok felt a heavy fatigue pressing down from the top of his head, and half-giving up, he opened his mouth.
“It’s because you’re so mature, hyung. I wanted to be like you, so I think I pestered you to the point of making you uncomfortable.”
“I wouldn’t call it pestering…?”
“It felt like pestering to me. I’m sorry. You must have been uncomfortable.”
“No. Thanks to that, we’ve become this close.”
Recalling the past when he had whined to Beodeul while drunk, Wooseok squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them.
‘Can’t I retry this?’
If possible, he wanted to rebuild his relationship with Beodeul from the beginning. It was hard to believe that all he’d shown from the start until now was not resemblance to him, but only clumsy behavior.
“By the way, did I ever tell you that I was working separately before returning to university?”
After passing one hurdle, there was an even bigger one. The fact that it was a hurdle he created himself made his self-loathing even greater. Wooseok looked out the window instead of into Beodeul’s eyes and lied.
“Yes. You mentioned it in passing before…”
“I see. I didn’t realize.”
Of course he didn’t. It was a lie.
Wooseok inwardly apologized to Beodeul and glared at the bright sky for no reason. Just hours ago, he had been delighted about the clear weather on this long-awaited day, but now it seemed spiteful in contrast to his bleak future.
‘What do I do?’
Wooseok was genuinely afraid of the next few hours he had to spend with Beodeul.
*
He couldn’t remember how the movie started or how it ended. That was the first and last impression Wooseok had as he left the theater.
“The movie was pretty good, don’t you think?”
“What? Oh, yes…”
Since the content of the movie hadn’t registered at all, he couldn’t give a proper answer to Beodeul’s question. If it weren’t for the critique assignment, this wouldn’t have happened. Wooseok inwardly gritted his teeth.
“Did you find anything worth critiquing? Something you could submit for your assignment?”
“Oh, I’m not sure. I think I’ll have to submit something on a different movie.”
“Really? What should we do? Should I come with you again tomorrow? I think I’ll have some free time during the day.”
“No, that’s fine.”
Wooseok hurriedly stopped Beodeul who was opening the movie theater app. If he had to face him again tomorrow, with only a few days in between, he would likely suffer the same ordeal as today.
“But you watched it because of me, and if you didn’t get anything out of it—”
“I did get something out of it.”
“Hmm?”
“And we watched the movie today because you listened to my concerns, right? I was planning to buy lunch too… but ended up mooching off you unintentionally.”
“Mooching? I was planning to pay for the meal anyway. I suggested we meet from lunchtime, remember?”
That was true. Beodeul was the one who chose the movie time after lunch, and also the one who asked if they should have lunch together since there was time beforehand.
‘I was definitely happy about it then.’
Wooseok had been nothing but pleased that Beodeul set everything up without him having to lift a finger. Lunch and then a movie—he’d even had the cheesy thought that it was exactly like a classic date course. He couldn’t hide his excitement, to the point where even Girmu in the game had commented that he seemed in a good mood.
Yet somehow, today’s actual meeting had been an extremely precarious day for Wooseok.
‘This hyung has no self-awareness.’
That’s what made him even more dangerous. Not knowing what impact his words had, he never even thought to apply the brakes. So Wooseok kept calling for deceleration in front of him and getting run over all day long.
“Anyway. Don’t worry about the assignment. I can watch something on my own at home and work on it.”
“Hmm… okay.”
“You’re heading down now, right?”
“Yes.”
Wooseok swallowed dryly as he waited for the elevator with Beodeul.
‘This won’t work. I can’t reveal our connection in the game from this awkward relationship…’
He should keep the secret for now. That was the conclusion Wooseok reached after getting burned by curiosity.
‘Before I thought it would be better to approach from Beodeul hyung’s side, but now it might be better from Girmu’s side.’
If he kept faltering in front of Beodeul every day like this, his raw emotions, which he’d only recently become aware of, would be exposed. It was an obvious story without even looking.
If his feelings were revealed, what would be so difficult about the Story of Guardians story? He might spill everything and then receive a contemptuous look. That would be a total defeat not even worth considering a retry.
‘Right. Even with the barrier, it’s easier to handle things moment by moment with Girmu because it’s through a screen.’
He wanted to approach while respecting and maintaining that barrier, but he wasn’t sure if that would go as planned.
‘…This is difficult.’
Until now, no dungeon had ever put Wooseok in such a predicament, but the existence of Han Beodeul and Girmu became more bizarre and gimmicky the more he learned about them, making things difficult.
‘Of course. Hyung isn’t an NPC, he’s a real person.’
Ding, the elevator doors opened with a cheerful sound. The two people who came down to the first floor with the crowd made eye contact while adjusting their clothes.
Now he should start thinking about countermeasures after they part. If they stayed together like this, he’d be swept away like a rookie.
‘But why do I feel this regret?’
Had there ever been a time when his judgment and emotions contradicted each other so painfully? Wooseok secretly swallowed and struggled to open his mouth.
“Hyung, now—”
“Have you finished thinking?”
“…What?”
“You’ve seemed deep in thought for a while now.”
Wooseok felt like he almost lost his senses and hurriedly pulled himself together. He had nearly let his guard down and stumbled again. But his efforts turned to dust with Beodeul’s next words.
“I’m reluctant to part ways. Want to go over there?”
Why would this hyung say he’s reluctant? Wooseok thought this, but still looked where Beodeul was pointing. He couldn’t stop his head from turning automatically.
“An arcade…?”
“Yeah. Come to think of it, didn’t we meet at an internet café before?”
They had. That day too, he had tried his best behind Beodeul’s back, only to end up showing an embarrassing side of himself.
‘Every day is a black history.’
Disappointment was familiar enough by now. Wooseok looked back at Beodeul again.
“Do you like games?”
“I was going to ask you that.”
“I’m not good at them, but I do like them. Though I haven’t played much, to be honest.”
“Then why suggest the arcade?”
“I just want to try something after a long time. Do you know the basketball game? The one with the mini hoop.”
As Beodeul mimicked throwing a ball, Wooseok found himself grinning unconsciously.
‘That’s more of a mini sport than a game, strictly speaking.’
But the arcade was somewhat of a dangerous place.
“I’m not really…”
Wooseok was well aware of the gamer’s blood flowing through his body. If he went into such a place with Beodeul, he couldn’t guarantee how it might spiral out of control.
“Oh, don’t you know how to play the basketball game? I asked because I thought you’d be good at it.”
“I’m not bad.”
Though he showed some humility, Wooseok had already detected something peculiar in Beodeul’s tone. Even though it was Girmu-nim, no, Beodeul hyung… he thought briefly.
“Are you afraid you might lose to me?”
He raised the corner of his mouth at Beodeul’s provocative words, delivered with a bright smile.
“Me?”
Beodeul’s words had a 100% hit rate. They were the perfect Shin Wooseok-tailored stimulant.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
