Seo Eunwoo, speaking with a bright, beaming face, was nothing like the “Seo Eunwoo” that Yeon Yiseo remembered. His dewy, pale skin and softly flushed cheeks seemed to be proof of his good health. In the in-game novel, Seo Eunwoo had been portrayed as frail, with a sickly pallor and an irritable disposition.
It was good news that Seo Eunwoo was healthy. But something was off. This meant things weren’t progressing according to the original game, Don’t Look for the Sickly Villain (SickVill), or the in-game novel My Beloved Beta. At this point in time, the two of them should still be maintaining their engagement.
They didn’t seem to be on bad terms, but there was also no sense of the intense, intimate tension that usually existed between lovers. If Ethan had been obsessed with Seo Eunwoo, like in the original game, he wouldn’t have bothered explaining anything to the staff—he would’ve wrapped an arm around him and pulled him inside without a word.
So what the hell is going on?
A deep crease formed between Yeon Yiseo’s brows. Even so, his fingers didn’t slow down as they worked. If he so much as dawdled, there’d be no telling when he could clock out today.
He glanced over at the calendar. April. As his eyes scanned the numbers printed on the desk calendar, they drifted back to the monitor. This time of year always left him feeling a little unsettled. He just wanted to go home and crawl into bed early. It was that kind of day.
Maybe the heavens heard his wish, or maybe it was some small gift for all the hardship he’d endured—either way, Yeon Yiseo was able to leave the office an hour earlier than usual. That single hour felt like wealth; even the sound of his own footsteps echoing through the quiet, emptied office building felt like a beautiful piece of music.
That extra hour meant he could finally visit the sandwich shop nearby, the one that always had its doors shut by the time he got off. He picked up a BLT sandwich and a warm bowl of soup, then headed home and collapsed onto the sofa, filling his stomach first. He’d debated over the $3 soup, but had he not bought it, he might’ve genuinely regretted it.
Today, he wanted something warm. Today, of all days.
Lying down on his cold bed, he recalled meeting Seo Eunwoo for the first time. He couldn’t make sense of it no matter how hard he thought. Still, it had been a pleasant impression. Yeon Yiseo pictured the Seo Eunwoo he’d seen that day. It’d be nice if they could get along.
***
That had only been a month ago.
Since then, Seo Eunwoo had shown up at the office maybe two more times. Yeon Yiseo assumed he was here again today for something related to Ethan, but unexpectedly, Seo Eunwoo approached him instead.
Startled, Yeon Yiseo couldn’t even respond properly. But Eunwoo said it’d only take five minutes and pulled him toward the emergency stairs, where no one usually came by.
And then he said it.
“I’m an Engaged Player too.”
When Yeon Yiseo didn’t react, Seo Eunwoo waved his hand in front of his face.
“Um, excuse me? Hello?”
“There’s no rule that says only one person can realize this world is just like a game. I figured we should be friendly, y’know, fellow Engaged Players and all.”
Seo Eunwoo spoke with an easygoing smile.
“I confirmed that the story was following the original path when you, Yeon Yiseo, ended up working in Ethan’s secretary’s office. But something felt off. Things weren’t playing out the way I expected. So I dropped by today to check, and… turns out, I was right.”
Still blinking in confusion, Yeon Yiseo finally came to his senses.
“Wait, no. We can’t do this. If we do, we’ll end up distorting the original storyline.”
“Wasn’t the original distorted the moment you realized this world was a game?”
Seo Eunwoo’s point was hard to argue with, so Yeon Yiseo shut his mouth. He was right. There were more things he wanted to ask, but he’d already been away from his desk for too long. Someone would probably start looking for him soon.
Still, he hesitated, not wanting the conversation to end just yet.
“I’ll give you my contact info.”
Seo Eunwoo understood the implied offer right away and smiled as he nodded. Taking Yeon Yiseo’s business card, he pulled one of his own out in return.
“Here. This one goes straight to me—no secretary in between.”
Seo Eunwoo’s secretary.That was a name Yeon Yiseo had never seen in the original.His eyes dropped to the word “Lawyer” printed on the card.Things really had gone off the rails.Yeon Yiseo felt the need to reflect on all the effort he’d put into keeping the plot on track.
“But you know, I like that the story’s getting twisted. I worked hard to make that happen.”
“…What?”
Seo Eunwoo said it so casually that Yeon Yiseo instinctively turned to look at him.
“Anyway, you should get back. You’ll get chewed out if they notice you’re gone.”
Just like when he’d been dragged away, Yeon Yiseo found himself pushed back toward his desk. It took several hours for him to fully process what had happened. But thinking about it from another angle, maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing. Maybe, without realizing it, he’d wanted someone he could talk to about all this.
And wasn’t it Seo Eunwoo who had made the first move? He’d even admitted he wanted to deviate from the original story. Yeon Yiseo had only been clinging to the plot to build connections. If he could be on friendly terms with Seo Eunwoo, maybe this direction wasn’t so bad after all.
Yeon Yiseo looked down at the business card in his hand.
Things had already changed, so he might as well adapt to the situation. Firming his resolve, he took a deep breath and vowed to plow through the tasks that were piled up in front of him.
***
It didn’t take long for them to meet again. The weekend after their encounter on the emergency stairs, Seo Eunwoo reached out to him late in the morning. So much for sleeping in. But it was a moment Yeon Yiseo had been looking forward to, so he got ready in a flash and headed to the meeting spot.
It was a high-end café—somewhere he’d never have dared set foot in on his own. Seo Eunwoo had already claimed a nice seat by the window and waved when he saw him.
As soon as Yeon Yiseo sat down, a staff member brought over coffee and a sandwich. Apparently, Eunwoo had ordered ahead.
“He asked us to bring it out as soon as his friend sat down, so we prepped it the moment you walked in.”
“Thank you.”
The server gave Seo Eunwoo a friendly smile. At first, Yeon Yiseo thought maybe this was just how things were done at fancy places, but it seemed more likely that Seo Eunwoo had made a special request. Not with money, but with charm. Enough to move people.
Yeon Yiseo could sense it too. Seo Eunwoo had a kind of charisma. It wasn’t just that he was a dominant Omega. He was stunning to look at even when doing nothing at all, and his calm, composed demeanor only added to his appeal. It might even seem strange not to be drawn to him. Yeon Yiseo had caught himself staring blankly more than once already.
“Sorry for calling you out so early. I bought this to make up for it. This sandwich is apparently famous here—give it a try.”
“Oh, thank you. You should have some too, Eunwoo.”
“I already had breakfast. A cookie’s more than enough for me.”
He smiled brightly and sipped his latte. Yeon Yiseo’s stomach rumbled, making it awkward to refuse any longer. He picked up half the sandwich and took a bite.
The warm brioche bun, crisp lettuce, crunchy pickles, and savory chicken patty all melded together with a tangy gribiche sauce—it was delicious. He found himself regretting how quickly it was disappearing, bite by bite.
“This is really good.”
“Glad you like it. Take your time and finish the rest.”
Seo Eunwoo waited patiently while he ate. Once Yeon Yiseo washed it down with a sip of coffee, Seo Eunwoo finally leaned forward and spoke.
“Seeing you eat like this—someone I’d only imagined until now—it finally feels real.”
It was a casual comment, but Yeon Yiseo understood what he meant. He felt the same way every time he looked at Seo Eunwoo.
“I actually recognized you right away the first time I saw you. What about you? I’d only seen drawings, but the resemblance was spot-on!”
“Oh, same here. Though you’ve got a much better vibe in person, I’d say the image in my head matched you perfectly.”
“Right? It’s wild.”
Just like Seo Eunwoo said, the game had never done any live-action adaptations. The only way to recognize characters had been through illustrations. And yet, the moment he’d seen Seo Eunwoo and Ethan, they looked exactly like the images from the game.
“The reason I asked to meet today, first of all, is that I wanted to become friends with you.”
“…Ah.”
“You’re not scared just because I was a villain in My Beloved Beta, right? I swear, I’m a totally different person underneath.”
Seo Eunwoo joked playfully. He really was nothing like the Seo Eunwoo Yeon Yiseo had known. Not irritable, not timid, not cold or detached. He was just the right balance of upbeat and relaxed, his friendly, easygoing nature impossible not to like.
