Ethan and Alexander had never exactly been on good terms. If he remembered correctly, the tension mostly came from Ethan’s side. Still, whatever the backstory may have been, it wasn’t polite to stare so blatantly, so he quickly adjusted his posture and gave Alexander a respectful bow.
“Sorry I didn’t greet you properly right away.”
“No need to apologize. I didn’t come here expecting a greeting.”
Alexander replied immediately, and Yeon Yiseo glanced up at him. Catching the look, Alexander raised an eyebrow. Yiseo figured he should explain himself.
“I was just thinking how much you resemble the CEO. Ah, I mean Ethan.”
“That’s the first time I’ve heard that.”
Alexander’s eyebrow lifted slightly.
“Really? You look so alike. Ah—maybe it’s just the hair color that makes the difference?”
“Usually, that alone is enough to tell people apart.”
Now that he thought about it, that made sense. Still, their facial structures and eyes were remarkably similar. Had no one else ever noticed?
“But how did you…?”
“I was on my way into the conference hall when someone suddenly collapsed right in front of me.”
Ah. That explained it. Yiseo pictured the scene in his head. Bad luck for Alexander, perhaps, but for Yiseo, the timing had been perfect.
“You could’ve just walked past, but thank you. Thanks to you, I’m feeling a lot better.”
In the in-game novel, it was Ethan who brought Yiseo in after he collapsed. That became the catalyst for Ethan developing an interest in him—a type of person he’d never encountered before. But now that role had gone to Alexander.
So… does that mean the original plotline had twisted somehow? He couldn’t be sure. After all, Alexander hadn’t even been a capture target. Maybe he’d been added later, but if that were the case, Seo Eunwoo definitely would’ve mentioned it.
“An executive assistant collapsing on duty—it’s only natural to help.”
Is it, though? Most people wouldn’t care if a regular employee passed out. Then again, Alexander must’ve had his own reasons.
“Ah, I guess that’s true. If someone faints and decides to sue, it could get messy.”
Yiseo muttered and nodded, only to snap out of it when he felt a sharp gaze pierce through him. Alexander was staring. Flustered, Yiseo rushed to explain.
“I wasn’t implying anything! I’d never sue. It’s my dream to work at this company for life.”
“I see. That’s a relief.”
After checking his watch, Alexander addressed him again.
“Well then, I’ll be heading back to the conference. I’ve already spoken with the secretary—you can rest until you’re fully recovered. You’ll be escorted home afterward.”
That’s when Yiseo noticed Alexander was still dressed in a full suit. Well, of course—this was his younger brother’s product launch. If he didn’t attend, the rumors would spread fast. That would affect the stock, too. His absence could’ve caused serious fallout. The realization made Yiseo feel dizzy with guilt.
“Then I’ll step out for now. I’ll come back once the IV finishes, so please rest.”
With that, Caine followed Alexander out, leaving Yiseo alone in the room again.
The real Alexander was far more polite and well-mannered than Yiseo had imagined. Why had he assumed Alexander was some kind of tyrant? After thinking it over, he realized—it was all because of Ethan.
In SickVill, Ethan came off nice at first, but as the game progressed, his obsession became absolutely deranged. Many players found that gap fascinating and were drawn to it. Being his brother, Alexander had seemed destined to be just as bad—if not worse. That had been a baseless assumption on Yiseo’s part.
“…Yeah. That was kind of unfair of me.”
He probably wouldn’t get a chance to apologize in person again, but the guilt didn’t go away. With a quiet sigh, Yiseo lay back down.
When would he ever get to stay in a room this nice again? Everything—from the pillow to the sheets to the bed itself—had to be top-of-the-line. He rubbed his cheek against the cool, soft blanket. For now, he decided he wouldn’t think about anything else until the IV finished. Just rest.
His body, not yet fully recovered, sank into the plush bedding and soon drifted off to sleep.
***
Maybe it was thanks to resting and getting an IV over the weekend, but Yiseo felt a lot better. He didn’t even need medicine anymore to keep his temperature stable. Monday had gone smoothly, with a particularly difficult negotiation wrapping up better than expected. And on Wednesday, Natalie had even treated him to lunch to thank him.
“You were seriously my lifesaver that day, Yiseo. Thank you so much. You weren’t feeling well, right? Did you make it home okay?”
“Yeah, I got home just fine.”
He answered her casually. There was no need to bring up what had happened with Alexander.
For one, if she found out he’d collapsed, she’d feel horribly guilty. And secondly, there was no point stirring curiosity about something better left alone. If it had been just about him, he wouldn’t have cared, but other people were involved.
“Did the launch go well? I really wanted to attend if I hadn’t been sick.”
“No worries. You know the CEO—he’s all about perfection. It was flawless. Absolutely amazing turnout. The media and users were all over it. I bet the marketing team finally got to breathe for once.”
Natalie scrunched her nose playfully, and Yiseo nodded in agreement.
“That’s good to hear.”
“Which is why we can sit down for lunch like this. Not for long, though—we’ll have to head back soon.”
Natalie checked the time on her phone. Technically, they had an hour for lunch, but the reality was far from generous. Usually, they’d be wolfing down delivery meals with one hand while staring at their monitors, or inhaling food in under ten minutes.
So having 40 whole minutes felt like pure luxury. They’d even had time to enjoy a warm burger and a latte afterward—unthinkable on a normal day.
“Now that I think about it, this is the first time I’ve had lunch out with you. I’ve wanted to for a while, and I finally got my wish today.”
Yiseo gave her a faint smile. Lunch outside was nice. The only downside? It cost money. The price range was a bit too much for his comfort.
To be honest, he hadn’t really been able to afford eating out today. At first, he’d made an excuse about having something to take care of, but Natalie saw right through it. In the end, she dragged him out herself—and insisted on covering the cost since she was the one who brought him.
“I think tomorrow should be fine, too. Want to go out for lunch again?”
The total for today’s lunch—including the latte—flashed through Yiseo’s mind. About $36. That was way too much for one meal. He couldn’t respond right away. His lukewarm smile must’ve given him away because Natalie looked at him curiously.
“Was having lunch with me that bad?”
Yiseo immediately shook his head.
“No, of course not. Not at all.”
“They say a strong denial is a confirmation. Did I hit a nerve?”
Natalie laughed softly at his awkward reaction, then shifted to a more serious tone.
“Let me just say this—I really like you, Yiseo.”
The sudden change in topic made him glance at her with a faint smile. The way she was setting this up didn’t feel casual.
“Is there… something wrong?”
“Wrong?”
“Like, are you having trouble financially or anything like that?”
The question, cautious as it was, made Yiseo’s face harden. For something so out-of-the-blue, it felt incredibly intrusive. Not something he’d ever expected Natalie to say.
“I’m not sure why you’re bringing that up all of a sudden.”
“If it’s not true, then that’s fine. I just got worried. I thought maybe I could help, if something was going on.”
“I’m not asking why you care. I’m asking what made you think that.”
Pressed further, Natalie fidgeted with her fingers and answered with a conflicted expression.
“I know it’s not my place to ask. But it was bothering me, so I said something. You know I’m the eldest of five younger brothers, right? They’re good kids, but… well, a lot’s happened. Especially the youngest—he’s caused so much trouble. And not the cute kind of trouble, either.”
She gave an exaggerated laugh and rolled her shoulders, then lifted her gaze to meet his eyes.
