* * *
Before Seo Jaewon could shake his hand away, a wave of energy with an unbelievable density rushed into him like a tidal wave.
“……-!”
He almost cried out in surprise.
He could feel the energy pushing through the mental “door” he had set up.
Because the energy was being forced in with such power, he couldn’t hold his ground.
Joo Youngha playfully hooked his pinky finger with Seo Jaewon’s again.
“Ugh…….”
A shiver ran down his spine at the sensation of the energy he had no choice but to accept, roaming playfully through his body.
In the end, Seo Jaewon let out a half-suggestive sound right at the dinner table with his parents.
He covered his mouth with his hand and glared at Joo Youngha.
‘I’m going to kill you, Joo Youngha……!’
Just as he was about to say something to Joo Youngha, his mother looked at their hands and burst into a giggle.
“Oh my, you two really get along. You’re playing around like children.”
“Ah, it’s not like that.”
His voice cracked from the embarrassment.
He could hear Joo Youngha chuckling beside him.
Is his face hot right now because he’s embarrassed?
Is it the charcoal fire?
Or is it just because he’s fuming?
He felt like hitting him on the back right now, but his parents would only be confused.
They were so taken by Joo Youngha that they might even scold their own son instead.
Seo Jaewon gnashed his teeth and picked up the scissors aggressively to cut the meat.
“Eat the meat, Joo Youngha. The meat.”
Suppressing his boiling heart, Seo Jaewon placed several pieces of well-grilled ribs onto Joo Youngha’s rice at once.
He intended to just distract him, but when he looked down, Joo Youngha’s bowl was still heaped with rice.
The white rice was still perfectly white!
His parents seemed too blinded by his face to even notice that.
“Hey, eat.”
“Mm-hmm…….”
Joo Youngha looked a bit displeased, but he obediently picked up the meat.
“Jaewon takes such good care of his partner. You two have a great relationship,” his father said.
And his mother laughed at his father’s words…….
“Aren’t they basically a married couple? They get along better than we do.”
This is driving me crazy.
He couldn’t handle these middle-aged jokes.
Is this what modern hell looks like?
“Haha……. Sigh.”
Seo Jaewon just laughed.
Right, time passes anyway.
!Quest! Try to have a fun time with Joo Youngha.
[Remaining Time – (00:00:03)]
[Remaining Time – (00:00:02)]
[Remaining Time – (00:00:01)]
Finally! It felt like it took all day, not just four hours.
Now he just had to get the matching rate reward and take Joo Youngha out of here!
Thinking about the matching rate that would rise significantly made his fatigue disappear.
Yes, this is the feeling……!
‘Score?’
A faint sense of anxiety brushed past him at the unfamiliar word.
However, Seo Jaewon didn’t wipe the smile from his lips and waited for the next message.
And then…….
Score Evaluation Result: ★☆☆
1-Star Clear Reward: Matching Rate +0.04%!
“……?”
0.04%? What does that mean?
Even the fanfare sound was a weak version, sounding like it was played on a recorder.
Where did my 5% matching rate go?!
The system popped up an additional message with a ding.
[You can retry the quest. Would you like to try again?]
Curses flew out of his mouth automatically.
“What the hell is this? What does that mean?”
“Jaewon, what kind of language is that?”
His mother’s eyes turned sharp. Seo Jaewon instinctively lowered his eyes.
“Ah, sorry…….”
Ever since he got scolded to death for saying “Aw, man” in middle school, he had never used anything close to a curse word in front of his parents.
They only let it slide this much because Joo Youngha was there.
But that wasn’t the important thing right now.
‘Is it seriously crazy? What is it saying?’
It told him to spend time with Joo Youngha? He did, didn’t he?
And what is with the star rating……?
Was there something like this last time?
He wanted to argue, but he didn’t know how.
As if answering his silent protest of glaring into the air, the quest window shook once more.
!Quest! Try to have a FUN time with Joo Youngha.
[Remaining Time – (04:00:00)]
You can retry the quest. Would you like to try again?
[YES / NO]
This time, emphasis was added to “FUN time.”
So, you’re saying it wasn’t a “fun time”?
His head felt numb.
A fun time—didn’t they just put that in to tease him?
Who decides the standard for fun?
His cheek felt itchy, so he glanced sideways and made eye contact with Joo Youngha.
The guy silently curled his eyes and smiled at Seo Jaewon.
His eyes sparkled as if he were watching the most interesting thing in the world.
It felt like he was mocking him.
Seo Jaewon frowned and glared at him.
‘Something is suspicious……. It’s definitely not a quest given for my benefit.’
If it wanted to make Seo Jaewon happy, it could just raise the matching rate.
Or just let him eat ribs peacefully with his family.
No, from the start, everything was going in a direction that was good for Joo Youngha.
Starting from becoming a guide, to becoming Joo Youngha’s exclusive guide, and then this matching rate increase.
……In the end, everything leads back to Joo Youngha.
Is it a delusion to feel like he is behind the system messages sometimes?
“Youngha, I’m going to get some fresh air. Come with me.”
While his parents briefly turned their attention to another customer, Seo Jaewon pulled Joo Youngha to the back of the restaurant.
The sky had turned dark before he knew it.
“Joo Youngha, you……”
Joo Youngha was still looking this way with a faint smile.
He didn’t even question being suddenly pulled out.
What should he say?
Is it safe to ask this guy about the system messages?
What if he isn’t the system?
No, even worse…… what if he is the system?
“……By any chance, are you bored?”
What a pathetic question!
But that was the only thing he could say to draw out an answer while avoiding risk.
“Hmm?”
Joo Youngha just tilted his head.
Seo Jaewon felt a strange sense of mismatch in that reaction.
He was smiling, but there was something unpleasant in his eyes.
Seo Jaewon felt a sting as if his inner thoughts had been caught.
Did he notice I was testing him? Is he really the culprit?
“Jaewon, are you angry?”
“……What?”
He unknowingly raised his voice at the soft question.
‘Am I angry?’
Is that what you should be saying right now?
“Haven’t I been good? I stayed quiet just like you told me to.”
It wasn’t wrong, but……. No, does Joo Youngha really know nothing?
It was impossible to tell if he was pretending or if he really didn’t know.
The clear eyes looking straight at him felt alien.
“No, you……”
At that moment, Joo Youngha slowly raised his hand toward Seo Jaewon’s face.
“I guess something didn’t go well.”
“What?”
Before he could even process the meaning of those words, a cold finger brushed against and caressed his earlobe.
A light chill ran down his neck.
“Get your hand off!”
Seo Jaewon quickly stepped back while rubbing his neck.
The sound of his pulse thundered in his ears.
The spot where the fingertip touched felt hot, as if it had been burned.
Joo Youngha lowered his eyelashes and spoke in a sad voice.
“I’m disappointed, Jaewon.”
“Dis—disappointed?”
“I stayed on my best behavior to look good to you……. You’re so cold, really.”
“No, what are you talking about?”
Seo Jaewon was flustered.
The Joo Youngha he knew didn’t particularly feel joy or sorrow at other people’s reactions.
And of all people, Joo Youngha is acting disappointed just because I dodged his hand?
Besides, the guy looked downcast as if he were truly depressed.
It was most likely an act, but since he was acting pitiful with those deer-like eyes, Seo Jaewon’s conscience stung instinctively.
Joo Youngha’s face suddenly came very close.
“It’s okay, I understand……. Since I like you more.”
“What are you saying?”
Seo Jaewon jumped and pushed his shoulders away.
Joo Youngha laughed and stepped back obediently.
That weak reaction made Seo Jaewon feel completely lost.
‘Is he…… not the system? Then is the quest really a coincidence?’
However, the guy just stared at Seo Jaewon in silence and didn’t seem to have any intention of saying more.
Only the message window sparkled as if mocking Seo Jaewon.
You can retry the quest. Would you like to try again?
[YES / NO]
What happens if I select NO here?
Would the regression be undone, and everything would end?
Looking at how it gave him a choice, that probably wasn’t the case.
These quests were surely given to Seo Jaewon for a certain goal.
They wouldn’t give up easily over one failure.
But it’s too frustrating to move on with a 0.04.
No, beyond frustrating, it’s infuriating.
Setting aside the waste of a rare day off, it was ridiculous. Such a hollow failure?
And it’s not like it’s teasing someone, but if it’s 0%, it should be 0%. What kind of reward is 0.04?
‘Fine, let’s just do it one more time……! Playing with Joo Youngha is no big deal!’
He was already the one who decided to handle him, knowing he was a dangerous guy with dark intentions.
Even if he was suspicious, there were many more important and urgent things to worry about than getting worked up over that.
Things like the matching rate, which affected gate clearing and survival, the quests, and saving his team members and Joo Youngha.
Besides, he had known Joo Youngha for half his life.
Catering to his whims wasn’t something he couldn’t do.
Seo Jaewon looked directly into Joo Youngha’s eyes.
“Hey, Joo Youngha.”
“Yes.”
“Forget it, let’s just go home. I’ll give you some guiding.”
Let’s have a great time together.
* * *
