Chapter 19
The next day, around lunchtime.
The restaurant Hwanseong mentioned finally came into view. Since it was within walking distance, I had set out with plenty of time, determined not to be late today. As a result, I ended up arriving fifteen minutes earlier than our scheduled time.
“Should I just go inside and wait?”
With that small thought in mind, I arrived in front of the restaurant—only to see the very person I was supposed to meet today, Hwanseong, already there.
“Huh…?”
W-What the heck? I was sure I came early.
Thinking maybe I had messed up the time, I pulled out my phone to check. Nope—fifteen minutes before the scheduled time, just as I thought.
Then… when did he get here?
I approached Hwanseong, awkwardly smiling.
“Uh… I thought I came early, but you’re already here?”
“Yeah.”
“When did you get here? You haven’t been waiting long, right?”
“Not really. Just five minutes.”
Even five minutes would mean he arrived twenty minutes early… Why did he come so soon?
Looking a bit sheepish, Hwanseong rubbed the back of his neck and opened the door for us to go inside.
The place seemed quite popular—it was packed with people. But there was one noticeable thing…
‘Why is everyone here in pairs?’
Every table was occupied by what seemed to be couples.
Wait a minute… Isn’t this the place not far from our neighborhood that’s been making the rounds as a hotspot for couples?
Feeling unsure, I sat down hesitantly at a table. A staff member who seemed to be the floor manager approached with menus. Smiling warmly, they spoke.
“Your boyfriend was waiting outside for quite a while. I was worried you wouldn’t show up.”
“…Sorry?”
I didn’t understand a word the staff member was saying. First of all, Hwanseong wasn’t my boyfriend. And second, five minutes wasn’t that long of a wait.
“It looked like he waited about thirty minutes.”
“W-What?”
Startled, I looked at Hwanseong. He averted his gaze, looking troubled.
Wow… Is he really going to pretend nothing happened?
Sensing the awkwardness between us, the staff member seemed to realize the situation and quickly excused themselves, asking us to call them over once we’d decided on our order.
Silence settled over our table.
“You said it was five minutes.”
I gave Hwanseong a mild glare without meaning to. He had the unmistakable look of someone who knew they were busted.
“…I just didn’t want you to have to wait.”
I mean, still… Thirty minutes early? No—forty-five! I showed up fifteen minutes early, which means he’d been waiting forty-five minutes total.
Who in the world shows up forty-five minutes early just to avoid making someone else wait?
“Sigh.”
I let out a deep sigh. Hwanseong’s shoulders jumped slightly at the sound.
Still…
He seemed more like the Hwanseong I knew today, which put me at ease. Maybe he really just wasn’t feeling well yesterday?
Honestly, before heading out, I’d been a bit worried. What if he acted like he did yesterday again? But today he was back to normal, and I was relieved.
And more than anything—there was no system window floating above his head today. So maybe I really had imagined it yesterday…
[Lee Hwanseong]
[Status: Nervous Trembling]
…Or maybe not.
Unlike yesterday, he hadn’t had a single drop of alcohol today. He was completely sober. And yet, I could still see it. Maybe I really had played too many games…
But looking at him, Hwanseong didn’t seem nervous at all. If anything, he looked indifferent, with his usual expressionless face.
I did my best to ignore the floating window and looked down at the menu. But… something about the names of the dishes was odd.
[Rose Pasta infused with the Love Potion of a Witch]
[Pure White Love—Carbonara]
[Our Fate Is Eternal—Vongole Pasta]
Did Hwanseong really choose a place with names like this?
I glanced between him and the menu. He didn’t seem like the type to go anywhere near this kind of restaurant. Even in games, his character had a specific vibe—he was a simple, straightforward person.
“I’ll have the ro… I mean, the Rose Pasta. What about you, Hwanseong?”
“Unrequited love comes true.”
“…Huh?”
What are you talking about?
Instead of answering, he just tapped his index finger on a menu item.
[Unrequited Love Comes True… Seafood Oil Pasta]
Ah… just say the name of the dish, geez. Why say it like that? I’ll never understand this guy.
After we ordered, that same awkward energy from yesterday began to creep in again. But this time, unlike yesterday, Hwanseong opened the conversation, and it started to feel more like when we played games together.
“Do you remember what I said yesterday?”
“Yesterday?”
Other than the beginning, Hwanseong had barely spoken yesterday. Aside from asking me about Sook-i, I honestly couldn’t remember him saying anything important. But thinking maybe it was something significant, I tried to recall.
While I was thinking, the staff member returned and started setting down our food.
Realizing I couldn’t remember, Hwanseong frowned slightly and spoke.
“We agreed to get married.”
“…?”
I stared at him, confused. Above his head, the status had changed from “Trembling” to “Tense.”
‘Why’s he so nervous?’
He must be talking about the in-game marriage system. I’d vaguely heard that kind of feature existed…
‘Wait… could it be when that system window suddenly popped up yesterday and I was all over the place?’
Maybe he did say it then… Just as I was about to say something, I noticed something odd.
The staff member who had been setting the food down suddenly froze mid-motion. Naturally, my gaze shifted to them.
Something about them seemed off.
They were staring at us with wide eyes, uttering a weird exclamation—“Oh my…”
I didn’t know why they were reacting like that, but I figured I should answer Hwanseong first.
“When do you want to do it?”
“The sooner the better. I want to do it as soon as possible.”
The staff member gasped again—“Oh my, oh my…”—and listened to our conversation like we were in some morning soap opera.
But I didn’t really disagree with Hwanseong.
After all, the new semester was right around the corner. Once it started, I’d be drowning in assignments and have less time to play games. It was better to do it while we still had the time—during break.
“I agree.”
By then, the staff member had finished setting the table and scurried off toward the kitchen. They seemed to be chatting with other staff while sneaking glances at us.
I got the feeling they were talking about us, but thought, What’s there to say about us? and ignored it as I started eating.
The moment I took a bite, I couldn’t help but exclaim.
“Wow, this is really good.”
Weird names aside, it was clear why this place was so popular. Hwanseong had chosen well.
The floating window above his head now read:
[Status: Feeling Great]
“Sweetie, want to try this one too?”
“Yes! Just a little!”
I looked at him expectantly, thinking whatever he was eating must be good too.
But wait a sec…
Didn’t I just respond way too naturally to that pet name?
Hwanseong also froze, his hand mid-motion, realizing what he’d just said—just like that staff member earlier.
We didn’t even need to say it. We both knew those weren’t names we should be calling each other in real life. The problem was… we were getting way too used to it.
“Ah, sorry… it’s become a habit.”
“It’s okay… Call me whatever’s comfortable…”
At this point, I’d heard it so many times it felt like my own name.
Hwanseong nodded, seemingly thinking the same thing, and said he’d just keep calling me that. It even looked like he blushed a little while saying it.
[Lee Hwanseong]
[Status: Extremely Happy]
As I ate the pasta he served me, I thought maybe I didn’t know Hwanseong as well as I thought. Just then, a dish we didn’t order appeared at our table.
It was brought by a middle-aged woman, older than the previous staff.
“We didn’t order this…”
“It’s on the house.”
“…Sorry?”
Isn’t this… a bit much for a freebie?
Looking around, no other tables had received anything. Just ours.
“I heard you’re getting married?”
“…?”
I mean… we are, but… in a game.
“To be getting married so young—it’s obvious how much you two love each other. Think of this as a gift and enjoy.”
I looked at her in shock, but behind her, the original staff member was watching us with a proud smile.
It felt wrong to accept this kind of service for an in-game marriage. I didn’t know what to do and turned to Hwanseong for help.
He nodded and spoke softly.
“Thank you. We’ll live happily ever after.”
