CHAPTER 41…….
At the bus stop, Hwansung sat with his head bowed. Normally, when a bus arrived, he would lift his head to check if it was the right one, but even as buses came and went, he didn’t look up.
Above his lowered head, for the first time in a while, I saw a status window.
[Lee Hwansung]
[Status: Anxiety, Sense of Loss, Emptiness]
The window, which usually only displayed positive states, was showing emotions unlike before.
It had always been wrong before, showing irrelevant conditions—but now, ironically, nothing expressed Hwansung’s state better than that window did.
The fatigue that had been weighing down my shoulders evaporated the moment I found him like this.
The thought, Why is he here? briefly crossed my mind, but the answer came quickly.
He’s here because of me.
But with that answer, a new question arose.
Would someone really break down this much just because a close guildmate quit the game?
Yes, he had been committed to his roleplay, but no matter how I looked at it, collapsing this badly over me quitting didn’t make sense.
This was more like…
For the first time, my thoughts were arriving at an answer I had never considered before.
Just then, Hwansung slowly began to lift his head. It seemed he noticed the shadow that had been motionless in front of him for a while.
When our eyes met, I widened mine in surprise.
His face looked far more haggard than I’d imagined.
He looked even more exhausted than me, who had stayed up all night doing assignments and being pestered by group members. Compared to him, my fatigue felt like nothing.
Worried, I cautiously called him.
“Hw—”
“Yoonhae.”
But before I could finish, his weary yet firm voice cut through mine, scattering my words into the air.
Even though his eyes were on me, it felt like he was looking past me—hollow, lifeless.
Seeing him like this, I thought, I need to clear up this misunderstanding quickly.
“I know what you’re misunderstanding, but… it’s really not like that….”
It didn’t seem like he was listening. He looked almost dazed.
He slowly stood from the bus stop bench and faced me. His height, which I had only ever thought of as “tall,” now felt intimidating.
“It was really just because of assignments… if I knew you’d think otherwise…”
But again, I couldn’t finish. Hwansung, who had been drawing closer step by step, suddenly hugged me.
Eyes wide, I could only open and close my mouth in shock.
Up until now, except for that incident at the PC café, he had always acted like he disliked physical contact. To the point where I almost doubted whether the person holding me now was really the Hwansung I knew.
“Uh… Hwansung?”
I called him in confusion, but he gave no reply. Instead, he tightened his arms around me.
“Um, excuse me…?”
My cheek was already buried against his chest. Normally, he would have let go immediately if I reacted like this, apologizing, but right now he held me as if he couldn’t breathe unless he did.
Then he muttered something under his breath.
“Again…”
Again? What do you mean, again…?
If something like this happened twice, it felt like Hwansung would collapse for real.
But the rest was mumbled so faintly I couldn’t catch it. Then he fell silent, as if overwhelmed by emotion.
Meanwhile, his hold was so tight I was starting to struggle to breathe.
At this rate, I might die before Hwansung did.
I tried to wedge my hands between us to make some space.
Why is he so strong…
His muscles weren’t just for show. Even when I pushed with all my strength, the moment he pulled me back in, everything reset.
After a few tries, it was clear—I was just exhausting myself. Worse, the posture of my hands pressing against his chest only made the situation more embarrassing.
I shouldn’t have done that…
But even as regret sank in, he showed no intention of letting me go. Sure, this all stemmed from a misunderstanding, but I was still the cause.
Fine… just hold me until your anxiety eases…
I gave up resisting and let myself relax. Still, he didn’t calm down easily.
Then, suddenly, a system window appeared.
[Sudden Quest!]
[Hwansung seems to have fallen into a swamp of sorrow. Pat him so he can escape it.]
[Pat his back: 0/3]
…
Now even a sudden quest popped up. Unlike the one I got at the PC café, this one even had a penalty.
[Success: Hwansung’s emotions will be soothed.]
[Failure: Hwansung’s emotions in the status window will intensify.]
“Sigh…”
Quest or not, I needed to calm him down somehow.
But… the problem was that my hands were trapped against his chest.
As a compromise, I moved my wrist as much as I could and patted his chest instead of his back. The more I did it, the hotter my face burned from embarrassment.
[Pat his back: 1/3]
[Pat his back: 2/3]
[Pat his back: 3/3]
Even though I wasn’t patting his back, the counter still went up.
With windows like this popping up, it really feels like I’m playing a game…
[Quest Complete]
[Completion: 50%. Hwansung’s emotions are only half-soothed.]
And then, something unbelievable happened. Hwansung, who hadn’t said a word until now, finally opened his mouth.
“Why… do I have to watch you leave again?”
“What?”
His breathing was rough, but calmer than before.
Wait… is this really because of the quest?
Even so, his voice carried every bit of the emotions shown on the status window.
And there it was again—the word “again.”
But why was he talking as if I’d left him twice?
One time could be explained by the current misunderstanding, but the other? I had no idea.
“No…”
“Last time, and now again…”
“…”
“Why am I always powerless to do anything?”
“…”
His words were hard to understand.
It was like… he was speaking as if we had met before.
But I had only ever met him in the game.
Could it be that we had met somewhere else? Still, someone as noticeable as Hwansung—there’s no way I’d forget him unless I was deliberately ignoring him.
“Are you going to leave again?”
“When did I ever leave…?”
“But… suddenly, without a word…”
His voice broke as if his emotions were rising again. He buried his face into my shoulder, releasing ragged breaths he couldn’t calm.
And then…
[Status: Anxiety, Sadness, but also Embarrassed and Happy about hugging right now]
…That last part—what?
I couldn’t help my expression twisting. Thankfully, with my face hidden in his embrace, he couldn’t see it.
Still, unlike earlier, it seemed possible to talk to him now. I carefully spoke.
“Hwansung…”
At my words, he only gave a small nod against my shoulder.
“I really didn’t quit the game, or disappear on purpose without a word.”
“…”
“School started, and I’ve been busy with assignments. As for the group chat messages…”
“…”
“Even I think I sent them way too vaguely. I’m sorry.”
He stayed silent for a while, as if deep in thought. Then, maybe with a bit of misunderstanding cleared, he mumbled quietly.
“Then… you’ll meet me again like before?”
“Yes… why would you even need to ask something so obvious…”
At my words, his shoulders trembled slightly. And soon, I felt dampness against them.
No way…
“Hwansung, are you crying right now?”
I pushed him away in surprise. This time, he let go easily, calmer than before.
And before me was the sight of Hwansung, crying so sorrowfully that even strangers passing by would feel sympathy for him.
