If they had truly thought of me as a friend—if their concern and care for me had been sincere—I might at least have questioned their intentions. I might even have made the mistake of thinking they had forgiven Min Yu-un. But from their attitude, I felt only one thing.
Responsibility.
The kind of responsibility adults felt toward a child in their care.
It was absurd. So absurd I could almost feel something inside my head short-circuiting. To them, I was nothing more than a helpless high school student. Worse, the person inside Min Yu-un was me—a fully grown adult. Someone who had already dragged himself through countless hardships, through a life steeped in misery.
Even if I did act a little childish just now….
As I stared blankly up at the two of them, Lee Soo-hyeon gently helped me to my feet. I had no strength to resist as he led me away, while Yoo Si-eon picked up the broom. Unable to shake off Lee Soo-hyeon’s touch, I ended up sinking onto the couch. My mind, however, was still dazed, unable to break out of the haze.
Ever since I was young, people had told me I was too mature for my age. Once I became an adult, they would even joke that I was like an old man. I had never liked those comments, but I had never particularly hated them either. I was simply used to being called mature. Grown-up.
And yet now, they were treating me like a child.
[Pfft.]
Min Yu-un let out a laugh, as if he could no longer hold it in. If he had been standing in front of me, I would have glared at him with murderous intent.
Lee Soo-hyeon’s warmth still lingered against my skin. His hand remained wrapped around mine. It felt like a parent clutching the hand of a reckless child, afraid they might wander off and get lost the moment they looked away.
I irritably yanked my hand free.
“I’m not a kid.”
Lee Soo-hyeon blinked at my sudden resistance, then let out a low chuckle.
“Yeah, I know. You’re not a kid.”
“I’m really not.”
“I got it. You’re not.”
“Ugh, I’m serious!”
Frustrated, I leaned toward him until my face was right in front of his. Lee Soo-hyeon flinched.
“Mentally, I’m in my late twenties, you know.”
My hair must have brushed against his nose. Lee Soo-hyeon abruptly leaned back and covered his face with one hand. A moment ago, he had been looking at me just fine, but now his gaze was fixed firmly on the floor. It was obvious to anyone that he was deliberately avoiding my eyes.
I scowled in displeasure.
“Lee Soo-hyeon, I’m really—”
“Min Yu-un.”
Yoo Si-eon lightly tapped my shoulder, cutting me off. I turned to look at him.
“Stop bothering Lee Soo-hyeon.”
“But you guys bothered me first.”
I pouted as I shot back at him. Yoo Si-eon’s lips curved into an amused smile.
“You can make that kind of face too?”
That kind of face?
Instinctively, I raised a hand to touch my cheeks and lips. I did not feel anything particularly strange. Watching me, Yoo Si-eon gave a disbelieving laugh.
“How interesting.”
He exhaled slowly.
“I didn’t know your expressions were this varied.”
[My expressions have always been varied! You just never paid attention!]
“Lately, you’ve only ever looked angry, annoyed, or completely expressionless.”
Once his laughter subsided, Yoo Si-eon returned to his usual unreadable expression.
[I wasn’t angry and annoyed all the time…!]
Min Yu-un’s protest trailed off halfway through.
Well, he would know better than anyone what kind of face he usually wore.
“And here.”
Yoo Si-eon held out a photo toward me, making sure to show me only the blank white back as he handed it over.
“I didn’t look at it, just so you know.”
After hesitating for a moment, I accepted the photo. The glass shards had been carefully brushed away. As I ran my fingers over it, my gaze landed on the faint cut on Yoo Si-eon’s hand, where a tiny bead of blood had formed.
“Yoo Si-eon, you…”
“It’s nothing. It’s not deep.”
He shrugged, then casually sucked the drop of blood from his finger.
I frowned. Earlier, he had made such a fuss when I tried to grab the photo, yet he seemed completely indifferent to his own injury. Was this simply consideration for me? Or was he subtly trying to make me feel guilty?
I got to my feet and pushed Yoo Si-eon toward the couch, pressing down on his shoulder to force him to sit.
“Stay here. I’ll get antiseptic and a bandage.”
“What? That’s not necessary.”
“Just sit still and don’t get in the way.”
Throwing Yoo Si-eon’s own words back at him earned me a hollow chuckle.
I returned the photo to the drawer, grabbed some ointment and bandages, and went back to the living room. Yoo Si-eon and Lee Soo-hyeon had been in the middle of a conversation, but they fell silent and turned to look at me.
I approached them slowly, dropped onto the floor in front of Yoo Si-eon, and reached for his hand—only to hesitate.
He probably doesn’t want me touching him.
Considering everything I had done, it was only natural for him to feel uncomfortable. The only reason he was even inside Min Yu-un’s house right now was because of Lee Soo-hyeon.
I fidgeted with the supplies in my hand and called out to Lee Soo-hyeon.
“Lee Soo-hyeon.”
“Yeah?”
“You do it.”
I tried to pass the ointment and bandages to him, but he swiftly pulled his hands back to his chest.
“Why should I?”
“Well, wouldn’t it be more comfortable for both of you if you did it instead of me?”
“Says who? Don’t be gross.”
Yoo Si-eon cut in and extended his hand, revealing the shallow wound on his index finger.
Why?
[I’ve always tormented you and hurt you…]
I could not bring myself to voice Min Yu-un’s murmured thought aloud.
Maybe he read something in my eyes, which had once again gone empty, because Yoo Si-eon abruptly changed the subject.
“Hurry up. It hurts.”
“O-oh. Okay.”
Unable to refuse, I drew his hand toward me, though my mind felt as if it had drifted off somewhere far away, leaving me completely blank.
*****
After seeing Yoo Si-eon and Lee Soo-hyeon off, I doused myself in cold water. For some reason, I felt like it might clear the fog gathering inside my head.
Once I dried off and changed into pajamas, I hesitated before speaking.
“Min Yu-un.”
[What.]
His flat response made me proceed cautiously.
“Why did you try to hide that family photo earlier?”
Silence.
Even after I went to the kitchen, drank a glass of water, and returned to the living room, Min Yu-un still said nothing. I considered pressing him, but decided against it. Everyone had things they wanted to keep hidden.
Even if Min Yu-un and I shared one body, that was all it was. I had no need to pry into his life. All I had to do was complete the quests and then accept death.
And then—
Ding!
A pleasant chime rang out.
Quest 3: Draw out a positive emotion from Han Tae-ryeong.
★ TIP: A sweet tip for the socially awkward you! ★
If you’re not sure what to say, why not talk about something you like?
Quest 3 has been cleared!
The system window in the corner of my vision slowly faded away.
[What?]
Min Yu-un’s bewildered voice rang out.
I was just as stunned. I stared blankly at the space where the window had been, forgetting even to blink.
[Did we just clear the quest? How?]
Min Yu-un pressed me for an answer, but my response came slowly.
“I have no idea.”
I had not done anything.
Absolutely nothing.
If the clover had triggered a positive emotion in Han Tae-ryeong, the quest should have cleared back then. But it had only just been marked complete.
It was not as if I was with Han Tae-ryeong right now. I had not even contacted him.
Why?
No matter how much I thought about it, I could not find an answer.
“So the quest doesn’t clear based on my actions, but only when Han Tae-ryeong’s mood improves?”
[That’s impossible.]
Min Yu-un, who had been sulking until now, suddenly sounded much more cheerful.
[Why overthink it? A win is a win.]
He was simply happy the quest was done. He did not seem to care why it had happened, or what had changed Han Tae-ryeong’s mood.
Well, there was no need for both of us to rack our brains over it. One of us could enjoy the victory while the other figured out the cause.
Sighing, I headed to my room.
Han Tae-ryeong experienced a positive emotion because of me…
That had to be why the quest cleared. The condition was that I had to be the one to draw that emotion out of him.
One possibility came to mind.
Did thinking about me put him in a good mood?
That would explain why the quest had suddenly completed at this hour.
But even so, I knew that could not be right. Han Tae-ryeong had no reason to think about Min Yu-un, much less feel happy because of him.
Exhausted, I collapsed onto my bed. Maybe it was because I had gone back to school for the first time in years, but the fatigue hit me all at once.
I’ll think about it after I sleep.
With that thought, I closed my eyes.