Chapter 4
“I realized I was a character in a game when I was thirteen. It was quite confusing at first, but as you can see, I’ve adapted well now. How about you, Yeon Yiseo?”
Seo Eunwoo began by sharing his own story.
“I was nine years old.”
“Oh, really….”
At Yeon Yiseo’s calm response, Seo Eunwoo’s expression hardened in surprise, and he opened his mouth wide. He took one of Yeon Yiseo’s hands resting on the table and gently wrapped his own around it. He understood how painful and confusing it was right after realizing such a thing.
“It’s okay. It was a long time ago.”
Yeon Yiseo shrugged nonchalantly. After gazing at him with concern for a moment, Seo Eunwoo asked, “What are your thoughts on this?”
“Hmm? Thoughts? …Ah. You’re curious about why I twisted the original story, right?”
Upon receiving that question, Seo Eunwoo straightened his posture. There was a sense of tension in his gesture, prompting Yeon Yiseo to sit up straight as well.
“My goal is Android.”
“……What?”
Yeon Yiseo wasn’t sure if he had heard correctly. The word that came from Seo Eunwoo’s mouth felt too surreal.
“Oh. You don’t know about the additional characters, do you?”
“……Um, I guess not.”
It would be more accurate to say he didn’t even know they existed.
“I was wondering when to ask, but what did you do in your past life?”
“Ah, I was a programmer on the Sickly Villain development team.”
Seo Eunwoo’s eyes widened at Yeon Yiseo’s words.
“Oh, that… Wow. I see. That incident was in the news. There were rumors among users that a programmer from Sickly Villain was involved. So, it was you?”
Seo Eunwoo’s eyes grew even wider. He was talking about events that occurred after Yeon Yiseo’s death. Hearing about something he couldn’t have known piqued Yeon Yiseo’s interest.
“I entered the game my younger sister played. She had been a bit sick, and her only hobby during her illness was Sickly Villain. Whenever the game was mentioned, she would become so lively. I wanted to communicate well with her, so I played it too. That’s why I was completely familiar with the Sickly Villain story.”
Seo Eunwoo shrugged his shoulders. Then, he tucked his bangs behind his ear and continued speaking.
“What characters do you know?”
“Up to the black British nobleman, Arthur.” [1]
“There’s been one more character added since then. The Android I mentioned was added after Arthur.”
In that case, it made sense that Yeon Yiseo wouldn’t know. But an Android? The idea that such a character had been added felt like the setting had gone off the rails.
“Actually, I think you might have seen it once.”
“Excuse me?”
He couldn’t help but be surprised by the follow-up statement. To say he had seen it once meant that it was someone in his vicinity or at least someone he might encounter. But who could it be? He couldn’t even guess.
“Sirius.”
“Whaaat?!”
At the playful whisper, Yeon Yiseo’s eyes widened, and he shouted, quickly covering his mouth as the attention of those around him turned. However, his surprise didn’t fade.
“If it’s Sirius, then… that?”
“Yes. The bodyguard of Ethan, the one you know.”
Words failed him as he struggled to comprehend. What on earth had happened to the story?
“No, that doesn’t make sense… That level of technology isn’t possible yet…”
“If this were announced, the world would turn upside down. It’s still a prototype and a state secret.”
Yeon Yiseo stared blankly at Seo Eunwoo, who spoke in a lowered voice. Was it really okay to discuss such things in a public place like this, especially in a café with open surroundings? The question rose to his throat, but he couldn’t voice it. If he said it was possible, then he would choose to believe it.
However, no matter how advanced artificial intelligence became, could it truly regard someone as special? After all, an Android was still a machine. Had those aspects been resolved? Could it feel emotions and regard someone as special?
Honestly, if it were Seo Eunwoo, he could have chosen anyone, so why specifically Sirius? As he looked at Seo Eunwoo with that question in his mind, he seemed to catch on and continued speaking.
“Humans’ emotions change, you know. But Sirius doesn’t. He doesn’t react to pheromones like a beast either. If I’m going to find a partner, I wanted someone like that, so I set my sights on him.”
Although he added that it was the most difficult target. Seo Eunwoo’s words were accompanied by a hint of seriousness. While he hadn’t elaborated much on the pheromones, it was clear he had some negative memories associated with them. If that was the case, it made sense.
“Ah…”
After letting out a sound as if something had occurred to him, Seo Eunwoo leaned forward with a very serious expression.
“If by any chance, please don’t meet or talk to Sirius separately.”
“Why—”
“Because of the affection level.”
Before Yeon Yiseo could ask why, Seo Eunwoo spoke a little faster. However, he still found it difficult to understand what he meant.
“Affection level? In the game…?”
Seo Eunwoo nodded seriously.
“You know how difficult it is to raise the affection level while playing as Seo Eunwoo in Sickly Villain? It’s hard to raise, but it drops quickly. And for you, Yeon Yiseo…”
“……Ah.”
Only after hearing that did Yeon Yiseo fully grasp Seo Eunwoo’s meaning. Due to the influence of the original story, My Beloved Beta, compared to Seo Eunwoo, Yeon Yiseo’s small actions would quickly raise the affection level. While there were complaints about how difficult it was to play as Seo Eunwoo, there were also many praises for the sense of accomplishment when the affection level did rise.
“Since it’s a game, it’s a bit different, isn’t it? I’ve been the CEO’s secretary for a while, and nothing has happened.”
Yeon Yiseo countered, as there hadn’t been any significant events with Ethan since he joined Daimin. Nevertheless, Seo Eunwoo seemed confident in his opinion.
“I had tested various things regarding Ethan even before I met you. The reason this doesn’t apply to you is that the story hasn’t started for you yet, in my opinion. But you haven’t tested it yet.”
Seo Eunwoo took a sip of his juice and continued.
“It’s too late once the affection level rises. So, it’s a lot of hard work right now. There’s no need to take unnecessary risks, right?”
Seo Eunwoo stated firmly. Considering the current situation, it was certainly a point that couldn’t be ignored, so Yeon Yiseo nodded in agreement. Upon hearing his response, Seo Eunwoo leaned back in his chair, looking satisfied.
“Um, but… what about the others?”
“They’ll have to manage on their own.”
His response was chillingly blunt.
“But you’re not one of them. If anything happens, let me know right away, okay?”
Seeing Seo Eunwoo’s expression change immediately, Yeon Yiseo couldn’t help but smile softly.
“Why are you being so nice to me?”
“It’s different with you than with other people. More than anything, you’re the only one I can share these kinds of conversations with comfortably. When I was young, I confided in my parents that this world was the world of a game I played before I died, and I ended up being taken to a mental hospital and diagnosed with a delusional disorder.”
As Seo Eunwoo recounted that bitter story in a calm tone, Yeon Yiseo felt a deep sense of empathy.
“It’s a relief you weren’t locked up in a mental hospital. I can’t even describe how suffocating it was to pretend I didn’t know, to act like it was a mistake, and to hide it while living in fear that my parents would worry. I never want to experience the feeling of being watched by my parents, worried that I might show signs of being strange again.”
Seo Eunwoo frowned as he recalled the past. Yeon Yiseo felt as if he could grasp what he was feeling.
“Meeting someone with whom I can share the stories I’ve kept in my heart without worrying about how others will react is such a great comfort. You understand, right, Yeon Yiseo?”
That was certainly true. Yeon Yiseo had experienced something similar to Seo Eunwoo.
“Can you imagine how happy I was when I realized you were an engaged player? I was so glad. That’s why I approached you unexpectedly. I don’t want to lose someone like that.”
Yeon Yiseo could feel the determination in Seo Eunwoo’s voice. He spoke to him with a slightly softened demeanor.
“What were you planning to do?”
Notes:
[1] I feel uneasy about using "black British nobleman" instead of just "British nobleman," but I chose to keep it to stay true to the original.
