Chapter 5

“I was originally planning to quietly live my life, leaving everything to Eunwoo, the protagonist of Sickly Villain. It would be nice to get along and at least know each other’s faces. That was my thought.”

“Isn’t that a bit lacking in ambition?”

Seo Eunwoo raised his eyebrows and laughed.

“It’s not really my place to comment, but anyway, since I’ve decided to do that, you should do what you want too. Now that we’ve gotten to know each other, you’ve achieved your initial goal, right? If you think of the rest as just an addition, it might be a bit easier.”

Having achieved the initial goal, the rest was just an addition. Hearing this from Seo Eunwoo somehow filled Yeon Yiseo with courage.

“That’s true.”

“You’re the protagonist of the original novel in Sickly Villain. Even aside from that, I think it’s entirely possible for you to do it if you set your mind to it.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Ah, I mean it.”

At Yeon Yiseo’s seemingly dismissive response, Seo Eunwoo made a pouting expression. He knew it was a compliment that could be brushed off, but his face made it easy to believe he was serious.

“I’m telling you it’s true!”

“Okay, okay.”

Perhaps dissatisfied with his response, Seo Eunwoo repeated himself. Although Yeon Yiseo nodded in agreement, it seemed that this answer still didn’t satisfy him. Seo Eunwoo, pouting his lips, looked honestly cute.

“But seriously, think about it. There’s not much time left until the original story starts.”

“I’ll think about it.”

As Seo Eunwoo said, the point where the original story begins was approaching. However, at this moment, his daily life felt so monotonous that he couldn’t be sure if things would progress that way.

“By the way, how about we speak comfortably now? I’m a year older, so let’s just talk casually.”

“Um, okay.”

“And yet, you’re still subtly using honorifics.”

Seo Eunwoo’s expression, which slightly rolled his eyes, was too cute to be considered an older brother.

“Well, that’s fine.”

In the end, Seo Eunwoo managed to get Yeon Yiseo to drop the honorifics, and he smiled with satisfaction. After that, the two of them chatted casually before getting up from their seats.

“If anything happens, contact me. Even if nothing happens, reach out. Got it?”

“Got it. I’ll do that.”

“Hmm… I feel like you won’t actually do it after saying that.”

Seo Eunwoo frowned, and he laughed along with Yeon Yiseo, who was smiling at him.

“Somehow, talking to you makes me feel at ease.”

Yeon Yiseo felt the same way. It seemed they had found someone with whom they could share their secrets. He nodded slowly in agreement.

“I can’t help you with work-related matters, but I can at least meet and talk like this.”

During their conversation, Yeon Yiseo was able to maintain a rare sense of calm. Of course, the topics they discussed weren’t exactly peaceful.

As Seo Eunwoo said, he wondered what it would be like to get involved with one of the target characters. It wasn’t that he hadn’t thought about it at all.

However, even though it was a game, this world was a very real reality for Yeon Yiseo. If he looked at his conditions realistically, it didn’t seem like someone like him would fit with someone who lacked any shortcomings. Moreover, he didn’t possess the kind of charm that would make them fall in love, disregarding their conditions.

That aside, the fact that the others were such impressive people was also a reason for him feeling overwhelmed. Chaebols, Oil kings, Hollywood stars. Those with such business cards felt too burdensome for an ordinary person like Yeon Yiseo.

Memories of his past life were just that—memories. Yeon Yiseo was living here and now.

Didn’t Seo Eunwoo refer to them as “characters” rather than “individuals”? If he thought of them as people rather than characters, his perspective would inevitably change. It couldn’t be helped.

Basking in the warm sunlight, Yeon Yiseo waved goodbye to Seo Eunwoo.

**

“It’s influenza. It’s not common to spread around this time, but it seems your immunity has dropped. If you take the prescribed medication and eat healthily, you should recover. Make sure to take it after meals, as taking it on an empty stomach can upset your stomach.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

Yeon Yiseo thanked the doctor and left the examination room. They say if you overwork yourself, your body will pay the price, and that was exactly what happened. Still, he thought he could hold on a little longer. Yeon Yiseo lay on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling with a fever.

Now that he thought about it, it was already the end of April. He always got sick around this time. It seemed that psychological factors played a role as well. Yeon Yiseo let out a deep sigh. It was a bit difficult to breathe as his breath felt hot.

The room, which had just a single bed, was slightly larger than the place where his past life, Ahn Heewoong, had lived. If he wanted to find a place near the company, this was the limit with the money Yeon Yiseo had. Whether in the Korea of that world or in the America where Yeon Yiseo lived, rent was absurdly expensive.

He wanted to live in a larger place, but it couldn’t be helped. At least he was grateful to have a bed to lie down on. Another blessing was that there was a living room where he could place an old sofa. As he thought that far, Yeon Yiseo closed his eyes and exhaled a hot breath.

Yesterday, he thought it was a bit chilly in the office, but his fever had risen to 39.5 degrees. When Natalie checked his temperature, she was shocked and pushed Yeon Yiseo’s back, suggesting that she would handle the paperwork and that she should go rest. However, tomorrow was an important day for the product launch, so he couldn’t just leave like that.

No matter how sick Yeon Yiseo felt, it was ultimately his fault for not managing himself properly. He declined Natalie’s suggestion, but as time passed, he didn’t feel any better, and every time he blinked, his vision blurred, so he had no choice but to obediently follow her advice.

It was scary to miss an important event, but if he felt unwell, the aftermath would only pile up, and ultimately, he would be the one to deal with it.

After returning home, he took his medication and lay on the bed, thinking that he would feel better soon. In fact, after taking the medicine, he felt okay for an hour or two. So, it wasn’t unreasonable to think he would feel better after sleeping.

However, on the morning of the presentation day, he tried to go to work, but his condition hadn’t improved at all. He contacted Natalie, saying he would take fever-reducing medicine and go to work, but he was promptly dismissed with the warning that it would be a big deal if he collapsed at the venue.

Wasn’t today the day of the first event for the original story of Sickly Villain, titled My Beloved Beta? In this condition, he wouldn’t even be able to sit properly, let alone go to the presentation venue. Looking at this, it seemed that things were progressing quite differently from the original story. It couldn’t be helped.

Still, just getting to know Seo Eunwoo felt like he had already gained enough as an engaged player. The possibility of personally knowing someone like Seo Eunwoo, who came from a famous political family and was a lawyer, was something he had never expected.

Yeon Yiseo opened his eyes and then closed them again because of his illness. The fever that had subsided after taking the fever-reducing medicine was rising again, and his body was curled up in pain, making his muscles scream. When he checked his temperature again with a thermometer, it was 39.6 degrees. It had risen even higher than when he left work early.

To take the medicine, he needed to eat something, but he had already finished the soup he bought on his way back yesterday. He sighed, thinking he should have bought more at once, and sat up in bed. He needed to buy frozen ready-to-eat meals. The nearby supermarket probably hadn’t closed yet.

As he sighed once more, Yeon Yiseo put on a light outer garment and picked up his phone just as it rang. Checking the number, it was a company employee.

“Hello, this is Yeon Yiseo.”

-Oh, Yeon Yiseo. This is David. I’m calling about the documents you shared last time. One of our staff accidentally overwrote the previous data. I’m sorry, but could you please send the original file again?

“Um, yes. I understand.”

Yeon Yiseo answered without hesitation. Today, Natalie would be at the presentation venue, so there was no one else to ask. Plus, it was a simple task of just resending the data, and it felt awkward to share his computer security number with someone else. Since the medicine would calm his fever for a while, this much should be manageable.

After tearing open a packet of medicine and swallowing it with water on an empty stomach, Yeon Yiseo hurried his steps. He thought it would be fine to buy a banana or something outside. On his way to the company, he felt the effects of the medicine kicking in, and his fever seemed to be dropping, but in proportion, his stomach began to feel uneasy.

By the time he arrived at the company, he had to press his hand against his upper abdomen because of the discomfort. He took the elevator to his desk, quickly turned on his computer, completed the file transmission, and then headed straight to the break room. He grabbed a chocolate cookie and ate it all right there. The sweet chocolate cookie tasted bitter, and he realized his appetite had changed due to the fever.