SIDE STORY – TO EARTH (8)

Romantic Cat.

Kim Hye Eun.

Female.

Web designer.

Single.

She returned home after barely rectifying what had suddenly happened, and was in the middle of an extreme conflict.

Should she just take a bath first and not think about anything, or play a game while opening a can of beer?

After hesitating for a moment, she chose to play the game first, and roughly threw her clothes as she wore a T-shirt and shorts instead of her sleepwear. She then sat in front of the computer and opened a can of beer.

“Haa.”

I’m tired.

Why is it like this even though it’s a holiday?

If everything had gone as planned, I would have gone to the offline meeting and had fun with the chat room members.

“Huaaa…”

Perhaps because she did not have a tough personality, she did not let out swear words. Or rather, she could not even properly let out exclamations from tiredness. Her shoulders drooped as she looked at the monitor.

Legend of Heroes 2.

A game she had been playing for several years.

She had purchased its physical edition back then, but the game was now almost like an MMORPG.

The game developers seemed to have developed it that way.

‘Come to think of it, I haven’t heard any news from them.’

Kim Hye Eun habitually entered her username and password after opening the login screen, and moved her hand to check her cellphone after clicking the Login button.

There were only a few new messages in the group chat room.

Even so, it was all the messages of AAA and Cowabunga.

AAA: What now? What happened then? Did the two meet?

Cowabunga: Have they met? Have they met?

AAA: Why are they not answering?

Cowabunga: Don’t tell me something like HyunPi happened?

T/N: Recap. HyunPi is slang for reality + Player Killing. In HyunPi, two arguing players agree to meet each other offline to settle it.

There were a few similar messages.

In the end, AAA and Cowabunga gave up talking, perhaps because they got tired of it.

‘Did something really happen?’

It was a little strange that the two had not said anything at all.

They would have at least said if they had met or not.

‘Did they really do HyunPi?’

Kim Hye Eun imagined it for a moment but soon shook her head.

That would not happen.

Even though Norfolk and Outbo seemed to have a bad relationship with each other, they were actually very good friends.

They were like those friends who often quarreled in manhwa and novels.

Moreover, Kim Hye Eun knew the real appearance of Norfolk, Hong Yoo Hee.

Even if Outbo had feelings of resentment towards Norfolk, their negatives feelings would be gone when they meet Hong Yoo Hee.

‘Because that girl’s pretty.’

She’s cute too.

She’ll look good if she dressed up a bit.

Anyway, the chances of HyunPi happening are low.

‘Even if Outbo has feelings of resentment, it’s just a game.’

Though why would Outbo be resentful if he’s the one who’s always first place?

‘And considering Yoo-Hee’s nature, she won’t fight him offline.’

Because she was a girl with an openly timid personality.

‘Hmm, but thinking about it again makes me worried.’

For Kim Hye Eun, Hong Yoo Hee was a child as gentle as a lamb.

But what about Outbo?

‘First of all, Outbo’s not a normal person.’

Outbo seemed to be like a good person when they talked.

She had never seen Outbo use family insults or sex jokes like AAA or Cowabunga.

It was only when Norfolk made fun of Outbo that they become like a mean grade schooler, but when talking to other people, Outbo was very normal. Rather, Outbo felt like an adult with common sense.

‘No, rather than having common sense, they just seem to be indifferent.’

It feels like they only become alive when they’re playing with Norfolk.

In fact, conversations with Outbo never lasted long if Norfolk was absent.

I rarely chatted with Outbo.

‘Anyway, Outbo is… a strange person?’

As for Outbo’s true identity.

I can’t tell if they’re a man or woman.

It’s quite foolish to judge sex based on the way people talk in a game.

Perhaps AAA, who enjoys sex jokes, or Cowabunga, who blatantly acts like a kid, are women too.

So who is Outbo?

Are they a man or woman?

Are they older or younger?

‘Sigh, I’m curious.’

That’s why I really wanted to go the offline meeting today.

But if I think about it again, my worries seem to be useless too.

Even if Outbo is a scary man with a lot of tattoos on his body, I don’t think he’ll do something to Hong Yoo Hee.

‘If that is true, Yoo Hee would then pretend to not know him and run away first.’

I’m not sure about anything else, but I know that Hong Yoo Hee’s intuition is great.’

‘But why aren’t they saying anything? She’s not answering my private messages either.’

Did she meet Outbo?

What did Outbo look like?

In fact, Kim Hye Eun had already sent a private message in her free time earlier.

But there was no answer.

It was not even read.

‘Did she have an accident?’

Were they in a car accident together?

‘T-That can’t be. That can’t happen.’

Kim Hye Eun struggled to shake off the ominous thoughts by shaking her head, and immediately logged in to the game.

She would only have ominous thoughts if she continued to think now.

“Fwoo, okay.”

She used Cordelia, one of the 11 playable characters.

But it was completely different from the Cordelia avatar of Norfolk.

Her hair was orange and had a different hairstyle, and she wore glasses.

‘Hong Yoo Hee prefers the original.’

She had said that she liked the original Cordelia, so she never changed the hair and skin colors, though she sometimes add highlights.

‘Anyway, let’s connect.’

After selecting her character, she moved to the Pleiades Guild house in a few seconds.

And as if waiting for her, group messages from the guild came in.

AAA: You’re here now? Do you have any news about Norfolk and Outbo?

Cowabunga: Both of them haven’t contacted us ever since the offline meeting. Did they hold hands and go to another world? Or got hit by a truck?

AAA: Oh, and one of them became a woman, so they became a couple?

Cowabunga: Kya, that’s awesome. That’s awesome.

As expected, the two who usually fooled around were talking nonsense again.

‘Norfolk had always been a woman.’

Kim Hye Eun thought once and hurriedly typed on the keyboard.

Romantic Cat: Have they not logged in at all?

AAA: Yes. Just in case, I checked the login list, but couldn’t find them.

Cowabunga: Did something really happen?

Romantic Cat: Well, that’s possible.

AAA: I tried searching for any accidents in the Hongdae area. Even traffic accident records.

Cowabunga: What? You were looking for that?

AAA: Anyway, I searched but didn’t find anything.

Cowabunga: Then is it HyunPi? Did they both get seriously injured from HyunPi and end up in the hospital?

AAA: That’s… possible!

Romantic Cat: Don’t joke around. Do you really think those two will do HyunPi if they meet?

AAA: Yes, Norfolk is just a tough talker, but he’s very soft inside.

Cowabunga: Like a soft heart under a stern exterior.

Romantic Cat: Anyway, I’m worried. If it’s not an accident or HyunPi, what is it?

Cowabunga: Did they fall in love?

AAA: Fall in love?

Cowabunga: I mean, maybe they met and one of them is a woman, and the other is a man, so it’s love at first sight! Like the enemy I fought every day in the game was actually my ideal type?

AAA: You’ve read way too many light novels.

Cowabunga: I admit that I am an otaku, but it’s possible too.

AAA: Hmm… If one of them is a woman, it’s probably Norfolk. From how they usually speak. Norfolk talks a bit cute, right?

Cowabunga: Like a cute girl. Is she in high school? A pretty girl gamer who’s a tough talker and likes to curse. Wow. I might get horny.

AAA: What is this crazy b*stard saying? But do I agree? Yes, I agree.

Cowabunga: Oh, f*ck those dad jokes. Hey, don’t do it. Stop.

T/N: ‘Do I agree? Yes, I agree’ is a recent slang among Korean teenagers. I won’t explain what it means as it would be long, but Cowabunga called it dad joke even if it’s not because he didn’t like it.

AAA: But wouldn’t it be better for us to use Discord? That way, we’ll hear our voices.

Cowabunga: Look at this guy change the topic. Anyway, what do the others think?

Romantic Cat: My thoughts?

Cowabunga: Yes, did those two really fall in love?

Instead of answering right away, Kim Hye Eun pondered for a while.

Surprisingly, as Cowabunga had said, Hong Yoo Hee was a pretty girl gamer who was a tough talker and liked to curse.

‘This…’

My woman’s intuition tells me.

I think that Outbo is a seriously cool guy.

So is it possible that the two really fell in love?

AAA: Romantic?

Cowabunga: Did they go too?

Romantic Cat: I’m still here. And… are those two dating now after falling in love at first sight? That Norfolk and Outbo.

AAA: If those two start dating, it’s really like a light novel.

Cowabunga: Maybe they’ve already gone to another world by now, holding hands. They then wake up in another world and find that they’ve been engaged to each other.

Romantic Cat read the nonsensical words of Cowabunga, and unconsciously smiled.

Yeah, that’s ridiculous.

Norfolk and Outbo dating?

That’s something that only appears in light novels or manhwa.

‘It’s probably not an accident… but I’m worried, so hurry up and log in, girl.’

Kim Hye Eun momentarily looked at the profile picture of Hong Yoo Hee in KakaoTalk before she began to type on the keyboard again.

And at the same time.

In the house of Outboxer009, Kang Jin-ho.

An ‘accident’ occurred.

***

“Oh yeah! A big accident! You got hit in the middle!”

“Aaaargh!”

Kang Jin-ho was wearing a tank top and sweatpants while Hong Yoo Hee wore a big T-shirt and shorts.

The two were holding Nintendo Switch joysticks and showing concentration levels beyond that of an ordinary person.

“I won! I won! I won, okay?”

As soon as she crossed the finish line in first place, Hong Yoo Hee jumped from her seat and repeatedly jumped in her joy, and Kang Jin-ho fell on the floor with a seriously frustrated face.

“I’m first place! First place!”

It’s seriously good.

It feels so good.

I can’t believe I took first place from Outboxer009.

Is there anything else in the world that can make me happier than this?

Yes, this is what Oh Yeah! is.

This is what we call Oh Yeah!

“Kya!”

Outbo was struggling with the pain of defeat.

“Ohmigosh, ohmigosh, ahem, ahem, ohmigosh.”

When the shoulders of Hong Yoo Hee shook up and down in her joy, Kang Jin-ho continued to suffer as he covered his face with both hands.

Three hours after she took a shower.

Hong Yoo Hee was still wearing the clothes of Kang Jin-ho even though the clothes in the dryer had already been dried.

Because they had been playing for three hours.

All kinds of two-player games that Kang Jin-ho bought but never played before.

‘Hehehe, I think I won a bit cheaply, but who cares? I won.’

For Kang Jin-ho, it was his first time playing most of the games.

On the other hand, Hong Yoo Hee had played most of the games at least once.

Kang Jin-ho had no close friends in Korea, but Hong Yoo Hee had a close friend named Romantic Cat, Kim Hye Eun.

“Did you see? This is the gap between you and me.”

“Ughhh…”

Kang Jin-ho groaned again, and Hong Yoo Hee was elated for some time before she soon blushed.

‘I like it.’

After taking a shower and playing games, both of them began to reveal more of their Outbo and Norfolk selves. So by the end, they were now enjoying the games with their Outbo and Norfolk selves fully revealed.

So do I like it or hate it?

The more I played the game and saw Outbo, the more the oppa next door whom I admired disappeared.

‘Now I feel like saying Hello, oppa next door!’

It was a bit shocking at first to see Outbo doing something in the form of oppa next door, but…

‘I think… I like it a bit?’

What do you call this?

A hidden charm?

Gap moe?

My heart has been pounding a bit ever since.

‘He’s still cool…’

His coolness did not disappear.

I like the way he nicely smiles like that.

Hong Yoo Hee pursed her lips inward and came up with various thoughts, and unknowingly began to increase the layers of her love filter.

“One more, just one more round.”

“Hmph, since you’re begging me that much, okay.”

Hong Yoo Hee snorted and sat down again.

Ding-dong.

She was startled by the doorbell, but only for a moment.

Because a figure she welcomed was seen on the screen of the intercom.

“I guess the chicken is here.”

Chicken that they ordered as a late night snack.

Kang Jin-ho went out to the front door and received the chicken, and a smile spread across the face of Hong Yoo Hee again.

“Kya!”

This is what Oh Yeah! is.

It’s definitely an Oh Yeah! moment.

The chicken and beer are delicious.

The games are fun.

My clothes feel comfy.

The oppa next door is sitting in front of me.

‘N-No. Not the last one.’

Hong Yoo Hee turned red again and covered her face with the large beer mug as she glanced at Kang Jin-ho who was eating chicken wings. He then slightly tilted his head.

“What is it?”

“No, it’s nothing… hehe.”

The oppa next door.

The bad grade schooler Outbo.

The oppa next door.

The bad grade schooler Outbo.

For some reason, I keep smiling.

Why?

Why do I keep smiling like this?

Instead of thinking about it any longer, Hong Yoo Hee drank the tasty beer.

And a few hours later.

[What’s this? They’re both just sleeping? While in the middle of playing games?]

It was true.

Kang Jin-ho and Hong Yoo Hee were lying on their backs in the living room with the joysticks in their hands.

They naturally fell asleep while drinking and playing games.

[What? That’s it? That’s it?]

Cordelia was very disappointed and repeatedly stomped her feet, and Jude who stood next to her clicked his tongue and said.

[Then what more do you want? This is enough.]

[No, it’s not enough. They should kiss too!]

[Cordelia, are they me and you? Do you remember how long it took us to kiss for the first time?]

At the question of Jude, Cordelia suddenly blushed and stuttered.

Because she remembered the night after the founding celebration event where they almost kissed in the lips for the first time.

[B-But! That is that! This is this!]

[Yes, we are us. And they are them. Anyway, this is already a major development. You can say that we’ve kickstarted their romance.]

The numerous things they prepared for today had all worked effectively.

Cordelia still groaned in regret, but soon had a mischievous smile.

[Still, let’s do this.]

She used her telekinesis.

Seeing Cordelia move Kang Jin-ho and Hong Yoo Hee, Jude wryly smiled.

[Won’t they be surprised when they wake up?]

[That’s what I’m doing.]

Cordelia softly laughed and looked down at Kang Jin-ho and Hong Yoo Hee.

Until earlier, the two had been lying far away from each other, but they were now sticking together.

To be exact, Hong Yoo Hee was in the arms of Kang Jin-ho.

[Doesn’t this look good?]

The appearance of two sleeping people hugging each other.

[Yeah.]

These two were fated to be one way or another.

Jude nodded in agreement, holding the waist of Cordelia who leaned against his arms. They naturally kissed each other on the lips.

[Shall we go now?]

[Yes, let’s go.]

[Let’s go back and play games.]

[Yes! Games!]

[Okay, game.]

The two were talking about the same thing but thinking differently, and then left the house of Kang Jin-ho after kissing again.

And a few hours later.

In the morning when the sun had risen and some time had passed.

“Uhn…”

Hong Yoo Hee woke up with a sleepy sound and almost screamed in surprise.

Because as soon as she woke up, she saw the firm chest of the oppa next door.

‘W-What’s going on? What happened?’

When she turned her eyes, she could view the face of the oppa next door, who had closed eyes and was lying on his side, and his strong arms hugging her shoulder and waist.

Hong Yoo Hee was in the arms of the oppa next door as though she was a teddy bear now.

‘Hueeee?’

What happened?

What the hell happened?

Hong Yoo Hee thought desperately but could not remember.

She only remembered closing her eyes while playing a game.

‘T-The smell of oppa.’

Hong Yoo Hee unknowingly sniffed once and soon shook her head, lightly slapping herself in the cheek.

She had to come to her senses.

This was not the time to be sniffing the oppa next door.

‘N-Nothing happened, right?’

We’re both wearing clothes, right?

But I don’t remember.

‘O-Oppa next door is a gentleman, right?’

Her brain was not properly working.

The Hong Yoo Hees in her mind were also panicking and unable to give proper opinions.

And at that moment.

‘S-She’s awake?’

Kang Jin-ho.

He actually woke up around 10 minutes earlier than Hong Yoo Hee, and was struggling while keeping his eyes closed.

He was scared out of his wits when he first woke up.

Kang Jin-ho was very worried that something happened while they were drinking, and kept recalling his memories again and again.

But he remembered nothing.

They just fell asleep while playing games.

‘But why!’

Why am I hugging Hong Yoo Hee in this position?

‘Sweet.’

The skin of Hong Yoo Hee smelled sweet.

The scent of the shampoo in her hair felt different even though it was the one he often used.

And above all else, she was so small, soft, and cuddly.

The small body of Hong Yoo Hee.

Her soft body.

‘Calm down, Kang Jin-ho!’

The first thing he had to do was to escape this crisis.

Kang Jin-ho pretended to be still asleep as he lightly groaned and moved his body. Because he wanted to make it look like he naturally released Hong Yoo Hee from his arms.

‘After I release Hong Yoo Hee, I’ll pretend I overslept and wake up.’

Yes, that’s good.

That’s the best action.

But the plan of Kang Jin-ho ran into some difficulties from the very start.

‘Miss Yoo Hee? Is she still sleeping?’

Hong Yoo Hee was not moving.

Or rather, she moved and did not get out, and even snuggled more into his arms.

‘What? She’s still not awake? Really?’

He had a great desire to open his eyes and check, but could not do it.

‘Why? What am I doing?’

In fact, even Hong Yoo Hee did not know the reason.

The arm of Kang Jin-ho had definitely moved and she could now escape, but her body did not move for some strange reason.

She wanted to stay like this.

She wanted to be in the arms of Kang Jin-ho for a little longer.

And it was actually the same for Kang Jin-ho.

Hong Yoo Hee slowly closed her eyes while Kang Jin-ho did not open his.

It was something like an implicit agreement.

Or a situation created from their desires.

Either way, it felt good.

The two tightly hugged each other and shared their breaths and warmth.

They enjoyed the situation.

***

Time passed again.

After a couple of hours.

It was not until lunchtime did the two stood up with awkward acting, and from then on did not talk much to each other.

Because they were very embarrassed.

“Uh… eat, do you want to eat?”

“Uh… Ah… Yes, oppa.”

Kang Jin-ho prepared a late lunch while Hong Yoo Hee went into the bathroom and put on her dried clothes.

And they quietly had lunch.

They had wanted this to continue forever, but it had to eventually end.

“Shall we… go now?”

“Yes, oppa.”

Hong Yoo Hee awkwardly replied and headed to the entrance to put on her shoes, and Kang Jin-ho watched her as he wore his shoes too.

“Oppa?”

“No, nothing. Yes, that’s right. We need to call the key man. Uh, yes. The key man. It will take some time for him to come. The door has to be opened.”

As Kang Jin-ho spoke gibberish and opened the door, Hong Yoo Hee burst into laughter.

“Cute.”

She spoke very quietly and looked up again to see the embarrassed Kang Jin-ho.

“Oppa.”

“Yes?”

“Next time, let’s play together again.”

Kang Jin-ho blinked and soon nodded at the short words she uttered with all her courage.

He replied with an awkward smile.

“Okay. Let’s do it again. Games.”

“Hehehe.”

Hong Yoo Hee giggled with a red face at the answer of Kang Jin-ho who was flustered and turned around as he coughed.

“Let’s go then.”

“Okay.”

The two walked out of the front door together.

And because of that, they saw two people who had been watching them since earlier.

“Yoo Hee?”

A middle-aged couple was standing in front of the house of Hong Yoo Hee, and another man whom they had seen for the first time was there but they could tell what he was doing at a glance. In short, that man was the key man.

“Why are you coming out of there?”

Kim Eun Jung.

Hong Yoo Hee froze and could not answer the question of her mother while Kang Jin-ho opened and closed his mouth.

Hong Yoo Hee gulped when she saw the eyes of her father, Hong Yoo Won, turn sharp.

T/N: Korean women do not change their surnames when they get married, so her mother is still ‘Kim’ instead of ‘Hong’.