Chapter 14

Normally, when Miu found a box, he’d open it without hesitation and grab the contents. But today, he was just... staring at it.

‘Is it because I left a note?’

I was watching in silence, holding my breath, when the chat suddenly popped up.

(Global) Miu: LOL

Why was he laughing all of a sudden? A chill crawled up my spine and I flinched—and as if reacting to the “LOL,” Miu’s character curled the corner of his mouth into a smile, lifted his head, and slowly looked around.

We were in the “Forest of Silence,” a place so dense with trees they swallowed the sky. It was especially tucked away in a corner of the map, so it was always quiet—no players, no one at all, except the occasional special zombies wandering through.

After sweeping his gaze across the forest like he was combing it, Miu finally typed.

(Global) Miu: Come out.

(Global) Miu: Let’s talk.

Like he already knew I was hiding here.

Normally I would’ve thought, This is it, and launched myself out of my spot. The Miyoung I loved was calling for me directly.

But even I had a sense for vibes.

(Global) Miu: I said come out.

‘Something’s off.’

A warning siren started blaring in my instincts like I was about to step into a disaster.

Miu went quiet, like he was waiting.

Then he put on sunglasses—and at the same time, a whirring sound rose into the air. I looked up.

‘A drone.’

Miu’s drone lifted, then began tearing through the forest without rest. It flew low, like it was searching.

‘He’s looking for me. Why all of a sudden?’

This did not feel good. I hesitated, wondering if I should move now—then decided to relax.

‘Whatever. I’ve got an item. He can’t find me anyway.’

With a 70% chance, the Stealth Cloak blocks detection by drones. Naturally, I assumed there was no way Miu would find me, and I forced myself to calm down.

Sure enough, after circling for a bit, the drone seemed to detect nothing. It returned and stabilized above Miu’s head. Miu—sunglasses now perched on him—stared into the forest for a long moment, then typed.

(Global) Miu: 3

At the same time, Miu suddenly started building something right in front of him.

A low wall-like structure went up in an instant.

(Global) Miu: 2

A mount was placed on top of it, and above that, a frame formed—something like a circular slot where something round was meant to fit.

‘A wall? A chimney?’

I didn’t know what it was, but it felt like something I’d seen before. While I stared, Miu abruptly tossed the sniper rifle he’d been holding onto the ground.

But it wasn’t just the sniper rifle.

He dumped every item he was holding onto the ground, then stretched both hands forward.

(Global) Miu: 1

CLANK—CLICK, SHRRK.

Heavy chunks of metal scraped as they filled the circular frame.

A massive, long body that reflected light. Brass casings linked densely, spilling down like a snake across the ground.

A heavy machine gun that looked threatening enough to make your throat close just from seeing it.

‘Isn’t that something you use in alliance territory?’

I had one of those at my base too. The material cost per unit was insane, and because you had to construct it, it was basically a non-portable weapon designed to be planted and used like an installation.

‘Why is that here?’

This was a Siege War weapon—something you used when fighting over alliance territory. Why the hell was it here?

—CHK-CHAK!

The sound of a belt being fed—

And before I could even scream—

—BRRRRRRRRRRT!!!!!!

Miu started firing...!

“Uh—huh?!”

I ducked my character’s head on pure panic. My little baby skeleton—clearly showing signs of growth now—squatted down right beside me, copying its owner.

‘Oh, that’s kinda cute—’

Was I getting attached? Even in this moment, I had the thought that my skeleton was kind of cute—

‘What... is that?!’

I learned something new: if you fire enough bullets, you can punch holes clean through trees. I stared blankly as the tree I’d been hiding behind toppled over with a heavy THUD—and beyond the fallen trunk, Miu’s figure was revealed in full.

—BRRRRRRT!! BRRRRRRRRRRT!!!!

Miu had both hands on the gun, spraying in every direction like he’d lost his mind. Even now he kept his aim low, crushing the recoil, pouring ammo out like he planned to wipe the entire forest off the map.

—SHRRK, SHRRK!

Casings struck the ground with a metallic rattle. The Forest of Silence turned into hell in seconds. Birds shrieked and exploded upward into the sky, and the zombies that had been shuffling along between the trees were pulverized without even time to scream.

‘What—’

The scene I’d imagined was Miyoung smiling because she liked the gifts....

—BRRRRRRT!! BRRRRRRRRRRT!!!!!

‘What is this—!!!’

Not this merciless barrage that didn’t even leave room to breathe! Miu kept firing into the forest like he was trying to erase it.

(Global) Miu: Come out.

Baby rabbit....

(Global) Miu: Not coming out?

...Can I even call that baby rabbit?

I pressed a hand to my pounding chest, my face twisted in confusion.

‘A-am I... fluttering? This is fluttering, right?’

But when your heart flutters, it’s supposed to feel good, isn’t it? Right now—

—BRRRRRT! BRRRRRRRRT!!!!

‘I feel like I’m going to die!’

As the bombardment started up again, I squeezed my eyes shut.

‘How is this real?!’

Me being scared of that cute baby rabbit Miyoung?

I tried to steady myself by calling up her face in my mind. These days I’d been so focused on the game I couldn’t even go to Nova properly, but Miyoung’s face was still crystal clear.

The small hand offering me a portable fan. The round eyes that always smiled and welcomed me every time I came into the café. Pale skin. That cute little lift of her mouth—

‘Yeah. Because it’s Miyoung.’

Mimi-bastard Yeonhoo—the guy who was crazy about Miyoung—forced himself to overlay Miyoung onto the Miu avatar attacking him. When I imagined her smiling like sunshine while holding a gun as big as her whole body and firing it... somehow, unbelievably, it even looked cute.

Only then did my heart settle a little.

‘But... isn’t it a little quieter than before?’

If Miyoung was firing that huge gun all cute like that, I’d be willing to take dozens of bullets—

(Global) Miu: There you are.

“AAAH!!”

No.

The second my eyes met Miu’s, I almost fainted on the spot.

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I’d been so startled I smashed the keyboard and everything came out as a mess. And honestly—anyone would’ve.

How the hell had he found me? I’d crouched as low as I could and used a Stealth Cloak, and yet... Miu was sitting on a tree stump, staring straight at me.

I hadn’t imagined meeting him like this. Not even once.

Miu’s character, staring at me from a first-person view like he could see through my skull, looked like a slasher villain from a horror movie.

(Global) 0momo0: h-howw

That was it. My first line. No cute tone, no nothing—just sheer panic.

‘Seriously, how did he find me?’

I was definitely wearing stealth, but something felt wrong. When I looked again, my HP bar was down a little.

‘I must’ve gotten clipped....’

One of the bullets from that insane spray must’ve grazed me—canceling stealth.

Miu’s face, fixed on me, made my mouth go dry. I sat there with my hands on the keyboard, not knowing what to say—then I saw the pile of gifts behind him, and my expression hardened.

(Global) Miu: We’ve met before.

‘Yeah. What do I have to be ashamed of?’

My only crime was giving gifts to someone I liked. So I should be confident. Start with a greeting...!

(Global) Miu: Hello?

CLICK.

(Global) 0momo0: p-please dont kill me

I couldn’t.

At some point, Miu had come over holding his sniper rifle instead of the machine gun—and the long barrel was perfectly, precisely aimed at 0momo0’s head.

(Global) Miu: Why do you keep following me around and giving me gifts?

So much for “be confident.” I clamped my mouth shut and watched him, trying to read his mood.

‘No. This isn’t how it was supposed to go.’

It felt like cold sweat was sliding down my back. The in-game meeting I’d imagined with Miyoung was supposed to be... sweeter than this.