Chapter 38

He was grabbing onto him one second, and now he was shooing him out like some kind of nuisance.

While Yeonhoo stared at Kwon Mieon in disbelief, he quickly returned the tray.

Miyoung, who was standing by the return counter, glanced toward where Yeonhoo was.

Ah, our eyes met.

Her eyes widened, then her gaze curved into crescents as she smiled. At that face, Yeonhoo almost smiled back without realizing it, but—

“...?”

In an instant, that huge body stepped in and blocked his view of her.

“Why are you leaving already?!”

But Miyoung did not know how to give up, either. Poking her face out beside Kwon Mieon’s arm, she asked Yeonhoo the question. She looked so much like a rabbit it was unbearably cute.

“Why do you care?”

But once again, Kwon Mieon blocked Miyoung and cut off their eye contact.

His interference was ridiculous, but what was even more absurd was probably how Kang Miyoung felt, standing right there in front of him. Their voices tangled together in a bickering mess.

“Why do you keep doing this?”

“Since when were you ever this dedicated about saying goodbye? Why don’t you do it to me instead?”

“Wow. So I’m not even allowed to say goodbye to a customer now?”

“He’s my customer.”

“What are you even talking about? And if you came all the way here, why are you saying you’re leaving already? I’m getting off soon!”

“I have to go to work right now too, you know?”

“You?”

There were so few people in the café that every word of it was audible.

So Miyoung’s getting off soon. But what kind of work does Kwon Mieon do...? Is he really a model?

Thinking that without meaning to, Yeonhoo abruptly stopped and frowned.

Why am I even curious?

He shook his head, asking himself why he was paying so much attention to that weird guy, then tapped at his phone screen.

<img alt="zom.png" src="https://webview-cache.ridibooks.com/3302046709/epub/images/Images/zom.png"/> Zombie Village now

(Notification) Zombie Village is desperately calling for you.

Survivor, check your base status immediately!

The alert kept flashing at the top of the screen. Yeonhoo looked toward the counter and tilted his head. Kang Miyoung and Kwon Mieon now looked just about ready to start grabbing each other by the collar.

Doesn’t Miyoung know the alliance is in chaos right now?

The Miu he had seen was pretty damn responsible. So Miyoung had to be bothered by what was happening too, but it seemed like she had no idea because she was working.

Then I should go protect it myself.

Honestly, someone like him, who had only ever heard about Siege Wars, would not be any help even if he logged into the game, but maybe it was because he had spent the last few days as part of the alliance.

I need to get there fast.

Belonging somewhere really was a weird thing. Those red alerts that kept popping up were getting to him, and he suddenly had this urgent need to see on a bigger screen whether the alliance territory was okay...

Ding-a-ling!

Before he knew it, Yeonhoo was walking right out of the café, Kang Miyoung and Kwon Mieon forgotten.

Whether he realized it or not, his priorities had shifted on their own. The moment he stepped outside, Yeonhoo was already busy calling a cab through an app on his phone. Just as he checked the number of the taxi that had been assigned—

“Yeonhoo... where are you going?”

A hand landed on his shoulder.

When he turned his head at that low voice, now annoyingly familiar, Kwon Mieon was standing beside him in a mask.

“I was returning your tray for you.”

That slightly sullen tone made it impossible for Yeonhoo not to be dumbfounded. Who was the one who had just told him not to go near the return counter and to leave first?

“Why are you leaving me behind?”

Why was he whining like Yeonhoo had abandoned him or something?

“Want me to drive you?”

When Yeonhoo followed the little jerk of Kwon Mieon’s chin, the sports car he had seen last time was parked in front of the building. Thankfully, this time the doors were actually shut.

“Let me drive you.”

Yeonhoo remembered the driver’s seat and the trunk standing wide open in the rain that day.

Like hell he was getting into a druggie’s car when God knew what might happen.

“No thanks.”

Distrust flashed across Yeonhoo’s face, and Kwon Mieon muttered,

“So you really don’t want to ride with me...”

Because Kwon Mieon kept pressing him about whether he really looked that much like a kidnapper, Yeonhoo tried to hide his expression, but honestly, if he claimed the guy did not make him uncomfortable, that would have been a lie.

“I may not look like it, but I’m a good driver. I’ve been driving since I was twenty, and I’ve never had an accident. Come ride with me.”

With that attitude light as paper, with the fact that he was friends with Seunghwan Lee, and with the way he talked like he was not right in the head—

But Yeonhoo could not just ignore him either. He was the family member of the Miyoung he liked, and the bastard who knew the secret of the day Yeonhoo had lost.

“That’s not it.”

He should not make him look too bad.

“I really want to, but my taxi’s almost here, so I can’t cancel it.”

Yeonhoo forced the excuse out somehow.

“It must’ve been hard for him to get all the way here. If I don’t ride with him, the driver’ll be sad...”

Of course, Kwon Mieon looked utterly incredulous.

“Yeonhoo. You’re bad at lying.”

Because despite what he was saying, his face was openly radiating a determined desire to somehow shake Kwon Mieon off and get into the taxi and go home as fast as possible. In the end, Kwon Mieon ducked his head and burst out laughing.

“You’re seriously hilarious.”

He dropped his head sharply, then lifted it again, and one side of the mask looped loosely over his face slipped free from his ear.

In the broad daylight, his face was fully exposed, and Yeonhoo stared at it.

Kwon Mieon had a pretty smile, and Yeonhoo was weak to pretty things.

So for a moment, his gaze did get snared.

But reason dragged him back.

No matter how pretty he was, the inside was rotten.

“Yeonhoo?”

Yeonhoo turned his head away sharply to avoid looking at him, and right then the taxi arrived.

“I have to go. Bye.”

A savior. As if he had been waiting for it, Yeonhoo headed straight over.

“Yeonhoo! Saturday!”

A loud voice rang out behind him, and when Yeonhoo turned around without thinking, he froze.

Kwon Mieon was waving his hand in huge swings like a dog wagging its tail. Maybe it was because he was so big, but when he waved like that, everyone around them started looking.

“See you Saturday!”

And because he was doing it right next to that aggressively flashy sports car, even the few pedestrians around on a weekday kept glancing over at him, which embarrassed Yeonhoo for some reason enough that he hurried into the taxi.

“Ah, hello. XX-dong, right?”

“Yes, welcome~”

Right then his phone vibrated, and Yeonhoo checked it immediately. The second he got in the car, as if it had been waiting for exactly that moment, a DM came in.

K ><img alt="." src="https://webview-cache.ridibooks.com/3302046709/epub/images/Images/phone.png"/>. <img alt="." src="https://webview-cache.ridibooks.com/3302046709/epub/images/Images/video.png"/>.

rnjsaldjs47

63Ba12XX

Get home safe, Yeonhoo

Yeonhoo stared at it, wondering what the hell that number was, then let out a disbelieving laugh.

He was seriously weird. Why would he memorize the taxi number Yeonhoo got into and send it to him?

This is the kind of thing you do for your girlfriend.

Not that he could have meant it that way. He glared at the oddly ticklish message window, when—

StarGram now

cafe_NoVa.

2 new messages

A new notification popped up.

Nova?

It had to be a DM from Miyoung. As if he had been waiting for it, Yeonhoo quickly switched windows.

Nova Café (XX Branch) ><img alt="." src="https://webview-cache.ridibooks.com/3302046709/epub/images/Images/phone.png"/>. <img alt="." src="https://webview-cache.ridibooks.com/3302046709/epub/images/Images/video.png"/>.

XX month XX day 11:05 a.m.

I’m sorry I couldn’t give you more complimentary extras even though you joined today’s event T_T

Next time you come, I’ll pile on the cookies too!!!

(emoticon)

It was an emoticon of a cute cookie crying.

Such an absurdly adorable emoticon, exactly like something someone who worked at a café would use, made the corners of Yeonhoo’s mouth curve up.

Back then, he used to go stiff anytime he stood in front of Miyoung, but now he felt like he was at least a little better than before.

Considering how he could look her in the eyes pretty well now and even hold a conversation, it seemed like talking to her character Miu in the game had helped a lot. He did feel a little more familiar with her now too.

Nova Café (XX Branch) ><img alt="." src="https://webview-cache.ridibooks.com/3302046709/epub/images/Images/phone.png"/>. <img alt="." src="https://webview-cache.ridibooks.com/3302046709/epub/images/Images/video.png"/>.

I’ll look forward to it!

That was the warm, friendly reply he sent back, but honestly, even while he was typing it, Yeonhoo was baffled. Messages had been pouring in nonstop that whole time.

K ><img alt="." src="https://webview-cache.ridibooks.com/3302046709/epub/images/Images/phone.png"/>. <img alt="." src="https://webview-cache.ridibooks.com/3302046709/epub/images/Images/video.png"/>.

rnjsaldjs47

Why aren’t you replying

Yeonhoo

Yeonhoo?

No way, this guy again

again, f—

ah

And then the screen lit up.

Incoming Call

010-XXXX-XXXX

Slide to answer

<img alt="image5.png" src="https://webview-cache.ridibooks.com/3302046709/epub/images/Images/image5.png"/> <img alt="image4.png" src="https://webview-cache.ridibooks.com/3302046709/epub/images/Images/image4.png"/>

It was not a saved number, but it was not hard to guess who was calling.

Why is the druggie clinging this hard?

Yeonhoo made a fed-up face and declined the call, but as if it had been waiting for that, the ringtone started up again immediately.

At this point, one thought crossed his mind.

Did I steal this guy’s drugs that day or something?

...Seriously?