And the feeling had been odd for a while.The first time Joo-o had watched Jin Muhae’s TV, lights out and the room dark, the colorful screen flashing on the wall made something slither and twist inside him.It felt like there was something he wanted to forget. He’d finally forgotten it—and now he was forced to face it again.A black, gaping hole spun in his chest, pulling him in. His neck chilled, his stomach churned with a strange queasiness.“Phew.”Joo-o sighed without realizing it.“Just one day. Hold on for one day, and I’ll buy you meat when we get back.”He’d spoken so quietly that I barely heard—but of course, he did. He’d been fretting over the lost meal pills ever since. Not the pills themselves as much as what Joo-o might do if he starved.‘True enough.’Hunger muddled the mind. Whenever his sanity returned, Joo-o would tear into whatever beast or Anomaly lay before him and devour it.A human equanimity shrank every time the animal instinct grew stronger. I resented my own erratic mind—but it had kept Joo-o alive fifteen years.A recipe for not going insane.…Or so it seemed, anyway.In the end, he waited and met me. He saw me, touched me, even had me buy his meals.At first I’d only given him annoyed looks; gradually I started speaking to him, asking questions.And now I’d given him tasks! Clearly, I needed Joo-o.That fact filled his heart with pride. He felt that if he clung to me and rewrote the game’s story side by side, he could survive forever.He could exist beside the confident, heroic Jin Muhae—as himself, whole and undamaged.“Heh heh heh.”His sudden laugh was met with my deadpan stare… which softened almost immediately.He must have learned that whatever Joo-o did, I’d eventually accept it.‘When should I twist the main quest’s route?’He wondered. Not too dramatically—just enough that the Blue Crystals wouldn’t vanish.He’d pondered that during those fifteen years, though unlike the vivid game story in his mind, this part remained hazy.Losing oneself wasn’t pleasant—but since it brought him here to me, Joo-o was satisfied enough.Beep.The lights went out. Joo-o lay still against the bike, eyes open, staring into the dark.I felt his breath steady into a calm rhythm. Imagining his exhalations floating between us sent a tingle through my mind.When his breathing settled perfectly, a gentle scent brushed my nose.Joo-o rolled toward me. Even in total darkness, he could see my face clearly.The symmetrical lines of my face, the unreal perfection of my nose. A firm jaw, and lips that looked almost delicate in comparison.My calm expression was so handsome it could draw a sigh. I was the protagonist of this vast world—sure—but endlessly watching was still satisfying.Joo-o crept closer, testing the air. When I flinched, he froze.Once my breathing evened again, he tucked in closer. I placed an arm around him; his waist met mine naturally.Enveloped in warmth, he melted, as if soaking into the ground.‘Nice.’That warmth seeped into his bones.He felt, physically, that he wasn’t alone anymore. All those endless hours wandering a barren world had finally ended.‘I love it.’He drew in my scent as deeply as he could.‘Jin Muhae. Jin Muhae.’Only then did Joo-o close his eyes. The gentle comfort wrapped around his drifting consciousness.If I kicked him awake tomorrow morning, he wouldn’t mind—because I needed him.[Quest]Main QuestTutorial (Completed)CHAPTER 1☞ Outsider of the City (Completed)- Gold-Birthing Wolf √- 200,000 dil Heirloom √☞ Unextinguished Spark (Completed)- Intangible Legacy √- Journey’s Beginning √- Pair of Wedding Rings √- Kingfisher √☞ ⧖……Joo-o was no longer alone.Good afternoon, MH5591.We have reviewed the exploration report submitted to the CME server.Confirmation of 4/5 Crystal ZonesBecause you did not complete all above tasks, we are unable to award the full success bonus for this request. However, the following additional information merits compensation:Report on mass migration of beast habitats and Anomaly population changesDetailed report on destroyed skiff in Zone 5 and surrounding areaWe have added payment for the above information, bringing your total reward to an amount comparable to the original success fee.Thank you for your contributions.CME Service TeamAfter returning to Goryeo City, the Company’s settlement notice arrived.2,877 dil. Exactly the expected sum. I slowly read the service team’s email attached with the invoice.“…Weird.”The polite yet emotionless wording was typical—but no questions about the skiff report.In the area they ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) oversee, unusual phenomena and foreign remnants appeared… yet they brushed it off as if it meant nothing.They even added extra payment, as if they’d anticipated this outcome. Or as if they’d sent me into a known scenario.“I think it’s weird, too.”Joo-o, spooning cereal soaked in milk straight from the pouch, chimed in.Glancing over, I saw he’d eaten a lot for someone who called things weird. The empty box lay on the table, and the milk had turned murky purple, two-thirds gone.“You know that’s eight servings, right?”“No.”“Serving size is 90 grams. Doesn’t it show?”“I never said it was one serving.”Joo-o rolled his eyes and pulled the bowl closer with a determined look, as if defending his cereal from theft.I was too bemused to argue. Muttering at my own absurdity, I clicked my tongue and leaned back on the sofa.‘They don’t seem to have noticed anything missing.’The unmarked pharmaceuticals found on the skiff. The unidentified corpse reduced to bones.Convinced they were connected, I’d omitted the corpse’s details from my report. Not for any special reason—just because of Joo-o.He’d somehow brought the med-kit back home without my noticing. When I saw that pristine white box in his pack, I instinctively knew I’d be stuck in trouble.‘…Who told you to bring that crap?’‘I found it.’‘Because it’s yours, you brought it?’‘Yeah.’Then for the next thirty minutes, I think I warned him not to touch anything else and not to carry things home on his own.When I said I’d toss it in a hospital, he frowned fiercely and promised to memorize the way back.He didn’t realize Dr. Jeong couldn’t just brush off a grown man with a bad back—and his butt wiggled like he might rip my shoes off.Damn. I shoved the med-kit under the bed and buried that incident.If it weren’t for Joo-o, I’d never have found the corpse. So in Burkta, he’d never seen a pile of bones before.Then I’d prepared my own answers in case the Company asked about the skiff…but somehow, they closed the request with a single invoice.Relief and discomfort mingled.“Amazing. Woo-ah.”Right on cue, Joo-o muttered around a mouthful of soggy cereal.I didn’t bother asking what was amazing—he himself was the most amazing thing.“When you’re done, get ready to head out.”“Where to?”“The electronics store.”“Gil Sajang?”He’d never called him that to my face—yet somehow he picked it up, eyes bright with excitement at going together.“You need at least one decent piece of gear.”I turned back to the TV and answered flatly.“…!”Did he understand what that meant?Joo-o, ceasing his teasing, clattered his spoon and stuffed more cereal into his mouth.―Basa-sak♪ Sour and sweet fun in your mouth!―Tinkle Fruit Tornado♪♩ Find Tinkle Friends in every box!The night’s morning show—part news, part entertainment—ended, and ads began rolling.The cereal box Joo-o had begged me to buy yesterday was plastered in close-up on the screen.I couldn’t help glancing at Joo-o.Before dawn, I’d heard him moan softly in the study. And now, apparently, he still had no idea.According to Dr. Jeong’s belief, forgetting is a blessing and ignorance is bliss. No need to dig into what someone can’t remember.…Probably so.I tightened my grip on the link watch strapped to my wrist.

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