What Do You Think about Living With a Gaming Addict Girlfriend and Having Pure Love?

Chapter 25: Permission to Hug (2)

—–CROW—– 

Hello, this is Park Da-Hye.

You’ve come again!

I’ve been waiting.

It’s almost time for bed, but I’m glad we could meet, even if it’s just for a little while.

I’ll give you the best seat, so please sit down.

I have so much to say today.

My legs are wobbly, and my body is so tired it feels like it’s being sucked into the bed.

Even so, it was such a fun day.

I went on a date with Sung-Hyeon!

[Let’s go on a date.]

My heart pounded from the moment Sung-Hyeon made that sudden suggestion.

I haven’t had many opportunities to hang out with friends.

I’ve had thousands of adventures in Billion Saga, but in reality, I’ve always been in front of my computer.

What do people do on dates?

I imagined fancy restaurants and amusement parks from the dramas I watched as a child, but I quickly realized

that a date can be enjoyable just by walking together.

Even now, lying in bed, the events of today replay in my mind like a movie.

So, today, instead of just words, it’s a picture diary.

I’ve carefully selected the most memorable moments from this sparkling day.

I’ll underline them and add comments.

And I’ll share them with you.

Where should I begin?

Right. I guess it has to be this.

When I was waiting for Sung-Hyeon by the door, after changing into my new clothes!

Sung-Hyeon appeared wearing a cute lavender sweatshirt.

His short bangs were styled up, revealing his pretty forehead.

He looked cool.

Sung-Hyeon always looked neat, but his well-groomed eyebrows looked especially handsome today.

And then he looked at me and said this:

[You look incredibly beautiful.]

Ugh!

It felt like I’d been punched in the gut.  Hard.

He’d never called me beautiful before.

And the first time he did, it was “incredibly beautiful.”

Sung-Hyeon was always unpredictable, but this was a bit much.

I wanted to collapse onto the sofa and savor those words instead of going on a date.

That’s how much I liked it.

But I knew it wasn’t how he truly felt.

I knew why he said that.

As soon as we arrived at the crowded street, I froze.

I felt a little uneasy even at the cafe. I wonder why?

Looking at the people around me, I felt dizzy and suffocated.

I wanted to hide in a hole, as if everyone was scolding me.

It wasn’t like this at the orphanage. Was it because I’d been cooped up in my tiny room for too long?

I realized today how scary people could be.

But Sung-Hyeon didn’t give me time to dwell on my anxiety.

He took my hand and took a picture.

And then he delivered the second punch, right to my gut.

[You’re the most beautiful person in this whole street today. I guarantee it.]

Amazing, right?

I didn’t even know I was shaking that much.

Sung-Hyeon noticed my anxiety long before I did.

That’s why he called me beautiful.

He wanted me to feel confident among the crowd.

He was so kind.

So, he probably didn’t mean it literally.

But why do those words, spoken out of consideration, keep replaying in my mind?

I remember that one sentence by the door more vividly than the cherry blossom-filled park or the juicy hamburger.

I wish I really were incredibly beautiful.

Clutching those words like a talisman, the day went by.

The park was full of cherry blossoms.

There was a cherry blossom tree at the orphanage, too, but I’d never thought it was beautiful.

But today, it was so beautiful.

The pink petals, the couples walking hand in hand beneath them… I wanted to join them.

But with so many people, even Sung-Hyeon’s talisman lost its effect.

The moment I started to become self-conscious, the world turned dark.

I stood alone in that darkness, suffocating.

Just as I squeezed my eyes shut, desperately trying to hold on,

Sung-Hyeon came to my rescue again.

He covered me with a hat and sunglasses and held my hands tightly.

Wait.  Weren’t we supposed to avoid physical contact?

But he didn’t seem to care, and he said,

[Let’s go, PokDaughter.]

I knew Sung-Hyeon was serious about the “no physical contact” rule.

Knowing that made me a little sad.

Sung-Hyeon always gave me his full attention.

He noticed my anxiety and rushed to save me, disregarding his own rule.

My misfortune had touched Sung-Hyeon again.

That’s why I felt sad.

But thanks to him, I could see the world clearly again.

Sung-Hyeon called this place a dungeon, but it wasn’t to me.

This was a park with the most beautiful cherry blossoms in the world.

And I was walking through it, hand in hand with Sung-Hyeon.

What was I so afraid of?

No matter how anxious I felt, no matter what happened, Sung-Hyeon would be my tank.

We were a seasoned party, eight years strong.

I’d forgotten that.

When I was with Sung-Hyeon, it felt like the world revolved around me.

His kind words and actions must have taken a lot of effort, but I forgot that and just leaned on him.

It was enjoyable, but…

I didn’t want to live as someone who only received help from Sung-Hyeon.

Back home, I learned how to cook from Sung-Hyeon.

I cut the radish, carrots, and onions, and Sung-Hyeon made delicious galbi찜 with them.

He said that cutting was the main part of this dish, so it was my cooking.

I don’t know if it was true, but when Sung-Hyeon said it was delicious, I almost cried.

Yes.

Now I knew for sure.

I didn’t want to be someone who received help from Sung-Hyeon; I wanted to be someone who helped him.

Like when I first met him in Billion Saga.

I wanted to be the one holding his hand and guiding him.

Sung-Hyeon was a capable adult in the real world, and I was just a pathetic kid, but

I wished it were the other way around, like in Billion Saga, where I was the high-ranked player, and he was the newbie.

That was impossible, of course.

But maybe…

Just maybe…

Was there something I could do to help Sung-Hyeon?

I was too young and inexperienced to know for sure, but

perhaps Sung-Hyeon wasn’t as strong as I thought.

I heard something from his sister at the salon.

**

While Sung-Hyeon was gone, Sung-A unni cut my hair.

She was very energetic when Sung-Hyeon was around,

but now she was calm.

Her smile and gestures made me feel at ease…

She was just like Sung-Hyeon!

As expected of family.

But while she was cutting my hair, she asked me this:

“May I ask what your relationship with Sung-Hyeon is?”

“Yes! We’re gaming friends!”

“Really? Not getting married? That’s strange… He brought a girl to me for no reason… that’s a first.”

“Um… I heard he had a girlfriend until recently…”

“He had a girlfriend? I didn’t know. He never tells me anything about himself.”

“Why?  You’re family…”

“Not all families are close.  Some families make you feel suffocated just thinking about them. Our family is… well, we’re pretty terrible.”

“Is that so… I had no idea.”

“Are you close with Sung-Hyeon? How often do you see each other?”

“Um… we met for the first time two days ago… now we live together, so we see each other every day.”

“You live together!?”

“Um… yes… is that bad?”

“No, it’s not my place to say… but wow. You’re amazing.  Doesn’t he feel uncomfortable?  He can’t sleep if there’s someone else in his house.”

“He’s been sleeping fine…”

“How did you convince him? What did you say to make him agree to live together?”

“Um… nothing. Sung-Hyeon asked me to live with him.”

“He asked you!?  Wow… what is this… really.”

“What’s so strange about it?”

“Both Sung-Hyeon and I have some trauma. He’s worse than me.  He says his heart races just hearing footsteps outside his door.  That’s why he tried living at our parents’ house, but eventually moved out.  If he’s living with you, you must be a very considerate person.”

I didn’t know that side of Sung-Hyeon.

“That’s not true… Sung-Hyeon is very mature. He always takes care of me.  He only worries about me.  He’s the most mature person I know.”

When I said that, Sung-A unni looked me up and down, then nodded as if she finally understood.

What did she mean?

“Hmm… I see. What about him seems mature to you?”

“When I’m struggling, he knows without me saying anything… he comforts me first… and when I’m anxious, he helps me right away…”

“Ah… that’s what seems mature to you.”

“Isn’t it?”

“It’s not maturity; it’s just that he’s been hurt a lot.  Because he knows what it feels like to be in pain, he gets scared when he sees others suffering.”

I’d never thought of it that way.

Because he knew pain too well?

Now that I thought about it, maybe she was right.

Truly strong and capable people wouldn’t understand the pain of others.

How could they understand emotions they’d never experienced?

Perhaps… Sung-Hyeon was more sensitive than I knew.

**

After getting my hair cut and learning how to apply makeup, I received a ton of cosmetics.

And Sung-A unni gave me an envelope full of money.

“What’s this?”

“It’s not my money; it’s what Sung-Hyeon paid today.  Please keep it for him.”

“Me? Why…”

“He refuses to let me buy him a meal, and I don’t want to force him to contact me.  It’s better if someone who’s always around him takes care of him.  Use this to buy Sung-Hyeon some delicious food.”

She called him a bad brother, but how could she be such a good sister?

I was envious.

Finally, she said,

“Da-Hye, I have a shameless request. Please stay by Sung-Hyeon’s side as much as possible.  He’s destined to live alone forever, so I feel relieved that he has someone with him now. Thank you.”

It was strange.

Listening to her, it felt like I was helping Sung-Hyeon.

I was just living with him.

The day I first met Sung-Hyeon.

I remember him crying in front of me.

Crying and whining like a ten-year-old.

Perhaps… beneath his mature exterior, there was another side of Sung-Hyeon that I didn’t know.

If that was the case, maybe there was something I could do.

Right now.

Sung-Hyeon was lying down in the next room.

Was he asleep?

Or was he struggling to sleep?  He said he had insomnia.

I’d send him a signal.

I didn’t have any ulterior motives.

Really.

* * *

—–CROW—– 

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