Chapter 26

Kim In-ho’s “Mirage of Silver” wasn’t bad.

There were many shortcomings, but the interactions with the main heroine were quite satisfying.

For a first work to showcase talent, it was successful.

“But the more I look at this character, she’s just Thierry with silver hair, right?”

No matter how much I thought about it, the mysterious senior character was Thierry with a different hair color.

At my words, Kim In-ho put down the mouse and replied.

“I gave the outsourced artist a photo of you, and that’s how it turned out.”

“When did you secretly take my photo?”

“You gave it to me.”

I resemble Thierry from “Eternal World.” But not exactly the same. If I had to say, I was a much higher-tier version.

Maybe that’s why, whenever they referenced me, a female character similar to Thierry would pop out.

Even when they referenced me, it was hard to replicate, so a character resembling Han Yoorim would appear, which somehow ended up looking like Thierry.

I thought all the female characters in “Excel Busters” were Thierry. Unfair, so unfair.

[Sorry… I’m sorry.]

A scene where Lee Mina confesses her past sins… and the protagonist forgives her.

A deep kiss inside the secret base they made as kids.

After watching one ending, I took off the VR device and said,

“Are there other heroine routes?”

“If there weren’t, I wouldn’t have asked you to test it.”

I glanced at the clock.

I clearly came in the morning, but it was already lunchtime.

“I’ll go out for a quick meal and come back. My body’s fuel efficiency isn’t great.”

“Then I’ll—”

Knock knock.

At the sound of knocking, Kim In-ho answered softly.

“Mom, why?”

“In-ho, can I come in?”

“Come in.”

The door opened, and Kim In-ho’s mother entered. She smiled and said,

“In-ho, I thought you might be getting hungry, so should I make lunch?”

It wasn’t Kim In-ho who answered, but me.

“Is that okay?”

“Of course.”

It had been a while since I had a home-cooked meal. I felt happy for a moment, but I asked out of courtesy.

“Am I not being a bother?”

“Not at all. You’re not.”

“Then I won’t hold back.”

“Go sit at the table. I’ll set it up quickly.”

I scurried to the kitchen as instructed.

From behind, I heard a small voice.

“Mom, you don’t have to.”

“Hey, what kind of host doesn’t serve lunch to a guest? Do you think this is Sweden?”

As I sat in the chair, Kim In-ho soon came to the kitchen.

I said,

“Actually, the Swedish culture of not serving meals to guests was born out of consideration for others’ families. Swedes value family meals, and if they serve food to their child’s friend, they’d be taking away that friend’s family’s precious time, right?”

“…Let’s just eat.”

The lunch menu included braised ribs and various side dishes.

The table reminded me of a holiday feast. I was amazed at the effort put into it.

Sweden was wrong. Korea is the best.

“It’s delicious.”

“Really?”

“Really delicious.”

The braised ribs melted in my mouth. They were so tender, it was surprising.

The rolled omelet was also delicious. Perfectly soft and well-seasoned, it was the work of a pro.

I asked to confirm,

“Are you a chef by any chance?”

“I used to be.”

As expected. My taste buds never lie. Han Yoorim, the ultimate foodie. Case closed.

“I’m glad you like it.”

“Anyone would eat like this when they encounter delicious food.”

“Your words are as pretty as your face.”

“Mom.”

As I ate the soup, I thought,

Home-cooked meals are truly the best!

“Hey, are you going to do the other routes too?”

“Of course.”

After finishing the meal, I answered while eating fruit in Kim In-ho’s room.

“If you don’t clear all the routes, you can’t say you’ve played a visual novel.”

“It’ll take a while.”

“That’s why I came early. If it gets too late, I can just sleep over.”

“…Let’s try to finish as quickly as possible.”

After stuffing my mouth with melon, I put on the VR device.

“Should I start by pursuing this one?”

What caught my eye was a fellow aspiring actor from the same department as the protagonist.

The protagonist is an aspiring screenwriter. That’s why they joined the film club, but due to the limitations of Korean club activities, they’ve never properly written anything.

“This feels oddly realistic here. Wouldn’t it be hard to do anything with the heroine like this?”

If you reflect Korea’s reality in the game, you’d just end up studying all the time. In that case, you’d only end up with the class president heroine who’s a study freak.

“I added a twist. They do external activities.”

“Hmm.”

The protagonist not making a fuss about wanting a girlfriend is one thing, and reflecting a part of Korea’s reality is another.

Kim In-ho liked to maintain a certain level of sophistication more than I thought.

It’s not bad. Everything has its pros and cons.

If Kim In-ho was aiming for something refined, this direction was right.

If this outfit doesn’t fit, we can adjust it later. It’s not a big deal.

I continued the game.

[Do you like movies? You too?]

[That’s why I joined the film club.]

[Really?]

Finding a comrade…

Whether she judged that they had met, aspiring actress So Hyo-rin opened her mouth with a bright expression.

[I can’t believe that <Fish, Lantern, Ramune> is the best among the recent movies. The Korean film industry is doomed.]

[<Fish Lantern Ramune> was just okay.]

[It was surprising that Chae Soo-ryeong could pull off different acting, but in the end, it was just surprising. She wasn’t outstanding. Chae Soo-ryeong should just stick to playing pitiful women with tragic pasts. That’s all she knows how to do. But honestly, I don’t get that kind of acting either. Is it true that Chae Soo-ryeong is good at pitiful acting? Her acting just doesn’t resonate with me. Maybe it’s because her real past isn’t as tragic as she makes it out to be. If you look at it coldly, Chae Soo-ryeong abandoned her child and ran away.]

[…But don’t you feel a little hopeful for the future? It wasn’t the worst.]

[Not really. If they had something to show, they would’ve shown it already.]

Her bright expression didn’t match the brutal content.

Aspiring actors are scary.

By the way.

“Is the protagonist’s mother Chae Soo-ryeong?”

“How did you know?”

“The protagonist’s reaction was subtle. You’re pretty good at using narrative tricks.”

“You guessed it right away, didn’t you?”

“Detective novels are made to be guessed.”

I found the game quite interesting. If the route with Lee Mina had the feel of a typical romantic comedy, this one had the vibe of a youth drama.

It was fascinating how the game mixed two different atmospheres.

The protagonist is an aspiring screenwriter. His mother abandoned him and became an actress.

In this situation, an aspiring actress heroine?

Usually, this kind of character is the main heroine, but hmm.

[Yuseong. How’s the scriptwriting going?]

Why is the senior with the strange way of speaking the main heroine?

I’ll find out when I try it.

[I have no talent. Unlike you. How long are you going to pretend not to know—!]

In the latter half. They resolve their conflicts and kiss while watching the ending credits of the movie they made.

I clapped.

“This is it. This is a visual novel.”

“Is it okay?”

“Honestly, there are some shortcomings, but this youthful sensibility is really my taste.”

Already, two heroines had passed the mark.

This made me curious about the other heroines.

[I’m going abroad.]

[Yuseong. If you stay still like that, you’ll never see her again.]

The sweet romance with the rich heroine was also nice.

[Yuseong. I can’t do it.]

[Everyone has their own pain, Yuseong.]

The healing story with the heroine with a tragic past was also nice.

[I’m going to be a doctor. So I can treat sick people.]

[Yuseong, you’re weak in math, right? I’ll teach you.]

The study story with the class president heroine who lost her younger sibling to illness was also…

“Inho.”

“Yes.”

“Why does this senior keep interfering in every route? It’s very suspicious.”

“That’s intentional, but how is it? Mysterious?”

“She seems like a scammer. Especially her way of speaking.”

“As I said before, that’s how she talks.”

My way of speaking is really like this.

It’s a bit shocking.

[Yuseong, you’re always the same. You look happy.]

[Yuseong, you always save people.]

[Maybe Yuseong is the protagonist of this world? I’m just a pitiful heroine.]

“She even makes meta comments.”

“I referenced her.”

What kind of backstory does she have to be like this?

It’s probably the setting that she remembers all the routes she’s played so far by traveling through parallel worlds, but I was curious about the details.

In these things, details are more important than settings.

Now, there’s only one heroine left to conquer.

It’s time to see the true ending I’ve been waiting for.

But before that.

“Phew.”

I took off the VR device and sighed.

It was already getting dark outside.

Even though I skipped the common route, it still took this long. Visual novels really are time-consuming monsters.

“Is the main heroine’s route short?”

“It’s three times longer than the other routes.”

“That’s some serious romance.”

Originally, developers like Kim Inho, who like to show off, had to keep romance in mind.

Sophistication comes from romance, after all.

“Well, there’s no helping it then.”

“…Are you really going to sleep here?”

Kim Inho asked in a small voice.

I blinked and answered.

“Me? Do you want to have a pajama party with me?”

“You said you were going to sleep here!”

“Of course, I was joking. I can’t sleep at someone else’s house.”

For some reason, Kim Inho let out a low sigh. I don’t know why. Did I do something wrong?

I got up and said.

“I’ll do the rest at home. Or do you want to come to my house this time?”

“I’ll pass.”

By the way, the main heroine’s route I tried at home was below expectations.

Inho. You suit romantic comedies and youth dramas.

Let’s keep the serious stuff to a minimum.