Chapter 89

“Kyaaaah! Domi, Dalmore 62, Dalmore 62 is here!”

In the strange atmosphere, Nae-ki’s voice echoed from downstairs.

Seolhyang and I flinched at the same time, exchanging awkward glances.

Then, Seolhyang spread her arms, clenched her fists, and charged straight at me.

Before I could say anything, she tightly hugged me, and I felt a sweet scent and a soft heaviness from her.

As I flinched and quickly grabbed her shoulders, Seolhyang quietly spoke.

“I told you. I won’t stay still while waiting for an answer.”

She slightly lifted her head from my embrace and looked into my eyes.

“But since Mari unnie is worried about me too, I’ll hold back. Got it?”

Her face slightly reddened, and I bit my lip, then closed it.

Seolhyang, quick-witted as ever, seemed to already know why I was hesitating to answer.

My childhood friend was just too sharp.

“Ha-chan, my heart is pounding.”

She placed her ear near my heart and laughed, feeling good.

“Stop listening.”

“Huhuhu, it sounds nice. Proof that you do have feelings for me.”

Damn.

Thud thud.

At that moment, footsteps started coming from below.

Seolhyang flinched and slipped away, and I turned my gaze to the stairs, where Eva unnie was standing.

“Domi, are you logging into the game now… Did I interrupt something?”

“No! No, not at all. Let’s log in quickly.”

As I hurriedly made excuses, Eva unnie tilted her head, looking at us alternately, then glanced at the game room.

Her blue eyes widened to the largest I’ve seen today.

“…Heaven?”

Indeed, it was a reaction befitting a guild member who had played Road of Academy with me to the point of exhaustion.

After that, I quickly prepared to log into Road of Academy.

Except for the excited Nae-ki, Eva unnie and Seolhyang watched from the side.

“I’ll go and persuade them well.”

“…Please.”

Hearing Eva unnie’s voice, I smiled once, then nodded at Seolhyang and started logging in.

[You have logged into Road of Academy.]

At that moment, with a familiar notification, the guild room scenery came into view.

I had already confirmed that Juk-sim was logged into the game.

So, I immediately opened the guild chat window.

[Deathlight and Heart: Says hello and welcomes you.]

[Doremipasolo: Juk-sim nim, hi.]

I felt a slight tension.

Juk-sim has a hikikomori tendency, with her activity range limited to the convenience store near her house.

There are days when I don’t log in, but Juk-sim never misses a day, a true game addict.

But such Juk-sim came out of her house to save Nae-ki.

Although it seemed like she went back right after saving her.

It meant that not only I, but Juk-sim also cherished the relationships within the game.

[Deathlight and Heart: Asks if everyone met well.]

[Doremipasolo: Yes, Nae-ki and Eva unnie drank so much they got completely wasted.]

[Deathlight and Heart: Laughs and says it must have been fun.]

Chatting familiarly with Juk-sim, I decided to bring up the main point.

[Doremipasolo: Juk-sim nim, if you’re not busy, could you come to the guild room? I want to talk about something.]

Hearing my words, Juk-sim’s chat went silent for a while.

Feeling slightly nervous, Juk-sim’s chat came up again.

[Deathlight and Heart: Says she’ll come soon.]

Hearing that, I felt a bit relieved.

After waiting for a while.

Shortly after, one side of the guild room lit up, and Juk-sim started walking in.

As always, with a black hood and a small character, Juk-sim came straight to me and stood in front of me.

[Deathlight and Heart: Asks what’s going on.]

Looking at Juk-sim tilting her head expressionlessly, I decided to explain my situation first.

“Juk-sim nim, I heard about Nae-ki.”

Hearing my words, Juk-sim stopped typing.

After fiddling with her fingertips for a while, Juk-sim glanced at me and started typing again.

[Deathlight and Heart: Says it seems Nae-ki was very drunk.]

“Yes, she was drunk. Nae-ki didn’t really intend to say anything, but the situation is a bit complicated.”

[Deathlight and Heart: Says to tell her.]

Juk-sim seemed to have guessed what help I needed.

Having played the game with me for a long time, Juk-sim and I had years of synergy in the game.

We both knew each other’s cues well.

“Eva unnie was trapped in a dimensional rift.”

I started explaining Eva unnie’s situation to Juk-sim.

About Eva unnie being in a terminal situation and her twin brother Hyuk-seo joining an organization called Giraseong to save her.

Juk-sim listened quietly to my story.

Then, after thinking for a while, she moved her fingers again.

[Deathlight and Heart: Says she understands the situation.]

Reading that chat, I looked at Juk-sim.

Although Juk-sim’s character was always hard to read, I knew well how much she cherished the guild members.

[Deathlight and Heart: Asks if I’m afraid she might refuse.]

“Well, yes. Juk-sim nim, you don’t really like mingling with people in real life, do you?”

During my time playing the game with Juk-sim, I had never heard of her going out to meet someone.

Juk-sim was always alone.

Juk-sim didn’t seem to care about that at all, so even I, who had grown to dislike people after Gwak Sa-yeon’s incident five years ago, could get along with Juk-sim without any issues.

[Deathlight and Heart: Says Eva is a guild member of the guild we made together.]

“That’s right. So, I wanted to help too.”

[Deathlight and Heart: Says she feels the same way.]

Hearing that, my eyes widened.

And a smile formed on my lips.

Juk-sim didn’t need any persuasion.

Just like when she saved Nae-ki, Juk-sim had already decided to help Eva unnie from the moment I brought it up.

That fact made my heart swell.

[Deathlight and Heart: Asks where she needs to go.]

“Is it okay for you to come out that far?”

As I asked with a surprised expression, Juk-sim tilted her head.

[Deathlight and Heart: Questions why I treat her like someone who can’t go outside.]

“No, well, you just recently bragged about going to the convenience store near your house.”

[Deathlight and Heart: Says it’s still the same outside.]

Distance is distance, isn’t it?

Regardless, Juk-sim confidently straightened her back.

[Deathlight and Heart: Says she’ll come quickly.]

Surprisingly, Juk-sim didn’t seem to have any issues going outside.

Well, she had to come out to help Nae-ki, so it wasn’t that surprising.

“Thank you. I’ll ask for the address and send it to you through the chat.”

[Deathlight and Heart: Says okay.]

Seeing that reassuring chat, I felt grateful and logged out of the game.

Then, after asking Seolhyang for the address and sending it through the mobile chat, Juk-sim informed me she was on her way.

And shortly after.

[Deathlight and Heart: Says she’s sniffling.]

I quietly called a taxi for Juk-sim, who had given up on public transportation.

The wall of public transportation seemed too high for Juk-sim to overcome with confidence.

Before I knew it, I was waiting in front of Seolhyang’s house, leaving Nae-ki with a bottle of alcohol.

Thinking Juk-sim would be reluctant to meet people, I waited alone, and soon a taxi appeared in the distance.

It was my first time meeting Juk-sim in real life.

Feeling a bit nervous, I waited, and soon the taxi stopped in front of me.

Then, the back door slowly opened, and a small girl stepped out.

Her skin was snow-white, with obsidian-like black eyes.

Her long black hair, almost touching the ground, had a mysterious blue hue inside, creating an enigmatic aura.

The problem was, despite wearing a long, shabby men’s T-shirt with “Road of Academy” written on it, her chest was quite prominent.

With her height and that chest, I wondered if her center of gravity wasn’t uncomfortable.

She looked at me, then spun her eyes around and looked at the ground.

It was obvious at a glance that she was very reluctant to make eye contact.

It’s her.

Juk-sim.

“Juk-sim nim.”

As I called her and approached, Juk-sim flinched and waved her hand in the air.

Then, as if remembering something, she suddenly lifted her T-shirt.

Her white belly was exposed, and as I froze in surprise, she quickly pulled out her phone from her shorts pocket and lowered her shirt.

[Asks if it’s Domi.]

What she did was turn on a text-to-speech program.

Holding the phone tightly in her small hand, she looked up at me, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

[Asks why.]

“Hahaha, no. It’s just as I imagined, so I’m surprised.”

Who would have thought she’d talk like this even in person.

Feeling the tension ease because it was so Juk-sim-like, I pointed inside.

“Everyone’s waiting inside. Can you come?”

[Asks what I think of her.]

“You’re Juk-sim nim. Of course, you’re Juk-sim nim.”

Our guild’s top member.

With that, I entered the building with Juk-sim.

Despite her shrinking attitude in front of people, Juk-sim didn’t seem overwhelmed by Seolhyang’s house.

However, she soon grabbed the back of my clothes and followed me, showing signs of nervousness.

“You’re here?”

As Juk-sim and I entered, Seolhyang greeted me first.

Then, she glanced behind me, where Juk-sim was hiding like a small animal.

With her small stature, Juk-sim completely avoided Seolhyang’s eyes with that action.

“Is it really Juk-sim?”

At that moment, Nae-ki, who had approached my side, asked while peeking at Juk-sim hiding behind me.

Juk-sim, startled, buried her head into my back as if trying to pierce through it, causing me quite a bit of pain, but I endured it.

“Thank you, Juk-sim. I owe my life to you.”

At that moment, hearing Nae-ki’s words, Juk-sim finally lifted her head from my back.

After looking at Nae-ki for a while, she raised her phone like when she talked to me.

[Says it was nothing.]

“Heehee, if it’s nothing, then that’s good.”

Looking at Nae-ki and Juk-sim, I then turned to Eva unnie, who was watching us.

She met my eyes, nodded, and approached.

“Uh, Juk-sim nim.”

With Nae-ki’s help, Juk-sim’s tension seemed to ease a bit as she looked at Eva unnie.

“Nice to meet you. This is the first time we’ve met in person. I’m Ediknorjeva.”

As Eva unnie greeted her, Juk-sim nodded in response.

[Says she’s Deathlight and Heart.]

After exchanging greetings, Juk-sim finally stepped away from my back.

Then, standing in front of Eva unnie, she looked around her for a while and started typing again.

[Asks her to stretch out her hand.]

“Like this?”

Following Juk-sim’s instruction, Eva unnie stretched out her hand, and Juk-sim tried to hold it with her small hand.

But she soon hesitated, wiped her hand on her clothes, and then held Eva unnie’s hand again.

Strangely, every action of hers was cute.