Wait…
As I blinked slowly, unable to tear my gaze away from him, his eyes narrowed slightly, almost as if silently asking, "You've just realized that now?"
"It's important for you to see clearly, right? Especially when it comes to me?"
The situation left me reeling, my thoughts a whirlwind of frustration and disbelief.
"Wow... That, damn... Crazy... What kind of bastard... Huh! Did I just go through all that trouble to save that Han Chorok, huh? All this effort...!" I muttered silently, my irritation bubbling to the surface.
This was a stark reminder of why one couldn't always afford to be too nice. It was maddening.
But what power did I truly possess in this situation?
"What can I do… How can I appear in a good light to you?" I implored, my voice tinged with desperation.
"Do you want to move in? To this house," he suggested, catching me off guard.
"…Excuse me?" I stammered.
"It's tiring to come and go every night, isn't it? Didn't you say you'd have no regrets if you lived in a house like this?"
His words were a stark contrast to my earlier flattery, and I couldn't fathom the idea of leaving my spacious home to live with a man as enigmatic as him.
The proposal felt so absurd that laughter eluded me.
"No? It's not tiring at all. I'm fine. I'll keep coming and going as I do."
"Is that so? Then do as you wish." He reclined on the sofa once more, closing his eyes with apparent indifference.
His words struck my heart like a massive rock, creating waves of turmoil within me. And then, just like that...
I couldn't tear my gaze away from his relaxed face, even as I let out a long, weary sigh and sank back into the sofa. My eyes, dry and stinging from prolonged wakefulness, stared blankly at the high ceiling.
I was truly exhausted.
Before I could fully recover from my fatigue, I followed Jehee to the dungeon and climbed into the car. Much like our arrival, I settled into the passenger seat, resting my head against the window and drifting in and out of sleep.
After a while, I was abruptly awakened by an eerie silence enveloping me. Startled, I quickly scanned my surroundings. Jehee, who had been in the driver's seat with his eyes closed, lifted his eyelids upon noticing my movement.
"Are you awake?" he asked.
"…How long was I asleep?"
"Not long. If you're awake, you should get out. Chorok will be arriving shortly."
Why hadn't he woken me when we arrived? This unnecessary guilt weighed on me.
He maintained his usual leisurely tone, seemingly unaffected by just waking up. He always seemed to savor those moments right after rousing from sleep, remaining sparing with his words.
It occurred to me that someone who often suffered from insomnia wouldn't have fallen asleep so quickly.
After confirming my wakefulness, Jehee stepped out of the car, and I hesitantly followed suit. The park, which I was visiting for the second time, felt strangely familiar. Jehee walked ahead towards the imposing iron gate and stood there quietly, gazing at it. The clock had ticked past 6 in the morning, and the breaking dawn bathed the surroundings in a soft glow, making his figure more pronounced.
...Ah. So, that's the aura of a protagonist.
As dawn pushed back the darkened sky, light caressed his silhouette. Despite his seemingly aloof expression, he exuded an aura as though he were lost in deep contemplation. I watched him with a mixture of envy and admiration when I heard the sound of a car approaching from not too far away. A black vehicle drew nearer.
Is that Chorok?
Curious about the preparations he had alluded to for entering the dungeon, I focused intently on the approaching car. Shortly afterward, a black sedan came to a stop behind Jehee's car. The engine was silenced, and the car door swung open, revealing not one, but two individuals stepping out.
While I chose to pay minimal attention to the person emerging from the driver's seat, presumably Chorok, my gaze fixated on the passenger alighting from the back seat. In that moment, I let out an astonished gasp.
"Hey, long time no see."
"Yeah. Thanks for coming."
It's Shin Sora! Shin Sora is here!
Shin Sora, stepping out of the car and heading straight toward Jehee, playfully punched him on the forearm as a form of greeting. Her shoulder-length bob swayed as she moved, her small face and round eyes perfectly mirroring the gentle appearance I had seen in the game.
To actually witness Shin Sora in the flesh!
"Why are you spacing out?"
"…Huh?" I stammered, my attention divided between Jehee, who appeared irritated while receiving Sora's greeting, and Sora herself, who seemed entirely at ease hitting him.
It was then that Chorok, whom I hadn't initially noticed had arrived, addressed me. Surprised by his initiation of conversation, even though his tone carried a somewhat confrontational edge, I snapped back to reality and glared at him.
"Who's spacing out here?"
"Get your head in the game. This isn't an ordinary C-grade dungeon," Chorok admonished.
"So, didn't you ever think of not taking me with you to that dangerous dungeon? That would make things easier. You wouldn't have to deal with an extra burden," I voiced my concerns, doubting my own worth in this endeavor.
In that instant, both Jehee, who was conversing with Sora, and Chorok, passing by me with a displeased expression, came to a sudden halt. As they turned to face me, I could discern a flicker of realization in their eyes, acknowledging the validity of my suggestion. Nevertheless, neither seemed inclined to readily concede to their oversight.
"Who do you think we're going to this dungeon for?" Chorok exclaimed incredulously.
For whom? Obviously, for your master, who had promised to level me up.
As I stared at him in disbelief, he appeared to harbor some semblance of guilt, averting his gaze and turning away.
"You really have no conscience, do you."
Then, Jehee, perhaps the least considerate among us, blurted out something nonsensical.
All he needed to say was that they hadn't thought of that and propose that I wait outside. Wasn't this just their way of evading the admission of their oversight?
"No, it's just...!"
"Who is this person?"
Just as I was about to exclaim for them to leave me behind, a stranger with a strikingly attractive face approached me. Taken aback by the sudden appearance of this finely featured individual, I instinctively leaned back. I was so startled that I found myself momentarily at a loss for words.