Chapter 61: Chapter 64 – Yuuna and Imaginary Sang-hyuk
In truth, Yuuna didn't do anything all weekend.
She had lost her zest for life, all because of Sang-hyuk's cold, unread messages.
'It should have been me, being all lovey-dovey with the handsome Sang-hyuk…'
All she did was look at Sang-hyuk's face, posted on Dunstar, and sob.
'Steel your heart, Yuuna!'
This is war. There are no rules.
Just like Henna, I just need to snatch Sang-hyuk away!
Weren't we getting along so well?
I can do it if I set my mind to it.
With my cunning and allure, I can make him forget about his K-cup girlfriend, and completely ensnare his soul!
"Google search…!"
How to seduce a male friend… Search…
Yuuna summoned Sang-hyuk into her imagination.
This so-called Imaginary Sang-hyuk.
Yuuna's Imaginary Sang-hyuk is a sweet being who, with Sang-hyuk's handsome face, speaks only the words she desires.
Over the weekend, Yuuna's frequent daydreams nurtured her Imaginary Sang-hyuk, causing him to grow like a monstrous apparition.
"Yuuna… Damn it…!!"
Thud!
Kim Sang-hyuk, in a fit of passion, forcefully presses Yuuna against the wall.
A deadly, captivating gaze!
"How can I resist this? Shall I devour you?"
"Kyaaa!"
"Yuuna! What's gotten into you on a Sunday morning?"
"Mom! How can you say such things to your grown-up daughter?"
That's it! The perfect plan has come to me!
A grand scheme to seduce Sang-hyuk.
Let's go, Yuuna!
As soon as school starts, seduce him relentlessly and make him yours!
But Yuuna's daring courage meets its fate on a Monday morning…
Upon seeing the real Sang-hyuk, her resolve shatters like glass.
'Wow, he's so handsome…'
Over the weekend, the fantasy version of Sang-hyuk, nurtured by Yuuna's attention, vanishes like dust upon seeing the real Kim Sang-hyuk.
Image simulations prove futile.
Simply looking at the handsome Sang-hyuk fills Yuuna with happiness and takes her breath away.
Yuuna's passionate, unrequited love has already spiraled out of control.
Ever since she discovered that Henna had taken him away, and that he was now unattainable…
Her emotions, entwined with intense regret, erupt like a volcanic explosion.
Yet, she managed to suppress it so that it didn't surface.
Could she seduce someone who already had a loving girlfriend?
Such a thing was only possible in fantasies. In reality, it was impossible.
The more affection one had for another, the less capable they were of doing such a thing.
Yuuna had never tried to tempt a man who already had a girlfriend…
She merely sought solace by envisioning a hopeful future with Sang-hyuk.
In truth, it was a facade.
Yuuna knew it all too well.
To steal him away – her cheeks flushed with shame, realizing she had been posturing in such a manner.
In front of the "real" Kim Sang-hyuk, Yuuna…
Desired his love, but she was nothing more than Friend A, unable to reveal her feelings.
What if, in her attempts to win him over, she earned Sang-hyuk's disdain instead?
Merely imagining it made her wish to vanish from this world.
Ultimately, Yuuna's mind arrived at the most realistic and beautiful conclusion.
Maintaining the status quo.
"But, didn't you come with Henna? I thought you'd be together."
"I fainted…"
"…Fainted?"
Yuuna recognized the truth that had been hidden behind her unread messages.
"You're fainting, too?"
Ha… Haha…
Fainting… to such a degree… The two of you must have been so passionately in love…
Fainting…
Sang-hyuk must have embraced Henna to the point of making her faint…
It's over. Yeah.
"Uh-huh. I see, uh-huh…"
There's no place for me between Henna and Sang-hyuk.
I barely manage to suppress the urge to cry.
"Sorry for not responding to your message. Let me treat you to a meal as an apology."
"Hey. Are you trying to upset your girlfriend? It's not appropriate for us to eat alone."
After realizing that the real troublemaker isn't Henna but myself,
I can't stop pretending to be the "good female friend."
But that's not what I truly feel.
I want to be loved by Sang-hyuk…
But, there's no way it's alright to barge into the middle of a happy couple.
"Then let's go to the dungeon as a duo today. I'll help you earn a fortune."
"We can't be just a man and a woman. You know what might happen inside."
I'm such a fool.
I put on a mask because I don't want to lose even the role of Sang-hyuk's good female friend.
I can't reveal my true feelings.
Sang-hyuk was already ecstatic, buried in Henna's large and abundant breasts.
'Ugh. Heheheeng.'
"You said you'd help me until I reached 10,000 points."
"Did I? Really?"
"How can I score 10,000 points without you? You said that too."
Yes. By Sang-hyuk's side… let's remain friends… .
I'm content with that much… Yes… suppress this heart, like a lifeless corpse… .
Tightly.
At that moment, their hands intertwined.
The thick veins stood out on the back of Sang-hyuk's large and masculine hand, engulfing Yuuna's delicate hand within it.
"What, what are you doing…"
Kim Sang-hyuk's awkward flirting—an act of seduction for the sake of courtship—set Yuuna's mind ablaze.
Let's get married. Let's get married. Let's get married. Let's get married.
The moment their eyes met, love surged, filling them with a euphoria as if they were drugged.
"I'll, I'll let you go to the dungeon… Don't, don't do this again…"
"We can at least hold hands, can't we?"
"No, we can't… You fool…!"
She fled.
Yuuna couldn't understand why Kim Sang-hyuk acted that way.
Is Henna not enough?
Making love to the point of fainting… Am I just the substitute?
A surge of emotion.
It's somewhat infuriating, but…
'Sang-hyuk held my hand… ♡'
I can't help but feel a twitch in my cheek muscles.
Just give me a tight hug and be my girlfriend! I think I would agree if he did.
'…Okay, let's pull ourselves together.'
I don't know why he's acting this way, but I can't let it slide.
What if I were his girlfriend?
Would I have just watched him do that to Henna if the roles were reversed?
I don't know why he's flirting, but I need to block him. It hurts, but I have to block him.
'Let's try… to think about this as calmly as possible.'
Why would someone with a girlfriend suddenly act like this?
If the reason is…
What if Henna pitied me and asked him to pay some attention to me?
As if the winner is showing mercy to the loser.
A surge of emotion!
'I don't think that's the case, but…'
Phew. Okay. I didn't absorb any of the class material, but
organizing my thoughts has made my heart feel colder.
Yuuna was unaware. She couldn't have known that the ripples she thought would never happen again would surge into overwhelming waves.
"I still like Yuuna. That's why…"
"Have you lost your mind? What's with the act?"
Stop it. Don't do that.
Don't you know how hard it is for me to push you away?!
Make Henna happy.
I'm the one to be cast aside!
"…You've already chosen Henna."
It's enough now.
Reclaim what was taken. Yuuna, you did amazingly well.
Your mother and father would be proud.
I acted without a shred of shame.
Yet, I pushed away someone I already care for so dearly… so cruelly.
'…I can't even be her friend anymore.'
He even resorts to violence, suddenly.
Kim Sang-hyuk should have gotten the message by now.
'But why is he not entering the dungeon and just standing there all alone?'
He could just set off solo. He's more than capable on his own…
'Could it be, is he waiting for me?'
It can't be.
Yuuna continued to watch Kim Sang-hyuk from a distance as 10, then 20 minutes passed.
As if Sang-hyuk was waiting for someone…
I was lost in thought, standing alone in the corner.
'Why…'
Why is this happening…?
Why are they giving me an opportunity?
I feel like I'm going insane…
'Ugh…'
I had no idea it would turn out like this when I enjoyed the thrill of flirting.
I didn't know I would become this emotionally attached.
If I had known Henna would experience such pain after making a move, I would have begged her to choose me without hesitation.
"Don't go, Yuuna. You can't go."
I tried so hard to push her away. Now I should ignore her.
Kim Sang-hyuk is waiting for Henna, not me.
If I were to follow her and Henna shows up, if the two of them leave hand in hand, how wretched would that be?
'Perhaps it's better that way.'
It feels like I could give up then.
"What are you doing all by yourself?"
But Sang-hyuk seems to be possessed by something today.
He freely showers Yuuna with the love and attention she had been desperately craving.
"I've been waiting for you."
'Ah.'
Sang-hyuk smiles.
Yuuna clutches her thigh, feeling as if she's about to ovulate.
'Again. I've fallen in love again…♡'
Ultimately, like a pet approaching its master with a gentle wag of its tail, Yuuna slips in beside Sang-hyuk.
Despite having kicked him earlier, in less than an hour, she shamelessly enters a place where she can feel his scent and body warmth.
'Now I don't know… Hehe. I like Sang-hyuk…'
The reason Yuuna came to care for Sang-hyuk like a dungeon wife was,
It was entirely natural.
'Because you've been so kind to me.'
Because Sang-hyuk treats her well.
Because he opens his heart.
She ends up doting on Sang-hyuk endlessly.
'I'm totally like a dungeon wife…'
"OnaAka" is a new term in the world, an alternate version of the office wife.
It refers to a colleague of the opposite gender who shares a bond like a spouse within a dungeon… However,
there are cases where it becomes quite literal, like a real wife… ♡♡
'Ah!! This is adultery. Yuuna!'
As Sang-hyuk continues to make room for her, Yuuna's mind starts to blur the line between delusion and reality.
That day in the locker room…
"In the end, I chose Henna…"
Sang-hyuk's expression hardens.
Yuuna suddenly realized that she had made a grave mistake.
'What am I doing?'
From the couple's perspective, I was nothing more than a nuisance, and yet I had the audacity to criticize Sang-hyuk.
The words I spoke were far from rational.
"Ah, that wasn't right of me. I'm sorry. I have no right or reason to say such things."
"If we were dating, you could be as jealous as you want."
"Wha- What?"
It was then that Yuuna grasped the truth.
The nature of the brazen game Kim Sang-hyuk had proposed.
If it had been any other thug, a swift slap to the face and a vow to never see them again would have sufficed.
"Yuuna, date me as well."
"Are you joking? What about the opinions of others…?"
"Don't worry about that. As long as we're happy, that's all that matters."
But why?
Kim Sang-hyuk's flirtation was awkward.
His demands were undeniably vulgar, but beneath it all lay an essence of pure innocence.
Yuuna found herself irresistibly drawn to this side of him.
She wanted to be with him, smiling even if she were to become his hundredth girlfriend.
Her insides were ablaze with heat.
Though his request was undoubtedly lewd…
Asking to be my second girlfriend is ludicrous flirtation.
'…I like the feeling of trying something I've never done before, as if I'm pushing the limits…♡'
It's as if someone coerced her to join a harem.
Like a person hesitantly approaching me, saying, "I know it's not possible, but should I give it a try?"
Her awkwardness is endearing.
'During times like this, it's not about dating. You fool.'
A silent embrace would be enough… and yet…
Her breath is growing increasingly labored.
'Ah, he's so handsome…♡'
Should I accept right away? No.
I don't want Sang-hyuk to see me as a cheap woman.
But if we continue like this… I'll become Sang-hyuk's harem girlfriend…
In such a situation, it might be a maiden's instinct to raise her self-worth while hesitating to commit.
Perhaps she's addicted to the thrill of Sang-hyuk's relentless pursuit.
Holding onto the hilt of this sweet sword a little longer and swaying it,
"Try to catch me." It's the yearning of a feminine heart.
Of course, it doesn't mean she merely reveled in it.
Deep down, Yuuna was frightened.
This was all new to me. If I agreed to become a harem girlfriend, what would Kim Sang-hyuk do to me?
What would he try to do with my body…
Wouldn't he make me kneel like a dog and serve him as my master…?
They say all men are perverts… Could Sang-hyuk be like that too?
Since everything was a first-time experience, I couldn't make a decision easily.
"Well, um… Oh, look! There's a ranking chart over there. Let's go check it out."
That was the crucial reason for pushing Sang-hyuk away, with what little courage I could gather.
After rejecting him, I felt relieved.
My opposite-sex friend, who had been exploring the dungeon with me,
Had suggested that I become his second girlfriend. It was strange to just accept that proposal. I must be out of my mind.
"It hasn't been long since I've known Sang-hyuk…"
In the end, I remained "in a state where I might become a girlfriend" and settled for the present, pretending to be a dungeon wife.
There was nothing to gain, but also nothing to lose.
But then, Sang-hyuk went a step further.
"You, you bitch!!"
Yuuna tensed the moment Deherit raised her hand, thinking, 'I can legally beat this person.'
It wasn't even a task for Yuuna, whose overall stats ranked at B-class, to discipline Deherit.
However,
An unimaginable event occurred!
"…What are you doing?"