Chapter 10: A New Path

Besides, it didn’t seem like Cheon Yuhyeon realized this was a game.

If he was an NPC, had he been set up to favor the player from the start?

He believed whatever I said without much suspicion, even though I was a stranger.

Still, there was no need to overthink someone’s goodwill.

I’d gratefully accept the help and repay it however I could.

Once I thought that, Cheon Yuhyeon’s face, which had felt a little sly a moment ago, looked trustworthy again.

“Actually, today was a bit hard on me. I have a mountain of things to do, and I’m greedy, but nothing goes as easily as I thought…”

“……”

“Most of all, I’m not sure if I’m capable of pulling all of it off.”

When I carefully brought it up, Cheon Yuhyeon listened and nodded.

My words were jumbled, but he took them seriously, and the anxiety that had been fluttering inside me calmed down.

“I don’t know exactly what situation Wooju is in, so I’m a bit hesitant to say this.”

“……”

“If you start with what you can do right now, one step at a time, I think you can do it well enough.”

“……”

“No matter how impossible a big goal looks, when you look closely, it’s made up of many small goals.”

His voice was low but steady, without a single crack.

His eyes curved softly toward me, and my heart melted on the spot.

“Ah… I guess that’s right?”

“Of course.”

Only after hearing that did I realize I needed emotional comfort more than a solution.

The mere fact that someone believed in me and supported me at this moment gave me strength again.

“I’m really glad I got to meet the director today.”

My motivation surged like a sprout soaking up water.

When I answered cheerfully, Cheon Yuhyeon gave a small laugh.

When his face was expressionless, it looked rather dull, but now a gentle warmth seeped in.

“You can come by and see me anytime. Please visit the museum without any burden.”

“Really? Can I?”

“I’ll help you as much as I can, Wooju.”

He took a step closer to me.

His sharp features became clearer in my view.

A light shadow fell along his straight shoulder line, and a clean scent lingered faintly.

The world seemed to brighten by a tone, centered on the full moon painting and Cheon Yuhyeon.

“Thank you so much just for saying that.”

When I bowed my head in greeting, he lightly patted my shoulder.

His eyes, tinged with a pale ash color, looked straight at me.

“Director, then I’ll see you at the museum next time!”

Just knowing he would always be at the museum made me feel secure.

No matter how hard the world got, it wasn’t like I had to face it alone.

Sure, I had to clear the game by myself, but having someone to lean on made a huge difference.

As I stepped outside the building, a system window appeared before my eyes.

[System – You have successfully completed the hidden quest “Magic of the Full Moon.”]

[System – As a reward, the player Yeon Wooju’s charm increases by 10.]

[System – The player’s charm has reached a certain level, making it possible to enter the target character Kang Taeyang’s route. Check the updated information in the app!]

“Hah!”

I was so happy I almost let out a loud cheer.

If I could enter an additional route, did that mean I could tackle multiple characters at once?

If so, even if Lee Rayun’s route got stuck, I could meet a new character like Kang Taeyang instead of struggling on my own.

“I really made the right call coming to the museum.”

It wasn’t direct help from Cheon Yuhyeon, but meeting him at the museum solved my biggest worry.

I took out the business card he’d given me earlier from my pocket.

[Director of the Full Moon Museum]

I ran my thumb over the shiny silver letters, and a smile crept onto my face.

The unfamiliar world inside the game and the events unfolding in it were still beyond me.

It felt like I’d been dropped alone into a vast ocean and finally found a raft.

The Full Moon Museum was a place that gave me good energy in both reality and the game.

Thanks to that, my heart felt much lighter on the way back to the dormitory.

When I got back to the dormitory with a proud heart, it was already well past dinner time.

Still, thinking about the new character to pursue made me feel hopeful.

Would the game app show the route entry method separately?

I was thinking about that when a push notification came up on my phone.

[Hankuk University Hospital Art Therapy Volunteer Recruitment (Art College Students Preferred)]

It was a notification from the academic information app.

Normally I would have brushed it off, but the timing felt strange.

I swallowed hard and clicked on it.

The notice asked for volunteers to participate in art therapy at the pediatric cancer ward.

With time already tight, I didn’t think I’d have the leeway to do volunteer work in the game.

But for some reason, I couldn’t take my eyes off it, so I read the notice carefully.

[System – Story branch point notification! If you progress through the “Art Therapy Volunteer” episode, the chance of entering target character Kang Taeyang’s route increases significantly.]

A story branch point!

I stared wide-eyed at the system window that had appeared without warning.

“I knew it. That notice definitely wasn’t there before, but it suddenly showed up.”

So when a player’s charm stat rises, their range of activity and choices expands, I guess.

Did that mean other character routes could open up like this too?

Curious, I clicked the apply button.

Click, clack.

I typed steadily and finished filling out the application.

It was simpler than I expected, so I completed it easily.

I felt a little excited at the thought that meeting a new character could open a new path in the sluggish game progress.

“Oh, maybe the game app has updated character info too?”

I remembered the system window from when I left the museum, so I launched the game app.

When I opened the target character tab, some information about Kang Taeyang, which had been locked before, was now unlocked.

[Kang Taeyang (25), soccer player for Club Seoul]

Right, there was supposed to be a soccer player character.

Even just from the silhouette, his body looked quite solid.

But aside from the soccer field in the background and a brief profile, I couldn’t find any other information.

At least I could figure out who Kang Taeyang was thanks to the favorability gauge above his head, but…

If I had known, I would have listened more carefully when my friends talked about the game.

Before meeting a new character, I wanted to know even a little about them, like their personality or preferences.

I tried hard to squeeze my memory, but it wasn’t easy.

“But Kang Taeyang’s background is a soccer field. How am I supposed to meet him at a pediatric cancer ward?”

If this were a question with an answer, I’d stay up all night racking my brain, but thinking about it alone didn’t seem to get me anywhere.

For now, let’s sleep early and worry about tomorrow tomorrow.

I closed the game app and headed straight to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

[Private mode play day 7 (remaining time: 92 days 23 hours 42 minutes)]

I rubbed my still-sleepy eyes and stood in front of the mirror, and a not-so-welcome system window appeared.

Tick, tock.

Even while I stood at the mirror, the time limit steadily shrank, jolting me awake.

My mouth suddenly went dry, so I gulped down some water.

Before Kang Taeyang’s route opened, I needed to make contact with Lee Rayun again, but it was Sunday, which made it awkward in various ways.

Anyway, I was about to put on my backpack to head out when my phone rang.

“Hello?”

— Hello. I’m sorry for calling so early. Is this Yeon Wooju’s phone?

“Yes, it’s fine. I’m Yeon Wooju. What’s going on?”

— I’m in charge of the pediatric cancer ward at Hankuk University Hospital. We’re preparing an event for the children for Children’s Day, but the student who was supposed to volunteer suddenly stopped answering.

“Ah, I see.”

— I saw that you submitted a volunteer application last night, so I’m contacting you even though it’s a bit short notice.

As expected, it was a call from the university hospital where I’d submitted the application yesterday.

So this was how a new episode started!

I was glad the story was progressing smoothly.

— Could you come in this morning for a brief training and then join the volunteer activity?

“Of course. I can definitely go!”

Today, of all days!

The hospital side seemed quite apologetic for the sudden request, but I answered enthusiastically.

“Kang Taeyang, right. I’m definitely meeting you today. Just wait!”

I didn’t even know his face yet, but I already felt close to him.

To pursue a new character, I adjusted the strap on my shoulder and stepped out of the dormitory room with a lively stride.

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