Chapter 13: Friends or More

“Th-that’s not it at all!”

“Then what is it?”

I crossed my arms in an X and desperately denied Kang Taeyang’s misunderstanding.

He watched me with interest, like he couldn’t wait to hear what excuse I’d come up with.

A wave of cringe washed over me.

Why was I having to prove something so obvious?

“This is my first time at this hospital! If I hadn’t gotten a call this morning saying they needed a replacement for the art therapy volunteer at the pediatric cancer ward, I wouldn’t even be here right now.”

“Hmm. So?”

“While I was teaching, Minju was crying because her doll was broken, so I helped her. Then a handsome oppa said he’d read her a picture book, and I just ended up following along.”

“…”

“Before I walked into this lounge, I had absolutely no idea you’d be here.”

I wasn’t totally honest about that last part.

I’d had a small suspicion.

But it definitely wasn’t for the reason Kang Taeyang was implying, so I did my best to plead my innocence.

Kang Taeyang’s full lips came close enough to nearly touch mine, and my mind went blank with the urge to run.

Maybe it was because I’d kept telling myself I had to clear the game within the time limit no matter what.

A sneaky thought slipped in.

‘If things keep going this way, won’t I get Kang Taeyang’s affection easily?’

[♥️0]

But the affection meter above Kang Taeyang’s head still hadn’t moved a single point.

It was clear he was taking an interest in me, but none of it came from actual fondness.

That made sense.

He didn’t even know my name yet, and we’d never had a real conversation.

Even if I rushed into physical closeness, I doubted it would help me win his heart in this game.

“So you’re saying you didn’t come at me on purpose to get tangled up with me?”

When our eyes met, my pupils quivered.

A jolt ran through me.

I couldn’t claim my intentions were 100% pure, since the system was involved.

In a way, I was trying to get tangled up with Kang Taeyang.

But I quietly ignored my conscience and nodded hard.

Kang Taeyang’s face twisted strangely.

He looked a little disappointed, but also lost in thought.

He was so unpredictable that I swallowed hard.

“What? You just stood there when I held your hand earlier. That’s why I misunderstood.”

But Kang Taeyang accepted it more coolly than I expected.

He shrugged like the fun had gone flat, that easy smile still hanging on his face.

I was the one who’d been wronged, yet here he was, acting like the victim and subtly blaming me.

I was dumbfounded, but I ended up laughing.

I guess you can’t spit on a smiling face.

“I tried to pull away, but you were holding on tight.”

“That’s true. How could I just yank my hand away in front of a kid?”

“Ha…”

“Alright, I’m heading out.”

Kang Taeyang flicked his fingers, shooing me off without a trace of regret.

Now I was the flustered one.

It was fine that he was being cool, but I hadn’t expected him to be as cold as the Siberian tundra.

Of course, I didn’t want us to get physical before I was mentally ready.

But I still needed to raise that affection meter and advance Kang Taeyang’s route.

It bothered me that the route entry pop-up hadn’t appeared yet.

If I let him leave this lounge, I might fail his route entirely.

“Ah…”

I stood rooted to the spot, hesitating, unable to do anything.

But Kang Taeyang had already turned his gaze away.

As if he had nothing left for me, he even picked up a sports newspaper from the table.

“Um…”

I had no confidence I could handle Kang Taeyang at all.

In the end, I raised the white flag first and carefully spoke up.

As if he’d been waiting for it, Kang Taeyang curled one corner of his mouth up.

I felt the heat rush to my cheeks.

“What? I told you to go, so why are you still hanging around in front of me?”

“Well… I-I want to build a friendship?!”

“What?”

“You were so sweet to Minju earlier. And um, you’re an athlete, right? I’ve always had a thing for sports, haha…”

After messing up on the Lee Rayun route, I’d let the past five days slip by without making a single proper move.

Recalling that, desperation surged through me.

I pleaded with whatever nonsense I could come up with.

Kang Taeyang clearly didn’t believe a word, but at this point I didn’t care if he misunderstood.

“Hey, instead of all that, why don’t you be more honest with yourself?”

Kang Taeyang looked smug, convinced that I adored him.

Not just me, though.

He clearly believed everyone in the world was dying to get involved with him.

If an ordinary guy were this conceited, I’d sneer at him.

But with a face and body like that, and charm oozing from every pore, I couldn’t help but concede.

“By the way, since when have we known each other that you’ve been speaking casually to me this whole time?”

I really didn’t have any ulterior motives toward Kang Taeyang, but he’d never believe that if I said it.

With nothing left to say, I just picked a fight.

Come to think of it, I’d been the only one using polite speech this whole time.

“If you want to speak casually to me, go ahead.”

He shrugged like it was no big deal.

His carefree attitude made me look like the crazy one for getting worked up.

Somehow, I’d been getting pushed around by Kang Taeyang this whole time.

“Fine! Next time, before you shove your lips at someone out of nowhere, maybe check if they’re into it first!”

[♥️2]

Now truly angry, I glared at Kang Taeyang and huffed.

The affection meter above his head swung wildly.

Wait, why did it suddenly go up?

“So what’s your name?”

Kang Taeyang’s dark eyes sparkled with excitement, like he’d found something fun.

Man, he asked fast.

I pressed my hot forehead and let out a long breath.

“I’ll tell you if you tell me yours first.”

“What? Is pretending not to know my name part of your act too?”

“No, it’s not that…”

“Or are you a Korean-American? You don’t look like a local.”

He was definitely teasing me, but he also seemed genuinely shocked that I didn’t know his name.

The system said Kang Taeyang was the best soccer player in the country.

I guess he really was a massively popular celebrity.

“Give me your phone.”

[System – Would you like to enter the route of conquest target Kang Taeyang? – (Yes/No)]

After all that struggle, the system window finally appeared.

I breathed a sigh of relief and pressed [Yes].

I got what I wanted, but why did I feel like I’d aged thirty years in thirty minutes?

I shook my head and handed my phone over.

“Look here. Kang. Tae. Yang. You better remember my name properly from now on.”

“…Got it.”

Kang Taeyang carefully typed his name and number into my phone, then pushed the screen right in front of my face.

His gaze had always been intense, but it seemed even more relentless now.

Maybe it was my imagination.

He tilted his chin up, urging me to go next.

“I’m Yeon Wooju.”

“Yeon Wooju…”

Kang Taeyang muttered my name through his full lips and flashed a grin.

That face of his was shamelessly handsome, just like a dating sim conquest target should be.

“Right, Yeon Wooju. Sorry, but I don’t have time to hang around here anymore.”

Kang Taeyang checked his smartwatch and picked up the crutches lying on the floor.

He straightened and leaned on them, his brow furrowing slightly as pain seemed to shoot through his casted left foot.

He’d told Minju earlier that he was here for treatment.

Was he doing rehab at this hospital?

“Still, we’re f-r-i-e-n-d-s now. Contact me later if you’re bored?”

“…Huh? Oh, sure.”

“Of course, I’m always open to more than friends too.”

Walking away on his crutches, Kang Taeyang suddenly looked back and winked at me with a sly face.

What the heck, he was dripping with charm.

I dazedly watched his tall figure leave the lounge.

I had a bad feeling that Kang Taeyang would not be an easy target at all.

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