Chapter 43: The Tragedy of the Misplaced Emoticon

[Yeah, looking forward to working with you too.]

I stared at the message for a long time after typing it. Was it too stiff? I usually spoke like this with my friends, but I didn’t think sending this to Na Eun-hyeok would do anything to clear up the misunderstanding that I disliked him.

[Hi Eun-hyeok, looking forward to it too. Also, just in case, I wanted to say I definitely don’t hate you. It’s just that I’m really shy, so my tone accidentally comes off a bit blunt…]

No. This was too pathetic. If I suddenly sent a letter like this, Na Eun-hyeok would think I was even weirder.

I spent a long time repeating the cycle of writing, deleting, and rewriting. After agonizing over the fact that nothing seemed appropriate, I decided to go with something simple.

[Looking forward to working with you too :)]

Then, I fell into another pit of worry. The “:)” emoticon somehow looked a bit cold. If I was going to send one, wouldn’t it be better to use something cuter and more cheerful?

I searched “cute emoticons” on the internet and clicked on the top blog. I wondered if such emoticons even existed in the real world, but seeing the title “Cute Emoticons” and the twenty-seven thankful comments, I figured I was just the one out of the loop. I decided to pick the cutest-looking one. After much deliberation, I chose it.

[Looking forward to working with you too (´꒳`)]

Mm. Good. It looks appropriately cute and friendly.

I pressed the send button with vigor.

The female student who had been diligently playing the semi-classical piece finally finished her practice and stood up. Once the girl in short hair and light-wash jeans left, the number of people remaining in the auditorium could be counted on one hand. There was me sitting on the long bench, a couple perched on the edge of the stage, a guy in a black varsity jacket making a phone call in the corner, and a woman dozing off in the chair opposite me.

As I stared blankly at the scene, the phone I’d placed on the bench vibrated. Thanks to the red leather cushion, the sound wasn’t too loud. I checked to see a message from Seong-jin. It seemed he was finished with his business at the library.

Park Seong-jin: [Where?]

[Auditorium]

I sent a blunt reply. Maybe I should try out the emoticon I’d just copied. I hovered over the paste button but found it hard to actually press send.

Wait… isn’t this a bit much?

Earlier, I had been so frantic about making a good impression on Na Eun-hyeok that I just sent the first cute thing I saw. Now that the initial hurdle was over and I could relax, I started seeing things I hadn’t noticed before.

It was certainly cute and friendly, but did anyone actually use emoticons like this? At least, no one in my social circle did. Even Seong-jin, who loved manga, didn’t use stuff like this.

Uh… did I mess up again?

Just then, Seong-jin entered the auditorium. Wearing gold-rimmed glasses, a light blue shirt, and dark jeans, he looked around while clutching two thick textbooks under his arm. When I raised my hand, his gaze shifted to me. I walked toward him as he strode over.

“Did you wait long?”

“I have to wait for Han Gyu-tae anyway.”

“Why did he even set his schedule up like that?”

“Exactly.”

While agreeing with Seong-jin, my mind was entirely focused elsewhere. Is this a normal emoticon? The more I looked at it, the more I felt I’d overdone it. I should have just stuck with a simple “haha” or something.

I watched Seong-jin as he set his Monetary Economics and Advanced Accounting books down on the bench, then cautiously asked. I had the blog’s list of recommended emoticons pulled up on my screen. Anxiety began to crawl up my spine.

“Hey. What do you think of this emoticon?”

“What?”

Seong-jin glanced at my screen and looked away with zero interest.

“It looks like a total otaku. Actually, even otakus don’t use emoticons like that.”

“…D-does everyone think so?”

“Pretty much. Who uses stuff like that in real life?”

Despair washed over me. What had I done? Had I really sent that over-the-top emoticon to Na Eun-hyeok? In an attempt to look “friendly,” I had done something unnecessarily, excessively “cute”…

“Please, God.”

“What’s wrong with you all of a sudden?”

I didn’t have the luxury to care about Seong-jin’s bewildered face. I hurriedly turned on my phone and entered the chatroom with Na Eun-hyeok. It hadn’t been long since I sent it, so maybe I could salvage this. If I told him I sent it by mistake…

Na Eun-hyeok: [?] Na Eun-hyeok: [lol] Na Eun-hyeok: [The emoticon is cute] Na Eun-hyeok: [(´꒳`)]

Fck, everything is ruined.*

In a deeply depressed state, I logged into Zelpia. Of all people, why did I have to make that kind of mistake with Na Eun-hyeok? Watching myself deal with Na Eun-hyeok felt like watching someone replaced me with a less-functional version of myself.

Technically, it wasn’t like Na Eun-hyeok had been particularly “active” in lead-on behavior either. Usually, for someone to be considered a “player” keeping you in their “tank,” they have to throw enough bait to keep the fish alive. Between Na Eun-hyeok and me, there wasn’t even that.

Still…

‘Are you okay, Eonha?’

I couldn’t forget Na Eun-hyeok as he appeared back in freshman year, blowing in like a spring breeze…

“What are you doing?”

“Gah! You scared me!”

It seemed the loading had finished while I was lost in thought about Na Eun-hyeok. A massive set of black armor was already standing beside me. Come to think of it, the last place I’d logged out yesterday was Sephiroth’s house. Standing in a home filled only with obsessively black furniture made me feel like I was developing claustrophobia I didn’t have before.

Yesterday, Sephiroth had given me the mole he caught in the trap. I named the mole “Mole-y.” Mole-y looked a bit cuter than a real-life mole. I could tell Zelpia’s graphics team really worked hard.

“I just spaced out for a second during the loading. Did you sell the water deer?”

The reason I came to this house was because of the deer. I wanted to see if there were really water deer screaming in the herb garden. The answer was a resounding yes. I had watched with interest as Sephiroth captured two deer while being careful not to damage their hides.

Sephiroth shook his head.

“I’ll sell them later. Once they’re in the inventory, their stats are fixed anyway. More importantly, we have a quest to run. Are you feeling okay today?”

“You’re not actually worrying about me, are you?”

“Of course not. Even if you said you weren’t okay, I was planning on dragging you along anyway.”

Honestly, this guy’s personality. He was a lost cause. I glared at Sephiroth.

“Ah, right.”

As if reacting to my fierce gaze, Sephiroth placed a hand on my shoulder with an exaggerated motion.

“What?”

“Check the chat window.”

“Huh?”

The chat window was silent. It was natural since a House is a private space where most notifications are muted. Just as I was wondering what on earth he was talking about…

[General] Sephiroth: (´꒳`)

“What the f*ck?!”

He’s insane! The emoticon Sephiroth sent was one that was painfully familiar. It was the very same one that had been making my heart feel like lead all day. Why was he suddenly using an emoticon that no one else uses? Is he actually Na Eun-hyeok?

…No. That’s impossible. There is no way Sephiroth is Na Eun-hyeok.

“You know that person I said I was interested in? That’s the emoticon they use.”

“…This?”

“Yeah. So I decided to try using it too.”

Sephiroth answered nonchalantly. It was an emoticon that truly did not suit his black armor. I stared at the dark plating for a long time before glancing back at the chat window.

Oh, seriously, I’m going to lose it.

This must be exactly how Na Eun-hyeok felt when he received this emoticon. I suppose this is what people mean when they say you should put yourself in someone else’s shoes.

Why did Sephiroth’s unrequited love use this specific emoticon? Of all the ones available, couldn’t they have used a normal one? And why did Sephiroth suddenly decide to copy that person today? On the very day my shameful history was updated…

“…Don’t use that in front of me.”

“Why?”

“Just… because.”

It was too embarrassing to reveal my painful past. I bit my lip and turned away from Sephiroth. I kept feeling like he was snickering behind my back, which got on my nerves. Why is this guy laughing? Nothing funny even happened…

It was ten minutes later when Sephiroth finally stopped laughing and spamming the emoticon. I know the exact time because I was so miserable that I was counting the minutes. Sephiroth, who had pushed himself up from the table, spoke. His voice was still laced with lingering laughter.

“Shall we start the quest?”

“I’ve been saying we should talk about the quest for ten minutes.”

“Ah, really?”

I wanted to punch him for that innocent, “Oh, is that so?” tone. I held back, clenching my trembling fists. Calm down, Eonha. It’s not human to hit someone just because they used an emoticon. But is he even human?

Despite my burning gaze, Sephiroth was perfectly composed. He strode past me toward a cabinet on the wall. Opening the glass door, Sephiroth took out a small pearl.