Chapter 75 : Pachi -chun year -end awards ceremony (2)

Miley frowned, a serious expression on her face.

“Could you elaborate on what you mean by worrying about ‘after the goal’, Mr. Kim?”

“It’s exactly what it sounds like. Let me give you an example using a familiar game. What happens when you achieve the final objective in a game?”

Having never played a game before, Miley couldn’t answer. Mr. Cha, who had played games in his younger days, spoke up.

“Well… It depends on the game, but usually, when you achieve the objective, the game ends, right?”

“Exactly.”

David Kim’s eyes gleamed. Mr. Cha stared at him with a ‘what the hell are you talking about?’ look.

But Miley knew Seongwon well, so she understood precisely what David Kim was trying to say. Because of this, her face turned as white as someone who encountered knowledge that humans shouldn’t have.

David Kim tapped his fingers on the table.

“In fact, the chairman is… well, like a bullet. Not just an ordinary bullet. She’s someone who will burn herself to keep going until she reaches her target.”

Having said that, David Kim glanced at the two and continued. His low voice echoed in the conference room.

“Truthfully, when ordinary people get hit by a windfall like the chairman, they don’t think about living fiercely, do they?”

“That’s… true.”

“But the chairman threw herself into internet broadcasting, something she believes she can do well. Honestly, I don’t know how she became so confident in that area, but the point is, it’s a challenge to live fiercely. Of course, some might see this as a rich person’s eccentric hobby, but I know. Even if it means burning all the money she has, the chairman will devote herself to broadcasting if necessary.”

“…But now the end of internet broadcasting is within sight. But then, wouldn’t it be fine to just set another suitable goal like now?”

Mr. Cha asked with a sullen look.

Actually, what Mr. Cha implied was more than what he said. There was the underlying question of whether the current goal was a genuine one if she was losing steam just because the end was in sight.

Cha Eunho had joined TS Media, moved by Seongwon’s dedication to internet broadcasting. As such, if the current speculation turned out to be true, he couldn’t help but be disappointed in Seongwon.

“That’s not it.”

Miley, who had noticed the subtle implication, drew a line.

Unlike the other two, Miley was the only one who knew Seongwon’s secret. She knew how Seongwon had lived in another world. Therefore, she understood why Seongwon was losing steam.

‘Master… The Agent risked her life, running towards a single goal. It was the same back then.’

In this world, Seongwon had only one goal:

Returning to Earth.

Miley didn’t understand that dream. Even after coming to Earth, she couldn’t really understand. No matter how advanced, civilized, and peaceful Earth was compared to that world, was returning to her original world more valuable than being revered as a hero and the Agent of God who saved the world?

Even as Miley remembered, wasn’t Seongwon ready to fight God to return?

However, now she understood.

The reason for the strange, almost bizarre obsession with returning to Earth was because it was a goal. A hope she had to cling to so as not to go mad in the face of being suddenly dragged into another world, surviving among barbaric humans, and being forced to repeat terrible things.

And in the process, the means and the end had been reversed.

‘Has Master… become unable to live without a goal?’

Miley’s face hardened.

‘But I can’t help Master alone.’

Actually, she didn’t know what to do either. Therefore, she needed someone who could help in the current situation.

Miley looked at David Kim and Mr. Cha. These two could surely help.

‘But… I can’t tell them about *that*.’

There was no way they would believe her even if she did. They’d probably think the butler had gone crazy.

Of course, Miley didn’t know that the two had thought she was a bit strange from the beginning.

“Hmm…”

Miley groaned for a while, and then finally came up with an answer. But in order to use this answer, she had to do Seongwon a little wrong.

‘I apologize, Master. But protecting you is more important. Please forgive me.’

Miley cleared her throat to gather their attention.

And then declared,

“Actually… Master is mentally ill.”

At last, the ominous nature of things had spread to Miley as well.

* * *

When I came out of the virtual machine after finishing today’s broadcast, for some reason, Miley wasn’t there as usual.

Usually, Miley would wait in front of the machine while I was broadcasting or come to find me when I was done, so had something serious happened?

I peeked out of the broadcasting room and saw a rather unusual group in the distance. David, Mr. Cha, and Miley. As I blinked, Mr. Cha and Miley fidgeted as if they had something to hide, and David bowed his head and quickly left the office.

I asked Mr. Cha, who was walking towards me awkwardly,

“Mr. Cha, is something wrong?”

“Uh, uh? Yes? No, nothing happened.”

“That’s right, Master. Nothing at all.”

“Hmm.”

They were clearly hiding something. Mr. Cha’s heartbeat was already telling me everything.

I just didn’t know exactly what they were hiding from me. Even though I could grasp someone’s mental state by their heartbeat, it wasn’t at the level of telepathy.

‘It’s more like a slightly enhanced lie detector…’

Anyway, I wasn’t sure.

However, the mere fact that Miley was involved in this suspicious plot was enough to reassure me. Unlike others, Miley would never betray me.

‘At worst, it would be a surprise birthday party or something.’

Of course, it wouldn’t be a birthday party.

My birthday hadn’t come yet.

‘Then, it could be… a celebratory party for the Grand Prize at the year-end awards ceremony?’

It was already confirmed that I would be receiving the Grand Prize.

However, it wasn’t the result of me acquiring Pachi Chick and exerting pressure. This had been decided before the acquisition. Well, it was only natural. My performance since I started broadcasting was phenomenal.

Still, I made sure to secure the information that it was decided before the acquisition to avoid unnecessary gossip later on.

Anyway.

“If it’s nothing, then it’s fine.”

“R-right. Like anything could have happened. Haha.”

I stared intently at the retreating figure of Mr. Cha, whose entire being radiated suspicion.

‘Sigh, tsk tsk.’

If he was that obvious, what was the point of a surprise party? I shook my head and looked up at Miley, whose expression was slightly vacant. Somehow, it felt possible now…

“Miley, buy me a bottle of Zero Pepsi Lime.”

The vacant look in her eyes returned to its usual brightness.

“…No, Master. Aspartame can be bad for your health. And you drink too much of it already.”

“Tch.”

She had switched back to Health-conscious Miley mode.

Of course, I could go out and buy it myself, but since I had the experience of getting lost when I went to the US to receive the lottery prize, I didn’t bother taking such a risky adventure.

At least in Korea, I could speak the language.

‘Should I give it a try?’

The moment I thought that, Miley brought me the healthy drink that had recently been supplied in place of Zero Pepsi Lime. It seemed she had sensed my escape plan.

“…”

Actually, maybe Miley was the one with telepathy.

As I opened the bottle, Miley suddenly spoke. It was the language of the other world, which I hadn’t heard in a while.

[Agent-nim, are you happy now?]

I looked up at Miley with a puzzled expression. She asked me with a serious face.

“Hmm…”

What is happiness? It’s a question worth pondering.

Am I happy if I’m happy right now? If a death row inmate enjoys their last meal, is that happiness?

Objectively, I wasn’t unhappy. I had enormous wealth and social success.

But happiness differs for each individual and their values. What makes someone happy can make someone else unhappy. From that perspective…

I smiled bitterly.

And then answered,

“I’m happy. Yeah.”

It wasn’t a lie.

‘Right now, I’m running.’

I just didn’t say everything. There was no reason to make Miley, and others, uneasy.

“…”

Miley quietly nodded at my answer.

“Is that it? What, that’s anticlimactic.”

“Haha. I was just curious, Master.”

* * *

After hearing Seongwon’s answer, Miley came to a conclusion.

‘As I thought, Master is in a dangerous state.’

Miley secretly picked up her smartphone and sent a message to a group chat. It was a group chat with David Kim, Cha Eunho, and Miley as members.

[Miley: Just confirmed. Master is in a dangerous state. We need the next goal.]

[Cha Eunho: (Frog emoticon holding an OK sign)]

[David Kim: Confirmed.]

[Miley: I’ll leave the rest to you two. Please prepare it by the awards ceremony.]

[Cha Eunho: (Pig emoticon giving a thumbs-up)]

Miley kicked Cha Eunho out of the chat room.