Chapter 41 – Accident

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I smiled brightly at [Arang’s Foot Licker], who looked no different in reality than in LEORE, and said,

“Nice to meet you…”

I greeted [Arang’s Foot Licker] with words I’d been practicing with Older Sister Anna and Doctor Unnie during my prosthetic arm and leg rehabilitation training.

Was it because of the difference between my appearance in LEORE and reality? [Arang’s Foot Licker]’s reaction was the same as that of people meeting me for the first time, but he quickly snapped out of it and approached me.

“Hello, Guild Leader! Have you been waiting long?”

“Uhh… no…”

“Really? That’s a relief!”

[Arang’s Foot Licker], looking at me with puppy-like eyes that he only showed me, spun around and gave me a sparkling look.

“You’re so cute! So pretty! I think I’m going crazy! Ah, did I get too excited…?”

Seeing that I didn’t react, [Arang’s Foot Licker] flinched, and I shook my head to tell him it was okay.

“Hikki… komo… ri… reality… speak… ing…”

“Ah! I understand! Don’t worry! I have a younger cousin who has trouble speaking, so I’m good at understanding even if I only hear the important words! You said your LEORE nickname and your real name are the same, right?”

I nodded.

“Then, would it be okay if I spoke casually…?”

I nodded again.

“Hehe. Please take care of me, Arang. Of course, I’ll use polite language in LEORE! There are other guild members, so I can’t lower the Guild Leader’s authority!”

[Arang’s Foot Licker], talking to me in the same way in reality as in LEORE, was quite likeable.

“That, Arang. It’s not that, but… well… about what I said last time… that…”

[Arang’s Foot Licker] hesitated, watching my reaction.

I knew right away what he wanted. When I made the crafting equipment last time, there was a condition that he would grant me a favor when we met in reality later.

I nodded.

I could guess what kind of favor he would ask from his nickname, but since he came all the way here, I thought he knew about me and wouldn’t ask for such a favor.

“Th-Then! I bought a present for Arang! So, my favor is for me to give the present I brought to Arang—”

I nodded.

I didn’t know what the favor was, but I nodded again at the word “present,” and [Arang’s Foot Licker] showed a happy expression, knelt down in front of me, and grabbed my prosthetic leg before I could say anything.

“…Huh?”

[Arang’s Foot Licker] froze as if time had stopped.

Fortunately, he quickly snapped out of it and touched my prosthetic leg again, his hands trembling as he kept checking if what he felt was real.

Seeing [Arang’s Foot Licker]’s reaction, I realized that he didn’t know anything about me.

There was a problem with [Arang’s Foot Licker]’s severely trembling hands.

Although I was doing rehabilitation training for my prosthetic arm and leg, my muscle mass was truly pathetic, and my body was so weak that I felt quite uncomfortable wearing them.

Older Sister Anna wanted me to adapt well to my prosthetic arm and leg, and I was working hard on rehabilitation training in preparation for events or collaborations in reality.

Older Sister Anna didn’t stop there, saying that I needed to get used to my prosthetic arm and leg so that I could live a normal life like others, and now I wore them every moment I was awake in reality.

So, I wore my prosthetic arm and leg when I met [Arang’s Foot Licker] this time.

That’s where the problem arose.

Usually, when doing rehabilitation training or going out, I would securely fasten my prosthetic arm and leg to my severed limbs so they wouldn’t fall off.

But this was a hospital. Moreover, it was a lounge in a building where I was the only patient.

Everyone in this building was here for me, and they were people who genuinely cared about me and helped me.

So, it was too uncomfortable and difficult to securely fasten my prosthetic arm and leg, so Older Sister Anna loosened them as a consideration for me.

[Arang’s Foot Licker]’s hands were trembling more severely than I thought, and with [Arang’s Foot Licker]’s gestures of constantly checking if what he was feeling was real, the right prosthetic leg that [Arang’s Foot Licker] was touching fell to the floor from my leg as insignificantly as a slice of bread falling.

Thud.

The thigh part of the right prosthetic leg fell limply. The foot part was in [Arang’s Foot Licker]’s hand.

Anyone who saw it would think [Arang’s Foot Licker] had ripped off my leg.

I later learned that Pink Berry and Soonchu, who knew about me, thought the guild gathering was postponed to the next time because no one said they were going in the guild chat.

On top of that, Doctor Unnie said she assumed [Arang’s Foot Licker] had heard about me because Pink Berry and Soonchu were there.

==

When I first saw Arang, I was surprised.

The cute, adorable, and confident appearance that she had when raiding in LEORE was gone. Arang’s appearance was dead, with half-closed eyes and an impression so dark that it felt like the surroundings were darkening.

It was gap moe itself.

In LEORE, she was a cute princess loved by everyone, but in reality, Arang’s appearance was that of a fallen kingdom princess who had become a hikikomori who didn’t get close to anyone and didn’t try to trust anyone.

I liked Arang even more because of her completely opposite appearances.

She was the ultimate, cutest Guild Leader who could show two different sides.

At first, I thought that Arang was forced to have the gathering because of me, but I could feel that Arang didn’t hate me but liked me, even though she had trouble speaking.

She just had trouble speaking.

I had a younger cousin who had trouble talking to people, so I could immediately understand Arang’s feelings and what she wanted to say.

After confirming that Arang’s tension had eased a little while talking about this and that, I held the bag I was carrying in my left hand tightly and talked about the favor I had asked of Arang.

Fortunately, Arang readily nodded and gave me permission.

I had been holding back ever since I saw Arang.

The urge to touch Arang’s feet, which were cute, soft, squishy, and warm, as much as I wanted.

As soon as Arang’s permission was given, I immediately knelt down in front of Arang, and the moment I touched Arang’s real-life feet, which had been my wish…

A sensation completely different from my imagination struck my brain through my hands.

A sensation completely different from cute, soft, squishy, and warm.

A coldness that felt scary and hard, yet slightly soft but with an unpleasant feeling, and that didn’t seem like a person at all, pierced through my hands.

My hands trembled.

What am I touching right now?

It’s not a person’s leg. It’s not Arang’s foot.

This is… this is…

Thud.

Clunk.

As if to prove that my thoughts were not wrong, Arang’s right leg, which I was touching, separated from Arang and fell limply to the ground.

I could see why Arang was wearing thick high socks that didn’t even show skin on such a hot summer day.

The part of the leg that was slightly visible above the high socks showed that this was not Arang’s real leg.

‘What the hell have I been doing…?’

Memories flashed through my mind in an instant.

I touched Arang’s feet in LEORE, and I even changed my nickname because I wanted to touch Arang’s feet.

But all those actions were actions that hurt Arang.

“Socks… shoes…?”

‘Crap!’

As Arang’s prosthetic leg fell off, the gift bag I had prepared fell to the side, and the socks and shoes inside fell out.

I hurriedly put them back in the bag.

‘What a crazy bitch. How could you prepare socks and shoes as a gift…!!!’

I carefully raised my head and looked at Arang’s expression.

Arang’s expression, which I thought would be in tears, hadn’t changed at all.

It was as if she had no emotions. That’s why my heart ached even more.

“It’s okay…”

No. I’m not okay.

I could sense something was wrong. The fact that Arang was in the hospital, in this kind of building, and that she had a doctor in charge, and that the doctor personally took me to where Arang was.

Looking back now, everything was strange.

Why didn’t I notice…!?

I feel pathetic.

“Socks… shoes… pretty… put… on…”

I squeezed my eyes shut at Arang’s words, which were considerate of me.

Arang’s heart must be aching like crazy, but it hurt so much that she was saying those words for me.

“You’re not… going to do it? I’m going to be… upset…?”

“No! I’ll do it!”

I hurriedly picked up Arang’s prosthetic leg, brought it to Arang’s right thigh, and fastened the easy-to-understand fastener.

But even in this situation, I hated myself for touching Arang’s thigh and feeling that it was soft.

After restoring the prosthetic leg to its original state, I carefully put the socks I had brought on Arang’s prosthetic leg, and when I even put on the shoes, Arang’s mouth moved little by little.

She showed a slight smile.

And when I saw Arang’s trademark snaggletooth in that small smile, I was finally able to come to my senses.

Az09xo