Episode 500. Secret Matters (3)

“Honey…?”

Baek Ahyoung lifted her head from Lee Hoyeon’s chest.

His slightly choked voice held emotions he had never shown before.

Because of that, Baek Ahyoung had to focus on Lee Hoyeon.

“Ahyoung-ssi. No, … Honey.”

Lee Hoyeon chose his words carefully, pondering what to say.

Watching Baek Ahyoung clinging to him and sniffling, he felt incredibly unsettled.

He still wasn’t sure.

Whether he could tell Baek Ahyoung everything.

But it was also true that he was already pushed to his limit.

The very act of calling her name, as if possessed by something, proved there was something uncomfortable about it.

He had called Baek Ahyoung’s name because he intended to say something.

What would happen if he confessed everything to Baek Ahyoung right now?

From the relationships Lee Hoyeon was in with the women, to the reason he was in this world which caused it all.

‘… No, thinking about it, saying that is just not right.’

It wasn’t a matter of whether Baek Ahyoung would believe him or not.

This world is a game, and you were the heroine…

If you don’t conquer all the heroines and defeat the Demon King, the world will be destroyed…

Hearing something like that would only get him labeled a lunatic.

Of course, he could prove the truth.

Magic or artifacts.

This world has many tools to prove the truth.

However, those things are based on the user’s perception.

Meaning, even if someone spouted bullshit about the Earth being flat, if the speaker genuinely believed it, the proof would come out as true.

In other words, he’d be completely treated like a lunatic.

“….”

No, Lee Hoyeon himself didn’t think of this world as a game in the first place.

Baek Ahyoung in front of him, the doctor walking down the hallway, the other heroines.

Everyone was real to Lee Hoyeon.

In fact, it might be a pointless worry.

The problem was whether he could even utter all of this aloud.

The obvious clichés found in games or novels.

Like being unable to speak when trying to reveal one’s identity.

Or things that others can’t perceive even when told.

Since he had never tried before, he had no idea what would happen.

“Honey…? What’s wrong?”

“Ah….”

Just then, Baek Ahyoung peeked her face closer.

She had been sniffling until her eyes turned red just moments ago, yet now her eyes were filled with concern for him.

Hoo.

Lee Hoyeon took a deep breath and composed himself.

“Honey. … I have something to say. Actually….”

He bit his lip tightly.

At that moment, Lee Hoyeon instinctively felt it.

There was no restriction whatsoever on his secrets.

If he wanted to speak, he could say everything right now.

That this world was a game.

That he couldn’t kill the Demon King unless he conquered the women.

That he could see your affection levels and read your thoughts.

“Ah….”

His lips wouldn’t part.

He knew he could say everything, but he didn’t know how to start.

He needed to distinguish between what to say and what not to say, but how should he set that standard?

“Honey….”

Poook.

Just then, Baek Ahyoung stood up and pulled Lee Hoyeon’s head towards her chest.

The soft breasts pressing against his face seemed to awaken Lee Hoyeon’s senses.

Baek Ahyoung also had the ability to read the mood.

Lee Hoyeon was now at a crossroads.

Perhaps that choice could resolve the doubts Baek Ahyoung held.

Despite that, she opened her mouth.

“I definitely want to know what you’re thinking, Honey. Because I can’t understand… and it hurts.”

“….”

“But what scares me more is our relationship falling apart. Whatever the reason, if it’s hard for you to say, you don’t have to. It’s okay to tell me someday… when you feel at ease….”

“…….”

Lee Hoyeon’s words got stuck in his throat.

He couldn’t bring himself to meet Baek Ahyoung’s eyes.

He, who always received consideration, couldn’t properly speak today either.

He felt deeply ashamed of that fact.

“… Ahyoung-ssi. Please wait just a little, just a little longer. I can’t say anything right now, but… I’ll try my best to make things work out somehow.”

“Okay. I’ll trust you. Hoyeon-ah.”

Lee Hoyeon closed his eyes tightly while embraced by Baek Ahyoung’s chest.

His eyelids grew hot.

Since shedding tears wasn’t an option, Lee Hoyeon suppressed his emotions as much as possible.

*

Thump. Thump.

Click.

“….”

Returning to the hospital room, Lee Hoyeon confirmed Im Sol was still there, then slumped onto a chair.

“What am I going to do with this stupid bastard….”

In the short time it took to return here after finishing his conversation with Baek Ahyoung, he had thought far too much.

From his future course of action to the tasks he needed to do.

‘The fake dungeon plan….’

The fake dungeon plan was a scheme to create a crisis by setting up a fake dungeon, deceiving everyone, and making them recognize him as someone precious.

Doubt arose about the fake dungeon plan, which was meant to be a single act of wrongdoing.

‘Is it right to be honest?’

He felt it from his conversation with Baek Ahyoung.

No matter what he said, the heroines would prioritize his well-being.

They had already become that kind of relationship.

Was it okay to repay that one-sided kindness with a lie?

“… Now?”

However, it was too late to have doubts.

The plan was already complete.

Could he make the judgment to stop right before execution?

Besides, isn’t setting up a fake dungeon more appropriate than confessing his true feelings to all the heroines?

There are such things as white lies.

Isn’t it enough to be sincere in everything after sorting things out just once?

Lee Hoyeon thought he was being sincere with the women even now.

“… Ughhhm.”

Just as Lee Hoyeon was agonizing over his thoughts.

Im Sol, lying in the bed, began to stir.

Only then did Lee Hoyeon notice that Im Sol’s forehead was drenched in sweat.

“… Clean.”

He threw back the covers and snapped his fingers, cleansing Im Sol’s body.

He had used the Clean magic before leaving the hospital room, but he cleaned her more thoroughly this time.

Her sexy naked body caught his eye, but perhaps because he was too deep in serious thought, he didn’t even get an erection.

Lee Hoyeon, having neatly prepared her patient clothes next to Im Sol, lay down beside her without much thought.

He intended to wait until she woke up.

“Ughh….”

Blink. Blink.

A moment later. Im Sol, blinking her eyes open groggily, stretched while looking at the familiar ceiling.

And then, she was surprised by her strangely refreshed body.

The air flowed freely, and the feel of the blanket made it seem as if she were naked….

“You’re awake?”

“Huh?”

Im Sol, turning her head blankly, saw the face of her disciple lying next to her naked body.

3 seconds.

2 seconds.

1 second.

“… Gasp.”

Im Sol, grasping the situation exactly three seconds later, rolled up the blanket and covered herself.

Her crucial memories were hazy.

Falling asleep.

Why? How?

How did she fall asleep at the end?

Im Sol swallowed hard while looking at Lee Hoyeon, who smiled.

“Why are you acting like this all of a sudden? You’ve already seen everything.”

“W-what….”

“Don’t you remember saying you felt good?”

“That was then, this is now….”

Im Sol covered herself completely like a rolled kimbap.

After that, she cautiously examined Lee Hoyeon’s face.

“… What is it?”

Blinking, Im Sol glanced at Lee Hoyeon, seeming more timid than usual.

Was she perhaps too embarrassed?

Why was she being so cautious?

“Are you embarrassed? That’s cute.”

“… I was wondering if your attitude might suddenly change now that you’ve done everything you wanted.”

“Oh…. So you think I’m that kind of guy. Understood.”

“N-no. I was just wondering. Sorry if I offended you….”

Lee Hoyeon chuckled wryly at Im Sol’s rambling words, then opened his arms paternally.

“Come here, Sol-ah. Don’t worry, come hug me.”

“… Hearing you talk nonsense, you’re just like usual. That’s a relief.”

Im Sol, still wrapped in the blanket, hugged Lee Hoyeon.

★ Heroine Status Window

[Im Sol]

• [ Affection: 100 ] ( + 0.1)

• [ Lust: 85 ]

• [ Appetite: 40 ]

• [ Fatigue: 50 ]

Current State: What a relief. What a relief… It wasn’t a dream, so now, with my disciple… Are we, are we dating…?

[Upon reaching 100 Affection, prioritizes Lee Hoyeon above all else.]

‘I finally beat magic.’

To Im Sol, magic was everything.

Her nickname among some wizards, ‘Crazy Bitch for Magic’, says it all.

In reality, her daily life consisted entirely of magic, so beating it made her feel quite good.

“Sol-ah. Do you like me? Or do you like magic?”

“… What on earth are you talking about? You’re not a child.”

Im Sol frowned, treating him like he was strange, but she found this back-and-forth amusing.

As expected, talking to a beautiful woman makes one feel better, even if just for a moment.

It seemed his gloomy mood had lifted somewhat.

Lee Hoyeon smiled and stroked Im Sol’s head.

It felt like saying, ‘Good job, my baby.’

“No. What are you doing….”

Im Sol twisted to escape her disciple’s hand, but when the blanket slipped, revealing her chest, she eventually allowed him to continue.

*

The enjoyable time with Im Sol passed quickly.

Just as the afterglow of their first experience completely faded, I left the hospital room and returned home.

After that, things were back to normal.

I ate the dinner Nam Daeun made, chatted briefly with the women, then immediately went to my room and lay down on the bed.

“This is really driving me crazy.”

I blankly reached my hand towards the ceiling.

Counting the patterns on the ceiling whenever I had worries had become a habit.

It felt like I had some chuunibyou complex, but these were genuinely serious concerns.

In fact, I couldn’t even remember if dinner went into my nose or my mouth.

The wall of reality that approached after playtime ended was too high and cold.

And after much deliberation, the conclusion I reached was simple.

“I’m struggling too. Fuck.”

Right.

That I’ve done many bad things among everything I’ve done so far?

I can admit it now.

Although I forced myself to look away, looking back at myself, there were objectively actions that could be condemned as trash.

And not just one or two. There were so many I couldn’t count them.

But, that was the best I could do at the time.

There were a whopping eleven women.

That bastard called a god threw me here and burdened me with the great responsibility of world destruction.

Yet, he didn’t even give me the common cheat of hypnosis. This is practically dereliction of duty.

Isn’t it standard practice in most isekai stories to give cheat abilities as a bonus?

Of course, my magic and combat abilities are like cheats, but unless it was about conquering all eleven Im Sols, magic was utterly useless.

‘Harem, okay?’

‘Yes. My darling.’

‘Okay. Good.’

If all the women had reacted like this, I wouldn’t have had any worries.

But reality wasn’t like that.

The heroines, each with their distinct personalities, didn’t move according to my plans.

Even when their affection reached 100, the women thought for themselves, judged situations, and expressed their displeasure.

In a situation where the world ends upon failure, no one on earth can create a harem without lies or wrongdoing.

No, even if such a person existed, it wasn’t me.

That’s why my head hurt even more. My own lack of ability was definitely a factor.

If I could, I’d want to stomp my feet like a child.

‘The magic circle is being completed tomorrow. Ha….’

I had planned to start the scheme within days, but a meteor, not just a stone, had fallen into the lake of my heart.

It was like frogs all dying because of a meteor carelessly thrown by a god.

Knock knock.

Just then, the sound of knocking on the door broke through my thoughts.

“Is that Daeun?”

• No, it’s me, baby’s daddy. Is it okay to come in?

“Yes. It’s fine.”

For some reason, Rebecca politely asked for permission before opening the door.

Normally, she would have just opened the door and poked her head in, so I wondered if something was up.

Rebecca poked her head in through the open door and smiled at me.

“I need some help from baby’s daddy. You remember what I said earlier, right?”

“… Ah. Yes. Of course. I’ll help you.”

I nodded with a smile in response.

Helping Rebecca is always possible.

And usually, worries that don’t end find answers in unexpected places.

In times like these, one should act instead of agonizing.

… But what did she say earlier?