episode_0064

The afterparty proceeded without any major issues.

Like-minded students gathered together to eat, drink, and have fun, enjoying a brief moment of freedom.

As the time for the event announced in advance approached, scattered students gradually gathered on the first floor of the banquet hall.

Returning to the banquet hall after a stroll was the extent of it.

Upon entering, I quickly took a seat at a table set aside on the side, wary of the gazes that seemed to follow me.

The students who had been approaching eagerly dispersed with disappointment. I breathed a sigh of relief at their reaction. I had almost fallen into the trap once again.

After a while, the main event began.

Although it was advertised as an event, there was nothing particularly special about it.

It was akin to a long-standing tradition seen at school field trips or university festivals.

Personally, I had never been on a school field trip or attended university, so my knowledge was solely based on internet stories…

Nevertheless, the proceedings were quite similar.

The host entertained with witty remarks, while a few students took the stage to showcase their talents and incite cheers from the audience.

The only difference was the actions of the student participating in the talent show on stage.

Although I had never witnessed it firsthand, in the real world, such events typically involved singing, dancing, or perhaps magic tricks.

With cheers, a female student took to the stage and began dancing after a few words. Her dance skills were exceptional, as if she possessed a supernatural level of ability.

She flawlessly executed a dynamic and fast-paced dance without any hesitation.

Up to this point, everything seemed normal. It was within the realm of common sense.

– Whoosh!

However, what defied common sense from then on was the spectacle that followed.

Flames erupted from the student’s fingertips. An ordinary person would have panicked and tried to extinguish the flames, but the student nonchalantly moved her hand.

The flames flickered and moved along a red trail following her hand. With a smooth yet intense movement, the flames responded as if they had a will of their own, wandering around the student’s attention.

It was a sight reminiscent of a mythical hero manipulating flames while dancing.

‘…’

In many ways, it was an extraordinary sight.

Such actions were perceived through spatial awareness. Analyzing each action through spatial awareness and accumulating unexpected experience points was quite a unique feeling.

The unusual talent show continued.

There were students manipulating water in the air to create various figures and buildings with exceptional quality, as well as students using telekinesis to manipulate puppet dolls and perform one-person plays.

It was all a spectacle unseen in the previous world.

Furthermore, it provided an unparalleled experience. Through spatial awareness, I gained a lot by analyzing each of these talents.

The manipulation of magic, as well as the process of physical transformation and the manifestation of unique abilities, provided a significant amount of experience points.

Therefore, I set aside the thought of leaving and quietly observed the talent show at the table set aside on the side.

During the event, there was also a time when students who participated in the afterparty were randomly called up by the numbers given to them in advance to sing a short song on stage.

Apart from a moment of strange atmosphere caused by being chosen, the event proceeded smoothly without any major issues.

.

.

.

And so, the afterparty ended successfully. There were no incidents, and most of the students enjoyed the feast satisfactorily.

While the freshman welcome party ended in a strange atmosphere due to my fainting incident, this time it went smoothly from start to finish.

After the event concluded and the students who had thoroughly enjoyed themselves left, the remaining energetic students stayed in the banquet hall and partied until dawn.

The day after the afterparty.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I nodded as I scrolled through the group chat on my smartwatch.

The real-time updates of the struggling drinkers suffering from hangovers were being reported. I couldn’t understand why they would continue to drink despite being in such pain.

It was a typical Sunday morning.

Normally, it would be a weekend where I had to force myself out of bed, resisting the temptation of sleep. But today, I woke up on my own with a clear mind.

I had been feeling like this since yesterday. More precisely, it started after hearing about Hong Yeonhwa’s condition from Baek Arin.

“Is she okay?”

She didn’t participate in the after-party due to the side effects of Geophwa.

Hong Yeonhwa, widely known as a heavy drinker, didn’t show up for such a big drinking session…

My thoughts kept drifting in that direction.

The change in Geophwa. It was a change that visited Hong Yeonhwa every time, a side effect she always easily overcame.

So, I didn’t think much of it.

In the original story’s timeline, she would have been back to her usual self in a day or two.

But hearing that Hong Yeonhwa was in pain and couldn’t attend the event made a heavy feeling settle in my chest.

The lack of energy on the last day of the trip lingered in my mind. It felt unsettling.

I kept getting distracted, my thoughts wandering off track.

‘……’

After hearing the news from Baek Arin… that is, after Baek Arin sent a verification photo-like message and contacted Hong Yeonhwa.

It was around 9 p.m.

I hesitated for a while, thinking it might be too late to contact her, or that I might be bothering her, before sending a text.

“Are you okay?”

I sent the message, and as Baek Arin’s smartwatch, which was buzzing like crazy, stopped, a reply came.

▶Hong Yeonhwa: Thank you for worrying. I’m fine. (Yesterday 20:57)

▶Hong Yeonhwa: It’s something most Geophwa owners experience. I’ll be fine in a few days, so don’t worry. (Yesterday 20:58)

▶Hong Yeonhwa: But what did Arin do just now…? (Yesterday 21:01)

“I’m fine. Thank you for worrying. I’ll be fine soon, so don’t worry.” It was a formal reply, but it touched my heart.

I didn’t understand the question about what she had done, but it seemed like she was worried about me while being in pain herself.

After briefly scanning the text messages, I nodded and got up.

For the first time in my life, I thought about visiting someone who was sick.

A hospital visit.

Checking on the condition and comforting someone who is hospitalized.

I’ve never visited someone who was sick in my life.

Well, someone did visit me when I was sick, but I’ve never visited anyone else.

Thanks to the narrow and practically non-existent human relationships in my previous world.

I have no close friends who could get sick. Therefore, naturally, I have never had to visit someone who was sick.

“Is that person doing okay?”

As I prepared to visit someone who was sick, memories of my internet friend from the previous world came to mind.

The internet friend who went by the nickname Agapanthus.

A person who would respond with sharp remarks when I occasionally reached out for a conversation, much like me, a recluse.

Most of my communication skills were built through conversations with Agapanthus, so it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that.

Moreover, unless I consider returning to the original world, I won’t meet that person again in the future.

“…I hope they’re doing well.”

From what I heard, they seemed financially stable. They didn’t seem to be in a precarious situation that I should worry about. They must be living well even now.

They are someone who spends 24 hours on the internet. There are plenty of other internet friends besides me, so they shouldn’t be bored.

My mind wandered for a moment. After organizing my thoughts, I finished getting dressed.

Unlike the previous world, I had formed several friendships now.

Especially with Hong Yeonhwa, I thought our bond was relatively strong.

…Although in reality, it was just a one-sided relationship where I received help.

I heard that Hong Yeonhwa wasn’t feeling well. Knowing how uneasy my heart felt, I wanted to go see her in person to check on her well-being.

Of course, I didn’t go immediately.

Even though I had never visited someone who was sick before, I knew it would be rude to just show up unannounced.

That’s why yesterday, while inquiring about her well-being through text, I subtly brought up the topic of visiting her.

▶Me: If it’s okay with you, can I come for a visit by tomorrow…? (Yesterday 21:06:11)

▶Hong Yeonhwa: Sure (Yesterday 21:06:12)

I received a positive response. With her permission granted, there was no reason to hesitate.

‘…I guess it’s okay to go?’

As I gathered all my things and left the dormitory, a sudden thought crossed my mind, causing me to stop in my tracks.

Could it be that I misread her polite response due to my lack of sensitivity?

Still, considering the relationship between me and Hong Yeonhwa, wouldn’t it be appropriate to visit her…? I can’t be the only one who considers us friends, right?

After hesitating for a moment, I pushed aside my anxious thoughts.

I felt like I would keep repeating these thoughts if I stayed at home.

Quickly getting dressed and grabbing the gift I had prepared in advance, I headed to the living room.

I had bought wrapping paper in advance yesterday.

Even though I couldn’t find specific guidelines for visiting someone who is sick, it was recommended to bring a gift, and thinking it would be inappropriate to go empty-handed, I prepared a gift.

Of course, from Hong Yeonhwa’s perspective, it might be just a trivial item… but still, they say it’s the thought that counts when it comes to gifts, right?

After double-checking the condition of the gift, I opened the door and stepped outside.

* * *

[Player Adjustment System: Affection Level]

Lee Hayul → Hong Yeonhwa

●●●●●●●●○○(83/100)

｢?｣ ｢Guilt｣ ｢Apology｣ ｢Gratitude｣ ｢Worry｣

[Did not meet the conditions to lift the ｢Curse of Silence｣]

[Did not meet the conditions to lift the ｢Curse of Loneliness｣]