Offline Meetup

,Arang-ah. I’ll make you pretty.”

“…Okay.”

Anna-nuna is changing my clothes.

It’s because today is the day I’m having an offline meetup with Pinku Berry.

I reached max level and thoughtlessly suggested an offline meetup, and although Pinku Berry was momentarily flustered, she nodded and agreed, so we decided to have an offline meetup.

Right now, in reality, I’m slowly getting better, but I’ve only evolved to the point of being a doll that can speak a little. I still can’t say what I want very well.

Wait a minute, now that I think about it, I won’t be able to talk even if I meet Pinku Berry in this state. I guess I’ll have to log into Im Jong-gi to meet her.

It wouldn’t be fun to meet someone you play games with and not be able to talk about games.

Wow… now that I think about it, I’ve been to a lot of offline meetups, but this is the first time I’ve heard of having one in a hospital.

And the person who organized the offline meetup is actually in the virtual world.

This offline meetup isn’t really an offline meetup. Pinku Berry is going to be dumbfounded when she sees me.

“All done! Pretty! Arang-ah!”

At Anna-nuna’s words, I lowered my head and looked at my state.

I was wearing a pure white short-sleeved shirt and what looked like dolphin shorts.

I know they’re pretty clothes, but since I don’t have arms and legs, they don’t look pretty when I wear them.

The arm parts are loose, and the cut-off legs are dangling from the pants, so it really looks pathetic.

‘This is totally… hmm… no, let’s not think about it.’

With Anna-nuna’s help, I lay down on the bed, put on Im Jong-gi, and turned on the hospital room screen.

I looked at myself lying on the bed between the large hospital room, the numerous medical machines, and Im Jong-gi.

Thanks to Anna-nuna, I at least look like a living person. Until just now, I was wearing a patient gown, so I just looked like a corpse.

Okay. Now all that’s left is for Pinku Berry to come.

How long has it been since I’ve had an offline meetup? And it’s with Pinku Berry, who I’m enjoying playing the virtual world game LeoLe with the most right now!

I’m already looking forward to it.

==

As soon as I entered Asan Medical Center in Seoul, I was slightly intimidated by its size.

Countless people are passing by busily. I went to the information desk first.

“Excuse me…”

“Please take a number and come back.”

The receptionist glanced at me, sighed, and said.

“That’s not it.”

“Take a number and-”

The receptionist said, annoyed.

“I came to see Arang-i!”

I urgently said Arang-i’s name, as Arang-i had told me in an email how to find her.

“Ah, do you mean Arang-nim?”

“Ah, yes, yes!”

“J, just a moment!!!”

The receptionist suddenly quickly changed her annoyed expression, hurriedly got up from her seat, and ran somewhere.

‘W, what is it?’

I remembered that there are only five MDB connectors that Arang-i is using in the entire world.

I wonder why there are only five in the entire world.

‘Come to think of it, the costume Arang-i is wearing… you get it for free when you reach 10 million mileage points… 10 million mileage points is… 100 million… gasp…’

While I was thinking about this and that, the receptionist who had disappeared earlier came back, panting, and spoke to me.

“Haa… haa… If you follow the doctor here, you’ll get there.”

“Hello. I’m Kim Hye-seon, Arang-i’s attending physician.”

“Ah, hello.”

‘S, she’s pretty…’

“Please follow me.”

I thought I was seeing a celebrity when the doctor who introduced herself as Arang-i’s attending physician.

As I was walking along with the doctor, she asked me if I was Arang-i’s friend.

“Ah, yes. I’m Arang-i’s friend.”

“Really? It’s such a relief that Arang-i has made a friend.”

“Is Arang-i hospitalized here right now?”

“Yes… It’s been three years since I became Arang-i’s attending physician.”

“T, three years…?”

“Yes. It’s been three years since Arang-i came here because of her illness.”

“Illness…”

I was expecting it.

Since Arang-i is using MDB, I didn’t think she would just use it for no reason.

But hearing it directly from Arang-i’s attending physician felt different.

After walking for a while, we arrived in front of a small building.

“This is where Arang-i lives.”

“Is this also a hospital building? In such a small place…?”

“Ah, this building is only for Arang-i, so it’s a building where only Arang-i is hospitalized.”

“…Yes?”

I thought it was small for a building with patients, but if you think about Arang-i being alone, it was a huge building.

‘No, in the first place, using this kind of building for just one patient in a hospital… Ah, what the hell is Arang-i’s identity?’

The doctor stopped as soon as we stood in front of the building’s door.

“From here on, you must follow my instructions carefully.”

I could see several machines from the entrance.

First, I disinfected my hands, and as I passed through the door, something went pshhh! and a smoke-like thing came out.

“Don’t worry. It’s just for disinfection.”

After passing through this and that, I entered the building.

“I’ll tell you the precautions for meeting Arang-i. First of all, please don’t talk about Arang-i’s body.”

“…Yes.”

“Secondly, Arang-i has a disease, but it’s not contagious. So you don’t have to worry. Lastly, when you treat Arang-i, I hope you treat her like a normal child. Not like a sick person.”

“Yes. I understand. I’ll keep that in mind.”

After listening to the doctor’s words, I entered the room where Arang-i was.

The first thing I saw was several medical devices. Passing by those devices and walking forward, there was a large glass in front of me.

Beyond that glass was Arang-i, who I had wanted to meet.

“Huuuh…!”

At the sight of Arang-i, I covered my mouth with both hands.

I had somewhat expected Arang-i’s appearance based on the doctor’s words and information about MDB, but…

My body trembled at Arang-i’s appearance, which was much more serious than that.

Arang-i lying on a king-size bed.

Arang-i’s appearance was shocking.

Arang-i without arms and legs. That alone was shocking, but the appearance of the MDB was also shocking.

The size of the MDB connector, which was integrated with the bed, was completely different from the original choker connector. An MDB as big as a bed.

Several machines came out of that MDB and were attached to Arang-i’s body.

There were machines on her eyes and neck, and several lines were going into her upper body inside her clothes. They must be sensors.

The medical machines that I had only seen in movies and dramas were checking Arang-i’s condition in real time.

“What the hell is this…”

“Are you Pinku Berry-nim?”

“W, who are you?”

When I turned my head at the woman’s voice I heard from the side, a woman who was much more beautiful than the doctor called out my nickname.

“Hello. I’m Lee Anna, Arang-i’s older sister. Thank you so much for coming all the way here for Arang-i today.”

“Hello… I’m Lee Ha-yan, using the Pinku Berry nickname.”

“Welcome, Ha-yan-ssi. Arang-i has been waiting for Ha-yan-ssi so much.”

“Is that so…? I hope I’m not being a nuisance…”

“No, not at all. Arang-i has been talking about Ha-yan-ssi so much. Come in.”

“Ah, yes, yes!”

As soon as I opened the door and entered, Arang-i’s voice echoed through the machine.

[Oooooh! Pinku Berry, welcome! No, since it’s reality, should I call you ‘unnie’ (older sister)…?]

Arang-i, who I always saw in LeoLe, was smiling and waving her hand on the big screen that I could see at a glance when I entered the room.

Arang-i’s appearance, living in the connector’s personal space, was exactly like she was in LeoLe. Arang-i looks cute and mischievous.

As I was looking at Arang-i, I lowered my head, and the real-life Arang-i, who was one with the huge machine, came into view.

Is Arang-i always living like this…?

Arang-i’s original appearance on the bed and Arang-i’s active and bright appearance in LeoLe were so completely opposite.

‘Oops. I was thinking too much…!’

[Pinku Berry-unnie?]

‘Ugh…!’

Arang-i’s words ‘unnie’ and the way she tilted her head slightly were so cute that it was fatal.

“Ah, Arang-ah, hello.”

[Was it uncomfortable coming here? Is there anything you want to eat? Let’s have lunch right away.]

“Huh? Lunch? That Arang-i is…”

I decided to have lunch with Arang-i. But Arang-i suddenly asked if there was anything I wanted to eat. But is it okay to say this?

No matter how I look at it, Arang-i’s condition doesn’t seem like she can eat anything.

[Me? Why? Ah! I’m going to eat too, don’t worry!]

“R, really…? Then how about eating what Arang-i wants to eat?”

[Hey, it’s okay. Pinku Berry-unnie had a hard time coming all the way here, so let’s eat what Pinku Berry-unnie wants to eat.]

“Th, then…”

‘W, what should I choose…!?

First, I quickly thought of delivery foods in my head.

Looking at Arang-i’s current condition, I can’t have food that would be a burden on her stomach. In that case, fried foods are naturally excluded.

Snack foods?

This won’t work either. Snack foods also have a lot of seasonings in them.

‘Ughhhhh…! Wh, what should I…!’

Then a savior appeared.

“How about bossam (boiled pork slices)?”

[Bossam is good too! Is Pinku Berry-unnie okay with it? Do you like bossam?]

“B, bossam is good!”

“Then I’ll order bossam.”

“Yes, yes!”

[Pinku Berry-unnie. What’s your name? I can’t keep calling you Pinku Berry.]

“It’s Lee Ha-yan. I’m 25 years old.”

[Oh, so you’re Ha-yan-unnie.]

I was nervous, worried, and anxious about how to talk to Arang-i, but Arang-i was cheerful as if we had met in LeoLe.

But I know.

She can’t survive without doing this…

Arang-i, who is only 15 years old.

At an age when she should be going to school, running around with her friends, and going out to play together, she is trapped in a hospital where she can’t go outside, living without arms and legs.

Is that the end? No. Her body is in such a terrible condition that she has to use MDB, and she’s not in reality like that, but in the virtual world.

Even someone with a healthy mind would have a hard time overcoming this without getting hurt. But a 15-year-old is going through these things…

Arang-i is holding on.

By living as brightly as possible, because she can’t survive without doing that…

And I became sure of that as soon as Arang-i came out of the virtual world.