Time passes and the two of you are awkwardly standing in your room. You stare at the girl who's uncomfortably squirming around on your bed, looking left and right at the room which is two times bigger than hers. Since you seldom go outside, naturally, your brothers prepare the best and the most expensive things to decorate your room; a box of jewelry, limited-edition dresses and bags, shelves of books and games, and other hobbies that you might be interested with.

For years, your life has always been inside these walls and you wonder, if this poor girl is to enter this family, will she end up with the same fate as you?

You smile at her when she glances at you.

You hope she does. After all, it would be unfair if she doesn't. Didn't she want to stay here with her mother? Then let them stay. Let them stay in this beautiful cage disguised as a nobleman's house.

"Are you mad?" she asks meekly. "For saying that I will leave but then ended up staying."

"Why do you think that I would be mad? Do you feel guilty perhaps?"

She nods her head. "You see, mom called me, and... no matter how much I beg, sheー she says she can't leave."

You raise an eyebrow, "can't?"

She nods hesitantly.

"We... We're not rich. It's a coincidence that my mother and your father met, but he... loves her very much I guess. So um, it's probably hard for my mother to leave him because, well, either that she can finally live well or, uh, she's scared?" Her voice is soft, as if afraid that you would get mad at her for slandering your father.

"Continue," you are undoubtedly amused.

"What I'm saying is, maybeーjust maybeーMr. (L/n) is threatening my mom or something?" She sure doesn't look confident with her accusation.

"Well, I'm not surprised if you're speaking the truth." You snicker. "So what? What are you hoping by telling me this?"

"Nothing," she shakes her head. "I just... want to explain myself in case you're misunderstanding me or something."

Not to ask me for help to save your mother?

"So you're not going to leave?"

"Do you want me to?" She asks back.

"I want you to stay, but at the same time, I also want you to leave," you answer. "But since you want to stay. Sure, let's be sisters."

You extend your hand just to be polite and the girl hesitantly reaches out. Her cheeks dye in red as you shake her hand.

"I... honestly, I've always wanted a sibling."

She doesn't look like she is lying by the way her eyes glitter in happiness.

You only smile, pulling your hand away from hers as you go to the extra VR headsets which you hid just in case your brothers were to snatch away the one they had given you. You give her one, her face confused.

"Let's play a game."

Since this little rat is just a beginner, the game that you play with her isn't one with a task. It's just a game where players can enjoy life traveling around. You give her time to read the synopsis, her eyes brighten in joy the more she reads.

『Want to travel but don't have the time or money to spare? Then play this game and fly to Venice, Italy. Bored with life and wanted something adventurous yet too scared to do it in real life? Play this game and do extreme sports all you want. Even if you die, you will still resurrect. Play now!』

She looks up at you in awe, "let's go."

Eventually, the two of you travel to three different countries before you inform her that you want to log out. The girl reluctantly logs out with you. At the way she's eyeing the game, you know that she had taken the bait.

"Do you want this?" You ask with a smile.

She doesn't answer but it's visible in her eyes.

"Then I will give this to you," at this point, you're sure that your smile has turned wicked. "But can you do me a favor?"

She looks wary. "What favor?"

"I want to go out together with you tomorrow," you grab her by her hands. "I want to have some bonding time together, but you see, our brothers won't let me go out so can't you ask them for me?"

"But," she frowns. "I'm just... an outsider. There's no way they would listen to me."

"It's fine, just try asking them," you say as you hand her something. "And if they still insist that we can't, take these, and give these to the one name Joan. I've written his address. Make sure to go there in secret, okay?"

"Oー Okay."

You bid her farewell. Once the girl leaves the room, that pretentious friendly behavior is thrown out of the window, and you log into the game to waste time until night arrives.

It is at a time like this that you are grateful for the fact that once a player logged out, no matter where they are, they will always end up back in their room, lest you don't think you can log in after what happened between you and Helios. After all, that man has always drawn the line because he wanted you to like Hayun more than him, so when he suddenly took the initiative, it feels as if he's like a different person.

Lovesickness really is terrifying, your cheeks heat up. I wonder if Hayun would act like that too once he's in love with me.

As you fantasize about Hayun's behavior once he is lovesick, you can't help but bury your red face in your palms. The desire to meet Hayun grows stronger to the point that you almost forgot the promise you made with Essen. You know that you need to go and see him first before Hayun but you terribly miss Hayun at the moment andー

You sigh, feeling terrible for even trying to make an excuse just so you can break a promise.

You then open your phone to see where Essen could be at this time.

Name: essen.

Age: 18.

Status: npc.

Date of Birth: 8th july.

Room: h103 (hydrangea dorm)

University Building: Iberis.

Places Often Seen: [Recess]; click here to teleport. School Hours]; click here to teleport. [After School]; click here to teleport. [Weekends]; click here to teleport.

Department: cooking department.

Favorite Gift: plush toy.

Hobby: sunbathing.

Favorite Food: pastitsio

Love Interest: (y/n) (lvl 19) 『35%』

Yandere type: suicidal

Love Meter: 35%

Backstory: click here to read.

Huh? This is the first time you have ever opened Essen's status after he became your love interest so naturally, you would feel intrigued by the new pieces of information you gain regarding him. For example, Essen shares a room with Helios, Essen also is from the same department as Hayun, and... his yandere type is suicidal?

Is he the type that slits his wrist just cause it feels good? No, wait, that's a masochist. For a person with limited imagination like you, naturally, you could only associate suicidal with those who harm themselves out of depression. If so, I need to make sure Essen lives healthily starts from now.

Perhaps it was guilt, or maybe it's something else, but you hope you can treat Essen better.

With that in mind, you click on the link given to you, and what appears before your eyes are trees. Lots of them. You realize right away that you are in a forest located behind the school, and a few inches away from you, lays Essen who is sleeping comfortably. You see a few leaves on his shirt as you squat down to take them off.

You tilt your head at his sleeping face, hand moving to poke his cheek before it goes down to his Adam's apple.

Despite being a crybaby, Essen is quite muscular. You comment as you touch his broad shoulders with both of your hands. Of course, groping a person when they are asleep is wrong but that's a different matter when that person is your man, and right now, isn't Essen your love interest approved by Hayun? Then, I don't need to be polite.

As your hands got bolder by traveling down to his abdomen, you aren't surprised when you see Essen opening his eyes groggily.

You beam. "Good afternoon, sleeping beauty."

In a flash, the 'sleeping beauty' jerks away from you. It happens so fast that you even start to suspect whether he teleported or something, lest how could he suddenly appear a few feet away from you instead of under you?

"(Y/n)...?" His voice quivers while his dominant hand clutches his shirt.

Despite his face looking horrified, the tips of his ears are red and you are glad that your action didn't scare him away. You're just confused as to why he would behave as if you had done something bad to him. Recalling back to the time he touched you in the past, you thought that a yandere like him would be happy if you touch him back, but was what you did too inappropriate?

You frown. "Sorry, Essen. Did I scare you?"

"Nー No!" He quickly denies it, afraid that you might stop giving him affection in the future. "I'm justー Iー"

You observe as he averts his eyes away. The redness on the tips of his ears spread to his cheeks and his eyes are starting to water.

"I'm shy," he admits reluctantly.

"But weren't you okay when you hug me back then?"

"That..." He isn't able to finish because he suddenly sees you walking closer to him. "(Y/n)...?"

Your hands once again go to his warm cheeks only for him to flinch away. You watch as he stares at you in guilt and desperation, as if begging for you to not hate him for reacting like that to your touch. Observing this, it occurs to you that maybe... Essen is weak and terribly shy when the one he's in love with suddenly takes the initiative?

You pull your hands awkwardly, not knowing what to do. After all, those that you fell for are the exact opposite of Essen so suffice to say, you have little experience with this shy type of man.

That reminds me, you grab his hands to look at what is under his long sleeves only to sigh in relief upon seeing no scar at all. Good, there's no sign of him cutting himself.

『35% ー> 38%』

All of a sudden, you feel your phone buzzing. At first, you thought that it was the system, but then a voice similar to google suddenly tells you that the person is Hayun, and he is calling you!

What a rare moment, you thought as you let go of Essen and pick up the phone.

Your expression softens, "Hayun."

"..."

"Hayun?"

"You are not mad at me anymore?"

"Huh, why should I be mad at you?"

"I told you to date others. Aren't you mad?"

"Oh," you glance at Essen who turns gloomy. "You know I can never be mad at you for long, Hayun."

You suddenly hear the sound of a glass breaking.

You frown when he goes silent, heart thumping in fear. "Are you okay, Hayun?"

"Yes, it's nothing," his voice sounds normal yet you don't know whether you should trust him or not. "By the way, where are you? I want to see you."

A needy Hayun! You look at the name of the caller just in case you were wrong and this person isn't Hayun but an impostor.

"I'm with Essen right now," you glance at Essen apologetically. "Butー"

Hayun's voice turns vigilant all of a sudden. "Sweetheart, move away from him. I don't like him."

You go still.

hayun: you're not mad at me anymore?

reader: You know I can never be mad at you for long, hayun (*ᴗ͈ ˬᴗ͈)ꕤ*.ﾟ

hayun: *breaking the glass in his hand* so my effort is all for naught?