"So did you really catch a cold?" The transfer student casually asked as he randomly checked the labels attached to the bottles of medicines in the infirmary. Ocassionally, he would give the protagonist who was sitting on the bed a glance. "Seriously, be it in games or real life, infirmary nurses are always not around whenever we need them. Don't you think so too?"

Chen Miao remained silent. His grey eyes were glaring daggers at Kai. The latter still remember how those eyes would deeply gaze at him as he cried and clawed at the walls to be let go. Honestly, life in that cramped space was terrifying but once he remembered his real indentity, it wasn't that bad. The protagonist did keep him alive and well, talking and playing with him as if he were a beloved pet.

Kai doesn't know what happened on the night he was rescued, but once the system brought his memory back, all the insecurity and helplessness inside him disappeared. Instead, it was replaced with an image of that person who resembled you, how when his body was about to be put inside the incubator, she had come to visit and assure him that everything will be alright.

At the memory, his nape felt hot. He looked down shyly only for his reminiscent to be put to stop abruptly by Chen Miao. He groaned in pain when the said man pushed him against the wall.

Too realistic, he can't help but thought when his back throbbed. The pain, the visual, the sensation. That woman is right, her lover sure is a genius.

"Why are you still here?" The protagonist scowled. "Shouldn't you be back at your world by now? Why remain here? What are you planning?"

The transfer student smiled gentle, a smile so innocent it's no wonder he managed to make his fans pinning after him brainlessly.

"I just fell in love," he answered. "Is that too hard to understand?"

His answer must strike a nerve because Chen Miao's face immediately changed to fear, insecurity, and rage.  

"Lies. You don't love her," Chen Miao glared at him. "If you truly do love her, then you would go back and find a way to set her free, but even if you did, she is still not yours to claim."

"Who are you to dictate my feelings?" Kai sneered. "What about you? I don't know if you are aware of your situation or pretending not to know, but are you sure you love her? Are you sure you're not confusing her with the real one instead?"

He saw how the protagonist's Adam's apple bobbed as he took a step back warily.

"What do you mean?"

Guess what that woman told me was right, Kai thought in amusement. He recalled the conversation he had with the system last night after he was rescued.

The round ball called "system," produced a friendly female voice. It was laughing at the pouty face the actor was making after he received his memory back. Kai held the ball in his hands, imagining that it was the face of that woman he held.

"Ms. (L/n), you're too much, didn't you tell me that my safety is guaranteed?" 

「And I keep my promise, right? You're safe now,」the system replied.

"Does that mean that my role is done here? That I can go back?" He asked hopefully. "I wanted to see you."

「I can send you back but my schedules are too hectic to see you. I'm sorry,」it sighed.「originally, this season was supposed to end here, but Chen Miao, he's confused.」

The actor frowned in confusion. How did that lunatic that imprison him got anything to do with this conversation?

「I'm sorry for what Chen Miao did to you. If you want, we can even compensate you for your trauma,」it explained.「You see, people might think that Chen Miao is an NPC because he holds a rather important role in this world, but actually, he's a human. He's my lover. The creator of this world. So I really hope that you can forgive him.」

Naturally, he couldn't help but think of how absurd that was.

"Why would you let your lover come into this world? And taking the role of someone who died multiple times? Are you sure you love him?" He asked jokingly. "Besides, he seems rather obsessed with that girl who looks similar to you, and he's also attached to this world, are you sure he's a human?"

「that's why I told you he's confused,」the system sound sad.「something must have happen for him to behave this way. Usually, he would be obedient and go back, but this time, he raised his voice at me and told me to leave. He doesn't seem to realize that he's a human. This has never happened before.」

Somehow, Kai can imagine the face that woman must have made right now, and he can't help but feel a pang of jealousy.

Different from the virtual one, the (Y/n) in the real life was six years older than him, and the transfer student was too ashamed to say that she was actually his first childhood crush. He saw her acting when she was a teenager, and decided to enter the entertainment industry for her. He then became an idol until the group disbanded and he immediately went to acting. Unfortunately, by that time, she already had a lover, and that lover wasn't someone that he can compete with.

ーbut to think that her lover was actually that lunatic.

Sure, beside drugging him and trapping him in that cramped space, the protagonist didn't really do anything that would physically harm him, and he also did that while not knowing his real identity, but who's to say that he won't behave like that in real life when he has already acted like that in the virtual world?

Still, he doesn't want Ms. (L/n) to feel sad.

"You don't need to bring me back. Iー I will help you. I will make it so that he wanted to go back."

He's probably confused of his identity. Was staying too long here cause that side effect? Kai thought. In that case, I should end this quickly. He grabbed Chen Miao and pushed him down so that he would lie on the bed. Before the protagonist could protest, the transfer student wrapped him up with a blanket.

"Weren't you sick? Just stay here until the classes are done, you don't want (Y/n) to be worried right?"

"I'm notー"

Chen Miao was taken by suprised when the man started to spray him with sanitizer.

"Just stay put. Weren't you the one who told me that hands have germs? What about the bacterias inside you? Surely you don't want her to be infected, right?"

"But Iー"

He sprayed him once again. "Or do you want me to drag (Y/n) here to scold you instead?"

That finally earned his obedience.

"Good, now just stay here. You're still going to see your beloved once the classes ended anyway." He sighed, putting down the sanitizer that he picked up from the nurse's desk to where it belong.

Kai then walked out of the infirmary, feeling satisfied that he finally got his revenge by spraying that sanitizer. He recalled how weak and helpless he was back then when Chen Miao insisted on scrabbing his hands, he huffed, never again would he let himself be bullied like that.

The piercing sound of the class bell ringing indicated that it was lunch time. You looked at the empty seat of the protagonist and wondered, had your teasing gone too far that Chen Miao would go as far as to stay in the infirmary? He wasn't even really sick so was he avoiding you? You frowned dejectedly at the assumption.

Although you know that this was good since Chen Miao won't be around when you approach Kai, you still can't help but feel disappointed by the fact that he might be avoiding you.

"(Y/n)."

Your snapped out of your depressing thought when you heard your name being called out. Coincidentally, it was Kai; the person you wanted to speak with.

You looked up to see him gazing down on you. His gaze lingered on you too long for your liking that you can't help but feel uncomfortable. You don't know why, but it felt like what he was seeing is not you but someone else, like he's searching for something in you.

You frowned. "What?"

He then smiled innocently, as if he didn't just give you that weird stare earlier.

"Can we talk at the rooftop?" He asked.

You glanced at your classmates who were perking up their ears, and you had no doubt that in their heads, they must have been making up a scenario about some kind of love triangle between you, Miao, and Kai, and you also bet that they must have thought that Kai was going to confess to you, right at this moment where Chen Miao was unavailable to interrupt.

『omg is he really going to confess? ;w;』

『why??? why a stalker like her??? QAQ』

『husbandifitastalkeryouwantthenicanbeonetoopleasepleasepleaselookatmeeeー』

『so is the person he mentioned earlier this npc?』

『kai can go date his fangirls for all i care, (y/n) belongs with miao! dont ruin my ship, it was going to sail smoothly before!!!』

『lmao you guys stop freaking out i bet this was just a misunderstanding like there's no way our kai would want a girl like her』

『right? he should be with a celebrity like himself, and even if im wrong, their love wont be fulfilled anyway』

『wow no wonder my friends said that kai has the toxiest fan club...』

『well there's nothing to worry even if kai did fall for her. he will never be able to be with her anyway so us real people still have a chance』

"Okay." You agreed, ignoring the chaos inside the chat screen.

Those classmates of yours look at you in disbelief. They were probably thinking that you were going to reject him on the spot, considering the way you were pursuing Chen Miao not too long ago, so it was a suprised for them when they heard you angreeing to go with him.

Still, it's not their place to interfere and judge so they resumed back to what they were doing earlier.

"If I told you I love you right now, would you give me a chance and let me date you?"

You looked at him in disgust, as if he was a scumbag. After all, you didn't expect that this man would think that you are stupid enough to be fooled by his fake confession. Sure, the confession was really well done; the sweaty palms, the blushing face, and the shyness  and anxiety of expressing your feelings to the other person, but according to the people in the chat screenー

ーthis person is an actor.

"No."

He let out a strained laughter. "Is it because of Chen Miao?"

You didn't answer, opting to glance at the door that wasn't shut instead. One can feel the presence of someone eavesdropping outside, and though you can't see who it is, you had a feeling of who could it be.

You smiled.

"Yes," you answered. "But that's not the only reason. You see, even if you were the last man on this world, I still wouldn't date you."

"Because you don't love me?"

"Because you disgust me with that fake confession," you scowled. "Was your opinion of me that low for you to think that I would fall for that? Do you think my heart can be swayed that easily? In your eyes, am I that fickle?"

He opened his mouth to give excuses but you didn't let him.

"I have been in love with Chen Miao on the first day I opened my eyes in this world, though at that time, even if my love is too depraved to be called love, too perverted to be called affection, it still what keeps me from going insane in this world," you sneered. "But you? You disgust me. You know very well how I feel about Chen Miao, and yet you still decided to do this fake confession. What? You're so desperate for your plan to go right that you thought I would just throw away all my feelings for him? You think my love for Chen Miao is that shallow and meaningless? Kai, Are you actually insulting me or your inability to judge others?"

we are approaching the ending of this arc but it still needs a few chapters. sorry :(