Chapter 146

From Erica’s perspective, the proposal presented by Han Ye-seul for getting closer to her was not only a rather good offer but one that was essential to accept.

The principle holds that bodies must grow closer for hearts to follow; this proposal offered a chance to bridge the distance instantly, creating an opportunity for a swift connection.

At this point, with the first year already over and the second year nearing its halfway mark, if one were to grow even a little closer to the heroine in the unique position of being an idol, this proposal was one that had to be embraced.

Once her activities resume, opportunities to get closer to Han Ye-seul would become scarce.

But…

Contrary to what Erica was contemplating, she didn’t hastily offer a response to the person in front of her.

There were several reasons why she didn’t immediately accept the offer.

For one, no reward had been specified for the effort, and additionally, the task at her side would certainly extend beyond merely sharing a bed.

Erica raised her head to closely observe Han Ye-seul’s face. Since removing her sunglasses upon entering the room, Erica could see her face up close, and her appraisal was straightforward.

This was indeed a face worthy of an entertainer—one that didn’t show even a hint of fatigue. And rightly so, since it wasn’t Han Ye-seul but Erica herself who had arranged this meeting.

If Han Ye-seul truly needed her so urgently to the point of not being able to sleep without her, she would have contacted Erica first, saying, “There’s something I need you for specifically. Could we meet?”

Had Erica overlooked a lie? If it were direly necessary for Han Ye-seul, wouldn’t she have spoken up first?

Kang Yu-ri had mentioned she would leave because her elder sister was returning, but her departure was surely a decision based on her own calculations. Perhaps it was part of a plan to gather more followers and kidnap Erica again.

And while Inna had cited last night’s commotion being excessively loud as her reason for leaving, Erica suspected there was more to the story. Her expression hinted at some kind of hurt.

In a world where everyone hid their own motives, Han Ye-seul, an idol, could hardly be expected to speak only the truth. She must be concealing something.

“…Hmm, I haven’t exactly lied, but judging by your expression, you’ve guessed that I’m hiding something. There are a few problems on my end. More accurately, problems that arise when someone is near me.”

“Tell me about the problems—if they’re trivial, it won’t stop me from accepting your proposal. It’s only worth worrying about unless you hide it.”

Erica herself wasn’t consciously worried about whatever hidden schemes Han Ye-seul might have, but rather about what accepting this proposal would require her to endure. In fact, her underlying worry implied that she was considering the acceptance of the offer.

A fleeting image of Inna’s expression before departing crossed Erica’s mind, but she ignored it intentionally.

Accepting this proposal might mean Inna could get hurt upon hearing the news, but Erica couldn’t afford to concern herself with every hurt expression from a heroine who had already distanced herself if she was to achieve her desired ending.

In order to reach the true ending, to ultimately leave this world intact—ignoring a heartbroken girl seemed necessary.

“Hmm… Earlier, you said my ability would absorb yours, right? So, if you stay with me, the likelihood is high that two of your five senses—auditory and taste—will become much sharper. That’s the first issue.”

“If that were true, you should have become extremely intelligent if you were near the Student Council President… So, I doubt it.”

Erica was already aware that the system wasn’t exactly helpful, and she also knew there were many things the system didn’t disclose.

However, while the system may not share everything, it did occasionally provide clues, so it was likely Han Ye-seul’s concerns were a misperception.

Erica slowly shook her head where Han Ye-seul could see it, indicating her disagreement. Han Ye-seul responded with a subtle smile, as if suggesting Erica’s misunderstanding rather than her own.

Am I wrong? Erica contemplated further to explore this.

If her body had transformed due to Han Ye-seul’s abilities, it would reflect how unhelpful the system was, but if it impacted her ending, it would have likely alerted her earlier.

Or perhaps the system simply hasn’t reached a stage to disclose such details yet.

The probability of Han Ye-seul being entirely mistaken was low. It made sense to assume her perception was correct.

Why would she lie about this?

Or could the system have been hinting at this in some other way?

[???% Erosion Level]

Erica briefly glanced at her Erosion Level which appeared the moment she regained consciousness.

She thought of reviewing the value to check how her body had transformed, but the numerical values disappeared without warning.

Since she wasn’t constantly aware of her Erosion Level, she didn’t know when it disappeared. It could have slipped her notice as something unremarkable.

‘There’s so much I don’t know.’

If there were only one reason, she could have figured it out immediately, but from Inna’s departure to her resolve to be the protagonist of this story, substantial emotional changes had made pinpointing the exact turning point difficult.

Upon hearing Han Ye-seul’s hypothesis, Erica began considering if the Erosion Level didn’t measure the encroachment of supernatural abilities into her own body but rather the degree to which others’ powers infiltrated her.

Under this assumption, the Erosion Level wasn’t tied to protection but rather to how others’ powers were invading her body. The reason it became non-responsive might be because Inna left her house…

No, I’m overthinking this.

Erica halted her train of thought when her speculations veered dangerously close to excessive conjecture.

While her thinking in depth was her strength, her tendency to treat irrelevant thoughts as truth could also be considered a flaw, especially when she was indulging in this before Han Ye-seul.

“I’ve always known the Student Council President is smart, but I didn’t know it could influence you to that extent. To sum up, the first concern is that your tastes might become picky or your hearing too sensitive, which could inconvenience your daily life…”

As if waiting for Erica to stop overthinking, Han Ye-seul resumed her explanation without inquiring about Erica’s thoughts.

“The second concern is that there’s a stalker who dislikes having anyone around me.”

“Stalker…?”

Erica glanced at Han Ye-seul with renewed curiosity. Despite her appearance not being the type that would attract stalkers, it was reasonable to have followers given her status as an entertainer.

If this were the real world, it would have been possible.

Han Ye-seul, as both an entertainer and a user of sonic abilities, would have immediately noticed any attempts at stalking.

In short, stalking Han Ye-seul should be impossible.

“Remember when I used my voice command to clean your desk? I might have seemed skilled, but that’s only because I’ve become accustomed to dealing with the troubles caused by the stalker when someone is near me. If we merely exchange casual words at school, the stalker doesn’t react. But if there’s any hint of a private meeting, they start causing trouble.”

Han Ye-seul’s explanation seemed to resolve Erica’s doubts as she recalled the desk incident.

Indeed, the person who used voice commands in a similar manner wasn’t Erica’s surrounding individuals but Han Ye-seul herself. It was probable such desk-cleaning actions had occurred multiple times.

Upon reflection, the students never questioned why Han Ye-seul cleaned the desks, even when her actions were directed toward Erica.

Moreover, Inna later mentioned that Han Ye-seul had shown significant interest in and ultimately solved the desk incident, which hinted that her stalker had targeted their interaction the night before.

“You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you?”

“…Yes, while I don’t fully understand your abilities, I do know that I have enough strength to protect myself. And I apologize for bringing it up now, which might seem presumptuous. However, there’s no one with both the relationship and the capability to resolve my issues as you do, so I’m asking you.”

What troubles must she have endured from this stalker that…

She refers to their limited time together as a “relationship”?

Honest to a fault, Han Ye-seul’s visage still seemed intact, but Erica reflected on her recent behaviors and remarked truthfully.

“You are presumptuous. Compared to certain people, you’re way too honest, to the point of making me uncomfortable.”

“Certain people…?”

Yes, compared to those who left after keeping problems to themselves, this woman’s offer, despite its secrets, was remarkably courteous.

Erica glanced at a window popping up beside her before continuing.

[Do you accept Han Ye-seul’s offer? Her storyline has mostly been resolved by other players. The favorability gained upon completing her scenario might also be limited.]

Han Ye-seul’s storyline had been largely resolved by Kim Ha-neul, who likely consumed much of the favorability, leaving only the final or near-final chapter.

If Kim Ha-neul was indeed the true heroine by her side, it appeared that everything except the ultimate relationship conclusion had already been achieved.

“I will agree if one question is answered.”

“What is that?”

Erica dismissed the message and confronted Han Ye-seul directly.

“Why don’t you ask Kim Ha-neul for help? Aren’t you closer to her than me?”

Erica wanted to understand why a woman so presumably close to Kim Ha-neul sought help from her to resolve the issues with the stalker.

“…Even if I were close, would I ask a man to share a bed with me?”

“But if there are two problems, asking separately would suffice, right?”

Han Ye-seul risked being misunderstood. To prevent that misconception, Erica quickly clarified her intent—not wanting to unjustly accuse her of creating inappropriate situations.

“Anyway, the stalker will target anyone I let into my house… Also, Kim Ha-neul helped resolve a different stalker issue before. Though I hesitated to make this request because I’m not extremely close to you, today we’ve reached a point where I feel somewhat comfortable enough to ask…”

A day of playing had been enough for her to make such a request.

It seemed to be a combination of favorability metrics, self-protection from the stalker, and the condition of needing to be of the same gender. Also, someone who could alleviate insomnia caused by overloaded abilities would be beneficial.

Instead of wondering aloud about how a single day of play led to such a request, Erica contemplated that this is part of the scenario designed for Han Ye-seul.

The problem was that if the scenario could only be resolved by the same gender, it wouldn’t go to Kim Ha-neul. Moreover, in romantic visual novels, all scenarios need to have a pathway for the protagonist.

If there were no one else to ask, Han Ye-seul might have cross-dressed Kim Ha-neul for the request.

Or was Han Ye-seul’s scenario meant to be solved by someone else, but Kim Ha-neul interfered until now.

Someone else.

Not Kim Ha-neul,

But another protagonist.

‘Now that I think about it, I still need to settle things with the other protagonists.’

After all, she still wasn’t clear on the situation of the client she met during her first commission.

With this in mind, Erica prepared to speak, mindful of the possibility of encountering other protagonists through this event.

As a response, Han Ye-seul happily grabbed both of Erica’s hands.

It was summer.