Chapter 747

〈 Chapter 747: Part 2, Chapter 6, Episode 11 〉

Shin-ra doesn’t particularly enjoy leisure travel.

She’s well aware of the stares she gets, which is why she isn’t fond of going out. A suspiciously blonde and blue-eyed beauty who speaks Korean fluently—while most ordinary people would be intimidated by Shin-ra’s divine aura and leave her alone, the not-so-ordinary types tend to approach her with boldness.

“Excuse me… what’s your Bellstar ID?”

There are those who ask for an ID from someone who doesn’t even play Bellstar. Then there are others who secretly photograph her from a distance…

Click, click, click.

“…Man, I’d love to peel her.”

And then there are those who make lewd comments outright. Every time she steps outside, countless eyes are drawn to Shin-ra. It’s not just because we’re dressed differently in hanbok on a date—it’s always been like this. She has such a commanding presence that people react as if they’ve spotted a famous celebrity.

Like trying to hide the sun with your palm—it’s impossible. And yet, here I am, proudly showing off this sun while simultaneously boasting to everyone else that it belongs solely to me.

“Let’s go, darling.”

Shin-ra grabbed my hand and pulled me along.

“In modern society, we can’t afford to dwell on every little thing, right?”

“But—”

“It’s fine. They’ll just envy you anyway.”

With her arms crossed, she leaned against me. Around us, the sound of disapproving tongues could be heard. Everyone seemed to be thinking, “How did this guy manage to snag someone like her?”

Considering the visual disparity between the game version of me and the real me, it’s probably more accurate to call this meeting a rendezvous between a goddess and a beast rather than simply a beautiful couple.

“Normal people who just see her as pretty aren’t much of an issue. The real problem is…”

Shin-ra subtly nodded toward two men sitting at the café’s outdoor terrace.

“…those sneaky ones who seem to recognize her.”

They were looking our way and whispering among themselves.

Shin-ra had shared her gameplay through broadcasts before. Her face was already out there on the network, so it was inevitable that some people might have seen her.

“Thankfully, they don’t seem to recognize you. Good thing you changed your hair color, huh?”

I gently ran my fingers through her golden locks, which shone brightly under the sun, contrasting sharply with the image broadcasted by ‘Cheongnyeon.’

But then…

“Hey, isn’t that Commander TS?”

“Whoa, yeah! It looks like he escaped from the game!”

Ironically, being recognized as the streamer Cheongnyeon felt less troublesome compared to this.

“…Thinking like that could get complicated.”

“Exactly.”

Being known as a “streamer” didn’t bother Shin-ra much, but being associated with a “game character” brought significant discomfort. Already, jokes about her escaping from the game were starting to surface. While the speakers might mean it as harmless banter, hearing such comments made my heart sink.

“Those people…”

“Excuse me, may I interrupt?”

A man in a black suit suddenly blocked our path. His expression was familiar yet distant as he gave a slight bow.

“I’m Manager Lee Tak-hwan, working under Mr. Ha.”

“How do you know?”

I almost crumpled the business card he handed me. It’s not that I dislike companies; it’s just annoying when something as normal as a date gets interrupted like this.

“If you’re here to stop our date, leave. Refused.”

“I’m not here to stop anything. I came to relay instructions from the chairman to Mr. Ha.”

“…Mr. Jo?”

It feels awkward to casually address him after learning the truth, but using honorifics feels equally weird. So, I settled on calling him “Mr. Jo.” Calling him by his first name feels too informal, and adding honorifics feels like a blow to my pride.

“Mr. Jo… ahem. Please refer to this document for details.”

He handed us a black briefcase containing some kind of mysterious contract.

“Please review it thoroughly. My number is on the card, should you need it.”

“Aren’t you supposed to send this directly to Dad? Pfft.”

The man’s face paled at Shin-ra’s casual remark.

That’s right. Shin-ra’s last name is ‘Ha,’ and to facilitate our convenience, she was legally adopted as a daughter. Why go through all this trouble?

-Ah, I need to order strawberries online, but why does everything feel so complicated? Oh…public authentication? How do I even set that up?

Back then, having public certification was necessary. For things like resident registration, public authentication, and mobile verification, having legal documentation simplified many processes.

-Also, marriage registration requires it, apparently. Pfft.

Though the main reason was more personal—a legal safeguard related to me.

Anyway…

“…Sending this directly to Mr. Ha would put me in an awkward position. This is company business…”

“If you won’t explain, shouldn’t I just call him?”

“T-the interruption during your date would be inappropriate, so I opted for written communication…”

Manager Lee Tak-hwan groveled before Shin-ra. Since Mr. Ha treats her as an equal, someone lower-ranking like him naturally has to show respect.

If he disrespected me? Meh, I wouldn’t care. But if he disrespected Shin-ra, I’d swallow my pride and call Mr. Jo directly without hesitation. Even if I avoid direct contact with Mr. Jo, I’d make that exception for her sake.

“We’ll check it at the café, but give us a quick summary. What is this?”

“T-this is a contract proposing the use of yours and Shin-ra’s physical data within the game.”

Shin-ra immediately pulled out the documents from the bag with a stern look. Together, we reviewed the contract on the spot.

The date caught my attention—it predates the original game release.

“…The contract date is before the game was released?”

“Are you suggesting we fabricate this?”

“Yes.”

Manager Lee nodded.

“Under special orders from the chairman, we’re drafting a contract for both of you. According to this, your physical data will be used to create ‘Blazing Phoenix’ for Shin-ra and ‘Monster Phoenix’ for you.”

“……Ah, I see.”

So, instead of characters popping out of the game, we were inserted into the game based on us.

* * *

Later, at the café, we ordered strawberry montblanc and drinks while reviewing the contract. The content matched what we had already understood.

“The party A hereby agrees to provide the party B with physical data for 3D modeling purposes for the creation of Death Darnis (tentative title).”

“While the timeline has shifted, at least we can offer a plausible excuse to the public.”

If someone miraculously succeeds in clearing the ‘Blazing Phoenix Route,’ they’ll inevitably discover the phoenix’s appearance. If I were them, knowing how much aggro I attract, I wouldn’t stay quiet either. Undoubtedly, Phoenix’s, Blazing Phoenix’s, and Shin-ra’s faces would eventually be revealed to the world.

Through DLC updates, images of the ‘female commander hit by the TS beam’ have already gone viral, making female commanders cult favorites.

-Die, Sun Gyeoul! The true heroine is the TS Commander!

-Let’s take a moment to praise the developers.

-Who wins in a view battle between the commander and Yuna?

-I want the commander, TS-stricken, captured by monsters, and…you know…

Nonsense…

Her popularity skyrocketed among certain niche groups, especially those fond of shells or scissors. Some minor but trendy fans also rallied behind her. These scenarios felt eerily reminiscent of dreams, giving me goosebumps.

“Hmm, doesn’t this feel a bit off?”

“What’s wrong?”

“The names of the individuals providing the physical models are blank.”

Shin-ra pointed at the empty spaces in the contract and smirked.

“Could this be part of some grand plan?”

“…Impossible.”

While they say assumptions kill, the thought crossing my mind couldn’t possibly be true. The 3D modeling data was meant for ‘heroines’ and ‘Monster Phoenix.’

‘Heroines…’

“Do you think one or two more might escape?”

“That’s impossible…”

“Why impossible? There could be alternate timelines where you chose someone else and saved the world.”

“…”

“Nope. That option doesn’t exist.”

“There’s no scenario where I wouldn’t choose you.”

“…Pfft, sounds nice. Honestly though, darling…”

Shin-ra licked her lips and whispered seductively, “…Even if that happens, now the situation is different, right?”

“…”

“If such an event occurs, I’d fully accept it. It’ll be a new war over you. I’m fine with it…what about you?”

“…We disagree.”

Shin-ra devoured the montblanc in one bite. By now, the sun had begun setting, casting a dim glow around us.

“Marital spat?”

“In bed.”

Winner takes all.

Holding Shin-ra’s hand, we headed straight to the hotel.