How to get on the protagonist’s flower path

Q. Are you good at lying?

A. ….

“…Yeah.”

It was too difficult to deny, given all the things I had done up until now. The fact that it was a highly objective assessment made it hit even harder.

“So, yeah… it’s not that I don’t trust Nahyun… but, um… since I know she’s good at lying… I thought maybe… she might not be entirely sincere? So…”

“Okay, I get it. Got it.”

So there was a lack of trust, huh? My past deeds were hitting me hard.

You can view things and people coldly, Minjaeyoon. I feel relieved that you probably won’t get scammed anywhere.

“Yeah. So… I was a bit shaken…”

“Yeah, you were shaken…”

At least it was enough to shake you. Thank you… I’m moved by our friendship…

“Baran can’t lie.”

“That’s true.”

“If she lies when she talks, it’s super obvious.”

“That’s true.”

“Her embarrassment and attempts to hide things are all obvious.”

“That’s true…”

I’m sorry, Baran. But I think that’s what makes you charming.

I chimed in as Minjaeyoon suddenly opened up about Shin Baran’s honesty (?).

“And she really likes her sister and her friend Nayuri.”

“Yeah.”

“It’s obvious that she likes them, so you can tell.”

“I see.”

“So I asked Baran in detail about her feelings for the two of them.”

Why would you throw yourself into the fires of hell like that?

It was only then that I realized why Minjaeyoon had been struggling while drowning in Baran’s praises for Nayuri when I first came into the room.

I didn’t think either of them had the social skills to initiate a conversation, but Minjaeyoon spoke first. And I felt pity for Minjaeyoon, blinded by curiosity. How pathetic.

“And then I asked her who she would save if she could only save one of them.”

Not pathetic at all.

My sympathy vanished in an instant. Of all people, he had to ask Baran such a sensitive question. They say children are so pure that they cause harm, and this guy was the perfect example of that.

“And then Baran was confused for a long time and cried.”

She even made her cry.

“So I told her that both of them are strong, so they can escape on their own.”

Yeah, that’s a relief… No, that’s not it.

“Why did you do that?”

“Yeah. So I thought Baran really likes both of them equally.”

I see.

“That made me think… that such people and such love exist…”

Minjaeyoon fell silent for a moment, then asked in a voice a little softer than before,

“Then… can I too… can I have multiple people like Baran?”

Hesitating, as if cradling a small spark carefully.

“And can I step into Nahyun’s place, the one you can’t give up?”

“……”

“Can I step into Baran’s place, the one she can’t give up? To love many people and be loved in return, and then…?”

In that moment, Minjaeyoon was talking about a world with multiple people, not just the two of them for the first time.

I pondered for a moment on how to respond.

Just as I fell silent, a somewhat blunt voice echoed in my ears.

“—That depends on how you, Jaeyoon, handle it, right?”

Amidst the darkness, beautiful green eyes like fresh sprouts were directed at my bed. I could hear Minjaeyoon swallowing hard.

“I can’t believe you’re chattering away while someone is asleep…”

Baran grumbled, then threw a hair roller at the lamp to turn on the light. The bright light split the darkness.

Baran had adjusted her position and crossed her arms.

“Wanting to get close originally is something you should say to the person directly.”

With a sulky expression, she spat those words out, then opened her eyes wide, demanding an answer.

“Got it?”

“Ah, yeah!”

It was evident from his voice how tense Minjaeyoon had become. Only then did Baran nod in satisfaction, clearing her throat dramatically.

“Originally, I would have made you say it again, but I’m merciful, so I’ll let it slide.”

“T-Thanks?”

Minjaeyoon was so flustered that it almost looked like a status message above his head saying [Minjaeyoon is confused!].

He probably didn’t even know what he was saying, right?

I stayed silent, not wanting to interrupt. I felt it would just complicate things. Just let them have their moment.

After a brief pause, Baran suddenly shouted loudly.

“B-but! There’s a condition!”

“W-What is it?”

Minjaeyoon looked as if he were about to cry. However, Baran seemed too caught up in her excitement to care about Minjaeyoon’s emotional state, and she shouted with a slightly flushed face.

“Let’s have a pajama party together!”

“…Huh?”

…Huh?

Baran shouted again, now with a bright red face.

“Answer me!”

“Yes!”

As Minjaeyoon quickly answered, Baran nodded with a beaming face.

“Great! Then let’s get together first! Nahyun, come here too!”

Then she started pouring out snacks and drinks from her inventory.

Seeing that, I couldn’t help but ask,

“When did you prepare all this? Impressive!”

“Hmm, isn’t it a hunter’s virtue to be prepared for the unexpected?”

…Could it be that she wanted to have a pajama party from the start and brought all this?

But she couldn’t bring herself to say it?

Was she anxiously waiting and unable to sleep, and then jumped in at the right moment when she heard us talking?

“That’s amazing…!”

Watching Baran’s shoulders rise with joy at the compliments, I quietly buried the questions I wanted to ask, knowing they would lead to trouble if spoken aloud. There are things in this world that are better left unknown.

“Still, we need to make sure to get enough sleep. Let’s keep it short!”

“The recommended sleep time is 6 hours… so about 2 hours, huh…”

“We need to sleep well. The last day is free, so we can do it again then!”

“……! Should we do that!”

Even in the midst of all the excitement, their determination to stick to their sleep schedule was admirable. I chuckled softly and opened a bag of snacks.

Yeah, just for one day.

As I munched on the snacks, I blankly observed the two of them, who were in high spirits.

…Maybe this is my first safe escape. Since it’ll get busy starting tomorrow, it feels good to enjoy today to the fullest.

“By the way, has Nahyun had a change of heart? You seem very different from before.”

“That’s right.”

I debated whether to share this or not, but I thought that if I kept acting like I was naive, they might sense something was off later. So I decided to be honest with Baran and ask for her help.

“I’ve been pretending to be a naive person, so that’s probably why.”

“Really? Then why have you been pretending to be naive all this time?”

“I… I like Yuhan… I like… Damn it.”

“Nahyun?”

“I have to stay with Nayuhan because of circumstances, so I wanted to get a bit closer to him. That’s the thing.”

The magic of the night made it easy to share things that were hard to express.

In the end, I revealed my true personality and asked Baran to help me hide my true self.

Surprisingly, Baran liked that.

“It’s a secret just for the three of us!”

“Yeah!”

“Well, I guess that’s it…”

Everyone loves a secret. I was relieved that it ended positively.

I found myself munching on some jelly.

In any case, this pajama party with friends was quite nice for my first time.

***

The next morning.

“Why do you all look a bit wilted?”

“I don’t know…”

Choi Garam, who seemed unconcerned, casually threw a comment at me and then approached us with a small whisper.

“Did you have fun chatting last night?”

At that, Baran and Minjaeyoon froze. These easygoing kids… I sighed and pouted.

“…Please keep it a secret.”

“Okay. I’ll let it slide this time.”

Choi Garam winked playfully and waved goodbye as she walked away.

“Nahyun, w-what about being found out…?”

“It’s okay. I’ll keep my word. …Maybe.”

“You’re not even sure about that…!”

I calmed Minjaeyoon, who was stammering with anxiety, and Baran, who couldn’t hide her unease.

I could feel eyes on us from a distance as we huddled together, whispering. Park Siwoo, who had been with a group of guys over there, tilted his head as he looked our way. Oh, right, he’s here.

“Confirmation complete! No problems!”

After observing their various checks, Park Siwoo and I rejoined the group.

The official tour was about to begin.

Of course, we decided to keep last night’s conversation a secret from Park Siwoo as well.

“Nahyun!”

“Yeah! What’s up, Baran?”

“…Oh, it’s nothing!”

Whenever I smiled kindly, Baran seemed to stiffen up, making me a bit worried—well, more than a bit worried…

…It’s already too late; there’s nothing I can do about that. All I can do is cover it up as best as I can.

But there’s something more urgent.

‘Starting in two days, abnormal incidents will begin to occur in the danger zones.’

I recalled what the Oracle had said.

‘The start of the incident will likely be the appearance of stronger monsters.’

I find that irritating, but I trust that statement.

I checked the weapons in my inventory, the will-o’-the-wisps, and the gate close items.

The Oracle…