[TS] The Return of The Gamer - Chapter 241

[Ah, dear OLZ team members.]

[I would like to inform you of one matter regarding the rules within our team.]

[All matters related to affection, such as office romance and confessions, are prohibited within our team. Please take note.]

[That is all.]

How long had it been since I wrote the lengthy message in the group chat?

A call came in.

[Baek Seong-an]

A familiar name.

It was none other than Baek Seong-an.

‘Umm…….’

Should I answer, or not?

I hesitated for a moment, but even if I didn't answer, we’d have to face each other tomorrow, so avoiding him was pointless.

"…Hello?"

["Oh, Yujin. Are you available to talk right now?"]

"Ah, yes, yes……."

Silence fell for a moment.

It was Baek Seong-an who spoke first.

["That… you know?"]

"Yes?"

["I think… you seem to have misunderstood something……."]

"Misunderstood?"

What's that supposed to mean?

["Yeon-woo said something like that at the dinner the other day because I…"]

I could only become dumbfounded by Baek Seong-an's words that followed.

Uh…….

Uh, uh, uh???

The truth that was then revealed was simple.

He said that Seo Yeon-woo seemed to have taken it quite seriously when I was teased by Baek Seong-an before when I was leaving the dorm, asking if I was going to meet my boyfriend.

He said that the question Seo Yeon-woo asked at this drinking party could also be seen as an extension of that time.

I can understand that such a conversation took place while I was gone, but… the problem is that I misunderstood it as I pleased.

"Th…tha, thank you."

["Okay. Then, I'll see you tomorrow."]

*Tuk─*

The call ended, and I stared blankly at my smartphone screen for a long time.

"Ha, this, damn it……."

I knew it…….

I knew it would happen……!

*Bang!* *Bang!*

I just kicked the innocent blanket.

*

Morning came.

Whether it was because I had stayed up all night, I felt like my eyes were puffy.

"Ugh……."

I don't want to go to work.

No, I don't want to get up.

"Uaaaaah!"

*Bang!* *Bang!*

Only after my blanket, which always maintains cleanliness, was dusted did my kicking stop.

‘Why did I do that?’

I thought about it all night with my eyes open, but I couldn't find the answer.

No, no… to begin with, your reactions were too strange. It was a situation where a misunderstanding could happen, right? Isn't it?

The strange reaction of my family when I returned home could also be considered to have played a part in it.

Just, just, everything was strange yesterday.

Not only me, but the whole world felt drunk.

"Ugh……."

Since nothing would change even if I lay down, I entered the bathroom with heavy steps.

The game is tomorrow.

No matter how good our team's momentum has been recently, we have to prepare hard.

After washing, changing clothes, and finishing the general preparations, I went to the living room, and my mother was waiting for me in the living room as always.

"Breakfast? You have to eat."

"Ugh… I'll go, I'll eat later."

"Are you feeling okay? It's not the first time you've drunk, is it?"

"I, I think I'm okay."

"Really? I made a pollack soup, so just eat it. You should get rid of the hangover too."

"I'm fine."

Somehow, I felt uncomfortable seeing my mother's face, so I ran out the front door as if escaping.

"Are you really not going to eat?"

"Uh-huh! I'm busy because of the game tomorrow."

"Then, be careful on your way."

"Yes."

Even though it was the same commute as always, my steps were heavy.

It was truly a moment to the dorm.

The location itself was close to home, and I secretly hoped that I wouldn't arrive, so it felt even more like that.

"…Thank you."

I got out of the car and exchanged eye contact with the security guard as always, and slowly headed to the elevator.

"Haa……."

*Ding─*

Finally, the elevator arrived, and I almost screamed when I saw Kim Ji-hoon standing in front of the elevator.

Judging from his appearance, he seemed to be going for his morning exercise as always.

"Are you here?"

"Oh… you're up?"

"Yes. I'll see you later then."

"Uh-huh, okay."

Kim Ji-hoon bowed and got on the elevator.

He could have gone to the gym by stairs, but I guess it's not a cardio day today.

‘Ha…….’

Taking a deep breath as I watched Kim Ji-hoon’s figure, I moved into the dorm.

Maybe it’s because I came out a little early than usual, but no one was in the hallway yet.

"Whew……."

Just as I was about to heave a sigh of relief.

"Oh? Noona's here."

I ran into Kim Jae-min, whose hair was still wet, probably because he had just finished washing up.

I almost had a heart attack.

"Oh, oh. Did you sleep well?"

"No. Seriously, Seo Yeon-woo, that freaking nuisance because of…"

"…Really? Did you get very drunk?"

"If I think about what that bastard did to me, I really… I did beat him up yesterday, but I want to hit him more."

“…Haha.”

I was wondering whether to ask Kim Jae-min about Seo Yeon-woo or not, and then I stopped.

*Slink, slink-*

As if I were a thief cat, when I entered the practice room, fortunately, no one was in there.

"Oh? You're here?"

"Hweeeak!"

Then Baek Seong-an, who appeared from behind, appeared like an assassin that had been caught.

Seriously, my heart almost jumped out.

"P, please make some noise……."

"Why so suddenly? Oh, and… about the text you sent……."

"Aaaah!!"

“…Why are you like that?”

"Can you… just pretend you don't know? I feel so embarrassed that I feel like I'm going to die……."

Baek Seong-an laughed lightly for a moment and nodded.

"No. But, I thought it would be better to decide like that for now."

“…Really?”

"Yes. Since our team is a little special, especially."

I think he said that so that I wouldn’t be embarrassed… but even though it was just empty words, I was grateful that he said that.

"…Then, that's fine."

"Okay. Oh, Yeon-woo went to wash up a while ago. He wasn't in a good state. I'm going to eat, what about you?"

"Ah, I'm fine… I don't feel like eating anything."

"Really? Okay."

Baek Seong-an then moved to the cafeteria.

I sat on the sofa in the practice room, almost half-lying down.

I was so tired, whether it was because I hadn't slept properly.

Then, at the moment when my eyes were slowly closing.

"Noona?"

"Hweeeek!"

I had to have another seizure at the familiar voice that I heard again.

"Oh, oh! Yeo, Yeon-woo. You're up?"

"I'm sorry about yesterday. I was too drunk and said things I shouldn't have……."

"Huh? Oh, no! You can ask if you're curious. Between us."

Then silence fell.

It was a silence that was long, and if it was short, it was short.

"That… Noona."

"Oh, oh, uh-huh. Say it."

"I'm concerned about something… Would you mind if I asked you just one thing?"

*Thud.*

It felt as if my heart had sunk.

"Wh, what is it?"

"I'm not a person with prejudices or anything. So……."

After a moment of silence, Seo Yeon-woo said as if vomiting.

"Noona, or, I mean, it's a little strange to call you Noona… But weren't you a guy?"

Ah…….

Now, the words Seo Yeon-woo said began to come together in my head.

Seo Yeon-woo knows that I am a Prisoner.

And, at the same time, it is known to people that Prisoner is a man.

「“Don’t worry too much! A lot of people misunderstand me for a woman too. Still, everyone understands when I tell them…….”」

.

.

.

「“Why are you so surprised?”」

「“Oh, it's nothing.”」

「“It's not nothing.”」

「“It's nothing.”」

「“What is it? Did you hide a boyfriend or something?”」

「“Boyfriend?”」

「“Does Noona have a boyfriend?”」

「“Oh, no! Why did you bring that up all of a sudden?”」

「“No, I just thought you were hiding something.”」

「“Are you hiding something from us?”」

「“You definitely are.”」

「“What is it?”」

「“Wait a moment!”」

「“Huh?”」

「“Yes?”」

「“I have an appointment for a moment.”」

「“An appointment? What kind of appointment?”」

「“I have, something!”」

.

.

.

「“Noona, that, by any chance…….”」

「“Huh?”」

「“Phew… It’s nothing.”」

「“What is it?”」

「“…Do you have a boyfriend?”」

「“Puhup!”」

「“What, what?”」

「“Noona… does Noona have a boyfriend……?”」

「“Me, why would I have such a thing?”」

「“Right? You don’t, do you?”」

「“Why did you suddenly bring that up?”」

「“No, the other day…….”」

「“The other day what?”」

「“So that…….”」

.

.

.

-Ah, dear OLZ team members.

-I would like to inform you of one matter regarding the rules within our team.

-All matters related to affection, such as office romance and confessions, are prohibited within our team. Please take note.

-That is all.

"Ah……."

Aaaah, aaaaaaah, aaaaah…….

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!

"……."

I lost all my words.

No, I died standing up.

*

There are many things in the world that are better to be treated as if they never happened.

Last night was like that for me.

As if they had read my desperate heart, the team members didn't show much about it either.

"Do you know where our opponent team is tomorrow?"

Kim Jae-min was the first to speak as always at Baek Seong-an's words.

"Isn't it FFF?"

"That's right."

Our next opponent is FFF.

It's the 2nd-place team from last season.