I Want to Avoid the Bad Ending - Chapter 5

“Don’t you think chocolate is delicious?”

“Huh?”

Jeong Haeyoon suddenly asked me what I thought about chocolate.

“I used to really like it when I was a kid. My friend and I would always buy one and share it. I loved it back then.”

“Oh… really?”

Jeong Haeyoon smiled shyly as he looked down at the chocolate, his expression resembling someone lost in nostalgia. But at the end of the day, isn’t it just chocolate? To me, it’s no different from an energy bar you eat when you’re tired. I used to eat it as a kid, sure, but as I grew older and started disliking sweet things, I stopped eating it altogether.

But Jeong Haeyoon still likes chocolate, huh? He really does have the taste buds of a child.

“Eating it gives you energy, you know. And it’s nice and sweet if you snack on it when you’re bored.”

“Is that so? I used to like it when I was younger, but now I’m not really into sweet things.”

“Seriously?”

Jeong Haeyoon stared at me like I had just said something unbelievable.

[Jeong Haeyoon’s affection decreased by 3 points.]

[Jeong Haeyoon

Affection: 65]

What? Is it that big of a deal that I don’t like chocolate? This guy’s as fragile as glass.

He slumped like a little kid, staring blankly at the chocolate in his hand. The way he acted all pitiful was honestly hard to watch.

“But it’s delicious…”

He muttered under his breath as he peeled off the silver wrapper, revealing the glossy brown chocolate underneath.

Jeong Haeyoon took a bite, and something about the way his mouth moved as he chewed felt oddly off. He stared straight at me while munching on the chocolate, giving off an unsettlingly cold vibe. Worried that the affection level might drop even further, I quickly waved my hands and corrected myself.

“Ah, no, I mean, I do like chocolate! Especially when I’m hungover, it’s a must!”

“Really?”

“Oh! Everyone has memories like that from when they were kids, right? Buying one with a friend and sharing it. I also think about those times every now and then. Ah, I miss them!”

Since I had already mentioned liking chocolate as a kid, I strung some words together to make it sound convincing. It must’ve worked because Jeong Haeyoon’s expression brightened. He smiled, his eyes curving gracefully.

“Right? Chocolate really is the best.”

[Jeong Haeyoon’s affection increased by 5 points.]

[Jeong Haeyoon

Affection: 70]

It seems my excuse paid off as his affection went up by 5. At the same time, the Memory Fragment closed.

That’s it? I thought something like a video would pop up since it’s called a Memory Fragment. Was it really just this conversation?

It was more underwhelming than I’d expected, which was a bit disappointing. I thought I would at least get a hint to help me escape the game. Is it just designed to trigger conversations related to the Memory Fragments?

Jeong Haeyoon happily munched on his chocolate. Sometimes I can’t tell if I’m dealing with a kid or an adult. Other than his good looks, he’s a complete nuisance.

I also unwrapped my chocolate and put it in my mouth. The sweet, moist flavor melted gently on my tongue. I felt like my energy was barely being recharged.

[Stamina increased by 30.]

[Stamina: 60.]

I only had 30 stamina left?

Come to think of it, it’s no surprise my stamina was running low after putting up with Seo Daejin and wandering around the mansion. I had to be careful, if my stamina hit zero I’d end up back at the last save point.

After finishing the chocolate, I slowly looked around the room, checking the bookshelf and drawers.

[It’s a bookshelf. It doesn’t seem to have any noteworthy books.]

[Empty.]

I’d already checked when I ran into Seo Daejin earlier, but the drawers in the big room were still empty. There didn’t seem to be any tools to break the board or a radio to play music. Staying here any longer would just be a waste of time.

“Let’s head out first. There’s nothing here.”

“Mm, okay.”

This room felt as petty and cramped as Seo Daejin’s heart. I grabbed Jeong Haeyoon’s wrist and walked out. His face seemed a bit flushed, but I assumed it was just from the heat and headed back toward the lobby.

“Should we check the second floor…?”

It didn’t feel like we were at the point where we needed to go to the second floor yet. Judging from my countless hours of RPG Maker games, this felt like the part where we had to solve everything on the first floor first.

“Want to check the entrance? The lights weren’t working when I first came in,” Jeong Haeyoon said suddenly.

Come to think of it, the lights at the entrance weren’t working when I first entered this mansion either. That probably means there’s something there.

“Yeah, that’s actually a pretty good idea.”

Finally, took you long enough to use your brain. I gave Jeong Haeyoon a proud smile for providing the hint, and he smiled shyly before tightening his grip on my hand. What the— everything was fine, why is he suddenly like this?

“This place is scary. And the whole psychopath stuff… Just hold on tight, please?”

Jeong Haeyoon tried to justify himself, acting all coy. Meanwhile, the spot where he was gripping me started to hurt. He held on so tightly that my hand started to sting, yet he kept squeezing. I grimaced and tried to pull away.

“Ah, that hurts…!”

“Sorry. But I’m really scared.”

You’re way scarier.

I shot him a sideways glare and cursed him out in my head. What kind of grown man gets so scared he starts acting like a child? I couldn’t understand it. Was he doing this on purpose?

“Ah. Alright, I get it. Now ease up a little.”

“Okay.”

“I said, loosen up!”

“I did.”

Liar. He hasn’t loosened his grip at all!

My fingers and even the back of my hand hurt, but I had no idea when an event might pop up, so I was anxious about losing affection points. Damn this system!

In the end, I gave in to Jeong Haeyoon and relaxed my grip. Only then did his expression soften, his lips curling into a bright smile.

“…Hah.”

They say you can’t spit on a smiling face… But if it weren’t for that ridiculously good-looking face, I might’ve actually smacked him on the head.

“We kind of look like a couple right now.”

“I don’t think so.”

“No, we do. Like a couple that’s been together for a year.”

“Then it’s time to break up.”

Even when I threw cold water on him, Jeong Haeyoon just smiled brightly and headed toward the entrance. If there was a competition for having nothing but flowers in your head, he’d take first place without a doubt.

The darkness of the entrance slowly engulfed us.

It was already pitch black, but with the entrance light not turning on, I couldn’t see a thing.

“Haeyoon, doesn’t it feel way too dark in here?”

I casually prodded him again, hoping to get another hint. It was too dark to make out his expression, but judging by how tightly he was still gripping my hand, he was definitely scared.

“Mhm, it’s a bit dark.”

Yeah, just like how I feel about you.

I shot a glance at Jeong Haeyoon, still unsure if I could fully trust him, then stretched out my hand and blindly felt around. Since Jeong Haeyoon didn’t say or do anything in response, it didn’t seem like there were any traps set up.

[It’s a shoe cabinet. You found a lighter.]

Oh, a lighter.

I picked it up and flicked the flint wheel.

Click. Click. Sparks flickered before a flame finally flared up. Holding up the lighter, I moved it around, scanning the darkness ahead.

“Is there anything nearby?”

“Yeah, there’s a candle hanging on the wall.”

“Oh, really?”

Through the dim light, I could make out Jeong Haeyoon pointing at the wall. Sure enough, just as he said, a candle was mounted there. As soon as I lit the wick, a warm glow spread out, illuminating the surroundings.

“It’s a bit brighter now.”

“The mood’s pretty nice, huh?”

Jeong Haeyoon subtly inched closer, squeezing my hand tightly.

Enough already. My palm’s gonna break out in a rash at this rate.

He isn’t a piece of gum, so I have no idea why he’s sticking to me like this. When he wasn’t looking, I raised an eyebrow and tried to slip my hand free, but the more I pulled away, the tighter he held on. There was no shaking him off.

Freaking pervert. The second we get out of here, he’s getting at least ten good punches.

“Hey, uh… mind letting go of my hand? We need to check this place out.”

“Check for what? It’s literally hanging right there.”

Just as I was about to say something to subtly push him away, Jeong Haeyoon casually gestured toward the wall. Hanging on the right wall was a massive axe. The blade gleamed under the candlelight, sending a chill down my spine.

“Oh! We can just take that.”

Jeong Haeyoon could wait. The priority right now was the axe. I took it down from the wall and stored it in my inventory.

[You have obtained “Axe.”]

“Let’s head back to the small room and break the board first.”

“Okay.”

Jeong Haeyoon nodded obediently. Taking advantage of the moment, I tried to slip my hand away.

“Can’t you let go now?”

“Mhm.”¹

He shook his head and clenched my hand even tighter.

“Ow.”

He was squeezing so hard that a groan escaped my lips. This crazy bastard.

“Seriously? You’re that scared? I’m right here, what are you afraid of?”

I finally lost patience and snapped at him, but Jeong Haeyoon didn’t even spare me a glance. To be honest, I was scared too. But what terrified me more than a psychopath or some random spear flying at me was the thought of being trapped in this game, forced to repeat this loop over and over again.

That aside, as a guy who liked women, there was no way I could be okay with Jeong Haeyoon constantly clinging to me. If anything, that was what unsettled me the most. And to top it off, he was taller than me and looked like he could actually fight, yet here he was acting all coy.

“I’m really scared. That’s why you have to protect me.”

“What? Hey, no, Jeong Haeyoon, you’re bigger than me. If anything, you should be the one protecting me.”

“I don’t care about that. I want you to protect me, Jaeyi.”

“Huh…”

“And also hold my hand.”

Despite my protests, Jeong Haeyoon just swung our hands back and forth, flashing an innocent grin. Am I supposed to find this cute or just annoying?

Sigh…

And, ridiculously enough, my shallow, looks-obsessed self ended up making the foolish decision to let it slide just because of his face.

Having another guy hold my hand wasn’t exactly pleasant, but looking at Jeong Haeyoon’s dazzling face made it a little more tolerable.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

im really busy so i wont be updating this anymore. if any translator wants to take over i dont mind, if not then i might comeback but i cant promise anything.