Love for Love’s Sake - Chapter 56

Chapter 56

[ Penalty: Time remaining deduction. ]

The magnitude kept growing.

* * *

Messages had piled up while I was asleep.

[Ahn Sia] : Big brother……..

[Ahn Sia] : The picture of big brother I uploaded yesterday……..

[Ahn Sia] : The reaction is hotter than I expected……..

[Ahn Sia] : What should I do……..

[Ahn Sia] : Big brother doesn’t like this kind of thing…

[Ahn Sia] : Sorry sorry……..

[Ahn Sia] : Big brother is partly to blame for being too perfect

[Ahn Sia] : Can you cut Sia some slack?

Ahn Sia.

[Cheon Sangwon] : Brother, how much for three pairs of Corduroy pants?

[Cheon Sangwon] : ㅋㅋㅋBrother let Ahn Sia upload that picture of you?

Cheon Sangwon.

[ Calculating Cha Yeowoon’s favorability. ]

[ Favorability: 50 ]

[ Favorability: 51 ]

[ Favorability: 52 ]

Cha Yeowoon.

Did this cute child dream about me even while sleeping?

“Haa…”

A refreshing weekend morning. I rushed to Ahn Sia’s home without even eating breakfast, shouting ‘I’ll be back in a moment’ to Cha Yeowoon.

“Explain what happened.”

When I uncrossed my arms and asked, Ahn Sia, who was sitting rather shyly across the table, spoke.

“First thing big brother didn’t know. In fact, I’m a popular celebrity model.”

“I didn’t know that. Next.”

“Actually, I am quite influential…”

“I said next.”

Blocking Ahn Sia’s words that were just repeating the same thing, I took out my phone.

“How did this happen?”

On the phone I presented, pictures of me that were uploaded to the shopping mall were arranged. Starting with a sleeveless t-shirt that showed off my body, followed by pictures where I had worn a hat and skillfully lowered it to avoid showing my facial features.

The finishing touch, of course, was the picture of my face posted by Ahn Sia yesterday.

It was posted to an anonymous community board. Ahn Sia’s name was written in the title, and judging by the appearance of her name popping up on other pages, it seemed to be a place mainly for discussions about teenage models.

Up to this point, it didn’t matter. Ahn Sia had informed and used me as a model for her department store. Such pictures of me that were posted were all public pictures anyway.

However, in the comment section below the community board, there was an exchange of information such as my middle school, high school, age, and name. As such, I couldn’t overlook it.

“I’ll explain first. When I uploaded big brother’s face for the internet shopping mall, it was also very popular. Because my internet shopping mall is popular.”

“Oh. So?”

“So when big brother made a social media account, 10,000 people flocked.”

“I didn’t post a photo showing my face there either.”

“That’s why people are crazy! Just by uploading slightly revealed pictures of your handsome side profile and it’s like this.”

“Is something like that enough to become a hot topic?”

“Second fact big brother doesn’t know. Handsome men are a precious resource.”

“…”

“And honestly, if big brother doesn’t talk, you look really sexy.”

“You can talk less.”

“Saying sexy isn’t my style. Anyway. Big brother’s mysterious marketing worked. You revealed a bit, sold the account, and then vanished, prompting everyone to start searching for you.”

Mystery or whatever, it was because I was trying to make $2250. I didn’t get much for the account.

I couldn’t do much with the account because I was busy, but even when the number of followers steadily increased, I had thought it was because of Ahn Sia shamelessly tagging my name on her social media account. I never could have imagined that I was being talked about in such a place.

Ahn Sia, who was observing my silence, made another excuse.

“It’s the internet anyway. If big brother doesn’t do anything more, this kind of post will disappear in a few days. Like how celebrity stories would quickly fade away.”

That was a valid point. It was inconsequential for a picture of an ordinary person to be uploaded to a community board.

However, I was in a situation where I couldn’t stay still right now.

[ Sub-Mission: Find 100,000 fans for Cha Yeowoon. ]

[ Penalty: Time remaining deduction. ]

Because of this damn Sub-Mission that had appeared with a penalty.

Until now, Sub-Missions were optional. But suddenly, a condition was added. It seemed to be a structure similar to the difficulty of a game rising as you level up.

[ Remaining Time: 207 days ]

Of course, this must be what the system meant by time remaining.

It was a penalty that couldn’t be overlooked. Moreover, the fact that it didn’t specify how much time would be deducted was ominous.

The system had been acting like it was helping until now, but now that I think about it, it was a system that had put ‘penalty: death’ in front of me as soon as I fell into this world. If the system had a personality, it was undoubtedly far from kind or lenient.

And more than anything else, I didn’t want to reduce my time with Cha Yeowoon.

“Are you angry?”

“Sia, what should an ordinary person, not a celebrity, do to gain 100,000 followers?”

“What?”

Ahn Sia tilted her head.

“Big brother you’re selling accounts again? Isn’t 100,000 overdoing it?”

“I’m not selling the account anymore. Not me, but for Cha Yeowoon.”

“Cha Yeowoon already has a lot of followers. But 100,000 is still too much. Nowadays, even idols don’t gather more than 10,000 with their fan cafes.”

“…What about social media?”

I had felt it after the previous Sub-Mission. There seemed to be context to the missions given. After discussing with Ahn Sia about social media, and then seeing that the next goal was 100,000 fans, there was a high possibility that it could be substituted with social media followers.

“Well…”

“Is that too much?”

“No. I don’t really know? When something becomes a hot topic on social media, your followers can increase by tens of thousands in just one day. I followed Dog Sangwon and got close to 10,000.”

“How many does he have?”

“He has 370,000.”

“Why does he have that many?”

At my surprised expression, Ahn Sia looked at me with interest.

“Big brother didn’t know? He appeared on a broadcast, and his dad is famous.”

“…But why does he live like that?”

“I don’t know. How can big brother be a student at New Leaf and not know about Cheon Sangwon? You’re more amazing. You really don’t care about others.”

It hadn’t been half a year since I entered New Leaf, so how could I know that? Of course, I had realized from the moment I first met Cheon Sangwon that he was an extraordinary weirdo.

“Why? Why do you need 100,000 followers?”

Ahn Sia moved closer to me.

“…Don’t ask about the situation and just help me, okay?”

“Why should I?”

“It’s for Cha Yeowoon, Ahn Sia.”

“There must be mutual cooperation. I mean.”

Ahn Sia smiled coyly.

It was the smile of a businessperson.

“If you let me show big brother’s face for the shopping mall from now on, I’ll help you.”

* * *

[ Favorability: 52 ]

Cha Yeowoon was perplexed.

“Why do I have to create that?”

The person who had fled saying they needed to go out for a moment in the morning and had returned was now talking about creating a social media account.

Cha Yeowoon had banged his head against the wall, thinking Tae Myeongha had fled upon discovering his contemplation of kissing him. He couldn’t understand Tae Myeongha.

Rather than having breakfast, Tae Myeongha had brought bread and laid it out on the portable table. He busily discussed the creation of a social media account.

“Uh, to promote you as an athlete?”

Tae Myeongha, who had been pondering while tearing off a piece of chestnut bread, gave an answer. His cute manner of chewing resembled a squirrel.

“Why do I need a social media account to promote myself as an athlete? I’m still a student; I should focus more on training and getting good grades.”

“That’s true. I have nothing to say.”

Tae Myeongha quickly admitted that it was an excuse. Instead of breakfast, Cha Yeowoon stole a piece of bread hanging at the end of Tae Myeongha’s lips. Tae Myeongha, who was trying to avoid it, eventually let Cha Yeowoon’s hand touch his lips.

Perhaps because they sucked so much last night, Tae Myeongha’s lips appeared swollen. Were human lips sweet? Yesterday, Cha Yeowoon unmistakably tasted a sweetness.

“Why are you saying that? Did Ahn Sia ask you for help? Don’t do it.”

Cha Yeowoon forced himself to speak, thinking that if he thought more about kissing, it might not stop at the level of groping.

“Sia promised to help me…”

Tae Myeongha, mumbling to himself inexplicably, rubbed his face. It was like a cat washing its face. Cute.

“Social media…love couple…Do you want to do that?”

Tae Myeongha muttered as he rested his head in the palms of his hands. From the words slowly emerging, a particular word caught Cha Yeowoon’s ears.

“What is that?”

Cha Yeowoon didn’t know exactly what it was, but the word couple sounded good.

“I don’t know either. Sia said she thought you would agree if I said this.”

Cha Yeowoon chuckled at the seemingly honest confession. It was as if Tae Myeongha had happily rushed here at the mere mention of the word couple.

“You don’t want to…?”

“I’ll do it.”

A decisive answer. Ahn Sia definitely had an eye for people.

“Okay. You suffered from it in the past and probably don’t want to do it. Still…Huh?”

“I’ll do it.”

Tae Myeongha looked at Cha Yeowoon in surprise. Cute, Cha Yeowoon thought.

“But I’m not good at taking pictures.”

“I’m not good at it either. Ha, damn. I’ll learn, so I can take pictures of you.”

“Since I’ll do as senior says, tell me the reason. Why are you suddenly like this? You’re not the type to like posting pictures.”

Tae Myeongha, who had become tongue-tied again, groaned.

“When in a relationship…I heard people do a lot of things like this…with their lover…”

It was barely spoken.

“Is that also a phrase Ahn Sia taught you?”

“Is it obvious?”

“Senior is terrible at deceiving people. Don’t scam people again.”

“Haaa…I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for?”

Tae Myeongha filled Cha Yeowoon’s glass with milk. Drinking only black coffee and eating bread only with milk. Indeed, Tae Myeongha was cute.

“From now on, just tell me if senior need me to do something. You don’t have to ask her. Even if you don’t explain why, I’ll do what you say.”

Of course, it was nice to hear Tae Myeongha say couple and lover.

Cha Yeowoon held Tae Myeongha’s hand tightly as he reached for the milk.

“Senior can ask me to do anything and I’ll do it.”

It was good not to know the exact reason. Cha Yeowoon knew that Tae Myeongha wouldn’t do anything to hurt him.

Even if it hurt, it was okay.

He would listen to anything Tae Myeongha wanted. It was okay even if it hurt.

“Ah…”

Tae Myeongha dropped the glass. As the glass shattered, milk and fragments scattered.

“Sorry. I’ll clean it up.”

“Senior is going to hurt yourself. I’ll bring a cloth, so just stay still.”

“No. I…”

Tae Myeongha picked up the broken glass, causing droplets of blood to appear on his fingers. Cha Yeowoon grabbed Tae Myeongha’s wrist.

“You’re hurt.”

“Uh. Sorry…”

“You don’t have to apologize.”

Cha Yeowoon examined Tae Myeongha’s wounds to see if any shards of glass had entered.

“I don’t want senior to get hurt.”