Chapter 93

### Chapter 93: How to Steal a Hero's Woman (1-12)

This place is the "Animal Village" game, and we have just entered the second day of the game.

Before we started the game, Seongsu-a hesitantly made a suggestion to me.

("If possible, wouldn't it be better to look like you did yesterday?")

("Ah... Well, a grown man might be a bit creepy, right?")

("No, that's not it! It's just... as you said yesterday, it's refreshing!")

Seongsu-a smiled as she said this.

I logged in as she wished, just as I had set it up yesterday.

Our plan for today was to catch fireflies and use them to light up the house and its surroundings.

The game's system makes the in-game time flow at the same rate as the real world, so we could only play in the evening.

Because of this, Seongsu-a suggested we create street lamps and other lighting for the village.

As we caught the flying fireflies, Seongsu-a smiled and said,

"Still, we can log in during the day on weekends, so we can try other things too."

"Ah... That's..."

"...? Is something wrong?"

In response to Seongsu-a's question, I told her that I had an appointment outside on weekends and couldn't play the game with her.

"So, on weekends..."

"Yes, I have important things to do on weekends..."

"Ah..."

Seongsu-a looked at me with a disappointed expression.

I apologized to her.

"I'm sorry. I feel bad that I'm causing you trouble, and I've ruined the mood."

"Oh, don't worry about it... We're just having fun together."

Seongsu-a smiled and patted my head.

It was only the second day, yet she was already so bold in her physical contact.

Armonia, who had been watching Seongsu-a's actions, said in a cold voice,

"Is this the umpteenth time...?"

Armonia seemed to disapprove of Seongsu-a's actions from last night when she was sleeping.

The basic plan was set.

I decided it was important to continue playing the game with Seongsu-a and gradually close the distance between us.

The most important thing was not to show any unnecessary resistance.

If I showed any discomfort, the perceptive Seongsu-a might feel guilty and start to keep her distance.

Actually, there was no discomfort. I felt quite good.

How could a man dislike a woman like Seongsu-a, who treats him affectionately like a mother?

The only concern was that if Seongsu-a got bored with the game, it could become a problem. However, considering the length of time she had been playing, it didn't seem like she would get bored quickly.

We roamed the grassy meadow, catching fireflies and returning home.

We combined the fireflies with other materials to make lamps and started installing them around the house.

However...

'Geez, they really applied the short stature this way...'

I tried to hang a lamp on the wall of the wooden house, but my short stature made it impossible to reach the desired spot.

As I struggled with the lamp, Seongsu-a lifted me up from the side.

"Here, hang it."

"Sorry, this is a game..."

"It's okay."

Seongsu-a chuckled and lifted me up.

If I had done it alone, it would have been much easier, but in the end, I hung the lamps around the house with Seongsu-a's help.

Seongsu-a admired the completed house with the lamps installed.

"Wow, it's much better with the lights."

As Seongsu-a said, the area around the house looked much better with the lights.

"Right. We should save the remaining fireflies for when we explore other places."

"That's a good idea! Shall we go inside?"

The atmosphere inside the house had changed significantly.

Initially, the house relied on a single lamp, but now, with additional lamps by the bed and on the table, the entire house was much brighter.

As I looked at the scene, I realized something surprising.

'...Wow. It's already been 3 hours?'

[The game doesn't consume real stamina, so it's easier to get absorbed in it.]

This game doesn't drain real stamina, even if you wander around. The only time stamina is used is when you chop trees or collect materials, but that's just a game mechanic.

I looked at Seongsu-a with a surprised expression.

"Wow... We've already been playing for 3 hours."

"Really?!"

Seongsu-a looked at her watch in surprise.

It was almost 11 PM.

I said to the surprised Seongsu-a with a guilty look,

"By the way, it's Friday today... I feel bad that I..."

"Please don't say that, Instructor Seongsu-ho. I'm really having fun. Or..."

Seongsu-a's expression turned gloomy as she continued,

"Is it that you don't find it fun playing with me?"

"No, no... Of course not. I'm having fun."

"See? I'm having fun too. So, let's not say things like that anymore."

"Ha ha... Okay, I understand."

This conversation felt like a friendly exchange between a man and a woman.

If Seongsu-a didn't keep patting my head affectionately...

I said to her,

"You should go to bed soon."

"Huh? Can't we stay a little longer?"

"Are you not tired?"

"I'm still wide awake!"

Seongsu-a rolled up her sleeves and smiled brightly.

The instructor Seongsu-a was gone, and only the big sister-like Seongsu-a remained.

'Well, she probably has some distinction between work and personal time.'

But it was surprising how clear that distinction was.

In my view, the virtual world was the boundary between the instructor Seongsu-a and the real Seongsu-a.

To me, Seongsu-a's actions seemed like a form of rebellion.

Seongsu-a took me on a tour of the village, which was bathed in a silver light under the crescent moon.

After about an hour, I started to feel sleepy due to the accumulated fatigue from the physical education class.

When Seongsu-a started chopping wood, I leaned against a tree and fell asleep.

'She'll probably take care of it if I sleep...'

I leaned against the tree, and Seongsu-a, without waking me, crouched down and leaned against the tree.

'Armonia, wake me up in the morning.'

[Yes, I understand.]

As I watched Seongsu-a, I started to fall asleep as soon as I leaned against the tree.

***

"...Instructor Seongsu-ho?"

Seongsu-a stopped chopping the tree and approached Seongsu-ho, speaking cautiously.

She spoke even more quietly, afraid of waking him.

"Instructor Seongsu-ho, you can't sleep here."

She checked his condition at a volume so low it was almost inaudible.

"..."

"It won't do. You'll have to sleep here tonight."

Seongsu-a gently lifted Seongsu-ho and thought to herself,

'What should I do... He's so cute... It must feel like having a child.'

Seongsu-a carried the sleeping Seongsu-ho back to the house.

As she carried him, she felt no discomfort or tension, only a surge of maternal love.

If Seongsu-ho's character were an NPC, she would have treated it the same way, but an NPC is just a programmed entity, and over time, the affection would have dulled.

But Seongsu-ho was perfectly compatible with her.

To Seongsu-a, Seongsu-ho had become someone she didn't want to lose.

Seongsu-a carefully laid Seongsu-ho on the bed and lay down next to him.

"Ah... I shouldn't be doing this."

As she looked at Seongsu-ho's sleeping face, a conflict between guilt and desire began to arise within her.

Seongsu-ho, as she had seen him, was diligent and considerate.

Although the real Seongsu-ho was nothing like that, Seongsu-a had no way of knowing.

If Seongsu-a had been in this situation with an ordinary man, she would have woken him up and logged out, then gone to bed herself.

But because he had treated her with such sincerity, the game had started to awaken a desire within her to have a family.

Most importantly, Seongsu-a had already realized that if she lost him, she would lose the opportunity to experience this happiness.

Seongsu-a turned off the lights in the room and smiled as she carefully embraced him.

"For a while... just a little longer... Instructor Seongsu-ho."

...

...

"...Huh? Oh!"

When Seongsu-a woke up, she tried to feel the touch of the child in her arms, but her arms flailed in the air.

She realized it was just past dawn, and she was alone in the bed.

"Surely he's not angry..."

Seongsu-a, feeling anxious, got out of bed and looked around.

There was no one around.

"Oh no... No, no..."

Seongsu-a began to worry that Seongsu-ho had left in a bad mood because of her actions.

As a deep sense of guilt washed over her, she noticed an alert on the messenger window.

"What is it? I set it to private, so no one should know..."

She opened the messenger window and read the message that had been sent to her.

The long message was from Seongsu-ho.

===

Instructor Seongsu-a, I'm sorry. I fell asleep again. I couldn't face you when I woke up, so I left the place carefully.

-Excerpt-

If it weren't for you, Instructor Seongsu-a, I wouldn't have had such a fun school life. I'm really grateful for your constant care and consideration.

PS. I'll definitely meet you in person to apologize.

===

"Ah..."

Seongsu-a, lying on the bed, started to wriggle with joy.

To her, this message felt like a letter from a young Seongsu-ho, not the instructor.

"What do I do!! I'm so happy!!"

She felt the joy of receiving a "I love you" letter from her child for the first time.

Seongsu-a continued to read the message, wriggling with joy in bed until lunchtime.

***

Armonia didn't stop talking until I reached the ship.