The Gap Between Data

‘Damn it.’

Honestly, I was uneasy.

‘This is my first time using something from a bamboo tube that hasn’t fully matured.’

Who knows.

What if there are side effects?

‘Still… at least I escaped.’

I hadn’t even finished the thought when—

Player-created item ‘Hwangyeon-uigu’ growth value is low.

Item ‘Hwangyeon-uigu’ is underdeveloped. Penalty applied.

My vision swam instantly.

“Ugh!”

It felt like an invisible hand was kneading my brain.

And then—

Item ‘Hwangyeon-uigu’ ability insufficient to reach player-designated coordinates!

Item ‘Hwangyeon-uigu’ has been destroyed!

A violent wave of nausea surged up.

System unstable.

Error.

Applying player trait… Warning, outside system… Safe mode…

“Urk! Ugh! Uuugh!”

If only I could throw up properly.

But there was nothing in my stomach.

The dry heaving only made it worse.

After what felt like ages, I regained my senses.

I wiped my dry lips with the back of my hand and looked around.

“……”

Dark.

Outdoors.

‘Where am I? At least I’m out of the dorm.’

That much was clear.

‘The coordinate was set to the greenhouse.’

Failed.

I checked the last script.

‘It must’ve disintegrated mid-transfer because it wasn’t fully cultivated.’

Meaning I got dropped somewhere random.

‘But…’

Escaping the dorm should’ve been a relief.

Instead, a different fear crept in.

Stronger than when facing Jeok-o.

I straightened and surveyed my surroundings again.

Unfamiliar.

The darkness felt oddly dense.

‘Except for the Center where Caliburn stays, Bran should be in a blizzard.’

The border snowstorm was so intense it blurred day and night.

But here—

No blizzard.

Just darkness.

‘Like this isn’t Bran at all.’

No new script appeared.

I could access old ones, but nothing else.

‘The system feels paused.’

A cold sense of reality hit me.

‘How do I get back?’

I started walking, feeling chased.

‘Where is this?’

Was this even in WWC?

I didn’t remember it.

‘Ending records.’

Maybe I’d forgotten.

I pulled up scripts.

A flood of text poured into my mind, tangling together.

‘Some games have hidden horror routes.’

Non-canon routes.

Unlocked only after all normal and true endings.

‘If so, wouldn’t there be hints?’

What if the route progresses before I find them?

“—!”

Something suddenly grabbed my arm.

Startled, I smacked it away without looking and bolted.

“Let go!”

But I barely took a few steps before I was seized again and dragged back.

The grip was impossibly strong.

Not like a human hand.

Like centuries-old tree roots tangled around me.

“Let go! Let go!”

“Calm down.”

Someone whispered, enclosing me in their arms.

I didn’t calm down.

I flailed wildly and felt something catch.

“Let—!”

Something slipped off.

I froze.

‘A robe?’

And it looked familiar.

“Better now?”

The person holding me sighed softly.

Their voice was low.

Husky.

“Cold, aren’t you. I dropped everything and rushed here.”

The voice brushed my ear.

I shivered.

The person seemed to notice.

“Were you scared?”

“……”

“It’s fine. Nothing happened.”

A solid arm wrapped around my head.

A large hand covered my crown.

“I’m here. Nothing’s going to happen.”

It felt strange.

Like he was reassuring himself.

“…Caliburn?”

“Mm, darling.”

His voice returned to normal.

That ridiculous “darling” snapped me back to myself.

“Haha. So, how did you fall into the Gap?”

“The Gap? This is the Gap?”

“Yeah.”

“Between what?”

“Hahaha. Between data and data…”

So you’re the culprit!

I spun and grabbed his collar—

“Darling?”

The man in front of me tilted his head and waved a hand in front of my face.

“Darling? Zoned out without consulting me? On a date too. Rude.”

Normally I’d smack that mouth.

But I forgot.

“Who are you?”

The words slipped out.

He smiled widely.

“Ah, nice. Trendy. Sudden possession trope? Though ‘What a strange ceiling’ is overused lately. Or is this regression?”

“Buzzing nonsense. So you really are the mosquito.”

“Bzzzz?”

He tilted his head.

“Or woof?”

As he moved, short golden hair shifted softly.

Perfect blonde.

Like spun gold thread.

“If I’m a dog, I’d be a big one. Woof woof?”

His eyes curved elegantly.

Almond-shaped.

Sharp nose bridge.

Perfect.

‘If looks alone decided it, he’d be king.’

A sculpted golden prince.

“Wo—”

I grabbed his face with both hands and shoved closer.

He stopped mid-bark and smiled deeper.

“Why, darling?”

“Your eyes.”

“Haha, my eyes?”

I stared.

At first they were golden.

Then deep blue.

Then kaleidoscopic.

Shifting like jeweled butterflies.

“Definitely not the prince role.”

More like secret mastermind.

If a protagonist had eyes like that, audiences would get dizzy.

I shoved his robe back into his hands.

He accepted it dramatically.

“So you wish to conceal my beauty? Alas, judged by appearance—”

“Do you even watch historical dramas?”

“Ah, darling, that hurts.”

I forced the robe over his head.

Finally, peace.

I smacked his buzzing mouth for good measure.

“Who said you’re human?”

“Hahaha, you saw me.”

True.

Face normal.

Body normal.

No tentacles.

Too normal.

“Looks aren’t everything.”

“That’s true.”

He stepped back, releasing me.

His lips curved beneath the hood’s shadow.

“I don’t particularly want to be one anyway.”

“……”

I touched my throat unconsciously.

“Why?”

“Nothing…”

Hard to answer.

‘Why did I feel that?’

It was just a mild remark.

Yet—

Why did I sense hatred for humanity?

I stared.

He tilted his head.

“Tired?”

His voice was light.

No malice.

No disgust.

“Maybe.”

Maybe I was just exhausted.

“You’ve been working too late.”

He supported my unsteady steps.

“You said you had to do it secretly.”

“That doesn’t mean destroy yourself. People collapse from overwork, you know? Fall asleep at a desk and never wake up.”

“You crazy bastard, grabbing one excuse to nag.”

“Wow. I dropped everything and came running.”

I was about to curse again—

Then paused.

“Did you come to find me?”

I looked up.

Under the hood, he smiled.

“Of course.”

“Thanks for taking my side.”

“Hey, I told you. I rushed here because you fell into the Gap—”

He stopped mid-sentence.

“What.”

He was staring at me.

“Did you think I wouldn’t say thank you?”

“That’s not it.”

“In your head, am I that much of a bastard—”

I stopped.

“There’s no way.”

He murmured it.

Like to himself.

“But… it would’ve been better if you hadn’t thanked me.”

“What does that mean?”

I asked, unable to hold back.

He just smiled faintly.