When the Body Fails First

“I… originally planned to just leave everything to Eun-woo, since you’re the protagonist of Sickly Villain, and live a quiet life. I thought it would be nice if we became friends, or even just acquaintances. That was about it.”

“Aren’t you being a bit too humble?”

Seo Eun-woo laughed, his brows softening.

“It’s not really my place to interfere, but I’ve made my choice, so you should do whatever you want to do, I-seo. Besides, you’ve already achieved your initial goal since we’re on speaking terms now. Wouldn’t it be easier to think of everything else as just an added bonus?”

The initial goal is achieved, and the rest is a bonus. Hearing this from Seo Eun-woo made a sudden surge of courage well up inside him.

“I suppose that’s true.”

“You’re the protagonist of the original novel in Sickly Villain. Even setting that aside, I think you could do anything if you just set your mind to it.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Hey, I’m being serious.”

Seo Eun-woo pouted, looking genuinely aggrieved by I-seo’s casual dismissal. Even though I-seo knew it was a compliment he could afford to overlook, Eun-woo had the kind of face that made you want to believe him.

“I’m serious, okay?”

“I get it.”

Apparently dissatisfied with the tone of the answer, Eun-woo repeated himself. I-seo nodded and said he understood, but even this response didn’t seem to satisfy him. Honestly, Eun-woo looked adorable with his lips sticking out like that.

“But really, I mean it, so think about it. It’s not long now until the original story begins.”

“I will.”

Just as Eun-woo said, the starting point of the original story was fast approaching. However, for now, his days were so monotonous that he couldn’t imagine things unfolding that way.

“By the way, can’t we just speak comfortably now? I’m a year older, but let’s drop the formalities.”

“Um, yes. Sure.”

“Look at you, still sneaking in the formal endings.”

The way Eun-woo narrowed his eyes was far too cute for someone who was supposedly the older one.

“I—I’ll do it, then.”

Having finally successfully coaxed I-seo into using informal speech, Eun-woo smiled contentedly. After chatting a bit longer, the two rose from their seats.

“Call me if anything happens. Call me even if nothing happens. Got it?”

“Got it. I will.”

“Hmph… I have a feeling you’re saying that but you won’t actually do it.”

Eun-woo scowled playfully, then laughed along with I-seo.

“Somehow, talking to you makes me feel at ease.”

It was the same for I-seo. It was likely because he had finally met someone with whom he could share his secret. I-seo nodded slowly in agreement.

“I can’t really help you with work stuff, but I can at least do this—meeting up and talking.”

While talking to him, I-seo was able to maintain a rare sense of peace, even if their topics of conversation weren’t exactly peaceful.

As Eun-woo said, he wasn’t sure what would happen if he got involved with one of the capture targets. It wasn’t that he’d never imagined it.

However, even if this world was a game, it was also his undeniable reality. Realistically, looking at I-seo’s circumstances, he didn’t feel like someone like himself would suit those who lacked nothing, nor did he feel his personality was charming enough for them to fall in love while ignoring his background.

Besides that, he was simply overwhelmed by how incredible they were. Chaebol heirs, oil tycoons, Hollywood stars. Such titles were too burdensome for the ordinary I-seo.

Past life memories were just memories; I-seo was living here and now.

Hadn’t Eun-woo also referred to them as “people” rather than “characters”? When you think of them as people rather than game assets, your perspective inevitably shifts. It couldn’t be helped.

Bathed in the warm sunlight, I-seo waved goodbye to Seo Eun-woo.

“It’s the flu. It doesn’t usually circulate this time of year, but it seems your immune system is down. Take all the prescribed medicine and eat well, and you’ll recover. Don’t take it on an empty stomach as it’s hard on the gastric lining; be sure to take it after a meal.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

I-seo thanked the doctor and left the consultation room. They said the body eventually breaks down if you overwork it, and that was exactly what happened. He thought he could hold out a bit longer, though. I-seo lay on his bed, staring vacantly at the ceiling with eyes hazy from the fever.

Come to think of it, it was already late April. He was always sick around this time. Perhaps psychological factors were at play. I-seo let out a deep sigh. His breath felt hot, making every respiration a struggle.

His room, containing nothing but a lone bed, was only slightly larger than the place Ahn Hee-woong had lived in his past life. This was the limit of what I-seo could afford near the office. Whether in the Korea of that other world or the America of this one, rent was astronomically high.

He wanted a bigger place, but there was no choice. He was just glad to have a bed to lie on. Perhaps he was also lucky to have a living room big enough for a worn-out sofa. Thinking that far, I-seo closed his eyes and exhaled a hot breath.

He’d felt a bit of a chill in the office yesterday, but his fever had spiked to 39.5°C (103.1°F). Natalie, upon checking his temperature, had been horrified and pushed him out, telling him she’d handle the paperwork and to go home and rest. However, today was a crucial day—the launch of the new product—so he couldn’t just stay away.

No matter how much pain he was in, it was ultimately his fault for not taking care of himself. He had declined Natalie’s offer, but as time passed, he didn’t get better; rather, his vision blurred every time he blinked. Eventually, he had no choice but to listen to her.

He was scared of missing such an important event, but if his health worsened, the backlog of work would only grow, and he would be the one to deal with the consequences anyway.

After returning home and taking his medicine, he lay in bed with a clouded head, thinking he’d be fine. In fact, he felt okay for an hour or two after the meds. So, thinking he’d wake up cured wasn’t entirely far-fetched.

But on the morning of the launch, though he tried his best to get ready, there was no improvement in his condition. He messaged Natalie saying he’d take a fever reducer and come in, but she ruthlessly rejected the idea, saying it would be a disaster if he collapsed at the venue.

Wasn’t today the day the first event of My Beloved Beta was supposed to take place? In this state, he couldn’t even sit properly, let alone go to the hall. Seeing this, it really seemed like things were deviating from the original story. Of course they were.

Still, he felt like he’d already reaped all the benefits of being an Engaged Player just by befriending Seo Eun-woo. There was no way an ordinary person like I-seo would have ever become personally acquainted with a lawyer from a famous political family like Eun-woo otherwise.

I-seo opened his eyes again because of the pain. As his temperature rose back up after the medicine wore off, his muscles screamed from being hunched over. Checking again, his fever was 39.6°C (103.3°F). It was even higher than when he left work.

He needed to eat something to take his medicine, but he’d already finished the soup he bought yesterday. Sighing at his lack of foresight in not buying more, he pushed himself up. He needed to go get some frozen meals or something. The nearby grocery store shouldn’t be closed yet.

Sighing once more, I-seo threw on a light jacket and grabbed his phone just as it started ringing. It was a colleague from work.

“Yes, this is Yeon I-seo.”

—Ah, I-seo. This is David. About the documents you shared last time… one of our staff accidentally overwrote the data with an old version. I’m so sorry, but could we get the original file again?

“Um, yes. I understand.”

I-seo answered without hesitation. Natalie would be at the launch venue, so there was no one else to ask. Besides, it was a simple task of resending a file, and he wasn’t comfortable giving out his computer password to someone else. The fever would subside for a bit once he took the medicine, so he figured he could manage this much.

I-seo tore open a packet of medicine and swallowed it with water on an empty stomach before hurrying out. He thought he’d be fine if he just grabbed a banana outside. On the way to the office, the medicine started to kick in and his fever dropped, but his stomach began to burn in proportion.

By the time he reached the office, he had to press one hand against his stomach because of the burning sensation. He took the elevator to his desk, quickly turned on his computer, and finished sending the file. Then, he immediately headed to the breakroom. He grabbed a chocolate cookie and ate it on the spot. Even the sweet cookie tasted bitter; the fever was playing tricks on his taste buds.