Chapter 38
Seung-eon’s eyes widened at the words he might have otherwise overlooked.
‘What… did he just say?’
In the past, Seung-eon had participated as an Echo beta tester and experienced three randomly selected time periods. In the final of those eras—
「For a matcha espresso whipped latte, please put the matcha in first, then pour the espresso shot over it. As for the whipped cream, serve it on the side separately so it doesn’t mix, creating distinct layers.」
‘Impossible to forget.’
The way those words slipped from his lips as if they had a mind of their own—he had been waiting for that moment.
‘Who even orders a matcha espresso whipped latte?’
For Seung-eon, who usually didn’t go to cafes to order in person but quietly covered the cost when Secretary Chu wanted a milkshake, or asked for a cold Americano as a side, it was hard to imagine.
However, he could easily guess that such a menu item didn’t exist in just any cafe.
Moreover—
‘He actually mentioned Echo.’
Of course, the company had recently reset the launch plan for Echo, which had been suspended during a full meeting of Lookin. Since setting the public release of the Echo project, a key venture for the company’s future, for the end of the year, Marketing Team Leader Yoo Hyun-joon had been extremely busy.
Echo was a project developed entirely in-house by the company, with a lot of investment poured in, so it was only natural that Yoo Hyun-joon, in charge of marketing, knew about it.
Yet, for him to know about the beta test situation—despite being someone who knew every route for every character—meant—
「As you know, CEO, without the consent of the ‘person involved,’ personal…」
「That blasted personal information protection law! I know, I know! Only the person involved is notified. That’s why I can replay only the ‘point of view’ I experienced.」
「You understand it well.」
Seung-eon could verify his own past words and actions during the beta test because he was the ‘person involved’ who experienced that moment.
Then, for Yoo Hyun-joon to remember such an absurd order for a matcha espresso whipped latte—
‘It’s because… he was there.’
His pounding heart gradually calmed. Seung-eon’s black eyes focused straight ahead.
‘Yoo Hyun-joon.’
Were you really there?
If he opened his mouth just a little, all the words that had been tightly blocked in his throat seemed ready to spill out.
How should he phrase it?
How could he get him to answer honestly?
There were more questions than he could count.
His thought process spun so wildly that his heart thumped in his chest.
‘Let’s organize this.’
As his labored breathing steadied and his thoughts finally started flowing properly, Seung-eon was able to piece together several clues about his ‘secret boyfriend.’
‘Yoo Hyun-joon doesn’t have a family right now.’
「You really live alone? Where did you say you live?」
「Hankyo.」
「Hankyo?」
「Don’t you remember? At the end of the year before last, after my mother passed away, they got me an apartment near the company.」
Seung-eon almost fell for the ruse in the words he offered to test the waters.
‘The end of the year before last…’
Seung-eon’s memory had been cut off since the summer of the year before last. Even the events from the start of that year were jumbled together, making recollection difficult.
To think such a sad event happened at the end of the year before last—
‘I could have made a mistake if I had pressed without thinking.’
Stories involving Yoo Hyun-joon’s widowed mother were like an Achilles’ heel for him.
「Senior.」
Yoo Hyun-joon spoke to the flustered Seung-eon in an unexpected situation.
「I haven’t forgotten what you did for me back then. You really helped me a lot. You made sure I didn’t collapse. I’m still truly grateful.」
Seung-eon, who had been sighing in relief at nearly making a mistake, stared blankly at Yoo Hyun-joon’s next words.
He had no reply to the heartfelt thanks because he couldn’t remember the events at that time.
‘Then the mark on my chest…’
Seung-eon wanted to ask plainly, “Are you my boyfriend?” and check her left chest, but the situation made it impossible for now.
‘If he knows about the matcha espresso whipped latte incident…’
Then there was no doubt Yoo Hyun-joon had been in that ‘cafe’ during the beta test.
It had been lunchtime at the cafe, with countless NPCs and characters, but not many could have heard Seung-eon’s order clearly.
Moreover, what set Echo apart from other VR dating games was the ‘random’ eras and scenarios.
Unlike other VR dating games where a certain line triggers a fixed route, Echo unfolds multiple possibilities, letting the user encounter new situations.
The goal is to meet someone closer to their ideal type, which makes it all the more special.
Yet Yoo Hyun-joon remembered that absurd order perfectly, proving he had been a character close to Seung-eon at that time.
‘If he’s connected to two of the three clues…’
Regardless of the last clue… Yoo Hyun-joon is highly likely to be the boyfriend, isn’t he?
The VIP lounge, which had already been chaotic due to Director Choi’s incident, had now become quiet.
Seung-eon, holding the coffee she had ordered, returned to the waiting room and rested while staring at Yoo Hyun-joon, who was sitting across her, receiving reports from employees and giving instructions regarding the main event.
“We’ll head to the booth around the opening ceremony. Yes, please proceed that way. Also, make sure reporters are kept separate from us. Yes, that’s because of the CEO.”
For several minutes, Yoo Hyun-joon spoke on the phone, a side of him Seung-eon barely recognized just hours ago.
Seung-eon stared intently at his red lips.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Perhaps Seung-eon’s gaze felt intense. Yoo Hyun-joon tilted his head while giving news about the Lookin booth, which would be crowded after the general audience entered.
His pale face, eyes curved like half-moons, undeniably kind and gentle, but the slightly upturned corners of his lips gave off an inexplicably charming aura.
Candidate 2: Yoo Hyun-joon
Boyfriend possibility = 78%
‘…Time is running out.’
With only a few months left until the will is executed, Seung-eon had to find the secret boyfriend who had hidden away.
And the most likely person was right in front of her.
‘For now, the probability is the highest.’
Alright.
Let’s do this.
Seung-eon slowly parted her lips.
“Hyun-joon.”
Yoo Hyun-joon’s brown eyes locked onto her. Meeting that gentle gaze, Seung-eon spoke again.
“Thinking about the launch prep after a long time… you suddenly came to mind.”
“What came to mind?”
“Don’t you remember? After the beta test ended, we met on the rooftop. That is… on a Thursday.”
Seung-eon’s words caused Yoo Hyun-joon’s brows to knit slightly.
“Why?”
Seeing his subtle reaction, Seung-eon forced a calm smile and asked again.
“Senior.”
Yoo Hyun-joon blocked her from calling her name again and smiled deeply.
“It wasn’t Thursday, it was Friday.”
Her heart thumped at his reply.
He gazed at the surprised Seung-eon, sighed, and brushed the brown hair that had fallen in front of his face aside.
“I roughly know why you’re asking that… If you’re curious, it’s better to just ask directly.”
Yoo Hyun-joon said.
“You’re curious, right, Senior?”
The words Seung-eon had longed to hear from him the most recently—
“Am I your boyfriend?”
Word by word.
“Or not.”
