Chapter 15

“Are you Seung-eon?”

Physical contact with others—no, more specifically, contact with the opposite sex—had become the thing Kang Seung-eon avoided most since that day.

Because of that horrifying encounter, Seung-eon had developed an extreme aversion to physical touch with the opposite sex.

Even just imagining it made him nauseous, and if he happened to touch a woman, an unpleasant sensation would creep over his body, sometimes even causing red rashes to break out.

“It’s due to psychological stress.”

Like many who suffer from severe trauma, Seung-eon’s symptoms stemmed from an incident that occurred long ago.

Since it was impossible to completely avoid contact with the opposite sex in society, he had repeatedly visited hospitals for treatment.

But each time, overcoming it proved impossible.

The doctors had said he needed to break out of his own shell to overcome it, but—he believed that was something beyond his willpower.

“……”

That’s why the current situation felt so unfamiliar.

Without realizing it, Seung-eon raised a long finger and traced his lips.

It was a strange, unfamiliar sensation.

At that moment, he had touched something unbelievably soft—at a distance close enough to feel the other person’s breath.

“I should have pushed him away…”

The usual Kang Seung-eon would’ve been startled and shoved the other person away before their lips even met—regardless of whether it was reality or a game.

“But… I didn’t.”

Was it because he was overwhelmed by the sensation of their lips touching for a brief moment?

Or was it because it happened so suddenly that he couldn’t believe it?

Buzz.

The tingling sensation from that moment still lingered.

His neck had stiffened from the overwhelming feeling, but Seung-eon couldn’t pull away from the lips that had touched his own.

Of course, until now, Seung-eon hadn’t had such strong reactions to small acts of physical contact with the opposite sex.

Because he had to live and work in society, he had trained himself to endure basic interactions like handshakes and hugs—maybe not a full recovery from trauma, but enough to manage.

“But kissing… that’s a different level entirely.”

If it had been the old Seung-eon, even if the situation was scripted as part of gameplay, he would have pushed the other person away and gasped in horror.

He would have recoiled in discomfort and expressed his anger.

And yet—

“It was… sweet.”

Even though their lips had barely touched, the sensation of that soft kiss was still vivid.

The sweet scent that started at his fingertips spread to his head and throughout his entire body, seeping into his heart.

“Just a little… more.”

He had wanted—just a little—to savor the moment.

He had thought, with his eyes gently closed, that maybe he could enjoy this for just a bit longer.

Ding.

If that sound hadn’t gone off—

≪STAGE 1 CLEAR!≫

Ding.

≪Would you like to proceed to the next level, STAGE 2?≫

If the game hadn’t immediately moved to the next stage, if the replay hadn’t been interrupted, Seung-eon probably wouldn’t have been able to stop his heart from racing wildly.

“You don’t look well.”

“Huh?”

“You’re very flushed. Are you feeling warm?”

Assistant Chu had expected Seung-eon to replay all the way through to the final stage, so she was surprised to see him suddenly exit the capsule.

Unable to meet her gaze, Seung-eon quickly turned his back.

“T-Today, let’s stop here. I can’t… go on.”

“Phew.”

Though it hadn’t taken long to replay the events of the first stage, the aftereffects still lingered.

“Theo…”

He truly was an exceptional character.

“Even though it’s just a game feature, I didn’t feel any resistance to kissing. So that means… maybe more than that is possible, too.”

[20XX-10-20 21:04:10] PlayerID:11221111 has entered a marriage vow and sleep contract with Hidden Character no. 928.

Suddenly, the game log he had previously read came to mind.

“Sleep contract, huh.”

With a bitter smile, Seung-eon stood in front of the capsule again, ready to replay the second stage after finishing all his work.

Ding.

This time, without Assistant Chu’s help, he entered the capsule on his own and initiated the replay.

Immediately, a holographic message appeared in front of his eyes.

≪STAGE 2 has begun.≫

Ding.

≪STAGE 2: USER has entered the ‘Joseon Dynasty.’≫

≪You are now the youngest daughter of a corrupt government official who exploited his people for personal gain.≫

≪And today, coincidentally, is your wedding day.≫

Are you serious? Isn’t this a bit much?

*

“Miss, we’ll be departing soon. It’ll take half a day to arrive, so please remain composed.”

A woman who seemed to be a handmaiden spoke quietly from outside the palanquin.

“Sheesh.”

Out of the many random time periods possible, Seung-eon had now landed in the Joseon Dynasty.

And this time, he was apparently someone’s bride, en route to her new marital home.

Wearing a traditional red silk wedding hanbok embroidered with blue thread—a rare honor for any common woman—should have been a great privilege.

But for Seung-eon, who simply wanted to clear the stage quickly, the restrictive clothes and rigid setting were just inconvenient.

“Can’t I just meet the character in a normal situation for once?”

“The situations you encounter are a little… unusual,”
Assistant Chu had said while reviewing the general game structure.

She had added that it made the game more interesting, but Seung-eon had waved it off—regretting now that he hadn’t asked more.

“Departing!”

As she shook her head at the absurdity of all this, the palanquin suddenly lifted off the ground and began moving.

Who knew how long it had been?

Trapped inside in her heavy wedding attire, unable to peek outside or stop the palanquin, Seung-eon eventually grew bored and lifted one foot to peek out.

She called toward the handmaiden walking beside her.

“Do you know who the groom is—”

“Oh, miss! You can’t be lifting the curtain before we’ve even arrived at the groom’s house!”

The young handmaiden, shocked before Seung-eon could even finish her sentence, frowned and whispered urgently.

“If the crowd sees you before the groom does, it’ll be a huge scandal!”

“But—”

“No buts. I’ll lower the curtain for you!”

Apparently extremely cautious, the unknown handmaiden quickly reached over and lowered the curtain again.

Once more trapped inside the palanquin, Seung-eon felt her whole body stiffen.

“So I really have to sit like this for another half-day until we arrive?”

Her lips twitched involuntarily.

“At least this isn’t as dramatic as last time.”

Although she had no idea who her groom would be, this stage—riding to her new home as a new bride—felt far more peaceful than being burned at the stake as a ‘witch’ in Stage 1.

A little boring, even.

Perhaps that’s why her past self had also been yawning non-stop inside the bridal palanquin.

Whiiish! Swish!

“It’s an ambush!”

“Stop right there!”

The palanquin had barely moved a bit more when—

“That’s the palanquin, right? The one carrying the precious daughter of the corrupt finance minister?”

Ding.

≪A bandit targeting the minister’s daughter has appeared. Find the hidden escape route and survive the ambush!≫

Watching the holographic message flash and disappear, Seung-eon let out a long sigh.

At this point… should we really be calling “Echo” a romance simulation?

Wouldn’t “Escape Strategy Game” be more accurate?