Ma Yuseong still had some anger in his heart from that day - the day he confessed his feelings, and Yuseol pushed him out of the room without hesitation, and in front of those three light bulbs. He didn't blame Yuseol for being shy, but the way he kept avoiding and ignoring it as if it had never happened made Ma Yuseong really uncomfortable

Not even a word - just a response -

And his patience was exhausted

From that day on, Ma Yuseong decided to ignore Yuseol completely

No more random visits to his dormitory, no more asking "have you eaten yet", "what are you doing", and no more knocking on the door at night to invite each other to walk around the school yard. Or even when Yuseol avoided him, he still often asked about him and cared about him, always trying to talk to him. But now when they met in the hallway, Ma Yuseong just walked straight past him as if they had never known each other. Even though the two of them accidentally walked across each other, he only looked into the void behind him, his shoulders not dodging, his eyes not glancing, completely ignoring Yuseol

In the practical class, in the past, if it was Yuseol, he would always choose to stand in the same group. Now it was different - Ma Yuseong would immediately turn around and walk to the other side as soon as he saw Seol, cooperating with anyone but him. There was even one time when the professor asked to pair him with Yuseol, Ma Yuseong's eyes darkened, he said coldly:

"It's not convenient for you to work with someone who isn't serious about studying." The sentence made the whole class silent. Yuseol could only stand still, his face clearly showing a confused expression, but he didn't force Ma Yuseong

It was the same in the cafeteria. Normally, he would always pull up a chair and sit with Yuseol, without even asking for permission. But recently, he went out to eat alone, or if he went with someone, he didn't pay any attention to Seol. Once, Yuseol followed behind, sat down across from him, and was about to speak. Ma Yuseong just put down his chopsticks, stood up, picked up his tray of food, and said coldly, "Sorry, this place doesn't seem to be suitable for me."

Cold. Decisive. As if there had never been a confession between the two of them, and there had never been days when they were so close that they seemed inseparable.

But even though Ma Yuseong told himself he didn't care, he still followed Yuseol's every step from afar like a shadow. Especially when he was surrounded by the three names that annoyed him the most - Full Flame, Aiselle Molf, and Hong Biyeong

I don't know what kind of confidence those three girls got to pursue Yuseol. Meanwhile, that night, all three of them saw him and Seol being "affectionate" with each other

Every time Ma Yuseong saw one of those three appear next to Seol, his face grew colder. Even though Aiselle was his clubmate, he couldn't help but feel jealous

Once, when he passed by the hallway, he caught Hong Biyeon kindly wiping the ink stains on Seol's sleeve. Her expression was somewhat arrogant, but it still clearly showed her feelings. Seol smiled awkwardly and thanked her - that familiar smile, he knew, but it wasn't for anyone else! The feeling of jealousy rushed straight to his head, but he only glanced and turned away

"It's none of my business" he thought to himself "If we're not anything to each other, what right do we have to interfere?"

But strangely, that night when he came home, he accidentally crushed a fountain pen in his hand, while he was doing his homework

Aiselle Molf was different. She was gentler, quieter, but knew how to make Yuseol smile softly every time they met. That smile... made him feel useless. Because recently, Yuseol no longer smiled at him

What about Full Flame? Oh my gosh, don't mention it. Every time Flame saw Ma Yuseong, she would look at him with eyes that said "I know what you two have", and then became even closer to Yuseol as if to show off. Once, they even sat at the same dining table, picked up meat for Yuseol, and laughed and talked nonsense, he just stood from afar and almost crushed the glass in his hand

He didn't like the way Yuseol looked at other people. Didn't like the comfort he gave to people who weren't him. But at the same time... he couldn't lower himself to go back to the way he was before. He was Ma Yuseong. He had self-respect, he had pride. Having confessed, having given his whole heart, he had to know when to let go if the other person kept ignoring him

Even though he really wanted to step forward, pull Yuseol away from his friends, and ask "do you remember that day?". But Ma Yuseong still gritted his teeth and endured. Because he knew - if he continued to follow Yuseol, the only one who would be hurt would be him

It was time for Yuseol to find him himself

If Yuseol also had some feelings for him - then now, he had to be the one to step forward. He wouldn't take the initiative anymore. He wouldn't let himself become a lovesick person who was overlooked

Ma Yuseong continued like that, continuing to "pretend to be blind and deaf". But his eyes were still unconsciously following that familiar figure. Just seeing Seol talking intimately with someone else made his heart feel like it was being squeezed, both hot and cold, both angry and... amused

"Do you really not understand, or are you pretending not to understand?"

He thought, and then smiled bitterly

But it's okay

The time will come when Yuseol will have to look at him. He won't take the initiative anymore. He is Ma Yuseong. If he wants to keep him, then the next step... must be Yuseol's

Yuseol realized something strange in his life

Ma Yuseong was no longer by his side like before. No more harmless teasing, no more quietly stuffing candy into his hand when he was sleepy in theory class. No more eyes following him as he absentmindedly walked around the schoolyard

Ma Yuseong... seemed to have disappeared from Yuseol's world

Not really disappeared - he was still there, just not facing him anymore

That feeling was uncomfortable. Empty. Suffocating. As if a familiar piece had suddenly been taken away, leaving an unfillable void

Yuseol knew he was the one who was wrong first

He had avoided him for a whole month. He had not been able to face that sudden kiss in the middle of the crowd that day - and the confession that he still hadn't responded to. It was him who pushed Ma Yuseong out without even looking at him

He clearly remembered Ma Yuseong's eyes at that time. He was silent for a moment, then immediately became indifferent as if nothing had happened

From then on, Ma Yuseong no longer actively sought him out

Yuseol tried to talk. But he passed him by as if he didn't see him. He tried to wait for him after school. But he walked straight away without looking back. He avoided him as if he was something annoying. As if... he really didn't want to see him

Yuseol clenched his fists. He didn't understand. Why did he feel so wronged? Why did the fact that Ma Yuseong didn't care anymore make him feel so empty?

It was clear that Ma Yuseong had always been the one who stuck to him before. Always saying some indecent things but hiding behind it was a gentle concern. Always appearing when Yuseol was most tired, saying "Let's go eat, I'll pay" and dragging him along like an indispensable habit

Now, without Ma Yuseong, Yuseol's days passed strangely. He still studied, still ate, still slept. But it was like something was missing

There were times when that deep voice would suddenly ring in his head - "I've finished my homework, you just need to copy it. But remember, next time you have to do it yourself, don't rely on me, understand?", "Don't fall asleep Yuseol, I won't always be there to support you when you sleep", "I know you're hungry so I bought some spicy food, including your favorite cheese Tonkatsu"

That voice... kept lingering in his head

Yuseol bit his lip

He didn't know when he started needing Ma Yuseong so much. Maybe... a long time ago. But he never realized it. Never admitted it. Until he was no longer there

In the empty room, there was only the sound of the wind blowing through the cracks of the window. The moonlight cast soft, cold streaks of light on the floor like water

Yuseol was practicing. He closed his eyes, trying to control each flow of magical power circulating through his fingertips. He was upgrading his Flash skill - a magic that required absolute concentration and extremely elaborate control

However... A ray of light flashed, then went out. His magical power was scattered

His eyes slowly turned to the sky, the moonlight tonight was so bright. The clouds had completely dispersed, leaving behind a space of pure, mind-blowing sky. The night wind blew in gently, cool, carrying the scent of flowers and grass from the garden below. Yuseol sighed, he raised his head to look out the window

The moon tonight was very beautiful. Bright, round, and strangely peaceful. The sky was full of stars, sparkling like silver dust falling from a distant galaxy. Too beautiful... so beautiful that it made his heart ache

Yuseol smiled faintly

In that beauty, he only felt... extremely lost

It had been weeks since Ma Yuseong had actively sought him out.

He used to be the person who always appeared whenever he felt tired, whether by accident or on purpose. He would tease him, would lightly touch his shoulder when passing by, would leave a small mint candy on the desk, and then casually say: "Did something bother you again? Tell me about it". Those little things, Yuseol used to think were just troubles. Now... he just wished to hear that voice again

He knew he was wrong. It was because he was too cowardly. It was because he avoided the sudden kiss in front of everyone. It was because he pushed Ma Yuseong away without mercy, without explanation, without the courage to look into his eyes

At that time, his heart was beating so hard that he couldn't hear any other sound. His face was red as if he had a fever. He was scared. He panicked

And he pushed Ma Yuseong out of his room, as a way to escape reality

Without a word

Without responding to that confession

He thought Ma Yuseong would understand, still patiently waiting for him. But now... he avoided him. Cold, indifferent as if they had never known each other. Yuseo was confused

Ma Yuseong... was he really angry with him?

Then... did he still love him?

That thought made him pause, his heart suddenly trembled. Yuseol unconsciously hugged his arms, as if he wanted to hold himself tight

What was he afraid of? Afraid that Ma Yuseong would stop loving him?

He pursed his lips, his cheeks suddenly burning. That was no different from admitting... that he loved him too........No, it couldn't be. He was a boy, a straight boy. He couldn't love another boy

That's right. He still had a mission, a mission to complete. He was a person from another world - a player. He had to reach the end, complete the mission, protect the key characters as the system requested. He also had to survive in this world. Yuseol once thought, just being alone was enough. Because he didn't belong here.

...But then there was Ma Yuseong.

Ma Yuseong, with the way he suddenly barged into his life. With his half-true, half-false jokes. With the way he sat quietly next to him, saying nothing, but always making him feel at ease. He didn't understand the burden he carried, but was always there whenever he felt tired. Just seeing him, he felt lighter, warmer. So, when Ma Yuseong was no longer there... He realized how lost he felt, how empty he felt.

Ma Yuseong... was really important to him.

But surely it wasn't because he loved him, right?

Yuseol sighed. He thought to himself. Then he silently looked out at the starry sky

He still didn't understand his own feelings

A "pop!" sound rang out in the quiet space. Yuseol jumped up, holding his forehead, his face grimacing

"It really hurts..."

He had just hit his head on the edge of the table because he was lost in thought while sleepy. A dull pain spread from the middle of his forehead, causing the corners of his eyes to slightly frown from the stinging pain

"Idiot" Yuseol cursed himself softly "Not being careful at all..."

If only Ma Yuseong were here... He would definitely rush over immediately, frowning and asking: "Why are you so stupid, does it hurt a lot?" Then he took the medicine and applied it on his forehead, mumbling lovingly and gently as if he were a fragile piece of glass

But he wasn't here

No one was sitting across from him, shaking their heads and laughing softly. No one forced him to drink hot milk when he stayed up all night practicing

Yuseol was alone, in the quiet room with the cold moonlight. He sighed heavily, leaning his head back against the chair. How could he reconcile with him?

He had avoided Ma Yuseong for a month - a month that seemed endless, and yet it had felt easy back then. He avoided him instinctively. Now, just one indifferent glance from Ma Yuseong... was enough to make him feel like he was abandoned

That feeling... was really unpleasant

Only now did he understand how painful it was to be ignored by someone he cared about. He also understood how heartless he had been. Yuseol raised his hand to his forehead, gently rubbing the still warm swelling

Just then, a thin light flashed through the window. A ray of light that seemed to cut through the night - fast, sharp, and brilliant - was a shooting star. A shooting star streaked across the sky, leaving a fading streak of light in the darkness like someone's hand gently stroking the sky. He knew that people often said that if you make a wish at that moment, it will come true. Yuseol never believed in that

But his heart... whispered a wish, and he couldn't stop it:

"I wish.... Ma Yuseong and I would be happy together forever"

As soon as that thought appeared, Yuseol was startled. He shook his head vigorously, his face burning:

"What is this..."

When did his heart deviate from its original orbit?

When did just thinking about Ma Yuseong make it ache and feel warm like this?

"I'm straight..." - He muttered, but it sounded weak

Yuseol ignored the messy thoughts, walked to the bed, and pulled the blanket up to his neck. The moon was still hanging outside the window, and the shooting star's light was now just a vague memory. He closed his eyes and whispered as if it was a promise:

"Tomorrow... I will find a way to talk to Ma Yuseong"