Peep-peep!
Riceball poked Yoon Seo's skin with its beak, plucked at his hair with its claws, and flapped its wings in a frantic manner.
"Ouch, ouch. Riceball, stop."
Peep! Peep-peep!
"Ah, sorry. I'm sorry. I won't do it again."
Peep-peep-peep! Peep! Peep! Peep!
"Yeah, it's my fault."
Peep!
Riceball's cries were so sorrowful that Yoon Seo couldn't even resist. The little bird seemed to be crying out of sadness, frustration, and disappointment, continuing to attack Yoon Seo while tears streamed down its face.
Watching the beloved Yoon Seo become a mess, Kwon Jihan clapped.
"Nice job, Kwon Riceball! Well done! I couldn't do it, so you're delivering the punishment for me."
Despite being in the middle of this "punishment," Yoon Seo was curious and asked
"Why is it 'Kwon' Riceball?"
"When Hyung abandoned us, I had a long conversation with Riceball. It lasted 30 seconds."
"Thirty seconds…?"
"That's plenty of time for a long conversation."
"And how could you possibly have a conversation with Riceball?"
"In that moment, we were one."
Peep-peep!
Riceball let out a long cry, seemingly agreeing with Kwon Jihan, and continued to roughly mess up Yoon Seo's hair. As punishment for trying to give away the possessive and easily offended companion item to someone else, Yoon Seo had to sit there quietly.
***
After some time, when Riceball's punishment finally subsided, the two of them sat back down. Exhausted, Yoon Seo gazed at the beautiful scenery of the Milky Way, trying to calm his mind.
Riceball, with eyes full of resentment, seemed like it should be renamed to "King of Grudges" as it sat on Yoon Seo's lap. But instead of looking at the Milky Way, it was glaring straight at Yoon Seo. In an effort to appease the temperamental companion item, Yoon Seo continuously petted its head, neck, wings, belly, and tail. Riceball, still not fully over its sadness, occasionally let out a peep! peep! and poked Yoon Seo with its beak, prompting an immediate, "Oh, sorry. Sorry!" every time.
Kwon Jihan, who had been watching with satisfaction, spoke up.
"Oh, right. I met Domin hyung there."
"…What?"
"At the exit portal. He held me back so I couldn't leave, and he gave us a hint on how to clear the black dungeon. He also asked me to take good care of you."
Yoon Seo stared blankly at Kwon Jihan.
Seeing the dazed look on Yoon Seo's face, Kwon Jihan waited for him to finish processing his thoughts. A few minutes later, Yoon Seo blinked and asked,
"Domin… did what?"
"He held me back at the exit portal so I couldn't leave, and he gave us a hint on how to clear the black dungeon. Then he asked me to take good care of you."
Kwon Jihan repeated what he had said. He could've repeated it a thousand more times if Yoon Seo asked him to.
Tears welled up in Yoon Seo's wide, surprised brown eyes.
Kwon Jihan thought it looked a lot like when Riceball cried, tears pouring down.
But unlike Riceball, Yoon Seo didn't cry easily.
"I see… So…"
His voice sounded full of mixed emotions. Yoon Seo closed his eyes, taking a deep breath in and then out. Even in this moment, Riceball attacked him the second he stopped petting it, so in the end, Kwon Jihan stopped them with a "Let's continue later" (it wasn't "let's stop").
After a moment, Yoon Seo opened his eyes again, looking a bit more refreshed.
He didn't even look this relieved after passing the final gate…
Yoon Seo leaned back deeply in his chair, gazing at the Milky Way.
Now that the tutorial was over, the Gaia System was about to undergo a massive dungeon upgrade.
What would happen to Lee Domin's consciousness if he became a dungeon administrator?
Would he cease to exist?
Or…
"Should we watch 'Love in Han River' in the dungeon sometime?"
"Great idea. Let's bring a projector and binge-watch from the first episode to the last. But… won't that make Domin hyung feel left out?"
"No way. He'll enjoy watching with us. That guy is a huge fan of 'Love in Han River'…"
Yoon Seo blinked slowly, his vision blurring. He thought there wouldn't be another chance to see such a beautiful Milky Way with his own eyes, but now that everything was over, exhaustion finally settled in.
Although it wasn't the end, but rather the beginning, Yoon Seo thought, "It's finally over."
For the first time since his awakening… it felt like he had completed a very long mission.
His heart felt at ease. Riceball on his lap was warm… and Kwon Jihan's gaze was soft and tender.
Yoon Seo's eyelids grew heavier.
"…"
Watching him, Kwon Jihan thought he should let Yoon Seo sleep. But there was something he had to say before that, so he opened his mouth.
"Domin hyung recognized our relationship, right?"
"What relationship…?"
"We're now the official couple of the Great Dungeon. If anyone betrays, the Great Dungeon will punish them. And the punishment of the Great Dungeon? It's terrifying. We'll have to be together for life. Oh, and by the way, leaving someone behind and dying first is also considered betrayal. You have to live until I become the god of heroes and you become the god who protects me. Got it?"
"Mmm… whatever you say."
Yoon Seo yawned. Kwon Jihan chuckled and told him it was okay to sleep. Yoon Seo adjusted his posture and leaned his face against Kwon Jihan's shoulder. It was just the right height—comfortable.
As Yoon Seo hovered on the edge of sleep, Kwon Jihan whispered quietly,
"Can I tell people we're dating?"
"Let's keep it… a secret. I hate… all the noise…"
"Okay. Can I at least tell one person?"
"Do whatever you want…"
Yoon Seo answered easily, assuming that person would be Yoo Juncheol. He didn't realize until later that Kwon Jihan meant Tae Jaesik, but for now, Yoon Seo, unaware, leaned comfortably against him and closed his eyes.
A small beeping sound and soft voices came from somewhere.
"Since hyung is sleeping, let's save the punishment for later."
Is there nothing they won't punish?
Yoon Seo smiled faintly.
It was already November in Korea, the season for sweaters. He would make Kwon Jihan his 101st sweater. And when the snowy season came, they'd go up to Jirisan together. The snow-covered Jirisan was more beautiful than this universe. Before, it was beautiful but sad; now, when they returned, it would be beautiful and joyful. Yes. He would scatter Kangjin hyung's ashes over the snow-covered Jirisan.
Kwon Jihan reached out and clasped the hands resting on Yoon Seo's lap. As Yoon Seo drifted off to sleep, he intertwined his fingers with Kwon Jihan's.
He felt like he would dream of the events in the Great Dungeon. Domin would beg to watch a drama, and beside him, Kangjin would mess up his hair, telling him to stop talking about dramas. Uncle Hyungtae would grumble, and Rina noona would force them to work out. La Bijina would demand they call her "noona" with a smile, while Seohae hyung and Hyomi noona laughed nearby… A dream where many people were happy. Yoon Seo had a feeling it wouldn't be a nightmare anymore, and with that gentle smile on his face, he drifted into sleep. The warmth of Kwon Jihan's hand spread all the way to his heart.
***
Epilogue
"Is Chaeyoon asleep?"
"He didn't just fall asleep, he passed out."
"Oh, come on. Do you have to say it like that?"
"More importantly, why did you call us here?"
"Well, the reason I gathered everyone is… I'm sure you've all heard what he's been saying."
"Him? You mean Chaeyoon?"
"Yes. You heard what Chaeyoon said, right? He said once we get out of here, he's going to sort out his affairs and then immediately kill himself. He said he doesn't want to live anymore. Even if he survives here and returns to Earth, he's just going to die. A kid that young talking like that."
"Chaeyoon isn't a kid anymore."
"Still, he's the youngest to us… our only youngest now."
"I see where you're going with this. You're suggesting we implement 'that plan' you mentioned before, right?"
"You catch on quickly."
"Wait, what's 'that plan'? I haven't heard of it."
"If it's 'that plan,' I'm in favor. I'll take care of the meals. Who's in charge of where he'll sleep?"
"I'll handle the sleeping arrangements. I'll make sure he sleeps in a bed every night."
"Oh, you mean 'that plan.' In that case, I'll get him started on knitting."
"I'll have him exercise. Exercise is beneficial. People need to exercise. They need to keep exercising until they die."
"I'll have him play the piano. I'm still deciding whether to assign three difficult pieces or mix in some easier ones."
"I'll take care of the baking. You know, there aren't many things in this world where you get out exactly what you put in, but baking is one of them. People need to bake. They need to bake cookies until they die."
"Stop talking about cookies. I'm getting hungry."
"I could really go for some ice cream and cake right now. Maybe I'll ask him to eat a thousand ice cream cakes for me."
"That's not going to happen. It's bad for his health."
"Alright, then I'll take him on early morning fishing trips, which are good for both body and mind…"
"Don't you dare bother Chaeyoon with that."
"What do you mean bothering him? Fishing is filled with joy and sorrow. And you're one to talk—you're planning to make him climb one of the five toughest mountains in the country."
"What's wrong with hiking? There's nothing better for mental and physical well-being!"
"Alright, alright. It's fine if everyone's selling their wills, but let's respect each other's last wishes while we're at it. Respecting a will is basic decency for those leaving them. Oh, and nothing that's bad for his health, of course."
"That's right. And what's been mentioned so far isn't enough. Let's hear more. Let's organize them as creatively as possible, with no overlap."
"How about finding him a romantic partner?"
"Isn't that crossing a line? He'll handle that on his own."
"What about adopting a pet?"
"No, if we do that, Riceball will rip out all of Chaeyoon's hair and fly to the afterlife just to peck at us."
"Is online gaming okay? Once things settle down, I'd like to suggest he play some games."
"Games? Great idea. I'm on board."
"Then I'll leave a will for him to win a gold medal."
"Wait a minute, you're all thinking about this the wrong way. A will shouldn't be a one-time thing. It can't just be something that ends once it's done."
"Then what are you thinking?"
"Chewing at least 20 times before swallowing any food."
"…Do you actually dislike Chaeyoon?"
They engaged in a heated discussion, forgetting their exhaustion. Every so often, they didn't forget to check if Seo Chaeyoon was still sleeping well.
Seo Chaeyoon wasn't sleeping well. His brow was furrowed, as if he was having a nightmare. Occasionally, he let out soft groans.
But the reality was that they couldn't wake him.
Even if they woke him and put him back to sleep, he'd just have another nightmare.
Once Seo Chaeyoon woke up, they'd have to push him hard again, driving him into more battles.
The situation remained bleak. There was no sign of hope.
But one day…
One day, they wished their youngest would be able to have a peaceful sleep, dreaming of happiness.
With that hope in their hearts, they huddled together, brainstorming brilliant and ridiculous last wills to keep their youngest alive.