If it would help me understand emotions better, then I wanted to make that child cry again.

The saying that it’s better to cry than to hold it in. If I saw it for myself, I might understand why that is better.

Moreover, this little girl seemed to be the most emotionally expressive person I had ever seen.

Observing her closely would surely be beneficial.

“Please give her to me.”

“You… are you crazy?”

In an instant, a comrade who had built a strong bond of camaraderie transformed into a villainous character desiring his sibling.

“I’m not crazy.”

“Don’t even call me ‘brother’ anymore. How dare you lay a hand on my family?”

Taerim firmly refused.

“I’m not ‘laying a hand’ on her. I will cherish your sister, make her cry and laugh.”

“What? You want to make my sister cry? Are you looking for a fight?”

“Didn’t you say it’s better to cry than to hold it in? I will help you with that.”

“Stop it now. I’m trying really hard not to beat you up. Just go to sleep.”

“I can’t sleep.”

“Oh, damn it. What kind of day thief asks for someone’s sibling like that?”

“It seems like you’re misunderstanding me. I simply meant to ask you to show me your sister. She’s just a 10-year-old girl, right?”

“Damn my luck for showing her to you. Forget everything you just saw. Completely. Don’t you dare approach my sister!”

Taerim growled, ready to strike. He seemed completely unresponsive to Donghwa’s words.

Donghwa just wanted to care for Taerim’s sister like Taerim does, but he didn’t understand why he wouldn’t show her.

It wasn’t romantic love, but more like wanting to buy her candy. It was baffling why Taerim was freaking out so much.

After all, she was the sister of Taerim, the most important person to Donghwa. He wouldn’t mistreat her.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that getting closer to Taerim’s family would make it easier to stick with Taerim.

“Understood? Answer me, Chae Donghwa. Did you understand?”

“I refuse.”

“What did you say?”

For days on end, Donghwa persistently asked to see Taerim’s sister, to which Taerim always flatly refused.

Then they encountered a group of monsters, and Donghwa proposed a one-sided bet during the chaos.

“Taerim, let’s see who can take down more monsters. If I win, show me your sister.”

“Are you still on about that? Get real.”

“Afraid you’ll lose?”

“Why would I lose to you?”

“Seems like you’re not confident. Then I’ll let you win.”

“No way! Fine, let’s do it! You’re unbelievable.”

And in the battle, Donghwa won by a slight margin, due to Taerim getting too excited and making small mistakes.

“Think again, Chae Donghwa. She’s not that cute anymore. You’ll be disappointed.”

“I’ve already decided. It doesn’t matter.”

“Damn, I’m going crazy.”

Eventually, they agreed to visit Taerim’s sister as soon as they got out of the dungeon.

But then, a guerrilla gate opened, and Taerim was sucked in and never returned.

Since then, Donghwa has been frantically searching for Taerim.

While searching for Taerim in the dungeon, he occasionally thought of his younger sister.

The postponed promise also came to mind.

He could ask Taerim’s father, Myunghyeon, but didn’t want to. If he met her that way, Taerim might get angry when he returned.

For some reason, he had been wary of meeting his sister. Taerim’s sister was important, but Taerim, the clue to his memory, was more crucial.

Over the 5 years, he almost forgot about Taerim’s sister until recently.

“No, you have to come. I have to do quests, receive buffs, earn coins, and…”

Watching Bom speak hastily, he wondered why the little girl came to mind.
The little girl who cried her eyes out, begging not to be left or abandoned.

“I’ve harvested a lot of fresh vegetables and prepared some great items. I even got a 3-second sleeping bag today. It’s an amazing item that can put you to sleep in just three seconds. Oh, and I’ll level up quickly to give you more buffs. Honestly, isn’t Spring Camping Site great?”

Bom didn’t have as expressive a face as Taerim’s sister, nor was she a child. Her hair was short, and she gave an impression of someone naive yet struggling hard.

But why did she come to mind?

Was it because she seemed to regret his leaving the campsite?

Or did it sound like she was imploring him to come back?

“Well, just… be careful not to get hurt… You’re my only customer… so…”

Her hesitant manner, running out of things to say, made him laugh.

“Yes. Of course, I’ll come back. I like it too.”

It was odd how she made all her points and then seemed to be awkwardly looking for approval, or perhaps it was a softer, warmer emotion.

Tender and gentle…

Whatever it was, at that moment, he wanted to grant Bom her wish. It felt like an instinct to be lenient towards something fragile.

“It’s complicated.”

Despite pondering deeply, Donghwa couldn’t quite pin down the emotion.

What was certain was that this feeling had reminded him of Taerim’s sister. There was a striking similarity in their vibes.

“It took me a while to find.”