Chapter 222 Forced Vacation for Overworking? Hot Spring Trip with Bronya and Seele!
After ending the call with Elysia, Su Mu put down his phone and sighed.
"Let's give Bronya some time. It's better if we pretend we don't know about this for now."
Seele nodded. she had also heard the entire conversation between Elysia and Bronya. What shocked her was how deeply Elysia understood Su Mu... in many ways, even more clearly than Seele herself. This somewhat answered the lingering doubts she had; previously, both she and "Veliona" had felt an invisible hand pushing Su Mu's romantic life from the shadows. Now the answer was clear: the person behind that hand was Elysia.
Looking back, during the early days of her meeting Su Mu, Elysia had always—intentionally or otherwise—assigned her tasks that kept her and Su Mu together. The questions in her heart were finally answered, but Seele felt a twinge of sadness. Although Elysia usually acted like a chaotic social butterfly, making outrageous comments and operating on an eccentric logic, she was unexpectedly popular in both work and daily life.
However, as a woman, Seele could clearly hear that when Elysia spoke of Su Mu's past, her tone wasn't as flippant as usual. Those weren't jokes; they were heartfelt truths.
"Could it be that Sister Elysia..." A thought surfaced in Seele's mind, making her heart tighten.
"Seele... Seele? What's wrong?" Su Mu looked at Seele with concern; she hadn't spoken for a while. Is she uneasy because of the Bronya situation?
"Ah... sorry, Brother Su Mu, I was just dazing off." Seele's face showed a shy smile. "We really owe Sister Elysia this time. Otherwise, Seele wouldn't know what to do..."
"Yeah, we should thank her properly next time."
"...Then, what should we do next?" Seele's question made Su Mu pause.
True. Although Elysia told them to pretend nothing happened and go have fun, both knew that after such an episode, they were in no mood for games.
"How about I take you back first?" Su Mu felt Seele was likely very confused and needed to sort out her feelings.
"Let's go to Brother Su Mu's house."
"...Mhm?"
"Seele wants to stay with Brother Su Mu right now."
"Alright." Su Mu didn't say anything more. No reasons were needed. To be honest, he wanted to be with her too. Aside from wanting her company, they were now essentially "accomplices."
...
Outside, the rain continued to fall. Drizzling, never-ending.
Su Mu lay on his apartment bed, staring at the ceiling in a daze. Seele's fair body leaned tightly against him, the warmth transmitted through their skin dispersing the chill of the cold rainy night. Neither spoke, simply cherishing the intimacy. The world was quiet. Aside from the sound of rain, only their heartbeats and breathing remained.
"Brother Su Mu."
"Mhm?" Seele broke the silence first.
"How much longer do you think days like this can last?" she stroked her abdomen, her face flushed like a peach. The warm sensation made her feel deeply satisfied.
"Why do you ask that?"
"Because soon, whether it's Brother Su Mu or Sister Bronya, a choice will have to be made, right?"
Su Mu went silent. He knew what Seele meant. Bronya knew the truth, and the choices before her were few. ...Knowing Seele's feelings and the sacrifices Seele made for her, Bronya would likely choose to withdraw silently. Both Su Mu and Seele tacitly assumed Bronya would do this. The reason was simple: she was Bronya, Seele's sister. No one in this world loved Seele more than she did. For Seele's happiness, Bronya wouldn't mind compromising herself.
Clearly, Seele knew this too. That was why she had previously asked Su Mu to pursue Bronya. she knew once her relationship with him was exposed, Bronya would back away. It was clear both of these "silly" sisters were people who would sacrifice themselves for the other's happiness. Seele asking this question meant she was already entertaining the thought of... sacrificing herself.
"Are you and Bronya both idiots?" Su Mu hugged Seele's body tightly. Some things had to be said out loud, or no one would understand.
"Do you remember what you told me that day? You said you wanted to teach me what love is... Seele, from that day on, you became the most important person to me. If not for you, I might still be alone..."
"How is that possible? Brother Su Mu is so excellent. If you wanted to..."
"But I didn't want to."
"Eh...?"
"As much as I hate to admit it, Elysia was right. From the moment I entered MiHoYo, the most important things in my heart were work and games. I didn't care about anything else. Romance never even crossed my mind."
"But, Brother Su Mu clearly has feelings for Sister Bronya too, right?"
"Even if two people have mutual feelings, it's not rare for them to not end up together. Before I met you, I actually thought I might be single for the rest of my life..."
This wasn't a lie. To Su Mu, this world felt like an absurd reality. He didn't belong here; he had always felt a faint sense of detachment. No sense of belonging, no identity... even the culture etched into his bones was different. Furthermore, he had no relatives in this world. He had no place to call home.
That was why Su Mu worked so hard. He frantically wanted to spread the games he brought from Blue Star, not just because he loved games, but because it was the proof he could leave behind—proof that the person named Su Mu had truly lived in this world. As for love, he hadn't considered it. After all, someone who feels like an outsider has a natural barrier with the "natives."
It's like being the only person with a superpower. At first, you're excited, doing things you never dared to do. But soon, the novelty fades. When you realize no one can punish you even if you do wrong, a deep loneliness follows. Su Mu was no different. Living two lives, his soul was different, and he carried a "system" found only in novels. Compared to others, he was the only one with a "superpower." At least, that's what he thought. He tried to find others like him but found nothing. He felt truly alone.
But everything changed that day. The girl named Seele barged into his world recklessly. she made him realize clearly that this world wasn't a hallucination or a fiction. It was reality. Before, his perception of Kiana, Bronya, and the others was based on the game from his past life. But from the moment the girl appeared before him, he knew. This wasn't a game. It wasn't an illusion. For him, right here and now, this was Su Mu's reality.
"Before I met Seele, I never thought I would be with anyone." Su Mu looked at Seele's face and couldn't help reaching out to stroke her cheek. "Seele, in my eyes, you were never cowardly or weak. You are the girl who gave me courage, warmth, and light. Just like you said, because of you, I understood what love is."
Seele's eyes sparkled. It reminded Su Mu of the stars in the sky. And those stars were right before him.
"So stop talking about leaving or giving up... regardless of anything, I want to be with you. I love you, Seele. Whatever happens, please stay by my side."
Seele's eyes widened, and the light in them turned into crystal tears that slid down onto Su Mu. Burning tears. These were words she had never heard before. This was a "confession" she had never received.
"I... I feel the same... Brother Su Mu, Seele loves you too." she rested her head on his chest, her tears soaking his shirt. "I've been waiting... waiting for the day Brother Su Mu would say those words to me personally."
What is liking, and what is love? Seele couldn't distinguish them before, but now she felt clearly that although they don't conflict, they are entirely different feelings.
"I won't talk about giving up anymore... from now on, whatever happens, Seele will face it with Brother Su Mu. Seele wants to stay by Brother Su Mu's side—"
Su Mu knew. This was Seele's true heart. Giving up and leaving were just lies told to compromise her true self. Her real thoughts, stripped of excuses and "common sense," were hidden deep inside.
—"Even if it's Sister Bronya, Seele will never let go."
The girl's voice wasn't loud, but it was the first time Su Mu heard such firm resolve from her.
"I will face Sister Bronya's situation with Brother Su Mu. Even if Sister Bronya hates me or scolds me, I will tell her exactly how I feel. Seele loves Brother Su Mu, and loves Sister Bronya too. Seele wants to be with you both forever. Until Sister Bronya agrees, Seele will keep asking, until she says yes!"
Su Mu reached out and flicked Seele's nose. "I'll be with Seele. until Bronya agrees, I won't give up either."
No more words were needed. Seele gazed lovingly at the man, leaned in, and kissed him. Su Mu held her waist and pressed her down. The kiss broke. Seele's fingers stroked Su Mu's face, her eyes filled with watery tenderness and love.
"Seele must be the happiest girl in the world right now, right? Let Seele feel even more happiness, Brother Su Mu—"
Su Mu nodded, holding Seele tightly, the two of them acting as if they wanted to melt into one another. The rain had stopped at some point. Tomorrow would likely be a sunny day.
Three days later.
When Bronya appeared at the office, many employees greeted her. Returning to her desk, Elysia leaned in with a mysterious smile.
"Welcome back from your trip! Bronya~ how were these past few days?"
Bronya knew she was asking about her decision. "You look much more refreshed. Have you made up your mind?"
Bronya nodded. In these three days, she had thought and reflected deeply. Some things had to be faced. Although it might hurt, Bronya felt she should have a proper talk with Su Mu and Seele.
"You didn't tell anyone about my situation, right? Especially Seele and Su Mu." Bronya asked Elysia again.
"Mhm? Does it matter?" Elysia looked confused. "hasn't Bronya already made up her mind? Then whether Su Mu and Seele know shouldn't be important anymore, right?"
Before Bronya could reply, the door burst open.
"Sister Bronya, welcome back~ ♪" Seele was wearing her light blue checkered skirt, the hem fluttering like a butterfly, cute and charming. "Eh? Sister Elysia, you're here too?"
Elysia nodded. "you two chat, Ellie suddenly remembered she has things to do, so I'll be going now~ ♪" she fled the office, seemingly afraid Bronya would ask more questions.
only Bronya and Seele remained. Bronya watched Seele; her gentle smile was just as usual. Elysia... didn't tell Seele? So Seele doesn't know what happened that night? Bronya felt confused, but mostly relieved. If she was the one to bring it up, her guilt might be lessened...
"Seele, I..."
she was about to start the topic, but Seele beat her to it.
"Sister Bronya! Look, what's this?" Seele held three tickets, placing them on Bronya's desk.
"Hot... Hot spring trip?" Bronya looked surprised.
"While you were away, a manager who collaborates with us visited and gave Brother Su Mu three tickets to Wuntang Town. He said the hot springs there are great and we should try them! Let's go together! Sister Bronya just got back from a trip, and according to company policy, you should rest for a few days, right? Brother Su Mu and I happen to have vacation too, so let's all go to Wuntang Town together!"
Looking at Seele's sparkling eyes, the words Bronya had prepared vanished. she couldn't say no to Seele, so she nodded. As for the "company policy vacation," that had to be followed. It was well known that two people at MiHoYo were the most "rebellious" when it came to taking time off. One was the acknowledged workaholic Su Mu; rumor had it his accrued paid leave was enough for six months...
The other was naturally Bronya. while not as extreme as Su Mu, she was a repeat offender for skipping vacations. The two VPs' "malicious refusal to vacation" had even been criticized at company meetings, and they had even been fined. President Kiana had issued repeated orders: Your body belongs to you, not the company! If you break your health, you'll suffer later! Take your leave and don't copy Bronya and Su Mu! These two are bad examples and must be disciplined!
Honestly, listening to President Kiana's decrees, the employees had a hard time not laughing. They were touched by the care, but seeing the workaholic Su Mu's "world is ending" expression when forced to stop working was just too much to handle. This time, Su Mu had been "administratively punished"; the company's anti-overwork meeting made him a primary example. After "fighting his case," he managed to compress a half-month forced leave into three days. If he wasn't allowed to make games, he really would go crazy.
Hearing this "miraculous" news, Bronya couldn't keep a straight face. "Paid leave is a joy for others, but for him, it's torture... sigh, I know Su Mu too well."
Bronya shook her head. This was for the best. she would use this trip to have a serious talk with Su Mu and Seele.
This matter needed a resolution.
END OF CHAPTER
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