The month I spent in the hospital passed by faster than I had anticipated.

This was the longest I had ever been away from *Astra Online* since rediscovering the continent of Astra. Whenever I felt like anxiety would consume me, Chris's constant presence by my side kept those feelings at bay.

Being with Chris kept me from reverting to the way I used to be. In the same way that she had adventured with 'Rain' in *Astra Online*, she now held onto 'Lee Seulbi' in this world as well.

Together with Chris, I worked on overcoming the permanent disability that had become part of my life.

Through this hospitalization, I learned that spinal cord injuries have distinct stages. My body wasn’t completely paralyzed from the waist down—it was a lower level of damage than I had originally thought.

With rehabilitation training, I could at least improve my everyday life. Of course, this didn’t mean I would regain full function in my legs.

Still, I wasn’t the same person who once blocked out the world and didn’t care about anything. To keep living on the continent of Astra, I also needed to take care of my body in this reality.

After all, Rain and Lee Seulbi were intertwined, bound by fate.

Beimerung and Cherni’s occasional visits to my hospital room also brought me some joy. Their playful banter was quite entertaining. I hadn’t often seen them together in the game since they usually rotated shifts while running the bus service.

Even Deathmaster came to visit once. Though we had never actually run a dungeon together, the sharpness of his features made it clear that he was the fighter in Chris's party.

He told me he admired me and swore that one day, he would catch up to me.

Hmm, am I really someone deserving of that kind of respect?

An outsider in this strange world.

A presence that only disrupts the smooth running of things—someone whose existence wouldn’t matter if they were gone.

That nagging sense of disconnect from reality had always troubled me.

But lately, I’ve started to feel a bit of that reality here, even outside the continent of Astra.

The world around me is slowly regaining its colors.

**Buzz.**

"Finally, I’m getting discharged."

"It was suffocating."

I made a light complaint as I sat inside Chris’s car.

The continent of *Astra* was waiting for me.

Rain wanted to run wild.

Rain, just wait a little longer. Once I get home, I’ll set you free right away.

Rain needs to be happy for Lee Seulbi to be happy too.

And for that, I need to play *Astra Online*.

As I began to fill with anticipation for the world I would soon return to after a month away—

**Buzz.**

"Huh?"

Chris’s car suddenly started heading in a direction I didn’t recognize.

This road was clearly leading into the city center.

But I live on the outskirts of the city, in a slum. Why are we heading into the city?

A sense of unease began to creep over me.

"Chris... Where are we going?"

"We’re going to your house."

"But my house isn’t this way."

"Hehe."

Chris responded with a meaningful laugh.

Her smile made me feel dizzy.

Did I sign the wrong contract by mistake?

Was there some hidden clause I didn’t notice?

Am I about to be trapped in a capsule for 24 hours, used as a farming slave?

Stay sharp, Lee Seulbi.

The real world is far more dangerous than the continent of Astra.

Contracts, guarantees, debts—this world is full of traps.

You have to stay alert in this dangerous world.

Even though Chris has been kind and caring up until now, everything should be questioned repeatedly.

Maybe they fixed me up so they could use me for a long time because I’m valuable for earning gold.

But could I even escape?

I’ve already signed the contract, and my legs don’t work.

I tried to calm my racing heart and play up my uselessness.

"My body is weak, so I can’t work for long. If you overwork me, I’ll break down quickly, and the maintenance costs will be high."

"...? What are you talking about?"

Chris looked genuinely puzzled.

Her expression was one of true confusion.

Thankfully, it didn’t seem like the worst-case scenario.

"Phew."

I quietly let out a sigh of relief and placed my hand on my chest.

Chris’s car entered a high-end apartment complex.

"Wow."

This was my first time seeing such a luxurious apartment in person. Was this one of those "palace" something places people talk about?

The Han River was nearby. If I lived here, I’d be able to look down at the river from my window. So this was what they called a "Han River view" apartment?

Chris helped me out of the car and into my powered wheelchair.

**Whirr.**

I operated the wheelchair and followed Chris into the apartment.

We rode the large, spotless elevator up to one of the higher floors.

My mind was still full of questions.

Why had Chris brought me to a place like this?

I knew she was wealthy to some extent.

She must live in this apartment and had some reason to stop by before taking me home. That’s what I assumed.

**Beep.**

Standing in front of a large door, Chris manipulated the hologram hovering above it and brought me closer.

"Come here and put your eye near the screen."

"...?"

Though I was still confused, I obediently followed her instructions.

**Beep.**

[Iris scan completed.]

**Whirr.**

The sound of the door unlocking echoed through the hallway.

"From now on, you can open this door just by scanning your eye like that."

"Oh."

I guess that’s how modern door locks work. It was certainly different from the old-fashioned key lock system I had been using at home for decades.

It seemed to recognize a person’s iris and unlock the door based on that.

But why would Chris need to register my information for her apartment door? It’s not like I would ever be coming here alone.

"Wow..."

It was big. And spacious.

How many square meters was this place?

It must be over 100 square meters, including the parts I couldn’t see.

I couldn’t even take in the entire layout of the house at a glance. For someone with a limited range of movement like me, it was as vast as a playground.

The luxurious interior design and expansive space caught my eye.

As we entered further, a living room as large as several of my own tiny rooms combined came into view.

The ceiling was high. Through the large balcony windows, I could see tall buildings stretching into the distance. In front of the windows was a plush sofa.

There were modern art pieces on the walls. I don’t know much about art, but they looked expensive. In the center of the living room was a massive hologram system and audio setup. So this was the hologram TV of this era.

I marveled at the opulence of my surroundings.

Chris guided my wheelchair to the balcony.

The view of the Han River was breathtaking. The calm water flowed peacefully, and the bridges and skyscrapers beyond it painted a picture-perfect scene.

Even if I saved up gold for my entire life in *Astra Online*, could I ever afford a place like this?

My mouth hung open as I gazed at the Han River. Chris stood next to me, smiling brightly while holding onto the handles of my wheelchair.

If I had to sum up my thoughts in one sentence—

"An apartment like this must cost billions... Chris, you’re incredibly rich...."

"This is where you’ll be living from now on. Remember the contract said I’d take care of your housing?"

"...?"

For a moment, my mind went blank.

Did she say this was my home?

I quickly looked around. Everything was perfectly arranged with modern furniture and electronics—it was a real home.

"Huh...! Isn’t this *your* place, Chris?"

"This is my house. And starting today, it’s your house too."

Shaking my head, I cautiously wheeled myself backward.

"R-Rain!"

Chris rushed forward and grabbed my wheelchair.

"I-I’m sorry. My brain isn’t processing this properly."

I tried to collect my thoughts.

Chris’s house? My house?

Living together? In other words, cohabiting?

"Ah, goodbye! You don’t have to see me out! I’ll just take a taxi home!"

I hurriedly tried to operate the wheelchair to leave the apartment.

I needed to get back to my sanctuary.

**Whirr.**

But the wheels of my wheelchair spun uselessly in the air. Chris had lifted me and the wheelchair off the ground.

Wow, she’s strong.

Soon, she set the wheelchair down but scooped me up in her arms.

Trapped in Chris’s grasp, I closed my eyes tightly and resigned myself to being carried.

"Hehe."

Chris let out a strange laugh as she carried me somewhere.

"This is where you’ll be living. The penthouse layout is designed so that you can use it like two separate homes, one big and one small."

"Huh."

As we turned a corner, I saw a smaller living room than the one before, with a connected bedroom.

"It’s a waste for me to live here alone, isn’t it? I can’t even use half of this space properly. I promise to give you your privacy. You can live the same way you always have. Of course, if you’re okay with it, I might come visit your room! And you can visit mine too."

"Oh."

So it was more like a shared house arrangement. With this kind of separated structure, it didn’t feel as burdensome.

"Rain, I’m sorry I didn’t explain before bringing you here. But... would you stay here? In this place?"

Chris looked at

 me with a hint of nervousness in her eyes.

No matter how big this place was or how separate the spaces were, we’d still be close enough that I could hear her breathing.

It was practically living together.

But she promised to respect my privacy. She wouldn’t invade my personal space without my permission.

"If you collapse again, if something happens and I’m not there in time... the thought of that makes my heart tighten with fear."

Her anxious yet warm heart poured into me.

She wanted to protect me, to stay close.

Why? We were just friends from a game.

Why did she care about me this much?

Yet, as I felt her sincere kindness, any lingering doubts melted away like snow under the sun.

Though I was still a broken, useless person who couldn’t even take care of herself...

"If it’s okay for me to stay here like this."

If Chris could find happiness in caring for me...

If this could somehow lessen the weight of my emotional debt...

I looked up at Chris with a determined expression and nodded.

"I’ll be in your care."