By Zephyria 0. Prologue
Virtual reality game ‘Blood Planet’.
I’ve currently become partners with ‘Shut Up’, a ‘Psychic’, as a ‘Guide’. But, was it a good decision to partner up with this guy?
As soon as I logged into the game today, Shut Up came running. Before I could even greet him, he grabbed both my cheeks, and just as my lower lip was being sucked and my lower lip felt numb, my upper lip was sucked just the same. His tongue somehow forced its way between my tightly shut lips.
“Hey, stop! Mmph!”
No matter how much I hit the back of the guy holding my face, he didn’t budge.
Beep beep—.
My Guide GG (Guide Gauge) kept rising, and his Psychic PG (Psychic Gauge) kept dropping.
In
Of course, the Stun Mode could be removed with paid items, but the price was high. Perhaps because of the large level gap between Shut Up and me, the gauges filled and dropped at a considerable speed.
When Shut Up’s PG dropped from 90 percent to about 60 percent, my GG rapidly rose from 0 percent to over 80 percent, and a warning beep beep— sounded. The screen border turned red, signaling urgency.
I was close to my limit in an instant. I frantically hit Shut Up’s back again, but he didn’t pull away, as if he intended to fill my GG completely.
Our lips were pressed together so tightly it felt like he was drinking my very breath, and finally, his tongue wrapped around mine before he pulled away with a smack. Gasping for breath, I checked and saw my GG had barely 1 percent left.
“……Hey. S-Seriously, are you only thinking of yourself? What about my GG? I’m out of breath, I’m going to get stunned. Haa, ha……”
“Oh, really?”
Then, Shut Up bent down, still holding my panting face, and lightly pecked my lips. “Smack.”
“See ya.”
<<‘SweetTouch’s’ GG is full. Switching to Stun Mode. Recharge time approximately 23 hours.>>
Eventually, the screen changed, and I was back at the character selection screen.
“Ah!! You!! Bastard!!”
Shut Up was getting revenge on me right now.
I shouldn’t have played this game.
Subways and buses were plastered with advertisements for this game.
I knew about the game too, but I was swamped with work after opening my real estate office two months ago.
‘A 1.5 million won access device?’
At first, everyone was taken aback by the price, but as photos of people using Blood Planet devices spread on various SNS, a craze erupted. Consequently, the initial release sold out in just 3 days, and a third round of pre-orders was underway. Since it’s important to get in early with new games, logging in for the third pre-order meant you were already falling behind.
Another reason Blood Planet became a hot topic was its brutal PK system, but also the fact that virtual sex was possible. The game, which raised moral questions about why sex was implemented, barely passed the game review committee.
On the TV in the bar where I was currently sitting, Blood Planet was being discussed like a hot potato. I was idly watching it while sharing soju with Sangcheol.
[When you wear the helmet, the game’s access device, it connects to your brainwaves, synchronizing you with the virtual world. Just like dreaming, isn’t it?]
[What’s so great about that? Isn’t enjoying sexual intercourse within a game itself promoting an anti-human society?]
[You’re too old-fashioned to think that way. Blood Planet only involves physical contact when necessary for the game system; it’s not a game that promotes sexual intercourse.]
[What do you mean it doesn’t? It’s stated in the game manual that if you don’t pay, you ultimately have to have sex with another player, isn’t it?]
[That only applies to heavy users. For most, simply holding hands with a partner or party member is enough for stabilization.]
The other person couldn’t hold back and shouted that it was a trash game, and one of the panelists shouted back to shut up, turning the studio into chaos. A staff member quickly rushed in and escorted the two people off-screen before things returned to normal.
“Hey, Duseon. Buy that from me for 1 million won.”
“What, the game console? Are you crazy?”
I used to enjoy playing games on my days off when I was an ordinary office worker before opening my real estate business. But now, even after opening my office, my income is meager, so I downed a shot of soju with a bitter taste.
“Don’t be like that, just buy it from me. My wife found out and told me to throw it away.”
“Then just give it to me.”
“Are you nuts? It hasn’t even been opened yet.”
I poured Sangcheol another drink, and we caught up on each other’s lives. Even as we talked, the debate on TV seemed to be heating up, with the panelists’ tones growing more aggressive.
“Oh? Hey! Long time no see.”
Just then, a familiar face approached our table. Like Sangcheol, this guy had been part of our group since childhood.
This last friend to arrive was ‘Hwanwoo’, the luckiest among us. Strangely, whenever we played games together, he was always the one to get rare items. Forgetting everything else, we raised our glasses, reminiscing about old times and catching up.
When the drinks ran out, Hwanwoo signaled for more. At that moment, something unusually shiny on his wrist caught my eye.
“Hey, that watch? No way?”
“Heh heh. You’re only noticing now? I really hit the jackpot this time.”
“What jackpot? Did you get a big bonus?”
Hwanwoo shook his head and smiled. He chuckled meaningfully at Sangcheol’s and my questions, then leaned in close, as if to tell us a secret.
“How I bought this. That thing.”
Sangcheol and I turned our heads in the direction Hwanwoo pointed. It was towards the TV, which had been discussing Blood Planet for a while.
“Ah, what is it.”
As I picked up a piece of carrot and took a bite, Hwanwoo once again rolled up his sleeve and insisted,
“I bought it by playing that game.”
“……What?”
Hwanwoo’s subsequent explanation was that he had purchased Blood Planet as soon as it was released and was now a B-class Psychic.
By sheer coincidence, he had defeated a low-level monster and obtained a magic scroll. It turned out to be [Relax], a Guide skill. Relax was an essential Guide skill, but its effect was so minimal that most players sold it after learning it.
This was because learning Relax prevented you from learning [Healing]. So, most people who started the game chose Healing over Relax.
The Relax skill allowed Guides to lower a Psychic’s berserk gauge without physical contact. Although it was an area-of-effect skill, its effect was not much greater than simply holding hands. Thus, it was often mocked, with people saying, ‘Was this skill just made to fill up a skill slot?’
However, as players reached higher levels, the necessity of Relax became increasingly apparent. If a Psychic’s berserk gauge was critically low, you couldn’t just stop fighting and hold hands in front of a monster, could you?
And there was another reason.
As Blood Planet’s addiction level warnings escalated from ‘warning’ to ‘danger,’ the drop rate for magic scrolls that lowered a Psychic’s PG became extremely low.
“The public is bashing BP like crazy. So, they patched it so that Relax scrolls hardly drop anymore, to alleviate the game’s addictiveness.”
“So, if that gauge or whatever fills up, you just have to log out of the game?”
“Yep. No matter how much you want to level up or hunt, you get stunned.”
Furthermore, the official website shop sold paid items to lower PG and GG levels or to remove the stun status. Meanwhile, the price of Relax scrolls skyrocketed, and Hwanwoo, who had forgotten about it and left it in his storage, had recently sold it to another user for cash.
“A single skill use is worth hundreds of thousands.”
I was truly envious. Then, Hwanwoo suddenly got up from our drinking session, saying he had to go because he had an appointment with his Guide, and left in a hurry.
“What, you’re leaving right after coming?”
When I said something, Hwanwoo paid at the counter and left. So, we just waved goodbye without a word.
Sangcheol and I finished our remaining drinks and got up. As we parted ways, Sangcheol slurred, “I’ll send the access device to your place, so receive it well.”
“Hey! I told you I don’t have money!”
“Get some ‘drops’ and pay me back, man.”
Sangcheol waved vaguely and disappeared into a taxi. After parting ways, I sat down on a bench at the bus stop.
Honk—!
Lost in thought while sitting at the bus stop, I was startled by the honk of a passing car and snapped back to reality. I sat there alone, blankly watching the buses and people go by. The world was moving busily, but I felt stuck and overwhelmed, as if I had stopped.
At this rate, I might have to close my real estate office within a year. Thoughts of doing delivery driving flashed by like passing cars.
The bus home arrived, and I got on. That bus, too, had an advertisement for Blood Planet plastered on it.
* * *
Four days later, Saturday, 11 AM.
Knock knock—. Ding dong—.
“Mr. Yuduseon, are you home? It’s a delivery.”
I woke up with a frown, having gone to bed at dawn after drinking the night before.
‘Ah, right. Sangcheol said he’d send that?’
With a sudden thought, I rushed to the front door and stubbed my big toe on the door frame.
“Ouch!”
I ended up sitting down against the wall, but with the persistent ding-donging, I yelled, “I’m coming out!” and hobbled on one foot to the front door. Normally, I’d leave a note asking the delivery person to leave packages at the door, but this was an expensive item, so I couldn’t.
“Mr. Yuduseon?”
“Yes, thank you.”
The box was about the size I could carry with both arms. I expected it to be much larger, thinking it was an access device, but it was surprisingly small.
After bringing the package inside, I unpacked it and checked the contents. It was completely unopened, just as it came. First, I sent Sangcheol a message saying I received it.
‘Hmm. Helmet, Gloves (joystick), Connector (access device control unit). Huh? Simple.’
The control unit was used for charging or changing device settings. I had imagined a large booth-like device to enter the virtual world, but the components were similar to a home video game console.
However, the usage was different. You had to sit in a comfortable chair. Once you put on the helmet, you couldn’t move your body until you logged out. Both your nervous system and brainwaves would be connected to the game.
“Does it feel like your soul is being sucked out?”
According to user reviews, you could feel the voices or touches of people around you, but you couldn’t move on your own. You could only control things with your fingers.
Before logging into the game, I sent Hwanwoo a text message. Seeing his reply come through during the game, it seemed possible to check phone messages even while playing.
[Did you get the access device?]
[Yeah, I’m about to log in. Should I go as a Psychic?]
[You’ll get wrecked if you come as a Psychic now. Make a Guide.]
[I don’t like being a healer.]
Hwanwoo advised that for someone like me, with little equipment and being a beginner, it was better to start as a Guide. It was easier to get carried and didn’t cost much money.
[You can make your main character a Guide and level up a Psychic alt. If you try to level up a Psychic now and buy equipment with real money, you’ll lose it all.]
[Lose it how?]
[Didn’t I tell you? Blood Planet has PK enabled on all servers. You drop items when you die.]
Wow, crazy.
I could see why people were so obsessed with leveling up. If you didn’t want to lose your items to others, you had to level up like crazy and become strong.
Hwanwoo’s advice was that since you’d get looted as a newbie anyway, you should come as a Guide, get on the good side of high-level players, and get carried. And if you did get looted, you wouldn’t lose any real-money items, which was a plus.
Honestly, the moment I heard about PK being enabled, I considered not playing. But since I got it for free, I decided to give it a try. Or I could just log out, I thought, as I connected one by one. I put on the glove joystick and finally the helmet.
As soon as I put on the helmet, a character with only an outline stood in a virtual space, and a prompt for customization appeared. I pressed the random button, and my body materialized as a male.
Even though it was random, a normal Korean male with black hair and black eyes was generated. I wanted to change it to female, but the button wasn’t activated.
<
When I tried to press it again, only a firm message appeared. Soon after, a voice within the game spoke.
<
As the words finished, two silhouettes stood before me. I reached out and touched each one, and descriptions flowed.
I had browsed the game forums, so I knew what a Guide was. I also knew that Guides and Psychics had to make physical contact, so I quickly understood why the character was generated based on my original gender. Even though this was a virtual world, the game’s skinship was praised on various communities for feeling realistic.
My goal was to level up a Guide, obtain items, equip them on my Psychic alt, and hunt for loot. Thinking about earning extra income like Hwanwoo and living happily made me hum a tune.
After selecting Guide, a field for entering a name appeared. I chose a name that would allow me to speak comfortably with people, even if I met them for the first time.
[SweetTouch]
Good.
I thought if I named it like this, female Psychics might feel comfortable talking to me. With a pounding heart, I pressed the login button.
<
As soon as I logged in, the bright light made me squint. I saw a bright land and a small village path. A guide message floated in the air, telling me to walk straight ahead, so I strolled leisurely as if walking down a country road.
“Hey! You bad guys!”
“……?”
Just then, a booming shout came from somewhere.
Looking in the direction of the scream, I saw people in flashy equipment beating up one person. Fortunately, the pain didn’t seem to be transmitted, as the person being beaten was cursing even as their limbs were being severed.
‘Whoa…….’
I froze, mouth agape, at the sight.
‘What the… I thought it was a real murder.’
It was a bizarre scene. Since it was a game, there were only slight blood-splattering motions around, so it wasn’t depicted too gruesomely, which was a relief.
As that user died, the severed limbs scattered around gradually disappeared. Once there was no trace left, the atmosphere returned to normal as if nothing had happened. And in the place where the user had disappeared, only a piece of ragged clothing remained.
“They’re a newbie, so not even anything to sell at the shop dropped.”
“It’s fun, so it’s not a crime.”
The two Psychics who killed the user stomped on the dropped items on the ground, destroying them. As the items vanished, they looked around for new prey.
“Hey, there’s one more over there.”
“New recruit!”
What are those crazy bastards?!
The two of them spotted me and charged at me like maniacs. Naturally, humans run when someone chases them. But with only a staff-like weapon and having just been created as a beginner, evading agile high-level players was nearly impossible.
They approached in an instant, surrounding me from both sides, and began beating me just like the user they had killed earlier. Fortunately, the pain wasn’t transmitted, but the punches flying towards the screen made my vision dart around.
Finally, the screen dropped to the ground. They had decapitated me.
<<‘SweetTouch’ has died. Some items have been lost, and the durability of unlost items has decreased.>>
I wanted to look around the black-and-white surroundings, but my head was detached from my body, and I couldn’t lift it. I reset and pressed the login button again.
But this time, as soon as the screen brightened, those guys from before started beating me. They waited where characters were summoned and killed everyone who appeared. After dying about twice, I even lost my beginner’s staff.
“Ah!! What the hell are these guys?!”
For now, I disconnected and took off my helmet. It was the first time I’d gotten this angry while playing a game in a while. How could they stand where newbies are generated and kill every single person who comes in?
‘Okay, let’s try one more time.’
As soon as the screen changed, I ran towards the town without fail, shouting loudly. In Blood Planet, if someone was within a certain range, their voice would be heard automatically, and you could turn it off in the settings if you didn’t like it. I screamed and pleaded with the Psychics chasing right behind me.
“Hey! Please don’t hit me! Please!!”
But, my neck was severed again, it seemed, as the screen abruptly dropped, and I saw pebbles on the ground before my eyes. As everything began to turn black and white, I desperately explained my situation in the chat window before exiting to the waiting screen.
[Kind Touch : Pls guys]
[ImSorry : Bye]
[WhatAreYouSorryFor : Bye2]
<<‘Kind Touch’ has died. Some items have been lost, and the durability of remaining items has decreased.>>
<
“Ah! I’m not playing! I’m not playing!”
Suddenly, I had a useless burden. Before lying down in bed, frustration welled up, and I sent a complaint email to customer service about this behavior.
The next day. I opened my real estate office and cleaned it. Feeling refreshed, I made a cup of coffee and composed myself. Not many customers came in the morning, so as soon as I turned on my PC, I went to the official Blood Planet homepage and logged in. I was hoping for a response.
And, as they claimed to operate a 24-hour customer service, a reply had indeed arrived. Unlike my one-page, densely written complaint, their response was a copy-paste macro message.
[Welcome, new traveler, to Blood Planet. Regarding your inquiry, please note that we cannot assist with the in-game voluntary PK system. We will strive to provide a fun and pleasant gaming environment at all times. We look forward to your continued patronage.]
“Ah! As soon as I log in, I get killed, and they want me to patronize them more.”
Since I had opened my office alone, I could shout like this. However, because I had opened it for cleaning, the owner of the hardware store next door, who was sweeping the front path, glanced inside. Feeling awkward, I stood up slightly and bowed my head. He clicked his tongue and shook his head.
To succeed in real estate, one must make a good impression on neighboring merchants and owners. It had only been two months since I opened, and I couldn’t afford to be treated like a lunatic, so I brought coffee to the hardware store owner.
The only person I had become friendly with while operating here was the owner of the hardware store next door. In reality, the other real estate agents nearby had shown their discomfort at another competitor entering the market. Like a duckling, I just stayed put, minding my own business.
‘But…….’
I saw a car parked in front of the office again. I was already struggling with no customers, and now this… It had been parked there consistently for the past two months.
“Seriously, why do they always park here?”
A black sports car sat squarely in front of my office, emitting a sinister gleam. As I approached the windshield to call and ask them to move it, the hardware store owner, who was sipping coffee beside me, gestured with his hand to leave it be.
“That car belongs to the building owner across the street.”
“Then you should definitely tell them to move it. Why park in front of someone else’s building when they have their own?”
“…Tsk tsk. You just opened your real estate office, didn’t you?”
His words meant: Right now, I needed to make a good impression on anyone, whether it was the landlord or customers. Was I willing to make an enemy over a parking issue like this?
“Hmm… You’re right, Owner.”
I quietly put my phone away and took the broom from the hardware store owner, sweeping the area in front of the office. Although it was behind the main street, there was a lot of foot traffic, so there were quite a few cigarette butts. As I was sweeping for a while, a lit cigarette butt fell at my feet.
“Huh?”
Judging by the angle it flew from, it seemed to have been thrown by a tall man wearing a hood. For a brief moment, our eyes met.
“Hey! Don’t throw that here.”
He looked at me without any reaction to my words and then opened the door of the black sports car in front of the office.
I was about to say more, but seeing him get into that car, I shut my mouth. A black hoodie and a black car. It exuded a bad vibe just by looking at it.
‘So the building owner was a young punk…’
He then drove off with a loud roar, kicking up dust. I figured he just parked anywhere because he was too lazy to go down to the basement… Parking such an expensive car carelessly on the street. I stomped out the cigarette butt he had thrown and lamented the unfairness of the world.
But, as the hardware store owner said, it was good I didn’t call. For that brief moment our eyes met, he didn’t look like someone who would move his car nicely.
‘He threw it, so why is he looking at me like that?’
Grumbling, I swept a few more times and then returned to the office, tidied up a bit, and started checking the properties I needed to broker.
Quite a few had already been contracted, which was tiring. The properties were cheap and good ones sold quickly, but the important thing was that it was difficult for customers to reach the front of the store.
“Am I going to starve to death at this rate?”
Yeah, in this situation, what game?
Sighing deeply after finishing checking the properties, it was around noon. After lunch, I ate ice cream from a nearby convenience store and fiddled with my phone. Then, I suddenly decided to call Hanwoo to complain about yesterday’s situation.
[Yeah. Did you play the game well yesterday?]
“I keep dying. Don’t you even check the message boards?”
[Ah, those sorry guys? They do that sometimes. They probably won’t be there today if you go.]
“Don’t do that, help me out. Just escort me to the town. PK isn’t allowed in town, right? I’ve lost all my gear and I’m only wearing underwear right now.”
I heard him burst into laughter over the phone. He laughed until he was out of breath and said he understood, telling me to log in around 9 PM.
Hanwoo’s character name was [ToTheLord], a truly trustworthy name. I wished my friend would send those two sorry guys to the Lord.
“I’ll call you later. Thanks!”
I returned to my office in a good mood.
The reason I opened a real estate office here was that the company I had worked for since the new year of my 28th birthday went bankrupt.
Since there were no job opportunities in the countryside, I came to Seoul and, relying solely on my real estate agent license, boldly opened a real estate office. I had a fantasy of working in Seoul, but another reason was a stalker.
And, a same-sex stalker at that.
It was when I was working a part-time job at home after finishing my military service. My house had a small yard, so I often hung laundry outside. One day, my underwear started disappearing.
“Mom! Where are my panties?”
“Where else? I hung them out to dry. While you’re in the yard, go get the blankets too.”
Then, hearing her nagging about washing my own underwear now that I was grown, I went to the yard.
As I gathered the blankets and draped the clothes over my arm, I moved back and forth along the clothesline, but strangely, only my underwear was missing. When I told my mom, who was trimming bean sprouts in the living room, that none of my underwear were visible, she looked bewildered.
“Why would anyone hide your panties? Stop talking nonsense and fold everything you brought in and put it in your room.”
My mom replied indifferently without even looking at the laundry I brought in.
But… it was truly strange.
I thought maybe they were stuck somewhere in the washing machine. It was a daily occurrence for one sock to go missing. I liked sexy patterns, so I only bought and wore colorful panties with cheetah and leopard prints, and I even theorized that cats or wild birds of prey might have taken them.
It became a monthly ritual to buy underwear whenever I got paid, while working part-time and then getting a job.
“Maybe… is it a girl you like who’s stealing them?”
What I said as a grumble one day sounded like a boast. Even my sneakers, which I had left out to dry in the yard, disappeared, only one at a time.
“No, if you’re going to take them, take both! What am I supposed to do with just one?”
Huffing and puffing, I made a loud noise in the yard while looking around. In case a woman who admired me was really listening. Ah, this popularity of mine, I thought, and I even bought more revealing underwear as more disappeared.
On the days when my underwear stopped disappearing, I even felt a subtle sense of disappointment. Two years later, at the age of 27, my life was the same.
Then one day, a package arrived.
When I first opened it, it contained only underwear. I wondered if I had ordered something online and unfolded it. Something sticky got on my hand.
And then, a familiar smell wafted up, and I got goosebumps. The smell of semen, which any man would recognize, emanated from the underwear. Checking the box again, it wasn’t a regular delivery; it was just a box with my name sticker on it. Someone had intentionally left it at my door.
Okay, I decided to dismiss it as a malicious prank. But… boxes kept arriving, about once a week, sometimes twice. I couldn’t say anything, fearing my mom might see them and be shocked. The animal-print underwear I always enjoyed wearing still had semen stains on them.
After receiving them consistently for three months, I suddenly realized how many of my underwear had been lost. It was too embarrassing to go to the police with these stained underwear and report being stalked by a man.
A few months later. When my company went bankrupt and I became unemployed, and I told my mom I was opening a real estate office in Seoul, she hid her disappointment, saying, ‘I hated doing your laundry, so it’s good.’
After coming to Seoul, I was able to rent a first-floor office space with a relatively low premium. Strangely, the packages stopped arriving when I moved to Seoul. I thought, perhaps he had given up on me, and felt relieved.
So, if I could just settle down here, everything would be fine, but as soon as I opened my real estate office, life felt tight. I put aside my thoughts of ‘what game?’ in this situation and decided to change my mindset to relieve my real-life stress.
“Let’s play some games to cheer up. Maybe get some good loot.”
Today, I will definitely reach the town!
“Perfect.”
As soon as I got off work, I finished all my chores, took a shower, and opened a can of beer. Now, if I enjoyed the game and went to bed, today’s schedule would be truly perfect.
“Yeah, the game isn’t the problem. The people in the game are the problem.”
Looking at the wall clock, it was almost 9 o’clock.
I sent Hanwoo a message.
[I’m logging in now]
[Ok]
I put on my glove joysticks and my helmet. Then, a warning message appeared on the login screen: <
I walked carefully and sat comfortably on the sofa where I had sat yesterday. Then, a message saying <
As if yesterday’s events were not a dream, my character held nothing in its hands. I had lost my beginner’s robe, so I was only wearing underwear. If I had lost the underwear item too… I didn’t want to think about it.
<
When I pressed login, the screen turned white, and a meadow appeared. Instinctively, I looked around, but the sorry guys from yesterday were nowhere to be seen.
I used the in-game whisper function to talk to Hanwoo.
[Kind Touch : Where are you?]
[ToTheLord : Dude, run run run]
“Huh? Run?”
BOOM—!
Just then, a sound of crashing and the ground splitting came from behind. Dust rose, and for a moment, the path on the ground was obscured. I ran in one direction, trying to get away from here.
“Ah, what the hell! What is it again!”
As I ran forward, I saw people talking in the regional chat window on the bottom left.
[Human : Popcorn time]
[ImSorry : F off, my spot]
[Shut Up : Shut up]
[WhatAreYouSorryFor : Are you crazy?]
[Shut Up : Be quiet]
Looking closer, it seemed like the guys who had massacred me yesterday were in a 2v2 PK with someone, and it was happening around here. Now, conversations were starting to appear not just in the regional chat but also in the general chat. But the absurd thing was that I was running towards the opposite side of town.
“Damn it!”
To go back towards town, I’d have to pass through that chaotic explosion zone… It was obvious I’d die just by brushing against it now.
[Kind Touch : What do I do?]
[ToTheLord : Wait for now]
I crouched and hid near a rock where no one would pass. However, the fight seemed to be escalating, and the area-of-effect skills were getting closer.
[Kind Touch : Hey, what’s going on? When can I pass?]
[ToTheLord : It looks like it won’t happen today. You’ll have to go somewhere else after these guys fight. I’ll help you again tomorrow.]
I didn’t have many options left. The path to town was in chaos with Psychics fighting.
Then, a good idea suddenly struck me.
“Won’t someone drop items when they die?”
Wearing only underwear, I got up reverently from behind the rock.
And well, what did I have to lose? I had only one item left to drop, my underwear, and no experience points. As they say, the desperate become brave; I crept towards the battlefield.
‘Wow…’
Hiding behind a large tree, I watched their fight. It was magnificent. The Psychics’ abilities were randomly assigned different attributes. Seeing the ground burn and lightning fly like spears, they looked like heroes from a movie.
‘If I pick up an item from a dead user there and quickly disconnect…?’
It wasn’t an impossible idea. What if I got caught while picking it up and died? I’d just die of embarrassment. What’s the big deal? They’d just think a beggar died trying something stupid, and it wouldn’t be a big deal.
‘It’s a game, what’s the harm?’
I approached, keeping my body as low as possible. Almost crawling, I moved between the pop! pop! sounds, when I saw a user kneeling on one knee some distance away, catching their breath.
The Psychic’s entire body flashed as if wrapped in lightning. Faint electric currents emanated from his body. It was threatening, as if I could die from electrocution just by brushing past. As I swallowed and watched, a giant pillar of water struck him from the sky. Like in reality, microcurrents flowed through the wet ground.
‘Ah, I almost died.’
I narrowly escaped death by crouching on a tree trunk. Looking at the spot where the water pillar had struck, the user who had been emitting electricity lay there.
<
And his status message appeared.
Where Shut Up’s body had been, a small ring lay. Thinking this was my chance, I ran, out of breath. Then, I put on the ring and quickly disconnected from the game.
Taking off my helmet, I blinked.
“Wow… What did I even pick up?”
Because as soon as I picked it up, it was automatically equipped, and suddenly my body was filled with vigor, and I felt strength surge through me.
I had ended the game too quickly to see the name of the ring. I put my helmet back on and checked my character status screen while in the login waiting state. I was completely naked except for a single ring equipped.
‘Ring of Noble Elf’s Breath.’
Looking at the stat bonuses, it seemed like a pretty good item.
[Ring of Noble Elf’s Breath]
▶ ATK (Attack Power) +100
▶ DEF (Physical Defense) +100
▶ MR (Magic Defense) +100
▶ DEX (Agility) +100
This was because my character’s stats were honestly all 1. Now, all of them had increased by 100, becoming 101.
However, there was one more stat on my character that I hadn’t seen before. [CH 100,000] I wondered what it was to be 100,000, and when I checked, it said ‘Charm.’ This wasn’t an ability added by the ring; it seemed to be a random stat assigned during character creation…
‘It’s not like I’m making a princess, what’s the point of charm?’
I ignored it, as it was a stat not needed for hunting. Still, I thought it might be helpful later to have this one thing, even if it was better than nothing.
And in the ring’s special ability slot, it read:
<
Indeed, next to the login button, another window allowing me to click on towns had appeared.
“Wow! This is awesome!”
What a windfall! I felt good thinking I wouldn’t have to see those apologetic guys anymore. The PK system was truly great. I could even get a nice ring like this!
Today, I decided not to log in for now. Because someone might have seen what I picked up earlier. I decided to move cautiously after checking the bulletin board to see if I had been captured.
I set my alarm for 4 AM before work tomorrow to log into the game and fell asleep.
However, I couldn’t wake up.
After showing a client around the office in the morning who came to see the monthly rent, I returned to my office and ate lunch nearby. It was a 6,000 won set meal, so there was no need to hesitate, and it was served generously like home-cooked meals. While wrapping rice in dried seaweed, Hanwoo called.
Hanwoo asked if I had logged out properly yesterday and offered to help today. I told him I’d call back after I finished eating and hung up. I poured some sikhye, which I could have for dessert, into a paper cup and called him back as I left.
“Hey, I hit the jackpot yesterday!”
[What, did you make it to town through that chaos? Wow, amazing. I barely got out after watching.]
“No, no. I got a ring from someone who died in PK yesterday?”
[A ring? What ring?]
“Something like an Elf’s…!”
[Wow… Was that you? What are you going to do with it after stealing it?]
“Steal what? I just picked it up off the ground.”
[That’s Shut Up’s. Hey, forget it. It’s better if you just look at the bulletin board than for me to explain. Go take a look. You’ll see why I’m saying this.]
I brushed it off, saying it wasn’t a big deal, but Hanwoo warned me, ‘If you really don’t want to quit the game, don’t mention picking it up, and absolutely don’t sell it now.’
What kind of item is this that you’re acting like this?
I returned to the office and sat down at my PC. Then, while drinking sikhye, I accessed the official website and checked the bulletin board. And, just as Hanwoo said, there was nothing but talk about the ring. The rice grains in my sikhye wouldn’t go down my throat.
[New] Who took Shut Up’s ring?
Whoever it is, if you get caught, you’re quitting lol
――――――――――
┗ Wasn’t that taken by their guild?
┗ – They all died
┗ They dropped it during PK, and you’re making a fuss about it?
┗ Nono, Shut Up asked a real-life friend to kill him because he was wearing PG. Someone stole it in the meantime.
┗ Guys, what ring should I wear at level 50?
┗ Isn’t the ring engraved? Why did you drop it?
┗ Engraved or not, they dropped everything, screw this broken game
I knew all about the situation they were discussing. And it seemed the ring was incredibly valuable.
[New] Price of that ring
I’ll buy it. For cash. 010-4725-5×××
――――――――――
┗ Isn’t this a scam? Shut Up?
┗ They didn’t mention the price
┗ At least 500, right?
……500?
My pupils trembled wildly as I read the last comment. That ‘500’ must mean 5 million won, not 500 won, right? And looking at other posts, I saw debates about whether the person who picked up the ring was a thief or not.
Amidst it all, there was also a post directly from the person who lost the ring.
[New] Looking for informant / Shut Up
Reward offered for information on Elsumban. Whisper me.
――――――――――
┗ If someone secretly buys and wears it, they’ll get ganged up on.
┗ How do you know if they’re wearing it or not?
┗ When you wear it, wings sometimes appear behind your back lol
As I scanned the bulletin board, a chill ran down my spine. Just as Hanwoo had said, if I had worn it without thinking, I would have been ganged up on and almost had the ring taken away.
‘Wings appear? Wow….’
Looking at the bulletin board, I got a general sense of the situation. Then, I checked to see where exactly that ring came from.
“……It drops randomly from one of 72 types of Hell Bosses. The weakest Hell Boss has a base rank of A. What’s mine?”
The Blood Planet homepage displayed the rankings for Psychics and Guides, which were divided into 5 tiers: S, A, B, C, and D. However, no matter how many pages I scrolled through the Guide rankings, my character wasn’t there.
Well, I figured, I’m only level 1, what kind of ranking would I have? So I closed the page. Then I searched for the user Shut Up’s rank. Since he wasn’t in rank A, I wondered, and in my disbelief, I checked the S rank… he was 5th.
“M-my god…”
My legs trembled as I started to grasp the situation.
What good is 5 million won? I can’t sell this ring, and if I wear it, I’ll be PK’d the moment I go to a hunting ground and drop it. Moreover, if I incur the wrath of someone like this, I can see myself being killed until I turn to dust. I thought I had just gotten great loot, but I wondered if I should transfer servers immediately.
However, the explanation for server transfers on the homepage stated that it was only possible from level 50, and it was even a paid item.
“Ah, what should I do…”
I considered creating a new character on a new server, but it felt like a waste to have obtained such a valuable item and then just bury it. Besides, I’d rather be somewhere with Hanwoo than start from scratch in a place where I knew no one.
As I weighed my options in my head, the office door opened.
“Excuse me… I’m here to look for a place to rent.”
Unconsciously, I quickly closed the bulletin board upon hearing the customer enter.
The date for paying three months’ rent was fast approaching. I couldn’t afford to worry about the situation in the game. My bank balance was truly dwindling.
“Please, have a seat.”
I had only ever had clients looking for residential leases, but this was the first time someone was looking for a commercial space. Moreover, for commercial clients, I could receive a separate commission for the premium, which was a great opportunity to earn a decent amount.
The important thing was whether there was a suitable location.
“You’re looking for a first-floor unit, right?”
“Yes. But the ones facing the main road have too high a premium… Do you happen to have anything in this back alley?”
“Hmm…”
There was one. Right across the street, on the first floor of that rude young man’s building, there was a place for rent.
The available spot and the market price for that place were almost the same. After finishing my calculations in my head, I asked them to wait and called the shop across the street. It seemed they were open, as I saw them wave and beckon me to come over.
“Would you like to go see it yourself?”
“Ah, yes. That would be great.”
I left the office, guiding the customer. As expected, a black sports car was parked in front of the office again. But that wasn’t the priority right now. I entered the first-floor unit across the street with the customer and looked around the interior.
“Hmm. The size is decent. The premium too. When are you vacating the shop?”
“The sooner, the better for me. The building owner has already told me to leave as soon as possible if I want to.”
I had a good feeling. Everything was falling into place so smoothly. My heart pounded as if the contract signing was just around the corner. And I smiled contentedly, listening to them discuss the premium.
“So, are you planning to open a clothing store?”
“No. I want to open a tteokbokki franchise.”
The shop owner tilted his head, looking puzzled, as he overheard our conversation. Something felt strangely off.
“Why is that?”
“Um… Yesterday, someone came looking to open a sandwich shop… but the building owner here dislikes food establishments on the first floor. He lives upstairs himself.”
“Haha, it’s not like it’s a barbecue restaurant… it’s a sandwich shop…”
“Exactly.”
The shop owner also sighed, looking troubled. He must have been anxious to leave as soon as possible to pay less rent.
“I’ll meet him directly and talk to him.”
“…It might be better not to…”
Seeing the shop owner reach out to stop me, I could roughly gauge the building owner’s personality. He seemed unreasonable and difficult to communicate with. Since it was something that needed to be discussed with the building owner, I took his contact information and sent the customer away.
‘The Elsumban isn’t the problem right now… This month’s rent depends on this.’
Looking at the building owner’s contact information I received from the shop owner, I composed myself. Then, I called him from the office phone. After a few rings, I heard a call-rejected tone.
‘Huh?’
Well, it made sense, calling from an unknown number. Still, I called again.
He didn’t answer again.
This time, I called his mobile. The number I had applied for as a secondary number when I opened my real estate business. I didn’t want to reveal my consistently used personal number for business.
‘Please pick up. Just once!’
[……Hello.]
His voice was low and resonant, as if calling from a cave. He sounded like he had just woken up. It perfectly matched his appearance when we briefly met. A dark, unpleasant low tone.
“Hello. This is the real estate office across the street. I’m calling about the first-floor shop contract. Is it possible to talk for a moment?”
[…….]
“If you’re tired right now, I can call back later…”
[No.]
Huh?
And the call ended. His voice showed no hint of regret. He was turning down a deal involving a premium.
These days, there’s a ‘Premium Protection Credit Insurance’ that allows tenants to recover their premium even after their lease expires. If he prevents the next tenant from moving in without a significant reason, he could be sued by the insurance company. If the lease were to continue, there would be no problem, but from the building owner’s perspective of collecting rent, it was better to replace a failing business with another one.
After agonizing for about five minutes, my legs trembling, I called again. Now, he wasn’t answering at all. What was I supposed to do if he ignored both the office phone and my mobile?
“Ah! What a rude bastard.”
He looked much younger than me. People who live comfortably thanks to their parents are inherently flawed from birth.
‘Well, he wouldn’t understand the feelings of a desperate commoner unless he’s experienced hardship.’
Perhaps this is why people build up their presence in games. It becomes a breakthrough to relieve the self-loathing felt from such unfair realities by leveling up.
Ah, but in my current situation, whether in reality or in the game, I was equally pathetic. I should have just kept my office job. Getting caught up with a pervert… I might not have been able to say a word if I had met him.
Of course, besides this escape, I also had ambitions to succeed in Seoul. I had scoffed at the saying, ‘Even if it’s dirty, a salaried worker is the happiest,’ when everyone else said it before starting their own businesses. When I put up the real estate sign, I was so pleased to be called ‘President’ that I dreamed big, thinking I was finally turning my life around.
‘I even boasted back then that I would open a branch in Yeouido…’
I desperately needed the commission from the shop across the street, as the next few months were uncertain. If I could just get that, I could live comfortably for a while.
‘I have to meet him, no matter what.’
I picked up my mobile again. And sent a message.
“……”
That building owner guy is sitting in my office right now.
When I first met him, he had his hood pulled up, but now his hair is casually swept back, and he’s crossing his legs on the sofa. And how did I get him to come here… I lied and said I scratched his car.
“I… I’m truly sorry to have to meet you like this, but…”
“You’re unbelievable.”
Every time his tightly closed lips opened, it felt like he was holding dry ice, and frost seemed to form around us. His vocal cords weren’t like a psychopath’s tunnel, but even a small voice echoed loudly, filling the office.
He seemed utterly devoid of any human warmth. It’s not easy to be so completely disliked… His voice, like a mute with its mouth full, filled the office.
I just kept my mouth shut and pushed the drinks in front of him with both hands. He held his head high, looked down at them with his eyes, then stretched out his long arm and snatched the drink.
He was tall, so his arms were long too. His hands were also huge. It was a glass bottle drink I bought as a 2+1 deal at a convenience store, but when he picked it up, it looked like a health drink sold at a pharmacy.
He chugged the drink in one go and slammed it down on the table with a loud tak!
“About the first floor across the street. How about that shop as a tteokbokki place—”
“No.”
“It won’t smell up the place. Plus, it’s a franchise, so it’ll be managed cleanly. Don’t you eat tteokbokki usually? How convenient is it to have a tteokbokki shop on the first floor when you want to buy a late-night snack?”
I saw him start to lean forward, as if he didn’t want to talk anymore. I grabbed his arm and clung to him.
“If it smells, I’ll take responsibility. Okay?”
He seemed to dislike my words and tried to push me away with his other hand. He was big, but I was even more surprised when I saw his hand engulf mine.
How big does one have to be to engulf an adult male’s hand so easily? From the wrist to the fingertips, maybe 20 centimeters? No, now is not the time to be admiring his large hands. As he tried to pull away, I made my final plea.
“I’ll manage the building! Please! I’ll even clean the stairs! I’ll sweep the front of the building every single day! You saw it the other day, right? Ah, and I’ll keep an eye out for who’s damaging the vehicles too! Errands, I’ll run errands too!”
It was practically a slave contract.
But in a way, what I was offering were just minor tasks. In these quiet times, these things were nothing. I was just flattering him to meet the building owner’s expectations.
“Errands?”
However, the last words seemed to have an effect, as he asked again. Doing errands for a young man like him was truly humiliating… but what else could errands be? Buying cigarettes or something. What else could there be?
I nodded, giving a strong sign of affirmation. Like the dog doll on my dad’s dashboard back in the day.
“Fine.”
“Huh?”
I couldn’t believe this worked. It actually worked, begging like this after throwing away my last shred of pride! I couldn’t hide the smile spreading across my lips. Finally, I was going to make a contract!
“Then, is today okay?”
To my question, he nodded just once. I asked him to wait a moment and called the customer who had been about to sign the contract earlier.
That day, the contract was completed smoothly, and the commission fee was deposited into my account. I was smiling contentedly as I looked at my balance on my phone. Usually, the office closes at 7 PM, but that day, because a working professional client came, I could close up around 8 PM after showing them a rental apartment.
As I locked the office door, entered the security code, and turned around, my phone rang.
“Hello?”
[Yuduseon. Bring the shopping bag from the car.]
The guy, who was five years younger than me, called me Yuduseon. Even though I was a CEO, I felt a bit hurt to be called by my name.
When I signed the contract earlier, I saw his resident registration number. I had thought he would be younger than me, but I hadn’t realized he was so young given his tall stature and build.
Thinking that I had pleaded with someone five years younger than me, holding onto his arm, made my heart ache. But now, he was giving me my first errand. Calling me Yuduseon. He must have seen my name written on the contract, as he was calling me that.
However, I hadn’t even had the commission fee in my account for ten minutes, so I couldn’t lose my bright smile.
“Yes, I will.”
I looked up at the top floor of the building across the street. A silhouette approached the window, and then the car’s hazard lights blinked and turned off.
When I opened the passenger seat, I saw a shopping bag with a luxury brand logo. I expected the interior to smell of stale cigarette smoke, but it only had a refreshing woody scent. I roughly grabbed the shopping bag and slammed the car door shut as hard as I could. Then, as I entered the building entrance, the car’s lights flashed again.
I entered the building and took the elevator to the top floor, the 7th floor. Arriving on the 7th floor and stepping out, I saw a single front door right in front of me. Looking left and right, there was only that one door in the wide hallway.
‘Wow… He’s using the entire floor by himself.’
While I was looking around, the door suddenly opened from inside before I could even press the doorbell.
“Here, this…”
Then, only an arm came out from inside and snatched the shopping bag. And the door slammed shut.
Seriously. Was saying thank you, or good job, that difficult? Well, if words were that hard, he should have come out properly to receive it. Even a delivery person wouldn’t receive it like this.
‘What kind of personality is this? Tsk.’
As I grumbled under my breath so he wouldn’t hear, the elevator that had gone down to the first floor came back up. Still, I had secured one contract today, and it would be perfect to go home and play the game.
‘And I also picked up the Elsumban, a jackpot item.’
As they say, life is unpredictable. Whether in games or in reality, things were going so smoothly all at once. I was on the path to happiness now, humming a tune.
“Okay, first, when you arrive in town, take off the ring.”
Welcome to Blood Planet.
After returning home, I put on my helmet with a determined heart.
“Welcome to Blood Planet.”
After practicing the key to open the status window several times, I took a deep breath. I looked at the character login screen, praying no one would notice me. Then, I selected [Adventurer’s Village] as the village to log into and, with a pounding heart, I moved my finger and logged in.
“Moving to ‘Adventurer’s Village’.”
The screen brightened, and the village scenery appeared in an instant. I quickly opened my status window to take off my ring… I was trying to take off my ring when someone shouted from behind me. The voice was clear, as if from a nearby user.
“Wow! Angel wings!”
‘Ah!! What do I do!’
I took off the ring and ran towards a dark alley in the village. The person who had shouted at me seemed to have moved further away, as their voice soon faded. Panting, I sat down in a corner and looked at the local chat window, where everyone was talking about Elsumban.
[Irokeiroke: I just saw angel wings]
[KingOfKing: Where?]
[KoreaGoldExchange: Gold farm 100:1]
[Irokeiroke: Newbie in Adventurer’s Village appeared with wings]
[Irokeiroke: Huh? Shut Up just sent me a message]
[qwerqwer1: Popping popcorn]
Fortunately, my name wasn’t mentioned. It seemed the user from earlier only saw the angel wings and not my name.
‘Ah… Thank goodness.’
If I stayed here, more people might gather, so I decided to just disconnect and pressed the [Game Exit] button.
“…Huh? Why isn’t it working? Why won’t the game exit?”
Flustered, I spoke aloud without realizing it.
In the game, speaking aloud could be heard by people nearby, so I had to keep my voice down as much as possible. You could mute yourself by checking a box, but as a beginner, I didn’t know how to do that.
When I opened the system window to see why it wasn’t exiting, I found that someone was trying to trade with me. Not knowing how to accept a trade, I grumbled, “What’s this now?” when a low voice came from behind me.
“Hey.”
Startled by the deep, low voice that seemed to pierce through to the Earth’s core, I flinched. I wondered if he had heard me talking to myself, so I crouched down and only turned my head back.
“Hand it over.”
“Huh? …W-What?”
As he took a step closer, I quickly realized who it was.
It was the user I had killed with a water attack earlier. “[Shut Up]” was written above his head. It seemed like there were some flashing titles next to it, but right now, all I could see were his fierce eyes.
“The ring. Hand it over.”
“I-I don’t know anything!”
I had clearly taken the ring off, so why was he looking for it from me? How could he know I had it…
Panicked, I looked around, and my reflection in the shop window showed me wearing only underwear. The problem was, even after taking off the ring, the wings on my back unfurled and disappeared. The soft feathers vanished like a hologram at my feet.
“…”
It was supposed to be that the wings would disappear when unequipped, but it seemed like a bug or a buff was still active as I moved into the village. Early games were always full of bugs.
I tried to press the game exit button while Shut Up was distracted, but the trade window kept flashing, preventing me from doing so. Not being able to disconnect because of the trade also felt like a bug.
“Open the trade.”
“N-No! It’s mine! I picked it up!”
I didn’t know Shut Up’s age, but since he was a high-level player, I instinctively used polite language.
This item was dropped on a PK server, so where was the original owner? I felt truly wronged. Even if I just found it lying around, I was the owner now.
As the sound of our conversation grew louder, murmurs from the surroundings increased. Most people were chuckling. Looking at the local chat, everyone was in an uproar, discussing the argument between a newbie and Shut Up over Elsumban.
Since so many people were logging into this area, those who couldn’t get through started using shout chat. Listening to the bystanders’ comments, it seemed like the support for Shut Up and me was split almost evenly.
“Isn’t Shut Up being a bit unreasonable? He dropped it himself and now he’s asking for it back?”
A user named [Human] was taking my side. At that remark, Shut Up turned around and yelled at him to shut up.
He only said what suited his name. Human, too, spoke very humanly. It was scientifically proven that character names came from basic character traits.
In the end, Shut Up couldn’t contain his anger and summoned lightning into his hand. What good would that do? All combat was useless in this village. It just flashed and made sound effects, causing no harm.
“Excuse me. It’s blinding, please stop.”
“Hey. If you want to play the game properly, make the right choice.”
“No, then give me money! I don’t even have any items. I was killed as soon as I entered, so I dropped all my beginner items, and if you take this away too, how am I supposed to play!”
Actually, I had no reason to blame Shut Up for that. He hadn’t killed me and taken my items, yet I was venting my beginner’s frustration on him. I muttered to myself, ‘They left me with just one pair of underwear, why couldn’t they at least make it leopard print instead of this plain white pair?’
At that moment, the onlookers who saw me complaining in just my underwear started taking out items from their inventory and dropping them on the ground. I walked past Shut Up, who was glaring at me, and began picking up the items on the floor one by one. As I picked them up, I didn’t forget to say, “Ah, thank you. May you be blessed.”
I picked up everything, potions, armor, weapons, without missing a single item. If I picked up everything, even junk items, and sold them at the shop, it would be a decent start.
Seeing me meticulously picking up everything off the ground, Shut Up sighed. Human, watching him, approached and spoke to him.
“You give something too. Then Kind Touch will return Elsumban to you.”
“It was mine originally.”
“Does that argument hold up on a PK server? Didn’t you take items from other players you killed? Do you want them all back?”
Their conversation was as casual as if they were real friends.
As I equipped the items I had picked up one by one, I chimed in with Human’s words, “Right, right.” The surrounding users began to whisper about the ring’s price. They were having their own auction, discussing how much they would pay to get it back from the newbie.
“Follow me.”
Perhaps annoyed by the surrounding noise, Shut Up told me to follow him.
Ignoring Shut Up’s words, I was checking my character’s status window, which now looked quite like an adventurer’s. Someone must have given me enhancement items, as there were many plus signs.
“Ah— The world is still warm.”
“Shut up and follow me.”
“I’m not going outside the village!”
Seeing my wary expression, Shut Up briefly replied that we were going to the guild room. When I stopped walking, still unsure if we were really going to the guild room, Human approached.
“Shut Up enjoys slaughter, but he doesn’t lie, so don’t worry.”
Human was a kind Psychic who had been on my side since earlier. If I had been a female Guide, I could have partnered with a Psychic like him and achieved great success.
After walking a short distance, we came to a portal. The guild mansion could be accessed by taking a portal from the village. However, not just anyone could enter.
“Juna, let me join the guild again.”
Human must have been a guild member of Shut Up’s before, as a mark immediately appeared above his head. Then it was my turn. Shut Up came close.
“‘Shut Up’ has invited you to the guild. Do you accept? [Accept / Decline]”
I pressed [Accept]. The same guild mark as theirs appeared above my head.
Shut Up didn’t say much as he sent the guild invitation and then entered without a word. The guild name [Silence] appeared above our heads. Stepping onto the shimmering platform like them, the screen soon transitioned, and we entered the guild house.
“The guild storage is on the second floor. Let’s go up.”
“But, can I also speak informally…?”
“Your age?”
They had spoken informally to me without asking my age, but when I tried to speak informally, they asked my age first.
“I’m 28.”
“Hyung, speak informally.”
“By the way, how old is Shut Up?”
“Us? 23. Ah, Shut Up and I are real-life friends.”
“…Ridiculous.”
As if he heard my muttering, Shut Up came closer, pointed at my mouth, and said, “Your mouth,” before leading me somewhere. It seemed character stats were everything in the game. As the high-level player pulled me along, I, a low-level player, was dragged along like a paper doll.
“Choose.”
Shut Up gestured with his head, pointing somewhere.
The place he brought me to was a storage room lined with weapons and items. Shiny objects were placed all over the floor and walls. When I got close and touched them with my palm, they were exclusive items for Guides. From weapons to armor and accessories, there was nothing missing.
“Take as much as the ring is worth. Then, no complaints, right?”
As I gulped and reached for the items, I heard Human chuckle softly from behind me.
‘…Is this a scam?’
My social life had developed this kind of intuition. When someone says, “I’m giving this to you at a loss,” I should be suspicious from the start. In this day and age, people don’t even give their siblings the last piece of chicken. Therefore, it means people don’t do business at a loss for others.
“Not really. Not this kind of thing.”
I replied indifferently for now.
In truth, the items here were incredibly tempting. A cloak emitting such a red light. If I wore that, I might meet a nice Psychic girl, right? People even got married through games these days, such useless thoughts continued to flow as Shut Up suddenly slammed the storage door shut!
Startled by his abrupt action, I looked up at him.
“Then, what?”
Shut Up’s eyes were filled with genuine annoyance. As if he used electricity, his eyes seemed to spark as if electricity was about to come out.
“Um… I’ll think about it.”
It wasn’t because I was intimidated by someone five years younger. In games, the higher level is always the elder. Rolling my eyes, I uselessly looked around when a whisper panel appeared in the upper left corner.
I thought it was Hanwoo, but it was from Human. I wondered why he was whispering when he was right next to me.
[Human: Definitely ask to be partners. As a Guide, you’ll level up quickly by catching Psychics like him.]
[Human: Don’t reply, just insist on not being partners if not.]
Hmm…
Pretending to be distracted, I checked the whisper. Looking at it, I realized that opportunities to get help from such high-level players were rare.
This might be my chance.
Guides can hunt monsters much lower than their level, and each kill fills their gauge just like Psychics. Hunting alone is inefficient, and their area-of-effect magic is only supplementary compared to Psychics, so it’s always more efficient to party up with a Psychic.
Therefore, hunting a top-ranked Psychic like this would allow me to level up quickly.
“Hey, Shut Up.”
Shut Up crossed his arms and tilted his head as if to say, “Speak.” Meeting his condescending gaze looking down at me, I demanded confidently.
“Be my partner. I’m a Guide.”
“…Seriously? I don’t hold back when I Link.”
He asked again if I regretted it, but I just nodded repeatedly instead of answering and demanded confidently.
Then, Shut Up clenched and unclenched his fist several times, emitting electricity. I heard a crackling, burning sound. But he kept exerting force while repeating this.
“What are you doing? Are you threatening me?”
Seeing that, I stepped back, and Human, who was next to me, explained in detail.
“He’s filling his gauge. Trying to match. To see if you two can Link.”
“Ah.”
“But if the matching rate is below 50%, being partners isn’t very useful, you know that?”
I didn’t understand everything Human was explaining, but I nodded. I stood there with a determined expression, but Shut Up, looking at me, just looked annoyed.
“I won’t accept even if it’s below 70%. Got it?”
“Got it, so hurry up with whatever matching thing you’re doing.”
Well, what’s the worst that could happen? If the percentage came out below 70%, I planned to take everything shiny from that storage room, worth the price of the ring.
“Done.”
After a short while, Shut Up slowly approached me. Then, a notification message appeared in the center of the screen.
“The opposing Psychic ‘Shut Up’ has proposed a match. [Accept / Decline]”
Wondering if I should really accept this, I looked at Human, and he gave me an OK signal with his finger.
Alright, Shut Up isn’t a liar, so I trusted him and pressed [Accept]. As the text in the center was cleared, I saw Shut Up, who was facing me. Then, he suddenly clasped my hands together.
‘His hands are big. Just like that guy’s.’
I heard the countdown voice, and during that time, Shut Up and I made eye contact. I was annoyed that Psychics were always taller than Guides. He arrogantly rolled his eyes, looking down at me. Not to be outdone, I tilted my chin up as much as possible to match his eye level.
“…3. 2. 1.”
As soon as the countdown ended, the hands we were holding were roughly pulled away. Being partners with a guy like that, honestly, I was against it. Neither Shut Up nor I seemed to have high expectations. We just looked away in different directions, waiting for the results.
“Matching Results.”
At that moment, large text appeared in the center of the screen. Suddenly, the text changed into numbers and began to rise.
Around 40%, I heard Shut Up scoff, “Oh, really.” When it passed 50%, I thought, ‘Is everyone getting over 50%?’ without much thought.
However, when it exceeded 70%, even Human’s eyes widened. Shut Up also shifted his gaze from looking away to me, and when it passed 80%, his mouth even slightly opened.
If it exceeds 80%, partners are automatically selected if neither party has one. Suddenly, a “Ting!” sound was heard, and the notification <
The percentage continued to rise as if it would never stop. For some reason, my heart pounded as if it would explode. Human, who had been watching while sitting, now stood up to watch.
Suddenly, fireworks exploded on the screen, and congratulatory messages appeared.
“Matching Rank 1 Achieved! 91% Partner Born! Congratulations!”
A partner between two men ranked first!
I wondered if the game developer had programmed it incorrectly. Or perhaps they intentionally set it up that way to prevent such high percentages between men.
“Huh?”
Shut Up seemed surprised too, blinking his eyes.
91% was almost destiny. The probability was such that partners over 80% were less than 5% of the total. There were rumors that partners over 90% would have their character names and appearances displayed like huge banners throughout the entire village. And there were no one over 90% on this server yet.
At that moment, whispers started coming from all over. In the bottom left chat window, “[LOL]” was flashing at the speed of light. The banners must have already been put up in the village.
“Wow! Congratulations! Heh heh, hey, Jun-ah. Ah, I shouldn’t laugh.”
“Shut up, will you.”
Shut Up probably thought he’d just help me out a bit, maybe get a little experience, and then exclude me as a partner, with a generally bothersome mindset.
But this was 91%. I, who had never even gotten 91 points at karaoke, was stunned by the percentage and the whispers. I couldn’t figure out if this was a situation to be happy about or not.
[TenWonLife: Wow, you hit the jackpot. How did you end up with Shut Up?]
[LifeManual: ★Gay Couple Born★]
[DildoInserterGuide: I’m envious]
At that moment, a character named [Ipdae], possibly a guild member, came up to the second floor and made eye contact with me. He pointed at Shut Up and me alternately and spoke to Human.
“Oh, you really became partners. Kind Touch? Who is that? Do I know them?”
“No, a newbie.”
“We only accept real-life friends, didn’t we?”
“Uh, circumstances arose for a moment.”
Blood Planet’s guild size was limited to a total of four people, including party members. This was to prevent imbalances in power and to prevent guilds from massacring users. In other words, it meant fighting 4 vs. 4.
Human told Ipdae to change his nickname, and Ipdae retorted that he would change it to [Discharged] when he returned from the military.
“Your name makes me sad.”
“Want to enlist together?”
Meanwhile, Shut Up and I were not only partners but also crowned the server’s number one gay couple. I heard something breaking in the background and curses. Then, it seemed he had logged off, as “[OFF]” was written on the partner connection window.
“He must have left because he was pissed off.”
I was just as bewildered as he was.
I was standing there all alone when Ipdae and Human offered their congratulations. Human looked at me for a moment and asked if I wanted to go hunting.
“No, I’m mentally exhausted today…”
Human and Ipdae didn’t press me further and left, saying they were going hunting.
After they left, I took advantage of the empty space and went to the guild warehouse. I tried touching it, wondering if I could open it, but it didn’t budge.
‘What a shame.’
Before logging off, I organized my thoughts.
Should I level up quickly, get items from a high-level hunting ground, and sell them? Or, should I use that as a foundation to raise a Psychic character?
Having goals made the situation not seem so bad. I felt like things were getting complicated, but I became complacent, thinking, ‘What’s the big deal?’
I thought I had resolved my concerns about the ring. With a light heart, I was handling work in the office when Hanwoo called as the office workers’ lunch break approached.
The moment I pressed the call button, Hanwoo’s laughter rang in my ears. After waiting for his laughter to subside, the first thing he asked was if I had seen the official website.
“Why the website?”
I happened to be in front of my PC, so I went to the game website, which was in my favorites. A banner that usually never appeared was now in the center of the screen. I paused, intending to check the box to hide it for 7 days, but stopped when I read the content.
The content celebrated the birth of the first 91 percent Partner on all servers. Shut Up and my character’s name were displayed prominently there. This meant I was “out” not only on this server but on others as well.
“Seriously, is it okay to come out like this? What about my character’s human rights?”
[I told you, why would you match with a guy? Heh heh.]
Hanwoo laughed and hung up, and I started to feel depressed.
Yeah, I thought, what does it matter whether it’s like this or that inside a game where anonymity is guaranteed? However, with the male-male match ranking first, posts flooded the bulletin board asking if this was the answer and suggesting forming partners of the same gender rather than male-female partners.
‘…It’s all futile, utterly futile.’
I closed the internet window and continued with my work.
Today passed quietly without any special events. That building owner guy didn’t assign me any errands or anything.
I closed the office door at 7 PM and returned home. While eating dinner, the TV was criticizing Blood Planet for promoting homosexuality.
However, strangely, no matter how many same-sex pairs were formed, it was difficult to reach even 60 percent, let alone 70 percent. I had a light beer and logged in.
<
<
Since I had logged out from the guild room, I was in Adventurer’s Village.
“Sigh… So that’s it.”
Seeing the banner hanging prominently in the center of the village in person was even more absurd. Shut Up’s and my photos were displayed with a heart in the middle.
‘No wonder people call us a gay couple. Tsk.’
I checked the top of the screen and saw Partner status [ON]. Even when I sent a whisper, Shut Up didn’t reply. I could only see his current location and where he was moving.
“If this is the case, why did we become partners?”
Grumbling, I started selling the miscellaneous items I picked up that day to the shop NPC. As I was trying to divide potions due to weight limits, I saw the experience bar at the bottom slowly rising.
“Huh? Huh! Wow.”
While I was marveling, my body flashed twice. That meant I had leveled up twice. Looking at my status window, I was level 1 when I logged out, but now I was level 14.
‘What happened? Does it increase even when I’m not logged in?’
That guess was correct. When you become partners, it’s a kind of agreement where experience points are distributed according to level, even if only one of the Guide or Psychic hunts. Although I received much less experience than Shut Up, my leveling speed was very fast because I was a low-level character.
I opened my partner’s status window.
‘Wow.’
Shut Up was level 86. With no one having broken level 90 yet, 86 was incredibly high. Moreover, there were many difficult sections from level 50 onwards where leveling was slow, making it nearly impossible to catch up to Shut Up even if I tried hard from now on.
Before hunting, I needed to organize my items. I sold the miscellaneous items for money and was about to divide the potions due to weight when I heard a voice from behind my head.
“Hand it over.”
I just turned my head to see Shut Up, looking tired, as if he had finished hunting.
“What?”
“Elsumban.”
I should have returned it after we matched that day, but he logged off, so I couldn’t.
‘I was so angry when I went there.’
I told him to wait a moment and walked to the warehouse. As soon as I took out the ring, he initiated a trade.
However, I felt reluctant to give away such an expensive ring so readily. I didn’t know how long he would maintain the partnership.
“Don’t break the partnership until I reach A-rank.”
“Okay.”
Even after hearing his reply, I was suspicious and didn’t put the ring up for trade.
“Why aren’t you putting it up?”
“I feel uneasy just giving it to you. Reveal your real identity. Then I’ll give it back.”
“You want my contact information?”
“Yes.”
“…Ha, ridiculous.”
Shut Up scoffed. He looked like he was thinking, ‘What kind of person is this?’
Human was truly a gentleman. At least he called me Hyung. But this guy really thought the world revolved around game levels. He treated me with such disregard from beginning to end, let alone speaking informally.
Then, Shut Up’s tightly closed lips parted slightly, something I thought wouldn’t happen.
“010-7662-8…”
“Your home address.”
“Do you have the courage to come find me?”
“Don’t stall.”
“Jamon-ro 54-gil 24, Unit 701.”
I took out my in-game notepad and wrote down what Shut Up said. I also took screenshots when opening the trade window and gathered various evidence. Since they said he doesn’t lie, this should be enough.
“After all that, just give it to me! Do you know how embarrassing this is because of you!?”
His voice was low, but his volume was immense. The moment he yelled, I flinched. His anger was palpable, coming through in his real voice.
“Just a moment. Okay.”
I took a deep breath. Goodbye, the ring of my lifetime. I slowly placed the Elsumban in the trade window. When I pressed confirm, the window closed instantly.
Then, as if he had equipped it, angel wings spread out behind him. They were angel wings, but to me, they just looked like a devil’s. Suddenly, he disappeared from my sight as if he had warped.
“Huh? M-Mugshot? Hey!”
I immediately sent him a whisper.
[Kind Touch: Is it all yours if you go alone? You should take me too.]
[Shut Up: Partner Warp]
I couldn’t see where Partner Warp was. Frustrated, I grabbed a random passing user. He looked me up and down, then glanced at the banner floating far away and let out a “Pfft,” laughing.
“Excuse me, stop laughing and please…”
“Ah, sorry. You don’t know about Partner Warp? Press Alt.”
It seemed like I needed a keyboard. I brought up the on-screen keyboard used for sending text messages on my phone.
“Yes. Press Alt?”
“Press F4.”
“Ah, yes, thank y—”
Suddenly, the screen brightened, and I saw my living room. What was this? As I grasped the situation, I realized the user had told me the forced shutdown key.
Wow, really! They say you can’t trust anyone in this world, and now I’m being kicked out like this, even by a passerby.
My desire to play the game suddenly plummeted. I took off my helmet and looked at the personal information of Shut Up that I had just sent to my phone. I should have confirmed if it was really him before passing it on, but it was too late. For now, I added his contact and looked at his profile.
“Hmm…?”
He was good-looking. More than just good-looking, he was quite attractive. He was sitting in a photo, and the shadow on his face made it hard to see clearly, but his full body was visible.
But why did this feeling seem so unfamiliar? I wondered if it was really Shut Up, so I sent him a message on my phone. I told him I was disconnected from the game after being tricked by the forced shutdown key while asking about Partner Warp in the village. I told him not to wait.
However, less than 10 seconds after sending it, a one-word reply came back. No, it wasn’t even a word.
[Tsk]
‘Tsk…’
I thought he might be waiting, so I told him, but if he ignores me like this, I won’t tell him anything in the future.
It was so difficult to teach me how to do a Partner Warp. On top of the frustrating real estate job, I had to endure such humiliation even in the game, and my anger boiled over.
“I’m dumping you the moment I reach A-rank.”
I vented my frustration, talking to Shut Up’s profile picture. Then I got up and took another beer from the refrigerator.
As I popped open a can and took a few sips, a message arrived on my phone. I checked it, and it was from Shut Up. I intended to read and ignore it, but I opened it.
[Tap my name twice]
Hmm…?
Looking closely, I realized this must be how to do a Partner Warp.
But it felt too spineless to just go back in immediately after he taught me. I calmed my anger by chugging the cold beer and faced reality.
‘Right. When a guy like that offers to carry me, I should accept it gracefully.’
I downed the rest of the beer and put on my helmet again. When I reconnected, I was in the same spot where I had force-quit.
I tapped the partner’s name displayed at the top twice, and an announcement asking if I wanted to move appeared. When I accepted, the screen transitioned quickly, just like when I first logged in.
<
The place I arrived at was a dark castle.
An eerie aura enveloped my entire body, and giant spiders hung from the surrounding webs. The graphics were so detailed that as soon as our eyes met, the spider approached me.
“Eek! Don’t come near!”
I vaguely swung the staff I was holding. Since only sticky spiderwebs clung to the staff, I had no choice but to use a skill.
A panel appeared next to my staff-holding hand, showing various skill icons. But I had never properly hunted, so how would I know what they were?
I used the first skill I saw, [Light Sunset]. As I cast the skill, the surroundings brightened, and dozens of giant spiders hanging from the webs turned towards me all at once. Seeing dozens of insects with eight eyes staring at me simultaneously was truly terrifying.
‘How many eyeballs are there anyway…!’
The spiders scattered everywhere approached me all at once, making me feel like the protagonist of a horror movie. Goosebumps covered my body, and I couldn’t move easily due to fear.
I looked left and right, then slowly moved backward. Seeing the spiders approaching from all directions, I quickly turned and ran, driven by the will to survive.
“Aaaah! Gross!”
As I ran backward, I bumped into someone with a thud. While I staggered backward from the impact, he, who was standing, didn’t budge at all.
I rubbed my nose and lifted my head, and it was a familiar figure.
Shut Up silently extended his hand and shot an electric skill at the nearest spider. The single bolt of electricity, which I thought would only kill the spider in front of him, instantly spread out along the spiderwebs.
Simultaneously, all the surrounding spiders were electrocuted and fell to the ground with a thud. The dead spider corpses, with their legs curled up, emitted a burnt smell. I was amazed at how realistically it was rendered.
“Sigh…”
I was about to thank him, but the sigh I heard behind me made the words stick in my throat.
Shut Up turned and walked away, gesturing for me to follow. The entire castle seemed to be a hunting ground, as there were quite a few spiders everywhere. They were too persistent to be mere decorations. If we encountered them, they would relentlessly follow me.
When a spider’s leg lightly brushed against me, my HP decreased. I pointed at the spider, and [LV. 30] appeared above the monster. For me, who had just reached level 15, it was a truly dangerous monster.
My reaction was normal, but Shut Up, walking ahead, looked at me with a look of disdain. Though I didn’t want to, I stuck close behind his back. At least I hated those spiders more than Shut Up.
“Ugh, ughhh—!”
As I followed him for a while, I heard a user’s scream. The sound came from not too far away. It seemed to be a beginner user, as spiders were clinging all over his body. Although the game settings prevented feeling pain, he must have felt itchy. Spiders all over his body… If that happened, he would surely have nightmares.
Staring only at Shut Up’s back, I walked for a long time until he stopped, having arrived somewhere. In front of a giant stone gate, there were a few people besides Shut Up. The stone gate was carved with various patterns, looking like a gate to hell at first glance.
“Shut Up-nim, let’s party up.”
At that moment, a Guide, who looked pretty by any standard, approached and spoke to him. Her outfit and staff looked much better than mine.
There were three people in her party, forming a total of four. If Shut Up joined their party, I would be left alone.
However, Shut Up ignored her question and didn’t answer. Turning his back to her, Shut Up initiated a trade with me. When I accepted the trade, he sent me expensive potions. A small scroll was also included.
“What is this?”
As I asked in confusion, the Guide standing next to Shut Up kept saying, “Yes? Let’s go together, Shut Up-nim,” in an affectionate tone.
Shut Up glanced at her, then raised his hand towards the Guide and tapped a few times in the air. Suddenly, she yelled in anger.
“Ah! What the heck! Am I muted right now? Wow, this is ridiculous!”
Ah… So you can mute someone right in front of them. I learned something new.
Shut Up briefly explained the scroll as he passed by.
“If you think you’re going to die, just run.”
It seemed to be a return scroll. I knew return scrolls, usually used in boss rooms, were paid items. It was more efficient than dropping items after dying.
I nodded and followed Shut Up. The team of two Psychics and one Guide from earlier was waiting by the stone gate, unable to defeat the boss even with their composition.
As Shut Up tried to open the stone gate, the Guide who had spoken to him earlier yelled that he was truly rude and must be impotent. I chuckled to myself at the words only I could hear. Shut Up glanced at me, then watched the Guide’s lips moving and frowned.
“Stop smirking.”
You jerk.
As Shut Up forcefully opened the stone gate, even though it was inside a castle, the floor cracked, and lava erupted. I felt a slight warmth from the blazing flames.
Of course, if I had felt the actual temperature of the lava, I would have burned to death. The red floor made my vision blurry. It looked distorted, like heat haze rising from the ground.
Shut Up walked forward as if there were no lava. So I thought I could do the same and followed, but as soon as the lava touched my feet, I heard a sizzle and my HP drained. Shut Up raised his hand to stop me.
“Stay there. You don’t have fire resistance, after all.”
He probably brought me along because we’d get more experience if we stayed in the same area. I nodded and moved my body as close to the stone gate as possible, away from the lava.
Just then, I saw something large moving in the distance. Like this vast room, the boss’s body was also enormous. It seemed to be sitting on a chair, but the moment Shut Up approached, it let out a monstrous roar and suddenly stood up.
“Hup. W-What the!”
It was already huge, but when it stood up, its head was so high I couldn’t see it. Though it was hard to see in the flames, its form became clear as it moved towards the center.
Above the monster’s head, it read [Amon Lv.70]. It had an owl’s head, a wolf’s body, and a snake’s tail… it was a bizarre combination of various creatures.
And most importantly, it spewed fire from its mouth. I had never felt fear of owls before, but seeing it stare with its head rotated 360 degrees was incredibly frightening.
Even from this distance, its overwhelming appearance made me tremble with fear, but Shut Up showed no such reaction. He walked forward at the same pace as when he first entered. Lightning summoned by electricity crackled in both his hands.
Shut Up, enveloped in electricity, shone even brighter amidst the flames. Just as I thought red and blue light would collide, a loud roar echoed with a boom*.
Whether he leaped into the air and threw a large lightning bolt at the monster, it struck the surroundings, creating thunderous sounds. It was like the thunder and lightning I heard and saw during the rainy season.
But it was far more powerful. I covered my ears and closed my eyes against the deafening roar. I didn’t even think about lowering the sound in the settings. I was simply terrified by the blinding, roaring spectacle.
I once saw a game review that said Psychics were like gods, and it really was true. He darted above the monster’s head, lightly dodging the flames the boss spewed while simultaneously striking down lightning from above. It was as if he had been waiting for the exact moment it breathed fire.
Before I knew it, the lightning that had only been thrown took shape like a sharp spear in Shut Up’s hand. Amidst the scattering fragments and rising smoke from the flames, Shut Up leaped into the air in an instant.
Once the blue spear grew to a certain size, Shut Up pulled his shoulder back as far as it would go and threw it with all his might. A strong wind swirled around the flying spear. The space obscured by smoke split cleanly the moment the spear was fired.
“KRAAAAH—!”
Amon let out a roar as he watched the approaching attack. The blue spear instantly transformed into hundreds of needles and struck the monster like lightning. The rain of electric needles plunged deep into the ground, and simultaneously, red blood spurted from Amon’s entire body like a fountain.
But it wasn’t over, as Shut Up was creating a large Electric Sphere above his head. The wind around him swirled, and it rapidly grew in size.
Just as I thought it looked like it would burst like a balloon, he slammed it onto the monster’s head. It was so powerful that surrounding objects shattered and fragments flew everywhere. A large stone pillar slammed down near me, who was cowering near the stone gate.
‘Wow, crazy… He doesn’t give a damn about my thoughts!’
Just in case, I had taken out a return scroll.
While I was cowering amidst the debris, trying to protect myself, Shut Up was calmly enveloped in an electric shield. It seemed like he truly didn’t care if the stone pillars collapsed or the floor cracked open further, spewing lava.
The monster was already stunned, so he just needed to go near it and use a few skills, but Shut Up was creating another Electric Sphere above his head. The surroundings were already a mess, and I didn’t know if all these stone pillars would collapse if he threw that too.
I urgently yelled at Shut Up.
“Hey! Stop it! I’m going to get buried alive! Stop it!”
Shut Up still didn’t seem to hear me, continuing to grow the Electric Sphere.
No. He was making it even bigger than before.
Seeing that made me angry. I should have spoken nicely, given how excited Shut Up was, but I didn’t have the luxury. Since he wasn’t listening anyway, I yelled with the intention of just cursing him out.
“You bastard! I’m suffering like this because I got unlucky and got involved with you! What’s it to you if you just finish this cleanly? Seriously, what kind of personality is this! I’m so lucky I didn’t get involved with someone like you in real life! Eat this!”
As I shouted, I flipped Shut Up the middle finger.
The moment I struck that pose, Shut Up turned and looked at me. Embarrassed, I immediately opened my hand and pretended to fix my hair. Meeting his gaze, his eyes flashing blue, I felt my knees tremble with fear.
‘No way, he didn’t hear me, right?’
I buried my face in my hands and then looked up again. Shut Up was still staring at me, holding the Electric Sphere. Amidst the noise, his voice pierced my ears like ASMR.
“What? Bastard?”
He must have heard me.
During combat, our voices changed to whispers so we could hear each other. Or rather, how would I know if he didn’t say a word?
‘Huh? But….’
“Want me to show you what a real bastard is?”
Shut Up made a motion as if he were going to throw the Electric Sphere at me. Wouldn’t I die instantly if I got hit by that? I looked at him with a terrified expression. Seeing him swing his arm wide, I squeezed my eyes shut.
“Ah! Don’t!”
As I said that, I stretched my arm forward. It wouldn’t block that, though. Seeing my terrified state, he seemed to find it amusing, and I heard a small laugh near my ear.
‘Huh? What? Is he laughing at me?’
Meanwhile, a loud crash echoed from afar, hitting my ears as something plunged into the ground. Fortunately, he didn’t throw it at me.
<
The battle end message appeared in the center of the screen. My experience points increased instantly, and my body flashed non-stop.
And then, I saw Shut Up slowly approaching me. He seemed to be checking the loot, touching something in the air.
“It’s meager.”
Even though Shut Up might have been disappointed, I was still happy with my flashing body. Looking at my status window, I had reached level 28. Wow, gaining 13 levels from one boss fight…
As I sat hunched on the ground, Shut Up’s boots appeared before me. His body, now devoid of electricity, was back to normal.
“Thanks. I gained a lot of levels.”
I looked up with a happy expression, but his face was still sour. He seemed to still be angry about the word ‘bastard’.
“Get up.”
At Shut Up’s words, I jumped up. As I stood, I brushed off the dust clinging to me. While I was dusting off one arm, Shut Up grabbed both my forearms tightly.
“Huh?”
“You need to take off the PG.”
I thought he would hold my hand like last time, but as Shut Up suddenly stepped closer, our chests touched. I thought we were too close, so I tried to pull my head back, but he moved faster.
‘Huh?’
And then, unexpectedly, my lower lip was sucked into his.
While I was trying to figure out if we were kissing, my upper lip was also taken. My body couldn’t move, held tightly by Shut Up, like a prisoner bound by ropes. All I could do was pull my head back, but even that had its limits, so I had no choice but to yield my lips.
Only after my lips were being sucked so hard they would have been swollen if this were real did Shut Up turn his head and part my lips with his tongue. It was my first time feeling a man’s tongue.
Suddenly, I thought of my girlfriend who had waited for me while I was in the military in my early twenties. We had many passionate kisses like this back then… Remembering those times made me even more flustered.
Even as Shut Up’s tongue wrapped around mine, I couldn’t resist strongly, like a broken machine. It felt like we had only kissed for a moment when a warning sound suddenly rang in my ears.
<
Hearing that jolted me back to reality. I pushed against Shut Up to pull away, but he didn’t budge. Now he was holding both my cheeks, thrusting his tongue all the way in.
“Mmph, mmph, mmph…!”
My lips were completely trapped in his, unable to speak, so I struggled as much as I could.
As the beeping warning sound made my ears go numb, my hands were suddenly released. I collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath as I looked at Shut Up’s two legs standing firmly before me.
“Hmm. It works well.”
Shut Up licked his lips with his tongue after looking at his status window. I quickly checked my GG. 2 percent left. Until I fainted.
For some reason, my body wouldn’t obey me. I felt weak, as if I had taken sleeping pills. I was out of breath, like I had climbed a high mountain. It wasn’t painful, but Shut Up’s voice echoed in my ears, making me feel hazy and disoriented. Everything was perceived dimly, as if I were under a debuff.
‘…I need to rest.’
As I thought that and tried to press the game exit button, my hand was grabbed. Then, our fingers intertwined as if we were Linking. I desperately tried to pull away, but Shut Up’s hands, with our fingers intertwined, wouldn’t let go.
“Heeeey. Let gooo. Ah.”
My speech was slurred. Shut Up just kept his fingers intertwined, looking at me like that and smiling.
“Want me to show you what a real bastard is?”
“What?”
Suddenly, my vision went black.
Then, a message appeared in the center.
<<‘Kind Touch’s’ GG is full and entering stun mode. Approximately 23 hours required for recharge.>>
What was this now?
I couldn’t reconnect even when I tried. It felt strange, so I took off my helmet. I thought it was broken. 23 hours? It was so sudden and incomprehensible.
First, I called Hanwoo.
“Hey, what is this? I can’t connect because my GG is full.”
[Did you Link with Shut Up? You should have controlled it.]
“How do I reconnect?”
[You have to wait a day. Or, buy a paid item to shorten the time.]
“No way, I’m not buying a paid item to fix this.”
After hanging up on Hanwoo, I turned on my laptop. I went to the official website and searched for GG stun. It was a hot topic on the free board, with many posts.
They were all lamenting their inability to connect because their GG gauge was full, just like me. I wondered if a paid item was really the only solution, so I went to the shop.
“Huh… What the.”
For a moment, I thought an extra ‘0’ had been added by mistake. The paid item to shorten the time was not 10,000 won but 100,000 won.
“What? One hundred thousand won? What kind of crazy game is this?”
As I stared in disbelief, I saw an article about Blood Planet on a portal site. I was about to scroll past, but the headline, just as I had thought, read
When I clicked on it, it said that the item to remove the stun wasn’t expensive from the start. Players needed to regulate their playtime according to the game’s addiction level, and Blood Planet’s addiction level was currently at a dangerous level. The law stipulated a recommended playtime of less than 6 hours per day, and accordingly, if a Guide or Psychic pushed themselves and filled their gauge, they would receive a penalty of needing to rest for about a day.
In other words, that bastard had deliberately Linked with me excessively to seal me for a day.
“Wow. Haha. Really. Ha…”
In the end, I had no choice but to go to bed early. Lying in bed, I worried, ‘He wouldn’t keep doing this, would he?’
“He can’t be that crazy of a guy.”
However, Shut Up was crazier than I thought.
“Go well.”
As soon as I logged in, Shut Up kissed me again.
Honestly, the feeling during the kiss was good, like it was real. But the moment the warning sound rang in my ears, the ecstasy faded, and my heart grew anxious. All I could think about was prying his mouth off mine.
This has been happening for three days now. Still, because I could connect even for a short while, I could receive the experience points Shut Up gained.
“Ah, seriously. What is this? So annoying.”
My character still showed 23 hours remaining until I could log in. Still, because I could Link even briefly, I had reached level 36. Of course, my rank was still D.
But the leveling effect was really good. Gaining levels this fast was truly remarkable. When I told Hanwoo, he said he was envious and that he should have just been a Guide, which was probably just polite talk.
Hanwoo, being a B-rank, was enjoying hunting with others. His specialty was [Poison], a Psychic who dealt continuous damage by generating toxic substances.
Psychic attributes were assigned randomly, so to change them, one had to delete their existing character and create a new one. However, a one-week waiting period was imposed for deletion and recreation to prevent people from creating characters indiscriminately.
Today, I decided to go to bed early again and just browsed the game forums on my phone. As I lay there, I received a message from Shut Up on my phone.
[Come in at 9 tomorrow]
This wasn’t a question of ‘Would you like to come?’ but a command. Receiving such a message on my actual phone, not in the game, made me wonder what he thought he was doing.
‘This is ridiculous. Really.’
I glared at the message and then replied. Based on the past few days, Shut Up seemed to get annoyed if I replied late, so I had to send messages as soon as I saw them.
[Yes. Understood^^]
My pride was hurt, but since he had to hunt for me to gain experience, I complied obediently. Well, embarrassment is temporary. I thought that if I couldn’t find a suitable Psychic after reaching A-rank, I might partner with Hanwoo.
Then, I suddenly wondered if it was possible to kiss and hold hands with Hanwoo when Linking, just like with Shut Up.
‘…Ugh, creepy.’
I could never imagine it. I felt like Shut Up was just a character in the game, separate from reality, but if I had to do that with a real friend, I would genuinely want to quit the game.
I even considered creating a new Psychic character and leveling up from scratch if I wanted to play casually, but the thought of the giant spider in the castle suddenly made me lose that desire.
I really hate bugs. I even have pest control services at home, so I don’t want to suffer from bugs in the game. But I couldn’t give up my selfish desire to become high-level and get good loot.
‘Becoming a Guide was a stroke of genius.’
Getting boosted by Shut Up like this might have been a really good decision.
As the time for office workers to get off work approached, a client looking for a lease deposit-based rental arrived. I was showing them suitable houses when my phone rang. I was about to tell the client that I needed to show them one more house and ask them to wait if it was another client, but it was the building owner from across the street.
[Yuduseon. Go buy condoms. The 0.01 kind.]
“Zero point zero… what?”
[Go.]
I agreed and hung up, feeling bewildered.
This wasn’t a normal errand. What was this really? It felt like being a errand boy in school. I thought he had quieted down lately and wouldn’t order me around anymore, but it started again.
First, I saw the client out and went to the convenience store. Buying the condoms the building owner mentioned, I felt embarrassed even though they weren’t for me. So, I unnecessarily placed a bag of jelly, which I don’t even eat, on top of them at the counter.
‘But will he pay me for this?’
Even while running errands, beyond my pride, I worried if he would give me money. This is the perspective of a commoner living day to day.
And as I was about to enter the building, I felt something off. The contract had the old address, so I hadn’t paid attention to the new one, but I saw lettering on the nameplate that I had seen somewhere before.
‘Jadong-ro 54beon-gil 24.’
Where had I seen this?
With all the street names lately, I couldn’t figure out where I had seen it. Yesterday, my eyes were strained from searching for rooms for a client, and I thought the aftereffects were showing here.
And while I was going up, I also picked up the mail addressed to him. It was an action to use later if he asked me to run errands, not out of consideration for him. The recipient was written as ‘Seomun Jun’.
‘Ah, right. His name was Jjuni.’
At first, I thought it was Seomun as the surname and Jun as the given name, but Seomun was the surname and Jun was the given name. I chuckled to myself in the elevator and stood before his front door on the 7th floor.
But the door didn’t open immediately like last time. Even after pressing the doorbell, there was no answer for a long time.
“Ah, what the.”
Annoyance welled up, and I pressed it again. Just as I was about to press it again, I heard a voice from the intercom saying to wait.
A little later, the front door opened, and a long, firm arm stretched out. Looking at his palm, it was empty. I hadn’t realized he was only wearing pants, with his upper body bare.
When I didn’t hand them over, he reached out further. As I pulled the convenience store bag back, I told him the amount, and he clicked his tongue.
‘No, Junie. An errand is an errand. You have to give me money.’
As he turned to go back inside, a man came out of one of the rooms.
But… he was wearing only briefs. The unfamiliar man handed Jun his wallet and patted his back. Seeing men patting each other’s backs like that, only something I’d seen in bathhouses, I was flustered.
‘What am I seeing?’
I tried my best to hide my expression and not show surprise.
Jun took out ten thousand won from his wallet and was about to close the door, as if he didn’t need the change. But I didn’t like this awkward relationship. He was the type to order me around again later and then talk about the change.
“What?”
I quickly stuck my foot in to prevent him from closing the door, and he replied irritably. His hand, gripping the doorknob, was given the jelly I had bought and the change in my pocket.
“Here’s the change. Combined with the jelly, it should be exactly right. Oh! And this is the mail.”
Then I quickly pulled my foot back and gently pushed the door to help him close it.
Click.
Even after hearing the front door close, Jun stood there, looking down at the jelly in his hand.
“If you’re going to buy it, why buy something like this?”
On the jelly packaging, a mushroom-shaped character was smiling happily.
That evening.
I couldn’t log in at Shut Up’s requested time of 9 PM because I had to attend a real estate agent meeting for that area. After barely finishing the meeting, I checked my messages after 10 PM. I was on the bus home, checking my phone.
The message had arrived at exactly 9:01 PM.
A few more messages followed.
[Why aren’t you here ― 21:00]
[Not replying? ― 21:03]
[If you don’t reply within 2 minutes, I’m breaking our Partner status ― 21:05]
[GG ― 21:08]
10 minutes later, Shut Up had severed ties with me. When I logged into the game, the Partner slot might have been empty.
But today, I was too tired. I didn’t even have the energy to get angry. Talking with the so-called top real estate CEOs in the area felt like it drained my very life force.
This line of work, dealing with people, naturally attracts those with strong personalities. And on top of that, they were as sly as weasels. They knew perfectly well who had signed which deal, yet they complained about how difficult things were, how the economy was in a slump.
I was the one who truly had reason to complain, to the point of tears. Still, I smiled and accepted everything they said. As I handed out drinks to the neighboring CEOs, saying “Please take care of me,” they grumbled, “Why come all the way here? You should do business elsewhere,” showing their territoriality.
I just smiled and said, “Please take care of me,” then sat down where my chopsticks had been placed, and overheard the conversation across from me.
“So, that building owner guy. A complete rookie, and he’s trying to back out of contracts. Ah, how did the Affectionate Real Estate CEO manage to sign the contract?”
That’s right. My real estate agency’s name was ‘Affectionate Real Estate.’ I don’t know why that word, ‘affectionate,’ appeals to me so much. I took a sip of the drink I’d poured and then looked up when I felt their gaze.
“Well, I pleaded with him.”
“He wouldn’t budge even when I pleaded. What’s your secret?”
‘That… it was running errands.’
I couldn’t say it was a contract sealed by running errands as trivial as 0.01 condoms. I just smiled and vaguely explained it away by mentioning consideration for the car parked in front of the store, and he seemed to accept that.
“Seriously, that building owner guy. Even the fully furnished studio apartment buildings a bit further away are his.”
The people across from me complained with annoyance, lamenting their circumstances. But with hundreds of buildings around, they wouldn’t starve to death by avoiding a few. It seemed his buildings, like landmines, were just particularly conspicuous.
‘But, I’m really envious. Two buildings.’
Listening to them, I gathered that the buildings were so beautiful and nice that many customers sought them out. However, even when conditions were met, he would arbitrarily accept or reject deals based on his mood, so neighboring real estate agencies refused to even show his properties.
‘If I play this right… I might be able to get an exclusive.’
Amidst their grumbling, I was looking for an opportunity. Customers might come and go, but buildings were constant. Running errands like condom delivery, I could do that every day.
While I was sharpening my resolve inwardly and heading home on the bus, Shut Up ruined the mood with a message like that.
“Fine. Go, then. Go.”
The game was just a game; reality was more important.
Still, being level 36, it wasn’t a complete loss, but it felt unfair. I was still D-rank, and this was not what we agreed upon. I calculated in my head. How much was that ring worth, only for him to do this because I didn’t reply for 10 minutes?
It was an hour’s commute from the real estate office to my home. I’d spent all my money finding an office, so I’d looked for the cheapest place possible, but now I was spending more on transportation.
When I arrived home, it was past 11 PM. I didn’t even have the strength to wash up. It was so absurd that I didn’t reply, and he stopped sending messages too.
Connections in games were always so fleeting. Still, as a senior in life, I had to say something. It was too harsh to act like this when everyone else was living their real lives.
[I just got home from work. Severing our Partner like that goes against our promise — 23:01]
I considered using profanity, but getting angry wouldn’t solve anything. Sigh, I let out a breath and loosened my tie, slumping onto the sofa.
‘Ah, I should wash up…’
I thought that and tried to get up, but my body wouldn’t cooperate. I’d fallen asleep like this before, more than once.
Just as I was drifting off, my phone rang. At first, I thought it was my morning alarm and tried to dismiss it, but then I remembered, Ah, right, I just got home, and looked at my phone screen.
My vision was blurry, perhaps because my eyes were bloodshot. After blinking a few times, I could finally read the text on the screen.
[Mouthpiece]
It said ‘Mouthpiece.’ I had saved him like that because I was annoyed when he used informal language instead of saving him as Shut Up. Rubbing my eyes, I answered in my sleepy, hoarse voice.
“Hello, cough.”
[What? Hello?]
At Shut Up’s questioning tone, I sat up straight, my expression serious.
“No. Hel-lo-o.”
[Aren’t you logging in?]
“Why would I do it alone as a Guide? Besides, I’m sleepy.”
[Just log in for a moment and take this. If you don’t, I’ll give it to someone else.]
Shut Up’s final words, “It’s expensive,” struck me.
Fine, I’ll take at least one thing before cutting ties with him. It was too unfair to just give up like this. I slapped my face with my palms to wake myself up and sat on the sofa, putting on my helmet.
<
<
The screen soon appeared, and I saw the land where I had logged out yesterday. The gentle breeze felt pleasant. Perhaps because of that? I felt even sleepier.
Game or whatever, I was too tired and lay down on the grass. My desire for sleep was reflected well, and my character lay down on the grass, closing its eyes.
‘If I fall asleep like this, I’ll be completely wiped out. If those apologetic guys catch me, they’ll take everything… and lop off my head…’
So, even if I slept, I had to do it near the village.
“Living the good life, aren’t we?”
At that moment, I heard a sneering voice and slowly opened my eyes. I saw Shut Up’s face looking down at me. Looking closely, he was right there in the Partner slot. I guess his threat via message earlier was just empty words.
‘That brat played me.’
I sat up. When he sent a trade request, I accepted, and the trade window filled with magic scrolls and potions.
“Use the scroll right away.”
“Hmph…”
As soon as I used it from my inventory, my body felt slightly warm, and a skill appeared at the bottom. I wondered what kind of skill it was and checked…
“Re…lax. Wait, Relax? Was that what you just gave me, Relax?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow! Crazy. This! This! How much is this?!”
While I stammered in disbelief, Shut Up beside me casually remarked, “Maybe a few hundred?”
What I had used in my sleep was the magic scroll that Hanwoo had sold, making a tidy profit. I had used a skill worth millions of won on a character I was casually leveling.
My sleepiness vanished instantly. I stood up and grabbed Shut Up by the collar.
“Hey! You should tell me before I use it! If it’s this expensive!”
“You complain even when I give you something.”
Wait, as a Guide, learning Relax would be a significant advantage if I were to set my own direction. Even if I parted ways with Shut Up later and looked for a Psychic I preferred, the difference between having learned Relax and not would be immense.
I quickly let go of his collar and straightened his clothes.
“Th-thank you. I was just so surprised.”
Just then, I saw Shut Up try to grab my arm while we were talking.
If he caught me, I’d be kissed again, and I wouldn’t be able to log in until this time tomorrow. Thinking that, I dodged away. More importantly, I was tired of being taken advantage of.
“Oh? Dodging?”
As Shut Up approached, I quickly pulled out my keyboard screen and pressed Alt+F4. The screen instantly turned off, revealing the living room. This is why prior learning is important.
“Ahaha! You thought I’d get caught again?”
I took off my helmet, humming happily. As soon as I did, my phone started ringing again. I didn’t need to look; it was Shut Up.
‘Hmph, amateur.’
I decided to ignore the call for a while, wanting him to suffer a bit. He’d given me such an expensive magic scroll; it would be his loss if he broke off our Partner status. This felt like the power dynamic was finally shifting.
“Do you think I play this game just to kiss you?”
I spoke to the phone screen, which was displaying his incoming call.
He called about three times in a row, and then it went quiet. For now, I planned not to log in after work, to frustrate him. I set my phone alarm for 4 AM and lay down on my bed.
‘I’m going to log in at 4 AM now. Hee hee. To eat the experience points you worked so hard to hunt!’
I was an S-rank Guide.
All the beautiful Psychics wanted to be my Partner. Whenever I went to town, they lined up, hoping to Link with me.
When I hunted with them, I would cast Relax and help them with my shield. After every passionate battle, they would bring me valuable loot.
Everyone came to me. After slowly pressing our lips together, we would begin the Link. She would remove all her armor and climb on top of me.
I held her slender waist, lost in ecstasy. This was the game life I had always wanted.
I spoke to her with a deep gaze.
“Are you really that beautiful in real life?”
She pushed back her long hair, opened her ruby lips, and slowly whispered into my ear,
“My pussy is the prettiest.”
Huh? Why does she have a penis when she’s a woman?
Startled, I pulled her arm away. The face of the long-haired woman had changed into Shut Up’s.
Ding ding ding— Ding ding!
‘Ah… Who’s playing the piano at this hour? Ah, right. That’s my alarm.’
My eyes snapped open. I wondered if I was having dreams about kissing Shut Up so much in the game.
‘Wow, am I really going to become a gay in real life? I thought I escaped the panty man, and now it’s this guy?’
Calming my racing heart, I looked at my phone screen. The alarm I had set for 4 AM yesterday was ringing faithfully.
I felt like just going back to sleep out of exhaustion, but I had to log in at least once a day to get the experience points Shut Up had hunted. So, I reluctantly got up. Mornings were usually quiet with no customers, so I could afford to be a little drowsy. That’s why I thought I could push myself a bit.
After getting up, washing my face, and brushing my teeth, I made myself a cup of coffee, just like when I left in the morning. It was still pitch black outside. Looking at my phone, Shut Up hadn’t contacted me since he called yesterday.
“He must have given up.”
He probably didn’t know I was waking up this early to log in. I stretched widely and sat down comfortably, putting on my helmet.
<
<
As the screen changed, I saw the land where I had escaped from Shut Up yesterday. It was early morning, so there were no other users, which was nice.
As soon as I entered, I saw the experience bar at the bottom steadily rising, likely because Shut Up had been hunting. My character flashed once. Unlike me, who had logged out yesterday, he seemed to have hunted more.
I opened the map and looked for low-level hunting grounds where a Guide could hunt alone, and also checked the quests available in that area.
First, I headed to the warehouse in town. Then, I equipped only items meant for sale, which wouldn’t be a significant loss if dropped, and took a portal to a nearby location. Portals from town to hunting grounds were free, but to return to town from there, you absolutely needed a return scroll. Or you had to die.
My level was 38 now, so I safely went to level 30. Not a place with spiders like last time, but a bright area.
<
As soon as I arrived, I saw jelly-like creatures hopping around everywhere. If they weren’t jelly, it felt like a walk in Olympic Park.
They didn’t look very strong, so I hit one nearby with a basic magic spell. After about three consecutive hits, it split into two.
“Huh?”
I stepped back and hit the pursuing jelly. Then, the two became four. At this point, most people would think, ‘Ah, something’s wrong,’ and stop hunting, but I foolishly continued to hit them. Soon, the jellies were finely chopped, and dozens were following me.
Then, one latched onto my ankle with a thwack! As soon as it attached, my HP began to drain little by little. But if it were just that, it would have been fine. Another one attached to my other ankle, and suddenly my shoe was absorbed by the jellies. Just like that, one shoe was eaten by them.
“What the hell!”
Having lost one shoe, my movement speed slowed. As I ran downhill, the jellies, of course, rolled down and followed me, moving faster.
“Ah! What the!”
I used every magic spell I could while running, but most were support spells and weren’t helpful. The only one that was somewhat useful was the speed magic skill [Rapid], which created a slight distance and allowed me to outrun the jellies.
If I kept running on flat ground, I’d be caught, so I looked around for places to evade.
Just then, I saw a lake in the distance. I didn’t know if they would follow me into the water, but I went in anyway. Isn’t there a saying that if you’re chased by a swarm of bees, you should go into the water? If there were any other players hunting nearby, I would ask, but it was early morning, so no one was around.
‘Hunting at dawn isn’t always a good thing.’
As I walked through the lake, I saw the jellies following me to the water’s edge.
However, my guess was correct; the jellies couldn’t enter the water and just bounced around outside. Fortunately, the lake wasn’t deep. All my equipped gear was shop-grade, so it wouldn’t matter if it got eaten, but it was still a bit of a shame.
To put distance between myself and the jellies, I slowly moved sideways while submerged in the water. The jellies stayed only at the point where I had entered, not sensing me as I entered the lake. Crossing the lake seemed dangerous, so I moved sideways little by little.
Just then, I saw someone else running in the distance, just like me.
“……”
However, they were naked.
This game really reflected reality well. If you lost all your armor, you ran around naked like that. Of course, you could cover it with a mosaic option, but since I hadn’t enabled it, I had to see the dangling parts of another man.
If I had been surrounded by jellies, I probably would have lost all my gear and ended up like that too. And then a screenshot would have been taken and posted on the bulletin board. I would have been documented as Shut Up’s Partner running around like that.
The man was laughing joyfully even as he was being chased. Then, he spotted me in the lake and ran towards me.
‘I really don’t want to deal with him.’
I walked sideways, ignoring him.
“Hey!”
But before I knew it, he was right beside me. When I only saw him running around naked, he looked like a madman, but up close, his character was handsome.
“What are you doing here?”
That was the question I should have been asking.
“A Guide?”
He asked that after seeing me holding a staff. Then he even washed his face in the lake water. Pick one, either ask questions or wash your face.
“Just wandering around. Good luck.”
This place didn’t seem to suit me, so I tried to use a scroll to return to town.
However, he suddenly grabbed my wrist, stopping me from using it.
“Want to party with me?”
“No.”
Who would want to party with someone running around completely naked?
In Blood Planet, unless you’re a Partner, you can’t see the other person’s level even if you form a party. They said it was to enjoy the thrill of PK, making it easier to attack and easier to be ostracized if you knew the opponent’s level. There was no title above his head, just his name.
‘Moment.’
“Is your name Kind Touch? Wow, that’s nice. A Guide named Kind Touch. I’d like to feel your touch.”
He seemed more dangerous than I thought.
There are many strange people in the world, but in games, you can easily meet crazy people, as if the world has been compressed. He reached out again, and I quickly dodged.
“I! Already have a Partner!”
“Oh? Really? Who?”
“Shut Up.”
His bright smile turned into a sneer the moment I mentioned Shut Up. In that instant, I could tell what kind of Psychic ability he possessed. A flame briefly flared above his head.
Could he be a user who had lost items to PK by Shut Up? But it would be troublesome if he took out his anger on me for Shut Up’s bad behavior.
“Do you like Shut Up?”
“No.”
“Then why did you become his Partner?”
I could have told him the reason, but I didn’t want to talk to someone who so openly displayed his son.
“Do you really have to go around naked like that? It’s quite uncomfortable.”
“Ah.”
At my words, he fumbled and put on some armor. That meant he hadn’t lost his clothes to the jellies earlier; he had taken them off on purpose. He was truly an unusually perverted individual.
If necessary, I took out my keyboard keys, ready to press Alt+F4. I didn’t want to start my day with someone like this. First, considering he wasn’t normal, I asked again.
“Why weren’t you wearing anything?”
“Those things crawling around my crotch feel like being caressed. It’s like masturbating without using my hands.”
“……”
As soon as I heard the answer, I was so dumbfounded I was about to force quit, but then I noticed the weapon he kicked.
It was dazzling, and at first glance, it looked incredibly expensive. The weapon, which looked like a ring, was burning with a red light. It was vastly different from my staff, which looked like it was made from plucked branches from a meadow.
<<'Moment' has requested to party. [Accept / Decline]>>
Judging by his mental state alone, he was abnormal, but that weapon looked extraordinary. A hope arose that perhaps I had met a benefactor who could help me level up, even without Shut Up.
I clicked accept and became a team with Moment.
First of all, once we’re a team, he can’t attack me. And if someone else attacks me, he can take care of them instead. But I doubted anyone would come near a pervert like this.
“Want to go fight a boss?”
“Really?”
Moment asked my level, and then suggested we not go to a too-high level zone but safely fight a level 60 boss, summoning a portal. Seeing him ask for my opinion before moving, I could tell one thing. He was, at least, kinder than Shut Up.
I followed Moment into the portal.
<
The screen changed to a desert terrain. Sandstorms whipped around, stinging my skin, making it feel prickly.
Following Moment, we reached a canyon.
As we passed through the canyon, small reptiles like scorpions started following us. Moment created a path of fire on the ground as he walked, blocking the monsters from getting too close. He also didn’t forget to check if I was following properly.
‘Yeah. This is what being carried feels like.’
Back then, Shut Up never once looked back, even when I was clinging to his back because of spiders. Such a cold-hearted guy.
After walking for a long time, we reached the end of the canyon, and suddenly a wide, dark area appeared. Moment raised his hand briefly, stopping me.
“From here on, you need to stay a bit away from me.”
Then he leaned in close and asked,
“If I defeat that, you’ll Link with me, right?”
Since he didn’t seem to be a higher level than Shut Up, I figured giving him a little bit of my gauge would be enough. I nodded, and Moment smiled with pleasure.
With a whooshing sound, Moment’s body was engulfed in flames. Seeing him transform so close up, I was suddenly startled by the intense heat. He seemed to be walking slowly, but Moment gradually rose into the air. It was like climbing invisible stairs.
As Moment, who looked like a ball of fire, walked into the darkness, the monster hidden within appeared. It was a knight in black armor, holding a long spear in one hand and a large venomous snake in the other. Above the monster’s head, it read [Eligor Lv.60].
As Eligor opened its eyes, before swinging its spear, the venomous snake first lunged forward, trying to bite Moment in the air. The ring Moment held began to burn brighter, its size freely expanding and contracting.
Moment, who had been assessing the angles, suddenly threw the ring towards the snake’s head. Just as the snake lunged again, the ring flew towards it, encircling its neck and then shrinking instantly with a snap. The head, cleanly severed enough to see the cross-section, dropped to the ground.
Thump!
The ring returned to Moment’s hand like a magnet. It flew freely as if attached by a string, and as usual, returned to Moment.
As the venomous snake died, it began to rot rapidly, spewing toxic gas around. It didn’t reach me, who was relatively far away, but it wasn’t entirely without effect. I coughed and covered my nose. If it were real poison gas, it wouldn’t have ended with just a sneeze. Now, it smelled slightly sour, like vinegar, and my nose itched.
I quickly cast a shield, blocking the smell. I didn’t want to be the only one avoiding it, so I cast a shield on Moment too.
But there was no need, as Moment’s flames seemed to act as a shield, just like Shut Up’s. As Eligor’s giant lance was about to strike, a pillar of flame erupted from Moment’s body, blocking the attack.
Moment casually waved one hand, and a pillar of flame from his other arm attacked Eligor. When the blow landed squarely, Eligor suddenly let out a roar.
“Kuaaaah—!”
The ground shook as if an earthquake had struck. Soon after, the rocks in the surrounding canyon began to pour down. Something was falling from above where I was standing too, and a large rock dropped with a crash!
“Ugh!”
I hastily looked up and saw a rather large rock falling towards me. I narrowly dodged to the left, just like in dodgeball. After a moment, something else rained down from above, and I rolled to avoid it. I spun around once, landed, and opened my eyes…
CRASH!!!
A rock was embedded right in front of me.
“Haa……”
If I had rolled just a little faster, that rock would have been my gravestone. But I didn’t have a moment to catch my breath. The ground vibrated again, and stones fell like hail.
“Honestly! Psychics never give a damn about their Guides!”
As if hearing my shout, Moment turned his head. Then, he flew up in an instant, creating flames on the ground, and fired two fireballs at the wall next to me. The flat wall indented, creating a hole large enough for one person.
“Get inside there. You should be able to avoid the falling rocks.”
Moment’s eyes had turned red, making him look like a demon from hell, but his tone was as kind as when we first met. I blinked twice, and I saw him floating in front of Eligor again.
Without wasting any time, I entered the hole. As soon as I crouched down, the ground began to shake violently. Where I had been standing moments ago, a rock the size of an elephant now lay with a thump.
Since it felt wrong to do nothing while being carried, I cast the Relax skill that Shut Up had given me yesterday. As Moment circled Eligor, throwing fireballs, I saw his hand pause.
“Our Dajeong is doing something cute.”
Moment’s relaxed voice echoed in my ears. Being kind was good, but unlike Shut Up, he was cheesy. If only they were mixed halfway, it would be perfect. Shut Up and Moment were truly polar opposites.
Moment enlarged the ring he held to its maximum size. It floated above Eligor like a halo. The ring, engulfed in flames, began to rotate at various angles.
From a distance, it looked like a burning circle was being created. The rapidly spinning ring descended onto Eligor’s position. As if a Binding Skill was used, Eligor could not move and let out a monstrous scream, while the ring spun faster, devouring Eligor’s head.
The sound of meat being sliced in a butcher shop was deafening. Eligor’s flesh flew everywhere, splattering against the canyon walls. A piece of flesh, perhaps Eligor’s ear, landed with a plop in front of me, who was far away. Since it had touched fire, the flesh gave off a faint burnt smell.
Moment’s ring instantly consumed its head, and without a head, the limp body was being ground up without resistance. Even more flesh flew out in bursts than before. As about half of its body was ground away, the remaining body stuck to the ground like waterlogged cotton.
<<'Eligor' has been defeated.>>
At that moment, like Shut Up, Moment touched something in the air. As I slowly emerged from the hole, the abundant flesh blurred and disappeared. The burnt smell and the sour smell of poison gas also vanished. It was as if nothing had happened in this canyon.
I saw Moment approaching with a joyful expression.
“Dajeong-ah! Thanks to you, I was able to use [Desperado]! Kya, it’s been so long. I didn’t have a Partner.”
He then hugged me tightly. His body, which had been covered in flames earlier, had returned to normal.
As if from defeating the boss, my body flashed several times. Looking at my level at the bottom, it became 42.
Shut Up’s skills were also massive and powerful, but the skill Moment used now looked more terrifying. He initiated a trade and handed over the loot that dropped from the boss.
“You didn’t have to give me everything.”
“No, I have plenty. Dajeong, take it all.”
I thanked Moment and closed the trade window. Looking at the party window, his PG was filled up to 80 percent.
“Now, Link with me.”
Moment said cheerfully, taking off his armor piece by piece.
“No, no. You don’t have to take it all off.”
Despite my protests, Moment grabbed my shoulder and pulled me down. His strength was immense, and for a moment, I wondered, ‘Huh? Is his level really high?’
The force of him pulling me down bent one of my legs. As I sat down, Moment moved very close in front of me.
“……”
I don’t know when he finished undressing, but I saw his erect penis before my eyes. Confused about what was happening, I looked up, and Moment was licking his lips.
“Suck me, quickly.”
“……What?”
Moment pressed his lower body even closer to me. I frantically grabbed his hips and tried to push him away, but he wouldn’t budge.
“Wait, wait. Holding hands or kissing, that’s not it?”
“It’s more effective to be caressed like this.”
“Ah, no. Still, this is a bit much!”
I turned my head as much as possible, refusing, and he nodded, saying, “Hmm, is that so? Is this too one-sided?”
‘Haa…….’
It was a relief that he was somewhat reasonable. Soon, he kindly held my hand and helped me up, and I thought we were just going to Link like that, holding hands.
But.
“Then, a kiss is okay, right?”
The moment he said that, Moment kissed me.
But what was this strange feeling? Unlike with Shut Up, I couldn’t focus on the kiss. I just thought, ‘He’s Linking,’ and counted the time in my head, wondering when it would end.
I finally opened my eyes and looked at the party window. Moment’s PG was decreasing from 80 to 50, and my GG rapidly climbed to 60.
‘Why are the stats like this? It’s filling up much faster than with Shut Up.’
Feeling like I was going to faint again, I repeatedly patted Moment’s chest.
“My gauge! My gauge!!”
“Oh? You’re right.”
Moment pulled away from my lips and checked the stats, nodding. He tried to move a couple of steps away, but he held my hand tightly, preventing me from doing so.
“Dajeong-ah. It seems your charm index is incredibly high. Usually, when I do this much, everyone faints. At your level, you should be fainting. But seeing that you still have GG left… I want to steal it from Shut Up.”
Moment lowered his head again and asked me again how I thought of him as a Partner.
In my eyes, Shut Up and this guy were the same, but unlike kissing Shut Up, I didn’t feel much emotion with Moment. My priority was to escape, so I broke free from his grip and quickly opened the keyboard screen. But Moment, realizing this, grabbed both my wrists and bound them above my head.
“It’s not over yet, it would be problematic if you left.”
“I, I have 20 percent left. If I do any more, I’ll faint!”
“You have 20 percent left? I wonder how much more it will take to disappear? I’m curious.”
Moment lowered his head again and pressed his lips against mine. I tried to refuse his tongue invading my teeth, but it pushed in stubbornly, and I couldn’t stop it.
“Ugh, ugh…!”
With my head turned, it was hard to keep my mouth closed. Seeing me groaning and accepting his tongue, Moment laughed, saying he was too turned on. Beep beep—. With a beeping sound, my mind became dizzy. Soon, the screen turned black, and the character selection screen appeared.
<<'Kind Touch's' GG is full and entering faint mode. Recharge time is approximately 23 hours.>>
Just like with Shut Up, a message like that appeared. Sitting on the sofa, I was in a daze.
Ding ding ding— Ding ding.
The alarm brought me back to reality, and with a flushed face, I slowly got up from the sofa and stumbled on wobbly legs to the bathroom. While brushing my teeth, I gradually regained my senses, but the feeling of the long kiss with Moment still lingered. Spitting out the foam, I ran my tongue around my mouth.
“……Ah, I’m going crazy. Now I know why this game is so addictive.”
I still felt like Moment’s tongue, which had entered like a living mollusk, was lingering in my mouth. Sitting on the toilet, I covered my head.
‘No, why am I only kissing men…?’
I seriously considered whether I should give that game back to Sang-cheol.
After going to work in the morning, I had a phone call with Hanwoo.
[There are so many female Guides, why are you with a man? Are you crazy?]
When I asked if he had ever Linked with a man, Hanwoo replied with disgust.
Right. I don’t know why I keep meeting insane people. After experiencing that at 4 AM, I started spacing out at the office, and I’m still spaced out now, even at lunchtime.
I tried logging in early to avoid Shut Up, but it wasn’t a great method. And more importantly, since I was in a fainted state, going home to log in was out of the question. I planned to go home early and just sleep.
“Hanwoo-ya. I learned Relax.”
[Do you want to be my Guide?]
“You just cursed at me asking why I’m linking with a man, have you developed amnesia?”
I couldn’t bring myself to say that the Link was done through a kiss. That would be too embarrassing, even for a friend. Hanwoo would chuckle and laugh every time I asked about Linking. Just hearing the word ‘Link’ made him burst into laughter, so the kiss was something I had to take to my grave.
Anyway. He didn’t seem like a high-level player, but Moment used incredibly flashy skills. I haven’t matched with him, so I don’t know the exact probabilities, but it seemed to fit quite well. However, seeing the PG and GG stats rise and fall, Shut Up was significantly more effective.
‘The feeling was different too.’
The kiss was better with Shut Up too… Probably the physical compatibility too…
“Ah! Snap out of it. Don’t imagine it.”
I chided myself and took a sip of coffee from my mug.
It was lunchtime, so there were many office workers walking around on the street. ‘I used to be like that too,’ I thought, looking at them enviously through the glass wall.
There were good points about working alone, but the loneliness was unbearable. Even if I wanted to hire a licensed real estate agent, I couldn’t afford to pay rent comfortably yet, so that was impossible.
Just then, one person from a group of women wearing employee ID cards around their necks walked towards me. I quickly pretended to be busy typing something on my PC. In the search bar, which I had opened meaninglessly, a string of incomprehensible words was written.
“Excuse me, I came to look for a one-room apartment for rent.”
“Yes. Please come in.”
She looked fresh, like a recent graduate. It seemed she had just finished lunch, so I made her a cup of coffee and asked about her budget. Fortunately, it seemed her parents were supporting her, as she had a considerable deposit.
“I’d prefer a fully furnished place if possible. And a new building, if possible.”
“Is that so? Just a moment.”
There weren’t many fully furnished places in this area. Still, I found one remaining listing on the transaction network and called the agent in charge.
Fortunately, it hadn’t been taken yet, so I took her with me out of the office. My car, still black and gloomy, was parked in front of my office. As she left with me, she asked if it was the CEO’s car.
“No. It’s from the building across the street.”
The car was certainly stylish, as passersby would glance at it once before moving on. I felt a pang of regret seeing people only look at the car and not my office, but it was indeed impressive.
“This way.”
Chatting casually with her, we walked a short distance and arrived in front of the building with the listing.
However… while the exterior was decent, the interior showed signs of use. Honestly, it wasn’t great, but I couldn’t say that outright.
Normally, you’d slightly exaggerate even a not-so-good house and only mention the positives, but as soon as we entered, what caught my eye was a dead spider. As I recoiled in disgust, she cleaned it up for me. There wasn’t much sunlight either, and apart from being fully furnished, everything else was subpar. She seemed to feel the same way, and after a cursory look, she said she’d seen enough and left first.
“CEO-nim. Excuse me, are there any rooms in that building over there?”
As we walked side-by-side on the way back, talking, she suddenly pointed at a building.
At first glance, it was indeed a new officetel building.
And I know about this building.
It was that building, the one I thought I should keep an eye on after a ridiculously young guy at a real estate meetup mentioned he owned an officetel building. But I couldn’t tell exactly how many rooms were available. Whether there was a real estate agency managing it or not, transactions were happening steadily, but it didn’t show up on the information network.
“Hmm… I think I need to look into that.”
“A friend of mine lives there, and they said the owner is quite cool and nice. Is that why there are no rooms?”
“The owner is cool?”
Not just cool, but chilling and frigid, wasn’t it? If that’s cool, everyone would have frozen to death.
Then again, I supposed they might treat tenants who pay well nicely. From what I heard, she seemed to have gone inside, looking at the officetel with regret. For now, I handed her my business card and saw her out, saying I’d look into it and contact her.
As I was seeing her off at the office door, I saw Jun opening his car door to get in. She stopped in her tracks and looked back and forth between him and his car, gazing at them.
“Hey, hey!”
At my urgent call, Jun, who had been about to get into his car, stood up again.
“Jjuni! Can we talk for a moment….”
He wasn’t wearing his usual training suit with his hood up, but a jacket, dressed neatly. Jun closed the car door with a thud without a word and approached me. The scent of wood, which I had smelled in the car, wafted strongly. I led him into the office and he sat down demurely in the seat opposite me.
“What is it?”
As soon as Jun sat down casually on the sofa, he asked for my business. I stopped myself from offering him a drink and got straight to the point.
“Um… that officetel building at the intersection, that’s yours too, right, Jjuni?”
“And?”
“If you have any vacant rooms, how about renting them out? I have a client looking.”
“Female, male?”
“What?”
He seemed to be asking if the person looking for a place was female or male. Most landlords preferred women, citing their neatness and tendency to decorate well.
“She’s female.”
“That’s fine.”
So I confidently answered that it was a woman, but he gave a short reply and got up from his seat coldly.
‘Huh? Why?’
I was dumbfounded. Normally, one would ask about availability, deposit or rent, or if they had pets. But this guy asked for the gender and then flatly refused because it was a woman.
“Why is that fine….”
“It’s my business.”
Ah… right. That’s the kind of guy he was.
For some reason, I felt a surge of competitiveness and asked, “Can I show it to male clients?” He cut me off with a direct answer:
“Twenties to thirties. I don’t want anyone older. And I don’t want anyone who isn’t good-looking.”
“What does that have to do with the rent….”
“I just don’t want to deal with other people.”
‘He’s not normal… I’m confused.’
Jun checked his wristwatch and, concluding the conversation was over, stood up from the sofa.
As I heard the sound of his jacket and the sofa leather rubbing together, I, whose mind was in a chaotic mess, also stood up. Following him as he walked towards the door, I quickly asked, “So, are men in their 20s and 30s okay?”, “How many floors are left?”, “Can I see them anytime?”
Then, he opened the office door, turned around, and pointed his finger at my mouth.
“Hey, shut your mouth. One at a time.”
‘Mouth?’
At a moment I should have felt offended, my thoughts overlapped, and I wore a bewildered expression. The reason I fixated on that word was because I had saved Shut Up’s number as [Mouth].
When I remained silent, he crossed his arms and gave me short answers before turning and leaving. In case I forgot, I quickly went to my PC and took notes.
[Unit 401, Unit 508… Unit 1302 vacant, password. Both 0223… Entrance door is…]
That was the extent of it. I could ask about the entrance door again. Or ask at the security office. Still, I was happy to have a potential deal. After all, the building looked really good just from its exterior.
But, separate from that, something tugged at the back of my head. It sent a strong, unidentifiable signal. I felt like I was missing a crucial fact. Pondering what it could be, I snapped my fingers.
“Ah, right! This guy, he spoke casually to me while we were talking!”
I had overlooked that fact because I didn’t have time to feel offended. Yes, I concluded that this was why I felt uneasy.
As Jun’s car disappeared, the area in front of the office became bright. Passing people were more visible, which was nice. Perhaps because of that, another customer walked in, and I finalized the contract for the studio apartment that the female customer from earlier had been hesitant about, catching a spider.
‘Ah, I wish every day were like today.’
Evening. It had been a rewarding day, so I got on the bus home. A seat happened to be available, so I happily hummed a tune internally and looked out the car window. Just then, I felt a vibration from my pocket and saw a message from Shut Up.
[When are you coming? My gauge is full]
Gasp! What should I do?
For two stops, I couldn’t reply, lost in thought.
‘Ah, what should I say?’
If I hadn’t received the Relax skill, I would have just played dumb and gotten away with it, but having received an expensive item, I was practically betraying him. Moreover, I didn’t even Link yesterday, so Shut Up’s PG must have accumulated a lot.
For now, I decided to lie, as there was no other choice.
[Sorry. I can’t log in because work ran late.]
As soon as I sent the message, I got a reply instantly.
[Call me when you’re done.]
Shut Up, whom I thought would let it go, was persistently pestering me.
“Obsessive guys aren’t popular. You don’t know anything.”
I muttered while looking at my phone, and then I felt a gaze from somewhere. I casually glanced up and saw Grandfather glaring at me with narrowed eyes.
“Sir, please sit here.”
It wasn’t the elderly seat, but since our eyes met, it was hard to ignore him. Grandfather sat down as if it were natural and cleared his throat. Looking behind me, the bus was already full. Since it was only a few more stops, I decided to just stand in front of him.
Just then. My pocket vibrated again. I thought it was a message and ignored it, but it kept vibrating, so it must be a call. As it was my stop, I got off the bus, ignoring it, and only then did my phone quiet down.
[Mouth] Missed call
As expected, [Mouth] was displayed for the missed call. I wondered what lie to tell, but then decided to just ignore it with my eyes closed.
I couldn’t possibly pay 100,000 won for a paid item just to satisfy Shut Up’s mouth. His PG would decrease significantly after a few hours, so I should recommend he take a break from hunting.
However, the newbie who had just started Blood Planet didn’t know something…
Blood Planet, where PK was rampant, wasn’t just for using abilities on monsters. If someone attacked you while you were just standing there, you had to respond. And if you were stunned due to consuming PG or GG during PK, the user would be disconnected, but the character would remain and be beaten up.
And that peaceful and rewarding evening.
Who would have thought something would blow up?
As soon as I got home, I washed up and was idly watching TV. I picked up the remote, thinking I might pay for a movie for the first time in a while, when my phone, which was beside me, rang.
It was a call from Hanwoo.
“Yeah. What?”
While answering the phone, I stared at the TV screen, choosing a newly released movie. A lot of movies with high ratings had been updated. Oh, that looks fun, I thought, and was about to press the payment button for one of them when Hanwoo mentioned Shut Up on the other end of the line.
I was half-listening when I asked, “What?”
[No, he fought with some S-rank player! And, did you play the game this morning?]
“……This morning?”
A chill ran down my spine. The only thing I did this morning was get boosted by some weird guy and Link…
[They’re saying everyone’s going to watch because S-rank players are PK-ing. Hey, but why is your name showing up on the global chat and everyone’s snickering.]
“Ah, shit. Crazy!”
[Did you Link to someone else too? Shut Up seems really pissed off because of that.]
Hanwoo hung up, saying, “I’m going to watch.” As expected, messages from Shut Up started coming in.
[Log in immediately — 19:31]
[Log in before I reveal your number as someone who only Links with men — 19:32]
I scanned the ceiling, feeling like someone had installed a camera in my house. Of course, that wasn’t it… He must have talked to Moment.
[10 minutes — 19:33]
If the number I sent messages to Shut Up from was for real estate business, I could have asked him to reveal it and gotten a new number, but we had exchanged messages using my personal number.
Why on earth did I add Shut Up with my personal number when I was out of my mind? If I change this, I’ll have to change my bank information and contact my mom and all my acquaintances, which is complicated. I foolishly exchanged messages with him using my usual number… I ran my hands through my hair for a moment and calmly replied.
[Can’t log in, I’m stunned ㅠ — 19:36]
[6 minutes — 19:37]
“Ah! What do you want me to do, ah!!”
I have real friends in Blood Planet, and maybe even relatives or acquaintances. It’s a number I’ve used for over 10 years. I had to prevent my personal number from being leaked. So, I had no choice but to buy the 100,000 won paid item and log in. Every second felt like a minute as I pressed the payment button.
[I’m paying for the paid item now, wait — 19:41]
[1 minute — 19:42]
As soon as I bought the paid item, I used it in the character login screen. Then, the remaining wait time disappeared, and the login button became active.
<
<
After logging in, I touched Shut Up twice, and warped to his location. Upon arrival, I looked around and saw a small cabin. Moment, with whom I had spent time that morning, and his Partner, Shut Up, were standing side by side.
“Oh? Dajeong!”
Moment called out to me affectionately and started to approach, but Shut Up pushed him away. Moment slumped onto a nearby chair weakly.
Shut Up immediately approached me and grabbed my collar with one hand. In an instant, my body was pulled towards him like a piece of paper, and his blue eyes glowed fiercely right in front of my face.
‘I feel like I’m going to be electrocuted…’
“You betrayed me?”
“Oh, it’s a misunderstanding. I just thought you might be tired… and he offered to boost me… I didn’t want to!”
“That’s not what I heard. They say you were kissing a lot.”
“What kissing…”
Moment, whom I managed to turn my head to see, was smiling contentedly and blew me a kiss.
‘Ugh.’
As I looked up, Shut Up seemed to have seen Moment’s gesture, and blue electricity shot from his eyes again.
“So, if someone boosts you, everyone starts kissing you?”
“What kissing!”
At Shut Up’s words, Moment laughed and said, “We had a really good time earlier, didn’t we?” Shut Up, with his blue eyes, and Moment, with his red eyes, both looked at me.
One way or another, I had played a trick. So I couldn’t look at Shut Up’s eyes glaring at me. Since I had received the Relax skill, I felt apologetic and couldn’t retort even when Shut Up swore at me, just listening.
I just felt suffocated and reached out to remove his hand from my collar, but he gripped it even tighter. He pulled me towards him so hard that my feet were slightly off the ground.
“Gasp, let go and talk…”
As Shut Up continued to growl without loosening his grip, Moment stood up and approached.
“Dajeong is suffocating. Let go and talk.”
Moment, who came behind me, grabbed my shoulders and pulled me towards him, but Shut Up pushed him away with the hand that wasn’t grabbing my collar.
“Don’t touch me.”
“Whoa, scary.”
Shut Up suddenly released my collar and hid me behind his back. I thought my item would be destroyed from how hard he gripped it. Moment looked somewhat disappointed.
“Anyway, let’s hurry.”
“Hurry with what?”
I, who was behind Shut Up, poked my head out at Moment’s words and asked. Shut Up answered.
“We agreed to fight over you. If I lose, you’ll be his Guide, and if I win, I’ll take all his items.”
But why am I being treated like spoils of war?
“Doesn’t my opinion matter?”
“No.”
“Yeah.”
They both answered simultaneously and looked at me. No, I’m a person with agency, why…?
Shut Up approached before I could say anything. He lowered his head as if to kiss me, like last time. So I stayed still, but instead of the sensation of his lips touching mine, I felt my body being lifted upside down.
“Wait. I’ll Link and come back.”
Shut Up gave Moment a brief warning and carried me over his shoulder to the next room.
“……Huh? Where are we going? Huh?”
“I’ve done so much for you, it’s unfair to be treated the same as him. I deserve proper compensation for my efforts.”
“We maintained our understanding through kisses. You should also calm down and be rational—”
Before I could finish speaking, I was forcibly laid down on the bed. Shut Up removed his flashy armor and underwear items all at once and approached. His naked body was fully revealed. It felt like the statue of David was approaching. I always found his… lacking when I saw the statue of David, but Shut Up’s was complete, filling even that deficiency.
He grabbed me, half-naked on the bed, with one hand and lifted me up again. I was laid flat on the bouncing bed, and Shut Up climbed on top and pressed down. My hands were pinned by his one hand. Then, Shut Up unceremoniously tore off my pants and underwear with his other hand.
<
Then, a friendly notification message appeared at the top of the screen. It seemed that as Partners, he could even touch items. It was a shame, even if they were just for shop use. His hands, destroying the items, squeezed as if they could crush my wrists.
“Isn’t this what you wanted from the beginning?”
“Are your ears blocked? No! It’s not!”
He positioned himself between my legs, which were spread wide. His stiff penis came into view.
Shut Up slowly moved his hips, aligning his own with mine and began to insert it. Whether our bodies were compatible, I felt a slight resistance before quickly entering pleasure.
Here, I could clearly tell. Shut Up’s matching result was much better than Moment’s… The moment his essence entered, I could feel it. Due to the intense pleasure, which was on a different level than kissing, I let out moans like a beast’s cry.
“Haaagh…!”
Thinking I had to hold back my moans because Moment was in the next room, I tightly shut my lips.
“H-huk, ugh…”
As I groaned and writhed below, Shut Up, unable to bear it, inserted his finger between my lips. A small gap opened, and the moans I had been trying to suppress escaped.
“Th-there, only there! Don’t…”
“Oh? Beg a little more.”
I wasn’t trying to clench, but every time Shut Up’s member moved in and out, I trembled so much that my toes curled from the stimulation. The intercourse wasn’t a gradual climax like in reality, but I felt an orgasm with every thrust.
The matching score must be the compatibility index. It felt like my underwear was getting wet, as the game character I was repeatedly climaxing every time Shut Up thrust inside. Trembling, I grabbed Shut Up’s pelvis as he thrust wildly.
“St-stop! The score… it’s going down…”
Shut Up’s PG dropped sharply from 80 percent to 30 percent. Sex was said to be the most effective Link, and that was certainly true. If it had been kissing, my GG would have reached its limit already.
Since there was no warning sound yet, he probably thought it was still possible. Shut Up, who had been thrusting with his hips raised, lowered his upper body and put his arm behind my head. He put his arm around me, pressed his body close, and rubbed his hips finely, letting out groans in my ear.
“Ah, aah, huk…!”
“Haaah…”
Without a single word of conversation, the room was filled only with moans. Having sex with Shut Up, driven by instinct like a beast, I swayed, attached to him like one body. When Shut Up’s PG dropped to about 10 percent, my GG was almost full.
“Stop, ugh…”
Despite my words, Shut Up raised his upper body again and lifted one leg, but did not stop the act.
“St-stop, stop… ha, haaah…”
While moaning, I managed to speak and asked him to stop. Shut Up gave me a low warning as I trembled with arousal.
“If you Link with someone else again, I’ll really kill you.”
That statement sounded like he would actually find me and kill me. I nodded vaguely, but in the heat of the moment, my answer was unlikely to reach him.
With my GG at just a few percent remaining, Shut Up stopped thrusting hard as if to cum inside me and thrust deep enough to lift my ass. I suppressed a groan and asked Shut Up, who was panting, in a raspy voice.
“You said we were betting. If I lose…, I’ll go to that guy…”
My chest heaved with his excitement, rising and falling rapidly. Shut Up trapped my face between his arms as I lay on my stomach. Looking up, I saw a faint blue madness glinting in Shut Up’s eyes.
“You think I’ll lose? Of course, I’ll win.”
He slowly lowered his head and sucked on my lower lip with all his might. With only 5 percent left, as soon as he touched my lips, a warning siren blared in my ear again, “Beep beep—.”
Yet, Shut Up didn’t stop. His tongue slowly swept across my palate, delving deeper. As I opened my jaw to take him in, a small laugh mixed with his hot breath flooded in.
When only 1 percent of GG remained, he slightly parted his lips.
“Wait there obediently. Don’t get distracted like today.”
He then sucked on my upper lip, and with that, my vision went black. As usual, a message indicating I had fainted appeared, and I was returned to the character selection screen.
<
“Haa…, ah…”
I took off the helmet and looked at my languid body, noticing I was indeed wet down there. It seemed I had cummed in the game, and in reality too. I casually grabbed my pants and briefs together and peeked inside, finding sticky fluid smeared messily between my pubic hair and underwear. At this point, I couldn’t tell where the game ended and reality began.
‘…I’m not actually going to become a gay person, am I?’
A sigh escaped me involuntarily.
Ding ding ding—. Ding—.
“Ah, it’s already morning…”
I barely managed to get up to turn off the alarm, but it was 4 AM.
“Ah. Damn it.”
I irritably threw my phone onto the headboard. After what happened with Shut Up yesterday, I had showered and slept soundly for the first time in a long while.
Then, I suddenly wondered about the PK result between Moment and Shut Up yesterday. Checking my phone, I saw a message. I thought it was from Shut Up, but it was from Hanwoo. I had fallen asleep right after showering yesterday, so I hadn’t checked, and he had sent quite a few messages in the meantime.
[Hey! Were you online yesterday? Shut Up is really fighting — 20:30]
Since I had only logged in briefly yesterday, Hanwoo must have thought I wasn’t playing. Then, I read the next message.
[OMG. Even the spectators died because of their AoE skills. Wow, everyone’s scrambling to pick up items here — 20:50]
[Huh? Hey, hey! Shut Up died, and Moment died too. Wow, that’s absurd. Another ranker came and backstabbed them — 21:10]
There were no more messages after that.
Both of them dying meant a draw, so I wouldn’t go to anyone? Did Shut Up drop his items too? What happened? Question marks popped up above my head, but I couldn’t contact Shut Up at 4 AM.
I tried to check for more information, but I couldn’t keep my eyes open and fell asleep again. Then, I woke up to the alarm again and headed to the bathroom to go to the real estate office. Although I could open my office anytime since I worked alone, I disliked that lax attitude and boarded the bus to work just like everyone else.
I usually stood in a similar spot, dozing on the bus, and before I knew it, I had arrived and got off, swaying.
‘This state of mind won’t be fixed with instant coffee.’
With that thought, I walked in the opposite direction of my office. In that direction, there was a fast-food restaurant that sold cheap coffee and breakfast toast, which I frequented.
“Your warm Americano and egg toast are ready.”
Holding the rich Americano and warm toast, I sat at a table by the window. Outside, people were still bustling on their way to work.
Taking a bite of the toast, I chewed it thoughtlessly, like I was eating feed for livestock. The coffee was hotter than I expected, and I almost burned my palate, which finally jolted me awake. Many people probably don’t wake up from the caffeine in Americano, but rather from the shock of “Ouch, it’s hot!”
As my mind cleared, like the morning fog dissipating, I overheard someone two seats away talking on the phone.
“Oh, man, don’t even talk about it. I dropped items there too.”
He was talking excitedly, his voice raised, but he glanced at me and lowered his voice. However, he didn’t hang up or stop talking.
“Seriously! Luckily, I dropped something cheap. Uh, you didn’t know? Hey, they were fighting over the Guide… Yeah, that’s right!”
My hand, which had been rubbing my forehead with my eyes closed for a moment, stopped abruptly. My eyes snapped open. I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but hearing a few words made it feel like it concerned me.
As if I wasn’t listening, I took out something I had printed yesterday from my briefcase, which I always carried around. My fingers rustled through the papers, but I wasn’t actually reading them.
“No, one of our guild members tried it out of curiosity, and they said it was amazing. Uh-huh. Should I switch to a male Guide this time too? Ah, but Shut Up and Link, they say they’re really gay, right? If word gets out around here, they won’t be able to show their faces. Right?”
I flipped back and forth between pages, and my body stiffened.
‘Gay… Me?’
To regain my composure, I took out a fountain pen, which I rarely used, and doodled on the paper.
As I was doing this, the man on the phone, perhaps noticing me, kept glancing my way, then suddenly approached.
“Good morning.”
“Ah, hello.”
It turned out to be one of the people I had met at the real estate gathering. He wasn’t a CEO, but a licensed real estate agent from a rather large firm. I had met so many new people then that I hadn’t memorized everyone’s face, but he came over and greeted me first.
“You’re busy this morning.”
“No, not really.”
I quickly put away the papers I had taken out. He said, “Well, I’ll be going then,” and resumed his call before leaving the room.
‘Wow, the world is small.’
I had thought many people played games, but I never imagined someone from the same industry, in a similar region, would be playing on the same server.
What’s more, if he knew the person he was just talking about was me… Even if it wasn’t my business number, if even one person who knew me found out, it would only be a matter of time before my real name was exposed. There might be many people with the same name, so I could deny it, but I didn’t have the nerve, and it would clearly show on my face.
‘Haa…’
Cold sweat broke out. This industry was small, and rumors spread like wildfire. I might have to endure the subtle jabs of the formidable real estate CEOs.
‘I might even have to close my business in this area…’
But I had only recently opened, and I needed to recoup my initial investment. The only fortunate thing was that the number I used for real estate business was different from the one Shut Up knew, so if rumors spread, I still had an escape route.
Sighing, I picked up my coffee and took a sip.
“Ouch, hot!”
It hadn’t cooled down yet, and I had properly burned my palate.
As I pondered these things, it seemed best to quit the game as soon as possible or switch servers. I wasn’t gay, and I was afraid of being labeled as gay in real life too. One wrong match and I could be immortalized in the town…
I shouldn’t have picked up a ring in the first place. No, I shouldn’t have started this game at all.
‘Right. Let’s meet.’
Shut Up is 23, so maybe meeting his 28-year-old Hyung would make him a bit intimidated, I hoped. I decided to meet him and get some kind of written agreement. I thought if I yelled at him, mentioning ‘privacy laws’ and ‘is this how a student should behave?’, he might understand. However, on the other hand, I worried if it would be awkward seeing him in person after having sex in the game.
‘That’s not what’s important right now. This is about my real life.’
If Hanwoo, who always teased me about trivial matters, found out, he would surely bring it up every time we met with friends.
Holding the half-finished coffee, I slowly walked towards my office, organizing my thoughts. But for some reason, his black car wasn’t parked there.
I entered the office, turned on the PC, and logged into my internet account. Before that, I found the file where I had noted down Shut Up’s address and phone number from the game. I intended to look up his approximate location.
‘This area is also Jamun-ro, but…’
New addresses like ‘○○-ro’ often had duplicates. For example, ‘Gangnam-ro’ could be in Yongin or Jinju, Gyeongnam, so I thought this wouldn’t be it.
However, surprisingly, there was only one ‘Jamun-ro’ in the entire Republic of Korea, and it was right around here. I calmly entered the detailed address.
“Jamun-ro 54-gil…, 24, Unit 701. I think I’ve seen this before. This is…”
At first, I thought I had searched incorrectly. The destination pointed to the building directly across from my office. I looked at the internet map again, re-writing it on the notepad on my desk, character by character.
‘Haa… What the hell.’
Something was going wrong. This was truly a trick of fate. Seeing it was Unit 701… I remembered there was only one main entrance on the 7th floor.
Like when I messed up my answer sheet during an exam, cold sweat ran down my back. My fingertips trembled, but I tried to stay calm, talking to myself.
“Ah, no. It’s too early to conclude. The phone number, right, the number is different. The number is different. Yes, that’s right.”
Certainly, Shut Up’s and Jun’s phone numbers were different. So, was he living with a roommate? No way? Maybe. It was hard to conclude it was the same person just because the address was the same.
With trembling hands, I took a sip of the Americano I had bought that morning. Swirling it in my mouth, I calmly wrote down Shut Up’s and Jun’s phone numbers side-by-side on the notepad. Jun used his dual number for business, and Shut Up used his personal number.
Just then, his black car smoothly pulled up and parked in front of the office. Seeing this, I picked up my phone, deciding to find out the truth with one call.
‘Okay… Let’s call Shut Up with my real number.’
Hiding behind the monitor as much as possible, I pressed the call button. The driver’s side door opened, and I saw his long legs touch the ground. However, there was no movement to suggest he was about to answer the phone. The call was ringing, but he remained empty-handed.
‘S-Saved…’
Yes. Heaven hadn’t abandoned me. No matter how unlucky I was, I wouldn’t get entangled with someone like that, even in a game. I forced my pounding heart to calm down and put down my phone, leaning my head back against the chair.
“Hoo…”
I had been too stressed since morning, and a headache started. I got up and rummaged through the drawers, looking for headache medicine, when I heard the office door open from behind.
“Welcome…”
“I have something to discuss.”
It was Jun. I wondered what could possibly bring him here, when he had been so reluctant to enter the office no matter how much I pleaded.
“…P-Please, sit down for now.”
I asked him to sit down and poured a coffee stick into a paper cup.
Meanwhile, Jun took out his phone from his inner pocket and looked at it, then made a call somewhere. As I placed the coffee on the sofa table and straightened up, my phone vibrated from the desk behind me.
Jun glanced towards my desk and took a sip of the coffee I had given him. I approached the desk, still hunched over.
“Ah, um, I, I, I have a call.”
No way, it couldn’t be. The person drinking coffee right in front of me couldn’t be calling…
[Mouth]
“…”
The phone screen displayed [Mouth]. No, was Jjuni really Shut Up? To escape this crisis, I put it on silent. Then, I pretended to be on the phone.
“Ah! Yes, you’re the client who looked at the one- or two-room yesterday, right? Yes, yes. You’re going to sign the contract for that? Really? When would you like to come?”
Was that natural enough? My words came out strangely due to sheer panic. Even as I walked out of the office pretending to take a call, my heart pounded, and my voice trembled.
Unable to go back into the office, I went to a corner without frosted glass and observed Jun’s actions. I saw his indifferent back, and the hand at his ear dropped. Then, my phone screen turned black again.
The guy I had clung to, whimpering yesterday, was the owner of the building across the street. And he was so much younger.
The only hopeful thing was that he didn’t know my true identity. I hadn’t set my profile picture, nor had I mentioned real estate. I hadn’t even used my real name for my profile. That was because of the guys who sometimes teased me.
The fact that I had alternated between two numbers when contacting him was a stroke of genius. Heaven still hadn’t abandoned me. The heavens were on my side.
“Calm down, calm down…”
For now, I had to ask him why he had come today, so I composed myself and went inside. He was still looking at his phone, drinking the coffee I had made.
As I sat opposite him, he finally looked up. Then, without preamble, he asked,
“Errands. How far are you willing to go?”
“Do I need to go somewhere far?”
He was speaking to me informally now, but I couldn’t point it out. Shut Up from the game and the Jun in front of me seemed like one entity. In the game, he had been tall with large hands, and it was the same in reality, making him seem even more imposing. I felt like he might emit electricity if he got angry.
“No, it’s not about going somewhere… Can you perhaps find someone for me?”
“…I said I run errands, not that I work for an errand service.”
“Right. I thought since I’m in real estate, I could find out where someone lives just by their contact information. All the real estate agents around here know my contact details.”
“That’s because you’re the building owner.”
I wondered who he wanted to find, thinking he was a bit amusing. Then, my body stiffened. Jun was looking at me with a cold gaze, noticing my slightly mocking expression. I quickly regained my poker face and extended my hand to him.
“Please leave your contact information. I’ll let you know if I can find them.”
Jun nodded slightly and took out his phone from his inner pocket. It was a model with a rather large screen, but it looked like a small toy in his hand.
Jun tapped the screen and handed his phone to me. I carefully took down the number that appeared and wrote it on the small notepad on the sofa table. It was usually used for notes when consulting with clients, so the top had the number of a designated driver.
Underneath the advertising slogan that read ‘Same number front and back,’ I wrote the number Jun had given me. But… the number was exactly the same as my phone number, front and back.
‘010, 2928, 5…, 5. Crazy.’
The tip of my pen trembled. Was he asking me to find myself, using my own phone number? As I wrote the last ‘0,’ my hand trembled so much it looked like a flower.
Clearing my throat, I handed him back his phone.
“Well, if I find out, I’ll contact you.”
“Yes, yes…”
He put down the coffee he was drinking and left the office.
He was truly a frightening man. What did he want to do by finding me? I had helped Link well yesterday, and although he died during the PK with Moment, it wasn’t my fault. Of course, I was the cause of the fight with Moment, but… there was no reason for him to seek revenge.
“…Could it be, he’s going to threaten me for the Relax fee?”
That couldn’t be it. The ring I returned was worth 5 million, and even with the help I provided, it was still a profitable deal for Shut Up.
As Jun walked towards the building across the street, my personal phone started ringing incessantly, as if he had called Dajeong again. Of course, I put it on silent and ignored it.
Around 2 PM, after showing a client around looking for an office, I was hungry, having skipped lunch.
The tteokbokki chain restaurant on the first floor across the street had opened today, judging by the congratulatory wreaths outside. I went over, greeted them, and decided to have my late lunch there.
“The location is good, so people were coming and going even before opening.”
“Really? There are many offices around here, so they’ll probably order a lot of late-night meals too. You must be making a lot of money, CEO.”
As we exchanged pleasantries suitable for a newly opened restaurant, I put a piece of red tteokbokki in my mouth.
Jun, leaving the building through the open door, came into view. He had given me his number this morning and asked me to find someone, the strange guy. As I was slurping the fish cake broth, he walked past indifferently, but then looked back, perhaps at the wreaths.
The owner, who was cooking, saw Jun and wiped his wet hands on his apron.
“Hello! We opened today, please try some!”
“Later.”
‘Tsk. Rude.’
I drank the broth and dipped a free tempura into the tteokbokki sauce. Since it was a chain, the taste was excellent.
Looking at the menu where fried dumplings were only five for 3,000 won, I remembered the fried dumplings I used to eat as a child. Back then, they were 200 won each. Lost in my own thoughts, I just stared blankly at the surrounding menus.
“Are you eating now?”
“Huh? Yes?”
I thought he had just passed by, but before I knew it, Jun had approached me and sat down opposite. From the conversation alone, he didn’t look like he wanted to eat, so I wondered why he was sitting in front of me.
Without a word, Jun took out a credit card from his wallet and placed it in front of me. What was this? Did he mean he was buying this tteokbokki? When I looked back at him, he suddenly said this.
“There’s a place that sells oil on the first floor of David Department Store. Go buy the eucalyptus lavender scent from there.””
“……”
Just as I was choking on a sweet potato fry, his words made my chest feel tight. I wondered if it was normal to ask someone to run an errand while they were eating. Especially me, eating a late lunch because of work!
‘They say even dogs don’t bother you when you’re eating… This dog.’
“Make sure you buy it from that specific store.”
“You want me to go to David, not the department store right here? I have to take a bus to get there.”
“You can just take the bus.”
“But you have a car…”
“I’m lazy. Oh, and while you’re there, buy a diffuser for the office. The smell this morning when I went in was…”
As I drank water, I vaguely agreed. He stood up and held out two long fingers in front of my eyes.
“Buy two.”
“I said I got it.”
As if he was done with his business, Jun left immediately. Watching his retreating back, the store owner muttered to himself, shaking his head, “Why is he so dry?”
“Owner, I’ll pay.”
When I finished eating and went to pay, I saw Jun’s card in my hand and paid with it. And even though I was taking the bus, he didn’t send a single message asking why I was buying things with his card.
‘Ah. He’s the building owner, so maybe he doesn’t get payment notifications?’
I figured he just ignored small expenses. I decided I’d just say I didn’t know if he said anything later. I dreamed of a petty revenge.
‘I’ll show him what happens when you entrust your credit card to someone else.’
Then, I took a taxi to David Department Store and paid with his card, and I bought the diffuser he asked for in a large-capacity package.
After finishing my work and leaving the department store, my phone rang. The screen showed [Jjuni]. I usually saved people by their building owner name and address, but since he spoke informally, I didn’t want to save him formally.
I answered the call and was about to say I had just bought everything when I heard his mocking laughter first.
[You’re having a blast, aren’t you.]
“What’s so fun? I’m running errands.”
[Tteokbokki, taxi. And that diffuser, you must have bought one the size of a water bottle?]
“……”
It seemed all my spending had been texted to him.
If only he had called when I was buying tteokbokki, he seemed to have been watching to see how far I would go, waiting for his moment. All I could think of was the phrase, “I’ve committed a grave sin,” but I didn’t want to say it.
[I wasn’t going to say anything… But let’s keep it reasonable. Okay?]
“I-I’ll give it to you! It’s just that I don’t have my wallet with me right now.”
[Yeah, right. Take a taxi like before. And while you’re there, go to the food court and buy some bread.]
They say guilt makes your feet betray you, but I felt a pang of conscience even speaking so boldly. Yet, he was really making me run errands for bread. My pride was hurt, but I had to ask.
“What kind of bread?”
[Anything. Buy some for Yudu… too. Well, I guess you would have bought it anyway.]
“Yes. …But why did you trail off when you said his name?”
I heard a small chuckle from the other end of the line at my remark about his name. I thought it was due to the poor call quality, but he had intentionally said my name like that.
However, I felt bad complaining to him any further. I had turned a blind eye to what might be a crime, and he had even shown mercy by letting me buy more. Errands weren’t necessarily bad.
[Leave what you bought by the door.]
“Yes.”
Still, I wanted to get a little revenge on him for making me run errands for bread, so I bought a delicious choux cream-filled bread for myself, and only raisin bread for him.
I bought low-fat milk with calcium for myself, and regular milk for him. I bought whipped cream for myself, and buttercream for him. Carrying two shopping bags separately, my steps felt light.
Entering Jun’s building, I got into the elevator. The 7th floor, his doorstep, no longer felt unfamiliar. I pressed the bell for no particular reason.
‘He’s not here anyway, so he must have told me to leave it.’
I placed what I bought in front and turned to leave. As I waited for the elevator again, I heard the sound of the front door opening behind me. I figured it was better to give him the credit card directly, so I turned at the sound of the door opening and took out my wallet.
“If you were home, you should have said so. This card… Who are you?”
Then, a young man suddenly appeared and picked up the luggage neatly stacked by the entrance.
“Me? I’m the one sleeping with the owner of this house.”
“What? Ah… I see. You’re sleeping here.”
I had seen him from afar before. The panty man who I ran an errand for condoms and took his wallet. It was him.
‘I guessed Jjuni was gay. Is that why he was so good yesterday?’
For a moment, the thought of being taken by a straight gay man made my brain freeze. Could it be that the reason he was looking for me… was really to… behind me… No way.
Suddenly, I remembered the guy who delivered semen panties to my hometown. In games, it was a virtual world with guaranteed anonymity, so it wasn’t a threat, but if someone was chasing me in real life, it was a different story. I wasn’t homophobic, but it was inevitable to feel anxious when I became the target.
My focus blurred as I gathered my thoughts, and suddenly feeling awkward about facing Jun, I quickly took out the credit card from my wallet. Since I had taken his wallet when I ran the condom errand, I figured I could ask him for this.
“This is Seomun Jun’s credit card. Could you please give it to him for me?”
However, the man receiving the card suddenly lit up. For a moment, I thought, ‘Huh? Why is he so happy when it’s not even my card?’ and I tightened my grip on the edge of the card.
I hadn’t intended to let go, but the other person’s grip was stronger. He quickly took the credit card and swiftly closed the front door, going inside.
‘Hmm… Did I have to give it to him directly…?’
Well, he was the one I handed the wallet to back then.
I just accepted it and went down in the elevator. Then, I thought this wasn’t right and decided to go back up, but I saw a customer lingering in front of the real estate office and rushed out, forgetting about it.
“Ah, another dead end today…”
Lately, many people came to look at rooms, but none of them led to a contract. That’s why I felt more anxious and tired. They say many places close down within a year of opening, and I had a feeling my office was among them…
“Haa…”
After work, I collapsed onto the sofa with my heavy body. Leaning my face on the armrest, I pondered my livelihood.
On the other hand, the strange situation of Shut Up looking for me gave me a migraine I didn’t have before. To have peace of mind, I had to get rid of one of my two identities. If I continued like this, both would surely be held hostage by that guy.
It was much simpler and safer to give up my in-game self than my real self. Making up my mind, I slowly sat up. Holding my phone with both hands, I sent a message to Shut Up with a solemn heart.
[I sold my access device because I had no living expenses. Therefore, I am unfortunately quitting the game. Thank you for the power-leveling until now. I hope you meet a good Guide and achieve great success. It won’t be too unfair if you think of it as trading the Elsumban and Relax skill. Please forget me then.]
I wrote a long message, dripping with a sense of finality, and sent it to him.
Believe it or not, I really planned to quit the game for a month. Then he would meet a new Guide and forget me, and I would hunt with Hanwoo and transfer to another server once I reached level 50.
‘If it weren’t for the Relax skill, I would have gotten my access device back…’
The value of that skill was holding back my regret.
However, less than a minute after sending that message, Shut Up started calling me incessantly. Even if I rejected it, it kept coming, and even if I didn’t answer, it came again.
“Wow… Look at this obsession.”
Since I kept not answering, he sent a message.
[Answer it. If you don’t, I’ll find you.]
Yes, avoiding it wasn’t the solution. And he had a lot of money, so he might actually hire a private investigator. I answered out of fear, trying to make my voice sound as weak as possible so he wouldn’t recognize me. Though, what was the point now.
“Hello……”
[Quit what, quit?]
“It’s just that I had nowhere to get money immediately. I sold my access device, what can I do?”
[Tell me the address. I’ll buy one and send it to you.]
“Huh?”
For a moment, I was tempted by his offer to buy me an access device and almost blurted out my address. Wow, look at this meticulous guy. He’s making me find out where I live, and now he’s trying to find out himself?
But Shut Up spoke as if he would really buy it if I asked. He threatened that he wouldn’t let it go if I quit without his permission.
[How much do you need.]
“Huh?”
I just kept saying “Huh?” at his offer.
The building owner guy across the street was a person far from having an image of being considerate or generous. But now he was offering to buy me an access device and asking how much money I needed. I should have just said no, but I don’t know why my greed kept creeping in. If I get caught by him, my real life will be ruined…
“It’s okay. Why would you lend money to someone you don’t even know?”
[Depending on the amount, I might just give it to you. I need a Guide.]
…He might just give it to me?
I was sprawled on the sofa, but I slowly got up.
‘The greed of man is endless, and they repeat the same mistakes,’ came to mind. It’s like seeing something you want and desiring it; I had to think that anything he gave me would be a form of collateral.
But he said he might just give it to me if the amount was small. He said he could easily buy a 1.5 million won access device, so I tried asking for a bit more.
“Really, you’ll just give it to me? I need 3 million won. I have many places to pay back…”
Now, if he refused, I could just say, ‘I knew it,’ and hang up after wishing him fun. After a slight pause, his deep voice reached my ears.
[Tell me your account number.]
My heart skipped a beat.
Honestly, a man shouldn’t be flustered by another man, but hearing Shut Up say that made my heart sink.
Swallowing, I quickly ran through my mind. Should I really accept this? I thought of a thousand reasons and asked again, humbly, if I really didn’t have to pay it back. Shut Up said yes, but he set a condition: ‘Maintain our partnership until I break it.’
[I like you. Especially your character.]
“Me? My character is just ordinary…”
I just went along with Shut Up’s mood.
Seomun Jun clearly only looked for men to enter his studio apartment, and he wanted attractive ones. He was someone who only cared about good-looking people, just like himself. Well, my face isn’t visible in the game anyway. It was just words spoken by someone I don’t know, so I could just dismiss them.
“Thank you.”
Shut Up let out a low breath at my reply and repeated, “I really like you.” Then he asked for my account number, but of course, I couldn’t give it to him. It wasn’t a common name, and it felt too unsettling. I thought of another way to get what I could.
“Give it to me as a game item. I’m more comfortable with that…”
[Items take time. But you said you sold your access device?]
“I can log in with a friend’s. I’ll contact you when I log in.”
[Can’t you come today?]
Knowing what he’d do once I logged in, would you go in?
At his shameless words, I unconsciously pulled the phone away from my ear and scowled. Still, he was a benefactor giving me something, so I couldn’t refuse coldly and made a polite excuse.
“Sorry, I’ll log in as soon as possible.”
Clearly, Shut Up’s behavior had changed. Very subtly, a hint of tenderness was in his tone. As someone obsessed with the word ‘tenderness,’ I could sense that change. And the point when that change occurred was… after we linked through sex.
He’s gay. I thought about the time he was in his house and I bought him a zero-something condom.
‘Ah, this is bad…’
If he’s being nice after a sex link, then Shut Up likes the Kind Touch user as a man. And…
“You also asked me where I live, didn’t you?”
It seemed dangerous no matter how I thought about it. I came to Seoul to escape the panty man, but it felt like walking into a tiger’s den to avoid a fox.
‘What if… he really finds me?’
I felt uneasy. But then I reassured myself, thinking that if people could find others just by their phone number, no criminal in the world would be caught.
Still, I wasn’t completely reassured, so I searched for ‘mobile phone location tracking’ on the internet. I saw a post by a knowledge seeker saying there was no way to actually track someone unless they knew their Google ID.
Just in case, I turned off the GPS function on my phone. I didn’t really expect him to give me the items, even if he did. Separate from the fluttering feeling.
“Hand it over.”
The next day.
As soon as I opened the office door, Jun stood behind me with his hand outstretched. But what was he asking me to hand over? Surely, he knew I was Kind Touch and was asking for the Relax fee? To my surprise, he added, “The credit card I gave you yesterday.”
“I gave that to your boyfriend who was at your house yesterday.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Anyway, I gave it to him since you said he was sleeping over.”
“Is anyone who sleeps over your boyfriend? Your thinking is so one-dimensional.”
“I just have a healthy mindset.”
“Then if I sleep at Yudu’s house, am I your boyfriend too?”
“No, the meaning of sleeping there wasn’t that… You know that…”
Since people were passing by, I trailed off. Jun looked at me with an incredulous expression and was about to say something but closed his mouth.
But, as they say, timing is everything. A “Tring—” message sound came from his phone. He glanced at his phone indifferently and swore under his breath. Then he made a call somewhere, but it seemed they weren’t picking up.
“Ai, damn it!”
He swore so loudly that passersby even glanced at him. The hardware store owner next door came out to sweep the front of his store, and upon hearing Jun curse, he went back inside with his broom.
After trying to call somewhere a few times, Jun, unable to connect, exclaimed, “Agh!” and turned to me.
“Why did you give it to that bastard!”
“I told you, you said you were lovers… You were in the same house.”
“We’re not lovers!”
“Report the card lost quickly. What’s the point of taking the card? They’ll just buy tteokbokki like me.”
“Here, look. Is this tteokbokki?”
Jun shoved his phone in front of my eyes. A payment notification was clearly displayed on the screen, and for a moment, I couldn’t count the number of zeros. Instinctively, I took the phone and counted the zeros with my finger. Six zeros meant a million. And the number seven in front.
“Seven… Million? Seven hundred million? No, is this even possible? What did he buy to spend seven million!”
My mouth fell open at the amount, which far exceeded my card limit, and the word ‘lump sum’ below it. The 7,000 won I spent on tteokbokki was truly negligible.
“P-Police! We have to call 112. It’s Seoul, so should I press 02?”
“Forget it.”
Jun snatched his phone back and called somewhere else again. He was canceling the card. Trembling, I held my phone to call the police, but a large hand covered mine.
“It’s fine. Just consider it a cleansing.”
“No! Is that amount considered a cleansing?”
“Then, what? Should I kill him?”
“You don’t have to kill him! You should catch him! Catch him and take back what he bought to cancel the card!”
“As if it’s your card.”
He then said, “It’s actually for the best. He was always bothering me by coming around, so it’s good he’s gone,” and spoke frankly before heading towards his building.
Just as he seemed to be entering his building, Jun stopped and changed direction, saying, “Ah.” He strode back and stood in front of me, who was frozen in place.
“Did you look into it?”
“The card thief?”
“No, you got his number back then too.”
“Ah…”
He was asking if I had looked into him. I said I had checked the contact information, but it didn’t come up, to avoid fanning the flames.
“Hmm… Should I really contact a private investigator?”
“Th-That’s illegal!”
My voice suddenly rose. I started trying to persuade him, even with weak arguments, lest he actually hire a private investigator.
“I don’t know who that person is, but think about it. If someone found me like that, it would be really creepy, contemptible, hateful, and sickening. Wouldn’t it be better to just ask honestly?”
“Is that so?”
“Right. Conversely, imagine someone stalking Seomun Jun and waiting in front of his building. How would that feel?”
“Wouldn’t it be okay if someone who looks like me was stalking?”
He approached his car, which was sleekly designed just like him. Then, he turned his face this way and that in the car window, checking his reflection, and smiled proudly. It was a truly obnoxious sight. Even though his words weren’t wrong.
“Putting that aside, some people dislike others coming to their house.”
“Is Yudu like that too?”
“Of course, I am. But, could you please call me by my name properly?”
Jun pretended not to hear my last reprimand and just changed the subject. He had a thoughtful expression, so I figured he’d eventually give up on his own.
Ring―. Ring―.
That was when it happened.
My phone rang in my pocket. I thought it might be a customer, so I looked at the screen, and it was Hanwoo.
“Oh, hello.”
[Hey, when are you logging in today?]
“Later.”
I answered simply and looked around. Fortunately, Jun was already heading into his building across the street. After I closed my office door, I spoke more comfortably.
“Hey, I won’t be able to log in for a while.”
[Why? chuckles Because of Shut Up? Are you having second thoughts now that you guys are holding hands?]
“Stop it. My stomach already hurts because I didn’t even eat breakfast.”
[What level are you?]
Probably… it would have increased a bit if I logged in, but it was 42 when Moment took down the level 60 boss. Eight levels left until 50.
“I’m level 42, but it might be a bit higher if I logged in. If Shut Up hunted well.”
[That’s fast. I guess it’s true that a Guide’s fate depends on their Psychic. So, when will you log in?]
“I’m going to switch servers once I hit level 50. I learned the Relax skill, so I’ll be loved on other servers too.”
“Ah, right. You learned Relax. If you break up with Shut Up, will you be my Partner?”
“No.”
“Ah, why?”
Hanwoo whined so much that I thought the call wouldn’t end, but then I heard someone calling him from the other end of the receiver. Eventually, Hanwoo hung up, saying we’d talk later.
After a hectic morning, I was looking at newly listed properties past lunchtime. Recently, there have been many buildings in this area used as officetels and offices, so I needed to get a grasp of them to guide customers smoothly when they arrived.
The previous fully-furnished studio apartment deal fell through. It was unavoidable when he said he didn’t want a female tenant. And I didn’t particularly like constantly begging.
“Ah, I’m almost done.”
After organizing my documents, I turned on some music for a change of pace, hummed along while vacuuming with a cordless cleaner, when the office door opened and a rather dapper man walked in.
“Excuse me.”
“Ah, yes. Welcome.”
I quickly moved the vacuum cleaner aside and approached him. I noticed a perfume scent when the man entered, but up close, it was as if he had bathed in it. He was literally a walking diffuser. My office diffuser was going to waste.
“Please sit.”
As I was about to make coffee, he lightly raised his hand to stop me. He just asked for water, so I poured him a glass. Judging by his appearance, he looked refined enough to only drink Jeju mineral water.
“I’m looking for an office. I’d like it to be spacious enough to use an entire floor, and with good natural light.”
“What’s your budget?”
“I don’t mind the deposit, but I’d prefer the monthly rent to be no more than 7 million won.”
Today, 7 million won didn’t sound unfamiliar. But the amount was large in a good way, so I had a good feeling.
However, I had to ask about the intended use, just in case there was a building owner like Seomun Jun. Sometimes, when I’d helped pyramid scheme companies, outsiders would constantly come and go, causing trouble for the parking lot and neighboring offices.
“May I ask what kind of business you plan to run…?”
“A studio.”
“Ah.”
These days, it was trendy to have dedicated studios for wedding photos or personal profiles, so they needed to be decorated according to a concept. That meant they needed to be spacious, and some even had model airplanes on the rooftop or in the parking lot. Also, the building owner had to allow some degree of interior modification. Looking at the available buildings, the only space that fit the desired square footage was the basement.
“Do you dislike the basement?”
“Yes.”
There was no other choice. With a determined expression, I looked at Jun’s building across the street. Then, I picked up my phone.
“One moment.”
I left the office and called the person I had just been bickering with. I didn’t expect him to answer kindly, of course. The name [Jjuni] on the screen took a while to disappear, and just as it was about to go to voicemail, he answered.
[What.]
“Are you perhaps… is the 6th floor vacant? A client just came in who wants to use the entire floor.”
[I left that intentionally empty. It’s too noisy.]
“The business is a studio. It will be quiet.”
[They’ll be banging and drilling endlessly for interior work. No.]
There was a rustling sound, as if Jun was about to hang up. I had to stop the phone from moving away from his ear.
“He’s handsome! The person who came in is handsome!”
[……Really?]
I didn’t expect his tone to change just because I said he was handsome. Wow, what a dirty world where looks are everything. He immediately said to come over when I asked if I could see him now.
“Sigh, it’s hard to make a living…”
I sighed, looking at the disconnected phone, feeling embarrassed that I had briefly deluded myself into thinking he might have taken me seriously in the game.
‘Someone like this…’
On the other hand, I also let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it seemed he wouldn’t be obsessing over me like a panty stalker. After returning to the office, I told the man that Jun was in the building across the street and led him there. We took the elevator and pressed 6.
“This building seems quite new. Is the building owner a nice person?”
“Yes. He’ll probably treat you well.”
“By the way, haven’t we met somewhere before?”
“Me? Hmm. I don’t think so…”
As I briefly tried to recall the past, the man was smiling.
Ding―.
We arrived at the 6th floor in the meantime. Originally, it seemed to have been divided into two offices, with separate doors. Both were locked, so I was about to contact Jun when he came down the emergency stairs.
“This is the person looking for a studio.”
“Yes. This way.”
There was a strange vibe, but I could tell. The man I brought wasn’t looking at Jun with ordinary eyes either.
Although they were meeting for the first time today as a client and building owner, the conversation was so friendly that my presence was almost unnecessary. Jun offered to let him remove the dividing wall and extend the lease period as he wished, showing great generosity.
I wanted to mediate, but whenever I tried to say something, the client would ask first, or Jun would handle it. So, it was bothersome to hover around and explain things, and I just stood near the entrance.
‘If you’re going to laugh and chat like that, let’s hurry up and sign the contract.’
I just wanted to get the contract signed and collect my commission. I didn’t want to stand there feeling like an invisible person between the two of them. So, I pretended to look at the advertisement flyers posted by the door, thinking about what to eat for lunch.
“Let’s go with this one.”
Yeah, you’re quick to say that.
“Really? Then please go downstairs and sign the contract.”
“Let’s go.”
By then, the client was lightly touching Jun’s arm, looking like they were best friends. The three of us got into the elevator together. I was squeezed into the back corner, while they stood by the door, talking, looking at each other and laughing.
They were similar in height and both had good builds. Like attracts like, I guess. They were in their own world. They got off, and I got off a beat later, but the elevator door closed, trapping my body.
Even as I was teetering on the brink of life and death, those two were striding far ahead with their long legs. I hurried to catch up with them and opened the locked office.
“Hmm. It definitely smells good with the diffuser here.”
Jun said, sitting on the sofa and looking around. He then chuckled, seeing the large-capacity diffuser, as if to say, ‘As expected.’
But this scent wasn’t the same as the diffuser I bought back then. I wanted to correct him, saying it wasn’t the diffuser’s scent but the client’s perfume next to him. It was unfair to think such a large capacity would produce a strong scent.
“Here, please check the contract.”
I quickly gathered the contract and placed it on the table where they were sitting. Well, these days, contracts are all done with signatures. Then, as they took out their IDs, I saw that the new tenant was 28 years old, the same age as me.
“You look young? Can I just call you by your name?”
“I’d prefer not to be called ‘Hyung,’ either. Call me comfortably. Jun.”
By the time they started calling each other casually, they looked like close friends rather than landlord and tenant. No, they looked like lovers. They were subtly touching each other’s bodies… it was a bit much.
‘Well, as long as I get my commission, my job is done.’
Still, I had made a deal today, so I was excited about ordering a Chinese food set menu and eating it with the owner of the hardware store next door.
“Let’s go for lunch.”
“Sure. You’re coming too, Boss.”
“Me too?”
I thought it was enough that the two of them got along well, and I didn’t want to be stuck between them, so I shook my head, saying no. But the man linked his arm through mine. I liked free food, but I disliked being stuck between these two. It was a bit early for lunch, but since I hadn’t eaten breakfast, I was drawn to it.
“Yudu, where’s a good brunch place around here?”
“…You’d probably know better than me, Seomun Jun. I’ve only had this office for three months.”
“You’re in real estate, don’t you know?”
No, do you have to know all the local restaurants just because you’re in real estate? They were asking me to find someone by their phone number, expecting more than a local resident.
“Jun, really.”
The client was trying to hold back laughter as he asked. And I had seen this client’s name on the contract earlier.
‘Namgung Bin.’
Like Seomun Jun, his surname had two characters. They really met their match. I took out a business card and handed it to Bin.
“Jun, why do you call the boss ‘Yudu’?”
Bin, sitting next to me, asked as he leaned close to Jun’s ear and whispered. I could roughly understand what he was saying, something about sexual…
At his words, Bin chuckled and suppressed his laughter, calling him mischievous. Jun glanced at me, who was looking awkward, and then smiled even more lewdly.
‘Why? Why not just call me nipple directly?’
Seriously, how much my friends teased me back in school. I really wanted to change my name, but my late grandfather had gone to a naming center to give me this name, so I couldn’t bring myself to do it. It felt like I was disregarding my grandfather’s effort. I had already endured such teasing in school, so it didn’t bother me anymore.
‘Right. They’re just immature.’
“Anyway, I’m good. You two go ahead and eat. I have to go out for a bit.”
“Then, shall we order from my place?”
“Your place? Seriously?”
Bin and Jun looked at each other with intense affection. I don’t have prejudice against gay people, but… seeing them openly flirting like this was as unseemly as any other couple. I wanted to kick them out.
“Then, you two enjoy your meal.”
As I pretended to pack something quickly and tried to leave, the two of them whispered to each other and got up. And, as expected, they disappeared into the building across the street.
‘Ah. Isn’t this good news?’
Suddenly, on one hand, I thought that with someone capturing Jun’s attention, his interest in finding me in the game would surely cease. While it was a shame I might not get the 3 million won item, everything has its price. It was wiser to live modestly by earning a little.
“Farewell. Shut Up.”
Saying that, I entered the hardware store next door.
“Boss. Still haven’t had lunch, right?”
“Uh. You’re here?”
Usually, the ground floor had high key money, making it difficult to open a hardware store. However, this hardware store owner seemed to have a personal connection with the building owner, as he had been paying the old rent for a long time. In return, he would fix minor issues in the building for free.
Today, he was fixing an air purifier. When I asked what it was, he said it was from the local senior center and he’d fix it as best he could before returning it.
“Boss, let’s eat the sweet and sour pork set together at our office.”
“Did you make a deal?”
“Yeah, something like that.”
The hardware store owner put down his tools, seeming tired from fixing it, and followed me. But then, I saw a female customer looking at the various items placed in front of the hardware store.
“What are you looking for?”
“Ah, the sink is leaking a little. It’s dripping even when I turn it off.”
The owner, who was following me, overheard our conversation and came out with a rubber gasket from somewhere. He told her to put it between the leaking parts, but the customer tilted her head as she listened.
“Ah! Aren’t you the owner of the shop next door?”
But the customer’s face looked familiar. I felt like I had seen her recently… As I thought hard, it suddenly came to me.
“Aren’t you the owner of the clothing store next door?”
“Oh, yes, I am.”
I remembered seeing her once or twice when I went to the fast-food restaurant. As we were talking, the hardware store owner, who had been listening quietly with the rubber gasket in hand, pondered for a moment, “Hmm…” and then spoke.
“If it’s nearby, I think it would be better if I went to take a look.”
“That would be so appreciated. I’ll buy lunch.”
She said she had already ordered, and then asked if we would eat together at the real estate office next door.
So, the three of us walked over to the clothing store. The sink problem was a simple fix, but for someone who didn’t know, it could be quite distressing.
After finishing the repair faster than expected, we moved to my office to eat lunch. Just as the Chinese food arrived, we started unpacking and chatting about various things.
“That’s right. Everyone buys online these days, so I’m thinking of closing my physical store and just running an online shopping mall.”
“It’s the same for the real estate business. Many people do direct transactions online…”
“Are you doing better than me? I get more requests to fix things than hardware store customers. Today, they brought in some air purifier or something.”
It was convenient to know the neighboring shopkeepers and residents. While eating lunch, we shared our daily struggles. We agreed that it would have been nice to order some sorghum liquor, and vowed to have a drink together sometime later.
“By the way, isn’t the building owner across the street really obnoxious?”
Hye-seon, the owner of the clothing store, said what I had been thinking. I park in front of my store all the time, so I could let it slide, but I didn’t understand why she said that and asked for the reason.
“Well, the other day, I was wiping my shop’s display window and saw a sports car parked in front of the real estate office, so I looked at it. The person getting out was quite handsome, so I just stared for a bit. But as soon as they got out, they started an argument, asking why I was staring. I mean, I just looked for a moment, and they gave me such a look.”
“His personality… he’s always like that.”
“Tsk tsk.”
Knowing him better than anyone, I aggressively chewed on a fried dumpling. The hardware store owner, having experienced more than both of us, just sighed.
It had been a while since I had such a good time gossiping about someone. I felt like closing my office, ordering sorghum liquor, and continuing. Hye-seon-ssi’s elegant image was just her first impression; once we started talking, the conversation flowed even if I just nodded.
The hardware store owner, having finished his meal, sat with his arms crossed, laughing heartily. Our lunch ended well past 1 PM. In the meantime, the senior center called, nagging about whether the air purifier was fixed, and the hardware store owner grumbled as he got up.
“I’ll buy next time. Thanks for the meal.”
“I should get going too. I need to pack up an order for delivery.”
“Okay. See you next time.”
Even after the two left, I didn’t close the door but left it wide open. It was for ventilation. Perhaps because I heard someone complain about the smell in the office yesterday, I was more mindful.
Having made a deal, I happily left work and drank some beer. For snacks, I bought a pack of three squid crackers for 2,000 won from the supermarket. The access device sat alone on the coffee table.
‘Should I log in for a bit?’
Recalling what happened earlier today, I had a feeling Shut Up would be spending time with that tenant.
I decided to log in briefly just to check my level and then log out, finishing the remaining crackers. I felt strangely reluctant to enter after linking with Shut Up through sex, but I thought now might be the time to log in. I hadn’t added Moment as a friend, nor were we Partners, so there was no way he would know I logged in.
<
<
Upon logging in, it was that same cabin. It seemed to be a structure built in a quiet field, with nothing special about it. As I stood still, my body flickered about five times.
“Level 47, perhaps?”
Shut Up must have logged in and hunted quite a bit during my absence. If I went AFK just one more time like this, I felt hopeful that I could reach level 50 soon.
‘This is way better than I thought.’
First, since I didn’t know where I was, I took out my village return scroll to use it, but I suddenly felt something missing below and lowered my head.
‘I almost went to town like this…….’
Seeing that I had no lower body clothing, I found a low-level pair of pants from my inventory and put them on. I had kept them just like junk items to sell at the shop, never imagining they would be used so preciously. After confirming I was fully dressed, I used the return scroll.
<
The screen changed in an instant, and I entered Adventurer’s Village, where Shut Up and the others had first surrounded me. In the village’s central plaza, Shut Up’s and my banners were still hanging. Even though I covered my face, it didn’t hide the name floating above my head, so I just went about my business comfortably.
Then, I immediately headed to the shop. I intended to sell the items Moment had given me, but they weren’t worth much.
“Should I just trade these personally?”
I opened the market window and searched for each material one by one. They turned out to be materials for making weapons. Among them, [Eligor’s Venom] was an essential ingredient for crafting assassination weapons. Since it was rare, it was quite expensive.
I approached the Auction House NPC in the village and opened the window. The items were automatically listed at their recently sold prices. As soon as I pressed the [Start Auction] button, they sold instantly, and the amount, minus the fees, was added to my inventory.
Just then, a whisper appeared in the upper left corner.
[Human: Dajeong Hyung. Long time no see. You must have leveled up quite a bit after defeating Eligor.]
[Kind Touch: That wasn’t me, Moment caught it.]
“Moment, isn’t that the guy who fought with Shut Up recently? Wow. Not too long ago you were running around town in just your underwear, and now you’re getting carried by top-ranked players. Dajeong Hyung is really moving up in the world.”
As I was about to send a whisper back, Human’s voice suddenly came from behind me. I quickly turned around and saw him waving at me. For a moment, I wondered if Shut Up had logged in too, so I checked the Partner window, but he was [OFF].
“Dajeong Hyung. What brings you here without Shut Up?”
“Ah, just because. Well, take care then.”
Since Human was Shut Up’s real-life friend, I figured it wouldn’t be good to run into him, so I tried to go elsewhere. As I walked towards the portal, he followed me closely.
“I sent Jun a message, but he hasn’t replied. If you don’t have anyone to hunt with today, shall I go with you?”
“Ah, no. It’s fine.”
“I’m pretty high level too. Not as high as Jun, but still.”
It wasn’t about the level. If he was Jun’s real-life friend, I suspected Human might be involved in that kind of thing too. If so, he might pester me to Link after hunting. I was almost level 50, and I didn’t want that…
‘Wait. Could I reach level 50 by hunting with him? Then I could transfer servers immediately.’
I was contemplating whether to take the risk and leave this place as soon as possible, or to wait. It wasn’t often that Shut Up wasn’t online.
“As long as you use the Relax skill properly between hunts, you don’t have to Link. Don’t worry about it, let’s go.”
“Oh? Really?”
There was no reason to refuse. As I was checking where to hunt, someone approached me from a corner of the village. They looked like a complete beginner.
“Um…, high-level players. Could I join you too?”
Seeing them holding a shabby wooden staff, they looked like a Guide, just like me. Human said it didn’t matter if it was one or two people, since he was going to carry them anyway, and agreed to let them join. I felt a kinship with them, as I had been in a similar situation not too long ago.
“Let’s go together. I’m low level too.”
“Ah, really! Thank you.”
Their voice sounded quite young. Listening to them, I realized how slow I was. Shut Up’s voice and Seomun Jun’s actual voice were very similar. Although it sounded a bit thinner coming through the microphone, the speaking style and tone were definitely the same.
Thinking about that, it was clear that [Sunshine Angel], who had just approached us, was also a young person. Seeing more people in Adventurer’s Village than before, I was suddenly reminded of those ‘Sorry’ guys.
“You must not have run into the ‘Sorry’ guys where you create your character and come out.”
“Huh? Dajeong-nim, you were targeted too? I thought you had created your character a long time ago. Based on your weapon.”
What I had was a Guide weapon from the [Silence] guild’s warehouse, which had been left almost neglected. All the guild members were over level 50, so weapons of this level were usually sold, but I kept this one as a collector’s item because it had an effect.
When I held it, hearts would sometimes pop out like soap bubbles and float around. Honestly, I wasn’t a big fan of such effects, but I had brought it because it was all I had. Still, it was better than a staff that looked like a rotten twig lying on the ground.
“How did you make it to the village? You must be quite agile.”
“No. I died once and gave up, but then… a very cool Psychic user caught the ‘Sorry’ guys for me…”
Sunshine Angel continued speaking in a shy tone, as if it was too embarrassing to say it plainly.
“Actually, I didn’t plan on playing a Guide because I thought they were weak… But seeing that Psychic user, I wanted to meet someone like that and play seriously.”
“Whoever they are, they sound really cool. Right, Human?”
“Indeed. I don’t know any Psychics with such good character around me.”
I opened the warehouse, thinking if there was anything useful for Sunshine Angel among the items other users had left on the ground.
Coincidentally, there was a level 20 staff, so I handed it over. It had no effects, but after being reinforced three times, it looked sturdy. And since I was giving it, I also took out a beginner’s robe I wasn’t wearing. Human, who was watching from the side, praised me, “Dajeong Hyung, you’re truly kind.”
“So, where are we going now?”
“There shouldn’t be any bosses spawned at this hour. Let’s go to a time-limited dungeon.”
However, I had never been to a time-limited dungeon before. Human explained that it was just like a regular dungeon, but you had to clear it within a time limit, defeating a few mid-boss level monsters. He added that upon reaching the goal, you would receive experience points and some loot.
“The Phantom Forest should be fine, don’t you think?”
“Really? Then let’s go.”
“You can just look at the map and take the portal.”
<
We immediately moved to the Outskirts of the Phantom Forest. There were many parties at the forest entrance.
However, among them, I spotted a familiar head of red hair. It was Moment, whom I really wanted to avoid.
“Oh? Dajeong!”
“…….”
Moment, who had been talking to another party, ran over as soon as he saw me. I could see Human trying to suppress a laugh beside me. The access device helmet rendered even the most trivial expressions perfectly.
“Party of three? Let me join.”
Moment immediately tapped his hands in the air a few times, and I heard someone yell, “Traitor from behind!” as if he had been in a party with someone else.
However, Sunshine Angel showed no reaction even after seeing Moment. Even as he instantly equipped weapons and armor, his whole body engulfed in flames, Sunshine Angel wasn’t surprised at all. Seeing that reaction, it seemed I was the only one estimating levels based on shabby attire.
“Then, let’s go as a party of four.”
Human accepted Moment, stating that even though he had recently had issues with Shut Up, that was one thing, and hunting was another.
The Phantom Forest is a time-limited dungeon, and its difficulty is determined by the average level of the party members. Even if the lowest level was low, if too many mobs spawned, it would be a bit cumbersome for Human to clear alone. Among the party members, only I wore a troubled expression. Moment, still grinning, moved closer to me.
“Ah—. If only that last hit had landed properly back then, we would be playing the game together, Dajeong.”
“So, did Shut Up win?”
“No. Shut Up died at the same time, so it was a draw.”
That seemed to be the outcome. I hadn’t become Moment’s Guide, and he still held the Fire Ring in his hand. Moment spun it on his palm, looking regretful.
Honestly, I was a bit uneasy about partying with Moment. I didn’t know if he would demand kisses until I fainted, like last time.
However, now that there were two Guides, I felt less pressure than before. Also, I had checked the bulletin board and found that some players leave parties before Linking to get carried and then disappear, so I had memorized that method as a last resort, though it was a bit cowardly.
Although he said it was a draw against Shut Up, looking at Moment’s appearance alone, he didn’t seem to have lost anything. So, I watched his appearance closely, and Moment approached me, bringing his lips close to my ear.
“What. Seeing me after a long time, are you feeling fluttery?”
“Don’t say things like that. I’m already overwhelmed with just Shut Up.”
Meanwhile, Human was intently looking at Moment’s weapon and stroking his chin in thought. Human’s weapon was a long whip, and with each swing, long streams of water spread out. And Moment was holding the burning ring I had seen before.
“Moment and I have opposing elements, so it’s a bit difficult if we fight up close.”
“I’ll make sure to keep my distance.”
Water, fire. They were clearly polar opposites. At that moment, Human, the party leader, created the dungeon and pressed the enter button.
<
“Then, I’ll go to the very back. Moment, you lead the way.”
Moment replied that he understood and grabbed my shoulder, pulling me close to him. Sunshine Angel looked at them enviously.
“Moment. Take care of this person, not me. They’re at a lower level than me.”
“Hmm…”
Moment scanned Sunshine Angel up and down, then quickly turned his head away. For a moment, Sunshine Angel’s expression looked a bit dejected. So, I approached and took care of them.
<
The 10 seconds passed quickly, and the screen transitioned to a foggy forest.
I had seen traffic reports on TV about dense fog on roads, reducing visibility to less than 50 meters, advising drivers to slow down. It was just like that. At least Moment’s weapon was burning brightly, making him visible, so I followed him. Moment occasionally looked back to see if we were keeping up.
Just like the Phantom Forest, it felt like anything could jump out from anywhere. As the fog grew thicker, Moment began to leave trails of fire with each step.
“This seems to be set at a rather high level.”
Human said worriedly from behind. Just in case, I cast a party shield. The barrier, which enveloped our bodies like soap bubbles, disappeared within a minute, but it provided great comfort when venturing into unknown territory.
“Wait a moment.”
At that moment, Moment stopped our advance, looking straight ahead and raising his hand. He then created a large fireball in one hand and shot it in a certain direction. Flames blazed along its path, clearing some of the fog.
Then, BOOM! There was a sound of impact against something, followed by a monstrous roar. Only I and Sunshine Angel were startled by the sound; Moment and Human looked as if they were thinking, ‘That must be it.’
“I’ll go take care of it, so Human, you block the surroundings. If you touch that, mobs will appear immediately.”
Before the flames from the fireball had even died down, Moment leaped towards the source of the sound. He vanished into the fog in an instant, and in the distance, red flashes, like bloodstains, intermittently burst.
“You two, this way.”
Human led us, who were blankly staring at Moment disappearing ahead. He swung his whip around, clearing the fog.
“Is it okay to leave them like that? Won’t they get lost?”
“Them?”
At my worried words, Human just laughed, calling it a pointless thought. Seeing Moment’s HP in the party window remain unchanged while his PG steadily increased, I swallowed dryly.
Leaving Moment behind, I slowly followed Human.
Ssssss—.
At that moment, a chilling sound came from somewhere. Simultaneously, the dirt path we had passed began to turn black.
“Ant swarm.”
I reached out and checked the ants’ levels. Fortunately, they were level 30.
However, their numbers were immense. It sounded like they were coming from all directions, the noise originating from the front, back, and sides. We couldn’t escape in any direction and had to stand back-to-back.
Whoosh—!
At that moment, Human struck his whip directly in front of him. A wave emerged from the whip and rippled along the path.
“This way.”
Human generated waves, either standing in front of Sunshine Angel and me or moving behind us.
The sounds from all directions were not false; I could see a black ant swarm surging from behind. If we were surrounded, it would be instant death. Moreover, the ants were surprisingly large, as big as my palm, with their sharp, pincer-like mandibles standing out. Most importantly, looking closely, they were insects, which I found repulsive.
Before long, the sense of duty to protect Sunshine Angel faded, replaced by a primal urge to save myself, and I started running. Sunshine Angel, whose level was even lower than mine, was slowing down as their SP (Stamina) depleted.
“… I, huff, can’t, pant…”
Human, who had been running ahead, generated a wave and then moved behind Sunshine Angel, grabbing their arm and pulling them along.
“We just need to go a little further.”
I, who had unexpectedly become the front-runner, looked back. I saw Human supporting Sunshine Angel and sending waves behind them. Still, it didn’t look easy to fend off the surging ant swarm. Finally, ants approached from the side and latched onto Human’s back. Human summoned a giant water pillar, absorbing all ants within a certain radius.
However, the Phantom Forest truly seemed to be an infinitely spawning dungeon. I understood why it was time-limited. It seemed to be designed to make you run away quickly and escape.
Not long after the water pillar had cleared the surroundings, the ssssss— sound came again from all directions. Sunshine Angel, who had been walking with difficulty, finally collapsed. Human was already chanting a spell to summon another water pillar, and in the meantime, I cast a party shield. It seemed to be somewhat effective, as an ant that tried to bite Sunshine Angel bounced off.
However, the shield, like a soap bubble, disappeared quickly. We could break through if we ran fast, but Sunshine Angel had to sit down to recover SP. Human was also doing his best to block all the ants approaching from all directions. Amidst this, one or two ants would occasionally dart towards Sunshine Angel.
‘Ah, whatever.’
I cast [Light Sunset], which had previously attracted the attention of spiders. Instantly, the ants that had been swarming Sunshine Angel all turned their attention towards me.
I was a bit far from Human, so I tried to quickly move closer to him, but an ant approached and pounced on me. Fortunately, the heart-shaped staff I had had a personal shield function as a secondary effect, so two ants latching on was not a problem.
Fwoosh—!
Seeing the sight, Human whipped his whip, creating a surge of water, but the ants only retreated slightly before swarming again. I had foolishly overextended myself, not being that high level. The personal shield of the heart staff also seemed to be nearing its limit, flickering.
Why did the ant’s mandibles have so many teeth? This wasn’t the time to be admiring them, why did the game developers make them so detailed? I wanted to protest to the game developers, asking if they were telling insect-haters like me not to play the game. For now, I closed my eyes and extended the heart staff as far forward as possible.
Pop!
Finally, the protective shield disappeared, and the ant’s large mandibles seemed poised to tear into my body. A yelp of “Eek!” escaped my lips.
Chiiik—.
At that moment, I heard a sound of something burning on the ground.
“Is Dajeong crying?”
As I lay almost flat, blocking with my staff, Moment’s voice echoed from above my head.
He split the ground, creating a lava zone. I saw Human and Sunshine Angel, a short distance away, entering the area. The ants, naturally, couldn’t enter the zone and circled around it. Some ants, unable to withstand the force pushing them from behind, fell directly into the lava and burned.
“My PG will skyrocket if I use this. Hurry and get me out.”
As Moment leaned down to kiss me, I blocked his approaching lips with my hand.
“I’ll use Relax for you, wait.”
I used the Relax skill with Human and Moment close by. Human praised me, “Wow, this is great.” Sunshine Angel truly looked up to me. They asked if I had such a skill. Then, they exclaimed, “Ah!” and pointed at my face.
“Shut Up’s Partner!”
Sunshine Angel recognized me. Well, with banners hanging in the village, it was surprising they only recognized me now, but I supposed they were still a beginner.
Beginners naturally have narrow vision. They’re too busy with their given quests to spare a thought for anything else. But, looking now, Sunshine Angel had a rather glum expression.
“I made a Partner without this skill too. So, don’t be discouraged.”
“No… No, it’s not that.”
Meanwhile, Moment was licking his lips, regretting it, when Human interjected cynically from beside him.
“Shut up, and if you want to fight again, just Link.”
“I wouldn’t say no to that.”
Moment didn’t back down from Human’s provocation.
However, I didn’t want to watch the two of them fight over me again. It was already noisy, and if things escalated further, I might truly be reborn as a master of seduction within this game.
“Stop it, it’s not over yet.”
At my plea, they averted their gazes from each other. Sunshine Angel, who had been sitting amidst the erupting lava, indicated it was time to move on, their SP apparently refilled. Human approached Sunshine Angel as they stood up.
“Can you run?”
“Yes, I’m okay now.”
We stood again in the direction we were headed, and Human sent a wave towards the path they intended to run. The ants parted in the water. As soon as the path opened, we quickly escaped.
“Huh?”
As we entered a relatively safe zone, a whisper notification popped up at the top of the screen.
“Shut Up must have logged in. They’re asking if I’m inside the dungeon. They probably couldn’t make it to me, so they tried to move.”
“Tell them I’m with you.”
Yeah, I figured telling them I was with Human would suffice, so I sent the whisper back. I thought they’d disappeared with Bin and my building and wouldn’t log into the game today, but they showed up after all.
‘I’m not really in the mood to Link.’
Either way, it wouldn’t be too late to think about it after finishing the dungeon.
As we kept running, we came across something like a castle gate. It had the aura of ‘If you open this, you’re screwed.’
“Looks like a bonus gate.”
“Really? But something feels off.”
We stared at the gate. I suggested we just pass by, but Moment and Human barely listened.
“Hmm. I saw on the bulletin board that if you clear these, they give you loot and a rare item.”
“Ah. I heard something like that.”
Sunshine Angel, overhearing their conversation, glanced at the gate with curiosity.
It’s always the one crazy person in the group who makes everyone else suffer. Like in zombie movies, when someone says, ‘Don’t go provoking them,’ there’s always one who goes up to them, gets bitten, hides the wound, and eventually, the whole group is wiped out.
And right now, there was one person who was about to create such a situation.
‘Moment.’
So I grabbed him and pleaded with him to just go, but suddenly, a flame flared up all over Moment’s body.
“If I defeat this, will you Link with me?”
“No. I won’t Link even if you defeat it. So, let’s just go.”
Please. Level 50 is just around the corner; stop this nonsense.
But even though I wanted to hold him back, I couldn’t for long due to the surprisingly hot sensation. It wasn’t quite ‘Ouch, hot!’ like the americano I’d bought that morning, but holding on for too long made my fingertips tingle.
“No, I’m telling you, let’s just go!”
“Are you saying you can’t defeat it? You don’t trust me?”
“It’s not that…!”
Despite my protests, Moment reached out to touch the gate.
“Ugh, ugh…!”
But it was faster for Sunshine Angel to be startled by an ant that came near them and fall backward than for Moment to open the gate.
Screeeech—
As he fell backward, he braced himself against the wall, but it was the door, not the wall. It seemed like he just leaned on it slightly, but the massive gate opened effortlessly.
Seriously, shouldn’t a door like this require all four party members to open it simultaneously? I cursed inwardly, wondering if the game was made so carelessly. But seeing how easily it opened, I figured it might just be a minor boss. Thinking that, I stepped inside.
It was a foggy space, just like before. But the floor was marble, making it feel like we had entered a building rather than a forest. First, the Guide, myself, and Sunshine Angel waited in a corner, while Moment and Human walked ahead. I cast a shield on them as they disappeared into the fog, just in case.
In the dense fog, Moment’s flames were visible. Human’s water pillars appeared sporadically, and far away, what seemed to be the boss was firing blue beams in all directions. It looked like lightning striking through the clouds.
Suddenly, I heard their confused voices.
“…Shut Up?”
“Hey, Juna. Why are you here?”
“What? I just created a dungeon and came in.”
Just then, the fog cleared, and the real Shut Up appeared. Their name was checked in red, as if their words weren’t lies. Just like a boss monster. Due to the Elsumban item effect, angel wings spread wide behind Shut Up.
“What? What’s going on?”
I approached and joined their conversation.
When Shut Up saw me, they reached out. But even though we were Partners, meeting as enemies inside the dungeon meant my HP decreased the moment Shut Up’s electricity touched me.
“What is happening…”
Sunshine Angel also came closer and stared blankly at Shut Up. Panicked, unable to even think of fighting, a notification message appeared in the center of the hall.
<
A supplementary explanation kindly added, <
Shut Up was indeed a formidable opponent, but right now, it was 4 against 1. No, honestly, Sunshine Angel and I were practically non-existent. But with Human, who had a synergistic element with Shut Up, and Moment, who was evenly matched, victory was practically guaranteed for our side.
“You sacrifice yourself for the greater good.”
“Why should I?”
Human offered friendly advice, but Shut Up naturally retorted sarcastically. When Moment asked if they’d want their Partner to lose levels, the ill-natured Shut Up nonchalantly replied that Linking felt the same either way.
Hearing that from someone who had so easily dismissed me earlier that day, treating me like a forgotten accessory after being completely captivated by that shiny guy, ignited my competitive spirit.
“Moment.”
“Yeah, Dajeong?”
“If I defeat Shut Up, I’ll Link with you, holding your hand.”
“Really?”
At my words, Moment smiled happily, while Shut Up glared at Moment beside them, looking as if they could stab them with a spear at any moment.
“Hey, are you crazy? Do you want to die?”
“You’re not planning to lose to us, are you? Then what choice is there? You either die or get stomped, one of them has to happen.”
Shut Up’s eyes now blazed with blue electricity. Sunshine Angel watched this with their hands clasped in a prayer pose.
“Wow… That’s cool.”
Seriously, what was so cool about someone who had just declared they would kill us? Sunshine Angel wasn’t normal either.
Not getting loot, I could understand. But losing levels was unacceptable.
“Make sure you win, okay?”
“Where are you grabbing!”
As I said that, grabbing Moment’s shoulder, Shut Up yelled again. They had a good time with a handsome guy in reality, so it made no sense for them to be obsessed with me, their in-game Partner.
<
Another warning message appeared, and Human, who had been standing silently, was already summoning a water pillar behind Shut Up, preparing to strike.
CRASH—!
Shut Up narrowly dodged the attack and cursed at Human, but Human pretended not to hear and swung a whip near their ankles. Water then spread thinly across the marble floor.
I had a very bad feeling about this, so I grabbed Sunshine Angel’s wrist and took refuge on a nearby statue. As expected, whenever Shut Up threw electric spears at Moment and Human, they struck the floor, sending microcurrents through the water.
“That’s brutal.”
“If we had stayed there, we both would have been electrocuted.”
It seemed Sunshine Angel and I were the only ones who avoided electrocution, while Human and Moment were floating in the air. I knew Psychics could fly, but it felt so unfair at times like this. Having to be careful about electrocution, just like in reality, even in a game…
“This dirty game world.”
Sunshine Angel chimed in with “Right, right” in agreement with my grumbling. I checked the Relax cooldown; there were still 5 minutes left. Sunshine Angel was periodically supplying Rapid and Healing to Human and Moment.
I thought Shut Up wouldn’t use any major skills since they hadn’t Linked recently, accumulating a lot of PG… but they summoned a waterfall of lightning.
“Must have spent money.”
They must have lowered their PG with paid items. Otherwise, they wouldn’t use such a skill.
“Huh?”
But something felt strange.
If they were evenly matched with Moment, then a 2-on-1 PK should have ended quickly, but strangely, even with Moment and Human fighting together, they were struggling.
Why? Puzzled, I looked at the Partner window…
“Ha! No, unbelievable!”
I could clearly see Shut Up’s PG rising by 20 percent, but it was slowly going down. Even while using minor skills, it had decreased to 10 percent.
“Human, Moment. This is strange. Shut Up is continuously using skills, but their PG is going down.”
“What?”
“This is messed up.”
As expected, I had predicted they wouldn’t fight normally, but perhaps for fairness, the user who fought alone was given cheat keys. Even the confident Moment was momentarily flustered and sent flying by a thunder sphere from Shut Up.
BOOM!
The ground vibrated, and the water pooled on the floor rippled. It was like being on a platter filled to the brim. Even though the two of them furiously unleashed skills at Shut Up, they were at a stalemate.
Would it have been better if Moment and Human’s elements were synergistic? Even when Moment used skills, the water on the ground quickly extinguished the flames. This prevented them from forming a Lava Zone like they had when chasing the ants earlier.
Still, despite the lack of elemental synergy, the two of them had good teamwork. Human summoned a water pillar to force Shut Up to one side, while Moment placed Fire Rings to trap Shut Up like a snare.
The problem was, even though they trapped them… Shut Up, seemingly able to use abilities infinitely, unleashed their thunder shield to its maximum. A dazzling spectacle unfolded before my eyes as fire and electricity clashed and sizzled.
The massive lights that collided blindingly separated for a moment, and Shut Up bounced out of Moment’s Fire Ring snare like a superball. I used Relax to lower their PG and cast shields on them.
However, even with their combined efforts, they made little progress, and both Human and Moment were exhausted. As they stood in a standoff, skills at the ready, Shut Up made an offer.
“If Dajeong promises to Link willingly, I might even lose.”
Right, rather than lose levels, I decided to Link as a last resort and then cleanly transfer servers. I descended from the statue and walked towards them.
Beside the nonchalant Shut Up, Moment was idly spinning a Fire Ring and sneering.
“I don’t like that idea.”
There was no need to provoke them deliberately. I quickly ran through the splashing water and stood between the two of them.
“I’ll sacrifice myself. It’s not difficult to Link with them anyway, since they’re my Partner.”
Moment stroked his chin thoughtfully and glanced at Shut Up behind me. I noticed their glance meant Human and Moment intended to capture Shut Up during this conversation. I acted more diligently.
“I’m fine. So please, don’t fight anymore. Shut Up, can you hold my hand?”
“Just with your hand? Link with me properly. Otherwise, I won’t.”
“Okay. Okay, so just hold my hand for now.”
As I took a step closer and extended my hand, Shut Up erased their thunder shield and approached, grasping both my hands.
They threw off their armor as if to protect me from the electricity. Anyone watching might think they were a devoted lover, but knowing their true nature, I wasn’t moved. Moment stood with his hands behind his back, his fingers moving as he controlled the Fire Ring.
Meanwhile, Human, who had moved behind Shut Up, was quietly summoning a water pillar. A water cage, capable of trapping only one person, was being created. If trapped inside, even Shut Up wouldn’t be able to easily use their thunder skills.
But just as it was about to be placed overhead, Sunshine Angel screamed.
“Mr. Shut Up! Be careful!”
Shut Up, who had been holding my hand, rolled to the side, dodging the water prison. Everyone turned their resentful gazes towards Sunshine Angel.
“Hey! You damn fool!”
“Who brought this guy?”
“Sigh, this is why we have newbies.”
Everyone said something to them. Sunshine Angel mumbled the reason for saving Shut Up as an excuse.
“It’s because I owe them a favor.”
“Then what about me!?”
Didn’t I give you a favor? I gave you the staff and robe you’re holding. But they only blushed at Shut Up.
Could it be…?
“Is the Psychic who saved you in the beginner zone him?”
“Yes.”
And then I saw them wave at Shut Up. Shut Up looked at them with a bewildered expression and chuckled.
That’s right. Because of this newly met newbie, we missed the chance to defeat Shut Up and are now on the verge of death. I proposed Linking with Shut Up again, but they scoffed.
“What, trying to betray me again?”
Shut Up now looked down at us from the air with an expression that said, ‘There is no mercy.’ They were summoning an Electric Sphere above their head, as large as this entire space.
Perhaps… I thought absurdly, it was as big as the Earth. When faced with an unreal situation, nonsensical imagination arises. Thoughts like, ‘I’ll become an electric chicken at this rate,’ or ‘Electric chicken with beer is delicious.’
Shut Up swung their arm widely towards us. White light filled my vision, approaching rapidly, and when I opened my eyes, we were all ejected from the dungeon.
<
<<‘Heart Staff’ has been lost.>>
As expected, Shut Up was merciless. I didn’t particularly like the Heart Staff anyway, so I accepted it, but losing a level truly hurt.
Looking beside me, Human and Moment’s weapons were intact. However, Human had dropped their belt, and Moment had lost their gloves. And Sunshine Angel, who had little to lose as a beginner, seemed to have lost their robe and was only wearing pants. If I had my way, I would have snatched the wooden staff they were holding and broken it. Under the glare of the three of us, Sunshine Angel bowed their head.
“I’m sorry…”
“Is an apology going to fix this?”
It was the first time I’d seen Human angry. Moment, not even wanting to accept an apology, ignored me and approached me.
“Link with me.”
Looking at Moment’s pitiful expression, I remembered Shut Up’s warning. The words about never Linking with anyone else.
What gives them the right to tell me what to do.
“Okay. Let’s hold hands.”
Saying that, I extended my hand to take theirs, but suddenly, I was grabbed by the nape of my neck and pulled backward.
“Where do you think you’re going.”
As Shut Up appeared near us, Sunshine Angel’s glum expression lifted, and they stood beside Shut Up. Shut Up briefly thanked Sunshine Angel and praised them, and their face turned red again.
Shut Up opened a portal and tried to force me into it. At that moment, swish—* Moment’s Fire Ring grazed Shut Up’s neck. It was a moment where their head could have been severed.
“I was first.”
“They’re my Partner.”
“We ended in a draw last time, shall we have another round here?”
“The guy who died to me a moment ago has a lot to say.”
As a confrontation that seemed like a rematch began, more people started to gather. It was truly embarrassing. I wanted to stop experiencing such situations, so I quickly squeezed between the two of them.
“Stop! Don’t fight.”
Why were the two of them fighting like this? In reality, I had no popularity, but only in this game did my charm stat soar, drawing unwanted attention. Today, Shut Up was annoying, both in-game and in reality.
“Mr. Shut Up. May I Link with you?”
At that moment, Sunshine Angel carefully raised their hand and spoke. Shut Up looked Sunshine Angel, who was shirtless beside them, up and down.
“No, I don’t want to.”
Saying that, they looked back at me and I threw out a desperate remark, grasping at straws.
“Shut Up. If you don’t match with Sunshine Angel and exceed 80 percent, I’ll Link with you willingly.”
Moment, hearing my suggestion, whispered to lower it to 70 percent. However, Shut Up ignored his words and looked at me, spitting them out.
“If it doesn’t exceed 80 percent, will you follow without complaint?”
“……Yes.”
“Keep that promise.”
I just wanted to buy time or share the attention focused on me with Sunshine Angel. I wanted to explain that it wasn’t just me who wanted to be Shut Up’s Partner, but other male characters too.
Sunshine Angel stood before Shut Up with expectant eyes. Shut Up faced him but didn’t meet his eyes, merely interlocking fingers with him.
<<……3. 2. 1.>>
While many people were watching, the <
Some chuckled and pointed fingers at the two, while someone with a lot of compassion handed Sunshine Angel the remaining robe. Sunshine Angel, now properly dressed, was staring at the numbers displayed in the center of the screen. In contrast, Shut Up was expressionless, as if he didn’t expect much.
<<……70……, 72……. 74…….>>
But, this was truly an unexpected result.
As it surpassed 70 percent, Shut Up’s expression crumpled. Moment’s face lit up, and Sunshine Angel’s mouth fell open in ecstasy.
<
“Wow! Amazing! Wow, congratulations!”
I grabbed Sunshine Angel’s hands and expressed my surprise at the matching result.
The people around us were murmuring. Some complained about user discrimination, saying, ‘Isn’t this just Shut Up getting good matching results?’ Others openly compared me and Sunshine Angel, saying, ‘At 87 percent, you could change Guides.’
Shut Up was the only one uncomfortable with this result. As I wore a relieved expression, far from feeling any crisis about my Partner, Shut Up’s face was contorted as if something was boiling inside him.
Unable to bear the murmuring any longer, Shut Up formed a party with Sunshine Angel and grabbed me by the scruff of my neck before taking a Warp. Moment yelled, ‘Where are you going when you agreed to Link with me?’ but at that moment, following Shut Up was the only way to calm things down, so I was dragged along reluctantly. Otherwise, it was clear we’d become famous again on the message boards, with posts about gay love triangles.
<
The place we entered through the portal was a pavilion located in the center of a lake. I wondered when he had set this as a Warp point… I thought it was just a lake, but a long shadow was visible beneath the transparent water.
“If you get close to the water, you’ll be eaten.”
The long shadow, which didn’t seem like a joke, was hazy as if reflecting the clouds, but it moved against the water currents in small bursts, and bubbles rose with a popping sound.
As soon as I saw it, I stood precisely in the center of the pavilion.
“You two can Link, why did you bring me along?”
“What if… after I Link with him, I abandon you?”
Shut Up told me to stay in the center of the pavilion, then sat down on the bench by the railing. It was the perfect spot for whatever was swimming in the lake to poke its head out and snatch me.
“That’s up to you, isn’t it? If you want to change Partners, you change.”
Shut Up maintained a cynical smile as he glared at me. It felt like he was thinking, ‘You’re rejecting me?’ The nuance was clear: ‘I even bought you Relax skills, and you, of all people, are rejecting me?’
As the atmosphere between us soured, Sunshine Angel pleaded with Shut Up.
“I’ll just leave. Please don’t fight. I’m already satisfied just by getting this matching rate with Shut Up-nim.”
Shut Up, who had been glaring at me as if he could devour me, looked at Sunshine Angel clinging to his arm with a much softer gaze. So I was about to say, ‘It’s fine, I’ll go,’ but Shut Up was faster.
“Fine. Well, it wouldn’t be bad.”
“Right, Shut Up. It’s better to be with someone who likes you. I find Linking with a man… a bit unpleasant.”
“Was it unpleasant to be with me?”
“Well, yes.”
Shut Up approached in three steps and stood so close that his shadow fell over my face, looking down at me.
“So… am I unpleasant?”
When lovers break up, they often push each other away with harsh words to avoid leaving any lingering affection. This felt like the perfect moment for that. Since there was a Guide to take my place, I decided to push him further.
“Yeah, it’s incredibly unpleasant. It feels sticky. I don’t feel good. After Linking with you, I have nightmares, and I get indigestion even when eating lunch the next day.”
Shut Up’s expression crumpled even more than before. Maybe I overdid it.
“For someone who says that, your moans weren’t exactly quiet. You were wriggling your hips and panting.”
“Th-that was… the game settings… it wasn’t my will.”
His eyes shimmered with a blue light, showing how heated he was. Shut Up dropped a Town Return Scroll at my feet.
“Understood. Get lost.”
It was the most welcome thing I had heard, and what I had been wishing for. But strangely, I felt like I was being rejected by him, both in reality and in the game. So, I felt the need for a more definitive relationship establishment.
“Right. Since it’s come to this, please also cancel our Partner status.”
Shut Up, who had turned halfway, smiled with his lips askew.
“You don’t regret saying that, do you?”
“Why would I regret it?”
“Is that so? Fine, then.”
<<‘Shut Up’ has canceled your Partner status.>>
‘Wow. What a quick bastard.’
After confirming the Partner cancellation, I picked up the Return Scroll to go to town and was about to use it when I was suddenly grabbed by the scruff of my neck.
“That was my consideration as your Partner. Now you’re a stranger. No need for mercy.”
With that, he threw me out of the pavilion. With an irresistible force, I flew like a stone and plunged into the water.
“Gasp…! Huk…!”
It felt stuffy underwater, but I could breathe. I can’t even open my eyes in a swimming pool, but here, in the game, I could.
It was a lake, but it was as deep and calm as a blue ocean. Since I could swim, I slowly started to rise to the surface, but I saw a long, serpentine tail.
“……!”
As I’ve said repeatedly, this game reflects reality too well. The thing that turned its head towards me looked like an eel… and had an enormous number of teeth.
Screeeech—!
As soon as it saw me, it surged through the water and approached in an instant. It reminded me of how a snake might swim underwater.
I swam to try and dodge it, but I was merely flailing like debris. When I turned my head slightly, I saw its maw open wide. As I closed my eyes in surprise, I felt my whole body being squeezed, and blood spread around me. Then, my lower half began to sink slowly towards the bottom of the lake.
And so, I was torn to shreds by this unknown lake creature. All because Shut Up threw me aside. As my vision reached the surface of the lake, I saw someone’s face looking down at me. Shut Up was smiling with satisfaction as he watched me being ripped apart.
“Aaagh!!”
In the end, that night, I had the same nightmare.
It was so terrifying that the moment of horror appeared in my dreams. The pale, vacant eyes approaching from within that dark blue water, the maw filled with sharp teeth packed tightly together. The sensation of another mouth appearing inside the first and digging into my neck. Most of all, the moment of being chased, the anxiety that was seared into my brain even after I turned off the game.
“Haa… that was terrifying.”
That was my sentiment after finishing the game yesterday.
The urgent moment, which made me break out in a cold sweat, was etched in my mind, and now I woke up screaming from a similar dream. Most of all, Shut Up’s devilish face looking down at me was unforgettable.
‘Cruel bastard.’
Yesterday, my level became 45. It was reduced once by Shut Up and once by that eel-like monster…
However, on the other hand, I felt relieved by the joy of being able to meet a new Psychic now that my partnership with Shut Up was broken. And now, Shut Up. No, Seomun Jun wouldn’t be tracking me, so I could protect my real life too.
Taking advantage of the nightmare, I went to the bathroom and smiled contentedly at my reflection while washing my face.
I chanted to myself that a pleasant Friday had begun and set off for work.
This Saturday was a day the office would be closed. The thought of being able to play the game late after work tonight filled me with anticipation, wondering if I might meet a good female Psychic.
Humming a tune, I opened the office door when I heard a loud car sound from behind. That engine roar. I knew it without looking. It was Seomun Jun’s car. I couldn’t understand why he always parked here in the morning.
I tried to pretend I didn’t see him and enter the office, but the closing door didn’t shut and was flung open.
“Are you heading to work now?”
“Well… yes. I open at 9:30.”
I had planned to clean the front of the office for the first time in a while, but Seomun Jun came in, so I couldn’t do anything and just took a drink from the mini-fridge and handed it to him as he sat on the sofa.
“But, why are you here so early…?”
“Ah, damn it. Nothing’s going right.”
Jun, who had taken the drink and downed it in one gulp, sighed and expressed his annoyance. As far as I knew, he had a passionate Link yesterday with Sunshine Angel, who admired him, with an 87 percent matching rate, so I wondered why he was like this.
I wanted to ask, ‘Is it because of that?’ but since I wasn’t Kind Touch, I held back and asked again.
“Is something wrong?”
“That guy from yesterday. Haa, seriously.”
So, who?
Was he talking about Sunshine Angel, or the new tenant? He needed to specify so I could chime in, but right now, the only person related to me was the new tenant, so I wondered if there was a problem with the interior work on the 6th floor. Yesterday, when the two of them entered the building opposite, they looked like they were going to fall in love all night.
“I can’t cancel the contract.”
As expected, he was talking about Namgung Bin. Unfortunately, I had to say what I had to say.
“Even if you withdraw the contract, the commission cannot be refunded.”
I stated the principle of ‘once a move is made, it cannot be undone’ firmly, but seeing him looking up with his head bowed, a weak feeling arose that I might return half of it. We weren’t going to clash for just a day or two, and he might have properties to broker in the future.
“Ah, did you look into that?”
“Into what?”
“Your phone number.”
Wow, what a persistent bastard.
I almost yelled, ‘You had a great Link with Sunshine Angel yesterday and broke up your partnership, and you’re still obsessed!’ Why was he acting like this? He was completely obsessed.
“There’s no way to find out.”
Then, Jun picked up his phone and made a call somewhere. I thought nothing of it, but my phone, which was charging next to the PC, rang.
I quickly went over and flipped the screen. Then, pretending to search for something in the drawer, I put it on airplane mode. I then composed myself and sat down opposite Jun. He pressed the call button again, frowning.
“What the hell, why isn’t it connecting? This is really…”
The person in question was right in front of me, but Jun uttered a string of colorful curses and spoke harshly to Dajung, my alter ego. Honestly, it would be a lie to say I wasn’t hurt.
“Argh! What’s the point of saying it? He can’t hear me. It’s just my mouth getting tired.”
‘No, I’m listening to everything.’
I could tolerate any curse, but when he finally uttered, “Another impotent fool,” I almost retorted, ‘I’m not impotent!’ He dared to touch a man’s pride like that. What a rude bastard.
“Ah. If that tenant from yesterday comes by and wants to cancel the contract, tell him to go ahead. I don’t want to meet him.”
“Yes. Is there any other way?”
If he had just added ‘Your Highness’ at the end, it would have been perfect. I answered like a eunuch, and Jun looked at me with displeasure before leaving without another word.
‘What, dude? You called me impotent. Now you’re acting like this because I answered like an impotent person.’
Jun roughly opened the door and left, and Hye-seon, the CEO of the adjacent clothing store who was entering my office, looked startled with a “Waaak!”
He should have pulled the door open as he left, but because some people push it open like that, passersby get startled. I had installed it to catch them when they pushed, but it was rendered useless in no time.
“Oh, you startled me. But what the heck, that rude guy…”
“He’s a rude one.”
I added to Hye-seon’s words as she watched Jun’s retreating back heading towards the building opposite.
“Why did that person come here so early in the morning?”
“Well, he had a contract signed yesterday, and it seems there’s a conflict with the new tenant. Yesterday, they were practically inseparable like best friends. But Hye-seon-ssi, what brings you here so early?”
As I asked, I quickly got up and handed her the drink I had given to Jun. She accepted it shyly, took a sip, and looked at me.
“Excuse me, what are you doing next weekend?”
“Next week? Hmm… Nothing much, really.”
“Then, would you like to go somewhere with me?”
“Huh?”
They say love comes without any warning. She, the CEO of the clothing store, was asking me out. Because she ran a clothing store, her usual appearance and demeanor made her look like she could easily have a boyfriend, so I had never looked at her with that kind of intention… But now, my heart was pounding, and I felt good.
“I’ll go. What time and where should we meet?”
“Let’s meet at Samsung Station by 10 o’clock. I’ll tell you where we’re going when we meet that day.”
“But, why next week and not this week…?”
“Well, I need some preparation. Anyway, you must keep your schedule free next week.”
Was I going to escape being single this week? I had thought Hye-seon was pretty, but that was only from an objective perspective as a neighboring shopkeeper; I had never thought of her as a romantic prospect. But now, making such a personal arrangement, she seemed different.
I wished it were this week, but next week was fine too. Didn’t they say life is half misfortune and half happiness? Now that I had removed the misfortune of Seomun Jun, happiness in the form of Hye-seon awaited me.
“Um, then I’ll be going.”
“Yes.”
I waved goodbye to her as she left.
“Haa…”
But, looking at the black vehicle, I sighed again. Some of the surrounding real estate agents asked, ‘Is that car mine?’ Of course, they were joking, knowing full well it wasn’t.
When I swept the front of the office with a broom, I usually only swept up to the hardware store, but today I extended my reach to Hye-seon’s clothing store.
“Hello, CEO Yoo. You’re busy this morning.”
Just then, someone greeted me. It was CEO Heo from Daebak Real Estate upstairs. Seeing him with clients so early in the morning showed he had exceptional business acumen.
“Hello.”
His comment about me being busy was just a polite formality. I wanted to retort, ‘Looking at me with a broom, how do I look busy?’ but, well… what was the point of saying anything, so I just put the collected trash into a dustpan.
Then, I overheard them talking in front of Seomun Jun’s building.
“CEO. There’s a very spacious office on the 6th floor here, would you like to take a look?”
“The building is clean, too. It seems okay.”
CEO Heo said, “Let me see,” and I saw him making a call to Seomun Jun. I had already swept everything up and just needed to throw it away, but I lingered in front of them unnecessarily.
I wanted to see CEO Heo’s crumpled expression when he heard that the contract was already made. He was the one who had chided me at the local real estate agent meeting, saying, ‘Why did you come all the way here, why not go somewhere else?’
“Oh my, President Seomun Jun, this is CEO Heo from Daebak Real Estate. I was wondering if we could take a brief look at the 6th floor? Yes, we’re right in front. Yes? Ah… is that so?”
See, I told you it was already contracted. Go away, you fat cat. Hmph, I thought, laughing inwardly.
“Ah, what a shame. It was recently leased out. President, let’s go somewhere else. Honestly, the building owner here is quite unpleasant…”
“Ah, really? The building looks good, though. What a shame…”
The client licked his lips. CEO Heo led his client away, glancing at me.
“CEO Heo, you’re busy this morning too.”
I responded with a smile. Then, ah, the world is joyful, I thought, and went inside the office to throw away the trash.
Everything is going well since this morning. I got one over on CEO Heo, whom I usually found annoying, and I’ve also started a personal acquaintance with Hye-seon-ssi. It’s truly a day I wish would last forever.
[I’m nearby, let’s grab lunch together.]
“Oh? Sure. Since you came all this way, I’ll treat you.”
After making calls to the surrounding landlords, it was suddenly lunchtime. As I was about to eat, I received a message from Hanwoo. Hearing Hanwoo say he was coming by subway, I got up to close the office door when a male customer walked in.
It was him. The tenant on the 6th floor across the way. Namgung Bin.
“CEO. I have something to discuss.”
“Ah, yes. Please sit down.”
Is he really trying to cancel the contract? His expression was very dark. I took out a drink and offered it to him, but he refused, saying it was fine as he was about to have lunch.
“Um… if I cancel the contract, I won’t get the deposit back, right?”
The security deposit was 100 million won, and I had already received 10 million won, which was 10 percent. I told him, with a heavy heart, that there was no need to return it even if he canceled the contract.
“But, what’s going on between you two…? Weren’t you close just yesterday?”
“It’s, well, a bit personal…”
Even as a man, Namgung Bin was quite handsome. He had the kind of looks that Jun, who only liked good-looking people, would easily find appealing, so what could be the problem?
“Is it perhaps that you don’t have the means to set up an office?”
“No. It’s not that… I just don’t like the building owner.”
‘Me neither.’
I suspect most people around here feel the same way.
Although I didn’t reply, Bin seemed to relax when I quietly nodded. A faint smile touched his lips.
“Anyway, as long as you pay the monthly rent on time, you won’t have much reason to clash with the landlord. The deposit isn’t a small amount. Besides, there aren’t many places around here as clean and spacious as this building. Moreover, your studio will require extensive renovations, and few building owners would accept that.”
“That’s true.”
I wanted to avoid a situation where both parties might demand a portion of the commission back if the contract were to be broken. Of course, I had no obligation to pay…
Seomun Jun’s personality isn’t great, but once a contract is signed, he barely interferes. He initially opposed the tteokbokki restaurant on the first floor, but now he doesn’t even pay attention to it.
“CEO. If you haven’t had lunch yet, would you like to join me?”
“I’d like to, but a friend is coming over.”
He said he was disappointed and suggested we talk again next time, then stood up. I told him he could come by anytime if he had anything to discuss and opened the door to see him out.
“Ah, I forgot to give you this.”
What Bin handed me was a small box. When I opened it, it was a wooden inkstone case, with compartments for business cards and pens.
“When we signed the contract before, I saw your inkstone case was portable.”
“Ah… Thank you. I was planning to buy one anyway. I’ve been signing a lot of things lately. Haha.”
It wasn’t a common souvenir; it looked custom-made, with beautiful, fine wood grain. I thanked him again and went back into the office with the inkstone case.
I wondered where to put it, so I placed it next to the monitor and inserted the business cards scattered on my desk into it. It felt like the desk looked different with just this one item. As I admired it, a voice like from a basement suddenly spoke into my left ear.
“So, you’re not canceling the contract?”
“Whoa!”
“What are you so surprised about?”
Jun was looking down at me. I hadn’t heard the door open, so he must have followed me in stealthily.
“What on earth is going on between you two?”
“We don’t get along.”
“What?”
“Hah, it’s absurd. In what way do I look like a bottom? It’s insulting to my pride.”
Bottom? Is he foreign?
As I looked at him, wondering what he was talking about, I saw his hand move. He was taking something out of his pocket – a cigarette. The moment Jun put a cigarette to his lips, I reached out and snatched it away.
“No smoking indoors.”
Then, I carefully placed it into the cigarette case he was holding. Jun just stared at me, taken aback by my decisive action.
I thought maybe taking the cigarette out of his mouth was a bit much, even though just telling him would have been enough. I was starting to feel intimidated. Speak up, you! If you were offended!
“Yudu!”
Just as silence hung in the air, my friend’s voice was heard, and I turned around.
Hanwoo called out to me cheerfully as he entered my office. No one in this space calls me by my proper name. Jun, who had been staring intently at me, also shifted his gaze to the back where the voice came from.
“Ah, you have a visitor.”
“No, the consultation is over. Seomun Jun, I’ll be leaving for my lunch appointment now.”
“Let’s go together.”
What is this friendliness? He treated everyone else like they were beneath him, with an expression that suggested he didn’t want to associate with them. Is he asking me to lunch now? Hanwoo rolled his eyes and signaled, asking who he was. I introduced him as the building owner from across the street.
“I have something to discuss with my friend privately today.”
“Then, buy me lunch.”
Saying that, he held a credit card between his index and middle fingers and extended it towards my face. Not wanting to show this scene to my friend, I quickly took it and vaguely agreed.
Since I’m self-employed, it didn’t matter if I ate at one or two o’clock, but Hanwoo was different. He had to go back after lunch, and if it got even a little late, he’d be caught in the rush of office workers and face a long wait.
As we all left the office and I locked the door, Jun walked towards his building.
“Let’s go.”
With that, I quickly pulled Hanwoo towards the busy street on the car side.
“Why are you asking me to run errands for lunch?”
“He’s the building owner across the street, and I received some help from him.”
“He looks young? Wow, you really can’t beat the silver spoon. Or rather, at that level, is it diamond?”
“That’s not the important part. There’s a more surprising fact. He’s him.”
“Him? Who?”
“Shut Up.”
“Can’t even ask?”
“No, that guy. Shut Up. The one who shoots electricity, you know.”
Hanwoo’s body stiffened as we walked side-by-side. He suddenly pointed at me and asked with wide eyes, “Are you guys really like that?”
“No, nothing like that. I only found out recently too.”
“Then him? Does he know you’re a Dajeong hand and is acting like this?”
“Of course not.”
We entered a franchise restaurant. It was a place that only served noodle dishes, so the turnover was fast and the food came out quickly, making it pleasant despite the crowd. We sat side-by-side at a long table by the window and chose our menus. Hanwoo, crunching on the pickled radishes as a side dish, repeated how small the world was several times.
“Be careful not to get caught. Is he gay? I heard the previous Guide was also a man.”
“Hmm. So that’s how it was.”
“He’s handsome, what a shame. If he’s going to be gay, he should give himself to me.”
“Men tend to be even more discerning about looks when it comes to other men.”
Hanwoo looked at Jun, muttering about how he had it all – looks and money – and how unfair the world was, then vigorously sprinkled chili powder into his udon, taking out his frustration.
The chili powder villain was right in front of me. I suggested he just eat spicy jjampong instead, but Hanwoo looked at me pitifully.
“Sigh. To be dumped by someone like that. All the banners that were hung around town yesterday are gone.”
“Really? That was fast. But why did you come all of a sudden?”
“To see you. Actually, I want you to hunt with me for a while. You have Relax, right? Do me a favor and help out a friend who doesn’t have a Guide.”
“I’ll consider it if you buy me dessert too.”
The bonds formed in games are truly made and broken so easily. The banners that had been plastered all over town disappeared like a mirage in an instant. I thought Shut Up would forget about me once he partnered with that Sunshine Angel, but… why is he seeking me out again? I wondered if partnering with Hanwoo would make him back off.
“Did Shut Up get a new Guide?”
“Yeah. I met someone yesterday who was 87 percent compatible. Since I broke up with him, maybe he partnered with her?”
“Really? Yesterday, I saw Shut Up beating up users in the field, and I don’t think there was a heart next to his name.”
He explained that when you have a partner, a small heart appears next to your name, but it was missing.
“When?”
“I went to bed around two in the morning, so around that time?”
“No, it’s not. When I logged off yesterday, it was around eleven, so by then, he would have already Linked—”
Just then, a woman sat down next to us, and Hanwoo nudged me, giving me a look. Even if it was about a game, it wasn’t something to discuss loudly, so I suggested we just go back to the office.
After leaving the restaurant, Hanwoo bought lunch, and I bought a brown sugar bubble tea on the way. I felt burdened by his request for a Guide, even offering dessert.
“Just a moment. I need to buy this.”
Since it was inconvenient to pack the noodle dish, we stopped by a bento box shop on the way and bought a ‘Young Master Set.’
“This is exactly Jjuni’s.”
I really liked the name ‘Young Master.’ Chewing on the tapioca pearls, I grumbled about Shut Up until we quickly arrived in front of the office.
“Until when do you have to be in?”
“Me? Until around three.”
“Then we have about an hour to chat. Wait for me, I’ll deliver this and be right back.”
I opened the office, let Hanwoo in, and quickly ran to the building across the street. As I rode the elevator up, I called him, wondering if he was home.
As expected, he didn’t answer. Since the bento box contained possibly spoiled seasoned vegetables, it could spoil if left by the door. So, I debated what to do and then pressed the doorbell.
Ding dong— Ding dong—
However, there was no response. Thinking he wasn’t home, I turned to leave, but I heard the sound of the door lock opening.
“Ah, you’re here. This is, Yo…”
Jun had just showered, his hair was wet, and he was only wearing tight briefs. They were so tight that they seemed to mold to his form, clearly revealing his size.
‘Wow… is that thing dead?’
Still holding the bento box, I didn’t hand it over. Jun stepped out the door and bent down to snatch the plastic bag. Then, he extended his hand. In my momentary confusion, I grabbed his hand as if to shake it. Even though it was a man’s hand, it was incredibly large.
“What is it. The card.”
“……Huh? Ah, right.”
I was supposed to place the card in his hand, but in my flustered state, I dropped it on the floor. As I bent to pick it up, Jun lowered his head first.
I saw his broad shoulders and solid trapezius muscles. He was truly a perfect specimen. Even better out of clothes. As he slowly stood up, his abdomen was completely free of any fat.
‘So that’s a six-pack.’
“Stop staring. You’re not a pervert, are you?”
“No, it’s just visible. Honestly. What would I do looking at another man’s body?”
I immediately turned around and pressed the elevator button. I heard a faint chuckle from behind me, followed by the sound of the door lock closing.
My face felt hot. I exhaled through my mouth to cool down, and hot breath like steam from a pressure cooker came out. Wow, really. This was the first time I had ever marveled at another man’s body like this. Perhaps because I had nothing but time and money, he seemed to invest a lot in his physique.
Ding—
The elevator arrived, and as I was about to get in and go down, I heard the door lock again, and saw Jun emerging in the same attire as before. He then stopped the closing elevator with one hand, making it open again.
“But, is this all?”
“Uh. Huh? What?”
“Are you telling me you bought this meager amount for me to eat?”
Jun held out the container of the Young Master’s meal and confronted me. Looking at the small rice bowl, I don’t know why my gaze drifted to his lower body.
“……Is it small?”
“Next time, buy three. Got it?”
I replied that I understood and pressed the elevator close button. Seeing my action, he should have let go of the door, but he was still preventing it from closing.
“I got it, so let go of the door.”
I lowered my gaze, embarrassed to look at him, but my eyes inadvertently kept falling on his lower body. Jun lowered the hand that was holding the elevator door and brought it towards his briefs. He asked, hooking his thumb into the waistband,
“Why. Want to see mine?”
“Excuse me?!”
“Don’t be surprised.”
He let out a hearty laugh and finally stepped back. The elevator then closed normally, and I descended straight to the first floor with a bewildered expression.
Why is he laughing like that?
“Is he crazy!”
As I muttered to myself and got off, people entering the building glanced at me.
It was fortunate that I received this provocation after lunch; if it had been before, I might not have been able to eat my fish cake udon. Even at a public bath, one commonly sees the genitals of various men, and I had already seen many in the military, so I wasn’t particularly interested. Isn’t it natural not to be interested? But…
‘They said Blood Planet is harmful, and it’s true.’
It wasn’t for nothing that TV panelists passionately criticized Blood Planet. I’m not gay, but I’ve somehow become someone who blushes at the sight of another man’s…
When I returned to the office, Hanwoo was looking at his phone while drinking his bubble tea.
“What’s your office Wi-Fi password?”
“Huh? Wait a minute.”
I wrote down the password from the memo stuck under the monitor and handed it to Hanwoo.
“By the way, why don’t you have a Guide?”
“Me? Well, sometimes party members I hunt with Link for me, but since my rank is only B, I guess I’m not much help. Also, most Guides Link with whoever they meet at the moment, they don’t get tied down to one person. It’s not very profitable.”
He added that top-ranked players like Shut Up would probably want to Guide anyone. Since they can defeat most bosses alone, they wouldn’t care about loot or experience.
“Speaking of which, something strange happened in the dungeon yesterday.”
“What happened?”
“Yesterday, I was running the Dream Forest with other Psychics. And wow… guess who appeared in the hidden stage?”
“Why? Did a dragon appear?”
“No… someone even worse than a dragon appeared.”
“Did you defeat it? Then the loot must have been incredible.”
“Everyone died. All of them. Everyone. Moment was with me too…”
“No, what appeared that even a top-ranked player like Moment died?”
“Shut Up.”
Hanwoo, slurping his tapioca pearls, suddenly choked. He said it didn’t make sense. Like, why would a user turn into a monster? He said the operators were really funny. Shall I tell you something even funnier? I mentioned that Shut Up’s PG was infinite, and he said that was probably just a trap, and to just consider it bad luck.
“So, you broke up with Shut Up after fighting yesterday?”
“No, that’s separate… I told him I was uncomfortable with him Linking me.”
“Hey. But is that true?”
Even though it was just the two of us in the office, Hanwoo leaned towards me and lowered his voice.
“They say it feels so good to Link from behind a man, have you ever tried it? You have to have been penetrated to know.”
If he weren’t my closest friend, I would have reported him to the police.
“Are you curious?”
“Yes.”
“Then, do you want to try being penetrated? I’ll Link you.”
I looked at Hanwoo, slurping my bubble tea and chewing on the pearls rebelliously. Hanwoo, realizing his question was a bit excessive, brushed it off as a joke, saying he was just curious.
“So, who are you going to hunt with now?”
“I’ll have to look on the party board. I saw many Guides were being sought. If all else fails, I’ll ask you.”
“Sure, whatever.”
Afterward, Hanwoo and I made small talk about how much a studio apartment in a nearby officetel cost, and he asked if I commuted from so far away, suggesting I find a place closer. I retorted that if I had the money, I would have done so long ago. Honestly, playing games in my current situation was insane. I should be focusing entirely on my livelihood.
“Ah, I have to go now. If I’m late, Head of Department will throw a fit.”
A little past two o’clock, Hanwoo got up from his seat. I envied Hanwoo, who, despite living a life bound by time, received a salary when the time came.
“When is payday?”
“Me? Next week. Why?”
“Hanwoo… when you get paid, buy me some Hanwoo, okay?”
“Don’t you know to be wary of people who buy you beef? Pure intentions only go as far as pork.”
“If you buy me Hanwoo, I can have ulterior motives.”
“You crazy bastard. I’ll think about it when I get paid.”
I walked ahead of Hanwoo and even opened the door for him. Hanwoo gave a light wave and walked towards the subway station.
Ah, I really haven’t seen beef in a while. In the past, my mom and I used to eat it about once a month, and I could occasionally eat it at company dinners.
Now, as a self-employed person living alone, I had no opportunities to grill meat. Strangely, the thought of wanting meat struck me, and I felt like a carnivore who couldn’t go through the day without eating meat. I sat at my desk and searched for solo barbecue restaurants.
“Oh, as expected.”
I should have done something like this when starting a business. The reviews mentioned partitions for eating alone and space to place phones.
It wasn’t far from the office. I opened my wallet and checked; I only had 3,000 won left after buying the bubble tea. I figured I could use my card if necessary, and looked forward to a solo feast after work.
My office usually closes after 6 PM, but since there were no visitors, I closed at 5 PM. As I locked up and stepped out, Jun’s black car was parked right in front. It felt strange now if his car wasn’t there. He had gone out after showering earlier, so he must have gone somewhere in the meantime.
I left the car and double-checked the location of the solo barbecue restaurant displayed on my phone. It wasn’t far, so walking slowly was perfectly fine. Before long, a familiar sign appeared, and the solo barbecue restaurant was on the third floor. I entered the commercial building and pressed the elevator button, then waited.
‘Time alone. A meal just for me. A reward for myself.’
While going all the way to eat meat, I was assigning all sorts of meanings to it as I checked my face in the elevator door, which reflected like a mirror.
“Hmm, this is presentable enough.”
As I was touching my hair while talking to myself, a man dressed in black stood behind me.
“Unfounded confidence, huh.”
An annoying tone. I quickly turned around and saw Jun smirking.
“Huh? Why are you here…….”
“Why else? I came to eat meat.”
Jun pointed to the solo barbecue restaurant flyer in the promotional display next to the elevator and answered. He said he was a regular here and reprimanded me for going to eat meat alone after giving me such a tiny portion for lunch.
Having to eat at the same restaurant as this guy. But, since it was a solo barbecue restaurant, I got into the elevator with the intention of sitting far away from him. As I pressed the close button, someone’s hand suddenly came in and blocked it. The doors opened again, and another familiar face appeared.
“Ah, thank you……. Huh?”
It was Namgung Bin. He got on belatedly, nodded at me in greeting, and then pretended not to see Jun standing behind him.
Seeing that the third-floor button was pressed, Bin just stood there looking at the two of us. Ding—. When we arrived on the third floor, Bin, who was standing at the front, blocked me and Jun.
“If we’re all here to eat meat, shall we go to a barbecue restaurant, the three of us? I’ll pay.”
Jun replied that it was fine, but I enthusiastically agreed, saying I’d love to. Jun, who was about to get off, looked at us and got back into the elevator. Despite his answer, he seemed like he was going to follow.
“Duseon, what do you want to eat?”
“Ah……, I can choose?”
“Yes. I’ll treat you to a big meal. Tell me anything you want to eat.”
“Honestly, if it were a pure heart receiving a treat, it would be pork, but I really want to eat Hanwoo.”
Jun, who had been listening to our conversation from behind, spoke softly.
“You have unfounded confidence, but no conscience.”
Jun taunted my words, even though he wasn’t the one paying.
Bin smiled leisurely and agreed, saying, “Let’s go eat.” As we left the commercial building, I was dithering about which way to go when Bin’s hand touched my lower back. Bin gently pulled me towards him.
“This way.”
“Ah, yes.”
My body naturally turned in that direction.
But then, one of my arms was grabbed by Jun, and I was pulled in the opposite direction. Bin’s hand, which had been on my back, naturally let go.
“Aren’t we going to Hanwoogol? This way is faster.”
“It’s not Hanwoogol, it’s Hoengseong Gamagol.”
Bin came close to me again, placed his hand on my back, and pulled me towards him. In response, Jun pulled even harder than before, making me think my arm would come off.
“Ah, let go a little.”
“If we go to Hanwoogol, I’ll buy you beef tartare too.”
“Ah, really?”
“Duseon. Hoengseong Gamagol also sells pre-packaged ribs. I’ll pack some for you when we go.”
“They’re packing ribs too?”
I couldn’t understand why they were insisting on going to their regular barbecue restaurant, but I should have heeded my friend’s words then.
“Don’t you know the saying, ‘Be careful of people who buy you beef’? I said a pure heart only goes as far as pork.”
But I was hungry and didn’t have time to think about such things. My wavering heart between the two, leaning towards the packaged ribs rather than beef tartare, tried to pull away from Jun’s grasp, but he held on even tighter. Eventually, Jun reached out with his other hand and wrapped it around my waist.
“Let’s go to Hanwoogol. I’ll let you eat Hanwoo once a month.”
“Once a month? Really?”
I didn’t think anyone would buy me Hanwoo, so this situation felt like a miracle. Pretending to be unable to resist, I leaned my body to be pulled by Jun’s two arms.
“Namgung Bin, why don’t you try Hanwoogol’s meat too? Seomun Jun is paying.”
“Yeah, follow us. What money would a tenant have to buy Hanwoo? Well, if he had money, he would have canceled the contract.”
“……Ha, do you really want to go to hell?”
Bin’s muttered words were not heard by Jun, thanks to the honking of a passing car. I just hoped their animosity would be resolved over Hanwoo.
Bin, who I thought wouldn’t come, grudgingly followed us, glancing at Jun. However, seeing me being dragged by my arm felt awkward, so I tried to remove Jun’s hand with my other hand. I was surprised by how soft the back of his hand was.
And so, we walked, maintaining a distance that made us look like an awkward group.
Before long, we arrived at Hanwoogol, and it seemed to be Jun’s regular place as the CEO at the counter recognized him.
“Oh my, Jun is here. Shall I get you a room?”
“Yes.”
The main dining area was quite spacious, so I didn’t know where we were going, but as I followed Jun, I saw traditional Korean doors along a narrow path. I had seen this kind of layout in Korean set-menu restaurants or Japanese restaurants, but never in a barbecue place.
“This way, please.”
The staff member who went ahead opened the sliding door and showed us in. As Jun sat down, he familiarly placed an order with the staff member and looked at Bin and me alternately, asking what we wanted to drink.
I casually suggested soju and looked around at the interior. It was a floor-seating arrangement, but the center was hollowed out to function like a table. Bin sat next to me, and Jun sat opposite.
After the staff left, an awkward silence fell, and I spoke first.
“Since we met like this, I hope you two can get along well.”
“As long as the rent is paid on time.”
“Don’t act like a condescending building owner just because you are one. We’re starting interior renovations tomorrow.”
Their relationship had been off from the start, and their words were laced with thorns. To mediate between them, I preemptively asked about potential points of friction.
“When will the interior renovation work be finished?”
I asked this to give Jun something to consider during the renovation period, but as soon as Bin answered, Jun complained again, asking why it was taking so long and if they were building a whole building.
“I’ll bring the charcoal.”
Then, glowing red charcoal was brought in, and the grill was placed on top. My insides burned like the black charcoal. Regardless of the Hanwoo, eating between these two was extremely uncomfortable. I couldn’t take sides, nor could I pretend not to notice, which made it worse.
I didn’t want it to happen, but Jun eventually looked at me.
“Isn’t that right, Yudu? What do you think?”
Simultaneously, both their gazes fixed on me. I had been letting their conversation drift by, only watching the crackling charcoal, so I couldn’t even grasp what they were asking.
“See? Duseon isn’t saying anything because it’s absurd. Anyway, with such a lack of common sense, how can you claim to be a building owner?”
“What? Who are you to look down on me? Just someone who pays rent?”
“Hey. I may not own a building, but I own several houses. What are you boasting about?”
“Houses and buildings are different? Ask people on the street. Who’s more impressive, a house-poor person or a building owner?”
“House-poor? Have you seen the property deeds for my houses? They are purely mine, with no loans!”
“……Excuse me, I need to use the restroom for a moment.”
I quickly left the table, feeling like I might get bitten between them.
‘Sigh……. Suffocating.’
To me, both building owners and homeowners seemed impressive. Well, I couldn’t stop them from boasting about who was better, nor could I evaluate it. Moreover, both of them seemed to have unusual personalities, and I had a premonition that I would suffer more if I got caught up in it.
“Alright, let’s eat quietly.”
If it were pork instead of real Hanwoo, I might have just left.
Grill, eat, leave. Thinking only of these three objectives, I returned to my seat. Even as I opened the sliding door, I could hear them arguing inside.
“Just a moment.”
I didn’t have the courage to open the door, but a staff member from the main hall brought the food, and we were pushed inside together. As I was about to sit down, Jun stretched out his long arm and grabbed my wrist.
“Sit here.”
“What’s with all the fuss? Duseon, sit where you usually sit.”
My feet were heading to my usual spot, but due to the strong force, I stumbled and ended up sitting next to Jun.
“You’re really good at making people uncomfortable, aren’t you? Duseon.”
‘No, you two. If you want to talk, talk to each other. Don’t ask for my opinion…….’
I wanted to say that, but I just smiled. As the staff member placed the Hanwoo we ordered on the grill, I said, “Please eat,” with a friendly smile to both of them.
As we were grilling, their mind game started again.
They grabbed the grilled meat as soon as it was flipped, claiming they would eat it first. Thinking I should eat this, I slightly placed some on my grill, but Jun quickly snatched it. Jun seemed to be doing it out of spite, thinking Bin might eat it, but I ended up being the victim.
‘Damn it.’
Watching that scene unfold for two rounds, I started to get annoyed. I ordered a beef tartare bibimbap from the staff member who came to change the grill. By the third round, I was able to catch the timing to grab some meat.
“Your beef tartare bibimbap is here.”
I was delighted to have a dish just for myself. As I was busily mixing it, Bin glanced over.
“That looks delicious. Duseon, can I have a taste?”
“Yes. Please try it.”
I gently pushed the bowl towards Namgung Bin. He took a spoonful and said it tasted even better because Duseon mixed it, offering some rather unconvincing praise.
I hadn’t tasted it yet, so I scooped up a spoonful full of beef tartare and rice and was about to put it in my mouth when Jun grabbed my wrist. Before I could say “Huh? Huh?”, the spoon went into his mouth. Chewing, Jun said, “It’s okay,” and took a sip of water to cleanse his palate. The spoon had disappeared into his mouth, so I put it down and took out a new one.
“What, is my mouth dirty?”
“No, it’s just that someone else used it.”
“Am I a stranger?”
“Then……, are we family?”
Jun was now picking a fight with me. Why was he making a fuss when I was about to eat with a clean spoon? If he was so upset, he should have eaten with his own spoon. As I was about to take another spoonful of the beef tartare bibimbap, which I hadn’t even tasted yet, my wrist was grabbed again, and it disappeared into Jun’s mouth once more.
“Ah, do it in moderation. Duseon, let’s eat too. You have a spoon.”
Wondering if I had to change spoons again, I put it down, and Jun’s eyebrows twitched. He was following my every action with a sharp gaze.
In the end, thinking I wouldn’t die from eating food someone else had touched, I scooped up rice with the spoon that had been in his mouth. Only then did Jun remove his persistent gaze and turn his chopsticks towards the meat.
‘Sigh…….’
He was truly an exhausting person. And as we grilled the third round, their eating speed noticeably decreased. Thanks to that, I was able to eat Hanwoo to my heart’s content. As they say, patience is rewarded.
When Jun asked if I wanted more, I shook my head, my mouth full of meat. Yet, he kept placing grilled meat on my plate.
“Stop. I’m full.”
Ignoring my words, Jun reached for the bell to order more meat, but I firmly grabbed his hand and stopped him.
“Stop!”
I should have used polite language, but my words came out curtly because he was ignoring me. Looking at him like I was dealing with a disobedient younger sibling, my words were not gentle.
Jun’s eyes widened slightly as I spoke to him like a younger brother who wouldn’t listen. He seemed surprised, but his lips twisted slightly upwards. It was impossible to tell if he was smiling or not.
“I’ll bring the dessert.”
A staff member who came in at that moment extinguished the charcoal and brought refreshing fruit and persimmon punch for dessert.
I didn’t usually eat persimmon punch, but at some point, I started drinking it after meals, finding it helped with digestion and felt refreshing, so I began to seek it out often. If it hadn’t been served as dessert, I might have bought a persimmon punch drink on my way home.
“By the way, where do you live?”
The two of them seemed to have run out of topics to fight about and wore gentle expressions as they ate dessert.
“Me? I’m in Mapo.”
“Hmm. Not too far. Shall we go for a second round of beer at my place then?”
“Shall we? I do feel like having a bit more to drink.”
“What about Yudu?”
Sipping my persimmon punch, I was relaxing, thinking I just needed to go home and crash, but Jun’s suggestion jolted me back to reality.
“I’m going home to rest.”
“Don’t do that, come along.”
“My home is a bit far…….”
I politely declined Bin’s kindly offered invitation. When Jun asked where it was and how far, I mentioned a subway station near the end of the line, and he scowled.
“No way, you commute from there to here? Why? Did you come all the way here because you couldn’t find a place to open a real estate office there?”
I had heard similar things at real estate agent meetups. I always explained that I looked for a store first and then tried to find a place to live with the remaining money, but couldn’t, so I ended up in the outskirts. But I didn’t want to tell these two about my circumstances.
How would they understand the feelings of ordinary people?
“Just… I found it while looking.”
“Then, stay at my place tonight.”
Jun invited me to his home without hesitation. Not just me, but even Bin, who had been fighting like enemies just moments ago. Bin was also so easygoing that he readily asked if he could stay over too.
Indeed, considering he occupied the entire building, I could roughly gauge the size of his home. I had minor questions about how many rooms there were, what size bed he used, and how many bathrooms. Wondering when I’d get to see Jun’s house, I agreed.
We finished our persimmon punch and got up. It seemed like quite a lot of food, but Jun paid with his card and threw away the receipt without looking. As we left the restaurant, Bin looked around and pointed to a convenience store.
“I’ll buy the beer. Let’s go to the convenience store.”
A considerable number of people were sitting under the parasol outside the 24-hour convenience store. As soon as we entered, we headed to the alcohol section to browse the selection.
Like the cigarettes displayed at the convenience store counter, there was a wide variety of beers. Especially with the influx of imported beers and many “4 cans for 10,000 won” promotions, choosing was quite enjoyable. Wanting to try something new, I was looking intently when I felt hot breath on the back of my neck.
“Estonian beer is delicious.”
Jun seemed to be trying to whisper in my ear, but as I took a step to the side, my shoulder accidentally brushed against his chest. Feeling awkward, I tried to move to the other side when his hand wrapped around my waist and slid down, touching my hip. I could feel his fingers fiddling.
“I like it.”
“Wh-what?”
Jun, leaning heavily against my back as if he might collapse, picked up a stout and grinned.
Even though he wasn’t talking to me, I felt inexplicably embarrassed. Jun’s usual cold tone, which always carried a chill, felt loose and warm, perhaps due to the alcohol. Perhaps it was also the alcohol, but my face flushed the moment I heard those words.
“That, haha. It’s good. That. Let me see, what snacks should we buy?”
Wanting to escape his embrace quickly, I turned and walked to the other side. I happened to see Bin standing in the area where hot bars and lunch boxes were displayed.
“Duseon, pick whatever you want.”
“This one is enough for me.”
I picked up a single string cheese. Bin then took out three more and handed them to me.
“Eat more.”
At that moment, Jun approached and picked up the entire string cheese.
“I like this too. Just buy it all.”
Even though he wasn’t paying, was it okay to just grab whatever he wanted? The snacks cost more than the beer. We paid for two bags and came out with our hands full. However, Jun took the bag I was carrying.
“This is ridiculous. You’re not carrying the one the person who paid bought, but Duseon’s.”
“It’s obvious you’re frail.”
No, I’m not frail.
I wanted to say, “You’re just excessively muscular, I’m of standard Korean build,” but I held back. We had been bickering and fighting at Hanwoogol earlier, and I didn’t want to create that atmosphere again.
Although Jun had invited me to stay over, I intended to leave if I felt like it. Even at a close friend’s house, sleeping over was always uncomfortable. The pillow wasn’t mine, so it wasn’t comfortable either.
I was just curious about the interior. Who knows, maybe if that building went on the market later, other real estate agents wouldn’t even get to see his house, so it was good to take a look now. And that string cheese in the bag… I also had an ambition to sneak one or two out if I could.
A familiar alley appeared, and my closed real estate office came into view. Then, we walked into Jun’s building, a place I would only enter for errands. Although their tone was still slightly sharp, the atmosphere between them had softened considerably compared to before. As we all got into the elevator together, their conversation became clearer.
“I thought you were the bottom.”
“What? Do you have no eyes?”
Again, the two were heatedly exchanging unknown words. Then, Jun pointed his finger at me.
“Guys who look just like that are often bottoms. They have good looks. They look young for 28.”
“Hmm… Indeed, their bodies are petite too. Just looking at their neckline, their skin is fair…”
The two of them were whispering about inner thighs or something.
Seriously, is whispering when the person next to you can hear everything? What is this? Why are they suddenly judging my appearance? Pretty and fair-skinned! I don’t know exactly what ‘bottom’ means, but it didn’t sound like a good meaning in this situation.
The two of them looked down at me with gazes that seemed to say, ‘The culprit is that guy.’ Even though I hadn’t done anything wrong, I felt intimidated and instinctively cowered.
Jun and Bin’s eyes clung to every inch of my body like sticky goo. What’s more, Jun glanced down at me and licked his lips. His tongue, red and moist like raw meat, disappeared lusciously into his mouth. Bin didn’t make such an overt gesture, but his usually lecherous gaze had settled, exuding a silent atmosphere.
Ding.
As the elevator reached the 7th floor and the doors opened, the two got out, still chatting away. Sensing an unknown sense of crisis, I stepped out a beat later than them.
‘Should I… make a run for it?’
Instinctively, I pressed the button for the 1st floor. The elevator doors were slowly closing.
‘Yeah. You shouldn’t ignore instincts like this. That’s right.’
As the doors were slowly closing, I saw Jun pause while opening the main door and look back. He saw me still in the elevator and urgently reached out his arm, but it didn’t reach the doors.
Thud.
The elevator doors closed, and I watched it descend past the 5th floor, then the 3rd. Jun’s desperate expression in the fleeting moment before the doors closed was unforgettable. My heart began to pound as if I were being chased by something.
‘What the…?’
It was the face of a hunter who had lost his prey.
That’s right. Jun was gay. No, but I’m not into that at all… Did I look like prey? He’s someone who’s really picky about looks! Before reaching the 1st floor, I checked my reflection in the elevator mirror.
“Well, rabbits don’t pick their mates based on looks when they eat them.”
I shuddered and left the building. The thought that it might be due to alcohol crossed my mind. Doesn’t everyone sometimes feel horny when they drink? Jun is gay, so I figured it was possible.
Jing. Jing.
As soon as I left the building, Jun called. I felt it would be more awkward not to answer, so I picked up and vaguely said I just wanted to rest at home, but I heard his threatening tone.
[Come back. You have to drink beer before you go.]
“I don’t feel well, so I’m going to leave for today.”
[…You ran away knowing, didn’t you?]
I wasn’t sure exactly, but I felt uneasy saying I ran away knowing. It’s like saying you knew the witness was a murderer; you can’t help but feel like you’ll be murdered.
“Ah, the bus is here!”
So, I used the excuse of a bus that wasn’t coming to quickly hang up.
“Don’t you know the saying, ‘Beware of people who buy you beef’? Pure intentions only go as far as pork.” Hanwoo’s words were accurate. Even after I hung up, Jun called again. Of course, I didn’t answer. I could just vaguely say I passed out from drinking.
“Haa…”
After finally making it home, I lay on my bed and thought back to the situation.
Jun’s face as he desperately tried to catch the elevator felt like pure terror. It was like Shut Up was approaching to Link me, as if reality had become a game.
Thinking about the game, I sat up. My drunkenness had sobered up once from the shock, and now that I was home, I felt even more alert. It was Friday evening, and since tomorrow was not a business day for real estate, there was no problem playing games late.
“If I log in now, Shut Up won’t be there.”
I couldn’t see him anyway since I had broken up our partnership, but I was just conscious of it. I got out of my room, drank some water, and sat on the sofa, putting on my helmet to log into the game.
<
<
As soon as I logged in, my level had indeed dropped to 45. It felt like I was constantly losing the more I played.
‘Getting involved with high-level players only leads to trouble, so I should just hunt.’
My login point was the center of the lake where I had died yesterday. It was a pier, and the eel-like creature that had attacked me yesterday was leisurely swimming below.
Yesterday, Shut Up had used a return scroll to go to town. As expected, the banner was down. It was difficult to find party members of a similar level in this Adventurer’s Village. I had no choice but to move to Velvet Town, which had a level 40 hunting ground.
<
If the Adventurer’s Village was like a medieval rural village with single-story stone buildings and cobblestone paths, Velvet Town had quite high walls and many shops. There were personal shops in the plaza, and unusually, there were guard NPCs at the entrance of the town.
As is typical for game settings, there were many European-style buildings. I thought the game was called Blood Planet, so I expected a sci-fi setting, but the scenery was similar to any other game. Still, being virtual reality, it felt like traveling in Europe.
Donkeys and dogs roamed the alleys, and upon closer inspection, they were picking up random items players had dropped on the ground. They seemed like robot vacuums created by the developers to prevent the ground from getting dirty.
In the middle of Velvet Town, there was a fountain and an open-air theater. Sometimes events were held here, or GMs gathered to talk with users.
Party boards were placed throughout the town, allowing users without a party to post their profiles and find companions. I also added [Possesses Relax skill] to the special notes on my profile.
Looking around, I saw many Guides waiting. Parties were often formed with 3 Psychics and 1 Guide, so even with many Psychic users, the turns rotated evenly.
I sat on a bench next to the board and watched people pass by. Then, a user shot an arrow at a passing donkey. The donkey fell, dropping random items, many of which were potions.
‘Huh? You can hunt those?’
This was because, in the Adventurer’s Village, players used their skills noisily, but the wandering chickens didn’t die. Something felt off, so I looked around. There were far more users than in the Adventurer’s Village, but no one was using skills carelessly in town.
“Surely… you can’t do PK within the town, can you?”
“Why not?”
Someone sat down next to me with a thud and answered my soliloquy. Above his head, it read [Son of the Wind Kim Taepung].
“Are you a beginner who just started? You seem to have only been in the Adventurer’s Village?”
“Uh, yeah. But if PK is possible… why isn’t anyone attacking each other?”
“See that?”
He pointed to a guard NPC with a bewildered look. The sleepy-eyed guard had a shabby bow slung across his back. The only thing he did was turn his head back and forth or look into his quiver, standing still like a statue.
“Why the guard?”
“If you do PK in town, you become a Chaos character. Your user ID turns red. Then these guards attack, and although they look weak, most are instantly killed with one arrow.”
Blood Planet’s motto was to create an environment where PK was possible anywhere. They adjusted all towns to allow PK, but placed these control devices.
If you get angry, you can kill your opponent. However, you had to avoid the guards’ eyes. In reality, if you strayed too deep into town, you were often ambushed by people hiding in alleys.
If you become a Chaos character, you can lower your stats through hunting to return to normal. However, most Chaos characters, when they go to hunting grounds, become targets for multiple users. This is because Chaos characters drop double the items upon death.
“Wasn’t that guard deliberately placed here? You’re lucky for a beginner to be in a plaza like this.”
Most people don’t read the product manual even when buying something new. Similarly, they don’t read the rules in detail when starting a game. Therefore, they didn’t know about the existence or purpose of such guards.
“Is that for beginners? The game is quite friendly.”
“No. It was built to protect GM characters.”
“Huh?”
Sometimes GM characters would come to the open-air theater to hear suggestions or hold events, but Psychics would band together and attack the GMs. GMs were also one of the characters operated for demonstration, so they couldn’t be invincible. Although their attack and defense stats were significantly higher, they were no match for a large number of users.
Some did it for fun, while others participated because they didn’t like the game’s operating methods. When such incidents occurred, the developers created guard NPCs to protect the GM characters.
“And they dropped items when you killed a GM.”
The weapon the GM was holding was very expensive, which was the root of the problem. It was true. Whether it was an event or not, people flocked to it whenever a GM appeared. However, after the guard NPCs were introduced, there was a self-restraining atmosphere in town, but one time, even that was useless.
“There are only one, two… five guards at most. No matter how fast they shoot, they can only kill five people simultaneously. But imagine dozens of Psychics attacking at once. They kill, loot, and escape. So now, GMs don’t come unless it’s a special event. But they still keep the guards.”
They could deploy more guards, but the reason they kept the minimum number was to encourage PK.
“GMs appearing has now become a way to increase the number of concurrent users. People like it too. It’s like a game of hide-and-seek or a treasure hunt. Some top-ranked players even use weapons obtained from GMs. I saw one carrying a flaming ring.”
“Moment?”
“Yeah, that’s him.”
It was obvious that Moment’s weapon had a significant performance difference compared to other users’ weapons. Seeing such weapons, people seemed even more eager.
<
“You posted on the board, right? I’m level 50. Let’s hunt together.”
“Shall we?”
After forming a party with him and sitting there chatting, two passing Psychics approached and invited us to join their party. Since the levels weren’t visible even when forming a party, I asked their levels, and they were 48 and 51, similar to Kim Taepung’s level.
The four of us formed a party and discussed where to go. Kim Taepung suggested going to Malak Island and hunting along the coast. He said it was an open area with few hidden users, and most people were in parties, so they wouldn’t bother us easily.
“But that’s the path to the high-level hunting ground, Tower of Corruption. Is it okay?”
“We should stick together as much as possible. And just in case, don’t wear any expensive items. Also, it sometimes thunders there, so bring weapons other than steel.”
Following Kim Taepung’s advice, I bought new weapons and armor from storage. I had also lost my staff, so I bought one that matched my level from a nearby weapon shop. Once preparations were complete, the party leader, Kim Taepung, warped, and we followed him.
<
Malak Island is an island where the climate changes frequently, but the weather upon arrival was clear. A foreign beach I had seen on my computer wallpaper unfolded before my eyes.
The party members, except for me, seemed accustomed to the scenery and walked towards the coast without much reaction. With every step, my feet sank into the sand. The system displayed a natural 10% decrease in movement speed.
The monsters we were going to hunt were about the size of a human’s lower body. But they were so quick that they would hide in the sand if we approached even slightly.
“I’ll block the holes.”
The three of them had different elemental affinities. Son of the Wind Kim Taepung, despite his name suggesting wind, was a summoner. He mainly summoned venomous creatures: venomous spiders, venomous frogs, venomous snakes, etc. They were all disgusting. But summoning them and then just attacking together seemed like a very convenient ability.
Another party member, who seemed to be earth-aligned, freely blocked the holes the crabs were trying to enter. He caused earthquakes and kicked up nearby sand, preventing them from moving.
The remaining party member was also a summoner, and the creatures she summoned were quite cute. She said it was because her level was low, summoning wolves and bears that still looked like cubs. They chased after the venomous spiders and bit the crabs.
“Cute.”
I felt that regarding the animal summoner [Cold-Blooded Swordsman], I should have just remade the character when I first created her as a summoner, but I couldn’t.
“Right? They were even cuter at level 1. Just this small. So cute. That’s why I decided to be a summoner. But when I see high-level summoners, their summons look like dinosaurs. Some people think that’s cool, but I like them this size. So I deliberately don’t level up much.”
From seeing Son of the Wind Kim Taepung and Cold-Blooded Swordsman, I realized that if I were to become a Psychic later, I shouldn’t carelessly choose a name. I wouldn’t know what elemental affinity I would be generated with until I logged in.
If I were to become a Psychic later, I wanted to be a summoner. There would be no need to put myself in danger, and although hunting would be slow, it would be more relaxed. Even if disgusting insect monsters appeared, I could step back and deal with them. However, I didn’t want to be a summoner like Kim Taepung.
The ‘crab’ monsters hunted here dropped various spoils upon death. Their legs, when consumed, replenished HP like potions. The rarely dropped ‘Chitosan Extract’ lowered PG or GG, and although the effect was minimal, it was popular and sold well in bundles of 100 in personal shops.
Malak Island seemed to be a low-level zone, well-designed for players to level up through self-sufficiency. Still, when a crab’s pincer split a summoned monster in half, I couldn’t get close.
Occasionally, I cast Shield on party members and used Relax. To keep up with the fast-moving crabs, I also cast Rapid on the summoned monsters, which consumed a lot of MP.
After hunting for over an hour without a break, even with potions, my status bars were depleted, making it difficult to replenish them.
“Ah, just a moment. My wife is calling.”
When the earth-aligned Psychic left briefly, there was no one to block the crab holes, so we naturally decided to take a break. I also wanted to go to the restroom, so I logged out after saying I would log back in in 10 minutes.
Despite hunting for an hour straight, I only gained one level. It was a stark contrast to when I gained levels rapidly after defeating a boss, but I thought this was part of the game’s charm. We also shared the spoils, as we were short on resources. When the number of items didn’t match the number of people, we yielded to each other, and it was heartwarming.
After a quick drink of water, I put on my helmet and logged back in.
<
<
When I logged back in, Kim Taepung and Cold-Blooded Swordsman were already waiting. We sat under a large palm tree.
Kim Taepung lit a campfire underneath and threw herbs that boosted vitality into the flames, filling the surroundings with a warm fragrance. Instantly, energy surged, and HP and MP rapidly refilled. I also cast Relax.
We naturally sat watching the fire and began to chat. Listening to everyone, it seemed like we were all around the same age. Watching a crab die, Kim Taepung asked if anyone had tried steamed crab at Sokcho’s Dongmyeong Port. Everyone but me had tried it and said they felt like having a drink of soju, engaging in typical middle-aged conversations.
“Kind Touch. I’ve seen that name a lot… Are you, by any chance, right?”
Suddenly, Cold-Blooded Swordsman looked at me and asked a meaningful question. Kim Taepung looked back and forth between us and exclaimed, “Ah!” realizing. I also knew what they were going to say, so I just scratched the back of my head and smiled.
“Why did you break up your partnership? Shut Up really hit the jackpot.”
“Well, our personalities didn’t match.”
“Hmm. Indeed, I’ve heard he’s a bit of a scoundrel. He massacres for fun and breaks items. I thought you were the same kind of person to be his partner… but Kind Touch is truly kind. Are you not looking for a partner again?”
“No. Not for a while.”
Kim Taepung seemed a little disappointed, perhaps because he was going to offer me a partnership, but he nodded understandingly.
We became friends like that, agreeing to go hunting together when needed. As we were adding each other as friends, the Psychic who had left came back in.
“Because the kid kept crying… I’m going to quit. Sorry.”
“It can’t be helped.”
Truthfully, hunting here was difficult without him. Still, out of manners, he came back in for us who waited, dropped the items he took on the ground, and logged off. The remaining members tried to hunt the crabs, but even with Rapide cast on the summoned mobs, we couldn’t catch the crabs escaping into the holes.
“What should we do?”
After a few attempts, we gathered around the campfire again. I petted the wolf sitting next to me. Since it only had basic movements, it just stared straight ahead even when I touched its paws or tail. Still, the feel of its fur was like petting a dog, which felt good.
“For now, shall we go deeper into the forest? Let’s hunt some man-eating flowers.”
As the Cold-Blooded Swordsman said that and stood up, the wolf that had been sitting quietly next to me suddenly stood up and stood beside him. It was an enviable sight. Then, when Kim Tae-poong stood up, venomous snakes hidden underground swarmed around him. I didn’t like that.
We decided on our destination and cautiously moved our feet. We had to be more careful deeper in the forest. There were many miscellaneous monsters all around, and visibility was very limited. Fortunately, the summoned beasts automatically detected monsters, so we just had to follow them.
Unlike the coast, due to the man-eating flowers that spewed poison gas, we created a [Safety Zone] on the ground for those hunting them. Since the hunting speed was slower than before, after hunting about five, our MP ran out.
“I’ll refill my MP.”
We sat down casually again and replenished each other’s HP and MP.
“We’re not making good progress like this. And there aren’t many spoils of war.”
Truthfully, having a ranged Psychic was good when hunting poisonous monsters. The two summoners were using a lot of MP to summon new pets whenever their summoned beasts died, and then summon again. Moreover, because it was poisonous, HP was continuously lost. In many ways, it was a hunting ground that didn’t suit us.
“It would be better to just go to Velvet Town and re-equip.”
“Right? Shall we go back then?”
“Yeah.”
Just as we decided that and were about to get up.
KWA-KWANG!
Suddenly, a Thunderbolt struck a nearby tree, splitting the large tree in half. Seeing such a bright light in the dim forest was surprising enough, but seeing a tree that large split in half in an instant right before my eyes brought a wave of fear of natural disasters.
“Was that a Thunderbolt?”
“The trees block the sky, so we can’t see it. Malak Island’s weather changes so often.”
As we talked about meeting at the party board and whether anyone had a return scroll, another Thunderbolt struck a tree directly behind us.
The roar from behind made me flinch, and my entire body’s hair stood on end. Although I had set the environmental sounds to low, the sound of the Thunderbolt was startling.
“Let’s go quickly.”
It was when we raised our arms to use the return scrolls in our inventory.
“Freeze.”
A familiar, cavernous voice came from behind my head. Kim Tae-poong, hearing that voice, froze behind me, and the Cold-Blooded Swordsman stood rigid with his arm raised.
Kim Tae-poong’s eyes darted between my back and my face. I also froze with my hand raised. Heavy footsteps crushing dry twigs could be heard approaching. Then, a large hand covered my nape as if to grasp it.
“What are you doing here?”
At Shut Up’s question, asked kindly, I turned my head slightly and looked at him. I could now understand the cause of the recent Thunderbolt. His eyes flashed with a blue glow, and electricity intermittently flowed around his eyes.
“Uh, uh. Hunting……”
I thought Shut Up would tighten his grip on my neck, just like at the lake, and slam me to the ground. Even though it was a game, the fear of death couldn’t be entirely excluded.
And Kim Tae-poong and the Cold-Blooded Swordsman, standing in front of me, were intently watching Shut Up’s actions.
“You only need to bother me. Let those people go.”
Shut Up whispered into my ear with a smile.
“I don’t want to. I’m going to kill everyone.”
At those words, the two in front of me glanced at the summoned mobs around them. Naturally, they were no match for Shut Up. Thinking they could buy time by watching each other, their eyes, which had initially been flustered and helpless, gradually showed killing intent.
“You’re a Ranker, but you act like a thug.”
“You’re high-level, but you only bully low-level players.”
“Shut up.”
They say the desperate are brave. Fortunately, we didn’t have expensive equipment, so it was okay to be annihilated by Shut Up. However, the thought of our level-up becoming meaningless was bothersome. Still, we had been together for an hour… Thinking of a way to save them, I made a decision and ran towards where Shut Up was.
“I’ll lure him! Go!”
The priority now was to distract Shut Up. If he chased me, my party members could use their return scrolls to escape this crisis.
As I ran through the trees, I covered my ears and turned around at the tremendous roar coming from behind. Dozens of Thunderbolts struck the spot where we had been moments before. It was truly a sight of Thunderbolts pouring down from the sky like a waterfall.
I turned back and stared blankly at it.
“Ah! What the… you crazy bastard.”
When I quickly ran back to where I was, the ground was so deeply cratered that the bodies were no longer visible, and the equipment items they had worn lay scattered there. They were probably in the respawn waiting window. It was possible to re-log, but knowing Shut Up was standing guard, they wouldn’t do that.
Looking around the scorched surroundings, I wondered if it was my turn, and looked at Shut Up. “Yes, kill me,” I thought, and stood boldly in front of him.
“What are you doing? Not killing me?”
Shut Up tilted his head and looked down at me. Although our faces were very close, he couldn’t come any closer. It was impossible to Link with someone who wasn’t a party member or a Partner, other than a Guide. Such physical contact was also done through mutual agreement.
Perhaps if it were another Guide, I would have pleaded with him. “I’ll Link with you, so spare me.” But now, even if it meant losing levels, I didn’t want to beg this guy.
‘Ah… I didn’t think I’d log in today…’
I thought I’d just drink beer with Namgung Bin and pass out, so I didn’t understand why I was playing the game now.
“Hey.”
Although it was a deep voice, it was definitely a drunken tone. Then why come in and act like this instead of just passing out and sleeping…
I wondered how he knew my location, and realized I was such an idiot. I had only broken off the Partner relationship, not left the guild. As the Guild Master, it was natural for him to know my location. And the fact that he couldn’t kill me, a fellow guild member.
What killed me back then was the monster in the lake, not Shut Up. The thought that he couldn’t kill me gave me courage I didn’t have before.
“You’re so childish, just interfering with low-level players. Your personality is trash.”
Shut Up crossed his arms and raised one eyebrow as if daring me to do more.
Shut Up’s eyes and hair color were both blue, unlike his real appearance, but he looked very similar to Seomun Jun, whom I usually encountered. The authoritative gaze and straight eyebrows. The facial features and mouth that only asserted his own opinions.
Especially, I remembered that annoying gaze when he first threw away his cigarette butt and looked down at me. And I remembered his tone from earlier, when he threatened me by asking if I was running away, which made me want to lecture him.
“Why do you always do whatever you want?”
“What’s wrong with me doing what I want?”
“You’re doing whatever you feel like without asking for others’ opinions.”
“Because I feel like it. So what?”
It felt more beneficial to talk to a village NPC. I felt suffocated, as if I were talking to the real Seomun Jun, not Shut Up. Well, this guy is that guy.
“You have a terrible personality and are annoying in real life too, aren’t you?”
“No. I’m likable.”
At his answer, I thought to myself that the real estate agents nearby, the owner of the hardware store next door, Hye-seon-ssi, and Namgung Bin-ssi all disliked him, so what kind of lie was he telling? Above all, I didn’t like that arrogant tone.
“Your tone is completely over the top.”
“Thanks.”
“……I lost.”
I didn’t want to keep facing him like this, so I raised my hand to take out a return scroll. The sooner I left this place, the easier it would be for Kim Tae-poong and the Cold-Blooded Swordsman to re-log.
As if sensing my intention, Shut Up grabbed my wrist and stopped me.
“I’ll give you a chance.”
“No. It’s fine. I’m comfortable now.”
“I’m going to kill everyone who chases you and parties with you. Then who will want to hunt with you?”
“Then I’ll just leave the guild.”
As I opened my inventory, I opened the guild window and pressed the leave button, but a warning message appeared.
<
“……Wartime?”
Shut Up had been looking displeased until now, but seeing my bewildered expression, he smiled. This war seemed intentional.
“I declared war on the
“No, why?”
“Because those bastards were being arrogant.”
“When?”
“Yesterday.”
Guilds at war cannot party together, and the number of items dropped when PK-ing each other differs. In severe cases, all equipment could be lost, so no one would easily declare war in the already precarious game world. Nevertheless, the fact that the
But that’s that, and I’m just an innocent user who was hunting leisurely without knowing any of this. If I had met a member of the Haeundae guild in a hunting ground, I could have lost multiple pieces of equipment and armor, even if they were for shop use.
“Hey! You should have told me if you were going to do something like that!”
“Why would I? You even broke off our Partner status.”
“Even if you’re not a Partner, you’re a guild member. No, yesterday, like Sunshine Angel, you should be kissing and making up with someone who likes you!”
“She’s not my type.”
Sigh… Really.
I remembered the phrase displayed when logging into old RPG games, “The character in the game is another me,” urging players to behave. But that wasn’t a good saying. Shut Up was talking about preferences just like the real Seomun Jun. If you live so rigidly in reality, shouldn’t you live differently in the game?
And, when it comes to preferences, all game characters are handsome. They only differ in hair color, eye shape, face shape, and other minor details, so why consider personal taste?
Even if you just go to the village, there’s a handsome guy, a handsome guy next to him, a pretty girl across from them, and a pretty girl with a different hair color. They all looked similar. They also looked like a mix of elves and humans, so even if you chose their appearance randomly, they were attractive.
‘I’m tired, so tired.’
Shivering, I tried to pull my arm out of Shut Up’s grasp. But it didn’t come out easily.
“Fine. Find someone who matches your taste, and let me go.”
“You’re exactly my type.”
“What? Me? I’m just dark-haired?”
My hair color is black, and my eye color is black. I might look a bit delicate, but I’m not handsome. Due to random creation, my eyes were also created small.
I thought my appearance was average when I made it, but later I realized it was even less than average, quite plain. Most characters had flashy hair and colorful eyes. I had only seen black hair once in storage, and his eyes, at a glance, were blood-red like a vampire’s.
“Your taste is quite unique.”
“I’m a bit like that. I prefer someone with a plain look like you, who provides consistent stimulation, rather than someone who is strikingly handsome.”
Shut Up now exuded a gentle aura, unlike his fierce demeanor when he cast Thunderbolts earlier.
He came so close that our chests were touching. I could feel his breath on my forehead. If this were real, I thought I would smell alcohol, just like at the convenience store earlier.
I took a step back, but he wrapped his arm around my waist, blocking me.
“What do you want me to do? How can I make you not feel uncomfortable?”
The more I played this game, the more I had to admire how well it was made. Because Shut Up’s expression was moving exactly like Seomun Jun’s. It even perfectly replicated his habit of raising one eyebrow.
He doesn’t normally act like a screw-loose guy. He just acts on his whims, so this behavior felt even more unfamiliar. Unlike his forceful demeanor, seeing him like this made me feel a slight inclination to go easy on him.
“Tell me what you want. I’ll fix it.”
“You don’t have to. Just let me go……”
“Did you see earlier? I’ll keep doing that. I’ll kill everyone.”
He asked the threat of killing with the same tone as asking, “Am I eating well?”
Putting aside his threat, I thought rationally. Hunting with players of similar levels today, I realized that leveling up wasn’t easy. It required an hour when our schedules aligned, and even then, as soon as one person left, we had to find someone new.
We had to find someone whose attributes matched the hunting ground, and considering how few people were going to low-level hunting grounds from Velvet Town earlier, Shut Up’s current proposal sounded like a sweet temptation.
Although I provoked him, Shut Up, who had himself broken off the Partner status, was now trying to coax me into becoming his Partner again.
“Will you do everything I want?”
“Let me hear it.”
“Then… I won’t have sex.”
“That’s not allowed. I’m becoming your Partner to do that.”
“So you just want sex outright, not a Guide.”
“It’s both.”
I could clearly see why Shut Up wanted to be Partners. Although it wasn’t a major physical act, he was pressing against me from the waist down, as if he wouldn’t let go unless I agreed. He said he would change, but he was arbitrarily refusing.
“What? Then you’re not changing anything.”
“Say something else besides that. How can you talk about Linking without mentioning sex? That’s all there is to it.”
“We could just hold hands or kiss.”
“Does that make sense logically? Think about it. If 1 million won falls in front of you, will you only take one 10,000 won bill?”
“Picking up someone else’s money is theft of lost property, so you can’t just—”
“Then, think of it as items, not money. If there are 100 potions, will you only pick up one?”
“No. I’d take them all.”
“Exactly.”
Shut Up nodded, as if my answer was finally correct. He had a relieved expression, as if he had explained his situation clearly with a satisfied smile. It was like I had perfectly understood his poorly made analogy.
“So, if you’re Linking, it’s right to have sex too. That’s what the system is made for.”
Holding hands or kissing would have been enough, but why did he always want a deeper relationship? A sigh escaped me, and suddenly the thought that I would be free if he just filled up my 4 levels flashed through my mind.
<<‘Shut Up’ has sent you a trade request. [Accept / Decline]>>
At that moment, he suddenly initiated a trade. I was surprised by the item in the trade window. It was a Relax Scroll.
“You said you needed 3 million won back then. I’ll cover it with this instead. But how did you log in? Like yesterday too…”
“My friend lent it to me! They said they wouldn’t be playing for a while.”
“If you sell this, you’ll have enough money to buy an access device, so just buy one. And if you hunt with me, you’ll often get high-value items like this. Do you still dislike it?”
“……”
To be honest, the sex I had with Shut Up was satisfying. I never thought I was sexually frustrated, but I wondered why I had lived without feeling this before. I doubted if I had lived as an asexual person.
It was definitely twice, no, more than twice as good as self-pleasure. No matter how much I weighed the pros and cons in my head, there was no reason to refuse the Partner proposal.
The only concern was his insistence in reality that I should keep looking for him… Well, if he had wanted to find me, wouldn’t he have done so already? It was clear he had no way to find me.
Ah, whatever.
“……Okay. But if you fill up the GG and make me faint, I’ll break off the Partner status without mercy.”
“That’s something I can agree to. Since we’re on the topic, let’s do it. My PG went up a lot from casting Thunderbolts earlier.”
His waist was gripped even tighter, but Shut Up’s face couldn’t come within 10 centimeters. This was also a safety measure for the Guide. A device to prevent the Psychic from arbitrarily Linking with the Guide.
I don’t know if this is the right thing to do. Considering how much he’s suffered, perhaps giving him this much item wouldn’t be too much.
Even if I wanted to hunt normally, this crazy bastard felt like he would follow me wherever I hunted and stir up trouble. I had no other choice, but I thought it would be okay if Shut Up just kept to the boundaries.
After much deliberation, I came to a conclusion.
<<'Shut Up' has requested a Partner. [Accept / Decline]>>
I pressed accept, and that day, banners were hung in the town again.
91 percent of couples were reunited that way.
When I woke up, it was past 11 AM. I usually wake up early even on Saturdays, but I couldn’t sleep yesterday. The reason was… Shut Up.
As soon as we became Partners yesterday, Shut Up pressed his lips against mine. The reason I realized I had kissed him a lot was that my lips instinctively parted, knowing his habit.
Shut Up always sucked his lower and upper lips to his heart’s content, then tilted his head slightly and slowly inserted his tongue. As soon as he tilted his head, I opened my mouth, and Shut Up’s laughter flooded into my mouth along with his breath.
If we engaged in intimacy beyond kissing in a hunting ground like this, a warning message would appear, and the two of us would be teleported to different locations within a set time. That was the rule, meant for us to live by maintaining some basic etiquette.
Shut Up told me to come to the Guild Hideout and went ahead, and I followed him there. As soon as I appeared, he grabbed me and went into the Guild Master’s office, where we could no longer be interrupted.
A large circular table was visible, and around it sat a long sofa that could seat at least five people. Shut Up took me there, laid me down, and lowered his head. The kiss from earlier continued on the sofa.
Fearing he would forcibly undress me and destroy my items again, I manually removed them. Shut Up positioned himself between my legs and pressed his lower body tightly against mine.
“Be careful not to fill the GG all the way.”
“Here, this.”
A Transformation Ball was placed in my hand. It looked like the gumball machine toys you get by inserting coins in front of a school stationery store, and inside, a colorful liquid sloshed.
“If I don’t stop, throw that at me.”
The Transformation Ball was a crafted item, and its ingredients were a bit tricky, so many high-level players bought it for fun. However, it was expensive and scarce, making it one of the items whose price kept breaking records in the auction house.
Using the Transformation Ball allowed one to transform into a weak and small monster. Even when transformed, high-level players retained their stats, making them stronger. It was sometimes used in PK to transform opponents, but no matter how good one’s aim, it was incredibly difficult to hit a Psychic who moved erratically.
Since it was made of glass, if you threw it hard and missed, it would break, so more people used it for fun than for combat. Once used, it wore off after about an hour, making it a zero-value item.
If I used this on Shut Up now, he would transform into at most a slime, or more likely, small rabbits or squeaking little monsters. As I chuckled and raised my arm, Shut Up pressed down on my wrist holding the Transformation Ball.
“If you use it early, you die.”
I wouldn’t die at his hands anyway, but such a threat was hard to ignore. Soon after, I felt a strange sensation between my legs as his body pushed inside.
“Hah, ugh…”
A groan escaped my lips, and before I could even feel overwhelmed, a tremor spread through my entire body.
Shut Up moved his hips back and forth slowly, looking down at where he was inserted. Seeing his penis disappear between my legs, he licked his lips. As if eating delicious food.
“Hah…”
Shut Up’s voice whispering that he liked it, that he was going crazy, began to overlap with the image of Seomun Jun eating beef that day and his appearance behind me when I was choosing beer. It felt as if I were having sex with him in reality, making my body burn even more.
My body was lifted, and I had to look down at him while on my stomach. As Shut Up thrust his hips, he pulled my face down. Saliva dripped from my lips, parted from kissing. Shut Up swallowed it all, gripping my hips, and didn’t stop the act.
“Hnnng, ugh, ah…!”
Unable to withstand the intense intercourse, I collapsed onto Shut Up’s body, and he turned sideways, thrusting diagonally inside me.
Beep beep—
Soon, a warning sound indicated the GG was almost full. The Transformation Ball had fallen under the sofa, I didn’t know when I dropped it. I thought it would be better to just pass out like this and let out moans with the swaying.
Just then, Shut Up’s actions suddenly stopped, and his penis, which had filled my lower body, was pulled out. As what was supporting me left, I sprawled on the sofa like a puppet with its strings cut.
“If you heard the GG warning, you should have said something. Just a moment.”
Thinking he was stopping for once, I got up to put on my items, but Shut Up initiated a trade.
“Eat Chitosan. Quickly.”
One of these reduced the gauge by 1 percent. At market price, one costs 2,000 won in cash. For a Guide, eating 100 of these is a loss, but for a Psychic, it’s a gain. That’s because the item that lowers a Psychic’s PG costs 300,000 won. So, Chitosan was priced in the middle.
After eating about 95 Chitosan, the Link began again.
And when the GG filled up again, Shut Up gave me Chitosan.
Shut Up’s PG had dropped to less than 5 percent, so I thought we could stop now, but this crazy bastard seemed intent on doing it all night, not stopping even when it reached 0 percent. To my pleas to stop, Shut Up said he would continue until my GG was full.
In fact, when a Psychic’s PG was fully depleted, the GG rose at the usual rate during a Link. The saying that the Guide loses out the more they Link came from this.
Again, when it reached over 80 percent, Shut Up got up to get more Chitosan. I didn’t want to do it anymore. As Shut Up returned from his personal storage with Chitosan, I picked up the Transformation Ball from the floor and threw it at him.
Poof—!
A small puff of smoke appeared around Shut Up, and only a cute slime remained in his place. The pink slime bounced slowly, issuing a threat.
“I told you you’d die if you used it early, didn’t I?”
“Your PG is all gone, what more do you want? I’m not eating Chitosan!”
Fortunately, the slime moved slowly, so I was faster to open the office door and get out. As soon as I got out, I logged off immediately and took off my helmet. I washed up with difficulty and fell asleep as if I had fainted.
Was it because of yesterday’s sex with Shut Up? As soon as I woke up, Jun’s face was the first thing that came to mind. To shake off these uncomfortable thoughts, I headed to the bathroom.
I tried to separate Shut Up in the game from Jun in reality, but while Linking with him, Jun’s face kept appearing in my mind. Standing in front of the sink, I sighed as I squeezed toothpaste onto my toothbrush. Before putting the toothbrush in my mouth, I looked in the mirror and admonished myself as a warning.
“Duseon, listen carefully. You have to think of reality and the game separately. That guy is that guy, and this guy is this guy.”
I needed mind control, even if it was just like this. I shook my head, trying to clear yesterday’s events from my mind. After brushing my teeth, I washed my face with cold water. I needed to clear my head like this so that my feelings towards Jun would remain unchanged.
As I finished washing and came out, an announcement came from the apartment security office.
[Uh… this is the security office. A resident meeting is scheduled to start at 2 PM, so please have one representative from each household attend. I repeat…]
This was a small apartment complex with only four buildings. As it was small, there were many disagreements. I intended to let others handle it and not go, but then I heard the final announcement.
[…We will be giving out a carton of eggs to those who attend, so we ask for your cooperation.]
I opened the refrigerator. As expected, it had been quite a while since I last shopped, and there were no eggs, not even ramen.
‘I have no choice.’
I quickly rinsed my hair and checked the time while watching TV. It was only 1:30 PM.
It was a bit early, but I went down to get some sun. In front of the apartment entrance was a playground. When I was young, there were so many children at every playground that getting a swing was like trying to catch a star, but nowadays, playgrounds are always empty.
Sitting on a swing, I closed my eyes and slowly moved my body. Perhaps it was the warm sunlight, but I felt drowsy.
“Mister.”
While I was like that, I heard a boy’s voice next to me.
“Me?”
“Yes. Mister.”
I stopped swinging and looked at the child standing next to me. He was holding something in his hand. Looking closely, it looked like some kind of transforming robot.
“Why?”
“Are you going to buy this from me?”
“What is this?”
I took it and examined it. It looked like one of those robots that used to be popular, where a car transforms into a robot. But, setting that aside, I was curious why he wanted to sell it to me.
“Why are you selling this?”
“I’m going to the mart.”
“The mart? You can go with your mom. You don’t have to sell things like this…”
“I… I don’t have a mom.”
Ah.
I felt like I had hurt a young child, so I jumped up and apologized, asking if he didn’t have a mom, that Hyung, no, that I didn’t know, and stammered. Then, feeling like I had unintentionally hurt his feelings, I apologized and took money out of my pocket. I only had 30,000 won.
“I only have this much… Take the robot back. And buy something delicious with this money.”
“Thank you, Mister.”
“You’re welcome.”
The child put the money I gave him in his pocket and left the playground. Watching the heartwarming scene, I looked up at the sky. My heart felt warm.
As it approached 2 PM, I saw people gathering and chatting in a corner of the parking lot. I figured I could follow them and walked over.
A small table was placed in front of the resident meeting area. They announced in advance that after the meeting, residents would check their unit number and could each take one carton of eggs per household. Although I had just spent 30,000 won, I thought I could make do with eggs and endured my hunger.
“Alright, the first item on today’s agenda is for those using electric stoves, uh, induction stoves, you know? Fires have been caused by pets. If you attach the plastic opening of used wet wipes like this, it’s safer. Don’t forget to use the lock and leave your homes. You should all have fire insurance for your households, but if you haven’t…”
As expected, it was all talk that didn’t really concern me. Every time I blinked, sleepiness washed over me.
The second item was about replacing the elevators with the latest CCTV to enhance security against public urination and other issues. As my legs started to ache, I saw a middle-aged man and a young man grabbing each other by the collar. The incident happened during the last topic, which was about parking.
To be continued in