I briefly entertained the notion of unleashing my magnificent ‘power’ to shroud the afternoon in Bucheon City with radiant sunshine, yet in the end, I chose not to.
It wasn’t even a three-day resolution (TL Note: ‘Jaksimsam-il,’ a Korean idiom for a resolution that only lasts three days); frankly, a five-minute resolution (TL Note: A playful variation of ‘jaksimsam-il,’ implying an even shorter-lived commitment) seemed far too pathetic, didn’t it?
Whoosh!
Thus, I sprinted to the convenience store a mere three minutes from my home, purchased a cheap umbrella, and was now making my way toward the local PC bang.
Perhaps, for once, spending a day like this, a little out of the ordinary, wouldn’t be so bad?
During my gold-farming days, it would have been an impossible luxury, not aligning with my strict cost-efficiency, but with ample living expenses now secured through my contract with Full-time Farmer, I saw no reason to hold back.
Clatter.
Click.
Settling into a seat, I swiftly created an account, then utilized the kiosk to purchase a generous hundred hours in a single transaction.
Could this be what they called ‘flexing’ (TL Note: A Korean slang term, ‘peullexeu,’ meaning to show off wealth or status)? Though it was unlikely I’d ever use all hundred hours, having never indulged in such ‘waste’ throughout my life, the sensation was, in its own peculiar way, utterly exhilarating.
‘Hmm…’
I feigned deliberation over what to play, yet in truth, there was only a single viable option.
Action & Fighter.
It was the game that had been my constant companion, a true soulmate, ever since the day I first ventured into the world of PC game gold-farming.
It wasn’t that I lacked interest in other popular titles, but any game that couldn’t be exploited for gold-farming held absolutely no value to me back then.
Consequently, the environment naturally compelled me to become a ‘goinmul’ (TL Note: Korean slang for a highly experienced or veteran player) of Action & Fighter.
Ding!
[High School Grad Middle Schooler: Wow]
[Mint Soboro Bread: ?]
[High School Grad Middle Schooler: Playing at a PC bang gives more materials ㄷ]
[Mint Soboro Bread: Of course it gives more, what kind of question is that;]
At any rate, this was precisely why I ought to avoid associating with the bourgeoisie, those who had lived their lives with full bellies and warm backs, utterly oblivious to such struggles.
Having just witnessed the tangible existence of PC bang bonuses—a legendary perk I’d only ever heard whispered about my entire life—how could I possibly not be overwhelmed with emotion?
‘Mint Soboro Bread, guilty.’
A vassal who dared to lack empathy for their master’s feelings was, quite frankly, unworthy of receiving any grace.
I resolved to thoroughly ‘correct’ Mint Soboro Bread’s mindset in due time, and, as was my custom, I entered a dungeon, commencing the familiar motions of item farming.
Flash!
Bang—!
Flash!
Bang—!
Whether it was a case of ‘going on a market day’ (TL Note: ‘Ganeun nari jangnal,’ a Korean idiom typically meaning to encounter an unexpected, often inconvenient, coincidence, but used here ironically to imply good fortune) or perhaps a special premium bonus for my inaugural PC bang visit, my drop rate today was soaring on an unparalleled upward curve, utterly eclipsing my usual luck.
Unable to suppress the slow curl of my lips into a triumphant smile, I promptly snapped a picture, intent on exacting my revenge upon Mint Soboro Bread for the ill-fated +15 weapon of the past.
Ding!
[High School Grad Middle Schooler: (Photo)]
[High School Grad Middle Schooler: (Photo)]
[High School Grad Middle Schooler: Wow this]
[High School Grad Middle Schooler: This whole set just gathered all at once…]
[Mint Soboro Bread: Ah, sh*t]
[Mint Soboro Bread: Seriously, don’t lie;]
Mint Soboro Bread erupted in horrified disbelief at my preposterous stroke of luck, then promptly departed to lament their fate on the Action & Fighter gallery.
Grinning impishly, I trailed behind, intending to voyeuristically observe their reaction, only to find a familiar name prominently displayed among the trending posts, prompting an involuntary tilt of my head in utter bewilderment.
[Title: Real-time S-rank Beautiful Middle School Girl Playing Action & Fighter at PC Bang in the Province]
[Content]
(Link)
wldks_08 is playing Action & Fighter right next to me…?
[Comments]
– Bullsh*t no
– These kinds of posts pop up every now and then
– Who’s that
┗ Oh
┗ Wow…
– Proof pic go
– Won’t believe without a picture
[Title: It’s real, you f*ckers]
[Content]
(Photo)
Naturally, I couldn’t capture her face, but just look at her hair color and shoes—they’re identical to those shown on the clam account.
[Comments]
– MS Paint mosaic, f*ck
– Wow, so tiny lolll
┗ The chair is big, so she really does look small
┗ At least she seems to be a middle schooler?
– Oh, it really seems to be that person
– They keep popping up in the trending section, so I’ve seen them too. Even the way they tie their shoelaces is identical, what more proof do you need?
– Found the new gallery mascot
The photo, in fact, only captured a few strands of my hair peeking from behind the chair and a small section of my modest canvas shoes.
Given that the forum was notorious for an abundance of similar clickbait posts, this particular ‘bait’ (TL Note: ‘Tteokbap,’ literally ‘rice cake bait,’ a Korean slang term for a topic or piece of information used to generate discussion or attention) rapidly became a massive topic of discussion within the gallery.
Remarkably, even users of the Action & Fighter gallery who were relatively unfamiliar with me, upon verifying my account, began frantically churning out derivative threads, unleashing a torrent of discussions about me.
[Title: wldks_08 << If we should make this person the new gallery mascot, upvote ㅋㅋ]
[Content]
This middle school girl playing Action & Fighter, she’s unstoppable, seriously. If we install her as our gallery mascot, we can utterly eradicate all the Bank Guild and Sprout Guild members, for real.
[Comments]
– She is cute, though
– I like her because she’s cute, for starters
– Isn’t this an ad? Is she really playing?
┗ When items dropped, she was smiling brightly, wasn’t she?
┗ Wow ㅋㅋ she must be super cute;
┗ Why are you the only one seeing such a precious thing, damn it
I had assumed that with my face largely obscured, no one would possibly recognize me, but it appeared people’s observational skills were far keener than I had anticipated.
‘Hmm…’
Somewhere along the row beside me, someone was watching.
In that case, such an affront could not be tolerated.
I promptly entered the Sky Arena Challenge Mode, where I began to display the formidable prowess of a ‘goinmul,’ sweeping away enemies with a dazzling array of controls.
[Title: Wow, she’s seriously incredibly cute;]
[Content]
(Recording)
Just listen to the sound of her banging on the keyboard
She really plays the game super hard lolll
[Comments]
– Keyboard ASMR ㄷㄷ
– Why is the sound so unnecessarily fierce lolll
– So she’s diligently spamming skill keys with those tiny fingers, right?
┗ For real, just imagining it is super cute
┗ Ha… I’m going crazy…
┗ Nuo-o-o-ong ㅋㅋ
No, not that! Look at my dazzling controls, I implore you!
Though utterly exasperated by the observer’s failure to grasp the true point of my display, I knew that no amount of mental complaining would ever convey my silent feedback.
‘They must be a newbie who doesn’t know much yet.’
Had they been a more dedicated player, they surely would have recognized the true value of my performance; alas, though regrettable, it was an unavoidable reality.
[Title: Just make her the gallery mascot]
[Title: If the gallery mascot is lovely, upvote ㅋㅋ]
[Title: What are you doing, hurry up and follow the gallery mascot’s clam account]
“……”
In a truly absurd turn of events, a single visit to a PC bang had inexplicably crowned me the gallery mascot of a renowned gaming community.
As if also monitoring the gallery and its reactions, Mint Soboro Bread promptly relayed the same astonishing news to me.
Ding!
[Mint Soboro Bread: Hey hey hey, did you see this??]
[Mint Soboro Bread: (Link)]
[Mint Soboro Bread: As a current middle school girl, what do you think?]
[High School Grad Middle Schooler: Hmm]
[High School Grad Middle Schooler: What about you?]
[Mint Soboro Bread: Well, she seems incredibly cute, for starters]
[High School Grad Middle Schooler: Mhm mhm]
[Mint Soboro Bread: Listening to the game sounds, she seems to land combos cleanly too]
[High School Grad Middle Schooler: Mhm mhm]
[Mint Soboro Bread: ?]
[High School Grad Middle Schooler: Why]
[High School Grad Middle Schooler: Try a bit more]
Whatever Mint Soboro Bread made of my cryptic responses, he fell silent for a brief moment before resuming his conversation with me.
Ding!
[Mint Soboro Bread: You’re not upset, are you? ㅋㅋ]
[High School Grad Middle Schooler: ?]
[Mint Soboro Bread: Aww, of course I only have you]
[Mint Soboro Bread: It’s not betrayal, so don’t misunderstand]
[High School Grad Middle Schooler: ??]
What on earth did he imagine me to be?
I tilted my head, utterly baffled by his preposterous reaction, yet ultimately decided to abandon the thought; any attempt at an explanation would only make me appear even stranger.
Click.
Click click.
With a considerable amount of ‘aggro’ (TL Note: A gaming term for drawing unwanted attention or hostility) now firmly fixed on me, it seemed prudent to avoid lingering in the same spot for too long.
I shut down the computer, rose from my seat, and, with little conscious thought, began to move, considering a quick stop at the restroom before my departure.
And then.
[Male]
[Female]
“……”
A sudden, wholly unexpected fork in the road of choice now confronted me, a dilemma I had never once contemplated.
As I stood there, utterly dumbfounded and unable to string a thought together, another customer, who had been trailing behind me, began to speak, politely requesting passage.
“Uh… could you please move aside for a moment?”
Ultimately, even my moment of agonizing contemplation was snatched away, and I found myself, as if propelled by an unseen force, standing before the entrance to the women’s restroom, where, despite my trembling fingers, I had no choice but to direct my steps inside.
‘No, it’s just going to the bathroom, that’s all.’
It was merely my own excessive fussiness; this was never something that warranted such profound contemplation in the first place.
Moving with my mind half-blank, I traversed the hallway with a vacant expression, returning to the counter as if nothing at all had transpired.
“……”
It was, for lack of a better phrase, a complex and nuanced sensation, utterly beyond the power of words to describe.
As I repeatedly fanned my face, attempting to cool the flush of inexplicable shame that had heated my head, the sky outside the building finally drew my gaze.
A sky that was bright and clear, completely devoid of any sign of the heavy downpour that had preceded it.
Chirp.
Chirp chirp, chirp.
‘Hmm…’
Could this be because of me too?
Most likely not. The rain had probably just ceased because its time had come.
As I thus rationalized, shaking my head, another task completion message arrived from Tesco.
Simultaneously, an unexpected archive message also arrived from an unknown sender.
Ding!
[Cute Wren: Hey hey]
[High School Grad Middle Schooler: Yeah]
[Cute Wren: Mint Soboro said you and Temu Mountain Sword God are both the official Action & Fighter masters of Yirin-chan’s channel]
[Cute Wren: Who’s better at the game between the two of you?]
[High School Grad Middle Schooler: ?]
What was this? Was they trying to pick a fight?
Tilting my head in confusion at the utterly random message, I furrowed my brow and began to move my fingers diligently, tapping away at the keyboard.
