Completely Mind-Controlled Before I Knew It
Three hours have flown by in Zomboid with Editor-nim before I even realized it. Editor-nim is a total T. She doesn't look it, but she's ruthless. She won't give me even a shred of sympathy.
"Um, it still hurts. For real."
"Yeah. Just change the splint."
"No... it really hurts."
"Got it."
Conversation impossible. I'm not asking for anything hard!! Is sympathizing really that tough? This is seriously upsetting? Like, seriously upsetting!
"No... no... Sympathize. Pat pat. You gotta do it!"
"Pat pat."
She only does it if I say something first. That's not popular at all... Is it because I'm not a guy that she can get away with being so bold? It's fine since I'm a girl? Is that it? Well, can't be helped then. It's a fact. The desperate one has to cave. Right? Yeah. No, wait. Snap out of it. That's not true!
"You have to do it before I even say it!"
"I'll try."
"No trying—show me with actions!"
"Got it."
Stone-cold responses. I'll fix that for her. This won't get you fans! These days, sweet is the trend for everyone, guys or girls!!
"This won't do. Let me teach you properly. Follow after me! Don't be in pain~ Poor little Sena, ooooooh."
"..."
"It's not hard. The first time might be tough. But anyone can do it with effort! Let's try together."
I'll teach her right. I'm actually good at this stuff. What's the easiest way to convince Mom? Logical, intellectual speech? Nope. Confident, straightforward talk? Not at all. Perfect, planned solutions? Wrong again. So? The answer is? Do it! I wanna! Eeeeng~ Eeeeng~ Do it pleeease. I'll do my chores. Whining like that! That's the key. Logic can be refuted. Confidence can be broken. Even perfect plans have holes. But whining? Can't refute it, no holes. Just whining—where's the counterargument? Where's the flaw? Kuhahaha. I figured this out ages ago.
But whining alone doesn't solve everything. That's when you amp it up with some aegyo: eeeeng~ eeeeeng. Eeeeeeng. It's tough at first, but I copied my little brother and got used to it. Ehehe.
"You can do it with effort. Quick. Ooooooh. Did our little Sena go ow ow? Don't be in pain. Don't hurt. Eeeeng. Do it."
"That's hard."
"It can be. Then try: Our baby Sena went ow. Eeeeng."
"... Even harder."
"Eeeeng."
Frustrating. She needs to try learning it! Anyone can do it with effort. I did it! I did!! Ah, uh... hold on. Me... I mean... my learning ability is worse than anyone's... Shocking. Yeah, yeah. First times are tough. Let's do our best.
"Alright. Okay. Then I'll teach you the crash course from the start."
I take a deep breath.
"Eeeeng~"
I'm still not perfect. My little brother shakes his shoulders too, but I can't go that far. But! Now I can. Girls can get away with it. I shake my shoulders all the way.
"Eeeeng~ Do it pleeease~ Eeeeng~ Try it! This is the most important—the start of every speech style."
"..."
Speechless Editor-nim. I'll keep going till she does it.
"Eeeeng~ Eeeeng~ Eng eng. Not hard."
"..."
"Do it. Eeeeeeng~ Do iiiit~ Copy meee~ I'll keep going till you do."
I'll keep going till she does. How much have I gained from this! Every time I wanted to whale, I'd do this and get 10,000 won each time! But... I couldn't do it all at once for charges. It was 11,000 won, so 10,000 left me short by 1,000. I remember squirreling away like a chipmunk collecting acorns, saving up bit by bit for one big charge.
"I'll just sit here."
I'll stay still till she does. I'll go on a hunger strike. No fracture treatment for me. My stubbornness defies imagination. Even I get worn down by it sometimes. I plop down in my seat. Zombies swarm in hordes, but bite me? Hurry up and do it! But. Editor-nim mercilessly slaughters the zombies. I'm just sitting there, and she goes full solo massacre mode. I keep sitting. Not moving a muscle.
"Hm..."
She's too good. Just mowing down zombies like nothing. I'm doing zilch, and they drop like flies. Way too good. What's Editor-nim's skill level? Insanely good. Way better than me.
"Eeng... you're really good."
Her movement is no joke. Seriously. Backpedaling casually, pushing slow, thwack, push, thwack. Dodging perfectly. If a zombie heads my way, she preempts and kills it.
"You're too good."
Suddenly pouty. My original story plan was... sudden zombie horde ambush, Editor-nim in peril... 'Aaaah! Sena-nim save me!!!' But nope. Tons of zombies down. Editor-nim silently tears cloth for bandages.
"No... that's too much..."
Really too much. Just once, c'mon. But fine. I jump up and head to Editor-nim's side. Sitting here means I lose.
"Editor-nim. You're good."
"Thanks."
"How long you been playing?"
"Not much... but I've watched a lot."
"Ah. How much?"
"Hm..."
Hm... Just that sound effect.
"Feels like a lot."
"I... I haven't lost!"
Not lost yet! Might kneel for a sec.
"Wh-what?"
Eh? Oh! I suck at stare-downs! Don't misunderstand! I really do! Almost slipped.
"Nothing. Never mind."
Almost got tricked by the fans into a stare-down.
Cha Ji-hyun freaks out. As the dutiful eldest daughter who's bought clothes for her siblings, dressed them, fed them, helped Grandma—she's tough. But being told to do aegyo? Can't breathe. Thought she'd tire out and quit. But she hasn't. Sena's persistence makes it worse.
"Eeeeng~ Eeeeng~"
The eeeeng echoes in her ears nonstop. Like breathing. Absolutely didn't want to. Never said stuff like that in her life. It mocked her entire existence. Her voice. Her tone. Her actions. For Cha Ji-hyun, who'd lived quietly with heavy responsibility her whole life, it was torment.
Cha Ji-hyun decides to endure. Keep holding out, and she'll quit. Her only hope. To do that, focus on the game.
"Sena-nim. Got cloth?"
"Eeeeng? Eeeeeeng!"
"... You do, right?"
"Eeeeng."
"..."
Breath catches. So blatant, her demand crystal clear. Still didn't want to. Embarrassing. Shameful. How can she do it casually? Imagining herself saying it? Dizzying. Denying her whole life... Never-used tone messing with her head. Must endure. Grip sanity tighter.
"Yes. Understood."
"Eeeeeeng!? Eeeeeng!!! Eeeeeeeeeeng!"
"Yes..."
Cha Ji-hyun endures the noise for an hour. Now gets why game NPCs go mad from curses. Felt like losing her mind. Like a curse eating her sanity. Can't focus. Meaningless "eeeeng" sound looping in her head endlessly. Tries to shake it, but it imprints deeper. After over an hour, even auditory hallucinations kick in. Sena's voice echoes.
Eeeeeeeeeng.
Eeeeng.
Eng eeeee!!
"Huh? Yes?"
"What's up?"
"Ah, no. Nothing."
Now hearing things. Situation was quiet. Cha Ji-hyun and Sena riding in a car together, speeding down the road for farming.
Eeeeng.
"Huh? Just now."
"What? Spawn behind?"
"No, nothing."
Cha Ji-hyun shakes her head. Voice persists. Sanity slowly eroding.
Do iiiit eng. You won't? Eeeeng?
Stop. Please. Stop. Knows that Suneung banned song feeling now.
— Pop.
"Ah. Ah! Editor-nim...!!"
"Huh? Oh. Sorry."
Snaps back—crashed into a wreck.
"No, no, I got hurt again~ No... ouch."
"Me too."
Cha Ji-hyun injured too.
"No... eeeeng... hurt again..."
"Sorry."
"It's fine. I'll farm cloth hard."
"Yes."
Cha Ji-hyun grabs the wheel again. Drives on. 1 min... 2 min... 5 min... The more she drives.
"Here. Get off. Editor-nim? Editor-nim. Stop. Here."
Eeeeng?!
"Yes? Oh! Yes. Yes."
Even during farming.
"Editor-nim. Let's go now? All gathered."
Eeeeng.
"Huh? Ah, yes... yes."
Loops in her head nonstop. Cha Ji-hyun fully cursed.
Eeeeng.
"Eeeeng."
Before she knows it, fully mind-controlled. Cha Ji-hyun doesn't even realize she said it.
"Eng? Did you just eeeeng?"
"Yes?"
"Euhuhuhu. Eeeeng~ Eeeeng~ Good good. One more! Encore! Eeeeeeeeeeng."
"..."
"Eeeeeeeeeeng. Try it. Not hard, I swear? Eeeeng!"
Cha Ji-hyun finally realizes what she said. Face turns beet red. But the redness fades quick. Somehow... refreshing. Crisp. Felt like curse lifted. Like drinking antidote.
"... Eeeeng."
"I win! I win! Boss victory! Euhuhuhu. Eeeeng?! Eeeeng?"
"Eeeeng..."
"Eeeeng?"
"Eeeeng eeeeng."
"Eeeeeeeeeng!!!! Eng!!!"
Mind-controlled Cha Ji-hyun and Sena scream weird meaningless noises till the stream ends.