Partner Selection
The next morning.
After roll call, the homeroom teacher closed the attendance book and looked at the presentation materials spread out in front of the classroom.
“The results of yesterday’s group presentations will be announced next week.”
A small, disappointed voice rippled through the students.
The teacher shook the sheet of paper in his hand lightly.
“But overall, you all did a good job preparing. It was good that almost no group just read their materials aloud.”
Some students exchanged glances and smiled.
“Especially the groups that answered questions properly will get extra points. It’s more important to understand the researched content than just memorizing what you prepared.”
Lee Hyun-woo immediately elbowed Kang Tae-jun in the side.
“Did you hear?”
Tae-jun looked straight ahead and answered quietly.
“What?”
“The groups that answered questions properly.”
“We didn’t even get any questions, you know.”
“Still, I bet our score will be good.”
Hyun-woo leaned back in his chair with satisfaction.
“Yesterday, when you suddenly stopped, I thought it was over.”
Tae-jun slowly turned his head.
“I wasn’t stopping that much.”
“The classroom clock’s second hand moved twice.”
“Were you watching that?”
“Of course I was. My friend was in trouble.”
“No intention of helping?”
“I was in charge of researching the materials.”
Hyun-woo answered brazenly.
From the front row, Kim Min-seo held back a laugh and shrugged her shoulders.
“But Tae-jun answered really well.”
“Right?”
Hyun-woo chimed in as if he’d been waiting for it.
“It would have been a little risky if Ha-yoon hadn’t pointed out the materials.”
Tae-jun didn’t reply and flipped through the textbook on his desk.
A moment later, a calm voice spoke.
“I only told you the location of the materials.”
Seo Ha-yoon.
She turned around and continued.
“If I hadn’t known the content, telling me the location wouldn’t have helped me answer.”
Hyun-woo’s mouth curved up.
“Our class president really protected the presenter to the end, huh.”
“I’m not protecting anyone. I’m just stating facts.”
Ha-yoon’s expression didn’t change.
Tae-jun pressed the corner of his textbook with his fingertips for no reason.
“It’s fine. The presentation is over.”
“So all we have to do is wait for the score.”
Just as Ha-yoon turned back to face the front, the homeroom teacher called their group.
“Group 3, bring the printed copies of your presentation materials to the office.”
Hyun-woo quickly avoided eye contact.
Min-seo pretended to tidy her earphone cord and looked under the desk.
The teacher smiled in disbelief at their behavior.
“The person who presented and the one who organized the materials can bring them. Kang Tae-jun, Seo Ha-yoon.”
“Yes.”
Ha-yoon answered immediately.
Tae-jun looked up a little late.
“Ah, yes.”
After the teacher left the classroom, Hyun-woo placed the bundle of materials on Tae-jun’s desk.
“Come back safely.”
“We could go together.”
“I have to prepare for the next class.”
Hyun-woo’s desk had no open textbook at all.
As Tae-jun stared quietly, Hyun-woo took out the textbook and looked away.
“I’m starting now.”
*
The two walked down the hallway holding the transparent file containing the presentation materials.
Not long after break started, the hallway was full of students. A crowd pushed toward the stairs on the way to the convenience store, and near the windows, students from other classes gathered talking.
Tae-jun kept the file tucked under his arm, dodging people.
Ha-yoon walked about half a step ahead, then looked back.
“The file might wrinkle.”
“It’s fine.”
“It looks like it might not be fine.”
Ha-yoon naturally took the file from where Tae-jun had tucked it under his arm.
“I’ll hold it.”
“I can carry it.”
“It folded at the edge just now.”
Tae-jun checked under the file.
The edge of the transparent plastic had actually bent slightly.
Ha-yoon straightened the file with both hands, then walked forward again.
“Regretted taking the presentation?”
Tae-jun looked at her in surprise at the sudden question.
“Suddenly?”
“I was reading the materials until right before you started yesterday.”
“I wasn’t nervous.”
“Really?”
Ha-yoon nodded obediently.
“You were just checking, right?”
Tae-jun was momentarily lost for words.
He accepted the words at face value, but a faint smile lingered on Ha-yoon’s lips.
“I was a little regretful.”
Tae-jun finally said.
“I wondered if I should have said I’d be presenting.”
“But?”
“After it ended, it was fine.”
“That’s good.”
“It would have been even better if there were no questions.”
“You answered the questions well though.”
Tae-jun shrugged lightly.
“It was because you told me about the materials.”
“I only said that once.”
Ha-yoon looked at Tae-jun.
“The one who told the materials was me, and the one who answered was you.”
Her tone was calm.
There was no exaggeration or attempt to flatter. It felt like she was simply stating facts she had confirmed.
Tae-jun couldn’t answer right away.
Ha-yoon watched his reaction for a moment before asking.
“Would you normally react that way when praised?”
“How?”
“Your expression looks like you don’t know what to say.”
“It’s not that kind of expression.”
“It was the same just now.”
Tae-jun looked ahead and rubbed his neck lightly.
“I just don’t get used to it.”
“Getting praised?”
“There are so many people better than me in places I’ve been to often.”
Ha-yoon’s steps slowed just a little.
Tae-jun continued without attaching any special meaning.
“When someone says you’re good, sometimes it feels like they might actually be the one who’s really good.”
“There isn’t.”
Ha-yoon answered without hesitation.
Tae-jun looked at her.
“The top student is different.”
“It’s not that kind of meaning.”
Ha-yoon smiled lightly.
“If someone assigned you work, it means they at least think you can do it.”
“It’s not always true.”
“This presentation was.”
The two arrived in front of the office.
Before opening the door, Ha-yoon looked at Tae-jun.
“I thought your presentation was the best.”
A short sentence.
Before Tae-jun could reply, Ha-yoon knocked on the office door.
“We’re here to submit the presentation materials.”
The door opened, and the two walked in side by side.
*
During lunch break.
Tae-jun stood at the convenience store tearing open a bag of bread and looking at his phone screen.
On the first screen of the official Origin Fantasia community, a new notice had appeared.
[Limited-Time Weekend 2-Player Cooperative Event Information]
Tae-jun bit into the bread and opened the notice.
<Double Star Trial>.
It was an event where two users registered as one team and cleared multiple battle zones in succession.
Ranking was determined by clear time per zone, survival, and cooperative score. Once a partner was registered, it couldn’t be changed until the event ended, and top teams would receive limited equipment and titles.
As Tae-jun lowered his screen, Hyun-woo leaned in from the side.
“What’s this?”
“New event.”
Hyun-woo read a few lines of the notice, eyes widening.
“It’s only for two people?”
“Yeah.”
“Then you can go with Shopsop?”
Tae-jun immediately shook his head.
“I don’t think so.”
“Why?”
“There are so many people better than me.”
“But you said you’ve been playing with them lately.”
“Playing raids together is different from event partners.”
Tae-jun opened the expected ranking board below the notice.
The community was already flooded with posts about who top rankers would team up with.
[If it’s Raon and Mir as a team, is the win confirmed?] [Who will Shopsop go with?] [Shopsop’s partner is basically the winning team.] [Top rankers are probably all applying right now.]
Hyun-woo pointed at the screen.
“See? Everyone’s only asking about Shopsop’s partner.”
“That’s why I can’t be it.”
“Why are you so certain?”
“The skill gap is too big.”
“But he keeps playing with you.”
Tae-jun folded the bread bag and replied.
“It’s probably just teaching me.”
From the front row, while organizing her lunch box, Ha-yoon’s hand stopped for a moment.
Hyun-woo kept staring at Tae-jun.
“Maybe there’s already someone you’ve decided on besides me?”
“Probably.”
“Who?”
“One of the rankers.”
Tae-jun closed the screen casually.
Ha-yoon lifted her water bottle and asked quietly.
“No one you want to play with together?”
Tae-jun looked up.
“Gaming event?”
“Yeah.”
“Just because someone wants to play doesn’t mean it happens.”
“You could ask first, right?”
Tae-jun didn’t answer for a moment.
He didn’t even need to imagine what it would look like to ask Shopsop to join. Just the scene of his message getting lost among countless requests to her was awkward enough.
“I don’t want to put any extra burden on her.”
After hearing that, Ha-yoon didn’t ask again.
“I see.”
With that short reply, the lid of her lunch box closed.
*
That evening.
The moment Tae-jun logged into the game, the entire chat window flew up.
Most of the messages were seeking partners for the <Double Star Trial>.
[Looking for a healer for the 2-person event.] [Anyone aiming for cooperative score, DM me.] [Ranking goal, equipment check.]
Tae-jun passed through the crowded plaza and moved toward the warehouse.
In his friends list, familiar names showed as online.
Shopsop was also online.
But Tae-jun didn’t message first.
It was the day the event notice came out. Shopsop was likely receiving far more whispers than usual.
He sorted his equipment in the warehouse while looking for today’s task.
Then a party invite arrived.
[Raon invited you to the party.]
Tae-jun hesitated briefly before accepting.
The party contained Raon, Mir, and Crown. At the last slot was Shopsop’s name.
[Raon: Arc Saber is here too.]
[Arc Saber: Hello.]
[Mir: We just gathered.]
[Crown: Did everyone see the event notice?]
Tae-jun answered briefly.
[Arc Saber: Yes.]
Raon immediately asked Shopsop.
[Raon: Did you decide on a partner, Shopsop?] [Mir: If not, let’s go together.] [Crown: Mir, weren’t you already talking to someone else?] [Mir: It’s undecided until registration.]
The party chat filled quickly.
Shopsop’s reply came a little later.
[Shopsop: I decided.]
The chat window went quiet for a moment.
[Raon: Already?] [Crown: With who?] [Shopsop: I’ll tell you after registering.]
Tae-jun left no additional message.
What he expected had happened.
Shopsop had already decided on a partner. The opponent was likely a ranker of similar level to Raon or Mir.
A short while later, Raon suggested a simple daily dungeon.
The party members moved straight to the entrance, and Tae-jun followed.
The dungeon wasn’t difficult.
Thanks to training with Shopsop recently, Tae-jun’s movements were noticeably steadier than before. He didn’t force through monster attacks, and he didn’t block his teammates’ paths.
In the boss fight too, he didn’t greedily aim for the final attack and retreated to a safe spot instead.
After clearing, Raon posted in chat.
[Raon: Arc Saber, your play has changed a lot lately.] [Mir: I felt the same.] [Crown: You used to rush in a little.]
Tae-jun answered with a wry smile.
[Arc Saber: I got scolded a lot.]
Immediately after, Shopsop’s message appeared.
[Shopsop: I’ve never scolded you.] [Raon: Again?] [Crown: The two of you always talk about this, huh.]
Tae-jun looked at the chat window and smiled.
After the dungeon ended, the party naturally dispersed.
Raon and Mir headed to look for event partners, and Crown returned to the guild channel.
Only Tae-jun and Shopsop’s characters remained in one corner of the plaza.
Tae-jun opened the warehouse to check equipment durability.
At that exact moment, a new notification appeared in the center of the screen.
[Shopsop has requested to register as <Double Star Trial> partner.]
Tae-jun’s hand froze.
The notification window showed Accept and Decline buttons side by side.
Though he wondered if it was a mistaken request, Shopsop’s character was standing right beside him.
Tae-jun sent a whisper without clicking Accept.
[Arc Saber: Is this for me?] [Shopsop: Yeah.] [Arc Saber: It’s for event partners, right?] [Shopsop: I know.]
Tae-jun looked back at the request window on screen.
[Arc Saber: You receive a lot of requests, don’t you?] [Shopsop: A lot.] [Arc Saber: Then why me?] [Shopsop: Because you’re the one I played with the most recently.]
The message came after a while.
Enough reason to understand, yet Tae-jun still couldn’t close the request window.
[Arc Saber: You might drop in ranking because of me.] [Shopsop: That’s for me to judge.] [Arc Saber: But there are so many people better than me.] [Shopsop: Not many.]
Tae-jun’s hand stopped on the keyboard.
Another message came right after.
[Shopsop: I know you still lack.] [Arc Saber: You don’t need to say it so bluntly.] [Shopsop: But my movements are obvious now.]
Tae-jun recalled the 2-person dungeon they entered yesterday.
Shopsop had blocked the monster on the opposite side before she gave orders, and when she moved, he used his defensive skill at the perfect moment. It was the day he first ended combat without long explanations.
[Shopsop: In this event, breathing is more important than personal damage.] [Shopsop: That’s why I sent it.]
The remaining time in the request window was shrinking.
Tae-jun stared at the screen a moment longer, then pressed the Accept button.
[Partner registration complete.] [Shopsop & Arc Saber]
The two nicknames were now linked as one team.
Tae-jun checked the registered name several times.
[Arc Saber: It’s really registered.] [Shopsop: You pressed it.] [Arc Saber: I still can’t quite believe it.] [Shopsop: Let’s practice.]
Shopsop immediately opened a training dungeon.
*
The first practice didn’t go as smoothly as expected.
Tae-jun moved more carefully than usual.
Even when he could attack, he first checked Shopsop’s position. He waited until a clear instruction came before exploiting monster openings.
It was movement to avoid mistakes.
But after only a little time into the battle, Shopsop posted in chat.
[Shopsop: Why aren’t you coming.] [Arc Saber: I was watching the timing.] [Shopsop: That was the timing.]
Tae-jun moved toward the next monster.
Again, he was half a beat behind Shopsop.
[Shopsop: Even now you’re late.] [Arc Saber: If I mess up this event, I can’t even change partners.] [Shopsop: So you’re not going to move at all?] [Arc Saber: No, I can move.] [Shopsop: Don’t just follow me.] [Shopsop: There are times when you need to move first.]
Shopsop’s character moved to the next zone.
Tae-jun followed right behind.
A new zone had monsters rushing from two directions.
On the left, heavily armored soldiers with high defense.
On the right, a group of archers moving quickly.
Shopsop aimed toward the armored soldiers.
Normally, Tae-jun would have blocked the opposite side after she started attacking.
This time he moved first.
Arc Saber leaped to the right.
A wide-area taunt skill exploded, instantly changing the archers’ attack directions.
Shopsop immediately matched Tae-jun’s movement.
After pushing the armored soldiers, she turned and dropped a wide-area attack into the center of the archer group.
Kwaang!
The monsters fell simultaneously.
[Shopsop: Just like that.]
Tae-jun exhaled shortly.
[Arc Saber: Was it good this time?] [Shopsop: Yeah.]
They moved on to the next zone without stopping.
From then on, Tae-jun’s movements gradually quickened.
He no longer blindly followed Shopsop’s back. He first found the direction he needed to block himself. When one side moved, the other filled the empty space.
There were mistakes.
Tae-jun misjudged attack ranges and lost a lot of health, and one skill grazed over because it overlapped with Shopsop’s path.
Each time, Shopsop only pointed out what was needed.
[Shopsop: Too close.] [Shopsop: This time you go first.] [Shopsop: That direction’s right.]
When practice ended, their records had risen far beyond the event’s expected standard.
Tae-jun looked at the result screen.
[Expected Cooperative Grade: S]
[Arc Saber: Better than I thought.] [Shopsop: You can still improve more.] [Arc Saber: You really don’t know satisfaction.] [Shopsop: You hadn’t even started yet, so don’t get satisfied.]
Tae-jun smiled and closed the result screen.
A short while later, in the now-quiet training ground, the two characters remained side by side.
Tae-jun re-entered the question he’d had since earlier.
[Arc Saber: Still don’t understand.] [Shopsop: What?] [Arc Saber: There are so many people better than me.]
This time there was no reply for quite a while.
Tae-jun felt like he’d asked something pointless and tried to close the chat window.
At that moment, a message appeared.
[Shopsop: You don’t need people who are good.]
Tae-jun’s hand stopped.
The next message followed.
[Shopsop: You need someone who matches with you.]
The faint light on the floor of the training ground swayed slowly beneath their characters’ feet.
Tae-jun couldn’t answer for a while.
The final message from Shopsop came.
[Shopsop: That’s why I chose you.]
What had unsettled Tae-jun more than the fact that he had been chosen was the reason.
It wasn’t that he was someone better than him—
It was that she had chosen him because he was him.