Chapter 47: Game
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 47: Game
“What’s going on?”
After chatting with the seniors, I headed back inside because of the cold, only to find the atmosphere at the table freezing.
Choi I-seo was resting her chin on her hand, glaring at Yoo Ah-rin, while Yoo Ah-rin was beaming, looking straight at me.
Finally, there was Seo Ye-rin, caught between the two of them, looking like she didn't know what to do with herself. It was quite a sight.
“What is it this time?”
It seemed like a lot was happening at tonight’s drinks, but no one offered an explanation.
Instead.
“Woo-jin-ah, come sit here.”
“Kim Woo-jin, over here.”
Both of them looked at me, pointing to the seats next to them.
Earlier, I had sat next to Yoo Ah-rin because she’d practically pushed her chest against me to make it happen.
Sitting anywhere else wouldn't normally be an issue.
The problem was that I was being dragged into their power struggle. Clearly, something had happened while I was gone.
“Man, I feel like Jeong Chan-woo.”
It didn't feel too bad to feel like a popular guy for once. When else would I get to experience two beauties competing to have me sit next to them?
“Woo-jin-ah?”
“……”
Both of them stared at me again simultaneously. Yoo Ah-rin was still smiling brightly, but there was a subtle pressure behind it.
Choi I-seo, on the other hand, was just straight-up glaring at me.
“Why are you guys being like this?”
Whatever the situation was, there wasn't much to think about. I walked straight over and sat down next to Choi I-seo.
No matter what had happened with Yoo Ah-rin today, she couldn't compare to Choi I-seo.
“Hmm.”
Choi I-seo turned her head slightly, covering her mouth with her hand. Looking closely, she was clearly trying to hide a faint smirk.
Across from us, Yoo Ah-rin immediately flipped me the bird.
“So, what happened?”
When I asked again, still confused by the tension, Choi I-seo popped a french fry into my mouth. They must have been served while I was out.
“You don’t need to know.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re in a good mood at least.”
As I munched on the fry, Choi I-seo just sat there with the corners of her mouth curled up.
“Have another.”
For some reason, she was in such a good mood that she kept feeding me fries one by one.
Normally, I would have asked what she was doing, but she looked pleasantly tipsy, and I didn't want to ruin the vibe.
“Nom nom.”
I kept accepting the food without a word, even making little munching sounds.
“You’re eating well.”
“But did you only order fries?”
My tongue felt a bit dry from the salt, so I asked. Choi I-seo shook her head.
“They sell sous-vide pork belly here. I ordered that. You can order rice with it, too.”
“Oh? Nice choice.”
“It comes out fully cooked, so we don't have to grill it ourselves. But if we don't like it, we can ask them to sear it a bit more.”
“That’s interesting.”
Choi I-seo definitely knew my taste in food. Actually, it wasn't so much about 'taste' as it was the fact that I liked anything as long as I could eat it with rice.
“By the way, do you like Korean food, or do you just like rice?”
“I’ve never really thought about it.”
“Still.”
Miss Choi I-seo seemed unusually interested in me today. So, I gave it some serious thought before answering.
“I think I just like rice. I like eating things that go well with it.”
Whenever I go to a meat restaurant, I always order doenjang jjigae and rice. I figured that meant I just liked rice.
“Then what about risotto or pilaf?”
“Risotto feels a bit like porridge, so I’m not a fan. But pilaf is basically fried rice, so it’s not bad.”
“Hehe, then let’s go to a good pilaf place later.”
“Aren't you on a diet for your Body Profile shoot?”
I wondered why she was acting like this all of a sudden, but Choi I-seo just nudged my shoulder with hers and muttered.
“That’s already gone down the drain because someone made me eat spicy stir-fried pork and pork cutlets for lunch. I’ll just take the photos during winter break.”
“Want me to go with you?”
“To watch the shoot?”
“Yeah.”
“Pervert.”
When I spoke with blatant ulterior motives, Choi I-seo nudged my shoulder with her elbow, though it didn't hurt at all.
“Well, I guess I’ll need someone to go with me since I’ll probably pig out right after the photos are done.”
“……You’re really drunk, aren't you?”
Seeing her talk like this, she definitely seemed wasted. Maybe the power struggle with Yoo Ah-rin earlier was because of the alcohol, too.
“Hey, is the food not out yet?”
“Ahem.”
Senior Min-woo and Senior Han-gang returned from their smoke break and sat down at the table.
Senior Ju-hee sat next to Yoo Ah-rin, and Senior Han-gang sat next to her, creating a 3-on-3 setup.
Yoo Ah-rin, who had been cursing me out until a moment ago, started talking with Senior Min-woo and Seo Ye-rin, and the atmosphere finally began to thaw.
* * *
“Yawn.”
The next morning.
I hadn't drunk that much at the bar, so I didn't have a hangover.
Still, I was eating gukbap for the sake of 'recovery' when a message arrived on my phone.
She was asking about our promise to go to the PC Bang today.
“This girl.”
The fact that she went silent meant she knew I’d tell her not to do it. I finished my gukbap and headed to the PC Bang I’d visited with Seo Ye-rin last time.
On the way, I got a text from Yoo Ah-rin regarding the Bamboo Forest. I had made her manage it alone today as punishment for annoying me yesterday.
Sure, sure.
It’s easy now.
She needed to get used to the manager duties anyway, and as punishment for barging into my house yesterday, I decided to let her handle the Bamboo Forest alone for a week.
It was still early, so there wouldn't be many issues, but today was the weekend. Sunday, no less.
‘Good luck with that.’
It was ridiculous hearing that from someone who had just started managing.
If you don't have the knack for it, it’s quite a struggle, and it takes time to learn the ropes.
“……”
Since she wasn't wrong, I hesitated for a moment but decided not to reply and kept walking to the PC Bang.
Jeong Chan-woo, who said he worked part-time on weekends, greeted me and pointed toward a corner seat with his finger.
“Ye-rin is waiting over there.”
“Good luck with work.”
“It’s just a job, no big deal.”
Looking at Jeong Chan-woo, who gave me a kind smile and told me to have fun gaming, I really couldn't understand why Yoo Ah-rin hated him so much.
‘Well, that’s their personal business.’
I was curious, but digging too deep could be overstepping.
I headed over to Seo Ye-rin, who was already seated.
She was practicing the new character with her headset on. It looked like she had actually learned something, as her hands were moving quite busily.
“Good grief.”
I grabbed both sides of her headset, pulled them wide, and let go.
“Gah?!”
Seo Ye-rin made a weird noise and looked up at me, then beamed.
“Woo-jin-ah, you’re here! I saved the seat next to me.”
“Why are you practicing that weird character?”
“No, Woo-jin-ah, listen. This character is actually really good. I’ve practiced a lot.”
“Please, don't practice stuff like that. Just play what you’re good at.”
Seeing her beg me to trust her just this once, I sighed and sat down next to her.
“Did you eat?”
“No, I was going to order ramyeon……”
“Then order it. Let’s eat before we play.”
“……”
Seo Ye-rin fidgeted with her hands and looked at me. She seemed to have something to say.
“Can you order it for me?”
“You want me to buy it for you?”
“No! I’ll pay…… I just don't want to face Chan-woo.”
First Yoo Ah-rin, now Seo Ye-rin.
The fact that they kept avoiding Jeong Chan-woo had been bothering me since last time.
I had just resolved not to care, but that resolution didn't last long.
“Is it because you hate Chan-woo?”
“It’s not like that. It’s just…… there’s something uncomfortable.”
“Something uncomfortable?”
“Yeah……”
Her reaction—that she couldn't talk about it—was the same as before.
If she was hiding it this much, it probably wasn't her own story but someone else’s shameful secret, which was why she couldn't speak.
“Well, if you’re paying, it’s fine. What do you want?”
“Fried Udon.”
“You have good taste. Is that all?”
“Yeah, I don't eat much.”
Just as I was about to move the mouse to order through the computer, a good idea struck me, and I glanced at her.
“On one condition.”
“Condition?”
“Don’t play the new champion.”
“Chan-woo-ya! One Fried Udon over here, please!”
“……”
Watching Seo Ye-rin immediately raise her hand and call out to Jeong Chan-woo, a curse word almost slipped out of my mouth.
Thanks to Seo Ye-rin’s stubbornness, we ended up losing three ranked games in a row as she insisted on using the new character.
“Can I ask you one thing?”
I asked, staring blankly at the word 'DEFEAT' on the screen.
“I told you not to go in, so why did you keep diving?”
“……I got a solo kill, though.”
“The enemy top laner kept roaming bot, so why were you just stubbornly pushing top?”
“……I told you, I got a solo kill.”
“Then why is your CS so low?”
“I got a solo kill!”
“I want to kill you! If you’re going to play like this, go play Tekken! What’s the point of winning a 1v1 if the team loses?! Are you a solo player or what?!”
Just as I was about to demand an explanation from Seo Ye-rin, a text arrived right on time.
“What now?”
It was a flood of photos from Yoo Ah-rin.
Heh.
Now you’re finally feeling the struggle of managing the board, newbie.
When people like Anonymous 69 post sexy pictures, it’s a win-win for everyone.
But there are always those guys who post things that make you wonder why they even exist, and the manager has to see and delete all of it.
Plus, the religious clubs always go wild on Sundays.
You just have to let that pass naturally.
If you leave them alone, they stop after a few posts, but the moment you start deleting them, they turn into 'martyrs' suffering from 'religious persecution' and start a full-blown riot.
‘You learn by suffering.’
For the next week, you’re going to taste hell, Yoo Ah-rin.
You’ll have to sincerely delete and respond to all sorts of nonsense.
It’ll be a time for you to realize how filthy and ugly human beings can become under the cloak of anonymity.
I hope you have a strong stomach.
Sensing a presence, I looked at the computer screen to see that a game had already started and was loading.
I wondered what happened, and it turned out Seo Ye-rin had started a game while I was texting Yoo Ah-rin.
“Hey.”
“Woo-jin-ah, the game started.”
“You took Ignite again. I told you to take Teleport.”
“Alpha females take Ignite.”
“Alpha males beat people up regardless of gender. Come outside, let’s settle this IRL.”
“Alpha females don't back down.”
“Is that a sex joke?”
“……”
At my words, Seo Ye-rin’s face turned beet red, and she desperately stared at the screen.
“T-That’s not what I meant.”
Seeing her get so embarrassed, it was truly a mystery how a girl like this could be active as Anonymous 69.