Chapter 546: Exam Period
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 546: Exam Period
“Honestly, I don’t see what’s so fun about this.”
Choi I-seo muttered as she launched the game.
The conversation about the idle RPG continued.
One small mercy was that it didn’t look like one of those hardcore RPGs that middle-aged men usually obsessed over. It was the kind of game where cute little characters scurried around, hunting monsters on their own.
Watching the game load, I had already decided which direction to take the conversation.
Since Choi I-seo clearly wasn't a fan, I just needed to talk about it negatively.
First, empathy.
Empathy is absolutely vital.
I’m currently dating six women.
Trust me.
“Yeah, I’m not really into idle games either. It feels like you’re just fighting with your wallet.”
“Is it that kind of game?”
“You didn’t know?”
“No. I just felt like achieving something without any effort was a bit meaningless.”
Dammit.
Did I miss the point of empathy?
Don’t trust me.
I’m just a guy who somehow ended up with six girlfriends without actually understanding a woman’s heart.
Anyway, the game started.
The character’s name was 'Seo-woo Mom.'
“Wow, you’ve really turned into a middle-aged housewife.”
Whack!
“Agh! That hurts!”
“Do you want to die?”
Look at that immediate punch.
As expected, Choi I-seo hasn’t lost her touch.
But seriously, naming a character 'Seo-woo Mom'—isn't that exactly what a housewife would do?
Or should I call it becoming an adult?
“Ahem, anyway, Sudoku is much healthier than this. It’s good for brain stimulation, and it gives you a sense of accomplishment in many ways.”
Cheap accomplishment.
That was exactly what Choi I-seo meant, and it was one of the things she avoided most.
As a near-perfectionist, Choi I-seo didn't consider an achievement a real achievement if anyone could get it without effort.
“Well, that’s very like you, I-seo.”
When I validated her, she gave a proud smile and nodded.
“Right? So, if you want a sense of accomplishment, you should put in some effort, Husband?”
“Yes, ma'am. I’ll head to the restroom first to feel a sense of accomplishment.”
“……That’s not an accomplishment.”
I’ve heard that the greatest dopamine hit comes from work.
In that sense, I escaped from the biggest dopamine addict in our house and ducked into the bathroom.
And then, I immediately installed the game.
We all know how it is.
‘Why does this look so fun?’
During exam periods, literally anything looks fun.
* * *
The next morning, on the way to school.
Because I stayed up late studying last night, I was yawning and dozing off in the back seat. Senior Ju-hee glanced at me through the rearview mirror.
“Did you stay up very late studying? You look exhausted.”
Look at her using formal speech just because she’s on the clock. I nodded and let out a sigh.
“Yeah, I-seo just wouldn't let me go.”
“Well, I-seo was the department topper, so I’m sure she’ll be a good teacher. You have to do well on your exams.”
“……I’m jealous of you, Senior. You don’t have to take exams anymore.”
“Hmm.”
She pondered my words for a moment and then let out a chuckle.
“Honestly, you’re right. Usually, people say they want to go back to their college days, right? But I’m the opposite. I have no desire to do college life all over again.”
“Well, you lived quite intensely back then, basically fighting for survival.”
Since she struggled if she didn't get a scholarship, she really put her life on the line while studying and navigating college.
The memory of doing a group project with her back when she was in full 'rampage mode' was still vividly burned into my brain.
“I suppose so. For one, it’s so much more comfortable now that I don’t have to worry about making a living…… and I’m satisfied with my job. My boss is adorable, after all.”
“……Why are you suddenly flirting with me?”
“Hehe, you do it too sometimes.”
Did I?
Anyway, it didn't feel too bad.
Poke!
At least, it wouldn't have if Oh Yun-ji hadn't poked my cheek with her finger from the seat next to me.
“Why are you two talking like I’m not even here?”
Poke, poke, poke.
Oh Yun-ji kept pushing my cheek with her finger. I grabbed her wrist, gently moved her hand away, and started checking my phone.
“Oh? You’re playing that too?”
It was the idle game Choi I-seo mentioned yesterday. I thought it was a bit out of character for Oh Yun-ji to play it.
She let out a bored sigh.
“Yeah, Seo Ye-rin suddenly came over and told me to play it. Apparently, it’s trending these days.”
“……That’s a pretty random trend.”
“Tell me about it. Do you know what’s annoying about working in this industry?”
Leaning her chin on her hand, Oh Yun-ji let out a hollow mutter with a smile that was closer to a sneer.
“You can’t afford to miss even the shittiest trends. There are things where I’m like, ‘Why on earth is this popular?’ but I still have to catch on and follow them.”
In a way, internet broadcasting is the starting point for most memes these days, and it’s the profession that uses them most frequently.
So, it wasn't hard to understand why Oh Yun-ji was reacting so sensitively.
‘But she looks like she really hates it.’
“What the hell is so fun about this? I could understand things like Tanghulu or Yoajung. At least they taste good, right?”
“…….”
“But since a while ago, some stupid dance went viral, and now it’s a trend to play a classic ballad and do some weird dance to it? Isn't it ridiculous?”
“…….”
“It suddenly blew up because some celebrity did it on a major TV network, and now every internet broadcast has this running in the background by default.”
“So they just keep it on the side of the screen?”
“No, they check the screen every now and then while broadcasting. Some people watch just for the fun of seeing that.”
“……What’s the fun in that?”
“I’m playing this right now to figure that out.”
Oh Yun-ji tucked her phone away irritably. Suddenly, I got curious about what her nickname was.
“What’s your nickname?”
“Me? Oo-Yun-ji.”
“…….”
“What? I wanted to use Oh Yun-ji, but someone else already had it, so I just went with Oo-Yun-ji. Isn't it kind of cute?”
No, it’s not.
* * *
‘And these are supposed to be my wives.’
They don’t trust their husband at all.
But I really was planning to study.
My feet were already heading toward the library.
She posts stuff like this on the Bamboo Forest sometimes, and she does the same in our group chat.
After receiving various reactions, I stepped into the library. The lobby was crowded and bustling, making it quite noisy.
Since you have to be quiet inside the library, people tend to pour out all the words they’ve been holding back once they’re outside.
I’ve been there too, so I just passed by, thinking nothing of it.
“Popo is doing a Food Defense right now.”
“I love that Popo is broadcasting so often lately. Watching her mukbang gives me vicarious satisfaction since I’m on a diet.”
Are those guys from the Department of Architectural Engineering?
From what they were saying, it seemed Popo was live.
‘Hmm.’
After finding a seat in the library, I opened my phone for a second before opening my books.
I tuned into Popo’s broadcast.
Popo was busily eating pizza, and on the side of the screen, it said: [Golden Olive Chicken x2, Choco Cake x1, Sushi 30pcs, Tteok-twui-sun].
It was a 'Food Defense' challenge, meaning she had to eat all the food that came in.
Looking at the list, she had already eaten a ridiculous amount, but Popo’s expression still looked peaceful.
‘This is why I avoid Popo.’
I had promised to buy her a meal last time, but I’ve been dodging it because I know how much she eats.
That meal would probably cost more than the grocery bill for all six of us.
I was watching with my earphones in when Popo suddenly moved her mouse.
This time, the game I saw earlier today appeared on her screen.
It was on auto-hunt, but as Oh Yun-ji said, it seemed to be getting a lot of attention because the chat was quite active.
— Ah, yes. I’m still level 43. I heard it’s hard to level up in this range?
— Microtransactions? Hmm, I’ll see. I don’t think I’ll be playing this for a very long time.
‘Hmm…….’
Watching it made it look kind of fun.
‘Is it because it’s exam period?’
It might also be because I was in a library.
Anyway, I turned off the broadcast and launched the game I downloaded yesterday.
I didn't spend much time thinking about the nickname.
[SexKingUjini]
This is it.
Since I wasn't going to play for long anyway, I started the game just to clear my head for a bit before studying.
* * *
“…….”
What just happened?
The sky had already turned dark.
My wives were messaging me, asking when I was coming home.
And my major textbook hadn't even been turned by a single page.
Instead, [SexKingUjini] had grown significantly and was now level 35.
“……I need to stop.”
Even if it’s exam period, this is too much.
I was about to exercise some self-control and turn off the game.
Then, someone messaged me.
With that, Built-in Wardrobe left.
I wondered what his deal was, but a moment later...
A bunch of guys with the same guild emblem swarmed in and killed me.
“…….”
A humiliation dance party broke out over my corpse.
The way these guys were shaking their characters' butts was no joke.
They’ve clearly done this more than once or twice.
“Ha.”
A smile crept onto my lips without me realizing it.
What kind of treatment am I receiving right now?
Watching them take a 'shitting' pose over my corpse or perform a humiliating spin dance on my screen, I placed a call.
— ……Hello? What’s up?
“Big Hyung, I just got beaten up.”
— By who? Where are you right now?
“Here, on the Elysia Server.”
— ……What?