Chapter 17
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: That Time at the PC Bang (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
You're spinning me wild~♩ round~♪ baby, round and round~♬
Just like a tune, baby~♩ round~♪ and round again~♬
For a moment, that nostalgic tune echoed from the PC bang counter.
『Counter: You little shithead%!@&*!#!&』
All sorts of mishaps happened too.
[Tip✍ True popular kids are always tight with the part-time bros and sisters at their regular PC bangs.]
[You've built your first rapport with an unfamiliar part-timer sister.]
[Your approach was super loser-like, but middle school charm makes her just find it ridiculous and cute.]
[Inssa Force (Popularity) +1]
Building rapport makes you popular.
The method was pure loser bait, but middle school pass gets it approved.
If it were a college peer, it'd be no laughs—just straight-up police report territory.
Being young really is a cheat code in Korea.
"Ah, I'd forgotten that song for a solid 20 years. Damn."
But now that I've heard it too...
Feeling a bit dizzy.
Meat's spinning in front of my eyes.
"Whew, time for a break."
I've hit my target for coming here.
Halfway through paper searches in the archive.
Seoul Science High entrance process roughly memorized.
Details can wait till the home internet's fixed.
"Still just a first-year middle schooler, so exam prep can start slow from second year."
From reviewing past-life enemy research to paving a smooth second-life road.
More specifically...
No real funding for quantum computing research in Korea anyway, so start with capital issues.
Can't do world-changing research solo—need to recruit talents as smart as or smarter than me.
Like enrolling in Seoul Science High and bending top geniuses to my will...
Maybe the status window's right—building popular-kid skills is as crucial as studying.
Regression gave me time, but the to-do pile's a mountain.
"No point rushing."
Haste makes waste, as they say.
After living past-life 37 years glued to books, nothing truer.
Especially my experience: if focus slips and studying fails, best to coolly drop it and rest.
Might work for rote tasks or college entrance grind.
But pioneering new frontiers?
Creativity killers—pure mental drain, zero help.
"Oh, StarCraft's here."
Not that I suddenly crave it after ages. Definitely not.
"Man, years since I last played."
StarCraft.
Dominated early 2000s Korean gaming.
Skyrocketed PC bang numbers nationwide.
Birthed the pro gamer profession.
Koreans swept top 10 in international leagues.
No Korean localization—all English—yet insane popularity.
Kid me thought it so grown-up, watching OnGameNet leagues at the herbal clinic with parents, puffing my chest.
"Leagues vanished later, robbing me of one life joy."
But now, back in 20XX.
Half the room's on StarCraft.
TV's probably on channel 50 or whatever, still airing leagues. Memory fuzzy, but yeah.
Studies and success matter, but skipping these once-in-a-lifetime joys?
Half my regressed life wasted.
『Unable to connect to Battle.net. You may be trying to connect to an invalid Battle.net server. If using a modem, you may need to manually…….』
"What? Asia server down?"
Even back then, this happened.
How'd we fix it? Firewall off?
Or just install a fish server?
Fish servers had more players than official Asia ones, I think...
"Huh? Someone made a LAN room?"
Inertia led to LAN connect—there's a room.
Local PC bang players only.
Who's this?
Battle.net woes too?
"Minds in sync."
I jumped right in.
Chatted immediately.
Quantum: Hello.
My local ID: Quantum.
Quantum: Hello.
zIjaheeIz: rude
This punk skips greetings for ready?
Fine by me.
I hit ready.
But no start.
zIjaheeIz: Race ok?
Race.
StarCraft's Terran (humans), Zerg (monsters), Protoss (space aliens).
Terran usually top pick (Terran scam), so he chose it.
I'm random default.
Quantum: Fine whatever
zIjaheeIz: Ok
Am I the boomer? That single "ㅇ" pisses me off.
zI on ID sides screams elementary kid.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
5, 4, 3...
Room host starts countdown.
Whoosh.
Game on.
Tap! Tap tap tap!
Click, clicky click!
Hands flew pro-gamer smooth from the jump.
"Zerg. 4 drones risky without scouting—let's gauge first."
While others wasted on use-maps like 70-min prez election, Marine count, Mutal Blood...
Irrelevant to real skill.
I stuck to 1v1s vs humans.
No friends, skipped cram schools till end of middle 3.
Just me, room, studies, games.
"No scout? Really?"
My drone (worker) scouted his base ages ago.
"No way he missed it?"
Minimap bottom-right.
His base at 7 o'clock.
Sometimes they ignore hidden workers.
Skilled spot it quick, though...
"Holy shit. He really didn't notice?"
His base ignores my worker.
Minerals only.
I expand while spying.
"How many workers you making?"
12 already, full squad plus.
Doesn't know optimal per patch?
"Time to trim."
Grinning sly, send two Zerglings (basic attackers) from his natural back home.
Thud thud thud!
Thud thud!
Boom! Boom!
Gundam-like SCVs explode wildly.
His response? Tongue-click worthy.
"Bunkers block this easy, but he's just running?"
Terran early Zerg weak, but strong workers.
SCV kiting handles worker terror.
But tail-tuck fleeing...
Ratta tat! Ratta tat!
Marine pops on time.
Waaah!
Zergling chow.
I micro basics—no losses.
Cackle cackle!
Kyaaak~!
6 more Zerglings spawn.
Thud thud thud thud!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
All workers gone, base wrecked.
Congratulations!
You are victorious!
Easy win.
"...Shoulda gone easy."
Too harsh on the kid (probably)?
One-sided stomp.
"Hm?"
Room Title: One more
Back to lobby, new room.
His doing—the zI master.
Rematch call.
Ding.
I accept gladly.
Enter—chat greets.
zIjaheeIz: Zerg early rush scam--- manners plz
Haha, cute kid.
Yeah, I overdid it.
What's fun in toying one-sided?
"Nah. Every moment's fresh fun, new thrill each game."
Grin sly, ready up solid.
Round two.
Random lands me Terran.
His zIjaheeIz picks Zerg this time.
Saw my rush, calls Zerg scam now.
The manners guy?
Cackle cackle!
Sends Zerglings early shameless.
Taste it back.
Whirr, puff!
Whirrr, puff!
SCV kite and control crushes.
Seal entrance—no rush through.
"Why Terran's scam? Bunkers, duh."
Vulture.
Terran 75-mineral speed demon.
20 damage 100% splash vs small—worker hell.
Speed upgrade done? No contest.
Fwoomp thud! Fwoomp thud! Fwoomp thud!
Vulture squad dumps grenades merciless.
Pssh! Pssh! Pssh!
His workers zeroed.
zIjaheeIz defeated again.
Room Title: Come in
"Oh ho. Gutsy?"
He persisted, rematch after rematch.
Always same.
I crushed early, mid, late—every tactic, tech tree.
Early: mercy kill.
Mid: fake advantage, backstab.
Late: drip hope, starve dry.
"That league strat? Last was stop-lurker, so..."
Now experimenting freely, toying.
"Mine field full, ally him to safe, then..."
Forbidden pro league ban tech.
Go Golra!
Ardatime!
Nijoral!
His Protoss air fleet chases my fleeing Terran.
Into my mine-thick field.
No boom.
Allied—my units/mines see him team.
Fleet centers.
Ding.
Drop ally.
Enemy now.
Bleeep!
Mines erupt skyward.
Fleet trapped, panicked.
Then.
Ding, BOOM!!!
Mines slam full force.
Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!
Bleep bleep!
Ugh! Ugh!
Nearly pop 200 soul-drained fleet vaporized.
"Ooh..."
Insane. League ban makes sense.
Tried it—get why.
Chin-rest nod, convinced.
"Ah fuck this kid!! Fuck who is this Terran shit!! What the fuck is stop mine you fuckeeeerrr!!"
Direct front—bigger explosion than my mine show.
Swish.
I raise hand.
"Me."
"Ah..."
Same uniform.
"You... you're... Ha, Han Kyung-jun..."
Same class too.
"Group 1 leader, right?"
"..."
Rematch with the once-mentally-broken Group 1 leader.
That time, at the PC bang.