Korea University (2): Lies Dominate the Internet World
The online world is overrun with lies. People claiming they won the lottery jackpot. Folks bragging about making 50 billion from a stock windfall. Name-dropping celebrities they supposedly know. Even my military cosplay in Chasefield X is just another fabrication for fun.
But the most common lie of all was right in front of me now: gender-bending. So I wasn't shocked that the guy pretending to be a German ajae still had the same stiff speech, just with a doll-like face and a pretty voice.
What surprised me was something else. This person... had lied about their age too. Always going on about cigars and dark beer, but no matter how generously I looked at it, this friend was middle-school age. Was she even over 150 cm tall? Her skin glowed with that flawless, poreless youth. She was trying to look a bit more mature in a brown coat and denim jeans, but she couldn't fool my eyes.
A brief, awkward silence passed. Then Conel opened her mouth, as if she'd finished letting me size her up.
"You're not as surprised as I expected."
"Well, it's not that big a deal."
"Doesn't the woman part shock you? What a shame. I wanted to see your surprised face."
Even with that subtly pouty expression on her face, it just came off as cute. Thanks to that, my poker face held firm. I met Conel's eyes and said calmly,
"Private rooms randomize voices from the start, so I figured one or two might be like that."
"I see..."
Our private room was set up so players didn't know who they were facing. Otherwise, it'd turn into mind games like 'there's a skilled player here' or 'target's in this spot'—more like a game than real combat.
"By the way, what program do you use?"
"Hm?"
"Your Korean's too stiff. A middle-schooler should have a more fitting way of talking."
It felt weird hearing a middle-schooler say stuff like "Pleased to meet you."
Conel tilted her head at my words.
"I learned it."
"Learned what?"
"I learned Korean to speak like this. Translation programs? I only used one the first time we met."
No way. From day one with Conel to now, I'd never noticed anything off about her language.
...So she spoke Korean like a native starting day two?
"Hey, B2."
"Huh? Oh, were you calling me?"
I'd been a bit stunned and missed her words. Conel was leaning in close to my face.
"What do you mean, middle-schooler?"
"Uh... no?"
"...You don't mind gender, but you're lacking delicacy in strange ways."
"Then... high schooler?"
"Hm, seeing is believing."
Conel, a foreigner, naturally dropped a headache-inducing Korean idiom and handed me something.
"...A business card?"
Vanguard Investment Section Chief: Conel W.A.
"Vanguard Investment section chief?"
"Yes. We're the same age, for starters. In Korean terms, that makes us 'friends.'"
"But..."
The word "lie" almost slipped out. Wasn't 27 a scam on that face? I'd assumed she was an unemployed gamer like me since she logged in all the time, and now I felt a subtle disappointment.
As I was lost in my assumptions, Conel turned her back slightly and glanced at me.
"Shall we get going? We might be late at this rate."
"Huh?"
Her odd words puzzled me, but I hurried to catch up with Conel as she walked away. I pocketed the business card, and we passed through the university's main gate.
Come to think of it, why was the interview at a university? Was the person I came with an international student? When I asked while walking, the answer was vague.
"You'll know when we get there."
"Alright?"
I decided to hold back, channeling the patience a sniper in the game should have. We climbed a small hill, passed Future Hall, and the main building and Central Library came into view.
...Why do I know the layout so well? Because it was my old school.
Conel passed those central buildings and headed deeper in. As far as I remembered, there were small cafes and eateries built inside the campus around here.
"It's been a while..."
"What was that?"
"Nothing, let's hurry. That way, right? Cafe Naeil?"
I recalled the name of a spot I'd frequented occasionally in college. But Conel shook her head.
"Cafe, yes. But not that name."
"No? That can't be..."
Huh? No, it wasn't. Up close, the sign was completely different from what I knew.
[Cafe Evergreen]
The shop name was written in a fancy font, looking much like the original but with a new sign and slightly darker tinted windows.
Conel opened the door and beckoned me.
"Hungry? I'll buy."
"I ate already."
"You must have room for a cup of coffee."
No reason to refuse, so I nodded and followed her in. The cafe smelled wonderfully of coffee. Faint classical music played too... but the vibe was totally different from before.
Was this what they called retro? It looked just like those 2020s cafes from old photos.
"This way."
"Yeah, okay."
A bit thrown off, I followed Conel. When I first came here, it was all automated and quick. Now it had been fully remodeled, with actual staff at the counter.
By the time I'd glanced around, Conel was already seated. I pulled out the chair opposite and sat down. Face-to-face, I got an even closer look at her.
...There was something off, but more pressingly, those blue eyes staring at me felt intense.
So I tossed out the first thing that came to mind.
"When did you come to Korea?"
"Three days... factoring in jet lag, about 40 hours."
"How's the food... suit your taste?"
"I liked something called jokbal. Similar to schweinehaxen."
"Uh... do you know..."
I stopped myself just before saying kimchi. A tray of drinks and desserts appeared on the table.
"We haven't ordered yet."
"It's fine. I ordered for you."
"Huh?"
The unexpected voice belonged to a cafe employee. The one from the counter had set down the tray and was smiling at me.
"What's..."
"Espresso? Not bad for jet lag, but... aren't you overdoing it?"
"It's fine, Conel. One a day is no problem."
"Then why are you drinking orange juice?"
"I hate bitter tastes."
The employee chatted naturally with Conel and sat next to me.
...Who are you?
"Are you the one who came with her?"
"Yeah."
"I was gonna watch a bit longer, but I figured I'd butt in before you two started dating."
Conel grimaced as she sipped her espresso—whether from the words or the bitterness, I couldn't tell. I had a caramel macchiato in front of me, so I slid it toward her a bit.
"Conel, if it's too bitter, want some of this?"
"Bitter? I drink this every day."
"Exactly. She loves it, so don't worry."
Conel's expression soured again as she took another sip. Weird. Both the woman next to me and Conel across from me looked off. At first I thought it was game fatigue, but their faces had this thin film, like masks, subtly altering their vibes.
"How is it? Good, right? These beans are straight from Jamaica."
"Hm, excellent."
Take now: Conel sipping espresso looked expressionless because of that mask thing. But to me, she was an adorable girl grimacing like it was poison.
I pushed the chocolate slice cake her way and offered a fork.
"This looks tasty. Want a bite?"
"Sure, doesn't look bad."
Conel's face lit up as she cut into the chocolate cake and ate. No change visible outwardly, of course.
...What the hell was going on? I was about to cautiously ask when the woman nudged me.
"So B2's like this in real life, huh?"
"...And who might you be?"
She looked disappointed at my question.
"At our level of closeness, shouldn't we recognize each other on sight?"
"What 'closeness'..."
My words twisted awkwardly. No wonder—this woman looked 40s because of her mask, but underneath was a stunning 20s beauty. If others saw what I saw, this half-empty cafe would be ten times fuller.
Thinking my eyes were playing tricks, I checked other customers. Definitely just Conel and this woman had the weird facial thing.
...Should I ask? It felt rude, like prying about age. Maybe some new makeup men didn't know about...?
As I eyed their faces hesitantly, the woman spoke up again.
"Didn't expect you not to recognize me in person. Disappointing, B2."
"...How'd you know it's me from Chasefield? I didn't even recognize Conel at first."
"But... our room only had you and me, right?"
Her arm was too close to my shoulder. I felt a soft touch, then her words sent chills down my spine.
"Fellow East Asians."
"You, you, no way?"
I remembered that creepy line. The first day I joined the private room, when I said I lived in Korea, she'd hit me with that racist 'panzu' jab...
"Mad... Shai?"
"Mad stings a bit, but yeah. I'm that Shai."
ShiningBlue888. Shortened to Shai, and in the private room, users secretly called her... 'Mad Max Shai.' No idea why Mad Max—some old movie homage, apparently.
"The one who came with you was Shai?"
"Yep."
"Perfect timing, I was free so I tagged along."
Feeling a bit dizzy, I pulled back the chocolate cake I'd offered Conel. Her eyes followed it to me.
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"Well... I considered you might bail if I warned you ahead."
"..."
I shut my mouth by accident. Shai—this woman—was the infamous troublemaker in our private room. Starting fights with teammates mid-game, pulling weird stunts that got her warnings, causing all sorts of issues.
...Honestly, if I'd known Shai was coming, I might've thought twice?
"B2, what're you thinking? Nothing rude about me, right?"
"Nah, just didn't expect you both to be women. Caught me off guard."
"Really? I thought I gave off major girl vibes."
Nothing she said rang true. All I remembered was trash-talk, curses, mental assaults akin to assault.
"What, cat got your tongue? Don't remember?"
"Not that I don't remember—it's that there's nothing to remember."
"Looks normal enough, but yeah, it's B2. Empty head."
"If we're talking no brains, you're the one charging in like an idiot once ops start."
"You... sniping from behind like a shit-talking coward."
Shai's true colors emerged behind that pretty face. Now it finally felt like the Chasefield X crew. As we bickered lightly, Conel set down her cup and intervened.
"Enough now. Time's running short."
"Time? Conel, you've been going on about no time—what's that mean? Interview deadline?"
Shai, about to snap back at me, went quiet. The air grew still. Conel slowly pushed her cup aside, rested her arms on the table, and steepled her fingers. She looked just like a villainous exec from a comic.