Chapter 98
Chapter 98
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 98
Chapter Title: A Picture-Perfect Daily Life (2)
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The next morning.
“Ughhhh.”
I slowly opened my eyes to the sunlight pouring in through the window.
A bubbling sound, like something simmering in a pot, reached my ears.
*Sizzle.* Something else was being seared on a frying pan.
I sat up and turned my head toward the kitchen, where I saw Rokhui busy making something.
“Meow!”
Just then, the cat Madangi came over and licked my face.
It was his way of urging me to get up.
“Alright, alright, I’m getting up, Madangi.”
As I groggily pushed myself up, Rokhui noticed and turned her head toward me.
“You’re awake, Hyunsoo? I’m making breakfast, so just wait a bit.”
“Oh. You’re making it for me?”
“Yes! You treated me to so much yesterday, and thanks to you, I even met my deadline. This is the least I can do.”
“Hmm, I’ll look forward to it, then.”
Hmm. It felt a little awkward to just sit around.
In the meantime, I got up and cleared away the empty energy drink cans and used tissues piled on my desk.
By the time I was done, the table was set, and we sat facing each other.
Grilled mackerel and soybean paste stew—it was a perfectly balanced breakfast combination.
“Mmm, the stew is delicious. And the mackerel is so fresh. I can’t remember the last time I had a breakfast like this.”
“Hehe, me neither. Being a writer, I usually skip breakfast.”
A Saturday morning that wasn’t spent alone. The situation itself filled me with a strange sense of happiness.
Making dinner for her yesterday, watching her enjoy it, helping with her work, and everything that happened late into the night.
All of it brought a kind of happiness completely different from what I got from making games.
If I could put this happiness in a box, I would want to pack it down tightly and store it in the refrigerator.
Hmm. Should I bring it up or not?
After a moment of hesitation, I casually brought up a thought that had crossed my mind.
“Hmm. Rokhui, about that time we talked about marriage.”
“Oh! Marriage!”
Rokhui’s eyes widened in slight surprise.
About a year ago, we had talked about dating with marriage in mind.
We had touched on it here and there since then, but nothing concrete was ever discussed. Both of us had been so busy that we kept postponing the conversation.
I figured it was about time we started talking about it more seriously.
“If we were to get married, when do you think would be a good time?”
“Hmm. I think we should take at least a year to plan it out slowly, don't you? Both you and I are so busy with our work.”
Truthfully, it was difficult for us to plan things like a typical couple.
It wasn't just me; Rokhui was a workaholic who was incredibly passionate about her own projects.
Well, I would have other projects in the future, and she would continue her work, but since we were already sure about each other, I didn't want to keep putting it off.
“Then, how about next October?”
“Oh? That’s exactly when I was thinking. Are we psychic or something~”
Next October. It was currently June 2021, so that was about a year and four months away.
It was a perfect autumn month for a wedding, and the timing felt just right—not too far away, but not too rushed either.
“Let’s do that, then. I’ve already been looking into wedding fairs and things. We should go together when you have some free time.”
“Wow, you’ve already looked into that, Hyunsoo?”
“I guess I must like you quite a bit, Rokhui.”
“Hey~ If that’s the case, I should have looked into it thirty times by now, shouldn’t I?”
And so, the topic of marriage was settled for now.
With the general direction set, we would just have to keep talking and tackle the details one by one.
A short while later, after we finished eating, we drank coffee, read comics, and lazed around, fully enjoying the leisure of a Saturday.
As I thought, I was glad I had pushed myself to see Rokhui.
“Oh, and I have a gift for you, too, Rokhui.”
“A gift?”
I tapped on my laptop for a moment and sent a document via message.
“A document? What’s this?”
“Have a look.”
Rokhui opened the document on her phone.
A file full of text appeared on the screen.
“Whoa. Y-You wrote something like this, Hyunsoo?”
“I wrote it last night after you fell asleep. You said you’ve been stressed about the story lately.”
The document was filled with ideas for the future plot development of the webtoon Rokhui was currently serializing.
Not just one, but five different options were included, and each one felt not just casually jotted down, but written with deep consideration.
It was easy to imagine how many times Jo Hyunsoo must have read her webtoon and how much thought he must have put into writing this.
“I’m not saying you have to do it this way. I just thought it would be nice if you could pick and choose whatever you find useful. If you don’t like any of them, you don’t have to use them.”
“No, no! It’s per-fect, this is exactly what I was struggling with. I’m just surprised, that’s all. How did you think of and prepare all of this?”
“Well, writing stories is part of my job, too.”
“Thank you! You’re truly my savior, Hyunsoo!”
“What do you mean, savior? You’ve helped me so much over the years.”
“Still, this is so touching! Where else in the world would I find a boyfriend like you?”
Rokhui stared at me with an expression just like Puss in Boots.
Hmm. This was a little hard on my heart.
“Haha. You think so?”
And so, the strangely leisurely and yet exciting Saturday was passing by.
****
The weekend passed, and the new week began.
As expected, I was summoned by President Oh Geoshin.
“Ahahaha! Contacting Assemblyman Jang Ho’s office, not bad, not bad at all! PD Jo, you go and talk to them! Those types will use anything symbolic as a weapon.”
“Yes, I’ll take that as your approval to accept their offer.”
His reaction was exactly as I had predicted.
I would step forward and make a statement to the assemblyman’s office, defending NB Soft in the process.
The business department would then issue press releases to provide support, creating a positive image for the company and, in doing so, subtly trying to quell things like the truck protests.
It was a shallow but classic tactic commonly used by corporations.
‘Though it seems more likely to backfire.’
I wanted to meet them to present my own opinions, but if I were in President Oh Geoshin’s shoes, I would never have made such a decision.
Users weren’t fools anymore; they wouldn’t fall for a game company’s cheap tricks.
A clumsy move could strike a nerve, and the backlash would be even more severe.
‘Not that it matters to me if that happens.’
Even if there was a backlash, I had already figured out the logic to get myself out of it and how to handle the aftermath.
For now, all I had to do was play along with President Oh Geoshin’s words and secure my own benefits.
“Ah, yes, Mr. Aide. If there’s anything I should know beforehand or a list of questions for the meeting, please send them over.”
<<Ah, yes! I’ve already sent them to you via email. I was just about to call, but you beat me to it, PD-nim.>>
Before the meeting, I coordinated with the aide who had first contacted me.
His overall business etiquette, his understanding of the current issue, and his determination to resolve it through legislation—all three elements aligned perfectly. He seemed like a decent person.
Time passed, and after work on Tuesday, I visited the assemblyman’s local office in Seongnam.
“Excuse me, I’m Jo Hyunsoo from NB Soft.”
“Ah, welcome, PD-nim! I’m Go Hyeok, the aide you’ve been in contact with! The assemblyman has stepped out for a dinner appointment but should be back shortly. Please have a seat and some coffee while you wait. Would an iced Americano be alright?”
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
I sat at the reception table and took a look around the office.
‘Hmm. So this is what it’s like.’
Including Go Hyeok, there were three aides, each sitting at their desk, typing furiously on their keyboards.
While the assemblyman was out engaged in external activities, they were the ones handling the actual substance and planning.
‘Assemblyman Jang Ho… his name recognition is still very low.’
I thought for a moment about Jang Ho, the man I was about to meet.
He was elected in his district based on his party’s approval ratings, but his personal recognition was extremely low.
Because of that, there was talk that he would have a hard time securing the party’s nomination for the next election.
That was likely why he was desperately searching for something that would make an impact during his term.
‘That’s probably why he latched onto this truck protest incident and the Game Industry Act amendment.’
Well, he wasn't someone I would fundamentally feel any goodwill toward just because he was an assemblyman.
It was just that, given the circumstances, I felt we could use each other.
The judge of the Korean game industry, which had gone too far and deceived its customers.
That was the image Assemblyman Jang Ho wanted to create, and I would be one of the condiments added to it.
As they say, the ends justify the means.
‘Well, at least the assemblyman’s practical work will be handled by that aide, Go Hyeok. That’s a relief.’
What was fortunate was that the aide in charge of this project, Go Hyeok, had a very high understanding of games.
From what I’d heard, he had even worked in QA at a game company for about three or four years.
That seemed to be a major reason he had joined the office of an assemblyman from the Seongnam district.
“First, our office has been collecting case studies and expert opinions on the chronic problems within the Korean game industry before proposing the amendment to the Game Industry Act. Since this law involves many vested interests, we expect considerable lobbying and opposition from game companies. If we lose the battle for public opinion, we’ll lose momentum, which is why we’re hoping to gain some strength from the statements of a renowned PD like yourself, Mr. Jo.”
“Yes. Well, the basic objective isn’t different from my own thoughts.”
The overgrown power of the business department due to monetization-focused games.
The problem with a system that has to rely on marketing.
The industry-wide atmosphere that makes it impossible for development staff to level up their skills, and so on.
I listed the problems I had always thought about as I conversed with Aide Go Hyeok.
‘His perspective on the issues is definitely different from a developer’s.’
Where you stand determines what you see, even when looking at the same phenomenon.
Aide Go Hyeok, as a member of a legislative body, presented various perspectives.
He explained the practical difficulties, how the battles for public opinion and lobbying from game companies were conducted, and so on.
From a political standpoint, it seemed this issue had far more factors to consider than I had thought.
As we were deep in conversation.
*Clank!*
The office door suddenly opened, and the aides stood up almost simultaneously, bowing at a 90-degree angle toward the entrance.
A middle-aged man with sharp features and neatly combed-back hair, exuding a confident air.
It was indeed Assemblyman Jang Ho, whose face I had seen online.
“Welcome, Assemblyman!”
“You’ve worked hard, sir!”
“Ah, ah. That’s enough, everyone get back to work. Where is PD Jo Hyunsoo?”
“He’s right here, sir.”
Aide Go Hyeok said cautiously, and Jang Ho strode over and extended a hand to me.
“My apologies for being late, PD Jo. I’m Jang Ho!”
“I’m Jo Hyunsoo from NB Soft.”
To be honest, my first impression of Assemblyman Jang Ho wasn’t as bad as I’d expected.