Hashtag was a game, after all, so nothing weird about it.
08. Reflections on Passives
As I explained earlier, once you hit 4-Star, you get a Passive.
So, what exactly is a Passive?
Everyone's probably familiar with it from various cultures and media, but let's check the dictionary definition anyway.
Passive, inactive
The encyclopedia's first entry for Passive says "passive."
It's the typical, representative passive voice. The opposite, active voice, is the well-known Active.
This pedantic, boring dictionary definition is as tough for us dumb modern humans—who are no better than those Stone Age folks frying food in engine oil—as it gets, so let's put it simply:
An ability that automatically applies even if you do nothing... something like that.
So, how do you get a Passive in <#Hashtag - Raising People Around Me>?
The answer is to complete the 4-Star transformation 100%.
Tuk degureu-
Staring at the dice rolling on the screen, praying for a high number—like some modern human no different from people 100 or 1,000 years ago—I clasped my hands together piously toward the heavens like I was offering a sacrifice.
"Please, please!"
Everything's similar, but one big difference: with a rain ritual, you keep going until it rains, but with random pulls and gacha, once it spits out a result, you're done unless you pay up again.
That's why the merciful AI gives us dim-witted modern humans choices.
<6,6>
"Super fucking god game! Shiiit!"
This is why people chase dopamine.
I clenched my fists tight and sent a thankful shout to the sky.
If it'd been something like <1,1>, humans would've forgotten the fear of heaven and flipped it the bird.
Anyway.
A total of 12 cards were flipped over, waiting for my choice.
I could check 3 Passive cards out of the 12.
And from those final three I checked, I could pick just one.
Squeeze-
I carefully selected 3 out of the 12 cards.
Whiric-!
With a sound effect, the three cards spun around.
<#Excellent Dexterity>, <#Broad Tolerance>, <#Exceptional Comprehension>
Passives you'd expect to see in a game.
Hashtag was a game, after all, so nothing weird about it.
And the Passive I got would apply to both the in-game <Lee Ina> and the real-life <Lee Ina>.
From playing the game so far and checking the Guidebook, I'd confirmed there were hundreds of Passives.
Naturally, they ranged from god-tier 0-tier all the way to total shit-tier in detail.
Depending on the heroine's training tech tree, lower tiers could climb up or higher ones drop down, but shit-tier ones were basically unusable, so best not to even glance at them.
So, what tier were these three Passives on the screen?
"Urgh."
Just like the <6,6> proved it was a god game, the Passives that popped up proved it too.
All of them were 0-tier Passives.
Out of hundreds of Passives, there were only about a dozen 0-tiers. Obviously, if one shows up, you pick it without looking at the rest.
But all three being 0-tier? Of all the luck.
Surprisingly, when it's total shit, humans make quick decisions. Like jumping off the Han River.
But when all the options are good? You agonize over it endlessly.
So I had to do some deep reflections on Passives.
I mentally sorted out Ina's training tech tree one more time. Gotta attach the perfect Passive.
Since 5-Star and 6-Star strengthen the Passive you got at 4-Star.
"They're all so good, what do I do?"
<02:55>
Already a minute gone?
I had to pick within the given 3 minutes.
Back when I played the game, I never got Passives this good.
I'd only seen them in Guidebooks or brag posts.
└ Don't expect much from Passives. Just hope it's not shit-tier.
└ If crap like <Abandoned Heart> or <Twisted Feminism> pops, delete the game and reinstall.
Most advice was to pick anything as long as it wasn't shit-tier—Passives weren't that big a deal.
So during the time I had, I searched and thoroughly read up on the three Passives.
I never imagined these three would pop.
And the one I picked was...
<#Excellent Dexterity>
For Ina, who handles instruments, this seemed the best fit.
Squeeze
Clicking the Passive brought up the detailed description.
<#Excellent Dexterity>
Slightly increases sensitivity in the hands.
Just a one-liner explanation.
But there was a reason it was treated as god-tier.
For example, when drawing, lines get cleaner; when writing, it becomes more elegant.
In other words, you can transfer the lines you envision in your head exactly as-is.
With this alone, you'd be called a once-in-a-century genius in the arts. Since you can replicate your imagination perfectly.
Not just that—making things, handling tools.
For playing instruments, it allows more delicate and precise sound control.
Even better control over the tool hanging below me was a side benefit.
At 5-Star and 6-Star, these abilities get even stronger.
Especially at 6-Star, the Passive doesn't just help—it integrates fully. Your hands will move exactly as you think.
§
<Lee Ina>
"Yawwn~, let's practice, guys. Two days till the show."
At the teacher's words, the students performing in the show dragged their tired bodies into the practice room.
Ina was no exception.
"Everyone, hang in there even if it's tough~."
At the Academy Director-nim's words, they all replied weakly and grabbed their instruments.
No need for tuning—they'd been at it all day. No energy left for it anyway.
♩♬♬♩♬
Practice is tough, but finishing a run-through leaves you refreshed.
She was purple and blue, but the vocal teacher was red and orange, and the Academy Director-nim, despite her age, had two-tone yellow and black dye.
Huh?
Why's it wrapping around so perfectly today?
Up until a bit ago, her hands hurt like they were gonna blister from all the practice.
Weirdly, her fingers were sticking perfectly to the strings.
"...Bass. Got something to say?"
Everyone looked her way at the flashy snap from Bass's strings during practice.
"Kids, Bass has something to say. Give her a solo."
"...Uh, why. The kid who always just played roots 'cause it was a hassle~."
The others wanted to wrap up the last practice and go home to rest, but their trained bodies perfectly backed up Bass's flashy solo.
Oh?
This is fun?
She was definitely exhausted and numb before, but her hands were moving right away.
"Hoo."
Finishing it left her super satisfied.
She grinned wide, and the academy teachers and oppa shook their heads with tired faces.
"Kid stuff, 'cause she's young."
"I'm too wiped to do it."
Unbeknownst to herself, Ina had activated the 0-tier god Passive <#Excellent Dexterity> and was humming away.
§
Ina was busy with show prep, so what about #Lee Ina?
Stuck in a place with just the living room, a tiny bathroom, and the Yard all day—what's there to kill time with?
Even in this barren setup, the playful human Homo ludens finds ways to entertain herself.
"...Was it supposed to turn out like that?"
She started with a toad house out of dirt, then soon made a low hill.
Had she spent the whole day on just this?
On the other side of the Yard, #Lee Ina was drawing ddakji and even Squid Game.
"Guess her dexterity was always pretty good."
Passives aren't dramatic in effect. They're heavily supportive.
Like staring blankly at a fish tank, I blankly watched #Lee Ina's architecture.
And on the day of the show.
Don't be late! Sunbae-nim!
Gotta greet in the waiting room, take pics, no suspicions!
Ina urging her on with cute emoticons.
"If I'm late this time..."
I wouldn't be human, right?
So I left the house even earlier.
Snow had dumped all morning, piling up thick on bare trees and streets.
Getting off at Hongdae Entrance Station, I spotted the flower shop and bought some flowers before heading to the small theater.
This feels like real lovers now, huh?
Plus, first time at a small theater—honestly, kinda exciting and tense.
"Oh?"
Stairs leading underground.
Down the dim stairs, a small neon sign by the door spelled out the theater's name.
The schedule was listed too, with the band's name and Ina's.
<Neulsom Band>
Bass - (photo) Lee Ina
Straight outta Neulsom Music Academy, it seemed.
Oh. She looks like a real musician in the photo.
Click
Opening the door, every staffer's eyes locked on me at once.
"I'm a friend of Neulsom Band..."
Scratching the back of my head at all the attention, one staffer came over and guided me to the waiting room.
It felt less like a "room" and more like a storage shed next to the stage.
"Sunbae-nim! You came?"
Ina spotted me and shot up.
I could feel all eyes on me again, just like before.
"..."
"..."
They'd all been eating—chopsticks frozen as they stared blankly at each other.
Ahh, I get this reaction.
Thought it was bullshit, but now it's confirmed real.
"I told you! I have a boyfriend!"
"...Cough!"
One member spat out her food and gave an awkward laugh.
"F-for real?"
"So... you're friends with Hana, right...?"
Everyone knew Hana had gone to Neulsom Music Academy for ages.
"I even showed pics of us dating!"
Huh?
Not the one where she's grabbing my dick and grinning, right?
"Just thought you two went ice skating as friends."
Phew, good.
Guess the common sense alteration didn't go that far.
"Ina-ya, congrats on the show. Flowers."
Handing over the rose bouquet, Ina went wide-eyed and stared at me.
Then she raised both hands way too enthusiastically, cheering.
"As expected! My sunbae-nim! I love you!"
Hold up, isn't the acting a bit over the top?
Tap tap
As I panicked, Ina poked my side and whispered.
"Sunbae-nim, acting, acting."
"Oh? Uh, yeah."
What acting in this situation?
She placed the flowers front and center where everyone could see, beaming, then grabbed her lunchbox.
"Sunbae-nim, this is yummy. Here, ahhn."
Uh, fuck.
My anti-magic resistance is still low. Wait a sec.
With full intent to show off, she made a big gesture and fed me.
Half the room looked like they still couldn't believe it, the other half turned away like it hurt their eyes.
"I-I can feed myself..."
"'Cause we're a couple. Couple. Couple."
She shot me looks to play along quick, but this was a situation I'd never dealt with even in #Hashtag Strategy.
In the game, you observe as a third party, but in real #Hashtag, I'm the playable character diving in—super awkward.
"Wow~, sunbae-nim looks so handsome even eating~. My turn too?"
Seeing Ina refer to herself in third person, the members all turned away completely.
"...What if Hana finds out."
I totally agreed with that murmur from one member.
What if she saw her little sis like this?
No matter what, it'd be chaos.
Even after eating, she stuck to me like gum, holding hands.
"W-with this much, won't they suspect more...?"
"Huh? Don't normal couples do this? That's what I thought. Heard it too."
Ina adding that suspicious "~" at the end—I facepalmed.
This is why learning everything from books screws you over. Ideals and reality are different.
"Even Crayon Shin-chan's couple does this."
"...That's a cartoon."
Why do you look like your worldview's crumbling?
"Thought all couples were like that."
We'd talked a ton at our first meeting and first date, and I'd naturally mentioned it was her first romance.
Plus, she'd had no real thoughts on dating and no interest in the opposite sex.
So, Ina's knowledge of romance came entirely from media, not real life.
"I was gonna glare if my friend looked your way, say 'only look at me.' That okay...?"
"..."
Hey. You're scaring me with how seriously you're pondering.
Jealousy show-off, but the content was off.
Still tons to teach her.
"Ina-ya! Time for setup."
"Yesss! Sunbae-nim! Be right back!"
And just like that, I was left alone.
As the show neared, people started filling the small theater, and around then, Ina's friend got guided into the waiting room.