Chapter 18
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: PC Bang
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Just a ten-minute walk from school, the PC bang.
The moment they pushed open the door, four uniformed students burst in, assaulted by the mingled scents of cup ramen, the cool blast of air conditioning, and the frantic clatter of keyboards.
"Hey! Seats over here! Hurry up!"
Jiyoon, who had arrived first, had snagged a spot in the corner and was waving her arms wildly.
The seats she'd claimed were far from both the smoking room and the counter.
"Whoa, prime spot—nice one. Corner seats are the best."
Park Geon happily took the middle seat, with Juwon sliding naturally into the one beside him.
That left the two deepest corner seats and the aisle seat next to Jiyoon.
Siwoo hesitated for a moment before pulling out the chair next to Juwon—the one closest to the corner—and quietly sat down.
But then, Iseol plopped right down in the seat next to him, the absolute corner spot.
As she dropped her bag with a thud and pulled her chair in, a faint, sweet fragrance wafted over.
It was strong enough to overpower even the PC bang's signature odors and ramen stench.
"Uh... you wanna sit here?"
Siwoo blurted out the dumb question before he could stop himself. Iseol flicked on the power without even glancing his way, replying coolly.
"The aisle seat's too noisy. Only spot left anyway—should I stand?"
"N-no, of course not... I just thought it might be cramped..."
"Cramped? All these seats are the same. Just log in."
Caught off guard by her nonchalant response, Siwoo shut his mouth and fumbled through the login.
But despite his calm exterior, his heart was pounding like mad.
Just one armrest between them—a gap of barely more than a handspan.
Every time he moved the mouse wide or typed, it felt like their elbows might brush, drawing all his nerves to the right.
"Hey, Baek Iseol doesn't play LoL anyway, right? No idea how? Just watch Netflix or something. Me and Siwoo'll duo bot—"
"Siwoo doesn't play LoL much either! You and Iseol do your own thing. Perfect that you're sitting together."
The second Jiyoon tried to rope Siwoo into their party, Juwon jumped in with impeccable timing, cutting her off and forcing Iseol and Siwoo together.
"Hmm... that works too? Yeah, let's do that. You guys play whatever!"
Jiyoon pondered Juwon's words for a second before nodding decisively and slipping on her headset.
"Wait, I do know how to play LoL..."
"We're doing it. You game with me, Nam Siwoo."
Siwoo started to protest, worried she might feel awkward duoing with just him and trying to squeeze into their group anyway—but Iseol shut it down firmly.
"Huh? With me?"
Siwoo asked cautiously, half-disbelieving. Iseol turned from her monitor to look at him.
Under the PC bang's flashy lights, so close up, her deep double eyelids met his gaze. The tips of Siwoo's ears turned beet red in an instant.
"What, don't wanna duo with just me?"
Siwoo flinched at her words, waving his hands frantically.
"No! Absolutely not! Let's play whatever!"
"Good. Fire up Steam. We're playing something else."
At her beckoning, Siwoo entered his Steam ID in a daze and logged in.
They friended each other, and without pause, Iseol sent the party invite.
"This one. Bought it a few days ago but no one to play with at the same time, so I couldn't finish. Perfect timing."
Siwoo grinned like an idiot at her rare smile—her lips curving up prettily—as he checked the message window.
But the moment he saw the game title in her invite, his face froze solid.
It was a horror game: find the doll, evade the ghost, escape the house.
The hardcore horror title blowing up among YouTubers as the scariest yet.
"W-we're playing this..?"
Siwoo swallowed dryly, hands trembling slightly as he asked her.
He couldn't even stomach horror novels usually—video games were a lifetime no-go.
"What? Scared?"
Iseol grinned mischievously, teasing him outright.
This was a matter of pride. No way he could bail saying he was scared.
His fragile male ego kicked in—and above all, raw stubbornness not to look weak in front of Iseol.
"N-no! This stuff doesn't scare me at all!"
"Hmmm... sure?"
Iseol flashed a cryptic little smile and mercilessly hit start.
'Okay, how scary can a game really be!'
"GYAAAH!"
Ten minutes in, Siwoo's scream rocked the PC bang corner.
But fortunately—or not—the much louder shrieks from Juwon and Park Geon nearby meant Siwoo's cry reached only Iseol's ear, right beside him.
The ghost burst from the dark cabinet in the screen, bleeding—Siwoo jolted, nearly flinging his mouse into the air.
"Pfft... Didn't you say it wasn't scary at all?"
Iseol lifted one side of her headset, giggling.
It was the first time he'd seen her—usually expressionless—laugh out loud so brightly.
Siwoo’s heart raced at how pretty she looked, even as embarrassment burned his face.
"N-no! It wasn't scary, the headset volume just startled me! For real!"
"Okay, okay. Calm down and stick right behind my character."
Iseol's character strode ahead down the dark hallway with expert ease.
Siwoo's trailed right after, trembling and huddled close—like a duckling waddling after its mother.
"Hey, Nam Siwoo. Key item over there. Go grab it."
"Huh? In that corner?"
"Yeah, you get it and open the door so we can go to the next chapter."
At her direction, Siwoo gritted his teeth and steered his mouse shakily into the dark room alone.
That was when it happened.
Creeeak—
The in-game door slammed shut right after he grabbed the item, isolating his character.
A sinister laugh echoed as the ghost filled the screen.
"Gah! Open the door! Iseol! The door—hurry!"
Siwoo desperately called her name.
But the door wouldn't budge.
He glanced over with a pitiful face, only to see Iseol casually resting her chin on her hand, hands off the mouse entirely, watching his screen with serene calm.
"Hmm, who knows... Beg me to save you, and maybe."
"What?! Hey, don't mess around! It's bleeding!"
"Beg quick. Or you actually die and we restart from the beginning."
The ghost on screen crept closer.
"Save me! Please open the door!"
At his frantic plea, Iseol's lips twitched—then she burst out laughing.
"Haha, you're hilarious. Fine, pity party—you get one pass."
Click.
She lazily tapped the keys, and the locked door swung open.
Siwoo's character, blood barely clinging to life, bolted behind hers.
"Haa... I'm sweating... This game's scary as hell..."
Iseol peeked at him, chuckling.
"There, I got my laughs. Now I'll clear it—just stay behind me."
And with that, Iseol blazed through—no dead ends, no puzzles stumping her.
'Looks complicated, but she's solving it like a pro...'
Siwoo, glued to her back and blankly watching her clear, suddenly paused.
'Like a pro...?'
"Iseol, wait—you've played this before...?"
"..."
She ignored his suspicion.
But that sly, infuriating smile playing on her lips as she stared at the keyboard and monitor? Answer enough.
"Hey...!"
Meanwhile, the five-stack next door.
"Hey! Park Geon! Ult already! Ugh, seriously..."
"Seo Juwon, what the hell!"
Juwon, raging and blame-shifting mid-fight, went gray-screen dead. He yanked his headset to his neck for a breather.
Glancing sideways on impulse, his jaw dropped.
"..."
He nudged Park Geon.
"Dude. What the heck is that?"
"What... Huh?"
Park Geon paused his game too, staring blankly at the corner duo.
Iseol and Siwoo.
Their chairs scooted together now, heads close over the dark screen, whispering amiably.
Siwoo half-covered his eyes with one hand peeking at the monitor; Iseol said something that made her laugh at him.
Iseol always kept guys—except Juwon and Park Geon—at a firm distance.
That proximity? Not even her years-long buddies got that close.
"Whoa... Nam Siwoo’s gonna score for real soon."
"Huh? What’s Namjjin gonna do."
Juwon shot a pitiful look at clue-blind Park Geon, clucked his tongue, and turned back to his screen.
"You... sigh. Whatever. Game on."
"Hey, what?!"
As they bickered.
Siwoo and Iseol's monitors glowed with "[GAME CLEAR]" and a heartwarming ending: their characters side by side.
"Haa... Still fun playing together, right?"
Siwoo asked, face flushed from released tension. Iseol took her hands off the keyboard, propped her chin, and stared straight at him.
"Yeah. Less boring than I thought."
Siwoo flushed under her blatant gaze, eyes glued to the monitor. Iseol smirked and pulled off her headset.
"Again sometime. I'll find more like this."
"Huh? Y-yeah! Sounds good. I'm down for anything."
Amid the PC bang's raucous curses and chaos.
Their distance seemed to close—just like their chairs.