The "Let's Get Along" Board Game
A clearing in the forest near Harten.
"……."
"……."
A chilly silence hung around the campfire that they'd all been dragged into attending.
Crackle—
Crackle—
The only sound was the fire popping as it burned.
And the only one excited about it was Hura, who was rummaging through his inventory for something.
"Hee hee hee."
"……."
"……."
Hura pulled out a large sheet of paper and unfurled it.
"Ta-da! It's the 'Let's Get Along' board game I made!"
"...When did you even make this?"
Dahyun muttered in disbelief.
"Let's all play it together now. What do you think? Sounds fun, right? Fun, right?"
The response came immediately.
"No."
"...Pardon?"
"Hmph. You expect me to play this with her? No way in hell."
Molrangkau glared right back.
"Excuse me? Who said I want to? I'm totally against it too."
"Oh, perfect. We agree for once. Let's just skip it."
"Yeah, who the hell wants to get chummy with you anyway."
Grrrr—
The two stared daggers at each other, like they wanted to devour one another.
"Ah... I worked so hard on it..."
Hura mumbled dejectedly, clutching the handmade board game.
"……."
"……."
The two glanced at Hura's crestfallen face, then quickly exchanged looks.
"Huh? Now that I look closer, it actually seems kinda fun."
"Yeah, suddenly I really wanna play!"
Hura beamed.
"Ah, I knew it! Shall we get started then?"
"Yayyy!"
"This is gonna be great...!"
"For the sake of fairness during the game, please call me 'Host-nim.' Got it?"
"...Yup."
"Ah, yes."
Hura set down the board game paper and pulled out a large die, rolling it.
"Here we go!"
The die tumbled to a 3, and Hura moved his piece accordingly with quick taps.
"It's 'Compliment Time'! So, join hands, look into each other's eyes, and give one compliment each."
"Ah..."
"No thanks..."
"The faster we do it, the faster it's over!"
At that, the two reluctantly clasped hands.
Dahyun spoke first.
"Um... Seo Ji-hyun-ssi is really cute."
Her tone was soft and measured, but her eyes flashed sharply.
"So sly and charming like a fox, it's so cute I just wanna chomp down on you."
"……."
"Er... yes. Good? Okay, Seo Ji-hyun-ssi's turn."
Under Hura's prompting, Molrangkau spoke up.
"Lee Dahyun-ssi is way cuter."
Molrangkau grinned as she complimented Dahyun.
"She's so petite and tiny, super cute."
"……!"
Dahyun's eyes widened.
...Is this a compliment?
Hura calmed the growling pair and rolled the die.
"Next up: 'Ask a Question' time!"
Dahyun shot her hand up.
"Host-nim!"
"Yes, Lee Dahyun-ssi."
"What if I have zero questions?"
"Er... well—"
Molrangkau cut in as Hura faltered.
"What a coincidence. Me neither."
Zzap—
Another staring contest.
"W-Well, we'll skip it then. Rolling!"
Clatter—
"Ah, now it's 'Give Nicknames'! Let's try it."
Dahyun's hand shot up.
"I'll go first, Host-nim!"
"Ooh, great enthusiasm! Go ahead."
Dahyun grinned slyly at Molrangkau.
"Seo Ji-hyun-ssi is so sly and foxy, how about 'Fire Fox'?"
The Fire Fox glared at Dahyun with blazing eyes.
She raised her hand too.
"My turn, Host-nim!"
"Ah, yes. Seo Ji-hyun-ssi's go."
Molrangkau chuckled darkly.
"Lee Dahyun-ssi is so tiny and cute, I'll call her 'Pipsqueak.'"
"……!"
Hura quickly rolled the die to stop Pipsqueak from drawing her gun.
"Yes! Next is 'Three-Line Poem' with your opponent's name! Dahyun-ssi first. Seo!"
"Seo Ji-hyun!"
"Ji!"
"Is from!"
"Hyeon!"
"The planet's top Fire Fox!"
Molrangkau fired right back.
"My turn."
"I!"
"Lee Dahyun."
"Da!"
"Has it all."
"Hyeon!"
"Except her ridiculously short height."
"……!"
Dahyun yanked out her gun and yelled.
"Hey! Get over here! I'm not that short, okay? I'm average height!"
"N-Now, now! Next is 'Share Favorite Songs'! Dahyun-ssi?"
Dahyun huffed and puffed.
"I recommend 'The Sly Bitch Fire Fox.'"
"...Is that a real song?"
"I don't knowww!"
"...Got it. Seo Ji-hyun-ssi?"
"'The Tale of the Tiny Pipsqueak.'"
"Heyyy!! I'm not tiny!!"
"Dahyun-ssi! Calm down! Put the gun away!"
"Now... the grand finale?"
After all the ups and downs, they'd finally reached the last space on Hura's board game.
It read: 'Eat Your Favorite Food Together.'
"Everyone excited?"
"Excited my ass."
"I just want this over ASAP."
"……."
Things between the two hadn't improved at all.
If anything, they felt worse.
Hura sighed and asked them.
"Any food you wanna eat?"
"Tteokbokki."
"Sounds good."
Their first agreement ever.
Hura took some small comfort in that and pulled out his Moonlight Frying Pan, starting on the tteokbokki.
Chop chop chop—
Sizzle—
Bubble bubble—
Hura's hands moved without hesitation.
He flicked the pan to mix, adding rice cakes and sauce by eye, perfectly.
It looked sloppy at a glance, but his practiced motions whipped it up in seconds.
Like a magic trick, or actual magic.
The spicy tteokbokki aroma soon filled the forest.
"……."
"……."
Molrangkau stared, drool trickling from her mouth.
Dahyun chewed on her fork, swallowing hard over and over.
Suddenly, Ji-hyun wiped her drool with the back of her hand and glanced at Dahyun.
Dahyun met her gaze.
Just moments ago, they'd been snarling and grimacing at each other.
Now, they were just innocently staring at the tteokbokki, gulping saliva.
Like kids politely waiting at the table for dinner.
Seeing each other smack their lips the same way, they both burst out laughing.
Why had they been so dead set on hating each other?
Dahyun spoke cautiously.
"...You're really good at cooking, huh?"
"...Yeah."
"……."
"……."
"Wanna drop the formalities? We're only two years apart anyway."
"Sure...?"
"Alright then, Ji-hyun-ah."
"...Dahyun-ah."
"No, you call me unnie."
Hura smiled quietly at their murmuring voices from behind.
Not a total failure, at least.
Not a smashing success, but a small win maybe.
Hura and Dahyun logged off, leaving Molrangkau to return to the group still boozing it up with their drinking games.
"Oh, Molrangkau's back."
"Yes."
"Where'd Hura and the fairy go? They said they'd be right back."
"They left. Probably coming tomorrow."
"Ah... I see."
Bes's shoulders slumped a bit.
Molrangkau eyed her wilted expression.
"Why so bummed?"
"Hm? What're you on about? Bummed? When did I say I was bummed?"
"You seem pretty close with that 'fairy' now? Weren't you saying you had to crush your rival before?"
"She's... better than I thought. Kinda fun too..."
Zzap—
Under Molrangkau's glare, Bes hurriedly backpedaled.
"Ahem... Kidding. It was all part of the plan."
"What plan?"
"Er, well, you see... the plan is..."
Bes shot Geum Taeyang a desperate look for help.
"Right. Geum Taeyang here can explain."
"M-Me?"
Ever since Hura's skill evolved into Cooking Clone Art, Geum Taeyang and Tteoksoon-i could stay manifested in Pangwol even after Hura logged off.
Though their combat power was near zero—they were just for show.
Molrangkau turned to Geum Taeyang.
"What plan? Spill."
"Well, you see. The plan is..."
Geum Taeyang hemmed and hawed for a moment before improvising something plausible.
"This is Lesson 1, Molrangkau-nim."
"...Lesson 1?"
"Yes. Didn't you sign up for our class last time?"
"What class?"
"'Save as 'Lover' Instead of 'Friend'.'"
"...Still hate that title."
"We were demonstrating Lesson 1 in person."
"What's Lesson 1?"
"Know thyself and know thy enemy, and you will win every battle—ring a bell?"
"Yeah. If you know yourself and your enemy, victory every time."
"Exactly."
Molrangkau fiddled with her lips thoughtfully before speaking.
"So... you got close to learn about the enemy?"
"Precisely. You have to get friendly first. It was unavoidable bonding."
Geum Taeyang said it shamelessly, face straight.
"I recommend you bond with Dahyun-nim too, Molrangkau-nim. The more you know your opponent, the higher your win rate."
"……."
Getting close to gather intel...
Molrangkau recalled chatting amiably with Dahyun over tteokbokki just now.
Honestly? It'd been kinda fun.
"...Can't be helped."
"Exactly. No choice."
"Getting friendly... not so bad, I guess."
Molrangkau smiled quietly.
Whoosh—
Fiery Homemade Fire Ramen
3 Silver
Limited Time Only
D-0
A massive firework bloomed in the sky, revealing a flashy sign.
The long-awaited Day 7.
"Woooah! The fire's lit!"
"Last one! This is really it!"
"Let's goooo!!"
The players who'd been waiting in Yuten Village for dawn charged toward Harten like they were off to war.
"Raaah!!"
Heading to Harten in pitch-black midnight, with zero visibility? Suicide.
So they'd waited for morning.
Now they plunged into the brutal blizzard like a zombie horde.
A white curtain of death scattered like mist.
How many of that massive crowd would actually reach Harten?
Who'd make the last train?
And so, the curtain rose on the fateful Day 7.
In the forest near Harten.
The Tteokbokki Cult executives in black hoods gathered in a clearing, faces grim as they held a meeting.
"Chairman-nim. What exactly did you discuss with Hura-nim?"
"I tried to persuade him, but failed. That's all."
The Chairman explained, but rebuttals came fast.
"But we predicted failure."
"We planned to drag him if needed, remember?"
The Chairman replied calmly.
It was the same question—and answer—for the umpteenth time.
"I told you. Hura-nim is far stronger than we thought. That approach won't work."
"But..."
"Are you questioning my judgment now?"
"……."
No one could answer the Chairman's question.
His keen insight and decisions had been proven time and again.
Beyond doubt, unmatched.
"...Not that, but didn't we prepare Plan B just in case?"
"……."
The Chairman paused.
"We tried... but it failed too."
One executive thumped his chest in frustration.
"Exactly! Tell us how it failed! Just 'failed' tells us nothing!"
"……."
But the Chairman stayed silent.
"Members are rioting about when they'll meet Hura-nim."
"We've stopped over 50 deserters today alone!"
"How long do we have to wait?!"
Rebellion brewed strong.
The Chairman's authority suppressed it for now, but it was on the verge.
"...Wait."
"For what?!"
"Until when?!"
The executives seized the moment, voices rising.
"The Sapjaru-dan is coming!"
"What if they snag Hura-nim first?!"
"It's not too late!"
"We should drag him by force right—"
Then—
"Big trouble!"
A Tteokbokki Cult member came sprinting in, out of breath.
"What is it?"
"It's—"
Before he could speak, a bizarre laugh echoed from afar.
—Sap haha!
—Sap hahahaha!
"The Sapjaru-dan has arrived!"
"……!"