Chapter 26
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Minecraft Mischief and Crunch Time
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"Ah, they regain their energy so damn fast."
As soon as my major class ended, I dragged my heavy footsteps back home.
Right after returning from Jeju Island, the onslaught of assignments and group projects had left me no time to even catch my breath.
I opened the front door and stepped inside to the sound of someone playing a game.
Sea was holed up in the game room.
"Hey, Yoon Dojin. You still alive?"
She was staring intently at the monitor, an iced Americano clutched in one hand.
The screen was packed with blocky squares.
"What the hell. You dive straight into gaming the moment I get back?"
"Why? It's not like you haven't seen me game before."
"No, hold up. You logged in with that Unknown account last time, right?"
"Huh? How'd you know that?"
"I popped into the Battle Ark community for the first time in ages, and Unknown was all over the front page."
She shoved her phone screen right in my face.
"You took down a streamer who was live, some top ranker? The video's blowing up."
I glanced at it and nodded.
"Oh, that guy was a ranker? I just smacked him for mouthing off. Weaker than I thought."
"Crazy. You beat a ranker and call him weak? But seriously, you thinking of getting back into it for real?"
"For real? It's been years. And I'm a third-year now—my nose is too stuffy for that."
"Yeah? Hmm..."
Sea rested her chin on her hand, staring right at me.
"I just logged in on a whim, nostalgia hit."
"Nostalgia, huh? Come to think of it, I had no idea you were that good back in high school."
Her words brought back memories of all-nighters at the PC bang during high school.
While I was crushing opponents left and right, she was the one getting more hyped, screaming her head off behind me.
"I got caught up in the vibe too, riding your energy."
Sea chewed on her straw as she continued.
"Honestly, rushing to the PC bang after classes every day? That was the fun part."
"It was fun. You could never get the ramen water right, always stealing mine."
"Yours just tasted better."
"And that rush of taking down opponents."
"You yelling in my ear the whole time nearly deafened me."
"But without me, you'd have been bored out of your mind at the PC bang alone."
She propped her chin up again, grinning mischievously.
"In the end, I just have fun gaming with you."
"So, what's your point?"
Sea paused, like she was mulling something over.
"...Nah, forget Battle Ark. Let's play something else together. Like this."
She spun the monitor toward me.
I knew the name 'Minecraft' at least.
A screen full of blocky squares, graphics that didn't look half bad.
"This? Isn't it just digging dirt and building houses?"
"Hey, it takes some brains, okay? Come on in. I've got a spot ready."
I was baffled, but she kept nagging until I finally sat in the empty chair and grabbed the mouse.
"By the way, everything's being recorded."
"What? Why?"
"Gonna upload to my YouTube later. Just wanna keep a record of us gaming."
"Hey. My voice is copyrighted."
"Shut up and log in. Zombies are spawning."
She was clearly planning to tease me fumbling through a game I'd never played.
"Right side of the screen turns the view, left moves. Got it?"
"Yeah, roughly."
The game started, and blocky zombies came swarming my character.
"Hey! Back up! You got no weapons!"
Sea yelled advice from the side.
But I calmly worked the controls, fingers steady.
I dodged back at the perfect moment, slipping just out of their attack range.
Then I started whacking the monsters' heads one by one with a wooden stick.
The hit feedback wasn't great, but after a few swings, I spotted their patterns.
In seconds, monsters around me dropped items and collapsed.
"..."
Sea's jaw dropped; she'd gone quiet after all her noise.
"Hey, this your first time for real?"
"Yeah. First time."
"Your controls are insane."
She let out a short, incredulous breath.
"Clearing a zombie horde with no gear. No fun."
"Why? I'm good at this stuff. What's next?"
Sea pouted and tapped my screen.
"Whatever. You just dig here and mine some diamonds. Here's a pickaxe."
I took the rickety wooden pickaxe she tossed and headed underground obediently.
And about an hour later.
"Ah, more monsters. When's this house gonna be done?"
Sea groaned from the next chair.
I maneuvered my character up to the surface.
I found her character's dirt hut hideout.
A pathetic lump of mud, roughly piled up.
I smashed open the dirt door with my shiny sword and strode in.
"Hey! Why break the door? Now monsters get in!"
Sea yelped, then froze seeing my character.
I was decked out head to toe in blue mineral armor.
"W-what the hell is all that?"
"What? You told me to mine diamonds."
"No way. When did you mine enough for full armor?"
"They popped up quick while digging."
I smirked, glancing around her cramped dirt shack.
"Hey, why's your house such a dump? Gonna leak."
"Shut up. Why you wrecking someone else's house?"
"Couldn't just walk by; owner looks too pitiful."
Sea pursed her lips and circled my character.
"Hey. Gimme just one diamond."
"No. Gotta save 'em."
"Cheapskate. You swept the underground clean; nothing left for me."
"If you're mad, dig deeper yourself."
"Ugh, just one. I only got this dirt stick."
At her begging—pride tossed aside—I curled my lips.
"Fine. Let's trade."
I moved close to her character, fingers flying.
Tak-tak-tak.
In three seconds flat, solid stone blocks piled up around her on all sides.
A tight, ceiling-sealed solitary cell complete.
"Huh? Why's the screen smaller?"
Sea panicked, hammering her mouse.
"Am I trapped?"
"Yeah. I locked you in."
"What? Let me out now!"
Her character swung the pickaxe at the stone walls.
"Hey! Yoon Dojin! Move!"
But for every block she broke, I slapped two more on from outside.
Sealed her in tight—no escape.
"I'll let you out for toll. No diamonds? Gimme something."
"You know I got nothing but dirt!"
Sea fumed, mashing her mouse like crazy.
Then, like a lightbulb went off, she smirked.
"Wait. I got no items anyway. I'll pay with my body."
"No items? What body?"
"For real. My actual body, here."
She toyed with a button on her shirt, smiling languidly.
"Ah, this punk's at it again."
My scolding didn't faze her.
She cupped her chest with both arms, pushing up as she scooted closer.
"What? It's premium. Can't buy this for money."
"..."
"You know from touching it."
Her thin shirt strained over the curves filling my view.
The memory of my fingertips tingled vividly; my throat went dry.
I wrenched my gaze away and dropped the mouse.
"Fuck this. I'm out."
I shot up from my seat; she flinched, startled.
Her smug teasing face was gone.
"Hey, you impotent jerk. Fine, I won't tease. Let's keep gaming."
She grabbed my clothes desperately.
But sitting here longer would just torment me again.
"Whatever. Got assignments anyway. Play alone."
I shook off her hand and turned away without regret.
She acted shameless with her words, but her ears were beet red, ready to burst.
Always embarrassing herself with her own taunts—why keep provoking?
The next day at school.
Reality's grind choked the life out of me again.
No, I literally couldn't breathe.
"Hey, those guys still not picking up?"
"Nah. Phones are off."
"KakaoTalk?"
"No reads since yesterday afternoon."
The teammate across from me ruffled his hair in frustration.
"Fuck. Presentation's in three days. They're insane."
"Both ghosted hard."
I blankly set my dead phone on the desk.
He eyed my stiff expression and scowled.
"Just rat 'em to the prof. Yank their names off now."
"No. First class, he said any team breakdown means group penalty for solidarity. Scholarship gone this semester."
"Then what? We do all the coding and script prep alone?"
"Yeah. I roughed out the materials anyway."
I rubbed my stiff neck and exhaled shortly.
"Sorry. Let's grind it out together."
Sucking it up for the scholarship sucked, but no choice.
He roughly tousled his hair at my flat apology.
"Fine. Fuck those assholes."
He glared at the empty front seats, grinding his teeth viciously.
From that day, three hellish days began.
At least the Jeju cash let me skip shifts—small mercy.
Back home, I'd hole up in my tiny room, chugging bitter drinks.
When sleep hit, cold water to the face; three sleepless days straight.
And finally, right after the presentation ended.
"Hey, Yoon Dojin."
My teammate nudged my arm.
"Yeah. Barely."
"Tough bastard. You basically soloed it and still got top score."
"You helped too. Glad the grades are good."
"I chipped in, but you did damn near everything."
"Appreciate you saying so."
"But your face looks like a corpse. One poke and you'd drop."
"Slept two hours total over three days. Crashing hard when I get home."
"Ugh. Go. Grab some food at least."
"Yeah."
Dragging my legs out of the building, heavy rain suddenly poured.
No cash for an umbrella, no strength to wait it out.
I plunged into the downpour.
Cold rain hammered my feverish head mercilessly.
With the goal cleared, relief hit—and the tension I'd held snapped.
Body heavy as wet cotton, I barely made it to Sea's place.
My fingers trembled pressing the door lock.
I opened the door, and my legs gave out.
Couldn't even think to shed my soaked jacket.
Vision flickered black.
I collapsed straight onto the cold entryway floor.