12. My Buff is a Drug
12. My Buff is a Drug
No, it was still too early to give up.
Maybe the hypnosis content was just too powerful to pull off with his current cost.
He deleted the firearm proficiency buff he'd made as a fallback and buried himself in building the hypnosis buff.
'Let's ease the conditions a little.'
[ Impossible! ]
'Let's compromise more.'
[ Impossible! ]
Not yet.
Giving up here would earn him the resentment of countless people who'd never even dared to hope for a hypnosis app.
Hye-yong racked his brain desperately, testing every condition he could think of.
[ Impossible! ]
"Hm."
But apparently, manipulating a person's mind was harder than he'd thought.
He didn't blatantly use the word hypnosis; he tried every trick he could come up with—making the target more receptive to unconscious suggestions or hints—but no opening appeared.
'Bwitgwitgak said... controlling someone's mind is nothing more than creating a new fake personality and dominating it.'
Maybe creating that "new fake personality" was the hard part.
In the end, all he could manage was raising his own charm.
[ Allure ]
Charm stat level +3
'Sigh. So basically, make myself look cool and hope they feel that way on their own? Not exactly easy.'
Honestly, he suspected hypnosis had been possible originally and Bwitgwitgak was just pulling strings to squeeze more of that recognition power out of him.
The thought flickered briefly, but it felt too paranoid, so he erased it.
'Well, come to think of it, directly manipulating a mind is way too broken. You could make even the strongest guys swear loyalty to you. It makes sense it can't be made.'
When people realize they've failed, they tend to reframe the thing they were trying to do as impossible.
'And hypnosis—what hypnosis. A guy should compete with his own natural charm. If I went around spamming hypnosis everywhere, sure, it'd be fun at first, but I'd get sick of everything real quick. Looks like I'll be living here a while—can't afford to be bored already.'
He also dismissed the potential rewards of success with a healthy dose of sour grapes.
It was an unavoidable defense mechanism, which just went to show how deep his disappointment ran.
'Well... as my cost increases, this kind of thing will be possible someday. Someday.'
For now, Hye-yong decided to accept that much.
'Let's check the new buff's performance.'
A buff that raises charm.
He cast it on himself and looked in the mirror.
'What changed? Hmm...'
Staring at a mirror didn't seem likely to confirm anything.
'I'd need to know how other people see me.'
Unless he could read minds, that was pretty vague too.
Wondering if raising the buff's power would make a difference, he decided to boost it further.
But then.
[ Impossible! ]
'Huh?'
He'd only raised the charm stat increase to level 4.
Yet making it any higher was already impossible.
Hard to swallow.
'At first, wasn't I able to raise all stats by 8 levels each?'
Did that mean just a single charm stat, even at low level, was eating up this much cost?
'Ah... is this maybe one of those things?'
Hye-yong recalled when he'd tried to create a luck stat for Choi Ah-young.
Even after dumping all his cost into it, he'd never been able to make a luck stat.
Luck and charm were stats that didn't exist in the modpack, the original basis of this world.
Even if he made an all-stats buff, it clearly wouldn't raise luck or charm.
'If I try to force a setting that was never implemented in the modpack, does that come with corresponding restrictions?'
That seemed likely to be the case.
But then, thinking about the firearm proficiency buff, a question bubbled up.
'There were no guns in the original novel or the modpack, were there? But I cranked up firearm proficiency and shooting accuracy and used them just fine.'
At this point, it just seemed like it did whatever the hell it wanted.
If they tell you to jump, you jump. What else can you do?
You can't make the impossible possible.
All Hye-yong could do was try various tricks.
[ Allure ]
Male charm stat level +5
Like changing the stat from mere charm to male charm.
[ Allure ]
Charm stat level +7
Only when the viewer is Seo Ha-yoon
Choi Hye-yong exclusive
Borrowing the idea of exclusive buffs, he made it so he appeared charming to only one person.
'Hm, this seems decent. Still, level 7 should make a difference.'
If he met Seo Ha-yoon like this, wouldn't she see him as at least a little charming?
Hye-yong turned on his terminal and opened the messenger app.
Obviously, she was already added as a friend.
May 12
[ Seo Ha-yoon : Hye-yong, you didn't forget we're meeting up today, right? ]
[ Choi Hye-yong : Ah, sorry. I didn't know where the otherworld waiting room was. ]
[ Seo Ha-yoon : It's okay. I'll come pick you up. Just wait a little. ]
May 13
[ Seo Ha-yoon : I'll come get you soon. ]
[ Choi Hye-yong : Ah, it's fine now. I remembered the location. ]
[ Seo Ha-yoon : I already left, so I'm coming. Since we're going anyway, it's better to go together. ]
[ Choi Hye-yong : Got it. Starting tomorrow, you don't have to come get me. ]
Past chat records.
By "past," he meant yesterday and today.
The reason Seo Ha-yoon had come to Hye-yong's room and brought him to the otherworld waiting room was because of that earlier conversation.
'Seo Ha-yoon, surprisingly, takes good care of me. Though it's not because I'm me—more like looking after a guy who's a little lacking...'
Now Hye-yong might be in a position to take care of Seo Ha-yoon with exclusive buffs, but just two days ago, it wasn't like that at all.
No ability, suffering from a frustrating illness like aphasia, dead weight.
That was the state of the character Choi Hye-yong before Hye-yong possessed him.
— H-hey, Ah-young... Hye-yong s-seems to be in bad shape. How about we m-meet again tomorrow?
— Is his body okay now?
Even so, Seo Ha-yoon had sounded genuinely worried.
'Hmm, Seo Ha-yoon. If it's Seo Ha-yoon, she'd listen carefully even if I called her over to spout nonsense...'
He checked the current time.
7:10 PM.
Mealtime had passed, and it was time for self-improvement or rest.
Should he send a message?
As for reasons why he'd called her—or topics to keep the conversation going—he had plenty.
Choi Ah-young was one thing, but Seo Ha-yoon was timid and weak in asserting herself, so she didn't feel hard to deal with.
After hesitating for about twenty seconds, Hye-yong sent Seo Ha-yoon a message.
[ Choi Hye-yong : Ha-yoon, what are you doing? ]
A reply came back in less than ten seconds.
[ Seo Ha-yoon : Just not doing anything in my room. I plan to go to the training room at 8. ]
'Hm, Seo Ha-yoon trains hard regularly too.'
[ Choi Hye-yong : I have something to say. Want to meet at the café? I'll buy the drinks. ]
[ Seo Ha-yoon : Now? ]
[ Choi Hye-yong : Now. Just give me about thirty minutes. ]
[ Seo Ha-yoon : Which café should I go to? ]
'Okay. Let's head out.'
He typed the café name in the chat and left his room right away.
"Over here, Ha-yoon."
"Ah."
Hye-yong had arrived first and secured a seat.
The moment he saw Seo Ha-yoon come through the door, he waved her over.
Seo Ha-yoon sat across from him.
"What do you want to drink?"
"Umm... iced tea is fine."
"Then iced tea for me too."
The iced tea—that peach flavor everyone knows.
Price: 2.5 points.
'I should've drunk this when I met Choi Ah-young.'
Hye-yong reflected on the time he'd carelessly ordered a green grape sparkling drink that cost 5 points, and placed the iced tea order.
"So what's this thing you wanted to say?"
"Well... this might sound random, but I wanted to say thank you. In person."
"Th, thank... me...?"
"Yeah. I remember all the times you looked after me. Ever since I reawakened and my illness got better, I felt like I had to say this."
"Ah, I, I see. Yeah, you didn't need to worry about it."
Seo Ha-yoon began to stutter, just a little.
Proof she was slightly flustered.
But not the bad kind of flustered.
There aren't many people in the world who'd feel bad receiving sincere thanks.
'Hye-yong... was grateful to me. I never... thought about it that way.'
The pride of a farmer who nurtures the seeds he sowed and reaps them.
Seo Ha-yoon was feeling something similar.
"So, I want to help you too. If you ever have a worry you can't solve or need my help, call me anytime."
"O, oh? You don't have to go that far..."
"No, there's such a thing as a debt of the heart. Don't feel burdened."
Th-then...
Will you keep... being in the same party as me from now on...?
Those words hovered on Seo Ha-yoon's lips before she swallowed them.
'What if he thinks I'm a nuisance.'
Seo Ha-yoon was timid and weak in asserting herself.
Naturally, being human, she had plenty of worries and things she wanted.
But confiding them to others was not something she could easily consider.
"I don't really, uh, have any. Lately the raids have been going well..."
"Really? Is that so. Well, worries can pop up anytime. If there's ever anything I can help with, message me. Promise?"
"Thanks, Hye-yong. If something like that comes up, I will."
He was signaling that he wanted to get closer while controlling the distance so he didn't barge in all at once.
Maybe that put her oddly at ease.
Seo Ha-yoon stopped stuttering.
'Ah, what now?'
Just as Seo Ha-yoon had hesitated, Hye-yong was also hesitating.
It was about time to cast the buff and check her reaction.
What should he say to draw her attention?
Should he check her reaction subtly, or should he come right out and ask how he looked today to get a clear response? He had to choose.
'...Yeah. A little embarrassing, but it's better to be certain.'
He steeled his resolve.
"Ha-yoon."
Right after calling her, Hye-yong cast the new buff on himself.
"Yeah...?"
Seo Ha-yoon's eyes widened slightly.
A tense moment.
'Is she definitely noticing a change...?'
Her eyes had widened just a bit and she wasn't saying anything, so it was hard to tell.
Hye-yong brought out the line he'd prepared.
"How do I look today?"
"Wh, wha, what? H-how you look?"
That was a tone women only use with their boyfriends!
This time, flustered in a not-so-good way, Seo Ha-yoon began stuttering severely.
As the one saying it, Hye-yong felt awkwardness creeping over his own body too, but he suppressed it and held his ground.
"I... changed my hairstyle. Sort of an image change... I figured it'd be meaningless to ask other guys, so I wondered how it looks to you, as a girl."
"Ah, uh, yeah. It looks coo-cool. An image change, huh. I did think y-you looked a little different!"
In fact, his hairstyle hadn't changed at all.
The reason he said that was to hear that something seemed different.
He saw Seo Ha-yoon's face redden a little.
'Was that a proper compliment? Or did she just say whatever because she was flustered? I can't tell.'
He observed her reaction more.
Her face was growing redder, and she didn't know what to do with herself.
'Can I consider this a sign it's working?'
He wanted to confirm more clearly, but pushing further here might have the opposite effect.
Still, it seemed to have an effect.
He just didn't know how much.
It seemed best to be content with just this much information today and head back.
"I was worried it might look weird, so that's a relief. Haha."
He laughed awkwardly to wrap up the situation.
Seo Ha-yoon, maybe trying to hide her reddened face, lowered her head completely and stared at the floor.
Seeing that, he figured she was done for, so he decided to leave first.
"I said what I wanted to, so I'll head out. Train hard."
"O, oh, okay. B-bye..."
Long after Hye-yong left, Seo Ha-yoon sat alone staring at the floor for a good while.
'Image... change... so that's what it was. I didn't even notice at first...'
Words of thanks.
Wanting to repay her.
Had she gotten shaken because he said he had a debt of the heart?
Suddenly, Choi Hye-yong seemed like a completely different person.
Of course, she had been vaguely sensing a change since two days ago.
But today especially, so many things seemed different.
'Just a little change in his hairstyle can make that big a difference... amazing.'
Now that he was gone and her startled heart had settled a little, regret lingered.
She should have clearly said his new hair was much better.
She resented her own timid nature.