Otaku Endurance: 240 Hours No Sleep
240 hours of no-sleep gaming is basic for any otaku. ……………
Right before the pink magic condensed at the tip of the magic wand could explode.
The flavor from Han Min-seo's emotions shifted again. The metallic taste rapidly cooled. The murderous heat that had been scorching my tongue just moments ago ebbed away like the tide, leaving an empty space filled by something entirely different.
It's hot. But not the searing heat of molten iron. Cherry blossoms. A profoundly warm and intense taste wafting with the scent of cherry blossoms.
What the heck? Suddenly. Why this flavor from Han Min-seo?
It's the transfer of residual mental imprint from the brooch's previous user!
Mental imprint? First time hearing that.
In other words, the soul gem that forms the brooch's core—the will of whoever used it before is flowing into the snack provider!
Someone who used the soul gem? ……Ah.
The taste of despair like expired strawberry jam mixed with sewer water. Yet even in that despair, the sparkling hope that refused to melt until the very end, like popping candy. Magical☆Sakura. The emotions of that magical girl—whose name I never even learned—that I watched until her final moment had transcended time and space to reach Han Min-seo.
Right before the destructive magic could fire, Han Min-seo twisted the magic wand's trajectory sharply. The pink energy's form changed. The light, condensing into crystalline bullets, unraveled and stretched long like a ribbon.
That's it. Light's restraining ropes. The soft pink stream of light extended like a snake, binding the first guard's hands and feet tight. Then the second, the third. The light strands split and split again, capturing several at once.
Without spilling a drop of blood, without inflicting a single wound. Without taking a single life, she perfectly subdued the enemies.
As the last guard was bound, the gunfire echoing through the lobby fell silent.
I was about to pop the final caramel popcorn into my mouth—but instead, I fed it to the exhausted-looking Yi Gyu-rin.
“……Huh, wha? Me?”
Crunch.
I dusted off the bag and sorted my thoughts. The lingering taste from Han Min-seo now that the metallic flavor was gone.
It resembled the flavor from the agents right before deploying against Tera Chad—the taste of swallowing fear to protect others. But the texture was different. If the agents' had been hot and sweet like hot chocolate, Han Min-seo's current emanation was far subtler and more delicate.
To compare—it was like freshly brewed warm flower tea. Flower tea after bland Pyongyang naengmyeon? Han Min-seo was getting richer in flavor by the day.
The agents' hot chocolate, Tera Chad's charcoal-grilled savoriness, and Han Min-seo's flower tea. Emotions fueled by conviction all taste amazing. This is a great discovery.
Han Min-seo, having subdued the guards, rolled her shoulders and turned back. Yi Gyu-rin, leaning against the barricade, nodded with a deeply pleased expression.
“Why are you smiling like that!?”
“I'm just happy our Min-seo found her true calling.”
“What true calling!?”
“What're you thinking for your magical girl name? Pinky? Or something like Rose Knight?”
“Ugh, seriously, I don't know!”
Hmm, not a bad wrap-up. I clapped silently once more.
……………
A few days passed. My sense of human time has gotten weird since becoming non-human, but I've counted the sun rising and setting seven times, so it's accurate.
Quite a few things happened in the meantime—piecing together the gossip I've overheard here and there:
First, the commotion at the Grand Arc. It's been pinned on an unidentified mental domination threat entity. The threat dominated the external security guards from some company, apparently. For an incident where the head of state nearly got kidnapped, the cleanup has been remarkably quiet. Quieter than an indefinite no-collateral no-guarantee zero-interest loan.
The Korean government must've broken out in cold sweats. They apparently groveled to Microgenics' CEO, Will Bates—who was staying there as a state guest—begging forgiveness.
Makes sense. A firefight with bullets flying in the middle of the building in the host country. A normal Homo sapiens would've exploded in rage, demanding heads roll.
Surprisingly, though, Will Bates coolly accepted the government's apology. Overlooking a total mess in his own lodging? Pretty magnanimous guy.
Anyway, this has Shin Chang-seok busier than usual, but I don't care much about politics, so I tuned it out.
More important news: about my precious snack provider, Han Min-seo.
Han Min-seo, who made her flashy debut amid the pink light streams that day, underwent Threat Management Agency evaluation and got rated an A-rank Awakener.
Extremely underrated.
The snack provider barely understands the magic system even now. If handled properly, she'd blow past S-rank easy.
Hmm. But since then, Han Min-seo has been extremely reluctant to transform. She avoids Awakener duties too. I overheard Yi Gyu-rin saying she should at least train, but Han Min-seo just dodges and mumbles excuses.
This is totally the pattern humans show when they don't wanna do something. Swinging that magic wand as a magical girl is the fastest way to improve, though.
No way she hates the magical girl costume, right? The accidents put so much thought into the design.
One good change, though: the distance between Han Min-seo and Yi Gyu-rin has noticeably shrunk. They sit side by side whispering far more often. Eating together, leaning heads on shoulders, holding hands. Affection levels rising?
I asked the accidents.
Hmm, feels more like battle buddy camaraderie.
They say near-death experiences bring people closer! Saw it on TV!
I see. Well, she's gotten closer to Yi Gyu-rin, so Han Min-seo's wish came true. Good for her.
……………
And right now—I'm poking the side of Oh Deok-hwan, who's dozing with a gamepad in hand, using my toe.
Bob, bob. His head sways like a pendulum. Still munching the Banana Punch candy I just fed him.
Tsk tsk. He really wanted to game, but couldn't beat the sleep demon, huh. Still, 23 straight hours without rest shows some passion.
217 hours to go!
The little accident spun in circles holding a sign. The plan to repay Oh Deok-hwan's kindness with a 240-hour no-food no-sleep no-rest gaming marathon. Still a long way to go.
But he can't sleep now. He's got the Try Spyro 2 achievement "See the Ending with Base Cards Only" left.
Poke, poke. Toes again. No reaction.
Won't work. I stretched out a single strand of hair. Thinner than thread, finer than a needle gauge. Plunged it into the vein-visible spot on his inner forearm.
The pre-synthesized caffeine crystals in the hair flowed into his bloodstream. Time for the 99.7% pure caffeine refined by the accidents to hit his capillaries and reach his heart: about 0.8 seconds.
“Gahaaaaaah!!”
Oh Deok-hwan shot up like a frog electrocuted, limbs flailing.
Whoa, eyes bulging wide.
“Sleep! Gone!! My heart's gonna explode!!”
Heart-exploding game passion. He really loves gaming. Clap clap. I applauded his otaku spirit.
True otakus never yield to mere sleep.
Crunch. Bit into another Banana Punch and watched his gameplay.
Then, a whisper from behind.
(D-Deok-hwan sunbae might actually die like that……?)
Han Min-seo, whispering right into Yi Gyu-rin's ear. Cold sweat flavor in her emotions. She's worried.
But Yi Gyu-rin's reply was different.
(Leave him be. That guy's been hogging all the weekend and night shifts claiming he can communicate with the outer god or whatever. He deserves it.)
Her tone and face both screamed satisfaction. A taste confirmed it—pure refreshment. Yi Gyu-rin is the real deal, inside and out.
“By the way, Min-seo.”
Yi Gyu-rin smoothly changed the subject.
“Comic Con this weekend. Wanna go together?”
“Huh!?”
Han Min-seo's eyes went round. Whoa, suddenly a super sweet strawberry macaron burst from my snack provider. What’s this fluffy, sugar-coated emotion?
I know this! It's the Homo sapiens attraction to a mating partner—
The glasses-wearing accident tried chiming in excitedly, but Yi Gyu-rin's follow-up buried it.
“Cosplay gets you discounted entry.”
“……I don't have a cosplay outfit.”
Oh. Macaron flavor evaporated instantly, replaced by massive wariness bristling from her whole body. Like a porcupine, quills fully up.
“Just transform. That's your cosplay.”
Yi Gyu-rin smirked and grabbed Han Min-seo's shoulder.
“Min-seo, you haven't transformed once since that day.”
“Huh?! How'd you know……?!”
Her face apple-red, Han Min-seo jerked back. But Yi Gyu-rin pressed forward.
“Gotta transform often to get used to it—raise your rank, make bank.”
Playful tone, but her emotional flavor said genuine worry. Han Min-seo sensed it too; her prickliness softened a bit.
Bzzz, bzzz.
Then Han Min-seo's pocket vibrated. Her expression hardened checking the smartphone screen.
“……Director's emergency summons.”
“I wasn't called? Then maybe—”
Yi Gyu-rin's face visibly darkened.
Han Min-seo pocketed the phone and stood.
“I'll head out.”
Yi Gyu-rin reached out, grabbing her wrist.
“Min-seo. If it seems too dangerous, say no. Awakeners have veto rights.”
Han Min-seo smiled faintly, gently slipping free.
“Don't worry too much. And……if it's really needed, I have to.”
With that, she opened the door and left my room. Footsteps faded down the hall, then vanished.
Hmm, Yi Gyu-rin's worry has thickened a lot. What's going on? I'm super curious now.
Why Shin Chang-seok called only Han Min-seo, excluding Yi Gyu-rin and Oh Deok-hwan. Why Yi Gyu-rin is this uneasy.
Gotta follow and find out. Pat pat.