Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: The Sound Designer
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Back when I was still working at the company.
The time when every game I released was a complete flop.
There was one piece of feedback that followed my games without fail.
『They should've just made a music video. How can a game have nothing going for it but the sound?
└ Seriously, the sound is unbelievably good, but the game is hopeless. It's designed so you can't play without paying from the start, so I couldn't get into it.
└ That's Neosoft for you.』
Rave reviews for the sound.
The in-game BGM, the effect sounds including impact noises, and the background music for cinematics. Every other auditory element, too.
The games had such an overwhelming soundtrack that even the users who hated them couldn't help but praise it.
It was so good people even said, “The sound team is AAA-grade.”
But there was one thing they didn't know.
On my team, for my game...
—Team Leader! I'm done with this!
...there was only one person in charge of sound.
—What should I do now? Should I whip up a few more BGM tracks?
Her name was Jo A-yun.
Her trademarks were her long hair dyed pink to the roots, a green tracksuit reminiscent of a tree frog, and a mischievous smile.
She’d earned her high school diploma through the qualification exam and hadn't gone to college.
She’d taught herself music since elementary school and started composing around middle school.
Her credentials were abysmal for getting into a major corporation.
The reason she was able to get into the company despite those credentials was simple.
—This is insane. This new kid is really good, huh?
Her portfolio, a collection of music she’d been making since middle school, had received immense praise both inside and outside the company.
She was what you’d call a special hire.
The reason she ended up under me was due to some unfortunate internal circumstances.
—Still, her academic background is a bit… and it’s questionable whether she can adapt to teamwork.
—Really? In that case, Yeon-ho, why don't you put her through the wringer?
—...Yes, I understand.
The company valued adaptability within a group as much as individual skill.
Looking for good academic backgrounds or external awards was an extension of that.
But Jo A-yun was an unknown quantity, with nothing to her name but her portfolio.
That was how we first met.
—Starting today, I'm your team leader. It's a pleasure to work with you.
—Oh, a handsome one.
—What?
—Looking forward to working with you!
Jo A-yun was a free spirit.
Contrary to the higher-ups' concerns, she was sociable and always pulled her weight at work.
Even though I wasn't a particularly good boss, she followed my lead and showed me genuine kindness.
That's why I thought...
*Ah, she'll move on to a better team for the next project.*
*We won't be working together for long.*
I tried to keep my distance, but her words shattered that expectation.
—Huh? I asked to keep working with you, Team Leader.
She said it as casually as if she were talking about what she’d had for lunch.
She had kicked away the opportunity that landed in her lap to stay under a failure like me.
She wouldn't tell me why, even when I asked.
I can only guess that she, with her rather headstrong personality, confronted the higher-ups and got what she wanted.
Another thing I remember.
—You're quitting, Team Leader? For real?
She was furious when I told her I was resigning.
—Ah, why! Let's just do one more! Huh? We haven't succeeded yet!
I felt sorry.
She was the only one at the company I felt sorry about telling I was leaving.
I was ashamed that she understood, and grateful that she kept in touch afterward.
Sometimes, I wonder.
At the end of my last life, at the moment of my sudden death, I wonder what happened to her, the one I was on the phone with.
Was that time erased, or does it continue to exist, separate from this timeline?
Of course, there's no way to know.
So I'll just do what I can.
In this life, I intend to repay her.
And besides that, I want to go to the top with her.
Now, it's time to take the first step.
[AyuningS2 : Hiii~!]
I greeted the young Jo A-yun I'd gotten close to over the past few days through the screen.
[YeonhoKingWangJjang : yo yo]
Strangers, a distance where we only knew each other online.
Normally, it would take a long time to get to the point of meeting in real life.
After all, she was a severe shut-in; it would probably take months to build enough trust to draw her out.
Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of time.
I had to use a more drastic method.
A method I already knew.
—How did I end up leaving my room? I got scammed in a game. That’s when I thought, ‘Am I just going to end up whimpering in the corner of my room after getting scammed by some asshole? Just you watch, you scammer! I’m going to become someone so great you won’t even dare to look at me! I won’t break here!’ Something like that.
—What kind of logic is that?
—That's a shut-in for you. Anyway, that’s how I ended up taking the qualification exam, kept doing music, and even got a job like this, right? Huh, looking back, that guy was actually a pretty helpful friend.
She left her room, filled with indignation after being scammed in a game.
*Hmm...*
I fell deep in thought.
[AyuningS2 : Yeonoo~ AFK~?]
How should I scam her?
***
Jo A-yun, age 17.
Likes: Composing music, mixed-grain rice, and staying cooped up in her room.
Dislikes: Sunlight, her peers, and her mom's nagging.
It was not a good start to the day.
After all, it was a morning where all three of her dislikes descended upon her at once.
“Hey! A-yun! Open the curtains once in a while! It’s morning, so get up! Look out the window! All the other kids are heading out in their school uniforms, but what on earth are you doing!”
“Agh... close the curtains...”
A-yun whined, pulling the blanket over her head.
A month ago, she had dropped out of high school after being bullied just one week after starting.
A-yun needed time to soothe her wounded heart.
She couldn't get up today because she'd been gaming all night, but that was the story, anyway.
Hmph, hmph. She let out a small whimper, and her mom sighed deeply and stopped nagging.
“...At least eat something. I made mixed-grain rice and meat patties, your favorites.”
“Mmmph...”
Click. Her mom left the room.
Only then did A-yun peek her head out from under the blanket.
Meat patties were her favorite, but she was canceling today.
She had a more important engagement.
Whirrrr—
A-yun immediately turned on her computer and clicked the mushroom-shaped icon on her desktop.
Tiriring—!
A cheerful intro BGM flowed through her headset.
Maple Saga.
It was the game that A-yun, an aspiring shut-in, was completely hooked on.
Lately, her obsession had gotten even worse.
[YeonhoKingWangJjang : yo]
Because she had made a friend.
A friend!
What a sweet-sounding word!
A real friend, who didn't say things like ‘Why are you so arrogant?’ or ‘Acting like a gold digger, are we?’ or ‘Such a princess complex,’ like people did in real life!
How could she possibly leave her computer when she had a friend to share her worries with and go on adventures together!
[AyuningS2 : Hiii~!]
His nickname was YeonhoKingWangJjang; his real name was probably Yeon-ho.
He was the friend who had approached her a week ago, asking for help to defeat ‘Mush Dad.’
Since that day, they had been playing together for about 10 hours a day, growing closer by sharing their deepest thoughts.
The context of how they became friends went something like this.
[AyuningS2 : I was bullied... ㅠㅅㅠ]
[YeonhoKingWangJjang : You too? I was bullied too. They called me an art freak.]
[AyuningS2 : You too? That must have been tough ㅠㅠㅠ]
[YeonhoKingWangJjang : So what are your hobbies? I like to draw.]
[AyuningS2 : I compose music! Whoa, can I see your drawings?]
[YeonhoKingWangJjang : ok but you have to let me hear your music too]
People with the same pain have a way of connecting.
Bullied, a dropout, and with an artistic hobby (Yeon-ho drew better than a college student!).
Best of all, the fact that they were both ‘online 10 hours a day’ fit so perfectly it was like destiny, so how could her affection not soar?
Today was no different.
[AyuningS2 : Yeonoo! Let's do a PQ!]
[YeonhoKingWangJjang : ok]
It was the day of their first attempt at a high-level party quest.
Excited about her first challenge with a friend, A-yun had even thoroughly read a guide on an internet blog the night before.
She was nervous, but the thought of being with Yeon-ho was a little reassuring.
Maybe they could chat in town after the party quest.
Just as A-yun was thinking that...
[YeonhoKingWangJjang : Hey dude.]
[AyuningS2 : Yea?]
[YeonhoKingWangJjang : Can you do me a favor?]
[AyuningS2 : Wut is it?]
A sudden favor? Was it urgent?
A-yun asked, trying to be empathetic.
The reply came back.
[YeonhoKingWangJjang : I wanna move some items from my other account but it's hard to do alone, I'll give you the items from my other account and you give them to this character]
*Ah, he must have multiple accounts!*
It seemed like he was planning to seriously level up ‘YeonhoKingWangJjang’ now.
And to do that, he'd need to bring over items from his other account!
[AyuningS2 : Okie dokie~]
A-yun readily agreed.
It was a friend's request, what reason was there to refuse!
Yeon-ho's reply came after a brief silence.
[YeonhoKingWangJjang : Um... sorry to say this beforehand but....]
[AyuningS2 : Yea?]
[YeonhoKingWangJjang : Can we do a little test? It's like a trust test between friends]
A trust test? What did that mean?
As she wondered, Yeon-ho explained.
[YeonhoKingWangJjang : I've been backstabbed before so I have a hard time trusting friends... That's why I want to hold some collateral first.]
But this was 2009, a time when the wild nature of the online world hadn't yet deeply permeated daily life, and A-yun was a simple-hearted teenager who felt bad refusing a friend who was revealing his emotional scars.
Her answer came immediately.
[AyuningS2 : Okay! What should I give you for collateral?]
[YeonhoKingWangJjang : The weapon you have equipped]
A-yun flinched in surprise.
The weapon was the most expensive item she owned.
But refusing now would make her feel like a bad person.
Her hesitation was brief.
She was seized by the thought that if she refused, she and Yeon-ho would no longer be friends.
A-yun typed with trembling hands.
[AyuningS2 : Okk!]
And then, the trade window appeared.
With a pounding heart, A-yun dragged her weapon into the window.
Right after the trade was completed.
[YeonhoKingWangJjang : thx thx I'll give it back now.]
Ting!
The weapon returned through the trade window.
*Phew, pheeew!*
A-yun felt a deep sense of relief, followed by self-loathing.
To suspect her friend would betray her! How could she be so petty?
Now at ease, a grin spread across her face.
A-yun typed in the chat window.
[AyuningS2 : Is it okay now?]
[YeonhoKingWangJjang : Um... actually not yet....]
[AyuningS2 : Yea?]
[YeonhoKingWangJjang : Sorry but can we do it one more time? With all the items you have this time ㅠㅠ]
Yeon-ho even used the ‘ㅠㅠ’ emoticon!
This was a huge deal!
Because in all their time chatting, A-yun had never seen him act like this!
*His scars must run deep...!*
A-yun replied, sympathizing deeply with Yeon-ho.
[AyuningS2 : Okay!]
Ting!
This time, she gave him all her items without hesitation.
And after the trade was over.
[AyuningS2 : Yeonoo! Give them back now!]
Yeon-ho's character stood still.
“Huh...?”
A-yun was confused.
He didn't respond to her trade requests or her chats, and her heart began to pound.
*Is-is he lagging?*
She waited for five minutes, wondering.
Her ominous suspicion had already become a certainty, making her body tremble. And then, it became reality.
[YeonhoKingWangJjang : k]
The bald character, who had seemed so familiar until now, suddenly felt terrifying.
[YeonhoKingWangJjang : kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk]
Yeon-ho's character started laughing like a maniac.
A-yun's mind went blank.
Her lips parted as she stammered, speechless.
[YeonhoKingWangJjang : You actually fell for it k]
[YeonhoKingWangJjang has logged out!]
Yeon-ho's character vanished.
Only then did A-yun realize she had been scammed.
***
A despair that felt like the sky was falling.
The sorrow of betrayal and resentment toward him flooded her.
In the midst of that emotional torrent, A-yun, half out of her mind, began to comb through every hunting ground for Yeon-ho's level on every channel.
*I-I have to find him!*
She had to get her items back.
A-yun had a more practical reason than emotional despair.
*Those were items I bought by secretly charging cash!!!*
A-yun had bought her items by secretly charging cash to her parents' phone bill!
Her thinking at the time had been simple.
It was a given that she'd get caught and scolded eventually, so her short-sighted judgment was that if she was going to get yelled at anyway, she might as well enjoy the game first so she wouldn't have any regrets. That's what led her to commit such a heinous act.
But now she had lost all the items that were supposed to be the price of her scolding.
In other words, A-yun was now facing the worst-case scenario: she would lose her items *and* get scolded.
A-yun's eyes were bloodshot.
She was grinding her teeth so hard she was practically foaming at the mouth.
He was a guy who played 10 hours a day, so he had to be in some hunting ground!
Clinging to that one hope, she spent about a day roaming the maps and finally succeeded in finding Yeon-ho.
Pew pew pew!
Yeon-ho was grinding in a hunting ground.
With the very items he'd stolen from her.
A-yun felt her blood boil and immediately typed in the chat.
[AyuningS2 : YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!]
At that moment, Yeon-ho's character stopped.
Soon, a chat message appeared.
[YeonhoKingWangJjang : Look who's here, the idiot k]
[AyuningS2 : Give me back my items!]
[YeonhoKingWangJjang : Why should I?]
A-yun felt her breath catch in her throat.
How could someone be so shameless!
She was so wronged and furious she was on the verge of tears.
So many words welled up inside her, but there was only one thing she could express through chat.
[AyuningS2 : Just give them back... They're my items....]
Yeon-ho was clearly the one in the wrong, yet she was the one begging.
Finding this reality cruel, A-yun pleaded again and again.
Yeon-ho's reply was simple.
[YeonhoKingWangJjang : If you've got a problem, let's meet up and fight irl k]
That was the moment.
Snap—
Something inside A-yun's head snapped.
Her emotions exploded to a degree incomparable to before.
It was like the force of an active volcano about to erupt.
Veins popped in the whites of her eyes.
Tatatatak!
A-yun typed as if she were about to smash her keyboard.
[AyuningS2 : Where do you live, you son of a bitch!]
[YeonhoKingWangJjang : Come to XX Street in Hongdae k]
The moment the chat appeared.
Thump!
A-yun immediately pulled a hat down low over her tracksuit pajamas and left her room.
“Oh, A-yun? Are you going out?”
“I'll be back!”
She stomped her feet and stormed out the front door.
Her fists were clenched tight, and a murderous aura rose from her eyes.
Today, she would definitely kill this person named Yeon-ho!
The only thing that could stop the determined A-yun as she ran was a crosswalk!
And so she arrived in Hongdae.
Thud—
A-yun's body froze.
Because a grown man and woman were staring intently at her as she ran up to the meeting spot.
“Senior, is that her?”
“Yeah.”
The man was handsome, and the woman was beautiful.
No, that wasn't what was important.
*Th-they're adults...!*
Adults. For the 17-year-old shut-in dropout A-yun, that was too high a wall to climb!
A-yun's legs trembled.
*What do I do...!*
A-yun wanted to cry.
***
*It actually worked.*
Honestly, I'd started this half in doubt, so I was amazed it had fallen into place so perfectly.
I studied the young Jo A-yun.
*She's so different.*
Her hair wasn't pink like I remembered.
Jo A-yun had messy black hair with bangs that covered her eyes, and her hat was pulled down to her nose.
Her confident posture was gone, replaced by a hunched-over frame.
The only thing that was the same was the green tracksuit.
So she's been wearing that since back then.
—This tracksuit? It’s my work uniform. I guess you could say I feel like work goes better when I’m wearing it?
It seems she wasn't lying.
Suddenly, the fact that this bright person I knew had once been such a timid kid felt strange.
—I’m telling you, I really was a baby high school girl-chan, you know? Sigh, and I can't even prove it.
Her current hesitant impression overlapped with the mischievous smile in my memory.
...No, I'll save the sentimentality for later.
First, I need to talk to her...
“Hic...”
...or maybe not?
“Hic...”
Jo A-yun started hiccuping.
Beneath the brim of her hat, her eyes were wet.
Her legs were trembling like a newborn foal's.
Tug. Jo A-yun grabbed my sleeve.
“...ease.”
It was a plaintive voice.
An unstable tremor laced her words.
It didn't take long for me to sense that something was going wrong.
It was the very next moment.
“Gi-give me back my items... P-please...! Waaaaah—!”
Jo A-yun wailed pitifully in the middle of the street.
The gazes of passersby focused on us.
Above all, Han Seo-rim's stare, as if she were looking at a piece of garbage, was stinging.
“Senior?”
“...”
My mind went blank for a second.
A single thought filled my head.
*Damage control.*
I need to handle this.
I took Jo A-yun's hand.
“...I'll give you your items back, so can you please stop crying first?”
But why do I feel like the bad guy?