Chapter 169
Chapter 169
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 169
Chapter Title: Your Wedding (3)
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If you were to compare it to climbing, the mountain of life wasn't a journey of steadily ascending a gentle slope toward the top.
The mountain range itself is a mass of curves and bends. There are times you have to grunt and groan as you scale a cliff, times you have a gentle ascent, and times you misstep and fall from a precipice.
Even the destinations are different for everyone.
The destination of the mountain called life is death.
For some, that death might be a high peak; for others, the very summit; and for some, just the entrance to the mountain.
This is a story in that vein.
More precisely, it's President Park Yeong-jun's story.
“Marriage is like tumbling down a mountain you were climbing just fine.”
A wedding hall on the outskirts of Seoul.
In this wedding hall, which was so crowded it seemed to scoff at the trend of small weddings, President Park Yeong-jun spoke with a stern face, his arms crossed.
“It's not that you want to fall. You're just following the path ahead, and before you know it, you're standing at the edge of a cliff. But you still have to go. Why? Because it looks like there's no other way. Because everyone in front of you is also falling off the cliff. So you think that's the path.”
Having achieved the unbelievable feat of selling 600,000 copies in the first week of his console game about divorce, President Park Yeong-jun seemed far more serious than before.
No, it wasn't so much seriousness as it was that his thoughts on divorce had deepened.
It seems his contemplation deepened during development.
“Happy moments are brief, but life is long. We don't realize that because we live in the present. Unless our emotions are castrated… this vicious cycle will never be broken.”
“Yes, well…”
“Choosing to be single? Don't make me laugh. Few of the guys who say that stick with it to the end. If there's a guy who lives alone his whole life, with a few exceptions, it's because he *couldn't* get married, not because he *didn't* want to.”
“…”
“So, to get back to the point, we must all break free from this cycle…”
He didn't seem to have any intention of stopping.
I, too, let President Park's words wash over me as I surveyed the wedding hall.
‘Yang Gil-sang's wedding.’
I really didn't expect this guy to be the first.
Of course, I knew he was dating; he always made it obvious.
I just didn't think it would last a year, then two, and eventually lead to marriage.
It felt strange.
Especially the fact that so much time had passed since I met and recruited Yang Gil-sang again.
President Park's words caught my ear.
“Anyway, my friend, you make the smart choice. Become an old man who lives well without getting married, not a bitter person who couldn't.”
I asked.
“President Park, do you want to get a divorce?”
I asked the question thinking we were close enough for it now, and President Park replied.
“…It's not a world where you can do whatever you want, my friend. Affection is scarier than love.”
So is he telling me to get married or not?
“…Yes, well.”
I turned my head again.
President Park fell silent, as if he had nothing more to say.
The ceremony hadn't started yet.
Sitting still, I looked over the guests.
Ninety percent of the guests on the groom's side were Rewind employees.
The fact that he had no personal acquaintances was rather sad, but then again, he had been an international student, so it made sense he wouldn't know many people in the country.
Over there, Jo A-yun was yawning, all dressed up for the wedding.
Next to her, Myeong-gyu was laughing heartily with some other women (the dramatic duo), showing a side of him I'd never seen.
And next to them, Han Seo-rim was tapping away on her phone. That reminded me of how she'd made a drunken scene not long ago.
I wonder if she's okay now.
As I was thinking, our eyes met, and Han Seo-rim quickly looked away.
It was then.
“The ceremony will begin shortly.”
The ceremony began.
Music started to play, and the officiant came forward.
This kind of scene wasn't unfamiliar.
After a certain amount of time in the working world, you end up attending quite a few weddings.
Soon, after a few words, the groom made his entrance.
I was just raising my hands to clap.
*Clack—*
Silence fell.
It was a silence born from everyone—the countless guests, the families of the bride and groom, even the emcee—freezing stiff at the sight of Yang Gil-sang, who entered through the open doors with the clacking of his shoes.
Only the *clack, clack* of his heels could be heard.
Breaking the eerie silence, Jo A-yun's murmur spread through the hall.
“…Huh, he's bald.”
…Yang Gil-sang had shaved his head.
Shaved it completely clean.
* * *
The truth behind the shocking scene could only be heard after the wedding was over and Yang Gil-sang had returned from his honeymoon.
In fact, the image of the new bride in her pure white wedding dress kissing the bald head that scattered light across the world had been stuck in my mind for the past week, so even after hearing his explanation, the shock didn't quite fade.
“Isn't marriage the second act of life? It's about preparing for a new tomorrow. It's a resolution. A resolution! I will no longer live anxiously, worrying about hair loss, but will confidently accept myself. And I will live with someone who accepts me for who I am.”
It's rather unfortunate that even as he said this, the ceiling lights were reflecting off his bald head and dazzling my eyes.
But still….
‘…He looks happy.’
Considering the bride had smiled so brightly at his bald head that day, maybe he really did meet the right person.
I decided not to think about it anymore.
I just hope his future shines as brightly as his scalp, which outshone the ring on his left ring finger.
Now, for work.
“What's the status on the DLC release information?”
When I asked, Yang Gil-sang composed his expression and answered.
“We've posted the development announcement. The release window is confirmed for sometime next year….”
“There's no need to release the finer details about the volume yet. We're still in the prototype stage.”
“Yes.”
The plan is to use the DLC for content that's not critical to the main story—literally side stories and fan service.
That's why the concept—battling yourself using time, experiencing other Hells being pulled in—is designed to further increase the satisfaction of the series' fanbase.
In truth, from the moment the DLC was confirmed, users had already predicted that the protagonist from the bad ending would appear as a boss.
They were just curious about the methodology, and wouldn't it be better to use those details to stir up more excitement when the release is imminent?
I have two tasks ahead of me.
One is to win GOTY, and the other is to properly wrap up this DLC and bring the game *Hellic 4* to a magnificent conclusion.
These weren't separate stories, but interconnected ones.
Winning GOTY means we can make a GOTY Edition.
And making that means we can dramatically boost DLC sales once again.
So far, everything is going smoothly.
*Hellic 4*'s sales have already surpassed five million.
Our biggest rival, *End of Us 2*, has reached a point where it can't beat *Hellic 4* in sales.
The *Bio Hazard* remake showed a strong performance, but as a remake, it faces limitations and has a penalty in the GOTY competition.
And the last one.
“The release of *Seiro*. Soon.”
“Yes, we just need to get past this one.”
In my past life, *Seiro* from Flare Soft—the originators of the Soulslike genre and the winner of the 2019 GOTY—is about to be released.
It was late October.
* * *
Mid-November.
This year's full lineup was out.
From the *Bio Hazard* remake at the start of the year, followed by *End of Us 2* and then *Hellic 4*, and finishing with *Seiro* and *Dead Stranding*.
Some gave users more satisfaction than expected, while others, as is often the case, failed to meet expectations and proved disappointing.
But the results couldn't be changed.
Even Yeon-ho, who had returned by turning back time, couldn't turn back time again just to make this short moment more perfect.
The users were busy preparing to enjoy the final festival that would cap off the year.
『PoppyLetsGoForAWalk: As expected of Flare…
Seiro is definitely a masterpiece. The very Japanese atmosphere might feel different from previous Souls games, but it's delicious.
Especially with the deathblow mechanic, I don't know if it's an unexpected side effect, but I adapted easily because I got used to it in Hellic 4.
Of course, this one is more vicious, but in terms of tension, it's legendary for a reason.
Not that a casual game could ever beat the tension of a hardcore one, anyway!
A good game, regardless of sales.
That's the review I want to give.
BangbaedongBloodLord: It was fun. Except for the brutal difficulty lol
TempleSwordsman: The tempo is so fast, I can't shake the feeling that it's just too hard...』
*Seiro* showed why Flare Soft is Flare Soft.
Even though they twisted most of the systems from their previous Souls games to create something different, it was a creation that so firmly held onto its fundamental pillars that everyone who played it said, "This is a Souls game."
Comparisons were inevitable.
With two of the year's representative titles being Soulslikes, *Seiro*'s rival was *Hellic 4*, and opinions were divided depending on the user base's preferences.
『ManWhoReclaimedHellic4: Still, I think GOTY has to be Hellic 4.
There's a comfort that comes from it being casual.
How many hardcore gamers are there who enjoy getting stressed out while playing?
Hellic 4 isn't an easy game, but the barrier to entry is definitely lower than Flare's.
And it smashed all the sales records this time.
How can there be any debate for GOTY?
FutureIsNotBright: Enough with the nationalistic hype.
└ ManWhoReclaimedHellic4: It's not hype, it's a fact. No one beat Hellic 4's sales this year, right? And End of Us 2 bombed, right?
└ PoppyLetsGoForAWalk: It didn't bomb! It's right behind Hellic 4 in sales!
└ ManWhoReclaimedHellic4: stfu』
Keyboard wars are a time-honored online tradition.
It's a battlefield where, if you can't prove you're right through combat, you risk losing even the truth.
And someone showed their earnest desperation.
『ㅇㅇ: Hellic 4.
No debate. Not accepting any. It's GOTY, period.
OneMoreKing: Just tell Rewind to release DR2....
└ ㅇㅇ: ur mom
└ OneMoreKing: ?』
The community's GOTY prediction battle had even drawn in an anonymous user who was suspiciously passionate about *Hellic*.
No one yet knew where it was headed.
In truth, since no one in the community (except for one person) would directly profit from the outcome, the atmosphere was mostly playful.
In short, the festive atmosphere I mentioned before continued day after day.
But no festival lasts forever.
There is no eternal waiting, no eternal tension in this world.
If there is a beginning, there is an end; if there is a process, there is a result. That is the way of things.
Time flows quickly.
Right up until December 2019.
『FutureIsNotBright: The calm before the storm
The results will show who was right....
ManWhoReclaimedHellic4: Hey, no jinxing.』
It was awards season.