Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: The Programmer
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The problem at hand: Jo A-yun's disastrous GED scores.
It was, frankly, incomprehensible.
The GED is, by nature, a very easy test.
Anyone with a middle school level of knowledge should be able to pass, and with a little extra studying, aiming for a high score isn't difficult.
That was the common perception, and in reality, it was true.
So, let's draw a conclusion.
“A-yun, did you even study?”
Jo A-yun hadn't studied at all.
Over the past year, she likely hadn't dedicated any time to it outside of her lessons with Han Seo-rim.
Her miserable scores proved it.
It wasn't entirely impossible.
‘Seo-rim was busy, too.’
Han Seo-rim was, after all, the studio's art director.
And she didn't just phone it in; she was passionate about her work, putting in several times more hours than anyone else.
Take recent events, for example.
From creating the god's design to completing the model, and then continuing with modeling for G-STAR and the next chapter, Han Seo-rim was the person who had rested the least, second only to me.
She must have done her best with the tutoring, but she couldn't have given it her full attention.
This situation made it even worse.
I knew this from my own experience tutoring for college entrance exams back when I was a freshman.
Studying was an area where success was impossible unless the student themselves was willing.
There was no guarantee that Jo A-yun's motivation matched Han Seo-rim's passion.
My speculation soon found its answer.
“Hehe…”
Jo A-yun laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of her head.
An attitude that showed no awareness of the problem.
Not only that, but her shamelessness gave me a sense of déjà vu—it was something I'd only seen in the future Jo A-yun.
It suddenly reminded me of my childhood.
I felt just like I did when the main character's partner in that cartoon with digital monsters evolved into a skull dinosaur instead of a steel one.
In other words, Jo A-yun had undergone a dark evolution—not into pink, but into black.
“W-Well… I was busy…”
Jo A-yun averted her gaze.
My fists clenched in utter despair.
‘I can't let this go on.’
Leaving Jo A-yun for a moment, I called her practical skills tutor.
If things continued like this, all her college admission plans would collapse. I needed a strategy.
Fortunately, if you could call it that, there was still hope on the practical side.
[To be honest, with a little more refinement, her practical skills will be fine. A-yun has a great sense for it. However…]
“…The minimum grade requirements. Is that it?”
[…Yes, if you're aiming for a top university, you should focus on that. The 100% practical exam admissions are a gamble… you know what I mean, right?]
Of course I did.
We were, after all, aiming for admission to the nation's top music conservatory.
"100% practical" meant a fiery hell where the most talented current and returning students in all of Korea would be competing.
And it was even more so in this era.
In 2010, and next year when Jo A-yun would take her practical exam, private education in Korea was burning hotter than ever before.
College admission is a strategy.
Relying solely on Jo A-yun's practical skills and neglecting her academics was too risky; there was no telling what variables might pop up.
For the college entrance exam, meeting the minimum grade threshold wasn't an option—it was a necessity.
The same went for the GED, which was the basic qualification for it.
‘The programmer wasn't the most important thing.’
Our sound director was about to become a middle school dropout director.
No, she was about to reach a point where she couldn't do sound at all.
Drastic measures were needed.
“A-yun.”
“Y-Yes…?”
“I'm going to have to tutor you myself until the GED. Eight hours, every day.”
“Hiek…!”
“I'm not going to be as lenient as Seo-rim. You'd better be prepared.”
The color drained from Jo A-yun's face.
Ah, this chilling sensation. It's been a while.
I'm setting aside Cheon Yeon-ho, the general director of *Hellic*, for a moment.
From now on, it's time to return to being Cheon Yeon-ho, the devil of entrance exam tutoring.
***
With roughly fifty days left, complacency was a death sentence.
Reflecting on my past experiences, and on the students of this era I had taught, I concluded that correcting her basic lifestyle patterns was the first essential step.
As a dropout, Jo A-yun often stayed up all night and slept during the day—a bad habit.
Fortunately, the cause was easy to find.
“A-yun, I see you completed your 4th job advancement.”
“Yes! I'm an Archmage now…!”
“Quit the game. Until after the GED.”
“Noooo…!”
That damn *Maple Saga*. Jo A-yun still hadn't been able to quit.
In just one year, Jo A-yun, who had been a mere level 60, had become a high-level user soaring past level 130.
That's right.
It's shameful for me to say this as a game director, but…
“You're addicted to gaming.”
…Jo A-yun was, indeed, addicted to gaming.
“T-Then just one hour a day…”
“No.”
“…Thirty minutes.”
“No.”
I had already reached an agreement with Jo A-yun's parents on this matter.
-A-yun's exam is approaching. It seems I'll have to step in personally from now on, and for that, I'll need your cooperation at home.
-Oh! Of course! What should we do first?
-Please cut off the internet.
Snip!
That day, every ethernet cable in Jo A-yun's house was cut.
“Next, here's your class schedule and self-study plan.”
“P-President. When do I get to rest…?”
“After your exams.”
“Hiek…!”
“You can do it. I've been through it, and it's more manageable than you think.”
I wasn't going to treat her like students cramming for a second-chance exam, at least.
I was guaranteeing her time to sleep, wasn't I?
“Now, about the lessons. First, I got your progress report from Seo-rim. Your memorization skills aren't bad. This means it's doable.”
The education leading up to college admission is a matter of effort, not talent.
That's not my opinion; it's a fact.
Of course, there's a talent for sitting still for long periods. Comprehension speed can vary for the same material, and differences due to innate academic aptitude do exist.
However,
“Those differences only become pronounced at the top tier. But that's not your goal, is it?”
These are all issues that apply only to the highest-ranking students.
For students typically aiming for the second or third tier, factors other than the sheer amount of studying don't play a significant role in their grades.
“We're going to focus on the fundamentals. You can pass the GED with that alone, and for the college entrance exam, you can definitely reach your target score by applying those fundamentals.”
Of course, that would require things like problem-solving strategies, but that's another story.
For now, the goal is to pass the GED.
“Alright, let's take it one step at a time.”
Jo A-yun was that type.
The kind who wasted her compulsory education up to middle school as if it were just killing time.
No one gets kicked out of school for getting a zero.
It was also clear that at home, she was only scolded, but never put under any real pressure.
She had no motivation or pressure to be passionate about studying.
The lack of fundamentals was an unavoidable penalty.
“It looks like you somehow managed to learn the 7th-grade curriculum from Seo-rim. I checked your quiz results, and you seem to have a rough understanding. Let's move straight to the 8th-grade material.”
She showed particular weakness in math and science.
I planned to focus intensively on those areas.
“P-President…”
Jo A-yun groaned.
This was the real start. I could forcibly cram knowledge into her head, but concentration was a matter of personal motivation.
I sat down across from Jo A-yun and spoke.
“I won't give you some stale line like, 'This is for your own good.' Think of this as a game, too. Just one with a pretty hardcore difficulty.”
“A game…?”
“There's a reward.”
It was that kind of deal.
An extension of 'If you get a 100 on your spelling test, I'll buy you a game console.'
Though the scale was a little larger than that.
“I'll give you anything you want, within my power. Just pass the GED.”
Jo A-yun's shoulders jolted.
Her eyes widened as if they would tear.
“A-Anything…?”
“Anything. As long as it's realistically achievable. Oh, and you can't ask for the company.”
I wasn't just saying it.
I was fully prepared to grant her wish, whatever it was.
Jo A-yun passing was a matter of my pride, and a matter of the contract I'd signed.
“A-Anything…!”
A dry swallow went down Jo A-yun's throat.
Her eyes were spinning.
I didn't know what she was imagining, but she certainly looked motivated now.
“Now, if there's a reward, there has to be a penalty for failure.”
“Huh…?”
“I'm going to delete your game account. Permanently.”
“...!”
Jo A-yun froze.
Heaven and hell. For Jo A-yun, there were no other options.
Anyway, that's how the lessons began.
Need I even mention the hardships of that process?
Let's just summarize it as: I made her study, and then I made her study some more.
I'll get straight to the conclusion.
The fifty-day journey was a success.
“My… my preliminary score average is 95!”
I'm not sure if this is the right time to say it, but.
“You worked hard. I'm so proud of you.”
In the end, I had succeeded.
…If the game company goes bankrupt, maybe I should open an exam prep academy.
***
-Oh! Sir! I don't know how I can ever repay this kindness…!
We were now in the thick of modeling for Chapter 2.
Jo A-yun's mother said as much after hearing about her preliminary GED results and sent a box of red ginseng to the office.
Beyond the pride, the greatest feeling was relief at having overcome a major hurdle.
“Hehe…”
Jo A-yun, too, was delighted that she could finally play games again.
The look on her face as she slurped down a red ginseng stick was one of pure happiness.
Now, there was one piece of homework left.
“So, A-yun. You did well on your test. What about your wish?”
I asked, wondering what kind of request she would make.
Jo A-yun blinked, then smiled shyly and said.
“L-Later…!”
“?”
“I'll tell you later.”
A formidable kid.
She was probably planning to ask for something big once the company grew.
Her ambition was admirable.
“Alright, but go easy on me. Nothing too big.”
“Okay…!”
It was one of those days.
Today, a visitor was coming to the office.
“Hey! Yeon-ho!”
*Bang!*
“Gah…!”
Jo A-yun jumped.
Beyond her, a large figure burst through the office door.
Who else could it be but Han Seo-rim's older brother and my university senior.
Han Jin-gyeong, who had safely finished his fifth year and graduated this year.
“How've you been!”
Seeing his hearty laugh, he seemed to be doing well.
“I've been fine. Congratulations on graduating.”
“Thanks! I feel so relieved now!”
“What about a job?”
“I'm taking a break! It's not like I'm in a hurry, right?”
He should be… no, considering his wealthy family, he probably had more leeway than most.
From what I'd heard, he didn't seem to have any intention of entering the programming industry either.
He'd probably take over the family business.
“So this is the office? Wow, you got a nice place. Is this your employee?”
“Ah, hello…”
“Hey! Nice to meet ya! Oh, you look younger than me, so I can speak casually, right?”
“Y-Yes…”
Jo A-yun shrank back.
The ultimate extrovert, the giant man Han Jin-gyeong, was intimidating to Jo A-yun.
That aside.
“Have a seat over here. I'll get you some coffee.”
“Oh! But where are Seo-rim and the other two?”
“They went out to do some research.”
Since the game's design concept was a combination of artistic techniques, the art team often visited art museums on their own.
They needed references for their ideas, it seemed.
The work itself seemed to be going smoothly, so I let them be.
Above all, Jeon Yu-mi, who graduated with Jin-gyeong, was making great use of her free time, which was a huge help.
So much for the art team.
*Clink.*
I handed the coffee to Jin-gyeong.
I sat down across from him and got straight to the point.
“So, have you looked into it?”
The reason I'd called him today was to solve a major problem the studio was facing.
“The programmer, right?”
“Yes.”
Finding a programmer.
It was a decision I'd made after much deliberation.
Someone reasonably quick, obedient, and who could minimize friction.
Come to think of it, wasn't it likely there'd be someone who met that common denominator among the graduates from our university?
It was, after all, the number one university in the country.
Anyone who graduated from there couldn't be completely incompetent.
And Jin-gyeong, who boasted unrivaled social skills within our department, would surely be in contact with such people.
I had given him two conditions.
They had to have good academic records and either be looking for a job or planning to leave their current one.
“I've shortlisted a few! Here's the list.”
“You got their consent, right?”
“Of course! What do you take me for? They're all looking for work, so I told them beforehand!”
And just like that, I got the list.
“Thanks. I'll buy you a meal sometime.”
“You bet!”
This is why a good academic background is useful.
***
Now, up to this point.
I've pointed out the good side of academic connections, so I should probably explain the bad side, too.
There are a few fatal flaws.
“So… junior? You are my junior, right? There's something I've learned from working in the field for about a year…”
The senior-junior relationship.
It's not a big deal when you're the senior, but it becomes quite a painful factor when you're the junior.
Especially when dealing with people whose shoulders have puffed up after a taste of the working world.
“…So what I'm saying is, programming is a profession where preferential treatment for experienced people is absolutely necessary.”
The three representative villains I met after contacting them personally.
First, the guy who had no intention of joining the company and just came for free drinks.
Second, the guy who demanded a salary completely mismatched with his career and showed no intention of negotiating.
And third, the guy who, in my personal opinion, was the most malicious of all—the one who tried to lecture me on *Hellic*'s algorithm.
“I've played your game a bit, you know? But no matter how I look at it, your code seems too niche. Huh? I tried fixing it myself, and…”
He even brought a notepad with my code ripped apart, and a single glance revealed its crudeness.
For someone who claimed to have practical experience, the way he'd convoluted it was a real spectacle.
Now, let's analyze his psychology.
He's the type who wants a job, wants to save face as a senior, and wants to seize control of the work.
He's desperate, but has nothing to show for it in his career.
Seeing this, his practical skills weren't anything to look forward to either.
That's probably why he resorted to such an embarrassing act.
An amateurish judgment born not of rational thought, but of impatience.
If I were still an undergraduate student who hadn't regressed, I might have been tempted.
But in reality, I was a veteran with twenty years of experience in the field.
Such shallow tricks were useless against me.
“…Thank you for your time.”
Since he was a referral, I couldn't curse him to his face.
I quietly left.
A few days passed like that.
‘Is this the last one?’
I had received a list of eight names.
Three of them were duds, and four had work styles that were too different from mine.
Now, with only one left, I suddenly wondered if I was asking for too much.
But I couldn't just give up and cancel the appointment.
This time was a bit unusual.
He suggested we meet at a café in the middle of the day.
This different start naturally led me to think, 'Could it be?' and the moment I arrived, I was moved.
“Hello…”
Shaggy hair, thick horn-rimmed glasses that made his eyes look like grains of millet, a plaid shirt, and a frame so thin his wrist bones protruded.
His inability to meet my gaze and his timid, shrinking voice were particularly impressive.
I knew it, too.
It was a stereotype.
A stereotype, but…
“…Yes, are you Go Myeong-gyu?”
His appearance alone made my trust in him skyrocket.
I couldn't help but think it.
‘Ah, this person is a programmer.’
Just like that.
I could guarantee it.
If I were the interviewer, I would have already given him ten points just for showing up.
Programmer