Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Duality
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The world is unfair.
There is no such thing as a utopia where everyone is happy, and a cooperative space where everyone is given an equal opportunity exists only in an impossible ideal.
If such a thing were possible, communism would have succeeded.
Though morality speaks of equality for all, human desire speaks of class and disparity, so such equality can never be realized.
This, too, was an extension of that principle.
-First of all, congratulations. Hellic 2 has been a greater success than we anticipated.
Hellic 2 had won the competition.
It had proven its superiority amidst the disparity and, in turn, was being treated as if it had ascended to a new class.
From one of many gems in the rough to a true gem.
From a subordinate position to a more equal business relationship.
Ayado Goro's call was a subtle acknowledgment of that change.
Showing emotion here would be the mark of an amateur.
I set aside the rising thrill and took a breath.
Only then did I speak.
“Thank you. It’s all thanks to your support.”
Humility is one of the virtues of a professional.
Words cost nothing. I could offer such thanks as much as I pleased.
Ayado Goro did the same.
-That’s thanks to the quality of the game. All we did was handle distribution, didn't we?
Fortunately, the awkward situation of us praising each other passed quickly.
It was likely because we both had our own objectives.
The groundwork for them was now laid.
-In light of Hellic 2's success, we are planning a few promotions. Would it be alright to ask for your review?
“We would be grateful. I’ll give you the email for our business department.”
-Yes, this will require close cooperation.
The conversation continued.
A short silence.
Ayado cautiously broached the next topic.
-…I'm just so glad the PS3's era is ending on such a high note.
Now, we were talking about the future.
-But no glory is eternal. The passage of time is a cruel thing, gnawing away even at memories.
His words were a bit metaphorical, but the meaning was not hard to grasp.
He was saying this:
No matter how groundbreaking Hellic 2’s success was, its influence on Hellic 3 would not be so dramatic.
No, a sequel that failed to live up to this success and expectation would create a backlash that could drag Studio Rewind into the abyss.
“Scary, isn’t it? The side effects.”
-…I’m glad you understand.
Ayado Goro then asked bluntly.
-When can we expect to see a finished version of the demo?
To put it plainly, he meant, ‘We’re worried about whether you’re making it well. If you can’t make something as good as the last one, we’ll scrap it.’
“We've completed up to Chapter 1. Debugging is the main issue now. We plan to build the demo up to Chapter 2.”
In other words, things were going smoothly, so don't worry.
Ayado understood perfectly and replied.
-We'll need to see it by spring. We have to start preparing for E3, after all.
His words had a dual meaning.
First, the deadline is March.
Second, the level of support for E3 will depend on your results.
As I said before, it was all about evaluation and competition.
The talented are pushed forward, the untalented are shoved into a corner.
The only difference from before was that the stage Studio Rewind was climbing onto was much bigger, and the spotlight was much brighter.
If we received a high score in the evaluation, we could secure a much larger booth and more support than initially planned.
This was good news.
“Then I’ll see you in the spring.”
-Yes, I hear a cold wave is coming. Please take care of yourself.
“You too, Mr. Ayado.”
The call ended with the usual pleasantries.
“What did they say?”
Yang Gil-sang asked.
I briefly explained the conversation and said:
“The deadline is this spring. The support for our E3 booth will depend on our evaluation score.”
It went without saying that the implications didn't just end there.
Yang Gil-sang nodded.
“The PS4 is launching soon. This is our chance to become a flagship title. Is that what you're saying?”
“That’s right.”
The timing was perfect.
The PS3’s poor initial sales remained a major stain on Sona’s record. For the current Sona, nothing was more important than securing market share through early sales, and in turn, securing the flagship titles to drive them.
I knew the outcome of this trend.
‘It was an overwhelming victory for the PlayStation.’
The PS4 would become the king of the eighth-generation consoles.
Of course, it would later lose market share to the Switch, but that was a ninth-generation issue, after the PS5 was released.
It wasn't something to worry about now.
In short, the Hellic series had to ride the wave of the PS4's success.
Every related circumstance was favorable.
“Gil-sang.”
“Yes.”
“We’re starting work on Chapter 2 immediately. So let’s get started.”
The success in Japan had given the Hellic series more than just brand recognition; it had also placed a tangible reward in our hands.
Revenue.
About 1.8 million units of a 32,000 won package sold.
“Let’s hire more staff. It’s time to go shopping.”
We had secured development funds.
A lot of them.
* * *
December 21st.
It was four days before Christmas.
The blessings of the holy night once again descended upon the world.
The weather, which should have been chilly, was unusually warm this year, spreading a thick blanket of winter coziness.
Studio Rewind was in the middle of a hiring spree.
Even with our employee count approaching triple digits, it was far from enough. It was a choice made possible by our now-healthy development budget.
Yang Gil-sang was taking care of that part.
What I was focused on was E3, now about half a year away.
Or more precisely, the demo version that had to be completed before then.
We had to have a playable build by March at the latest.
Even if we were to polish the debugging elements later, we had to create something presentable for Ayado Goro.
But that very task was progressing sluggishly.
“How about this?”
Han Seo-rim's chronic problem had flared up.
Perfectionism and hypersensitivity.
It was a phenomenon that had begun with the start of Chapter 2.
This was the fifth time today. Every time she had a minor revision, she would bring it to me like this.
She tended to do this whenever she lost confidence in herself.
I looked at the design Han Seo-rim had brought.
“What about the necklace here? Should I get rid of the pattern? Go for a more minimalist approach. Oh, no, wait. Accessories should be exaggerated…”
She was muttering to herself about the boss monster of Chapter 2, the ‘Naked Queen,’ and her guardians, the ‘Faceless Dancers.’
They were all female-type monsters. Chapter 2 was a place where such women roamed a field of skulls.
As I stared at it, Han Seo-rim grew impatient.
“Sunbae, what do you think?”
“It is a bit ambiguous.”
“Right? I just can't see the contrast. The gloominess of the background and the flamboyance of the monster should be in dramatic contrast, but instead, they feel completely separate. It's something that color saturation can't cover…”
Her rambling words were a direct reflection of her turmoil.
I looked at Han Seo-rim's fingernails.
The tip of her index finger was chewed and ragged.
It seemed her nail-biting habit had returned.
“Give me your hand.”
“Huh?”
“Give it here.”
I took Han Seo-rim’s hand.
In my own hand was a nail clipper.
Ever since I’d worked with her for over a year, I had always kept a nail clipper on my desk.
With a *click*, I trimmed just the tip of her index finger and said:
“You look like you need a break.”
“…If I don’t give the confirmation, Chapter 2 can’t progress.”
“It’s even less likely to progress if you keep on like this. Your thinking is stuck in a rut right now. Any more revisions and it’ll just get worse, like when we were making Chapter 1 of Hellic 2.”
“That’s…”
“Am I wrong?”
A tremor ran through the finger in my hand.
Han Seo-rim was a terrible liar.
Her expression was quite sullen.
Then again, there was no bigger workaholic among the staff.
It was reassuring, but at the same time, worrying.
Her desire for achievement was so strong that if she wasn't satisfied with the result, she would literally work herself to the bone.
Seeing her like this from time to time made me reflect on myself.
“Christmas is coming up. Take a break then.”
I filed the trimmed edge of her nail.
After quickly wiping her nail and the desk with a wet wipe, I continued.
“You don't have plans on Christmas Eve, do you?”
“You ask that like you’re sure I don’t.”
“You don’t.”
“…I do.”
“A date with yourself doesn’t count.”
My four years of observing Han Seo-rim were telling me this.
If I let this girl have Christmas off this year, she’d just stay home and browse online communities.
The reactions to Hellic were hot right now.
Seeing that would just put more pressure on her, and she’d try to work again.
That wouldn't do.
“If you have nothing to do, let’s go out. Oh, and this isn’t me asking you on a date.”
It was better to supervise Han Seo-rim even when she was resting.
Besides that, I thought I could show her a pretty good example of what I was talking about.
Han Seo-rim brushed the tip of her nail with her thumb and mumbled softly.
“…Like at the exhibition?”
I replied.
“Yeah, just like that.”
It was at that moment.
“You’re going out on Christmas…?”
Jo A-yun asked, having appeared out of nowhere.
The ice cream in her hand was slowly melting in the heater’s warm breeze.
Why is she eating ice cream in the middle of winter, I wondered, and asked:
“You want to come too?”
It was obvious Jo A-yun would just be cooped up at home, too.
That’s how she was in my past life.
-Aren’t you going out for Christmas?
-No way. If I go outside, I’ll have to see all the couples. I’ll just stay at your place and play games, Team Leader.
-What makes you so sure I’ll be playing games?
-Why tell a lie that’s so easy to see through?
That was a memory, too.
Come to think of it, she had tried to find out my address quite a few times.
I never told her, afraid she’d show up drunk and cause a scene.
Anyway, putting that past aside, this was Jo A-yun’s first Christmas since becoming an adult.
Maybe she wanted to go out and have fun…
“…I can’t. There’s a double XP event that day…”
“…”
“I-I even have a schedule. Hehe… Have fun…!”
A surprising fact: Jo A-yun was a girl who made plans for her life.
For a moment, an unidentifiable emotion welled up inside me before quickly subsiding.
All I could do was nod my head slowly.
“…Alright, you do that.”
A double XP event. That was a serious matter, I suppose.
Probably.
* * *
Three days passed.
December 24th, 9 PM.
Seo-rim sat by the cafe window, reflecting on the day.
She had come to a conclusion.
‘Isn’t this… a date?’
She had met Yeon-ho for a late lunch.
Since they were both starving, they ate, visited a Christmas tree festival, and then saw a movie.
For dinner, they had a light drink, and now they were in a cafe.
The fact that he had planned such a course on Christmas of all days made her think that maybe this was his way of asking her on a date.
There was one reason she couldn't be sure.
“Here, I got yours.”
Yeon-ho handed her a coffee.
As Seo-rim took it, she eyed his outfit.
“By the way, what is that weird outfit? You look like a caterpillar.”
Yeon-ho was wearing a long padded coat that came down below his knees.
It was neither a coat nor a regular puffer jacket, and it looked strange no matter how she looked at it.
Surely, if this was a real date, he wouldn't have worn something like that.
Yeon-ho said:
“It’s warm. You should get one.”
“I’m the type to care about fashion.”
“This is fashion.”
“It’s not fashion if you’re the only one who thinks so.”
“Just you wait. Time will tell who was right.”
He was spouting nonsense again.
Seo-rim let out a deep sigh.
Being with him like this brought her worries back to the surface.
No matter how she thought about it.
She had replayed the entire day in her head several times, but unlike at the exhibition, no sudden ideas had sparked.
Of course, she was grateful to Yeon-ho for helping her detach from work, and the day had been refreshing.
But a corner of her heart felt uneasy thinking about the work that would restart the day after tomorrow.
That anxiety slipped out.
“By the way.”
“Yeah.”
“…Do you have any good ideas? For Chapter 2.”
At that, Yeon-ho paused the fork that was heading for his cake and looked at Seo-rim.
Seo-rim met his gaze and thought.
‘Ah, should I not have said that?’
Had she just shown him how unreliable she was?
It was at that moment.
“Starting now.”
“…Huh?”
“I don’t know if it’ll help, but I was about to show you.”
With a poke, Yeon-ho picked up a piece of chocolate cake, put it in his mouth, and gestured with his chin towards the window.
“See that over there?”
Where Yeon-ho pointed, there was a long line of young men and women in front of a club, celebrating Christmas Eve.
Seo-rim’s brow furrowed.
It was not a sight she particularly enjoyed.
Growing up watching her brother, Han Jin-gyeong, was the reason.
Seo-rim found that kind of nightlife culture pathetic.
“What about it? Does it have anything to do with Chapter 2?”
Seo-rim’s understanding of Chapter 2 was about the individual in a time of war.
It was a chapter about morality eroding as one was swept up in a larger current, a chapter that metaphorically expressed the unease within that.
But the people in front of that club were just moths drawn to the flame of a single night's pleasure.
She couldn’t find any common ground.
Seo-rim explained her thoughts.
Yeon-ho replied nonchalantly.
“They’re the same in essence.”
Yeon-ho’s cake plate was already empty.
He licked his lips, then reached his fork toward Seo-rim’s cake.
“Chapter 2 isn’t trying to say anything that grand. It’s just…”
“Just?”
The strawberry on top of the cake disappeared into Yeon-ho’s mouth.
“…about duality. About how far a person can go with self-justification.”
Yeon-ho tapped his index finger just below his eye.
“Alright, let's look at this through a biased lens for a moment. Let's try thinking with a very narrow mind.”
His finger then pointed back toward the club.
“Out here, those people are ordinary. Inside, they change. They become debauched mayflies.”
“What does that…”
“In a haze where you can't even make out the face in front of you, with colorful lights flashing all around, surrounded by deafening noise, they'll be looking for someone to spend the night with, right? Because that’s the atmosphere of a club. Everyone else is doing it, so what? Isn’t that what they’ll think?”
Seo-rim felt a sense of displeasure and frowned.
Yeon-ho nodded as if that was the right reaction and said:
“Now, just remove the concepts of gender and lust. Insert a well-packaged desire in their place. Chapter 2 tears off that wrapping paper and asks a question.”
As he spoke, Yeon-ho’s gaze seemed to be on the scene outside the window, yet also on somewhere far away.
“It asks: was your violence always just?”
Seo-rim’s gaze, too, had turned to the people in front of the club.
* * *
It was just after the four of them had escaped the Swamp of Grief and entered through a door.
The Barbarian commented on the scene before them.
-Women. Skin showing.
-Do not be tempted!
-Sharp-tongue, you taking yours off too?
-You profane wreeeetch!!!
The Paladin shrieked.
She was still in the body of Joan of Arc.
Dancers.