PC Bang with Moonbyeol's Crew
"PC bang? Games?"
I repeated the unexpected question pointlessly.
"Yeah."
Games, huh. In this life, I hadn't touched games much since I was having way more fun than any game could offer. The only times I'd even set foot in a PC bang were occasionally with Ahyeon and her crew. Of course, in my previous life, I'd been half-mad about games like any other guy. And I knew all about the hot games trending right now too.
Even if she was my little sister's friend, I hadn't even been properly introduced. Normally, I'd brush it off with a quick no. But yesterday's counseling session kept nagging at the back of my mind.
Moonbyeol was hanging out with delinquents and even smoking. If they were inviting her to a PC bang, they must be pretty tight. Which meant these girls might be the culprits behind her going astray. Sure, it could be the other way around, but would she really have gone that far off the rails on her own? I wasn't about to smack anyone around—that'd be ridiculous—but I wanted to say my piece.
She must've taken my silence the wrong way because her friend hurriedly added,
"Nah, it's fine. Where's the PC bang?"
It was a PC bang just five minutes from our apartment complex.
"Cool. I can be there in fifteen. What seats?"
"We'll see. Anyway, catch you there."
The call ended, and I swapped my comfy home sweats for the clothes I'd worn to the store earlier. Moonbyeol had shifted from face-down to sprawled out, probably uncomfortable. I thought I'd seen a stain on her panties, but the room was too dark to check. Better to leave it alone than poke around when I got back.
Anyway, off I went to this PC bang where Moonbyeol's friend was waiting.
*
PC bangs were the same whether in my past life or this one. The main difference? The gender of the usual crowd. Sure, a few socially awkward guys popped in sometimes... but best to steer clear of them.
"...Uh. Welcome......"
The woman at the counter startled for a second before greeting me. I gave a light nod and asked,
"Where are seats 7?"
"Y-yes! Straight to the back, all the way inside! Or I can show you!"
"No need. Thanks anyway."
"Sure thing!"
I left the beaming part-timer behind and headed the way she'd pointed. As I walked the narrow aisle, someone slammed their keyboard.
BAM!
"What the fuck! What the hell is our jungler doing! Just camping the jungle looking for his mom! We already searched it—stop hunting corpses and gank already!"
Hearing such crude trash talk in a woman's high-pitched voice still threw me off. The place was about 70% full. Eyes followed me here and there, but I ignored them and reached seat 7.
Moonbyeol's classmates were deep in their games, bags on the PC towers behind the monitors. I recognized Moonbyeol's desk mate, at least. They all had headsets on, totally zoned out, oblivious to my arrival.
No point calling out—they wouldn't hear. I leaned on the partition and tapped the top of a headset.
"Ah, fuck! What! Huh?"
Our eyes met, and a weird silence flowed. The desk mate shot up from her seat and bowed 90 degrees.
"H-hi!"
"Yeah. I recognize the voice. You're the one I talked to, right? Kim Seona?"
"Yes! S-sorry for the swearing just now!"
"No biggie. You didn't know."
Only then did the other three beside her take off their headsets and turn. They scanned me up and down, then stood almost in sync and came over. Their screens went gray or their characters died, but they didn't care as they greeted me.
"Hi?"
"Moonbyeol's oppa, right?"
"Whoa! Hi!"
I returned casual greetings and tapped the empty seat next to Seona.
"This okay?"
"Yes! Of course!"
The other side was against the wall anyway—no other spot. I sank into the squishy PC bang chair.
"Anyway, you invited me, so here I am. But me crashing might kill the vibe, no?"
"Nah! You're basically our oppa too!"
Seona glanced at the other three, who were still staring.
"Right?"
"Uh? Yeah! Totally!"
They nodded vigorously. Of course, I wasn't born yesterday—these four were eyeing me like they wanted to eat me alive. But I wasn't handing it over easy. I had to remember why I came.
I smiled lightly and hit the power button on my PC.
After logging in, I asked Seona, who was dying to chat me up,
"So, I just heard 'game'—what game?"
"Yeah! Know what I'm playing? It's LoL, five versus five!"
She pointed at her screen.
"Kinda? Famous one."
Not "kinda"—I'd been obsessed in my past life. Not 100% identical here, but close enough.
"Gotta sign up first!"
"Got an ID. Played a few times before."
"Oh, cool! Tell me your nick, I'll invite!"
As I logged in, the girl at the far end whispered in Seona's ear and dashed to her seat. Seona handed me the headset cautiously.
"It's kinda loud here—headset and mic for voice chat?"
"If you want. Sure."
Her intentions were so obvious it was cute. I was at the left end, not center, so the girl on the far right couldn't chat or even hear well—and she looked pissed about it.
I joined their voice channel as instructed.
"Testing. Hear me?"
"Yes! Wow, your voice sounds even better like this!"
"Starting now!"
The games flowed normally enough. If I were a guy from this world, I might've flipped the whole match upside down badly—but no such luck. These girls weren't pros, and neither were our opponents. I wasn't dominating solo either. Objectively, I was just decent.
"Oppa! Got another kill!"
"Easy."
"Mid! Mid's gone!"
"Got it, coming up. Checking."
"Kassadin again."
"Yay! Win again!"
Apparently, a guy like me pulling that off was mind-blowing. Seona's crew went from tentative to casually high-fiving me, leaning over.
"Oppa, you're way too good, right?"
"For real! Jungle and invade top, you'd hit top 1% in a month!"
"Haha."
I chuckled awkwardly. As if. My future was set: rich NEET. Money was ready; just needed to ditch the "student" label.
Third game started. Things dragged boringly.
The line popped from the enemy team—the guy I'd killed. Obviously aimed at me.
"This guy's nuts?"
Before I could react, Seona and the crew fired back. Middle schoolers sure knew their curses—crude insults and profanity flooded the chat.
Seona glanced at me nervously. "Oppa, ignore it. Tons of trash like that lately."
"Not mad. They're pissed 'cause I'm better."
"So mature!"
We traded F-bombs to victory in the last round. My eyes ached from staring at the screen so long. I hung the headset around my neck and stretched.
Fun aside, time for the main event.
"Hey, short break? Gotta hit the bathroom."
"Sure~"
But instead of the bathroom, I slipped out to the emergency stairs by the elevator and sat on the landing. I texted Seona from her saved number.
Less than a minute later, Seona poked her head through the emergency door.
"Wh-what's up?"
Her face was flushed, lips twitching. Looked like a horny girl her age had maxed out her fantasies on the way here. She crept up to the step in front of me.
"Hmm. Where to start."
I fiddled with my lips, then pulled out a cigarette pack from my pocket and opened it. Stuck one between my lips and asked Seona,
"Got a light?"
"Ah, yeah!"
She instinctively fished out a lighter and held it to my mouth. Just before it lit, I smirked, took the cig out, and snapped it in half. Her face went blank as I pocketed the pieces.
"Kidding. I don't smoke."
"Huh?"
"But why you carrying a lighter?"
Realization hit; her face paled.
"Don't freak. What'm I gonna do to my sister's friend? Just saw Moonbyeol smoking, figured you might too."
I stood, dusted my butt.
"Won't nag you to quit—that'd be nosy big-brother stuff."
I lowered my voice, warning her seriously.
"Moonbyeol quits today. No tempting her. Don't give if she asks."
"......Okay."
She uncurled from her hunch and nodded. That should be reasonable enough.
"Good. That's it."
*
With the promise secured, I slipped back to my usual casual self.
"More importantly."
I glanced around. No CCTV, no footsteps.
"I'm real interested in Moonbyeol's school life. What she likes, what she's into. But she dodges when I ask straight-up. Frustrating."
Seona's expression turned odd. What Moonbyeol liked? Me. Her interests? Me too. No wonder she clammed up if I asked. Oblivious me just wanted Moonbyeol intel this way. One counseling session a year wasn't cutting it.
"So, keep in personal touch with me? Update me on Moonbyeol?"
Seona's face hardened. Smoking was fair game for a guardian. But this? Basically snitch duty.
She mumbled reluctantly, "Uh, that's kinda..."
"Not asking for free."
I stepped close, right in her face.
"What should I give instead? Hmm?"
"Ah... uh...."
She backed up in panic, but I matched her step. Thud. Her back hit the wall; I pressed my face inches from hers. Close enough to feel each other's breath.
I whispered, "Want something? Money? Guy intros? Or..."
I trailed off, then wrapped her waist in a flash. My hand slid slow under her skirt.
"How about something naughty?"
My fingers brushed her panties.