Hiding from Ghosts in the PC Bang

Click.

"Phew..."

I bolted out of school as fast as I could. Maybe because I'd run full tilt, my back was soaked with sweat.

"But why was that senior still here?"

I just couldn't wrap my head around it. How could Kang Eun-seo be at this school? I stared down at my right hand. Memories of clashing with her flooded back unbidden.

'This is the right way.'

'No, your way is wrong.'

'We have to stay quiet here...'

'Shut up! What do you even know?'

This hand had grabbed her by the collar. Even now, clenching my fist brought back the vivid feel of her uniform fabric.

A minor argument. Clashing opinions. Eun-seo sunbae and I had fought hard. And in the end, I'd won.

My final words to her had been:

'Let's never see each other again.'

I'd left it at that and walked away. My family moved to the next building over, and I'd figured we'd never cross paths again. Sure, there might've been a chance encounter—places full of people are all the same, after all. That's why I'd thought I'd dodged her successfully.

But running into her at the same school? No way.

'Whatever, escape first.'

I thought of the bait I'd tossed out—Han So-ra sunbae, was it? Praying for her soul, I headed somewhere Eun-seo sunbae wouldn't go.

"...Welcome."

I'd arrived at the PC bang. It was packed with students right after school. I paid upfront with my card and wandered around until someone called out to me.

"Kang Sung-hoon! What're you doing over there?"

It was Lee Geon-woo. He waved at me like I'd appeared out of thin air, then came over.

"You a regular here too?"

"Closest one to home."

"Lucky. Wish my house, school, and PC bang were all that close...!"

Geon-woo muttered at the ceiling. That's when a few kids trailing him spotted me.

"Whoa, it's Sung-hoon?"

"You know him?"

"Just know his name."

They started chattering away. The whole PC ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bang got noisy fast, until the part-timer shot us a silent "quiet down" glare.

"Alright, let's all queue up ranked. You in?"

Geon-woo tossed the invite casually. I made a regretful face.

"Sorry, got plans today."

"Too bad. Next time we meet, we play for real!"

He backed off with that. They lined up in a row and fired up ranked. Watching them, I found a seat—as far from those guys as possible.

My "plans" were total BS anyway. No need to grind ranked with kids I barely knew.

I headed to the most tucked-away corner.

'Park Ha-yoon?'

There she was, hat pulled low, barely disguising herself.

"......"

I stayed quiet. Why the hell was she here? Hat jammed down low, mask covering her mouth completely. Baggy clothes instead of her usual fitted style. And crucially...

"...She still here?"

She kept glancing nervously toward Geon-woo's group.

The circumstantial evidence was 100% solid. Feeling mischievous, I snuck up behind her and mashed her hat down over her eyes.

Her vision blocked in an instant, Ha-yoon jumped.

"Wh-who...!"

"Who else? The kidnapper."

She reacted to "kidnapper," but more baffled than scared.

"Kang Sung-hoon?"

"You even know the kidnapper's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠name?"

"Cut the weird talk."

Ha-yoon shut me down flat. Her face looked fine since the rooftop incident. Guess it was safe to poke.

I pointed at Geon-woo in the distance.

"You're something else."

"......"

"Wanna hit the PC bang but not see Lee Geon-woo, huh?"

That was her getup in a nutshell. Dressed down to avoid him, but still craving games. I threw it back at her, and she mumbled sheepishly.

"...Couldn't help it..."

She pointed at her screen. I caught my breath the second I saw it.

Fifty hours. That's 180,000 seconds. An eternity. My disbelief must've shown, because Ha-yoon's eyes welled up.

"I paid this much, and they tell me to go somewhere else?"

"...Sorry."

I apologized without a fight. Fifty hours? I'd cling to that seat too. I covered my mouth. Pity welled up—having to hide like this after paying up.

Ha-yoon glared at me.

"Hey."

"What?"

"Move your hand."

I dropped it obediently. My smirking lips greeted her.

"God, I wanna punch you so bad."

"If I bolted to another PC bang, you'd get your shot."

"Arghhh! I'll get revenge later...!"

"Sure, sure. Gotta make sure I never introduce you to a girl."

Like she'd been waiting, Ha-yoon grinned slyly.

"You got one?"

"Not advice I'd take from someone who just got rejected."

"Urk!"

Another verbal loss for Park Ha-yoon.

Bickering with Park Ha-yoon didn't change facts. Sitting side by side meant we had to queue a game.

We duoed naturally.

[Defeat!] hit our screens. Ha-yoon and I immediately started the blame game.

"Your fault?"

"Looks like you."

We pointed at each other. What a beautiful friendship. Both rocking 10 deaths—less human, more ape.

Ha-yoon struck first.

"Ah, support diff."

"Who dove the tower first?"

"Someone didn't farm early."

I counterattacked, and we traded barbs. Naturally, she lost the war.

I typed it up quick. Our old teammates voted democratically right away.

Ha-yoon ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠swept 3 votes. Self-voting would've made it unanimous, but...

"Rematch! Switch roles!"

"Sure, no trolling this time."

We queued again. Switching positions, I shed the "tool" label instantly.

"Diving now!"

"W-wait! Timing...!"

Full man-mode dive. Unlike her earlier poke-fests, I smashed in.

Two kills, crushing them. I even let Ha-yoon snag two assists.

"See? This is my real power, not some tool."

"Hah! Got cocky off one lucky smash!"

She chalked my kills to luck. Smirking, I dove brainlessly a few more times, razing all towers in record time. Mid had one left, but bot was obliterated by heavy machinery.

"Huh? Wha—?!"

Ha-yoon panicked at the rampage. And of course—

The glorious two letters popped up. Chat chanted my name.

"Behold, the difference in our levels..."

I boomed dramatically. The loser from a bygone era just bowed her head. Savoring victory, I flopped back down.

We queued more. No more stomps or fails.

"Sung-hoon."

"Yeah?"

"Just occurred to me."

We chatted idly. Then Ha-yoon piped up like it was a fresh thought.

"What about our career project?"

Right, that. Progress had stalled since the restaurant chaos.

But who am I?

"Got an idea."

"Already?!"

Her surprised voice. Deadline was far off—impressive to have something ready.

I nabbed a kill on screen.

"Know a doctor teacher."

"Doctors are... super busy, right?"

"That's why I'm crashing his off day."

He's chill enough. When I owed him at the hospital, he said drop by on days off anytime.

"Bring some gifts, should be fine."

"...If you say so."

Ha-yoon trailed off. Seemed uneasy about barging in.

"Since when do you care?"

"We haven't known each other that long."

"In that short time, I've seen it all."

I tapped the wristband. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Inside: the scar from slashing myself to stop her.

"....."

She blushed and shut up. I studied her face, then sighed in relief.

'Looks like no more worries.'

About an hour left—enough for one more. Ha-yoon eyed me.

"One more?"

"Y—"

My phone buzzed. Pinned at top: basically junk mail.

My back prickled. PC bang time over. I waved to Ha-yoon.

"Sorry, gotta go."

"Bye-bye."

I dashed out. My phone kept spitting death sentences, judge-style.