The Fair and Square Champion
"Excuse me? Are you serious?"
Yoon-gi wore a look of mild confusion as he faced the startled shop owner. "Is it not allowed?"
"No, no! It’s not that, it’s just... well, it’s a bit unexpected, that’s all. I’m just feeling a bit surprised."
"There’s nothing to be surprised about. As you can see, I’m someone who loves the spotlight, so why wouldn't I participate? Besides, there isn't a clause in the rules stating that stakeholders can't enter."
At Yoon-gi’s bright smile, the shop owner nodded in agreement.
"You’re absolutely right. Here, please take this registration slip. Do you happen to know how to fill it out...?"
"Of course I do."
Yoon-gi finished filling it out in a flash and handed it over. The shop owner began handling the slip as if it were a sacred relic. If other participants' slips went missing, it wouldn't be a major issue—a simple apology would suffice. But Yoon-gi’s slip was different. If it were lost or misplaced, the potential losses were simply too great. The shop owner resolved to deliver it to the Sega headquarters himself and bowed deeply to Yoon-gi.
"Thank you, as always."
"Don't mention it. We have to help each other out."
After finishing his game at the shop that day, Yoon-gi boarded his limousine and headed toward the residence he had purchased. Since the acquisition of land in Japan was proceeding smoothly through Seo Jong-hun—the muscular man who was his father’s friend—buying a place in Tokyo had been a simple matter.
"Ah, you've arrived!"
Seo Jong-hun, who had been relaxing in casual clothes, greeted him warmly.
"Yes. You worked hard today, too."
"Hard? Not at all. Thanks to you, I’m living the good life. I’ve been visiting famous restaurants in every region and sending local specialties to people I know. It’s a life worth living."
At Seo Jong-hun’s sincere, lighthearted remark, both men shared a smile.
"Well then, I’m going to go wash up."
Choi Deok-bae had cracked a joke, but when Yoon-gi scowled, he immediately scurried off somewhere.
"I-is something the matter?"
"Oh, no. It’s nothing. I think I just had some earwax."
Seo Jong-hun, who had been startled by the sudden scowl, became the accidental victim of the situation. Still, since Yoon-gi brushed it off, he was able to head to the living room feeling refreshed.
"Ah, my wife went to visit her parents today."
"It’s certainly a time when one misses their parents often."
"Still, thanks to the Chairman, I don't have to worry about gas money."
Yoon-gi burst into laughter along with Seo Jong-hun. A moment later, confirming that Seo’s wife was indeed absent, Yoon-gi brought up a topic they could discuss in private.
"You know, it’s funny how life flows in ways you don't expect."
"Did something happen?"
It wasn't a particularly serious tone, but because it sounded as if he were yearning for something, Seo Jong-hun asked with a hint of concern.
"No, it’s not that. It’s just that my activities in Japan have turned out a bit differently than I first imagined."
"Ah."
Seo Jong-hun nodded, recalling what Yoon-gi had said in the past.
"Back then, I intended to use Genji to categorize the people who would become my enemies in Japan. But now, Genji is dead, and I’m running a business here. Honestly, I never planned to do business in Japan; I only wanted to flip land."
"I feel the same way, Chairman. By all rights, I should be living a 'muscular' life right now, but here I am, drinking beer."
Seo Jong-hun was currently pouring a bottled beer he’d taken from the fridge into a glass. In a way, it could have been a dangerous act in front of the Chairman, but Yoon-gi had asked him to live in the house as if it were his own, saying it was a waste to leave it empty. At first, Seo Jong-hun had waited in a suit until Yoon-gi got off work or prepared meals, but over time, he had learned Yoon-gi’s style and was able to live comfortably.
"Are you not working out these days?"
"Well... the biggest reason is that I don't have the physical energy to spare for exercise."
"Excuse me?"
"Well..."
As Seo Jong-hun’s gaze drifted toward the master bedroom, Yoon-gi immediately understood what he meant and nodded.
"In that case, it can't be helped."
"Hahaha..."
Seo Jong-hun let out a bitter laugh and quickly changed the subject, as if he’d just remembered something.
"Come to think of it, I heard you’re participating in the Sonic tournament at the Sega Sonic Festival."
"Oh, you heard the news?"
"Yes. I heard it from President Jeong Dong-yun. You must really like games?"
At Seo Jong-hun’s curious remark, Yoon-gi nodded.
"Yes. I happen to be someone who really loves games. That’s why I launched the Genesis Project. Of course, I’m participating for other reasons as well."
"Other reasons?"
Since they were in the comfort of home, Yoon-gi let his inner thoughts slip out a little more.
"I’m participating because I don't want to give Japan a single penny if I can help it."
"Excuse me? Ah...!"
Seo Jong-hun grasped Yoon-gi’s nature and was immediately convinced. After all, the reason Yoon-gi was buying up land endlessly was to take the profits that Japan would have otherwise enjoyed.
"I love Japanese money, but I don't love Japan at all. Even though I’ve entered the business scene here, my basic stance is to suck Japan dry. I don't have even one percent of a desire to coexist or help them."
"I agree. I heard my parents suffered immensely during the Japanese colonial period."
Even in the 2010s, Korea’s anger toward Japan had not disappeared. How could it, when Japan refused to acknowledge its wrongdoings? And in the 80s? It went without saying. Because people who had personally experienced the colonial era were still alive and well, the fundamental anger toward Japan was, if anything, greater than in the 2010s. Of course, Seo Jong-hun had married a Japanese woman, and Jung-ah had appeared in *The God of Pachinko*, but those were individual emotional matters. The sentiment the Korean public held toward the nation of Japan was rarely positive.
Choi Deok-bae appeared out of nowhere, cheering with both hands raised.
"Actually, no matter how large 70,000 dollars is, it’s something I can take or leave. The broadcasting rights alone were more than enough to cover the salaries of the staff I brought from Korea."
Although Sega managed the broadcasting rights for this festival, the authority itself belonged to Japan Commodity. The first-place prize money was, at most, 70,000 dollars. It was a pittance compared to the wages of the personnel he had brought over.
"But isn't it important not to give them even that 70,000 dollars?"
At Seo Jong-hun’s words, Yoon-gi nodded.
"Actually, it’s not just about the money; it’s more about wanting to give them a proper middle finger."
"Is there something else?"
Yoon-gi flashed a triumphant smile at the curious Seo Jong-hun.
"Imagine a Korean winning the 'first' game tournament with a 'huge' prize held in their country. Japan will be turned upside down."
Of course, he would be quiet while participating, but once he paid his taxes later, the rumors would definitely spread. The rumor that the 'Golden Mask of Sega' had taken the prize money might not spread, but it was certain that the rumor 'the winner might be a Korean' would circulate.
"Wow, I’m really looking forward to it."
"In that sense, I’m going to practice gaming hard starting today."
Yoon-gi was as good at making excuses as he was at using his brain.
Where did Yoon-gi practice his games? The place was obvious. Naturally, it was that shop in Akihabara. Thanks to this, until the city tournament was held, Yoon-gi was able to enjoy playing games while drawing the attention of many people.
Hermes hadn't disclosed the fact that Yoon-gi was Korean, and because he used a pseudonym, those who had seen the magazine didn't know he was Korean. Furthermore, whenever he stood up and entered the game shop, he spoke fluent Japanese—who would take him for a Korean? Thanks to this, people became even more curious about him.
And so, the city tournament began. It goes without saying that Yoon-gi easily took first place and advanced as the city representative. Did he win because he played Sonic more than others? That wasn't wrong, but it wasn't entirely right either. Because this tournament was swarmed by kids who had practiced by playing nothing but Sonic all day just to become city representatives.
It was even featured in the newspapers. Images of Yoon-gi playing games began to appear in various daily papers, and the fact that he was the representative for Kanto, which included Tokyo, was highlighted in many ways. Of course, it was an undeniable fact that the representatives of other regions also received attention in their respective areas.
And so, the first day of the Sega Sonic Festival arrived. It had been decided through an internal meeting to hold the finals on the first day, so the representatives from each region took the stage. The method was very simple. The quarterfinals and semifinals were structured so that the person who cleared a specific stage first would advance in a best-of-three format, and the finals were a race to see who could clear the game from start to finish first.
"Everyone, do you want to know who the strongest Sonic player in Japan is?!"
At the host’s booming shout, the people gathered at the festival responded with a thunderous roar. At first, people had bought Sonic for various bait reasons. However, as they played, they fell for the fun of the game itself, and people went wild for the event, the 'Regional Representative Game Tournament.' As a result, the number of people packed into the festival grounds was at an astronomical level, comparable to the comeback stage of a major superstar.
'I can hear the sound of money rolling in.'
The countless people visible before him. Yoon-gi saw them all as money, so he waved his hand and smiled.
[Kyaaaaaaa!]
Yoon-gi, who had earned the nickname 'Outdoor Boy,' already had a significant number of female fans due to his handsome appearance. Thus, his fan service was enough to overheat the festival grounds even further.
"Now, we will begin the quarterfinals!"
Games are only for children. As this perception was shattered by *The God of Pachinko* and the Sega Sonic Festival, people of all ages and genders were lost in the excitement, staring at the giant screen. The game character moving at explosive speeds and the flashy game graphics. Plus, the exhilarating game sound. The atmosphere was so heated it was enough to send shivers down one's spine.
'Good, advancing to the finals!'
[Wooooooo!!]
Yoon-gi advanced to the finals without a hitch, and thanks to this, the tournament was able to maintain its excited heat until the final match. What if ordinary kids had made it to the finals? They wouldn't have been able to keep the atmosphere going to this extent. But because Yoon-gi, the only player with his own dedicated fan base, advanced to the finals, his most ardent supporters didn't leave the stadium.
"I will definitely win!"
As Yoon-gi raised one hand and clenched his fist tightly, people began to cheer for him without exception.
[Outdoor! Outdoor! Outdoor!]
[Kanto! Kanto! Kanto!]
It was a truly one-sided cheer. The middle school boy from Shikoku who had also reached the finals looked annoyed, as if he didn't like the situation. However, a moment later, he showed a fishy, cynical smirk. Yoon-gi entered the finals without knowing why his opponent had smiled like that.
The final match was a competition based on the clear time from the first stage to the last. Naturally, Yoon-gi was confident in the finals as well. He had really done nothing but play Sonic for a while. But then, a completely unimaginable situation occurred.
'No, are you using a bug here?'
The Shikoku representative’s game character was shown on the giant screen moving straight from the first stage to the third stage.