Chapter 60
Chapter 60
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Super Park Dahye (3)
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◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The pitch-black screen brightens, revealing a tomb chamber lit by flickering candlelight.
This was the place called the Capital Resurrection Chamber.
The spot where players who died in the capital came back to life.
It was my first time here today, but it already felt familiar.
This area was for beginners, so in eight years, I'd never respawned here even once.
Sigh... how many times had it been today already...
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Experience gain reduced by 20% due to consecutive respawn penalty! Attacked by multiple players in town! You can request help from the guards. Bounty from Team Seonghyeon Pokttal Guild has been lifted. I logged in right after getting off work and got stoned to death immediately, then dragged off and killed three more times...
This made four respawns already.
Clack... clack...
Their faces appeared again this time.
The ones who dragged me to the square and nailed me to a cross—they were approaching again without even looking tired.
Rinnentrauzer, Kahlua, and their loyal minions, Akahara.
The punks who were only troll-level in dungeons now looked like grim reapers.
💬 Guild Chat — Kwon Seonghyeon Fighter Hey, cut it out already! — Rinnentrauzer That's my line. You trash-talked, so you die. — Kahlua Guild Rule 12: Excessive trash-talking is grounds for expulsion from the guild and may be replaced with appropriate punishment. — Kwon Seonghyeon Fighter I know...! I've memorized it, so please just... — Akahara LOLOLOLOL yeah... but you really love your wife, huh? A chill ran down my spine.
These were the people who could barely muster five for a raid even if I spammed announcements...
But after hearing about me and Dahye's relationship, a whopping 42 showed up at once.
They pelted me mercilessly while I was tied up in the square...
— Lua Witch You bastard! Demon spawn! Scum of the earth! — Plant Codex Collector Guild master! Why only allow stones? I brought 40 acid bottles! — Dual-Wield Gladiator Some of us are devoting our lives to the guild's future, and you're dating?? Is the game a joke to you!? The rage-filled chat messages were still vivid in my mind.
I had no idea dating was such an evil act.
Judging by the intensity, it must be on par with patricide or something.
Just how many times did I have to die before their grudge would be satisfied?
— Kim Pokttal ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ I didn't know... I didn't know you weren't supposed to brag... Please stop... — Kwon Seonghyeon Fighter You're all pathetic! How many times do I have to die to satisfy you!? Just kick me! — Kahlua LOLOL everyone left. It's over now. — Kwon Seonghyeon Fighter For real?? — Rinnentrauzer Your big sis negotiated letting you off after four deaths. Grateful? — Kwon Seonghyeon Fighter Says the one who threw the hardest? — Rinnentrauzer Want me to call them back? — Kwon Seonghyeon Fighter No no no no no!!! — Kim Pokttal I won't do it ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ Please stop now, I won't brag anymore ㅠㅠㅠㅠ — Kahlua Hear that? LOLOL We're letting you off for Pokttal's sake. — Kwon Seonghyeon Fighter No, Pokttal bragged, so why throw stones at me? And now you're sparing me for her sake? You guys are insane?? — Kahlua If you've done something that bad, you should realize it yourself. If you'd told the guild about your 9-year age gap, this wouldn't end here ^^ — Akahara Yeah LOLOL they'd have dragged in other guilds too — Rinnentrauzer It probably went up on the incidents board. We kept your secret, so smile about it? Incidents board? Was dating... a crime?
And these aunties are married themselves—why the jealousy?
If it weren't for Dahye, I'd quit this guild on the spot.
And the most ridiculous part was how brazen they were, killing me right in the middle of town.
I never imagined Dahye would end up doing cosplay again.
Let alone internet streaming.
So I went to the guild meetup without a second thought and took dozens of photos.
If even one of those couple photos had leaked online...
Dahye never would have gotten her chance at the public stream promo.
It'd be awkward if our relationship as game company employees got out.
And her ID being Kim Pokttal would be poison for her.
That was the basis for their smugness.
Thanks to their tight lips, Dahye got her shot.
All I could do was swallow my anger.
— Kwon Seonghyeon Fighter Fuck ^ㅡ^ — Kahlua At least you're an official guild couple now LOLOL Go ahead and flirt all you want. — Akahara Yep! Fighting for your public stream tomorrow too!! — Rinnentrauzer Tomorrow's already here LOLOL How'd our guild make it on Dongbaekyang's stream? So crazy LOLOL She's world-class. — Kahlua Skipping cafe tomorrow to watch live!! Go Dahye!! — Kim Pokttal Thanks for the support! I'll do great tomorrow! ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Are you sure you want to log out? Thud!
I slammed enter and shut down the computer entirely.
A girlfriend nine years younger must really be a rare species.
This acquisition quest was brutally hard.
Really, when I got message bombs at the office today...
My head spun.
I never imagined Dahye's personality would lead her to blab everywhere.
Even calling my sister...
I stretched and glanced over. Dahye had a sullen look on her face.
"Sorry... I didn't know it'd turn out like this."
Her expression was ridiculously cute.
I reached out like I was going to flick her forehead, but instead planted a kiss on her cheek as she squeezed her eyes shut.
"It's fine. We'd have said it eventually anyway—better to just rip the band-aid off. No need to apologize."
"R... really?"
Of course.
Dahye's reaction just felt a little unfamiliar, that's all.
At my age, dating starts without much excitement.
Even once it begins, you second-guess each other, nitpick everything, and it fizzles out into nothing fast.
Love in your thirties isn't half the battle at the start—it's just the start.
But not when you're young.
Just succeeding at a confession makes you feel like you own the world.
Dahye must have felt that way.
How excited must she have been to grab every guild member and brag?
I was so grateful Dahye was thrilled about starting to date me.
Just having her by my side was enough, but her being even happier than me felt like an honor.
So no need to apologize at all.
"Is dating a crime? They're just messing around, so don't freak out. And who cares if the idiots are mad—as long as we're good, right?"
Dahye's face lit up in an instant.
Yeah, that's more like Park Dahye.
We'll hole up in our room and have our own little romance anyway.
No falling for the idiots' schemes.
"Right! As long as we're happy! Good thing I bragged, hehe. Trash-talk OP!"
"But... tone it down next time."
"Hehe, got it! Now let's sleep."
"Already? It's only 10."
"Danyanny unnie said to sleep early and wake early tomorrow. That's how you reduce puffiness."
"Ah... so that's why you skipped dinner?"
"Yeah... Can't have the outfit not fitting tomorrow. But I'm not even hungry from nerves... Might get indigestion if I eat."
Even lying in bed, Dahye couldn't fall asleep easily.
It must weigh on her heavily.
Her social anxiety seemed mostly cured, but streaming was a whole other level.
Dongbaekyang's streams drew tens of thousands of average viewers, not dozens.
She'd managed her condition all day, practiced tomorrow's drawings, monitored the stream.
Done everything she could.
But Dahye's expression stayed dark.
"That worried? Dongbaekyang will take good care of her guest, so it'll be fine."
"Yeah... that's not it..."
"Then? Something else bothering you?"
"Mmm... on the internet... people are saying weird stuff..."
Hmm... so that's it.
I'd hoped she wouldn't look, but she did anyway.
After Kingsanne and Joggna became memes, the internet was buzzing with speculation.
From wild guesses about Dahye's identity to talk of my relationship with her as a game company employee.
The grossest was the rumor I was gaslighting her as a company guy.
Based on one photo of her clutching my collar.
That was it.
They spun a 5700-character insane fantasy from that.
Probably otaku jealousy at its peak.
Once exposed online, it was inevitable.
The internet isn't full of normal people.
That's why I hoped she'd skip cosplay and tomorrow's stream.
But she always chose the brave path forward.
So I steeled my resolve.
I'll support her so she can charge ahead worry-free.
If a stalker shows, I'll shield her with my body. If she's anxious, my collar's always there.
If... the online rumors torment her.
I'm prepared to keep saying it's fine forever.
"Don't worry. Those guys can't come out of their screens anyway."
"True, but... okay... I won't pay attention anymore."
"Good. Forget the weirdos and focus on you. Nail tomorrow's stream and line up more gigs."
"Yeah! I'll do amazing and make bank!"
Her determined face was cute too.
Her eyebrows in a V—pure hero vibe.
Yeah, Dahye.
Charge forward bravely like always.
Stream, earn money, land jobs.
Become so great even those idiots can't speak in your presence.
I patted her back as we drifted off.
And the next day,
the day of the workshop finally dawned.
Just to say it upfront—Dahye was way braver than I thought.
Though the direction of that bravery...
was completely different from what I expected.
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