HMLU Ch 11

As soon as I washed up and lay down, I fell into a deep sleep without dreams. Whenever I returned from my parents’ house, I usually had inexplicable nightmares, so I thought this was unusual. Sitting blankly, receiving the blazing sunlight on the crown of my head, I habitually picked up my phone. Messages from my mother and Chanhee had arrived alternately.

[Did you get home safely? Your father says he’s sorry for yelling over the phone yesterday. He still does that sometimes when he drinks too much.]

Normally, this kind of message would have made me sigh first, but for some reason, today it didn’t stir any emotions. It feels like I’m gradually getting used to whatever my parents do. I wondered if this was part of the process of independence.

[Call me when you wake up.]

Chanhee’s message had arrived two hours ago, at 8 a.m. He wants me to call? Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I pressed the call icon first.

“Hello, hyung. Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah… Is something up?”

“No, I just wanted to hear your voice, so I asked you to call.”

“…”

Oh man, that hits hard. For a moment, I recalled the atmosphere in the car yesterday, and it felt like my chest was tickling from the inside. Ahem, I cleared my throat and licked my dry lips.

“But something did happen in the meantime.”

“Huh? What?”

“You’d have to log into the game to find out…”

Game? Yawning lazily, I pressed the desktop’s power button with my toe. Did Popuri cause some kind of trouble? I had half-expected it, so I launched the game without high expectations.

“What the…?”

As soon as I logged in, a notification popped up saying my mailbox was full. Friend requests were flooding in like crazy. …What’s going on? The reason became clear quickly. All the letters filling my mailbox had the same content.

<Is it true you killed the hedgehog?>

<How did you kill the hedgehog?>

<HedgehogKiller-nim, please accept my guild invite.>

<Is this the famous HedgehogSlaughter guild?>

<hellooo> <Could you possibly kill a hedgehog for me?></hellooo>

Naturally, the image of Popuri gleefully charging toward the big city came to mind first. Ugh, that troublemaking punk… I started rejecting friend requests one by one while loading up a barrage of curses aimed at Popuri.

[Guild] Popuri: Hyung-nim, you here? lol

[Guild] Popuri: I’m having a suffocatingly awkward time with Bear-hyung-nim

[Guild] Meritocracy: Hyunseong, do you want to die?

[Guild] Popuri: and

[Guild] Popuri: Huh?

[Guild] Popuri: My real name out of nowhere??

[Guild] Meritocracy: What did you go around bragging about to cause this mess? What’s going on?

With every step, whispers flooded in, making it hard to see the screen. I should’ve created a guild room earlier so I could summon this polygon lump and smack his head. Thinking I should head to the airship right away, I sent a party invite to Black Bear first.

[Guild] Popuri: Hyung-nim, I’m innocent, I swear ㅠㅠ

[Guild] Popuri: It’s because of the title effect.

[Guild] Meritocracy: What?

[Guild] Popuri: You haven’t tried it yet?

[Guild] Popuri: The effect is super cute.

Titles can be obtained by completing specific quests or scenarios, and not all their types and effects have been fully revealed. Generally, the rarer or more difficult the title, the more likely it is to have a flashy effect.

I opened the profile window and equipped the most recently acquired “Hedgehog Slayer” title. At the same time, a plump green sprout popped up from the top of my avatar’s head. Since my character is a small boy, it did look especially cute. I couldn’t help but grin widely, enjoying the new effect, before snapping back to reality and readying my fingers.

[Guild] Meritocracy: So, what did you say?

[Guild] Meritocracy: Answer properly, Hyunseong.

[Guild] Popuri: No, I swear ㅠ People were bombarding me with questions, asking how I did it.

[Guild] Popuri: I said I don’t know, that our guild leader and sub-leader helped me.

[Guild] Popuri: That’s the truth, isn’t it? ㅠ

…Well, yeah. He’s not wrong. I scratched my head and sighed. It was at that moment that Black Bear, who had been quiet until then, suddenly appeared in the chat window.

[Guild] Kkamamgom: Hyung ㅇ.ㅇ I have a question.

[Guild] Popuri: Oh, you startled me.

[Guild] Kkamamgom: What’s the connection between killing the hedgehog and the sprout on your head? —.—?

[Guild] Popuri: Bear-nim, is that your real typing style? You talk to me like a customer service AI bot…

[Guild] Meritocracy: Yeah, is it in the title description?

[Guild] Popuri: Are both of you not seeing my messages?

Now that I thought about it, I got curious and opened the title menu again. The moment I hovered over “Hedgehog Slayer,” my eyes narrowed.

[Hedgehog Slayer: To save mere mealworms, you willingly defeated a monster! The mealworm swarm seems to want to repay you. Judging by the gift of their most lush and clean leaf, that is. Effect: A herbal scent wafts from the top of your head.]

…Mealworms… I hadn’t even thought about that, but I guess so… Anyway, it’s cute and a rare title, so I decided to keep it equipped. Titles don’t particularly boost stats or anything, but gamers always bet their gaming lives on the flair of polygon scraps…

[Guild] Popuri: But isn’t it good if we get a lot of join requests? We need to hunt Solga anyway.

Exactly. After Gaius and Iglaus, the update for Solga, the last of the three evil gods, is coming soon. The guild was created primarily to form a raid team targeting Solga’s first clear.

There’s no special reward or title from the game company for achieving a first clear. It’s just a small honor that holds weight within the Asyrus continent. But aren’t gamers the kind of people who stake their lives on honor in the game world?

[Guild] Meritocracy: That’s true, but it’s only good if they’re worth something.

[Guild] Popuri: Put it in the application form.

[Guild] Popuri: That we’re recruiting for Solga raid and what spots are open.

Application form… Come to think of it, I hadn’t finalized that yet either. Even though it was annoying, none of what he said was wrong, so I had no choice but to do as he suggested.

[Guild] Meritocracy: Fine, I’ll work on it.

[Guild] Meritocracy: You and Bear come with me to launch the airship.

[Guild] Popuri: Yessir ㅠ

In the end, I invited Popuri too and headed to the dungeon entrance. Black Bear, with a sprout on his head, was already brandishing his greatsword, swaggering around. Instead of the dropped call, I put on a headset and connected to voice chat.

“You don’t have to fight.”

“Shouldn’t I pull aggro?”

“With his gear, he can tank even as a dealer. Let’s just leech here.”

“Alright,” he replied obediently and plopped down on the spot. The two sprouts, now at similar heights, swayed gently. The sight of a cute sprout on that fierce bear head was both funny and adorable. When I made a head-patting motion, Black Bear shyly twisted his shoulders.

“Solga’s a flying monster, so there’s bound to be some tough mechanics. We’ll need a paladin.”

“Then I can’t go?”

“No, the paladin’s the sub-tank. You’re the main tank.”

I opened the guild info window. Obviously, a guild aimed at raiding doesn’t only recruit raid users. I filled out a simple application form and added the rules one by one.

1. No disparaging remarks about other classes.

(Violators will be subject to a one-strike-out policy.)

This was, of course, the first and foremost condition. I was about to hit enter triumphantly but rewrote the line below.

1. No disparaging remarks about other classes.

Exception for Druids who defeat the guild leader in a 1:1 PK.

Shadow Warrior disparagement is strictly prohibited (one-strike-out policy).

“…”

This is just me being a nickname snob… I snapped out of it and reverted to the original text. I wanted to add a rule against whining during raids but decided to hold back.

It’d be great if every applicant were a raid addict and a veteran, but there’s no way talent like that would join a party with a Druid and a Shadow Warrior. So Popuri wasn’t wrong in saying that more guild applicants would be a good thing. If we can’t recruit fully-formed talent, we’ll just have to train them ourselves.

Originally, I planned to headhunt more discreetly and subtly, but since things have come to this, it makes sense to use whatever we can.

2. The Hedgehog Slayer title will be obtainable one month after joining the guild.

“Why one month later?”

Chanhee, who was watching the form update in real-time with sub-leader privileges, asked.

“After a month in the guild, you’re required to maintain member status for at least three months. It’s like a system to prevent hit-and-runs.”

Since the join reward is a title, not an item, they can’t just grab it with an alt and run. Even I thought it was a genius solution.

3. Preference given to those participating in the Solga raid.

I kept this part brief. First clears depend on how quickly you figure out new raid mechanics and damage thresholds anyway. Once the fixed raid roster is set, we can whip them into shape then; no need to scare them off now.

As soon as I finished the form and hit register, the screen changed, and a cutscene played. Popuri had quickly cleared the dungeon and launched the airship.

Arriving at Tonen City, I opened the guild room and did some light organizing, but guild applications kept pouring in endlessly. I gave Black Bear permission to decorate the interior as he curiously explored the guild room and started reviewing applications one by one. Most were requests to help them get the hedgehog title or at least tell them how, but about one in twenty had names familiar from the raid scene.

[Guild] Meritocracy: It’s Ongpak.

[Guild] Popuri: Whoa.

[Guild] Popuri: Paladin Ongpak?

[Guild] Popuri: Approve him ASAP.

He was a user in the top ten for paladin damage rankings in the country. Compared to Popuri, who’s hit world number one, it’s a modest achievement, but for tanks, mechanic stability matters more than damage. Considering that, he was an overwhelmingly excellent recruit for a new raid team.

While Popuri and I went back and forth discussing the names on the applications, Black Bear was meticulously placing tiny flower decorations around the guild room. The sight of him attaching delicate petals with his bulky paws and quietly admiring them was… honestly, just too cute.

[Guild] Meritocracy: I’ve called him here.

The guild room could sometimes be used as an interview space for applicants. If the guild master temporarily grants access, the applicant can enter the room for a private conversation isolated from the outside. I clicked the invite button on Ongpak’s application, and soon enough, Ongpak was summoned to the guild room entrance.

[Guest] Ongpak: Hello.

[Guest] Ongpak: I heard you have an open paladin spot for the Solga raid.

Paladins all have the appearance of humans in their thirties. Ongpak had a human male avatar with slight wrinkles starting to form, wearing the standard paladin armor. Of course, his actual gear was different, but he’d set it to display the paladin’s signature outfit. You could tell he was pretty immersed in his class.

[Guild] Meritocracy: Hello.

[Guest] Ongpak: But it seems like your current members aren’t max level yet, is that right?

[Guild] Meritocracy: Yes, that’s correct.

[Guild] Meritocracy: We’ll handle preparations before the raid, so no need to worry.

[Guest] Ongpak: Hmm.

This doesn’t feel good. And honestly, we wouldn’t catch the eye of a user like him. We’re a newly formed guild with only three members, and Popuri’s the only one at max level. Sure, Popuri being a world-class dealer is a big advantage, but…

[Guest] Ongpak: So you’re saying you’re going for Solga with a Druid?

…That’s the issue. There’s no point in dodging it, so I answered simply.

[Guild] Meritocracy: Yes.

[Guest] Ongpak: Well, alright.

[Guest] Ongpak: I don’t mind as long as we clear.

[Guest] Ongpak: But.

[Guest] Ongpak: Your recruitment info says the main tank is a Druid.

[Guest] Ongpak: That’s a typo, right?

[Guild] Meritocracy: No.

[Guild] Meritocracy: The Druid is the main tank, and we need you to sub-tank.

[Guest] Ongpak: Uh…

At that moment, Popuri sauntered into the guild room with his tail raised high. (He’s a male black panther beastman.) Striding in boldly, he set off fireworks with a welcome motion.

[Guild] Popuri: Ongpak-nim ^^ Welcome~

[Temporary] Ongpak: Oh, hello, Popuri-nim.

[Temporary] Ongpak: So Popuri-nim is also going for Solga here, right?

[Guild] Popuri: Yup, I’m the main dealer~ ^^

It’s the kind of greeting you’d give an old acquaintance, but they probably don’t actually know each other. It’s just the camaraderie of being well-known users.

[Temporary] Ongpak: I have one thing I’d like to say…

[Temporary] Ongpak: I’m fine with being on a team with a Druid.

[Temporary] Ongpak: But I don’t quite understand why a paladin would be the sub-tank when there’s a Druid.

[Temporary] Ongpak: Especially since the Druid isn’t even max level yet.

[Temporary] Ongpak: I’d assume their class mastery is pretty low.

Black Bear, who had been diligently placing flower vases in the guild room, froze. My hand froze too. Logically, this is a perfectly reasonable concern. The main tank has to hold the boss’s aggro from start to finish and handle major mechanics, so they need high proficiency. So anyone would say that with Black Bear and Ongpak, Ongpak should be the main tank.

Knowing all that, I still felt a strange surge of anger.

[Guild] Meritocracy: Then leave.

This guy, daring to mess with my bear who’s peacefully pouring his heart into interior decorating? A kid who’s so happy arranging polygon flowers?

[Guest] Ongpak: ?

[Guest] Ongpak: Huh? lol

[Guild] Meritocracy: Look.

[Guild] Meritocracy: You saw our party composition before applying, right?

[Guild] Meritocracy: Even if you thought it might be a mistake.

[Guild] Meritocracy: I answered when you asked, didn’t I? The Druid is the main tank.

[Guild] Meritocracy: So either take the sub-tank role or go find another guild where you can main tank.

[Guild] Meritocracy: Why are you trying to convince us you should be the main tank here?

[Guild] Meritocracy: If you want things your way, form your own party.

“Hyung, are you fighting?”

A worried voice came through. He seemed to want to ask if this was about him.

“No, it’s not a fight. If it was, I wouldn’t be this calm.”

Popuri started spamming voice chat invites like crazy, but I cleanly ignored them. I’d turned off whispers earlier, so I couldn’t see those either.

[Guest] Ongpak: lol

[Guest] Ongpak: I don’t know why you’re getting so worked up.

[Guest] Ongpak: I’m just saying me main-tanking would be better for clearing Solga.

[Guest] Ongpak: Without Popuri-nim, I wouldn’t have even considered this.

[Guest] Ongpak: With a top-tier beastman dealer and me as main tank, we could clear even with a Druid.

[Guest] Ongpak: But if you’re not open to listening, I guess there’s nothing I can do lol

Yeah, that’s what it always comes down to. I sneered inwardly and put strength into my fingers.

[Guild] Meritocracy: So you’re saying with Popuri and you as main tank, we could carry even if the rest of the party is trash?

[Guest] Ongpak: I’m saying we could carry you two lol

[Guild] Meritocracy: lolol sorry, but.

[Guild] Meritocracy: If you were AvocadoMonkey, I’d let you main tank.

[Guild] Meritocracy: But since you’re not, my calculations say the Druid main-tanking is better, so that’s how we set it up.

Since Solga is a monster born in the Cloud Valley, there’s a high chance that the dive mechanic from the Cloud Valley instance boss, the King Eagle, will be a key feature. And Shadow Warriors have a skill that can grab a monster’s afterimage and slam it down. The cooldown is long, but if timed well, it could create a tactic to boost overall damage output.

Ongpak was silent for a moment. He must’ve been pretty heated at the mention of AvocadoMonkey. AvocadoMonkey is a domestic user who’s hit world number one for paladins. As the main tank of the raid guild <mandu>, we can’t recruit him, but if someone could pull that kind of damage single-handedly, I’d genuinely let them do whatever they wanted, main or sub-tank.</mandu>

[Guest] Ongpak: lolol

You could feel his hands trembling from that one line. I braced myself to counter whatever he’d say next.

[Guest] Ongpak: Look here.

[Guest] Ongpak: If you were a big name, I’d be fine with sub-tanking or whatever.

[Guest] Ongpak: But who are you?

[Guest] Ongpak: What are you? Popuri’s boyfriend? lolol

“…”

…

A brief silence fell over both the headset and the chat window. Then Popuri quietly sidled up and started doing the beastman signature “Courtship Dance” toward me.

[Guild] Popuri: Babe ㅠ Don’t fight ㅠ

[Guest] Ongpak: lolololololololololololol

[Guest] Ongpak: Haha lol

[Guest] Ongpak: Honestly, Popuri-nim, I’m disappointed in you too.

[Guild] Popuri: Why me? ㅠ Puri’s innocent.

This guy’s lost it… I started racking my brain to de-escalate, but Chanhee’s dazed voice leaked through the headset.

“Hyung, are you dating that guy?”

“No! Are you crazy?”

“Then why’s he calling you babe?”

“That lunatic… ugh, no, just hold on.”

Imagining Popuri cackling in front of his monitor made my blood boil, but this wasn’t the time to focus on that.

[Guild] Meritocracy: Look.

[Guild] Meritocracy: That means.

[Guild] Meritocracy: If I were a big name, you’d shut up and sub-tank, right?

[Guest] Ongpak: lolol

[Guest] Ongpak: What did you say?

[Guest] Ongpak: If you were a big name, I’d even be your leveling shuttle.

[Guest] Ongpak: I’d carry that Druid around too, no problem.

[Guild] Meritocracy: Okay.

[Guild] Meritocracy: I’m that big name.

It was bound to come out eventually. Especially, as Popuri said, it was impossible to keep it hidden forever from party members forming the same raid team. There was no helping it. I must have been quite the show-off back when I was a big name… If there’s no way to completely hide it, it’s better to just come clean with my own mouth rather than nervously trying to conceal it.

[Guild] Meritocracy: It’s a secret.

Of course, I’d keep it under wraps as much as possible.

[Guest] Ongpak: ??

[Guest] Ongpak: ????

[Guild] Popuri: lol

[Guild] Popuri: Ongpak-nim.

[Guild] Popuri: Meri-nim = big name, it’s true.

[Guild] Popuri: I vouch for it, I even know his face.

[Guest] Ongpak: What…

Ongpak, who had been standing there blankly, took a step closer. He started circling my avatar, staring intently as if inspecting it. I figured there wasn’t much to gain from scrutinizing polygons, but I decided to let him look until he was satisfied. After lingering like that for a while, Ongpak suddenly dropped to his knees with a thud.

[Guest] Ongpak: Guild Master.

[Guest] Ongpak: What are you doing?

[Guild] Meritocracy: ??

[Guest] Ongpak: Please accept my guild invite ㅠ

[Guild] Popuri: lololololololololololololol

[Guest] Ongpak: No, but seriously.

[Guest] Ongpak: Big name.

[Guest] Ongpak: Don’t you remember me?

What’s he talking about now… Instead of answering, I typed a few question marks, and Ongpak made a motion of covering his face and crying.

[Guest] Ongpak: When I first started this game, I got PK’d like crazy by veteran hunters in Riolea.

[Guest] Ongpak: You swept those hunters away and helped me with newbie quests ㅠ

[Guild] Meritocracy: I did?

[Guest] Ongpak: Yeah, back then, hunting newbies in Riolea was a trend.

[Guest] Ongpak: You went around with your guild members, patrolling and protecting newbies ㅠ

…Oh. Now that he mentioned it, I vaguely recalled something. It was when a bunch of new members had joined the <legend> guild. There was a time when newbie slaughter certifications in Riolea were spreading like a game across forums and galleries. Because of that, our new guild members couldn’t progress their quests, so we went as a group to play vigilante.</legend>

[Guild] Meritocracy: That was just something the guild I was in did back then.

[Guild] Meritocracy: It had nothing to do with me.

[Guest] Ongpak: No way.

[Guest] Ongpak: You were the only one who cared for newbies who weren’t even guild members ㅠ

[Guest] Ongpak: You even cleared dungeons for us.

[Guild] Popuri: Whoa.

At that moment, a soft laugh came through the headset. It was so tender and sweet that it sent a chill down my neck for a second. Startled and frozen, a new notification suddenly popped up in the guild window.

[Ongpak has joined the guild. Please give a warm welcome.]

“What?”

“I approved his join.”

Chanhee whispered in that same gentle tone. …His voice is seriously insane. Without realizing it, I gripped the headset and scratched the back of my head vigorously. It felt ticklish, as if his breath was brushing against me.

[Guild] Kkamamgom: Welcome, Ongpak-nim 🙂

[Guild] Kkamamgom: I’m still lacking, but please take care of me.

[Guild] Popuri: Bear-nim?

[Guild] Popuri: Are you only cold to me?

[Guild] Ongpak: Oh, you’re the Druid.

[Guild] Ongpak: Nice to meet you lol

[Guild] Ongpak: By the way, do you have a main character too, Druid-nim?

[Guild] Kkamamgom: No ^^ I’m a newbie.

[Guild] Popuri: Did I just get kicked from the guild?

Even using the term “newbie” like that, my kid’s grown a lot… I cleared my throat with a hum and spoke into the mic.

“Hey, Chanhee. From now on, there’ll be times when we’ll all voice chat together with guild members. Is that okay with you?”

“Oh, you can do it with multiple people?”

“Yeah. But if talking feels overwhelming or uncomfortable, you can keep your mic off.”

“It’s not like that…”

Chanhee trailed off and fell silent for a moment. He seemed to be thinking something over. Is he against it? I was about to say more when an unexpected question hit me.

“I was thinking, hyung. Earlier, that guy asked if you were Popuri-nim’s girlfriend.”

“Huh? Yeah.”

“If he said that because he thinks Popuri-nim is skilled and you’re not… doesn’t that mean he’s asking why you’d bother carrying a useless party member unless they were your lover?”

“…Uh? Well…?”

His extremely logical analysis left me momentarily stunned. Honestly, it probably wasn’t that deep of a comment.

“It’s just typical aggro bait, but if you break it down, I guess it could be seen that way…?”

“Hmm, then I won’t turn on my mic.”

“That’s… you can do whatever’s comfortable…”

“If I’m a newbie you’re carrying and it’s unclear whether I’m a guy or a girl, they’ll say stuff like that about me too, right?”

For a moment, I didn’t catch his meaning and just blinked. It didn’t help that Chanhee was speaking with such a sweet, hopeful voice. So, what he’s saying is…

“You’re saying you want to hide your voice because you want people to think you’re the guild master’s lover?”

“Yes.”

“No, why would you think that’s a good thing…”

“It’s exciting.”

“…”

“Just imagining it feels nice.”

If I didn’t know this guy, I’d think he was teasing or messing with me, but having seen and experienced him, I keep hesitating and getting flustered. The problem is, I know he’s genuinely serious about me. I know he believes I’m his first love or whatever.

I scratched my ticklish chest over my clothes, trying to think. If I was really the ten-year-old exchanging emails with him when he was seven… wouldn’t there be some trace of it somewhere?

My portal ID was created during computer class when I first entered elementary school. The teacher back then made it for me. Since Haemin’s surname is Shim, let’s make your ID “deepsea”… I vaguely recall her kind whisper.

I remember why that made me happy. My original surname wasn’t Shim. My mother said changing my surname was proof that my father loved me.

“…”

I quietly opened a browser and logged into the portal. The account, now 17 years old, had over 100,000 unread emails piled up. Most were ads and spam from my clueless childhood subscription settings, and I couldn’t muster the courage to dig through them.

I sighed silently and closed the window. Maybe there’s something at my parents’ house? I pondered but shook my head to dismiss the thought. To even search, I’d need some clue to start with. But I genuinely have no idea.

[Guild] Ongpak: So, big name, should I.

[Guild] Ongpak: Start as a leveling shuttle right away?

[ THERE IS A GAP IN THE ORIGINAL TEXT HERE ]

[Guild] Popuri: Ongpak-nim.

[Guild] Popuri: Are you trying to steal my job right now?

[Guild] Popuri: I’m disappointed.

[Guild] Ongpak: lol first come, first served ^^

I belatedly noticed the rapidly scrolling chat window and turned my attention to it. There was still plenty of time until the Solga update, but with leveling, gearing up, and clearing prerequisite raids, the schedule was tight. Naturally, the more leveling shuttles, the better.

[Guild] Meritocracy: Well, you two figure that part out.

[Guild] Meritocracy: And don’t call me big name.

[Guild] Ongpak: Oh, right.

[Guild] Ongpak: I’ll call you Guild Master ㅠ

[Guild] Ongpak: But can I ask something? Why did you delete your character? ㅠ

Normally, you don’t ask questions like that, but I wasn’t about to demand deep online etiquette from a virtual connection. Since Popuri was clamming up like a shell, I decided to brush it off casually.

[Guild] Meritocracy: I got into some fights with guild members.

[Guild] Meritocracy: The vibe was awful and I was fed up, so I deleted it in a fit of anger.

[Guild] Meritocracy: Figured I’d live my real life for a bit.

[Guild] Meritocracy: But I made a new ID when I heard there was a hidden Druid story.

I threw in some fabricated backstory for good measure. Even as I said it, it sounded like nonsense. Who but me could’ve discovered a hidden Druid story? Thankfully, Ongpak didn’t press on that point.

[Guild] Ongpak: Whoa, was it.

[Guild] Ongpak: Because of the Druid Legend incident?

…Probably because he had zero interest in the Druid story itself, but that didn’t matter.

[Guild] Meritocracy: No need to get into details now.

[Guild] Meritocracy: Word might spread that I’m back as I play, but there’s no need to go announcing it.

[Guild] Meritocracy: So keep it to yourself.

[Guild] Ongpak: Got it ㅠㅠ)>

In any case, recruiting a paladin of Ongpak’s caliber was a stroke of luck. Most ranked players usually have fixed parties. Even Popuri, with his prickly personality and guild-hopping, always had a steady raid party.

[Guild] Popuri: Now that I think about it, why are you a free agent, Ongpak-nim?

[Guild] Popuri: Didn’t you clear Iglaus with the Gothic guild?

As if reading my mind, Popuri fired off a sharp question. Ongpak’s avatar shook its head.

[Guild] Ongpak: Yeah, I joined because I thought a fixed party would help my ranking.

[Guild] Ongpak: But the Gothic guild master and sub-master are dating.

[Guild] Ongpak: When things are good, it’s annoying as hell.

[Guild] Ongpak: When they fight, they mess up raids and cause drama.

[Guild] Ongpak: It was awful, so I left.

[Guild] Meritocracy: …Yikes.

[Guild] Ongpak: But it worked out.

[Guild] Ongpak: Big name.

[Guild] Ongpak: I mean, with Guild Master here.

[Guild] Ongpak: We could aim for a world record ㅠㅠ

[Guild] Ongpak: Why stay in that mess?

[Guild] Meritocracy: Don’t exaggerate.

I brushed him off, but it’s not entirely wrong. Raids are essentially group projects. With party members who do their part and sync up over time, damage output inevitably rises.

That’s why a DPS-obsessed guy like Popuri likes and follows me. Having one skilled controller in the party gives everyone else more freedom. Of course, only players at Popuri or Ongpak’s level would notice that. Usually, when I support and boost their damage, people just think they did great and get cocky.

[Guild] Ongpak: So, should we head out now?

[Guild] Meritocracy: Hold on.

“Chanhee.”

“Yes, hyung.”

I called through the headset, and a docile reply came back. Black Bear’s avatar was still busy decorating the guild room with flowers. He’s really going at it with those 1-gold shop flowers.

“Let’s run the airship dungeon again, just the two of us. I think we need to verify what caused the hedgehog’s death.”

“Okay. Right now?”

“Yeah.”

“Have you eaten lunch?”

His words made me glance at the clock—it was 1 p.m. I’d jumped into the game right after waking up and had been at it ever since. I wasn’t hungry, but I should eat something. Skipping meals makes me lose my appetite entirely, and I’d lose weight fast. Back when I was deep into gaming, I once looked up and found I’d dropped 5 kilos.

“Now that you mention it, I should eat. Let’s eat and then meet up to go.”

“Then wouldn’t it be better to eat together?”

“Huh?”

What’s he talking about? I mulled over my own words and let out an “ah.” I meant we’d each eat and meet back online, but he seemed to think I was suggesting we meet in real life, maybe at a PC bang.

“…Uh, well…”

It’s easy to explain. No, I meant we’d eat separately and meet in the guild room.

The reason I couldn’t get the words out was simple. Thinking about meeting him made me want to see him.

“…”

…

“…”

“Hyung?”

I’m really in deep trouble here.

“No, I was… thinking about what we’d eat if we ate together.”

“What were you going to eat if you were alone?”

“Just something simple, like kimchi fried rice.”

“You know how to make that?”

“It’s easy. It’s quick too.”

I had some kimchi I’d just gotten, and some cheese that was on the verge of expiring. …So what. Even as I rattled it off, I found myself amusing. It was painfully obvious what direction I was steering the conversation.

“That sounds delicious.”

Does he realize it too? He’s not an idiot, so probably. I rubbed my stiff brow and finally managed to speak.

“Want me to make it for you?”

There was a brief silence over the headset.

“Yesterday… I was grateful.”

No, it sounded like he was smiling a little.

“Then should I bring my laptop?”

“…Huh?”

“I have a laptop that can run the game. If we’re just checking for bugs, we probably don’t need to go to a PC bang.”

“Oh, yeah… sure. Call me when you’re nearby, and I’ll come get you.”

“Okay.”

As soon as I took off the headset, I shot up from my seat. At the same time, I felt overwhelmed. It was great to follow my heart, but my room was a mess. I flung open the window and grabbed the crumpled blanket. With a quick shake in the air, a cloud of dust puffed up.

By the way, do I have anything to drink? I kicked the scattered items on the floor under the bed and headed to the fridge. The small built-in fridge had a few sodas, some water, and miscellaneous side dishes. Chanhee had prepared coffee and dessert when I went to his place. Fidgeting, I rummaged through the cabinets and let out a yelp. There was only one pack of instant rice left.

I grabbed my wallet and bolted outside. Instant rice, drinks, and maybe some nicer cheese. I repeated the shopping list in my head, grabbed the convenience store door, and stopped. The glass door of the shop next door had the word “Flowers” written on it.

“…”

Was there a flower shop here? The sign looked tattered, so it wasn’t new, but in all my years living in this neighborhood, I’d never registered the word “flowers.” The only time I’d ever dealt with flowers was probably at graduation, so it made sense.

On the stand outside the shop, small bouquets were displayed. I saw flowers that looked like the ones Chanhee had been sticking on walls in the game. Staring at a round, pale purple bouquet, I suddenly noticed the price tag below it.

“Whoa.”

This tiny bouquet was 30,000 won? Really? I rubbed my eyes and looked again—same deal. Shaking my head, I quietly entered the convenience store. Flowers are expensive, huh. Well, I’d never had a reason to buy them, so how would I know?

🕹️

No matter how I think about it, this is completely over the top.

With my arms crossed, I glared at the pale purple bouquet on the desk and raked my hand through my hair. It looked ridiculously small outside, but in my bleak studio, it had an overwhelming presence.

Why did I even buy it? To give it to him? What kind of reaction would a 22-year-old guy have to something like that? I tried to think positively, but all I could imagine was a baffled face. I couldn’t believe what I’d done and stood there dumbfounded when the doorbell rang. It was Chanhee.

“…Oh, crap.”

In the end, I hadn’t prepared food or cleaned properly. Panicking, I opened the door. Chanhee was holding a large shopping bag in one hand.

“Hey, come in.”

He’d clearly brought a ton of stuff again. Regret washed over me. I shouldn’t have called him so impulsively. It would’ve been better to invite him properly tomorrow.

“Why are you so out of breath?”

Chanhee asked as he brushed past me. His face, tilting down to look at me, was full of curiosity.

“Oh, I’m not out of breath. Sorry, but I haven’t started on the food yet. I was going to, but I realized I was short on ingredients, so I had to run out to buy some…”

“Really? I could’ve gotten them if you’d called.”

“…”

That was an option… I thought blankly, then shook my head. Even if I’d thought of it earlier, I probably wouldn’t have done it. There are two types of guests: ones you can send on errands and ones you can’t. Right now, he’s the latter to me.

“Anyway, I know I invited you here, but don’t expect anything too delicious. It’s just stuff I make for myself to get by.”

“It’s fine. I’m not picky.”

As he stepped into the house, he set down his bag and held out the shopping bag. When I opened it, as expected, there was a box of homemade desserts inside.

“Where can I wash my hands?”

“Oh, the bathroom’s over there.”

After sending him to the tiny bathroom attached to the entrance, my eyes fell on the bouquet on the desk again. …This really isn’t right. I need to put it away now. Get it together. Just as I picked it up, intending to toss it into the closet, a voice came from behind me.

“Hyung, sorry, but where’s the towel…?”

Turning around, I saw him blinking at me, holding the bathroom doorknob. And there I was, holding a hydrangea bouquet in one hand. His dark, sparkling eyes briefly scanned my nose and the tips of my fingers. Then, meeting my gaze, a smooth smile curved his lips as he asked.

“What’s that?”

“…”

“Is it for me?”

Just seeing his smiling, crinkled eyes made my heart race, and I thought I was really in trouble.

“No, it’s… not. It’s not…”

“It’s not?”

“…”

“That’s a shame. It would’ve been nice if it was for me.”

He sighed while speaking, yet his lips still traced a pleasing arc. As my fingers fidgeted, he disappeared back into the bathroom, and soon the sound of running water followed. I hesitated for a long time before finally taking a step, still clutching the bouquet.

“The towel… it’s in the mirror cabinet.”

“Oh, okay.”

“And… this is just something I ended up buying. If you like it, you can have it, take it.”

Even to my own ears, the excuse sounded flimsy, and my hands trembled as I rambled. Regardless, Chanhee, who was leisurely wiping off the water, turned his head toward me again.

“Really?”

His tone was like a kid who’d been handed a basket of candy.

“Thank you. I’ll display it nicely in my room.”

He strode over and held out both hands eagerly. …I regretted it even more. He’s this happy over something so small—I should’ve bought a bigger one.

“Do you like flowers? You were putting them up all day in the guild room too.”

“Yeah, I do.”

Holding the bouquet in both hands, he brought the pale purple blossoms to the tip of his nose. His gently lowered eyes seemed to glint faintly. A twenty-two-year-old guy looking so perfectly suited to flowers… It felt like I was witnessing something I shouldn’t, and I instinctively turned my gaze away.

“That’s unusual… You don’t often see guys who like flowers.”

“I didn’t used to care much about them either. But when I was in middle school, some classmates brought flowers when they visited me in the hospital. I thought, ‘Oh, they’re pretty… nice,’ but they were taken away right in front of me. I must’ve felt really disappointed back then.”

“What? Why’d they take them?”

“They say you shouldn’t have fresh flowers around when your immunity is low. And during treatment, my immunity was practically nonexistent.”

“Oh…”

His long fingers carefully stroked the water-colored wrapping paper. Amid the soft rustling sound, his low voice, resonating in the narrow, quiet studio, carried a strange sense of weightlessness.

“I think I had that thought back then. Flowers bloom so naturally on Earth, but I couldn’t even enjoy something so ordinary…”

“…”

“So when I was discharged and got a big bouquet, I was really happy. Since then, I’ve occasionally bought some for myself.”

Finishing his story, Chanhee carefully placed the bouquet on top of his bag. I let out a hum, cleared my throat, and pulled out the frying pan.

“Uh, hang out for a bit. I’ll make it quick.”

“Okay.”

“The laptop… you can set it up on the desk.”

I clearly knew, yet I kept forgetting in moments like these. He was a kid who’d been sick for a long time… But he looks so healthy now, it’s hard not to.

I placed the few ingredients I had on the small sink counter and glanced toward the desk. Seeing him sitting at my desk felt oddly strange. Trying to ignore it, I started chopping the kimchi, when Chanhee spoke up.

“There are about 200 guild applications piled up. What should we do?”

“…Just leave them for now. I’ll check them later.”

“Okay.”

Then, for a while, I heard the sound of him typing on the laptop. Even as I focused on cooking, my ears kept perking up. Why was he typing? Unless he was chatting.

“What are you doing?”

“The guild members are asking where you went.”

“Oh? Oh, right…”

Come to think of it, I’d left the game running and gone AFK. Of course they’d wonder. As I neatly sliced the kimchi and put it in the pan, I suddenly widened my eyes without realizing it.

Dropping what I was holding, I rushed to the desk. The game screen on my monitor was still in the guild room. The only thing that had changed was the chaotic guild chat window.

[Kkamamgom has logged in.]

[Guild] Popuri: Oh.

[Guild] Popuri: Bear-nim.

[Guild] Popuri: Do you know where Meri-hyung-nim went? There’s a mage applicant.

[Guild] Kkamamgom: He’s preparing lunch.

[Guild] Popuri: Oh, lunch.

[Guild] Ongpak: I should eat lunch too.

[Guild] Ongpak: Have you eaten, Bear-nim?

[Guild] Kkamamgom: No, I’m waiting for Meri-nim.

[Guild] Popuri: ???

[Guild] Popuri: You’re eating together?

[Guild] Kkamamgom: Yes.

[Guild] Popuri: Where??

[Guild] Kkamamgom: At Meri-nim’s house.

[Guild] Popuri: His house???

[Guild] Ongpak: Are you two living together??

[Guild] Kkamamgom: ^^

[Guild] Popuri: ??????????????

[Guild] Popuri: For real??

“Why would you say it like that…!”

“Huh?”

His blank, innocent face looked back at me, completely unaware of what the problem was. I sighed at his clueless expression and calmed myself down, pulling my keyboard over to type quickly.

[Guild] Meritocracy: Living together, what; he’s just visiting.

[Guild] Ongpak: Oh…

[Guild] Popuri: No, hyung-nim.

[Guild] Popuri: I’m really disappointed… You never let me stay over.

[Guild] Meritocracy: Why would I let you stay over;

[Guild] Ongpak: I have bad memories of a guild where the master and sub-master were dating.

[Guild] Ongpak: But Guild Master… I’ll trust you.

[Guild] Meritocracy: Stop the nonsense and eat your food.

As I hit enter, a sizzling sound came from the kitchen. Rushing back to the stove, I broke out in a cold sweat. Whether he knew my panic or not, Chanhee just let out a short laugh. I cleared my throat, pretending to change the subject. For some reason, I felt unusually frazzled today.

“Uh… Don’t write stuff like that in the guild chat for a while.”

“Why not?”

“We’re recruiting raid members right now. If we seem too close-knit, new people might feel left out…”

“Left out?”

He asked calmly, but I could sense his complete confusion. …Well, yeah, he probably wouldn’t relate to petty feelings like that. Wherever he goes, he’s likely always the center of attention and conversation.

“From the perspective of new members, if the existing guild members seem too tight, it can feel hard to fit in. If those kinds of complaints pile up behind the scenes, it can easily cause trouble.”

“Ohh…”

“…You get it, right?”

“I think I just felt something similar. It seemed like you and Popuri-nim were really close.”

What’s he talking about? I laughed in disbelief, but Chanhee didn’t laugh. He even turned fully to stare at me. The problem with a studio is there’s no corner to escape that gaze in such a tiny space.

“Close, what close. We just went to a PC bang a few times when we were in the same guild.”

“A few times? You only went with me once.”

“It wasn’t just the two of us. The whole guild was there… Wait, why am I explaining myself…”

“What’s that about him asking to stay over?”

“Why are you digging into… I don’t know, he was just talking nonsense. That guy’s always asking random people to buy him food or let him crash.”

“Hmm.”

Chanhee drew out the sound, tilting his head to scan the room. It almost looked like he was searching for traces of someone else having been here.

“What are you doing…”

“Jealousy.”

“…”

That’s not what I was asking, but okay, I had no response. I tossed ingredients into the pan as my hands remembered, trying to change the subject.

“Is it okay if I add olives?”

“Olives?”

“I like adding them, but some people don’t…”

“Sounds like someone else you invited to your place and cooked for.”

Why is my damn mouth only drawing bad cards today? As I clammed up like a shell, Chanhee chuckled a little.

“Kidding. I’m fine with anything.”

“…Okay.”

“Anything I can help with?”

Before I could answer, Chanhee stood up. There was obviously nothing to help with. There wasn’t even enough space for two people to stand. Still, he squeezed into the narrow hallway, and a subtle fragrance wafted from him. It was like the scent from his bathroom when I visited his place.

“Just hang out. It’s too cramped for both of us to do anything here.”

“Okay.”

He answered readily but showed no sign of moving. I could feel him peeking over my shoulder at the counter. My fingers nearly lost their grip.

“Chanhee.”

“Yes?”

“If I spill this, we’re both going hungry.”

At my mechanical warning, he let out a clear, bright laugh and placed a hand on the counter. His breath suddenly brushed close, grazing my neck, and I panicked that he’d notice the goosebumps on my cheek.

“Sorry. I’m hungry.”

“…”

“Smells good. I bet it’ll taste great.”

A large hand rested on my waist. His upper body pressed against my back as his nose peeked over my shoulder, letting out a satisfied hum before pulling away. The sound of his footsteps—thud, thud—returning to the desk matched the pounding of my heart.

“…”

Is this guy actually insane? I wiped the cold sweat from my neck and struggled to speak.

“Uh, I’ll finish it quick…”

My dazed tone sounded idiotic even to me, but there was no helping it.