HMLU Ch 19
by soapaThe Solga update was a month away, and raid preparations were proceeding smoothly. Popuri, Ongpak, and Cityboy were focused on mining to gather equipment materials, while Sagittarius, having finished farming Igleos, joined them in the leveling grind.
[Guild] Meritocracy: Sagittarius
[Guild] Meritocracy: What was that just now??
[Guild] Meritocracy: It’s a casting skill, how did you use it while moving?
Sagittarius often showed all sorts of unexpected skill usage while playing with me and Black Bear. For example, he would shoot ‘Heavy Arrow,’ a skill with a 1.5-second casting time, while running, instead of standing still to deliver a powerful blow.
[Guild] Sagittarius: Ah, this
[Guild] Sagittarius: I used it right after Sagittarius Step
[Guild] Sagittarius: The last 0.4 seconds of the Step aren’t counted as skill operation time, so casting can be activated immediately
[Guild] Sagittarius: It’s useful when chaining skills in PvP
It sounded easy, but it meant that he had to accurately sense the last 0.4 seconds of the 5-second Step casting time. This guy was no ordinary veteran. Feeling reassured, I sent an admiring emote.
[Guild] Sagittarius: By the way, Meri
[Guild] Sagittarius: Do you memorize all the skills of other classes?
[Guild] Sagittarius: Even those who play Sagittarius wouldn’t be able to distinguish casting skills just by looking at the motion
[Guild] Meritocracy: Hahaha;
[Guild] Meritocracy: I just paid close attention to Sagittarius skills recently because I was doing PvP haha
[Guild] Sagittarius: Hmm
The Druid storyline was ultimately heading towards finding a way to break the curse of the sacred tree. To do this, I first had to figure out why the curse manifested by imprisoning Otan in that place. In this process, I was to meet ‘Liutu,’ the leader of the Dark Bears.
Dark Bear society is matriarchal, with a unique structure where the ‘mother’ of the strongest female in the clan becomes the leader. In other words, only the mother of the strongest individual could become the king, and the strongest individual, no matter how powerful, could not become king unless they gave birth to a daughter stronger than themselves.
For that reason, Liutu was an old bear whose hair, mixed with streaks of white, appeared gray. Since his back was bent and he was supporting himself with both hands on the ground, he also looked like a large cub. Liutu, wearing square glasses above his gentle black eyes, looked at me quietly and said,
―The stench of human is making my nose rot. Get out of here.
As soon as the script ended, the screen changed and the entrance to the Dark Forest appeared. …To be chased away so quickly. In this case, a quest to get rid of the ‘human stench’ should appear, but the quest window was still stuck at ‘Meet Liutu and talk.’
How do I hide the human smell? I scratched the back of my neck, and I heard Chanhee’s voice through the headset.
―Hyung, do you need any help?
I didn’t realize it, but apparently, I made quite a few sounds even while playing the game silently. Then Chanhee would listen carefully and ask what was wrong.
“Ah, um… I have to meet your king, but I was kicked out because I smell like a human.”
―Liutu? Party up with me and go back in. Dark Bears are sensitive to smells, so there’s a rule that other races must be accompanied by a member of their own kind when visiting.
“Really? Seriously?”
It wasn’t originally a game with a friendly story progression, which is why it was fun to discover and overcome challenges yourself, but… Shadow Warrior and Druid often felt even more raw. I formed a party with Black Bear, who had warped in, and when we visited again, Liutu frowned deeply.
―A wanderer has the audacity to return without shame.
This was directed at Black Bear. Since Dark Bear society is matriarchal, male bears must leave the Dark Forest when they reach adulthood. Returning to their hometown and settling down after failing to establish themselves outside the forest was considered a disgrace to the clan. (That being said, they don’t chase them away again. They seem to feed them, give them a place to sleep, and just nag at them.)
―What? You just brought a friend? Hmm… That doesn’t change anything. Friends with a human, of all things. Since when did you need something like a friend?
But… Fine. What brings you all the way here?
- What should I say?
―I heard that the Dark Bears raised the Ginkgo Sacred Tree. ←
―Do you know how to break the curse of the Ginkgo Sacred Tree?
―Just because the land where the sacred tree took root was our home, we can’t presume to say we raised it. Oh, yes. I understand. You, you came because of that human who built the hut, didn’t you? Give up on that. Do you know why the curse of the sacred tree is immobility? It’s because the suffering of a life unable to move or die in that place for a thousand years is necessary to become the seed of a new sacred tree.
I was so surprised that I gasped without realizing it. So, if Otan endures that state for a thousand years, he can be reborn as a new sacred tree.
―Was it the same with the previous sacred tree? Of course. The sacred tree has only one desire. To take root in one place and be bathed in rain for a long time. So, as long as no one digs up the place where it’s buried, it will forever ward off evil and bring peace and prosperity. But if someone, blinded by greed, digs it up, it will then seek a new place, using that human as a host.
So, you don’t have to worry about your friend. If he endures for a thousand years, he will become the root of the sacred tree and attain immortal comfort.
That meant that even after a thousand years, he wouldn’t be able to die. Instead of answers, I was left with a story that made my head twice as confused. I rested my chin on my hand and ended the script for now. There were still some quests left, but I thought it would be better to raise my tier first and then do them all at once.
―Are you done?
“Ah, yeah.”
As I left Liutu’s room, Chanhee asked. The Black Bear avatar, still wearing a chef’s hat, was spinning around my avatar.
―Then, hyung. If you have time, could you take a look at something for me?
“Uh-huh. What is it?”
―I’ll show you in the training ground.
His tone was shy but full of anticipation. We returned to the guild room and opened the training ground, and surprisingly, Popuri, Cityboy, and Ongpak followed us in.
[Guild] Meritocracy: ?? Why are you guys here
[Guild] Kkamamgom: I asked them for some help ^^
[Guild] Meritocracy: ??? Huh??
This was even more surprising. So Chanhee… asked the guild members for help? Without me knowing?
“What… what kind of help did you ask for?”
―It’s nothing big… I’ll show you.
Chanhee set the training ground mode to ‘Mock Raid.’ This mode was mainly used to practice moving by setting up a virtual named monster that repeats various attack patterns.
―I’m not max level yet, so I’ve never been to a proper raid… I thought I should practice in advance.
As the training began, random attacks started pouring down from stakes floating in the air. Almost every kind of attack was included, from AoE (*Area of effect) to tank busters. Black Bear, wearing his chef’s hat, skillfully dodged the floor effects and used defensive skills at appropriate times to minimize damage.
I was suddenly filled with emotion. There was a time when he typed F2 in the chat window when told to press the F2 key… This is what they meant by a well-raised newbie being better than ten veterans. I clapped in admiration, but suddenly Popuri drew his dagger and charged.
“Huh? What’s he doing, is he crazy?”
But Black Bear didn’t panic at all and used ‘Vengeance,’ a kind of counter-attack skill, against Popuri. Kwaarung! With a loud howl, Popuri was sent flying.
At the same time, Cityboy fired a fireball from the opposite side. Then Black Bear raised ‘Dark Barrier,’ a magic shield. After watching for a while, I understood. It seemed like practice for responding appropriately to various attributes.
[Guild] Ongpak: OK OK! You did well
Apparently, his teacher was Ongpak. Even though they were a Paladin and a Shadow Warrior, the principles of defensive skill operation were the same, so it wasn’t surprising. What baffled me was…
[Guild] Meritocracy: How much have you practiced this?
I knew Chanhee practiced in the training ground while I was away. I saw his skills improve rapidly every time. But blocking attacks from two max-level players while the training ground was activated was something that couldn’t be done with just a little practice.
[Guild] Ongpak: While the guild master was away, we took turns helping him practice..
[Guild] Ongpak: Sometimes he would stay up all night, right?
[Guild] Popuri: The three of us had a 3-shift system
[Guild] Popuri: Hahahaha
Stay up all night? This kid who sleeps and wakes up early…? I frowned without realizing it.
[Guild] Meritocracy: Since when?
[Guild] Cityboy: There wasn’t really a starting point, just when the guild master was busy..?
[Guild] Cityboy: Since you have to level up together anyway, when he was alone, he’d practice his skills..
“Chanhee.”
I tried to call him casually, but my tone naturally became serious. A puzzled breath came through the headset.
―Yes?
“Were you staying up all night doing this and getting sick because of it?”
―Uh…
“Why stay up all night for something like this? You’ll naturally get used to raids after practicing a few times.”
Chanhee didn’t answer for a moment. His surprise and embarrassment were clearly conveyed. I quickly wiped my eyes and added,
“No, what I mean is… You don’t have to go so far as to ruin your health. It’s just a game.”
―I’m sorry…
“I wasn’t asking for an apology… I’m just upset. Because I saw you sick.”
While we were talking, the atmosphere in the neglected guild chat became even more dismal. It was clear that everyone had stopped what they were doing and were just looking at each other nervously. Popuri, in particular, seemed anxious as he paced around the training ground. I had no choice but to put my hands back on the keyboard.
[Guild] Meritocracy: I watched well, everyone worked hard
[Guild] Meritocracy: First clear should be no problem ^^
Only then did the frozen avatars start performing their favorite emotes. I held the headset and opened my parched lips.
“Um… Chanhee. Anyway, you did well. I was really surprised at how much you’ve improved. But don’t overdo it in the future, okay?”
―Yes, hyung.
There was no sign of offense in his docile reply, but I was already regretting it. Why did I speak to him like that? I could have praised him first and then said I was worried. My head started to throb.
“I’m going to rest for a bit. See you later.”
After coaxing him in a bright voice, Chanhee replied briefly, “Yes.” I took off my headset, quit the game, and collapsed onto the bed. A short nap was the best when my head was full. I closed my eyes and pulled the covers over my head. An evening nap was sweet and gentle like sugar water.
🕹️
The view outside the window, which I glimpsed through blurry vision, was completely dark. I fumbled for my phone by my pillow and saw that I had slept for about an hour. I yawned lazily and shifted around when a missed message caught my eye. It was from Chanhee.
[Hyung]
[Can I come see you for a bit?]
The message had arrived 30 minutes ago. I called him while sitting up. Chanhee answered right away.
―Yes, hyung.
“Sorry, I was asleep. Are you home?”
―No, I…
Beyond his hesitant voice, I could hear the laughter of passing people. It was a strangely familiar noise. Without realizing it, I ran to the front door, still holding my phone.
―I just wanted to see you for a moment…
“Are you in front of my house?”
―…
I slipped on my sneakers, crumpled the heels, and opened the door. As soon as I ran down the stairs and opened the main entrance on the first floor, my eyes met with Chanhee, who was leaning against the building entrance.
Chanhee slowly lowered the phone from his ear and smiled. Ah, I know the temperature of that relief. The nervous peace that comes with realizing the other person isn’t as angry as you thought.
“You should have called…”
“I thought you might be sleeping.”
“…”
“I just wanted to see your face for a moment. I saw you, so I’ll go.”
After saying this calmly, Chanhee really turned to leave. I quickly took a step and grabbed his arm.
“Why are you leaving right away? Come up.”
“Is that okay?”
“Of course it is. Come on in quickly. How long have you been standing out here?”
It was getting quite chilly after sunset. I wanted to scold him for being foolish, but I kept my mouth shut. I was careful not to make him feel discouraged again.
“I just got here. Really.”
“Honestly… Did you have dinner?”
“Yes.”
His ready answer was incredibly unconvincing. I stopped walking and turned around to ask again.
“Did you really eat?”
Chanhee, his lips closed, rolled his eyes. The bewilderment on his impeccably neat face looked particularly out of place.
“Hey… Chanhee.”
When I called him, his eyes met mine, filled with tension. I consciously curled up the corners of my mouth.
“Why are you making me worry so much? Did you think I was angry?”
“…”
“I wasn’t angry. Really.”
Only then did he slowly nod. His lowered gaze was soft and cautious.
“I know.”
“Okay, okay. Come on up.”
I pulled his arm and headed home. I opened the cupboard right next to the entrance, but only the bare survival rations of a single person, like instant rice and ramen, were pitifully stacked inside. Should I order something? Chanhee, who had followed me in, seemed to notice my contemplation and said,
“I’m not hungry. I ate lunch a little late.”
“Let’s eat something anyway. I didn’t have dinner either.”
Actually, I didn’t have much of an appetite either, but that wasn’t the point. I sat Chanhee down and casually ordered some chicken through a delivery app. Chanhee just sat there like a plant, watching me.
“Your parents? Are they out again today?”
Chanhee tilted his head at the question. He looked as if he didn’t understand why I was curious.
“My mother is home.”
“Ah… Wasn’t she worried that you were out late?”
“She’s never worried about that kind of thing…”
I closed my mouth without realizing it. I felt ridiculous belatedly. The person in front of me was an incredibly handsome, tall, and well-built man. Usually in Korea, someone like this wouldn’t be in any danger wandering around at night…
“She doesn’t overprotect me that much. Even when I was in the US, she didn’t interfere unless I was going to a dangerous area.”
“Oh, right. America… Did the place you lived have, like, shootings and stuff?”
“If there are guns, there are shootings everywhere. I think it’s a matter of how many people intentionally want to harm others.”
Chanhee quietly told me stories about his time in America. The area where he stayed was relatively peaceful, without any major incidents or accidents, but the news was filled with daily reports of shootings and terrorist attacks in nearby states.
“While watching the news, my mom asked me, ‘Do you know the most dramatic way to end a story?'”
“A story?”
“A man who returns alive from war, rejoices, and goes home, only to be killed by a robber.”
“…? Huh?”
“A modern adaptation would be someone who wins a long battle with illness and dies absurdly in a celebratory shooting at their recovery party, wouldn’t it?”
What kind of ominous talk is this…? I barely managed to swallow the words that almost slipped out. No matter what, she was Chanhee’s mother, so I couldn’t say anything rude. As if he knew what I was thinking, Chanhee chuckled softly.
“She’s always been like that.”
“…Huh?”
“She didn’t mean anything by it. She just saw the news about the shooting and suddenly thought of the story formula. She probably subconsciously recalled our current situation, waiting for recovery. She just blurted out the idea of how it would be if those two things were combined into a story like that. She always does that.”
“Ah…”
Come to think of it, both his parents worked in publishing. Was his mother perhaps an editor? If so, this kind of occupational hazard made sense.
“But if I were you, I think I would have been a bit taken aback… and a little hurt…”
“I’m used to it. I didn’t think much of it itself.”
Chanhee paused for a moment and then looked out the window. The small, old window of my one-room apartment was nothing more than a hole to let in the minimum amount of sunlight, but Chanhee gazed at it longingly as if it were a large window overlooking a beautiful garden in his own home.
“More than that, it just… I thought, ‘Oh, I could lose this at any moment too’… Because until then, the only obstacle in my life was my illness. I vaguely believed that if I recovered, the rest of my life would continue without any problems.”
“…”
“But that’s not how it is. Just because you recover from a serious illness doesn’t mean you’re immune to death. Rather, you might encounter all sorts of viruses and bacteria outside the sterile room, and… cars, guns, knives… Those things could slice away my time in an instant.”
“…”
“Thinking like that… made me appreciate the things I can enjoy now even more.”
His gaze returned. His soft eyes no longer held fear or anxiety.
“That’s why I’m always so impatient, I guess.”
A shy smile played on his lips, which had a soft sheen. I held his outstretched hand and sat beside him. As our bodies drew closer, Chanhee lowered his head and buried his forehead in my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around his back and held him tightly.
“Hyung, I…”
The alarm bells continued to ring. Could I handle this? This urgent, clumsy, and boundless affection.
“I’ll try. So…”
His whispered voice, the warmth spreading through my skin, his hesitant arms around my waist, his faint breath—every single thing was so sweet that my head spun.
“Please bear with me just a little longer. I’ll get better soon.”
Sometimes I felt uneasy, wondering if I was actually swallowing poison.
“…What are you talking about?”
Did I want to believe everything would be alright just because what I had in my mouth at that moment was so sweet?
🕹️
Chanhee stopped staying up all night after that, but he still seemed to dedicate himself to practicing while I was away. As the semester reached its midpoint and the number of days I had to go to the lab increased, Popuri took my ID, offering to get me to max level. Thanks to this, I was able to save a lot of time, as all I had to do when logging in was complete the tier quests with the accumulated holy power.
[Guild] Popuri: You two will be max level soon
[Guild] Popuri: You’ll get your equipment quickly.. How’s your tier progression going?
[Guild] Kkamamgom: I’m continuously raising Darkness-Defense
[Guild] Meritocracy: I’m doing Nature-Darkness, and if I have time, I’ll add Magic
[Guild] Pencil: ?? Darkness?
[Guild] Eraser: Druid?
[Guild] Meritocracy: Yeah, I’ve been focusing on that
[Guild] Meritocracy: The burst damage I used in PvP was also a Darkness skill
[Guild] Eraser: Whoa…
[Guild] Eraser: A Druid with a Darkness tier, I really don’t think anyone has ever even thought of that..
[Guild] Pencil: I guess so..
[Guild] Pencil: Even Nickmer probably hasn’t tried Darkness
…Well, I hadn’t tried it with Nickmer. Since it wasn’t wrong, I quietly pretended not to notice. Just then, a rescue request suddenly popped up in the guild chat.
[Guild] SeaUrchinBattleship: Um, is anyone there by any chance ㅠㅠ
[Guild] SeaUrchinBattleship: Could someone resurrect me… I’m in the Whispering Forest
[Guild] Pencil: I’ll go
[Guild] Eraser: But what were you doing in the Whispering Forest to die?
[Guild] SeaUrchinBattleship: ㅠㅠ Mansol sliced me up
[Guild] Meritocracy: What?
[Guild] SeaUrchinBattleship: I was just picking herbs, and suddenly the three of them jumped me at once…
No sooner had he finished speaking than I found myself clicking the warp icon. Naturally, the others gathered in the guild room did the same. As the rankers, their equipment switched to PvP settings, flocked to the Whispering Forest, a gathering field, the users peacefully picking herbs hesitantly moved aside.
[Guild] Meritocracy: Did you see their nicknames?
[Guild] SeaUrchinBattleship: One was something like Fresh…
[Guild] SeaUrchinBattleship: There was a healer… and someone named JangDdo
It’s those three again… I sighed out of sheer boredom. SeaUrchinBattleship was a newbie who had just reached level 10, so his character didn’t have any decent equipment. On top of that, it seemed he even dropped the sickle he was holding when he died. Honestly, how could they be so heartless as to steal even shop items from someone so poorly equipped…
[Guild] Popuri: Should I use the megaphone?
[Guild] Meritocracy: Shut up
I figured they probably hadn’t gone far yet. Sure enough, after searching the field for a short while, I spotted ‘JangDdo,’ ‘Freshian,’ and ‘BlackHealer’ gathered at the entrance to the mushroom mining area.
[Guild] Meritocracy: Let’s hit them
As soon as the chat message went up, Cityboy launched a wide-area lightning attack. Kwaaang! With a loud explosion, all three of them were stunned and collapsed at once.
BlackHealer: ??? What the??
Sagittarius and Popuri, as if they had planned it beforehand, split up and charged towards them, surrounding them. They tried to load their skills belatedly, but I wasn’t just standing around either. I summoned the Flame Lizard, charged its breath, and applied a DoT.
JangDdo: No
JangDdo: Wait
JangDdo: What are you doing?? Can I take this as a declaration of war against Mansol??
Meritocracy: Do whatever you want
Foolishly, they were equipped with fully enhanced raid gear. It would be a huge blow if they dropped even a little bit of it. Freshian, the mage, perhaps frightened by his rapidly depleting HP, shouted urgently.
Freshian: You guys
Freshian: I understand why you’re doing this
Freshian: It was a mistake;
Freshian: You should have told him to turn on gathering mode when gathering
Freshian: You guys ㅠ;
Freshian: Puri, you too
Freshian: It’s not right to do this without even hearing him out ㅠ;
In gathering fields, you can activate ‘Gathering Mode.’ Not only does it remove you from the monsters’ targeting list, but it also prevents you from being targeted for PK. However, that’s like a seatbelt, and it’s usually considered good manners and good form not to needlessly attack newbies who are just gathering herbs.
Meritocracy: If you killed him by mistake
Meritocracy: You should resurrect him, restore his health, and pick up his sickle
Meritocracy: What kind of nonsense are you spouting after killing him and leaving?
Meritocracy: In your own words, wasn’t it you who declared war?
Meritocracy: So if we wipe you out here, it’s self-defense, right?
Cityboy: Freshian has a nice staff
Cityboy: I want it ^^
Pencil: The healer’s necklace is expensive too
Eraser: Steal it for me, honey
At that moment, JangDdo, freed from the stun, drew his dagger and charged towards me. Simultaneously, Black Bear, appearing from behind me, drew his greatsword and put up a physical barrier. With a flashy effect, JangDdo was repelled, and white smoke billowed around Black Bear.
Popuri: Hahahaha Nice
Popuri, arriving with gusto, grabbed JangDdo’s back and stabbed him with his dagger. Even though they were both rogues with similar equipment, JangDdo couldn’t beat Popuri in either physical ability or skill. JangDdo, his HP quickly plummeting, retreated and performed the ‘surrender’ emote.
JangDdo: Puri, wait;
Popuri: I’ll give you 15 seconds to make excuses
Popuri: I’m so nice ^^
JangDdo: Let’s end it here before it gets bigger… I’ll compensate the newbie for his equipment
Popuri: He said that, Guild Master
It was utter nonsense, not even worth considering. However, I thought I should ask the victim for his opinion. I turned to SeaUrchinBattleship, who was watching from a distance.
Meritocracy: He said he’ll compensate you for your equipment
Meritocracy: SeaUrchin, shall we let it go if he gets you a full set of enhanced gathering equipment?
SeaUrchinBattleship: ㅠㅠ Is enhanced equipment good?
Meritocracy: Yes, it’s about 150,000 won in cash
SeaUrchinBattleship: Whoa…
Freshian: ??
BlackHealer: ??
JangDdo: Hahaha??
Freshian: Are you a thief☆? Dropped shop items and now you want full enhanced equipment lol
SeaUrchinBattleship: Gulp; It doesn’t seem like they intend to give anything…
Meritocracy: Then we’ll just take what they have now, sell it, and buy you the equipment with that money
Meritocracy: Go go
No sooner had I spoken than Sagittarius cast ‘Torrential Arrow.’ As the arrows pierced their bodies, stunning them, Cityboy’s fireballs rained down.
BlackHealer: No
The healer hastily cast a heal, but there was no answer to the onslaught. In the end, the three of them fell one after another, dropping their brilliantly effected items.
Pencil: Aw, he didn’t drop the necklace
Pencil, picking up the items dropped near the healer, clicked his tongue and activated forced resurrection. Soon, JangDdo, Freshian, and BlackHealer were revived, weak and with their HP at rock bottom. Forced resurrection was a PvP skill exclusive to clerics, a wicked skill that allowed you to resurrect a recently deceased opponent and kill them again. Each casting required a ‘Holy Resurrection Stone,’ which was an expensive rare item, so it wasn’t used often unless the opponent dropped something incredibly valuable.
In other words, if it was for the healer’s necklace, it would have been enough to resurrect only BlackHealer. However, Pencil deliberately resurrected all three of them. Naturally, this was not only for profit but also for the added bonus of humiliation.
Pencil: Healer
Pencil: Drop everything this time without fail
Pencil: So we can stop this reincarnation
Pencil: Fighting!
Eraser was diligently performing the cheerleader dance next to him. Thuggery seemed to suit him. Eventually, the three of them dropped all of their fully enhanced equipment and sat there bare. Having achieved his objective, Pencil resurrected them normally this time, and next to him, Eraser meticulously filled their HP and even cast a protective shield.
Those guys are vicious…
Freshian: Haha…
Only after everything was over did Freshian speak again.
Freshian: Really…
Freshian: You don’t seem to be afraid of repercussions haha
Meritocracy: No…
Meritocracy: I’m not afraid haha
Popuri: Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Cityboy: Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Freshian: Hahahaha You should laugh a lot now
Meritocracy: Yes, one should laugh and live..
Freshian: Hahahahahahaha… Ha.. Damn it..
Freshian: That tone… haha It reminds me of someone, which makes it even more annoying
Freshian: Is it a Druid characteristic? Haha
I wondered if I had gone too far and closed my fingers for a moment. They might believe that it wasn’t JangDdo right now, but there was no need to give them any hints. I was quietly preparing to leave when BlackHealer, who had been dazed after being stripped of his accessories, suddenly performed the ‘burst of laughter’ emote.
BlackHealer: Hahahaha
BlackHealer: That gay bastard?
BlackHealer: Hahahahahahaha
…I could picture exactly what kind of talk they had while I was away. In retrospect, there was no real reason to blame Popuri. It would have ended up like this as long as JangDdo knew. It was simply a mistake to let someone like JangDdo find out.
Popuri: No, why this sudden outdated discriminatory remark..?
Freshian: Hahahahahahahahaha
JangDdo: Hahahahahahahahaha
BlackHealer: Hahahaha Sorry
Amidst the irrevocably ruined atmosphere, the guild chat activated.
[Guild] Sagittarius: Who are you calling gay?
[Guild] Cityboy: Why is he like that? Is he crazy…
[Guild] Cityboy: Sagittarius, why are you curious about that kind of thing;
[Guild] Sagittarius: Ah, no
[Guild] Sagittarius: He said Druid, so I wondered if he was talking about that person..
[Guild] Sagittarius: If he was talking about that person, I was wondering if I had a chance too..
[Guild] Ongpak: Hahahahahahahahaha Ah
[Guild] Ongpak: Why are so many people after that person? Hahahahahahaha
[Guild] Popuri: I understand…
[Guild] Popuri: Any man would want to be his cute keychain boy
Chanhee remained silent amidst the secretly exchanged conversation. I couldn’t tell if he didn’t understand the situation or if he was mentally shocked by JangDdo and his group’s vulgar remarks.
[Guild] Popuri: Hahaha But it’s not true
[Guild] Popuri: Nickmer has a girlfriend, a goddess
[Guild] Popuri: He’s just jealous because Nickmer is handsome
[Guild] Cityboy: Let’s stop talking about other people’s private lives, whether it’s this or that
[Guild] Popuri: ㅠㅠ Okay
Popuri, seemingly feeling responsible for this situation, desperately tried to smooth things over. Having no energy to help, I decided to let things die down on their own.
I neatly organized the equipment confiscated from JangDdo and his group and put it in my inventory. If they had just compensated as asked from the beginning, they would have gotten off lightly. It was just like JangDdo to be stubborn and end up like this.
Meritocracy: The healer’s necklace and
Meritocracy: Except for one of the rogue’s gloves, I’ll return everything by mail tomorrow
Meritocracy: I’ll sell the gloves and buy SeaUrchin his gathering equipment
JangDdo: ??
Meritocracy: And if you mess with our guild members in the field one more time
Meritocracy: I’ll take all your equipment and grind you down until you level down
Meritocracy: So keep that in mind and live quietly
Meritocracy: I’ll send your equipment by mail if you promise
My gaming creed was to show no mercy to those who challenged me, but even so, taking millions of won worth of equipment over this kind of trouble was going too far. The guild members, as if they had expected this, remained silent.
Freshian: So as long as we don’t mess with them in the “field”? Haha
Freshian: ..Ah
Freshian: I apologize for the innuendo
…Well, it seemed like they were going to back down.
Meritocracy: It would be nice if you didn’t cause trouble in the first place
Meritocracy: Forget it if you can’t keep the promise
BlackHealer: No no, we won’t
BlackHealer: We’re sorry
JangDdo: Yeah, sorry
It was satisfying to see the rogue, mage, and healer, clad only in their basic tunics, disappear dejectedly, but I also felt a bit of a letdown, wondering if it was worth wasting time on such a trivial fight. I chased them away and returned to the guild room. While organizing the items, I said,
[Guild] Meritocracy: I’ll pay for the items Pencil used
[Guild] Meritocracy: From the price of the rogue’s gloves
[Guild] Pencil: No no, it’s okay
[Guild] Pencil: The necklace I got makes up for it all
Next to Pencil, who declined my offer, Eraser performed the ‘show off’ emote. The necklace BlackHealer had been wearing was a crafting item for Igleos materials. It was crafted by combining core materials obtained from raids with various gathering and combat items. The problem was that the stats attached to the crafted result were completely random, so the higher the stats, the more the price skyrocketed.
[Guild] Eraser: He must be pretty upset about losing this haha
The necklace BlackHealer dropped wasn’t top-tier overall, but the ‘Recovery’ stat, the most important stat for healers, was at its maximum value. Eraser, seemingly in high spirits, kept jumping up and down.
[Guild] Eraser: Actually, this is my first time looting items like this
[Guild] Eraser: It’s nice to be in a guild and be able to plunder
[Guild] Eraser: ^^
[Guild] Popuri: What’s plunder?
[Guild] Pencil: Robbery
[Guild] Cityboy: These kids’ vocabulary is seriously lacking..
[Guild] Popuri: ㅠㅠ baby noises
As the situation was resolved, I started to worry even more about Chanhee, who was still silent. I put on my headset and spoke in the brightest voice I could muster.
“Chanhee, thanks for earlier.”
―…
“Chanhee?”
Had he left? Somehow, it didn’t seem like it. I wore my headset all the time, so I could sense his presence to some extent.
“Honey, where did you go?”
Just then, a loud clattering sound echoed from the headset. I almost jumped out of my seat in surprise.
“Chanhee? What’s wrong?”
―…Ah.
“What? Did you fall?”
―Ah, no… I dropped my headset.
“Your headset… How?”
―I took it off for a moment and was about to put it back on… when you suddenly said, “Honey…,” so I was startled.
His voice was slightly cracked, as if he was genuinely startled. He’s so innocent. I chuckled inwardly and cleared my throat.
“By the way, I was really surprised earlier. How did you raise your shield at the perfect moment?”
―…
“Chanhee?”
―Hyung, um…
Muffled voices overlapped from the other end. I closed my mouth and listened, and soon a serious voice came through.
―I have something I need to ask you…
“Yes.”
―Are we, um… um… right now…
What was it that he was hesitating so much about? I suppressed my impatience and waited for a long time before Chanhee continued.
―Are we dating…?
“…”
When you’re utterly dumbfounded, you can experience a brief detachment from reality. Drifting in the sensation of floating through space, I belatedly stammered,
“What… else did you think it was?”
―Ah, no… Of course, I thought that’s what it was…
“…?”
―You said you had a girlfriend…
Once again, the ground beneath my feet disappeared. What was all this about…? My dazed gaze fell on the monitor. I saw the nonsense Popuri had written.
…Ah.
―Is it her? The one I saw in front of your house…
“No, no, no! Not at all!”
―Then who…
“I don’t have a girlfriend, Hyunseong made that up to cover for me! No, hey! You…”
Did you think I was that kind of trash?! I gulped down the words I wanted to spit out, my empty mouth opening and closing. Chanhee seemed confused, as if my words weren’t registering.
―I don’t quite understand what you’re saying…
“…Give me ten minutes. I’m coming over.”
I put down the headset and jumped up. I was glad my house was close by at times like this.
🕹️
I got off the bus and hurried up the hill, and soon the familiar gate came into view. Chanhee was leaning against the brick pillar, holding his phone in both hands.
“Chanhee.”
When I called him, his face turned, full of worry. What am I supposed to do with him… I shook my head and forced a smile.
“Chanhee, hyung isn’t that kind of trash…”
As soon as I stood in front of him, I placed my hand on his shoulder and spoke, but his downcast eyes held only anxiety and suspicion. Thinking I should clear up the urgent misunderstanding first, I emphasized my words.
“So, um… they started calling me a gay bastard and all that. And some of the guild members know I’m Nickmer. Because of that, Hyunseong made up that story to quickly deny it.”
“…Really?”
“Really? Then… No, in the first place, what did you even misunderstand? Did you think I had another girlfriend while I was with you? Do I seem like that kind of person?”
Chanhee blinked slowly. He looked as if he hadn’t even considered that possibility. His wavering gaze gradually focused on me. His dark eyes, holding a soft light, approached hazily.
“No, hyung. I…”
“Yeah?”
“If that were the case, I was just thinking about how I could make you choose me…”
“…”
“I was so preoccupied with that thought that…”
His sincerity, radiating without any intention of concealment or restraint, reached me through the humid air and onto my skin. I sighed deeply and ran a hand over my forehead.
“What is that…”
Why was he being so self-deprecating? While I felt sorry for him and frustrated, I also felt suspicious. If he had misunderstood that way, shouldn’t he normally be angry? Shouldn’t he be demanding to know what I meant? If he liked me…
If he liked me, shouldn’t that be the natural reaction?
Just then, a large SUV approached. I turned around to move out of the way, and a familiar middle-aged man leaned out of the open window.
“Oh, you’re here again!”
It was Chanhee’s father. Startled, I quickly bowed my head.
“Hello.”
“Oh, yeah. Hold on. Let me park the car and come out.”
With a whirring sound, the garage door rose. The door opened wide enough for at least three cars, making it look as if the entire wall was moving. As I waited blankly, the man got out of the car and rushed over with a smile on his face.
“Come in, come in. This is perfect timing. You can have dinner with us.”
“What? Uh…”
“I’ll make you something delicious. It must be hard entertaining our Chanhee, right? He’s so clueless and lacking in common sense…”
I involuntarily glanced at Chanhee. Chanhee didn’t seem to care what he said.
“Hyung will eat in my room.”
…As if that was the only thing that mattered.
“Why? Let’s eat downstairs. Mom’s home for once.”
“We’re going to hang out together, so don’t disturb us.”
I was the only one surprised by Chanhee’s bold and cold rejection. Chanhee’s father just shook his head with a smile.
“Anyway… Alright, alright. Then I’ll just bring the food up. Grandma sent us some marinated crab.”
“Hyung, do you like marinated crab?”
“…Huh? Me? I eat anything…”
I awkwardly joined their conversation, but my surprise didn’t subside. Don’t disturb us because we’re going to hang out together, he said. If my father heard that, he’d slap me right there, but in this house, it seemed like something you could say casually.
“By the way, Haemin…, no, calling you Haemin is weird. But calling you Haemin-goon sounds too old-fashioned…”
“Yes?”
“What happened to your forehead? Did you get hurt?”
The man’s face, as he pointed at my forehead, was filled with a worried smile. Subconsciously, I tried to cover my forehead but quickly lowered my hand, clenching it into a fist.
“Yes, a little… Ah, please speak comfortably.”
“Should I? Oh dear, how did you get such a big bandage? It must have hurt. Did you get hurt badly?”
As if waiting for those words, his tone immediately became soft and affectionate, like he was talking to a child. As I forced a smile, feeling awkward, Chanhee opened the gate and went inside.
“Dad, you said you’d prepare dinner.”
“I’m coming, I’m coming. Haemin, come in, quickly.”
It wasn’t the right atmosphere to say that I had actually only intended to see his face and then leave. I reluctantly followed him through the garden and past the entrance, where I saw Chanhee pressing the elevator button.
…He said his mother was home, shouldn’t I greet her? As if reading my hesitant mind, Chanhee’s father raised his voice towards the house.
“Honey, Haemin is here!”
It sounded as if I frequently visited this house. Soon, a woman who appeared to be in her mid to late 40s emerged from the kitchen. She had her jet-black, almost blue hair tied back and her arms crossed. I quickly bowed.
“Hello, Mother.”
“Mother?”
She cocked an eyebrow at the formal greeting. Her voice was low and resonant, like a deep pool. I immediately recognized the source of Chanhee’s voice.
It wasn’t just her voice that they shared. Her deep, cool eyes, sharp nose, and gently curved lips—anyone could see that she was Chanhee’s blood relative. I had thought he resembled his father a lot, but looking only at his features, he was the spitting image of his mother.
“The day I’m called ‘Mother’ has finally come.”
Behind her, as she chuckled, another middle-aged woman wearing an apron approached. She was holding a tiered lunchbox. Chanhee’s mother gestured towards the lunchbox with her eyes and smiled.
“Go upstairs and eat. I packed the side dishes Chanhee’s grandmother sent separately.”
“Ah… Thank you.”
“More importantly, do young people these days call their partner’s mother ‘Mother’ even when they’re dating?”
“…”
I almost dropped the lunchbox that had been handed to me. I regained my footing and quickly held it close, lifting my head.
…What did I just hear? As I barely managed to steady my shaking eyes, she asked with a puzzled expression,
“Why are you so surprised? Did I misunderstand something?”
“…Yes? Yes?”
“Aren’t you dating our Chanhee? Was Chanhee mistaken?”
“Yes…?”
I turned around stiffly, and Chanhee was staring at me. The unspoken words in his bright eyes were obvious: ‘We’re dating, right?’
…But he told his parents about it? Even the housekeeper? As I froze, Chanhee’s mother tilted her head.
“Or is it someone else you’re dating?”
“Ah, no!”
I couldn’t just let that go, so I spoke without thinking. She raised both eyebrows this time, as if asking, “Then?”
“I am… I am, but I didn’t know your parents knew…”
“Ah… But why did you call me ‘Mother’?”
Her eyes, as she asked, sparkled just like Chanhee’s. It was the expression of a scientist exploring a mysterious phenomenon.
“…It’s common to use honorifics like ‘Mother’ even between friends…”
“Ah!”
“…?”
“I see, so you call each other’s parents that even among friends? Well, I just assumed you were my son’s boyfriend… You know, in the past, you only called someone ‘Mother’ after marriage, right? That’s why it’s a common line in dramas, ‘Who’s your mother?’ and such…”
“Honey, honey.”
Chanhee’s father approached her, waving his hand, as she continued to talk. Thanks to him, I was freed from the sudden, inexplicable lecture. Meanwhile, Chanhee came to my side and took the lunchbox.
“Let’s go up, hyung.”
“Huh? Just like this? Shouldn’t we say goodbye…”
“They won’t mind.”
As he said, they didn’t seem to mind. Chanhee’s parents were already engrossed in a conversation about when it’s appropriate to use the terms ‘Mother’ and ‘Father,’ as if they had forgotten we were even there. …I had a pretty good idea from what Chanhee had told me, but still… They were quite unique.
How could they get so fixated on the term ‘Mother’ after that conversation? Their son was dating a man, and that man was even visiting their house, but that was okay?
“What’s wrong?”
Chanhee, who had finished setting the table on the third floor, asked quizzically.
“Well, normally people are surprised or shocked…”
“My parents taught me from a young age not to discriminate against minorities. It would be strange if they were shocked now that I’m dating a man.”
…Is that so? Was it because they worked in publishing? It wouldn’t be strange if they had a more open mind due to the nature of their profession, but I still thought it would be different when it came to their own son…
“…”
During my adolescence, when I vaguely realized my preferences, I naturally thought I shouldn’t let anyone know until I died. I was especially gripped by the fear that if my family found out, my life would be over.
But maybe it wouldn’t be. There were families like this in the world… As I quietly looked at Chanhee, a faint sense of relief welled up from deep within my heart.
It was a good thing Chanhee was born into this family.
“But what did you tell them? Did you just suddenly say you had a boyfriend?”
“Well, back then…”
Chanhee, about to answer easily, abruptly closed his mouth. Then, he suddenly pointed to the lunchbox and changed the subject.
“…Have you ever tried this? It has a strong aroma, so people either love it or hate it, but it’s delicious once you get used to it.”
“Huh? No, this is my first time seeing it.”
“If you like it after trying it, take some with you.”
What did he tell them that made him change the subject so obviously? I was curious, but he looked so uncomfortable that I decided not to pry. Instead, I changed the topic to something I had been wondering about.
“But won’t they be offended that we didn’t eat together?”
“My parents?”
“Yes.”
“I wonder…? It’s not like my parents always keep their seats for me every time I want to eat with them.”
I had nothing to say to his reasonable answer. I scratched the back of my head and mumbled, “I guess so,” as Chanhee, having finished setting the table, sat across from me.
“It’s good that you came at dinner time. Eat a lot.”
As I brought the colorful and beautifully arranged side dishes to my mouth one by one, I thought about something else. Would I ever be able to introduce Chanhee to my mother and father?
“…”
It seemed impossible, and I didn’t want to either. I didn’t want to show this precious person to them. I knew they would carelessly hurt him, so how could I do such a thing?
“Doesn’t it suit your taste?”
Chanhee asked cautiously, perhaps because I had been spacing out. I quickly shook my head and moved my chopsticks diligently. Every dish, prepared with care, had a soft and deep flavor.
As soon as I lay down on the sofa with a full stomach, Chanhee scurried over. I chuckled at how cute he was, squeezing in next to me on the spacious sofa, and he wrapped his arms around my waist and snuggled closer.
“Where are your hands going…”
His warm hand, having naturally lifted my shirt, stroked my back, tracing my spine. Chanhee buried his nose in my neck and replied shamelessly,
“I’m rubbing your back so you don’t get indigestion.”
“Oh, how thoughtful.”
I pecked the top of his head that I could see, and Chanhee chuckled slightly. He then wrapped his arms around my torso and pushed against me, causing me to fall back, still embraced. The back of my head landed on the soft cushion, and our lips met immediately. Just as our lips, pressed together with a peck, were about to mingle deeply, sharing a moist breath,
Ding, the elevator arrival chime rang from the entrance. Chanhee, who had been about to deepen the kiss, froze and slowly raised his body. I also quickly sat up and pulled down my rolled-up shirt.
“Chanhee, fruit…”
It was Chanhee’s father, holding a plate of colorful fruits. He made eye contact with Chanhee and then looked around cautiously, appearing slightly flustered.
“…Maybe I shouldn’t have brought this?”
“Yes.”
I nudged Chanhee’s side at his blunt reply. You idiot, stop being so obvious…! Unfortunately, Chanhee only looked wronged, so it was up to me, the slightly more mature one, to smooth things over.
“Ah, no. I was just about to leave.”
“Already? Why? Stay the night.”
“I have to go to school tomorrow. I was only planning to stop by for a bit.”
“Oh, is that so? Well, I guess graduate students are busy. Should I give you a ride?”
“It’s okay. The bus gets me there quickly…”
“I’ll drive you, hyung.”
Chanhee, who had already grabbed his car keys, opened the elevator door. I hurriedly grabbed my phone and followed. Naturally, Chanhee’s father got on as well, so we were awkwardly confined in the small space together.
The home elevator was small and slow, making me feel suffocated. After what felt like an eternity, we arrived at the basement level, and the man suddenly put his arm around my shoulder and said to Chanhee,
“Chanhee, pull the car out first. It’s too cramped for Haemin to get in.”
Even though the garage was spacious, with a large sedan, an SUV, and even a convertible parked inside, the space between the cars wasn’t very wide. It wasn’t so narrow that I couldn’t open the passenger door, but I stayed put, worried about scratching the expensive-looking convertible.
Chanhee sat in the driver’s seat, and the sedan started with a cool engine roar. Just then, the man suddenly turned to me and lowered his voice.
“Hey, Haemin.”
His quick and urgent tone made my heart skip a beat. …Was he going to say something? In my common sense, that was the natural thing to happen. No parent would be okay with their son being gay. I swallowed nervously as he rapidly fired off his question.
“I have to ask you this now, while he’s not around, but are you originally gay?”
“…”
“…”
“…Excuse me?”
The sedan smoothly exited the garage and onto the road. Chanhee turned the steering wheel and glanced in our direction.
“No, well… You do like men, and you’re dating him because you like him, right? That’s what I’m worried about.”
“…?”
“Is it possible that you don’t have those preferences at all, and Chanhee forced or pressured you…? It’s not like that, is it? He’s my son, but he has his quirks. I tried to give him some social skills training, but he’s been so busy lately that he doesn’t want to leave the house…”
“I…”
“If you also like men and you like Chanhee, that’s great. But if that’s not the case… I mean, if you’re in a difficult situation…”
Just then, Chanhee opened the window. He must have been curious since we seemed to be having a serious conversation. Meeting his gaze filled with curiosity, I slowly opened my mouth.
“…I like Chanhee.”
I spoke softly, but it wasn’t so quiet that he couldn’t hear. I could clearly see Chanhee take a short breath.
“So, um… you don’t have to worry about that at all.”
I didn’t have the courage to face the man’s reaction. I quickly bowed my head, said goodbye, and rushed out. As soon as I got into the passenger seat, a wave of heat rushed up from my core. Chanhee was looking at me with a dumbfounded expression.
“…Hyung.”
“Let’s go.”
“Hyung, just now…”
“Let’s go, please. Okay?”
I fanned myself with my hand, and Chanhee finally started the car. The days were getting noticeably shorter. I fixed my gaze on the window, where dusk was settling in real time, and repeatedly mulled over the feelings I had so suddenly put into words.