TGMND 78

On a rainy day, Yoon Ji-gu’s umbrella broke and he had to share one with the next-door pervert all the way home. He hated it, but it was better than getting soaked. The man arbitrarily stuffed food into his pocket again. First it was macarons, last time it was candy, and today it was candy again. He seemed to enjoy conveying his feelings this way. Receiving such self-interested gifts was really burdensome.

The next-door guy talked a lot. Even without Yoon Ji-gu responding, he had a habit of moving on to the next topic and chattering away. It was quite fascinating that despite his non-stop talking, his gentle tone didn’t make it feel noisy.

Still, he was grateful, if only a tiny bit, for being sheltered under the umbrella. Yoon Ji-gu took out the madeleines he had hastily made in the morning from the café and handed them to the man. When he added that he didn’t make them himself, fearing a misunderstanding, the man seemed to accept it somewhat.

And that evening, a strange coincidence occurred. During the voice chat, he heard Neuta munching on something. When he jokingly asked why he was eating alone, Neuta responded with the sound of rustling packaging.

-I don’t know the name because I received it. It was lemon… something bread.

Lemon bread? Yoon Ji-gu thought of the madeleines he made that morning and chuckled.

-You know, that yellow bread shaped like a seashell. …Not soboro. Not red bean bread or donut either. What was it called?

“…Madeleine?”

-Ah, yes! It’s called a lemon madeleine.

It was an exquisite coincidence.

“Did someone give it to you?”

-Yes. He gave it to me…

For a moment, a strange thought crossed his mind, but the possibility was close to zero. Neuta’s personality is different from the next-door pervert. Neuta is someone who has clear and firm boundaries. Although he has a soft spot that makes him comply with most requests, that’s fundamentally how he is. He even ignores what Yoon Ji-gu say sometimes.

But the pervert had none of that. He would eagerly approach him and start chatting just by making eye contact. The two couldn’t possibly be the same person.

“By the way, Neu-nim, do you have someone you like?”

-Don’t say creepy things.

Their attitudes towards him were different from the start. Listening to his voice made it seem a bit similar, but he didn’t know the next-door man’s voice that well anyway. Besides, madeleines were sold at any bakery.

“No, it’s just that your voice sounds a bit like someone I know.”

-Don’t say weird things.

Neuta was really a sharp person. It was fortunate that he wasn’t like this only to him, but still, how hard was it to just agree a little… When Yoon Ji-gu grumbled and whined, he heard Neuta’s microphone turn off, and he had to beg him to turn it back on. Even though he was a lower level than him and dresses like a total beggar. It was a bit unfair how Neuta acted so high and mighty when he’s not all that great.

***

Neuta had a habit of mumbling to himself. No, it was quite severe. Even when Yoon Ji-gu wasn’t talking to him during voice chats, he would mutter things like, “Why is this option like this?” or “What’s that guy doing?” It was amusing to imagine him muttering to himself like that even while playing games alone.

Although he wasn’t someone Yoon Ji-gu had known longer than other guild members, nor had there been any particular reason to become close, Yoon Ji-gu liked Neuta’s personality. He was a good person. While he liked all the Poseidon guild members, it was true that he cared more for Neuta, who responded seriously to his concerns and exuded a strong novice aura. Although it was a bit annoying that he wore strange armor and helmet with an even stranger cloak.

[Guild] Captain Poseidon: Neuta, how about giving up on the cloak?

[Guild] neutaaaa: ;;;

[Guild] Captain Poseidon: I’m sorry….

Well, if he liked it… Despite being criticized by guild members for his fashion, Neuta would mutter angrily, “They don’t know anything.” He genuinely cherished that cloak for some unknown reason.

Last year, after the game Little Forest faced major operational issues, there was a large influx of people wearing such cloak and ruining the street aesthetics. Neuta was one of the refugees from that game. However, unlike the cloaked groups that moved in packs of at least three or four, Neuta tended to be alone. Yoon Ji-gu hoped he could adapt well to the guild.

Still, it seemed Neuta was bothered by comments about his beggar-like appearance, as he finally decided to enter the makeup shop to change his outfit. Yoon Ji-gu could hear him muttering hair style names to himself. Mixed with the sound of mouse clicks, he heard “Ah, what do I do.” It was amusing to hear him agonize over his choices.

-What should I get?

“Choose whatever you like.”

-There’s nothing I really like….

That couldn’t be true. Anything would be better than his current look.

“Don’t you have a favorite style?”

After pondering for a moment, Neuta changed his hair first. He opted for a simple tousled black haircut with a flashy helmet. It wasn’t a flashy hairstyle, but it was a common style used by many on the server. The eyes were similar. Yoon Ji-gu was satisfied with the look that was much less novice-like than before.

[Guild] neutaaaa: I’m going to change my clothes too!

After saying that Neuta disappeared from sight, probably entering the fashion shop. And in his ear, he heard Neuta’s self-talk.

-Transparent hat, transparent…. Ah, here it is.

He even narrated each item he was buying. f left alone, he might even start singing. Curious to see how far he’d go, Yoon Ji-gu held back his laughter silently.

That’s when it happened.

-This is an announcement from the management office. The owner of the silver car with license plate 6338, please…

“…?”

Despite wearing headphones, Yoon Ji-gu heard the familiar car number. It was a frequent announcement he had heard countless times. Was the sound coming from his house? Yoon Ji-gu took off his headphones, but the computer room had soundproof walls installed, so he couldn’t hear the announcement.

“…”

He put his ear to the headphones again. It was definitely coming from inside the headphones. …No way, it can’t be. Surely there isn’t just one silver car with that number in this country? Yoon Ji-gu got up and opened the door.

-Once again, this is an announcement from the management office. Car number 6338…

A machine-like voice came out of the speaker. Suddenly, goosebumps rose on his arms

: Mom, where did you park the car?

Mom: Why. Do they need it moved again?

Was this for real? In an instant, his mind went blank. Yoon Ji-gu hurriedly left the voice channel and covered his mouth with his hand. There were no more than five men in their 20s and 30s living in this building. As he glanced at Neuta’s perfectly transformed character, a pair of bright, sparkling eyes overlapped with the image.

“…!”

Aaack! As soon as Neuta jumped up, Yoon Ji-gu was startled and pressed the power button on the computer, shutting down the entire computer.

「neutaaaa: Why did you leave suddenly?」

“…”

Why does it matter if I leave or not! For a moment, the background music of a horror movie faintly played in his mind. What were the odds that someone he randomly met in the game, even from the same guild, lived in the same building? It was lower than the chance of being struck by lightning. Yoon Ji-gu swallowed nervously as he stared at the chat room.

***

In Yoon Ji-gu’s mind, the suspect narrowed down to one. The man who always got off on the third floor had a hoarse voice from smoking too much, and the man living on the first floor had a voice that was too deep. The only one left was the next-door pervert…

“…”

Thinking about it, Neuta and the pervert seemed to have similar gentle speaking styles. Could it be that the pervert was following him even in the game? He was unsure, but there was no harm in being cautious of the pervert. It wasn’t that he was scared, he just wanted to avoid him because it was disgusting.

Yoon Ji-gu stopped going to the swimming pool he had been visiting daily, and deliberately created an alt character to level up. To avoid the man who occasionally peeked into the cafe to see him, he pretended to be organizing the storage room during the times the man usually came.

“Hello.”

“…What did you do to butter up my brother?”

But somehow, the man managed to coax his brother into visiting the cafe. Seeing the man’s bright smile made Yoon Ji-gu’s stomach churn.

If he was indeed Neuta, did he know that I’m Earth Star? Did he approach me on purpose knowing that? What’s his purpose? …To make me his pet? Is that really it?

“I’m Lee Yeo-woon.”

As Yoon Ji-gu’s mind was swirling with confusion, the man spoke. His hair was slightly damp and clumped together. It seemed he was returning from the swimming pool again.

“Not ‘Hey you,’ but Lee Yeo-woon.”

“…”

“I know your name, Yoon Ji-gu-ssi. I thought you might be curious about my name too.”

He wasn’t curious at all. Really.

“I’m extremely free.”

“……!”

He was too forward. Approaching him to ask for his name or age, making frequent eye contact—it was all too much. It made Yoon Ji-gu’s chest feel tight and uncomfortable. He wanted to ask, ‘Do you know me?’ but his lips were stiff, and he couldn’t speak properly. Even if the man didn’t know he was ‘Earth Star,’ it was evident that he liked him to some extent. And Yoon Ji-gu found the man’s affection burdensome. Setting aside the fact that he was a man, he was a pervert…

“Ji-gu-ssi. So you’re not sick or anything, right?”

It was certain. Just living next door, but showing this much concern for his health – it was obvious. The man seemed to want to speak more casually with Yoon Ji-gu, but that wasn’t possible. It would be a big problem if the man misunderstood if given any unnecessary leeway.

“I’ll start going to the pool again from tomorrow, so don’t come to the cafe.”

Yoon Ji-gu firmly rejected the man’s advances.

“What? But the coffee… is delicious…”

“…Then come only once a week.”

The man started to look pitiful. Feeling like he might have been too harsh, especially since it wasn’t even his cafe, Yoon Ji-gu corrected himself.

“Twice. No more than that.”

“…”

Ah, why was he looking at him again. Was twice too little?

“Fine, then come three times a week.”

He didn’t seem to like that either, as no response came. But Yoon Ji-gu deliberately ignored the man’s gaze and turned around. There was so much he wanted to know. Whether he was really Neuta, and if he knew that he was Earth Star. Yoon Ji-gu thought he should create a situation to subtly probe, even if he couldn’t ask directly.

Lee Yeo-woon. The man’s name stuck in his mind and lingered all day.