TWKH Ch4

Shin Jehyun encountered some unbelievable news about Caplet on an afternoon just a day after they had been beaten by Jangji 3:2 in battle and had thrown his mouse in frustration.

Gaeul

[[Forwarded Message] ‘Capital Studio’ sold to ‘Flex’ for 30 billion won. Click to enlarge.]

[Jehyun, what is this?]

— [??]

Gaeul

[Why would someone as prestigious as Flex buy out a small company like Cas?]

[Is this for real? What is this??]

— [?]

Shin Jehyun, who received the message from Gaeul while in the middle of eating, was equally shocked.

Flex was a giant company that created and serviced the globally popular MMORPG game ‘Later,’ which was incomparable to a small studio like Capital. Unlike Caplet, which failed less than a year after its launch, Later had consistently held the top spot in PC cafe rankings for several years, and all the other PC and console games released by Flex were also famous.

Why would such a big corporation acquire Cas? Shin Jehyun put down his chopsticks and clicked on the article link sent by Gaeul.

However, like an announcement written by An Iyoung, the article lacked details. It only mentioned that Flex had acquired Cas, and that Caplet would now be serviced on Flex’s servers.

It was understandably unbelievable news.

— [Noona, this seems like total BS; looks like phishing;]

— [Don’t click on anything.]

— [Your money will be drained 😱 ]

Gaeul

[IKR? I was totally shocked LOL]

Unable to believe it, Shin Jehyun shook his head. With so many clickbait articles out there, he genuinely thought this was just another one.

They weren’t the only ones who didn’t believe the news despite the article. Most Caplet users clicked their tongues, thinking An Iyoung was trying to make a quick exit by selling the company, and only a small minority believed that Flex would actually acquire Cas.

It was revealed to be completely true in the detailed server integration announcement for Cas released in January that what had been dismissed as mere gossip by the skeptics, including Ahn Yiyoung, was indeed a fact.

[Announcement] Detailed Guide for Caplet’s Server Integration, Singing of Eternity.

Author: GM202

Hello, this is GM202 from the operations support team of Caplet, Singing of Eternity.

We would like to inform you about the server integration that will be implemented on March 2nd.

– Character names will remain unchanged.

– If there are duplicate Guild names, priority will be given to the one established earlier. Duplicate Guild names can be changed by the Guild leader after the server integration.

– Pet nicknames will be modified to allow duplicates.

– Reset records: Battleground scores, Battleground rankings, Dungeon scores, Dungeon rankings, Guild scores, Guild rankings, Crafting scores, Artisan rankings.

– Guild marks and Guild stronghold locations will be reset. Please claim your stronghold deposit by midnight on February 29th before server maintenance begins. If not claimed, the deposit will be forfeited.

– First clear achievements already obtained will be retained.

– After the server integration, you can obtain new first clear achievements.

“Resetting the Battleground rankings?” Jehyun was shocked at the news that all the points he had accumulated over the years would be erased. But then he covered his mouth with his hand as he read the last item of the announcement.

– Due to the transfer of Capital Studio’s server information to Flex Korea, there will be a server maintenance and update from 00:00 on March 1st to 18:00 on March 2nd.

“Server information transfer…?”

Shin Jehyun’s eyes wavered. Memories of the past flashed through his mind. The day he saw the article about Flex acquiring Cas on his phone and laughed at Ahn Yiyoung…

Could it really be true? Shin Jehyun, full of doubt, searched for Flex on Google. Although the announcement mentioned Flex Korea, his distrust in Ahn Yiyoung led him to seek evidence on Flex’s official corporate website.

And there, among the renowned studios under Flex, Shin Jehyun was shocked to find the name “Capital.”

— [[Image]]

— [No, Noona, did you see the announcement?]

— [Flex has{12183015032″12535421 915 ₩ 1201563″]

Gaeul

[What are you talking about 😂]

— [T^T It looks like Flex is really acquiring Cas.]

— [The announcement mentioned a server transfer, so I checked Flex’s official website, and]

— [Cas is listed among the game development studios there;;]

His heart was pounding, and he couldn’t calm down easily.

Flex! That such a big company would take over and run this humble game! It felt like he had stumbled upon a winning lottery ticket while walking down the street. Letting out a sigh of joy, Shin Jehyun tapped on his phone.

No matter how many times he looked, the name “Capital Studios” was all too familiar. It was the logo he had seen every time he logged into Caplet.

Gaeul

[..?]

[What’s going on?]

[LOL I really don’t get it]

Flex’s game “Later” was famous for its excellent management, especially compared to Caplet. While they did encourage spending on in-game purchases, Flex never milked the same series dry like Caplet did.

The fact that this lousy game was being picked up by Flex was truly heartwarming.

It felt like the plot of a novel: I, the outcast of the MMORPG world, suddenly woke up one day as the adopted child of a noble family. Shin Jehyun felt like he could easily write a story like that.

Dreaming big, Jehyun undressed for a shower, hoping that under Flex’s management, Caplet, known as the epitome of a dying game, would regain the glory it had at launch.

Seoung

[Hey, don’t forget to come to the orientation tomorrow]

[If you don’t show up, I’ll break into your house and steal your keycaps]

Seoung

[No reply? Think I won’t do it?]

[Try me if you’re curious]

It was a message from his friend Seo Eunjae that snapped Jehyun out of his daydream. He was about to disinfect the piercing in his ear when he frowned at the preview message on his phone.

Two months ago, after returning from his military service, Jehyun found that his mechanical keyboard, which had been neglected for nearly two years, was broken. While looking for a replacement, he decided to also get new keycaps. Since it would take a month for international shipping, he asked Eunjae, who was in the U.S. at the time, to bring them back for him.

Eunjae readily agreed, asking Jehyun to do her a favor in return. Thinking it would be something trivial, he accepted, only to find out she wanted him to attend the political science orientation.

Orientation? To Jehyun, the word felt like something from a past life.

Of course, when he first entered college, Jehyun never missed events like orientations, retreats, or general meetings, always attending with Eunjae. Those things were fun when he was a freshman.

But now, as an older student who had completed his military service, Jehyun had little interest in drinking or meeting new people. With graduation requirements looming and the server integration of Caplet to prepare for after the semester started, he didn’t have time to waste on endless drinking rounds.

— [New phone, Who dis?]

Seoung

[[Image]]

Pretending not to know her, he received a photo of a large hammer from Eunjae, a threat that she’d smash his keyboard if he didn’t come.

Annoyed, Shin Jehyun sighed and replied with a reluctant “👍”. It had been a while since he’d gone out.

—

Waking up late, Shin Jehyun took a taxi to the orientation location. Since the orientation was being held at the Korea University Youth Training Center in Gapyeong, the taxi fare was a bit steep, but he had no choice after missing the bus.

“Thank you. Please drive safely on your way back.”

Jehyun, pulling his cap down low, thanked the taxi driver and turned away. Despite wearing a long padded coat, the cold wind still managed to sneak in between his legs. Hunched over like a turtle, he made his way towards the lit-up lodge.

The recently renovated youth training center was spotless from the entrance. As he stepped inside, Jehyun glanced around before heading towards the source of the loudest noise.

“I’m Kim Woohyun, and, uh….”

Inside the large room, introductions were in full swing. A small, pale boy, likely a freshman, was nervously sharing his hometown, his face flushed red.

There were about 50 people gathered in the room, with around 25 of them being freshmen. The rest were Jehyun’s juniors and seniors who had joined while he was in the military, along with a few of his peers.

As Jehyun quietly opened the door and entered, trying not to draw attention, the sight of a dark figure appearing in the room made everyone turn to look at him.

“What the—Shin Jehyun!”

“Hey, you’re alive?”

His peers, recognizing the thug-like face under the cap, jumped up from their seats and shouted. Since Jehyun hadn’t kept in touch with anyone except Seo Eunjae after joining the army, his peers were seeing him for the first time in almost two years.

“Hey. Carry on.”

Jehyun took off his cap, ruffling his flattened hair, and addressed the boy who was introducing himself. With his ominous black hair, multiple piercings in both ears, corpse-like pale complexion, and sharp, upturned monolid eyes, Jehyun’s intimidating appearance was impossible to ignore. While the freshman stammered to continue, Jehyun walked past the newcomers and headed to where his peers were sitting.

“I was planning to come to your house with a hammer tomorrow.”

Without a word, Jehyun sat down next to Seo Eunjae, who winked and whispered into his ear. Jehyun responded by showing him the middle finger and accepted a glass of alcohol from a peer next to him.

“Hey, Je! When did you get discharged?”

“Yesterday.”

“This jerk’s lying again.”

“I have to report back tomorrow.”

“Don’t bullshit me, seriously.”

Jehyun half-heartedly responded to his peer’s comments while staring into his glass. It was only 7 PM, and they were already mixing soju and beer. He clicked his tongue and downed the drink, finding it incredibly sweet after so long. As he drained his glass, thinking he might end up drinking too much tonight, Seo Eunjae whispered again.

“Hey, see that guy? He’s your mentee.”

“…What nonsense are you spouting?”

Je frowned and turned to look at him, baffled by the sudden remark.

Mentee? While there was a mentoring program in the political science department, Shin Jehyun had never agreed to be anyone’s mentor. Just as he was about to question what kind of scheme Seo Eunjae was pulling, a low voice cut through the noise, and Eunjae nudged him.

“That’s your son,” Eunjae said, still joking. Though Jehyun thought it was ridiculous, he couldn’t help but turn to see who it was.

A strange sense of déjà vu surged within him.

“Ha Baekyung.”

The freshman who introduced himself as Ha Baekyung was exceptionally tall, with a physique large enough to be considered a giant. He had broad shoulders that wouldn’t look out of place on a swimmer, pale skin, smooth smiling lips, and gently folded eyes. Anyone could see that he was a good-looking and impressive guy.

However, Jehyun wasn’t staring at Ha Baekyung because of his noticeably handsome face.

For some reason, Ha Baekyung’s voice sounded familiar to him. Jehyun tilted his head, staring intently at Baekyung.