It had been a long time since Yoon Seo had come to a PC cafe. How long? 12 years. Yoon Seo and Lee Domin didn't really enjoy online games even before the Great Cataclysm, so their friends had to pester them to finally drag them to the PC cafe. The two would usually sit next to their friends playing 'Hunter and Skill', while playing Minesweeper or watching dramas.
"Let's watch a drama together. This one is really good. It's an epic space opera."
"I'm not watching that lame kimchi stew drama. I find spotting differences much more fun."
"If you're not going to watch the drama, why did you come to the PC cafe?"
"What nonsense is that? Who comes to a PC cafe to sit and watch dramas? Probably only you in the entire world."
"You're probably the only one who plays Minesweeper here."
"Shut up before I leave. Oh, my black bean noodles are here."
"Just give me one bite."
"Only if you share your kimchi fried rice with me later."
"Deal."
All they had done in the PC cafe was bicker and share noodles and rice.
Even when he had to play games due to the will, he did it from home with his own computer, never coming to the PC cafe. Who would have thought he'd end up back here at the age of 29? And on the very day he confessed Revenger's last will, no less. Life sure throws unexpected events your way.
The PC cafe had a few open seats here and there. Yoon Seo and Kwon Jihan settled into a corner.
The sound of 'Hunter and Skill' gameplay echoed from all directions. It had been 12 years since the game was released, and it was still incredibly popular.
"Do you remember your ID and password?"
"Of course."
Since Yoon Seo used the same ID and password for everything, he quickly logged in with familiar keystrokes. Both Yoon Seo and Kwon Jihan had inactive accounts, so they went through the same verification process.
Yoon Seo played a mage, while Kwon Jihan had a warrior character.
Before their PvP match, they joined a party with other players and ran a few dungeons to get their senses back. They struggled at first, but since they had both won gold medals in the past, they quickly became proficient again.
"Ready?"
"How about you?"
"You sound pretty confident. Wanna bet on it?"
"How about betting lunch?"
"Come on, how much could two people possibly eat? Let's make it bigger."
When the two of them ate seriously, they could probably eat enough for 20 people.
"Bigger…"
Yoon Seo was about to suggest buying a meal for the whole team if they got a perfect score, but Kwon Jihan made a different offer.
"How about if I win, you sleep over at my place?"
"What?"
"You're going to drop me off at my house anyway. If you lose, you sleep over. If you win, you don't have to."
Yoon Seo looked at Kwon Jihan with an expression that asked if he was serious, but Kwon Jihan remained completely earnest.
"Best of five, first to three wins. Sounds good, right?"
"Good? No way, I'm not doing this bet. There's no benefit to me whether I win or lose."
"Why not? You'll get to eat late-night snacks and breakfast made by a certified Korean chef."
"…"
Yoon Seo hesitated. Sensing the opportunity, Kwon Jihan continued.
"Right now, I have first-grade Hanwoo sirloin and aged kimchi in my fridge. If you're not into beef, how about spicy steamed mussels? Or noodle dishes? You've only had my pasta so far. I make a mean spicy kalguksu too. Spicy chicken feet, pork backbone, blood sausage and intestines – I have all the ingredients. Hah… this is basically a winner's prize. Who else would offer such gourmet food to the loser of a game?"
Yoon Seo swallowed hard. It had been about four hours since lunch, and he was getting hungry.
"So, what if I win?"
"Then you don't get to sleep over, and you won't get any of this food."
Yoon Seo tilted his head. Something felt off. Shouldn't winning and losing be switched? Wait, I don't even want to sleep over at Kwon Jihan's place at all, so why does winning feel like losing? Should I try to win or lose?
While Yoon Seo's brain was overloaded with confusion, Kwon Jihan quickly moved his character to the PvP arena.
"Hurry up and get in. We're starting."
Caught off guard, Yoon Seo entered the arena as well.
Once the PvP match began, Yoon Seo forgot all about the bet and became completely absorbed.
Both were fiercely competitive, and their skills were well-matched, making for an intense fight.
The first round went to Kwon Jihan, the second to Yoon Seo, the third back to Kwon Jihan. They kept going back and forth, and in the final round, Kwon Jihan won, leaving Yoon Seo the loser.
Kwon Jihan grinned triumphantly, and although Yoon Seo had lost, he didn't feel too bad. The thought of spicy kalguksu was already making his mouth water.
"Let's do one more."
"Without the bet?"
"Yeah, just for fun."
"Sounds good."
They ended up playing not just one more, but 14 more rounds in total. In the end, it was a draw.
Even after finishing the PvP, neither of them stood up. Kwon Jihan, having quit the game, was now interested in the updated storyline. The two began playing through the new scenarios and entered new dungeons. While enjoying the new content, they got drawn into the boss raid that had been added just three days prior. Feeling confident in their skills, they decided to try the raid.
"While we check the strategy, should we order something? It's about time to eat."
"Ramen's the classic choice at a PC cafe."
"How about three spicy ramens, five sausage skewers, and five servings of kimchi dumplings?"
"Let's just order one of each per person. There's no space to put all that."
"Just one ramen? Why even bother… Might as well drink water."
"One each. One ramen, one sausage skewer, one serving of kimchi dumplings, and an extra bowl of rice."
"Okay, sounds good. When we get home, I'll make a proper late-night meal for us."
The food they ordered arrived quickly. Yoon Seo used his chopsticks to loosen the curly ramen noodles while keeping his eyes on the monitor. A boss monster raid guide video titled "Death Plains – Flame Dragon of Desire" was playing. Next to him, Kwon Jihan was watching just as intently, swallowing a mouthful of dumplings as he focused even more than when studying dungeon strategies.
"There doesn't seem to be any difference between the triple stomp and the double stomp motions. How can we tell them apart?"
"If you look closely, the angle of the feathers behind its neck is different."
"Really? …Oh, you're right. The angle is lower during the double stomp."
"They're warning about the boss's shadow skill. What do you think that is?"
"Shadow skills usually involve taking something—either the body or skills. Sounds terrifying."
After watching the strategy video several times, they decided they could clear the raid and joined a party.
[Hijan] We're returning players.
[Hijan] Keep in mind that Yoonyoon and I are returnees.
[BagelMaybe] Look at this confidence.
[Luxury11] LOL, okay.
[ExtremeGamer] Let's go.
The raid was successful. Yoon Seo secured the best player title. His character appeared on screen, wearing a crown and smiling confidently, which made Yoon Seo grin along before quickly clearing his throat and adjusting his expression.
"Hyung, how did you dodge those attacks? Your moves didn't even make sense. Why are you so good at games?"
"Hunter Kwon Jihan also did well. If it weren't for that shadow stealing skill… I would've definitely been the best."
"Ugh, you're so annoying. Everyone wants to go for another round. What do you think?"
"Sounds good."
Yoon Seo quickly moved his mouse to repair his weapons and buy potions. His character ran around busily, and a smile naturally crept onto Yoon Seo's face.
***
Kwon Jihan's home was a penthouse in a luxurious apartment building overlooking the Han River. It was a safe and expensive place, surrounded by S-rank shield traps. After his previous residence was caught in a dungeon explosion, he chose this apartment specifically for the S-rank traps. Since losing his two dogs, he hadn't taken in any other pets and lived alone.
The spacious home was filled with traces of daily life. There was a wireless vacuum cleaner lying around, an alarm clock by the TV (he had two, one in the living room and one in the bedroom, in case he didn't wake up). A half-read book lay face down on the living room table (surprisingly, the title was "101 Tips for an Enriched Life"), and there were three remotes scattered across the sofa.
Kwon Jihan turned on the air conditioner and told Yoon Seo to make himself comfortable before heading straight to the kitchen.
Rubbing his slightly hungry stomach, Yoon Seo sprawled out on the sofa. He pulled Riceball out of his inventory and placed it beside him. Though he wasn't sure what being inside the inventory felt like, he tapped it a couple of times, thinking it must have been tough. Riceball responded with a slight tremble on its surface.
He turned on the TV, and a variety show was on, but he couldn't focus or find it entertaining. He picked up his phone, but images of "Hunter & Skill" kept flashing through his mind, like the newly released robe with high defense and flashy skill effects.
'No, I shouldn't.'
Yoon Seo shook his head vigorously and opened his phone. The most active chatroom had once been the group called "Fallen Leaves," but now the group with Soo Jaehee, Hong Euiyoon, Park Soobin, Kwon Jihan, and Yoon Seo was the liveliest. At the moment, Soo Jaehee and Hong Euiyoon were having a chaotic conversation filled with random consonants. Yoon Seo read through it indifferently, realizing it was a bunch of nonsense.
After skimming through the chat, Yoon Seo opened the internet.
'Hunter & Skill specs'
'Custom-built PC prices'
'Graphics card'
As he was browsing, Yoon Seo ignored the name "Seo Chaeyoon" still trending in real-time searches. Realizing what he was doing, he threw his phone onto the sofa.
'What a damn game addict.'
It was a curse he used frequently when he was deeply immersed in the game.
Back then, he still had more than a hundred last wishes to fulfill, and it was causing him immense stress.
He didn't want to eat anything, but he forced himself to have three meals a day. He didn't want to do anything, but he forced himself to go to work. Yet, while talking with the simple members of the Fallen Leaves Guild at work, there were moments when he found himself smiling. Yoon Seo hated that he smiled.
It was the same with the game. When his small character on the screen used flashy magic, killed monsters, and completed quests in a fantasy world, he found himself getting immersed—and Yoon Seo hated it.
Why is this so fun?
I shouldn't be enjoying this.
I shouldn't be healthy or smiling.
Why did you leave me such a will that keeps making me enjoy life?
After finally winning the gold medal, he immediately threw away his computer. He knew if he kept it, he'd play the game again. And then, he cursed the Revenger who had left him that will.
'Calm down. I shouldn't start playing again. There's no will to fulfill anymore, so there's no need. Get a grip…'
Yoon Seo stood up to calm his excited heart.
Exercise is the best for times like this.
Taking a deep breath, Yoon Seo got into a squat position.
One, two… ten, thirty…
His posture was so perfect that even a professional trainer would have asked for lessons. By the time he completed 50 squats, Kwon Jihan came out of the kitchen.
"..."
"..."
Kwon Jihan blinked at Yoon Seo and then asked.
"What are you doing?"
"Can't you see? I'm exercising."
"Ah, exercise. Right. That was one of the last wishes too."
Kwon Jihan furrowed his brow slightly before quickly smiling again.
"Come eat."