Healing(?) Game -1

“Ping pong?”

“Yes, this game right here.”

“Why is a game called ping pong?”

“You didn’t know? Back in the day, arcade game sounds were all just ping pong ping, so that’s what people called them.”

“I’m not that old. No, more importantly, how do you know about such things?”

She lightly ignored my words and continued her explanation.

“Anyway, this game was supposedly an incredibly popular healing game.”

“Healing game?”

“The protagonist goes to a quiet place and lives a life in nature, talking and interacting with various neighbors, that kind of game.”

Noah spoke fluently and proudly.

This is a healing game, a therapeutic story where you live in beautiful natural settings like mountains and seas.

Plus it has powerful customization features where you can design nature yourself with cute animals.

To sum it up in one word.

“It’s truly a ‘God game’.”

But seeing the title of the game, I found it difficult to agree with that statement.

I already knew what this game was. I had played it several times before.

There was a slight discrepancy in calling it a “healing game”… but I didn’t mention it beforehand.

There’s no need to bring Noah’s disappointment forward.

To be more honest.

‘It’s more fun to spoil innocent purity.’

Well, that’s more entertaining.

“Shall we try it then?”

“Yes! You operate it, and I’ll help from the side.”

Noah smiling innocently.

That Taehwa is too mischievous for her own good.

It’s fun to play pranks on Noah, but to attack her mentally in this way.

I take out the game cartridge and insert it into the console.

The game is transmitted to the TV screen, and the title appears.

[Everyone Gather! : Beast Island]

As the game starts, Noah makes an “Oooh…!” sound of admiration.

She seems quite expectant.

The same goes for me… though I’m mainly looking forward to Noah’s reaction.

‘Well, let’s try it after a long time…’

When I press the button, the screen changes.

The protagonist is receiving a phone call in the darkness.

[…Are you really thinking of coming to this island, guri?]

The protagonist doesn’t answer.

A voice comes through the phone.

[…Seems like you’re serious, guri. Well, do your best, guri. By the way… the repayment amount… is 5000 bells for now, guri.]

Repayment amount.

In other words, debt.

Seeing that, Noah’s eyes widened.

“Why is there debt?”

“Because you borrowed money.”

“Is this a healing game…”

“Nothing in life is free.”

At those words, Noah closed her mouth.

Probably because she knows that fact well too.

Anyway, the screen briefly goes black, an airplane sound is heard, and soon a cute SD protagonist appears on the screen.

“Cute!”

That was Noah’s impression.

“You said it was a healing game, and it does look pretty.”

“That’s right. It would be nice to live in a place like that.”

Noah said that while looking at the game screen.

What to do. She’s going to regret those words soon.

She did look a bit depressed at seeing the repayment amount on the house, but soon she was giggling and watching the game.

She seems to like the beautiful nature.

There, I spent time fishing and collecting insects.

While roaming the island with a bouncy step, I would run to collect anything that looked useful.

And if I happened to meet a wandering dog, I would knead its soft cheeks for a while.

Watching all of this, she giggled.

I felt healed by that sight too, but the main game is still ahead.

Perhaps this could be the core of it.

“Ah, mister. It’s night.”

“…”

“Mister?”

“Now the real thing starts.”

“What? …Huh? Mister, where are you going? Shouldn’t you sleep when it’s night?”

I shook my head at Noah.

“Unfortunately, adults have their own ways of healing.”

“Adults’ healing…?”

The place I headed was a bar on the outskirts of the town.

“Huh? This was a cafe in the morning?”

Noah’s reaction is understandable.

This is the place where we had drinks during the day.

A place where I remember catching a rare deep-sea fish with enhanced abilities.

That place has now transformed into a bar with flashy neon lights.

“That place is open too…?”

“That’s it, that’s where we’re going.”

I entered through the door, showing the confused Noah. It had been blocked during the day, but not now.

[Please make a prudent decision.]

[…Prudent.]

Past the big tiger brothers, further in, and even further in.

Then a loading screen appears.

[Abandon all hope, ye who enter here, guri.]

A new screen unfolds.

“…A gambling hall…?”

It was a gambling hall.

Cards flying around spectacularly, the emotions of gamblers swirling around in such a place.

The corner I headed to was where a white rabbit was dressed in a bunny girl outfit.

“Why is she dressed like that…!”

“Noah, would you look at the game cover again?”

“The game cover? Hmm… ah!?”

Noah just realized.

“This was a 15+ game!?”

“Yes.”

“No, why is it 15+…”

“Be thankful, if an octopus had appeared, it would have immediately become an adult game.”

Looking at Noah’s perplexed expression, I spoke to the NPC.

[Welcome! Customer! This is where we enjoy snail racing. Would you like to hear an explanation of the rules?]

The NPC winking with a lively expression.

Lightly ignoring her, I headed to the main game.

The rules are simple.

Simply put, if my snail wins, I receive money according to the multiplier.

“Wasn’t this supposed to be a healing game…!”

“This one looks good.”

“What!? Mister, are you in your right mind? That one is extremely slow! A snail on the verge of retirement that has never won once! There are other snails many times faster than this one!”

“Reverse betting.”

“No, mister! That’s the money we worked hard to earn during the day-“

“Reverse betting.”

“…Haah. Do as you please. It’s just a game anyway…”

I chose the snail that looked the slowest among them.

Because I already knew the special condition.

‘When this one races for retirement, an event always occurs.’

A race where you receive almost 20 times the money if you win.

As the rabbit nods, the race soon begins.

[Ah! They’re running! Everyone, running with all their might! To whom will the glory of victory go!]

As the race began, Noah closed her mouth.

Her gaze is now directed at the slowest snail.

“M… mister.”

“…”

“That one looks like it’s going to lose. It’s in last place.”

“…No. Watch carefully, Noah.”

“What?”

“I’ll show you why this is a healing game.”

Perhaps what’s about to happen could also be called healing.

At the very least, it will be a story that gives hope to those suffering from the walls of reality.

Just as I finished speaking, the commentator’s astonished voice was heard.

Our snail, which had been trailing in last place, started running like crazy.

[Here comes the special move! Full power! It starts running even faster! Number 1, who was at the very back! Number 1 is starting to break through!]

…The snail begins to run.

Weakest, smallest, worst.

He who had lived with all these degrading titles began the final race of his life.

He was slow. Too slow.

To others, it would look like he was crawling, or might as well be standing still.

Yet still, he ran.

Towards victory, towards the goal.

Even if slow, putting strength into each step, steadily.

It’s okay to be slow.

But giving up is not forgiven.

If this is the last race, if this is the last rail where one can burn everything they have.

The snail ran. With all his might.

Ran, ran, and ran again.

Even with burning lungs and an aching heart, he ran.

Because that’s what he had been doing, and that’s all he could do.

So please.

Just before everything ends, he wants to say.

He wants to let them know.

That there was someone like him.

Although weak and slow.

At least, he never knelt down, he was here!

What the snail saw was to the side. The one called the fastest, nicknamed the speed king.

To the side?

No. He wasn’t there.

He looked ahead.

Similarly, he wasn’t there.

Only then did he look back.

Behind.

The favorite to win this race.

The one called the fastest, the strongest.

He was now behind him.

Heavy. His heart feels like it’s going to burst.

But he runs.

God, please, even if I die after this race, please lighten this heavy burden a little.

Is the goal still far-

He is still behind.

The goal is still ahead.

The goal is still ahead.

The goal is still ahead.

Yet he is still behind.

The goal is still ahead.

He is still behind.

The man of fastest speed follows behind.

Is the goal still far? It is.

But it doesn’t matter.

Because he was still behind.

The goal is still ahead.

The goal is still ahead.

Finally.

The goal is now.

And he is still behind.

Even past the goal, he is still behind.

Did I win?

The face of the familiar commentator shows bewilderment.

Is that so, is something wrong?

As expected, the story of the last-place runner winning first place.

There couldn’t possibly be such a sweet story of a loser defeating a winner.

His mouth opens, and intense emotion bursts out.

[Number 1! Surprisingly, the winner is Number 1! What? Wait a moment… a… a new record!? It’s a miracle! He, on the verge of retirement, has set a new record!]

A new record.

A record even that fastest one couldn’t achieve.

For now, at least, the one who was trash was the fastest.

Only then did he roar.

That today, at least, he was the victor.

[WIN! New record achieved!]

“What did I tell you.”

“How is this even…”

“A story of the underdog beating the top. Isn’t that touching in its own way?”

“Well… that’s true.”

Noah looked at the screen with a blank face.

She still doesn’t seem to believe it.

What made Noah’s mouth gape even wider was what happened next.

[Congratulations! You’ve hit the jackpot! Customer! Please receive your prize money here! Oh! We’re giving additional prize money to commemorate the new record! Congratulations once again!]

Jingle jingle jingle!!

Money falls in abundance and the amount held increases.

[70000 bells]

I put in 3000 bells, so multiply that by 20 to get 60000 bells.

With the new record prize of 10000 bells, the calculation checks out.

“You paid off the entire repayment at once…!? No… this is practically money duplication…!”

Phew.

“That’s healing.”

“Wait… making money through gambling is healing…? Not the touching story of an underdog beating the champion…!?”

“Money is being duplicated. It’s a story that’s hard to achieve in reality, isn’t it?”

“What about nature? The happy healing life made up of things obtained from nature?”

“Noah.”

“…Yes?”

“Even healing requires money, my dear.”

“…I definitely need to manage the mister’s money later…”

“Why would you manage my money? Are you going to be my wife?”

Flush.

Noah hit my shoulder with a red face.

“A-anyway, this is not healing…!!”

“…”

“Please earn money diligently!! Or at least enjoy the game as intended!”

“…No, we continue like this.”

“My healing…”

After that, I continued my tour of the gambling hall, and eventually earned enough money to buy land rights on the island.

“Why… why do you have to make money even in a game…?”

That’s a good question.

The bitterness of capitalism tasted in a game. I patted the head of Noah, who was sad about it.

But from now on.

“Noah, watch carefully.”

“Why…”

“Because the real healing starts now.”