episode_0002

After barely managing to get the surprise signing event under control, the real gathering began. Under the leadership of the organizer, Mr. Kim Moo-sik…

By the way, how is that person’s name Kim Moo-sik?

Anyway, the first thing on our schedule was to visit the arcade in front of Seoul Station.

People were crammed into the small arcade that was once deserted, each putting in a coin to start playing a game. The games were mostly Pong and Space Invaders, and at best, Pac-Man and Galaga, so I wasn’t really interested in them.

“Ah, he’s dead.”

“That’s not how you do it there.”

“Get out of the way, I’ll try it.”

The arcade’s long-standing tradition of training is still there. But since there is no technique, it all looks the same to me… Honestly, I also want to train.

“Isn’t Mr. Lee Seo doing it? There’s a seat left over there.”

Kim Moo-sik asked me a question. Should I answer a little more honestly?

“I’m not interested. Rather, I’m wondering how I can make something more fun than those”

A statement that could easily be heard as somewhat arrogant.

But then what can you do? If you try, you have to make it better than me.

“Haha, as expected, geniuses are definitely different. Thanks to you, I was inspired a lot and decided to study abroad in Japan next year. So…”

What the heck, why are you taking so long to say this?

“Are you interested in Japanese pop culture, or subculture?”

Carrot pattayo damn it!!!!!!!!

To summarize Kim Moo-sik’s story, it was like this.

People around me have always been interested in Japanese culture, but Japanese popular culture has been suppressed by the government, making it difficult to obtain. Therefore, while I am in Japan, I will mediate direct purchases of manga, animation, movies, etc. If there is anything you want to obtain, please contact me.

“No, what did you see in me that made you make such a suggestion… What are you going to do if I report you with such rude language…?”

“I have an accurate eye for people. You wouldn’t, would you?”

It was a bit embarrassing, but it wasn’t a bad suggestion. For me, it’s necessary to understand the subculture of the era without games.

***

After spending two hours at the arcade, we all had a bowl of noodles for dinner. Kim Moo-sik ordered dumpling noodles and it was so delicious that I thought I should try it next time.

After dinner, we went to a tea house. Everyone sat at their tables and the people sitting at the same table chatted with each other, which felt like watching philosophers debate.

From simple trivia to technical questions about programming.

At my table, strangely, questions were only asked to me. Well, it’s not that I don’t understand, but especially when it comes to technical questions, the answers come out so easily that the people at the next table also ask questions.

“Alright, everyone, before we disperse… let’s have a greeting from the host!”

“Wow!”

“Awesome!”

What the heck. We clearly went into a teahouse and came out, but everyone’s energy is high as if they’re drunk.

“First of all! Newbies! Thank you for following along!”

At the same time, the eyes and applause are focused on me. What? The other new recruits are looking too. Why are you only looking at me?

“Thank you to all the members who always participate! Mr. Yoo-seop who helped me plan the schedule! And everyone who participated today! Thank you very much! Let’s meet again in good health at the next meeting! Dismissal! ”

“Wow!!!!!”

The meeting ended without anything special happening, but it was strangely fulfilling.

***

The college entrance exam results are out.

KUST is considered to be one of the top engineering schools. It is comparable to KAIST in the world.

I was accepted into KUST’s computer engineering department with flying colors. I showed that a dragon can fly from a stream. The kids who are suffering because their parents are provoked by me… Anyway, it’s not my fault, right?

I paid the tuition with the inheritance and insurance money from my parents, whom I have never met, that were in my bank account. In a way, I was a little reluctant to use the money because it had nothing to do with me…

I also succeeded in getting into the dormitory! In fact, it’s not that far away, but I realized that in the original world, if only my roommate was the same as me, it would definitely be advantageous to live in the dormitory…

It was just a simple reason that I thought I would die of loneliness if I stayed home alone for 4 years. In the original world, I went to school alone at home for 2 years and then moved into a dormitory for the same reason.

There was nothing special during the vacation. Since I didn’t have a computer, I couldn’t code, so I couldn’t make games, and I couldn’t even use PC communication. You might ask why I didn’t buy a computer, but I didn’t really feel the need to buy one since I would be able to use a computer as much as I want at university after just one year.

Ultimately, I focused on setting my future direction during the vacation. Not only what games I will make in the future, but also a roadmap for developing the gaming industry, and predictions about what I might experience in the future.

First of all, the most urgent thing is computer games, but when I went to the arcade during the last meeting, I felt that arcade games also need to be developed to some extent. After all, fighting, shooting, and rhythm games originated from arcades.

It takes a lot of time for a computer’s performance to reach a level where it can run such games without difficulty. After all, games that use special boards like DDR and Maimai are better played at an arcade than by connecting other boards or external devices to a computer.

And the most important thing is the relationship between society and games. Since the Atari Shock, society has completely destroyed its perception of games, and this is comparable to, or perhaps even more serious than, the oppression of otaku in the world or games in Korea.

Even in my club, there were people who criticized me and called me a child of Satan.

I am completely bound by social awareness and gaze, and because of this, all the games I release now are games with absolutely no violence or sexual content. If I release a game where I slaughter demons with a chainsaw and shotgun without any preparation, I am sure I will be socially beaten and buried. Maybe even physically.

Originally, I lived as a nerd developer in the world and did not resist this oppression. Rather, I actively rebelled against it. However, what I felt while doing so was not a sense of accomplishment and loosened regulations, but rather more severe oppression and manipulation. When I felt that huge wall once again, I felt fear for the first time since I fell into this world.

I briefly had the extremely passionate ambition to achieve the dream I had once given up on. But once again, I felt the wall approaching me even more than I had thought.

Well, wouldn’t it work out somehow? I guess that’s what God sent me down to do in the first place, so wouldn’t it work out somehow with the invisible privilege of the possessed person? Let’s think so.

***

The boring vacation is over and the time for the entrance ceremony has finally arrived.

There wasn’t much to the entrance ceremony, but registering for classes was literally hell.

First, you have to register for classes using the computers in the school computer lab, but there was a line that stretched from in front of the computer lab, down the hallway on that floor, through the stairs, and even outside the building, so it was impossible to know when I would be able to register for classes.

Some people were waiting for the class registration to start, and others were boiling ramen to overcome boredom, dancing, and some were playing a game with trump cards to see if they had already become friends. In fact, if it was Yu-Gi-Oh instead of trumps, they would have gotten into the game right away, so it was a bit disappointing.

But after waiting for an hour or two, I started to feel bored. Maybe my brain was really soaked with dopamine, I couldn’t stand the thought of being bored.

“Huh? Foxy?”

Then, someone called my nickname. Why is that name coming up here?

“Wow, I see you here! Are you a freshman?”

A man with glasses, a thin frame, but not a particularly unattractive appearance. He was the first man to get my autograph last time.

“… Ahaha. Nice to meet you.”

I’m sorry, but I don’t remember the name. I think I heard the nickname before, but I don’t remember that either…

“Oh, didn’t I introduce myself last time?”

Phew, thank goodness they’re interpreting it in a positive way.

“My name is Kim Jeong-jun. Can I talk to you?”

“Oh, yes. I’m fine.”

“Hey~ By the way, I didn’t know we’d meet in a place like this…”

Kim Jung-jun’s eyes are so bright. It’s almost as if you can see respect radiating from his whole body, just like when he got his autograph last time.

“By the way, the line won’t go away. If I keep doing this, I might even see the sun rise”

“This happens every time I register for classes. There are only a limited number of computers in the computer lab, and the turnover rate is low. Sometimes I even go to see the sun rise. How great would it be if I could register for classes on my home computer?”

“I’m dizzy. Haa, it’s so boring…”

“If only I could play something like Tetris while I waited.”

Kim Jeong-jun responds with a smile.

Ah, I want a smartphone.

By the time I finally finished registering for classes, the sun had already risen above the mountain peak.