episode_0009

Moon Jeong-woo took me to the fighting game arcade.

If you think back to the original work, this is a fighting game in which Moon Jeong-woo, who is mediocre or untalented in almost all fields, shows high-level skills.

I just got an overwhelmingly low score on the punch machine, so I guess I want to win somehow…

I slowly sat down on the chair.

Jeong Ye-eun came up behind us and started looking around.

‘Here, I have to lose.’

When you start working, you should always remember your goal.

What is my goal now?

It emphasizes Moon Jeong-woo’s ugliness and elevates me in contrast to him.

It gives Moon Jeong-woo a sense of defeat and inferiority, while Jeong Ye-eun feels good.

“Hey, I’ve never done anything like this before. How do you do it?”

“Yeah, right. I’ll tell you. So the button here is the kick, and this is the fist…”

He must have been happy to teach me something, even though I was always trying to beat him, as he explained the movements of the buttons and levers with a wide smile on his face.

“And if you move the lever and press the button, you can use different skills, and if you press the button like this, you can grab it…”

Jeong Ye-eun also seemed to like how we seemed to be getting along well.

After his explanation, we started the game.

All I knew how to do was the most basic defense and attack, but that was enough.

Geum Taeyang’s physical abilities.

Having a body that was one level above others was not limited to strength.

Strength, physique, athletic ability, etc.

And those motor skills include reflexes.

If you see the opposing character crouching, use bottom defense, and if you see the other character coming up, use top defense.

If something big hits, it hits with a quick attack.

There were a lot of things they told me about, such as commands and grabs, but I couldn’t quite remember them.

Every time I blocked Moon Jeong-woo’s attack, or every time I successfully attacked that character, his expression began to rot.

And, when one round was over and the screen of the game console went dark for a moment.

I clearly saw Moon Jeong-woo’s expression.

Now he couldn’t keep his expression still, and his burning eyes were staring at the black screen.

.

.

.

After a while, he completely changed his playing style.

Fast, weak attacks focusing on bottom kicks.

A style called ‘Yapsapi’ or ‘Sapsapi’ in vulgar language.

Although it can almost certainly win against beginners, it is a style that evokes the thought of ‘ugly’ in viewers.

Moon Jeong-woo is blinded by immediate victory.

No matter how good your reflexes are, there is a saying that is a common truth in this industry.

If you don’t know, you should be right.

I didn’t know how to react, and my character was KO’d after getting beat up.

“Ha, haha! Look, did you see it..? You need to practice some..!”

He spoke to me excitedly at the victory he had finally achieved.

I stiffened my expression and listened quietly to what he said.

I glanced behind me and saw Jeong Ye-eun fidgeting and looking at me.

He seemed worried that I would get angry.

The atmosphere became cold.

Moon Jeong-woo couldn’t read that atmosphere at all and kept teasing me.

“Hey, Jeongwoo – ”

When Jeong Ye-eun finally tried to intervene,

“Okay. I need to practice some, haha.”

He said to Moon Jeong-woo with a smile.

“Okay. I’ll tell you a lot!”

“Uh, let’s try again next time.”

“Okay..!”

**

Jungwoo was a little strange today.

He kept saying things that broke the mood and seemed impatient.

Especially when playing fighting games.

They seemed to be having fun with each other in the first game, but from the second game, they started playing the game in a very cruel way.

‘what…?’

I was a little confused because their attitudes were so different now from when they were together.

Was he this oblivious?

Did you want to win even if it meant using such a mean method?

No, I was still able to understand it up to that point.

I heard men have such a strong competitive spirit in games.

But, the problem was next.

He started teasing Do-hyeon to the point where people frowned.

Until now, when Dohyun won other games, he didn’t show that kind of attitude at all.

To act like that after winning a fight in a fighting game, even in such a mean way.

Unable to tell that the atmosphere was gradually sinking, he continued speaking.

When I took a quick look at Dohyun, his expression was noticeably more stiff than before.

I brought him here, but if a fight breaks out like this… it will be awkward to see Do-hyeon’s face.

I cleared my throat a few times to get Jeongwoo to notice, but he was busy teasing Dohyeon.

‘Uh.. uh…?’

When I was about to say something because I thought it was really dangerous.

“Okay. I need to practice some, haha.”

Dohyeon smiled and lightened the mood.

‘thank god…’

Jungwoo was excited until the end, not even knowing that Dohyun had lightened the mood.

“Hehe, Yeeun! I’m good at this, right?”

“Uh… Yes. You’re good.”

I wasn’t usually like this.

I responded to his words with an awkward smile.

“s, shall we go quickly? It was late…”

It seemed better to end today like this.

“Okay. Let’s go now.”

Dohyun got up from the chair.

“Huh? Already..?”

It seemed like Jeongwoo still wanted to play more games.

It’s a good thing that Do-hyeon is kind. If he hadn’t had enough patience, a fight might have broken out, but he didn’t notice…

Well, it is true that Jungwoo is a bit oblivious.

It’s true that such innocence is attractive, but today…

It was that bad.

Should we talk about it later when we are alone?

On the other hand, the more I see Do-hyun, the more he seems kind, considerate, quick-witted, and handsome –

No, how far will it go?

It’s true that he’s handsome, but I don’t plan on continuing from here.

Jeongwoo took the lead and left the arcade.

I whispered to Dohyeon.

“Thank you.”

He immediately understood what I was saying, gave me his usual gentle smile and spoke.

“No. If I get angry here, the atmosphere will get weird. It’s a bit awkward to see your face later.”

“I’ll buy you something delicious later. Jungwoo is also a nice guy, but something happened today.”

“It’s okay.”

He paused for a moment and looked at me.

“..Because being with you is fun. Thanks for having me. That’s enough.”

…It’s against the rules to say something like this here.

Even though summer hasn’t arrived yet, I felt like my face was getting hot.

‘Ah, your ears must have turned really red.’

Sometimes, the words he throws out like that make my heart flutter.

He has a kind heart and good personality. Why did I hate this kid?

If I were to talk to the person I was a month ago about Dohyun Choi, he would never understand me.

Well, the person I am now doesn’t understand the person I was a month ago.

Why did I dislike him just by looking at his outward appearance and behavior without even talking to him?

If I had gotten to know him a little earlier, wouldn’t I have been able to see his true self a little earlier?

It was a moment of regret for the month we had spent far away from each other.

**

After Choi Do-hyun, Jeong Ye-eun, and Moon Jeong-woo left the arcade.

“Mark! Would you like to try the punch machine?”

“Of course. Try inserting a coin.”

A group of black people, speaking fluent Korean and occasionally mixing in English words, entered the arcade.

They all had solid physiques, and in particular, the size of the black man called ‘Mark’ was reminiscent of ‘Francis Ngannou’ or ‘George Foreman’.

He appears to be 2 meters tall and weighs well over 120 kg.

Even its large body was filled with muscles, not fat.

The difference came from genes. He boasted of overwhelming physical ability, even among black people who were said to have excellent athletic ability.

They kept laughing and looked at the people around them.

In particular, women were pursued with a very persistent gaze.

Just by looking at their actions, it was obvious that their quality was not that good.

A coin was inserted into the punch machine, and the target rose up.

“Highest record… 953? Huh, take a good look.”

He spoke to the people around him with a confident look on his face, then immediately put his fist back.

After a while.

-Quaah Ahh !!!!

There was a sound that I had never heard before in that arcade.

[999]

Choi Do-hyun’s record with both arms was updated.

By one arm of Mark.

“Did you see that? I told you so!”

He raised his fist and enjoyed the reactions of those around him.

Not only his black friends but also ordinary Koreans who used the arcade looked at him.

A feeling of superiority, of being stronger than everyone here.

The exhilarating feeling of being different from birth.

Emotions that had been with him since he was very young flooded his body.

The feelings that always followed when comparing myself to others were so addictive.

…On the other hand, he hated it when those who were much weaker than him believed that ‘I am strong.’

In particular, he laughs at the fact that people from a race that cannot be compared to him from birth did some exercise.

That’s what he hates the most and wants to step on.

These were things I wanted to destroy, devastate, and make people realize their subject.

After a while, they left the arcade.