Chapter 78: Chapter 79: Chuseok (2)

Jo Ayoon (LV 211), in the midst of continuing her leap to the next level in preparation for Chuseok, received a call from Yeonho.

[Our Boss: Help]

Although it was a vague message, it ignited a fire within Ayoon.

Why, what could it be?

If a motorcycle suddenly appeared in front of you, and someone told you to hop on the back, you’d likely be more excited if the said, “Finally found you! It’s urgent, so hurry up and get on!” than by politely asking,

“I came for such-and-such purpose. Would you mind to ride with me?”

Ayoon felt the same way.

Normally, if there was business to discuss, Yeonho would say but he just say a single word, “Help,” and Ayoon’s imagination started to run wild.

“Chu, Chuseok crisis…?”

Ayoon began to ponder, troubled.

What crisis could Yeonho face during Chuseok?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Certainly not a global or company crisis.

If it’s the former, it’s a task for the elite team, and if it’s the latter, it’s something for Gilsang to handle.

So, what could it be?

Seeking help for himself, Chuseok, Yeonho.

“Oh no…!”

Blink! Ayoon’s eyes widened.

Ayoon’s mind started racing.

“Come to think of it…!”

Yeonho is at the age of marriage (or not)!

Any young person celebrating a holiday, especially a young professional with a stable job, would be sweating bullets under the scrutiny of relatives (which is accurate).

What does that mean?

“I’ve seen it! In the evening drama!”

It was a situation familiar from the 10 PM drama that Ayoon watches, not the morning drama her mother watches.

“Do you have a potential marriage partner?”

“No…”

“Then, let’s set you up…”

“I already have one!”

A lie by a chaebol heir to avoid a blind date!

He starts a disguised relationship to avoid family scrutiny!

“With a, a subordinate…!”

Thus begins the romance!

“This is also business, don’t misunderstand. I’ll provide incentives, so just play along.”

“I’m the same! If my family didn’t have debts, I wouldn’t have engaged in a fake relationship with the boss! Hmph!”

Ayoon’s heart raced with excitement.

Of course, Ayoon doesn’t have family debts!

“This is…!”

The opening scene of the drama!

Ayoon’s first love is officially back on track today!

Today, Yeonho’s purpose is probably to introduce her as the disguised girlfriend (or not)!

In reality, it’s more like a meeting of families (definitely not)!

“I, I have to go!”

Ayoon stood up abruptly!

Miraculously, the Chuseok experience points event began to take a back seat!

She quickly took off her green gaming suit and chose her only blue shirt and a skirt she had never worn before!

Rustle!

She opened the door and stepped out of the room!

“Huh? Where is Ayoon going?”

“I’ll be back!”

Ayoon hurriedly left the house.

[Where are you!]

[Our Boss: Oh, Hongdae XX. Wait for me at the cafe.]

[Okay!!!]

With eyebrows fluttering, Ayoon took the subway and arrived in Hongdae, where the only thing that could stop her was the traffic light!

And so, she arrived at the cafe!

“You came?”

“Oh, Ayoon was invited too?”

“Umm…?”

There, Yeonho and Seorim were drinking coffee.

Ayoon’s pupils trembled like an earthquake.

“Uh, is the sister here too…?” Seorim nodded.

“Yeah, he kept begging me to come, so I did. I didn’t have anything to do at home anyway.” When Seorim glared at Yeonho, he shrugged his shoulders.

“He even clung to that side…!”

Ayoon looked at Yeonho with a mixture of disappointment and betrayal.

His indifferent expression hurt her heart.

“Bo, Boss…!”

“Hmm?”

“It’s scandalous…!” “???”

First love, doomed to destruction (for the second time)!

…But at least this time, an hour had passed.

***

I just couldn’t stay at home anymore, and there was no excuse to go outside.

So, I came up with the idea of making up an excuse of scheduling a meeting with my colleagues.

Still, it seems like I’m a person with a lot of favours. Especially during the Chuseok holiday, there were two people rushing to meet me.

At the cafe, there were Han Seorim, Jo Ayoon, and me.

One peculiar thing was that Jo Ayoon was wearing a skirt for some reason.

Could it be because she attended a wedding?

“Ayoon, did you go to a wedding?”

“Out of the blue…?”

“Senior, what nonsense are you talking about again? A wedding during Chuseok?”

Maybe not.

The only time Jo Ayoon would wear a skirt is probably for someone else’s wedding.

It was data I obtained by attending several colleagues’ weddings in my past life.

“Well, it’s a different life from the past, after all.”

Let’s just accept that.

While I was understanding this, Han Seorim asked.

“So, what do we do now?”

Looking at the clock, it was 4 PM.

It was an awkward time to eat, and it would be inappropriate to not suggest plans from the perspective of the invitee.

After a moment of contemplation, I came up with an answer.

“How about going to a PC room until dinner?”

When there’s nothing to do, going to a PC room is always a good option.

Han Seorim let out a deep sigh.

***

Looking back, it had been about 15 years since my last visit.

As the scenery of the PC bang unfolded before me, a renewed appreciation arose.

The interior was about 70 square meters, filled with counters and dozens of computers.

In essence, this place was not an exaggeration when called the birthplace of Korean gaming culture, playing a significant role in the development of online gaming culture in Korea up to the present day.

Rather than immediately taking a seat, I stood there, taking in the scene.

Kids gathered for the holiday, playing games together. The popular games included the era-defining FPS, Counter-Strike; Maple Saga, where Jo Ayoon was deeply immersed; and Mad Arcade, where they fought by popping water balloons.

A little to the side, there was a person who appeared to be an uncle, playing a game with a look of exhaustion while immersed in a sleepless night hell.

And it wasn’t just him.

There were also individuals who came alone to play ‘that game’ until the holiday, a couple playing racing games, and students playing FPS.

Observing them, I could discern something.

It was the gaming preferences of each user group based on age, gender, occupation, or situation.

Back in my previous life, right after joining and completing my first project, I used to spend hours sitting there with nothing to play, just observing the users, wondering if anyone was playing our game.

This life was no different.

While I was at the PC bang, I found myself casually observing the users.

And then, it happened.

“Bo, Boss! Over there!”

Jo Ayoon whispered and pointed to a corner of the PC bang.

There, a man who looked like a soldier on leave and he was playing games with his younger cousins.

…It was Hellic 1.

The first game we ever created.

“Hyung! Is this fun?”

“Yeah? Well, it’s just a game. It’s fun.”

“Can I try it too?”

“You’re too small, let’s play when you grow up.”

The man chuckled.

A strange feeling came over me.

Even Han Seorim beside me seemed to feel the same way.

It was a game we made together, especially the emotional connection seemed so strong that we couldn’t take our eyes off it.

Even the smiles reached our eyes.

Feeling a sense of pride, I said, “Want to take a seat?”

We all gathered around and sat down.

“But what game are we playing? Do you know anything?”

Suddenly energized, Han Seorim asked.

At that moment, I was already starting the game.

League of Legends, commonly known as LOL.

Over the next 10 years, it would become a legendary game that would dominate the industry and solidify itself as a global sports and cultural phenomenon.

It had only been two years since its release in Korea.

The reason for choosing this game was to see how it compared to when I used to play, to study and understand why it could maintain its popularity for a decade through periodic updates and maintenance.

Playing, I began to think.

How had the gameplay changed over time, and what considerations went into making such changes?

This game, which had always evolved trendy changes based on the same source, made me wonder about the future of its gameplay.

“Oh, Boss, do you play LOL too?”

“Ayoon too?”

“Occasionally…”

Jo Ayoon giggled.

It seemed she really liked online games.

“What’s LOL, though?”

Han Seorim asked.

Jo Ayoon began explaining with a bright face.

In the end, we decided to play a 3-person queue for a regular game of LOL.

After the tutorial, the game started for Han Seorim.

“Oh, unnie, you play support! I’ll play ADC and help you!”

Jo Ayoon confidently declared.

I chose the mid lane.

The game started, and Jo Ayoon’s complexion gradually stiffened.

“Uh, Unni… You shouldn’t kill that.”

“Huh? Why not? Ayoon, you should kill too. I get gold when catching the minion.”

Han Seorim extended her head towards the monitor as if she was about to kiss it, concentrating on killing the minions.

The champion she was playing was Blitzcrank, an initiator who pulls enemies in to start the fight with a grab skill.

…She was killing minions with that grab skill.

Minions are supposed to be the territory of the ADC (Attack Damage Carry), in other words, the ranged dealer.

In other words, Han Seorim was doing something that a support should never do! [TL Note: Ayoon I feel you. I am sure a lot of the fellow readers can realize her pain]

“Uh, ugh…”

Jo Ayoon’s forehead creased with tension.

The tension could be felt because she was right between us.

“…”

Han Seorim’s mouse clicks echoed between us.

As expected, the game ended in defeat.

It was due to Jo Ayoon’s absence of growth and Han Seorim’s catastrophic KDA (0/22/1).

Jo Ayoon’s expression became hollow.

Maybe it’s time to stop.

At that moment, I thought that I couldn’t let the conflict between teammates escalate.

“I’ll hire mercenaries.”

Jo Ayoon typed in the chat and called the two.

At that moment, I froze.

[Pangyo1JjangMyungkyuMyungkyu: Hi there~!]

[CruelMassacreMyungkyu: Hi~!]

“Uh, it’s Unni Yumi and Unni Hyeji…”

Why are their nicknames like that?

The question surged to the tip of my tongue.

Of course, I didn’t say it, and somehow the game that had started ended in a miraculous ending.

[Victory]

Jo Yumi and Kim Hyeji, who took the top and jungle positions, tore the game apart.

The kills they racked up together were 81.

It was a number that could be called annihilation rather than massacre.

I found out late through Jo Ayoon.

“Oh, Unnis were 2200 last season…”

Last year, when League of Legends was first released in Korea, the average rating of the two in the top lane was 2200.

This season, they are maintaining Diamond 1 tier, and besides that, they have experiences like receiving pro offers in the Student Strike that they enjoyed during their school days.

Jo Yumi and Kim Hyeji.

The two were not well known by that name.

***

The shocking Chuseok has ended for various reasons.

Returning to the company after the holiday, the scene remained the same.

Employees were gradually shaking off the comfort of the break and starting work.

“Yeonho, you all played games together during Chuseok, right?”

Myungkyu asked.

Yeonho nodded, and with a hearty laugh, he added, “Next time, call me too. I’m good at support. I play with Yumi and Hyeji.”

It implies that he knows their nicknames.

“Hyung.”

“Yeah?”

“Nothing, never mind.”

He couldn’t bring himself to ask Myungkyu’s nickname.

There are truths in the world that one should leave buried.

It was an awkward moment.

“Yeonho, could you come here for a moment?”

Yang Gilsang appeared.

It was a good opportunity to escape, so he quickly got up from his seat.

“Good luck.”

“Yeah, you too, Yeonho.”

He escaped quickly.

***

The destination was Yang Gilsang’s office, just above the development room.

Yang Gilsang handed me a file.

“I’ve prepared the data you requested.”

It was quite a thick file.

I picked it up and read it carefully.

Meanwhile, Yang Gilsang asked, “But why did you suddenly request information on other game development companies? And why choose less than 10 small ones?”

I lifted my head.

Asking out of the blue might seem strange.

The reason wasn’t significant.

Now that the company was firmly on track, there was a need to consider expansion in other directions.

Rewind’s performance has been consistently rising.

Successfully establishing a foothold through Hellic 1 and 2, coupled with the recognition from winning Indie GOTY, they had also successfully entered the Japanese market with the console version.

The development funds were already abundant, and on top of that, they had secured investment for Hellic 3.

It was a moment to think about it.

How long should the entire company continue releasing one game every few years?

Should the company be limited to a single title?

The answer in my mind was a resounding ‘absolutely not.’

“We’ve started the engine, now it’s time to accelerate.”

The time to focus solely on the development of Hellic 3 had come to an end.

The planning was done smoothly, and now we were in a situation of repeating physical production and modifications.

With both funds and recognition fulfilled, and the skeleton of the game complete, it was time to aim for expansion.

I said, “We’re going to form a sub-project team.”

In other words, saying something like that.

“We need to bring in good talent.”

Now was the time to use the privilege of a being returnee, collecting talents whose future was secured.

/RomanceMTL