Back when I was still working at the company.
In other words, during the ti when I was ssing up with every ga release.
There was a recurring criticism that followed my gas.
"If you're going to do this, you might as well make a music video. Is there nothing to appreciate about the ga except the sound?
└ Seriously, the sound is unbelievably good, but the ga is a lost cause. It's made to be unplayable unless you start spending money from the beginning.
└ Well, it's about the money, after all."
Praise for the sound.
In-ga BGM, impact sounds, and background music for cinematics, along with every other auditory elent. The overwhelming soundtrack existed in the ga, even praised by players who criticized the ga in other aspects.
They might even have said, 'The sound team is AAA-grade.'
But there was one thing that these people, the ones who praised the sound so highly, didn't know.
About my team, about my ga.
―Team leader! I'm done with this!
There was only one person responsible for sound.
―What should I do now? Should I pick a few more BGM tracks?
Her na was Jo Ayoon.
Her signature look included hair dyed pink all the way to the roots, a green tracksuit that reminded you of a frog, and a wide grin that resembled a mischievous smile.
She had finished high school through a high school equivalency exam and didn't go to college.
She had been self-learning music since elentary school and had started composing in middle school.
With her credentials, she had no chance at a major corporation.
But the reason she managed to enter the company despite that was simple.
―This is unreal. Is this new track really that good?
It was because her portfolio, a collection of music she had been creating since middle school, received great responses both within and outside the company.
She was what people might call a prodigy.
The reason she joined my team had a slightly regrettable internal story behind it.
―Still, her academic background is... and we don't know if she'll adapt well to group work.
―Really? Then, Yeonho, do you want to test her a bit?
―...Yes, understood.
The company valued adaptability within a group as much as individual skills.
Considering one's prestigious educational background or external awards also played into this.
However, there was more to Jo Ayoon than what was in her portfolio.
Our first eting was like that.
―Starting today, I'm your team leader. Please take care of .
―Oh, handso.
―What?
―Please take care of !
Jo Ayoon was a free-spirited individual.
Despite the concerns from higher-ups, she was sociable and efficiently took care of her work. Even though I wasn't the best boss, she followed my instructions well and showed a human touch.
That's why I thought.
Ah, she'll probably move on to a better team in the next project.
We won't be working together for long.
I wanted to maintain so distance, and that expectation was shattered by one sentence from her.
―Yes? I asked if I could keep working under you, Team Leader.
At lunch today, she used a light tone, like discussing what she ate.
She seized the opportunity that ca her way and chose to remain under soone like , a failure. Even though I asked for a reason, she didn't answer.
But I guess she managed to assert her goal with her quite independent personality and succeeded in that.
One more mory resurfaced.
―Team Leader, don't quit, okay? Seriously?
When I inford her that I was quitting, she had been visibly upset.
―Ah, why? Just give it a bit more! Please? We haven't succeeded yet!
I felt sorry.
I felt sorry that I was the only one who had told her about quitting.
It was embarrassing to be understood, but I was grateful for the continued contact.
I sotis wonder.
―Team Leader! Team Leader!
At the end of my previous life, the mont I suddenly died, I was on a call with her. I wonder what happened to her afterward.
Is it a ti that has been erased, or does it still exist separately from this tiline?
Of course, I have no way of knowing.
So, I can only do what I can do.
In this life, I want to repay her.
And I want to achieve success with her all the way to the top.
Now is the ti to take that first step.
[Ayuning S2: Hi there~!]
I greeted the young Jo Ayoon, whom I had beco friendly with over the past few days, beyond the screen.
[King Yeonho: Hey hey]
Strangers on the other side of the screen, still only recognizing each other online.
It would take a long ti to bridge the gap to real-life etings through conventional ans.
Well, given that she has a severe case of hikikomori, it might take a few months to build trust and coax soone out.
But unfortunately, I don't have that luxury.
I had to use a slightly unconventional approach.
I already knew how.
―Why did you co out of your room? Because I got scamd in a ga. I had that thought then. 'Do I have to end up stewing in a corner after being scamd by so punk? Watch and see, scamr! I'll beco soone so amazing you won't even be able to look at ! I won't crumble here!' That kind of thought.
―What kind of logic is that?
―Well, that's hikikomori for you. Anyway, that's how it went. Then I took the high school equivalency exam, continued with music, and even landed this job. Hey, looking at it like this, she was quite an amazing friend.
Coming out of the room because you got scamd in a ga and being upset.
"Hmm..."
I was deep in thought.
[Ayuning S2: Yeno~ Taking a break~?]
How could I pull off a scam?
***
Jo Ayoon, 17 years old.
Loves composing, mixed rice with side dishes, and being a shut-in.
Hates sunlight, peers, and her mom's nagging.
Today started off on the wrong foot.
Being hit with three things she hates all at once in the morning.
"Hey! Ayoon! Open the curtains and wake up! It's morning, get up! Look outside! All the kids are leaving in their school uniforms, what are you doing?!"
"Ugh... Tell to open the curtains..."
Ayoon whined, burying herself under the covers.
Just a month ago, she had dropped out of school after being bullied and ostracized for a week since starting high school.
Ayoon needed sothing to soothe her wounded heart.
Today, the reason she couldn't get up was probably because she had been up all night gaming. But regardless of that, it was as it was.
With a slight whimper, Ayoon made a noise that sounded a bit like crying, and her mom heaved a deep sigh, putting an end to her nagging.
"...Fine, go eat. Today, it's mixed rice with side dishes, your favourite."
"Ugh..."
With a thump, her mom left the room.
Only then did Ayoon slowly pull her head out from under the covers.
Mixed rice with side dishes, her favourite al, but it was cancelled for today.
There was a more important commitnt.
Weeeng—
Ayoon imdiately turned on her computer and clicked on the mushroom-shaped icon on her desktop.
Dingling—
A cheerful intro BGM flowed through her headset.
"Maple Saga."
It was a ga that Ayoon, a recluse and drear, was deeply imrsed in.
Lately, it was particularly intense.
[King Yeonho: Hey]
She had made a friend.
A friend!
Oh, how sweet that resonance was!
A true friend who wouldn't say things like, "Why do you act so full of yourself?" or "Are you really that desperate?" or "You're acting like a princess."
A friend who could understand each other's worries, embark on adventures together—how could she possibly leave her computer screen?
Ayoon tapped into her keyboard keys and asked.
[Ayuning S2: Hi there~!]
Nickna King Yeonho, probably real na Yeonho.
A week ago, he had ssaged her, saying, "Help catch a Mushdad."
In the days since then, they had spent around ten hours a day playing together and beco closer through sharing their innermost thoughts.
If he roughly summarized the context leading up to them getting close:
[Ayuning S2: I used to be an outcast too... T_T]
[King Yeonho: You too? I was an outcast too. They used to call an art freak.]
[Ayuning S2: You too? That must have been tough T_T_T]
[King Yeonho: But what's your hobby? I like drawing.]
[Ayuning S2: I'm into composing! Oh, can I see your drawings?]
[King Yeonho: Sure, but you have to let hear your music too.]
There's sothing about people who share the sa pain that connects them.
Outcasts, dropouts, and art hobbies (Yeonho was better at drawing than most university students!).
Moreover, the fact that we were both online for about ten hours a day fit so perfectly that it was almost like fate—how could our fondness for each other not skyrocket?
And today was the sa.
[Ayuning S2: Yeno! Quest party ti!]
[King Yeonho: OK]
It was the day of their first high-level party quest challenge.
Thinking it was their first challenge together, Ayoon had even read through a walkthrough on an internet blog the night before.
She was nervous, but the thought of attempting the quest with Yeonho gave her so comfort.
She thought that after the party quest, they could chat in the town.
It was that mont Ayoon was thinking about.
**[King Yeonho: But, Ayoon.]
[Ayuning S2: Hm?]
[King Yeonho: Can you do a favor?]
And the response ca back.
[King Yeonho: I want to move so items from another account, but it's tough to do alone. If I give the items from the other account to you, can you give them to this character?]
Ah, so he had multiple accounts!
It seed like he was now trying to properly build up 'King Yeonho'.
To do that, he would need to bring items from another account!
[Ayuning S2: Okay, sure thing~]
Ayoon readily agreed.
There was no reason to not help a friend's request!
Yeonho's response ca after a brief silence.
[King Yeonho: Um... I'm sorry to ask you this... but...]
[Ayuning S2: Huh?]
[King Yeonho: Could we try a little test first? Like a trust test between friends.]
What did he an by a trust test?
While she was puzzled, Yeonho explained.
[King Yeonho: I've been betrayed before, so I find it hard to trust friends... So, I'd like to take collateral as a precaution.]
In fact, if she had thought a bit more rationally, she might have found sothing suspicious about his words.
But it was the year 2009, a ti when the wild nature of the online world hadn't deeply infiltrated daily life yet, and Ayoon was a naive teenager who felt sorry for turning down soone who had ford such a friendly appearance and was revealing their emotional wounds.
The answer ca out imdiately.
[Ayuning S2: Okay, what should I give as collateral?]
[King Yeonho: Give the weapon you're wearing.]
Ayoon was taken aback.
The weapon was the most valuable item she had.
But refusing here felt like she would beco a bad person.
Her hesitation was short-lived.
She was seized by the thought that if she refused, she might not beco friends with Yeonho anymore.
With trembling hands, Ayoon typed.
[Ayuning S2: Okay! Sure thing!]
And the trade window appeared.
Ayoon dragged the trembling weapon onto the screen.
Just after the trade was completed.
[King Yeonho: Thanks, returning it now.]
Ding!
The weapon returned through the trade window.
"Phew, phew!"
Ayoon sighed deeply, feeling a mixture of relief and self-disgust.
To doubt that her friend would betray her like this! There couldn't be anything more shaful.
As her heart lightened, a smile crept onto her lips.
Ayoon typed in the chat.
[Ayuning S2: Is it done now?]
[King Yeonho: Well... Actually...]
[Ayuning S2: Huh?]
[King Yeonho: I'm sorry to ask this again, but can we do it one more ti? This ti, could you give all the items you have? T_T]
Yeonho even included a crying emoticon 'T_T' in his chat!
This was a big event!
Ayoon had never seen him like this while chatting!
'He must be deeply hurt...!'
With sympathy, Ayoon responded.
[Ayuning S2: Alright!]
Ding!
This ti, without hesitation, she gave all the items.
After the trade was completed.
[Ayuning S2: Yeno! Give them back now!]
Yeonho's character stopped.
"Uh..."
Ayoon was bewildered.
No response when she initiated the trade, no response to her chat—her heart raced like thumping drums.
"Did... Did I lag?"
Waiting for five minutes, her ominous imagination beca a foregone conclusion, and eventually it beca reality.
[King Yeonho: Lol]
The character that had seed friendly until now suddenly felt terrifying.
[King Yeonho: Lolololololololololololol]
Yeonho's character started laughing maniacally.
Ayoon's mind turned white.
In the span of a second, her lips fell open.
[King Yeonho: You fell for it keke]
Yeonho's character disappeared.
Only then did Ayoon realize that she had been deceived.
The feeling of despair as if the sky is collapsing.
A flood of sadness from being betrayed and resentnt towards the other person surges.
Amidst this rush of emotions, Ayoon wandered around the hunting grounds of the previous area, half out of her mind.
'I have to find him!'
She needed to find the items.
The practical reason outweighed the emotional despair for Ayoon.
'I bought those items with secretly recharged cash!!!'
Ayoon's items were purchased using cash secretly recharged by her parents for communication expenses!
At that ti, her mind set was different.
Since it was a given that she'd be caught and scolded anyway, she thought that if she enjoyed the ga and got scolded, she wouldn't have any regrets. This short-sighted judgnt led Ayoon to commit such a misdeed.
But now she had lost all the items that she would have to pay for.
In other words, Ayoon was facing the worst situation, where she had lost both the items and her pride.
Her eyes were bloodshot.
Foam even gathered at the corners of her mouth.
Surely that guy who used to play the ga for around 10 hours a day would be sowhere in the hunting grounds!
With that glimr of hope, she spent about a day wandering around the map, and she finally succeeded in finding Yeonho.
Pababang!
Yeonho was hunting in the hunting grounds.
With the very items that had been taken from her.
Ayoon felt her blood boiling with a mixture of emotions and imdiately typed in the chat.
[Ayuning S2: You damn jerk!!!]
Yeonho's character stopped in that mont.
Soon, a chat ssage appeared.
[King Yeonho: The idiot is here, lol]
[Ayuning S2: Give my items back!]
[King Yeonho: Why would I?]
Ayoon felt like her breath was being choked off.
How could a person be so shaless!
She was so frustrated and angry that tears were welling up in her eyes.
Many words filled her mind, but there was only one thing she could express in the chat.
[Ayuning S2: Just give it back... That's my item... please.]
Clearly, Yeonho was at fault, yet here she was, begging.
His response was just one line.
[King Yeonho: If you're gonna whine, just die kek]
That mont, sothing snapped in Ayoon's mind.
Sothing broke loose from her mind.
Her emotions erupted beyond anything she had felt until now.
It was like the force of a volcano ready to erupt any mont.
Blood vessels pulsed in her temples.
Tap, tap!
Ayoon typed furiously, as if she was going to break the keyboard.
[Ayuning S2: Where the hell do you live, you damn jerk!]
[King Yeonho: Co to Hongdae XX, kek]
As soon as the chat ssage appeared, Ayoon's body froze.
An adult man and woman had rushed to the agreed-upon eting place and were staring at her.
"Is that her, senior?"
"Yeah."
The man was handso and the woman was pretty.
No, that wasn't important.
'Oh... They're adults...!'
Being an adult was a wall too high for Ayoon, the 17-year-old hikikomori dropout.
Ayoon's legs trembled.
'What do I do...?'
Ayoon wanted to cry.
The feeling of despair as if the sky is collapsing.
A flood of sadness from being betrayed and resentnt towards the other person surges.
Amidst this rush of emotions, Ayoon wandered around the hunting grounds of the previous channel, half out of her mind.
'I have to find him!'
She needed to find the items.
The practical reason outweighed the emotional despair for Ayoon.
'I bought those items with secretly recharged cash!!!'
Ayoon's items were purchased using cash secretly recharged by her parents for communication expenses!
At that ti, her mindset was different.
Since it was a given that she'd be caught and scolded anyway, she thought that if she enjoyed the ga and got scolded, she wouldn't have any regrets. This short-sighted judgnt led Ayoon to commit such a misdeed.
But now she had lost all the items that she would have to pay for.
In other words, Ayoon was facing the worst situation, where she had lost both the items and her pride.
Her eyes were bloodshot.
Foam even gathered at the corners of her mouth.
Surely that guy who used to play the ga for around 10 hours a day would be sowhere in the hunting grounds!
With that glimr of hope, she spent about a day wandering around the map, and she finally succeeded in finding Yeonho.
Pababang!
Yeonho was hunting in the hunting grounds.
With the very items that had been taken from her.
Ayoon felt her blood boiling with a mixture of emotions and imdiately typed in the chat.
[Ayuning S2: You damn jerk!!!]
Yeonho's character stopped in that mont.
Soon, a chat ssage appeared.
[King Yeonho: The idiot is here, lol]
[Ayuning S2: Give my items back!]
[King Yeonho: Why would I?]
Ayoon felt like her breath was being choked off.
How could a person be so shaless!
She was so frustrated and angry that tears were welling up in her eyes.
Many words filled her mind, but there was only one thing she could express in the chat.
[Ayuning S2: Just give it back... That's my item... please.]
Clearly, Yeonho was at fault, yet here he was, begging, and it was she who was feeling sorry for him.
His response was just one line.
[King Yeonho: If you're gonna whine, just die kek]
That mont, sothing snapped in Ayoon's mind.
Sothing broke loose from her mind.
Her emotions erupted beyond anything she had felt until now.
It was like the force of a volcano ready to erupt any mont.
Blood vessels pulsed in her temples.
Tap, tap!
Ayoon typed furiously, as if she was going to break the keyboard.
[Ayuning S2: Where the hell do you live, you damn jerk!]
[King Yeonho: Co to Hongdae XX, kek]
As soon as the chat ssage appeared, Ayoon's body froze.
Suddenly, her body froze.
Because an adult man and woman had rushed to the agreed-upon eting place and were staring at her.
"Is that her, senior?"
"Yeah."
The man was handso and the woman was pretty.
No, that wasn't important.
'Oh... They're adults...!'
Being an adult was a wall too high for Ayoon, the 17-year-old hikikomori dropout.
Ayoon's legs trembled.
'What do I do...?'
Ayoon wanted to cry.
***
'This is really working.'
To be honest, I started this with mixed feelings, but seeing everything fall into place so perfectly surprised .
She is the younger Jo Ayoon.
'She's so different.'
She doesn't have the pink hair that I rember.
Jo Ayoon had ssy black hair that covered her forehead, and her cap was pulled down over her nose.
The confident stance was nowhere to be found; her body was hunched.
At least the green training suit was similar.
Was she wearing that back then?
―It's my work clothes. I feel like things will go well if I wear this outfit.
That statent didn't seem like a lie.
Suddenly, the bright smile from my mories overlapped with the uncertain expression she was wearing now.
···No, let's hold off on these thoughts.
First, I need to initiate a conversation and see how it goes...
"Heek..."
···What?
"Heuk..."
Jo Ayoon started hiccupping.
Her eyes under the cap were moist.
Her legs were shivering like a newborn calf's.
Tightly, Jo Ayoon grabbed my sleeve.
"...Hello."
···Hello?
"Hi... "
Jo Ayoon's voice was full of pathos.
An uneasy tremor, like sothing was wrong, was present in her voice.
It didn't take long for to sense that sothing was amiss.
Right after she finished speaking.
"T-Tem, please... give it back... Please... Hweoong―!"
Jo Ayoon burst into tears on the street.
The gaze of passersby gathered on her.
More than anything, the gaze felt like they were looking at a discarded piece of trash.
"Sunbae?"
"···."
My mind went blank for a mont.
One thought filled my head.
'Redy.'
I needed a redy.
I held Jo Ayoon's hand.
"···I'll give your item back, so can you please stop crying for now?"
But why do I feel like the bad person here?
Tl Note: Coz you are ha ha ha
Also from today onwards. It would be daily release since I have used up all my stockpile in the mass releases ha ha
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