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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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After my crushing defeat against Yellow, the first thing I did when I got home was search for videos on the fighting game. While playing games with her wasn’t my objective, the consecutive losses and her condescending remarks had bruised my ego.
“What are you watching?”
Yu-bin, who was already at my place, came over and looked at my phone.
“A game? You play games, Oppa?”
“Not really. Just watching.”
I hadn’t shown any interest in games while we were together. I wasn’t particularly interested in playing, and even now, I wasn’t watching for fun but to learn how to beat Yellow, at least once.
“Really? Oppa, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Oh? What is it?”
Yu-bin usually didn’t announce what she was going to say; she just said it, so her preamble made me nervous.
“My coworkers and I were talking about a short trip in September.”
“A trip?”
“Yes.”
Her coworkers meant Hunter Killer, and the trip probably involved everyone except Yellow. I hadn’t heard about this from Yu-ra, Ha-yeong, or Green yet, so either Yu-bin was telling me right after the discussion, or they hadn’t finalized the plans yet.
Ignoring the implications, focusing on the present moment, Yu-bin was telling me, her boyfriend, about a potential trip with her friends, and her expression clearly conveyed her desire to go.
“Okay, go ahead. Let me know when you have the dates.”
“Really?! I can really go?”
“Of course. Why would I stop you from going on a trip with your friends?”
Some people were against their partners going on trips with friends. People had different personalities and relationship dynamics, so I couldn’t judge them, but I wasn’t that type of person.
Yu-bin, who’d been anxious, her face lit up at my permission, and she rushed into my arms, making me drop my phone. Yu-bin was more important than game videos, and I hugged her back.
“I want to go on a trip with you, Oppa.”
“A trip… That reminds me, I’m going out of town in the third week of September.”
“Out of town? Why?”
I needed to tell her about the training exercise at the West Sea, but I hadn’t figured out how to explain it, so I’d been putting it off.
“There’s a seminar for a project I’m working on.”
I wasn’t sure if she’d buy it, but it was the best lie I could come up with. She thought I worked in programming and didn’t know the specifics of my “work.” It was natural; I hadn’t mentioned anything about it since I didn’t actually do any programming work.
“How long are you going for?”
“Two nights, three days.”
“Be careful.”
“It’s not dangerous. And it’ll still be hot then, so I’ll try to stay indoors.”
“It’s been a long summer because of the late monsoon season.”
“Once the typhoon season starts, it should cool down quickly.”
We chatted, our eyes met, and we shared a brief kiss. The soft touch of her lips made me tighten my grip on her waist.
I made a mental note to take Yu-bin on a trip sometime, when the doorbell rang, announcing the arrival of our food, and we both jumped up.
Yu-bin left for Hunter Killer headquarters in the morning, and I, grinding my teeth, headed to the arcade. I still didn’t understand why Yellow was skipping meetings. I should have been rational, focusing on observation, but the moment I saw her, all I could think about was winning, at least once.
“You actually came back.”
I entered the arcade and saw Yellow at the fighting game console, as usual. She’d just won a match and looked up as I approached.
“I said I would.”
“After losing so badly yesterday.”
“Because I lost so badly yesterday.”
My competitive spirit, stronger than during our actual duels, burned within me as I sat down across from her and inserted my coins. I’d watched tournament videos and tutorials before coming, so even if I couldn’t win, I should at least be able to land a hit.
But the moment I lost the first round, I realized I’d been delusional. I’d practiced, however briefly, and yet, I’d been completely destroyed, unable to even land a single combo.
“Of course you’re getting blocked, you’re telegraphing every move, idiot.”
She’d seen right through me, just from watching my movements. No one would just stand there and take a predictable hit.
I was reminded, once again, that she was a seasoned veteran, while I was a complete novice.
“Do you even do anything besides eating and playing games?”
“That’s a compliment.”
“…”
I couldn’t argue with her logic and just retorted sarcastically, my words laced with frustration, but her voice only became more smug.
Even without much gaming experience, I’d learned one interesting thing about Korean gaming culture: insulting someone’s gameplay after defeating them was considered a compliment.
Not wanting to see her smug expression, I inserted more coins and started another game.
“How much are you planning to waste today?”
I’d spent more than I’d intended yesterday, not because the games were expensive, but because I kept playing, fueled by my losing streak. While losing was frustrating, it was the wasted money that really bothered me.
“I’m going to win at least one round.”
“Sure, go ahead. Try your best.”
Fighting games were usually best-of-three matches, and this game was no exception. The first player to win two rounds won the match. I didn’t even dream of winning a match; my current goal was a single round.
But the skill gap between me, a complete beginner, and Yellow, a seasoned veteran, was vast, and that single round felt insurmountable. Yellow showed no mercy, and before I knew it, I’d lost 10 rounds.
“This is infuriating.”
“You learn by getting beaten up, especially if you’re as bad as you are.”
Yellow must have played against many skilled players, and I knew I’d lose against them, too. But hearing her call me bad, even though it was true, still stung. It only fueled my desire to win.
My long-dormant competitive spirit reawakened, but I lacked the skills to satisfy it.
“Against a beginner…”
“Games are fun when you win, regardless of your opponent’s skill.”
I agreed with her. Winning was fun, regardless of the competition. But why was I so determined to win, after losing so badly for two days straight?
There was no reason; I just wanted to win.
As I was about to insert more coins for another round, Yellow stood up.
“Are you leaving?”
“Look at the time. I’m going to get lunch. See you later if you’re still playing.”
She left the arcade, and I checked the time. It was lunchtime. I sighed and went out to get something to eat.
After lunch, I continued playing but lost every single round to Yellow. I hadn’t watched many videos, so my skills hadn’t improved, and I kept repeating the same mistakes.
“Are you even thinking while you’re playing?”
“I’m too busy blocking and hitting to think.”
“The character doesn’t move just because you’re panicking.”
It was true that I became frantic when my HP was low. But as Yellow had pointed out, the character wouldn’t magically become better just because I was panicking.
I thought about my gameplay after she left the arcade, but all I could remember were the perfect combos that had defeated me.
“I’m not coming tomorrow.”
I was about to ask why she wasn’t coming tomorrow when I remembered it was duel day. I’d been so focused on the game that I’d forgotten she was Yellow of Hunter Killer, not just some arcade rat.
“I can’t come tomorrow either.”
I couldn’t come either, since I had to fight against her. I couldn’t tell her that, and she didn’t seem to care, so we just said goodbye and were about to part ways when she spoke.
“What about the day after tomorrow?”
I turned around, hearing her voice behind me.
“1 PM.”
“…Okay.”
We made a simple verbal agreement to meet at the arcade at 1 PM.
While it had been three weeks since our last duel, due to the rain delays, there was no sense of renewed rivalry or excitement. We piled into the cramped van as usual and arrived at the designated location.
Hunter Killer arrived shortly after, and I thought I could see their faces through their helmets, their suits matching their codenames.
‘So this is what it’s like.’
I hadn’t been particularly self-conscious during our earlier duels, when I only knew Yu-bin and Yu-ra, but now, knowing all the members, I couldn’t help but be aware of them throughout the fight.
But that didn’t change my actions. Our relationship was one thing, my duty another.
I fought without hesitation, my movements fluid and practiced, but the Hunter Killer members, their morale high, were relentless.
I was hit by Green’s spear, sent flying, then hit again by Blue’s blast as I landed. They didn’t know my true identity, and even if they did, they wouldn’t be able to distinguish me from the other black-suited soldiers. But their attacks, devoid of any mercy, still hurt.
After the duel, which Hunter Killer had won decisively, as always, they returned to headquarters.
“Yes!”
Red, celebrating their victory after a three-week hiatus, high-fived her teammates as they entered the locker room to change.
“Yellow, too.”
She held out her hand to Yellow, but Yellow, ignoring her, just put her suit away and started changing.
“Yellow.”
Red, not giving up, held out her hand again, and Yellow sighed and high-fived her.
“We’re going to grab a bite before heading home. Want to join us, Yellow?”
They’d made plans to have dinner together after the duel, and Red didn’t want to exclude Yellow, so she extended the invitation.
“No, thanks.”
Yellow declined and left the locker room without looking back. The remaining members exchanged knowing glances in the ensuing silence.
Yellow headed straight home.
She felt like she’d made a new gaming friend. While they weren’t exactly friends, having someone to play games with made her feel strangely happy, a feeling she hadn’t realized she’d been missing.
‘He’s weird, though.’
She’d initially thought his request to teach him how to play, after following her home, had been a flimsy excuse, but seeing his earnest attempts at the arcade, she’d realized he was serious. He wasn’t skilled and didn’t know much about the game, but his persistence suggested a genuine desire to learn.
Excited by the prospect of teaching a complete beginner, Yellow, on the subway ride home, searched for videos that would be easy for a novice to understand.
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